Commander John Shepard
Maelon had been kept around as a prisoner while Urdnot mopped up the last of Weyrloc resistance, which hadn't taken all that long, no doubt thanks to Tali and EDI having taken over the automated defenses. During that time, Grunt had finished the process of taking Guld's head as a trophy. Sometime afterwards, Wrex had contacted us with the all clear, and both laughed and complained about Grunt being the one to put Guld in the dirt, having wanted some of that action himself. He explained that while he needed to go see Weyrloc's female clan, a Tomkah would be waiting to bring us back to Urdnot, where we would wait for Wrex's return to… have a chat with Maelon. The Salarian would be forced to wait under guard, but the rest of us would be allowed free reign to go wherever in the main compound. I would have spent some of that time taking some of the less interested crew back to the Normandy, but Wrex suggested we might want to hang around. I wandered a bit, Samara, Thane, Miranda, and Jacob waited in the shuttle, Jack, Zaeed, Grunt, and even Garrus were allowed by the Krogan to use a defense turret to keep Pyjaks away from the camp and supplies. Mordin, unwelcome as he might be, went to join in Maelon's guard, while Tali and Kasumi wandered with me.
Not all that far from Wrex's throne was a fight pit. I had assumed its use was for Krogan, but considering the fact that a pair of Varren were clawing into each other while some of the Krogan left behind cheered and jeered, it seems it has other uses. These may be Krogan, and those may be Varren, but I've always found animal pit fighting distasteful. Needless to say, we decided to keep moving. At a distance was another Krogan watching with a pale Varren with blue eyes and blue stripes lying on its stomach beside him. The Varren, while I'm not exactly an expert on their biology, appears skinnier. Some ribs slightly visible. Also curiously, unlike the rest of all the Varren we've seen here, this one wasn't leashed. The Krogan apparently noticed my curiosity, and with a rock of his head behind him, gesture for me to come over to him. Might as well. He was a merchant, made obvious by his stall and goods, and Krogan symbols painted to list price. Some crossed out and replaced by another symbol. Others, more than once.
"Human, you're Urdnot Grunt's battle master, aren't you? He and others of your crew have been killing and terrifying Pyjaks that we might not see any stealing our food for a month. I may not have much for humans, but I'll give you a deal for that," he remarked. "Name's Ratch. And that there's Urz," he gestured at the Varren who was now sitting, head cocked slightly to the side and looking at us, sniffing. 'Best trained Varren I've ever seen."
Hm. Despite being part of a vicious species with teeth sharp enough to cut through lighter armor, he certainly seems remarkably dog like. Slowly, I reached a handout to pet its head. For a moment it leaned back, a slight growl, I stopped my hand.
"Er, John?" Tali asked, less sure. Before I could respond, Urz leaned close to my hand a sniffed, then nuzzled my hand. I couldn't help but grin as I accepted the rather clear invitation to pet him more. While I obviously still had my gauntlets on, Urz didn't seem to mind. There was a kind of hissing noise, but it didn't feel aggressive. That was confirmed for me by the fact that Urz licked my hand.
"Well. I'll be damned," Ratch muttered.
"Got any food for him?" I asked.
"Er, sure. Pyjak meat, they love it. Take it," he answered, taking a slab of meat off of a hook which immediately got Urz's full attention, like a dog seeing a squirrel. Ratch handed it to me and I placed it on the ground in front of him. Urz wasted no time at all in swallowing the whole thing full. Urz stood with his mouth open, breathing. Tongue still in his mouth, but he looked happy alright. Kasumi went to pet him next and he didn't hinder her at all, yet aside from a sideways glance, Urz kept his blue eyes on me, head tilted to the side.
"A good boy, isn't he?" Kasumi remarked.
"Urz used to be a champion pit fighter until his handler got exiled. I've been keeping an eye on him since. I'm the only Krogan he lets get close, but not even that close," Ratch explained his surprise.
"Guess he likes me then," I chuckled. A few minutes later, during which we may or may not have have been around Urz my Omni-tool got a call from Wrex.
"Shepard, we're almost back to Urdnot, get at least yourself, Grunt, and that Salarian of yours to the war-room. I'll be there soon."
"On our way now," I answered. I stood and looked down over at Grunt messing with the defense turrets with Garrus, Zaeed, and Jack. "Grunt! Garrus! Wrex is almost back. Wants to meet us in the war-room."
"Have fun. I'll keep blowing shit up," Jack remarked as Grunt and Garrus started to follow. I glanced behind me towards Urz to see that he wasn't beside Ratch anymore. He was following right behind us.
"Friend of yours?" Garrus asked.
"Seems so."
Urz continued to follow, and we passed by Mordin and a pair of Krogan guarding a door on our way. I gestured for Mordin to follow, and with just a moment of hesitation, he followed into the war-room. The lot of us entered, took seats, Urz sitting on the floor beside me as we waited for Wrex. It took barely under fifteen minutes, but my old friend arrived, his armor lightly scorched, but not much else.
"Grunt, good work with Guld. A fitting first trophy," Wrex began. "Shepard letting you keep it?"
"Not to hang up on the wall of his room, but he can keep it," I answered. Wrex nodded. Then the door opened again, the two Krogan guards bringing in Maelon. He was, so far, unharmed.
"H-hello again… Clan Chief…" Maelon murmured. Wrex stared him down. He wasn't pleased.
"For all your 'good intentions' you're a fucking idiot. Weyrloc? The Clan of the Blood Pack? You told me you know your hands are stained with the blood of millions. Not only are they now stained with the blood of however many females died in your experiments, but if the Blood Pack were the ones with a cure? Tuchanka would become a shattered world with the total extinction of the Krogan on your hands," Wrex growled. Maelon opened his mouth to argue, but was cut off. "Don't, Salarian. Don't. There's much you don't understand."
"So… what now, then?" he asked.
"Shepard, you suggested he work for me under my rules, didn't you?" I nodded in response. "Count yourself lucky that Shepard is so keen on second chances, and that it's rubbed off on me. You have two choices, Salarian. Work with Fortack under my rules, maybe proving yourself to work more independently, or you can get the fuck off my planet, never to return."
"I want-I want to help," Maelon answered. Wrex looked up at the guards who had escorted him in.
"Take him to Fortack. Make sure he understands the Salarian's purpose, and that he's responsible for making sure no one guts him."
"At once." The guards turned and left the room with Maelon in tow, Wrex turned back to the rest of us.
"Now the fun part. Weyrloc's dirt. Tonight, Urdnot feasts. The lot of you better hang around to enjoy this."
What followed wasn't much more than informing the rest of the ground team that Wrex was insisting we join Urdnot's feast, and then catching up with him until the feast itself. The Krogan have a lot of meat to prepare. Wrex's delay earlier was him personally going to the Females of Weyrloc to relay the news and to invite all of Weyrloc's females to join Urdnot's as equals, including all the children that they are caring for male and female alike. Those that decline are free to leave, though Wrex himself admitted that it would be certain death. It was obvious that it troubled him, but there was little he could do about it. Fortunately, the vast majority of Weyrloc's females went along with it. They know how things are. They know there'd be no point and they don't want their children to die either. Wrex suspects that the few who rejected were either infertile or Guld's favorites.
He was much more eager to go off on the next subject; his current plans for the Krogan and what he's working on. A neutral ground, not unlike the Hollows where his father had betrayed him, but under guard. All clans are welcome, and the clans can share fertile females, strengthening the race as a whole rather than just individual clans. Naturally, the 'sharing' of the females didn't really sit right with… anyone. The women listening in even less so, as you'd expect. There were no immediate accusations, but Wrex ensured that they'd never come in the first place. The females had suggested it, and they are protected at all times. The neutral area is safe, and the protection encourages more female clans to ally with Urdnot. And by extension, the clans they are linked to find themselves with little choice but to join themselves or die a slow death.
"An attack on Urdnot endangers females of most, if not all clans. Even those that want my head on a pike will defend Urdnot. Heh, just means I need thicker armor on my backside," Wrex had explained. More on the neutral ground, clans send in 'hostages.' Temporary prisoners that are still treated fine, just not allowed to leave until the emissaries are done with their time. No fighting in the camp, and each clan punishes their own criminals. Fights are stopped before they turn lethal and the clans involved are given a choice. Pay a fine and deal with their problems, or the clan is no longer welcome. Anytime a clan becomes unwelcome, Wrex's allies quickly destroy them.
Grunt had asked why he even bothers with the weak clans, Wrex had a wise answer. Each clan has their own unique customs and cultures. Rites of passages, rules, even battle songs.
"I'm not blind to the other races. None of them are like some, singular entity. Except maybe the Batarians. They're diverse. That gives you strength of a kind. We're no different. Besides, if I did try to overwrite them all to Urdnot, I'd have few allies. That's something Wreav would do, my idiot brother. I've founded a principal for Urdnot that works rather well. If Wreav would do it, make damn sure there's not a better alternative," Wrex chuckled. "Examples. Urdnot has the best tacticians. I train them myself. Clan Jorgal has the longest breeding line, and Gatatog has the oldest settlements. All clans have their own strengths like that." Before Wrex continued, he put his focus on Grunt. What followed was clearly meant for him. "If the Krogan continue as we are, all clans, all Krogan, will either end as a scattered few unable to breed, or craters under nuclear fire. We need to rethink and restart."
"And how has all that gone so far?" Garrus asked.
"Better than I feared, worse than I hoped," Wrex shrugged. "Technically, I'm at the head of the largest united front. Practically, I still have strong opposition. Traditionalists. Old clans. Strong clans. Chained Varren guarding their pathetic little stick in the sand. Those clans often fight one another. If Urdnot goes after any as an individual clan, we might be able to chip away at them. If I rally all my allies? I'll push them together and that war would kill us before the Genophage could. I need to take my time, play this right. Whether that's taking their females out from under them, convincing the heirs of those clans, or go after them the old fashioned way."
"So, bloodshed either way," I remarked.
"I won't change what we are. Krogan are judged by the strength of our enemies. The worst insult any Krogan can give is to tell someone they aren't worth killing." Garrus thought that sounded quite Krogan.
Meanwhile, the whole time Urz had stayed by me, though laying down for what I'd assume to be a nap relatively quickly. But then it was my turn to talk. Tali had begun to wring her hands, knowing what was coming. Garrus was unfazed, having already come to terms with what happened, accepting it. So I pulled Tali in a little closer to rest my hand on her knee, squeezing it. That wasn't lost on Wrex, as hidden as it might have been. He let out a huff on his breath, a slight nod at me as I began.
"The long and short, Wrex? I died with the Normandy. A blast cut off my air supply and I would have suffocated as I plummeted to Alchera's surface from orbit. We found my old helmet when we were there recently. That thing was made of miracles. Kept my brain intact for everything that followed. Some point along the way, my body got picked up by arguably the last people you'd expect."
"Your Fanclub and that Conrad guy?" Wrex asked. Semi-serious. I think.
"No, but that actually might have been worse. Much worse," I chuckled before getting serious again. "Fucking Cerberus."
"Well you're standing here, and you'd off yourself if they tried to brainwash you or some shit."
"Right you are. I only woke up about… a little over a month ago in a lab or medical facility. Skipping some details, Cerberus explained that the Collectors were abducting entire Human colonies for the Reapers, and that they believed I was humanity's best hope. Either as a symbol or a soldier or… both. Took a trip to Freedom's Progress and found both proof and Tali. She couldn't join then but arranged to do so later, while the leader of Cerberus, the Illusive Man, made me a deal that I'm still sure is going to bite me in the ass. Take a ship, crew, funding, intel, and go stop the abductions. Officially, my only condition is to leave their operations alone. Since then, I've met with both the Council and the Alliance. I have my Spectre status back and the Alliance just recently reinstated me. Neither can really do much beyond that, and in part that's thanks to my temporary alliance." Wrex didn't bat an eye.
"So your crew's all Cerberus then? The humans, at least?"
"Technically. Apparently, the majority of them were new recruits taken from the Alliance or colonies since my death. They don't know a whole lot while others feel like they owe Cerberus something. I'm working on them. Loyalties are changing," I shrugged. "Speaking of the Council, though, Anderson wishes you luck. And says that if you ever need anything brought before the Council, go through him."
"That's appreciated. I might see if he can have the patrol fleets stop any shuttles heading to Tuchanka for the next week or so. Blood Pack will be looking for revenge and I'd rather save the anti-air shells for other clans." Before long, Wrex lead us down to one of the feast halls, mentioning that he sent for the rest of the team to be escorted to the hall as well. Wrex mentioned that it wasn't the only feast hall, but it's one for him, his inner circle, the Chiefs of any allied clans brought to battle and their inner circle, as well as chosen warriors who did well in the battle. There's a lot of Urdnot to fit into one hall after all. And Urz was still following, but Wrex didn't seem to mind.
"Sorry in advance Tali, Garrus. The closest thing to Dextro food you could ever find on Tuchanka is dead Turian, and Urdnot doesn't stockpile that," Wrex remarked on our way. It's not likely he's joking.
"Well. That's what MREs are for," Garrus answered, fidgeting slightly. Wrex chuckled. We came to another door that opened for Wrex, and immediately the smell of cooked meat and smoke filled the air. "Some of it's toxic to non-Krogan. Try not to eat anything marked by a Krogan head. And don't drink the Ryncol." It seems that Wrex was the first to enter, likely as custom, and his seat was clearly the large one at the center of a raised table looking over the hall and spits in the center, cooking Pyjaks and other slabs of meat over a fire. There were some other large seats along the table but more on the shorter end, and in front of every seat at every table was a large stein filled with Ryncol about the size of a small barrel. The only exceptions behind the seats for us.
"Shepard, Garrus, Tali, Grunt. You'll find your seats up there by me. Rest of you will have to take seats down here."
"Someone has favorites," Kasumi remarked.
"Bah, once things actually get going you can go wherever the fuck," Wrex shrugged as he went and took his seat. He took his seat, we took ours, and moments later came more Krogan. The first was a female in the colors of Urdnot, her forehead plate grey with red paint.
"These your old friends, Wrex?" she asked, moving to take her seat by him.
"Uta," Wrex nodded. Next was the rest of our crew followed by three more Krogan, males, with the colors black, blue, and orange. "Bragus Trax, Ravenor Halak, and Nakmor Srarm." The chiefs of the allies called for. Then following was two females, only the colors of black and blue, no Orange. And since Orange was Nakmor, I suppose they just haven't gotten a new replacement for their female clan leader. "Bragus Dakaro, Ravenor Tekari." Then several groups of Krogan of all the clan colors. The names of their squads didn't translate. Seats were all taken and it was remarkably silent to start with. Wrex stood, taking his drink in hand, raising it.
"To Victory!" Wrex shouted, and downed his drink all in one swig. The other Krogan copied him, in word and action. Once all had finished, they all slammed their drinks back down on their tables.
"Korbal!" The Krogan shouted together, then stomped their right foot on the ground twice. That was when the feast began.
Commander John Shepard
The hall was covered in Krogan bodies. And none of them were dead. Though they certainly weren't far from it. Meanwhile, Jack had ignored the warnings of both Wrex and Zaeed against drinking Ryncol, and considering the fact that not twenty seconds later she had collapsed face first into a table? Yeah, she'll be paying for it. Wrex, unsurprisingly, had kept his consciousness, knowing we'd be leaving at the end of the evening.
"Shepard, it's good to have you back. I just wish I could go with you, but now I have the clans to keep in line. Try not to get killed again."
"No promises. But, just in case…" I pulled out my Omni-tool and copied a rather sizeable file to Wrex. Maelon's research data. It was marked as such. Wrex took a glance, and then clasped me by the forearm.
"When they come, whenever that might be, the Krogan will stand at your side, Shepard. We'll send them all screaming back to the void."
"And I, by yours," I responded, the clasp releasing as Tali got her turn.
"I know better than to ask anyone to keep him out of trouble. So I'll tell you this instead. Stay by him. He'll punch a fucking Reaper to keep you safe. Make sure he doesn't have to," Wrex chuckled, ruffling Tali's realk again.
"Always," she smiled, taking my hand.
"Fleshies," Wrex scoffed, chuckling.
"Terribly disgusting, isn't it?" Garrus remarked. "Mammals. So mushy."
"Ha! I wish Uvenk was still alive to see me agree with a Turian," Wrex laughed. The two shared the same farewell that Wrex did with him. "Try not to take another rocket to the face Vakarian. It's not going to make you any less ugly. And besides, I like knowing there's at least one Turian out there worthy of my respect."
"Same goes to you, Wrex. You go, the Krogan go. Sooner or later."
"Count on it." With the farewell given, we gathered the crew and carried the unconscious few, Grunt and Jack, though the former was dragged along, all towards the shuttle. We secured them, and I was about to go for the cockpit of the shuttle when I heard a whimpering behind me. Outside the shuttle, sitting, head to the side, was Urz.
"This is about to really happen, isn't it?" Garrus asked no one in particular as I couldn't help but grin.
"Come on Urz, come on boy," I called, patting my leg. Urz quickly stood, straightening his head, and happily trotted on board the shuttle.
"Really? Shepard?" Miranda asked, exasperated. I just ignored her as Urz followed me into the cockpit and we took off towards the Normandy.