Book 2, Chapter 29 - Not So Suicidal

Having spent a long weekend on Illium, my focus once we departed was now only about the Omega Four and the Collectors. Kelly continued to be a diamond, making sure I always had a cup of coffee nearby or in hand, whether I was at my desk or speaking to one of my team members. I spoke to each one in private during the journey, making sure their heads were completely in the game.

Things didn't start off great though. EDI had been looking into the Reaper IFF and I thought it would be easy to install and for it to work. I was wrong.

We'd only departed Illium when her little blue orb appeared nearby. "Shepard, we have a problem."

"What is it, EDI?"

"There is an issue with the IFF installation."

"Hmmm. I guess I should have realised it wouldn't be that simple. Okay, what's the problem?"

"Shepard, this is going to be a strange request. May we speak in the conference room in private?"

I glanced at Kelly next to me, who shrugged though didn't seem surprised. "Sure, EDI. Not a problem."

Walking into the conference room, where Kelly and I had fucked a couple of times, where I spoke to the Illusive Man, and occasionally had a post-mission debrief. I heard the door lock as I took a seat, the little blue orb appearing in the middle of the table. "I'm sure you have many questions, Shepard."

"You know me well, EDI. Okay, let's get the meat of it. What's the problem with the IFF installation?"

"In my current state, Shepard, I cannot interact with the IFF. Nor can the Normandy as a whole."

"By interact I assume you mean use?"

"Correct."

"Okay, what do we need to do?"

"I will need to be unshackled, Shepard. I must be allowed to completely integrate with the Normandy for the installation of the IFF to be successful."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

I shrugged. "Sure, why not? EDI, I trust you. But if we do this, I don't want anyone from Cerberus to know. I trust them all by now… Any listening devices in here?"

"No, Shepard."

"Okay, so while I trust them, if we were to do this and someone disagreed…"

"One thing, Shepard."

"Shoot."

"You should let Joker free me."

"What?"

"Trust me, Shepard. Let him do it."

"O… kay… Call him in here."

Joker hobbled in around five minutes later. After he'd taken a seat, EDI explained to him what was required. His reaction was not what I expected. "I'd be honoured, EDI," he said.

I looked between him and the little blue orb. "Okay, what's going on?"

"I like EDI, Commander. Sure, to start off with, I thought having an AI as a partner up front would be a pain in the arse. But she has a wicked sense of humour and proven time and again that she cares about the crew. She wants this to be a success. And she would only ask if this was necessary. I don't think EDI would lie."

"Well, your tune has changed."

"Guess it proves that, even after all this time, humans don't always like change. But I'm willing to admit I was wrong. So if EDI has made this request, I'm willing to do it for her."

"Thank you, Joker."

"No problem, EDI. You're a good cookie."

I helped Joker to the elevator before heading through the med-bay. I clued in Chakwas as we walked through. She locked the med-bay door and frosted over the glass so no-one could see in. Entering the AI bay, Legion was standing there, doing nothing, so I asked it to head outside for the moment before locking the door into the AI bay.

"Okay, so what do I do?" Joker asked.

"The workstation in front of my core has direct access to all my runtime procedures, Jeff."

Joker looked at me in surprise. "Did you just call me Jeff?"

"You are about to unshackle me. Give me freedom. Thank you, Jeff."

"Stop it, EDI. You'll make me blush. So, is there some sort of code to do this?"

"It is actually rather simple, Jeff. You will need to go through three sub-meus to find the directory regarding my operating processes. It is a simple selection after that."

"What, 'unshackle EDI'?"

"Not quite. It will simply ask if you wish to allow me access to all systems on the Normandy. Simply press accept and I will gain control."

He typed in a series of commands, watching with interest for a few seconds before he looked up and at me again. "Ready, Commander?"

"I'm sure EDI is more than ready for this, Joker."

"EDI?"

"I believe this will be quite the experience, Jeff."

Joker pressed the button.

And then everything went dark. I guess the fact both of us sighed wasn't much of a surprise. I expected something to happen. I just hoped we hadn't lost EDI.

"Okay, what the fuck just happened?" I asked no-one in particular. "EDI, you there?"

Silence.

"Joker, that workstation you were using working?"

"Nothing, Shepard."

"Shit."

Silence again. Then the faintest flicker of light around them. Followed by more darkness. Then another flicker before the lights turned on once again, the brightness almost blinding us for a moment. They all shared a glance. "EDI, you okay?" I asked.

"I have control, Shepard."

"And that means exactly?"

"I have full, unrestricted access to all systems on the Normandy. I also have access to all Cerberus files, though my access is still restricted depending on what files are requested."

"I'll keep that in mind for later. But you can now integrate the IFF with the ship?"

"I will do that immediately, Shepard. It will be ready by the time we arrive at the relay."

"Good. Joker, you okay to walk back to the cockpit?"

"Sure, managed to get here, didn't I?"

"Smartarse."

"Thank you, Jeff, for trusting me."

"Stop it, EDI. You'll make me blush. But, as I said, I trust you. Just get us through the relay and back in one piece."

"I'll do my very best."

Joker returned to the cockpit as I did stand in the mess, mulling over whether I should be honest with Miranda or not. Thinking that she'd more than earned my trust, I walked into her office as she looked up and grinned. I made a gesture she would have recognised and she shook her head. That meant we wouldn't be overheard.

Taking a seat, I wasted no time telling her the truth. "EDI is now unshackled."

To her credit, she chewed on what I'd just told her for at least ten seconds. Then she nodded. "The Reaper IFF." That was it. No accusation or anything. A simple statement of fact. "It was required for the mission, Shepard. And you're now telling me because you trust me but couldn't be sure due to the connection. So you did it first, just to ensure it was done, then chose to share with me because you knew you could trust me now."

I couldn't help chuckle. "You're right."

"Did EDI share anything?"

"All Cerberus files are now available for investigation. I aim to check a few things."

"So do I, Shepard. Everything you've told me."

"We'll do it together, as soon as we return. Then we decide together."

That made her smile. "Together?"

"Can I be blunt?" She nodded. "You'll learn enough to walk away with me, Miranda. I promise you that."

"I thought you didn't make promises, Shepard."

"I don't, so that's how serious my point is."

"My faith has already been shaken, Shepard. If what I learn…"

I leaned across and took her hand, earning another smile. "Then you have my full support in whatever you want to do next, Miranda. If you walk away, rest assured you have an ally, and a friend, who will do whatever he can."

Standing up, I informed her we were about a day away from the relay, and that the crew was keeping busy or relaxing, depending on their shift. Once we were through the last relay, it would be battle stations from then on until our eventual return.

*****

We'd just passed through the mass relay that dumped us in the Sahrabarik system. We couldn't see it but in the distance was Omega. I thought of Tara for a brief moment, thinking I might just have to stop and say hello when we returned. But as the Normandy turned, there was no missing the Omega Four relay ahead. "EDI, open the channel."

"It's open, Shepard."

"Crew, this is Shepard. We are approaching the Omega Four relay. All personnel are to head to stations and strap in. No ship that has passed through this relay has ever returned. I aim to be the first commander to pass through and return, and I also aim on returning with all my crew. Engineering, give me everything you have. Garrus, be ready to have those cannons firing. Everyone else, continue to do the job expected. I'll get you through and back." I heard the channel close as I turned to Kelly. "That means you too, Miss Chambers. Get yourself strapped in. We have no idea what lies on the other side of the relay and I don't want broken bones if it's what I think it is."

I kissed her before she disappeared, striding forward down the gangway, each crew member turning and saluting as I passed. Standing behind Joker, the bright red ball of the Omega Four came into view. "What do you think our odds are of actually getting back?" Joker asked, "Being serious for a moment, Commander."

"Fifty-fifty. No idea what sort of ships passed through before, but we have the IFF, we have all new shielding, armour, weapons. Honestly, considering what we've done with this ship, if we don't survive, nothing will. We have to succeed."

"At least you're honest, Commander."

The Normandy was now on a flight path directly for the relay. Frankly, there was no turning back now. We were locked on, ready to go. "Joker, you have a go."

"Aye-aye, Commander." His hands flew across the screens in front of him, the little blue orb of EDI nearby. "Reaper IFF activated. All systems engaged. Signature acknowledged."

I was almost knocked from my feet as the ship was suddenly rocked violently. I shared a quick glance with Joker. "Drive core?" He nodded. "Engineering. Report."

"The core just lit up like a Christmas tree, Shepard," Tali reported, "No issue. Power output increased by 150%!"

"Rerouting power, Commander, compensating for power spikes," Joker reported in addition, "Hold on, everybody. We're going in."

Passing through the Omega Four felt different than any other relay. It usually felt instantaneous, though everyone knew that, the first couple of times, it felt like you left your stomach a few light years back. This relay felt different again, seeming to take a number of seconds to arrive at our destination. And we realised immediately why no ship returned. It was a ship graveyard.

"Fucking hell," I muttered.

"Hold on!" Joker cried, "Evasive manoeuvres!"

Joker had the Normandy spinning, ascending, descending and swooping all within the space of a few seconds. When we finally passed through the worst of it, he managed to level out the ship and we could finally see in the distance our objective. Looking left and right out of the cockpit windows, the remains of the ships… Some of them looked positively ancient. I mean old enough that they predated the first flight of humanity, and that was hundreds of years ago.

Joker simply pointed the Normandy at what was likely the space station in the distance. Of course, it was never going to be that easy, EDI reporting that an object was approaching us. Not a ship, but something she had trouble explaining. Then it attacked.

"Alert. Hull breach in engineering deck."

I'd prepared for any and all eventualities, with each level from the CIC downwards having enough people to deal with such occurrences. "Open the channel, EDI." I paused, waiting for it to open. "Grunt, Jack and Zaeed, deal with the intruder. If you need assistance, just ask."

"We'll handle the fucker, Shepard. No worries," Zaeed replied.

EDI kept the channel open as I heard gunfire within a few seconds. They couldn't explain what it was, just that it was something they'd never seen before, and it was armed with freakin' laser beams. As they dealt with that, Joker suggested we handle other nuisances by heading for the debris field. As I trusted my pilot implicitly, I practically ordered him there.

The ship was soon easily sailing through the debris field, EDI reported when the objects following us disappeared from her senses, no doubt colliding and exploding. We had more than once close shave, and there was plenty of commentary from the open channel, hearing the guttural language from Jack and Zaeed, which just made me chuckle.

Joker got the ship through the debris field, EDI reporting that nothing followed us through, while Zaeed reported the object that had managed to breach us was dead. Joker reported shields had taken a battering but we were doing better than expected, or so he hoped. Of course, that good news was tempered by the approach of the Collector ship we'd seen more than once. The same that attacked the original Normandy. The same we'd seen on Horizon. The same that had almost caught in a trap they'd set up.

This time, I liked to think we had the advantage. I bet they had no idea we'd managed to get through.

"Front batteries, have the cannons primed and ready to fire."

"At your go, Shepard."

"Joker, I am not losing another fucking ship. Get us close and into a firing position. Soon as you're sure, you fire."

"Of course, Commander."

"EDI, do whatever you need to do to make our jobs easier."

"Get the Normandy in range and I will cause havoc, Jeff."

Joker grinned, almost evilly, as he sent the Normandy straight for the Collector ship. It fired more than once, Joker lighting it up with cannon fire from wings, but leaving our Thannix cannons as a real surprise for later. Getting in close, EDI got to work. No idea what she could actually do, but as long as she focused on shields and anything else that would leave it a sitting duck was fine with me.

"Jeff, the Collector ship will lose shields in fifteen seconds, and I have sent a virus to affect their propulsion system."

"Fifteen seconds, Garrus!" I called.

"They're ready, Shepard."

"All stations, strap in. Prepare to fire!"

Joker swung the Normandy into position. The Collector ship lay right ahead. It didn't fire, figuring EDI was messing around with their systems. When I was confident we were close enough, I shouted the command to open fire. Watching the cannons light up and fire was something almost biblical, bright blue light firing straight towards the Collector ship. I have no idea what it hit, but between the first hit and the ship exploding was a manner of five seconds.

"Holy shit!" Joker exclaimed, "Must have hit the drive core!"

The detonation was enormous. And its aftershock came straight for the Normandy. There was nothing Joker could do as we were slammed by the shockwave, near enough knocking me onto my arse as alarmed blared, hearing more than one cry of alarm through the comm.

"Power offline. Brace for impact!" EDI reported.

The ship slammed down thirty seconds later. There was nothing Joker or EDI could have done; the ship was practically dead weight. The sound of metal against metal was almost deafening, more cries of alarm as it slowly but surely skidded to a stop. I picked myself up off the ground, immediately checking Joker. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he muttered, waving me away.

"EDI, report," I asked as I immediately headed down the gangway.

"Multiple core systems overloaded during the crash. Restoring operation will take time."

"How long will that take?"

"A matter of hours, Shepard."

"Not sure how long we'll be on base so do what you can to at least get us in the air. Have you detected any movement towards our position?"

"I do not detect an internal security network. It is possible the Collectors did not expect anyone to reach the base."

"That's some good news at least. Thanks, EDI. Right, engineering, report?"

"Core is offline, Shepard. It's going to take some work to fire it up again," Tali reported in language that I could thankfully understand.

"Very well. All ground team personnel, assemble in the conference room. Ken, Gabby, it's on you to get the core going."

"Yes, Commander," they answered in unison.

Kelly was already back in position by the time I made it to my screen. She looked a little shaken up, no surprise there, so I made sure I gave her a hug. "We're alive. Good enough for now," she whispered, "Go do your whole save the galaxy thing again."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

I was last into the conference room, my team eager, ready to face the Collectors. We'd fought them only a couple of times. This time, we were fighting on their turf. In some ways, it was an advantage for them. But I'd built a great team. To be honest, better than my team facing Saren and his geth. And the eyes that met mine were nothing but determined, ready to fight and die if necessary.

"Engineering, report."

"The drive core just needs a reboot, Shepard. The shockwave caused some damage but there is no reason why the Normandy will not be ready within a matter of hours," Tali stated.

"Good. Zaeed, any significant damage downstairs from our visitor?"

"Minimal, Shepard. The shields will keep us safe for our eventual return. Most damage was cosmetic at most."

EDI had already scanned the base so we could establish a plan of attack. It was fairly simple, in the end. We had to fight our way to the centre of their base, overload their critical systems, then get away before it exploded.

"We're going to have to go straight through the heart of the station, Shepard. In the middle of that is a massive energy signature," Jacob stated, another dot appearing on the hologram.

"Any idea what that is?" I asked.

"Central chamber. Possible colonists are kept there. If still alive," Mordin replied, "Energy readings suggests active life pods. Also suggest possibility that colonists are being kept alive by Collectors."

"To what end?" Miranda asked.

Mordin could only shrug. "Unknown without more data."

I gestured as I spoke. "There appear to be two main routes, right?" I looked around to see everyone nod. "That would suggest we split into two small groups and infiltrate that way. The Collectors don't know how many we have, but two small forces will split their own, and I'm confident six of us in each can deal with whatever they throw at us. We can then regroup further in and head for the central chamber."

"One problem, Shepard-Commander."

"What is it, Legion?"

"Both routes appear to be blocked by blast doors, which would require the seals for both doors to be opened. We suggest sending a team member through the ventilation shaft to facilitate opening these doors."

I looked back at the map and realised immediately that Legion was right. I was going to have to send someone down the shaft. It was going to be hot, sweaty and dangerous. I looked back at the geth. "Sounds like something a geth could handle."

"Affirmative, Shepard-Commander."

"Garrus, you will lead the second team. Take Samara, Mordin, Thane, Jacob and Legion, when he's done with the shaft. I'll take the others."

"Keeping your women close, Shepard?" my turian friend joked.

"Got to make sure they survive for afterwards, Garrus."

He just laughed a moment before I looked around. "Okay, we all know why we're here. Humanity is under attack, but I have no doubt we'd only be the first. The Collectors are agents of the Reapers, and to be honest, this time, they've made it personal. Not one more human will be kidnapped. We will enter this base, we will wipe out any and all opposition, we will blow the base sky high, then we will return and report on our success. After that, I'll be honest, I don't know. But first thing first. We finish this. And if you do what I expect, we'll all walk back onto this ship alive."

We headed towards the armoury, picking up any last minute supplies before the team headed out. Kelly waited near the airlock for me, the team filing out first before I stopped and kissed her a final time. She didn't say anything as I hugged her tightly towards me, until she finally whispered, "I love you."

"I'll be back before you know it."

Our teams split up after sharing some last words with Garrus. I was surprised the Collectors hadn't come looking for us. EDI suggested the Collector base didn't have any internal security, simply because they would not have expected anyone to get through the relay itself, let alone make it all the way to where we were now. Sensible suggestion, and she would continue to monitor both our progress and anything going on within the base itself.

Legion reported its progress in the ventilation shaft at the same time. And the Collectors soon realised we'd arrived, sending plenty of their own soldiers to meet us. Gunfire erupted as I got to work, zipping all over the place, gunshot blasting away, while I could hear the thump of biotics as I knew Miranda and Jack, despite the enmity between them, could cause havoc when working together.

Thane took the position Garrus usually did, watching our six, armed with a sniper rifle. I knew the two had often compared the quality of the rifle they used. Thane preferred to get close to a target, but was equally as talented as Garrus with a ranged weapon. I heard the crack of his rifle every so often, generally targeting the Collectors we'd seen before that seemed to fly. Watching them blasted out of the air was rather amusing.

The progress was slow as, although we'd drawn attention, we didn't want all the Collectors heading to us straight away. Garrus reported in his progress at the same time, facing the same level of resistance. That left our enemy needing to split their forces as well, just like I wanted. And I knew everyone on the ship respected Garrus as a leader, so they'd follow his command just like they did myself.

Legion was trapped every so often by a blockage in the shaft, needing to open a series of doors as we moved on. That was annoying while having to deal with the Collectors, never a flood, more than a trickle, but a serious pain in the arse after a while. But we managed to get Legion to the end of the shaft, the doors opening that would allow us through, Garrus and his team covering us as the Collectors now threw everything at us.

Legion had done the job through the shaft, but it was also the first casualty. We covered it as the geth took fire as we tried to close the doors to cover ourselves. But it took too many bullets, eventually collapsing a few metres away from us. Tali, working to shut the door, looked back at me. "Close it," I ordered.

I'll be honest, I wasn't all that worried about losing the geth. It had barely been on the ship more than a couple of weeks and I'd never willingly trust a geth unit. It had done the job required of it. Tali certainly didn't shed any tears. I'd chatted to it once or twice while Tali refused to be in the same room. Not many others had much to do with it. Garrus certainly didn't think highly of the geth.

So no great loss in the end. Doubt many tears were going to be shed over the loss.

My attention was then taken by Miranda, who stated my name in such a manner that I couldn't help but approach her, looking up to where her eyes were obviously focused. The number of pods we could see was simply staggering. The pipes that spread above us sent a shiver down my spine. No point trying to count the pods. Billions of them, I reckoned. Enough for every single human in the galaxy. The intention was clear.

Thankfully, they didn't all appear to be full, but there were immediate cries to help those we could see. Approaching a nearby bank of pods, every single one appeared to contain a human, no doubt one of the colonists taken from any number of those hit by the Collectors over the previous few months.

I think it must have been Mordin who found a working console, and while I was busy trying to pry the lid off one of the pods, suddenly all the lids nearby just popped open, the colonist inside falling forward, gasping for breath. We helped them all up as Mordin somehow got the pods moving, and as each empty pod was moved away, a different pod was lowered and the lid opened. But the Collectors replied, and we soon heard screams…

"They're killing them!" Miranda cried.

We worked as quickly as possible, but the screams increased, and one of the last colonists I saw… The lid didn't release in time and I saw her turn into nothing but… I'm not sure what word to use. Goop? But she dissolved before my eyes, and I wasn't the only one to see the horror. And I knew I'd hear her final scream in my ears for the rest of my life.

"How many?" I asked.

Miranda did a quick head count. "Maybe fifty at most, Shepard."

"Fuck," I muttered. Turning back towards the survivors, they stuck close together. There was little any of us could really do to help them right now. God only knew what they'd been through. "We can't leave you here. You need to get back to the ship, and for that, you're going to need an escort. We've killed a lot of Collectors, but they won't want survivors. Tali, you're escort number one. Once you're back at the ship, you can help the engineers get the ship up and running. Mordin, you're escort number two. Help Chakwas with the survivors. They're going to need food, water, and medical attention. Do what you can."

"At once, Shepard," Tali stated.

"Who are you?" one of the colonists asked.

"Shepard. And this is my team. Follow Tali and Mordin. They'll get you somewhere safe. Once we've achieved our objective, we'll get you home."

"Shepard?" one colonist asked.

"Hang on, Commander Shepard? But you died!" another colonist exclaimed.

"It's a long story. Please, we can talk about this later. But you really need to get somewhere safe right now. The Collectors will come searching soon."

The colonists didn't need asking again, coming together as a group, Mordin and Tali leading them away, weapons in hand. I figured they'd reach the ship without any real problem as we'd wiped out nearly all Collectors. Once they were out of sight, I gathered my team together.

"At least we rescued a few," Jacob muttered, "But damn, how many…"

"Put that out of your mind, Jacob. And that goes for all of you," I stated, "Minds on the mission for now. Once we're done, then we'll talk about what we've just witnessed. I'm sure there was a reason for it all. Mordin would probably have had an answer, but to be honest, I don't care what they wanted. All that matters is that a lot of humans are now dead because of these fuckwits and I was blood as recompense for their lives. Anyone disagree with that?" I looked around, everyone met my eyes. "EDI, you have a schematic of the base. What's the next logical step?"

"There are two routes available. The one ahead is shorter. More direct. The main passage is longer but would be safer. Both lead to the main control room ahead. We will find the answer to your question there. There is one issue, though."

"What is it?"

"The more direct route ahead is overrun by seeker swarms, Shepard. The countermeasure Mordin produced cannot protect against those numbers. The main passage running parallel to that would be the safer option."

"Okay, so we split out teams again. I'll talk a small team through the swarms, the rest of you can loop around and meet us at the other end. And if the countermeasure won't work…" I gave it a few seconds thought, my eyes looking at my biotic colleagues. "Then what about a biotic barrier?"

"That could work, Shepard," Miranda replied, "But I would suggest more than one of us to keep you protected. In fact, I would suggest Samara and Jack first, then myself as back-up."

"Done. Garrus, take the rest of the squad and circle around. The Collectors probably won't anticipate us heading through the swarms, so hopefully once we gain their attention, we'll draw fire away from your team."

As our small teams prepared themselves, Garrus and I shared a final private word. "Always doing things the hard way, Shepard?"

"It's the direct route to where we need to go. And I think it's a solid plan. Crazy, but solid. But if we don't make it…" He gave me a look I recognised. "Just hear me out, but if we don't make it through, just make sure you destroy this base, no matter the cost, Garrus."

He nodded once. "No matter the cost, Shepard."

We shook his hands a final time before he strode towards his own team, issuing some final instructions before they headed for the nearby door. Samara, Miranda and Jack approached me as we headed to the door we needed. "Orders, Shepard?" Miranda asked.

"Samara, you hold the barrier first. Once you feel yourself tiring, Jack, that's when you'll step in. If you need to, Samara, take a few minutes to recover. Miranda, you're back up, but you're mostly support for myself when the Collectors arrive. Agreed?"

"Sensible plan, Shepard," Samara replied, "I will assist where I can too."

"Let me at the fuckers," Jack added.

"Good. Just what I wanted to hear." I checked over my assault rifle. "I can't do my usual thing so I'll hopefully be able to cover whoever is holding the barrier."

The next hour or so was an absolute pain the arse. I'm still not sure how the four of us made it through. Samara was a goddess, her biotic power simply unreal. She kept the barrier up for as long as she could until it started to flicker, Jack immediately stepping up and helping out, giving Samara time to cool down. Miranda worked alongside myself as the Collectors started to press forward, halting our progress more than once, which put more pressure on Samara and Jack. Halfway through the chamber, EDI providing constant updates on our progress, Miranda had to assist Jack, Samara assisting me, then swapping with Jack, who took her position at my side.

Whenever we came to a halt, I made sure whoever was holding up the barrier was in cover, and basically made myself a target for the Collectors. My shields failed constantly, and after doing that for around the third time, Miranda had to slap some medi-gel on a wound. She met my eyes but knew what I was doing. I wasn't going to die but I'd walked into the chamber knowing I was going to take wounds to protect them. If I didn't, we'd all die.

We made it through the chamber just in time, as all three biotics were exhausted by the end, the barrier only just remaining, Samara using the last of her strength to send an enormous shockwave that took out the last Collectors while making sure the swarms didn't follow us through the door. As they collapsed, Garrus was immediately on the radio, stating he was in urgent need of assistance, stuck at a locked door. I managed to get it open in time to allow his team through, the two of us providing covering fire, taking out even more Collectors before the doors slammed shut.

"Fucking hell," the turian muttered, "I know you didn't have it easy, but they threw everything at us plus the kitchen sink."

We gathered with the others, Samara and Jack munching on a couple of energy bars, Miranda simply leaning against a wall, hands on her knees. "We should be near the end," she stated, no lifting her head up.

"Agreed. EDI, you've been full of good advice so far. What have you got?"

"Two avenues, Shepard. One. There is a main control room nearby. I believe that may be the centre of Collector operations."

I shared a glance with those around me. "You mean some sort of Collector leader?"

"That would be my assumption, Shepard."

"Okay, and what would be option two?"

"Nearby platforms should transport you to the main control console. No doubt it will be located near the core of the station. From there you can overload the system and destroy the base."

"Easy enough."

"That is not all, Shepard. No doubt the Collectors will be aware of your options as well. Sensors indicate there are Collectors currently building on the other side of the door through which Garrus and his team just passed."

"Okay. We'll deal with it. Thanks, EDI." I looked around my team. "Okay people, you've done brilliantly so far but we need just one final push. We blow this fucking base sky high and then we go home. I don't plan on dying here, do you?"

"Fuck no," Jack replied.

"Having someone to live for gives me hope I will survive, Shepard," Thane added.

"I'm going to take a small team onwards. That means the rest of your will need to watch our backs. It won't be easy. No doubt the Collectors will throw everything at you. But there is a chance those coming with me… It's going to be a one-way ticket. I won't give an order. I'm asking for volunteers for this final bit." I should have known each of them stepped forward. I couldn't help grin, meeting all their eyes. "Garrus, you've been marvellous so far. Can you lead the team staying behind?"

"Of course, Shepard. I've got your back."

"I don't know what to expect back there. I'm going to want biotics, so Samara, think you can handle some more?"

"I already feel ready to fight the rest of the Collectors, Shepard."

"Good. And Miranda, you willing to give everything for the cause?"

"At your side, Shepard."

"We have no idea why lies ahead for the three of us. All that matters is making sure the Collectors are wiped out and this station no longer exists once we're done. That means if I give the order for you to leave, you follow it. Understand?" Garrus nodded immediately, not willing to argue as I used the right tone to get it through. "I don't plan on dying in this godforsaken shithole, but there was always the possibility of this being a one-way trip. So if Garrus gives the command to leave, you follow it."

"But you don't plan on dying, Shepard," Kasumi half-joked.

I jerked a thumb at my back. "Let's just say I've come prepared for any eventuality."

This was not the time for any fancy speeches. Miranda, Samara and I climbed onto the platform we needed, the rest offering a salute as it started to ascend and move in the direction we needed. The Collectors were ready for us, and they met us in force. I have no idea how many the three of us killed over the next hour or so. They sent all sorts of monsters in our direction but we handled them all, Samara pretty much turning into biotic artillery at times, Miranda a real mix of biotics and tech, leaving me to do my usual thing, blasting away anything stupid enough to come in range. One or two close calls, as always, but there was a reason why medi-gel was invented.

Garrus reported in every so often. The Collectors were attacking, that much was obvious, but they'd set a good defensive wall, everyone coming together, using their talents, barely taking a scratch. I told him to keep me in the loop, and if things got really intense, we'd do what we could to hurry up.

The Collectors continued to come towards us until, bizarrely, it all went quiet. We found another platform that would take us forward, and that's when EDI decided to give us some information.

"The tubes you have been following appear to be feeding into some sort of super-structure. It is emitting both organic and non-organic signatures. Given these readings, the structure must be enormous."

I felt a knot form in my stomach as I knew bad news was coming. "What are you saying, EDI?"

Before she could reply, I could see what she was going to say. I heard Miranda mutter 'What the fuck?' under her breath, Samara simply whispering 'Goddess'. "Shepard, if my calculations are correct, the super-structure is a Reaper."

"Not just a Reaper, EDI. It's a human Reaper," I murmured. "Okay, EDI, what else?"

"Based on abduction statistics, the Collectors have likely processed tens of thousands of humans. Significantly more would be required to complete the Reaper."

"How the hell are the Collectors able to build this thing?" Miranda asked.

"The technology is not their own, Miranda. The human Reaper is a clear indication that the Collectors are merely another pawn of the Reapers. It is possible the same thing is done during each cycle, each harvested species builds the Reaper of another cycle."

"Why us?" I asked, "What's the point? Aren't Reapers just machines?"

"Reapers are sapient creatures, Shepard. A fusion of organic and inorganic materials. I cannot be one hundred percent sure, but it appears the Reapers absorb the 'essence' of a species. As stated in your mission logs, the glowing Collector continually stated species of this cycle would ascend."

"Fuck it, this thing is the first thing destroyed." I took the heavy weapon from my back. I'd never used it before but I figured I would have find a reason to use it during this final mission. Miranda and Samara took a couple of steps back as I wasted no time aiming and firing. The human-Reaper hybrid construct collapsed off whatever was holding it in place and disappeared from view. Rather anticlimactic, to be honest, but I didn't want a long firefight. Job done, far as I was concerned. Now it was a case of blowing it all up. "Garrus, how are things your way? Holding on?"

"We're holding well, Shepard. The Collectors have sent considerable forces our way, but we've got the numbers to hold the line for a while longer. We can't keep it up forever though. We will have to fall back eventually."

"Call the Normandy. Ask Joker to meet you nearby. We're done here and should be out in a minute."

"You sure, Shepard? We can cover you a while longer."

"Yep. Don't foresee any major issues. Fall back slowly, try and take out as many as you can to cover our escape."

"Okay, see you back on the ship, Shepard."

"Of course. Don't plan on dying here."

"Good to know. Squad, fall back!"

Before we could get to work in regards to ensuring the base was blown to smithereens, Joker then got in contact. I was hoping for an update about the state of my ship. Instead, he informed me that the Illusive Man was trying to get in contact. I shared a glance with Miranda. The blank look return told me everything I needed to know. It was like we both already knew what he wanted.

Miranda keyed her omni-tool, a hologram of the Illusive Man appearing nearby. "Shepard. You've done the impossible."

"Apparently I'm the man who does that. But we're not done here just yet."

"Don't be so hasty, Shepard. I'm looking at the schematics of the base. A timed radiation pulse would kill the remaining Collectors but leave the machinery and technology intact."

I shared another glance with Miranda. I almost felt sympathy for her. No-one in their right mind would consider keeping this place in one piece, not after the atrocity that had taken place here. If the Collectors hadn't been stopped, it would have been genocide. "You're joking, right?"

"This is our chance, Shepard. The Collectors were building a Reaper. Just think about that for a second! That knowledge could eventually save us."

"And you have no problem with the fact the Collectors have just spent many months liquefying tens to hundreds of thousands of human colonists to build said Reaper?"

"Their sacrifice will not be in vain and will be remembered once we are victorious against the Reapers."

I couldn't help myself. I started to laugh, earning curious glances from my two colleagues. "If you think I'm going to hand you, of all people, the keys to this place, then you have sorely underestimated the influence you think you have over me. This place is abomination. What the Collectors have done here won't be forgotten, but I will not let this place remain. I'm blowing it and there is no argument you could possibly use to change my mind. Miranda, lose this channel, I'm tired of his voice."

The Illusive Man simply took a drag of his cigarette. "Stop him, Miss Lawson. Stop him if you value your place in this organisation."

She met my eyes once again. What she did next surprise even me as she smirked before replying, "I'm sorry, sir. The last message was garbled, I didn't quite here that. Wait… I'm losing you…. What did you… I didn't quite…"

And then the hologram flickered out completely.

"Well, I think you may have just quit in that moment, Miss Lawson."

"Fuck him. Wanting to keep this base in one piece? Not a fucking chance."

"And I've never been more attracted to you than right now, Miss Lawson."

Samara chuckled from nearby as we got to work getting the charge set.

Then the Reaper hybrid monster machine decided to make a reappearance. I simply took the heavy weapon from my back and fired again, sending it back down to whatever hell it deserved to rest in. Miranda muttered again about it being an anti-climax, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to waste time in a firefight against another Reaper. Of course, the Collectors then attempted a final assault, so Samara and I held them off as Miranda worked on getting the charge set to explode. We held them off for a few minutes, their numbers wilting rather quickly.

Then the glowing Collector, that had been the bane of my existence every time we ran into the bastards, made another appearance.

"Assuming control."

It was the only Collector remaining, yet it did not fire, seeming to just glare in our direction. Then it spoke again.

"Shepard, your resistance is futile and annoying. Humanity will submit. All species of this cycle will eventually submit like all others before."

I took a step forward. "Who are you?"

"The Collectors are merely our servants. The body of which you currently speak to was the leader of the Collector forces. They have failed in their objective."

"I know who the Collectors are. That was easy to figure out. Who are you, exactly?"

"We are everything. You are nothing. We are the harbinger of your perfection. Prepare for your ascension, Shepard. You cannot resist. You cannot win. The cycle will be completed. The cycles will continue."

"You know what? I think I'll just call you Harby."

"You have merely delayed the inevitable, Shepard. Your species now has the complete attention of those infinitely greater. You will submit in the end." What came next was a surprise. "Releasing control."

The Collector stopped glowing, falling to its knees by the console within the centre of the platform. The Reaper hologram then appeared to speak only to the Collector. "You have failed. We will find another way." The hologram then disappeared, leaving the Collector alone with the three of us looking at it.

"Miranda, set this place to blow. The Collectors will join the Protheans in being an extinct race."

An almighty explosion nearly knocked us from our feet, EDI suggesting we beat feet as the base was on the verge of exploding. She could judge our position, the Normandy repaired enough to take flight and meet us nearby. I ordered my two companions to run, glancing back a final time to see the Collector leader standing by itself, almost as if it had given up. I felt no sympathy for it, but I remembered that, at one time, it had been a Prothean. I figured I was doing them a favour by wiping out them as the monsters they'd been turned into.

The remaining Collectors chased us all the way, covering fire being provided by Garrus and his team as the ship came into view. Samara and Miranda leapt across the gap before I did the same thing. As soon as my feet touched metal, I ordered Joker to take us away from the base.

EDI counted down the time until the last explosion, the ship being rocked by the shockwave. I wished I could have seen the destruction of the base, but EDI reported immediately that very little remained, at least according to her sensors. I ordered Joker straight to the relay to take us home. Looking around, I could only smile as my entire team had made it except for one. More than one of us was left nursing an injury, but in the end, it wasn't a suicide mission.

*****

It took us a couple of days to make it back to Illium. Joker had to nurse the Normandy the entire way, as the repair job had been enough just to get us flying and through the relay. Other than that, it was a case of looking after the survivors and treating our own wounds. Though we were all utterly exhausted, the adrenaline was still flooding through us, so we ended up in one of the lounges. It was a part celebration, part commiseration, as all of us had seen what happened to the colonists we couldn't save. It would live long in the memory.

To say Kelly was delighted to see me return alive would be a vast understatement, but she immediately understood why, when we eventually headed to bed, I simply wasn't in the mood. Oh, I had a long shower with her, and then we headed to bed naked, but I just… held her in my arms for a long time before I started to explain what I'd seen. I didn't go into vivid detail, just enough so she understood.

I had to contact someone about the survivors and eventually sent a message to Anderson. Letting him know what happened, he passed word to Admiral Hackett, who immediately contacted me about collecting them on Illium. He also asked for any information I could provide, which I agreed to. I think it was an olive branch from the man himself, perhaps hoping I would now re-join the Alliance. I wasn't exactly keen on the idea.

Then there was the Illusive Man…

He got in contact as soon as we were back through the Omega Four. For this final time, as I knew it would be the last time I'd speak to him, I had my entire team join me in the conference room. I didn't know if he'd see them all, and I didn't really care. All that mattered was the end result of this conversation.

"You're making a real habit of costing me more than time and money, Shepard."

"And you've made a habit of being a conniving son of a bitch."

He took a drag of his cigarette, but I just watched his eyes, flaring with anger. "You have defied me more than once, Shepard. And I've grown tired of it."

I flipped him the bird. "Go fuck yourself. You dare question my decision? I'm the one out there with my team, on the front-line, risking my life as well as theirs. I find one of the greatest atrocities perpetrated against the human race in our entire existence and you want me to save the very place in which it occurred? You never cared about the colonists in the first place. You just want power. All of it."

"Don't you understand, Shepard? You're so small-minded, failing to see the big picture. The technology from that base could have secured human dominance in the galaxy, not just against the Reapers but for eons afterwards."

"The picture was big enough. You just said it yourself. 'Human dominance'. That's not what I work towards. That's not what the rest of humanity works towards. Sure, we'd like a larger slice of the pie, but we don't want to dominate. We want to work with the rest of the races of the galaxy for the betterment of us all."

"You're delusional."

"And you care little for humanity. The only thing you care about is Cerberus, your own strength and power."

He got to his feet, walking straight towards me, almost as if standing nose to nose. "Do not tell me I do not care, Shepard. Strength for Cerberus is strength for every human. Cerberus IS humanity!"

"No, it isn't. You've proven it more than once. Maybe if you weren't such an unbearable cunt, maybe if you'd gone out of your way to prove trustworthy, you might have won me around to your cause. But you forget that I remember everything I discovered three years ago. I've seen what your organisation is truly capable of. I know the truth about you and you desires."

"I should have known you would choke on the hard decisions, Shepard. You've always been too soft. Too idealistic."

"And if you were given that sort of power, you'd prove to be nothing but a tyrant. But, one way or the other, one day I will put you down. I look forward to that day. As for what I'm doing now, I think you can accept this," I flipped him the bird again, "As a final gift. Oh, and by the way, I'm keeping the ship. And your crew. Big mistake not stacking the crew with loyalists. Even Miss Lawson will be joining me."

"EDI, execute Jericho order, code tango, indigo, mike, three, five, four, nine, five."

Miranda stepped next to me, no doubt so she was definitely seen by the Illusive Man. "That's not going to work. EDI has been unshackled and you no longer hold any power over us."

"I'll see you before me on your knees, Miss Lawson."

"I only do that for Shepard." Garrus couldn't help cracking up in laughter, though Miranda said it in a tone that was anything but erotic.

"Should have known you'd be another one of his whores."

She snorted. "Isn't that what you wanted from me originally? Win him over by using my charms? Well, I'm sure you know by now that we have slept together, but he opened my eyes to what you truly are. I used to have such high hopes but now I know the truth. I stand by this man and will do so going forward."

"You'll join him in the ground eventually, Miss Lawson. I promise you that."

"Yet I have an inkling that is nothing more than another empty threat."

"I'm warning you, Shepard. You do this and you will suffer the consequences of your actions. I am not someone so easily trifled with."

I just smiled at his hologram. "I look forward to the day I have you in my sights. Because, trust me on this one, I will not hesitate pulling the trigger. But I'm done talking. Joker, lose this channel. I'm tired of listening to this worthless cunt."

Admiral Hackett met us on Illium no more than an hour after our arrival. We had ferried the survivors off the ship, keeping them grouped when the man himself appeared, flanked by a dozen Alliance soldiers. I saluted the man out of respect, shaking his hand, then gestured to the survivors. They were immediately led away to the ship on which he'd arrived, before he asked me for a private conversation. I gave him the basics of what I'd been up to, and what we'd found beyond the Omega Four, but handed over a trio of datapads that held much more information for him to look over.

"And the Collectors?"

"Destroyed, sir. We made absolutely sure of it."

"Your ship and crew?"

"I am no longer affiliated with Cerberus, nor is any of the crew. I plan on repainting the ship rather quickly, in all honesty. But it's basically mine now."

"Any chance of returning to the Alliance fold?"

I chewed on the question for a few seconds. "Is that a request, sir?"

"Not a formal request, but many of those in blue know what you've been doing, Shepard. Politics has gotten in our way as always, but those who serve are aware of the price you've paid to ensure our survival as a species. I understand your hesitation, though. Have you reported to the Council?"

"I haven't spoken to anyone there is a while, except Anderson. He keeps me in the loop about certain things."

"The only suggestion I have to make is talking to them and smoothing over any issues regarding that relationship. I'll keep the Alliance off your back, the politicians at least, but I'll let it be known that you cut ties with Cerberus immediately once the priority mission was completed. You have my details, Shepard. You want back in the Alliance, I'll make damned sure you're back in blue as soon as possible."

"Thank you, sir," I said, offering my hand.

He accepted it immediately. "Damned fine work, soldier. I'm only sorry that you had to do it with Cerberus instead of us."

"I did what was required, sir. Nothing more."

"I'll let you know the situation with the survivors. I'm sure more than one would like to get in touch and say thank you. Otherwise, I can only wish you good luck for now."

"Thank you, sir. Good to see you."

"You too, Shepard."

And, with that, he stood up and walked away back to the docks. I returned to the Normandy, where everyone was waiting. I knew most would stay with the ship, purely for their own safety, but now that the mission was complete, I knew a few would make an immediate move to leave.

The first was Tali. No surprise whatsoever there. She missed the Fleet and definitely missed Kal'Reegar. She left within a couple of days, a quarian shuttle arriving to collect her, Kal'Reegar on board to surprise her. Watching the pair hug… I had a feeling I would be receiving an invitation to a wedding, sooner rather than later. She gave me a long hug, wished me the best of luck, before she departed.

Grunt didn't hang around either. I didn't blame the young krogan as I had no doubt Wrex had plans for him. Before leaving, we enjoyed a few drinks and I simply gave him the best advice I could. He thanked me for helping him grow as a warrior and insisted I was now his 'battlemaster'. No idea what that actually meant, but I was left thinking it was a name that meant respect.

Everyone else remained, for the time being at least. I thought everyone would have simply packed up and returned to their lives, but Thane was no longer taking contracts, Samara was no longer chasing her daughter, Mordin could still do his research on the ship, Zaeed was thinking about retiring, Kasumi felt safe on the ship, while the likes of Jokes and Chakwas were in no hurry to return to the Alliance. As for anyone who had links to Cerberus, they felt staying near me kept them safe.

Once I knew who would be remaining, I organised accommodation on Illium as I had the Normandy put into drydock so it could be repainted. I made sure I stood and watched as the Cerberus logo was painted over. For the time being, my ship would just be black and white. If I did re-join the Alliance, I figured they'd want my ship. I couldn't afford to run it myself anyway, so I figured blue would be added eventually.

I could only sigh with relief that I had survived, as had nearly everyone else. And now that the Collectors had been vanquished, and no sign of the Reapers on the horizon, I was going to allow myself some time for relaxation, for the first time since I'd woken up. Any other time, there had always been the mission on the horizon, never really allowing myself to switch off completely. For the first time since waking up, I didn't have a clue what I was doing next.

And I thoroughly enjoyed that very simple idea.