92 – Tuchanka (1)

WITH SAMARA

A few minutes had passed since the process began, and the Matriarch had to deal with a handful of enemies that came their way. Fortunately, she was able to manage them easily.

She was repulsed by their appearance and felt even more compassion when she remembered how they were created and who they truly were.

"The Reapers are an abomination... only when they are completely destroyed will we have peace of mind."

Samara understood that now that the galaxy was aware of the Reapers' existence, a sense of dread would linger over all living beings. Only, and if, the Reapers were fully eradicated could things return to normal.

As she pondered how long it would take for Samael and Myany to return, she suddenly heard a rumble and turned to look at where the Thorian was. Deep within its 'home,' she noticed that the creature had collapsed, indicating that the process must be over.

Sure enough, Samael and Myany awakened not long after. The Ardat-Yakshi appeared extremely satisfied; in fact, the usual stoic demeanor associated with all Asari was nowhere to be seen. Samael, on the other hand, looked a little pale.

'It seems the effort took a toll on Samael.'

This was expected, as even though he had Asari DNA, at the end of the day, he was still human, and no human should be capable of what he had just done.

After observing both of them recover from the process, Samara asked, "Did it work?"

Samael nodded slowly. "Yes. Although our friend here will have a big headache when he wakes up."

To ensure there wouldn't be any problems, Samael tossed a few items into the hole where the Thorian called home, items that would make others sleep. Don't ask why he had those with him at any moment.

With the amount he threw in, the Thorian was going to sleep until he arrived at his new planet. Unlike with the Illusive Man, they didn't have a cryo pod big enough to carry the creature, so they would have to use one of the spaceships that came with the Phoenix and the Normandy.

Speaking of him, due to what happened at Thessia, the plans regarding the man's rehabilitation had to change a bit. Currently, Jack Harper was on Earth, undergoing rigorous secret training, with Jack and Miranda, to become… something else.

"Are you okay?" Samara asked Myany as the Ardat-Yakshi returned to her stoic demeanor.

Myany coughed to conceal her embarrassment. "I'm okay... it's just that... it's nice to let go after so long."

It had been centuries since she felt this way, and she was trying to savor the moment.

"It's a shame it was so fast." Myany sighed as she realized she wouldn't have many opportunities to experience this feeling after today.

Samael heard what she said and shook his head.'She doesn't realize she would have plenty of opportunities like this in the future, not only to unoindoctrinate people but also to deal with troublesome ones, if necessary.'

Remember that not long ago, Samael had hired all Ardat-Yakshi scattered across the galaxy to work for him and LD. Of course, all those at the temple, the others who had no affiliation and were hiding, weren't counted.

The Ardat-Yakshi received financial support and a planet in exchange for their assistance.

Samael tapped Myany on the shoulder. "You will have plenty of opportunities to do this in the future. Things will get a lot worse before they get better."

Even with his knowledge of the future, Samael admitted that he didn't know if there were other facilities like this one in Virmire, under the Reapers' control. Of course, he knew the existence of others, but it wasn't the Reapers conducting the experiments. He would deal with those individuals after the war ended.

Samara and Myany grew serious at those words, the latter finally calming down.

"Now, let's regroup with the others. I sent our coordinates to the larger ship, so they will pick up our friend here."

Of course, there were doctors in the mix to ensure the Thorian's safety. Samael would not risk losing the Thorian for a mistake.

Samara nodded and took one last look at the Thorian. That creature had helped them with its memories, if what Samael had said previously was true, so a little respect was something she could offer. Sure, it was because of the creature that Thessia was attacked, but it was forced to do so, so she didn't take it to heart.

' Thank you.'

With that, the trio left the area after cleaning it up completely. They made sure no enemies could attack the unconscious Thorian and then left.

WITH SHEPARD

' They are good.'

That was what was on her mind after fighting with Samael's crew and his friends. Sure, she had trained and fought alongside them before, on Thessia and Illos, but both situations were different.

In Thessia, she primarily fought with Tali and RR, while on Illos, she had left with Samael to face the Reaper.

Today was the first time she witnessed all of them in combat, and she was leading them. They didn't disappoint.

If someone told her they were the best team in the galaxy, she would be inclined to agree.

The way they fought was perfect. They listened to her commands, and when things got complicated, they had the ability to act on their own to ensure their survival.

Far from feeling jealous, Shepard was looking forward to the day her crew would be like that.

'Maybe we should resume our training together...'

Back on Earth, they had trained with them a bit, and now, witnessing all of this, Shepard wanted more. She would talk with Samael about this in the future.

The battle on Virmire had ended not long ago, with the overwhelming victory belonging to Shepard and the others. Now, they were waiting for Samael and the other two to return.

He had sent coordinates for extraction not long ago, which meant things had finished on his end.

"Shepard, look!" Grunt approached her with a head in his hand. From what creature it came from, no one knew. "Doesn't it look like Wrex?!"

Shepard glanced behind the young Krogan and saw Javik doing his best to stifle a laugh while Wrex wore a not-so-pleased expression.

With a sly grin, Shepard nodded and spoke in the softest tone she could muster, "It really does! How about you take a picture side by side, so others can compare too?"

Grunt's eyes lit up. "Great idea!" He then ran up to Wrex's location, leaving behind a smiling Shepard.

"I see you're troubling Wrex," a familiar voice came from behind her.

"Ah, it was just a harmless prank." Shepard turned to face Samael, Samara, and Myany. The trio had just returned from their mission. "How did things go on your end?"

"Everything is okay. The Thorian isn't under the Reapers' control any longer, and he can now live his life. How about you? Did you have any difficulties with those test subjects?''

Given the situation and the atmosphere in the group, they were successful. This outcome was expected, as they were literally the best in the galaxy. Although their opponents were stronger, they lacked basic mental capacity, only attacking on instinct.

Still, Samael asked because he liked to talk with Shepard.

"All is well. It's just... those people, we don't even know who they were, and now they will be forgotten in this place." Shepard felt troubled by what she found on the planet and about the people those creatures were before becoming like that.

Countless beings had been experimented on, almost all of them lacking any form of identification. Their stories ended without any chance to tell their loved ones about it.

It was uncomfortable and sad.

"LD will do its best to identify them, provide support for their families, and give them a proper grave. It's a small gesture, but it's something we can do," Samael reassured her, following his protocol for situations like this.

In past cycles, and even in this one, there were bases like this across the galaxy. While he could not help everyone, he could assist them with a burial and support their families financially.

"Thanks." Shepard felt a growing respect for Samael, he was different. Others, like the head of the Alliance, would not even look at these people and would bury them without a second thought. Samael went above and beyond to help those with whom he had no affiliation.

'Just like Akuze...'

Shepard later learned that LD had helped rebuild the colony on the planet after eradicating the Thresher Maw around the area. They also supported the families of those who had died there and helped build better buildings in the colony.

'Ah, it seems I'm falling for this man hard.'

Ignoring their complicated relationship for the moment, Shepard decided to change the subject to something more normal. "With that out of the way, Grunt had a lot of fun here."

"I can see that," Samael said, patting Shepard's shoulder. "Come, let's gather the rest and discuss our next steps. Also, good job."

"Thanks," Shepard replied.

Samael, along with Shepard, Samara, and Myany, moved through the battlefield while rounding up the crew. When Samael met up with Liara, Tali, and RR, he greeted the trio with a light kiss.

"How are you?" he asked Tali and Liara.

"We're not in any danger, RR made sure of that, and we might have found a good combination of powers. It's in the testing phase, but it looks promising," Tali said, reviewing the footage she had gathered and considering where improvements could be made.

"Oh? Will you tell me about it?" Samael asked.

Liara shook her head with a sly grin. "Spoilers."

Samael smiled at her and then turned his attention to RR. "Is there anything out of the ordinary that I should be aware of?"

The AI/Android shook her head and said, "Nothing. Only, I gathered all the data that was available in the facility. I doubt we will use or need it, but I followed protocol."

This was something that Samael had taught her, and in turn, she taught EDI: gather all the data the enemy had, destroy the original, and, if useful, use it against them.

Upon hearing that, Samael replied, "You can destroy it. This is a situation where nothing good will come from having that kind of information with us."

He briefly reviewed the data, which primarily focused on the experiments conducted on the planet. Neither he nor LD needed this information, as he would never go to the same level as the Reapers.

Having such details in LD's database wasn't worth the potential problems that might come from others knowing of its existence.

RR nodded and destroyed all the data. "Done."

"Thank you.'' Samael thanked his companion.

Tali spoke when she saw them stop talking. "I noticed many quarians... or something that resembles quarians among those creatures." There was a lot of anger in her voice.

Liara held her hand up to soothe her, but it was difficult to stop the kind of feeling Tali was having.

While most subjects were Krogan, many other species were also used as bases, and Quarians, her species, were the second most common.

"We will make them pay." It wasn't a question but an affirmation. Tali, along with everyone else who witnessed the horrors of this base, was fed up with the Reapers.

"They will pay, I promise you this." Samael ruffled Tali's hair to distract her from her anger.

Tali calmed down, thanked Liara for holding her hand, and nodded at what Samael said.

Soon, they continued walking and gathering the crew. Not long after, they arrived where Wrex, Javik, and Grunt were 'waiting' in a peculiar situation.

Javik was doing his best to hold Wrex in place, while Grunt was trying to position a creature's head close to the old Krogan so they could take a picture.

They were struggling, as Wrex wasn't going to accept such a situation without a fight.

As the struggle continued, Javik's eyes lit up when he noticed Samael and the others approaching. "Samael! Good timing!"

Even while struggling, Wrex knew he had a good chance of avoiding the photo. However, with Samael and the others joining the fray...

"FUCK!"

Wrex tried to struggle more fiercely to escape, but it was too late. Samael and the others had closed in. "Hey, it's just a photo!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, Uncle Wrex! It's just a photo!" Liara echoed, gathering some biotic powers in her hands.

"A photo," Tali said, aiming a gu- camera at Wrex.

"HEY! HEY! TALI, THAT IS A GUN!" Wrex screamed when he saw the 'camera'.

Tali shook her head. "This is a camera."

Wrex was dumbfounded. After a brief silence, he sighed, "Just take the damn photo."

The old Krogan wouldn't admit that the only reason he didn't want to take the photo was that the creature really looked like him.

CLICK.

They took a few photos with the head and Wrex and some as a group.

After the photo session, Samael made sure to bury the creature's head nearby. He could have left this task for the team that would come to clean things up, but he felt it was a nice gesture to do this himself.

He had his share of funerals and understood the significance of a simple act like this. Sometimes, it was the best they could do.

While it was entertaining for Grunt and the rest, nothing could deny the tragedy that had happened to the creature, so a simple act of burial was the least he could do.

The others noticed what he was doing and offered their respect with a minute of silence, not only for that particular creature but for all those they had killed in the earlier battle.

They were victims of monsters, turned into mindless creatures, and were buried as themselves again.

Wrex approached Samael after the minute of silence ended and spoke in a hopeful yet serious tone, "It's time, brother?"

Wrex had used his influence as the leader of the Urdnot Clan, the most powerful and influential of all Krogan clans, to summon all Krogans across the galaxy to Tuchanka, or at least those who would listen to his call.

He did that for a reason: to give them the Genophage cure, as it was ready. However, he didn't need to mention that to the others, as it was dangerous and reckless to do so. Other species might try to intervene.

And as he was their leader, his call must be answered.

Still, Krogans were not known for their patience, and by this point, those he summoned must already be on the planet, so there must be chaos there. While he wasn't desperate yet, he was feeling a bit anxious.

Samael gave one last look at the facility in Virmire and nodded, '' Yes time to go to Tuchanka. The new age for the Krogan Emperi starts now.''

Wrex nodded enthusiastically. While others recognized that Wrex and Grunt were good Krogan, they were a bit apprehensive about the idea of curing the Krogan species as a whole, as they weren't exactly a role model. Still, they trusted Samael's judgment, and to be honest, they didn't have much of a choice.

They needed the Krogan to win the war. What would happen after the war was a concern for another day because their priority was to survive it.

After that, Samael ensured that the Thorian was safely transported to Javik's planet. He then destroyed Saren's facility on Virmire and left a group of LD personnel there, just in case other groups had any funny ideas. They would leave in 30 days.

Everyone boarded the Phoenix, and with the Normandy and several other ships following them, they left Virmire and headed towards Tuchanka.

---

IN TUCHANKA

Tuchanka, the homeworld of the Krogan species, is a harsh and unforgiving environment that shapes them into who they are. The planet is hostile to any living being, so for you to survive there you HAVE to be strong.

Riddled with dangerous fauna and even more perilous creatures, such as Kalros, the mother of all Thresher Maws, radiation that would kill many other species, and bombardment craters from past wars, Tuchanka presents numerous challenges.

There were almost no intact buildings; those that remained could barely be called buildings. Ruins littered the entire planet, and the Krogan lived on it.

Seriously, even the air and atmosphere are trying to kill you 24/7.

Despite its treacherous nature, the planet is now filled to the brim with Krogans, thanks to Wrex's call. The rudimentary buildings and structures are nearly collapsing under the weight of the population.

The streets are crowded with Krogans, and in such a situation, conflict is bound to occur. We are talking about Krogans, after all.

Fighting has become the norm, and encountering corpses is something that rarely receives a second glance. The Krogans are strong and brutal, yet necessary in the upcoming war.

In one bar, located in a building that was on the verge of collapsing, two Krogans who had just finished fighting each other were drinking something that could melt the insides of other species while engaging in conversation.

"So, does anyone know why Urdnot called everyone to the planet?"

"I don't think so. And let me tell you, I envy him a bit. Being able to call everyone here without a second thought is nice."

"Come on, he has responsibilities too."

"Ha! Only to choose which female to bed."

"Haha!"

Both laughed, knowing they were far from Wrex's position. They could only dream of having such privileges.

Just as the laughter stopped, there was a commotion outside the bar. They looked at each other and went outside.

There, they noticed everyone looking up at the sky, so they did the same. They saw various spaceships entering the planet, and someone yelled, "It's Urdnot's ship!"

Another commotion started, and the news of Wrex's arrival began to spread throughout the planet.

It was time for the Krogan species to be freed from their centuries-old 'curse,' a fact that most were unaware of.