Finding a way: Mass effect 3

Aralakh Company

They dropped out of FTL and approached the planet Utukku. Wrex had sent a Krogan scout team here to investigate reports of Rachni activity and hadn't heard from them. With him busy coordinating teams on Palaven and Tuchanka he had asked Aubrey to look into it. They were slated to meet a group of Krogan commandos, Aralakh company, planet-side to investigate.

He, James and Liara joined Aubrey on the shuttle.

"If these rumors of Rachni activity are true, Aubrey, do you regret releasing the queen from Noveria?" Liara asked.

"You released a Rachni queen? Please tell me she's kidding, Commander," James interjected.

"She's not. And I don't because it was the right call," she replied to them both, as the shuttle touched down.

They exited and approached a group of Krogan.

"Grunt?!" Aubrey said in surprise, looking wide-eyed at the Krogan giving orders to the others. He was slightly shorter and had piercing blue eyes rather than the more common variations of yellow-green or red-brown, but was still nothing but muscle.

"Shepard!" he cried, pushing past the other Krogan toward her. He watched Aubrey brace herself as Grunt rammed his chest into hers like an Earth footballer before scooping her up into a bone crushing hug. "Ha ha! Knew Wrex was sending back-up, but didn't know it was you."

Aubrey gasped, "Easy, Grunt! I don't have redundant organs like you. And a girl's gotta breathe."

He chuckled and set her back on her feet. "Aralakh company – meet my Battlemaster, Commander Aubrey Shepard of Clan Urdnot. Shepard, meet my men."

She smiled approvingly, "My little warrior Grunt...a Battlemaster in his own right, now. I'm proud of you."

Grunt blushed, but puffed out his chest with pride at her words, "Well, I had a good teacher. You ready to crack some heads, Shepard?" he asked, a glint in his eyes.

"Hell, yeah," she replied, turning and introducing them to him. "What's the plan?"

"There are tunnels all over under here," he said gesturing to the ground beneath them. "Our scans show they lead to a central cavern. It could be a nest."

Kaidan got the distinct impression he was excited by the possibility.

Grunt sent a copy of the tunnel map they had been able to put together from the scans and then gestured to one of the openings. "You take your people in this way and I'll take my men through this one," he said, motioning to where the two tunnels converged in a small cavern before leading into the larger central chamber.

"Sounds like a plan," she said.

"Aralakh company, move out!" he ordered, as Aubrey led them in the opposite direction.

As they approached the tunnel, he saw Aubrey's body tense up and remembered her fear of underground places since Mindoir. He gave her hand a quick squeeze and whispered, "I've got your six."

She relaxed just a bit and gave him a tight smile and a nod.

They moved forward, turning the flashlights of their weapons on. The illumination quickly fell on the body of a dead Krogan scout as they rounded the first corner.

"Grunt?" Aubrey comm'd him, "Got a dead scout in our tunnel."

"Yeah, seen a couple in ours, too."

They kept moving, periodically checking the map Grunt had given them.

"What was that?" James asked, swinging his rifle toward a skittering sound to the right.

"I saw it, too. Something moved," he replied.