.
Loyalty and Limerence
Part 3
Chapter 7
The Normandy SR2
"Garrus! You clean up pretty well! You know, for a turian." Wrex grinned as Liara escorted him into the Normandy's conference room the next day. Garrus stood beside Victus, both of them dressed to their best. Apparently the original plan had been only for Victus, Wrex, Shepard, and the Dalatrass to attend the war summit, but when Shepard made it clear that he intended to bring Jane with him, everyone but Wrex decided to bring an advisor as well. Wrex, it seemed, figured he was more than enough krogan for one meeting.
Garrus had felt panicked at first when Victus had asked him to accompany him, but he'd picked up a formal enough outfit just in case while on the Citadel to make at least a show of professionalism. It seemed somewhat pointless now, watching Wrex stride into the room in a scuffed, dirty hardsuit, but perhaps that was part of his… charm.
"Wrex, glad you didn't oversleep. I see that you don't clean up, period." Garrus cocked a half smile as he stepped forward and offered his hand, which the clan chief took in a firm shake.
"Haaa, the dirt is just part of the uniform." Wrex grinned at him as he stepped back, but then eyed Victus warily for a moment before nodding his head.
"Primarch."
"Clan Chief." Victus nodded back stiffly, the coolness between them expected, but still enough to make Garrus hold his breath. Wrex might be friendly enough with him, but he knew the older man's thoughts on turians in general. The more he thought about it, the more harebrained this whole war summit seemed. Shepard was going to need some sort of miracle to make this work. Then again, miracles were Shepard's business.
Nearby, the door opened again, this time revealing Liara leading the salarian Dalatrass Linron and her advisor. The Dalatrass was draped in a prettily patterned garment that left her face visible but little else. The darkness of the fabric coupled with her stony expression left Garrus with the desire to shiver. As Liara gestured her into the conference room, the Dalatrass led her advisor around the table to the far side, directly across from where Wrex stood by the door. Her eyes narrowed as her gaze met Wrex's, and Garrus could see both of them stand a bit taller, their backs stiff. Shepard really would need a miracle indeed.
The room remained silent for a short, highly uncomfortable moment, during which Garrus tried not to cough anxiously and shift his feet. He could tell Victus was coiled like a spring, ready to jump right into negotiations. Palaven didn't stand a chance without some sort of reinforcements, and that was his entire purpose for being here, at this table. Shepard had yet to join them, however, which made it difficult to officially get started. Where were they anyway?
Carefully, like a man testing the temperature of a bathtub with a single toe, Victus began somewhat unnecessary introductions between the salarians and the krogan. The conversation was stiff, halting, and occasionally only vaguely bordering on polite. Victus attempted to keep the peace, guiding the topic of conversation to small talk, but after a minute or two, Wrex seemed to tire of it, his responses becoming clipped.
"Truly a pity we opted to bring the krogan to the table instead of the asari." The Dalatrass sniffed with a pointed look at Wrex and his armor. "I'm surprised you decided to drag yourself off that pile of rubble to even show up for this meeting." Her words, so clearly designed to provoke, appeared to finally cross the line.
"Enough of this crap." Wrex growled as his open palms slapped down upon the table between them, causing everyone's eyes to widen in surprise. "I'm not here to sit around twiddling my thumbs while you talk shit. Where are our females that you abducted?" Wrex glared at the Dalatrass, but she barely flinched at the sudden accusation.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She sneered in disgust, glancing at Wrex as though looking down at a particularly disgusting insect.
"You salarians-" Wrex hissed the word like a curse, "need to return them immediately."
"The krogan is in no position to be making demands!" The Dalatrass replied cooly as she shot Victus a haughtily raised brow. Garrus sighed, and besides him, he heard Victus sigh as well.
"The krogan has a name: Urdnot Wrex. And I'm not just some junkyard varren you unleash whenever you're in trouble." Wrex spat angrily with the swipe of a hand as he pushed back off the table. But everyone paused and looked up as the door opened once again.
They all turned to see Shepard stride into the room. He was dressed in his dress blues, professional and sharp, his back straight and shoulders squared as though prepared for battle.
Just behind him came Jane. She didn't have a uniform to wear, instead opting for her hardsuit, much like Wrex. Her's, however, had been cleaned and polished till it shone, the Spectre insignia on the shoulder standing out against the dark colored armor.
Shepard came to a stop at the far end of the conference table across from Garrus and Victus, his hands resting lightly before him on the table. Jane took up position just behind him at his shoulder, her arms held at her back, her feet spread, and her expression utterly impassive. She seemed relaxed in the same way a tiger might – confident in her abilities, unafraid of those around her, yet still prepared to strike at a moment's notice.
Wrex nodded to Shepard, who nodded back before turning to greet the Dalatrass. Garrus' eyes remained on Jane a moment longer before shifting his attention to Wrex as he continued.
"I've got my own problems. Reaper scouts have arrived on Tuchanka." Turning to Victus and Garrus, Wrex's eyes narrowed. "So why should I care if a few turians go extinct?" Garrus could sense Victus nearly bristle with frustration beside him, his subvocals nearly a growl. Despite that, his voice remained low as he responded.
"Wrex, I have no time for your dramatics. Now that we're all here, just get to the point. What is it that you want?" The Primarch snapped, and Wrex leaned forward expectantly.
"I'll tell you what I need." His eyes narrowed as his gaze swept the room, "A cure for the genophage."
"Absolutely not!" The Dalatrass exclaimed, turning away from the table as she flicked a dismissive hand in Wrex's direction. Garrus noticed the slight twitch of Jane's lips as she eyed Wrex quickly, but her expression stilled as she focused on the yelling Dalatrass. The room quickly dissolved into a discussion about the necessity of the genophage, with Shepard angrily challenging the Dalatrass' assertions. All the while, Wrex watched the back and forth as though waiting for something… but for what?
Finally, Victus' voice cut through the debate, his desperation clear in his voice as he leaned into the table with a slow shake of his head.
"Enough! This is all theoretical. It would take years to formulate a cure. There's no time."
Wrex smiled, a grim curve of his lips. "There already is one."
The room went completely silent, the only sound being the soft sound of the Normandy's air system. Garrus realized his mouth was open, and clicked it shut. His eyes once again drifted toward the other end of the table. Shepard's eyes were wide, shock and surprise plastered across his features, but Jane seemed completely unperturbed.
"It's nearly ready for distribution, only a little more is required before it can finally be fully synthesized, according to my sources." Wrex moved toward the head of the table where Garrus and Victus stood, and both of them moved aside as he pulled up the display controls.
He began outlining the barbaric experiments back on Tuchanka, the ones that Shepard's team had halted. With a few quick keystrokes, one glass wall darkened and upon it began playing a shaky video recording.
"...but what you didn't know is that other females survived his experiments." The video seemed to be some sort of body cam, the recording skittering quickly through what appeared to be a medical facility, or possibly a lab. As the person with the camera turned, it was possible to see holding cells with large figures, undeniably krogan in shape and figure.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Garrus breathed quietly as Wrex explained the salarian's covert operation to track down and abduct the females.
"Where did you get this?" The Dalatrass demanded, her voice higher than it had been. "It could be a fabrication!" She stuttered, clearly unprepared for the accusation and evidence thrown before her. Wrex's face darkened and he opened his mouth to reply.
"Don't insult-!"
"I can confirm his assertions." All eyes fell on Jane as she stepped forward to stand beside her brother. "I've been to the facility and witnessed the females myself. I'm also aware of the development of the genophage cure, and can confirm its existence. From what I understand, the cure is nearly complete, but the researchers and females require extraction before this can be accomplished."
The Dalatass' eyes were murderous as she opened her mouth to reply, but paused as her advisor began whispering furiously to her.
"Those are my people!" Wrex yelled with righteous fury as he jabbed a finger at the Dalatrass, "They're the last hope for the krogan, and you're going to give them back!"
"Dalatrass," Victus stepped between the two, his eyes narrowed as he looked to the salarians, "Is this true?"
"There is absolutely no way a cure has been developed, the thought is ridiculous." She hissed, "Besides, even if it was, how would allowing a cure for the genophage to be released benefit my people?"
"How long do you think you'll last alone against the Reapers? Because if you don't help, that's how it'll end up." Shepard stated firmly, his shock at the revelations of moments before quickly squashed as he took himself in hand.
"And I'll be the last friendly turian you ever see." Victus added, his voice echoing only a fraction of the menace reverberating through is sub vocals. Garrus was suddenly very grateful that Victus was their Primarch, fate could not have chosen a better man for the job.
"I don't-!" The Dalatrass began, but stopped as Jane's hand came down hard upon the table.
"Look, us asking permission is really just a formality." Jane said casually, as though she was pointing out the weather. She paused, and when she continued her voice became colder and sharper with each word. "I know which base they're being held at, I've been there myself. We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way. There's a lot less salarian blood split if you choose the easy way."
The Dalatrass glared at her, her lips drawn and thin before bowing her head as she brought a hand up to rub her eyes in frustration.
"Fine. Do what you will, take the krogan." She grunted, and as soon as the words left her mouth, Shepard was moving toward the door. "But I warn you, Commander!" He paused and looked back as she added, "The consequences of this will be felt for centuries to come!"
Anger flashed in Shepard's eyes as he turned back fully to face the salarains. "Which will be nothing compared to what happens if the Reapers win."
"If you're not willing to work together with us, you won't have to worry about the consequences of any of this." Jane pointed out as she brought her hands up in deceptively flippant shrug. "You'll be dead long before that point when you're forced to face the Reapers alone."
Wrex sneered at the salarians before turning to Shepard, "Let's get the females." Shepard nodded, and turned to lead the way out of the conference room. The Dalatrass tried one last attempt to stop them, which Victus quickly shot down.
Garrus exchanged a nod with Victus before following after the others, and just as the group reached the door, he could hear the Dalatrass call out.
"I won't forget this, Commander! And I don't believe for a minute that any such cure has been developed. No salarian in their right mind would do such a thing."
"Not in his right mind, no." Jane grinned as she turned and strode through the door. "I've always thought he was at least a little bit crazy, personally."
The doors to the shuttle closed, the ground team armed and ready. Shepard turned to where Jane and Wrex stood muttering together, his expression grim as he crossed his arms.
"Okay, spill it. What the hell is going on, and why didn't you tell me about any of this?" He growled, his frustration radiating off him as he glowered at them. Jane and Wrex exchanged a look that Garrus couldn't quite identify.
"I'm sorry about not telling you beforehand, John. I wasn't trying to keep it from you, necessarily, but the whole project hinged on secrecy. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that the less people who know, the safer the secret. Lives depended on keeping it quiet. Plus, I was only recently able to reestablish communication with our team, and I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up if it all went to hell in a handbag in the meanwhile."
"Okay, okay, fine. But secrecy doesn't matter anymore at this point in the game, so what the hell have you guys been up to?" Shepard gestured to the both of them, and all eyes fell on Jane as she nodded.
"Well, back when you were arrested, I needed to figure out how best to utilize the time before the Reapers arrived. Getting our defenses and alert system beefed up was important, but I figured there had to be more I could do." Jane shifted, her eyes seeming to drift into memory as they unfocused. "I don't have quite the same political sway that you do, but I figured there had to be something. I decided that the krogan would probably be invaluable allies, and so I approached Wrex here." She turned back, gesturing to Wrex, who nodded. "But he made it clear that his focus was curing the genophage, and if I wanted his assistance in the war against the Reapers, I needed to help him with that first. So… I contacted Mordin."
"Mordin?" Shepard asked in astonishment. "Mordin is involved in all of this? Even after everything he did to modify the genophage?" Jane nodded as she continued.
"Yeah, I was surprised he agreed, too. I think that everything that happened, his discussions with you, his time on Tuchanka, perhaps even meeting Wrex… Deep down, he had some regrets. Mordin told me about the krogan females that the STG had snatched, and told me that he had the beginnings of a plan, but that it would be risky. While he began getting himself positioned within the STG base, I tracked down Maelon."
"His old colleague? The one who did those awful experiments?" Garrus asked for clarification, his surprise mirroring Shepard's as the tale unfolded.
"Yeah. After he left Tuchanka, he followed Mordin's advice and set up a clinic on Omega. Though, when I finally managed to catch up with him, he was getting ready to pack up shop because Clan Weyrloc was hot on his tail. I convinced him to join my efforts to develop the cure for the genophage, and when he agreed I took him to meet with Mordin."
Jane put her hands on her hips as she sighed, seemingly unaware of everyone's rapt attention on her, "That was almost a bloody mistake, but I convinced Mordin not to pull the trigger. Once I made peace between them, we began working on a plan. Mordin was able to secure a position at the base for both of them working with the krogan females. They were there under the guise of studying the females and helping to stabilize them, but in reality they secretly began the progress of developing the cure. Right under the STG's noses. Or whatever passes for a nose on a salarian."
There was more than one amazed expression in the shuttle as they broke through Sur'kesh's atmosphere. "You've gotta be shitting me." Ashley breathed from somewhere to Garrus' right.
"Dios mio." Vega stared, and Ashley nodded in agreement.
"They'd been there a few weeks by the time the Reapers arrived, and the last message they sent back then was very positive. But my most recent message was somewhat less so. They've reached a standstill, there's only so much they could do while working undercover without being discovered. Additionally, now that the Dalatrass knows there's a cure in the works, it's only a matter of time till they're found out. We need to get them off world so that it can be finalized, tested, and dispersed amongst the krogan."
"These females and this cure are the best and probably last hope for my people." Wrex's voice reverberated through the shuttle, and many nodded in understanding.
"We'll bring them and the scientists back, Wrex. Don't worry." Liara smiled at him reassuringly, and Wrex returned the smile with affection.
"I appreciate that, Liara. I wouldn't want anyone else along for the ride."
Garrus coughed, clearing his voice at the same time Jane scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"What are we, chopped liver?" Jane muttered as she grinned and crossed her arms, and Garrus raised his brow plate at Wrex. Near by, Ashley spoke up where she stood next to Kaidan.
"Yeah, what about us?" Finally, Wrex who sighed in mock exasperation.
"I guess I can make space for all you loonies. I must be going soft in my old age. Ha!"
Their arrival on Sur'kesh was about as uncircumspect as it was possible to be with an anxious krogan onboard. Which was to say, everyone within a fifty mile radius probably heard his bellows. After being given a hard time as they'd tired to land, Wrex leapt down out of the shuttle and demanded the females be given back with a level of blunt bullheadedness that shocked the salarians. And just about everyone else, too.
With some diplomacy on the part of Shepard and the help of one Padok Wiks, they were finally able to begin the process of gaining clearance to visit the lower levels, where the krogan females were being held.
Which, of course, included waiting, followed by a little more waiting. As the salarians began the process of letting them into the base, Padok Wiks, the base commander, began leading Shepard and his team toward the elevator.
"With war on everyone's minds," He gestured to his agents hurrying about their various tasks, "our people are on edge." Nearby, two soldiers escorted a tank containing, of all things, a yahg. The tank lowered, finally stopping as it hit the ground with a thud. The angry looking creature inside glared at them all through the glass as it regained its footing.
"Careful! Watch the containment field!" One salarian shouted in a panic.
Garrus felt a joke on the tip of his tongue as he glanced at Liara, but forced down his grin as he willed his mandibles to remain tight against his face. They were in the middle of a tense, high stakes mission, and it wasn't the time for jokes. Oh, but it was so tempting. Jane, however, had no such compunctions.
"Careful," She turned to shoot a quick look in Liara's direction as the yahg's tank jerked again and began its slow descent further into the base, "There goes the next Shadow Broker." Her lips were pursed as she attempted not to smile, her voice barely disguising her laughter.
The yahg lurched forward as it lowered, banging its fists against the force field with a loud and sudden thud, and Liara jumped, wincing in surprise. Garrus' mandibles flicked outwards and he struggled not to chuckle.
"Could've sworn he was muttering 'T'Soni'..." He added as he looked away, and he noticed Jane bite her lip as she shook with silent laughter. Liara turned to him sharply with a glare, and he could have sworn she pouted.
"Not funny." She snapped, and Garrus and Jane finally burst into matching grins.
"Come on, guys, don't tease her." Shepard chidded, but Garrus didn't miss the smile on his face. "I'm sure yagh are scary enough to give anyone nightmares." Surprisingly, Javik gave one tight nod.
"They were much smaller in my cycle." A few eyes glanced at the slowly disappearing yahg before looking back at the Prothean.
They spent a few minutes chatting with Wrex, who was still under heavy guard following his behavior upon arrival, but all the while, it was impossible to ignore the salarian anxiety around them. At first he'd simply attributed it to their unexpected presence, but after a little while, Garrus decided it had to be something more. Padok Wiks had been nothing but polite and welcoming, and besides the silent, indignant guards glaring at Wrex and Javik as they continued to joke about raw salarian livers, none of them seemed to give them much notice.
They even had the pleasant surprise of running into the familiar face of Major Kirrahe, promoted at some point since their misadventures together on Virmire. But as Shepard spent some time chatting with him, Garrus couldn't help but overhear a nearby hushed conversation.
"Another incursion?" Padok Wiks muttered as he looked over a holodisplay.
"Air defenses report unidentified crafts skirting our inbound approach vectors." One of his guards reported anxiously.
"It's like someone's testing our defenses…" Padok Wiks muttered as he brought a hand up to stroke his chin in consideration.
"Appears that way, sir."
"I don't like it. Not with everything else going on. Ah! Commander." Garrus turned to see Shepard approaching the two salarians. "You have clearance to see the krogan females now." He shifted slightly, seeming slightly uncomfortable. "I hope we can resolve this matter without reenacting the Krogan Rebellions." He glanced back at where Wrex stood under guard.
"Thanks for your time." Shepard said with a small polite smile.
"Of course. Proceed into the elevator when you're ready." With a nod, Shepard gestured to the rest of the team, and they all made toward the lone elevator, the controls for which had turned green.
"Thanks for getting us the cleanance so quickly." Jane added, and Padok Wiks smiled at her.
"It was my pleasure. It was good to see you again, Spectre Shepard." He bobbed his head in respectful acknowledgement, which she returned.
"You, too."
"Now take this elevator down," He looked back at Shepard, "and someone will-"
His words were cut off as a reverberating siren began blaring, and around them, the salarians burst into activity.
"Alert!" A VI voice echoed around the base. "Threat condition two has been declared. Scramble readiness teams."
"What's happening?" Shepard turned to Padok Wiks, who looked down at his omni-tool, his face hard. Nearby, a gunship took to the air and sped off.
"Sensors have picked up activity on the perimeter." He looked up and gestured to the elevator. "Hurry, Commander. Someone will meet you below." Shepard looked out over the base, taking in the hurried footsteps and worried voices before nodding and turning toward the elevator again.
"Okay, everyone in."
The ride down was tense, each member of the team carrying with them both Wrex's desperation and their new anxiety regarding what was quickly heading their way. They were going to need to move fast, especially if it was the Reapers.
"Jane, do you think we're going to have any trouble with the females?" Shepard murmured as the elevator shot downwards.
"I'm not sure, but I don't think so. I think they trust me, so hopefully that will help."
The door opened onto a darkened lab, the lighting soft and dim as researchers hurried about collecting their data in preparation for possible evacuations, despite the announcement on the speakers telling them to remain on-site. All around them were a variety of large machines, the purposes of which couldn't be guessed at by looking. Along the walls were a series of holding cells.
The alarm continued to blare as the team stepped out into the lab. Nearby, a few salarians were reporting to their superior, who turned and brightened as he laid eyes on Jane.
"Spectre Shepard! Excellent timing." Mordin chirped with a smile. "Good to have you here." His attention shifted to Shepard, who nodded in greeting. "Commander Shepard, good to see you again." His expression became serious as he looked back to Jane. "Last minute notice of arrival, not ideal."
"Wait, so are you back with the STG now, Mordin?" Shepard asked, glancing between him and Jane.
"Special consultant. Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong." Mordin looked around and nodded his head in the direction of a vaguely familiar looking salarian working at a console nearby. He looked at Jane with a questioning expression, and when she nodded curtly, he leaned in to whisper, "Brought Maelon on. Been working with Jane and Clan Urdnot to synthesize cure for genophage."
"Yes, Jane was just filling us in on the way here." Shepard replied quietly, and Mordin nodded his head enthusiastically.
"Can explain more later. Work is at a standstill due to need for silence and final step of synthesis. Also, security warnings-" He gestured upwards as the alarm continued, "-not normal. Need to get females offworld as soon as possible." Without further ado, Mordin turned and began marching further into the lab. Shepard turned to Jane with a questioning look, but she only shrugged before taking off after Mordin.
"Females had weakened immune systems. Side effects of Maelon's cure. Jane brought Maelon on to assist…" He glanced back at them as the team followed, "Complicated. Many feelings. Processed, moved on. Good to have his assistance, may have made all the difference."
They continued on until Mordin paused beside where Maelon worked and gestured toward the three holding tanks before them.
"All three currently stable. Immune to genophage." He glanced around the room again, but clearly none of the other salarians were paying them a lick of attention. "Close to completing cure thanks to their tissue." Mordin nodded toward the tanks, and the figures shrouded within. "Last hope for the krogan. Still needed for final steps in synthesis. If they die, genophage cure… Problematic."
At that, Maelon turned from the console to inspect the group of newcomers. He and Jane exchanged nods of acknowledgement, and then he bowed his head to Shepard.
"Commander Shepard. It's good to see you again." Shepard nodded in agreement, extending his hand out.
"You as well."
Maelon shook his hand before returning his focus to the krogan. "Thank you for saving my life back on Tuchanka. Thanks to Spectre Shepard, I have been able to do something toward making up for the pain I caused with my experiments."
"Saving all females likely impossible without assistance." Mordin interjected, and Maelon bowed his head again in acknowledgment of the statement. "Need to begin process of moving them off-world."
"I'll explain to them what's going on." Jane stepped forward. "Krogan can be slow to trust, and hopefully they remember me." She stopped before one of the barriers. "This is Spectre Shepard. I've come to take you off-world in order to protect you and further the development of the cure."
The female she spoke to was barely visible, shrouded in some sort of restraint. But her eyes were sharp as they examined Jane, calculating and observant. Garrus couldn't even begin to imagine what those women had been through. Everyone kept referring to them as just "the females", which made it hard to remember that these were sentient individuals. Not animals, but women who had endured excruciating experiments and had been left for dead. By some miracle, they'd clung to life long enough to be brought here for treatment.
"Spectre Shepard. I was beginning to believe you had forgotten us." The krogan's voice was deep, like the rest of her species. But there was also a melodic quality to it that set it apart from those he'd heard before. There was wisdom, a depth to it that surprised him.
"Of course not. It took some time and work, but Urdnot Wrex and I are here to take you home." Jane explained softly in reassurance. The krogan's eyes flicked from person to person, narrowing slightly.
"Who are the others you've brought with you?" At that, Shepard stepped forward to stand beside Jane.
"I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy. This is my team." He waved his hand in their direction, and Garrus felt himself stiffen as her eyes landed on him momentarily. They seemed to weigh him to the ounce before moving on to the next person. Finally, she replied.
"And why are you here, Commander? What are we to you?"
"You're the future of the krogan race. I'm fighting for that." Without warning, the lab shook as they heard a distant explosion. Dust trickled down from the ceiling, and a few researchers throughout the lab began panicking.
"Then I hope you brought an army." The krogan replied dryly as they heard another explosion above them.
"Alert! Unidentified vessels have breached the perimeter." Salarians began running as they gathered up the last of their research and data, while guards readied weapons and pulled up displays.
"Give me an update!" One shouted, and Garrus froze as he attempted to overhear the response. Was it the Reapers at last? Was Sur'kesh on the verge of falling the same way as Earth? As Palaven?
"Outbound communications have been severed! We're cut off!" Another replied hurriedly, "Secure all data to off-site locations!" Shepard hurried over to the console, leaning over to see the readouts.
"What's happening?" He asked sharply, and the salarian there looked up at him quickly before refocusing on his display.
"We have multiple ships inbound!"
"Ships? That doesn't sound like Reaper forces. Hard to mistake a Reaper for a ship at this point." Jane muttered as her brows furrowed, and Garrus nodded in agreement. Shepard's omni-tool flashed with an incoming call, and he pulled it up to see Wrex's angry face.
"Shepard, it's Wrex. Cerberus troops are attacking the base! Get the females out of there now!"
"With Cerberus attacking, they might be safer down here, Wrex." Shepard replied calmly, but Wrex's eyes narrowed as he burned with fury.
"You'll all be sitting ducks down there!" He shook his head angrily before continuing, "No deal! If you want this alliance, get them out of there!" Shepard nodded and closed his omni-tool before turning to the salarian at the console.
"Release the females. We're leaving."
"I can't. Protocol states during lockdown no specimen-" He cut off suddenly as he jerked violently, his body vibrating with the force of an electric charge as Mordin's omni-tool jabbed into his back.
"Objection noted." Mordin stated simply. "Now, please release krogan." The salarian shot Mordin a dirty look over his shoulder as he shuddered, then input the command to begin opening the tanks.
"We need to ride with them to monitor the pods as they move through quarantine procedures." Maelon stated as he pulled up his omni-tool. "It would be safest to have them in separate transports in case something happens, but we just don't have the time." The doors flung open, and Mordin and Maelon began moving the restrained krogan into a single tank. Once they were situated, the two salarians stepped into the other compartment of the tank before the door began closing.
"Meet us at next checkpoint, Shepards." Mordin directed just as the door latched shut. "Possible Cerberus opposes genophage cure." Shepard nodded and began giving out orders to the team. But Garrus noticed Jane step up to the tank, her hand resting lightly against the glass as she looked up at one of the krogan, their eyes meeting.
"You'll see Tuchanka again. I promise." Jane murmured, and the krogan's eyes seemed to soften.
"Get to elevator, Jane!" Mordin exclaimed at her, waving her off, and she nodded before turning to follow after her brother.
"We need to hurry." Shepard stated as they all pulled out their weapons, readying them. He led them toward the elevator they'd used to descend into the lab as the VI continued reporting on Cerberus' attack. Around them, salarians yelled out their progress on securing their subjects and research, and Shepard's team hurried their steps.
Jane jammed her fist into the holo button, and they all came to wait beside her as the elevator sprang to life. A moment later, the doors opened, but the lift wasn't empty.
Sitting on the floor of the elevator was a bomb, its small red light blinking rapidly. Garrus cursed.
"Oh crap…"