They were going to Palavan. Thrax wouldn't admit it but he was somewhat nervous. During the Rebellion he had launched countless hit and run strikes at the turians destroying several dreadnuaghts, cruisers, defense platforms, and even a planet. But for all his effective campaigns against the galaxy, he never managed to get to any of the homworlds of any species (with the exception of the volus which was a disaster, once they came out of FTL they were met with a small assortment of cruisers and frigates, and defense towers, all filled with missile launchers that obliterated Thrax's entire fleet.) However Thrax was on the bridge with Joker looking out at the battle and Thrax finally admitted, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Turian Fleet was the most powerful in the galaxy. Thrax could see swarms of frigates, and cruisers, and dreadnaughts attacking the Reaper forces. And they were getting obliterated. Thrax saw one of the giant dreadnaught class reapers obliterating a turian dreadnaught with one blast from its laser. "Thrax! Let's go!" Shepard said as he ran towards the elevator. "Is Vakarian on Palavan?" Thrax said a little worried. "Not sure. But we're not going to Palavan, we're going to its second moon." Shepard said as he started suiting up. "The hell are you talking about Shepard, Palavan's only got one moon." Thrax said. "The other moon Menae is a hidden moon. Classified to make it into a defense station in case of attack." Shepard said as he and Thrax went into the shuttle with Liara Ashley and James already in it. They were flying toward a base as EDI was trying to raise the primarch to no success. Once the shuttle door opened a husk was standing right there and was quickly blown away by James and a shotgun. "What kind of shotgun is that?" Thrax asked. "Katana." James said with a smile. "Not bad. But that's still just a childs toy compared to this beauty." Thrax said before he fired his claymore at a husk that was running towards them, once the shot made contact the left side of the husk became nothing but small chunks on the ground. "Damn!" James said with a laugh. "Damn is right." Thrax said. "Looks like boys only care about there toys no matter the species." Ashley said with a grin. James laughed but Thrax didn't get the reference. Instead Thrax started to run into a group of husks and rip them to pieces with his bare hands. He finished by lifting up a husk and tearing it in two. "Damn!" James said looking impressed. They ran toward the closest base and entered. After some hesitation from the turian guards (because of Thrax no doubt) they were let in. "So this is why they classified this moon." Thrax said out loud. This was a perfect position. If someone attacked Palavan they would bypass this moon completely, so when the actual planet was attacked the enemy forces would be caught between the moon base and the actual turian home planet. This was a perfect tactic, provided you weren't attacked by giant omnicidal monsters! While Thrax was thinking Shepard was busy talking to the general in charge of the base. Thrax shook his head and listened. "I can't raise general Victus, the reapers knocked out our com relay in there first strike." One turian was saying to Shepard. "We'll repair it just hold tight." Shepard said. "Ashley you and James stay here and try to help the turians push back the reapers." Shepard said. They both nodded and went off towards a nearby barricade. Shepard turned and went towards the com relay with Liara and Thrax following behind him. They saw a pair of turians close to the tower who said "they pushed us away! Can you help us re take the tower?" One shouted. Thrax didn't listen for a responce instead he charged at the nearest husk and smashed its head it with his fist. The other husks started to try to swarm him but Thrax wasn't worried, he pulled his shotgun and obliterated several husks with only three shots. "Come on princesses!" Thrax said to Shepard and Liara. Shepard grinned and ran toward the tower and took a look at the bottom terminal. He typed in a few commands and then said "someone has to repair this, Liara." He looked at the kid. "Done, if you could keep them off me I'd be appreciated." She said as she climbed the ladder to make the repairs. "You ready Shepard?" Thrax asked as he reloaded his shotgun. The husks came in a big group. Thrax threw several of them off the nearby ledges before he shot a blast of biotic energy that literally caused the husks to explode once they hit the nearby rock faces. Thrax then ran forward and backhanded two husks before he kicked on in the stomach, sending it flying and shooting it, while it was still in the air! Thrax then jumped and punched the ground with his hand, causing a nova blast and killed several husks around him. When he looked up Shepard was finishing his last husk with a biotic enhanced punch through the face. Liara then called "ok repairs are done! The com towers online!" She said as she slid down the ladder. "Great job kid!" Thrax yelled before he fired at a new group of arriving husks. The new group of husks found themselfs floating around a small black hole, soon they found themselfs dead by a large explosion caused by the black hole exploding. "Shepard, its Corinthis. Get back here we've got some problems." A turian said into the coms. "On our way. You heard the man!" Shepard said and started making his way back to the base. Once they got there they saw the barricade had been blasted, Thrax ran over quickly to see if he could help but the turians there were already dead. The only ones remaining on the barricade were Ashley and James and both weren't looking so good. "Wonder if I can get two at a time wha hoo!" He heard James say. Thrax climbed up and moved the dead turian off the mounted gun placement and started firing. There were only husks trying to climb around the barricade, Thrax managed to take them out easily, the ones he missed Ashley or James took care of. This almost seemed like the reapers were just throwing there soldiers aimlessly, trying to deplete the ammunition of the enemy. A common tactic of the rachni and, Thrax was sad to say many krogan commanders during the rebellion. Thrax had just finished off another wave when one of those meteors came hurtling down and what emerged was a monstrosity. It was huge, taller than Thrax and at least twice as heavy, it walked on all fours and its face looked like a deformed mixture of a turian and a krogan. It roared and charged at the barricade which knocked it down, causing Thrax, Ashley, and James to fall. It charged at them while they were still down but Thrax quickly grabbed his hammer and swung it in a vertical arc hitting the brute right under its chin and caused it to fly backwards. Thrax got up and charged the thing himself, he managed to slam his hammer on top of its head before he felt a blunt pain from his stomach, which was the brute punching him in the gut and getting sent flying through the barricade. "Ok! Now I'm mad!" Thrax said before he stepped through the Thrax sized hole made in the barricade. He saw the brute was stumbling due to two head injuries and when it saw Thrax it roared and charged which Thrax returned. They met in the middle and grasped each others hands pushing with all there might, and to Thrax's surprise, he was slowly but surely getting overpowered. He felt himself getting pushed back and had to think of something. Getting struck with an idea Thrax kicked the brutes left leg backwards causing it to roar in pain and fall to the ground, giving Thrax the time to grab his hammer, channel his biotics into it and slam it down on the monsters head with all his might. When Thrax looked at its remains he saw that not only was the brute dead, but its entire upper body had been blown away. Thrax panted, not use to fights as intense as this. He turned and saw Ashley clutching her arm with a look of intense pain on her face, James looked better, with only a few minor cuts. "Hey you alright?" Thrax asked as he went over and knelt. "Give me your hand." She said. Thrax reached out and offered his giant hand, she grasped his finger and quickly pulled away while still grasping his hand, she let out a small groan as a sickening CRACK emitted from her shoulder. "You ok?" He asked gently. "Fine." She said in a soft voice. "I don't think so William." A voice said from behind him. He turned and saw Shepard with Garrus. "Garrus!" Thrax said happily. "So you managed to keep yourself alive in the past six months?" Garrus joked. Shepard meanwhile had knelt by Ashley, concern written on his face "are you ok" he asked softly. "Fine." She said trying to keep a brave face. "Thrax, take her back to the Normandy." Shepard said. "What, out of everyone, you're sending me back?" Thrax said in equal parts shock and outrage. "If you get into trouble on the way back I know your able to protect yourself and Ashley." Shepard said. Thrax understood now. Shepard was just looking after his female, in his place Thrax probably would have done the same thing. "Alright." Thrax said before he knelt and lifted up Ashley gently. Shepard, James, and Garrus started running to wherever they were going and Thrax walked slowly towards the shuttle. "He does love you." Thrax said suddenly. "What?" Ashley asked. "Shepard, whether you think he's still a cerberus puppet or a clone, he does love you." Thrax said softly. "And its killing him inside that the one he loves thinks he's a fake." "Its hard. I can't accept him and then later find out he's not the man I fell in love with." Ashley said with tears in her eyes. "Your life span is short enough, don't waste the time you have by pushing away someone who loves you." Thrax said calmly. Ashley now had tears streaming down her face "your right."