A/N: Sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter posted. I thought that I could successfully write 3 stories at once and what I discovered is that between real life and writing, 3 stories is a lot! Don't worry – I'm not abandoning any of them.

This chapter will reference events that took place in Mating Season, so if you want more of the backstory, please check it out 9008389/1/Mating-Season.

Big thanks to Bebus for editing and helping me continue to develop as a writer of FanFiction! If you enjoy this story and want more, then please checkout 'Unnatural Selection' – this is a story that Bebus and I are writing together under the name Vectus 9147327/1/Unnatural-Selection.

As always, thank you for reading and I always love your reviews, PM, favorites and follows!

Chapter 15: For Tuchanka

The fleets of Palaven spread out across the vastness of space, waiting to be let loosed on their ancient enemy. The mass relay, Leviathan's legacy to the galaxy that allowed their species to spread out and spread their influence to other worlds, delivered the powerful fleets to their target: Tuchanka and the krogan. Lesaro felt the welcomed thrill of anticipated battle course through him. Confidence radiated through him in his belief of glory and victory against those that would stand against Leviathan.

The time is almost upon me… After eons of slumber and fear I will lead my forces to fight the enemy. I will see the annihilation of an entire world by my forces, at my control. I hold the fate of the krogan… it is glorious. Leviathan will no longer cower at the bottom of a forgotten world… we will retake the galaxy, as we have been destined to.

The warships took their positions around the planet and waited for the commands of Lesaro. The turian thralls were poised to fire on the planet, to blow away anything on the surface below. Their will was Lesaro's and their minds were filled with the rage of Leviathan.

I must destroy the krogan. They stand in our way of ascension and must be stopped now… For glory… for the end of resistance… for Leviathan's rise to dominance… Fire!

From space, the warships of the turians targeted the major areas known to be inhabited by the krogan. Half constructed cities and buildings that were still standing after the last bombardment had been selected, as it was thought that they would hold the largest number of krogan.

The planet below burned as blossoms of fire exploded across the surface, the turian fleet loosing wave after wave of canon bursts and bombs and each wave fed Lesaro's desire for obliteration.

Let death be upon you!

The feeling of pure exhilaration ran through Lesaro as he watched Tuchanka glow in the blaze of overwhelming destruction. Deep within him though, he could sense something. Something that was just out of reach, but there, as if watching. It was a presence… something almost familiar and something alluring... a whisper, far away, but within him... like a current running through his mind speaking softly: Your victory is great, destruction is wondrous, but control would bring you another form of ecstasy.

The bombings from the turians were brutal, but the krogan had withstood worse attacks at their own hands and were no strangers to destruction.

The planet Tuchanka was treacherous in its beauty and had once thrived with a rich ecosystem, diverse in plants and animals, although all were made of violence and death. Evolution had selected the fiercest of predators: from the lush rainforests filled with poisonous flora and fauna, to the deceptively beautiful seas brimming with acid to the animals that thrived in such a place. From space, it appeared as a blue and green canvas with an unspoiled atmosphere protecting it. As the krogan evolved into the dominant species on the planet, other species paid the price for their rise to power. Wars between clans and a race to develop weapons and technology that would give power to the clan wielding it became the pursuit of those in power. Without care or thought to the future of the planet, nuclear weapons were used to cause planet wide annihilation. Gone were the beauty and diversity that once had existed on the planet. When the dust settled, all that remained was the devastated hull of a burned out planet, cast in seas of wastelands and deserts.

This devastation served only to strengthen the krogan. What remained were fierce beasts that could endure in the radioactive wastelands of Tuchanka. Varren and thresher maws cohabitated and thrived alongside the krogan. But the lack of resources and habitable terrain did not prevent the krogan from breeding and warring with each other. Their perseverance and lust for death and territory drew the attention of the salarians. Seen as the perfect solution to the rachni threat, the salarians used their scientific capabilities to uplift the krogan and make them into a weapon of brute force and strength.

The krogan and their rage were used to crush the rachni. The perfect force that had once saved the galaxy was soon viewed as its greatest threat. The sheer numbers and ferocity of the krogan led them to violently expand, and when they began to invade Council worlds, the galaxy turned against their saviors. In return for their sacrifice, the salarians developed a horrible weapon to stop the krogan population from breeding. The genophage was unleashed on Tuchanka by the turians and soon the genophage would do what years of war and infighting could not: threaten the species with extinction.

Tuchanka had seen its share of war and destruction at the hands of its population, but the introduction of the genophage halted the advancement of the krogan in a way conventional weapons could not. With the realization of extinction upon them, the krogan species clung to their warlike society and blood feuds. Fertile females became precious commodities as a defeat and finality caused those that had endured to devolve into thugs and mercenaries. Fighting and killing was all that was left for the krogan; for most, hope for any future was dead.

At the height of galactic struggle, the krogan were again called on to help defend against galactic extinction from a new a powerful threat: the Reapers. Struggling, warring, death and the idea of finality did not phase the krogan, but a chance at ending the genophage and hope for a future rallied them to stand again with the galaxy and defend against invasion. This time though, the reward was a cure to their plight and a seat on the Council. A united Tuchanka, with females helping to lead the krogan into the future and young ones starting to pop up amongst all the decay allowed hope to settle into the harshness of Tuchanka. For once, there was something to fight for, instead of against.

Plumes of toxic smoke rose from the remains of the skeletal cities of Tuchanka, as the planetary bombings from the orbiting turian ships tirelessly rained down.

"They think that they are hurting us… that they can drive us from our home! Hahaha! We are krogan!" Wrex watched the displays of the attack and found the futile attempts of the invasion somewhat amusing, but he also saw his planet on fire with the wrath of destruction aimed at his home and his people.

Others around him saw the scene and used it to fuel their rage against the turians. Calls of the bravado of the krogan rang out, "We still need to repay the turians for the genophage… we will crush their skulls into the deserts of Tuchanka!"

Knowing that the turians would be leading an invading force, the krogan had been prepared when the ships arrived above Tuchanka. The males had retreated deep within the planet to bunkers that had been used during the nuclear bombings between clans, while the females and young had been evacuated off planet.

Urdnot Wrex stood at the heart of the remaining forces, pacing back and forth, doing his best to control his primal urges. I actually owe Aria. The thought made the large krogan laugh aloud. She delivered: supplies, weapons and ships to transport the females and the young. Damn those females! Bakara is the worst and most stubborn of them all! That woman actually fought me about leaving! Thinking about Bakara filled Wrex with purpose; she was the mother to his children and had the strongest spirit of any krogan. She was a perfect match for Wrex and he was intelligent enough to recognize this. Ah Bakara… she will lead them all to Omega and will team up with Tevos to get the Council back in shape… What a mess!

An acrid smell filled the bunkers from all of the radiation and fires burning the surface of Tuchanka. What little structures that had once been intact were now most surely destroyed. The bunkers were overflowing with males from various clans, brought together to defend Tuchanka and satiate the need for turian blood at the aggression of Palaven. With so many males taking up the confines of the bunkers, a distinct fury of krogan adrenaline pumped through the air, combining with the smoke and failing lights to create a chaos within the warrior. A buzz filled the space, like a frenzy burning in their blood and the battle cries told any invaders that the krogan would fight until the very end. Fights broke out between the warriors as old clan rivalries erupted.

"Stop! All of you! Save the fight for our true enemy." Wrex's thunderous voice boomed above the ruckus. "We are going to fight the turians! We are going to spill their blood… here… on the very grounds that they tried to make sterile! We've rebuilt before and we will rebuild again! From the ashes and decay, we will come out stronger and with even more fight in us!" Wrex cried out a rallying speech to motivate all who could hear him. "The turians used the genophage to try and eradicate us once and now they've come to try to blow us off of our own planet. Ha! They never seem to learn of the resilience of the krogan! Let them come!"

"For Tuchanka!" Cheers from the krogan echoed throughout the decaying bunkers, as the males prepared for battle.

Crowds began to form, as an excited anticipation of war ran through them. The last time Tuchanka had seen such devastation, the Reapers were invading and the planet as a whole fought back. The sight of seeing Kalros rise up and take down a Reaper had reminded Wrex of how the planet took to invaders – it crushed them, as it would again.

Lights were flashing, as power flickered on and off. Smoke was displacing the air in the halls and the resonating sound of explosions echoed through the core of the planet. The low growl of krogan could be heard in answer to the bombings.

"Get the torches ready... we're not going to have power much longer. Today we will spill turian blood across Tuchanka!" Wrex was ready and though part of him hated the idea of invasion, the primal side of him felt the rush of imminent battle. He was ready to take on the turians, but he knew that the real threat came from above in the form of Leviathan.

Bakara watched as the fleets appeared on the view screens; the force was impressive and the flagship leading the fleets to Tuchanka brought back the memory of the Reapers. Bakara studied the readouts before her. She was surprised at what she saw; she hadn't expected Leviathan to look so much like a Reaper.

Seeing the force before her, Bakara's thoughts went to the males on the planet below. Wrex was strong and a good leader, but he needed her to balance him and his primal desires. She wanted to stand with the males and fight, but she also had a duty to the Council and her people. Still, he made me leave! I have as much right to defend my home as Wrex and the males do! She shook her head at the memory.

Bakara could feel her own primal desires that told her to stay and fight, though the mother in her made her protective of the children and other females too and provided her with practicality. She had lived most of her life isolated and coddled and she wanted no more of it. Since the end of the Reaper War, Bakara had stopped hiding in the shadows and now stood proudly next to her mate as a leader and mother of the krogan.

"Ss- Councilor, we not detected." Hiss spit the words out, in his usual tone. "Ss- We lucky to make it off Tuchanka. Aria clear… get females and young out. Take to Omega."

"Yes, Aria has provided much for the krogan today." I wonder what this is going to cost us. Bakara nodded at the vorcha before her, "What is your name?"

"Hiss."

"Thank you, Hiss. As you know, I am Urdnot Bakara, Council Representative of the krogan. Please, did all the ships get away?

"Ss- Yes, Councilor. Not detected."

"I owe Aria my thanks. Could you get me through to her?"

Hiss shook his head, "No, not reach her."

Looking somewhat concerned by the cryptic answer, Bakara decided to press further. "Has something happened?"

"Not sure. Ss- Went to Thessia and now can't reach her. We no talk on communicators until we reach Omega anyway."

Aria T'Loak paced the deck of the Midnight Star like a caged predator. Anger seemed to radiate off of her being. "I am not having this conversation with you Thea!"

Standing in the midst of three heavily armed krogan guards was Thea Tevos. The normally reserved councilor seemed almost as upset as her bondmate, but had more training concealing her feelings. "Do not dictate to me what I will and will not do, Aria." Thea had to use her most practiced diplomatic voice and temperament to maintain control of her emotions. "Liara and Aethyta are my friends too and you are my bondmate. Do you really think that I am going to sit back while you go charging after them?"

"That is exactly what you are going to do, damn it. This is not some fucking political debate! You are going to Omega to meet Bakara and take back the Galactic Council. I am going after Liara and Aethyta and I am going to help Shepard kill the Fucking Leviathan! End of discussion." Aria nodded to Prak, signaling that the conversation was over.

"I am not one of your minions! Do not walk away from me!" Tevos, tired of Aria's tirade and without further thought, flared her biotics. Within seconds, the Pirate Queen and her krogan guard were both locked in a stasis field.

The look on Aria's face was priceless: it was pure shock and she was absolutely helpless to do anything.

"Now that I have your attention, we are going to talk." Thea took a step closer to Aria and was now within arm's reach. "I know that you are upset about Liara and Aethyta… and that you are scared that something will happen to me." Her expression was slowly changing to one of sympathy, as she continued. "I love you too, you stubborn woman! I know that you think you have to protect me from Leviathan, but I am not without my own skills and I know what its control does to your mind. I will be able to help them. You are not going without me. Aria, I need to be with you."

Aria's eyes bore into Thea. Being trapped stabbed a vivid fury through Aria... and brought out an instinctive, primal reaction of absolute fear. When she saw the determination in her lover's expression and then the hurt and love in her eyes, Aria's fury melted to concern, though her heart pounded with something closer to panic than she would like to admit. "Thea… I can't lose you. I only want you to be safe."

Thea brought a hand to Aria's cheek and caressed it tenderly, "I know, but nowhere is safe now. We don't know how much control Leviathan has, but at least if we are together… we can look out for each other." Tevos released the field and braced herself for Aria's retaliation.

Aria pulled Thea's hand off of her face and forcefully drew her lover into her arms. "You don't know what I went through when we were attacked. I thought that you had been captured and that I had let you down… that I didn't protect you." Aria seemed to choke on her words, as she leaned in close to her lover and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I was scared, Thea… I love you."

Matching her lover's tones, Tevos kissed Aria's cheek and could taste the salt of her tears. "I love you too. You need to trust in me."

"I trust you, Thea. You are the best part of me."

"Aria, you are my strength. The only way we can face Leviathan is if we do it together." Needing to feel the fullness of her embrace, Thea pressed her body into Aria's and relaxed her muscles.

The two stood silently holding each other, oblivious to the three krogan that were trying desperately to blend in to the hull of the ship.

"I still would rather have you on Omega with all of the krogan. Fuck, I'm going soft!" Aria could feel the anger dissipating and she was able to steady herself. "Fine… We'll do it together, but you are going to have guards with you at all times. And Thea… don't ever put me in a fucking stasis field again… unless you plan on fucking me."

Tevos knew that she had won the fight, but did not feel the need to gloat. Instead, she kissed her bondmate and offered her a warm smile as she answered sarcastically, "Yes dear."

The turians had realized that their attempts to bomb the planet were futile and they finally landed on Tuchanka in search of the krogan inhabitants. The krogan were ready and well-armed, with a force of males that had not had been able to flex their might since the Reaper War. The indoctrinated turians had no idea how to fight the waves of krogan that happily advanced on them.

Fighting in the close quarters of the ruined bunkers proved to be tricky for the turians. With the structures crumbling and decaying piles of antiquated electronics rotting in the hallways, krogan ambushes were hard to spot and were prevalent. The krogan warriors knew the terrain and used the knowledge to gain the advantage against the turians.

Wrex felt alive, truly alive again. The clan leader wore the ferocity of a hardened battlemaster, with dark blue blood drying on his armor and bits of bone and brain matter mixed in with it. He was leading the charge against the indoctrinated soldiers and a wave of krogan warriors followed behind their leader.

"Hahaha… Killing turians is fun!" Wrex held the remains of a partially decapitated turian in one hand and the turian's mandibles in the other. The feeling of bones breaking and blood rushing down his hands brought out the primal animal that was within him, it kept him fueled and drove him onward. "Make way for the surface."

Blood and corpses filled the halls, as Krogan battle cries echoed through the decaying remains of the bunkers. As they continued to climb up out of the bunkers, the damage from the turian fleets became more and more apparent. Structures deep in the earth were smoldering, the air had been replaced with acid filled smoke plumes and searing heat radiated throughout.

The krogan were prepared for the invasion, but to see it first-hand rallied the warriors into a frenzy of destruction against the invaders. Their armor could withstand the weapons of the turians and most krogan chose to fight the soldiers with their hands, instead of conventional weapons. Blasts from the turians rang out, followed by screams as they were cut down.

Wrex found a dying turian and picked him up forcefully. From within his protective armor, he looked into the dimming eyes of the soldier, "Tell your master that he needs to come here himself. No more cowering in space!" He shook the corpse, "Do you hear me? Agh!" Wrex cried out his frustration and threw the lifeless body aside and stormed onward.

Lesaro had never coordinated ground troops and had thought that he would be able to use the firepower of the turian's armadas to blow up the krogan from orbit.

I'm going to need to be on the ground too… It will allow me to see the extinction firsthand.

As he descended through the burning atmosphere of Tuchanka, Lesaro was able to see the effect of the bombings. The Leviathan was actually surprised to find the deteriorating remains of structures that were centuries old, vast deserts and fires burning in the distance. Tuchanka looked like it had already been destroyed and beaten.

How can life even exist here?

From his aerial vantage point, Lesaro could see an area that had been relatively untouched by the bombings: it was an ancient structure with crumbling monuments half buried in Tuchanka's desert.

There… I will make my stand there.

As the Leviathan landed, he could feel the gravity of Tuchanka pulling him down. He had been used to the pressure of the ocean and then of space, but to feel an atmosphere crushing him and the weight of his armor adding to the effect was something new for him. Earthquakes made the very ground of Tuchanka shake, knocking the unprepared Leviathan down further. Fear crept into Lesaro's thoughts for the first time in eons.

The very planet of these beasts is trying to defeat me!

A large eruption from the ground next to him brought Lesaro's attention to a new threat. On his right side, a large crevice formed as the earth started to disintegrate. Lesaro could see something moving from within its depths, causing a wake of destruction. Some kind of creature that seemed to be large, fast and covered in spikes had been drawn to his position. As it surfaced, Lesaro saw the full size of the thing and like everything else on Tuchanka, it looked predatory and deadly.

The sight of the predator brought a feeling of dread to Lesaro and a primal instinct to flee came over him.

I must get back to space… I must know the feeling of the vastness and cold again.

Lesaro started to rise off the planet's surface, but the thresher maw would not let it prey flee so easily. Using its muscles and momentum to pursue Leviathan, the thresher maw spat acid to immobilize the escaping form and then sunk its claws into the depths of the creature's carapace.

Screams erupted from Lesaro as acid struck him, followed by the searing pain of a hundred different spikes being driven through his armor and into his flesh.

No… this is not possible! I am Lesaro… I am Leviathan!

The very essence of Tuchanka fought the invader, as the thresher maw wrapped tightly around the struggling form of Leviathan. A huge cloud of dust flew into the atmosphere as Kalros and Lesaro hit the ground.

Lesaro could feel the crushing pressure of the creature's body and the ripping sensation of his carapace being torn from him. Shards of armor fell from Lesaro and he used what little strength was left in him to brace for the continual attack.

No!

Wrex and the krogan warriors broke through to the surface at the ceremonial grounds of Kalros. To his delight, in the distance he could see the form of Kalros taking down Leviathan.

The remaining turian soldiers screamed out in pain and fell to the floor. Wrex felt elation at the sight, "Forget the turians… focus on Leviathan. Look, Kalros developed a taste for Reaper and now it gets to consume another! Warriors, follow me!"

"For Tuchanka! For Kalros!" A wave of angry krogan erupted from the bunker and made their way to the fallen Leviathan.

Lesaro's broken form lay smoldering in the wake of Kalros' attack. All had seemed to be against Leviathan, the planet as a whole had fought back to deny him of his victory.

Primitives have defeated me. How can this be?

Blood seeped out of his wounds, as the thresher maw's acid burned through his carapace. Lesaro had never known such pain and his spirit suffered an even greater defeat than his body. In the distance, a storm appeared to be moving in his direction. He knew that it was not a storm born in nature, but one made of krogan warriors, all longing to spill his blood.

While fighting with the beast, Lesaro had lost control of the turians. They lay scattered, dazed and unconscious, unaware of their actions. Some were starting to come to and in doing so, were met with the realization of Lesaro's violation of their minds. They had acted as puppets of Leviathan and now had to deal with both the defilement from Leviathan and the rage of the krogan.

The whispers from within Lesaro's mind started to call to him again. Do not despair Lesaro. There is another way to gain glory and dominance. Trust in your species' history and in your own desires. We have not abandoned you. The confidence in the voice was unmistakable and growing louder in his mind.

All that the fallen Leviathan could feel was searing pain, invading all of his senses. The voice was calming and offered some sort of salvation. Looking at the wave of krogan about to descend on him, Lesaro was hit with the understanding that he did not have much time left.

Give yourself over to us… My son, do you not know the voice of your father? Trust in us and let us guide you away.

What? Father! I never knew my father. He was taken by the Reapers. The image of a powerful and ancient Leviathan crept into Lesaro's thoughts. The creature that he envisioned had suffered too and was covered in a similar type of armor. It was the armor of a Reaper.

The voice was strong and familiar and filled all of Lesaro's thoughts. Son… I have been with you. Join me and we will know a new victory… together. You will be greater and have power to wield… you will know glory!

Desperation set into the wounded Leviathan and his will to repulse the ghost of his father was gone. He found the promises alluring and easy to succumb to. Yes father… together… I am yours… help me be more than I can be alone. Lesaro's mind relaxed and opened to the powerful presence of his lineage.

Flashes of Sylinoro's memories seeped into Lesaro's mind. He could feel the emotions and thoughts of Sylinoro and knew his father's destiny: that of Harbinger. Fear left Lesaro and was replaced by calm; he would be the next Harbinger – the destiny of his species.

We are one now… we are alive and we will return.

As Lesaro's consciousness faded, Sylinoro's awoke and melded with his son's. Old memories of ancient victories flooded their collective mind. The feeling of the remaining armor fueled Sylinoro's urge to act. The Reaper armor had been part of his being for eons and he could use it without much thought. It would be enough to power the large form of Leviathan and to lift his son's body from Tuchanka. They would find someplace where Lesaro could heal and where Sylinoro could unite their beings further.

This will be glorious… in time, together with my son; the galaxy will know us again.