I'm currently in the middle of my first (and hopefully only) Insanity playthrough of the trilogy. At the moment I've just finished ME1, but once I get to the second & third games (especially the third one) I am going to use them to correct earlier chapters of this that have missing dialogue (for lack of a better term); for instance, I remember reading somewhere that James has unique dialogue when meeting Grunt in this mission, but I can't find it anywhere on YouTube, so in my ME3 Insanity playthrough I'll do the Rachni mission with James & Javik. However, depending on how things go my playthrough of ME3 might end up 'pulling ahead' of my work on this story, which would unfortunately probably cause the same problem to pick up again until an eventual future playthrough. Also, Kaidan's lines in this fic may be… lacking due to my playthrough being one with Ashley; months from now, I plan to do a 'romance Liara, save Kaidan' playthrough of the trilogy, and when I do that I'll be able to expand upon his dialogue in this Book.

Also, I will be rewriting the Edo Tensei chapter of Book 21 eventually, because A) Obito has died a good guy, and B) research into background material has let me discover Saren was a complete bastard even before Sovereign got its tentacles on him.

Also-also, I have discovered Kill La Kill; a future Book may be possible.

SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

-CHAPTER START-

Realm ME-N7

Commander Shepard walked through the Engineering deck of the Normandy II, hearing the quiet light bickering between two familiar crewmembers; Engineers Kenneth Donnelly and Gabriel Daniels had been quietly snatched up for protection from the Systems Alliance by the UNSC when Shepard had gone to 'park' the Normandy on Earth for a couple months, and when the ship had returned to this Realm, the Forward Unto Dawn had been waiting to drop Ken & Gabby off with him at their request before then jumping out to tend to other matters. At the same time, Kaede and Asa had transferred out, rejoining their respective teams (who were very surprised to learn that the two had begun reconciliation).

As he passed through, Shepard headed down the side stairs into the storage area beneath Engineering, the area small and cramped and lit by a couple red lights. A small bed had been set up in the corner, and his newest team-member was seated on it, currently wearing a dull-red shirt and loose black pants instead of her armor. He was briefly struck by how young she actually was; apparently her aging had frozen at 16 thanks to some facet of her powers, leaving her with a developed yet petite built, no taller than 5'4". She looked up from the datapad she'd been reading.

"What do you want, human?" she asked.

"Just checking in on you" Shepard replied. "How are you settling in?"

"I'm fine."

"You know, you don't have to live in this pit."

"I like it here. It's out of the way, so there aren't too many people passing through. And I've always been comfortable in dark, small spaces; when I was three, my big sister Semira once found me asleep in a cupboard."

Shepard smiled, but then the familiar name came to him. "Wait… Semira T'Lesh? She's your older sister?"

"Yes…" Eve replied. "How do you know her?"

"She was the commanding officer of one of the ships that helped us take out the Collector Base around half a year ago – the Ebony Midnight, a supercarrier."

Eve's eyes widened. "Semira's captaining an Eclipse-class? I wasn't aware…"

"Have you talked to her lately?"

Eve scowled. "What can I say? I love her, but she's apparently thrown her lot in with you humans, as part of the DDF. She'd probably start trying to convince me to just 'let go' of what those monsters did to me…"

"You really should talk to her; if it's been nearly two decades since you spoke before the Sol Confederacy nabbed you and then you struck out on your own, she's probably worried sick about you."

Eve looked pensive and a bit annoyed for a few seconds, but then she sighed. "All right…" she relented. "The next chance I get, I'll go talk with her. I have been missing her…"

"Attention ground-team members, this is Urdnot Wrex. There's been a bit of a development. If you could hurry up to the War Room at your earliest convenience, I'll explain. That is all."

"Come on" Shepard said. "Let's go see what Wrex wants."

Several minutes later, everyone had gathered in the War Room. The old red-armored Krogan stood at one end, calling attention.

"Okay," he said, "first off is a history lesson for those of you not caught up on certain things. Three years ago, we and Shepard encountered a Rachni Queen on Noveria. Turns out, the Rachni who attacked the Citadel worlds a couple millennia ago were actually indoctrinated by the Reapers; they were the Reapers' 'Plan B' after the Protheans sabotaged the Keeper command signal. This Queen wasn't indoctrinated, and promised to leave and go live in peace if Shepard let her live. Which he did. Now… One of my squads has gone missing. They were scouting out the Rachni Relay; we've heard rumors of trouble in the area. Shepard… I have a favor to ask. It's big."

"Don't tell me they're causing trouble again…" the Commander said.

"I don't know. All I know for sure is our scouts went silent as soon as they arrived. I've got Aralakh Company, my best unit, on standby. You give the word, and they'll meet you there."

"We'll get right on it" Shepard replied, and then called up the comm. "Joker, set course for the Ninmah Cluster."

"Rachni Space? Uh, right away, Commander."

-SCENE BREAK-

Ninmah Cluster, Mulla Xul System, Utukku

SCAN: "Although Utukku is habitable, extreme temperatures and violent weather have discouraged colonization. Because the planet has little liquid water to retain heat, surface temperatures regularly oscillate between 70 C to -60 C. Utukku's vegetation is notable for having evolved flexible central stalks to survive high-speed winds as well as leathery leaves to shrug off the planet's frequent sandstorms. Animal life is mostly confined to the planet's small oceans. Utukku has few valuable minerals."

Two small craft descended through the planet's atmosphere. The UT-47A Kodiak carried Shepard, James, Liara, and Eve T'Lesh, while the odd orange & green craft flying beside it was piloted by its owner Samus Aran, finally joining in the war against Reaper forces after finishing off a stubborn Space Pirate stronghold back in her Realm.

"Have we learned anything, Shepard?" Liara asked.

"Our backup is waiting for us at the drop point" the Commander replied. "Aralakh Company – Krogan commandos."

"Yes, I've heard of them. They're quite the accomplished unit, famous for liberating a colony from Batarian pirates."

"Good to hear. Other than that, there's been no word from a team of Krogan scouts since they went through the Rachni Relay."

"I still can't believe you let a Rachni Queen go…" James chimed in.

"The Rachni who attacked the galaxy were under Reaper control; this Queen isn't. She's on my side, and even if she weren't she wouldn't risk extinction by starting another war."

The two vessels set down beside a prefab structure in the canyon, with Samus and Team Shepard disembarking. A squad of Krogans was already present, being directed by a certain white-armored Krogan.

"Grunt?" Shepard asked in surprise.

"Shepard!" Grunt called out, a big grin as he ran over to his old friend and good-naturedly slapped him on the back.

"What are you doing here?" Shepard said with a grin of his own.

"I could ask you the same question. Didn't those idiots ground you?"

"They kept me on Earth helping with little things in order to keep the Batarians off me – didn't want problems while they prepared for war. But the situation changed."

"Yeah, they got bigger problems, all right. It's why I'm out here running Aralakh Company. They're tough, think they're invincible; reckless, but effective."

"Sounds familiar, Grunt. How did you go from being new & unproven to having your own command?"

"It wasn't easy. When Wrex put Aralakh Company together, he needed a leader who represented the future of our species. Thanks to you, I completed my Rite of Passage on Tuchanka and became part of Clan Urdnot. I was an equal. And being the strongest, I was chosen to lead this honored company."

"I bet some didn't like a 'tank-bred' Krogan being in charge."

"I collected a few scars earning my place here. These Krogans respect me."

Shepard smirked. "You were a pain in the ass, Grunt, but if your Krogans are half the soldier you are, we might make it out here."

"Glad you're here to crack some heads, Shepard. Hard to believe this might be Rachni. Seems crazy." He looked up into the sky. "The Rachni…" he growled with anticipation. "A chance to face the old enemy? Impossible to resist!"

"We don't know if the Rachni had anything to do with this. We're here to find the scouts. I didn't see any signs of activity during our approach."

"Agreed. But this place smells wrong, like a bad wound. Our scans show the tunnels down there lead to a large central point. If we're lucky, it's a nest."

"Hoping to have to fight a horde of giant bug monsters?" Eve T'Lesh spoke up. "You have an odd definition of 'lucky'."

"Heh, heh, heh…" Grunt turned to his black-armored soldiers. "Aralakh Company, move out! Shepard, grab what you need and meet me at the scout camp ahead."

As the Krogans headed onward, Team Shepard looked around the area but found nothing of interest, and started following in the Krogans' wake.

"He is… strong" Eve said. "Just in general, he feels like he's 'more' than most Krogans."

"Grunt was genetically engineered using DNA from various accomplished historical Krogan warlords" Shepard replied. "And half a year ago, when he and I took on the Urdnot Clan's Rite of Passage, we actually managed to kill the Thresher Maw they threw at us instead of just surviving for five minutes like we were supposed to; no-one since Wrex had done that. Grunt is something special.

"You guys took down a Maw on foot?" James asked, shocked. "Damn, you're supposed to need tanks to bring one down!"

"What's a Thresher Maw?" the young Lucavi asked.

"It's a species of huge subterranean lithovores & carnivores" Liara replied. "They are massive worm-like creatures which grow throughout their lives depending on available resources and space; they live for centuries, if not millennia, and the 'average' size of an adult Thresher is around 90-100 meters, two-thirds of which never leaves the ground. They mainly consume ores and metals, as well as subsisting on an odd form of photosynthesis, but they are also able – and quite willing – to consume meat if they get the chance. They are very durable, very territorial, can move underground with frightening speed, and can fire blasts of an extremely powerful acid capable of eating through tank armor. Standard procedure for Thresher Maws is to take them on with heavy anti-vehicle weaponry, tanks, or even an airstrike, and even with all that, casualties are still expected."

"Damn" Samus spoke up. "Sounds like a Maw would be a hellishly difficult fight even for me. And if I encountered more than one…"

"You're not likely to" Liara said. "Thresher Maws are extremely territorial; you'll rarely find more than three to six on the average planet. Tuchanka, the Krogan homeworld, has a much higher population density of them due to being the Maws' evolutionary homeworld as well, but they still give each other adequate space that you won't run into more than one at the same time."

By this point, the team had reached the scout camp; Aralakh Company loitered about, with Grunt watching over them.

"Grunt, anything on the scouting party?" Shepard asked.

The white-armored Krogan looked over at a massive pit bordering the scouts' camp. "It looks like something dropped half their camp down a hole" he said. "Their shuttle must've been lost as well. They weren't going anywhere. …Doesn't matter. We're here to find the Rachni and burn them out."

"Did Warlord Okeer imprint anything about the Rachni during your creation?"

"Okeer ensured I knew of the Rachni. They are respected as an enemy. Everyone thought they were dead, defeated by the Krogans. You proved that wrong. If they're here, my blood demands they die."

"So, what did you do after we split up after Ulnar?"

"I spent most of my time back on Tuchanka, learning what it was to be Krogan. In the lab where I was created, the lessons were like fighting with practice weapons. They had no bite, no impact. I needed the blood and pain. I made mistakes, but I learned."

"Tell me more about this Company."

"Aralakh means 'eye of wrath'. We are named after the fierce Tuchanka sun. Wrex hand-picked us from different clans to show a united Krogan race. We were sent because we're the strongest."

"Good to know. Now, let's get going."

"Finally! Right behind you, Shepard."

Team Shepard moved into a prefab structure sitting on the edge of the pit, planning to climb down through an opening in it. However, as they neared the edge, the structure abruptly lurched, the rock beneath it giving way as its balance shifted. The quintet could only hold on as the entire structure went over the edge, falling a few hundred feet into the bottom of the pit. Shepard was ejected from the structure upon 'landing', rolling to a stop. He struggled to his feet, dusting himself off. A quick check ensured that the others had survived the trip as well.

"Shepard!" Grunt called out from the rim of the hole far above. "You in one piece?"

"We're all okay!" Shepard shouted back. "Keep in radio contact!"

"On our way!"

As they moved into the tunnel, they readied their weapons – Shepard and Liara drew their SMGs, James checked his assault rifle, Eve's staff glowed a faint red as she channeled a bit of power through it, and Samus switched her arm cannon to Plasma Beam mode. A little ways into the cave, they came across a Krogan corpse, covered in wounds.

"Grunt, got a body of a scout here" Shepard said. "Been dead a few days."

"Yeah? If he has his weapon, grab it. He won't need it anymore."

Shepard reached behind the body, and found a flamethrower, its fuel tank nearly fully loaded. Picking it up, he used it to burn through a few sheets of what looked like webbing as the team advanced further. Deeper in the cave, luminescent crystals provided some lighting. As they climbed up some rocks, they came upon sets of pods about a foot high in clusters on the floor. Curious, Shepard fired a brief pulse from the flamethrower, and the pod burst open in a splash of acid. When he took a step towards the other pods, the two closest to him also burst, forcing him to jump back.

"Careful" he said. "Watch your step."

After another minute or so of sneaking past acid-pods and burning through webs, the team came into a large chamber, lit fairly brightly by an abundance of glowing crystals. As they dropped into the main area of the chamber, a new threat emerged from a higher entrance point on the other side: two large, quadrupedal creatures, their bodies bearing the dull silver and glowing blue of Husks, carrying multiple bulbous orange sacs on their bodies, as well as a pair of small cannons mounted on their tops. The two creatures screeched as they spotted Team Shepard, and started firing their cannons, as human-Husks emerged from around them.

Shepard and the others rushed into cover, with James leaning out and firing his assault rifle at the approaching Husks. Eve lashed out with a concentrated burst of force that slammed two Husks into the cave wall, while Liara's SMG and Samus' Plasma-Beam shots helped to cull the cyber-zombies' numbers. Eve then pulled out the M97 Viper she'd taken along for this mission, aiming at the creature on the left and firing a few rounds. The bullets impacted the monster's armored hide, doing some damage, but the creature shrieked and fired its cannons to force Eve back into cover. Shepard readied his N7 Valiant and fired his own shots at it, the heavier and faster rounds of his rifle punching deeper into the beast's hide. At the same time, Samus started firing charged Plasma-Beam shots at the other one, while Liara hit it with a Warp to further the damage. The creature keeled over, Biotic energy and superheated plasma-fire beginning to break down its corpse. Eve and Shepard focused fire on the first one, and a Carnage shot from James finished the job.

"Those weren't Rachni anymore, Shepard" Liara said. "The Reapers have altered them."

"Grunt," Shepard said over the comm., "presence of Rachni Husks is confirmed. The Reapers already have their tentacles on them."

"Acknowledged. Nothing here yet. Lost a Krogan to a sinkhole; bad way to go."

"Just got a Codex update" Samus spoke up. "The Reapers must've already shipped some of them offworld, because someone out there has already encountered these things and made an entry for them. They're being called 'Ravagers'."

CODEX – RAVAGER: "Ravagers are former Rachni that the Reapers have transformed into heavy artillery through a process of implantation and genetic modification. As walking organic turrets, they can sustain and inflict considerable damage. Ravagers bear egg sacs that continuously spawn Swarmers. If the sacs are destroyed, either during combat or upon the Ravager's death, their entire contents burst forth to charge the enemy and explode on contact. A dead Ravager expels a caustic gas and an acidic puddle. Alliance scientists have theorized that it is easiest for the Reapers to maintain control over units of Rachni genetic extraction because of the species' neurological predisposition for hive-mind consensus."

Making their way across the chamber, they moved through where the Ravagers had come from, soon coming across a sealed door of Reaper design. Looking around, Shepard spotted another 'web' and torched it, revealing a small chamber containing a sort of 'node' of machinery connected by cables to the gate. Samus wrecked it with a charged Plasma Beam shot, and the door opened to reveal another web that was quickly burned away. As the team passed through the resulting opening, however, the cavern began to shake, the rocks above their heads rumbling. Acting fast, they rushed or dove forward just as the ceiling caved in, sealing off the way they'd come.

"Is anyone injured?" Liara asked.

"We're fine" Eve replied.

"Looks like we're finding another way out of here" Shepard said. "Come on."

"What was that noise, Shepard? Sounded bad."

"Cave-in. We're all right."

"Good. Didn't wanna dig you out."

"That hurts my feelings, Grunt."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Shepard, James, and Liara activated suit-mounted flashlights, while Samus' visor and Eve's racial trait of well-developed low-light vision meant they were fine without. The team cautiously advanced, Samus and Shepard torching a few more pods.

"Shepard, I know what happened to the scouts."

"What did you find?"

"They got hit hard. The leader ordered them to carry weapons deep into the caves. He knew the next team would need help."

"They died making sure we could make it to the central chamber."

The team moved on, soon reaching another cavern. As soon as they entered, a pack of Husks dropped from the ceiling, along with a few Cannibals and a Ravager. Liara destroyed a Reaper barrier-projector with a Warp attack, while Shepard turned his flamethrower on the approaching Husks, the stream of fire outright killing some of the reanimates while James' assault rifle poured rounds into the rest as they flailed and burned. Liara tossed out a Singularity that snatched up the Cannibals, and Samus locked onto them with a Seeker Missile barrage that took them out. Eve formed and fired a wave of crimson energy bolts at the Ravager, weakening its armor some. Shepard hit it with an Incinerate blast to hasten the process, and a charged blast from Eve's staff finished the beast off. From the Ravager's body emerged a half-dozen little creatures, their bodies glowing blue with Reaper tech as they scuttled toward the group; Shepard's SMG put them down easily enough.

As the team advanced into the cavern, they rounded a corner to find another group of hostiles, four Husks and a Ravager. A Seeker-Missile strike from Samus took out the cannon-fodder, while Liara and Shepard combined Biotic power to hoist the Ravager into the air, leaving it vulnerable to a barrage of shotgun blasts, energy bolts, and charged Plasma-Beam shots from James, Eve, and Samus. By the time it hit the ground again, it was weak enough that a single pistol shot from Shepard finished it off.

"We must be getting close, Shepard" Grunt radioed. "Some heavy fighting. Tough bastards!"

"Casualties?" Shepard asked.

"It's fine. Krogans fight better angry."

Moving on, the team passed a few more clusters of pods. This time, however, when a few of them were set off, Swarmers emerged from them. The Rachni-Worker Husks scuttled toward them, and Shepard & Liara used their SMGs to clear them out. The team advanced carefully, giving the pods a wide berth, hopping across a gap and noticing just how many eggs were around.

"They're breeding an army of these things" Samus said.

"They breed quick and this is a perfect place to hide them until their numbers are nigh-unstoppable" Eve agreed.

"And they're throwing everything they've got at us to keep us from reaching the nest" Shepard finished.

Advancing through a narrow passageway, they came to a ledge; up ahead, on the other side of the drop, Grunt and his team were pinned down against a Reaper Door as Ravagers came at them from the right. Grunt roared and charged at a Ravager, tackling it from the side and picking it up, throwing it over the ledge.

"I! AM! KROGAN!"

More Ravagers kept coming, and one of Aralakh Company's soldiers took a hit. Samus leapt forward and Screw-Attacked her way across the gap, landing amongst the Krogans and lending her Plasma Beam to the battle, giving the Ravagers some pause. Meanwhile, the rest of Team Shepard headed left, burning through a 'web' and reaching the chamber on the other side of the door. Eve rammed the energy blade of her staff into the power node, and the Reaper Door unlocked and opened. Aralakh Company's soldiers moved in, Grunt firing a few parting shots that killed one Ravager and convinced the rest to fall back.

"Shepard," he said as he jumped down, "it isn't webbing; it's Reaper tech."

"We ran into it, too" Shepard replied.

"…The Rachni Husks have backed off for now, but they can smell our wounds. Any worthy enemy would regroup and finish us off, and soon."

"We're close, Grunt. Those barriers were protecting whatever's down that passage."

Grunt looked around. "We'll dig in here, kill anything that moves, buy you some time."

Shepard looked at his squad, looking back and forth between James, Samus, and Eve. "…Samus, stay with the Krogans. Keep them alive, and help them get out when it's time to leave."

"Yes, Commander" the armored woman nodded, checking her cannon.

"Good luck, Grunt" Shepard said.

Grunt grinned. "I don't need luck; I have ammo."

As Samus and the Krogans took defensive positions, Team Shepard moved on, soon reaching a 'crawl-space' in the wall. Crawling through it single-file, they emerged into a massive chamber, a few lines of Reaper tech here & there.

"Grunt, we've located the central chamber."

"Good! We've got your back, Shepard!"

As the quartet carefully hopped down into the chamber, two Reaper Walls suddenly sprang up on either side of them. Realizing what was going on, Shepard immediately took off running straight ahead, his team following him as more walls sprang up around them. However, they were too late; a final barricade snapped up right in front of them, boxing them in. Looking around, however, James quickly spotted a power node, and destroyed it with a few assault rifle rounds. The left-side barricades retracted, and immediately Husks began charging.

"This is it, people!" Shepard said as he readied his SMG.

A quartet of human-Husks came rushing in, only for James' shotgun and Shepard's SMG to cut them down. Further in, three Cannibals and a Ravager stood guard around a power node, and were already lining up shots on Team Shepard. Liara tossed out a Singularity that snatched the Cannibals up before they could fire, and Eve blasted the hapless Batarian-Husks with a wave of crimson energy bolts. Shepard threw a Warp that curve-balled into the Ravager's side, knocking it off balance and weakening its natural armor, followed with an Incinerate that did more damage, and finished with some SMG fire. With the way clear, they hurried over to the power node, and a blast from James' shotgun destroyed it. In response, the barriers blocking the other side of the room lowered.

More Husks and another Ravager emerged between the team's entry point and their current position. Shepard and Liara combined Biotics to pick up the Ravager and then Slam it into the ground with rock-cracking force, killing it and rupturing its sacs; the spawned Swarmers were quickly dealt with by their SMGs. Eve switched her staff to its lightsaber-like energy blade form, decapitating one Husk and skewering another. James' shotgun boomed, blasting the leg off a Husk and leaving it vulnerable to another shot to the heat.

The right side of the chamber had yet more Husks and Cannibals and another Ravager. Eve readied her Viper and started picking off Cannibals with it, while James and Liara fired full-auto on the approaching Husks. Shepard Biotic-Charged into the Ravager, knocking it over, and then he jammed two grenades into its carapace. Leaping away, he came out of a roll with a flourish just as the Ravager exploded dramatically behind him. Liara destroyed the next power node with a Warp, and yet more enemies appeared behind them.

"There's so damn many of them!" Eve said as she sniped a Cannibal.

"Keep it up, people!" Shepard called as he blasted a Husk with Incinerate.

Shepard sent out his Combat Drone, the construct beginning to fire incendiary 'rockets' at Husks and Cannibals. Eve blasted one of the Ravagers with Psionic Lightning, the creature screeching as the electricity coursed through it, overloading its synthetic systems. It managed to fire a shot from its cannons that knocked Eve on her butt, her shields being downed to a mere 2%; then, a blast from the Drone finished the wounded Rachni Husk off, and as soon as Eve's shields were recharged she got back in the fight. The second Ravager fired a shot that destroyed/dispelled the Combat Drone, and then turned its guns on Liara, but a Carnage shot from James knocked the Rachni Husk's fire off-target, giving Liara time to Stasis it. Shepard and Liara then hit the frozen creature with a double Warp, the Biotic resonance between the two blasts and the Stasis field violently ripping the Ravager apart.

"Shepard, the Rachni are backing off! Whatever spooked them won't last. Finish the job."

The team made their way up to the final barricade just as it retracted. There, in the center of the chamber, was a huge creature, gazing down at them with multiple faintly-glowing blue & black eyes. Shackles held it to the Reaper machines.

"Si…lence…"

The group startled a bit as the numerous Krogan corpses scattered through the chamber suddenly spoke as one.

"The… maddening sour note has ceased."

"What are you?" Shepard asked.

"The last queen. We listen for the children… They are silent. Hollow. The machines come and take them to war. They die alone, silent, far away…"

"The Reapers did this to you?"

"Yes. The sour note of the machines is everywhere."

"…I let you go back on Noveria. You promised not to cause trouble anymore."

"We remember. We kept out promise, retreated back through the Relay. We started a new home. Beautiful children; harmony… We made ready to fight the machines; our children, queens of our progeny, constructed ships of war and birthed warriors, making ready for the machines' arrival. But… the machines came before we were ready. They heard our songs. Their shriek of sour notes drowned us out."

"Are any of the newer Queens in the Reapers' clutches?"

"No. They wait in dormancy, waiting for our call. The machines have not perverted their songs. We… I was captured before I could send out the call to arms."

"Can you still feel the Reapers? Can they influence you?"

"We hear the machines, but they cannot control us. Remove this last shackle, and we are free. We and our untainted children shall redeem the Rachni name, and help the other Hives of this galaxy drive the dark-song machines into oblivion."

Suddenly, there was a faint metallic screeching audible from elsewhere in the tunnels.

"The tainted children return! They will destroy us all. Release us!"

"We're getting movement here" Grunt radioed. "A lot of movement…"

"She's a mess…" James said. "She needs too much time to escape."

"Shepard, we're out of time! If we stay here, Aralakh Company dies! Is that clear?"

"…Eve, 'jump' to Grunt and Samus! Help Aralakh Company hold the line while the Queen escapes, and then get the hell out of here!"

The Lucavi warrior nodded, vanishing in a 'space-bridge' jump. Shepard then walked over to the final node and shot it with his pistol. The shackle holding the Rachni Queen came loose, and she dropped to the ground with a thud, her thick and armored limbs supporting her. She let out a soft warbling screech, and then began to make her exit. As soon as she was clear, Team Shepard made their way out as well. Suddenly, there was a piercing cry from the Rachni Queen that echoed through the caves. It was not one of pain or distress, but of awakening. At Aralakh Company's position, the Krogans and their two humanoid allies got a surprise as two large, black-armored creatures emerged: Rachni Brood-Warriors. The uncorrupted Rachni immediately lashed out with acid blasts and Biotic attacks against their fallen brethren. After a couple minutes, there was another sounding call.

"Time to get the hell out of here!" Grunt said. "Move, boys! Move, move, move!"

A shockwave of psionic power from Eve knocked three Ravagers over a cliff as the group started running. One Krogan fell, a cannon shot from a Ravager hitting his leg, but without breaking stride one of the Brood-Warriors picked him up and carried him as they ran; the wounded Krogan quickly got over the surprise of his 'steed' and continued firing at the Reaper forces pursuing them. Samus rolled into Morph-Ball form and dropped a Power Bomb in the enemy's path before then returning to normal and continuing to run, the resulting explosion killing two more Ravagers. Before long, they caught up with Shepard's group, hurrying up through the caves and blasting any Reaper forces in their way. However, reaching a cavern passageway bordering a deep drop, they came face to face with a half-dozen Ravagers.

Suddenly, the rock wall next to the Rachni Husks shattered as the Queen busted through. With an angry shriek, she swatted one of the surprised Ravagers away into the abyss, and then blasted two more with a Biotic Shockwave that hit like a freight train, splatting them against the far wall. The Brood-Warriors charged in to aid their Queen, catching the remaining Ravagers from the side before they could fire on her. Shepard and Samus added their fire to the cause, a Biotic Throw and a Super Missile sending two more Ravagers over the edge. The last Ravager tried to leap at the Queen, but a Saber Throw from Eve bisected it.

"Never thought I'd be saved from Rachni by Rachni…" one of the Krogans muttered.

The Queen and the two Brood-Warriors left through another tunnel, heading for safety, while Team Shepard and Aralakh Company continued on their own way. Soon, the light of Utukku's sun was visible, and the teams emerged back to the surface. As two waiting shuttles picked them up, Shepard received one last telepathic message from the Rachni Queen: a 'transmitted' feeling of gratitude. Smiling, he took his seat as the shuttles took off.

-SCENE BREAK-

Normandy-II, QEC Room

"I'm reviewing your report on the Rachni situation, Commander. This could have gotten complicated, fast. I hope you know what you're doing, cutting a deal with the Rachni Queen. We got burned last time. I'm trusting your instincts, Commander."

"We can count on her support, Admiral."

"I hope so. But… we cut the Reaper supply of new Rachni Husks and picked up some additional Krogan support. I call that a victory. I've gotta get back to it, Commander. Watch yourself out there. Hackett out."

As Shepard exited the QEC room, he found Wrex waiting.

"Sounds like I missed a hell of a fight" the old Krogan said.

"It was bloody, Wrex. We could've used you."

"Too busy talking rather than fighting. Feeling restless; a war going on, and I'm stuck keeping the peace. I heard you made some kinda deal with the Rachni Queen. If they get out of hand again, it's your ass on the line."

"Understood."

"And you got Grunt & his boys out alive, too. I'll let 'em get patched up, and then put 'em back to work."

"Shepard," Mordin called out as he entered, "tests verified. Results promising. Can synthesize for universal Krogan immunity."

"Good" Wrex replied. "Then you can put your knife away."

"The cure's ready?" Shepard asked.

"No. Still need transmission vector. Cure useless unless given to entire species."

"You're usually full of ideas, Mordin. You altered the genophage before; there must be a way."

"Of course. Always possibilities. But time limited. Can't create new infection strain from scratch. Groundwater? No, too slow. Voluntary inoculation risky, population too scattered for airborne, unless… Wait, yes! The Shroud! Constant global dispersion of air particles. Built by Salarians to repair atmosphere of Tuchanka." He called up a hologram of the pointed spire building. "Also used by… Turians…" he said, a bit uncomfortably.

"We used it to secretly spread the genophage virus" Primarch Victus chimed in. "It… ended the Krogan Rebellions."

"I'd be careful who you tell that to…" Wrex growled.

"Sometimes I understand why the Krogans want to shoot everyone in sight" Shepard remarked.

"Those were desperate times…" Victus murmured.

"Yes, yes, but useful now" Mordin said. "Original genophage strain still in storage at Shroud facility. Can use it as transmission vector, then use Shroud to blanket Tuchanka with cure!"

Wrex grinned. "You clever little pyjak. That's our best shot, right there."

"Then finish your preparations and be ready to go, Mordin" Shepard told the scientist.

"Of course. Ready when you need me. Will be in medbay with Shaman until then."

"Commander, Admiral Anderson is available on vid-comm."

Nodding, Shepard headed right back into the QEC room, finding his old friend waiting.

"Shepard. So, I imagine by now you've wiped the galaxy clean of Reapers and we can all come up for air?"

"Not quite. There have been a few complications."

"Aren't there always? Hackett filled me in on the Crucible. Sounds like you've got some knots to untangle."

"It's what you hired me to do."

"Mostly you were hired to kill Reapers. I hope you haven't been sidetracked by all the politics."

"Nothing I can't handle. What about you? What's happening on Earth?"

"I'll spare you the details. But let's just say a lot of cities around the world have stopped checking in."

"That bad?"

"You and I knew what we were in for, but everyone else… I don't think the shock's worn off yet."

"Are you safe?"

"That changes by the hour. I caught a shuttle evac out of Vancouver, and now we're running from foxhole to foxhole just trying to stay alive."

"What about the Reapers?"

"They're harvesting everything that moves. They're focusing on the big cities, which does give us some room to maneuver."

"You think you can hang on?"

"Hell, we're still just trying to talk to each other. Right now, all we can do is organize the resistance at a local level. No lack of volunteers, at least; everybody knows what's at stake."

"I don't know how we'll win this yet, but we will, even if it kills me."

"Well, you've already died once and that didn't slow you down. But let's not tempt fate. Keep yourself safe, Shepard."

"You too, sir."

"We'll talk again soon. Anderson out."

-SCENE BREAK-

Arcturus Stream, Euler System, Benning

SCAN: "Benning, the nearest garden world to Arcturus Station, is the primary source of its food supply and an important staging area for starship maintenance and repair. Occupying the planet would be key in any attempt to retake the system's relay. Scattered intelligence indicates that during the battles of Arcturus and Earth, the Reapers sent a small force to Benning to destroy its comm. buoys, spaceports, and starships. With the population immobilized and communications cut, the main force concentrated on the larger prize, knowing they could return before repairs could be made or help could arrive. Heat sources in Benning's space indicate a non-Reaper presence here."

A UT-47A Kodiak descended through Benning's atmosphere, carrying a team of three individuals, larger than normal humans and wearing red heavy armor. Sent in ahead of the rest of the UNSC to participate in missions like this, the three Spartan-2.5-turned-4s made ready. Admiral Hackett's face appeared on the screen.

"Crimson Team, Cerberus strike squads have infiltrated one of the major cities on Benning. Initial reports indicated they were recruiting civilians. But further information suggests that people are being taken against their will."

"For what purpose, sir?" Lero-B047 asked.

"We sent in a recon team to investigate, and the Cerberus squads reacted by targeting civilians and public facilities. Officially, Cerberus is denying responsibility and condemning the action. They're either lying, or we're dealing with a rogue faction."

"And innocents are caught in their crosshairs."

"Exactly. Secure the area so we can establish a rescue lifeline to the rest of the city."

"Approaching the drop-point, sir" a Systems Alliance Lieutenant said from the pilot's seat.

"The people down there are counting on you, Spartans. Hackett out."

The shuttle set down, and the three Spartans piled out. Moving through the streets, they caught sight of a civilian being gunned down up ahead. As they rounded a corner, 'Spartan Time' kicked in as Alisa-B296 knelt and fired her SRS995 sniper rifle at the turret in the middle of the square, two rounds wrecking the gun, while Lero and Zeke-B147 fired their BR85 rifles at Cerberus soldiers, killing four standard Troopers. The Engineer took a round from Alisa's rifle that scattered his skull contents, while Zeke let his shields soak up fire from a Centurion as he rushed the Cerberus officer and shoulder-tackled him, downing his kinetic barriers, and then unloaded several MA5D rounds point-blank. Lero used his rifle to take out the remaining Troopers.

"Dog tags, sir" Zeke called out, kneeling by a bloodstain on the ground. "Alliance marine, someone named Osoba."

"Take 'em with us" Lero replied. "We can notify his next-of-kin."

"Diversion is working, Spartans" the pilot radioed. "Civilians are on the move. Hold on… Tracking civilians fleeing the area with Cerberus right behind them. Updating your nav-points."

As the markers appeared on the three Spartans' HUDs, they hurried through a couple buildings to reach a parking area, where a handful of civilians were pinned by approaching Cerberus forces. Alisa sniped a Centurion and then reloaded, while Zeke and Lero leapt down and charged in, assault rifles blazing as they cut down a half-dozen Troopers. The three Spartans quickly reached the civilians, who were surprised but grateful to see the trio of heavily-armored soldiers.

More Cerberus troopers arrived, and Lero was thankful the civilians had the sense to stay put and stay down as the shooting started. Alisa switched to her BR85, the trio using the faithful weapon to cut down any 'Cerbies' that popped their heads out. As an Engineer entered the field, Alisa pulled out a Sangheili plasma pistol and fired a 'scaled burst' that stripped his shields, and Zeke took him down. A Centurion tried to throw a grenade over the Spartans' heads and into the civilians, but Lero shot the explosive out of the air before it was halfway across the area, detonating it harmlessly and then working with Alisa to gun the Centurion down.

After a few more Cerberus troops were downed and there was a brief lull, Lero signaled the civilians to get moving, hurrying through a building on the side and toward the landing pad. More Cerberus forces were waiting there, and the people took cover as the Spartans each threw a frag grenade into the mass of enemies, killing five of them. An Engineer tried to set up a turret, but was sniped by Alisa, while Zeke took out a Trooper with his MA5D and Lero killed another that was trying to get a bead on the civilians.

The fighting continued for a few more minutes, with Fireteam Crimson easily slaughtering the Cerberus forces that attacked. Finally, the area was clear, and armed transports flew in to pick up the civilians. The Kodiak came in as well, extracting the Spartans from another job well done.

-SCENE BREAK-

The Citadel, Huerta Memorial

As Shepard walked into the hospital room, he found Ashley staring out the window. She was on her feet, wearing parts of her armor.

"Good to see you up and around" he said.

"Yeah…" she replied, turning around part-way to see him.

"Everything alright?"

"I guess. Oh, I took Udina's offer."

"Spectre status. Congratulations."

"Seems small compared to what's going on…" she sighed.

"You ready for the responsibilities of a Spectre?"

"…It doesn't feel real yet. Maybe it'll sink in. I don't know what duties I'll have. Everything's a mess right now. What do you think of all this?"

"You're a fine soldier with an impressive record. You deserve this."

"Thanks. That… means a lot coming from you. He said we'll have the official ceremony soon… once I'm out of here."

"And after? Any plans to come back to the Normandy?"

"I'm not sure. Frankly, I've got enough to think about right now."

"I understand. You feeling better?"

"I'm fine, other than the pile of paperwork the doc's gonna throw at me." She sighed, looking out the window. "Sorry I'm so distracted, Shepard, it's just…"

"What's going on?"

"I heard from my mom. They got out in time. They're okay."

"Good. That's good news. Did you sister make it to the Citadel?"

"She did. But… her husband was killed in action."

"I'm sorry, Ash…"

"Thanks. Yeah, Sarah wasn't much for the military life. We were all surprised when they got married…"

"I wonder how many families are getting torn apart by the Reapers?"

"I don't wanna think about it. Seems hopeless sometimes…"

"Don't blame yourself for this, Ashley."

"I know… but I'm her big sis, y'know? …' In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloody, but unbowed'."

"What's that from?"

"Invictus, by Henley. One of my dad's sappy poets."

"It's about not giving up."

"Right. … My sister wants to do a thing at the memorial. Nothing fancy, just some words about family. It'll be tough."

"Keep me posted, all right?"

"Will do. And thanks, Shepard."

-Break-

Docking Bay E24 – Memorial Wall

"Are you okay?" Shepard asked.

Steve Cortez sighed, holding the datapad that held his departed husband's final message. "I've just been standing here, holding this for I don't know how long. …He'll always be a part of me."

"Your past is yours. No-one can take that away."

Cortez nodded, and then slowly walked up to the memorial wall, standing amongst other people grieving over their own losses. He held up the datapad…

"I love you, but I know you. Don't make me an anchor. Promise me, Steve."

"Goodbye, Robert…" He turned to Shepard. "Thank you for coming."

"Any time."

-Break-

Normandy II, CO's Quarters

Shepard sat on the couch of his quarters, having just got back from running into Jack at Club Purgatory, as well as buying James and a few Alliance soldiers a round of drinks. There was a knock on the door.

"Come on in" he called out.

The door opened, and Liara came in holding a black box of sorts that she carefully set down on the table.

"I've been thinking about the knowledge we've gathered on the Reapers," she said, "and how easily it could be lost again. So… I put a plan in motion to preserve things for the future."

She keyed in a few commands, and a narrow blue shaft of light shone up from the center of the box's top.

"What's this?" Shepard asked.

"A record of the galaxy" she replied, the hologram shifting to various things as she continued speaking. "Information on the Reapers, relays, different cultures… and blueprints of the Crucible. But there's one entry I wanted your opinion on."

"Which one?"

The hologram changed again, to…

"Your own. I'd be honored to have your input. How would you like history to remember you?"

[AN: Poor memory incoming; will correct upon next playthrough]

"…Be honest. Put everything down, good and bad. Let history decide what to think about me."

"Very well. Let me just delete all these glowing praises on your heroics…"

"Writing down something I can't live up to, Liara?"

"Well… I did just write your name in the stars…"

-CHAPTER END-

Next Time: Tuchanka