Chapter 49: Little Boys Grow Up
It was a fallout world. A world of rubble and ruin scarred by bombardment craters. A world that could barely Chapter 49: Little Boys Grow Up
It was a fallout world. A world of rubble and ruin scarred by bombardment craters. A world that could barely support life. When the krogan destroyed something they really destroyed it. They had been doing so since 1900 BCE when they discovered atomic weapons and abruptly sent their world into a critical nuclear war.
Life fed upon life in an evolutionary cycle. No longer a world of fierce alien jungles, whose roots crew out of shallow silty seas. The krogan shattered their own homeworld into radioactive ruins, choking ash storms, alkaline seas barren unforgiving salt flats that offered nothing as much as a green weed. A little ice age of nuclear winter killed off the remaining plant life.
Shepard thought it was a plot from a very bad B-Movie. Who the hell destroys their own world and calls it a good thing?
The salarians came in 80 CE offering aid, and cultural uplifting for the great warriors. Global temperatures had rendered the world unbearable upon the surface. In answer a vast shroud was assembled at the L1-Lagrange point, maintained by the CDEM (Council Demilitarization Enforcement Mission) which was based on orbiting battle stations. The Shroud dropped the temperatures to a livable 72ْ C. though only under its areas of coverage and shielded the planet from harmful solar radiation.
The Shroud was nearly as effective as the genophage for controlling Tuchanka's population, forcing them to live in carefully controlled reservations overseen by each clan leader.
Before she came to Tuchanka Shepard had made a careful study of the planet, of its inhabitants its history. Fortunately she had a very good information broker that was one-fourth krogan to lend a hand in that department. Aethyta came through for them with the more subtle cultural idiosyncrasies. Not that krogan did anything on the subtle note. Head-butting was a not only a challenge to another warrior but it was a way to prove strength. It wasn't simply regulated to the males either; however females were not as aggressive in their displays of agitation. They were of course as equally territorial as their male counterparts. They always had a tendency to be selfish, unsympathetic, and blunt.
They respected strength and self-reliance. Most krogan trusted and served no one but themselves. The weak and selfless do not live long. Still belonging to a krant is incredibly important, if one does not belong to a krant than they are unworthy of clan membership. One must belong to a clan in order to own property, join the army and apply to serve under a Battlemaster or gain the rite of breeding. Next to clan chiefs and battlemasters it was shamans who were the most respected of the leaders.
Krogan were neither surprised nor offended by treachery. Looking out for number one is a simple matter of course. The krogan have a deep sense of fatalism and futility, it was a profound social effect born out of the genophage. Aethyta warned Shepard that the krogan were very angry at the galaxy, they hold grudges for a lifetime. And they pass that grudge down to any surviving hatchling.
Shepard didn't hold out any hope for the missing salarian. Maelon was most likely dead. Very dead. Probably tossed into one of the varren fighting pits and bets taken how long it took for the fishdogs to eat the poor bastard. Family entertainment at its best.
With a better sense of what she was walking into Shepard assembled her team: consisting of course of Grunt and Mordin also Jack, Samara and Tali. It was going to be hard enough to get Mordin through unmolested let alone added complications with Garrus or a Cerberus agent.
Being left on the ship was no hardship for Miranda, for Garrus however he wasn't so keen on his wife going down to a planet filled with a bunch of hot-headed trigger happy thugs. There were too many things that could go so very wrong. Tuchanka was a war-torn planet with places still earmarked as nuclear hot-zones even after a thousand years. So many things could go wrong, just one little tear in her environmental suit and Tali could very well die. But the more he treated her like glass the more Tali resented it. But it didn't stop the former C-Sec officer from worrying. How could be 'Archangel' if he wasn't there to look out for his wife or for Shepard?
"I'm fine, Garrus. I'll be with Shepard." Tali said to her husband when she was readying her gear for the drop.
"I know...I know. It's just that..." Garrus groaned as he handed extra thermal clips to Tali. He rubbed his hand across the back of his crest. "I'd feel better being at your side."
"Now you sound like just Shepard fussing over Liara," the young woman teased as she placed her shotgun in its rack on her suit.
"Before I'd tease her about it. Now, I can relate."
"Garrus you can't keep me in a bubble any more than Shepard can Liara just to keep us safe. We serve on a warship facing an indomitable enemy. Danger surrounds us at every turn. We signed up for this. You, me, Shepard, Liara. I'll be fine down there." she placed a hand upon his arm. "Besides someone has to keep their eyes on the Professor, he's the only one who can make it possible for us to have our baby."
"You have a point." the words were muttered under a heavy sigh.
"Of course I do." she reached up and tilted her head upwards so that it touched his forehead. It was the closest they could come to a kiss outside their clean room. For a thousandth time Tali was a bit envious of her friends Shepard and Liara for their intimacy, even parted as they were they had a bond that stretched across the galaxy. They could still 'touch.'
Looking at Shepard however, Tali saw the telltale signs of stress leaching into the brave Commander. Being parted from Liara unable to touch or link minds was taking a toll on the older woman. One had to know Shepard to see it and recognize that it was not simple fatigue. Besides Tali herself there were only two others on the Normandy now who could read the Spectre so well. One Tali was married to, the other was the woman's doctor. But as always Shepard pressed on, did her duty and did it well. It was why the ship now was in synchronous orbit over one of Tuchanka's largest encampments.
That brought the young quarian engineer to another branch of thought, how well this new crew despite the odds were beginning to mesh. Grunt tolerated Mordin as well as Garrus despite Okeer's predisposition and programming to instil the racial hatred towards the two races responsible for unleashing the genophage. And even Jack and that perfect bosh'tet Cerberus cheerleader bitch were not at each other's throats as often as they were in the beginning.
"I'm not surprised you want to go down to that pisshole." Miranda said trying to sound disinterested and if not slightly condescending. Even still there was no bite to her words and Jack took none even as she feigned to do so. "Planet filled with hot headed-trigger happy-thugs seems just your sort of place."
"If I didn't know better I'd say you're jealous."
"Not at all. I have no intentions of being eating by some thresher maw or a pack of varren in some barren wasteland."
Jack's lips curled into a sinister smile. "No, just an ex-con in the dead of night down in bowels of a Spectre's warship." her words uttered so softly only Miranda picked them up. Though many in the shuttle bay looked up when they heard mocking slightly maniacal laughter issuing out of the ex-con. Most assumed by the expression on Lawson's face that Jack had made some joke at her expense. They would be right but they would have wrongly assumed it was borne out of malice never dreaming it was all in good nature. It was not anger reflected in her grey-blue eyes but embarrassment.
Shepard cocked her head sardonically towards Samara as they were climbing into the shuttle. "It's so good to know my people are getting along."
Samara turned her attention to the 'couple' that had attracted the Spectre's comments. The Justicar watched the young human maidens' trade jibes and smiled privately to herself. 'Perhaps better than you know my friend.' Despite the inner voice telling her she had won the running bet of when the caustic couple would mate, Samara kept that little fact to herself. She could be misreading the subtleties of the body language, the slight change in pheromones, but she doubted it. She had always been good at making up stories about the people she watched. It was a way to pass the time and a means of self-amusement. It also kept her observational skills highly honed. Even still with such a volatile relationship in its infancy it was far better to say not at all than to lay claim to winnings of a bet. These two maidens deserved a chance-
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Before touching down at the Urdnot LZ Grunt had been overwhelmed at the idea of coming home to mother Tuchanka. As soon as he landed that feeling dissipated in to an overdeveloped sense of underwhelming. This was the place of, Kredak, Shiagur and Veeoll? This rock is barely worth standing on. Never thought I'd miss the tank."
"Can always put you back in, if you miss it that that much." Jack jibbed.
"Try it and you'll be back on ice."
Jack's smirk turned into a sneer, "You may have a quad on you dumbass but you aint got the balls to put me back in cryo."
Instead of being upset the young krogan belched out a belly laugh. "You know if you were a proper krogan female, you'd be seriously fuckable."
Jack scoffed a laugh of her own taking his words as a complement. Shepard just shook her head and shrugged. There was a special connection between team-mates that bled together on the battlefield. What could easily be taken as insults amongst normal civilians was comradely amongst warriors.
"Like you know anything about getting laid. You're still a fucking virgin."
"Ha, never thought of that." Shepard drawled. "Maybe your issues are that simple. You just need to get laid. All that tension building up, no way to release it, save for on the battlefield. Not very healthy."
"Yes, could easily account for high levels of aggression." Mordin piped up. "Also cargohold is a small confined space. Not conductive to krogan territorial nature."
"We'll find out soon enough. Come on let's not keep the clan leader waiting." said Shepard.
"Do you not know this clan leader, Commander?" Mordin asked.
The Spectre nodded. "Urdnot Wrex. He followed me to end Saren. Hell he even helped me end the cloning facility on Virmire, including a supposed cure for the Genophage that came from Sovereign. Wrex knew as I did those tank-bred clones were not true krogan." She looked to Grunt. "You're not the same thing." she tried to ensure the young male did not misinterpret her words. "You have a soul, those creatures didn't. They were creatures of Reaper creation."
"I am created by Collectors knowledge, Shepard. Traded to Okeer."
"Even still, you are your own person Grunt. Maybe you are a genetic construct, but that is not all you are." She had had a similar discussion with Miranda only month ago. Perfect, highly competent, didn't lack for confidence in what they were capable of and yet paradoxical low-self-esteem when it came to the personal stuff. Both believed they were what they were because they were created to be so. They hadn't earned it for themselves. Something Shepard was working hard to help them over come.
In that moment Grunt once again despairing of his strength because it was given not earned stood just that little bit taller. Prouder. Shepard was not the only one to have notice it. To Tali she wasn't surprised, simple words had uplifted her when she first arrived on the Normandy. But it was Jack that was struck most by Shepard turning mush into butter. And how easily she made it so. Words just dripped from her lips like honeyed wine. It was ridiculous.
Hopefully Shepard can sweet talk this clan leader / former shipmate to not only help fix whatever was wrong with this tank bred construction but give up the goods on the Professor's lost minion and where the hell to find him on this armpit of a world.
Jack looked around her and shook her head. Maybe this friendship Shepard spoke about with this clan leader was a bit over exaggerated. Cuz there were a hell of a lot of guards hulking around. She must have said that last bit aloud because Grunt challenged her remark.
"They are warriors not guards."
"Pft. I've been in a lot of slams, turtle-boy. I know guards when I see 'em. Maybe their expecting trouble from a Spectre?"
"The Council has no dominion in the krogan DMZ I doubt they are here for me. Rather they are here for some other reason. Wrex is trying to pull the krogan people into one nation, one voice. Uniting them isn't something easily done."
"Indeed not. Impossible to unite the krogan. Be interesting to see how the clan leader expects to do this." Mordin said.
"I imagine with a great deal of finesse and persuasion." Samara commented dryly.
Shepard recalled a bit of her sire-in-law's advice, 'To tell a krogan he speaks well is a grave insult. It means he degrades himself to the level of a bureaucrat, using words not arms to strength, just like the Citadel Council.'
Wrex may have to resort to 'speaking well' but the Commander knew the old krogan had other means at his disposal to draw in loyalty from the other clan leaders. Wrex is a visionary, almost asarian in his long-view of things. He possessed a foresight the majority of his fellow krogan lacked. Krogan hungered for battle, were blind by it. Wrex stood against the tides of bloodlust and battle rage of his kind, of his lineage to bring this people back from the brink of extinction to enlightenment...a renaissance—a renewal. And of course there would be resistance to such. Resistance breeds resentment. Resentment breeds retaliation—duplicity and the inevitable assassination attempts.
Thus like any other world leader Wrex needed a contingent of bodyguards.
In many ways Wrex reminded Shepard of Attila the Hun who had done the seemingly impossible and united the scattered and fiercely independent tribes and clans of the Huns into one nation, at least for a time. Wrex was doing no less with the krogan people.
Grunt had to admit the tattooed female was more right than wrong when she spoke about all the guards. He could smell the disquiet, the unrest in the air. He saw contention in the eyes of his brother krogan was Shepard lead the way to this Wrex's court. He watched as Urdnot minions foolishly stood in the way of his battlemaster. He watched as his not-mother pushed passed them all with a very self-satisfied grin on her face when Wrex called out her name. The young male wasn't the only one to be astounded when clan leader pressed his forehead to Shepard's as if she was a clutch-sister. No closer than that, as if she was an egg-sister.
Grunt watched and listened as the pair of old shipmates questioned one another of their goals and achievements. It seemed that the first alliance Wrex made was with the female clan leaders. They made a neutral ground where all clans were welcome. Fertile females could be shared among all the clans. The idea was to strengthen the race as a whole. The sharing much to Shepard's surprise the idea came not from the male clan leaders but the heads of the female clans. It was after all the most practical and pragmatic solution.
An attack on Urdnot was to endanger the lives of all females and the children. Something no male was willing to risk. At least not openly. Even clans that wanted Wrex dead would defend Clan Urdnot. The natural territories were safe and urged more female clans to ally with Urdnot.
With females backing his plans for unification Wrex had secured many more alliances however tentatively with several of the males clans. Weyrloc and Gatatog were the most vocal of Wrex's opposition
"Curious. How do you maintain security with so many clans in place?" Mordin asked, ignoring the ire he gained from the krogan by simply opening his mouth.
"Any clan willing to send in hostage can come in. No fighting inside the camp. Each clan punishes its own criminals. We stop conflicts before anyone dies. Then we present a simple choice: pay a fine and deal with your problems or your clan is no longer welcome."
"Curiouser. This does not seem like typical krogan methodology." Mordin was pressing his luck and welcome.
"Despite what you bug-eyes want us to be, what your propaganda demands us to be we are not all blinded blood-raged thugs." Wrex boomed. "Take notice while you're in my world salarian.
"Many clans like what I am doing. Many are eager to have an outlet. Any clan I have decreed unwelcome, my allies have crushed them. Word gets around."
"No doubt." Said Shepard. There was a certain undeniable shrewd beauty to the neutral zone. However with the larger clans swallowing up the smaller ones in alliance yet insistent they also remain independent she had to wonder. "What's so important about maintain clans?"
Wrex knowing his friend well enough to know her cultural curiosity was not going to be easily sated with a few choice words. 'Because we need it to be.' And while he deplored it in the bug-eyed salarian he had no issue offering an explanation to Shepard's voracious scholarly appetites. In fact he was more than proud to shed some light on the greater aspects of krogan society with her.
"Each clan has different customs, Rites of Passage, rules of behaviour, battle songs, stories, all unique. That diversity makes us great. No clan, not even mine was meant to survive on its own." he glared at Mordin as if defying him to denounce krogan culture so easily out of hand like all other of the bug-eyes pyjack humpers.
"Urdnot is the leading clan. Doesn't that mean your culture is dominant?" asked Tali
Wrex offered the girl an indulgent smile of agreement, "For now. I suspect you'd understand, Tali. Doesn't each of your ships have unique qualities to offer the whole of the flotilla that is exclusive to that ship—that crew?"
"Certainly. The flotilla is split up into compartmentalized fleets, each ship that is a part of that particular fleet adds to its strengths. The crews of those ships choose their ship given their independent talents and skills. Battle, science and engineering, horticulture..." the young quarian trailed off, seeing Wrex's point. The diversity aided strength to the whole. It was necessary to maintain and retain such independency and community.
"Exactly. The krogan need to restart, to rethink, rebuild. We will die if we continue as we were. Perhaps we will never be as glorious as we once were before the wars, but we can't go on as we are." Wrex added
"It sounds ambitious." Shepard commented with a heady hint of admiration for her old friend's vision. "How's it going so far?"
"Better than I feared, worse than I hoped." came a very honest answer.
All the while they had been speaking loomed the green crested hulking battlemaster. He seemed to have been watching and listening to the exchange as if somehow banking on the words and traded comments. More than that he was actively looking for some weapon to use against Wrex and his allies, if nothing else to create discord amongst the females and clan Urdnot. .
He was Uvenk -leader of Clan Gatatog, the most outspoken of Wrex's opposition. Shepard checked Uvenk's position, recognizing him as a threat but did not give him any more cursory acknowledgement. She knew power games when she crossed their paths. Sun Tzu had taught her well.
If the general is unable to control his impatience and order his troops to swarm up the wall like ants, one third of them will be killed without taking the city. Such is the calamity of these attacks.
Uvenk was growing more and more impatient and angry, a lethal combination if not explosive. Wrex no doubt was more than capable of disarming him. By blatantly ignoring his presence Shepard demeaned his self-importance.
"You've abandoned many traditions to get your way," Uvenk declared boldly, trying to ignore that Shepard had usurped the meeting. "Dangerous."
Giving his old friend a small look that said: watch this, Wrex rose from the throne with the swiftness rare displayed outside the battlefield and slammed his head hard into the other krogan's forehead. The resounding impact was so loud the whole area cracked like thunder. Shepard could have sword she felt her own teeth rattle around in her skull.
"Speak when spoken to, Uvenk. I will drag your clan to glory whether it likes it or not."
Dazed and caught off guard Uvenk teetered back but did not leave the dais. Wrex on the other hand didn't even looked fazed Without so much as batting an eyelid the old battlemaster turned to the Spectre.
"You didn't come to my great world to rehash war stories. So what brings you here, Shepard? Can't imagine it's as a tourist, not with an asari Justicar at your side." He offered a toothy grin he thought was his most charming. He always had a way with the blues. (Well save for Liara.) "This is a first. Never thought to see one of your Order on my world. I thought your kind didn't leave your territories. "
"I accompany the Spectre on sworn oath." Samara inclined her head imperiously. "It is true a Justicar rarely ever leaves asari space, save when dire circumstance demands it of us. This battle against the Collectors and their masters the Reapers is one such a circumstance. The Code demands this evil be ended. I follow as Shepard leads."
Wrex was far more than impressed. Perhaps he need not worry so much for his old friend with a Justicar at her side. After he had left the Victory, he had worried for Shepard, even if she had her Archangel and Tali looking out for her. It just wasn't the same. Considering Liara was back on Illium Wrex had to be truthful he had worried for the stalwart Commander. .
"I see you still pick-up strays." He said looking at the tattooed woman and the whelp whose crest had yet to take on true color, while ignoring a certain salarian.
"Old habits." Shepard shrugged offering a lopsided grin. "This is Jack, a highly talented warrior and a very gifted biotic." She nodded towards the younger human woman. Jack offered a mock salute, yet she seemed to stand a bit more proud in Shepard's praise. "You know Tali of course and this is Professor Mordin Solus, he's helping me find ways to circumvent the Collector tech." she added swiftly.
"And as you see," the dark-maned human gestured with a backwards nod to Grunt standing just behind her. "I've got a young krogan on my crew. Only something's wrong with him. Prone to bloodrage without provocation even stuck on a human ship. What med-scans we were able to take came up clean. Save that his aggression levels are off the charts. I figured the only one that could tell me what's up with my crew member was another krogan. Naturally I thought of you. I need Grunt up to speed, so can you tell me what exactly is wrong with him?"
Wrex looked past the Spectre to the younger male and practically scoffed. "There's nothing wrong with him." He announced dismissively. "What's wrong whelp? Your clan die out before you were told what you were, boy?"
"I have no clan." Grunt said. Shepard heard defiance in his tone. "I am tank-bred. Created by Battlemaster Okeer, distilled from Kredak, Mor, Shiagur..."
Uvenk could no longer keep his tongue between his teeth. "You recite warlords, but you are the offspring of a syringe." he sneered earning a baleful glare from Shepard.
"I am pure krogan!" Grunt defied the much older male, "you should be in awe!"
Wrex's great maw curled into half-snarl of his own. "Okeer a very old name. A very hated name. Just like I told you before, Shepard."
"He is dead." Grunt said simply.
"Of course he is. Shepard was involved." Only then did Wrex turn to the Spectre. "We destroyed thousands of these on Virmire. Now you have one on your crew?"
"He's different. He is his own man, Wrex. Okeer got the tech from the Collectors and created him, but he is real, not a construct."
"And Saren got his from Sovereign a Reaper. You told me those buggy bastards are working for the Reapers. You trust this...krogan?"
"With my life."
"Good enough."
Wrex suddenly shifted gears. "Nothing is wrong with him Shepard. His blood is wakening. Apparently tank-bred mature same as those hatched from eggs. He's becoming a full adult."
"Wait..." Jack interrupted. "You're telling us Grunt is going through puberty?" the ex-con seemed to find this particularly hilarious.
"He is becoming a maiden." Samara's words echoed along the same vein.
"Of course should have foreseen adolescent developments. No longer hatchling. Maturing into adulthood. Causative. Hormonally displacement due to accelerated growth rate." Morden surmised.
"So big bad Mamma Shepard, how's it feel to know your baby boy krogan is grown up enough to go on his Pilgrimage?" Tali teased.
"I don't care what puny alien words you all use. He is just being what he is. All he needs is the trials." Wrex boomed a tad bit flustered at their teasing.
"NO!" Uvenk roared. "This goes too far! Your clan may rule but this thing is not krogan! There can be no trial!"
"Not up to you. Go." Wrex demanded.
"This isn't over, Urdnot." the green-crested krogan growled before lumbering off.
And that Shepard thought is going to be a problem. But whose, Wrex's or mine?
"Idiot." Wrex turned back to Shepard and Grunt. He took another step closer, so close that he was now directly in Grunt's face. He took a great sniff of air. "Tell me Grunt, do you wish to stand with Urdnot?"
There was an indecisive expression etched upon the young krogan's face. Covering for his lapse of a prompt and ready answer, Shepard swiftly interceded. "What does this Rite of Passage, entail?"
"Not for me to say, Shepard." Wrex said as firmly as any admiral. "The shaman will discuss it."
Tradition and ritual, Shepard knew better than to tread on such thin ice as to question it further. Instead she asked another question. "So it's like that, ehe?"
Wrex merely shrugged.
Shepard smiled offhandedly and asked, "What happens if he doesn't do this Rite of Passage?"
"If left here, he would be killed. The clanless are not respected, tank-bred less so. His disposition is what it is. Rite or no. It's just him being a krogan. Okeer didn't tell you that in the tank did he, boy?"
Grunt narrowed his eyes despising the truth of it. Had Okeer instructed him, he would have known why his blood burned. Why the prattling of the aliens on the Normandy even those of his battlemaster grated on his nerves like the slathering screeches of vorcha. Why he wanted to make wine out of their brains.
"This is his choice." Shepard prompted the young male to finally issue a statement.
"It is in my blood, it is what I am for." a short if not vapid response.
Wrex approved. "Good boy." He tilted his head to the higher levels of the base. "Go talk to the shaman on the upper levels. He'll tell you all that's required. You whelp will pass or die. If you do fall, do it as a true krogan with your blood in your mouth and a weapon in your hand." Wrex turned back to Shepard. "You too old friend." he smiled. "How many times have you stepped in the fire for your crew? Hum? You trust this Grunt with your life. Trust is what you're going to need for the trials."
The nod this time was more accepting. "I get'cha. You know the shaman will help me with Grunt's issues but not with another problem I have. It has to do with my professor here."
Wrex snorted his contempt. "Isn't that the same uppity pyjack humper you rescued back on Omega?"
"Rescued is a big word, Wrex, but yeah he's from Omega. Ran a clinic there, developed a cure for the plague." she smiled. "Maybe you recall that bit of a hiccup in Aria's empire?"
"Maybe. So what's up with him?"
Shepard glanced at the professor then back to Wrex. "This is difficult and sensitive Wrex. Dark as the graves of the lives that cross our path. You talked about stepping into the fires for my crewmates, I do so now. With Mordin. And before you ask I trust the life of myself and any crew with him as surely as I do with you, Garrus, Tali or Liara." she cut a look to the tattooed woman and the asari matron. "As well as I do with Jack and Samara. No hesitation in the asking of it."
Wrex seemed to revaluate his opinion of the forever hated race of salarian and of Professor Mordin Solus. "If he has your trust Shepard, I will listen to his request. Speak then salarian. What do you want? Shepard has your trust. But if you want something, then speak for yourself."
Mordin took the measure of his situation. "A former acolyte of mine has gone missing. Last known location was on Tuchanka. Within Urdnot camp. Name is Maelon."
"I know that of that little shit. He left my camp. Truthfully I expelled him. And yes before you ask I knew he was an STG toady. Not why I made him leave though it was reason enough. You find that little shit if he still lives in Weyrloc territories I'd try the old hospital."
"You give that information freely?" Mordin was incredulous.
"No. But Shepard named you friend. It's enough." Wrex countered. "See you don't piss on what she means to have her as such. You're lucky. Don't you forget it or I'll eat your liver raw, you pyjack ass-pimple."
"No doubt." Mordin tried to remain diplomatic.
"Thanks Wrex." Shepard stepped in quickly. "You know what it means to find answers. Even if they are not what you want. At least you have them."
"True enough. Like I said you'll have to go into the Weyrloc territories. See the Scout Master. He'll lend you a tomkah to get there. Just don't get too much in his way; he's got a lot of work ahead of him. Oh and Shepard, keep your guard up, that fanged pyjack princess Weyrloc has heavy backing from the Blood Pack. It will be one hell of a fight. You sure he's worth it?" He pointed his chin towards Mordin.
Shepard tilted her head in the manner she had with Aria T'lok and she made sure Wrex's minions and those of Uvenk bore witness. "Thank you Wrex. This Council Spectre is greatly in your debt." She touched her hand over her heart. Her words were the answer to Wrex's question. How many fires did she walk through for her crew? All. They were her crew.
Wrex knew in the moment of hearing what Shepard had offered him: a Council representative kowtowing to a krogan warlord. Word of this would spread to the other Clans, and embolden Wrex's plans for unification considerably. Any who sided with Weyrloc or Uvenk will now be seen as foolish.
Their debt was balanced. Only the truthfully observant knew the fullness of what was being played out. Of those present: Samara, Mordin and Tali knew the reality of it. Of the former their professions gave them the insight needed to foresee what Shepard was playing at. For the latter, Tali knew an 'I have an idea' plan in the making even if she wasn't even made aware of it. She knew that at all costs to simply go with it —to follow Shepard's lead. Even if few only knew it. Shepard had taken the knee. Perhaps not physical but the meaning of it was all the same. Wrex would never forget such a thing nor would any who bore witness to it.
Jack may have suspected, but Grunt still so inexperienced despite all decades, centuries, of training within the implants via Okeer's doctoring would not expected such duplicity. Though he should have had he done any study of Commander Samantha Secura Shepard—Council Spectre. Okeer had not read the works of Sun Tzu.
After meeting Shepard for the first time, knowing she was a disciple of this most revered and most ancient of Earth's warriors, Wrex had. And he understood. Everything. One might have proclaimed that he had become one of Sun Tzu's acolytes. While he was employing krogan methods much of what the old patriarch was doing fell directly in line with the old Earth's philosopher and man-of-war.
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"Mordin, ready gear and supplies for the trip into Weyrloc territories. You, Tali and Samara will make up the team. Jack and I will go with Grunt and see to this test of his. Once he passes." She said the words as if there was no doubt in her mind this was so, "we'll rendezvous at the tanka. Samara, Tali keep low and don't gain too much attention. Mordin is tolerated by Wrex and only because of our friendship. The other krogan will not be so generous. Mordin...just um...don't piss anyone off too much by just breathing, all right?"
"I will make an effort not to offend." Mordin said earnestly. He knew the pride-price Shepard had paid for him. A Spectre taking the knee to a world a people not allied with the Council that alone was a hefty statement. One the Council will not let pass, easily. And it was one more weapon in their arsenal to disgrace and dismiss her from the Spectre ranks.
Shepard only nodded her head. "Tali as a ranking officer of the Normandy, you're in command until I return."
The girl was astounded. Mordin and Samara were her seniors' not simply in age but in experience, yet she was given command?
"Shepard..." she paused. Trust, absolute unquestioning trust was placed in her. This wasn't simply because she was an admiral's daughter. It was because Shepard found potential in her. It was why Chief Adams resigned command as Chief Engineer to her on the Victory. Tali was well worthy of command she need only realize it. "Yes, ma'am. We'll have everything ready."
The Commander nodded her head but said nothing more to the quarian. She didn't have to. Instead she turned her attention to Grunt. "Ok, let's get this done. We're going to need supplies or rather you will. I get the feeling you're facing your own Hell Week."
"I'm ready for it!" Grunt smashed his fists together.
"Sure as hell hope you are Big Boy, cuz your 'big bad mamma Shepard' will be watching ya. Probably a bad idea to make her look like a fucking idiot in front of this lot. Especially after all the pretty words she spewed for you. Honor and all that shit. Seems really important to her, so don't go fucking it up." The ex-con warned.
Shepard had not expected Jack to give to give her such an endorsement. Rather than bring attention to the sentiment, she kept her tongue. And watched the dramatics play out between the two.
"Won't. You just watch. Mamma Shepard will never be disappointed in me." Grunt looked to the woman he had seen as mother. It struck him as more than strange the others on the crew, on his krant saw the Commander in this role as well. Shepard was Battlemaster, Commander, Spectre. To him however Shepard held grandest of all krogan titles, mother. For only a few females far-far too few ever bred successfully and brought forth life, ever got to hear the most revered word: mother.
Shepard had not created him. That was Okeer through ill-gotten knowledge. Tank-mother grew the life, the implants gave him knowledge not earned but it was Shepard and Shepard alone that actually birthed him, freed him from the tank. She was MOTHER.
"Alright, alright, let's move out." Shepard finally interrupted the confrontation betwixt the two. For a strange fraction of a second, Shepard reflected back to a moment on the Citadel when Kaiden was still alive and she and Ash had an amicable relationship. It was brand new but still...
Back then the three of them Shepard, Kaiden and Ash had explored a bit of the Citadel before reporting in to the Council Chambers. Within the Ward's Market entrance they watched as ships came in and flew out of the docking days and they had realized just how very large the Citadel was. Kaiden let slip his attraction to Shepard and she had allowed it to pass by ignoring it. And saying: 'Alright, alright, let's move out people.'
It had been a neutral position, one Shepard thought in hindsight she should have curtailed. It would have halted many of the forth coming awkward moments especially when Kaiden demanded Shepard choose between him and Liara. Shepard had never presumed unlike the male that her attempts of connection and friendship were taken for any more than what it was. Kaiden like the majority of males unfortunately and predictably presumed that any attempt of friendship by a woman was a prelude to them wanting sex. When nothing could have been further from the truth.
It was such a great disappointment that Kaiden had never risen above the male stereotype thought on women: Oh a female is talking to me in a friendly manner; obviously she wants me to bed her. There can be no other possible reason she is talking to me like that. Fuck-it! I want a piece of that sweet ass...so why not?
No other person save for Ash on Horizon had ever disappointed Shepard more when that demand came. There was no question of the choice, it was Liara. Of course it was Liara; it would always be her beloved Angel Eyes.
Kaiden's folly and assumptions not been the first time Shepard's words had been misconstrued for something that wasn't. Often times she had taken measures to curtail any assumptions or rather like now turned such events to her advantage.
Stereotype was a folly best exploited against the enemy. So whenever the Spectre fell victim to it, either by being a woman, a human, young or lesbian she always used those presumptions as a weapon against those who had possessed it. And they always fell. Shepard always smirked.
MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME
The Commander had to admit she was more than a little curious to talk to a krogan spiritual leader. She never pictured the great shelled warriors to very religious at all. Not once in all the battles she had shared with Wrex had he offered a curse or thanks to any higher power. Aethyta's information shed very little light on the subject matter, perhaps there was little to shed. Still it would be interesting to find out nevertheless.
Climbing up the flights of stairs the companions had the chance to overhear two young krogan talking.
"You see that special they had on the extranet?" One asked.
"That crap rots your brain," the other was heard to say. Shepard smirked apparently krogan were no different than any other race when it came to 'watching too much telly.'
No doubt the latter speaker was the elder of the two. "You should be out hurting or fixing something if you're not hunting."
The other continued heedless of the elder's words. "It was a vid on the Citadel. The Citadel Presidium has a big statue of a krogan right in the middle!"
"Pft, well I'm not putting a damn asari statue up here if that's what you want."
"Don't be a fool." the younger one retorted. "They were honouring our fight against the rachni."
The two were now behind the companions but their voices still carried along the stairwell. "Maybe they could have honoured us by not bombing us with the genophage." The words were heated, resentful Aethyta was right. The krogan had bitter memories.
But in truth the Spectre could not blame their resentment. Was it not long enough? Wasn't it time for the genophage to be cured, for the punishment of ancestors to be put at an end? If the krogan were unforgiving the salarians and turians seemed even more so. Hadn't Mordin proved that with the STG's project of altering the genophage to ensure only one in 1,000 babies lived.
Wrex was right; the salarians were uncomfortable when the krogan stepped out of their carefully erected niche that the krogan were no more than stupid, blood thirsty overly sexed brutes.
Shepard knew her old friend faced a daunting battle with his plans of unification. Not simply on the home front but with much more so with aliens, who seemed insistent on crushing the hopes of the krogans. Outsiders like the salarians and turians wanted the great warriors not simply demilitarized but demoralized.
To outsiders to see a united Tuchanka was more than threatening it was terrifying prospect. Despite the accursed sterilisation plague quelling their numbers krogans united could only mean yet another war. Strategists would pass off statistical data and hypothesized scenarios pointing to this very outcome.
Of course it was all too easy for the krogan to forget it was their actions that led to the Rebellions and the seeming necessity to neuter them. While the genophage was nothing short of a war-crime as heinous as any biological weapons which the asari ardently opposed in most instances they seemed strangely mute on the act of the genophage's release.
But if given the chance, just a single chance the krogan could not only better themselves but change others' perceptions of them. It wouldn't happen overnight. It needed to happen. It had to happen. Only a united Tuchanka stood any chance of fending of an enemy far far worse than the rachni. The Reapers. All races those of the Citadel or outside of it needed to stand as one.
Underhanded bullshit manoeuvres such as the STG altering the genophage had to come to an end. More than ever Shepard was bound and determined to change Mordin's mind. If she could change his perceptions he in turn could change others. Perhaps just enough to start opening a few windows of opportunity. The Commander was not naive enough to assume any doors would open for her, but all she needed was a window. Maybe two.
Today however other more pressing perceptions needed to be addressed.
Reaching the top of the bombed out structure was clan Urdnot's shaman his crest nearly completely black with age. He had to be well into his 1,000 years. Even though he was not in armour he stood venerated and imposing even next to the heavily armored very loud male standing next to him.
The shaman was scarcely tolerating the ranting of a boisterous unwanted, unwelcome battlemaster. Subtly Shepard had replaced the helmet of her hardsuit, more out of show of force than perhaps providential foresight. Strength was everything on Tuchanka.
"You go beyond your station Gatatog Uvenk. The Rites of Urdnot are dominate." the shaman snarled back at the ranting male.
"How do you know it will challenge him? He is unnatural. The beasts of the Rite could ignore him like a lump of plastic." pressed Uvenk.
"They know the blood no matter the womb." the retort was calm, measured. "Your barking does not help your case."
Shepard openly chuckled at the slight; her smile was omnipresent as she approached the two. She kept her voice though, no need to add salt to the wound just yet.
Grunt pushed passed his battlemaster. "I speak for myself." he said boldly.
The shaman retracted his attention from the loitering foreign clan leader to Grunt. "This is the tank-bred?" he seemed to study the young male intently. "It's very life-like." like Wrex, the shaman got directly into Grunt's personal space, nearly nose to nose. He took a deep inhale of breath. "Smells correct as well." The shaman turned back to his 'guest' "Your protests ring hollow Uvenk."
That should have been the end of it. Shepard somehow doubted it would be.
There were some places where diplomacy even duplicity worked well. This was not going to be one of them. Krogan were as Aethyta said very blunt people who respected strength and power, and Shepard knew from her own personal experiences this to be far more than true. Action far more than words was needed here.
And Shepard knew exactly what kind of action was absolutely necessary. Challenge meant challenge. The scorn in her voice was paramount and evident. "I don't care what his complaints are; Grunt has every right to be here."
"This alien has some fire! You whimper like a pup, shame is heaped upon you, she shows more strength in the blood."
"If this must stand on ritual then I invoke a denial!" Uvenk roared, his protests over boiling with growing anger and defiance. "My krant stands against him! He has no one!"
"That's the dumbest thing ya could have said." Jack shook her head. She watched smirking. That dammed shellback just went and pissed off big bad Mamma Shepard.
"WRONG!" Shepard issued in her most commanding voice. "He is in my krant. All opposition who have faced us have died." Without any other warning, Shepard's body glowed a brilliant blue as she slammed her helmeted forehead into the green crest. Harder than she had with Wrex years ago when she demanded his allegiance by the rite of challenge. So hard that Uvenk stumbled backwards and nearly lost his footing.
"You...you DARE!" Uvenk blurted clearly antagonised he had been so challenged not just by an alien but a human female!
The shaman burst out laughing. "I like this human, she understands."
Moved by the moment of the act Shepard for the moment ignored the shaman's praise. "By the Goddess I fucking dare! I am Spectre Samantha Shepard destroyer of Sovereign and Saren, and Commander of the Normandy. Grunt is mine. And he is more than worthy of clan Urdnot. His purity lends strength to the clan. You are too short-sighted to see it. Now move aside...hatchling, for you bleat like one."
"I withdraw my denial." Uvenk grudgingly spat. The shaman's praise and the display of strength could not be denied, even as he longed to do so. Others had seen it, heard the retort. If he did not withdraw Uvenk would lose far more face. "This will be decided elsewhere." He lumbered off. Shepard presumed to find a whole bottle of aspirin after what Wrex and she had done to him in so short of time. The guy had to have one hell of a headache.
"He's going to be trouble." Jack pointed out the obvious.
"Definitely." the shaman agreed. "You have provoked them. Reason enough for me to like you. They're your problem now."
"Is he going to be a problem during Grunt's Rites of Passage?" Shepard pressed.
"He is forbidden to interfere. Will he?" there was a hapless shrug. "During the Rites of Passage you must be ready for anything, Shepard. From what you've shown me you will not disappoint."
Shepard gave a minuscule nod of acknowledgment of the complement paid to her. "Do we need to bring anything special during this Rite?" she said thinking of the Great Hunt where she was allowed only a rebreather and a combat knife and of course her biotics. She as sure as hell hoped she wouldn't have to strip naked in front of a bunch of krogan.
"To begin this Rite, only the candidate and his krant are required You love battle don't you Shepard? The last dying gasp of a dying opponent. Bring your love of the fight to Grunt's trial and he will succeed."
Jack slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. Dumbass had to just go and say some stupid shit like that. Well there goes all Shepard's street-cred, cuz she as sure as hell won't be painted with that brush.
To save the Spectre's newly-hard won rep; the tattooed woman stepped up and blurted out. "So ya gonna tell us how this works or what?"
"Still your impatience," came the advice in the tone that said he had said such a thing more than a few times before. "For now, know that Grunt will be tested...and you must adapt. The rite will begin at dawn tomorrow. Return then."
It was a clear enough dismissal.
Shepard turned and started to lead the way back down the many flights of stairs only to witness stares of incredulity on the faces of Grunt and Jack. Of course they had not known the story how the Spectre had gained the blood oath from Wrex years ago.
Unlike the last time however she had not concussed herself, she was more than ready for the impact. She had not only strengthened her body with biotics, she had buffered herself against the recoil of slamming her head into the hard shell of a krogan's crest.
"Damn Shepard, you're full of surprises." Jack smirked. "Didn't know you had it in you. Putting the smack down on some krogan prick."
Grunt said nothing, but the pride on his great maw spoke volumes.
"Wasn't the first time I've done that." she inclined her head to the talks Wrex was now holding with yet another battlemaster. "He was." On the way back to rendezvous with the others she told the story of how she gained the alliance of one Urdnot Wrex.
That small display of power in Wrex's audience chamber was nothing short of what Wrex had once done for her within the cargohold of the Normandy SR1, a necessary theatrics-give and take of force to maintain the balance of command. Wrex's reputation amongst his fellow clan-members and visiting 'dignitaries' soared with Shepard's very krogan display of challenging Uvenk. And once more winning.
The challenge on the morrow would be no less of a theatrical spectacle. If the trials were meant to challenge prepubescent highly hormonal krogans it wasn't going to be a skirmish in some arena it was going to be a full out battle. One she and Jack would be facing alongside Grunt. Whatever it was, it would require a hell of a lot of firepower, strong armour and lot of thermal clips.
Instead of returning to their ship, the crew had decided it was best to remain on Tuchanka. If nothing else but to acclimatize themselves for the battle on the marrow. Every advantage counted, especially in circumstances such as the unknowns of Grunt's rites of passage and the hunt for a missing STG scientist.
Wrex had allowed Shepard to set up a temporary camp near the Normandy's shuttle-craft. It was the best he could offer, it wasn't like Camp Urdnot had a five star hotel accommodations such as there were on Illium or hell even the roach-motels found on Omega. Still the emergency camping / survival gear on the shuttle was good enough for the hardy N7 Spectre and her team.