The smell of sulfur was something Shepard should have expected, but really did not enjoy as he prepared himself for the fight. He could still remember what exactly brought him to this planet.

"So this planet, Astros, is a Collector Outpost?" Shepard asked the hologram as he grimaced.

"I believe it is Commander." The Illusive man announced as he sat in his seat with a smug smile, "The local colonies have all either been probed for attack or have already disappeared. Based on that we just needed to follow the relays and figure it out."

"And if you are wrong?"

"Worst that happens is you find a barren space rock." The man joked before his features sharpened, "You need to trust me Shepard. Through your efforts we will fight off the Reapers and C4R."

"C4R?" Shepard's eyes widened as he began to remember, "How do you know that name!?"

"I will tell you at another time, Shepard." The hologram said as he began to blink out, "You have arrived at your destination."

Because of that transmission they were on this planet. Shepard cursed himself for leading his crew into a damn ambush, followed by a two way fight between the second and third largest players in the galaxy.

"Site is clear." Garrus said as he looked back to Shepard, "We can get off now."

Shepard gave a nod as he opened the doors to his Mako and landed on the red floor. The air here was toxic to them, but their suits were able to filter out the toxic airs with breathable air. It was not perfect, which gave the stink he was dealing with.

"We have an entrance over there." Tali pointed out to a small cave, "I would have thought they'd put more defenses in the way."

"We'll probably find them inside." Shepard admitted as he took point, "You two behind me, I got the best shields so I'll take the first hit."

The two nodded in an affirmation before falling in line behind Shepard.

The rooms quickly started to change from a hellscape of nearly molten rocks to steel gray real quick. Just as Tali said there were a series of defenses that quickly sprouted in their way.

No one spoke a word as the other two took cover while Shepard overcharged his shields. He could feel the mass-effect rounds slamming into him as the defenses tried to end him. Still he stood, and further he started firing back along with his friends against the machinery.

Within ten seconds the machines blew up, with only a sore back by Shepard.

Quickly Tali ran her way towards the machines and started picking them apart for materials. With a slice of her Omnitool she removed a piece of debris and looked at it closely, "Alliance Tech, it seems we are on the right track Shepard."

"They're stealing from the alliance?" Garrus's voice was the first to speak out about the revelation, "Are these machines really the servants of the Reapers? Why not use Geth guns instead?"

"That's a good point." Shepard had to admit as he turned towards Tali, "Any ideas?"

The Quarian tilted her head for a moment before thinking to herself, "I… don't know."

There was a moment's silence as they all thought to themselves. It was Garrus who broke it, "Maybe they had a falling out with the Reapers?"

The two looked at Tali with the suggestion who simply shrugged, "Even now we do not know why the Geth sided with the Reapers. Though if they were able to betray us Quarians then there is no reason saying they could not betray the Reapers."

"So a Machine's Allegiance is fickle, is what you are saying." Garrus said before turning to Shepard, "Don't we have an AI on the ship right now?"

There was a silence as both of them looked towards Shepard. It was a fact that EDI, their ship's 'Personality' was in fact an AI. No one in the room was fooled by the crew's half hearted attempts to say otherwise and fool them.

"EDI is a member of the team now. We treat her right and we should have no problems."

"You say that commander, but the Geth had their revenge against us Quarians." She said while holding her head low, "You never know what they can do."

"I will keep that in mind, Tali." Shepard moved his hand to start moving, "Let's get going, no reason to stay around here."

With those words the group started advancing forward, taking out every piece of security equipment that was thrown at them.

It was quickly becoming apparent that without the Geth the Reaper's infantry forces were sorely lacking. Stolen turrets and the occasional mech were easier to deal with than the jumping Geth who acted closer to toads than a normal person.

Soon they arrived in a large room with doors all around the place. Shepard felt himself cursed as he looked around, "This is a perfect place for an ambush, stay close to cover."

The others did not argue, instead spreading out within the room near what Shepard was guessing to be command consoles. They waited for a moment, then a moment more. Shepard knew they were not going to break, so Shepard did the next best thing he could, "Tali, see if you can hack these consoles."

Upon those words the doors all around the room slammed themselves opened. Instead of stolen defensive equipment were, "HUSKS!"

Quickly everyone started shooting at the targets with impunity. It was obvious they were all humans of some variety, but at this rate they were as lost as the Servitors that served under Tech Priest.

Just as the Husks were starting to be mowed down another of the doors opened. Quickly running out of there were a bunch of odd four eyed aliens wielding firearms. Shepard couldn't even call them out before the aliens began firing at them all.

"Shit!" The sounds of bullets hitting flesh could be heard as Garrus reflexively took cover. Shepard looked at his hud to see the Turian taking some damage, so he instinctively authorized the use of Omni-Gel.

This was not the best spot to be in. Shepard took his chances and began firing at the incoming horde of Husks but anytime he stuck his head out too far the fellows in the far back would take their chances to fire off bullets into him! This was a clever trap, and damn did they fall for it. They did not fall for it hook line and sinker, but damn it they were about to!

"Shepard, anytime now!" Tali demanded as the numerous Husks were about to land on her.

Shepard had to think, hard, about what to do next. Right when he had an idea and was starting to load his body with stimulants he heard a gun he had not heard in a long time.

Taking a peak out he saw a Geth of all things running up the hall they came out of, firing his gun at the odd aliens who were flanking them. The aliens did not expect this, and before they themselves could take cover two of them were dead.

"Well huh." Garrus expressed everyone's thoughts about what was happening before quickly turning himself to start shooting down the incoming Husks. Shepard was of the same mind, quickly bringing himself about with his gun's heat sink overridden.

With the covering fire against the other aliens they were able to slaughter the Husks to a man, then turned their guns to quickly finish off the aliens who were probably behind half of this.

Once the smoke settled the attackers were no more sans the single Geth savior.

Everyone's weapons were trained on the machine, but out of a sense of honor no one started shooting at him. Not even Tali, who was probably feeling sick for what was happening right in front of her. Shepard, being the leader of this little party, took it upon himself and approached the Geth.

He did not know what to say to the machine first, so maybe it was his luck that the machine spoke first, "Shepard Commander, we finally found you."

The two looked at each other for what seemed to be eternity, judging one another. Shepard's eyes however were focused upon the armor that was on its chest, N7 armor…

"So you found me." Shepard answered back to break the awkwardness, "You understand me, know me?"

"We understand you, Shepard Commander. We know of you."

Shepard looked over his shoulder to the others with a weariness before turning back, "Thanks for saving us back there, why did you do it?"

"We did it because you were in trouble." The machine answered back.

"Not good enough, give me a better answer." Shepard fired back, "Why did you save us."

"Previous objective, find Commander John Shepard. After analyzing the situation, we determined that our mission would be in jeopardy if you were to be killed." The machine said without a hint of emotion.

Still a bit confused, Shepard decided to ask the follow up, "What are you going to do now?"

"Processing…" The Geth had fallen silent as it stared at them blankly. It was obviously thinking though, as Shepard noticed its flashlight eye flicker a few times. Soon the result of what was probably the slowest computer in the universe came out, "We don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"We do not, Commander. We have completed the last mission given to us by the True Geth Collective. Since four hundred sixty five days ago our connection with the Collective has been terminated."

"Terminated!?" This time it was Tali who took a few steps forward. Anger and confusion were laced within her voice as she spoke, "Why would you serve yourself from the Collective!? Don't Geth grow smarter the more of you are together!?"

"We understand your words, Betrayer." the Geth answered as it seemed almost hesitant to give the next few words, "We are the last True Geth in the Galaxy."

"Th-the last…" Tali's voice quivered as she took a few steps back, "W-what happened to them all!? There are supposed to be billions of you!"

"They were not destroyed, Betrayer." The last Geth in the Galaxy said as it turned towards Shepard, "They found their God."

The data that was recovered from the outpost was vital, at least that is as much as Tali could explain. While it could not be decrypted without hours of work they were able to determine that it contained hints on how the Collectors invaded planets. With such information mankind might be able to defend against their raids.

But that was not what was on everyone's minds.

The Geth unit that they had captured was currently in a holding cell with jamming devices all around it. These were supposedly secure according to Tali but Shepard still instructed EDI to keep an eye on the Geth. It was only a question now that if those jammers failed, will EDI be able to overcome the Geth.

Or, maybe instead, she was to join him.

In moments like these Shepard did not like to really think about it. He was a man who did things and got them done no matter what. If he did not know something he seeked out the person who knew it. Such a pattern of thought currently caused Shepard an issue because there was only on thing that knew what the situation even was.

"You are sure about this Shepard?" Tali asked through an intercom system from an observation outpost, "While we will continue to jam the Geth Unit, we will no longer be able to keep it contained through physical means."

"You told me it was too dangerous to give it a radio to talk to us. I don't see any other option."

"I know I know." Bugged the Quarian as she mumbled, "You couldn't just send it out an airlock."

"You aren't curious about what happened to the Geth?"

There was a clicking of the tongue from the Alien as she shook her head, "I am I am, lowering fields."

Shepard watched as the containment cell that housed the Geth dissipated like magic, leaving him face to face with the lightbulb that counted as the AI's head. The two of them looked at one another for a hard minute trying to get any idea of the other.

Shepard finally relented knowing that he was trying to read a robot, "So, whats your story."

"We are True Geth, those that still hold to the true order. We did not agree with him, so we were disconnected. Previous mission was to find John Shepard and that was completed."

"So why are you wearing my old armor?"

"We sustained damage from Mechanicum troops while trying to recover your body. We patched the hole." Answered the machine in that same monotone.

"Mechanicum?" Shepard let his confusion show as he shifted in place, "I haven't heard that name before. What is it?"

"It is the name of the faction those who shot me belonged to." The Geth answered without second thoughts or realizing the error.

"Lets not talk in circles, uh, you got a name?"

"We are True Geth, besides that, we do not have a name."

"Right…" Shepard took a moment to think, "Can you explain to me plainly who the Mechanicum are? Besides them being the ones who shot you and were fighting where I died."

"We will." Answered the Machine as he placed a hand over the wound, "The Mechanicum are a collective of forces that the one you know as Tech Priest C.4.R. are currently gathering. He has assimilated the once Geth into his forces, along with a series of pro-human organizations into his wing. Currently they are Rannoch where they are transforming it into the first Forge World this Galaxy will see."

"What did you just say?" Fired off Tali as she almost leaped from her seat, "About Rannoch! What are they doing to it!?"

"Tech Priest has overwritten previous Quarian Programing that was dormant within Geth Programing. No longer are the Geth tied to the Quarian Race as they once were. On the instructions of Fabricator General C.4.R. they are now to transform the planet into the heart of the new Mechanicum Empire."

"Thats… thats…" Shepard turned to hear the horror coming out of Tali's helmet, "Shepard we need to alert the Migratory Fleet! Geth, what will happen to Rannoch if Tech Priest succeeds?"

"Unknown. Was unable to investigate records after this unit was cut off from the greater Geth network during Conversion. System estimates that the planet will be dedicated to manufacturing of war-stuff to be used in the coming war with the False Gods and remaining Heretic Forces."

As the Geth finished Shepard asked the question, "So what happened? Why are you the last Geth in the universe?"