Drix

Jane had the blue. She had so much. More than he ever knew existed. More than mom, who had the blue too. Yet, if he fought hard enough, he could escape mom's hold. (Who was coming for him soon. No matter what any dummy said.)

But Jane's blue was different. He kicked and thrashed and butted and even let out a roar, but try as he might she had all the blue he ever did see. And he'd wind up right back where he started. With the dumb babies. He wasn't a dumb baby no more. He was gonna be a warrior! It wasn't fair that he was stuck with them. The babies. Wusagi wailed forever and ever when Kiash packed her up, because she dropped a deuce and didn't want to leave it behind. My poops are my friend! My poops are my friend! I canna leave! She cried the whole way through the hatch, only stopping when the sun hit.

Dumb. Baby.

It was hard to see when they left. And he stumbled around a bit, until Wrex wrapped his head in a weird foil that made the world darker. Things were a little easier then. But they had to wait, everyone took forever and ever to climb the ladder. And everyone was crying. Even Kiash knelt in the sand making weird bubbub sounds. She said a prayer to Aralakh, scooping up sand and pouring it from her hands. Jane didn't though. She marched forward, next to Wrex because she was a true warrior. Like he was gonna be.

Then they started walking. And Jane fell back from the front, lips stretching towards her eyes as he passed. He was happy he wasn't on the caravan with the babies. Although, his legs started to hurt after forever. But they still walked. And walked. And walked. Then they had to stop because Kiash was wheezing. Wrex dumped water on her head and they all sat down for a while. He was getting pretty bored, but he was tired too. The next thing he knew, Jane was shaking him awake because it was time to leave and sand was stuck in everything. In his scales. In his mouth. Even his eyeballs were itchy, so it was probably in there too. But he didn't say nothin'. He was gonna be a warrior, and warriors don't whine.

When night came, they put him back with the babies. At first he was really mad because he didn't sit on the caravan at all that day. He walked with the grownups, so why couldn't he eat and sleep with them too? Then he didn't care. Then he didn't care about anything other than how very, very cold he was and thought he would never think about anything but being cold ever again. But Jane came over and sat next to him. Saying she felt like that at first too. And she still did at times, but it helps if you huddle. That's when he realized how warm she was. So, so warm that he pressed against her squeezing as hard as he could until she told him to stop. Her blue was pretty in the night sky. He could see the stars twinkling through it. But then she told him that even though she was a superhero biotic and that must make her seem really, really big that she gets squished and to stop. He did. And he sorta felt bad. But he was also really, really cold.

They kept going like that for what felt like forever. Days and days until he couldn't count anymore. Sometimes he had to sit on the wagon with the babies. But he was too tired to care. He was still gonna be a warrior, the strongest warrior Clan Urdnot will ever see, but he was also gonna take a nap.

Some days they had to hide in rubble and old, broken bunkers while Wrex and Jane went off to kill bad men. He tried to tell Jane that he could help, that he was strong, but she said he had to grow more and gave him some bantha-jerky she kept in her pouch. They'd come back, usually covered in blood. Then they'd have to walk again.

But today was different. Sand was everywhere today, even in the sky. It made things hard to see. Except, there was no wind. So how did it get into the sky? Plus they stopped, and it wasn't even mid-day. Everyone was whispering too, probably so they didn't scare the babies. That was fine. He really didn't want to deal with Wusagi's crying again. But he wasn't a baby, so he was really upset that they were treating him like one. He snuck away from the nursery circle to listen in on Wrex. Something exciting was about to happen. And he wanted to be a part of it.

"We're fucking blocked in the South too." Wrex was drawing a map in the sand. "Normally, I'd say we just run and take a gamble, but..."

"No. We-a too slow, it donna matta if I donna survive. But the babas canna die and you canna carry them all while running and shooting." That was Kiash. She looked grave, and sad. Sadder than he had ever seen her.

"It's a no-go either way. I couldn't carry them all, there's only so much arm to go around. And some are too young to hang on. If we don't get new blood in Urdnot soon, we're a dead tribe. No kids. No future. No Clan Alliance. That doesn't change the fact that they have us surrounded." He threw the stick down. "We gotta fight. Damnit it all. Fucking Hurgott. I get my hands on him, he's dead as dead gets. Livin' by the old ways when we're two generations from extinction. Fuckin' idiot."

"What about one of those big worms?" Now Jane was talking. It figured she'd be in the super-secret meeting, considering she was one of the coolest persons ever.

"You talkin' about a thresher maw? What do they have to do with anything?"

"Remember the one we spent two days creeping around, so as not to become lunch? If it's so hungry, why don't we set it on Hugo…"

"Hurgott." Kiash corrected.

"Whatever. The ass hole dude. We sic it on him and his band of mercs, let the problem take care of itself. Trouble is, I'm not sure if maws like to eat human and I'm the only one fast enough to outpace it. Then there's the matter of what the hell do we do when it's done eating Ass Hole Dude and Company? Think we can kill something that big?"

Wrex was nodding along to her battle plan. And why wouldn't he? That had to be the most awesome thing he ever heard. "Oh yeah. Killed one five times its size during my rite."

"Someone's exaggerating."

"Uh huh. How big are those trees really?"

But Jane just rolled her eyes. And Drix made certain to memorize the gesture.

"Maws are constantly hungry. And they'll eat just about anything, even somethin' as gamey as you. It might just work."

"Even I think it's crazy, so we're probably about to all die horribly."

"Sometimes crazy is the best way to go kid."

Kiash's head tilted skyward, at first Drix thought she was saying another prayer to Aralakh, blessing their upcoming battle. But she sniffed, a long drawn out sound, causing him to cringe, knowing what was coming. "We notta alone." She stood and began hobbling in his direction. Sure he coulda run, he was way faster than her, but Kiash already had his scent, so it wouldn't do any good. She pulled him up by the arm and let him roll down the dune. He landed on his back with nothing more than a soft squish-sound. Sand, sand everywhere.

Wrex looked down at him, grinning past his head plate. "Just can't stay outta trouble, can ya boy?"

"I can help! Let me help." He stood, head held high, placing both hands on his hips the same way Jane did. But Wrex just laughed and laughed. So he knew, before the talking part, that he failed to convince him of his worthiness. "One day boy. One day. For now, your only job is to survive. You heed Kiash ya hear? Anything she says, you do. Don't give her any mouth. Understood?"

And that's how he wound up back with the babies, while the biggest, baddest battle that ever existed happened all around them.

Jane watched Kiash drag Drix off, ensuring they were out of earshot when she spoke to Wrex, finalizing their plans. The last thing they needed was that head-strong child running onto their battlefield. "So, how are we going to get this thing to chase me in the first place?"

"Got both parts worked out. Ever shoot a rocket launcher?"

"Nope."

"Leave it to the turian to send me a kid who can't hold a gun."

"Y'know, he has a rifle collection right? Some are even mounted on the wall, that's how much he likes guns."

"He's still a turian." Wrex paused, staring at her. Something crossed his face that she couldn't identify. But it was heavy, whatever it was. "Never met anyone who'd risk their neck for a clan that ain't their own, much less a species. We pull this off, you can join Urdnot if you want."

"What about Wreav?"

"Wreav can kiss my tail for all I care. You're still gonna have to fight him though. One on one. And I won't be able to intervene. If he kills ya, he kills ya."

"We're about to take on a thresher maw. A solitary krogan really doesn't seem like much of a threat."

Wrex guffawed. "That's the spirit Junior."

Wrex had never seen something move that fast before. Although, Junior had him worried for a second. One wrong move and they'd send this thing straight into the women and kids, then this would be over. Urdnot would be over. The rockets were precision-kill, meaning they sought out their targets like glue on rice. But damn if she wasn't small. When she pulled the trigger, the force from the gun alone sent her flying. She slammed into a boulder, rocking back and forth for a second. Completely dazed. She regained her footing in time to see a mountain barreling towards her but it was close. And boy did she take off at an alarming speed.

She was nothing but a blur. A blue smear glimmering in the blazing light. And when he saw her again, she was leagues ahead of the maw. Stopping to catch her breath. He followed on one of the rover-bikes, ensuring he didn't lose sight of them. When it was done chomping on Hurgott, they'd have to contend with it before the thing decided to explore what else was on the menu. At that point, Jane's main task was to get the hell outta the way.

Stopping a quarter mile from the encampment, he watched the scene unfold. Damn hilarious that. He bowled once. A human clerk introduced him to the game a couple years before he met Shepard. They'd been tossing shots all night, the guy was drowning his wifely sorrows in a bottle, and they hit it off. Liquor was always better with company, an inclination they shared. He couldn't remember how they made it from Chora's Den all the way to the East Wards, fifteen shots of Ryncol will do that to you, but he found himself knocking over little pins with a ball made of rock. Despite the lack of violence, it kept his blood moving. And when that maw barreled through Quash Hurgott's Camp of Assholes, he was reminded of his numerous strikes. If one slammed the ball down the alley with enough force, it'd knock over just about anything. Of course, that also put a hole in the wall, and got him kicked out. But that was semantics. Watching those assholes flailing mid-air was glorious. Brought a tear to the eye really.

Then it was time for Junior to retreat. She was good, one day maybe she'd be one of the best, but that kid was no match for a thresher maw on foot. Not even a baby one.

A/N: The Lion King song, Oh, I Just Can't Wait to Be King reminds me of Drix. :)