Broken Earth, Shattered Sky
As Shepard slipped away, his friends were about to engage in a battle for their lives.
Constantinople. Garrus had heard this city had great history for humans. It was now a thriving megapolis, the heart of a divided, but powerful humanity on Earth. All humans looked to it as important symbol, even if they did not always agree with one another. He had read that its ancient walls were legendary for their ability repel invaders. He hoped that his troops would be able to pay tribute to that strength today.
The field of battle was surprisingly quiet. As his troops emerged from their drop ships, they found human armies had already formed a defensive posture on the eastern shore of the city. The western city was filled with massive skyscrapers and had the majority of the population. The east was more of a historical site, and it was here they were to make their stand. On the outskirts, barriers had been erected, artillery placed, and the humans accepted the help and command of Garrus' and his forces. He had time to array them, as it seemed despite the sight of distant Reaper ships having crashed to Earth in the distance, none had yet come forward.
There was an eerie silence, a calm before the storm. Garrus was frustrated. He expected to see the city in flames, perhaps deluged, instead he found humans anxiously awaiting an attack that had not yet come. Then, suddenly, a great cry pierced the quiet, a terrible screeching noise. The earth began to shake beneath them. Garrus use his sniper rifle to look out into the distance. Then he saw them...
Massive, dark behemoths, hundreds of them, towering over the field were marching towards the city. These were the "ships" that had crashed to the planet, but they were like none he had ever seen. Their heads showed uniqueness, some with tentacles, some with horrible twisted features of races Garrus did not recognize. Upon those heads they wore what looked to be crowns. They had massive, sinewy arms and lower bodies like those of a snake. They slithered forward, and suddenly, they stopped.
The beasts leaned forward, dropping upon their hands, and their mouths opened. They were vomiting forth an army like that Garrus had ever seen.
First, they were husks and scions, but these were different. As if they had not been fully transformed, some still had human features, flesh still raw and clinging to their forms. There were untold thousands pouring forward out of the great behemoths. Behind them were creatures Garrus did not recognize, seemingly magical and mysterious. "Indoctrinated…like the Collectors", Garrus thought.
These new enemies must be the ancient harvest of the Reapers. Some of these troops might not have seen the light of day for billions of years. They were terrible, with arms, tentacles, claws, gnashing teeth, wings and empty eyes. They moved forward with relentless determination as their masters stood up behind them, driving them towards Garrus' line.
The husks were rapidly moving apart from the rest of the force, closing the distance between them and his front line troops.
"Artillery, CAIN troops, give them a surprise. FIRE!" He shouted into his communicator.
In moments, great explosions torn into the ranks of the husks, incinerating many within the blink of an eye. Yet they still came closer, and now they were picking up speed, running frantically.
"Artillery and other heavy guns, keep firing. Soldiers and all those who are snipers, open fire and slow them down!"
Husks began to fall by the thousands as concentrated fire torn into them. They were still driving forward, with a hundred pushing forward behind every one that fell. It was going to come to close combat.
"Vanguards, Krogan, and other heavy troops at the front. Prepare to charge. Melee weapons at the ready if you have them. Geth destroyers, when in range use your flamethrowers. Biotics, try to slow them down with Singularities!"
Relentless, awful, the husks came forward, and now the slower moving scions behind them were approaching in a multitude.
"Hammerhead respond!", Garrus said.
"This is Jacob, sir"
"Jacob, you and whatever heavy craft we have are to stay at rear. When the enemy comes upon us, ride out and flank them, try to come around and trap them, forcing them into our own front. Use the gap to begin opening fire on the approaching Indoctrinated and…and those giants…"
"Affirmative, sir. We will be ready" Jacob responded.
They were so close that they looked like a flood about to crash down upon his forces. "All heavy troops, form up, and charge. Take them head on! Break them!"
"Whatever you are doing Shepard…you had better hurry…" Garrus thought to himself.
In space, above the planet, this situation also took a drastic turn. The "shield wall" of Reapers suddenly began to move in earnest. No more shots as if they Reapers were swatting away flies, now they broke in every direction, weapons firing furiously. Their forces split in two, some heading towards Earth and its forces while others drove towards the Council and Terminus fleets. Whatever had changed, now the battle had begun in earnest.
Anderson looked out at the scene before him. The Reapers were driving directly towards the Destiny Ascension, towards the center of his forces. The cruisers that had moved forward were being decimated, some being destroyed as Reaper ships drove purposefully through them.
The other Councilors looked at him. The Asari's face in particular, as noble as it was, now had creases above her forehead of great distress. What had changed? What was happening to Shepard?