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75% Time Effect ( A Mass Effect Fanfiction) / Chapter 102: 85 – Priority: Race Against Time (5)

Chapter 102: 85 – Priority: Race Against Time (5)

When the Reaper and the numerous Geth ships entered Illos, Samael and everyone else were ready to meet them, armed to the teeth.

Samael, Shepard, Wrex, Javik, and RR stood side by side, ready to command the ground fight, that consisted of 50 or so Prothean, half of LD, and a bunch of Krogan. Veronica, Joker, and EDI were already in the air, commanding the ships.

Tali, Liara, and all the crew members were positioned where they would be most effective.

BUZZZZ

 

RR paused briefly and said, "They tried jamming the communications again but failed. It seems your gadget worked."

Samael didn't look surprised, as he was the one who made the gadget that blocked the jammer. However, others were taken aback by how effective it was, especially Javik.

Having faced the Reapers before, Javik knew how dangerous and powerful their jamming gadget was. He could confidently say that it was one of the main strengths of the Reapers. To see it be dealt with so easily was a shock.

"You are full of surprises." Javik said with admiration in his voice.

Samael was in battle mode, but he gave a small smile, '' I still have a lot in my sleeves.''

No one said anything anymore, and they waited for the fight to start. The air battle had already been in full course, with things being in a stalemate as of now. Half of LD was enough to give the Geth a good fight, if not a beating.

The personnel on the ground were waiting. Samael, in particular, had a peculiar face. It was a mix of confusion, worry, and confidence. 

Shepard noticed that,'' Are you okay?''

'' I'm fine. It's just a few personal things that are bothering me. I'll deal with them later, for now, let's focus on the battle.'' Samael looked at Shepard and said, ''Give them hell and maintain your crew safe.''

Shepard looed over at her crewmembr, who were in the middle of the army that was ready to face the ground forces, then nodded at Samael and waited.

Wrex was clearly impatient, as the fight had already started on the air and he still wasn't involved.

Samael ignored that and looked at the battlefield in the air, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

--

Where do you think the main strength of a person trapped in a time loop/ a regressor lies?

 Is it the fact that they know things others don't? Is it because they grow stronger each time they return? Is it because they can fix their mistakes?

If you answered yes to all of the above, you would be right, and there would still be a lot more strength not mentioned. The point is, if you are a regressor or a time looper, you are guaranteed a good life.

...Only if you weren't in a universe where there was danger at every corner and that had a time limit. Still, Samael persevered and won his fair share of fights, but he still lost sometimes.

So, after every time loop, he got better, lived his life freely, and waited until his time loop ended. He was confident that he would be able to save everyone—hell, he had done so previously—in this last cycle of his.

But, fate had other plans. In this cycle, he became aware that something was wrong with his mind, and that made him doubt himself quite a bit. A lot of his past actions - or inactions—now bothered him to no end.

Before he had the time to process that, the Reapers attacked, not giving him the chance to go deep into this problem, and he had to put that in the back of his mind.

Then, right after the battle in Thessia, he had this one, not giving him time to think. Still, he acted to protect his loved ones with the knowledge he acquired in past cycles.

The gadget that stopped the jamming device came from past cycles.

FLASHBACK

ILLOS

A day has passed since the first sparring match took place, and everyone who was supposed to arrive on the planet has done so. Things then have settled into a basic routine.

Various activities are happening here and there, but sparring matches are the main attraction. Everyone participated, including Liara, Shepard, Tali, Kasumi, and others.

The Krogans and the Protheans were surprised when they kept losing to the humans as if they were nothing, sparking a rivalry they didn't know existed.

Furthermore, only a few individuals knew about the other Prothean, so many of them were taken aback when they saw more individuals like Javik.

Wrex even joked with the Prothean, "Javik, since when can you clone yourself? HAHAHA."

Javik grunted at that and focused his being on commanding his people. They had interacted with LD personnel before and he 'taught' them how to behave in this cycle. 

The Protheans learned it well and even made friends with LD personnel here and there, even the Krogans.

All in all, everyone was friendly.

'' So, you're saying she is the Spearhead of this cycle?'' Javik, Samael, and Wrex were talking alone in a tent, drinking strong alcohol. Samael now could accompany both in drinking the hard stuff, as his body could handle it.

The trio had talked until they were aware of everything that had happened to them in those past few months, and the topic of the Spearhead of this cycle came up. Samael had revealed it was Shepard, and while Javik could see potential, he was sure Samael was the better choice.

Wrex didn't understand the topic, so he nodded and drunk when a subject he didn't know about came up.

'' She's the best we have. LD has kept an eye on her from the beginning and then started to train her not long ago. She's the one.'' While Samael was having this conversation, he was thinking of ways to diminish the fighting power of the Geth and the Reaper. He had a few things in mind already, and now he just needs to act.

He would do so after a drink ... or two.

'' I still think you are the best option.''

'' I also think that.'' Wrex said after he felt he was left out for too long.

Javik looked at him and said, '' Do you even know what we are talking about?''

'' No, but I felt what you said sounded good, so I followed.''

'' ... Smart.''

Wrex looked proud, '' Smart, handsome, and strong!''

''...''

'' Wrex, do you know where Grunt is? I haven't seen him since yesterday.'' Samael asked after some time.

'' Oh, that kid. He was excited to be among peers, so he's spending all his time with them... I hope you don't mind.''

'' Not a bit. He should spend the time with his people anyway.'' While Samael was Grunt's father figure, there's still a lot to learn from others.

'' I think you should tell him to slow down a bit.'' Javik said, '' Not every Krogan is smart, handsome, and strong.''

Wrex laughed and ignored the obvious sarcasm, '' That's right! Only I am like that.''

''...'' Javik ignored Wrex and said to Samael, '' Regarding that Geth... Legion, if I remember correctly.''

Samael nodded, and Javik continued, '' We have found nothing wrong with him, so he's free to go.''

Javik and the Protheans that arrived at Illos have asked Samael if they could take a look at Legion, to see if he was indoctrinated or something along those lines.

Samael knew nothing was wrong with the Geth, but he still allowed them to research it, with its permission, of course.

They have found nothing wrong with it, so they relaxed. While not everyone was ok with the Geth being their ally, they knew how to respect Samael's opinion.

'' We took the opportunity to better his body.'' Javik casually added.

' Ohhh, lucky Legion.' 

Others might not remember, but the Protheans had more advanced tech than the current cycle, and while Samael could've bettered Legion, just like he did with EDI and RR, their upgrades were also amazing.

Safe to say, Legion went up another tier in the fighting list of LD.

After that, the conversation hit a wall, and Wrex and Javik started to bicker.

Samael got up after seeing those two like that. They had already talked for some time, and now it was his turn to act, '' Gentlemen, if you excuse me, I have a few things to do. See you later.''

'' Bye.''

'' See you.''

Samael then left the area where they were and went around looking for someone specific. He could ask RR or EDI for help with the person's location, but sometimes he liked being alone. After a few minutes, he found the person he was looking for, '' Jaret! Long time no see!''

Jaret turned around and faced Samael. He was surprised to see the young man he had known since he was a toddler, grow up to be such a figure, '' Samael! You look good!''

The duo hugged each other, as they had not seen each other for quite some time.

'' How are you?'' Samael broke the hug and asked the man. At first, he was quite involved in LD - the mercenary group- but he stopped because he had things to do regarding the other LD, so even though he was the owner, he left command to Jaret.

And the man had done an amazing job leading LD, as they grew famous over time.

'' Good, good. I know you are aware of how well LD is doing, so I don't need to say much about it. And I still have a few years on me, so don't worry too much about me retiring.''

'' You still have a few decades on you!'' 

After a few pleasantries, Samael went to business, '' I need help regarding a few things.''

'' Just say what you need.''

'' I will build a few things today, and I need the guys help to put them in a few very specific places. Can you do that for me?''

Samael had a few countermeasures against ALL Reaper tactics, including the jamming device. He just needed to build it, and it just happened that he had ordered LD to bring the materials.

It had occurred to him that this was exactly a problem. Samael had the tools, the ingredients, and everything to build things, but he only did so since the problem had already happened. It was honestly weird, but he could not figure out why he was like this.

Another problem for later.

'' No problem.''

'' Thanks. I'll go do my things now, don't be a stranger later.''

The duo parted and Samael went to build the anti-jamming device.

When he arrived at his tent, Shepard, Tali, and Liara were there, talking and laughing away. This was something he saw various times in other cycles- the first one in this one- so he didn't mind that much, '' Ladies.''

He kissed Tali and Liara, gave a nod to Shepard, and went to work.

'' ... It's really weird seeing this happen so naturally like that.'' Shepard was still young, and while she was still more experienced than most, polygamy was a surprise to her. '' How do you both deal with jealousy and things like that?''

Surprised and intrigued.

Liara and Tali looked at each other, and almost like they planned it, they started to pouch Shepard to their 'team'. '' I was honestly afraid at first. Of not being loved enough, not being given attention enough. Whenever I asked about the topic, that was the main precaution. But, Samael proved that those doubts were unfounded.''

'' That man loves us very much, equally, with not a single aspect that would give us doubt of that.''

Shepard was still not convinced, '' Yeah, but like, he has sex with both... Isn't that weird?''

''At first, it was, but after some time, we grew to love each other too.'' Liara and Tali held hands and showed them to Shepard.

'' Oh... OH!'' Shepard connected the dots and coughed the embarrassment away, '' I see.''

Liara noticed the 'iron' could still be hit more, '' Shepard, you must also have had your adventures. With what we have, you could have more and still be loved.''

'' Of course, we are not saying you should join us specifically, just for you to keep your mind open.''

They were doing exactly what they said they weren't.

Shepard was far from pure and had a few adventures herself... She was getting more and more intrigued by their dynamics. '' Say... do you guys do a test drive?''

Tali and Liara smiled, ' Gottem!'

They had accepted their relationship with Samael some time ago, but they also knew the man held Shepard in a place in his heart. They also did, after all, they had fought and been together for some time now.

So, while this was some sort of a 'gift' to Samael, they also wanted this. It was a win-win-win situation all around.

The trio chatted away, planning the day of the 'test drive' into the near future.

 

Samael was very aware of the conversation and the stares, but he did his best to wipe the cold sweat off his forehead and continued to work, ' What have I created...?'

1

Still, anyone could see he was happy. Only he knew how difficult it was to have three loved ones willing to be in a relationship like that. 

A few hours later, the anti-jamming device was made. 

' With this, we don't have to worry about communications being stopped...I should've made this sooner.'

He made some more and left the tent. Samael then gave them to Jaret and instructed the man to put them into places he had marked beforehand.

Samael then returned to his tent and made another gadget, one that was a failsafe, in case they lost and the Reaper managed to use the Relay. He really didn't want to use this, but he will if he is forced.

Now, all he had to do was wait. In the meantime, he would enjoy his free time, free of worries, with his family.

---

END OF FLASHBACK

The gadget worked, and the Reaper had lost one of their main strengths. Samael would, in the future, pass the gadget to others, but for now, he would focus on the battle.

The air battle was in full swing, but not on the ground yet. The main forces of the Reapers on the ground were, after all, the husks, and now there was no civilian on the planet, only trained soldiers. It would be a lot more difficult to make a husk.

They had the Geth, but for them to be deployed, they needed to break the cycle LD formed in the air, and that was proving to be difficult.

' All is going well.' Samael was eyeing Sovereign, and in any single strange movement coming from the Reaper, he would act.

Just as they were waiting, his omni tool rang, and Samael looked at it. The caller was Garrus.

' Perhaps?' A bad feeling surged up in Samael and he picked up the call, '' Garrus, what's wrong?''

'' SAMAEL, THE COLLECTORS WERE ATTACKING THE CITADEL ALONGSIDE THE GETH. WE ARE HOLDING UP, BUT THEY ARE RELENTLESS.'' Garrus sounded anxious.

Samael's pupil constricted. This was a new development, as the Collectors doesn't appear at this point in time, never.

They are one of the hidden weapons of the Reapers. The galaxy thought they were a legend, almost like the Reaper, but they do make an appearance here and there every hundred or so years. 

For those unaware, the Collectors were once Prothean. The Reapers used a process similar to what created the Husks, but more potent, to create the Collectors. 

They are stronger and smarter than a normal husk. They are a formidable opponent not only because of that, but also because of their 'hidden' device.

This device was something that created a stasis field around people, forcing them to be trapped, without the ability to move.

They were so formidable they were the main enemy of Mass Effect 2.

' If they use their 'device' in the Citadel, things will be over.'

Samael knew how to counter this device, but he hadn't built the thing that counters it yet. Once more.

'' The plan continues the same. Don't let them enter the Citadel, and if they do, destroy them!''

'' ... Ok.'' Garrus took a breath and recovered his mental state. It seems he called just to alert Samael about the new variable, '' Do you have any advice on how to handle them?''

'' They die like anyone else, but be careful of their hidden card.''

Samael spent a few minutes explaining how to deal with them, all while hoping they would not use their device.

'' Don't hesitate!''

 

 ''See you later.'' Garrus sounded a lot calmer now.

'' Good luck.'' Samael wished them good luck and turned the call off.

As he eyed the Reaper, it seemed he was laughing at him. The main battle didn't even start and they lost the advantage already.

' Fuck!'

Just then, Sovereign started to move, and the Geth ships trapped in the air, after noticing they would not be able to break out of this battle in a short period of time, started to deploy the Geth soldiers anyway.

BOOOMMM

LD ships tried to intercept but a lot still passed. Granted, they were injured, some even destroyed, but the Geth finally arrived at the ground.

'' They are the distraction! The Reaper will go to the Relay, our job is to not let him use it.'' Samael used his omni tool and said to Veronica and Joker,'' You two, focus on the Reaper from now on. Use heavy artillery!''

'' ROGER!''

'' OK!''

With that, everything was in place. Wrex was commanding the Krogan, Javik was already in battle too, and only Samael, Shepard, and RR were left.

The trio said nothing and started to go to the location of the Relay. As mentioned before, Samael had made a failsafe in case they lost, but he hoped he didn't need to use it today.

'' Today is going to be a long day.''


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As always, if you notice any grammar errors, please let me know so I can fix them.

Thanks for the support and see you in a few days!

Chapter 103: 86 – Priority: Race Against Time (6)

CITADEL

A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE COLLECTORS ATTACKED THE CITADEL

Garrus has been feeling good these past few days. He got to know the Matriarchs, and Tevos better. He had a deal with the Councilour, but it was the first time they talked for real. They talked about life, and the next steps in making his father a Councilor. Of course, for them to be able to put that into motion they had to survive the upcoming battle... If said battle really would happen.

 

There have been a few murmurs between the soldiers of the C-Sec, who choose to stay at the Citadel while the rest of the residents evacuated. They were saying that the so-called attack would not really happen. They were the minority though, as every one of LD, the Matriarchs, and the rest were convinced they would be attacked. They didn't know if it was the way Sameal talked to them or their own sixth sense. 

 

Regardless, the Citadel was ready to fight. All noncombatants were evacuated, and everyone in the space station knew how to fight. Well, a few people with connections here and there stayed in the space station, to observe the battle, such as the trio of human reporters.

 

They would do their best to convey the real story that would happen in the space station.

 

Today, Tevos and Garrus had company in the form of Ashely, Jacob, and Vega. They have gotten acquittance in the past few days, and talked about many things, getting to know each other.

 

'' It's funny when you think about the whole situation.'' Vega casually remarked as he looked around the place. Numerous species were seemingly working in harmony.

 

'' What do you mean?'' Garrus asked.

 

'' All that was needed for this situation, to unite everyone, was an extinction-level event.'' Vega smiled at his own words.

 

Everyone at the table finally realized what Vega meant and looked around too. The species were working really hard, ensuring the Citadel was at the peak of its power to handle the attack.

 

Tevos chuckled a bit, '' You should hear the story we have about the good old days. In my time, Krogans were hated and no one, especially the Salarians, tolerated them. Now, look at this.''

 

Krogans were working together with the Salarians. Granted, all involved weren't exactly pleased, but the point remains.

 

'' It's amazing to see such a picture.''

 

While everyone at the table knew the stories, hearing from others, it was a different thing when a person that lived said stories to talk about it. It was a privilege.

 

'' You gotta tell us more about this.'' Ash said in a tone filled with respect. Her family is military, so being able to hear war stories from a Councilor and Matriarch, was amazing to her. While she was still a little bit resentful of alien species, she knew how to give respect to those who deserved it.

 

Tevos smiled as she got up, '' Later. I have a few things to do today, such as visiting the Protheans. It is not every day my species has such privilege.''

 

At first, there was only Javik, the last Prothean confirmed alive, and he didn't really interact much with the Asari as a whole. But now, at the Citadel, there were more or less 50 Protheans. It was a field day for the Matriarchs and the Asari.

 

So much so that Tevos was the only one of them that wasn't in the same area as the Protheans.

 

'' See you later, councilor.''

 

After everyone said goodbye, Tevos left the place and went on with her day.

 

Silence filled the place, when Ash said to Garrus, " So, can you tell us about how Samael found and recruited you ?"

As mentioned before, Ash had hatred for alien species, especially the Turians, as a lot of her family fell in the First Contact War. Granted, most of the hatred was gone, but a small bit still showed here and there.

Jacob and Vega knew about such a thing, so they watched over their friend so that she would not cross the line.

Garrus also noticed the confrontational tone of Ash, but he didn't mind. He thought for a while and answered," I honestly still don't believe how easily things turned out. He said he was already looking out for potential recruits and I was on the list."

He then recounted the story with a smile on his face. The trio listened to it with rapid attention, as they were curious about how Samael handled things.

"If not for him I would still be a rookie at the C-Sec." Garrus finished the story with a smile.

The trio noticed how Garrus' recruitment was similar to their own. It made them think about how such a coincidence happened, but when you think about it, it was Samael's modus operandi, so it made sense.

" ...Samael is an amazing person." Jacob casually said.

It was true. The way LD, and by proxy, him, handled things was amazing. San Francisco was literally paradise on Earth, thanks to the fact that LD headquarters was located there , and the things they created, as they were the best of the best.

With only that, the life in the whole planet got better. Granted, there's still a lot to improve, but the steps were being taken.

And that was only on Earth. From what little they knew, Samael wasn't going to stop at Earth. Soon, the whole galaxy will have to be at that stage, and all because of a human.

Ash hesitated for a bit, as her opinion of Samael wasn't exactly great. But she gritted her teeth and was honest. " I don't know. I don't exactly trust a person who seems so ... perfect, with no dark side. It's almost like he hides a lot of himself. Granted, what he had done to the galaxy is amazing, but my point remains."

It was bold of her, as everyone around was friends and respected Samael.

'' Maybe it's just that he hasn't shown us that side of him yet. Who knows what that guy went through.'' Vega said that and didn't talk about what Ash said. Maybe because he agreed or something along those lines.

Garrus thought for a while, and in his opinion, Samael was far from perfect. He was just a person trying his best.

Just as he was going to continue the conversation, alarms started to blare around the space station.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and prepared mentally. As they knew about the upcoming attack, they were dressed to battle, so all they needed now was to go to their position.

Garrus, as the commander of everything, sighed and got up, '' It has started.''

Ash, Jacob, and Vega looked ready to fight, '' Where do you need us?''

'' I first need to see what we are going against, then think where to send you. For now, go to the Council Chambers and wait there.''

'' Aye aye!''

The trio left, and Garrus also started to move. Soon, he found Tevos and the Matriarchs, '' Do we have confirmation on who we are fighting against and how many?''

Tevos was a little pale,'' ... The numbers are something we can handle but the problem is the type of enemies we are facing.''

Garrus knew something bad was going to come out of her mouth so he prepared menatly, '' Say it.''

'' The Collectors were attacking the Citadel alongside the Geth... The saving grace is that there's no Reapers around.''

Even then, everyone could notice Tevos' tone wasn't exactly optimistic.

Garus didn't hesitate for a moment and said, '' I need to make a call.''

Tevos nodded, and she knew right away who the turian would call. '' Go ahead.''

'Knowing when to ask for help is also a great sign of leadership.'

Far from making Garrus seem 'weak', his sudden call made Tevos admire the turian more.

' If you don't know something, it doesn't hurt to ask about it to others... In that regard, it seems that Samael knows more about things than even us.'

The Asari as a whole were known as one of the most intelligent species, so seeing Garrus just skip them and ask Samael directly was strange.

' ... Well, we do know little about the Collectors, so there's that.'

Tevos then waited, all while preparing her sisters for battle.

---

Garrus then called Samael right away. It was almost like an instinct, as the human seemed to be able to think of a plan, no matter how bad the situation was.

'' SAMAEL, THE COLLECTORS WERE ATTACKING THE CITADEL ALONGSIDE THE GETH.'' Garrus sounded anxious, because, well, he was.

The Collectors were almost like a myth in the galaxy, not like the Reapers, as the Collectors do tend to appear around the galaxy from time to time, but even then, very little things were known about them.

The galaxy had just found out that they were allies of that Reaper and that alone was enough to make everyone anxious, as their numbers were unknown.

Still, Samael sounded calm as he spoke to Garrus after a brief silence, ''The plan continues the same. Don't let them enter the Citadel, and if they do, destroy them!''

'' ... Ok.'' Garrus took a breath and recovered his mental state. It seems he called just to alert Samael about the new variable, '' Do you have any advice on how to handle them?''

'' They die like anyone else, but be careful of their trump card. Also, tell the Asari, especially the Matriarchs, to use a Barrier. It is the only way to stop their advances.''

That was also one of the only ways to infiltrate the Collector ship in Mass Effect 2. If not for the biotic barrier, the suicide mission in the game would've been a failure from the start.

'' The Collectors has small devices that put others into a stasis field. Only a Barrier strong enough is able to stop and even then, it only stops, and does not destroy them.''

'' The Asari is our main force with this new development. Use the Matriarchs well, position them in strategic places, and make them protect the troops.''

'' Use LD and other biotics too... One more thing, don't hesitate!''

Samael had nothing more to say to Garrus. Things were already out of his hands, and all the cards were on the table. Now, they only need to wait for the results.

 

''See you later.'' Garrus sounded a lot calmer now.

'' Good luck.''

The call then ended and Garrus was faced with a new challenge, one that would change his life forever, whether he lost or won.

' I can do this!'

With the new knowledge about the Stasis field and what the Collectors could do, Garrus was ready to lead.

The first thing he did after the call was to talk to Tevos. The councilour was waiting for him.

Garrus then revealed the information he got from Samael to Tevos.

'' I want the Matriarchs to be separated and placed in large groups. They are the key to winning this fight. They will make a barrier whenever the Collector's device activates.''

'' The same with the others Asari. You guys are our main strength in this fight... They still haven't entered the Citadel, so we could still prepare.''

While the enemies hadn't entered the Citadel yet, everyone knew it was a matter of time. Even now, there's a fight happening outside of the space station, and in one way or another, enemies would enter.

And when they do, they would be met with a force they never expected.

Tevos nodded, '' Leave it to me.'' With that, she tapped her omni tool and relayed to everyone what Garrus said.

The Turian then made his way to the Council Chambers, to lead others better. In that place, Ash, Vega, Jacob, and a few other people were waiting for orders.

---

Unaware to everyone at the Citadel, something/someone was already deep inside the space station. It had just finished sending a message to a faraway place, and then it walked away, its fate unknown.

---

WITH SAMAEL

While Garrus was facing a periculous situation, Samael and Shepard were too, but ... it was a weird situation, even for Samael's standards.

They were following the Reaper as it went to the Relay when suddenly it stopped close to it. That made both pause too and a strange atmosphere was created.

Samael noticed Sovereign had no intention of using the Relay, and that made things complicated in a lot of ways. First, this never happened in the past cycle, and second, his trump card would be useless if the Reaper didn't use it.

He was also unsure if he should attack the Reaper or not. He sent RR back to the fight, and stayed with Shepard. But, before Samael could think of what to do next, the Reaper took the initiative to do something.

BZZZZ

Samael got in front of Shepard, expecting an attack but no. It was a drone of sorts, one that Samael recognized, ' This is something that the Reapers used to contact people.'

Sure enough, a rough voice filled with malice said out of the drone, '' So you are the ones that were trying to stop us. I expected more, honestly.''

Shepard was tacked aback while Samael just silently stared at it. When she noticed that, she took the initiative to talk with the drone, '' Why are you attacking us?''

While everyone heard from Javik and Samael, that the Repaers can't be talked to nor negotiate with them, Shepard still wanted to talk, to see if she could take out something from the machine.

'' Oh, we aren't attacking you, we are cleaning the galaxy, you are just on the way. It's simple as that.''

Then, just as it happened in the games, Shepard and Sovereign started a battle of words, with no one budging.

And while that was happening, Samael was thinking. He was sure the machine would not attack.

' This situation doesn't make sense...'

Every instinct in his body was telling him something was wrong, but he didn't know where or what.

' The Sovereign I know from past cycles is not this passive. He's arrogant, he wants others to know he won, but now... it's almost like he already did and now was just waiting.'

Then, it clicked. Samael looked around and didn't see Saren. At this stage, the Turian should be close, but now, no sign of him.

That made Samael realize something. At the same time the conversation between Shepard and Sovrtinh ended, Samael said, '' You ... you already sent the message to the others.''

It wasn't a question, it was an affirmation.

Sovereign took his attention off Shepard and looked at Samael. The Reaper even had a hint of admiration in his voice, '' So it's you... It's nice to put a face in a person.''

Samael didn't understand that part, and Sovering continued,'' You really are an intelligent person. You see, very few times we faced problems when cleaning the galaxy, but in this cycle and in the past one, things got complicated even for us.''

Sovereign voice's then turned into something akin to pleasure, '' But, even then, you already lost. The message has been sent and it is only a matter of time for the rest of my species to arrive. You lost.''

Shepard was shocked by this. All their preparedness, all they did, for nothing. The Reaper had somehow managed to talk with the others and now, millions, billions, or maybe trillions of Reapers are coming to the galaxy.

Just as Shepard was losing focus, Samael talked in a calm voice, '' Do you really think I planned on winning this fight here on Illos?''

'' ... What?''

'' In one way or another, even if you hadn't sent the message, the Reapers would arrive in full numbers in a few years anyway. This altercation here and on the Citadel is training for us. You didn't even realize this.''

Samael laughed at Sovereign, '' You just sped up things a little. And guess what? We will be ready when your friends arrive too. Only, you will not be here to see that.''

Even now Samael was calm because he had a trump card to eradicate all Reapers. The price was too high though, so he really didn't want to use it.

But, if push comes to shove, he would use it.

Sovereign didn't like to be talked down, but his job here on this planet was done. He said while looking at Shepard and Samael, '' Struggle all you want. You will turn to dust anyway.''

With that, the drone that made it possible to talk with each other went away, and Shepard looked at Samael, '' Now what?''

Samael smiled as he watched Sovereign go towards the Relay, '' Now, we watch the fireworks.''

He grabbed Shepard and entered the M.A.K.O they used to follow Sovereign. He then speeds away, trying to get far from the relay.

Shepard didn't understand why they weren't trying to stop the Reaper but a response came in the form of Samael.

'' You see, we can't stop a Reaper right now. If we used all we had, sure, but there's the Geth holding us back. So, I thought of a way to ensure that even if it had passed through our defenses and used the Relay, things would not go his way.''

Samael smiled as cold sweat dripped down his face. He tried to press harder on the accelerator, but this was the fastest the M.A.K.O. could run.

'' Remember when I said to Joker a nuke would not work? Well, I did do something similar to that. '' Samael's voice was filled with madness, ''Like a person I used to watch liked to say, I used EXPLOSION.''

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

The Relay exploded with such force that it created a cloud of dust so strong that swept the M.A.K.O that was already in a considerable distance away, making it roll around.

The cloud was so big that not even the Reaper was seeing.

Sovereign, Samael, and Shepard's fates were unknown.


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