Chapter 51: Stronghold


Almost every remaining vessel in the GDF was called to mass at the Jural-Kanat Alpha relay. The assault force would strike the Reaper fleet surrounding the Citadel while the landing craft dropped their troops aboard the station. The goal behind the Citadel's destruction was two-fold. The colossal relay's explosion would hopefully engulf the enemy fleet, greatly reducing their numbers and improving the GDF's chances in the long run.

The key objective, however, was to prevent the ancient starships from gaining control of the mass relay network and more importantly, the Citadel relay itself. If the Reapers gained control of the ancient gateway, they would be able to open the floodgates and hundreds of thousands more of their kind would enter the galaxy, sealing the fate of the Milky Way's inhabitants once and for all.

Reports from the geth that had been uploaded to the Citadel's computer matrices had revealed that the decision to destroy the ancient station had come none-too-soon. A group of Reapers had made it their unending task to gain control of the construct's system and were now only one day to a few hours away from achieving that end.

Ship to ship ordnance didn't possess the firepower necessary to damage, let alone destroy the ancient construct. To this end, Shepard and the Council had hand-picked teams of their best operatives to board the station, damage key structural points on the Presidium, and overload its core. Even with the best soldiers, the task would be a Herculean accomplishment. No one had ever successfully entered the Citadel core and survived. Despite hundreds of thousands of attempts and all of the curious that had managed to weasel their way into the station's depths, none had ever returned.

Resistance was expected to be heavy, not simply from the Reaper ships themselves -that issue would be addressed by the fleet- but from the civilian and military units aboard the station. By this point, any and all individuals not associated with the strike teams had to be considered hostile. The risk of allowing indoctrinated individuals into the teams was too great to treat them any other way.

According to Synn's final briefing, it was likely that the Reapers had deployed their own ground troops as well, adding to the already complicated nature of the mission. Shepard checked the slide on his X-72 "Dragon" Tactical Assault Shotgun. Satisfied that the weapon was in working order, the Spectre stowed it and looped a bandolier of grenades over his shoulder.

John watched as the rest of his team prepped. Tali made a set of adjustments to her omni tool and inserted a series of cryo-blast modules into her suit's arm pockets. Garrus twisted the caps off of his sniper scope, sighting through the device to ensure that it had no flaws. Grunt paced quietly over in the corner, occasionally jumping to keep his heart-rate elevated.

Legion, Mordin and Kasumi worked quietly in the back of the hold, prepping the team's explosive. Jacob and Jack sat a few feet from the two, silently exercising their biotics. Shepard was keenly aware of the persons missing. Miranda remained in the office, alive and cognizant, but unable to fight beyond providing logistics support. Samara would have been behind the hammerhead, focusing her own biotics to ready herself for the battle. Zaeed would have cleaned his weapons for the umpteenth time, ensuring that every mechanism was in perfect condition.

Thane. The thought of the assassin brought back painful memories of the Collector shipyard. Thane would have stood alone in the front of the cargo hold, praying to the drell's many deities.

Shepard huffed. So many had died under his watch, his orders, for his sake. Richard Jenkins, Zaeed Massani, Samara T'Roal, Ashley Williams, Thane Krios. So many lives ended because of his lack of foresight, his inability to protect them. Tali walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Somehow, she knew what was going through his mind.

"They aren't your fault, John. Let it go." Her voice was stern, assertive and still somehow soothing. "We'll reach the Citadel in thirty minutes. C'mon, it is time to pray."


Urdnot Wrex was chosen to lead Shepard's 'sister team'. The massive alien had pulled specific members from the various krogan clans, selecting them based on strength, force of will, and experience. Wrex watched as the milky blue gasses of the nebula surrounding the Citadel parted, revealing a seemingly solid black mass half as large as the station itself.

The Reaper fleet. Wrex's eyes narrowed as the memory of Sovereign filtered back. He, Shepard and Tali had torn through slews of geth and krogan alike as they fought their way up the presidium tower, watching as the Reaper dreadnaught scraped its arms along the massive ivory spire.


Shepard drew a deep breath and lifted a hand to the side of his helmet, triggering his mic's proximity sensor. He was addressing the entirety of the Normandy's crew for what well might be the final time, but he felt no apprehension. The brief prayer minutes earlier had filled him with that familiar peace, that confidence borne of knowing that he were being watched over.

"All right everyone, ETA to the Citadel is fifteen minutes, if you have anything you're doing to prepare, wrap it up." He paused for a few moments to allow the crew to finish anything they were doing. "I won't lie to you. The Omega 4 relay, Ilos, Virmire, all of those were warm ups. This mission is the kingpin of the galaxy's survival. If we let the Reapers win this fight, it's all over.

"I can't speak for all of you, but I can guess that after all we've been through and the fact that you're all still on this ship, that you haven't given up hope. Neither have I. Back during the Omega 4 mission, I told The Illusive Man that I don't put my faith in chance. That's still true. I trust in someone infinitely wiser and stronger than I am.

"We've been through hell and back and we're about to pay it another visit, so strap in people, we're taking this fight to the Reapers."

Shepard cut the comm and switched to his team freq. "We're going in heavy everyone- just like Omega 4. Each of you should have an assault rifle and double up on thermal clips. Grunt, I need you to carry our demo charge."

The massive krogan jumped once and brought his fists together with a resounding thump. "Just so long as I get to fight."

Shepard nodded. "Garrus, I want you to take one of the particle beam rifles, bring your sniper too, but I want the option to hit them with multiple heavies if it comes down to it."

"You got it!" The turian offered a sharp nod.

Shepard surveyed the room's inhabitants, checking what gear they had. "Kasumi, ever handled a sniper rifle?"

The thief spun, obviously surprised by his query. "It's been a while… …a loooong while."

"Bring one anyways, better to have it and not need it."


Hundreds of small craft blasted towards the Citadel as the main fleet advanced. Most of the diminutive ships bore few if any passengers and were piloted solely by VIs. Many of these decoy craft were sent in first, giving the Reapers something to shoot at while the genuine landing craft made their approach.

Another wave of suicide craft, also piloted by VIs, blasted directly towards the machine fleet. Few of the flying bombs actually made it to their destinations, the Reapers were quick to identify the threat and respond accordingly.

With EDI's help, Joker plotted an in-system jump to the interior of the Citadel. The entire crew waited with baited breath as the stealth frigate leapt through space, bypassing the Reaper fleet entirely. Normandy exited the jump almost as soon as it had started, coming to a violent halt directly above the Presidium tower.

The Commander could see the towering forms of Reapers seemingly planted along the inner surfaces of the wards, dwarfing all of the high rise buildings that had taken hundreds of years to construct.

Shepard waited for the bay doors to open and punched the ignition key on the M-44 Hammerhead. Garrus, Tali and Legion were crammed into the seats around him. All four of the occupants felt the vehicle shake as its engines roared, propelling it towards the ominous white tower.

Tali watched the view-screen, her eyes flitting from point to point, hastily scrambling to identify potential threats. The Hammerhead's flight smoothed out as it reached the surface of the tower. Shepard checked the craft's Ladar and saw the blips representing the Kodiak shuttles trailing closely behind. The Commander could see the objective ahead: a small, rectangular black aperture in the smooth white tower's otherwise immaculate façade.

He guided the craft into the opening and quickly scanned the area for any hostiles. Tali keyed her omni-tool, triggering an auto-targeting system she'd installed the day before. Thankfully, the Hammerhead's VI had access to the full suite of scanning tools and was able to detect the presence of several life-signs nearby. The program uploaded the data to each of the team, including positional information, numbers and size of each organism.


Grunt huffed as he hoisted the explosive on his back. The thing was heavy, even for a krogan. Jack, Jacob and Kasumi were the first out of their Kodiak, forming a protective ring around the massive alien who bore their charge. Mordin followed closely behind, a modified grenade launched in his slender arms. The weapon was far less clinical than he would have preferred, but it was hard to lose an argument with explosives at your disposal.

"We're on the ground Shepard!" Kasumi intoned. She could see the Commander's signature in her HUD; he had already left the Hammerhead and was setting up a perimeter while the rest of the teams prepped. Moments later, a gruff voice grated over the comm.

"Echo team stands ready Commander."

"Copy that, we move in three. Delta out." Shepard's voice responded. "Kasumi, how's Grunt doing with the charge?"

The krogan snorted. "I'm fine."

The Infiltrator could barely suppress a smile as she relayed the message. Grunt's head snapped up and sampled the air, something had caught his attention.

"We've got company."


The new aliens reminded Shepard of a mix between a krogan and a mamba. The creatures' faces were divided into four massive scales, two comprising the jaw and another pair covering all but their eyes. The Spectre loosed another burst into one of the alien's shields, rapidly cutting the creature into a mess of bloody ribbons. They may look fierce, but they die just like any other.

Shepard watched as the last of the creatures fell, then signaled his team forward. Tali and Jacob sprinted to opposite sides of the hall, each finding a solid metal alcove in which they could take cover. Once the two were in position, Shepard signaled Garrus. The turian and the Spectre moved up, taking a forward position as Jacob and Tali covered their advance.


Omen was nearing his objective. In a few more minutes, he would have control of the Citadel relay and the relay network simultaneously. It would take a few minutes for the Citadel to 'spin up' its charging cycle. Omen and his brethren tasked on gaining access to the station's central computers had met with harsh resistance from the geth operating throughout the network, but even the robust security provided by multiple AIs hampering their advance was no match for multiple Reapers hacking the same areas at once.

The geth firewalls were failing, slowly but surely, it was only a question of time. The sooner he broke through the digital barricade, the fewer losses would be inflicted on his kin fighting just outside the Citadel's protective arms. As soon as the Reapers' true strength was unleashed the battle would be over.


Wrex's team had no problems carrying their charge. When one krogan grew tired of carrying the device, it was traded to another. Even as the team's leader, Wrex was not exempt. Right now it was his turn.

The Clan Leader adjusted the ordnance even as he caught the scent of more hostiles. Something about their appearance vaguely reminded him of a krogan. Urdnot Hrut had witnessed first-hand the incredible strength of the creatures' bite. The aberration had bitten clean through the krogan's arm, leaving him with little more than a bloody stump.

The new batch of aliens slithered around the corner, rifles already blazing. Wrex ducked aside. Though he was loath to stay out of the fight, the explosive on his back took precedence. The krogan watched as his brothers ran headlong into the fight, their powerful muscles flexing with each stride.

Wrex barely had time to react as one of the reptilian creatures leapt straight over the fray, landing behind him on all fours like some strange cat. The alien leapt at him, its jaws snapped inches from his face. The Battle-Master swung his arm up, catching the assailant by the throat. He smiled in satisfaction as the alien dropped its rifle to clutch at the viselike grip that was effortlessly crushing its trachea.

Wrex felt his opponent's cartilage give out and smelled the blood welling from its collapsed windpipe. A scratching sounded from the ceiling as he cast the alien's lifeless form to the cold metal of the bulkhead. An instant later, Urdnot's clan leader was buried under a mountain of corusahd infantry.


They were almost at the rendezvous. Shepard rounded the corner, sidearm in one hand and SMG in the other. Just as he cleared the edge of the wall, one of the lizard-like creatures dove for him. Before Shepard could respond, the creature had swallowed his forearm. The alien started to bite down. Shepard was momentarily shocked. It was actually bending his armor!

The human's reflexes kicked in, causing him to squeeze the trigger on the pistol that was now halfway down the aberration's throat. The slug shattered half of the corusahd's spinal column, exiting from an apple-sized hole in its back. A snort of disgust emanated from the Commander as he peeled the creature from his arm.

"Shepard!" Garrus called, drawing his attention. John looked down the hall to see a mass of the strange aliens being flung around by a very angry, very large krogan. One of the creatures managed to get its maw around the krogan's leg, only to be forcibly removed as its target exhibited his prodigious strength by ripping its jaw off. The krogan tossed the mutilated alien aside and stood panting in a veritable ocean of blood.

At this distance, Shepard couldn't identify the individual and decided to play it safe. "Omaha!" He bellowed the challenge.

The counter sign came in a deep, familiar voice. "Normandy!"

Shepard smiled, Urdnot Wrex.

xXx

Meeting up with the krogan squad was a welcome break. Grunt was especially pleased that he no longer had to carry the explosive without reprieve. Shepard still led the two teams, Wrex directly behind him. They had traveled into the maintenance areas of the presidium, making their way towards one of the station's primary generators. The journey proved most difficult for the krogans, as their massive frames forced them to push past various pipes and wires, often having to break the obstructions to proceed.

Fifteen minutes after they had entered the cramped quarters, Shepard held up a fist, bringing the 'convoy' to an unceremonious halt. Tali saw her husband's face, illuminated by alternating bands of light and dark. He was standing over a grate of some kind. "Wrex, you smell anything?"

The krogan battle-master inhaled deeply, tasting the air for anything out of the ordinary. "Lots of Collectors, more of those lizard things," he paused as if confused. "Something else, no, many other things. Dozens- hundreds maybe. I…" Shepard watched in the dim light as Wrex squinted his eyes. "None of them smell familiar."

Shepard shook his head and drew his pistol. He fired four shots at the floor beneath him and pulled the grating away. Tali saw him seemingly sink through the metal floor as he lowered himself out of the maintenance shaft. A moment later, the Commander's strong voice echoed up into the corridor. "All clear for the moment, hurry up and get down here."


No sooner had Shepard finished his statement than he was struck from behind. Wrex pushed past Tali, who had jumped forward at the sound, and swung his arm out, hitting the metal around the vent and expanding the exit by a good foot and a half. Tali saw the krogan's massive form slip from sight before following closely behind.

Tali was completely unprepared to witness the sight in front of her. Her husband was locked into a hand-to-hand duel with someone who had helped them on multiple occasions. Citadel Security Captain Armando Bailey.


Omen felt the geth firewalls cave and 'tasted' the Citadel's central computer for the first time in thirty cycles. The Reaper let his mind pour into the station's systems, cementing his foothold before beginning his final task. He could feel the geth trying to force him out, but his brethren had that problem addressed.

The ancient starship waited another few seconds and began to warm the Citadel relay's power cycle. The entire station groaned for a moment and shook slightly as the generators began their spin up protocols. Omen felt a wave of satisfaction roll over him. It had been almost fifteen million years since the Reapers had been forced to call upon their true strength, but the enemy had put up a fierce resistance. Regardless, the organics were finished, the cycle had begun again.


Revision note:

Captain Bailey's fate was left in the air in the original draft of the story, partly thanks to negligence and partly due to laziness. It shall be concluded in the next chapter, and I hope to also intensify the suspense.


Original Author's Note:

The Reaper war is at its apex, only 2 chapters to go before the story ends!