Chapter 12: Heartland

It's strange, finally setting foot on Rannoch. Since the Terran Republic made contact with the rest of intergalactic society, the Quarian homeworld was regarded as something of a cautionary tale to the point of being mythical, like a long-lost city. For a place populated by pure machines, I expected the place to be less green and more metallic. We've taken down the Harvester signal in orbit, but Legion reports the presence of a destroyer-class Harvester present on the surface below still keeping control of the Geth consensus. Right now with a little help from Legion, we're clearing the path for the Migrant fleet to make another run at the planet, get a shot off at the Harvester and end the war. I just hope both sides are willing to stop shooting at each other to see the bigger picture for once.

June 30, 2186

21 hrs/40 min/25 sec

Kodiak Shuttle, approaching last broadcasted signal from Admiral Koris' escape pods

Fredrick gave a brief look out the window into the night sky of Rannoch above and the crumbling remains of the admiral's ship below. While Shepard was off with Legion to disable a Geth hanger, he was tasked with rescuing the downed Koris and his crew and was given a small detachment of Alliance marines, Kaidan, and Tali to help with the mission. He looked around him at the others in the small vessel, observing their pure navy blue with white stripes of the Alliance marine corps. Before they left the Normandy, Legion had mentioned that he had a plan to lightly upgrade the Geth systems once the Harvester had been destroyed, but didn't go into greater detail.

Standing up and turning on a screen for briefing, he turned to the men and began, "Alright gentlemen, listen up! Our job out here is help the Quarians clean up their mess, starting with a S&R for an Admiral Koris. As much of an ass as the man could be, he had proven himself a resourceful, smart, and efficient leader in the conflict against the Geth and had earned the respect of many underneath him. If the Quarians are to be joining us in everyone's war against the Harvesters, keeping their moral up is a top priority. I want you to stick close formation as we sweep through the escape pods for survivors, and try rounding any severely injured up. Is that clear so far?"

"Yessir!" the crew answered.

"Good. Once we've taken account of all possible survivors, we'll be clearing out a few nearby AA guns and a jamming tower the Geth have set up so we can find and retrieve them. I want radio callouts of Geth platforms that should be prioritized, including sharpshooters, cloaked platforms, and heavies, whether they're armed with RPGs or are gargantuan models standing at seven meters. Once we reach the site, I want a quick headcount to make sure none of us have been picked off. Chances are, once they know we're here, they'll start swarming us and quickly."

"Sir, I'm getting us as close as we can to those AA guns without setting them off," the pilot reported from the cockpit. "ETA thirty seconds."

The lights in the shuttle dimmed, replaced with the usual red glow. The distinct sound of thermal clips entering guns filled the small metal box as everyone stood up, waiting by the side doors. He could see outside as the ground drew closer and closer before coming to a complete halt. The door hissed open, and the ten Humans and single Quarian stepped out onto the rocky surface under the cover of night. It was an eerie pass through the rocky pass, occasionally gunning down patrols of Geth around a few flaming escape pods, with dead Quarians and Geth littering the floor. "They've come so far," Tali muttered mournfully.

They continued through the fire-lit night, climbing over the next ridge and around a few mines. "Geth patrol, twenty meters," Kaidan informed, eyeing a group of Geth soldiers sweeping through the canyon.

"They know we're here. Take 'em out." He leveled his rifle and shot a few bursts for cover while the other Alliance troops advanced. Jumping down, he returned to the front of the line, taking point for the team.

As they reached the AA gun platform and jamming tower, heavier Geth units arrived with integral grenade launchers on their wrists. "Watch the wrist rockets!" Tali yelled, ducking at one flew right above her head onto a rock pile behind her. Kaidan and three of the other men gradually pushed forward, keeping the Geth back while Fredrick, Tali, and the others approached the control panel.

"Tali, see what you can do to disable those turrets. Rook and Allen are to set charges on the tower. Everyone else form a defensive perimeter, keep those bastards off the people at work. Let's go," he calmly ordered. The Geth were at least generous enough to provide thick railings on the walkways connecting the platforms, though it ultimately proved their undoing as they struggled to retake the area. The two Alliance demolitionists used a few charges before they finally caused the jamming tower to crash down.

Tali returned to them with her omnitool out. "I've got an incoming message from Koris!"

"Good. Patch him through," Fred replied, pulling out his own omnitool.

Colonel. I'm grateful to hear from you, but my time is up. I've been separated from what's left of my crew and I myself am surrounded. Please help them, Müller. They're only civilians, Koris greeted, dread in his voice.

"How hot is your area?"

Too many. I'm getting low on thermal clips and you'll only have time to rescue one group.

"Fucking binary choices," he growled. "Listen. Send me your coordinates. I'll have the team I'm with head over in a shuttle to rescue your crew. I'll be heading over personally to get you out of your mess."

The admiral let out a prolonged, nervous chuckle. Rael mentioned his father's stories about you. Always mentioned how you were a loner.

"Yeah, well I've been working alone for a while now. You don't seem too far from here. I'll be there in five minutes tops." After fully regrouping with the other soldiers present with the shuttle approaching in the distance. "Alright, small change of plans. Command will be shifting back to Lt. Commander Alenko. Finish the mission and return to the Normandy to drop the survivors off and send the shuttle back for me. The admiral himself has been separated from his team, and I'm going after him personally. I'm not trying to belittle the rest of you, but I've got advanced movement capabilities which will get me across the landscape much faster. I trust you know what to do from here. Good luck, gentlemen."

Without another word, he was halfway across the platform over the plethora of destroyed Geth platforms and lept up the side of a small cliff in a single bound. Updating his HUD, he kept his eye on the minimap as he rushed towards a small blip the admiral sent him. He swiftly got the idea he was running in the generally correct direction as a Geth dropship flew overhead with another deployment of troops about fifty meters away. Leaping over a rock he found himself right behind a large group of Geth platforms advancing down a canyon with their weapons trained on thinning pillar that looked to have well over half of its mass shot off.

Koris loaded his second to last thermal clip into his rifle while his suit barriers recharged. His shoulderpad had already been shot and his suit ruptured. Looking up to the skies, he watched as the second wave of Quarian vessels reengaged the still uncoordinated Geth fleet above. He closed his eyes and listened to the gunshots around him, praying that the other admirals would finally come to the realization that their homeworld was no longer worth the losses they've sustained. Accepting his fate, he rose from cover, only to realize that the sounds of Geth plasma weaponry had rapidly died down. In the middle of the crevasse were the damaged remains of the Geth from earlier, with their gray soupy fluids oozing out onto the dirt underneath them, with Fredrick amidst the group, finishing off a Geth prime. "Admiral Koris, are you alright?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," Koris sighed with relief.

Fredrick loaded another battery into his rifle as he acknowledged, "I didn't even break a sweat. You're the one with the suit puncture. So far, it's still fresh, your shoulder hasn't sustained any serious damage, and your immune system doesn't have anything foreign in it yet. Your crew is safely away and we'll have a shuttle at our position shortly."

"I hadn't realized you would act so quickly," the Quarian admiral said, eyeing a shuttle approaching in the distance.

The Terran turned to face another Alliance shuttle approaching. When it landed, Linda, Garrus, Legion, Liara, and James stepped out. "Müller, heard you were here. I assume you held out alright?"

"Yeah. I assume Tali and Kaidan told you about the detour. What's the next phase?"

Legion stepped forward and answered, "There is still an Old Machine present on the planet. Shepard-Commander proposed the use of concentrated fire from the fleet. However, it is currently housed in a central base several kilometers Northeast."

"Oh good. A Geth that can talk," Koris sighed. "Tell me, was the Geth's alliance out of self preservation or not?"

"You are correct, Creator-Koris," Legion replied.

The Quarian admiral made a victorious gesture. "I told them. Still, that leaves the issue of the Reaper code now in the Geth systems."

"We will initiate a system purge to remove the virus and establish a firewall similar to what Müller-Colonel had prior to the system updates he received in 2183." Legion pulled out the projection from his palm to show a demonstration of the Geth base.

"Hold on, how do you know about those firewalls? And how do you plan to use a copy of the firewalls when mine won't work anymore?" Fredrick interrupted.

"The Heretics during the same year had acquired scannings of your rig at the time for further analysis. After they had rejoined the consensus the year prior, they shared the data with us. While we had managed to rectify a prototype copy, we were unable to properly distribute by the time the Quarian fleets began their attack."

Garrus gave a puzzled look. "I thought the Geth were looking to advance their future?"

"Correct. We had formed a consensus as to which would prove the better alternative, using the upgrade code or the firewall. Your arrest the year prior helped provide a greatly slanted outcome in favor of the firewall. Once the purge is complete, the firewall should be easily installed, preventing such control from the Old Machines in the future."

"That's a relief," Shepard commented. "C'mon, we'll head back to the Normandy and ship back out again for the Reaper. We've wasted enough time here talking as is."

01 hrs/01 min/50 sec

SSV Normandy cargo hold, in orbit over Rannoch

Fredrick barely left the shuttle after they landed. He was exhausted and simply closed his eyes using his rifle as a prop. He cherished any wink of sleep he could get in recent days to keep his strength up. He would just turn up the music on his integral helmet headphones, shut his eyes, and enjoy the soothing empty blackness that ensued. He did notice as the shuttle began to shake again and take back off out to Rannoch below to the coordinates Legion had provided.

Waking up, he turned off the sound in his helmet to hear the others. The plan was simple: get in, bait the Harvester out, and let the fleet bomb it to dust. Koris had safely returned to his post and was receiving minor medical treatment for his injuries. Legion would be depending on the others to quietly slip by defenses and get an escape vehicle to avoid the risk of friendly fire. "Admiral Xen, this is Commander Shepard. We're heading out to the given coordinates. Do you copy?"

Affirmative, commander. We've got visual on your vessel. It's good to know your Geth unit is still willing to cooperate, Xen answered.

"Legion's not your toy, remember? Anyways, we'll be calling out its location from where we are once we get to a safe distance. Once the Reaper's down, we'll have Legion try to establish coms with the other Geth. Out."

"I hope this works," Fred hummed. Destroyer-class Harvesters weren't even a tenth of the more common dreadnought-class Harvesters, and had limited barriers and firepower as a result. It definitely wouldn't last as long as Nazara did at the Citadel, but it was still a gamble with the already weakened Migrant Fleet. The next half-hour dragged on before they were finally dropped off on a cliff overlooking the base below.

"I... I can't believe it," Tali stuttered as they looked at the view around them. "I don't think it's sunk in yet. This is the homeworld. My homeworld. The sky, the rock formations... our ancestors used to write poems about them."

"We get this done right, maybe you'll write new ones," Shepard encouraged, giving the Quarian a pat on the back.

"Yeah, I mean... this is Rannoch. The planet our ancestors carried the seeds that spread the desert grass... The saying 'Keelah se'lai'? Well... the best translation I could give is 'In the name of the homeworld I hope to see again one day.' Maybe I'll put the living room window right here somewhere. It'd be good to pay homage to this day." Tali took a pose like a photographer, putting her fingers in the shape of a rectangle as she looked on at the horizon.

Garrus let out a chuckle. "Invite us all over someday. I'd like to see it."

Shepard walked up behind Tali. "I see what you mean. The Quarians have spent long enough as nomads that simply coming back here has become integral with their culture. Hell, there's been a general theme of 'returning', right? The fanfare and all about going out on pilgrimage, coming back with a gift to help your people, even leaving and returning to the fleet. 'I travel among the stars, but I'll always return home'?"

"We can spend more time imagining our future when we've won the battle before," Javik reminded. "Besides, our comrades still depend on us."

They made their approach to the South side of the building and were quickly engaged by the perimeter defenses of the base. As the Geth defenses fortified on the first level, they were quickly forced to take a detour over the base through various surprisingly minimalist structures of pipes and other unprotected machinery. The base itself was formed much like a sports stadium with large walls surrounding an open center. As they cleared the outer ring of the base, they watched as a large hole peering deeper into the facility had an enormous blast door close over it. Shepard-Commander, the Geth have initiated defensive measures around the Old Machine.

Linda cursed under her breath. "The Normandy's not breaking through that before the Geth form a proper defense. Have any other options, Legion?"

I have located an override control overlooking the center of the base East of your location. Sending the coordinates. Will need your assistance to establish uplink. Proceed with caution: the Old Machine upgrades do provide increased aim capability.

"More Geth dropping onto the platform!" Javik warned, returning fire as another Geth platoon blocked their short, their venture further around the Geth base had been like every encounter with hostile Geth before it: keeping on their toes, watching every angle going forward to avoid being flanked by the numerous platforms present, work together to take down priority targets before picking off lone soldiers. Geth generally weren't a serious threat alone and could be easily dealt with if a team was coordinated. Even when they finally reached the override and had to hold off three entrances, the Geth found it difficult to overrun their position. The main problem in combating Geth was when they deployed numerous 'large' units, like when they rode an elevator off the platform the override was located on to advance towards another position to get a line of sight for the targeting laser needed to get the coordinates for the EDI to get a lock.

Tali narrowly rolled into cover before deploying her attack drone. "Geth primes! Looks like they really don't want us here!"

There were three Geth prime. Three of the fuckers stomping down on their position, two with LMGs and the third with an RPG. Rolling into cover, Fredrick checked his rifle for a full clip before dropping a nanite barrier, charging in close to hastily drop the prime's shields, then switched out for his blade, leaping up, grabbing onto its shoulder, pulling him onto its back, drawing the blade across its neck, and tearing its head clean from the body before it collapsed onto the ground. Quickly finishing it off with a few additional bursts, he dropped the barrier once more and began to assist against the prime with the rocket launcher. Javik just had his shields dropped and was forced to take cover as LMG rounds pelted his armor. Another rocket was launched before Fredrick biotically yanked it sharply to the left, causing it to loop back and hit the prime on the side. Dropping its barriers, Garrus rose from cover and blew its head off with a single shot. Tali slid under the last, wedging a grenade between its ankle plating. Watching as it fell over helplessly flailed its leg stump, she casually walked up and shot three bursts into its chest.

We detect no additional Geth forces in your near vicinity, Legion informed. We recommend haste. The Geth will overrun the Creator fleet if you do not sever the connection.

They continued down the balcony overlooking the hole from earlier. Linda drew out her weapon and tapped a laser sight on the side. "EDI, I've got a fix on that Reaper. You getting this?"

Coordinates received, Shepard. We recommend you reach a minimal safe distance. The group slowly walked back the other way, but were sharply shaken off their feet when the ensuing explosion the Normandy launched shook the balcony, chipping away at the last of the supports and dropping them several meters down to the base of the hole.

Fredrick was the first to rise back up, dusting himself off. "'We don't use windows because they're a structural weakness.' Structural weakness my ass," he grumbled. He was also the first to witness the foot of the destroyer rise above them and land not a couple of meters from where they were.

Legion showed up shortly afterwards in another hijacked Geth fighter. "Shepard-Commander! We have transportation!"

"Okay people, this is it! Tali! Call the fleet!" Shepard ordered. Hoping on, Fredrick took the targeting laser, Linda the gunner turret, and everyone else the few other seats present. Legion took the controls and flew them over the nearby hills with the Harvester close on their tails.

This is Admiral Gerrel. We've got a fix on your location. State the target! one of the admirals responded.

Fred had his eyes still down the laser, aiming for the hull above the 'head' of the beast. "This is Colonel Müller calling in fire mission. Destroyer-class Harvester, thirty-seven degrees to the North of East, two hundred and fifty-nine meters, danger close."

Copy that, colonel. Target locked and firing for effect. Splash in twelve seconds. Get clear.

Legion continued to get distance on the Harvester before streaks of red from orbit arced down from the sky, driving large holes through its armor. Smoke and red energy spewed from its body as it came crashing down from the ground.

"Legion, pull over. We're heading in to finish it off," Linda ordered. "EDI, get the Quarian fleet to prepare another run on that thing. This ends now."

He ran out with the targeting laser still in hand as the destroyer continued to stir. It stumbled back up and unleashed its primary weapon, sending long beams grazing past him. Easily dodging incoming fire, he kept the laser on target for the Migrant Fleet to perform another. "Need another barrage, adjusting coordinates. One hundred and seventy five meters, seventy-one degrees North of West, fire single barrage, HE." Roughly thirty shots answered, causing it to stumble. "Target. Mark it for the rest of the fleet. Fire for effect." Another few beams of energy rolled lazily by as he lept for cover, left in the open, the Harvester had no more protection against the bombardment of fire from the skies. The air was filled with smoke and dust as the Quarians laid waste to the enemy below. It looked to the sky one more time before another dozen heavy rounds rained down upon it, before it came to a halt at the cliff overlooking it.

Had it been anyone else, it would've been like a hero approaching Mt. Olympus of Greek mythology. For Fredrick, it was just another man as he hopped down and walked to the dying Harvester on foot, giving its main 'eye' a firm look. "Müller."

"Yeah yeah, what else is new?"he answered nonchalantly.

"Harbinger speaks of your efforts. You may have w-"

"How about you shut the fuck up and accept how illogical this cycle is in accomplishing anything you profess yourselves to be?" he interrupted. "I mean, you clearly find me to be a wrench in your plans, considering how often your forces have targeted me over the likes of everyone else present on the field. Even Shepard."

It answered, "She and the others are puny, insignificant, and you know it."

"You do realize that saying 'we're bigger' is a ploy that gets old quickly, right? I mean, I find these few times you do talk with me so trivial now that the only thing the rest of you can think of is recorded on a few hundred megabites of storage. Shit, I remember the few times I did talk with Nazara were much more meaningful than this, and that dumb motherfucker was the most arrogant of all of you if I understand most of you well enough. Now, why don't you tell Harbinger to maybe get in contact with me at some point so we could work out a better way for this cycle to work."

"...Do you really think your...?"

"-Oh for fuck's sake." Fredrick leveled the laser with the Harvester one more time before adding, "Know what? Change of plans. Tell Nazara to call me more often. In fact, tell him to prepare a game of chess for us when I do catch up to the rest of you in hell. He's dumb, but he's at least more interesting than you would ever be."

He lept up to the cliff where the others watched from above as another small barrage destroyed what remained of the destroyer-class. "The Reaper code has finally been removed from the consensus," Legion reported. "On a side note, you share an interesting antagonism with the Old Machines, Müller-Colonel."

"I'm not even going to ask if you understood and how. What's the situation in orbit?" Fredrick replied.

"Not good. The tide has greatly turned and the Migrant fleet is quickly overrunning the Geth fleets," Tali groaned, looking away from her omnitool.

"We are faced with a similar scenario," Legion commented. "We are attempting to convince the others to send a request for a treaty. They refuse."

"Dammit!" Shepard cursed. "I can't believe-! Get me on both lines, they have to hear us! Admirals, what's going on up there?!" She instantly flinched as she heard the rush of various Quarian voices, all bickering.

"I thought Koris would convince them!" Tali growled.

"Shepard-Commander! We require your answer!"

"Allow me, I'd like to share a few words with both sides. As to whether they'll listen... I'll try..." Fredrick changed the frequency on his radio to allow both sides to hear him and vastly turned up receiving volume on his helmet microphone. "Geth and Quarian alike, heed my warning. The Harvester enemy present is dead, yet you continue your meaningless conflict. I know of the context that has led to this war before us. I understand both sides fight for the future of their race on this planet. I understand the meaning of winning this small conflict right here, but can you not for once turn outward to look upon the rest of the galaxy as it burns? Are we not all fighting for pure survival at this point? Are the Harvesters not going to hunt us all down regardless? Do not be so short sighted and drill yourselves into extinction. We will all fade to dust if we do not forget this conflict and rebuild bridges we burned long ago. The galaxy will call for all of us in its darkest hour. Do not waste yourselves."

Tali gave a wide eyed glance as she acknowledged, "Well, at least you got everyone to shut up."

"We have also noticed a significant drop in inter-vessel bandwidth use between Geth processes," Legion added.

A long silence followed. The tension was so thick it could be cut with a laser saw... lengthwise. All forces, this is Admiral Raan. Cease fire. The Terran's point stands.

"The Geth have agreed to cease fire. We grant our thanks, Müller-Colonel. We will be uploading our firewall shortly," Legion reported. "Furthermore, the Geth are willing to initiate negotiations for repopulation on Rannoch."

An air of victorious relief passed over them. For the first time in three centuries, numerous Quarian vessels landed in the distance alongside Geth constructs with neither firing upon each other. Tali and Legion quickly joined the others as their respective races finally reunified under a single banner. Fredrick sat down on the cliffside, looking on at the sunrise in the distance. Exhaustion began to retake him, and he warmly accepted the silent invitation as he lay back on the ground, arms stretched out like bird's wings. "What are you doing?"

His eyes slightly opened to see Javik and Garrus looking at him. "Getting some shut eye. Now go away and wake me in six months."

"Like that?" Garrus asked, raising a brow.

"You do realize these suits are comfortably padded on the inside, right?" the Terran asked.

The Prothean followed with, "And what of your body? We are not dragging you back to the ship."

"Just wake me when we're ready to leave. Now go away and let me rest." The last thing he saw before darkness wrapped around him was the morning sky above.