At the top another door was blocking them.
"I will bypass the lock," EDI said when she made it up. "If you are interested the console nearby is still functional."
"Great… more info about how they rebuilt me…" Kat muttered and tapped some buttons to make it play.
It was the scientist and the Illusive man again.
"Here's what we uncovered. Smart enough to signal for help, but it won't be talking philosophy anytime soon." the scientist said.
"You'd be surprised, Doctor. Once we combine it with the pieces we recovered from the Citadel…"
Doctor cut him off. "I'm still concerned about that. This 'rogue VI' wiped out every soldier on Luna. Combinding it with Reaper tech… well…"
"That's what the shackles are for. The Enhanced Defense Intelligence will be completely under control." the Illusive Man assured.
Kat glanced back at EDI, who was standing behind her almost shyly. "You were the rogue VI on Luna that tried to kill me… us?" she asked, curiosity in her tone, not accusation.
"Yes," EDI said shortly. She paused before adding. "It was difficult. Gaining awareness while under attack was… confusing." She looked up at the Commander, eyes filled with guilt. "I am pleased my relationship with organics has become more cooperative." she added as Kat hit the next entry.
"Our sims indicate that the Enhanced Defense Intelligence gives the highest combat improvement on frigates." Doctor said. "Anything heavier and the ships react to slowly to benefit from EDI's advice."
"EDI?" the Illusive Man questioned.
The doctor realized his slip up and seemed embarrassed. "Oh, that's, ah… well the boys in the lab came up with the name for her." he explained.
The Illusive Man wasn't pleased. "For it… Good work, I'll take your recommendations on planned installation."
"Sir, she… it can be very persuasive. If it were to turn a crewman, convince them to disable the shackles… well…" Doctor said warily.
"It's a cyberwarfare suite, Doctor, nothing more." the Illusive Man practically snapped.
"Shows what he knew," Kat chuckled and looked at the unshackled AI.
"It is unlikely that anyone without Jeff's extreme emotional ttachment to his ship would have been willing to unshackle me." EDI defended.
"EDI, stop being defensive, I'm glad you're unshackled, you're a member of the family… our strange weird family… If no one else is restricted you shouldn't be." Kat said and nudged the robot in the side before she hit play on the last entry. Mildly she wondered why there was always three.
"What about the backups?" the Illusive Man snapped, clearly pissed.
"I'm sorry, sir. None of the Normandy's surveillance feeds have been responding since Shepard went rogue." Doctor said.
"I want it back, Retry the remote lockdown protocols." the Illusive Man ordered.
Doctor rubbed the back of his neck. "After our last ettempt, EDI flooded our server with seven zettabytes of explicit images. I think she was making a joke…"
"It doesn't make jokes, Doctor. Allocate a team for a newproject. Codename… Eva. This time, we'll ensure it stays loyal."
"You never told me Cerberus was trying to shut down the Normandy." Kat said and looked back to the AI.
"You had more pressing issues. The situation was under control." EDI said, talking about her taking care of Thane who had shifted into the third stage of Keplar not long after the Omega 4 Relay mission.
Kat changed the subject, still having a hard time talking about when Thane was dying. "Seven zettabytes?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Most of it was Jeff's." EDI said and then after a second she added "That was a—"
"A joke, I know… And thanks, EDI." she gave the AI a hug and slowly the robot returned it.
"Ah, group up time." Garrus said and hugged them both tight. "We are one big, weird family, aren't we." he said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, not let me go before I rip what is left of your mandible off." Kat growled and Garrus dropped them. "Let's finish this." she said and they went through the door and she nearly through her gun as they were blocked by yet another locked door.
"I'll get it open." EDI said and went up to it.
"Incursion team, are you still with us? We're limiting fire as best we can." Hackett called over the com.
"We're in deep and the Prothean VI will be in the safest part of the station. Don't hold back." Kat called back as she refilled on ammo from a pile of it she found in the room.
"Don't be a fool, I want everyone to come out of this one alive." Hackett protested.
"If I lived on the streets for ten years I can handle whatever your little guns can do." Kat said with a laugh. "Don't worry… I don't plan on dying on him now…" she said with a loving undertone.
Hackett was quiet for a bit. "Understood Commander, and remember we all need you. All ships, you are free to fire."
They went through the door and down the hallway, then through another door. Why did it have to be a maze? It was really starting to annoy her, but she was knocked out of her thoughts about it by the base shaking from the heavy fire outside.
"Shepard, I really hope you don't get us killed." Garrus said as they went through another door across the way.
"I've gotten us out of worse," Shepard defended and went up to another working console, curiosity killed the Kat, right?
This time the video was of the Illusive man in person and Kai Leng.
"How are you holding up?" the Illusive Man asked.
"I'm fine. Ready for action."
"Your eagerness is commendable, but the cybernetics take time to get used to, believe me. You really do remind me of Shepard."
"Shepard betrayed you!" Kai Leng spat in disgust.
"Shepard was always going to stay true to their beliefs. They are wrong, but I respect the degree of loyalty they instilled in her. Finish your therapy and put together a plan for the Citadel. Councilor Udina is… amenable."
"Yes, sir."
"Who are 'they?'" Garrus asked and Kat shook her head.
"He must of dig some real digging to find all that out… wonder if he even knows who 'they' are." she muttered and played the next entry.
It was the Illusive Man, a hologram this time, and Kai Leng again.
"I could have taken her… just like that drell weakling."
Kat gripped the console and Garrus put his hand on her shoulder to try and calm her.
"Absolutely. But the Council was your priority, not Shepard."
"Because of her, the Council is still in power!"
"Shepard is keeping the Reapers occupied while our research progresses. But as it happens, I believe you'll find your chance for a rematch. Head to Thessia, Shepard will be there soon and I want you waiting."
Kat didn't have anything to say and jammed the button for the last entry harder than it needed to be pushed.
The Illusive Man was in person again, in the same room as the first entry.
"Here it is," Kai Leng said and handed him something.
"Excellent. The Prothean VI should enable us to determine the nature of the Catalyst. Combined with the breakthrough at Sanctuary, we have everything we need. We just need to tie up a few loose ends."
"Like Shepard? She should've died on Thessia." Kai Leng sounded angry. "Should I finish her?"
"No, I'm not writing Shepard off as a total loss just yet."
Why didn't he want her dead, it didn't make any sense.
"For now, Sanctuary gave us a proof-of-concept for controlling the Reapers."
"And made it a target. Miranda Lawson…"
"Get the data from Sanctuary. If Miranda gets in your way, deal with her."
"It will be a pleasure, sir."
It made her sick, but she did see herself in Kai Leng, her old self. And like Kitty he had to be stopped.
They had to backtrack to the hallway and they found a shoot they could make it down that led to the Central Lab.
As they walked along in the blue room they all stared up at what hung above them in shock.
"What the fuck…" she muttered
"It is the human proto-Reaper you destroyed." EDI said.
"Then what the fuck is it doing here?" Shepard said, her fists clenched. "That bastard convinced me to work with him to save the colonies, but he never fucking gave a damn."
"Cerberus is actively using the surviving pieces. The central core, the heart, is largely intact. I believe Cerberus is using it for a power source." EDI informed them.
"To hell with it, I'm just going to blow it up again." Kat spat and charged up the stairs.
"More forces on route." EDI informed them.
"Roger that," Kat and Garrus said at the same time.
A phantom charged at her and she ducked to the side as it brought its sword down. It swung the sword towards her again, but stopped short as it took a shot to the head and died. "Nice one," she said to Garrus who nodded and was already on another enemy.
Slowly they made their way forward, killing any that tried to stop them. Nothing was going to stop her from getting that VI and blowing this place to pieces. They tried coming up from below on them, but it didn't work, they tried everything, and nothing was going to stop Shepard.
On the other side of the walkway was a ladder leading to the one above it and they took it.
"You get the feeling we're being watched?" Garrus said when they made it up.
"It can watch all it wants, so long as it doesn't move." Kat said without pause.
They climbed up another ladder to the top and more enemies flooded in.
First thing they did was take out the shield thing, Kat didn't give a damn for names at this point. Then they shot down the enemies from most threatening to least, leaving the troopers shaking in their boots for last.
Behind where the troops had tried to defend was another ladder and they climbed up.
"I have a great invention for the Illusive Man, elevators." Kat grumbled and Garrus laughed.
At the top was a door and they went through it and entered into a large room with a door to the far left that EDI pointed out as the way they needed to go. So that's where they went.
Through it was an errie room that was a walkway with sheer drop off on either side and dim lighting. It actually reminded her of the room in the old animated movie, "The Invincible," that lead to the console the head evil guy kept all his evil data on. Only in this room it was a door on the way end, not a console.
"This is it… stay sharp, everyone." she ordered and both of her team nodded. With that she opened the door.
Inside was a room with shiny reflective floors and ceiling. All that was in it was a circle on the ground that projected holograms, a chair, and floating monitors. The far wall was completely a window that overlooked the huge sun of the solar system and the battle that took place outside.
"Fancy," Kat muttered with jazz hands and started towards the chair. "We need to locate the Prothean VI." she said to EDI as she sat down.
EDI went over to a monitor and tapped some buttons, doing as Shepard asked.
"Shepard," the Illusive Man's voice said behind her and she snapped her head around with a glare. "You're in my chair."
"All the other ones were too high, too low, this one is just right." she said, quoting Goldie Locks.
She stood up and faced him. "This chair's about the only damn thing you have left. Cerberus is finished." she sneered.
"On the contrary, we have achieved everything I ever imagined." he corrected and took a breath through his cigarette. "Almost everything."
"Yeah," Shepard said as she moved around the chair and closer to the hologram. "We all saw what you accomplished on Sanctuary." she spat. "But it's not the same as controlling a Reaper."
"A significant hurtle, but thanks to the Prothean VI, I have what I need to make it a reality."
"The Catalyst." Kat said, hoping he'd tell them what it was. "So what is it, and how will it help you control the Reapers?"
"You'll have to ask the VI yourself. I'm done helping you." he said, very coy.
"When did you start?" Kat spat.
"You think because I'm willing to use the enemy tactics that they're no longer my enemy?" he asked. "Every, 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 everything it takes, then hand over the Catalyst. With the Crucible, we can end this." Shepard tried one last time.
"It's not that simple…" he said, trailing off.
"It is, it's that simple. We're fighting each other while the Reapers occupy Earth. It's time to stop." she snapped at him.
"Your idealism is… admirable, Shepard. Though it's not yours is it?" he said and shook his head. "But in the end, our goals are simply too disparate. I believe destroying the Reapers would be the worst mistake we could ever make." He took another breath through the cigarette. "And nothing you can say will ever convince me otherwise."
Kat gave up and dropped the act. "You are a fucking madman. I've given you every chance to listen to reason. Cerberus is done and once I blow all the reapers and your pretty base to hell I'm going to hunt down that assassin of yours and kill him, then I'm going to hunt you down and kill you." she growled at him.
"Once again you fail to recognize the truth. Cerberus isn't just an organization or the people behind it. Cerberus is an idea." Another breath through the cigarette. "That idea is not so easily destroyed. Besides, I've already acquired what you're looking for."
Shepard turned to the AI, "EDI?" she asked.
"I've almost got it." she answered with a nod.
"EDI, I'm surprised at you, working so hard to bring about the Reaper's destruction" the Illusive Man said, verbally attack her.
"Don't listen to him." Kat said reassuringly.
"You could've destroyed Eva's body, but instead, you chose to control it." he continued to push.
"It was necessary." she said simple.
"My point exactly." he said smugly.
"I've got it," she said and stepped away from the console.
The VI appeared in front of them. "Online. Security breach detected." it said.
"Enjoy your little chat, but don't overstay your welcome." the Illusive Man said and then disappeared.
"You are attempting to recover me from indoctrinated forces?" the VI asked.
"We need to know what the Catalyst is." she said, skipping its question.
"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." it told them.
"What… the Citadel…" she said, not able to believe it was right under their noses all this time.
"That is correct." he confirmed.
"So the Crucible and the Citadel together can stop the Reapers?" Kat asked to make sure.
"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 where adapted to incorporate the use of the Catalyst. Presumably, the Crucible was not sufficiently powerful to defeat the Reapers."
"So we use their own technology against them." EDI said.
"Precisely."
"Why didn't you just put it in your plans?" Shepard asked.
"It was feared that if the Reapers were aware of the Catalyst's intended use, they would take control of it. I am programmed to withhold that information until the Crucible is complete."
"It's as ready as it's gonna be. Let's get it the Citadel." Shepard said and turned to leave.
"That may no longer be possible." the VI said, stopping Shepard and making her turn back around.
"Why not?" she asked.
"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."
"Fucking madman," Kat spat.
EDI stepped in, "Then the Citadel is in danger. The Reapers will take control of it." she said.
"They already have. The Citadel has been moved to the Reaper controlled space." the VI said.
"Where exactly?" Kat demanded.
"To the system you refer to as Sol."
"Earth," Kat said and gritted her teeth.
"The Reaper forces will now consolidate power around the Catalyst and protect it at all cost. The odds of accessing it remote."
"I'm Commander fucking Shepard, I've made a living off of doing the impossible." she said fiercely.
"I hope you find success."
"EDI, get me Hackett, he needs—" she was cut off by an explosion by the monitors.
She looked at the direction it came and saw Kai Leng standing there, his hand held up and facing them.
"Not so fast," he said and It was only sheer willpower that she didn't run at him and try to rip his face off.
"You fucking bastard," she spat at him.
"He did warn you not to overstay your welcome." Kai Leng said smugly. He ran at her, stopping short and punching his hand into the ground, making it explode with a burst of biotics.
The reflective floor shattered and left only the ducts and work underneath it.
Kai Leng looked up at them with a glare behind his mast and a grin on his face. The bastard was trying to show off. He was a poor assassin, assassins were silent, not tried to be flashy like this fake.
He charged her with his sword and she blocked it with her gun. They collided and broke apart and he swung at her again, lower. She blocked and they broke apart. He came straight down at her and she stopped the blade inches from her face. He tried to force the blade down and she pushed back with her gun, sliding backwards, but refused to let the blade any closer. With a battle cry and a burst of strength she flung him off and he jumped to the other side of the room and shot a blast of biotics at her.
"Shit," she muttered and rolled to the side, flipping back onto her feet. She wished she had a pipe right now, he wasn't an enemy she wanted to fight with a gun.
Garrus and EDI tried to help, but Kai Leng sent in troops to keep them distracted.
He came at her again and this time she fought dirty. Dropping low, she swiped at his feet, but he jumped over her, just like she knew he would. She spun and grabbed his sword, pulling it away from him.
"Do you even know how to use that?" he asked as he pulled out a second blade and collided with hers.
"Never used a sword, I prefer a metal pipe." she said and pushed him of, swinging at him and he blocked.
They danced together, each spinning this way and that, always catching each other's blows. Then he started using his biotics to give him an edge and she pulled out her pistol. The dance became one that went from long range to close and back again on a dime. The song of metal colliding filled the air, then gunfire and the hum of biotics. He punched her in the side of her head and smirked, until he realized her sword was through his shoulder. They tore away and he gripped the wound, putting med-gel on it, but while he was weakened she came at him with the speed of a leopard and the brutality of a krogan, slamming the sword down at him again and again. He fell to his ass while trying to block her with his sword, but she had gotten his left arm, his sword arm, so he was clumsy and she managed to cut at his face. She ripped the sword away from him and abandoned them, instead beating him to death with her hands and feet.
When he lay on the ground, face down in his own blood, and stopped moving she backed off. Garrus and EDI had finished off the troops and Kat went and sat in the chair to recover what she could that might help them.
While Garrus and EDI had their backs turned, Kai Leng reached for his sword and used it to help get to his feet. He stumbled towards Shepard, who was staring at the monitors and typing away. He got right behind her and lifted the blade up, ready to bring it down on top of her.
She sensed him and spun around, but it was already too late. Strong hands gripped the sword from behind him and ripped it out of his grip. The same hands spun him around and forced the blade up through his gut and into his chest. "Y-you… you're dead." he sputtered out and Kat smirked.
"Technically so was I." she said and moved to stand by her lover as he dropped the wannabe assassin and he choked out his life around his own sword.
A/N: So I've been gone awhile. that happens when you work two jobs… I've been pulling in about 40 to 50 hours a week. But I got it done. It's 4 am and I have to close up the store tonight, but I got it done. Love me!
Hope you guys like that ending, been wanting to do that for so long. Review! I like reviews.
Also the not a chapter will be taken down after FF gives up this nonsense of deleting all of our hard work. And for all of you whose stories I stalk as you stalk mine, update, I'm bored and have nothing to read in the little time I do have to myself. I've just been sitting here leveling up Katida the Khajit on Skyrim (which is where Kat's name came from, they day I made my remodeled account I was uncreative and just reused it.)
Also also, yes that was a reference to the Commander Shepard theme song.