Surprise! I've decided to go ahead and post the next chapter now and it is a big one. This will be it for a little while though. I'll try my best to not keep you waiting too long. Enjoy, review and follow!

Chapter 14: Ambush in the Presidium

July 12, 2170 (Earth Date)

The Presidium, The Citadel

The trip through Citadel Security should have been brief, and it most likely would have been if Link hadn't been with the King and his entourage.

"I'm sorry, sir, but there are absolutely no weapons allowed on the Presidium," the turian C-Sec officer repeated.

"You don't understand, I have to have it," Link insisted. "The sword has to be on my person at all times. It's my sworn duty to care for and protect it. It's a relic!"

They'd been going in this little circle for several minutes, and neither Link nor the officer had any intention of backing down.

"There are absolutely no weapons allowed in this area of the Citadel," the officer said again. "Only cleared personnel may have them, and you're not on the list."

Link gripped the hilt of the Master Sword hanging at his side to keep himself from throwing his hands up in frustration, since that would achieve nothing. Captain Anderson had excused himself from the group, saying that he had an appointment with the human ambassador Anita Goyle, and Officer Vakarian had momentarily parted with the group to "check on something," he'd said. Link couldn't think of what was so important that the officer couldn't have stuck around long enough to help get them through the checkpoint.

"Surely, you can make an exception," the King said. "He is a member of my staff. I will personally vouch for him."

"There are absolutely no-"

"Yes, yes, we heard you," Kiara snapped. The turian narrowed his eyes at the asari.

"Ma'am-"

"Do you know who these humans are?" she demanded.

"No. All I need to know is they're not C-Sec and he's not a Spectre. No weapons."

Link stared at the officer, trying to come up with the perfect thing to say that would convince him. There had to be some way of changing his mind, but Link couldn't think of it. He couldn't deny that he wasn't a Spectre or a member of C-Sec. The officer was only doing his job and there was no good reason Link could think of that he should bend the rules for the teen, and it was frustrating. Was he about to be forced to hand over the Master Sword, or leave it behind on the Bannockburn? Was this allowed? He'd given an oath; would this break it? He wished for a moment of privacy, to ask the previous Heroes for guidance.

"Officer Tallis, what's the issue here?" a familiar flanging voice cut in.

By the way the officer instantly straightened up, Officer Vakarian must have carried some weight in C-Sec. Link was flooded with relief at the sight of the blue-armored officer returning.

"The human won't remove his weapon from his person, sir," Officer Tallis replied. "They're insisting I should allow them to keep it."

"What weapon?" Vakarian's eyes settled on Link and the Master Sword, and he sighed. "Tallis, do you know who they are?"

"No, sir. It doesn't matter. They're not-"

"This human is the King of Hyrule of Earth," Officer Vakarian interrupted, gesturing to the King. "Do you understand?"

"No, sir. My knowledge of human politics is… lacking, I admit."

"If the King of Hyrule is traveling with someone carrying a sword, it's because it is their legendary sword. It's an ancient artifact that carries a religious connotation. A symbol of their nation and their faith."

Link found himself more than a little impressed by the turian's knowledge.

"Did you swear an oath to your goddesses to carry the sword?" Vakarian asked him. Link nodded.

"Yes, sir, I did."

Officer Vakarian turned on Officer Tallis. "There you go. It's a religious item and he's the item's caretaker. A ceremonial object, nothing more. It doesn't count as a weapon."

Officer Tallis still looked uncertain but said nothing.

Vakarian gave it one last try. "Surely you have encountered a few Sikhs from Earth by now, Tallis. They carry ceremonial daggers. This is no different."

The two C-Sec officers locked eyes, neither moving for a long minute, and then finally Tallis groaned and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine. But I'm not responsible if he stabs anyone," the officer relented.

"Noted." Vakarian nodded in satisfaction and gestured for the group to continue.

"You're very well-versed in our culture, Officer," the King remarked as they passed through the archway and into the Citadel proper.

"Not necessarily, your Majesty, I just did my homework before you arrived," Officer Vakarian replied. "This way, please."

Zelda glanced discreetly at their asari delegate, wondering why she couldn't diffuse the situation herself if that was all it took. Maybe the turian officer's word carried more respect? But the delegate was sent by the Council themselves, so her word should have been just as good. But that also meant that she should have also known about the Master Sword and they shouldn't have had to rely on Officer Vakarian when she was standing right there. Zelda was concerned something was odd, but she couldn't place her finger on exactly what was odd and couldn't figure out the words to describe her feeling.

Overhead, at a close but respectful distance, a trio of skycars assembled in formation. Officer Vakarian wasn't kidding when he said he would get additional officers as escort. Zelda barely noticed as she turned her eyes to the Citadel interior.

"This place has a river?" the Princess asked their asari guide. "A river on a space station?"

"It is actually a freshwater lake, your Highness," Kiara answered as they strolled. "When the Protheans built the Citadel, they clearly had an ideal for comfort when it came to the focal point of the station."

"The Presidium was designed to resemble a G-class world. No expense was spared," Liara interjected. "It boasts this large lake that snakes its way through the ring, vibrant fields of grass, trees, and clouds, as well as artificial sunlight and gentle breezes. The Presidium even goes through a brief day-night cycle, allowing six hours of darkness during which the 'sky' is darkened."

"Impressive," Impa said. "The cost must have been enormous to build and maintain this place."

"Actually, we don't perform any maintenance or spend anything on any part of the Citadel," Kiara disagreed. "That responsibility falls to the Keepers."

"The Keepers?" Link asked. "You hire people to maintain this place, but it doesn't cost anything? How?" He knew that some galactic races still had issues with slavery, with the Batarians not bothering to cover their slavery up or pretend it was something it wasn't, but the thought of the Council allowing slavery on the Citadel was surprising and disappointing, and a knot of sickness and disgust formed in Link's stomach.

The asari laughed disarmingly. "No, Link. The Keepers are not hired groundkeepers or mechanics, and they're certainly not slaves or servants either," she explained. "They are a rather odd race of arthropods. Ah!" Kiara exclaimed, pointing. "There is one right over there."

Sure enough, there was a creature that Link assumed was a Keeper at a nearby console. Resembling a large green aphid, it had four legs and four arms and was tapping away at the console. It paid them no heed, if it even noticed them, which Link wasn't sure it did. He frowned as he halted to watch the insectoid silently working.

A blur of blonde hair flashed past Link as Zelda excitedly rushed to get closer to the Keeper.

Officer Vakarian immediately spoke up. "Your Highness-"

"Hello, sir! I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?" Zelda directed at the insectoid. "Where do you come from? What is your home world's name? Have you lived on the Citadel long?"

The Keeper ignored her. It continued whatever it was doing with the console. Being ignored was an unusual circumstance for the royal teen.

"Your Highness-" Officer Vakarian began again. Link glanced at the turian officer and noted his mandibles clasped to his jaw and his rigid stance and the way his icy blue eyes flitted between the Princess and the King. He didn't need to be a turian to recognize someone biting their tongue, so to speak.

"I'm sorry. I'm Princess Zelda of Hyrule," Zelda introduced. "Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

Still nothing. The Keeper's tapping didn't waver or hesitate in the slightest. Could it be that the Keeper was deaf? Was there a procedure or ritual in greeting a Keeper she was unaware of? She turned to Liara in confusion. "Why won't he talk to me? Did I do something wrong?"

Liara took her by the arm and gently tried to lead her away from the insectoid, but the girl remained where she stood, near to the Keeper. "No, Zelda. Keepers are completely docile and harmless, but they will not respond to any inquires. They appear to exist for no other reason than to maintain the Citadel and its systems. Little else is known about them."

"How do we know so little about them? Has no one ever attempted to research them?" That was odd to Zelda. Surely if she lived on the Citadel, or at least had the freedom to roam that princesses did not have a privilege of having, she would have dedicated some time to research these strange, silent creatures! Whoever they were, the Princess was sure they had a connection to the Protheans, and she wanted to know what that connection was. Almost with a mind of its own, Zelda's hand raised towards the Keeper, wanting to touch the carapace of this creature with a possible link to the extinct race as though that would bring the Protheans a little closer to her.

"Your Highness!" Apparently, Officer Vakarian couldn't contain his need to police any longer, regardless of to whom he was speaking. "Please refrain from touching the Keeper! Any attempt to disturb them is illegal under Council law and I would have to arrest you."

Zelda squeaked in surprise and quickly took her hand back. "Why?!"

"Of course, Zelda, there have been attempts to study the keepers since my people first found the Citadel. However, any time anyone has attempted to capture a keeper or take it into custody for study the keeper, well, self-destructs, melting itself in seconds," Liara explained, steering the Princess back to the group. "They are nearly impossible to study to any significant degree. We have only theories to their origins."

"Like what?"

"Well, theories like that the Keepers are a bio-engineered race created by the Protheans for the singular purpose of maintaining the Citadel. When their masters disappeared, the Keepers remained, true to their purpose."

Zelda couldn't contain the smile that threatened to curve her lips at the validation of her own theory.

"Zelda! Come now, my child," the King said. "Better to leave the Keeper be."

"We'll have more time to discuss them later, Zelda," Liara concluded. "I promise."

"Alright." Zelda cast one last concerned look at the arthropod as the entourage continued. The Keeper was still tapping away on that console as they rounded a corner and it disappeared from her view, completely oblivious to its surroundings. She shook her head and glanced at Link, catching his eye. He smiled at her, just a small smile, but the gesture brightened Zelda's mood a bit.

"So, Kiara?" Zelda asked. "Are there any fish in the lake?"

"We are just passing the Embassies, your Highness," Kiara pointed out to Link and Zelda. "Every race has one and as the Council governs over trillions of citizens, it tends gets very busy here."

"I can imagine. I'd hate to be that poor receptionist over there," Impa said, nodding to the asari at the front desk rapidly typing away. The asari's brows were drawn together in concentration. Link agreed with Impa. At least she had a great view, when she could find a moment to enjoy it. The river flowed directly to their left, with a foot bridge extending across and connecting the Citadel Tower to the rest of the Presidium. It was lush and vibrant and full of life.

The Citadel was a massive place on the inside. Link had assumed that the station would be like the castle back in Hyrule, where the castle looked huge from outside, but the walls themselves took up so much space that it wasn't nearly as big on the inside as one would think it should be. The castle was still large, of course, but Link had grown so used to the illusion that the fact that the Citadel didn't follow this familiar model was a little disorienting to Link. If he wasn't actively remembering that they were on a space station in the middle of a pink nebula, it would be easy to fall into thinking they were on a planet surface, in the middle of a metropolitan city.

Link was only partially listening to the asari delegate as she gave her tour of the Citadel. He was also thinking about how far they'd walked and how his feet were hurting. He hadn't done this much walking since before he met Zelda, back when he lived in a haphazard shanty one good gust of wind away from collapsing on him. Even his training as a knight didn't involve this much walking.

And about his training, Sir Niall had made sure Link knew he was to wear his hardsuit whenever they left the ship. Part of being a Knight of Hyrule was being prepared for anything at all times, and one can't be considered "prepared at all times" if they had to stop to put on their hardsuit first or, worse, fight without. Even Sir Niall couldn't boast that he was such a good fighter that he didn't need his hardsuit.

So, he wore his hardsuit, and was grateful, at least, that it wasn't heavy. Link was still getting used to wearing it; it felt a little restrictive.

"Is it much further to the Council, Kiara?" Link asked.

"Not much further. We'll be there soon."

Link and Zelda exchanged another glance with one another; he could see her mirrored discomfort all over her face. Perhaps they should have taken the skycar after all.

"Your Majesty…" Officer Vakarian suddenly motioned the group to stop and Link looked up to see why. A large, lumbering alien in armor, nearly twice Link's height, stood directly in their path about ten meters ahead. His leathery face was tan in color, almost yellow, and stood out starkly beside his jet-black skull plates. His angry red eyes darted between the members of the group, flicking from Officer Vakarian to the King to Link and Zelda and back again. His gunmetal armor increased his height by another few feet, and Link wasn't sure if the krogan only seemed huge because of his imposing air and screw-all expression, or if he was truly a massive creature.

"Link," Zelda whispered, stepping to Link's side. "That's a krogan."

The C-Sec officer approached the hulking reptilian. "Sir, please step aside."

"No," the krogan growled.

This caught Vakarian by surprise. "No? Sir, I ask again, step aside. Now."

"Make me." Another growl. "I have business with the King of Hyrule."

Link's hand immediately went to his sword as Zelda moved behind him a step. Something was not right here.

Daphnes did not move but was willing to be civil. "And what, my fine krogan friend, can I do for you this fine day? What do you need from me?"

"Your attention." The krogan drew a massive shotgun and pointed it at the group.

"Get down!"

The turian took a full blast from the krogan's shotgun and was thrown backward, his shields crackling to life over his body. Civilians screamed in terror and scattered.

"Get to cover!" Impa shouted, already throwing her arm across King Daphnes' back and hustling him away. Link grabbed Zelda's hand and tugged her the other way to the foot bridge, along with the two asari. He shoved her down behind a huge planter with some kind of grassy shrub growing out of it and ducked behind the waist-height railing next to her, hoping it was durable enough to protect him and the two asari who crouched beside him.

"How good are your biotics?" the asari delegate asked Liara.

"Decent," the scientist replied. Both put their hands up and purple energy pulsed forth, constructing a biotic barrier around themselves and the teens.

"What's going on?" Zelda gasped. "Where's my father?"

Link peeked out from their hiding spot in time to see Impa and the King disappear behind another low wall.

"He's fine," Link reported. "Stay down."

The krogan approached Officer Vakarian, who was lying on the ground. He must have been knocked unconscious by the point-blank shot, Link figured. Or he's dead. Link fervently hoped it was the former. But as the krogan turned his shotgun down at the turian, Link realized that the latter was about to be true if he didn't do something.

"Hey!" Link popped up from behind the wall. "Hey, krogan!"

The massive alien paused and looked at the human teen. "You talking to me, kid?"

Time seemed to stop as it occurred to Link that he had no plan and no weapon- No, he did have a weapon. He drew the Master Sword from its scabbard, wishing he hadn't decided to hang it at his waist instead of using the holster on his back. The scabbard was clumsy.

The krogan, now thoroughly distracted from the helpless turian before him, eyed the sword with curiosity. "That is a fine blade. However, it seems ill-suited for a child." He stepped forward. "Hand it over."

Link raised the Master Sword and held it in front of himself. "Come and get it, ugly."

A smile creeped onto the krogan's face. "So be it," he barked. The huge fighter roared and started to charge.

I have to lead him away from Zelda and the King, Link thought. Link bolted forward toward the krogan and at the last possible moment, dove under his legs in a slide tackle.

"What the?" the bestial creature muttered. He turned around to see Link in a defensive stance. "Come here!"

"Master!" a voice chimed in his ear. "It's me, Fi! I've figured out how to tap into your comm piece."

Fi could do that?

"Allow me to assist you!"

Link didn't reply, just lifted the Master Sword in preparation of charging, when a shot rang out and a small explosion burst at his feet, causing him to stumble back. Link caught his footing and stared numbly at the spot.

"Sniper!" Liara called out.

Link raised his eyes to search for the sniper, but the krogan targeted the Hylian teen and he had to dive out of the way to avoid taking a point-blank shot like the turian officer. He awkwardly turned his desperate dive into a more controlled roll and pushed up onto his feet, sighting the krogan and swinging widely. The tip of the sword caught the krogan's vambrace and sliced it neatly, and the krogan whipped his hand back and shook it. Orange fluid seeped from the slice and from the expression on the krogan's face, he was shocked to see it.

"I think I've got this, Fi," Link murmured quietly, so only she would hear.

The krogan snarled and aimed his shotgun at the teen to take another shot, and Link dove again. He could hear Zelda screaming at him to just run for cover, but the huge alien would follow him. He clambered to his feet again and took another wide swing at the krogan. The krogan jumped back - surprisingly nimble for someone who must have weighed seven hundred pounds - and slammed the shotgun down on the Master Sword as it arced beneath the weapon, knocking it away. Link allowed the sword tip to drop as he spun, using the momentum to swing high. The krogan managed to dodge the sword once again, but his shotgun wasn't as lucky. The Master Sword cleaved through it like it was paper.

The krogan sputtered as he blinked at the ruined weapon, and for a brief moment, Link thought the reptilian would surrender. He had nothing to fight with, the fight was over. Link started to straighten up, totally unprepared for the krogan to pitch the destroyed shotgun at him and charge.

Zelda watched in terror as the colossal reptilian tried to tackle Link, both of her hands pressed to her mouth to stop herself from screaming anymore. He slipped away from the krogan's grasp, slashing at him again and drawing more blood from the alien's arms. Her view of the battle between the krogan and her knight was obscured as one of the C-Sec skycars landed between her and the fight. She pushed into Liara's side to crane her neck and see above the railing, giving her a clear look at the action she couldn't seem to look away from.

Three C-Sec officers jumped out of the skycar, pistols raised, grouped together in a defensive formation, and they moved as a group to the motionless body of Officer Vakarian. One officer knelt and put his hand to Vakarian's throat, probably feeling for a purse, and he nodded up at his two comrades. He took a hold of one of Vakarian's arms and another officer grabbed the other, and they began dragging Vakarian swiftly back to the skycar. For a second, Zelda felt a pang of hope; Vakarian must be alive!

Another shot rang out and one of the turian officers crumpled to the ground, blue blood spilling across the white Presidium floor.

Zelda stopped breathing as she stared sickly at the body. She'd never seen a corpse before, and she had never watched anyone die before. It was horrible. She sucked in a breath, resisting the urge to vomit, and averted her eyes, unable to process the carnage and savagery.

The other two turian officers didn't skip a beat, pulling Officer Vakarian to cover behind the skycar. Zelda's heart leapt with relief as Vakarian's hand fluttered up to press against his head.

"Emergency at the Presidium; one officer down, another injured," one of the C-Sec officers shouted into his omni-tool. "Shots fired; at least one sniper, maybe two, and an armed and dangerous krogan. We need immediate backup. Repeat, immediate backup to the Citadel Tower."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Vakarian insisted as he got to his feet, but Zelda couldn't help but note that he was a little wobbly.

"Krogan! Drop your weapon!" another C-Sec officer yelled at the massive alien. Zelda's eyes flicked back to the krogan in time to see him draw a pistol from a holster she hadn't noticed. The krogan fired several shots in the direction of the turians, forcing them to duck behind the skycar, before squaring up against Link again.

Another of the skycars landed beside the first one, closer to the King and Impa's cover, and officers leaped out to assist the two.

"No, my daughter! Protect my daughter!" the King ordered.

"Part of the plan," the Princess thought she heard one of the officers assure him.

The third skycar descended, heading to a patch of open space near Zelda and Liara and Kiara's cover, when a third loud shot rang out. The skycar pitched, and there was a loud whine from the engine before it thumped heavily to the ground, useless. Two more shots blasted into the ground near Zelda's feet and she cried out and yanked her feet back.

Zelda frantically looked at her father, true panic welling up in her chest, suffocating her. She could see fear reflected in his wide eyes, and he gestured to the bridge behind the trio.

"Go! Go across! Find somewhere to hide!" he roared. Zelda couldn't tear her eyes off of her father; she'd never been this petrified in her entire life, and she was frozen to the spot.

"Zelda, come," Liara said, taking her arm and pulling her onto the bridge. Kiara grasped her other hand and helped her to run, and the Princess threw a last glance over her shoulder at Link, engaged in battle, and her father, who disappeared into one of the skycars, Impa right behind him.

"This way, I know a place we can hide," Kiara said breathlessly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Link caught a fleeting glimpse of blonde and blue running across the bridge and sighed in relief. The two asari would protect the Princess, and the skycar containing the King and Impa rose up into the air and zipped away, leaving Link alone with a handful of C-Sec officers.

The krogan watched over his shoulder as the Princess and the two asari ran, and he turned like he was going to follow.

"Hey!" Link yelled. "I'm not done with you yet!"

"But I'm done with you," the krogan threw back. He turned his back on the Hylian teen and charged at the C-Sec officers, crashing into one of the skycars and causing the turians to leap out from behind it as it skittered about ten feet. They began shooting at the krogan as Link lowered the Master Sword, watching the projectiles be disintegrated by the krogan's shields.

Not that he was ungrateful that his part of the fight was apparently over, because he wasn't, but this wasn't exactly how he pictured his very first real fight ending. Krogans were supposed to be fearsome warriors; the krogan hadn't even come close to striking Link. Link was confident in his abilities, but not that confident.

"Hey!" he called again.

The krogan shoved the skycar a bit and swung a meaty fist at a turian officer, who rolled out of the way, and completely ignored Link. If Link didn't know any better, he'd say the fight had gone out of the krogan.

Whatever. The C-Sec officers could handle him, if that were the case. He sheathed the Master Sword and dashed for the bridge Zelda had disappeared over.

"Look out!" Fi said.

Link stopped short in time to dodge another sniper bullet, and then danced backwards as more hailed down in front of him. He dove behind a railing for cover. Now what? He peered around the edge of the railing and was forced to duck when several more bullets struck the railing. He didn't have much in the way of shields, he didn't dare try to use the Master Sword itself as a shield, he didn't have any biotic ability with which he could have created a barrier…

"Need a hand?!"

Link glanced over in time to see a soldier wearing black armor with red stripes slide into cover beside him. The soldier wore his helmet, preventing Link from seeing his face, and he held an assault rifle in his hands.

"You part of the Hyrule entourage?" the soldier asked.

"Yeah," Link replied. "Who are you?"

"Commander Alec Ryder, Systems Alliance," the soldier replied briskly, and then he nodded at the krogan. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure," Link said. "The krogan suddenly attacked us. He said he had business with the King of Hyrule… And there is a sniper."

"Two snipers, actually," Ryder corrected. "One there," he pointed up to a window overlooking the fight, where the long barrel of a sniper rifle could just barely be seen poking under the railing, "and one there." He pointed over the railing, and Link glanced over, trying to spot the other sniper. He saw nothing that gave away the second sniper's position.

"So, what do we do?" Link asked. "Are you here to help?"

"I heard the call, came as fast as I could." Ryder appeared to look Link over. "Is that a sword?" Link nodded. The soldier made a noise, which Link couldn't identify the emotion attached to it, and drew a pistol from a holster on his thigh.

"Can you use this?" the soldier asked.

"Yes," Link answered, popping out the thermal clip to check it and, finding it satisfactory, clicked it back in and switched off the safety, acutely aware of Ryder scrutinizing his routine.

"Alright, here's the plan. You're going to get the attention of the sniper across the bridge. I'll take him out. Then you'll get the attention of the sniper over here, and same deal. Understood?" Ryder ordered. Link nodded.

"Yes, sir."

Link rose to his feet and moved like he was going to head to the bridge again, and as expected, an incendiary bullet slammed into the ground at his feet. He raised the pistol like he was going to fire blindly at the sniper and three more bullets peppered the ground in front of Link, but he stood his ground. A second later, another shot grazed his minimal shields, instantly taking them down.

"Master, you need to take cover!" Fi urged. "You cannot take another shot!"

Ryder shot up from his cover and took aim, squeezing the trigger exactly one time. Across the river, a body fell from a high window and crashed onto the ground, eliciting screams of fear from spectators watching from what they had likely assumed was a safe distance away.

The Hylian teen ran for the bridge, provoking the other sniper to shower him with bullets, and Link prayed to the Goddesses to live through this hailstorm. What he really needed was a physical shield, something aside from his hardsuit's shields. What good were the hardsuit's built-in shields when they were down?

"Master, I have an idea! Hold up your arm!" Fi instructed.

"What?"

"Just do it!"

Link did as told and his omni-tool came to life, but instead of just creating a hardlight interface, the hologram appeared as a large barrier or shield. And just in time, Link realized, as a bullet disintegrated against the shield. He looked up through the shield to see the sniper, leaning over the second-story railing with a surprised expression.

"Silicon-carbide, suspended in a mass effect field," Fi said proudly. "There were already programs in here for melee-type weapons. I have modified them for your use."

Ryder threw a hand out and purple energy crackled around his armored fingers. A biotic field enveloped the exposed sniper and he was yanked from his perch and tossed into the lake. The sniper rifle clattered to the ground in the middle of the battlefield, catching the krogan's attention. He reached for the rifle.

"On him! On him!" one of the C-Sec officers ordered, and like a floodgate being opened, a barrage of mass-effect-flung projectiles rained down on the krogan from the C-Sec officers and from Ryder and his assault rifle, almost draining the beastly alien's shields entirely. He stumbled back and shot recklessly in the direction of the turians as he ducked into cover behind a topiary display. Link returned to cover next to the soldier, his omni-shield disappearing.

"Kid, the thing about fighting krogans," Commander Ryder said, "is you have to kill or incapacitate them as quickly as you can. If you don't-"

"Blood rage," Link finished. He remembered that from one of Zelda's lectures. Ryder nodded.

"Exactly." Ryder pulled a grenade from a pouch on his armor and thumbed the activation button, flinging it at the krogan. The grenade exploded and the krogan yelled in surprise and pain; his shields were gone.

"Aim for the head!" Ryder instructed as he rose from their cover to fire. Link obeyed, sighting the krogan's black head plates and firing as precisely as he could. The projectiles mostly ricocheted off, but some drew orangey blood, making the krogan angrier and angrier with each shot. He roared in fury and hurtled towards the skycars, knocking them aside like they were mere toys and the turians with them, and raced towards Commander Ryder and Link.

The duo dove in opposite directions to get out of the way, Ryder rolling up onto one knee and firing at the krogan while Link scrambled for cover behind a planter. He leaned out from behind the planter and carefully aimed for the krogan's head and fired.

"Your thermal clip is nearing maximum temperature, Master," Fi offered helpfully after several shots. Link impatiently ducked back behind cover to let the pistol cool as the krogan swiped at Ryder, forcing the soldier to dash to cover near the damaged skycars. "It would be easier to let you know if you were wearing your helmet. I could put it on the HUD."

"My helmet is onboard the Bannockburn," Link replied, trying to keep the annoyed edge out of his voice. "Didn't think I'd need it. Didn't think I'd need my hardsuit at all. Sir Niall would be less than pleased with me if he knew."

The pistol cooled sufficiently, and Link glanced around the side of the planter to assess the situation. The krogan bashed a huge fist into the skycar, driving Ryder and two C-Sec officers from cover. Link got in a headshot to distract the krogan long enough for the three men to find somewhere else, but the krogan whirled on Link and rushed him. Link sprang to his feet and threw up his arm again. The omni-shield flashed back into existence and was immediately peppered with projectiles from the krogan's pistol, and Link backed up onto the bridge. He fired around the side of the omni-shield, but most of his shots missed, and as he stumbled into the railing on the far side of the bridge, panic began to well up in the Hylian's chest. The force of the krogan's bullets kept him pinned against the railing; he couldn't step side to side.

Within seconds, he was within arm's reach of the massive reptilian, and the krogan pulled back an arm to strike Link.

"Thermal clip overheat in-"

The pistol slipped from Link's fingers and the battered omni-shield dissipated as he grabbed for the hilt of the Master Sword, drawing it in one smooth motion, and he stabbed forward towards the assailing krogan. The blade buried itself in the krogan's abdomen up to the wings-shaped cross guard, and both Link and the krogan stared in equal shock. Link had never stabbed anyone before; he was stunned at how easily the blade penetrated through the krogan's heavy armor and torso. He yanked the sword out of the krogan.

The krogan staggered backwards, staring down at the stab damage in his armor and the orangey blood weeping from the wound, and then he threw his head back and bellowed a primal roar. Link blinked and mentally reconnected with the moment, turning and making a mad dash back towards where Ryder and the C-Sec officers stood in cover.

"He's blood-raging!" Ryder yelled as Link ran past him. Link stopped, panting, and looked back at the krogan.

That was about all the time they had before the krogan stampeded towards them, his thundering footsteps shaking the ground. Link raising the Master Sword with shaking arms; would they have to kill this krogan, now that he was uncontrollable?

Ryder cast out a hand and purple biotic energy crackled around him, and a mass of biotic energy that seemed to refract the very light around it formed in front of the raging creature. The krogan ran full tilt into the mass of energy and it lifted him into the air. He screamed in wrath, and his scream was cut off as the energy mass disappeared, dropping the krogan into the lake.

The C-Sec rushed to the railing and peered over, and then one lifted his omni-tool and said into it, "Threat neutralized. Requiring medical personnel to the Citadel Tower."

Still shaking, Link sheathed the Master Sword and fought to keep his legs under him.

"You alright, kid?" Ryder asked as he tucked his assault rifle into the holster clip on his back. Link took a few trembling steps backward and dropped heavily onto the stone bench lining a botanical display behind him.

"Is the krogan alive?" he asked. Ryder glanced over his shoulder.

"I think so," the soldier replied. Link breathed a sigh of relief. If they had had to kill the krogan, it would have been Link's fault. He was the one who got stuck and stabbed him. Not that he had a choice, of course; if he hadn't, that backswing the krogan was reeling up for would have likely killed him. Link's body moved almost of its own accord when he pulled the sword from the sheath, like doing such a thing was a muscle memory, despite the fact that he'd only ever drawn the Master Sword a handful of times. He wondered if, in a way, it was a muscle memory.

"But are you okay?" Ryder pressed.

Link held out both arms and turned them, inspecting them for blood or damage, and found them to be pristine.

"Not a scratch," he replied.

Ryder hummed in approval. "That was your first fight?"

"My first real fight, I guess," Link shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. He assumed Ryder wouldn't count the scraps he got into while living on the streets as a 'real fight'. There had been a lot of those. But none of them involved furious living tanks and sniper bullets.

The soldier nodded. "Well, you did good out there. Did exactly what you were told and lived to tell the tale."

Link wasn't convinced. He replayed bits of the fight in his head and couldn't help but feel…inadequate.

"The Systems Alliance could use good soldiers like you," Ryder continued. "What's your name, kid?"

"Link Shepard."

"Link Shepard, I expect to see your file cross my desk in a few years. I'll even write you a recommendation letter."

"Thank you, sir, but I already have a…" Link trailed off. He wasn't officially a knight, he supposed. He'd been named Zelda's Knight, but so far, that title had been more of an honorary thing rather than a rank that held responsibility. He spent much of his time with Zelda, but not in a bodyguard sort of capacity. More of a friend sort of capacity. Even his training with Sir Niall wasn't as intensive as other knights-in-training, he felt. He certainly felt able-bodied, and his one-on-one with the krogan proved that he could hold his own, thanks to Niall's training, but…

In any case, he wasn't sure what to call what he was doing.

"I'm training to be a Hylian Knight," he finally answered.

"A Hylian Knight," Ryder repeated. "Interesting."

The soldier clapped a hand down on Link's shoulder. "Well, should you change your mind and decide that the stars are more your style, contact me." Ryder summoned his omni-tool's interface and typed out a quick message. A notification appeared on Link's own omni-tool, and he opened it to see Ryder's information.

"It's an open invitation," the soldier added. "Don't feel rushed to make a decision."

Link nodded wordlessly. Movement caught his eye and he glanced up to see a C-Sec officer approaching them.

"Sir, we're going to need you to come with us to the C-Sec Academy, so we can take your statement. And you, sir," the turian turned to Ryder. "We appreciate your assistance but now you need to turn in your weapons. There are no weapons allowed on the Presidium."

"Commander Alec Ryder, military attaché with the human ambassador, Anita Goyle," the soldier replied, flashing some credential on his omni-tool. The turian examined it, and then nodded grudgingly.

"We'll want your statement, too," the turian said.

"I should rejoin the rest of the Hylian entourage," Link said.

"The King and his aide are in a secure location and will be transferred to the C-Sec Academy," the officer said. "You can rejoin them there."

"And Princess Zelda and Dr. T'Soni?"

"We will reach out to the Citadel delegate to coordinate. We'll send a team once we have their location and bring them to the Academy too."

That made sense. Link steeled himself and rose to his feet and found them steady beneath him. The officer and the soldier headed for a skycar that was just landing and Link followed.

Zelda had tried to maintain a mental map as they ran so she wouldn't get lost, but the buildings were so close together and maze-like that she'd lost grip on that map pretty quickly. If she got separated from the two asari, she'd be hopelessly lost. She made sure she kept them in her sights, though she was sure Liara would never abandon her.

"We should find somewhere secure," Liara said to the delegate. "I am sure C-Sec will contact us once the threat is over."

"Yeah, right," Kiara replied. "I know a place."

"Is it a Council safehouse?"

"Uhm, no. Those mercenaries probably know where all the safehouses are. I know of a different place."

"Mercenaries?" Zelda piped up. "Those were mercenaries?"

"Are you sure?" Liara asked. "The krogan was not wearing typical merc gang colors."

"Not all mercs are part of one of the merc gangs, Doctor."

The trio stopped in an alley to catch their breath. Liara opened her omni-tool and Zelda looked over her arm to see a map of the Citadel. She was homing in on their location.

"I should send a message to his Majesty, to let him know you are alright," the asari Doctor said to Zelda.

WHACK!

Liara crumpled to the ground and Zelda leaped back in surprise. Before she could react further, a second blow landed on the side of the Princess' head, and she sank with a moan. Kiara's booted feet stepped into Zelda's field of view… Odd that the Council delegate wore boots under her dress…

Darkness soon followed.