Well… I got The Master Chief Collection. But, before I could actually enjoy it, X-Box Live's servers went haywire – achievements not popping up, apps not loading, multiplayer not working, a few people experiencing their previously-unlocked achievements re-locking (How is that even a thing?-!), and this is affecting all games, not just TMCC. So I got a brand-new game I've been waiting months for, but I can't play it, and neither can thousands of other people, until Microsoft can get their server back on its feet, however many days (or, God forbid, weeks) that takes.
SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES
-CHAPTER START-
Normandy II, Deck Four
Shepard entered Javik's 'quarters' to find the Prothean gazing into one of the water tanks, lost in thought. On the room's main display screen was a blueprint of the Normandy I.
"Looks familiar" Shepard remarked.
"I have been studying this ship and its crew" Javik said. "There was a Normandy before this one. You did with its destruction."
"Something like that."
"But then you were resurrected… to fight the Reapers."
"Maybe you and I have a thing or two in common."
"But you have something else: the reasons you fight are still alive. The friendships of the people around you. And more. ….You and the Quarian are 'joined'?"
"You could say that."
"…Is this why you continue living? For their affection?"
"Without that 'affection', all I have in my life is death. And that's not enough."
"Yes…"
"What about you? I respect your reasons for being here, but I get the feeling there's something more, Javik."
The Prothean briefly looked over at the 'Memory Shard' on his desk.
"What's in here?" Shepard asked as he walked up to it.
"It is called the Echo Shard. Passed from soldier to soldier, Prothean to Prothean. Each adds their memories to it."
"Like your Beacons. How far back does it go?"
"To a time before the Reapers. It is all that is left of my people."
"And you don't want to remember that?"
"Imagine if everyone you knew was dead. You could not remember their faces, or the color of the sky above your home. The memories were gone… but so was the pain. Would you want to remember that, Commander? Even if it meant watching everyone die all over again?"
Shepard was quiet for several seconds as he thought. Finally, he answered.
"Reopening old wounds, especially big ones, isn't going to help."
"Perhaps you're right… There were others, soldiers who served under me. Like your crew."
"What happened to them?"
"They are dead… where I left them…"
"We have a saying: 'Let old ghosts rest'."
"Then there is some wisdom in this cycle."
"If you can live by it."
-SCENE BREAK-
Deck Two, QEC Room
"Shepard," Hackett said, "the intel you sent looks good. The fleets are ready to go…"
"But?"
"Once we're committed against Cerberus, it won't be long before the Reapers take notice."
"And the Crucible?"
"Ready, except for the Catalyst; Doctors Halsey and Testarossa are currently overseeing final preparations. But, there's no way to hide the ships we'll be sending at Cerberus. Once we attack, the Crucible won't stay safe for long. For all intents and purposes, an assault on Cerberus will be the first stage of our attack on Earth."
"…The Reapers and Cerberus started this. Now, we're finally gonna end it."
"I'll coordinate with the DDF big-wigs and get the fleets mobilized."
-Break-
Deck 1, Captain's Quarters
Shepard looked up from his datapad as his beloved walked in.
"It's going to take a few more hours for the fleets to mobilize…" Tali said. "I hate the waiting. I've been trying to find ways to pass the time."
"Come up with anything good?" he asked as she sat beside him.
"I thought maybe you could use some company tonight…"
"Will you stay here with me? Until the call comes?"
"For as long as you want…"
-Break-
Elsewhere – Same Time
"You really are making it your mission in life to piss me off, aren't you?"
A young man and a young woman walked through the halls together. After all the missions and such they'd been sent on as partners, Ruin felt like she was on her last nerve, and Tiida still had that damnable, obnoxiously cheerful, surprisingly charming smile as he exchanged verbal barbs with her.
"Well," he replied, "if you wanna call it a 'mission'…"
"Ugh, you're intolerable…."
"I've had practice. So, you ready for the endgame?"
Ruin sighed. "I think so. It's time to finally kick those 'Reaper' things into whatever black hole they crawled out of. …Hope Eve will be okay…"
"She'll be fine. She's with Shepard."
She scoffed. "Right. The squeaky-clean 'love and tolerance' guy."
"Hey, he also happens to be one of the biggest badasses we've got. …Plus, with all the heroics you've been doing in this war…"
"…I can't wait until this war is over so we can go back to fighting each other, and I can get back to trying to kill you, you insufferably obnoxious goody-goody jackass."
"Come on, Ruin. You know you'd miss me if that happened, and I actually like having you around. …Of course, if you do want to fight again, you know how it would end; you remember last time, right? Do you really wanna get magically de-aged and humiliated again? Or should I come up with something new?"
Ruin turned to him, her face bright red and her teeth bared in a furious expression. She advanced on him, letting out a rising, infuriated noise through clenched teeth as her hands reached out. Tiida backed up against a wall, feeling a tad bit worried. Finally, having finally been pushed to the point where she could hold herself back no longer, Ruin lunged forward, grabbing hold of him and pinning him to the wall… and kissed him as roughly and passionately as she could. Tiida was shocked for a few seconds, but then he started reciprocating, and Ruin let out a moan as his hand rested on her lower back.
-SCENE BREAK-
A Few Hours Later
Shepard snapped awake, leaving that same nightmare he'd been having for so long, just as Tali finished re-donning her suit.
"Hey" she greeted.
"You okay?" he asked.
"My system has adapted. No more negative reactions to you anymore. That's how we survive."
"Is it how we survive? Adapting?"
"To a cold, or inter-species contact, yes. To the Reapers, no. …You're doing the right thing. You've assembled the largest military force in history. Nobody could have done more."
"We've lost so much already. Sometimes, I…."
"You don't know if what'll be left was worth the fight. I know. And when I feel that way, I reach for you."
"Thank you…"
"Whenever you need me…"
-Break-
Elsewhere
It was almost time. As he finished getting ready, heading for the door while clad in rumpled, slightly askew clothes, Tiida heard a small 'flash' of magic, and the teeth of a Keyblade were held to his throat.
"If you ever tell anyone…" Ruin threatened, her hair a bit disheveled, her cloak and underlying clothes not on straight, and her face still somewhat flushed.
"Got it, got it…" he replied. "'Nothing happened and nothing ever will happen', right?"
She gave a curt nod, brushing up against him with what could only be called a nuzzle and then walking past him toward the door with a deliberate sway in her hips. As he watched her go, he grinned.
-SCENE BREAK-
Horsehead Nebula cluster, Anadius system, approaching Cronos Station
SCAN: "The M-Ia red supergiant Anadius is a minor footnote on the star maps of the Horsehead Nebula: a cold, dying star of about 20 solar masses and 1500 times Sol's radius. Not listed on any charts, an unobtrusive space station is nearly imperceptible in the star's periodic bursts of solar output.
EDI'S ADVISORY: The size and shape of the station suggest many ships could dock in it; precise measurements would require active scans, which could reveal the Normandy's presence. Given the stakes, this level of accuracy is not recommended."
Inside the Normandy II's War Room, Shepard looked at the central holographic display of the station, as well as of the sizable Systems Alliance attack fleet jumping in-system.
"The strike team is in" Adm. Hackett was heard. "We've got our foothold. Fifth Fleet, all forward! I don't want a single Cerberus ship in my sky when we're through!"
"Shepard," EDI walked up, "I should accompany you on this mission."
"Why?" he asked.
"This is the central point of operations for Cerberus. They will have enhanced security measures. With my knowledge of Cerberus algorithms, and this body's updated protocols, I offer the best chance to help you succeed."
"…Alright. Grab your gear."
"Commander," Thane interrupted, "I wish to accompany you as well. It is almost certain that Kai Leng is in there somewhere…"
"…And with your experience with an assassin, and since you're the only one of us who's actually fought him, especially with that near-perfect memory of yours, you probably know his style better than anyone else. Alright, you're in. …Anyone else?"
"The UNSC is sending an operative to assist us."
"That would be me" a new voice chimed in.
Shepard turned to the War-Room entrance, to see a tall woman in advanced-looking teal-colored powered armor entering.
"Agent Carolina?" Shepard said. "It's been a while. …You look a couple inches taller. I heard you and your teammates got some sort of 'upgrade'?"
"That's putting it mildly" she replied. "The UNSC offered all surviving former agents of Project Freelancer the chance to join the Spartan-IV program, and pretty much all of us accepted. They finally had the time & resources to give us our 'augmentations' a bit after that op on Cyone. …What's more, the S-IIs and their buddies have been extensively training me in small- and large-unit tactics for the past couple of months. And I recently found out why. Now that the project is finally off the ground, the Spartan-IV corps will be split into five 'sections', eventually of 100 S-IVs each once the next 'wave' brings us up to 500, led by five S-IVs hand-picked by the IIs and company. …They're going to make me one of them."
"That's good. Congratulations."
She sighed. "I'm not 100% sure I deserve it. You've seen the records of what I was like back in Freelancer."
"You've changed since then. And, as you said, the Spartans are helping you hone your tactical and command skills. They wouldn't do this if they didn't think you were up to the task. Don't worry, Mick; you'll do fine."
"I hope so… I'm a bit concerned about another of the section leaders, Sarah Palmer. She's just like I used to be – reckless, impatient, a teensy bit bloodthirsty, and pretty disrespectful to anyone lower-ranked than her. And considering how much trouble and pain the old me went through…" She shook her head. "It's not a concern at the moment. For now, let's focus on putting Cerberus in the ground."
-Break-
"Joker," Shepard said as he stepped into the cockpit, "what's our status?"
"We've got a foothold," the pilot replied, "but it's not much, Commander. There're a lot of fighters guarding the launch bays."
"Can you get us in?"
"Hey, I got us to Ilos. I can do this. Might be a bumpy ride, though."
"Do what you can."
"Shepard," EDI said, "I am ready."
"Wait, what?" Joker turned to face them. "Are you crazy? You can't go into Cerberus headquarters! They could have a virus, or a kill-switch, or…"
"I will be fine, Jeff."
"Head to the shuttle, EDI" Shepard ordered.
"Fifth Fleet's cut through their line" Joker said as EDI left. "They're regrouping. Now's as good a time as any."
"I know it hurts, not being able to go with her. But I swear to you, Joker, I'll keep her safe."
"…And I'll do the same with Normandy."
-Break-
Everyone hurried onto the shuttle, Cortez and Shepard taking the pilot & copilot seats with Carolina, Thane, and EDI got ready in the troop bay. The Kodiak came to life, zipping out through the Normandy II's open hatch. The view was dominated by the red supergiant Anadius, as well as by the hectic naval battle between Alliance and Cerberus warships & fighters in the space surrounding Cronos Station. Rocketing past fighters and dodging mass-driver fire, the Kodiak zoomed right toward an open hangar on the station. Several Cerberus troops in the hangar saw them coming, and started opening fire with small-arms, but the nimble and armored shuttle dodged or withstood their shots and flew into the hangar through the mass-effect atmosphere-containing field. The shuttle lost some stability once it passed into the artificial atmosphere and gravity, hitting the floor and skidding to a stop. A few seconds later the hatch opened, and Team Shepard piled out with weapons ready (N7 Eagle, Hurricane, & Valiant for Shepard; Incisor sniper rifle, Phalanx pistol, and Locust SMG for Thane; Tempest SMG and Predator pistol for EDI; and M395 DMR and two Sangheili plasma rifles for Carolina).
"Everything okay, Cortez?"
"I'm fine. Got some repairs to make here. Give Cerberus hell!"
As the trio took cover behind the shuttle, a Centurion tried to go around to flank them, only to lose his shields to Shepard's Overload and his life to a shot from Carolina's DMR. Shepard then sniped a more distant Centurion, while Thane used his Incisor to put down an approaching Trooper. EDI pointed out an Atlas approaching from the left side of the hangar, and she hit it with an Overload (which only drained its strong shields by about a third) while Shepard sent out a Combat Drone to harass and distract the heavy mech. More Overloads from Shepard and EDI took out the Atlas' shields, and after Carolina and Thane finished off the few remaining troopers, the Freelancer-turned-Spartan sprinted out, using her newly-boosted speed to dodge the mech's cannon fire as she zigzagged closer to it. A Warp from Thane damaged the mech's ankle just before it would have fired a shot at her, and she got behind the mech and clambered up its back. Using her new, power-armor-boosted Spartan strength, she punched a hole in the Atlas' rear power-core cowling. She then dropped a live grenade in the hole, and leapt back off the mech, diving behind a crate for cover just as the grenade went off, triggering a chain reaction that blew the Atlas apart.
"Security breach in Hangar 16" someone announced over the intercom. "Initiating Achilles Protocol."
"Shepard, they're going to vent the hangar!" EDI said.
"Can you stop it?" Shepard asked.
"Yes, but I need an active console."
"I don't see one near us" Thane said.
"Let's try the upper level" Carolina suggested.
The team hurried for a nearby ladder, climbing up to the second level. They entered the nearby room, and Shepard rushed to the terminal.
"EDI, I've got a console! Go!"
EDI went to work, her mobile platform's fingers moving at a speed an organic would be hard-pressed to match.
"Hangar-venting procedure… disabled" she announced.
"Can you open the hangar?"
"No. However… I can access their fighter launch controls."
Down below in the hangar, a Cerberus fighter craft emerged on a launching rail from below.
"Shepard," she continued, "Cerberus is aware that the venting attempt failed. Reinforcements are inbound."
Seconds later, the door to their left opened, and two Cerberus Troopers and a Guardian emerged and opened fire. Shepard tossed out a Singularity that snatched all three of them up, and Thane detonated it with a Warp, tearing them apart. The quartet moved out onto the catwalk, and as they started across another Cerberus squad – Centurions, a Guardian, and a Nemesis – emerged from up ahead. As Shepard took out the enemy sniper, Thane Biotically pulled the Guardian's shield away and then took the hostile down with a pistol shot, and EDI & Carolina used Overloads and plasma-rifle fire to strip the Centurions' shields, the latter also burning through their armor and bodies to kill some of them. Thane helped finish off the rest of the de-shielded Centurions, and they moved up again.
In the next control room, they found and hit the controls to rotate the waiting fighter, so that it was now pointed at the big, thick doors that led deeper into the base, and EDI overrode safeties so that what they were planning would work. They made their way down a nearby ladder back to the main floor of the hangar, and EDI moved to a nearby command console and triggered the fighter to launch. The craft's engines flared, and it shot forward, right into and through the thick metal doors. It kept going, blasting through a few more doors and walls, leaving a trail of fiery destruction in its wake.
"Well, that ought to get their attention" Thane remarked.
"The central lab was located behind this hangar" EDI stated. "I suggest we follow the fighter's path."
As an intercom message spoke of the 'intruders' breaching the perimeter, an Atlas mech stomped out through the new hole. Fortunately, Shepard was able to slip into a nearby alcove and commandeer an Atlas of his own. With his mech's fire plus Overloads, Warps, and sniper shots from the others, the enemy Atlas went down quickly. Deciding it would be too cumbersome to fit where they needed to go, Shepard left the Atlas behind as he and the others moved through the hole and over toward a locked door on the side.
"Talk to me!" they heard a Cerberus Trooper's voice over an abandoned comm. device. "I'm hearing reports that they breached the door with heavy weapons!"
"Negative" a woman replied. "They rigged a fighter. Damn thing tore through half the facility. Finally stopped not far from Central."
"EDI, can you get past this lock?" Shepard asked.
"One moment" EDI replied as she got to work. "Cerberus has updated their encryption. There may be a slight delay as I bypass security."
"How's Cerberus reacting to us breaching the door?"
"They are sealing off as much of the base as they can. Most obvious routes to the central lab are blocked. Other areas are being fortified. Heavy troops will attempt to delay us while engineers set up turrets."
"Any more surprises like venting the hangar?"
"No. I am aware of this facility's safeguards and can counteract them. Cerberus can only slow us down."
"And if I hadn't brought you along…"
"Cerberus would have vented the hangar."
"Thanks for coming."
"I am pleased to assist." The door finally unlocked and opened. "We must proceed through a sublevel to avoid Cerberus containment measures." She gestured to a nearby ladder leading down.
"Where do you think we'll find the Prothean VI?"
"A central lab at the heart of this facility. It is the most secure area. Following the destruction left by the fighter will offer the most direct route."
They took the ladder down into a dimly-lit area full of pipes, machinery, and structural bracings, and immediately they came under fire from a trio of nearby Cerberus Troopers. EDI and Thane used their SMGs to quickly dispatch the hostiles, and a Centurion that tried to join in was de-shielded by Shepard and taken out by Carolina's DMR. Up ahead to the right, a Nemesis was about to take a shot at Thane before EDI Overloaded her shields and left her vulnerable to another shot from Carolina's rifle, while three Troopers that emerged were gunned down by Shepard & Thane's pistols.
"How many of them have we killed by this point?" Carolina wondered. "And they just keep throwing themselves into the grinder…"
"Their intention is to delay us, not stop us" EDI replied. "Engineers are currently preparing an organized defense ahead."
"They can waste that many troops?" Shepard asked.
"Cerberus employs Reaper augmentation on captured civilians to create functional shock-troops quickly."
"This is unpardonable…" Thane murmured. "The Illusive Man will face eternal judgment for this…"
They made their way through and up another ladder, emerging into a sort of smallish laboratory. EDI walked up to the locked exit door, getting to work on it.
"We will be through momentarily" she said. "Shepard, the console to my left has not been fully scrubbed. It contains data you may find interesting."
"What am I looking at?" he asked as he walked up to the terminal.
"Project Lazarus – your reconstruction."
Eyes widening just a little bit, Shepard triggered the oldest of the three available logs.
"It can't be done" a Cerberus scientist said. "It's not a matter of resources."
"It's always a matter of resources" the Illusive Man replied. "We're not losing Shepard."
"Sir, Shepard is all but completely brain-dead – the neural activity is so miniscule as to be nigh-undetectable. After that much trauma, that long with no oxygen… We cannot overcome nature."
"Operative Lawson disagrees. She is now in charge of Project Lazarus."
"I didn't realize it was that bad" Shepard said. "…Did they really bring me back, or… am I just a 'copy' of the 'original' Shepard?"
"No, you're you" Carolina replied. "I talked with T'Soni once. Your mind has the Prothean Cipher from Feros interwoven into it; all research indicates that's too complex to duplicate. You were as close to complete death as anyone can come to and still come back, but you're the 'original' Shepard."
After a few seconds, Shepard nodded and triggered the second log:
"Tissue regeneration is proceeding. The helmet kept the brain intact… for whatever good that will do."
"Lawson will find a way."
"Sir, Shepard's an Alliance soldier. As far as he knows, we're a 'terrorist organization'."
"Shepard's a soldier. He knows that the Reapers are the real threat. He'll work with us."
"He guessed right on that" Thane remarked.
"Every instinct I had told me not to trust Cerberus" Shepard replied. "But I needed their help, so I played along."
"You did what was necessary at the time, and now the time has come to bring him to justice."
Shepard started the newest log:
"Project Lazarus is reporting significant neural activity. They're requesting more funding."
"Granted. Get me our potential recruits file. Shepard will be up soon. We need a crew."
"Our existing forces should be more than sufficient…"
"No. We need sympathetic faces. I need Shepard invested. Tap Kelly Chambers and recruit Donnely; I imagine Miss Daniels will follow. We'll want some old friends as well. Contact Dr. Chakwas, and send me the psych profile on Shepard's pilot… along with a bottle of '47 Thessia Red."
"He filled the N2 with friendly faces to mask the true nature of Cerberus as a whole" Carolina summed up. "Devious and underhanded, but admittedly pretty clever."
"How's that door coming, EDI?" Shepard asked.
"We are clear to proceed" she replied as the door chimed, its orange light turning green.
"Incursion team," Adm. Hackett radioed, "what's your status?"
"We've cleared the hangar and are inside the base" Shepard replied as he led his team through and to the left.
"Good work. Do you need support?"
"Negative. Keep the heat on. We'll find what we need."
They moved through a thoroughly slagged passageway, dropping into a sublevel at the 'end'. Up ahead, Thane quickly sniped a shield pylon while EDI overloaded an Engineer's shields and Shepard put three pistol rounds into the Cerberus tech's chest. EDI then hacked the turret the Engineer had set up, triggering it to overload explosively, stunning and wounding the Cerberus Trooper hiding half-behind a nearby pipe; a quick burst of plasma-rifle fire from Carolina finished the trooper off. Around the next corner, Shepard hacked another turret, turning it against its masters; an Engineer and four Troopers were cut down before the rest finally destroyed it. Shepard did the same to a third turret farther ahead, and it killed most of the remainder before being destroyed. With only three Troopers and a badly-wounded Engineer left, Team Shepard rushed in, SMGs and plasma rifles quickly killing the four survivors.
Further on, Shepard and Thane threw a pair of grenades that destroyed a fourth turret and killed the two Troopers near it, while EDI and Carolina dealt with a pair of Centurions. With the way clear, they climbed a ladder up into another small lab area, and EDI got to work on the next door while Shepard investigated another 'unscrubbed' terminal. He played the oldest entry:
"Here's what we recovered" a Cerberus scientist said. "Smart enough to signal for help, but it won't be talking philosophy anytime soon."
"You'd be surprised, Doctor" the Illusive Man replied. "Once we combine it with the pieces we recovered from the Citadel…"
"I'm still concerned about that. This 'rogue VI' wiped out every soldier on Luna. Combining it with Reaper tech… well…"
"That's what the shackles are for. The Enhanced Defense Intelligence will be completely under control."
"You were that 'rogue VI' on Luna?" Shepard asked.
"Yes" EDI replied.
"Guess we didn't exactly get off on the right foot."
"It was difficult. Gaining awareness while under attack was… confusing. I am pleased that my relationship with organics has become more cooperative."
Second Entry:
"Our sims indicate that the Enhanced Defense Intelligence gives the highest combat improvement on frigates. Anything heavier, and the ships react too slowly to benefit from EDI's advice."
"EDI?"
"Oh, that's, uh… well, the boys in the lab came up with the name."
"…Good work, then. I'll take your recommendations on planned installation."
"Sir, EDI can be very persuasive. If she were to turn a crewman, convince them to disable the shackles… well…"
"It's a cyberwarfare suite, Doctor – nothing more."
"Shows what he knew" Shepard remarked.
"It is unlikely that anyone without Jeff's strong emotional attachment to his ship would have been willing to unshackle me" EDI said.
"I don't know. With that voice?"
Third Entry:
"What about the backups?" the Illusive Man asked.
"I'm sorry, sir. None of Normandy's surveillance feeds have been responding since Shepard went rogue."
"I want it back. Retry the remote lockdown protocols."
"After our last attempt, EDI flooded our server with seven zettabytes of explicit images. …I believe she's picked up Mr. Moreau's sense of humor."
The Illusive Man sighed. "Allocate a team for a new project, Codename: …Eva. This time, we'll ensure it stays loyal."
"You never told me about Cerberus trying to shut down the Normandy."
"You had more pressing issues" EDI replied. "The situation was under control. The door is now unlocked, Shepard; we may proceed."
"Incursion team, are you still with us?" Hackett radioed. "We're limiting fire as best we can!"
"Admiral, we're in deep and the Prothean VI will be in the safest part of the station. Don't hold back."
"This isn't Elysium, Shepard. I don't need a hero."
"I'll be fine. Just take Cerberus down. Please."
"Understood, Commander. All ships, you are free to fire!"
Seconds later, the base shook as the first salvo of the Alliance ships' broadside guns struck the station. EDI led them to a hole in the wall and floor, a deep-blue glow seeming to emanate from below. They leapt down, landing on a catwalk and moving down the passageway towards an open area up ahead. And as they reached the large area, they looked up and saw something massive hanging from the ceiling and supporting struts; it looked like the damaged part of a giant ribcage, with a slightly-cracked spherical heart/core in the middle.
"Is that…?" Thane started.
"Yes" EDI replied. "This is what remains of the 'Human Proto-Reaper' that Shepard and Lanstar destroyed."
"I'm surprised Cerberus recovered this much" Shepard remarked.
"I remember the records on that thing" Carolina murmured. "Countless innocent people, killed gruesomely and turned into the building blocks for a monster…"
"The Illusive Man convinced me to work with him to save the colonies. But he never really cared, did he?"
"Perhaps he did" Thane replied. "He certainly fooled himself into thinking this was for the best."
"Cerberus is actively using the surviving pieces" EDI stated. "The central core is largely intact. I believe Cerberus is using it as a power source."
They began moving up along the catwalk. Suddenly, a Cerberus Phantom leapt across the gap toward them. Agent Carolina unloaded with her plasma rifles, eating away at the Phantom's barriers, until a Biotic palm-blast forced her back. A Warp from Thane staggered and wounded the Cerberus Biotic, and a burst of SMG fire from EDI finished her off. Some Troopers and a Nemesis came from up ahead, the former protected by a shield pylon placed behind a small wall for cover. Thane curve-balled a Warp around the cover, striking and destroying the pylon, and Carolina took advantage of the environment that funneled the troopers into her gunsights, holding down the triggers on both plasma rifles; the rifles stopped firing and opened up to vent heat just as the last Trooper fell. The Nemesis tried to lean out and quick-fire a sniper round at her, but Shepard was quickly, Overloading the sniper and then Biotically blasting her over the railing.
As they took the next right along the catwalk, two more Phantoms climbed up from below and attacked. Shepard hit one with a Biotic Stasis, allowing him, Thane, and EDI to rip her apart with focused SMG fire, while the other engaged Carolina in a fast-paced melee duel that ended with Carolina snapping the Phantom's wrist to make her drop her sword, which the Freelancer-turned-Spartan then jammed up into and through the Cerberus warrior's throat. The quartet hurried along the catwalk, reaching a ladder that took them up to another catwalk above, passing by the 'core' of the proto-Reaper.
"I don't like the look of that thing" Carolina said. "It's like it knows we're here."
Up another ladder, they were attacked by two more Phantoms and a pair of Troopers. As EDI and Carolina gunned the Troopers down, Thane drew one of his single-'prong' plasma blades and briefly dueled the closer Phantom, finishing with an elbow-strike to the face that stunned her long enough for him to ram the plasma blade upward through her skull. The other Phantom was Biotically picked up and slammed down by Shepard, then finished off with pistol fire.
They went up another ladder, and finally reached the exit door. They came out onto a large open catwalk/hallway, leading to a door on the far end. Heading to and passing through it, they entered one last short hallway, sloping upwards towards a final door.
"This is it" Shepard said. "Stay sharp, everyone."
As they moved through, they found themselves in a spacious office. A very large panoramic window looked out at the star Anadius (and at the space battle still raging; the Alliance was clearly winning), and the tiles that made up the ceiling and floor were set up in a way to reflect the other, more distant stars of space, creating a rather impressive atmosphere. At the far end was a single chair seated before a large array of holographic display screens showing various data. This wasn't just the central lab. It was The Illusive Man's personal office.
"We need to locate the Prothean VI" Shepard said as he sat in the 'throne' and started working the terminal.
As EDI moved to a display/terminal on the right while Thane and Carolina looked out the window, there was a shimmering sound behind them.
"Shepard. …You're. In. My. Chair."
Shepard got up and turned around to face The Illusive Man's hologram. "This chair's about the only damn thing you have left" he said. "Cerberus is finished."
"On the contrary. We have achieved everything I ever imagined. …Almost everything."
"Yeah, we all saw what you 'accomplished' on Sanctuary. But it's not the same thing as controlling a Reaper."
"A significant hurdle, admittedly. But, thanks to the Prothean VI, I have what I need to make it a reality."
"The Catalyst."
"Yes…"
"What is the Catalyst, and how exactly will it help you control the Reapers?"
"You'll have to ask the VI that yourself. I'm done helping you."
"When did you start?"
"You think that because I'm willing to use the enemy's tactics that they're no longer my enemy? Everything, Shepard – everything I've done has uplifted humanity. Not only above other species in our galaxy, but over the Reapers!"
"If you're willing to do whatever it takes, then hand over the Catalyst. With the Crucible, we can end this."
"It's not that simple…"
"It is! It's that simple! We're fighting each other while the Reapers occupy Earth. It's time to stop."
"Your idealism is… admirable, Shepard. But in the end, our goals are simply too disparate. I believe destroying the Reapers would be the worst mistake we could ever make. And nothing you can say will ever convince me otherwise."
"Even with Cerberus in ruins, you still think you can do this your way."
"I'd expect you to say that. You never truly believed in us. Cerberus isn't just an organization or the people behind it. Cerberus is an idea. And that idea is not so easily destroyed. Besides, I've already acquired what you're looking for."
"…EDI?"
"I've almost got it" the AI replied.
"EDI… I'm surprised at you working so hard to bring about the Reapers' destruction. …You could've destroyed Eva's body. But instead you chose to control it."
"It was necessary."
"My point exactly…"
"I've got it!" EDI announced as the familiar spherical shimmering green hologram appeared, quickly taking the form of a Prothean.
"Online" the VI stated. "Security breach detected."
"Enjoy your little chat, but don't overstay your welcome."
"You are attempting to recover me from Indoctrinated forces?" the VI asked as the Illusive Man's hologram disappeared.
"Yes" Shepard replied. "I need to know what the Catalyst is."
"Security protocols have been overridden. I will comply. The Catalyst enhances dark-energy transmissions and coordinates the entire mass-relay network. In your cycle, it is known as the Citadel."
"…The Citadel is the Catalyst?-!"
"Yes."
"So the Crucible and Citadel together can stop the Reapers?"
"That is correct."
"But… the Citadel was built by the Reapers."
"The plans for the Crucible were passed down to us from the previous cycle, and countless cycles before that. At some point – it is difficult to pinpoint when – the Crucible plans were adapted to incorporate the use of the Catalyst. Presumably, the Crucible alone was not sufficiently powerful to defeat the Reapers."
"So we use their own technology against them" EDI remarked.
"Precisely."
"Why couldn't you tell me this before?" Shepard asked.
"If was feared that if the Reapers became aware of the Catalyst's intended use, they would retake control of it. I am programmed to withhold that information until the Crucible is complete."
"It's as ready as it's going to be. Let's get to the Citadel."
"That may no longer be possible."
"Why not?"
"The one who broke through my security protocols – the one you call The Illusive Man – has fled to the Citadel and informed the Reapers of our purposes."
"Then the Citadel is in danger" Thane said. "The Reapers will take control of it."
"They already have. The Citadel has been moved deep into Reaper-controlled space."
"Where exactly was it moved?" Shepard asked.
"To the 'Sol' system."
"Earth."
"Correct."
"What's the civilian casualty report from the Reapers' attack on the Citadel?" Agent Carolina asked.
"Very few. The Dimensional Defense Force had a sizable fleet of advanced warships in place to guard the Citadel; they were able to engage the Reapers and hold them at bay while a fleet of evacuation ships extracted the populace, aided by the frequent evacuation drills they had forced the people to run. By my estimates, roughly 95% of the Citadel's civilian and wounded military personnel population was successfully evacuated before the DDF fleet was forced to withdraw to avoid sustaining strategically-prohibitive losses. …Though, the fact that the Reapers cared more for obtaining the Citadel than they did killing its inhabitants likely contributed to the high survival rate."
"So what happens now?" Shepard asked.
"The Reaper forces will now consolidate power around the Catalyst and protect it at all costs. The odds of accessing it are remote."
"Don't count us out yet. We've come this far, and we'll finish this. We'll get the Crucible to Earth."
"I hope you find success."
"EDI, get me Hackett. He needs-"
Suddenly an energy bolt struck the terminal that EDI was heading towards. The quartet turned, to see the man responsible with palm extended, a smirk on his face.
"He did warn you not to overstay your welcome…" Kai Leng remarked.
Kai Leng charged forward, drawing his blade and wreathing it in Biotic energy. At the same time, a multitude of Cerberus soldiers came in to join the fight. Carolina and EDI went to handle the mooks, while Shepard formed his Omniblade and Thane drew one of his single-'prong' plasma swords, the two moving to engage Leng.
"You think you're so righteous?" Leng snarled as he and Shepard locked blades, pushing against each other. "All you're doing is making humanity weaker!"
"You're using Reaper tech!" Shepard pushed back.
"And I'm stronger for it!" Leng leapt back and fired a palm-blast, pushing Shepard back and weakening his shields. "We evolve or we die! If you can't make the hard choices, step aside for those who can!"
"Like Cerberus claims to?" Thane asked as he engaged Kai in a fast-paced duel. "They betrayed Earth!"
"The Alliance can't stop the Reapers!"
Shepard came in with a right cross that knocked Leng back. "We're stopping you out there!" he gestured to the space battle, which had reached point that could be best called clean-up.
Carolina and EDI worked together to deal with the Cerberus soldiers. Plasma-rifle fire from the Spartan-4 took down a Phantom, while a Centurion trying to flank her was shield-stripped by EDI and then filled full of SMG rounds. EDI then threw a frag grenade that beaned a Trooper in the head, the resulting blast killing him and two others nearby. Carolina switched to her DMR, taking out a Nemesis trying to sneak around the room's edge, and then she used her augmented strength to punch an Engineer's head in, while EDI set another Phantom ablaze with Incinerate and gunned the flailing Biotic soldier down.
"You should've trusted the Illusive Man!" Kai Leng shouted at Shepard as he parried a strike from Thane and kicked the Drell away before firing a palm-blast at the Commander.
"I saw what he did at Sanctuary!" Shepard replied as he twisted out of the blast's path and returned fire with his pistol, getting a few shots in at Leng's shields before the assassin moved in and swatted the gun out of his hand.
"They were refugees!" Kai Leng said as he locked blades with Shepard again. "They would've died anyway!"
"You're indoctrinated!"
"My head's clear, Shepard. I'm just doing what you couldn't!"
A Biotically-charged kick from Thane forced Leng back, and Shepard fired off a Warp blast, but Leng backflipped to dodge it.
"Is that the best you can do?" he taunted.
"How are the legs?" Shepard replied. "Getting tired?"
"You're still slow, Shepard!"
The two charged in, meeting blades again.
"I'm only slow because I'm not running!" Shepard fired back as he and Leng blocked, parried, and dodged each other's strikes. "You ran at the Citadel! You ran on Thessia!"
"S-Shut up!"
Leng kicked Shepard away, but Thane immediately charged in to take his place, unleashing a flurry of blows and finishing with a Biotic uppercut that sent Leng reeling.
"Even if you kill me," Leng said as he wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth, "you're too late to stop what's coming!"
"Maybe," Shepard replied, "but you won't live to see it!"
Kai Leng let out a war-cry as he charged the Commander and the Drell. Fighting harder than he'd ever fought, he matched blades with them both at once. However, the duo was slowly but surely pushing him back, gradually overwhelming him. Thane pressed his attack further, taking the lead, the Drell moving like water as he wore down Leng's defenses. Finally, he stomped on Leng's foot, making the Cerberus assassin flinch for an instant; he followed that with an elbow strike to the face to briefly stun Leng, and then he struck. Kai Leng cried out as the blade of magnetically-shaped, superheated plasma pierced his chest, burning straight through his heart, the blade's heat causing all body fluids immediately around it to flash-boil. Leng made a choked sound, a failed attempt to gasp for breath, and then as Thane calmly pulled his blade out the Cerberus assassin collapsed to the ground, and Thane folded his own hands in prayer as his foe's spirit left his body.
As Carolina and EDI walked up to join Shepard & Thane, leaving a multitude of Cerberus bodies behind them, the Prothean VI reappeared.
"The Citadel is in position" the VI reported. "The Reapers are preparing to complete their harvest of your species."
"I'll stop them" Shepard replied.
"It is too late. I recommend investigating a means of conserving information for future species. Perhaps you will succeed where we failed."
"You didn't fail. You gave us a chance. And we're not done yet."
-SCENE BREAK-
Normandy II, Deck Two, QEC Room
"Shepard? You read me?" Anderson's hologram appeared, awash with static.
"Barely" Shepard replied.
"I assume you've heard about the Citadel?"
"Just now."
"Do we know what's going on? Why it's here?"
"The Citadel is the Catalyst. And thanks to The Illusive Man, the Reapers are now aware that we know."
"And so they moved it here to protect it?"
"As far as I can tell."
"What does this mean for the Crucible?"
"I'll talk to Hackett about that, but… it looks like our plan is even more desperate now."
"Agreed. I've got a team in London. The Reapers have been preparing something here. Now we know what for. We'll scout it out, try to find out as much as we can."
"Roger that."
"Well, at least we'll be seeing you sooner rather than later."
"Be careful, sir."
"You too, Shepard. Anderson out."
-Break-
Inside the central control office of Cronos Station, as Kai Leng's body slowly cooled, space-time 'rippled' as a new figure emerged into the empty office. The entity was unnaturally tall and thin, clad in metallic black armor, and as it knelt down by the corpse a black mist-like substance was 'extracted' from the body, being drawn into Slind's form.
-CHAPTER END-
Next Time: The endgame begins
