Chapter 10

They had hardly moved a dozen paces before a crashing sound further in front alerted them to Geth smashing into their path. The gangway they were walking on was narrow allowing Shepard's team to stand only two abreast and in that moment she thanked the hours of training they had done to integrate her multi military (and none) team. In a fire fight or times of high battle stress there was no time to think, orders given needed to be reacted to using muscle memory, sometimes mi li seconds made the difference between living and dying.

'Box' Shepard shouted almost before the first Geth had found their feet in front of them. On cue Liara and Shepard dropped to their knees where they had been in front of Wrex and Garrus to give a line of sight for the 'back row'. Liara immediately put up a defensive bubble to offer some protection as there was no other cover.

The Geth squad was made up of four shock troops and three rocket troopers and these were the first target of the wall of fire emanating from Shepard, Wrex and Garrus. Once the rocket troopers were dealt with they started on the remaining troops, a couple had already taken damage, and as the machine chatter and digital squeaks faded, the final head torch dimmed Shepard and the team began moving forward again.

Shepard looked to her left and caught Liara's eye and through the face plates of their helmets exchanged a short but intense look and for a brief moment there was nothing else in the universe but Liara's deep, soulful, playful blue eyes. The thought of anything happening to Liara, or losing her Asari flashed through her like a cold shockwave, it wasn't a new thought or feeling but its intensity in that moment actually did shock Shepard.

Shepard shook it off and brought her full concentration to the moment; in combat a passing thought that dimmed your concentration was as dangerous as a stray ribbon of plasma.

They soon emerged onto the outer exposed surface of the tower which gave a much clearer view of the now enclosed Citadel.

'Geth drop ship coming down the tube' Garrus pointed his gun towards a shape that was very familiar and growing ever larger as it approached down what now looked like some glittering tunnel.

Shepard gave a quick check around to the team and was struck by the reflection in all their face plates, which she realised, would be reflected in her own. The lights of the Citadel, still shimmering on the now closed arms, and the flashing electric lightening flickering across the dark brooding bulk that was Sovereign.

'There are some AA guns just further along but the HUD is showing multiple Geth on the ground, lets move it and get those guns targeting the dropship, we could do without any more interference' Shepard said. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered how she knew about the AA guns.

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Once fully in combat mode Shepard operated on a different level and she was fully in combat mode. They were pinned down by Geth, the dropship was getting closer and they still hadn't reached the AA guns to carry out a manual override. And their path to Saren was through the Geth there was no alternative route.

'Garrus we have to get those guns online' she shouted across 'can you take out that fucking rocket head with a long range shot?' It was terrain as much as anything that was causing problems and one rocket trooper had managed to get itself in a position that was all but unassailable and it was pretty much holding them were they were all by itself.

Shepard was just to far to the right in her 'compartment', deep square indentations that afforded great cover but great cover to the enemy as well, to be able to make the shot.

Liara was somewhere behind them, and too far back to help with biotics, and Wrex was with Shepard. It was fucked up, they were at a full tactical disadvantage, once that rocket trooper was down they were just going to have to make a break for it and get to the guns.

'Once Garrus has taken out the target everyone move to the left and move forward at pace, keep low keep covering fire to the right as you go but keep moving, we will be exposed and we can't afford the time to fight compartment to compartment, we have to get to Saren' she said into their comms 'are we clear?' Shepard received affirmatives from her team and braced herself.

They increased the rate of fire to try to give Garrus just a little more cover to take the shot but he would have to keep his head in the line of fire long enough to be ready when the target popped out of cover and be steady enough to take the shot in the time he had. Not an easy task or an easy shot even from where he was.

Over her comms she heard Garrus grunt and cough but she also heard the call 'target down Shepard'.

'Move' she yelled and made straight for Garrus's position.

She could feel her shields taking hits and the heat of fire flashing past her, the alarm on her barriers was beginning to bleep ominously but they would hold they had to; she had a job to finish.

On reaching Garrus she confirmed what she thought had happened; he had taken two shots and was not doing well, no time to check they had to move.

'Do they really not train you guys to duck' she said trying to lighten the tension as she hauled him to his feet and out of the compartment he had been slumped in. Wrex had reached her side and now took position in front of her and the still doubled over Garrus throwing all he had in terms of firepower and biotics at the nearest Geth.

Liara had reached them and was able to throw a defensive bubble around them and with that Shepard lifted Garrus over her shoulder and shouted to the others to move forward to the guns.

Once at the gun emplacement they finally had decent cover and a height drop on the Geth who were now behind them but still approaching.

'Wrex get those guns up and targeting that ship' her eyes focussed on the now eye wateringly close monster that was about to unleash more shit on their heads.

'Garrus sit rep?' she said as she was checking to see what the damage was and it looked as if he had taken a hit to the head and shoulder.

'Oh just winded Shepard, but I may be leaking air so if we could get inside soon… lovely though this walk has been…' she saw the slight twitch of his mandibles and knew he was seriously hurt.

'Well you just sit there and catch your breath you lazy bastard and let us finish the job for you' she kept it light but they both knew it was battlefield humour.

The AA guns sparked to life as Wrex turned back and looked down at Garrus then to her, she shook her head and mouthed 'not good' at him, she didn't need to say anything to Liara who was making adjustments to Garrus's auto medigel infusers.

'Right lets finish off this little group of Geth I really don't want them dogging our footsteps then we can get back inside the tower from that entrance way' she pointed off to the left, 'Liara I need as much firepower and biotics to clear this lot out double quick.'

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Shepard once more lifted Garrus across her shoulders and with Wrex taking the lead LIara watching their six, her own assault rifle ready in her right hand, they moved forward and finally gained interior access to the tower. The Geth dropship had crashed causing multiple damage and some of the ground Geth had also been caught in the blast. Shepard hoped that they had lost their actual pursuers and now it would be dumb luck to 'bump' into any more trouble.

They came to a stop in a corridor that would lead them to the main square that held the Council chamber and where at that moment Saren was working to unleash the nightmare monsters from their realm of dark space.

She laid Garrus down just inside the door of a room off the corridor. Helmets off they could see he had taken a hell of a hit to the side of his head and blood had been pouring from the wound, stemmed now with the medigel, but he was still in need of urgent attention.

'Brewster, Stevens do you copy?' Shepard spoke into her OT and turning to Garrus said 'you're going to have some fine scars there Vakarian, Krogan females gonna be all over your ass' she smiled and saw the flicker of response on his face.

'Ha, even with the scars he's too scrawny, but I know one or two who don't mind something a little exotic' Wrex joined in the teasing but Shepard could see the worry in his eyes.

'Always… wondered… how you… saw me… Wrex… exotic hum… maybe… we need to… talk later…' Garrus struggled to get the words out but was determined to join in the banter.

'We copy Commander, we got Tali to Huerta it's a bit of a mess here but CSec have deployed forces to protect the hospital and she has received treatment. We are supporting CSec to defend the hospital any further orders ma'am' Brewster's voice came loud and clear.

'I need you to bring a medical team to this location, Garrus is down and badly hurt, Geth all over the place so keep frosty' she moved away slightly so that she was out of earshot of Garrus 'Beth we are going to have to leave him here and will be moving in to deal with Saren so not sure when we will be able to get back for him, do your dammedest to get to him and save his sorry ass' Shepard finished.

'Copy that Commander we'll get it done' Brewster sounded as if she was already organising the extraction team 'no marine left behind, Oscar Mike to your location.'

Damn right no marine left behind, certainly not on my watch Shepard thought, and they were all her marines.

'Right your taxi has been ordered and will be here shortly sir, try not to get into any more trouble we'll just clear up this mess and meet you in the bar.'

Shepard was kneeling down in front of Garrus and smiling at him, she tapped him on his leg and was about to stand up when he reached out and tried to grip her arm but he had no strength.

'Honour… friend… kick ass,' she could hardly hear him and much of what he was trying to say was just breathing.

She knelt in close and locked eyes with her Turian friend and comrade 'Now here me mister, this is a direct order, you will hold on for extraction and you will remain alive at all times, am I making myself clear soldier?' her voice was strong and commanding, the voice she used to give orders that she expected to be carried out without question, this was Shepard in full Commander mode.

His eyes cleared a little and she thought she saw him try to sit up a bit straighter 'Yes Shepard… understood.'

'Good and don't think if you do disobey that order I will not come and drag your scrawny backside back into this fight even if I have to come into whatever passes for Turian hell to find you… are we clear?'

'Crystal' and this time she could see his mandibles twitch with a smile and he seemed a little stronger.

She stood up and left the room with a final nod.

'He will be alright Shepard,' Liara said in an effort to comfort her.

'No he probably won't, but he definitely won't if he gives up… and we can say the same for this fight we're in' she turned and gave Liara a sad and very tired smile, realising that she still had the head splitting pain she had acquired on Ilos and knew she had to dig deep to get them all to the end of this.

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There he was, standing at a large holographic control panel on the platform where the Councillors usually stood dispensing their 'wisdom'. As Shepard and her team ran into the main area they dealt with a handful of Geth and continued on making their way swiftly towards Saren.

They got to the beginning of the walkway that would take them to the platform when Saren suddenly turned and rose in the air on his hover platform and targeting them with an explosive charge. They scattered for cover.

'I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time Shepard' Saren said from his platform.

'In time to see you die your miserable bastard' she shouted back at him from cover.

'We meet at the final confrontation and we both expected it would end like this. You've lost you know that, don't you? In a few minutes Sovereign will have full control of the Citadel's systems. The relay will open and the Reapers will return.'

'Yeah well I'm not done yet so don't get all carried away with planning your victory party just yet,' as she was speaking to him her mind was already working out her final move on him, trying to gauge the moment where he was distracted enough to give her just a split second to get out of cover and get a shot or two in. She was signalling to Wrex and Liara to stay down, but be ready to move at a moments notice.

'You have survived this far Shepard but I've been improved, Sovereign has… upgraded me'

'So you really are insane… you let Sovereign implant you and take away any chance you had of keeping some control, you are so fucked Saren and you don't even see it' she was trying to needle him to get an emotional response to give just a little distraction.

'I suppose I should thank you, Shepard. After Virmire and our conversation, I couldn't stop thinking about what you said. About Sovereign manipulating me, about indoctrination. The doubts began to eat away at me, Sovereign sensed my hesitation and I was implanted to strengthen my resolve.

Now my doubts are gone. I believe in Sovereign completely. I understand that the Reapers need organics. Join us and Sovereign will find a place for you too.'

'Listen to yourself Saren, you are being completely controlled through your implants… you're finished, you're just a tool. I still have a my own mind and free will and I like it that way… so no I won't be joining the Sovereign slave club.'

'The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined a union of flesh and steel. The strength of both the weakness of neither.

I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth.'

'Yeah well I'm happy with the way I was birthed first time round thanks… your solution looks on the ugly side with someone else pulling all the strings… this isn't over, they haven't won yet. Stand aside now and give me control of the station we can beat them.'

'We can't stop it! Not forever. You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful.' Shepard began to hear some emotion and an edge of something… was that fear, panic… but she had to up the stakes time was running out.

'Saren you thought you were so fucking clever, stronger, better than Benezia, better than me… shit you think your better than all of us… but you still failed, you lost, they have more control over you than you did over Benezia, at least she had enough strength in the end to screw you over. Somewhere inside you there must be a part of you that knows this is wrong that you can still fight… or are you just as weak as you think the rest of us are?'

'Maybe you're right… maybe there's still a change for… ungrrah' she could see Saren physically being rocked by something, his hands went to his head and she saw her chance, leaping from cover and taking aim at Saren but he was still struggling to regain control and continued saying 'the implants… Sovereign is too strong…. I'm sorry it's too late for me.'

'You could still end this on your terms Saren, cheat Sovereign, end it and give me the controls' but before she could finish what she was saying or pull the trigger on her weapon to finish him he said,

'Goodbye Shepard, thank you.' With that Saren shot himself in the head and toppled like a puppet whose strings had been cut, off his platform, smashing through the glass floor and onto the grass below.'

Shepard rushed to the control panel and rammed in the OSD with the control overrides from Ilos, turning to Wrex she said 'Go make sure that traitorous bastard is dead.'

Wrex jumped down onto the grass and put another two shots into Saren's head.

'He is about as dead as it's possible to be Shepard,' Wrex gave the body a kick then turned and walked away a determined set to his shoulders.

'Ok that worked, I've got control of all the systems' Shepard said over her shoulder to Liara.

'Thank the Goddess, can you open the arms, we still need to deal with Sovereign,' she replied.

'On it… comms should be coming back online any…' but before Shepard could finish a communication interrupted her.

'This is the Destiny Ascention, mass drives offline, kinetic barriers down 40%. The Council is onboard repeat the Council is onboard.' The connection was clear enough although it broke up a little and there was static in the background.

'This is the SSV Normandy to the Citadel. Normandy to the Citadel. Do you copy… is that you Commander' Ash's voice broke through the static with another incoming message.

'Read you loud and clear this is Shepard' she replied.

'We caught that distress call, Commander. We are sitting here in the Andura sector with the entire Arcturus fleet. If you unlock the relays around the Citadel we can send in the cavalry.'

Wrex had just joined them on the platform 'You would sacrifice human lives for the Council, what have they ever done for your kind? Hell look at the way they treated you Shepard.'

'But this is bigger than any of us Wrex, Sovereign is a threat to every organic species in the galaxy,' Liara's eyes were wide with concern and she looked determinedly at Shepard waiting for the response.

'Exactly why you can't afford to throw away reinforcements trying to save the Council… you have to hold them back till the arms open up fully so the human fleet can take down Sovereign' Wrex made a good argument and tactically, militarily it was the best decision.

Shepard felt the weight of yet another huge decision sitting on her shoulders… of course any decision she made could be overturned by Hackett, but in this moment people she knew, who had trust and faith in her were looking to her to make a decision that would cost thousands of lives. Could impact on galactic politics… and she still had the mother of all headaches. She squared her shoulders tapped a few more commands into the panel and moved personal doubt and concern out of her mind.

'Commander Admiral Hackett has asked that I forward on a request for your recommendation given you are the ranking officer on the ground,' Joker's voice this time 'are your order's to come in immediately to save the Ascension or hold back?' Joker sounded as if he was relaying word for word what he was receiving from Admiral Hackett.

So there would be no overturning her orders and no opportunity to brief the Admiral so he could make the decision, she was only able to speak to the Normandy because of their ship to fire team comms system.

'Relays should now be operational. Please pass this recommendation to Admiral Hackett Joker. We need to save the Ascension, no matter what the cost, Shepard out.'

'Sure hope the Council appreciate it Shepard' Wrex rumbled.

Liara gave Shepard a faint smile and touched her briefly on the arm; relief was palpable on her face and in her body language.

All they could do was stand and listen to the comms chatter, as the fleet entered Citadel space they were able to pick up commands from Admiral Hackett. Shepard relaxed just a little when they heard,

'Destiny Ascension you are clear, you are clear, we have deployed ships to cover you,' from an alliance call sign dreadnaught.

'This is Admiral Hackett all ships not assigned to guard the Ascension move to target Sovereign.'

As they looked out of the windows up towards where Sovereign was still sitting with its finger like extensions holding firm to the top of the tower they could see the arms now open enough to let in the fleet and beyond they could see the carnage of the battle between the Citadel and Arcturus fleet and the Geth.

They all felt it at the same time, looked at each other and then for the source of the quaking, the noise of static, the energy surge that seemed to fly through the room. The platform was shaking so badly all three were having trouble keeping upright and then it gave way throwing them the twenty feet or so to the grass below.

Shepard caught her breath and quickly got to her feet and looked at the source of the disturbance. Saren's body was being held off the ground and was infused with a red burning energy, energy she could feel burning hot on her face. It was as if something was possessing it, but not like the husks they had come across, this was something much more substantial.

She looked around and saw LIara and Wrex both transfixed by the show in front of them… 'Find cover now, stick close together' she shouted loudly to get them moving.

They moved as one, further away from the Saren husk and took position behind some concrete blocks.

Then the thing was on its feet, they could see all the way through its chest, its body… only the bone structure remained containing a red burning fire of pure energy. Shepard thought it was a thing straight out of old Earth hell myth's… maybe the myths were real after all, they just had to travel into space to find them.

'I am Sovereign and this station is mine' it used Saren's voice but it was so loud it seemed to penetrate inside her head, she felt it through her body.

Then all hell broke lose, the body Sovereign seemed to be able to call on all Geth forms of attack and weaponry including jamming and damping weapons. It was also able to jump around like a hopper.

Shepard decided that the best plan was to keep mobile from cover to cover as a group as that way they could concentrate fire when they had a shot, take advantage of Liara's barrier when they were in a tight spot, and have full 360 cover when the thing decided to move fast to try to get the drop on them.

It was intense, hard, and the concentration needed to keep out of harms way and still nail the thing was almost unsustainable. Shepard caught a flash of fighting that was happening between Sovereign and the fleet and she could see it was taking damage. Shepard also took hope from the fact that the body Sovereign seemed to be slowing down and they were getting more and more direct hits including some damaging biotic work from both LIara and Wrex.

Shepard had no idea how long the fight had been going on but it felt like an eternity. She had worked out that what happened to the Sovereign ship and the Sovereign husk were somehow connected as it seemed their resistance and force was running out at the same rate, from what she could tell from the very brief glances at the battle through the window.

Sovereign was on its knees, they had hit it was a sustained barrage, but as they began to move forward to finish it off it pulsed with energy and red fire erupted once again into flames as it sent out a shockwave of energy that lifted all three of them off their feet and slammed them fifteen feet backwards into the end wall.

Head spinning, ears ringing, no breath, and feeling like she had no bones left in her body Shepard struggled to stand up. On your feet now marine, the drill sergeant in her head shouted, get up, stand up marine, not dying on your back. And with a monumental effort she found her feet and looked quickly for Liara and Wrex.

A few feet away she saw something that froze the blood in her veins and rushed to Liara's side. She was crumpled, blood covering her face, her armour looked cracked, and she was hardly breathing. Wrex was only a foot away and he was only just coming too shaking his head, his right arm hanging down obviously broken badly. He was bleeding from his head and his left arm was badly gashed. She looked over to the Sovereign body, it was still kneeling on the ground and she could see the power was dimmed but it was not dead, it was still a danger and they hadn't' defeated the Sovereign ship, so this wasn't over.

But she couldn't leave Liara, she had to find help she could be, probably was dying… Shepard was, for the first time in her life, frozen to the spot.

Wrex was trying to get up but he couldn't it looked as if he had damage to his legs as well.

'Shepard you have to finish it… Shepard' he shouted her name the second time, breaking through the noise and static and nothingness in her head.

She looked at him as if just waking up and began to focus on his voice on his words.

'Finish it Shepard… do what you do best… make it pay' Wrex shouted knowing that her ringing ears, concussion or shock would make it difficult for her to hear him otherwise.

She nodded, squared her shoulders and stood up… picked up Wrex's shotgun and walked at a steady pace directly for the Sovereign body.

She started firing as soon as she got within range and the thing actually started to stumble backwards, it fired shots at her but she didn't notice and she didn't care. Her mission was not finished until the thing was dead and she always completed her mission.

Another step another shot, she could feel the heat from its energy on her face, it fired at her again and she felt it hit her somewhere on her side, she didn't even stumble. Shepard fired again and this time the thing seemed to lose its glow, the red dissipated, she stopped walking forward and fired again and it seemed to evaporate into wisps of dark mist.

It was her turn to sink to her knees, she knew that twenty feet behind her a good friend and her soul mate could possibly be dying or already dead. Garrus and Tali the same, she had taken quite a few hits, but they had stopped them. This time. This time the Reapers didn't get to walk straight in the door when they wanted to.

She looked up; out through the window she could see that Sovereign was being destroyed by the combined efforts of the joint fleets, she fancied she even saw a flash that could have been her Normandy fighting in the thick of it. She watched the Reaper as its grip loosened and it began to break apart, the pieces began to rain down onto the Citadel, onto the tower.

Then it dawned on her that a huge chunk of Sovereign was making one last attempt to finish her off, it was falling towards her and would smash through the window within seconds.

'Aw fucking crap… you have got to be joking me' she said out loud and then everything went dark.