Saren locked the elevator, freezing it mid climb to the Council Chambers. It would take more than that to quiet Kryik's determination. He blasted through the elevator window and stepped out side, activating the anti-gravity magnets in his boots. Shepard was at his side. Their gaze settling on Sovereign perched on the pinnacle of the tower. Geth, krogans, ani-air craft turrets, geth armature's, even a geth drop ship attempted to impede the team's progress. They all fell before the fire and willpower of two Spectres, an ex C-sec officer, and an archaeologist.
Kryik's heart pounded in his chest, his ear drums, his head. He vaguely noticed the smell of the burning cherry blossom trees and the crackle of fire. He was focused, determined. He had one goal and it was not to take Saren to the Council for judgment. He would be Saren's judge, and his executioner.
The Spectre ran up the steps to stop Saren from punching in the manual code to let the Reapers flood the Citadel. Sovereign was already tapping into the Citadel's systems, waiting for Saren's assistance. He could see him tapping on the transparent orange screen of the console. He lost sight of his target for the few seconds it took to run up the last of the stairs. His talons were already putting pressure on the trigger.
Saren was gone. Kyrik narrowed his eyes. The traitor had to be near by. There was no way he could have disappeared that quickly. Kryik heard the soft whir of engines. Saren appeared on the same hover craft he manned on Virmire as he tossed an explosive toward Kyrik and his team.
Everyone leaped from the blast zone, nearly falling short of safety. Kryik found cover behind one of the stone flower boxes that separated sections of stairway. Shepard was opposite him behind a twin planter. Vakarian found cover beside her. Liara was a few meters over. She caught the worst of the blast and lay prostrate on the ground. Blood colored her lips, but she was breathing. They would have to tend to her later.
Saren hovered over the platform where the control center was still displaying the overrides. His heightened senses allowed him to hear their breathing, smell each one of them in their hiding places. His eyes narrowed and his pupils shrunk to near nothing when he pick up the bonding scent on Shepard. It did not match the scent of the turian nearest her. It had the distinct flavor of Nihlus. His mandibles spread in a wicked grin.
"I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time, Nihlus." Saren remarked from his high ground in a seething, sing-song tone.
"In time for what?" Kryik spat back.
"The final confrontation," Saren answered casually. "I think we both expected it would end like this." Saren paused, waiting for Nihlus to ask the implied question. He sneered when he did not. "You've already lost. You know that don't you?" Saren goaded.
"It's not over yet!" Nihlus shouted. "The galaxy is united against you! We will stop this!"
"United. Yes... you have recent experience in unity, don't you?" Saren verbally poked at the tender heart of his old student. "Nihlus, I didn't think I could be more disappointed in you, but it seems you've proven me wrong. Have you lost your way so irreparably that you've taken a human as your bond mate?" He paused for dramatic effect. "It won't matter much longer. Soon your suffering will end." Saren hesitated, considering his own suffering.
Nihlus glanced to Sonya. Her eyes steady on him, unaffected by Saren's words. His mandibles fluttered. His rage burned in his gut. He locked onto her eyes and steadied his breathing, locked down his focus. This is what Saren wants, for me to get upset, to make a mistake. I won't give him the satisfaction!
"You survived our encounter on Virmire, but I've changed since then, improved. Sovereign has... updated me." Saren continued.
"You let Sovereign implant you? Are you insane?" He shouted.
"I suppose I should thank you, Nihlus. After Virmire I couldn't stop thinking about what you said. About Sovereign manipulating me. About indoctrination. The doubts began to eat away at me. Sovereign sensed my hesitation. I was implanted to strengthen my resolve." Saren made a fist. "Now my doubts are gone. I believe in Sovereign completely. I understand that the Reapers need organics. Join us and Sovereign will find a place for you too."
"I'd rather die than live as a slave!" Nihlus shouted.
"You can't stop them forever. The Reapers are too powerful. Sovereign will open the relay and the Reapers will wipe the galaxy clean. You and your companions will die. Everyone who you've ever met... Everyone you know... Everyone you love." Saren spat with disgust. "Don't you understand? You will all die! The Reapers can't be stopped, not by the Protheans, not by you. The cycle always continues."
"I am not afraid of the Reapers and I do not fear death! I will die with my eyes open and I will die fighting!" Kryik shouted, recalling his father's voice as he read him the lyric as a child. Saren had been his mentor and friend, but he could not erase what his father taught him. "You should have fought, Saren! You should have protected the galaxy, not betrayed everyone to doom like a damn coward. That's what you are, Saren; a coward who shoots his friends in the back! " Nihlus spat. "There is no honor in what you're doing. You have failed your ancestors!"
"Don't you see? It's surrender or death. There are no other options," Saren replied. He was beginning to sound desperate.
"When the Reapers have completed their conquest they'll cast you aside, just like they did the Protheans!" Kryik shouted.
Nihlus paused. He braced his back hard against the planter, rolling his head back and pressing the top of his head to the cool stone. He closed his eyes. It was hard to maintain his anger. After hearing what Vigil told them about the slaves, what he knew of indoctrination from Virmire and Benezia he felt pity for Saren, they way you might for a mortally wounded varren. You know that it would eat you if it were well, but finding it vulnerable and bleeding you put a round in its brain to end the suffering. That's how he felt toward Saren at that moment. He would try one last time to reach the turian Saren had once been, then put the creature out of its misery.
"Some part of you must realize you can still end this. You can fight this!" Nihlus shouted.
"Perhaps you're right. Maybe there is still a chance for...grrah.." Saren trailed off, his body shocked with pain. "Aah... the implants! Sovereign is too strong. I'm sorry..." Saren apologized. His true self found strength enough to fight the indoctrination if only for a moment. He felt the guilt of his actions heavy on his heart. "It is too late for me," he sighed, shaking his head. His shoulders sagged with defeat.
Nihlus left cover to face Saren, his friend. Sonya nearly ran after him, but Garrus caught her by the neck of her armor shaking his head at her.
"What the hell is he doing?" she swore.
"This isn't over! You can still redeem yourself!" Nihlus almost pleaded with Saren, gun still in hand.
Saren met his eyes. The turian he'd once been looked down at his friend in admiration. He wondered, if their roles had been reversed, if he would have tried as hard to save Nihlus. Clearly the younger turian was a better Spectre, a better person than he. What is the human saying? 'The road to damnation is paved with good intentions?' It appeared that was exactly what happened to him.
"Good-bye, Nihlus. Thank you." Saren said, as he pulled his pistol from it's clip.
In the half second between the self-inflicted gun-shot to the face and his death, Saren was himself. Completely free from the influence of Sovereign. It was not as comfortable a feeling as one would imagine. There was no feeling of peace before the darkness took him. Only guilt and regret.
Saren's body faltered, then fell through the glass of the green house below, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Nihlus approached the master control panel. His mind reeled at everything that had just happened. It was more than he had time to process just then. He punched buttons on the controls as Shepard ran up the pier. Vakarian went to revive T'Soni. She woke with a groan of pain. Garrus helped her to her feet and they joined Shepard and Kryik by the console. Shepard inserted the data Vigil had provided. A few seconds later the screen flashed confirmation of the control transfer.
"Vigil's data file worked." Kryik turned sharply to face Shepard. "I have control of all systems."
"Quick, open the stations arms. Maybe the fleet can take Sovereign down before he regains control of the station," Garrus advised.
"See if you can open a communications channel," suggested Liara.
Kryik activated his omni-tool, something he almost never used, and hit a few buttons. A fuzzy distress signal focused in over the communicator.
"... the Destiny Ascension. Main drives off line. Kinetic barriers at forty percent. The council is on board! I repeat, the Council is on board!"
Kryik paced as the message came through. If the Council was lost, they may end up like the Protheans after all. Then another signal filtered through.
"Normandy to the Citadel. Normandy to the Citadel... Please tell me that's you, Commander." Joker's voice was static over the radio.
Shepard brought up her own omni-tool. Kryik linked the signal to her.
"I'm here, Joker. How did you get here so fast?" Shepard answered him.
"It's a long story, I'll fill ya in later," Joker promised. "We caught that distress signal, Commander. I'm sitting here in the Anduras sector with the entire Arturas fleet. We can save the Ascension. Just unlock the relays around the Citadel and we'll send the calvary in."
"You can't throw away reinforcements trying to save the Council. Hold them back until the Citadel arms open and the human fleet can go after Sovereign," Garrus insisted. He wasn't a Spectre, but he had been C-Sec. He knew a thing or two about the value of back up.
"They are your people, Shepard. It's you're decision." Kryik nodded to her.
"What's the order, Commander?" Joker asked over the com.
Kryik watched her carefully. It was a real life application of the question he asked her long ago. Just because she loved him, didn't guarantee she would sacrifice other human lives for the Council, Spectre or not. She had the choice to save human lives at the expense of alien ones, or she could save the Council. Lives would certainly be lost, but the government of the Citadel would be spared. It was a decision that would effect all species.
Shepard closed her eyes to think. The council made her a Spectre, they were trying for humanity. As much as she hated their stubbornness to see this coming, if the leaders of the Citadel were taken out then the Reapers would have won this battle. Everyone, not just the Council races, would be weakened and in chaos. An easier target for the Reapers.
"I'm opening the relays now, Joker. We need to save the Ascension, if we can, but don't throw your life away." She said as she nodded to Kryik.
His chest filled with pride. She was every bit a Spectre, and every bit the woman he loved. Not because she was sending humans to their deaths, but because she was thinking of the greater good without prejudice just as she said she would. He quickly punched in the code.
Nihlus wasn't the only one proud of Sonya in that moment. Behind her both Garrus and Liara felt layers of complex emotions for their Commander, not the least of which was a breed of love.
Kryik couldn't see or hear the battle outside, but he was confident in the Normandy, and in Joker. The helmsman had proven his abilities to handle the ship. He walked to the end of the pier and looked down through the broken glass. Shepard and Vakarian followed behind him and peered over the edge to see Saren's body. Kryik tilted his head toward Shepard, not taking his eyes from Saren's body.
"Let's make sure he's dead." His words were hard. The strain in his voice carried an undertone of sadness.
Sonya put a reassuring hand on her bond mate's shoulder. She knew this had to be hard for him, but justice had been served... hadn't it? As she looked down at the body she wondered if any of them would have come out any better in his boots. She met Nihlus' gaze. There was so much turmoil in his eyes. She felt so much compassion for him. She was a bit surprised when he nudged his forehead to hers. She nuzzled him back before he pulled away and dropped down through the jagged hole to the glass littered garden below.
Vakarian and T'Soni followed Shepard as she dropped down to the green house floor. Kryik took several quick steps toward his target. His senses were heightened with the adrenaline pumping through his system. He could hear the swish of the grass under his feet, the crunch of the dirt. He could smell Saren's remains tainted with the sharp metal tang of his implants and cybernetics. He did not hesitate when he aimed his pistol at what was left of Saren's head and fired three rounds into the skull, one for each encounter that Saren had escaped a bullet from his gun. He watched the last bit of brain matter spray out onto the ground with a sickening wet sound.
"He's dead." He said flatly, unsure about how he felt about that now. Unsure if he felt anything at all about it.
They started to walk away. The override would only last for so long and they still had to stop Sovereign. The ships outside were attacking it, but if they could find another way to help, then that is what they would do. Suddenly the ground shook violently beneath their feet. Red flashes of light flickered on the walls. They turned back to see Saren's body convulsing and screaming as arches of red energy electrified the implants. An explosion knocked them to the ground. The pier shook loose and fell to the ground. Kryik recovered the quickest, in time to see the flesh of Saren burn to ash while the body continued screaming. A new, synthetic creature arose from the remains with glowing red eyes. Kryik's skin crawled under his plates. As terrifying as it was to watch, it was only a machine. The man had died long before the bullet ended the firing of synapses in his brain. The creature, the machine, crouched to the ground like a giant geth hopper and jumped to the support beams over head. He loaded his gun with tungsten rounds. The others were doing the same. He had a feeling they would need them.
"I am Sovereign." The abomination growled in the flanging tone of a turian voice, but it was wrong; mechanical. "And this station is mine."
'Sovereign' moved with an un-natural speed. The movement's themselves were aberrant to the point of creating a sense of fear in the mind. He jumped from floor to beam to wall all around the room firing red lasers or blasts of plasma at them.
"Scatter, divide his attention!" Kryik shouted the command, "Flank it!"
Kryik took cover and fired on Sovereign, but it was too fast. Most of his shots missed. Shepard tossed grenades and caught it with the debris, but the blast did little damage. Liara was alight with blue flame firing warp blasts or shotgun rounds from her hip. Vakarian used his omni-tool to try and overload it's systems. When an attack hit, it seemed to do some damage, but that was the problem; hitting the damn thing.
"Hold still and let me kill you, you fucking son of a bitch!" Shepard screamed at it.
Garrus fired concussive shots whenever Sovereign paused before making a jump. Liara nailed it with her shotgun. She had been favoring that weapon since their arrival on the mutilated Citadel.
"My shields are down!"
Shepard heard Garrus from the end of the room.
"Take cover until they are restored! Shepard, give him cover fire!" ordered Kryik.
Shepard took an opportunity to fire several rounds into Sovereign as he scuttled across the floor. It was headed for Garrus. Shepard mind went blank. Her body acted on its own as she ran for the synthetic at full force, tackling him like she was intercepting a touch down. She screamed at it while she got in a few good hits with the but of her rifle before it flung her to the ground and jumped to a wall.
The force with which she'd been thrown knocked the wind out of her. She didn't have time to lay there and recover. She tried to force herself to get up. She couldn't. Her body wouldn't respond. Stars spotted her vision. Her shields took several hits. She was down and Sovereign knew it.
Garrus and Liara were firing. Garrus' shields were back online. Shepard felt a set of strong talons grab her under each arm and drag her behind some temporary cover. Kryik's face appeared over hers. She looked up into his white painted face, his green eyes intently on her.
"Shepard, are you alright?" Kryik asked her, a flash of anxiety crossed his face. "You need to get up!"
He could see she couldn't breath, but with her armor on he wasn't sure what he could do about it. He fired three shots over the boulder they were hiding behind and then returned his attention to Shepard.
Sonya heard Nihlus' deep reverberating tones echoing above her as from a great distance. She realized she had shell shock. It would take time for her hearing to return.
"Sonya, get up. Open your lungs and breath." Nihlus wasn't shouting or frantic. His command was soothing. She thought she could feel his hand over her chest. Suddenly something in her chest released and air rushed into her lungs. She sat up coughing.
"Commander!" Garrus shouted, "Nice of you to join us! Do you think you can help us out here?"
Shepard grabbed her gun and fired at the abomination on the wall. She rolled out of the way in time to miss being vaporized by three plasma bursts.
"Fire, fire, fire!" Kryik shouted.
They threw everything they had left at Sovereign. It was unclear who took the final shot as the body crumpled to the ground and disintegrated in red fiery embers. Outside there was a deafening explosion that shook the ground. Kryik's eyes shot to the window. Something very large and back was falling straight for them.
"GO!" He shouted to his team, pushing Shepard toward Vakarian.
That was all he had time for before the mass broke through the glass and slammed into the tower. It overwhelmed him before he could get out of the way. He rolled onto his back and found a darker area of the debris. It could be a hole, or it could be a protrusion. He would find out soon enough. He was dead if he didn't do something now. Kryik threw himself under the dark area as the tentacle of Sovereign crashed to the ground. Something metal hit him hard in the ribs, knocking him several meters from where he intended to land. He had time to feel the pain before blackness took him.
Alarms sounded all over the Citadel. The smell of smoke was heavy in the air. He herd movement. Suddenly a blinding light was shining on his face. A white haired human was saying something he couldn't understand. His head ached, his body was in pain. He was pretty sure his arm or something was broken. His nostrils burned with ash and the smell of the fire. The human helped him to his feet. Another human ducked under the wreckage. He recognized him. Something about being someone's son. A Captain. Anderson. It was Captain Anderson. It all came flooding back. Anderson was saying it was okay. That he was safe and everything was going to be alright. But it wouldn't be. Garrus glanced down where Shepard was curled up on the ground. He vaguely remembered dragging her away from the wreckage that had crushed Kryik as she tried to get to the Spectre, then getting hit with debris themselves. He thought he remembered holding her in the darkness, comforting her through her tears. He was pretty sure he'd been unconscious. Maybe it was a dream.
Anderson made his way over to Shepard. He firmly grabbed her shoulder. "Shepard, wake up," he waited a few seconds. "Shepard!" He saw her eyes flutter open, then helped her sit up. Her cheeks were stained with dirt and tears. An uneasy feeling settled in his gut. "Where's Nihlus?" Anderson asked her in earnest, fearing he already knew the answer.
Sonya sat in mild shock. She saw the arm of Sovereign hit him, knock him to the ground as it crashed on top of him. He pushed her out of the way into Garrus' arms. The turian Spectre who had taken down Saren. The turian who loved a human. Her friend. Her bond mate.
"Where is Nihlus?" Anderson asked her again, more gently.
Sonya's heart was in the pit of her stomach. She looked toward the arm of the ship, Sovereign, that had claimed his life. She knew her hope was futile, but she hoped anyway, offering a silent prayer to the spirits. She had no experience with prayer, and she wasn't turian. She hoped that neither was a prerequisite for an answer to her pleas.
Kryik was on the ground. He could breath. He sat up slowly, his talons dragging over the soft feel of grass. He opened his eyes and looked around at the a vast open space of rolling hills and bright blue sky. Wisps of white clouds floated over head like brush strokes in a picture painted by a god. A light wind whipped the tall grasses around him. His skin was warmed by the light in the sunless sky. He tried to move and pain shot up one arm. He winced and cradled it to his chest. It was probably broken.
"It is not you're time, Nihlus Kryik." A deep voice echoed to him seemingly from nowhere and everywhere. It seemed vaguely familiar.
"You will meet death with your eyes open. Today is not that day."
"Who's out there? Show yourself!" He shouted, squinting his eyes against the brightness that seemed to be getting brighter. He grabbed for his pistol. His efforts were met by his bare skin. He realized with shock that he was nude.
"The Reapers have other ways to leave dark space. You must stop them. Be strong and bold. Have no fear or dread of them." The voice answered. "Evening has not yet passed over you. The glow of dawn still shines on your face. Find strength in the love that comforts you."
Nihlus' features softened and his brow furrowed. The reply reminded him of his father and of the poems he used to read to him. Nihlus stood up quickly, his heart beat hard in his chest as he searched the high grasses for the figure that spoke and answered to the the wind, "I must bear my destiny as best I can, knowing well that there is no resisting the strength of necessity."
The light grew ever brighter. Nihlus had to shield his eyes with his free arm, still trying to glimpse a silhouette of the one who had spoken.
Kryik woke. He could see the lights of the Citadel above him. The burning scent of ash and fire was in the air. He heard voices shouting. A shooting pain electrified his arm. He cradled it to his stomach as he slowly sat up. It was broken. He grabbed onto a secure looking piece of metal to pull himself to his feet. The metal was cold and smooth to the touch, very unlike earth warmed by the sun. Something in the back of his mind tickled, like a memory he couldn't quite recall. More shouting pulled him back to reality. He had to get out from under the wreckage. He found a foot hold and ran up an incline of mangled metal and wires still sparking with the last of a power surge.
Anderson helped Shepard stand as two more supported Vakarian as he started to hobble away from the wreckage. Two more were assisting Dr. T'Soni from where she lay injured. Anderson took one last look at the black metal mass in the center of the chamber. He was about to look away when he thought he saw something. Anderson narrowed his eyes, then opened them wide with surprise. It was Spectre Kryik. Tough son-of-a-bitch made it. Well, good. Sonya will be happy and they could use his help.
Sonya couldn't believe her eyes. Her respect and admiration for Nihlus grew ten fold in that moment. Her spirits soared, her heart beat in her chest as if it would run to him if it could. Sonya couldn't keep the smile from spreading over her face as he made his way down the wreckage seemingly unscathed save a broken arm.
Sonya, Liara and Garrus were all standing below him. They were alive. Sonya looked to Garrus over her shoulder, then back to him. She was smiling. Nihlus smiled back. He was glad his friends had survived, glad he hand survived, and most of all that Sonya was safe. He owed Garrus a great debt for watching over her for him. A great debt.