Rebirth The Mass Effect is old

"We need a medium. The Queen is unable to speak aloud on her own." The people thought about it. The paratroopers standing behind me whispered softly about something, and a pretty girl stepped forward. The one through whom the Queen had already spoken once.

"I'm ready."

The Asari approached the queen and turned her back to her, and I put the girl to sleep with a light touch to her mind. The Queen didn't need to explain anything. The Asari did not even have time to settle to the floor, as the body convulsively jerked and slowly got to its feet.

"We remember you, singing. We see the enemy's music. Is he close?"

"He's still far away." I calmed the nervous Rachni. "This place holds their echoes."

Rahni stirred. I pointed to Sparatus, who was looking at Rachni with interest, and said:

"Queen. Here are those who are ready to hear your song. Counselor, speak up. The Queen will hear and understand you."

Sparatus came close. Very close, gazing intently at the huge creature sitting obediently on the metal floor and waiting for his words. The Queen didn't even move. She waited patiently. Rahni longs to live. She's afraid of getting killed. But... even this insect understands that alone it will not be able to find a suitable world and protect its offspring.

"We are ready to give you a world to colonize." Sparatus spoke slowly and clearly. "Are you ready to obey us? Become a part of our people? Live next to us. Fight with us? Stand side by side against our enemy?"

"We are ready to merge our music with the song of your people. We want to raise our children in harmony. We are ready to stand with you against those who want to plunge us into silence." a short pause. "We are weak now. We're alone now."

"We don't require immediate help."

"We agree. We will become a part of the music of your people."

Sparatus nodded slowly and sooo contentedly.

"Free your voice. There is a container against the wall in which you will be transported to your chosen world. You will be able to develop. We will watch and protect. We will not interfere."

"We will remember you."

"Can you wait out the long flight?"

"We're going to sleep."

"How do we wake you up?"

"We will feel the music of the living world."

Sparatus slowly bowed his head and walked away. The Asari sank to the floor without a sound, and the queen, mincing slightly, proceeded to a huge airtight box with a built-in life support system, where she sat down again and went into hibernation right in front of the stunned people.

That's it, trusting insect, you've fallen into kind and caring clawed hands. I don't doubt for a moment that practical Turians can accommodate this... an unusual replenishment for the benefit of the native Hierarchy with the greatest possible benefit. I do not know what the use of Asari is in this. Most likely, the Salarians simply did not dare to contact the Rachni, and they could not push through their destruction: the Turians and Asari did not allow it. My suspicions about the Hierarchy and the Republic are gnawing at me. Somehow they coordinate their actions very well. A union? Who knows. In the Council, Tevos and Sparatus are clearly playing on the same team, and Valern will have no choice but to agree. The beauties! You can't say anything.

While the Council soldiers were closing the container and taking it somewhere, I brought the marine to consciousness and handed over the dozen into the hands of Tevos, under her promise to arrange an Asari on the Citadel while I put the matriarch in order. That was the end of my promise to look after the young ladies, and I calmly left for Nihlus and Garrus under the watchful and somewhat thoughtful gaze of Sparatus. Tevos just twitched the corner of her lips and nodded slightly, as if the councilors had just confirmed some opinion and made a decision. If I hadn't been watching them so closely, I wouldn't have noticed. Interestingly, the attention was on Garrus!

The people gradually dispersed. The feisty Uriah left with Tevos and Valern, and Sparatus called us after him. The adviser was definitely pleased and did not hide it at all. And from whom? Only the four of us remained in the huge hall. It will be necessary, by the way, to somehow hint to him that a reasonable person of his status should not go unguarded. I hadn't forgotten about Lang and his future attack on the Council. However, a Turian can be called anything but defenseless. Unlike Canon, the adviser did not disdain personal armor and weapons at all, and now, outside the Council Chamber, he was wearing excellent medium armor hidden under a loose tunic cloak, a powerful pistol was visible in the grips, and a Turian blade was in the hip scabbard. I guess he hasn't given up on training either. His movements were too characteristic: the flexibility and plasticity of a wild beast, economy and noiselessness... No matter what position he holds, first of all he is a warrior. And only then — the politician.

"We will take Rahni under our protection." The councilor's calm, vibrant voice echoed loudly in the deserted room. "They will enter the Hierarchy as a vassal race."

"The Rachni themselves are not aggressive." I shrugged my shoulders. "but the fighters are good. Due to the specifics of their species, losses among ordinary fighters are not critical: they are not reasonable. And they cannot be subdued if the queens remain sane."

"The Asari said about the same thing." Sparatus grinned, looking at us with some kind of anticipatory interest. It's like I've seen it for the first time, my word! "Perhaps one of your friends will be interested... The hierarchy has initiated hearings on the cancellation of the genophage's sanction."

It was as if I had crashed into the air. Behind him, the Turians flashed with undisguised amazement. WHAT did they do?

"Are you going to cure the gene pool?"

"We applied it. We will heal him." Sparatus grimaced, twitching his mandibles in displeasure. "If we don't stop now, the Krogan will disappear as a species. It's not something to be proud of." sharp gaze of gray-green eyes. "We gave Rachni a chance at life. The Krogan are no worse. If you come across any information about the medicine, take it out."

"It will be done."

The counselor, with contented eyes and a stony face, contemplated our fucked-up faces. That's right... he had calculated everything correctly. He couldn't help but know that Rex was on our team. I doubt that such a solution has arisen recently. Surely the Hierarchy has been preparing for a long time. For what purposes? I have no idea. But obviously not out of love for his neighbor Krogan. There's a clear calculation here. Have you decided to subjugate the "turtles"? It looks like it! With such a significant parting word, Sparatus took off, leaving us to digest the news.

Waking up from their stupor, Nihlus and Garrus decided that it was better to digest such news somewhere in a more comfortable place and, preferably, pouring alcohol.

Sparatus is a snide bastard! He knows how to puzzle and unsettle!

After wandering around the technical district for about fifteen minutes, we found a taxi terminal, and an hour later we were disembarking in a dubious quarter of the Lower City. Hello, Cora's Lair! We haven't seen each other for a long time!

The bar has long found a new owner, but at first glance nothing has changed.: the same interior, the same faces, still writhing in the sensual dance of the Asari, there were also guards at the current owner's chambers, though this time from Turians and one person, two Krogan at the doors to the service compartments. There's a familiar bartender behind the bar, pouring drinks and... oh... who do I see!

"Garrus." my affectionate, full of anticipation voice caused quite a natural wave of apprehension.

"What?"

"Give me a grenade. I know you have it in your pocket."

Nihlus gasped, looking at my face in surprise, and Garrus, following my gaze, grinned knowingly and gave out the required information without question. Grabbing the thin disk, I threaded my way into the crowd without making a sound, moving towards my victim.

"Why would she need an assault grenade?"

Nihlus' quiet, wary voice was barely audible. There was a muffled chuckle in response.

"Look."

Loud rhythmic music beat on sensitive ears, the hubbub of the crowd, screams, shuffling footsteps of drunken sane, languid screams of dancers who were pinched in the ass once again, the clatter of glasses — the usual noise of the "Lair", it did not stop for a moment. Dreariness, longing, boredom... An abomination... The Krogan grimaced in displeasure, picked up the glass of disgusting booze and brought it to his mouth when...

Thin, delicate fingers gently touched his chin, slid along his neck in a very familiar caress, which sent a wave of cold down his spine. He didn't even feel the weight of the fragile girl hugging his neck under the fucking stares of the guards and the bartender. The Krogan froze.

A languid female voice whispered intimately and tenderly:

"Did you miss me, handsome?"

The glass cracked in his strong fingers and shattered into pieces. The booze flowed down the hands and table, washing away the sparkling glass...

"You're so ridiculously careless..." And the deadly icy disk of the grenade, squeaking, slid down the collar...

"Ten, pretty boy..." a painfully familiar voice cooed softly.

I never thought that you could take off your cuirass in five seconds! Especially the Krogan! But no, he did it... That's what experience and the right incentive do! The grenade fell to the floor, the blue lights of the combat platoon winking merrily. The Krogan picked it up, turned it off, stared at the number frozen on the screen, and slowly turned around, staring intently into my eyes.

"Ten MINUTES?!"

Ugh... So many emotions! Belated fear, shock, anger, rising rage, relief, misunderstanding, and... hmm... Admiration?

"I didn't specify."

The Krogan clenched his fists and scowled... And suddenly he burst out laughing. Nihlus and Garrus came up to me from behind, grinning broadly.

"Rin, you're incorrigible!" The Turian's vibrant voice, choked with laughter, elicited only a knowing grin and a wave of recognition from the Krogan.

Who would doubt that our nimble sniper would be recognized!

"Vakarian!"

"Greste."

"They say you quit." The Krogan calmed down, donned his cuirass, and slid the deactivated grenade into the hip pouch.

Garrus shrugged and leaned comfortably against the high counter.

"I'm tired of it."

"What about your fight against evil and your ideals of higher justice?" The Krogan asked sarcastically, sweeping the glass shards off the counter and onto the floor in one motion.

"And who said that I cheated on myself?" Garrus asked sarcastically, pulling up a high chair, motioning for me to sit on it.

I did not refuse the invitation, and settled down comfortably. Garrus played the role of the back perfectly, and Nihlus came closer and leaned back against the counter between me and the Krogan. Greste fully appreciated the maneuvers. He squinted, gazing intently into the impassive face of the openly amused Nihlus, and then, recognizing it, blinked in surprise.

"You have an interesting company. Would you introduce me?"

"I guess you've found out Nihlus."

The Krogan nodded.

"The spectr of the Council. Nihlus Krayk. Yes, I know. A well-known personality. They said you were dead." Nihlus twitched his mandibles and ironically agreed:

"I died."

But there was no trace of irony in the emotions. Just like in green eyes. Greste noticed, shook his heavy head in surprise, but did not continue the painful topic.

"Imagine your beautiful companion. This is the third time we've met, I've heard so many nice things about myself, it's breathtaking, and I don't even know from whom." Garrus grinned and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Irene Shepard."

I smiled. The guy turned out to be not vindictive and with humor.

"Was it really breathtaking?"

The Krogan smiled broadly, which looked good to an unprepared viewer... It's threatening.

"I've never been so impressed by anyone of your kind."

"Aren't you mad?"

In response, a booming, cheerful laugh.

"You can die of boredom in this hole. The local scumbags are brave only in the crowd, and when you meet one or two, they piss in their pants as soon as you growl at them." The Krogan snorted contemptuously.

"Oh, how! Don't you have enough adrenaline? Or whatever his role is."

Greste chuckled.

"You're the same as Vakarian. Without brakes." He looked at the laughing Turian. "Don't grin, you chitinous mug. How you disappeared, it got really boring. There is no such nerve-tickling feeling when you are waiting for a sudden shot from the most accurate scumbag C-SEC. Your colleagues are crooked-armed and cross-eyed, like blind Warren."

"You're exaggerating." The sniper snorted.

"Ha! Only you could put a bullet in the head as soon as it flashed. Offhand with a pistol. Pallin shouldn't have let you go. And you — walk carefully. There are a lot of people who have a knife hidden on you."

Garrus shrugged nonchalantly.

"And now he doesn't go alone." I grinned at him.

The Krogan laughed.

"I see it. I found myself a clan in spirit."

Garrus looked embarrassed, and all three of us laughed. The straightforward Greste said what he thought. It is not typical for Krogan to weave a lace of words and lies. They are straightforward and honest. So he said what he saw. Small, tightly knit... the clan. I thought about this idea, and it didn't cause rejection. None of us.

"Oh, I see this is news only for Vakarian." Tactful, like all Krogan. Garrus blinked in surprise at our gracious faces, then tilted his head to the side, thought for a moment, and simply nodded.

"The C-SEC doesn't protect you anymore, don't forget." Greste added. "And you've made a lot of enemies."

"We all have a lot of enemies." Nihlus replied diplomatically.

"But you're a Spectr! Few fools touch the operas of the Special Corps. Then you'll have problems and you won't live long."

"Nihlus is not the only Spectre in our small but extremely vindictive clan." I purred. "Garrus is the kind one."

The Turian gasped for air.

"Am I? Kind?"

Nihlus laughed. I smiled.

"You are Goodness itself in the flesh!"

The Krogan chuckled.

"Then who is Evil itself?"

"But we still have to go after our personal Evil." I smiled. Nihlus froze, his fingers convulsively gripping the edge of the counter. "He takes lessons from his universal incarnation. It improves your qualifications... And got carried away. Who doesn't? He has a gambling and adventurous nature, he has completely forgotten about himself, he does not take care of himself, he breaks his health..." I sighed. "So we'll have to fly over and bring him back to a close-knit family. And the same will be learned and will be lost for nothing... in isolation from reality.