Mass Effect: Rise Act II Update 8

The scene fades in on Jackson doing a few pushups has he waits for Jordan to finish with his meeting.  Jackson was no body builder but he could hold his own and he feared doing his time on the Citadel he may be losing his edge and replacing it with weight.  

Jordan walks into his office and smiles at Jackson.  “You do know we have a gym and a pool here at HQ right?” he remarks sitting down behind his desk.

Jackson does a few more pushups before standing up “I wasn’t trying to do a full workout, and a pool?  I’ve spent my entire life on ships or in New York City, Turians swim better than me.”  He says sitting down and grabbing the latest issue of The Adventures of Mark and Bart comic.  

Jordan laughs “I thought all Marines are taught to swim in training.”  He says cleaning up the few files on his desk and putting them away.

Jackson flips through the comic “yeah well five hundred credits can buy you an out on the swimming part.  Not that I am opposed to learning just haven’t met the right teacher.”  
Jordan catches the hint and smiles “Well we still got a few hours before we know who was on the other end of that call… care to learn?”  He asks standing up.

Jackson smiles and sets the comic in his bag “thought you would never ask”

The two walk through the nearly empty headquarters it was late and the late shift was mainly a dispatch and street level C-SEC heading to their areas on the Wards.  On the elevator Jordan gives Jackson a slow and passionate kiss and before they know it the elevator had stopped on their floor.  Jordan laughed a little before stepping off Jackson follows a few steps behind admiring the view so to speak.  The two entered the pool area Jackson looked confused and a little nervous.

“What’s the matter?” Jordan said walking toward the locker room to change.

Jackson stared at the pool the deep blue water reflected the soft white light above, the bottom of the pool had an image of a golden trident on it.  “This is beautiful” Jackson says his voice echoes off the stone walls.  

Jordan smiles “yes well C-Sec has a big budget, come on get into these.”  Jordan tosses Jackson a pair of dark blue swimming trunks.  The two make their way into the locker room to change into their swimwear.  Jordan is the first to immerge from the locker room and promptly does a cannonball into the cool water.  Jackson comes out next and does a graceful swan dive into the pool.  Jordan looks at him as he swims to the surface “Can’t swim hmm” he says as he and Jackson are treading water.  

“Well I wanted to get you into the pool” Jackson say swimming over to Jordan.  

Once he gets to him the two embrace one another and kiss, as they slowly sink in the water in each other’s embrace.  The two break only to come up for air, swimming over to the shallow end Jackson feels Jordan’s strong arms around him as he kisses the back of his neck.  The stubble of his unshaven face is rough but Jackson doesn’t mind.  He feels his hands slide down his chest and into his shorts.  Jackson closes his eyes in pleasure, and just lets himself feel every sensation.  

Meanwhile aboard the Nevos, Anima is boarding a shuttle to head down to the surface of Tuchanka.  Already on the shuttle is Sarha, Liara, and Jack and they watch Anima board without saying anything.  Anima shuts the door and sits down, and radios the pilot they are ready to go.  Anima doesn’t say anything her mind is fixated on convincing Grunt to leave his planet for the last time.  Garrus made it clear he wasn’t going to back down and who could blame him.  The Krogan alone are nearly unstoppable align them with the Ledan and well it may make the Reapers look tame.  The shuttle rocked back and forth as it entered the atmosphere, as Anima receives a message from a young Asari Commando she sent in about two hours ago to evacuate any Asari that remained on the planet.

“Captain Shepard, we are a green across the board two hundred souls aboard.”  The commando says over the radio.  “Setting course for… break, break, break we are under fire I say again we are taking fire from the Krogan ground forces!”  Her voice was tense and matter of fact.  “Trim up the drive before…”  An explosion is heard then static.  “Mayday, Mayday Nevos thirty two is going doing I say again Nevos thirty two is going down.  Expect rough landing at grid whiskey tango three, six, two…” She interrupted again by another explosion and static.

Anima listens for a few more seconds with no luck she contacts the Nevos “This is Nevos six, I need an update on thirty two now!” her voice is stern.  

Moments later “Nevos six, this is Nevos actual, the troop carrier is of the grid… I say again it is current breaking up in the atmosphere.  No life signs noted, two hundred and twelve souls were killed in action.”  Sadness in the Asari operations officer’s voice was undeniable.  

Anima slams her fist into the seat “Notify High Command I want a list of the names aboard that ship in my quarters before I get back.  Notify the Turians and the Salarians the Krogan just declared war on the Asari, and we would like their help in ending this rebellion.”

Liara looks at her daughter “are you sure that is wise we don’t know who fired on them.”  

“It no longer matters, that troop carrier was unarmed and carrying the Asari ambassador from Tuchanka and they knew that.  I sent word through channels to all clans, they waited until the carrier was just high enough that it would break apart in the upper atmosphere.  This wasn’t the work of a few lone wolves looking for credits or fame.”  Anima says in a cold tone.  “Get us on the ground before they try the same shit with us.” She tells the pilot who does as she is told.  

Moments later the shuttle touches down safely in Clan Urdnot territory.  Grunt is standing their waiting to meet them as they disembark the shuttle.  The door opens and Anima is the first off the shuttle.  She walks over to Grunt and shakes his hand.

“We need to get you off world Grunt, hop on the Shuttle.”  Anima says without as much as a look to the other Krogan who thought there was to be a meeting.  

“What is this Shepard?  What aren’t you telling me?”  Grunt asks.

“Approximately five minutes ago the Krogan did knowingly attack an unarmed Asari troop carrier carrying our ambassador and two hundred other innocent civilians.  This has been seen as an act of War against the Asari.”  Anima says now taking stock of the Krogan listening to her, she can hear the rumbling of angry Krogans.  

“Shepard, that wasn’t Clan Urdnot and you know it.” Grunt says.

“With no leader and the Clans looked in a Civil War my government can make no such distinction.  I suggest you get your things Grunt and get aboard the shuttle.  Once I leave I cannot guarantee your safety.”  Anima says to more angry Krogans.  

Just then a Krogan pushes past Grunt and slams Anima into the shuttle behind her “you off worlders know nothing!  I should bury my blade into your skull, we are at War are we not?”  The Krogan barks to the cheers of the crowd.  

“I suggest you release me, don’t make things worse for yourselves.”  Anima says now a faint green glow of her biotics pulsates from her.  

The Krogan pulls his blade and that was as far as he got, Anima hits him with a warp ripping apart cells and DNA.  The Krogan screams in pain “Enough Shepard! You made your point release him.”  Grunt screams.  

Anima holds the wrap a little longer before releasing the Krogan who falls to the ground in pain.  The next Krogan that attacks me or my crew won’t be helped by friendship with your Clan Leader!”  She screams loud enough that her words echo off of the rocks.  “Grunt please speak with me in private.” She says.

Grunt nods and the two walk over to the throne Wrex held for so many years.  He stands by the throne but does not sit.  “So Shepard, you want me to leave this place so the Turians and Salarians can lay siege to it?”  He says.

Anima looks at Grunt “If you don’t you will die” Anima looks at him hoping he will take her serious.  The chest ponding from before now over, she needed the other Krogan to know she meant business.  Grunt was a friend and she hoped he would listen to reason.

“So little faith in my fighting ability, you must think I am a paper tiger sitting on a throne I didn’t earn.”  Grunt says.

“I don’t think that, but this isn’t going to be an invasion, it’s going to be something far worse.  There are many Krogan off world that would listen to you, follow you, and support your rightful place as their leader.  Don’t let the Krogan go down a road I can’t save you or them from, if they align with the Ledan they would be traitors to the Citadel.”  Anima says before turning around “you didn’t even want to be in this position and neither did I but here we are.  If you stay you doom your race, if you come with me you can save them.  It is up to you, but when the other Clans attacked that shuttle it sealed the faith for this planet.”  

Grunt finally sits down and takes a deep breath “Mardin is the rightful leader, not me…Sadly the males would never follow her.  You talk of my people following me, but if I walk away and surrender my home… they will never follow that.” Grunt looks at Anima who is now facing him “You speak of hope for my people and death if they join the Ledan?  I don’t see the Ledan talking of ending my planet.  I see a scared Asari trying to live up to a ghost, your father did a lot for me, for my people and that is why you aren’t in that Varren pit right now.  No perhaps I’ll stay and the Krogan left will avenge Clan Urdnot.  To long the politics of outsiders has controlled the Krogan.  I think the human saying is with friends like you who needs enemies.  I’m sorry for the loss of the Asari ambassador she was a friend, but now I think it is time you leave.”  Grunt says sitting back in the large stone chair.

Anima goes to say something but Grunt stops her “Guards!”  Two large Krogan enter the chamber.  “See that Captain Shepard gets to her shuttle safely.”  The two nod and escort Anima back to the shuttle.

Anima knows nothing she can say will change his mind “Goodbye Grunt” she says before leaving the chamber.  Walking over to the shuttle the Krogans begin to grumble again but this time Anima didn’t pay any attention she gets on the shuttle and hears them cheer as the door shuts.

“Where is Grunt?” Jack asks knowing the answer “Bullshit I’ll drag his stupid ass onto this Shuttle myself!” She says standing up.

“Grunt made his choice, we need to respect that.  Pilot I want a full speed take off and engage the stealth drive as soon as possible.  The last thing I want is to get shot down.”  Anima says sitting down.

Jack knows there isn’t anything she could do and she will be adding another name to the long list of lost friends.  The shuttle takes off with such force even the inertia dampeners struggle to make it a comfortable flight.  

“Ma’am we are free and clear heading to the Nevos now.” The pilot informs Anima.

Anima turns on her Omnitool and press in a code “This is Captain Shepard, we are clear.  Engage as you see fit.”  A ping lets her know the encrypted messages was received.  “Pilot, turn on the virtual windows, if we are to destroy an entire race I think we should be forced to see it.”

Anima and the rest watch as three missile trails approach the planet below them and in a millisecond of bright light the planet looks more like a sun then the place that was home to five billion Krogans.  “When J. Robert Oppenheimer watched the first atomic bomb explode he gave an interview.  He said “We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita; Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and, to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.”  Turn off the windows please I think we have seen enough.”  Anima says as the windows go to black she says “Now we have become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”  The team sits in silence for the rest of the shuttle ride as the scene fades to black.