Joker could only sit there on the edge of his seat, completely in shock, mouth slightly agape, eyes staring down blankly at the console's channel in disbelief. I mean, just when the pilot thought he knew her, she-

"You heard Shepard! Pass her recommendation on to Admiral Hackett!" Pressly shouted behind him.

"Aye aye!" Harry was the first to respond, already forwarding the recording to command.

"All stations, prepare for battle! We are at Rhode-5! Rosamund, I want one last rundown of the ship's systems! And Joker, get me an update on the status of that Relay-"

And in that following moment, the ship's board was suddenly running green, the rings of the Relay outside the cockpit window beginning to spin faster and faster, ship's navi finally receiving coordinate vectors from it, indicating that their computers were just now actually interfacing with the device-

"Fifth Fleet, this is Admiral Hackett. The Relay is open. Repeat, the Relay is open. The Geth fleet and Sovereign are currently tearing through Citadel Forces. It's up to us to stop them. Everyone hold formation and make the jump! Once we get through, be prepared to hit it with everything you've got."

Cue Mass Effect - From the Wreckage (Had to fit this in somewhere)

Every single flotilla and battle group in the Fifth Fleet gave their affirmative as they then began to mobilize. And then another channel opened up, right beside the Normandy's controls.

"SSV Normandy, I'm patching you in to our battle group. Hackett's given you your assignment. You're with us! 63rd Scout Flotilla is jumping next!"

"This is the SSV Normandy. Read you loud and clear," Harry replied.

"SSV Hong Kong is connected to the Relay. Currently calculating transit mass and destination."

"SSV Gettysburg repositioning to the fore."

"Emission sinks active. SSV Fallujah standing ready."

"The rest of the fleet is waiting on us!"

"Alright, Relay is hot! Acquire your approach vectors! Secure all stations for transit! The board is green. 63rd's approach run has now begun. Prepare for jump! We're hitting the Relay in three...two...one-"

The Normandy fell out of FTL right alongside the 63rd Flotilla, just behind the rest of the Fifth Fleet's forward battlegroup, and far above the battle taking place below. And as soon as they had, everyone on the bridge could clearly see that the Widow System's gas clouds had done little to screen their movement. The large mass of Geth ships between them and the station were already rounding toward them on their sensors.

"Drift minimal. Spacing optimal. Keep formation!"

"Pressly, we're being hailed by the Citadel Fleet."

Explosions peppered the battle space around them, violent events of dazzling display matching the output of the system's nearby stars. Ships obliterated into thousands of pieces before their very eyes, whole crews killed in instants.

"This is the Ascension! We are taking heavy damage!"

Joker grimaced as he flicked the switch above his head, following the rest of the 63rd's maneuver. And then he suddenly felt someone's hand rest on his shoulder.

"I know what you want to do Joker. But follow formation. We're part of a unit now. We can't break off from the main group-"

He only kept his eyes focused on the battle occurring around them, ignoring Pressly's words as their XO didn't know diddly squat. And neither did the 63rd. None of their helmsman were probably even rated Q3. They didn't have the skills the Joker or the Normandy did. And at this rate-

"-GARDIAN defenses are overwhelmed! Kinetic barriers are offline!"

Dammit! What were they doing?! Why weren't they-

"Alliance ships, move in," Hackett's voice suddenly rang over the deck.

Joker swerved and cut the yaw as soon as the order was given, damn formation. The Normandy immediately dropped out of the flight pattern, diving straight down toward the besieged dreadnought below.

"Save the Destiny Ascension!"

"Break and Fire!" Mikhailovich suddenly shouted over the battle group's comm.

The greatest display of naval warfare Joker had ever witnessed in his life suddenly rained down upon the ships below them, hundreds if not thousands of shots finding Geth ships already veering to respond, rending whole sections of their hornet-like cruisers apart at the seams.

And in return, those ships sent fire and brimstone their way, a swath of red igniting the entire nebula around them as ships began to evaporate right and left, entire divisions disappearing on their sensors all at once, Joker forced to swerve around a fighter just obliterated in mid-flight.

"Evasive maneuvers!"

"My god," he only whispered, the battle around him spurring him to silence, the awe and gravitas of actually being involved in the largest and most destructive naval action since First Contact only now hitting him. The truth was...the carnage of the battle stunned him. Frightened him. He couldn't move. The thousands dead around them. The hundreds of ships burning nearby while their crews ran for their pods. The millions of lives that would be lost if they made the wrong move. The-

PSYCHE!

"Joker-"

"I GOT THIS!"

As if! Like he'd actually get cold feet now after all they've been through. Haha, no, this is exactly what he enlisted for. This was his moment to shine!

He grinned as he spun around the fresh remains of the Geth frigate in front of them, scantly avoiding the debris scattering every which way with its recent explosion. Joker then jerked the figurative wheel of the ship as hard as he could, rotating the Normandy upside down, right past another piece of debris, before quickly encroaching on a ship now headed straight for them.

"Activate GARDIAN systems!" Pressly quickly yelled, probably unaware that getting them in knife range was Joker's intent all along.

"Danger," the VI sounded over the bridge. "Collision imminent in 845-432-101-"

"Hit it!"

The lasers tore into the Geth's hull as they shot under the ship, spacing the bastards and every one of their robot mothers currently aboard. The ship then blew up in spectacular fashion after a following shot from a nearby cruiser, sending chunks of metal spreading every which way, the bridge crew watching on in amazement as a magnificent amount of radiation subsequently enveloped the Normandy because of it. And Joker took the quick opportunity while everyone was distracted to hail the Citadel dreadnought himself.

"Destiny Ascension, you are all clear. Repeat, you are all clear."

And Pressly let this slide as Gladstone confirmed the fleet was now forming an escort around the ship and remainder of Citadel Defense. They were already old news however as Joker flew past. Yes, the Normandy shot right ahead of the rest of the fleet, weaving in and out of the wreckage littering the sky, their ship heading straight towards the station slowly opening before their very eyes, sensors picking up the second battlegroup of the Fifth Fleet following right behind.

"The Citadel is opening," Hackett's voice suddenly came on over the main channel again. "All ships move in! Concentrate on Sovereign!"

"I hope the Council appreciates this."

"It was the right move."

"What about the rest of the Geth?"

"It's up to the Alliance now."

"Is there nothing else we can do?"

"Not unless you have a mass accelerator the size of a dreadnought hiding somewhere in that suit."

"Hmph. Out of the millions in the galaxy I could be fighting beside, I'm stuck with the one Turian who thinks he's funny."

"Just imagine how I feel. I know the one Krogan in the galaxy who can count past ten. My friends back home will never believe it."

"Is humor really appropriate at a time like this?"

"Ah, you're right. Sorry."

"Don't apologize Turian. Show some damn backbone for once. Look, I don't know if you noticed T'Soni, but it's over. Saren's dead. We can do and say whatever the hell we want now-"

Yes, with their duty done, it was over as far as she was concerned. So, Shepard ignored their banter, glancing back at the body behind them instead, as an assortment of emotions welled inside her. Made her wonder if he would have died had he not just joined them on their path to Ilos. Had he just been honest about things from the start. Had he not lied to her on Eden Prime. Had she just accepted him from the beginning like the rest-

Then fury suddenly grasped her, face contorting in frustration, fists clenching largely thanks to the recent realization that she was indebted to Shield once again. For once again...he had saved her. Them. Had distracted Saren long enough for them to end it all while paying the ultimate price in doing so. And she realized this time...she'd be unable to repay the action. She had a debt she could never repay.

"...dammit."

"-should we at least check for survivors?"

"I doubt there are any. But it couldn't hurt to check."

"You all can do whatever the hell you want. I'm-"

Wrex's voice suddenly cut out as something deafened her, them, vision blinded by an intense light, body whirling as she felt herself plummet, the very floor of the platform disappearing beneath her, a black void threatening to swallow them all, sending them spiraling down to the depths below, arms outstretched, face rife with panic, attempting to prevent the darkness from devouring her again after-

Her forehead banged against the ground, Shepard utterly unprepared for the impact, reeling from her sudden collision with the floor, moans and muttering soon accompanying her own immediately afterwards. What had just happened she thought, utterly confused, blinking sluggardly, attempting to get a grip on what was going around her. And then the groaning became louder. And she sat there stunned, utterly shocked, befuddled with what was going on. But not because she realized the platform they had been standing on had suddenly collapsed beneath their feet, forming a haphazard ramp that had funneled them down toward the garden below and given her a concussion along with the rest.

No, no Shepard was currently jarred instead by the rather disturbing display of energy lighting up the entire atrium, shaking the very ground beneath their feet, streaks of electricity the color of old blood crackling throughout the air around them, a majority of it wrapping itself around the corpse of Saren Arterius currently writhing in agony, levitating up off the grass, wretched sounds escaping it as its throes seemed to feed the entity growing around it, its energy overwhelming-

"What the HELL-"

Then one last wave of crimson energy washed over them, knocking them off their feet, bursting forth from the body of Saren, corpse sloughing off the last of its skin, revealing a broken, twisted, skeletal form in its place, eyes burning malevolently-

"I. Am. Sovereign!"

Shepard stared on in disbelief as the monster spoke with Saren's voice, gangly figure hunched over, warped form wrapped in some kind of insidious aura. But that had only been for a moment before her instincts kicked in, arm immediately raising her gun, biotics flaring, mind damn well aware of what was currently transpiring before it now. More or less.

"SHOOT-"

A flash of blue suddenly flicked around her as her body spun off the ground, breast impacted by something hard, her face contorting in pain as she realized her suit was beginning to fold in on itself, heated metal searing her skin-

"SHEPARD!"

Her mind kicked in, amp generating a biotic barrier around her before she hit the ground, next blast from the husk simply refracting off it, probably saving her life. And then the monster leapt off the grass, sticking itself to the ceiling, barely avoiding the several volleys that had then come its way.

"And this station...is MINE."

"Get down here!" Wrex shouted right after, flaring blue as he yanked the thing towards the ground. Or had tried to. It remained where it was, completely unaffected by his biotics, exchanging a plasma bolt for his trouble.

Then the monster continued its barrage of plasma, unleashing the bolts from its jawless face across the entire garden, spraying fire everywhere. It targeted everyone and no one, the bolts of energy detonating violently enough to send most of them flying regardless of proximity, powerful enough to strip away their shields with a single blast.

Liara let out a muffled shout as she launched a singularity at it following its next leap, easily escaping Tali's earlier carnage shot. And the nexus of mass effect fields did nothing to it either, the grip of Sovereign's vessel unfazed, ignoring the attack in its entirety.

"Any inkling of resistance will amount to nothing."

An instantaneous stream of energy suddenly shot out from its eyes, blasting their Asari dead-on. And they had no time to react before the abomination was already leaping across the room, out from under their guns' heavy fire.

"That thing's made of eezo microcores!" Garrus suddenly shouted from the other side of the room. "Biotics won't work on it!"

"How the hell do you know that?!" Wrex bellowed before hastily leaping out of the way of the following inferno.

"I have eyes, don't I?" Garrus quipped, simultaneously tapping at his visor, recalibrating something in his vision. And then the Turian's face exploded as the monster launched another volley of blasts in his and Tali's direction.

"This Cycle is at it's end. Your time is over."

The monstrosity whipped around as Tali overloaded its shields, yelling something in Khelish, attempting to draw its attention away from the Turian. And it did. In one bound, the monster covered the distance between them, landing and immediately springing up, towering over her, raising its claw to-

Its head snapped back as Garrus' prone body fired a round at it, distracting it just long enough for Tali to unload her shotgun into it. And Shepard realized it had been the wrong move, already sprinting for them, gun out, face contorted in panic as Sovereign didn't flinch, cutting across Tali's helmet with overwhelming force, a sickening crack accompanying it.

"TALI!"

Then the monster swiveled its head at her, crimson eyes crackling with energy, releasing another pulse her way.

The space of the Citadel crackled with its action, energy from the beam releasing a pulse that rocked their ship. The Reaper had raised one of its legs again, emitting a bright red light, a ray of crimson that stretched across space, seeming to harmlessly project itself onto a nearby cruiser...and again, destroyed another ship, immediately obliterating the SSV Cairo in a single blow. The Normandy barely avoided the aftermath as its remains shot by them, a scrap actually shaving across their kinetic barrier. And all across Citadel Space, more of the same followed, every one of Sovereign's freaky tentacles firing their overpowered lasers, unfairly hitting half a dozen targets at a time, decimating their forces within seconds. The asshole.

"My god," Pressly muttered, watching on in awe as another volley hit it, one hundred and one projectiles slamming into the monster once again, the remainder of the Citadel and Fifth Fleet firing everything they had, bombarding the thing with enough firepower to level a small planet. And all of it seemingly shrugged off by the monster, not a single scratch appearing on Sovereign to show for it.

"We just lost contact with the SSV Hong Kong!" Rosie yelled from behind. "Mikhailovich is hailing for us to pull a V-6 maneuver and double-"

"Sovereign's too strong! We have to pull back!"

Joker quickly pivoted the Normandy, banking around a nearby group of ships as one of Sovereign's weapons suddenly cut through them next, sending their frames scattering apart.

"Negative!" Hackett's voice immediately responded to the Captain. "This is our only chance. Take that monster down, no matter the cost."

"This is the Destiny Ascension! We are preparing to fire our main cannon again! We need another screen-"

The destruction of a nearby Turian ship cut off the signal, causing the entire thing to visibly tilt.

"What the hell!" Gladstone yelled behind them. "What are we supposed to do!?"

"Quiet on the deck!" Pressly shouted back. "Save the chatter for critical communications!"

"Like the fact that the Normandy is overheating like a mother?" someone else on the bridge suddenly reported. "Internal temperatures are still climbing. We're going to fry at this rate!"

"Dammit!" Pressly barked.

"We'll keep up the pressure," Joker replied calmly, never more in his element than before, flicking another switch as he vented another shaft. "We can't let Shepard down."

The Normandy rocketed past another molten stream, barely avoiding the fate of the cruiser behind them.

"...fire again."

"Already on it," Joker replied, letting loose one of their few remaining torpedoes left.

"Get on IT!"

"We are indomitable."

"It's moving too fast!"

"We are infinite."

"Stay still so can I KILL YOU!"

"We are immortal."

"I can't get a fix-"

Shepard cursed as she dove out of the way, rolling behind a nearby column as the monster unleashed another barrage, igniting the ground she had just been standing upon, flames beginning to lick across the entire garden now, inferno only growing larger and larger as it was continually fed by the Reaper's actions-

"For we are above all others. For we, are, SOVEREIGN!"

"AGH-"

Shepard spun out of cover, barrier already up, firing her gun upon the monster again as it downed Wrex, having taken five straight blasts from the husk's skull in his attempt to close in on it. And before she had even made contact, it had leapt away again, darting across the ceiling, flames now casting a dark shadow behind it, masking every one of its movements, emulating something out of Christianity's old imaginings of Hell. A demonic abomination thriving amongst sulfur and smoke, hunting in the heat, seeking the death of them all, to destroy everything they had ever cherished. Their society. Their friends. Their lives. Their homes-

NO!

Never again.

She had pledged to prevent another slaughter like Mindoir from happening ever again. Whatever it took. Whatever was required of her. Shepard would sacrifice everything. Her pride, her morals, her own humanity...she would go to hell and back if it meant another girl like Karen...or Talitha...or even...herself...would never have to experience a horror like that again!

So, she wouldn't allow this to fucking happen! She wouldn't let the damned Reapers win! She would stop them. Stop them all. Here! Stop Sovereign. HERE!

THIS WOULD ALL END FUCKING HERE!

"RAAHHHHH!"

A beastly roar suddenly erupted in the room as her Krogan pumped himself back off the ground, legs striking the floor like pistons as he charged toward the monster at a speed unbecoming of something his size, his armor and body still badly burned, obviously moving on sheer willpower alone, Wrex's act embodying the true spirit of his race. And though the monster simply hopped over his violent endeavor, blasting his back once again with another heated bolt of plasma as it twisted itself in mid-air-

Shepard let out a harrowing cry, flaring her own biotics as strongly as she could, feeling her amp immediately overclocking, burning the back of her neck, L3 amp already fluctuating wildly as she disabled its safety protocols, body feeling as light as a feather as she pushed herself forward, charging head first like her Krogan, leaping off the ground to meet Sovereign before he landed!

And collided with him, biotics having spurred her to speeds not known to any man. Human. And as Sovereign realized it had been duped, distracted by the alien decoy, they had slammed into the wall together, hitting it with such force that they had quickly bounced back off.

And at that moment, as their bodies fell back toward the ground, Shepard channeled every inch of eezo around her body into her right fist, intent on striking the skull of the monster with everything she had. And the husk's eyes widened as it realized the scenario. Realized that it had failed. Realized that she had won. Realized that it was over.

Her punch shattered the monster's half-deformed skull against the metal frame behind it, splintering its demonic visage into a thousand shard, indenting the very wall behind them with her strike's sheer power, delivering a force upwards of 1800 newtons onto its bastardized face with her fist alone.

And she felt her own hand shatter from the action as her feet hit the ground, woman forced to hunch over from the result, amp crippling her body, gasping for air as she realized Sovereign had given her a parting gift as well, sinking his talons deep into her stomach. And she wrenched them out, letting Saren's defiled form fall to the ground defeated, dissolve into wisps of smoke as the flames raged around them, standing tall despite the pain. For Shepard wanted to make sure the Reaper knew at that exact moment who exactly had won this day.

And thousands of violent ripples and bright flashes of crimson energy started dancing over the ship as Sovereign ceased all action against the remains of their fleets, seemingly dead to the world now, save for the blaring, screeching, ear popping sound that it emitted as it slowly began to lurch forward, tentacles seemingly slipping off their perch-

And then Joker shot through the debris field around them, straight for the Tower, whizzing past the other ships currently idling in confusion nearby, quickly maneuvering around all the wreckage, jerking them up right when they hit the outside of the Citadel Tower, flying straight past the falling ship at a knife's distance.

"Its shields are down! Now's our chance!" Joker found himself suddenly yelling across the bridge in response to Pressly's outrage, right as Harry himself was trying to raise the SSV Newton for their next order. To be honest, the statement was more of a gut feeling than actual fact but-

"Hit it with everything we got!" Hackett, the big dog himself, actually responded over the radio next, taking the words he heard over the radio at face value. But Joker decided now was probably the best time to throw caution to the win, not second guess himself, and finally start following orders for once.

So he kicked the Normandy into high gear, banking above the falling dreadnought in the deep vacuum of space, preparing their ship for its final run, cutting the wheel as the Normandy prepared for its final run-

"Hard on my flank. I'm going in!" he shouted over the comm, bombing the chute, shooting straight down along the Tower's surface, rocketing towards the ship currently being assaulted by a fleet of dreadnoughts from six different angles.

He then fired their very last set of javelin torpedoes at the monster, skipping right by Sovereign's leg as he saw their final weapon gut it, Reaper spewing forth a monstrous flame as the missiles connected directly with its belly, ship releasing a great groan of agony as it's life was brought to a violent end. And then Joker subsequently rode the giant inferno that threatened to swallow them all the rest of the way out, only coming to terms with the fact that they had finally just taken down the biggest bad of them all.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about! EAT IT!"

"Holy shit."

"We did it."

"You see that?! That's what you get when you go up against the best!"

"Damn straight Joker!"

"Normandy – 1, Giant Alien Squids from Dark Space – 0."

You could definitely be sure that this was going on his record. Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau. Ace Pilot. Master Mutineer. Alliance Wingman. Reaper Killer.

He couldn't wait to tell mom.

But she realized it was too early to celebrate as something loudly shattered above them, the familiar sound of violent decompression accompanying the debris that had just rocketed itself across the Chamber above them, shaking the room upon its collision with a large column.

"MOVE IT!"

Her vision was suddenly blinded by a following piece of debris that shot through the window, landing in the garden nearby, impacting just meters away, force of its meteoric impact creating a gale that extinguished every raging flame around them, sent her flying backwards into the wall, shooting smoke across the yard, so thick she could barely breathe.

She heard her name weakly called from the other side of the room, owner invisible to her eyes, smoke and debris too much to bear. She could barely even think straight, as her muscles began to fail her, fatigue of biotics catching up, hurting to even stand. But she did. She wouldn't die here. Shepard grunted, thrusting herself back up, not willing to meet her end now.

Go, she shouted back at them. Because Garrus had been carrying Tali toward the stairs, Wrex heaving himself back up despite his wounds, Liara shaken but still standing. Her squad had all been alive before the rain of superheated metal started coming down from outside, threatening to finish them all. Yes, they were alive. And she would make sure it stayed that way. They weren't dying here.

"Shepard!"

"GO! I'll...find another way," she shouted again, coughing as she cleared the dust with her biotics, making out a mammoth sized plate that now cut the garden in half, preventing her from following the rest. As that piece of information hit her, the room shook again, Shepard bracing herself against the pillar, dozens of smaller shards now pelting the chamber interior, cacophony shattering her hearing, preventing her from hearing any other word her team might have as their impacts crashed into the room around them. But she wasn't dying here. She had too much left to do.

She began trudging toward it, breathing heavy, feet feeling like lead as she approached the ramp leading back up out of the garden, harried by the dozens of hazards around her. She ground her teeth as she thrust herself upon it, beginning to climb, ignoring the tremors of the tower as it was continually assaulted by the meteoric debris, sending ash and dross everywhere, still determined to ignore the biting pain of her stomach and exhaustion as she continued upwards. Because she would be damned if she died here now.

Then she noticed something harrying her movement, slowly creeping over hands, an inky shade that was now covering her body, a shadow now casting itself across her and the rest of the room entirely, dyeing everything black with its advent. And she turned over her shoulder to witness the cause, an unmistakable piece of Sovereign itself hurtling straight toward the Tower's Window, impact imminent. And she began to glow blue, forcing her biotics to manifest themselves again, muscles screaming for her to stop, though she ignored them completely. All because she was determined not to die. Not here, not now. Sovereign wouldn't win this day. It wouldn't have the last laugh. She had promised herself that. She wouldn't die in this place.

So she returned her vision forward, back up to the room above, intent on outrunning the colossal piece of the Reaper approaching. She wouldn't die this day she repeated, continuing her ascent, biotics making every inch just a bit easier, legs moving faster and faster as they climbed upwards, up and away from the pit below, onward to safety, where the others would be waiting.

She wouldn't die here she determined, pulling herself up onto the surface with one last heave, gasping from the pain in her stomach now, barely able to even process what lay ahead now, vision growing fuzzier and fuzzier as she continued to lose more and more from Sovereign's last defiant act. But she still stood tall, mustering the last of her strength, preparing to sprint forth with the last of her power, eezo flaring around her, ready to propel herself out of the collision's way.

Because she wouldn't-

Every ship watched on as the last vestige of the ship named Sovereign impacted Citadel Tower, a mountain of smoke and debris erupting forth from its collision, likely killing anyone still inside. But similar events were happening all over the Citadel as remains rained down on the Wards. This was the price of their victory. The price of winning what would become known as the Battle of the Citadel.

At the end of the day, the combined efforts of the Council races had won them the battle. C-Sec had taken back the Presidium, the Citadel and Fifth Fleet had routed the Geth Armada. And together, they had destroyed the Geth flagship Sovereign. Saren's deceit and invasion had ended in total defeat.

The only question remaining was...at what cost?

Codex Entry:

Stephen Hackett

File: Service Number 2785-BZ-2751

Stephen Hackett was born in the year 2114 CE in the City of Earth, Buenos Aires. Placed in the Advanced Training Academy for Juveniles 2126 CE. Enlisted in the Military of the Brazilian Federation in 2132 CE. Chosen for transfer to Systems Alliance upon founding in 2134 CE (Rank translated to Corporal).

Assigned to the 3rd Expeditionary Division 2135 CE. Participated in high-risk missions to colonize space beyond Sol Relay [see pre-contact logs]. Assigned rank Staff Commander. Served with distinction on Shanxi 2157 CE (Highlight: Took command of SSV New Delhi after Captain Eisennhorn and bridge officers were killed. Led evacuation of remaining crew. Led defense of remaining crew at crash sites. Took Turian staging point Thraxis in counter-attack. Received Distinguished Service Medal. Received Medal of Valor. Received Star of Terra). Assigned rank Captain 2157 CE. Assigned to the Alliance Second Fleet as CO of the SSV Hyderabad 2161 CE. Served with distinction above Alsages during Incident 114-A in 2163. Served with distinction above [redacted]. Assigned rank Rear Admiral 2167 CE. Assigned to the Alliance Second Fleet as CO of the SSV Kiev 2167 CE. Served with distinction above [redacted]. Served with distinction above [redacted]. Served with distinction above Elysium during Skyllian Blitz in 2176 CE. Assigned rank Admiral 2176 CE. Assigned to 5th Fleet as CO of the SSV Newton 2177 CE. Assigned rank Fleet Admiral of the Fifth Fleet 2177 CE. Military Vocational Code I6.

Attached to this message is an Alliance file on one Admiral Hackett, CO of the Alliance's Fifth fleet. I want you to plant a bug on his personal console in Arcturus. If you can, also plug into its VI to monitor any incoming or outgoing calls from a ship named the SSV Normandy. Transmit any calls caught along these encrypted channels listed below. You'll be rewarded handsomely upon success. Gellix out.

Author's Notes:

So in conjunction with the story, I've been playing ME1 on insanity, just beating the last fight before finishing this chapter. And I have to say...have you guys ever faced the Saren Husk on Insanity? Without using biotics? It's cheesy just to freeze him in place with Stasis and wail on him ad nauseum, so I thought I'd refrain from doing so this time around. But without it, the fight's such bullshit it's not even funny haha. Had to do laps around the stage the entire fight to avoid being one shotted by those fireballs, as the rest of the squad bit it as soon as it started. So tried to repeat that here (adding Harbinger's cheese for that parallel between him and Sovereign's abilities). Hope the situation came across as hopeless for you as it did for me while playing it. God that was awful.

And I hope you guys enjoy the greatest twist of this story, which is that Shep's actually...RENEGON?! Dat's right, she's not just another renegade with an anger problem. She's a pragmatist guys. Kill the things already proven to be hostile and have bad decision-making, but save what can help you and humanity in the end. Her and Javik would get along swimmingly. Only a huge honkin' dreadnought like the Destiny Ascension would be able to match Sovereign tit for tat. One fleet of ships already tried attacking it and see how that turned out. Sovereign rammed right through those fools. She just doesn't like people telling her what to do which is why she dismissed Shield's last whispers. I'll try to further illuminate her motivations in what's to come...but just take my word on it for now.

Reviews!

Takhallus 01 - You think TIM's wasting his resources on Shield? Oh hell naw son. He's barely worth 100 credits let alone several billion. Though I agree. I don't think the EDI could handle both at the same time. She'd go more rogue than Saren if she had to deal with them both on a regular basis.

ElvisFonz23 - Well...this is what happens next. So you're welcome.

Youhavenoname - And I haven't thought that far ahead?! Dude. I have 6 books, three crossovers, a dozen different plot twists, and every character arc already planned out. Don't even try me. Though this story alone has gone on for like three years. A sequel would be a pain in the butt. Actually...fuck that shit, I'll wrap this all up in 3000 words or fewer. Expect three years of transition, the death of the Cerberus Mole, the Shadow Broker, that punk ass reaper known as Harbinger, and the totally foreshadowed alter ego of Shield who was really alive all along with Shepard also firing the Crucible next chapter.

Doctor Solstice - Well...unfortunate for Shield. Fortunate for me since there won't be a sequel for him. (Don't tell the guy above this reply)

Air Devil 199 - And why are you so upset man? The squad's shields go down like every battle. Shepard lost hers like five times this chapter alone. Shields are a dime a dozen lol.

neverendingHero - First...who said we were on a first name basis? It's DR. Stache thank you very much. I was almost going to ignore you for your insolence, but in the end, I decided to be benevolent and give you at least a single sentence in response. Pinnacle Station was already mentioned in Chapter 17, if Shield banged any Quarian Admiral, it would be Daro'Xen, with Tali's father being a close second, Heroes NEVER die, and wow, today's a really beautiful day, I mean, it's so warm, makes me want to praise the Sun, man, if only I could be as grossly incandescent...

AndromedaSpoilererPembroke - And so it begins. The hundreds of Andromeda Easter Eggs that add revolutionary new info to the original trilogy. Though I already knew that. I don't even know what you're talking about. Of course he's named Castis. Who doesn't know that? ((SPOILERS)) And at first I thought you were BSing me. Castis? Yeah, right. But after some research, I found out that was true. Along with Zaeed having an illegitimate son named Bain, Nyreen having a cousin that joined, and Conrad Verner having a sister. YEAH, I just spoiled you too! Take that honky! The funny thing is I ALMOST made Conrad a girl in this version too. Oh man, if only I had been so bold. Connie Verner would have been even ten times COOLER than her sister Cassandra. I can assure you that. ((SPOILERS END)) But just named Garrus' pop Patus because it was based off the word for dad in latin lol.

Lil Manny the OG - I appreciate the kind words man, thanks for the review. And I will agree, Shield has a flair for the dramatic, acting like he's in some kind of action movie. But like you said, things rarely go like they do in the movies. Because this world is REALISTIC man. SO realistic. Actions actually have consequences. If only Shield realized sooner.

Lord Mortimer - What the heck. I already told the other guy. Shields regenerate after like five seconds, don't be so melodramatic. Why do you guys care so much about kinetic barriers :\

Toothless is Best - Your pun has stripped you of all review privileges.

Dekuton - I admire your good taste.

ARealAuthenticPerson - And I kno rite? It's like, c'mon Saren, I'm sure you have like eighty renegade points from all your Spectreing, use them to make SHEPARD off themselves instead. What a twist that'd be. Though I will say Shield's shields are pretty good man. You'd be surprised with how little he can take without a barrier to protect his ass. Giggity. And Shield's implant is a pretty sketchy business too. Who knows what it can do. WOULD he survive mind-banging Morinth? The world may never know. Though it would be nice to know she'd never have to be alone again...poor Morinth :(

Pelineal-Whitestrake - Sorry, but the thousands of minds sharing one body trope is currently reserved for Legion. And the Reapers. And the Feros colonists. And indoctrinated people. But mostly Legion. Thanks for the compliment though bro.

Rains of Castafere - Hey, you snooze you lose! Sorry I'm a typing machine, but these presses wait for no man. Time is credits, credits are crazy, and crazy is fighting a Spectre to the death with only a knife mano a mano. But like you said, you're right, I don't think anyone saw Shield's stupidity culminating into what it did. Not even me. And your overwhelming character analyses are robbing me of my livelihood dude. What the hell am I supposed to write about in the AN or upcoming credits with Shield's motivations already broken down man!? C'mon!

Guest - I'll be real here, I almost had Shield 'say hello to my little friend' with his rocket launcher back in that last chapter. But then I thought of something punnier, so that's what we got. Maybe Shepard can pull a Montana in his stead one day...one day...

Joshua Bork Bork Bork - And I kno rite?

In the next chapter: The End.

Tune in next time on Mass Effective: A Hero Made!