"...Commander, unreset has spread further than I thought. You were… right, that I return," the holographically rendered form of Quarian Admiral Koris communicated via the comm system.

The weight in the Admiral's voice was palpable. Previously, Admiral Raan had disclosed during the geth dreadnought debrief that Zaal'Koris had sacrificed his own ship to take out a planetary defense cannon. Fearing the loss of such a crucial figure in Quarian civilian leadership, Shepard had acted swiftly, landing on Rannoch to orchestrate a rescue. The Reaper-commanded geth on the surface, however, had been anything but welcoming. Shepard found the admiral pinned down and near overrun. He insisted she save his crew instead. While noble, his request was one she couldn't honour; the admiral's leadership was too important. Even after convincing him, Shepard had to practically drag him into the shuttle for their escape.

"Have you talked to the civilian captain into staying?"

"Yes, they've regrouped into defensive positions around the fleet's core. If we hadn't stopped them from…" Koris paused, contemplating the grim possibilities. "Any aid I can offer is yours. After the quarians drove the geth straight into the Reapers' arms, I'd give anything to stop the madness of this war."

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

"Of course. It's time we turned our attentions to those we can still save." Koris raised a hand in farewell. "Farewell, Shepard. Fly safely." His holographic form dissipated from the vid comm.

Shepard exhaled deeply and walked into the war room. Waiting for her near the command center was Admiral Raan, who seemed eager to share vital information. Across the room stood the geth platform known as Legion. In the midst of the room's holo display floated an image of the planet Rannoch.

"Commander, we've located the Reaper base transmitting the local signal," Raan updated her as Shepard descended the stairs to the lower level.

"Good."

"And not a moment too soon. With the Reaper code upgrades, the geth are tearing the fleet apart."

Legion chimed in, "Once the signal is disabled, the geth will pose no threat to creator forces," he added.

"You… sound conflicted," Shepard noted.

"While the Old Machines have unethical purposes, their upgrades have vastly improved our people. Observe," Legion elaborated, manipulating the holo display to show a geth network.

"A geth processing signal. A single unit, I believe," Raan identified.

"Correct." Legion confirmed. "Now, ten nearby units networked cooperatively."

The display altered, showcasing a significantly improved collective processing capability.

"And now, a single geth unit with Reaper upgrades," Legion continued. This time, the display changed dramatically. The network seemed to come alive, resembling an organic structure.

Raan was astounded. "That's fully evolved AI."

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

Shepard nodded in agreement. "It is."

"Commander!" Raan interjected, clearly unhappy.

Shepard frowned. "Come on, Admiral. That's a living creature, no matter what platform it's running on."

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

"They allied with the Reapers!" Raan protested.

The plates on Legion's head rose and lowered in some equivalent emotional expression. "To save themselves from you," Legion retorted.

"Maybe they don't have to die," Shepard suggested.

Raan shook her head, unconvinced. "Just because this one appears friendly…"

"Well, it hasn't fired on a ship with me aboard it," Shepard retorted.

"Commander, are you suggesting–"

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

With that, Raan focused back on the display. "The point is moot until we take out that base," she declared, zooming in on Rannoch's surface to highlight the Reaper base. "The surrounding area is heavily fortified, and they've placed jamming towers to prevent orbital targeting."

"Sounds like we're going in on foot."

The admiral nodded, bringing up another graphic on the display. It showed an object resembling a geth-inspired weapon. "Admiral Xen developed a laser guidance system that can cut through the jamming. It's synced to the Normandy's targeting computer."

A glint of excitement sparked in Shepard's eyes. "So the Normandy launches a precision strike at whatever I have painted? That ought to do it," she said, already imagining the tactical advantages of wielding the Normandy's weapon systems like an extension of her own arsenal. She stepped back from the console and spoke into the air, as if to the ship itself. "EDI, this work for you?"

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

"And anything else in our way," Shepard added, her excitement building.

Just as she was starting to visualize turning Reaper forces into cosmic dust, EDI interjected. "The geth will quickly reconfigure their jamming towers to neutralize this technology. You should not use it before reaching the base."

Shepard's excitement deflated, replaced by a pang of disappointment. Her fantasy of raining down orbital fire was shelved, at least for the moment.

"I've sent the coordinates for the Reaper base," Admiral Raan announced, pulling Shepard back to the task at hand.

.

Shepard was bumping along in the shuttle, heading back toward the arid surface of Rannoch with Legion, Tali, and EDI in tow. "The syncing laser needs a line of sight. What's the fastest route?" she asked the geth platform.

"The upper entrance. Target the base before the geth can organize resistance," Legion responded.

"And what about you?"

"We will deactivate defense systems and acquire an escape vehicle."

Surprised, she asked, "Really? You can do that?"

"This unit still carries remnants of the Old Machine upgrade code. We can break any geth security." Then, in a gesture that was decidedly un-synthetic, it lowered its head, as if sheepish or ashamed that it still benefited from its enemies' gifts. "You are concerned," it correctly deduced after seeing her reaction.

"You know your limits. I trust you," she told him. "I'm more concerned you didn't tell me about the upgrades."

"You were tolerant of our recovery of geth intelligence from the server, but this matter is different. Personal."

"Ah. So you were ashamed."

"Shame is an emotional or cognitive response to societal judgment. It should not apply here."

Normally, rudimentary machines wouldn't experience such feelings, but upgraded synthetics like Legion and EDI were quickly adopting complex behaviors normally reserved for organics. "I'm on your side, Legion. I want to help your people."

"We did not intend to cause offense," Legion said, lowering his head again.

Shepard shook her head, immersed in a conversation she hadn't believed was possible. "How did we get here? The geth are better than this."

"No. Based on empirical evidence, they are not."

"Yeah…" Shepard said, somewhat dispirited. But a second or two later, as Legion turned away from her to step off the opening door of the shuttle, her brain came to a sudden realization: the utterance of that simple line, coming from the being that had uttered it, was something exceptional.

As the shuttle's door closed behind him, Legion took a moment to process the incoming flood of data from its fellow geth platforms. The situation on Rannoch was precarious, but Shepard's presence had already provided a morale boost if such a term could be applied to synthetic beings.

Legion turned his head to Shepard and Tali. "Proceed to the upper entrance. We will exit here and procure an escape vehicle."

"Got it. And Legion…" Shepard nodded, "Good luck."

The geth reached onto his back to retrieve his pulse rifle. "Acknowledged," he said and marched away.

Stepping onto Rannoch's surface, the group saw a landscape untouched by organic hands for over three hundred years. Cracked earth lay underfoot, with the technological ruins of the quarian civilization jutting out like skeletal reminders. Above them, the sky swirled with shades of ochre and rust, the planet's dim star casting a gentle light on the landscape of cliffs and cacti.

Tali stumbled onto the soil at her feet, stunned by the dreamlike reality she seemed to have wandered into. Though her suited skin could not feel the air and her booted feet could not feel the ground, she was here, home, and it was real.

"I can't believe it. I don't think it's really sunk in yet. The homeworld. My world." The quarian lifted her head towards the sky. Though her mask hid her visage from the others, tears welled in her eyes. "Look at the sky. And the rock formations? They used to write poems about them."

Shepard, breathing deeply from the dry but pristine air, smiled. "When we're done, maybe you'll write a new one."

Tali spun in disbelief, needing to see everything around them. "This is Rannoch, the world of our ancestors. Our bodies carried the seeds that spread the desert grass. You've heard me say, 'Keelah se'lai?' The best translation I can come up with is, 'By the homeworld I hope to see someday.'"

"Looks like you're seeing it today."

Tali was nearly giddy. She surveyed the land surrounding them, settling upon the perfect patch with the perfect view, framing the scene in front of her between two fingers on each hand. "The living room window will be right…here."

"Something I should know?" Shepard teased with a raised eyebrow.

The quarian shrugged. "I just claimed the land. I know, it doesn't mean much, but when this is over… I'll have a home."

"The quarians spent centuries as nomads. You think you can go back to living in one place?"

"We have gotten used to carrying our homes around with us..."

Shepard looked down at her feet and noticed a palm-sized rock resting near one of her boots. She bent down to pick it up and offered it to the quarian. Tali accepted it gingerly, understanding the sentiment. Homes were more than rock and metal, just as the Normandy was more than a mere place; it represented a community.

Tali held the rock delicately, tracing its edges with her gloved fingers. "Well, that's a start," she whispered, placing the rock in a pocket behind her.

.

The sprawling industrial complexes maintained by the geth on Rannoch's surface were monumental, rivalling some of the grandest spaceports Shepard had ever seen. To breach the inner workings, the team scaled dizzying heights, navigated a maze of tunnels and chambers, and skirmished with pockets of geth resistance that grew more formidable as they ventured deeper. True to geth architecture, there wasn't a hint of organic consideration—just pure, efficient design.

Reaching the end of a suspended pathway, a vast silo stretched out beneath them, its proportions so immense it could have easily sheltered the Normandy. As Shepard scoured the area, identifying the equipment sending local signals to the geth, the massive silo doors began their descent, shaking the very foundations of the complex.

"The Normandy's main battery would require several hours to penetrate that blast shield," EDI remarked.

"We don't have that kind of time. Ideas?"

Legion's synthetic voice broke in over the comm. "We have located an override atop the geth fortifications. It can retract the blast shield."

Directing her team towards the new objective—a tier above them—Shepard steeled herself for another battle.

"Shepard-Commander, do you need assistance?"

"We'll get through. What's your status?"

"The Old Machine's upgrades grant us targeting superiority. We are drawing hostile fire from your location."

"Keep it up. We're almost at the blast shield controls."

As she activated a shaft leading to the next set of walkways, Shepard caught EDI's observation. "Legion's Reaper upgrades are proving effective."

To Shepard's astonishment, Tali added, "I'm glad Legion is on our side."

Shepard would never have expected Tali to say such a thing. The quarian had certainly evolved. And Shepard realized there was truth to it. The change in Legion's demeanour was starkly evident. EDI, too, owed much of her sophistication to Reaper technology. Stripping the geth of their Reaper upgrades would be like lobotomizing them en masse.

Still, their enemy was formidable enough without upgrades. The problem with fighting geth was precisely their lack of organic parts - injury did not phase them; they felt no pain nor fear. Shepard did, however, have a new weapon provided to her and her team, courtesy of quarian manufacturers. They were Adas anti-synthetic rifles, fully automatic, though heavy, weapons that spat explosive electrified arcs in a barrage that felt futuristically barbaric against their shielded, synthetic enemy.

She hit the console override for the blast doors. "Legion, I've hit the override."

"We have gained system access and are bypassing security. Stand by."

Waiting for Legion's update, the team took a moment to look around. The complex was a massive factory for geth parts and fighter craft. Large robotic arms for moving manufactured parts down an assembly line hung from the high ceilings. Relishing the brief respite, Shepard hailed the Normandy. "Arius," she relayed, "have you looked at the Adas rifles yet? It feels like we're cheating a bit."

"One's on my desk as we speak," he replied with enthusiasm. "I'm very impressed with the quarian engineering. This might be the finest anti-synthetic armament we have. "

"Can you build me one that comes with a 'Make the Reapers cry' setting?"

Laughter echoed over the comm. "I'll try - I have a call later with one of the engineers, I'll see if we can scale it up. Speaking of armaments, I have Garrus here with me, pouring over the targeting data from the sync laser the quarians built for us. He's almost giddy."

Shepard smirked. "That good, huh? I assume its CEP rating is something special?"

With a click, Garrus' voice joined the channel. "We're way beyond talking about mere circular error probable here. Imagine this—EDI can generate a targeting solution so exact, she could use it to perform surgery."

Tali's voice crackled in the comm, joining them. "Now there's a disturbing image. EDI with a scalpel?"

EDI responded, "I assure you, Tali'Zorah, any surgical procedures I perform would be impeccable."

Shepard chuckled, "Good to know, EDI. Just remind me not to be your first patient."

As they bantered, Tali's kinetic barrier shimmered to life, deflecting incoming fire from a trio of geth platforms approaching. "We might want to table the talk of EDI's surgical career for later," she warned.

"Right," Shepard responded, adjusting her grip on her Adas rifle, the cool metal humming to life in her hands. "Let's give these geth a live demo of our new toys."

.

The manual override elicited a loud rumbling as the blast doors began to lift.

"Shepard-Commander, you have successfully opened the blast-shield doors."

"Good. We'll be back out in a minute."

"Negative. The path behind you has been sealed. A nearby elevator can take you to the upper level. From there, you should have an acceptable line of sight for targeting."

To the side of them, the promised elevator descended to their level. Content with the pacing of the mission, Shepard stretched out a sore neck and shoulder as they moved onto the platform and ascended to the level above, reading herself for the next volley. When they arrived on the sought floor, however, the sight paled her. The chamber was wide, the high walls lined with servers that flickered with an eerie blue light. Three geth Primes, colossal synthetic monstrosities of deadly efficiency, stood poised throughout. The sheer scale of the Primes bore down upon them, making the large room feel oppressively small.

Tali's voice was tinged with awe and fear. "Keelah! Three of them? Even one Prime is usually enough to take out a whole squad."

EDI's emotionless tone was more analytical. "The Primes represent the pinnacle of geth evolution. Their neural networks are complex, allowing for increased coordination among other geth units. Alone, they are formidable; together, they increase the combat efficiency of the entire collective."

In Shepard's eyes, a geth Prime was the equivalent of a Skynet's Terminator in human popular culture - an absolutely terrifying opponent. Not only did they pack a lethal pulse cannon, but they were also incredibly resilient, possessing multiple levels of shielding. While she could generally count on the talents of her technologically gifted teammates to make short work of synthetic enemies, these twelve-foot-tall Primes had no significant weaknesses.

Sensing them, the Prime's optical sensors bore into them, a trio of red, cyclopean eyes that glared with unwavering focus. The closest geth Prime took a lumbering step forward, the servos in its massive frame hissing with every movement.

Shepard felt her pulse pound in her ears, an urgent drum calling her to action as adrenaline surged through her veins. "EDI, Tali, take cover," Shepard ordered tersely, her voice slicing through the growing tension. As her team obeyed, darting for the relative safety of nearby cover, Shepard glimpsed a large weapon resting on a nearby platform. Whether a gift or a slip, who could tell? But it had been laid out by their enemy.

It was a geth Spitfire.

She hadn't handled one before, but she knew its reputation from Admiral Koris' report of his crash on Rannoch earlier: a weapon of brutal force capable of unleashing a barrage of energy that could chew through the toughest armour. Shepard sprinted towards it, her movements a blend of desperation and determination as the Primes advanced with terrifying, methodical strides, unleashing a hail of pulse cannon fire that turned the chamber into a storm of danger. A single round struck her shields, dropping them instantly. The second clipped her, evaporating the armour where it had glanced.

"Wear down their shields!" Shepard ordered her companions, the only strategy they needed to focus on.

A moment later, a powerful electromagnetic pulse flared through the room, courtesy of EDI. The Prime's shields flickered against the electrical overload. A second later, the pulse cannon of the nearest Prime sputtered and failed. Tali had worked her quarian magic and sabotaged its weapon. Arcs of electricity from her squad's anti-synthetic weapons streamed through the air toward the geth platforms, making the room reek of ozone.

Reaching the platform, Shepard grabbed the Spitfire, the weapon's alien weight and Gatling-gun-like form settling in her arms. It was a monster. She turned, heart thundering in concert with her weapon, and met the advancing horror with a roar of defiant, desperate fury.

The Spitfire came alive, a cacophony of raw power and heat as it sent a torrent of rounds downrange, a continuous stream of violence that hammered into the nearest Prime. Each hit was a vibrant flash upon the geth's shields and heavy armour. The sheer power of the weapon pushed her back slightly as the minigun magnetically flung clusters of superconducting toroids out the front. The Prime staggered, an electrical tempest breaking across its surface, yet still, it advanced, a testament to its unnatural endurance.

The noise was deafening, a relentless mechanical scream that filled the chamber and drowned out the sounds of battle from her teammates. Shepard gritted her teeth, her arms shaking under the unyielding kick of the weapon, her vision narrowing down to the monstrous figure before her. The Primes, their shields flickering in erratic spasms before dying, lunged toward her.

The donut-shaped projectiles from the Spitfire shattered upon impact with the Prime's armour, arcing electricity between the fragments and flash-converting them to plasma. The gun's punishing, automatic blasts cut through them like a cutting torch. A sense of savage triumph surged through Shepard as the Spitfire chewed into the now-vulnerable hull of the Prime, tearing through metal and circuitry in a frenzy of destruction. The Prime buckled, its terrifying bulk collapsing to the ground with a resonant crash that reverberated through the chamber. Upon its demise, it glowed, screeched, and exploded in a shower of shrapnel and heat that inadvertently damaged the close, second Prime.

Shepard didn't have time to savour the victory; the other Primes were closing in, weapons blazing. Pulse rounds struck the cover with such force that solid metal seemed to evaporate. She could feel the heat building up in the Spitfire, the weapon's cycles nearing their limit. It was now or never.

EDI burst from her cover, her synthetic form a blur of motion as she drew the attention of one Prime while Tali targeted the other with a well-placed sabotage attack, momentarily jamming its weapons system.

Shepard targeted the Prime engaged with EDI, the Spitfire roaring back to life with a growl of destructive hunger, its power terrifying and beautiful in its savagery. Together, Shepard, Tali, and EDI moved with choreography of battle-hardened expertise, their attacks a symphony of precision and violence as they faced down the looming giants of synthetic might.

The Spitfire finally ran empty in her hands after the demise of the second, and Shepard, glancing down at it, found no heatsinks or mechanism to cycle its hidden ammunition. She tossed it to the floor and yanked her rifle back into her hands, focusing on the head of the remaining Prime. Something broke in its optics, and it waved its massive gun and fired without accuracy, overheating, unable to sense their locations. Seeing it damaged, Shepard biotically charged the room's distance in a bound, phasing through her cover and hitting the lumbering Prime with a thousand newtons of bodily force. Unable to properly compensate for the added momentum, it toppled and fell to the ground. The trio unleashed hell on the downed platform, the combined fire causing it to glow and then explode.

Shepard's face was seared from heat, her armour pepped with something she hadn't even noticed, and her teeth had been bloodied from the fight, but she was alive, and she felt the exhilaration of physical triumph course through her.

Tali emerged from her cover, catching her breath. "Let's… never do that again."

"Agreed." Shepard sighed and moved her shoulder with some pain. "Alright, let's finish this."