Mass Effect - A Hero Rises Ch. 59

Book 3, Chapter 10 - Summit

*****

The fun times were over, though only temporarily. But as we waited for the salarian and krogan representatives to arrive, I had prepared the crew for what was basically a diplomatic mission. My girls were back in trousers for the time being, though Miranda was still plugged. To my amusement, so was Kelly, who suggested it since she couldn't wear her short skirt and go without panties. As the idea both amused and turned me on, I agreed immediately.

"Odds of this working?" Miranda asked as we stood near the cockpit, waiting for the salarian ship to hail us.

"It will work, Miranda. Don't care if we have to butt heads together to get an agreement. But we're not leaving without getting what we need."

"Read the file on this dalatrass. She won't be a pushover. And as for Wrex, you know what he's going to want."

"I know exactly what he's going to ask for."

"Victus?"

"He'll consider it worth the price to defend his homeworld."

Kelly and Samantha waited nearby, ready to escort our guests towards the meeting room. Victus was already there with Garrus, going over some finer details of the agreement he'd already written. I'd gone over it and, despite one or two minor reservations, given the green light.

Linron was the first to arrive. I was no expert in salarian body language, but from the off, I knew that she didn't particularly want to be present, and I knew she was going to be difficult. But I was still friendly and respectful upon her appearance, Samantha escorting her through to the conference room.

"Well, I expect this to go as well as we thought," Miranda muttered, "That was a salarian who clearly doesn't want to be here."

Wrex stepped onto the ship a few minutes later. We shook hands and chatted for a couple of minutes. He then glanced at Miranda to one side, Kelly to the other, and he was soon rumbling with laughter. "What?" I asked innocently.

"Shepard, I remember what things were like on the old ship. Is the situation the same?"

"Shall I, sir?" Miranda asked. I looked at her and nodded. "Kelly and I are both plugged, Wrex."

"I'll be honest, I don't know what that means," he replied.

"Kelly and I both currently have a toy up our back passage, Wrex."

He looked between the two women again, then at me. A toothy grin formed before he roared with laughter again. "I do miss serving on this ship sometimes, Shepard. The fucking hijinks you get up to." He stopped laughing long enough to ask who was escorting him to the conference room. Kelly meekly held up a hand, I think a little intimidated at the sheer size of my old krogan friend, and she led Wrex away.

"Well, at least he's in a good mood," Miranda said once we were alone.

"Guess we'd better go join them. I have a feeling Linron will be poking and prodding within minutes, trying to provoke the sort of reaction that'll have her saying 'Told you so' very quickly."

Walking through the CIC, we received a few glances, I assume people wondering what Wrex had been laughing about. If they'd noticed Linron walk by, she might have stared them down as she had. What greeted us in the conference room was pretty much what I expected. Garrus and Victus stood in the middle, almost as peacemakers. Wrex stood to one end of the long table, his eyes only glaring across the table at the lone salarian. Credit to Linron, she stared right back, arms folded across her chest, non-existent chin raised, defiance in body language.

The argument had already begun, of course. Victus looked at me, I think with sympathy. Garrus simply rolled his eyes. I let the pair get whatever they wanted off their chest first. Then Wrex did drop the bombshell Liara had already made me aware of. "Reaper scouts have arrived in Tuchanka," Wrex stated. That even caught Garrus and Victus by surprise. He glared around the table. "So tell me why I should care if a few turians go extinct?"

"Wrex," I muttered.

Victus didn't rise to the bait. "Wrex, I don't have time for any games. Just tell us what you want."

I don't think Wrex expected that. I was sure he wanted to have the salarians and turians over a barrel. No doubt having Victus trying to cooperate did catch him a little by surprise. He leaned forward, and I saw the toothy grin form. Though it wasn't a grin, as he glared at Linron over the table. "There is one price for our cooperation. A cure for the genophage."

Linron reacted as if she'd been slapped. "Absolutely not! The genophage is non-negotiable."

"Everything is negotiable, dalatrass. We are at war," Victus retorted.

"The genophage was the only way to keep their 'urges' in check."

"And that was our thanks after we helped defeat the rachni!" Wrex roared. "It was krogan blood that helped turn the tide."

"Yes, and after you'd helped turn the tide, you decided to launch a war against the rest of the galaxy. The genophage is the only thing keeping you from breeding like crazy and doing the same thing again. You are weapons of war, nothing else. After that, you are best kept on a very short leash."

I think if Victus hadn't cleared his throat and said something, Linron was on the verge of finding herself crumpled in a corner. "Dalatrass, you may not like Wrex or the krogan, but insulting him isn't going to get us anywhere."

"I won't apologise for speaking the truth! We uplifted the krogan to do one thing: wage war. It's all they know because it's all we wanted them to know."

"We're at war now. If there is a species out there we need in our battle against the Reapers, it's the krogan," I said.

"Incorrect, Commodore." Well, at least she knew of my new rank. "We made a rash decision in uplifting the krogan. Turning to them was made in desperation, and it was a mistake. A mistake you are going to make again. Absolutely no good can come from curing the genophage."

"Hasn't it gone on long enough?" I asked.

"One thousand, four hundred and seventy-six years, if you're keeping track."

"It's been a thousand years of peace from these... brutes!" Linron exclaimed.

"Enough!" Victus cried, slamming a fist on the table. It was enough that we all looked at him in surprise. "We are at war, dalatrass. This will be total war. Everything we have will be thrown at the Reapers. The Commodore has seen what they have done to his homeworld already. I have seen what the Reapers have done to my homeworld. But whether they deserve a cure or not is moot. A cure would take years to formulate."

Wrex then surprised even me. "My information says otherwise," he stated, and I knew he had an ace up his sleeve somehow. "Shepard, can I patch into your system. I have information to share."

"EDI, can you help Wrex?"

What he had to show us shocked everyone except the dalatrass. Wrex knew all about Maelon and what he'd been doing on Tuchanka. But it was the video evidence of krogan females being kept in some sort of facility that had him glaring daggers at Linron. She tried to fob us off by suggesting it was a fabrication, but none of us was buying it.

"They're immune to the genophage," he roared, "And I want my people back."

"Is this true, dalatrass?" Victus asked. Even Garrus looked flabbergasted by the discovery, and he'd seen the worst the galaxy had to offer more times than I could count.

"How will curing the genophage benefit my people?"

"Jesus Christ, how are you so blind?" I finally asked, "Okay, let me put this bluntly. Earth and Palaven are currently under attack. Humanity and the Hierarchy will come together, pooling our resources to defeat the Reapers. With krogan assistance, that might just help us turn the tide. In the end, the other species of the galaxy will join our crusade.

As for your people, dalatrass, you will be left to fend for yourselves. Think we'll come to assist you when your worlds are burning and you're being turned into goo? I won't speak for the Primarch here, but I certainly will be suggesting to the leadership of humanity that we don't send you a single ship."

"And I'll be the last friendly turian you'll ever see," Victus added.

"You've got a choice, dalatrass, But are you going to make the right one?" I asked.

She looked around the table and realised she was very much alone. With a sigh, she nodded. "The females are being kept at one of our STG bases on Sur'Kesh." Wrex and Victus turned to the war room. EDI would figure out where the base was. "But I warn you, Commodore. The consequences f this will be felt for centuries to come!"

I turned back and made sure I loomed over her. "Linron, let's get one thing straight. Without our help, your homeworld, your people, will burn. And if you refuse to cooperate here on out, I will give the Reapers directions to where you call home, flying my ship into low orbit, and I will sit back with a bowl of popcorn and watch everything you know and love destroyed. Do not fuck with me on this."

"Shit, Shepard..." Garrus said with a chuckle.

"You won't be allowed access onto Sur'Kesh. You don't have the authority."

"I'm a Council Spectre, dalatrass. I can go wherever I want."

I turned to walk away. "I won't forget this, Commodore! You're nothing but a bully. Typical human."

I stopped, turned and glared. Then Miranda stepped forward and leaned across the table. I have no idea what she murmured to Linron, but it was enough to make the salarian take more than one step back, and the fear on her face was rather amusing. Miranda turned back to me and smiled, jerking my head towards the war room. Gathering around the central console, EDI was able to provide everything we needed from what Wrex had on offer.

EDI reported that the dalatrass had left the ship within a few minutes. Glancing at Wrex, he said he'd hang around on the ship until we got to Sur'Kesh as he wanted to personally assist. Victus looked at me and shrugged. "Long as you follow orders, Wrex," I said.

"Sure, sure, Shepard. This is your show, after all."

"Okay, I know Sur'Kes is in this system so... You want to do this immediately, Wrex?"

"I don't trust Linron. We give them time, she'll order the females to be taken off-world, or at the very least moved away."

I looked at Victus. "We know what salarians can be like, Shepard. Time is of the essence in this matter."

"Very well. Joker, how far to Sur'Kesh, flying time?"

"No more than an hour tops, Commodore."

"Okay, EDI has the coordinates of the base. Get us into orbit nearby and we'll shuttle in from there." I looked back at Victus. "I assume you'll remain on ship, sir?"

"Garrus can be my eyes on the ground, Shepard."

"Okay. We're taking everyone this time. Wrex, head downstairs. Miranda, you'll be joining us. Javik can come along, same with Vega. Won't need his marines for this. I'll grab Liara and EDI too."

Wrex headed downstairs as I walked with Miranda into our office. Shutting and locking the door, she started to giggle. "I think I should take this out while we're on a mission, sir."

"Definitely. Have you been enjoying it though?"

"I'm so horny, Shepard." I looked at the time and then at her. She had her trousers and panties down so quickly, I started to chuckle. We kept a bottle of lube handy at all times, so once my cock was lubed up, I easily slid it inside her arse. She moaned softly once I had my length buried. "Quickie?"

"Quickie," I murmured into her ear, "But still feels great."

Bending her over the desk, I pumped her arse hard and fast immediately while she managed to fondle her pussy at the same time. We lasted no more than ten minutes before we both came. Though she joked about carrying my cum inside her during the mission, we knew we couldn't afford that sort of distraction while on the ground. I turned her around so she could at least sit on the desk, enjoying a kiss and a cuddle for a couple of minutes.

"Do like this part too, sir," she whispered.

"Head to the bathroom and get cleaned up. I'll grab Liara."

As she walked to the bathroom, I found Liara at her desk, piles of datapads to either side of her. The relief on her face when I asked her to join me on the ground almost had me worried, so I suggested she really should take a break every now and then. "That's what ground missions are for, Shepard." She stood up and kissed my cheek. "But thanks for caring enough to worry."

"Liara, none of us can afford to burn out this early. Trust me, I'm already having trouble sleeping, so I'm finding ways to at least switch off for a little while."

"Sex?"

"I reckon half the time. Miranda just got her arse fucked, for example. Considering the meeting we just had..."

"I was listening in. I would like to say I can't believe it, but we're talking about salarians here. I mean, at least the asari..." She paused. "There's nothing I can say that makes us much better right now, I suppose."

"But you're keeping Tevos up to date?"

"Yes, and she does appreciate it. The Council are split heavily. You've got Udina doing all he can for Earth, and he's working closely with Sparatus. Valern? Who knows? Then Tevos, who is basically trying to buy us time but..."

I took her hand. "Come on, let's go do something good. Rescue some krogan females, cure a thousand-year-old problem."

Miranda was last to join us downstairs, looking at me with a grin and a little colour in her cheeks. Strapping on my armour, I had her to one side, Liara to the other. "Feeling a little tender, sir. Might have been a quickie but, fuck, it was good," Miranda whispered, "Post mission anal?"

Liara giggled next to me. "I'll bend you over the desk as soon as we're back. Line you and Kelly up as she's still wearing her toy." Liara cleared her throat and gave me a look. "You want your arse fucked too?"

"Goddess, absolutely, Shepard."

Once Joker announced we were in position, we loaded up on the shuttle, Cortez taking control, and we were quickly on our way into the atmosphere of Sur'Kesh. We received exactly the sort of reception I expected, in that they threated to shoot the shuttle out of the sky. I immediately invoked my Spectre status, and assured them, should they fire on the shuttle, they would soon find the Alliance and the Hierarchy in orbit.

Funnily enough, the salarians on the ground turned very friendly after that, Cortez stating we were no longer under missile lock, receiving coordinates where we could land safely. Of course, even landing didn't go smoothly. Wrex had remained mostly calm since the summit, but the closer we got to the ground, the more antsy he was getting. And the salarians threatening to shoot us down snapped his patience. Before Cortez had even set the shuttle down, Wrex had the door open, dropping to the ground.

Guards had him lined up in second. I saw a least three sniper teams, while more guards ringed the landing pad. I stepped out of the shuttle as soon as I felt it touch the ground, and a couple of rifles were soon aimed in my direction. I just glared at one of the salarian teams on a nearby rooftop. Worked like a charm as always, though I glanced left and right to see my ground team with weapons raised.

"No-one is to open fire," I said.

"Agreed, Commodore. No need for this to get anymore awkward than it is?"

I looked for the source of the voice as, even after all this time, it had a familiar ring. That's when Captain Kirrahe appeared through the line of soldiers nearby. Striding forward, I shook his offered hand, noticing the new symbol on his shoulder. "Promotion?"

"Virmire made my career, Shepard. Now a Major."

"Have you been informed why we're here?"

Thankfully, he had received information, as apparently Linron had been in touch. To all our surprise, she had simply notified them of our intention to retrieve the females, though I guess that would still explain our original greeting. It was obvious the salarians wanted us gone as quickly as possible as Kirrahe briefly explained the process.

Heading downstairs with the team, that's where we discovered who Wrex's inside source was. I couldn't help grin as the crazy salarian approached us. Shaking his hand, he grinned in return. He then explained what had happened since leaving the ship. No surprise he'd ended up back in STG. And also no surprise he'd ended up working on the genophage. I'd learned enough during our conversations that he questioned it all.

Unfortunately, the hope of finding a few survivors ended quickly when Mordin introduced us to the lone survivor. No-one knew her name, and when I took a moment to talk to her, I heard the voice of a weary woman, who knew she was the last hope for her people, but part of her quite obviously just wanted to die in peace. Assuring her I was there to take her home, I don't think she believed me, though she had heard of my name, so perhaps that bought me a little faith.

Of course, it was never going to be that easy. For some reason, Cerberus decided to attack Sur'Kesh. Miranda couldn't believe it, wondering why the hell the Illusive Man would be attacking the salarian homeworld. Figuring getting away as quickly as possible would be the best idea, Mordin explained the procedure as we made our way back to the elevator.

A bomb was waiting for us, that exploded and hurled me into a nearby wall, Miranda, Liara and Javik also being sent arse over head. With ringing in my ears, I managed to drag my sorry arse to standing, helping Liara and Javik to their feet. Mordin was in our ears, giving us instructions on how to get to the surface.

"Orders, Commodore?" Javik asked.

"Anyone wearing Cerberus armour dies. Don't give a fuck about prisoners this time around. You shoot, you shoot to kill."

The next couple of hours were some the toughest we'd experienced since escaping Earth, but we quickly made an effective unit, mixing up gunplay, biotics, tech attacks, and sheer brute force. That's not to say we were not careful and circumspect regarding how we approached the enemy. We moved from cover to cover, providing covering fire whenever anyone moved. The regular troopers we could handle without too many issues. The engineers were a pain in the arse, relying on EDI's hacking abilities. Garrus tried to use distance when he could.

We linked up with Major Kirrahe halfway back to the surface. He was keeping in contact with STG teams throughout the base. He chose to work with our team, and as we continued to move forward, we found ourselves working alongside more and more salarians, and they were tough, skilled fighters in their own right. No questions as to why Cerberus was attacking. All that mattered was fighting them off. Questions could be asked later.

Didn't stop Miranda muttering dark thoughts as we worked. I'd rarely seen her as pissed off as she was that afternoon, and the one questions she kept muttering was why? Actually, in addition to why, both she and Liara were asking how? How the hell had the Illusive Man learned of this? It suggested that my ship was bugged, which I found unlikely, or someone was feeding Cerberus information. The answer to that question would be who was feeding them? I trusted everyone on the ship, so the concern was of a leak elsewhere.

With each level we rose, we had to help keep the elevator moving. Thankfully there was a strong barrier protecting Mordin and the krogan female. We could hear Wrex fighting a couple of levels above us, more than once yelling over the radio for us to get a wriggle on. Making it to the top, I couldn't believe how many troopers and others we'd killed on the way, yet they just seemed to keep coming.

And then an Atlas decided to drop from the fucking sky. "Where's a heavy weapon when you need one?" I shouted at no-one in particular.

Thankfully the Atlas was left rather alone as we'd killed nearly all its friend. EDI focused on keeping its shields down and its weapon non-functional. That meant the rest of us simply focused on firing at the canopy. Took a minute or so to finally break it apart and the pilot was quickly riddled with bullets, watching him slump over the controls. EDI then overloaded the systems and we took cover as it exploded.