A/N: Hello there! I'm baaack! And I have for you wonderful readers the first part of the Battle of the Citadel. I promised you guys and gals a surprise last chapter, so I'm gonna let you folks get to it. Enjoy!
Mind Games
In the span of about a second, we're half way across the galaxy. The seemingly endless blue tunnel gives way to…well, not a very pleasant sight: a wall. The Mako hurtles out of the Conduit at the same speed we entered it, meaning that we start flying towards the wall at 85 mph. The results are…less than pleasant.
For some reason, we came out about twenty feet off the ground, making the resulting crash even more dramatic and painful. The Mako impacts the ground, and not even the vehicle's impressive shocks can absorb the jarring impact. My ass feels like it gets thrust up into my torso, and we haven't even rolled or hit the wall yet.
True to prediction, I can feel the Mako start turning to the side, and eventually our forward momentum sends us into a roll. It's an odd sensation, feeling gravity suddenly flip around on me. Thankfully, I strapped in when we started, so I don't go flying out of my seat, but I think I'm gonna have some bruises none the less. The Mako does about two and a half flips, ending up sliding to a stop on its roof. And by slide to a stop, I mean hit the wall. Again, my straps are the only thing keeping me from flying around the interior. I'm also glad that Ian and I remembered to strap the others in, too. That might have ended badly if we hadn't.
Once we're at a full stop, I can finally take a moment to just sit there and feel pain. Granted, I'm sitting upside down, but right now, I just want the adrenaline to wear off and my heart to slow down. I also start to feel the bruises. Yeah, I can tell I'm gonna feel awesome when this mission is over. I think I might sleep for a week…
It's just now that realize that color has returned to the world, and sounds from the others are reaching my ears. Granted, most of those sounds are groans and grunts, but still, that must mean that we're out of Death Time.
Shit, how are the others gonna react to us suddenly being on the Citadel? The last thing they knew, we were just about to start our drive to the Conduit. This might end up being an awkward conversation. "Death came along and froze time" doesn't seem like an excuse that'll fly well.
After a few more moments of sitting upside down, I unbuckle myself from my seat, falling to the ceiling of the Mako. That just seems so weird to think like that…I'm standing on the ceiling. I look over to Ian, who's also decided to get out of his seat, then into the back of the Mako. Jenny and Kaidan are still sitting upside down, strapped in their seats. Garrus is slowly trying to make his way out of the gun turret.
"Is everyone alright?" I ask, deciding that we really should start moving.
"I'm fine, if a little bruised up," Ian says.
"I'll be alright," Garrus says. "That was some fight to get here, wasn't it? And that final stretch? I've never seen so many colossi."
Hold up, what? How is Garrus remembering something that didn't happen? I glance over at Ian, head cocked just a bit, and he's giving me the same look. I just give a small nod, trying to tell him that we should just roll with it. He nods back, so I'm hoping he got it.
"I'm kind of glad I let you drive that stretch, Dylan," Jenny says, unbuckling herself. "Maybe I should have let you drive more often."
"Yeah, well, I always did love driving," I say, feeling the need to say something. This is so odd…it's like they're remembering what should have happened instead of what actually happened.
"And thanks for letting me take a break, Ian," Kaidan says, finally getting out of his seat. "I was starting to feel a migraine coming on, but I'm fine now."
"Sure, anytime, Kaidan," Ian says in the same tone that I used: That tone where you don't really know what happened, but you're just gonna play along with it anyway. I'm just glad the others haven't caught that. Still, this is weird. They should be freaking out about the fact that they're suddenly on the Citadel. The last thing they should remember is getting into the Mako after talking to Vigil. But here they are, remembering stuff that never happened.
…
Death said to let him take care of the details…
Can he actually do that? Can he put memories into people's heads? I mean…shit, I don't think there's any way to rationalize that. Though I haven't even tried to rationalize the fact that I've talked to Death, what, three times now? Four? That probably shouldn't happen on a regular basis.
Who's to say that he can't play with people's memories? For now, I'm gonna go with that explanation. But next time I see him, I'm gonna want a serious talk.
"Alright, folks, let's get moving," Jenny says, breaking me from my reverie. "Saren is on his way to the Citadel's main controls, and we need to stop him. So let's kick some ass." We all yell some kind of affirmative and get out of the Mako. That's harder than it sounds, seeing as the main exit is now facing up towards the sky, meaning we have to get it open, jump up, and finally haul ourselves out.
Outside in the Presidium, signs of fighting are everywhere. The artificial day cycle has been turned off, plunging the Presidium into a premature night. The only illumination comes from various fires that are spreading throughout the ring like, well…wildfires. I was really hoping for a better metaphor, but it's been a long day.
All of us draw our weapons and take our usual formation. Since it's a pretty safe bet that the control panel is in the council chambers (even if I didn't already know that), we head towards the elevator up. There also happens to be three Dragon's Teeth around the entrance, and they all retract when we get close. Three husks climb off of the spikes, but…well, they're husks. There are five of us and three of them. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out who won.
We crowd into the elevator, and Jenny hits the button, sending us shooting towards the top. The ride is silent, and honestly, I'm fine with that. I don't think I'm in the mood for talking.
Suddenly, the elevator slams to a halt, and we lose our footing, falling to the floor.
"Damn it, I think Saren got access to the elevator's controls," Jenny says, swearing for the first time in a while. That's usually how I know she's in a bad mood. "Good thing we're suited up. Looks like we're going outside. Oh, and don't forget your mag-boots."
After we have the mag-boots turned on, she shoots the window that looks out into the void of space. The glass shoots out, and the air in the elevator follows it as the pressurized cabin meets the vacuum of space. I feel a slight tug as the air escapes, making me glad I'm magnetically attached to the floor. Once the opening is clear, Jenny walks to the edge and looks over. A second later, she does a little hop and ends up standing on the side of the tower. She made it look so easy.
Kaidan follows her, getting outside in the same easy manner. Garrus is next, and he keeps the steak going. Now it's just Ian and me in the elevator. We both stare at each other for a few seconds before I sigh and walk forward. I'm glad that I've never really been afraid of heights…though if I don't attach to the tower, falling will be the least of my worries.
Ok, just don't think about it. And remember, as long as I'm alive, style doesn't matter. I look over the edge and slowly lift one foot. I manage to place it on the outside wall while keeping my other foot inside the elevator. It's not very comfortable, but it makes sure that I don't go flying off. With my one foot firmly secured to the outside of the tower, I lift my foot from the elevator. I manage to orient myself with the outside and place my other foot down.
I made it out.
I'm in space.
Holy crap!
My amazement is tempered by Ian joining us outside and our need to get moving.
"Remember to keep at least one foot in contact with the floor at all times," Jenny says as we start moving. "I know it's slower, but the other option is way worse." No one else says anything. We don't need to.
The next half hour is, in all honesty, very routine. The only thing different about the following firefights is the fact that they take place in zero-g. And even then, the mag-boots make it seem normal. In basically every instance, Kaidan and I would advance while Jenny, Ian, and Garrus would hang back and snipe. And I've gotta say, Kaidan's biotics came in handy a lot. Often times, all he had to do was lift an enemy and let it float away.
Now, though, we've come to a somewhat open area with three large turrets around the outer edge. Uh oh…I remember this fight being less than pleasant. Right as I think that, the dreaded geth dropship comes flying into view. It hovers over the far end of the clearing and starts dropping troops. We stand there is shock for a second, unbelieving that a dropship just appeared out of nowhere. Suddenly, Jenny looks at the turret right in front of her and runs towards it. As she starts tapping at a control panel, she speaks into the radio.
"Kaidan, get the next one," she orders. "Garrus, get the one on the end. Dylan and Ian, cover us. Let's blow this thing out of the sky!" And with that, Garrus and Kaidan set off towards their assigned turrets. Ian and I look at each other and nod, moving into cover.
Ian hangs back a little bit, naturally, while I move closer to where the geth are being dropped off. This whole area is actually pretty open, meaning I don't have a lot of cover to choose from. And even worse, most of the cover is around the edge of the area, meaning I won't be as close as I'd like. I'll probably be pushing the limits of what I'm used to with my iron sights.
I finally find a decent position and take cover. Leaning around the corner, I see four troopers spreading out from underneath the ship. One of them takes a sniper shot to the head before I can even take aim, leaving me three to choose from. I single out the one on the far left and start sending rounds downrange. At this distance, my accuracy isn't as great as what I want it to be, but I'm still getting good shots in. After about ten shots, the trooper is dead, and I shift my sights to the one that used to be in the middle. Now, it's the only one left.
I start shooting and manage to get its shields down in five shots when its head suddenly explodes. God damn it, Ian! He's always such a fucking kill stealer!
There's a small lull while the others work on hacking the guns. The geth haven't dropped anymore troopers yet, so I can take a breath. It's just now, though, that I start hearing some static. At least, I think it's static. It's almost like white noise is being sent through the radio. Before I can dwell on it any further, more geth drop out of the ship.
Again, four geth drop to the ground, and again, one is missing its head before five seconds pass. So in the interest of variety, I target the one on the right this time. Basically the same process as last time repeats. In the span of a minute or so, the four geth are gone.
Again, I start hearing the white noise again. It's almost like…I'm not really sure what it's like. I've never experienced something like this before. My musings are interrupted by the sound of three AA firing simultaneously.
"Finally," I say into the radio. "What took you guys so long?"
"Have you ever tried to hack a turret and finish at the same time as two others?" Jenny asks, jokingly.
"I can't say I have," I reply with a smile. "And I'm ok with that."
"You're just lucky I'm here, Owens."
"I've know that for quite a while. Now let's kill us some geth!"
And of course, as soon as I say this, a destroyer drops from the now-smoking ship. Why is it always a destroyer? Granted, it's not a prime, but destroyers are still bad. I don't think my ribs can take another toss. Luckily, we have three snipers, a biotic, and a soldier all focusing on that one geth. It doesn't last long.
Around the same time we kill the destroyer, the geth ship starts to fly away. The AA guns finally did their job. With that whole incident finally done, we meet up at the far end of the clearing. Now that the firefight is over, that damn sound comes back. This is starting to piss me off. I try my best to ignore it as we continue up the tower. If I remember right, we're getting close to the end.
After another short firefight, we come to a very long, rather open area. The whole stretch looks to be about 200 meters, and the side we entered is slightly above the far end. Before we continue, Jenny calls us to a stop. I think we're having the same idea.
"What do you guys think about a little sniper support?" Jenny asks.
"Dibs," Ian says. "In a straight up firefight, I'm probably the least helpful, but I'll be able to do some damage from back here." Jenny appears to think about that for a few seconds.
"Alright, that's reasonable. So you stay back here and keep the pressure on while we move up."
"Sounds good," he says. "Though can I have someone stay back with me? Just in case the geth try something."
"I'll stay with him," I say suddenly. I think I have something I need to talk to him about. That white noise is getting almost unbearable. But…it's starting to change. I'm not sure how, but it sounds different now.
"I could stay back, too," Garrus says, looking over at me. Why do I feel like he doesn't want me alone with Ian? "Then you'll have two snipers."
"But if you're both sniping, you still don't have anyone watching your backs," I point out.
"Garrus, if Ian's staying back, we'll need you up front," Jenny says. "Dylan, I'd rather you come with us, but I see your argument. Ian needs someone watching his back—meaning either you or Kaidan—and I need Kaidan with me. So keep him safe."
"Aye aye, ma'am," I say, giving a salute.
"Alright then. Good luck you two. Kaidan, Garrus, come on. We've got geth to kill." And with that, they walk off. Ian also walks off to find a sniping perch, so I follow him. After a minute, in which the noise continues, he finds a spot and sets up. I just crouch down next to him.
Soon enough, he starts shooting at targets I can't even see. We aren't speaking, but after a few minutes of hearing nothing but that fucking noise, I page him on our channel.
"Dude, I think I'm picking up some non-canon stuff," I say. "Are you hearing shit?"
"If by 'shit' you're referring to creepy whispering, then yeah, same here," he says, taking another shot. "I don't know how I've been hitting targets."
"Ok, good. I'm not going crazy." I pause, listening to the sound and trying to identify it. "What the hell is this?"
"It's fucking annoying, that's what it is," Ian says, sounding more than a little peeved. "As if sniping wasn't hard enough with decent concentration."
"It's like an earworm, but I can't even understand it. It's just kind of...there."
"Maybe it's static?" He takes his eye away from the scope and opens his omni-tool. He messes with it for a few moments before turning it off and looking at me. "My comm. channel has all the normal settings, though."
"And I haven't touched mine since leaving the Normandy," I say. "I'm just glad we're not in a firefight right now."
"Don't jinx it, I swear."
"It's not like we're not ready for a fight."
You don't have to fight.
I immediately freeze and look at Ian. "Uhh…"
"Remember when you said we weren't going crazy?" he asks. "If you just heard that, we might want to reconsider."
"Yeah...I heard that," I say. "And now I'm freaked out."
Do not be afraid.
"I think it can hear you, mate," Ian says.
And you as well.
There's a long pause. "Well. Shit. Now I'm freaked out too."
"So it's telling us not to be afraid, but it's in our heads," I say, thinking out loud. "Those two things don't seem to mix."
I am merely trying to keep you two safe.
Ian makes a pretense of looking around the burning tower. "Good job," he deadpans.
This is of your own doing. But if you heed my words, the danger you have placed yourself in will disappear.
Hold on, something seems…familiar about this voice inside my mind…Maybe Ian'll know.
"Hey Ian...does this voice sound familiar to you?"
He pauses for a second, cocking his head to the side. "Yeah. It's like...Saren. Saren has psychic powers now?" He's right! It does sound like Saren. As soon as he said that, it clicked. So what the fuck is going on?
This is just one of the benefits I have gained. Join me, and you shall receive benefits of your own.
Hold on…benefits? That's…that's…
…
Could it hurt to ask?
"Such as?" I ask, trying to put some skepticism in my voice.
Your precious Ashley Williams.
…
Wha…what? No…no, that's…he can't do that.
Can he?
"No, that's...that's impossible," I say. But…
"Uh...why would we join you, anyway?" Ian asks, pulling my thoughts back to the conversation. "You're with the Reapers."
I am with the side that will eventually win. You can be counted among the victorious...if you so choose. God, he says it with such…conviction. What if…No, stop that.
"Nice to hear you're confident, but you won't win," Ian says, defiantly. "We won't let you."
But why would you want to stop us?
"Because you're trying to kill us," I say. "And all other organic life."
Do you really believe that? I am purifying this galaxy, bringing it to its apex.
"Is that what the Reapers told the Protheans?" Ian asks, shaking his head. "I don't believe you. Prove it."
Organic life is flawed. Without us, your natural greed would have destroyed the galaxy millennia ago. His reply is instant, and…he…he seems to have a point…I mean, I've known for a while that most people suck, and it's been proven to me time and time again. When it comes right down to it, people are in it for themselves.
"I guess...that's kind of a good point," Ian says, slowly.
"And I think we've both seen just how bad organic life can be..." I say, voicing my thoughts from a moment ago.
If you assist me, the galaxy will benefit. And your rewards will be numerous. He just…maybe…he sounds so sure of himself.
There's a long pause. I don't really know what to say, and I don't think Ian does, either. Finally, he speaks up, but says his words slowly and deliberately. "What kind of rewards?"
I sense a desire in you...You keep it hidden, but it's there. If you join me, we can be together. Your friend already knows his reward. Ash…
But wait, what's this about Ian? He…no, don't think about that right now. I look over at Ian to see him looking down at the ground. "But...how could we have been lied to all this time?" he asks, sounding confused. Honestly, I'm feeling the same way.
Commander Shepard is an excellent manipulator. The fact that you are resisting her efforts shows your incredible will. Wait…Jenny's been lying to me? No. She…she wouldn't lie to me.
…
Would she?
"But...Jenny wouldn't lie to me..."
Then you are a fool. Break free and join me. He says break free…
Break free of what?
"Maybe he's right," Ian says. "The Reapers do leave some organics alive for the next cycle; they're just stopping us from destroying everything including ourselves. We should at least find out more." He stops, and his next words are addressed directly at Saren. "And when you say we can be together...?"
"And how on Earth can you promise me Ash? She..." Oh god, not now. You need to get over this, Dylan. You need to say it. You need to admit it to yourself. "She died."
The power of the Reapers is infinite. Any desire you have will be fulfilled. I…I don't think it works that way. The things he's promising are near god-like. And the Reapers are just machines.
"We need to discuss this," Ian says, sounding odd. "Face to face."
Then take the first step in joining us. Kill your companions.
"Kill them?" I ask. "I...I can't...I can't kill them. I can't kill Jenny."
"They're my friends...Garrus...he's my lover. I can explain it to him."
Oh god…why is my head starting to throb? Ugh, there's like a burning at the base of my skull, and it doesn't want to go away. Something…this isn't right.
"Ian...we gotta...we gotta stop listening to him. This ain't right."
Do not listen to him. Kill your companions, and we can be together.
"If we don't do this, we're all dead anyway, Dylan," Ian says, sounding hollow. Mindless. "We're saving them, really."
I keep trying to think straight, but the pain is spreading. It feels like my head is being squeezed by the hand of a god right now, but…but I have to fight this. This isn't right.
"No. No. Fight this, Ian. This is Garrus we're talking about. You've gotta snap out of this." Please snap out of it. I don't want this to end badly.
Do not resist. We are your only hope.
Ian just stands there. I can see his hand hovering over his pistol. I never even noticed him reaching for it. He seems frozen, and I can only hope that he's fighting this with all he can.
"Garrus... I can't hurt him," he finally says. "Please. Let me explain to them." No, he's not getting it! Can't he see what's going on? Saren's trying to indoctrinate him! Trying to indoctrinate us! But I think I'm fighting it. The pain in my head is probably Saren trying to keep his hold. Gah, this needs to end now! I take two quick strides to stand before Ian.
"Ian, snap out of it!" I yell, slapping upside the head at the same time. "Listen to what you're saying!"
"Don't touch me!" he yells, recoiling away and pulling his pistol. He's pointing it at me.
Good. Now shoot him.
Ever so slowly, I put my hands up. I really need this to work…
"Ian...Calm down, bud. You know this isn't right. You know this isn't how this is supposed to go. Think about what you're doing; think about what we know of the Reapers. You know, just as well as I do, that the Reapers control their pawns. That's all you would be: a pawn." I pause, giving the words a little time to sink in. "You're not a tool, Ian. You're a person. You're the person that Garrus loves. And you're willing to pull a gun on him. This isn't who you are, Ian. This isn't my friend; this isn't Garrus' lover. For his sake, Ian, snap out of it."
Dead silence follows my plea. The gun in his hand stays steady for about thirty seconds then starts to shake slightly. The shaking increases.
"I don't want to be a pawn..." he whispers. Yes! Now I need to drive it home.
"Then break free! I know you can do it!"
Do not listen to him. We are your only hope.
"Dylan's my friend," he says, starting to lower the gun. "You're not my only hope if you want me to kill the people I love."
Remember your rewards. We can be together for eternity.
Oh no you don't, you bastard. "Fuck him, Ian. You have Garrus. Break free for him. He still loves you. He's always loved you." Now the gun comes down all the way.
"I can't. I can't help you, Saren." Yes!
Do not resist me, Ian. I will replace that useless turian, and the rest of your days will be filled with bliss.
"Garrus isn't useless!" he says, the defiance returning to his voice. "And at least he's not trying to control me."
"So you can just fuck off," I say, adding support to Ian's denial. "We'll meet soon enough, and you're sure as hell not coming out alive."
Confidence born of ignorance. You cannot hope to defy us. Your origins change nothing: the cycle will continue. At last, he shows his true colors. The voice has shifted to Sovereign's robotic, malevolent monotone.
"Our origins obviously have you worried, Sovereign," Ian says, coming to the same conclusion I did. "Why else would you mention them?"
You think you are the first to attempt defiance? Countless races have failed before you, and countless races will fail long after you are gone. Way to dodge the question, you robotic bastard.
"But I bet none of those races had us," I say, deciding that bravado is the way to go. "You're afraid, Sovereign, and you're afraid because you're afraid. Well we'll teach you fear."
You cannot hope to defeat me. Any attempts will only hasten your own demise. When you fail, remember that you have none to blame but yourselves. This exchange is over. And in an instant, the voice and the whispering that preceded it are gone.
When the Sovereign leaves, Ian slumps down against his old cover and holds his head. "Fuck, what did I do...?" he asks, sounding dead tired. I go and slump down next to him.
"You didn't do anything," I tell him. "And thank fuck for that."
"Dylan… I'm so sorry. I should've been stronger."
"Don't worry about it, big guy. Nothing happened. We're both fine. And I'm pretty sure he mostly targeted you. I don't blame you for starting to break. I'm just glad you came back."
"Thanks," he says, sighing. "We both know he only started targeting me cos he realized I'm more susceptible. But thanks for not blaming me."
"Nothing to blame you for," I say. Then I think of something and smile behind my mask. This should be funny. "And don't worry...your secret about Saren is safe with me."
He groans and makes a motion of rubbing his temples, even though he's got a helmet on. "Good. I really don't need that getting out." He clears his throat. "And it was stupid. He dug something up that I buried when I got here."
"Ooh, so this isn't anything new?" I ask, teasingly. "I think I know why you wanted to talk about Saren when we first found out about each other."
"No, that was just because there's multiple ways to interpret his character," he says, and I can somehow hear his rolled eyes. "They don't all have to be bad." My smile just gets bigger. This is too fun.
"Whatever you've gotta tell yourself, bud. I won't judge." He turns his head to stare right at me.
"Look, he was nice looking when it was a game, but now he's actually murdering people for real, it's through." He pauses and seems to think of something. "Besides, if we get him now, the Reapers won't have anything to bait me. I'll be untouchable." I chuckle.
"I know that, big guy. I'm just giving you a hard time. That's what friends are for."
"Well, I'm sure I'll get you back when I'm not completely on the back foot," he says, getting up off the ground. "We ready to go?" I get up, too.
"I'd say so. The others are probably waiting for us."
"Then let's not keep them waiting."
A/N: And boom! I told you that I had something planned for this chapter. So yeah, there's the first of two chapters for the Citadel. Next up, well have the final confrontation: Saren. And after that, a final epilogue chapter to finish off Welcome to the Family. I can't believe it's almost done.
Anywho, I suppose that's it for this chapter. Till next time, ta ta!