It would take exactly 14 hours to travel from Virmire to Tuchanka. During that time, Samael talked quite a bit with Legion, who was at the Phoenix. While the battle was happening, he had been talking with EDI and Joker.
The machine could help, but his discussions with Samael made him understand why he wasn't used in battle yet.
"Your people are being hunted, and the hate for them is at an all-time high. For your safety, it's best to lay low for now. Besides, your strength will be needed in other parts, not here. Please keep that in mind."
Legion knew, based on his calculations, that everything the human said was right. The time for him to appear wasn't now, but nothing could take away the restlessness he was feeling. Even though he was a machine, he could still experience emotions similar to humans, albeit in a very limited way. After all, he wasn't at EDI and RR levels yet.
"Please, don't forget about me and what I told you. There's a chance for us to gather all the Geth that haven't aligned with the Reapers." Legion's goal was to help his people and understand himself. The window for that opportunity was closing as they spoke.
Samael nodded. "Don't worry, the Geth will be a great help in the upcoming conflict. I can say with confidence that they were essential."
It was true. In past cycles, the Geth had been at the forefront of battle, helping wherever they could. They could go to planets where other species might not survive, and they could build things quickly. All in all, they were a significant asset in the upcoming war against the Reapers.
"So, trust me when I say this: after the reunion with the galaxy representatives in one week, I will help you with your mission."
Legion nodded. He then asked something unrelated. "Now, I have a question."
"Fire away."
"I was talking with Tali the other day, as she wanted to 'research' this unity, and I asked something bothering me for some time now ... does this unity have a soul?"
Samael's face changed a bit, not because of the question itself, but because he had heard it many times before. The answer was always yes, but Legion's death was one of the few things he ALMOST could never prevent.
After all, to win the war against the Reapers, he had to use the Crucible, something that destroys all synthetic life, meaning Legion would die as well. In this final cycle, he was trying to think of ways to somehow save his synthetic friends and family, but time wasn't on his side.
He had a few ideas in mind, but only time would tell if they would work. Additionally, the times when Legion survived were when the galaxy lost or when Samael sent him away before the final battle.
Samael patted the Geth's shoulder. "I believe all sentient beings have something they could call a soul. In machines' cases, even a small spark inside their programming could be considered a soul. So, does that answer your question?"
In a way, it did, but it also raised many more questions. Machines like the Geth, which weren't fully AI yet, had a hard time with emotions, so it was normal for Legion to feel lost even after Samael's words.
"I'll keep what you said in mind. Also, until when are you going to continue using an eyepatch?" Legion asked. Since they both had only one eye, he could relate to Samael a bit.
Samael touched the left side of his face. He would deal with it after the talk in a week. He had lost far worse in past cycles, and a little bit of vision loss was something he could live with. "Until the reunion... God, it seems things will get rushed after that."
Legion could only nod.
Samael noticed their conversation was coming to an end. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few activities I would like to return to." As Samael said goodbye to Legion and started to leave, the Geth said something that made him stumble.
"Is it intercourse?"
Samael paused and looked back at Legion. "Who told you that?"
"EDI. This unity talked with all the members of the ship, but EDI, RR, and Tali were the principal ones. EDI told me about it."
Samael sighed. 'I guess it's time for another talk with EDI... and RR.'
He knew that RR was the one who taught all that to EDI, so in a way, she was guilty too.
"Yes, Legion. It's intercourse." Samael looked defeated.
"Huh." Legion blinked his eye. "This unity will keep that in mind too."
After his conversation with the Geth, Samael had a 'great time' with Tali, Liara, RR, Veronica, and Shepard for the most of the remaining 14 hours.
It seemed that a consensus had been reached among them, and their arrangement would continue at least until they arrived at the Reunion on the Citadel in one week. After that, they would deal with things the right way.
Also, in the meantime, someone had to say goodbye to the crew before they arrived at Tuchanka. It was Myany.
Myany was an Ardat-Yakshi, so she was forced to return to the temple on Thessia, but not before thanking Samael for the opportunity and expressing her desire to work together again.
"Thanks for that. I'll tell my sisters how well you treated me and how great the opportunity is." Myany felt truly grateful. She hadn't felt this alive in a long time. Before this, like most of the Ardat-Yakshi in the temple, she was just surviving, repressing most of her wants.
Now, they had a way to live.
"Don't mention it. Also," Samael transferred a file to her, "please show it to the Headmaster."
Myany tilted her head and opened the file, only to burst out laughing. Wrex, who was nearby, heard her laughter and came to see what was going on. "Who or what are we laughing at!? I call dibs on making fun of—"
The old Krogan stopped mid-sentence when he saw the image of himself alongside the creature's head. The worst thing about that it's that it REALLY looked just like him.
Wrex looked at Samael, then at Myany. He asked slowly, "What are you doing, huh? Planning to spread this image, are you?"
Myany felt a bit intimidated, but Samael wasn't fazed. He simply shook his head. "No."
Before Wrex could breathe a sigh of relief, Samael continued, "I already spread it. All Matriarchs have this image. I just wanted Myany to gain some favor with the Headmaster, so I entrusted her with passing the photo to the Headmaster personally."
Wrex was dumbfounded by that revelation. "… This is bullying."
The worst part was that Grunt had come up with the idea, leaving Wrex with no chance for retaliation. Now, he would probably be the talk among the Matriarchs for at least a month.
Samael just smiled at him. "But, you know, you really look a—"
Wrex stepped closer, hugged the dumbfounded Ardat-Yakshi, and said, "See you around, kid."
He then left the two of them alone, reasoning that if he didn't hear it, it hadn't happened.
Myany chuckled a bit and then said her goodbyes to everyone on the Phoenix. Soon, she departed back to Thessia.
Things then fell into a routine after that, and the crew spent their hours talking, 'doing activities', or engaging in other pastimes.
Now, fourteen hours later, they finally arrived at Tuchanka.
WITH GRUNT
Coming to Tuchanka was a dream for the barely two-month-old Krogan. From up in the sky, the place looked as terrible as the stories he had heard.
Basically, not a single area was "clean". Everything appeared as though it had been bombed or shot at. Craters with a radius of 100 meters were the norm, and he could even see some Thresher Maws here and there.
So, he thought it was perfect. "This is amazing!"
Everyone looked at the young Krogan with incredulous expressions, silently communicating that he was crazy. Only Wrex seemed to share the same excitement. "HA HA HA! I knew you would like it! Let me tell you some stories about how the Urdnot clan rose to the top!"
While Wrex recounted his tales, the ship continued its descent toward the planet.
Samael gazed into the distance, at the location of the bomb that was hidden on the planet. It was planted years ago by the Salarians and was forgotten for a long time. However, a message he received recently made Samael pay attention to this.
' Well, I'll deal with it now that I'm here.'
He also knew that Mordin and Okeer had arrived not long ago and were waiting for them to release the cure. By their estimation, at least 85% of the entire Krogan population was on the planet right now, a record.
As he was watching the scenery, Samara approached him. "It looks exactly like the old days."
"Have you visited Tuchanka before?"
Samara nodded, a distant look passing through her eyes. "In my youth, I searched for adrenaline and a purpose, as if I were immortal. It led me to many places, and Tuchanka was one that stood out the most."
"You have to tell me more about those experiences."
The duo chatted some more until Veronica's voice came through the comms. "We will land in one minute."
Samael turned to Samara, and even though he had had those conversations with her in past cycles, it was always nice to hear her voice. "We will continue this conversation later," he said.
Samara nodded. "I'll hold you to that, Captain."
The duo and everyone else started to prepare to disembark.
---
ON TUCHANKA
Mordin was waiting anxiously for Samael's arrival. He had been here for a day or two already and wanted to spread the cure right away. Who knew who might get wind of this and try to sabotage it?
Before the Salarian could worry any further, he heard someone calling his name, a familiar voice, "Mordin!"
The Salarian looked over and, sure enough, Samael alongside many familiar and unfamiliar faces was heading toward his location. "SAMAEL!"
Mordin was really glad to see his human friend again. After hugging Samael, he would make sure to do the same with those he knew, and for those he didn't, a handshake or a nod would suffice. This was the case with Wrex.
The Krogan had already made contact with the Salarian about the cure, as Samael had instructed a week or so ago after the battle in Thessia.
Wrex had nothing but respect for this particular Salarian. Even if or when he found out that Mordin helped with the creation of the Genophage, all he would see was a man trying to fix his mistakes.
"Mordin. It's nice to see you face to face." Wrex offered a handshake, which the Salarian accepted.
"It's my honor to be able to meet the Krogan Emperor, yes." Mordin replied.
Wrex laughed, "Haha, you flatter me." Then he became serious, "Can you tell me... does the cure really work?"
While the Krogan trusted Samael with his life, seeing the cure in action was a different matter altogether.
Mordin said nothing but pointed to his back, where Okeer was showing the others his offspring—at least five of them.
All the secrecy regarding the cure faded from Wrex's mind when he saw that.
Wrex looked at Mordin with a questioning gaze, and the Salarian said, "The Female Krogan lays 1,000 eggs a year, and the gestation period is only a few weeks long. Those we brought here are the ones born earliest. There are many more like them on Earth... The cure is real, Wrex."
Meaning they have already used the cure on some lucky Krogan, and this was the result: many healthy babies.
Wrex could only nod in agreement, then excused himself to go see the healthy and very much alive babies. Not only they were rare, but also cute (?).
It seemed their appearance stunned the Krogan Emperor for good. Grunt was about to follow him but decided to greet Mordin first with a hug. "Hello, old man."
Mordin sized up Grunt and nodded, pleased to see him doing so well. After all, in more than one way, the Salarian had helped 'make' the Krogan. "How are you feeling? Any discomfort, no?"
Grunt broke the hug and replied, "None."
"Good, good. Now, go see Tuchanka while I talk with the rest. There are many 'beautiful' places on the planet that the other Krogans can show you, yes."
Grunt nodded and walked away, following Wrex. The majority of the crew followed him, leaving only Samael, Shepard, RR, Tali, Liara, and Mordin behind.
Mordin took the opportunity to greet the others. He hugged Tali, Liara, and RR, and when it came to Shepard, he said, "Commander, or should I call you Spectre now, yes?"
Shepard smiled at him. "Call me whatever you want, Mordin. It's nice to see you."
"Likewise. Now that the greetings are out of the way, how about we go see Tuchanka? I'm sure Okeer is waiting to see you all too, yes."
Samael shook his head. He had a complicated look on his face. "Not yet. I have some bad news.''
He showed them a message he had received from the Shadow Broker not long ago. LD and the figure were on the same team, so anything related to the company or Samael's interests prompted the figure to send a message right away.
Most of the time, it wasn't anything important, but today... the message was about an STG team being sent to Tuchanka. They had heard rumors about the Krogan uniting, so they decided to check the situation and detonate a bomb that had been planted on the planet earlier if things didn't go the way they liked.
Samael swore that his presence didn't attract problems...no way.
Mordin was taken aback while reading the message. He knew it was true, based on how the STG operated. But why was it happening now? Perhaps someone had leaked information about the cure?
"This is ridiculous."
"I know, but first, before we release the cure, we will deal with this quietly. So, only we who are here will go, handle the bomb, and then come back. Any questions?"
No one said anything. They were trained to face dangerous and unforeseen situations, so this was normal for them.
"Good. Now, let's maintain a normal image and socialize a bit before departing. According to the information, the STG team hasn't arrived on the planet yet, so we have plenty of time."
The quartet rejoined the rest of the crew, all of them eyeing Okeer babies. They weren't cute, but they were far from ugly. "Exotic" was the right word.
From the look on Wrex's face, it seemed he had made a decision not long ago. He spoke to a nearby Krogan and asked RR and Samael for a favor, "Can you transmit what I say here to the entire planet?"
Samael was about to say that this wasn't a good idea, thanks to the STG team coming to the planet, but he sighed. 'Let the man have his way.'
Samael nodded, and RR and the Krogan prepared a few pieces of equipment. Soon, it was ready to be transmitted to the whole planet, or at least to those Krogan who had a way to receive it.
After receiving the go-ahead from RR, Wrex began his speech. "My fellow Krogans, I came here to make an announcement that will forever change our species."
Murmurs started to roll around the crowd as Wrex continued. "We are plagued by a curse, thanks to our past actions. Time has passed, and I—or rather, we—believe we have learned from our errors and are ready to be free from the curse."
"But no one helped us when we asked. The Asari are too busy trying to appease everyone and disregarded our pleas for help, even though it's because of us that they are in power! The Turians are more foolish than we are, so we can't expect much help from them! Then there are the Salarians!"
Wrex smirked as he mentioned the species name. "Ha, they were the ones who wanted us to stay like this, with almost no chance of rebuilding our numbers. Because they are afraid of what we can do and that made them blind to our predicament.''
'' We reached out to other species, but no one helped. We are truly alone in facing the Genoaghe, even though we are the reason the galaxy is safe today. They are quick to forget that too.''
All the Krogan who heard him looked uncomfortable. They knew their past actions had caused this situation, but the price was high and already paid. Now, the galaxy had forgotten about them, just as they were about to face the biggest threat to their existence.
But Wrex continued, "In the midst of that, I, as your leader, received helping hands... more than that, a key to our salvation."
Wrex looked at Samael, Okeer, and Mordin. He knew that others had helped with the cure, but only these three were present at the moment, so he could only nod in appreciation to them.
"LD has been secretly studying the Genophage, and they found a cure!" Wrex motioned for Okeer and his offspring to come closer. "And this is the result!"
"There are five healthy newborn Krogan, and these are the ones that were born the earliest! There are many more like them on Earth! THE GENOPHAGE IS NO MORE!"
Wrex was screaming with emotion. "My people, WE ARE FREE!"
"The cure will be released soon throughout the whole planet, so until then, don't leave the planet and call those who haven't arrived yet—NOW!"
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so let's celebrate!"
At first, all the Krogans were too stunned to speak, but soon, almost like a wave, shouts and even tremors began to occur, thanks to billions of them jumping across the planet.
Wrex nodded at their reaction and looked at Samael. "Now, it's your turn."
Samael hesitated before replying, "I just need a few more hours."
Wrex patted his shoulder. "You can take more than that. Just, I want to be there when you release it."
Samael nodded. "No problem. I can arrange that."
Samael then went to talk to Okeer and see the five Krogan babies. The Old Krogan noticed him approaching and gave a big smile, '' Samael! Nice to see you after so long! How are you?''
'' Good, good.'' Samael played with the babies a bit, '' I see you got busy when I left Earth.''
Okeer didn't seem fazed by Samael, '' HEHEHE, I called upon old female 'acquaintances' regarding the cure. I gave it to them and tested the efficacy right away. Nothing too serious.''
Samael rolled his eyes, '' So, what now? Are you still going to work with LD? As you know, with the Reapers coming, we will need all help we can.''
Okeer nodded immediately, '' I will help LD, no worries. Having offspring is good and all, but at the end of the day, surviving is the priority. And I, just like many of the researchers, know that LD is the key to survival.''
'' Good.''
'' Regarding a few projects, we have some news about them, like-''
'' Okeer, come here for a minute!'' Wrex motioned for Okeer to come close with the babies. It seems he and his babies were celebrities.
Okeer nodded at Wrex and looked at Samael apologetically, '' I'll leave this conversation for later.''
'' No worries, Mordin can tell me about it. Go have your fun.''
Okeer and his babies went away. Samael and the others blended with the rest.
Javik was quiet today because he knew how important this was for Wrex. No unnecessary talk between both, just a quietness that comes from the heart. The Prothean was happy for his friend.
He saw the inner turmoil Wrex had when he initially saw the five babies. He would never understand the pain, but he could offer his support, either silent or not.
After Wrex emotions stabilized themselves, Javik would pester the Krogan again. It was too funny to miss it.
After a few minutes of pleasant discussion happening all around, Samael, RR, Tali, Shepard, Mordin, and Liara left to disarm the bomb.