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not_a_whinerIt'd been a long trip down. Utukku laid somewhere in the less-explored regions of the galaxy; a nowhere, a backwater, famous only because it had once been home to the rachni. Some place they never would've bothered going if Wrex hadn't asked them for help. If there hadn't been word and evidence that-- well.
So now they were here, hitting atmosphere with the shuttle. Kaidan's gut wasn't telling him much good about it. Then again, his gut had been in a weird place for a while. Hearing about Kitty hadn't helped.
"EDI?" Shepard said, gripping the side of the shuttle. "Any more information about the situation?"
"I've received confirmation your backup has landed on the planet's surface," EDI's simulated voice spoke over the comms. "A group of krogan commandos called Aralakh company has conducted initial scans."
"Good to hear." Shepard glanced over his shoulder, meeting Kaidan's eyes for all of a second. "Other than that, there's been no word from a team of krogan scouts since they went through the rachni relay."
"The rachni are back." Kaidan hadn't said it aloud before. "That just seems crazy. What you reported seeing on Tuchanka... let's hope we find some answers."
Dead rachni. That was what Shepard had found back on Tuchanka. But they were different. Warped, somehow. Yeah. That was what was making him uneasy.
"We're here to find out what happened to the krogan scouts," Shepard said. "If the rachni are involved... the situation changes."
"Still, it's troubling there are rumors at all," EDI said. "It's been years since you released the last rachni queen on the condition she disappear forever. She was desperate to save her race."
Shepard set his jaw. "Just be ready for anything," he said.
---
Steve parked the shuttle right outside Aralakh's camp. They were barely out the door when a single krogan marched out from a prefab building, past several soldiers, and up towards him. He had orange skin, and natural armoring that hadn't quite developed yet into the trademark hump of older krogan. And he was heading right for--
"Grunt?"
Oh. Of course Shepard knew the guy.
An enormous grin spread across the krogan's face. "Shepard?!" Grunt hollered. "Heh heh heh heh!" He shoved his way past the last two krogan sentries and launched himself at Shepard, fists first, thumping the guy very hard in the chest. "Shepard! Ha ha ha!"
A matching grin blossomed on Shepard's face. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I could ask you the same question," Grunt said. "Didn't those idiots lock you up?"
"Relieved of duty," Shepard said wryly. "But the situation changed." (Was that going to be their main euphemism from now on? 'Shit got worse' became 'the situation changed'?)
"Yeah, they got bigger problems all right," Grunt agreed. "'s why I'm out here, running Aralakh Company. They're tough, think they're invincible. Reckless, but effective." He nodded at the sentries he'd just shoved past-- all krogan in all black.
"Sounds familiar, Grunt," Shepard said. "How did you go from being new and unproven to your own command?"
"Wasn't easy," Grunt said, taking a step back. "When Wrex put Aralakh Company together, he needed a leader who represented the future of our species. Thanks to you, I completed my Rite of Passage on Tuchanka and became part of Clan Urdnot. I was an equal. And being the strongest, I was chosen to lead this honored company."
Shepard nodded. "I'll bet some didn't like a tank-bred krogan being in charge."
"I collected a few scars earning my place here. These krogan respect me."
The smile on Shepard's face had dimmed some, but it was still genuine. "You were a pain in the ass, Grunt, but if your krogan are half the soldier you are, we might make it out of here."
Grunt laughed. "Heh. Glad you're here to crack some heads, Shepard." He turned away. "Hard to believe this might be rachni. Seems crazy."
Yeah. That's what Kaidan had said, too.
"The rachni," Grunt said, looking up at the sky. "A chance to face the old enemy? Impossible to resist!"
... that part, on the other hand, was all krogan.
"We've seen some rachni, Grunt," Shepard said. "The Reapers got to them. But we don't know if they're involved here. Our job is to find out what happened to the scouts. I didn't see any signs of activity during our approach."
"Agreed," Grunt said. He looked back at Shepard. "But this place smells wrong. Like a bad wound. Our scans show the tunnels down there lead to a large central point. If we're lucky, it's a nest."
Liara had been quiet throughout their exchange, but they were used to that - the asari was probably thinking. Now, though, she spoke up. "A nest might be.... fortunate. We could end this here."
In response, Grunt let out a disconcertingly weird chuckle, then pointed at his crew. "Aralakh Company! Move out!" He gave Shepard a sideways look. "Grab what you need. We'll see you again at the camp up ahead."
"Sounds good." Shepard reached to grab the sniper rifle attached to his back. "Squad? Grab what ammo you need while you can."
"I'm good," Kaidan said quietly. He kinda wanted to ask about the krogan, but... on the other hand? That case seemed pretty clear-cut to him. And yet-- "His name's Grunt, huh? I'm glad he's a friend of yours." That netted him exactly the no answer he was expecting. He sighed and followed Shepard down the hill, towards the camp. Might as well get ready. Rachni. What a fucking mess, if that one was true.
They met the krogan again at the bottom-- well, bottom. The lowest part of this hill still stretched out over an enormous cavern, and the few prefabs sitting around looked a little mangled. Grunt was standing by one of them, which stretched out across the canyon. "You're up first, Shepard," he called. "We'll be right behind you!"
Right. Kaidan drew his handgun. Sure, it was quiet now, but with Shepard's luck? Yeah.
Shepard took point, leading them into the prefab. So far, so quiet, so-- screeching?
Screeching.
And then a loud clang.
And suddenly the floor gave away underneath them, the prefab shifting off the platform, banging down against the rocks and spitting them out onto the bottom level of the canyon below with a great deal of violence. For a moment, all Kaidan was aware of was the ringing in his head, and the sting of pain in his side.
"Shepard?!" the krogan bellowed up above.
"Is everyone okay?!" ... that was Shepard. From closer by. Kaidan scrambled up to his feet.
"I'm okay," he called.
He heard Liara's feet hit the ground behind him. "I'm good."
Yeah. Shepard's luck. This was gonna go real well...
[[ nfb, nfi, ooc-okay. taken from Mass Effect 3, Attican Traverse: The Rachni. to be continued. ]]
So now they were here, hitting atmosphere with the shuttle. Kaidan's gut wasn't telling him much good about it. Then again, his gut had been in a weird place for a while. Hearing about Kitty hadn't helped.
"EDI?" Shepard said, gripping the side of the shuttle. "Any more information about the situation?"
"I've received confirmation your backup has landed on the planet's surface," EDI's simulated voice spoke over the comms. "A group of krogan commandos called Aralakh company has conducted initial scans."
"Good to hear." Shepard glanced over his shoulder, meeting Kaidan's eyes for all of a second. "Other than that, there's been no word from a team of krogan scouts since they went through the rachni relay."
"The rachni are back." Kaidan hadn't said it aloud before. "That just seems crazy. What you reported seeing on Tuchanka... let's hope we find some answers."
Dead rachni. That was what Shepard had found back on Tuchanka. But they were different. Warped, somehow. Yeah. That was what was making him uneasy.
"We're here to find out what happened to the krogan scouts," Shepard said. "If the rachni are involved... the situation changes."
"Still, it's troubling there are rumors at all," EDI said. "It's been years since you released the last rachni queen on the condition she disappear forever. She was desperate to save her race."
Shepard set his jaw. "Just be ready for anything," he said.
---
Steve parked the shuttle right outside Aralakh's camp. They were barely out the door when a single krogan marched out from a prefab building, past several soldiers, and up towards him. He had orange skin, and natural armoring that hadn't quite developed yet into the trademark hump of older krogan. And he was heading right for--
"Grunt?"
Oh. Of course Shepard knew the guy.
An enormous grin spread across the krogan's face. "Shepard?!" Grunt hollered. "Heh heh heh heh!" He shoved his way past the last two krogan sentries and launched himself at Shepard, fists first, thumping the guy very hard in the chest. "Shepard! Ha ha ha!"
A matching grin blossomed on Shepard's face. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I could ask you the same question," Grunt said. "Didn't those idiots lock you up?"
"Relieved of duty," Shepard said wryly. "But the situation changed." (Was that going to be their main euphemism from now on? 'Shit got worse' became 'the situation changed'?)
"Yeah, they got bigger problems all right," Grunt agreed. "'s why I'm out here, running Aralakh Company. They're tough, think they're invincible. Reckless, but effective." He nodded at the sentries he'd just shoved past-- all krogan in all black.
"Sounds familiar, Grunt," Shepard said. "How did you go from being new and unproven to your own command?"
"Wasn't easy," Grunt said, taking a step back. "When Wrex put Aralakh Company together, he needed a leader who represented the future of our species. Thanks to you, I completed my Rite of Passage on Tuchanka and became part of Clan Urdnot. I was an equal. And being the strongest, I was chosen to lead this honored company."
Shepard nodded. "I'll bet some didn't like a tank-bred krogan being in charge."
"I collected a few scars earning my place here. These krogan respect me."
The smile on Shepard's face had dimmed some, but it was still genuine. "You were a pain in the ass, Grunt, but if your krogan are half the soldier you are, we might make it out of here."
Grunt laughed. "Heh. Glad you're here to crack some heads, Shepard." He turned away. "Hard to believe this might be rachni. Seems crazy."
Yeah. That's what Kaidan had said, too.
"The rachni," Grunt said, looking up at the sky. "A chance to face the old enemy? Impossible to resist!"
... that part, on the other hand, was all krogan.
"We've seen some rachni, Grunt," Shepard said. "The Reapers got to them. But we don't know if they're involved here. Our job is to find out what happened to the scouts. I didn't see any signs of activity during our approach."
"Agreed," Grunt said. He looked back at Shepard. "But this place smells wrong. Like a bad wound. Our scans show the tunnels down there lead to a large central point. If we're lucky, it's a nest."
Liara had been quiet throughout their exchange, but they were used to that - the asari was probably thinking. Now, though, she spoke up. "A nest might be.... fortunate. We could end this here."
In response, Grunt let out a disconcertingly weird chuckle, then pointed at his crew. "Aralakh Company! Move out!" He gave Shepard a sideways look. "Grab what you need. We'll see you again at the camp up ahead."
"Sounds good." Shepard reached to grab the sniper rifle attached to his back. "Squad? Grab what ammo you need while you can."
"I'm good," Kaidan said quietly. He kinda wanted to ask about the krogan, but... on the other hand? That case seemed pretty clear-cut to him. And yet-- "His name's Grunt, huh? I'm glad he's a friend of yours." That netted him exactly the no answer he was expecting. He sighed and followed Shepard down the hill, towards the camp. Might as well get ready. Rachni. What a fucking mess, if that one was true.
They met the krogan again at the bottom-- well, bottom. The lowest part of this hill still stretched out over an enormous cavern, and the few prefabs sitting around looked a little mangled. Grunt was standing by one of them, which stretched out across the canyon. "You're up first, Shepard," he called. "We'll be right behind you!"
Right. Kaidan drew his handgun. Sure, it was quiet now, but with Shepard's luck? Yeah.
Shepard took point, leading them into the prefab. So far, so quiet, so-- screeching?
Screeching.
And then a loud clang.
And suddenly the floor gave away underneath them, the prefab shifting off the platform, banging down against the rocks and spitting them out onto the bottom level of the canyon below with a great deal of violence. For a moment, all Kaidan was aware of was the ringing in his head, and the sting of pain in his side.
"Shepard?!" the krogan bellowed up above.
"Is everyone okay?!" ... that was Shepard. From closer by. Kaidan scrambled up to his feet.
"I'm okay," he called.
He heard Liara's feet hit the ground behind him. "I'm good."
Yeah. Shepard's luck. This was gonna go real well...
[[ nfb, nfi, ooc-okay. taken from Mass Effect 3, Attican Traverse: The Rachni. to be continued. ]]
