(Disclaimer: I do not own Halo, Mass Effect, or any of the properties in this story)

13:54 Hours, April 10th, 2561

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As a day of traveling finally passed, The Normandy Crew finally arrived on the planet Korlus. Their mission for the dossier is to recruit "The Warlord".

It didn't say much on who the person was, only that it was a scientist Krogan, and that he was held in a Blue Suns camp. So it's either he will help the crew, or it's gonna be a problem. Whatever the case, the Chief was ready to deal with it before it would get out of hand.

As they got near to the planet's orbit, Chief and his group consisting Noble Six, Spartan Joe, Garrus, Sinon, Lisbeth, and Siha entered in the Kodiak Drop Shuttle to arrive near the camp without raising any alarms.

After a few minutes of waiting, the shuttle landed and everyone exited out to get to quick cover without being spotted.

"The dossier doesn't say if Okeer is on this planet by choice. Assume hostiles." Chief replied to the team COM, as everyone gave off a green light of understanding.

They then a loudspeaker went off, as a woman began yelling something to the entire camp.

"There is only one measure of success: kill or be killed! Protection is your goal."

"Broadcasting orders over loudspeakers? Charming." Lisbeth replied, already knowing that she was gonna get annoyed with the loudspeaker.

"Someone must like the sound of their voice." Garrus said, joining in the banter.

"Stay focused. We're looking for a Krogan warlord." The Spartan II ordered, as the two of them quickly stopped and got back to focus on the mission.

Master Chief then gives the hand order to 'move out, slowly', as everyone follows him quietly without being detected by the Blue Suns. As they got closer to the inside of camp, they began to hear the loudspeaker go off again.

"Being hired is merely the beginning. You must earn your place in the mighty army we are building."

The group was confused about what the woman was saying. Was she talking to new recruits, or something else?

All that Chief knew, if an army was being made and that woman in the loudspeaker was in charge of things, she needed to be stopped as soon as possible.

As the group got closer to the camp entrance, they quickly spotted some enemy soldiers nearby. Luckily, they haven't spotted them yet, as Chief already formed a plan to take them down. He gave the order for both Sinon and Garrus to take sniping positions to take them out unnoticed.

(Look back in chapter 20 to know what weapon I'm referring to that Liz is using.)

After a quick scan of the area, all was clear at the moment. Everyone got out of hiding positions and continued onward to the dossier. But before they could leave, they noticed the one merc Liz shot was still, but hurt enough to not be able to hold a weapon.

"Shit... Shit! It won't stop bleeding... I'm gonna... son of a bitch!" The merc yelled out, trying to get back up from the ground.

"Doesn't look that bad, actually." Sinon replied, not seeing any fatal flesh wounds on the merc.

"Well, he doesn't need to know that." Joe stated with a smirk under his helmet, as both him and Chief walked over to him to get some answers.

He then sees the two walk over to him, and finally gets the idea what was happening here. "I knew it wasn't berserkers. It's just you Alliance soldier dogs... I'm not telling you anything."

"Oh really?" Joe then opens up his Omni-Tool with a case of Medi-Gel in hand. "I was thinking of giving this to you, if you told us what's happening and where the Krogan is at. But if you rather we just keep walking and you bleed out, then we could do that instead."

"Son of a..." The merc gave in, as he knew he needed it badly. "I don't know anything. I just shoot the overflow from the labs. The old Krogan up there, he's been really cleaning house lately. Jedore hired him to make her an army, but the Krogan he creates are insane, so we use them for live ammo training. It's all crap; I don't get paid enough to-"

Before he could finish his cursing, his communicator goes off. "Outpost Four? Jedore wants us to move. We need coordinates on that Krogan pack."

"What's he talking about?" Chief asked, wanting more information on what's happening in this facility.

"Jedore runs a Blue Suns outlier, and she's making Krogans for an Army. But they all come out crazy. Tough as hell, just insane."

"This is bad. If they figure out how to control an army of Krogan, she'll be just as bad as Saren and be a threat in the entire galaxy." Lisbeth stated, remembering how things went down in Virmire.

Chief couldn't agree more. He knew that this woman needed to be stopped, and the first step was to find the dossier Krogan to end the production of this genetic Krogan army.

He then gives his signature Spartan stare, intimidating the merc. "I want your friends gone... Now..."

He shook his head to the Spartan-II, as he felt a dozen daggers were now attacking his heart from how scary he looked. "Uh, Patrol? The last group... dispersed. Lost sight five minutes ago."

"Dispersed? Jedore will be pissed. She wanted a show."

Suddenly, Joe and Six gave their Spartan stares at him. Giving a little more motivation to him to have his allies to leave.

"You asked for a report, you got it. Dispersed."

"Understood. Returning to the labs." The communicator then goes off, giving the signal that the other soldiers were leaving.

"T-There. Y-Y see? I'm helping..."

Joe then grabs out the Medi-Gel, ready to help the merc... until he throws it behind his back. "If you start limping now and work fast, you might find a shady spot before you bleed out."

The merc's eyes went wide, as he then went to grab the Medi-Gel and went to find his stop to work on his wound.

"Nicely done on the scare tactic, Spartans. I could feel the fear from him." Siha complimented.

"Yeah, I can see why you guys are the best." Sinon replied.

"Well, if you want some answers from your enemy, sometimes you gotta give them some fear in order to talk." Joe stated.

Six then grabs out his DMR, ready to move out. "Let's get moving. Our warlord is somewhere in the camp's lab."

"Cortana, think you can scan the area for the best route of the lab?" Chief asked.

"I'm on it." She then scans the area, and manages to find the nearby lab where the dossier beacon is located. "Found it. Marking the path now.

Chief then sees the highlighted mark on his HUD, and gives the hand signal to move forward. Now knowing the situation of what's happening here, they must get the Warlord scientist, and end this Blue Suns Krogan army, one way or another.

Few minutes later...

As the group went through a few sections of the camp, and fought a few mercs, they finally made it to the area where Okeer was located. But when they finally got near the entrance, they noticed a Krogan was firing at two Blue Suns soldiers on the upper level.

The Spartan-II then gave the order to take the two, that way they don't get fired upon when entering the building.

Once Sinon and Garrus shot them down with their snipers, the area was secured, leaving only them and the Krogan that was rebelling. As he turned around and started to walk towards the group, the SPARTAN-III grabbed out his pistol in case things started to get out of hand. Chief then stopped him, trying to keep everything calm.

"You... are different." The Tank-Grown Krogan spoke. "New. You don't smell like this world. Seven night cycles, and I have felt only the need to kill. But you... something makes me speak."

"Night cycles?" Garrus was questioning what that meant, until it finally popped for him. "Seven days."

"You're telling me this guy is only a week old?" Liz asked, surprised to see a Krogan full size in a short time.

"They must breed them full-size, ready to kill." Cortana replied on the team COM. "Not much improvement over regular mercs if they need training."

"Even so, it is quite revolting that they would do such a thing. Being bred for war, dishonorable." Siha stated, disgusted at such an act by mercs.

"Bred... to kill. No. I kill because my blood and bone tell me to." The Krogan explained. "But it's not why I was flushed from glass mother."

"Glass mother?"

"Survival is what I hear in my head. Against the enemy that threatens all my kind. But I failed even before walking. That is what the voice in the water said."

"Was the name of the voice 'Okeer' by any chance?" Joe asked, trying to see if he could get information out of him.

"I heard the voice. Not like now, with ears. Inside. I called it 'father'. It liked that. But it was disappointed. I am not what it needs me to be."

"A lab with Krogans. Sounds like an attempt to cure the genophage." Garrus replied.

"Cure? Cure was never whispered. Survive. Resist. Ignore."

"But how did you disappoint the voice?" Sinon asked.

"I don't know. It was decided before I left tank mother. I was not perfect." The Tank-Grown Krogan explained.

Chief then decided they have enough information at the moment, as they need to find Okeer before it's too late. "Can you show us the laboratory? We need to speak with Okeer."

"The... glass mother. She is up. Past the broken parts. Behind many of you fleshy things. I will show you." The Krogan then walks over to a small loose metal wall, as he then grabs it and tosses it to the side, like it was nothing.

"Hot damn!!! Krogan are strong. Makes me miss Wrex a bit." Joe commented.

The group then walks over to open space, now seeing a pathway inside to the building. And after hearing that comment and seeing what the Krogan can do, Chief kinda missed Wrex as well.

"You fleshy things are slow when big things are in your way." The Krogan replied.

Six then gets a bit curious, now seeing a side to the alien when he originally thought he was dangerous. "You could have run or fought your way back to the labs. Why stay here?"

"I wan waiting. The voice told me. If they come, I fight. But I will not run, and I will not follow." He then walks away to find his next battle. "I am not perfect, but I have purpose. I must wait until called. Released."

"A warrior till the very end, even when he's no longer needed because he did not turn out right. I show great respect for his choice." Siha said with a grateful tone.

After the moment has passed, Chief then looks down the pathway, seeing that it looks dangerous, and that a dozen soldiers must be waiting for them.

"Let's get moving, and stay alert." Chief ordered.

The group went inside the building and got ready to battle, set to find the Warlord and end this army before it even starts.

Another few minutes later...

After fighting a load of mercs and Krogan, going to higher levels, and a bunch more sniping from both Garrus and Sinon, they finally made it to the room where Okeer was located. They then opened up the door, seeing him working next to a pod, where another Krogan was being held inside.

"Here you are! I've watched your progress." The Warlord Krogan replied, as he continued to monitor the Krogan next to him.

"Okeer?" Chief asked.

"It's about time. The batteries on these tanks will not wait while you play with idiotic mercs."

"You don't seem particularly caged..." Joe stated. "Or grateful that we're here."

"You may claim to be here to help, but the great Master Chief is not a sign of gentle change." Okeer answered in a monotone voice. "Surprised? All Krogan should know you. Urdnot Wrex spoke highly of you, not only as an ally, but a helper to cure the genophage."

"I keep my word to my allies. Wrex did his part to help stop Saren, I owe him that much."

"A foolish choice, but a great deal of respect to keeping an honorable agreement. Something I haven't seen in Krogan in a long time." Okeer then went back to the pod to make sure it was ok. "Saren's pale horde were not true Krogan. Numbers alone are nothing. The mistake of an outsider, one that these mercenaries have also made."

He then takes a step to look outside the window of the laboratory. Remembering all of his hard work to finally arrive at his success.

"I gave their leader my rejects for her army. But she grows impatient. It's time for you to take me out of here."

Garrus then puts a stop to this, as he knew that they were on a tight schedule of things. "Look, we're happy to take you off this planet. But we're here about the collectors, not your personal problems."

"I see. Yes, Collectors attacks have increased. A human concern. My request were focused elsewhere." Okeer then walks back to the pod. "I acquired the knowledge to create one pure soldier. With that, I will inflict upon the genophage the greatest insult an enemy can suffer. To be ignored."

"What about those who have failed when searching for the perfect one? You don't care about them?" Siha asked, still angry on how he treated them like garbage after failing.

"I failed no one. My rejects are exactly what Jedore asked for. She simply lacks the ability to command. They are strong, healthy, and useless to me."

"You insane bastard..." Sinon replied, seeing how crazy the Krogan Warlord would go.

"I need perfection. If a few thousand are rejected, so be it. My work will purify the Krogan. We will not be restored — we will be renewed." Okeer stated, keeping his pride and beliefs on his goal for perfection in the Krogan race.

The SPARTAN-II knew this wasn't going anywhere, so he has to get this controlled as soon as possible. Though he didn't like it, if Okeer knows how to help stop the Collectors and Reapers, then he has to work with him to do so.

"Your methods are extreme, but you know how to deconstruct a threat. Will you help us?"

"Perhaps I can strike a deal to secure passage. But my prototype is not negotiable. It is the key to my legacy."

Suddenly, they then hear the loudspeaker go off again. And it sounds like the leader is pissed off.

"Attention! I have traced the Krogan release. Okeer, of course."

They then look outside of the window of the room next door, now swing her in the flesh.

"I'm calling 'blank slate' on this project. Has these commandos and start over from Okeer's data. Flush the tanks!"

They then began hearing pipes beginning to pop around them, as the final popping sound was right next to the Krogan inside the pod.

"She's that weak-willed? She'll kill my legacy with a damned valve!" He then turns back to the crew. "Spartan! You want information on the collectors? Stop her. She'll try to access contaminants in the storage bay."

"Can't you just start over, like she plans to?"

"This tank is pure. It involved as much trial as data. Starting over will not duplicate it. It must survive." He then began doing everything he could to make sure this Krogan survived. "Jedore will be with the rejected tanks. Kill her. I will... stay and do what must be done."

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Chief knew there was no way of stopping him, but he knew that Jedore must be stopped or else all hell will break loose in the galaxy. He then gave the order to arm up and get ready for battle, as they then exit out of the door and enter the Storage Bay to deal with this issue.

Once they enter the room, Jedore spotted them and called in everyone available and even mechs to take down the group. "I don't care who they are, I want them dead! This is my world! I'll poison them all!"

"I think she's talking about enough." Lisbeth replied, as she grabbed out her shotgun and got ready for battle.

With that, an entire firefight went out. As both Chief's team and the Blue Suns fire upon each other. Fortunately, Chief and the others took out the soldiers in a snap.

The Chief and Six were back to back taking out the Krogan soldiers with their DMR and BR, while Sinon and Garrus provided sniping cover. Joe and Lisbeth were pumping lead with their shotguns, taking down the easy grunts, as Siha cut down the mechs with her dual energy swords.

But before anyone could notice, a giant mech then dropped down, looking more heavy duty than the others.

It then fired a few missiles at both Garrus and Sinon, not giving them a chance to get cover. But before it can hit them, Joe then jumps in the way, reflecting them back at the giant mech.

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Yesterday night...

As Joe was getting ready for the mission for tomorrow, Lisbeth walked up to him with a proud smile.

"Joe, I have something incredible for you, and you will love it."

"What's that?"

She then shows him a new device to use during combat.