Chapter 19: Rise

"Why the hell would the Illusive Man want the Citadel?"

"I don't know," Miranda replied in evident frustration. "If I did I would tell you! What I do know is that everything in that file related to securing this station."

Kasumi leaned against the wall, watching the operative from beneath her hood.

"Could it just be symbolic? Some kind of power play?" she asked.

Miranda shook her head. "The Illusive Man doesn't do symbolism. Everything he does is to achieve a desired result. There's always an endgame: a plan, a pay off. I've never met anyone as calculating and manipulative."

"You mean your boss?" Tali commented dryly.

It hadn't been hard to tell from the moment Kasumi came aboard that Tali wasn't fond of Miranda Lawson. Once she had heard about Cerberus' previous dealings with the quarians it made more sense and a few more pieces had fallen into place once the thief picked up her friend's feelings toward Shepard. Miranda had literally been engineered to be perfect from her amazingly sharp mind down to her hip to waist ratio. To an insecure quarian, she was everything that a man like Shepard should want - even though Kasumi herself had never noticed Miranda actually go after the man.

Over the course of their mission some of the chill had thawed, both from Miranda's ice queen demeanor and Tali's overt dislike. Some of that animosity clearly still lingered, though, from the sharpness of the engineer's tone. Whatever remained being likely amplified by Shepard's loss.

"Former boss. After Shepard destroyed the Collector base, I made it clear where I stood if it came to making a choice between them."

"I'm sure you did."

"I don't think Miranda would have shown up on the Citadel if there wasn't a real threat," Kasumi interjected before anything could escalate. "This is a great place to disappear once you're here but it's almost impossible to come and go unnoticed. As soon as Miranda came aboard it would have told Cerberus where she was. Pretty brazen for someone used to being covert."

Tali nodded curtly and Miranda's look said that the thief's train of thought had been correct. Getting onto the Citadel when it was already on a heightened state of security wouldn't have been easy and if she'd been in a hurry there wouldn't have been time for an elaborate plan to do so quietly. Miranda had effectively burned any cover she'd had by showing up with the information she possessed.

"I don't care if it's late! Get Sparatus on the line! If you missed the credentials: I'm a spirits-be-damned Spectre now. Don't give me the "not available" crap!" Garrus growled.

He hadn't been paying attention to the back and forth as soon as Miranda had answered his question, instead speaking into his comm with his back turned. The newly minted Spectre had done a very good job of sounding calm and quiet until that final outburst. She watched him jab one talon at his omni-tool to terminate the link. Kasumi spared another glance at the other two women before moving next to him.

"Don't tell me they're ignoring you. Even for the Council, that would be a pretty short memory to have forgotten making you a Spectre a few hours ago," she said.

"No, but their assortment of secretaries and sycophants didn't get the memo apparently. All I got was 'the Councilor is unavailable'."

The thief smirked. "You didn't try your roguish charisma on them? I always figured Sparatus for the type to have some airheaded turian female for an assistant. Or whatever you call the turian equivalent of a ditz."

"Apparently not all women like scars," Garrus replied drolly, giving her a sidelong glance.

Her usual immediate comeback stalled. Six months ago that comment would have given her an easy opening to point out how he might have more success if he spent less time trying to eat rockets. After their conversation in the battery, though, something else lingered there; almost as if it was a question. Normally that wouldn't have been a problem, if not for the fact that Kasumi wasn't actually sure of her answer.

Miranda's voice from behind them saved her from the sudden silence.

"If the Council isn't available then we need to contact C-Sec. Half of the information I saw was detailing various ways of getting contraband past customs, everything from scan-protected containers to bribery. Not to mention Cerberus loyalists already working for C-Sec."

"That was my next call."

The turian turned back to the others and activated his omni-tool again, this time keying in another contact. There were two long chimes as it waited for a connection... followed by a very unhappy sounding man answering his comm.

"This better be good, Vakarian, I was looking for to a quiet night of actually sleeping for an entire four hours."

Garrus shook his head.

"Not tonight, Bailey. We've got a situation. Meet at C-Sec headquarters as soon as you can. And don't leave your gun at home."

That apparently got the human's attention, his brow furrowing on the small screen at Garrus' wrist.

"Never have. And sounds like tonight isn't the time to start. I'll be there in fifteen."


Shepard groaned in pain, feeling blindly around him and finding only hard stone. It was the same hard surface that was pressed against his face where he lay. With what felt like a titanic effort he pushed himself off the ground and onto his knees. His eyes blinked open.

The cave around him wasn't the same as the one he remembered. It was almost completely dark with only a faint glimmer above providing him with illumination. He craned his neck back and looked up at the tiny sliver of light, trying to focus on it. For a moment he thought it was some kind of hallucination until the pieces fell into place. It was an opening to the surface, one of the thousands of crevices that riddled the world's surface.

"Hope-Singer?" he asked, voice cracking.

Silence.

And then a brief note of music. Not speaking into his mind, but a memory conjured up when he thought of the rachni queen. He remembered the queen moving him, carrying him easily with a pair of her large appendages, her song in his mind as he drifted on the edge of consciousness.

If you have the strength to fight the the dark-song destroyer's hold on your mind then you will awaken, but if their power is too great then you will slip into the final darkness, the ending of songs. Even if you drive their discordant notes from your melody, the battle is not yet over. That is the lesson we have learned from the songs of our ancestors.

As if from a distance, in his mind's eye he watched the queen set his unconscious form gently upon the ground.

To defy the sour yellow notes you must not allow them purchase in your song. You must confront the false notes they sing in yourself. Only by showing the dark-song destroyers that your strength will not falter can you deny them. You must leave this place by your own hand, no other, or it will forever taint your song.

The memory faded and he looked up once more, a final word echoing with vibrant color and music in his thoughts.

Rise.


Bailey wasn't wearing a crisp uniform but he looked awake enough with a mug of coffee in one hand, datapad in the other. The expression on his face was souring further with every passing moment.

"If I wasn't looking at it I'd have thought you were crazy. I'd also like to thank you for bringing a wanted criminal into my office," the C-Sec agent said dryly. "Nothing like making me break a dozen regulations just by not arresting her immediately to really get in my good graces."

"Let's be honest, Bailey, you were never all that good with regulations. Nor was I, for that matter," Garrus pointed out.

The human chuckled. "I'll give you that. This still seems more like a conspiracy theory than a real threat, though. This is the frakking Citadel. You can't just walk in with a few goons and take over the place! I've got a couple hundred thousand C-Sec officers on the payroll."

"Half of which are likely not even authorized to carry a weapon. Secretaries, accountants, any number of administrative positions are all included in that total. How many agents do you actually have that are combat trained?" Miranda asked.

Garrus glanced at the dark-haired woman. It was all the truth. On paper, C-Sec employed nearly a quarter of a million people. A much smaller amount of those were actual officers and detectives who carried guns regularly and were expected to do anything more than keep the barest competency.

"Eighty four thousand. That includes all the beat cops, detectives, and SRTs," Bailey admitted.

Tali cocked her head. "What is an... SRT?"

"Special Response Teams," Kasumi supplied. "Military grade weaponry, better training."

"And if I recall correctly from my C-Sec days the ratio was one in ten for SRT certification," the turian said.

"You were certified I take it?"

He snorted. "Of course."

The datapad clattered on the desk and Bailey rubbed his eyes as he spoke.

"The numbers were increased but its still only one in five. Which means we've got a little over fifteen thousand combat trained individuals. That's still a damn lot."

"I'd agree with you, but the data I have shows that more than a thousand contraband weapons were smuggled past customs in the past month," Miranda stated, crossing her arms. "I don't know how the Illusive Man plans to pull it off, my contact was only able to get me what you have there. But he wouldn't even make the attempt if he wasn't certain it could succeed."

The recently promoted human shook his head.

"I'm a commander, not the damned Executor. I can't just put all of C-Sec on alert. It could panic people if C-Sec starts gearing up for war... especially after the news about Shepard," Bailey said with a grimace before offering Garrus a nod. "Damn shame. He was a good man."

"Yes, he was," Garrus agreed.

He could see Tali's head dip, the silver eyes behind her visor narrowing to barely visible slits. Kasumi's hand brushed the quarian's arm. There was a small shift, the barest nod of acknowledgement. It wasn't lost on Bailey, clearly he still had the eyes of a cop despite being out of the field. Garrus could see the glimmer of understanding in the man's eyes.

"I'll do what I can. Get my guys looking for any of these stashes, start watching customs more carefully," Bailey promised. "The ones that I know I can trust... I'll give them the heads up."

"This information didn't come to me because this attack is a possibility," Miranda said sharply.

"Look, lady, I'm telling you-"

Bailey never got to finish his sentence. There wasn't even time for Garrus to yell a warning when the flash came. A blast of fire and force shattered the windows of the C-Sec agent's office, sending everyone tumbling to the floor. His ears rang and the acrid scent of smoke overpowered everything but he quickly shook it off, yelling for the others.

"Report! Anyone hit?"

"Fine. No breaches..." Tali replied unsteadily.

To his left Miranda was helping Bailey to his feet. His gaze flicked from corner to corner when he didn't get an immediate response from their other teammate. The turian's mind immediately went back to a few seconds before, trying to remember where she was standing exactly, if he'd seen her get hit. His talons scraped the floor in agitation.

"Kasumi? Talk to me!"

"Here!" the woman coughed, appearing a few feet away on the ground as the field around her blinked out. "Ah... I activated the... stealth net on reflex."

"Miranda, Tali, cover the door," he ordered. "Bailey, get on the comm and alert everyone! It looks like Cerberus isn't waiting for us to investigate!"

Garrus pushed himself into a crouch and looked over the edge of Bailey's desk. There didn't appear to be anything to see, just smoke and smoldering fires. He could only assume it had been a planted bomb. Explosives had never been his speciality, Shepard had been the one with the demolitions training. The smart ass human had been offering to teach him the 'fine art of exploding things' ever since their time on the SR-1.

He pushed the memory away. There was too much to do to regret the past now, instead he kept himself low and crossed the room to Kasumi's side, kneeling in the debris that littered Bailey's office. Almost gingerly he touched her shoulder and helped her sit up against the wall. His gaze flicked down and now he caught a new scent that was strong enough to overpower the smoke, the metallic tang in his nose told him that she was hurt before his eyes confirmed it when he saw Kasumi's fingers stained with crimson. Hours of C-Sec first responder training took over, the same skills that had served him well on Omega where there were no hospitals to call for help.

"Where are you hit?"

Garrus yanked a medigel packet from the compartment on his thigh and pulled her hands away. The blood on the thief's hands conjured another memory that was nearly strong enough to give him pause: a hand on one of his old teammates' chest, blood welling between his talons as he tried to stop the flow. Butler had been gone within moments. He clamped down immediately and shoved the thought down into the same little hole where all his other doubts and fears clamored for attention. This wasn't Omega. He wasn't going to lose one of Shepard's team... his team now.

"A small piece of glass tore through my body suit. It's not bad," she responded finally, pushing his hands away. "Ballistic cloth slowed it down."

Garrus shook his head and grasped her wrist firmly. Kasumi's head came up enough to meet his eyes. Whatever she saw there was enough to get her to pause and give him a nod.

"Stay still," he ordered.

Lifting away the torn fabric he saw a shard of glass half the length of his talon imbedded in her skin. More blood dripped from around the irregular piece of shrapnel. He didn't stop to think how when he saw red blood instead of turian blue it never struck him as strange anymore.

"I'm going to have to remove it before I apply the medigel."

"Been hurt before, Garebear. Just do your thing," Kasumi said and gave him a smile, but he could see the way her lips were pressed together, hear the strain in her voice.

He grunted and very carefully gripped the edge of the fragment with his talons.

"You promised never to call me that again."

"Figured you'd... let me get... ah... away with it since I'm bleeding."

"Bleeding all over me is supposed to make me more forgiving?"

Another flash of a smirk, drawn tight.

"Worth a shot, always kind of thought you were - Itai!"

He quickly yanked the glass free in the moment that Kasumi looked up at him in the hopes the momentary distraction would make it easier. A fresh gush of blood emerged from the wound but Garrus was already smearing it heavily with medigel. His mandibles drew tight against his face. It had been deeper than he'd realized. It was no surprise that he'd seen the pain in her face.

"Don't move... that's not just a scrape. The medigel should stop the bleeding but not if you move around so it can't seal," the turian growled. "Fucking Cerberus. I should have known they wouldn't waste any time."

"I'm not going to bleed out, Garrus."

"You're damn right you're not."

In that moment he was absolutely certain of it. The idea of the small human thief bleeding out on the floor from some coward's bomb blast hit him as hard as the loss of his friend just days before. He wouldn't, couldn't, let it happen.

"I meant that seriously," the thief said, the smile on her face looking far less forced now as she glanced down. "The bleeding has stopped."

Garrus followed her gaze and sheepishly pulled his hand away where he'd had it pressed against her stomach. Turians didn't have a particularly thick hide but human skin always seemed so damn fragile to him, the fact that his talons were stained red up to the second knuckle only served to drive that point home.

"Sorry. Just stay down. That's an order."

"Taking orders was never my strong suite. Sneaking, smart remarks... those I'm good at."

He growled.

"Damn it all, Kasumi, I'm not joking right now!"

The outburst earned him another odd look but also another surprising nod of compliance.

"Stay," Garrus repeated, which earned him a familiar rude gesture from the thief.

He moved to where Bailey and Miranda stood. The operative was holding a submachine gun and watching the smoke filled hallway. Alarms screamed in the halls and the fire suppression systems were operating sporadically. It didn't help to think of how many agents had been closer to the blast than they had been.

"Do you have anything, Bailey?" the turian asked.

"A damn mess is what I have. Comms are barely working, there's some kind of virus in the system. The backup emergency channels are hard locked so they still work but every damn body in the force is trying to use them at once. Sounds like there were at least a dozen more bombs."

Miranda frowned. "Cause panic, disrupt communications, and try to remove strong leadership. All perfect scenarios to help secure an otherwise well defended position."

"How the hell did Cerberus get access to the main communications grid?" Bailey asked. "The Citadel mainframes are the most secure systems in the damn galaxy."

"The Illusive Man practically wrote half of EDI's code himself. That's what I've been trying to tell you... you have no idea what he's capable of," the operative said grimly. "Any agents he has already on the Citadel will be moving. If we're going to have a chance we need to re-establish communications."

He looked past the pair of humans, mind working. Without a way to coordinate a defense it didn't matter how many C-Sec agents knew how to use a gun. The only way to establish reliable comms was to coordinate with something that Cerberus couldn't compromise.

"Agreed," Garrus said after a moment. "EDI and Legion might be our only way to get past whatever Cerberus has done to the computer systems."

"Even if they've made another AI, the geth collective that Legion is connected to should be more than enough to counter it," Tali added from behind him.

For his part Bailey was looking between them, shaking his head.

"Great plan, kids. Now how did you plan to pull that off? Because I can't call the precinct one level down much less a ship at the docks."

Garrus pointed at Miranda.

"You and Bailey see if you can grab any survivors and hit the armory. If Cerberus has troops already on the Citadel this could get ugly. We'll hold position here with Kasumi and try to see if we can get into the network from Bailey's terminal."

The look that the C-Sec commander gave the sparking and cracked terminal wasn't hopeful but he nodded, wiped away some of the soot on his face, and stepped over to his desk. Bailey opened one of the draws and pulled out a bulky pistol, checked the thermal clip, and thumbed off the safety.

"Didn't realize C-Sec was issuing Carnifexes these days," the turian stated.

Bailey's response was equally dry. "They don't, but then the C-Sec handbook doesn't mention invasions either. You'd think after Saren they would have updated that."

"Caught up in committee."

A snorted laugh came from Bailey. "Something like that."

The two humans slipped out the door a moment later, weapons at the ready. They hadn't seen anyone yet, survivor or enemy, but it was a safe bet that Cerberus would follow up their first attack with minimal delay.

"How is Kasumi?" Tali asked after they'd gone.

He glanced over his shoulder. "The shrapnel was deeper than I thought but the medigel should seal the wound enough that she can move without opening it up again. It's going to be rough on her if we have to run, though."

"The explosion didn't make me deaf, you know... I can hear you two over there," the thief interjected sourly.

Garrus ignored her and gestured towards Bailey's terminal.

"See if you can get anything out of that. I'll take care of our patient."

"I'll deploy the drone to keep an eye out," Tali agreed. "Just don't let her do anything stupid. Humans... humans are kind of stubborn sometimes."

"I can still hear you."

He reached out and gave Tali's shoulder a squeeze. Even with the visor he could almost see the memory that had crossed the quarian's eyes, Shepard barely keeping himself upright after taking a hit, refusing to sit down like a rational person would. He didn't give voice to it, though, it wasn't the time. Instead he turned back towards Kasumi and produced another medigel packet that he shook in her direction.

"I know you can hear us. Eavesdropping is your specialty after all, isn't it?"


Shepard's arms burned with every new hand hold that he found to pull himself higher. The canyon's irregular walls were deceptive, he'd been climbing for an hour but he couldn't tell that he was any closer to the top. So he didn't focus on it. He just looked for the next crack or small ledge in dim light. One step at a time.

Without the queen's song in his head, the caverns were eerily silent. The sound of his own heavy breathing was loud in his ears, only broken up by the occasional tumble of stone when a piece of rock broke free and went tumbling down into the abyss below. The solitude let the events of the past months play out in his head on a loop.

Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong.

His hand almost slipped but the Spectre drove his foot against the wall and pushed up, grabbing another jutting stone tightly.

The losses are staggering, Commander. A million dead in the first day. Four by the end of the week. It's a slow extinction, all things considered, but an inevitable one.

For a second he could almost hear Hackett's gravelly voice echoing across the stones.

I'm sure I am not the first father to have lost a son to this war, nor will I be the last.

Shepard yanked himself over the next ledge with a growl of anger. So many dead already. Lives lost in a war for simple survival. Three years, countless nightmares and painful visions later and he still didn't even know why this cycle repeated itself over and over again. What purpose did the Reaper's harvest serve?

We are eternal. The pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything.

Leaning his head against the cool stone he paused. Even now the dead Reaper's words reverberated in his mind. They carried weight and substance, almost as if he could reach out and touch them. He gritted his teeth, reaching for the next hand hold.

We can't stop it! Not forever! You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the protheans. The Reapers are too powerful!

Saren's words. Some of the last he ever uttered as a living being, struggling to fight Sovereign's control over his mind. They cried out to him like a plea. The voice in the back of his mind that demanded that he see reason.

Only by showing the dark-song destroyers that your strength will not falter can you deny them.

He scowled and shook his head, finally understanding the rachni's words. The Reapers' ability to warp the mind found root in the doubts and fears that lived in the psyche of every man, woman, and child. To purge him of that influence would have been to purge what made him human, to make him like the workers and soldiers of rachni, one mind among the whole without fear or doubt. Hope-Singer's song couldn't banish the twisted call of the Reapers, but it let him see it for what it was.

"Not this time," Shepard said to the empty cavern as he climbed.

The muscles of his arm spasmed, trying to cramp. The Spectre forced himself to keep moving, never losing the momentum, to constant drive to reach just a little farther.

"You always knew that it was wrong. But you let them lead you down that path. But you fought it in the end. Even with those implants in you... you fought. Their control isn't absolute."

Do you really think you can defeat them?

Even now he wasn't sure if he heard the whisper or imagined it. The flanged tone was familiar but weak, like someone that barely had to breath with which to speak. Shepard's movements had become mechanical and rote, the climb itself feeling surreal. But his response was spoken with conviction that he hadn't felt in months.

"Yes."


"Vakarian-Spectre, do you copy our transmission?"

"Legion? I've never been so glad to hear a geth talking to me!" Garrus exclaimed as he snapped off a shot from his rifle before dropping back into cover..

The bomb that had nearly killed them all had indeed been meant to cripple C-Sec's leadership. It appeared that they had been spared due to a premature detonation. The rest of the building hadn't been so lucky. Most of the floor they'd been on had been devastated by the blast and numerous similar devices had left the rest of the Presidium precinct a ruin. Bailey and Miranda had located a dozen able bodied survivors and an equal number that were wounded but alive.

Just as Garrus had expected it didn't take Cerberus long to capitalize on their attacks. They had barely gotten the survivors organized when men wearing white and gold armor had appeared with the clear intent of 'cleaning up' the sight of the bomb blast. Much to their obvious surprise, the remaining C-Sec agents weren't going quietly. Especially when they had back up from members of the Normandy crew. The presence of Garrus and the others provided a boost, both in lethality and morale.

"We have established rudimentary communication utilizing the emergency communications channels," the synthetic informed him. "EDI is attempting to counteract Cerberus cyber-warfare runtimes within the Citadel systems, unfortunately this occupies all available processing power."

"What does that mean for our communications, Legion?"

The machine sounded almost apologetic. "We cannot re-establish full communications. This platform can act as a hub, however, to relay communications to various locations aboard the Citadel. Coordination will be inefficient but possible."

"Understood. What about the rest of crew?"

"Patching you through now to Javik-Prothean."

"Now is not the time for conversation, machine!"

Garrus recognized the odd accent immediately.

"Javik! This is Garrus, Legion is acting as a relay link for our comms," he said. "What's your status?"

There was a short, mirthless laugh.

"I have taken control of the docking area around the Normandy. These foolish offshoots of Shepard's kind are attempting to storm the vessel but to little effect. The human Vega is the only other member of the ground team assisting but the regular crew are surprisingly... spirited in their defense of the vessel. Many of them are blooded for the first time today, I believe, but they do their ancestors proud. Our position is secure, but I cannot abandon it without losing control of the Normandy."

"That ship is their home now, just like the rest of us. They won't let you down. Have you had any contact from Liara?"

"No. The asari had not returned to the ship by the time the attack began," Javik replied.

The turian scanned around the corner of his cover but saw no movement. Cerberus' initial push had been taken apart quickly by the united front they'd presented and he didn't expect an immediate retaliation.

"Clear," Miranda called out from a few meters away.

"Same here," Bailey agreed, standing. "Looks like they bit off more than they could chew."

He shook his head and left the safety of cover to kneel next to the closest of the fallen man. The armor he wore was riddled with damage but Garrus was able to pop the face plate free with minimal effort. Beneath was the face of a middle aged human man.

"This doesn't make any sense. The armor is all stock, just painted to match Cerberus colors. I don't know about the rest of them but this one doesn't have any of the cybernetics that Shepard's report mentioned from the run in on Mars."

"Fodder meant to create additional chaos. The casualties would be... high, even with C-Sec's communications down, but the Illusive Man would consider it just one more 'acceptable loss'," Miranda suggested.

"So what, these are his 'true believers'?"

Bailey took the time to examine another and frowned.

"Or maybe just the biggest bigots he could round up. I recognize this one. We picked him up more than once for causing disturbances in the Commons. Liked to preach to all the inter-species couples he saw, tell them how they were abominations, unclean... that sort of crap."

"What's the point, though?" Garrus hissed in frustration. "He had to know this wouldn't be enough to gain control of the Citadel. Not even part of it."

His comm lit up once more and this time it was EDI's voice that greeted him.

"I think I have the answer to that question, Garrus. Transmitting visual data now."

The display changed to what he could only assume was one of the Normandy's external cameras. He was about to open his mouth to ask what the AI was talking about when he saw them. Angular shapes emerging from the purple-blue haze of the nebula that surrounded the Citadel. The split prows and stunted wings were easily recognizable as human warships, nearly a dozen cruisers from the look of it, but they weren't the white and blue of the Systems Alliance. Each was streaked with black and gold, boldly emblazoned with Cerberus crest.

"Spirits... that shouldn't be possible! Where is the damned fleet?"

"Unknown. The majority of my processing power is dedicated to attempting to counter Cerberus viral agents. It appears that the Illusive Man has created multiple new AIs for just this purpose. What information I can access, however, shows records of an order being sent from the Council offices instructing the fleet to change position due to an imminent Reaper threat."

"Even if they moved them out of position to make it through the relay, what's to stop them from just coming back when they realize it's a trick? That is a lot of firepower but the Citadel fleet consists of nearly two dozen cruisers, not to mention the Destiny Ascension," Bailey said from his position at the turian's elbow. "They should be able to tear these bastards to pieces."

The image changed once more to a wireframe hologram of the Citadel and surrounding space, glowing lines indicating the paths of each ship.

"The Cerberus vessels are on a direct course for the Citadel. No action has been taken to close the Citadel. This would indicate that such an action has been disabled somehow or deliberately not activated," the AI explained. "Following the projected course would place the ships within the Citadel's arms."

"No one ever asked me to steal a book on naval combat, EDI. What're you getting at?" Kasumi interjected.

He knew he was scowling when he glanced at the thief but Garrus didn't care. When the first Cerberus attack had come he had told her to stay down and keep an eye on the wounded. Her present state of leaning against the wall with a submachine gun in one hand with the other pressed against her side made it clear that she'd listen just long enough for him to leave the room.

"A mass accelerator round doesn't stop until it hits something," Garrus replied before the AI could. "If a ship like the Destiny Ascension fires its main gun and misses then it'll hit the station. It would be the Battle of the Citadel all over again. Even if every ship in the fleet only missed a single shot it could turn half the Citadel into a smoking ruin."

Kasumi blinked. "That's..."

"Effective. If he can't have it no one can," Tali said, her voice devoid of emotion. "The fleet will have to choose between possibly killing thousands or letting Cerberus occupy the station."

His eyes flicked over to the engineer. The statement was cold, but it was correct. It just wasn't something he'd ever expected to hear from her. No, it sounded far more like something Miranda would have said and that made his scowl deepen further.

"How long until they're in position, EDI?" he asked.

"The cruisers will be in range within ten minutes. I have already detected numerous shuttle launches."

Garrus sighed. "You need to go. The nebula should provide cover until you can engage the stealth systems."

"As soon as I release the docking mechanisms, communications will be cut off. I cannot interface with the Citadel systems remotely to counteract the electronic warfare units used by Cerberus," the AI countered. "I... cannot abandon by crew. It is against my programming."

"That was wasn't a suggestion, EDI. Javik and Vega can't hold the ship against a full assault. Tell our prothean to make his way to the Presidium Commons along with Vega and Legion. You and Joker need to link up with the Citadel fleet and give them the information we have."

There was a full second of silence.

"Understood, relaying orders now. I am sorry, Garrus."

He chuckled. "Don't be, you're following orders. Tell Joker that he's in charge but not to get too comfortable. Once we kick Cerberus off this station I'll be back."

"I will. Initiating undocking procedures. Terminating communications."

"The Commons?" Bailey asked as soon as his omni-tool went dark.

"This place is falling apart and its bound to be their first target. The Commons weren't designed with a siege in mind but they'll have to do," Garrus said, gesturing to the rubble and blackened walls around them. "Plenty of areas there to channel their advances into tight firing lanes and limited access. The only way they can drop troops is if they do it directly from a shuttle and that leaves them exposed."

"Most people just like it for the view," the C-Sec officer said sardonically.

The turian shrugged and gave Bailey a tired smirk.

"Spend enough time fighting and eventually you see everything as a battlefield."


"Garrus is one serious badass, but I'm not sure about this. The Normandy goes and we're stuck on this damn station," Vega groused. "It feels too much like giving up. First Shepard... now this."

The prothean rolled all four of his eyes. Javik could practically taste the emotions that came off the brash young soldier in waves. Anger and confidence in abundance, but beneath there was fear. Shame. He had seen brief flashes of the man's memory when he had first greeted him. The soft, misguided people of this cycle might would likely have told Vega that the loss of his unit was not his fault. Javik, however, saw the memory as just another motivator. A warrior would fight twice as hard to erase the stains of a past failure. He knew that all too well.

"Do not concern yourself with the wisdom of his orders, merely carry them out."

"Just saying..."

"Yes, you speak constantly," Javik stated dryly and lifted the mate to the particle rifle that was already on his back, shoving it into the marine's arms. "Take this."

Vega looked down at the advanced alien weapon in his hands and then back to Javik.

"Thanks, I-"

"Do not thank me, human. The warrior that earned the right to wield it is dead. Shepard understood the reality of this war in a way the rest of your species does not. But I will serve you well if we are forced to operate with limited supplies."

"Javik-Prothean is correct. Advanced particle weaponry will provide a distinct advantage in a scarcity environment, one of the largest disadvantages of the removable heat sink design," Legion said from behind them.

He didn't attempt to hide his sneer. Shepard had trusted the synthetic, but he knew the truth. Such creations were destined to turn on their 'allies' when the time was right. Javik didn't have the time to voice his prejudices, however, as the machine would be necessary if they were to successful rendezvous with the rest of the Normandy team.

"You know, we copied that heatsink thing from you tin-cans," Vega pointed out as they exited the armory and made their way for the airlock.

Around them the crew was scrambling. EDI had released the docking clamps and was preparing to leave the station, waiting only long enough for the three of them to leave. The currents of fear were strong in every human that he passed, the first emotion strong enough to override the prevailing sadness he had felt since the ship had lost its commanding officer.

The ancient warrior did not mourn with the others. He had listened to them talk, referring to the man a friend, a hero. It was the nature of primitive species to deify their greatest members, to see them as more than stock from which they had arisen. To Javik, however, that was how he had seen Shepard. Living proof of his people's theory of galactic evolution. When he had touched the other warrior's mind upon their first meeting the prothean had found a kindred spirit. A mind and body forged by conflict.

So he did not mourn. Not for the man. The young races valued their friendship and companionship far too much. But Javik did reflect upon his passing. It meant that he was truly alone in this strange universe now. He had even considered demanding control of the vessel as the one most qualified to combat the Reapers in Shepard's absence. In the end he had concluded that it was a flawed course of action. Whether or not the turian realized it Shepard had groomed him for leadership. Confiding in him, granting him responsibilities beyond that of the rest of his crew in the guise of 'trust'.

"We are exiting the vessel. You should tell the leaders of your easily fooled fleet that if they allow this act to go unpunished they will only show their own weakness," Javik said as they exited the airlock.

"They are not 'my' fleet," EDI replied. "But I will apprise them of the situation. Good luck, Javik."

He ignored the synthetic's offered boon and looked to his other mechanical ally.

"Machine. Where is this Presidum Commons? Much of the structure of this place has changed from our ancient records and when last I was here I did not have time to familiarize myself with the complete layout."

Legion's glowing optical unit narrowed and widened as if it was thinking.

"Optimal path to the Commons is utilization of general transport. Such a course of action is inadvisable due to current Cerberus interference with Citadel systems, however. Recommend the use of one of the service elevators that can be isolated from the main network to descend approximately six levels."

"Lead the way," he ordered.

The geth gave an odd approximation of a nod and hefted its heavy rifle to take point. General warnings had sounded across the station and many people had already taken shelter, but there were still plenty of civilians running around in a panic. Javik ignored them. If they could not calm themselves then they were merely a liability. Thus far they had encountered no additional Cerberus presence and if their luck held they could combine their forces with those of Garrus' team before further conflict was necessary.

That luck held until they made it out of the maintenance elevator and turned a corner, almost running into a squad of armored soldiers. These were not the same as those that had attempted to storm the Normandy. They looked just like the ones that had been present when Javik had first awakened.

Gunfire erupted almost immediately. These troops were clearly more disciplined but they were still surprised to find three heavily armed individuals suddenly in their presence, allowing the three more experience soldiers to gain the upper hand.

"Fan out!" one of the Cerberus officers yelled even as two of his men were dropped by particle rifle blasts.

The Centurion didn't last much longer. A loud boom rang out and his head simply disappeared after Legion's rifle fired. Javik and Vega had both tucked themselves against opposite walls to try and take advantage of what little cover there was. The element of surprise had allowed them to even the numbers somewhat, but it was still nearly three to one.

"Suppress them and allow the machine to thin their ranks," Javik yelled to the marine, raking his weapon's beam across the pillar that two Cerberus troopers were using for cover.

As soon as one squad ducked behind cover another emerged to spray fire at their position. Vega's shields flashed as absorbed stray rounds but he didn't flinch from his steady assault. A long burst from his rifle managed to catch one of the enemy in the shoulder. Not a fatal wound, but enough to likely incapacitate the trooper.

Javik was about to suggest a tactical withdrawal, watching his own barriers depleting rapidly, when he saw movement to his right. There was a cry of surprise that was abruptly cut off when a drell male emerged from a side alleyway, knocked the nearest soldier's gun aside. Delivering a stunning blow to the side of the man's head, he then promptly snapped the trooper's neck. A quick double tap of a pistol from beyond Javik's field of vision dropped the other enemy.

That was enough to break an otherwise orderly squad. The Cerberus troops turned to face this new threat firing wildly which opened them up to their original opponents. A quick volley of fire dropped half the remaining enemy even as the drell melted behind cover. Javik advanced quickly and unleashed a wave of biotic energy that sent the remaining pair of troopers hurtling off the walkway and over the railing. He suspected their landing would not be pleasant.

The prothean turned his attention to the drell that was standing from cover. While he didn't raise his weapon to point at the newcomer he wasn't quick to trust. Another drell, this one appearing much younger, followed quickly after from the side passage that the first had emerged from. He was the shooter that had taken out the second of the surprised Cerberus soldiers if the pistol in his hand was anything to judge by.

"Who are you?"

"Krios-Assassin," Legion supplied.

The drell nodded at the synthetic solemnly.

"Greetings, Legion. I had not expected to see you again."

"Shepard-Commander freed us from the Old Machines. We promised to aid him in turn."

"He made a habit of saving the lost," Krios agreed, a smile briefly tugging at his lips. "I was saddened to hear of his loss."

When the geth's optic drooped downwards and the flaps around its glowing optic closed tightly Javik blinked with all four eyes. The ability to touch the minds of others made it easy to understand their emotions, but machines of course were incapable of such things. To his well-trained eyes the synthetic's movements appeared to be those of one who actually felt regret, grief... and a myriad of other emotions that should not have been possible. He scowled once more and dismissed the notion.

"The Normandy collective was lessened and consensus damaged by the loss of Shepard-Commander's runtime," Legion replied simply.

"You are the assassin that served aboard the Normandy," Javik interrupted, now remembering a flash of the man's face from Shepard's memories.

"I am," the drell agreed and gestured to the younger man that stood at his elbow. "This is my son, Kolyat. It would seem that Cerberus have become considerably more aggressive in the past months. It is most unlike them."

The prothean sneered. "They are driven by madness, but even a dying animal can kill in its final moments."

For some reason the drell actually smiled at this statement before Javik continued.

"What happened to Williams?" Vega asked. "Shepard said you were watching out for her at the hospital."

Krios spread his hands, palms up.

"I do not know. I observed Councilor Udina visiting her room on multiple occasions. She left the hospital after recovering a few days ago and I was unable to locate her. My contacts are not what they once were. Do you have a plan?"

The last was addressed at him and Javik nodded.

"Yes. Garrus Vakarian has requested that we consolidate our forces at a location in the Presidium. The geth unit can be used to facilitate communications with various parts of the Citadel if we can locate a secure location."

"Then we should hurry," Kolyat said. "We've seen Cerberus shuttles landing troops all over the place."

"Kolyat is correct. It will become only more difficult to travel the longer we wait, follow us... I suspect I know these corridors better than most," Thane added before coughing heavily.

The younger drell shot a concerned look at his father but Krios waved him away.

"Father..."

"There is no time, Kolyat. Come."

The prothean merely nodded and motioned for the other two to follow as well.


Garrus felt the Vindicator buck into his shoulder as he pumped three bursts into the nearest Cerberus soldier, watching the man tumble backwards over a table. Before he could line up a shot on the Centurion that had been leading the squad, the enemy soldier was wreathed in a biotic glow.

"You'd think people would stop starting shit in my bar after all these years... but you idiots never learn."

The soldier abruptly went flying out into the open space that overlooked the gardens far below. His arms flailed useless when the biotic glow disappeared and left him in free fall. Garrus did a quick scan but found only bodies and wreckage.

"I think the fact that they all wind up dead makes it hard to spread the word, Aethyta," he said and stepped onto the patio area.

"Glad to see you're still kicking," the matriarch said by way of greeting.

"Same. Is Liara..."

"Here," came a voice from his right.

The younger asari came around the corner just as the azure biotic glow faded from her hands. Liara's odd white combination of lab coat and body armor was flecked with blood that he assumed wasn't her own.

"Aethyta is very attached to her bar. Even if we've only been here for a little while."

Quin'Sala's addition came from where she peeked up over the bar. It would have looked mildly comical at first if not for the fact that the barrel of shotgun was also looking over the edge of that same bar. It seemed that Aethyta hadn't just been teaching the young quarian girl about business and bartending in the past months.

"It's a matter of principle," Aethyta said with a shrug. "I see you brought friends too. Good to see some of C-Sec survived. When I heard the explosions, I assumed the worst."

The rest of the team had caught up quickly. A little over a dozen C-Sec officers along with Bailey, Tali, Miranda, and Kasumi. He shook his head grimly.

"It wasn't pretty. There were quite a few wounded... I had to make the decision to leave them behind. A few of the able-bodied survivors with medical training volunteered to stay behind and lock themselves in the armory. Too many of those officers won't survive the night if we don't find a way to get them real medical attention."

He pointedly tried not to turn his head towards Kasumi, even more pointedly not paying attention to how her fingers were gripping Tali's arm with whitened knuckles as the quarian lead her to a nearby chair. Something in his chest vibrated and a tiny growl escaped his lips, but he clamped down on it immediately.

Aethyta clearly did notice, if her frown was any indication, but didn't say anything directly. Instead she nodded off into the distance. Clouds of smoke were already beginning to rise all along the expansive ring that made up the Presidium.

"This is going to get bad. You got a plan?"

"If Legion can make it here we can try to establish communication with other parts of the Citadel," Miranda explained. "This isn't the most defensible position on the Citadel but it was the closest we were likely to make it to."

Bailey pointed at a couple of the larger C-Sec agents, gesturing for them to follow, before addressing Garrus. "There's another reason that this might be a spot too... I know a guy who was running a 'shop' down here. Something tells me he bolted as soon as things went to hell."

The turian raised his brow plates.

"What kind of shop are we talking about?"

"The kind that sells big damn guns to desperate people. I didn't have the manpower to shut him down before... now, well, emergency powers or some legal bullshit like that."

"Have I mentioned how I might have stayed with C-Sec if I'd be in your precinct back in the day, Bailey?"

The human laughed. "Yea, just long enough to probably get us both canned."

Once Bailey had left to acquire the illicit merchandise, Garrus organized the remaining C-Sec officers to fortify the surrounding area. The Commons was sunken farther into the ring than the surrounding Presidum buildings which meant that there was only the single area exposed to the open air. It still gave any Cerberus shuttles or, spirits help them, gunships an avenue to attack them but at the same time it greatly restricted their ability to maneuver. That left only two ways to enter the area by foot, one the main elevator that led to the upper levels and the other from the direction of the main corporate and embassy housing.

Tables were overturned and used to make layered barricades while heavy counters were moved to provide additional cover. Weapons and thermal clips were stockpiled while small groups of three to four agents forayed out to check for survivors. Civilians were urged to take shelter. Anyone that looked like they could handle a gun was brought back. Garrus drifted over to where Kasumi was sitting, crouching down next to her.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Scars," she said cheekily. "Never knew you were such a worrier."

"I should have made you stay with the rest of the wounded in the armory. You'd have-"

The thief's small hand thumped the shoulder of his armor.

"Been bored out of my skull and going crazy. I've never been good at just staying on the side lines, even before Shep and his crazy mission. Before at least I could ignore most things unless they were right in front of my face."

"He did have a way getting people to care," Garrus agreed.

"I was a perfectly good thief before he came along. Not a care in the world."

He snorted.

"We both know that isn't true."

"I can keep telling myself that, though," Kasumi said with a laugh that was entirely too bright considering their current situation. "Now that I think about it... I'm glad it happened this way."

Garrus looked away and sighed.

"I'm not. Shepard should be here, not me. Still the kid in his dad's uniform afraid he'll come home."

He couldn't help but start when he felt fingertips touch the edge of his fringe. The touch was gentle and Kasumi's voice was far lower this time when she spoke.

"You're not pretending. Maybe you don't see it, but Shepard did. Everyone does. You're a leader."

"I've been in charge for a day. The Citadel is under attack and you're bleeding. If we're comparing me to other officers I'm far closer to Victus' son right now than I am to Shepard," he countered.

"You can't take credit for Cerberus. And I'm fine."

Finally he turned back to her, mandibles flat against his jaw as he met her eyes.

"I know you're not fine. Just because black cloth doesn't slow blood stains doesn't make you fine. I can smell it, Kasumi. I can smell your damn blood. Fresh blood."

Kasumi looked away first, confirming everything that he already knew. When she looked back, though, she was smiling. The expression confused the turian even further.

"Can't hide anything from you can I, detective?"

"No, but that doesn't explain why you look like that."

A distant gunshot echoed through the open air. Their respite was going to be over soon and the siege would begin. He could only hope that the rest of his team could make it to them in time. Still seated Kasumi produced the Locust from her hip and extended the weapon, sitting it on the table and look at him with the same smirk in place.

"Because I know that no matter what you think of yourself you're not going to give up. Why do you think you and Shepard were such good friends? You're both a pair of stubborn bosh'tets as Tali would say."

Garrus couldn't help but return the smirk, even if it was a weak one, as he stood. Picking up the rifle from the ground and slapped a thermal into the chamber and flicked off the safety.

"Looks like I'm not the only detective... you're right there. If Cerberus wants this station then they're going to have to fight for it."


Shepard felt wind. Not just air, but an actual breeze against his skin. The darkness had faded stone by stone until he no longer had to focus carefully to see the next handhold, the next crack in the stone. For the first time in what felt like an eternity he felt warmth on his skin. Reaching up his hand found open air, grasping until his fingers gripped the sharp edge of the crevice.

You are ours...

The voice seemed to call to him from the depths but it no longer carried the roar of command. It was a whisper, cloying and harsh, but just a whisper. His other hand gripped the edge and the Spectre gave a final heave of effort to pull himself upwards.

"I...belong..."

Sunlight, no longer kept in check by the cavern walls nearly blinded him as he dragged himself over the lip and onto his stomach against the dry, hot earth. His joints and muscles protested loudly but he ignored them still. Getting his knees under him Shepard pushed himself unsteadily to his feet.

"To.. no one."

Shepard blinked even as he first noticed the chittering sound all around him. His vision cleared and he realized that he was surrounded. Hundreds of rachni warriors were circled around him, pedipalps and claws waving over their heads. Sore muscles tensed, but the creatures did not surge forward. Instead a low hum filled his ears, growing steadily louder.

From the mass of rachni two forms pushed forward. These warriors were half again the size of the warriors around them and gigantic compared to the small workers that skittered between their legs. Their carapaces were similar to the queens, mottled with opalescent colors, though subtly different. One's plates had a distinctly darker look, while the other possessed chitin that was tinged almost red.

Your fire burns again.

His gaze immediately flicked to the red-tinted rachni, somehow knowing that it was this one that spoke into his mind. The words were still melodious but there was a harsher bass edge to them. Flashes of red and white accompanied the words.

The sour notes of the dark-song destroyers cannot control those that refuse to listen.

Now Shepard looked to the darker of the pair. The song was deeper still, but slower, more contemplative.

"What's going on?"

The humming built to a crescendo. Overhead a massive white shape came into view and Shepard felt the ground trembling beneath his feet. The ship, it could be nothing else, was brilliantly white, shaped like teardrop made pearl. It practically glowed in the bright sunlight. The voices spoke in perfect harmony now.

It is time to leave this place, Sings-of-Endings. We no longer hide in darkness. Now is the time we sing the songs of red and black. We sing the songs of war!


Sorry for the delay ladies and gents. Unfortunately I was unable to keep my schedule due to personal matters. You might also have noticed that RE and Dark witness have only been partially updated. This is due to multiple factors. One being a lack of time, which you can blame on 's hatred of formatting. The other being that since it IS such an effort to reupload and update the chapters I've decide to take more time tweaking them. So you'll see the edited chapters updated more slowly from this point on.

As always, thanks for reading and thank you for your patience.