Freedom

The Rangers salvaged the whole outpost. They had found a lot of useful things. Two projects were concerned about poisoning alien races. These could be used to created a cure for the victims. Also the scientists could help with the crucible. Catherine went down to the hangar to oversee the arrival of the refugees. Since they also brought their own shuttles she had decided to keep them and repaint them for the UST. The A-model kodiaks were stealthier than the FV-22s but had lower-graded armor and weaponry. The Red Montana concentrated on the evacuation while the NRW moved out to intercept an incoming Cerberus fleet.

"We have to hurry! Get everyone on board! We are leaving in five!" Catherine shouted as she made her way to the bridge.

Her gunners were already working on targeting solutions to punch a hole into the enemy formation.

The NRW would fire a broadside to clear a way for the Red Montana and vice versa. They would meet at the Crucible.

Ashley watched the asari-reaper attacking. She was frozen in her place, fear purging though her body. A small part of her remembered her training. Ashley pulled the trigger. She emptied the whole clip into the reaper's womb. The Night-Owls attacked with rockets and lasers. They had little effect against the strong biotic barriers these banshees had. Only concentrated fire could kill them. But then they were exposed to the Cannibals. A second Night-Owl squad dropped from the sky. One landed on top on a Banshee and jumped away, just as an explosion ripped the reaper apart. The fresh reinforcements relieved the team and gave them an opening to enter the monastry.

On the inside a Banshee was pursuing an Asari. However before the reaper could get her another Asari killed it. "Mother?" "Falere." the girl said. While Ashley and Liara watched the reunion Bo and her night owls continued to confront the reaper. In the next room a marauder and a few Cannibals blocked their way. A sniper round killed the marauder but the Cannicals lived up to their name and used their fallen to create additional armor. As if that wasn't bad enough a beam shot across the wall and encased them in a barrier. "Moons, keep them busy. May with me. There is a Barrier Engine somewhere." They hadn't have to look far. Just in a sideroom the Barrier Engine was mounted at the wall. Two aimed shots destroyed it so the reaper couldn't replenish their barriers. Also the room they were in had two entrances. Bo used the second one to flank the reapers. Caught in the deadly crossfire of furious mando women they were quickly obliterated. On the stair to the lower level they heard a by now familiar screech. "Banshee. Back up and circle it." Bo ordered dryly.

Ahsoka jumped away from the Rampart mech as Rex shot it. The bolt took the head off and the robot collapsed. Its remaining energy discharged and covered its body. John had hacked one and got it close to its own colleagues. When it was destroyed its discharged fried the other mechs' circuits.E Erik analyzed the shield. "Force field. Anything organic will be fried. We can't go this way."

Aria scoffed. "I guess its time to show you something." She opened the door to a garage. As soon as everyone was inside she closed the door again. "One of my secret tunnels. You could go to any place without alerting security." A hidden door slid to the side and revealed a ladder.

Echo and Fives went first. Rex and Ahsoka followed. John dropped after them with Aria following him. Jane and Erik were the last to go. Arriving they saw Echo and Fives having someone at gun point. "Spirits. Aria T'Loak. I didn't expect you." "Aria doesn't reveal secrets easily. Either you are her closest friend of Aria gets sloppy." "I assure you it's neither." Aria hissed. "Meet Nyreen Kandros. Ex-turian military."

"Competent enough to keep up? I won't come back if you loose us." John said. "Oh. I'm more than ready for this."

The followed Aria through the tunnels. At one point she fired a flare up. The explosion caused a ladder to drop. "Up here." Erik and Rex climbed up and secured the small room. "Clear."

The whole group moved up. Aria led them out onto the streets. One step and she crashed into a Rampart mech patrol. "Contact!" Ahsoka shouted as she cut the first mech in pieces. Echo and Fives didn't engage directly and activated jammers first. Rex followed suit. Their rangefinders boosted the jammers to cover all frequencies. John used his disrupter ammo to drop the shields while Jane's shockwave threw the mechs apart so they couldn't defend each other. Aria's shotgun rounds bounced off the holo-armor but laser bolts easily cut through them. Erik reloaded while Echo blasted a mech and kicked it off the platform. Aria activated the turrets and set them on defense mode. "Target all Cerberus Personnel. Authorization Aria Omega Afterlife 69."

After they entered the bunker Aria had it lock down. "Nyreen. You had left Omega. You were quite angry. Why did you come back." she asked. "I never left. I scouted around. Some needs to keep an eye out for you. After the Cerberus invasion I stayed in the tunnels."

While the Shepards and Aria were talking about Nyreen Echo and Fives checked the crew, leaving Rex and Ahsoka to themselves.

"Hey, Echo. I could use your help here." Erik called. Echo was introduced to the hacker who tried to gain control of the station. But at some points hardware blocks had to be lowered by a code. Echo promised to take care of it.

Fives met a batarian. This one needed spare parts that should be on the station. The engineer gave the clone a blueprint to find it. Erik talked to an Elcor. Harrot owed an empire of shops and wants to gain Aria's interest by recovering her throne. The couch has been thrown away when Cerberus captured the Afterlife. In the meantime Aria and the Shepard twins looked at the blueprints of the station. Ahsoka had joined them with Rex.

"These force-fields will limit our possibilities. We have to get around them somehow or deactivate them." John said. "Also we need support. Your forces have taken casualties. These three groups can't be all you have here, don't you?" Jane asked. Aria was deep in thought. "Well, there are the Talons. Small group when I left. Tried to capture their share thinking I won't notice. They only fight for themselves."

"Aria!" Bray ran to them. "What is it Bray?" "Nyreen. I was looking away for a second to organize the weapons and when I looked back..." "She was gone." Aria sighed. "Bray. If I hadn't already lost so many." Rex looked at the station. "We have to be quick, IF Nyreen is a spy. I'd say we split up and take care of the force-fields and the Talons." John pointed at some dark areas. "The energy for the fields come from this reactor. We can cut short through this dark areas and shut them off. Team with helmets only." Ahsoka nodded. "Second team will search the Talon leader. I suggest Aria as she is the queen here. Jane as support since John is occupied and myself."

"I'll come with you, General. The Lieutenants can escort the Commander to the reactor."

The three nodded. "It will be done."

Ashley blasted the Banshee. She reloaded the N7Typhoon and threw a grenade. Around her the Nightowls kept the fire up. Two had been ripped apart by the Banshees who could use biotic charges to surprise them. Falere was completely indifferent anout the situation around her. She had only eyes for her fallen sister. "Rila! Wake up!" Samara tried to console her. "It is too late. Rila has begun the transformation into a reaper." Falere didn't believe her. "NO! There has to be a cure."

Then the lights on the bomb switched from red to green. "Bomb is online! But we have to trigger it manually!" Liara shouted as she activated her barrier in time to block a Banshee. Rila suddenly shoved Falere down and blasted a reaper with her biotics. In her hand was a remote trigger.

"Rila! Come with us!" Falere pleaded but Rila shook her head. "No. The range is smaller than the detonation range. Go. I don't know for how long I can still resist the call. Go before it is too late.

"You heard her, Nightowls, we're leaving!" The mandos grabbed their allies and used their jetpacks to get away.

"Rila! NOOOO!" They crashed through the windows and headed for the upper atmosphere where their shuttle was waiting. Falere was still trashing but Moons held onto her. "We left her!"

"There was no way to safe her. She chose this end herself."

"You don't know! If we had taken her, we would have found a cure."

Bo lost her patience. She slammed Falere against the wall and took off her helmet. "Do you think we didn't test that theory? Don't be selfish and do what pleases you! Rila chose this herself. She died how any mando would have died! Fighting! Defending herself and believing it what is right!"

She threw the Asari down. "Don't think that just because you are an Ardat-Yakshi you can keep to yourself!" The discharge of a thermal clip got her attention. Samara hold her pistol to her head.

"Mum! What are you doing?" "The code doesn't allow you to be outside your monastery. But I won't kill my last daughter." A shot sounded through the shuttle. Samara fell down clutching her hand. May and Moons restrained her. Ashley lowered her sniper rifle. "Close shot." Bo nodded impressed.

Falere kneed down beside her mother. "I don't need a monastery to honor the code. It states that I am not allowed to harm people. And I didn't tell you but Rila and I experimented. We found out that if Ardat-Yakshi mate with Ardat-Yakshi we don't kill each other and still enhance our abilities. But it only works once. I don't have a desire to gain more strength because no one but another Ardat-Yakshi who is on my level can give it to me."

Samara thought about this new development. "Then the code allows you to live. If what you said is true then I wish to fight besides you." Falere threw her arms around her mother. "Thank you, mum."

Samara felt the direct contact but her nervous system stayed the same. She could feel her daughters nervous system but no harm was caused.

Bo interrupted their reunion. "We'll drop you off at the Citadel. See what the Spectres need us for."

Admiral Yularen watched the battle unfold in front of him. Legion had discovered the base. At the same time the Geth had regained the reaper upgrade and began to attack again. In the now proclaimed "Ryloth-Shield"-maneuver the star destroyers had presented their bellies to protect the quarian fleet. While the original Venators had a problem since they didn't have weapons on their lower hull apart from the SPHA in their lower hangar the Venator-II-destroyers didn't have that problem anymore. Four turrets of the Red-Montana-class were fitted onto the lower hull. Originally the engineers wanted to fit in eight turrets to match the number on the upper side and thus have the same controls until a terran engineer noticed that each turret had four barrels which could be elevated different from the others and was about double the size of a Venator turret. So instead of 8x2 they decided to make 4x4 in the back below the bridge and fit small turrets from the H-class onto the sides in addition to the ones inside the flank.

A small commando team consisting of Aayla, Bly, Galle, Inc, Barr, Tali and Legion would get in and "paint the target". The plan was to destroy the base and lure the reaper out. As soon as he did that the four clones would surround it and mark it with their lasers. The gunners could triangulate the target and fire on visual contact.

The Geth had now hacked all frequencies. The only safe line were the clone channels so General Secura decided to transfer all remaining clones from the 327th to the quarian fleet.

Ahsoka had to fight the strange feeling that over came her. Her team had crossed a lot of tunnels but know they were confronted by Cerberus again. She fought back to back with Rex. The deadly combination of short and long range surprised Cerberus. Next to them Jane and Aria combined their biotic powers to bring the shuttle down. Their powers made the mass effect field collapse, turning the shuttle into a three-million-credit coffin for those who didn't escape.

Aria cracked the lock and over wrote the lockdown. They charged in and aimed at the Cerberus soldier who held Talons hostage.

"Back off, or he will die!" The Cerberus engineer didn't have the chance to make his threat true when an armored figure landed in their midst. The biotic explosion threw them off their feet as the figure shot them with their rifle.

Standing up Nyreen revealed her face. "Lock this place down and kill any Cerberus you see." she ordered a Talon. "Yes, Boss."

Aria was surprised and speechless. "Looks like we found the Talon leader." Jane said.

Aayla crushed the Pyro-Geth with the force while Galle and Inc covered Tali and Barr.

Bly and Legion were on the other walkway towards the elevator A Geth Prime had emerged but Legion had overwritten it within seconds and turned it against the "heretics" as it called the reaper-geth. "Doors unlocked. General, there is a secondary lock. Console is right next to you." Barr shouted. Aayla jumped over Galle's laser bolts and landed at said console. While the clones moved up to keep the Geth off her back she typed in the codes Tali shouted to her.

"Admiral Yularen! The blast shield is opening. Visual confirmation."

Above them the Defender readjusted its position. Along with the other two Venators its dagger form now faced the planet. "Assault concussion missiles dropping out now. Time to impact, two minutes."

"Understood, Admiral. We will paint the target. Bly, out."

On the surface the clones had gotten down and surrounded the opening to give the rockets an exact

triangulation. Tali and Aayla were above them, after killing three Geth Primes and aimed their lasers into the hole. Legion had already acquired a transport to get away as soon as the missiles got their target lock.

"Missile lock successful, get out of there." Deviss radioed in he had followed the missiles in Aayla's personal fighter to make a last check.

The Team watched the fire from the top side mounted cannon.. The rockets soared into the opening and exploded. The whole earth shook but suddenly a shadow towered over them. "The reaper is out! I repeat: The reaper is out!"

While Legion circled around the reaper they slowly jumped off the vehicle in pairs of two. Legion closed the circle, alone. [Well, technically he was a team of over 1200 programs but well.]

"Target painted! Get it before it gets us!" Tali shouted.

The first shot hit the reaper when it was about to fire at Bly. The clone noticed the cracks and lightnings spreading over the robot. "Adjust your shooting! The firing chamber is its weak point!"

The order spread through the clone comms like a wild fire. The gunners adjusted and switched to visual aim. All cannons fired. The rounds formed a single stream which homed in on the reaper.

"Say your last prayer, bosh'tet." Tali shouted as the reaper took all shots in its firing chamber because it turned to face the fleets.

Bly lifted his mikrobinocular. "Did I just saw that right?"

"Yeah, you did, Boss." Inc said. "That reaper.." Barr began. "Is dumber than a droid." Galle finished.

"A more intelligent being wouldn't shove its weak spot into the enemy fire. Even younglings know that." Deviss said as they regrouped on the plateau overseeing the area where he had landed. Legion watched the reaper dying. The new data he got from this was already being processed and send to the Cobras.

"Reaper not as powerful as they think."

"We did it. We absolutely did it!" Tali shouted. Legion turned to Aayla. "Secura-General. Do you remember what we told you about the reaper-upgrade? We have processed it. We can distribute it to all the Geth and still remain independent from outside intervention."

"But then the Geth will be as intelligent as they were under reaper control. Secura, please. The quarians are already attacking and the Geth will kill them. Don't choose a machine over life." Tali pleaded.

"Legion, do it. Arseven, get me a line up there." The astromech beeped and Tali's omni-tool had reception. "This is Admiral Tali'Zorah. Cease fire immediately."

Han'Gerrel intervened. "Delay that order. Keep firing!"

Tali looked over at the Twi'lek. "Please. You have to stop it. Don't choose the Geth over my people."

Legion continued. "50%. We are sorry about the creators' deaths but we see no alternative that would ensure our continued existence."

Aayla meditated for a second. In space Admiral Yularen made a decision, too. "All star destroyers, target as many quarian ships as you can. Move to shield the Geth fleet!" "We can still win this war!" Xen shouted. Bly had it with diplomatic decisions. "Legion, continue. All troopers, seize control over the ship you're on. Keep them from firing. Stun shots if necessary. Execute it with the same precision you would have executed Order 66." Aayla gave him a questioning look and opened her com-link on the open frequency.

"All units stand down. The Geth are back to full power soon and they do not want another war. Do it for you and your people. Keelah se'lai."

Tali decided to give Aayla's word more support. "This is Admiral Tali'Zorah. General Secura speaks with my authority." "And mine as well." Zaal'Koris added from his ship. The clones next to him lowered his weapons as did the others on the civilian fleet as the respective captains gave the stand-down order. "Patrol fleet ceasing fire. We will withdraw from the front line." Raan acknowledged the order. "All Venators target the quarian heavy fleet."

One after another the ships of the heavy fleet shut their weapons off and reinforced the shields. Shortly after only Han'Gerrel's ship remained and even his crew was against him. The quarian fleet had ceased fire but they still required an official one for the Geth. "All ships, cease fire and redirect the energy to the shields." he said weakly.

Admiral Yularen let a sigh escape his lips as he leaned against the table. "Weapons cold. Open the comm channels. Tell the Geth we are standing down."

Legion was still working on the upload when the package he worked on suddenly flared red.

"Upload failed. Direct distribution necessary. I will have to go."

"Wait, what are you saying Chatika?" Tali exclaimed. "Okay. Your decision." She approached Legion while she activated her combat drone.

"Creator Zorah. What is it?" Legion asked. "Chatika has decided to help you Legion. She has decided to do that because she isn't as developed as you are but wants us to be in peace. She wants to replace you. The one that just said 'I'."

Legion watched the small drone before touching and absorbing it. "Thank you, Chatika. Go with the others. I will keep your memory."

Later the different factions meet on the plateau. Two Geth Primes joined Legion while the quarian Admirals arrived with a large Marine protection detail.

"You really made it. We are on the homeplanet and are at peace with the Geth." Koris said as he shook Aayla's hand.

"We have to stick together. It's a shame that you needed the reaper to do it but better late than never." the jedi replied.

"But what do we do now? How are we going to live?" Raan said.

"You are welcomed to return on Rannoch, Admiral. We have maintained the planet's ecological system in case the creators planned on co-existing peacefully with us. We have also scenarios on how to readjust your immune system to this planet. Also our docks are prepared to repair the migrant fleet and upgrade them to the state-of the art technology we have developed from your left-overs."

"You finished out inventions? Some of them had been stuck for years." Xen was impressed.

"But these are details, Creator Xen. We have reached consensus that I, Legion will join Shepard-Commander on board the Normandy and assist them in the war-effort."

"I will come with you Legion." Tali said. "My skills are batter with the Normandy than the politics here."

While the new Rannoch Council debated Aayla pulled Bly to the side. "Bly. I have known you know for full two years. I trust you but I have a question. What is Order 66 and why did you say 'would have executed'?"

Bly looked at his feet. "In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) until a new command structure is established." [[Quoted from Republic Commando: True Colors]]

Aayla jumped back but realized that Bly nor the other clone troopers attempted anything.

"You are not followig the order?"

Bly let out a laugh. "We aren't droids. We make out own decision. I fought by your side the whole war. When Lieutenant Winston found the order in the archive and confronted Rex they decided to spread it among all kaminoan clones we trusted. Mostly only clones who had a trustworthy connection to their jedi Generals. We are now officially not with the Republic anymore."

"Does Ahsoka know?" Aayla asked. Bly had given her something great. She know knew why she felt the pain but still felt safe around her clone. "She doesn't know. Rex will tell her in time. When we return. The UST has offered to help us. Their system in a bubble that has a natural EMP-field at the edge of it. Only ships with warp-drives are able to cross it unharmed. That is why they crashed in the first place and were only able to get out with UST assistance."

John killed the guard silently. After crossing the dangerous mining area they had run into a new kind of reaper. As Jane had told them it was an Adjutant. They were hard to kill but they had a weakness because of their size. Their combined fire power forced the reaper back where it fell off the catwalk and down into the mine. Fives took a hit from the second reaper and it was only for Erik's quick reaction that he now hung from a cable attacked to the Ranger's wrist instead of being a paste on the ground of the mine. Echo had used the chance to power his rifle up and discharge it directly into the Adjutant's face. They pulled the clone up and continued. Fives commented on how he would need a new armor after this but shut his mouth when Echo recited the reg manual page about the replacement of damaged equipment.

They took the elevator to the next level. "This seems to easy." Erik whispered. "My words, vod." Fives said. "Activate your cloaks. We will distract them." Echo advised. As they arrived on the next level they proceeded towards the reactor. Just as they crossed a set of controls a force-field erected in front of the clones. Erik and John switched by to visibility. "As we thought. Go." Echo ordered.

Behind them a small drone hovered in front of them and Oleg Petrovsky appeared. "You sprung my trap. Didn't notice I left you only this path? Now I have you here at my mercy."

Echo and Fives just laughed. "Really? Just to remind you. There were four of us."

Petrovsky growled and had the drone move up to the control panel for the energy distribution.

He saw two men debating on either shutting the reactor down or just direct energy away from the force-fields. "You will not will. My forces will over run you before you accomplish your mission unless you over load it now but that isn't you style, Shepard." He said arrogantly.

John tried to concentrate while he knew that the Cobras were fighting for their lives. Then he found the loophole he left the last time he was on Omega. "Only if I was alone." The panel redirected all the power from defense systems to the life support and control systems. A small hologram appeared on the side and revealed Aria's hacker. "We made it thanks to you I have resumed control and was able to help with the reactor. We will get our home back."

I just had to at least save the one Geth Program that was Legion. I need him later for the Leviathan DLC and probably the Citadel DLC.

Reviews are welcomed.