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Chapter 13: The Cure

Year: 2186CE

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Communications Room

She was the last person Shepard expected to see.

"Dalatress?"

"Commander Shepard. Congratulations. I've heard the Council offers your their support."

"Are you here to offer me yours?"

"It depends on you."

"What do you mean?"

"We know you are heading to Tuchanka. And, by now, I imagine Mordin Solus has proposed using the Shroud."

Shepard scowled at the hologram. "Are you spying on us?"

The dalatress snorted. "Hardly. The Shroud is the only viable course of action open to you. Years ago, our operatives sabotaged the Shroud facility to ensure what you're planning couldn't be done."

"You what?"

"A contingency plan, Commander," said Linron with a ghost of a smug smirk.

"And you're telling me this? Why?"

"Because Mordin will likely detect this malfunction and repair it. But if you ensure he doesn't, then the cure's viability will be altered just enough so that it fails. No one will notice the change."

"You want me to sabotage the cure? I risked lives of my team to retrieve the female. Why the hell would I do that?"

"We've heard about the Crucible – your secret weapon to defeat the Reapers. We can provide you our very best scientists to help with the project... and the full support of our fleets."

Shepard had to draw a long breath.

"Consider what will happen if you don't sabotage the cure," the dalatress continued. "The krogan will reproduce out of control. We uplifted them specifically for their violent nature, not their diplomatic skills. Another war is inevitable."

"Let's deal with one war at a time. And we need to stand together to fight the Reapers."

"Do you honestly believe curing the genophage will end in lasting peace?" The dalatress shook her head in both disapproval and disappointment. "The entire galaxy will need time to recover after this war, and the krogan won't give us that time. They want revenge for the genophage, Commander. They will attack while we are weak."

"We have to give the krogan a chance, Dalatress. You can't condemn an entire race to extinction based on what might happen."

"You can't allow the diplomatic pressures of this war to cloud your judgment, Commander. Or is it your emotion that is blinding you? Your ties with Clan Urdnot."

There was no use to deny facts.

"Urdnot Wrex is only one krogan," said Linron. "He, alone, cannot stop the rest of the clans if they demand blood."

Shepard felt a headache building fast.

"Think about it, Commander. Consider my proposal: A perfect compromise for both of us. The krogan need not to be any wiser. Let Urdnot Wrex believe you fulfilled your promise. Then, you will have the krogan's support... and the salarian's."

"...If I sabotage the cure."

"Sacrifice in war is expected. The choice is yours, Commander Shepard."

The image of the dalatress disappeared, but her words echoed inside Shepard's head.

If she played her hands right, she could get the support of both the krogan and the salarians. It was an ideal picture – the entire galaxy united against the Reapers. And the price?

Son of a bitch. Shepard tapped on her earpiece. "Liara, did you hear that?"

"Yes, I heard."

"Find out if the Shroud has really been sabotaged. And I need an update on the things I asked you to look into." Shepard then pressed a button on the comm systems. "Alenko, Vakarian. Conference room. Now."

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Conference Room

"Don't tell me you're even considering it," said Kaidan.

Shepard didn't answer.

"Anyone would have second thoughts," said Garrus.

"We need to win this war," said Kaidan, "but not like this."

"A few years ago," said Garrus, "I would've said it's too much to pay. But now... if there was a deal that could save Palaven, I wouldn't be so certain."

Shepard studied her twin. "You'd take the deal?"

"I don't know," Garrus breathed. "You humans have a saying: Desperate times call for desperate measures. If this isn't desperate time, I don't know what is."

"Sacrificing the krogan's future for the salarian support?" Kaidan shook his head. "We're not playing a damn chess game, Aerin."

"I did it before, on Virmire."

"That was different," Kaidan argued. "Saren was trying to produce an army of krogan slaves. This time, you're giving hope back to the krogan. Besides, Mordin will never go along with it."

Garrus nodded. "And then, there's Wrex. He will figure out sooner or later. And when he does, it won't be pretty."

Shepard regretted not hosting this classified meeting at the bar a deck below.

"The Shroud has indeed been tempered with," said Liara, entering the conference room. "STG had deleted the records, but everything leaves a track. And your hunch is correct, Aerin. Dalatress Linron was the one who tipped off Cerberus about Eve."

The knot between Shepard's brows tightened. "She's doing everything to make sure there's no cure."

"That includes trying to kill you on Sur'kesh," said Kaidan. "How can we even trust her?"

"So what are you going to do, Aerin?" asked Garrus.

"Commander!" said Joker over the comm. "Hostiles detected at the landing coordinates."

"What's going on?" asked Shepard, scowling.

"Sensors show a Reaper parked at the Shroud facility," the pilot reported. "No way you're going to be able to land a shuttle there."

Goddammit! "Get everyone in the war room."

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, War Room

"New form of Reaper, Shepard," said Mordin, studying the data with a frown. "Using Shroud to poison Tuchanka's atmosphere. Problematic."

"They want a fight?" said Wrex, slamming his fist onto the table. "They just got one!"

"Primarch," said Shepard, "we're going to need your help."

"That could be difficult," said Victus. "Our losses on Palaven has been catastrophic."

"We're doing this for Palaven," Shepard reminded him. "No one said it would be easy."

"What do you have in mind?" the primarch asked.

"A combined attack. Your people hit the Reaper with an airstrike. Wrex, at the same time your soldiers will be attacking from the ground. Together, you can draw it away from the tower."

Mordin nodded. "Yes, distraction. Small team can reach Shroud facility, finish synthesizing cure. Will need Eve to come with us."

"We need to land our shuttle somewhere." Shepard turned to the krogan. "Wrex?"

"We can land here." Wrex pointed at the map. "The Hollows. It's our sacred meeting ground. I'll order the clans to assemble there and take an armored convoy against the Reaper. This will be the defining moment of krogan history."

"Krogan history filled with defining moments," Mordin pointed out. "Most bloody. Hope this one better."

"We've never faced a Reaper up close like this," said Shepard. "Everyone on board?"

Wrex snorted. "There's even a doubt? Let's move, pyjak. It's time to cure the genophage!"

Location: Tuchanka, The Hollows

"I've never seen so many krogan under one roof without a fight or two brewing," commented Garrus.

The arena within a pyramid shaped ancient structure was filled with krogan from various clans. Shepard and her team earned more than a few stares as they walked down the stairs into the center of the Hollows.

It was hardly surprising, though. With a team of turian, salarian, and asari, it was almost a miracle that no krogan had jumped on them yet.

"Perhaps with the Reapers as their common enemies," said Shepard, "they could finally work together instead of shooting each other."

"When the krogan are united," said Liara, "they could do almost anything. History has shown us that."

"Maybe that's what the dalatress is afraid of," said Kaidan. "A united krogan force that seeks revenge on the genophage."

"Shepard?"

Her name was called from the crowd. Among one group nearby, Shepard spotted a familiar krogan in light silver armor, the plate on his head had yet to be fused.

"Grunt?"

"Shepard!" The young krogan elbowed his companions away and shoved the crowd aside as he rushed to her, laughing in pure glee. "Heh! Shepard! Heh-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The affectionate punch on her shoulder was strong enough to push her back a step. Shepard stifled a wince. "What are you doing here?" she asked, punching back.

"I could ask you the same," said Grunt. "Didn't those idiots lock you up?"

"They did. Then the Reapers came."

"Yeah. They got bigger problems, all right. It's why I'm running Aralakh Company." He jabbed a thumb at the group of krogan he'd left behind.

"Your own team?"

Grunt nodded. "They're tough, think they're invincible. Reckless, but effective."

"Sounds like someone I know."

"Heh, heh. When Wrex put Aralakh Company together, he needed a leader who represented the future of our species." He gave her another punch on the shoulder, softer this time. "Thanks to you, I completed my Rite of Passage on Tuchanka and became part of Clan Urdnot. I was an equal. And being the strongest, I was chosen to lead this honored company. I collected a few scars earning my place here." He pointed at the visible ones proudly. "These krogan respect me."

"Our little guy's all grown up," said Garrus.

Although the young krogan towered over her, Shepard would always see him as a kid. "I still remember that day I opened your tank."

The young krogan grinned happily. "Heh. Glad you're here to crack some heads!"

"Just like old times, Grunt," said Garrus.

"Heh, heh, heh!"

Just then, Wrex's voice boomed throughout the Hollows as he led the rest of his clan to join the meeting, "They'll sing battle-songs about this someday! Reaper blood has finally soaked our soil!"

"What's a salarian doing here?" asked a krogan within Clan Urdnot. "Nobody said anything about this!"

All krogan's eyes were on Mordin immediately.

"Multiple krogan," mumbled Mordin. "Problematic."

"Who are you?" asked Shepard, taking a protective step in front of the professor.

"Urdnot Wreav, brood brother to our... illustrious leader."

"Wreav and I share the same mother," said Wrex. "And nothing else."

"For which I'm thankful," said Wreav. "I remember what it means to be a true krogan."

His men roared in agreement.

Wreav continued, "We flay our enemies alive and drown them in a geyser of their own blood. We don't invite them into our home."

'They want revenge for the genophage, Commander.' The dalatress' warning suddenly rang inside Shepard's head. 'They will attack while we are weak.'

"This salarian is not your enemy," said Shepard. "He's here to help cure the genophage."

"His kind gave us the genophage!" said Wreav, closing the distance with an accusing finger pointing right at Mordin. "Why should we trust him?"

Wrex headbutted his brother to stop him in his tracks. "Because I do. And so will you, Wreav."

Wreav and his men pulled out their guns as their reply.

"...Oh crap," mumbled Garrus.

"ENOUGH!" Standing high on the steps, the only female krogan in the Hollows yelled. Slowly, Eve stepped down, commanding the attention of all the males in the hall. "You can stay here and let old wounds fester as krogan have always done..." She stopped in between the two brothers, glaring at both, then continued her way to the other side of the arena. The crowd parted on its own as she walked through. "...Or you can fight the enemy you were born to destroy, and win a new future for our children." She paused on her way to the exit and turned to the silent crowd. "I choose to fight. Who will join me?"

"I will," said Shepard immediately.

"And so will I," said Wrex. "Now hold your heads up like true krogan! There's a Reaper that needs killing!"

Location: Tuchanka, Armored Convoy

"Krogan ground convoy," said a turian pilot through the radio, "this is turian wing Artimec. Our flight vector to the Shroud is locked. We are ten minutes out and counting."

"Copy that, Artimec," said Shepard. "We're on our way, trying to make up lost time. Shepard out."

Around a hundred trucks were speeding down the bumpy roads. Leading the convoy was a truck driven by the chief of Clan Urdnot.

"Wreave isn't the only krogan who wants revenge for the genophage, Wrex," said Eve. "You'll have to placate them somehow."

'Urdnot Wrex is only one krogan. He, alone, cannot stop the rest of the clans if they demand blood.'

"I'll demand that the Council return some of our old territory," said Wrex without directly addressing the issue. "We'll need room to expand – recapture the glory of the ancients."

"'Glory of ancients' led to Krogan Rebellions," Mordin pointed out. "Countless deaths. Creation of genophage. Expansion plan... problematic."

'Do you honestly believe curing the genophage will end in lasting peace?'

"Commander," called Eve, "you seemed troubled."

The female's face was all shrouded, except for those eyes that could look right into Shepard's heart.

"Everything is on the line," said Shepard carefully.

"Have faith," Eve told her soothingly. "No matter the adversity we face, some moments are destined to happen." Her quiet voice took a firmer turn. "This is one of them."

"What were the ancient krogan like?" asked Liara.

"Tuchanka wasn't always a wasteland," said Eve. "In the old times, the krogan were a proud people. We had dreams... a future to look forward to."

"Until salarian interference," said Mordin.

"No," said Eve. "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 our planet is rubble," said Wrex. "We'll need a better place to live."

"Helping defeat the Reapers would be worth a new planet," said Garrus. "Or two."

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

"Wrex..." chided Eve.

"What?" The chief shrugged behind the wheel. "With the genophage cured we'll have a lot of catching up to do."

Krogan expansion. A lone voice among millions. How long could Wrex maintain the peace? Shepard studied her old friend – the chief of one clan. One clan among many.

Eve ignored the chief and studied Shepard instead. "There's that look in your eyes again, Commander. What's troubling you?"

A few years ago, on the sunny beach on Virmire, Shepard had shoved her shotgun right under Wrex's throat, while Wrex pointing his at hers. Negotiation was then done at gunpoint, death was avoided, all because of one thing: Trust. Wrex had trusted her enough to allow the cure of genophage to be destroyed. And she had trusted him enough to know he would let her do the right thing.

Perhaps she should trust him once again.

"The dalatress offered me a deal," said Shepard.

"What kind of deal?" asked Wrex with a scowl.

"Her full support for the Crucible Project," Shepard told them. "And in return... She wanted me to stop the cure."

"She what?" Wrex roared. "Shepard!"

"Would I tell you this if I planned to sabotage the cure?" Shepard snapped.

"Difficult moral circumstances," said Mordin with a sharp breath. "Salarian assistance reluctant. Minimal. Need their loyal for intel, assistance with Crucible. Understandable. But not acceptable. Will not sacrifice krogan for political gain."

"Neither will I," said Shepard. "The dalatress said they sabotaged the Shroud years ago. The cure won't work unless we fix it."

"Of course." Mordin nodded slowly. "Shroud necessary for distribution. STG would have backup plan, contingency to stop cure."

"And she thought we wouldn't know better?" Wrex snorted.

"Correctly," said Mordin. "Would likely have fooled tests. But familiar with STG work. Can adjust. Did not come this far for nothing."

"You just spared our race another genocide, Commander," said Eve.

"I told you we could count on her," said Wrex.

"We've got company," said Kaidan, looking out the tiny window of the truck.

"Reaper ground force?" asked Shepard.

"Rachni. Mutated ones."

That was a species Shepard thought she'd seen the last of. "Rachni? You sure?"

"Hard to forget," Kaidan replied. "It was that secret lab back on Noveria."

"It doesn't make sense," said Garrus. "We let that last rachni queen live on the condition she disappear forever."

"I told you to wipe them out, Shepard," said Wrex. "Doesn't matter. We're not going to stop because of some rachni. Still know how to shoot a cannon, Vakarian?"

"I can do it in my sleep," said Garrus, jumping onto the gunner seat.

The truck suddenly shook.

"Did you run over some rachni?" asked Garrus.

"No," said Wrex. "I'm not Shepard."

Soon came more tremors.

"Earthquake?" asked Kaidan.

"That didn't feel like a quake," said Liara.

"It could be something else," said Eve. "It is said that Kalros, the mother of all thresher maws, lives in this region."

"I didn't know thresher maws have names," said Shepard.

"They don't," said Wrex. "Only this one."

"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."

The road soon ended with desert in front of them. And at the end of it stood a needle-like tower. The Shroud.

"There it is." Wrex pointed. "We'll cut through this valley. And-"

The truck suddenly jumped, tossing Shepard onto the floor. "The hell-"

"It's Kalros!" yelled Wrex.

The thresher maw smashed their vehicle from below the sand, sending it tumble in the air, like a toy car mishandled by a tantrum-throwing brat. By sheer luck, their truck landed on its wheels instead of its roof.

"Kalros' territorial instinct confirmed!" said Mordin.

Crawling her way back upright, Shepard peeked through the window. Chasing their convoy, hot on their trail, was the biggest thresher maw Shepard had ever seen – and she had seen more than enough to last a lifetime. Kalros, the mother of all thresher maw was almost as big as a Reaper, but ten times more agile. For a creature that size, the maw weaved in and out of the sand like a water snake, smashing the few trucks that were unfortunate enough to be too close to it.

SHIT!

"Get the hell out of here!" said Shepard.

"She's not gonna get us!" said Wrex.

"Thresher maw getting closer!" said Mordin.

"Tell me something I don't know!" said Wrex.

To that, Mordin yelled, "Metal in truck an excellent iron supplement for maw's diet!"

"Stick to the edge of the desert, Wrex!" said Eve. "You're heading too close to her nest!"

"Wreave, stick close!" said Wrex to the other convoy.

"Drive faster!" yelled Wreav over the comm. "I can smell the damn thing's breath!"

"Shake it off, Wrex!" said Shepard.

"Why don't you drive, Shepard?" shouted Wrex.

"Bad idea," said Garrus.

"What are you waiting for, Vakarian?" said Wrex. "Shoot it!"

"Don't!" said Shepard. "You're going to piss her off even more!"

Then the truck behind flipped in the air and landed right on Kalros' waiting tentacles.

"It's Wreav!" said Shepard, watching as the thresher maw pulled the destroyed truck into the sand.

"No way he survived that," said Wrex with a nonchalant wave. "He was a pain in the ass, anyway."

The attack stopped as they were moving far away from her nest. Kalros didn't bother to chase as her message was sent: Get away from my nest, or else. With the intruders gone, the mother of all thresher maws retreated back under the ground and disappeared.

It was hard to tell how many trucks were gone, but there was one particular truck Shepard cared about most.

Shepard immediately tapped on her earpiece. "Grunt? Grunt, you there?"

"Heh heh heh!" Came that familiar little laugh. "That was fun, Shepard!" Grunt replied through the radio. "Wish I had time to go out there and kill it!"

"It's called the mother of all thresher maw for a reason, Grunt." Shepard breathed a silent sigh of relief. "I need you alive to kick the Reaper's ass. Shepard out."

"This planet is a giant deathtrap," said Liara, panting.

"And the thing is," said Garrus. "I bet Wrex is enjoying this."

"You all right?" Shepard asked Eve, who was already being scanned by Mordin.

"I am fine, Commander."

"Heart rate, blood pressure elevated," said the professor. "Vitals otherwise strong. Suggest restraining harness next time. Though prefer no further encounter with Kalros."

Shepard made another call. "Turian wing Artimec, this is Shepard. We've been delayed – hold off your attack."

"Negative, Commander," the pilot reported. "Our approach is locked. The Reapers already knows we're here!"

"Damn it."

From a distance, Shepard saw the Reaper sweeping its laser beam across the air, shooting more than a few fighters before they could get close.

"Commander, we have to abort!" said the turian pilot. "That Reaper's tearing us to pieces!"

"Understood," said Shepard. "Save your pilots – we'll find another way."

"And how the hell are we going to get a Reaper off a giant tower?" mumbled Garrus under his breath.

"You worry too much, Garrus," said Wrex, full speed ahead. "Nothing's going to stop the cure! Not even a Reaper."

A/N: Too much going on. Tuchanka needs more than one chapter. Coming up: "Had to be me." Oh god. This is a damn AU, right? Right...

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