I'M JUST A SOLDIER

Virmire, Hoc System
Triangulum Galaxy

One year ago…

"So what the hell is Saren researching?"

As the question came from the young staff commander's lips, the salerian was hesitant to answer, especially as his black eyes caught sight of her krogan companion. That hesitation grew longer, until Kirrahe knew he could not stall the answer further.

"He's using this facility to breed an army of krogan."

The thunderous rumble in the distance was nothing compared to the growl that rattled from inside Wrex's chest as soon as he heard those words. "How is that even possible?"

With her green-eyes shifting toward her krogan ally, Shepard frowned. Wrex had told her about the genophage a thousand years ago. That it was the salerians who had developed it at the behest of the turians.

"It seems that…Saren has apparently discovered a cure for the genophage."

First the geth, and now an army of krogan. And yet, even as her mind considered the horror of the latter as history lessons would have portrayed it, Shepard was all too aware of the massive krogan who stood mere feet away.

"We must ensure that this facility and its secrets are all destroyed."

And there was exactly what she was worried about being said.

"Destroyed?!"

The massive saurian put his two and a quarter meter tall and over two hundred kilogram frame in front of the wiry salerian, eyes glowering at Kirrahe while nostrils flared and snorted. "Like hell, salerian! My people are dying! If this cure is real, it can save them!"

"If that cure leaves this planet, then the krogan will become unstoppable." Kirrahe was clearly unsettled by Wrex's mass and proximity, and doubtless his clearly growing anger, but he kept his feet planted and failed to waver. "We cannot make the same mistake-"

And then came the snarl as Wrex took a step, jabbing a meaty finger into the tall and spindly salerian's chest. "My people are not a mistake, pyjak!" Another snort as that finger curled back into Wrex's fist, threatening to take a swing at Kirrahe, before the krogan stepped away and gave a heavy snarled grunt as he put space between himself and the salerians. "Fatik salerians…"

The STG agent warily watched the grogan's back as thunder rumbled in the distance. "Is he going to be a problem?" The question came out with a nervous tremble in Kirrahe's voice. "We already have enough angry Krogan to deal with."

Her own green eyes shifted, unsure how to handle the matter to calm her brutish squadmate down. But it was her job and responsibility. And she couldn't blame him for being angry. "I'll talk with him. But I don't exactly think he's all that wrong for how he feels about this, Captain." Shepard gave the salerian a gesture to signal she'd return before making her way to catch up with the angry krogan. "Wrex, look, I-"

"This isn't right!" The saurian snapped as he had gotten a good distance from the beach where the salerians' camp was set up. After a few more steps in the sand, he whirled and snarled. "Shepard, if there really is a cure for the genophage, we can't destroy it!"

And he was entirely justified. "Wrex, I'm not your enemy here. Saren is the one we need to be angry at."

"Saren created a cure for my people!" That heavy snort again as Wrex began to pace in the sand, wet loose earth shifting under his heavy feet. "And you want to destroy it!"

"Wrex, I don't want to destroy anything that could help your people, and you have every right to be angry at what Saren is doing here and Kirrahe's attitude." They had discussed it before. The turians had once wanted to leash her own kind when they had unknowingly violated the council's bylaws concerning the Mass Relay Network and reactivating dormant relays, some even called for humanity's extermination. It was nothing as severe as what the krogan suffered, but their races had that common experience. "But this isn't a real cure, Wrex. It's a weapon, and if Saren is allowed to use it, then you won't be around to enjoy what benefits it might offer, none of us will."

"But that's a risk we should be willing to take!"

Shepard could see Williams and Alenko moving to intervene if things got more heated. Her hand went up to signal them to stay back. Any more provocation could set the krogan off and end this all very badly. She had to handle this herself.

A snarl as Wrex scrunched his face. "This is the fate of my entire species we're talking about!" he exclaimed as he stepped toward the young staff commander. "I've been loyal to you so far, Shepard. Hell, you've done more for me than my own family ever did." A pause as Wrex halted, now reaching for the shotgun fastened by magnetic grips to the back of his thick waist and pulling it free as it expanded out into ready form. "But if I'm going to keep following you, I need to know we're doing this for the right reasons."

A series of mechanical clicks signaled that Ashley and Kaiden had drawn their own weapons. Her instincts took over, yet her own weapons stayed stowed away even as her hands came up in effort to settle everyone involved. "Wrex, these are not your people! They're slaves to Saren, tools! Is that what you want for your people? For the Krogan he's already enslaved?!"

The red eyes stared as Wrex considered her words. He was silent, slit pupils turning down for a moment before he finally lowered his gun and allowed it to collapse back into storage configuration. "No…we were already tools for the Council once. We fought the rachni, and they rewarded us by castrating us. Saren won't be as generous as that." A long sigh as he tucked his shotgun away back on his waist plate. "Alright…you made your point, Shepard. I don't like this, but I trust you enough to follow your lead. But when we find Saren-"

"You can take his head back to Tuchanka and mount it on a wall," came the wry yet relieved words as Shepard let out the breath she had been holding in. She could see Williams and Alenko breathing out in relief as well, stowing their weapons away as they could see that Shepard had defused the situation. "Wrex, I promise, he's going to pay for what he's done. To all of us."

MADE BY CREST OF GANGNAM STYLE!