Chapter Fourteen: Marooned
Giger walked to the gym that morning, a gym he was surprised even existed - because his girlfriend had bought it and he didn't even know about it until the other day. She had been on Tuchanka for a few weeks now, almost a full month, so he could understand wanting to get comfortable.
But quitting her job on Equality and deciding to permanently move to Tuchanka and open a business? Sometimes he just couldn't understand her. He had been so busy recently he had not known she had gone back to Equality, gotten their things, sold their house and bought an empty building and equipment.
He had only found out the other day when Wrex had gathered them together to discuss a slight change in the way Aralakh Company would conduct themselves. It was a minor change, a new uniform was required just to keep their identity a secret.
Anyone could have identified them during Clan Hellige's attack, if things had gone any other way Aralakh Company would have been found out and then they would have been compromised. Wrex wanted to make sure they didn't slip up so stupidly in the midst of battle. While the others dicussed possibly ideas, Shay aksed about FGs.
"What the hell is FG's?" he had asked.
"Um... the gym Faust is opening," she replied. "Didn't you know?"
"Obviously not!" he said. "That girl... she's insane, she never tells me anything!"
Now he was going to see what she was so keen on keeping a secret and he was determined to ask her what the hell she was thinking when she decided to change the way they lived. He found the gym, a fairly large building with a sign hanging above the door that simply said 'FG's Gym'.
The front of the gym was tinted glass, making it hard for anyone to look inside, which he supposed was clever. Not everyone enjoyed being gawked at when they tried to feel better about their appearance. He stepped through the door, ignoring the closed sign, and looked at all of the equipment. She had everything from turian weights to krogan thigh blasters; there was a dance studio at the far back and another room leading to a spar.
He spotted Faust by the studio, talking to several of people who he assumed was her new employees. There were two krogan, a salarian and some asari. She had done a lot since she had arrived, more than he expected. She had even got a haircut, finally cutting off those silly plaited bits he hated.
Faust spotted him and called an end to her meeting.
"Remember, we open tomorrow!" she called as they left. "Be here at 7:30 sharp!"
Giger watched them go and then turned to her. He crossed his arms disapprovingly and she shrugged sheepishly.
"I know this seems... extreme," she said. "But I wanted to tell you after it were finished."
"It seems finished," he said. "Why don't you tell me now?"
"Okay," she sighed.
She went to a bench and sat, tapping the spot next to her. He hesitantly joined her, eagerly waiting for her already prepared answer. She knew he may take it badly, he was just that type of person, and it was why she had been preparing her answer for some time.
"We can't go to Equality without endangering everyone," she explained. "Aria will send forces after us, but here on Tuchanka, we'll be safe. You have your brother and allies close-by and if she did try anything, she'd have a lot of angry krogan after her."
"That's it?" he asked, unconvinced. "No other reason?"
"Well..." she sighed. "I'm... I'm tired of hurting people. I hurt people as an Executioner, then as a bounty hunter. I just want to help people and I can do it through this. Besides, we're going to be on Tuchanka for some time... so it works out."
"Did you ever think about the financial problems?" he asked. "If this backfires-"
"I didn't spend all of our money," she said, insulted. "We have enough to fall back on if this fails, but I don't think it will. I've already sold membership to a hundred people with people coming in for 'off-time routines'. People want this."
He still looked unconvinced of her success. She smiled and kissed his cheek.
"Ah, my sweet pessimist," she said. "How about a work out?"
"What kind of work out?" he asked.
"Not that kind," she blushed. "Er... maybe later." She got up and stretched. "I meant, why don't we spar?" she asked. "It has been awhile..."
"I beat you last time," he laughed.
"I let you win," she corrected.
"Then I'll definitely have to beat you now," he grinned.
He jumped up and followed her to the sparring mat. She removed her trousers and he was somewhat disappointed to see a pair of shorts underneath. He removed some of his armour, just to lighten his own load. She was small and fast, he couldn't let his armour get in the way.
"Ready?" she said.
"Whenever you are," he smirked.
She made the first move, releasing a quick, sharp jab. He deflected and returned a strike, she side-stepped and struck him in the side. He staggered slightly, but regained his footing and released a kick. She jumped over his leg and swung a kick, catching the side of his head.
He fell back, feeling his face. "Shit..." he hissed.
"Should I be more careful?" she said. "I don't want to hurt you, and I know you go easy on me."
"It's good for you to feel empowered," he teased.
She smirked and went for him again. They parried strikes and went in for harsh jabs, almost evenly matched in their moves. They talked as they sparred, as they always did. It was normally something boring, as they hardly paid attention to gossip or the like. It was just something they did as they had a fondness for background noise.
"Aralakh Company are going to get new uniforms," he told her. "Wrex wants to make sure we're hard to identify, which is a good idea - but it should have been done sooner."
"Then why not bring out your old Naraka uniform?" she suggested. "Or would your whole crew have to dress like you?"
"Skoll already wears a skull as a helmet," he said. "So he's already half-way there."
She blocked another blow and ended up behind him, wrapping a leg around his and tripped him up. He fell onto the mat and she sat atop his back. She ran her finger along the gaps between his armoured hide and he sat there, admitting a defeat he was glad to give her.
"Maybe this could work..." he said. "Living here... it's nicer than Omega and warmer than Equality."
She rolled off his back and landed beside him.
"I like the people too," she said. "Sif is nice, and Shay... it's been awhile since we've had friends."
"It's never bothered you before," he pointed out.
"I know, but ever since we left Omega..." she sighed and sat up. "I left my friends there, the only real friends I've had, and you're a stubborn arse who has no idea how to even make friends."
He laughed.
She gently rubbed his head, playing with a certain broken crest that had a particularly nasty scar, and decided today was going to be a good day. She worried he was going to be mad, and though he had fears, he was on-board with her plans.
Everything was going to be just fine.
The gym's door opened and in walked Steel and Grunt. Steel looked around the gym, clearly impressed, and whistled.
"It's looking good, Faust," he said. "I never expected you could make this dump look so good."
"Thanks... I think," she said.
She stood and Giger made no effort to stand.
"You guys want a gym membership or are you here for Giger?" she asked.
"I'll take both," Grunt said.
"What do you need me for?" Giger asked.
"Get up and I'll tell you," Steel said.
"You should really get up," she agreed. "You look like a stuck turtle."
He frowned at her comment, he hated it when she called him a 'turtle', mostly because he had no idea what a turtle was. Whatever it was, it sounded tasty.
"We've got-"
Grunt nudged Steel's side, interrupting him.
"Should we be talking about this in front of her?" Grunt asked him.
"She already knows," Steel answered. "She's Faust, there's nothing she doesn't know."
"Hmm," Grunt watched her cautiously. "Alright then."
"Not going to nudge me again?"
"...No."
"Good," Steel said. "Then I can continue. We received a tip-off, some rebel organization held up on some tropical and uninhabited planet are planning to come here and try to overthrow us. They heard about Clan Hellige and it's likely they want to attack us in a weakened moment."
"Are they krogan?" Giger asked.
"We're not sure," Grunt answered. "But there is a possibility they could be Blood Pack members out to end this Union."
"Then you better go and check it out," Faust said. "When new empires are forged there is always those who wish to tear at its foundations and watch it fall, so you guardians must stay on watch for those terrorists of hope."
"...You've been reading those books again, haven't you?" Giger asked. "You always get philosophical when you've read centuries old book."
"I can't help it," she said. "Von Goethe speaks to me in so many ways."
"Oh, I know," he said and reached over for a kiss. "Be good, I'll try to be back before your grand opening."
"Don't make any promises," she said. "If you miss it because your saving lives then I won't be mad."
He smirked and left with his brother's, and for some horrible reason Faust had a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was a feeling she had felt often, just when all seemed well in life a chilling serpent of ice would rise up within her and curl around her heart and whisper dark prophecies.
Call it a premonition or just a feeling, whenever the chill came upon her she would clasp her arms as if to keep the snake inside and around her the world would crumble and burn. The last time she had felt the serpent Giger had almost died and Aria had become their enemy.
What was coming to destroy her world now?
At times like this she always thought of von Goethe, the ancient German poet whose name she had retrieved from one of his works. As she stood there, clutching her arms and wishing for Giger to come back and forget about his mission, she remembered Faust: A Tragedy in Two Parts.
"Methinks, by most, 'twill be confess'd that Death is never quite a welcome guest."
...
The trio went to the Urdnot military base, just a few miles out of the cities borders, and prepared for their new assignment. Skoll was inside one of the barracks waiting for them, the official/unofficial base of operations for Aralakh Company, which had been dubbed the 'Wrath of Our People'.
He handed them each a new uniform, medium Liberator armour that was an off-red colour until tuned in with an Omni-tool, which then activated a new camouflage system that blended the suit with whatever environment they were working in.
Hati, Skoll's loyal varren, lay on the floor at Skoll's feet and they all realized this was the first time any of them had even seen the mutt. She was old, not as old as Skoll, but with enough scratches to prove how many fights the half-blind bitch had been in.
"So this is Aralakh's new uniform?" Giger asked. "It's kind of bland."
"It's a prototype," Skoll answered. "You're going to check how well it works while you investigate these claims of a rebel fraction."
"Is there nothing else we know?" Steel asked. "Any new information?"
"No," Skoll replied. "We've heard a few things, none of which is good, so I suggest getting there as soon as possible and sorting this thing out."
"You make it sound easy," Grunt said.
"Please, in my day these black op assignments were my prized events," Skoll said. "I'd enjoy going out with nothing more than a silencer and a knife, cutting the throats of my enemies and leaving nothing but a trail of bodies."
"Then why aren't you going instead of someone as inexperienced as me?" Grunt teased.
"Because if you whelps aren't broken in at one point you'll be useless when the real fight starts," Skoll answered. "Now get going! The ship's out back and the VI is equipped with everything you need to know."
"Alright, we're going," Giger said.
Hati barely lifted her head as they passed by and left the barrack. Skoll sat beside his loyal mutt and stroked her behind the ear, she growled approvingly and settled against his hand.
"Those whelps..." Skoll smirked. "Remind me of the old days..."
...
The ship was a strange looking thing, not quite a shuttle and not quite a cruiser, but rather something in between with the smoothed out shape of a basic shuttle with everything a cruiser would be expected to have. Like the suits it was an experimental tool developed by krogan scientists who had, until recently, not the funds or resources to begin work.
After all, who had heard of a smart krogan?
They entered the dark ship and searched for some sort of control panel, anything that could start the ship, but all they found was some seats, an armoury and even a small room with some bunk-beds. The spot where the controls should be had been replaced by a single circular disk on the floor.
"Skoll did mention a VI," Grunt pointed out. "Do you think maybe it controls the ship?"
"Could be..." Steel agreed. "Hey, VI, you home?"
The circular panel activated and opened, with a silent hiss a panel was lifted and atop it a synthetic asari. Grunt was reminded of EDI, or rather, a more downgraded version of EDI. Her joints could be seen, every line that marked a connecting limb or even her jaw, which made it look like she had been constructed out of spare parts.
She didn't look like any VI Grunt had ever seen, then again, calling this thing an AI would have caused more problems than anyone would have liked to admit. Shepard destroyed all the AIs along with the Reapers, if more were created, if no one had learnt from their lesson, then what was the point in the geth's extinction?
"Good morning, gentlemen, my name is Vivian Isley," she introduced. "I am your pilot, ship, communication officer and gunnery chief. Whatever you require, it is my wish to fulfil."
"My AI isn't even this polite," Steel laughed.
"AI?" Grunt said, playing innocent. "I thought all AI's were destroyed."
"All AIs with a physical platform," Steel corrected. "If a platform is destroyed an AI loses all its connections and dies, but if the AI retreats to a simple core form it is possible for it to survive. Just ask your friend EDI."
"How did you..." Grunt didn't finish, Steel and Giger knew more than anyone knew.
"As long as she knows the plan and can take us there I couldn't care less what she is," Giger interrupted.
"Oh, I can take you there," Viv said. "Hold on a moment."
She turned from them and raised her hands, beneath her palms two circular orbs appeared. She touched them and they turned green, the engine fired and as she twisted the orbs the ship took off silently and smoothly and entered krogan space. Steel watched her, fascinated.
"Four works on a similar level, right?" Giger asked Steel. "He controls the ship like a real pilot."
"Yeah," Steel replied. "It shouldn't be surprising something like this was developed after the Alkoras was drafted into action against the Reapers, someone probably saw him and copied the design."
Grunt wasn't sure who 'Four' was, but he could take a guess it had something to do with the AI he mentioned moments earlier. Grunt took a seat and decided to get some rest, Steel and Giger continued their idle chat and Viv began to sing quietly. The ship was fast and they passed through two relays before Grunt had time to check.
Alone with them, Grunt wondered if now was the time to reveal his feelings and have them tell him why they never came for him. He wanted to know the truth, if only to settle his soul. He had never had a family, nothing more than Shepard, to know he had brothers and that they never came for him, like they never wanted him, it hurt him.
He just wanted the truth.
For some time he sat in silence, waiting for the moment to tell them how he felt, but unable to properly mangle his words together into something that had feeling. Steel and Giger continued to chat, while Viv continued to sing, and it was getting too much.
He needed to say something.
"Can I ask something?" he seemed to cut right through the noise, rendering the place silent, even Viv glanced back to see what was up.
"Sure, what?" Steel asked.
"You told me before you located most of the other Okeer projects," Grunt said. "Did you make your presence known to the ones you found?"
"No," Steel replied. "We tried to avoid making contact. Some of them didn't even know that they were Okeer projects, it was best to keep the truth a secret."
"You wanted nothing to do with them?" Grunt questioned.
"We didn't want to get involved," Steel insisted. "A lot of them were willing good lives, we had no right to interfere and ruin things. It's why we didn't speak with you."
Grunt frowned. Steel smirked. Giger and Viv shared a look, wondering how this was going to turn up. Krogan normally weren't good in confined spaces, it tended to lead to fights, and two krogan fighting in one small space was not the best of situations.
"It's a little obvious you wanted to know why we didn't come find you," Steel added. "Why is it you care so much? None of the other projects got special treatment from us."
"But weren't you curious?" Grunt asked. "I was Okeer's last, I was his perfect creation."
Steel lost the smirk and instead he looked totally perplexed. Giger noticed a slight tense in his brother's hands, like he was ready to strike the young krogan down and he would, because Giger knew how much his brother hated Okeer's concept of a 'perfect krogan'. It was the one thing they never agreed on.
Viv sensed the tense atmosphere, but her attention was drawn to the radar and the blinking red dot that fast approached.
"Guys-"
"You think I care about the fact your Okeer's pet project?" Steel asked, his voice surprisingly cold. "That doesn't make you special. You have my DNA so you're as imperfect as I am, as any mortal, so don't you dare think you get special treatment for what you are!"
"I never-"
"Don't you dare lie and say you never thought you was perfect," Steel growled. "You've had the thought implanted in you since the day you came out of that tank! You look down on others, on potential mates, because you thought you were perfect and they needed to be perfect to suit your needs."
"That's not true!" Grunt argued. "I may have looked down on others, but I never once thought Shay'kera wasn't perfect for me!"
"Shay'kera?" Giger repeated. "I never expected her name to pop up."
Grunt blushed, "S-shut up!" he stammered. "This doesn't involve you!"
The trio fell into bickering, arguing about something that seemed so silly and childish to the AI. Viv didn't know how to defuse the situation, she wasn't programmed to handle this kind of personal fighting. Besides, she had something far more important to focus on.
She turned to her controls and activated the safety net, metal braces popped out from the chairs and pulled the krogan down into their seats and fastened them in place tightly. Giger struggled for a moment, wondering what the hell Viv was doing, until he saw the terminal turn red.
"What's happening?" Steel demanded.
"We just entered the planet's atmosphere," Viv reported, "and we're being fired upon by the enemy. I've identified the missile they've fired, and well... it's the type used by batarian slavers."
"Slavers are planning the attack against us?" Giger said. "Why?"
"Don't jump to any conclusions!" Steel ordered. "Viv, avoid that missile and take us in to where it was fired!"
The ship took a sharp turn and spiralled down, touching the top of the lush forest as Viv guided it away from the fast approaching shell of death. She took it down low, further into the forest and the missile followed. She watched it on the second terminal, noting the distant, and then twisted up.
The missile faltered and crashed, hitting the ground and exploding in a fiery collision that sent a thick shockwave upwards. It rattled the ship, but Viv managed to keep it straight. She watched her terminal and saw another missile, too late to shake it.
"Damn it!" she swore. "I've strengthened the shields but we're still going to crash. Brace for impact!"
Giger grabbed his helmet and secured it on tightly. He noticed Steel staring at him with an odd expression, something like, "Why do you care about your appearance with all those scars?"
"I'm not going to lose another point off my crest!" Giger said. "I'm ugly enough as it is!"
Steel laughed, even in such danger he managed to laugh.
The missile struck, breaking through the shield and destroying the rear end of the ship in a ball of fire. It spiralled down, spinning the crew and the world. Viv tried to keep a hold on her controls, tried to soften the landing to no avail.
The ship struck a tree and was flung forwards, crashing into another tree and smashing into the ground as it flipped and spun, hitting the ground again and again like a stone skipping across a river, before it rolled to a stop in a large and dirty puddle.
...
Grunt heard the crackling pops of splitting wood and felt the warm flames of a fire, the buzz of insects and gentle hush of rain. It all sounded so soothing, he almost didn't want to wake up, but a hard kick to the ribs jolted him out of his pleasant stupor.
He opened his eyes and saw darkness and rain and just the faintest of fires hidden beneath the foliage of trees. His arms were stiff, and for a moment he thought it was from the crash, but then he saw the thick metal restraints that kept his arms locked behind his head and connected to the bars of a cage.
Had they been captured so soon? He didn't think he had been hurt too badly in the fall, but there was no underestimating the tactics of the enemy. They knew Aralakh Company were coming and acted accordingly, they had fallen into a trap they had should have seen coming.
"Damn it," he swore.
"Sorry for kicking you," Steel said, "but I needed you to wake up."
"Who are they?" Grunt asked.
"Batarians," Steel replied. "Around twenty of them. They don't have a lot of fire power and only one small ship. They aren't much of a force."
One of the batarians approached them, unlike the others he wore red armour, and had some unusual face paint on his face. Steel didn't recognize the marking, which was unusual for such a well-travelled pirate. He knew almost all the small cults and sects and fractions, but this one was either new or older than him.
He knelt beside the cage, a small gun in hand, which he tapped against the bars every so often in an off-beat, bored tone.
"This is it?" he asked. "I would have thought the Union would have sent more to check out such a potential threat... but for a reconnaissance it's probably enough."
"You're the threat?" Steel laughed. "Your just a group of twenty mercs with a stupid plan."
The batarian smirked, "You think it's just us?" he said. "You're as stupid as I thought."
"Not really," Steel said. "You just confirmed what we suspected - you're just a ground force sent to keep us here, to prevent us from reporting back to base while the rest of your group attacks our Senate."
"Even if you reported back it would be too late," the batarian said. "Our men are already there. The attack has already begun."
"What?" Giger gasped. "You bastards!"
"What have you done?" Grunt demanded.
"We just seized our chance," the batarian said. "The Hellige Clan destroyed much of your Senate and in such a weakened state we attacked, it's as simple as that."
"They won't fall so easily," Steel said. "Our people are strong."
"I know," he said. "But after everything that's happened - your nuclear winter, the Rebellions, the Genophage, the Reapers and now this attack by your own people, how much more can your kind take before they break?"
The batarian laughed and holstered his gun, he turned to his men and ordered them forwards. "Dispose of them," he ordered. "I don't care how, just make it slow."
"I got an idea," said one. "C'mon, help me carry this thing."
Some more mercs came over and they picked up the cage, dragging it further into the forest, until they came to a large drop over a raging river. Some mercs laughed when they realized their companions plan, and Steel began to panic as he tried to free himself from his bounds.
"I can't wait to see you in hell!" the red leader called cheerfully as his men pushed the caged krogan over the edge into the dark abyss. They felt the sting of the wind as they plummented down towards the dark water and hit the surface hard, sinking down into the watery depths and dissapearing from sight.
To Be Continued...