Disclaimer: I do not own mass effect in any way shape or form. If I did (insert comment about the ending here) This is just a little idea I very quickly rattled off for yet another one of Shepard's "damn speeches" as always please read, review and enjoy.
Normandy
"Stand fast. Stand strong. Stand together. Hackett out."
After he finished his speech, Admiral Hackett stepped down from the galaxy map and walked toward Shepard. His scarred face an unyielding slab of granite. Shepard had no doubt that Hackett was going to give every last thing that he had for this fight.
Once they were done going over the mission details with Admiral Anderson in the comm room, Hackett and his two bodyguards began to make their way back to their ship.
"Make sure you and your crew are ready commander. Cause you know as well as I do, this war ends today."
Shepard nodded. He knew that better than anybody.
Hackett turned to leave and began to walk back toward the airlock. But he only made it a few steps before he paused and seemed to consider something.
"Commander."
The commander turned around as Hackett walked back toward him.
"Yes sir?"
The admiral regarded Shepard a moment as though memorizing his features. Then he held out his hand.
"It's been an honor Shepard."
Shepard grasped the proffered hand and shook it.
"Likewise admiral."
Hackett nodded once and then with no more delays, went back to the flagship of the alliance fleet.
Shepard for his part, took the elevator back to his quarters. They only had little more than an hour before the fleet, the entire military force of the galaxy went through the relay to earth.
There were no more check-ups to do, (he had already obsessively quadruple checked every single damn war asset he had acquired, making sure they were all prepared) he had already talked to his squad, his crew was good to go. Each and every one of them were as ready as they could be. The Normady was ready. Everything was ready.
Shepard stepped into his bathroom and regarded himself in the mirror before asking himself the inevitable question. Am I ready?
The question seemed to be cropping up in his head more and more often as he got closer to this battle. Which drove him nuts because he knew it didn't matter whether he was ready or not. One way or another he'd be back in the middle of the fray doing what he did best. Fighting, winning and making hard choices.
Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder why out of all the people in the galaxy, why it had to be him. A boy from Mindoir who survived the massacre of everything and everyone he grew up with. Everything he loved. Joined the Alliance in order to try and prevent the same thing from happening again. Only to find himself right in the center of another massacre as his entire squad was eaten alive right in front of his eyes by Thresher Maws. Should somebody with that bad of luck be in charge of saving a galaxy?
It had broken him, scarred him in ways he would never be able to talk about. But he used it to drive himself, to be the best. He was mature enough to know that he couldn't save everyone. But dammit he could try. And he would never, ever again listen to the screams of his team and be powerless to help them. His team was the only family he had left.
It was at this point that Shepard really wished he had something to take his mind off the fact that one way or another, this would be his last fight.
Half an hour to go before the relay jump, guess there was nothing for it then he decided and donned his armor.
Piece by piece Shepard smothered his worries, covering them with each bit of armor he put on. With each segment that locked into place he remembered what he was fighting for, who he was fighting for and those who had already given everything for this fight. Jenkins, Kaidan, Mordin, Thane, Legion, the crewmembers of the first Normandy. So many others as well had died throughout this entire war. Who had given everything for this fight. A fight with the highest stakes possible.
When he finished putting his armor on he took a deep breath and thought hard about everything that had brought him to this moment. His entire life had led him to this moment, and now it was time to do what he did best. And pray that it was enough to save the galaxy from this hell.
No, he will stop the reapers one way or another. As he clenched his fist banished his doubts. He knew what he had to do and he was ready. He was Commander Shepard, and it was time.
Shepard quickly checked the time. About ten minutes until Hackett would give the call. And Shepard was suddenly struck with an idea as the elevator descended to the CIC. When the doors opened, Traynor greeted him with a salute.
"Commander, all weapons and combat systems are 100%. All crew ready and accounted for. We're awaiting your orders sir."
Shepard returned her salute. "Give me ship wide Samantha."
If Traynor was surprised at the sudden informality she didn't show it. She just accessed the shipwide comm as she was ordered.
"Ship wide Commander."
Shepard walked up to the galaxy map, the place where he's directed this ship into countless battles and surveyed his surroundings. His ship, his home and his family.
"Attention Normandy crew. Normandy…"
He thought for a moment what he wanted to say.
"Not all of you may know this, but centuries ago on earth, there was a war that consumed our planet. A madman with dreams of tyranny and genocide came into power, and for a time, it seemed as though nothing could stop him. Even as the rest of the world tried to fight against him."
All throughout the ship, the crewmembers were wondering what their commander was getting at.
"But one day, after many battles, many sacrifices, hardships, and defeats, the world came together to launch an assault that would turn the tide. And it was on the beaches of a patch of land called Normandy, that the best of all humanity, humans of many nations, ethnicities, and creeds stood together against tyranny, against genocide and fought their way through impossible odds and won that day."
Unbeknownst to Shepard, Diana Allers had started recording this speech and transmitting it to any and all channels that were still available in the galaxy.
"I'm bringing this up because I want you all to remember and to never forget, that it was here on this ship, the Normandy, that an entire galaxy began to unite in order to fight against a threat none of us could have imagined. It was here that the best of what the galaxy had to offer fought against that threat from the very first hour it was realized. That it is here, that the very best of nearly all the species in the entire galaxy came together fighting the threat of the reapers."
All across the fleet, various soldiers were tuning into this broadcast. On a turian transport ship two large krogans, one in reddish armor and one in white and blue armor took a particular interest in the broadcast.
"It is on this ship, that the very best that humanity has to offer has served. It is on this ship, that the best the turians have to offer have served. Where the best of the krogan have served. Where the best of the quarians have served. Where the best of the asari have served. Where the best of the salarians have served. Where the best of the drell have served. Where the best of the geth have served."
Javik looked up from his rifle as Shepard said his next sentence.
"And even where the last, and the best of the protheans have served."
On other ships in the alliance fleet, a certain former convict turned teacher and her students all dressed in combat armor listened intently to the broadcast.
"Every person that has ever served on this ship, is the best and brightest that the galaxy has to offer. As we take the fight to the reapers today, I want all of you to remember and to never let anyone ever forget, that no matter what happens today, that on this day, the day an entire galaxy rose up against the reapers, on the day that we took earth back not just for humanity, but for all life everywhere, on the day we all fought as one, that you served on Normandy, that you fought on Normandy and that you won victory over the reapers fighting side by side with the best soldiers in the entire galaxy, here on NORMANDY!"
The crew cheered and everyone in the CIC turned to salute Shepard. More proud to have served on this ship than of almost anything else in their lives.
Throughout the fleets, the people who served with Shepard also gave a salute in honor of the man they served with. The man who had helped them, who had healed them, who had sheltered them, who had given them purpose and had given them a home.
When the cheering had died down Shepard looked toward the bridge. "Joker,"
"Yes sir?" he commed back.
"Move the Normandy out of formation. I want us at the head of the fleet when we pass though the relay."
Up in the bridge, Joker grinned.
"Aye, aye commander."
Shepard took one last look around him and realized he was finally ready.
"Everyone…" for a moment, Shepard didn't know what to say. He wanted to say how proud he was of everyone, how he would never have been able to make it without them. Then he realized, they already knew.
"Thank you."
With that, Shepard walked off of the galaxy map dias and walked into the bridge.
"Joker, prepare to lead the charge."
"Aye commander."
On Admiral Hackett's flagship, the admiral himself was finalizing the details of the attack when a young comm officer alerted him.
"Sir something odd is happening with Normandy."
That caught his attention.
"What do you mean by odd ensign?"
The young ensign gulped as he was dressed down by the legendary admiral's stony gaze.
"Its, well sir its getting out of formation. Its positioning itself at the front of the fleet."
Hackett blinked and then went over to the fleet display. Sure enough, the entire fleet was in formation except for the Normandy in front.
Not many people can say they've heard Hackett laugh or give any sort of expression of mirth, but at that moment, those closest too him could have sworn they heard him make a small chuckle.
"Shepard's just following orders ensign. To be the tip of the spear. I suppose it's rather fitting."
Then he straightened himself. "Alert the fleets to sync their navigational systems to the Normandy. We follow Shepard through the relay."
Throughout the fleets the word was passed to follow the Normandy through the relay. And each crewmember hurried to make sure they were ready.
Back on the Normandy, Joker took a look at a nearby screen.
"All ships have been synched to our nav systems. We're ready to go Commander, just say the word."
Shepard closed his eyes and took a deep breath. With one word he would be launching an attack with the largest military force in the history of an entire galaxy for the most important battle there would ever be.
For a second, he wanted to be anywhere but there. On the threshold of a battle that would decide the fate of everything. How is one man supposed to bear all of that? Then he realized, he wasn't the only one bearing that. And oddly enough, the words of a certain scientist salarian echoed through his mind.
Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong.
Shepard let out the breath he'd been holding and opened his eyes, no more doubts, no more fears this ends today.
"Joker, lead the charge."
And the Normandy charged through the relay, carrying with it the best hopes of all the galaxy.