"Mom?" Cass questioned with a frown. Her mother just exiting the communications room, the girl leaning up against the war table. "Everyone's ready to go- Is something wrong?"
"I'll tell you in a bit." Shepard swallowed. "Are you sure you want to come along on this?"
"Of course." Cass folded her arms over her chest defensively. "Why wouldn't I?"
"This is going to be different, Cass." Shepard said, placing a hand on the teen's shoulder. "This is a Reaper, you, in all you have been through, have not faced a Reaper like this."
"I know that." The teen exhaled. "But it's not like I'm not going to, the entire universe is being attacked by Reapers; if I don't do this now, then I will later."
"I know." The mother sighed heavily, before smiling halfheartedly. "Let's do this; let's go cure the Genophage."
"I've ordered the clans to assemble at the Hallows; our sacred meeting ground." Wrex grunted. "We'll land there and take an armored convoy against the Reaper. This will be the defining moment of Krogan history."
"Krogan history filled with defining moments; most bloody." Mordin added.
"Let's hope this one is better." Cass frowned; eyes falling onto her mother who has been silent since they left.
"Commander? Is something bothering you? You seem troubled." Eve asked.
"I got a message from the-" Shepard started, the shuttle began to shake as Wreave came on the line.
"Wrex, it's Wreave. The Reapers are already at the Hallows; come out with guns blazing."
"Hang on tight; I'm heading in." Cortez called from the shuttle front.
Cass scowled as she fell against the wall; the shuttle shaking heavily. As the team readied there weapons; Cass frowned and let out a deep breath. With the door gliding open, the girl winced a Wrex blasted his shotgun; dropping a husk to the ground.
"Keep them away from the female! I'll go ahead and see what's happening with the clans!" The Krogan clan leader bellowed as she shoved his way forward blasting through the hordes of reaper creatures.
"You heard him, let's move." Shepard spoke clearly and falling into action; the rest of the team behind her.
Cass breathed a sigh of relief as the Hallow's door drew open.
"They will sing about his someday. Reaper blood has finally soaked our soil." Wrex boomed, thundering into the room, the female and Mordin behind him.
"We have to get to the shroud." Shepard called, running over to the incoming Krogan. "The airstrike is on their way."
"What's a Salarian doing here?" Wreave grumbled viciously; shoving his way through.
"And who the hell are you?" Cass growled back, stepping around her mother only to be pulled back with a reprimanding glare. All of this conversation and the fighting before, seriously riling her up.
"Urdnot Wreave. Blood brother to our illustrious leader."
"Hmph. We share the same mother, nothing else." Wrex stepped in.
"For which I am thankful." Wreave sneered. "I remember what it means to be a true Krogan. We flay our enemies alive and drown them in a geyser of their own blood. We don't invite them into our own home." The Krogan's eyes fell to Mordin; narrowing as they did.
"Don't be a moron." Cass sneered, stepping around her mother once more. "He's going to fucking cure you, you don't need to-"
Shepard tugged the girl back sharply, cutting her off.
"The Salarian is not your enemy; he's here to help cure the Genophage." Shepard emphasized, sending a scolding glare to her child, who was now being handled by Liara.
"His kind gave us the Genophage, why should we trust him?" Wreave thundered, taking a menacing step toward Mordin. Wrex jumped forward, slamming his head into his brother's; the surrounding Krogan growling in response.
"Because I do!" Wrex growled back forcefully. "And so will you."
Wreave roared angrily and took out his shogun, aiming it at the clan leader.
"ENOUGH!" Eve shouted, appearing from the shuttle. "You can stay here and let old wounds fester as Krogan have always done or you can fight the enemy you were born to destroy and win a new future for our children. I choose to fight! Who will join me?"
"I will." Shepard stepped forward.
"So will I!" Wrex boomed, "Now hold your head high like true Korgan! There's a Reaper that needs destroying!"
"I'd say helping destroy the Reapers is worth a new planet." Shepard stated, leaning against the truck's wall for support.
"Or ten. You haven't seen how fast we can pop them out."
Cass snorted, failing to suppress a laugh.
"Wrex." Eve scolded.
"What? With the Genophage cured, we'll have a lot of catching up to do."
"Yeah you will!" Cass grinned, elbowing the Krogan with a wink.
Both Shepard and Liara sending the girl a scolding look.
"Commander?" Eve questioned. "On the shuttle, was there something you were going to say?"
"Yes, the Dalatrass tried to cut a secret deal with me."
"What kind of deal?" Wrex asked
"Said they sabotaged the shroud years ago, the cure won't work unless we fix it."
"What a bitch." Cass sighed under her breath, earning another scolding from Liara who overheard her.
"And she thought we wouldn't know better." Wrex continued
"Correctly. Would have likely fooled tests, but familiar with STG work, can adjust; did not come this far for nothing." Mordin said.
"You've just spared our race another Genocide, Commander." Eve spoke gratefully.
"I told you we could count on her." Grunt nodded.
"Why are we stopping?" Cass asked with a frown, as the car rattled to a slow pace and an uneven stop; the girl climbed out, stopping in her tracks as she saw the Shroud spread a green substance into the air off in the distance. "What's it doing?"
"Nothing good." Shepard sighed. "I'll go see what the holdup is, wait here."
Cass nodded, watching as her mother and Garrus walked toward the front of the convoy.
"What do you think that thing is spreading?" Cass asked, turning to Liara.
"I'm not sure, but it has to be some kind of poison, something to pollute the atmosphere, or at least something along those lines." Liara sighed. "We're going to need to get that Reaper away from the shroud before we can do anything."
"This isn't really going according to plan." Cass exhaled. "But then again, when does anything."
Liara smiled sadly, and laid a hand on the girl's shoulder, dropping it as the Turian air strike flew overhead. "We need to get in that fight," The Asari frowned. "They won't be able to do it alone."
The Asari and Cass stood there, both watching as the Turian ships flew in, doing little to no damage against the Reaper; the fighters, nearly falling apart as the machines beams lit the sky red.
"Shepard!" Liara yelled in warning, as a fighter began to flame, heading straight for them. Pulling Cass down with her, this girl throwing up a biotic shield last minute to protect them from debris; as the Commander and Garrus dropped, they recoiled and rolled along the ground as the fighter collided with one of the Turian vehicles, sending it in to the air.
"Wrex!" Shepard coughed into her com system. "Get the female out of here now!"
As the tires screeched, a mix of dust and smoke covered the area as Wrex's truck disappeared into the cloud.
"Artimech? Do you copy?"
"Commander. We have to abort; the Reaper is tearing us apart."
"Understood, save your pilots, we'll find another way." Shepard spoke quickly, ushering the team to the side of the road, down into the darkness.
"We're going in there?" Cass questioned as she followed after Garrus, Liara and her mother on her heels.
"It's the only way through." Shepard frowned.
"As long as it's not full of Rachni, I suppose I don't care." Cass grumbled.
"We're going to need a new plan, Shepard." Garrus spoke from ahead. "That is, if we find a way out of here."
"Where the hell are we anyways?" Cass asked, tripping on some rubble and falling into Liara. "Sorry."
The Asari frowned, and pulled the girl to her feet. "I'm not sure." Liara responded. "Some kind of underground city, look at this." The Asari stepped over to the stone wall, and ran her hand against some sort of drawing carved and painted into the structure.
"Who'd have thought that Krogans had art, if you can call this art, anyways." Cass laughed. "Well, one time there was this Krogan back on Illium who wrote poetry…" The girl trailed off with a crooked grin.
"Wrex?" Shepard called into her head piece, ignoring the conversation going on next to her. "Are you receiving this? Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah" The Krogan replied. "Just a few scratches, nothing the Salarian can't patch up. Wreave's truck made out too. "
"The Turians had to call off the air strike. We're going to have to find another way to deal with the reaper."
"First we'll have to find you, Where'd you end up?"
"Underground, ruins of some kind."
"Commander." Eve spoke. "You're in the city of the ancients."
"How do we get out?"
"No maps exist." Eve replied. "It's been abandoned for thousands of years."
"You're a trail blazer Shepard, find a way out and we'll regroup."
"Well," Cass shrugged. "At least there aren't any Rachni- Oh shit!"
"What?!" Shepard doubled back.
"Rachni! Dead Rachni!" Cass squealed, pointing with a shaking hand to the corpse of one of the reaper mutilated Rachni on the ground. "This sucks!"
"Let's just keep moving." Shepard sighed. "Wrex; we've got some Rachni down here."
"I know; I just killed some. Just another reason to get out of there, Shepard." Wrex retorted.
"Did you feel that?" Cass whined, gripping her mother's arm, both of them stumbling ever so slightly as the ground began to shake, dust and rubble falling from the ceiling.
"Of course I felt that." Shepard rolled her eyes, and spoke into her com. "Wrex, are you guys feeling these tremors?"
"Not up here." Wrex responded.
"It could be something else, Commander." Eve added. "It's said Kalros, the mother of all Thresher Maws lives in this region."
"Did I hear that right?" Liara sputtered. "Kalros, the mother of all Thresher Maws?"
"When the Krogan name a Thresher Maw, you know you're in trouble." Garrus spoke. "They don't think anything's going to kill it."
"Great." Cass deadpanned. "Thresher Maws and Rachni. Best day ever."
"You have better have one hell of a plan." Shepard frowned, jumping out of the truck.
"It was hers, actual." Wrex responded.
"Kalros." Eve spoke. "We summon her to the Reaper."
"What makes you so sure she'll come?" Cass frowned.
"Legends say she is the mother from which all other Thresher Maws spawn." Eve explained. "This is as much her home as ours."
"If Tuchanka has a temper, Kalros is it." Wrex added. "Nobody's ever faced her and survived.
"This is crazy." Cass smiled. "So crazy that it might work!" The teen fisted the air excitedly. "This is going to be insane!"
"Cass." Shepard warned.
"What?" The girl grinned sheepishly, "I can't be the only one who thinks this is a little awesome. Right?"
"I'm with the kid!" Wrex thundered. "There's no other choice."
"Well, let's make sure we get out of here alive." Shepard spoke, readying her weapons. "We're going to have one hell of a story to tell."
"Wait-" Wrex stepped forward. "I want you to know, that no matter what happens, You've been a champion to the Krogan people, a friend to clan Urdnot, and a sister to me- to every Krogan born after this day, the name 'Shepard' will mean hero!"
"Uh guys." Cass nodded toward the Rachni appearing over the threshold of the platform where they stood.
"I've got this!" Wrex roared, jumping into action. "Go Shepard!"
Cass coughed, spitting the blood out of her mouth, unsure of whether it was her own, or perhaps one of the reaper creatures that lie dead at her feet. Pushing the loose hair from her face, the girl continued to fire and sent out biotic waves and pulls, only hoping for a reprieve. Her mother was at her side and Garrus and Liara were pinned down further back, unable to advance, but fortunately holding their own. Each Maw hammer lie at opposite ends of the rubble strewn arena.
"We need to split up!" Cass called over to the Commander.
"What?" The mother yelled over the gunfire.
"We need to split! You go left and I go right! It's the only way we're going to get to both Hammers!"
"No way!" Shepard yelled. "it's too dangerous!"
"We're not getting anywhere like this!" Cass growled. "If we split up, their fire will have to be split between the both of us!"
Shepard shook her head and grabbed her daughter briefly, squeezing her in a half hug. "Just, be careful."
Cass nodded. "I'll meet you at the shroud!"
Shepard nodded and headed in the opposite direction.
Cass didn't look back, her she went to the right, dodging gun fire with her shields taking the brunt of the damage. Firing her rifle rapidly, the girl began to run from cover to cover, slowly running out of thermal clips. Stumbling through the rubble while throwing out biotic waves, the girl biotically charged to the Maw Hammer, slamming both of her palms against the pillar, the statue sinking in as the gong began to rattle and bang. The girl covered her ears as the bell rang and the ground started to shake, the remaining husks and cannibals retreating toward the way the team came. Hopefully Liara and Garrus could pick them off.
Cass sighed in relief, dropping against the hammer due to the ground tremors, while struggling to her feet, she watched Kalros curl her body around the Reaper, dragging it to the ground in a cloud of dust.
"Mordin!" Cass yelled, shielding her face from the debris that was falling from the shrouds ceiling. "Is my mom here?"
"No. But cure is ready. Dispersal in two minutes. Procedure traumatic for Eve, but not lethal; Mealon's data invaluable."
"Eve's okay?"
"Yes. Headed to safety now." Mordin replied as hands worked furiously on the keys. "Survival fortunate. Will stabilize new government, should Wrex get any ideas. Promising match; good for future."
"Good." Cass grinned. Flinching as more debris began to fall. "Are you almost done? We should get out of here!"
"No. Control room on top of shroud tower; must take elevator up."
"You're going up there?" Cass asked, shocked. "You can't! This place is coming down!"
"Yes. Manual access required. Have to counter act STG sabotage. Ensure cure dispersal properly."
"No way! This whole place is falling apart, there has to be another way!" Cass cried.
"No. No other option. Not coming back; suggest you get clear. Explosion problematic." Mordin hurried toward the elevator door, Cass on his heels.
"Mordin! No, you can't-"
"Have to do this. My project. My work. My cure." Mordin smiled sadly. "My responsibility."
"There has to be another way!" Cass cried out once more, rushing toward the elevator, jumping in surprise as her mother's arms wrapped around her waist.
"Mordin?" Shepard questioned softly, handling the girl easily in her arms.
"Would've liked to run test on the sea shells." Mordin closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry." Shepard said, her voice calm.
"I'm not." Mordin nodded. "Someone else might've gotten it wrong."
"We need to go, Cass." Shepard spoke gently, keeping the girl restrained in her grip.
"But! We can't! He's up there! We need to help-"
"We can't help him." Shepard pulled the girl with her.
"There has to be a way." Cass spoke soflty, wincing as each crash and bang rattled around them.
"We have to go."
"But-"
"We have to go." The mother repeated firmly, but softly.
Cass nodded slowly with a heavy sigh and followed her mother at a run out of the facility.
"Liara?" Cass mumbled, slowly walking into the Asari's room; freshly showered with her hair ends still dripping onto her grey v-neck.
"Cass?" Liara turned from her computer, eyes moving to the girl. "What's wrong?"
"I, I don't know-" The girl whimpered. "I- this is-" Cass fumbled on her words as she began to tear up, nearly running into Liara's awaiting arms.
"Oh, Cass." Liara sighed sadly, her arms wrapped tightly around the girl. "It's going to be okay."
"Is it?" Cass cried, pulling away. "Mordin just died, so many have died and- and what if the crucible doesn't work? What are we going to do then?"
"I don't know." Liara replied calmly.
"We're just going to be running around until the fucking world ends and everyone is going to die and it's so-" The girl began to rant and pace angrily.
"Cass." Liara tried to get the girl's attention. "Cassandra!"
"What?" The girl whipped around to face the doctor.
"I don't know what's going to happen, maybe all of those things will happen and maybe they won't, but we have to try, okay?"
"Okay." The girl swallowed. "I'm sorry- I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay, Cass." Liara pulled the girl into a hug. "It'll be okay."
"Thanks, Liara." The girl mumbled into the Asari's shoulder.
"Hey." Shepard appeared as the door swished open. "EDI told me there was shouting going on down here. Everything okay?"
"Yes, Shepard." Liara nodded, the hug breaking. "Everything is okay. How are you doing?"
"I- Mordin was a good friend; I'll miss him." Shepard breathed. "Are you sure everything is okay?" The commander asked once more, mostly directed toward her daughter.
"Yeah, Ma." Cass nodded, nearly flying out the door. "Talk to you later."
Liara and Shepard watched as the girl sprinted away.
"I think she's avoiding me." Shepard turned to her girlfriend.
"What was your first clue?"
"Liara."
"Sorry, Shepard." The Asari laughed.
"She's avoiding me again." The commander repeated.
"She's just upset about Mordin, and I wouldn't look into too much, Shepard." Liara explained, laying a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder. "Just try talking to her later, everything will be fine."
"Do you really think that?"
"Of course. You both have made it so far, everything will be okay."
Shepard nodded, hugging the Asari tightly, as Joker's voice came onto the com.
"Commander?"
"Yeah, Joker?"
"We've got a problem."
"What kind of problem?"
"Just get to the com room, quickly."
AN: Another Chapter down! The Citadel attack is up next and then likely the Omega DLC. And I keep forgetting about Javik, which is dumb lol, so I'll be writing his story in after the Omega DLC, most likely. Please Review!