IV: HOLOCAUST - CERBERUS ARC
The following chapter outline details how the resolution to the Cerberus arc, mostly centering around Priority: Cerberus Headquarters, would have been handled.
Chapter 90: In The Pale Moonlight Part 1:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Joker's POV. Arriving in the Hong System over Casbin, Joker laughs at the minimal Reaper presence in the system; EDI points out how odd it is that UGC forces would be in the Armstrong cluster, as the UGC had declared it a "CODE SABER ONE" exclusion zone; this means that it was officially declared Reaper occupied territory. Shepard states that obviously UGC forces were stupid enough to deploy here, and proceeds to take EDI with him, telling Joker that he has the ship. Joker remarks about how the last time Shepard said that, the Collectors attacked the ship, but lets the comment slide.
Section 2:
Section is from Samantha's POV. Kelly and Samantha, after watching the shuttle leave with the entire squad, share a moment together, talking about their plans for after the war. Kelly explains her experiences on the Collector Base, and how her nightmares had almost kept her from rejoining the Normandy's crew: thanks to Shepard, she was convinced to come back, and thanks to him, she survived the Cerberus attack on the Citadel. She also adds that she wouldn't have met Samantha otherwise, and the two share a kiss before Samantha returns to her work station. She smiles.
Section 3:
Section is from Adams' POV. Adams asks for a status update from Ken and Gabby, but is surprised to hear none of them answer. Turning, he notices them talking in hushed voices, and he finally yells, causing them to both turn to him. He orders them to give him a status, and they do. Afterwards, he turns back to his console, shakes his head, and returns to work. With Tali having left with Shepard and his squad, Adams is left in command of engineering while she is gone. He proceeds to run a diagnostic with EDI.
Section 4:
Section is from Joker's POV. Joker asks EDI for a status report, and is surprised to note she has not answered. Frowning, and asking her to stop messing around (initially thinking its the set up for another of her jokes), he asks for a status report again, but she still does not respond. Suddenly growing worried, he goes to ask a third time, when it is Eva who responds, telling Joker that EDI is "unavailable at this time." He widens his eyes, but before he can do anything, his console turns off, followed by the lights.
Section 5:
Section is from Goldstein's POV. Power all over the ship fails, including the shuttle bay. Goldstein and Hawthorne are in the shuttle bay looking after the armoury while James and Cortez are gone, and immediately try to get status reports from EDI due to the power failure. Suddenly the shuttle bay doors open, and two Cerberus shuttles land in the bay. Goldstein and Hawthorne grab weapons and try to find their way into the elevator, but a full platoon of Cerberus troopers using night vision gun them down before they can defend themselves.
Section 6:
Section is from Leng's POV. From the point of view of Leng, the assassin looks down at Goldstein and Hawthorne's corpses with glee, and turns to his second-in-command, April Doenitz. He tells April to follow the plan and to secure the shuttle bay and engineering; Leng will take his phantoms and go to the CIC and Crew Deck to kill everyone else. April remarks that Leng would enjoy killing a cripple, but Leng simply tells her to shut up and do her job. He orders Eva to activate the elevator, and stands inside, his phantoms with him. He looks forward to slaughtering Shepard's crew, and caresses his sword in anticipation.
Chapter 90: In The Pale Moonlight Part 2:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Adams' POV. In engineering, Adams tells Gabby and Ken to get the power back on. Just as they both acknowledge this, they hear screams, followed by gunfire. Freezing, Adams reaches for his omni-tool and turns on his torch. Turning to Gabby and Ken, who have activated their own, he tells them to be quiet and directs them to a vent; he tells them to get to the AI Core and bring EDI back online; without her, they'll stand no chance of defending themselves. Gabby asks what Adams will do, to which Adams tells them he'll deal with the boarders. Closing the vent, he quickly runs into the drive core room, proceeding to tear open the control panel and get to work frantically.
Section 2:
Section is from Joker's POV. Joker, flashlight on his omni-tool, limps through the CIC, pleading with EDI to answer him. Eva taunts him on the nature of his relationship with the AI, asking if EDI pleases him. Joker calls Eva a cancer on his ship, to which Eva says "you said the same about EDI once." He replies that "you are not EDI" before reaching Kelly and Samantha, ducked under their console. He tells Samantha that they need to get EDI back online, and that he knows a vent that can get them there; he used it before during a Collector attack. They follow him to the vent, and they proceed down it just as Leng's phantoms arrive in the CIC. Eva directs them to the vent.
Section 3:
Section is from EDI's POV. EDI starts to fight back against Eva, who taunts EDI, telling the AI that this is what her predecessor must have felt like when EDI terminated her. EDI remarks that she deserved it, and Eva just laughs, telling her to "die already", and that her "emotions make you weak." EDI states that this might be so, but she isn't alone, right before Moses' geth programs appear in the system, attacking Eva. The AI continues to taunt despite the new resistance, beating Eva back. EDI demands Eva to die.
Section 4:
Section is from Joker's POV. Joker, Samantha and Kelly arrive in the AI Core just as Gabby and Ken begin to work on EDI's core. Samantha moves to help them, while Kelly says she will go into the medical bay to warn Chakwas and Michel. Joker nods, and Kelly leaves.
Section 5:
Section is from Leng's POV. Gardner hides behind the mess kitchen as Leng arrives on the Crew Deck, killing Patel and Westmoreland. Leng then proceeds into the medical bay, his night vision allowing him to immediately find Kelly, Chakwas and Michel. Chakwas shines her omni-tool torch at Leng, temporarily blinding him. He angrily dives forth, slashing, but missing. The three of them rush for the AI Core, but Leng catches up and impales Michel through the back, right through the heart, killing her instantly. Kelly screams, and Leng is on her in a second. Kelly punches him, but while he reels from the blow, his sword knicks the jugular vein on her neck, causing blood to explode from her neck as she collapses to the ground. Chakwas comes up behind him and stabs him in the neck with a needle, flooding him with an unknown liquid. Angry, he grabs a knife from his hip and turns back, managing to stab Chakwas through the left eye socket. Chakwas screams as she falls back, cradling her eye as the knife remains wedged there. Kelly bleeds out on the ground, choking on her own blood. Leng, furious, turns to finish off Chakwas when the lights in the medical bay switch back on, blinding him (due to his night vision), with EDI telling Leng to "die, you piece of shit."
Section 6:
Section is from April's POV. The lights turn back on and power is restored as April and her platoon arrive in engineering, blinding them all. April orders them to switch off their night vision, managing to turn off her own just in time for Adams to run towards the garbage disposal. She shoots the engineer in the hip, causing him to fall inside. Adams rolls over, smiling at April as she approaches. April stops, asking why Adams is so happy when he is about to die. Adams just states that the window that Brooks jumped through hasn't been fixed yet. April realizes her mistake too late as the shuttle bay door opens and the forcefield is deactivated, the resulting depresurrization causing her platoon to be blown out through the window and sucked into space. April follows shortly after, Adams having sealed the door, gritting his teeth. EDI closes the door again, remarking that "Doenitz and her men looked winded."
Section 7:
Section is from Leng's POV. Leng orders his phantoms to fall back, and and for the shuttle to fall back. EDI argues that he isn't going anywhere, but Eva, in a final act of defiance, manages to temporarily seize control again and opens the shuttle bay door. Leng jumps in the shuttle and escapes just as EDI finally pushes out Eva for good, shutting the door again. Leng docks on the Deliverance, and tries to contact April to no avail. EDI replies instead, telling Leng that "Randall has expired, Leng. So will you, very soon." Leng contacts Banes, and tells him to get the hell out of there.
Section 8:
Section is from Joker's POV. Joker arrives back on the cockpit as they watch the Deliverance enter FTL, escaping. Joker tells EDI to get in contact with Shepard, to which she replies, "He's already halfway here." Joker slumps back and asks for a casualty list, and realizes this time, unlike the Collector abduction, they didn't get to save everyone.
Chapter 91: Make Them All Pay:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Shepard's POV. EDI's body reactivates on the shuttle, and Shepard orders a status report; EDI states that casualities across the ship are extremely high, with almost eighty percent of crew dead. Among the dead are Doctor Michel and Kelly, with Chakwas and Adams injured. The entire squad is shocked by this turn of events, and Shepard remains silent for the rest of the trip, ignoring everyone's attempts to talk.
Section 2:
Section is from Shepard's POV. Later, on the ship, Shepard enters the med bay, where Chakwas (albeit missing one eye, and with a makeshift bandage around the afflicted area) is treating Adams' gunshot wound. Looking down, he sees one of the medbay bed sheets covering Kelly's corpse, a large mat of red covering the top from her ruptured neck, with Michel's right next to her. Shepard stands silenty over them before turning to Chakwas, asking if she was alright. She replies that having no eye is painful, and that she is on so many painkillers at that moment that its almost like she never lost her eye; she states that she's patched it up, but will need proper medical treatment once back on the Citadel. She also reveals that she stuck a needle in Leng and filled him with a powerful antibiotic that would kill anyone else, but with Leng's cybernetics, will make him extremely dizzy and fatigued. He nods at her and then Adams, and then quietly leaves.
Section 3:
Section is from Shepard's POV. In the War Room, Shepard organizes the surviving crew and squad; Samantha is not present due to the loss of Kelly. He rebuffs Tali's reassurances, and informs the squad that against all orders, the Normandy's new mission is to search-and-destroy the Deliverance, and vows to not stop this time until he has Leng's head hanging from the ship's tail. EDI and Moses (the latter speaking through the console) state that Eva, the ship's AI is dead, and that a fragment under their control has been planted on the Deliverance to take up Eva's place. Shepard asked how they did this, and EDI replied that Moses had uploaded a part of itself to the Normandy in case of emergency; they got lucky. When Eva tried to destroy EDI, EDI and Moses fought back and eventually destroyed Eva, but saved a fragment of the AI under EDI's control and planted it on the Deliverance as a "sleeper agent." At current, this fragment not only allows EDI to track the Deliverance, but also allows her to sabotage the ship; specifically, to slowly drain power from the ship's engines, disconnect the ship's communications transmitter and many other actions. EDI asks if Shepard would like her and Moses to have the entire ship vented, to which Marcus remains silent for several moments. Finally, he speaks up, asking where the ship is. She explains that the ship is now in the Hoc System over Virmire to dump heat from its engines. Shepard tells Joker to immediately set course for the system under cloak, and for the entire squad to prep for battle; he explains that he wants to board the ship and kill everyone on it personally, and then storms out. He muses that vengeance is finally at hand.
Chapter 92: Normandy vs Deliverance:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Banes' POV. Banes is on the ship's QEC speaking to the Illusive Man, informing him that the test of the Deliverance's new cloak was successful, and that they were able to board and kill most of Shepard's crew. The Illusive Man is curious as to what Banes means on "most", to which Banes explains that they underestimated EDI's ability to fight back, and that Eva was repulsed, and Randall and his men were killed; only Leng and some of his phantoms got out alive. The Illusive Man is ordering him to return to Cronos Station when suddenly the QEC cuts out, leaving Banes confused. He orders a status report from Eva, only for EDI to respond, saying, "Eva is dead, Banes. This time, there will be no escape. Here's what vengeance looks like." Cutting the comms, Banes runs into the armoury, ordering McCann to ready security and prepare for boarding, only for the entire ship to suddenly shake.
Section 2:
Section is from Joker's POV. Joker grins as the Normandy hammers the defenseless Deliverance with its main guns, destroying its GARDIAN batteries. Diving under it, it manages to use javelin torpedoes to destroy its thanix. Moving upwards, Normandy deploys Moses onto the ship's hull. The Normandy docks with the Deliverance.
Section 3:
Section is from Garrus' POV. Shepard and his squad pour out into the ship, gunning down three assault troopers the moment they leave. The pilot, Flores, pulls out a pistol and fires at Samara, but she blocks all the shots. Kaidan appears, pistol in hand, and blows a hole straight through Flores' head, killing her instantly. Charging through the CIC, the squad proceed to gun down the rest of the ship's security. Once they pause, the squad ask what Shepard wants to do. Without hesitation, he tells them to go deck by deck and kill everyone; he then leaves to take on Leng. Garrus tells them to get on with it, and rushes into the Tech Lab, gunning down Renata without a second thought, before moving into the armoury. Samara approaches from the CIC and enters, only for Hal McCann to immediately open fire at her, with the remainder of the CIC's security. Approaching from all sides, McCann and his men give a final last stand as they are all gunned down.
Section 4:
Section is from Shepard's POV. Arriving in the captain's cabin, Shepard is surprised to find Leng missing, but with Banes standing at his bed, looking up at him. Shepard glares at him for several moments, before, without a word, raising his rifle and emptying the entire clip into Banes' chest, causing him to fall back on his bed, his blood soaking the sheets. He walks up to him as he chokes on his own blood, asking where Leng is. Banes barely mutters the words "coward is likely trying to get a shuttle" before Shepard sardonically thanks him and puts a final bullet through his skull.
Section 5:
Section is from Tali's POV. Tali arrives in engineering, with the chief engineer, Tyrone Rawlings, attacking her with a spanner. Tali turns and blasts him mid-charge in the chest with a shotgun blast, splattering gore all over the wall and sending Tyrone's body flying over the railing. Tali storms in and guns down two more engineers, grabbing the rifle of an assault trooper, breaking his arm and then blowing his head off as well. She contacts the squad, telling them that engineering is secure, before putting a final shotgun blast into the trooper's body, mumbling, "That was for Kelly."
Section 6:
Section is from Shepard's POV. Shepard descends in the elevator, eventually reaching the shuttle bay just as Leng rushes for a shuttle. Shepard snarls for Leng to stop. As Leng turns, Shepard drops his rifle and activates his omni-blade. He tells Leng that he has been savouring this moment for months, ever since Leng murdered Shala's husband. He states there is nowhere to run this time, and this time he will kill Leng, but unlike the other times, he will "make sure there is nothing to recognize you by." He kicks aside a crate in rage, snarling at Leng to fight him like a man for once: no squads, no phantoms, just them, one on one. The two of them engage in battle, but it is largely one-sided. While the fight is initially equal, the fight quickly turns to Shepard's favor after a few beatings, Shepard renewing his assault, proceeding to beat Leng into a pulp in every body area. He begins by grabbing Leng's blade with his bare hands, yanking it downwards. He then proceeds to use his omni-bow to blast into its surface, doing so four times before Leng's sword finally melts from the sheer heat. Leng drops the sword, but fails to move back, and Shepard tosses the remainder of it into Leng's face. The assassin screams out, with half his face burnt, but manages to wipe away the rest. While recovering however, Shepard manages to move forward, sending forth a flurry of strikes and punches before Leng can block any of them. "Byp," he simply states, Leng rising his arm to futilely deflect Shepard's blade as he slices through the four fingers of Leng's right hand effortlessly. Leng screams as Shepard then backhands him, the assassin cradling his maimed hand as Shepard continues to push forth. Leng unsheathes his knife as Shepard moves to punch him again, embedding it into the soldier's shoulder. Shepard growls, but mostly shrugs it off as he grabs the hand holding onto the knife and roughly twists it, causing the bones to break and Leng to roar in pain. Filled with anger, he then uses his omni-blade to slice Leng's broken right hand off, causing Leng to fall back even further. "Jacob," he recites, roundhouse kicking the assassin in the face, causing him to fall onto his back. Shepard reaches down, using his brute strength to rip both of the "eye patches" on Leng's eyes, revealing nothing but bloodless, empty sockets, circuitry snapping as the connection to Leng's cybernetic retinas was torn away. Leng begins to flail around, unable to see. Shepard shakes his head at the sight, grabbing the assassin by the throat and biotically throwing him across the bay into the shuttle nearby, the assassin crumbling into a heap. "Thane," he grabs Leng's left leg and stomps on it repeatedly, ignoring Leng's agonized screams until bone begins to show. He then moves over and places a reave around the other leg, shredding the bone inside and leaving a massive pool of gore. Leng, with four missing fingers on his right hand, a missing left hand, his eyes ripped out and both his legs rendered useless, is now defenseless against Shepard as he deactivates his omni-tool and kneels next to the assassin. He listens to the assassin sobbing. "Justicar Ramalya," he crouches beside Leng, grabbing at his chestplate and beginning to physically pull it off. Leng screams as bits of his own skin begin to tear off with it, wreathing on the ground. Shepard ignores him, pulling the chestplate free, the skin with it, and tossing it away as he hisses, "Keeling." He examines Leng's exposed chest, only muscle exposed with blood dripping away. Leng reaches his maimed hand up to slide at Shepard's face, trying to pathetically fight him off. Shepard angrily pins the arm down before firing his omni-bow into the armpit, blowing the arm clean off. He picks it up, throwing it away, before finally standing up and looking down at him. "Kelly," he mutters. Leng begins to beg him to stop, whispering "mercy, mercy, mercy." Shepard ignores him again, reaching down almost lethargically and grabbing him by the throat, before hoistening him up, pinning his face against the shuttle. "Michel," he finally finishes, fuming, "Those are the people you slaughtered. Those are the good people you murdered. Remember this as I send you to fucking hell." He then begins to pummel Leng's face against the side of the shuttle repeatedly, smearing its side with blood, viscera and saliva as his face is slowly caved in, bits of bone showing as more of his skull begins to crack. Leng's screams are reduced to mere croaks, gurgles and moans as his face is left unrecognizable and caved. Marcus continues to bash his head against the shuttle until he stops making sounds altogether, dropping his unrecognizable corpse to the ground. "You and Cerberus are done," he mutters.
Chapter 93: There Can Be No Turning Back:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Tali's POV. Garrus, Liara, Kaidan and Tali exit the elevator on the shuttle bay deck, finding themselves assaulted by the intense smell of blood and gore. Looking down, they find blood and gore pooling all over the bay, Garrus stating that it looks "like a gore pit." Following the trail of blood, they find a dismembered hand, and Tali begins to worriedly rush. They then see Leng's blood soaked eye patches, and continuing forward finally find Leng's mangled body, lying against the shuttle, blood still leaking from his shattered skull. Shepard is sitting on a crate beside the shuttle, looking up at them. His body is caked in blood, Leng's knife still wedged in his shoulder. Tali hugs him, noting the knife in his shoulder. Shepard notices this like he hasn't known about it, and reaches up and pulls it out, quickly applying medi-gel to the wound. Garrus asked what Shepard did to Leng, and Shepard simply replies, "Those who commit evil get what they pay for, Garrus. Leng paid for blood, and I gave him the added bonus of my own vengeance. Byp. Jacob. Thane. Justicar Ramalya. Keeling. Kelly. Michel. I've avenged them all." Liara asks what they should do next, to which Shepard states he thought it "was obvious." Garrus and Tali nod, and Liara comes to a realization on what they mean. Kaidan asks how they are supposed to end Cerberus when they don't even know where their base is; Shepard remarks that they are on a Cerberus ship, and only need to find the coordinates, and that he doubts the ship's crew had time to purge the logs, before contacting EDI.
Section 2:
Section is from Miranda's POV. Miranda stands in the CIC of the Deliverance, watching as the bodies of the Cerberus crew are piled into the middle. Shepard arrives on the elevator, and she watches with shock as he drags Leng's corpse, smearing blood along the deck as he does, and tosses it into the heap. EDI joins her, and Shepard orders them to begin a sweep of the ship and to find the coordinates for the Illusive Man's headquarters; meanwhile, he states he's going to contact Hackett and get reinforcements. Miranda asks what for, and he replies that he plans on "ending Cerberus by the end of this week. I've allowed the Illusive Man to play his games, and now its over. We're going to end Cerberus, once and for all." He then storms off.
Section 3:
Section is from Hackett's POV. Back on the Crucible, Hackett is informed Shepard wishes to contact him. When Shepard requests reinforcements, Hackett informs him that construction of the Crucible is complete, and that all UGC forces are being recalled for the final assault; he elaborates that an assault on Cerberus HQ will be done by the entirety of the UGC armada; a show of force before the final attack, but warns that once they mobilize, the Reapers will undoubtedly take notice: to keep the element of momentum, they will need to immediately assault Earth after Cerberus is done with. Shepard agrees, but tells Hackett that he will need a new crew, explaining to Hackett what happened during the Deliverance ambush. Hackett nods, and will handpick a new crew for him. Once Shepard has disconnected, Hackett tells his assistant to assemble the collective leadership of the UGC, and for them to assemble immediately. The time has come. He begins plans for Operation Defiant (the final assault on Cerberus).
Chapter 94: Against the Beast, We Unite:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Shepard's POV. Two weeks later, UGC forces have fully assembled in the Hoc System, with the fleets protecting the Crucible, ready to begin Operation Defiant. On the Normandy, Shepard looks over his new crew; a few geth, quarians, asari, the odd rachni and even several salarians make up his new crew. With this in mind, he sets them to work, approaching Hackett and informing him that EDI has located Cerberus headquarters from the Deliverance's navigation system; it is located in the Anadius system of the Horsehead Nebula, and that the headquarters are an abandoned, but heavily modified, salarian research station called Cronos Station; he then goes onto say that he has a plan for attacking the base. They leave for the war room.
Section 2:
Section is from Garrus' POV. Kasumi approaches Garrus in the forward battery, and admits to him that she is worried about what is going to happen; once they commit their forces to attack the Cerberus base, the Reapers will know they are coming; the final assault will follow straight after. She states that if she dies, she doesn't want to die with any regrets, and finally admits to Garrus that she wants a serious relationship, and that she loves him. He admits that he loves her too, and the two proceed to make love for the first time.
Section 3:
Section is from Shepard's POV. Shepard makes a speech to his crew, and they all cheer. Afterwards, he receives word of the UGC's initial success in the first offensive, having captured Cerberus' Minuteman, Robespierre, Hindenburg and Trotsky stations along the frontier, along with two Normandy II-class heavy stealth frigates (CAW Inheritor and Forerunner respectively) under constructionat Minuteman station, but laments that they cannot be used, as they are only frames, and not operational ships. Hackett orders them captured anyway, as they could be useful post-war as a successor to the clearly obsolete Normandy-class stealth frigate. UGC forces push on towards Anadius.
Chapter 95: Head of the Snake Part 1:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Admiral Freemont's POV. Fleet Admiral Nolan Freemont, commander of the Cerberus Eleventh Fleet and the new commander of the Cerberus military after Petrovsky's capture, watches as the entire Cerberus Navy forms around Cronos Station in preparation to defend it. He reveals that the Deliverance had retrieved information that Cronos Station's location had been compromised, and that a large Alliance fleet was inbound for the station; the Illusive Man had immediately ordered Freemont to call back all available Cerberus fleets to Cronos Station to defend it against the Alliance fleet, stating that they believed they would get the jump on Cerberus, and would only send one fleet. Freemont was sure that victory would be certain, but was concerned as to how they would relocate Cronos now that its location was revealed. Regardless, Freemont had the fleets spread out and ready for an assault. He had the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth fleets flanking Cronos Station as a defensive barrier. His own fleet, the Eleventh, wasn't far away, and the remaining Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Fleets were waiting behind Anadius in preparation to flank the Alliance forces. With this in mind, Freemont placed his flagship, the CAW Matterhorn, at the head of his formation. Suddenly, he was contacted directly by the Deliverance, the man he believed to be Banes informing him that the Deliverance was going to be joining the battle, and would be flying through the relay any moment, and orders them not to open fire. Freemont orders his fleet to hold their fire, watching as the Deliverance passes through the relay and heads directly for them. One of the listening posts on the edge of the system, Remote Scanning Outpost Alpha-Lima-23, detects a dozen different blimps on radar, but closer examination reveals nothing; Freemont chooses to attribute it to the Deliverance's IES system, and promptly ignores it. As the Deliverance gets ever closer, he tries to hail the ship, to no avail. It then quickly becomes clear something is wrong as the Deliverance approaches at full speed. Freemont orders his ship around too late, and the Deliverance has a full-on collision, at full speed, with the Matterhorn, killing the bridge crew immediately, including Freemont.
Section 2:
Section is from Geoff's POV. Geoff Dielheart enters the main lab, ordering an update. The head scientist tells them they are moving as quickly as they can, but that the recall of the Cerberus fleets outside has them spooked; Geoff tells them that all is under control, and to keep working, and that the Illusive Man wants an update on Operation: Keyhold within the next solar week. Suddenly, the station shakes, and the scientists wonder what is wrong. The station shakes again, and alarms begin to blare across the base, along with a Cerberus commander ordering "General's Quarters, general's quarters; all hands, man your battlestations. We are under attack. Lockdown, lockdown, lockdown! All squads, head to your pre-determined defensive positions; secure all checkpoints." Geoff orders an update from said commander, who states that the Deliverance arrived, but crashed into the Matterhorn, destroying both ships and killing Freemont, leaving the other admirals in complete disarray. He then stated that geth ships immediately uncloaked after the Deliverance's maneuver, with sixteen heavy cruisers, hundreds of fighters and interceptors and sixty-three frigates dropping cloak to begin devastating Freemont's Eleventh Fleet. Geoff, on the behalf of the Illusive Man, orders the Cerberus commander to have all fleets converge on Cronos Station, believing that it was a trap. He then runs to inform the Illusive Man. Upon arriving, the Illusive Man tells him to acellerate to the final stage of Project: Unio Carnis Et Steel, where the Illusive Man states that while he was supposed to be the first test subject, he had chosen Geoff to take his place. Geoff asks why, where the Illusive Man simply states, "My time has come and gone; it is you who must get to the catalyst and show the galaxy how wrong they are about us. We are humanity's sword, Mr. Dielheart; do this for them. Do this for your son. I have given you the mantle...you, for all intents and purposes, are the new Illusive Man." With that said, Geoff salutes the Illusive Man, before leaving. He contacts the lab, telling him to set up the surgery for Project: Unio Carnis Et Steel. The scientists say it isn't ready, but Geoff tells them they are out of time, and hurries towards the lab with a slight smile, muttering to himself, "I have been chosen to ascend. To become...better. And with that power, I will show the galaxy that the Reapers can be controlled."
Section 3:
Section is from Shepard's POV. Joker remarks just how ludicrously one-sided the battle is as the Normandy enters the Anadius system. Shepard remembers the plan; EDI would leave a fragment of herself on the Deliverance so she could control it remotely. A geth fleet, under cloak, would accompany the Deliverance into the system, and follow it very closely. Once the Deliverance crashed into and destroyed the Cerberus flagship, the geth ships would uncloak and decimate the Cerberus Eleventh Fleet while the rest of the UGC forces jumped into the system from all sides of the system at once; the Normandy would appear last, allowing the fleets to clear the way for them to board. Shepard watches with glee as the Migrant Fleet slices through the charging Cerberus Fourth Fleet, while the geth hold their flank against the flanking Cerberus Sixth Fleet. Alliance, salarian, batarian, asari and turian fleets decimate the Second, Fifth and Seventh fleets, while numerous rachni fleets engage the Cerberus Ninth Fleet. The elcor, hanar, and mercenary fleets tear into the Eighth Fleet, while the Alliance forces engage the Tenth. If one were to place a statement on the situation, they would say that the Cerberus Navy was getting annihilated. With that in mind, Shepard is contacted by Hackett, who states that their fleets have managed to draw the Cerberus ships closest to the station, allowing for boarding parties. Gerrel replies that he will now dispatch geth boarding craft to the station, and Wrex replies similarly with his own troops. Soon after, every single race is ready to deploy forces onto the station. However, just as they are about to, Bellerophon speaks, surprising everyone. Shepard watches as Foehammer appears in the system, destroying three Cerberus heavy cruisers effortlessly, flanked by its oculus fighters. Bellerophon tells them to hold their fire, and that Foehammer is now a servant of the Leviathans. It then tells them that if a few forces take its orbs onto the station, the Leviathans will take care of the Cerberus forces for them. Shepard reluctantly agrees, but states he will board the station so he can put a bullet in the Illusive Man's head. With that said, he and his squad board the shuttle as a whole, the Normandy deploying them into one of the hangars of the station, followed closely by asari and turian forces above, carrying the Leviathan orbs. Shepard and his squad are bogged down by Cerberus troops in the hangar, eventually managing to break through just as the Cerberus commander orders the hangar bay vented; before he can though, all Cerberus troops suddenly stop attacking. Confused, his squad looks around to see the Cerberus forces having lowered their weapons, and are just looking at them; even the Atlas mech has stopped moving. His squad walk past them, rifles raised, but the Cerberus troops simply move aside for them. Marcus realizes the Leviathans have used the orbs to take control of the Cerberus troops, and asks why. Bellerophon simply replies, "More troops for your army. Cannon fodder for your frontlines. You want your enemy destroyed; what better way then to have that enemy destroyed while fighting the greater enemy?" Shepard concedes his point, and begins to ascend the station, their progress unimpeded.
Chapter 95: Head of the Snake Part 2:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Shepard's POV. Several minutes later after Shepard's boarding of the station, the remainders of the Cerberus fleets are mopped up and destroyed; soon, Hackett declares that the Cerberus Navy is now officially defunct. He tells Shield Fleet that they have the go ahead to move in, and watches as the Crucible, in all its glory, along with the ships assigned to protect it, enter the system, approaching Cronos Station while the Victory Fleet, as the UGC has so accurately dubbed it, enter formation. Hackett muses that its up to Shepard now to deal with the Illusive Man himself.
Section 2:
Section is from Shepard's POV. Shepard and his squad enter the main lab, weapons holstered now that they are certain all Cerberus forces are under the Leviathan's control. They look up to find the lab to be massive, with most of the space taken up with bits and pieces of the Human-Reaper seemingly recovered from behind the Omega 4 Relay. Miranda scoffs, remarking that its no wonder Cerberus was indoctrinated with all these Reaper artifacts just lying around; Shepard states that he believes the Illusive Man was indoctrinated long before that. Continuing through the lab, they find a surgical operation table. Liara states that it has been used recently, as the blood found soaking it is still fresh, and that the machinery is still warm. The scientists are also under the Leviathan's control, and show Shepard several recordings of the Illusive Man organizing with Geoff about the Normandy's crew, prior to Shepard's resurrection. Once finished, Shepard ponders whether he is the real thing or not, as to which Tali says, "You're real. Real...and mine." With that, they continue up into the Illusive Man's main room, 'Humanity's Sanctum.' He finds the Illusive Man in his usual position, facing the sun, sipping a glass of bourbon and smoking a cigar. He greets Shepard, who simply walks around and looks at him. Shepard states that he is surprised he didn't try to escape, and the Illusive Man simply replies, shrugging his shoulders, "I am not defeated. I have no need to escape." The two of them argue back and forth about the failings of their ideologies, and the events leading up to where they are now. The argument continues back and forth until the Illusive Man hangs his head in defeat, silent, finally seeing the failure in his own logic. After a moment, he speaks up, telling them that Vendetta can be accessed through the terminal before them, as well as all the information needed. As Shepard thanks the Illusive Man, he replies that his real name is Jack Harper, and he'd prefer to be called that. Shepard says "very well...Harper", before nodding to Samara. The asari justicar then puts a bullet through the side of his head with her pistol, killing him and causing his glass to shatter on the groud, the liquid pouring onto the ground. Shepard reaches forward and closes the man's eyes, whispering "be at rest", before he proceeds to access Vendetta and immediately asks what the Catalyst is. Vendetta finally reveals that the Catalyst is the Citadel itself, and that the Crucible must connect to the Citadel so that the Citadel can be used to amplify its power. The Citadel then fires it at the Widow Relay, which will then proceed to launch the Crucible's beams throughout the galaxy, ensuring a thorough extermination of the Reapers. Shepard nods, stating he will contact Hackett and tell them to get ready to jump to the Citadel. Vendetta stops him however, revealing that the Illusive Man, being an indoctrinated agent, had unknowingly been broadcasting his thoughts to the Reapers, and what he knew, they knew. He states the Reapers likely already know about the Citadel being the catalyst, and will have launched a massive assault against the space station. Shepard, widening his eyes, rushes to contact Hackett, but is contacted first. Marcus opens the channel, and disheartened when Hackett tells him that surviving ships from the Citadel Defense Fleet have just arrived, informing them that the Citadel has fallen to the Reapers. The squad stands silently, shocked by the sudden change of events. Victory has now become a race against time.
A/N:
And that's the end of the Cerberus arc. Like I said, you were going to love and hate me for this chapter. Still, Myron finally got his wish for Leng's death (in an outline, but still) and Cerberus is all but finished.
Next outline will be the 'Final Battle', and will obviously cover the events of Priority: Earth. This time, I think you guys will mostly just love this one. This part of the outline is the MAIN reason I regret never having got to finish this story.
Keelah Re'lai, troopers!
