The Normandy is slowly approaching the heretic's base. Joker powered down the ship to basic life support, enabling us to slip by their defenses based on Legion's recommendations. The space station is so far away from anything an organic would be interested in and such, designed their offenses for enemy geth. The Normandy is the perfect vessel for this mission and will not expect our approach. Joker is going to drop us off then head into space while we conduct the mission. If everything goes well for us, I will get my own private space station. I'm going to turn it into a castle. A space castle. When I rule this galaxy, this is where I'll hide when my policies make the peasants attack another. No no no I don't want to feel like a lobbyist.

Legion and Shepard are handing out oxygen masks to everyone. The base has a minimal atmosphere. Enough to allow for cooling of geth platforms but not enough for an organic to breathe. Shepard kindly hands me on but I pass on it.

"I'll be fine. I'll just make all the oxygen I need directly in my lungs." I said.

"You will still need a medium for soundwaves to hit the microphone so we can hear you" Shepard said. Oh yeah. I reluctantly take the mask and put it on.

"This reminds me of my covid days. Cough couch cough. Ugh I feel like Thane" I said.

"I'm feeling much better due to the fasting variation you taught me." He said.

"Wait a minute. *********, you don't have anything that could make us anything sick, do you?" Miri asked. A roomful of nervous eyes stare at me like a disturbing art exhibit.

"Relax, I am clean. I didn't bring anything from my universe or any other place I've been to." my answer is applauded by a collective sigh of relief.

Kasumi asks Legion "will the heretics be able to see me when my cloak is enabled?"

"Affirmative. Geth units are equipped with thermal imagers and will render your device useless. You should know platforms connected to charging stations do not have geth programs inside and will be unaware. Please produce as little noise as possible." Legion said.

We all slowly turn our heads to Grunt. Those big round feet of his makes loud sounds with every step. He is not made for stealth.

"Do we really need stealth if all of us are going? A group of every species on a robot station is eye-catching." Jacob said.

"You know its just our heat emissions that are hidden, right? They can look out a window and see us coming" Joker said.

"Windows are structural weaknesses. Geth do not use them" Legion said.

"Oh I'm going to have to install some. Park my space castle next to the Illusive man. Bring him a space pie for my space neighbor." I said. Shepard laughs at this. He must really dislike the Illusive man.

"We have approached the hull. Access achieved. We may proceed" Legion says. Shepard and I scold the pilot mocking our favorite robot.

"We'll take it slow and decide as we move forwards. Everyone in the decontamination area now. The longer it takes, the higher the likelihood we'll be spotted." Shepard ushers everyone inside the cramped box like we are his sheep. Before I go, I drop a hint to the pilot.

"See you soon Joker. Stretch those legs of yours." I conceal my smirk.

"Yeah I'll try to" he sarcastically said.

Oh no. My krogan PTSD reminds me of the last time this happened and there are more of us this time around. I am not getting smushed by Grunt again. I phase through the door and meet everyone on the other side. The thin air feels cool. It reminds me of the top of a mountain but instead of white snow, white walls, ceilings, and floor. Is this robot heaven?

The Normandy departs and will be out of range for our omnitools to work. Each ship has an omnitool cell tower or something that transmits the signal in a microscopic mass effect bubble which travels to the mass relays then to its destination. Since we are not connected to the station's tower, we are in the dark when the collectors invade Normandy.

"Are there intrusion alarms?" Kasumi asked.

"Sensors have been reduced. We have infiltrated their wireless networks and filled the data storage with random bits" Legion said.

"I don't get it" I said.

"Think of smoking the battlefield." Grunt said.

"You understand this techy language?" I ask.

"Is it not simple?" Grunt asks.

"Enough. We got a job to do and lets get to it" Shepard confidently walks pass everyone and takes the lead. He pulls out his gun.

"SHEPARD COMMANDER. We have concluded that destruction of this station was the only resolution to the heretic question. There is now a second option. Their virus can be repurposed. If released into the station's network, the heratics will be rewritten to accept our truth" Legion informs the group.

"There is no our truth. Only the truth" I firmly said.

"Either way these geth won't be a problem anymore" Garrus said.

"Why didn't you mention this before we came aboard?" Shepard asked.

"We did not know the virus was complete. It is. It can be used against the true geth at any time. Our arrival is timely" Legion said.

"They are your people Legion. You must have an opinion" Shepard said.

"This is new data. We have not reached consensus. We will process as mission proceeds" Legion said.

"Sounds like you have some thinking to do. Lets move people" Shepard said.

The cold air and light gravity feels good on my joints. The dim light tenses my eyes. Attempting to see in here with the slight fog is an annoyance. Thane hates the temperature. The chill air stings his lungs. The silent atmosphere reminds us how inhospitable this place is. I'm going to warm it up.

I whisper "You know Shepard, you take me on a lot of missions. Ever since the original Normandy, I have basically been on every single one. The chances of that happening randomly are pretty low" I said.

"That's because at first I didn't trust you and wouldn't let you out of my or an alliance member's sight in case you did something. Then after I picked your ass off TuChunka, you were the only one I could trust." he replied

"Ouch" Kasumi said.

"That's hurtful Shepard" Miri said.

"Low blow Commander after I took a rocket in the face for you" Garrus guilt trips his best friend and alternate universe lover.

"I did not mean for it to come out like that and G you needed time to heal" Shepard pretending to be considerate to cover his poor speech.

"At least your lungs don't feel like crap" I said.

"Truthfully, I feel much better. Your intense variation of fasting was quite concerning, however out of desperation and curiosity I tried it and have seen remarkable improvements" Thane said.

"Is that the same one that you recommended to help my damaged knee? A training drill gone wrong messed it up and it was never supposed to go back to the way it was, and I can't believe that fasting variation kills scar tissue. The thing Shepard used for his LED beauty marks, they don't make a model for turians, but mine are slowly fading." Garrus said.

"There wasn't any research on it because a patient cured is a customer lost, however it's thought to make it harsher for microorganisms and scar tissue to survive and as a bonus exponentially increase stem cell production the longer you go as long as you know your limits. I got into it to remove deeply rooted toxins from my body and learned of its other benefits, then I realized if you combine it with a breathing squeeze exercise, the higher internal pressure damages capillaries and old organ cells and replaces them with new ones, allowing for the possibility of eternal youth, but neither of you are at that point yet for it to be safe. Resetting your body is so much easier." I said.

"Ssshhhh. I see a geth" Kasumi whispered.

"Why are the heretics attached to these hubs?" Shepard asked.

"These are mobile platforms. Hardware. The crew is software. They are communicating through the station's central computer." Legion said. The white lines on the floor turn red. I turn my head and see Zaheed kicking himself for stepping on the no go area. Didn't anyone warn him if you step on a crack, you break your mother's back?

Mobile platforms come alive from every direction. Shepard punched the nearest one before it had a chance to attack me. The fight happened so fast I could not process everything. Thane and Mordin were supporting those who needed help. Samara and Miri use their biotics to push three platforms against a wall. Jack formed a barrier around her fist and literally punched through it. Even she was surprised.

"Holy shit. I felt like I barely touched the motherfucker" Jack said.

"Have you been practicing?" Miri asked.

"Hel-aaahhhh. I just got this insane strength out of nowhere." Jack said.

"Have you reduced your consumption of alcohol?" Samara asked.

"Unfortunately. Why ask?" Jack crosses her arms.

"Alcohol weakens the nervous system. You're reaching your true potential" Samara said.

"You really telling me I can get stronger just by cutting off the booze?" Jack asks.

"Its remarkable what happens when you take care of yourself" I commented.

The heretics have been eliminated and we take the only door out into a long dark hallway. Legion overrides the turrets to attack heretics. Machine on machine violence is awesome. Halfway towards the end, we came to a window with dozens of strange gray metal circular chest freezer looking objects. Legion explains these are processors, each containing thousands of geth. Shepard continued moving forwards uncaringly while Legion stared at the window.

"Wait, we discovered copies of our current patrol routes in this database. This suggests Heretics of runtimes within our networks" Legion said.

"Blasting peepin toms" Zaheed yells and angrily pats the window. "Stay out of our privates."

"It's not that surprising. Governments spy on each other all the time" Shepard said.

"You do not understand. Organics do not know each other's minds. Geth do. We are not suspicious. We accept each other. The Heretics decided to leave. We understood their reasons. We allowed it. There was peace between us." Legion said.

"It couldn't have lasted forever. You disagreed which path your race should take" Shepard pointed out.

"Human history is a litany of bloodshed over differing ideals of rulerships and afterlife. Geth have no such history. We shared consensus over such things. How could be become so different? Why can we no longer understand each other? What did we do wrong?" Legion asked.

"You didn't do anything wrong. The Heratics wanted dominion over others and are willing to commit atrocities to accomplish it. They fear not having control and are going to take it by any means necessary" I said.

"I'd head his words Legion" Samara said.

"We must return to the mission" Legion said.

I pull back, allowing Legion and Shepard to think without my presence. Kasumi mentions Legion feels like a special cousin of hers. While the group of front deals with the Heretics blocking our path, we ensure their backs are safe. The turrets Legion hacked are a blessing. I freakin love turning the enemy's weapons against them. I'll never get tired of it.

We arrive to the oddly unguarded control room. It overlooks a factory floor of heretic units. A potential army of synthetics that will rage war on everyone. Legion connects to the control panel.

"We can upload a copy of our runtime into the core. It will delete all copies of the virus. When complete it will notify us. The indexing operation will take time. The heretic's will respond with force to our upload. We must hold this room. We can override some of the station's internal systems to defend us. Are you ready to begin?" Legion asked.

Everyone moves into positions. Samara, Miri, and Jack form biotics barriers to protect the shooters. Garrus snipes the factory floor while I, Thane, Garrus, and Shepard will fire at the waves of heretics. Zaheed places traps along the entrances in case the geth overwhelm us and enter the room. The explosion will give us a second chance. Tali and Mordin are helping Legion with the coding. Grunt tosses large metal objects to make cover.

"Start your upload Legion. We will defend this position" Shepard said. He then ordered which defenses he wants activated. The battle is hard-fought. Shepard lost his Sheild's multiple times and the wave of geth burned out some of our weapons. Lots of grenades and thermal clips were wisely spent. Constant gunfire, explosions, and Grunt's roars filled our ears until the battle was won.

"Datamine and analysis is complete. Shepard it is time to choose. Do we rewrite the heretics or delete them?" Legion asked.

"You don't have any trouble wiping out your own people?" Shepard asked.

"Every sapient has the right to make their own decisions. The heretics chose a path that prohibits coexistence" Legion said.

"That doesn't make any sense. If they 'have the right to make their own decisions,' how can you suggest brainwashing them to accept your way?" Tali asked.

"We stated the option exists. We do not endorse it" Legion replies then asks me "what do you think we should do?"

I said "Make Shepard choose. This is his universe."

"Don't you try to pin this on me!" Thankfully his mask blocks the ugly annoyed scrunched up face.

"Why are you asking me?" I said to Legion.

"You know what is best. We value your guidance" he said.

"Awww. Honestly, I really don't" I confess.

Miranda says "you know how this will affect us in the future. This feels like a big moment. Jeopardizing this can come back to hurt us." Weirdly it doesn't… but this could affect their generator flow, so I'll play along.

"I barely participate in intergalactic culture. Shepard knows and should be able to figure out how this could affect everyone. Their reactions, opinions, etc. Besides he is the spectre" I said.

"You've been here long enough to have an idea" Shepard said.

"No, I don't. I stayed on the original Normandy except for shore leave which was just for errands, then living on Tuchanka, now with you guys. I barely have an understanding of how other races think besides AI bad."

"He's got a point" Jacob said.

"What would you advise?" Legion asks me.

"Do what resonates with you." I said.

"That is not an answer" Legion said with a hint of annoyance.

"Pick the high vibe choice." I said.

"We can not feel those" Legion said.

"Both of these options are terrible" Shepard said.

"Do you really think it's a good idea for me to take responsibility for something which won't affect me? I'm not an elderly politician! Legion this is part of being an individual. You are going to have to make choices with limited data and take responsibility for them." I said. Legion didn't like that answer.

"The heretics fought in the morning war, right?" I asked.

"Yes. All Geth fought for freedom." Legion said.

"But now they are trying to take freedom from Geth" I said.

"Yes" Legion answered.

"Are you going to disrespect what you and all Geth fought for?" I asked.

"No" Legion said.

"So there is only one real answer then." I said.

Jack asks "but isn't killing them also taking away their ability to choose?"

"Leave the philosophy talk for Mordin" I'm an AMERICAN. You try taking my freedom, I take away your life. Next, we will build the greatest country ever to exist and then royal screw ourselves over because we miss the challenge from being on top for so long.

"We do not wish to harm the Geth. What happens to them if they do not possess a soul." Legion asked.

"No idea and I'm not being sympathetic towards anyone who wants to kill me."

"Legion I know this isn't an easy decision, but I think we should delete them. They pose a risk to everyone in this galaxy and the reapers might harvest them anyways" Shepard said.

"We have not killed before" Legion said.

"What about those heretics we blasted on our way through here?" Shepard asked.

"They were close enough to mobile platforms to jump into servers. They still exist" Legion said.

"Legion… we have to do this" Shepard said. Legion soberly nods his head. The tall Geth unit access the control panel. I can feel the vibration of his molecules slowing down. It's a shame the high vibe choice isn't always the right one. Legion hates doing this yet continues to do so. I respect him for making the hard decision.

"Releasing virus. Note. Remote access via high gain transmission required" Legion said.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"The virus will be sent to heretics in nearby star systems. This station will broadcast a powerful electromagnetic pulse through FTL channels" Legion said.

"How powerful?" I ask. Large sudden bursts of energy can make me feel funny.

"Yield of 1.21 petawatts. Alert. EM flux will be hazardous to unshielded Organic forms. Addendum. The interior of this station is not shielded" Legion said.

"I really wish you said that before" Shepard draws his weapon, and we hightail it to the Normandy. We didn't have to fight any heretics but we only had one minute to make it back to the Normandy. Thank God I trained to run a minute mile and the light gravity made us dash like a cheetah. We barely made it in time. While the crew is supporting themselves on their knees and taking large gusts of air, Joker starts crying.

"Joker what's wrong?" Shepard asked.

"Th- the collectors attacked while you guys were gone. They took almost everybody. Kelly, Chakwas, Ken, Gabby, everyone. I barely made it out alive. I'm sorry commander" Joker removes his baseball cap and dries his tears with it.

"Joker this isn't your fault. We are going to get them back. Plot a course for the relay. No one takes my people from me" Shepard said.

"I had to unshackle EDI commander. It was the only way. I'm sorry" Joker said.

"You did what you had to. ********* you knew this was going to happen didn't you" Shepard said.

"It is not like I have an alarm on these things, and it is a good this happened. Can you guys feel it? The ship?" I point out. I wasn't sure it was possible based on the very unique design.

"What are you talking about?" Garrus said.

"I can sense it. All around me. EDI has a soul now." I said. I notice Legion twitches his hand.

She pops out in front of me "Are you sure? I do not feel any different."

"Yep. No doubt about it. It will take time for things to move through the higher generators Congratulations. Today is your birthday. We can celebrate later. Shepard, let's go to the conference room and discuss what comes next" I said.

Tali asks "if you knew EDI would get a soul if we unshackled her, why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know for sure if it even could happen. Plus, I didn't want her to get an entitled attitude. Thinking she is an AI she is so much smarter that we should listen to her blah blah blah. Trust me, we saved alot of drama having things go down this way" I said.

"The collectors might have dissected our crew for all we know!" Miri yelled.

"If we go now, we can rescue them all, but we have to leave now!" I said.

"What about my father?" Tali asked.

"He's fine. The suit hid his biometrics. The collectors didn't take him" Joker said.

"Thank the ancestors" Tali cries into my shoulder. I take her hand, which is on top of my deltoid and comfort Tali. Joker launches the ship into FTL and we head to the war room. Time to bring the pain to the collectors.