Author's note: I was able to finish chapter two a lot earlier then I initially planned. I guess you can all consider it my gift to you for being so ambiguous and uncertain about the story in the first few days. Enjoy!
Lone Gundam: That's not exactly an integral part of my story, but you'll see that I did address that.
damon blade: Great thinking. That's exactly what I was planning on doing with the zerg.
SpecH82: I wholeheartedly agree.
ivon: Thanks for your support. It doesn't take too much effort to make an account, as I'm sure you're aware. If I were you, I'd just make one. Lol.
Guest: Well, here's the 2nd chapter. I'm open to feedback.
NOOOOO: I'm sure you'll be happy to find out I decided to continue this story.
revan193: I PM'ed you an answer to the question you asked; otherwise, kind of like Lone Gundam's concern, I don't think I'll be addressing that too much directly in the story itself. Hope my explanation was satisfactory.
Kaldi97: Thanks for your continued support.
Chapter 2: A Future For The Krogan
Jim Raynor didn't know what to think. He'd always known the galaxy was a big and unpredictable place, but he never expected that such an integrated galactic civilization existed so relatively close by. It had taken more than ten days of continuous warp jumps to reach this...Tuchanka, but in the grand scheme of things, that wasn't all too far.
Aboard the Hyperion were his loyal raiders and Richard's 151st regiment, men and women who could be trusted to get the job done no matter how hard things turned out to be. It looked like they were about to be involved in a foreign war, and the units Raynor had with him were veterans of the toughest battles against zerg, protoss, and terran enemies.
He and Matt had already picked up the troops Richard told them to, and they'd brought the Hyperion alongside the frigate called the Normandy. If Richard needed backup, all he needed to do was ask, and Raynor would drop some of the K-sector's finest on whichever sorry fools had kicked the hornet's nest. After experiencing total war for the greater part of a decade, nobody in Koprulu took threats lightly. Call if overreaction if you'd like, but the militaries of the sector called it pragmatism. They couldn't afford to misjudge or underestimate their enemies after losing billions of friends and family in nearly seven years of destructive war.
"Jim, this is Crimson Dragon. Over." Richard. I was wondering when he'd call.
"I'm here. What's up?"
"Have a full platoon of my men assemble at these coordinates, please." Raynor's datapad beeped. "How about...Squads A through E from Fifth Company?"
"Sure thing, Rich. I'll send them down. What's the occasion?"
"There's going to be a gathering of krogan at a sacred gathering place called the Hollows. Commander Shepard and Urdnot Wrex will be bringing Dr. Mordin Solus and a fertile krogan female designated 'Eve' to an old salarian structure called the shroud to disperse the cure for the Genophage...you read the documents I sent you?"
"About the bad blood between the lizards, frogs, and the birds? Yeah, I did. I have to say, if I were the lizards, I'd be going berserk at this point too. That genophage is just...messed up."
"Can't say anything against that...Just saying, Jim, but you're going to have to learn to pronounce their actual names. You'll cause an intergalactic diplomatic incident if you going around calling them by those nicknames."
"Nah, I'll just let you and Valerian do all the talking."
"I'm sure...Anyhow, Valerian's insisting that we help the krogan out. Since the genophage cure is such a big deal, he's hoping we'll win ourselves a couple allies amongst the krogan. He's saying he has to help them personally, so there's no way I'm letting him go down there alone. I'm taking five squads to start out, but have everybody else on standby. Considering there's a Reaper destroyer guarding the shroud, we might need more men."
"That's the part of the plan I'm not getting. Couldn't you just have me and Matt bring the Hyperion down there and Yamato the damn Reaper?"
"Too risky. A Yamato would do the trick, but what if the Reaper hit you first? The beam is powerful enough that it could cut at least moderately damage the Hyperion, and we need the ship at full capacity. No, better for you to stay up there and keep an eye out for possible Reaper reinforcements."
"All right. All right. I get it. That's a no go. Don't need to beat the point to death, Rich."
"Just making sure we're clear. How're things back home?"
"Well, as soon as we all heard you boys disappeared, people started blaming Sarah. We were slated to check on a protoss reconnaissance fleet that was just outside citadel space anyways. I didn't know that citadel space existed at the time, of course. Then we found out an observer saw you guys on Tuchanka, so we hightailed it over here as fast as we could.
"It was really intense for a while. The entire Dominion Navy mobilized, and the militias everywhere were armoring up. The golden armada was on high-alert. Six or seven zerg broods appeared near the Sara system. Now that we know the real reason for your dissapearance, the division commanders are jumping over each other trying to secure a spot in the joint expeditionary fleet. Guess who's going to be leading the whole force?"
"Don't tell me...High Executor Selendis?" Richard hazarded.
"Bullseye. The Security Council figured that they needed to balance out our liberalism with some 'disciplined conservatism.' Go figure."
"Well Jim, I'd better stop taking up your time. I'll keep you updated." The comm-link cut off. Raynor smirked. Give 'em hell, Rich.
Matt spoke up from his position near the holotable. "Seriously, Jim. The Normandy's pilot? Jeff Moreau? He's a wisecrack, but from what I've read, he very well could be the best starship pilot in the Alliance Navy. I'm already liking the guy."
The Hyperion's Captain shook his head slightly. "Same thing goes for John Alan Shepard. Supposedly, he knows the most about the Reapers, and more and more people around citadel space are calling him the 'galaxy's hero.' Reminds me of you, sir. Richard's one lucky guy. How did he just happen to befriend all of the most important people?"
"Like you said, Matt. He's the luckiest out of all of us. Let's just hope his luck holds. These Reapers might be the toughest enemies we'll ever face. They've got numerical superiority, technology that in some areas surpasses the protoss. More experience in killing things and winning campaigns than everyone in Koprulu combined...We got our work cut out for us, Matt."
"That we do." Matt conceded. "On the bright side, we'll also have a lot more allies this time around. We've done the impossible before. There's no reason we can't do it now."
"Yeah, sir." Navigator Marcus Cade chimed in. "Remember on Char? 'Some things are just worth fighting for?' We're fighting to stop these squids from slaughtering billions of innocents. I'd say that's something to die for. We're with you 100%, commander."
Raynor nodded, touched by the unwavering loyalty his men expressed through thick and thin. "You're right, Cade. Let's show these bad guys how real wars are fought."
Commander John Shepard looked up from the War Room holotable. Wrex, Primarch Victus, Mordin, Richard, and Valerian were gathered around it for a last-minute briefing.
"New form of Reaper, Shepard. Using Shroud to poison Tuchanka's atmosphere. Problematic." Mordin observed.
"They want a fight, they just got one!" Wrex declared.
"Primarch, we'll need your help." Shepard prompted.
"That could be difficult. Our losses on Palaven have been catastrophic."
"We're doing this for Palaven. No one said it would be easy." Shepard reminded him.
"What do you have in mind?" Victus asked grudgingly.
"A combined attack. Your people hit the Reaper with an airstrike. Wrex, at the same time, your soldiers will be attacking from the ground. Together, you can draw it away from the tower."
"Yes." Mordin approved. "Distraction. Small team can reach Shroud facility. Finish synthesizing cure. Will need Eve to come with us."
"With your permission," Valerian added. "I can have a mechanized contingent from General Lee's regiment join the Krogan ground force and a squadron of viking fighters assist the turian air offensive. Our available forces are currently limited to the troops and equipment that can fit inside the Hyperion, so we can't spare too many of them."
"Thank you, Emperor." Victus said. "I'll take whatever help I can get."
"Think your men will be able to keep up with us?" Wrex inquired skeptically.
"They can keep up with the protoss." I stated. "No reason why they can't keep up with krogan."
Wrex still looked unconvinced. "Huh... We'll see."
Shepard interjected. "We've never faced a Reaper up close like this. Everyone on board?"
"There's even a doubt? Let's move, pyjak. It's time to cure the genophage." Wrex pounded out of the war room, the others following him wordlessly.
I glanced at Valerian. "Sir, I'd really prefer it if you didn't come."
"Never let it be said that the Emperor just sits on his throne idly all day." Valerian insisted.
"Fine. Just keep your head down."
"Your will is my command," Valerian said automatically. Right…
Shepard's team had five members. This time, he was leaving EDI behind, which made sense. Shaun's team had five. My squad consisted of six, including Valerian. I was leaving Tenny on the Normandy. I didn't think a jump jet trooper would be optimal for the mission at hand. As you can imagine, he would be kind of out of place in an armored convoy.
Still, add on Mordin, Eve, and Wrex, and that was way too many people for one UT-47 kodiak drop shuttle to carry. Luckily, since the Normandy's Hammerhead had been undergoing retrofits when the Reapers hit Earth, the stealth frigate had two kodiaks instead.
Meanwhile, a Hercules dropship departed from the Hyperion, packed with sixty marines and six armored personnel carriers. All three spacecraft headed in the direction of the hollows.
My team took up the second kodiak, with Tesla in the pilot's seat and Valerian standing at the co-pilot's seat. The rest of us were crammed inside the cargo deck.
"If you asked me ten years ago whether I planned to set foot on the krogan homeworld," I admitted over the general com-link, "I would've called you crazy. Yet, here I am."
"If you asked me ten years ago if I expected Richard Lee to be a general in a human military totally separate from the Alliance, I would've called you crazy too." Shaun retorted.
A gravelly Krogan voice interrupted our conversation. "Wrex, it's Wreav. The Reapers are already at the Hollows. Come out with guns blazing!"
Great...the mission already isn't going according to plan…
"Hang on tight." The Normandy's shuttle pilot and requisitions officer, Steve Cortez, announced. "Tesla, is it? Follow my lead. We're going in. Same with you, Hercules-one."
"Copy that, lieutenant." Tesla affirmed.
"Understood. We'll come in last. Over." Will Merrill, an experienced raiders pilot who was currently in charge of the Hercules dropship asserted.
Tesla deftly maneuvered our kodiak, landing next to the one carrying Wrex, Mordin, Eve, and teams Shepard and Kalantari. If you can't tell, my team is "Team Lee." The airlock opened just in time for me to see Wrex blast a stray husk at point-blank range.
"Shepard, I'll sort out what's happening with the other clans. Keep them away from the female!" Wrex barrelled off deeper into the Hollows without looking back.
All around, I could hear husks howling and krogan bellowing. The Reapers were smart. They probably figured out from the number of krogan gathered here that something important was going on and dispatched a force to sabotage our efforts.
Mordin and Eve remained on their kodiak while the other 16 of us scrambled out onto the ground, weapons ready. "Everyone pick your targets and keep an eye on our six. Now move!" Shepard ordered. We advanced as the Hercules settled down.
Dozens of husks swarmed towards our position. I was already firing, picking off husks with single shots from my psi/plasma rifle.
"This is just as bad as Palaven!" Liara concluded.
"Never been there," Tesla answered wryly. "But it doesn't seem that bad to me."
"No kidding." Rob agreed. "I'd take these things over zerg any day!"
"No enemy is more formidable than the Reapers." Javik countered.
My mind had been blown when I first discovered that Javik was a prothean. However, my fascination with meeting him was tempered by the fact that he was seriously one arrogant SOB. I mean, I understand that he's bitter because his entire species has been wiped out by the reapers. I get that he's the last of his people. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be less hostile to the people he was working with on a daily basis.
"Meh. Reapers are overrated." Rob dismissed. "You guys just sucked even more than they do."
"Grrrr…" Javik rumbled irritably.
My team covered the right flank as Shaun's Agency team took the left. Shepard and company held the center, remaining closer to the kodiaks.
I couldn't believe how easy it was to take out husks. "These things aren't worth shooting. Conserve your ammo." My rifle didn't rely on ammo, so I kept firing. Valerian and Rob meleed any husks who I missed. The other three just stood by, watching boredly.
"Wtf? You guys are OP." Nathan decided.
"Yep. Get used to it, Nathan." I advised him. "No one messes with team Lee and lives to tell the tale." A lot of us husks here, though.
That's when the six APC's from the Hercules stormed in with tires screeching and roof-mounted double-barreled gauss cannons blazing. Many of the husks were simply run over. The sixty marines inside the APC's dismounted from their respective vehicles, skewering the remaining stragglers at the ends of their neosteel bayonets. With the area soon completely cleared out, they then came smartly to attention.
From the other side, Wrex, Mordin, Eve, and a few krogan escorts entered the center meeting area of the Hollows. Rank upon rank of krogan gathered on the upper levels of what looked like an ancient gallery of some sort. There must have been hundreds of krogan here today.
"They'll sing battle songs about this some day," Wrex cheerfully prophesized. "Reaper blood has finally shed our soil." Approving...howls filled the air. My men looked around with a mixture of awe and apprehension. They'd all been briefed about the krogans'...violent tendencies.
Shaun and my other four old friends glanced at me with sympathetic expressions on their faces.
Shepard crossed over to Wrex. "We have to get to the shroud. The air strike is on its way."
Mordin reassured him. "Female safe, Shepard. Vitals are strong."
"What's a salarian doing here?" It was that krogan on the com earlier... Wreav, I remembered. He's a traditionalist, I realized with a deepening sense of foreboding. "Nobody said anything about this!" A platoon of tough-looking krogan, including blood pack, came to a stop behind him.
Mordin seemed unfazed. "Multiple Krogan. Problematic."
"Not helping." Shaun hissed disapprovingly. Kayvon facepalmed. Nathan gulped.
"Who are you?" Shepard challenged. Here we go...
"Urdnot Wreav...brood-brother to our...illustrious leader." My men tensed instinctively at the word 'brood,' their grips tightening on their Impalers. Wrex's supporters glowered at Wreav.
"Wreav and I share the same mother...and nothing else." Ooh...burn.
"For which I'm thankful. I remember what it means to be true krogan." A wave of approval emanated from some of the krogan.
How original. Tesla commented to the terrans who were there telepathically.
Doug snorted. "You mean blood-thirsty murderers that the citadel races saw fit to sterilize? I don't think you should be so proud of that, big boy."
I winced. Oh shit...A roar came up from Wreav's followers and the other traditionalists.
"We flay our enemies alive and drown them in a geyser of their own blood. We don't invite them into our home." Wreav pronounced, glaring at Doug. The young marine returned the big krogan's gaze unflinchingly. My confidence in him went up by a few notches.
"The salarian is not your enemy." Shepard disclosed, obviously in an attempt to salvage the deteriorating situation before it came to blows. "He's here to cure the genophage."
"His kind gave us the genophage. Why should we trust him?" What a dumbass...
Before anyone could respond to that, Wrex headbutted Wreav. My platoon of marines laughed openly. A few of them clapped. "Whoo! Do it again!" One shouted enthusiastically.
"Because I do," Wrex calmly attested. "And so will you, Wreav."
Why do I think he's not going to get the message?
Wreav and his followers bellowed in anger. Shotguns unfolded in their arms. Wrex took a menacing step towards his brother. Blue targeting lasers from sixty gauss rifles homed in on the traditionalists. My marines were ready to bring on the thunder at my command.
"Enough!" A clearly female voice cut through the air. Everyone looked up in surprise.
Eve strode down the staircase. "You can stay here and let old wounds fester as krogan have always done…" Unseen, I raised an eyebrow. There's an epic speech coming up.
Eve brushed past Wreav and Wrex, mounting the stairs to the central platform of the Hollows.
"Or you can fight the enemy you were born to destroy-and win a new future for our children…"
Damn… "I choose to fight. Who will join me?"
Shepard stepped between Wreav and Wrex. "I will."
"And so will I." Wrex said.
Apparently, this wasn't enough for Wreav. "Ha, a delusional old fool and a human? This is pathetic! Will we let such weaklings tell krogan what to do?"
What happened next caught me completely off guard. "I am Valerian Mengsk, Emperor of twenty billion. I choose to fight, and I don't consider myself weak."
"My name is Shaun Kalantari, lead operative of the CIA Special Activities Division, humanity's most elite circle of Special Forces operatives. I've never failed a mission."
"Garrus Vakarian...Archangel of Omega. Ask your Blood Pack buddies what happens when someone decides to mess with me…"
"I'm Robert Agnarsson, sergeant major of the 151st Regiment, the Dominion's best. Call us 'pathetic' again, and see what we have for you. They don't call us Freedom's Fist for no reason, and it looks like you could use the lesson in manners and respect."
I drew my sword, casually laying the blade against my shoulder. "I'm Richard Lee, Robert's commanding officer, a friend to Shepard and Kalantari, a member of three militaries, and a veteran of the Skyllian Blitz and the two Great Wars. I have friends in high places, so the full might of the Koprulu sector stands at my back. If you oppose me, you oppose the entire sector."
An especially well-built krogan stepped out of the crowd. I recognized the armor of the Aralakh Company commandos. "I AM URDNOT GRUNT! Son to Warlord Okeer, captain of Aralakh Company, and pure krogan! I will beat down anyone who stands in my way or in the way of the Overlord and my battlemaster!" Not bad...
Above us, krogan thumped their fists to their chests. Fight, they chanted. Fight for Tuchanka.
"Wreav, your people have spoken…" Wrex turned his back on his brother, ambling forward. "Now hold all of your heads high like true Krogan!" He pointed in the direction of the shroud. "There's a Reaper that needs killing!"
A deafening roar echoed across the Hollows. Wreav nodded reluctantly. My men, team Kalantari, and I piled into our APCs, the krogan and team Shepard boarding Tomkahs. The sizable convoy sped off, down an ancient krogan roadway. Overhead, I knew the turian fighters were getting steadily closer to the Reaper Destroyer's position. The battle was on.
"Krogan ground convoy, this is turian wing Artimec. Our approach vector to the Shroud is locked." A turian pilot notified us. "We're ten minutes out and counting."
"Copy that Artimec." Shepard acknowledged. "We're on our way, trying to make up for lost time. Shepard out." The turians were on schedule. Hope we make it on time.
I took the chance to converse to my squad. "Thoughts so far?"
"The lady's speech was pretty epic." Rob noted. "But I have to say, that Wreav dude is one damned idiot. I hope that Reaper we're attacking steps on him or something."
"Couldn't agree more. Just seeing the guy ruins my day," said Doug.
I turned to stare at the inexperienced marine. "That reminds me; I don't whether I'm supposed to praise you for standing up to a krogan like that or berate you for being so stupid." I glared at him to emphasize my point "You do realize...if Eve hadn't intervened when she did, there would have been a civil war, right? And we would've been caught smack-dab in the middle of it?"
Douglas stammered. "Uh...I- I didn't...think-"
"I know you didn't. But I'm proud of you, kid. If I had been in your situation ten years ago, I'd probably be too scared to even make a sound. Good job out there. Just use your brain more often before you speak. Every intelligent animal has one for a reason. Understood, private?"
"Yes sir." Doug replied proudly, sitting with his back a bit straighter than it had been before.
"Good. I don't want to have this conversation again."
"We're decelerating," Robert observed. "Something's up." Sure enough, our APC rolled to a halt a few moments later. Outside, I could hear dozens of other vehicles following suit.
"Shepard?" I questioned. "Is there a problem?"
"I'm trying to figure that out right now. One second." I heard John ask a question and a krogan answer resignedly. "Damn it, the road's out...Turian wing Artimec. This is Shepard. We've been delayed-hold off your attack."
"Negative, commander. Our approach is locked. The Reaper already knows we're here!" I heard the whining of engines as turian wing Artimec, likely accompanied by eight vikings, soared overhead. Before long, they were already beginning to strafe the Reaper. There was no way they'd be able to drive off the 160-meter tall behemoth without ground support. We had to get there soon, whether the road was traversable or not.
"I've lost control...I can't pull up!" A turian pilot shouted. Oh no...
A crash followed by an explosion rocked our APC.
Shepard yelled on the general com-link, "Wrex, get the female out of here now!"
"Driver! Open the ramp. I'm bailing out. Tell the others my orders are to follow and protect both the Emperor and Urdnot Wrex's tomkah! That's our current priority." I barked.
I leapt out the vehicle. "Tesla, Rob, with me. Anna, Doug, stay with Valerian. Keep him safe." I waved to the three of them as the ramp closed.
I noticed Shaun, Nathan, and Minsu already standing outside their respective APCs. The tomkahs coughed into reverse, speeding away from the Reaper. My APC's covered the rear, taking potshots at the reaper destroyer even though they were way out of range.
"What about Kayvon and Eiad?" I asked.
"Agency command called in." Shaun explained. "They want the two of them for another mission...Something about Omega. I don't like the sound of it personally, but it's their mission, so the Director didn't tell me much. They'll need transportation, and I don't think the krogan have any starships ready. Can they hitch a ride on one of your dropships?"
I nodded. "Crimson Dragon to Hyperion Actual. Over."
"Hyperion Actual." Matt was as unruffled as always.
"Requesting shuttle pick-up for agency operatives Heravi and Nasser."
"Your two friends? Copy that. Sending down a dropship for extraction. Have them stand by."
"Appreciate it, Actual. Crimson Dragon out."
"Thanks, Richard." Shaun said gratefully. "Come on, let's catch up to team Shepard. They're heading to that...tunnel over there."
The six of us sprinted to the tunnel entrance. Shepard was waiting for us, with Vega, Javik, Liara, and Garrus. Shepard saluted. "Nice to have all of you. Come on, we have to find another way to the shroud!" Without waiting for a response, he clambered into the tunnel. Heh, talk about leading by example...
"Wrex, are you reading this? Is everyone okay?" Shepard demanded.
"Yeah, just a few scratches. Nothing the salarian can't patch up. Wreav's truck made it out too." Wrex sounded like he was discussing the weather. For the krogan, this type of situation was probably all too common. Plus, Wrex was just as old as some protoss high templar were.
There was a collective groan on the comm from my platoon. Wrex chuckled. "By the way, Lee. I like your men. They'd make great krogan. Guess I was wrong about them earlier."
Eve's voice filtered through. "I still haven't thanked you yet, General. This isn't your war. You didn't have to choose to help us. The krogan will remember your actions today."
"Thanks, but I beg to differ, ma'am. The Reapers overran Earth. Although I haven't been there for ten years, it's still my home, just as Tuchanka is still yours despite being a nuked-out, barren wasteland. All the same, I'm honored to help. I never agreed with the genophage in the first place. Once this is over, I think you can count the Terran Dominion as the Krogan's first official ally. I'm sure Valerian would love to discuss the details with you."
"That should show those turians," Wrex muttered in amusement.
"And the salarians," Shaun supplemented with a grin. "Can't forget the frogs."
"Comparison woefully inadequate." Mordin said. "Salarians and frogs both amphibians. True observation. However, salarian metabolisms much faster. Also, sentient species. Different from frogs. Size difference significant as well. "
"Don't worry Dr. Solus," Valerian put in. "I don't think Lead Operative Kalantari is referring to you specifically."
Mordin ignored him, continuing, "Still, concur with expressed opinion. Genophage must be cured. Costs outweigh benefits. Moral issues to consider."
"Agreed." Wrex finished grimly. "Get moving, Shepard."
The eleven of us moved deeper in. Rob and I took point, activating our suit chest projectors. The others joined us, activating their omni-tool flashlights. Tesla had acquired an omni-tool from the Normandy's armory, which she implemented skillfully. The tunnel shuddered suddenly.
"What was that?" Liara sounded startled.
"Felt like a tremor," Garrus whispered back.
"Earthquake?" Vega guessed.
"Maybe. Seemed too small to be an earthquake, though." Shaun pointed out.
"I second that. Shaun, Minsu, Richard, and I grew up in California. Earthquake central. Right along the San Andreas fault. We know what we're talking about, people." Nathan boasted. Heh.
"Great. We're the earthquake experts. I'm so impressed." Minsu groused.
"Well, if it's not an earthquake, then what could it be?" Tesla wondered.
"That's the million-credit question." Rob remarked. Million dollar question.
"We'll have to abort, Commander." The turian wing leader interrupted our conversation to announce. "The Reaper's tearing us to pieces."
"Affirmative, Artimec. Save your pilots!" John commanded. He contacted the ground convoy again. "Wrex, the turians had to call off the airstrike. They were taking too many casualties. We'll need a new plan for dealing with the Reaper."
"First we'll have to find you. Where did you end up?"
"Underground. We see ruins of some kind."
"Commander, that's the city of the ancients." Eve informed us. Dang...I bet Valerian would have loved it here. The krogan were pretty skilled architects. This place reminds me of some of the great civilizations from ancient times. Guess the krogan weren't always warlike barbarians.
"How do we get out?" Shepard inquired more practically.
Eve's response was concise, to the point, and kind of troubling. "No maps exist. It's been abandoned for thousands of years." I hope the krogan who designed the city didn't decide to include a maze somewhere. Otherwise, we're screwed.
"You're a trailblazer, Shepard." Wrex seemed entertained by our dilemma. "Get through there and we'll find a place to meet up. Nothing will stop this cure." Were it so easy, Wrex…
The city of the ancients shook again, longer and much more intense this time.
"There it is again," Garrus stated the obvious. "That didn't feel like a tremor to me…"
"Yeah…I don't think earthquakes are supposed to be this close in succession. We shouldn't be able to even feel a majority of the aftershocks, generally speaking." I recalled. "Someone should check if the others are feeling these tremors above the surface, just in case...Now that I think about it, I remember reading that...what are they called? Oh yeah, thresher maws. Thresher maws live underground...And Wikipedia said Tuchanka has a lot of thresher maws, so…"
"Wrex, are you guys feeling these tremors?" Shepard followed my advice. Shaun glanced at me oddly, undoubtedly wondering why I was quoting Wikipedia as evidence.
"Not up here." Came the reply. Oh god...paranoid streak activated…
"It could be something else, Commander." Uh-oh. "It is said that Kalros, the mother of all thresher maws, lives in this region." Called it...this is not good.
"Which is another reason to get your ass out of there, Shepard! Step on it!" Gee, thanks Wrex.
"Did I hear that right?" Liara fearfully queried. "Kalros, the mother of all thresher maws?"
"When the krogan name a thresher maw, you know you're in trouble." Garrus noted wisely. "They don't think anyone's ever going to kill it."
"And if the krogan are openly admitting that they can't kill something…" Shaun began knowingly, the dread in his voice evident.
"Then it basically means that if we run into Kalros, we're going to be very, very dead." Minsu's tone was bleak. "Here's hoping that Kalros doesn't eat us."
"Or step on us." Nathan added. "If it's the 'mother' of all thresher maws, then it must be really big. I say we get the heck out of here as soon as possible."
"Okay, I don't get it. What's a thresher maw?" Robert quizzed. "And what's so fekking scary about them? Are they like ultralisks on terrazine or something?"
"Worse, from what I've read." I told him. "I've only read a wikipedia page and a few news articles about them, so my knowledge of them isn't exactly thorough. Somebody want to explain for me?"
"Basically," John began. "You can just think of a thresher maw as a giant, 100-foot long worm, with 200 more feet below the surface. They're solitary, subterranean carnivores. Territorial too...so to a maw, all of us added together would probably just be a midnight snack. On top of that, they spit green acid at you when they get pissed off. Unless you want to get melted, the idea is to avoid the acid. Oh, and they have giant claws, too. They're very slow-moving above ground, but they're crazy fast underground. Kinetic barriers don't exactly help against thresher maws, and they can take a ridiculous amount of fire before they die. Garrus, Tali, Wrex, Liara, and I ran into a thresher maw once three years ago with Ashley Williams and the late Kaiden Alenko. I'm speaking from personal experience, here."
"And due to Shepard's terrible driving, we almost died that day." Garrus chided. "I'm so glad the Normandy doesn't have Makos or Hammerheads onboard anymore. I don't think I could survive another couple of months of Shepard's suicidal chauffeuring."
"Shut up, Garrus." John cuffed him playfully. "Don't you dare criticize me. The only reason we beat that maw is because it was charmed by my natural handling of the Mako, and you know it."
"Hm…" Javik sounded thoughtful rather than spiteful. "The creatures you call thresher maws...were smaller, in my cycle. They were small enough that one could ride them. I wonder what drove their evolution and made them so tall…" That was Javik for you. Addicted to trolling people and 'evolution.'
Rob paused in mid-stride. "Erm...General, what the hell is that?" I stopped and followed his gaze. An insectoid creature with bulbous orange sacs was lying on its side. The bluish glow on its legs and 'head' indicated that it was a Reaper creation.
"More rachni," Garrus said in a hushed voice. Rachni? Minsu shook his head. "Shit. Some of them did get off Uttukku after all. Should have known we didn't get all of them."
"Whoa whoa whoa…" I held up a hand. "Slow down...Rachni? Dafuq?"
"Yeah...it turns out they aren't extinct." Nathan filled me in. "Three years ago, a facility connected to Cerberus found a Rachni Queen and tried to control it to breed supersoldiers. The Queen's children went psycho and rampaged across the facility. Shepard stopped the rachni and decided to spare the queen. Then just a few days ago, Urdnot Wrex suggested that we investigate the last coordinates of a Krogan team that went dark with Aralakh Company. The Reapers indoctrinated the queen's children and imprisoned her inside the caves of Uttuku to breed an army of ravager husks. These things. We found the queen, and Shepard set her free again. As we speak, free-willed Rachni workers are helping us construct the Crucible."
"The super-weapon thing that supposedly can eradicate the Reapers in one hit?"
"Yeah, that thing. Anyway, if there are Ravagers here, that means the Reapers were able to breed more of these things than we first thought. We'd better alert Alliance Command after the mission. Hackett and the Alliance fleets need to hear about this."
"So does Wrex." Shepard realized. "Wrex, we got Rachni here. Keep an eye out. Over."
"I know. A few of them just attacked us." Lol. Talk about great timing. "All that matters is getting to that shroud. Find us fast." Okay, we get it Wrex...you really want to cure the genophage...but you don't have to bring it up every goddamn sentence!
Heehee...What ever happened to 'patience is a virtue?' Tesla was clearly enjoying this.
You know what? Just...just...leave. I don't have the time for this...Oh look, there's the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel!
"Finally…" Liara breathed a sigh of relief. "Light ahead." Wait...I was just...joking...
"Aww...afraid of the dark?" Rob joked. "Don't be. I'm here. The Commander can protect you, too." Sure enough, there was light ahead.
"In my younger days, I would have loved to have spent time here, studying these ruins." Liara said wistfully, not bothering to dignify Rob's jab with a response. Rob looked disappointed.
"Makes you wonder what the krogan might have done if they hadn't blown up the planet." Garrus admitted philosophically.
We emerged onto a raised platform of some sort. Moss grew between the cracks of stone tiles, and pieces of the platform had fallen out with time. The entire cityscape was run-down, but it was oddly...inspiring as well. It made me aware of how lucky we were that the U.S. and USSR hadn't fought a nuclear war back in the 20th century. Otherwise, we could have eventually been used and discarded just like the krogan were. It was a sobering thought.
"Wrex. We made it back outside." Shepard reported.
"Well, if you can see sunlight, that's progress." Wrex confirmed. Always the optimist, aren't you Wrex? *sigh*
"And the color green…" Liara observed in wonder. "I thought plants were extinct around here."
"You're looking at hope." Eve educated us. "All that's left of it on Tuchanka. This was once a world full of beauty. Given a chance, it can be again."
Robert said fervently. "Ma'am, I'll do my best to make it happen. So will the rest of us. I ain't letting one more planet go down like Tarsonis."
"Shepard, the Reaper's still up to no good at the shroud." Oh...my...GOD…"Find a way out of there, and we'll pick you up." How about you just SHUT UP?! You think I like almost getting lost in dark, potentially monster-infested tunnels? CUZ I DON'T!
Think calm thoughts, sir. Tesla suggested.
"We're on it." Shepard assured him tersely, finally starting to show some of my impatience. Have to admit, Shepard has a cool head.
"Dealing with the reaper when we get there will be another matter." Liara muttered. "Maybe Eve is right. Curing the genophage might lead to a krogan renaissance."
"Seeing all this does make you wonder…" Garrus was more subdued.
"Well, bird-brains, they did build all of this." Robert observed. "And Wrex and Eve do seem genuinely devoted to keeping the peace. All we can do is hope, in the end."
We passed by a building with ornate carvings decorating the side of it. Rob stepped out into the open. "Ahead! We've got movement!" Garrus warned loudly.
Robert drew back behind the wall just as three rapid explosions detonated nearby, sending tiles flying and blasting a hole in the corner of the building. The veteran sergeant major swore. "What the hell? Since when did the Reapers have light artillery units?"
"The mutated rachni we saw earlier?" Garrus brought up. "That's them. The Ravagers are the husks' artillery units. Look over there. You see those blue targeting lasers? Kind of similar to the ones on your rifles, huh? That's how you can tell if there are ravagers nearby."
"Thanks for the 101 course." Rob said. "And the warning. What's our plan of action?"
Incoming fire sparkled on our armor and the others' kinetic barriers. There were a few chittering growls. "Cannibals!" That was Minsu.
I remembered the file I'd read on them. "Mobile artillery and infantry support. Classic combined arms attack. I'd say we should scatter, take cover and start shooting. Sound fair?"
"Fair!" Shepard yelled. "Get to it!" As one, the eleven of us broke out from behind the cover of the building. Explosions and rounds impacted all around us. More than a few of us stumbled and lost our footing a few times. Tesla's C-20A came to life, and two of the cannibals gargled. Nice shooting. I blind-fired my plasma rifle at one of the ravagers as I ran, ducking behind a wall parapet-stone. I didn't actually hit anything, of course. I heard a cry of pain, swiveling in time to see Nathan collapse. His barriers had likely been downed by the concussion from the ravager shots, and then a burst from a cannibal's arm-cannon probably pierced through his armor.
Great…Diving over to him, I picked him up, set him down behind the parapet, threw him some medi-gel, and then scurried over to a low wall. Crouching, I laid down suppressing fire on a ravager. I was so focused on that I didn't see another ravager back up so that it was standing directly in front of my position.
"Sir!" Tesla was just as alert and vigilant as always. "Get out of there!" I saw the ravager start to pivot itself around to face me. If it did, even my tank-like armor and energy shields wouldn't save me from three point-blank artillery shots.
Oh crap… In desperation, I put away my plasma rifle and unsheathed my power sword. Leaping forward, I hacked my blade down onto one of the ravager's orange sacs. My blow chopped through the sac and sliced deeply into a second. The ravager shrieked in pain. I body-slammed the ravager while it was off-balance, and it teetered onto its side. Triumphantly, I drew my sword back over my head and plunged it deep into the huskified creature. Victory…
In what I otherwise would have thought was a stupid decision, I charged forward, dispatching a cannibal with a quick stroke and leaping over a low wall to decapitate another one. Two more of the batarian-husks fired at me. My shields dropped about 5%, and then I was in close. I hammered a few blows into one of them. Grabbing the other cannibal with one hand, I rammed my helmet into it, bashed it with my sword-hilt, and then kicked it aside. A burst from Rob's C-14 finished it off, but I was already running towards the second Ravager.
I could hear just about everybody else shouting that I was crazy or that I was in their line of fire. What did I care? I never liked long-distance firefights...side effect of serving alongside protoss zealots for so long, perhaps...The ravager's targeting lasers homed in on me. I rolled to the side as three explosions hit where I'd been just a second ago. My shields went down to 70%. I waited until the ravager homed in on me again, and then I went back to where I'd originally been. After that, it was a short sprint to the the wall the ravager was hiding behind.
I pulled a concussion grenade out and lobbed it over the wall. Since concussion grenades were specialized to pierce zerg roach carapaces, this ravager didn't stand a chance. I heard an explosion followed by a splat. Peering over the wall, I grinned at my own handiwork. "Okay people...besides one or two cannibals I may have missed, this area's secure. You may now all take a moment to thank me for all my hard work."
"Goddess…" Liara uttered in amazement.
"Spirits," was Garrus's only comment.
"Richard. OP." Nathan chimed in.
"Damn, I wish I could do that!" Minsu exclaimed.
"Crazy commanding officer? Check." Robert said sardonically.
"You know," Tesla regarded me with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "When I said 'get out of there' I didn't mean 'beat it up and then go beserk on the rest of them.' Just saying."
"Is that concern I hear, agent? I'm touched."
"No sir. I was just thinking of all the paperwork I'd have to sign if the General that I was assigned to keep alive got himself killed. It would take so long to process, and frankly, you're not worth the effort, sir." WOW...
John and Shaun stared at me weirdly. "Is he always like this?"
"You'd better believe it." Robert snarked. "Back home, the most powerful being's the zerg Queen of Blades. She's...sane...I guess you could say, now. But a couple years back? She killed so many people that no one's bothered to keep track. She's also the directing consciousness of the zerg swarm. One time, on the umojan colony of Icarus IV, the 151st was cut off. We were just a battalion-size all-infantry unit at the time. The queen-bitch herself came charging at us; we thought we were goners for sure. It was game over. We had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide."
Rob had a distant look on his face, as if he was reliving the experience again. "Out of nowhere, lieutenant colonel motherfrakking Lee comes and starts sword-fighting with her! Actually pushed her back a couple of yards! Never seen anything like it...Our glorious CO almost ended up in a body bag at the end of that tussle. In a queer twist of fate, the queen decided to keep us alive because we were 'amusing.' ...The general saved our damn hides on Icarus."
The others were silent for a few moments. Vega whistled. "Holy hell...seeing what he did just now? I can believe that. We're real lucky to have Juggernaut on our side then."
"Juggernaut?" I blinked at the randomness of that statement.
"Yeah. Big red guy who demolishes everything in his path? Juggernaut." Vega said proudly.
"Lieutenant Vega here has a habit of giving everyone he knows nicknames." Shaun explained. "Makes it easier for him to remember everybody, apparently. He calls John 'Loco.' Honestly, from what the sergeant major said, I think you deserve that title."
John nodded earnestly. "I wholeheartedly second that."
Tesla smirked. "I third-"
At that moment, the entire structure we were on shook. A few stones and tiles fell off of the nearby buildings. "Another quake," Liara noticed.
"That had to be Kalros!" Garrus proclaimed.
"Stay sharp!" John ordered. "Let's move. The sooner we get to the convoy, the better."
We all nodded and bounded after him. We arrived at a... bridge. There was a five-foot gap between our side and the other side where the bridge had fallen out in disrepair, but we were all fit. All it took was a simple jump, and we were across.
Garrus and Tesla spoke up at the same time. "It isn't over yet!" "Cannibal fireteam ahead!"
They both gazed at each other in surprise and confusion. Everyone else laughed at their discomfort. Well, they are the two snipers in our squad, after all.
"I got this!" I let everyone know, hurrying forward. Four cannibals loosed a volley of projectiles at me, which my shields shrugged off. Without stopping, I swept into them, using four quick sword swipes to incapacitate them. With a flourish, I turned to the others, waving a fist.
Instead of moving in, they all froze for a moment, eyes widening. I heard growls, chittering, and snorting that reminded me of an angry bull. I whirled around in time to see a massive creature pondering toward me. It had the head of a turian, but its massive bulk reminded me of a krogan.
It thumped an oversized arm to its chest and then with totally unexpected speed, smashed the limb right into my face. My shields popped, completely drained by the force of the crushing attack. The heavy blow knocked me headfirst onto my back. The pain… I could hear gunfire and at least half-a-dozen voices shouting my name. Rearing up, the hulking abomination raised both of its arms for a final downward slam, claws glistening.
So this was how it was all going to end?
Yep, cliffhanger. You all probably have an idea of what's going to happen, but a) it's not as obvious as you think, and b)it was a good stopping point, all right?
Anyways, that's chapter two for you! As you can probably see by now, most of this story is going to focus on my OC's adventures with Commander Shepard. The terran, protoss, and zerg will be joining the war alongside the Alliance soon, and the Starcraft II canon characters will definitely be getting their screen time and action. And a lot of it. For the most part, however, this story won't be focusing too much on the "big picture."
Next chapter: Plan Kalros
As always, favorite and follow the story if you like it, and don't hesitate to drop a review or PM me with any feedback you have! See you all next time!
-The General