Present Day
"Did they get your message?" Varicia said as she took her seat beside Khalisah as she was organizing her notes. She had assisted with the deploying of the Krogan troops and had left
"I think they did. I got a message from Padok Wiks and Wrex, he's going to bring another Urdnot that knew Shepard named Bakara, along with..." she then brought up an image of a horribly scribbled image of what was supposed to be a note from someone, but looked like it was written by a child. Both of them squinted their eyes to try and decipher the chicken scratch that was the note.
"Can you read this?" she asked Varicia, who shook her head.
"Not sure if anyone can read this," the asari responded.
Khalisah had an idea, but she felt apprehensive asking. However, considering they were on a planet full of Krogan whose natural instinct was to headbutt someone, she felt it less of a risk to ask.
"Excuse me," she said to the ceiling, hoping the AI was listening, "can you tell us who wrote this note?"
Immediately, a holographic image of a blue sphere atop a smaller pillar appeared over them both.
"Judging from the calligraphy, it is most likely written by Urdnot Grunt," she responded calmly.
"Was he another one of Shepard's squadmates?" Varicia asked.
"Correct. It is also pertinent to know that he considers Shepard a parent figure. So, consider your words carefully," the AI warned.
"So," Khalisah began, not sure if she was hearing her right, "Shepard adopted a Krogan? A full grown Krogan?"
"That is only partially correct," the AI answered, "Grunt is a tank bred Krogan created by a Krogan scientist."
There was an audible thud when both of them considered the implications of what such a thing could be.
"Is this one of those occasions where it would be best if we didn't think about the details?" Varicia asked her human companion.
"Probably," she answered, silently dreading the prospect of interviewing a Krogan who'd insist on defending Shepard to the point where violence was not out of the question.
Urdnot Wrex:
W: Shepard and I never met before the Citadel. I had, however, heard about her. I was finishing another job when I got word of what happened at Torfan. I knew the news feeds were lying about the numbers, but I had a feeling that if they were willing to make this big a stink about some moon about a bunch of scumbag batarian slavers, then it must have been one hell of a battle. Heh. I would have loved to see the look on the faces of those four eyed freaks' as Shepard took them out. You could smell the battle on her. It was vicious. The kind that Krogan love to sing about. I know most don't think Krogan as spiritual, but I really believe that the Stewards of the Void made our paths cross. I wanted to fight alongside the kind of warrior that got the notoriety of someone as labeled the Butcher.
K: Surely you and Shepard must have been at odds a few times. I mean, considering a Spectre and an N7 usually resorts to combat last, there have to have been occasions where you disagreed with her.
W: Of course! I wanted to see that Rachni die. When I heard that Shepard let it go, I was pissed. I brought it up with her, but she seemed determined that the Rachni were not the same Rachni my people fought against. Were it not for the fact that she had gone out of her way to help me with another job, I would have left right then and there to search for that Rachni and kill it myself.
K: Did it ever come to a head?
W: Over the Rachni? No. Virmire? Yeah, and it wasn't pretty. And here I thought I'd seen it all. For the first time in centuries, there was a cure for the genophage. From Saren of all people. Huh. I didn't know at first that the 'Krogan' on Virmire were just clones. Not real Krogan at all. And wouldn't you know, the cure there wasn't much of a cure at all. It only worked on the clones. If I tried to bring it back to Tuchaunka, it wouldn't have worked at all. I almost would have killed Shepard over nothing.
"This is about my people , Shepard!" Wrex growled as he looked directly into Nora's eyes, the anger obvious and growing hotter with every passing moment, "and from where I stand, the lines between friend and enemy are getting rather blurred."
"Dammit, Wrex, this isn't about you or me or anyone else! This is bigger than all of us!" Nora said, aware that though she stood half a foot taller than the Krogan, he could easily snap her in half if he was so inclined. "And don't think for a minute that I don't understand. My people have been bordering on the brink of extinction for centuries. Haole would rather smother everything we are and turn us into them just so we could be their twisted vision of 'civilized'!"
"You think I give a damn what the Council thinks?! They're the ones that-" he would have continued had Nora not drawn her head back and struck her forehead against Wrex's crest. Tactically, an unsound move, however, it caught his attention as Shepard staggered back for a moment, the blow had drawn blood as Shepard glared at him.
"Wrex. Think! Stop for a minute and think! You really believe that Saren will allow you to use this 'cure' for your people? You saw them yourself, they're clones. They're not real Krogan at all! They're tools! Weapons! Saren is just going to use you and toss you aside! It'd be the Salarians all over again!" she growled as she tossed a glare towards Kirrahe and his men. "And even then, you think the other races would just sit idly by and let you use it? They'd wipe you out before you'd ever get the numbers to fight them!"
Wrex growled audibly, however, to his chagrin, he saw the wisdom in her words. The Council, the Salarians especially, wouldn't be stupid enough to let his people take advantage of the cure.
"Fine," he growled before he stepped up to stare right into Nora's eyes, "But you better be right about this, Shepard."
"Trust me, Wrex. I wouldn't fight you about this if I didn't have a good reason."
Wrex grunted once, and then went back into the jungle to hunt for more possible ambushes from the geth or the clones.
"Greetings," the Salarian said with a smile and an extended hand,"Padok Wiks. Salarian STG. Geneticist. Scientist."
Khalisah took his hand and shook in gingerly. "Khalisah al-Jilani. Reporter. Writer." The cardinal rule when in conversation with any salarian was 'less is more', so, many of the slower races had to, at times, prepare their statements before any sort of encounter.
"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. al-Jilani. Your work precedes you," he said with a grin which made Khalisah frown.
"I would hope it means you'll still go through with the interview," she answered carefully.
"Of course. Had information about Westerlund since your show hit the extranet. Niche market for those too scared to take a chance at meeting new species," he said as he clasped his hands behind his back.
"Indeed," she responded, hoping to move the subject elsewhere, "though, considering there's not much of an extranet at the moment, I may as well try and finish the book about Shepard."
Padok nodded blithely, aware of her discomfort. "Of course. What would you like to know, Ms. al-Jilani?"
K: What was your part in the curing of the Genophage?
Padok Wiks: Mordin Solus had requested my assistance during the early parts of the war. Both of us had experience in the STG and with the Genophage. Aware of the Reaper threat, I answered Dr. Solus' call for assistance. And I was the only one.
K: I assume that his decision to cure it didn't go over well with most other Salarians.
P: The Dalatress especially. While the STG often moves and commits action on behalf of the Union, it is often the Dalatress who makes the decisions upon such matters like who uplifts the other races when needed. In fact, it was one of her ancestors that decided that uplifting the Krogan was the best step to take when the Rachni appeared.
K: I heard there were rumors about an attempt at a sabotage of the Genophage cure.
P: Correct.
"Mordin, Padok," Nora whispered to the salarians quickly as Eve and Wrex went on ahead. She inclined her head to a nearby gap between two of the Taunka trucks and quickly marched to the place where she hoped they wouldn't be heard.
"Shepard, what is wrong?" Mordin asked Nora as the latter looked all around, finding no one in eye sight that was close enough for them to hear.
"I didn't want Wrex to know, but we have a problem," she said, clearly edgy.
"Concerning Genophage, no doubt," Padok offered.
Nora nodded in response. "Just before we hit the planet, I got a message from the Dalatress."
"Ah yes, Linron. Was never one to take defeat of anything lying down," Mordin muttered with a finger under his chin.
"Yes. She also informed me that the Shroud where the Genophage was first implemented has been sabotaged. There's still a working variant inside the tower," Nora whispered heatedly, glad she had an outlet after holding back her anger at the Dalatress' arrogance.
"Hmm, interesting," Mordin replied as he began to pace. "Shouldn't be too hard. If variation in Shroud is one I believe it is..."
"...then all it would take is a few minor alterations of temperature to convert the existing sample in the Shroud to the cure," Padok finished.
Mordin was half impressed, half annoyed with his colleague, however, he nodded nonetheless. "Yes. It can be done."
"How much time will you both need?" Nora asked as she pulled out her rifle at the distant roar of the Reaper guarding the Shroud.
"Should take no time at all. Simple, however, good to know of existence of previous sample is in the way," Mordin said quickly.
"The Dalatress would not make this deal for nothing, what did she offer in exchange for the sabotaged cure?" Padok asked.
Shepard sighed before answering, "the First Fleet and all the scientists at her disposal to help find a weakness in Reaper Indoctrination."
"Ah, yes. Heard about that. Was able to acquire all the notes the Union had made on the matter. Was working on a counteragent when the war broke out. Hoping to get the chance to finish it myself," Padok said.
Nora the slapped her hand on his shoulder and said, "once we're done here, get all your notes and get yourself back to the Normandy. Got a whole bunch of Binary Helix scientists on the line that could use your help." She paused for a moment, then digressed, "so, you think there's a way to make it appear that the cure was sabotaged?"
"Simple enough," Mordin chimed in, "a few more adjustments here and there will render any sort of observation the Dalatress has on the planet to make her believe that the sabotage worked until the first clutch of Krogan offspring is born."
Nora smiled, the first smile either one of them had seen on her face, "good. Do what you need to do. We got a race to save and bunch of Reapers to stop!"
K: Whatever became of Dr. Solus?
P: Alas, when we had reached the Shroud, the fight between the Reaper on planet and the Alpha Thresher Maw had damaged it. STG sabotage had forced Dr. Solus to disperse the cure manually.
"Mordin! No!" Nora yelled as she tried to stop her friend from entering the elevator, however, the door had shut her off. The salarian inside seemed to have no inclination to open it. Yet, he seemed as calm as the morning sun.
She refrained from hitting her hand on the glass enclosure and instead, begged through the glass, "Mordin, please..." There was already so much lost. She didn't want to lose more.
The Salarian doctor only smiled at her, took a deep breath, and said calmly, "it had to be me. Someone else would have gotten it wrong."
Fighting back the tears at the prospect of losing him, she smiled and said, "I'll save a few seashells for you, ok?"
Mordin nodded in appreciation.
Nora stepped back a pace and said over the roar of the destruction, "Aloha 'oe, hoaloha."
When the elevator cabin departed, the smile slowly faded as she then took stock of the fact she needed to get out of there immediately.
K: He was a friend of yours, wasn't he?
P: Yes. At times. But then again, most friendships are not always ideal. However, when he passed, it was a loss to everyone. However, in an almost karmic sense, this was meant to be. He had placed so much blame upon himself for the suffering of the Krogan that for him to give his life for it seemed to be a much more rational transaction.
K: And what of the Dalatress?
P: I was there after Tuchaunka. It was unsettling to see that the Dalatress would see the galaxy so narrowly as all of us were fighting for our lives.
Nora leaned against the panel with a heated glare at the Dalatress as Padok waited in the shadows.
"Are you satisfied now?" Nora grumbled, aware she had to keep up appearances.
From her projection, the Dalatress smiled smugly at the report she had been given. "All appears to be in order," she then turned to Shepard, the arrogance still palpable, "I will send you the assistance of the First Fleet and my scientists as promised for your little pet project."
"Thank you," Nora responded with gritted and bared teeth, her irritation with the salarian growing by the minute.
"I suggest you use your energy on a more worthwhile pursuit, Commander. The Krogan are brutes and I will not abide the idea of them being able to threaten the Union or the galaxy again."
"Provided we win the war in the first place, but if the help of the Krogan could have been what helped us win, be aware that our extinction is all upon your head because you wanted to play politics in the middle of a war," she grumbled.
The Dalatress sneered at her in return. "You place too much faith in them. You never should have allowed Dr. Solus to go through with this. The Union and the STG lost a valued member today."
"I lost something more," Nora shot back, "I lost a friend, an ally, and someone that I could trust. They seem to be so few in number these days."
"Whether you like it or not, Commander Shepard," the Dalatress folded her arms, "the game of politics has more pull than you ever will. Unless you are aware of its many intricacies, then you will never be able to succeed."
"All that I care about now is that I get the Fleet and those scientists. I got enough on my plate as it is," Nora stood up, her frown unceasing.
"You shall get them," Linron said, her own patience with the human fading, "and if there is nothing else, then our business here is concluded."
"One last thing," Shepard said as she stood up, "you are right. I have little understanding in the politics of the galaxy. However, I do understand people and what they're worth. You may be the one that makes the orders, Dalatress, but know this; Mordin Solus was worth ten of you. Good day."
K: That... probably wasn't the best of things to tell her.
P: Indeed. Even as the war raged on, Shepard had received a few notices that she was being watched by those most would have considered her allies, but knew well enough to stay back while the war was going on. Perhaps it was best that she vanished after the war ended. She made friends, yes, but she also made enemies. Many of them.
Nora Shepard: Mordin Solus' loss hurt. A lot. During my time hunting the Collectors, he and I had a chance to speak quite a bit about what he had done and in comparison to what I had done... well, I found it easy to sympathize. When we had gotten to Tuchaunka the first time, he and I had an argument that lasted for well over an hour. Wasn't pretty. However, both of us knew all too well how much sleep you can lose when you think you have all the right to play God.
P: I should also note that it was Dr. Solus' notes that enabled me to find a counteragent for indoctrination.
K: How was that possible? Every report on it before the war said there was no cure.
P: That's what I thought. However, turns out that there was a clue that we were all missing.
Going over his notes, Padok paced through the medical bay of the ship nonstop, flustered at the lack of leads. True, the horrid manipulation of the neural restructuring was complex, however, even if they had been doing this for so long, then it certainly could not have been foolproof.
Amid pacing, Padok muttered to himself, "in short, of matters turian, asari, and batarian, I am the very model of a..." He caught himself and frowned. Damn Mordin and his obsession with Gilbert and Sullivan. That blasted song. May he rest in peace.
He paused. Then, he went back to some of the older notes he had collected, some from Shepard, scrolling through the liner notes frantically. That was, until he found Shepard's report from Noveria in 2183.
'A sour yellow note'.
His eyes went wide. The Rachni. It was a long shot. But maybe, just maybe. It could work.
He quickly ran to the console and shouted, bringing up the captains room, "Shepard! Shepard! Are you there?!"
A tired Shepard's voice responded after a moment. "What is it, Dr. Wiks?"
"You mentioned reports from the Aralakh Company mentioning something about the Rachni, correct?"
"Yeah. We're en route at the moment. But we have some time before we get there. Why? What's wrong?"
"Not wrong, right! I may have a potential solution to our little indoctrination problem," he quickly stated.
"Sounds great... now, could you let me know when I'm completely awake, in my armor, and in the Kodiak on the way to the planet's surface?"
He blinked, then looked to the clock to realize that it was in the dead of night and most of the normal human staff were resting. "Oh, terribly sorry, Shepard. I'll be sure and prepare a proper test for my hypothesis for when we reach Aralakh Company."
K: So, how exactly was a song responsible for breaking Indoctrination?
P: You see, the Reapers used a specific sound wave, operating at a frequency so high that only creatures of a higher cognitive function would be able to be affected by it. Of course it could be used on baser creatures, however, its primary use was breaking down the cognitive functions of creatures and rewriting them to suit the Reapers' purpose. The Rachni, who speak using pheromones and sound, found themselves muddied and silenced by these... let's call them 'atonal' notes that change the victim on a subconscious level. Using their methods of communication as a base, we were able to find the base frequency and reverse it. In short, the Rachni are part of the reason why most of us are here today. But Dr. Solus was the impetus.
K: Layman's terms?
P: The song that Rachni used to communicate with each other was the catalyst for creating a counter agent, and subsequently, a cure for Indoctrination. It also shattered their ability to shield themselves from our weapons at the time. Quite a discovery, I must say.
The Krogan female looked down at Khalisah as she slowly took a seat of her own, not saying anything, not giving any indication of favor or no. That was a start. Maybe, Khalisah thought hopefully, that female Krogan were easier to approach. If she ever wanted to do a book on them, maybe this Urdnot Bakara would be willing, but that was for later.
"You wished to ask questions about Shepard?" the Krogan said calmly.
"I do. I'm writing a book so that everyone can hear her story," she replied in kind.
"There are those who do not look favorably upon her, even after all she has done."
"That tends to happen a lot."
"Shepard showed trust and kindness towards our people when the galaxy had turned its back upon us. More than just curing the Genophage. While our time together was short, she was able to show me the color of her character."
Eve was cold, even with her robes and shawl. Mordin spoke to the human, Shepard, about procuring her some blankets and she figured the best she could do was wait. She was no fool when it came to military procedure on an alien ship such as the Normandy. However, waiting just to feel a bit less chill was something she just had to endure it seemed.
She looked to see the door open and the tall human, Shepard, appeared again. This time, she held something in her hands that surprised her.
It was a blanket. However, the designs from what she could see were far too ornate.
"Eve," Shepard spoke with a small smile, aware at how late it was.
"Shepard," she nodded in turn.
"I was not able to find any blankets that were thick enough, however, I was able to find this," Nora said as she held onto the edges of the cloth she held and let it unfold.
It was a beautiful set of colors, all of which held a wholesome brown base. The teal, opal, and cerulean colored strips were arranged in a beautiful pattern the likes that she would have only seen on far more intricate robes that the Krogan once made before they took to space.
"It's a gift from my tribe back on Earth. I was supposed to use it as a blanket, but it seemed far too valuable for me to use it," she then looked to Eve, who remained still, as Nora gently draped the blanket over her shoulders. Despite how small it seemed, it was large enough to cover the Krogan and provide the additional warmth she had requested for.
"You wish I to use this?" Eve asked.
Nora nodded. "when you told me about your trials of becoming a shaman, it reminded me of the head of my tribe, Paco. Granted, he didn't go through the same types of trials you did, however, a lot of what you said ringed so familiar to me." Her face slowly fell, "I can only hope that he and the rest of my tribe are still alive."
Eve tilted her head a bit towards Nora. "Would they fight to preserve their culture and their spirits?"
Nora nodded. "Yes. A lot of the youth of the tribe often leave once they get a chance to go to college and get a degree. However, a lot tend to come back and contribute to the tribe when they get the chance. Maybe someday I'll return and do the same."
"It is because your spirit is strong, Shepard," Eve said with no pause. "That is how, if what I hear is true, you will prevail against these Reapers."
Nora sighed and took a seat across from her. "If it only were so easy. We've lost so many already and we'll lose a lot more before this is over. And I'm hardly the only one people should rely on."
"That always appears to be the nature of things. However, I believe that our peoples will survive."
"What makes you so sure?"
"My people have been on the verge of extinction for so long. We are familiar with it. And with the rest of the galaxy in a similar situation, it only seems natural that the other races would react no differently than we would."
"So, what happens after that? We defeat the Reapers. I got a feeling that things won't be the same after this war is over... if it's over."
"We will adapt. As all life does."
"And yet, I'm not filled with confidence. And pardon my saying this, Eve, but even if you were able to keep Wrex and the other males reigned in from stopping another Krogan uprising, what's to stop Krogan like the ones in the Bloodpack from trying to start their own?"
"I understand your apprehension, Shepard. However, I would only ask you this. We brought the genophage upon ourselves because of the Old Ways. The Old Ways were what turned Tuchaunka into a barren wasteland. This war has convinced us that New Ways had to be implemented if we are to survive after the war, should we emerge victorious, considering how eager our enemies would wish us dead. I believe our change in behavior is what inspired Dr. Solus to help undo it and we will honor his trust."
Nora was silent for a long moment. Then, she nodded and said, "Ok, Eve. I'll hold you to your word. And if necessary, I'll try and help if you ask for it."
Eve chuckled for a moment. "Do not worry. Some of the males in the other clans are just as determined to adhere to the New Ways as the females are. We will not waste this chance to prove ourselves."
K: I've been meaning to ask...
Urdnot Bakara: Yes. We have kept our word and ensured that the numbers of our clutches remain small. Which means only three per union. And it is the females who decide whom they will mate with. These are but a few of the New Ways.
K: Ok, thank you for answering that. I apologize if I came off as rude.
B: Do not worry. You would not be the first, nor will you be the last.
K: So, Urdnot Grunt. What is Shepard to you?
Urdnot Grunt: She is my Battlemaster! And there's no one better.
K: What makes her different from people like, for example, Urdnot Wrex from among your people?
G: Battlemaster understands us. She lives like us. When she fights, it's not the clumsy, misteps of most people. She makes it to another level.
Through the atmosphere, a single meteor screamed through the greyed clouds of London and crashed into a literal sea of husks of all shapes and sizes. The explosion sent most of the husks in every which direction as flames engulfed those unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast radius.
When the fires died down, Nora Shepard stood up from the source of the blast and whipped her long, bladed hair out of her face. When the husks regrouped and noticed her, they charged.
Nonplussed, Nora pulled out a pair of shades, a cigar and muttered, "it's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum," after she had put her shades on, her free hand lit up with biotic fire as she used it to light the cigar. "and I'm all out of kick ass."
She put the cigar in her mouth and without another word, charged the horde of husks that meant her harm. One by one, she had punched, kicked, thrown, beaten, uppercut, and tore her way through swaths of husks.
When it seemed like she was going to be overwhelmed, she had yanked out a pole from the remnants of a telephone post and began to use it like a shaolin combat staff. With each swing, she took out more and more husks that seemed endless. In one circular swing, she had cleared out the avenue and it seemed there were no more husks for her to defeat.
However, a rumble caused her to turn around to see the imposing sight of Harbinger landing nearby, his golden eyes aglow with malice, and narrowed.
One could not see her eyes, covered by the shades, however, they too were narrowed, as her archenemy was ready to do battle.
Her biotics died down, she threw the pipe aside, and then whipped her arms out to form a pair of bright omni-blades that appeared out of nowhere.
Harbinger growled, and had each tentacle pull out a massive omniblade of their own.
Accepting his challenge, Nora then spat out her wasted cigar, and then charged.
In a speed that belied his size, Harbinger also charged and with all his omni-blades ready to slice her to bits, drew them all back to finisher off for good. Both warriors raised their weapons, at top speed, and then swung.
*SHING!*
Nora skidded to a halt, with her back to Harbinger. Her face remained neutral as the shades slowly slid off her face and onto the ground, cut at the bridge. At the same time, Harbinger then slowly fell into four pieces. His defeat would forever shame any Reaper that would survive after this day.
Nora began to walk away as the remaining pieces of the Reaper exploded as she pulled out another pair of shades and put them on. When hundreds more Reapers descended from the sky, Nora frowned and pulled out another cigar. After she had a good drag and puffed out a cloud of smoke that formed into the symbol of clan Urdnot, she grumbled to her would be destroyers, "I'm not gonna fight you," she cracked her knuckles, "I'm gonna kick your asses. Every one of them!"
And she did.
That was how Nora Shepard stopped the Reapers.
And it was glorious.
K: I... see…
G: That is why Shepard is my Battlemaster!