Mass Effect: Cry Out For a Hero

"Kira will be waiting for you?" Liara asked again as Joker slowly took us towards our usual dock on the Citadel.

"Yeah. I think she wants to talk in private before I speak to them. I'll speak to Kira, then meet with Udina and Anderson. They'll have my report by now."

"Approaching the docking bay, Commander," Joker reported in from nearby, "Are you expecting a small or large welcoming committee?"

"I think we'll find out in a couple of minutes."

The Normandy was clamped into place once it was in position. Having no real idea of how long we would be on the Citadel, I'd authorised R&R for the crew though they were under orders to watch for messages in case we needed to leave quickly. Pressly would remain on the ship in the event of a hasty exit.

Walking off the ship once the airlock had cycled and the ship had depressurised, Kira was waiting for me, her eyes lighting up as always seeing me in my Alliance blues. Although her eyes lit up, there was no real smile as she greeted me with a soft kiss before she moulded her body against mine. She didn't need to say a word as I held her tightly in my arms.

We walked hand in hand in silence towards the Presidium. No one seemed to take any notice of an asari holding hands with a human. I'm sure she would have been recognisable. The Council often held press conferences, and she was often photographed at events. And given that I had a rather well-known face, I figured that if we continued to be seen together in public that two and two would eventually be put together.

"You should see Ambassador Udina before coming to face the Council," she told me as we stopped outside the Embassy Quarters. She rested a hand on my chest and looked into my eyes. "Shepard… It won't go well for you. Privately… I knew you did what was necessary. Publicly, the Council must appear united when something like this happens."

"Have you heard from Udina?"

"No. We told the Alliance that we would deal with the matter privately."

"Okay. I'll speak to Udina and see you soon."

I would have kissed her, but I could see people starting to look our way. She smiled at me though it didn't reach her eyes. I had a feeling that things were going to go badly though I was now wondering just how badly. As long as the Council didn't get in my way when it came to catching Saren, so be it. Censure me if you want, just let me finish the job. I now knew he was heading to Ilos. Why he was heading there, I wasn't sure. Whatever the Conduit was, it must be on Ilos.

"What the hell are you playing at, Commander?" Udina shouted when I strolled into his office, "A nuclear weapon. Are you out of your mind?"

"Ambassador, maybe…" Anderson started to say.

"No, Captain. This time, it's too far. You don't detonate nuclear weapons on garden worlds." I simply folded my arms across my chest and glared at him. He almost sneered in return. "You've got some explaining to do, Commander."

"You have no idea what I'm out there doing, Donnel…" I saw him bristle at the use of his first name. Fuck him. He was nothing but a bureaucrat. "You really think that I wanted to detonate a nuclear weapon? I did it because it was the only choice. And I'm sure the report from Major Kirrahe of STG will back up that assertion."

"The Salarian Union will deal with them," Udina retorted, "Unfortunately for us, due to your Spectre status, it will be the Council that will decide your fate. If it was my choice, you would be returned to Arcturus in handcuffs, stripped of your command."

"Well, it's a good thing that you don't make that decision because that would be a monumentally stupid fucking thing to do, Donnel." I stepped towards him, and I enjoyed the fact that he had to look up into my eyes. "You know my track record," I warned him, "Fuck with me at your peril, Donnel."

"I am the Ambassador of…"

"I don't give a flying fuck who you are, Donnel. When we enter the Council Chambers, just remember that. Don't fuck with me. I will fuck you up in return. I will bury you and no one will find your body."

Anderson cleared his throat, and it was probably wise that he reminded me that he was there. I was ready to do more than just hit Udina at that moment. I stepped back and made myself calm down before I turned to my old captain. "Are you attending, sir?"

"I am, though only to take an account for the Alliance."

"Fair enough. Councillor Tevos has already talked to me. Are we going to talk to them or what?"

"Follow me, Commander. And if you have any brains in that head of yours, you'll remain quiet while I talk to them."

Kira had been right to warn me as I could sense the mood in the chamber when we walked in and the three of us stood before the Council. Kira was the consummate councillor and politician. You wouldn't have guessed from the way that she looked at me that we were lovers and she'd already confessed that she loved me. Sparatus almost bristled with anger, and I knew it was at me. Valern was his usual inscrutable self.

I was completely fucked over by all four of them. Sparatus was incensed that we'd detonated a nuclear bomb on Virmire. Valern questioned if I was even still of sound mind. Sparatus insisted that it was obvious that the Reaper threat was a lie by Saren and that I'd simply fallen for his ruse. He insisted that Saren and his geth wanted to attack the Citadel for their own reasons and that the Council would now handle the situation.

I retorted, stating that I still had a ship and could be sent to Ilos to track him down.

That's when Kira spoke up. "Commander, this sort of operation requires a deft touch."

"I can do subtle, Councillor."

"Like you were on Virmire?" Sparatus practically spat in my direction.

"Unfortunately, Commander, you have proven to be a loose cannon. Your chase of Saren has led to numerous issues that will require solving," Valern added.

"Face it, Commander. You've made a complete mess of this and fallen for Saren's delusions," Udina added, "It's time for the politicians to handle this matter."

I turned to Udina. He looked smugly in my direction. "I warned you, Udina. And you can't stop me. I'm a Council Spectre."

"I can't stop you from walking out of the chamber. But the Normandy was only loaned to you. It's now under lockdown. If you try and leave the Citadel in any other ship, you will be fired upon."

"You are confined to the Citadel until this issue has been resolved, Commander," Sparatus added, "Don't test our patience further. Your delusions have obviously gotten the best of you."

"You're delusional if you think Saren is only in this for himself. You haven't spoken to him," I warned before I turned back to Udina, "As for you, you son of a bitch…"

It felt wonderful when I put a fist into his gut. "Captain!" he managed to groan.

I leaned down to Udina's ear. "Be glad it was only a fist, Donnel, because the urge to put a bullet in your head is over-fucking-whelming right now."

Without another word, I strode out of the chamber and towards the private chambers of the councillors. Each had private corridors and entranceways so the other two wouldn't know that I was waiting for Kira. She appeared around ten minutes later, and it was almost amusing to see one of the most powerful asari in the galaxy looking rather nervous as she approached me cautiously.

"I'm not sure whether I should stand here and yell at you or I drag you inside and hate fuck you for what just happened," I told her.

"Follow me, Shepard. I have a surprise for you."

Taking my hand, she led me into her office and through to her private residence. She was right that it was a surprise as Jane leapt up from where she was sitting on the couch and practically leapt into my arms. I felt her legs wrap around me as her mouth met mine. I heard Kira chuckling as Benezia must have walked out to join us from her bedroom.

Walking over and carrying Jane with me to the couch, I sat down as she straddled me, feeling her grind down against my cock which had hardened almost immediately. I sensed asari sitting to either side of us, Jane not wanting to break the kiss until we both needed to take a deep breath.

"I know what you're trying to do, Kira," I said as I gently stroked Jane's cheek. The smile on her face… The look in her eyes… The same as Liara… As Ashley… As Kira and Benezia and Naira…

"I have a plan, Shepard. I've been contacting Captain Anderson in secret. He knows that you must get out of here and get Saren. I hope you understand that I had to play the game just then. The Council must appear united, no matter what," Kira explained.

Jane kissed me again as she must have known that I was well and truly pissed off about what just happened. She took one of my hands and slid it under her shirt, feeling that she wasn't wearing a bra. "I'm not wearing panties either because I'm getting your dick inside me as soon as possible," she told me.

"You'll need to remain here for at least twenty-four hours, Shepard. Things must calm down. Don't worry, your crew will be just fine and will be ready for when you leave." That made me turn towards Kira in surprise. "I don't agree with the assessment of my fellow councillors, and I will be working with Captain Anderson to make sure that you get off the Citadel in the Normandy."

"Twenty-four hours? That's…"

"The best we can do. At the moment, if you go anywhere near the Normandy, you will be shot. And that goes for any of your crew. Captain Anderson wants the guards to believe that everything is going along nicely. We'll quickly pull most of them away and leave only a couple of them there. The major problem is getting you out from the docks themselves."

"How?"

"Captain Anderson will be performing more than one task which will likely result in a court-martial if you are not successful."

"Guess that means I should make sure I save the day then."

"Bezzie, I'm thinking that we should give these two some privacy. We'll grab some dinner and make sure that we bring some back for them."

Jane waited until we were alone before she kissed me again. It was one hell of a kiss, sitting up enough that her body was pressed into mine. I worked at the buttons of her shirt and flung that away, kissing down her neck towards her breasts.

"Kira called me and told me to get here immediately because of today," she explained breathlessly, "She said that I was here to distract you the entire time that you were stood down. I assured her that wouldn't be a problem though I might have to fight off others who want your dick as well."

"Definitely Benezia, Liara and Ashley," I suggested as I moved to her other breast, earning a moan as I latched onto a soft nipple.

"You finally fuck them both? God, I bet it would have been so hot."

"Both of them and Ashley gave me her arse too." That made me halt, looking up into her eyes. "I lost…"

She caressed my cheek and smiled sadly. "I know, Shepard. Kira told me. Another reason for me to come here and be with you."

I made her giggle as I easily stood up and carried her down the corridor, avoiding Kira's bedroom and not wanting to fuck her in Benezia's either. There were five bedrooms in total, the other three with beds more than large enough to have some fun. I carefully placed Jane on the bed as I quickly stripped myself down before I grabbed her trousers and underwear together and practically ripped them from her body. She shuffled backwards and spread her legs, her now bald pussy glistening with her excitement.

"Fuck," I growled, "Next time, leave a red landing strip."

"You love the red hair?"

"Few sexier women in the galaxy than you, Jane."

"Want to eat my pussy first?"

"Until you're begging me to stop because you want my cock instead."

She moved into the middle of the bed so I could join her, and I jumped into in devouring her pussy. Part of me actually wished that Benezia and Kira had stayed to watch as I knew Jane would have loved it. She'd told me bluntly that she had an exhibitionist streak that she wanted to explore with me. Things like making her walk nude somewhere. Fucking publicly. Masturbating in a crowded place without getting caught. And that was just the start…

There was no doubt that I loved her taste. Her body reacted to every move of my tongue. Every noise she made was wonderful. I wanted to record it to play it back later, able to remember every single thing I was doing to earn such noises.

"Shepard," she whimpered, "Oh my god…"

Sliding a pair of fingers inside her earned what I wanted. Her first orgasm. I hadn't touched anywhere that would usually get a woman off, but I think Jane was just so damned horny and happy to be with me again, I think a cuddle would have made her orgasm. She begged me to lick her clit while my fingers manipulated that special spot inside her. The volume of her cries increased as she came again within a couple of minutes.

"Fucking hell, I love you," she whimpered before realising what she said. She sat up slightly to meet my eyes. "I love you, Shepard."

I leaned up and kissed her. She already knew that I had difficulty saying those words. No other woman had heard them from me yet. Part of them thought that saying that to one would mean saying the words to all of them. Then there was the fact that I already had numerous lovers. Although such relationships were no longer unusual, did I love them all? Yes. Was I in love with them?

That was a question that I was still dealing with.

Since I'd moved, she kept her eyes on mine as I felt her fingers grasp my cock and guide me towards her pussy. She whimpered again as I slowly buried my length inside her until I could feel her hot pussy surrounding my cock. We were soon fucking in a frenzy, her fingers digging into my back with her legs spread as wide as possible, almost slamming my cock as deep as possible with each thrust.

"Fuck me," she moaned into my ear, "Fucking love your big cock, Shepard. You totally own my pussy. You know that, right? Own my pussy. Own my arse. Own my body. I fucking love it when you're inside me."

"I know the feeling. If it wasn't for everything that I was doing, I'd just buy a mansion and have all of you live with me."

I didn't last much longer before I felt the urge to fill her pussy once again. I felt her squeezing my cock with her pussy to milk me until I was empty, making me chuckle as she pushed me in a manner to suggest that she wanted to ride me. Within a few seconds, she was grinding away with me on my back as I bent my knees, so she leaned forward, leaning down to kiss me as I thrust up into her.

She came more than once while she was riding me, eventually resting on my chest with her head nestled against my neck as my hands grabbed her arse and I pumped my cock up into her. I loved hearing her moans and whimpers so close to my ear, pleading with me to keep going until I came inside her again. Although I loved the position, I wanted something else, rolling us over and then pulling back to spin her around.

Once I was inside her again, I mounted her as she rested her head on the pillow, thrusting harder and harder. My groin slapped against her arse. She was almost babbling by this point, and when I filled her again, I kept on thrusting until I knew I was empty before I pulled out and slumped on the bed next to her.

Rolling onto her side, she snuggled into me as I wrapped an arm around her in return. We ended up dozing for a couple hours, waking with our stomachs grumbling and we ended up eating lunch naked in the kitchen before I bent her over the bench and fucked her gently from behind. She was so turned on that she ended up turning around and falling to her knees to take my load in her mouth.

"And that's dessert sorted out," she said with humour while licking her lips.

We were actually dressed and relaxing with a bottle of wine when Kira and Benezia arrived home later that afternoon. They were quickly followed by Liara and Ashley though the surprise was that Tali was with them. She immediately stopped and admitted surprise that I wasn't already inside someone. The delightful surprise a few minutes later was when Naira and Sha'ira walked through the door, Naira immediately running over while I stood up, Naira leaping up onto me. I collapsed back onto the couch as she straddled my lap and we were quickly making out, almost forgetting that we were surrounded by a group of people.

"She's really missed him," Sha'ira explained to the others.

"Are you up for fucking some of us for the rest of the night?" Naira asked.

"He's sleeping with me, but you can share him the rest of the night," Kira replied for me, "And I'm sure he's got the stamina but don't push him too hard."

I quickly found myself dragged to another bedroom, clothing on the floor for both of us, with Naira straddling my lap as she happily bounced up and down on my cock with abandon. She wanted to meld after her first orgasm, learning of everything that I'd been up to since we'd last seen each other. I felt her growing sadness as she realised what I'd been through and what I'd lost. When she broke the meld, we shared a passionate kiss as I rolled her over onto her back and we continued making love.

We only stopped when Sha'ira appeared in the doorway and told us that dinner was ready to be served. I pulled out of Naira, Sha'ira walking over as I stood up. She carefully got down on her knees and ran her tongue up my shaft. "I still remember our time together fondly, Shepard," she stated, "And I just had to taste Naira on your cock. She's not been with another man since as per her word. Only other asari and human females."

Despite what was going on in the background, dinner was a lively affair. I could see Kira had been worried about my reaction, so I made sure that I sat next to her. The one amusing thing to me was Tali's reaction as what the women were wearing left little to the imagination. Plenty of skin on display and there was no way any of them were wearing bras, Kira leaned in close to my ear and suggested panties had also been removed before entering her apartments.

"Girls, I'm only one man and Jane has already left me considerably drained from our earlier antics, and Naira… Well, I couldn't just leave one load inside her."

"And I love you for that alone, Shepard," Naira stated, "I'm going to make sure I carry your load around for as long as I can."

"Anyway, we can make this night as relaxing or as wild as possible. I'm just taking note that there are more women and asari here."

"I think Shepard is suggesting that some pussy be eaten, girls," Ashley stated, "Now while I've tasted asari, I haven't been with a woman, Jane."

"Are you suggesting that you want this pussy, Ashley?"

"Absolutely."

"Good because the one thing I want to do is put on a show for Shepard."

"I have toys," Kira added, "Plenty of toys that we girls can use together."

The meal was three courses and accompanied by some wine from both human and asari worlds. Kira ensured that Tara and Ariana joined us while we were eating, amused that they were naked the entire time for all our entertainment. I kept my eyes on them as it was obvious they were hoping for a little fun with me. I was left thinking they'd waited long enough though it would depend on Kira.

With dinner over, we all adjourned to the living room. I sat down on the couch as Ashley and Jane wast ed little time getting each other naked and started pleasing each other. Naira perched herself on the floor between my legs. Kira and Benezia sat together on another couch with Sha'ira and Liara on another. Tara and Ariana sat to either side of me. It took all of a minute before I was kissing each of them as their hands worked on getting my clothes off.

Once I was naked and seeing my cock hard, Tara and Ariana positioned themselves so they could suck my cock together. Naira joined in and I could see Tali watching from one of the armchairs. I couldn't see her face though I'd learned to read her eyes and I think I was understanding most of her body language. The poor girl was growing ever more aroused.

"You okay, Tali?"

"Your dick is so big, Shepard," she whispered, "I don't think quarian dicks are that big."

"He's rather special in many ways," Kira stated.

I didn't want to cum anywhere except in pussy for the rest of the night. Telling Tara and Ariana what I wanted, Tara was the first to straddle my lap and I couldn't help groaning as she slowly sank down on my cock.

"My first human," she whispered before kissing me, "Same for Ariana. We've only been with asari. We're still quite young."

"How young?"

"Barely two hundred."

I almost snorted though considering how asari age, that was only a fifth of her life passed by so far. Naira soon had Tara giggling as her tongue was working my shaft while licking her at the same time. Ariana sat up so she could kiss us both. I heard Ashley and Jane really getting into it, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Kira get up and disappear to her bedroom. She was back again a few minutes later holding what looked like some sexy toys.

My focus remained on Tara as her nimble body was soon bouncing up and down on my cock with abandon. She came more than once though didn't stop bouncing for a second until I picked her up and spun her around, bending her over the couch and pounding her harder.

"Fuck her, Shepard," Kira demanded, "She wants a load of your cum as deep inside her as possible. And then Ariana needs the same treatment."

"Goddess… I can't wait until he's back so he can fuck us again soon," Tara moaned, turning her head to face me, "You like my tight little asari pussy, Shepard?"

"Damn right I do," I replied before I slapped one of her cheeks, "Though when I get back, this arse is mine as well."

I finally buried my cock and exploded inside her, leaving my cock buried inside her as I left soft kisses on each of her cheeks. She turned her head to kiss me properly, feeling her pussy tightening around my cock which made me chuckle. I think Kira had been teaching her girls.

Ariana gave me time to recover as I sat back on the couch. She was happy to sit next to me as I used my fingers to tease her constantly, her legs spread nice and wide. It was far too inviting for Naira who ended up using that talented tongue of hers on Ariana. Tara had resumed her position to my other side and eventually took my cock back in her mouth. She immediately mentioned that she enjoyed the taste of us together, keeping me nice and hard before I was ready to go again.

She wanted to make love on the floor, quickly running off to a bedroom to grab a soft blanket for us to lie on and grabbed a couple of cushions off the couch to rest her head on. Sliding slowly inside her, she was just as tight and as hot as Tara had been. As tight as Liara had been the night we finally made love. Ariana's eyes glistened as I gently slid inside her. When I left a soft kiss on her lips, I whispered, "Big moment?"

"Kira loves you so much that I can't help but feel so happy that she's giving me time with you too."

"I know how much Kira loves you and Tara. Of course she'd want you to enjoy time with me too."

It didn't take long for Ariana to figure out just how she liked it. I loved feeling her soft skin surrounding me as her legs hooked around my hips, the moans she made as I plunged deeper into her pussy no doubt turning on everyone around us. Ariana had positioned the blanket so we could look around and watch everything else. Naira was still going down on Tara. Ashley was now sitting reverse cowgirl on Jane's face though that was because Liara was now eating out Jane. Kira and Benezia were masturbating together. Only Sha'ira remained unaffected, nursing a glass of wine and happy to watch events unfold.

When I came inside Ariana after what felt like an hour of making love, Ariana was happy to swap positions a few times before she ended up on her back again, begging me to cum inside her for the first time. As I pulled out and lay beside her, she rolled onto her side and cuddled into me. Tara was almost half asleep from a series of orgasms, Naira crawling over to take my cock in her mouth again to taste Ariana on it.

"That's me done. I can get hard again, but I think my balls will start to hurt if I cum again!"

That earned plenty of giggles as I sat up to get myself a drink from the coffee table. I ended up back on the couch with Tara, Ariana and Naira taking all my attention due to their continued nudity. Benezia was now going down on Kira while Sha'ira was now wearing a strap-on and fucking Benezia from behind. Liara, Ashley and Jane were now in a proper triangle and all I could hear was one orgasm after another from the three of them.

"You okay, Tali?"

She didn't reply until she replied rather out of breath, "Horny, Shepard… But I can deal with it…"

I felt my eyebrows raise before I asked, "How's that possible?"

"Omni-tool… Applications for my suit… Something buzzes down there… You know, my pussy…"

"Tali, I'm shocked!" I half-joked, "Here I thought that you were a sweet and innocent young quarian. And here you are masturbating in front of us."

"Had to… So hot watching you fuck those girls… I could only wish something…"

I stood up and walked over to her, watching her eyes behind her mask as I sat next to her. When I cuddled her into me, I heard her choke back a sob. I wasn't blind or stupid about what she had to endure living in a suit. When she shuddered, I knew that she was growing even more excited.

"Are you going to cum, Tali?" I whispered, "Do you do this often?"

"Most nights," she admitted.

"Should have told me. I mean… Would you have liked to watch?"

"Keelah, I'd have loved it, Shepard. I'd never be jealous. It would just be so totally arousing."

"Guess you're loving those three then," I suggested, gesturing to Liara, Ashley and Jane on the floor.

"I've always preferred men, but I wouldn't mind tasting pussy in the future if I ever get the chance."

Hearing her whimper next to me stiffened my cock again considerably, something that didn't go unnoticed by Tali. I felt her snuggle into me as she shuddered again. Another whimper told me that she was probably closer to orgasm, turning her head so her bright eyes behind the mask were looking at me.

"I'm sorry if you've felt ignored, Tali," I said softly.

"You talk to me every day, Shepard. I've never felt ignored. I'm the innocent girl, remember?"

She was teasing me, and I couldn't help but chuckle. Then she whimpered again and released a moan that suggested she was enjoying quite the orgasm. I pulled her even closer and hugged her to my body. She immediately hugged me back as she continued to shake and shudder.

"Fuck… Fuck, that was a good one, Shepard," she whispered.

"I've never heard you curse, Tali!"

"My pussy is dripping and throbbing. I kind of wish that you could see it. I bet you'd think that I have a very pretty pussy too."

"Maybe one day, Tali?"

When I finally headed off to bed that evening with Kira, we didn't make love. Kira just wanted to cuddle. The surprise was when she started to sniffle, turning her around to face me. Her eyes glistened as I stroked her cheek. I knew why. She was worried about my escape. She was worried about our trip to Ilos. She was worried about me finding Saren and stopping him. I knew she believed in the Reaper threat unlike the others. Sparatus wasn't convinced. I don't think Valern was either. As for Udina, he was only interested in gaining power for himself.

Breakfast was quiet that morning as the plan was in place. Kira and Captain Anderson would work together to remove the guards from the docks. Anderson would then have to get into Citadel Control to allow the Normandy to escape. That was the dangerous part. When Kira departed, we walked alone into her office. It was there that we shared one final kiss. When she melded, I experienced all the feelings that she had for me. To be honest, it was almost overwhelming. It's one thing to hear that someone loves you, it's another to experience their feelings.

"Come back home to all of us," she whispered, resting her head against my chest, "Come back home to me."

"I would normally say that I'll die trying, but I guess that you don't want to hear that."

"Far too many women and asari who would be very upset, Shepard." She kissed me again before adding, "Be ready to move in an instant. I would suggest you hover near the entrance to the docks. Everything will happen quickly."

Benezia, Sha'ira, Naira, Tara and Ariana all gathered around as I wished them goodbye. I could feel the nerves from Benezia when it came to her daughter. Their relationship was still being repaired. Both had admitted privately that they knew it would be a long road, that there had been forgiveness but moving on was always difficult. Sha'ira expressed her confidence in our mission. Naira simply kissed me and whispered how much she loved me.

I messaged the entire crew through a secure channel and told them to gather near the entrance to the docks though only in small groups, preferably in civilian clothing. Only I would appear in my uniform. Ashley and Kaidan had already been briefed by Anderson. Garrus had spoken to a few of his ex-colleagues in C-Sec and many thought the lockdown was bullshit. Wrex suggested we just charge our way in and get out of town.

Things were happening when I noticed a line of C-Sec officers walk on by. Amusing, the human officers all glanced in my direction when I was leaning back against a railing, receiving a nod as if they knew exactly what was going on. Garrus talked to a couple of the turians and he confirmed that Kira was already putting the plan into action.

"Soon," I told everyone as I walked away to each small group, "As soon as I receive word, we move."

Even Joker had been ordered off the ship. He was sat on a bench nearest the entrance with his walker nearby. I'd already offered to have Wrex pick him up and carry him. Joker found amusement in my request, suggesting that just being carried by the big krogan would probably lead to bones being snapped, particularly his ribs.

My Omni-tool dinged and it was a simple one-word message.

Go.

Thankfully, the Normandy was unlocked, the crew moving in a flood towards the ship. I was last in as I made sure Joker was safely on board and back in his chair. The airlock was closed and locked as we waited for the ship to be unclamped.

"Come on," Joker muttered as we waited for the green light to flash, "We're sitting ducks right now."

"Anderson will take care of it. Don't worry."

"Think he'll get in trouble?"

"If we all die? Yeah, probably. If we kick arse and save the day? I hope Udina is sacked and shown up for the complete twat that he is."

I could feel the nervous tension and the excitement from the crew around me. They were already hard at work, but I could feel their eyes on my back as we waited. Each minute felt like an hour. My squad was waiting near the galaxy map as I knew that I'd have to share some words about what we were doing. No one had left the flight deck just yet.

"Green light, Commander! We're away!"

"Get us to the relay pronto, Joker. I'll key our destination into the galaxy map. We're going to the Mu Relay and from there onto Ilos. Uncharted territory."

Walking through my squad and crew that were not working, I stood on the elevated platform by the galaxy map as I looked over all of them.

"Crew of the Normandy, we're on our way to catch Saren and finally bring him to justice. We are about to head into an area of space that's been cut off for thousands of years. We don't know what lies beyond the relay except that a planet by the name of Ilos lies out there. We know what Saren wants to do and it's up to us to stop him.

This is an Alliance ship. We have disobeyed Alliance orders. We are now aboard what will be considered a stolen vessel. All of us are now mutineers."

I was surprised at the cheers. I guess things never change no matter what century we are in.

"All of you know your jobs. Continue to do them well. We also know the price that might be paid, but I will do my damnedest to make sure that you all make it home to your friends and family. Saren and his geth now lie in wait. Return to your stations and I'll make my usual rounds. Joker?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Put everything into getting us to Ilos as quickly as possible. We've been delayed long enough."

"Aye, Commander. I'll get us there so fast that Saren probably won't even be there yet."

I returned to my cabin and started writing the report that would hopefully exonerate me once everything was complete. I wasn't particularly surprised to receive communication from Admiral Hackett, Joker putting through to my cabin.

"Commander, I've received word that you've departed the Citadel upon the Normandy."

"That's correct, sir. We are currently on our way to the Mu Relay."

"Then I have only one command, Commander. Catch that turian bastard and stop him before he brings about our destruction. I will make sure that you will face no charges upon your return. Godspeed and good luck."

"Thank you, sir. Are any fleets moving at the moment?"

"You have certainly made some influential friends, Commander. I currently have word that three fleets moving. One to stop any invasion force from heading to Earth. We are also sending two towards the Citadel in the event that Saren is successful in somehow launching an attack. We've alerted the turians with our manoeuvres. They were concerned before I explained the situation. They are now preparing defences. As for the asari, they're on the verge of ordering full mobilisation to counter any threat."

"That would be the influence of the councillor."

"As I said, Commander, it appears that you have many friends. We'll do our best to be prepared for Saren and his army of geth. All we can hope is that you catch that bastard before he brings the Reapers from wherever they are lurking."

Joker eventually reported in and suggested that we'd be in the orbit of Ilos, and through the Mu Relay, by the early hours of tomorrow morning, ship-time. Ashley was busy at the armoury, making sure our weapons and armour were in perfect working order. Garrus continued to tinker with the Mako. I had no idea if we'd need it for Ilos or not. Wrex was just eager to catch Saren and kill the bastard. Tali was full of nervous excitement, eager to get into the action. Liara was so excited to be visiting what would likely be an untouched Prothean world.

We enjoyed dinner in the mess as a group, thinking that it might be our last before the end of the mission. I made a toast to our success so far and to our future victory over Saren though I also paused to make sure that we remembered those we had already lost.

I was still working later that evening when Ashley and Liara strolled in like they owned the place. I didn't mind though I barely knew they were there until I felt a kiss on each cheek.

"We're just here to sleep. We might not get much sleep otherwise," Ashley suggested.

"And I think we got plenty out of our system last night as well," Liara added.

"I'm just putting the finishing touches to this. I've written a report to Admiral Hackett and the Alliance. And I've written one for the Council."

"Shepard, if we win… I mean when we win…" Liara trailed off before she hugged me from behind. "We're going to be fine."

The two undressed and lay on the bed as they waited for me to finish. Once I was satisfied with my reports, I sent them off as I figured that I might as well before we arrived in Ilos. I knew that the Alliance might try and throw the book at me but given that I was a Spectre and that position was superior to my Alliance ranking, I knew there might be a fight over who could end up punishing me.

And I had a feeling that Kira was going to do everything in her power to make sure that I didn't face any punishment, as long as I won the day.

Getting up and stretching, I quickly undressed and joined my two lovers in bed, making sure the lights were out as I needed as much shut-eye as I could possibly manage. I could feel confidence radiate from Ashley. She was a born soldier, and I knew her confidence in my abilities was absolute. I felt her settle down rather quickly with a kiss on my cheek and a whisper of how much she loved me.

As for Liara, I knew she was confident, but although we'd been through a lot together already, she was still a civilian. And she'd seen the visions. She knew the dangers and the horrors that we potentially faced. I felt her clutch at me tightly, hugging her back with one arm as I turned to give her a soft kiss. She did eventually settle down, and I laid back as I found myself thinking about my life up until that point. A kid from the streets was on the verge of saving the galaxy from destruction. I guess it could have been a hell of a lot worse…

It felt like I'd been asleep for five minutes when Joker woke me up, announcing that the Normandy was through the relay and approaching Ilos. The three of us were up and in the shower quickly, nothing more than a quick wash before we readied ourselves for the day. As the crew ate breakfast, I carried something to eat and drink up to the flight deck as I wanted to see what we were facing.

"We've got loads of geth, Commander. Stealth systems are engaged."

"Well, let's hope they don't spot us. Got a landing spot?"

"It's hot on the ground, Commander," Pressly reported, "I've got some strange readings, and there isn't a large enough landing zone anywhere near where I can see energy signatures suggesting geth."

"Where you see geth, we'll find Saren."

"The landing zone is too small, Commander. It's close by we can't drop in the Mako. The nearest safe landing zone is two clicks away."

"How small is the zone?"

"Twenty metres. You know the Mako needs one hundred…"

"I can do it," Joker said.

"What? That's crazy!" Pressly exclaimed.

"I can do it, Commander. Give the order and I'll get you so close to that turian bastard you can run him over in the Mako."

"Do it. Pressly, you're in command until I'm back."

"Aye, Commander. Good luck."

My squad was already in the cargo bay standing by the Mako. They all came to attention and saluted as I approached them. I stopped and returned the gesture. I didn't need to give them any flowery words. They all knew the score. I met each of their eyes, greeted by steely looks, determination, courage, and no doubt a fire in their bellies to get this job done.

"How about we go save the fucking day?"

Loading up in the Mako, everyone was in their usual position as I angled the Mako towards the ramp. Joker kept us up to date with progress, getting the Normandy through the geth fleet and down in the atmosphere. I was waiting for the light as the ramp was lowered and I could see the ground.

"You realise this is insane, don't you, Commander?" Garrus asked next to me.

"Absolutely. But don't you feel alive right now, Garrus?"

"Hmmm…"

"All I know is that he's going to kick turian arse and get the girls," Liara stated behind me.

The green light flashed on and I floored the Mako. Joker had made sure that he got us as close to the ground as possible. As soon as I felt the tyres hit the ground, I put everything into braking. I heard a couple of shouts behind me as a stone wall was quickly filling up the windscreen. It came to a halt what felt like inches from the wall and I wasn't the only one to release an audible sigh of relief.

"Commander. Saren and his geth disappeared inside the wall that you're in front of. He noticed our presence."

"Thanks for the update, Joker. Get the ship back into orbit. We'll notify you of our progress. If you need to leave without us, get back towards the Citadel pronto. I mean burn everything you can."

"Aye, Commander."

Without a way forward, we clambered out of the Mako in an effort to find our way into what looked like the entrance to some sort of bunker. It was the home to the strange readings that Pressly had reported earlier on the ship. With weapons now in hand, we started to investigate the area as there had to be some sort of console that would allow us inside. I could sense that Liara was ever so eager to dust off her archaeological tools and get digging. I knew this was something special. An untouched world, looking at near undamaged Prothean architecture. The only disappointing aspect was that there were no statues or artwork that told us what they looked like.

Geth were waiting in vast numbers. At least unlike Virmire, I had my entire crew with me. That didn't mean we made short work of them. The geth were already dug in and we had to force the bastards out of cover. Tali was immediately running riot with all her tech attacks. I hadn't missed how she'd grown more powerful in that regard.

Whenever we weren't fighting, we stopped to simply take in everything. It was like nothing that I'd ever seen. Even Feros hasn't been this well preserved. We didn't get that often to stop and look around simply due to the geth. They rarely gave us time to stop and rest. I could sense Liara's frustration, and when we finally had a moment of respite, I walked over to her as she was staring at a statue.

"I know, Liara. Trust me, I know."

"I'd love to just spend months on a dig here, Shepard. Think of what we might learn…"

"I would suggest that coming here afterwards might be an idea though I'm not sure what everyone has planned for after this. I mean the Council and whoever lays claim to the planet."

"Someone will," Liara muttered, "Maybe I can approach my old university about setting up an official dig site?"

"I can provide the security."

"And you would remain very close to me, Shepard?"

"Incredibly close. Particularly at night."

"Damn it, Shepard. Now I'm horny thinking about it."

I chuckled as we continued to wander about. I was hoping to find just something that would tell us what the bunker held. It had to be something important. And it left me wondering how the Reapers hadn't discovered this place. It was obvious to even someone like me that the Reapers had systematically wiped out the Protheans and left little evidence that they'd ever existed. We only ever found ruins, and they were not particularly vast.

Saren must have been in contact with geth as they continued to rain down onto the planet from orbit. They were now pushing us hard and stopping our progress, needing to use all the tactics those of us with military training had learned to push home our advantage. At least there was plenty of cover. Garrus was knocking out the bigger geth thanks to his powerful sniper rifles, focusing on shields so the rest of us could lay down a barrage of gunfire to put them down. Tali focused on the smaller units which she could knock out with tech attacks.

Anyone watching would have seen that we were our own singular unit. We all knew what each other was capable of. Simple hand gestures sufficed as communication when it was far too loud otherwise. A well-oiled machine. Battle-hardened. Confident in each other's abilities.

"You know, Shepard, I'm going to miss this when it's all over," Wrex shouted over the gunfire.

"Going somewhere, Wrex?" Ashley shouted back.

"Yeah. Probably Tuchanka, my home world. Everything with this Saren bastard… It's time to get shit sorted out. And if these Reapers do finally arrive, you're going to need the krogan again. I'll whip the idiots into shape."

"I'll be sad to see you go, big guy," I admitted, "But I also understand."

We continued to fight off geth until it finally fell silent. Remaining cautious, we entered what looked like a security area, a group of quiet Armatures that we approached and noticed they were shut down. We didn't mess with them and continued our search, walking up a ramp where we found a console that appeared to have power.

I pressed a button and a distorted hologram appeared. And it's message… I appeared to be the only one who could understand it, but what it had to say sent a shiver down my spine. Most of it was static, but I understood enough…

"… too late… unable to… invading fleets… no escape… not safe… seek refuge… inside the archives… called Reapers… the Citadel… overwhelmed… only hope…"

The voice then changed and I reckoned it was a different recording, perhaps later during the Protheans war against the Reapers.

"…act of desperation… the Conduit… all is lost… cannot be stopped… cannot be stopped…"

I turned to face my team as I assumed that they didn't understand it. I tried to keep my features neutral, but I couldn't help the shudder. "I'm guessing you understood that, Shepard?" Liara stated, "Because of the cipher that Shiala gave you. What did it say?"

"It was a warning. I couldn't understand a lot of it, but I think it was to tell whoever found this place about the Reapers. It was obvious that the Protheans knew they were going to lose in the end. It mentioned the Citadel was overwhelmed and to seek refuge in the archives. It also mentioned the Conduit though I still don't know what it is. Then it just repeated… it repeated that they cannot be stopped."

Everyone shared a glance. "From what we know, the Prothean Empire spread across the galaxy. Perhaps they were spread too thin?" Liara wondered.

"I don't know, but I think we've just found our way into that bunker. If my thoughts are correct, the bunker will lead us to the Conduit."

The geth had retreated or we'd just killed too many of them. Whatever the case, we made it back to the Mako without needing to fire our weapons again. Loading up, I accelerated forward immediately. Garrus mentioned that we could be driving into a trap though he figured that we'd just shoot our way out. Liara was sitting right behind me in her excitement, wanting to see everything that I could see. I wasn't going to complain as I felt her hot breath by my ear.

"Excited?" I asked quietly.

"I wish… You know…"

"What do you think these are on the walls?" I asked her.

She leaned forward as her hand rested on my thigh. She met my eyes and smirked before learning forward further. When she released a gasp, I knew she'd figured it out. "I think they're stasis pods, Shepard!" she stated excitedly before she paused and added softly, "But none of them appear to be powered up. Shepard, I think they were trying to save their people here."

"But none of them have power?"

She sat back, shaking her head. "No. I don't think so. There doesn't appear to be much power at all."

We kept moving forward, wiping out the last remnants of geth that remained in our way. Their attacks were piecemeal, and Ashley made short work of them with the cannon. I kept the Mako going until I noticed some sort of forcefield ahead. I brought the Mako to a halt before it and ordered everyone out. Stepping towards it, I could just about see through it and the exit that lay beyond. That's where Saren was.

There was a doorway nearby that we walked into, weapons raised as it could have been that trap Garrus had suggested. But there was no sign of any geth or Saren. Down a walkway did lie a console and it was there that the final pieces of the puzzle were put into place. The hologram was again damaged, believing that it probably would have shown what a Prothean looked like, but at least it was understandable.

"You are not Prothean. But you are not machine, either. This eventuality was one of many that was anticipated. This is why we sent our warning through the beacons. I do not sense the taint of indoctrination on any of you. Unlike the other that passed recently. Perhaps there is still hope."

"Saren!" Garrus exclaimed.

"This incredible. An actual Prothean VI (Virtual Intelligence) and we can all understand it, or so I think."

"I can," Tali stated.

"Yep, no problems here," Wrex added.

"I have been monitoring your communications since you arrived at this facility. I have translated my output into a format you will comprehend. My name is Vigil. You are safe here, for the moment. But that is likely to change. Soon, nowhere will be safe."

"What are you, Vigil?" I had to ask.

"I am an advanced non-organic analysis system with personality imprints from Ksad Ishan, chief overseer of the Ilos research facility."

"I figure that you're the one that put up the forcefield to lead us here. Why?"

"You must break a cycle that has continued for millions of years. But to stop it, you must understand or you will make the same mistakes we did. The Citadel is the heart of your civilisation and the seat of government. As it was with us, and as it has been with every civilisation that came before us. But the Citadel is a trap. The station is actually an enormous mass relay. One that links to dark space, the empty void beyond the galaxy's horizon. When the Citadel relay is activated, the Reapers will pour through. And all you know will be destroyed."

"How come nobody has ever noticed this before?" Liara had to ask, "Surely there would be some clue aboard the station."

"The Reapers are careful to keep the greatest secrets of the Citadel hidden. That is why they created a species of seemingly benign organic caretakers. The keepers maintain the station's most basic functions. They enable any species that discovers the Citadel to use it without fully understanding the technology. Reliance on the keepers ensures no other species will ever discover the Citadel's true nature. Not until the relay is activated and the Reapers invade."

"If the Reapers are out in dark space, how do they survive?" Tali wondered. I almost grinned as she had proven to be equally as inquisitive as Liara.

"We have only theories. The researchers here came to believe the Reapers enter prolonged states of inactivity to conserve energy. This allows them to survive the thousands and thousands of years it takes for organic civilisation to rebuild itself. But in this state, they are vulnerable. By retreating beyond the edges of the galaxy, they ensure no one will accidentally discover them. They keep their existence hidden until the Citadel relay is activated."

"That's his plan," I finally stated, "Saren activates the relay, the Reapers come pouring through, and they'll wipe out the Council and Citadel Fleet immediately."

"That was our fate. Our leaders were dead before we even realised that we were under attack. The Reapers seized control of the Citadel and through it, the mass relays. Communication and transportation across our empire were crippled. Each star system was isolated, cut off from the others. Easy prey for the Reaper fleets. Over the next decades, the Reapers systematically obliterated our people. World by world, system by system, they methodically wiped us out."

"Did any of you manage to survive?" Liara asked. I heard the hopelessness in her tone for a brief moment, glancing at her as I knew we'd all be thinking about our chances should this come to pass. The VI spoke of an empire. That would suggest one species is in control of the galaxy. We didn't have that. Our galaxy was still separated. But I knew there'd be no chance that any of us could possibly fight them off alone.

"Through the Citadel, the Reapers had access to all our records, maps, census data. Information is power, and they knew everything about us. Their fleets advanced across every settled region of the galaxy. Some worlds were utterly destroyed. Others were conquered, their populations enslaved. These indoctrinated servants became sleeper agents under Reaper control. Taken in as refugees by other Protheans, they betrayed them to the machines. Within a few centuries, the Reapers had killed or enslaved every Prothean in the galaxy. They were relentless, brutal and absolutely thorough."

"Where did they go after you were conquered?" I asked.

"Our worlds were stripped bare, harvested by the indoctrinated slaves. Everything of value, all resources and technology, was taken. Certain that all advanced organic life had been extinguished, the Reapers retreated back through the Citadel relay into dark space, sealing it behind them. All evidence of the Reaper invasion had been wiped away. Only their indoctrinated slaves were left behind, abandoned. Mindless husks no longer capable of independent thought, the indoctrinated soon starved or died of exposure. The genocide of the Protheans was complete."

"Why?" Liara asked and I don't think anyone missed the tone. It just didn't make any sense, certainly to me. Come in, wipe everyone out then just bugger off, "Why do they do this? Wipe everyone out and just leave?"

"The Reapers are alien, unknowable. Perhaps they need slaves or resources. More likely, they are driven by motives and goals that organic beings cannot hope to comprehend. In the end, what does it matter? Your survival depends on stopping them, not in understanding them."

"Good point. I don't really care why, I just want to stop them. I'm assuming that we're here because you can tell us that."

"The Conduit is the key. Before the Reapers attacked, the Protheans were on the cusp of unlocking the mysteries behind mass relay technology. Ilos was a top-secret facility. Here, researchers worked to create a small-scale version of a mass relay. One that linked directly to the Citadel: the hub of the relay network."

"The Conduit is not a weapon. It is a back door onto the Citadel!" Liara exclaimed, excited once again.

"To prevent the Reapers from finding us, we severed all communication with the outside and our facility went dark. The personnel retreated underground into these archives. To conserve resources, everyone was put into cryogenic stasis. I was programmed to monitor the facility and wake the staff when the danger had passed. But the genocide of an entire species is a long, slow process. Years passed. Decades, centuries. The Reapers persisted. And my energy reserves were dwindling."

"How did you survive?"

"I began to disable the life support of non-essential personnel. First support staff, then security. One by one, their pods were shut down to conserve energy. Eventually, only the stasis pods of the top scientists remained active. Even these were in danger of failing when the Reapers finally retreated back through the Citadel relay."

"You murdered them!" Tali exclaimed. I certainly understood given her history with the geth.

"No, Tali. He did what was necessary to ensure that the next cycle had a chance. He kept alive those who could help us."

"This outcome was not completely unforeseen. My actions were a result of contingency programming entered on my creation."

"Yeah, and I bet some of the support staff and others didn't know about that contingency," Garrus muttered.

"I saved key personnel. When the Reapers retreated, the top researchers were still alive. My actions are the only reason any hope remains. When the researchers woke, they realised the Prothean species was doomed. There were only a dozen individuals left, far too few to sustain a viable population. Yet they vowed to find some way to stop the Reapers from returning. A way to break the cycle forever. And they knew the keepers were the key."

"What about them?" I asked.

"The keepers are controlled by the Citadel. Before each invasion, a signal is sent through the station compelling the keepers to activate the Citadel relay. After decades of feverish study, the scientists discovered a way to alter this signal. Using the Conduit, they gained access to the Citadel and made the modifications. This time, when Sovereign sent the signal to the Citadel, the keepers ignored it. The Reapers are trapped in dark space."

"So that's why Sovereign needs Saren."

"The one you call Saren will use the Conduit to bypass the Citadel's defences. Once inside, he will transfer control of the station to Sovereign. Sovereign will override the Citadel's systems and manually open the relay. And the cycle of extinction will begin again."

"How do we stop them?"

"There's a date file in my console. I will transfer it to all your devices. When you reach the Citadel's master control unit, upload it to the station. It will corrupt the Citadel's security protocols and give you temporary control over the station. It might give you a chance against Sovereign."

"Where is this master control unit?"

"Through the Conduit. Follow Saren. He will lead you to your destination."

"Let's move." I turned to see Liara's pleading look. "Liara… We'll come back. But we don't have the time."

She nodded. "Hopefully there'll still be power here."

"Power resources are minimal, but should last a little longer," Vigil stated, "Saren hasn't yet reached the Conduit. There is still hope that you can stop him."

We were back in the Mako quickly and the first thing I did was make a call to Joker to get back to the Citadel pronto and try and link up with one of the Alliance fleets. The forcefield had disappeared and I floored the throttle. Remnants of the geth remained to try and stop us. I just aimed for them and heard the crunch as I ran them over. I had the Mako racing down what appeared to be some sort of trench. It was close quarters, Ashley blowing away anything that came into her sights.

Then we rounded a corner, and we could see it in the distance. A Mass Relay. The Conduit. And it was working. Saren must have already gone through it.

"Everyone buckle up. Ashley, don't bother with the cannon any longer. I am simply aiming for that thing. Tali, all power to things. Shields and engine. I have a feeling we'd probably going to crash land once we're through."

Once everyone told me that they were buckled up, I revved the engine a few times before I floored it. The engine roared as the machine lurched forward, bumping over the rough terrain and everyone heard the crunch of metal on metal as I collided with geth. My eyes were only for the relay. I heard explosions as gunfire and rockets hit the Mako. Tali was working her butt off to keep the shields up, reporting in the percentages every second.

But we made it with time to spare. Then the Mako suddenly felt weightless. For a few seconds, there was nothing.

Then we crashed.