The End of an Era

by LuxDragon

The Reapers have begun their cycle of extinction upon a galaxy unprepared for them. The fate of Earth, and all life, rests in the hands of one man. Shepard must unite everyone to create a galactic armada to fight a war unprecedented in scale against a foe that has never been beaten. However, the Illusive Man, and his rogue organization, Cerberus, have other goals in mind...

14. Krogan Ultimatum

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2 / En Route to Annos Basin / Pranas System

After leaving her shared office with Liara, Miranda entered the mess hall to grab a quick snack before going up to her room to change into something more appropriate for the summit. She paused when she noticed the Alliance crewmen and former Cerberus crewmen standing across from each other.

"So you worked for Cerberus? Why'd you join them?" Copeland asked, his tone half-curious, half-accusatory.

Matthews shrugged. "I needed to do something. Out in the fringe, the Alliance did nothing while humans were being kidnapped by batarians and sold into slavery. It was like 15th-century Earth or something."

"And that doesn't even cover what the Collectors were doing," Hadley heatedly added.

"Even after everything Cerberus has done?" Fitch asked in disgust.

"You ask any enemy the Alliance has stomped on, and I'm sure they think the Alliance are the monsters," Hadley replied. "It's stupid to think we're the good guys, everyone else are the bad guys, and we're the ones in the right all the time."

"Look, bad things were happening in the Terminus, but the Alliance couldn't do anything about it," Matthews said hotly. "Always about 'war with the Terminus' and we get that. But we couldn't sit by and let people suffer out there."

"So you decided to join a group run by a psychopath?" Copeland asked.

"Wow, when you put it like that, it sounds only marginally worse than joining a group run by political idiots who you hate, but you have to work for anyway or get charged with insubordination or treason. What's the old saying? 'Which is the bigger fool? The fool or those that follow the fool?' "

Before Copeland could retort, Miranda spoke up. "Enough. All of you."

Matthews and Hadley both stood at attention, while Copeland and Fitch were slower to do the same.

Miranda stared down the two Alliance crewmen. "Speak your minds, Ensigns."

"You were with Cerberus, too?" Fitch asked brazenly.

"I was one of the top lieutenants working directly under the Illusive Man," Miranda stated bluntly.

Surprised by her bold statement, Fitch was shocked into silence. While she floundered for a retort, Copeland picked up the slack.

"So why the hell should we trust you?" he asked.

Miranda's gaze became a touch frosty at his blatant insubordination, causing the ensign to fidget slightly under her piercing stare.

"If you have a problem with me, file a report, ensign. Otherwise, if you so desire, I will happily write a transfer request," she said. Taking a step closer, she stared him down. "You are aware that Commander Shepard worked with Cerberus some months ago, are you not?"

Both Fitch and Copeland nodded.

"Take a wild guess who he worked with before he severed ties with them."

Matthews and Hadley nodded their heads and stood prouder.

"We're about to attend a war summit with the hopes that we can make peace between the krogan, turians, and salarians," Miranda said. "Exactly how many more enemies do you think you can afford to make?"

At that moment, both Vega and Adams entered the mess hall and wondered what was going on. The former seemed to get the picture quickly enough and shrugged the whole thing off. "Found out they were Cerberus, huh?"

Fitch and Copeland glanced at each other before nodding at him.

"Get over it. Commander Shepard wants them here, and if he thinks they're good enough to be here, that's it," Vega said simply. "Besides, he's a Spectre again. He gets to use whatever he wants to finish the job, no questions asked, right?"

Both Alliance crewmen shared a look between confusion and distrust.

"You know, I almost signed with Cerberus just to work with Shepard again after Karin—Dr. Chakwas—asked me to come along," Adams admitted. "Couldn't do it, though. Got too much family in the Alliance. If I went to Cerberus, they could be called into question. Just a good thing you guys left when you did, considering what the Illusive Man is doing to his people."

"And since you don't see discoloration of the skin, mechanical veins, and our continued desire to actually live through the war," Miranda listed off, "chances are rather good that you can trust us."

"Not to mention the fact that we don't have any appetites for brains," Matthews whispered to Hadley.

"Damn zombies, right?" Hadley added.

When both Alliance crewmen fell silent, Miranda sized them up before walking up to the counter, grabbed a granola bar, and addressed the assembled crew. "The war summit is starting soon. Report to your stations and be professional. The Normandy is the meeting ground for the leaders, so it's time to shelve any misgivings you have about your fellow shipmates. If you have any grievances, speak to Commander Shepard. He's more than willing to hear you out."

With no further objections or questions raised, Miranda munched on her snack and made her way to the Loft.

~o~O~o~

Matthews and Hadley were quick to follow Miranda's orders and shuffled out soon after the XO left.

Copeland and Fitch glanced at each other, unsure of what to do.

James shook his head at them. "Shepard invited them to help us out. They took down the Collectors, so as far as crazy missions go, I'm thinking they're used to it."

"But it's Cerberus," Fitch retorted heatedly. "They're the enemy."

"I ain't arguing against that," James said. "But after seeing what Cerberus is doing to their own people, these guys got to be loco to stay signed up with them."

"In any event, we have a pair of non-humans here serving as posted officers now," Adams added. "And Shepard gave them their posting. You two really want to break down the chain of command just because of some grievances? If the commander trusts the people on his ship, then that should be enough for you."

"It doesn't bother you, sirs?" Fitch asked.

"The Reapers are trying to kill us all, and after seeing a few stomp around on Menae, they could actually do it," James said blandly. "I honestly don't give a shit what the Commander does now. I just want him to win."

At that moment, Shepard exited Liara's office and observed the assembled crewmen in the mess hall. "Getting a snack?"

James and Adams both nodded and said in tandem, "Yes, sir."

"Be quick about it. I need you to report to your stations and maintain discipline," he ordered to everyone at large. "We have to show that we're in control of the situation, or this summit could turn into a shit show."

Both Ensigns Copeland and Fitch habitually saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Shepard nodded before catching the surreptitious looks James and Adams were sending them. "Something I should be aware of?"

Copeland and Fitch floundered, leaving James to speak up for them. "They found out about Cerberus."

"Any problems you two want to speak to me about in private?" Shepard asked evenly. He kept his face impassive and made it like the issue was approachable, but he could feel irritation creeping into his demeanor at the thought of the impending war summit.

Both ensigns shook their heads. "No, sir."

Probably a bad idea to lead a summit like this.

Taking a breath, he looked both crewmen in the eyes. "I trust every man and woman aboard this ship. However, if you have a problem, I don't mind if you speak to me about it directly, especially if you're not comfortable with the executive officer. I understand the situation is unusual, but I know who our enemies are. If you have any concerns, speak freely."

Again, both ensigns shook their heads and stood straighter. "No, sir!"

"Finish up whatever you were doing and report to your stations, then," Shepard ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

Shepard nodded and left for his cabin. Once there, he spotted Miranda looking at her Alliance dress blues with disgust.

"Heard you finally got outed," Shepard said. He tapped the holographic display and selected formal attire. A section popped out, revealing Alliance dress blues of his own as well as a few high-end civilian styles.

"Word travels fast aboard a ship as small as this," she replied. "Clearing the air now would make things going forward easier in the long run."

Shepard nodded and eyed the uniform Miranda was staring—almost glaring—at. "I understand. Still, for the sake of the crew, could you stick with your civilian clothes now?"

She looked up and arched an eyebrow at him. "Was I being too obvious about my distaste?"

"It isn't that," Shepard said as he started to take off his clothes—just as civilian as what she was wearing—and neatly piled them on the bed. "It worked as a disguise, but now that the secret's out, it's best for the crew that they see you're not disrespecting the uniform."

Again, she arched an eyebrow at him before nodding. "Ah, you mean 'stolen valor', don't you?"

He nodded and padded toward the bathroom for a shower. She quickly and quietly doffed her clothes as well and fell in step behind him. "Times like these, people stick to what they know," Shepard said. "Right now, that's military tradition and discipline. You wearing Alliance colors would be perceived as disrespecting the uniform."

Turning on the shower, he distantly noted that the door didn't automatically close behind him. He turned around and blinked in mild surprise when he saw her naked before him. Playfully pushing him under the still-cold water, she wickedly grinned when he ever-so-slightly grimaced in mild discomfort before stoically enduring the temperature. He did cross his arms and mock glare at her.

Her grin remained fixed on her face. Seeing the steam waft up, she then entered and lazily wrapped her arms around him. "Well, we wouldn't want to disrespect your beloved institution. I'll pass the message along to Hadley and Matthews. Donnelly and Daniels are both sworn sailors again, so they can keep their uniforms, at least. Naturally, Gardner is still a civilian and apparently proud of it."

Feeling himself become rigid against her thigh, an action she encouraged by grinding against him, he wrapped his arms around her waist. "How long before the summit?"

"One hour," she promptly answered. She pinned him with a look of pure carnal desire. "I think we have time."

He grinned back and matched her intense gaze. "Oh, I'll make time."

~o~O~o~

Miranda languidly stretched with her arms above her head as she descended to the Engineering deck. Still tingling in mild contentment, she idly adjusted sleeves of the crème business suit she chose to wear at the summit as Shepard's right-hand woman. The Normandy had arrived on time at the rendezvous point, and for now Shepard was coordinating with the three fleets consisting of turian, krogan, and salarian ships.

She wondered if Shepard would ever really deduce that one of her many outcomes she engineered about revealing her previous association did actually include ineligibility to wear an Alliance uniform.

He'll probably figure it out. Eventually.

For the moment, she was intending to see if Javik was going to be any trouble during the proceedings, since he was the only real unknown factor aboard the ship.

Upon entering the room the Prothean had taken for himself, she wasn't terribly surprised to see Liara there already. In fact, she was more surprised their resident Prothean expert hadn't visited him sooner, maybe even accosted him on the Citadel when they had been on leave.

"You're saying they survived into this cycle?" Javik asked. All four of his eyes were locked onto the asari's, leaving him to ignore Miranda's presence entirely. His look of disgust was evident, even though neither women could claim to be experts on Prothean facial expressions.

Pausing at the doorway, Miranda patiently waited for a break in what looked to be an uncomfortable conversation.

Liara shuffled in place slightly, her datapad of questions clutched in her hands. "Yes. We called them 'Collectors.' They fought for the Reapers. For a long time, no one knew they were Prothean."

Javik shook his head angrily and turned to one of the two water basins that had been recently installed for him. Meticulously washing his hands, he asked, "And when did you realize?"

"Shepard had no choice but to kill the ones he encountered," Liara answered. She turned and gave an uncertain look at Miranda. It was as if Liara was floundering on how best to interview Javik without making a total fool of herself.

Miranda could offer nothing in return. She shrugged helplessly and continued to watch the proceedings mutely.

Taking a breath, Liara boldly continued. "They were all indoctrinated—and had been for a long time. I'm… sorry."

"I am grateful," Javik simply said, unaware of the distress he was inadvertently causing to his interviewer. "It was an act of mercy."

"Yes. I suppose it was," Liara said. Again, she shot a pleading look at Miranda.

"We once theorized that they functioned a bit like the husks we've been fighting for the last few years," Miranda said, announcing herself, "and that the Collectors must be the Prothean versions the Reapers created."

"The 'Collectors', as you call them, served as Reaper abominations to meet our ground troops in battle and assist in destroying whatever resistance we managed," Javik angrily said. "It was not enough to harvest us. They had to transform others into their slaves."

Clearing her throat, Miranda stepped into the room and let the door close behind her. "How are you adjusting?"

Javik growled under his breath before sighing. "So much has been lost. So much has changed. And yet the Reapers are still here."

"This change of time must be quite a shock," Liara gently said.

"Shock… that is not the word, asari," Javik said. "Rage would be the apt term."

"At the Reapers?"

"No. At—" Javik paused and glanced at the monitor at the back of the room.

Miranda looked and saw news articles about the state of affairs in the galaxy. However, not one of them mentioned the Reapers. Upon closer inspection, she noted that the dates for some spanned only a few years ago.

"For me, it was only yesterday," Javik bitterly said. "Our empire spanned the galaxy. Now we are only a myth."

Liara observed the monitors, as well. "Are you assimilating to our cycle?"

"I still have much to learn," Javik contemptuously replied. Pushing away from the basin, he marched back to his station and resumed his studies. "I am not impressed."

Taking his actions as a dismissal, Liara backed away slowly. Miranda joined her, and both women left without another word. When the doors closed behind them, Miranda couldn't help but offer a sympathetic look at her partner.

"Goddess… you were right when you said he wasn't sociable," Liara breathed out.

"Give him time to adjust," Miranda said. "The war he's used to fighting… remember that the Protheans ultimately lost. I doubt morale was at its peak during his time."

Liara sighed. "You think I should've waited to talk to him."

"I already told you to wait and let him adjust before talking to him," Miranda replied. "However, I knew you'd ignore me anyway and confront him with a list of academic questions that a soldier like him would care little about. Pointless, really."

"They're not pointless!" Liara retorted hotly, and she defensively clutched her datapad to her chest.

"They are to him," Miranda said. "Try to understand, you're dredging up memories of an empire that was completely destroyed in his time and he was there to watch it all. He wants it to be its heyday, but that time has long since passed."

Miranda had walked a couple of steps before realizing Liara had stopped. Turning around, she observed the asari with a curious gaze.

Liara shook her head. "Oh, I'm such a fool. You're absolutely right. I was so excited to see all my work vindicated that I hadn't considered his emotional state."

"Just give it time," Miranda said. "For now, perhaps you might take a moment to observe him instead?"

Liara clasped her hands together. "Yes, that's a fantastic idea! Perhaps I might be fortunate enough to see his sensory abilities in action!"

"Or how he interacts with other species," Miranda said in a dry tone. "For instance, you might want to ask Specialist Traynor a question or two."

Blinking, Liara tilted her head. "Why?"

~o~O~o~

With monumental effort, Shepard had managed to pull his scattered thoughts back into coherence following his latest tryst with Miranda. It was fortunate, too, given the professional atmosphere within the CIC when he arrived. He paused for a moment to visually check the command area and felt that Adams was good to his word. All the loose cables and misplaced crates were suitably stowed away, and the CIC was looking as pristine as when he had first stepped aboard nearly a year earlier. Subtly adjusting the waistband of his trousers and smoothing out any possible wrinkles in his new dress blues, he gave a curt nod to Traynor and asked her to open communications with the ships in the vicinity of the Normandy. Speaking with both Wrex and Dalatrass Linron, he gave both permission to dock with his ship and told them he would be waiting to receive them personally in the hangar. He also stated that both were allowed two guards each, but no one would be armed—or biotically capable—whatsoever, including the delegates themselves.

Traynor scanned over the replies and looked up at him. "All the delegates have agreed to your terms, Commander."

"Good," Shepard replied. "Have Joker provide the approach vectors to them. And the Normandy?"

"All stations have reported full readiness for the event, sir."

Shepard nodded and pulled the hem of his uniform so it remained straight and professional. "Anything else, Traynor?"

"I've received word that the Alliance is sending units to Eden Prime to assist the resistance and liberate the colony…" Traynor said before looking down at her boots. "Those poor colonists. First the geth attack, now Cerberus."

"They'll be fine," Shepard said, keeping his feelings from showing in his mannerisms.

Traynor looked back up at him and nodded. "Oh, yes. For what it's worth, our new crewmember doesn't need a translator himself, but he shared a Prothean language tutorial program."

Shepard arched an eyebrow. "He did?"

"Yes, sir. It was apparently designed for servant races being inducted into the empire," Traynor said with an ironic smile. "Charming cultural clue."

Shepard cupped his chin in thought before looking back up at the specialist. "Send a copy to Liara and Admiral Hackett. Maybe they can use it to assist in translations for the Crucible."

Traynor blinked at him before realizing the unexpected boon that had dropped into their laps. "Oh, good idea! Yes, sir! Right away!"

Letting Traynor work, Shepard turned around and walked to the War Room to speak to Victus.

The primarch was glued to the terminal assigned to him, almost seemingly unaware of Shepard's presence. The human lightly coughed into his fist, finally gaining the turian's attention. "Primarch? The other delegates are due to arrive soon."

"I'll meet them in the conference room," Victus said irritably. "I'm not interested in political handshaking. I would rather we just get to the heart of the matter and secure assistance for our people. The dalatrass's constant delays have cost men and ships… men and ships we could've used more meaningfully than simply sacrificing ourselves. And then there's the damn asari…"

Shepard nodded understandingly. Privately, he felt the same way, but didn't voice his thoughts. He had to be the one to remain diplomatic in the face of the upcoming tension of the war summit—especially without the presence of the ever-patient asari, who were renowned for diplomacy. He moved to a different terminal and decided to check on how the Alliance was faring. Reading the initial reports almost forced a scowl on his face. Victus tilted his head at him.

The human exhaled noisily and tried to school his features into something impassive. "The Alliance had to give up the Hades Gamma Cluster. The Alliance Eighth Fleet has been lost. Whatever colonies we have there are most likely gone, as well."

Now it was Victus who nodded in understanding. "We're also giving up valuable space. With an enemy like this, it's a matter of time."

"At least the turians seemed more prepared than we were," Shepard pointed out.

"It was a blow to us when we lost Taetrus. It was thanks to Garrus that Primarch Fedorian prepped our fleets for a full-scale invasion. Garrus went from task force leader to military advisor in record time. However, Fedorian was more suited for politics than tactics. He ignored the magnitude of the threat and gave a speech that rallied our people. Instead of preparing us for the truth, he fed on our passions and made us believe this enemy would be like any other."

Shepard glanced down at his terminal and tapped in a few keywords. Opening the Alliance News Network, he skimmed over the headlines and found the former primarch's passionate address to his people.

From: Alliance News Network Information Partners
September 28, 2186
Primarch Address Preps Turians for War
By Chisilix Palanurus

CIPRITINE, PALAVEN – The Turian Hierarchy is at war with an unknown force of artificial intelligences, Palaven's Primarch Fedorian revealed today in a brief address carried throughout Citadel space. The speech came just hours after comm buoys went dark near Mactare, a star system home to the battered turian colony world of Taetrus.

Rumors suggesting the attackers were the same insect-like ships that attacked batarian and human space were confirmed by the Primarch. "The attackers are called Reapers. They are a race of intelligent starships that can turn their prisoners into willing slaves," he said.

Fedorian did little to acknowledge fears that the enemy must have superior technology in order to coordinate two fronts thousands of light years apart. "There are many mysteries about this enemy, but we know enough," he said. "They have attacked our kin and so it is war with them. War until victory. War however long and hard the road may be. War until they can never threaten us again."

Turian response to the Primarch's statement was vociferous. Several inter-and-extranet outages were reported following the speech, as turians vented their anger at the enemy. Primarch Fedorian seemed to have predicted this emotional response in his address, though it remains to be seen if he can contain it. "Now is not the time to be enraged," he said. "Now is the time to harness our will and do what must be done. We must show that whatever civilization we face, it picked the wrong foe."

—Chisilix Palanurus serves in the 20th citizenship tier of the Turian Hierarchy's Conflict Operations Messaging Legion.

"It's the next bit of news that's distressing," Victus said angrily. "If you'll excuse me, Commander. I think it best that I calm myself before our meeting. I won't make the same mistake as my predecessor; I want to come at this with a clear mind."

Briefly acknowledging Victus as he left, Shepard read the next bit of news from ANN.

From: Alliance News Network Information Partners
Hierarchy Fleets Defeated in Push to Palaven
October 5, 2186
by Chisilix Palanurus

TREBIA SYSTEM — Hierarchy forces failed to retake the Mactare relay and the malicious starships known as the Reapers have pushed into Palaven's space.

The Hierarchy attempted a trans-relay assault to liberate the colony world of Taetrus this week, only to lose great numbers of ships and personnel.

The attack began with an assumption that the Reapers were on the far side of the relay, ready to annihilate anything that came through. The 29th through 32nd Fleets, specialists in delivering heavy ordnance, sent resonant warp bombs through the relay to clear the Reapers away from the immediate area on the other side. They then sent the four fleets through the relay, believing their considerable mass would create relay drift and deliver them out of the Reaper targeting zone.

The extent of losses is classified. What is known is that Reaper ships emerged on the Palaven side of the relay. There, according to Hierarchy sources, "a significant portion of the armada" engaged the Reapers. Fierce fighting continues.

Reports came through of the Reapers broadcasting images of their victory at Taetrus, but these could not be authoritatively confirmed. Some comm buoys were destroyed, creating extranet lag for signals coming out of the Trebia system.

In an emergency broadcast from an undisclosed location, Primarch Fedorian admitted it is possible Palaven's communications with the rest of the galaxy will go dark during the fighting.

"We must prepare for the worst," he said. "We cannot expect aid from allies when our allies face nightmares of their own. They look to us, because in each turian is a soldier. Now we must become more. Each of us must be a savior."

—Chisilix Palanurus serves in the 20th citizenship tier of the Turian Hierarchy's Conflict Operations Messaging Legion.

Sighing, Shepard rubbed his face tiredly. Whatever uplifting feelings he'd had only a scant ten minutes ago were completely gone. Instead, a weariness that served as a constant reminder of the impossible task he had to contend with settled back on his shoulders. It was these same feelings he'd had to endure while under arrest for six months in the care of the Alliance.

Reading the dates, he heaved another sigh.

Has it only been a week?

To Shepard, it felt like he had already been fighting for over a month between his desperate escape from Earth and the summit he was about to oversee.

Closing the newsfeeds, he checked his messages and smiled when he received one from Bau and one from the Council. Authorization had been given to consolidate the Spectres into a unified fighting force, and they were now under his and Admiral Hackett's command to do whatever was necessary to end the Reaper threat. It was the first time the Spectres had done so since the Krogan Rebellions.

Thinking about Bau, Shepard marveled over the fact that he had finally worked alongside a Spectre, rather than fight one. That train of thought led him to consider the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Office and their role in the war now. Without Nihlus to 'show him the ropes', Shepard had had to learn the ins and outs on how to be a Spectre all on his own. It hadn't taken him long to get a grasp on the depth of his responsibilities and, eventually, how other Spectres worked, barring those that went rogue.

At its core, Spectres were peacekeepers, with the mandate to do whatever it took to maintain galactic stability. How they wished to operate was the more significant aspect; with complete autonomy to do whatever they needed to do to complete their missions, it was natural that different agents preferred different methods and how much authority they chose to exert over any legal or military obstacles in their way. The only common denominator was that all were expected to succeed in their task, no matter what.

Some Spectres preferred to be diplomats, and they enjoyed the ability to work outside of any and all constraints to ensure that their demands were met, regardless of opposition.

Agents like Saren and Vasir were considered troubleshooters. They were sent to hotspots around the galaxy where diplomacy failed and firepower was needed. Most action vids based on Spectres displayed this prominently.

Finally, there were agents like Bau and Nihlus; espionage, tracking, investigation, and intelligence gathering. Nihlus had carried himself confidently, while Shepard's brief partnership with Bau gave him the impression that the salarian was not primarily a fighter. Still, it was agents like Bau that lent much to what the Spectres knew; intelligence that could only be found by agents that specialized in subterfuge or espionage.

When Shepard returned to the CIC, Traynor approached him. "Commander, the salarian dalatrass and krogan clan chief are en route now. ETA: two minutes."

"Fitch and Copeland?" Shepard asked.

"Both armed and posted in the hangar per your orders, sir."

Nodding in satisfaction, he dismissed Traynor and left for the hangar.

During the ride down, Shepard thought about the Spectres once more.

While some agents were easily categorized like Bau or Vasir, other agents possessed more than a singular talent and could roam the playing field as they saw fit. While primarily a troubleshooter, Saren was considered a legend for his ability to track down and eliminate any threat to the Council. This had made him an excellent investigator, with a talent for discretionary warfare when it suited him. The Council had always counted on his ability to locate and end problems before they even started without any political blowback towards them.

Shepard often wondered what his own talents were with regards to the Spectres. At first, he had considered himself a troubleshooter like Saren or Vasir, an idea further cemented when he had been tasked to take Saren down by whatever means necessary. However, during his mission, he had managed to uncover the Reapers' existence, outmaneuver the sly business dealings on Noveria, and even save the colony of Zhu's Hope on Feros through aggressive negotiation.

And now he had to be the diplomat to try to create the unified armada to fight the Reapers.

Just once, I want things to be simple.

Entering the hangar, he acknowledged James and Cortez's salutes before he stood next to Cortez's station and waited patiently for the delegates to fly in. He heard Miranda's crisp footsteps not long after as she took her place beside him.

As the first shuttle flew in, Garrus and Liara joined them as well.

The first were the turians, but it was only so the primarch's personal guards could be dropped off. Shepard had James escort them to the conference room, but under orders not to enter the war room.

The next shuttle came in a few minutes later, bearing Urdnot clan markings.

The shuttle docked, and Cortez waved the all-clear to the pilot. The doors opened to reveal an old friend.

"Shepard."

"Wrex."

Both men shook hands with wide smiles.

"Are you going to cause trouble for me?" Shepard asked warily as he escorted Wrex to the elevator. He gestured to Cortez to let the two shuttles fly out so that the third could enter.

"That depends on what those other spineless pyjaks say," Wrex replied. "Tell you what, though: if this whole thing falls apart on you, you'll still get krogan support in some fashion. I owe you that much."

"I'm sure that doesn't have anything to do with the fact that there are reports of Reaper activity on Tuchanka," Miranda said neutrally at Shepard's right flank.

Shepard arched an eyebrow at Wrex.

The krogan grumbled. "Clans Jorgal and Ravanor sighted a few landing parties. From what they told me, they're probing us. It's nothing we can't handle."

"My guess is they're determining how many brutes they can create from the krogan population," Miranda said. "Then they'll send the appropriate response."

Wrex looked confused. "Brutes?"

"New type of krogan husk," Garrus answered. "With a little turian mixed in for flavor."

"That sounds disgusting," Wrex said, looking sick at the idea of it.

Garrus shrugged. "I can tell you from first-hand experience, fighting one won't be boring."

Wrex frowned. "Tuchanka may be a pile of radioactive rubble, but it's our pile, and we'll fight to the last krogan to keep it that way."

"Very turian of you," Garrus said approvingly, "because based off what's happening to Earth and Palaven, that just might happen."

"It's something I've always liked about you, Wrex," Liara said, changing the subject before morale dropped any further.

Grinning at her, Wrex said, "Was it my smoldering good looks?"

Chuckling, Liara replied, "There is that. But you've never given up, and that determination's about to pay off."

"Yeah. Who would've thought back on Virmire we'd be standing here doing this together?" Wrex said with a significant glance at Shepard. His eyes darted between Garrus and Liara. Smirking, he said, "Well, at least I'm back in the thick of it with my favorite asari and turian."

"You look like you're packing on a few pounds there, big guy," Garrus said jokingly. "Sitting on a throne all day making you a tad flabby, eh?"

Wrex's grin grew wider. "Watch it, Vakarian. That just means it'll be easier to squash you."

"It's good to see you, too, Wrex," Liara said kindly. She elbowed Garrus. "I think you're looking well. Smoldering good looks and all."

"Aw shucks, Liara. It's asari like you that give your race a good name," Wrex said. "Part velvet, part steel, all hiding behind a smile…. I always liked that about you."

Shepard opened his mouth to make a joke about Liara's lineage, but the asari cut in before he could get a word in edgewise.

"Shall I escort you to the conference room?" she asked.

Wrex nodded and pointed to the two krogan behind him. "They can come, too?"

Shepard nodded. "They stay outside the conference room, though. No biotics, no guns?"

"They're clean," Wrex assured.

"And no fights," Garrus added. "Sad, but we all have to make sacrifices."

Wrex chortled and let himself be led by Liara. Garrus opted to tag along.

The last shuttle to fly in was the salarians'. The dalatrass's emblem was prominently emblazoned on the hull. Once it landed, two salarian bodyguards walked out. Shepard eyed them both and frowned when he noted that they were armed.

The dalatrass herself finally exited and walked up to him. "Agent Shepard. So good to finally meet you in person."

"Likewise, Dalatrass Linron," Shepard said with a respectful nod of his head. He glanced at the guards.

"My personal detail," she said.

"My instructions are clear. No biotics and unarmed," Shepard said with as much civility as possible.

Linron nearly scoffed at his statement. "Surely you can't expect me to go into a room with a krogan without an armed escort."

"You'll have me and the executive officer with you. That's more than enough—certainly better than your STG agents," Shepard replied tightly. "Either they disarm here and now, or they're confined to your shuttle and my people will remain here to watch them… whilst equally armed."

Near the elevator, Fitch and Copeland stood straighter.

"You can't be serious," Linron said.

Shepard stood his ground. "If I let your guards go in armed, then the other delegates will want to be similarly armed. Do you want to go into this meeting with weapons in easy reach?" The question was rhetorical, so he pressed on before she could retort. "They disarm now, and the scanners leading into the secure area of my ship will detect if they're biotics or if they possess any hidden weaponry. Even your omni-tools will be locked once you go through the security gate."

The dalatrass frowned but stiffly nodded to her entourage. Both STG agents looked a bit put out but relinquished their weapons back into the shuttle before returning to their leader's side.

Offering to personally escort them, Shepard led the way through the Normandy to the conference room with Miranda quietly trailing behind.

Past the CIC, at the security station leading to the secure part of the frigate, Privates Westmoreland and Campbell were in full armor with weapons at the ready to show they meant business. While Westmoreland busied herself at the console to determine the readouts, Campbell kept a sharp eye on everyone that was prepared to pass through. Shepard stepped through first, and as expected the scanners picked up on his biotics and his omni-tool. He gave a nod to both privates and waited for the others to pass.

The salarians all crossed the threshold with no problems. Shepard made sure not to let the surprise show on his face. Miranda followed up the rear, and like him the scanners picked up on her biotics and omni-tool, which Shepard waved off. He let Miranda escort the dalatrass into the conference room, while he remained behind. Quietly, Shepard asked to either soldier, "Anyone else I should know about?"

"The krogan clan chief has a biotic suite but no amp. He was also carrying an OSD. A quick scan revealed only a video file on it," Campbell reported. "The rest are clean. All omni-tools are locked until they come back through, Commander. No weapons, no recordings."

Shepard nodded. "Carry on."

"Yes, sir!" the privates said in tandem.

"Let's hope this doesn't start another war," Shepard muttered to himself as he stepped through the doors leading into the conference room.

Inside the glass-enclosed, soundproofed area, one of his fears had been realized while he was getting the security report. The proceedings had started without him, causing the Spectre to curse under his breath. The dalatrass was already pacing angrily, with Miranda trying to placate her, while Victus and Wrex each stood adjacent to each other, but at least not across. The three pairs of bodyguards from their respective races were all lined up against the wall outside the doors, watching the proceedings intently.

Mistake one. Should've had Miranda get the report and tell me over the radio.

Striding faster and hoping to head off any further or potential problems, his approach prompted the doors to slide apart. The moment the glass doors opened, he heard the screeching voice of the dalatrass as she bore down on Wrex with scathing venom. "The krogan is in no position to make demands!"

Shepard quickly entered and let the glass doors slide closed behind him.

Wrex stood to his full and intimidating height. "The 'krogan' has a name: Urdnot Wrex. And I'm not just some junkyard varren you unleash whenever you're in trouble. Besides, I've got my own problems."

Standing at the head of the table, with Linron to his right, Wrex to his left, and Victus opposite, Shepard met Wrex's eyes and raised an eyebrow. Anything the krogan considered to be a 'problem' was usually a vast understatement to most other species.

"Reaper scouts have arrived on Tuchanka," Wrex said with a touch of drama. "So why should I care if a few turians go extinct?"

Shepard almost rolled his eyes at Wrex's attempt to be subtle. Victus glared at the krogan, while the dalatrass gritted her teeth.

While she didn't understand the underlying message, both Shepard and Victus did as military strategists. Scouts weren't going to be a problem for the krogan, but Shepard gave Wrex credit: his words were spat out to garner attention—maybe even sympathy, remote as the possibility was—to his people and his needs as a way to leverage his bargaining position to loftier heights.

Everyone in the room knew they would not ask the krogan for help if they could avoid it—the history between the krogan and the Council species had always been volatile, barring the relative newcomers to the galactic stage: humanity.

Victus was the first to call Wrex out on his bullshit. Not one for political saber rattling, the Primarch bluntly said, "Trying to draw out negotiations will get you nowhere, Wrex. I have no time for it. Just tell us what you want."

"I'll tell you what I need…" Wrex said before pausing. He leaned on the table and met everyone's eyes to ensure he had their attention.

Every last fiber of Shepard's honed instincts told him he knew he wasn't going to like this.

"A cure for the genophage."

The moment Wrex dropped the bombshell, Linron spoke first, her eyes widening and barely keeping her voice in check. "Absolutely not! The genophage is non-negotiable!"

"I have to disagree, Dalatrass," Miranda said evenly. She gave Wrex a sidelong glance before turning her gaze back to the salarian. "I think it might be required."

"No!" the dalatrass snapped back. "It was my people that uplifted the krogan. We know them best."

"You uplifted them one thousand years ago," Miranda coolly said. "We may not process information as quickly as the salarians do, but I think by now we have the gist of the krogan as a species and their temperaments."

" 'Uplifted', she says," Wrex growled out. "Cute words. But that's all they are. You used us! To fight a war you couldn't win!"

"Wrex," Shepard said warningly.

Wrex continued his passionate tirade. "It wasn't the salarians or the asari or even the turians that stopped the rachni! It was krogan blood that turned the tide!"

"Please, spare us your emotional diatribe," Linron contemptuously said. "The turians hadn't even arrived on the galactic stage yet, something I'm sure you overlooked because it suits you. Your role—your very existence—was based upon killing each other. If it weren't for my people, you would've run yourselves into the ground, into extinction, and into obscurity. No one would have ever heard of your species except on archeological digs that proclaimed what your urges would have led to. It was only thanks to us that you actually had something resembling a future. We gave you a target for your bloodlust, and you did the rest. Enthusiastically, I might add. And after that? You ceased to be useful and became the same problem as the rachni instead! The genophage was the only way to keep your… 'urges' in check!"

Wrex narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. For a moment, it looked like he was about to leap across the table to strangle the dalatrass—or worse. Shepard made eye contact with him and sternly shook his head. In response, Wrex gripped the edge of the table tightly but made no violent moves.

Victus stepped up and turned toward the salarian. "Dalatrass, you may not like him, but Wrex is right. You used the krogan, and in the end, his race saved yours. Insulting him won't change that."

"I won't apologize for speaking the truth!" the dalatrass snapped back. "We uplifted the krogan to do one thing: wage war. It's all they know because it's all we wanted them to know."

"Dalatrass, might I remind you that you are speaking to a sapient species," Shepard said warningly. "You don't control the krogan as if they were your personal attack dogs, and I would kindly ask you to refrain from speaking as such. They know what they know because they choose to, not because of your whims."

"You can't possibly be this naïve, Commander."

"You can't possibly be this arrogant, Dalatrass," Miranda retorted.

"Look, enough time has passed for this. Certainly enough to reflect on our mistakes," Shepard said.

"That's precisely my point, Commander," the dalatrass quickly said. "We made a rash decision. We turned to the krogan in desperation. It's the same mistake you're about to make today. No good can come from curing the genophage."

"No good can come from the Reapers, period. I would like to stress that the Reapers are threatening us with galactic extinction, so I hardly see how salarian security is a concern," Shepard said, doing his level best to keep his voice and attitude in check. "The krogan are not the fools you believe them to be. Even they know that their existence is endangered now. The genophage has gone on long enough."

"One thousand, four hundred, and seventy-six years, if you're keeping track," Wrex said, now back in control of himself.

"It was a thousand years of peace, free from these… brutes!" Linron shouted.

"And the time we have left can be counted by months," Shepard countered heatedly.

Victus slammed his hands on the table. "Enough! Whether or not they deserve a cure is academic. It would take years to formulate one."

Miranda eyed Wrex suspiciously. "And of course, the krogan clan chief would know this… unless he has some new information we're not aware of?"

Wrex grimly smiled. Shepard mentally braced himself for yet another hidden blow from his old friend.

"My information did say otherwise," Wrex said smugly.

Shepard couldn't help but notice the dalatrass pale ever so slightly.

Without a functioning omni-tool, Wrex marched up to the head of the table. Victus obligingly stepped aside, allowing the krogan access to the terminal there. Inserting an OSD, Wrex said, "A salarian scientist, Maelon, grew a conscience. He was on my planet testing a cure on our females."

"I remember," Shepard said, wary of where the conversation was going now. "His methods were barbaric."

"But what you didn't know is that other females survived his experiments," Wrex said. He was typing something into the terminal now. "Watch."

The glass walls around them became opaque to prevent outside eyes from viewing what the occupants were witnessing. A video was projected on one side of the room. It was a facility of some sort, but one Shepard didn't recognize. Whatever the recording was, it had been made covertly, judging by the constant motion made by whoever was carrying the camera, suggesting it was hidden on his or her person as they moved around. Wrex's informant stopped in front of a series of cells, each one containing a krogan, though Shepard had no idea if they were male or female, since he couldn't really distinguish either sex by outward appearance alone.

"So the dalatrass here sent in a team to clean up the whole mess—and to take them prisoner," Wrex accusingly said.

"Where did you get this?" Linron demanded. "It… it could be a fabrication!"

Shepard picked up on the hitch in her voice and frowned. He caught Miranda's eyes, and she too appeared extremely interested in this new information.

Wrex slammed his fist into the table. "Don't insult me! Those are my people! They're immune to the genophage, and you're going to give them back!"

"Dalatrass, is this true?" Victus asked. It wasn't lost on the humans that the turian was standing at Wrex's left side, both staring down at the salarian.

Shepard quickly probed the angles. What the salarians had done could be considered a war crime: illegally entering krogan space, kidnapping krogan citizens, and keeping all knowledge of any paramilitary actions a secret from the galaxy at large. Covert operations were, by nature, illegal, or they wouldn't need to be covert. That made for interesting irony for the salarians, since it was no secret that they conducted secret missions, but rarely left any evidence of their involvement.

"How will curing the genophage benefit my people?" Linron shot back without confirming or denying any of the accusations levied against her.

In a calmer tone of voice, Shepard said, "How long do you think you'll last alone against the Reapers? You know what's happening to Earth and Palaven, and it's only a matter of time before the Reapers reach Sur'Kesh. We know salarian military doctrine, and you're at a disadvantage. If you don't help, you, your planet, and your entire species? Gone."

"And I'll be the last friendly turian you ever see," Victus slowly said.

"These delays are costing us dearly," Miranda sternly reminded. "We all have a role to play in this war, the krogan included, if we want to live. The 'benefit' to your people is quite simple, Dalatrass: avoiding mass extinction, just like the rest of us in this room."

"What's it going to be?" Shepard asked.

Looking around the room and seeing no sympathetic faces, Linron's lips thinned. Ultimately, she answered. "The females are being kept at one of our STG bases on Sur'Kesh."

"I want the coordinates," Shepard demanded.

She stiffly nodded.

Shepard nodded to Wrex and Victus. Just as he turned to leave, the dalatrass scathingly said, "But I warn you, Commander! The consequences of this will be—"

"—nothing," Shepard said tightly. He turned around and pinned the salarian leader with a deadly glare. "It'll be absolutely nothing, because that's what will happen if the Reapers win. We die, it's as simple as that, Dalatrass. The sooner you grasp that concept, the better our chances become."

"Please, everyone, calm down," Miranda said evenly. She turned to the salarian leader and took a breath. "Dalatrass, please try to understand. As it stands, we're trying to unite an armada big enough to fight the Reapers from any and all races that have the capability to help us, regardless of where they come from. You've seen the military reports that humanity and the turians are facing and the losses we've sustained. The news is universally bad. If this keeps up, we'll be past the point of no return when we run out of ships and resources to maintain our defense against this onslaught. After that, there will be no way to win and we all die. Full stop."

Taking the stage next, Shepard said, "The krogan numbers, for all intents and purposes, have been culled, and the casualties the Reapers are capable of inflicting number in the hundreds of thousands, maybe millions. Realistically, we can't ask the krogan to give up whatever remaining numbers they have to fight this war… not if we're also asking them to push themselves to the verge of total extinction. We need allies we can count on. And so do you."

Wrex jabbed a finger at them. "Exactly! If we're going to risk our lives to save your ungrateful asses, we better damn well have a future, too! Now let's get the females!"

Alarmed, the dalatrass nearly screeched. "You're not setting foot on Sur'Kesh! This will take time—"

"It happens now," Victus said sternly from her right flank. "As a Council Spectre, Shepard can oversee the exchange."

"Then it's settled," Shepard said to the room at large. "We're going."

The windows returned to their normal transparency as the doors opened. The three men marched out of the room quickly, each having their own reasons for haste, leaving the dalatrass and executive officer alone in the room.

"I won't forget this, Commander!" Linron shouted at their backs. "A bully has few friends when he needs them most!"

Shepard paused but didn't turn around. With surprising patience, he said, "I suggest you remember those words, Dalatrass."

~o~O~o~

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2 / En Route to Annos Basin / Pranas System / Sur'Kesh

Livid, the dalatrass glared through the glass walls.

Miranda calmly stepped into the dalatrass's line of sight and shook her head disapprovingly. "In case you missed it, he meant that he was walking out with two friends whilst you're still here. Alone. Obviously in response to your remark about 'bullying'. Perhaps you should consider a new choice of words, considering you're holding krogan captives, most likely against their will. Shall we go, Dalatrass?"

Neither Linron nor her guards had security clearance to remain in the secure section of the ship by themselves, so Miranda personally escorted all three of them out. Once in the CIC and with their omni-tools' functionality restored, Shepard demanded coordinates and landing clearance at the STG base where the krogan were being held. Linron reluctantly uploaded them before angrily making her way to her shuttle and leaving.

Once underway, Miranda returned to the captain's quarters and changed into something more functional. After she finished, she made the trek to her shared office space with Liara. There, she spent the next few minutes to inform her partner about the wrinkle Wrex had introduced in the war summit. Just as she finished, the door slid open and Shepard entered.

"Ladies. I need you to analyze that footage Wrex showed us. Give us whatever information you can," he said. "Especially if you can identify that informant. One-hundred percent, we know he or she is a salarian. There's no way they allow any aliens on their ghost bases."

"Unless they were captives," Miranda said.

"Right. In any event, I want to know who reached out to Wrex and why. Friend or foe, legit or if this is an elaborate setup we're walking into here; anything you can."

Both women nodded. "We'll do our best," Liara said.

"Thanks," Shepard said before leaving.

"So… I take it the dalatrass wishes she abstained from attending the summit?" Liara asked.

"She didn't have a choice to attend, and she knew it," Miranda replied. "Salarians aren't used to this kind of warfare. If the dalatrass declined to seek help, then her rival, Dalatrass Narra, would've used it as an excuse to execute a coup, depose Linron, and take the reins of power."

"Just another day on Sur'Kesh," Liara said with an ironic smile.

Miranda sighed. "Politics is often messy, but somehow salarians perfected it in a way that makes it even worse."

~o~O~o~

After going to the loft to change, Shepard got in touch with Bau and asked him if he knew anything about the base they were going to. The reply was prompt but only somewhat informative. Bau claimed to have never worked at that particular base and knew nothing about the details of their operations, but he did know that salarian xenobiologists specializing in different particular species worked there. He even added an anecdote that there was a persistent rumor that the first genophage had been developed in that base over a thousand years earlier, though he couldn't confirm or deny its validity.

Shepard decided to go in full combat gear with a party of two others, excluding Wrex, just in case. In addition, he put the ship on alert. At the moment, he didn't know if he was being careful or paranoid, but he knew he didn't trust Linron.

After putting on his gear, he messaged Liara and Garrus to do the same and prep for assistance groundside. They were the ones Wrex trusted the most, which Shepard hoped would make the process as painless as possible. Like Tuchanka, salarians were adamant that krogan were not welcome on Sur'Kesh. Having one of the strongest and most influential krogan clan chiefs set foot on a planet that did not want him was definitely a recipe for disaster.

Once his prep was finished, Shepard stopped at the crew deck and made his way into the Shadow Brokers' office.

"It's Mordin," Miranda said before he could speak.

"How do you know?" Shepard asked.

Liara put up the video on the wall of monitors. She paused the video and pointed at the shadow at the bottom. "Look here. See something interesting?"

Focusing on the shadow, Shepard studied the outline and nodded. "Wrex's informant is a salarian, just like I thought. Doubt there are any aliens that are given free run of the place. Well, until we get there, anyway."

"Look closer," Liara urged.

Obliging her, Shepard took another look at the shadow. Running his eyes along the outline, he finally spotted what was distinctive about it. "It is Mordin."

Miranda nodded. "Missing one of his cranial horns. Very unique, isn't it?"

"You said he was working for the STG again…"

"And now we know on what and where," Miranda said.

Shepard shook his head. "It makes sense…"

Liara and Miranda glanced at each other before asking, "What makes sense?" at the same time.

Sighing, Shepard felt that there was little point in keeping Mordin's secret any longer. "Remember that mission to Tuchanka? Where we had to save Mordin's assistant?"

Miranda nodded, while Liara said, "I'm aware of that mission."

"Well, Wrex was speaking the truth. Maelon was working on a cure for the genophage… and he was decently close," Shepard said. "I told Mordin to hang on to that data. Just… well, just in case. He could destroy it later if necessary."

"And you're only telling us this now?" Miranda asked irately.

Shepard held up his hands. "It was Mordin's business. He asked me for my help and my discretion. I gave him my word on both. Besides, it wasn't a cure. Just information that might lead to one. Mordin said it would still take years if he put the effort into it."

Miranda still looked angry, but this time Liara was the one to take her aside and whisper something into her ear. Visibly calming down, Miranda nodded and took a breath. "Okay, fine. I can accept that. Is there anything else relevant we should be aware of?"

Shepard nodded. "Well, the reason why the salarians are so concerned with the genophage now more than ever was that the krogan were actually resisting the genophage in its current iteration; adapting, actually. Mordin was tasked to lead a team to create a modified version of the genophage to ensure the krogan numbers remained stable. That's how Maelon got involved, and that's why he went to Tuchanka to try to make a cure. Ethical dilemma."

Miranda groaned and turned to Liara. "Bloody STG and their secrets."

Liara sighed and rubbed her head. "It's always a nightmare to try to ferret out classified information from them."

Shrugging, Shepard said, "Yeah, well, that's about all I know."

"Well, I suspect Mordin can tell us a great deal more when we arrive," Miranda said.

"No 'we', Miranda. Just Liara and Garrus," Shepard said. "Wrex trusts them, which will cut down on tensions. Bringing a fully armed squad into a covert scientific military base? Recipe for disaster."

"Scientific?" Miranda asked.

"I got in touch with Agent Bau. He told me a little bit about this place, but I have no idea how accurate his information is."

"Don't worry, Miranda, I'll run surveillance on the base," Liara said with a small smile. "Something to add to the archives."

Miranda mock-glared at her before sighing. "Well, it can't be helped. The mission comes first."

"Commander? We're making our final approach to Sur'Kesh now," Joker reported.

"Get prepped, Liara," Shepard said. "Meet me in the hangar."

Liara nodded and went to the other end of the room to collect her armor.

Leaving the office, Shepard made the trip to the hangar, where Garrus was already waiting. He was chatting with James about something or other that Shepard couldn't hear.

Wrex was impatiently standing nearby, so Shepard walked up to him. "I thought you weren't going to cause trouble for me?"

Wrex grunted. "Told you that it'd depend on the others, and the dalatrass lied. They have females that are immune, and they're locked up like animals. Isn't that some sort of a war crime?"

"Your informant told you they were immune? Not just fertile?" Shepard asked. He knew Mordin's assessment would be accurate. The question was to determine how much information he had passed on to Wrex.

"They weren't fertile before," Wrex bluntly answered, "so we used them as decoys to draw off enemies from the ones who were."

Shepard kept his stoic look as he nodded. He knew krogan lived violent lives—even before they had been uplifted or culled via the genophage—so he wasn't about to let emotion suddenly sway him now.

No matter how distasteful the practice might be.

The krogan nodded. "Seemed like Maelon was successful. Or lucky. Either way, it's too big for me to ignore, Shepard. The other clans are already aware of their existence, and the fact that these damn pyjaks stole them right out from under us makes it even worse."

"Surprised I haven't heard chatter about it," Shepard said.

Wrex shrugged. "Oh, there's chatter. You're just too occupied with giant machines trying to kill us."

"What's the krogan reaction?"

"Outrage," Wrex bluntly answered. "Look, I like you, Shepard. I'd commit my people to help you if I could, but with news like this, I can't sit on it. If word gets out I'm helping you with nothing in return, those short-sighted idiots back home will want nothing to do with your war. They'll think they're gonna survive it and pick through the pieces left behind. I've been with you since the beginning of this whole mess, and I know where this war is going, but you can't expect me to do this for free."

Shepard nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"If that salarian had come clean from the beginning, we wouldn't have to waste time for this, but for my people, I need to get those females," Wrex said. "This war is wrecking everything. I gotta unite the clans if you wanna unite our races for your army."

"And your clans—your race—needs hope," Shepard said sympathetically. "Yeah, I get that."

Wrex grinned and slapped Shepard on the shoulder. The Spectre did his best to maintain his stoicism and not grunt and topple over.

"You're a good friend, Shepard."

~o~O~o~

Location: Annos Basin / Pranas System / Sur'Kesh / Special Tasks Group Alien Research and Countermeasures Ghost Base

Cortez made a brisk but casual approach to the rumored STG base provided by the dalatrass. Even from orbit, the Normandy's sensors didn't pick up any trace of the base at all. EDI had to increase power to the sensors to even realize she was being jammed.

Shepard eyed the shotgun Wrex was checking and wondered if it was worth the effort to tell him that he couldn't bring it along.

Deciding on the subtle approach, Shepard said, "This is the salarian homeworld we're headed to. They aren't used to seeing krogan here, so let's keep it simple."

Wrex paused to glance at him.

"We land, get the females, and leave before anyone changes their mind."

Grunting in annoyance, Wrex turned back to his shotgun—a krogan favorite: M-300 Claymore—and prodded it some more. "I still don't trust a word they say."

"Let diplomacy play out, Wrex," Shepard said. "You'll get what you want."

The krogan grunted. "These females are the best and probably last hope for my people."

Liara placed her hand on his shoulder. "We'll bring them back, Wrex. Don't worry."

Wrex grinned at her. "I appreciate that, Liara. I wouldn't want anyone else along for the ride."

Across the aisle, Garrus cleared his throat loudly and shot Wrex a pointed look.

"I suppose I can make room for you, too, Garrus," Wrex said before chortling at him.

"First flabby, now soft, sitting on your throne all day," Garrus retorted jokingly. "Do you still remember how to hold a gun?"

"Commander, I have the salarian base on sensors," Cortez announced. "Finally."

"Bring us in and set her down," Shepard said.

"Uh… something's wrong, Commander."

Both Wrex and Shepard turned to the pilot. "What?" they asked in tandem.

"Salarian ground control says we don't have clearance to land."

"Get in the airspace over that base," Shepard ordered. "And get whoever is in charge on the line. Tell them I'm here on official Spectre business with authorization from the dalatrass herself."

"Aye, aye."

"What the hell is the holdup?" Wrex growled out.

"Easy, big guy," Shepard said. "We'll get this sorted out."

"Commander, we're over the base, but ground control hasn't put their supervisor online yet," Cortez reported. "They're threatening to shoot us down if we don't evac now. Fighter escort is inbound."

"Think the dalatrass even called them?" Garrus asked. "Wouldn't surprise me she'd be this late on purpose just to screw with us."

"Garrus!" Liara hissed warningly.

Garrus's eyes widened just as Wrex snarled.

"I knew they'd never keep their word," Wrex said before turning to the cabin door. "Let's see them try to stop a krogan airdrop!"

"Wrex, wait!" Shepard shouted.

It was too late. Wrex opened the door and leapt out. Shepard ran to the open door and gaped. They were hovering at least fifty feet above the ground. The Spectre tracked Wrex's decent and let his jaw drop when he saw the krogan crash on top of a parked shuttle, caving the roof in and nearly buckling the entire craft until it was almost bent in half. Rolling off the wreckage, Wrex pulled out his shotgun and roared in challenge, apparently no worse for wear.

"Get us on the ground, now!" Shepard barked.

"Aye, aye, sir!" Cortez said, and he put the shuttle into a steep dive.

"STG are going to have snipers," Garrus muttered. He was scanning the distant buildings. "There. I see a couple already. At least."

Shepard growled under his breath. "Damn it, Wrex."

"Commander, still getting warnings to wave off," Cortez said tightly as he focused on landing. "They're ordering us to vacate immediately or they'll shoot us down."

"Disregard it," Shepard said. "Get us on the deck."

"Aye, aye."

Within moments, the shuttle landed, a bit rough in comparison to Cortez's previous efforts, but Shepard didn't care. He and Liara had already leapt from the door at least ten meters earlier, using their biotics to slow their descent. Liara ran to Wrex and placed a restraining hand on his arm. Shepard prepared to intercept the approaching STG force. At least two salarians were already down—thrown back by Wrex's biotics, if Shepard had to guess. A quick glance showed they were still alive, if not a bit dazed.

Small favors.

"Unauthorized entry!" a salarian cried out.

Shepard turned to glare at Wrex when he noticed the red dots on his friend's chest.

Wrex was aware of the threat and growled as he created a biotic barrier in response to supplement his shields.

One of the salarians raised his omni-tool. "Halt!"

Shepard held his own rifle ready but lowered. Instinctively, he started assessing numbers, positions, threat priority, and battleground information.

His thought processes became derailed when someone in the back started shouting. "Stand down! Hold your fire!"

All eyes turned to a frantic salarian. Running around his compatriots, he stopped in front of Shepard and took a breath. "Commander Shepard, restrain your colleague! We only found out about this transfer a few moments ago!"

"Then how about we all lower our weapons?" Shepard suggested. He didn't need to look back to know Garrus was still in the cabin of the shuttle with his sniper rifle out and pointed at the STG snipers that had Wrex in their sights. "I'm sure we all would like to avoid a diplomatic incident."

The salarian in charge readily nodded and waved his hand at his subordinates before radioing the snipers. Shepard turned around and gave Wrex a pointed stare; even through the helmet, Wrex could see it. The krogan frowned but ultimately dropped his shotgun to the deck. Seeing that the standoff was winding down, Garrus collapsed his rifle and hopped out of the shuttle.

Once the atmosphere had changed from alarmed to tense, Shepard sized up the salarian in charge. "Now, you know why we're here?"

"I do," the salarian said.

"You know how valuable this is to the krogan, right?"

"Something worth dying for," Wrex growled out. Again, Liara placed a hand on him.

The salarian nodded quickly. "I understand completely. I'm sure this matter can be resolved, but I must insist that your companion disarm and remain under guard."

Wrex growled again, but this time Shepard put his foot down. Turning to face the krogan, he said, "I can handle this, Wrex. No more trouble, do we understand each other?"

Exhaling in annoyance, Wrex bent down to pick up his shotgun. Garrus walked up to him and held out his hand. Grumbling in quiet protest, Wrex reluctantly handed his Claymore over. "Anything goes wrong, and all bets are off."

"We'll try to be quick," Liara gently said.

"And that shotgun better come back to me in pristine condition, Vakarian," Wrex said, his tone half-joking, half-serious. "Or you'll be paying for it out the ass."

Strapping the shotgun to his armor, Garrus shrugged at him. "Why? It hardly sees action nowadays, right? I'm thinking there's a salarian somewhere around here I can sell it to. How much do you think it's worth?"

"Why you miserable…" Wrex's mutterings degenerated into various threats and insults about Garrus and his masculinity before being 'escorted' by three STG agents, one of whom he shoved aside when the salarian tried to physically move the krogan.

Hoping that Wrex would finally behave, Shepard turned to his host. "Are you in charge of this facility?"

"I am. Padok Wiks, and I appreciate your understanding, Commander," Wiks quickly said. He glanced one last time at Wrex. Satisfied that all was in order for now, he led the way deeper into the base. "With war on everyone's minds, our people are on edge."

"Both of our races are dying, and centuries of culture are being obliterated," Garrus said testily. "So very sorry if our visit makes you uncomfortable, then."

Shepard took his helmet off and shot Garrus a look that clearly said, "Zip it."

Wiks cleared his throat and walked a bit quicker. He stopped when a cage holding a yahg was being moved above them to a new location.

The yahg clearly didn't appreciate confinement, as it tried to use brute force to try to break through the kinetic barriers holding it inside.

One of the soldiers standing near the consoles was suitably alarmed. "Careful! Watch the containment shield!"

Liara grimaced. "I'd hoped to never see one of those again," she whispered to Garrus.

Wiks caught Shepard's gaze on the captured yahg and said, "As you can see, this base contains sensitive information."

"What kind of work goes on here?" Shepard asked. He wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea that the salarians were running experiments on other species. Unbidden, Mordin's words floated through his mind.

"No tests on species with members capable of calculus. Simple rule, never broke it."

"Evolutionary trials. Morphological simulations. Exogenetic assessments," Wiks answered promptly.

Summing it up, Shepard grimly said, "You're testing on other species to gain knowledge on their strengths, weaknesses, and how best to use them. Like the krogan."

Wiks's eyes widened. "No-no-no! Nothing like th—"

"I'm not an idiot, Wiks," Shepard said. His eyes were still locked on the yahg's cell. "I would appreciate it if you didn't treat me like one. It would make everything smoother going forward."

Clearing his throat uncomfortably, especially under the judging gazes of both Liara and Garrus, Wiks continued walking. Shepard and his team kept pace.

"Science has always been our best defense," Wiks said, somewhat self-consciously. "The research we do here has kept Sur'Kesh safe for millennia."

"I get the feeling Cerberus would make the same claim in their defense," Garrus replied. "It rarely goes well for them."

Realizing that perhaps a 'tour' of their secret base was becoming an increasingly bad idea, Wiks increased his pace.

"How many female krogan are here?" Shepard asked as he thought about the logistics needed to transport several krogan to Tuchanka as comfortably as possible aboard the Normandy.

Wiks stopped moving and bowed his head. "Ah… that's a complicated question…"

Slightly impatient and more than a little annoyed, Shepard crossed his arms and glared. "How so?"

"The females were in poor health when we found them on Tuchanka. They were brought here to stabilize their condition," Wiks answered, more quickly than the usual speed salarians spoke at.

A grim feeling made its way down Shepard's spine. He glanced at Wrex, who was belligerently taunting his guards. "This whole planet smells wrong," Wrex said. "No wonder you lack the spine to fight your own battles."

"So what's the problem with them?" Shepard asked quietly.

Lowering his voice as well, Wiks spoke as delicately as he could. "I'm afraid there is no 'them', Commander. Just her."

"One? Just one?" It took considerable effort not to raise his voice, and even then he only managed it because he didn't want to deal with the other headache of stopping whatever rampage Wrex would go on if he heard.

Sharing similar fears, Wiks nervously glanced at Wrex and gestured that Shepard and his friends follow him. Once he was sure they were well out of earshot of the krogan, Wiks nodded. "Maelon's work succeeded, but at a cost. It was a tragic case of the cure being worse than the disease."

"What about the survivor?" Liara demanded.

"One of our top scientists was brought in to try to save them," Wiks said. "Brilliant man. Sadly, he was too late to save most of them. He's been working tirelessly to save the last. I believe you worked with him in the past? Professor Mordin Solus?"

Shepard nodded. "He's a good man. My mission would never have been a success without him. Is this where he's been the entire time?"

"Not the entire time, no," Wiks said, relieved to be on Shepard's good side for the time being. "But his help has been invaluable in the past."

"I'm sure it has," Shepard replied. "I'd like to see him and the krogan female."

"Of course," Wiks readily said. "I'll need to clear you for the lower levels. Please give me a few moments."

Letting Wiks work, Shepard studied his surroundings with a more critical eye. Eventually, he ambled over to where Wrex was being kept. Three guards were watching him carefully—perhaps even fearfully—but Shepard knew that the sharpshooters Garrus had spotted were keeping the krogan in their sights.

"This is where all you salarians come from, huh?" Wrex asked one of the guards conversationally. Then he grinned. "No wonder you're so soft. Too busy writing poetry about waterfalls."

The guards didn't rise to his taunts. Their guns remained pointed in his direction.

Chortling to himself, Wrex spotted Shepard and waved him over. "Shepard, I don't like this. I should be the one going in."

"How about you stay here and we only fight one war at a time?" Shepard replied dryly.

Wrex snorted. "That was just good old-fashioned krogan hot air. If it'd been real, they'd be dead."

"And so would you," Garrus retorted. He turned to the nearby vista and jauntily waved at the trees.

Liara looked confused, so Shepard pointed at one of the higher branches for her. Behind the foliage was a hidden sniper nest with two more salarian marksmen within.

"There's about four more nests like that I've seen so far. And I wasn't even trying," Garrus said with a half-shrug. He turned to the salarian guards. "That paint job on those nests? Horrible. Two shades darker than it should be, but you get a pat on the back for making sure the sun is to their backs."

Shepard chuckled.

Once again, Liara tilted her head.

"Makes it stand out instead of blending in," Garrus explained. "Shoddy work, really."

Squinting at the distant tree, Liara ultimately shrugged the whole thing off. "I'll have to defer to your expertise, Garrus."

Wrex stared at the sniper nest for a bit before grunting in agreement. "Well, whatever. Why are you talking to me? Why aren't you getting what we came here for?"

"Getting clearance to go below," Shepard said. "Which probably translates to 'hiding any damning and incriminating evidence we don't want the galaxy-at-large to know about us'."

Garrus shook his head. "Typical, really. It's never simple with salarians."

Wrex growled a bit, causing the guards to tense up almost imperceptibly. "If this goes tits-up, just remember: I like my salarian livers raw. Been working up an appetite, and having a few salarians for lunch would really hit the spot."

"Flabby," Garrus shot back with a grin.

Now the guards looked less than amused.

"Funny, Wrex," Shepard dryly replied. "Now behave. We'll be back shortly."

Now Wrex started grumbling insults at Shepard but complied. Barely, if the not-so-subtle verbal abuses he was saying about salarians were anything to go by. The guards did their best to appear stoic, but it was clear they wanted to shoot the krogan. Many, many times.

"Let's hurry," Shepard muttered to his friends. They shuffled over to Wiks, eager to finish the mission before anything else could happen.

The trio spotted Wiks speaking with another trio of salarians, all dressed in STG uniforms. The commanding officer appeared calm and poised, while his subordinates looked irate.

"Agree with them or not, our orders are clear: ensure the smooth handover of the krogan detainees," one of the irate STG soldiers said.

"Who gave the order?" the other angry STG soldier asked.

"Our superiors," the STG officer calmly answered. "That's all that matters."

Shepard could've sworn he recognized the officer.

"But they're going to cure the genophage! Everything we've done to stop the krogan will be for nothing, Captain!"

The familiar officer rolled his eyes.

Seeing the signs, Wiks glared at the speaker. "When we want your opinion, we'll promote you. Until then, stay sharp and keep your mouth shut."

Seeing Shepard and his team approaching, the captain smiled and stood straighter. "Commander Shepard. It's Captain Kirrahe. It's good to see you again."

For the first time since arriving planetside, Shepard smiled and shook Kirrahe's hand. "Good to see you, too, Captain."

Garrus held out his hand to shake. "Good to see a friendly face, Captain."

"Garrus Vakarian, always a pleasure," Kirrahe said as he shook his hand, as well. He then nodded respectfully to the last of Shepard's team. "And same to you, Dr. T'Soni."

Liara smiled pleasantly and nodded. "Captain."

"It seems the Reapers have a way of bringing us together," Kirrahe said. He turned to his two subordinates and dismissed them. Wiks looked relieved that Shepard was in the company of friends and was in a better mood now.

"How did you get posted to this base, Captain?" Shepard asked.

Wiks's eyes widened. "He doesn't have to ans—"

"I led the team on Tuchanka to recover Maelon after you secured him, Commander," Kirrahe answered smoothly. "During the course of that mission, we found the other 'test subjects'. Nasty business. Maelon may have meant well, but his operation was crude, to put it mildly."

"Very mildly," Garrus muttered.

Wiks sputtered. "Captain, this is highly classified—"

"Test subjects were unaccounted for," Kirrahe said, closing his eyes in recollection. "The females easily escaped his lab, probably before your arrival."

"Not surprised," Shepard said. "We saw the bodies. It looked like they were in agony before they died."

"So you brought the survivors here?" Liara asked.

"It was their only chance," Kirrahe said, his voice so neutral it was hard to gauge what his personal feelings were on the matter. "As you already know, Tuchanka isn't exactly leading the field in terms of medicine."

"Or much else," Garrus said.

"Our scientists," Kirrahe said while glancing at Wiks, "say it's important to preserve the females. 'Evolutionary paradigms'."

"That's not exactly—" Wiks tried to explain.

"I say, when people know you're hiding something valuable, they'll want to steal it," Kirrahe said, once again speaking over Wiks. "Trust me, that's the business STG thrives in. Either way, I have my orders. She'll be your problem soon enough."

"Captain, this is highly irregular," Wiks said crossly.

"Irregular is one word for it, but I would think it's ironic," Kirrahe said thoughtfully. "The commander and I used a nuclear weapon to destroy one cure for the genophage to prevent an alliance, and now here we are, saving a cure for it to secure an alliance."

"To be fair, Saren was hardly offering a 'cure'," Shepard said. "More likely it was just the idea of one—or maybe just propaganda to secure their help. All Sovereign wanted was to get access to the Citadel and bring in the Reapers. After that, why bother when everything is going to die anyway?"

"Well, regardless, your standoff with Urdnot Wrex is legend within STG," Kirrahe replied, this time glancing at Wrex in the distance.

Shepard tilted his head. "Really?"

"A promise for a cure for the genophage dangled right in front of his face, real or not, and yet he chose to assist with the mission of destroying it rather than betray you," Kirrahe said with profound respect. "I can't think of any krogan that would choose to do something like that… or any leaders that could convince them."

"We're good friends," Shepard simply replied.

"And I'm glad for it," Kirrahe said while glancing at Wrex again, "considering his entrance. I think our colonies three systems away saw it."

"Yes, and he's rather angry about the security arrangements," Liara said crossly. Her gaze lingered on Wiks when she spoke.

Kirrahe shrugged. "Apologies, but better that than a krogan with a shotgun wandering the base. Think of all the casualties. Our med bay couldn't handle it."

Garrus chuckled appreciatively, and even Liara couldn't help but smile at his disarming nature.

"Are the salarians prepared for war with the Reapers?" Shepard asked bluntly.

Kirrahe sighed and looked away. His right hand started tapping the butt of his pistol as he considered how to answer. "Naturally, we know what's happening on Earth and Palaven. I'm not sure any species can prepare for that."

"The dalatrass appeared completely out of her depth," Shepard said.

"She is, and her opponents smell weakness," Kirrahe affirmed. "We're expecting a coup soon. I'm hoping whoever succeeds her will have the foresight to join your alliance."

"I need as many resources as I can possibly gather, Captain," Shepard said. "Soldiers, sailors, marines, ships, resources, scientists… I need everything, and I do mean all hands on deck for this."

"I see," Kirrahe simply replied. "Can I ask why you want the female krogan?"

"The turians are prepared to join me, but the primarch's condition is that we need the krogan to join, as well," Shepard said. "And I'll only get krogan support if we cure the genophage."

Kirrahe blinked. "Which is why I never became a diplomat. Too much handholding. Leave it to the dalatrasses… well, except Linron."

Wiks finally stepped forward with a relieved look on his face. "Commander, I finally received word that you can go down to the lower labs now."

"Finished hiding your skeletons?" Garrus asked. Liara nudged him.

Wiks cleared his throat. "If you'll follow me?"

Shepard and his team fell in step with Wiks. Kirrahe seemed to have free run of the place and decided to tag along, much to Wiks's dismay.

Upon entering the elevator, Wiks turned to Shepard. "Commander, I understand there are rumors that suggest you're building a superweapon of some kind?"

"You know, there were rumors I was dead, too," Shepard said. "You can't believe everything you hear."

"Except… you were dead," Wiks said, somewhat uncertainly.

Shepard turned to look at Wiks for a moment before half-shrugging. With a straight face and deadpan voice, he simply replied, "Was I?"

~o~O~o~

"Security seems high," Shepard commented as they descended to the appropriate floor. "Is it because of us, Wrex, or something else?"

Kirrahe shrugged. "Our motto in STG is to always expect trouble; failing that, create trouble for someone else. Our enemies have the same idea."

"Enemies?" Garrus repeated intently.

"Cerberus," Kirrahe answered. "Admiral Hackett and Councilor Udina were kind enough to warn us of the threat posed by your rogue organization in light of recent events."

"They were never mine," Shepard muttered darkly.

Again, Kirrahe shrugged. "Of course. Much like our League of One, Cerberus as an organization created more trouble than it solved. Sadly, they seem as difficult to dispatch, as well."

Shepard had heard of the infamous League of One and had even recovered two medallions that supposedly belonged to the elusive assassins, quite by accident, some years ago.

Once the elevator doors opened and everyone filed out, Liara asked, "So what seems to be the problem, Captain?"

Kirrahe frowned. "We've been getting probed by unidentified craft. They linger just outside the effective range of our air defenses and skirt our inbound approach vectors."

"And you think it's Cerberus?" Shepard asked.

Kirrahe shook his head. "I don't know. It looks like someone is testing our defenses. Reapers wouldn't bother with tactics like that, and with you here… the suspect list is pretty small."

Now it was Shepard who frowned at the news. "It can't be Cerberus. Right after Wrex made his demand, we left for Sur'Kesh. How could they send anyone here in time?"

"I don't think it's a spy or a traitor aboard your ship, Commander," Kirrahe said quickly. "This has been happening for about a week before your arrival. By the time we scramble fighters and investigate, the ships have already left… which worries me, because they might be timing our responses, as well…"

"The dalatrass also ordered that the krogan transfer be given top priority," Wiks added.

"To get you offworld as soon as possible," Kirrahe said.

"And I was just starting to feel welcome," Garrus said.

"And there's Dr. Solus," Kirrahe said. He pointed at the rapidly approaching salarian. "I'll leave you to it. But, Commander…"

"Yeah?" Shepard asked.

Kirrahe pulled Shepard aside, away from Wiks's inquisitive ears. "Regardless of what the politicians decide, you can count on my support for your alliance."

"You'd do that?" Shepard asked gratefully.

"Commander, I'm in the STG. I'm aware of what's happening, what's going to happen, and what needs to be done," Kirrahe said simply. "Besides, I owe you and I owe it to Lieutenant Alenko. Consider it my way of returning a favor. It would be an honor to fight alongside you again."

"Shepard! Good to see you!" Mordin said the moment he was in earshot.

"Good day," Kirrahe said to them. However, before he could take two steps, a general alarm started sounding off. "Damn it."

"Alert! Threat condition 2 has been declared. Scramble readiness teams."

Shepard turned to Wiks. "What's happening?"

Wiks turned on his omni-tool and pored over the incoming reports. Nearby, several fighters started taking off. "Sensors have picked up activity on the perimeter."

Garrus tilted his head and looked at his comrades. "Think Wrex is going to behave?"

Shepard's answer was prompt, poignant, and filled with a mixture of dread and annoyance. Irritated, he muttered a simple, "No."

~o~O~o~

Author's Notes:

So, I'm not dead. No, I didn't abandon the fic, and yes, I'm totally busy.

I do feel supremely guilty though. I had originally wanted Sur'Kesh to be one big mission, but this intro alone grew to epic proportions. So… yeah… I had this chapter done for months, but sorta sat on it as I tried to fit the rest of the mission in. Wasn't going to happen.

Now, a quick note about Kirrahe. My beta wrote something to me about it some time ago, and I agree. In his words:

I suggest having Kirrahe remain a captain instead of making him a major, for continuity reasons. In ME 1 and ME 2, Kirrahe was implied to be a navy captain, not an army/marine captain (his second-in-command, Rentola, holds the rank of commander, a navy rank immediately below captain; also, during Mordin's STG mission on Tuchanka, Kirrahe held the rank of commander). Navy captains outrank army/marine captains (and majors, for that matter, also an army/marine rank). The army/marine equivalent to a navy captain is a full colonel.

All that being said, I agree with his suggestion to change his rank to reflect this.