HOLOCAUST

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

DESTINY

June 10, 2186

0929 hours.

Lower Bar, Purgatory Night Club, Presidium, The Citadel.

The Reaper War.

Captain Marcus Lee Shepard.

He winced as he rotated his arm, testing it out to make sure it was fully operational after the battle at Grissom Academy the other day. His arm was still sore from the punishment it received at the edge of the phantom's katana, and his muscles were suffering from the after effects of the stasis field he had been cacooned in. Overall, his body had taken a beating, and he needed time to rest. Mordin was still synthesizing a cure for that genophage, so that wasn't currently an issue he needed to worry about and Tuchanka could wait.

Now he strode through Purgatory, somehow able to ignore the pulsing, obnoxious, high-pitched music in the background as he strode towards his destination. He rarely visited this place, largely because he preferred places like Dark Star or Flux; he seriously wasn't into night clubs, and that was because they involved money, strippers and the sleezy. The first was a waste, the second disgusted him, and the third made him cringe. There was only ever one reason for him visiting this place; a mission.

But now, as he strode towards a lone table at the back, he realized he wasn't visiting because of a mission this time, it was because of a person. That person was Jack, aka Subject Zero, one of the, if not the, most powerful biotic powerhouse in the galaxy. Originally a murderous, overly violent young woman prone to random bouts of anger and swearing, Jack had changed much from what she used to be; now she had kids to care for, and that changed her persona quite a bit.

As he looked around, he saw said kids around the lower dance floor and upper bar. Some of them were young boys oggling the asari and human strippers on the dance floor, some were enjoying private shows, whilst some of the girls drank to their hearts content. Kahlee was nowhere to be seen, and he gathered she had no interest in a place like this, just like him. Turning his focus back to the table he was approaching, he smiled as he realized his person of interest looked up at him, a grin on her face.

"Shepard!" Jack greeted, letting go of her half-finished glass of energy drink, "Have a seat, you old shit."

"Well, don't I feel welcome," he replied dryly as he took a seat opposite the teacher, "I'd say I'm surprised to find you here, but that'd be something moronic, wouldn't it? This is just your kind of place. I see not all of you has changed."

"Some parts have got to remain. Otherwise, being 'Jack' would mean jackshit," she snorted, "Didn't think you'd turn up, either. You know, with the war going on and everything. Thought you'd be too friggin busy."

He shrugged, "I've got some time on my hands. And there really isn't much I can do while the Normandy is being resupplied," he stated, shrugging, "So, for now, I'm stuck here, talking to you; its been a while Jack, and you've clearly been doing alot."

She sighed, taking another sip of her drink, "You don't know the half of it. I feel like I'm up to my fucking waist in the amount of paperwork I have to do, and those Alliance cunts aren't making it any easier. I have to look after these shits, make sure I don't piss off Kahlee, and do the same with the high-class pricks in the Alliance. And with Grissom Academy gone, me and my kids are effectively Alliance soldiers; never thought I'd take orders from anyone but you. Fuck me."

He smiled, "Now you know how I feel."

"It fucking sucks," she snorted, wiping her mouth, "Still, I feel like I've made progress, Shepard. I may still be the biotic bitch, but now I'm a biotic bitch with an allegiance; that's something, right? Maybe I'll get some credits kicked my way too," her smile dissipated slightly, taking a more serious outlook, "That is, if we survive this fucking war. I heard we lost Earth."

He sighed, shaking his head as he rubbed his stubble, "We haven't lost Earth yet, its just in the occupation phase," he met Jack's eyes, "Just like Palaven and Khar'Shan. Earth hasn't fallen, but the Reapers own it now; the unified resistance won't be enough to kick them offworld, which means its up to me to form an armada to counterattack and retake it. Hell, maybe it won't be necessary; by that point, the Crucible should be ready, we'll have found the Catalyst, and we can fire it. End the Reapers once and for all."

"Sounds like alot of fucking optimism and not alot of realism," Jack bluntly declared.

He glared at her across the table, "Yeah, well, do you want the facts? Fine, I'll be realistic; at the moment, it looks like we're fucked. The batarians lost Khar'Shan and we lost Earth in a matter of hours. A day after that, and the turian homeworld comes under siege. Now the Reapers have likely taken Elysium, Cerberus has Omega, and the asari and salarians are terrified Thessia or Sur'Kesh will be next. Hell, the Citadel could be next. We don't know! The Reapers know they're winning, and they're taking their sweet-ass time. The only advantage we have is the Crucible, our unplayed card, and we can't even know for sure if it'll destroy the Reapers or if its a Reaper trap. We can barely kill one of them, the Alliance and Hegemony fleets are scattered, and the galaxy is refusing to unite, no matter what I do. You wanted realism, Jack? Well there you fucking go. There are the facts. So forgive me if I like the idea of hope."

There was silence for a few seconds between them, the pounding music notwithstanding. Suddenly, she chuckled, shaking her head, "Wow, you really are a fucking pussy."

"I only said what you wanted to hear," he growled, "Have it my way, and I'd be talking about how much I know we'll win this. But that wouldn't be truthful. Somehow, I knew this was a lost cause to begin with. Like I knew the Reapers were always going to win, and I was only delaying the inevitable." Now you sound exactly like Saren. What the hell is wrong with you? Wake up!

"Yeah, well hope is keeping us fighting, so I'm not going to fucking bark at it," she snarled back, taking another sip of her drink, "And I'm not going to think of my kids getting butchered by Reaper husks, I won't fucking have it."

"Then what was that shit about realism, then?" Marcus asked, confused.

"Wanted to hear what you really thought, not the bullshit you say to keep morale up," she solemnly said, "And maybe you're right, maybe the galaxy's fucked. But I'd rather fight on my feet then die on my knees."

He seemed to ponder that for a second and he finally nodded, "Thanks, I needed that Jack."

"No problem, just don't expect it from me often," she jested, smirking, "I don't do that psych shit. I warp minds, not coddle them," she seemed to finally take notice of his lack of a drink and motioned to the upstairs bar, "And what the fuck is that? Nothing to drink? Get off your ass and get a drink Shepard; you look like you could use one, you fucking pussy."

"Is it possible that you can say a sentence without swearing?" he asked, incredulous at her ability to do just that.

"Fuck yes," she responded. Realizing what she said, she halted, thought about it, and then shook her head, "No. Just go get a fucking drink, you old shithead."

His grin remained present as he stood up from his seat, pushing it back as he mounted the steps behind him and took them up to the bar above. The stairs were oddly slopped, giving it a steep feel as he walked up to the top. In hindsight, he really should have just gone to the lower bar; it had been closer, but he found himself going up here and he knew going back down now would be pointless. Besides, Jack would use it as a reason to insult him further, and God knows she had enough of those.

The upper bar was heavily populated; the dance floor pulsed with intense light, dancers of many species entertaining their viewers at their tables, all of them occupied to the last seat, watching intensely or drunkenly talking to each other. Marcus ignored all of them as he headed to the bar, approaching one of the salarian bartenders currently tending it. The salarian almost immediately smiled at him, "What can I do for you, sir?"

"Something light. Obviously levo, but not too alcoholic. I intend on leaving with all my motory functions intact," he lightly quipped.

The bartender smiled, nodding, "I know just the thing," he turned to the left, "Uela, stop dancing and fetch this man a drink. Levo, not too potent."

He followed the salarian's vision and saw an asari bartender, originally dancing, stop as she nodded and moved over to behind the bar, but if her exaggerated movements gave away her annoyance, the salarian either ignored or didn't notice it. The bartender turned towards him, smiling, "You should have your drink in a moment."

He moved to mouth the word 'thanks' when he heard someone land on a stool next to him, and he turned to see it was one of the students he rescued from Grissom Academy. She was nineteen, brunette in hair color, with cool blue eyes, freckled cheeks and a medium sized bust. She was still wearing her academic uniform from when she was rescued back on Grissom Academy, and she seemed to be slightly out of her league; she had a large, lopsided grin on her face. She looked at him, smiling, "Captain Shepard! I want to thank again for what you did for us back at the Academy. I thought we were dead!" she turned to the bartender, "I'll have what he's having!"

At this point, the asari had arrived with his drink and Marcus gave her a kind nod, thanking her before the asari was whisked off to get what the girl wanted. She turned to him, smiling with that ridiculous smirk. He grimaced internally, but outside he kept an air of calm, confused at what exactly she wanted from him. Why does she seem so intent on getting this close? He sniffed, picking up a peculiar smell. Is that...? Is that perfume?

Turning her back to the bar, she leaned against it, splaying her elbows across the tabletop as she looked at him, "Sooooo...what are you getting up to? Can't be much to do right now, given how you just saved us."

"Talking with your teacher," he replied, sipping his drink, aleady thinking of ways to get out of this, "Adult things. You should go have fun."

She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "Maybe I will have fun, but maybe I'd like to spend it here." Her drunken state had rendered her conscious thought non-existent, and it was clear she wasn't thinking through what she was saying. Suffice to say, it was blatantly obvious to Marcus that the teenager was trying to seduce him, not realizing the age difference between them. He had to put a stop to this.

Before he could say anything, the asari arrived back with her drink, and she took it, sipping at it as she held her hand out, "I'm..." she hiccuped, "My name is Shannon. I'd ask for yours, but I already know!" she hiccuped again, holding a hand over her mouth before continuing, sipping more of her drink, "And I think you look awfully lonely sitting here! So why not have some fun!"

"Look, Shannon, I'm not really sure what you're trying to achieve here, but I'm not-" he tried to get in, but the girl was quick to cut him off, presumptiously placing a finger over his mouth.

"You. Are. A. Dolt. But that doesn't matter!" she giggled like a schoolgirl, which wasn't far from the truth, and she grinned, "And what I want is simple! I want to have sex with you! That simple!"

He sighed, rubbing his temples, "I know what you want, and I'm saying no. Not only am I married and not interested, you are way younger than I am and it wouldn't be right. You need to focus your attention on people your age."

"But I don't want-"

"Shannon," came a familiar voice, "You better have a good explanation for this."

The girl whirled around, Marcus smiling slightly as he took another sip of his drink. Shannon seemed to stutter for words, before rubbing the back of her neck, "Explain what, Miss? I only-"

"Don't lie to me," she replied, "Now go and join your friends; hell, get a boyfriend. Shepard's way out of your league, so you might as well just give up."

Shannon's cheeks flared red, and she crossed her arms, indignant, "I am not a child! I'm not going to be coddled! I am of legal ag-"

"The man is married...happily, I'll assure you," she came into view, her menacing form standing over him, "So go back to the others now before I kick your ass, Shannon. I'm not going to ask again."

She stuttered, turning to Marcus to help her. He merely shrugged, ignoring her look as he took another sip of his ice cold drink, only now realizing the ice that was in it and was currently bumping against his lips, numbing them. With a final huff, she turned on the spot and rushed off to join her comrades, her place quickly filled by Jack, shaking her head as she took a familiar position to Marcus'.

"Don't mind Shannon. She's drunk," the teacher reassured, "She'll get over it in the morning and wonder what she was even doing."

"I hope so. You're leaving in the morning," he informed her, and the ex-convict turned towards her, eyebrows raised.

"Oh fucking really?" she asked, "Where to?"

"I've contacted Hackett and he's sending a stealth shuttle to come pick you up at 0800, on the dot," he stated, "You'll be taken to UGC HQ where they are building the Crucible. I couldn't take you directly there for security reasons; the Reapers don't even know where it is, and we need to keep it that way if its going to be finished; it also happens to be where our fleets and armies are stationed. From there, you'll be posted under Hackett's command and you'll find out what he wants to do with you."

"Guess we got that shit sorted out," she remarked, shaking her head, "For a second, I thought we'd be bouncing from planet to fucking planet, blowing up shit as we went along. Glad to know we're actually going to have a purpose."

"Your kids will get what they want Jack; to be useful," he reassured her as he turned from his half-finished beverage, "I know what its like to feel helpless, and I won't put you or them through that. Although I'm going to miss having you onboard; Kasumi and Garrus are there, and I know you'd get along with Wrex just fine."

Jack snorted, sighing through her nostrils, "You couldn't get me back onboard if Zaeed was there," she exhaled, taking Shannon's abandon drink and practically skulking half of it before dumping it back on the table top with a disgusted look, "This shit is fucking tame, Shepard. You are such a pussy."

"I don't even care at this point," Marcus replied lightly before turning towards her, eyes inqusitive, "Are you happy, Jack?"

She frowned at him, "What the fuck do you mean by that?"

"Do those kids make you happy?" he asked again, "You seem very protective of them, and I've never seen you like that before. Its...good, to see you like that. Last time I saw someone as protective as that was Tali, and she was looking after me. One person. Not multiple kids of varying age."

"Yeah...yeah, I care about 'em," she admitted, seeming suddenly shy, something uncommon with Jack, "They're like the kids I never had. Some of them are little shits, and the others are little perfectionists, but I love them all the same," she fixed him with a more determined gaze this time, "Doesn't mean I've gone soft though, so you can get that out of your thick skull. I can still rip your head off at a hundred meters if I wanted."

"Of that, I have no doubt. The Reapers and Cerberus should be terrified," at that, he froze, suddenly considering his words, "Jack, about Cerberus...are you still considering going after-"

"No," she immediately stated. Noting his gesture for her to continue, she sighed, "That feels like a long time ago, Shepard. Fuck, I don't even know if I still hate the Illusive Man that much. Sure, I fucking hate Cerberus for what they did to me, but all I can do is stop them from doing that to my kids, and that's all that matters. For all intents and purposes...I've moved on."

He nodded, "That's...new, Jack." A hatred extinguished in one, hatred born in another. Where Jack had given up killing the Illusive Man and destroying Cerberus, Marcus had renewed his original hatred for the organization from three years ago, and now he would stop at nothing to see him and Harbinger burn as the Crucible fired. And then there's Kai Leng. I'll rip that motherfucker apart the next time we meet. I'll beat him into a pulp for what he did to Shala. Sadistic, racist, piece of filth.

"Yeah, you'll get over it though. I'm not as murderous as I once was," she smirked, "Hell, I just managed to pronounce a sentence without a single curse. That's progress, right?"

He laughed, "Yes, yes it is."

"Yeah..." she grinned, "Fuck you."

"And I thought we were getting somewhere."

"You can sincerely go fuck yourself, Shepard."

"Hey, that's my line. Just add Vakarian, and you've got plagiarism."

"Couldn't give two shits," she quipped, finishing off Shannon's pathetic drink in a single gulp. After a moment, her eyes landed on the dance floor, where a couple of her students had gotten up and started to dance erratically, bodies moving to the beat almost hypnotically. The way one girl danced brought up memories of Tali's dancing; body flowing like water, hips swinging from side to side like a form of hypnosis.

She grinned, turning back towards him as she stood up, "You know what, fuck it, I don't care. I'm going to dance, and you're going to join in."

His eyes widened as he remained seated. He raised an eyebrow incredulously, "Didn't you just-? Jack, I'm mar-"

"I said dance," she growled, "Not suck your dick."

Ignoring her vulgar language, he shook his head, insistent, "I don't dance. I suck at it."

"You didn't it at your wedding."

He glared at her, "That was a wedding. I had no choice, and the wife was insistent."

"And now I'm going to insist," she growled, "Get off your ass, Shepard! The war isn't going anywhere! A few minutes of dancing won't lead to our doom."

He reluctantly nodded, pulling himself from his stool and moving over to the dance floor like a prisoner to the execution block. The ex-convict had already dove into the crowd, shouting at her students to move aside, "Get the fuck out of the way! Captain Shepard is here, and he's going to show you how it's done!"

He stopped, glaring, "You conniving-"

"Shut up and move up!" Jack ordered, beginning to move to the beat of the music, "It's time to have some fucking fun, how about it, huh!?"

The kids cheered, and Marcus couldn't help but smile at the gesture as he began to awkwardly shift his feet from side to side, trying not to embarass himself too badly. The kids danced around their teacher, who moved from side to side, dancing heavily with no grace, but with more intent and force. And as much as he cringed at the laughs sent his way, he felt calm. Besides, he could only look at the bright side.

At least he wasn't being shot at.

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June 16, 2186

0434 hours.

Abandoned Underground Parking Lot, Trisek'lok City Ruins, Tor'an Wastelands, Tuchanka.

The Reaper War, Krogan DMZ Campaign: The Tuchankan Raids.

First Lieutenant Tarquin Victus.

He fell against the wall, sliding to the ground as he let out a wave of air from his lungs, trying not to inhale too much of the dust in the air, a massive plume of it having been sent up in a cloud as he hit the ground. The world could go to hell as far as he was concerned, the turian reaching into his armor's nearest pouch and pulling out a tube of nutrient paste, bringing it up to his mandibles and popping the protective seal, bringing it to his mouth and crushing it, the paste shooting into his mouth as he began to slosh it around in his mouth. It wasn't the best taste, but considering what he had just been through, it was heaven as far as he was concerned, spirits damn the taste.

As he munched on his rationed food, he looked up and took a long look at the men before him. The platoon of black watch turian special forces troopers were still holding strong, as were the fireteam of Cabals that had joined them, but all of them were a little torn up and a few carried new scars; they had barely escaped the Reaper ambush alive. Every single one of them was exhausted, and the Cabals had almost completely extinguished their biotics.

Tarquin had to be honest, he didn't think he was going to get out alive. When the Reaper husks had surrounded himself and his platoon, he thought they would be mauled to death, their mission left incomplete. But they had managed it; they had escaped, if narrowly. Truius found an exit under a pile of rubble and had waved them over to it, and Tarquin had wasted on time in rallying his men and following the turian through the exit, the Cabals blocking the exit with rubble. They escaped Vanguard, and escaped its minions. However, they knew they would catch up sooner or later, and they needed to reach that bomb and disarm it. Vanguard was a problem they'd find a solution for.

And now, here they were, hiding like frightened rats. We are turian, and we're cowering away. I wonder what father would think of me right now, just hiding here. The outlook didn't seem very pleasant, and he shook the thought away, trying to get rid of the image of his disapproving father's face. You are turian, and I must be strong. Victory at any cost.

His platoon wasn't down for the count; if anything, they were ready to move again. Their medic had taken care of any cuts or scratches, and the Cabals had simply pulled out their canteens, full of energy drink, and chugged them, replenishing their strength almost immediately; biotics needed to consume alot of energy, and ate a hell of a lot more food then others did, making them a strain on resources, but a powerful asset on the battlefield.

Truius came into view, covered in dust as he holstered his Incisor sniper rifle and quickly closed the distance between himself and Tarquin. He knew a confrontation was about to occur, despite turian consequences regarding insubordination, and he stood to his full height, suddenly ignoring his empty tube of paste as it slipped from his talons and hit the ground, eyes narrowing.

Truius came to stand a meter away from him, "I just got a look at the terrain out there, and it doesn't look good. The spirits are not smiling on us today, Lieutenant Victus, sir," he said the last bit with a hint of disdain, "Reaper forces are crawling all over the place; everything from husks to marauders and brutes, and they even have those damn harvesters in the air. Vanguard is nowhere to be seen, so we should consider ourselves lucky it left as quickly as it did," he pointed an accusing finger at Tarquin, "This situation is completely fucked, and it is all because of you!"

Tarquin was having none of it as he stepped forward, swatting the man's hand away as the entire platoon turned to watch the encounter, "We had a mission, and we knew the risks going in. We-"

"Bullshit! You know that's not why we're here!" Truius roared, coming inches from his face, "We are here because you tried to play daddy and played the tactician. Well you failed! You brought us directly within Vanguard's sights and we were a sitting duck! Now we've lost our corvette, we're completely marooned, surrounded by the enemy, and we are a single platoon! And we haven't even completed our mission! You fucked it up! This entire operation is fucked!"

"We will continue to the bomb site," Tarquin growled, "We will find it, unearth it and disarm it. Once we have done that, we will head for the nearest krogan settlement and wait until a Hierarchy ship has come to pick us up; if they get suspicious, we'll simply tell them we were on a patrol when a Reaper shot us down."

"Fuck the bomb! I'm not dying for a few thousand krogan!" Truius spat, "I joined this platoon to protect turian lives, not preserve krogan lives! As far as I'm concerned, let the bomb go off. We don't owe them our lives! What we should be doing is fighting back on Palaven! That's what matters!"

"You short-sighted fool!" Tarquin roared, spinning to face the platoon, "Is this the example you want to follow? This moron would have us dying on Palaven, and achieving nothing! Do you think you'll go out in a blaze of glory? Do you think you'll help us win the war? The Reapers would have extinguished you without effort! There would be no glorious sacrifice, and you would be forgotten! What we're doing here will save the galaxy! Stopping this bomb will allow our alliance with the krogan to grow, and provide valuable shock troopers to Palaven to help save it! But this idiot," he pointed to Truius, "Would have us turn tail and die on our homeworld, unnamed and unremembered. Our victory here could mean the victory of the entire war. And the blossoming of the UGC."

Everyone was silent, contemplating his words. Not a single soldier spoke a word, either looking to each other or silently pondering. Truius still fumed, his position clearly decided, but it was the platoon's whose support he needed; Truius' loyalty was inconsequential. He could only wait.

Finally, one of his men spoke, "If this alliance will save Palaven, then so be it. I will give my life to eliminate this bomb."

The cabal next to him nodded, flexing her mandibles, "Agreed. For the Hierarchy. For Palaven."

"For the Council," another said.

"For galactic preservation!"

One by one, his entire platoon fell in line, shouting their encouragement and agreement. Tarquin nodded, shouting along with them in typical turian fashion, glancing in Truius' direction. The turian seemed to visibly calm at the growing platoon's support, either falling in line or simply giving up on becoming a vocal majority. Eventually, he noticed Tarquin's look, meeting it with his own eyes. He gave a brief nod, showing his support as he brought his weapon to bare, ready to move in an instant. Turian blood ran in his veins, and he wasn't completely unsubordinate.

Tarquin raised his hands, ordering for silence. Everyone quieted down almost instantly, entering stoic positions. He turned to them, hands behind his back as he spoke, "Look, I know we've lost alot coming this far. We've lost a corvette and most of her crew went with her. We're stranded and we're battered, but we are turian. Men of the First Platoon. We must continue the fight. We must not give in to exhaustion, and we must muster the courage to proceed. We have a mission, and we must not waver. The goal is at hand, we must only advance and obtain it," he stopped, sadness covering his features. He rounded on them, gulping heavily, "My terrible maneveuring got many men killed. For COs, it would result in harsh punishment. For a son of the Primarch...it means execution. I am aware of this, and I will bare the full weight of my punishment when we get home. If we get home. Either way, they will know you had no part in my incompetent command," he breathed, pointing to the area above them as a loud boom was heard above, "The Reapers swarm above us. We must deny them victory; let them know that Palaven continues to spite them even while under occupation. Let the Reapers know we fight on," he retrieved his phaeston from his back, turning to an entrance at the back as he put his helmet back on, "First Platoon...MOVE OUT! FOR PALAVEN!"

"FOR PALAVEN!" The platoon shouted in unison, and as one force they moved forward, Truius taking up the back with the Cabals, while Tarquin took up the front with his Black Watch troopers. He rushed up the enbankment at the end, kicking up dust as he lifted himself over the ruined wreckage of an overly large skycar, and up onto a fallen slab of cracked concrete. He moved up the steep rubble, using every jutting piece as a grapple as he pulled himself up, his platoon not far behind. Pretty soon, they found themselves confronted with the twilight sky of Tuchanka; night had still fallen upon the planet, and Aralakh had not yet unleashed its powerful rays.

He came down into a prone position, placing the butt of his automatic rifle against his shoulder as he scanned the area around him. The husks of monolithic krogan skyscrapers towered over them, placing judgment upon the trespassers. He was on a ruined part of the street, the dried out corpse of a varren nearby, followed by a few others; recent kills. He scanned the street, looking for hostiles.

His eyes widened as he raised a hand for his men to go prone and stay put. Ahead and moving across the street was a herd; a brute prowled forward, massive arms propelling its gigantic form and tiny head across the field. An alpha varren stupidly charged at it, and the gargantuan beast barely growled as it slammed a massive fist across its body, tossing it away like a rag doll and splitting its belly, its intestines spilling out and slopping across the ground. Barely fazed, the brute continued its mindless patrol.

But it wasn't alone. Behind it were dozens of husks, their human heads swinging back and forth, looking for victims to maul. Cannibals flanked their sides, arms perputually raised in preparation to fire their lethal, Reaper-grafted rifles. The occassional marauder also lead them, its phaeston gripped hard, and body seeming to sense the turians in its presence, but never acting on it, always turning away to continue moving. A harvester flew over, screeching as it did.

They stayed silent and let the Reaper force merely pass them by, the enemy in question not knowing they were there. After a few minutes, they watched the final cannibal disappear behind a corner before he stood in a crouch, motioning the platoon to move forward, taking point. He rushed across the dusty ground, careful to not trip over anything in the darkness. However, he suddenly stopped when he felt the ground shake.

He froze in place. That had been unnaturally close. Uncomfortably close. He gulped as his platoon sensed it as well. It had only lasted a second, and they could hear the sound of crashing debris in the background. He turned to Truius, whispering in his comm, "When I say so, head for cover." The location of the bomb was on their HUDs and marked as a NavPoint: it was currently three klicks north west.

They heard another crash, simultaneously followed by the ground shaking more violently. Vanguard was most definitely headed this way. But something wasn't right about the rhythm about the ground tremors; they were too constant, far too varied. Vanguard would have to sprinting to make these tremors. No, this had to be something else. He gulped.

Something else. What made constant tremor sounds and shook one to the core? Suddenly, the blood in his face drained.

He whirled to his team as the sound grew closer, "Cover! NOW!"

They only whirled, following him to cover; there was a piece of concrete lying ontop of a crushed skycar nearby and they all dived behind the massive vehicle, Tarquin the last one in as he held his helmet in prayer. Please, it can't end like this. Of all the things...

"Are you sure its a Maw?" Truius asked, seeming to know what he knew, "Are you sure that's a Thresher Maw out there? You know they never leave the wastelands; they can't break through concrete. That can't be a thresher maw."

Well it is. And its headed our way. He moved to mouth words, but suddenly the sound stopped. Gulping in fear, he turned the corner, waiting for what happened next.

In a thunderous cacophony of sound and crunching, a skycraper across the street exploded as the massive form of a thresher maw exploded through it, screeching as it send the building flying apart like nothing. Tarquin's eyes widened at the sight. This Thresher Maw was a freak of nature; they never reached the size of this beast, and almost never had the ability to break through concrete without killing themselves. While most maws were the size of three kodiak shuttles, this monstrosity was the size of a turian light cruiser, or even longer. It was definitely over a kilometer in length, its body was blacker than a maw and its body seemed to be unbelievably tough. Its head was just like a maw though, proving his point that it was definitely a Thresher Maw, but not the ordinary kind. What was this beast?

Suddenly, it came to him. His jaw gaped open. It can't be...she's just a myth...

The beast continued to screech as it burst through the ground and continued to dive into it. They could only watch as it seemed to take forever for the racing monster to get into the ground, but when it finally did, it crushed a piece of concrete behind it as its behind slapped the ground upon entering the ground, leaving a massive hole in the middle of the street. The tremors continued but, thankfully, they became alot less thunderous this time, and became more distant. Sure that the danger had passed, everyone relaxed, but Truius noticed Tarquin's surprise.

"You look like you know something," Truius asked in wonderment, still awed by the size of the creature, "That maw was a freak. It was gigantic. And I have a feeling you know what it was."

Tarquin could only meet the man's eyes, nodding.

"That...it's just a myth. She's just a myth. But...we saw it..."

"What?" Truius asked again, "Sir, what was that damn thing?"

He shivered, looking back to the hole.

"Kalros," he stated simply, "The Mother of all Thresher Maws."

{Loading...}

June 10, 2186

1521 hours.

'Humanity's Sanctum,' Upper Levels, Cronos Station, Anadius System.

The Reaper War.

The Illusive Man, First Lieutenant Geoff Dielheart, Operative Kai Leng.

Smoke trailed from his cigar as he impatiently tore it from his lips, uncharacteristically dumping it in the ash tray next to him as he sat up, not even turning to look at the two behind him, "Are you telling me that two of our operations have failed in the space of two days? Two?"

Geoff gulped, nodding as he checked his datapad, "Operation: Rogue was not a success sir. Shepard was there and managed to extract the students from us and destroyed the Hannibal in the process. As for Operation: Dexterity..."

"Leng bares the blame for that failure," he rubbed his temples, shaking his head.

"Shepard was also there," Leng defended, "He managed to get ahold of the females before I could. I attempted to fix that by pushing the assault, but Shepard and his band of scum managed to push us back and I was forced to retreat."

"All I hear is excuses, Leng," TIM replied, gripping the seat as the muscles in his hands flexed, "You said you could take care of Shepard, and yet here you are, with no dead krogan to show for it. Instead, you make up excuses so you can ignore your failure because you refuse to admit you were beaten by aliens. And salarians, at that."

"It will not happen again," he heard Leng hiss, the assassin obviously not happy at the insult. TIM simply shrugged it off, not caring for the man's opinion. He was a tool, an asset to be used and disposed of. His feelings were inconsequential.

"No, you won't," TIM calmly replied, taking a sip of his whiskey, "Until I require further use of you, I'm putting you on the sidelines until Operation: Polar Fire when I need you to lead the ground forces. Until then, you are dismissed," he ordered, and he heard Leng's footsteps clang against the floor as he left, the steps eventually dumbing down to nothing as he disappeared. Confident, he was gone, he addressed Geoff once more.

"How comes Operation: Deathstroke?" TIM quiered, sniffing as he prepared a fresh cigar after crushing his other one, lighting it, "I assume all resources are still being pooled."

"The Fourth Fleet is ready and on standby, sir," Geoff detailed, "The flagship, CAW Kenya, has been fitted with the thanix cannon, as you ordered sir, and the invasion forces are being evaluated as we speak. Sir, are you sure you want Leng in charge sir? And should we get in contact with our agents there?"

"Yes. Tell them to begin background checks on security and any vantage points are to be reported back to me before being relayed to Fleet Admiral Terrence. I want to know everything he knows before he knows it," TIM declared, "This operation is to go off without a hitch, you understand me? This mission cannot fail. Get in contact with our main operative, tell him to start digging, ask some questions. He's the most powerful person there, and his information will be critical. If we're going to beat the Reapers, we need this operation to succeed. I hope you understand this, Lieutenant. Deathstroke must succeed."

"Yes sir," Geoff declared.

"I've poured millions of credits into this. Every military cell we have is in on it," TIM rehashed, "If we fail, then it'll be one more victory for the Reapers."

"Yes sir," Geoff repeated.

"Excellent," he replied, sighing as he rubbed his temples, "What do our agents on the Citadel have to say? The ones tracking Shepard's movement."

"He recently visited Purgatory to speak with Subject Zero and then recently left for Huerta Memorial Hospital. I believe his intention was to speak with Major Alenko, who we are also monitoring," Geoff informed him.

"Good," TIM stated cooly. You are becoming a real problem, Shepard. That's thrice now you've disrupted my operations, and it is becoming quite tiresome. You would want to destroy a valuable resource instead of obtaining it, and you're pathetic short-sightedness will be the doom of us all. Cerberus will continue to protect this galaxy, even if you continue to get in the way of that. He remembered what Shepard had said about him being indoctrinated. That is not true. I'm in full control, he is the one who is indoctrinated.

And if he continues to get in his way, then he would be destroyed. Do not get in my way again, Shepard. Or you will pay the price.

"Is there anything else sir?" he asked.

"Yes," he began, calmly thinking about his next order. Quite certain what he wanted, he turned his head slightly as he spoke, smoke wafting from his mouth and nose as he removed his cig and exhaled, "Has there been anything new from Port Hanshan?"

"The scientists under Cole have remained situated in the main port, sir," Geoff informed him, "Our agents are keeping them boxed in until the Third Fleet can be scrambled sir and a fighting force arranged, but they don't know how long it'll take until they get suspicious. Someone's going to come looking eventually."

"I am aware of that," TIM stated, rolling his eyes, "Which is why I've had to speed up operations a bit. I want that port to have fallen before the end of the month."

Even from his seated position, back turned to him, TIM could sense the man's eyes widen, "Sir, the war is making it very difficult to traverse sir. With the Reapers so close to us, it is getting increasingly more difficult for us to get ships here undetected. Getting the forces mobilized and to have succeeded in taking the port in a month is stretching it alittle sir."

"Kai Leng will be with them when the time comes. I want to make sure every single one of those scientists is dead. None alive, and no bodies," He ordered, "And I don't care how long it takes, as long as its done. There is simply no more room for failure. The UGC won't react this time, and we'll have secured a base of operations in place of the loss of Eden Prime. We will have gained two things for the price of one. Make sure it is done, Geoff."

"Yes sir," a moment later, he spoke again, "Its done sir. Leng, Fleet Admiral Tiberius and the commander of the division have been informed."

"Good. Tell them to tear apart the entire port if need be, but make sure every one of those scientists is dead. They are resource we cannot allow the UGC to utilize," he sighed, leaning back as he took another sip of his ice cold beverage, "As soon as their forces are mobilized, attack immediately. If he feels the need, even bomb it from orbit. Less effective, but hopefully it'll get the job done. If there is nothing else, you are dismissed."

Geoff gave a brief bow as he turned to leave, "Yes sir." And with that, Geoff left, leaving the room in a hurry. He had noticed how possessed the Illusive Man had become in trying to stop Shepard, and he whole-heartedly approved. The man was beginning to become a pain in the ass, and the more trouble he caused for Cerberus, the more shit was being flung at Geoff. He was so busy these days he rarely saw his wife, Josephine, or his son, Carter. Seriously, couldn't he catch a break? But no, he had to file reports and bare the brunt of the Illusive Man's wrath as he became angered when an operation failed due to Shepard. Mars had been bad enough, but now they had lost Eden Prime, lost their chance to obtain more recruits for the dragoons on Grissom Academy, failed to stop them from acquiring the female krogan on Sur'Kesh, and now he wanted them to prepare two fleets to invade two seperate areas! The Illusive Man was placing massive strain on their forces, and it was all Shepard's fault.

Can't that ignorant fool see what we're doing for humanity? Can't he see this is what's best? The man will be the end of the galaxy. Cerberus is defending it, and Shepard is tearing apart our efforts. Sooner or later, he's going to have to die.

As he walked down the steps to the lower levels, Geoff snorted. If he dies, so be it. He's been nothing but trouble since Lazarus brought him back. Hell, the main reason I'm even his second-in-command now was because his last one defected to Shepard's cause.

But soon Shepard would realize the extent of the Illusive Man's fury, and when he did, Cerberus would crush him. Afterall...

...it was for the good of the galaxy.

{Loading...}

June 10, 2186

1557 hours.

Medical Room H6, Huerta Memorial Hospital, Shalta Ward, The Citadel.

The Reaper War.

Captain Marcus Lee Shepard.

He pushed through the throng of the crowd, one goal in his mind. God, I feel like an asshole for not doing this sooner. Man's in hospital, and I barely come and see him? Total dick. Yet again, he had been extremely busy lately, and coupled with saying goodbye to Jack, he hadn't really had much time to do anything else. But now he had the time, and he was going to use it wisely.

An asari doctor rushed past him, followed by a turian as they rushed a patient passed on a wheelchair, the patient in question being a turian with his left leg severed below the knee and knocked out, a large white set of bandages wrapped around the stump and stained with blue blood. He moved out of their way, wondering if it was really a grand idea to rush into a busy hospital. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea...

He watched a door nearby open, and the familiar form of Lia walked out, turning to her colleagues to shout out orders. Keying her omni-tool, she rushed over to an injured batarian, muttering reassurances as she began to apply a sedative. Behind her, two human doctors appeared and began helping her as they prepared to move the man into surgery. Deciding not to distract her, he rejected the urge to call out to her and continued to his destination.

Kaidan's room lay on the right and he immediately moved up to it, tapping the green interface, having already acquired permission to talk with him from his doctor. He could feel a presence behind him, and he smiled as he knew Thane was shadowing him, living up to his promise of protecting Kaidan. I knew he'd keep his word. He always does, poor guy. He couldn't imagine what dying of a lack of oxygen was like, but knew it must suck.

As he stepped inside, he was surprised to see his view of Kaidan's bedside was blocked by Udina, who stood there, obviously speaking with the marine, his prestine suit adorning his torso along with the usual black pants that came with it.

He managed to catch the last snippet of their conversation, "-so in retrospect, your service would be invaluable. I need an answer now, Major. The galaxy is in need of exceptional soldiers like you. Now more than ever."

"You'll have my answer soon, Councilor," he heard Kaidan reply, voice alittle more raspy than normal, "I promise. I just...I need to think. Its a huge commitment, and I don't want to jump straight in. Thank you for your patience."

Udina nodded, apparently finished as he prepared to turn around, "My patience has limits, Major, remember. You cannot keep thinking forever. Soon, you'll have to make a choice, and if you're smart, you'll make the right one. I'll be in my office," he turned and prepared to leave, but bumped into the captain, giving him a weak smile, "Captain."

Marcus gave an equally weak one in return, "Councilor."

Udina's smile dropped and he quickly left, the door shutting behind him. Marcus simply shook his head as he walked over to Kaidan, grabbing a stool to sit next to him. The man practically looked the same as he did when he last saw him; his chest was bare, the rest covered underneath white sheets, and he had black, ugly bruises all over his face, most prominently being his left eye. He still looked shit, but at least this time, he was awake.

"Asshole," he heard Kaidan mutter, and he couldn't help a chuckle. The major turned to him, raising an eyebrow, "What are you laughing at? You know it's true."

"Of course I do. He's a politician, remember? Comes with the job," he sighed as he sunk into the seat next to the marine, grinning, "But just what was he here for? He seemed rather determined to get an answer from you."

Kaidan seemed to hold still for a second, sinking back into his pillow, "Yes, he's very determined. And I don't know if I want to say yes or not."

"Say yes to what?" Marcus asked, all the more curious, "What did he want, Kaidan?"

He sighed, exhaling as he glanced at Marcus. Seeing his waiting eyes he sighed again, turning to look back at the ceiling as he closed his eyes, reopening them as he spoke, "He managed to convince the Council to agree on it, but its pretty obvious they've been thinking about it for awhile. They want a second human spectre Shepard, and Udina wants that to be me."

He widened his eyes in shock, before bursting into a chuckle, slapping the man's shoulder in appreciation, "Holy shit! Kaidan Alenko, Second Human Spectre! Should have known you'd want to one up me at one point."

Kaidan looked incredulous, shaking his head as he grinned, "I haven't even said yes yet! Besides, we can't have you stay as the first and only human spectre, can we?" he let out an intake of air, suddenly giddy, "I just...don't know if I should accept. I don't know if I'm ready to take that kind of responsibility. To work above the law, defensive arm of the Council. It seems like alot of work."

He nodded, "Well, it was made out to be alot more fun in the vids, I'll give you that," he shook his head, smiling warmly, "But I'm proud of you, Kaidan. If anyone deserves that candidacy, you do. You're one hell of a soldier, and you've earned your rank. Consider becoming a Spectre a...promotion."

He snorted, "It's one hell of a promotion, I'll give you that," he relaxed, folding his hands ontop of his chest, "But I'm not going to reach a decision anytime soon, and you're here to talk, so let's not talk about the spectres. What has the crew been up to, Shepard? What have I missed?"

"Alot, unfortunately, Kaidan," he smiled solemnly, "After you were rendered comatose, we brought you here and then I went straight to work. The Council refused to lend us their help in building the superweapon, so I've been working with the crew to find ways to ascertain their support individually."

"So wait, the superweapon works?" Kaidan asked, breathing out in relief at Marcus' nod, "Yes. So much yes. That weapon could be our only hope."

He nodded again, "It's called the Crucible, and we're building it as we speak. Anyway, we've done alot since you were here, and I'm going to give you the short version: we went to Menae, Palaven's moon, got the Primarch and now we're negoitating a turian-krogan alliance," he saw Kaidan's eyes widen and he nodded, laughing, "Yeah, I know, it's been a bitch. Anyway, we found Garrus on Menae and he joined us. Then there was the War Summit and Wrex is back on the crew, if only a for a bit; he wants the genophage to be cured in exchange for krogan support."

"The genophage cured?" Kaidan asked, almost exclaiming, whistling in impression, "Holy shit, you're playing with fire, Shepard. The salarians are probably furious, right?"

"Just their one of their dalatrasi," he grinned, "Anyway, we managed to reach Sur'Kesh to extract females immune to the genophage, but Cerberus attacked, and only one survived. But we rescued here, despite Cerberus' efforts," he sighed, "After that, it's been back and forth. I just said goodbye to Jack; she's become a teacher at Grissom Academy, and I had to go rescue her and her students. They're going to the Crucible operation now."

"That's great news," Kaidan said with melancholy, "Pity I couldn't be there for all of it, being stuck in this bed. Lia's looked after me, and Thane is apparently keeping watch over me, but it's extremely boring here. I'm a soldier, and I'm stuck here."

"Well, I'll say it plain Alenko," he exhaled, shaking his head as he punched the man's arm lightly, "You look like shit, all the bruises on your face aren't attracting the ladies."

For some reason, the Major sighed happily at that. Marcus frowned, confused by his reaction. He noticed his captain's reaction, frowning just as much as he turned to look at him, "What?"

"You just sighed, like you were happy or something," he smirked, "Something I should know about? You know I won't judge you."

Kaidan sighed, shrugging as he shifted his body weight to face Marcus, "It's...its Rahna, Shepard. Don't ask me how, but she found out I was here and came and visited me. We...had an interesting talk, and it may have slightly escalated a bit. I...I kissed her, Shepard. And she welcomed it. She...she wants us to be more than just friends," he frowned, "Being a Spectre might complicate that."

"Do you love her, Alenko?" he asked simply, "Do you want to be with her?"

"Hell yes I do," he replied, "I loved her all those years ago, and I still love her now. I just don't know if I should choose between my duty to the Alliance and the Council, or if I just choose to be with her."

"Kaidan, if there is one mistake to never make in life, its this," he laid out to the marine, shaking his head, gripping the man's shoulder as he looked him fully in the eyes, "If Rahna loves you, and you love her, then be with her, that doesn't mean being a Spectre will change that. You can still be with her, hell, form your own squad with her, if that's what you want," he grinned, "She'd even fit right in on the Normandy."

He smiled, chuckling lightly to himself, "Heh...maybe you're right. Thanks Shepard. I'll think about that," with a sigh, he pulled away, turning back to look at Marcus, "So, any reason you came down here or was it to just check on me?"

"For the first time, it was just to check on you," he laughed, slapping his thigh, "I just wanted to know what you were getting up to. It's been a while since I last checked up on you, and the past week has been quite hectic."

Kaidan nodded with a weary smile, scratching an itch on his neck, "Yeah, it sounds like it. As for me, well, I've been as good as one can be being locked up in here. Doctors say I'm making progress, and they think I should be able to move around within the next few days, but they just want to run a few tests first. After that, I guess it's all just hope, really. These bruises though," he motioned to his blackened upper face, "Will take some time to wear off. So for now, I'm not very pretty to look at."

"You're giving me nightmares, Kaidan," Marcus jested, shaking his head, "Well, I'm glad to see you're recovering. This war isn't going to be over any time soon, and the UGC will be looking for soldiers just like you. Its just a pity that Udina already jumped onto that boat."

"I heard about the UGC. Everyone keeps saying it's our only hope," he stated, but then he frowned, "No mentions of the Crucible though, why is that?"

He blew out air through his nostrils, scratching his scalp, "That's because the Crucible is classified; only trusted military officials such as you and myself know about it; they need to limit just how many people know about it so that the Reapers don't find out. Cerberus already knows obviously, but they can't exactly stop its construction at this point, so it doesn't matter. But if Harbinger learned there was an anti-Reaper weapon being built out there..."

"...he'd do everything he could to locate and destroy it," Kaidan acknowledged, "I see, so its pretty hush-hush then. Well, I can tell you that Rahna's heard about the UGC. She's actually offered the Alliance her assistance, and you know those other biotics I told you about that I trained with back at Jump Zero?"

He nodded his understanding, letting Kaidan continue.

"Yeah, well Rahna's formed a group for them called the Jumpers, and they've joined the Alliance," he declared, "She doesn't know what their assignment is yet, but apparently they've been stationed on the Citadel until further notice, something about this being the Alliance's HQ with Earth being occupied and Arcturus Station destroyed."

Marcus widened his eyes, "Really? That's excellent news. I'm glad Rahna's willing to do her part."

"Yeah..." Kaidan trailed off, clearly saddened, "Just a pity I can't join her. Join them. Damn this bed."

He gave the marine a sympathetic nod, "I'm sure she'll be fine, Kaidan. And besides, you'll be up and moving soon, remember? You'll be able to help them. Being a Spectre, they'll probably like your help all the more."

He grinned, nodding, "True. I'm sure Rahna would love it if I was a Spectre."

"That's the spirit," he replied, slapping the man's back. After a moment's silence, he exhaled and stood up, straightening his shirt, "Well, I better get going, Kaidan. This war isn't anywhere near over, and I've got a lot of work to do. I'm glad you're doing okay. Just...get well soon, major. The galaxy needs you. I need you."

The man brought his hand up, giving him the strongest salute he could muster, "Aye aye...sir."

Marcus smiled meekly, snapping his own salute back to the marine before turning and leaving, the door closing behind him as he rejoined the throngs of the crowd. He pushed through them, smiling as he gave a brief nod in Thane's direction, who was currently leaning against a wall, arms crossed. The drell nodded, briefly coughing before standing up and heading in Kaidan's direction. Marcus knew Thane would deal with any assassins that tried to kill Kaidan or Lia, so he was content knowing they were safe.

He moved through the doorway at the end, moving through decon and out into the main reception. Just as he made his way across the foyer, his omni-tool beeped loudly and he frowned, looking down at it with curiosity. He read the message, and noticed the sender, eyes widening before his lips broke into a smile, the man closing the device and quickening his steps to the elevator, stepping into it as he hit the order for the parking lot. Once he got there, he quickly hopped into his skycar, fired up the engine and headed straight for the Presidium Commons.

After landing, he honed in on Apollo's Cafe like a missile, quickly finding his target seated at one of the tables, her back turned to him, elbows on the table surface and hands holding her face. Her would recognize her white, skin-tight catsuit from anywhere, not to mention her long, flowing black hair and overly feminine body.

Moving up to the seat across from her, he noticed her look up, smiling as his eyes met hers. He could only laugh as he took his seat, addressing her, "Miranda Lawson, I was wondering where you'd gone off to. Was beginning to think you'd gone off the grid."

"Technically I did," was her cryptic response, the woman always having a knack for getting straight to the point, "With all the Cerberus activity around the galaxy building up, and the Illusive Man understandably furious with me, I doubt I'll get much time to rest these days. My time on the Citadel is a luxury I'm forced to entertain, I'm afraid."

"What's happened to you in the past...how long has it been? A year? Last I saw you, I was sending you off to Illium, and I learnt you got sent to an Illium hospital because of mortal wounds," he asked.

She shrugged, sighing as she lay her arms across the glass table, "I got better, and then I started running. Seems the Illusive Man wasted no time in locating me and trying to assassinate me. Of course, I escaped, and now I've been on the run for the past six months. It hasn't been exciting, and I've had to relocate Oriana and her family quite a few times, because I just know he'd use her as a bargaining chip to lure me in. Still, it's been...quite strenuous," she gulped, a sudden worried look in her eyes, "Shepard, it is nice seeing you again and all, but that's not why I called you here. I thought you deserved to know what I was about to do before I did it."

He frowned, leaning forward on the table as he listened, "I figured you wouldn't suddenly pop up just for a chat. What is it Miranda?"

She inhaled, exhaling as she also leaned forward, curling a stray string of hair out of her face and around an ear. She seemed hesitant to speak at first, but she did eventually, lips pursed as if prepared to deliver some great discovery, "Oriana...she's...she's disappeared. Her family, herself, all three. Just gone."

His eyes widened, "I thought she was safe!"

"She was. But remember just who helped us move her," Miranda growled, "I'm convinced its Cerberus. The Illusive Man knows who she is, and he's pretty desperate to have me disappear, knowing the stuff I know about the organization. Every dirty little secret."

He nodded, "That's true. But why now? Why abduct her now?"

"I don't know. I'm still trying to figure that out," Miranda pondered, shaking her head, "All I know is that I've only got one mission now: Find Oriana and rescue her. The Illusive Man is a tenacious bastard, and there's no telling what he'll do to her. Control chip...maybe turn her into one of his personal soldiers..." tears welled in her eyes, but she wiped them away, unwilling to think about it, "I don't want to think about that. Those are the thoughts of a defeatist, and I refuse to give up."

"I wish I could help Miranda," he stated regretfully, "But with the war going on, I just can't. I'm trying to secure a turian-krogan alliance, and to do that, I have to cure the genophage; which means a trip to Tuchanka in the near future. Mordin's back on board and working on it, and in the mean time, I've got Wrex breathing down my neck to hurry up and this stupid salarian bitch shooting me glares and telling me that I'm making a mistake. What do you think Miranda? Do you think curing the genophage is a mistake?"

"Can't judge what I wasn't around for. Jesus Christ was still walking the Earth while the krogan ravaged the galaxy. We don't have a right to judge, just as we can't judge the quarians for the Morning War," she stated solemnly, "But...I don't know. We need the krogan, but again, they did ravage the galaxy, even if we weren't around for it. Curing them could cause another population boom, leading to a reenactment of the Rebellions, but again, we need them; the krogan are the best fighting ground force in the galaxy. Its your choice, Shepard, but I don't know."

"No," he stated, smiling, "It's the krogan's. They need to grow up and realize what they did was a mistake, and make amends for it by standing side by side the rest of the galaxy in fighting the real enemy. Wrex knows that, and the rest will learn. I'm only along for the ride," he shook his head, getting back on topic, "But as for Oriana, I simply cannot help you."

"That's okay Shepard. I wasn't asking for help anyway," she declared, "I need to do this on my own, anyway. She's my sister, and my responsibility. I know you helped me on Illium, but those days are gone. You can't help me because of the war, and I need to rescue her because of Cerberus. I just wanted you to know...that if I don't return from this alive, that you at least know how I died. How I disappeared, and what I tried doing. And that if I fail..."

"...I will save her," he finished for her, "I promise you, Miranda, if you fail and die somehow, I will save her. Mark my words."

"Well, you've never broken a promise. You always did make good on face quality," she stated, smiling, "And thank you. Its funny, I never thought I'd despise an organization I used to be completely loyal to. You really do change people, Shepard."

"I don't change people, Miranda, I merely turn them away from their path if I think it ignorant, arrogant, stupid or pathetic," he grinned, "In your case, it was none of those four. It was evil, and you found out in the end just how evil."

"Yes I did. And I now I will do anything I can to destroy Cerberus. If I find any information regarding Cerberus, I will send it your way," she replied.

"How about Cerberus HQ?" he asked inquisitively, "You did say you've been there before."

"Yes, but my memory was always wiped," she explained. Seeing his confused look, she decided to stop the pronouns and explain herself, "The Illusive Man was very paranoid, and he always thought he would be betrayed, and that traitor would reveal the location of his base. So, as a security measure, everyone who enters the station and attempts to leave or communicate to people outside of it, must submit to a memory wipe; its very particular and specific, and only wipes away the memory pertaining to the base's location. Even I had to submit to it, even if I was his most loyal."

"That's brilliant, I'll give him that, the paranoid bastard," he frowned, "Wait, then how did you get back there? If you can't remember its location, how do you return?"

"Automated VI interface," she stated, "Its the station's main VI and it sends us the coordinates whenever our return is nessicitated. It also commences the memory wipe when the time comes. Its smart because a VI cannot be manipulated to be betrayed, and even if it could, its in the base itself only, and to hack it you'd have to find the base first, which is very hard, considering noone can remember where it is. Everyone had their memory wiped, including his top lieutenants," she smiled, "His paranoia has become quite a pain in the ass, actually. If it wasn't for that security measure, we could have taken him out a year ago and none of this would be happening."

"Well, at least you were honest. I guess we'll just find it the old conventional way: we look," he laughed, shaking his head. Soon however, the smile died from his face, "Just...be careful, Miranda. I don't like you going on your own, no matter how capable you are. You of all people should know how dangerous Cerberus is. They'll do everything to kill you," he declared. Suddenly, he remembered another important fact, "That...and the Illusive Man has a new attack dog. Kai Leng he's called, and I encountered him on Sur'Kesh. He's arrogant, but don't underestimate him."

Her eyes widened at that revelation, "Leng? That bastard is still alive?"

"You know him?" he asked.

"I was the one who recruited him. That, and another woman by the alias of Hope Lilium. Never knew her real name," she explained, "The Illusive Man ordered me to pick him up after acquiring a dossier on him; he believed his allegiance to human goals would make him a useful tool. So, I went to, ironically, the colony Freedom's Progress to pick him up and recruit him. Well, it should be obvious by now that he joined us."

"What did you find out about him?" he asked, curious.

"The man was an admitted racist; he absolutely hated aliens, and was a strong supporter of Terra Firma and had heard of Cerberus beforehand. He was Chinese, but I wasn't able to find out where he was born. Likely on Earth," she elaborated, "He joined the Alliance Marines when he was 18, and he rose up to the rank of First Lieutenant before they offered him a position in the N program. He accepted and took the specialization of infiltrator, and he quickly rose to N7 status. He's about equal to you in combat ability, Shepard, so be careful when you fight him next time. Do not get cocky," she stated, before continuing, "Anyway, he was dishonorably discharged a year later when he was sent on an assignment to kill a specific target on the Citadel with minimalized civilian casualities. Instead, he burst inside and gunned down everything that wasn't human. By the time he finally killed the target, he had murdered 67 civilians, all of them ranging from asari, turians and even a few volus. The Council was outraged, and the Alliance brass stated he had gone AWOL, and had him discharged without trial. They attempted to arrest him, but he disappeared and that's how we got wind of him. He's served Cerberus ever since as the Illusive Man's number one hitman. He's a racist bigot, but he's excellent at killing; that's all he's used for, really. Denser than a rock."

"A fellow N7," Marcus growled, rubbing the back of his neck, "He's a disgrace to everything the Alliance stands for. Being ex-special forces won't spare him; I'll fucking kill him the next time we meet."

"On that we can agree. Thank you for the warning. Leng may be stupid, but he has an impressive kill count. I don't want to be on the wrong side of his sword," she smiled meekly, but the mirth never reached her lips, "I'll make sure to keep an eye out for him. Still, I don't understand how he can still be alive. Last time I heard from a source that he had been crippled; something about an explosion and it left him in a critical state. Comatose, but close to death."

"How did that happen?" he asked.

She grinned, "Something about Leng trying to assassinate Anderson and ended up being shot in the kneecap by a carnifex, before being thrown into a chamber full of gas and the captain ignited it. Didn't think Leng would walk from that, but he must be tougher than I thought."

"The man looked to be loaded with cybernetics," Marcus noted, "He had no eyes, and he seemed stronger than a normal man. Could be what happened to me got applied to him; he didn't die, but he had cybernetics added to repair him."

"If he's got cybernetics now, that'll make him just as powerful as you now. That makes him all the more dangerous," she noted with a hint of worry, "I'll keep an eye out, and watch my back. Just watch yours Shepard...if you encounter Cerberus again, I have no doubt Leng will not be far behind. Watch your back, Shepard."

"I will. But have no illusions," he stated, leaning in with a hiss, "When we next meet, I am going to kill him. That piece of shit murdered Raan's husband, and I owe it to her to avenge him. That motherfucker will be drowning in his own blood when I'm finished with him."

"I've seen you angry, Shepard. I have no doubt Leng will be dead shortly," she laughed, nodding as she cleared her throat, "For all intents and purposes Shepard, this might be the last time we see each other awhile. I might not return to the Citadel for a long time, and I might be in the Terminus Systems by the end of the week. I can't stop, not for anyone, not even you. But we will keep in contact, correct?"

"Of course Miranda," he assured her, smiling, "And if you ever find your sister, but you need help, do not hesitate to call. I'll bring the Normandy, guns blazing and ready for a fight. Hell, maybe she'll be at Cerberus HQ and we can rescue her and kill the Illusive Man all in one stroke, wouldn't that be a doozy?"

She chuckled, something that was rare for the usually stoic perfectionist, "Yes, it most certainly would be, as unlikely as it is. But maybe luck will be on our side for once," she sighed, rubbing her temple as they sat in awkward silence. After a bit, she finally stood up, straightening her uniform as Marcus followed her example, also coming to stand and straightening his cap, "I'd better leave, Shepard. I've stayed here too long as it is, and the Illusive Man will find me soon and send people after me. I'm putting these people in danger just by-"

He placed a hand on her shoulder, cutting her off as he spoke, "Miranda, just go. I understand. If you feel you're putting us in danger, just go. But remember, stay safe. The Normandy crew misses you."

She smiled, "No they don't, and don't tell me lies just to make me feel better. I'm a bitch, I'll admit it. Jack would like to rip my guts from my spleen, Tali sees me as compeitition for your affections, Zaeed thinks I'm a slut, Garrus thinks I dress like a whore, and you didn't even like me. I'm an ice cold bitch, but someone needs to be to get the job done."

He laughed, "Okay, I'll give you that, but that doesn't mean you should throw your life away. Jack may hate you, but she won't let you die; she's changed Miranda, you should give her a chance."

"No," she smiled meekly, turning to leave, "She needs to give me one. Goodbye, Shepard."

"Stay safe Miranda," he replied as Miranda made her hasty exit, disappearing into the crowd in no time. Wtih a sigh, he waved off the waiter with an apologetic shake of the head, and left. He shook his head, refusing to believe the new cause of events. Miranda had said hello, and then just as quickly vanished with a false promise of returning alive. And then there was Leng.

That bastard. He betrayed everything he stood for for his pathetic racism and bigotry. I will fucking kill him. I know I haven't been merciful, but for him, I will show none. He will drown on his fucking blood and choke on his intestines.

The funny thing is, Marcus knew he couldn't do all of that.

But he could definitely try. Leng's days were numbered.

{Loading...}

June 10, 2186

1624 hours.

The Shepards' Quarters, Normandy-Class Stealth Frigate SSV Normandy SR-2, Docked with the Citadel.

The Reaper War.

Captain Marcus Lee Shepard, Military Advisor Garrus Vakarian, Second Lieutenant James Vega, Second Lieutenant Imogen Keeling.

"You're terrible at driving."

"You know that's not fair, Vakarian."

"Still counts."

He sighed, shooting the turian a solid glare. Garrus was unrelenting, eyes blank and unsympathetic. With a final growl, he gave in, reaching forward and pouring himself a glass, downing it in one gulp. His shot done, he lay back, resting, "My turn," he grinned, turning to the turian, "You took a rocket to the face."

The soldier glared at him, "That-"

"Still counts."

He heard a laugh from James, and Keeling shuffled in her seat, smiling slightly. Garrus simply glared at him before nodding, and then poured a shot, downing the dextro liquid instantly. James whirled on him instantly, eyes wide, "Bullshit! No you didn't!"

"Certainly did," Garrus smugly stated, "Although it hurts like a bitch and gave me more scars than I need, I don't recommend it if you're in the market for ladies."

"Bravo, Garrus!" the marine exclaimed, "You're a badass, son of a bitch."

"Don't stroke his ego, Vega," Marcus warned, "God knows it's stroked enough by himself, don't need outside parties helping."

"Anyway," Garrus interrupted, coughing, "Why don't we continue?" he turned to the hapless marine, smirking his ridicilous smirk, "Your turn, Vega."

He turned to Keeling, curious as he eyed the N7 sitting stoically in her seat, ready to move at the nearest moment. James seemed to ponder what he should say, and then he spoke, grinning, "You've had at least...one, boyfriend."

Marcus snorted, "Come on, James, what kind of questio-"

"Wrong. Drink."

Everyone turned to face Keeling in an instant, eyes wide. She simply glared at James, not giving in, but James just sat there, just as shocked as everyone. Not one? She's never even considered the prospect? Sounds like me before I was with Tali. But even then, I had a girlfriend before meeting her; sure, she died, but I still had a girlfriend...

Finally coming to his senses, he slowly nodded, reaching forward and pouring himself a shot, consuming it one gulp just like everyone else and wincing from the warm taste. He turned to Keeling, bemused, "Your turn, then."

Keeling decided to pay his question in kind, eyes glaring, "You've had at least one girlfriend."

And to everyone's surprise, again, and with his best, confident grin, he said "Wrong. Drink."

Unlike him though, she only widened her eyes for a second before reaching down and pouring herself a shot, skulking it instantly like everyone else. Surprises, surprises. Still, the awkward silence that ensued from those two questions had caused a rift between them and he decided to break it up, speaking as he realized it was now Garrus' turn again, "Well, it's your turn again, and you better have a good one, not one that's incredibly obvious."

"Well, that scratches the terrible dancing one," he thought through it and then he spoke, smiling, "You...shagged Tali, on that desk up above, using your biotics, because you thought it would make things interesting."

He almost gagged on nothing from the question, fixing the sniper with a glare, "That's a very personal question, Garrus. As your captain, I can choose not to answer that."

"But you will?"

He nodded, smiling, "You know why? Because you're wrong. Never crossed our minds. Drink."

"The desk bit or the biotics?" Garrus asked, still curious.

"The biotics," Marcus deadpanned.

"So you admit to shagging her on that desk?" he asked, still grinning.

"Drink the goddamn shot, Vakarian."

He sighed, rolling his eyes as he poured a shot and drank. Finished, he turned to Marcus. The human was still thinking of a question, but then he decided upon one, grininng at the karma as he faced the turian, "You shagged Kasumi in the lounge...after the wedding."

Garrus inhaled, a distant look in his eyes before shaking his head, "Wrong. A matter of fact, we haven't shagged at all. Drink."

Marcus widened his eyes, but elected to drink first. With that done, he faced Garrus again, burping lightly, "Seriously? You two haven't done the deed?"

"No. We're not as serious as you and Tali are. It's just flirting at this point," he reluctantly stated, but then shot him a serious look, "And that's as privledged as information gets, even for you."

"Hypocrite," he quipped, "You ask me if my wife got laid on that desk with biotics, and then have the gall to play the 'privledged information' card when I ask a similiar question about sex?"

A grin spread across his mandibles, and he nodded, still smirking, "Pretty much. Now I think we should delve away from these...intimate questions. It's a bit disturbing."

"Hey, you started it."

"Actually, technically Vega-"

"Captain," EDI suddenly spoke, interrupting the game abruptly. He sighed, looking up as he spoke.

"Yes EDI?"

"Liara is requesting access to your cabin to speak with you," she stated, "She states it is urgent and of immediate importance."

He looked at the group and nodded, smile gone from his face, "Send her in."

Within seconds of the response being heard, Liara burst through the doors and down the steps, turning to face him, the worry palpable on her face, "Shepard! We need to go to Illium right now!"

He frowned at her, confused, "Why? Why do we need to go to Illium? Liara, what's going on?"

"The Reapers..." she trailed off, rubbing her temples as she began pacing, "They've attacked Illium. The planet officially came under attack half an hour ago, and now the Reapers are laying siege to every part of the planet. They're evacuating, but they think it won't be long before it becomes occupied and falls. But...my father is there. Shepard, please, she's the only family I have left!"

Illium? That's in the Terminus Systems and on the other side of Council Space! They completely bypassed Zorya, the Citadel, Sur'Kesh and Thessia just to strike at some random asari colony in the Terminus? Why? "Why the hell would they attack Illium? They haven't even taken Council space, yet."

"I don't know. But it doesn't matter," she argued, lunging forward and grabbing his shoulders, tears now in her eyes, "Please help me. Matriarch Aethyta is all I have left, and she won't evacuate in time, not with the Reapers in orbit."

Well, it'll be awhile before Mordin makes the cure, and at current, noone needs our immediate help. And if we needed to reach the Citadel, we're only three days away. It can be done. He nodded, turning to his team, "You'll have it Liara. All of you, go down to the conference room for briefing," he looked up, "EDI, inform everyone else to meet in the conference room and prep for combat briefing. Then have Joker set a course for Illium, best speed."

"Very well Captain," she stated, "Course set in. We will be in there in three days." He nodded, and everyone immediately dropped what they were doing to head for the elevator, ready to jump into battle with the Reapers once more. Marcus decided to leave the stuff for later, and would clean it up. Besides, this took importance. Why would the Reapers ignore everything else and attack Illium? What strategic importance did it hold?

As he entered the elevator with the rest of them, only one thought lingered in his mind.

Something wasn't right about any of this.

"Illium, the trap. Just how badly did it go?"

- Reia'Inas pav Earth.

"About as badly as it could have. But I'm here aren't I? So not all of it went to shit."

- Marcus Shepard.

A/N:

What, Reaper? You said this chapter wouldn't be out until post December 3! Yeah, well I lied. Well actually, more like had a turn of events. Apparently I don't need to study quite as heavily as I thought for my exam, as I'm pretty much acing it, which means more time for writing. I give you this chapter in preparation for the next one, which will be the invasion of Illium and Harbinger's trap. Tired of Cerberus? Here's some Reaper action.

I created his chapter for one purpose: to give Harbinger the role of main antagonist that he deserves. I hated how, in the game, he was shoved aside in favor of having the Illusive Man be the villain, and how he didn't appear until the very end, and only had like two words of dialogue. Well, I'm fixing that. As you've noticed, he now has a very prominent role alongside the Illusive Man, meaning they can share the main antagonist role equally while still having Harbinger be the main bad guy. All works well.

The chapters following will be Utukku and Tarquin respectively. After that will be a special two part chapter, completely custom like the Illium invasion, followed by a two part Priority: Tuchanka. So fasten your seatbelts, we've got a while yet. Tuchanka isn't until at least Chapter 22, so we've got awhile. And no, Tali won't be making another appearence for quite a bit, so don't ask. This is not Keelah Se'lai; it is not a Tali centric story; it is multi-arc, meaning multi-POV. And in he meantime, I'm still trying to finish the script for V: Ultimatum: the sequel to Holocaust, and the fifth and last of the For A Better Tomorrow saga. Yes, it's almost over. Ultimatum is completely of my own imagination, so it's turning out to be quite a bit of work.

Keelah Se'lai, troopers!