The pink-clouded morning that greeted her was brighter than it had ever been before. Wrex was already awake, doling out the last of their rations. Best she could tell, it was all protein with a side of carbs. He showed her a few things, the basic outline of the bunker. The most efficient way to kill a krogan. And best of all, he returned her knife. She turned it over in the palm of her hand. The weight of it felt right. Felt like her.

"When we hit the base, they're gonna throw everything they got at us. Don't hold back."

"I never do."

"Not from what I been hearing." He paced forward, grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. "We're goin' in hot kid. When I say show me what you can do, I mean show me the grit, show me the rage, show me how you feel every time you look at a slaver. You take that hate you keep buried deep inside of you, and you show it me. Rip their spines out and beat 'em with it." His speech ended with a manic grin. And her heart soared with anticipation, pumped on words alone.

Forty-five minutes later, and they were madly dashing past the cannons. The massive guns blasted apart every scrap of cover. She propelled herself forward, racing through its path, only halting once they were safe from range.

Energy surged through her entire being, swirling around her. The prickling of haptic feed back as she reached out through the blue. Weyrloc ahead. Wrex at her side. There were ten krogan within, all in need of death. She laughed a bright, mirthless sound born from hardship, blood, and pain. A rush of giddiness. Their first kill lay dead at her feet. He never saw them coming. Jane snuck up behind him, a dagger through the primary heart, Wrex's shotgun blast to the base of the skull, he fell before ever drawing a weapon.

Now the guards. Three targets. She pulsed ahead, slicing the left femoral, working her blade between barbaric plate armor cobbled together in the dim light of their bunker. A jab to the first heart, right where Wrex showed her. A slice across the carotid, just how they practiced. He fell. Glee spread through her and Wrex howled in amusement, it echoed through the narrow corridors. Something about it, something about their shared revelry made her grin from ear to ear.

She finally felt her freedom.

They pushed through the threshold with ease, forcing a half dozen krogan to retreat. Her and Wrex raced to cover, his leaping strides matching her biotic pulses. A band of Weryloc thugs opened fire, pinning them down with a dozen freely discharging rifles.

"What's the plan?" Jane bellowed over gunfire.

Wrex peered around the corner, and was quickly forced back. The ratatatatat of rifles unloading against concrete. "Can you toss a couple off that ledge?"

"You know what you're talking about? About nothin' being wrong with my biotics?"

"Damn straight."

"Then I can do a lot better than that."

It seemed almost too good to be true, that all she had to do was focus and the blue, her true power, would return to her. Its familiarity. Its safety. Its freedom. Yet, he made her believe. Made her more than what she became.

She engulfed herself in blue, until the heat of it seared through her chest. Her hands shook with anticipation. And she gulped it down, finding the cold precision that allowed her to bend it to her will. First a creak, then a plunge. A screech of metal as the entire platform crashed to the earth. The billowing dust blinded her, and Weryloc roared in shock.

Wrex grabbed her by the collar, tossing her onto his back. "Barrier now! All around us." She clamped her knees to his hump and obeyed. Sucking up every bit of biotics left inside of her. She could feel his own energy encasing them and joined with his, creating an impenetrable wall of blue. The dust was thick and choking. She coughed several times, controlling the act, ensuring it didn't settle in her throat.

Where she was blind, he could see. His uncanny sight pierced through the haze, seamlessly shifting from monocular and binocular vision. Protected by the addition of her barrier, he leaped into the cloud, the kickback from his shotgun vibrated through him as he laid into the last of Weryloc. "I could get used to fightin' like this Junior." His heavy boot came down on a thick, muscular neck. "Barrier's damn near impervious to bullets." One unfortunate soul made it to his feet, and stared blankly at the duo for a moment too long. Wrex barreled forward, smashing head-plate to nose, cackling at the burst of orange blood. "Wha-waa is that?" Their opponent gasped, pointing to the girl riding piggy-back.

"Your worst nightmare" Wrex pulled the trigger, she felt the cannon blast reverberate in her teeth.

Several empty clips later they finished off the last of Weryloc, and Jane dropped down to begin rummaging through the rubble, treasure hunting she called it. "Think I could use this?" She asked, pulling a shotgun from the debris.

"That's a Claymore, it's liable to shatter your skeleton from the kickback."

Jane stuck out her tongue and wrinkled her nose.

"Ehh. We'll get a suitable melee gun for ya one of these days. Somethin' asari. Hah."

"There's an insult in there somewhere."

"Whatever. I gotta sort through this crap. Take care of the bodies 'fore they start to stink will ya?"

Jane left Wrex to his salvage. There was a lot to clean up before the base would be ready for the big move in. She set to work levitating bodies through the exit, piling them nearby while building a pyre. When all twenty of the corpses were stacked outside, she returned to the bunker. The nearby river was calling to her, but for whatever reason, she felt compelled to explore the inner caverns. That's when a strange hubbub caught her ear. Sharp shrieking. Many voices. And distinctly not krogan.

She summoned a barrier, and dropped the floor, carefully stalking forward. Two corners. Those were always the most dangerous. She dashed to cover, practically melding against the final wall between her and an intersecting hallway. Straining, she tried to pinpoint the commotion. While she was fairly certain whatever was causing the noise wasn't sapient, she was certain not to drop her guard. There was all manner of vicious wildlife on Tuchanka. But what greeted her was utterly surprising, causing her to cry out.

A pen was situated on the far side of the room. Its wooden edges were pressed against the red rock, enclosing the space. Inside was a pair of varren pups, each no larger than a sack of flour. They had a set of matching blue irises and keratinous spines along their backs, still soft from youth. She scooped the first up, he yipped excitedly, licking her face and nibbling her boots once gently placed on the floor. Allowing Jane to turn her attention to his sister. She was quieter than her counterpart, but equally as enthusiastic to be handled.

They jumped at her legs, toppling over and stumbling into each other, overcome by eagerness, nails clacking against the hard stone. She sat down, allowing them access to her lap, giggling as the male climbed up, kissing her face, while bolstering his height by standing on his sister's back.

"Wonderin' where you got to." Wrex jolted her from her the show.

Jane couldn't help but grin in response, who could resist with two bundles of joy?

"Huh. They musta sold off the rest, and kept these two. Betcha these are the picks of the litter. And Weyrloc breeds 'em tough. Good bloodlines. Anyhow, I got somethin' to show ya. Don't worry 'bout the pups. They'll follow, it's instinct."

He lead her back down the corridor to a rather steep set of stairs. The pups bounced after them, carrying twigs and bits of rock in their curious mouths. When they reached the steps, Jane scooped them up, little trundles under each arm, and ascended as they wriggled against her sides.

It lead out to the structure's rooftop. The cleverly hidden bunker was built into the side of a small mountain. From a distance, it appeared to be nothing more than a large cave with ancient skeletons of trees at its highest point, their mammoth trunks and dried up branches concealing any signs of life. She set the pups down and they immediately began mouthing each other, wrestling and yipping with glee – excited by the new smells most likely.

"Time for a bit of honesty kid." Wrex patted the ground next to him. "While I was gone, I did some research on ya. Someone like you, with your level of training, doesn't just materialize outta nowhere. And the Shadow broker's got files on just about everyone. Being a bit curious, I contacted a guy who owed me a favor. It feels a bit underhanded, not tellin' ya about it."

Jane was making her way over to him, still distracted by the playful rascals at her feet.

"Look, I know who you are kid. Don't even try to hide it. You know, they hadda a lot of names for ya on Kar'Shan. Assassin. Blue Death. Morta nil."

She missed the next step, tumbling ass over tea-kettle.

He roared. "Oh man, I wish Tali was here. She woulda taken a picture."

The pups bounded up to her and immediately began raining down kisses with their sloppy tongues. One even found its way inside her nose before she managed to sit upright. "I..I ...I …" Her voice quavered. Shaky, like a newborn calf. "Then you know who I am. What I've… done." The words she spoke now were only a whisper, one that she didn't expect to be overheard. "That I'm a monster."

"You're not a monster kid, you're a survivor. There's a big difference."

Wrex

She shifted away from him, clinging to the pup like a life raft. It squirmed in her arms, wanting nothing more than to continue nibbling on her chin. Sharp puppy teeth dug into her flesh, bits of blood dribbling down into her lap, but she didn't react. Ten to one, she had no idea. Wrex had seen this before. Broken kids with itchy trigger fingers, fighting just to fight, killing just to feel some semblance of power in their lives. Numb to pain. Numb to life. Often their clans had been brutalized and wiped out, the kids taken and integrated with the attackers' tribe. Over the years they'd forget where they came from, and when he arrived to bring an end to the warlords' tyranny, those same kids would fight him. Sometimes they'd be too much, forcing his hand. Then they died the same way they lived, cold, broken and alone. But every once and awhile, he managed to reach one, convince 'em to lay down their arms and follow him. And damn if that wasn't a good feeling.

This girl was no different. Sure she was funny looking, soft human hair and a weird monkey face. All smooth and alien. But damn if she didn't act krogan. And until the shaman had a knock at her, he was all she had, so he kept on keepin' on. "You wanna know what a monster woulda done when I left ya in that bunker? A monster woulda taken over the second its rations ran lean."

"I'm not dumb enough to try and take on a pack of krogan," She snapped, eyes full of distrust. She was disappearing into herself again. That thing one does when reality becomes too real.

"You wouldn't have to and you damn well know it. I see the way you assess everyone and everything, constantly searching for threats. No way you didn't research krogan before comin' here. You know what the genophage means for us, understand how precious every child is to the survival of our species. You coulda taken a couple young'uns hostage, demanded food, water, supplies then poisoned their well, leavin' them with them nothin'. It'd ensure you got off scott free and that they couldn't follow ya. Hell you done shit like that before, haven't ya girl? But when it was up to you, when the choice was in your hands, you made yourself useful. You worked for your rations, integrated with the group. That's not a monster. That's a person. And don't you forget it."

The male pup busied himself with tugging on her pant-leg, gnawing at her under-suit while the female had fallen asleep, haphazardly spread across Jane's knees. Jane, who seemed to be either tuning him out or only half there.

"Keep one." He interrupted her reverie. "Kid like you could use a war beast."

And damn if that wasn't the honey to her bee. Her jaw dropped, lips forming an O, hand reverently and gently caressing the pups in turn. A few hours earlier, he watched that same hand tear a man to pieces, scales flying off in a torrent of blue, and he chortled at the expression of shock on the asshole's face as a pyjack, less than an eighth his size, bled him dry.

"Is .. is it okay to separate them? Won't they be upset?"

"They gotta grow up apart, just how it is. If they're together too long they'll develop litter-mate syndrome and only listen to each other. That makes 'em dangerous. Varren grow to be upwards of 280 lbs. If they can't obey, we gotta put 'em down and eat 'em."

The look of utter disdain she shot him almost made him roar with laughter.

They spent three weeks living in that base. Clearing rubble. Burning bodies. Wrex took her out on several hunting expeditions, teaching her how to find her way in the desert, how to track across the mutable sands using the stars as a guide. Together they slew a bantha, a massive woolly elephant-like creature with curled horns, and hung it outside the cavern to drain its blood and prepare the meat. Apparently, an adult bantha could feed the female clan and their young for a full two weeks. It was a good hunt. A good kill.

Their time at the base also brought her a deeper understanding of Wrex. For one, he was smart. Far smarter than she imagined. And she was learning a great deal from him. Maybe not what she initially thought she was here for, but there was something about him that made her strive towards whatever goal he set her on. Whether it was how to scale and skin their kills or make soap from their tallow, she wanted nothing more than to impress him.

Currently, her free time was consumed with teaching the pups how to swim in the oasis. Keeping each buoyant with the palm of her hand against its chest, they'd paddle in circles excitedly yipping and biting at the water. Varren weren't natural swimmers, native to the desert's ecology, their paws didn't form the webbing that many dogs possessed. Yet, with practice, they were able to produce enough upwards force to keep themselves from drowning.

Both the male and female pups had names now – Urz and Vuzka, respectively. But when the rest of Urdnot arrived, she'd have to choose. And she dreaded that day, knowing she'd have to say goodbye to one.

Wrex called her inside, and she swam to the shore, reluctantly pulling the sticky under-suit back on. In her rush to dole out swimming lessons, she had completely forgotten to wash it. And even if she had, there was no way it would've had enough time to dry. If she could go back in time to Omega, she would order at least three sets before departing. That way, she wouldn't be forced to put her clean body back in the grimy, disgusting thing. But she only had the one.

Wrex was sitting atop a dead stump on the roof, a place that had become 'his spot' in her mind. "We're leavin' in a couple hours. There's been … a development."

Jane cared for one thing, and one thing only, and it showed. "What about the pups? I thought I could only bring one…"

"Eh. The clan will be here by nightfall. The pup'll be fine."

"What changed anyway?" She walked over, sitting next to him. Urz secured in her arms, Vuzka at her feet. The pups had already grown enough that she could only carry one at a time.

"Wreav." Wrex spat the name like a curse. "My idiot brother is part of the rearguard and he won't take kindly to your presence."

She shifted nervously. "I take it this means I'm not allowed to kill him?"

"Hah! Hell no, rain down hell on him for all I care. I just need you in one piece for the refugee transfer. And he's gonna challenge you girl. Ain't no way around it."

"So? I can handle myself. Or did you miss the part where I bent metal when we took this base?"

"Uh huh. Wreav is almost as good as me. Your stuff packed?"

"Yeah… but I don't… how do I choose?" She looked down at the pups, choking back a cry. It was the most emotion he'd ever seen out of her.

"Welp let's see." He roughly picked up Urz, turning him over, inspecting every inch of him, before doing the same with Vuzka. "The male will be a better fighter. Damn strong already. Female's gonna be shorter, smaller and better suited to companionship than fightin'. But it's your call."

"Well, if it means Urz has a better chance of surviving, I'll bring him. Does anyone make varren armor? What if someone shoots him?"

"Sorry kid, I don't think anyone but you cares enough."

She stuck out her tongue and wrinkled her nose in response. "Wait a sec, how do you know Wreav is gonna be here? Do you have the extranet?" Her voice pitched on that last question, excitement creeping in.

"Only an interplanetory connection. What, want to talk to the turian or something?"

"Maybe."

"Well, I'm sure some of the women will have an off-planet connection going by the time we're back. Don't take it lightly when I say, Wreav is gonna be a problem. He's fractured our clan. Half follow him. Half follow me. You serious about fightin' him? Sure you want that? He's no biotic but he's nearly as strong as I am, krogan don't follow weaklings."

She shrugged. But Wrex caught a grin tugging at the sides of her face.

"You like fightin', don't ya girl?"

This time he didn't get an answer.

"You know, I used to be a bounty hunter. Tracked and killed men for creds. I spent damn near three centuries like that. And I did it so I could eat. So I could get the hell off this rock. I did it because it was the one thing I knew how to do. And damn if it wasn't fun. Well, before the novelty of fightin' for creds wore off."

She let her focus slide for a few minutes. The male pup, worn from his swimming lessons, was snoozing against her thigh. By the looks of it, Vuzka was about to join him. Her head bobbed where she sat, attempting to refuse sleep. Her focus was on them when she spoke, low and tentative. "You enjoyed it?"

"Hell, I took pride in it. There's a certain thrill to hunting sapient beings, a test of skill and mettle." He stretched and beckoned her forward. "Come over here to the ledge. I've got somethin' to show ya."

She carefully laid the sleeping pup next to his sister and joined Wrex. They stood at the precipice of the highest point on the roof, overlooking a flat expanse. A river, such a rare sight on Tuchanka, wound its way around the sandy dunes, a shimmering snake in the sea.

"What'd you learn in that bunker girl? What did you see?"

Jane paused, thinking, unsure what he was getting at. "None of the kids had mothers. They were all orphans, I think. Kiash and Amata were the only two who spoke with me though, so I'm not sure."

"You got it right." Wrex nodded. "That wasn't what I was asking, but it was close. Hardship is all around us, in every corner. No one is alone in the fact that they struggle. This," He waved outward, tracing the breadth of the world with his hands. "This is what we're fighting for. The chance at a better life for an entire species." Pulling her knife from its sheath, he continued. "When you wield this blade, I want you to think of those women in the bunker and remember you're doin' this to free them. Your feelings about it don't matter. Enjoying it is nothin' to feel guilt over. Only your choices hold that kind of weight. I'll enjoy kicking these assholes' teeth straight outta their mouths. I'll enjoy crushing their skulls in, the feel of their bones snapping under my weight. Ain't nothin' wrong with that. But when the time comes, I'll lay down my gun and give peace a chance, even if it bores me to death. That's what makes me different than them. That's what sets me apart. Not because I don't enjoy it."

A few weeks ago she was ready to either call it quits, or murder this infuriating lizard. She thought him an idiot. A buffoon. Yet, as it turned out, he was one of the wisest people she ever met. Even Mordin didn't understand what was wrong with her biotics, insisting it was a lack of proper training. Krul, a man who had fought for nearly two centuries, said it was beyond him. But Wrex knew the moment he spoke with her – before she even set foot on Tuchanka, hadn't he? Now she looked up at him in awe, realizing how lucky she was simply to have a moment of his time. "You remind me of someone."

"Oh? Better not be the turian."

She chuckled. "No… a batarian actually. He was determined to free his people from the Hegemony."

"Guess that's better, but only a little. Now lets see what grub we can scrounge up. I'm starving. And I ain't hikin' on an empty stomach. You better eat all ya can girl. I want you strong. You're gonna need it to fight Wreav. We'll be trainin' the whole way there and back. Every night and every morning."

A/N: Oooh boy. Jane educated by Wrex. That'll be interesting.

Anyhow, I think my new saying is, I make plans, and my characters laugh. I finally got around to outlining the current time-line up until ME2. And we're closer than I realized, especially if I keep up with these lengthier chapters. Once the full outline was sitting in front of me, I saw that Jane's character was mostly developed to the point that I need. The rest is semantics.

(Don't worry. Tuchanka is still in development and will be fully fleshed out. There's simply going to be some other stuff happening as well.)

That also means we're approaching something I've never tried before: juggling multiple events that are happening simultaneously. I'm both excited and slightly apprehensive to try it. So, please let me know if anything gets confusing or jarring while you're reading along. While I may not change things, or be capable of it, given certain events need to happen for all the pieces to fit together come the Reaper War and I'm the only one who knows where this crazy thing is going, I will take the advice/opinion/whatever to heart and keep it in mind while moving forward.

For example, It Doesn't End Well gave me a rather exciting tid bit of advice back when Garrus first landed on Omega. I wound up writing an entire chapter around the suggestion. We're god only knows how many chapters away from that event, but I really took it to heart. It excited me, and showed me another way to depict a scene.