I'll Find You
Chapter 4: Destruction (Phase 1)
Admiral Steven Hackett could only watch as another dreadnaught was reduced to an amalgam of scrap by the advancing Reaper line. Explosions blasted around his viewing monitor, making it difficult to surmise any type of progress being made. Harbinger had entered the fray almost an hour ago in an attempt to destroy the Crucible, but so far the monster had lingered in the rear, content to have the other Reapers hammer away at their forces and the Crucible. Hackett could only hypothesize that if Reapers could feel pride, then Harbinger wanted the pleasure of delivering the final blow to the Crucible itself. A conjecture that, in all likelihood, was far off the mark but the admiral didn't have the luxury of figuring out a more accurate explanation.
Four squads of geth fighter ships swooped past the viewing screen, engaging a burst of Oculus that had broken through the left flank. A turian frigate supported by four quarian ships advanced to defend the break in the flank. Four Sovereign class Reapers opened their claws to charge an attack at the turian frigate. The quarian ships fired at the brief weak point, damaging the four monsters but the crimson of the charging blast continued to build.
"Concentrate fire on the left flank, give them some support!" Hackett said. The turrets of the Crucible lit up the dark of space with its pristine white blasts, colliding with the four Reapers, tearing apart their armor. The turian frigate and quarian ship, seeing their chance, increased their fire. The crimson light flickered to nothing and soon was replaced by the orange-red of the destruction of four more Reapers.
One of the ensigns conveyed the turian's commander and the quarian captain's appreciation for Hackett's support. The admiral could only nod, his eyes focused on the other fifty Reapers in front of them. It had been almost two hours since the Crucible sprang to life from that strange white light and since then the news had been steadily getting better. But even with every advantage the Crucible gave them, there was one thing it couldn't overcome, the sheer numbers. For every two or three Reapers they destroyed in orbit five more would erupt from Earth's surface to replace them. Sword's forces were dwindling, slowly but surely. By Hackett's estimation they had lost thirty percent of their original forces so far and the number was only growing. With the help of the Crucible they were managing to turn the tide, but Hackett feared by the time their forces made significant damage to the Reaper fleet, there wouldn't be any ships left to press the attack.
Hackett grimaced. He had overseen all matters of the Crucible construction. They had followed every step, deduced all the riddles, and adapted whatever new piece of technology that was needed. Yet they were still fighting a losing battle. There just weren't enough of them. There had to be a way to destroy these bastards once and for all.
"Admiral, there's a hail from Dr. Brynn Cole," the ensign announced.
"Patch her through," he said simply, making his way to the communication buoy.
The cobalt image of the former Cerberus doctor flicked onto the command deck. Even through the comm buoy, Hackett could see the exhaustion in her eyes in her stance. She stood at attention but Hackett knew a drained recruit when he saw one. Her elbows waivered and her fingers twitched. There was a slight bend in her knees as if it took all her strength just to remain standing. Hackett could sympathize. He couldn't even remember the last time he had a decent night's sleep. The admiral mentally scowled at himself. He could sleep when this war was over, or in his grave. Either way, the time to rest wasn't now.
"Dr. Cole," Hackett greeted.
"Admiral, my people have made a discovery," she said, not wasting time. "With the help of the research teams from Admiral Xen, geth analysts and a few others, we've found a way to destroy the Reapers in one fell swoop."
Hackett eyebrows shot up despite himself. Behind him he heard a cease in chatter from the ensigns. He could feel all their eyes on the buoy, trying to will more out of Dr. Cole. Hackett shared their desperate curiosity.
"I do hope you can support that statement, Dr. Cole," he said.
Brynn held up her arms. "I make no guarantees but we've run several tests and the theory is sound. But it will require a sacrifice."
Hackett nodded. He was no stranger to sacrifice in this war. At times he feared they had sacrificed too much. "What kind of sacrifice?"
"The Citadel."
OOOOO
Miranda had never been one for pacing or other nervous ticks. It was a habit that her father had made sure to drill out of her at an early age. She could still remember the moderate shocks installed into her onmi-tool that ran through her body every time it caught her so much as tapping her foot. Such obvious tells of her mood were fodder for enemies to exploit and made her vulnerable to manipulation. And yet, Miranda still found herself pacing the perimeter of the cramped communications chamber. By her own count she was on her eighth lap around and just began her ninth.
Admiral Hackett had requested her presence here twenty minutes ago. All he had told her was they would be discussing a method to destroy the Reapers. Miranda had been hesitant at first. Based on what she had seen on her viewing screen, this was no time for secret meetings. Their forces were slowly being driven back despite the advantages the Crucible had given them. If there was indeed a method to destroy the Reapers, rather than discussing it, Hackett should be deploying it immediately and discuss it later. But more importantly, being away from her desk meant she would miss any news from Jacob concerning Shepard's location and his health status. She had ordered Ensign Richard to contact her if there were any updates, even though a part her feared there would be none.
The door swished open behind her and the aging admiral entered the chamber. Miranda felt herself stiffen in surprise for a brief moment. She didn't expect the admiral to see her in person.
"Admiral," she greeted with a nod. "What's the situation?"
"A dire one, Ms. Lawson," he replied, making his way to the comm buoy and hailing several ships. "We have a chance to destroy the Reapers once and for all, but deploying the method shouldn't be my decision to make alone."
Miranda raised an eyebrow. "So you invite the former second-in-command of Cerberus to listen in on this grand secret scheme?"
"No," he said firmly. "I invited a former member of the Normandy crew, a crew that has more experience fighting the Reapers than anyone else in the galaxy. That one qualification supersedes all other information in your dossier, Ms. Lawson. And because of that, you deserve to be here when we all ultimately decide how the Reapers will be destroyed. If I were able, I would sync in every member of Shepard's crew. But we don't have that luxury."
Miranda could feel a smile tug at her lips despite herself. She could see now why Hackett was the only other Alliance admiral Shepard held in high regards.
She replied with a genuine salute to the admiral. "Thank you, sir. I just hope your guests feel the same."
Hackett nodded and sighed. "Let's hope so, otherwise….."
The comm buoy blinked indicating the incoming hails. Within moments the figures of the Citadel council flickered into the small chamber.
"Admiral," the asari councilor, Irissa, greeted. "Good to see you holding up well."
"With all due respect councilor, we don't have the time for pleasantries," Hackett said. "The scientists and research crew of the Crucible have discovered a method of destroying the Reapers."
"Don't leave us in suspense," the turian councilor, Quentius said. "If it isn't the Crucible, what is it?"
Miranda leaned in slightly as well.
"Simply put," Hackett continued. "We destroy the Citadel, the Crucible included."
The small chamber fell silent as the statement hung in the air. The only sound Miranda could pick up was the humming of the engines and the faint explosions from the battle. She glanced at the council, their faces united in the expression of shock. Hackett grasped his hands behind his back as if preparing himself for the resulting onslaught. He didn't have to wait long.
"D-destroy the Citadel?" the salarian councilor, Esheel, exclaimed. "Are you out of your mind?"
"The Citadel is the center of galactic society!" Irissa said. "And your plan is to blow it up like it was just some condemned building?"
"The Citadel has always been a trap," Miranda cut in. "It is how the Reapers consistently gain the upper hand in the cycles. They make civilizations dependant on the Citadel in order to draw all the species together in one place. And then when the time comes to wipe them out, it's a simple matter of cutting us off from it. Destroying the Citadel is our best chance to break this cycle and start anew."
"Why am I not surprised that the Cerberus operative advocates such a drastic act of terrorism," Esheel spat.
Miranda narrowed her eyes. "Former Cerberus operative."
"The point still stands."
Miranda bit the inside of her cheek to keep scowl off her lips. Typical politicians. The galaxy was a breath away from extinction and they were still dragging their heels. All because of their emotional attachment to a structure that has long been established as a Reaper trap. Miranda wished that Liara was present. The young asari had more data and evidence about the dangers of the Citadel than Miranda could iterate alone. But even with Liara's hardcore evidence, Miranda was sure that these bureaucratic blockers would still find a reason to do nothing.
"Miranda Lawson is a member of Commander Shepard's crew," Hackett said. "She speaks with the experience that comes with facing the Collectors, agents of the Reapers. And if Commander Shepard were present, I am sure he would be on board with this procedure."
"Where is the Commander?" Irissa asked. "I've heard no word on his status."
Hackett sighed. "Unknown. I'm ready to declare him killed in action."
Miranda had to keep herself from flinching. She folded her arms and proceeded to continue her ninth lap around the communications chamber, anything to hide the growing quake in her legs.
"I-I see…" the asari muttered, visibly shaken.
"All the more reason for us to take action," the admiral pressed. "To end this war, the Citadel must be destroyed."
"How would you accomplish this?" Quentius asked simply. "The Citadel was made to withstand an onslaught of over two thousand dreadnaughts."
"A valid question councilor. After the initial white light several hours' prior, new aspects about the Crucible became known. Thanks to Ms. Lawson, we learned that the Crucible is able to absorb and reflect Reaper energy. Thanks our ground forces we know that the Crucible also weakened the Reaper's armor and slowed their processing speed. But one of our top scientists, Dr. Cole and her team, have made another discovery," Hackett said, pausing to gage his audience. "It can also internalize the energy it absorbs and concentrate it into a blast."
"Is this proven?" Esheel asked, holding her hands over her lips in the same manor Mordin did when his interest peaked. Miranda vaguely wondered if that was just a salarian habit in general.
"And how does this connect to destroying the Citadel?" Irissa said.
Quentius merely nodded, signaling for Hackett to continue.
"Dr. Cole's theory is, put simply; the Crucible's drive has a maximum amount of energy input it can take before it collapses on itself. She suggested that by syncing the power of the Citadel to the drive core of the Crucible, it can survive an onslaught of over a thousand Reapers," the admiral said.
"Then when the Crucible fires all that built up energy back…" the turian councilor said.
"Exactly, the energy output from the resulting blast will be so great that the Citadel will be completely destroyed. However both the explosion and the blast will wipe out any synthetic with Reaper codes in their system," he said. "In one fell swoop, this war will over."
"What about the Reapers already on the Earth's surface?" Quentius asked. "And in the other systems?"
"According to Dr. Cole's hypothesis, when the energy from the blast mixes with the energy from the Mass Relays it should distribute the energy throughout the other systems," Hackett replied. "However the distance and the full extent of the collateral damage are unknown."
"That's assuming we agree to this ridiculous idea!" Irissa exclaimed. "Destroying the Citadel is off the table!"
"Moreover, you're destroying our one advantage against the Reapers!" Esheel said. "What if this fails? What then?"
"There must be another option," the asari said. "Luring them into a star perhaps? Utilizing the dark energy the quarians have been researching recently?"
Miranda had heard enough. "There is no other option," she said coldly, her voice echoing in the chamber. "I want all of you to look outside your windows. Look at the devastation the Reapers bring and will continue to bring. Unless we stop them, there won't be anything left."
"We are aware this notion," the asari said.
Miranda slammed her hand on the panel. "Are you? Because the logic you've presented suggests that you aren't! You call yourselves the representatives of the galaxy but as far as I'm concerned the only representatives I see are out there putting everything on the line to destroy these bastards once and for all."
"You dare-" the salarian muttered.
"I do," Miranda continued. "Consistently all you've done is passed this burden onto Shepard and then condemn him when he turns to you for help. He's sacrificed friends, allies, his reputation, for we know he's made the ultimate sacrifice to get us this far! We're a breath away from ending this threat for good and yet you continue to do nothing! What will it take until you realize that it's all or nothing? Thessia is conquered, Earth is a complete wasteland, Palavan is on the verge, what more are you waiting for? Blood of every species has been spilt across the galaxy, and we have a chance for this end today! Not a year from now, not after a discussion other possibilities, Now, now, now!"
All eyes were on her as her chest heaved as if she had just completed a four hour workout. Miranda wasn't sure what had come over her. Rhetoric had never been her strong suit. She had always been more aligned to presenting hard facts and letting the evidence speak for itself. But to see the council just stand by and let this opportunity pass was too much to take. Maybe listing to all of Shepard's speeches during the Collector mission had more effect on her than she realized. She leaned against the control panel and took a breath. At the very least, judging from their expressions, the council seemed pensive.
"If you feel so strongly…" Esheel said. "Why contact us? Why not just activate the sequence?"
Miranda turned to Hackett. She had no answer for the salarian councilor.
"Because," Hackeet began. "I refuse to see history repeat itself."
"What are you talking about?" Irissa asked, although from her expression, Miranda could tell the asari knew.
"Consistently, this council has kept secrets. Secrets that have gotten countless killed or almost led to war," the admiral said. "The prothean beacon on Thessia, the turian bomb on Tuchanka, the hidden krogan females on Sur'Kesh, the Genophage modification project, all these secrets have led to disastrous consequences. Now is our chance to do better. I refuse to see a united galaxy fall apart because I repeated your mistakes. It's your choice councilors. Continue with this policy of secrets, or take a step towards a new future."
The chamber became quiet once more. The council members regarded each other, their usual stoic faces reduced to uncertainty and hesitation. Irissa rubbed her forehead and managed a short breath. Esheel fingers touched her wide lips, muttering something to herself. Quentius's mandibles twitched but other than that tick, he was unreadable. If it weren't for her time with Garrus, Miranda would be sure the turian was his usual stoic self. Miranda glanced at Admiral Hackett, true to military form he remained at ease and was as still as a stone. A faint pop from outside the walls reminded Miranda there was no more time. Fortunately, Quentius seemed to share her view.
"Admiral Hackett, you have my full support," he said. "The turian fleet is yours."
The admiral nodded. "Thank you councilor."
"We'll lose countless years of galactic history…." Irissa muttered. "But we'll lose our entire race if the Reapers prevail. You have my support as well."
All eyes turned to Esheel.
"There are too many variables," the salarian repeated several times under her breath. "Too many unknowns….However, there is no other option. You have the support of the salarians."
"Excellent," Hackett said, visibly unmoved but Miranda knew he was just as relived as she was. "We'll need a massive evacuation plan as well as some of our best soldiers infiltrating the Citadel."
"One of our best is already on the Citadel," Miranda said simply. "And I know he'll be more than happy to take part in this plan."
OOOOOO
Jacob slumped against the access port. He could already feel several bruises forming on his back and chest. The blasts from the banshees packed more of a punch than he expected. Hendricks was still out cold, but at least he was breathing. Jacob didn't need someone else dying on his watch. Whatever wounds Grunt sustained from his rampage seemed to heal already. Jacob wished he could have some of his genes at least for a few moments. Shepard was slung over Grunt's broad shoulders. He hadn't moved at all since they got him. Jacob didn't want to count the commander out yet, but the evidence before him didn't lie.
"You're not gonna die on me are you Jacob?" Grunt asked.
"Forget about me," Jacob insisted. "How's Shepard?"
"Still breathing," Grunt said. "But barely. I don't know why his secondary organs haven't kicked in yet."
Jacob groaned. "Grunt…humans don't have that."
"Damn it, I forgot about that," the krogan said. "Then come on let's move."
They moved at a brisk pace despite the unconscious friends on their shoulders. Between the weight of Hendricks and the growing ache from his bruises, Jacob couldn't be more relieved when he saw the gates of the Crucible lower deck. The doors swished open, showing a five medics waiting with a stretcher and four canisters of medi-gel. The medics did a double take at Grunt as the krogan eased Shepard onto the stretcher and called for another for Hendricks.
"Would like us to take a look at you too Mr. Taylor?" one of the medics asked.
"No, Shepard is your top priority," Jacob said.
The medic nodded. "Take the commander to the escape shuttle; we'll rendezvous with the one of the asari cruisers for pick up."
It was then that Jacob noticed the flurry of activity occurring around him. Personnel of every level were scrambling about shouting orders on what to take and what to leave behind. The names of various starships part of Sword flew out of their mouths, listing off various rendezvous points and the ETA's for pick-ups. The medics carried Shepard away with a swiftness that Jacob only saw when soldiers were about to abandon ship. That didn't bode well. Did Reapers break through their lines? Had the Crucible failed?
"Jacob!" Brynn's voice struck his ears, lighting the building darkness in his mind. A quick embrace was all he needed to forget about the growing aches on his body. "Did you find the commander?"
"Yeah, but…he was pretty bad," he replied.
"Don't worry, if anyone can pull through it's the battle-master," Grunt said.
Brynn glanced at Grunt, taken aback. "I-I thought you went with Hendricks. Where did this krogan come from?"
"This is Grunt," Jacob said. "He's an old shipmate from the Normandy. How he wound up on the Citadel is beyond me."
Grunt laughed. "It's a long story."
"One we don't have time for," Brynn said. "Jacob, I have another mission for you."
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "What kind of mission?"
"One that will destroy the Reapers once and for all."
"I'm in."
OOOOO
Jacob wasn't sure what to think making his way back to the Citadel. On the one hand, Brynn's theory made sense. The explosion from this would at the very least damage the Reapers. At best destroy them. The war would be over and the galaxy saved. But what if there were people still on the Citadel? From what he saw of the lower decks, there didn't seem to be any survivors. Anyone who didn't get off in time when the Reapers took control was probably part of the piles of corpses around him. But what if a few managed to hide? Was it right to sacrifice their lives too? What would Shepard do? Jacob shook his head. He knew what the commander would do. He'd try to save as many people as he could. There had to be a way to warn any survivors to get off the station.
"I gotta say Jacob," Grunt said from behind him, his assault rifle ready for any enemies. "That mate of yours has a mind like a salarian to come up with something like this."
"Uh….thanks…?"
"Ending the war with a big explosion? That's my kind of strategy."
"Let's hope it works."
They made their way down the dark corridor. Brynn had sent them down another acesss port to avoid the scores of cannibals and banshees that remained since Jacob's last visit. If he and Grunt remained quiet, maybe they could activate the sequence without any trouble. But experience had taught him going in was easy, getting out would be the problem. At least this time he had stronger backup.
"By the way, I've been meaning to ask," Jacob said. "How'd you wind up here before?"
Grunt shrugged. "Wrex sent what was left of my Aralakh Company to reinforce Shepard's Hammer squad. But we got cut off by those stupid banshees and brutes. It took us a good while to cut them down. By the time we made it through, Hammer was decimated and Harbinger had left to go fight in space, leaving that beacon thing unguarded. I told my men to hold the line while I checked it out."
"You went in alone?"
Grunt scoffed. "I'm a member of Clan Urdnot and pure krogan, what did I have to be afraid of?"
Jacob managed a chuckle.
"I was more worried about my men," Grunt said softly. "Too many of them got hit when those banshees and brutes attacked. I wasn't sure what would be up here, I didn't want to take the risk. Especially not with the genophage finally cured."
Jacob nodded. "How they doing now?"
"They're holding the line," Grunt said. "For how long I'm not sure. So let's get this thing done."
"My thoughts exactly."
They reached the control panel several minutes later. Jacob looked over the endless array of buttons and switches trying to figure out where to start. Grunt covered his flank, keeping his eyes peeled on every entrance. Jacob activated the comm. Channel on his omni-tool.
"Brynn, I'm at the panel, what do I do first?"
She walked him through the sequence, exposing him to screens and options that he didn't know existed on a computer. There were countless pass-codes and patterns needed just to reach the drive core screen. Then he needed to wait for the members of Bynn's team to do the same on the Crucible computer. The process took far longer than Jacob expected but finally after what seemed like half an hour, it was ready.
"Now close to program and type in this series of key strokes," Brynn said.
Jacob poised his hands over the keyboard, ready for this nightmare to be over.
"Jacob…" Grunt said from behind him.
"I'm almost done Grunt."
"You'd better be, because we have a serious problem."
"I'm disappointed Jacob," an all too familiar voice said. "Very disappointed."
Jacob froze. The room temperature suddenly dropped below zero. The former operative whipped out his pistol and whirled around to face the problem. Who greeted him, made the soldier nearly drop his weapon.
The Illusive Man.
"It can't be!" Jacob exclaimed. "You're dead! I can still see where you shot yourself!"
The undead man passed his hand on the exit wound. "It would seem, death didn't take."
"You sure humans don't have secondary organs?" Grunt asked.
"I'm positive," Jacob replied. "But if he's alive, all this means is I get to kill him myself!"
Shots echoed around the chamber. Six well placed holes now dotted the crazed leader's torso. But other than making the man pause to look down at his new wounds, they did nothing.
"What the-!"
"I've had some upgrades," he said simply. "Allow me to show you just how thorough the Reapers are in their work."
As if on cue, his body pulsed. Veins snaked up and down his exposed skin. His screams made Jacob wish for sound damping plugs. His body buckled and twisted like a rag doll as his skeletal structure broke apart and reformed itself. The well groomed suit he wore was torn to shreds as his torso bulked up to six times its size. Muscles and veins sprouted onto his new body while spikes sprang out from his spinal column and elbows. His face elongated to make room for the 32 fangs in his mouth. The ever white hair fell off his scalp like leaves in autumn. A single spike took its place. His skin darkened to a mixture of brown and red. His voice deepened to a demon-like register that no human could hope to reach. The only feature that remained of the Illusive Man was his piercing blue eyes. The new monster fell to its now massive hands and feet and had only one thing to say to them.
"I AM HARBINGER. AND THIS STATION IS MINE!"