HOLOCAUST
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE NAME OF A HERO PART ONE
June 21, 2186
1252 hours.
War Room, Normandy-Class Stealth Frigate SSV Normandy SR-2, In FTL inbound for Tuchanka, Aralakh System, Krogan DMZ Cluster.
The Reaper War.
Captain Marcus Lee Shepard, Chieftain Urdnot Wrex, Lord Companier Urdnot Grunt, Military Advisor Garrus Vakarian, Second Lieutenant James Vega, Second Lieutenant Imogen Keeling, EDI, Soldier Javik, Master Thief Kasumi Goto, Shadow Broker Liara T'Soni, Professor Mordin Solus, Primarch Adrien Victus.
Almost everything in the room was dark aside from the glowing light that came from the floating hologram of Tuchanka, red lines reaching out from its surface to link to numerous data inputs such as impact sites, locations of battlefields and tactical necessities. Everything the galaxy had on Tuchanka from its first discovery to the present day was displayed, moving by at his will as he swiped through, showing little emotion as he did it.
Yesterday had been unacceptable. Marcus had let himself become compromised, to let his crew see his internal troubles, and none of them was supposed to see that. None. Not even Tali. He was supposed to be their captain, their leader, their CO. Samantha had said he was their only hope, and while he couldn't exactly agree with that sentiment, he knew it was what they personally believed. How could he so ruthlessly and callously toss that aside? If they saw him as a hero, let them. It would make them fight that much harder, and what he had done had compromised the morale of his crew, not helped it.
His inner demons were something they were never supposed to see. To let himself collapse like that...it couldn't happen again. It wouldn't. It was plain unacceptable, and Marcus knew that had it been anyone else, it wouldn't have been as crippling. It wasn't up to him to unload his burdens upon them; that wasn't his right. If he got tired, he got back up again. If he wanted peace, he had to fight for it. And he knew he couldn't retire until the job was done. He couldn't be like that anymore. The galaxy needed him to be their saviour, their champion. The bane of the Reapers.
He would be just that.
As for Jacob...that still stung Shepard, and it was still a fresh wound among the crew. The man hadn't died gloriously in battle against the Reapers as they all pictured themselves doing, and that only added salt to an already burning injury. The fact that a friend of theirs had died, his life so abruptly ended and his grieving widow working on the Crucible with no hope in her previously potential future, only made it worse, and Marcus couldn't stop rewinding the events that lead to it in his head, wondering if he could have stopped it. If there had been an ounce of a chance.
In the end, he knew the truth. Chakwas had told him, but he refused to listen. His squadmates had pulled him away because he was injured. And if he had persisted in attacking Leng...it was possible they'd both wound up dead, or, in worse case scenario, just him, and Leng would have killed Jacob anyway...only Marcus would have died as well. And he didn't want to imagine Garrus' reaction when he learnt of that news. Or Tali's.
Again with Tali. Focus. Forget about her. Tali had been gone for quite sometime, and he highly doubted he would see her soon. He missed her more than he cared to admit, his cold bed and lonely showers a sad testament to his sorry state. But he couldn't afford to dwell on such things. It was more than likely she was dead, but he couldn't join her until this war was over. Only then could he put that gun in his mouth and stand to pull the trigger.
But that kind of defeatist logic got him nowhere, and he quickly refocused. He had coped with Jacob's death. Had he gotten over it? No. But in the end, he couldn't change it: he wasn't coming back, and he wouldn't want him to mope around over it. He'd want him to seek revenge. To keep fighting. To win the war and show that his death may have been without dignity or pride, but in the end, the enemy hadn't achieved an endgame conclusion out of it.
So when Marcus refocused on the map, he was back to his normal self again. Still shaken, still cracked by the events of two days passed, but normal. He had to be. He had to keep up the delusion. The air of being able to win.
He wasn't alone as he observed the holotable, his full squad standing around and observing as well, Mordin observing the terminal inquisitively, eyes dancing from side to side across it, and Wrex braced against it, silently conversing with Grunt. Garrus stood at his side, looking worried, and Marcus understood why; he had looked about to hook the turian across the face in the CIC yesterday, but he had managed to calm himself before that happened. Kasumi was beside him, her arms crossed and silently whispering.
They all waited on Victus, and once he was in, the final operation would begin; they were ready to cure the genophage. It was only a matter of finding a way to disperse it across the Tuchanka, and with all krogan recalled to the planet, there was, according to EDI, a 98 percent chance of total eradication of the genophage virus. They would cure the krogan people, and then unleash them, along with the full might of the turian military and volus fleets against the Reapers.
It wasn't the biggest, and most important moment, in not only history, but for the entire war. It wouldn't be a huge game-changer, the Reapers would still, and always, hold the advantage over them, but it would at least kick a few bullets their way to continue the fight. And to think, they were only two hours away...
But dispersing a cure to an entire planet is no easy thing, and Marcus was still incredulous at just how Mordin was going to manage it. But then he smiled, looking through the hologram to look at the salarian. He shook his head, and then refocused back on the hologram. He's Mordin Solus. He found a way to make us invisible to Seeker Swarms. He found a way to make humano-quarian reproduction possible. That guy can do anything.
He just finished analyzing the situation on Tuchanka when he heard the doors open; Victus must have arrived. Reports of at least one Reaper Destroyer having made planetfall. That doesn't sound good; why would Harbinger send one Reaper to a planet full of the most potential threats to their ground-side dominance? They would want Tuchanka evicerated as soon as possible. Razed. None of it seems right. He wouldn't send one Destroyer.
Victus quickly came to stand by his terminal, nodding to Marcus, "I've just called in the Eighteenth Fighter Squadron from Seventh Fleet. I figured we'd need air support for this one, and none of this seems to go without a hitch. They should arrive at the same time that we do," he turned to Marcus, nodding as he clasped his hands behind his back, mandibles slightly twitching, "You may begin, Captain."
He nodded, turning to Mordin, "Well, as Mordin will tell you, the cure is ready. He's tested it on Eve, and all results show she's clear. Every piece of evidence that the genophage even afflicted her is gone. She is officially cured."
Mordin nodded, turning away from the hologram to look at Wrex, meeting his blood red eyes with his own, "Yes, cure complete. Eve cured. Ready to be dispersed. However, still lack transmission vector."
Marcus frowned at the salarian, surprised by this. He doesn't know? "Wait, you're telling us you don't know to disperse this thing? You're the most brilliant scientist I know. You found a way to modify it before; you must know how to cure it now."
Mordin nodded, holding his head as he swiped through the data, "Yes, always a solution. Just need to find. Time limited, cannot create new infection strain. Ground water? No, too slow..." the salarian seemed to be battling himself, as if asking and answering his own questions, "Voluntary inoculation risky, population too widespread for airborne, unless..." suddenly the salarian froze, as if weighing a particular option he hadn't brought to light yet. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and began to type at his terminal rapidly, the hologram of the Tuchanka disappearing in a flash of holo pixels.
Replacing it was a large spire looking structure, its architecture looking...strongly salarian.
Mordin pointed to it a-matter-of-factly, eyes glowing with promise, "The Shroud! Constant dispersion of air particles! Built to sustain and repair atmosphere of Tuchanka by salarians! Can be reversed to disperse cure in particle form! Will cover entire planet!" After a moment, the salarian lost his excitement, sobering slightly as he stood up, turning to face Victus across the table, almost regretfully, "...also used by turians."
Marcus turned to Victus, looking for a explanation, and he got it almost immediately, "We used it to secretly unleash the genophage. Like Professor Solus said, we simply reversed the systems and dispersed the virus in place of air particles."
Marcus nodded, Victus expecting the captain to lash out. To his surprise, Wrex and Grunt were silent, simply glaring at him before shaking their heads and looking away. Marcus nodded, turning back to Victus, "That is now thousands of years in the past. Its time we left that behind and began at the present. We are here to cure this now, and that's what matters. Now, what we are to do about this Shroud," he turned towards Mordin, motioning for him to continue.
The salarian nodded rapidly, motioning to the consistent hologram of the salarian structure, "Yes, yes, agreed. Can use the Shroud as transmission vector. Use spire to blanket Tuchanka with cure. Will cure genophage."
Wrex smiled, nodding as he turned to Mordin, chuckling, "You clever little pyjak," he turned to the hologram, nodding at it, his grin ever present, "That's our best shot, right there."
Suddenly, the krogan's omni-tool beeped. Wrex frowned, turning down to look at the device as he opened it, looking at the message received. Suddenly, the krogan frowned, and then his frown turned into a look of anger, before he violently snarled as he hit the deactivate button more forcefully than before, turning to Marcus with frustration.
"What is it?" he asked, "What's happened?"
"My scouts just reported heavy activity on Tuchanka. They reported activity in the Wastelands before this," he hit a button on the hologram, a new form popping up in bright red, and Marcus gritted his teeth when he saw it, "And guess what is parked at the Shroud."
There, standing infront of the Shroud in crimson red and almost a quarter of the size of the spire, was a Reaper Destroyer, standing vigil infront of the massive structure.
"A damn Reaper," Garrus cursed.
"Nothing can ever be damn easy, can it!" James protested, clearly annoyed by the change of events. They had expected Reaper troops, but not the Reaper itself. Suddenly, it dawned on Marcus. He realized just what that solo Reaper was there for. And it wasn't to conquer Tuchanka.
"Patrols that got close enough report that the Reaper refers to itself as Vanguard," Wrex continued, clearly unhappy as hope seemed less now, "Its been spitting Reaper troops all over the place. They've completely overwhelmed the ruins of a temple in the area, and they're reported to be spreading further. Although, earthquake activity in the area seems to be stopping us from making any moves."
"Vanguard," Kasumi noted, "That's what Tarquin called that Reaper he encountered."
"Its the only Reaper on Tuchanka," Marcus gloomily stated, "And it just happens to be parked at the Shroud. It makes sense now. Harbinger found out what we were doing and calculated our actions before we made them. It knew the Shroud was our best bet, and has sent a Reaper to defend it and stop us from reaching it."
"Why not just destroy it if they're so desperate to stop us?" Liara asked, frowning, "Why waste time defending it?"
"The Reapers are arrogant," Javik answered, turning to the asari, hands clasped behind his back, his comment carrying across the group as a sense of irony that they bit back chuckles at, "Destroying it would show that they are desperate to stop us from achieving our goal. They consider themselves the pinnacle of all life. Gods. They don't feel these fears, and therefore don't see the need to resort to such desperation. Besides, their confidence in themselves is absolute."
"For good reason," Keeling noted, nodding to the hologram, "Reports stated it took almost six frigates to make even a single dent in the destroyer-class Reapers, and those were state-of-the-art heavy frigates. We don't have anywhere near the firepower to destroy it."
"The Normandy could deploy the thanix and take it out from orbit," James added.
Marcus shook his head, "The blast radius and impact radius of the weapon is far too wide and could seriously damage the Shroud. And if we miss? We could end up vaporizing the Shroud altogether. No, the thanix, unless we could get Vanguard into flight and away from the Shroud, is not an option. Anymore?"
He was met with silence. He looked around again, "Anyone?"
The sound of a rough voice clearing its throat was heard, and all eyes landed on Grunt as he came to stand beside Wrex, his own, muscular arms braced against the table, "I have a plan, battlemaster, and it might just work."
"Against a Reaper without ship-based firepower?" Javik questioned incredulously, "This should be interesting."
Grunt shot him a glare, before turning back to Marcus, "I say we launch an air and ground attack...simultaneously."
"What?" Marcus asked, twitching slightly as he tried to comprehend the krogan's words, "Grunt, I know you're krogan, but brute force tactics aren't going to work here. A Reaper doesn't get confused, either. Our forces would get annihilated trying to attack it."
"Who said we would try and destroy it? My plan is a diversion," Grunt stated, bringing up what looked to be numerous holograms of tomkah tanks heading towards Vanguard, followed by what looked to be a squadron of turian fighters, "The tomkahs, while the fighters distract it, move through the ruins and deploy you close enough to the Shroud for you to get inside while Vanguard is distracted. If the fighters last that long, the cure will be successfully dispersed and then you can extract, call in the Normandy, and use the thanix without worry of hitting the Shroud as at that point, we won't need it."
Everyone was stunned into silence. Grunt, the krogan they had all known to be a hothead and eager to prove himself, had just shown tactical profiency. Marcus was impressed, grinning as he chuckled.
"Grunt, that might just work," he turned to Wrex, nodding, "How about it Wrex?" he turned to Victus, "Primarch? If we can get in contact with that fighter wing, and Wrex can rally the clans to send a convoy of tanks, we can launch this assault perfectly."
Wrex nodded, almost without considering it, "If it gets the genophage cured, I'm all for it."
Victus returned the nod, clearly in agreement, "Its insane, but its the kind of insane that might just work. I'll get in touch with the squadron immediately." With that, the turian primarch was back down at his terminal, typing out his message to his men.
"Then why are we wasting time standing around here?" Wrex pounded his fists together, slapping Grunt across the back as he marched to leave, "Let's go cure the genophage!" Grunt roared in agreement, following after him after flashing a grin in Marcus' direction. Marcus meekly smiled back, turning back to the hologram as he studied it.
He almost didn't realize that Mordin was talking to him, "...bring her down to Tuchanka. Yes?"
He shook his head, meeting the salarian's eyes, "I'm sorry?"
"Will bring Eve down to Tuchanka," Mordin repeated, and he swore he saw the salarian roll his eyes, "Need her for final sample. Final strain creation. Cannot do here, need facilities within Shroud to confirm strains are correct. Recorrect for particle dispersion."
He gulped, nodding, "Very well. I'll be here for an hour if anyone needs me. After that, I'll be in the shuttle bay armoury."
Mordin nodded and made his way towards the door, likely going back to the Tech Lab to inform Eve of the news. Everyone else began to file out but Garrus stayed behind for a bit, placing his hand on Marcus' shoulder and squeezing it, "You alright?"
"I'm fine, Garrus," he replied, nodding to the turian, "But thanks. We'll talk later. I just need to...go over the mission."
Garrus nodded, and Marcus quickly found himself alone with Victus at the table, overlooking its contents. He squared his shoulders, feeling them ache from the exercising he had done yesterday. It was his way of removing stress, and it had definitely worked wonders for him. Still, his bones ached from it all and he cracked his neck as he twisted it.
After a few minutes of looking over the mission debrief, he nodded to Victus, moving to talk with him when EDI's voice came over the intercom.
"Captain," she stated, "You have an incoming call over the QEC. It is coming from Sur'Kesh. It would appear to be Dalatrass Linron."
He frowned, "What the hell could she possibly want?" Linron and Marcus had not left on good terms, the salarian being in strong disagreement with curing the genophage. She likely hated him for his pro-nature towards it, and he hated her for simply being an arrogant, up-tight asswipe. I should be glad its Valern and not her on the Council.
"She did not state her reasons," EDI replied, "Only that she has attempted to contact this ship, and you were the main recipient."
He sighed, nodding as he moved up the steps and into the QEC room, approaching the main console as he hit the reply button. He hoped she had something good to say, because he wasn't in the mood for bullshit. Linron was sleezy and a bitch, and those two things made their relationship tense, unlikable and intolerable in sustaining. Still, if she wanted to talk to him it wasn't his position to tell her to fuck off. As much as he wish he could.
Blue pixels flew together in holographic fusion, coming to form the sleek form of the salarian dalatrass, her hood propped firmly over her head as it had been the last time he saw her, and hands clasped behind her back like was a stoic protector. Her eyes regarded him in a superior light, like she viewed him as an uneducated insect that needed teaching. He met her gaze back, eyes cold and impatient, showing her that she could not intimidate him, and would not waste his time anymore than she already was.
"What do you want?" he asked, allowing the annoyance to enter his tone, "I've got things to do and you're the last person I want to play ball with."
Linron took no notice of his insult and immediately spoke, "We know you're about to reach Tuchanka."
"Anything else you'd like to point out?" Marcus asked, holding back a sarcastic chuckle, "You've been such a genius detective so far."
"...and by now, I know Professor Solus has proposed using the Shroud," she smiled smugly.
He frowned now, unable to help the surprise coming onto his face. But he held back most of it. He would not give the dalatrass her due, "You've got my attention. How do you know about that?"
"Hardly," she smugly replied, crossing her arms, "Your goal is to disperse the cure, and the only viable option to that end is the Shroud. It did not take masterful deduction to figure that out," and, as soon as she finished, the floodgates of her close-mindedness opened, "Captain, you can't allow the misguided sympathy for the krogan to cloud your judgment."
He snorted, "You're trying this again? I'll do what the fuck I want. I'll fight this war the way I want to fight it, and if I think the krogan have endured enough, then they've endured enough. If you've come to tell me otherwise, you're wasting your breath."
"Wait," she held up a hand to halt him, eyes regarding him logically, "Do you honestly think curing the genophage will end in everlasting peace? Hear me out, and you might think differently."
He chuckled, turning back and crossing his arms, "Humor me. Make me laugh, and I'll go away an amused man."
"Listen and you'll be a convinced man," she said simply in response, "What will happen is that the krogan will breed out of control and the Rebellions will happen all over again. And what of those looking for revenge against the genophage? They will seek war! Wrex is a fool to think he can keep them under control! We uplifted the krogan specifically for their violent nature and ability to wage war! Not for their...diplomatic skills," she said the last two words like they stunk, words that didn't quite match in the same sentence.
"If you've got a point to this, you'd better reach it soon," Marcus growled, "My patience is withering."
She uncrossed her arms, clasping them behind her back again, but otherwise taking no further notice of his impatient behaviour, "Years ago, the Dalatrasi authorized an STG operation that ended in the sabotage of the Shroud; a safety countermeasure to ensure that what you're trying to do, couldn't be done," he thought he almost saw a smile on her lips, "So when the cure is dispersed, the Shroud's systems will detect the foreign particles and immediately shut down, preventing the exchange."
Marcus' nostrils flared angrily, "You...you knew about this all along, didn't you? And you just...let us fumble around. Formulating a cure only to tell me this now?"
She nodded, "I did; I wanted to see how far you were willing to go. It seems you're willing to go too far," she emphasized, shaking her head, "When you access the Shroud and inform Solus of this, the professor will be made aware of the change before the cure is deployed. And, due to his knowledge on STG tech, he will be able to successfully reverse the sabotage done and deploy the cure."
He frowned, "Why are you telling me this? Why would you tell me, knowing I'll tell Mordin?"
For a moment, she seemed to hesitate, but then she spoke again, eyes never leaving his, "Because Professor Solus does not need to know."
He felt himself grip the railing much more tightly, "Excuse me? If you think I'm not going to tell Mordin, then you're more delusiona-"
Linron jumped in almost immediately, cutting off the rest of his sentence, "The genophage cure will be released, but the variables changed just enough so that it fails. The krogan will be none the wiser, Wrex will be oblivious to your actions and you will get a handsome reward for your moral decision."
Moral Decision? "No reward could make betray-"
"I will give you the entire Salarian Union," she blurted out, causing him to stop as he listened to her, "Of all the races, our fleets and armies have been left unmolested by the war. We are superior in the technological sector, we have more engineers than the turians and by the far the krogan, our fleets are fresh and awaiting battle, and the STG is just waiting for my orders. All of it can be yours and the UGC's, if you ensure the cure fails."
For once, Marcus had no response. His mouth moved up and down, trying to formulate a response, but he couldn't. This time was a rare occassion; he was speechless. Thoughts danced across his mind, including how much he wanted to throttle this bitch. The fresh armies of the Salarian Union or the devastated Turian Hierarchy and comparatively small krogan army? How do I...I...could I really betray Mordin, betray Wrex, betray Grunt...betray the entire krogan people just for one faction?
He gripped the railing as hard as he could, willing the right answer to come from his mouth. But nothing happened, and he just stood there, looking at her dumbly.
"That, and our engineers can help with the Crucible," Linron added, as if sugar-coating her already tempting deal, "Our engineers are the best in the galaxy, and with all of them helping build your Crucible, you will win this war much more quickly than you think."
"I...I cannot..." he stuttered, shaking his head. I cannot...
Linron merely nodded, a ghost of a smile on her lips, as if convinced she had successfully bribed him, "Think about it, Captain. Would you rather the battered turians or krogan, or the fresh salarian armadas? It isn't a hard choice, really."
"Damn you..." he growled, "Damn you..."
"The choice is yours," Linron stated, "Make sure it is the right one. For the galaxy's sake, and yours." Marcus barely noticed the dim light of the QEC die down, Linron's form disappearing in bright light before the room was dark once more.
The salarians or a new beginning for the krogan people?
Marcus hated that he had to think about it. He hated himself for even having an internal debate about it.
It would be thirty minutes before he left that room, and Marcus realized one sickening thought. One that he left that room with knowing what it would wrought.
Linron's offer was very tempting.
{Loading...}
June 21, 2186
1507 hours.
UT-47A Stealth Kodiak Shuttle, Inbound for the Hollows, Hagalok City Ruins, Que'k Wastelands, Tuchanka.
The Reaper War, Krogan DMZ Campaign: The Tuchankan Raids.
Captain Marcus Lee Shepard, Chieftain Urdnot Wrex, Military Advisor Garrus Vakarian, Second Lieutenant James Vega, Second Lieutenant Imogen Keeling, EDI, Soldier Javik, Master Thief Kasumi Goto, Shadow Broker Liara T'Soni, Professor Mordin Solus, Eve, Flight Lieutenant Steve Cortez.
Marcus sighed as he sat, barely feeling the rocking of the shuttle as it shot through the harsh, battering winds of Tuchanka, his eyes fixed firmly on the floor of the kodiak. He pondered Linron's deal, thinking it through, weighing the morals of such a decision, and then the worst part: should he go through with it. Should he really indirectly sabotage the cure? Just to secure the Salarian Union's allegiance to the UGC? Was that worth more than the loyalty of the krogan clans, Turian Hierarchy and Volus Protectorate? But the difference between them and the Union, was that Sur'Kesh and a large number of the salarian colonies had been left untouched, as well as a large majority of the salarian military. Which meant morale was an all time high.
He hated it. The fact that he forced himself to think of it, the fact that even considered betraying his closest friends and doom an entire people to destruction, disgusted him. He hated himself for it, despised himself, and he just wanted to wish the thoughts away and live the hero. Cure the genophage and fly off to the Citadel knowing he had changed history in a positive way.
Instead, his head was full of sabotage. Of betrayal. Of self-disgust.
One thing was for sure; when this thing was over, however it ended, he would find Linron, and he would fucking kill her. She was a spiteful piece of shit; she had done this on purpose, letting them reach this point just so she could crash their plans down around them. She had intended her bribe to work, dangled the ball of yarn right infront of him and told him to kill the other cat if he wanted it. And he had fallen for it, willingly, hook, line and sinker.
His squad moved about, oblivious to his predicament. Wrex held a hopeful smile on his face, and he traded insults and jokes with Garrus like the fate of the krogan people wasn't in the balance. Kasumi hid back and silently bobbed her head up and down to the beat of the music beating through her headphones, stealing looks at Garrus' behind whenever she could. Javik remained stoic, eying EDI with maliceful worry, and Liara eyed him from the sidelines, both with curiosity and annoyance at his hostile attitude. James and Keeling sat next to each other, James pointing out suggestions for her rifle while Keeling took note, adding whatever modifications he suggested.
Mordin seemed to be engaged in conversation with Eve, something Marcus would have found amusing and ironic, had he not been so deep in thought. In the end, he supposed it didn't matter. Why dwell on such things when he was going to stab them in the back, anyway?
I make it sound like I've decided. Maybe he had and his mind just hadn't comprehended it yet. Maybe he had accepted it ever since Linron first mentioned it. Maybe the fate of an entire people, a cure, had been decided up in space, long before they had reached this planet. Maybe I am what I feared...
...serve us...
He winced, a tiny throb at the back of his head. It was momentary, a meer whisper in his mind, but it startled him all the same. Where did that come from?
...we are the vanguard...you are ours...serve us...serv-
A large armoured form sitting down on his left broke his thoughts, the spectre looking up to meet Wrex's large, and to this day, still intimidating, blood red eyes, a large smug grin on his face.
"I've ordered the clans to assemble at the Hollows," he stated, "You should remember it. Its where Grunt earned his clan name."
It had been a year ago, but Marcus had remembered it. The tough battle. The swarms of varren and klixen. The harvesters. The thresher maw...memories of how he froze in fear flashed across his mind, along with Tali's comforting embrace. Yes, how comforting it was. How I'd yearn for a nice Tali hug at this point...no, stop it. Focus. Focus. Genophage. Cure. Linron's Deal. Right, got it.
He nodded, coughing to clear his throat, "I remember. We'll launch the attack from there?" It was more of a statement, really. Wrex knew the plan. Grunt had already dispatched in seperate shuttles with his Aralakh Company, and they would meet them at the Hollows with everyone else. The attack was planned, it was just a matter of carrying it out.
Wrex nodded, "The clans will bring their tomkahs as I've ordered them too. Once that turian squadron falls in, we can take the fight to Vanguard. End the genophage, once and for all," he breathed in, exhaling straight after, "A thousand of years of suffering and torture. My people will finally see it end."
Not if I have anything to say about it. He mentally cursed himself. Stop it. You haven't decided yet. The deal isn't done until the moment has arrived. There's still time to think. The reassurance felt bitter, honestly. Yes, but eventually, you have to stop thinking and make a move.
He was so enraptured by his own thoughts that he didn't hear Wrex finish one of his grandiose speechs, "...will be a defining moment in krogan history!"
"Krogan history full of defining moments," Mordin noted, unhooking his SMG and sliding a hand over its sleek cover, seemingly glad to be back in action, "Most bloody. Hope this one better," the salarian smiled, holstering his SMG on his hip, "Good to be back in action. Look forward to changing history. Should be fun. Interesting. Lots of possibilities. Baby boom would be much appreciated. Much applauded. Krogan children rare sight."
Marcus seemed to look right through Mordin, and when he looked back, he swore he saw green blood leaking from a bullet hole in his left shoulder.
But when his eyes refocused, he saw there was nothing there. He rubbed his eyes, looking back down at the ground, confused at what he saw. What was that?
"Captain," Eve's voice addressed him, low and full of curiosity, "You seem troubled."
He almost panicked. But then he realized that she couldn't know about the Dalatrasi's deal. She merely saw his slouched posture and figured something was wrong...that's all...He looked up at her, and he saw that all eyes in the shuttle were now fixed on him. He was in the spotlight, and he either lied or told the truth. Could he afford the latter? He really did want to tell them...maybe they'll understand...
Oh, but that's the burden of command. You take the responsibility of moralistic integrity. You're either a hero or the villain...but you can't have your friends choose that for you. But because its alot easier to see someone close to you as a hero...
In the end, he elected not to tell them, and lied. It killed him inside to do it, but he couldn't tell them. At least not yet, "Its nothing. Just...its nothing. Guess I'm just a tad anxious to get this done."
"You..." Garrus gulped, coming to sit down next to her, "What happened in the CIC...what Joker said...I miss her too."
He looked up at the turian, immediately understanding who he meant, and he smiled, nodding as the turian grasped his shoulder, "I know," he added a bit of humour to the situation, "But I miss her more."
"Of course you do," Garrus remarked, grinning, "If I missed her more, then relationships would be questioned."
"And someone would be tasting crisp, galactic air," Marcus chuckled.
Suddenly, the entire shuttle shook, Marcus banging his head against the bulkhead behind him. His vision blurred momentarily, glad his cybernetics took the brunt of the damage as he felt a dull throb at the back of his skull, and something warm. It'll be a light concussion, thankfully. As he looked around, others were getting up, Wrex roaring into his comms as Marcus shouted to Cortez in the cockpit.
"What the hell just happened!?"
"Almost got hit my a tomkah shell!" the pilot shouted back, swerving the shuttle out of the way of what was likely another shell, "The whole place is alight! We've got harvesters airborne in the area! That's probably what the tomkahs are shooting at!"
Fuck.
"Damn it Wreav, rally in the Hollows!" he heard Wrex growl, "Get all the clans and fortify your position! We're about to deploy, we'll be there soon!" the krogan's omni-tool deactivated, growling. He turned to Marcus, teeth bared as he drew his claymore shotgun, "Damn Reaper must have known we were coming! Reaper troops are swarming all over the Hollows! Looks like we'll be spilling blood alittle early!"
He nodded, motioning to his team as he grabbed his helmet and latched it over his head, grabbing the closest weapon on his body that he could; quickly bringing his N7 Hurricane to life. He turned to his squad, immediately issuing orders, "Cortez, bring us in as close as you can! Garrus, Kasumi, Keeling, James and Mordin, you're all with me! The rest of you, stay here and protect Eve at all costs. Wrex, I gather that you're coming?"
The krogan grinned, "Wouldn't miss it."
He nodded, moving to the front as he levelled his Hurricane, "Keep close and stay frosty! Kill anything that moans and push through to the Hollows!"
The shuttle jerked up as they hit the ground, and the battering winds ceased as the shuttle's weight planted firmly on the dusty, broken stone of the ruined superstructure.
"We're down!" Came Cortez's voice and once the hatch shot open, all hell broke loose.
Three husks stood idle outside, but upon hearing the hatch open, their heads snapped up and they immediately ran towards the group. Growling, Marcus took aim and fired, his shot penetrating the husk's skull and downing it instantly. A claymore shotgun gutted the second one, and and a particle rifle decapitated the third.
Sweeping his SMG across the area, he saw their landing zone was clear; but the smell of blood, smoke and fire was in the air, moving through the area like a foul stench. He kept an eye on the corridor ahead while his squad fell in, Wrex taking his place beside the spectre and pumping a fresh shell into the chamber of his heavy shotgun.
Moans and growls could be heard inside, a testament to what lay ahead. Marcus turned one final time to the shuttle, eying Liara, EDI and Javik as they stood protectively around Eve. He nodded to them, reassuring them that he was confident they would keep the krogan female safe. With a nod to his own squad, they pushed forward and down the stone steps, keeping an eye on everything infront of them.
The door at the end slid open with a grinding clunk, and when it finished, they watched a patrolling cannibal immediately spin to face them, along with five more of its bodies and numerous abominations.
They all knew how this worked, and immediately fired on the nearest abomination. In an explosion of bright crimson, the explosive husk disappeared, causing a cascade of explosions as they rest detonated and vaporized all the cannibals patrolling with them. When the dust cleared, all that was left was scorched stone walls and floors. The smell of refuse stunk the air, and a musty smell wafted from the non-existent corpses. His squad just plowed through, Wrex showing a huge indifference towards the smell that seemed to follow them until they moved around the corner.
There were more corridors, along with more Reaper soldiers. But it was nothing substantial; a couple of marauders, several cannibals, many more husks and at least one scion. Wrex practically dealt with the scion himself, tossing it about with his biotics before finishing it while the rest of his squad dispatched of the Reaper soldiers with relative ease and continued.
They could war cries coming from behind the next door, which must have meant the krogan had engaged the Reapers in battle outside. The N7 turned to his friend, nodding and then to his squad, giving another nod. They were ready.
He tapped the interface and it shot open, Mordin practically the first one in with his Locust SMG sweeping the stone staircase infront of them, dust blowing off in plumes as it was disturbed by the salarian's footsteps.
The Hollows. It looked like the Coliseum back on Earth, but the purpose was much different; it was the burial ground for many important krogan, and a memorial to the krogan's ancestors from before the Rachni Wars and after the Krogan Rebellions. It was huge, made from colossal walls of stone, and audience seats made up the perimeter and stood high above; the center stage being a ring of the same dusty, orange stone that permeated the structure, now faded in colour and littered with orange blood. He had been here when Grunt had become part of Clan Urdnot.
Now he was here to fight Reapers.
The Hollows was a battleground. In the audience seats were the mutilated corpses of numerous Reaper abominations, but among them every once and a while, a dead krogan lay, their bodies clawed and scythed and eviscerated. But all around krogan still put a fight, Marcus turning in time to see one grab a husk off his back and toss it over the wall to smash its skull into the ground, the krogan then grabbing the marauder's head and smashing it into a stone wall, its head caving in like jelly, and the krogan just moved onto his next target.
In the center arena, a krogan charged and knocked aside two husks before pummelling another, and then unloading his claymore into the gut of a scion, blowing it wide open. A brute shoved the dead scion aside however and pummelled the krogan, causing him to drop his claymore and fall to the ground as the brute then crushed him, pancaking his head to the floor in a bloody mess of bone and muscle, with its fist. The brute gave a growl and then moved over to another krogan, which had just shot it with a missile launcher.
He heard a moan, and he turned in time to see a husk climb over the staircase and rush at him. Instead, a bullet slammed into the side of its head, sending it flying down the steps to land at the bottom, black ichor bubbling from the wound. He turned to see Mordin reload in time for him to bring up his omni-tool and launch an incinerate towards another husk, causing to combust into flames, body wreathing before its blackened corpse simply fell the ground, all its cybernetics burnt out.
"Have not lost touch for combat," Mordin noted, smiling as he deactivated his omni-tool, rearing his SMG again, "Feels good."
Marcus only smiled as they continued down the steps to face the Reaper attack.
Wrex wasted no time in bringing up his biotics, immediately rushing to engage the brute. Marcus holstered his SMG and brought out his mattock, sending a biotic warp of his own flying into a nearby cannibal, before emptying a few bursts into its chest, killing it. He quickly moved to the next one, an abomination, and send it exploding, taking numerous husks around it in the fiery combustion.
Mordin really was at the top of his game. The salarian ducked under the swipe of a husk and sent an overload running through it, its body jerking as it fell to the floor and its cybernetics died, one by one. A marauder took aim at him and got off three shots into the salarian's shields before Mordin returned fire, taking no more than four bursts to breach the turian husk's shields and then blow its brains out, eye socket exploding from the final shot and sending black ichor spitting across the ground and across the professor's labcoat. But Mordin showed no sign of caring, simply continuing his show of massacring the Reaper forces.
Garrus and Kasumi worked as a cohesive unit, both of them back-to-back in some kind of comic book, action hero show of comradeship. While crouched and shouldering his mattock, Kasumi stood and was cloaked, coughing out shot after shot from her SMG at the enemy around them, downing husks and cannibals and marauders alike.
Wrex dealt with the brute pretty quickly, quickly moving over to bigger things to kill. James' Revenant was just shredding anything that came out of the corridor, and Keeling was just carving through any that came near her, the woman never seeming to tire, or at least show no sign of it. A husk managed to get the jump on her and she fell to the ground, but she quickly regained the upperhand and got ontop of it, forcing her omni-blade up through its jaw. Standing up, she continued her butchery.
Marcus largely kept to himself, electing to follow Keeling's example; kill as many Reaper troops as possible before reinforcements arrive and push them back. So as it was, he was practically just shooting anything that moved with quick, methodical precision; headshot after headshot, more and more black blood finding a home on his Terminus Assault Armor, dripping down his chestplate and helmet visor like water from a rainy day.
"HAHAHA!" came a familiar voice, and Marcus looked up to see Grunt and his company arrive up in the audience area, Grunt a force to be reckoned with by himself; the young krogan supersoldier swatting three husks aside like they were flies before tackling a marauder against a stone pillar, crushing its feeble body against it, before he grabbed a cannibal by the throat, threw it to the ground, and caved its face in with his boot. Then the rest of his commandos arrived, and more husks and abominations quickly found themselves raining from the sky as they were expelled from their territory; violently.
It was becoming evident that Vanguard's troops couldn't keep this up. They didn't have the numbers a full Reaper battlegroup would have had, and Vanguard was just a single destroyer; he'd only have a few hundred soldiers at best, maybe just over six hundred. He'd have to spend them wisely, and using them in a futile attack on the Hollows wasn't one. He'd want them for defending the Shroud; it knew that.
And Vanguard did just as he predicted.
After decapitating one final husk, he spun around, mattock ready, to find that no other enemy was waiting for him; none leaping to their death or trying to rip his throat out. Just nothing. A matter of fact, it was almost deadly silent if it wasn't for the cheers of krogan throughout the structure.
Then, the silence was broken, Grunt's voice booming throughout the chamber, "Hahaha! They are running!"
Marcus turned, letting his mattock fall to his side and smiled meekly. They were indeed running.
The remainder of the Reaper forces moved in a steady retreat, marauders and cannibals providing cover fire while the brutes, husks, scions, abominations and husks fell back through whatever exits they could find. Some brutes tore entire doors from hinges and tossed them aside, running down the corridors to their escape. Noone pursued them, not even the krogan, all of them simply gathering around and cheering. They actually won against a Reaper force. Not a delaying action, but an actual victory.
But he knew Vanguard was far from finished. They still had to deal with the Reaper itself. And Vanguard won't retreat. Its all by itself; it'll fight to the death, and it won't need to; its practically invincible, considering the firepower we have available.
He holstered his mattock, turning to see his squad quickly falling in, following suit as they all took a breather and reloaded, knowing the fight had only just begun. Will the fight be pointless? More thoughts of sabotage invaded his mind, and he banished them from his mind. Leave that bullshit for later.
He tapped his comm to the shuttle, "Javik, the area is clear and the Reaper troops are falling back. Bring Eve out into the Hollows, but watch your corners. We don't want some lucky sniper getting off a shot, or some ambush to get her killed. Run here if you have to, but keep her in your sights. Shepard out," with that, he cut the comm, turning in time to see Wrex standing ontop of a large podium in the middle of the center stage, all the krogan in the area gathering around him, from clans Urdnot, Gatatog, Weyrloc, and numerous others. Even Aralakh Company gathered, Grunt taking his place next to Wrex as his bodyguard, his claymore still out and the krogan wiping fresh blood from the barrel.
The krogan widened his arms as Marcus and his squad made his way over to him, voice echoing throughout the building, "They'll sing battle-songs about this someday! Reaper blood has finally soaked our soil! They flee before us! None of our allies have managed such a feat yet!"
The krogan in the Hollows roared as one, cheering and raising their weapons high above their heads as they beat their chests in tandem, snarling and growling their agreement in numerous tones, smiling and grinning, slapping each other's backs and shouting krogan chants that his translator couldn't quite interpret.
Quickly, he reached the front along his team, the krogan cheers slowly dying down as he came to stand infront of Wrex.
"We have to hurry," Marcus stated, Mordin, Garrus, Kasumi, Keeling and James arriving at his side, "Victus has probably called in the airstrike by now and there'll be no time to call it off. We need to rally and hit Vanguard immediately."
Wrex looked about to respond about another, more irritated, aggressive and agitated voice boomed through the arena.
"What the hell is this!?"
All of them turned in tandem as the crowd parted slightly to allow the passage of another krogan, surrounded by four others all armed with scimitar shotguns, a look of absolute anger enrapturing his features. He looked pissed, for all definitions of the word, and his expression did not lessen when they landed on Mordin, only more fury filling his eyes as he whorled to face Wrex. He had a brown crest, pale skin and similiar red eyes to that of Wrex. Marcus remembered this man well.
Urdnot Wreav, Wrex's blood brother. A man Wrex despised...alot. He remembered how Wrex had introduced the man. "We share the same blood...and nothing else."
"Multiple angry krogan," Mordin noted, turning to Marcus with a look of worry on his face, "Problematic."
He knew Mordin wasn't actually afraid of Wreav, but his uncooperative behaviour could endanger their mission. Ruin their plan and make hopes of getting to the Shroud moot. He had to be dealt with, and quickly.
"Do not think you share authority with me, Wreav," Wrex growled back, eying him with weary patience, "We share the same mother and little else. Blood means nothing between us."
Wreav merely snorted, "For which I am thankful. I remember what it means to be true krogan," Wreav then turned to Grunt with a grimace, "And I wouldn't have let a tank-bred pup take command of one of our finest companies, either."
Grunt merely chuckled, "Keep talking, welp. I'll do to you what I did to Ojaa Talmoud. You want to keep this going?"
Wrex held up a hand to silence Grunt, and then turned back to Wreav, smiling, "Grunt is of pure krogan ancestry, pyjak. He has the strength of our ancestors, and their memories. He is true krogan," his smile disappeared, eying Wreav attentively.
"We flay our enemies and drown them in a geyser of their own blood. That's what a true krogan does," he waved a hand dismissively at Grunt, as if looking at him was a horror he would not engage in, "We don't invite them into our home."
Marcus decided to interject, crossing his arms, "Mordin is here to help. He has the cure to the genophage and will save your people from extinction. You should be more grateful, Wreav."
Wreav scoffed, glaring at him, "His kind gave us the genophage! Why should we trust him!"
Before Marcus could retort, Wreav's head reared back as Wrex headbutted him, the krogan snarling as Wreav shook his head, clearly dazed and by the look in his eyes, surprised, by the sudden move as he looked up to glare at Wrex.
"Because I do," Wrex said dangerously, coming to within an inch of Wreav's face, "And so will you, if you want to continue living, Wreav. I also trust Shepard, and the rest of these 'enemies.' So you'd best get used to it; if you're loyal to me, you're loyal to them."
"...I also trust Shepard..."
Will he continue doing so when he learns of how I betrayed him? Signed the death warrant of his people?
He shook that thought away as Wreav responded, his snarl echoing along with his other krogan as, in one swift moment, he drew his claymore, shouldering it as he took aim at Wrex. The rest of his krogan followed suit, along with a number of the krogan crowd. But they weren't alone.
In a flash, Marcus and his squad had all drawn theirs and taken aim at Wreav and his men, Marcus aimed firmly at Wreav's skull. Mordin did as well, raising his omni-tool with an incinerate program. Wrex and Grunt drew their own, followed by the rest of the krogan crowd, snarls and growls echoing through the chamber as battle prepared to join.
Then it all stopped.
"ENOUGH!" boomed a feminine voice, "STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY!"
All eyes turned to the stairway that Marcus and his squad had come through, watching the stoic form of Eve, standing tall and proud, at the top of the steps, fists clenched at her side and glaring down at all of them, including Wrex. Javik, Liara and EDI stood at her side, weapons at their sides. Javik looked slightly intrigued, Liara looked worried and EDI showed no reaction whatsoever to the present situation.
Eve finished scanning the crowd, her gaze enough to silence the feral sounds coming from all of them, "You sicken me. Every single one of you. You call yourselves true krogan!? You should all be ashamed! The ancestors would be!" she quickly made her way down the steps, her three escorts following close behind, Javik keeping a close eye out for hostiles as Marcus told him to.
She moved through the crowd, every krogan lowering their weapons and parting as she moved through, shocked and awed by the very idea that a krogan female would ever speak up to them, talk to them, and shout out at them.
When she reached the front, she immediately honed in on Wreav, who still stood there, looking at her with a mixture of shock and anger, his claymore still raised. "You can stay here and let old wounds fester, as all krogan have always done," she moved over and in one rapid moment, snatched the weapon from his hands, holding it one hand as she scolded him like a parent does a child, "Or you can fight an enemy you were born to destroy," she continued, Wrex and Grunt lowering their weapons, as did Marcus and his squad, all watching in awe as Eve turned away from Wreav and ascended the steps, tossing the shotgun away effortlessly as she shoved Wrex out of the way, coming to stand in his original position and face the crowd, her arms spread like an eagle.
"...and win a new future for our children! Win a new future for all krogan," she pointed to the salarian, her gaze passionate and full of anger, "That enemy formulated the key to our salvation! He gained a conscience, and now he will cure our people of this plight! You should be thanking him," she glared at Wreav, "Instead, you threaten him," this time her voice reached an all new crescendo as she boomed, "It matters not who our enemies were! It matters not what they did to us! They all suffer the same we do now! Our people have a saying! The seek the enemy of our enemy, and you will find a friend!" she pointed in the general direction of the Shroud, "The salarians, the turians, all of them! They were our enemies! Today they are our allies! Tomorrow they are our allies! Next year, THEY ARE OUR FRIENDS! Because today, this very day, the fate of a galaxy will be decided! Today we build a new future for ourselves and history! Today, we build new alliances! FOR A BETTER TOMORROW!" she sighed, having finished her speech, and swallowed, "I, personally, choose to fight. To take this future and make it my own."
There was silence for a moment, and Marcus mulled over Linron's words. Eve...the way she spoke...how could I possibly condemn them to extinction now? So much hope...but that yarn was still there, dangling before his eyes, tempting him. Again, he had to lie to cover up his folly. He stepped forward, posture determined and back straight, nodding to Eve as he replied as loudly as he could, "And so do I!"
Grunt nodded, holstering his weapon, "I choose to fight."
"No argument from me!" Wrex shouted, holding out his hands, "I CHOOSE TO FIGHT! WHO IS WITH US!?"
"I choose to fight!" another said.
"For a better tomorrow!" said another.
"For a new future!" and another.
Soon, a chorous of agreement sounded, followed by most of his squad chanting. Marcus saw that only EDI and Javik weren't doing anything, and for the first time since he met the prothean, he seemed to be in total awe at what was happening. The thought made him smile, if only slightly. He never got to see such hope in his cycle. Such...optimism. He must be ovewhelmed, the arrogant bastard.
Eve turned to Wreav as the chants died down, noticing that he and his men had been the only ones not to speak up, "And what of you and your men, Wreav? Will you fight for your future, and stay behind as we stride to salvation's gates?"
Marcus saw his crocodillian mind ticking over, weighing his decision. Marcus absent-mindedly tapped the shotgun on his back, hand gripping the handle, ready to draw if Wreav decided to attack.
After a minute, Wreav slowly nodded, and then finally nodded more abruptly, speaking first in a mutter, but then repeating himself much louder, "I choose to fight."
His men nodded their agreement, and with that Wrex smiled, grasping Eve's shoulder gently as he moved to his side, "All of you, hold your heads high like true krogan! A glorious battle awaits us!" he roared, "There's a Reaper out there that needs killing!"
The krogan cheered once more, and for the first time since they landed, Marcus had a genuine smile on his face.
Despite the darkness of his thoughts, the hope of the room was overwhelming.
But the decision wasn't so grey as he thought.
{Loading...}
June 21, 2186
1524 hours.
Tomkah Krogan Armoured Personnel Carrier, Moving Along Hagalok City Ruins Western Highway, Que'k Wastelands, Tuchanka.
The Reaper War, Krogan DMZ Campaign: The Tuchankan Raids.
Captain Marcus Lee Shepard, Chieftain Urdnot Wrex, Lord Companier Urdnot Grunt, Military Advisor Garrus Vakarian, Second Lieutenant James Vega, Shadow Broker Liara T'Soni, Professor Mordin Solus, Eve.
The Tomkah bounced up and down as they moved along the blistered highway, pieces of broken rubble and disattached cabling causing the Tomkah to move left and right as it drove over them. They were in the head of a formation of at least a dozen Tomkah APCs, bringing along alot of krogan clan support and a quarter of Aralakh Company's strength. The squad had to be split due to the size of the Tomkah interiors, which meant EDI, Javik, Kasumi and Keeling were in the Tomkah behind them.
They were almost at the Shroud, Marcus knew. At the speed they were moving, they'd soon reach the intersection and have nothing but open wasteland before them. Then they would reach the spire of salvation...and Vanguard.
As long as the turians and krogan do their jobs, Vanguard shouldn't be a problem. Then once the cure's dispersed, the Normandy can take care of it and that'll be the end of that. Vanguard had pretty much plagued himself and his team everytime they came to Tuchanka. It would be nice to finally kill the son of a bitch.
The cramped confines of the vehicle didn't really help the bouncing up and down and back and forth motion of the APC; everytime it happened, some part of his body collided with something and caused him to wince as something either poked, stabbed or slammed into his side, head, hand or leg, causing somekind of pain. But he had served in the military a long time and had gotten used to moving in APCs; the vehicles were used to deploy them during the Battle of Elysium in the Skyllian Blitz, and during the Siege of Torfan in the very same conflict. So he was used to them at this point.
Apart from the driver and his co-driver, Wrex, Grunt and Eve were the only krogan in the vehicle with them. Mordin sat next to Eve with his SMG in his lap, and the rest of his squad was placed at the back along with him; James and Garrus were trading jokes opposite from him, and Liara appeared to be eying him with unease.
He smiled at her, trying to alleviate her concerns, "I'm fine, Liara. Jacob's death hit me pretty hard, but I'm recovering. No more...outbursts. None of the crew deserve to hear that."
She laughed halfheartedly, shaking her head, but she looked reassured at least, the asari leaning back as she crossed her arms, "Its okay. You had your moment of weakness and its over. Its not like we didn't know you had feelings or anything. You just...needed to vent. The crew understood that, and its over now. We just need to move on."
"Funny," he chuckled bitterly, "We say that only after two days of him being dead. Brynn's probably still in grief, and we're talking about moving on?"
She smiled weakly, "War does that to us. Forces us to fight now, and leave the grieving until after."
He nodded, "Yeah." I wonder what war has to tell me about betrayal. Yes, it would seem that, even after Eve's speech, Linron's words still plagued him. Refusing to go away, like an incessant whisper at the back of his skull.
Serve us...
You will know pain...
Embrace salvation...
The words in the back of his skull seemed to be getting louder and louder the closer they got to the Shroud...
Could it be...?
Suddenly, a burst of static in his comm followed by a voice, "This is Lieutenant Celai of Turian Wing Artimec to all ground forces, our vector is locked and we're inbound to the Shroud. ETA to engagement of enemy target is six minutes. How copy?"
He hit keyed the comm in response, "This is Captain Shepard, we read you solid. Five by five; we should the target the same time you do. Spirits be with you, Shepard out." He quickly disconnected the comm, sighing into his lap as he let his hands fall into it. This is it. No turning back now.
"When all of this is over and the genophage is cured, our people are going to want answers, Wrex," Eve suddenly spoke up, shifting in her seat, "I merely stemmed the tide. Wreav isn't the only one who wants revenge. You'll have to placate them somehow."
"Leave Wreav to me," Wrex replied, waving a dismissive hand, "As for those who want revenge, they'll be easy to placate. According to the Citadel Accords, all planets within a race's home system immediately belongs to that species, regardless of whether it is colonized yet; one of the reasons the Council didn't touch the Sol System when they discovered humanity. I'll shove that rule in the Council's face; they'll have to immediately pull any forces they have from our system; there's our start. As for the rest of the cluster, I'll argue our case. Hopefully, we can change the name too. The krogan won't be demilitarized much longer. We'll need room to expand, so I'll give us a cluster. We'll recapture the glory of the ancients."
Mordin, as always, added his two cents worth, "'Glory of ancients' lead to Krogan Rebellions. Millions of deaths. Deployment of genophage. Expansion plan? Problematic."
Wrex narrowed his eyes at the salarian for a moment before nodding, sighing, "Guess the salarian has a point. But we won't be expanding quite so ridiculously this time. We'll limit krogan expansion to this cluster and nothing else; whatever we're given after is a bonus."
"We'll need a new form of government," Eve added, "Our current clan system won't cut it. We need a centralized leadership to civilize us. After that, we'll need to reclaim the old cities and rebuild them. After that, we'll rebuild Tuchanka; it wasn't always a desert planet, and we shall return it to its pre-fallout glory. After that, and only after that, can we begin to redevelop our armed forces."
Wrex chuckled, "You've got it all sorted out, don't you?"
"Unlike you, I think before I act," Eve snarkily replied, "It helps, believe me."
"I'm sure it does, but you're missing one crucial thing that's more important than all of those things," Wrex stated, grinning as he eyed Eve.
"And that would be?"
Wrex only leaned back, grinning all the way, "Well, let's put it this way. There was a reason we populated our planets so fast," he turned to look at Garrus, who had a disgusted look on his face, "Heh-heh. You haven't seen how fast we can pop them out."
"Well, I'm never unseeing that," Garrus remarked, turning away as he tried to lose himself in a joke with James, hoping to rid himself of the horrible images of overly bloated female krogan.
"Wrex!" Eve growled, almost sounding embarassed, and in that moment, Marcus wondered if krogan could blush.
"What?" the krogan chieftain, pretending to be oblivious to the female's embarassment. Considering how they looked at each other, Marcus could pretty much figure out what was going on between them. Ah...Eve must be Wrex's designated mate. How do krogan put it? His...breeding partner? Damn...I wonder how Grunt views Tali? Does he view her as my breeding partner? The thought disgusted him, "After the genophage is cured, we're going to have alot of catching up to do."
Marcus smiled, although it was weak and didn't quite reach his eyes. The more he heard 'once the genophage is cured' and what the krogan planned to do when it happened, the more of an asshole he felt, the more he collapsed inside, the more pain welled up inside his mind. In the end, he wondered if he could go through with it. Were the salarians even worth it?
Eventually, you've got to stop thinking and make a move.
Victory at any cost.
We fight or we die.
He wasn't as subtle as he thought apparently, because as soon as his smile died and he moved to retrieve his helmet, Eve spoke, clearly addressing him, "Captain, in the shuttle, you looked troubled. You said it was nothing, but I just saw the same look in your eye. Then Garrus mentioned that you missed someone...a woman...who is she, if I may ask? Or was she?"
He turned to her, gulping, the very idea of talking about her hurting more than anyone knew, "She...she's still alive, just...not around currently. I...she's my wife. We met three years ago on the Citadel when she had information I needed to prove Saren was guilty. We since...developed a relationship and now we're married."
Eve seemed to nod, bowing her head respectfully, "I do not know what a wife is, but I assume it has to do with bondship. She is your mate?"
He nodded slightly.
She nodded as well, "What is her name?"
"Tali," he replied almost instantly, wanting to get rid of the name as quickly as possible, "Tali'Shepard vas Normandy."
Eve shifted her posture, looking surprised, "Your mate is a quarian? I'll admit that I'm not surprised. You have shown so much compassion to my people already, it is not surprising you would find love in that of a person belonging to a race that has also been scorned by the Council races. They are quick to cast judgment without fully understanding the reasons."
"Yeah," he nodded, "Yeah, it is."
"And where is she now?"
Marcus found that talking to Eve about this was...comforting. He couldn't explain why, but it made him forget about Linron's deal, about curing the genophage, about the war, about everything. He could just talk about the person he loved the most, and that gave him a sense of levity.
Quickly, he answered, "She's on the Migrant Fleet. Although we don't know-"
"Why have we stopped?"
Wrex's question went unanswered as Marcus looked around, suddenly made aware that the vehicle had actually ceased all movement, but the engine was still revving. Garrus and James looked just as confused, as did Liara. Mordin simply watched Wrex as he poked his head into the driver's seat, trying to figure out what the hold up was.
Instead, Wrex came back out and turned around, gritting his teeth, "It appears we've hit a dead end."
"What do you mean?" Marcus asked, as if interrogating him.
"Go have a look for yourself," Wrex replied simply, motioning to the hatch, "You're not going to like it."
He sighed, standing up as he moved over to the hatch, nodding to Wrex as he moved to exit the vehicle. He saw his team getting up to look with him but he shook his head, motioning for them to sit back down, "I shouldn't be more than a few seconds. Unless its Reaper troops, I'll be fine on my own."
"Anything could happen, Shepard," Liara insisted, continuing to follow him, "You should at least have someone go with you."
He nodded, exhaling, "I'm telling you, you're just going to be standing around, doing nothing."
"Then stand around and do nothing I shall," Liara replied dryly, crossing her arms, "But I am coming with you."
He rolled his eyes, opening the hatch, "Okay then," and with that, he leapt from the vehicle and landed on the solid, concrete ground below, another pair following behind him as Liara joined him, the hatch closing behind them.
Behind their Tomkah lay a long line of more, all of them lined up in singe file and all currently stopped and unmoving, but their engines still humming. Some of their passengers had even left their safe armoured body, demanding to know what the hold up was about.
Tall skyscrapers towered over them to their left, crumbled and broken, the last remnants of the ruined Hagalok City. The road was crumbled, blistered and cracked, long struts that had even railing either having collapsed onto the ground or simply corroded into nothing. And to the west of the large road, was the Que'k Wastelands in all its vastness; as far as the eye could see.
In the distance, the Shroud could be seen, looking like a bright beacon of hope in the midst of the harsh Que'k desert. The ruins of structures littered its sands all over, none more prominent than the ruined temple that stood infront of the Shroud.
But standing infront of, and blocking most of the view of the Shroud, was Vanguard, the Reaper Destroyer they sought to distract. It took absolutely still, its red eye the only thing to move as the armoured plates protecting the eye were slid apart, blood red cyclops scanning the area infront of it, but otherwise remaining frozen; gargantuan legs stiff and looking ready to pounce, making it look like an insect, despite its colossal 150 feet size.
After his quick analysis of the landscape, Marcus turned to his right, and immediately regretted doing so. Because he had found out just why they had stopped.
He had no idea what caused it, but it must have been corrosion, because the entire piece of road that had been infront of them, was now gone, having caved in like a sinkhole, revealing bits of ancient electronic cabling and pieces of concrete underneath. Below was what had been that section of road, now leaning against each other and mostly buried in the sand below.
He groaned as he moved over, crouching down next to the edge, silently cursing their luck. We'd have to acellerate at full speed to clear that gap...and with a full convoy? Damn it, there must be another way to the Shroud that doesn't involve this damnable road.
"Why have we stopped?" came a voice, and for a second Marcus thought it was Wrex again, but then recognized the voice, and elected to ignore Wreav's impatient demand. He had had enough of the man already. Still, at least this delays me and let's me think more on Linron's deal. Should I accept or not? His morals and logic were clashing at that very moment, and he was worried just who would win.
Then he remembered Tarquin's words again. Victory at any cost.
He heard a low rumble and then the ground shook violently with a roar, sending Marcus onto his back, along with Liara as the dust and rocks on the ground seemed to vibrate. They heard a groan, and Marcus looked up in horror as he saw a skyscraper shake and shudder above them. Oh fuck, please don't fall this way...
The earthquake roared aga-...wait, it roared? What kind of earthquake was this?
As he watched the skyscraper, he thought he saw the shadow of a massive form slither by behind the wall, followed a loud screech, and then the skyscraper finally crumbled. Luckily for them, it toppled towards the city, and a thunderous boom was added to the quake, plumes of smoke and stone shooting up into sky from the demolition. Then, as soon as the earthquake started, it was over.
Marcus frowned, remembering the shadow as he came to stand. That figure...it was huge...did it cause the earthquake? He wondered if it had been a thresher maw, but he had seen the shadow...and not even thresher maws were that big. That thing had been a monster, a bloody leviathan...
Is Tuchanka not done surprising me with its wildlife? Or am I hallucinating?
"Shepard?" Liara asked to his side, and he turned to her, "Did you see that too?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I certainly did."
"Shepard!" Wrex's voice roared through the comms, "What was that!? The whole Tomkah shook, and we all heard an explosion! Are we under attack?"
"Negative, Wrex. Stay put. It was just an earthquake," Marcus assured him, coming to stand as he dusted himself off, "The explosion you heard was a skyscraper collapsing," he wondered for a moment if he should mention the shadow of a creature, but decided against it. Wrex would probably call him crazy, "As for the road, I see what you mean now. Absolutely-"
"Shepard," came a familiar turian voice, "This is Turian Wing Artimec. We are engaging."
Marcus' relief was completely torn apart as he suddenly whorled around, looking up as he felt the ground shake slightly; it was the vibration that came from space-bound ships entering orbit, their ships sending waves through the air that reverbrated off the ground and created pressure that caused the ground to rumble. And it also meant they were close.
"No!" he shouted. Not now, not now! "Break off, Artimec! Break off! We've been forced to stop! We've been forced to stop! Abort, I say again, abort!"
"We can't!" the turian squadron commander replied, "Vanguard has already seen us! Scanners are picking up energy build-up! We have to engage it while we still can!"
"Negative! You won't stand a chance! There'll be no point in distracting it if we're not there to take advantage of it! Break-" he was cut off as the sound of engines echoed off the city walls, and soon he watched the hook-shaped form of a turian fighter shoot past, followed by two more, and then dozens more. The turian fighter wing continued its path, moving towards Vanguard at high speed and closing fast. Marcus could only whorl around, his plea going unanswered as he watched helplessly.
He watched from a distance as Vanguard shifted from its stance, looking up, its red eye indeed glowing. It fired off a thanix cannon shot that might as well have been spit for the split-second it lasted, but it was precise enough to not completely reduce an incoming fighter to nothing, leaving nothing...not even debris. Wasn't even a fireball.
The rest of the fighters engaged the Reaper, their gattling guns and missiles pinging harmlessly on Vanguard's heavy duty armor, none of their assaults leaving a single dent on its body; even without kinetic barriers, Destroyer-class Reapers were a nut just too tough for conventional weapons to crack unless it was substantial and from capital ships. But these were fighters; mere flies to Vanguard.
One particular fighter attempted to fly away to reengage, but Vanguard locked onto it and fired. It wasn't a direct hit, but the shot did clip the back, having enough force to completely obiliterate its tail, the momentum of the impact mixing with the fighter's forward momentum, causing the aerial vehicle to spaz out and jerk up before violently shooting downwards, moving with rapid speed...
...towards them.
Marcus wanted to cry out, but knew there was no time. Instead, he reacted on instinct and shot forward, tackling Liara to the ground just as the fighter crashed infront of them.
The entire ground shook and he felt dust and debris shower them as the fighter exploded on impact. Some were bigger than others, and he knew he'd have bruises from some, the spectre even having to cough as dust choked his lungs momentarily. He kept his arms around Liara, shielding her from the debris. He was more heavily armoured, afterall.
He heard a large rumble, easily overshadowing the sound of battle in the distance. For a moment, Marcus shifted his head to look, only to hear a massive roar as something smashed into the ground, the vibration actually sending them into momentary flight but a mere inch off the ground. He shot his look to the left, and saw what had happened.
One unlucky tomkah was now lying under a thick support strut of concrete and stone, having completely crushed it and likely the occupants inside as well. It also unfortunately cut off the two tomkahs at the back, blocking them from continuing.
His head whorled back to the right and watched with widened eyes as his tomkah reared back and then shot forward, moving with enough speed to clear the gap and reaching the other side, followed quickly by the rest of the tomkah convoy. Within moments, Marcus and Liara found themselves abandoned.
He coughed, letting go of the asari beneath him, standing up as he dusted himself off, keying his comm, "Wrex, what the fuck are you doing? We're still out here!"
"Wait," came a growl in response and he heard a scuffle. A few moments later, and he heard a huff, the sound of something hitting the ground, a grunt and then Wrex spoke again, "There we go. Sorry Shepard, but I had to take care of our illustrious driver. Decided to take off without my decision."
He nodded, watching the last tomkah drive off into the distance, disappearing behind a corner. He cursed his luck, turning to see Liara coming to his side, wincing as she moved with a slight limp, SMG already out and in her hand.
"Well don't bother coming back. The turians are getting slaughtered and Vanguard knows we're coming. We need a Plan B," he stated, scanning the road. Suddenly, he noticed an open doorway that lead into a dark room; he hadn't noticed it before because the Tomkah had blocked their view, but now it was plain as day, "Wrex, I've just found an exit. We're going to see where it takes us. I'll send a waypoint to your omni-tool so you can monitor our progress. Where can you pick us up?"
"There's the old harbour!" Wrex noted, "It used to be a port for seaborne ships, but the nuclear war dried up all the water, so its just sand now. We'll drive down, sweep around and pick you up there! Just get your ass down there! I'll get Wreav and your squad's tomkah following us. I've told the rest to break off and hold position. We might still need them."
"Good decision. Send us the navpoint for that harbour and we'll be there. Good luck Wrex, and whatever you do, keep Mordin and Eve alive!" He glanced briefly at the battle in the distance, watching the turians break off and retreat from a severe lack of ships. Vanguard watched them leave, but didn't seem to fire, simply standing there and retreating back to its old pose. He shook his head and turned to Liara, smiling wearily.
"You alright?" he asked, noticing her limp, "You can walk?"
She winced, but nodded, "I should be fine. Don't worry about me, Shepard. What we need to do is get out of here. They just left us."
"Wrex is going to meet us in the harbour with everyone," his omni-tool beeped ontime, and he nodded, "And Wrex just sent us the navpoint," he turned to the asari, showing her the doorway he found, "I don't know where it leads, but it has to be better than here. We'll see where it goes, and if we're lucky, it'll take us to the harbour. Its our best shot."
She nodded, "Lead the way then," she gave a weak smile, "I'll follow as best I can."
He nodded, unholstering his rifle as he shouldered it, cracking his neck as he prepared to enter the darkness of what lay ahead.
Who knew curing the genophage would be so much work.
Still, who says I'll let them cure it for sure?
At least it gave him time to think.
"You made quite a name for yourself, if you know what I mean."
- Tali'Shepard pav Rannoch.
"That was pretty bad, but I see you've still got it."
- Marcus Shepard.
"Thank you. So...Tuchanka? Curing the genophage? You said you had a...dilemma? Linron's deal or cure the genophage? Its obvious what you chose, so how did you...manage it? How did you break free of the decision?"
- Tali'Shepard pav Rannoch.
"Through something I'm still ashamed of to this day."
- Marcus Shepard.
A/N:
Yes, I know its out alot earlier than I said. Well, I got more time than I thought. I assure you! This will be changing!
Second part comes out as soon as I can write it. Just have patience.
Keelah Se'lai, troopers!
