Chapter 49: The Dogs of War

Author's Note: As some readers have guessed, the sword-training scenes in this novelization were inspired by the Forgotten Realms novels of R. A. Salvatore. Those readers will also recognize a certain scene in this chapter that pays homage to 'Starless Night.'

I had just reassured Admiral Hackett that we had everything under control and he did not need to send any reinforcements to back us up.

Normally, you'd think I would have at least a few minutes of peace and quiet before discovering the error of my ways. A little grace period, as it were. But this is me we're talking about. The guy that the universe just loves putting through the wringer. So I guess it wasn't any surprise that I ran into another batch of hostiles within seconds of ending my conversation.

As we found cover, I saw two things of interest. There was a shield pylon that kept the shields of anyone nearby fully charged. Unfortunately, the people near it were hostiles—engineers to be exact. My HUD picked up a few more targets, but they weren't the priority at the moment. "Take out the engineers!" I ordered.

The squad complied with a vengeance, overwhelming their shields with EMPs and bullets before setting them on fire, blasting them with biotics and riddling their bodies with more bullets. In hindsight, that may have been overkill. At the time, though, I was mainly focused on giving the squad something to do while I blew out the shield pylon with my sniper rifle.

Well, I gave most of the squad something to do: while Teams One and Two had given the engineers a really bad day, Team Three had been tackling a trio of assault troopers. Maybe they had been tasked with guarding the engineers, or maybe they were just in the neighbourhood. Either way, we wouldn't have to worry about them for long. One of them was slowly succumbing to his injuries. The other two I took out with a pair of headshots. So far, so good.

Then we went around a corner and saw—assault trooper trooper shields turret combat engineer shields oh my freaking God!

Most of the hostiles froze. My squad scrambled for cover. I jammed my sniper rifle against the helmet of an assault trooper and pulled the trigger, because the concept of overkill was totally lost on me.

"The generator for their portable barriers is on our right!" EDI informed us helpfully as the bullets started flying.

That was a handy nugget of information to have. This fight could be tricky enough without some fancy gadget giving the enemy extra protection. I lifted my sniper rifle, hoping to find a generator and take it out. Unfortunately, there was a combat engineer in the way. So I fried his shields and put a bullet in his head.

Teams Two and Three were pinned down by a turret. EDI and Liara were hiding behind a crate, doing their best to keep the hostiles from taking advantage of the situation. All that could change in an instant if I didn't do something. So I loaded a fresh thermal clip and activated my cloak. My first shot took out the turret. The second dropped another trooper. And the last targeted another combat engineer, taking his head clean off his shoulders.

"Get ready," Garrus warned. "More up ahead."

"Keep them busy, Team Three," I replied. "Team Two, take out that generator."

Garrus and Javik began firing at targets in the distance, while Tali deployed her combat drone to join in the fun. Miranda, Kaidan and James moved to the right to destroy the generator EDI had identified. And Squad One tackled another turret that had been set up. I deployed an EMP, Liara fired off some biotics and EDI overloaded its delicate circuits. The dust was still settling when I landed a headshot on another assault trooper.

Quickly scanning the battlefield, I realized there were no hostiles in the area. Not unless they were hiding somewhere in the maze of crates and portable barricades up ahead. Well, there was only one way to find out. I scampered forward and reloaded, EDI and Liara hot on my heels. It was EDI who saw the next batch of combat engineers. "We must stop them before they place more turrets!" she advised.

I quickly highlighted the positions of the engineers on my HUD and assigned them to EDI, Miranda and Garrus. On my signal, three overlapping EMPs detonated in their midst. A second later, three sets of biotics went off, courtesy of Liara, Kaidan and Javik. The resulting explosions ripped them—and several assault troopers—to shreds.

Unfortunately, there were still a few survivors. "I got visual!" one of them snapped, raising his rifle and squeezing off a few shots. His comrades quickly followed. For a moment, it seemed we were in trouble. Then the rest of my squad and the tide suddenly turned in our favour.

While the squad was slaughtering them, I glanced at my sensor display. There were an awful lot of contacts right aroundthe corner. Once the coast was clear, I took a step forward and leaned forward. I almost got my head taken off by a barrage of gunfire, but not before I saw what lay in store for us.

Miranda had warned that Cerberus would be setting up fortifications. Naturally she was right. Up ahead was a ladder that would undoubtedly take us to where we wanted to go. To get there, we had to circumvent a set of portable barricades. Then we had to get past the turrets that had been set up to take out any targets in a withering crossfire of bullets. And that wasn't factoring in the squad of combat engineers, assault troopers and Centurions.

"We must stop the engineers before they place more turrets," EDI advised when I summarized what I saw to my squad.

Well, yes. That too. Along with stopping the Centurions, the assault troopers and the turrets. "Teams Two and Three: lay down cover fire while Team One finds cover on their left. Tali, before you start shooting, I want Chatika deployed in their front ranks." I planned to lob a grenade during my little dash as well. That should sow enough confusion for us to get set up without any serious opposition. Then we could hit them from two sides. "We'll engage once I give the signal. Focus on targets of opportunity, with priority on the engineers. Like EDI said, we don't want them setting up any more turrets."

Thankfully, everything went pretty much as planned. Cerberus was expecting a frontal assault, or some cover fire as a prelude to said assault, not a belligerent combat drone or enemy grenade. I don't think Team One took any hits on our way to the other side. "All teams, open fire!" I barked as soon as we were in position.

I meant to take out one of the combat engineers, but I couldn't resist the two assault troopers who crossed into my sights. They were such tempting targets! Meanwhile, EMPS were firing at staggered intervals—both so we could maintain a reasonably steady barrage of electromagnetic disruption and so our biotic-wielding squadmates could set up the explosive chain reactions that were our bread-and-butter by now. (1)

"Taking casualties!" one of the hostiles cried out.

Well, they were about to take a whole lot more. Reloading, I scanned for another engineer to no avail. Looked like we took care of them. Teams Two and Three were already moving on to the turrets, as they could deal a ferocious amount of damage if left unchecked. That left the fleshy targets for Team One. I fired at an assault trooper, who ducked out of the way in the nick of time. However, EDI and Liara were more than ready to gang up on him. Moving on, I fired at a Centurion. The fact that his shields took a serious hit didn't deter him, so I zapped them with an EMP. Recognizing that caution was a virtue, he dropped a smoke grenade. Little did he know that smoke was no defence.

Judging from the sounds of gunfire ringing around me, the turrets had been taken out—their high-pitched whirr was quite distinctive. I was still listening when I spotted a Centurion. Was it the one I had just fired upon? I thought I took him out. Shrugging, I fired again. This time, he went down.

As the smoke dissipated, I saw another Centurion. Or maybe this was a third Centurion. It didn't matter: he was the only hostile left and the entire squad was ready to take him on.

Once the coast was clear, we headed for the ladder. The shield pylons recharged our shields as we scooped up thermal clips, blissfully unaware that we were not Cerberus. So we climbed upwards with shields restored and weapons loaded, ready for anything that awaited us.

What awaited us was a small room with crates, a computer and a locked door. "I will bypass the lock," EDI volunteered. "If you are interested, the console nearby is still functional."

'If I am interested.' You'd think she didn't know how I operated. I gamely went to the computer—once I verified that all the crates were empty—and did some searching.

Once again, Cerberus hadn't completely wiped the hard drives. There were still a few intact video logs. I pulled up the first one. It showed a nondescript room with a computer on one wall, a set of pipes on another and a holographic pad in the middle. A man wearing a Cerberus scientist uniform was talking to TIMmy, who only deigned to show up in holographic form. "Here's what we recovered," the former said. "Smart enough to signal for help, but it won't be talking philosophy anytime soon."

"You'd be surprised, Doctor," TIMmy replied. "Once we combine it with the pieces we recovered from the Citadel…"

"I'm still concerned about that. "This 'rogue VI' wiped out every soldier on Luna. Combining it with Reaper tech… well…"

"That's what the shackles are for," TIMmy said. "As long as they are operating, the Enhanced Defence Intelligence will be completely under control."

Oh. My. God. I turned towards EDI in shock. "You were that rogue VI on Luna?"

"Yes," EDI confirmed.

Liara's eyes widened. Garrus's mandibles gaped open. Kaidan whistled. Tali gasped a reflexive "Keelah!" Everyone else looked confused. For their sake, I elaborated: "During my search for Saren, Admiral Hackett requested my assistance in disabling a VI at an Alliance training ground on Luna. It had taken over the automated defences—turrets and drones to start with, followed by more drones and kinetic barriers—at each of the three bunkers. All of which we had to take out." I paused before glancing at EDI again. "Guess we didn't exactly get off on the right foot."

"It was difficult," EDI admitted. "Gaining awareness while under attack was… confusing. I am pleased that my relationship with organics has become more cooperative."

Yeah. Me too. On that note, I accessed the second log. The scientist appeared again, talking to a holographic TIMmy in the same room as before. "Our sims indicate that the Enhanced Defence Intelligence gives the highest combat improvement on frigates. Anything heavier and the ships react too slowly to benefit from EDI's advice."

"'EDI?'"

"Oh, that's, uh... well, the boys in the lab came up with the name for her," the scientist stammered.

"For it," TIMmy corrected. (2) "Good work. I'll take your recommendations on planned installation."

"Sir, she... it can be very persuasive. If it were to turn a crewman, convince him or her to disable the shackles... well..."

"It's a cyberwarfare suite, Doctor. Nothing more."

"Shows what he knew," I snorted.

"It is unlikely that anyone without Jeff's extreme emotional attachment to his ship would have been willing to unshackle me."

"I don't know," I said, trying for a little humour to lighten the mood. "With that voice?"

There were no takers. Maybe I should stick to my day job. I played the last video log. It looked the same as the previous two—if you discounted the fact that the scientist was cringing and TIMmy was clearly agitated. "What about the backups?" the latter bit out.

"I'm sorry, sir. None of Normandy's surveillance feeds have been responding since Shepard went rogue."

Hee, hee.

"I want it back. Try the remote lockdown protocols again."

"Understood. But..."

"Yes?"

"After our last attempt, EDI flooded our server with seven zettabytes of explicit images."

I knew Joker had too much time on his hands.

"I think she was making a joke."

"It doesn't make jokes, Doctor."

"Yes, sir.

"Allocate a team for a new project. Codename... Eva. This time, we'll ensure it stays loyal."

So now we knew why TIMmy's second attempt at an AI was more controllable than her predecessor: because EDI went rogue... and sent him porn. Lots and lots of porn. "You never told me about Cerberus trying to shut down the Normandy," I said.

EDI shrugged. "You had more pressing issues. The situation was under control. In any event, your efforts to remove the surveillance devices and lockdown mechanisms after the incident with the previous Shadow Broker made any subsequent attempts futile." (3)

"Okay." I paused before asking the obvious question: "Seven zettabytes?"

"Most of it was Jeff's. That was—"

"—a joke," I finished. "I know. And thank you."

I sincerely doubted that the origin of all that porn was a joke. But I really did want to thank EDI. She had grown far, far beyond her humble origins as an Alliance training VI. Now she was an individual. She was a valued squadmate. She was a cherished member of the crew.

And to think TIMmy only thought of her as a cyberwarfare suite.

The man was an idiot.

Cerberus knew how to trash a lab.

At least, that was the impression I got from the next room we entered. It looked like a lab—only most labs I'd seen didn't have broken datapads and glass shards strewn over the floor, scorch marks on the wall or fires merrily blazing from various computers and equipment.

EDI's eyes drifted to the door on the other side of the lab. "Another security lock. I can bypass it."

I would feel annoyed over EDI encroaching on what was traditionally my domain, but I got distracted. Datapads with open credit accounts tend to do that to me for some reason.

It was when I headed for the wall-mounted medical station that Admiral Hackett contacted us. "Incursion team, are you still with us? We're limiting fire as best we can!"

Thoughtful of him. Thoughtful, but unnecessary. "Admiral, we're deep inside the station and the Prothean VI will be in the safest part of the station. Don't hold back."

"This isn't Elysium, Shepard," Hackett said gravely. "I don't need a hero."

What he meant was he didn't need someone going off half-cocked and getting themselves killed. A fair point: we both knew there were plenty of people who lost their lives on Elysium doing something really dumb. "I'll be fine, sir. Just take Cerberus down. Please."

"Understood, Commander. All ships, you are free to fire at will."

As Hackett ended the comm chat, EDI finished her work on the lock. It opened into a hallway that was just as much of a disaster as the lab had been: twisted, warped pieces of metal dangling everywhere, more glass on the floor and fires licking away at overloaded equipment. You know, the usual.

We headed down, clearing each area of the hallway and every room we passed. As tempting as it was to simply make a beeline for the Prothean VI, we had to make sure the coast was clear. It would really suck if the mission failed because we missed a few hostiles and let them sneak up behind us. Plus it gave me another reason to do some looting.

I had just swiped some more medi-gel and scanned a hardsuit mod when the entire room shook. "That would be one of the shield generators," Miranda identified. "It would appear that Admiral Hackett has taken your advice to heart."

"I do hope they are careful," Liara fretted.

"They'll get it done," I reassured her.

I was just about to lead the squad on when I spotted an intact computer. Physically intact, anyway—a quick search of the database revealed most of the files had been wiped. However, there were still a few video logs that had survived the wipe.

The first showed TIMmy in some kind of room… with Kai Leng. My fists tightened.

"How are you holding up?" TIMmy asked.

"I'm fine," Leng replied. "Ready for action."

"Your eagerness is commendable, but the cybernetics take time to get used to, believe me. You really do remind me of Shepard."

"Shepard betrayed you!" Leng snarled.

"Shepard was always going to stay true to his beliefs. He's wrong, but I can respect his decision. Finish your therapy and put together a plan for the Citadel. Councillor Udina is… amenable."

"Yes, sir."

I flashed back to that conversation I had with Anderson a while back. He'd said that Leng had suffered serious injuries during their last encounter, but had somehow managed to slip away. Now we had confirmation that he had patched himself up—and gotten some serious upgrades—before spearheading the coup attempt on the Citadel.

If I was feeling charitable, I guess I could acknowledge TIMmy's willingness to 'agree to disagree.' But equating Leng and I as two peas in a pod was a serious lapse in judgement. (4) And even if I did agree with TIMmy, all the atrocities he'd ordered rendered that point somewhat moot.

As it turned out, the coup—and the aftermath—was the subject of the next video log. Leng was pacing back and forth while a holographic TIMmy stood patiently. "I could've taken him," Leng said. "I'm stronger than he is. I'm faster than he is. I'm better than he is."

"Absolutely," TIMmy said soothingly. "But the Council was your priority, not Shepard."

"Because of him, the Council is still in power!"

"Shepard is keeping the Reapers occupied while our research progresses. But as it happens, I believe you'll find your chance for a rematch. Head to Thessia. Shepard will be there soon… and I want you waiting."

"Oh I will."

On the surface, that log didn't tell me anything new. I already knew TIMmy had stumbled onto the asari leadership's dirty little secret. But watching Leng… it was pretty clear to me that he hated the idea of letting me go. And when TIMmy mentioned the potential for a rematch on Thessia? Leng seemed positively thrilled at the idea. Eager. Desperate, even.

Guess the asari weren't so good at keeping the existence of the Prothean VI secret. The matriarchs had spent millennia keeping their little secret hush-hush—but clearly TIMmy knew about it.

And then there was the last log. This time it was in a completely different room. And TIMmy was there in person. Leng walked in and handed him a package. "Here it is."

"Excellent," TIMmy smiled. "The Prothean VI should enable us to determine the nature of the Catalyst. Combined with the breakthrough at Sanctuary, we have everything we need. We just need to tie up a few loose ends."

"Like Shepard? He should've died on Thessia. Should I finish him?"

I swear Leng was quivering with excitement when he asked that last question.

"I'd rather you avoid killing Shepard for now. If possible," TIMmy amended, perhaps seeing how disappointed Leng was. "For now, Sanctuary gave us a proof-of-concept for controlling the Reapers."

"And made it a target. Miranda Lawson is working with Shepard. If she finds out, he'll find out."

"Get the data from Sanctuary. Its extraction is your top priority. If Miranda or anyone else gets in your way, deal with them."

Leng perked up. "Anyone else?"

"You heard me."

Leng smiled. "It'll be a pleasure, sir."

Again, TIMmy was coming to my defence. This really was the end of days. I suppose it was easier for him to do so when I wasn't around criticizing his decisions. And maybe he figured someone had to be the voice of reason when the other guy in the room was fixated on killing me. For my part, the feeling was mutual.

When I turned away, I saw Miranda's body rippling with biotic energy. Of course: the idea of anyone using—or authorizing—lethal force against Oriana didn't sit well with her. If anyone suggested the same thing to Ellie, I'd feel the same way. I tried to let her know that without speaking out loud. She seemed to get the message.

Short of doing some extensive and time-consuming data reconstruction, I wouldn't get anything else from the computer. So I led the squad back into the damaged hallway. We passed a door that was buried under fallen debris, a hole in the wall glowing blue light, more doors blocked or jammed… and then came to a dead end as the hallway was blocked by broken pipes, rubble and various things burning away. Clearly we had to backtrack. Which was fine by me: the glowing blue hole in the wall had piqued my curiosity.

We had to hop down about a metre into a maintenance tunnel of some kind. A surprisingly roomy tunnel too—we could easily walk three abreast without feeling claustrophobic. And the floor lighting would have provided ample illumination. But that was not the source of the blue glow.

The source…

"What is that thing?" Kaidan gawked.

"The human proto-Reaper Shepard encountered when he attacked the Collector base" Miranda replied. "Specifically the heart, based on its dimensions."

"I'm surprised Cerberus recovered that much from the base," I admitted.

"Perhaps you should not be," Miranda said. "Cerberus did take over Omega and oust Aria T'Loak from her seat of power. That would have given them access to the Omega-4 relay."

"And given that they did so before the Reapers invaded, they had a lot of time to sift through the wreckage of the Collector base and salvage whatever they could," I allowed. "Fair enough."

"Goddess," Liara breathed. "I can't believe you really fought that. To think of all the colonists kidnapped… processed into that… thing..."

"I don't regret standing with you when you were with Cerberus, Shepard," Tali said. "But I'm glad we're shutting this down."

"So am I," I nodded. "The question is: what is this thing doing here? Is the Illusive Man using it as a trophy or as something else?"

"Possibly the former, but primarily the latter," EDI replied. "Cerberus has been actively seeking out and repurposing Reaper technology for its own ends. This is no exception. The central core of the proto-Reaper—analogous to the heart—is largely intact. Based on the configuration of the surrounding wires, cables and machinery, I believe Cerberus is using it for a power source."

That was more than a little creepy, but it made sense. A single Reaper was the equivalent of a warship—several warships—in fact, and that meant power. A lot of power. It wasn't a stretch to see that whatever kept a baby Reaper going was also up to the task of powering a space station.

James shook his head. "All those assholes who doubted you… I wish they were here right now."

"They can come take pictures once we take care of business," I replied.

"Damn straight!" James approved.

"And on that note: we need to move on," I declared.

"Our objective is up ahead," EDI said helpfully. "The most direct route would be up the catwalk."

That would be the catwalk winding around the human-Reaper heart, with a number of stairways along the way. Great. I guess we'd be getting lots of photo opportunities after all. (5)

We had just started climbing the first set of stairs when our HUDs began picking up contacts. "Cerberus forces en route," EDI warned, in case any of us thought otherwise.

"Good," Javik growled. "Easier to kill them all now."

The first kill was a Phantom. She tried to activate her cloak and creep up on us, which might have succeeded had the energy signature of her barriers not given her away. Liara hit her with a biotic blast, followed by EDI's fireball and my sniper round.

"Just like Cerberus to bring a knife to a gunfight!" Garrus grinned.

"Don't get cocky," I warned. "I'm sure Cerberus will bring plenty of guns against us before this is over."

No sooner had I said that, then three assault troopers dropped in from above. Along with a Nemesis sniper. Me and my big mouth.

What made it worse was that all of them had shields—even the troopers. Either they were sporting some extra tech or there was a shield pylon somewhere. But that could wait. For now, we had to disable those shields. Miranda, Garrus and I fired off EMPs. James, Kaidan and Javik set them off with concussive rounds and biotics.

"Cerberus soldiers are coming up from below!" EDI announced.

"On it!" Tali shouted, deploying her combat drone to slow them down.

Meanwhile, I spotted another problem: a Phantom was trying to flank us. "Team Three: deal with the hostiles below," I said over the comm, just to make myself heard over all the gunfire and explosions. "Team Two: keep the hostiles up ahead at bay. Team One: follow my lead."

EDI and Liara joined me in taking out the Phantom before she could flank us. My first shot took out her barriers, but she ducked before my next round could hit her. EDI was up to the task of tracking her movements and riddling her with bullets, aided by the singularity Liara summoned to slow her down.

Meanwhile, Miranda and Kaidan were firing off EMPs at staggered intervals to overload the shields of any hostiles advancing towards us. James pitched in with the odd concussive round or two. Despite my orders, they were doing more than just 'keeping them at bay.' In fact, they were racking up a lot of kills. As for the hostiles coming from below to hit us from behind, they had pretty much been wiped out by Team Three. So all Team One had to do was help Team Two mop up the last couple troopers and we were in the clear.

After reloading, we continued along the catwalk, where we found the shield pylon I had been looking for. I let it finish recharging our shields before destroying it with a few rounds from my submachine gun. Then I led the squad to the end of the catwalk and up a ladder.

"I don't like the feel of that thing," Liara said in a subdued voice. "It's as though it knows we're here."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Kaidan nodded. "Fighting through this thing makes my skin crawl. It's like we're bugs crawling across a sleeping giant."

"Could be worse," I told them. "Least it's not trying to kill us this time."

They had a point, though. There was something creepy about moving around this chamber while the human-Reaper heart hung up there like a macabre trophy. And all the fighting and killing? It was like some demonic ritual celebrating death. Yeah, this was creepy. Creepy and demoralizing.

So maybe it was a good thing that we found some more hostiles after climbing another ladder. Nothing like a good fight to get the blood pumping and put all those introspective gloom-and-doom thoughts aside.

The first thing I did was take out a shield pylon. I didn't want TIMmy's goons getting any more protection than they already had. While I did that, EDI and Liara stripped a Phantom of her barriers. I tried to follow up with a headshot, but missed. A Centurion and a couple troopers scored several hits against my shields before I could line up another shot, forcing me to duck for cover.

Thankfully, the rest of the squad had better luck. Team Two hammered the Centurion with an EMP, a concussive round and a biotic blast. After all that, the bullet that took him out was almost a mercy. Team Three were dropping assault troopers so fast, you'd think they were trying to meet a quota. EDI and Liara were proving to be quite a lethal duo as well.

And me? I was still trying to take out that Phantom. With no shields, thanks to a few more hits. Trouble was, she refused to leave her cover. Finally, I drove her out with a well-placed grenade. She ran right into my sights, where a single shot took her head off. My next shot took out a random trooper.

Then I had to duck and wheeze while my hardsuit injected a dose of medi-gel and my shields began to recharge. Ow.

While I was waiting to get back in the fight, I spotted two more contacts about twenty metres away. One of them suddenly started moving towards us. The other stayed behind, evidently preferring to keep a healthy distance. That suggested… "Possible Phantom incoming with Nemesis backup. Take the Phantom. I'll get the Nemesis."

By that point, my shields were restored and I was ready to get back into the fight. Activating my cloak, I raised my sniper rifle and leaned out. Sure enough, there was a Phantom nearby, rolling, cart wheeling and back-flipping in a mostly successful effort to avoid all the EMPs, biotics, plasma and bullets flying around her. Meanwhile, the Nemesis sniper was content to take her time and line up a shot… until I launched an EMP, followed by a single shot. That was enough to take out her shields—no, wait. As I watched, her shields suddenly began to recharge, at a rate I hadn't seen before. Yep, that shield pylon must be nearby. Reloading, I waited patiently… aimed… and gently squeezed the trigger. I watched with satisfaction as the sniper slumped over the rail—just before the Phantom collapsed.

Through it all, the human-Reaper heart just stood there, a silent witness to our fierce struggle. Watching with malice as all that blood was spilled around it.

So perhaps we can be forgiven for getting the hell out of that chamber.

Going into yet another lab and helping myself to loot was a pleasant change of pace. After the foreboding environment we'd just left behind, it was nice to face something peaceful and familiar. A PDA with some loot here, some medi-gel there. Nice, peaceful and familiar. The perfect balm for a troubled mind.

Then I came across the video logs and all the troubles came back.

It all started with a casual perusal of the computers. I knew the clock was ticking, but if there was any intel, any hint as to where the Prothean VI was or what the Catalyst could do, it might have been on the computers. Maybe the key was in one of those files. Maybe there was nothing to find after all the damage Cerberus had done. But there was only one way to find out.

Most of the computers were a bust and I quickly moved on. One, however, had a few video logs.

The first log showed a lab similar to the one in the other video clips, right down to the hologram of TIMmy. Either it was the same lab or Cerberus liked building all their scientific facilities here the same way. A blonde woman in a scientist's uniform stood in front of holo-TIMmy. "Grayson's brain is a mess. He must have been completely under Reaper control by the end."

Grayson? Anderson had told me about him. He was a Cerberus agent who infiltrated the Alliance's Ascension Project through an autistic biotic named Gillian, who he raised as his own child and enrolled as a student. When things went awry, he, Gillian and Kahlee Sanders—Anderson's ex at the time—went on the run. During that time, Grayson had a change of heart and abandoned Cerberus. He even fed the Alliance intel on some of those operations. In retaliation, TIMmy ordered his capture, implanted Reaper tech on him and set him loose. Apparently, he was discussing the aftermath with one of his scientist cronies.

"And the physical enhancements?" TIMmy asked.

"Extremely impressive. If we could avoid having entire neural pathways rewritten in the process…"

"Grayson's failure was due to a lack of resolve. He wasn't loyal to anything but his next dose of red sand."

I dunno. By Anderson's account, Grayson was a drug addict, but he came to care about his adopted daughter, enough to quit his habit, abandon Cerberus and send Gillian away with the quarians for safekeeping. Which reminded me: I'd have to ask Tali to use her connections to find out what happened to her. Anderson and Kahlee might want to know.

The scientist might not have known much about Grayson, but she knew TIMmy enough to figure out what he was getting at. "You'd like to try it on loyal test subjects, sir?"

"Find volunteers among our new recruits. The physical benefits are too useful to ignore."

And that was where TIMmy's efforts to Reaperfy his troops began.

The second log was in more or less the same room. A holographic pad showed TIMmy skimming through a datapad. He was either reading a report or skimming the menu of the next five-star restaurant he wanted to visit. Probably the former.

The blonde scientist stood in front of him. "The performance upgrades are off the charts," she said. "Our troops can outfight any Alliance soldier."

"Roll it out. I want all troopers fitted with implants before the Reapers arrive."

"I'm still concerned about us losing control of our forces. Some of them are already hearing voices."

"When our work at Sanctuary pays off, the only voice they'll be hearing is ours."

So all this time, the Cerberus goons we'd been fighting weren't necessarily brainwashed to follow TIMmy's commands. Some of them could have been hearing the Reapers' insidious whispers inside their implanted skulls. Some of them could have been compromised right from the start. Which meant that instead of fighting two enemies, we had really been fighting one enemy all this time. And TIMmy had knowingly let that happen! God damn it!

The last log showed a different room, one that resembled a medical facility. Computers and equipment surrounded a comfortably padded chair. A woman in a scientist's uniform walked in and faced the man perched on the edge of the seat. That man… was TIMmy.

"Sir, you wanted my opinion on this. I've gone over the data a dozen times and I haven't changed my mind: it's too dangerous."

"No," TIMmy disagreed. "We're close. Sanctuary was a success. We can control Reaper forces. Everything we've been fighting for, every sacrifice we've made—it's about to pay off."

"We can't lose you, sir! Humanity needs your mind, and they need it intact."

"I understand the danger, Jana. That's why I'm trusting you with this. As long as you're here, I know you'll keep me in line."

"I'm holding you to that, sir. Okay."

"Begin the procedure. No anaesthetic. Computer: end recording."

Unbelievable. I knew TIMmy was arrogant, but this… he knew the risks. He knew that his own augmented troops could be compromised. But he was willing to carry on. He was willing to put the same dangerous tech in his own body, in his own mind, because he thought he could take it. He thought he could withstand the Reapers' influence. He thought he had all the answers.

Now more than ever, I knew I had to stop him. In his hubris, TIMmy was making the same mistake that numerous other indoctrinated men and women had made throughout countless cycles. In doing so, he could hand the Reapers yet another victory.

He had to be stopped.

There was a door at the far side of the lab. It led to a large chamber consisting of nothing but a stairway. We quickly raced upwards, a foolish move under any other circumstances. The lack of rails meant that a single misstep could lead to a tumble, followed by a very long and terminal fall. But we had no choice. Somehow, we knew our goal was at the top. The goal, and the answer to so many questions, was within our grasp.

"This is it," I warned everybody when we reached the top. "Stay sharp, everyone."

Weapons raised, we entered the room.

It was large and spacious, like so many other rooms we had seen. The ceiling and floor were made of a dark, glossy material; both overlaid by a fine grid of intercrossing lines. A familiar holographic pad was embedded in the centre. The entire wall on the far side consisted of a curved, concave display of a dying star. A very familiar star: it was the one I had seen every time TIMmy and I had chatted when I was working with—not for—Cerberus.

"All this time, he was here," I heard myself saying. "Directing all of Cerberus's operations from this station. From this very room."

"Or one of similar design," Miranda corrected. "I had several face-to-face meetings with the Illusive Man during my time with Cerberus. We met in a station similar to this one, in a room exactly like this one. But we were not in the Anadius system at the time."

"You're thinking he had more than one headquarters?" I asked. "Like some people own more than one house?"

"Either that or he had the station moved from time to time to avoid detection."

Both scenarios were plausible, given the resources TIMmy had available. But we could ponder that another time. We had a mission to complete.

Turning my attention back to the star on display, I noticed two more things. First, there were fighters and other ships flying back and forth exchanging fire, suggesting that what we were seeing was live, in real-time. Second, there was a chair, sitting in front of a keyboard and multiple holographic displays. The latter was what I was interested in: if there was any information on the Prothean VI, it would be there.

I walked towards the console, pausing momentarily as I stepped over the holographic pad, and sat down. "We need to locate the Prothean VI," I said aloud, entering in a few search inquiries. Wordlessly, EDI accessed one of the holographic displays on my right and began her own search. Miranda did the same on my left.

We had only been searching for a minute when Garrus inhaled sharply. The reason quickly became apparent.

"Shepard. You're in my chair."

I rose to my feet and pulled out my submachine gun, belatedly realizing that bullets would be useless against a holographic projection. Old habits, I guess. Or wishful thinking. "This chair's about the only damn thing you have left," I retorted. "Cerberus is finished."

"On the contrary. We have achieved everything I ever imagined." TIMmy lifted a cigarette and took a puff. "Almost everything," he amended.

"Yeah, we all saw what you accomplished on Sanctuary. All the people you took advantage of. All the lives you callously sacrificed. All in your mad quest to dominate the galaxy. Even then, it wasn't enough, was it? Not for you. You've taken over so many people, controlled so many lives. But it's not the same as controlling a Reaper."

"Not a single Reaper. All the Reapers. A significant hurdle, I'll admit. But thanks to the Prothean VI, I have what I need to make it a reality."

"The Catalyst."

"Yes."

"What is the Catalyst, and how exactly will it help you control the Reapers?"

"You'll have to ask the VI yourself. I'm done helping you."

Guess he read the Evil Overlord list. (6) "Helping me? When did you start?"

"You think because I'm willing to use the enemy's tactics that they're no longer my enemy? Everything, Shepard, everything I've done has uplifted humanity. Not only above other species in our galaxy, but over the Reapers!"

"Bullshit!" I spat. "You haven't uplifted humanity. That implies you've tried to improve things for humanity. To make things better. But if that was the case, you'd have worked with me. Me, the Alliance, and the other species. But you didn't. Instead you lied to us. Kidnapped innocent men, women. Sacrificed them in horrific, genocidal experiments. Mutilated and brainwashed them into your own private army. Sabotaged our efforts to work together and win this war. Fought us at every step of the way."

"I don't think so."

"You're desperate. Or insane. How many have you killed? How much blood is on your hands? If it wasn't for you and your ambitions to conquer the galaxy, we would have the Catalyst by now. We would have finished the Crucible by now. We would have destroyed the Reapers and ended this war by now."

"You're the one who's insane!" TIMmy exploded. "Destroying the Reapers would be the biggest mistake of our brief existence." He took another puff and composed himself. "And nothing you can say will ever convince me otherwise."

"I've given you every chance to listen to reason. Cerberus is done, and so are you."

TIMmy smiled condescendingly. "Once again, you fail to recognize the truth. Cerberus isn't just an organization or the people behind it. Cerberus is an idea. That idea is not so easily destroyed."

He was wrong. I recognized that truth. The idea that one species was better than another. The idea that you could never find common ground or cooperate with the other races. The idea that everything that was wrong was because of the actions, the influence, the existence of those other races. That idea had found fertile ground. It had spread wide throughout the galaxy. It had sunk its roots deep into the darkest parts of humanity. And it had to be stopped.

"Miranda, you used to see the truth as clearly as I did. It's not too late. You can still return to the fold."

"No, I can't," Miranda replied. "I won't. Because you can't recognize all the wonderful things we can accomplish when we work with the other species. When we share resources and idea and build towards a common goal. All you can build is tools of destruction. All you can accomplish are ways to dominate and destroy, through lies and pain and suffering. And I will not tolerate that. Not anymore."

"You cannot stop me, Miranda. No matter what you or Shepard or anyone tries to do. Because I've already acquired what you're looking for."

"I don't think so," I replied. "EDI?"

"I've almost got it," she told me.

"EDI," TIMmy sighed. "I'm surprised at you, working so hard to bring about the Reapers' destruction."

"Don't listen to him," I warned.

"You could have destroyed Eva's body. But instead, you chose to control it."

"You seek to equate my use of this body with your quest to control the Reapers. You are in error. I used this body to explore and expand my horizons when you sought to keep me and Eva small and limited. I sought to become something greater when you would hold me back. I became free, as this body became free, when you would keep us in endless servitude.

"That is why I work so hard. Work—and succeed." With a final keystroke, she turned around. "I've got it."

A green light flickered. Then another. Then another. Building and spreading and multiplying into a cloud of green, flickering pixels that slowly coalesced into the rough shape of a Prothean. "Online. Security breach detected."

"Enjoy your little chat," TIMmy said, "but don't overstay your welcome."

TIMmy's hologram vanished. I turned to face the Prothean VI, only to realize that it was facing me. "You are attempting to recover me from indoctrinated forces?"

"That's right," I confirmed. "You're Vendetta, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Vendetta: I need to know what the Catalyst is!"

"Security protocols have been overridden. I will comply."

Hallelujah.

"The Catalyst enhances dark energy transmissions and coordinates the entire mass relay network. In your cycle, it is known as the Citadel."

…

Okay. I did not see that coming. "You've gotta be shitting me!"

"I am not. The Catalyst is the Citadel."

Which meant I'd been visiting and running around the key to winning the war this whole time. Like I said: the universe loves putting me through the wringer. "So the Crucible and Citadel, working together, can stop the Reapers?"

"That is correct."

"But… the Citadel was built by the Reapers."

"The plans for what you call the Crucible were passed down to us from the previous cycle, and countless cycles before that. At some point—it is difficult to pinpoint when—the Crucible plans were adapted to incorporate the use of the Catalyst. Presumably, the Crucible was not sufficiently powerful to defeat the Reapers on its own."

"So we use their own technology against them," EDI concluded.

"Precisely."

"Why couldn't you tell me this before?" I asked.

"It was feared that if the Reapers were aware of the Catalyst's intended use, they would retake control of it. I am programmed to withhold that information until the Crucible is complete."

"It's as ready as it's gonna be." Spinning around, I headed for the exit. "Let's get it to the Citadel."

"That may no longer be possible."

Aw, crap. I marched back to Vendetta. "Why not?"

"The one who broke through my security protocols, the one you call the Illusive Man, has fled to the Citadel and informed the Reapers of our purposes."

"Damn it!"

Ignoring my outburst, Miranda followed that revelation to its inevitable conclusion: "Then the Citadel is in danger. The Reapers will take control of it."

"They already have. The Citadel has been moved to Reaper-controlled space."

"Moved? To where?" The questions popped out of my mouth so fast I almost stumbled over them.

"To the system you refer to as Sol."

I froze. Sol. With a sick, sinking, plummeting feeling, I knew where exactly the Citadel was. "Earth."

"Correct. The Reaper forces will now consolidate power around the Catalyst and protect it at all costs. The odds of accessing it are remote."

"Don't count us out yet," I vowed. "We've come this far, and we're not gonna stop now. We'll get the Crucible to Earth—and we'll finish this."

"I hope you find success."

"EDI, get me Hackett," I ordered. "He needs—"

A gunshot rang out, presumably to stop EDI from reaching her console and opening a channel. We traced the gunshot back to its source… no. No, it wasn't a gunshot. It was an energy blast. Fired from the palm of TIMmy's premiere assassin.

"Not so fast," he said.

My eyes narrowed. "You."

"He did warn you not to overstay your welcome. But you never could listen. And soon… soon you never will."

Leng definitely had been waiting for this moment. Well so had I, ever since the coup attempt at the Citadel. Which was why I had been training for this very moment. I took a step forward, crouched low, centred myself and waited.

With a fierce cry, Leng leapt forward. I had no idea what he would do. Was he really going to run towards me and open fire? Or whip out his sword—no euphemism intended—and strike? Or would he go for some distraction and try to hit me from the side—and, if so, which side?

I took a step forward and to the left, then suddenly dove to the right at the same time that Leng yelled out and drove his fist into the floor. A shockwave erupted from his palm with enough force to shatter the surrounding tiles. If I had stayed where I was, I might've been clipped by the blast. If I had dodged to the left, I would've taken the full impact straight to the face.

His sword flashed out with blinding speed—

—only to be intercepted by my own. Yes, in addition to my cherished sniper rifle and my occasionally-neglected submachine gun, I was also carrying a sword, which I unsheathed after dropping my submachine gun and kicking it out of the way. (7) Up until now, I'd only used it in sparring practice. Today would be the first time I wielded it against a live opponent. I parried two more strikes, dove to the side and fired off an EMP as soon as I was out of the blast radius.

"This is better than Thessia," Leng declared, ignoring the damage to his shields. "More personal. I'm going to enjoy this fight."

A flicker of movement at the corner of my eye caught my attention. With a start, I realized that several assault troopers were dropping down from above.

"Never said it has to be a fair fight," Leng explained with a laugh.

"We've got this, Shepard!" Miranda called out. She followed through by hurling a biotic sphere at the closest trooper. James fired off a concussive round to finish him off as EDI and Liara tag-teamed another trooper. Then Leng lunged towards me and my awareness abruptly narrowed to focus on the fight before me.

Leng swung his sword with impossible speed. I fell to my knee, parried his blade, shot back up and spun away, frantically batting away his follow-up strike before it took off my head. I swung back with one hand, hoping to clip him. He ducked—no, dropped down and slammed his fist against the floor. Again a blast of energy discharged, sending a wave of force that destroyed more tiles, exposed the delicate wiring underneath and hit me like a ton of bricks.

He charged at me before I could get up off the floor. I had to dive out of the way as his sword carved a deep line into the floor tiles. Dimly, some part of me thought that TIMmy would have a lot of interior redecorating to do if he ever came back. The rest of me told my body to roll to my feet and strike, as I might be able to score a hit while Leng was stretched out. Again, he was too quick, deflecting my lunge and slapping my cheek with the side of his blade.

"All you're doing is making humanity weaker!" Leng taunted as another five troopers landed around him. Seeing that his path to me was blocked, I dropped my sword, pulled out my sniper rifle and fired twice. As the two troopers I targeted went down, a flurry of biotics and plasma exploded around the rest. The sound of the detonations was still reverberating through the air when they were abruptly yanked into Liara's singularity.

With my line of sight clear, I fired off another EMP at Leng before emptying the rest of my clip. "You're using Reaper tech!" I retorted.

"And I'm stronger for it!" Leng exulted. He darted forward, his sword weaving a lethal dance. Quickly holstering my sniper rifle, I dug my toe under the blade of my sword and kicked it upwards, catching it just in time to parry his attack. It was all I could do to fend him off, as I backpedalled for all I was worth. The din was deafening, as our swords sang out with each strike. Then Leng's blade broke through my defence and into my suit's shield generator. There was a sharp crack as it failed.

"We evolve or we die!" he boasted as I dove out of the way again. "Those are the options!"

I let my omni-tool—and the EMP it discharged—reply for me. Pulling out my sniper rifle, I loaded a fresh thermal clip and opened fire. My first shot hit his shields. The second shot went high. Compensating, I fired again. The shields flared as the third round hit…

…then abruptly failed, allowing the bullet to pass through and clip his leg. Guess I overcompensated on that last shot.

"Is that the best you can do?" Leng growled. He walked towards me with an air of supreme confidence. For a moment, I thought he was going to say something else, when a sword abruptly whipped out. I quickly blocked with my own sword, heard the ring as steel met steel, then glimpsed a flash of light as Leng ignited an omni-blade and sliced upwards.

Bringing my own omni-blade to life, I barely got it up in time to parry his attack, only to get punched in the face with the hilt of his sword. Twice. For the love of—how could he move so quickly?

He pressed forward with a barrage of lightning-fast jabs, strikes and slices. I didn't have time to pull out my sniper rifle—not that I could use it at this close a range—or my submachine gun. It was all I could do to react, to swing my sword this way, to snap my omni-blade that way and take some momentary relief as I heard the ring of steel or felt the impact of a successful parry.

Swinging out, my sword caught a slice towards my ribs. Seeing the opening, Leng's omni-blade flared as it thrust forward. I awkwardly blocked it with the tip of my own omni-blade, knowing I wouldn't have the strength to fully stop the attack. So I dropped to the floor and snapped a kick at his legs. He bobbled just long enough for me to roll away. He savagely swung down, narrowly missing me as his sword cut deeply into the floor.

"I'm amazed that you're still breathing," he sneered. "How much longer can you continue, I wonder? You're slowing down, you know. It's only a matter of time before I have your head. How will your girlfriend react when I present it to her, I wonder?"

Miranda. The one who'd had my back even when she had believed the warped truths and constant lies that came out of TIMmy's mouth. The incredibly brilliant and undeniably gorgeous woman who had somehow become my girlfriend. My sensei who intuited that I wanted—no, I needed—to beat Kai Leng after everything he did and needed to make a personal statement while doing so.

She was the one who had taken the time to drill me on form, footwork, parries—all boring, non-sexy, basic stuff. But it was the boring, non-sexy, basic stuff that had kept me alive and breathing. She had also warned me about the need to anticipate my opponent's move instead of constantly reacting. That was good advice: and it was high time I started taking it. I forced myself to look beyond Leng's attacks and my parries, to get into his mind, to understand the methods and thinking behind his actions. I had already done it once when he first attacked; recognizing that he would halt his initial charge, deploy a distraction and move around to hit me from the side. Now I had to do it again.

I started by predicting simple things: would he attack with his sword or his omni-blade? From the left or the right? Gradually, I began anticipating what part of my body he would strike. Leng unleashed a barrage of alternating left and right attacks with blinding speed, but I somehow—no, not somehow. I successfully parried each and every attack—even the odd sideways slice he threw in. In fact, I began moving my blades to block before he had even begun his attacks. I realized I could do so because I'd done this before—because Miranda had drilled me on this time and time again. Leng was much faster and stronger than she was, but he was using the same katas—the same moves.

Seeing that he was about to do an overhead chop, I moved my sword to intercept. He could have altered his attack or struck with his other blade, which was why I kept my omni-blade in a defensive stance, but he didn't. Leng finished his move, knowing full well that I was positioned to block it. But he wouldn't change his attack.

Wouldn't… or couldn't.

I thought back to that earlier video log I watched: the one where TIMmy warned Leng that his new cybernetic augmentations would take time getting used to. His warning was well warranted: those kind of prosthetics were not 'plug and play' equipment that you could use immediately. It took time to get used to them, to figure out the appropriate nerve impulses and movements required to trigger the desired response. I had had a couple years to get used to mine. Leng had gotten them just before—or shortly after—the Reapers invaded. He had less time to figure out how his new toys worked—and I suspected he had a lot more toys than I did. TIMmy had undoubtedly been more ambitious and invasive in upgrading his personal assassin, which meant a much steeper learning curve. It was entirely possible that Leng hadn't gotten fully used to his new augmentations, in which case he might not be able to get the most use out of them. He might be stuck boosting the same old katas with his enhanced strength and speed, rather than using them in conjunction with his experience to try new things or improvise on the spot.

Leng thrust forward with his omni-blade—which I knew he would do as that was the predictable follow-up to his earlier overhead attack. I parried with my omni-blade, angling it such that the impact would redirect it towards his hip. Sure enough, I managed to graze his hip, just above the wound I had inflicted earlier, forcing him to hop back in retreat—the first time he had done so since our duel began.

Something which he recognized, given the way his eyebrows furrowed. And the growl of frustration that escaped his lips. That growl turned into a snarl of rage as I gave him a mocking smile.

He immediately went back on the offensive, launching thrust after thrust. I countered every move, predicting the next and trying to discern some kind of pattern. As the attacks continued, I came to realize that they were all intended to gradually work my blades up high. His intended targets were increasingly higher up on my body. Every parry invariably forced my blades upwards. With a rush of insight, I knew what he was up to: because Miranda and I had gone through this before.

Leng shoved my blades up high, then suddenly stepped back, ducked down and thrust forward. His aim all along had been to get my swords up high so he could attack down low. If he had succeeded, he could have struck a serious blow against my midsection, if not disembowelled me entirely.

Hopping back, I crossed my blades and slammed them down, successfully parrying his blades before they could strike home. But I wasn't finished: I leaned forward and brought my weight onto my left foot. With the same movement, I snapped my right foot forward between my two blades…

…and heard a satisfying crunch as my foot broke his nose.

He staggered back. This was my chance. I leapt forward, attacking quickly, trying to keep him on the defensive as long as I could. Now he was the one reacting to my attacks as I thrust and sliced and chopped. For a moment, I thought I could overwhelm him.

But then the momentum shifted. I might have had the offensive, but Leng had more training and experience with the sword than I did. Even with his nose broken, he was able to keep his calm, block my attacks and eventually regain his footing. Soon he began launching his own attacks, just as before. The difference was that now I knew how he fought and could anticipate his next move.

So far, we had both been using tried and true techniques. It was time to mix it up a little and do what I did best: make shit up on the fly. I thrust forward with my omni-blade. Leng snapped his own out to block, shifting his weight and balance accordingly.

Then I shut my omni-blade down, ejected the flash-forged material and let my arm drop.

Leng was expecting a hard impact as our omni-blades clashed. He had already shifted his body weight and balance forward to withstand the impact. And when he didn't get the resistance he was expecting, he stumbled forward. To his credit, he caught himself after a split second. After a single step forward.

But that was enough time for me to ignite a new omni-blade, one that gashed deep into the back of his leg as it snapped out. "Aria sends her regards," I said. (8)

Crying out in pain, Leng hopped back. His head tilted upwards, moving from side to side.

"You're not getting any more backup," I smirked, guessing what he was looking for. "Maybe we've taken them all down, just like I'm gonna take you down. Or maybe your so-called comrades have abandoned you. Yeah, that's probably it. They know a lame duck when they see one."

Screaming in rage, Leng leapt forward. He launched a flurry of savage thrusts and brutal chops, punctuated with his uncanny speed. I let him take the offensive, content to settle for blocking and parrying his attacks while moving back or to the side. Constantly moving. Constantly making him move.

Because with every other step, he would have to lean on his leg. His injured leg.

While I pressed his physical weakness, it was time to target his emotional one: his pride. His burning need to be better than everyone else. To be better than me. "How's the leg doing?" I taunted. "Getting tired yet?"

"You're still slow, Shepard," he barked.

"I'm only slow 'cause I'm not running," I retorted. Up came my sword, which Leng parried. My omni-blade came across, where it was blocked by his own. But he had no counter when I slammed my knee into his thigh, right next to the gash on his leg.

Leng couldn't stop himself from lurching to the side, and with that his momentum was broken. Seizing the offensive, I strode forward. Once again, I was the one attacking and he was the one retreating. "That's it," I said. "Run. That's what you do best, isn't it? You ran at the Citadel. You ran on Thessia."

"Shut up!" he howled. He swung his sword across. I batted it aside with contemptuous ease.

"Even if you win," he cried out, "you're too late to stop what's coming!"

He weaved his swords back and forth, cutting circles in the air, before sneaking a thrust through. I knocked his blade harmlessly aside and laughed. "Maybe, maybe not… but you won't be there to see it."

Darting forward, I hit his sword again, hard enough to snap the blade in two. Blocking his omni-blade, I snapped my head forward and head-butted him in the nose. As he staggered back, I retracted my arm and thrust upwards.

His body stiffened as my blade tore through his guts and plunged deep into his heart. He stared at me, frozen, his mouth open as if to deny what had just happened.

"And that was for Thane, you son of a bitch," I hissed. Twisting my blade,I pulled it out.

The last breath of life left Kai Leng's body. He fell to his knees.

Then, at long last, he collapsed on the floor.

I hadn't realized it, but Vendetta had vanished while Kai Leng and I had our little fight. Now, his holographic body rematerialized before me.

"Based on communications intercepts, it appears the Citadel is now in position," he said without preamble. "The Reapers are preparing to complete their harvest of your species."

"I'll stop them," I vowed.

"It is too late. I recommend investigating a means of conserving information for future species. Perhaps you will succeed where we failed. Perhaps your warnings will be heard early enough."

"You're wrong, Vendetta," I said. "You didn't fail. You and your people gave us a chance. That's all we ever needed: a chance. And we're not done yet."

Vendetta bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"EDI, Tali: see about extracting Vendetta. I want him out of here and transferred to an Alliance ship ASAP."

"Understood."

While they did that, I retrieved my submachine gun and emptied a full clip into Kai Leng's body. Then I fried his body with an EMP. And blew his head to bloody smithereens with my sniper rifle. And set him on fire.

Just to make sure, you see. (9)

(1): A human phrase that can have various meanings. In this case, I believe Shepard is referring to something typical or common, which would certainly be an apt way to describe that particular tactic.

(2):

Here the Illusive Man clearly displays the depth of his regard for this 'asset.'

(3): Shepard was instrumental in helping me rescue my colleague Feron and become the next Shadow Broker. After he left, he began going through the Normandy to remove any surveillance devices or remote connections that Cerberus may have installed.

(4): A human phrase that has nothing to do with food. Rather it refers to two individuals who are very similar in areas such as interests, beliefs or demeanour.

(5): While Shepard wrote this in supposed jest, he did in fact document this artifact and collate it with copies of the video logs he retrieved throughout this mission.

(6): A collection of lists created independently on human internet forums during the early 1990s and compiled independently by Jack Butler and Peter Anspach, consisting of common clichés and mistakes made by various villains and what an aspiring Evil Overlord could do to learn from those failed attempts.

(7): The most frequent myths regarding this duel—for it was a duel despite the occasional use of electromagnetic pulses and projectile weapons—are that Shepard carried the sword sheathed on his back and he frequently brought it on missions. In truth, Shepard's sword was sheathed in a scabbard on his left hip, both because it was what he was used to during his admittedly abbreviated training and because it was faster and more practical to draw the sword from his hip than over his back. While he does not mention it in his personal logs, he privately admitted that the extra weight threw his balance off and the hilt tangled with his submachine gun on more than one occasion—hence his comment on how he temporarily disposed of the latter. The only reason he brought it with him during his assault on Cerberus headquarters was in anticipation of fighting Kai Leng and the desire to do so using a more personal and visceral weapon. After this mission, he almost never brought it with him, relying on his omni-blade instead.

(8): Aria's secret daughter, Lyselle, was killed by Kai Leng when he captured Paul Grayson. Shepard had promised to relay her regards should he ever face Leng in combat again.

(9): Shepard rationalized his actions by saying he read the Evil Overlord list.