Notes:

Balls-up - screwed up, in a situation that has not gone according to plan

Buggered - worn out, broken, ruined

FTL - Faster than light

QEC - Quantum Entanglement Communicator. Instantaneous point-to-point secure communications device; cannot be intercepted between source and destination

Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian)

Unwelcome Guests

SSV Normandy, At Large

Traynor was too keyed up for sleep; she glanced at the chrono beside Riana's bed and actually wished time would go by a bit faster. The Asari cuddled up next to her continued to breathe in the slow, rhythmic pattern indicating deep sleep; Traynor almost couldn't believe her good fortune. Riana had come to trust her… enough so that she had fallen into a deep sleep almost as soon as she placed her head in Sammi's lap. What the hell am I thinking? She got back from a mission that was totally balls-up... During which she managed to find her sister alive, only to have her leave on the Aletheia! She's got to be emotionally buggered! She's exhausted; of course she's sleeping!

So far, Traynor had found it impossible to fall asleep and now she had to make a decision; there were only a couple of hours remaining before the 'one-hour out' call for Tuchanka would be broadcast over the Normandy's notification system, so she decided to stay awake. She knew anything less than four hours of sleep would leave her groggy and make it difficult to concentrate; better to simply stay awake at this point than to have her mind numbed with an insufficient nap.

Thinking about the upcoming mission was somewhat worrisome for Traynor. She had the utmost confidence in Commander Shepard's battlefield prowess and her uncanny ability to bring her team back from the jaws of death, but nothing could be taken for granted; they had barely gotten started before Lieutenant Commander Williams ended up in the hospital, then the Primarch's son died... and even Shepard was taken out of action by a damned Cerberus sniper.

On this mission, the team would most likely only be opposed by Reaper spawn… Human and Batarian husks at the least... which, thus far, had not proven to be overly difficult. She had seen the reports concerning the more advanced, meaning deadlier, Reaper spawn, such as the corrupted Turians, Brutes and Ravagers. At least they wouldn't have to also contend with Cerberus.

She said a silent prayer for the person sleeping next to her, then tilted her head down and gently placed a second kiss on Riana's crest, noting not for the first time the enticing smell of eezo and oiled leather. Riana's position as First to Liara meant she'd be in the thick of any fighting Liara herself was involved in and, with Shepard being Liara's promised mate, she knew Riana would lay down her life for either one of them, something Traynor fiercely hoped would never be necessary.

She glanced at the chrono again before attempting to calm her mind by mentally performing navigational calculations for distance, velocity and time. It wasn't long until Edi's voice came over the comm, announcing one-hour out to Tuchanka. Time to get ready…

SSV Normandy, Krogan DMZ

Shepard was checking Liara's armor over one last time, making sure all the closures were secure. At the same time, Riana was prepping weapons and laying out the spare thermal clips for everyone to start loading into storage pockets. Wrex was pacing and grumbling about how it must have been at least twenty minutes since the ten-minute-out call when Joker's voice cut in over the comm. "All hands, full stop! Commander! We've got hostiles at the landing coordinates!"

Based on the pitch of Joker's voice, Shepard immediately assumed it was not good. "What have we got, Joker?"

"There's a damn Reaper sitting at the Shroud! No way you'll get in there with a shuttle!"

Fuck! Shepard drew in a deep breath. "Alright. I need the ground team in the War Room. Edi; can you get me eyes on the Shroud?"

"Affirmative, Shepard. The display will be ready before you get there."

"Thanks, Edi." Shepard cast a worried glance at Liara as they moved. "Go figure. I knew it couldn't be easy."

As was typical, Mordin was way ahead of them and had already been studying the display. He began speaking as soon as the commander started down the steps to the central display terminal. "New form of Reaper, Shepard. Using Shroud to poison Tuchanka's atmosphere. Problematic."

Wrex growled, "They want a fight, they just got one!"

Shepard glanced around the table. "I wish I could say I didn't expect something like this, but I'd be lying. We need a multi-prong attack."

Everyone realized Shepard had prepared ahead of time for this contingency when her eyes moved without hesitation to Adrien Victus. "Primarch, I need your fighters to hit the Reaper with an airstrike while we go in on the ground with the Krogan." Her eyes then moved quickly to cover everyone standing around the table. "We don't have to destroy it; we simply need to draw it away from the tower."

"Yes. Of course. Distraction." Mordin perked up. "You draw it away and we sneak in to synthesize and dispense cure. Will need Eve to come with me."

Victus was calm as he spoke, but his words were anything but comforting. "That could be difficult. Our losses on Palaven have been catastrophic."

"You want Krogan boots on Palaven; you give me fighters... now or never." Shepard glared at the Primarch, knowing at the very least, he was flirting with the total loss of the Turian homeworld, if not the entire galaxy.

"Never known a Turian to back down from a fight." Wrex growled and his lip curled in anger. "But if you don't help us now, you'll never see even a single Krogan on your rock."

"Please. I said difficult, not that I wouldn't... or couldn't... do it." Victus' voice reflected disdain as he responded. "But we'll have to pull the fighter patrols from the Citadel to do it quickly."

Shepard frowned. "Define quickly."

The Primarch shrugged. "If we pull them from the Citadel, it's merely the jump and an hour or so of FTL. If I pull them from Palaven, add an additional two hours of travel time, minimum. Assuming, of course, they can escape through the Reaper net surrounding the planet; Fedorian didn't even make it from the moon to the homeworld, much less all the way to the Relay."

"Shit." Shepard didn't take long to make the decision. "Pull them from the patrols, not the combat units. We'll have to keep our fingers crossed that no one notices it soon enough to take advantage."

They all stood by as Victus made the call and the countdown started. As soon as the call terminated, Wrex spoke. "We're still going now. I need the time to call up the clans, tell them the plan and get our forces moving. Your fighters better be on time, or those of us on the ground will all be Reaper fodder."

Victus nodded. "Coming from the Citadel? They'll be here."

Shepard glanced around the table once more. "We've never faced a Reaper up close like this. Everyone on board?"

Wrex looked pointedly at Mordin and huffed, "There's even a doubt? Let's move, Pyjak! It's time to cure the Genophage."

As the group started out to head to the shuttle bay, Specialist Traynor cut in before Shepard left the room. "Commander? Incoming vid call marked urgent from Sur'Kesh. I'm sending it to the comm room for you."

She glanced at Liara. "Go ahead. I'll be down momentarily." A light grin split her lips as she continued, "Don't let Wrex get impatient and leave without me."

Liara smiled back. "Then it's a good thing he most likely wants you along... I very much doubt we could stop him if he truly wanted to go."

Shepard expected it to be Major Kirrahe or Spectre Bau on the line, so was unpleasantly surprised when the hologram resolved into a figure quite different. Shepard growled, "Get to the point, Dalatrass. I have a mission to complete."

"No need to be hostile, Shepard." The Dalatrass was being sickeningly polite, so Shepard knew she was up to something. "I know you've reached Tuchanka... and I imagine Mordin Solus has proposed using the Shroud."

"Am I supposed to be impressed that you know where we are? Last chance to get to it. What do you want?" Shepard stood with her arms crossed and a prominent scowl on her face.

"Commander, you can't allow the diplomatic pressures of this war to cloud your judgment."

"Dalatrass, you fought us every step of the way during our last meeting. Quit wasting my time by pretending to negotiate when you really have absolutely no intention of doing so. I have a schedule to keep." Shepard's hand reached forward for the disconnect button and the Dalatrass' eyes flew open wide. She hadn't honestly thought the Human commander would cut her off without hearing her out.

She blurted out, "We're prepared to give you the full support of our fleets and our top scientists to help with the crucible!"

Shepard's hand paused over the kill switch. "So call Admiral Hackett and coordinate it with him. Why call me?"

"Do you honestly believe curing the Genophage will end in lasting peace?" The Dalatrass moved forward and leaned into the projection.

"With Wrex and Eve at the helm? Yes, I do. Your point?" Shepard's hand still hovered, so the Dalatrass chose her words carefully.

"Years ago, our operatives sabotaged the Shroud facility to make sure what you're planning couldn't be done. Our scientists are yours... all you need to do is sufficiently distract Dr Solus so he doesn't see and repair the sabotage. The cure's viability will be altered just enough... so that it fails. No one will notice the change."

Shepard's face went red with anger and her voice dropped low, seething with resentment. "If you think I would even consider such a thing, you are more deluded than I imagined." Shepard's hand slowly curled into a fist as she finished with, "Stay out of my way, Dalatrass. Trust me when I say you do not want me as an enemy." The commander's gloved fist came down hard and the projection winked out as the connection was terminated.

Tuchanka, Krogan DMZ

Shepard stormed onto the shuttle, turned and punched the hatch control. "Move it, Cortez. We're behind schedule, so see if you can make up some time."

"Aye aye, Ma'am!" Steve simply acknowledged the command and launched the shuttle.

Liara followed the commander with her eyes, waiting for her to sit so she could ask what was wrong, but she didn't have a chance before Wrex walked over to Shepard and spoke with her. "I've given Cortez the coordinates to the Hollows. It's our sacred meeting ground and should prevent anyone from bleeding Solus before we have a chance to explain our plan."

Mordin's eyes went wide, but he said nothing as Wrex continued. "We'll take an armored convoy from there to get to the Reaper. With those things crawling around, I imagine everyone will come with armored vehicles, so getting a Tomkah to use won't be an issue."

Shepard's head bobbed quickly and she practically growled. "Good. Having ground transport should help us make up the time I lost on that worthless vid call."

Wrex didn't catch the tone of Shepard's reply; he was staring off into space as he said, "This will be a defining moment in Krogan history."

Mordin looked at the Krogan in disbelief. "Krogan history filled with defining moments. Most bloody. Hope this one better."

Wrex may not have heard Shepard, but Eve did. "Commander. You seem... troubled... by that call. Perhaps it would help to speak of it?"

Shepard's lips curled up at the very tips in appreciation. "Yes, actually... it would." She had every intention of informing the Krogan and Mordin about the sabotage, but didn't get to finish her statement before the shuttle rocked hard with an impact to its shields.

Cortez called out, "Commander! The LZ is hot!"

At the same time, Wrex's comm buzzed with an incoming message. "Wrex, it's Wreav! The Reapers are already at the Hollows! Come out with guns blazing!"

Shepard reached for her Graal as she called out, "You heard him! Gun up, folks. We're jumping out of the pan into the fire!"

Only the Alliance troops knew what Shepard meant, but everyone else figured it out pretty quickly as Vega, Westmoreland, Campbell and Edi all drew weapons and slapped in their heat sinks. The others followed their lead as Wrex opened the hatch and immediately blasted a Husk standing right outside the shuttle.

He hopped out and shouted back, "Shepard, keep them away from the female! I'll sort out what's happening with the other clans!"

Shepard stood in the door and shouted, "Garrus, Campbell... Stay with Mordin, guard Eve and try to watch our six from here. Vega... you've got Edi, Westmoreland and Riana." Her focus shifted and she looked at their newest team member, out on his first mission. "Javik. You and Liara are with me."

"As you wish, Commander." Javik's voice was completely emotionless. "Mission parameters?"

Shepard grinned. "Kill all the Reaper spawn."

For the first time since they picked him up on Eden Prime, he was in his natural element and Javik actually smiled. "That I can do."

The first group was nothing but Husks and the battle for the Hollows was over relatively quickly. Shepard was pleased, as it gave her an opportunity to evaluate Javik's battle prowess without really having to worry about staying alive through a tough fight at the same time. He turned out to be a very strong combatant and Shepard realized if he could get over his superiority complex and get along with the others, he'd be an incredible asset to the team. Wrex returned, his voice roaring with victory, "They'll sing battle songs about this someday. Reaper blood has finally soaked our soil."

The various Krogan clans were scattered throughout the Hollows but, at that moment, it didn't matter what clan they belonged too; they all roared in appreciation of Wrex's comments. That all changed the minute a Salarian stepped into the open. Mordin spoke above the rabble so Shepard could hear him, "Female safe, Shepard. Vitals are strong."

The entire group was silenced by their surprise until a large Krogan stepped forward and challenged Mordin's presence, growling out, "What's a Salarian doing here? Nobody said anything about this!"

Mordin looked around and spoke very calmly, "Multiple Krogan. Problematic."

Shepard narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. "Who are you?"

"Urdnot Wreav." He walked toward Wrex. "Brood brother to our... illustrious leader."

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

Wreav didn't back off. Instead, he leaned in and growled, "For which I'm thankful... I remember what it means to be a true Krogan." He took a step back so he was closer to his rank and file, glancing at his supporters as he continued, "We flay our enemies alive and drown them in a geyser of their own blood. We don't invite them into our home!" His dark eyes turned and focused on Mordin.

Shepard was not intimidated and she stepped in front of Mordin to glare at Wreav, meeting his reptilian stare without flinching. "He's here to cure the Genophage."

Wreav walked toward his challenger and grunted, "His kind gave us the Genophage! Why should we trust him?"

He never made it close to Shepard; as he attempted to shoulder past Wrex, the clan leader reared back and head butted Wreav, staggering his brother backward. "Because I do... And so will you, Wreav."

Wreav growled and pulled his shotgun, but before anything else could happen, Eve's voice rang from the back. "Enough!" The group immediately fell silent and she proceeded to berate them all for their senseless hatred. Shepard thought she understood Krogan but was surprised with the level of respect the warriors accorded their female Shaman. When Eve finished her speech the room echoed with a profound silence into which she made a final statement. "You can continue to kill each other off or you can fight the enemy you were born to destroy... and win a new future for our children."

She looked around the central chamber where all the clan heads had come together and stared each one of them in the face as she shamed them with her next four words. "I choose to fight." After a very brief pause, she asked, "Who will join me?"

Shepard didn't hesitate to step forward. "I will."

Wrex chuckled and pounded a huge fist down on Shepard's shoulder as he stepped up to join her. "And so will I." He then turned to the clan leaders and raised his voice to the crowds. "And so will the rest of you... So hold your heads high like true Krogan. There's a Reaper that needs killing!"

As they traveled across Tuchanka in the Tomkah, Liara slid in beside Shepard and gripped her hand to get the commander's attention. Her eyes were pinched with worry; Shepard had shut the link out and Liara needed to know why. She lowered her voice so only Shepard would hear. "Siame. Why are you closed to me?"

Shepard immediately dropped her block. "Sorry, Blue. Didn't realize I was doing that... I was reining in my anger... and pulled everything closed by accident." She smiled lightly at the Asari to soothe her concern, yet shook her head with disgust as she continued. "I'll explain... to everyone." She gave Liara's hand a squeeze and stood to speak, but the conversation was again delayed by an announcement over the combat communications net. "Krogan ground convoy, this is Turian wing Artimec. Flight vector to the Shroud is locked. Ten minutes out and counting."

"Copy that, Artimec." The commander looked at Wrex and nodded as she continued. "Try to slow up a bit. We're on our way, but roughly three minutes behind schedule. Shepard out." It didn't seem like an inordinate amount of time, but three minutes, solo, against a Reaper could add up to a lot of dead Turians very quickly. The expression on her face hardened again as she thought of the reason for their delay.

Eve queried, "There's that look in your eye again, Commander. What's troubling you?"

The commander quickly explained what had transpired over the QEC and Liara launched herself out of her seat to stand next to Shepard, her expression one of total indignation. "Oh, for the love of the Goddess! Of all the ignorant things! Can she not see how wrong that is?"

Mordin chimed in, "Would likely have fooled tests. But familiar with STG work. Can adjust. Thank you, Shepard. Did not come this far for nothing."

Eve was remarkably calm as she received the news. "You just spared our race another genocide, Commander."

Wrex leaned forward with his hands planted firmly on his knees, staring at Eve. "I told you we could count on her. She's a true friend to the Krogan."

Wrex suddenly lurched to his feet and Shepard turned toward the front of the vehicle as they felt it lock up its brakes and skid to a halt. Wrex growled at the driver, "Why are we stopping?"

Shepard gave him a look and yanked the hatch open. "I've got this Wrex. Stay with Eve and Mordin." With a glance over her shoulder to beckon Liara, Shepard leapt out the door. She hit the ground with both Liara and Javik dropping out with her. As she looked around, she quickly realized the entire Normandy ground team emerged once each of their vehicles ground to a halt. She could see the Shroud in the distance, along with the Reaper that was both guarding the facility and poisoning the Tuchanka atmosphere with it. She growled and moved toward the front of the vehicle line to figure out why they had stopped.

As they moved forward, Garrus grumbled, "Look at that Reaper out there. If we don't stop this, Palaven will be looking like this soon; nothing but a wasteland."

Javik stared out across the rubble-littered plain. "It will be my first kill..." Javik's voice dripped with rancor as he continued, "but not my last."

As Shepard worked her way past the scout vehicle, she saw a pile of spare thermal clips and picked one up to top off her stockpile. The Krogan closest to the pile nodded to her in recognition and grinned. "That's mine. Whatever you shoot with it belongs to me."

Shepard recognized him from the Varren fight pits back on Tuchanka and nodded back as she smirked. "You got it, Breng. I'll make sure it's a worthwhile trophy."

Her attention returned to the task at hand and as she passed the lead Tomkah that held Wreav, she saw the problem; the road in front of them had begun to collapse and what remained didn't look very stable. Thinking they'd have to find another way around, Shepard jumped on the comms. "Turian wing Artimec, this is Shepard. We've been delayed; hold off your attack. I repeat... hold off your attack."

Shepard cussed when she got the response at the same time she heard the whine of engines screaming in from behind to zoom by over their heads. "Negative, Commander! Our approach is locked; the Reaper already knows we're here!"

Javik stepped up beside her. "An airstrike alone will not be sufficient against a Reaper. We must join the fight, Commander."

"Damn it!" Shepard watched as the Reaper started to pick the fighters out of the sky. "We don't have time; we have to risk it. We're going!"

As she turned back toward their Tomkah, Vega yelled out, "Incoming!"

Shepard's head snapped around to face the Reaper and she saw an out-of-control Turian fighter careening toward them. "Wrex! Get moving! Get Eve out of here, now!"

As she yelled, she could hear the pilot yelling across the combat comms, "I've lost control! I can't pull up!"

The first two Tomkahs in the line, the first containing Wreav and the second with Wrex, Eve and Mordin, suddenly lurched forward as their drivers pushed the throttles to maximum. As the ground troops dove for cover, the fighter crashed into one of the remaining vehicles, sending the Tomkah flipping through the air as the fighter exploded. The road did not survive the two vehicles crossing the unstable roadway at high speed and the fighter's explosion; a loud rumble and a flare-up of dust signaled its collapse; no more Tomkahs would be following.

Shepard immediately called out, "Artimec, do you copy?"

"We've got you, Commander, but that Reaper is tearing us to pieces!"

"Roger that! Abort. Abort. Abort!" Shepard grimaced. "Save your pilots! We'll find another way!"

Edi spoke up quickly, "Shepard. There is a tunnel entrance off to our right. I propose we take it."

"Any idea where it leads, Edi?' Shepard asked the question, but her feet were already moving in that direction; they didn't really have a lot of options.

Garrus ran up beside her as Edi answered, "Unknown, Shepard."

"I don't think it really matters. Anywhere is more tactically sound than remaining exposed on this bridge." Garrus grunted with effort as he jumped over a wide gap between the road and the tunnel entrance.

Shepard remained on the road side momentarily and flagged everyone over. "Come on, people. Move it! Garrus is right; we're too exposed up here!"

The tunnels were dark and they all had to turn on their weapons' lights as they entered. There were statues and artwork placed at various locations throughout the tunnels and Liara was astonished. "I never considered the Krogan might have an artistic side. This is amazing!"

Javik immediately soured the mood by stating, "Notice they chose obedience as their subject."

As they continued onward, Liara couldn't help herself. "What is it with Reapers and dark tunnels? First Utukku and now Tuchanka."

Shepard suddenly pulled up and stopped short. "Great. I was just getting ready to say 'as long as there aren't any Rachni...' and then I saw that." Shepard shined her light on a Ravager carcass long enough for the rest of the group to recognize it. "I swear, Liara. I think you have a touch of clairvoyance in you."

Further discussion was cut off by a call from Wrex in the truck. "Shepard. Where the hell are you?"

"No idea. We dropped into some tunnels... looks like part of an old city. Some pretty cool artwork down here... and some not so great Rachni Ravagers." Shepard shrugged as she answered, even though Wrex couldn't see her. "What about you?"

"We made it fine," Wrex grumbled, sounding as if he didn't care for the company as he continued, "along with Wreav. We need to figure out a good rendezvous location."

"We had to call off the airstrike; without ground support, the Turians were too vulnerable. We'll need a new plan... assuming we figure out how to get out of here! Any ideas?" Shepard fell silent, hoping for some assistance.

The ground suddenly rumbled and Liara sounded puzzled as she spoke, "That tremor does NOT feel like an earthquake. It makes me wonder what the Reaper is doing."

Eve suddenly cut in, "Commander. That's the city of the ancients. No maps exist. It's been abandoned for thousands of years because it is now the home of Kalros."

"Kalros?" Shepard looked at Liara, who seemed as puzzled as she was, so the commander had to ask, "Who's that?"

"Kalros. Mother of all Thresher Maws." Wrex's laughter filled the airwaves. "You're a trailblazer, Shepard! No one's ever been willing to navigate her domain to map out the city, but if anyone can do it, you can; get through there and we'll find a place to meet up!"

As the group was rocked by another tremor, Vega finally chimed in, "¡Ay caramba! I suggest we pick up the pace a bit, Commander! I don't want that thing finding us down here in the dark..."

Slightly disgruntled that the commander had once again separated her from Liara and placed her on James team, Riana agreed that she wanted to be out in the light where she could keep track of her mistress... and supported James' statement. "I second that motion. At the very least, we need to be where we can see."

"The mother of all Thresher Maws?" Garrus' light aimed at Shepard so he could see her as he spoke. "Sounds troubling, but you have killed one of those things, right?"

Shepard chuckled, "Yes, Vakarian, I have... and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't point your assault rifle at me in the dark."

"Oh, right." Garrus huffed and the light dropped to the floor. "Sorry. I needed to see your face when you answered."

"Never thought I'd see anything that spooked you, Garrus." Even under the circumstances, Liara couldn't help but smile and it reflected in her tone. "Though I must admit, if that's what we're feeling down here, I suggest we get moving."

"Yeah, well. Giant worms with big teeth and acid for spit have a tendency to worry even me just a bit." Even Garrus started to chuckle at the absurdity of the discussion. "Amazing... the shit Shepard gets us into."

"Hey! If I remember correctly..." Shepard turned to face Garrus as she finished, "...it was your idea to come down here!"

"In my younger days, I would have enjoyed spending some time here... studying these ruins." Liara looked about in awe. "Minus Kalros, of course."

"You're not exactly old, Liara. Perhaps when this is all over, we'll come back." Shepard looked at Liara and smiled lightly as she continued, "It's the least I could do for you."

Edi, the voice of calculated reason, interrupted their discussion. "I believe our goal is to get to the Shroud as quickly as possible... and there is light up ahead."

The group of nine moved quickly up the stairs and emerged onto a large terrazzo. Shepard took in the view in wonderment, unable to resist comment. "Wow. This is new... a part of Tuchanka that isn't rubble."

Javik sneered, "Remnants of a failed species."

If he was planning on saying anything else, his words were cut off by both Shepard and Liara. Shepard got on the comm to let Wrex know they had made it back outside and Liara exclaimed, "Goddess. That's something I never expected to see... The color green! I thought everything was extinct... I didn't realize anything still grew here."

A solemn voice came online. "You're looking at hope. All that's left of it on Tuchanka." Eve sounded both reverent and hopeful as she continued, "This was once a world full of beauty. Given a chance, it can be again."

"Only if we get this done." Shepard's tone pulled them all back to the task at hand. "Looks like we're in a temple district, and we can see the Shroud at the far end. Meet you on that side as soon as we can get there."

"Roger that, Shepard. We'll find a way over there to pick you up." Wrex cut the comms and, now that they could see where they were stepping, the Normandy team picked up the pace. They worked their way across the plaza, all of them amazed at the architectural beauty before them; none of them realized the Krogan were capable of such artistry. Their attention was quickly refocused as a couple of flaming red drop-pods hit the ground on the far side of the plaza... directly in line with where they were headed.

They were immediately accosted by two Ravagers and a handful of Cannibals and before they had a chance to react, one of the Ravagers fired a cannon shot, barely missing Liara. It did miss, but the force of the explosion against the rock face threw Liara off her feet. Shepard shouted, "Cover me!" as she charged the Ravager without hesitation, trusting her team would react.

She slammed into the Ravager's side and burst its egg sac but, more importantly, she also pushed its cannons off to the side; her action made the second and third shots of its salvo go wide of target and gave Liara time to recover. However, the Ravager still had its full shields, so Shepard was left exposed. She quickly slammed her hand to the ground, sending out a Nova shockwave, and the next three-round burst went skyward, well over everyone's heads.

By then, Garrus had gotten a bead on the monster and three rounds from his Indra sniper rifle, combined with a warp from Riana and Vega dumping multiple assault rifle rounds into its middle, sent the Ravager to the ground in a puddle of acid. Shepard quickly retreated to the first row of stones that provided cover and took a deep breath. An irate voice came through the link, tempered only by the end result. {That was exceptionally reckless, Shepard... but thank you.}

The battle raged on; Edi had initiated a decoy, which was drawing fire from many of the Cannibals, while Bethany, Javik and Sarah concentrated on the second Ravager to assist the commander. Even as she continued the fight, Shepard replied to Liara, her combined fear and relief driving strongly through the link. {There was no other way to stop it from firing the rest of the salvo at you... there was no time. And there is absolutely no force in the galaxy that is going to keep me from doing everything in my power to protect you, Liara. Be angry if you like, but I'd do it for you again in a heartbeat.}

Shepard felt Liara sigh in acceptance and her response was softer, more forgiving. {And I you, Shepard. I can sympathize with the sentiment while still hating that you risked yourself so.}

Once the second Ravager fell, they took down the last of the Cannibals relatively quickly and continued their progress to the far edge of the terrazzo. As they neared the other side, another mini-quake rocked the building under their feet. Javik exclaimed, "Kalros is more than a myth!"

Edi pointed out the exit and the team crossed over a bridge to get to the far side. When they were roughly halfway across, Sarah shouted out, "We've got more Cannibals incoming!"

Both Liara and Riana launched singularities, effectively blocking up the entrance, before Shepard tossed out a warp, blowing the entire group of Cannibals into smithereens. Javik's eyes opened wide and the first word of praise to come out of his mouth surprised everyone. "Impressive."

Before anyone could react and respond, a Brute stepped around the corner, accompanied by a number of Husks. The nine-member team didn't even slow down; Edi quickly launched an incineration attack, burning away a large portion of the Brute's armor, and Liara launched another singularity, pulling in a number of the Husks, which Riana quickly detonated with a warp. A second Brute and another half-dozen Husks proved to be no more difficult and the team made it off the plaza relatively easily.

As they rounded the corner into the next section of the ruins, another tremor hit, much stronger than any of those before. "Shit. Wrex. Keep your eyes open... Kalros is definitely here and on the move!"

Wrex came back with, "Yeah, we've got some ideas on that... What?" His statement was truncated by Eve.

"Not now, Wrex. The commander has enough to worry about. Let her get to us first, we'll explain it all then."

The conversation ended quickly as they came upon yet another bridge, once more a collection of Cannibals, Husks and Ravagers blocking their path. Garrus actually chuckled; they had plenty of cover and the approach was narrow, so he settled in behind a wall and aimed his sniper down range. "This is like a shooting gallery. Look at all the pop-up targets."

Bethany Westmoreland laughed with him as a Husk climbed a set of stairs and 'popped up' in front of them to be greeted by a hail of gunfire. Shepard moved a bit farther into the room to get to a slightly higher position and it gave her a better angle on the bridge, including a great sight picture on the Ravagers. With all nine in protected positions and Shepard, Liara and Javik on over-watch from an elevated position, the Reapers fell quickly and the team moved across the bridge. They heard a rumble of machinery and they glanced down to see the two remaining Tomkahs.

Once again, Wrex was on the comms. "You're close, Shepard. Make your way across the bridge and through the next square. There's a set of steps at the far side that will bring you down to ground level and we can pick you up."

"Roger..." Shepard's response was cut off as she saw a plume of dirt blast skyward, not far behind the Tomkahs. "Wrex! Move it! Kalros is on your ass!"

"Break off! We're getting out of here!" Wrex's shout was swallowed by the rumble of the biggest Thresher Maw Shepard had ever seen. She watched, feeling helpless as the Tomkahs split, each going a separate direction and Kalros once again dove deep, disappearing from sight.

Mordin's voice rang out, "Kalros' territorial instinct confirmed!"

"She's not going to get us!" Wrex countered and continued, "Keep moving, Shepard. We'll shake this thing and come back for you."

Mordin yelled again, "Thresher Maw getting closer!"

Frustration was evident in Wrex's voice as he responded, "Tell me something I don't know!"

The situation was definitely not funny, but a flash of amusement passed through Shepard's mind as she heard Mordin's rejoinder. Mordin somehow maintained his sense of humor as he called out a snappy reply, "Metal in truck an excellent iron supplement for maw's diet!"

Even Garrus shook his head in bewilderment. "And the thing is? I bet Wrex is enjoying this."

As they stepped, supposedly, into their last plaza, Shepard quietly offered a reminder to stay sharp, just as a number of Husks broke over the far wall. Javik spoke quickly, "I have the enemy in sight."

As they confronted more Husks and Cannibals, Mordin queried if they were still alive, which Shepard answered to the affirmative. "We're working our way across the last area now. We'll be on the steps soon. How about you?"

Shepard flipped to an open mike and slipped into 'crash and blast' mode. It was such a routine fighting mode, she hardly had to think about it anymore and could easily fight and talk at the same time. She was quite entertained by Mordin's response. "Alarmed yet entertained. Kalros is quite persistent."

As the Normandy team worked their way across the plaza, the Reaper forces were joined by a few Turian Marauders. In well-practiced fashion, Edi and Garrus immediately shifted their omnitools to overload and started eating up the Marauders' shields. Bethany grinned as she pulled the Arc Projector off her back. It was the first 'pack' to attack them in any number and she was more than happy to pull the trigger and light them all up. Sarah's head snapped around as she exclaimed, "Damn! That thing is so light, I forgot we even had them with us!"

The team quickly reached the steps and Shepard stopped at the top, looking across the ruins of Tuchanka. "Wrex. We're here. You close to breaking loose?"

Wrex started responding before Shepard finished her question. "Coming in now. Get your asses down onto the sand; we don't want to stop any longer than necessary!"

The Tomkahs careened around the corner and roared up to the edge of the structure as the team ran down the last of the stairs to meet them. Wrex shouted out one more time, "Wreav! Keep an eye out for that maw! I don't want her sneaking up on us."

The hatch was dropping open before the Tomkah skidded to a stop directly in front of them, Shepard shouting encouragement at her team, "Move, move, move!"

The team moved quickly and as each one started to climb in, they felt strong hands grip their shoulders, only to be yanked up into the vehicle; it was certainly quicker than climbing in. Liara was hanging back, waiting for Shepard, when the commander spun and shoved her toward the Tomkah. "Liara. Go!"

Liara froze and Shepard felt a flash of acute fear come through the link, accompanied by an image of her standing in a burning Normandy. Shepard locked eyes with the Asari as the last of the team was hauled in, leaving only the two of them. "Gods, I'm sorry, Li. Get in the Tomkah. I swear I'm right behind you this time."

As she spoke the words, Wreav shouted out, "It's Kalros!" His vehicle immediately lurched forward as he tried to outrun the beast.

Liara spun back around, her eyes wide with fear, trying to look at Shepard, but it was too late; someone had grabbed ahold of her and she was lifted swiftly out of sight into the vehicle as Kalros surged by the Tomkah to envelope the fleeing Wreav. Shepard quickly stepped to the hatch and jumped, feeling strong hands catch her and pull her inside. Wrex slammed the throttle forward and those who were still standing in the back tumbled like dominoes as he moved quickly away.

Eve looked at him and calmly asked, "What about Wreav?"

"No way he survived that." Wrex snorted, "He was a pain in the ass, anyway. Now let's finish this. There's a Reaper waiting for us."

A/N: Extra kudos go out to my Beta, Old Gamer, for an extraordinary amount of effort for this week's chapter! Thanks, OG!