The Crucible and its defenders arrived to see the Sith fighting amongst themselves. Whatever was going on they had completely forgotten about the Citadel. The Crucible was now synced with the Citadel as the arms opened wider and the protective covering around the Crucible broke free. The arms moved and clamped onto the Presidium ring and then…nothing…

"Commander? Commander do you read me? The Crucible is attached but nothing is happening!?"

Explosions could be heard on the comm now, "We'll get on it sir. First, we've got a bit of a hurdle to get past."

Benezia received the message from T3 about the Citadel opening. "Admiral Anderson, we are almost there. Just hold out for a bit longer."

"Affirmative. We'll begin our advance from the FOB. We'll be harder to hit while we're moving."

Benezia turned just in time to see five Reapers working together just to break the shielding of one of the Sith dreadnoughts and tear it in two. "We won't win if we all die here." Just as she said that though some of the Reapers were breaking engagement and heading toward the relay. "Admiral Hackett, be on alert. It seems the Reapers might be aware of our plans. Some of them have disengaged and are trying to leave the system."

"Copy that. We'll defend the Crucible with what we have."

Within the Citadel, Shepard's team was dealing with this strange abomination while holding back his minions coming through the tunnels with a combination of biotics and tech attacks. Javik was the first to notice something amiss, "Is it me, or are there fewer enemies coming up here?"

"No something else is going on." Garrus shot a droid's head off, "Think they're running out of troops?"

Trossk jumped back as he sensed something. He looked back to the large glass window behind the monstrosity. "Get down and hold onto something!"

Everyone looked and spotted a pod heading straight for the monster blocking the master control unit. The pod smashed through the area, knocking the beast down as it pulled it down toward the elevator. However it was only the shell that was dragged away, someone still stood ready to stop them with a single lightsaber in hand and two tentacles left. The vacuum pulled several of the Sith out into the void before the barrier activated to keep the atmosphere.

From the pod Revan, Cina and Scourge crawled out with a lightsaber in hand. Revan surveyed the group noticing someone missing. He turned to Trossk, "So he fulfilled my request?"

Trossk lowered his head in shame, "If you hadn't told him to keep us alive we might not have been able to get here with everyone."

Revan found HK's head, picking it up, "I hope that backup you made of yourself is still functioning." Revan turned to Cina and Scourge, "Commander, leave Dyonix to us. Keep any of his soldiers off of us until he falls. Then when there's a chance, activate the Catalyst."

The three of them ignited their blades and rushed into battle. As Revan and Cina fought off the two lightsaber tendrils, Scourge was face to face with Dyonix, "You are such a disappointment Scourge. Coerced by the enemy to work together? Or did they convince you this was for the 'greater good'?"

"It is not too late. End this madness you have walked upon and stand aside."

"Can you not see? The Reapers are correct. The next step of evolution cannot be reached without such intervention. The Emperor alone enjoys the splendor of immortality and yet will not share this gift whereas the Reapers are immortality for the likes of you and I."

Scourge pushed back, locking their blades again, "They will destroy us all!"

"To improve us!"

Scourge switched out with Revan as he tried to talk some sense into him. "Dyonix, you are playing with elements that you neither understand nor control. You yourself are being manipulated."

Dyonix pushed back, "I am in control!" He looked to the tunnels as Trossk was being pushed back by reinforcements, "My loyal soldiers march into battle without question."

Cina just barely avoided a thrust so she could cut the tentacle off as she turned to Dyonix, "Look at yourself," pulling up shards of a mirror to show Dyonix his disfigured face. "Is this how we are to evolve? Is this how the Sith are to evolve? Your soldiers are no better than mindless battle droids throwing themselves to the slaughter. Is that progress or degradation?" It would seem to be working as Dyonix was losing his focus.

Scourge sliced the second tentacle, "Do you not remember your oath? Your vows to the Empire? You have betrayed all of that by your actions."

Revan managed to get the final kill blow, though the heart, "But know that before becoming one with the Force that these mistakes will now be corrected." Revan walked up to the master control unit, trying to find something regarding the Catalyst. "No, that can't be right…"

"Revan…"

"I can't activate the Catalyst."

If things didn't seem like they could get worse the Reapers entered the battle, picking off the damaged Sith ships first. Shepard called back, "We can't keep this up forever! We have to do something before we get…" the tunnels were suddenly sealed, stopping the seemingly endless waves, "…swarmed…?"

A red holographic orb started to flutter down toward them, "Apology: Master had I known combatting this bothersome AI unit would take this long I would not have destroyed my physical form so quickly," the hologram shifted until it became HK-47's chassis, "Addendum: However having lost connection with my body it make coordination somewhat difficult."

Ashely seemed a little ticked, "So why couldn't you have sealed the doors sooner?"

"Recitation: As I noted, combating the original artificial intelligence within the Citadel took longer than I had anticipated. Reassurance: Though I may not be the most adapt at slicing into terminals compared to the utility droid, I am more than capable than most organics. Assessment: I now have full control over the Citadel and all of its systems. I await your command, Master."

"Activate the Catalyst. Allow the Crucible to do its job."

HK-47's hologram flickered for a moment, "Apology: Forgive me again, Master. But I cannot control those functions."

"Functions?" Shepard didn't like that, "What do you mean by functions?"

"Analysis: It would seem that the Crucible has altered function within the Citadel. I will require a physical form to remain in order to unleash the Crucible and destroy the Reapers."

Esura walked over, her cloak covering her, "I'll do it."

"No, there has to be another way. Maybe we can rebuild the droid or hack another one."

Esura opened the cloak, revealing the blaster burn on her side, "I can't think of a greater deed than being the one to destroy the Reapers. Live or die, my future will be secured and you all will have the chance to repel the Sith when they do invade."

HK's hologram disappeared as a section of floor started to glow, "Command: Stand on this spot and it will take you to the junction point. Further instructions will be available when you arrive. Recommendation: Master, I would advise you and anyone else who did not wish to expire leave the Citadel. It is uncertain what will happen once the Crucible activates."

Esura tossed a few things to Trossk, "Keep them safe." It was Jalin's lightsaber and her bone mask. He nodded as she began her decent.

Revan nodded, "Alright everyone we need to get outside now. Grab a helmet and jump out the way we came in."

James stopped him, "Are you insane? In the middle of a battle with lasers and you want us to just float out there?" The Ebon Hawk came into view with T3 in the cockpit, "Oh…"

Everyone was checking their helmet and seals, but Scourge was at Dyonix's body. "Revan, I must confess, this is not the first time I have questioned loyalty to the Empire, but I cannot ignore what has happened here."

Revan placed a hand on his shoulder, "When the time comes you will know what to do. But right now if we wish to see that day we have to survive."

Scourge put on one of these helmets as Tali accessed the Citadel's systems and deactivated the automated kinetic barrier as they quickly lost gravity and were sucked out. T3 maneuvered the Hawk just right so that they were launched onto the loading ramp. Once the last member was in they entered the ship and sealed the ramp.

"Okay T3, we're in! Get us out of here!"

Esura was barely standing now, hiding her pain from the others. She was shot at least three times, one on her back, the second her left leg, not to mention the shot to her side. Fortunately the back one was a grazing shot, but it still hurt like hell. "Tell me droid. How will this all end?"

"Extrapolation: From the data I've been able to gather about the Catalyst and Crucible, a concentrated energy wave will convert or destroy all Reaper-based signatures and use the relay network to encompass the entire galaxy in said wave. Hesitant Supposition: The energy released will cause the destruction of the relay network and damage the Citadel. Probability of your survival is slim."

"Not like I'm gonna survive with these injuries for much longer anyway." Esura staggered for a bit as she cursed in Kaleesh. "How much longer?"

"Wary Reminder: We are traveling from the Citadel Tower. It will be a bit more before reaching the convergence point between the Citadel and the Crucible. Painful Admission: Had my body not been destroyed, we would not have to go through this." The minutes felt more like hours now, the internal bleeding was a bit annoying as her vision was starting to get hazy. "Diagnostic: Your internal fluids are leaking. Query: Are you certain you can last until we arrive?"

"Keep talking and keep me talking as we'll see, won't we?" Esura was glad she didn't part with her spear otherwise she might not be standing to say that.

The Reapers were tearing into the Sith at the start, but now the Sith are pushing back. It was keeping them off the Crucible for now as the defense fleet moved into position to protect it from crossfire. The Ebon Hawk did a fly by across one of the Alliance dreadnoughts as the Admiral called out to them, "Shepard? What's happening with the Crucible?"

"The situation is under control. We just need to give it a bit more time to activate. If the Sith falter we have to keep the Reapers off of the Crucible." A blinding light started to emanate from the Crucible now as the Reapers were now in full retreat…

Finally reaching their destination, Esura could barely stand let alone move. "Is this it?"

"Affirmation: Yes, this is what a physical form is needed from." HK-47 hologram appeared now next to a terminal. "Command: Input the code that is on display here and the Crucible will fire. Warning: All things related to the Reapers will be severely damaged or destroyed, the Citadel included." Esura managed to hobble herself over to the console and entered each key she could still see. "Resignation: Code accepted. Destruction sequence initiated."

HK's hologram died as Esura collapsed. She had done it. With just the push of a few buttons, she saved an entire galaxy from monsters. Though her thoughts drifted back to Kalee and the Jenuwaa Sea she also started to think of the friends she had made on this insane fight to halt the Sith before they invaded.

The effects of the Crucible were immediately felt by the Sith as those implanted with Reaper technology died or lost senses in parts of their body and mind. This shockwave also temporarily knocked out power in the native ships as a beam of energy fired off toward all of the relays within the system before the massive power to distribute that energy strained the Citadel until it and the Crucible broke apart. The relays were now redirecting that energy out across the relay network, using the destructive power of their element zero cores to ensure their entire sector of space was blanketed in this aura that wiped out the Reapers. But it would seem that the Reapers were warned, or had some knowledge as to what was happening because the moment the Crucible started to power up all Reaper assaults were abandoned as they started to converge toward one area. It was now a race for the Reapers as they attempted to outrun the Crucible's cleansing wave across the galaxy.

As the dust cleared it was certain, the Reapers were gone and it was over. The Reapers were finished, and yet it did not fully feel like a victory. EDI was shut down because her very code was integrated into the Reaper code fragments Cerberus recovered from Sovereign and the sudden retreat of the Reapers didn't seem quite appropriate.

Scourge received a signal from one of the Sith ships, "Lord Scourge, our scouts confirm a massive fleet of Reapers managed to reach dark space before the pulse wave hit them."

"We did not send out scouts to follow them."

"No, but we did leave them behind to protect our point of entry to this galaxy."

Scourge turned to Revan, "It would seem that our enemy now threatens a sleeping dragon."

"This could work in our favor, but we cannot allow the Reapers to continue as they wish…"

Trossk nodded, "Then we continue the fight back home. A new war before we attack the Sith again," not even caring that Scourge was right next to him.

"And we'll be right there next to you."

Revan stopped Shepard, "I'm afraid that we cannot ask you to do that, Commander. You and your allies will be far too busy rebuilding from this war to continue fighting. I doubt many of your soldiers would risk fighting for a galaxy that would not affect them," looking to Scourge for confirmation of something else.

"Since becoming the leader of our fleet with the passing of Dyonix and his apprentice Kron, I will have our utility droids wipe all navigational data during our time here and how we got here to begin with. I supposed we can call the Reapers an extragalactic species that are trying to invade our galaxy. That should be more than enough motivation for the Empire to wipe them out before the Republic is alerted to their presence."

Before flying back to the Alliance ships, Revan pulled Trossk over for a private conversation, "Trossk, I have another task for you, one that you might not enjoy."

"You want me to hunt down the HK-47 copy he left of himself roaming the galaxy?"

"Though I know you would be perfect for the task, I could not ask you to do that." Revan placed a hand on the Trandoshan's shoulder, "I want you to remain here with the Ebon Hawk and make sure no one from our galaxy finds this fledgling galaxy. The Sith would wipe them out, and the Republic would barely be able to do anything for a group so far out of their reach. I ask this as a friend, so you are not obligated to follow my wishes."

Trossk was silent as he glanced to Esura's bone mask. "You know I was nothing but overjoyed when I was recruited for this army led by you and my brief time with the Mandalorians. After feeling so insignificant in the overall, I was shocked when you came up to me. Me? A Trandoshan hunter who went from a solidary predator to a member of a pack with the Mandalorians and becoming a Jedi-trained fighter. It would be my honor to do this for you, both as your apprentice and your friend. But what about you, Cina and T3? Will the three of you be alright on your own in the heart of the Sith Empire in one of their ships?"

"We'll be fine. I trust Scourge to do the right thing when he sees what his Emperor is really doing. Now let us get everyone home where they belong."

Revan was on the bridge of Vendetta as every salvageable piece of their ships and weapons are recovered. "Are you certain about this?"

Revan nodded, "He will be our vanguard against the Sith and he'll be able to help with some of their technological development during his life and after when they try and reverse engineer the Ebon Hawk's systems. Assuming Trossk doesn't decide to go out in a blaze of glory."

"And speaking of blazing glory," Cina looked as the Sith fleet prepared to pursue the Reapers, "How do you suppose the Reapers knew about the danger of the Crucible?"

"At this point I really don't believe it matters, just as long as we wipe out the remainder of them so they no longer threaten anyone ever again."

Within the hangar of the Alliance dreadnought, Shepard was watching the Sith slowly leaving the sector. "Are you really sure you want to do this?"

"Sooner or later extragalactic invaders will find their way across the void. After wiping the old girls navicomputer of the old galaxy, her hyperdrive will be yours to try and replicate when I no longer need it. But before that I suppose I could let the engineers have a poke at all of her modded systems and things to get there creative mind working until then." Trossk was eying the pistol Shepard recovered, "Just remember to be careful with that. Who know what that droid did to it."

"Hey Trossk. About Esura…"

Trossk was still carrying her bone mask in hand, "She has become one with the Force and she'll find her peace. But I learned something from the Mandalorians, death is just another journey. What we do about it and how we move on with it defines us. Not too dissimilar to the Jedi. Your friend Joker might need some help with EDI, but I'm certain you and your friends will all be fine."

"Yeah," Shepard put his hand on Trossk's shoulder, "We will."

Trossk smirked, "And since I have no really allegiances toward anyone or any kind of disposition toward most species here, humans aside, I might as well try and follow the Jedi tendency of being the busybodies of the galaxy and correcting the wrongs I find."

"Whatever you do, you ever need help don't hesitate to shout out." Trossk nodded, returning to the Ebon Hawk to make sure the food synthesizer wasn't going to get any worse than it already was.

Shepard's team was now standing behind him, "What now, Commander?"

"Now? Now we rebuild and see what else this galaxy is still hiding beyond the relays…"

A/N: For now that is the end for me, but I might return to do a chapter or two involving the Reapers' assault against Dromund Kaas, but no story ever truly ends they just find a new beginning…