The Citadel: From Past to Future

The Citadel: From Past to Future is a collection of short stories unrelated to the events of the games.

The Citadel: From Past to Future
In a galaxy billions of years old, of which life has spawned countless times over millions, if not a billion years, everything eventually meets one fate: Total annihilation. No matter the power of the Protheans, the overwhelming might of the Ditakur, the minds of Densorin scientists, or even the adaptability of the humans; they all went extinct. The Asari burned, the Turians were conquered, Salarians overwhelmed, and the krogan met power with strength, only to be swept aside and left to the enslaved Rachni, who in turn were left to rot without their queen. Hanar, Drell, Volus, and Elcor, all destroyed. Batarians slaughtered, Vorcha crushed, and the magnificent Leviathan put to rest. The galaxy is roamed by the Prothean husks, known as Collectors, alongside the ruthless Geth. Both of these fiends use slaves to aid in their service to their overseers.

The Reapers are coming.

Prolouge
Prothean Cycle; 48,350 Years Ago

Darkness always hid the most evil secrets; you learned as children to fear the dark, never to transcend it's void, for it would consume you. You knew that in it you would never survive. Life did not survive when light did not shine, and in the void of space, all of these statements held true to the unsuspecting. The Reapers know this. That is why they have come. To take us to the dark. I am Admiral Dawvukan, leader of the Last Fleet. Flee. There is nothing left to fight for." A short, but powerfully built Prothean closed the beacon, and stepped down from his podium. His hands trembled. He had lost hope, for in darkness you will never succeed.

Dawvukan's top field Commander, grabbed him by the arm, "Admiral-"

"Save it, Friend. There is no time for such conversation. We must make our final stand."

"Sir, we will not survive. Our numbers are dwindling as is and you will fail again at protecting yet another world"

"Do not take my actions as incompetence! I will not abandon another colony! I will not allow a Prothean mother and child to watch as the fleet pulls away and those monsters sink their claws into them. This is no longer a war we can wage. We cannot allow our cold, misguide logic to shove our values aside. We will die with honor, or we will die starved in space. My friend, my one and only ally, I trust you to see through with my commands."

"Sir, I will not allow this! We are the final line of prothean honor, and you will throw it away for this world? What makes Corvusul so special, when we abandoned even our home-"

Dawvukan stared down the Commander, cutting him off with a grunt. "There is nothing any ore special about this world than our home, young Diesc. There is just no longer a reason to run. This is our final frontier; not the stars, but this battle. We have every known surviving ship with us. They no longer outnumber us."

"Even with greater numbers we fell."

"But that was when we panned on sacrifice. There is only vengeance now. Any prothean at head knows this. We have all been thinking it, Diesc."

Comander Diesc let out a sigh. "What of my brother?"

"Javik's being is not relevant."

"Be honest, you yourself just said that this cold logic is no longer our friend." Diesc knew he would get an answer. But he also knew it would not be good.

"The outpost was destroyed. Indoctrinated soldiers managed to infiltrate and eliminate our final army. Javik is now either dead or indoctrinated." No matter how hard any prothean could try, the cold, blunt feel of their speech would never leave. Diesc gave hos Admiral a salute, and began to leave.

"Wait," The elder officer grabbed the taller prothean by the shoulder, and circled in front of him. "The galaxy needs a replacement."

"For what, Admiral?"

"A means to end Reaper dominance. Our cycle has ended, but perhaps the next cycle or the one after that can achieve their own power. Reapers cannot hope to purge an entire galaxy, for even they know not every secret. Do you remember the Rhinol?"

"Yes." Diesc was interested, his four eyes staring down at the Admiral. There may be some hope, even for him, after all.

"They did not use the relays. The relay that they came from was fabricated. They had developed their own independent means of galactic travel."