.

Loyalty and Limerence

Part 3

Chapter 9

The Normandy SR2

When it had come out that the Primarch had sent his own son on a secret mission to Tuchanka, but wouldn't admit to the mission's purpose, Garrus had smelled trouble. It was very unlike the man to stoop to promoting or selecting someone simply because they were family, and such things were more than frowned upon in the Hierarchy.

Of course, then the dirty details came out and it made a certain kind of sense. In retrospect, Garrus could see why the Hierarchy of centuries ago had decided to plant the bomb on Tuchanka, even if now it had nearly proven to be their undoing.

Watching Lieutenant Victus plummet to his death had been hard, even knowing he'd done the right thing, even knowing he'd likely paved the way for their continued efforts to defeat the Reapers. Without the boy's sacrifice, peace between the turians and the krogan would have been impossible, and so in a way, they owed it all to him.

While many turian fathers would probably find comfort in that, Garrus could still see the pain etched across the Primarch's face. Being the only other turian aboard, he was probably the only one who could understand the mourning chords in the other man's subvocals, even though he was clearly attempting to keep them at bay.

As if the whole situation with the bomb wasn't awkward enough, it seemed like everyone on the Normandy had to voice their opinions on the matter, especially to Garrus. As if he'd had anything to do with it, spirits…

"But you turians did not go far enough." Javik mused from where he stood in the kitchenette stirring a pot of… something. Something awful smelling. "You should have detonated the bomb on the krogan world," he paused to taste whatever it was, "or used it as leverage."

Garrus stifled a groan, choosing to take a calming breath instead as he focused his gaze on his own plate of food. The squelching sound coming from the pot as the Prothean stirred was ruining his appetite.

"I think we were just trying to guarantee peace." Garrus said with measured patience, more than he truly felt. Javik turned to sneer at him before pouring the godawful slop into a bowl and grabbing a spoon from the drawer.

"A static mode of existence. Nothing changes, nothing struggles, nothing grows." Javik came to sit across from him, and Garrus felt his mandibles twitch as he clenched his jaw. He took a deep breath, finished off his last bite, and then raised his browplate at his new dinner companion.

"On the upside," Garrus began dryly, "we all get to live another day." He stood, pushing back his chair as he gathered his utensils. "Nice chatting." He finished with only a hint of sarcasm before he moved to handle his dishes. He could hear Jane snort in amusement from her seat beside his newly vacated one.

"There is some enjoyment in speaking with this turian." Garrus could hear Javik muse to Jane from where he stood at the sink even over the sound of the water running. "His knowledge of war is formidable." He felt an odd spike of pride at the Prothean's words and a smirk spread across his face. Javik frowned before continuing. "Though, he would be an even better marksman if he had four eyes."

The smirk vanished from Garrus' face as he rolled his perfectly passable two eyes with a huffed sigh. There was no pleasing some people.

Worst of all, of course, was when Wrex cornered him in the bathroom. Human toilets were uncomfortable on the best of days, and this was decidedly not the best of days. Garrus had only been sitting for a moment when the door slammed open, the silhouette of a furious krogan looming before him.

"I'll assume you knew nothing about this." Wrex growled, his voice deceptively calm. Garrus blinked slowly in shock as he struggled to process the sudden breach of privacy. The krogan's eyes narrowed before he continued, his voice dripping with false honey in a way that Garrus found more menacing than if he'd screamed outright . "My good friend wouldn't hide the fact that his people planted a doomsday bomb on my planet, right?"

Garrus glared up at Wrex, forcing down the knee jerk reaction to yell about the intrusion. Instead, he took another deep breath as he attempted to find a modicum of calm.

"Wrex, I was just as much in the dark as you. Honest." His voice was a mixture of placation and evident exasperation, but Wrex remained unmoved, a towering monolith of righteous anger. They remained there, staring each other down for another few moments as Garrus fought the urge to fidget awkwardly.

Wrex's fury seemed to melt in an instant, an amused smile stretching across his face as he stepped back a hair. "That's all I needed to hear." He said genially with a bob of his shoulders. "Just making you sweat, Garrus." He took another step backward as he chuckled. "Wasn't sure you could, you're always so calm."

Garrus wanted to laugh, and not because he was amused. The whole situation, on top of everything else happening lately… he just wished he had something to throw at the spirits-forsaken krogan.

"I'd be happy to give krogan some lessons on relaxing." He ground out as felt his mandibles twitch. He plastered a dry smile on his face that he knew didn't reach his eyes as he glared at the intruding krogan.

"Ha!" Wrex tipped his head back and laughed as he turned to leave. "And we'd be happy to feed you to a thresher maw." He raised a hand in farewell as he strode out of the bathroom. "Wrex out." He called back before the door shut behind him. Garrus glared after him as he leaned forward to angrily pull the stall door shut again.

Tensions simmered for the next few hours as they rested and prepared to make their way down to the Shroud to disperse the genophage cure. It all finally boiled to the surface as Jane and Garrus made their way toward the war room to meet with Shepard regarding the upcoming mission.

"-risk another galactic war with the krogan!" Victus' frustrated voice emanated from around the corner, loud enough to be heard as soon as they stepped through the security doors.

"The genophage wasn't enough?" Wrex growled as they hurried into the war room. "You had to plant a bomb on my planet?"

"The decision was made hundreds of years ago. So much has changed!" Victus retorted, waving a hand as he attempted to explain and justify the action of his predecessors.

"Not enough to tell us about the bomb, coward!" Wrex yelled as he thrust a finger into Victus' face angrily.

"Hey!" Jane called out as she hurried down the steps, coming to rest between the two leaders. She glared at both of them in turn, her eyes narrowed in accusation. "The Reapers are out there destroying the galaxy, and you want to fight about this?" She asked incredulously, her face awash with shocked disgust. Just then, Shepard stepped out of the comm room.

"What's going on here? I heard yelling." His eyes scanned the room, finally coming to rest on Garrus in his search for answers.

"There are still some hard feelings regarding the turian bomb on Tuchanka." Garrus explained carefully, not letting his eyes stray to either of the angry men before him, and Shepard nodded his understanding.

"We can't let the past rip us apart." He stated solemnly. "Working together, we have a chance." He started toward them, slowly making his way around the holo display in the center of the room. "Primarch, you had a bomb on Tuchanka." His words weren't quite accusatory, but carried a gentle rebuke.

"And Wrex?" Jane chimed in, turning to glare at the krogan, "In the turians' place, you would have done the same damn thing."

"Shepard-" Wrex turned toward the Commander, but whether to refute or explain, Garrus wasn't sure as Shepard cut in over him.

"It's over!" He barked, his voice suddenly as hard and cold as ice. "His own son died today making this right!" The room fell into silence as Shepard glared daggers at both Wrex and Victus. Not even Jane dared to speak.

"Please, Commander." Victus finally spoke up, his voice soft and sad. "It's alright."

"Yes. Fine." Wrex snapped, clearly feeling less than fine, but it was evident that he was at least trying. "Shepard, you made your point." He turned to eye Jane before continuing. "We have stronger enemies to face."

The situation quickly defused as Shepard and Victus stepped off to talk quietly, and Wrex turned with a huff to roll his eyes at Jane.

"I should have known all those years ago when we first met and you almost tried gutting me that you were going to be a thorn in my side, pyjack." Despite his words, the corner of his lips quirked upwards in a smile. "You'd better have the quads you pretend to have, kid. I've got a feeling getting to the Shroud won't be half as easy as you people seem to think."

As they all piled into the shuttle, Garrus wished for a moment that the other shuttle wasn't in for repairs. The small space was often a little packed with just the ground team, but with the addition of the three krogan and the two salarians… Well, it was more than a little uncomfortable. Was there a weight restriction on these things?

They were still waiting for Shepard, who had taken a last minute call, and Garrus hoped he would hurry. There was always a level of anxiety before missions, but most seemed to nearly vibrate with a desire to get on with it. All but one.

"I appreciate that you want to help us." Garrus jumped at the sudden voice beside him, and he looked over to see the smaller of the two females, 'Lilith' as Mordin had dubbed her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." She murmured with a small duck of her head, most of her face shrouded by folds of cloth except for two bright eyes that watched him with curiosity.

"No, it's okay. And it's my pleasure. I'm happy to be here to help Wrex save his people." Garrus replied, and her eyes seemed to crinkle as though she were smiling.

"It makes me happy to hear that. I never thought to see salarians and turians working to help us cure the genophage, but here we are." Garrus smiled back at her.

"But here we are." He repeated, and they fell into silence for a moment. "So, did you enjoy your time aboard the Normandy?" He finally asked somewhat offhandedly, and Lilith nodded quickly.

"Oh, yes. It's a beautiful ship and very comfortable. I had never been off Tuchanka before I was brought to Sur'kesh, and I don't really remember the trip there very well. So this was, in a way, my first time on a spaceship. Not that I was allowed to spend much time exploring."

"Ah, yeah. Sorry about that." Garrus wasn't sure why he was apologizing, but there was something open and friendly about her. He was positive that she was quite a bit older than him – krogan were very long lived after all – but she still had an air of youth about her that made her seem approachable. "I'm glad you've had a good time, regardless."

"Yes, or at least as good a time as one can have, given the circumstances."

"Fair enough." Garrus conceded with a wry smile.

"But it has been a pleasure meeting you all and getting to know everyone. We appreciate your help more than you shall ever realize." Lilith's voice was calm and determined, and Garrus couldn't help but relax in her presence. "To beat the Reapers, we all need to put aside our differences and focus on our similarities."

"And I think there are more of those similarities than any of us had previously realized." Garrus finished as he looked about the room. He never would have thought to see humans, salarians, krogan, and turians working together, especially to cure the genophage. But as Lilith had said, here they were.

"Shepard! I was beginning to think you'd lost your nerve!" Wrex barked as the Commander finally arrived. "Hurry up and let's get this show moving. I've waited long enough." His face hardened and his voice dropped to a low rumble as he continued. "Today, we cure the genophage."

A cheer rose up in response to the clan chief's statement, but Garrus couldn't help but notice the paleness of Shepard's face as he entered the shuttle, his eyes tight and his lips drawn down in a frown. Garus hoped that whatever his last minute call had been about, it hadn't been bad news.

The shuttle door closed, and a low buzz of conversation picked up as they began their trip down to the planet's surface. But all the while, Shepard remained silent, his expression distant and thoughtful. Garrus didn't seem to be the only one to notice, however.

"John, everything okay?" Jane asked from where she stood nearby, her voice laced with concern and anxiety.

"Yes, Commander, you seem troubled." The larger of the two krogan females, Eve, pointed out quietly from her seat nearby. Shepard glanced at them both, seeming to weight something before shaking his head.

"There's just a lot on the line." He finally said hesitantly. "I want this to go well."

"Have faith." Eve stated, her voice bold and purposeful as she glanced at each of the shuttle's occupants. "No matter the adversity we face, some moments are destined to happen." Her eyes flicked back up to Shepard with a steely glint. "This is one of them."

Shepard's unusual distraction seemed to continue after they landed. He momentarily seemed to snap out of it as they threw themselves into battle with Reaper ground forces, but as soon as the fighting was over, he seemed to retreat into himself as though he were struggling with some internal debate.

They loaded into the krogan's armored trucks, called tomkahs, with Maelon and Lilith in one, Mordin and Eve in another in hopes that if they were to come under attack, all their hopes wouldn't be dashed in a single ill-fated blast. Garrus found himself riding alongside Lilith again with Jane, James, and Ashley, in addition to a few other krogan guards. But they rode in an uneasy silence, every now and then broken by quiet murmuring that never seemed to spark up into full conversation. In the distance, they could hear the ominous sounds of muffled explosions.

"Why are we stopping?" Jane asked eventually as the caravan slowed, the occupants jerking in their seats as their vehicle came to a stop. They all made to stand, but Jane gestured to Maelon and Lilith to stay where they were. "We'll check it out. You two stay here, safer that way."

One by one, the rest of them exited out onto the dusty, debris-covered path that they'd been traveling on toward the Shroud, and it quickly became apparent what the issue was as they laid eyes upon the huge chunk missing from the road ahead. Turning, Garrus could see Shepard standing not far off, his gaze locked upon a pillar sticking out of the ground.

It was the Shroud. That much was evident from the difference in architecture style from the crumbled ruins around it. It seemed to glow as it spewed something up into the atmosphere, parting the dusty clouds above to replace them with a haze of green.

And before it stood a Reaper, its insect-like carapace curving upwards towards the sky in an echo of the structure just behind it. Garrus' stomach roiled as he tried to wrap his head around the scope of what he was laying eyes upon.

"Look at that Reaper." He murmured, and Shepard looked over at him as though just noticing his presence. "It's the end of the world out there."

"Yeah." Shepard replied quietly, his face drawn. Jane came to stand on her brother's other side and turned to look up at him with a concerned face.

"John, are you sure you're okay? You're not yourself."

"I-" He started but quickly cut himself off, his expression conflicted. It was as though he had something on the tip of his tongue, but couldn't bring himself to begin. Or perhaps he didn't know how to begin. "Before we left the Normandy, I got a-"

"What's happening, Shepard?" Wrex's voice broke in over the comm, cutting him off as he turned his back on the Shroud beyond. "We can't sit around like this."

"The road's out." Shepard answered quickly, Garrus and Jane forgotten as he walked back toward the tomkahs. "The convoy can't make it through." Something seemed to occur to him suddenly, and he pulled up his omni-tool. "Turian wing Artimec, this is Shepard. We've been delayed– Hold off your attack."

Garrus didn't have to hear the response to know it was no good. The fighters went flying over a moment later, their approach locked as the Reaper rounded on them. "Crap." He growled as dust rained down upon them. "An airstrike alone won't do it. We have to get in that fight."

"Damn it." Shepard swore as they watched a fighter take a direct hit, exploding as it hit the ground at high speed. "At this rate, we're all sitting ducks." He hurried over toward the krogan currently inspecting the damaged road. "I don't care if we have to build a new road! We're going!" He barked before turning back toward the waiting vehicles.

"Shepard! Watch out!" Liara screamed and everyone looked up to see a burning turian fighter spinning out of control, looming larger every moment as it careened towards them.

"Move!" Shepard cried out as they all threw themselves to the ground. The fighter crashed into one of the many tomkahs, sending burning debris flying as it exploded. The shockwave threw everyone backwards, and when his head and ears finally stopped spinning, Garrus rolled over as anxiety welled up like bile in his stomach, throbbing in time with his headache.

Which tomkahs had been hit in the explosion? Were either - or both - of the females injured? Or worse…?

"Shepard, what's happening?" Wrex's panicked yells crackled through the comm. Garrus looked around for the others, praying Jane had made it clear of the blast.

"Wrex!" Jane called out before coughing, and Garrus felt himself finally breathe. "Get the females out of here now! Go!" He finally spotted her as he helped pull Shepard to his feet as he coughed and shuddered. The two remaining tomkahs sprang to life, their wheels sending up dirt and rocks and they sped forward, despite the damaged road.

As the air cleared, Garrus could see each of the ground team managing to haul themselves to their feet as Shepard confirmed with relief that both females and the salarians were aboard the two tomkahs, along with Wrex and his brother Wreav.

"Come on, follow me!" Shepard ordered with a wave of his hand before hurrying forward into the depths of the nearby ruins. Ashley, Kaidan, EDI, Javik, and James hurried after him, and after a moment, Liara trailed behind, too, muttering darkly to herself.

"Garrus, come on!" Jane yelled, and he ran after her as she started down the stairs.

"This is insane." Garrus stated as he looked around at the crumbling walls. The light began to fade with each step, and each of them pulled out their weapons, turning on their flashlight adaptors. "Are these some sort of catacombs?"

The ground shook, causing dust and chunks of rock to rain down upon them. "What was that?" Liara whispered anxiously, looking around with wide eyes.

"Felt like a tremor." Garrus replied as his heart began thudding hard in his chest. The last thing he wanted was to die deep underground, crushed by tons of rock and dirt. There were brave, honorable ways to die, and then there was being squished like a bug.

"Come on, Scars! Buck up, no need to be scared of the dark." James laughed before slapping him on the back and stepping around him. Garrus rolled his eyes, but followed after.

Shepard continued leading them onwards, only occasionally finding dead ends as he discussed their route with the krogans over the comms. As they made their way deeper and deeper into the ruins, the fear began to rescind, replaced with curiosity.

"Eve said this was one of their ancient cities, right?" Garrus asked, and someone muttered an agreement. Stepping close to one of the walls, he shined his light on what appeared to be old paintings of krogan kneeling before someone. Liara took in a sharp awe filled breath as she stepped forward to ghost her fingers over the artwork.

"Fascinating! This painting suggests krogan had an artistic side." She breathed, and Jane stepped up beside her to examine the paintings.

"I will make records for future study." EDI said as she peered closely at each painting, no doubt recording each one.

"Huh. Who'd have thought?" Jane glanced around the large room, her light coming to rest on a statue of a krogan in one corner. "They really did have an impressive culture at one point."

"Honestly, it's amazing to see that the krogan had any culture…" Ashley muttered under her breath, causing Kaidan to snort a laugh.

"Nuclear war has a way of erasing the past." Garrus stated dryly, and their smiles melted as they nodded their sober agreement.

"As do the Reapers." Javik added a moment later, his low and quiet voice dripping with dark hatred. No one responded, the weight of what each species had to lose suddenly painfully evident in the echoing darkness and shattered ruins around them.

"Come on guys, this isn't an art gallery. Get a move on." Shepard snapped, reality returning with the suddenness of a rubber band. Despite the urgency to continue on, Garrus noticed as Shepard eyed the various works of art they encountered with surprise and interest as they hurried through the halls and tunnels.

Without warning, they were all nearly thrown to the ground as the tunnel shook violently, huge chunks of the ceiling falling down around them as the tunnel threatened to collapse.

"There it is again." Garrus groaned as he rubbed the top of his head where he'd soon be sporting a bruise. "That didn't feel like a tremor to me." He said, eliciting a series of murmured agreements from the team around him. Shepard quickly enquired with the krogans above, and as soon as Eve spoke up, Garrus felt his blood chill as fear settled upon him like a second skin, tight and constrictive.

"Did I hear that right?" Liara hissed, her eyes wide. "Kalros, mother of all thresher maws?" She asked in dawning horror.

"When the krogan name a thresher maw, you know you're in trouble. They don't think anyone's ever going to kill it." Garrus grumbled, and his were not the only feet moving with a little extra urgency as they pressed onwards. After a few minutes, though, Jane paused suddenly, her flashlight trained upon something in the wall.

"John, hold up. Look at this." She stepped forward, her fingers tracing over paintings of ancient krogan riding huge tusked beasts and bearing spears of some sort. She stopped in front of a small hollow in the wall and reached forward to pluck up a small statuette of a krogan, slighter and proportioned slightly different than those Garrus was acquainted with.

"Fascinating!" Liara whispered as she leaned to look as Jane turned the small figure over in her hands. "I believe this is a krogan female. She seems well dressed and adorned, perhaps she was some sort of leader? Royalty perhaps? If they had such a social system, I know very little about ancient krogan culture."

"Huh." Shepard stepped closer and held his hand out. Jane carefully placed the statuette in his hand, and he brought it up to examine it. "It really is amazing. The craftsmanship is exquisite."

"Right?" Jane asked excitedly as the small artifact was carefully passed from person to person. "Can you imagine what the krogan could have been if their society hadn't destroyed itself? They have so much potential. They could be so much more than they are." Garrus slowly nodded his head in agreement, finding himself surprised to be doing so. But she was right, the evidence was all around them. Shepard seemed to consider her words too, his face thoughtful as he, too, began to nod.

Finally, he passed the statue back to Jane with a small smile. "Perhaps you're right." She took it and placed it carefully in her belt pouch before drawing her weapon again. Shepard squared his shoulders and turned back down the tunnel. "Come on guys, let's keep moving."

They pressed onward, hurrying through a maze of corridors for what felt like ages. Despite nearly tripping over the ominous corpse of a Reaper bred rachni, hope finally dawned as they ran up a steep staircase and out into Tuchanka's filtered sunlight. Liara had to be tugged away from the intricate carvings and statues as Wrex urged them to hurry, and even Garrus had to admit that he wished they had some time to look around and explore.

They stepped out into a huge, open aired structure covered in green leaves and vines, of all things. "It's… green. I thought plants were extinct on Tuchanka." Jane gasped as she spun around to take it all in.

"You're looking at hope – all that's left of it on Tuchanka." Eve's voice broke in over the comm. "This was once a world full of beauty. Given a chance, it can be again."

"This place is amazing. I never knew the krogan had it in them." Garrus murmured as he gazed around the massive ruins, and Jane turned to smile at him.

"Yeah. But I think Eve is right. If we can cure the genophage, it could lead to a krogan renaissance." She murmured, and Shepard's stared at her for a moment before looking out over the greenery. After a pause, he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. When he turned around, his face seemed set and determined, focused and hopeful in a way Garrus hadn't seen since they'd arrived on Tuchanka.

"Let's get a move on, guys. We've got a planet to save." Shepard called out, and he was met by an invigorated cheer from his team.

Nothing prepared them for the sheer size of the thresher maw queen. Kalros was every bit as terrifying as the Reaper that guarded the Shroud, if not more so. She appeared without warning, leaping from the sand as easily as a fish from water, and left a wake of destruction behind her. She sprayed acid with wild abandon, leaving sizzling scars behind on the rocks and debris around her.

By some miracle, they managed to rendezvous with the trucks, all piling in as quickly as they could. Together, the two tomkahs roared through the ruins toward the Shroud, the Reaper looming large before them as Kalros trailed death behind.

When they finally arrived at the ruins surrounding the Shroud facility, Kalros seemed to disappear without warning, leaving a terrifying silence behind her.

"I know we've beaten the odds before…" Garrus trailed off as the others finished unloading from the Tomkahs, "But getting to that tower… I don't know." The fragile hope they had cultivated on their trek through the ruins began to slowly unwind within his chest as he gazed up at the gigantic machine before them.

"You've got to be kidding me." Ashley muttered while James just shook his head.

"We're curing the genophage no matter what!" Wrex snapped at them with fervor. "Everything my people will ever be depends on it."

"Then I hope this idea you were talking about is a good one." Shepard stated as he stepped up beside them. As Wrex and Eve began outlining their plan to lure Kalros to the Reaper, Garrus felt his eyes growing wider. It was stupid, absolutely insane, harebrained, ridiculous, and-

"Brilliant!" Jane said with a grin that Garrus knew meant trouble.

"We've discussed it, and we believe it to be the best course of action." Maelon began before looking over at Mordin, who nodded as he brought a hand up to stroke his chin.

"Just need to distract Reaper, draw it from tower while cure synthesized, released."

"Kalros will come." Lilith stated with certainty. "This is her home as much as it is ours, and the Reapers will bring death and destruction down upon us all." Shepard's smile was grim as he nodded his understanding.

"We flew through the Omega 4 relay and survived. We can do this."

"That's the spirit." Jane replied as she slapped her brother's back, before turning toward the females with sudden realization. "Ah, I almost forgot! I don't want anything to happen to this, so I'll give it to one of you." She reached into her belt pouch. "We found it in the ruins, but I think it belongs to you, if you want it." She held out the small krogan statuette to Eve and Lilith, and what could be seen of their expressions appeared shocked. Lilith reached out to carefully take the artifact, cradling it reverently in her palms.

"Spectre Shepard… This is… I've never seen one in such good condition. Thank you." She looked up earnestly, her eyes more expressive than any krogan Garrus had ever met. "You have been a friend to the krogan, and we shall not forget it."

"It's the least I could do." Jane replied softly, and it was clear they spoke of more than just the statuette. Garrus realized that Lilith and Eve possibly owed their lives to Jane's initial intervention on Sur'kesh, and thus the genophage cure.

They began discussing the details of the maw hammers, but as they came to the topic of the lab, Shepard seemed to steel himself before turning to Mordin.

"One last thing you should know beforehand." He glanced toward Wrex and the other krogan before looking back at the salarians. "The dalatrass tried to cut a secret deal with me."

"What kind of deal?" Wrex asked sharply, a hint of fear in his voice, and Shepard looked toward the tower above him.

"She said they sabotaged the Shroud years ago. The cure won't work unless we fix it." He pulled up his omni-tool and played an audio clip, the voice instantly recognizable as the dalatrass'. Garrus realized with a start that it must be a recording of the call Shepard had received just before their departure from the Normandy. It explained why he'd seemed so distracted, but also opened up a whole host of new and troubling questions.

Wrex quickly sneered with words of disdain for the salarians, and both Maelon and Mordin chimed in to reassure everyone that they would be able to fix whatever problem they encountered. Eve turned to Shepard with considering eyes.

"You just spared our race another genocide, Commander." She murmured softly, and Wrex nodded his head emphatically.

"I told you we could count on him." He stated with firm confidence, but Garrus noticed a slight tightening of Shepard's eyes, his brows drawing in ever so slightly. Glancing over at Jane, he saw that she also seemed to be looking at her brother with consideration.

"Well, we know why we're here and what's at stake," Shepard began as he turned toward the Shroud, "so let's make it happen." There was a series of affirmatives as they all squared themselves for the fight before them. Wrex caught Shepard quickly, offering him a handshake and assurances of his gratitude on behalf of the krogan people.

As they finally parted ways with the krogan and salarains, Wrex holding off a contingent of Reaper rachni while everyone else ran, Shepard began leading his team toward the first maw hammer. But they hadn't done more than climb up a level when Jane quickly pulled Shepard aside from the rest of the team.

"You've known about the sabotage since we arrived on Tuchanka." She stated quietly, and Shepard nodded with a sigh. "But you're only just now telling us. What was the dalatrass' deal that she offered?" He gave her a pained look as though she was forcibly yanking the information from him.

"She offered salarian support for the Crucible project if I prevented Mordin and Maelon from discovering and fixing the STG's sabotage of the Shroud."

"And you considered taking the deal, that's why you waited so long to bring it up." It wasn't a question, the words hanging heavily between them. Shepard's silence was answer enough, and Jane stepped back as she ran a hand through her hair. "Good god, John. What's gotten into you? I never would have expected that from you."

"I know, I know. It seems awful in retrospect, I just-" He cut off as he brought his hands up to scrub at his face. Garrus glanced around, ensuring the others were too far to overhear. The rest of the team was a little ways off, double checking their weapons and eyeing the Shepards curiously, though probably too far to hear anything.

"I don't know, Jane." Shepard continued as his hands dropped to his sides. "This whole goddamn war, I just… I don't know. It's taking a toll on me, I think. I don't know who I can trust anymore. It has me doubting my allies and trusting those I know I shouldn't. But everything we saw, the ancient city, what you said about the krogan and the future, it made me realize how stupid I was being." He turned to look at Jane again, who was gazing at him with an expression Garrus couldn't recognize. It was certainly concerned, and if Garrus didn't know better, he'd say she almost looked scared.

"John…" She trailed off, but after a moment, she brought a hand up to rest on his arm. "I'm glad you came around and did the right thing. But it's not like you to doubt them. You always see the best in everyone. I'm usually the cynical asshole. Since when did we trade places?" She smiled, but it was tight and forced as though she were trying and failing to lighten the mood. Shepard returned the forced smile and shook his head.

"Let's talk more about this later, this isn't the time or place. They're counting on us to lure in Kalros and we need to get moving. Everyone's waiting."

"Yeah, okay. You're right. Let's go." They both turned around, and Garrus nodded to them from where he stood nearby.

"Ready, guys?" He asked as the both drew their weapons.

"Ready as we'll ever be to face the mother of all thresher maws." Jane replied with a grin that seemed more herself as she checked her heat sink. "Let's go save the krogan."

But as Shepard took the lead, Garrus noticed the concerned crease return between Jane's eyebrows.

Seeing a giant thresher maw take out a Reaper was one of the most beautiful and bizarre sights of Garrus' life. In hindsight, he wished that he'd recorded it. But at the time, he'd been unable to do anything but watch in awe as Kalros wrapped her body around the awful machine, pulling it down into the abyss below.

"Okay," Shepard turned toward the tower looming above them, their path finally clear, "Garrus, Jane, with me. The rest of you, find Wrex and his troops, make sure our retreat is clear."

They quickly made their way through the facility toward the main central tower, arriving in the central courtyard at the same time as Mordin and Maelon.

"Mordin! Is the cure ready?" Shepard called out as they hurried toward where the salarians stood at a nearby console. Maelon looked up quickly and nodded.

"Yes, everything is ready to go. The cure is loaded up and will be dispersed in two minutes." He stated quickly before returning his focus to the console before him.

"What about the females? Are they okay?" Jane asked as she caught up, and Mordin nodded as he quickly glanced at her.

"Yes. Procedure stressful, but easier than expected. Months of preparations. Maelon's assistance, invaluable." The younger salarian looked up, his eyes wide and surprised at the compliment.

"Really?" Maelon asked, his voice small and unsteady, and Mordin nodded again, his attention not leaving the console before him.

"Yes. Highly likely both females would have suffered or died without assistance."

"So, they're safe?" Shepard cut in, and both salarians nodded.

"Yes, they're both heading back to the trucks." Maelon replied as he pulled up a display, his eyes flicking quickly as he took in the data.

"Eve's survival fortunate. Will stabilize new government should Wrex get any ideas. Good match, promising future for krogan. Lilith, too, very promising. Perhaps diplomatic potential." As Mordin explained, Garrus noticed bits of burning debris and looked up.

"Watch out!" He yelled and raised a hand to block his face as a huge chunk of flaming metal landed just across the courtyard from them.

"Damn it!" Shepard exclaimed, grabbing Jane and tugging her away as she, too, brought her arms up over her head. Mordin pushed back from the console before him with another curt nod, despite the fire raining down around them.

"Control room at top of Shroud tower. Must take elevator up." He stated simply with a flick of his hand upwards. Garrus blinked, his mandibles falling limp in his shock.

"You're going up there?" He asked sharply, and Mordin smiled grimly.

"Yes." He turned to face them as he pulled up his omni-tool. "Manual access required. Have to counteract STG sabotage. Ensure cure dispersed properly." Garrus looked back up at the burning tower as dread settled in his bones. Another explosion rocked the tower, more debris falling to the ground.

It would be a one way trip. There was no way around it.

"Mordin, this whole thing is coming apart. There's got to be another way!" Shepard called out over the sound of additional explosions.

"Remote bypass impossible." Mordin began as he turned to look up at the burning tower. "STG countermeasures in place. No time to adjust cure for temperature variance." He paused as he looked down at the ground before him. Taking a deep breath, he seemed to steel himself before continuing. "No. No other option. Not coming back. Suggest you get clear. Explosions likely to be… problematic." He looked back at them with one last smile before turning and walking confidently toward the elevator.

"Mordin, wait!" Jane darted forward to reach for his arm, causing him to stop and look back. "Is there no other way?"

"Please. Need to do this." Mordin stated gently as he pulled from her grasp and stepped toward the elevator. Pausing, he glanced back before adding sadly, "Would have liked to run tests on the seashells."

"Wait." Everyone turned to see Maelon step forward. "Let me be the one to go."

"No." Mordin snapped, looking up as his face hardened. "My project, my work, my cure. My responsibility. Has to be me."

"Our project. Our responsibility." Maelon came to stand before Mordin, his eyes wide and beseeching. "Let me atone for the lives I took, for the cruelty I enacted upon others in the name of science."

"Already have atoned! Work on cure more than enough. Sacrifice unnecessary!"

"Perhaps. But my death means nothing in comparison to yours. If you live, then the krogan are in the best possible hands if something goes wrong with the cure." Maelon retorted calmly as Mordin's face pinched with frustration.

"But STG sabotage! Must counteract, must be me. Someone else might get it wrong." Maelon shook his head at Mordin's words.

"I'm perfectly capable of handling that, as you well know. Eve and the others need you, Mordin. More than they need me." Maelon sighed morosely before continuing. "Just let me do this. Please."

The two salarians stared each other down in tense silence broken only by the continued explosions overhead.

"Fine." Mordin relented as his shoulders fell. Maelon shut his eyes as he released a breath he'd been holding, visibly relaxing. They both extended their hands, grasping each other's wrists in a firm shake. Releasing each other, they stepped apart and Maelon turned to step forward into the elevator. Mordin began running through suggestions at rapid fire for what Maelon was likely to encounter when he arrived at the control room, but all the other man did was smile and nod as the door closed.

"Good bye, Maelon." Jane sighed. "Thank you. For everything."

"Thank you, Spectre Shepard. Without you, I never would have had the chance to redeem myself." With that, the elevator shot upwards, carrying the salarian out of sight. Mordin stood there, unmoving as he watched the elevator. He took a deep breath before turning to face them.

"Suggest we hurry. Remaining unadvisable." With that, he started forward toward the doorway they'd entered from.

"You heard the man! Let's move!" Shepard instructed, and both Garrus and Jane fell in step with him. As they made for the door, Garrus chanced one last look back at the elevator as it shot toward the top of the tower. He hadn't known Maelon long, and even their shared time spent aboard the Normandy hadn't allowed him a chance to get to know the younger salarian. Regardless, he felt a stab of sadness over his sacrifice. It was a death any turian would have been proud of, not dissimilar to that of Victus' son.

Turning back to follow the others, Garrus growled a curse under his breath. The Reapers had a lot to answer for.

The moment they exited the Shroud facility, they were hit by a sudden shockwave. Looking up, they were just in time to witness the burst released from the very top of the tower before a shimmering mist began to settle. In awe, they watched the particles slowly begin to fall to Tuchanka's barren soil, holding out their hands as it drifted about them.

Mordin smiled gently as he looked back toward the crumbling tower. "Genophage cured, krogan free. New beginning… for all of us." He took a deep breath and looked away as another explosion rocked the structure. "Thank you, Maelon."

"This isn't going to make us sick or anything, right?" Jane muttered as she shook a speck off her hand, and Shepard rolled his eyes fondly.

"No, of course not." Mordin quipped as he looked up toward the approaching tomkahs. "Harmless for other species." He began explaining in greater detail, but Garrus tuned it out as the trucks came to a stop before them. Wrex was the first to disembark, followed by the females and the other krogan, and finally the rest of Shepard's ground squad.

Everyone's eyes were on the glowing, shimmering motes being spewed up into the air by the Shroud, mouths hanging open at the awe inspiring sight. Even Javik had the decency to look impressed.

"Truly remarkable." EDI breathed, the motes shining and reflecting against her metallic body as they swirled around them.

"You can say that again." James muttered in agreement.

"I never thought I'd see the day the genophage was cured. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I might not have believed it." Kaidan whispered, Ashley nodding mutely beside him.

Wrex gazed about with wide eyes, opening his mouth to speak. But after a moment he snapped his mouth shut again, seemingly without words as he looked up into the sky.

"Never thought I'd live to see Wrex speechless." Garrus chuckled, but the clan chief ignored him as he stepped forward to bask in the sight of the cure being dispersed into the atmosphere.

"Come on, we need to get back." Shepard stated as he stepped forward to grip Wrex's shoulder. But as they turned back toward the tomkahs, the ground began to shake violently, nearly throwing them to the ground. "Get to the trucks! It's Kalros!"

"Looks like she didn't fill up on Reaper!" Wrex bellowed as they all made for the trucks. But just as he reached the door hatch, the ground nearby undulated before swelling upwards, engulfing the first tomkah. "Whoa there!" He stumbled backwards as a giant limb reached up out of the ground, pulling the tomkah down with it.

"Holy shit!" James exclaimed as they all scrambled back, the tomkah vanishing beneath the sand.

"We need to get out of here!" Jane yelled as the spines of Kalros' gigantic body breached up not far away. They all started hurrying toward the remaining truck as the thresher maw dipped back below ground. "She's coming back around for another pass!"

One by one they climbed aboard, but just as Eve climbed up into the truck, a screech sounded across the expanse, echoing against the facility walls. Everything seemed to go still and unnaturally silent and Garrus swiveled around as he frantically scanned for signs of the beast.

"Get down!" Shepard screamed just as Kalros burst out of the ground, the stolen tomkah clutched in its tentacled mouth. Everyone not yet within the remaining vehicle dove for cover as Kalros threw its head back and launched the truck toward them in a flurry of acid and sand.

All except Lilith. Worn down by the procedure, exhausted by the rigors of battle, the younger krogan female limped as she hurried to cover, but not fast enough.

"Goddamn it!" Jane cried out as she launched herself at the krogan, toppling them both to the ground to roll away just as the vehicle landed hard, acid hissing as it spattered the sand in its wake. A blood curdling scream rent the air, and Garrus' heart seized at the sound.

"Jane!"

(Note: Thank you, everyone! Hope you're all enjoying it so far, and we're getting dangerously close to halfway through part 3. We have a lot of action coming up in the next few chapters, so hang on! I love and appreciate you all, and always welcome thoughts, comments, and suggestions.)