Chapter 15: Dirge of the Lost

"Before I forget," Miranda told me a few days later, "they didn't go for it."

"Your 'anti-Cerberus group' refused to help with some of the missions Hackett identified?" I frowned.

"No, they're more than happy to help. They had already been disillusioned by Cerberus and were committed to fighting back. They were horrified to hear what new depths the Illusive Man had sunk to. And given the opportunistic timing of these assaults and the detrimental effect it would have on our efforts to fight the Reapers, they knew how important their contribution was."

"So what didn't they go for?" I asked.

"The name you suggested," Miranda replied.

"For their team?"

"Yes. Shepard, you can't call them 'Charlie's Angels'." (1)

"Why not?" I pouted.

"Perhaps you could discuss that later," Liara politely intervened. "We've almost arrived."

"Fine," I sighed. To Miranda, I added "This isn't over." She smiled politely, clearly humouring me. But Liara was right. I had to set it aside for now and get my head in gear for the mission.

We had just finished a long trip from Sur'Kesh to Utukku, a charming little planet all the way in the Ninmah Cluster. Violent weather and relatively little water meant the surface temps could ping-pong anywhere from 70 to -60 degrees Celsius. That's really hot to really cold for anyone who doesn't speak metric. Not my idea of a good spot for a picnic. But beggars can't be choosers. Neither can missing krogan scouts investigating possible resurgence of rachni. Which was why we were here.

"Has there been any change in the situation, Commander?" Javik asked.

"Our backup is waiting for us at the drop point," I replied. "Aralakh Company. Krogan commandoes."

"They are an accomplished unit," EDI told us. "Their decisive action in liberating a colony from batarian pirates made them famous."

"They are made up of krogan from every clan on Tuchanka," Liara added. Only the strongest, fiercest and most experienced are chosen. It is common for potential warriors to fight amongst themselves for the honour to represent their clan."

"So they're the best of the best," I concluded. "Good to hear. To answer your question, Javik, that's about all we know. There's been no word from a team of krogan scouts since they went through the rachni relay."

"That's what I don't get," James said. "I mean, we're all the way out here for some bug hunt? Weren't they wiped out by the krogan?"

"Everyone thought so," I shrugged, "but I've run into a few."

"Hard to forget," Garrus shook his head. "It was that secret lab back on Noveria."

"Not something I want to repeat," I agreed.

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

"Wait a sec." James interrupted, leaning forward. "You're telling me you let a rachni queen go? Are you kidding?"

"No," I said firmly. "It was the right call."

"But why would the queen risk everything to start another war?" Garrus wondered.

"She wouldn't," I said.

"And yet…" Garrus prompted.

"Well, either the rachni aren't starting a war and we don't have the whole picture or the queen's no longer calling the shots." I didn't mention the third option: that I was a rotten judge of character and thus had really screwed the pooch. "Just be ready for anything."

None of us said anything as Cortez brought the shuttle in for a landing. Liara was certainly quiet. Couldn't blame her. That secret lab on Noveria was also where her mother died. The prospect of a possible rachni return had undoubtedly brought up a few old memories. (2)

"Yeah, shuttle just arrived," a familiar voice said as the shuttle hatch opened. "You better get moving, Team Two. See anything, let me know."

"Grunt?" I called out in disbelief.

"Shepard?" Grunt pushed his way through a pair of krogan. "Hah! Shepard! Heh-ha-ha-ha-ha!" He slapped me on the shoulder in friendly greeting. I managed to keep myself from flying back and landing on my ass—barely. "What are you doing here?" I asked, smiling through the pain.

"I could ask you the same question," he grinned. "Didn't those idiots lock you up?"

"They did," I confirmed. "Put me in lockdown to keep the batarians off me. Didn't want problems with the Council while they prepared for war. And they were trying to figure out what to do with me after I… was responsible for the destruction of the Bahak system. But… the situation changed."

"Yeah, they got bigger problems all right." Grunt sounded happy about that. Naturally. "It's why I'm out here running Aralakh Company. They're tough, think they're invincible. Reckless, but effective."

"Gee, where have I heard that before?" I laughed.

"A whole company of krogan just like Grunt," Miranda whispered beside me. "The mind boggles."

Indeed. "How did you go from being new and unproven to getting your own command?"

"Wasn't easy," he said. "When Wrex put Aralakh Company together, he needed a leader who represented the future of our species. Thanks to you, I completed my Rite of Passage on Tuchanka and became a part of Clan Urdnot. I was an equal. And being the strongest, I was chosen to lead this honoured company."

"Why do I have a feeling that some didn't like a 'tank-bred' krogan being in charge?" I said rhetorically.

"I collected a few scars earning my place here," he admitted. "These krogan respect me now."

"You were a pain in the ass, Grunt," I told him, "but if your krogan are half the soldier you are, we might make it out of here."

Grunt positively beamed at my compliment. "Glad you're here to crack some heads, Shepard. Hard to believe this might be rachni. Seems crazy." He seemed to start bouncing on his feet as he talked, so excited was he at the prospect of what he might get to face. "The rachni! A chance to face the old enemy? Impossible to resist!"

"So this is the one," Javik mused. "The krogan who occupied my quarters on the Normandy before me. You left your mark, young one."

"What?" Grunt barked. "Who is this, Shepard?"

"You shouldn't be so anxious to face the rachni," Javik chided. "They were formidable opponents, even to my people."

Probably time for me to make some introductions. "This is Javik, a Prothean we revived from Eden Prime."

"Okay," he shrugged. Like Jack, the idea that I'd run into the oddest characters wasn't exactly a shocker to him.

"We don't know if the rachni had anything to do with this," I cautioned after introducing everyone else. "We're here to find the scouts. I didn't see any signs of activity during our approach."

"Agreed. But this place smells wrong. Like a bad wound. Our scans show the tunnels down there lead to a large central point. If we're lucky, it's a nest."

"'Lucky'?" Liara repeated. "I… suppose that's one way of putting it."

"Sounds like fun," Garrus said. Hopefully he was humouring Grunt. "Just like old times."

"Heh, heh, heh." Grunt's slow chuckle was full of dark delight. Then he whirled to his troops. "Aralakh Company: move out!" Before he joined his men, Grunt added "Grab what you need, Shepard. Meet me at the scout camp ahead."

"Sounds good," I agreed.

The camp had lots of goodies. A Claymore shotgun to scan, some weapon mods and a bunch of credits. Did Grunt deliberately leave these behind for me? Had I taught him that well? (3)

"Not surprised Grunt found his way into the action," Garrus chuckled as we headed towards the scout camp. "Little guy's all grown up. Glad he's here."

"Hey, hold up," James called up. Spotting a clear spot, he quickly broke down his shotgun. Hey, Shep: can you fabricate some of the things you scanned?"

Thanks to some raw materials—I hope no one needed that Ultra Premium Limited ¼ Scale Model of Blasto, Hanar Spectre!—we had plenty of omni-gel to make whatever we needed. James was soon the proud owner of an M-300 Claymore, complete with a shredder mod and a pointy blade attachment for stabby work. "Merry Christmas, James," I said.

"Ho, ho, ho!" he grinned.

About a minute later, we reached the scout camp. Aralakh Company was ready to go so we headed out. "What did you do after the Collectors were defeated?" I asked as we walked.

"I spent most of my time back on Tuchanka learning what it was to be krogan. In the lab where I was created, the lessons were like… fighting with practice weapons. They had no bite, no impact. I needed the blood and pain. I made mistakes, but I learned."

Made sense. He'd been given tons of information, but he didn't have the experience or knowledge to interpret it or put it into context. The time we'd spent going on way too many crazy missions, fighting the Collectors and going through the Rite on Tuchanka helped, but he needed more. And it sounded like he got more. "Tell me more about Aralakh Company."

"Aralakh means 'eye of wrath'," he said proudly. "We are named after the fierce Tuchanka sun. Wrex handpicked us from different clans to show a united krogan. We were sent because we're the strongest."

Basically what Liara had told us on the way down, but it was nice to get some confirmation. "Did Warlord Okeer imprint anything on you about the rachni during your creation?"

Grunt nodded. "He ensured I knew of the rachni. They are respected as an enemy. Everyone thought they were dead, defeated by my people. You proved that wrong. If they're here, my blood demands they die."

"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it," I cautioned. "What happened to the scouting party?"

He pointed up ahead. "Looks like something dropped half their camp down a hole. Their shuttle must have been lost as well. They weren't going anywhere. Doesn't matter. We're here to find the rachni and burn them out."

"All right," I said. "Give me a minute to look through what's left of the camp up here before we head down."

"Fine," he sighed in relief. "We're right behind you whenever you're ready."

My attempt to search the camp didn't last long. I'd just entered the first building before the whole floor shook. The building tilted over. I frantically backpedalled, trying to stop myself from sliding towards the pit I could now see below me. "Look out!" I heard Grunt yell from a distance. "The whole thing's coming down! Get back!"

The next thing I knew, I was falling down several metres to the ground below. I landed, hard, and rolled over a few times, the hardsuit being the only thing cushioning my fall. "Shepard!" Grunt roared from above. "You in one piece?"

I turned around. The rest of my squad had apparently been following me and subsequently bounced down alongside me. Aralakh Company, on the other hand, had escaped the same fate. "Everyone all right?" I asked. Getting a silent chorus of nods in return, I called out "Looks like we're okay. Guess we're gonna start the search a little early. Keep in radio contact."

"On our way!"

It didn't take long before Garrus spotted something. "Grunt," I said, activating the comm after a quick scan. "Got a body of a scout here. Been dead a few days."

"Yeah? If he has his weapon, grab it. He won't need it anymore."

Seemed like good advice. (4) The only weapon he had, though, was a heavy weapon. An M-451 Firestorm, to be exact. Handy for setting things on fire, but only at a short range. I preferred the option to indulge my pyromania at a distance, which was why I had never used it all that much. Still, Grunt had a point. So I picked it up just in case a situation came along where I'd need to use it.

As it turned out, that situation came along a second later. "Whoa," James said. "Is that webbing?"

"Looks like it," Miranda said, running a scan on her omni-tool. "Liara, EDI; compare my readings with your files on rachni biochemistry."

"Accessing historical database," EDI replied first. "Confirmed; the protein structure of this webbing is consistent with rachni secretions."

"Wonderful," I sighed. "Liara, contact Grunt and let Aralakh Company know what we've found."

While she did that, I systematically burned away the webbing. I did not want that thing sticking to us, hampering our mobility or blocking our line of sight.

As we entered the tunnels, Garrus brought up another problem. "This darkness is going to make it a little harder, Shepard."

"I know," I acknowledged. "Everyone turn your flashlights on and be ready."

"Movement," James said sharply. We froze and raised our weapons. "I swear I saw something," he added.

"The human was right," Javik declared. "Several small creatures with many legs. Like insects. They went that way. The benefit of having four eyes," he added when we all turned to look at him.

We followed the direction he pointed rather than talk about his lack of bedside manner. Turning a corner, we entered a small chamber with several bulbous… things on the ground. They looked like eggs or spores or pods. "What are those?" Liara asked.

"I don't know," I admitted. Against my better judgement, I poked at one. It exploded, along with the pod beside it. To my alarm, I found most of my shields drained. "Careful!" Garrus belatedly warned.

"They explode?" James asked. "Really?"

"Really," I said. "Watch yourselves, people—those things take a hefty chunk out of your shields."

I cleared them out with the Firestorm rather than have the squad waste any bullets. We found more of them in the next chamber. As I burned them, I noticed several long… cables draped on the floor. Many of them seemed to attach themselves to the spore pods. "Curious," Miranda said. "Those things on the ground, Shepard. Some form of Reaper tech, perhaps?"

"Maybe," I shrugged. I burned a few more before leading the squad down a tunnel, burning the occasional bit of webbing.

A minute later, we entered a large cavern. The ground was uneven, with a multitude of boulders and crevasses scattered throughout the area. Stalagmites and stalactites dotted the chamber. I felt a tingling sensation on the back of my neck. "Everyone be alert," I warned.

My caution was soon justified, as I spotted some movement up ahead. Something appeared on a cliff before plummeting down to the ground below. It had a dark carapace with two antenna-like things raised above its head. Four dark, spindly legs cradled a set of large orange sacs of bulbous flesh. It screeched at us. "Shepard, is that a rachni?" Garrus asked.

"Could be," I replied as we dove for cover. "Grunt," I yelled over the comm, "we got company!"

"On the way, Shepard! Light 'em up!"

A good call, I decided. In my unfortunate wealth of experience, insect carapaces were much like armour: biotics and plasma were the best ways to crack 'em. So I immediately launched a fireball. Right on cue, Garrus raised his sniper rifle, waited until the plasma was burning, then ignited it with a concussive round. A few more shots finished the thing off.

By then, I'd spotted a run-of-the-mill husk. One of several, I was sure. While Miranda and James dealt with it, I spotted something on the far wall. It looked like a machine or console that was emitting biotic energy, on a frequency typically associated with barriers. Was it protecting something like a shield generator? Or was it meant to give barriers to something else, the same way warp mods imparted biotic energy to bullets? Either way, I decided to take it out. Half a clip from my submachine gun did the trick.

Unfortunately, two more husks had showed up and decided I was the one they wanted to hug and claw and maul and generally tear to pieces. I frantically backpedalled, firing off a few shots from my submachine gun—no time to switch weapons and my submachine gun was better suited to fast-moving hostiles anyway. With a bit of fancy dodging, several bullets and as much plasma as I could muster, I managed to finish the first one off. The second husk, though, just kept coming. Had to resort to a few punches here and there to drop the sucker.

"Shepard!" Miranda warned. "Some help?"

Whirling around, I saw Team Two was in trouble. James was down and Miranda's shields were basically gone. I quickly emptied the rest of my thermal clip into the sucker. That got its attention. As it charged towards me, I quickly reloaded and fired again. Thanks to the cryo mod I had running, the husk soon turned into a popsicle and shattered.

Thankfully, no one else was hurt. Furthermore, there were no more hostiles. So I went over to James. By the time I got to him, he had gotten to his feet. "You okay?" I asked.

He shuddered. "Yeah. I'm fine. But those rachni are just not right."

"Doesn't help that the Reapers got to them," I said grimly, activating my comm. "Grunt," I reported, "rachni presence confirmed. Modified by Reapers and very dangerous. Also ran into some garden-variety husks."

I swear I could hear Grunt salivating. "Finally, something to kill!"

Miranda rolled her eyes. Garrus sighed. I motioned the squad to begin searching the cavern. We found a few more dead krogan scouts and scooped up whatever thermal clips we could. I also found another weapon mod to scan for later.

"Nothing here yet," Grunt told us. Lost a krogan to a sinkhole, though. Bad way to go."

Gah. Yeah, I'd say so. "Watch yourself, Grunt. Shepard out."

"The nest has to be here somewhere," Javik hissed. "And the way they were altered, the presence of these… husks, you called them. These Reapers are protecting something."

"Agreed," I said.

"Shepard!" Liara called out. "There are more of those… pods over here."

"On my way." As I walked over, I spotted another Firestorm and tossed it to James. The two of us began clearing a way through the pods, jumping back as they exploded.

"The Reapers are definitely present," EDI said, pointing a finger at what looked like a Reaper leg. Or a support column that fit whatever passed for Reaper-styled architecture. James whistled. "Damn, the Reapers have messed this place up."

"I'd say so," I agreed. "Let's find out why."

We burned our way through some more pods. My Firestorm ran dry and, without any power cells to replenish it, I tossed it aside. James took up the slack, toasting the rest of the pods and some webbing. We walked through, brushing the ashes of the webbing off our heads and shoulders until we came to a set of doors. They were closed, of course. And to make things even better, there was no noticeable door controls to use or hack. Thankfully, there was some more webbing hiding a side tunnel so we went down that way.

"Hold on," Miranda said. We froze. "This looks important," she added.

Sure enough, it was some kind of… Reaper device. Dark, teardrop-shaped with a bright blue circle at its base. Almost looked like a node for power or something. James promptly set it on fire.

"That did it," Garrus said from behind us.

We went back to join him. I followed after spotting and picking up another Firestorm. Sure enough, the doors were open. James tried to burn the webbing that covered the newly-revealed tunnel, but his Firestorm ran out. So I took over. Had to reclaim my rightful role as pyromaniac, you see.

Then we heard a screeching sound echo through the tunnel. The ground shook. Dirt began raining down on us. Looking up, we saw a series of blue dots pepper the ceiling above us. And several cracks emerging in said ceiling. "Shepard!" Miranda cried out.

We jumped back as everything went black…

Fortunately, the cave-in didn't bury us. "Goddess, that was close," Liara coughed.

Unfortunately, the passage was now blocked. We couldn't exactly burn our way through who-knows-how-many-tonnes of solid rock, after all. "Looks like we're finding another way out of here," I declared. "Come on!"

We picked ourselves up, dusted off as much dirt and debris as we could, and trudged down the nearest side passage. "What was that noise, Shepard?" Grunt's voice asked over the comm. "Sounded bad."

"Cave-in," I replied. "We're all right." I paused to burn some more spore pods and webbing.

"Good," Grunt sighed. "Didn't want to dig you out."

"Really?" I mocked. "After everything we've been through. Geez, that hurts my feelings, Grunt."

"Yeah, yeah," Grunt grumbled.

I managed to burn and detonate a dozen more spore pods before Grunt continued. "Shepard, I know what happened to the scouts."

Something in his voice told me it wasn't good news. As if the bodies we'd encountered hadn't given us a heads-up already. "Go on," I prompted. "What did you find?"

"They got hit hard. Their leader ordered them to carry weapons deep into the caves. He knew the next team would need help."

"That explains all the Firestorms we keep finding," I agreed.

"Establishing caches—even minimal ones—at the expense of their lives," Javik said quietly. "These krogan might be primitive, but they were brave to sacrifice themselves."

"They made that sacrifice to make sure we could make it to the central chamber," I said. "Let's make sure they didn't die in vain, people. Come on!"

I spotted several more pods, but I couldn't afford to burn them all. Not with our limited supply of bullets and no power cells to reload the Firestorm. We'd just have to continue on and hope whatever was in those pods didn't hatch and scuttle down to ambush us from behind—

"Watch out!" Garrus warned.

It was only a husk—yeesh, listen to me. 'Only' a husk. Wow. Anyway, we dispatched it and moved on, carefully burning as many spore pods and webbing as we could along the way. Spotting a figure, I paused to take a second look. It was another krogan scout. He was clutching a datapad. I thumbed it on. "Shepard?" EDI asked.

"Looks like a last message," I replied. "He's asked that it be delivered to an asari named Ereba on the Citadel."

Pocketing the datapad, I resumed burning my way down a tunnel. We soon found ourselves in another cavern, one with Reaper columns reinforcing the walls. James shook his head. "That's a kill zone if you ask me."

"Weapons free," I ordered. "We're going in."

Sure enough, it didn't take long before Reaper forces dropped from the ceiling, landing with a fiery crash. We took cover behind some rocks in a pool of water and began firing. Garrus fired off an EMP. I later found out he spotted another Reaper barrier node or engine and zapped it. For my part, I pulled out my sniper rifle and landed a headshot on a Cannibal.

As I lowered my sniper rifle, I spotted a husk. According to my sensors, it was running around with some kind of rudimentary barrier protecting it. Well I guess if we could use biotics to support our troops, there was no reason the Reapers couldn't do the same thing. Either there was another barrier engine out there or Garrus hadn't destroyed the one he saw. Miranda blasted through the barrier with her biotics, EDI set it on fire and James promptly blew it up with a concussive round. I may have helped before dropping another pair of Cannibals.

"Commander! Some assistance!"

I looked towards Team Three's position. Garrus was slumped over. I was still getting some strong readings from him, so he wasn't dead, but he was out of the game for now. "Team Two, cover Team Three," I ordered. "EDI, Liara; the left flank's all ours."

Liara promptly captured a pair of husks in a singularity. I set them on fire before EDI blew up the singularity. Then I spotted another Reaperfied rachni. It spotted me as well, as it turned my way before firing a pair of shots from the antenna-things. (5) Quickly reloading, I fired off a few shots while EDI and Liara bombarded it with plasma and biotics. I sent off a fireball of my own before emptying my thermal clip. As the Ravager dropped, I saw Miranda and James finish off another Cannibal. Checking my HUD, I didn't see any more hostiles in the area. "Javik, see to Garrus," I ordered. "Team Two, cover him. Team One, sweep the area."

Any peace and quiet we might have had ended abruptly. EDI, Liara and I scrambled behind a rock face as another one of those Reaperfied rachni opened fire. "Stay low!" I warned. "Don't let it get a bead on you!"

"This is Team Three." I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when I heard Garrus's voice. "The rest of the squad is on the way. Just hang on."

"EDI, Liara—target that thing," I ordered. Activating my cloak, I took out the barrier engine with my sniper rifle before helping them out. The beastie couldn't stand up to a sustained barrage of biotics, plasma and sniper rounds. Still, it soaked up quite a bit of damage. If it had lasted just a few seconds longer, the Cannibals that showed up would've gotten a few free shots.

Unfortunately for them, their buddy collapsed, and we managed to duck down before they could line up a clean shot. The Cannibals tried to flank us, only to run into Miranda's biotics and a few concussive rounds from Garrus and James. Just for fun, Javik smacked them around with his biotics too. That made it hilariously easy for me to take them all out one by one.

A quick scan picked up no more hostiles, but it did find some strange readings. The source of those readings became evident while I was scanning another weapon mod: a new type of pod. Similar to the spore pods we'd encountered, but different. Unfortunately, the Firestorm had long since run out of power, so I had to use my guns to clear a path. As I fired, Grunt contacted me: "We must be getting close, Shepard. Some heavy fighting. Tough bastards!"

"Casualties?" I asked over the gunfire.

"It's fine," he reassured me. "Krogan fight better angry."

Whatever I was about to say died off when I realized that those pods had… things in them. Little scurrying critters. Maybe the same critters James saw earlier? Whatever they were, we quickly took them out.

But there were more pods, each… holding, breeding more of those creepy-crawlies. James swore as they emerged. "More of those little bastards!" he shouted.

I stomped on one of them as it emerged. It kinda looked like a flashlight. A dark-coloured flashlight with a Reaper-blue bulb and six or eight legs. And there were more of them where it came from. A lot more.

Just as I was starting to wonder if our ammo would hold out, the universe decided to show some pity and drop another Firestorm around the next corner. Scooping it up, I proceeded to clear a path by popping the gestation pods and cooking their swarming contents. "Thought the rachni liked toxic environments," Garrus mused.

"That's true," Liara confirmed. "All my research points to that."

"That's curious," Miranda frowned. "Granted, this planet is hardly what I would call pleasant, but none of us are exhibiting any particular trouble in breathing."

"They do not look like the rachni of my cycle," Javik frowned.

"Reapers must've changed them," James growled.

The squad kept going and we kept running into more pods. "Shepard," EDI said, "I believe the Reapers are breeding an army of these creatures down here."

"That would make sense," Miranda said thoughtfully. "Their reproduction cycle would allow them to breed legions at a time, while the Reaper augmentations would make them more formidable and more controllable. Furthermore, they are being bred in a remote area. Nobody will know until it's too late."

"I agree." I paused long enough to scan a hardsuit mod before adding "And they're throwing everything they've got at us so we don't reach the nest."

We continued burning pods and popping the little swarmers in silence. In an effort to conserve the Firestorm's power cell, we began using biotics and omni-tool generated plasma. The squad had just started down a slight slope when we heard gunshots. Carefully, we picked up the pace. The slope opened up into a large cavern. It didn't take a genius to track the shots to the krogan firing below us. I could see a certain tank-bred by his silvery armour. "Shepard, we're blocked!" he yelled. "And getting overrun!"

As we watched, two more of those Reaperfied rachni advanced. With a roar, Grunt charged the nearest one and began wrestling with it. "We're above you and on the right," I replied. "Hang on, Grunt!"

"Move it, Shepard!" With a roar that echoed through the cavern, Grunt lifted the monster up over his head and tossed it down a crevasse. "I… am… krogan!"

"Team Three, lay down cover fire, but watch your six. Everyone else, with me."

"Always gotta give us the boring jobs, Shepard?" Garrus teased.

I didn't bother replying. Garrus knew I'd chosen Team Three because Garrus's sniper rifle—and, more importantly his skill—and Javik's particle rifle made them more suited for long-range fire support than the other teams. While they helped the krogan, the rest of the squad followed me down a narrow path. I burned through some more gestation pods and webbing before splashing through a small pool and into some kind of chamber. More Reaper architecture surrounded us on all sides, with a door between two of the leg-like columns. In the middle was another Reaper node.

"Shepard," Miranda said sharply. "Based on what I've seen, Aralakh Company would be right through that door."

But they couldn't get through. They had probably approached the door, only to find it was locked and those Reaperfied rachni were hot on their heels. I had to open the door so they could get through. So I decided to see if the node could stand up to the Firestorm.

It couldn't. With a hum, the door retracted into the floor. Five or six krogan quickly retreated through the door into the chamber. Grunt was the last one, keeping the hostiles at bay with his shotgun. "Thanks, Shepard," he said, hopping down into the chamber. "That wasn't webbing stopping us. That was Reaper tech."

"We ran into it too," I replied.

He glared at the burnt remains of the node before turning my way. "The rachni have backed off for now, but they can smell our wounds. Any worthy enemy would regroup and finish us. Soon."

Team Three entered the chamber. "He's got a point, Shepard," Garrus said. (6)

"We're close, Grunt," I told him. "Those barriers were protecting whatever's down that passage."

"Then we'll dig in here," Grunt decided. "Kill anything that moves, buy you some time."

"Good luck," I offered.

Grunt whirled back and grinned. "I don't need luck. I have ammo."

Despite the desperate circumstances we found ourselves in, I couldn't help but laugh.

While Grunt oversaw the construction of some basic defences, I found a small cache. Nothing much. Just a few thermal clips, another weapon mod and—believe it or not—a fresh power cell. I popped it in and headed down.

"More eggs," Garrus warned.

"Then let's fry them," I said. "Nice and slow."

Of course, we knew we didn't exactly have the luxury of time. But I had to say it.

The passage soon reached what looked like a dead end. Upon closer inspection, though, I found a crack. Well, more like a smaller tunnel. I'd have to crawl forward on my stomach, but I could squeeze through. So I went first, hoping I wouldn't run across one of those swarmers. In such cramped quarters, it wouldn't be able to miss my pretty face.

Luckily, we managed to make it all the way through. I emerged into what must have been the largest cavern I'd encountered so far.

"What is that?" Garrus wondered.

That would be what looked like a tree made out of rock, growing in the middle of the cavern. "Grunt," I said over the comm, "we've located the central chamber."

"Good. We've got your back, Shepard."

The squad hopped down. The back of my neck began tingling again. What could it be? I took a step forward.

A large metal plate burst out of the ground, shooting up towards the ceiling. Then another. They weren't plates, I realized with horror. They were doors. "Move it!" I shouted. We ran towards the nearest tunnel, only to have it closed off by a door. I looked around. Any path that might have been available to us was now closed. "Damn it!" I swore.

"Where's the switch?" Liara asked.

"I think we have greater concerns," Miranda frowned.

Her genetically enhanced hearing gave her some advance warning. Our plain ordinary ears picked up the shrieks a few seconds later. Without waiting for orders, the squad quickly spread out and found cover. Looking around, I spotted another Reaper node. Grabbing my submachine gun and aiming carefully, I took it out. Just as I'd hoped, the destruction of the node caused the doors to retract.

Unfortunately, there were at least three husks waiting for us on the other side. "I think we pissed them off!" James shouted.

Gee, ya think? Liara quickly pulled them into a singularity, where a barrage of plasma and biotics finished them off. "This is it, people!" I yelled.

Spotting a Reaperfied rachni, I shot it twice with my sniper rifle and hit it with a fireball. Liara's biotics dealt the final bow. Wheeling to my right, I saw a husk burning from EDI's plasma. A sniper round to the chest was a bit sloppy in terms of accuracy, but it did the job. Spotting a couple Cannibals, I dropped them with a few headshots.

Not to be outdone, Garrus began sniping away while Javik shot anything within reach. "Team Two, cover fire!" I called out. Miranda and James immediately took out a Cannibal with a biotic-concussive round combo before driving a husk back with weapon fire. That gave me the chance to drop down and circle around a boulder to investigate something.

Sure enough, there was an injured Cannibal enthusiastically chomping away at one of its downed buddies. I shot it in the back, then lifted an arm to set it on fire—

—only someone else beat me to it. I traced the fireball back where it came from. "Miranda?"

"Yes?"

"How long has your omni-tool been able to generate piping-hot plasma?"

"Six months and twenty-six days, give or take an hour."

By now, that level of precision didn't even faze me. "And you were going to tell me… when?"

"I've been busy."

"Shepard, over here," Garrus said. "If you're not too busy."

We'd apparently finished off the hostiles and Team Three had taken the initiative of doing some recon. Garrus had found another Reaper node. Moving to join him, I motioned for the squad to find cover before blowing the node apart with my submachine gun. "Come on!" I urged. "We gotta get past these barricades!"

"Along with all these hostiles," EDI added.

"I've spotted more of these power nodes," Miranda told me as Liara yanked the first couple husks into a singularity. "Where?" I asked as she set them on fire.

"On the other side of the room."

I sighed as Javik ignited the plasma. "Naturally."

By that point, another Reaperfied rachni was stationed there. No one else could land a clean shot, so the job fell to me. Five shots and a fireball did the trick. We managed to advance another fifty metres before we ran into another wave of hostiles.

"Man, they just keep coming!" James exclaimed.

"Stay focused!" Miranda replied. "We can do it. On three?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Miranda and James coordinated an assault on the left while Garrus and James silently did the same on the right. Liara and EDI amused themselves with a few hapless husks. Leaving yours truly with the wonderful task of reaching out to another Reaperfied beastie and saying hello with my sniper rifle. Along with a couple Cannibals and another husk. Some plasma might have been involved, because I love the smell of burnt flesh and electronics in the morning. (7)

As soon as the hostiles were eliminated, we quickly made our way to the node Miranda had spotted and took up firing positions. Shrieks filled the air as soon as I destroyed the power node. "You want some of this?" James taunted. "Come on!"

"Human, do not give the rachni ideas," Javik glared.

"Keep it up, people!" I yelled as I set a husk on fire.

By this point, every team knew what area to cover and what tricks to use, so I left them alone and concentrated on the latest rachni cyborg. It didn't take me long to kill it, but there was another one laying down cover fire. "Ignore the rachni for now and make sure the other hostiles don't get close," I ordered.

The squad complied, spending the next minute clearing anyone who might get a lucky shot at us. Once I'd judged that we'd bought some breathing room: "EDI, Liara, Miranda; light that bastard up."

Within a few seconds, the Reaperfied rachni went up like a bonfire. A few more bullets and concussive rounds took out the last couple husks. Then Grunt contacted me. "Shepard, the Reapers are backing off. Whatever spooked them won't last. Finish the job."

"Copy that." Closing the channel, I headed for the last door. It stubbornly stayed up, thanks to a flickering power node. Javik gave it a contemptuous look before blowing it to smithereens with a biotic punch. The door dropped and we ran through…

…and stumbled to a halt…

…as we looked up at the rachni queen.

She was bigger than I remembered. Back on Noveria, she was just a baby—albeit a baby that was squeezed into a large cylindrical tank. Now, her bulk swelled to an incredible size, looming over us as her head barely cleared the ceiling.

"Si… lence."

James jumped as one of the dead—or formerly—krogan scouts began speaking. "What the hell!" he gasped.

"I'd forgotten about that," Garrus admitted.

"It is disconcerting, to say the least," Liara agreed.

While Garrus and Liara filled the rest of the party on the rachni queen's odd ability to take over dead or nearly dead bodies and use them as a medium for communication, I slowly walked towards the krogan. "The… maddening sour note has ceased," he whispered.

Or rather, I should say the rachni queen whispered. At least, I thought she was the queen. "What are you?" I asked, seeking confirmation.

"The last queen. We listen for the children… they are silent… hollow. The machines come and take them to war. They die alone… silent… far away."

"The Reapers did this to you?" I asked.

"Yes," the rachni queen replied, making the krogan nod in confirmation. "The sour note of the machines is everywhere."

Actually, they weren't the only ones who were everywhere. There were more krogan scouts, bound in webbing against the walls. They were all talking in unison in deep, rasping voices. Just a typical day in the life of yours truly, ladies and gentlemen. "I let you go back on Noveria," I said. "You promised not to interfere anymore. The rachni were supposed to disappear."

"We… remember…" the krogan/rachni queen rasped. "We kept our promise… retreated back through the relay. We started a new home. Beautiful children. Harmony. But… the machines came. They heard our song. Their shriek of sour notes drowned us out." (8)

Using all the Reaper tech we'd just blasted to bits, I realized. "They can't hurt you anymore," I reassured it.

"Yes, we… understand," the rachni queen acknowledged through the krogan.

"Can you still feel the Reapers?" I wanted to know. "Can they influence you?"

"We hear the machines, but they cannot control us," the rachni queen said. "Remove this last shackle and we are free."

It bowed its head, tilting it towards another Reaper node. Sure enough, a large metal shackle laid next to it, clamped onto one of the queen's legs. Then it jerked its head up. "What? The children return. They will destroy us all. Release us!"

"We're getting movement here," Grunt reported. "A lot of movement."

"Copy that, Grunt." To the rachni queen, I asked "Are you capable of fighting the Reapers?"

"We hate the machines. For the mothers they drowned out. For the children they silenced. We will fight for our children… the ones the machines stole and the ones yet to be born. Release us!"

"You cannot trust this creature," Javik insisted. "Kill it now."

"No!" Liara cried out. "Shepard spared her once because he didn't want to condemn an entire species to extinction. He can't do it again."

I couldn't. Right? I mean, even as a reinstated Spectre, I didn't have the right to kill the last rachni. Genocide and extinction wasn't what I signed up for. But the rachni had a way of growing and spreading, and this was twice now that I had had to fight them. Reaperfied or not, they were a formidable foe. Could I really risk letting them loose again?

"She's a mess," James shook his head. "Even if she's on the up and up, you think we have enough time for her to get outta here?"

"Shepard, we're out of time!" Grunt roared through the comm. "We stay here, Aralakh Company dies! Is that clear?"

And that was another thing. Aralakh Company, the best of the best, had already been reduced to a fraction of its former strength. It was a miracle any of them had lasted this long. They couldn't survive another assault. And Grunt was with them. The same Grunt who'd saved my ass countless times. Could I really consider losing him for the rachni?

"Listen up!" I said, coming to a decision. "Aralakh Company holds the rachni off while the queen escapes. We'll buy you some time."

I paused, hating myself, before giving my last order: "Grunt, we need someone to fall back to our position and lead us out!"

Grunt knew what I was asking. And he knew there was only one guy for the last task. "Damn you, Shepard!" he roared. "I'm leaving my team. On my way!"

"Shepard?" Garrus frowned. "You sure about this?"

"Commander—" James began.

"I've given you guys an order!" I snapped. "She's too valuable an asset to lose!"

Harsh, I know. But letting the rachni go at the expense of Aralakh Company was a bitter pill to swallow. Call it callous, call it a moral failing. At the moment, reducing the queen to an 'asset' was the only way I could force myself to keep going. Pulling out my submachine gun, I blew out the node with a single shot.

The rachni queen cried out as she freed her leg. The ground shook as she stumbled. She caught her balance, leaned over and cried out again.

"Grunt?" I called out through the comm. "Lead us out of here."

Right on cue, part of the wall exploded. As the debris settled, Grunt strode through the cloud. His armour was still gleaming, but the light of bloodlust had left his eyes. He couldn't keep up his thrill for battle with all the losses he'd taken during his brief command.

The losses I'd forced him to take.

Wordlessly, the squad ran towards him. Grunt led us out while the rachni queen sang her farewell. (9)

We ran through the tunnels.

The only thing keeping us company was the sound of our footsteps. The sounds of our laboured breathing. The unholy shrieks of the Reapers' creations. And maybe, just maybe, the last stand of Aralakh Company.

Spotting one of the Reaperfied rachni above us, Grunt raised his shotgun and fired. His shot dislodged the hostile's footing and it plummeted to the ground, splattering like a squashed bug when it landed. Grunt laughed briefly as he ran over its remains.

We ran through the tunnels. My hardsuit had been recording our travels, creating a rough map of the area. Based on its projections, the path to freedom was up ahead and to the right. I ran forward…

…a chorus of shrieks hit my ears…

…I hastily screeched to a stop and doubled back, motioning for the squad and Grunt to halt. Carefully, I poked my head out.

And swore again. The tunnel reached a T-junction up ahead. To the right lay freedom. To the left lay at least half a dozen of those Reaperfied rachni. We'd never make it with those bugs shooting us in the back.

I looked back at my squad. The people I'd fought with on and off since the beginning. The people I'd fought with since the start of this war. The woman I'd fought with, fought against and fell in love with.

One of those people stepped forward.

"The shuttle's down that path," Grunt growled. "I'll hold them off!"

I stared at him. Part of me wanted to say no. That it was suicide. But part of me knew he was the best choice. Anyone else would be torn apart in a matter of seconds. Grunt was the only one strong enough and tough enough to stall the Reaper forces and give the others a fighting chance at escape. He knew it. He knew that he wouldn't be coming back.

But he was willing to volunteer anyway. Even though he'd only seen a few years of life in this twisted, stupid, unfair, cruel universe.

"Get outta here, Shepard!" he roared.

Damn it. I really hated this war.

I stared at him for a few more seconds, seconds I didn't have. There was nothing I could say. Nothing that could make this right. So I clapped him on the shoulder and ran. I ran along the tunnel to the right, squad hot on my heels. Hating myself with every step I took.

"My turn," I thought I heard Grunt say. "Heh, heh, heh…"

I heard the discharge of a shotgun. And another. And another. Several shots rang out.

Then all I heard was the sound of shrieking.

I roughly swept the tears from my face and ran.

The sun was shining when we stepped out, of course.

I quietly waited as the rest of the squad joined me. Tears trickled down the faces of several of them. I could feel them running down mine. In the distance, I saw a shuttle hovering over the ground, ready for a quick extraction and lift-off. Reaching up, I activated the comm. "Cortez…" I began.

Then my throat closed.

With an effort, I cleared my throat. "Cortez, we're the last ones out."

"Copy that, Commander. Shuttle is waiting."

We slowly walked towards the shuttle, weapons half-remembered in our hands, heads bowed. With a hiss of pressurized air, the hatch opened and we slowly climbed onboard. I turned around to take one last look at this hellhole. This abattoir where so many krogan—and rachni—had lost their lives. My eyes swept over the harsh, empty wasteland…

…

…and settled on a krogan slowly staggering his way out of the tunnel. His hardsuit was caked with gore and covered with blood—both his and the blood of all the monsters he'd slain. His eyes were slightly glazed.

But I'd know that ugly mug anywhere. "Grunt!" I cried out in joy.

Miranda and Garrus raced to join me as I sprinted towards him. "Anybody… got something to… eat?" he managed before collapsing. I caught him in my arms, barely staying on my feet as I struggled against his sheer weight. "Hang on," I urged. "You made it, Grunt. You saved us.

"You saved us all!" (10)

(1): A human crime drama series in the late twentieth century—joined by a pair of movies and an attempted reboot series in the early twenty-first century—revolving around three women (the Angels) working for a private detective agency headed by 'Charlie,' an enigmatic millionaire whose face was never seen and communicated with the Angels over a audio-communications device.

(2): It had, though it didn't affect me as much as Shepard thought. By that point, I had come to terms with my mother's fate and had moved on. Still, I appreciated his sensitivity.

(3): Oh dear.

(4): If only because it encouraged his natural tendency for kleptomania.

(5): Shepard would subsequently call these creatures 'Ravagers'.

(6): Garrus was undoubtedly listening in on the conversation over the squad channel.

(7): A variation on the phrase 'I love the smell of napalm in the morning' from the 1979 human war film 'Apocalypse Now'.

(8): The rachni queen also used musical terms to converse with us on Noveria. Whether it was a cultural expression or the closest analogue it could find remains unknown.

(9): While this would prove to be the right decision, both morally and strategically, none of us had any way of knowing that at the time. I cannot fathom what Shepard must have struggled with.

(10): To see Grunt emerge triumphant was the most wonderful, beautiful thing I had ever imagined.