MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA SERIES II

Chapter 26

Garrus rode in the elevator up to the floor of the CIC on the Normandy. Shepard had taken Miranda and Jacob to pick up their next dossier: a prison inmate named Jack. Garrus wasn't too fond of the idea on having a convict aboard the ship, but he trusted Shepard. He just didn't trust the people he was getting the information from nor his accomplices. When the doors opened, Kelly Chambers, whirled around with a bright smile. "Hello, there, Garrus. I'm glad to see you up and walking about. Everyone was really worried about you."

Garrus held back the response to say that he was sure Cerberus cared for an alien. He didn't want to come across too brash to Kelly. Her comment seemed almost sincere. It was more like Cerberus was worried about losing out on their investment. "Thank you," he politely nodded his head.

"Is there anything you need? I will be happy to get it for you."

"No, I was just going to talk to the Professor," He turned and made his way to the research lab where Mordin was stationed. The Salarian was busy walking around the lab looking for items when Garrus entered. He paused at his station to see who was coming in. "Garrus Vakarian. Yes, the Turian that was with Shephard on Omega. How can I help?"

"Well, I like to know who I may be fighting with against the Collectors. Heard the mercs were scared of you," The Turian grinned.

Mordin narrowed his eyes, almost as if he was offended by the statement. "I was there on Omega to cure people and the mercs sought profit from the plague victims. Had to be dealt with."

"Still a doctor with that much firepower? I heard about taking precautions on Omega, but still…" Garrus took note that the Salarian was becoming guarded. He relaxed a bit and crossed his arms casually. "Easy, doctor. I'm just impressed."

"Use to work on the Special Tasks Group. Retired though."

"Retired from STG? Then Omega? You must have missed the battles."

"Needed a change from prior…work," Mordin cleared his throat as if he was pausing to gather his thoughts carefully. "I served under a young captain named Kirrahe."

Kirrahe? The name sounded familiar, then it hit him. Garrus remembered him on Virmire. He led the assault against Saren's base. He was a great motivator and none of his men questioned him. "I met him on Virmire. Great leader."

Mordin's eyes lit up. "Heard he was part of that! Always got the job done. Good captain."

"What sort of work were you doing with Kirrahe with the STG, if you don't mind me asking that is," Garrus looked around at the lab setup. It was quite impressive. It seemed like that Mordin's data was coming at him at every direction. No wonder he talked the way he did.

"Studied krogan tissues samples from the genophage. Took samples from different Krogan colonies." Mordin walked over to a video screen to pull up one analysis. To Garrus, it looked like a different language, but to the doctor, it meant so much more. "Had to be sure."

Garrus looked up, "Had to be sure about what?"

"Krogan sterilization. Keep the job done. The Krogan rebellions were bloody, worse than Rachni attacks. All species evolve, adapt, mutate. If genophage weakens, then we had to be prepared." Mordin grinned, "Wasn't easy to get the samples. Had to be creative, stealthy."

Garrus looked at the professor in disgust. He was glad that Wrex wasn't on board. If he heard about Mordin's past, then Shepard would have to find another recruit. "What happened to the Krogan was wrong. I'm sorry, Professor."

Mordin glared at him and turned off the monitor. "You weren't there. Krogan out of control. Had to be done. STG had to keep them in check."

Remembering one of their upcoming dossiers, Garrus smiled, "If you are so keen on keeping the Krogan fertility rates down, Mordin, then perhaps you should be aware of another recruit we have. There's a Krogan warlord named Okeer who is cloning Krogans to cure the genophage." Garrus just hoped the idea would help and be meant for good. Saren also cloned Krogan at his facility on Virmire but that was for an army, not to help Krogan kind at all. Luckily, Wrex saw through that.

"Yes yes," Mordin returned back to his station and took a breath to gather his thoughts. "Will have to see. Would like to study to see if he is successful. Perhaps will need to modify the virus. So much work to do after this." Before Garrus could utter a response, the Salarian looked squarely at him, "I'm willing to do what is necessary. Shepard is aware of this."

A few days after Jack was recruited, Shepard asked Garrus to accompany her and him to obtain Okeer at Korlus. The shuttle rocked as they got closer to the landing sight. Garrus looked over to Jack to see her staring off into space with a look full of anger on her face. Her jaw was clenched tightly. "It's great to have another squad mate," he spoke out hopeful to break the ice. She didn't say much on board the Normandy other than some pretty hostile words to Jacob and Miranda. Apparently, she had a past history with Cerberus and didn't enjoy the idea of working with them. But then again, it beat her previous status asleep in a cryo cell.

Jack whipped her face over to look at him. "I'm not here to be friends. I'm just here to kill like Shepard wants me to."

Taken back, Garrus cleared his throat in embarrassment and glanced up at Shepard. John shrugged back at him. "Uh, good to have a goal."

Once the shuttle landed, Shepard jumped out first, Garrus took the rear. Gunfire could be heard in the distance. A woman's voice screamed over the place's loudspeaker. "It's kill or be killed! No excuses!"

"Loudspeaker? Someone likes to hear the sound of their voice." Garrus marched ahead, prepping his assault rifle to cryo ammo.

"Just who the fuck are we fightin anyway?" Jack crept behind Shepard as she switched on her inferno ammo on her submachine gun.

"Blue Suns...duck!" Shepard yelled as he rolled to cover. Garrus and Jack followed suit as four Blue Suns mercs came racing up ahead with their rifles blasting.

Shepard leaned up and caught one merc square in the chest. Garrus took out another with a hit to the head. "Scratch one!" He yelled in triumph.

Jack unleashed a shockwave attack and sent the remaining two flying back to their deaths. She stood up once the coast was clear. "Let's quit pussy footing around."

"Yes, mam," Garrus coughed as he stood up.

"Keep your eyes peeled. Apparently Okeer is working with the Suns." Shepard motioned them ahead.

"Why would he want to work with them?" Garrus asked out loud as he tried to ponder the notion of the Suns wanting to help cure the genophage. It didn't make any sense. He would need their funding, but what would be their profit?

"An army of Krogan?" Jack asked.

"Again?" Garrus groaned playfully, remembering back to his fight on Virmire. "Why do you say that?"

"Because we have Krogan charging! Incoming!" Shepard pointed as he dove to the side and opened fire not giving the Krogan time to get much momentum.

The Krogan groaned out loudly as the ammo struck him, but he continued to press ahead and fumbled to take a shot with his shotgun. "You're going to die."

"Not today," Garrus lifted his sniper rifle and aimed at the Krogan's head. He fired and gave the charging test tube exactly the last wound it could take before falling down.

"Krogan and the Suns?" Shepard sighed in exasperation. "Great."

"I'm just getting warmed up," Jack gathered more dark energy for her biotics.

After what seemed like forever fighting against rounds of Blue Suns, they came across something they didn't expect to see. A fortified position by Krogan up against a group of Blue Suns. So, they weren't working together? Several dead Krogan were in different positions where they died at their posts. A final one was making his last stand as he fired up at the three remaining mercs with his rifle. "Three against one?" Jack shook her head.

"I think we should give this guy a hand," Garrus suggested.

"I agree. He could possibly give us information. Just be ready. Fan out and take those assholes down!"

"Oh yeah!" Jack lifted one merc with her biotic and slammed him hard, crushing every bone in his body. Shepard used inferno ammo and struck another in several spots causing him to catch on fire. The merc screamed as the flames consumed him. Garrus froze another and then shot again to shatter the merc's solid body into several pieces.

The Krogan stopped firing and turned to look at the trio. His head covered by a helmet. He approached them slowly and seemed to smell Shepard who was standing up front. "You…you are different. You do not smell like this world." Garrus didn't like the idea of the Krogan being that close to his Commander. He raised his side arm to make sure the tank bred was friendly, but Shepard motioned him to lower it.

"Were you bred to kill?" Shepard asked.

"Bred to…kill?" The tank bred pondered the question. "No. I kill because my blood and bone tell me to. My glassmother flushed me because I failed. The voice in the water told me I was not perfect."

"So, this fucker failed a test and now he's left to die?" Jack spat in disgust.

"Seems like it," Garrus added.

"I am to wait here. I know I am not perfect," The tank bred spoke up to the pair. "The voice was disappointed and said I am not what it needs me to be."

"So Okeer told you this?"

"I don't know. I just heard a voice. I called it 'father'."

Shepard looked over at Garrus clueless. "I destroyed Saren's cure. How does Okeer expect these krogan to ignore the genophage if not by curing it?"

"Beats me."

Shepard returned his focus to the Krogan. "I need to get to Okeer. Can you show me where to go?"

"The glass mother is up ahead behind some of you fleshy things. I'll show you," The tank bred walked over to move the barrier he placed.

"Very impressive," Garrus was in awe.

"Can you fight your way back to the lab?" Shepard asked the Krogan.

"I'm to wait here. I'm not perfect but I have purpose. I must wait until called. Released."

"Damnit!" Jack cried out as the Suns' shots pierced her dying shields and struck her arm. She grabbed her wound as she slumped down.

"Jack!" Garrus ran to her to assist as he fought blindly to give him some cover. The fight was becoming fiercer against the Suns as they got closer to Okeer's lab. Along the way, they heard the Suns were being commanded by a woman named Jedore. This group seemed to be tougher than the ones he faced on Omega. They seemed more organized, which made the fight harder. Shepard was across from the pair looking over with concern as he continued to fire at the attacking mercs. "Are you alright?" Garrus kept his head low as he tried to survey the wound.

"I'm fine," Jack shoved him away.

"You're welcome," Garrus angrily said in frustration as he moved away to continue the fight. He heard Jack wince as she applied medigel. The last of the mercs groaned as he fell over. Shepard charged ahead. Not giving Jack another look, Garrus followed suit as he checked his ammo count. He was running low on the current clip but luckily, he had several others.

"Up the stairs, "Shepard called to him as he went through the door the mercs were guarding and forged ahead.

"Great," Garrus panted as he tried to catch his breath. He didn't know much more he could take. He heard Jack catching up and made his way with the Commander. Up ahead, they saw another door that led to the labs. They finally made it.

A yellowish skin Krogan was standing beside a glass container that housed what appeared to be another tank bred. The Krogan had to be Okeer. He pivoted around to greet the trio with a look of aggravation. "It's about time. The batteries on these tanks will not wait while you play with these idiotic mercs."

"I probably just saved your ass dealing with the Blue Suns," Shepard crossed his arms with a glare. "You should be grateful."

"Do you think it is good to see you? I heard what happened on Virmire."

"I did what I had to do."

"But I approve," Okeer held out his arms in endearment. "Such a tale! The traitor Spectre, Saren, threatens the return of the Krogan horde by curing the genophage, undoing the gentle genocide of the Turians and the Salarians."

Jack lightly bumped Garrus' arm, "Good job." Garrus refused to take the bait and remained silent. After talking with Mordin, he didn't want to get into about the genophage and his kind's help with it.

Okeer smirked with a gleam in his eyes as he turned to look back at his tank bred, "But before Saren can deliver his endless troops, in rides Shepard, securing victory through nuclear fire. I like that part. It has weight." Garrus noticed Shepard's demeanor darkened as Okeer told his outcome on Virmire. Not only did they destroy the base, but they also lost a dear friend, Kaidan.

"I make no apologies," Shepard stood up straighter as he stared down Okeer.

"I told you I approve," Okeer reminded him as he lifted up his hands. "Saren's pale horde were not true Krogan. Numbers alone are nothing. The mistake of an outsider, one that these mercenaries have also made. It's time for you to take me out of here."

"We need to stop the Collectors," Garrus reminded him.

"A human concern," Okeer shook his head as he looked back at the marvel beside him. "I acquired the knowledge to create one pure soldier. An enemy against the genophage."

"One Krogan?" Jack lifted her eyebrow. "Hello, we can kill one Krogan."

"You have more Krogan outside that you said failed. Do you not care about them?" Shepard asked.

"I fail no one. They are useless to me. I need perfection. My work will purify the Krogan. We will not be restored, we will be…renewed."

Shepard walked up to the glass container and studied the tank bred inside. "If your pet is as strong as you say he is. Maybe I can use him."

Okeer watched him anxiously, "Perhaps I can strike a deal to secure passage. However, my prototype is not negotiable. It is the key to my legacy." Garrus didn't like the idea of having Okeer on board with them. Another who was going to use the genophage to inflict more harm than good against the Krogan.

Jedore's voice came over the PA system again stopping the conversation, "I'm calling 'blank slate' on this project. Destroy Okeer's data and flush the tanks."

Okeer growled as he heard several tanks being flushed, "She will kill my legacy with a damned valve!" He turned to address Shepard, this time with a different tone. A look of desperation on his face, "I'll give you everything I can. My legacy must not suffer this insult. Kill Jedore. I'll stay and do what must be done," He gingerly placed his hands on the prototype's container.

"I'll be back after I kill Jedore. You keep this deal," Shepard motioned for Garrus and Jack to head out with him.

Once they returned to the lab, they found Okeer's corpse on the floor near his prototype with a recording playing over and over. Jedore managed to gas the labs to finish off Okeer while they fought against her. They weren't able to get back in time to save him. The ventilation was able to remove all the harmful components away before they got there. Okeer's face appeared on the video monitor, "Everything is in my prototype. My legacy is pure. This…one soldier, this grunt, perfect."

Jack tapped Okeer's body with her boot. "So, what now?"

Garrus stared up the tank bred. "Why would someone so fanatical sacrifice himself like this? For one Krogan?"

"Because he's insane," Jack looked over at him. "Let's just go."

"I think we should take him with us. I would like to see what we can learn," Shepard stepped away to contact the Normandy.

Garrus looked up at the container, "I sure hope this one is friendly."