While I enjoyed this chapter, you forgot about Virgil the prothean VI on Ilos.
That conversation is important to get the codes for the citadel and for Liara to nerd out over a functioning prothean VI

Keep it up :)

tftc

Another good chapter.

I like the Normandy change you did.

looking forward to the Geth Heritic invasion, and the interpersonal result of Kaidens instigations.

Honestly my biggest disappointment about this chapter is that it left off basically where the last chapter left off.
Felt like this all this chapter did was try o explain the motivations of Shepard while setting up what the last chapter already set up.
Idk, I don’t really think we needed an expiation for Shepard motivations, at least directly afterwards. It really didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. And if everyone survived it could easily have been handled post battle.

So, it begins. The end of the first act. Now Brock, Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs Of War.

Grab the popcorn kids because, Here. We. Go

I honestly think the real reason Brock was brought there was he was lied to. In THIS version Shepard doesn't save the Citadel and the full Reaper fleet come through in ME1

She stay's dead in ME2 or get's indoctrinated and becomes the Reapers agent.
Fails to unite the Galaxy in ME3, never builds the crucible and the Reapers get a win which allows them to pretty much harvest unchallenged for the next few BILLION years or expand to other galaxies.
Brocks been sent there to just not save more people and reduce the damage, but to correct Shepard's weaknesses and failures and move pieces behind the scenes so he gets to stop the harvest.

By now i honestly think Kaiden is ether a Cerberus plant to recruit, sabotage her mission or gain access to the Spectre and council archives, is a indoctrinated agent or a complete moron. After this mission is over Shepards decision making should have her unofficially stripped of her Spectre status and given to Brock. At the very least Kaiden should be demoted, transferred off the ship and put on a minor colony where he can't cause trouble for the Alliance once the ME1 mission is over.

Shepard just doesn't have the mental flexibility and skills off the battlefield to do the job, hell i'd even go so far the Alliance should look at her crews mission reports and question if she should be in charge of a ship like Normandy on her own and just be command of ground teams. A N7 is supposed to have exceptional combat and leadership skills just to pass and Jane allows Kaiden to disrupt and endanger the mission. He will without a doubt become more unstable and a bigger threat later on

Good chapter but I'm starting to feel like a dog that keeps on getting the steak pulled away just before he takes a bite mostly because I'm anticipating the Citadel battle so much all I can keep on thinking is let's goooooo!

Thanks for he chapter.

Great chapter, thank you very much!

great work can't wait to see the battle that should be awesome

I don't like your "fix" to Jane Shepard's thoughts - if anything, it makes her seem stupider. Brock has repeatedly stressed that he is only here for the one mission, and that he is both avoiding growing her dependence on him whilst attempting to guide her to finding her own feet - to train her to stand on her own merits as a spectre, rather than find herself helpless when Brock moves on. It should be obvious, in light of those repeated statements, why Brock is not expending one of his carefully hoarded favours to solve Jane's problems on her behalf when she is quite capable of solving them herself. That she ignores that to defend one who's behaviour she admits is shady... it speaks ill of her, and her credentials as a spectre.

nice

The solution of the Ilos relay having other outbound options than inbound elegantly answers the question of how the Normandy snagged a fleet that quick.

Smart move with hiding the MAC nearby to cripple Sovereign, even if it doesn't wind up a killshot, it may mean that the Citadel defense fleet will be able to better hold their own, and may on its own mean the Council survives. A lever that would certainly buy Brock HUGE cache and influence when he reveals behind closed doors the secret ship was his. Between that and his discreet preparation to defend the Citadel, the bloody battle his men and women are about to throw themselves into to defend it, He's going to be a bigger hero than Shepherd would have been by a longshot.

I think he should say that the shot came from one of his defense platforms, that he slipped it in as a way to defend the Citadel. He can use the shot the ship is going to make as an advertisement to the movers and shakers of the galaxy of the value of his defense platforms to get more governments interested, that way more planets are better defended when the Reapers show up. Especially Thesia.

Since this isn't a video game with Man Character syndrome demanding Shepherd get all the credit and be the one to finally off Saren, it's genuinely likely that the lions share of the credit and accolades here go to Brock and his forces. Respect and accolades that can easily parlay into exponential expansion of his forces, his sales, and his influence. Hell how crazy would it be if BROCK became the human Councilor. unlikely, but how crazy would it be if that was actually a had conversation? Still, more likely the Asari and Salarian Councilors will force through a covert bestowment of Spectre authority for Brock after this. He might be an unconventional one, but his effectiveness and influence and clear dedication to the common good of all the Council races on top of being combat capable all make for an ideal candidate. He might not be a conventional member, but inducting him brings a lot of uses, especially his army to act on certain things in non-council space.

I'm still expecting Jurt to have that monster minigun. It wouldn't make the slightest bit of sense for him not to have it for this. Hell he could switch between it and the shotgun. The minigun could fold down and have an anchor point to the bottom of the backpack in the place where shotguns usually are, and the shotgun could anchor to the side of it or something.

GEEETEM GOYEEZ!