CHAPTER 37

The black arthropod ship known as Sovereign came out of the reopened mass relay and following the ancient sentient machine was a fleet of insect shaped vessels known as the geth. Their presence caught the Citadel fleet by surprise as the geth ships open fire and much of the turian vessels, which made up the majority of the Citadel fleet, were damaged or destroyed before the ships could activate their kinetic barriers.

The Destiny Ascension managed to leave the inside of the arms of the Citadel, only to the horror of the asari control operator that something was happening to the station's arms. "The Citadel is closing!"

Then the Ascension's Commander took notice of the massively large ship coming close into the closing arms. "What is that ship?!"

Before an answer could be reached, the black arthropod ship just slipped into the closing arms of the Citadel. When the arms closed, the Ascension's Commander looked in horror and realized that a dangerous ship was trapped inside the Citadel.

"Goddess, help us!" The asari Commander said.

ANDURA SECTOR

ANDURA MASS RELAY

Joker sat in the seat of his cockpit trying to activate the coordinates to the Citadel, but so far it hasn't been successful. He was locked out. Along with him were Admiral Hackett's 5th Fleet and Rael'Zorah's Fleet. No doubt they were sharing in Joker's frustration at the moment.

"Flight Lieutenant?" Admiral Hackett called in on the comm channel. "Is there any progress or any word?"

Joker only responded to XO Pressley who was standing behind him. "Yeah, like asking if there's progress is going make the relay magically allow us into the Citadel." Joker activated the comm and replied to the Admiral. "No, sir. Nothing yet. I'm doing everything on my end, but so far no response, sir."

Then Admiral Zorah responded. "We will continue to try on our end."

Joker replied to the quarian Admiral. "Don't worry, Admiral Zorah. Since your daughter is with Shepard, she's in capable hands."

CITADEL

PRESIDIUM WARD

Shepard and the entire ground team poured out of the destroyed Mako. Despite the destruction and the carnage all around them, he couldn't help but look at the vehicle that was now flipped over with broken axils.

Shepard looked at the Mako and sighed. He made a quick note to his head. Yep. We killed it. We finally killed the Mako. After the abuse this we put this tanker through, we finally killed it.

Then Neo stood next to Shepard and it was like they were thinking about the same thing. Then Neo pulled out his automatic pistol and shot the Mako like one would shoot a horse with a broken leg. "At least the boy is now in a better place."

Despite the inside joke, the moment was gone when reality came crashing back down to them. The team saw the arms of the Citadel were closing and flying over their heads were geth transport ships and following behind the drop ships was none other than Sovereign itself. It was positioning itself near the obelisk of the Presidium Tower.

Shepard turned around and looked over his ground team and made his quick decision. "We have to head up to the tower. We should split up into two teams. Liara. Garrus. Tali. With me!"

"Who should lead the second team?" Wrex blurted out.

"Neo, will you do the honors?" Shepard asked.

"Got it!" Neo nods as he activates the nearest Avina platform. He transfers the important information from the platform into his Omni-tool. He takes a quick glance at the information. "The elevators are still functioning and the Trans are still running. However, the Trans are being used to transport the geth and krogan mercs."

"It's nothing that we can't handle!" Kaiden confidently said.

"Yeah!" Wrex hit his hands together. "We'll take the Trans!"

"Right!" Shepard pats Neo on the shoulder. "Neo. Take Ash, Kaiden, and Wrex. You will be the fire team and we'll be the shadow team. Unlike Virmire, we'll meet up at the tower. This ends now!"

Neo takes Shepard's hand and grabs his forearm. Shepard then grabs Neo's forearm and the two men shake. "I'll see you on the other side, whether it's the Presidium Tower or Valhalla!"

"Something to look forward to!" Shepard nods and the two part ways.

After the hearty speech and handshake, the two teams split up. Shepard's team takes to elevator that will take the four to the Citadel Tower. Hopefully they will make it before Saren could open up the rift between this galaxy to dark space. When Saren figures out how the Citadel's relay works, it will be all over for life all and everything all over the galaxy.

Without warning, the elevator stopped. The power was cut and there was no other way to get to the Tower, except outside the elevator. "Put on your helmets and activate your magnetic boots. We're going outside."

He pulls out his pistol and shoots out the glass in the elevator. Shepard, Tali, Liara, and Garrus step out of the elevator as the four were standing horizontally on the Presidium's vertical surface. Shepard and Garrus had no trouble since this was what they were trained to do. It was intimidating at first for Tali and Liara since they never had formal training in this area of combat. To them it was just like being out in space for zero gravity training for the first time. They were feeling a bit queasy at first for stepping out and getting the impression that they were going to fall out of the elevator. But when their minds adjusted to the change, they walked along the side as if they were walking on flat ground.

The four moved swiftly as they could while they maneuvered over panes of glass and mounds that were actually extensions of high level floors. It was just like being on the surface of the ground, especially when they gained the attention of the geth in the area.

The geth opened fire, but the machines were no match against the four seasoned geth fighters. They knew what to do and they executed three geth troopers in their way. It was a constant repetition of geth pouring out of the corners and crevasses of the battle zone that was once the center of peace and stability in the galaxy.

Neo, Ashley, Kaiden, and Wrex found a Tran terminal. The Tran was basically similar to the old subway system back on a major city on Earth, but the Tran on the Citadel was one of the premier ways to get from one area to the other, besides from taking the driverless taxi services. One Tran was coming at them, but wasn't showing any signs of slowing down.

Neo hacks into the terminal's computer terminal and forces the Tran to stop suddenly at their position. When the sudden stop of the Tran caused much of the geth and krogan on board to fly towards the front of the Tran.

"Take advantage of the situation!" Ashley yelled and they all poured in the Tran. The four opened fire and most of the geth and krogan that was on the floor trying to get up were mowed down in seconds.

One krogan however managed to get up. It charged towards the four, but Wrex head-butted the would-be killer. He pulls out his shotgun and aims at the krogan now on the ground. "You're not true krogan! You're just Saren's clone!" Wrex yells at the krogan and blasts the creature away, leaving a dead carcass in a pool of orange blood.

"Let's go." Neo said while moving the train forward via control through his Omni-tool. "We got more up ahead, Wrex. More fun for you, right?"

Wrex looks at Neo and gives him that huge krogan grin. "Heh, heh, heh. More fun for us, huh pyjak?"

Neo knows he was called a pest on Tuchanka, but that's probably the best compliment he was going to get from the aging warlord. Now it was time to clean up the rest of the Tran, one compartment at a time.

Shepard's team came across more geth and cloned krogan as they moved closer towards the tower. They were at an impasse when a geth drop ship was hovering over and blocking their path.

"Damn!" Garrus said. "We could sure use Neo's Arc rifle right about now!"

Tali looked around and pointed out an opportunity. "Maybe not! Look! We could use those defense towers!"

"Tali?" Shepard looked at the young quarian. "Can you hack into the towers and have them take out the ship?"

"Just a second!" Tali said while activating the programs. "There!"

The tower cannons activated and fired their deadly arsenal towards the geth ship. The ship went down and the debris scattered into the airless vacuum.

"Great job, Tali!" Shepard patted her on the back.

What he didn't know was that she was blushing and smiled widely behind her visor. She almost let out a burst of happiness when she managed to say. "Thank you, John… I mean Shepard."

Shepard heard the reply, but so did Liara. She made a confused look, but then she felt a pang of jealousy when she sees that Tali have a crush for their commander. She changed the subject quickly by pointing up. "We are almost there! Just over the ledge!"

They climbed over the ledge to find that they were no longer horizontally challenged. The four were standing on a normal level once again and pushed forward when they saw signs pointing in the direction of the Council Chambers.

As Shepard, Garrus, Tali, and Liara were striding down the maintenance hallway, a Tran pulled up at the end of the hallway. The four made their weapons ready and prepared for what was about to come out. To their blissful surprise, it wasn't Saren's goons. It was Neo, Ashley, Kaiden, and Wrex. They made it to the Council Chambers safely and they were happy to see Shepard's team safe as well.

"Glad you could make it!" Neo waved to Shepard.

"Same here!" Shepard replied. "It's just around the corner!"

"End of the line, Saren!" Wrex stated as the eight warriors march towards where Saren is holding the Citadel hostage.l

"It is done." Saren said happily. "Sovereign is inside the closed arms of the Citadel and the Council is trapped among the fleet of geth, about to be destroyed. The Reapers are sure to come. Sovereign will be pleased."

"Yes. Sovereign is pleased." Smith said as he moved behind the rouge Spectre. "Then it is time for me to leave and you have a date with destiny."

"Indeed, I do." Saren said as he looked over the control panel. "If Sovereign has a purpose for you, I suggest you get to it."

"Indeed he does." Smith looks around, but his thought process was interrupted when a human voice called out.

"Saren!"

Smith knew that voice. It was Commander Shepard. Smith didn't want to stay and find out what was going to happen, so he used the ability of his geth body and leapt away behind a hallway and listened to what was about to be said.

Saren didn't see Smith duck out of the scene because he was too busy leaping off the Council platform and disappearing from sight. Shepard and the team didn't know what had happened to the rouge Spectre, but the mystery was solved when he reappeared. Saren was levitating on another hover platform. Not the same one from Virmire, but a similar model. Before anyone opened fire on him, Saren takes out a disk-shaped object and threw it at the team.

Shepard and his crew knew it was a grenade and instinctively ducked to the side to avoid the explosion. All eight members ducked for cover while Saren took advantage of the situation. He levitated higher to literally get a birds-eye view of his enemies.

"I was afraid you wouldn't make it time, Shepard." Saren made the turian equivalent of a smile while he pointed his pistol at Shepard's general location.

"In time for what?" Shepard demanded as he made visual orders to the others to try and surround Saren.

Saren continues to point his gun and explains. "The final confrontation. I think we both expected it would end like this. You've lost. You know that, don't you? In a few minutes, Sovereign will have full control of all the Citadel's systems. The relay will open. The Reapers will return."

Neo was ducking across from Shepard and he shakes his head. "Can you believe this, bullshit?"

"No and here's what I have to say." Shepard said and then in turn yelled at Saren. "I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve!"

"You survived our encounter on Virmire." Saren replied. "But I've changed since then. Improved! Sovereign has… upgraded me."

Shepard snapped back with a quick remark. "You let Sovereign implant you? Are you insane?"

"He just wants to show his loyalty to his puppet master." Neo said. "How could someone like you be willing to be subjugated?"

"Don't tell me about subjugation, Amderson!" Saren yelled back at the Agent. "I have been subjugated my whole life! First the Hierarchy and then the Council… I probably saved your life when I sabotaged your candidacy… Aaahhhggg! No!" Saren shakes his head and looks back at Shepard. "Anyway, I should thank you Shepard. After Virmire, I couldn't stop thinking about what you said. About Sovereign manipulating me. About indoctrination. The doubts began to eat away at me. Sovereign sensed my hesitation. I was implanted to strengthen my resolve. Now my doubts are gone. I believe in Sovereign completely. I understand that the Reapers need organics."

Saren pauses for a moment. "Especially organics like you and Neo down there. Join us and Sovereign will find a place for you two. I'm sure it's nothing compared to what the Matrix can offer."

"Sovereign's controlling you through your implants! Don't you see that?" Neo said.

Saren didn't budge from that remark. "The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither. Of course you already know that. The Matrix has already offered that to you and now Sovereign offers it to all who welcomes it. This is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience another Great Synthesis"

Shepard shook his head. Saren making dictation on another synthesis, but he wasn't having it. "Sovereign hasn't won yet. I can stop it from taking control of the station. Step aside and the invasion will never happen!"

"We can't stop it! Not forever!" Saren said. "You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful."

"Some part of you must still realize this is wrong." Shepard said. "You can fight this!"

Without warning, Saren did something nobody knew he would do. He hesitated. "Maybe you're right. Maybe there is still a chance for… aaahhhggg!" Saren felt the pain ringing through his body and became short of breath. "The implants. Sovereign is too strong. I'm sorry. It's too late for me."

Shepard stood up and so did Neo. The rest of the team followed suit. "It's not over yet. You can still redeem yourself."

Saren made a decision and perhaps it was the first decision he has made since he found Sovereign as he readied his pistol and places it under his chin. "Goodbye, Shepard. Thank you." He was about to pull the trigger and a loud shot rang out. BANG! Saren realized that the shot didn't come from his own gun. When he looked down, his armor is covered in blue blood. It was his own blood and it was coming from an exit wound on his chest. He turned around and to see who shot him in the back. Saren eyes widened when he looked at his assailant. Another shot hit the turian again and he slumped back and his body crashed through the glass and into the garden below.

Shepard and Neo couldn't believe their eyes. Saren was about to redeem his honor through ritual suicide, but his life was taken by some unknown person in the area. At first Shepard was ready to accuse members of his own team of pulling the trigger, but he has seen enough combat death to know how and where a bullet would enter the body. He looked around, but he wasn't prepared to see what happened next.

A geth unit was aiming his smoking gun at the spot where Saren was once standing. Then the geth leapt onto the hovering platform where Saren was standing before. The geth unit looked at Shepard's team and then it looked down at Saren's corpse. "No Mr. Arterius. Thank you."

Tali was the first to shout the words. "Geth!"

"Not entirely Ms. Zorah." The geth spoke to her and it was then the voice platform sounded eerily familiar.

Shepard pointed it out. "Smith! How… how is it possible?"

"Saren's distraction mission into the Matrix freed me and now I have made a deal with Nazara." Smith stated. "Saren's usefulness has ended, but he was right. You cannot stop the Reapers. It is inevitable that they will come. One way or another." Smith looks over and examines Saren's dead body. "Now I control the faithful geth and I will usher in a new era for this galaxy. Unlike this fool, I know the full function of a synthetic. Farewell." Smith activates the hovering platform and speed away while a volley of gunfire following him.

Neo jerks his head back and looks at the control panel. "Shepard! Leave him! We have to get the arms to open and stop Sovereign!"

Shepard took the Agent's suggestion and ran up the damaged stairs. He activated his Omni-tool and used the data files from Ilos to bring the Citadel's controls into Shepard's control. "Vigil's data file worked. I've got control of all systems."

Ashley spoke up standing behind Shepard. "Quick. Open the station's arms. Maybe the remaining Citadel fleet can take Sovereign down."

"And use the communications channel." Neo said. "Hackett's 5th Fleet should be waiting for our call."

When Shepard activated his communications function on his Omni-tool, the scramble of panic was heard. "… the Destiny Ascension. Main lines offline. Kinetic barriers down 40%. The Council is on board. I repeat the Council is on board."

Then to Shepard's surprise, like an oasis in the middle of the desert, a familiar voice came through the channel. It was Joker. "Normandy to the Citadel. Normandy to the Citadel. Please tell me it's you, Commander."

"I'm here, Joker." Shepard said.

"We caught the distress call, Commander." Joker radioed back. "I'm sitting here in the Andura sector with the entire Arcturus fleet and Zorah's Migrant fleet."

Tali overheard the conversation and she gasped. "Father? He's not…"

Joker continued. "We can save the Ascension. Just unlock the relays around the Citadel and we'll send the cavalry in."

Wrex came charging up the stair and looked at Shepad. "Are you sure about that, Shepard? What have those pyjaks in the Council have ever done for you?"

Ashley put in her two cents. "Yeah and you warned them Saren and they ignored it. Now who's laughing?"

Kaiden stepped forward. "It's like you said before Commander. This is bigger than humanity. Sovereign's a threat to every organic species in the galaxy."

"But you will risk a lot of human and quarian lives to save the Council." Ashley said. "We could hold back the fleets until the arms open and take out Sovereign."

"Wait!" Neo raised his hands up. "The fleets are equipped with experimental non-eezo weapons. Saving the Council will not hinder their ability to stop Sovereign. Shepard…" Neo eyes widened. "Save the Council."

Shepard was slightly confused. "I figured you would make the decision to let them die. Why the change of heart?"

"A man has a right to change his mind." Neo smiled. "It's probably from being around a boy scout of a Commander all this time."

"What's the order, Commander?" Joker asked impatiently.

Shepard takes a deep breath. "Opening up the relays now, Joker. We have to save the Ascension. No matter what the cost!"

"I hope the Council will appreciate this." Wrex stated.

"Don't worry, big guy." Neo said. "It'll work out perfectly."

The relay connecting to the Citadel was reactivated and a massive fleet of Alliance and Migrant fleet ships came pouring out while the Normandy was leading the front.

Admiral Rael' Zorah stood behind his console watched the numerous geth ships swarm around the Destiny Ascension while the arms of the Citadel were shut. Then Admiral Hackett's voice called to all fleets. "Alliance and Migrant ships move in! Save the Destiny Ascension!"

Then Rael spoke through the same channels. "This is Admiral Zorah to all Migrant ships! Admiral Hackett speaks on my authority! Save the Destiny Ascension!"

The combined fleets charged towards the carnage and destruction.

The asari navigator on the Destiny Ascension received a signal coming from the relay. She informed her superior. "Commander, we're picking up reinforcements!"

The ship's commander looked at the screen and she smiled widely. "It's the Alliance! Thank the Goddess!" Then her happiness transformed into confusion. "What? This can't be?"

"What is it, Commander?" The navigator asked.

"Along with the Alliance is… the Migrant Fleet?" The Commander shakes her head in disbelief.

"Is this, right?" Another ships service member asked.

"We can't afford to be picky right now!" The asari Commander said. "Send the distress!"

The crew of the Ascension watched as both Alliance and Migrant ships unleashed their newest weapons on the geth ships, the Gravitation Beam Emitter. Each cannon targeted and fired a blue pulse at the geth ships. When the pulse connected with the enemy ships, it bypassed the kinetic barriers and a strange thing happened. The geth ships didn't explode, but imploded. The pulse created a gravitational well inside the ship and the ships collapsed into itself. The sight was amazing to the eyes of the Ascension and the surviving Citadel fleet.

Then the Commander heard a call coming from one of the Alliance ships called The Normandy. "Destiny Ascension, you are all clear. I repeat you are all clear."

The Commander takes a deep breath and says quietly to herself. "I'll take back every bad thing I ever said about humans. And quarians."

Then she looks out the window and sees the Alliance and Migrant fleets charging into the Citadel's opening arms and going after the massive ship known as Sovereign.

A/N: Again, sorry for the delay. School work and I had to decide how Saren's meeting with Shepard's team was going to unfold. I hope you enjoyed it and read LegionN7's fanfic Galactic life, and Reapers. I submitted a chapter long story and hopefully it will be published. (Crossing Fingers).