A/N: Hey fellers!
I do hope you had a good new year, and I do hope that 2020 will treat you well. I hereby bring you a new chapter, quite a big one as well. So do enjoy it!
1 hour later.
War Room, SSV Normandy.
"Gentlemen, the time has come." Mads announced from his position at one of the terminals. All eyes were on him. Everyone who wasn't essential to operating the Normandy had shown up to the last meeting before the showdown. It was going to be an almost bloated crew that Mads went to war with; Garrus, Liara, James, Kaminski, Riesman, and Javik. It has been a good while since last he had been with that big a crew in the field. That didn't even cover the fact that they now had an actual Prothean with them. "What's the situation currently?" Mads asked.
"There is a problem." Wrex replied as he loaded up a hologram to where everyone could see it. It wasn't good news. It looked like the Reapers had stationed one of their own in front of the shroud. Mordin had explained that the shroud was their best method of getting the cure out to every Krogan.
"That is indeed a problem." Mads remarked as he scratched his chin.
"It's a new type of Reaper. Could be problematic." Mordin hummed as he began to think about possible solutions to the problem. Time was not on their side in this matter, they had to do this quick and fast.
"These guys want a war? They just got one!" Wrex snarled. He was once again furious, and it was probably fueled by the fact that the cure was so close now, it was almost finished. Mads was fiddling with his beard while he also tried to think of what to do next. Mads turned to the Primach, who was standing right beside him.
"We're going to need Turian air support for this." Mads required.
"I'm not sure if I can do that, Captain. Our losses on Palaven have been… Too great." Victus replied with his head hanging low.
"I think you're forgetting the fact that we are doing this for Palaven." Mads reminded him. Victus sighed.
"I know… What do you have in mind?" Victus asked. Mads typed in a few commands on his omni-tool to show what he was talking about.
"You hit them hard from the air, and Wrex; your people will hit it hard from the ground." Mads suggested. "It's the only way I see for us to get past the Reaper without getting blown to all hell." Mads added.
"Agreed. Distraction. A small team can reach the Shroud facility and finish synthesizing the cure. Will require Eve to come with us." Mordin said, at his usual pace.
"Well fellers, I fear this is it. I hope you all are up for it, because this is going to be a hard day. But, we simply can't stall this anymore. Are you ready?" Mads asked the people around him.
"What a dumb question! Of course I'm ready!" Wrex proclaimed. All of the Normandy crew cheered with him, and it felt like there was a chance. It felt like there was hope in the room. It felt like they were actually going to make it. Mads wasn't sure, but as long as the Turians and the Krogans did their part, everything should work out. "Let's move Pyjak. It's time to cure the genophage!" Wrex exclaimed as he began to march towards the Cargo bay to catch the first shuttle to Tuchanka. Mads smiled as he watched his crew return to their duties with enthusiasm plastered on their faces.
Specialist Traynor called him up on the comm. "Captain? There is an urgent message for you. I forwarded it to the comm room for you." She informed him.
"Thanks Traynor. I'll check it out." Mads replied as he wondered who wanted to get in contact with him at this moment. It was probably Hackett that wanted to give him some extra information. Mads had time for a short meeting before they flew the last stretch to Tuchanka and began the mission.
Mads went into the comm room, and as soon as he did something hit him. His gut was telling him that something was wrong… very wrong. It was that feeling that hit him sometimes, and he had always trusted it. It was probably the reason why he has gotten as far as he has gotten in life. So, whatever was on that message for him; it sure as hell won't be anything good.
But, he turned on the comm and within a second a hologram of none other than the Dalatrass of the Salarian union appeared in front of him. She looked way too smug for Mads' liking. Something was indeed very wrong here.
"Captain. Our sources indicate that you have reached Tuchanka. No doubt that Mordin has suggested that the Shroud is the only way to cure the genophage." She told him, and Mads could almost see where this was going.
"Nice to see you too, Dalatrass. And how nice to see you are keeping tabs on us." Mads replied.
"Spying on you? Hardly. We know that the Shroud is the only viable option for you. Captain, I beg you, You can't let your sympathy cloud your judgment. You can't possibly believe that curing the genophage will end in peace." The Dalatrass said.
"I don't know, Dalatrass. But the way I see it; we don't exactly have the luxury of time, and therefore long term problems don't really concern me as much as all the people dying every day is. And, I believe in second chances. We can't doom the Krogan based on what might happen." Mads answered, and it was exactly how Mads felt at that moment.
"I'll tell you what will happen: The Krogan will breed out of control, and they'll start demanding more colonies. It will be a repeat of history. We uplifted the Krogan because of their violent nature, not because of their diplomatic skills." The Dalatrass explained.
"Just get to the point: What do you want?" Mads asked, almost tired of listening to this drivel.
"Years ago, our agents sabotaged the Shroud to ensure what you are attempting would end in failure. It is more than likely that Mordin will detect this malfunction and fix it… But if you were to make sure he does not, then the cure's viability will be altered just enough for it to fail. No one will notice the change." The Dalatrass suggested.
"So you want me to trick one of my oldest friends and make sure the Krogan suffer for eternity?" Mads asked. It sounded ridiculous in every way, but there was probably a kicker.
"They don't need to know about it. You can let Urdont Wrex believe you cured the genophage." The Dalatrass answered.
"You seem to be skipping the fact that Mordin wouldn't stand for that." Mads reminded her.
"How you deal with him is up to you, Captain. But know this: We can provide you our best scientists and engineers to help build the crucible, and we can give you the full support of our fleet." The Dalatrass replied, and she was trying to talk sweet. Normally, Mads wouldn't give that offer the time of the day, but this was extraordinary times. "Think about it, Captain. The choice is yours." She said, and signed off. Leaving Mads alone with his thoughts.
Mads didn't know what to do in that moment. Getting the full Salarian support did sound nice, but at the cost of betraying the Krogan? Mads wasn't sure, it felt wrong to backstab Wrex. He needed to think about it, he would come to a conclusion before they reached the shroud.
20 minutes later
Shuttle, en route to Tuchanka.
There Mads stood, among those he called allies. They were prepared for what would come next. This could be the first major victory of the Reaper war, or it could be just another failure. Mads didn't know, and he hated not knowing. But, such was the war they were waging. Most of the time, they were doing it blind.
But, Mads didn't want the mood to be sour when they went into battle, so he turned to Wrex and joked: "Are you sure you're ready for this Wrex? I mean, those procedures must have been painful." Wrex looked at Mads like he had just signed his own death warrant.
"One more word of this from any of you, and someone is going to learn how to fly." Wrex replied. Mads and Garrus let out a chuckle at Wrex's comment. It was a nice change of pace. Yet somehow, his mind fell back on the elephant in the room that only he was aware of. The deal… Before Mads knew it, his body language must have betrayed his thoughts, because he could see Eve look at him out of the corner of his eye.
"Captain?" Eve asked and Mads looked over at her. "Is there something wrong?" She once again asked in a rather concerned voice, that Mads didn't even know the Krogan possessed. Mads' brain operated at lightning speed, internally debating if he should let the cat out of the bag and come clean with his crew.
"Well, before we left-" Mads had made up his mind, but the universe… Or maybe God, decided to rudely interrupt him in the middle of it all. The shuttle bounced a bit and a message came through the comms.
"Wrex you goddamn idiot. It's Wreav. The Reapers are already at the hollows. Get your ass down here with guns blazing!" Someone named Wreav informed them, and Mads had no idea who this was, but it had to be a friend or something of Wrex.
"Hold on tight! I'm taking us in. It sounds like it's hot at the LZ!" Cortez remarked.
"Copy that. Steady as she goes." Mads replied. Just a few seconds later, Cortez did indeed land their shuttle in the midst of an on-going battle between the Krogan and the Reapers. It was bloody, but the Krogan fought hard to defend what might very well be their last hope.
"Romanov, make yourself useful and keep these things away from the female. I'll go and see what the fuss is with the other clans." Wrex ordered.
"Understood. We'll keep her safe." Mads promised.
"You better." Wrex replied as he went off to the hollows. All the others joined Mads in clearing the area and giving Cortez green light to fly off to safety. It didn't take too long, as most of the enemy forces were nothing more than reaper foot soldiers. They had plenty of experience in killing those. They slowly but surely made their way towards the hollows, where the real fight was happening.
"Everyone pick your targets and mind your friendlies. Stay in formation!" Mads ordered as he took out his Benelli m4 and quickly loaded in some new rounds. The husks came like the hordes of hell, storming up from deep below the hollows to face off the possibility of a Krogan victory. Mads was impressed when he saw Javik in combat, that Prothean knew how to fight… But then again, that should hardly come as a surprise. No one had more motivation to kill the reapers than he did.
Everyone pitched in and took down their fair share of reaper foot soldiers. They worked well as a team. The sounds of battle echoed within the graves of the Krogan ancestors. No doubt they were looking upon the battle with a big fat smile upon their faces. Mads killed husk after husk, but they still seemed to crawl their way in. There was no way that the reapers had that many troops on Tuchanka. But, even the dumbest of creatures knew when to cut and run to save their forces. They stopped, and as they did the metal doors opened to reveal Wrex in all his Glory.
"They will sing battle songs about this someday!" Wrex proclaimed as he descended down the steps with several Krogan in tow. "Finally, the time came when reaper blood would soak the soil of Tuchanka!" Wrex was definitely hyping up his fellow Krogan, and they cheered in response.
Mads could see Mordin trailing just behind Wrex, but Eve wasn't with him. "Is she alright?" Mads asked concerned.
"Vitals are strong. Not to worry, the female is safe." Mordin replied.
"We have to get moving then. The airstrike is coming fast." Mads suggested.
"What is a Salarian doing here?" A voice called out from behind them. Mads turned around to see a new group of Krogan approached, and their leader looked less than pleased. "Nobody said anything about this."
"Multiple Krogan... Problematic." Mordin remarked as if speaking from experience.
"Who the fuck invited you?" Mads asked. That Krogan sounded like someone who had tried to contest Wrex's leadership in the past, and he would no doubt try that again here today.
"I'm Urdnot Wreav, brood brother to our… Colorful and illustrious leader." That heavy line of sarcasm and anger that made up that sentence was baffling. The tension within the hollows was rising by the second.
"Wreav and I share the same mother, and NOTHING else." Wrex exclaimed.
"Of which I am thankful! I have not yet forgotten what it means to be Krogan." Wreav fired back, followed by a cheer from his crowd. "We destroy and shower our armor in their blood. We don't invite them to our home!" Wreav preached in an attempt to undermine Wrex.
"I don't have fucking time for this… The Salarian is not your enemy! He is here to cure the genophage!" Mads interrupted and said.
"His kind gave us the genophage in the first place! He isn't exactly the most trustworthy." Wreav pointed out. Sometimes Mads really shook his head at how stubborn the Krogan could be. Wrex did more than shake his head though, he went in for a full head-butt, in true Krogan fashion. It was enough to knock Wreav of balance.
"You sit your dumb ass down and listen. I trust him, and that should be enough!" Wrex said as the tension once again arose to alarming levels within the hollows. Now, it was either between Wreav backing down, or a full-on Krogan civil war. Something they couldn't afford at the moment. People began to pull out their guns, ready to shed blood over some dumb argument… Over a goddamn Salarian.
"ENOUGH!" A voice shouted from atop the stairs. Loud enough to cause everyone to stop and lookup. Mads could have sworn there was something poetic about it all; but history in the making was usually poetic to some degree. Anyhow, none other than Eve stood at the very top, ready to talk some sense.
"Today is the first day in a long time that the Krogan have a choice; you can stay here and drown in fighting and reopening old wounds, or you can fight the enemy you were born to destroy – And finally win a future for our children. I chose to fight, who will join me?" Eve asked as she moved to the middle of the crowd. All eyes were on her at that moment, and rightly so.
"I will!" Mads shouted as he heard no one else speak up.
"And so will I!" Wrex proclaimed as well. "Now man the fuck up like a true Krogan. There is a reaper that needs killing!" Wrex pretty much ordered. They cheered, all of them. That seemed to be what was necessary. The female simply had to remind the old fuckers who the real enemy was in this fight.
They all prepared to go to the convoy and get their asses to the shroud as fast as possible. This was a matter of turning the tide in this war. This was something they all needed, for different reasons. They marched to the convoy with their morale high and their guns raised.
10 minutes later.
On route the shroud.
"Krogan ground convoy; this is the Turian wing Artimec. Our flight vector to the shroud is locked. We're ten minutes out and counting. Over." one of the Turian pilots informed them.
"Copy that Artimec. We're on our way as well. We'll keep you informed if anything of note happens. Big Duke 6 over and out." Mads replied. It felt like a long time since he used that call name, an old reference to a very good movie.
Eve turned to Wrex, who was sitting impatiently in his seat. He was probably itching to go out there and carve out something more than a life raft for the Krogan. "Wreav isn't the only one who will want revenge once this is over, Wrex. You'll need to placate them somehow." Eve said.
"Don't worry about that. I'm sure I can call in some favors once this war is over and get some of our old territories. Expect for that Asari colony, they can keep that. Anyhow, we got to reclaim the glory of the ancients." Wrex replied.
"Krogan expansion idea problematic. Reason for the genophage." Mordin pointed out.
"I would assume there was a time Tuchanka did not look like Chernobyl on steroids. What were the ancient Krogan like?" Mads asked out of curiosity. He had never really given any thoughts to how the Krogan were before… Well, before everything happened.
"Tuchanka wasn't always a wasteland. In the olden times, the Krogan were a proud people. We had dreams, a future to look forward to." Eve replied in heartfelt sort of manner.
"Until Salarian interference." Mordin remarked.
"No doctor. We did it to ourselves. We became too comfortable where we stood with all our technology. The Krogan wanted new challenges… And we found them in each other. Nuclear war was doomed to happen." Eve explained. She was probably one of the most honest Krogan Mads had ever met, on pair with Wrex.
"And since our planet is nothing but rubble. We'll be needing a new and better place to live." Wrex added.
"If the Krogan keep their promise and help us defeat the reapers, I'm sure we can spare a new planet for the Krogan." Mads remarked.
"Or ten… You haven't seen how fast we can pop them out." Wrex said.
"Wrex!" Eve objected.
"What? When this is over, we'll have a lot of catching up to do." Wrex stated.
"Captain… back on the shuttle, you were about to say something." Eve remembered. Mads took a deep breath, it was all or nothing now.
"Well, I received a message from the Dalatrass. She promised to give me all the help I could ever want if I sabotaged the cure." Mads confessed as he played back a recording of the deal the Dalatrass had pitched him.
"That slimly reptilian bitch! And she thought we wouldn't know any better?" Wrex asked.
"Correctly. Would have likely have fooled tests. But familiar with STG technology. Can Adjust. Didn't come this far for nothing." Mordin assured them and it was certainly nice to hear.
"Thank you, Captain. Truly, you have saved us from almost certain doom." Eve thanked sincerely. That felt even nicer to hear, and that put any doubts to rest for Mads. This was the correct way.
"I told you we could count on him." Wrex said with a big smile. Suddenly, Mads could feel the truck slowing down. They couldn't be that close already, could they? Wrex stood up and angrily demanded to why they had stopped. Mads was the first to jump out into the wasteland. They were on some old highway sort of road. There was a clear view of the Shroud from where they stood.
His teammates stepped out of the truck behind them, and Mads saw the problem. The road, or rather a lack thereof, was the issue. Mads ordered Wrex to stay with Mordin and Eve. It was looking rather ugly out in the distance. Mads looked over at his teammates saw them getting ready. It didn't take long before realized that they could not reach the shroud before the airstrike, which meant it would be a slaughter.
"Turian Wing Artimec. This is Big Duke 6. We have been delayed. Call off your attack for now!" Mads almost yelled into his earpiece, but it was of little use.
"Negative Big Duke 6. Our attack is locked on target, and the reapers already know we are here!" The Turian pilot replied as they flew overhead. It was doomed, and Mads could only look on in shock as they approached the target zone fast.
"An airstrike isn't enough against the reaper. We must join the fight!" Javik said.
"I fucking know!" Mads replied as he saw the fighters reach their target zone. Mads quickly turned to the Krogan inspected their options. "I don't care what we need to do. We HAVE to get going!" Mads ordered.
"Captain, I think there might be a problem." Javik said as he pointed to the sky, and Mads saw a fighters get hit and come crashing down towards them… Of course it had to crash right where they stood, why shouldn't it? The crash was enough to knock them all on their feet, and enough to create a roadblock for the rear vehicles.
"Romanov, what is going on out there?" Wrex demanded to know.
"It isn't safe here! Get the females out of here NOW!" Mads ordered into his earpiece. Wrex quickly floored the pedal in his giant vehicle. It sped out of there like a stuck rat. At least they were able to crash the destroyed road with little trouble, and get on their way towards the shroud. Mads realized that they were pretty exposed out here.
"To that entrance, NOW!" Mads yelled as he ran for an opening in the wall. Mads had no idea where it would lead, but anything seemed better than standing out in the open like a dumb animal watching doom come for it.
Where ever they went, it was dark. There seemed to be little oxygen in the air where they had gone, so breathing wasn't that optimal. No to mention whatever air was there, was probably contaminated beyond belief. "Everyone alright?" Mads asked as they descended further down into the tunnels. They all checked in and gave an affirmative.
Mads ordered them to turn on their flashlights and continue with him in formation. These tunnels looked endless, and they could probably get lost pretty easily if they didn't stick together. "What the fuck is this place?" Mads asked, mostly rhetorically.
"Woah, come look at this!" Riesman exclaimed in excitement. They all quickly came over, and they saw what looked like Krogan cave paintings.
"Is that-" Before Mads could get any further; Dr. T'soni was on the case.
"That is ancient Krogan art! How exciting!" She proclaimed as she studied it closer.
"It must be thousands of years old!" Riesman was just as happy to look at it as Liara was. Like two geeks having a field day with it.
"Romanov, are you alive?" Wrex asked over the comms.
"Alive and kicking. We seem to be stuck in an ancient Krogan tunnel system, with art on the walls." Mads replied.
"Must be part of the ancient city. It holds a lot of our culture." Eve informed him.
"I can see that. Any idea how we get out of here?" Mads asked.
"Head up until you find the light again. We'll try and reconnect with you." Wrex answered.
"Thanks." Mads said as he went back to his team, who were all looking at the different artwork the ancient Krogan had painted on the walls. "Right, should we get going or would you guys rather stay and look at prehistoric Krogan finger paintings?" Mads asked irritated.
"But this is very baffling history!" Liara argued.
"And we are currently making history. Come on, chop-chop. Let's get going." Mads ordered as he clapped his hands to get them going. Liara looked mighty disappointed, but she and Riesman both accepted that what they were doing was way more important. "It must be this way." Mads said as he pointed down a corridor.
As they walked along the hollow tunnels, they realized this was not exactly the choice for picnics by most Krogan. This place seemed forgotten, like an old fairy tale. Passed down only in stories. The more Mads looked at the walls, the more he agreed with Liara and Riesman, and Eve for that matter, that this was a cultural goldmine for the Krogan. Then the tunnels shook violently.
"What was that?" Kaminski asked as he tried to gain stable footing. Before Mads could respond, Eve came back on the radio.
"Must be Kalros, the mother of all Thresher Maws. It is said that she lives in this area." Eve theorized.
"Mother of all Thresher Maws? Pizdets! This day just keeps getting better and better." Mads remarked as he continued along.
"Erh… Captain? Is that Kalros?" Riesman asked as he pointed to a painting on the wall. Mads took a quick look at the painting, and if the painting was accurate, then this creature was bigger and taller than most Reapers.
"Jesus Fucking Christ… I sure as hell hope not." Mads replied. Mads could hear Riesman shallow a big gulp in his throat, probably fearing for what might happen once they get back out. "Focus guys. There are Turian pilots dying by the dozen out there. We need to get going." Mads ordered as he checked his AK to make sure it was good to go.
As they roamed further through the tunnels, they realized that time was really of the essence here. However, as luck would have it, James suddenly called out. "There is light up there!" He pointed up a flight of stairs, which did indeed hold natural sunlight at the top. Mads smiled as he climbed up the stairs and into the unknown.
He almost couldn't believe what he saw, none of them could. "Is that green? Actually fucking plants on Tuchanka?" Kaminski asked in disbelief.
"Jesus Christ on the cross. I don't believe it." Mads remarked through a grin. "It's actually beautiful!" And it was. Green dominated this area of the planet. Life actually sustained itself, it wasn't hooked on life support.
"The city of the ancients. A small taste of what Tuchanka used to be, and what it could be again… If given the chance." Eve said over the comms. Mads was starstruck, it was actually beautiful in some way. Life always finds a way, even when faced with certain doom.
"Let's hope we can make it so." Mads said as he looked towards the horizon. Hope was a rare thing, but as he had said to Kaiden, it is the rock on which we shall build our future.
Meanwhile…
Citadel.
William double checked if he was going the right place. He knew the place by heart, but nerves seemed to be getting the better of him. If he knew Miranda right, she would only be here for a short time before relocating to God knows where. This was his one chance to link forces with her. To get some sort of understanding with the woman he once loved… The one he still loves.
It was a public place, and you know what they say about hiding in plain sight. She seemed to be working for Miranda, given that she wasn't dead yet. William saw her at one of the terminals. Who she was waiting for, William wasn't sure. But he would like to believe that it was him, unlikely as it may be.
He watched her for a while, studying her. She had probably already spotted him. He stood out like a sore thumb in his armor. He finally gathered up the nerves to go closer, and just as he was in range, she turned around to face him. Like he always did when coming face to face with her, he fired off one of his dumb comments. "Woah, what a coincidence to see you here." His smile was dumb, and he probably looked as smart as he was feeling... Not very.
"I would have said the same thing, if it wasn't for you standing in plain sight for over 10 minutes." Miranda fired back.
"I never was the best stalker." William confessed and they both laughed to a degree.
"What are you doing here Mr. Sheridan? Did you come all the way here to stalk me?" Miranda asked.
"Sort of. I did come here to track you down and offer you a position on my vessel." William replied. He might as well come clean in the beginning.
"That's very generous of you. I'm surprised really. We did not leave on the best of terms." Miranda remarked as she looked off into the distance, almost avoiding eye contact.
"For someone as beautiful and smart as you, Miranda. Social interactions were never your strong suit. I know you, Miranda. I have known you for a long time, and same way the other way around. I think we could work well together in the fight against Cerberus." William suggested.
"I'm on the run from Cerberus." Miranda pointed out with a sigh.
"The best defense is a good offense." William lectured, mostly to try and cheer her up.
"I don't think that philosophy is quite accurate anymore. Besides, how did you even track me down? If you could, then Cerberus probably could as well." Miranda was a bit afraid at the possibility.
"Calm down. I had my best man on the job. Irsall has never let me down." William reassured her.
"You're still using that Salarian? My God above… What else hasn't changed?" Miranda asked.
"Erh… My love for you?" William could not have said that in a more awkward way than he did. It was like some bad sitcom where the producer was about to cue the laugh track in order to keep people from switching channel.
Though, it wasn't as bad as the fact that Miranda didn't answer that, she still avoided eye contact. She must be distrustful of him, and maybe that was to be expected, maybe not. William tried to break the silence. "Why are you even here?" William asked.
"Oh, Irsall didn't tell you that?" Miranda was more playful here than anything.
"Irsall is a lot of things, but not a damn mind reader. If I remember correctly though, this is where the Normandy usually docks, isn't it? Feeling homesick?" William fired back.
"I wrote a message to Romanov not too long ago. I need his help. But he hasn't responded, so I'll be here for a few days… maybe." She replied.
"Romanov, eh? I heard he was on Tuchanka curing the genophage." William remarked.
"Of course he is… He is probably too busy to help me anyway." Miranda said.
"What do you need? Maybe I can help." William offered. "No wait, let me guess; It's about your sister, isn't it?" he then asked.
"… Yes, it is." Miranda said in a hushed voice. She was probably afraid some undesirable was standing close and listening in on them. "I haven't heard from her in a while, and I'm getting worried. Maybe I'm overreacting… Maybe not..." She said.
"She lived with that adoptive family though, right? White picket fence and all that. Safe as Safe could be." William asked.
"Well, yeah. It's probably nothing, but I have to make sure. I just-… I just somehow know my father is involved." Miranda answered.
"What can I do?" William asked. He wanted to help. By God, he wanted to help.
"That's very kind of you, but I can't ask this of you. Maybe… Maybe when this is over, we can... rekindle what we once had?" Miranda was talking way too sweet here for William.
"I would like that." William said sincerely. "If you need any help, and I do mean any help. Then come find me. We can certainly help each other." William once again offered.
"Thank you. If I need a door or two kicked down, then I know who to call. But for now, I'll be fine..." Miranda said and went in for a little kiss on William's cheek. Enough to make William remember all the good times they had over the years.
"I understand. Good luck." William said and Miranda nodded. Before William could even blink, she was gone. She had that gift of disappearing in an instant if she wanted to. He smiled as he remembered back to the early days in Cerberus where he liked the jobs he did with Miranda. Too bad things changed.
"Women, eh? So unpredictable." A voice said from behind William. It was almost enough to scare William. That rough voice… He had heard it somewhere before. He quickly turned around and saw a very familiar face.
"Conrad Rorke. What a surprise." William greeted through grinned teeth. He had never liked that man. Very few people did in fact like Conrad Rorke.
"Indeed it is. Just as surprising as seeing you with a former Cerberus operative. I thought you ditched that whole organization when you learned they had fucked you over." Conrad replied in a cheeky manner.
"You're very well informed." William remarked.
"I do have my sources. You used to be a very good soldier, I wonder if you still are." Conrad thought out loud.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" William asked impatiently.
"I got a proposition for you, one I think you might like." Conrad answered as he leaned himself up against the wall.
"Then speak before I lose interest." William suggested.
"Oh, I like that rough tone. It makes me feel like a small colonial peasant that has to respect the strong and badass soldier from Earth. It's almost the same tone Romanov use whenever I have the misfortune to speak with him." Conrad laughed.
"Just get on with it." William requested as he rubbed his temples.
"You know Omega right?" Conrad asked and William nodded. "Well, it's been taken by none other than Cerberus. They are holding it and using it as a resource farm and a mobile HQ on the front line. Bad business for all involved. I want them out, and I need your help… As well as the help from that slick little dipshit by the name of Romanov." Conrad explained.
"Why should I care if Omega is lost or not?" William asked. He never liked that shithole. It was a criminal's paradise.
"You're forgetting the fact that Cerberus is controlling the station. Countless people are being held down, and anyone who isn't human is a second class citizen. While I know that you don't like how Aria ruled, her people were at the very least free." Conrad replied. He needed William on board for this. "So you'll get to do a good thing, help the war effort, and to top it all off: You get to kick Cerberus in the balls. So how about it?" Conrad asked.
"I'll think about it. If you get Romanov on board, I might come along." William replied after giving it some thought.
"Don't think too hard about it. We move as soon as Romanov is on board with it." Conrad informed. "Meet us here, if you get a message from me." Conrad said as he gave William the meeting place. William took it and inspected it. Before he could further on it, Conrad too was gone.
Meanwhile…
Tuchanka.
"HOLY FUCK SHE IS HUGE!" Mads yelled as he just narrowly got off the bridge that was crushed by Kalros' very presence. The Salarian had chosen the place for the shroud well. Kalros would keep out any undesirables that would try their luck at the shroud. This only made Mads' job harder in the long run.
"They have grown quite big. You used to be able to ride in my cycle." Javik remarked as he helped Mads stand up on his feet again.
"Ride them? Jesus Fucking Christ. You Protheans were fucking wild." Mads replied as he dusted himself off. "What are we going to do about that big motherfucker?" Mads asked Wrex over the radio.
"I have an idea about how we could use her." Wrex replied.
"I'm sorry what?" Mads asked.
"Not now Wrex. They have enough to worry about." Eve pointed out.
"Excuse me?" Mads asked again, hoping this time to get through to them.
"Just an idea I have. But I'll tell you that when you get to us." Wrex answered.
Mads shrugged as he continued on. They weren't far from where they had said they would pick them up. Mads couldn't get there fast enough, considering that a very angry momma Thresher Maw was out to get everyone on her turf… Maybe that was the plan Wrex had cooked up. Use momma Threswer maw as a weapon? Not a bad idea when Mads thought about it.
Anyhow, the Reapers seemed to be quite set on making sure they didn't make it to their destination. They had thrown a lot of numbers at this problem. Human, Turian and Batarian husks stood in their way, and they had back up from corrupted Rachni. But, through their teamwork, they plowed through the Reaper forces like they were nothing.
By the time they got to the meetup place, Mads was about ready to be over with this. This day had gone from bad to worse. Luckily, they didn't have to wait long for Wrex to show up; he had circled the block a few times due to how active Kalros seemed to be. Wreav had been put on guard duty… Or something. His truck was parked a little up the road and he was watching out for the angry Thresher Maw.
"Get in, QUICK!" Wrex ordered, and they all jumped into the truck like their life depended on it… Which they probably did. Just as they had entered the truck, Kalros came around for seconds. She headed straight for them. If Wrex didn't speed up and get them out of there in a jiffy, then they too would become relics of the ancient city.
Luckily… Or maybe unluckily, depending on who you ask, Kalros went straight for Wreav instead. When Eve commented on this, Wrex seemed like he couldn't care less about it. Stating that Wreav had always been a 'pain in his ass'. Though, Kalros seemed to be happy with pulling Wreav truck down under into the abyss and allow them free passage to the shroud.
Wrex drove like hell towards the shroud. Where a Reaper stood guard, awaiting them. Whether or not they would pull this off, was still a point that troubled Mads. That Reaper was huge, and their air support was pretty much flat out gone. If there were anyone left, it was unlikely that they would come to their aid now. It didn't take too long before they arrived, and they all jumped out of the truck.
Garrus took one look at the giant Reaper and said: "I don't know… I don't think small arms will put a dent in that thing."
"Vengeance is the goal, no matter the cost. But suicide is not exactly the way to go." Javik remarked.
"We're curing the genophage no matter what. Everything the Krogan will ever be depends on it." Wrex pointed out. Like they needed a reminder…
"Then your idea better be stellar… Otherwise we won't last long." Mads replied.
"She came up with it… Not me." Wrex corrected him as he pointed to Eve.
"Kalros. We summon her here to finish the Reaper." Eve suggested. It wasn't a bad idea, and that meant that Mads hadn't been too far gone from what he thought the idea might be.
"And how do we do that?" Mads asked as he scratched the back of his head trying to think about how he could do it without getting himself and the others killed in the process.
"Already discussed strategy. Just need to distract the Reaper from the tower long enough for the cure to be synthesized and released." Mordin explained.
"And we're sure she will come?" Mads asked concerned. Kalros might be indifferent to Reaper. Live and let live… And all that.
"Legend has it, that Kalros is the mother from which all other Threswer maw spawn. This is as much her home as it is ours." Eve replied.
"Tuchanka has a temper, and Kalros is the very face of it. Nobody that has faced her has ever lived to tell the tale." Wrex added.
"Seems like a big risk… And we're leaving a lot up to chance… I don't know, it seems crazy." Mads said. He was unsure if this would work. While he vented the thought with himself earlier, now it seemed more dangerous… He had seen what Kalros had done to Wreav, perhaps she would just come for them instead of the Reaper.
"And facing off against Sovereign wasn't? You have done more crazy shit than most. This is the only way we'll get that cure released without dying. There is no other choice." Wrex replied. Mads wasn't sure if that was supposed to cheer him up or something.
"And how would we even summon her here?" Mads asked. He remembered back to when he fought with Grunt on Tuchanka. They had used those… What were they? Key hammers or some shit? Anyhow, they used those to summon a Thresher Maw back then...
"The tower was built in an arena to Kalros' glory. The Salarians thought she would scare away any intruders." Eve informed.
"Appears to have worked." Mordin added as he continued to study something on his omni-tool.
"There are two maw hammers there-" So that was the word for them. "-The largest in existence. If you can activate them, then Kalros will come, no doubt about that. She should be able to distract the Reaper long enough for us to release the cure." Eve explained.
"Meanwhile, Laboratory nearby. Will finish synthesizing cure." Mordin said. It sounded like a plan… Or at least some poor attempt at one. But it was all they needed now… Hope; the rock on which the Krogan shall build their future.
"Okay. Riesman, you go with Mordin, keep him safe and help him in any way you can." Mads ordered. Riesman nodded and went over to Mordin's side. "Garrus, Take Javik and James with you. You'll go for the hammer on the left side. Meanwhile, Kaminski and Liara go with me. We'll take the other one." Mads ordered. They all nodded in some sense of understanding.
"Then let's get this done, and do try to stay alive. We're going to have some hell of a story to tell once this is over!" Mads almost yelled as he began to make his way towards the stairs. But before he got very far, Wrex stopped him.
"WAIT!" Mads stopped and looked at Wrex. "Whatever happens here, there is something I want you to know. You're a champion to the Krogan, a friend to clan Urdnot… And a brother to me. From now on, the name 'Romanov' will mean HERO on Tuchanka!" Wrex proclaimed as he went in to shake Mads' hand. Mads made sure to grip Wrex's hand tight and shake it firmly. "Now. let's show them why!" Wrex said, all pumped up.
At that moment, some very unfriendly Reaper controlled Rachni appeared, and Wrex snarled at them. He grabbed his shotgun and marched towards them. "GO ON! I got this!" Wrex ordered.
"You heard the man. Let's go!" Mads relayed the order and then turned on his radio. "This is Big Duke 6. If anyone can hear this, then know that: I WANT THAT FUCKING REAPER BOMBED TO THE GODDAMN STONE AGE!" Mads yelled into his earpiece. He wasn't sure if anyone heard him, but it was worth a try.
Mads pulled out his shotgun. This was it. The final charge against the Reaper… Well, it wouldn't be the last time they charged a Reaper before the war was over, but it would be a defining moment in Krogan history. Garrus and Mads split up with each of their team. Hopefully, they would be able to get this done without anyone dying, and hopefully they could get it done quick.
They moved steadily forward towards the Maw hammers, and it didn't take long before the giant Reaper noticed them. Mads nodded to Garrus who was a bit further ahead. It was time to move quickly, and get the job done. Before they got into a full sprint through, roaring engines could be heard from the sky. When Mads looked up, he saw a sight that made him almost completely happy. Turian fighters.
"Big Duke 6, this is Artimec wing. We'll try and give that Reaper something else to shoot at!" The Turian pilot said.
"God bless the Turians!" Mads proclaimed in pure joy. But he also realized they still needed to move fast if they would have any chance of taking that big son-of-a-bitch down.
Things became chaotic after that. The pilots couldn't do much except annoy the Reaper, and there were still Reaper ground troops to be wary of. But Garrus and his team made it safely to their Maw Hammer, and they pushed the button. A giant clash was heard as Kalros was being summoned, now Mads only needed to get the other one going.
Once again, his instinct took over. Time slowed down. It was like there was no sound. There was no flight, only fight. Bang bang, he shot them all down. He craved a path for himself out of Reaper flesh and bones. No one survived an encounter with him when he was in pure instinct mode. It didn't matter what size his enemy had, he would bring them down. A lot of bullets later, he stood at the hammer. The very salvation of the Krogan… If one would look at it that way.
Mads pressed the button with enough force for it go smoothly in and start the process of fully summoning Kalros to the battle. "GO! GET BACK TO THE TRUCK! I'LL GET TO THE SHROUD!" Mads ordered. He had to make sure it was done right, that there were no errors. An entire race was on the line here. "Соси́ мой хуй!" Mads yelled at the giant Reaper as the hammer crashed down.
They all nodded and began to run back towards the truck. As they ran off, Mads could feel the ground shake. Kalros was making sure people knew she was coming to protect what was hers. Mads stormed to the side to see if he could spot her. Sure enough, he saw her coming. She twisted the sand and the very Earth as she made her way towards the Reaper.
Mads didn't get to see too much of their fight, since he was way too busy with getting his ass to the shroud. Little could be said to describe the fight, other than beautiful. Watching a Reaper getting its ass kicked was always a guaranteed laugh in his book. Not that it matter, he had to make sure the cure got released and that it happened as it should.
Before Mads entered the Shroud, he watched as the Reaper drew its last breath. Kalros was unforgiving, and rightly so. Watching the Reaper meet its fate in the dunes of Tuchanka had to be one of the best moments in Mads' life. It was an image he would mentally safe for eternity.
The shroud facility wasn't looking too good. It had sustained quite a bit of damage during the battle. Mads wasn't sure if this plan would even work now. Mordin was already there, hard at work getting the cure ready to go. Once again, his gut attacked him with a feeling of dread.. or maybe it was Nerves. Mads couldn't be sure.
"Mordin. Is the cure ready?" Mads asked desperate for an answer.
"Yes. Ready for dispersal in 2 minutes. Procedure traumatic for Eve, but not lethal. Maelon's research invaluable." Mordin replied.
"So she is okay?" Mads asked concerned.
"Headed to safety now. Her survival fortunate. Will stabilize government, should Wrex get any ideas. Good match, promising future for the Krogan." Mordin said as he continued to type away at lightning speeds. The entire facility was falling apart fast. Pieces of burning wreckage were falling everywhere. "Control room on top of tower. Must take elevator up." Mordin said as he pointed to the elevator on the far side of the room.
"You're going up there? That's bloody suicide!" Mads argued.
"Yes. Manual access required. Have to counteract STG sabotage. Ensure cure dispersal done properly." Mordin replied.
"Mordin! This place building is falling down around us! There HAS to be another way!" Mads tried to convince him.
"Remote bypass impossible. STG countermeasures in place. No time to adjust cure for temperature variance...-" Mordin looked up and thought about it for a long second. "-No. No other option. Not coming back. Suggest you get clear, explosions likely to be problematic." Mordin said as he began to march towards the elevator. Mads followed after him.
"Mordin for Christ's sake! Don't do this!" Mads pleaded, but Mordin quickly turned around.
"Romanov. Please. Have to do this. My Project. My Work. My Cure. My Responsibility." Mordin closed his eyes and breathed for another long second. "Would have like to run test on seashells." Mordin remarked.
"I'm… I'm sorry." Mads said sincerely.
"I'm not. Had to be me-" Mordin started as he walked further into the elevator and closed the door. "-Someone else might have gotten it wrong." Mordin finished with a smile. Mads saluted Mordin, and said a quiet prayer for him as he went up. Maybe this was how it had to be. Mordin gave his life for something bigger. Mads watched him for a few seconds before he too ran back to a safe distance.
Yes, this was how it had to be. Mordin would forever be remembered as the true hero of the day, and rightly so. What a brave Salarian.
A few hours later.
The hollows.
Mordin had done his job, and he had done it right. The cure had rained down from the heavens and giving new life to the Krogan. Hope and Salvation.
"Long time ago. My father betrayed and tried to kill me… Right there." Wrex said as he pointed to a spot. "His own son… So I had to kill him… Right over there." Wrex pointed to a new place. "That's what the genophage reduced us to. Animals. But you changed that today, Romanov." Wrex said. Mads turned around to face them with a smile. It was hard to smile when Mordin had just died.
"Now we fight for our children. Not against them. It's just a pity Mordin had to die..." Eve added.
"He died doing what he loved… Saving people. I'm sure that he is looking down on us with a smile…" Mads remarked as he leaned in over the rail guard.
"We'll name one of the kids after him… Maybe a girl." Wrex laughed.
"But you, Captain. We can thank you in person." Eve pointed out.
"Tell the Turian I'll be deploying troops to Palaven immediately. And when you are ready to kick the Reapers off Earth, you let me know. The Krogan are back in business!" Wrex proclaimed. He sounded proud of that, and he was in his right to be as well.
"Goodbye, Captain." Eve said as she shook his hand.
"What will you do now?" Mads asked curiously.
"Spread the hope that you have given us. Even now, there are Krogan gathering in Kelphic valley. I'll go and speak with them, to make sure the gift isn't squandered. Thank you again… For all you have done... And know that Urdnot Bakara calls you a friend." Bakara said and bowed. So that was her name… It suited her a bit more than Eve did. Mads also bowed his head. He left shortly thereafter. There were still new matters that needed his attention. The war wasn't over yet, even though they had won a massive victory.