Saren had just finished sending the message when he was suddenly surrounded by troops—humans, Asari, and Turians alike. The only reason the ex-Spectre managed to send the message undetected was that he knew the layout of the Citadel at a level few could match.

However, after he sent the message, his location was discovered, as the place he chose to send it just happened to be near the Council Chambers, where everyone decided to gather. The first to find Saren were Ash, Jacob, and Vega.

Thanks to Samael’s earlier warning about Saren and his powers, they decided to wait for backup. And soon, it arrived.

"Why, thank you for the reception. I expect no less, after all, you are all struggling to have a chance of survival." Saren had long since transformed into pure villainy. "But it's too late. I have already sent the message. Soon, the whole galaxy will be inundated by the Reaper fleet!"

"You will not be alive to see that." Just then, Tevos, Garrus, Benezia, and a few other Matriarchs arrived at the scene. Liara's father was there too.

Benezia and Aethyta put their differences aside for this. The only reason the rest of the Matriarchs weren’t there was that they were needed in the struggle against the Collectors. Without the barrier they provided, the battle would have already been lost.

Sure, the Asari were fighting as well, but their barriers were not as strong.

Everyone surrounded Saren, but the Turian didn't seem fazed. He had accepted his fate long ago. "We will see about that."

BANG!

Without warning, Ash shot the Turian, but the shield absorbed the impact, leaving him unharmed.

SCREEECCCHHH

Saren didn't just stay put, no, he attacked. If before, the reason he won against the Matriarch at Thessia was because of the surprise attack, now, he was stronger, thanks to the modification Sovereign made on him.

The turian rushed towards a nearby C-Sec officer, grabbing him before he had a chance to react, and with a pull, he severed the hand of a said soldier.

'' ARGGHHH!'' The soldier screamed in pain, as shots started to rain on Saren. It didn't take long for the shield to break, the same as the armor.

Saren's body was riddled with bullets from head to toe, but the Turian- no, the monster was still up, showing no signs of slowing down.

That made almost everyone scared, but soon Garrus shouted, '' DON'T STOP! HE'S NOT IMMORTAL!''

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Saren knew that as well, also that he would die here today. So, he would take as many people as he could.

Under the frightened gazes and the storm of bullets, Saren continued to kill C-Sec officers around the area.

However, he met his match whenever he tried to approach the humans or the Matriarchs. Their firepower was too big for him, and his regeneration didn't catch up.

Soon, everyone noticed that and gathered around the area where the Matriarchs were.

With one final shout, Saren fell to the ground, his body giving up.

His story ended not long after that, with his head being shot by Ashely. No amount of regeneration could save him.

While his story ended, the consequence of what he did that day would resonate throughout the galaxy for a long time.

---

WITH DIANA ALLERS

Diana regretted, for a bit, her decision to join Emily and Khalisah al-Jilani in filming the battle at the Citadel.

Sure, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but the dangers were enormous. Despite being protected by some LD soldiers and C-Sec officers, along with armor and shields, Diana felt it was far from enough.

To heighten her anxiety, the Collectors, the main attackers, were ruthless. They launched their attacks without holding back, and the skirmishes around the space stations were bloody.

Additionally, a few Geth were involved as well, assisting the Collectors. Their presence instilled deep fear in everyone for the first time in a while.

The Embassies now was filled with corpses of humans, Turians, Geth, and Collectors alike. The Presidium was no exception, even the Elevators were compromised, filled with so many bodies that some stopped working.

Not a single corner of the Citadel could be considered safe. All in all, this battle was more than what Diana—and even Emily and Khalisah al-Jilani—had bargained for.

Still, they did their job. They filmed everything, from the moment the Collectors arrived to the bloody conflict that followed.

It was from the trio that the footage watched by Shepard came. This footage would later serve as a training resource for multiple species in the future, teaching their soldiers how to combat the Collectors.

In the recordings, the Matriarch, some Asari, and Biotics from LD were shown fighting against the device that paralyzed people. The footage also displayed the grim consequences faced by those who lacked a strong enough barrier.

They were paralyzed and soon killed by the Collectors. It wasn’t a pleasant scene, yet the trio chose to send the footage to their employers.

The trio survived the battle, but from the beginning to the end of the conflict, they witnessed many good people die. This experience made them feel something they had never felt before their powerlessness.

Some of the individuals sent to protect them even lost their lives in the process, which might not have happened if the trio had been strong enough.

Determined to change their fate, the trio vowed to get stronger, one way or another. They knew exactly who to call for help: Samael.

Although they knew it was a long shot, they had nothing to lose. Even if he wouldn’t help train them as soldiers, they would still join LD, as the company had begun to explore the news sector.

They would submit their resignations as quickly as possible and contact Samael or the CEO of LD. They were eager to see what they could achieve after their training or under LD wings.

---

The repercussions of the battle at the Citadel were significant, but their effects would only be felt later on. However, the galaxy was taking steps, baby steps, towards unification, as they watched and felt how weak they were when facing the Reapers, the Geth, and the Collectors.

They were weak alone, but together, they could confront the Reapers and everything else the galaxy threw at them. But, again, they are only taking baby steps on that front.

That day is not far away.