Chapter 6

Her Favorite Trio

My Comments :

Ah. Sorry guys. I went through a really rough patch in my life. My medications stopped working and I was just really depressed. I'm back now though, and I got help. Hopefully this means I'm still posting as quick as I can!

The Story :

When Shepard opened her eyes again, she heard voices. The voices sounded like they were in a tunnel, but she couldn't make the words out. Her eye, despite being open, was blurry. Her head was still pounding and any attempt to move her bad arm or leg failed.

"Commander!" a voice called through the muck.

Shepard blinked a few times, lifting her left arm to push herself up. Her vision started to clear and she noticed that there was more than one figure and snow seemed to be blowing in from outside. It took a moment for her gaze to land on Kasumi, who was being held by a few strangers.

"W-wh-?" she started, before a familiar feeling cut her voice off. Her head was still pounding and she felt very warm, despite the fact it seemed to be a blizzard outside.

"Oi!" Another man came in, wearing a helmet like the rest. "Thought this one was dead." There was a mercenary symbol on his armor that Shepard was too out of it to make out. "Bring her with us. Once we clean her up she might fetch a nice price."

"She's all banged up, boss. What use is she to us?"

The boss spun on his subordinate. "Which is exactly why you don't lead these missions! You've got to look under the blood and injuries. I bet she'll be a real beauty!"

"Shep!"

"Hey! Shut that woman up!"

Shepard watched the men drag Kasumi away, unable to do more. Her mind was still foggy and she couldn't form a clear thought.

"Alright, lady. You're coming with me," the 'boss' said under his breath, picking her up bridal style before carrying her off.

The intense cold caused her to black out just after leaving the inlet.

~ Break ~

"A problem has arisen."

Wrex's gaze shot up towards the speaker, eyes narrowing as a low growl started in his throat. That action alone caused the few others currently in the room – Kaidan, Tali, Garrus, and Kilrava – to freeze.

"The beacon from the Alliance shuttle Shepard and Kasumi were on has been deactivated."

"What?" Kaidan stepped towards the war terminal. "We haven't even been able to track it down completely yet."

"Further investigation suggests that a slaver ship has just left Alchera, one of the possible crash sites."

"Alchera?" Kaidan stated, eyes widening. "Of all places," he muttered.

"That was where the first Normandy crashed, wasn't it?" Tali asked.

"Liara and I are currently attempting to trace the ship's origins. We have had no luck so far."

Wrex spun on his heel, exiting the war room with the growl still evident and growing louder by the second. Kaidan took a deep breath, opening a map of the system on the hologram before him. Garrus and Tali whispered to each other in quiet voices, using the former's knowledge of mercenary groups to try and pinpoint who had done this. Kilrava just stared at the image of the Omega system before him, humming to himself in an effort to clear him mind of the worry.

"I'm going to call Bakara, keep her updated," the last Krogan in the room muttered, turning on his heel to leave without waiting for a response.

Kaidan took a deep breath. "You two can talk aloud, you know?" He turned his gaze to the hologram. "Any ideas?"

Garrus stepped forward, placing his talons on the rim of the projector. "Any ship working in this system has to report to Aria. They'd be taken down the minute they tried to operate otherwise."

"Which means they'll have to go to Omega. We're closer, so if we get there first we can tell Aria just who those mercenaries picked up," Tali explained, her lips turning downward in a frown behind the clear mask. "But that all hinges on Aria working with us."

"It is likely Aria would aid us."

Kaidan raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"During a week-long shore leave while the Reapers were invading, Commander Shepard was not able to be reached. This was due to the fact that she was with Aria retaking Omega."

"She was what?" Tali gasped, hands moving to cover the front of her mask.

"Omega was successfully retaken, which means that the Commander helped Aria a great deal. It is unlikely Aria would allow anything to happen to Shepard should she be aware of it," EDI concluded, sounding proud of herself.

"Joker?" Kaidan said, stretching his neck as his eyes hardened. "Set a course for Omega."

"Sure thing, Kaidan," Joker responded. Even he wasn't his usual joking self.

"And EDI? See if you can get a call to Aria. Put it through to the Comm Room."

"Attempting to reach her now."

"Garrus? Tali? I want you two to work with Liara and try to identify that ship. The more we know about it when we reach Omega the better."

"Roger that," the Turian responded, saluting out of habit before turning on his heel.

"Right!" Tali said, following her boyfriend through the door.

~ Break ~

"You can't just leave her like this!"

Shepard groaned, the pain worse than it had been when she woke up the last time. Her eye fluttered open, taking in the surroundings. A couple women she had never met were leaning over her, fussing over the makeshift bandages Kasumi had made. It took a few moments for Shepard to realize what was different.

The voice she'd heard upon waking was Kasumi's. They were in a ship, likely the holding cells based on the condition of the women above her. Her left eye was still covered, there was a better sling holding up her right arm, and the large piece of metal that had been sticking out of her left leg was gone now.

"And why should we bother helping?" a different voice asked, sounding annoyed.

One of the women leaning over her looked up, her gaze going the direction the voice had come from. "If you are really going to try and sell us, don't you want us in the best condition?"

"She's only here 'cause the boss likes her," the stranger responded. "I couldn't care less what happens to her."

"And what would your boss say if she dies of infection because you wouldn't give her supplies?" Kasumi growled back, her usual cool demeanor gone.

The stranger grunted, clearly getting sick of having to deal with his prisoners. "I'll be back. Stay quiet."

Shepard was aware that the footsteps were fading, so she used that opportunity to try and sit up.

"Whoa, whoa!" the other woman called out, pushing her shoulders back down with the most gentleness she could muster. "Easy there, tiger. Even the wounded need to know to rest."

"Shep!" Kasumi ran over, leaning into the Commander's line of sight. "I was worried you wouldn't wake up for a second there," she responded, a light laugh of relief forcing itself out of her.

"My name is Sarah," the woman who had yelled at the stranger said with a smile. "This is my sister, Mona," she added, gesturing to the other figure. "Mona was in training to be a doctor, so you're in good hands."

"We managed to get that metal out of your leg, but I wouldn't suggest trying to move it just yet," Mona said, trying to smile in a way that would help Shepard to relax a little. "Same goes for your arm. I managed to find some mostly clean clothes to rip up and use for bandages, but you need Medi-gel and medicine. For now, you need to stay laying down." Mona paused, eyes narrowing. "You can understand what I'm saying, right?"

Shepard managed a nod, but that little motion sent pain spiraling throughout her head.

"Alright, let's not do that again, okay?" Mona managed a real smile. "Don't worry. If your friend here was right and the captain of this ship likes you, you should be fine. I doubt someone who was willing to pick you up in that condition wouldn't do something to make you better."

"Didn't I tell you all to stay quiet?" a familiar voice hissed.

"Hey," the voice that had carried her into the ship said, "be nice. I never told you to be an ass. Now, I need everyone to move into the back so I can go in and get the injured one there."

Kasumi and Sarah moved back, but Mona merely stood. "You can't just carry her! She's injured too badly! Just moving her head causes immense pain. You'd need a stretcher."

"And who are you?" the boss asked, sounding unimpressed.

"I'm a doctor in training," Mona replied. "I'd do anything to help my patient."

There was a moment of silence before the boss said, "Evans, go get a stretcher and our doctor. Be quick."

"Yes, sir," came the annoyed voice of the mercenary.

A fizzle sounded at the mass effect field disappeared. It was a noise Shepard was accustomed to. The man from before, still in his armor, looked her up and down.

"She alright?"

"She can hear what you're saying if that's what you're asking," Mona replied, still standing next to her patient. "She needs medicine. And lots of it."

Kneeling next to Shepard, the boss looked over the bandages before nodding and looking up. "It's filthy in here. Is this how my guys leave it?"

"Yeah," Sarah spoke up from somewhere Shepard couldn't see. "They barely give us anything."

The man grunted in displeasure. "I'll make sure that changes," he replied.

Two more pairs of footsteps entered the room. Shepard felt her consciousness fading once more as the two doctors and the 'boss' discussed how to move her.

~ Break ~

"It's a new group," Aria informed the crew from the Normandy. "A strange man came to me a few months ago asking me to work in the system. Said he'd give me half of his profits. Didn't even try to bargain lower. He was a nice man. Didn't really fit in here. His crew is nasty." She shrugged. "He sent me a message a few days ago, asking to dock to discuss cargo. Said he had a few gifts for me."

"Gifts?" Tali asked, frowning behind her mask. "What does that mean?"

"He picks up people who are stranded or in bad situations and gives them to me. They're generally willing to work for me in return for housing and protection until they make enough to get off this station. I don't mind the labor for the menial jobs."

"So he kidnaps people to help them?" Garrus asked, incredulous.

Aria rolled her eyes. "For the most part, yes. Though they tend to be happier once they have a room here." She crossed her legs, leaning back. "Why are you all here anyway? And why is there a couple Krogan who look ready to destroy my station?"

Kaidan stepped forward, vaguely aware of the annoyed glare Aria was continuing to give him since he'd arrived. "Shepard crash landed on Alchera trying to get away from some people who were after her. This new group, the Emerald Dragons I believe you said, picked her up. We assumed that they-"

"They took Shepard?" Aria snarled, standing up. The group started in surprise, blinking at her. The Asari was livid. "How dare they even think to do something so brazen and not tell me!" She started pacing. "What does that damned bastard think he's doing?!"

Wrex growled, stepping forward. "Can you get her back?"

"Of course I can," she snapped, whirling on the Krogan. "This is my station!" With a huff, the Asari fell back onto her couch, crossing her arms and legs. "This is unacceptable. The real question here is how will I punish that bastard." Taking a deep breath, Aria regained her composure. "You there," she ground out, gesturing at one of her guards, "bring these six to the docking port of the incoming Emerald ship. Tell the crew that I want them to check out these gifts. And hurry up."

The Batarian there nodded, nodding his gun towards the stairs to get the group to follow him. "I'll lead you there and speak with them," he grumbled. "After that, you're on your own."

"I'm surprised Aria got so angry," Tali managed. "I've met her a few times when I was with Shepard, but she seemed to hate everyone."

"Aria is very fond of Shepard," EDI informed them over the Comm.

"That didn't seem like it was just about retaking Omega," Garrus countered, tapping a talon to his leg in thought. "Aria was furious about them taking Shepard. There was something else bugging her." The resulting radio silence caused the group to pause their walking for a few steps before continuing. "EDI. Is there something you aren't telling us?"

"Aria is very fond of Shepard," the AI repeated. "I was told to never bring up what happened on the station."

Wrex snarled, the sound putting nearby loiterers on edge. "What happened?!"

There was a pause where EDI seemed to be considering her response. "Aria kissed Shepard," she finally admitted, not sounding too happy about it.

Tali choked on the purified air she was breathing. "Aria did what?!"

"That's what you meant by fond," Garrus hummed, tapping the scarred side of his face in thought.

Wrex's growling only worsened. "And how did Shepard react?"

"She told Aria and myself to never speak of it again. I was pleased to do so. Aria was... less so. However, the untitled ruler of Omega seems to understand that the affection is not mutual."

Wrex continued to grumble to himself, only worsening the uneasy mood of the group.

~ Break ~

The first time Shepard awoke, she remembered the hard metal of the Med Bay bed beneath her and the sounds of arguing. The second time she awoke, she had a blanket, an IV, an attached monitor, and everyone was still arguing. The third time she woke up, she managed to stay awake to notice how strange the situation was.

The cold metal beneath her had been replaced by a soft, plush blanket that she vaguely noted was heated. Several pillows were behind her head and back, propping her up in a comfortable position. Another pillow was under her injured leg, keeping it held up in a comfortable position. The IV had been moved to her uninjured arm and a small bracelet circled her injured arm, reading her information and feeding it to the monitor. Her eye was still covered, but she could see enough to notice that she had been cleaned; her skin was as pale as normal, and even the bracelet on her right wrist was glittering in the lights from the ceiling.

"Oh. You're awake."

Shepard turned her head to the side, blinking a few times to get some gunk out of her eye before settling on the familiar voice. It was the boss of the ship she was imprisoned on. But what prisoners got this sort of treatment? He was still wearing the armor, though he had removed the helmet. Bright silver eyes studied her with wariness and curiosity, his deep black hair stuck to his head. Sweat beaded across his face, which was odd considering how cool it was in the Med Bay. His chiseled features stuck out against the old armor, an image of a green colored dragon over his chest.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry for the rough way my men treated you. My, uh, doctor found out that you were pregnant. I'm really sorry." He scratched the back of his neck, frowning. "Ah! I should introduce myself. My name is Jayden, and I run the Emerald Dragons."

"Emerald Dragons?" Shepard managed, shifting to get a little more comfortable.

Jayden nodded, his silver eyes never leaving hers as he hopped onto the bed across from her. "We're a new group working in this system. We work with Aria to fix the mistakes of the other mercenary groups." He grinned, white teeth gleaming in the fluorescent lights. "I'm bringing the others to Omega to work for Aria."

"Others?" Shepard questioned, narrowing her eyes in thought.

"Yeah," Jayden said, his smile fading a little. "I normally just bring the people I've saved to Omega to start a new life. Unfortunately, I can't do the same for you. I wouldn't trust a pregnant woman on Omega."

She shook her head in response. "I was kidnapped before crash landing. I need to get home."

"Kidnapped? Ah. Then we can take a detour to take you home," he responded cheerfully.

"Kas," she continued. "My friend was with me."

Jayden tapped his chin. "Ah! That woman! I can make sure you get returned to your home together. We have to stop by Omega first, though. Where's your home?"

Shepard was still a little taken aback by how helpful this stranger was being. What kind of mercenary was he?

"Tuchanka."

The man paled a little at that. "You live on the Krogan homeworld?!" His color returned as a grin overtook his face. "That's so cool! How do the Krogan treat you?" Both eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"I am a member of Clan Urdnot," she stated, voice quiet. "They treat me as if I was a Krogan female."

Jayden smiled. "That's awesome. Maybe I should bring some of the people I save there."

"I am a special case," Shepard responded. "I'm dating a Krogan."

"Dating a Krogan, huh? Well, good for you. Even most Asari ignore the Krogan. You're just showing how not all Humans are xenophobic bastards." A hand raised to his earpiece. "Huh? Ah, we're docking? Aria's men are there already? That's strange. I'll be right there." He lowered his hand, giving the woman across from him a sheepish smile. "I'll be back, miss...?"

"Shepard."

"Alright then, miss Shepard, I'll be back soon. Please do not try to leave. I don't want the stitches to open." He jumped down from the bed, opening his Omni-Tool for a minute. Her's lit up in response. "Here. If you need anything, send me a ping, huh?"

"Sure," she answered, perplexed as to why he was being so kind.

Jayden waved, a bright smile on his face as he left the Med Bay and headed to meet Aria's men. A petite, light blue Asari gazed at her with green eyes as she walked through the open door. She smiled at the Commander.

"I'm Doctor Gayle. Pleasure to meet you." She bowed politely before heading over to the monitors and checking them. "I've never seen Jayden fawn over anyone so much. Your demeanor must have impressed him. Well, yours' and your friends. He always had a soft spot for people who survive against impossible odds," Gayle chattered on, checking various data pads and shuffling around the room. "He had to do the same, you know? His life has been full of tragedies. Both of his parents died in a Batarian raid while they were visiting family on Mindoir. Later, he nearly died when fighting to free some slaves from a gang on Earth." Her steps slowed to a stop as she eyed a picture of her and Jayden that rested on her desk. "Tragedy follows him. It seems like it seeks his company. So he spends his life helping others. It makes him happy."

Shepard frowned, remembering something Joker had once told her. "In order to make others happy, you must be happy yourself," she quoted.

Gayle looked up in surprise at hearing the other woman's voice, but the expression quickly changed to a sad kindness. "If only Jayden understood," she said in response, going about the rest of her business in silence.

Shepard didn't mind. She let her mind start to drift off back into sleep, thinking about the strange Human who had saved her life.

~ Break ~

"Ah, hello!" called a cheerful man from the cargo hold of the ship. "I don't recognize you. Are you new?" he questioned, still smiling as his silver eyes surveyed them.

The Batarian that had led the group grunted. "Aria had me bring them. Show them the gifts." With that, he turned on his heel and stalked away.

Shrugging, the man turned to them. "My name is Jayden. I man this ship and the Emerald Dragons. Any allies of Aria's are allies of mine," he said. "If you'd all follow me, please. I can bring you to where the gifts are being kept."

Wrex moved to the front of the group, Garrus and Tali's presence just behind him the only thing keeping him from charging headfirst into the ship and tearing it apart to find the woman carrying his child. Grunt was close behind them with Kilrava and Kaidan taking up the rear and keeping an eye out for trouble.

"The woman here are very nice," Jayden started. "They're always helping each other out. The men are all hard-workers, too." He maneuvered himself in front of a keypad to input the combination, making sure the group of six couldn't see. The door slipped open a moment later. "We'll see the women first. My men had been treating them less than kindly, but I've made sure that got changed. No need to worry." They had just reached the bars and mass effect barrier when the man's Omni-Tool lit up. "Ah, sorry. Someone is messaging me. You can look inside if you wish." He waved dismissively, moving to the side.

Tali was the first to speak. "Kasumi!"

The entire group followed her line of sight as a cloaked woman stood and moved towards them. "Guys?" she questioned, clearly surprised to see them. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting you and Shepard," Garrus replied, calm.

Wrex was the exact opposite. His gaze had been flitting around the cell. "Where is Shepard?!" he snarled.

Kasumi turned her gaze to him. "I don't know. She wasn't doing well, so Jayden took her somewhere. I assume his doctor is taking care of her."

"Wasn't doing well?" Tali questioned.

The Master Thief nodded. "She got a scar over her left eye, the blood got into it. Probably got a concussion, too. On the ship she pushed me out of the way of a bullet and got shot in her right arm. She wasn't able to move it earlier. During the crash, she got a piece of shuttle imbedded in her leg. I don't know the full extent of her injuries," Kasumi grumbled, unhappy to be being kept out of the loop.

"If that man did help her, she should be fine," a woman with black hair spoke up. "I'm Mona. I treated her injuries when she first got in here." She stepped forward, emerald eyes studying the group before her. "She seemed a little out of it, though. Please be careful with her."

Jayden turned back to the group, mouth turned downward in a frown. "I'll be right back. My, uh, charge requires my assistance." He turned to the wall next to the cell. "Evans? Show them to the other gifts and do as they ask."

A mercenary to the side, his deep green armor having obscured him in the shadows until now, stepped into the middle of the hallway. "Yes, sir." He placed the assault rifle he'd been holding on his back.

The boss smiled. "Thanks, Evans!" He turned on his heel and bolted back down the way they'd came, commanding a few other guards to go with him.

Evans turned to them, preparing to speak but getting quickly interrupted when Wrex held him up by the neck. "Where is Shepard?"

"W-who?" the man ground out, his own hands clawing at the ones holding him up.

Mona stepped closer to the bars. "The woman that was taken out of here. She was injured."

"Her? She's in the Med Bay, just like Jayden wanted. The doctor is with her." The man fell to the ground as Wrex released him, grasping his neck and taking in deep breaths as fast as he could.

"Bring us to her," the Krogan snarled.

"And let Miss Kasumi out," Kilrava added, ignoring the resulting glare from Wrex. "We can't leave her here. And Aria is going to take good care of the other young women."

Evans, realizing how well-armed and trained the group before him was, complied. Once Kasumi had left the cell, he reactivated the Mass Effect barrier and turned. "T-the Med Bay is this way," he said between huffs of breath.

~ Break ~

Shepard stared at the men before her, blinking slowly. To her left, Gayle trembled, terrified of the men who were currently pointing guns at her and her patient.

"W-what d-do you n-need?" Gayle managed, unused to violent confrontations.

"Shut up!" one of the men growled out. He was wearing Eclipse armor, and, based on the fact he was male, was clearly Human. His gaze turned to a Turian in Blue Suns armor to his left. "Get the Commander," he commanded before turning to his right. "Grab the doctor," he ordered the Vorcha in his Blood Pack armor. The creature snarled at him before moving to grab her.

Shepard narrowed her eyes, praying to whatever deity may exist that Jayden really was intent on keeping her alive and that her message had sent. She had heard the shooting outside and sent a quick message to him via Omni-Tool in hopes that he would help. Despite hating being helpless, she hated getting kidnapped and killed more.

"We'll make her pay for helping Archangel all those years ago," the Human said, the grin clear in his voice despite the fact he was wearing a helmet.

Just as the Vorcha had grabbed Gayle and the Turian was about to lift her up, a shot shattered the Med Bay windows and sent the Turian to the ground. Anticipating her uselessness in the coming fight, Shepard tried to prepare herself for the pain of her next action before rolling over and landing on the floor next to the dead Turian. The fall caused her so much agony she nearly blacked out, but she just managed to keep herself awake. She heard the door to the Med Bay hiss open, several pairs of booted feet making their way inside. Based on the way they began taking cover, it was the rest of the mercenaries. More gunshots soon followed. If the rate of fire and voices were anything to go by, it was Jayden and a few of his men fighting back. Shepard curled against the side of the table, hoping she could avoid getting shot again. Besides, the amount of Vorcha in the room suggested that Jayden would have a hard time successfully getting her out of there without blowing her up.

A familiar battle cry snapped her out of her thoughts. A Krogan charged into the room, tossing a warp at the attacking mercenaries before jumping a table and nearly landing on her. Shepard blinked in confusion at the red plated legs that had no problem with standing on the dead Turian next to her. A snarl was emanating from deep within him.

More gunfire soon joined the fight, and she could tell that the mercenaries were dropping like flies, but her main concern was the man before her.

"Wrex?!" she gasped out when he took a step back and nearly crushed her head.

The shotgun fire from above her halted, and the Krogan spun, looking around for a moment before landing on the woman at his feet. "Shepard!" He fell to one knee, looking her over as the snarling quieted. "Are you okay?!"

She nodded in response, wincing at the twinge of pain at her neck. "For the most part," she replied, trying to force herself to sit up. "What are you doing here?"

The Krogan glanced around, angling himself so any enemy fire would hit him and not his mate. "Getting you," he responded. His blood red eyes looked her over again. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, Wrex. I'm absolutely positive. Gayle said everything should heal with time." She managed a reassuring smile, despite the throbbing pain in her head and the tiredness that was taking over. "I'm so happy to see you," she added.

Wrex let loose a relieved breath, listening as the gunfire slowed to a halt behind him. Without missing a beat, he lifted his mate and gave her a rare grin. "We're going home."

As he stepped out from in between the beds, Jayden ran in. "Miss Shepard! Are you alright? I came as soon as I got your message."

More people ran in from behind the leader. Shepard spotted a relieved Kasumi leaning by the door, a grinning Garrus, Tali, and Kaidan just outside the door, Kilrava standing just behind Jayden, and Grunt moving forward.

The young Krogan slammed a hand on Shepard's good shoulder, earning a wince from the injured Human. "Good to see you, mother," he said with a grin.

The woman managed a smile, thinking back to when the tank-bred had found out about her and Wrex as she snuggled further into the former's arms.

~ Break ~

"Battlemaster?"

"Hm?" Shepard hummed, turning to the owner of the voice, Grunt. "What is it?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. It wasn't often Grunt would come down to the shuttle when she was preparing to drop.

"You are going down to Tuchanka, aren't you?" he asked, eying her with a light blue gaze.

She felt a tinge of heat rise in her cheeks. "Yes, why?" A fear rose inside her that he had figured out about her and Wrex. It wasn't that she was afraid of him. She was just worried he wouldn't agree with it.

"You're aren't bringing any ground crew," Grunt continued.

A switch seemed to flip inside her brain, her confused gaze turning soft and almost maternal. "Would you like to come, Grunt?"

The Krogan's face lit up in a bright smile as he pushed past her and into the shuttle. Shepard chuckled, following him in. She turned to the pilot, telling them to head out before taking a seat opposite Grunt. The tank-bred was shifting in his seat, excited to be visiting his home. A light smile took over the woman's face and she turned away to hide it.

"Why were you going alone?"

Shepard looked up, confusion covering her face. "What?" She paused, thinking about his statement for a moment. "Because I'm not planning on getting in a fight," she answered, deciding honesty would be best.

"Then why go planet side?"

His confusion was well founded, the Commander had to admit. If she wasn't seeing the Urdnot Chief, she probably wouldn't have gone back. Hell, she even had Urz on board. In all honesty, Wrex was the only reason she took time to send everyone else off on shore leave than have Joker take her to Tuchanka. Grunt was one of the few who opted to stay on the ship during leave. Shepard was starting to rethink giving her crew that option.

"I have someone I need to speak to," she finally decided on.

"During leave?" he continued pressing, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

Before she could respond, the shuttle locked into place and the doors slid open. Shepard took that opportunity to escape from that line of questioning and take off.

"Battlemaster!" he yelped in surprise at her retreat.

A strong hand gripped Shepard's shoulder as she was about to bolt down the steps. Another hand moved to her waist before spinning her towards their owner and lifting her against him in a hug.

"A-ah! Wrex!"

The Krogan chuckled. "Shepard."

"P-put me down! What if someone sees?"

"I ordered the guards to clear the landing area so I could come get you." His eyes narrowed. "You look panicked."

"It isn't the guards I'm worried about!"

Wrex was about to ask for clarification when a confused voice asked, "battlemaster?"

Both heads shot to the owner of the voice, Grunt. He was eying them with suspicion.

"The tank-bred?" Wrex turned back to Shepard, setting her down. "I thought you were coming alone."

"I wasn't going to tell him he couldn't see his home," Shepard shot back, narrowing her own eyes. "That would be ridiculous."

Grunt, seeming to have come back to reality, bolted past the duo and out of the landing zone.

"Grunt!"

"He'll be fine," Wrex growled, grabbing her wrist to keep her from running after the younger Krogan.

Shepard shook out of his grip, glaring at the Krogan Battlemaster. "I chose to let him out of that tank, so I'm responsible for him!" Noting how Wrex hadn't seemed to changed his disposition, Shepard groaned and tried to change her approach. "Letting him out of that tank was like adopting him as my child!" Wrex widened his eyes in surprise, which Shepard used as her chance to charge after Grunt. It was a pretty low blow considering how the Genophage made it so very few kids were even born, but she really needed to get going before she lost the kid's trail.

"Shepard, wait!"

She didn't wait, bolting down the hallway and, based on where the Krogan were glancing, was able to figure out which direction Grunt had gone. It didn't take long for her to end up on the outer edges of the Urdnot Camp. Feeling a twinge at the base of her neck that generally meant trouble, Shepard slipped on the helmet she kept clamped to her belt and opened the comm channel she reserved for her ground team.

"Grunt? Grunt!"

No response. Shepard ground her teeth together before taking off down the only direction that seemed like a path. After running for a few minutes, she heard the sound of gunshots, and frowned. There was no way that it wasn't Grunt. When he was confused, he shot things. In fact, he shot things when he felt anything. It was one of the things she liked about the kid. Without wasting a second, Shepard charged after the sound of gunfire.

When she turned around the cliff edge separating her and Grunt, she saw one of the few things she wasn't expecting. A Thresher Maw was popping up around a large circle of stone Grunt was standing on. A few splashes of acid were already on his armor. Shepard felt the familiar grip of terror at seeing one of the giant worms. Ever since Akuze, she'd had a hard time dealing with them. When her team of Wrex and Garrus were attacked when checking out the dead marines, she'd started having a panic attack so bad that Garrus took the wheel and Wrex manned the cannon until it was dead. During Grunt's rite of passage, the only thing that kept her going was realizing that they didn't have a Mako's armor to hide behind. She hadn't wanted a repeat of what had happened on Akuze to happen with Grunt and Garrus.

The Maw screeched, sending more acid flying towards Grunt. Shepard felt a twinge of fear at thinking the young Krogan who she viewed as her child suffering the same fate as the marines back then. She propelled herself forward using her Biotics, pushing the tank bred out of the way just in time. Despite the familiar hiss of acid against her own armor, she helped Grunt up. Afterwords, she took off the ruined helmet and tossed it to the side.

"Battlemaster?!" he growled, eyes wide in surprise. "What are you doing here?!"

Shepard narrowed her own golden eyes at him, only opting to do so since she could hear the Maw going back underground for a few moments. "If you think for one second that I'd let someone who is practically my son run out here and kill himself, you've got another thing coming!"

Grunt stared at her in confusion, her words sinking in. "S-son?" he muttered under his breath, speechless for the first time in his life.

The sound of the Thresher Maw breaking from the ground again distracted the duo. Shepard felt her muscles tense as the large creature turned its head to them, screeching. She lifted her sniper rifle from her back, shooting into its mouth a few times.

"We'll die long before we chase it off," Grunt growled at her, "let alone kill it."

Shepard raised an eyebrow at the Krogan. When was he ever the voice of reason? Her brain starting shooting different scenarios that ended with the both of them getting out of here alive. She settled on the most likely to keep Grunt alive.

"Alright, listen up." She turned to the young Krogan, keeping on eye on the Maw in case it spit more acid. "I need you to throw me at it."

"What?"

"Throw me at it," Shepard repeated. "If you throw me at it, I can use my Biotics as an extra push and then toss some grenades down its throat." Pausing for a moment, she added, "if that doesn't get it to go away, then nothing will."

Grunt shifted, uneasiness rippling across his eyes. "What about you?"

"I use my Biotics again and land in the sand. The Maw should leave, so I'll be fine."

After a moment of silence, only broken by the Maw coming back to its senses and screeching again, Grunt nodded, accepting her strategy. He shifted for a moment before locking eyes with her.

"And how do I throw you?"

Shepard frowned, thinking as she and Grunt dodged another ball of acid spit. "However you can throw me the farthest," she decided on.

The Krogan grunted, lifting his battlemaster. The duo was vaguely aware of the sound of a different shotgun nearby, the Maw screeching as more shots hit its durable hide. A Krogan war cry sounded from two different sources as Grunt launched Shepard with as much force as he could manage. After a moment to get her bearings, the woman used her Biotics to lift herself higher. She could see the Thresher Maw lift its head to hers, screeching. Shepard felt her eardrums vibrate so much she was almost positive they were going to burst. Despite the immediate headache, she grabbed the grenades from her belt, pulled their pins, and tossed them down the creature's throat. It swallowed them without issue before launching acid spit at the Commander. She barely had time to pull up a weak barrier and start plummeting towards the ground. Despite the pain, she opened her eyes and watched as the grenades exploded and the Maw made a full retreat. Feeling her barrier start to fizzle out, Shepard released her Biotics and turned towards where she was falling. She managed to use her Biotics to soften the blow, but didn't have time to halt her fall. The sand around her puffed up as she sank into it.

"Battlemaster!" she heard the young Krogan's cry in her earpiece.

She would have responded it sand wasn't covering her mouth and nose. She chose to do the only thing she could manage instead; struggle. A large hand wrapped around her ankle before yanking her out of the sand. After being set down on her knees and coughing up some sand, Shepard looked up to see Grunt. The Krogan was eying her with apprehension.

She managed a smile. "I'm glad you're okay, kid."

"I should be saying that to you," he responded gruffly, adding, "mother."

Shepard felt her smile evolve into a maternal one as she stood and pat his head. "C'mon. We should get back to camp."

"Shepard."

The woman tensed, turning to the side as she remembered the sound of a shotgun. "Wrex!"

The Urdnot Chief stepped forward, looking her over for any major injuries. "What were you thinking?" he growled. "Running out here without any backup. And going against a Thresher Maw like that!"

"Just because I have a bad past with them doesn't mean I can't fight them to protect my family," she shot back. "Besides, I'm fine, aren't I?"

Wrex raised a hand to her face, brushing against her cheek before pulling back. A small amount of blood was on his hand. It must've been from the sand. She'd hit pretty hard.

"It's just a scratch."

"You should get it checked," Grunt cut in, ignoring Wrex's glare. "You always tell your crew to check in with your doctor."

Shepard cringed. He made a good point. "Fine. But let's all head back, huh? I've had enough Thresher Maws for today."

Both Krogan nodded before flanking her on the way back to camp. Her love and her son. Two Krogan and a Human. Shepard's favorite trio.