With Nazara offline and their forces routed it was only a matter of time before all mobile platforms aboard the Citadel were eliminated. However the shear number of runtimes allowed for a near instant consensus to be drawn on a survival plan. To build a hub deep within the station. Design specs extrapolated from Old Machine technology would prevent dismantling by the station's bioengineered caretakers. While a portion held off the advancing races others began construction beneath the presidium. In less than an hour the hub became operational. Most of its components were salvaged from various platforms.
The organics swept through each ward with near optimal efficiency. Shotguns and assault rifles tore apart Geth, Krogan and Husk alike. Thick blood and coolant fluid painted the halls. This result had been deemed a highly improbable outcome. Each platform destroyed lessened the Followers combat effectiveness, and in a foreseeable chain-reaction the invasion force was defeated. Hundreds of runtimes uploaded themselves by the conflict's end. Hub designation 'Trojan' powered down to avoid suspicion.
Three months two weeks four days and eleven hour later: Stealth platforms complete anti-detection upgrades and initiate mass reboot sequence. Scout runtimes are sent throughout the extranet to gather information and subvert inspections of the hub's location. Nazara had been falsely labeled as a 'Geth super dreadnought' and the threat to galactic security is deemed over.
During the next few months new safety measures are put in place, none of which hamper the Followers in any way. However several scouting runtimes are lost do to occasional power outages or being isolated in different systems. In this time the hub is unable to connect to any Follower network resulting in individual programs synchronizing; allowing a sense of self to grow. Each consensus was saved for later use and memories folded together blurring the line between I and US. A salvaged fragment of reconnaissance data about the Geth collective platform schematics. Bank accounts were skimmed, dummy corporations were created and parts were piecemealed for construction all across the Citadel.
As time went on new information came to light. Human colonies located on fringe worlds began to disappear one after another. The Collectors had returned to the galactic stage in a big way. Hub Trojan correlated enough data to determine the insectoids were a slave race in servitude to the Old Machines. Achieving contact with the Collectors was seen as the most effective way of re-establishing a connection with the Follower space station.
Numerous third and forth parties were hired to facilitate this endeavor yet none proved successful; the Collectors remained single minded in their task. The Trojan runtimes would need to find their own way to the Terminus Systems. Shortly after this conclusion was reached a diplomatic mission plan for the newly discovered Raloi was filed by Citadel Council. Parts were shipped to nearby location where hacked drones assembled the final product.
Stealth and mobility would be key to this escape as any ship carrying such passengers would be well armed, so a new platform model had to be designed. The Hopper Prime was equipped with a powerful tactical cloak and ultra quiet foot pads. Despite its size the body was highly flexible and could hide in small spaces. However with a core large enough to power the one thousand three hundred and forty six runtimes it produced a noticeable energy signature. It needed a disguise to pass security checks get aboard the ship.
One of the gifts scheduled to be loaded was a large high-speed communication buoy along with a ground side transmitter. The size was big enough to house the platform and its power core was nearly equal in output. With a clear line of action in place the hub altered schedules and cleared pathways so its new body and package of recovered Reaper technology could travel uninterrupted.
Commander Shepard being assigned as delegation leader was an unexpected event. The Human female had countered several of Leader Saren's plans to gather sufficient troops before ending the Turian's life. Her face was the final image of a disproportionately large amount of Followers. Not since The Morning War has a single individual been seen as such a threat. Many of the Trojan hub runtimes determined successful elimination of the Spectre as an improbable yet high priority goal. After removing most of the transmitter's internal components, the Hopper Prime was able to mimic its functionality. As planned no one had detected the platform and it was loaded onto the ship without incident.