A side-chapter, a rare view into the sides of the story in which the main character is not the focus of the chapter.

Please enjoy!

Forward Unto a New Dawn

Grimlock merely gazed at the lab around them and said,

"Were it so easy…"

Chapter 5-5 – Interlude: The Rite of Passage

Flashback to Grunt's Rite…

"Thresher Maw…"

Garrus was cursing every spirit he could name as he dragged the near-comatose woman behind rubble as the Thresher rained acid all around the arena. All around the arena, pillars toppled and the entire area shook. He tried to grab the Arc Projector off of Shepard's back, but the mag-clamps locked down when Shepard went comatose. He didn't know what he could do but take potshots at the giant worm with his Widow...

Grunt however alternated between roaring at the Maw and blasting it with both Claymore and Avenger in each hand. The damn thing shrugged them off either way. Sadly, Grunt's ravings only got louder with each ineffective barrage of rounds embedding themselves in the Thresher Maw.

"HA! You think you can devour me WORM! I am Grunt, distilled from the legendary warlords Kredak, Moro, Shiagur and Veeoll; I am not your prey! I. AM. KROGAN !"

Plugging another incendiary round into the Maw's head, Garrus risked a look at Shepard… damn, still no change. She just sat huddled there with eyes and whispering something under her breath. Growling, Garrus tried calling out to Grunt. The maniacal krogan was still in the middle of his battle frenzy, his blood likely rushing too quickly for him to hear anyone at all. The Maw shrieked and slammed its head at the frenzied-krogan, flinging him towards him and Shepard.

"…ah fuck…"

Nearly a ton of pure krogan slammed into the wall right next to Shepard. As Grunt let out a pained groan and his red blood stained the area around him. As he struggled to get up, Shepard seemed to gain some awareness…

…

…

"…r-run Shepard…"

Lt. Commander Alice Shepard, N7 Operative…

She had been on a mission to Akuze with her platoon.

Objective?

Investigate the disappearances of several Alliance marines and the strange signals that led those men to the area.

It had started off pretty good; fifteen marines spread between three of the M35 MAKO rapid-insertion personnel carrier. A test run for the new model and enough space to extract any survivors. A bit of low-grav off-roading got them to the objective fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. A quick hop into the large crater where the men disappeared and they found it completely empty of all life.

Only thing there?

An escape pod bearing Alliance markings emitting a high priority distress beacon.

If that didn't say 'trap!', she didn't know what did…

They encircled the pod and one of the men popped the lid…

A noxious gas and low throbbing reverberated from within…

…

…

…a cacophony of shrieks echoed through the air as the entire area shook. As the very ground beneath their feet rubbled and rolled like veritable sea, Corporal Toombs screamed what everyone didn't want to hear…

"THRESHER MAW!"

And lo, the demon did come from the depths roaring as if defying God with its existence…

She remembered only flashes, the barest slivers of memories of that initial fight. The Maw took everything they had to the face and retaliated with enough acid to completely melt one of the MAKOs and the six marines inside. When it had retreated back into the dirt, they thought they were safe.

…it was only the calm before the storm.

Barely the span of a breath later did it return…and it brought friends.

They weren't in the middle of thresher territory.

They were right atop of a nest.

Even after her rescue, Shepard could only remember the screams of her men and the hissing of acid melting everything it touched. The searing metal shrapnel of the exploding MAKOs had been embedded and sealed in her skin.

Now, as Grunt lay there Shepard remembered the last moments of the Maw attack. Her commanding officer, John Liddel had lain there bleeding just as badly as Grunt was…telling for her to…

"RUN SHEPARD!"

She snapped into action, grabbing Grunt and dragging him out of the way. A torrent of acid flooded the spot they were just in not moments before.

"Commander!"

She shook her head; memories wouldn't help her now. Unslinging the Arc Projector, Shepard launched a bolt of artificial lightning right into the Maw's roaring jaws. Garrus followed up with a trio of sniper rounds into the stunned Maw's mouth. As it thrashed in pain, Shepard gave Grunt a triple dose of medigel; more than enough to get him up. The young krogan, free from his blood rage and fully aware, gazed up at the hard visage of his battlemaster; one who had conquered death and in his eyes, had no equal.

"Done sleeping Grunt; cuz' we got a Maw to kill."

He leapt to his feet and gripping his Claymore, a precious gift from Shepard.

"Ha! Did you see me wrecking that thing up Shepard? Just wait, I'll rip off its head and mount it as a tribute to our might!"

Garrus sighed and scored another trio of shots in the Maw's…maw.

Needless to say, with Shepard back in the fight and the three of them working together, the Maw was pretty much toast. Sadly Grunt was not able to fulfill his promise to rip its head off. Shepard had him hurl a canister into its mouth and Garrus blasted it just before the jaws closed. The explosion was gory as it was glorious. Grunt had been roaring victoriously as Thresher brains and flesh rained from heaven. They would have headed back down the tunnel if not for the arrival of a very battered Kodiak shuttle, carrying Gatatog Uvenk and a few of his followers. He had a proposition for them…

Clan Urdnot Camp

Anyways, at the end of the Rite, only Grunt's krantt made it back. Garrus dragged himself behind Shepard and Grunt, both very animated despite the hell they had just gone through. Spirits, he just wanted to get in his bunk and sleep until he died.

"Aw, come on Grunt, say it~…"

On the other hand, seeing the so-called super krogan sputter and huff like an embarrassed teenager was highly entertaining. To recap, Gatatog Uvenk tried to get Grunt to join his clan as a veritable slave. Grunt didn't take that kindly; Shepard however, blew her top. She slammed the butt of her rifle into Uvenk's face, took out both his guards and held the stunned clan leader at gunpoint, stating under no circumstances that:

A - Grunt would be declining his offer.

B - Uvenk would leave or…

C – He would end up like the Thresher they had just blown up.

Uvenk didn't take that sitting down and shot up, holding Shepard by the throat. She had kicked at him uselessly until Uvenk was slammed into a pillar, forcing him to release her. As she coughed and was helped up by Garrus, the two witnessed something heartwarming if a bit disturbing…

Grunt was repeated slamming Uvenk's head into the pillar as he shouted,

"NO. ONE. HURTS. MOTHER !"

Uvenk's head was pretty much splattered and Shepard has been trying to get Grunt to call her 'Mother' instead of Shepard since. So far he has resisted her pleading but Garrus knew that in the end, Shepard would win. After all, Shepard always wins. In the end…

…resistance is futile.