Chapter 27: Battlefront part 2
Yahg
The unit of Yahg was sent out into Mindoir's wilderness to search for the human called Shepard and his group of soldiers. The Clan Chieftain in charge of the attack on Mindoir was furious when he found out that their trap at their make shift observation center was a failure. If that wasn't enough they had somehow spiked their network cutting them off from their surveillance feeds on the colony; Clan Chieftain Jornock promised to reward handsomely the group that brought Shepard and his group back to their headquarters: dead or alive. He also promised to punish any group who came back empty handed. So the group of eight Yahg continued searching on foot for the escaped team and the rest of their team. They had managed to escape with the aid of one of their vehicles two days ago, while they could have gotten almost anywhere on the colony at that time there were only so many places they could have hidden, the cave they had given the Cerberus operatives to pose as a rebellion was the best place the Yahg could find. It would only be a matter of time before they eventually found where they were hiding.
The Yahg continued on until one of them froze smelling heavily into the air.
"What is it?" one of them asked in their gruntorial language as they noticed their squad mate's failure to keep up. The Yahg who had stopped didn't answer but continued sniffing the air as he began pacing in a small circle around the group. Following their trackers example the others began sniffing the air and froze when they smelt something… off. Before they could discover what it was they were taken down in a flash; an immense explosion went off in the middle of the group, not enough to hurt anyone but enough to stagger them and throw them off balance. Suddenly they were fired upon with what felt like bullets drilling into their hides, causing them to topple over and fall to the ground. Most of the group had been knocked out from the shots but one of the Yahg managed to remain conscious; he realized that the bullets fired at them were not meant to kill them but had been mixed with something to knock them out, and while he was still conscious he felt his mind still slipping away. The last thing he remembered before passing out was the figure of a large lizard looking creature looking down at him before having the butt of its weapon slam into his face knocking him out.
Shepard
"Alright I want an update, how are we doing Zelman?" Shepard asked the Quarian sitting across from him at the table.
"We've scoped out the area and set up some simple surveillance systems to monitor the area but it looks like the Yahg are keeping busy looking for us out in the wild where we drove off from and in the main city of Mindoir. If they get within a mile of our location we'll be ready to defend ourselves."
"It's a good thing you knew about this place Shepard." Dagg complimented from besides Zelman. "How'd you know there was a house all the way out here?" Shepard was silence for a moment before finally answering, "It's my house Dagg." Dagg frowned for a moment and was about to follow up with another question when Grunt shot his second a quieting look while shaking his head. After Shepard and his team had managed to escape thanks to Dagg's quick rescue he instructed him to meet up with the other Krogan since they were unable to communicate through their comm links. Once they had met up with everyone Shepard gave them all different directions to meet at his home in the middle of nowhere between the two major towns on Mindoir. They were safe and it gave the civilians a place to hide but they knew they wouldn't be able to stay here for long.
"How are the civilians fairing?" Shepard asked anxious to change the subject.
"The humans that were in the cave with the Cerberus operatives are scared but fine. They've made camp out in the fields where their men have a make shift perimeter guarding them," Zelman informed.
"I want a couple of our people watching them to," Shepard ordered. "Preferably Quarians so they can remain cloaked and unseen. While they haven't taken action against us I wouldn't be surprised if one of them was a Cerberus agent in disguise."
"Understood," Zelman said without question typing out his orders on his Omni-tool for someone to follow it. The Migrant Fleet had been directly attacked by Cerberus years ago and were very wary of the pro human group to the point of spying on their own people for the chance of finding a traitor.
"Shepard I'd like to point out that while we are the best of the Krogan race that there are only 30 of us here, 50 counting the Quarians. Do you really think we have a chance of beating the Yahg?" one of the Krogan at the table asked.
"We're not meeting them on the battle field," Shepard said sternly. "We don't have the man power to meet them offensively. We need to stay on the defensive and hit them with multiple small strikes to eventually weaken them until help can come for us."
"What if we can't get reinforcements Shepard?" Dagg asked.
"My people have been working nonstop to try and get in contact with Rannoch," Zelman answered. If we can get even a small signal out the Geth will be able to pick up on it and answer our call for aid."
"I've also sent in a request through more secretive means, but that will take us awhile for aid to be sent," Shepard added referring to sending an SOS through Liara's Shadow Broker networks in hopes that Feron would be able to send aid, but waiting on him to receive the message would take at least a week if the message even got out. He couldn't risk the people lives for that long in hope that Feron might send aid. At that moment a Krogan covered in dirt and camouflage markings ran into the kitchen.
"Battle Master, we have returned with a unit of Yahg that were nearing our enclosure about 10 miles away," the Krogan declared speaking to Grunt.
"How many?" Grunt demanded.
"Eight, all knocked out, restrained and ready for interrogation."
"Chain them up in the basement; we'll begin the interrogations in a minute." The soldier nodded and saluted towards Grunt as he ran out of the kitchen and the others began talking nervously.
"If they sent a unit out here they'll no something went wrong when they don't return," Dagg pointed out.
"We probably have another day before they're missed, two if we're lucky." Grunt said casually. "We have that long to interrogate them for something useful and get the hell out of here and into the woods to find a new hiding spot."
"Tell everyone to get ready to move," Shepard ordered looking at the aliens at his kitchen table. He couldn't help but smile at the sight; his father was very pro human and would never have allowed aliens into his house, let alone the sit at his table. Auron was an exception since he worked for his father.
"Once we've gotten everything we can out of the Yahg were going to move out, understand?" They all agreed and got up to carry out their orders, leaving only Grunt and Shepard in the kitchen. Shepard sighed and sank back down into his seat with his head in his hands. Grunt saw his Battle Master's distress and grew worried.
"You ok Shepard?" he asked in what the Krogan would have considered a soft tone. Shepard picked his head up from his hands and shook it angrily.
"No Grunt I'm not ok. I should be at home with my wife so I can be there when she gives birth to our child; not on Mindoir fighting a war with the Yahg!" Shepard shouted the last bit as he shot up from his seat in anger. "How could I have been so stupid Grunt? Thinking that my dad actually would have left something for me. This trip could easily cost everyone their lives and it's all because I didn't know any better." Shepard laughed morbidly as he paced slightly around the kitchen.
"My own father wanted to use me as cannon fodder when the Batarians attacked, what made me think that he'd actually have given a damn about me." Shepard sighed again as he slumped into another chair with his head in his hands. Grunt shook his head and took a seat in the chair besides Shepard's. It was an awkward silence for a few minutes before Grunt finally spoke up.
"Your dad was an ass hole Shepard, at least yours took care of you," Shepard looked up at the Krogan and saw him looking sadly down at his hands. "I was bred in a tank, only getting information or survival skills I'd need to be the perfect Krogan. I never learned what it meant to be a Krogan though, or to be a father. The last one is definitely harder though." Shepard smiled weakly as he looked at the Krogan.
"I'd bet," he said in a softer tone.
"My point is," Grunt said getting back on topic, "Is that we've both got daddy issues: yours never wanted you and mine never treated me as a son, just some project to give his life meaning." Grunt looked over to Shepard and put his hand on his shoulder. "You've always been more of a father to me than Okeer ever was Shepard. You taught me what it meant to be a Krogan, you taught me what it meant to fight for something I believe in. You don't need your father's respect Shepard; you've earned the respect of almost every race in the galaxy, and mine to for what it's worth." Shepard smiled at the Krogan's compliment as he clapped his hand on Grunt's shoulder.
"That means a lot Grunt, thanks."
"You bet Shepard. Now come on! We've got some Yahg to interrogate." With a smile and a nod Shepard and Grunt rose from their seats and walked towards the stairs leading to the basement and where the Yahg were being kept in their make shift prison. As they progressed down into the basement they saw the eight Yahg strung up on the wall with chains and energy cuffs and guarded by Kroll and Skrawl, who had been a part of the group that captured the Yahg.
"Have any of them said anything?" Grunt demanded to the two Krogan. They both shook their heads before Kroll spoke up.
"They've all been unconscious since we captured them; and we know they aren't dead either, we've been checking their pulses periodically."
"I think they've had enough beauty rest don't you Shepard?" Grunt asked with a threatening smile. Shepard put on his helmet keeping his identity a secret to the Yahg before nodding to Grunt.
"Wake them up," he ordered. At his orders Skrawl and Kroll took out two massive looking knives by human standards and stuck them both into the Yahg that hung between them. Apparently this was a tender area because the Yahg immediately began to howl out in pain as it attempted to break through its restraints.
"Calm him down," Shepard ordered the two. Kroll nodded and slammed the butt of his pistol into the Yahg's face causing him to look from the knives in his chest to the two Krogan on each side of it to the human and Krogan standing in front of him. It didn't speak but the moment it had calmed down Shepard took the initiative to speak first.
"You're a Yahg, a newly arrived sentient race of Citadel Space. You haven't been flying space ships for a year yet and you're already picking a fight that you don't have any hope of winning."
"You assume much if you believe we are unprepared," the Yahg said coldly in an obviously male voice, surprising the Krogan and Shepard in that it understood what Shepard said.
"You speak English." Shepard stated, not making it a question.
"Yes, along with every other major language in your so called Citadel Space," the Yahg said tauntingly.
"How?" Shepard demanded. The Yahg merely growled and struggled in his restraints.
"You are a fool if you believe I will tell you anything," The Yahg growled. Shepard frowned from behind his helmet and made a gesture towards Kroll, who responded by twisting one of the knives in the Yahg's chest viciously causing it to roar out in pain.
"I think you'll find me to be very persuasive," Shepard said threateningly.
"I think you will find me a hard shell to crack, as you humans say."
"Is that a fact?" Shepard asked. When the Yahg didn't answer Shepard turned to Grunt who took his silent cue and approached the Yahg restrained farthest from the one that was awake and took out another knife equally as nasty looking as Kroll and Skrawl's.
"I like to think of myself as a simple man," Shepard said as he began pacing in front of the Yahg. "I'm going to make this extremely simple for you: I will ask you a question, and you are going to answer my question with little problem. If you decide you don't want to answer my questions you will be punished severely."
"I am not afraid of pain human," the Yahg said defiantly.
"But do you fear for your men?" Shepard asked. The Yahg turned to Grunt and saw him trace the dull end of a knife over the unconscious Yahg's throat. The Yahg seemed to pale slightly at the notion.
"You would kill someone in cold blood?" the Yahg asked in a tone that sounded like restrained anger.
"No I wouldn't," Shepard admitted, causing the Yahg to sag in momentary relief. "But my friend over there has no problem with it." The Yahg stiffened again as Grunt chuckled menacingly as he continued to fiddle the unconscious Yahg's face with his knife. While the Yahg was distracted Shepard spoke up.
"My first question: Who is in charge of the attack?" the Yahg was silent as he stared angrily at Shepard for what seemed an eternity to Shepard. When Shepard realized the Yahg wouldn't speak he cursed silently and made a gesture to Grunt. Grunt flipped the blade around wordlessly and quickly cut through the Yahg's neck. The Yahg awoke when the blade made contact with his neck and he began to struggle to escape the slice, unfortunately for him Grunt worked the blade perfectly and managed to slice his neck with little problem. As the Yahg began to gasp his dying breaths Shepard closed his eyes and resisted the urge to hurl, not at all enjoying the brutal violence he was forced to invoke. As the Yahg who had been cut stiffened and moved no more Shepard repeated the question without opening his eyes.
"I'm going to ask you again; WHO is in charge of the attack?" When Shepard didn't hear the Yahg reply he cursed again silently and said to Grunt, "Slit the next one's throat,"
"Wait," the Yahg said. As it spoke Shepard opened his eyes and saw that the Yahg seemed disturbed, an emotion he wasn't expecting from him. "The one leading the attack is Clan Chieftain Jornock." Shepard sighed in relief as he gestured for Grunt to relax.
"Is Jornock your main ruler?" Shepard asked.
"No," the Yahg answered much to Shepard's relief. "Clan Chieftain Jornock leads one of many clans on Parnack; similarly to how there are many Krogan clans on Tuchanka." The Yahg's words brought pause to Shepard and the other Krogan. How does he know about life on Tuchanka? Shepard thought to himself. When he asked the Yahg he merely growled and moved in his restraints before answering.
"Before we were allowed to leave we were instructed of the multitude of races in your Citadel Space along with several others that remain pre space flight at the moment. Asari, Krogan, Human, Turian, Espheni; your races are not strangers of the Yahg Empire."
"And what is it that the Yahg Empire wants?" Shepard demanded.
"That depends on how far you're looking ahead. Our goal is complete Galactic Conquest, to take our place as ruler in the Cosmic Imperative." Shepard recognized the Yahg's use of the word Cosmic Imperative; it was how Javik explained how the Protheans took control over the lesser species of their time.
"That's the way of life the Protheans lived by eons ago," Shepard informed the Yahg who merely shrugged at the bit of information.
"We learned of this way of life from an ancient ruin on Parnack, many eons ago we were visited by what you call Protheans and they taught us how to hunt and fight. We have advanced off those teachings since then."
"And you believe the Yahg to be the next rightful rulers of the Galaxy after the Protheans?" Shepard asked with a small smile forming on his face.
"It was decidedly so." Shepard couldn't help but laugh at the Yahg causing him to look menacingly at Shepard.
"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the Protheans chose the Asari to succeed them and even they weren't able to rule completely."
"Then we will succeed where they failed," the Yahg said simply. Shepard frowned as he turned back to the Yahg.
"Why are you on Mindoir?" Shepard asked.
"We were told to attack the colony to draw out the bulk of the Alliance; we did as we were told."
"Then why attack Mindoir?" Shepard demanded. "It's one of our smaller colonies and is farthest from any Alliance patrols. Why choose to attack Mindoir?"
"Tell them nothing!" a voice said. Everyone turned to see that one of the other Yahg had awakened and regained consciousness. "Tell them nothing Clan brother, leave them to their doom!"
"Silence him," Shepard instructed. Grunt nodded and took his knife out and swiftly cut the Yahg down its arm. The Yahg screamed in pain before Grunt finally ended his suffering by slitting the Yahg's throat. Shepard sighed again before turning towards the Yahg from before who was now glowering with anger.
"You wish to know why we attacked Mindoir?" it asked angrily. "I will tell you. We came to capture you, Commander." He said the last word with such venom that Grunt and the other Krogan drew their pistols and pointed them at the captured Yahg. Shepard stared at the Yahg for a moment with hard eyes before removing his helmet showing his face to the Yahg.
"You know who I am?" Shepard asked coldly.
"Oh yes, very much so," the Yahg said coldly.
"What do you want with me?" Shepard demanded.
"It's not a matter of want; it's a matter of what needs to be done." When Shepard looked confused by the Yahg's words he continued his rant. "As the man who was responsible for destroying the Reapers you could easily have rallied the other races to fight off the Yahg and put us in a galactic stalemate for years. With you gone it would be easy for us to conquer not only your race but all of them. Take off the head and the body goes down with it."
"I'm going to ask you one more question and this is the most important," Shepard said sternly not wavering at all from the Yahg looking down at him. "The Reapers, the other races, I want to know how you know about everything you've been talking about. Has Cerberus given you information in exchange for aid as their foot soldiers?" The Yahg snarled and jumped at Shepard, the restraints barely able to hold him from killing Shepard.
"Listen to me and listen well Shepard," the Yahg said angrily as he growled at him. "The Yahg will never willingly serve another race least of all humans. We knew about Cerberus before their leader approached our leader on Parnack. They came to us begging for help and we have given it to them our way. They also asked how we knew what we know and I will tell you what are Chieftain told them: it is no concern of yours." Shepard and the Yahg stared at one another for several minutes before Shepard looked away from the group of Yahg and looked over to Grunt.
"Have someone take them outside and finish them off," he said solemnly.
"You got it," Grunt said obligingly. Before Shepard left the basement the Yahg called out to him.
"I want you to know something Commander," the Yahg said menacingly. "The two Yahg you just killed, both of them had families while the second was my brother." While Shepard was surprised by the Yahg's words he didn't get a chance to speak before the Yahg continued. "I promise you right now Shepard that I will have my revenge for your senseless killing of my clan, and when I do I want you to know the name of the one who ruins you. My name is Moreck Jornock, and I will be your eminent downfall." Shepard didn't say anything else to the Yahg named Jumba; he stared at him for several seconds before limping away back up the stairs. He would never have admitted it to anyone, but the Yahg terrified him. As he and Grunt made it upstairs Kroll, Skrawl and several other Krogan were hauling the remaining Yahg up the stairs and outside to finish them off. As Shepard took a deep breath to calm himself he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"You ok Shepard?" Grunt asked worriedly.
"Yeah Grunt, it was just… difficult that's all."
"What do you mean?" Shepard walked back into the kitchen with Grunt close behind as he explained himself. "Hearing that those Yahg had families, that didn't disturb you at all?"
"No," Grunt said simply. Shepard gave a morbid laugh as he shook his head and pulled out a map on the kitchen table.
"I wish I had your strength sometimes Grunt, god knows I need it." Before Grunt could reply Kroll came running in to the kitchen with a gaping wound on his shoulder that seemed to smoke as it slowly healed its self.
"Shepard, we've got a problem." Shepard paled as he silently pleaded the inevitable wouldn't have happened.
"What is it?" Grunt demanded.
"Moreck escaped,"
