Bioware owns Mass Effect. The OC's are mine.

Chapter 35 - Death In The Form Of A Button, Day 13 Tuchanka Dawn

A/N: Inspired by Jack Wall's 'The Long Walk' from the Mass Effect 2: Combat soundtrack.

"Shit, did you guys multiply while I was asleep?" Chief Petty Officer Stacy Valentino groaned as she rolled over and opened her eyes, seeing fifteen more Krogan scattered in the opened-air Control Room. "What have Thrak and Darg been doing while I was sleeping? I didn't think I needed to check the plumbing to make sure that they were both boys." That had Captain Preitor Gavorn and Tech Specialist, First Class Vona Arterius laughing as Jorgal Thrak grumbled at the comment. Stacy grumbled herself as she got out of her makeshift bed, some debris she had found that looked to be softer than rocks. Thankfully, the Control Room hosted an atmospheric barrier, and everyone was able to take off their helmets save for Eloa'Varis nar Tombay vas Thessia, who was still wearing Chief Tech Specialist Elias Korvan's Turian-shaped helmet. The Human Sentinel thought the Quarian looked a bit goofy with a helmet that wasn't made for her head, but the Texan knew better than to say anything; if it meant her life, Stacy would wear a Krogan's helmet if she had to. The Human Biotic stretched out some, feeling her muscles and joints popping as she did so. "Damn it, I'm getting too old for this shit."

"You're telling me, Human." Thrak replied, getting up himself. "I woke up, and I remembered that I'm 635. Longer than your species has been shooting at each other." The Krogan smirked at his own comment.

"You got me beat there, big guy." The Sentinel admitted readily enough, rotating her head about, feeling her neck pop several times. She didn't really want to admit it, but at 34 years of age, she had been thinking of getting out. A decade and a half of service had taking its toll, and she wasn't sure that she would physically make that last five years to earn herself a decent retirement on a decent colony somewhere in Outer Citadel Space. The coming of the Geth and the subsequent Battle of the Citadel had taken out the last of the fire out of her after being shot several times trying to clear the Wards and the Presidium, especially since half of her unit had been killed during the fight against Sovereign and the Geth Armada. Stacy only had a few months left on her contract, yet now with the coming of the Reapers, any thought of ending her term of service went out the window. She would never admit it, but she didn't realistically expect herself to survive what seemed to be the End of Days. The Sentinel still wasn't sure how she survived the escape from Arcturus, but luck never lasted.

Chief Valentino moved over to where Staff Lieutenant Royce Mason stood at what she considered the main console of the Shaigur Defense Array. She had looked at it earlier, seeing an old computer console that looked more at home on an old Earth naval battleship, with buttons, switches, toggles, and fuses. Chief Tech Specialist Elias Korvan stood next to the N6, as well as a Krogan that took her a minute to recognize as Battlemaster Urdnot Greve. The Human and Turian were looking at the large mechanical console, expecting for the Krogan to start flipping switches and dials to turn it on.

"Watch this." The old Battlemaster said with a very Krogan smile, reaching underneath the console, pulling up the entire panel, revealing one simple red button.

"T-that's it!?" Elias exclaimed, the Turian sniper's eyes going wide as he looked at the red button displayed in front of the them. "One simple button?"

"That's it." The Battlemaster replied, chuckling. "We figured that anyone advanced would see this and try figuring it out. None of it works save to fool some Salarian operator into thinking it was useful. Press this button here, and the system will turn on, fully automated."

"Death in the form of a button. I like it." Royce replied, looking over to Stacy with a smile. "Here I was afraid we were gonna have to start pullin' fuses and playin' with toggles. Let me be the first to compliment Krogan ingenuity. Battlemaster? The honor's all yours."

"Gladly." The old Krogan stabbed the button with a stubby forefinger, setting off a series of klaxon alarms as panels began to power on. "The nuclear reactor has been turned online, Human. It will take some time for it to reach optimum capacity before the Defense Array is fully activated. Until then, it will be up to us to defend the complex, as now that it is activated, anyone can come in and change the settings as to whom the enemy is."

"Sounds easy." Stacy replied. "But I hear a catch."

"It takes four days for the reactors to fully warm up." The Krogan Battlemaster confirmed. Elias groaned, rolling his eyes, as if to say of course.

"Four days… galactic? Or Tuchankan days?" Royce asked slowly the Human Marine thinking in a way the Sentinel wasn't. Humans thought a day lasted 24 hours. A galactic day was 27 hours, due to the Asari 25 hour day and the Turian 30 hour day being compromised for both.

"Tuchankan." Greve answered, getting at what the N6 was asked. "32 hours each."

"Fuck." Chief Valentino muttered, knowing what Lieutenant Mason was driving at. She did the math in her head quickly; 128 hours. 128 hours of holding off who knew how many Reaper forces with 25 fighters and no ability to call for back-up. "Well, this is a balls-up'ed plan."

"You ain't shittin' me, Chief." Royce said, his eyes looking over the complex, and Stacy knew what the Australian-born man was doing; planning. If they were going to have to hold out here in the Defense array for more than five standard Earth days. The Chief Petty Officer knew that this was here N's truly made their names known; fighting against insurmountable odds with the use of tactics and cunning. Though Humanity had only been apart of the galactic community as a whole for the past thirty years, N-ranked soldiers had identified themselves through the galaxy on par with some of the best warriors amongst the other species, such as the Turian Blackwatch members, Asari Command Huntresses, Salarian STG, Krogan Battlemasters, Batarian Special Intervention members, Drell Silent Sentinels, and Elcor Heavy Weapons Mobile Team bulls. With an N6 and a Krogan Battlemaster on their side, Stacy didn't doubt that the twenty-five of them would be able to make the Reapers pay for every bloody inch of real estate. Especially since the Control Room and the complex itself had been built for defenders to fight off such numbers.

"Chief? I want no less than eight badass motherfuckers on the front door at any given moment." Royce told Chief Valentino, looking to her with hard eyes; the eyes of someone who was expecting hard times. "Split it up so that there is at least one sniper, one heavy weapons' specialist, and one to run recon and defense drones in each group. I know Krogan are fond of their Thresher-killin' shotguns," the Human looked over to Greve, who chuckled at the comment, "but I want assault rifles and heavy weapons out. If a breech looks like a possibility, we'll bring the thunder with the off-shifts to plug up any possible breeches with a pile of dead bodies, while the on-shift holds the Final Protective Line. No heroics, and no chargin'." A glare went to the Battlemaster, who said nothing. "We bunker down and we kill Reapers with tactics and overlappin' fields of fire, not suicidal charges."

"Not a reindition of Torfan '77. Got it." The Human Sentinel replied with an ugly tone, which had Royce look at her with a double-take, evidentaly unaware that she had been a part of that disasterous mission eight years before. "I'll see what our specialities are, but I recommend that we have at least one Biotic up front for firepower, not defense."

"I like it. Only one type of Reaper we've seen with Biotics, so we don't need to worry too much about defendin' ourselves against Warps, Throws, and Pulls. Thank God for that." The N6 noticed when Stacy crossed herself, and the Texan was grateful when he said nothing. "Any input, Battlemaster?"

"No mercy." Urdnot Greve replied simply, obviously liking Royce's plan. "And give my men something to occupy their free time with. A bored Krogan is not something you want to have. Fifteen of them are even worse."

"Poker games and drinking contests it is." Elias Korvan quipped, knowing that no one had brought alcohol or cards. "Perhaps we can get music and a pole, and convince Asha to 'entertain' our guests. Nothing like a dancing Asari to take a man's mind off the troubles of the world."

"Somehow, Elias, I don't think either Asha or Eloa would find that comment very amusing." Chief Stacy Valentino said with a smirk, only imagining what Asha T'vara or Eloa'Varis nar Tombay vas Thessia would think. "But feel free to tell highly-trained Asari Commando how you'd like her to shake her ass in front of a bunch of half-ton drooling Krogan. I'm going to bet Preitor Gavorn as to see what we'll need for your body; sponges or a spatula." Greve and Royce laughed out loud at that, and even the Turian sniper smiled as he shook his head, holding his hands up in the Turian hand gesture for defeat.

"Ok, ok, laugh it up while you can." Elias mock-pouted, dramatically cocking his head to one direction as if he thought he was better than them. "But five days of this, and you'll be begging for a little ass-shaking to get your mind off things, and my leathery hide is thankfully not to anyone's tastes."

"I wouldn't mind seeing a chicken dancing around a pole, shaking his ass-plates." Stacy replied with a cruel smile, rubbing her thumb against her fingertips in the Human gesture for payday. "I'd sell that on the extranet and live off the profits."

"Royce? Please save me." The Turian fake-whimpered, a mock-pleading face pointed at the N6 Marine as he clasped his talons together in a begging fashion. "The Texan is talking dirty to me, and I'm scared. I'm afraid she might play Cowboys and Turians." That had both Human laughing loudly while the Krogan Battlemaster chuckled, content to watch.

"Alright, you cockney boondockers." Royce finished with a chuckle, the mirth obviously putting the N6 in a good mood. "Stacy? A word with you in private, please." The Sentinel gave the Lieutenant an odd look, but nodded her acceptance as they strolled away from the console of the Shaigur Defense Array, away from the many Krogan and the members of the Chaos Legion. When Royce deemed that he was a sufficient distance away from prying ears, he stopped, facing away from everyone, crossing his arms across his chest in a position that suggested discomfort and unease.

"Stacy, I… I want to talk to you 'bout somethin' important." The Marine Lieutenant started, the subject of whatever he was about to bring up obviously not settling well with him. "I've talked to Asha and Elias about this, and they know my wishes, and they'll see this through. If I fall in battle, Elias and Asha will do their best to lead us through this until the Defense Array activates, and then pull out. But…" The ninteen year old Alliance officer went quiet, looking away from the Human Sentinel, doubt obvious in his face. "Stacy, if thin's go completely tits up, if we're gettin' overrun, I want you and Vona Arterius to get the hell outta dodge. Off Tuchanka. Outta the Krogan DMZ. I want you to link up with either the Alliance Command or the Turian Heirarchy; whichever's the easier for you to reach. Ditch and run for cover, and aid the resistance as best you can."

"But… why?" Stacy Valentino asked, feeling anger and dread filling her as she looked into Royce Mason's clear blue eyes, seeing no doubt there anymore. She had been through the Skyllian Blitz and the Bloodbath of Torfan, and even the Battle of the Citadel. She had never been clearcut orders to run; it had never been suggested. Why would Royce ask her of this? Her and… Tech Specialist, First Class Vona Arterius?

"It's because we have children, isn't it?" The Human Sentinel realized slowly, her voice weak as she thought of her son and daughter, Dane and Natasha. "If things go wrong, you want us to return to our families."

"Yes." The N6 sighed heavily, rubbing at one of his eyes. "I know what I ask ain't easy but… if this really is the End of Days, I want you to find your kids and find someplace the Reapers wouldn't think to look; a barren asteroid, some Venus-like hellhole, a lonely freighter dark and quiet… somethin'. I'm chargin' you with securin' the Enigma Signal, spread it around to as many friendly forces as possible, and then spend as much time holdin' and protectin' your kids." Royce went silent for a moment, his eyes going to the landscape outside the Shaigur Defense Array control room, the defensive death trap concieved by the Krogan to defend against any threat. "Take it from someone who lost his entire family in a Geth Apocalypse; every last damn moment is precious. I could die at peace knowin' I didn't take some kids' mothers away when they needed them the most."

"How did you know?" Stacy asked, her voice dull, unable to look away from the ground underneath her feet. She knew where they were at; with her ex-husband, John, on Tiptree. The last she had heard while on board the Turian Frigate TSV Cherva Tern was that there had been no reported activity in the Widow System, not with the Citadel and Citael fleet so close. "I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to. I have access to your records, as well as that of the Turians." Royce admitted. "I didn't see much of your military record, but I did see your personnel record. I hadn't known you were a part of the offense on Torfan. Prehaps someone who survived that could find their way out of this mess. Remember, you and Vona. Go get your kids and don't let go of them. But make sure that you get that Signal out."

"I will. I promise." Chief Petty Officer Stacy Valentino answered finally, giving off a sigh of resignation as she looked to Royce's face, to show him that she meant it. "In truth, I haven't seen my kids in… years. I was planning on getting out this year so I could be there, make up for that time that I've missed. Reapers had other plans." The Texan looked out to the labrynthine courtyard that led towards the control room, to where Reaper forces would undoubtedly come from. "Thank you, Royce. For looking out. For caring. You hear leader types talk big about being their for families and such, but you're the second one I'v ever served under that actually did anything about it."

"Only the second, huh?" The Australian-born man repeated with a smile. "Such an elite inspiration. I take it you were fond of the first one."

"You could say that, considering you got your orders from the same person." Stacy told the N6, whose eyes went momentarily wide.

"No shit. You served under Commander Shepard?" To that, the Human Sentinel nodded her head, saything nothing else. "Was that before or after… you know…"

"During, Royce." Cheif Petty Officer Stacy Valentino answered, her tone strongly indicating that she didn't want to entertain any more questions. "During."

A/N: I'm so calling exclusive rights to the game Cowboys and Turians. I thought of it first, so I should get royalties! Plus, a hint of who Shepard might be… or not in this case; Shepard was not used as Thresher bait in Akuze.