Jane fractured her leg during the fight with the thresher maw. It was stupid. So stupid. Wrex sent her into the ravine, clearing a path for him to burn that thing to the ground. The band of warlords softened it. Well, before the maw flattened them like bugs. The thing actually ate a guy whole. It was crazy cool. But she was so wrapped up in the show, that she completely missed the boulder shaking loose. Right up until it slammed into her leg. So, that was great.

But she had the privilege of seeing Wrex in all his glory. And it was truly a sight to behold. For one krogan roared, not unlike lions. And when that maw showered him in venomous goo, he loosed a roar so fierce that it shook the ground. Literally. Pebbles bounced. Rubble vibrated. And of course, that damn boulder was knocked loose. She unleashed a couple warps from her hiding position, but was careful to heed Wrex's order not to draw its attention. Just a bit of softening so he could tear it apart. And boy oh boy, that's exactly what he was doing. She could see him moving, blue glowing, a burst of light from his rifle. He tossed a couple grenades at the beast's head and ducked behind an old, dilapidated pillar. A moment later and the maw had completely demolished it with a swipe of the tail. Then he loosed another roar and charged. An unyielding force of raw power. And she wondered, if he kept going, could he charge straight through the maw itself, ripping a krogan-shaped hole in its snakey belly. Things to ruminate on later.

When all was said and done he returned for her, laughing at her predicament. She rode on his shoulder back to the Assholes' camp. At least they had a couple ground vehicles specced for the dunes. Which meant they could travel a lot faster, as there would be more room for the very young, and very old, to ride. But now she was stuck on one of the caravans, with her leg in a splint and nothing to do but watch and think.

Drix would walk alongside the caravan, proffering his latest finds. Mostly rocks. Once he brought her some sort of shell. And his absolute favorite treasure, a klixxen skull. Apparently, he stole it from Kiash's belongings, right under her nose. She promised, may the wrath of Aralakh strike her down if she broke this oath, to keep his secret and he beamed at her with idolizing eyes. Amata would pop by from time to time. She'd been tasked with watching younglings from the start. And wanted to know her secret with Drix, because she was on her last nerve with that boy. Unfortunately for Amata, Jane didn't have much insight. Her and Drix simply got each other. Although, she did tell her to try letting him have more responsibility, give him a chance to prove himself, was how she put it. Maybe that would work. Or maybe he'd tie Wusagi to Urz and set off a few fireworks.

So, she had company. And good company at that. Yet after a few idle days, her nights became active. The dreams returned, as did a few bouts of paranoia. (Heavy, fur blanket. A weight on her chest. Off. Off. I need it off, I'm suffocating.) And the worst part, the most embarrassing part, was that she had to tell Wrex. Everyone's safety was at risk because of her. The ticking time bomb. One night she woke up, standing despite the leg, not sure how she got to where she was. Biotics? Was she using her powers in her sleep again? She had to be, otherwise how did she get there? It's not like she could walk unassisted. And even if she had, someone on watch would've noticed, unless she was somehow propelling herself forward while unconscious. She had to ring Wrex to come pick her up, wherever she was. Thank goodness for GPS. Later that day, she heard him on the com asking someone to find a task for Wreav far from base. 'Send him on a nathak chase,' was how he put it. At least she hadn't blown anything up. Yet.

When their caravan arrived, there was a line of krogan by the cave entrance. Even from a distance, she could see their vibrant, green face paint – the color of Urdnot. But one in particular caught her eye. She carried herself with a note of pride, chin tilted upwards, grasping a highly decorated walking stick – adorned with skulls, bits of bone, and large wooden bulbs. They dangled and clanged against each other. The shaman.

If they were going for dramatic effect, it certainly worked. The shaman was taller than any other krogan woman she met. Already, she seemed a bit intimidating. She wore long, flowing robes, jet black and trimmed with gold, and boosted her already impressive height with thick, soled sandals. A strong, magnificent tower. And she found herself filled with gratitude at her unassuming position in the caravan.

Gradually, the refugees extricated themselves. The last were carrying younglings, the first in line for clan integration. She watched as they approached the shaman, each bowing in turn. In the wise-woman's hands, babes were placed. She blessed each, sprinkling a bit of sand while reciting a prayer. The words didn't translate. Old Krogish. Hard sounds.

That's when she got her first glance of Urdnot Males. They stood apart form the women, emerging from somewhere behind the cave's entrance to begin unloading the caravan. She watched in awe as they effortlessly heaved massive crates onto their shoulders. It took three women to pile that blasted thing into the wagon, and they were insanely strong compared to her. Sure, she'd seen Wrex fight. But never lift things.

When everyone was finished with both the greeting, and the unloading, she made her way into the cavern with the two groups converging into one. There was still a straight line, where females ended and the males began, a reminder of their separate clan structure. The Urdnot males were camping a few feet from the new, female base. And it made things unusually tense, before taking the alien into account. As they proceeded, she received more than a few, furtive glances from both sides of the line. It was a bit unnerving.

She was hobbling forward using the cane Kiash fashioned for her. Yet, before she could cross the cave's threshold, Wrex pulled her from the fray.

"Wreav's here." His voice was low, cautious.

"Yeah… my leg is gonna be crap to fight on."

He pulled her up, carrying her with one arm wrapped around her waist. She felt like a gnat in the shadow of immense power. "Gotta a plan. But you won't get to see the swearing ceremony. Hope that leg ain't too badly busted."

He brought her through the winding cavern, Urz at his heels, unwilling to let Jane out of his sight, even for a moment. "Where's Vuzka anyway?"

"I tell you my giant, jack ass brother, who wants to kill you by the way, is lurking around. And what do you ask me? Where's the other pup."

"Didn't answer the question."

"She's here somewhere. You'll get to see her later."

He brought her to a small room nestled at the very bottom of the cavern. A few tarps were haphazardly draped between the medical enclave and the tunnel. Within, a handful of machines buzzed and whirred. And at the center was something she never thought to see on Tuchanka. A salarian. He was dark brown in the horns, gradually lightening to a ruddy color around the mouth. When he saw them enter, he whipped around, and she ground her teeth at the sight. Chains hung around his wrists and ankles. "I don't take well to people who use slave labor y'know."

"He ain't a slave." Wrex answered. "He's a prisoner. This guy claims to want to help us. And I'm giving him that chance. If I hadn't taken him in, the other krogan woulda torn him limb from limb by now."

"And I am most grateful." The salarian bowed. "How might I be of assistance?"

"Need her leg fixed for a fight. And fast. Can you do it?"

Wrex set her down on one of the gurneys while the salarian fiddled with a few dials, holding a red tablet over the offending leg. It was the same leg she broke on the Ubralle. And the night she nearly blew up Garrus's base. Maybe the entire limb was bad luck.

"Mm. Broken it before haven't you?"

"Yup." Jane's voice was icy, not quite believing Wrex's explanation. "What's your name anyway? And why are you really here?"

"Maelon. And I am not Urdnot's slave. I came to Tuchanka of my own free will, to help cure the genophage."

"So you say." Wrex growled. "Can you fix her or not salarian?"

"Yes. Fully. Will take a week in the bone regenerator but I can speed things up to functional within a few days, if you are traveling. Will need cast but…"

"Need it faster. Thought salarians were supposed to be geniuses at this sorta crap. My brother is here at this very moment. And he's gonna try and tear her apart the second he lays eyes on her."

Maelon held up a solitary, spindly finger. "Can make her capable of fighting tonight. Three hours. But she'll need time to heal properly afterwards. Will probably have to re-break it. Won't be pleasant."

Wrex looked at her then. "It's up to you Junior. Though I'd get this over with were I in your shoes. Otherwise, Wreav is liable to kill ya in your sleep."

"Sounds like motivation to me. Do it."

Under Wrex's steadfast glare, Maelon began the treatment. There were injections, pills, more injections. At one point, he even screwed a few pins in. (That part was wicked cool.) And then he popped her leg in the regenerator, all while humming Gilbert and Sullivan. It was eerily familiar. Still, something about him set her teeth on edge. So, she held her tongue. Wrex must've sensed it too, as he didn't leave her side. Not even to pee. And he was shifting in his seat as if he was about to burst.

"What's that?" Wrex pointed at the latest vial about to be jabbed in her thigh.

"Injection to heal bones."

"Uh huh. Why's it a different color than the last three?"

"It's a catalyst." Maelon's hands waved through the air. "It'll help boost her healing rate temporarily."

"Put it in you first. I know what that other crap is. I recognize it from my days with Shepard. But that? That's new. And it ain't goin' in her before it goes in you."

Jane shot Wrex a quizzical look. And he explained, unabashed. "You're still young enough to not know. But salarians have minds like a maze. They're always up to something."

After some arguing, and a series of colorful hand gestures from both men, Maelon capitulated and injected himself with the blue vial before turning to Jane.

Three hours later, and her leg was numb but functional. She was wobbling around the medbay, testing her limb's capabilities, when Wrex finally caved. "Gotta take a whizz. You good in here Junior?"

She nodded towards him with little interest. Her focus was on whether or not she was fit to fight. Still, the moment Wrex was out of sight, she felt it instantly. A shift in the air between her and Maelon. Whatever he was trying to accomplish, he seemed to have the sense to be cautious of her. She turned to him, and he held up both hands, trying to make himself unassuming and small. But he was up to something. Whether it was something benign, like orchestrating an escape, or something more nefarious she couldn't say. "What?"

"Nothing. Just observing your physical mobility. May need to bolster with immune-suppressants temporarily to reduce inflammation."

"Yeah no. I'll be fine without that. Thank you." He's lying. It sounded right. Afterall, corticosteroids steroids were used to bring down inflammation. A fact she was well acquainted with given her background. But he wanted something. There was a hungry look in his eye that reminded her of the scientists at Datmar. And she didn't like it.

Wrex returned looking incredibly relieved. And she hurried to his side with a now functional leg. It felt as though it had been fashioned from rubber, but it worked. She rushed ahead when they left the medbay, eager to be elsewhere. Even if that meant running straight into Wreav. At least krogan were straight up with you. They tell you to your face that they want to kill you. None of this sneaking around garbage. When they were well out of earshot, close to the main chamber, she prodded Wrex's side to get his attention. "Don't trust him."

"Who? Wreav? Never trusted that jack-hole in my life."

"No, Maelon. You're right. He's up to something. And I doubt it's anything good. Look, I … I generally hate doctors, with one exception. But even he turned out to be filing reports on me. Reports that had information I wouldn't want anyone to see. So there's that. He fixed it in the end, and maybe he had good reasons. And I liked him, yet I only trusted him because Nalah was around.… But Maelon rubs me the wrong way, in a really big way."

"That was a lot of words to get to a really simple point. Still, sometimes I think you have more in common with the krogan than some krogan I know."

They arrived at the main chamber however, and were out of time. From their shrouded place behind the podium, she could see Kiash standing alongside the female shaman. The ceremony ended. And from the looks of it, awhile ago. Wrex pushed passed her, short words. Plenty of meaning. "Don't show yourself until I say." They had been waiting for her. This was as much her initiation into Urdnot as theirs. She shifted nervously. Foot to foot. Hands clenching and unclenching.

Torches lined the walls of the main area, a massive yet natural cavern. They blazed smokeless. How? Many eyes glinted in the darkness. Most held spears, and home-made tokens that looked closer to farming equipment than weapons. But produced ghastly shadows when combined with the krogan form, all dancing across the wall in the dim light. Like something out of a horror flick Potok showed her once. (Although, she thought it was hilarious.)

Wrex was putting on one hell of a show. From his lofty position, overlooking a crowd of krogan, he bellowed the Tale of Shepard. The mightiest human warrior, who brought down a foe that even the likes of krogan had never seen. With his help of course.

"Sovereign had us by the balls. That reaper took the citadel. Saren's army of geth and krogan clones were closing in on the council, the beings who rule this galaxy. Yet, Shepard was undeterred." His fists slammed together. "We beat those bastards back, from Ilos to the Citadel to the very ends of the galaxy. Our wayward brethren couldn't hope to stand in his wake. Not even the rachni survived the storm we unleashed! That's right, the rachni, straight from the legends. The queen at the center, a cold siren of death. Her minions surrounded us. Hundreds? Thousands? Hundreds of thousands? We fought through every horror she threw at us. And returned the rachni to their rightful graves."

By the time Wrex was finished, she pictured Commander Shepard as a ten foot giant who farted molotovs or some shit.

And then came the moment. Her moment. "With us today we have the last of his tribe. The last of Clan Shepard is among us. Jane Shepard. A warrior woman who fights for this clan as if it were her own." He motioned for her to join him, and she obeyed, laughter ringing around her as she walked onto the podium. One krogan choked so hard his buddy was slapping his hump. 'She wouldn't even make a good lunch' was the general conclusion. But Wrex was undeterred. He stood proud, head held high, letting their amusement run its course. A hushed murmur spread through the crowd when they realized he was serious.

A single, deep bark rang across the stone. "Our esteemed leader brings us a pyjack as kin? And you follow him?" His plate was a ruddy, solid brown, lacking the deep gashes Wrex's boasted. "He's finally gone off the deep end. Could there ever be more proof that he's turning us soft, like the asari? Step aside brother. Let a real man rule before I tear you to shreds."

"Wreav." Wrex spat his name like bad omen. "You want to oppose her joining our clan? Then fight her yourself."

"Fight that? It'd be an insult to even try."

"Or maybe," Jane interjected, before taking a long, hard sniff. "You're scared. Too drunk to fight?"

"I could end you in the blink of an eye, no matter how thick the Ryncol runs in my veins."

Wrex coulda cut the tension with a knife. And that's exactly how he wanted her, revved and ready to charge. She stood, red hanging over her eyes, a vicious little grin rose on her human features. His idiot brother had no idea what he was in for. The days of him dividing Urdnot were over. He watched him take a few more swigs from the bottle before spitting in her direction. She retorted with an impressive biotic lash, forcing Wreav a few feet backwards. "Alright save it for the pit."

He pulled Junior aside while Wreav lumbered to the arena. She was tying her head-fur back, away from her field of vision. "This is gonna be just like the pit fights you're used to, right down to no weapons. You remember how to condense that barrier like I showed ya?"

"I'll be fine. I'm actually kind of disappointed he's drunk. I thought he'd be… I dunno… a challenge?"

"Don't underestimate him. Wreav is damn strong. Be ready. Be fast. And do not let him get in close enough to hit ya. This'll be all over if that happens."

"Oh please." A backwards scoff and she was off.

Jane situated herself on the opposing end of the pit. Wreav was doing an impressive job looking bored, but the fact that neither her, nor his brother, seemed the least bit concerned had an effect. He eyed her as if she were a poisonous snake, plotting to strike.

The krogan began chanting all around. A steady, booming thrum of drums and deep, guttural croons. When they reached the crescendo, Wreav charged. An agile jump to the side, enhanced with biotics, and he nearly slammed into the wall. She lashed out, fixating on his head plate, a weak spot among krogan. Fingers clawed, she could feel its ridges in the palm of her hand, and wrenched backwards nearly ripping it from his head. Vibrations of his roar traveled through the blue, coursing up her wrists. Orange blood oozed towards his eyes as he howled in pain. "Aww baby gonna cry?" She mocked.

The glare he shot her was murderous. This time, when he charged, she could feel the force of it from the opposite end of the pit. He was a tower stampeding towards her. A warp. A singularity. And another warp. That beautiful, satisfying explosion. But he shook it off. And was still advancing. She dodged in the nick of time, with merely a half charged barrier. Debris sailed upwards where his fist slammed into the rubble, and the next thing she knew, a metal slab struck her in the knee. As the limb gave out, toppling her to the ground, she realized it was the bad one. Wreav was closing in, she could feel his footsteps thundering towards her, and slammed him with a shockwave, using the momentum to roll out of reach.

Her blood was in her ears, whooshing against her skull. She kicked, and screamed, the shrill sound bounced through the cavern, echoing in the low places. Blood dribbled down her nose, unheeded. And, placing most of her weight on the good leg, she leaped, biotics propelling her upwards and landed behind him, pummeling him with everything she had.

Wrex was watching, a mogul perched on a ramshackle throne, as Jane turned the tide in her favor. For a moment, Wreav nearly had her. When he realized that she was too fast, that he'd never catch her otherwise, he began hurling rocks, garbage, and even the wreckage of a convoy at her. Two bits of rubbish hit. One in the leg. One in the head. Though, as far as he could tell, she was heedless of the injuries.

Now she was closing in, shrieking like something out of the ancient legends. Krogan throats couldn't soar so high, pierce so devilishly. And he knew, without looking, that every krogan on base was learning to respect the human. For, even if she died to Wreav, she held her own in battle. She proved, despite the incredible size difference, to be capable. To be an enemy worthy of respect.

Then she was on him. Still shrieking. Sometimes laughing. A ball of glittering fury carving through his brother. His Scout Commander, Gark, stammered at his side. "She's… winning. She's actually winning. You realize she's killing 'em right?"

"No shit." But that wasn't her purpose today. Watching him lose to that tiny girl would be enough. Wreav's men would leave in droves, and the once divided clan would come together as one. So, he allowed her to tear into him for a few more minutes. Allowed the humiliation to sink in. But when he saw her maneuver, preparing for the final blow, he moved.

Wrex grabbed her by the collar, and pulled her off a bleeding, motionless Wreav. Like a krogan, her adrenaline surged in battle. And her blood ran hot with youth. She wouldn't have heard his calls to stop. Dangling the small, bloodied human in the air, he roared across the cavern. "The spirit of Shiagur dwells in her bones." She squirmed in his grasp, hissing at Wreav's motionless form.

Silence.

"Would anyone deny her triumph? Would anyone deny her her rightful place in Urdnot?"

A few voices murmured. "What is it?" Along with, "A wraith of fire and death." And "Why would Shiagur choose to possess a human?" But none were willing to dispute, to pick up and face her in the pit. Krogan were a superstitious lot, and for once, he was turning it in their favor.

When she finally sagged in his arms, adrenaline leaving her body, Wrex carried her to the center of the podium. Now occupied by the female shaman. Wrex placed her before the wise woman. The bones on her stick rattled as she shook it over her prone form. Wrenching a gourd free from the twine, the shaman cracked it above her head. Green cascaded onto her, and Wrex pulled her to her feet, whispering, "Not much longer. Just stay conscious, and bow like I showed ya." But she could do better than that. She could complete the whole ceremony, exactly how they practiced. Show no weakness. Pushing from his grasp, she knelt before the shaman, forehead kissing the gravely earth.

"You came a child," The Shaman chanted. "And emerge a woman. A warrior. Speak now your oath, and rise to be welcomed into the bosom of the clan."

"Your foes are my foes. Your blood is my blood. Your young are my young. We are one." She stood. Black dots blotted out her vision. Shimmers crept in the corners. "Accept me as yours, and I lay my life at your feet."

Rough paws smeared green across her forehead. "Welcome Urdnot Jane."