Virmire was beautiful.
Sea spray shot from the boulders guarding their path, falling onto the Mako as it barreled their way through shallow water and over scattered geth forces. Sunlight glittered off of the surf. Despite his earlier stresses, Shepard gave in to the planet's inexplicable calm as they shot through their welcoming committee. Waves continued a monotonous barrage on the cliffs surrounding them, colliding and retreating in consistently timed intervals – the planet's steady pulse. The commander was taken in by the sound, washed over by an odd feeling of tranquility as he drove and shot his way through synthetic enemies. It steadied him, secured him, and he was lost into the rhythms and motions of battle. It was a tranquility he had scarcely known.
The team was working together meticulously. They were alight with new purpose, the new lead on Saren bringing their main goal back to head. They rolled over the geth in their path with ease - systematically tearing the synthetics apart, disabling AA guns, and raising gates so they could continue on to the infiltration team's base camp. It was controlled and precise, and Shepard embraced the order of it. He wanted to find something – about Saren, the Reapers, anything to spur this mission onward and distract him from what he was leaving behind because of it. And Virmire helped, an oasis filled with the command, the control, the purpose he needed to strive.
They rolled through the last gate after lighting up a colossus, a unified whoop echoing throughout the squad, and Shepard slowed the Mako within sight of the camp. The commander opened his door and climbed out.
"Alright, pile out, everyone. Let's go see what our buddies have for us." They clambered out into the shallow water and looked expectantly at Shepard. He smirked. "Come on, guys. Do I need to tell you everything? Spread out, find out what you can. The Council has given us close to nothing to work on. Ask about Saren, ask about their defenses, and ask why the hell they've set themselves up in one of the most open areas of this valley. I'll try to find whoever the hell is in charge, but sometimes, that's not who has eyes." He glanced around, a large break in the cliffs opening to the ocean. The view was expansive, the sun bright in a blue sky. "Move out."
He received a few mock salutes in return to his sass, but they all complied willingly, walking towards what appeared to be an entirely salarian unit. Shepard's brow furrowed. Valern must have known this, known more facts on the team. Why hadn't he elaborated? He moved after the squad, but turned back as someone loudly cleared their throat.
"You're okay?"
Shepard gave a small smile. "I'm fine, Ash. Just needed some rest." Her brow furrowed. "Really. I feel… good. Things haven't gone this right in a long time." He glanced over his shoulder at the retreating squad, then reached out to grab her hand.
"Hey, don't jinx it." Ashley laughed, squeezing his hand back.
The commander joined her with a chuckle, then looked out over the ocean again. "It's beautiful here." He murmured. The soldier followed his gaze, and he looked back to her, watching her take in the vista. The light on her face, dancing over her dark hair and her brandy-brown eyes… She was breathtaking. And she caught him staring again, raising an eyebrow in challenge. "Come on, Chief." He grunted out, turning away with a grin and letting go of her hand. "We have to go catch Saren." She scoffed behind him, but he heard her footsteps follow through the water as they splashed their way towards the salarian outpost.
"Do you have any plan for what to do next?" Shepard heard Kaidan's voice question and he frowned, changing course and heading towards the biotic.
"Just to stay here until reinforcements arrive and we come up with one." The tall, green, armored salarian responded, before glancing towards the approaching commander. "And you are?"
"I'm Commander Shepard. Are you in charge here? What's the situation?" He set his voice to the deep, authoritative standby he used for these kinds of situations.
"Yes. Commander, I'm Captain Kirrahe, Third Infiltration Regiment, STG." Oh great. Because just what we needed was another mysterious, lawless group of spies. "You have just landed in the middle of a hot zone – every AA gun within ten miles has been alerted to your presence."
"Oh, that's fantastic." Shepard growled, raising an armored hand to move through his hair.
The salarian captain nodded. "Indeed. Now we just need to stay put until the Council sends the reinforcements we asked for. We have plenty of supplies, and coupled with you holding the geth off we should – "
Kaidan stepped forward, holding up a hand to pause Kirrahe. "Captain…" He glanced at Shepard, and the commander nodded. "We are the reinforcements."
"What?" Kirrahe admonished, stepping back a little. "You're all they sent? I told the Council to send a fleet!"
"The message was only static." Shepard explained with a heavy sigh. "They sent us to investigate what's going on." Fuck.
The captain shook his head in exasperation. "That is a repetition of our task!" He shifted uneasily. "You are not enough. I lost half of my men investigating this place."
"What have you found?" Shepard probed. There was something sinking in his gut again, some secret feeling of foreboding. And he knew, from the edge in Kirrahe's voice, from the panic trying to hide itself in the salarian's eyes that Saren was here.
"Saren's base of operations." The salarian confirmed. "Very well fortified. It's crawling with his geth and we've intercepted enough comms referring to him to be sure it's his." Kirrahe answered, and suddenly the calm, the tranquility, was gone. There was only Saren. Virmire answered his feeling with an echo of thunder across the bay.
"Have you seen him? Where is he?" Shepard interrupted immediately, stepping forward. Kirrahe shook his head.
"No. We believe he's holed up in his lab – he has a research facility here."
"Research facility? What is he researching?" The commander demanded, brow furrowing.
"He's breeding an army of krogan." Kirrahe said darkly. What?!
Stomping, splashing footsteps came at them through the water before finally the krogan made it up onto the sand. "How is that possible?" Wrex's voice was deadly quiet, grumbling low and threatening deep within his chest. Kirrahe glanced at him nervously, then looked back to Shepard.
"Apparently, he has discovered a cure for the genophage."
Shepard stood stock still for a moment. Wrex had told him all about the genophage, the sterilizing biological weapon used against his people. Designed by the salarians and utilized by the turians, it had effectively slowed the krogan birthrate to near zero and was slowly pushing the krogan to extinction. The commander glanced to Wrex. The behemoth was glaring at him with a cold, challenging look he had wished never to be on the receiving end of. Shepard's fists clenched and he glowered back at the salarian. Of course, Saren would be the one to miraculously cure the genophage and breed a goddamn krogan army. The rogue Spectre already had the geth. If he added krogan into the mix…
"If Saren gains a krogan force on top of the geth, we're fucked."
Kirrahe nodded. "Exactly my thoughts." Really? Exactly? "This facility needs to be destroyed."
Wrex growled deep and stepped forward shaking his head. "Destroyed? I don't think so." His leathery mouth was pulled tight over pointed teeth. "My people are dying. This cure can save them."
"If that cure leaves this planet the krogan will become unstoppable." Kirrahe announced, still avoiding looking at the krogan battlemaster. "We cannot make the same mistake again."
Wrex stepped forward treacherously. His face hovered inches in front of the captain's. "We are not a mistake." He snarled, then turned away from the salarian and stomped farther down the beach. Shepard's eyes followed him, watching the krogan pace and brood, the beast's anger growing exponentially with every passing moment. Why now? Why did the cure have to be discovered now? Wrex was reasonable, reliable… He had to see what a bad idea allowing Saren to keep this cure would be, right?
"Is he going to be a problem?" Kirrahe snipped. "We already have enough angry krogan to deal with."
"He'll be fine, I'll go talk to him." Shepard growled back. "I'll be back soon."
The captain nodded. "My men and I will rethink our plan of attack." He announced, and headed back into his large tent to meet with a group of similarly armored salarians. Shepard sighed, and turned to Ashley and Kaidan still at his back, wearing matching frowns.
Kaidan shifted under Shepard's stare first. "Looks like things are a bit of a mess." The lieutenant observed, showing off his skill at stating the obvious. The commander sighed and nodded, then glanced back towards Wrex. The salarians guarding the beach farther on were giving him a wide berth. The krogan had taken to shooting shotgun rounds at the water.
"Wrex is about to blow a gasket, Shepard." Ashley spoke up, and he glanced back towards her. "Are you sure you want to go talk to him right now?"
"I need to. He has to understand why we have to do this. His people deserve a cure, but not like this. Not because of Saren." The Spectre murmured, still watching Wrex. "Wrex is a good guy. He'll get it. You two get ready, it sounds like we have a hell of a fight waiting for us."
Kaidan nodded and started off towards what appeared to be a supply tent, but Ashley hesitated. Shepard glanced at her. "If it's all the same to you, I think I should watch your back. In case Wrex is not feeling so forgiving today."
"He'll be fine, Ash." Shepard dismissed her concern with a sigh. "I'll take care of it." He walked away from the woman, hearing neither footsteps nor a response behind him. Apparently, she was going to stay right there. The commander shook his head, but took even strides down the beach towards Wrex. The krogan was still firing his shotgun wildly at the water. Noticing Shepard's approach, he stopped and turned towards the commander, red eyes fiery with rage.
"Shepard."
"Wrex."
The two sized each other up, the krogan keeping his shotgun drawn. There was a silence between them that seemed to stretch an eternity, broken only by the occasional clap of thunder and the steady, even beat of Virmire's tide.
"This isn't right, Shepard." The krogan snarled. "If there's a cure for the genophage we can't destroy it." He took a menacing step towards the commander, but Shepard didn't back down.
"I know, Wrex. I wish we could keep it, but this isn't the way. Not because of Saren."
"Saren is looking less and less like an enemy right now, Shepard." Wrex rumbled. "He created a cure for my people. After everything I've told you, all your words about how wrong it was, you want to destroy it." The krogan took another step. "Help me out here, Shepard. The lines between friend and foe are getting a little blurry."
"Fuck, Wrex. This isn't about the cure!" Shepard spat back at the krogan. Wrex's red eyes narrowed. "Saren is using it as a weapon. If we let him, he'll use this cure to build a new army to help him bring back the Reapers. Your people, mine, they'll all be dead then. Nobody will be around long enough to enjoy the benefits of a cured genophage. I can't let that happen."
"And I can't let you destroy the only hope my people have had for centuries. Dealing with Saren later is a chance we should be willing to take." Wrex's lips pulled back in a snarl. "This is the fate of my entire people we're talking about!" He stepped forward so he towered over Shepard, face inches away, his breath coming out hot and rank on the commander's face. "If you're not willing to fight, if you can't give me a better reason than prevention, we're done." The battlemaster leaned back, snarl still pulled across his lips, and hoisted his shotgun towards the Spectre. Shepard reacted as fast as he could, pulling his pistol off his hip and aiming at the krogan's head. He didn't like his odds.
"Wrex, stand down." He growled low, not blinking as he held the krogan's stare. "I can't let you jeopardize the mission."
"That's it? All this time and that's all I get from you?" The krogan's voice was deadly calm. "I trusted you, Shepard. I thought you had a krogan's heart. Hell, you got me back my grandfather's armor, treated me better than family ever has." Wrex shook his head, eyes narrowing in disgust. "I thought you understood what this meant to the krogan!"
"I do, Wrex. And I promise you we will do whatever we can to recover information on it after the base is destroyed. But we cannot let Saren have this!"
"We need this base if we're going to recreate it. There is too much here. I can't let you destroy this."
"This isn't hope, Wrex! This is just another asshole using your people to get what he wants!" Shepard spat. He shook his head slowly, still meeting the krogan's gaze. The krogan who was part of his team, he had had his back time and time again. No. Fuck no. Shepard lowered his gun. "They're slaves, Wrex. And the minute Saren is done with them, they're going to be tossed aside to die with the rest of us when the Reapers come. Is that what you want for them?"
Wrex was silent, his shotgun still held steady at Shepard. Finally, after a few long moments spent listening to the gentle beating of the waves, Wrex lowered his gun. "No. We were slaves for the Council once, and to reward us for wiping out the rachni they neutered us all. I doubt Saren would be so kind." There was a deep grumbling still happening in the krogan's chest. "I don't like this, but you've made your point. I trust you enough to follow your lead." Shepard nodded gratefully. "But when we find Saren, I want his head."
The commander gave a single nod in reply, then turned away.
"Shepard."
"Wrex?" He turned back with a quizzical glance.
"Tell your female to stop aiming her gun at me." The krogan grunted simply, then walked past him without another word. Shepard's eyes followed where Wrex had been looking to find Ashley holstering her pistol. The commander frowned at her and shook his head, but she didn't look too chastised. As always, she did what she wanted, and it worried him momentarily that she was willing to put down a squad mate. But if Wrex had been pointing that shotgun at her… Shepard sighed, a hand running through his hair. He knew he would have done the same.
"Commander Shepard." Kirrahe's voice broke into his thoughts. "I'm glad you were able to talk the krogan down. The assault on Saren's base will be difficult enough as it is." The assault? His brow furrowed as he looked at the salarian captain. Kaidan approached, leaving the supply tent with a crate of what appeared to be grenades. Apparently, they were planning for a rather up close and personal assault. Ashley appeared on the commander's right, standing back a little as she listened.
"I take it you have a plan?" Shepard arched a brow. Kirrahe gave a quick nod.
"Yes. We can convert our ship's drive system into a twenty kiloton ordnance. Crude, but effective." The Spectre couldn't stop himself from gaping at the salarian.
"Nice." Ashley's voice chimed in in appreciation. "Drop a nuke from orbit, and Saren can kiss his turian ass goodbye." Shepard smirked a little at her very marine, very Ashley way of saying it.
"Unfortunately, the facility is too well fortified for that. We'll have to bring the bomb in to a precise location at the far side of the base for it to effectively wipe it out. Your ship can drop it off." Oh, okay, no problem.
"And we just have to, what, shoot through dozens of geth and krogan forces to set it off?" Shepard growled. "Hope we can get to those AA guns you mentioned in time so they don't blast the bomb and my ship from the sky? Is that it?"
"Yes, Commander." Kirrahe nodded, unperturbed. "That's about it. It won't be easy, but it must be done."
"We don't have enough men to go on foot. We won't make it anywhere close to the base." Kaidan put in desperately, echoing Shepard's thoughts.
"There's no other way?" Shepard questioned wearily. He couldn't stop himself from thinking the calm, the tranquility he felt admiring Virmire's beauty, listening to the pulse of the planet's waves… It had simply been the calm before what was going to be a very large shitstorm. As if in answer, there was another crack of rolling thunder out over the ocean.
"I'm afraid not. But, I think we can work with the forces we have. We need to split up." Kirrahe announced, not deterred by the marines' lack of faith. "I'll split my men up into three teams, while you and your 'shadow' team can sneak in the back. It will confuse the geth and buy you enough time to get in and set up that bomb."
"And make them think you're the real target." The commander frowned. "That's a suicide mission, Kirrahe. You're men are going to get slaughtered."
Kirrahe shook his head. "We're tougher than we look, Commander." He gave a wry grin. "But, you're right, I don't expect many of us will make it out alive." The salarian's smile vanished, and he suddenly looked uncomfortable, guilty even. "And that's going to make what I ask you next even more difficult…" Shepard's mouth set into a grim line. "I need one of your men to help coordinate the teams."
Shepard's hands balled into fists. Fuck that. He wasn't about to send one of his people to die. But these salarians... They were going to get decimated without a coordinated command. They needed leadership, support, a unified force to make this mission even narrowly successful. The commander's breath came short. His team would never make it to the base without Kirrahe's men at their backs, and Saren would slip away with an army of krogan and closer than ever to bringing the destruction of everything.
"Fine." He grunted out, more than a little grudgingly. "But they have command of their squad, and if I tell them to pull back, they do. Got it?" His voice was low, green eyes glowing with a threat. Kirrahe simply nodded his agreement. Shepard turned to the two marines at his back.
"I volunteer, Commander." Kaidan spoke up, stepping forward to meet the commander.
"Hey, not so fast, LT." Ashley stepped in, shaking her head. "He's going to need you to arm the nuke. I'll lead the salarian team."
"That's why he has Tali. She could arm that thing in her sleep."
"Tali will be busy looking through the facilities systems for information on Saren and what he's doing, right?" She glanced at Shepard, but didn't give him time to respond. As always, she hit the nail on the head. "He needs you there. I'm more than able to lead that team."
"I know you're able to. But with all due respect, Gunnery Chief, it's not your place to decide." Kaidan's eyes narrowed.
Ashley scoffed, shaking her head incredulously. "Why is it when somebody says 'with all due respect' what they really mean is 'kiss my ass?'"
"Enough, both of you." Shepard growled, and the two marines looked back at him. He let out a heavy sigh. Fuck. Fuck this planet. He knew what he had to do, what the right choice was, but how was he supposed to do it? A hand ran through his hair again. "Ashley, you're leading the salarian team. But if I say you pull out, you pull out. You understand?"
Ashley nodded, a slightly satisfied grin on her lips, pleased as always with her win. Kaidan didn't argue, but met the commander's gaze with a knowing look. Shepard frowned. He needed Kaidan for the bomb, and the lieutenant knew it. Had he volunteered to try and save him from having to make this decision? His throat tightened as he met Ashley's brown gaze and took a step towards her. I can't do this. I can't leave her behind. "I mean it, Ash. No heroics, no sacrificing yourself." He searched her eyes, fiery with determination and an eagerness to prove herself. Shepard wanted nothing more than to bring her back to the ship and tell her to wait it out, tell the salarians to fuck themselves and handle Saren himself. But he couldn't do this alone, and they needed her here. She would be a strong leader. She'll be okay. He tried to steady himself with a breath and lowered his voice. "Ash, I need you with me to finish this thing. Please be careful."
"Don't worry, Skipper." The soldier offered a reassuring smile, her eyes warm with promise. "I'll be fine. No way those flashlight heads are going to get the jump on me again." Shepard reached out and squeezed her hand briefly before letting go and turning back to the captain.
"Good. I'll get the ordnance loaded on to the Normandy and brief your crew on its detonation sequencing." Kirrahe gave a satisfied nod. "Do you have anything else before we head out, Commander?"
"Keep her alive." He growled out, and the salarian nodded.
"We'll do our best, Commander." Kirrahe promised, "I'm going to go prepare my men. Let me know when you're ready to move out." The salarian turned away and walked towards his team. Shepard turned back to Ashley and Kaidan, his face set in an apprehensive grimace.
"Well, I guess this is it. You two idiots better not go do something stupid while I'm gone." Ashley smirked, but the gesture was a little empty. Her eyes found his and she looked… Not scared, but like she was preparing herself, resigning herself to whatever would happen. Her earlier satisfaction was replaced by acceptance. Bile clawed at the Shepard's throat. The soldier was getting ready to go out fighting.
"Ash, remember what I said. We're all making it out of here, you hear me?" He stepped towards her, his voice low and desperate. The woman gave a weak smile, lacking its usual easy confidence.
"Yeah, I know. You be careful too, Shepard. Keep your head on." Ashley's voice was serious and full of worry. "Don't go and get yourself shot again, or I'm going to be pissed."
"I'll keep an eye on the Commander, Ashley. Don't worry about that. We'll see you later." Kaidan said encouragingly, offering up a bright smile. Shepard frowned, unsure if he appreciated being treated like an errant child, but said nothing.
"Thanks, Scuttlebutt. I owe you a drink when we get back." Ashley grinned at the biotic.
"We get this done, we're all drinking - I have some bourbon I was saving for a special occasion. I think this more than qualifies." Shepard gave a small smile, and Kaidan chuckled. "Alright, let's move out." He gave Ashley one last desperate look, longing to wrap himself around her but deciding this wasn't the time or place. "Ash…" His throat constricted around her name. "I know you'll do the Alliance proud."
"Damn right. See you on the other side, Skipper." She gave him a smile that was a little brighter, a little more her, and walked away towards her new team.