A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far, guys, it's always nice to hear some feedback.
NeoDeus: Yes, I am going to keep at this, it's rather fun to write...
The blast from the Crucible was truly cataclysmic. Watching on from the Normandy's cockpit, Garrus let out a low whistle. The fireball that surrounded their superweapon was an intense, white-hot mass that tore through the swarm of Reapers around it – not a single one was left intact when the flames finally subsided, just a huge swathe of obsidian and steel, scrapped remnants of the Reapers and the Crucible mingling together as a few secondary explosions rocked what was left of the superstructure, and flames began to tear dangerously along the Citadel arms.
"Orizaba, this is Normandy... Hackett, are you there?" Joker asked, sounding rather panicked. The ships that had fired on the Crucible had been on the very edge of the blast, and the flames had swept amongst them.
"We're in one piece," Hackett muttered, between coughs, and Joker's shoulders sagged visibly in relief. "Power systems are fried, and... one of the salarians ships is dust. But we're okay... I'm still not sure how that actually worked."
"The Reapers had to compromise their mass effect fields to land on the Crucible," EDI surmised, from the co-pilot's seat. "Similar to the effect of a planetary descent... Combined with the sheer amount of energy contained within the Crucible's core, the blast was easily sufficient to eliminate them."
"Thank God..." Hackett sighed. "But this isn't over yet. We're limping, but we'll get back in the fight."
"Copy that," Joker muttered. "Give us a target, Admiral, we'll join in..."
"Negative." Everyone in the cockpit started with surprise at that. "I understand Shepard is wounded?"
"Critical," EDI corrected.
"Then get him out of the system. I just had to destroy our biggest asset – I want to ask that son of a bitch why when this is all over..."
"Alright," Joker nodded, reluctantly – he didn't like the tone of anger in Hackett's voice, not when it was directed at Shepard. "Where do we go from here?"
"Anywhere there aren't Reapers," the Admiral replied, and Garrus watched EDI and Joker share a knowing look, as Hackett faded to static.
"Where are we going?" Garrus asked, as Joker set the Normandy lurching away from Earth.
"The only place the Reapers don't need," the pilot replied. "EDI, set course for Widow..."