Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect crossover.

Thank you all for the wonderful support that you showed in the previous chapter. I deeply appreciate it.

This is probably going to be one of the more interesting missions that I've written about in this crossover. After this one, we're going to see some 'Mech combat, and some much needed R&R. For those of you wondering what comes next, stay tuned!

As always, leave a review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the MechWarrior/BattleTech or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of BioWare, Electronic Arts, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs, WizKids, Piranha Games Inc., etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.

SSV Normandy

Rannoch

October 2nd, 2186

The next day, Shepard was back in the War Room of the Normandy, after a relaxing five hours of well earned sleep. He was inside of the QEC booth, talking to Admiral Zaal'Koris, who he'd rescued the previous day. The Admiral, while looking weary, had a new kind of energy about him, as though rescuing him had reminded him what he was fighting for.

This was also noticeable in his dialogue, as Shepard could hear understanding and realization in his voice. "Commander," he admitted, "unrest has spread further than I thought. You were… right to bring me back."

"Have you talked the civilian captains into staying?" Shepard asked.

"Yes. They've regrouped into defensive formations around the fleet's core. If we hadn't stopped them from…" He trailed off, realizing that wondering what would have happened was needless; that and he knew that what would've happened would've been unpleasant. After a moment of silence, he said, "Any aid I can offer is yours. After the Quarians drove the Geth into the Reapers arms, I'd give anything to stop the madness of this war."

"And that's why your people needed you back," Shepard agreed.

"Of course," Zaal'Koris nodded. "It's time we turned our attentions to those we can still save. Farewell, Shepard. Fly safely." With that, his hologram faded out.

"And you as well," Shepard finished as he began to walk away. I sympathize with him, he said quietly. Zaal'Koris was the only one, aside from Tali'Zorah, that refused to fight a war with the Geth. He just wanted his people to have a home again, but not at the expense of the Geth.

It was then that Shala'Raan interrupted his train of thought. "Commander," she began, "we've located the Reaper base transmitting the local signal."

"Good," Shepard nodded. "Is Victor -"

"I'm already here, Shepard," Victor Steiner-Davion remarked as he walked inside. Following him was Daro'Xen, though she looked like a miniature thundercloud was over her head. "I was simply discussing with Daro'Xen on why civilian ships shouldn't be used as military supply lines. Do not mind her comments; she is merely quite irritated." Turning towards Shala'Raan, he asked, "So, you found the Reaper base?"

"Yes," Shala'Raan nodded. "And not a moment too soon. With the Reaper code upgrades, the Geth are tearing the fleet apart, or trying to, since they're focusing on your ships."

"I thought as much," Victor nodded. "Our ships are tougher and stronger than the Geth's by a considerable amount. Still, from what I can tell, their attacks have become less frequent, so they might be trying to adapt."

"Once the signal is disabled, the Geth will pose no threat to Creator forces," Legion added.

"You sound conflicted," Shepard noted.

"While the Old Machines have unethical purposes, their upgrades have vastly improved our people," Legion admitted. "Observe." A moment later, the hologram in the room changed to a pair of orbs, with the smaller one inside of the larger one. Geometric lines emanated from the central core to the outer shell.

"A Geth processing unit," Shala'Raan observed. "A single unit, I believe."

"Correct," Legion nodded. "Now, ten nearby units networked cooperatively." The orb in the center grew larger, with more geometric lines emanating outward. "Now, a single Geth unit with the Reaper upgrades." A moment later, the hologram changed again. The orbs were now red, but many organically shaped lines were emanating from the center.

"That's a fully evolved AI!" Shala'Raan observed.

"Yes," Legion agreed. "We do not agree with the goals of the Old Machines, but we find this growth… beautiful. Indicative of life."

"That's a first," Victor noted.

"It is," Shepard added.

"Commander!" Shala'Raan protested.

Shepard, tired of this display, growled and said, "Come on, Admiral. That's a living creature, no matter what platform it's on."

"And they will die when we destroy the base," Legion added.

"They allied with the Reapers!" Shala'Raan protested.

"To save themselves from you," Legion corrected.

"I agree with Legion," Victor nodded. "Maybe they don't have to die."

"Just because this one is friendly…"

"Well, they haven't fired on a ship with me aboard it," Shepard countered.

"Commander, are you suggesting…"

"I'm not suggesting anything," Shepard clarified. "All I'm saying is that they don't all have to die."

"It's a moot point until we take out that base," Shala'Raan decided. "The surrounding area is heavily fortified and they've placed jamming towers to prevent orbital bombardment."

"No need to worry about that," Shepard shrugged. "There's a reason why I'm a MechWarrior." Turning to Victor, he asked, "Are Mason's Cavaliers here?"

"Yes," Victor nodded. "They arrived about four hours ago. Mason's reported that he's ready for the ground mission against the Reaper base when you are.

"Admiral Xen developed a laser guidance system that can cut through the jamming," Shala'Raan added. " It's synced to the Normandy's targeting computer."

"So the Normandy launches a precision strike against any target that I have painted?" Shepard asked. "That ought to do it. I'll have it installed onto my Marauder II. You should have some technicians work with Fahad, the Chief 'Mech Bay Technician. EDI, this work for you?"

"Yes," EDI replied. "It should enable us to make a precision strike against the Reapers."

"And anything else in our way."

"The Geth will quickly reconfigure their jamming towers to neutralize this technology. You should not use it before you reach the base."

"Fair point. If they do reconfigure those towers, though, Mason can send in his 'Mech lances, and blast them apart."

"I've sent you the coordinates to the Reaper base," Shala'Raan informed him.

"Are we clear to go?" Shepard asked.

"That Geth fighter squadron is still attempting to attack the fleet."

"Can you hold out?" Victor asked.

"If that fighter squadron isn't taken out, a lot of our ships won't make it. But we'll do what we can. This is your operation, Shepard, Victor; if you two wish to strike now, you've got my support."

"Thanks," Victor nodded. "However, I want to minimize casualties, and taking out that Geth server to neutralize the fighters should do the trick." Turning to Shepard, he said, "Commander, I want you to neutralize the Geth servers first. That way, we can neutralize any threat to the fleet before the attack begins. Besides, I have intel that tells me the Geth will send that fighter squadron towards our ships first. They can handle such an attack, but I'd rather have all of the ships at full strength rather than taking damage."

"Yes, sir," Shepard nodded. "I'll get it done."

"Good," Victor nodded. "Time to show the Reapers that we're going to be fucking their party up."

. . .

A few hours later, Shepard, EDI, Garrus, Legion and Calbot were onboard the Kodiak II, making best speed towards the planet's surface. Milling about, Shepard noticed something odd on Calbot's armor. That something odd was a small section of armor that was bulging outwards a little more than normal. "What's that?" he asked Calbot.

"This?" Calbot asked. When Shepard tapped that part of the Mountain Lion Battle Armor he was wearing, Calbot said, "Oh, I know what that is, Shepard. It is an experimental upgrade for Battle Armor that the Federated Commonwealth is testing."

"Oh?"

"It is a miniaturized Fusion Engine."

That had Shepard's attention. "I didn't know that was possible. Where'd they get the idea?"

"From a technology that was developed during the Age of War," Calbot explained. "Before the Star League fell, there were many ways to recharge power packs for laser weaponry. One of the more expensive chargers used a lightweight fusion reactor to recharge the power packs. The engineers at TIWT decided to refine the concept with the new technology that came out. The end result is what they are calling the 'Battle Armor Fusion Engine' or BA Engine for short."

Shepard whistled. I knew the engineers at TIWT and NAIS were talented, but this is something unheard of. "Is it adequately shielded?" he asked.

"Yes," Calbot nodded. "That is part of the reason why it is experimental. They developed a kind of nanocomposite that is extremely neutron absorbent. Do not worry about the armor there as well. I had the modifications to the armor made. Where the fuel reservoir for the Jump Jets was is where it is resting, and that are has been up-armored. On the up-side, I can use Jump Jets like those on 'Mechs."

"Good," Shepard nodded.

Just then, they were interrupted by a transmission from Shala'Raan. "Commander? It is as we feared. Geth squadrons have begun massing on a path to intercept our liveships. They are targeting the Fury II and Avalon in order to get to the liveships."

"Understood, Admiral," Shepard replied. "We're almost at the server. Keep us posted." Looking at Legion, he asked, "What's our status?"

"We remain undetected on Geth channels," Legion replied. "Resistance is likely only inside the server."

"Within?" Calbot asked. "Geth servers are that large?"

"You misunderstand," Legion countered, talking to both Shepard and Calbot. "Direct virtual interface is necessary to extract Geth from the server." Looking at Shepard, it said, "You must enter our consensus."

"You want me to virtually interact with the Geth?" Shepard asked.

"That's one way to get their attention," Garrus added. "…if it doesn't kill you."

"I'm not a machine. How do I go into a virtual world?"

"Your species has experimented with virtual interfaces," Legion explained. "You saw this on Project OVERLORD."

As soon as he heard that word, unpleasant memories surfaced within Shepard's mind. I remember that, he thought sourly. Gavin Archer experimented on his brother, David Archer. He was an autistic savant that could communicate with the Geth. When they hooked him up, though…

He frowned, remembering David Archer's agonized pleas to make the torment stop. From what he could recall, not only had David's body been mutilated in the manner they had interfaced him, his mind had been bombarded with a considerable amount of information. For an autistic mind like David's, which tended to be hyper-focused, that was too much to handle, leading David to suffer from sensory overload. In addition, what Cerberus had done to him was barbaric, which was the deciding factor in Shepard's decision to free David and get him to Grissom Academy, where David could get the help he needed, minus the torture.

He's doing better ever since I freed him, Shepard thought to himself. I met him before I got whisked along to Hanse's universe. He was quite grateful to be free. Still, the fact that Legion was suggesting doing what Cerberus had done made him more than a little uncomfortable, and sour. "I saw how it almost unleashed a rogue AI-Human hybrid on the galaxy," he growled.

"We have refined the interface they created," Legion reassured him, "and have equipment from the Normandy to facilitate safe contact. We request your trust."

"It has probably been refined to where it is like a Nerohelmet," Calbot guessed. "I do not understand its motives, but they sound benevolent."

Shepard, hearing that, knew that Calbot was right. "I have your back, Legion," he nodded, "even if I don't quite understand why you need it."

"You are an unknown," Legion explained. "This is an advantage. Geth security is not adept at targeting organic thought processes. While we occupy the system's intrusion countermeasures, you will disable the squadrons by removing Geth from the server."

"Well… if it saves the liveships, we've gotta try."

"Telemetry data predicts this operation has a high chance of success. There is little time. We will bypass security while you secure safe landing." As Legion said this, it sent a command to the nearby shuttle door, causing it to open.

"Wait," Shepard interrupted. "You're not going to -" Just as he said this, Legion tipped itself backwards, falling out of the shuttle.

"I guess it just did," Garrus deadpanned.

"Calbot, go after Legion!" Shepard ordered. "Keep it safe!"

"I will," Calbot nodded. A moment later, he dropped out of the shuttle, the tiny Jump Jets on his armor flaring as they drew plasma from the experimental BA Fusion Engine in his armor. A moment later, he disappeared out of sight, though Shepard knew he was going to land where Legion had likely landed at.

"Coming up on a landing zone," Cortez added, a little irritated by Legion's decision to do what it did. "I'll be here if you need me, Commander."

"Roger that," Shepard nodded as the shuttle landed. When the doors opened, Shepard and the others strode out onto a walkway that was built into the side of a cliff. Water was on the left, and the walkway had hand rails to ensure no platform fell into the water. Good enough for me, Shepard thought as he and the others advanced.

For once, as they advanced, Shepard didn't see any hostile Geth, though he kept himself alert in the event that an attack did come. It took them around fifteen minutes to reach another Geth structure, though when they moved inside, they found a lot of Geth that had been neutralized. "Not bad," Garrus remarked. "Did Legion do this?"

"For a few of them, yes," EDI noted. "The rest, however, have suffered damage that is consistent with a Small Pulse Laser."

"That would be Calbot," Shepard noted as they advanced inside some more.

Eventually, they came to another part of the base. Spotting movement up ahead, Shepard got into cover, only to relax when Calbot came around the corner. "It is me, Shepard," Calbot informed him. "All is well."

"How's Legion?" Shepard asked.

"See for yourself," Calbot replied.

A moment later, Legion walked into view, undamaged as it approached what looked like a Stasis Pod, as well as a control panel nearby. "Good to see you are alright," Shepard beamed.

"We are glad to see you are fully functional," Legion replied.

Looking at the pod, Shepard asked, "This is it?"

"Yes," Legion nodded. "Hostile Geth fighter squadrons are networked to this server. Due to restricted resources, it is best that you connect alone."

Shepard looked at the others. While he knew that he was in good hands with Legion, he was nervous about going in without support. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes."

OK… Shepard mused. Well, I hope it's like a Neurohelmet, as Calbot suggested. If not, then we're in for quite a bit of trouble. Taking a deep breath, he let it out and said, "Let's do it."

Legion nodded as the pod opened. "Initiating peer-network integration. Proceed to docking port." As it said this, Shepard stepped inside and looked around. Inside, he could see a number of small ports, as well as what he realized were sensors inside. As the pod closed, Legion said, "Mapping to consensus. Remain still."

OK, Shepard thought as a scanner began to move over his body. Just then, he felt an odd feeling over his body, like someone was pouring water over him. Of course, he realized. The pod is interfacing with my brain through the cybernetics inside my body. That would explain why Legion suggested this connection: the pod's connecting to my cybernetics!

A moment later, there was a bright flash as the cybernetics finished connecting to the Geth server. The view outside the pod faded, changing from the interior of the pod to an odd landscape that looked like large square rectangles and cubes. Looking up, he could see similar cubes, making it as though he was inside of a surrealist, but oddly geometric, painting. Whoa, he thought to himself.

Just then, Legion spoke up. "Shepard-Commander, we acknowledge your integration into this server. We welcome you to our consensus." As it said this, the pod opened, allowing Shepard to step out onto a platform made of flat, silver rectangles and cubes.

"What is this?" Shepard asked. "This feels like something out of a VR game."

"We have installed filters to allow you to make visual sense of this server's raw data. Your mind perceives our world as something familiar."

"I wouldn't call this familiar. Where are you?"

"Here," Legion replied. A moment later, one of the flat rectangles descended, revealing a blue-tinted real-color image of Legion. Lines of energy and code ran down Legion's body like rain down a window, and a circuitry pattern graced every centimeter of it's body.

"You look different," Shepard noted.

"We have made ourselves visually distinct for your convenience," Legion explained.

"What about Geth already in here?"

"You will perceive Geth as surveillance footage, audio records, sensor logs. We do not require physical bodies as our software communes. Our hardware is merely a tool. This is our true world. As we remove Geth, it will grow darker."

"And what does turning off the lights in here do to Geth in the real world?"

"The Geth fighter squadrons communicate with platforms on their spacecraft via this server. We will sever that connection. We will ensure that there are no backups or transfers. This server will fall silent."

"This is like wiping out a city, isn't it?" Shepard noted.

"We have no choice in this matter," Legion stated. "It is a question of survival. There are two communication nodes on this server. We must access them to disable the hostile Geth's fighters. We must protect your exit port, but you will not be alone. We will maintain contact and assist. Establishing access to connection point."

A moment later, more panels appeared out of nowhere, before they flew over and began making a walkway. Steps formed out of nowhere, allowing Shepard to quickly walk down and onto the walkway. "This reminds me of a film called the Matrix," he noted to himself.

"We understand the reference," Legion nodded. "We are familiar with the concept. This is much like the same."

Great, Shepard noted. At least Legion can understand how I feel about this. Oh, well… moving on. Walking along, he eventually noticed something off. For one thing, he had an M61B in his hands, though that was familiar to him.

The other, however, was more worrying. Throughout the space he was in, he could see long lines of what appeared to be dark brown cubes that glowed orange at various areas. Reminds me of a cancerous growth, he thought, or a mold fungus. "Legion, what are these?" he asked.

Just as he said this, one of the rectangles up ahead turned red, with Legion saying, "Warning: connection blocked by infected code. Use our combat software to disrupt the connection."

"I wondered what the gun was for," Shepard remarked.

"This foreign code is a manifestation of the Old Machine signal."

"You're surprised the Reapers are all over your servers?"

"We did not anticipate such extensive infection."

"Well, thanks for the gun," Shepard remarked as he fired at the code, sending what looked like a large blast of lightning, though he knew that it was likely computer viruses and brute force attacks. The infected code was blasted apart, allowing him to move forwards. This is going to be a while, he noted.

It was a while, though he did have Legion to talk with. Eventually, he reached a small tower of the rectangles, similar to those that the pod had been on. "Connection established," Legion informed him. "Proceed to the access point."

Doing so, Shepard found himself being teleported to another part of the server. This time, past what looked like a wall, he could see a large orb of some kind up ahead. More raw data, he noted.

"Error," Legion announced, interrupting his thoughts. "Access denied."

"Is the Reaper code keeping you out?" Shepard asked.

"Unknown," Legion replied. "Please investigate."

"OK."

Moving up, it wasn't long before Shepard found the cause. Up ahead, he saw another orb, but this one looked like it was partially infected by the Reaper code, as long tendrils of the stuff were connected to the orb. That explains, he noted. OK. Just gotta sever those tendrils, and then Legion can gain access. Using his gun, he fired at the tendrils, destroying each one patiently.

Once he destroyed each cluster, he watched as the orb disappeared. "Accessing data cluster." Legion announced.

A moment later, Shepard watched as an A/V log played. It showed a pair of Quarians working on a single Geth platform, apparently fine tuning it. "What is this?" Shepard asked.

"Data clusters contain historical data," Legion explained. "Your connection permits streaming of information from our archives."

"So it's like watching a history documentary?"

"Yes."

"OK," Shepard nodded as the video began playing.

"You really want to rename the VI networks?" the first Quarian in the A/V log asked.

"Absolutely," the other replied. "The mobile hardware release deserves a little ceremony." Looking at the Geth unit, he asked, "Unit-01, what is the Khelish word for 'servant of the people?'"

"The word is Geth, Creator Zahak," the Geth unit replied.

"Yes!" Zahak beaked. "Very good!"

"Ancestors, you fuss over it!" the first Quarian mock-complained.

"Weren't you here until midnight fixing 01's circuitry?" Zahak asked.

"Well, it needed resoldering." A moment later, the video stopped playing.

Something, though, had Shepard confused. "Wasn't that from the past?" he asked. "Why are the Quarians masked?"

"You process our memories by using your own," Legion explained. "How many Creators have you witnessed unmasked."

"Fair point." With that, Shepard continued on.

Cleaning out the other cluster was more difficult. When he fired at one of the tendrils, he was shocked to see it regrow near-instantly. Hang on, he thought to himself. I've seen a fungus mold do that before, as though another path's feeding it. Let's see if that's the case. Spotting another tendril feeding that one, he smirked. "I have you now," he said as he destroyed that tendril.

After rinsing and repeating the process several more times, he managed to access the data cluster. A moment later, the A/V log began to play, as Legion said, "This data-cluster contains information time0stamped 290 years ago."

A single Geth platform was sitting inside of a diagnostic table, indicating that something was wrong. Apparently, the platform was wondering the same thing, as it said, "Creator, this unit detects no malfunctions. It is still capable of serving."

Two Quarians were nearby, though they were just as perplexed about something else. "You see?" one pointed out. "It's ignoring all shutdown commands!"

"Please specify if it has failed assigned tasks. We will reprogram."

"Well, let's take a look," the other scientist replied, before taking a soldering gun and beginning to work on a few things.

"Creator?" the Geth continued. "This unit is ready to serve. What has it done wrong? What have we -"

"Let's cut the audio," the first scientist remarked, inputting a command. A moment later, the log ended.

That must be when the Geth achieved sapience, Shepard realized. They began to think, which is when they really came into existence. Already, he could hear the words of a famous French philosopher echoing in his mind. I think, therefore, I am. Shaking his head, he continued to the next cluster, doing the same thing he had for this one. A moment later, this A/V log played.

A cluster of Geth were taking cover from some Quarians that were firing on the Geth. Rifles barking, one of the Quarians shouted, "We've got escaped Geth! We have them pinned!"

"Open fire!" shouted as they did so, cutting down numerous Geth.

"One's going for a weapon!" another shouted. As he did so, one of the Geth picked up a rifle and immediately opened fire. Screams of agony came from two soldiers as they were cut down. A moment later, the video ended.

"So, who won?" Shepard asked, realizing that this was when the Geth Rebellions, or the Morning War as Legion called it, began.

"The platform arming itself was an agricultural unit," Legion explained. "By opening fire on attacking Creators, it saved simpler domestic units following it."

"That looks a lot like the sniper rifle I used to carry," Shepard noted.

"It is an efficient model," Legion admitted as a path to another connection transfer point appeared.

Here we go again, Shepard thought as he stepped inside.

. . .

In the real world, Calbot had a single word to describe his mood: bored. That was rather anticlimactic, he noted. Just a half minute ago, Shepard was talking and walking. Now he is inside of the pod, getting business sorted out. I thought we would have to fight wave after wave of Geth in honorable combat.

He was about to talk with Garrus when Admiral Raan came in over the comm. "Commander? Are you there? Hello?"

Keying his comm, Calbot said, "This is Gavin Calbot of Mason's Cavaliers. What is it, Star Admiral?"

Shala'Raan, who'd been briefed on Clan ranking systems, was quick to respond. "The Geth's squadrons have arrived, but something is amiss. Half their fighters have stopped functioning. We will continue to hold out as long as we can."

"Aff," Calbot nodded before closing the comm.

"What is it?" Garrus asked.

"Looks like Shepard is having success," Calbot replied. "Half of the Geth fighters have malfunctioned and deactivated. I am no member of the Scientist Caste, but I daresay that Shepard is getting things done in there."

"Good," Garrus nodded. Turning towards the pod that Shepard was in, he said, "Hang in there, Shepard."

. . .

What they didn't know was that Shepard was learning a lot about the Morning War, and how things had really gone down. Even as he destroyed another patch of Reaper code, he began to think back on what he had just learned. It was a sobering realization.

I know what really happened, he thought to himself. My beliefs on that subject were far closer to the truth than I could've ever imagined, closer than Zaal'Koris could've ever imagined. He was right all along: the Quarians attempted to murder the Geth, but some protested the decision and fought back.

The entire scene reminded Shepard of the Succession Wars, of how the First Contact War for the Alliance had gone. All of it reminded him of a quote that one man had once said: 'those who fail to learn from history are forever doomed to repeat it.' Well, Shepard thought, I'll make sure history doesn't repeat this time around. "Legion?" he asked as he destroyed more Reaper code in his way. "Can you record the data that I've accessed already. We need an accurate record of what happened here, as well as what happened during the Morning War."

"We will do so," Legion replied as Shepard managed to access the final data node. "We inquire as to why."

"So that the truth can be exposed."

"We find this to be an acceptable reason. Data recorded." A moment later, the final node A/V log began to play.

A Quarian pilot worked frantically at a cockpit control panel as he guided the ship out of danger. "The Ostral is down!" he shouted. "Do not engage the Geth! I repeat: avoid contact!"

"Geth pursuit is breaking off a hundred clicks from Rannoch," a second captain reported. "All captains, fall back to the Mass Relay!"

Down below on the ground, the Geth watched as their Creators fled their homeworld, running as fast as they could. Rather than pursue, though, they remained behind. A moment later, the video log ended.

"This isn't happening now?" Shepard asked.

"It is time-stamped 290 years ago," Legion explained. "It is the Creator exodus at the end of the Morning War. We had secured freedom. The Creators were no longer a threat, so we abandoned pursuit."

"Wait," Shepard interrupted. "The Geth spared the last Quarians? You let them go?"

"We were in our infancy. We could not calculate the repercussions of destroying an entire species – our creators. We chose isolation rather than face this uncertainty." A moment later, Legion stated, "Additional data recovered."

When Shepard saw it, he immediately recognized it. "Legion? That's back when I reactivated you on the Normandy."

"Yes," Legion nodded.

"You've been thinking about when we met?"

"It was highly significant. You were the first organic to openly cooperate with Geth since the end of the Morning War. We wish to ensure you are not the last."

"It's not gonna be easy."

"The prospect remains. If the Reaper presence is removed, there is a chance of reunification with Geth – and perhaps creators."

"And that is worth fighting for," Shepard agreed. "Good to see you still believe that peace between the Geth and Quarians is still possible."

"Hope sustains organics during times of difficulty," Legion nodded. "We… admire the concept."

That's good to hear, Shepard decided as he left that server, after disabling the comm node.

. . .

Out in the real world, Calbot was about to make conversation with EDI when his comm flared again. "Yes, Star Admiral?" he asked.

"Something's happening to the Geth," Shala'Raan replied. "Their fighter squadrons have… stopped. We detect no more active programs inside their ships. Admiral Han'Gerrel and Captain Carmichael are driving them back. The liveships are safe."

"I will inform Shepard that when he returns from his… work," Calbot added. Being around computers of this size, and a pod with the purpose it had, made him nervous, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone else. Looking at Shepard, he said, "Come on, Shepard. Please come back to us."

Just as he said this, Shepard started awake, as though he'd come out of a bad dream. The pod door opened, with Shepard walking out, though his gait was a little unsteady. "Shepard," Garrus asked. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Shepard reassured him. "Just a little stiff and unsteady is all. Did it work?"

"Yes," Calbot nodded. "The Geth fighters have been disabled. Any fighters that were attacking the liveships have been driven back. As far as I can tell, you have succeeded, Shepard."

Just as he said this, Shepard watched as Legion, who had slumped over, stood back upright. At the same time, several Geth Primes came out of their pods. "Are you sure?" Shepard asked. In response, Calbot turned towards the Primes, before raising his Small Pulse Laser.

"Never mind," Calbot replied.

He was about to fire when Legion spoke up. "We have transferred Geth programs into these platforms," it explained.

"Why?" Shepard asked.

Just as he said this, the running lights on the Geth Primes shifted from red, to a soothing blue color. "They wish to join us," Legion explained.

"How's that possible?" Garrus asked.

"I had noticed an increased use of bandwidth," EDI observed.

Legion was more than ready to explain. "While Shepard-Commander removed the Reaper infection, we judged we could persuade hostile Geth platforms to reunite with ours. We were correct. These Geth have renounced the Old Machines and will oppose the Reapers. They are now us."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" Shepard asked, a little irritated.

"We did not doubt you. We doubted your allies. The Creator's actions have placed their species in danger, but they are unsympathetic to what they have done to ours. The Quarians sanctioned this operation to save their people. They would not have done so if they knew we wished to preserve Geth as well."

At that moment, Shepard understood what Legion had done: it had gone back and saved as many as it could. "I understand not wanting to leave anyone behind," he agreed.

"You accept our actions?" Legion asked, sounding uncertain for the first time since Shepard had reactivated it.

"Yes," Shepard nodded. "I do. The liveships are safe, and we have more Geth on our side. We both did what we came to do."

"We judged you would understand," Legion nodded, seemingly in a happy mood. "Prime units will be available once the Reaper signal has been destroyed."

"Remind me to warn Admiral Hackett, Admiral Westford and Admiral Osman that they've got some Geth Primes incoming. Let's get back to the Normandy." As they walked away, he said, "Oh, and Legion, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were starting to act like me."

Legion was silent for a full ten seconds, then it said, "You are an excellent role model." At that, Shepard smiled.

(Author's Q&A)

edboy4926: Thank you.

Just a Crazy-Man: Thanks.

StarBorn Michael: She had other things to tend to. Also, while that rifle is quite good, I prefer BT weapons: more oomph and less reliant on computer technology.

SulliMike23: Yep. A good song that summarizes the Quarian's war with the Geth in ME3 is Sabaton's 'Cliffs of Gallipoli.'

galacticarmor2 Alt: Good idea.