MASS EFFECT DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. I WANTED TO MAKE MY OWN INCENDIARY AMMUNITION, BUT APPARENTLY THAT GETS YOU IN TROUBLE WITH HOMELAND SECURITY. WHO KNEW?

So, last time around, Miranda found the leak in Intelligence and plugged it. Violently. Now Wrex has to stop his planet from plunging further into civil war. Also violently.

Mass Effect: Legacy

XIV

When Alanna woke up, she almost couldn't open her eyes from the pain. Biotic feedback was nothing to scoff at, even for the most experienced Asari. Just because she could perform a dozen biotic Slams back-to-back didn't mean she should.

When she finally cracked open one eye, she saw a hand holding a few pills in front of her face. After a few blinks, she recognized that hand, and who it was attached to.

"EDI told me you'd probably have a headache," Haley said. "I brought you some painkillers."

"Better than flowers and chocolates right now," Alanna muttered, and swallowed the pills.

"I'll remember that for Valentine's Day." Haley frowned. "Wait, do you celebrate that?"

"I celebrate more human holidays than Asari ones," Alanna admitted. "Besides, I always get tons of free chocolate on Valentine's Day."

"Why?"

Alanna grinned at her. "I'm an Asari, and I was living with humans. Why do you think I got free stuff?"

Haley made a face. "Okay, yeah, that makes sense."

"Moving on," Alanna said, and sat up on the cot she'd been lying on. "What did I miss? Oh, shit, is Wrex okay?"

"He's fine," Haley assured her, and Alanna sighed in relief. "Fort Shiagur was locked down after the attack, but there hasn't been any sign of the Outsiders."

"Thank everything." Alanna slumped back down again. "Anything else interesting happen while I was out?"

"The Alliance is here in force," Haley said. "Thirty ships arrived a few hours ago, and more are on the way."

"I thought Wrex said this was a Krogan matter," Alanna said. "We only helped because we were here."

"That might have flown before, but Director Lawson passed on a message for the squad." Haley cleared her throat, and then spoke with a passable Australian accent. "There was a traitor in Alliance Intelligence, paid off by Gatatog Rulk and supported by the Outsiders. As far as the Alliance is concerned, this civil war was instigated by an outside party, and thus warrants an appropriate response."

Alanna choked on a laugh. "I hope Miranda never hears you imitating her."

Haley waved her hand dismissively. "Eh, I'll just put you between me and her, and I'll be fine."

"You're probably right," Alanna agreed. "She spent almost as much time raising me as my mom, so she's basically like a second mother to me."

Haley smiled. "Okay, I'm trying to imagine a little you being carried by her, and it's hilarious."

"I'm pretty sure that happened, actually; you can ask EDI if she's got pictures." Alanna stretched, and winced from the aches that came with sleeping in armor. "Am I okay to get up?"

"The docs said you shouldn't use any biotics for a day or two, unless you want another bloody nose." Haley shrugged. "Other than that, you're cleared for duty."

"Cool." Alanna accepted Haley's hand and got to her feet. "I don't suppose you brought my guns?"

"I'd be both a lousy XO and girlfriend if I let you go wandering around a warzone without weapons." Haley stepped to the side to reveal Alanna's weapons, freshly cleaned and collapsed. "I also took the liberty of replacing the ammo blocks; yours were starting to wear out."

"Aw, you spoil me." Alanna grabbed her weapons, and accepted her helmet from Haley. "Come on, let's make sure the rest of the squad didn't get into trouble without us."

"Hang on." Haley stopped Alanna from putting on her helmet, and gave her a quick kiss. "Please stop scaring me, okay? This is the second time you've passed out with a bloody nose."

Alanna grimaced. "I'll do my best."

…

Wrex nodded as the door opened, and Alanna marched in with her squad. More than a few Krogan clapped or roared in approval at her arrival; news of how she'd saved his life had spread like wildfire, and it was just one more stone on the pedestal that his people were building for her.

With all she'd done in just the last couple of days, Wrex wouldn't be surprised if someone made a statue of the daughter to join the one of the father.

"Good, you're here," Wrex huffed, hiding how worried he'd been for Alanna. "Jurdon is crushed, and we now have a clear route into Gatatog territory."

"How much of a fight will they put up?" Alanna asked.

"They know this is their last stand, so they'll fight to the last," Wrex said, with just a hint of regret. "Gatatog has spent a lot of the last century building up its numbers; that clan is one of the biggest, and they've got the firepower to go with it."

"Fortunately, you won't be fighting them alone," General Shay said as she stepped out of the shadows; she smiled when Alanna's squad snapped to attention. "At ease, all of you. As I was saying, Overlord Wrex, I've got eighty thousand Alliance soldiers ready to back up your assault, including armor, air support, and artillery."

"We'll need those last two," Wrex said. "As for your soldiers, I need them to watch our flanks while my warriors advance. Gatatog is using an old pre-Rebellion fortress as their base, and it's well-defended."

"Whatever you need, we'll deliver," Shay promised. "The Alliance isn't about to abandon Tuchanka now."

Wrex let out an ambiguous snort; he didn't like Shay because she was a Shepardist, but she was aggressive and loyal, things he approved of in a soldier.

"For now, we'll keep Gatatog penned in," Wrex decided. "We've got more flyers and artillery than they do, so we can keep them from launching any surprise attacks while we prep for the assault."

"What about a siege?" Alanna asked. "A full assault could get bloody."

Wrex grumbled. "I thought about it, but the longer Gatatog stays intact, the longer the Alliance stays in the system. With everything going on in the galaxy, I'd rather not have a bunch of our ships tied down putting out fires."

"And if the Outsiders are going to be more brazen by supporting an armed uprising, we'll need to keep as much of our strength as mobile as possible," Shay added. "Once we have more information about them, we'll need our fleets on the offensive, not running damage control."

Alanna nodded. "Well, what can my team do to help?"

Wrex didn't like the way Shay's face lit up, and he knew Alanna well enough to see that she didn't either. "I read your XO's report about your last mission against Clan Jurdon. I'm hoping that you'll replicate your previous success against Gatatog by helping to disable their outer defenses."

"No problem, ma'am." Alanna saluted. "You can count on us."

Shay smiled, and Wrex resisted the urge to rip her in half. "We're attacking tomorrow, Alanna. Get some rest, and make sure you can use your biotics again."

"Understood, sir." Alanna turned on her heel and left, her squad right behind her.

Wrex was glad she was out of Shay's sight, but now he had to deal with her, and that was one of the last things he wanted. He and the rest of his people had made it very clear that Shepardists weren't welcome in their space. Wrex found the very idea of his human brother being venerated in such a way appalling; Shepard was certainly the greatest example of his species, and worthy of the deepest respect, but the last thing he'd want was to be worshiped.

Unfortunately, all Wrex had as proof that Shay was a Shepardist was Miranda and Liara's word. If Shay had been more open with her religion, Wrex would have been well within his rights to personally toss her off his planet.

To give him an even greater headache, Wrex had to admit that Shay was actually good at her job. Within two hours of her arrival, she'd gotten her army so well-organized that even with Wrex's centuries of experience, he couldn't find a problem with any of her proposed tactics. She'd even accommodated for his desire to settle things his way.

If she hadn't been a Shepardist, Wrex would have actually liked her.

"It's amazing," Shay said. "That young Asari seems to live up to her father every day."

"I think he'd be proud of her," Wrex reluctantly agreed. "But I also think he'd be sad."

Shay blinked in obvious surprise. "The Shepard would have been sad because of his own daughter? I don't understand."

Wrex saw red when Shay said 'the Shepard', but managed to restrain himself. "Shepard fought and died to save the entire galaxy. When he died, he saw us all united against the Reapers. Now, the galaxy is divided, and we're putting so much of our hope on his daughter, instead of fixing all these damn problems ourselves."

"I suppose you would know the late commander's mind better than most," Shay said. "And you make a good point. I've been trying to keep our forces as active as possible, so that things don't become so complacent that we need another Shepard to save the day."

Bullshit, Wrex thought fiercely. You're backpedaling to keep me from killing you. If anyone's been trying to keep the peace, it's been Liara, and she knew John better than anyone.

"Still, I must admit that I may have been a little too enthusiastic when Lieutenant Shepard practically fell from the heavens to help me," Shay continued. "I never even considered how much pressure she must be under, and I didn't help by encouraging Intelligence to send her on as many high-priority missions."

Wrex eyed her suspiciously. "I didn't think you had any sway with Intelligence."

"I have sway within the bureaucracy, which even Intelligence relies on," Shay informed him. "But, the more I think about it, the more I believe that Lieutenant Shepard has gone unrewarded for her accomplishments. Perhaps I should rectify that."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Wrex gestured to the door. "Don't you have troops to organize?"

Shay saluted, and took the dismissal for what it was. "Of course, Overlord. I'll be ready to move out when you need me."

Wrex waited until she was gone, and then punched a dent into his table. "Damn Shepardists."

…

Alanna walked at a speed only slightly faster than a stroll; she was almost recovered, but moving too quickly still gave her a headache. Part of her almost wished she didn't recover in time for tomorrow's attack, just so she could rest more.

She viciously quashed those thoughts as soon as they appeared. If she didn't lead her squad, Haley would have to take over, and there was no way in hell Alanna was going to let her girlfriend go into battle without her if she could help it.

Dammit, I need to stop thinking like that. We're both soldiers, and I should be able to trust that she can take care of herself.

Alanna found Haley with the rest of the squad, undergoing various checks on their equipment. None of them had noticed her yet, so Alanna took the opportunity to simply observe.

"Haley, I got something for you," Tetros said, and handed her a collapsed sniper rifle; aside from a more curved stock, it was almost identical to his own.

"Oh, sweet!" Haley grabbed the rifle, expanded it, and looked down the scope. "Adjustable magnification, multiple firing modes, and built-in VI aim-assist—another time and place, I might kiss you, Tetros."

"Once again, Alanna beats me to the punch… or kiss, in this case." Tetros laughed. "Just watch out for the single-shot mode, it kicks like a horse."

"Mule, Tetros; it's 'kicks like a mule'."

Tetros threw up his hands. "Whatever! You humans have way too many metaphors."

"That one's more of a simile, but yeah, we do like our sayings."

Alanna smiled fondly at the banter; back when he was a kid, Tetros had been horribly awkward, and Alanna had spent a long time building up his social skills. Now, he was trading friendly barbs with her girlfriend.

"Hey, Korim," Nok said, not looking up from his shotgun, "I heard you were with the Quarian Marines. That true?"

"Yeah, for about three years," Korim answered. "Why do you ask?"

Nok snorted. "Heard a weird rumor about them, and I thought I'd see if it's true."

"There are rumors about the Quarian Marines?" Korim sounded genuinely surprised.

"I don't know about all of 'em, but I heard this one from a guy in the KAB; he said the Quarian Marines did all their hand-to-hand training naked."

Korim managed to choke on absolutely nothing. "What!?"

Nok laughed. "Yeah, I thought it was weird, too, but it sounded like one of those 'so weird it might be true' things, so I wanted to ask."

"No, it's just…" Korim said something that not even the translators could figure out, but he sounded exasperated. "It's not like we advertise that kind of thing, so I don't know how your friend learned about it."

"Wait." Nok slowly put aside his shotgun and stood up. "Wait one damn minute. Are you saying it's true?"

At this point, Alanna wasn't even trying to be subtle about eavesdropping, and neither was the rest of the squad. Korim noticed, and gave them all a dirty look before speaking.

"There's a… well, it's not a religious ritual, more of a tradition. See, back during the Migrant Fleet days, the most intimate thing you could do was link your suit environment with someone else. That was usually a family member or partner. We—the Quarian Marines—wanted to keep some of that trust alive, so we made a new tradition. Each squad has to trust and know itself implicitly, so when a squad is formed, everyone gets into a sterilized room, takes off their suits, and spars for an hour. Our immune systems go for a ride afterwards, but we all get the same thing, so there's a deep level of trust."

He saw how everyone was staring blankly at him, and he sighed. "It's a Quarian thing, okay?"

"I guess I can understand why you never brought it up before," Haley said. "I mean, cultural differences aside, you'd get really messed up from a bunch of alien germs if we did that."

Korim shrugged. "And I'm pretty sure Nok would snap me in half if we sparred, even if I was wearing armor and he wasn't."

Alanna had to give him that, and then nearly jumped when her omni-tool sent her an alert; she had gotten a message from Haley.

Korim reminded me of something: when was the last time we sparred? Don't want to get rusty.

Alanna thought about it, and realized that she hadn't done any training with either of her fellow N7s since before the war with the Council. She quickly began typing a message back.

How about after we're done on Tuchanka, assuming we have a little time between missions?

Haley glanced back at her and smiled as she replied. Sounds good.

Alanna's own smile was decidedly more wicked. Now, since Korim brought it up, are we keeping the clothes on, or off?

Haley put her helmet on, but Alanna knew she was blushing. Maybe we see how things go?

Alanna would have replied, but an alert on her omni-tool cut her off, and the contents of the message made her scowl. "Crap."

Korim tensed. "What happened?"

"Gatatog decided to move first. They're hitting the Urdnot FOB on the outskirts of Gatatog territory. Looks like mostly artillery and airstrikes, and casualties are high."

All of Nok's good cheer was gone. "That base was our only foothold in their territory. If we lose it, it'll be a hell of a fight to get it back."

"Yeah, which is why we're bringing some serious reinforcements," Alanna said. "The Alliance is deploying gunships and fighters to drive off the Gatatog air force, and Clan Aralakh is moving in to reinforce the base. General Grunt has asked for us to join him."

Nok banged his fists together. "I haven't fought with him since Elysium. This'll be good."

"Here's hoping." Alanna put her helmet on. "Come on, we're on the clock."

…

The Urdnot base was mostly destroyed by the time the waves of gunships and shuttles landed, but the surviving loyalists were dug in, and fought grimly to hold their position. Alanna charged out of her shuttle as it landed, but was nearly taken off her feet when a grenade hit her square in the chest. Her barriers shattered, but her armor held, and she ducked into cover to let her shields recover.

"You okay?" Haley asked as she crouched next to her.

"I will be," Alanna bit out. "Anyone see where that shot came from?"

Tetros frowned and glanced up at the air. "Yeah, I've got the angle. Feeding you targeting data for a drone."

"Thanks." Alanna fabricated a flamethrower-armed drone, and sent it in the direction Tetros has forwarded. She was rewarded with a Krogan roar of pain, followed by an explosion as the flamethrower detonated at least some of his ammo.

"That was awesome," Korim said, and then poked his head over his cover. "Incoming Vorcha, on my twelve! Rifles and flamethrowers!"

"Use Overload on the 'throwers, on my mark!" Alanna ordered, and raised her Tsunami. "Mark!"

Tetros tossed out his Overload first, which detonated a flamethrower; the explosion killed several Vorcha, followed by more when Korim and Alanna took out the other flamethrowers. The rest of the Vorcha were quickly gunned down by focused fire from the entire squad.

"Area clear!" Alanna called out, after half a minute of silence.

"Alanna, come in," Grunt said over the comms. "My forces are pushing into the base, but we're encountering heavy resistance. What's your status?"

"We're inside the perimeter, but we had to deal with a welcoming committee." Alanna noticed Mantle waving her over to a dead Krogan. "Hang on, sir."

"Shepard-Lieutenant, I have identified one of the weapons used by this Gatatog soldier," Mantle said, and held up a wide-barreled rifle with elegant curves. "This rifle is an outdated Salarian model."

"The fuck?" Nok snatched the weapon out of Mantle's hands. "Gatatog are the most anti-alien out of all the clans. Why the hell would one of them be using a Salarian gun?"

Alanna shrugged. "Best guess? I'd say they're willing to do whatever it takes to win, even if it's against their principles." She turned her comms back on. "General, be advised, Gatatog forces may be using non-Krogan weapons."

"Copy that, Alanna." Grunt paused. "Okay, we need the automated defenses back online. You're close to the command center, could you see what you can do?"

Alanna grinned. "Sir, you know I love fixing stuff just as much as I love blowing stuff up."

"Which is why I know you've got the best shot." Grunt chuckled for a moment. "Gatatog forces are stepping up their attack. I'll do what I can to push them back, but it's gonna be a hard fight without those defenses. Good luck."

"You heard him," Alanna said. "We fight our way to the command center, and reactivate the defenses. Mantle, cloak up and scout ahead; the rest of us will follow."

Fortunately for the squad, Grunt's counterattack had caught most of the Gatatog forces' attention, though Mantle did report a few enemy Krogan ahead.

"They are harassing an Asari," Mantle added over the comms.

Alanna blinked. "Mantle, repeat your last—did you say Asari?"

"Affirmative."

"The hell is an Asari doing in a Krogan base on Tuchanka?" Tetros asked.

"Let's see about keeping her alive, and maybe we'll find out," Alanna said.

They reached Mantle's location, and watched as three Krogan stood over an Asari, whose leg was trapped beneath some wreckage.

"What do you think?" one Krogan asked. "Should we see how long her barriers last before we squish her, or set her on fire first?"

"I say we pile more crap on top of her," another said. "See how long it takes for her to get crushed."

"P-please," the Asari begged. "I'm not your enemy, I swear!"

The third Krogan spat. "Yeah, right. We all know you were trying to get the clan leader to do your dirty work. It's what you Asari are good at, since you're so bad at being warriors."

Rather than let the Krogan torment the Asari further, Alanna lifted one of them into the air with her biotics. He was then set on fire by Haley, who then opened fire on a second Krogan with her assault rifle. The third was torn to pieces by combined gunfire from the rest of the squad, and then they finished off the two wounded Krogan.

"Hostiles down," Alanna reported, and then knelt by the Asari. "Who are you? I doubt you're an Alliance citizen."

"Of course not!" Alanna raised an eyebrow at the offended tone. "I'm here as a representative of the Athamean League!"

Korim blinked. "So, you're just admitting that you're an avowed enemy of the Alliance, on a major Alliance world. I can't tell if you're insane, or stupid."

"I'm here on a diplomatic mission!" the Asari snapped. "The High Matriarch has as much right to establish diplomatic relations as any other government."

"You're still here on the side of an enemy of the Alliance," Alanna pointed out. "As such, you'll be taken into custody."

The Asari snarled, but a quick chop to the back of the head knocked her out, and Nok lifted the debris long enough for Haley to drag her free. Rather than listen to another diatribe, Nok punched her in the head to knock her out.

"What?" he asked, when everyone stared at him.

"I don't know if you just hit a diplomat, or a prisoner," Tetros said. "Either way, kind of a bad thing to do."

"I won't say anything if you won't," Alanna cut in. "Besides, you really can't take risks with a biotic, and this is a warzone."

"She's not wrong," Korim said. "Worst-case scenario, Nok gets a reprimand in his file."

Nok laughed. "I'm in the First KAB; getting a reprimand is like a badge of honor."

Alanna rolled her eyes. "Okay, big guy, you and Tetros stay here with the prisoner. Catch up to the rest of us once reinforcements arrive."

"You got it, Alanna," Tetros said, and nodded at Haley. "Let me know how the new rifle feels. We can make any necessary calibrations after the mission."

Alanna led the rest of her squad towards the command center; she could hear the sound of heavy combat in the distance, but the only sign of fighting in her area was the dozen or so bodies of Urdnot loyalists. Alanna knelt by one corpse that was still warm, but all she got was a recording from his omni-tool for his family.

"Dammit," she muttered. "This civil war is doing more damage to the Krogan than when we were fighting the Council."

"I almost wish the Council had tried to pick a fight on Tuchanka," Korim said grimly. "Nothing like an invasion from outside forces to get everyone on the same page."

"That barely worked for the Asari during the Reaper War," Haley argued. "A lot of 'em didn't want to sign on, even after Thessia got hit."

Mantle shrugged in a very organic way. "All data indicates that many Asari are very resistant to change, even in the face of annihilation."

"Can we discuss the flaws in my species later, please?" Alanna pointed ahead. "Vorcha ahead."

A handful of Vorcha were cackling over the body of a Krogan; one kicked the corpse, while a pair of varren chewed on the legs.

"Kill 'em," Alanna snarled, and opened fire. The first Vorcha was frozen solid by her cryo-ammo, and then shattered to pieces by a concussive round from Haley. The rest were quickly killed by a combination of gunfire and biotics; the varren tried to escape, but Alanna wasn't in a merciful mood, and trapped them in a Singularity, which Korim detonated.

"Another of Wrex's men?" Haley asked, gesturing to the dead Krogan.

Mantle scanned the body. "Affirmative. Urdnot Ulip, corporal; one commendation for bravery during the fighting on Elysium."

"Mark the body for retrieval, but we have to keep going." Alanna glanced at her map. "We're almost at the objective."

The command center was heavily guarded, at least at the only entrance Alanna could see. Eight Krogan stood watch, all armed with heavy shotguns; like most Krogan, they didn't use cover, likely because they were confident in their armor and natural toughness. That was their first mistake, because Haley lit the first one up with her incendiary-modded sniper rifle; the rifle was so powerful that it only took a few seconds of flame to finish her target off. She ignited a second with some plasma, which Mantle detonated with an Overload; the resulting explosion caught two more, and by then, the remaining Krogan were on the attack.

Alanna sent out another flamethrower-drone, but it only burned one Krogan before it was blown apart. Korim sidestepped a charging Krogan, then pumped four shots into his back; the Krogan was finished off by a quick shot from Haley. Alanna switched to her shredder rounds, and absolutely annihilated a Krogan at nearly point-blank range. Rather than be bowled over by half a ton of charging Krogan, her armor was drenched in blood and gore.

"Oh, that's messy," Korim called out. "Please don't try to hug me until you take at least five showers."

"How about I take four, and lie about the fifth?" Alanna asked, and then gunned down another Krogan with Mantle's help.

"I'll take what I can get." Korim scanned the area. "All clear!"

"Good." Alanna switched to her shotgun. "We're going into the commander center. Haley, you and I are on point; Korim, Mantle, watch our backs."

"Wilco," Haley and Korim said as one.

"Acknowledged," Mantle said, and Alanna suspected he deliberately did that to be annoying.

It was a good thing Alanna and Haley were armed with shotguns, because another Krogan was waiting just behind the doors. Between the former's shredder rounds and the latter's incendiary ammo, that Krogan almost immediately ceased to be.

"Great, now I've got blood all over me," Haley complained.

"Deal with it, now move!" Alanna followed her own order and marched in, shotgun at the ready.

The Krogan command center wasn't much to look at; it was full of thick doors and heavy plating. If anything, it was exactly what people thought a fortified Krogan building looked like. The squad ran into a few Vorcha, but they were dealt with before the barely-sapient aliens could raise their guns.

"Anyone notice a lot of the Vorcha have flamethrowers?" Haley asked.

"I saw the models they're using," Alanna said. "Cheap and just as dangerous to the users. Gatatog probably wants to give as many of them to the Vorcha as they can as disposable anti-Krogan weapons. They'll save the good stuff for the real warriors."

"And the Vorcha don't complain because they're about as dumb as your average rat," Korim said.

"That, and it wouldn't surprise me if any Vorcha that protests dies very quickly," Alanna added.

Alanna's theory proved right when they rounded a corner, and found two Gatatog Krogan standing over the bodies of several Vorcha. One pulled out a grenade launcher and fired almost immediately; even upon retrospect, Alanna wasn't completely sure how she did it, but she managed to snag the grenade in a biotic field and hurled it back. Neither Krogan was killed by the blast, but it sent them sprawling.

"What the hell!?" Haley shouted, even as she fired at the second Krogan.

"Good reflexes?" Alanna said weakly, and then she and Korim finished off the first Krogan.

"What you did reminds me of an old human vid series," Korim commented. "Ever hear of Star Wars?"

Alanna shook her head. "No, is it good?"

Haley made an odd choking noise. "You've never seen—okay, now I know what we're doing after all this is over."

"Vid-night!" Korim cheered. "Yes!"

The good mood ended as soon as they entered the heart of the command center. There was only one Krogan guarding the computers, and between the four of them, the squad put him down in seconds.

"Mantle, please tell me the computers still work," Alanna said as she shoved the dead Krogan out of the way.

"Affirmative, Shepard-Lieutenant," Mantle said. "Gatatog forces have blocked access to the automated defenses with a boot-sector virus."

Alanna quickly did her own analysis of the software. "Yeah, not very subtle, but we can create a few workarounds. Mantle, see what you can do about that virus; Korim, you and I are going to whip up a bypass for the turrets."

"Give me two minutes," Korim said.

"Between us, we should have it ready in one." Alanna didn't even look up from her omni-tool. "Haley, keep an eye on the door, and see when Tetros and Nok will join us."

"Copy that." Haley leaned against the doorframe and peeked around. "Somehow, I feel like I got the hard job."

"You think coding in a warzone is easy?" Alanna asked.

"Hey, I'm a point-and-shoot kind of girl; I barely know how to use my omni-tool!"

"How did you make N7?" Korim asked.

"I'm very good at killing people."

That, and Alanna knew she was underselling herself; the N7 program had a technical-proficiency requirement several steps above the average Alliance soldier. Still, Alanna also knew that technical classes weren't exactly the top priority for the Soldier course.

A beep on her omni-tool gave Alanna some much-needed good news. "General Grunt, the automated defenses are back online. The computers will have to be completely purged later, but our software bypass will hold long enough to secure the base."

Grunt laughed over the comms. "Yeah, I can see those traitors getting gunned down by our turrets. Nice work, kid. Hey, two of your squad showed up with an Asari, said she was from the Athamean League. Anything to report on that?"

"She claimed she was trying to establish diplomatic relations between the Gatatog faction and the League," Alanna said. "That could be a problem."

"Only if the League somehow manages to land an army on Tuchanka before we wipe these dumbasses out," Grunt replied. "I'm sending a platoon to secure the command center. As soon as they arrive, get your squad to my position; we're leading the counterattack into the Gatatog camp."

"We'll be there," Alanna promised. "These guys have a lot to answer for."

"You're damn right. See you soon, kid."

"Hey, Alanna?" Korim pointed to one of the terminals. "What's this code I'm looking at?"

Alanna peered at the code in question; it was moving too fast for Krogan software, and it almost seemed… fluid, somehow. It took her a moment to realize what it was.

"Shit! We've got an AI in the computers!"

Mantle acted with a speed no organic could match. He plugged directly into the computer, and his frame slumped as he devoted his entirety to containing the enemy AI.

"Damn, I love that Geth," Alanna said as she monitored Mantle's efforts. "He's got the slippery bastard contained in data nodes one to four. Korim, lock down nodes five through twelve; I've got the others."

After a few minutes of frantic work, Alanna was confident that they'd secured the Krogan network from further infiltration. As soon as that was done, Mantle returned to his body.

"You good?" Haley asked.

"My program is undamaged," Mantle assured her. "Shepard-Lieutenant, the rogue intelligence is confirmed as Outsider. It was advanced, but similar in function to Geth programs during the Morning War."

Alanna mentally reviewed what she knew of the Geth revolution. "So, not very capable on its own, but if more programs banded together, we'd have a problem?"

"Correct. A Geth would have required several hundred programs to become a substantial threat, but the Outsider intelligences would only need to combine with three others."

"Oh, shit," Alanna breathed. "How dangerous would that be to you now?"

"I would be dead before I could inform the Consensus," Mantle said flatly.

"Then we got very lucky," Korim said. "Any way we can capture this thing for study?"

As if the enemy AI heard him, the computer it was trapped in suddenly crackled, and smoke trickled from the casing.

"The enemy has employed a localized cascade failure," Mantle reported. "It has self-terminated."

"Damn, the Outsiders really don't want us to get anything useable," Haley complained.

"Maybe, but we got plenty of data from this encounter," Alanna said. "Mantle, transmit everything we got to EDI. When those reinforcements get here, we'll have them guard this terminal until we can extract it. There might be something useful in the hardware."

"Hey, do you think this is just because we keep stealing the Outsiders' shit?" Nok asked. "I mean, look at all those artifacts we keep taking."

"First of all, we're not 'stealing', we're 'appropriating enemy resources'," Alanna corrected. "Second… you might be right."

Everyone started to laugh, until the commander center shook from a nearby explosion.

"What the hell was that?" Tetros asked.

"All stations, be advised," Shay's voice came in over the general Alliance frequency. "Gatatog forces are deploying heavy artillery. Grunt, get your men out of there before the whole base is brought down!"

"You heard her!" Grunt shouted. "Get to the shuttles or tanks. The only safe place is inside their range, so we're rushing the Gatatog base now!"

Korim sighed. "So much for a breather before the big fight."

"Shepard-Lieutenant, it is unlikely that we can be retrieved via shuttle during this bombardment," Mantle said, raising his voice to be heard over the explosions. "However, there are several Krogan and Alliance ground vehicles nearby."

"Then we'll see if they'll take a few hitchhikers," Alanna said as she headed for the door. "Come on, guys, the clock is running!"

Fortunately, they found a Thresher APC loitering near the base's entrance, though the driver was dead. Alanna took a moment to grab his ID tags, and then headed into the large transport.

"Who here knows how to drive one of these things?" Tetros asked.

The three N7s raised their hands. "We're certified in every Alliance vehicle," Korim said.

"And you're driving," Alanna told him. "Haley, you and I are on the turrets. Mantle, see what you can do about keeping our ride's barriers intact."

"What do we do?" Nok asked, gesturing to himself and Tetros.

"Hold on tight," Haley advised. "This is gonna be a rough ride."

Alanna ran to the forward turret, situated just behind the driver's seat, and Haley took the one by the rear hatch. It had been a while since Alanna had practiced with one of these, but it quickly came back to her—two rapid-fire cannons, and a slow-firing, if powerful, mass driver. The Thresher's lighter armor meant that it couldn't go toe-to-toe with a regular tank, but it was fast, and it had teeth.

"Hit it, Korim!" she ordered, then changed her comm-frequency. "General Grunt, we're Thresher 314, and we're joining the assault."

"Copy that, Alanna. Fall in on our left flank, and be ready to shoot down anything that might try to stop us." An explosion in the background made Grunt swear. "Our shuttles and gunships are taking heavy fire. We need to storm those defenses now, or we're gonna lose a lot of people."

"Can General Shay support us?"

"Probably, but she doesn't have a lot of Krogan with her. The rest of her soldiers are squishy, so they can't take much punishment." Grunt sighed. "My men will hit the Gatatog front line first, and Shay's troops will back us up."

"What about my squad, sir?"

"We need to cut the head off this beast; find Rulk and the other clan leaders who support him. Catch them if you can, kill 'em if you can't." Grunt paused. "Actually, Rulk might have good intel on the Outsiders. Do your best to take him alive, but I don't care about the others."

"Copy that, good luck out there."

"Heads up!" Korim shouted. "I'm picking up hostiles on an intercept course!"

Alanna swiveled her turret to the transport's left side, and narrowed her eyes at the plumes of dust in the wasteland. "Yeah, looks like Pyjak bikes."

The Pyjak line of light vehicles was something of a joke among Krogan, simply because they went against their doctrine of warfare in every way. They were fast, lightly armed, and even more lightly armored. Their only benefits were that they had a robust hover-system that could hold a Krogan warrior, and they were cheap to produce. Most Krogan in the military had dismissed the vehicles, and pawned them off on the civilian market.

Apparently, Clan Gatatog had found a use for them.

Alanna opened up with her turret as soon as the bikes came into range, and was rewarded with an explosion when the lead target's engine was ruptured. She then sent two more crashing into the sand, and another was destroyed by Haley.

"I gotta say, I'm loving these turrets," Haley said.

"Anything with the firepower to take down Krogan is always welcome," Tetros commented, then paused. "No offense, Nok."

"None taken."

"You've got a point, but that's not what I'm talking about," Haley said. "Alanna, you get it, right?"

"Hell yeah, I do." Alanna grinned as she gunned down another Krogan. "These things are really roomy. We should have Krogan design all our stuff; I could get used to so much legroom."

"Do you know how expensive these things are?" Korim called out. "There's no way the Alliance could afford a full Krogan-sized retrofit."

"Can we at least afford cup holders?" Alanna asked. "Because I'd love to have coffee up here."

"It's not fair to Quarians," Korim said sullenly, though Alanna could tell he was joking.

The good mood ended when Alanna spotted more bikers. "More hostiles, at our nine! Korim, shift to the right so both turrets can hit 'em!"

"Aw, giving me more targets?" Alanna could almost hear Haley's grin. "That's so sweet."

"Hey, can I have a turn up there?" Nok called out. "I'm getting bored, and I wanna kill something."

"It would take too long to switch out," Alanna replied. "But I'll let you take point when we get outside."

Nok hummed thoughtfully. "Eh, okay; more fun to kill something up-close anyway."

"Alert," Mantle cut in, "incoming aircraft. Identified as modified last-generation Alliance shuttles. The other Krogan vehicles are opening fire, but it is ineffective."

"Where's our air cover?" Korim asked, then violently steered the transport to the right. "Shit! We're taking fire!"

"Haley, call shots for the other tanks," Alanna ordered, then switched comm-frequencies. "General Shay, this is Lieutenant Shepard."

"I read you, Lieutenant; looks like you're in a bit of trouble."

"Yeah, and we could use additional air support, or mobile triple-A! Any way you can make that happen?"

Shay chuckled. "Absolutely, Lieutenant. Just hold out long enough for me to reorganize some of our flanking forces."

"We'll do our best." Alanna scowled as her turret damaged an enemy shuttle, but didn't destroy it. "We're almost at the Gatatog base, but we'll be sitting ducks if they control the sky."

"I'm going as fast as I can, Lieutenant, but redeployments take time. Shay out."

"Did she just hang us out to dry?" Tetros asked.

"Not intentionally, but it's going to be a lot harder until we own the skies." Alanna checked her map. "We should hit the base in two minutes. Any sign of those bikes?"

"Negative," Mantle reported. "They withdrew to allow their gunships a clear line of sight."

"Then they'll circle around once we're committed to the attack," Alanna figured. "Mantle, Tetros, stay with the tanks and coordinate with Grunt and Shay, see what you can do to make a decent rearguard. Everyone else is with me, and we'll take part in the main assault."

"Rules of engagement?" Haley asked.

"Same as always," Alanna said. "If they surrender, take 'em alive; if they don't, drop 'em. Search the bodies and computers for intel as we go; prioritize anything to do with the Outsiders."

"Wilco," Haley said tersely, answering for the entire squad.

The transport came to a stop a few minutes later; Alanna could hear gunfire pinging off the hull as she left the turret.

"Everyone out!" Grunt roared over the comms. "Rip 'em apart! Go, go, go!"

Remembering her promise to Nok, Alanna allowed him to lead the charge down the ramp. Almost immediately, he and the rest of the squad came under heavy fire from a Krogan fireteam hunkered down behind a thick barricade.

"Haley, take Korim and flank those guys," Alanna ordered. "Nok and I will cover you."

"Moving," Haley said, Korim right behind her.

"Think they'll be okay?" Nok asked as he opened fire on the barricade.

"They're N7," Alanna reminded him. "They don't need me to hold their hands."

"Kinda wish I could do the flanking right now."

"No offense, but you can't really do stealth."

Nok laughed. "Good point."

Between Alanna and Nok's firepower, they were able to keep the Krogan occupied; after a minute, the Krogan stopped shooting when a combination of grenades and biotics sent them scattering.

"Come on!" Alanna shouted, and charged the barricade; she and Nok boosted over the walls just in time to catch the few surviving Gatatog warriors, still under attack by Haley and Korim, by surprise.

"Well, that was a fun start," Korim said, once the entire fireteam was dead. "Where to now?"

"We didn't exactly have time to plan out this attack," Alanna admitted. "But Grunt gave us an objective: find the enemy leadership and take them down. Nok, if you were Rulk, where would you be?"

Nok thought about it. "Not the central structure; it might be big and defensible, but it's also a huge target. If I was a betting man, I'd say that building is full of artillery. Rulk and the clan leaders still with him are probably in the temple nearby."

"How do you know there's a temple?" Alanna asked.

"Pretty standard in these old Krogan settlements," Nok said with a shrug. "Clan leaders liked to build temples for the shamans close to their headquarters."

"Good enough for me." Alanna raised her omni-tool and set up a secure link to Grunt. "General, we're heading for the shamans' temple; Nok thinks that's where Rulk is."

"Understood, I'll send some of my men there, but we need to shut down those defenses," Grunt said. "I'm leading most of my troops to the headquarters to shut off their defenses, and Shay's army will be here soon. If we're lucky, we'll end this whole damn war today."

"Sounds good to me," Alanna said. "I'll contact you when the job's done."

"Good hunting, kid."

"Nok, you know the layout better than we do," Alanna said. "What's the best way to that temple?"

Nok took a moment to look around, and then pointed. "We can cut through the old quarter; lot of flat rooftops to boost over, but there won't be as much cover if Gatatog has shooters waiting. The other option would be to circle around, stick to the outer walls until we find one of the main streets that lead to the center. It's slower, but Gatatog will have set up plenty of cover for us to use against them."

"We'll take option two, Alanna decided. "I'm not gonna get caught out in the open by a bunch of angry Krogan."

"Yeah, I've had enough of that already, thanks," Korim muttered.

Alanna rolled her shoulders, and drew her shotgun. "Come on, let's move."

The Gatatog fortress was a far cry from the other Krogan settlements Alanna had seen. In Fort Shiagur, everything was smooth, though sturdy, and there was a bit of aesthetic added to the practicality. Here, the stone was chipped and worn, the buildings were made of mismatched materials, and everything was filthy. Part of it had to be because the clan refused any support from the Urdnot government, but it felt like Gatatog made a mess simply because it was everything Tuchanka was turning its back on.

"Contact," Haley said tersely. "Five Vorcha, one Krogan."

"As soon as we start a fight, everyone's gonna know we're here," Alanna said. "Once we kick things off, we'll have to move fast. Korim and I will pin them in place with Singularities; Nok, blow 'em up. Haley, snipe any stragglers."

With a nod to Korim, the two biotics put the first part of the plan into motion; there were shouts of surprise as the Vorcha backed away, but it didn't last long once Nok fired his missile launcher. Only the enemy Krogan survived, but barely, and Haley finished him off with a clean headshot.

"Okay, move your asses!" Alanna snapped, and took off down the alleys. They would have been a tight fit for a Krogan, but for anyone else, they weren't much different than a normal hallway.

When the squad emerged into what might have been a marketplace at one time, they came under fire from more Krogan, taking cover behind staggered metal barriers. Fortunately, there was plenty of upturned scrap plates that Alanna and her team could use for cover. Alanna and Nok kept the enemy pinned with sustained fire, while Korim sent feedback pulses through their attackers' omni-tools to disrupt their weapons, and Haley sniped away.

"Haley, cover us," Alanna ordered. "Nok, you and I are gonna boost over and onto 'em."

"Sounds fun," Nok said, and followed after her.

With Haley's sniper fire keeping them pinned, the enemy Krogan didn't see Alanna and Nok's approach until they were boosting overhead. One Krogan had his head blown off by Alanna's shotgun, and another was frozen solid by her cryo-blast, and then shattered when Nok landed on him. The last two were gunned down by a combination of bullets and biotics.

"Alanna, come in," Tetros said over comms.

Alanna waved over Haley and Korim. "I'm here, cousin, what's up?"

"We've got good news and bad news. The good news is that Shay's air support is here, and the Alliance ground forces and securing the rearguard; more troops are coming in to secure General Grunt's advance."

"What's the bad news?"

"Looks like everyone underestimated just how many soldiers Gatatog has." Tetros' voice was grim. "Even with Alliance reinforcements, we're outnumbered almost two to one, and the enemy is way too coordinated."

"I have examined Gatatog Rulk's file," Mantle added. "He is a highly effective tactician, and has likely been preparing for this invasion for many years."

"Then we need to take him out of the equation," Alanna said. "We're on our way to kill him now. If you're not needed where you are, see if you can help punch through the Gatatog lines; we can't let them have the momentum."

"Copy that, Lieutenant; get a few shots in for us."

"How much further?" Alanna asked Nok.

"Not far; maybe a few more minutes, as long as there aren't too many soldiers between us and Rulk."

Korim ducked under a hail of gunfire as more Krogan arrived. "You were saying?"

Alanna didn't bother giving orders; she froze one Krogan, detonated the biotic barrier of another with a Warp, and then riddled a third with enough bullets to kill him twice over. Haley used a concussion round to shatter the frozen Krogan, set another on fire, and kept shooting the staggered biotic in the head until he didn't get back up. Korim detonated the plasma on the burning Krogan to cover the entire squad, shot another with his shotgun when he got too close, and when that Krogan kept coming, he put an omni-blade through his eye. Nok roared as he raked the burning Krogan with incendiary-coated bullets, and then finished off the last one with a concussion round that blew his head off.

"I love this rifle!" Haley shouted. "No recoil, perfectly balanced, and with that VI-targeting, it's like I can't miss!"

"Then why did you keep shooting that one guy?" Korim asked.

Haley gave him a look behind her helmet. "Two words: Krogan. Biotic. I'm not taking chances."

"Speaking of which…" Alanna knelt by the dead biotic and searched the corpse. "Okay, this guy had a jury-rigged biotic amp I've never seen before. I'm studying this later. Ooh, and a mod on his omni-bayonet to extend the length in short bursts, that's cool."

Korim frowned. "So, it turns into an omni-spear? Is that a thing?"

"It is now." Alanna quickly copied the schematics for the upgrade. "That's something all of us should have, just in case."

"I do like the idea of having more pointy things to aim at bad guys," Haley said.

Alanna grinned at her. "I know, right?"

"No wonder you two are dating," Korim muttered.

"You're gonna pay for that later," Alanna said quickly. "Right now, we have work to do!"

Fortunately, it seemed that Grunt had drawn away the rest of the Gatatog forces, because they didn't run into more soldiers until they reached the foot of the temple. Even then, there were only eight of them, along with twenty Vorcha.

"Okay, Nok, I have an idea for dealing with these guys," Alanna said quietly. "Haley, Korim and I will lay down suppressing fire, but I want you to hold off for a minute."

"I hope you've got a good reason," Nok rumbled.

"I do, actually." Alanna grinned. "You're gonna boost up as high as you can, and while we keep the enemy pinned, you hit 'em with the heavy artillery."

Nok looked at his Mawspear. "Oh, I like the way you think."

"I was hoping you would." Alanna pulled out her Tsunami. "Ready?"

"Say the word," Haley answered for all of them.

"Three, two, one… go!" Alanna braced her gun on a piece of debris and opened fire. None of Haley or Korim's weapons could match the Tsunami's weight of fire, but they fought with equal ferocity, and the Gatatog troops were forced behind cover.

That lasted about thirty seconds, and then one missile after another rained down on them. Nok laughed as he unleashed hell, sending chunks of bodies flying with every explosion. By the time the survivors scattered, there were only a few of them left, and they were easy pickings for the N7s.

"That was even more fun than I'd hoped," Nok said as he landed. "I think I burned out my boosters."

"We'll see about upgrading them later, in case we have to pull something like this again." Alanna gestured to the door of the temple. "Until then, do you have any shots left?"

Nok scoffed. "Yeah, but it won't do anything. Those old temples were built to take heavy artillery; we'd need a tank to break through that door."

"Tell me we aren't getting stopped by a goddamn door," Haley said.

Alanna looked around, and pointed. "The door might be a no-go, but what about the windows?"

Nok followed her outstretched arm, and saw the window in question. "Yeah, that could work, but there's probably more Gatatog guys waiting, and my boosters won't get me up there."

"Don't worry, I've got an idea."

…

Alanna's solution was simple. First, shoot out the window. Second, deploy a drone to scout it out, where it found a tripwire that would lead to a messy death directly underneath the window. Third, use biotics to launch Nok through the window and over the trap, with Haley and Korim boosting right behind him.

By the time Alanna had boosted herself through the window, the Vorcha guarding the location were all dead.

"You guys work fast," she commented.

"They're Vorcha," Haley said, as if that explained everything.

Korim checked his omni-tool. "Uh, Alanna? I'm picking up dark energy signatures. I think the Outsiders are in the house."

Alanna raised her shotgun. "Then let's evict the bastards."

It didn't take long for Korim's scans to be confirmed. When they rounded a corner, they nearly collided with a pair of Adapters; Alanna immediately caught them in a Singularity, and which Korim detonated. One Adapter was still functioning, but Nok changed that with a single round from his shotgun.

"General Grunt, come in," Alanna said over the comms. "Be advised, there are Outsider units here."

"Well, shit," Grunt huffed. "That makes things a little more interesting."

"Lieutenant, I just received information from Director Lawson herself," Shay said. "We have confirmed that Gatatog Rulk has valuable intel about the Outsiders. If possible, try to take him alive."

"He won't talk," Grunt warned. "Not even Miranda can break a Krogan. I know from experience."

"Then we'll have to hope that he has something useful somewhere other than in his brain," Alanna said. "Shepard out."

"Shifters!" Korim shouted. "Coming in fast!"

Nok opened up with his Extinction, quickly destroying two of the Shifters, but a third retaliated with a blast of energy that sent him tumbling back. Korim killed it with his warp-enhanced SMG, and then tried to help Nok to his feet.

"You need to lay off the snacks, big guy."

"Bite me," Nok growled. "I hate those things."

"Join the club," Alanna said. "Come on, we need to—"

Alanna was cut off when the temple began to vibrate; it wasn't enough to stagger them, but they still noticed.

"Um, what's going on?" Haley asked.

"Don't know, but it's probably not good!" Alanna took off at a run, and hoped that she wasn't too late.

She used her biotics to force open the first door she saw, and raised her Tsunami when she spotted a handful of Krogan. They were guarded by a dozen Adapters, as well as smaller constructs; they were spherical, with a glowing yellow optic in the center, and two triangular 'wings' on either side.

One particularly ugly Krogan, his purple armor covered in glowing pipes, laughed. "Ah, the Alliance is here to stop me. I was right, Wrex can't fight his own battles."

"Neither can you, apparently," Alanna said.

"You mean these machines?" the Krogan gestured to an Adapter. "These were a gift, not a partnership."

"You must be Rulk." Alanna heard the rest of her squad come to a stop behind her, but didn't take her eyes off her target. "Your 'friends' have been trying to kill my family."

"Ah, and you must be Alanna Shepard." Rulk spat on the floor. "I would commend your father for curing the genophage, but his actions brought weakness to my people! I will not make the same mistakes as Wrex. The Outsiders respect power as I do, and have offered me a way to bring that strength to all Krogan."

"Let me guess: in exchange, they want you to kill a lot of people."

Rulk laughed. "Yes, they do."

"That ends today." Alanna's finger started to pull the trigger. "Whether or not you're still breathing is up to you."

"My task on Tuchanka is done." Rulk held his arms out. "The weak-blooded among my clan have been purged! Only the strong live, and they will be brought to salvation! We will grow so strong that even the greatest warlords of old will look like newborn varren compared to us!

"Pray that you live long enough to see it, Alanna Shepard." Rulk pointed at her. "I want to watch the despair on your face when I bring down everything your father set into motion."

Alanna opened fire, but one of the flying drones intercepted the bullets; it was blown apart, but it bought enough time for several of the Adapters to combine into a ring. Alanna realized what was going on—the Outsiders were making a portal!

Instead of a Titan stepping out, Rulk and the other Krogan stepped inside, and vanished.

"Dammit!" Alanna ducked when the Outsider robots opened fire. "Take 'em out!"

The squad took cover behind rows of computers; with a combination of biotics and concentrated gunfire, the Adapters were taken down quickly, but the smaller drones were faster, and harder to hit. Their weaponry wasn't as powerful as those of the Adapters, but their rate of fire was much higher. Korim managed to clip one with an Overload, but everyone was surprised when it abruptly fell out of the air, and didn't recover.

"They're weak to tech-attacks!" Alanna shouted, and used her own Overload to bring down another drone. It took a few minutes of running and shooting, but with staggered Overloads, the remaining drones were finished off.

Only the portal remained, and Nok blew it apart with a rocket before it could build up too much of a charge with its self-destruct.

"Grunt, come in," Alanna panted. "Rulk got away."

"Yeah, and he wasn't the only one," Grunt said. "The Gatatog forces pulled back, and went into these weird portal things. Then they turned into Outsider robots, and we had to kill them. What the hell happened?"

"I don't know." Alanna looked around at the computers. "But I'm hoping we can still find some answers."

…

Halfway across the galaxy, on the planet of Lesuss, Samara sat in meditation, enjoying the quiet the monastery offered. There was a light breeze that tickled her skin, and made the leaves above her rustle. It was a nice change of pace from the chaos of a few weeks ago. When the Asari had divided, there had been a rapid changing of the guard, as those who were loyal to the Athamean League were politely asked to leave, and replaced by seventeen Justicars.

Combined with the two hundred commandos that helped guard the monastery at all times, nothing short of an army would breach their defenses. After what the Reapers had done here, no Asari was going to risk the Ardat-Yakshi being compromised again.

Compromised, Samara thought with a scoff. As if such a word could describe the atrocity committed by the Reapers.

Despite her thoughts, the serenity of this place meant that Samara could pick up the sound of approaching footsteps with ease, and centuries of experience had her on her feet and her biotics simmering in an instant. She doubted an intruder could have gotten so far undetected, but after what Liara had told her about the Outsiders, she was not taking chances.

"Justicar Samara," the approaching Asari greeted with a nod. "I apologize for disturbing your meditations."

"Justicar Kraya," Samara returned. "Has something happened?"

"I am not sure," the younger Justicar—by only a century, but still—admitted. "But there have been sensor-ghosts plaguing our instruments for the last fifteen minutes. The techs cannot determine if it is a glitch, but I have recommended our alert status be raised."

"A wise precaution," Samara praised. "Have the Ardat-Yakshi been secured?"

"Yes, they have been moved to the underground bunker, and as far as they are concerned, this is another drill." Kraya leaned in closer. "The decoys have already taken their places in their rooms."

As another layer of the defenses, each Ardat-Yakshi had a body double, surgically altered to look and sound exactly like them. Each decoy spent months perfecting her charge's mannerisms, in the event of a kidnapping attempt; these volunteers would gladly pretend to be a real Ardat-Yakshi, and even die keeping up the pretense, if it meant denying the enemy their prize. Only the commando officers and Justicars knew of the decoys' existence; they stayed in a disguised section of the barracks designed to look like a storage unit for emergency rations.

The problem was that the defenders couldn't be sure what kind of enemy they would face. The greatest fear, other than the Reapers' return, was that the Asari government would decide that the Ardat-Yakshi were too dangerous to keep alive, and purge them all. Though they were dangerous, the guardians of the refuge had sworn an oath to keep its 'guests' safe; killing them was the absolute last resort to keep them from endangering others. It could only be done if every single Justicar and security officer was in agreement.

Of the Ardat-Yakshi, only Falere, Samara's only remaining daughter, knew of that contingency. That was because she was the one to suggest it; Samara still couldn't decide if she was proud or dismayed by her daughter's resolve.

Samara followed Kraya to the security station; two other Justicars were present, as was Major Hesseya, the commander of the commandos. They were clustered around a computer terminal, and barely acknowledged Samara's arrival.

"Have there been any other developments?" Samara asked.

"We've been able to narrow down the distortion, but not by much," Hesseya said. "As far as we can tell, there are at least two vessels in the system, but we still can't identify them."

"There should be a silhouette to recognize," Samara said. "If there isn't, then the ship is either of a completely new design…"

"Or belongs to a species we haven't identified," Kraya finished grimly. "The Outsiders?"

"Possibly." Samara considered her options. "We should inform Thessia, as well as the Alliance."

"Would the Alliance actually help us?" Hesseya asked.

"I have contacts and friends with a great deal of influence," Samara reminded her. "They will come; all we need do is ask."

"Then we will prepare to make our stand," Kray said, with the serenity of one ready to face death. "And pray that salvation comes in time."

So, things didn't quite turn out like Alanna hoped. Gatatog Rulk got away, along with a sizeable chunk of his clan. Angry Krogan teaming up with the Outsiders… that can't end well, can it?

And another familiar face appears! Hi, Samara! I sure hope nothing bad happens to you, since Alanna is way too far away to help.

That's called foreshadowing.

As always, please consider buying my book, Alpha Sanction, by Josh Gottlieb. You can find it on my website (link in my profile), or on Amazon as an eBook or physical copy. I'm trying to get the sequel finished, but I'm hitting a wall with this one scene.

If you want to support me in other ways, you can donate via my P-atreon account (link in my profile) to help me out. If enough of you donate at even the minimum tier, I can quit at least one of my three jobs, and maybe get more than six hours of sleep a day.

Thanks to the following people, who help lower my stress levels:

Serious Muffins: Nimrod009, Aaron Meek, Matthias Matanovic, Red Bard, killroy225, Lokthar, Hakuryuken, Anders Lyngbye, Kristen Tyler

Incredible Muffins: RaptorusMaximus, Crazyman844

Ultra Muffins: RangersRoll

Next Chapter: The Alliance tries to solve a mystery, and a friend of Shepard races to save another before it's too late…

I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite Muffin on the Citadel.