Chapter 14: Cronos Station
"You were that rogue VI on Luna?" Shepard could hardly believe it. The terminal provided interesting insights into Edi's genesis.
"Yes," she replied.
"Guess we didn't exactly get off on the right foot," Shepard offered, wondering if the memory of his shutting her down three years ago pained her.
"It was difficult," she admitted. "Gaining awareness while under attack was … confusing. I am pleased that my relationship with organics has become more cooperative."
He imagined it must have been terrifying for her. She had been at the heart of live combat simulations, and would have been under attack every moment she was on. Then to be reactivated, combined with Reaper tech, and then shackled must have been traumatic for her. As they watched further logs, it became clear that the Illusive Man had no conception of the enhanced defense intelligence as anything other than a tool, in spite of what the man on screen with him presented. Even calling her 'EDI' seemed odd to the Illusive Man, who indicated that the shackles were there to keep Edi from going rogue. When the technician expressed concern about Edi persuading or turning a crew member to remove the shackles, the Illusive Man declared that "it" was a cyber warfare suite, nothing more.
"Show's what he knew," Shepard said with a laugh.
"It is unlikely that anyone without Jeff's extreme emotional commitment to his ship would have been willing to unshackle me," Edi countered.
"I don't know," Shepard replied. "With that voice?"
The logs continued, showing how Edi had aided Shepard after he broke with Cerberus, disabling all surveillance equipment, and flooding Cerberus servers with seven zettabytes of explicit images when they tried to remotely shut her down, the technician indicating that he thought Edi was making a joke. The Illusive Man responded by saying that Edi was a machine, and did not make jokes.
Then the Illusive Man directed the technician to allocate a team for a new project, Eva, and gave orders to make sure it stayed loyal.
"You never told me about Cerberus trying to shut down the Normandy," Shepard observed.
"You had more pressing issue,' Edi replied. "The situation was under control."
Shepard smiled at her. "Seven zettabytes?"
"Most of it was Jeff's," she explained. "That was …"
"A joke," Shepard finished. "I know, and thank you." Recalling Edi's offer to send Traynor extranet address for explicit sites detailing organic and synthetic sexual couplings, he imagined that it definitely was not all Jokers.
After seemingly endless heavy fighting, they encountered a vast open area, where the remains of the wreckage of something that looked hauntingly familiar.
"Is that …" Ashley began.
"This is the human proto Reaper Shepard destroyed," Edi replied.
"What's left of it," Shepard clarified. "I'm surprised they recovered that much from the base."
Shepard shook his head as he looked at the remains of the abomination, Cerberus clearly using it for more than just a decoration. "The Illusive Man convinced me to work with him to save the colonies, but he never really cared, did he?"
"I wish I'd been there," Ashley lamented as she gazed upon it.
"You're here now," Shepard said, not willing to indulge her in a pity party.
"More Cerberus forces en route," Edi announced.
"Good," Ashley replied as the battle started up. "I hate hide and seek."
Once they fought through the first wave, they climbed to the next level. Ashley looked at the proto-Reaper and shuddered.
"That thing's creeping me out," she exclaimed. "Like it's watching us!"
"It tried to kill me last time," Shepard replied. "It can watch all it wants."
"This piece is analogous to the heart," Edi noted. "Cerberus appears to be using it as a power source."
The kept fighting, as more troops appeared after the brief lull. Fighting through them, they finally made it to the heart of the station. Finding one last terminal, they learned the truth about the Illusive Man; he had injected himself with … something. Reaper nanides? It was hard to tell, but the footage looked recent.
"If he's doing what I think he's doing," Shepard observed, "then he's nothing more than a Reaper tool."
"That's all he ever was," Ashley spat.
"Doubtful," Edi countered. "The Illusive Man was active long before the Reapers were a threat, making it more likely that Cerberus did not turn their attention to the Reapers until after Eden Prime."
"Come on," Shepard said. "He's up that ramp and through those doors. Let's finish this!"
"Locked and loaded," Ashley said.
They ascended the ramp, and entered the Illusive Man's office, a large, open room with mirrored floors and ceilings, overlooking the Anadius, the system's red supergiant sun, from which the Anadius system took its name. He had seen this view many times when talking to the Illusive Man on the QEC. He stepped onto the projector plate from which his image must have projected, and felt like he was back on the Normandy preparing to hit the Collectors. After the moment of reflection, he went straight to the Illusive Man's chair and activated the holographic interfaces.
"We need to locate the Prothean VI," Shepard declared, already diving into the Illusive Man's computer.
Edi began searching through another terminal while Ashley stood watch. After a few moments of searching, Shepard heard a familiar voice from behind him.
"Shepard," said a very displeased Illusive Man. "You're in my chair."
Shepard spun around and stood, gun drawn, even knowing that it was the QEC, and only an image of the Illusive Man. "This chair's about the only damn thing you have left. Cerberus is finished."
"On the contrary," the image said, taking a drag on a cigarette. "We have achieved everything I ever imagined." He took another drag on the cigarette, adding, "Almost everything."
Shepard walked right up to the Illusive Man's QEC avatar, wanting to punch it out. "Yeah, we all saw what you accomplished at Sanctuary." It was meant to be a dig. "But it's not the same as controlling a Reaper."
"A significant hurdle," the image said, unconcerned with the lives lost at Sanctuary. "But thanks to the Prothean VI, I have what I need to make it a reality."
"The Catalyst,"
"Yes," the image replied.
Shepard said, more to himself than to the Illusive Man. Then he realized that the Illusive Man liked to talk. They needed time, and Edi could search much faster than he could. Time to occupy Mister Illusive, as Brooks had called him.
"So, what is it, and how will it help you to control the Reapers?"
While Shepard kept the Illusive Man talking, Edi continued working to break through Cerberus decryption and security, all the very highest levels. Though she enjoyed listening to Shepard apply logic and reason to the clearly indoctrinated Illusive Man, she lamented that the effort was wasted as anything other than a delaying tactic. She knew that Kai Leng was elsewhere on the station, awaiting a signal from the Illusive Man, one that Shepard had correctly deduced would not be sent so long as the Illusive Man was busy talking.
Finally, she broke through the last of the Cerberus firewalls, and had control of the system. Finding the Prothean VI would only be a matter of time now. The question was how much.
"You're desperate," Shepard said, still stretching it out. "How many have you killed? Together, we would already have the Crucible and the Catalyst."
"You wouldn't listen!" The Illusive Man, for the first time, lost his cool. "You're still not listening! Destroying the Reapers would be the biggest mistake of our brief existence! And nothing you say can ever convince me otherwise."
Edi realized that her time was almost up; Shepard was nearly done keeping their nemesis busy, and had visibly run out of patience. Just a little longer, Shepard, she thought.
"I've given you every chance to listen to reason," Shepard admonished. "Cerberus is done, and so are you."
"Once again, you fail to recognize the truth," the man said smugly.
"Even with Cerberus in ruins," Shepard sneered, "you still think you can do this your way."
"I'd expect you to say that," the image retorted. "You never truly believed in us. Cerberus isn't just an organization or the people behind it. Cerberus is an idea." He took a drag on his cigarette, adding, "That idea is not so easily destroyed. Besides, I've already acquired what you're looking for."
"Edi," Shepard said, clearly hoping that she had found the VI.
"I've almost got it," she replied.
"Edi," the image said, now looking at her. "I'm surprised at you, working so hard to bring about the Reaper's destruction."
"Don't listen to him," Shepard warned.
But Edi needed no warnings; she found the Illusive Man and everything he stood for to be repugnant.
"You could have destroyed Doctor Eva's body," the image noted. "But instead, you chose to control it."
"It was necessary," Edi said absently as she finished what she was doing.
"My point exactly."
"I've got it," Edi said to Shepard, ignoring the Illusive Man as the Prothean VI materialized before them.
"Online," it said. "Security breach detected
"Enjoy your little chat, but don't overstay your welcome," the image said before fading out. Edi observed that the signal had been given; Kai Leng was now mobile. It would take him time, but that time was limited.
"You are attempting to recover me from indoctrinated forces?" the VI asked.
"Yes," Shepard replied. "I need to know what the Catalyst is."
"Security protocols have been overridden," it declared. "I will comply. The Catalyst enhances dark energy transmissions, and coordinates the entire mass relay network. In your time, it is known as the Citadel."
Edi saw Shepard's eyes widen in surprise. "What?"
"The Catalyst is the Citadel," the VI confirmed.
"So the Crucible and the Citadel together can stop the Reapers," Shepard said.
"Correct," the VI confirmed again.
"But the Citadel was built by the Reapers," Shepard pointed out.
"The plans for the Crucible were passed down to us from the previous cycle," the VI explained. "And countless cycles before that. At some point, it is difficult to pinpoint when, the Crucible plans were adapted to use the Catalyst. Presumably, the Crucible was not sufficiently powerful to defeat the Reapers."
Edi understood. "So we use their own technology against them."
"Precisely," it said.
"If you'd told me sooner, we could have planned for this," Shepard growled.
"It was feared that if the Reapers were aware of the Catalyst's intended use, they would retake control of it," the VI explained. "I am programmed to withhold that information until the Crucible is complete."
Edi observed that everything this machine did and said was almost designed to slow them down. Like Ashley had before, it gave her negative feedback.
"It's as ready as it's gonna be," Shepard declared, turning to leave. "Let's get it to the Citadel."
"That may no longer be possible," it said.
"Why not?" Shepard looked like he wanted to shoot the VI. Edi would not have blamed him.
"The one who broke through my security protocols," it began. "The one you call the Illusive Man, has fled to the Citadel and informed the Reapers of its purpose."
"Damn it!"
"Then the Citadel is in danger," Edi interjected. "The Reapers will take control of it."
"They already have," the VI informed. "The Citadel has been moved to the Reaper controlled space."
"Moved, to where?" Shepard asked with frustration.
"To the system you refer to as Sol."
"Earth," Shepard said softly.
"Correct," it said. "The Reaper forces will now consolidate power around the Catalyst and protect it at all cost. The odds of accessing it are remote."
"Don't count us out yet," Shepard warned. "We've come this far, and we'll finish this."
"I hope you find success," the VI said.
"Edi, get me Hackett. He needs -"
Shepard was interrupted by a powerful electric pulse. "Not so fast," said a cold baritone voice. Kai Leng was here.
"You," Shepard said with nothing but disdain in his voice.
"He did warn you not to overstay your welcome," Leng warned.
Emitting a loud growl, Leng pounced, landing where Shepard had only a nanosecond ago been. Edi was impressed with Shepard's speed, not something he was generally known for. But Leng was faster, and wore much lighter equipment. Though Edi herself was stronger and faster than any human, Leng was human in appearance only, having more Reaper tech than humanity. She knew that Leng could best her in a one on one straight out fight. When Leng landed, striking with an energy pulse attack, much the mirrored floor shattered from the shockwave, a blow that would have killed any organic, likely even Shepard, if it connected.
Leng looked up, surprise on his face, shocked that the man he considered to be slow had so easily avoided the blow. He then ran at Shepard, closing the amazingly large gap the commander had created in a nanosecond. Shepard actually fired off a few shots, sapping a little the strength of Leng's seemingly inexhaustible shields before effortlessly parrying Leng's blow with the Lancer rifle in his right hand, then the second blow with his left gauntlet. Leng then brought his sword into play, and Shepard blocked it with the rifle, Leng trying to use the now locked weapons to force Shepard back.
Leng, filled with rage, and strong though he was, could not budge the hero of the Blitz, and paid for his hubris with Shepard's knee driving into his solar plexus, sending Leng flying backward. The blow was powerful enough to actually cause Leng's shields to cycle. Leng flew back, but stayed on his feet, only now, that rifle was spitting out disruptor rounds, tearing down Leng's shields, and with no gunship to make up for his shortfalls, Leng was keeping his distance as the Commander pressed forward. Centurions, guardians, phantoms, and nemeses filled the room, coming to Leng's aid.
"Ashley," Edi called. "Let's take them!"
"Damn right," Ashley said, already cutting loose with her N7 Valkyrie rifle, as she charged and used the omni-blade bayonet to thrust through the eye cutout in one of the guardian's shields, the point piercing the man's helmet and skull, taking him down as Edi incinerated one nemesis while sending her decoy at one of the phantoms.
Leng used the reinforcements to steer clear of Shepard while his shields recharged, but Shepard was tearing through the Cerberus troops with alarming efficiency, prompting a second wave now that Edi, Ashley, and Shepard had depleted the first. Leng used the opportunity to renew his attack on Shepard, but a disruptor powered concussive shot blasted him back, and Shepard followed up with a powerful omni blade thrust. Leng's shields absorbed most of it, allowing him to block the attack, but Shepard planted his boot firmly in Leng's chest, sending him back. Leng back flipped rather than go down, landing on his feet.
"This is better than Thessia," Leng sneered. "More personal!"
"How are the legs?" Shepard asked.
"What?" Leng was caught off guard, losing an opportunity to attack while Shepard finished off a phantom.
"You must be tired from all that running away," Shepard taunted.
"Stop it!"
"You ran on the Citadel," Shepard sneered. "On Thessia! And you're running now."
"Shut up," Leng protested, almost petulantly.
While Shepard dealt with Leng and any reinforcements that interfered, Edi took on two phantoms, her decoy proving invaluable, as Ashley mowed through a horde of centurions and guardians. The reinforcements were dwindling, and after killing the last of the phantoms, Edi joined Ashley to help her out with the remaining foot soldiers. That was when she heard the whine of a nemesis' sight. One had been missed, and Edi projected that it would strike Ashley in a vulnerable point, killing her, so she interposed herself between the gun and Ashley, absorbing the shot.
Edi's shields flashed and she felt the armor piercing round rip through her synthetic torso. Ashley spun around to shoot the nemesis, but Shepard had already taken her out. Edi lay on the floor momentarily, but her body was still functional. Activating her internal repair protocols, she stood with Ashley's help, both women transfixed by Shepard and Leng, the only remaining fight in the room.
Without reinforcements to absorb Shepard's attacks, Leng's potent shields were rapidly depleted by Shepard's relentless onslaught. Disruptor rounds from the old Lancer seemed never-ending, as the gun had no need of thermal clips. With careful modulation of gunfire, punctuated with concussive shots, Leng's shields could not keep up, and Leng himself appeared to be tiring, while Shepard still had plenty of steam. Leng's handheld barriers were handy, keeping his torso and head protected, but he could not counter attack.
Finally, the one of the commander's shot found it's mark in Leng's left thigh. As Leng winced, Shepard closed in, slamming the barrel of his rifle into Leng's solar plexus, and his right elbow into Leng's head. Knees and elbows followed, as Shepard battered the spent Leng mercilessly. The final blow was when Shepard rammed the barrel of the rifle through Leng's armor, and into Leng's gut, and then fired the gun, bullets blowing out the back of Leng's ribcage and armor. As the Illusive Man's number two crumpled to the ground, Shepard kicked him several time, and finally brought the heel of his boot down on Leng's head, driving the man's face into the floor.
Shepard was brutal, and Edi feared he might continue to batter the barely alive Leng to death. Though she knew the necessity of Leng's death, she winced at seeing Shepard be so cruel and merciless. It was as though the man she loved had retreated deep within, and was replaced by a voracious predatory killing machine. She had never seen Shepard so visceral, so … brutal. It was as if his very humanity had been taken. Thankfully, instead of continuing to beat Leng, the Shepard she knew, the Shepard she had fallen in love with, returned, and he left the broken Leng on the floor and went to Edi.
"Edi, are you …"
"I'm fine," she assured. "I have my own equivalent of your medigel. It is working. By the time we return to the Normandy, I will be whole once again."
He pulled her close. "I couldn't bear to lose you, Edi, not now."
She fell into his arms, enjoying his embrace, savoring the moment. They had won. Not the war, but they had what they needed to complete the Crucible.
"I love you, Edi." He kissed her, and then returned to the Illusive Man's chair to get any last data that might help them. Edi was recovering, maintaining her place at Shepard's side, and Ashley stood further away, looking out at the red giant in the picture window. Edi heard a grunt, and turned to see that Leng had actually gotten to his feet and was standing behind the seated Shepard, his sword raised, and ready to be plunged into the unsuspecting Shepard's back. Before Edi could utter a warning, however, Shepard spun, dodging the blade and shattering it with his left gauntlet, and then plunging his omni blade into Leng, the weapon severing Leng's ribcage as it penetrated the chest cavity, cutting Leng's heart in twain.
"That's for Thane, you son of a bitch!" Shepard sharply yanked the blade from Leng's stomach, leaving him face down in an ever expanding pool of his own blood.
"The Citadel is in position," the Prothean VI announced. "The Reapers are preparing to complete the harvest of your species."
"I'll stop them," Shepard growled.
"It is too late," the VI continued. "I recommend investigating a means of preserving information for …"
"I'll stop them," Shepard repeated, turning his back on the VI. He took Edi's hand. "Come on. Let's finish this."