So, this was it. The time to cure the genophage was now. A moment over a thousand years in the making, and Shepard was leading the charge. It all seemed too surreal. He could almost not believe it.

He'd awoken in the early hours of this morning to a message from Mordin. The cure was ready. Ever since, he'd been in the war room, strategizing with the Primarch, Wrex and Mordin on the best way to dispense the cure as quickly as possible to the Krogan people. It was decided that the Shroud would be their best bet.

The Shroud was a huge sky-scraper tower that stuck up from the centre of the ancient Krogan ruins. A glittering sore thumb amidst the rubble. Back in the day, when the Salarians uplifted the Krogan to bring them into an era of space-flight, they'd built the tower as a gift of goodwill towards the krogan. It was meant to help clean the atmosphere after the Krogans had almost destroyed it when they'd declared nuclear war on one another that had rendered their planet to the pile of rubble it was today. When the Genophage had been deployed, the Turians had secretly used it in order to dispense the disease in the very air the Krogan breathed. Mordin was confidant that it could now be used to reverse the harm it had caused.

The only problem was that the Reapers seemed to have anticipated their move and had sent a Reaper Destroyer Class to guard the shroud. The Destroyer Class were much smaller than Capital ships, but still just as deadly. Shepard had managed to negotiate a plan of attack between a Turian air strike and Krogan ground attack in order to draw the Reaper off. With it out of the way, Shepard and a small team could slip past and dispense the cure.

Everything felt like it was all fitting into place. Shepard for once actually felt good about the mission to come. But then…

"Commander," said Traynor's voice from the comm. "Incoming message maked 'Urgent'. I'll put it in the comm. room for you."

With a roll of his eyes at the unnecessary delay, he marched quickly back to the adjoining room. Inconvenient timing this might be, but it could be from Hackett, or possibly even Anderson back on Earth! His optimism was soon short lived.

As the image focused, he found it to be none other than the smirking Dalatrass. The salarian female, garbed head to foot in the robes that marked her as someone important, looked down her non-existent nose with her large amphibian eyes. "Commander Shepard," she said smoothly. "We know you've reached Tuchanka. And by now, I imagine Mordin Solus has proposed using the Shroud."

She was far too well informed for Shepard's liking. And he just didn't like her. "Are you spying on us?"

"Hardly. The Shroud is the only viable course of action open to you." She stated matter of factly. "Commander, you can't allow your misguided sympathy for the Krogan to cloud your judgement. Do you honestly believe curing the Genophage will end in lasting peace?"

"Dalatrass," Shepard growled. "I really don't think you grasp the situation here. It doesn't matter what I think. What matters, is that I need an army strong enough to fight back against the Reapers. The Krogan and Turians combined will give us a good fighting chance in this war. Worrying about lasting peace is pointless when there might not be a lasting part of the equation."

"We Salarians might not be as long lived as the humans, let along species such as the Asari, but we do think in the long term. And in the long term, the facts are this: the Krogan will reproduce out of control. My people uplifted them specifically for their violent nature. Not for their diplomatic skills. War with them is inevitable."

"What do you want, Dalatrass?"

"Years ago, our operatives sabotaged the Shroud facility to ensure that what you're planning couldn't be done." She smirked at the uncontrolled outrage that Shepard couldn't wipe from his face quick enough. "Mordin will likely detect this malfunction and repair it. But, if you ensure that he doesn't, then the cure's viability will be altered just enough so that it fails. No one will notice the change."

"You mean trick the Krogan?"

"They need not be any the wiser. Let Urdnot Wrex believe you fulfilled your promise. They will fight your war for you, and when it is over, galactic peace will be ensured."

Shepard stood there, struck dumb by the audacity and brilliance of her plan. There was only one small detail: "Mordin would never stand for that…"

"How you deal with him is up to you, Commander." The Dalatrass shrugged. "We can provide you our very best scientists to build the Cruicible… and the full support of our fleets."

Shepard's fists clenched around the railing in front of him, his knuckles turning white. The stuck-up bitch. She had him by the balls and she knew it. Yes, Shepard needed this alliance to work in order to fight back the Reapers, but to win the war, he needed the Cruicible finished and as many fleets as he could to retake Earth. "If I sabotage the cure…"

"Think about it, Commander. The choice is yours."

"I've ordered the Clans to assemble at the Hollows," Wrex explained, his voice loud enough to carry over the rattle of the wind outside the shuttle. Elaine held on tightly to her seat in order to avoid being thrown from it. "It's our sacred meeting ground. We'll land there and take an armoured convoy against the Reaper. THIS will be the defining moment of Krogan history!"

"Krogan history filled with defining moments. Most bloody. Hope this one better."

Elaine rolled her eyes. "Feed the stereotype and they become it."

Beside her, Eve's eyes crinkled to indicate she was smiling behind her garb. "Well said, Warden. It is time to change those perceptions."

"Commander?" Garrus asked, noticing that their fearless leader had been unusually quiet for the entire ride down to the planet. "You seem troubled."

Before Shepard could open his mouth, the shuttle violently lurched about. Once Cortez got them back under control, a voice came through the comm, similar in dialect to Wrex, but notably more nasely. "Wrex, it's Wreav! The Reapers are already at the Hollows! Come out with guns blazing!"

The shuttle landed heavily. As the door opened, the group was immediately met with a Husk screeching into their faces. It didn't get to take even a step, however, as Wrex blew it apart with a shotgun blast slung from the hip.

"Shepard!" He ordered, stepping out onto the dusty soil. "Keep them away from the female! I'll sort out what's happening with the other clans."

Shepard, Elaine and Garrus all leapt from the shuttle, weapons at the ready. The scorching heat of Tuchanka nearly scalded Elaine's face as she stepped out into the sunlight. Shrugging it off, she followed Shepard at a run down into the ruins they'd landed atop of. The Hollows reminded her of books her childhood tutor had once shown her, depicting Tevinter colloseums. Husks and Cannibals swamred the many levels. Krogans fought through them, some drenched in blood.

With a loud war cry to purposefully draw attention to herself, Elaine leapt into the fray. Starfang in hand, she slashed from side to side, cutting down the monsters on either side of her. Bullets came her way, and she brought up her shield to hide her head. The roar of Garrus' rifle behind her, and then the hail of bullets ceased. Nodding her thanks, she ran for the centre of the Hollows. Bashing her shield against one opponent on her left, she stabbed through the arm and chest of another on her right. It was at that position she maintained her stance, doing her best to draw as much attention as she could. The Husks attempted to swarm her but were instead met with slaughter. The Cannibals were slowly drawn in, only to be shot down one by one by Shepard and Garrus. On the balconies and all around the Hollows, the Krogan fought as fiercely as Ogres.

Finally, the lask Husk dropped dead to the ground. From beyond a door, Wrex strutted in, a collection of other Krogans behind him. They were all covered in blood, and each had a satisfied grin spreading across their faces. "They'll sing battle-songs about this someday," Wrex announced as he made his way down to the centre. "Reaper blood has finally soaked our soil!"

All around, the approving roars of Krogans still high on the adrenaline of battle could be heard. Unfortunately, Shepard didn't seem to be in a celebrating mood. "We have to get to the Shroud! The airstrike is on its way."

From behind Wrex, Mordin appeared. "Female safe, Shepard. Vitals are strong."

"What's a Salarian doing here?!" Boomed a voice Elaine recognised as the one who had warned them of the Reaper attack. Across the Hollows, she spotted a Krogan and his Krant marching towards them. His colours were a mixture of muted browns and reds, no where near as vibrant as Wrex. The look on his face made it seem as if he had a persistent nasty smell right under his nose. "No one said anything about this."

"Who are you?" Shepard asked.

"Urdnot Wreav," announced the newcomer. "Brood-brother to our… illustrious leader."

Wrex's lip curled in clear distaste. "Wreav and I share the same mother – and nothing else."

"For which I am thankful! I remember what it means to be a true Krogan!" Wreav snapped. "We flay our enemies alive and drown them in a gyser of their own blood. We don't invite them into our home."

Elaine felt Garrus' hand on her elbow. "Be ready for a fight."

It was only then that Elaine noticed various Krogans in the room sending the Turian amongst them death-glares as well as the Salarian. She stepped forward, voice rising to project with authority. "Now is not the time to resume old fights, Urdnot Wreav. We are all here to cure the Genophage, so stand aside and let us do so."

"His kind gave us the Genophage!" Wreav shouted, baring down on her to point over her shoulder at Mordin. Elaine stood her ground, not moving back an inch, not even when the Krogan bared his teeth in her face. "Why should we trust him?"

Abruptly, Wreav was yanked back away from her. Wrex through him aside, and then struck his brother across the face with a headbut. "You'll trust him, because I do! And so will you!"

Wreav shook his head to clear it of the ringing Elaine knew he must be experiencing. Once he seemed to have composure once more, he growled loudly like an animal at his brother and leader. He and his Krant tensed, and Elaine could sense a second battle about to erupt –

"ENOUGH!" shouted a voice.

A hush fell over the Hollows. Not a growl nor rumble echoed through the vast sacred chamber. One by one, pairs of eyes shifted towards the stairs. Faces went slack, stares grew in awe. Elaine turned with the Krogan, to see Eve stood atop the stairs leading into the Hollows, her ember eyes ablaze behind her coverings. She stood strong and proud, and when she stepped down to take the floor, Krogan males both moved out of her way yet also seemed to lean into her presence as if drawn to her like the ocean follows the moon. The Warden recognised the look on the faces of the Krogan around her: hope. Here walked the first female free of the plague that had diminished them in its cruel grip for so long. Here stood the chance for freedom and redemption. Each and every one of them looked to Eve as Elaine could imagine her people would look to Andraste if she walked the earth again.

"You can stay here and let old wounds fester, as Krogan have always done," Eve said scathingly, her deep voice carrying to all corners of the Hollows to reach every ear. "Or, you can fight the enemy you were born to destroy – and win a new future for our children. I choose to fight! Who will join me?"

Elaine immediately stepped towards the Krogan female, a thumped a fist over her chest in salute. "I will!"

"And so will I!" said Wrex. He ascended the stairs, and once he reached the top, he proclaimed to all those before him: "Now, hold your heads high, like true Krogan! There's a Reaper that needs killing!"

All Krogan around the room roared in agreement, their bloodlust dashed away, and the vigor of honour pulsed through their veins anew. Elaine shared a moment to look proudly at Eve, and the Krogan female nodded to her, patting her shoulder with affection. Behind her, Elaine saw Shepard in the corner of the room. She expected to see him roaring his war-cry with the rest of the Krogan, but instead… he seemed conflicted…

"Wreav isn't the only Krogan who wants revenge for the Genophage, Wrex." Eve thought aloud, her eyes finding the Krogan leader across the carriage seats. Elaine looked up from where she had been studying her own hands. "You'll have to placate them somehow."

Wrex smirked. "I'll demand the CCouncil return some of our old territory. We'll need room to expand – recapture the glory of the ancients."

"'Glory of Ancients'," Mordin quoted shrewdly, "led to Krogan rebellions. Countless deaths. Creation of Genophage. Expansion plan… problematic."

"I saw some of the ancient ruins," said Elaine. "How were they different from the Krogan of today?"

"Tuchanka wasn't always a wasteland," Eve explained, a warmth in her eyes as she slid easily into her former role of teacher, shaman, storyteller. "In the old times, the Krogan were a proud people. We had dreams… a future to look forward to."

Mordin ducked his head. "Until Salarian interference."

"No. we destroyed Tuchanka ourselves. Technology changed us. It made life too easy. So we looked for new challenges – and found them in each other. Nuclear war was inevitable."

"And now our planet is rubble," Wrex grumbled. "We'll need a better place to live."

Shepard's lips quirked. "I'd say helping to defeat the Reapers would be worth a new planet."

"Or ten. You haven't seen how fast we can pop them out."

Eve's foot kicked out at her leader's shin. "Wrex!"

"What?" he asked innocently. "With the Genophage cured we'll have some catching up to do…"

Elaine chuckled along with everyone else, until she saw the look on Shepard's face. Once again, he became introspective. Holding onto the railing above her, she stood and came towards him. "Shepard? Is something the matter?"

He snapped back to the present as if waking from sleep. His dark eyes darted to her and then to anywhere else. "Just… thinking about Earth."

That wasn't the whole truth of the matter, but before she could question him further, the vehicle they were in suddenly screeched and slowed. Wrex was on his feet in a moment. "Why are we stopping?"

They all climbed out onto the old road, the entire convoy of over a dozen massive ground vehicles stopped in a line. In the distance, Elaine could see the Shroud, the tall white spire veiled in a mist that defied gravity and was drawn upwards to spread out towards the sky. Lurking in the shadows at the tower's base, was the insectoid-form of the Reaper. It clanked along on its four legs it thrust into the ground, patrolling around its prize. At times, Elaine could've sworn she felt its evil gaze ghost across her skin, even if she knew it couldn't see her this far away. Her fists clenched. That Reaper needed to die.

However, as she soon learned, there were unexpected complications. The road ahead was unsuitable to traverse, had likely been destroyed by their enemy in an attempt to delay them. They were only ten minutes away from the scheduled battle. If it had been any other time, Elaine would've been relieved – the Krogan carriages were not exactly the most comfortable to begin with, and the way the Krogan drove them was horrendous. But now, she was itching to get moving again.

Shepard was attempting to get ahold of the Turian air-strike team, Artimec, to get them to delay their attack on the Reaper. The answer wasn't good. "Negative, Commander! Our flight path is locked – the Reaper already knows we're here!"

Above them, a deafening roar of engines passed by in a blaze of hot wind as two dozen small flying machines sped through the air towards the Shroud. "An air-strike alone won't do it," Garrus said, voice tight with worry. "We have to get in that fight!"

In the distance, the turian air ships fired apon the Reaper. Fiery explosions ignited along its metal structure. Like flies buzzing around the head of a great beast, the turian ships darted all around the Reaper. They came in quick, took their shots and then raced away as quickly as possible. The Reaper itself merely paused midstride, tilting its massive body as if to spy where they were. Two plates on the front of its structure opened and revealed a red fiery eye. There was a loud low growl that built and built like the hum of growing electricity, before it burst with a blare of sound and a beam of molten red light from the eye. It struck one of the ships, bursting the back of it in a blast of flames.

Black smoke trailed behind the ship as it careened out of control. Elaine tensed when she realised it was headed right for her and the convoy. "I've lost control, I can't pull up!" shouted the Turian over the comm. in panic.

"Move!" yelled Shepard.

An arm grabbed hold of Elaine's waist, hurling her to the ground. Her arms instinctively went up to cover her head, her shoulder and side taking the brunt of the impact. The world shook and exploded in light and sound around her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Garrus moving off her, one of the convoy vehicles ablaze in a wreck.

"Wrex!" she could faintly hear Shepard somewhere in the distance. "Get the female out of here, now! Go!"

Tires screeched as the convoy jerked and sped away out of danger. The vehicles braced against the broken road, daring to traverse it at speed. Elaine and Garrus jumped up to their feet as fast as they were able, jogging over to Shepard. Above them, more turian ships burst apart and fell in a rain of fire all around them. "Commander! We have to abort! That Reaper is tearing us to pieces!"

"Understood." Said Shepard into his comm. "Fall back and be ready on my signal."

"Shepard!" Garrus exclaimed, pointing to one of the ruins of an ancient building half collapsed and leaning against the other. "A tunnel over there! May be a way off!"

The three of them darted towards a crack in the wall, a dark abyss yawning wide to swallow them. They stumbled down half destroyed stairs, and almost fell through holes into nothing. Darkness enclosed around them, and it took a moment for their suits to adjust and switch on the lights in their breast-plates. Echoes of droplet trickles sounded somewhere in a corner of the cave. The stink of stale air and dust aggravated Elaine's throat until she wanted to cough it back up out of her lungs.

"Wrex, are you recieving this?" Shepard asked, his words echoing back to him from the darkness. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, just scratches, nothing the Salarian can't patch up." Was the nonchalant reply.

"The Turians had to call of the airstrike. We'll need a new plan for dealing with the Reaper."

"First, we'll have to find you. Where did you end up?"

Elaine snorted in distaste, swatting away a cobweb from her hair. "In a hole."

"Underground," said Shepard. "We see ruins of some kind."

"Commander," came Eve's voice, "that's the City of the Ancients."

"How do we get out?"

"No maps exist. It's been abandoned for thousands of years."

"You're a trailblazer, Shepard," said Wrex. "Get through there, and we'll find a place to meet up. Nothing will stop this cure."

They descended the crumbling staircase into what Elaine might've described as catacombs. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, decaying stonework and cobwebs. In the shafts of light given off by their suits, she spotted what might've passed for architecture. Stone tables with ornate carvings, columns made strong and wide, floors decorated in mosaic works of art. A stab of nostalgia shot through Elaine as she was abruptly reminded of the ancient and abandoned Dwarven Thaigs she had traversed during the Blight. It had made her mind turn with wondering what it must've been like to walk these passages when they had been in their prime of use.

A rumble surrounded them. The floor shook like a dog and Elaine yelped when her footing was almost lost. Shepard and Garrus were looking all around, guns at the ready, searching for a possible threat. As quickly as it started, the shaking subsided, dust raining from above. "Was that an earthquake?" Garrus asked.

"Not sure," Shepard mumbled to himself.

They carried on with growing trepidation. A premonition began to work its way in Elaine's gut, made her tense and slowly unsheathe her sword. For another half hour they walked through the ruins, silent except for brief exchanges on which passage to take. Here and there, Elaine caugt sight of old bronze statues, or painting covering the walls depicting the ancient Krogan way of life. She saw them astride great huge beasts or adorned in regal robes. Once more, it made her curious as to what Krogan life must've been like back in ancient days, and how much of that culture had been lost in the thousands of years since. Something must've died on the journey from past to present, for Elaine could not picture the Krogans of today having any streak of artistic creativity.

Again, the ground jolted, this time so violently Elaine was thrown down to her hands and knees. Instead of fighting it, she stayed where she was, bracing against the movement of the earth that jarred her joints. Soon enough, the quake stopped without warning. Frustratedly coughing the dust out of her mouth, Elaine pulled herself up to her feet.

"That didn't feel like just a tremor to me," Garrus whispered suspiciously.

"But what else could move the earth like that?" she asked.

"Wrex," Shepard said softly. "Any of you feeling these tremors?"

"Not up here," said Wrex.

"It could be something else, Commander," Eve sounded thoughtful. "It is said that Kalros, the mother of all Thresher Maws, lives in this region."

"Which is another reason to get your ass out of there, Shepard. Step on it!"

Elaine swallowed. "Is it me, or does a panicking Wrex do nothing for my nerves?"

"When the Krogan name a Thresher Maw," said Garrus, "you know you're in trouble. They don't think anyone's ever going to kill it."

They passed by a wall that made Elaine pause. She turned her light upon it, stepping back so that it could illuminate the entire painting for her. Spread across it, was the wide and winding image of a snake-like insectoid creature, with spear-like arms and a great gaping mouth. Elaine had only faced a Thresher Maw once before, on Grun't rite of passage, but even then, it was enough for her to be left with a lasting impression. Her mind now automatically set it to the same standard as a High Dragon – dangerous and not to be trifled with.

"Wild guess says that's Kalros," Garrus whispered behind her.

"I don't even want to think about how big she needs to be to earn this level of respect…"

They finally found some stairs that seemed to be leading upwards. Elaine tried not to make her sigh of relief too loud. Fresh air and light were welcome thoughts. She'd never been a fan of underground spaces. The Deep Roads had implanted that belief solidly into her brain.

A hum tingled at the back of her skull. A slick, oily, horridness seeped into her veins. A faint music started to be heard in her head.

Elaine stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart hammered. There was no way she would ignore the signs again. She grabbed hold of Shepard's arm, stopping him from taking another step. He might've questioned what she was doing, but she honestly didn't hear him. Her attention was too focused on listening for that elusive music.

And then – there it was! "Darkspawn."

Elaine immediately moved into the lead. They only had one passageway to traverse if they wanted to return to the surface. However, that single passageway also happened to be where her sixth-sense told her the Darkspawn were coming from. Sword in hand, and slipping her shield onto her arm, she stepped as quietly as possible.

The darkness of the catacombs was beginning to thin, a natural light seeping into this abyss from somewhere ahead. Around the corner, and Elaine could see it, three hundred yards ahead, coming from another staircase leading up to the world. But the way was obstructed. A group of Hurlocks and Genlocks stood in the passage, chittering and grunting amongst themselves. Their repulsive hideousness was still recognisable, but as Elaine and the others had discovered in the Broodmother nest, these ones were changed. Metal comonants replaced flesh and bone and odd places, their eyes had a more electrical gleam to them. Evidence of the Reapers' handiwork.

Hand held up to call for her companions to be still, Elaine leaned around the corner only just enough so that she might see her enemies' positions. The Darkspawn lingered, behaving like animals, with Genlocks sticking together to hiss at the Hurlocks that bullied and harassed them. There was perhaps three Hurlocks and five Genlocks. Easy enough to take down with the element of surprise. Elaine slowly turned back to Shepard and Garrus, to whisper to them the plan –

When she realised everything had gone too quiet.

She turned back to watch her prey. Had they noticed her? Had they left? But no. All of them were stood there, frozen as if from a spell. Their stares were blank as if their thoughts (what little Darkspawn could think) were faraway, their jaws slightly slackened. They appeared as if they were… listening for something. Elaine held her breath, grip on her sword tightening, ready for attack should they hear her.

Abruptly, all the Darkspawn seemed to snap out of whatever it is that had transfixed them. They shuffled along to a small hole in the passageway wall that led back down into the dark earth. One by one, they vanished into the dirt that sprung them, and were gone. Elaine waited there, still as stone, listening to her sixth sense as the music in her blood faded the further and further the Darkspawn drew away from her. Eventually, it went quiet entirely, and she let out a long breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

"They're gone," she said in a hushed voice.

"Well," said Shepard, "we knew there were bound to be more than the ones we killed in that nest." He reached for his earpiece. "Wrex, this is Shepard. We've got Darkspawn down here. Keep an eyeout."

"I know. Just ran over a few. Glad I'm not the guy cleaning that out of the undercarriage." Wrex's words only confirmed Elaine's fears. Just how many were here? "All that matters is getting to that Shroud. Find us fast."

They ran up the staircase, heading towards daylight. Elaine had to squint for a moment or two as her eyes adjusted once they made it up to the top. But when the haze cleared… she gaped.

"Now, this is new…" Garrus said, obviously as surprised as she. "A part of Tuchanka that isn't rubble…"

It was a plaza, or what used to be one. The structures had been eroded and fallen with time, but the ghosts of what used to be could still be imagined. From the soil, thick vines and trunks grew to claim back brick and pavement. Huge green leaves basked in the sunlight, letting off a pleasant fragrance that reminded Elaine of jasmine and camomile. "It's beautiful."

"And green," Garrus stepped up beside her. "I didn't think plants grew here anymore."

"You're looking at hope," said Eve. "All that's left of it on Tuchanka. This was once a world full of beauty. Given a chance, it can be again."

"After this day," Elaine vowed, "we'll give this world more than just one hope."

"Shepard," Wrex butted in, "that Reaper is still up to no good at the Shroud. Find a way out of there and we'll pick you up."

Quickly, the trio made their way through the plaza. In another time, Elaine would've loved to have sat in the middle of these ruins and document every scrap of history she could discover. However, now was not the time. As they went to find the rampart that would lead them down, they were suddenly met by a host of the Reapers creatures! Husks immediately went to swarm them, whilst Cannibals fired on them at the back.

Shepard and Garrus immediately dove for cover, whilst Elaine stood her ground and soaked in the Husks. Her sword slashed out from one to the other, her shield mostly used for defence with only the occasional offensive move. Whilst she prevented them from being overhwelemed, Garrus and Shepard took it in turns to pop in and out of cover, firing on the Cannibals. As the last of the Husks fell at her feet, she heard a gurgling snarl from around the corner. Huge claws punched into the stone and hurled its attached enormous body around for her to see. It was a massive monstrosity, with a naked, rounded and muscular frame with long arms tipped with wickedly curved claws. Their necks were completely removed and replaced with long mechanical pieces of metal, atop which sat half a turian's head.

"By the Maker!" Elaine shrieked, stepped back in revulsion. "What is that!?"

"It's a Brute!" shouted Shepard. "The Reapers made it by fusing together Krogans and Turians."

"And its an ugly son of a bitch!" yelled Garrus, leaning out of cover long enough to hurl a small disk straight for the Brute's chest. The disk attached itself to the Brute's left shoulder, and after a delay of a few seconds, suddenly exploded. The creature roared in rage and pain and charged after them.

Shepard swung out his shotgun, letting loose fiery ammunition that served to both damage and rile up the Brute more. At the last moment in its charge, it quickly changed direction and brought its massive fist down on Shepard's hiding spot. The Commander dove out of the way just in time, before the spot he was hiding in was crushed into powder. The Brute came after him, ignore the shots from Garrus' assault rifle, determined to get the human whilst he was down. But Elaine was there, running past Shepard straight for the Brute.

It was just like an Ogre, she told herself. As she got too close, the Brute swung a massive fist over her, which she ducked. As it did so, it left itself wide open. Starfang sliced diagonally down the creature's torso, after which Elaine immediately reversed the swing back upwards towards the neck. Oily blood sprayed out of the corpse, and weakened, the Brute stumbled back. Elaine leapt up, catching her foot on the Brute's knee for higher leverage. She slammed into its chest, plunging her sword into its heart as she did so. Her momentum tipped it over to far, and the Brute lost balance and fell to the ground. Elaine rode it down and wrenched her blade free at the last moment. The Brute had one last moment to stare up at her with its electrical, soulless eyes, before Elaine thrust her swordtip through its skull. One final twitch of spasming muscles, and the beast moved no more.

They came out of the otherside of the plaza, a vast wasteland of desert stretching out into the distance on their left. A single stone bridge onnected to the rest of the ruins ahead. With Shepard back in the lead, the group made to cross it.

"Shepard," said Wrex suddenly over the comm. "We're coming under the bridge. Get down here, and we can get to the Shroud! Wait – it's Kalros!"

No sooner did they hear the words, then the trio saw the convoy speed around the corner, sand kicked up into cloud as their tires violently spun for traction. Behind them, the ground split and cracked and yawned wide, as a massive armoured back cut through the ground like a shark's dorsal fin through water. It chased the trucks towards the bridge, as if it intended to catch them.

"Wrex?!" said Shepard.

"Break off! We're getting out of here!"

The trucks came under the bridge, but the monster behind them did not slow. Elaine wordlessly shouted, and they all leapt back as the Maw's hide smashed into the underside of the bridge. It tore out a chunk of the middle of the bridge away without even denting the thing's thick scales. Elaine thought for an awful moment that the entire bridge would break from such a violent impact, but miraculously it held together.

"Kalros' territorial instinct confirmed!" came Mordin's frightened shriek as the trucks led Kalross around the corner and out of sight.

"She's not gonna get us! Go on ahead, Shepard. We'll try to shake this thing and find you."

"Thresher Maw getting closer!"

"Tell me something I don't know!"

The Salarian Doctor's retort was almost childishly snappish. "Metal in truck an excellent iron supplement for maw's diet!"

Despite everything, Garrus huffed a laugh. "And the thing is, I bet Wrex is enjoying this."

Elaine shook her head, mystified at what she had just witnessed. "Not even I'm willing to go up against a Thresher Maw like that! Not even for Grunt."

It took them another forty minutes to traverse more ruins, more memorials and ancient temples filled with statues that made them all wonder what the Krogan homeworld must've like in its prime. More of the Reaper's creatures were lurking within these ruins, but were easily dealt with. What Elaine couldn't get out of her mind, even as her blade was soaked with synthetic blood, was where were the Darkspawn? They'd seen those few down in the catacombs, but Elaine had not heard even a whisper in her mind since then. But where had they gone?

As they finally came out of the ruins and onto open ground, the convoy one again found them. "Shepard, get over here!" said Wrex. "Wreav, keep an eye out for that Maw. I don't want it sneaking up on us."

"Make it quick, Wrex. We're exposed."

Shepard ran for the side of the truck and shoved open the door in the side. "Move it!"

Garrus and Elaine leapt inside, with Shepard scrambling in closely after them. No sooner had he slammed the door shut behind him, then Wreav's voice shouted over the comm. "It's Kalros!"

The truck was thrown violently from side to side. With a snarl, Wrex slammed his foot onto the pedal. The momentum to shoot them forward was so great, Elaine fell to the floor. The shaking stopped, but over the radio, they could hear someone screaming.

"What about Wreav?" Eve asked Wrex as she knelt beside Elaine to help her back to her feet.

"No way he survived that – and he was a pain in the ass, anyways." Wrex shrugged. "Now let's finish this, there's a Reaper waiting for us!"

The determination, the adrenaline pumping through the hearts in the truck, it filled them with the fighting spirit to believe anything was possible. That they were ready for this fight. They could do this! All that is except one.

Elaine's focus began to drift off, her brows furrowing as the world faded away in significance. A faint, strange melody began to seep into her mind. She had no sense of its actual sound; rather, it seemed to come from within, almost as if she were humming the tune to herself. She could never have imagined such a song, though. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. Aching and ethereal, it seemed to pull her towards a memory of nostalgic bliss that she had somehow lost – and would do anything to recover. Anything at all.* It was so different from everything she had ever known. Different from the Darkspawn's music, different from that of the Reapers and Collectors. It compelled her to serve, entranced her. Yet in equal measure it frightened her immensely.

And she'd heard that music before.

"Stop!" she screamed, panic slamming into her with such force she jumped to her feet. "Stop–stop–stop!"

"Elaine, what's wrong?" Shepard watched her carefully as if she'd gone mad.

"Stop the truck!"

Wrex slammed on the brakes, the tires squealing. Everyone was thrown forward. They all turned on Elaine, each one sounding either their protests or questions. "What's going on?", "What the hell!", "What's wrong with her?"

Elaine could hardly hear them. the music had grown in intensity. It was all she could comprehend. Hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She was being watched.

Pushing open the door, she stumbled out onto the sand. The others followed, their questions hounding her, but she couldn't hear them. Elaine craned her neck back, pale face turned up towards the heavens. A shadow fell over the group.

Thick, purple, rainless clouds amassed in the sky. From beneath them came a hurricane wind, hot and dry and stinking. Thunder clapped and sickly lightning flashed, striking the top of a ruined tower. The building crumpled to dust upon contact. Sprung from nowhere before their eyes came a storm the likes of which none of them had ever witnessed before. And from the midst of that storm flew a dark and massive shadow. Its wings were tattered and immense, its body a sinuous line of spikes. Unholy fire burned in its gaze.*

Elaine quaked where she stood. "It's the Archdemon…"

A/N: Marked passages are abbreviations taken from "The Last Flight"

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