“What is happening?” Liara asks as Shepard hits the brakes, stopping the Mako before the glowing yellow barrier blocking their path.
“It’s a trap! Saren must have set an ambush!” Garrus shouts.
“I do not think Saren is behind this,” Liara replies calmly.
“I agree with her,” Alex says. “Let’s investigate. There’s an opening in the wall to the right.”
The crew—leaving Garrus behind to guard the Mako—steps out and makes their way toward the gap Alex pointed out.
“Another elevator, the Protheans aren’t so original after all, huh?” Alex mutters, clearly annoyed.
“Let’s get to it. We don’t have time for this—we need to find a way to remove that damn barrier!” Shepard says with urgency.
The group steps into the elevator, descending slowly into the deeper levels of the bunker. Along both walls, more stasis pods line the structure, their metal frames dusty and dulled by time.
“I’ve studied the Protheans for decades, but I’ve never felt a sense of foreboding like this… What will we find down here?” Liara wonders aloud, her voice uncertain.
“Let’s just go ahead! I don’t care about this—I want Saren dead!” Wrex growls.
“I kinda agree with the big guy. This stuff doesn’t matter,” Ashley adds, prompting Liara to glare at her, clearly irritated.
As they exit the elevator, they see a flickering light at the end, resembling the hologram they saw earlier, but more complete and seemingly functional. Just as they approach it, it begins to speak: “You are not Prothean, but you are not a machine, either. This eventuality was one of many that were anticipated. This is why we sent our warning through the beacons.”
“A damaged VI,” Tali says, “I haven’t seen one resembling this ever.”
The VI speaks, “I do not sense the taint of indoctrination upon any of you. Unlike the other that passed recently. Perhaps there is still hope.”
“This is incredible: An actual Prothean VI, and I can understand it!” Liara excitedly says.
"I have been monitoring your communications since you arrived at this facility. I have translated my output into a format you will comprehend,” the VI says. “My name is Vigil. You are safe here, for the moment. But that is likely to change. Soon, nowhere will be safe.”
While Liara beams with joy, Shepard cuts right to it. “Saren could be at the Conduit right now! We have to go!”
Vigil responds, without emotion:
“You seek to end a cycle that has continued for millions of years. To stop it, you must first understand it, or you will make the same mistakes we did. The Citadel is the heart of your civilization and the seat of government. As it was with us, and as it has been with every civilization 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 ever noticed the Citadel was an inactive mass relay?” Shepard asks, unable to comprehend how something like this hasn’t been discovered.
Vigil begins to explain, ”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.”
“How do the Reapers survive out in dark space?” Shepard asks.
“I don’t even know what the fuck the dark space is…” Alex admits. Wrex, Ashley, and Kaidan nod, seemingly in the same boat as Alex.
“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 civilization 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.”
“So the Reapers can wipe out the Council and the entire Citadel fleet in a single surprise attack!” Shepard says, desperation in her voice.
Liara and Tali also look shocked as they realize the truth.
“That was our fate. Our leaders were dead before we even realized we were under attack. The Reapers seized control of the Citadel and, through it, the mass relays. Communications and transportation across our empire were crippled. Each star system was isolated, cut off from 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.”
“The war was lost. If you had surrendered, they might have let you live.” Shepard states.
Vigil explains, “No offer of surrender was ever given. Our enemy had a single goal: the extinction of all advanced organic life. Through the Citadel, the Reapers had access to all our records, maps, and 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.”
“I don’t understand. Where did the Reapers go after they conquered your people?” Shepard asks, looking confused and slightly overwhelmed.
“Our worlds were stripped bare, harvested by the indoctrinated slaves. Everything of value–all resources, all 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 are they doing this?!” Kaidan asks, before Ashley says, “They must have some reason!”
Vigil explains, “The Reapers are alien, unknowable. Perhaps they need slaves or resources. More likely, they are driven by motives and goals, organic beings cannot hope to comprehend. In the end, what does it matter? Your survival depends on stopping them, not in understanding them.”
“I guess the Protheans didn’t read the art of war, huh?” Alex says, before quoting the famous saying of Sun Tzu:
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
“I can’t comprehend this flawed, primitive thinking,” Vigil says.
Stupid VI!
Shepard thinks for a moment before asking, “You said you brought me here for a reason. Tell me what I need to do!”
Vigil explains, “The Conduit is the key. Before the Reapers attacked, we 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 mass relay. One that linked directly to the Citadel: the hub of the relay network. The Conduit is not a weapon. It’s a back door onto the Citadel.”
“So the Conduit is not a weapon. It is a back door onto the Citadel!” Liara states, before asking, “How did you manage to stay hidden?”
Vigil responds, “All official records of our project were destroyed in the initial attack on the Citadel. While the Prothean Empire came crashing down, Ilos was spared. 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 Reaper persisted. And my energy reserves were dwindling.”
“You should have fought. Cowards!” Wrex yells.
“We were a few hundred against a galactic invasion fleet. Our only hope was to remain undetected. I began to disable 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.”
Liara asks, looking shocked, “There were hundreds of stasis pods out there! You just shut them down? You killed them?”
Shepard, while solemn, seems to agree with Vigil, “You couldn’t let everyone die. Better to sacrifice some so others could live.”
“This outcome was not completely unforeseen. My actions were a result of contingency programming entered on my creation,” Vigil clarifies.
“I wonder if the non-essential staff knew about this contingency,” Tali mumbles.
Vigil ignores Tali’s remark and continues its story:
“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 realized 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.”
Shepard, looking more and more frustrated, asks, “I still don’t understand what’s going on here. Why is Saren trying to find the Conduit?”
Vigil explains, “The Conduit gives him access to the Citadel and the keepers. 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 modifications. This time, when Sovereign sent the signal to the Citadel, the keepers ignored it. The Reapers are trapped in dark space.”
Idiots locked themselves out…. Not smart after all, huh?
Shepard, with knowing eyes, says, “Saren must have some plan to undo everything you did.”
“The one you call Saren will use the Conduit to bypass the Citadel’s defenses. 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.”
Understanding the problem, Shepard asks, “Is there any way we can stop them? I’ll take Sovereign down. Somehow!”
“There’s a data file in my console. Take a copy when you go. 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,” Vigil responds.
“Where is the Citadel’s master control unit?” Alex asks, “Never heard of anything like that. That damn station is huge.”
Vigil answers, “Through the Conduit. Follow Saren. He will lead you to your destination.”
Tali asks, “I have a question. If the Reapers are trapped in dark space, how did Sovereign get here?”
Vigil guesses, “It is logical to assume the Reapers would leave one of their own behind after each extinction, a sentinel to pave the way for their inevitable return. Like those in dark space. Sovereign probably spent most of the last 50,000 years in a state of hibernation. Periodically, it would wake to analyze the situation.
“Keeping its existence hidden, it would evaluate the state of galactic civilization. And, when the time was right, it would signal the Citadel and usher in the next Reaper invasion. But this time, the signal failed. The keepers did not respond. Sovereign’s allies were trapped in the void. Alone, it was forced to try and discover what had gone wrong.”
“Why does Sovereign not just attack if the Reapers are so strong?” Wrex asks.
“Sovereign is not invincible. Revealing its true nature would have united the forces of every organic species against it. Even a Reaper couldn’t survive such odds. But the Reapers are patient. They will not rush into the unknown. Sovereign could have been planning this for centuries, moving deliberately, gathering allies.”
“Slowly, it has assembled the pieces of the puzzle, working through agents to keep itself hidden. Saren is the most visible pawn of the Reapers, but I doubt he was the first. Now, Sovereign has grown bold. Whether from confidence or desperation, I cannot say. But it is determined to reopen the portal to dark space.”
Liara then tries to ask, “So, the beacon—”
“No!” Shepard interrupts. “I want to know more, too, but we need to leave. Saren’s got enough of a head start. Grab that data file and let’s go!”
Tali grabs it and transfers it to Shepard while Liara says, “Shepard, are you sure? Who knows how much longer Vigil will be here? Even now, the projection is weak. This might be our only chance to speak with it—our only link to the knowledge of the Protheans! It is the opportunity of a lifetime!”
“I got the file! Liara, we need to leave. Snap out of it!”
“You are right,” she says dejectedly, “I am sorry, Commander.”“Can’t you hand us a memory file, or tell us some sort of way so we get access to your legacy?” Alex asks, curious about the possibility.
Vigil says, “It’s not possible. The one you call Saren has not reached the Conduit. Not yet. There is still hope if you hurry.”Thanks for not explaining a thing. Stupid VI!
“Let’s go then!” Shepard says, rushing back toward the elevator.
While it ascends, Liara continues to ramble, unable to hide her unease. “All their culture, all their advanced technology… and the Protheans were still taken by the Reapers, just like us. They failed.”
“At least they gave us a chance!” Kaidan replies.
“We have to take down Sovereign!” Ashley shouts, motivating the group. “For Eden Prime!”
Back at the Mako, Shepard and the others climb aboard, and she immediately takes the driver’s seat, pushing it to full speed toward the ruins.
They descend deeper into the complex, entering a narrow, shallow canal. Water rushes alongside the vehicle as the Mako races down, undeterred by the terrain. Kaidan grips his seat tightly, visibly shaken by the speed.
Eventually, a few Geth appear and begin firing.
Garrus takes a few shots in response, but Shepard cuts in, “Ignore them! We’re charging through!”
Moments later, the Mako, already showing signs of damage, reaches the lowest depths of the ruins. In the distance, a small mass relay comes into view—similar to those used throughout the galaxy, but compact and glowing.
“There! The Conduit! It’s incredible!” Liara exclaims in awe.
“It’s already active. We need to hurry!” Alex warns, worried they might miss their window if it shuts down.
Geth Armatures are stationed around the Conduit, weapons ready, charging and firing at the Mako.
“Hang on. Things are going to get a little rough,” Garrus says from his gunner’s seat.
“I am breaking through!” Shepard yells, slamming the controls and weaving through the rugged terrain at the bottom. The Mako bounces wildly, the hull groaning under the stress, but Shepard doesn't slow down.
Dodging incoming fire, the Mako barrels forward, crashing through debris and slamming into the Conduit just as its light is about to vanish. Blue light engulfs them—then, in a blink, they’re gone. Everything flashes before their eyes until they manage to see again.
They reappear inside the Citadel. The Mako materializes mid-air, slamming down hard onto a bridge, crashing into a few Geth, destroying them, before skidding across the surface and crashing violently into a wall.
You have received 4 damage
“Fuck, that hurts!” Alex curses, wincing from the impact. The rest of the crew looks equally stunned.
They slowly crawl out of the wrecked Mako, pulling themselves upright.
Around them, the Presidium lies in ruin. Fires rage through the trees. Lights flicker or remain dark. Buildings are shattered. And scattered across the walkways and bridges—countless bodies.
What used to be a shining symbol of unity and prosperity now looks like a battlefield.