The world exploded in a blue haze for a moment, and then they were at the Citadel. The mako flew through the air, landed, flipped over a couple times, rolled over some geth, and finally came to a halt upside down.

"Status." Shepard began unfastening his harness.

"Ow," came a response from Liara.

The rest started to chime in. Wrex had a piece of shrapnel sticking out of his shoulder and Tali was clutching her leg which was broken. They got both of them out of the mako and slapped medigel on. They access the Avina platform she explained that the heavy damages they were experiencing across the Citadel and that the council had been evacuated onto the Destiny Ascension.

"Tali are you okay?" Shepard asked kneeling down to her.

"Just a broken leg, I'll be fine," said Tali. "But I don't think be able to accompany you."

Shepard nodded and looked up at Wrex, who had removed the shrapnel. "Wrex, I'm sorry, but…"

"Get your ass moving, Shepard." Wrex examined his shotgun. "I'll watch your backs."

Shepard nodded and they made their way to the elevator.

On the Presidium, Saren had just entered the council chambers and shot a few Keepers along the way in anger. Then suddenly a new podium appeared in front of him will holographic terminal and he began to access it.

Outside the battle was still raging on and it looked as if the Citadel fleet were losing and then suddenly the citadel arms began to close.

"The Citadel's closing. They're sealing the station!" said a turian. "Don't let the enemy ships inside the arms!"

To make matters worse Sovereign was descending upon them smashing through anything that got in its way. Several turian vessels tried to stop it, but their weapons had absolutely no effect on Sovereign as it pushed through the Veil.

Sovereign pretty much slammed right through the blockade and enter the Citadel just as the arms closed, preventing any pursuit. It then attached itself to the Presidium tower like a leech.

At the same time Shepard and his companions were ascending towards the tower on the elevator, but then it suddenly came to a stop.

"Saren's locked the elevator!" said Shepard playing at a pistol. "Suit up—we're going outside!"

Once they all had their helmets on Shepard smashed through the glass with his pistol. Then by using their magboots they attach themselves onto the tower itself. They then saw that Sovereign had attached itself to the tower.

"So was trying to access the Presidium," said Garrus. "Information about council in the computers it would have fall access to the Citadel itself."

"And be able to activate the mass relays," Ashley added.

"Not on my watch," said Shepard.

They then began to descend up the tower and it appeared that Saren knew they would try to walk up it for they encountered geth and krogan tried to block their path.

"We have to reach the council chambers," said Shepard as he fired from behind cover.

"Let's just hope were small enough for Sovereign not to see us," said Ashley. "The weapon I know can penetrate that thing."

"And with the arms closed the Citadel fleet won't be able to attack it," said Garrus.

"Then we have to open the controls and hope that the fleet it will be able to destroy it," said Liara.

"I already sent joker to rendezvous with the Fifth Fleet," said Shepard. "With any luck is all informed them of the situation they're making their way to the Citadel."

"It won't mean squat if we don't get the arms open," said Ashley.

"Then let's hustle people!"

Saren also must have activated the turret defence system, because the turrets were now firing upon them. Fortunately Liara's barriers were able to protect them while Ashley and Garrus were able to bring them down.

It took some time but the eventually managed to wipe out all resistance in their path and made their way to the elevator door. Shepard and Garrus then began to pry the door open and soon entered into the Council room.

They encountered some more geth along the way, but there were few in number. Clearly Saren hadn't expected anyone to get this far and they found him on the podiums. They were only about halfway when Saren tossed a grenade in their direction, forcing them all to dive for cover.

"I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time, Shepard."

"Had to wipe out a few hundred of your followers along the way." Shepard readied his sidearm. "Sorry if I kept you waiting."

"You've lost. You know that, don't you? In a few minutes, Sovereign will have full control of all the Citadel's systems. The relay will open. The Reapers will return." Saren waved a hand.

"I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"You survived our encounter on Virmire. But I've changed since then. Improved. Sovereign has…" There was a strange note in Saren's voice. "Upgraded me."

Shepard wouldn't believe this. "You let Sovereign implant you? Are you insane?"

"You don't understand, Shepard. There is a place for organics in the new order. The Reapers need men and women of action. People like us." Saren gestured. "Sovereign recognizes your value. You've impressed it. Surrender to the Reapers and you will be spared. Join us and we can find a place for you."

Shepard exchanged a disbelieving look with Ashley, then rolled his eyes. "Sovereign's controlling you through your implants! Don't you see that?"

"The relationship with symbiotic. Organics and machines intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. The strength of both, the weaknesses of neither." Saren's floating platform lifted him higher. "I am the vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of organic life. This is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth!"

"Sovereign hasn't won yet. I can't stop it from taking control of the station! Step aside an invasion will never happen!"

"We can't stop it! Not forever. You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful."

"Some part of you must do realise this is wrong. You can fight this!"

"Maybe you're right. Maybe there is still a chance for…" Saren clutched his head. "Unh! The implants…" Saren's floating platform moved drunkenly as Saren clutched at his head. "Sovereign is too strong. I'm sorry. It's too late for me."

Shepard rolled out of cover and started up the stairs. "It's not over yet. You can still redeem yourself!"

For a moment, Saren just stared back at him. "Goodbye, Shepard. Thank you."

Saren laid the barrel of his sidearm against his jaw and fired. His body then fell off the platform and smashed through the glass below and into the gardens.

Shepard worked the console quickly. "Vigil's data file worked. I've got control of all systems."

"Quick!" Ashley nodded. "Open the station's arms. Maybe the fleet can take Sovereign down before he regains control of the station!"

"See if you can open a communications channel," Garrus added.

Opening the channel took only a moment. "… the Destiny Ascension. Main drives offline. Kinetic barriers down 40%. The Council is on board. I repeat, the Council is on board."

And then a voice he was actually happy to hear. "Normandy to the Citadel. Normandy to the Citadel. Please tell me that's you, Commander."

"I'm here Joker," he said.

"We caught that distress call, Commander. I'm sitting here in the Andura sector with the entire Arcturus fleet. We can save the Ascension. Just unlock the relays around the Citadel and we'll send the cavalry in!"

Garrus shook his head. "Are you really willing to sacrifice human lives to save the Council, Shepard?"

"Commander…" Liara stared at him.

"This is bigger than humanity." Ashley gestured. "Sovereign's a threat to every organic species in the galaxy!"

"This Council must be sacrificed for the greater good. Don't waste your reinforcements. Hold them back until the Citadel's arms open up. Save the human fleet to attack Sovereign!"

"What's the order, Commander? Come in now to save the Ascension or hold back?"

Hackett was leading the fleet. If anyone could pull this off, it was him. "Opening the relays now, Joker. We need to save the Ascension."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Shepard." Garrus nodded.

"I hope so too, Garrus," Shepard.

The entire Fifth Fleet then exited lightspeed and descended towards the battle below.

"Alliance ships move in! Save the Destiny Ascension!" Hackett commanded.

On the Destiny Ascension the navigator had noticed several more dots on her console and she looked to the commander. "Commander—we're picking up reinforcements!"

The commander leaned over to her and look to the incoming ships and recognise them immediately. "It's the Alliance! Thank the Goddess."

The alliance ships then fired down upon the geth ships that surrounded the Destiny Ascension catching them completely by surprise. The geth ships then turned their focus on the Alliance and fired back destroying several ships.

However, the Alliance ships managed to overwhelm the geth ship that surrounded the Destiny Ascension creating an opening.

Joker's voice came over a few moments later. "Destiny Ascension, you are all clear. Repeat, you are all clear."

It was at that point that the Citadel arms began to open revealing Sovereign, who was attached to the Presidium tower.

"The Citadel's opening!" Hackett ordered. "All ships move in! Concentrate on Sovereign!"

Shepard meanwhile was looking down at Saren's body. He then looked to Garrus. "Make sure he's dead."

Garrus and Ashley made their way down to the gardens and approached Saren's body carefully. A moment later, Garrus pulled out his pistol and fired a round.

Ashley's voice came back up. "He's dead."

Shepard was about to relax, but then the platform started shaking. Red lightning seemed to strike around them. The weird energy slammed into Saren's corpse. The platform collapsed, sending Shepard plummeting into the area below just as Saren's corpse exploded in red light.

The dead body then got back onto his feet and the flesh on Saren's body disintegrated to do reveal a strange sort of mechanical skeleton. The thing that had been Saren leaped to the top of the chamber, moving in a way no turian would have been able to manage. It moved again before he could fire a shot, then leaped at Liara. Garrus only barely managed to pull her out of the way.

"I am Sovereign! And this station is MINE!" Saren's roared.

"Not on my watch!" Shepard yelled leaping out of his cover and caught hold of the thing, slapping a grenade on it before rolling clear once more. Ashley then began firing added with everything she had.

The grenade exploded and attacked again. "For once can Saren just stay dead" said Shepard shaking his head.

Shepard pulled out his sidearm and started shooting again. Liara tried to slow it down with her biotics, but it was just moving too fast. Garrus tried to get a good shot with his sniper rifle, but it kept on moving around before you get a decent shot.

Meanwhile outside, the entire Fifth Fleet had engaged Sovereign, but even with their combined firepower they weren't able to bring it down. Sovereign kept on firing powerful beams form its tentacles that sliced right through several ships.

"Sovereign's too strong! We have the ball back!" a human commander yelled over the comm.

"Negative!" said Hackett. "This is our only chance! Take that monster down, no matter what the cost!"

"I hope Shepard is having better luck than us," said Rick from his post.

Ashley stood, making a target of herself as Garrus repeated his previous attempt with the grenade. There was a bad point that Shepard noted that its moves were starting to become sluggish.

"Were wearing it down, poured on!" Shepard yelled.

Every single one of them fired upon the creature and it appeared to have some sort of an effect. It was still moving. Shepard had to put two more rounds in it before it finally stopped moving and dissolved into component parts.

The destruction of Saren had some sort of effect on Sovereign as red lightning was tracing around it. It detached from its position and started to fall.

"It's shields are down! Now's our chance!" Joker yelled over the comm.

"Hit it with everything we've got!"Hackett ordered.

The fleet closed in, the Normandy at its head. "Hard on my flank! We're going in."

The Normandy then flew down towards Sovereign and fired a massive hole right through it. Sovereign then began to explode from within and pieces of itself scattered all across the Citadel.

Unfortunately a piece of debris was heading straight towards the Presidium tower right where Shepard and his companions were. It was about to land right on top of them.

"Go!" Michael ordered, and they all began to run.

She regained consciousness to find herself trapped by debris. Garrus was nearby, breathing but still out. Ashley managed to get to him, and applied medigel. Liara was stirring, and shook her head but there was no sign of Shepard.

Ashley didn't want to consider what that might mean. She could smell smoke. She shifted position, trying to push some of the debris out of the way with her legs. It didn't budge.

Then debris shifted. It shifted again, and then there was light. A man in a citadel security uniform moved some of the debris away. Then he smiled. "Captain Anderson! We've found them. They're in here."

Anderson was there a heartbeat later, helping pull them out. "Take it easy…" He helped Ashley to his feet. "It's over. You're safe now." He looked around. "Where's the commander? Where's Shepard?"

Ashley started to shake his head and turned towards the large piece of debris that landed like where Shepard had once stood. Then suddenly they saw movement. Someone was making their way towards them from the other side of the chamber. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Shepard standing atop part of the rubble that had been Sovereign. He was limping, bleeding, and gloriously alive.

"Thought I will need a prison pass to see you again Captain," said Shepard leaning on the doorway as he watched Wrex glare at the doctor tending to Tali.

"They drop the charges after Sovereign attack the Citadel," Anderson explained. "As they figure that helping you escape wasn't such a crime after all. You've been through hell of a lot, Commander. But there's one more thing you have to take care of."

"And what's that?" Shepard asked.

"The ambassador and the Council want to speak with you." Anderson folded his arms. "As soon as possible."

Anderson then led the way to where they were going to meet the Council, since the Council chambers were now demolished.

"So did you punch Udina when you went into his office?" Shepard asked.

"As a matter of fact I did," said Anderson.

"Ambassador. Captain. Commander Shepard." The Asari Councillor smiled when they approached. "We have gathered here to recognise the enormous contributions of the Alliance forces in the war against Sovereign and the geth."

"Many humans lost their lives in the battle to save the Citadel, brave and courageous soldiers who willingly gave their lives so that we—the Council—might live."

"There is no greater sacrifice, and we share your grief over the tragic loss of so many noble men and women."

"The Council also owes you a great personal debt, Commander. One we can never repay. You saved not just our lives, but the lives of billions from Sovereign and the Reapers."

"Commander Shepard, your heroics and selfless actions serve as a symbol of everything humanity and the Alliance stands for."

"And though we cannot bring back those valiant soldiers who gave their lives to save ours, we can honour their memory through our actions."

"Humanity has shown it is ready as a defender and protector of the galaxy. You have proven you are worthy to join our ranks and served beside us on the Citadel Council."

Udina stepped forward. "Councillor, on behalf of humanity and the Alliance, we thank you for this prestigious honour and humbly accept."

"We will need a list of potential candidates." The Salarian Councillor nodded.

"Given all that has happened, I am sure your recommendation will carry a great deal of weight, Commander." The Asari Councillor met his eyes. "Do you support any particular candidate?"

Shepard in fact did you who would be perfect for the job. "We need someone with the courage to stand up for what he believes in. Someone like Captain Anderson."

"Him?" Udina shook his head. "You must be joking. Anderson prefers to let his fists do the talking."

"Only with you, Ambassador. Only with you." Anderson shrugged as he cemented himself as the optimal candidate.

"Are you sure about this, Commander?" Udina stared. "The captain is a soldier, not a politician."

Another point in Anderson's favour. "We've already got too many politicians on the Citadel. The captain would be perfect for this job."

The Asari Councillor nodded. "I think it's an inspired choice. The Council would welcome him with open arms, should he accept."

"I'm honoured, Councillor." Anderson straightened. "As humanity's representative, I'll do everything in my power to help the Council rebuild."

"Sovereign's defeat marks the beginning of a new era for both humanity and the Council," said the Turian Councillor.

Shepard took a deep breath. "Sovereign was only a vanguard. The Reaper fleet is still coming. Hundreds of ships, maybe thousands. And I'm going to find some way to stop them!" He turned, and left the council chamber to go find his crew.

"Shepard's right." He heard Anderson's voice. "Humanity is ready to do its part. Unite with the rest of the Council, we have the strength to overcome any challenge. When the Reapers come, we must stand side by side. We must fight against them as one. And together we will drive them back into dark space!"

As Shepard made his way down to the wards, he ran into an old friend.

"Hey, John," Rick smiled.

"It's good to see Rick," said Shepard shaking his hand.

Rick shrugged. "Well I was in the neighbourhood I thought of is an old friend while I was here."

"I was on my way to meet my team for a drink, care to join?"

"Wouldn't miss it, because I understand that you lost a member of your team."

Shepard looked at him quietly. "Yes, it's nice to know that his sacrifice was in vain."

After introducing Rick to the others they sat around a makeshift table in the hold of the Normandy, passing around a couple bottles provided by Wrex. "Udina really expected you to pick him as the Councillor?" Garrus' mandibles clicked.

"Apparently," Shepard nodded.

"After what he pulled," said Rick. "Mind you I can see his point of view. I mean I believe you, but you have to admit that the Reapers are hard to comprehend."

"I never would have imagined there was something more powerful than the geth," said Tali.

"Hey, at least we won this battle," said Ashley.

"But we haven't won the war," said Shepard.

"It's never over," Joker sighed.

"There's one thing I can say this trip hasn't been uneventful," said Wrex.

"That's one way to put it," said Liara.

"While it's nice to know that we had some defenders of the galaxy among us," said Rick raising his bottle.

"We'll be joining us Lieutenant?" Ashley asked.

"I don't think so, the Fifth Fleet loss in personnel and need every single person at the disposal," said Rick.

"Speaking of which," said Shepard getting to his feet and he lifted the bottle. "To Kaidan."

"To Kadian." They all lifted their bottles, and drank.