[Book Three] Chapter 06: Sur’kesh

[Book Three] Chapter 06: Sur’keshChapter 06: Sur’kesh

“I have to say, it’s either really brave or really stupid for the salarians to have kidnapped female Krogans because they were immune.” Rick said to himself aloud.

The team was on their way to the facility on Sur’Kesh and the atmosphere in the kodiak was palpable thanks to Wrex. It was understandable, after all the future of his species was within his reach.

“My money is on ‘really stupid’.” Betted Garrus.

“Yeah, I’d probably bet on that too.” replied Rick. “By the way, Wrex. How is your informant?”

“Why do you care?” the krogan asked curtly.

“He’s a friend. He’s risking a lot for doing the right thing and I want him to get out of it alive; I got plans involving him.”

“I won’t even bother to know how you know but I’m curious about that guy's identity.” Jane confessed.

“We all know him.” Rick said, looking at his omni-tool.

“Mordin.” stated EDI after thinking for a few seconds.

“Makes sense, former STG, worked on the genophage...” Garrus listed.

“Why would he? Didn’t he modify the genophage in the first place?”

“Guilt, Red. Guilt and hope.”

“I can imagine what he feels.” she said, remembering the loss of 300 thousand batarians’ lives to stop the reaper invasion, by her own fault.

“What do you mean hope?” inquired the krogan.

“To Mordin nothing is more important than life. While reducing the Krogans’ number was necessary, the way it was done was wrong. With you in charge, leading a new... peaceful movement compared to the usual krogan politics, I think he hopes that no more lives will be unnecessarily wasted. He has no bias against your people but he understood that the krogans would have just rebelled with a cure, perpetuating the cycle.”

“How did you get in touch with him in the first place?” asked Garrus.

“He came to Tuchanka.” he simply answered and changed the topic. “And How is your project?” he inquired looking at Rick.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?!” the krogan exclaimed with a bit of anger, it was his people he entrusted him with.

“What project?” questioned the turian.

Rick sighed and pondered for a moment if he shouldn’t have lied and if he should answer Garrus’ question.

“Three years ago, after the attack on the Citadel I began a project whose goal was to save the space faring species and their culture from the Reapers’ doings. I started building gigantic bunkers, deep underground, on inhospitable planets across the whole galaxy. With the help of Councilor Tevos, Valern and Anderson, they secretly made a list of people with desirable traits to perpetuate their own species and culture but most of all opened to work together in preparation for the Reapers’ return in 50 thousand years if we failed to take them down. I invited Wrex to participate when we were on Tunchanka almost a year ago. Six months ago councilor Quentius was brought in the project because he proved himself trustworthy and to replace Anderson who had stepped down.”

“Are you saying the councilors worked behind their respective government’s back?”

“Yes. I was quite persuasive after defeating Saren that even if they didn’t believe in the Reapers’ threat it was better to have measures in place and never need it than to need it and not having them. They saw with their own eyes Sovereign and the huge file I made with all my findings on the reaper did the job. The governments discarded it of course because... politicians... More interested in embezzling money than using it for the people who elected them. Anyway, with Red stopping a second invasion I activated the necessary protocol as I thought they were coming soon. Every person selected was recovered under bullshit pretexts, put in a stasis pod then brought in the bunkers.”

“How did you get the manpower to do that? We’re talking about four million people here.” Jane asked.

“It depends on the species but most of the time, I used the military. Retired N7 who still wanted to serve humanity is one of many examples. Some former STG, former commando. Only the krogans didn’t need anyone.”

“Yeah, I told them it was to ensure the future of our people and to the leaders of the group the true nature of the project. They were all willing to do it.”

“I’m surprised your project wasn’t discovered.” said EDI.

“Most of the people in charge of the bunkers were believers in the incoming Reapers invasion and understood the need for secrecy. Add the fact that it was presented as safe keeping civilization and nobody looked too closely. Well, except for TIM.”

“TIM, knows?!” exclaimed Jane, not liking that bit of news.

“Who’s TIM?” Wrex asked.

“The Illusive Man, Cerberus’ head. Yes, he knows but I don’t think he knows the locations of the bunkers. I only told the head chief the coordinates of their own bunkers. They don’t even know there are others. Since each bunker has representatives of each species he’d probably think that I only build one. In any case it’s impossible for him to be aware of all of them. As for why I don’t know, it is because once a bunker is closed and locked no communication can come in or out. Not for the next hundred years. Unless someone personally goes there but I’m the only one who knows so...”

“Each civilization and their future is more or less secure.” EDI ended up getting a nod of affirmation from Rick.

Just as they were done talking they landed on the landing zone of the facility. Their welcome had not been warmed as apparently the Dalatrass had ‘forgotten’ to warn the personnel on site. Checking with her, the one in charge ordered his men to lower their weapons, though Wrex got two babysitters and wasn’t allowed to get further into the complex.

The team had to wait a bit for the proper protocols to be followed but could hang around the area as they wished, so long that they didn’t touch anything. Jane met an old acquaintance from Virmire; the leader of the Salarian team that acted as a diversion, and spent her time talking to him.

Eavesdropping Rick heard one of the aliens speak about an unauthorized encrypted message sent from the base to an unknown addressee. With the importance of their mission, their welcome and the Dalatrass ‘forgetfulness’, he had the feeling that they needed to move and fast. Those female Krogans were the only chance at a cure and he wondered who would be interested in having them dead. Listing the possible culprits he was aware of, he had two names. Dalatrass Linron and Cerberus. The former was obvious but the latter less so.

The terrorist organization’s goal was the dominance of the human race over the other species in the galaxy from a technological viewpoint. If they had the technology the number of Krogans wouldn’t matter at all. The only explanation Rick could think of was to sow discord and make the alliance between Turian and Krogan and humanity fail. Since Cerberus agents were modified with Reapers tech, the man had no doubt they were indoctrinated and it made sense for the organization to do everything they could to weaken the resistance the Reapers would meet.

Though the message being sent to Cerberus was unlikely, as it only had human agents. Since it was a secret salarian facility on their homeworld, there was no human here, except Jane and him. The only possibility was if the Dalatrass would have ordered someone to send the message to Cerberus and that would also imply that Cerberus had some troops already present on the planet. The Normandy would be long gone by then with the female Krogans.

“Rick?” came the voice of Jane from the side.

“Yes?”

“What’s wrong?”

“What makes you think something is?”

“We’re in a secret tech facility on the salarian homeworld and you’re not looking around to learn something.” the commander explained.

“Good reasoning. No, I don’t believe anything is wrong. I don’t have enough proof and it's too far-fetched a thought.”

“But something caught your attention enough to make you think. What is it?” Jane insisted.

“I think that the Dalatrass sold us out to Cerberus and that this facility is about to be heavily attacked.” he replied bluntly, making the redhead’s eyes widen.

“Okay... What makes you think of that?” she asked as it was a very serious idea.

“I heard one of the salarian talk about an unauthorized encrypted transmission from the base to an unknown party. It was done as we were landing.”

“Just from that?” Garrus said as he was listening on the side, waiting for the elevator to come up and take them down.

____________________________________________________________

“And you think the Dalatrass is the one who contacted Cerberus?” Hackett’s holo-display asked Rick who for the first time was participating in the meeting between the Admiral and Jane.

“Someone warned them. Can’t be Wrex obviously, neither Primarch Victus as the whole alliance would have been down the drain. That left two possibilities. The Dalatrass, who’s fiercely opposed to a cure or someone of the Normandy’s crew.”

“You can’t be serious?!” Jane asked.

“I am but I don’t believe that’s the case. EDI?”

“No suspicious transmission was sent from the Normandy.” replied the AI.

“That leaves the Dalatrass.”

“Because of that message you heard salarian talk about...” stated Steven pensive.

“Yes and I don’t think this will be her last try. Diplomacy failed, using someone else failed too. I believe she’s running out of options.”

“Any idea what she will do next?”

“She can’t blow us up and make it look like an accident, that's for sure, so her only resort is bargaining.”

“The salarian’s help.” replied the admiral immediately connecting the dots.

“Yes. Covertly of course, as asking for a bargain is proof of weakness, and with the current political climate on Salarian space she can’t afford that.”

“What do you mean?” Jane asked.

“Linron has control of the Salarians but barely. Her... reelection so to speak was a narrow win. Bargaining publicly when her position is unstable will only make her lose power. I’m thinking she will ask you to sabotage the cure one way or another without the krogans knowing about it.”

“The turians get the krogans’ help, humanity the turians, by extension the krogans and the Salarian but the Dalatrass still gets what she wants. Clever.” commented Hackett.

“Yes but stupid in the long run since the plot would be discovered sooner rather than later. And the turians will side with the krogans against the Salarians. They gave their word and their honor is at stake.”

“I guess we will fight without the Salarians’ help then.” said Jane as a matter of fact.

“Not necessarily.” Replied Rick.

“We’re not sabotaging the cure!”

“No, we get rid of Linron.”

“We can’t really kill her.” she replied with a flat look.

“We can.” Hackett said.

“Sir?”

“Politically I mean. She has the reins of the entire Salarian race in hand but with a loose grip. If we can strike a deal with her political opponents we can have her replaced.” the admiral explained.

“And we have everything we need to make it happen.” announced rick.

“We do?”

“First, you have the unconditional support of the STG, who will fight with you regardless of what their government says, meaning their loyalty is to you and the cause against the reapers before Linron. Best thing is she doesn’t even know it. Any political coup in salarian politics, which had succeeded, was because the one in charge had the support of the STG. Second, to make it a sure thing we have Diana. She can report, at the appropriate time, Linron’s wrong doings and paint her in an unfavorable light while putting under a favorable one the cooperation between humans, turians and krogans for a cure and alliance against the reapers. For example we can play the card: ‘the krogans changed under Wrex’s rule and don’t seek conquest but cooperation with the other species. How they learned from their mistakes made more than a thousand years ago and that they deserve a second chance and a cure.’ Victus gives a statement corroborating that and we implicate the asari by saying something like ‘they didn’t comment on it but their politics had always been cooperation between species’, making the people think they are nothing but in on it.”

“The asari would be pinned down and forced to support the cure publicly. Otherwise it would be the two strongest military in the Galaxy and the Krogans against them and the Salarians. It’s a fight they couldn’t possibly win, military or politically even if the Reapers were not around. They would be seen as hypocrites which they absolutely can’t afford. On the Salarians side, they would be isolated, three of the council species against them, there is no way Linron could stay in power when she has nothing to stand on.” Hackett explained further.

“And we get the Salarians’ help beyond just the STG.The only problem is the Asari’s reaction to forcing their hands. They won’t like that.” Rick finished.

“... I hate politics.” Jane mumbled.

“It’s a game where the smartest win.” he commented.

“Why don’t you like playing it then?”

“What interest is there in playing a game when you know you’ll win?” he answered as he left the com room and said some final words to the Admiral. “Steevie, I sent you the file on the shield.”

“Ugh.. I really don’t know how you handle him, commander, nor how you two are related.” not liking his nickname.

“I make do but to be honest ever since I learned who he is, handling him has been rather difficult. Partly my fault I admit. As for any relation... it turns out we’re half siblings so maybe he took more after his father than our mother though sometimes the way he’s so cold, unfeeling and indifferent when he deals with different matters reminds me of her.”

“Half siblings you say? How did that come up?” Hackett asked.

“During a training session on biotics. He said it like it was obvious and hearing his arguments, it made sense. I asked for a DNA test to be sure but it’s the truth.”

“That... put many questions on the table, notably how you’re dealing with it.”

“One day, heck one conversation at a time, sir. It’s not something that will be resolved in a short time.” she replied sadly.

“Anderson believed the two of you to be unstoppable when working together and he hoped that your relationship would mend. I agree and I’m hoping too, commander, because without both of you with your head in this war and working together, we’re not going to win it.”

“There is no need to worry in that regard, sir. If we have something in common is that we leave everything personal behind during a mission.”

“Good, make sure that doesn’t change. On another note, the construction of the crucible has started. Our engineers have no idea what they are building but the plans are simple to understand.”

“Liara told me that Rick thought it wasn’t a protheans device but the work of multiple species handed down, cycle after cycle. It would make sense that, knowing they couldn't win their war they would make it as simple as possible for the next species to finish the device.”

“That would make sense, yes.”

“Anything else, sir?”

“One last thing, commander. I got a report that Cerberus had uncovered a major prothean artifact and attacked a colony to get it. Our forces are spread too thin to both liberate it and acquire the artifact.”

“Which colony?”

“Eden Prime.”