This may be the last chapter in this story. It was meant to be short and sweet anyway. But, there will be a Shrios fic that will have Patriarch - now Aralakh - and I'm toying with the idea of a collection of minis detailing his new adventures on Tuchanka. As always, enjoy!

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My name on her lips makes a strange twist in my heart. She stares up at me, eyes wide with astonishment. Then she starts twitching, which becomes shaking, and her breath comes faster. She grabs Thane with her free hand and shakes him too.

"Do you have any idea what this means? You...you've got to be over six thousand years old! You've been alive longer than human civilization! The first krogan warrior ever!"

Thane extracts himself from her grip, but hovers, and even Garrus steps closer to her. In all fairness, it did seem like she'd faint. Her face is red, her breath as coming in short pants, and as of now she can no longer articulate words.

"Breathe, pup. You give me too much credit. I have not been worthy of that name since before I built Omega."

Apparently, Omega's origins were unknown to her. She chokes again and makes a frustrated squeal. I realize I have to calm her down before she starts raising the pitch of her voice. That would certainly cause a headache.

"What name do you speak of?" I glace over my shoulder. Wrex and the shaman have joined us to appraise the relics. His arrival is a signal to Shepard, as if trying to find someone to share in her excitement.

"Wrex, he's Aralakh."

Her words have the desired effect on these two. Their eyes snap to me and zero in with the focus of a half-starved varren.

"Aralakh?" Wrex whispers quietly as the shaman steps forward to study me more closely.

"He is the correct size for such a claim, and the crest is correct as well. But all the stories say Aralakh fell beneath the sands, and that's why they're orange to this day. Have you anything that could assist your claim?"

That old, long buried part of me wants to claw to the surface at the implication that Shepard lies. Though I can't really blame their skeptical attitudes on being rude. The claim is audacious. I speak before Shepard gets it into her head to prove my identity by offering to partake in a suicidal Rite or something.

"Anything old enough to prove my name is buried in the bones of the civilization that came before. There is no way to reclaim it. I did not come here to rest on laurels millennia old anyway. I merely wish to live my twilight years as a krogan should."

Shepard joins the conversation, and I watch her frown at my words. I hope they stick; I am unworthy of that... that... reverence in her eyes.

"You have spent far too long in the company of asari, telnaan." She chides quietly. She turns to the shaman. "I have found something that can prove he is Aralakh. Barring that, it completes the task assigned to him. I would recite it for you."

My hearts skip a beat. Could she really have something of that significance? What could possibly prove my name now?

The shaman gestures, and Shepard's voice begins her recital, from the runic slate that survived her minor stroke.

"It is a letter, addressed to Aralakh. When I finish, I have a picture on my omnitool that I will show you that will also compound the claim.

"My dearest Aralakh, it has been many years since you left for the stars. I hope they treat you well. You always were one for wandering. But you always came back to me. I wish you'd return to me now. War stirs on the horizon, and these winds of change bode ill. I feel it deep in my hearts that this will be the beginning of the end for krogan everywhere. As much as you'd have protested, I have secured permission from the tanaan to record your legacy - the real legacy - in the annals. Your story is not one that should be forgotten. Anak rul dost, my krantenal."

Emotion wells inside me, and I find myself looking into Shepard's green eyes, so beight and lively, yet so very old and knowing. And painfully familiar.

I suck in a ragged breath.

"Her name was Deyna. She was a priestess at the Temple of Kalros." I tell her, voice just above a whisper.

Shepard clicks her omnitool and a picture of a glazed mosaic hovers above her wrist. It's me, standing at the side of a priestess and holding her hand as she sat for the picture. It was one of the few physical contacts we were allowed. Her green eyes are distinctive even after all these years.

I sigh deeply.

I am in turmoil as the shaman examines the mosaic. He turns and gives Wrex a nod, before wandering over to the crates waiting to be placed.

"Welcome to Clan Urdnot, Aralakh. We will prepare a celebration."

He claps me on my shoulder, and gives me a long knowing look. Then he leaves me with my krantt.

Shepard slips closer, and I take comfort in her presence. I place my chin on her head, and close my eyes to savor the warmth of her presence. She clicks her teeth a few times, and the old familiar gesture eases my burden a bit.

With one last sigh, I straighten.

"Are you ready? There's a lot to get ready, if Wrex is throwing a party."

I nod, and she smiles softly.

I miss Deyna.

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As it turns out, most of the clan is already assigned tasks for preparation, which left me with time to help Shepard with the 'little' project she brought back from the ruins; a large brick oven used for firing pottery. How she knew I could do such is beyond me.

It takes a few hours to build, even with the added help of the pair of whelps she and Garrus tackled. They were even more revered than me; a pair of twins.

Varnek and Ranntak are an energetic and curious pair, pestering not only me, but Shepard, Garrus, and Thane with questions. I couldnt follow Ranntak's and Garrus' conversation at all; it involved a complicated series of hypothetical algorithms and the mysterious effect of dark matter on ship drive cores and how to counteract it.

Shepard and Thane exchange a dry look as well, so at least I'm not alone in my stupor. Varnek pokes Shepard in the ribs to get her attention, and she turns to answer his rapid succession questions as they lay brick in place.

Even though the twins stood a half head taller than her, I know these pups are barely in their teen years. Shepard obviously enjoys them, and answers all questions patiently and makes corrections gently.

The look in her eyes when she gazes at them is not lost to me. If any would know a mother's loss, a krogan would.

Once the oven is complete, I set the boys down and show them how to work the clay. Once they are occupied, I gesture to my krannt and they form up around me.

I pose my request to Shepard and Thane. After a brief glance, they smile.

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"Tonight we celebrate the arrival of a new clan member! He brings history and culture from the time before the nuclear winter! Welcome, Urdnot Aralakh!"

Wrex's voice booms over the camp, where more than a few clans have gathered at Wrex's invitation to join the celebrations. The female clan even showed up, letting knee high pups scramble and tumble with the warriors under the sharp eyes of Ute.

Grunt has even joined the party, quietly tending a young female that he is particularly fond of. Shepard told me in a low voice that she was his first breeding request, and he hers, and they've managed to make an attachment. Indeed, he's taken these last three days of this visit to sequester with her alone. I ponder the significance of this, and whether my gift to the clan tonight might bear fruit after all.

After a murmuring circle around the camp, Wrex motions at me with an arm. I make a path to him, Shepard and Thane in my shadow. Garrus had been elbow deep in a Tomkah not long ago, so I'm not sure if he's going to see the show. I'm fairly certain EDI is recording the events in any case.

I prepare myself for my speech. I have not seen numbers like this in a while. But when the nerves get me and my words stick in my throat, Shepard clicks her teeth and I summon the strength to get it done. Wrex makes it look easy.

"Before the nuclear winter, before the genophage, the need for breeding requests was not so stringent."

It was not necessary at all, actually. Krogan generally maintained polygamy for genetic diversity, but it wasn't uncommon for a pair to settle down for the long run. But these krogan will not understand that, so I keep it simple.

"You know of the krantt, those that would kill for you. Those that would die for you. They bring glory in your name."

I see heads nodding, and almost every eye is on me. I don't feel threatened. I feel respect from them. Not quite deference, but a willingness to hear of the old ways.

"Part of what has been lost because of the genophage is the krantenal. Krantt is those that would die for you. Krantenal is the one that would live for you. A part of you that guards your very soul. The krantenal is a sacred position to a warrior, someone that can be trusted explicitly at your throat. The bond of krantenal is a permanent place. My krantt includes Urdnot Alice, and she has a krantenal. They have agreed to perform an ammanasse this evening. Ammanasse is the Dance of Lovers, and is performed by a krantenal pair to prove how well they are bonded. Watch, and see what it is to know the other half of your soul."

I move out of the way, and settle in as Shepard and Thane square off to one another. Thane is in his usual garb, but Shepard has changed into a loose tunic and slim pants that stop just short of her ankles. Her feet are bare as well. Armor isn't allowed in the female party, and as Shepard is an accepted part of the female clan, she abides the rules.

"Besides, have you tried wrangling pups in armor?" she had said, lips quirking at my mention of her change in attire.

Movement explodes in front of me, and I am jerked from my musings. Shepard has opened with an almost unseen rush in close to Thane, and volleys several jabs in succession before a twitch from Thane sends her leaning back to avoid his blow.

They break away, circle, and close again. There is a flurry of movement, both jabbing, dodging, and blocking with hands and feet alike. At times they are close enough to share the same breath and yet they flow like a river.

Thane opens his stance a little too wide and Shepard spins on the ball of her foot - her back facing him for a half a second - before she drops to the ground, sliding between his feet with her legs spread in a straight line flat on the ground. A twist of the ankle still under Thane sends him down to a knee.

Well, that was new. I'd heard about human flexibility, but seeing it in action was impressive.

Apparently the move was new to Thane too, because he hums in alarm. Shepard uses the surprise to hop back to her feet, and Thane is back up in the same breath as well.

I hear impressed murmurs from the gathering as they close again. Krogan can appreciate a good warrior, and these two are great ones.

I almost miss the point where Thane gains control. Had I blinked I would have. As Shepard is swinging a punch towards his head, he shoots both hands out, crossed to form an X. He clamps them around Shepard's wrist and pulls, keeping her momentum going and throwing off her balance. There is a twist, and a slide of his feet has him behind her with her arm twisted up behind her back.

He knows better than to stop there, however. A quick jerk of his foot sweeps hers from beneath her and she pitches forward, Thane following while still holding onto her arm. A knee between her shoulders and a hand on the back of her head pin her to the ground, and she nods, submitting.

Cheers go up as Thane helps her to her feet. I watch with quiet approval as Thane closes the distance and murmurs quietly to Shepard.

It isnt long before she flashes him an inviting smile and they make their way from the platform. The end of the ammanasse signals the state of the celebration.

I find a spot next to Wrex to enjoy the festivities. Shepard and Thane are suspiciously missing for a brief interlude, and upon their return Shepard's skin is dusted with red splotches and not just from being flushed. Whatever they did, they managed to clean the smell from them. Probably a good idea; I can see Shepard's face if a pup were to start asking certain questions.

Shepard spends a good bit of her time playing nanny, chasing knee high pups or holding the younger ones to give their mothers a rest. I even saw a headbutting lesson at one point. Thane was always there at her back, head swiveling and wary eyes watching for threats. Ute allowed him to do so because he had no interest in annoying her females. Grunt was allowed as well, and would talk with Thane as Shepard and the young female from earlier spoke quietly with heads pressed together, sleepy pups bouncing on knees.

Then the females corralled the young ones back to their own camp, and Shepard joined Wrex and I, and the ryncol started flowing and I'm not sure if that bout of Bomb the Pyjack between Shepard and Wrex was real or not.

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Shepard spent the second to last day of her visit unpacking my belongings. I tried to help, but I had a hangover the size of a thresher maw. I eye Shepard distastefully; there's no way she should be that cheerful - she drank more ryncol than I did.

I sit outside as she puts away the extra food stores, stacks books and datapads on a shelf, and lines the surfaces of my new home with the odds and ends she had found for me on her ground missions. A few guns, bits of colored stone, a magnet the size of my fist, and the runic slate from Deyna, along with a hologram projector of the picture of the mosaic depicting us togther.

Once finished, she joins me at the small table on the porch, and we watch the sun beat down on the camp. There were many a groan wafting up on the breeze.

I look about my new home. It is small, with only a greeting room and a divided bedroom, but it is enough and I like it. It is situated in a cliff face just above the camp, and I watch as my new clan goes about their day. There are similar houses dotting the cliff, but only two more are occupied at this moment; one belongs to Wrex, the other to Shepard.

Those occupied are well maintained while the owners are out, and there is a guard rotation at all times, even for the empty houses.

"What are your plans now?" Shepard asks, her eyes closed as she turned her face to the sun, soaking in the warmth.

"I will teach. Ute has agreed to let me come to the clan when I am ready and select three apprentices to learn the few trades I still have. I will pass on my knowledge, and as they learn they will take on their own apprentices. In this way, the clan will grow."

Her eyes open and slide my way, glittering mischievously.

"I'm surprised she hasn't got you a stack of breeding requests to fill."

"And why is that, pup?"

She pokes my chest and explains, "You were off planet when the genophage was released, meaning you don't have it. You could successfully pup any fertile female sent your way."

I snort. "I'm a bit old for that. Besides, isn't your pup immune as well?"

"He is, and he does what he can for the clan, even if he's not exactly happy with it. I truly think he's emotionally attached to Anakra."

"That is her name?"

Shepard smiles. She knows too. Grunt's little female is named after a powerful wind goddess. No doubt her pups will be forces of nature. And if Grunt were the sire, well, it could be the start of a great bloodline.

Shepard's omnitool pings, and EDI comes over the line.

"Everything is prepared, Commander. Thane is returning to you until you are ready to leave, and Garrus has successfully returned to the ship and is nursing his headache in the battery."

"Thank you, EDI. Have Tali take him some water every now and then. Separate my reports and I'll get to them when I return. Ask Mordin if there is anything he wants before we leave. And inform Joker that he can't buy Fornax copies with my Cerberus funds."

"Yes, Commander. Logging you out."

I can't be sure, but it seems like the AI was a little smug at the end.

Shepard, Thane, and I spend the rest of the day helping clean up after the party. Mostly it involved cleaning leftover trash, but there had been a couple of instances where Shepard kicked awake a sleeping clan member and sent them to a shady spot to pass out again, and once a varren got loose. Thane was fastest, and had tackled the excited animal before Shepard recognized him.

Apparently, Urz adored Shepard, and the feeling was mutual. She spent a few minutes scratching the old boy until he had nearly melted into a puddle at her feet. After that he stayed at her heels. He is remarkably well trained.

Later, as twilight settles over the sands, I groan as I sit down on my new bed. It's been a long week. I rub my face tiredly and glace around my room one last time. Something catches my eye; it's a datapad, laying conspicuously by itself on my nightstand.

I turn on the screen. There are a few files saved on it, and nothing else. I open the first file.

It's a news report, dating maybe three years back. The headline makes my breath catch.

"Aralakh: Ancient Krogan Warrior"

Beneath it is a smaller title: "First woman to join N7 program a year early"

Under that, is a picture of Shepard, face solemn, but she wasn't fooling me. Those eyes twinkle with merriment and her chest is puffed up with pride. I quickly scan the article.

From what this says, N7 has a special offer. Normally, there's a year long waiting period before someone can leave N6 to join N7 training. The only way to skip it is to write a thesis paper that can prove you are able and serious enough to withstand the training.

Shepard was the first female to do so, and her thesis paper had been about me.

I'm touched by the gesture, and I realize even after all this time, I still influence the universe, even in a small way. This no doubt meant the world to Shepard at the time.

I open the other two files. One was the thesis paper in question, the other a glowing commendation from a senior N7 member, someone by the name of Ryder. Seems like a hard ass of a guy, but he had nothing but praise for Shepard.

I stay up to read the paper, and once again that old part of me stirs, fights the bit I'd taken under Aria. Shepard was right, of course; I had spent too much time with asari, who were always bemoaning how they wanted to change the world but never did.

I want to be the Aralakh in Shepard's paper again.

And thanks to her, my krantt, my gift of rebellion, I have a chance to do so.

I smile to the empty room, and it bares all my teeth.

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This was fairly long, but I just didn't feel right separating it so it is what it is. There may be one more chapter, but I haven't decided if it's going in this story or a different one. Hugs and kisses!