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Requested By :

Espacole and Spork

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There is an author named 'Kesdax' on AO3 who wrote a RWBY fic duopoly called 'Human Nature' made up of 'Falling (Like the Stars)' and 'Rising (Like the Moon)' that I HEARTILY reccommend for anyone interested in a longer series exploring some interesting ideas.

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"I know it smells funny but I promise you, it is quite safer now." Pyrrha smiled, coaxing the last of the surviving slaves - children, mostly - off of the Normandy's ramp and down, into the bay Aria had given them to land at.

It was wide, open, and low enough in Omega's structure for the ship to simply go down and come up through the atmospheric barrier to touch down on. Two large warehouses, old and dilapidated from years of little to no use, flanked it to either side, caked in rust and with as many windows missing or broken as not. But it was shelter, with crates pressed against the walls to either side stocked with food, water, medicine and clothes that Aria had been kind enough to 'donate' to them. It more a trade for the weapons, armor and ore they had brought back, and she knew that.

But Aria hadn't been paid at all to make sure to not send Batarian or Krogan guards to oversee anything, and yet she had.

Most of the children went down the ramp quietly, now that the adults had gone, shuffling along behind who Pyrrha assumed were their parents. Or at least, had taken up the role of it. She saw more than one Salarian, Turian and even a smaller Krogan guiding along other species. It was a sad sight. But seeing them come together filled her with some hope.

"Battlemaster." She turned and had to cover her mouth not to laugh as Grunt came over, a child tucked under each arm and another sitting on his back, legs to either side of his great head. Somehow scowling and smiling at the same time, he grunted, "These should be the last."

"No, uh…" She cleared her throat, shaking off her amusement to ask, "No one is with them?"

"No." Grunt rumbled, bobbing his head down at the small Krogan sitting amongst the children, letting them climb on him while the adults and older childred looked around. "Renden has taken responsibility for them, however."

"How so?"

"I gave him credits," Grunt shrugged, earning giggles from the children as they were lifted up and down, "he agreed to take care of them."

"You gave them money?" Pyrrha's brows rose, "Just like that?"

"I am true Krogan." Grunt rumbled lowly, "A true Krogan knows the value of a child. Knows the weight. We both agreed to see them cared for."

"Wait…" Pyrrha smiled, "This isn't a one time thing, is it?"

"No."

"I see." She smiled, a sudden gust of… Strange pride rushing up from her stomach to set butterflies in her chest. She shook it off and nodded, "Very well then. May I help? I have more credits than I can use, thanks to the Illusive Man."

"Don't say that name out loud, Battlemaster." Grunt hissed, kneeling and letting the children clamber down. Standing, he waved them off and, sullen now that play-time was over, they shuffled down to Renden. The sullenness died as he turned, laughing as he waved the others forward to tackle them. Watching them, Grunt rumbled, "Who we work for isn't something to spread around."

"You're right, of course." She nodded, "I apologize."

"It's fine." He rumbled, turning to leave and hesitating, adding, quietly, "And… I would appreciate the help. Lot of kids here. Lot of food."

"And education isn't cheap either." She smiled, "Not to mention clothes, toys… Coming to visit…"

Grunt huffed and rumbled, "Who said anything about visiting?"

She only smiled, though. She'd seen him with the children and, when she didn't say anything and he went down, she watched him let a few of the kids - none who weighed as much as his leg - bowl him over. Tiny hands found apparently ticklish spots all along his sides - even, she noted, where he had armor - and he laughed as they over-ran him. A couple minutes passed and Garrus jogged down, carrying little sealed packs of Dextro-rations he handed out in groups to the Turian adults while Tali sauntered down, using her Omni-Tool to get scans of the children's faces.

"Pictures." Pyrrha almost jumped and turned, but Shepard only stared ahead, arms folded over her armored chest. Nodding at the group, she went on, "If any of them have reports out, maybe family looking for them, we can get word to them that they're on Omega. Aria already agreed to help them get back together if there are."

"Noble of her."

Shepard only shrugged and, after a moment, asked, "So… God, huh?"

Sighing, Pyrrha let her eyes close, took a breath, and nodded as she opened them again, "Indeed. I know it is unbelievable, but-"

"It's not." She cut her off, frowning and shaking her head, "It just… Puts some things in perspective."

"Oh?"

"The war with the Reapers…" Shepard said, talking a bit more quietly, now. Almost like she were anxious. Shaking her head, she said, "I guess it's nice. Everything else aside. To know that we have a god on our side, I mean."

"He can't do much…"

"Even so." Shepard nodded, "It means there's hope. We could… If we fail, I mean, he could tell the next Cycle. Warn them, somehow."

"Presuming the Gods here allow it…"

"Why wouldn't they?" Shepard blinked, registering some more of what she said and asking, "Wait, you've met our, uh, gods?"

"No." She shook her head, "But the Dark Lord said they prefer to be more passive. To observe. Like… Spectators."

"I see…" Shepard was quiet then, for a while, before she finally turned to leave and grunted. "You're on deck for the landing at Korsica when we get there. We're anticipating heavy resistance."

"Understood." She nodded, loathing having to hurt people, as she always did. But looking at the children out there…

She'd survive having to do what needed to be done, if it meant helping them.

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Korsica was a desolate, arid planet covered in craggy mountains that were, themselves, covered in sprse, stubby cactus-like shrugs that sprayed spores everywhere. The plants produced oxygen, luckily, but their spores were toxic. Which meant that, in the highlands, you still needed a mask to breathe. Down in the valleys and crevices between the crags, though, the spores didn't reach, floating on wind currents that propelled them through the air over head, held aloft by up-drafts. Even so, the grounds below were dry and inhospitable, and out in the Terminus, having to import food could be a death sentence.

So, the world was left to pirates and whoever they could tolerate - or would tolerate them.

They'd build dozens of little fortresses, dug down into the ground like ants with metal walkways criss-crossing the canyons above. Some even had devensive towers and watch-towers in the highlands, where the toxic clouds meant they had to be sealed. Or automated. But their information didn't point to any of them. Instead, it pointed to a smaller one down towards the southern pole, built into an impact site where, supposedly, an asteroid had struck years ago. At its lowest point was a complex, built out of sturdy concrete, that supposedly let into another small raiding outpost.

Given the accuracy of their last target's decsription, she didn't doubt it…

"Are you ready?" Shepard asked her as the Kodiak descended, it's active defenses hopefully more than enough to keep those on the ground from noticing them. Pyrrha flicked her Krogan drop-partner a look, and then the Asari at the other end of the shuttle, and turned to nod. "Good, a Biotic drop can be hard to pull off. So the Kodiak is on standby if-"

"Laser-lock." The pilot cut in, voice eerily calm in spite of the very real danger. "Ten feet higher than predicted drop height. But I have to evade."

"Samara?"

"It will be no problem." She answered, pulling on her mask while Pyrrha and Grunt did the same. Turning as the door opened, she rolled her shoulders, Biotics roll off of her in waves, and said, "You all leap with me."

There was no count-down or preparation after they nodded. Samara only returned the gesture…

And leapt.

Pyrrha followed, with Grunt beside her and Shepard just behind, and they fell in as best a formation as they could manage. On the ground below, the pirates were swarming out of little hatches ringing a wider, circular metal plat at the base of the crater. They raised their rifles, firing away as a missile arced out from one and curved around them, hounding after their Kodiak as it veered down and to the side. Pyrrha ignored it, flicking her rifle out and around, bringing it to bear on the man with the missile launcher as he reloaded and raised it again.

The first shot took the man in his shoulder, and the second caught the launcher on its side as he recoiled and fell, clutching his wound.

"Good shot!" Shepard called out as she brought her own rifle around, her Avenger peppering the ground in automatic fire as they fell.

One mercenary fell, but it seemed more meant to suppress than to actually hit anything, and it worked in that regard. There wasn't much cover on the ground, but most of the slavers turned, covering their heads with their arms as, finally, Samara crashed down. The Biotic explosion she let our ripped out around her, hurling several of the pirates away to slam into the rising ground to either side that Pyrrha was certain most would never rise again. Turning, the Asari threw her hands up just before they hit the ground, too, Biotics wreathing them all in a by-now somewhat familiar shell of static warmth.

Pyrrha knelt as she came down, turning and putting two shots into a Batarian as he turned, raising a nasty looking harpoon weapon at her, and he collapsed with a grunt. Pushing her guilt away, she stood and turned, calling out her spear as she charged two more. The first, a Human woman, threw away her rifle and yanked a knife out. But it only sparked off her Aura as Pyrrha leapt and came down on her and she tried to thrust it up into her belly. Her elbow caught the woman across the side of her head and sent her reeling while Pyrrha stepped past her, lashing out with her spear to carve through the front end of the Turian's rifle and catching it across her shoulders. Stepping in, she snapped a hit into his face and then turned, swinging the haft around to bludgeon him across the side of the head, too.

He staggered and she kicked him in the chest, turning as the woman stood and Pyrrha pressed a hand against her chest, pushing her away. And then, with her contacts made, she turned and hurled them both across the grounds. Grunt saw them coming and laughed, turning and catching both with a clothesline across their sternums that left them on the ground, clutching broken ribs and sucking in breath. By the time Grunt turned, blasting another Turian in half as they charged him, the fighting had already ended.

"Status?"

"Green." Pyrrha called over as Grunt turned to bark the same.

"I caught a round in the arm." Samara called over, hand wrapped around her bicep. Pyrrha spun to face her, worried, and she smiled, "It is fine. I have treated it, and the round was low caliber. Meant to wound, not maim."

"Slavers don't like to kill." Grunt added, stepping close enough to bump shoulders with her. "Less 'product' that way."

"I see…"

"Focus up." Shepard cut in, flicking the Asari a look and nodding. "The three of us will descend and clear the base, then. Samara, you're to hold the rear."

"I am combat capable…"

"You're injured." Shepard countered firmly as Pyrrha and grunt joined her at one of the hatches and lingered, looking at the Asari as the Commander went on, "Minor or not, I won't take you in without a solid, definable need. And besides, we need someone to hold the rear. And you are our best area of denial unit."

"Very well." Samara nodded, "Forgive me. I merely wish to be… Useful, after so long healing."

"And getting hurt again so soon is frustrating." Shepard nodded, "I understand."

"Thank you."

"Now then," Shepard sighed, "in we go."

Inside, the base was a honeycomb of wide open storage facilities stacked with crates, cages and piles of garbage waiting to be dealt with and curving tunnels throughout. Most of the scant few mercenaries who had been there, and ready to fight, had already gone to the surface to meet them. What few they found below either surrendered quickly, or were put down by Shepard herself before they could do much more than aim their direction. And so it went, for half an hour. Clear a warehouse, deal with the mercenaries waiting, move on through the base complex.

Finally, though, it was dealt with - and Shepard was frowning as they returned to the surface, where the couple dozen surviving pirates had been assembled and the Kodiak had landed, carrying a squad of lightly armored Cerberus soldiers to keep an eye on them.

"Where are the prisoners?" Shepard barked as soon as they had all surfaced. No one answered, so she flicked out her Omni-Blade and added, quietly, "Someone talks or I start picking out volunteers."

"The crates!" One squawked, arm in a sling and the other hand pressed against his bloodied fringe. Voice warbling in that Turian way, he went on, "T-They stay in their crates! Has atmo, water cyclers, whatever to keep 'em alive 'til they ship out!"

"Good." Shepard nodded, turning to Pyrrha and grunting, quietly, "You and your Krogan stay and watch them. I'll take the Cerberus troopers down, get the crates inventoried."

"As you wish." She nodded, turning and finding a nice enough spot to sit while Grunt trudged over to walk among the pirates, teeth bared and eyes roving over them.

Funnily, to her, this part of the operation took the longest. Hours passed as the pirates were stripped of their armor and weapons, and anything valuable was lifted out of the base, stowed in the Normandy's hold. The prisoners went before that, of course, filling up the cantina and a part of the half the hold with scared civilians huddled in corners and tight little groups. They kept to themselves, muttering nervously as the ground team came aboard with the last of what they could carry with them.

Shepard took a long look at them, and then reached up to remove her helmet, letting Garrus take it as he passed by.

"I know you're all frightened," she called out, silencing the chatter and getting all of them to turn to her, wary but listening as she went on, "I understand why. Believe me, I understand why… And I know that just trusting me isn't in the cards. Not now. Not after what you've all been through. But you are not going to be carried off to be sold by us. Or put to work."

"No, we're going to Omega, where you will be provided shelter while Cerberus attempts to find your families out there." Shepard went on, padding forward as Lawson stepped out of the elevator and came to meet her, handing over a data-pad and smiling thinly. Holding it up, Shepard said, "You're the second group we have taken in, and this report is on the first. Already, seven of the forty people have been connected to family. And sent home, thanks to Cerberus' generosity."

The room was quiet, until Shepard handed the data-pad over to one of the prisoners and, after a moment of anxiety, she took it and skimmed it.

"Rest up, recover, and try and be ready." Shepard called out, leaving them all and heading for the elevator. "When we reach Omega, you'll have to figure out what to do for the next step. And it might not be easy."

With that foreboding thought, she left them behind, and the room fell into silence.

Until Grunt stepped up to one group, looming over the crowd…

And suddenly squatted down, smiled and asked a little Asari girl with teal skin, "What's your name?"

"L-Leala…" She finally stammered after the larger Turian holding her nudged for her to, seemingly too scared to meet Grunt's gaze.

Smiling, Grunt eased down to sit properly and nodded, "That's a pretty name. Do you wanna see a trick?"

"A… Trick?"

"A magic trick!" He nodded, and Pyrrha stepped close enough to see the little knife he pulled out. The Asari girl got scare for a moment but Grunt ignored it, setting it down and looking at her calmly. "Now, here's the trick… You say a direction, and the knife will point that way."

"R-Really?"

"Mhm." Grunt nodded, holding his hands up to the sides so she could see them. "Watch - point at me!"

With a flick of Pyrrha's hand, she made the knife wobble and teeter a bit as the girl, and the children near her, and even the adults, turned to watch. Then she flicked it up, spun it around, and had it flop down facing the Krogan. And, for a second, the children were all quiet. Until Leala, slowly, nervously, reached out to poke the handle.

"It's real…" She whispered, in pure awe at what, to her, was an amazing trick. Slowly, more came over, shuffling up to watch as Leala said, "Uh, p-point left! Right! S-Spin around!"

With each direction, Pyrrha made the little blade dance as the crowd grew and the tension started to, finally, leave them. Soon, for lack of space, more of the children crowded around Grunt. But he didn't mind, patting their shoulders comfortingly until a couple Asari girls crawled into his lap to watch the 'trick'. Smiling, Grunt let them, and let the Salarian kid behind him poke and pick at his arm curiously, too. Soon, Grunt left that trick behind, putting the knife away as Zaeed came off the lift and raised his arms, laden with bags.

"I have snacks! Candy and cookies for everyone!" He called out, smiling as the children, unafraid of his scars after everything they'd been through, hopped up and ran over for the promised sweets.

"Thank you." The Turian who'd been holding Leala said as Grunt stood and he latched onto his hand. Grunt looked down at him and, exhausted but smiling, the Turian said, "She's my daughter. All I have left of her mother. After what happened, I never thought she'd smile again…"

For a second, she expected Grunt to brush him off, but…

He just smiled, nodded and said, "You're welcome."

Finally, with Zaeed taking his turn entertaining the children, Pyrrha found a pirate's crate to sit on and settled in for the ride.

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Krazy Fan :

Oh yeah!

Merendinoemiliano :

Perv~ Lol.

Guest W :

What is there to say about Penny that they haven't already learned? To be clear - this is up to V3 Penny. When Penny returned hasn't been addressed in this fic.

Obsidian Unknown 66 :

I'm glad you noticed that! Yeah, those ambivalent, or already faithful, were SURPRISED to learn about the existence of gods. But not disturbed much. But the more scientifically included - sans Mordin, if you picked up on it - didn't react well lmao.

Sebine :

Listen I'm working on it. I straight up have a ship-fic called Noble Prodigy if the gay levels aren't satisfactory here lmao.

Thane (Guest) :

Thane's total silence IS a reaction - just his brand of one.

My version of Zaeed is a good bean.

Fatquacker :

Oh, some HAVE taken that approach. And, as you can see by the title and actual dialogue in this chapter, the whoel THING isn't 'settled' yet.