"I am NOT fixing this. Not this time." Garrus growled out as he crawled out the door.
Emily let out a pained laugh that turned into a gasp as Garrus wrapped his arms around her torso and pulled her out of the now damaged Mako with Liara crawling right behind her.
She looked up and let out a soft gasp as the Citadel arms began to close around them as the giant reaper ship slowly descended.
"Come on we need to find Saren and stop him before he activates the mass relay." She gasped out as she flickered her biotics to cover her body as a shield and charged a group of husks.
"Right behind you, Emily." Garrus drawled out as he began shooting husks and geth alike while they headed for the Council chambers.
"Elevator stopped." Liara pointed out as they looked out of the expense of the Citadel.
"Well, helmets on and activate grav boots we're going out." Emily said as she blasted a hole into the glass. She jumped out quickly, to land standing on the side of the elevator, she lead them down clearing the path as they made their way to the doors of the building.
"Disable those guns." She gestured towards them and watched from the corner of her eye, both Garrus and Liara compiled to her request.
"Through here." She blasted her way in leading down a path where she had stood many months ago when she became the first human spectre.
Spotting Saren, they sped up only to see he had already activated the controls and dropped down to the ground below. They chased only for him to throw a grenade, causing them to scatter.
Emily took cover behind a wall and looked around to see both Liara and Garrus in cover as well.
"I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time, Shepard." Saren drawled out as he stared her down.
"In time for what?" She asked.
"The final confrontation. I think we both expected it would end like this. You've lost. You know that, don't you? In a few minutes, Sovereign will have full control of all the Citadel's systems. The relay will open. The Reapers will return." Saren said coldly, a sneer on his face.
"I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve." Emily drawled as her hands tightened around the butt of her shotgun.
"You survived our encounter on Virmire. But I've changed since then. Improved. Sovereign has... upgraded me." He retorted snidely.
"You let Sovereign implant you? Are you insane?" She yelled.
"I suppose I should thank you, Shepard. After Virmire, I couldn't stop thinking about what you said. About Sovereign manipulating me. About indoctrination. The doubts began to eat away at me. Sovereign sensed my hesitation. I was implanted which strengthened my resolve. Now my doubts are gone. I believed in Sovereign completely. I understand that the Reapers need organics. Join us and Sovereign will find a place for you, too." Saren intoned passionately.
"Sovereign's controlling you through your implants! Don't you see that?" She ducked down behind her cover.
"The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither. I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny, Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth!" Saren paced himself around the console.
"Sovereign hasn't won yet. I can stop it from taking control of the station! Step aside and the invasion will never happen." She continued.
"We can't stop it! Not forever. You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful." Saren said sadly.
"Some part of you must still realize this is wrong. You can fight this!" She answered back.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe there is still a chance for... unh! The implants... Sovereign is too strong. I'm sorry. It's too late for me." He continued sadly pain etched in his voice.
"It's not over yet. You can still redeem yourself!" She said as she quickly got up and walked closer to Saren.
"Emily..." Garrus growled out, his blue eyes met Liara's shocked look.
"Goodbye, Shepard. Thank you." Saren said sadly as he pulled a pistol out, tucked it under his chin and pulled the trigger. He fell through the glass and landed dead on the ground.
Emily made her way quickly to the control panel and activated the data they received from Vigil.
"Vigil's data file worked. I've got control of all systems." She said.
"Quick! Open the station's arms. Maybe the fleet can take Sovereign down!" Garrus drawled.
"See if you can open a communications channel." Liara said while she reached for Emily.
Emily began to type on her omni-tool trying to open the communications channel.
"The Destiny Ascension. Main drives offline. Kinetic barriers down 40%. The Council is on board. I repeat, the Council is on board." A voice called out from her comm.
"Normandy to the Citadel. Normandy to the Citadel. Please tell me that's you, Commander." Joker's voice came from her comm as well.
"I'm here, Joker." She said.
"We caught that distress call, Commander. I'm sitting here in the Andura sector with the entire Arcturus fleet. We can save the Ascension. Just unlock the relays around the Citadel and we'll send the cavalry in!" Joker said.
"Are you really willing to sacrifice human lives to save the Council, Shepard?" Liara asked as she stared at Emily's face.
"This is bigger than humanity. Sovereign's a threat to every organic species in the galaxy!" Garrus retorted.
"The Council must be sacrificed for the greater good. Don't waste your reinforcements. Hold them back until the Citadel arms open up. Save the human fleet to attack Sovereign." Liara demanded.
Emily closed her eyes, and pulled her glove off to lightly pinch the bridge of her nose.
"What's the order, Commander! Come in now to save the Ascension or hold back?"
"Opening the relays now, Joker. We need to save the Ascension- no matter what the cost." Emily said softly feeling the weight of thousands of lives on her shoulders.
"Alliance ships move in! Save the Destiny Ascension!" Admiral Hackett's voice came from the comm.
They looked up as the Alliance ships came in and drove the geth away from the Ascension. She bit her lip as she watched the Normandy dodge and weave among the debris. Then focused her attention on Saren's dead body.
"Make sure he's dead." She said as she turned her attention back to the console.
Garrus nodded and jumped down, followed by Liara as they carefully made their way towards Saren's prone body. Garrus pulled out his pistol, took careful aim and shot Saren's dead body between the eyes the bullet lodging in his brain.
Emily took off her gloves and ran her fingers through her now tangled hair, dislodging the hair tie to let her hair cascade around her shoulders before pulling it back up into a ponytail.
"He's dead." Liara quietly said as she studied Saren's dead body.
Red energy flashed over Saren's body, causing the platform to crumble to the ground dropping Emily with it and causing Garrus and Liara to get tossed into the air. As Saren's body transformed into something else.
"I am Sovereign! And this station is MINE!" It yelled out as it began to attack. Emily quickly got to her feet, allowing her biotics to flick over her armor as she charged into Saren's body. Watching from the corner of her eyes as both Liara and Garrus opened fire on it.
The creature dropped on all fours and crawled while shooting beams of red energy at them. Emily pulled out her shotgun and charged the body once again shotting a few bullets into its stomach before rolling away.
"Sovereign's too strong! We have to pull back!" A human voice cried over comm.
"Negative! This is our only chance! Take that monster down, no matter what the cost!" Admiral Hackett ordered.
Emily ducked behind cover, her shields depleted as she listened for Garrus and Liara continue to batter Saren. She reached for a protein bar and quickly wolfed it down to speed up her recovery. Feeling slightly better she activated her shield and charged again, quickly pulling her shotgun out and finally killing Saren.
She slumped to the ground, her meager energy not enough to keep her standing.
Up above, the ships finally managed to defeat Sovereign causing debris to fall down to the ground.
"Emily lookout!" Garrus yelled out as a chunk of Sovereign came crashing towards her burying her under it.
Garrus and Liara sat curled against each other for what felt like hours. Both trapped in their own thoughts.
'Spirits I hope she's okay...' Garrus thought to himself.
Voices followed with footsteps and someone tugging at the debris in front of them.
"Captain Anderson! We've found them! They're in here!" A human said as he pulled a panel of metal off where Garrus and Liara sat.
"Take it easy... it's over. You're safe now." Anderson said as he helped Liara up.
"Where's the commander? Where's Shepard?" He asked as both Liara and Garrus shook their heads.
"She...she was over there... when it came crashing through the window." Garrus pointed to where a large chunk of Sovereign now rested.
Anderson shook his head sadly as he helped the two out.
Emily took a deep shuddering breath, and looked up at the blackness around her. She let out a soft pained groan as she struggled to sit up. She flickered her biotics weakly and tossed a warp out in front of her causing a small hole to open up allowing her space to crawl though.
She blinked slowly taking in the damage surrounding her and looked down at her bleeding side.
'Aw fuck this hurts.' She grumbled mentally as she took off lopping towards the exit.
Garrus turned as his visor gave him a reading of Emily's pulse and biotic power, a smirk streaked across his face.
"Emily!" He called out as she waded through the pile of debris and smiled down at them before collapsing to the ground again.
She woke up in the hospital, her bed in between Garrus and Liara who were both tinkering with datapads.
"Gee, I don't get my own room?" She teased as both turned to look at her.
"We insisted on bunking with you, to make sure you were okay." Liara said her smile small and tentative.
"Kaidan, Tali and Wrex have been in here so much the doctors finally kicked them out." Garrus drawled.
Emily smiled and shook her head.
"So what is going on now?" She asked Liara.
"Well, the Council is extremely grateful for what the alliance have done and has offered the humans a seat on the Council. And have asked you to decide who you want it to be." Udina said as he walked into the room followed by Anderson and the Council members.
Emily tugged the blanket up sheepishly.
"Gee couldn't this wait till after I'm out of the hospital?" She asked.
"Sorry Commander, this is very important for humanity. We need your input now." Udina said with a slight sneer in his voice.
Emily quirked her eyebrow and turned to look at Anderson.
"I pick him." She said.
"Why?" Udina bit out angrily."He's a soldier. Not a politician."
"And that is what the Council needs. Someone who knows what needs to be done to move ahead. Not another soft handed Politician." She sneered, dark brown eyes flashed angrily at Udina.
"Now if you all could please leave so I can go back to sleep." She said as she laid back down and closed her eyes as Garrus and Liara stifled a laugh as guards escorted the group out of the hospital room.
Days later found them all in Flux, celebrating their success and survival.
Emily was tucked in Kaidan's arms both sharing a quiet moment.
"So...We have a week of shore leave...Any ideas on what you've got planned?" He asked, his thumb drawing lazy circles on her leg.
"I'm heading to Elysium to visit Clara. She got notice that they might let her join the Alliance early." She said with a smile.
"Of course, after I gave her a full recommendation and pointed out that she also helped keep the colony safe.
"Ah, I see." He said with some slight disappointment in his voice.
Emily turned her eyes up at him and smiled.
"I was going to ask if you'd like to join me. Clara's the closest I have to family and I'd want you to meet her and vice versa. In fact, I'm thinking of bringing Garrus and Liara with me too before they go back to their lives. Tali and Wrex have already booked transport for tomorrow to return home." She continued as she trailed her fingers into his hair.
"A group huh?" He said softly still trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.
"Kaidan...if we go together, we could get found out and in trouble. With a group, with our group we should be fine." She said lightly tugging on his hair.
"It's not like we have to keep them company the whole time." She said softly while placing a soft kiss on his lips.
"Alright. I like that idea." He smiled as he returned her kiss.
A/N: And there you have it folks. Mass Effect 2 will start in a few days, and I'll probably add a few one shots before I begin.