Chapter 55 - Never too Many Friends

Date : 4.13.2173

Location : Pale Horse - Citadel Dock

Kaiden

He still can't believe it. It had his brain in a lock, trying to reconcile what he remembers about the frightened little girl from that cell and the battle scared amazon sitting across the table from him. But it's her. She remembers everything he taught her about biotics, everything they ever talked about. Hell, she even remembers all the little details he told her about his family. After showing her face, Jane led him into the ship, showed him to a room, and got some food out for the two of them. "Sorry if it's not very good. Vollor is still out for the evening on a date." He didn't complain. Even reheated, the food was better than standard Alliance rations.

They spent hours catching up, or at least he spent hours asking about her life since he had to leave her. She seemed to know almost everything there was to know about him already, from his family situation to his service record. Jane even knew about Commander Vyrnnus and whole heartily approved of what he did to the turian. Even with six years of speculation as to what happened to her, Kaiden was no where close to the truth. She's been fighting and killing ever since escaping. That kind of life has left plenty of scars, inside and out. The casual way Jane talks about killing is a little unnerving but understandable given what she's been through. "So, what exactly is the mission Jane? And why did you request me for it? I get wanting to maybe catch up or something, but I'm not all that special a soldier. I'd think you would want someone with a little more experience for… well for whatever this is."

She smiles at him before standing and straightening the tabard covering the red suit she has on. "I'm hunting down a mercenary company called the Red Wake. It's a batch of the worst murderers, rapists, and pirates in the galaxy. They've killed friends, put my mother in a coma, and they killed my…" Jane trails off and the hardened killer disappears for a moment.

"It's alright Jane. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She nods back at him, slowly letting the mask slip back into place.

"Anyway, their crimes are heinous and the Alliance is spread too thin to take care of them. So I'll do it for them. As for why you're here, Commander Anderson suggested that I expand my team. We've got some good people right now, but there just aren't enough of them to set up a good rotation. I wanted someone with a good conscience, who hasn't been fighting long enough to become jaded. I've been tracking you for a while now and your record is exactly what I'm looking for." At that moment one of those huge green bugs from the Citadel came trotting through the mess hall, completely oblivious to them. Kaiden gestured towards it, to which Jane replied, "Yeah that's a keeper. His name is Skittles… don't ask. Anyway, on a more personal note, the day they took you away was the day I actually started planning for an escape. Before you came I'd never given the idea of getting out of that lab any serious thought. You gave me the courage to try and change things. I had no idea how powerful I was at the time. When the time came, I ripped through those bastards like tissue paper. You helped me see just how dangerous I could be… thank you." Jane sighs contentedly before grabbing him by the hand and pulling him out of his chair. "Come on. We've got one more day before we leave the station. Let's go have some fun. Most of the crew is going to a movie tonight. It's about a hanar spectre."

Date : 4.14.2173

Location : Widow Nebulae - Relay Approach

Jane

Most of the crew is still slinging around quotes like 'Enkindle this!' from last night's spectacle. Despite what a lot of critics say, Blasto is actually a damn good movie, hopefully the first of many. Even Vollor loved it, "Though this one hesitates to endorse any film which refers to one's race as jellyfish, this one still found Blasto to be an exhilarating experience. However, this one believes that the fornication scene between the honorable spectre and the… beguiling asari councillor was needlessly pornographic." After the movie ended they'd all gone back to the ship and Jane formally introduced the crew to Kaiden. Kalia seemed especially interested in him, latching onto his arm for the majority of the night, until the time came for everyone to get some rest. The final day was spent clearing up any last minute business on the citadel. The triplets dragged aboard half a ton of new tech to experiment on in their down time. Doctor Chakwas brought materials to begin basic medical training for John and Vollor. The hanar himself had expressed an interest in seeking a career in medicine. Gavin said goodbye to his parents at the dock.

As they wait in the queue to pass through the relay, Century's little green avatar pops up on her armrest. "Shepard Jane, we have information you may find desirable."

"Okay, shoot."

"We have finished decoding the files from the Red Wake data core. You expressed a desire to remove the mercenaries from human territory and we believe we have found a way to do so. The data core reveals that the bulk of Red Wake resources are drawn not from piratical raiding in Citadel space, but instead from extortionist activities in the Terminus systems. Available information indicates that a concentrated series of attacks on their supply infrastructure will cause them to draw back."

"That sounds good to me. Let's start small. Give me something a little out of the way that won't draw too much attention." Century's avatar turns blue for a few seconds as he analyzes his information.

"We have identified a potential pair of targets. The first is an independent turian colony with heavy agrarian development. The Red Wake mercenaries are seizing large quantities of food as tribute… along with a small but steady supply of slaves." Jane clenches her fist around the chair's left armrest. A familiar set of dents greet her as Century carries on, "The second is a cluster of stations orbiting a gas giant in a neighboring system. These are home to a moderately sized and growing krogan population."

"A growing population? With the genophage that shouldn't be possible anywhere but Tuchanka."

"We do not have sufficient data to determine the cause, but available records indicate a growing population that the Red Wake is using the produce a steady supply of krogan for low level muscle in their organization. If these stations can be liberated or destroyed, the Red Wake will be severely damaged."

"Alright, we hit the colony first. Once it's taken care of we go for the Krogan. Send the coordinates to Kalia. How long will it take us to get there?"

Kalia runs the calculations, "The relays will get us to Omega in about fifteen hours. After that it's a bit dodgy since the Wake's records are a little slapdash. There are only a few relays letting out in relatively close systems. Best guess is another three weeks non-relay travel."

"Plenty of time to go over everything else about the Wake's assets in the area. Century, bring up everything we've got. I want a full overview and warpath ready by the time we get there." The geth acknowledges before bringing up an absolute deluge of files. Dozens of bases to storm, hundreds of ships to seize, thousands of mercs to kill. Jane is silently running the possibilities through her head as the queue finally rounds down and they pass through the relay.

Date : 5.9.2173

Location : Undocumented System - Deep in the Terminus

Tybar

His people trudge towards the shuttle, each one carrying at least thirty kilos of produce… their share of the tribute. The Red Wake's been bleeding his people dry for over a decade and it's only getting worse. A few meters away, a far more tragic line is formed. Ten young turin in chains being dragged into a cage barely big enough for half that many people. Tybar struggles to keep his mandibles from flaring, well remembering the bodies left behind after the last time he was 'rude' to their 'guests'. In a point of absolute betrayal, the captain of this long standing band of tormentors is one of his own people turned traitor, a hulking turin called Lygos. The bastard is beating one of the slaves with sadistic glee. He doesn't stop until the slave is covered in blue blood, nearly dead. "Now that this one is worthless I'll need a volunteer to replace him." The crowd stares with dead eyes, no one willing to utter a sound. "No? No volunteers. Oh well, guess I'll just have to pick one."

Lygos stomps over to one of the young females carrying food into the hold and grabs her by the shoulder. The female starts keening in horror, fully believing that she's never going to see her home again. Before he can throw her into the cage a huge boom shatters the relative quiet. Tybar turns his eyes to the sky and hope blossoms in his heart for the first time in years.

Jane

"They're trying to run." The wake ship's engines flare to life and start a hard burn. It's acceleration is rapid but nothing compared to the Pale Horse.

"Century, get in their systems and cripple thruster control." The geth's avatar vanishes as most of his runtimes are shunted through the comm array. They can't shoot it down so close to the colony without risking it falling on the people below.

"Enemy cyber security is relatively poor. We have penetrated their systems and are deleting their control subroutines." The effect is dramatic to say the least. The Wake ship starts wobbling severely as more and more of their control programs disappear. Each file set deleted shuts down another thruster. "We are encountering heavier security settings. We- warning! Enemy is attempting to severe comm lines."

"Pull out before the lines are gone. I don't you losing any more of yourselves."

"Acknowledged." Century's avatar pops up next to her again, "Shepard Jane, the enemy's secondary control subroutines will be in place within three minutes. We recommend immediate engagement. If shot down the Wake vessel will no longer fall on the colony."

"Sounds good. Kal, clip their wings." The young man nods and locks the GARDIAN array onto the the enemy vessel's engines. It's hull immediately begins to boil away as concentrated laser fire bores through. With a trail of black smoke, the vessel plummets to the ground many miles away. Jane punches the intercom line, "Alright guys, the enemy ship has been shot down. We're going done to make sure it's clear and to salvage anything useful. Gavin get Blue ready to go. Kaiden and Lia, meet me in the hanger." As Kalia bring the ship to a hover above the crash sight, Jane meets with her team. "Once we land, we move in and waste the survivors. Afterwards Kal and Kalen will scour the wreck while the rest of us go back to the colony to clean up. Any questions?" Kaiden and Lia shake their heads. They all hop into Blue as the hanger doors open below them. The trip down is smooth and their landing is completely unopposed.

The ship looks like it's been torn open by some enormous creature, with massive gashes leaving it open to the world outside. Jane leads Lia and Kaiden through one particularly large hole near the engine room. After sending Lia to secure the core, Jane leads Kaiden towards the bridge. There aren't many survivors. Most of the are pinned beneath shattered bulkheads or nursing broken limbs. She doesn't spare a single thought towards showing mercy, simply firing a double tap into the heads of every downed merc. Kaiden hesitates every time she tells him to finish one of them and it almost gets him killed. A wounded batarian begs him for mercy just outside the bridge. For a single moment Kaiden turns to Jane and in that moment the merc lunges at him with a vibro-knife. The oscillating blade slashes through his armor and deep into his arm. He jerks away, trying to force feeling back into his now numb fingers as the batarian lunges again, this time only managing a shallow cut across the surface of Kaiden's armor. With a surge of violet energy, the marine launches a biotic punch right into the batarian's nose. The alien's face is pulped by the impact, dropping the bastard in a boneless heap at Kaiden's feet. Jane steps forward and fills the gushing cut in his arm with medigel as he tries to catch his breath. "Dammit… Sorry ma'am. I… I didn't-"

"Shut it." Her voice is stern with disappointment, "We'll talk about it later. For now, stay in the hall while I clear the bridge. From this point forward if you see someone in Wake colors, regardless of their condition, I expect you to fire at least two shots. One to the heart and another to the head. Understood?" Kaiden bows his head and nods. Jane gathers some energy in her hand before ripping her way through the door. The merc survivors on the bridge are in no condition to put up a good fight, so Jane doesn't even draw her blades. She walks through their pitiful gunshots to fire a shot into every brain and heart in the room. After they're all dead Jane feels a small surge of energy from the hall just before a gurgling scream sounds out. She runs out to see Kaiden standing over a trembling turian in Wake colors cradling a bleeding stump. The severed limb is lying a few feet away, almost completely destroyed by the warp field used to severe it. She looks Kaiden in the eye as the merc starts begging. He doesn't hesitate this time. With his uninjured arm, Kaiden levels his pistol and fires two shots. Area clear, Jane leads him back outside to meet Lia, "Did we get everyone?"

"After the core was cleared I swept the areas behind you. The ship is clear." Jane calls for Gavin to bring down Kal, Kalen, and John to sweep for anything good, along with Doctor Chakwas to take care of Kaiden. As the boys start tearing out anything good, the rest of them ride to the colony. It's clear from a distance that there are still a few Wake members in town, trying to hold back a large group of townspeople. A shuttle tries to take off but a pair of shots from the side mounted AP cannons shatter the engines and drop it back onto the ground with a heavy thud. Gavin lands a dozen meters away as the people close in on the shuttle. What Wake resistance was left quickly disappears and the crowd lays into the survivors with viciousness that Jane can respect. The crowd parts as she makes her way over to the last living merc. Four brutalized bodies are scattered in pieces next to him. She stands over him as the brute struggles to his knees. The turian looks up at her, keening in terror.

Jane waves Kaiden forward. He levels his pistol at the bastard's chest and fires a single round into his heart. The turian flops onto his back, dead. For good measure, Kaiden fires a shot into the merc's head, splattering his brains all over the ground. Silence descends over the area as the echo of the shot fades into the distance. The people look at them with a mix of apprehension and hope. Eventually a turian with a single arm and three red slashes of colony paint across his face steps forward. "What do you want?"

"To kill the Red Wake." A bass rumble starts in the turian's chest, building to a grinding sound. It takes her a moment to realise that he's laughing.

Tybar

He can't help but chuckle at her, "Well you certainly managed that." Tybar stomps over to the mangled corpses of their oppressors and launches a spiteful kick into Lygos's shattered face. Scraps of brain come away with his foot but he doesn't care. Just seeing the traitor splattered on the ground is more than worth it. There's a heavy air of worry as the people gather around. Have they traded one oppressor for another? "So they're dead. Are you gonna be like them? You gonna rob us too?"

The human looks insulted by the suggested, "Absolutely not. I all want is these pricks dead. If I can help people along the way, that's even better."

Hearing her denial, the tension starts bleeding away and the people start celebrating their new found freedom in their own quiet way as Tybar keeps talking. "Oh… then is there anything we can do to thank you."

"I wouldn't say no to some food every now and then." There it is. She might be trying to water it down, but here come the demands for tribute.

"How much do you want?"

"A meal for each member of my crew and a hunk of meat for Spits here." Spits is licking the brains out of one of the corpses as they talk. "We don't have a lot of time so do you mind if we eat now and get going?"

"Wait… just one meal?"

"Yeah, how much did you think I'd ask for?"

He considers telling her what he'd been expecting but opts against it. She might be insulted by it. He has some of the levo growers bring almost a forty kilos of food and a small menagerie of aliens come down from the strange human's ship. They eat quickly, actually thanking him and his people once the meal is over. The girl with the glowing eyes waves them all back into her gunship as they make ready to leave. Tybar steps over to say goodbye, "Look we're really grateful and all, but what's to stop them from coming back after you leave."

"I'm working on that. There are some people in a neighboring system that I'm going to try and get help from. I'll see if I can arrange a trade." They swap contact information.

"Why would you do that? Keep helping us I mean." She hops up into the gunship as it's rotors begin spinning.

"Can never have too many friends, especially in the Terminus." He nods sagely, well aware of that fact. The gunship is soon lifting from the ground and powering into the air, leaving Tybar behind with a light heart for the first time in a decade.

Jane

With the wreck stripped, they make their way back to the ship. As the docking clamps latch into place, Century's avatar pops up on her omnitool, "Shepard Jane, we have valuable information. This system contains a hidden class two relay linked to the next target system, in addition to two dozen additional systems." Kaiden turns to them, much to Karin's annoyance.

"Hold still marine. I want to make sure the bandages are secure and you're not to move again until I'm done." Chastised, Kaiden holds still for her to work as he speaks.

"Wait a minute Century. If there's a relay that size here then why couldn't we use the last relay to jump to it on the way in." The little green geth turns its flashlight head to Kaiden.

"The reason we were unable to utilize a relay whilst entering this system is because the Red Wake has somehow managed to set up a rudimentary IFF protocol to prevent unauthorized travel. Now that we have acquired the necessary codes, we are confident that you will be able to utilize this hidden relay to move about the local star cluster. Transferring coordinates to Creator Kalia'Reegar." She feels a slight vibration in the deck as the ship turns to its new destination. As they're passing through the outer planets, Kalia asks for permission to discharge the drive core over a particularly impressive gas giant with swirling storms of red and violet gases tearing through its skies.

"Hey Century, give me a scan of the planet. Let me know how powerful its gravity well is."

"Acknowledged, scanning." His avatar flickers a few times before a set of charts appear next to him. "Gravity reads at 26 m/s2, with a reach roughly equivalent to that of Sol-5."

"Interesting, anything else that might be good."

"We detect large quantities of Helium-3 in the upper atmosphere and trace elements of other valuable gases."

"Anything else."

"On the planet no, however the primary moon has a number of anomalies that may indicate mineral wealth. We recommend either remaining in system to investigate or leaving behind a deep scan probe to gather information."

"I agree. Kal," He looks up from his console, "I want you and Kalen to put together a deep scan probe. We're gonna leave it in orbit of that moon while we're in the next system. Have it ready in an hour." Kal secures his console and leaves to get to work. It takes less time that she thought it would. Before the core discharge is even finished, Jane gets a call from the brothers that everything is good to go. Kalia brings them out of the atmosphere and skims the moon's gravity well. As the probe's tiny thrusters push it into a stable orbit, the machine begins its work. "Okay, while that's working let's head to the next target. Take us to the relay Kalia."

The jump is nearly instantaneous and they're immediately accosted by a pair of ships on the other side. "Unidentified vessel, don't know who you are or how the hell you got here. Turn around and leave now. If you don't, you die. This is Red Wake territory."

The channel immediately closes as the two ships close in. They're both far heavier than the Pale Horse, but the scans show a pair of dated and poorly maintained cargo haulers with a few guns slapped onto the hull. "Kal prime a pirahna for each ship. Use the GARDIANs to clear the way then launch the missiles."

"Copy, firing." A few laser blasts leave the ships defenseless as the cluster warheads are blasted into their hulls. Both ships are riddled with dozens of explosions, leaving them drifting helplessly. "Engines and life support on both ships crippled. Way's clear."

"Good. Set course for the stations." The flight in system only takes a couple hours. There are only a few rocky planetoids to see as they approach the target stations. A few defense guns start tracking them, but none of them fire. Lia taps away at her panel before calling out.

"They're contacting us." Jane nods for her to put the signal through. A gravely voice rolls over the comm line.

"Hey! Whoever the hell's in that turian ship, piss off! We don't care if you dusted the Wake. This is our home and you aren't welcome."

"Krogan station, this is Jane Shepard of the Pale Horse. I've come to talk to your leader and-"

"We don't give a shit why you're here! Leave now!"

"Krogan station, I have a full complement of disruptor torpedoes primed and ready to go. You will let me come aboard to speak to your leader or I'll turn your station to dust. Either way, my goal here is accomplished. Either way, the Wake loses their supply of krogan." A frantic conversation takes place on the other side of the line as nearly a dozen different voices start shouting at each other. Eventually, a far deeper one shouts all the others down.

"Shepard, this Tog of Clan Dun. A bay will be made available for a shuttle. You have one?"

"I have a gunship."

"That'll work. We'll be waiting… and no funny business." Kalia keeps the station in sight as Jane heads to Blue with Lia and Kal. Kaiden is staying on board until his arm is healed. Gavin flies them over to the designated dock, where there's a full squad of surely krogan in black armor waiting for them. Jane and the others hop out.

"Gavin, lockdown Blue until we get back," she speaks loud enough for the krogan to hear, "Prime all weapons. If anyone approaches without my permission, vaporize them." Gavin copies and sets the door guns to track movement. Several of the obviously younger krogan start looking nervous as one of the guns tracks over to them. With the ship safe, Jane steps forward and calls out, "I am Jane Shepard. Where is Tog?" A krogan almost two feet taller than her steps forward.

"I am Dun Tog. What do you want?"

"I want to negotiate your people's break from the Red Wake and for a contingent of your people to help protect a neighboring system." The krogan behind Tog all start laughing raucously, until Tog turns back to them with a murderous glare. Once the others are silent, he looks back to her.

"Come with me." He leads them to a crude conference room. There is cheap metal table with ration packs and poorly filtered water but no chairs. "Chieftain Dun Grel will come speak to you soon. Do not try to leave." With that, Tog stomps out with the rest of the squad in toe, locking the doors behind them. Lia immediately steps up to her side.

"We should break out and head for the station's core. There's no way they'll help us."

She's about to turn and chastise Lia when a hidden panel slides away from the far wall. One of the younger krogan from before is revealed, a youngster with a still developing head crest and a relatively small hump. He trots over before whispering to her, "We don't got much time. Come with me!" He heads back to the panel and waves them over.

Kal pulls his rifle, "Why should we?" Krogan chuffs at him in annoyance.

"Cause Chieftain Grel aint comin to talk. He's just tryin to figure if we can nab your ship while your over here. They got all the doors locked and barricaded." Kal's rifle isn't quite aimed at the krogan, but it wouldn't take much.

"Then why are you here?"

"Cause mother said so. She thinks you can help and she's usually right." Jane taps her comm line to contact the ship, but all she gets is interference.

"Dammit. Alright, we'll go talk to your mother, but first I wanna know your name." They all duck into the hidden way and wait for the krogan to close it behind them.

"I am Teg. I haven't earned my clan name yet. Come quickly, it won't be long before they realize what's happened." They follow Teg through a number of cramped tunnels for several minutes. Eventually they pass through another hidden door, this one opening into a fairly lavish apartment. There are fine carpets, paintings, statues, and all manner of expensive furnishings filling the place. But the real attraction is the collection of six robbed krogan sitting in semicircle, with a seventh standing in front of them. They're all mumbling some kind of prayer. Teg trots over to the standing krogan and offers a slight bow before speaking, "I brought the aliens mother." The entire group turns to look at Jane's team. They're all covered in heavy robes with a headdress hiding everything but their eyes. As they all stand, Jane can't help but notice that they all put a hand to their stomachs, where each of them has a slight bulge.

"Greetings alien. I am Dun Alamara and these are my fellow female clan members. Approach and be welcome here. I would seek to celebrate your coming but there is not much time. Soon the chieftain will notice your disappearance. We must begin our move before that happens." The krogan female approaches her, "Will you aid us?"

Jane cocks an eyebrow, "Uhh, I came here to negotiate for the locals' assistance. I wasn't really expecting this."

"Understandable, but there will be no negotiating. No doubt that pompous ass is already trying to contact the Red Wake to ask for reinforcements to deal with your vessel. Grel is not interested in anything beyond his own station. Whatever you came here seeking, you will not be able to gain it through diplomacy with him. There is an alternative however."

"And what is that?"

"If you can help depose him, return me to power, I will hear you out and try to help with whatever you came for."

"What makes you think I can help?" The female rolls her eyes.

"Please, Grel and the others may be illiterate but we are not. I have read many of the stories from Omega. Stories of a human with violet eyes and crimson hair that can kill hordes of mercenaries with a thought. One that carries a black sword. You match the description, not to mention that my favored son obsesses over videos from the defense of Mindoir. Your image is quite prominent."

Jane tries not to cringe at the mention of Mindoir, "Yes that was me and yes I could probably kill pretty much anyone on the station, but won't me killing this Grel for you kind of piss off the survivors. Won't they rebel against you taking charge."

The young krogan pipes up excitedly, "Not if you openly challenge him as mother's champion! If you march on the main hall with us, she can level the challenge and make everyone take it seriously!" The female krogan pats him on the head.

"Wise my child. He is correct. Escort me to the main hall and I can make the challenge. Once it is done, we can begin negotiation." Jane nods in agreement before the female leads her to the main door. She pushes a key on the call panel. "Tok! Get in here!" A series of locks open before the door slides into the floor, admitting a shockingly fat krogan.

"Yes my lady? What can I…" He spots Jane and her team and his face likes up with excitement, "Is it finally time?"

"Yes my loyal servant. Inform the others and have everyone gather in the main hall. Today is the day we set our clan back on the right path." The fat krogan eagerly nods before waddling back down the hall, leaving the door open behind him. The other females remain behind, closing the door as they leave. Alamara makes her way down the station's corridors at a stately pace to avoid endangering the child in her belly.

"Were you expecting me or something?"

"No. I've been planning to remove Grel for many years. I was expecting to wait for at least another twenty, but your coming was perfectly timed. The Wake's overseers departed nearly a week ago and they'll not be expecting any contact from us until next year. As long as my people keep communications under control, we'll have plenty of time to make ready for their return." They take a direct route, passing through more than one occupied area. Dozens of krogan start following behind them, chattering excitedly.

"I thought the genophage rendered your people almost entirely sterile." The female doesn't break stride.

"It did."

"Then how are there so many young krogan here. From what I see the ratio of juveniles to adults is almost 2:1, and those are just the ones on this station." The complex consisted of four separate structures linked by a complex network of tunnels and shielded grav lifts

"Some females are discovered to be truly fertile upon reaching adulthood. Such females are highly sought after and often wield considerable power. My clan is fortunate enough to have myself, the other six you saw in the apartment, along with two similar groups housed in the other stations. When we are not with child, we are trying to conceive. It is our duty to our people, and one that we are proud to fulfill. Be ready my new friend, Grel's throne room is near."

"Throne room?"

"Yes, he is a vain fool… and it was my chair first. He made a deal with the Red Wake, trading the services of many warriors for their help in removing me from power." They reach a final doorway with a following of almost two hundred krogan, the vast majority of whom are chanting Alamara's name.

"Quick question before we head in," the female turns to her, "this challenge… can I use my biotics and do you need him to live?" Alamara shakes her head.

"No, on both counts. Victory must come through tactical or physical superiority and his survival would only create complications down the road." Jane nods, "This is not a problem is it?"

"Shouldn't be. Might be interesting though." A pair of krogan push the doors open for Alamara and her following. Most of the krogan remain at the edges of the room, chanting for blood. They reach a set of steps leading up to a makeshift throne built of recycled rebar and plasteel. Sitting there is a beast of a krogan. Grel is decked out in armor that looks thick enough to take a tank shell. His bulk rivals even Fel's near impossible physique. The brute glares down at them with absolute hatred as the krogan from the shuttle bay, Tog, stomps forward to glare at Teg.

"Whelp… what have you done?"

Teg shouts up at him. "What had to be done! You've forgotten your honor father! But mother has not…" Teg's courage seems to wilt as Tog's expression stays completely still and unmoved. The older krogan merely shakes his head.

Grel lets loose a bitter chuckle, "Is this the grand coup you've been planning female? An untested whelp and a gaggle of alien weaklings? You must have gone mad. Oh well, I guess it was time you were replaced as my favored mate."

"Be silent you arrogant slime! I come to challenge you for rule of Clan Dun!" Grel laughs raucously, along with most of his honor guard. Tog is the only one to stay stoic.

"You truly have gone mad!" Grel rises from his throne and stomps down the steps. "This is the dumbest thing you have ever done. There is a child in your belly and you were never a warrior. What challenge could you possibly pose to one such as me?" Alamara bears her teeth.

"I have a champion you fool. One that shall put you in your place." Another laugh as Grel looks to Teg.

"A poor joke! This whelp couldn't harm a hanar!" It takes two of Alamara's followers to hold the young krogan back as he tries to get his hands on Grel.

"I do not speak of my son. His time of trial has not yet come. No, I speak of she who is my krant. I speak of her." The female waves Jane forward, which just draws even more laughter.

"A human! Ah ha ha ha ha! You come to challenge me and the best champion you can bring forward is a human?! Oh this shall be enjoyable!" The brute removes his guns, along with the massive siege hammer at his shoulder. His honor guard steps forward to take the weapons as he starts stretching out. "I hope you understand that once I've killed this insect and devoured her heart, I shall have you and you're whelp thrown into the varren pits, along with the beast she's brought with her. He looks like a pit champion in the making." Silent for the entire exchange, Spits is practically foaming at the mouth in rage, desperate to take a chunk out of Grel's hide, but a single command from Jane keeps him in place.

Jane removes her own weapons, handing them off to Kal and Lia. Her bond blade is almost impossibly heavy as she hands it to Lia, "Keep it safe…" The asari nods solemnly, holding the dagger close to her heart. Jane cracks her knuckles and glares at the warlord, "Alright you ugly son of bitch. Let's see what you're made of!" He doesn't disappoint. The moment she called him out, Grel was charging. Jane's taken a krogan charge head on before… it's not fun. So she sidesteps the living freight train and lances a kick into his hip. Her boot collides with his armor with a resounding clang before bouncing off. There's a dent but no real damage. Before she can recover, the brute grabs hold of her ankle and pulls her in. He head butts Jane square in the face, breaking her nose. Thinking that she's already finished, Grel lets her fall to the ground. Most humans would be unconscious or perhaps dead, but Jane just smiles and spits out a dollop of blood. She gets back to her feet, "Is that it? I've felt salarian punches harder than that!"

Roaring in rage, Grel charges her again. Jane leaps over the krogan, landing behind him as he tries to arrest his forward momentum. As he comes back around Jane hammers a fist across his snout, returning his gift of a broken nose. Jane follows the momentum of her swing, spinning about to launch a roundhouse at the slightly stunned krogan. Her boot connects with his head just behind his left eye, shattering the socket. A shard of bone must have been forced inward because Grel's eye bursts into a foul smelling slurry of blood and other fluids. Screaming in apoplectic rage, the krogan recovers and kicks her square in the stomach. The plate over Jane gut cracks under the impact, along with at least two of her ribs. She's thrown far enough away to recover from the initial shock and brace for his continued onslaught. He stomps over, bloody pus oozing from his burst eye. "I'll feast on your entrails human!" His followers are stomping on the ground, chanting his name. He reaches for her with an open right hand.

Jane grabs his wrist with both hands and squeezes with all her strength. The armor isn't as strong as it looks, warping under her grip with little resistance. The offending appendage is crushed like glass. Grel screams in pain, trying to lash out with the other hand. Jane ducks under the arm to get behind him. She grabs his good wrist in her left hand to pull the limb straight before slamming her right palm into his elbow as hard as she can. The arm shatters with a deafening crack, drawing yet another scream of pain. Grel spins around to throw a desperate kick and he actually connects. The force makes her stumble slightly but it's not enough to turn the tide. Blinding pain is driving her deeper and deeper into her own rage, bolstering her already inhuman strength to insane levels. Before he can get his leg back under him, Jane grabs hold, crushing the boot just enough to get a good hold on it. Just as she did with his arm, Jane uses one hand to pull the limb straight before slamming the other into his knee. His rage is gone, replaced by agony as she lets him fall to the ground.

Grel manages to flop onto his stomach to try and crawl away, but she's not done with him. Jane gets close, raises one foot up high before axing it down on top of his hump, cracking the plating and puncturing the soft tissue beneath. He scream is deafening, as is the silence from the watching crowd. Grel mewls in pain when Jane kicks him hard enough to roll him over. She jabs her hands into the tissue just beneath his jaw and pulls as hard as she can. His cries of pain quickly fade to strained gurgling but Jane just keeps on pulling, roaring in rage and hate. It's too much for his body to handle. In a moment of absolute perfection, Grel's head tears away from his shoulders along with a good chunk of his spine. Jane holds the head high, shrieking at the crowd in abyssal fury as gore falls from the gruesome trophy onto her head, bathing her in krogan blood. When she's finally out of air, Jane hurls the severed head into the center of the chamber. "Spits! Tor!" Her varren bounds over to the corpse and starts tearing into it with wild abandon. As Spits feeds on the carcass, Jane turns to the crowd.

"I am Jane Shepard! Today I fought in Alamara's name! She leads you now, and any that seek to challenge that will face me!" The whole crowd looks to Grel's severed head, then back to her. One by one they take a knee and swear loyalty to Alamara. Tog actually looks proud as Teg picks up the siege hammer before taking his place at Alamara's side. Once all is said and done, it became pretty clear that Grel's rule was only maintained because of his Wake connections. The few men loyal to him are quickly put down and most return to their daily routine. Alamara takes a seat on the throne to speak with Jane.

"You have helped us Jane Shepard. Now, how may we help you?"

She's still cleaning Grel's blood off her face while talking, "I need some help protecting an independent turian colony in a neighboring system. The Wake's been running an extortion racket there for years. I killed the bastards that were there but it's only a matter of time before they come back. Can you send some warriors to help keep them safe? I can provide a couple ships but I need someone on the ground to keep an eye on things. In return they'll probably be willing to sell you some of their surplus food."

At the mention of turians a few members of Alamara's new honor guard grunt in annoyance, but she shuts them down with a snarl. "Be silent! I care nothing for old grudges! Our ally has asked for our help and we will oblige her. Tog, ready a dozen of our most capable, most open minded warriors for protection duty. Choose wisely for they will be both security and our ambassadors to this neighboring colony." As Tog goes to find the needed warriors, Jane gets back in touch with the ship, putting to rest their worries over the break in contact. After having Kalia bring the ship to dock, she has century call in one of the Q-ships roaming the Terminus. Luckily, there's one less than a day away by relay travel. As soon as it arrives and docks with the station, Tog leads his chosen dozen on board at Alamara's order. "You, my favored mate, shall be my voice with these turians. Establish a healthy relationship with them and the reward upon your return shall be the stuff of legend." The stoic krogan lights up at the implication and gets to work with a far lighter heart.

Just before leaving, Alamara meets them at the dock with Teg close behind, "Jane Shepard, I have a request." She gestures for the female to continue, "I wish you to take my son with you." Teg steps forward, now decked in old but well kept armor. Grel's hammer is hanging from Teg's back. "It is time for him to learn of battle and I believe you shall be an excellent teacher." Jane turns to the young krogan who immediately comes to an approximation of attention.

"You understand that while on my ship, my word is law. You will obey without complaint or hesitation?" Teg nods, "You also understand that if you ever break my trust, I'll bring you back and kick your ass off my ship permanently, right?"

"I do. I swear by my ancestors, I shall not fail you."

"Alright, get aboard and claim one of the cabins." Teg eagerly heads through the docking collar as Jane turns back to Alamara, "I'll do what I can to keep him safe."

"Be careful to not do too much. I want this journey to test him, mold him. That cannot happen if he is too safe." Jane agrees and says goodbye. With a loaded Q-ship in toe, they return to the turian colony. The turian leader, Tybar, is understandably nervous but is relieved when Jane spells out the situation to the krogan.

"Okay, you guys are here to keep them safe. While they're doing that are your people willing to sell some of your surplus crops to their home?" Tybar nods eagerly.

"Indeed. The Wake was constantly forcing us to expand our fields, so now we produce far more than we need. It'll be good to have someone to sell it to."

"Nice. So while you're keeping them safe, they sell food to your families back home. That means you're to behave while you're here. No extortion, no threats, and no trying to get back at them for the genophage. And if any of you so much as grunts at one of them in a threatening way," Jane waves Spits forward. Her buddy drops the gnarled remains of Grel's severed head, "I come back and do that to you." The krogan all agree to play nice but she leaves the head to help make the point. As they're getting ready to leave, Teg and Tog say goodbye.

"Fight well whelp and return to us a warrior." Teg slams a fist to his chest in salute and they leave the world behind. As they head towards the relay, Century reminds her of the probe.

"Oh yeah. Did it find anything good?"

"Indeed. Please examine the results. We believe you shall be pleased." And she was. This was a hell of a find, one Callen will be practically drooling over when she tells him about it.

Jane reads the results again, barely able to believe their luck, "Eezo."