ACT 3:


Priority: Citadell III

Shepard and Shield return to the Citadel after their recent travels abroad. This is where the Citadel DLC (or the funnest part at least) takes place, and has everyone meet each other for a good time. All the old companions, all the new, a bunch of familiar faces, all meet up for a giant party at Shepard's new bachelorette pad from Anderson. It's the last hurrah and a fun take on the relationships made before we get into the final hours of the story. All the romances, friendships, and histories have a spotlight shone on them. Shield gifts Garrus a now antique Armax Punisher Rifle with a polychrome thermal scope, high velocity barrel, ultralight stock, and figor flash mod he saw in the Council's Spectre store all the way back in AHM. Illynyder and Liara continue to torment Javik throughout the night about the Enkindlers/Protheans, like they have done the entire story. Karg is kept home because she gets nervous around new people. Or murderous rather. Shield's still teaching her the do's and don'ts of socializing civilly. Grunt is sad because he wanted to challenge her to a physical contest after hearing of all her violent exploits. Oh well. Sygan emphatically tells Legion (like she does everyone else) that she's not a robot, and that their AI heuristics are vastly different. Due to having been a performer for the state, Ta'lako breaks it down on the dance floor pretty beautifully, unintentionally upstaging everyone, getting claps all around. Aethyta would be at the party along with her daughter, embarrassing her in front of everyone. Garrus lets Doctor Michel down hard when she sees him making out with Tali.

Speaking of which, all the couples become concrete throughout the night too. EDI and Joker. Jacob and his girl Brynn. Tali and Garrus. James and Treeya. Kasumi and Shepard's underwear. Gabby and Ken. Shepard and Kaidan. Liara and Shield. Kelly and Traynor (literally happens the night of). Ash and Zaeed. Oh god no. Sorry for typing that. No, Ash and Fredericks, a marine who's gotten like 0 screen time since Therum in AHM. But I would have them developed their relationship over the course of AHR and TH. Him constantly trying to win her over, asking Shepard for advice. Would it have been something we were routing for? Who knows. But Ash decided to get her own squeeze after being clam-jammed by Shepard and Liara, so it happens. Cortez and Chief Engineer Adam's second, Tony (mentioned in AHR and maybe 5 other times in the quadrilogy), would finally hit it off. Zaeed strikes out with Samara, Chakwas, and even Aria, which scared the shit out of all the people watching. Though the dude fails, we applaud his efforts in looking for love anyway. Ultimately, Zaeed ends up with Jessie. The only people who didn't attend are the other important leaders like Wrex, Chellick, Bailey, and Hackett. The only one noticeably missing is Miranda. Udina wasn't even invited :(

Rasa was, on the other hand, by Shield of course. She didn't respond. And everyone would be given their closure. Shield offers Rahna's contact information to Kaidan, telling the guy she's been doing well all these years since he last saw her despite the war (Rahna being the girl he horrified after killing Commander Vyrnnus). Kaidan declines the offer to call, letting sleeping dogs lie. Mordin lets Garrus know that he's found a novel treatment for Corpalis Syndrome. Though it wasn't a cure, it would prolong his mother's life, who's right on the brink. It brings a tear to his eye, especially after his family was nearly lost on Palaven. After asking her if she wanted to know, Shield tells Jack that her real name is Jennifer, and that her mother didn't even know that she was alive. Cerberus had told her that Jack had died shortly after she was born. Jack breaks down a bit, and Shield comforts her. And with some convincing, Jack reneges on not caring, saying she does want him to find out what ever happened to her mother. Thane tells Kolyat he's proud of him, and that whatever he chooses to do going forward, he'll always love him. Be still my heart. Barla Von lets Vega know (on Shield's behalf) that April and the rest of the Fehl Prime colonists are safe, though currently residing on a Cerberus-owned colony somewhere in the Terminus. And Shield asks Shepard if she wants to know the truth about Eluam. After making mental preparation, she says yes. Shield tells her after some cyber sleuthing that Eluam was a batarian. But a kid, just like her, that lived in Council Space in the Wards. He had nothing to do with the slaver attack, and tried to contact her for weeks after she stopped going online. Shield attempted to find him, but unfortunately, the batarian had died sometime in the 70's in a sky car accident. Shepard doesn't really know what to do with the information...but she thanks Shield for the closure regardless. Then comes one last event at the end of the night. As Ash goads Shield into doing his most important contribution the war. His viral hit. And Shield reluctantly takes the mic one more time, beginning what has become a cult classic. Saying you can fight like a krogan. You can run like a leopard. But you'll never be better than Commander Shepard.

The Council calls another meeting after the events of the night end, as Goyle has revealed one of the last things needed for the Crucible. The Catalyst. Cerberus has poured its resources into divining what it is but failed. They absolutely must know, and so, have finally asked for the rest of the Allied Forces' help. Shield does his best to maintain a poker face as they all clamor over what it might be, and finding evidence. In a private conversation with Shepard and Hackett, he reveals he knows what the Catalyst is, but can't reveal it until they finish the Crucible. It is of paramount importance no one else discovers the secret before they finish. With the break over, they return to the war.


Priority A: Dekunna/Thessia/Citadel III (Cont.)

Evacuations have started throughout Council Space, and Shepard's been asked to help coordinate efforts due to her role in obtaining the Flotilla. She lands on Dekunna, helping stem the tide of Reaper forces attacking their cities alongside allied forces. The Flotilla is able to evacuate much much more than most other navies can spare. After several days, the Allied Forces must retreat due to the main Reaper host arriving. The refugees are taken to Terminus colonies as the Citadel is past capacity with all the humans from Earth, and it becomes clear that evacuating personnel from planets is not optimal. Especially since the Terminus Systems have become Cerberus' domain. Shepard is told along with the other officers that if they want to save the galaxy, they have to focus on saving war assets and vital resources foremost from here on out. Civilians will have to be left behind for the greater good. Shepard tells her assigned fleets to ignore the orders. Cerberus has obviously influenced the Council's decision making. She won't have people dying directly because of her actions. Not again. She repeats the same process for Thessia, who have pledged all their navies, armies, and resources to anyone in exchange for evacuation, and as apologies for their lack of previous contribution to the war effort. The amount of carnage and dead are taking their toll on Shepard now, as the psychological warfare of the Reapers reach an all-time high. After Shepard returns to the Citadel to recoup, Hackett calls her and tells her to make contact with Doctor Bryson. Taskforce Aurora is on the verge of a huge discovery, and needs her help in succeeding. This starts off ME3: Leviathan.


Priority B: Cholis/The Adek/Citadel III (Cont.)

Shield has been told by Barla Von on his ship (he would have joined the team at some point, need that volus squad-mate), that an assassination on the Council and Alliance key personnel is imminent. Jacob strangely being on the list of targets too. Wasting no time, he alerts Chellick, Hackett, Jacob, and Kelly for good measure on what he thinks is a Cerberus threat. He follows a series of leads to the planet Cholis. They dock at a floating habitat (sunken far beneath Cholis' huge carbon dioxide clouds) and find Grothan Pazness, the batarian governor of Camala who's gone into hiding. In return for rescuing him and the colonists hiding there, he spills the deets on who contacted him about assembling batarian refugees to assassinate the Council. Jath'Amon, the batarian ambassador who tried to kill them in 2183. He's apparently not very creative in his ways to get back at the galactic community. Rasa contacts Shield shortly after he leaves the colony, haven't seeing each other since she had been broken out of Alliance custody along with Vamshi. She tells him that Cerberus has caught wind of the plot themselves and has intel for him, free of charge.

Shield refuses on an ideological basis, and tracks Jath'Amon's ship, The Adek, down himself. After killing a few batarian extremists and getting the rest aboard to surrender, he realizes Jath'Amon had already left. Reluctantly forced to ask for Rasa's help, Cerberus helps him track Jath'Amon back to the Citadel where he's just arrived. After confronting him, Jath gives a spiel about batarian racism and their species continually being subjugated by the rest of the galaxy. In the middle of it, Shield prevents Cerberus assassins from taking him down. Shocked by the gesture, Shield ends up giving Jath the exact same speech Shepard gave Balak above Terra Nova, and with great trouble, convinces him to save his people instead of dooming them to more racism and Reaper processing. Angrily giving up the plot (pretty much because he's already captured, and will be monitored closely by C-SEC from there on out), he teams up with Grothan Pazness and Darchas Clark (from AHL Ch 12) as the trio rally the batarian refugees and scattered Hegemony fleet into some semblance of an organized task force. Shield is then contacted by Aria who's been impressed with his persuasiveness.

While in the bowels of the Wards, Shield also finally forces him to return to a place he hadn't since 2183. One that's been on his mind a lot lately since encountering Fyod. The Altakiril Abode. Otherwise known as the Shitadel. There, he finds Old Man Hodda Nar Tasi, same as he's ever been. The two have a heartfelt reunion, with Shield apologizing in tears for being an absolute dick to him last time they saw each other. The old quarian forgives him, just glad he's alive, as he thought Shield died back in the Riots all those years ago. The community's been doing well, and the Abode is constantly being improved, thanks to the war-time donations of several donors. All of which are old Broker shore accounts, now owned by Shield. They definitely need the infrastructure with all the new refugees they've been accepting. They even have the start of a sewage system now! Shield is glad to hear it, and offers to play Kepesh-Yakshi one last time before returning to the war.


Priority A: Desponia

I've honestly never played Leviathan, and I have no idea what happens in it. I just know Doctor Bryson is dead when Shepard gets to his office, Shepard investigates, ends up finding his daughter, and tracks the Leviathan back to an ocean planet with her help. Leviathans explain Reaper's origins, and that it's hopeless to fight them. Organics and synthetics have warred for every cycle, and that will never cease. It's pointless to stop the Reapers who are custodians taking care of their wards. Shepard being as charismatic as she is, convinces them otherwise. Old eldritch horrors get. What an entertaining and totally necessary summary. HOWEVER, they warn her that there are even older things than them out in the galaxy. Best beware not to get caught in their galactic machinations. Nani?


Priority B: Omega

So after Shield helps Aria recruit all the mercenary forces under her command, she tells him that she knows the location of TIM and Cerberus HQ. Shield guesses Omega. She says Omega. Begin ME3: Omega. Since AHR, Cerberus has claimed Omega for themselves outright, making it their base of operations outside Council Space with the intent to make it the Citadel of the Terminus Systems. For humanity at least. In a short power struggle, Cerberus seized the station from Aria, and have since made it a dystopia for everyone except humankind. Passing this along to Hackett, he says that they can't ignore Cerberus forever. Hackett agrees their frenemy shtick has gotten old. Let's take them out. He sends a part of the Third Fleet to assist Aria's mercenary forces in taking Cerberus out of the equation. Bray accompanies Shield throughout the Omega Arc, being Aria's personal eyes. Believe or not, I was going to write a film noir detective story involving him and Billy, that serial killer who messages Shepard after Purgatory is destroyed. Bray would be an ex-constable who comes back out of retirement to hunt down his family's killer on Omega, and prevent any more lives from being lost. He'd use Aria for leads, as he used to work for her, and would also give a glimpse of the aftermath that happened after the Battle on Omega in AHR. He seemed like a pretty chill dude in the DLC at least, and I know I always wanted a batarian squad-mate. Giving him a tragic backstory and some actual development in a one-shot would help make up for him joining Shield's team in like, the absolutely last mission.

After making a beach head on the station, they are contacted by Miranda, of all people. Shield said he missed her at the party. She explains that she's been heading her own team, an anti-Cerberus hit-squad, and they've been acting as a pain in Cerberus' side throughout the war. They rendez-vous, and Shield finds her team containing quite a few familiar faces. Corporal Toombs (Leonov's former subordinate), Killer (aka Gillain Tull from Taskforce Herakles), Randall Ezno (from that ME mobile game lmfao), and Paul Grayson (from the ME novels) who's been Aria's insider on the station the entire time (since joining her organization). Did you know that Aria has a daughter? And that Paul Grayson was also dating her in one of the books? He's basically Aria's son in law lol. Shield also tells him his daughter and her guardian are safe, back on Rannoch now that the quarians have their homeworld back and their surveying mission is no longer needed.

Anyway, they give a rundown on Petrovsky's operations and occupation force, and on the enigmatic Director, who has been doing Reaper experiments on the populace. The Director was instrumental in developing the Reaper implants Cerberus uses on all their troops. Project MIA, which her father helped direct, somehow found a way to counteract the indoctrination. The Director did all this at a facility called the Barn, and since Randall Ezno destroyed it (in his mobile game), the Director has since moved his work to Omega. Randall says he's learned in his hunt that the Director's real name is Albert Ross, and originally an agent of the Alliance Intelligence Service (AIS). Shield is triggered when he realizes this is the guy that destroyed Fox's life (From AHL, Ch 14 The Few Who're Killed).

So Miranda's team goes in with Alliance marines, Aria's mercenaries, and the Talon resistance to start the war. Shield speaks with Petrovsky multiple times, arguing on the ethics and morals of Cerberus' deeds and ultimate purpose. Rasa is present on the station as well, doing counter-sabotage, and she clashes multiple times with Shield too. He still hasn't given up on her, and tries to convince her to come over to the light. Despite the Director deploying adjutants on them in a desperate move (to Petrovsky's horror), the Allied Forces beat back Cerberus, capture Petrovsky and Rasa, and Randall kills the Director as revenge for his personal backstory. Shield allows it, knowing Fox can now rest in peace. Petrovsky states he's proud of the accomplishments Shield has made, and that Leonov would be glad he had such a worthy successor. Shield tells him to stuff it. Rasa tells him to let her go, as she could make it worth their while. Shield unfortunately states that she had her chance, and that he really wished they could have worked together one last time. She'll just have to settle for prison instead. He told her she picked the wrong team. She then says we'll see before escaping her omni-cuffs and making a run for it. Shield stops Miranda from shooting her in the back. Despite Miranda's frustration, Shield, with his heart of gold, believes she'll come around to doing the right thing in the end.

In the end, despite taking the station from Cerberus, TIM is clearly not here, nor is his other seconds, Vamshi and Kai Leng. Aria admits to lying, and that she never knew TIM was on the station to begin with. Shield's pissed, but at least they dealt Cerberus a huge blow. Oh yeah, and Nyreen survives, which Aria is overjoyed about. Not that you could tell. Miranda's team departs to head off their next Cerberus operation, but she thanks Shield and everyone else for their and Tull expresses joy to know Leonov/Shield's doing okay respectively. And Bray joins Shield's team, wanting to do some more good before he dies, and as thanks for Shield's efforts in helping Omega's people. Aria gives him permission due to his service.


Priority: Allied Staging Point

Shield is eventually recalled to the SSV Newton, and meets Shepard there along with the Alliance Admiralty and other leaders of the Allied Forces. The Crucible is done. What's the Catalyst they ask. Shield tells them...it's the Citadel. Though bewildered, the eggheads confirm his statement, shocked to realize that the specs work out perfectly. Once learned, the entire Allied Force is called together to escort the Crucible to the Citadel. This is their one shot. They need to make it count. As they begin assembling their navies and moving, just days before the operation, they get an emergency call from the Council. Reapers have infiltrated the station. A sizable force of Reapers have also surrounded the station, forcing it to close its arms, meaning no one could get in or get out. When asked how the hell the Reapers did that, TIM calls the line, and relays that the Reapers have finally captured the Conduit on Earth. He told them from the get-go if he didn't have their support, it would happen. And after all his setbacks, it's finally occurred. They accuse him of sabotaging all life in the galaxy, and Hackett breaks the news that the Citadel is the Catalyst. TIM is floored, damning himself for allowing the Reapers to get the Conduit. For them to take back control of the Citadel, they'll just have to take back Earth to do it. Dang. That sucks. Who could have foreseen this. TIM had this planned from the beginning, and though it's a score for humanity, Hackett is disgusted at how he's achieved it. Commence the Final Operation.