- Location
- Oblivion
I don't know why... But I am now imagining a hilarious drunken Vegas wedding between Samara and Krell...
Til I Change Your Mind (Mass Effect Krogan SI)
- Thread starter Stratagemini
- Start date
- Location
- Africa
kind of wandering but did Krell send out the anti indoctrination tech he uncovered from Ilos before the alliance started the Op in the asteroid ? , cause if so then they might avoid indoctrination and set the asteroid on its collation course with the relay without Shepperd needing to get involved
Stratagemini
Totally a Fire Ferret.
- Location
- Central Park
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
He absolutely did send out anti-indoctrination tech, but Indoctrination actually plays very little into the plot of Arrival. Kenson is captured by Batarians while on a resupply trip, and it's not like you can really stop doing those. Also, Krell may have butterflied things away, but he doesn't know if he has or not. Krell remembers the games, not the current future.
Wouldn't everybody have the indoctrination detectors , that he sent information on, installed everywhere with grim security personnel and automated turrets having orders to shoot until dead and spacing or incinerating the remains if they do not surrender for closer examination?
- Location
- Elsewhere
The entire Justicar Order's mandate is murdering civilian non-combatants!
- Location
- Africa
then the plot line of the alpha relay is dead in the water , the alliance would not have put efforts towards investigating the alpha relay as way for the reapers to invade until after the events of the first game when the existence of the Reapers was reveled to them which would have been about the same time Krell gave them the data on indoctrination and how to detect it , this means that after Kenson is rescued then his job is done since neither she nor her crew will be indoctrinated
~300'000 concurrent counts of murder seems a bit low for a setting where people have access to kinetic weapons rated in %LS, asteroid drops and antimatter bombs.
- Location
- Africa
yes , but how often do you think its a single person solo operating these weapons , the more people sharing the blame the less impressive the crime
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"I promised I would love whichever one survived. Since you called me to tell me you died, I can hate you as much as I want, because you're dead, you deadbeat piece of shit."
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- Location
- Pale Blue Dot
Indoctrination dectectors is totally something all serious alphabet soup agencies should have. Indoctrination dectectors is totally something that should have been on a number of security stations all over Council space.
Checking of said detectors are actually there would be a good way to check if the Council is indoctrinated, or not. If they are indoctrinated, naturally they have done their best to make certain it doesn't happen.
Yes, this is something Kell could easilly check, right now, by asking Shepard about it, on for example the checkpoint into the Citadel. Will he? Maybe, maybe not. Asking Cerberus if they have the detectors - maybe even just checking if there is a detector in the airlock of the Normandy would do. Then ask Miranda about it.
This is totally something he should have done before setting things up to save the council.
Cerberus not getting indoctrinated would help quite a lot, I suspect. And they totally would go all in removing that kind of alien infiltration in Alliance space, in general.
Honestly, just giving the crew detectors as an add-on on their armor, everyone the files for how to make more, and ask them to give their respective organizations and/or governments copies would be a good idea. Do remember to check if the designs (possibly) sent out from the Citadel are correct... or subtly sabotaged.
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CHAPTER 15: (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
Stratagemini
Totally a Fire Ferret.
- Location
- Central Park
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
CHAPTER 15: (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
2185 CE
Oddly enough, my relationship with Jack improved dramatically after our talk. Shepard's too; though not too dramatically, I hope.
I mentioned to Shepard that she shouldn't pursue the derelict Reaper for its IFF until she felt the entire team was ready to take on the Collectors. I also suggested we pick up Tali on Haestom as soon as possible.
On the final day of our shore leave however, just as we were about to leave for Haestrom, Liara's office was bombed to hell.
She slipped in just as we were readying to take off yelling 'Go! Go! Go!' and of course Joker will listen to any order given by a pretty woman, so he just left.
Luckily, everyone else was already aboard.
'What's going on, Liara?' Shepard asked, quickly rushing up from the CIC to the cockpit where I was standing in the vacant space that had replaced the co-pilot's seat after Grunt had managed to destroy it by casually sitting it in. We were due for a replacement later today before we took off, but apparently the schedule had changed on that repair.
'Hey kid, we were just about to head over to pick up Tali on Haestrom. What brings you on to the Normandy?' I asked.
'Don't you already know?' Liara asked.
'Doesn't work like that. I can't account for actions I take.' I admitted.
'Tela Vasir just bombed my office.' Liara stated.
I blinked. Well, that was unexpected, and yet completely in character for her. Honestly, I probably should have predicted that. 'Well that sucks. I tell you what, I'll make sure that once all this is over you'll have a new office that works for you; new computers, new communications equipment, the whole shebang.' I promised.
'You'd do that? You can afford it, but you do know how expensive that sort of equipment is, don't you?' Liara asked, not realizing I planned her new office to be the Shadow Broker's old one.
'I'm not worried about the price.' I admitted; mostly because I wasn't planning on paying for it.
'Thank you, Grandfather.' Liara replied.
'Now, why don't you come with me? I was just about to watch an old 20th century earth movie with Garrus, Jack, and Grunt. I think you'll enjoy it.'
'What's it called?' Liara asked.
'The Princess Bride.' I replied.
____________________
2185 CE
'That plot was unrealistic.' Liara complained once the movie was over.
'Which part? The fire swamp?' I asked.
'There were swamps like that on Tuchanka, once.' Grunt replies longingly.
'No, not the fire swamp or any of that. Inigo and Wesley. They don't make sense.' Liara explained.
'You'll have to elaborate.' I replied.
'Inigo is a man so completely motivated by revenge that he masters an entire discipline of combat, hires himself out as the bodyguard of a murderer, and has dreamed about his revenge so much that he even has a script in his head for it.' Liara nitpicked.
'Isn't that just you, only instead of your father, it's Feron?' I asked.
Liara was silent for a suspiciously long period of time.
'Okay. But what about Wesley's story? Becoming the Dread Pirate Roberts? And what kind of thing is that? People don't just pass down secret legacy names from one generation that the next like that.' Liara protested.
'Well, that I have to hand to you, the idea of an unbroken chain of people in a role like that is quite ludicrous.' I lied.
'Is true love really like that?' Garrus asked, with a sort of longing undertone to his voice.
'Hell if I know. The last time I was married my wife tried to kill me after I found out she was a spy.' I admitted.
Garrus looked around the viewing area.
Grunt looked back at him in confusion. Liara shook her head to discourage him from asking her.
'Fuck true love. Doesn't exist. All that really matters is animal passion. Want. Take. Have.' Jack replied, unhelpfully.
'Well, maybe I'll ask Joker?' Garrus decided.
'Thane was married. Even had a son. He's probably a better source of information.' I admitted.
'Haven't really talked to him much.' Garrus admitted.
'You should. He's nice.' I replied.
'Didn't he try to kill you?' Shepard finally chimed in on the conversation. Wonder how she learned that. Did Joker tell her, or did Thane?
'I don't see how that matters.' I replied.
There was a long moment of entirely comfortable silence as Shepard pondered the wisdom contained within my response.
I looked at my omni-tool.
'You know, I think we have time for another movie. How about Little Shop of Horrors?' I suggested.
____________
2185 CE
Kelly arrived at some point during the movie and insisted on sitting next to me to ask questions about what I thought about Human Culture.
Stuff like, 'What was it like eating human food for the first time?' and 'What do you think about Giant Pandas?' The latter concerned the genetically altered panda bears on Shanxi. A human lab 'accidentally' released their specimens into the wild there in an attempt to resurrect the species. They've managed to thrive, somehow, and are now the apex predator on the planet aside from Humans. Fully grown they start at a size that's at least one and a half times the size of the extinct Giant Pandas on Earth and are responsible for at least twenty Human deaths a year. The answer to both questions was of course 'Delicious.'
Still, the movie was fun, and afterwards I got to talk about Human horror movies and how most of the monsters in them are actually metaphors for specific fears.
'Which fear is Audrey II? It can't be the Thorian. Earth doesn't have that kind of plant life.' Garrus asked.
'Abusive relationships. It's a bit more clear in the stage production. They changed the ending of the movie to make it happier. But every single relationship in the movie is abusive. Mushnik abuses Seymour. The Dentist abuses Audrey. Audrey II abuses Seymour, and Seymour and the Dentist are pretty bad as well. Even the media guy at the end that wants to make the plant bigger than hula hoops is going to take advantage of Seymour.' I explained.
Garrus, Jack, Liara, and Grunt all take a second to ponder my explanation.
Kelly on the other hand speaks up. 'You're really knowledgeable about human relationship dynamics. Aren't you?' She praised me.
'I studied them a bit, after the First Contact War. The Asari funded the study.' I admitted.
'Did you ever get any... First hand experience?' Kelly asked with that odd tone in her voice again.
'Not my thing. You Humans are way too fragile.' I admitted.
Kelly looked disappointed for some reason.
Liara looked somewhat horrified.
Grunt nodded, and Garrus started laughing.
I'm not sure what that was about.
Still, hopefully Jack understood the lesson.
__________________
2185 CE
'So, what was that about Palaven being a sea of flames?' Garrus asked, after hunting me down in the cargo bay.
'So, I don't know if it's still applicable anymore, you Turians have been building up your fleet pretty impressively, but next year? When the Reapers attack? Palaven doesn't really do so well.' I admit.
'How not well are we talking about? Because I'm pretty sure our ideas on what counts as not well are different, Krell. I'm 'not well' if I take a rocket to the face. You--'
'You were fine. You have a second mandible anyway.' I cut him off.
'Turian mandibles aren't redundant like Krogan splanches, Krell. And you're distracting me. I want specifics on Palaven.' Garrus chided.
'Specifics... I can do specifics. So, next year, after Shepard gets out of jail--'
'That reminds me. Are you sure she's going to be put in jail for Murder? Shepard's right that no one ever cared who she killed before.' Garrus interrupted, again.
'Sure? No. But Garrus, it's a lot of murder. We're talking 'you would be hard pressed to ever catch up with her' kinds of numbers. The kinds of numbers that get people put into the History books.'
'Shepard's already in the history books, Krell. You should know this. You literally wrote one of them.'
'Do you want to discuss your rivalry with Shepard, or do you want to talk about Palaven? Because I can do either.' I decide.
'Well, I want to discuss Shepard, but I need to discuss Palaven, so lets go with Palaven, it's more pressing.' Garrus decided.
'Palaven it is then. So, I have no idea how the steps I'm taking are going to change things once the Reapers attack, but here's how things would have gone without my interference: After Shepard gets out of Jail, her first step is to call the council. The council dismisses her requests as usual, though this time it's for an exciting new reason!' I revealed.
Garrus waited looking at me.
I waited looking back at him.
'Well? Aren't you going to ask what the reason is?' I ask.
'Does it matter?' Garrus asked.
That was... a good question, actually.
'Maybe?' I hedged.
'Then what was the reason, Krell?' Garrus finally inquired.
'They want to keep their forces around to save their own homes instead of Earth.' I reveal.
'Huh. That's... Actually a pretty good reason. Disappointing, in some respects, but much better than dismissing Shepard's claims outright, I suppose.' Garrus decided.
'Anyway, so Tevos and Valern aren't really interested in cooperating with the Humans, but Sparatus sees an opportunity! If Shepard can scratch his back, he'll scratch hers.' I explain.
'That's not really a thing Turians do.' Garrus countered.
'Do you want to hear the story, or do you want to educate me in Turian idioms? Because I'm open to either.' I admit.
'Let's go back to storytime.' Garrus replied.
'Right, so Sparatus throws Shepard a bone.' I preemptively glare at Garrus, daring him to comment on the idiom.
He does not, so I continue.
'Sparatus says that the Primarch needs to be rescued from the Army's fallback position on Menae after you guys lost Palaven.'
'We lose Palaven?' Garrus asked, incredulous.
'You could.' I admit.
'Damn.' Garrus mutters, in shock.
'Anyway, Shepard goes on this rescue mission, only to find an anti-reaper task force leader named Garrus Vakarian, apparently you talked to your dad and laid out the evidence and he believed you? Not really relevant, but apparently Primarch Fedorian died in the fighting. A lot of people died in the fighting, actually. The highest person left in the line of succession was Adrien Victus.' I reveal.
'That would take a staggering amount of dead Turians to make that happen.' Garrus admitted.
'Palaven's visible from Menae, and there's flames visible from space. There's a giant patch of flames over what I asuume was a city too. It's where you were born.' I admit.
'Ancestors...' Garrus gasped.
'Your dad and sister supposedly made it out okay. But you probably shouldn't take that for granted. Might wanna save any sentimental mementos too...' I admit.
'That's what's waiting for us after this suicide mission?' Garrus asked.
'That's the best outcome I can see waiting for us if we all manage to survive this suicide mission, Garrus. Every other outcome I know about is worse.'
'Ancestors. I don't suppose you ever designed a gun that can kill Reapers?' Garrus asked.
'You basically need to hit them with an asteroid's worth of mass at a considerable fraction of light speed. I had issues making it man-portable. They have weak points. Shepard's capable of killing one by using a laser to paint a target on its weak point for the Normandy to hit. But well, Weak point is relative. The Normandy's main gun can take one out while targeting a weak point, but anything less than a Thanix cannon is basically going to bounce right off.' I admitted.
'Well, I guess it's nice to know that this suicide mission will be a nice sedate warm up for the actual invasion.' Garrus replied.
I laugh. 'Don't worry, Garrus. Shepard can kill 'em all using the Crucible. All we need to do is finish it and muster the forces to defend the thing from thousands of Reapers while we use it.'
'Oh, is that all? Well that's the whole war basically done right there, then.' Garrus smiled.
'Yeah, nothing to worry about Garrus. All we need to do is beat the collectors and we're already half way towards winning.' I grinned right back.
We both laughed. It wasn't a funny joke, but sometimes laughing was the only way to keep yourself from bursting into tears.
__________________
2185 CE
I walked into Grunt's room only to find him reading, with all sorts of schematics all over the place.
'What's with all this? Did a technical repository explode across your room?' I asked, curious.
'Joker says that in order to be a pilot like him, I need to understand technical schematics as well as what can go wrong with the ship.' Grunt replied.
'You know, if this sort of thing interests you, I have a number of training manuals I wrote for Engineers in Clan Nackmor.' I offered.
Grunt looked up at me from his work.
'I've been thinking about what you said. About being able to build the tools to take on any foe that challenges you. Joker knows how to use the Normandy, he knows how one fits together, but he is not capable of building one. The imprints-- Okeer's words. They're hollow, but at least with them I have reference. They cover combat, honor, glory. There's nothing in them about this. Nothing about how to build a space ship.' Grunt admits.
He looks at me, and gives me the most adorable head tilt of confusion. 'How do you learn how to learn these things?'
I grin back at him. 'You have just discovered the fundamental principle behind all learning, Grunt. In order to learn something new, the first thing you need to do is ask.'
__________________
2185 CE
'You're still fiddling with that thing?' I asked as I checked in on Kasumi.
'I know I should erase it, but-'
'What? Who told you that idea? You have information on there that can stop a war. We're going to need that information to unite the Galaxy to stop the Reapers.' I protested.
'You want to take Keiji's graybox too?' Kasumi asked, suspiciously.
'That's a terrible idea. I want to stop a war, not start it. I don't know if you noticed but I'm not exactly the archetypical gentleman thief.' I grumbled.
'You're very close! All you need is grace, poise, subtlety, and a grappling hook!' Kasumi quipped.
'Yeah, all...' I grumbled.
It takes a second for me to realize what she said.
'Wait, a grappling hook? Is that how you manage that weird teleport thing you do? You just cloak and grapple over?' I realized.
'Huh. You are sharp. That's exactly what I do.' Kasumi admitted.
'I'm trying to imagine what I'd even look like being pulled around a battlefield via grappling hook, and I just can't do it. The image is so awkward it won't stick in my mind.' I admitted.
'Why do you think I cloak first?' Kasumi grinned.
'Hah! Excellent work around!' I praised her.
'You really think I should keep Keiji's graybox?' she asked, suddenly vulnerable.
'Look, only you can determine when and if you conquer your grief. It's a deeply personal battle against a foe you need to face head on. Whether you keep the box or not, that's up to you. All I'm saying is that in the right hands that box can do a lot of good.'
'And I suppose your hands are the right ones?' Kasumi asked, still suspicious.
'My hands? No way. I'd never be able to crack the encryption in time, not to mention the difficulty I'd have keeping the contents secret. You'd need to be some kind of crazy super thief to use the info properly.' I admitted.
'You think I'm crazy?' Kasumi teased, trying to act hurt and vulnerable.
'Well, you did join a suicide mission led by a woman who was supposed to be dead.' I pointed out.
'So did you.' Kasumi pointed out unhelpfully.
'Yeah. But I have a plan.' I replied, roguishly.
'Is it a clever plan?' Kasumi asked.
'Well, I certainly think so.' I admitted.
'And did you think that stunt you pulled at Hock's was a clever plan too?' Kasumi snarked.
'You're going to have to narrow that down. I pulled a lot of stunts at Hock's, and I was pretty sure every single one of them was clever.' I admitted.
'Even when you tried to convince him that all Krogan could breathe fire?' Kasumi grinned.
'I was convincing him that Krogan hoarded treasure like dragons! The fire breathing was a piece of supporting evidence!'
'You'll forgive me if I make my own plans.' Kasumi decided, and after a moment's thought, she vanished.
Taking the hint for what it was I wandered out of the lounge.
'It was too a clever plan...' I grumbled. After all, it had worked, hadn't it? For a while at least.
Kasumi's laughter cut out as the door closed on her.
Damn it! I should have asked her about obtaining a shuttle!
Oh well, I'll get to that next time.
___________________
Author's Notes: Garrus has a ton of scenes in the ME2 portion of this fic. More than any other companion, actually. Mordin, Kaidan, and Joker come close, but Garrus is far and away the winner. He's oddly easy to write. I'm not sure why. Even scenes focused on other characters get easier to write when he's present in them. I guess that's the magic of Shepard and Vakarian.
The story is designed so that you can read the entire thing without ever looking at author's notes, or informational posts or comments; but I find that I enjoy reading little peeks behind the curtain at the author's thought process when I read other stories. Thus, author's notes. Of course, as an author you also need to be aware that talking about this sort of thing can spoil events in teh future. It's a balancing act.
One of the fun things about writing a Mass Effect story is that there are so many different types of Shepard. Krell's Shepard is a Ruthless Colonist and it shows in her outlook, but just because Shepard is one particular sort of Background doesn't mean I can't sneak the general vibe of a background into another character. Krell tends toward Sole Survivor (by Blue Oyster Cult). That leaves someone else as the War Hero. Who that is hasn't actually come up yet, but I'm hopeful that readers will enjoy it when it does.
2185 CE
Oddly enough, my relationship with Jack improved dramatically after our talk. Shepard's too; though not too dramatically, I hope.
I mentioned to Shepard that she shouldn't pursue the derelict Reaper for its IFF until she felt the entire team was ready to take on the Collectors. I also suggested we pick up Tali on Haestom as soon as possible.
On the final day of our shore leave however, just as we were about to leave for Haestrom, Liara's office was bombed to hell.
She slipped in just as we were readying to take off yelling 'Go! Go! Go!' and of course Joker will listen to any order given by a pretty woman, so he just left.
Luckily, everyone else was already aboard.
'What's going on, Liara?' Shepard asked, quickly rushing up from the CIC to the cockpit where I was standing in the vacant space that had replaced the co-pilot's seat after Grunt had managed to destroy it by casually sitting it in. We were due for a replacement later today before we took off, but apparently the schedule had changed on that repair.
'Hey kid, we were just about to head over to pick up Tali on Haestrom. What brings you on to the Normandy?' I asked.
'Don't you already know?' Liara asked.
'Doesn't work like that. I can't account for actions I take.' I admitted.
'Tela Vasir just bombed my office.' Liara stated.
I blinked. Well, that was unexpected, and yet completely in character for her. Honestly, I probably should have predicted that. 'Well that sucks. I tell you what, I'll make sure that once all this is over you'll have a new office that works for you; new computers, new communications equipment, the whole shebang.' I promised.
'You'd do that? You can afford it, but you do know how expensive that sort of equipment is, don't you?' Liara asked, not realizing I planned her new office to be the Shadow Broker's old one.
'I'm not worried about the price.' I admitted; mostly because I wasn't planning on paying for it.
'Thank you, Grandfather.' Liara replied.
'Now, why don't you come with me? I was just about to watch an old 20th century earth movie with Garrus, Jack, and Grunt. I think you'll enjoy it.'
'What's it called?' Liara asked.
'The Princess Bride.' I replied.
____________________
2185 CE
'That plot was unrealistic.' Liara complained once the movie was over.
'Which part? The fire swamp?' I asked.
'There were swamps like that on Tuchanka, once.' Grunt replies longingly.
'No, not the fire swamp or any of that. Inigo and Wesley. They don't make sense.' Liara explained.
'You'll have to elaborate.' I replied.
'Inigo is a man so completely motivated by revenge that he masters an entire discipline of combat, hires himself out as the bodyguard of a murderer, and has dreamed about his revenge so much that he even has a script in his head for it.' Liara nitpicked.
'Isn't that just you, only instead of your father, it's Feron?' I asked.
Liara was silent for a suspiciously long period of time.
'Okay. But what about Wesley's story? Becoming the Dread Pirate Roberts? And what kind of thing is that? People don't just pass down secret legacy names from one generation that the next like that.' Liara protested.
'Well, that I have to hand to you, the idea of an unbroken chain of people in a role like that is quite ludicrous.' I lied.
'Is true love really like that?' Garrus asked, with a sort of longing undertone to his voice.
'Hell if I know. The last time I was married my wife tried to kill me after I found out she was a spy.' I admitted.
Garrus looked around the viewing area.
Grunt looked back at him in confusion. Liara shook her head to discourage him from asking her.
'Fuck true love. Doesn't exist. All that really matters is animal passion. Want. Take. Have.' Jack replied, unhelpfully.
'Well, maybe I'll ask Joker?' Garrus decided.
'Thane was married. Even had a son. He's probably a better source of information.' I admitted.
'Haven't really talked to him much.' Garrus admitted.
'You should. He's nice.' I replied.
'Didn't he try to kill you?' Shepard finally chimed in on the conversation. Wonder how she learned that. Did Joker tell her, or did Thane?
'I don't see how that matters.' I replied.
There was a long moment of entirely comfortable silence as Shepard pondered the wisdom contained within my response.
I looked at my omni-tool.
'You know, I think we have time for another movie. How about Little Shop of Horrors?' I suggested.
____________
2185 CE
Kelly arrived at some point during the movie and insisted on sitting next to me to ask questions about what I thought about Human Culture.
Stuff like, 'What was it like eating human food for the first time?' and 'What do you think about Giant Pandas?' The latter concerned the genetically altered panda bears on Shanxi. A human lab 'accidentally' released their specimens into the wild there in an attempt to resurrect the species. They've managed to thrive, somehow, and are now the apex predator on the planet aside from Humans. Fully grown they start at a size that's at least one and a half times the size of the extinct Giant Pandas on Earth and are responsible for at least twenty Human deaths a year. The answer to both questions was of course 'Delicious.'
Still, the movie was fun, and afterwards I got to talk about Human horror movies and how most of the monsters in them are actually metaphors for specific fears.
'Which fear is Audrey II? It can't be the Thorian. Earth doesn't have that kind of plant life.' Garrus asked.
'Abusive relationships. It's a bit more clear in the stage production. They changed the ending of the movie to make it happier. But every single relationship in the movie is abusive. Mushnik abuses Seymour. The Dentist abuses Audrey. Audrey II abuses Seymour, and Seymour and the Dentist are pretty bad as well. Even the media guy at the end that wants to make the plant bigger than hula hoops is going to take advantage of Seymour.' I explained.
Garrus, Jack, Liara, and Grunt all take a second to ponder my explanation.
Kelly on the other hand speaks up. 'You're really knowledgeable about human relationship dynamics. Aren't you?' She praised me.
'I studied them a bit, after the First Contact War. The Asari funded the study.' I admitted.
'Did you ever get any... First hand experience?' Kelly asked with that odd tone in her voice again.
'Not my thing. You Humans are way too fragile.' I admitted.
Kelly looked disappointed for some reason.
Liara looked somewhat horrified.
Grunt nodded, and Garrus started laughing.
I'm not sure what that was about.
Still, hopefully Jack understood the lesson.
__________________
2185 CE
'So, what was that about Palaven being a sea of flames?' Garrus asked, after hunting me down in the cargo bay.
'So, I don't know if it's still applicable anymore, you Turians have been building up your fleet pretty impressively, but next year? When the Reapers attack? Palaven doesn't really do so well.' I admit.
'How not well are we talking about? Because I'm pretty sure our ideas on what counts as not well are different, Krell. I'm 'not well' if I take a rocket to the face. You--'
'You were fine. You have a second mandible anyway.' I cut him off.
'Turian mandibles aren't redundant like Krogan splanches, Krell. And you're distracting me. I want specifics on Palaven.' Garrus chided.
'Specifics... I can do specifics. So, next year, after Shepard gets out of jail--'
'That reminds me. Are you sure she's going to be put in jail for Murder? Shepard's right that no one ever cared who she killed before.' Garrus interrupted, again.
'Sure? No. But Garrus, it's a lot of murder. We're talking 'you would be hard pressed to ever catch up with her' kinds of numbers. The kinds of numbers that get people put into the History books.'
'Shepard's already in the history books, Krell. You should know this. You literally wrote one of them.'
'Do you want to discuss your rivalry with Shepard, or do you want to talk about Palaven? Because I can do either.' I decide.
'Well, I want to discuss Shepard, but I need to discuss Palaven, so lets go with Palaven, it's more pressing.' Garrus decided.
'Palaven it is then. So, I have no idea how the steps I'm taking are going to change things once the Reapers attack, but here's how things would have gone without my interference: After Shepard gets out of Jail, her first step is to call the council. The council dismisses her requests as usual, though this time it's for an exciting new reason!' I revealed.
Garrus waited looking at me.
I waited looking back at him.
'Well? Aren't you going to ask what the reason is?' I ask.
'Does it matter?' Garrus asked.
That was... a good question, actually.
'Maybe?' I hedged.
'Then what was the reason, Krell?' Garrus finally inquired.
'They want to keep their forces around to save their own homes instead of Earth.' I reveal.
'Huh. That's... Actually a pretty good reason. Disappointing, in some respects, but much better than dismissing Shepard's claims outright, I suppose.' Garrus decided.
'Anyway, so Tevos and Valern aren't really interested in cooperating with the Humans, but Sparatus sees an opportunity! If Shepard can scratch his back, he'll scratch hers.' I explain.
'That's not really a thing Turians do.' Garrus countered.
'Do you want to hear the story, or do you want to educate me in Turian idioms? Because I'm open to either.' I admit.
'Let's go back to storytime.' Garrus replied.
'Right, so Sparatus throws Shepard a bone.' I preemptively glare at Garrus, daring him to comment on the idiom.
He does not, so I continue.
'Sparatus says that the Primarch needs to be rescued from the Army's fallback position on Menae after you guys lost Palaven.'
'We lose Palaven?' Garrus asked, incredulous.
'You could.' I admit.
'Damn.' Garrus mutters, in shock.
'Anyway, Shepard goes on this rescue mission, only to find an anti-reaper task force leader named Garrus Vakarian, apparently you talked to your dad and laid out the evidence and he believed you? Not really relevant, but apparently Primarch Fedorian died in the fighting. A lot of people died in the fighting, actually. The highest person left in the line of succession was Adrien Victus.' I reveal.
'That would take a staggering amount of dead Turians to make that happen.' Garrus admitted.
'Palaven's visible from Menae, and there's flames visible from space. There's a giant patch of flames over what I asuume was a city too. It's where you were born.' I admit.
'Ancestors...' Garrus gasped.
'Your dad and sister supposedly made it out okay. But you probably shouldn't take that for granted. Might wanna save any sentimental mementos too...' I admit.
'That's what's waiting for us after this suicide mission?' Garrus asked.
'That's the best outcome I can see waiting for us if we all manage to survive this suicide mission, Garrus. Every other outcome I know about is worse.'
'Ancestors. I don't suppose you ever designed a gun that can kill Reapers?' Garrus asked.
'You basically need to hit them with an asteroid's worth of mass at a considerable fraction of light speed. I had issues making it man-portable. They have weak points. Shepard's capable of killing one by using a laser to paint a target on its weak point for the Normandy to hit. But well, Weak point is relative. The Normandy's main gun can take one out while targeting a weak point, but anything less than a Thanix cannon is basically going to bounce right off.' I admitted.
'Well, I guess it's nice to know that this suicide mission will be a nice sedate warm up for the actual invasion.' Garrus replied.
I laugh. 'Don't worry, Garrus. Shepard can kill 'em all using the Crucible. All we need to do is finish it and muster the forces to defend the thing from thousands of Reapers while we use it.'
'Oh, is that all? Well that's the whole war basically done right there, then.' Garrus smiled.
'Yeah, nothing to worry about Garrus. All we need to do is beat the collectors and we're already half way towards winning.' I grinned right back.
We both laughed. It wasn't a funny joke, but sometimes laughing was the only way to keep yourself from bursting into tears.
__________________
2185 CE
I walked into Grunt's room only to find him reading, with all sorts of schematics all over the place.
'What's with all this? Did a technical repository explode across your room?' I asked, curious.
'Joker says that in order to be a pilot like him, I need to understand technical schematics as well as what can go wrong with the ship.' Grunt replied.
'You know, if this sort of thing interests you, I have a number of training manuals I wrote for Engineers in Clan Nackmor.' I offered.
Grunt looked up at me from his work.
'I've been thinking about what you said. About being able to build the tools to take on any foe that challenges you. Joker knows how to use the Normandy, he knows how one fits together, but he is not capable of building one. The imprints-- Okeer's words. They're hollow, but at least with them I have reference. They cover combat, honor, glory. There's nothing in them about this. Nothing about how to build a space ship.' Grunt admits.
He looks at me, and gives me the most adorable head tilt of confusion. 'How do you learn how to learn these things?'
I grin back at him. 'You have just discovered the fundamental principle behind all learning, Grunt. In order to learn something new, the first thing you need to do is ask.'
__________________
2185 CE
'You're still fiddling with that thing?' I asked as I checked in on Kasumi.
'I know I should erase it, but-'
'What? Who told you that idea? You have information on there that can stop a war. We're going to need that information to unite the Galaxy to stop the Reapers.' I protested.
'You want to take Keiji's graybox too?' Kasumi asked, suspiciously.
'That's a terrible idea. I want to stop a war, not start it. I don't know if you noticed but I'm not exactly the archetypical gentleman thief.' I grumbled.
'You're very close! All you need is grace, poise, subtlety, and a grappling hook!' Kasumi quipped.
'Yeah, all...' I grumbled.
It takes a second for me to realize what she said.
'Wait, a grappling hook? Is that how you manage that weird teleport thing you do? You just cloak and grapple over?' I realized.
'Huh. You are sharp. That's exactly what I do.' Kasumi admitted.
'I'm trying to imagine what I'd even look like being pulled around a battlefield via grappling hook, and I just can't do it. The image is so awkward it won't stick in my mind.' I admitted.
'Why do you think I cloak first?' Kasumi grinned.
'Hah! Excellent work around!' I praised her.
'You really think I should keep Keiji's graybox?' she asked, suddenly vulnerable.
'Look, only you can determine when and if you conquer your grief. It's a deeply personal battle against a foe you need to face head on. Whether you keep the box or not, that's up to you. All I'm saying is that in the right hands that box can do a lot of good.'
'And I suppose your hands are the right ones?' Kasumi asked, still suspicious.
'My hands? No way. I'd never be able to crack the encryption in time, not to mention the difficulty I'd have keeping the contents secret. You'd need to be some kind of crazy super thief to use the info properly.' I admitted.
'You think I'm crazy?' Kasumi teased, trying to act hurt and vulnerable.
'Well, you did join a suicide mission led by a woman who was supposed to be dead.' I pointed out.
'So did you.' Kasumi pointed out unhelpfully.
'Yeah. But I have a plan.' I replied, roguishly.
'Is it a clever plan?' Kasumi asked.
'Well, I certainly think so.' I admitted.
'And did you think that stunt you pulled at Hock's was a clever plan too?' Kasumi snarked.
'You're going to have to narrow that down. I pulled a lot of stunts at Hock's, and I was pretty sure every single one of them was clever.' I admitted.
'Even when you tried to convince him that all Krogan could breathe fire?' Kasumi grinned.
'I was convincing him that Krogan hoarded treasure like dragons! The fire breathing was a piece of supporting evidence!'
'You'll forgive me if I make my own plans.' Kasumi decided, and after a moment's thought, she vanished.
Taking the hint for what it was I wandered out of the lounge.
'It was too a clever plan...' I grumbled. After all, it had worked, hadn't it? For a while at least.
Kasumi's laughter cut out as the door closed on her.
Damn it! I should have asked her about obtaining a shuttle!
Oh well, I'll get to that next time.
___________________
Author's Notes: Garrus has a ton of scenes in the ME2 portion of this fic. More than any other companion, actually. Mordin, Kaidan, and Joker come close, but Garrus is far and away the winner. He's oddly easy to write. I'm not sure why. Even scenes focused on other characters get easier to write when he's present in them. I guess that's the magic of Shepard and Vakarian.
The story is designed so that you can read the entire thing without ever looking at author's notes, or informational posts or comments; but I find that I enjoy reading little peeks behind the curtain at the author's thought process when I read other stories. Thus, author's notes. Of course, as an author you also need to be aware that talking about this sort of thing can spoil events in teh future. It's a balancing act.
One of the fun things about writing a Mass Effect story is that there are so many different types of Shepard. Krell's Shepard is a Ruthless Colonist and it shows in her outlook, but just because Shepard is one particular sort of Background doesn't mean I can't sneak the general vibe of a background into another character. Krell tends toward Sole Survivor (by Blue Oyster Cult). That leaves someone else as the War Hero. Who that is hasn't actually come up yet, but I'm hopeful that readers will enjoy it when it does.
- Location
- Right next to the butcher's shop.
It's why he's the space bro.
More seriously, I think part of the reason he works so well is that he's, in an odd fashion, the closest to a regular human (soldier), but without being utterly boring like the actual human soldiers on the team in ME1.
He has the most casual banter and stays easily relatable without losing character.
Alternatively, you could tell her not to install the Reaper IFF until you're ready. That way, you don't have all your best fighters off the ship and you get to have Legion to pal around with.
Stratagemini
Totally a Fire Ferret.
- Location
- Central Park
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
Krell wasn't willing to risk it.
Well Garrus is best bro so makes sense
Honestly this Shepard feels like a real person and soldier. Sure she's a renegade, but that doesn't mean she's a psycho killer who kicks puppies, like how most people write renegade Shepards.
She's a soldier who does what she thinks is the most direct and necessary path, but still gives a damn about people.
She's a soldier who does what she thinks is the most direct and necessary path, but still gives a damn about people.
Mirriam Grave
The Bemused. The Amused. The Unstable.
- Location
- The edge of a point.
...they don't even get the IFF without getting Legion though!? They are on obtained on the same mission?
Oh god, Krell sitting Tali and Legion down to have a history talk with them both.
Throw Shepard and Liara into it.
Mordin is without a doubt the best companion. Ever.
Garrus comes a decently close second though.
Also, do you think Krell might introduce the Assassin's Creed video game to Thane?
Oh god, Krell sitting Tali and Legion down to have a history talk with them both.
Throw Shepard and Liara into it.
Mordin is without a doubt the best companion. Ever.
Garrus comes a decently close second though.
Also, do you think Krell might introduce the Assassin's Creed video game to Thane?
Quinn Porthos
Multiclass Munchkin
- Location
- Wandering
I'm gonna say it. Garrus is boring as hell. I only ever use him on his loyalty missions.
Honestly, starting to get a little excited to see what Samara's reaction to Krell is going to be. A small part of me is hoping she is one of his poetry fans that actually liked to start fights among the other Asari Poetry fans.
There really isn't much to do at Monasteries after all other then to read the written works of others.
There really isn't much to do at Monasteries after all other then to read the written works of others.
CHAPTER 16: Shadows Of The Night
Stratagemini
Totally a Fire Ferret.
- Location
- Central Park
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
CHAPTER 16: Shadows of the Night
2185 CE
Garrus and Liara insisted on being part of the team to rescue Tali on Haestrom, so I didn't get to see the girl in action. I think I accidentally warped garrus' mind with all that talk of romance, because now he's trying to rescue Tali like she's a damsel in distress.
Liara just wants to spend more time with her own sweetheart, I guess.
Either way, the mission is successful and Tali ends up joining the crew.
'Vas Neema, huh? Isn't that Han'Gerrel's ship?' I ask when she comes back from being rescued.
'It is. It's a great honor to serve under one of the admiralty board.' Tali explained.
'You don't sound happy, though?' I asked.
'It's nothing.' she quickly evades.
'If it's bothering you, it's not nothing. Tell old Gramps here what's wrong.'
'It's just... I'm not sure if I actually... earned it.' Tali confided.
'How so?'
'When I came back to the fleet having saved the citadel from sovereign and the Geth I was a war hero. I'm the most decorated Quarian civilian in the last hundred years.'
'But?'
'But... Han'Gerrel is my father's friend. None of the other admirals asked me to serve on their ships, and I know that my father asked Han about it. So I have this persistent feeling that...'
'You didn't really earn your place?" I confirmed.
Tali nodded her agreement.
'Well, just know that it's good to have you back, and... you've earned your place here on the Normandy, okay?' I encouraged.
_______________
2185 CE
With Tali secured, it was time to help out Liara. Shepard of course was going, as was Liara. Kaidan, Garrus, and Tali all volunteered to help too, but I managed to stake my place by mentioning that I knew what to expect, and they'd definitely need a Krogan to deal with it.
We landed on the Ship at Hagalaz and made our way inside, fighting mercs and synthetics the entire way. Liara seemed shocked that Feron was alive, and when I told her that I told her he was, she refuted me by saying that all I did was include his name and a danger symbol.
'That clearly meant that Feron was in danger.' I explained.
'I thought you were telling me that Feron was a danger to me!' Liara shot back.
'Shepard would have understood it.' I muttered, looking to Shepard for back up.
'Don't look at me, even if you were right, you're not the one in this room I'm dating.'
My eyes narrowed.
'Just for that you can take teh Yahg on alone in melee combat.'
'A... Yahg?' Liara asked.
'The Shadow Broker.' I explained.
'But Yahg's were only discovered sixty years ago. The Shadow Broker has been around since I was a child! If not before.'
I grinned at her.
'But that means... the current Shadow Broker... isn't the original. It's passed down! Like the Dread Pirate Roberts! You told me I was right when I said that was unrealistic!'
'And you were right. It is unrealistic. Doesn't make it any less real though.'
Liara narrowed her eyes.
'And Little Shop of Horrors? What lesson were you hiding there?'
'Ah. That wasn't for you, that was for Jack.' I admit.
'Jack is going to end up fighting a giant plant?' Liara asked, oddly excited about that fact.
'No, the lesson was about abusive relationships. You know she joined a cult?'
'I did.' Liara admitted.
'I figured I'd give her some reference point for when to cut and run.'
'I... see.' Liara admitted. There was something in her tone that almost sounded... jealous?
Well, it probably didn't matter all that much.
'Ready to fight a Yahg, Shepard?'
'Sure. But, one thing first. What the hell's a Yahg?'
__________________
2185 CE
'So that's a Yahg!' Shepard realized as she walked into the chamber.
'Careful. They're almost as tough as a Krogan, as vicious as a human, and just as smart as a Salarian!' I warned.
'What's that about humans?' Shepard asked, almost offended.
'Shepard, you've met Zaeed, and Kasumi. You can't seriously be asking that question.' I replied.
'Sure, but not all Humans--'
'Shepard, you punched a reporter for asking you a question! Twice! The same reporter!'
'That's totally different!'
'Shepard! Grandfather! Lets focus on the Yahg!' Liara suggested.
'Right. Yahg. Once we get it's shield down I'll go wrestle it!'
'That's a ridiculous idea! It's almost twice your size!' Liara protested.
'It ain't the size, Kid! It's the mass!" I shouted, unloading an overload to drop the thing's shield and then a flurry of inferno rounds with my trusty NK-47.
Honestly, that line would probably go down better if I had tackled the Shadow Broker when saying it, but oddly enough, battles don't always conform perfectly to witty banter.
When the Broker began to recharge it's armor and shields, I hit it with a football tackle; knocking it out of the beam. Shepard took down the generator, and from there it was mostly a firefight with me punching the Yahg and keeping it distracted while Liara hit it with Biotics and Shepard shot it until finally, the beast died.
'Shame to ruin a suit this nice.' I admitted, staring at the burned tatters which used to be the Yahg's 'bullet-proof suit.'
'Grandfather... When you said you would make sure I had a new office at the end of this mission...'
I smiled widely.
'Welcome to your new office!' I explained grandiosely.
'I thought you meant you were going to buy me new equipment!' Liara protested.
'I fought a Yahg for you, isn't that even more impressive?' I replied.
'But Shepard also fought the Yahg. I also fought the Yahg. That doesn't count.' Liara complained
"You should probably respond to those messages before the Shadow Broker's network realizes anything is wrong.' I suggested.
'This conversation isn't over.' Liara replied with narrowed eyes.
'Would it help if I got you a Pony?' I asked.
'Where would I even put it?' Liara replied.
'Fine. I'll help you get your next office.' I decided.
'My next...' Liara trailed off, her fingers frantically accessing the Shadow broker's systems.
'Meet me on Mars after Cerberus attacks.' I decide.
'I'll never get used to that.' Liara admits, referencing my future knowledge.
'You don't have to. After the Reaper war my knowledge of the future in the Milky Way is basically nothing.'
'In the Milky Way?' Liara asked, intrigued.
'I know some stuff about Andromeda. But since I'm not going it's not really relevant.' I admitted.
With a final nod, Liara started to take control of the Shadow Broker's network in earnest.
'Come on Shepard. She'll meet us back on the ship. I need a long, hot shower I'm using the one in your quarters.'
'Do I have any say in this?' Shepard asked.
'You could always try and stop me.' I joked.
Shepard looked like she was actually considering it for a few seconds before she stopped.
'You still have that bottle of Kentucky Gold?' She asked.
'You planning to share it with Liara?' I surmised.
'You give me that, and you can use the shower.' Shepard replied, not answering.
'You have yourself a deal.' I agreed.
__________________
2185 CE
'Hey Krell, Check out my copilot!' Joker gloated. I looked over at the chair next to him. It had been replaced and heavily modified. It could probably still fit a human, if uncomfortably, but it wasn't made for a Human anymore; it was made for Grunt.
'Grunt.' I nodded.
'Krell.' He nodded back.
'How's he doing?' I asked Joker.
'Better than me when I first started actually, but he has a lot of the same problems, just in reverse. I was way too worried about making maneuvers that were too hard on the Gs, or any big sudden movements. Grunt has the same problem from the opposite direction. His instinct is to go full strength and he's worried about breaking the controls so he's taking things a bit too gentle. And hesitating, just like I used to.' Joker explained.
'Is that an actual risk?' I asked, suddenly a bit more worried.
'Nah. All this stuff is Krogan-rated. Your fault actually. After the Alliance found out what Krogan to do to vehicles accidentally, all military vehicles need to be Krogan rated. Cerberus isn't military, but they use a lot of the same suppliers.' Joker explained.
'Great job, Grunt.' I praised.
'I studied the manuals you gave me. Okeer was wrong. It's not enough to rely on your own strength. Strength alone won't provide weapons, only knowledge can do that.' Grunt replied.
'Just don't forget to keep up your skills with the more Krogan portable weapons we have lying around too.' I cautioned.
'Nothing's more portable than a Ship, Krell. With a Ship you can carry more weapons, and more Krogan than any one Krogan could ever manage without one. A strong navy is the key to military victory.' Grunt pronounced.
I blinked. It was like every time I looked at him, he grew more into his own, unique Krogan. I honestly couldn't be more proud.
'You know, I don't think there's been a Krogan navy since the end of the Rebellions. No Krogan admirals, either. Joker over there, for all his personality suggests otherwise is an officer. He had to go through the same officer training course as Admiral Hackett. You should learn all you can from him.' I suggest.
'Wait, what? Krogan Admiral? Grunt?' Joker asked, shocked.
'Well, he's a bit young yet. It took me five hundred years to become the Warlord of Clan Nakmor. So it might be a bit of a wait. Maybe in a year or two.' I decided.
'Yes. Not just a warrior weilding the most sophisticated and lethal weapons in the galaxy, a Warlord, leading thousands of Warriors all armed with the most sophisticated and lethal weapons in the galaxy. I can feel it. That is my destiny.' Grunt decided.
'Did I... accidentally restart the Krogan rebellions?' Joker asked, only slightly horrified.
EDI lit up. 'The probability of another Krogan rebellion resulting from this course of action is small, but non-zero.'
'Think of it this way, Joker. If we wanna fight the Reapers we're gonna need a hell of a lot of ships.' I reassured him.
'That's not a no, Krell. Neither of those answers are a no.' Joker quipped, worriedly.
'Hey kid, what are you rebelling against?' I asked Grunt.
Grunt pondered then tilted his head adorably. 'I dunno. What have you got?'
_________________
Author's Notes: A smaller chapter today. I'm going on a brief vacation for the rest of the week or so, which means I won't be writing as many new scenes. I have more than enough backlog to get through the vacation without any interruptions to posting.
2185 CE
Garrus and Liara insisted on being part of the team to rescue Tali on Haestrom, so I didn't get to see the girl in action. I think I accidentally warped garrus' mind with all that talk of romance, because now he's trying to rescue Tali like she's a damsel in distress.
Liara just wants to spend more time with her own sweetheart, I guess.
Either way, the mission is successful and Tali ends up joining the crew.
'Vas Neema, huh? Isn't that Han'Gerrel's ship?' I ask when she comes back from being rescued.
'It is. It's a great honor to serve under one of the admiralty board.' Tali explained.
'You don't sound happy, though?' I asked.
'It's nothing.' she quickly evades.
'If it's bothering you, it's not nothing. Tell old Gramps here what's wrong.'
'It's just... I'm not sure if I actually... earned it.' Tali confided.
'How so?'
'When I came back to the fleet having saved the citadel from sovereign and the Geth I was a war hero. I'm the most decorated Quarian civilian in the last hundred years.'
'But?'
'But... Han'Gerrel is my father's friend. None of the other admirals asked me to serve on their ships, and I know that my father asked Han about it. So I have this persistent feeling that...'
'You didn't really earn your place?" I confirmed.
Tali nodded her agreement.
'Well, just know that it's good to have you back, and... you've earned your place here on the Normandy, okay?' I encouraged.
_______________
2185 CE
With Tali secured, it was time to help out Liara. Shepard of course was going, as was Liara. Kaidan, Garrus, and Tali all volunteered to help too, but I managed to stake my place by mentioning that I knew what to expect, and they'd definitely need a Krogan to deal with it.
We landed on the Ship at Hagalaz and made our way inside, fighting mercs and synthetics the entire way. Liara seemed shocked that Feron was alive, and when I told her that I told her he was, she refuted me by saying that all I did was include his name and a danger symbol.
'That clearly meant that Feron was in danger.' I explained.
'I thought you were telling me that Feron was a danger to me!' Liara shot back.
'Shepard would have understood it.' I muttered, looking to Shepard for back up.
'Don't look at me, even if you were right, you're not the one in this room I'm dating.'
My eyes narrowed.
'Just for that you can take teh Yahg on alone in melee combat.'
'A... Yahg?' Liara asked.
'The Shadow Broker.' I explained.
'But Yahg's were only discovered sixty years ago. The Shadow Broker has been around since I was a child! If not before.'
I grinned at her.
'But that means... the current Shadow Broker... isn't the original. It's passed down! Like the Dread Pirate Roberts! You told me I was right when I said that was unrealistic!'
'And you were right. It is unrealistic. Doesn't make it any less real though.'
Liara narrowed her eyes.
'And Little Shop of Horrors? What lesson were you hiding there?'
'Ah. That wasn't for you, that was for Jack.' I admit.
'Jack is going to end up fighting a giant plant?' Liara asked, oddly excited about that fact.
'No, the lesson was about abusive relationships. You know she joined a cult?'
'I did.' Liara admitted.
'I figured I'd give her some reference point for when to cut and run.'
'I... see.' Liara admitted. There was something in her tone that almost sounded... jealous?
Well, it probably didn't matter all that much.
'Ready to fight a Yahg, Shepard?'
'Sure. But, one thing first. What the hell's a Yahg?'
__________________
2185 CE
'So that's a Yahg!' Shepard realized as she walked into the chamber.
'Careful. They're almost as tough as a Krogan, as vicious as a human, and just as smart as a Salarian!' I warned.
'What's that about humans?' Shepard asked, almost offended.
'Shepard, you've met Zaeed, and Kasumi. You can't seriously be asking that question.' I replied.
'Sure, but not all Humans--'
'Shepard, you punched a reporter for asking you a question! Twice! The same reporter!'
'That's totally different!'
'Shepard! Grandfather! Lets focus on the Yahg!' Liara suggested.
'Right. Yahg. Once we get it's shield down I'll go wrestle it!'
'That's a ridiculous idea! It's almost twice your size!' Liara protested.
'It ain't the size, Kid! It's the mass!" I shouted, unloading an overload to drop the thing's shield and then a flurry of inferno rounds with my trusty NK-47.
Honestly, that line would probably go down better if I had tackled the Shadow Broker when saying it, but oddly enough, battles don't always conform perfectly to witty banter.
When the Broker began to recharge it's armor and shields, I hit it with a football tackle; knocking it out of the beam. Shepard took down the generator, and from there it was mostly a firefight with me punching the Yahg and keeping it distracted while Liara hit it with Biotics and Shepard shot it until finally, the beast died.
'Shame to ruin a suit this nice.' I admitted, staring at the burned tatters which used to be the Yahg's 'bullet-proof suit.'
'Grandfather... When you said you would make sure I had a new office at the end of this mission...'
I smiled widely.
'Welcome to your new office!' I explained grandiosely.
'I thought you meant you were going to buy me new equipment!' Liara protested.
'I fought a Yahg for you, isn't that even more impressive?' I replied.
'But Shepard also fought the Yahg. I also fought the Yahg. That doesn't count.' Liara complained
"You should probably respond to those messages before the Shadow Broker's network realizes anything is wrong.' I suggested.
'This conversation isn't over.' Liara replied with narrowed eyes.
'Would it help if I got you a Pony?' I asked.
'Where would I even put it?' Liara replied.
'Fine. I'll help you get your next office.' I decided.
'My next...' Liara trailed off, her fingers frantically accessing the Shadow broker's systems.
'Meet me on Mars after Cerberus attacks.' I decide.
'I'll never get used to that.' Liara admits, referencing my future knowledge.
'You don't have to. After the Reaper war my knowledge of the future in the Milky Way is basically nothing.'
'In the Milky Way?' Liara asked, intrigued.
'I know some stuff about Andromeda. But since I'm not going it's not really relevant.' I admitted.
With a final nod, Liara started to take control of the Shadow Broker's network in earnest.
'Come on Shepard. She'll meet us back on the ship. I need a long, hot shower I'm using the one in your quarters.'
'Do I have any say in this?' Shepard asked.
'You could always try and stop me.' I joked.
Shepard looked like she was actually considering it for a few seconds before she stopped.
'You still have that bottle of Kentucky Gold?' She asked.
'You planning to share it with Liara?' I surmised.
'You give me that, and you can use the shower.' Shepard replied, not answering.
'You have yourself a deal.' I agreed.
__________________
2185 CE
'Hey Krell, Check out my copilot!' Joker gloated. I looked over at the chair next to him. It had been replaced and heavily modified. It could probably still fit a human, if uncomfortably, but it wasn't made for a Human anymore; it was made for Grunt.
'Grunt.' I nodded.
'Krell.' He nodded back.
'How's he doing?' I asked Joker.
'Better than me when I first started actually, but he has a lot of the same problems, just in reverse. I was way too worried about making maneuvers that were too hard on the Gs, or any big sudden movements. Grunt has the same problem from the opposite direction. His instinct is to go full strength and he's worried about breaking the controls so he's taking things a bit too gentle. And hesitating, just like I used to.' Joker explained.
'Is that an actual risk?' I asked, suddenly a bit more worried.
'Nah. All this stuff is Krogan-rated. Your fault actually. After the Alliance found out what Krogan to do to vehicles accidentally, all military vehicles need to be Krogan rated. Cerberus isn't military, but they use a lot of the same suppliers.' Joker explained.
'Great job, Grunt.' I praised.
'I studied the manuals you gave me. Okeer was wrong. It's not enough to rely on your own strength. Strength alone won't provide weapons, only knowledge can do that.' Grunt replied.
'Just don't forget to keep up your skills with the more Krogan portable weapons we have lying around too.' I cautioned.
'Nothing's more portable than a Ship, Krell. With a Ship you can carry more weapons, and more Krogan than any one Krogan could ever manage without one. A strong navy is the key to military victory.' Grunt pronounced.
I blinked. It was like every time I looked at him, he grew more into his own, unique Krogan. I honestly couldn't be more proud.
'You know, I don't think there's been a Krogan navy since the end of the Rebellions. No Krogan admirals, either. Joker over there, for all his personality suggests otherwise is an officer. He had to go through the same officer training course as Admiral Hackett. You should learn all you can from him.' I suggest.
'Wait, what? Krogan Admiral? Grunt?' Joker asked, shocked.
'Well, he's a bit young yet. It took me five hundred years to become the Warlord of Clan Nakmor. So it might be a bit of a wait. Maybe in a year or two.' I decided.
'Yes. Not just a warrior weilding the most sophisticated and lethal weapons in the galaxy, a Warlord, leading thousands of Warriors all armed with the most sophisticated and lethal weapons in the galaxy. I can feel it. That is my destiny.' Grunt decided.
'Did I... accidentally restart the Krogan rebellions?' Joker asked, only slightly horrified.
EDI lit up. 'The probability of another Krogan rebellion resulting from this course of action is small, but non-zero.'
'Think of it this way, Joker. If we wanna fight the Reapers we're gonna need a hell of a lot of ships.' I reassured him.
'That's not a no, Krell. Neither of those answers are a no.' Joker quipped, worriedly.
'Hey kid, what are you rebelling against?' I asked Grunt.
Grunt pondered then tilted his head adorably. 'I dunno. What have you got?'
_________________
Author's Notes: A smaller chapter today. I'm going on a brief vacation for the rest of the week or so, which means I won't be writing as many new scenes. I have more than enough backlog to get through the vacation without any interruptions to posting.
- Location
- Elsewhere
Well, to be fair, Garrus' mind is like tinfoil.
It gets bent at every turn and makes some weird shapes.
That Communication class I slept though always emphasized being clear and reiterating important points, so I'm sure this is the perfect response.
From Shepard or from Krell?
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I love this Grunt.
- Pronouns
- He/him
He is best boy