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Mass Effect: The Helldiver Saga, The Collector War	By : Veyron722skyhook Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 6240 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or it's characters. They belong to Bioware and EA. No money/profit is made by me from this.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Hi again! Sorry this one took a long time, I have been doing my best to try and get this done as soon as possible.

Chapter 10

A Warlord or a Grunt

They now had two more people left on the dossiers. Krogan warlord Okeer and biotic convict Jack. Austin was a bit unnerved by having a convict on board the ship so he decided to go with Okeer first. As Austin looked over the dossier on the Krogan it read:

A brilliant and brutal Krogan warlord who fought in the Krogan Rebellions, Dr. Okeer has become obsessed with saving theKrogan people from the Genophage and is believed to have contacted the Collectors in an attempt to gain technology to that end. He is currently in a Blue Suns camp on Korlus, though the nature of his relationship with the mercenary group is unknown.

Since they'd most likely be fighting those Blue Suns Austin's first choice was Zaeed. He next decided to take Kraan so that he at least would have someone who Okeer would hopefully listen to and trust more and decided to top it off with Mordin. Austin after all hadn't seen the Salarian in action.

As the Hellhound touched down, the group quickly disembarked.

"The dossier doesn't say if Okeer is on this planet by choice. Assume hostiles." Said Austin as the drop ship lifted off again.

Korlus mostly seemed to be in ruins. It was covered in debris and all sorts of debris of metal. In the background the group could hear a female voice speaking over a loudspeaker.

"There is only one measure of success: kill or be killed! Perfection is your goal." It said.

"Canned orders over loud speaker? Classy." Said Zaeed.

"Not what I would call motivational." Said Kraan.

"Stay focused. We're looking for a Krogan Warlord.

The group took things slowly so that they wouldn't risk any alarms or alerting any of the Blue Suns troopers.

"Being hired is merely the beginning. You must earn your place in the mighty army we are building." Said the voice again.

"Heads up! Look out post ahead!" said Zaeed.

Austin immediately raised his hand to tell the others to hold position. Both Austin and Kraan crouched down and activated the cloaks. They took cover behind a nearby beam of metal that had a clear line of fire at the Blue Suns troopers.

"Mark 'em and drop 'em." Austin said.

The two Helldivers lined up their scopes with two of the mercs. Even if the shots didn't take them all out, it would at least thin their numbers.

"On your word, Shepard." Said Kraan.

"Fire!"

Both the Helldivers fired simultaneously. The two Blue Suns fell and the real fire fight started. Mordin and Zaeed came out of hiding and also joined in. The whole place became a blaze with a lot of gun shots. The mercs however where completely unprepared for the group and they were quickly dealt with.

After that was over, as the group proceeded slightly further, they came across a wounded Blue Suns merc.

"Shit! Shit! Won't stop bleeding! I'm gonna… I'm gonna… Son of a bitch!" he said.

"Cry-baby!" Kraan muttered. "That's barely a flesh wound."

"Suck it up, Soldier! I've seen worse." Said Zaeed.

"He doesn't need to know that." Austin said as he winked from inside his helmet. He approached the merc who was clearly too injured to try and draw his pistol on Austin.

"I knew it wasn't berserkers! Not at range. You're Helldivers. I'm not… I'm not telling you anything!" he said.

"I've got a nice application of Medi-Gel ready to go. But if you'd rather I just keep walking…" said Austin.

"Son of a Bi… I just… I don't know anything. I just shoot the overflow from the labs. The old Krogan up there, he… he's really been cleaning house lately. Jedore hired him to make her an army. But the Krogan he creates are insane. So we use them for live ammo training. It's all crap! I don't get paid enough o goddamn bleed out!" said the merc.

At that moment, the mercs radio came into life and a voice could be heard over it.

"Outpost four, Jedore wants us to move. We need coordinates on that Krogan pack." It said.

"What's he talking about?" Austin asked.

"Jedore runs a Blue Suns outlier and she's making Krogan for an army. But they all come out crazy. Tough as hell, but just insane." The merc replied.

"Doesn't make sense. Breeding facilities too expensive. Not worth the cost." Said Mordin.

"I don't know. I just point and shoot and bank my credits. Maybe there's something better in the labs." Said the merc.

Austin needed the other Blue Suns out of the way. He was tempted to order the merc to give bad directions, but his sense of compassion ultimately appealed to him in the end.

"I want your friends gone. Understand?" He said. Sternly.

The merc didn't need to be told twice.

"Uh, Patrol? The last group… dispersed. Lost sight five minutes ago." Said the merc into his microphone.

"Dispersed? Jedore will be pissed. She wanted a show." Came the reply.

"You asked for a report, you got it. Dispersed." Said the merc.

"Understood. Returning to the labs." Said the radio sergeant.

"There. You see? I'm helping." Said the merc.

"If you start limping now you might find a shady spot before you bleed out." Said Austin.

The merc limped off, swearing with each step.

"He just about pissed himself." Said Zaeed.

"Some people need a heavy hand." Said Austin. "Come on. Our warlord is somewhere in Jedore's lab."

Almost immediately though, they were met with even more Blue Suns troopers.

"Who's up to bat next, you bastards?" Austin yelled as he let his Revenant run wild. The sheer force of the machine guns fire was so strong it actually ripped several of the Blue Suns mercs into pieces. Some even had their own limbs torn right off. On the occasional times when he had to take cover because of the rocket troopers, Austin was able to use his plasma cannon to take care of them. Kraan meanwhile was drawing some of the fire away from the others while he himself fired back. Although he was out in the open, he had twice as strong armour, his shield could easily take the punishment and he was also using his dual plasma cannons. The whole place was filled with plasma explosions and these were also causing quite a few fires.

Just as they finished the last one though, Austin could hear more gunfire. When he looked however, everyone was there.

"That's odd." Austin thought.

Once they reached the source of fighting though, it all made sense. The Blue Suns where being fired upon by a Krogan who was wearing the Krogan version of Phoenix armour.

The rest of the group entered the fray and the Blue Suns were gunned down within seconds. The Krogan took notice of them.

At first, the others raised their guns, but Austin motioned for them to stand down. The Krogan walked right up to Kraan and sniffed him.

"You… are different. New. You don't smell like this world." It said.

Kraan took a closer look at the Krogan and sniffed him back. He stood back slightly. Although Kraan was wearing his helmet, he looked puzzled.

"Strange. This Krogan smells like a juvenile. But he looks far too old to be that young." He said.

"Seven night cycles, and I have felt only the need to kill. But you… something makes me speak." Said the Krogan, still looking at Kraan.

"Seven night cycles? You're only a week old?" Kraan asked in disbelief.

"They must breed them full size, ready to kill. Not much improvement over regular mercs if they need training." Said Austin.

"Bred… to kill. No. I kill because my blood and bone tell me to. But it's not why I was flushed from glass mother. Survival is what I hear in my head. Against the enemy that threatens all my kind." Said the tank grown Krogan.

"The Genophage!" Kraan snarled. Although he was a Helldiver, Kraan felt very strongly about the Genophage that affected all Krogan. In fact, he had even once said that if he had the power to cure it, he would. It reminded Austin a lot of Wrex.

"Yes. I… was bred to fight it. But I failed even before waking. That is what the voice in the water said. That is why I wait here." Said the tank Krogan.

"You're supposed to be part of a mercenary army. Do you remember Jedore?" Austin asked, hoping that the Krogan would answer him. At the moment, the tank Krogan only seemed to notice Kraan and was ignoring the others.

The tank Krogan turned his head slowly and looked at Austin, then back at Kraan. He didn't seem to say anything.

"Answer him, boy!" said Kraan forcefully.

The Krogan seemed to obey and now looked at Austin.

"Yes. I know that name. It causes anger, but also laughter. It is not a name that will be sung when we march. I don't know what that means, but I have heard it many times." It said.

"Can you show us the laboratory? I need to speak with Okeer." Austin asked.

For a moment, the Krogan looked slightly confused by the mention of Okeer's name.

"Your father? Or this glass mother you speak of?" Kraan tried. Fortunately, that seemed to work.

"The… glass mother, she is up. Past the broken parts. Behind many of you fleshy things." Said the tank Krogan as he answered Austin. "I will show you."

The tank Krogan walked up to a massive beam and grunted as he lifted it up. The Krogan then flung it aside and it smashed to the floor.

"Hmph. Very impressive… for a baby." Said Kraan.

"Fleshy things are slow when big things are in their way." The tank Krogan replied. He didn't seem offended by Kraan's comment. But then it had acknowledged that it wasn't perfect.

"Can you show us the way? Help us fight to the lab?" Kraan asked.

"No." the tank Krogan replied.

"A Krogan refusing to fight?" Austin asked in surprise.

"That's cowardly! Even for you, boy!" said Kraan, clearly not impressed. Like many Krogan, Kraan often determined beings on their strength and ability to fight. Alpha Squad in particular had proven to be people he was more than happy to stand and fight with.

"I will fight if they come, but I feel it deep that I must wait. I kill, but only here." Said the tank Krogan.

Kraan seemed to accept this, but still didn't look impressed. "Better than not fighting at all I suppose." He said.

"I am not perfect, but I have purpose. I must wait until called. Released." Said the tank Krogan as he walked off. Now it was just the four of them.

"Kids. They always are a bit odd." Kraan sighed.

The team unholstered their guns once more and proceeded down the tunnel. They could hear a lot of gunfire in the distance and this time they could also hear the sounds of Krogan roars.

"This ought to be interesting." Said Kraan.

For the next few hours, the group battled their way through hundreds of Blue Suns troopers. In fact there where so many, Austin eventually lost count of how many there where. Finally, after dealing with over 10 different waves, they came across what looked like a massive building. Austin guessed this had to be the main laboratory. The door opened to an empty lab. Austin however suddenly noticed a figure hiding behind one of the tables. Just as he pointed his Revenant though, the figure stood. It was an Asari.

"Shepard, don't shoot! You know me!" she said as she stood up.

Austin couldn't help but think where he'd seen this Asari before. She did seem familiar. Seeing at least that she wasn't armed, Austin holstered his assault rifle and motioned for the others to do the same. The Asari seemed to relax.

"I shut down the security cams as soon as I saw it was you. Never thought I'd say it, but I'm glad it's you shooting up the place." She said.

"Have we met? Who are you?" Austin asked, now very confused.

"Sorry, Rana Thanoptis. You let me go when you destroyed Saren's lab on Virmire. Had to outrun a nuke in a utility pod, but it's still a second chance." Said the Asari.

Now Austin remembered. It made sense now why the Asari looked familiar.

"Oh, yes. I remember you now. You were very frightened last time. I assume you have a good reason for being at this lab?" Austin asked.

"Don't worry; I'm not wasting the chance you gave me. My work here – strictly beneficial. Not for the mercs. Jedore's on a standard power trip. But Okeer is trying to do something good, I can tell. Even if his methods are a little… extreme." Said Rana. As she said the last bit, she looked hesitantly at a long dead human skeleton. She then looked back at Austin. "Like you yourself said, everyone deserves a second chance. Right? And sometimes giving one pays off. I take care of my debts." She said.

"What exactly is Okeer trying to do here?" Austin asked.

"It's complicated. Jedore wants a private army, but Okeer mostly ignores her. He's running the project for his own reasons. I created a mental imprint routine to educate his tank-bred, but most don't get through it. He dumps them for some reason. He wants to help his people, but he's not looking for a Genophage cure, and he's not going for numbers. That's all I know." Rana explained.

"Finding you in a place like this makes me think letting you go was a mistake. You don't want that." Said Austin.

"We agree on that. Don't worry; I plan on staying as far away from anything to do with you as possible. No if you don't mind, I'm going to run like hell before you blow the place or something. I know how you work." Said Rana as she left.

"That's gonna bite you in the ass someday." Zaeed commented.

They only had to open the door before they finally found who they had fought all their way to. Okeer was currently stood at a terminal next to tank. There was a Krogan inside this one, but it looked different from the others. The Warlord didn't turn to face them, but he seemed to know they were in the room.

"Here you are! I've watched your progress." He said. "It's about time. The batteries on these tanks will not wait while you play with these idiotic mercs."

"I take it you're Okeer. You don't seem particularly caged… or grateful that we're here." Said Kraan.

"You may claim to be here to help, Urdnot Kraan. But the formerly deceased Shepard is not a sign of gentle change." Said Okeer.

Austin could now see where this was going. He was lucky that Kraan understood why he had destroyed Saren's cure for the Genophage, but Okeer was a different story altogether.

"Surprised? All Krogan should know you. I'm sure Rana has already revisited your actions on Virmire." Said Okeer, now looking directly at Austin.

"Look, I didn't have lot of room for finesse. If there'd been another solution, I'd have considered." Said Austin defensively.

Surprisingly, Okeer didn't seen angry. In fact it looked as though he was pleased.

"But I approve. Saren's pale horde were not true Krogan. Numbers alone are noting. The mistake of an outsider, one that these mercenaries have also made." Said Okeer. The Krogan then turned to the window in his lab. It overlooked nearly hundreds of tanks, some empty, some with Krogan still in them. "I gave their leader my rejects for her army. But she grows impatient. It's time for you to take me out of here."

"Personal issues irrelevant. Here for the Collectors." Said Mordin.

"I see. Yes. Collector attacks have increased. A human concern. My requests were focused elsewhere." Said Okeer. He then turned to the tank he was standing next to that had the different Krogan inside. "I acquired the knowledge to create one pure soldier. With that, I will inflict upon the Genophage the greatest insult an enemy can suffer. To be ignored." Okeer explained.

"Your search for the perfect soldier created a lot of failures. You don't care about them? Our own people?" Kraan asked, clearly a bit shocked that Okeer would do things like this.

"I failed no one, Kraan. My rejects are exactly what Jedore asked for. She simply lacks the ability to command. They are strong, healthy, and useless to me. I need perfection. If a few thousand are rejected, so be it. My work will purify the Krogan. We will not be restored – we will be renewed." Said Okeer.

"I thought the Krogan ideal was a return to the numbers that threatened the galaxy." Said Austin.

"We will not need numbers. My soldier is a template. It is a greater threat than all the phantom siblings that would have been at its flank. The galaxy still bears the scars of the horde. But it will learn to fear the lance." Said Okeer.

"You're just as cruel and manipulative as those who released the Genophage on our people!" said Kraan angrily. Austin though calmed him down.

"Perhaps. But I will restore the Krogan and my soldier will not provoke a nuclear response as a "cure" or "horde" would. My legacy is perfection, with each pure Krogan reaching higher by standing on our dead. They will exceed, but not forget." Said Okeer.

"So what did you get from the Collectors? We need whatever you know about them." Austin asked.

"They are strange. So isolated, yet very available when you sacrifice is big enough. I gave them many Krogan. I may have information for you, but the tech was consumed in my prototype. After I determined how to use it without killed the subjects. The deaths were unfortunate, but I only need one success to start the process." Said Okeer.

"Your methods may be extreme, but you know how to deconstruct a threat. Will you join us?" Austin asked.

"Perhaps I can strike a deal to secure passage. But my prototype is not negotiable. It is the key to me legacy." Said Okeer.

Before the conversation could continue any further though, Jedore's voice once again came over the speakers.

"Attention! I have traced the Krogan release. Okeer, of course." She said.

Okeer looked out of the window. There was female Blue Suns merc with the tanks. This had to be Jedore herself.

"I'm calling "blank slate" on his project. Gas these commandos and start over form Okeer's data. Flush the tanks!" she ordered.

At that moment, several valves suddenly activated and there was a loud hissing sound.

"Toxins!" said Mordin.

"She's that weak willed? She'll kill my legacy with a dammed valve!" said Okeer. He then turned back to Austin. "Shepard! You want information on the Collectors? Stop her. She'll try to access contaminants in the storage bay."

"You could just start over, like she plans to. What's the big deal?" Kraan asked.

"This tank is pure; it involved as much trial as data. Starting over will not duplicate it. It must survive. Okeer will be with the rejected tanks. Kill her. I will… stay and do what must be done." Said Okeer.

Without much of a choice, the group headed downstairs. The moment the door to the tank bay opened, Jedore took notice of them.

"I don't care who they are, I want them dead! This is my world! I'll poison them all!" she yelled as she fired a rocket at them.

"Someone shut that bitch up!" said Zaeed as they all dive for cover from the rocket.

"Gladly!" Kraan replied as he activated his dual plasma cannons and fired on Jedore. The merc dove for cover but one of them managed to gaze her shoulder.

Angry at being injured, Jedore activated all the tanks and Krogan came pouring out. Jedore then activated a heavy mech as well.

"Alright, Kraan, Zaeed, Mordin, you deal with the Krogan. I'll deal with Jedore and that mech." Said Austin.

The others simple nodded and fired on the Krogan. Kraan easily shot one in the head with his twin barrelled heavy assault rifle which he had made himself.

"I'll build more! There's always more!" said Jedore as she noticed Austin roll to a different vantage point and fired on him. The rocket missed him. "I rule here, Helldiver!"

"Oh, shut up!" Austin yelled as he fired a plasma shot. Jedore didn't react in time and the plasma impacted on the left side of her face. The merc screamed and clutched her burnt head in agony as it was burned.

It was a short battle, but everything was soon dealt with within minutes. Just as the group where catching their breath though, they could hear something.

"Alarms in the lab? What is that Krogan up to?" said Zaeed as they could hear the faint sound of alarms coming from the floor above.

"Shepard, the lab alarms coincided with the systems failure. The remaining lab systems are unprotected, and I have gained limited access. According to lab scanners, the room is flooded with toxins, and Okeer's personal life signs are failing rapidly. I recommend haste." Came EDI's voice through the radios.

"You heard EDI. Double time!" Austin ordered.

"You gave me time, Shepard. If I knew why the Collectors wanted humans. I would tell you. But everything in my prototype. My legacy is pure. This… one soldier, this Grunt. Perfect."

The message ended and Austin looked down at Okeer's body.

"So now what do we do?" Kraan asked.

Austin looked up at Okeer's prototype. He had to admit that while this Krogan wouldn't be Okeer, it was better than nothing at all. Also, perhaps this one would pack more of a punch.

"He killed thousands of his own people, but he sacrificed himself to save… this?" said Zaeed.

"Delusional. Unlikely one Krogan, however strong, could have impact Okeer wanted. Am… almost certain. Suggest leaving it." Said Mordin.

"Worried he'll make your Genophage obsolete?" said Austin.

"No. But Krogan genetically dangerous. Socially dangerous as well. Have enough enemies without adding this." Mordin replied.

Austin activated his wrist communicator and hailed the Normandy.

"Normandy? Okeer is a no-go. But we have a package that needs retrieval… and he's a big one."

"Bringing the Krogan for study makes sense, but I have concerns about waking it." Said Alaara.

Austin, Alaara, Sandra, and Kraan had gathered in the comm room. Apparently Alaara, being Alpha Squad's second in command, had concerns of her own about Okeer's prototype.

"You've said that a few times now, T'onrak." Said Kraan.

"A normal Krogan like you is dangerous enough. This one was created, and likely educated by a madman." Said Alaara.

"I see everyone's enjoying the new paperweight. Concerns?" said Austin as he folded his arms.

"We don't know anything about it, Major." Said Sandra, clearly agreeing with her bond mate.

"I know. You don't find that interesting?" said Kraan enthusiastically.

Both Alaara and Sandra shook their heads, clearly unimpressed.

"Krogan fight well at close quarters. Perhaps awakening him in a confined space wouldn't be prudent." Alaara suggested.

"Noted. The cargo hold is safe enough while I decide what to do with him." Said Austin.

Both Alaara and Sandra saluted and left the room.

Let me know if you want a hand. He may be tank born, but I won't let that stop me if he goes blood rage on you." Said Kraan as he too followed.

"Is it true we have a pod containing a baby Krogan down in the cargo hold?" Kelly asked.

"Not what I would call a baby. He's a full-grown super soldier ready for combat." Said Austin. It was at least good to see that it wasn't just Alaara and Sandra who had concerns.

"Please be careful if you decide to…err... birth him? His personality is completely unknown." Said Kelly.

Austin made his way down to deck 3 where the cargo bay was and therefore was where the tank had been stored.

"The subject is stable, Shepard. Integration with on-board systems was seamless." Said EDI as her avatar appeared beside Austin at human size

"Stand by, EDI. I'm going to open the tank and let him out." Said Austin.

"Helldiver protocol is very clear regarding untested and unknown alien technology. You of all people should know that, Shepard." Said EDI. The AI did her best to sound polite though.

"I know, EDI. But we can't just leave him here. He's either a powerful addition to the crew or a time bomb. I'd rather deal with it now. Anyway, I'll take responsibility for whatever happens." Said Austin.

"Very well, Shepard. The controls are online. The switch – and consequences – are yours." Said EDI.

Austin walked up to the controls to the tank and pressed the release button. The nutrients and water inside the tank slowly drained. As the last of it drained out, the tanks opened and the Krogan inside fell to his knees. He coughed slightly and spat out some of the water and nutrients out of his mouth. Austin stepped back slightly so that he didn't alarm the Krogan. The Krogan blinked slightly as his eyes adjusted to his surroundings. As soon as it saw Austin, the Krogan lunged at Austin. The Helldiver though had been braced for this and he managed to push the Krogan back as it collided with him. At first, the Krogan was surprised by this but he quickly regained his composure and adjusted his strategy. The Krogan head-butted Austin, briefly disorienting him and then pinned him to the wall, pinning his left arm in the process.

"Human. Male. Helldiver. Before you die, I need a name." said the Krogan.

"I'm Major Austin Shepard, and I don't take threats lightly. I suggest you relax." Austin replied forcefully.

"Not your name. Mine. I am trained; I know things, but the tank… Okeer couldn't implant connection. His words are hollow. Warlord, legacy, grunt… grunt. "Grunt" was among the last. It has no meaning. It'll do. I am Grunt. If you are worthy of your command, prove your strength as a Helldiver and try to destroy me." Said the Krogan.

"You wouldn't prefer "Okeer?" Or "Legacy?" Austin asked.

Unknown to Grunt, Austin always had backup plans for situations like this. True, Grunt had his left arm pinned, but his right arm was still free and he had his Phalanx pistol aimed at the Krogan's stomach in case this turned nasty. Dell had also recently discovered a new way of using the tactical cloak. In addition to making a Helldiver invisible, the cloak could also be used on individual parts of armour. Not only was this more efficient, but it also came in handy if you didn't want an enemy to see you doing something behind your back, or drawing a hidden weapon. In this situation especially, Austin had his plasma cannon cloaked and it was pointing at Grunt's head. This was only to be used as a last resort though. Shots from the pistol would only leave flesh wounds for Grunt if he turned hostile, but one shot from the plasma cannon could kill him and Austin would rather keep Grunt alive after all the rouble that had been gone through to get him.

"It's short. Matches the training in my blood. The other words are big things I don't feel. Maybe they fit your mouth better. I feel nothing for Okeer's clan or his enemies. I will do what I am bred to do – fight and determine the strongest – but his imprint has failed. Without a reason that's mine, one fight is as good as any other. Might as well start with you." Said Grunt.

"It's that easy for Okeer's perfect Krogan to abandon his mission?" Austin asked, sounding unimpressed.

"Okeer is just a voice in the tank. If his imprints are true, then he created something stronger than him. So he's not worthy of me. And if his hatreds aren't strong enough to compel me, they've failed, too. I feel nothing. I have no connection." Said Grunt.

"Didn't Okeer teach you anything about Helldivers? I have a good ship and strong crew, a strong clan. A very strong clan in fact. You'd make it even stronger. In fact you could even make us undefeatable." Austin said, doing his best to appeal to Grunt's love of fighting. Not that he worried about not providing Grunt what he wanted. Helldivers saw a lot of action, if that's what Grunt wanted, he'd get it tenfold.

"If you're weak and choose weak enemies, I'll have to kill you." Said Grunt.

"Trust me, Grunt. You don't want to fight me. I've fought and killed hundreds of Krogan in my time. And even if you do kill me you'll waste the chance of a lifetime. The enemies that I and my allies fight are defiantly worthy of someone like you. No doubt about it." Said Austin.

Grunt took a moment to consider this.

"Hmm. Hmph! That's… acceptable. I'll fight for you." He finally said.

"I'm glad you saw reason." Austin smiled under his helmet. He then moved his head slightly as he indicated down to his free hand which still had the Phalanx in it.

"Hmm?" said Grunt as he looked down and noticed the gun. He then looked back up to see the plasma cannon uncloaking. The Krogan then smiled.

"Ha! Offer one hand, but arm the other. You even hid another one in plain sight." He said as he let go of Austin. "Wise, Shepard. If I find a clan, if I find what I… I want; I will be honoured to eventually pit them against you." Said Grunt.

Austin gave very quiet sigh of relief. It looked like Grunt would be a perfect replacement for Okeer.

"I don't know what to feel about Grunt. My psych reports were for Okeer. We have no guarantee that Grunt is mentally stable." Said Kelly.

"Maybe. But he does at least seem to have some respect for me. Plus, Kraan can easily keep him in line." Said Austin.

"True. But I still get the feeling that he just doesn't care about anything, including who lives or dies."

"Don't worry, Kelly. I've faced a lot of Krogan in my time. If Grunt does get out of line, I'll sort him out."

"Shepard. Need me for something?" Garrus asked.

"Just thought I'd check up on you. You got a minute?" Austin asked.

"Sure. Just checking the weapons systems. You can never be too careful." Said Garrus.

Austin stood next to the railing near where Garrus' console in the forward batteries was.

"I thought I'd seen every weapon in the galaxy in our fight against Saren. Helldiver work showed me otherwise. And now they rebuild the Normandy with a few upgrades to boot. I wish I'd joined up with them sooner." Said Garrus.

"I'm glad you think so, Garrus. It's also good to see that you've been getting along so well with my squad." Said Austin.

"They're as friendly to me as a squad like them can be. And they've got you leading them again, which is good. You're death hit them all very hard. I can't exactly doubt your judgement. Not after I got my own squad killed." Said Garrus.

"What? What squad?" Austin asked, now very confused.

"When I joined the Helldivers I rose through the ranks quite quickly. When I became a Lieutenant, they gave me command of my own squad. For a long time we mostly just got the usual assignments of taking down several Batarian outposts. Eventually, we ended up on a joint mission with your squad. They were happy to work with me. Things went well… until Omega." Said Garrus.

"What exactly happened? Merc gangs?" Austin asked.

Garrus remained silent for a while before finally answering. "It was my own damn fault. One of my people betrayed me. A Turian named Sidonis. He drew me away just before a gang of mercs attacked my squad, then he disappeared. Everyone except me is dead because of him. And because I didn't see it coming."

"I'm not sure I understand. What happened, exactly?" Austin asked.

"Sidonis asked for my help on a job. When I got to the meeting point, nobody was there. By the time I got back to our hideout, the mercs had killed all but two of my squad. And they didn't last long." Garrus explained.

"Are you sure it was a betrayal? Maybe they took Sidonis out first." Said Austin.

"No I've put out feelers with some old contacts. He booked transport off Omega just before the attack. He also cleared out his private accounts before he left. He sold me out and ran." Said Garrus.

"Do you know where Sidonis is now?" Austin asked.

"No. His trail vanishes after he leaves Omega. But I'll keep hunting. I lost my whole team, except for Sidonis. One day I'll find him… and correct that." Garrus replied. For a moment, the Turian bowed his head. "Thanks for coming by, Shepard. I've got some things to take care of." He said.

Garrus went back to the calibrations on the gun, leaving Austin a little concerned about the Turian. Austin ultimately decided to go down and check on Dell and Sill in the cargo hold. As soon as the elevator doors opened, he was met with a rather surprising sight. X-5 was currently holding up one of the arms of the simulator above his head. Dell meanwhile was typing away at the Simulator's computer while Sill was fiddling with several wires that where protruding out of the gap where the arm was meant to be. Griffin was also sat on a nearby crate making a new explosive device. The demolition expert wasn't paying much attention to anything else.

"Should almost be finished. Just hold it up a little longer." Said Dell.

"Take your time. I can stand here all day. Not that I want to." Said X-5 sarcastically. Despite the robot's unmatched strength, that arm did look extremely heavy, even for him.

"How's that welding coming along, sweetheart?" Dell asked.

"Should be done now." Said Sill as she jumped out of the hole she'd been working on. "Give that a try."

X-5 slowly lowered the arm back into place and Sill began drilling the screws back into place.

"What's going on?" Austin asked.

"Hey Shepard. The simulator blew a fuse earlier. We're just fixing it." Said Sill.

"The system crashed as well. Turns out I got the source memory a bit wrong and one of the simulation maps conserved too much system memory. Think that's what caused it." Said Dell.

Sill went over to Dell's work table and picked up some kind of sentry turret. Austin recognized it as one of the auto turrets that he had authorised for the Normandy's defence system. Sill noticed him staring at it.

"We're still working on it. The targeting system is proving to be a real pain." She said.

"We'll get it eventually. The Helldiver armour wasn't perfect when we first made it." Said Dell, comfortingly.

"How was it that you actually came to be a scientist?" Austin asked.

Sill and X-5 could see where this was going and they both gave Austin some space. Sill smiled slightly. She liked that Austin was getting to know his crew this well.

"Well, ever since I was a small boy I've always had a bit of a thing for engineering." Dell explained.

"Must be nice to do a hobby as a job." Said Austin as he walked up to the table and had a look at several of Dell's unfinished contraptions and projects.

"Indeed. I originally started off as a simple mechanic. I mostly just worked on fixing every day contraptions and sky cars." Said Dell.

"How'd you end up with the Helldivers?" Austin asked.

"My brother, Kel joined the Arkanes armies a few years after I started up a small career. This was before the Helldivers had even been thought of, and we had only just discovered the Guardian technology. I assume you know what things where like then?" said Dell.

"Sort of. History's not my strongest point if I'm honest." Said Austin.

"Back then, my people were looking for ways to create a brand new type of super soldier. After a few years, business had gotten rather slow for me, I wasn't raising enough money and was really struggling to keep things going. My brother eventually came to me and said that they were in need of someone like me. They were putting together a special project and they wanted the best engineers that they could find."

"I'm guessing that was the start of the first seven?" Austin asked.

"Yeah. Swell guys. I was rather young compared to some of them at the time, but they welcomed me with open arms." Said Dell as he went behind his desk, sill making sure that he paid attention to the Major.

"Do you still keep in contact with them?" Austin asked.

"Of course. Because of the huge success we created we always have a reunion every year… with what members remain that is." Said Dell, hesitating slightly at the last bit.

"What do you mean "remain?" Austin asked.

"Some of the first seven where rather old when I met them. So some of them by now have retired or passed away.

"Where you the youngest?" Austin asked.

"Yeah. I think I was about… 80 at that time? I don't always remember. But I'm only 248 at the moment, so I'm still a long time away from that." Said Dell.

"Was that also how you met Sill's mother?" Austin asked.

"My wife and I met a few years after I joined. We saw each other for nearly four years or so before we finally got married and we had Sill. Best decision I ever made in my life." Dell answered.

"You should be proud of your daughter. I think she's a fine engineer. Takes after her father." Austin smiled as he indicated to Sill who was now putting what looked like a harness on.

"I am. Admittedly, Uthenra was surprised that she was more like me than her. But we're both really proud of our little girl." Dell smiled as he watched Sill attach herself to nearby rope and she began walking up the walls.

"Good talking with you, Dell. Let me know how those upgrades are going." Said Austin.

"Anytime, Major. We'll be here if you need anything." Said Dell as the Arkane went back to work.

Deciding to call it a day for now, Austin went for elevator and headed up to his quarters. As the doors opened he found that he wasn't alone. Liara was sat on the sofa and was currently going over several datapads.

"Still working?" Austin smiled as he sat down next to his girlfriend.

"Just sorting out a few things. I thought I might be done before you came up." Liara smiled back as she allowed Austin to give her a peck on the cheek.

"Forgive me for asking, love. But what exactly are your responsibilities here? Apart obviously from giving me every reason to keep fighting this fight." Austin asked.

"I may still be a Prothean expert, but I am now a very accomplished fighter. I am also a commander, so I serve as your XO." Liara replied as she put down the datapad she'd been holding earlier.

"I thought that was Alaara's job." Said Austin.

"Alaara's your second in command, true. But she's mostly just in charge of ground fighting. I'm more in charge of being second in command on the ship." Liara explained.

"That makes sense. I'm glad you've gotten along so well with everyone. As I recall, you used to be a very secluded person." Said Austin as he put his arm around Liara and she rested her head against his shoulder.

"I guess we've melded so much that a lot of you has rubbed off on me." Liara smiled.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" said Austin.

The doors opened and Kelly stepped in, holding a different datapad in her hand.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." She said when she saw Liara.

"No, it's fine." Said Liara reassuringly.

"I just came to give you some more Intel on our next dossier." Said Kelly as she handed the datapad to Austin.

"I shan't bother you anymore, Major." Said Kelly as she made for the door.

"Kelly…" Austin called.

Kelly stopped and looked at Austin.

"Well done for knocking this time."

There we go!

Next will be the Jack chapter, which will once again have different dialogue since this Shepard isn't working for Cerberus.
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Mass Effect: The Helldiver Saga, The Collector War