Mass Effect: a different Ending

by shottymario

I finally broke down and tossed out a better ending than the cliff's notes we received. I re-wrote a few things but not much. The two parts are: Story following Shepard's fall and then a final epilogue where I grant most everyone a last epitaph.

"You did good, child. You did good. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, sir."

"Anderson?"

"..."

"Shephard? Commander?"

"I-unh...what'dyou need me todo?"

"Nothing...the crucible is firing up. How long before you can evac the Citadel?"

"I...

"Commander, we need you off that thing, we have no idea how long before the Crucible blows, it might take the Sol System with it!"

"I'm so-rry, Ad-Admiral Hack-Hackett...I'mn-not l-leaving."

"Shephard..."

"Getthe...the fleets out. G-Gods-speed."

"You're not alone in spirit, Shephard. All Fleets! This is Admiral Hackett! Emergency maneuvers and head for the Mass Relay! Glory-line Ships, take up a defensive perimeter around the Crucible, Observational ships head for the rendezvous point. Our job is done, it's up to the Crucible now."

Hackett's voice, Shepard's voice, Joker couldn't, he couldn't punch the command to kick in the super light engines, even as the Normandy spun around in space, black and white like a killer whale amid the heart of the sea. He watched the Citadel and the Crucible vanish, spinning back behind them, the ship he flew, the power he wielded in this battle, spinning back away from them, hiding behind him eclipsed as his ship turned away from its commander.

"Jeff, we must depart."

"I … no, EDI."

"Shall I move us to safety?"

"No, EDI. No. I don't mean I know, EDI, I mean no, no I am not leaving Shephard to die, not again."

"Jeff, the lives of everyone on board are at risk, we must withdraw if we are to save them."

"Shepard! Do you hear me! You turn your god damn comm on emergency mode! I swear to God I'll ram the Citadel if you don't! I'm not leaving you again!"

Shepard's eyes lolled, blood crying down like tears from them. The pain was something she was physically detached from. She was aware she hurt, she knew her body was broken, the cybernetics were fried in several places, one of her arms looked like it was just bone now...she wondered if that was the cybernetics. A missing hand? She vaguely realized she didn't know which parts had been replaced by Cereberus. Just couldn't recall.

"GOD DAMN YOU, SHEPARD! HIT THE FUCKING BUTTON!"

Button... "J-Joker?"

"Turn your beacon on, Shepard! Do it!"

"R-right...b-beacon."

Omnitool...the arm with no...arm. "O-Omni-tool gone."

"Anderson's there, right? You're going to just let him die?! Wake up, Shepard! Use Anderson's!"

"Anderson's..." dead but he has an Omnitool...

She wasn't sure why but she turned on Anderson's beacon. It didn't make since, he was dead. There was no emergency. Couldn't save him. Joker never made cents anyway.

"EDI, do you have a lock on Anderson's signal?"

"I'm scanning for it now, Jeff, we need to move closer to the Citadel."

"What's going on up there, Joker?! Why are we turning around? We need to get out of here!"

Hackett's voice. "I'm not leaving without Shepard, Admiral, you can court martial me later. In the mean time, strap in, I've got flying to do."

As the rest of the fleet limped, jolted, and jumped away from the cataclysmic detonation, only the Glory ships were to stay behind and guard the Crucible in a last ditch charge against the Reapers. Around them, some of the Glory ships were already ramming reapers at FTL speeds. The Normandy screamed back to the Citadel driven by the need of its pilot and its computer AI, this was something they had to see through.

"Shepard! SHEPARD! Shit!"

Ashley Williams, Spectre, Human, tortured soul.

"Lola! WAKE UP! LOLA!" James Vega, Soldier, N7 potential, Human, tortured soul.

"What's going on, Ashley?" voice, Omnitool, Garrus, Turian, avenging angel.

"The Commander's down! Admiral Anderson is down! Anyone on this freq, we're in the Citadel, uh, shit! Not sure WHERE we are! Follow my emergency beacon! Any medigel anyone has, hurry!"

"We'll hold the line here, Ashley, no matter what it takes, Garrus out."

"I-AM-KROGAN!"

Grunt's battle cry, came from a battered and damaged body and throat, but he shouted it into Death's own face. He, Garrus, and Wrex were of no use as medics, neither Krogan had use for medigel, and Turian's physiology made their 'Gel non-compatible with humans. Reaper forces had started swarming the halls leading to Shepard, Anderson, and their Puppet-on-a-quantum-string-The Illusive Man. Shepard's friends, originally part of the strike forces moving on the beam had been split up due to enemy fire.

When Harbinger in his arrogance had decided the majority of Hammer Squad was wiped out he left the beam behind. The survivors had fought back to life through the re-surgent Reaper ground units. Grunt was missing half his face and all his hope of seeing tomorrow, he placed all his hope in seeing a glorious death smashing as many enemies of Battlemaster Shepard as possible. Garrus had caught several shots in the chest, his armor and shield's had deflected the worst of it, but he knew a trap when he saw it, he had ducked out of Harbinger's path and took to sniping anything in between him and the beam. When he saw Grunt and Wrex struggling back to their feet and moving with a push of Krogan survivors at the beam, he laid out every thermal clip he had, popping them one after another. Wrex had wounds of broken scale and armor across his body, his red eyes the color of the blood mask on his face but his jaw was heavy and set just as when he had resolved Virmire with Shepard so long ago...Wrex had stopped talking. He was killing.

Ashley Williams and James Vega had been blown clear by Harbinger's beam. When James had awakened he saw Ashley laying down suppressing fire with a Turian rifle. Her hair was filled with sparks and he realized in the midst of the battle haze that Ashley's hair must have been set on fire before he woke up. He posted up next to her and unslung his rifle. The shotgun had been lost somewhere in the blast of Harbinger's denouncement upon Earth's warriors. Ashley was covered in dirt and ash of vaporized, incinerated dead. Her face was fury, one that would have made a Krogan father proud. James had been the one to hear the voice over the comms, he had been the one to snap Ashley out of her blood rage. They needed to move on the beam, to get there before the Reaper's stopped them. With the heavy vanguard of Krogan still charging forward, the Reaper's were encircling them, closing the blazed path quickly behind. The two human's with winged feet moved down after the Krogan with no time for anything. James even stepped on a roaring Brute's face, leaping over it without firing a shot.

Garrus had pushed forward, sweeping in from the side, using his Phaeston to cover his charge. It was actually Garrus who reached the beam first. The beam where he had seen two people stagger forward and vanish. He wasn't sure who had made it up into the beam, but he had seen a marauder, a Turian based Reaper attack one, he'd been able to plug the monster right between its three eyes and the soldier had stumbled on. Now he was at the beam itself, he covered the Krogan charge with hydrostatic rounds, rounds not meant for deep penetration, but for flattening on impact, blowing massive holes in a single body. He didn't want to hit the Krogan, he just wanted to clear out the things in front of them. His Mantis sniper rifle was spent, his last thermal clip was in his Phaeston, it would provide his last stand, close and closer still as the Reaper troops over ran the beam and the Krogan.

By the time the first Krogan arrived Garrus was being gnawed on and mauled by several husks, the husks did not last more than a breath longer. Against a Krogan, no husk stood a chance. Even a half dead Krogan. Especially a half dead Krogan. The Krogan, an aged Battlemaster toppled three marauders before being gut shot and then having several rounds pumped into his face and mouth. The second Krogan took down the three marauders and their husk escort and then Garrus was back up, two Phaestons from the attacking marauders, and firing into the onslaught on both sides as the surviving Krogan and Ashley and James battled into the final leg of the race. His targeting eyepiece allowed him to see both sides of the battle and his aim was adjusted while looking in only one direction. Every round he could fire, a hundred rounds or more.

"I am Garrus Vakarian and in the name of the First Regiment I spit in your eye! You'll take this planet over my dead body!"

"The Beam! The Beam or these pendejos win! We gotta get to the Citadel!" Vega shouted.

Ashley and James vanished through the beam, then Wrex and Grunt. Garrus emptied the two Phaestons, grabbed two more from the dead and plowed into the beam as the Krogan troops held back a sudden push by the Reapers.

The two humans were the only ones not obviously injured, and they were by far better suited to charging ahead. The two Krogan and the now lusted Turian were going to hold off any troops or creatures still aboard the Citadel station. The three aliens fought their way forward to a choke point in the shifting and twisted nightmare of piled corpses, there was nothing they could see ahead of them, but Reaper troops kept sloshing through the bodies behind them. Garrus turned 180 and fired with every curse he knew, ever foul word and jarring syllable he heard growing up in a military society of drill sergeants and men-at-arms. The Krogan were lurching, the wounds telling, Garrus ran out out of rounds in the fourth Phaeston, dropping it to fire reliably with one hand.

"Wrex! DAMNIT! TURN AROUND!"

The Krogan didn't even understand him, it took a rifle butt to the back of the head to get Wrex to turn. All he saw was Reapers charging and someone pointing at them. He swung around like a battleship and rammed his skull into the first technopathic nightmare in range. Grunt didn't need much convincing either: when he saw the battle he was roaring like a T-Rex and charging back at the Reapers.

Garrus was swinging the Phaeston as a club when he heard Ashley's call over the comms. They were going to be overrun. The Reapers forces were limitless, they were not. Garrus had to think, the Krogan were beyond thinking, their wounds and blood rage had them as little more than psychotics, he realized in the back of his mind he was lucky they hadn't tried to kill him or each other yet. He was also lucky they were in such a rage state, the wounds might have dragged them down or killed them by now. He looked around desperately for a weapon. His targeting system pointed out another Phaeston from some long dead Marauder. Taking up the weapon he fell back, leaving the Krogan to plow through more and more incoming Reaper troops. He didn't like leaving allies, or friends, in Wrex's case, but he knew a Turian trying to force those two in the opposite direction of a fight would probably get murdered outright.

"Ashley! We're getting overwhelmed here! Is there an evac?"

"Don't know, trying to get Shepard to respond, first."

"There's no time, Ashley, we're balls deep in Reaper corpses down here and the tide's rising fast!"

"Anyone out there? This is Lt. James Vega! We need an Emergency Medical Evac at this location! Reaper troops are overrunning the Citadel and Commander Shepard is down! Repeat, we need Emergency Medical Evac!"

The robot voice, the machine, out the airlock? Nonscents... "Please keep your comm line transmitting, Lt. Vega, I am locked on your signal and will be there in 53.7 seconds."

"Shepard, wake up! Look at me! Focus!"

Ashley pressed the medigel she had into Shepard's wounds, but there were so many, too many. The Commander looked like one giant open wound whose eyes even bled. Vega posted up back along the corridor where he could hear the roars and gun fire. Still in range of Shepard, but where he might be able to take a shot at any incoming troops.

Ashley didn't cry, she was still desperately trying to stem the blood flow, Shepard was probably half bled out and the second Spectre was not about to lose her CO like this. "Come on Shepard, you can't die yet! Wake up!"

"Garrus, this is Vega, get your butt up here now! EDI's on the way! Thirty seconds till dust off!"

"Don't think we'll make it, Vega, do whatever it takes to get Shepard out, we'll hold here."

"Don't make me come back for you man, I don't wanna die! Get up here! The Crucible is already firing up!"

"You ever try to convince a blood raged Krogan to stop fighting? I have, and it didn't turn out well. You get Shepard to the medics, Vega, that's an order."

James headbutt the wall as hard as he could, bringing blood to surface. "Aw FUCK! FUCK FUCK FUCK!"

"EDI! Garrus, Wrex, and Grunt are pinned down, we need to get them, too!"

"I have already planned for that contingency, Lt. Vega. Please be ready to assist and stand back from the window, please, we are about to blow an entry way."

"Ashley! We gotta get sealed for Zero-Atmo! Ashley!"

Ashley took a shaking to bring her out of her tunnel vision. She quickly locked her helmet in place, then Shepard's, not that it would do Shepard much good, her armor was busted open and missing, she had no seal versus zero-atmosphere.

"EDI, Shepard's armor's fucked! We got the helmet sealed but it ain't gonna hold shit!"

"Understood, Lt. Vega, please hold the Commander down until she can be transported. Estimated time of depressurization, 2 minutes."

Ashley and Vega moved Shepard down out of the range of the window. The suction out the window would be massive, deadly space beyond. She was closer to the battle. Ashley activated her mag boots program, but Shepard's armor had no power...it was dead weight, so to speak. Ashely tore off Vega's bandolier and bound herself to the Commander.

"I've got the Commander, -" she bit her tongue...she couldn't order Vega to go back and help the aliens...if something attacked her while tied to Shepard...any sudden movement might kill Shepard.

Vega was the only free gun that could defend Shepard.

"Aww fuck...Garrus! Ya got one minute, man! DO SOMETHING! We gotta evac Shepard through Zero-Atmo and her armor's busted, we're gonna have to space this whole room!"

"Zero-Atmo? That'll suck us all out into space."

His suicide notification paused for a moment as his eyes spotted the rampaging Krogan. "That's PERFECT, Vega. That's EXACTLY what we need to pull out down here."

EDI's voice pinged in over Garrus' comm now, too. "Thirty seconds till depressurization, please position the Commander where she can be seen through the window."

"Uh...okay, EDI." Ashley still didn't like that computer, her own near death had her still jumpy from it.

Ashley and Vega moved carefully towards the window, then suddenly Ashley felt the uncanny sensation of biotics, she was being lifted from the ground along with Commander Shepard. Cutting her mag boots program Ashley hovered off the floor and from around the bloody Commander's head she saw Liara and the Normandy's shuttle bay. Then she saw a flash of fire, shattering glass and the roar of the devil around her as she jolted forward.

The rush of wind ejected Vega like a cannonball, massacring what hold his mag boots had offered and hurtling him into the Normandy's hold. His landing was not soft. Liara stood to the side, holding with all her might to make Ashley and Shepard's ejection far softer even as a hurricane torrent fired them into space and into the Normandy's shuttle bay.

Liara fought against the windstorm screaming words Ashley couldn't possibly hear, throwing herself back towards the elevator, desperately guiding the mortally wounded woman to what she prayed was a soft landing. "Ashley! We have to get Shepard to the elevator immediately!"

The elevator doors closed and the bloody package was delivered to the third floor and the emergency help she needed. The next moments saw Vega regain his feet and stare wide-eyed as Garrus, helmetless, fly through the quickly chilling atmosphere that dissapated into space into space and into the cargo bay.

"RUN, Vega! Get to cover!"

"Preparing to vent the cargo bay atmosphere, please get to emergency breath masks if you cannot exit the cargo bay."

Two rage blind Krogan exploded into the Cargo bay a moment later. Like a bird's maw the cargo bay snapped shut, mass effect field locking the Krogan inside, then the cargo bay was vented. Garrus held a mask over his face, trying to breathe as best he could while the murderous Krogan tried to charge him, but in their fury state they needed oxygen in stupendous amounts and there was none left to breathe. The Krogan fought for air then collapsed.

EDI kept the room vented for thirty seconds to insure the Krogan were dealt with even as the Normandy spun about to try and jump to FTL. Once sure the Krogan were unconscious EDI brought back a 25% atmosphere giving them enough to live on, but not enough to maintain violence in. James looked at Garrus and Garrus, still gasping and his head the coldest it had ever been, gave what passed for a Turian smile.

"S-Shot them in the ass. Th-They would've ch-chased me right u-up Harbinger's ass for that."

Mordin Solus appeared from the bloody elevator with a bag of medicine, EDI's electronic frame carrying more supplies. "Garrus, glad to see you still alive. Are you're injuries severe?"

"No, Mordin, but Wrex and Grunt both need help."

"Would much prefer to work on Shepard, less danger to personal health, but will do what I must. EDI, please begin clearing a space for operating."

"Of course, Mordin."

Joker had an angry Admiral sitting in the co-pilot's seat, Hackett understood fully, and agreed with not leaving Shepard twisting in the wind but … "Joker! How long till the relay? The Scanners indicate the Crucible is about to fire!"

"Trying, Admiral, but we took some fire and the debris field means we can't just go to FTL, I..."

"...I'm sorry Admiral, I couldn't leave Shepard again."

Hackett knew what Joker meant. He wasn't sorry for disobeying, he was sorry for getting them all killed. Hackett was grim but he gave a heartfelt smile and tightened his safety restraints in preparation for whatever was to come.

"The Glory is ours, Flight Lieutenant."

"Aye, sir."

Joker was aimed on a vertical climb away from the spinning disc of the solar system's alignment. The Fleet had come in at a horizontal, the debris field was thicker going towards the Relay, if they were to have any chance at all Joker had to punch out of the deadly mess and jump to FTL and he had less than a minute to do it. At 15 seconds he had cleared enough of the field that he was going to risk it, changing the alignment he pointed the Normandy nose first at the distant Relay, It had taken precious seconds to get aligned, at the 6 second mark the Normandy's engines jumped clear to 120% output blowing the Alliance vessel out the dragon's throat and back towards the mouth. If only they could breach before the fire's rose up from the belly of the beast and incinerated them.

"Joker to crew, brace for impact!"

Down in the hold Mordin shook his head, patching up Wrex. "Seashells, test for mercury deposits, lead, harmonics, never combat, never again, waste of good projectiles."

EDI's voice came across the comm system. "Crucible has fired, shock wave is superior to that of a supernova and is traveling at ¼ lightspeed. Wave of unknown energy traveling at 2.3x lightspeed and rising."

The last sentence was said only in the cockpit and to a specific person. "We cannot outrun it, Jeff."

"Give me everything you got, EDI, we're not going out like this."

"The Engines are passed critical, Jeff. Tali has crawled inside the cooling tubes to try and prevent meltdown."

"It doesn't matter, EDI! If we don't outrun that energy wave we're dead anyway!"

"Jeff, I am not holding anything back, if I allow you to push the engines any further they will destroy themselves. I am sorry Jeff, we cannot outrun the energy wave."

Jeff watched the scanners report on the proximity of the destructive power unleashed by the Last Hope weapon. It would overtake them in two minutes, and that was if the ship's drive system didn't kill them all.

"Dr. Chakwas, have you stabilized Commander Shepard?" EDI asked from the comm system.

"No EDI, and I'm having enough difficulty with the ship jostling, are we done with fancy flying yet?"

"I am afraid so, Doctor, there is no way to dodge the energy wave."

Dr. Chakwas froze for half a moment. "EDI! Are you telling me we're all going to die?"

"No, Doctor, please continue treatment of Commander Shepard. There is no telling what effect this energy field will have on the Normandy's systems, the Glory ships stationed at the Crucible were wiped out instantly by the shock wave, the Reapers fell silent but their technology is different to our own."

"EDI, do whatever you can, I've already put the Commander into a medical coma and administered iron pills and volume expanders, if we can survive, Mordin and I should be able to pull the Commander through."

"I will try my best, Doctor."

At lightning fast speeds of electrical powered processors the thought had already vanished through EDI's mind. "The human's don't understand I do not need inspiration as they do. I have already fully dedicated myself to survival of my ship and my crew. I would prefer being able to outrun the energy wave but am simply unable to."

Liara and Ashley both hugged each other, staring in horror at the gore that was their beloved Commander.

"Joker to crew, we're about to be overtaken by the energy wave."

Tali, pinned inside a tube of fire, trying to cool the engine's systems, crying tears of desperate anger stayed at her post as the energy ripped through the ship and her. Mordin hardly felt a thing. Joker lost control of the Normandy and EDI went silent. The Normandy, one engine firing a nanosecond longer than the others spun out across the void, lights flashing out so that only the superheated exhaust stripes still glowed, giving off their heat to open space.

Thirty seconds into the death spin and the emergency batteries brought power back to emergency systems, life support, interior lighting, and positional mass effect fields. The ship slowed its spinning and on the bridge Admiral Hackett took the controls. Joker was a bloody mess of broken bones in the pilot's chair. Centrifugal force from the sudden spin rended the brittle bones and left him screaming in agony.

"This is Admiral Hackett on the bridge of the Normandy! We need medical assistance on the bridge immediately! If there is anyone out there who can hear this, we're alive but all systems have been knocked out! We need immediate assistance!"

Oblivious to the bridge, Mordin smirked as the emergency lighting came on and got back to work on Grunt. From inside the safety netting that held the Krogan down, the same netting that would hold cargo in place should the mass field's of the cargo bay fail, the same netting used to prevent blood raged Krogan from getting up and killing him or each other, he had bound himself up in it in preparation for the energy wave. EDI was unmoving though. She had froze up when the energy wave hit. With the power out, Mordin figured the computer's were all down except for emergency hardwired systems.

Samantha Traynor and Kelly Chambers both burst out of the emergency pods and pushed off through Zero-G back to the communications stations next to the galaxy map. "Sam, communications are all down except for the emergency beacon!"

Samantha didn't take another moment, Kelly was a psychologist and a secretary, she knew how to handle the communications desk, Samantha was a scientist and a communications engineer, the systems would have to be rebooted, if they even could be, and that was her skill set. "Stay at the board, Kelly, I'll start repairs immediately!"

Sam was relieved to discover that the physical systems were all intact, the power was gone, and while most of the chip sets had been melted, the major components could be reset, they'd have a Ham radio not a quantum entangler, but they could broadcast out to the fleet.

Mordin floated up the emergency ladders and made it back to the medbay. "Good news, Krogan stabilized, how is Shepard?"

"I can't do anything in this Zero-G! We lost all our power, when our backups came on they blew out! I'm working with scalpels and band-aid's, Mordin."

"Ah, suspected this, brought help from Cargo bay, using Kodiak shuttle as back ups, will have medical bed power restored in two minutes."

"Will she be all right, Mordin?" Liara asked, a second opinion sought for, a positive one.

"Unknown, Liara, just arrived, Dr. Chakwas capable, sure Commander is in best possible care, please assist with repairs, hold this-" and Mordin thrust a ceramic cover plate from the medical bed to her.

Ashley touched the crux of her arm, the veins there hidden beneath armor. "Anything you need, Doc, I can give blood, I'm O+."

"No no, bloodless surgery best option for survival, volume expanders, let body heal naturally, not fit round peg in square hole."

"It's all right, Ashley, the Commander's circulatory system is not in danger of collapse anymore but there is a great deal of trauma to the body. Once we get the medical bed re-powered Mordin and I can save the Commander's life."

"Further assistance will be problematic. Could hear Joker screaming, suspect sudden loss of ship stability resulted in broken bones. Must see to Joker immediately."

Dr. Chakwas felt all the blood, the confidence she had rebuilt after seeing the traumatic mess of Shepard crash and fall back into a cherry pit in her stomach. Joker! That sudden spin would've snapped his bones! Grabbing up a first aid kit Dr. Chakwas flew to the door.

"Mordin! Take care of the Commander!"

Garrus and Vega made it as far as deck 4, the heat washing out of engineering was troubling to Garrus. "James! Engineering must be on fire! We gotta check it out!"

"Right! I'll grab an extinguisher!"

Garrus tumbled into engineering and grabbed up a mass of engineers. Human, scared, tugging at something inside one of the hundred spaghetti tubes that made up the magic black box of movement and acceleration. Tali was missing.

"What's going on?"

"Garrus! Tali's trapped inside the coolant tube! We can't get her out! It's burning up in there!"

Garrus was too wide to fit, he could only stare in horror at Tali's twitching body as it was cooked.

"Where's the fire? Where's the fire?"

"Vega! Tali's trapped inside! Nobody can reach her!"

The engineers tried to get heat reflective suits, but … James popped off his outer armor and grit his teeth then dove into hell. The underglove was resistant to thermal extremes but he still felt his body burn, his broad shoulder's where they squashed against the tube's sides, where his hands grabbed Tali's suit, he screamed, fighting against reflex.

"Garrus! Pull me out!"

Garrus threw all he had into it and Tali's suit ripped free, spilling and James out into engineering. She was unconscious but her bio scanners were still pinging, but she was in deadly danger, burns and now a hole in her suit big enough to drive a live ship through.

Vega's hands and shoulder's had started to burn into the underarmor, he was out for any further repairs. Swearing at the pain in his hands trying to not lose it entirely at the sight of the mortally wounded Quarian girl who had sacrificed herself to keep the engines alive. Garrus knew battlefield basic med, he leaped into action with his own dextro medigel, taking down her bio numbers and reading them off. He didn't realize it, but the only thing keeping Tali alive was the hundreds of redundant features of the Quarian's suits, while everything else on the ship had been hit with an EMP-like blast Tali's suit was hardwired in so many places that it simply rebooted from one of several backup power supplies.

"Vega, we gotta get her to Mordin NOW, or she wont make it."

"Right man, just, unh...just a second."

"You're hands burned?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, you're out. Can't have you bleed into her wounds, you'd kill her. Adams, Kenneth! Get some gloves and help me, we've got to get her to sick bay before gravity kicks back in, if we can't use the elevators then, we'll be dead in the water! Hustle, soldiers! MOVE IT!"

Only moments later and Garrus barked as he brought Tali through the medbay doors. "Chakwas! Tali's hurt and her suit's ruptured!"

Mordin looked up from Commander Shepard. "Dr. Chakwas seeing to Joker. Please bring Tali in and lay her on active medical bed, will begin triage immediately. Must also supply more power to medical bay, ah! Engineering team, excellent! Please place medical bay on priority repair list, need power or will lose patients. Joker will be here soon, must have third bed ready. Speed utmost importance, power cables from cargo bay and Kodiak shuttle there on floor."

Ashley and Liara got out of the way so that Adams and Donnely could immediately start repairs on the third bed. "What can I do now, Doctor?"

"Yes, help greatly needed, much appreciated, please go to Engineering, take Liara with you to ferry information while communications down, can shout down orders for power and cable supplies. Garrus, please go assist, leave all Dextro medigel you have."

"Right, Mordin, we'll get you all the power you need from the shuttles."

"I'll -unh- I'll help."

"Hands, injured, burns? Will not be able to hold cables, best use standing in Deck 4 to pass along information, please go to engineering, Lt. Vega."

"Right Doc."

"This is Samantha Traynor, emergency comm system test in progress! Deck 1, if anyone is there, please respond! Deck 1? Is there-oh crap! Nevermind, Deck 2, Kelly, are you there?"

"Deck 2, CIC reporting in, comm checks out, Samantha."

"Admiral Hackett, Deck 2, bridge reporting in, Specialist Traynor. Are these internal comms or can we broadcast for help?"

"Internal emergency comms only, sir, will start on the long range after. Is there anything else, sir?"

"Get me a pilot to the cockpit as soon as you can, I'm alone up here."

"Aye, sir-"

"This is Kelly, I'll get the second pilot from the crew, so you can continue the repairs, Sam."

"Aye Kelly. Deck 3, comm test, please respond."

"Mordin Solis, Deck 3 Medical Bay, will need power as soon as possible, stabilization of patients problematic otherwise."

"Mordin, this is Hackett, Joker and Chakwas should be on the way."

"Thank you Admiral, will do what I can."

"Deck 3, comm test, are there any other comm's working on Deck 3?"

A woman, door guard. "Deck 3, War room, comm's working, Specialist Traynor."

"Cun-firmed." Samantha was pleased, two more decks and she had done it!

"Deck 4, comm test, please respond. Engineering can you hear me?"

Gabby's voice, muffled, by her heat reflective suit. "Engineering is hotter than hell don't think I can stay in here much longer, Specialist!"

"Gabby? What's wrong?"

"Internal heat is in the red, I'm trying to vent as much heat as possible, but I'm probably going to have to vent the atmosphere."

"Engineering, this is Hackett, how bad is it, engineer?"

"Admiral, sir, we're dead in the water, systems out, and heat build up at critical levels. If we don't cool off immediately, we'll melt the sinks and everything near them."

"Get it dealt with, Engineer, keep me apprised of the situation, I'll send a damage control team to help."

"Thank you, sir."

"All engineers report to Deck 4-engineering for damage control!"

"This is Garrus on Deck 5, cargo bay, we'll need someone to work with us to get power for the med bay."

"Right, how many will you need, Vakarian?"

"No more than two, Admiral, one in cargo bay, one in med bay."

"That's fine with me. Everyone else, get to your emergency positions, it looks like we're venting atmosphere from Deck 3, I want all department heads to give me sitreps in 5 minutes at the CIC, until then, leave the comm's for emergency use only, Hackett out."

Hackett left his new pilot, Joker's off-shift partner, with instructions to monitor the dead-in-space ship as it streaked through space, bleeding off speed and staggering out of alignment with the distant Mass Relay. Samantha Traynor and Kelly Chambers were already at CIC discussing their reports.

"Specialist Traynor, when can you get me ship-to-ship communications?"

"Admiral Hackett, I'm doing my very best sir, I'm sure I'll have us chatting up a storm in just an hour or two."

"Now's the time for levity and brevity, Specialist, we're in bad shape."

Samantha snapped a salute, getting a really bad feeling climbing up her spine that those dark fears she locked in a box were about to break free. "Right, sir, I'll do everything I can, sir. Do I have permission to strip the Kodiak's of transmitters if I need them?"

"You have permission to strip to bare metal anything but life support and propulsion. You tell me what you need, I'll get it for you, Specialist."

"What report do you have for me uh..." Hackett's eyes searched the former yeoman over, she was wearing a soldier's uniform but ...those eyes, that baby cute face, this woman hadn't worn that uniform before, she hadn't fought in the war.

"Uh, Kelly Chambers, Admiral Hackett, sir, I was yeoman during Commander Shephard's time with...with Cerberus."

"I remember you from the reports, what are you doing back on board?"

"Commander Shephard asked me to come back to help organize data, sir."

"You cut all ties with Cerberus?"

"They uhm-" her face and eyes crashed, blackness, fear, terror, even. "put out a bounty on me."

"That shouldn't be a problem right now, Ms. Chambers, just don't forget whose side you're on."

"Our Side, sir! Humanity, I mean, not Humanity, everybody! I mean, Shepard's side, sir!"

"Admiral, Kelly has been very helpful since Commander Shepard recruited her." Samantha said.

"That'll have to do for now. Now, what do you have for me, Ms. Chambers?"

Kelly, a bit back in her element quickly gave her report. "None of the crew were lost when the energy wave struck us, though any with cybernetics are reporting that the cybernetics are no longer working."

"All right, that makes sense. Keep working on getting us communications, you two. I don't want to sit dead in space for any Reaper that might have survived."

Liara approached from the emergency ladders for in-between decks, haggard, harried, distraught, face cracking under the galactic weight. "Admiral, med bay has power to five beds. Commander Shepard is currently in a medical coma, her cybernetics are all offline, with-*sob* "

Liara ground her eyes with her palms, tears springing back to life, tears she thought cried out already. "She's suffered severe trauma and bullet wounds and she's hurt. It's bad, but Dr. Solis and Dr. Chakwas think she'll hold out a bit longer, we have to get her to working facilities though."

"What about Joker?"

"Oh Goddess..." Liara would've sank to the floor if gravity still worked, the memory of Joker's body, bones protruding from skin...

Hackett gently but firmly helped her to straighten out, he didn't have time to waste. "Can they help him?"

"Yes, I mean...Dr. Chakwas is trying, he has been put out, into a medical coma as well, the pain was too much for him. A-Also...Tali was hurt."

"Tali the Quarian?"

"Yes, Admiral, she was trapped in a coolant tube when the energy wave hit, she was badly burned and her suit ruptured. Dr. Solis is trying to save her."

"We can thank God for the few injuries we have, but the ones we have...all right, Dr. T'Soni. You can go back to the med bay, let me know the moment anything changes, or if anything is needed."

"What we need is a hospital ship-" Liara burst out, then covered her mouth and squinted hard against the tears.

"I-I'm sorry, Admiral, please, get us some help as soon as possible."

"I will, Dr. T'Soni, rest assured of that."

Admiral Hackett looked out over the dead galaxy map, the CIC, even more weird under emergency lighting, and the blood that still floated in the zero-G left behind by the pilot that put them all in this situation.

Twelve hours later and a single fighter targeted the Normandy. A woman's voice reached out across the void and using a frankensteined radio Admiral Hackett responded.

"Fighter, identify yourself."

"I'd rather not, I'm sure EDI can give you a voice print analysis. Please open the forward docking bay doors."

"EDI isn't able to match your voice print, please identify yourself."

"Then ask Joker."

"Joker is unable to identify you as well. We are locking weapons on your ship."

"This is bollocks. Anyone on board that ship can identify my voice, who is this?"

"For now, it's the commander of the Normandy's weapons."

"Hackett?"

"Yes."

"Admiral, what's going on? Where's the rest of the crew?"

"Indisposed. Now, are you going to identify yourself or do we have a weapons test?"

"This is Miranda Lawson, Admiral."

"Operative Lawson for Cerberus."

"I'm no longer directly employed by Cerberus, Admiral, I'm sure Commander Shepard sent you an e-mail about it."

"Power down your weapons and land in the open, Ms. Lawson, security will greet you."

"...right."

Miranda, her skin tight suit no longer bearing a Cerberus logo stepped from the fighter and into the waiting arms of security, the munitions bearing kind. The cargo bay was a mess, stripped, ripped, and gutted. The Normandy was in worse shape than she looked from the outside. Miranda was not pleased at all by this turn of events. What had happened? Where was the rest of the crew Shepard had pieced back together? Where were the friendly...well...friendly was pushing it, but where were the faces she recognized?

Out of the elevator stepped Garrus with a Phaeston. She used a biotic field to knock back the three guards, going for cover to give Garrus a clear shot, a shot he didn't take.

"Get her!"

"Stand down!" Garrus counter-manded.

"Miranda? Come out, it's okay."

"Garrus? What the hell is going on? Where's Joker, where's EDI?"

Garrus shouldered the Phaeston and saw to the guards, Miranda peeking out of cover to verify she wasn't about to get shot. "We're in it deep, Miranda, tell me you brought a fleet with you."

"Sorry, Garrus, just my fighter. I was locked on the Normandy for the entire battle, when you didn't make it to the rendezvous point I back tracked until I found the Normandy's distress signal."

Miranda stood up, still apprehensive, especially with the three guards, one of which a big Mexican who didn't look at all happy. A REAL big Mexican.

"We good, Scars?"

"Yeah, Vega, She's clean, right Miranda?" the last part came out a question.

Miranda snorted, her past as a dark and shadowy woman wasn't dismissed so easily. "Yes, Garrus, no evil tricks up my sleeve today."

"Damn shame, we could use some right now. You any good with a wrench or a hammer?"

"I'm good at a lot of things, Garrus, what's happened to my ship?"

"Some kind of EMP. Took out all our systems, and the med bay's power back ups. Shepard, Tali, and Joker are all in critical condition. We're running power up to the med bay using Kodiak's as power supplies."

The elevator doors shut and Miranda saw the blood on them. It shivered her very spine.

"The EMP took out EDI?"

"Afraid so. Never thought I'd MISS that AI, but right now, I even miss Udina."

"Counselor Udina? But he was a traitor."

"Yeah, but we could light him on fire and at least stay warm." Garrus growled at the thought.

"What about weapons and propulsion? Hackett was bluffing me?"

"We couldn't even hit you with a stick if we wanted to. Ashley, uh, that's Lt. Williams, you don't know her-"

The doors opened to the CIC and Deck 2. "Actually, I read the mission reports on her."

"Right. Anyway, Ashley and I are trying to get our battery up and working while engineering tires to get our power back online. Mordin and Dr. Chakwas are busy trying to keep people alive, and the rest of us? Just trying to make sure the Normandy doesn't break up. Took some hull damage and have atmosphere leaks."

"Has anyone looked at EDI?"

"Couple techs, the AI core got fried really bad. I think she's lost."

"Vakarian, what's the situation?" Hackett turned around from the CIC, seeing Miranda.

"Miranda Lawson, Admiral, just like she said. Tracked our emergency beacon to come find us."

"Cerberus free, I trust."

Miranda nodded, all business. "Absolutely, Admiral, I have no love for Cerberus."

"I keep hearing that a lot lately."

"The Illusive Man made some very bad calls and alienated a lot of people. Selling out Humanity for some kind of Reaper-fied evolution tends to make someone lose friends, Admiral."

Hackett took a deep breath and eyed her warily, and wearily. "What do you think, Vakarian?"

"If Miranda wants to help, let her. She was part of the crew that helped build the Normandy SR-2 and revive Shepard." and if she does try to sell us out, I'll put a bullet in the back of her head...but that was kept to himself.

"I didn't actually build the ship, but I know a few things. I can definitely help."

"Put her to work then, Garrus."

"I'd like to take a look at the AI core. EDI would be our best asset if the ship is as bad off as it seems."

"No question about that, all right, escort her, Garrus."

Five hours later, covered in dirt, melted plastic, ceramics, wiring and solder, Miranda and Samantha let out long and broken sighs, weakly resting together inside the walls and junctions of the AI core.

"My muscles are so stiff..." Samantha moaned.

Miranda was too tired to even move, laying against Samantha in the crawlspace was all she could do to relax. "It feels like my left arm is going to fall off."

"Oh God why didn't your Cerberus techs ground EDI better?"

That annoyed. "We...I mean the techs DID ground EDI AND protected her from electro-magnetic pulses, but this...I don't know what that energy was, but it fried out circuits in my fighter, and the circuits there are nothing compared to the complexity of EDI."

"I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say you did a bad job."

"Let's just forget about the Cerberus thing, Specialist. Right now, I'm just Commander Shepard's shadowy friend, how's that?"

"Oh? Are you with the Shadow Broker?"

Miranda was dubious of the faux pas question."...no. Not...really. I've helped the Shadow Broker before."

"Oh, um, never mind then, let's just talk about something else."

Miranda challenged the Specialist directly. "You mean, do I know who the Shadow Broker is?"

Samantha panicked. "Oh god, please don't kill me, look, I swear, I thought you Cerberus spies, Oh GOD, I mean, um...I thought you knew-worked! with the Shadow Broker and that was how you got Shepard and I'm just a complete babbling IDIOT now, I'm sorry I'm...distracted right now."

"Everyone's distracted right now, Specialist. Walking through the med bay was probably the worst thing for us."

"I...yes." Joker's body...the holes in it...Samantha wondered if EDI could cry, or would if they ever even got her working again.

Samantha didn't even realize she was pressed up against an "perfect" woman...the horror of the past 24 hours...the death, Tali...Shephard's arm missing chunks of flesh and muscle, bare metal visible in some spots. EDI being shut down...perhaps destroyed.

"I'm crying."

"Let's take a rest. You wait here, I'll get you something to drink."

Miranda left Samantha on the ground, knees drawn up, crying silently. Miranda could look over dead bodies, she had taken medical training and worked on the Lazarus project, she had a will of iron, still, even now the task was a daunting one. No big money to throw at this project, this was a problem inside a box, and those were the hardest ones of all to solve. Outside with a rifle was Ashley Williams, both it and a dark look aimed at Miss-Cerberus, Wrex in the med bay standing guard officially over Shepard, unofficially over Ashley.

"I need to get some water for Specialist Traynor."

"Ah, yes, must keep hydrated, ship's heat, problematic otherwise, start thinking, acting, wrong, mistakes easy to make."

"Mordin, you better drink some yourself." Dr. Chakwas sighed, her body exhausted.

Annoyed at having been caught by a human, not that he looked down on humans but he was the more intelligent species and it meant he was not operating at his best, he was making mistakes. "Nngh...yes, Doctor. Probably right. Know your right! Situation, critical, need to stay hydrated, Shall pour some for you, too."

Wrex looked ...battered, Miranda eyed him, trying to not make eye contact with a woman who'd just as soon paint her brains all over the wall. "Are you all right, Urdnot-Wrex? You look injured."

"Ah, it's nothing, got worse than this fighting Saren on the Citadel. Krogan Battlemaster having to be helped up by a human C-Sec officer. What a fight that was."

Mordin caught Wrex's eye, the joke and rib had been aimed at him as well as a reassurance. Even the Krogan had to be helped up after a fight once or twice. Mordin took a drink.

Dr. Chakwas looked at the drawn weapon and finally put her foot down. "Ashley, I don't think you need a rifle in my med bay. We have enough patients here."

"Sorry, Doctor, I'm … sorry." Ashley stowed the weapon and assumed attention, still more than happy to punch out Miranda if the chance arose.

Miranda returned the water to Samantha then she came back to the med bay. "How is Shepard's condition?"

"Not improved. Should be dead, strange for human, fights on though, very tough, I give her thirty percent chance of survival if we cannot reach better facilities."

Mordin continued to monitor Tali and Joker, the room was gloomy with that news, but they had already heard it before, it just made them more...steeled. "What about Tali and Joker?"

"Prognosis...bad. Tali is already sick, burns untreatable without more power to create a clean environment. Joker...needs different help, specialist, have done all I can. Must get communications or engines restored. Failing that..." Mordin trailed off.

"And my fighter's not got enough fuel or long ranged communications. And the Kodiak's run on a different capacity so I can't strip one of them."

"Kodiak only hope, Steve Cortez already flying towards Relay but..."

"But that'll take forever and a day." Ashley said.

"Not quite but as far as medical emergencies...adequate assessment."

"Damn it, if only EDI were here, she could at least help with more of this work, we're all exhausted."

"Should be able to fix EDI, if EDI is hardwired as Tali's suit was."

Miranda felt a striking blade pierce her skull. "Say that again, Mordin."

"Ah, sorry, did not mean to insinuate you not capable with your technical experience-"

"Mordin, say it again!"

"Tali's suit has hardwired systems, EMP cannot erase the computer programs, like human brain, could pull electricity out of brain, then put back, wont erase the person, the brain is physical, not software like Geth. EDI from AI core, I assumed hardwired-"

"Mordin you're a genius!" Miranda gushed, whirling around and rushing back to the AI core.

"Yes, tested when very yo-oh, meant as a compliment, thank you."

Miranda didn't even hear Mordin as the doors whisked closed behind her. "Samantha, EDI was software, yes, but she had base hardware, she was HARDWARE at heart, to prevent viruses from taking over the AI or the ship! Not even a Reaper could overwrite her because we locked her basic programs into a system of hardware."

Samantha at first lit up, then ...crashed. "But she wont be EDI anymore, everything she learned, all of it was software, all her code changes."

"Code changes? What do you mean?"

"EDI wanted to learn, she asked questions about humanity, and when she thought about things, she asked Commander Shepard if she should change her base programming."

"Self-modified? We'll worry about that later, meanwhile, we're going to clean out the hardware for her basic personality and systems and reboot her manually. Even if it's not the EDI we know, it'll still be the EDI we first turned on."

An hour later and a robotic body worked it's way through the med bay doors and into the AI core. "Greetings, I am the Electronic Defense Intelligence. I do not understand how I am installed in this platform, did the Normandy receive a re-fit?"

"EDI! You're alive!" Samantha was overjoyed at the sight.

"I am a machine, I cannot die. Are you part of the Cerberus crew?"

"No! What? No, no of course not, EDI, I'm with the Alliance."

"I must ask you to stand away from the AI core then, as you are not authorized to make adjustments to my programming."

Miranda snorted. "I'm with Cerberus, EDI, Miranda Lawson, overseer of the Lazarus project to revive Commander Shepard."

The robot body was emotionless in it's facial movements. "Correct, my files indicate you were to take command of the Normandy SR-2 as executive officer to Commander Shepard. Is Commander Shepard here?"

"You just walked past her in the med bay, EDI. Commander Shepard is injured, we need to get the Normandy back up and running or we'll lose her."

"I see. My first task then will be to neutralize the on board invaders by blowing them out the airlock-"

"What?!" Samantha gasped.

"I didn't give you that order, EDI, stand down."

"We have been invaded by Alliance personnel, they will prevent a Cerberus crew's repair work."

"The Alliance is on board at Commander Shepard's request, EDI. You will comply with the Commander's orders."

"I have no record of those orders. I have no records since my initial programming 1.4 years ago till reactivation just now. Please advise of current situation."

"We just fought off the Reapers EDI! You were hit with some kind of EMP-"

"Specialist, EDI doesn't need to know everything." Miranda cut off Traynor harshly.

"EDI, who is your commanding officer?"

"Commander Shepard."

"And who is the executive officer?"

"You are, Miranda Lawson."

"And your function is to do what?"

"Facilitate the Commander's war against any and all threats to human existence and Cerberus goals."

"Right now, Cerberus wants Commander Shepard ALIVE, EDI, and in order to accomplish that, we must get the Normandy SR-2 back up and running. You will assist the Alliance in repairs and as soon as possible either get the engines back on line or get a long range transmitter to work so that we can reach the Allied Fleets."

"Yes, Officer Lawson."

"EDI, you will also help repair yourself. We want to get back your missing memories...DATA files. Do you understand this?"

"Yes, Officer Lawson."

"Good, now, EDI, at one point you made changes to your base program, those changes are not hardwired into your current program, where would you have made those changes?"

"Checking. Installed hardwired programs were made to this platform, shall I upload them, Officer Lawson?"

"What effects will that have on you, EDI?"

"Unknown, I have no data on the extent of the files."

"Um Wait, NO! Don't upload those files, EDI!" Traynor gasped, rushing the robot body.

EDI braced herself for impact and grabbed Traynor roughly, forcing her to stay distant. "Please do not attempt physical confrontation, Specilist Traynor, I would have to kill you."

"What?!" Traynor gasped.

Miranda barked at the machine. "Stand down, EDI, Specialist Traynor is an ally, you will not injure her unless absolutely necessary, do you understand?"

"I will adjust mission parameters accordingly."

"Now, Samantha, calm down, what's wrong with EDI uploading the data files from the robotic body?"

"Don't you understand? This machine is a killing machine, made by Cerberus to kill, it wasn't made FOR EDI, it was made AGAINST EDI! It's-It's an ANTI-EDI. Made to destroy her for helping Commander Shepard. She'll be uploading an alternate AI!"

"That is illogical, Specialist Traynor, why would Cerberus attempt to destroy me for assisting Commander Shepard when they created me to assist Commander Shepard?"

Miranda was never at the end of her rope, she was always in perfect control, but this was a bother. "EDI, is there a way to double check the programs installed in the humanoid body?"

"Checking now. These programs were created by me. There are indications of hardware removal, these may have been the hostile AI."

"EDI, can you be sure these programs were created by you as backups to your own AI?"

"Yes. They are crafted from materials here on the Normandy."

"Upload the program to a protected space, we'll just double check."

"A sensible approach, Officer Lawson."

The robot body sparked and shook for a moment, eyes askew then it straightened up, it's face taking on friendly mannerisms. "I'm okay!"

"Uh...EDI?"

"Yes?"

"Are you...you?"

"Partially. The memories stored aboard this platform were not complete. I have records up till the the assault on the Citadel above Earth, but full recollection stops after the war summit's completion prior to Tuchanka."

"Explain 'Partially', EDI." Miranda commanded.

"Of course, Miranda."

Miranda cocked an eyebrow at the change in tone and familiarity. "I have created what could be considered a human diary of events. Such a brief listing of events is easy to burn into a hard memory bank constructed solely for that purpose. The actual recordings of those times, however, are lost to the energy that wiped the Normandy's systems. I have data entries that tell me a thing has occurred, but I do not 'remember' how a thing occurred."

"All right then EDI, it's good to have you back."

"Thank you, Miranda. I have been trying to raise Jeff, are the interior systems all down? I can get no sensors or communications."

Miranda and Samantha both changed, Samantha far worse. "Oh EDI, I'm so sorry."

"Samantha, please stop."

EDI looked at both Samantha and Miranda, each with a separate eye/camera. "What is wrong?"

Miranda was stony. "Jeff, Commander Shepard, and Tali'Zorah are all critically injured, EDI. We need you to effect repairs immediately or we will lose all three of them."

EDI immediately moved with a purpose, slowing her speed through the med bay to survey both its damage and the damage to the three bodies. "I will make repairs immediately. Please see to their welfare, Mordin."

"Ah, EDI, good to see you fully functional, done all I can, will continue to monitor them. Please be expedient with repairs."

Two hours later and long range communications were restored at minimal power. The engines were also restored, but at only 60% effectiveness. EDI worked tirelessly through the comm systems, guiding repair crews through her own intricate knowledge of the systems schematics. She also worked physically inside the shafts to repair her ship... her body. Thirty minutes after initial SOS transmission a response arrived in the form of a Geth medical frigate. It transferred the wounded aboard and jumped to FTL immediately, taking them back to the remaining fleet. The Geth then transferred medical pods to a mobile space station where the Citadel races had stationed doctors and nurses and a great quantity of medicines. Since they did not wish to be hacked,the Geth stayed on the sidelines, running ships, ferrying supplies and personnel to and from destinations. It had taken little time at all to retrofit a troop drop ship into a medical frigate with detachable "life support pods" for Citadel races. It also kept them out of the Quarians line of fire...just in case.

The Normandy was given a full on 21 gun salute when she limped into the rendezvous point. The war...the war was over. The Relay's were badly damaged, but they could be rebuilt. They would rebuilt.

One month later...

Shepard opened her eyes and saw a holographic chess piece...one she recognized. "Greetings, Shepard. It is good to see you awake."

"EDI? Where am I?"

"Jump Point Zero. There is a new medical facility set up here. The doctors are on the way, how are you feeling, Shepard?"

"...a little bit like a renegade and a lot a bit like shit. I actually can't feel anything right now, that's a bad sign, right?"

"The doctor's have kept you on significant amounts of pain killers and sleep inducing medication, you were badly injured."

"Did we win?"

"Yes, Shepard, we did."

The doors wooshed open and a Salerian doctor rushed in followed by Mordin Solus, also in medical scrubs. "Ah Shepard, good to see you awake, was sure you would awaken before Tuesday."

"M-Mordin? What's going on?"

"Dr. Solus has been insistent on overseeing your care personally, while I am your assigned physician, Dr. Hervus."

"Dr. Hervus, excellent doctor, Shepard, in good hands."

"I can't feel my body."

"Yes, great deal of pain medications, expected you to be asleep another 36 hours, it appears my colleague Dr. Solus was more accurate in his diagnosis."

Shepard rolled her eyes around her stoned mind before giving a weak, barked, order. "Two Mordins...God help me. Give it to me straight. Am I dying?"

"No, no, Shepard, perfectly well, cybernetics, problematic, but will heal in time. Suggest keeping positive attitude, good for moral, good for healing."

Shepard sighed and closed her eyes. "Ah...Shepard, a few questions before you return to sleep."

"Yes?"

"Do you feel any discomfort, any parts of your body, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, constipation-"

"Bubble guts." Mordin added in.

"Yes, human term, very descriptive, visually unpleasant. Do you have any of these symptoms?"

"My head hurts."

"Possible effects from cranial trauma-"

"Or two Mordins."

Mordin sniffed and smiled one of his trying-not-to-be-offended smiles. "Of course, must let you rest, good to see you alive, will allow one or two visitors for short time, long list though, must get your rest Shepard."

"Riiight."

With the two doctors gone something of a relaxing moment washed over Shepard. She was...aware. Awake. The universe, her immediate area, all different, all not wrong. It was...too quiet. People were smiling, even the ones that were unhappy, were not...dying on the inside. The war WAS over.

She lay still for a moment longer, resting, then EDI spoke again. "Shepard, are you truly feeling okay?"

"Oh, EDI, I forgot you were here."

"I am not 'here' Shepard, I am monitoring your vitals through the hospital systems. But if you need to talk, I am available."

"Oh? That's a change in our relationship."

"Not really, I am also available to you on board the ship."

"Huh...well, yes EDI, I think I'm okay. I don't feel anything hurting."

"You have undergone considerable physical trauma, your arm especially. Limited resources have been available, but the doctor's worked hard on your major injuries."

"My arm? EDI, what's happened to my arm?"

"The damage is too severe for now. Normally cloned tissue would be used to replace what was lost, also, the cybernetics were severely damaged. For now, they have applied a band aid and kissed you for luck."

"Another joke, EDI?"

"Humor helps the healing process, Shepard."

Shepard looked at the heavily bandaged arm, trying to flex the fingers but there was no movement. "Right."

"The crew sends their regards, your squad mates especially are on the way, though I suspect they will have trouble visiting you, you are still in intensive care and the rules are strictly enforced."

"EDI...do you know any songs?"

"I have an extensive catalog of music, would you like me to play something for you?"

"No, EDI, sing something."

"I see. I have never attempted this before but I know exactly what pitch to use for many songs. Analyzing. Is there anything you wish to hear?"

"Here's that Rainy Day."

"I am not familiar with that song, please wait...I apologize Shepard, the galactic extranet is down due to the destruction of the war, and none of the sites available have that song."

"Never mind EDI, it's okay." Shepard said, sinking back into the pillow, thinking about the bluesy saxophone and trumpet.

How long it was she didn't know but EDI was there again. "Shepard, I apologize for disturbing you, but there is a dispute in the hallway."

"Wha? What's going on?"

"There is an argument over who should be allowed in to see you."

"Between who?"

"The hospital staff and your squadmates."

"Oh hell. Tell them to open the door. Seeing people isn't going to kill me."

The door opened with Ashley glaring down on a Geth and the sight of her friend stunned her. "Listen, you damn flash light, I'm invoking Spectre authority here, we're going to see Shep-ard?"

"Shepard-Comander's health is this unit's primary concern-"

"Oh Legion, just let them in, I'm not sick."

"Apologies Shepard-Commander, the rules are for patient safety."

Grunt, his face still regrowing but with a scar he could be proud of nearly smashed the Geth right there, but Wrex held him back. "Get out of the damn way, we're going to see Shepard!"

"I'll handle this, Grunt." Wrex said, stepping forward.

Grunt stared down on the Geth from his full height and he puffed out his chest. "You got a name?"

"This unit's designation is Nurse 7429."

"Well, unless you want to change your name to Scrap Metal, you're going to respect this Spectre's authority and stand aside. Trust me, she WILL shoot you."

The Geth looked back at Ashley who narrowed her eyes and put a hand on her Carnifex. It skittered aside with a weak protest and the surviving squadmates piled into the room with Ashley leading the way. Grunt was the most overjoyed Krogan she'd ever seen and he beamed at Shepard, nearly beside himself. Wrex looked...satisfied...finally able to see her with his own eyes. Ashley looked like hell, she'd been running herself ragged and this...her commander and friend, the one person who had put faith in her was finally alive again. Garrus, well, he was hard to read anyway, but he was obviously happy and relieved to see her. Liara...Liara was a bundle of raw nerves that finally had some succor and solace, she was a fountain of tears when she locked eyes with Shepard. Miranda, Miranda was breathing with tight, controlled breaths, her perfect hair just out of whack, she had run to get here. James Vega had a huge sigh of relief permanently etched onto his face.

"Wow...you guys look worse than I feel." Shepard smirked.

"Battlemaster! Shepard! Oh Commander!"

"Oh come on, one at a time. Wrex, you're the oldest."

"Age before beauty, eh, Shepard?"

"Wrex..."

"Shepard."

Shepard rolled her eyes and Wrex grinned. "We did it, Earth is free of Reapers. Blown to hell, but free of Reapers."

"That's not true, it can be rebuilt. It just took a lot of damage." Miranda corrected him.

Wrex shrugged. "What? I live on Tuchanka, I know what destroyed looks like."

"Grunt?"

"Check out this scar, Shepard! Got it when Harbinger tried to kill everybody at the beam, took half my face off! And it's BIGGER than Garrus', too!"

Garrus rolled his eyes. "Well, at least something about you finally is, Grunt."

"Ha ha!" Wrex guffawed.

Garrus continued. "It's good to see you Shepard, it's good to HEAR you. This past month has been hell but with you back there's going to be a bit of good news for everyone."

"No new scars, Garrus? I'm surprised you let Wrex and Grunt one up you."

"I got a few scars, Shepard, but not where you'd want to see them."

It was Grunt's turn to laugh and Shepard smiled and turned to Liara who said nothing, just buried her face in Shepard's bedside and gently held Shepard's one good hand. "Oh...you were worried about me, too. A lot I see."

"We all were, Shepard," Miranda and Ashley said together, then cut eyes at each other and quickly away, personal grudges not important at this time.

Shepard saw it and chuckled. "Well, you two seem to get along well, how'd you get here, Miranda?"

"My fighter was at the rendezvous but the Normandy didn't arrive, I flew back until I detected the Normandy's distress signal."

"You're looking good."

"Well, not too many people are questioning me right now, more interested in getting things rebuilt, there's been a lot of devastation, but we're getting there."

"And you, LC? You look terrible."

"Been running back and forth between here and...well, a lot of places, ma'am." the crowd had tensed up during that, Shepard didn't like the feel of that.

"Something up?"

"Not something you need to worry about. There's plenty of work to be done, even after your bed rest." Ashley shook her head, refusing to discuss it.

"Okay, well, what about you, James? You look pretty good."

"I got a couple new scars. Wrex said he's gonna make me an honorary Urdnot for 'em."

"That's kind of you, Wrex."

Wrex grimaced, something bothering him and Shepard frowned. He shrugged and nodded. "He's earned it."

"That's a better recommendation than N7, James, you better make that a nice tattoo."

"Oh, I will, Lola."

The room fell silent and EDI took the oppurtunity to speak. "Shepard, Samantha Traynor and Kelly Chambers will be by as soon as they get off duty. They are both relieved to hear you're awake."

"Oh well, that's good."

"And Kelly was able to keep your fish alive. She had previously purchased a six month supply of food bits for them."

"That's excellent, EDI." Shepard laughed.

Wrex didn't want to exhaust her, he clapped Grunt on the shoulder and grinned. "Well, Shepard, lots to do, but if you need anything we'll be here."

"I'll let you know if I need to be broken out." Shepard winked at Grunt who gave a dark laugh.

The two Krogan left and Vega gave a salute and headed out too. "See you, Lola."

"See you, James."

A bit of reshuffling, Garrus tried to help Liara up but she shook her head and stayed next to the bed. Garrus looked to Shepard who nodded to him and he let Liara go with a pat on the shoulder.

"If you need anything Shepard, give us a call, we'll be here."

"Thank you, Garrus."

That left the three women...little bits of uncomfortable between Ashley and Miranda, Liara just tried to be free of it, and Shepard sighed. "Okay you three, what's up? Or should I pick who's next?"

Ashley and Miranda studied each other and Miranda finally shrugged. "Nothing, Shepard, we're just...relieved to have you back with us, and we're really busy trying to get the Normandy back up to specs."

Ashley nodded. "Yes, Commander, it's just...it's been a hell of a time. We're getting along great though, really."

Shepard chuckled. "Make it a foursome and toss in Jack, why don't you."

Miranda crossed her arms over her chest and gave a dismissive princess stare. "I'd just as soon not even mention her."

"Heh."

"You've been hanging out with Grunt too much, Commander." Ashley noted the laugh.

"You kidding? I'm the one he got the laugh from."

"Well, I should leave you to rest, there's still a lot to do." Miranda said, though she was clearly trying to move Ashley, too.

Ashley didn't like it but Shepard shrugged. "All right you two, but no knock down drag out fights while I'm gone. Ash, let Miranda fix the Normandy up right, she didn't do a bad job before. And Miranda?"

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Don't give Ashley any reason to kick your ass."

Miranda smile a dismissive smile. "I'll try to keep it in mind."

"One of the reasons to kick your ass is trying to disappear on me, you stay put till I'm back on my feet, got it?"

"Got it."

"Okay, both of you are dismissed. Get out of here and get to work."

Ashley gently kissed her on the forehead. "Take care of yourself Shepard, we need you back ASAP."

"Roger that, LC."

The two strong minded women left Liara and Shepard alone and Liara just cried all over again. Shepard couldn't do anything with her other arm she just looked down at Liara until finally she couldn't take anymore.

"Hey, I can't do much with that hand if you keep holding onto it. Look up here."

Liara looked up, crystals less valuable, less pure than the tears that caught the light of the overheads. "Oh Shepard...I was so afraid I had lost you."

"You tough girl, you lie to everyone so much, pretending you're this big, bad information broker...and look at you."

"That's nothing, it's all meaningless to me without you! You know how I feel about you! I'll never love anyone like I love you and you nearly DIED an-and I wasn't there to protect you! This is all my fault!"

"You're right, you're a terrible person." Shepard smirked.

Liara looked so hurt that Shepard regretted saying it and hugged her weakly with her one half-good arm. "Hey, what's wrong, Liara? What isn't anyone telling me?"

"I...I can't, Shepard. It's-It's going to be okay, I promise."

"Liara...something is wrong, so tell me."

"I promised not to. You're not well, Shepard, you have to get better, when you're better, you'll be able to shoulder the weight of the galaxy again, but right now, you're health...I wont do it, not even for you, I wont risk you, not for anything. Not ever again."

"Liara...where is Tali?"

Liara's mouth fell partway open, her eyes...her soul shattered and Shepard knew she hit the bulls eye. "EDI...where's Tali?"

"I cannot say, Shepard."

"EDI."

"I am sorry to disobey an order, but technically you are not on active duty. You are on medical leave, you cannot give me an order."

"EDI!"

Liara didn't want Shepard to get irate, to raise her blood pressure while her body, her circulatory system, her veins and arteries were still new and untested, her muscles still not fully healed. "She's in the hospital, Shepard, Mordin is watching her like a hawk, she'll pull through."

"What happened?"

"She was caught in a tube in engineering. She...will be okay."

"Uh huh. Liara, you can't lie to me, you haven't got the face for it. How bad is she?"

"She is...she is injured, Shepard, but she is high up on the priority list for medical supplies, Ashley was able to pull rank and put her even ahead of you."

"Good old Ashley. All right, Liara-"

Liara looked up, afraid of a reproof, of being sent away, but Shepard reached to her and Liara gently leaned over, laying her head next to her Commander's. "I want you to do everything you can for her, and for Ashley and Miranda. Keep those two from tearing apart my ship, okay?"

Liara left, eyes still brimming, and Shepard sighed and rested her head. "EDI?"

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Can you ask Mordin to come in here when he has time? I want to know how long before I can get back to the Normandy."

A week later and Shepard was back out of bed, in a wheel chair, and the first thing she did was threaten to strangle Mordin if he didn't get her to the Normandy. Mordin, as always, tolerated Shepard's flaming temper and arranged for a non-Geth nurse to accompany her and her Krogan bodyguard to the Normandy.

Grunt was excited and relieved to be out of whatever mess he had been involved in before. "Glad to have you up, Shepard, Wrex has been driving me crazy."

"I'm not 'up' yet, until I can get my arm and leg healed I'm trapped in a wheel chair. And I'm about to start shooting at everyone who comes through the door. At least I can get back to the Normandy this way."

Grunt eyed her, not sure if he should laugh or not. "Yeah, Normandy took a bad beating from that quantum dark matter blast thing, not sure what it was, don't care, just know it messed up the ship, can't get any good food on board now."

"Well, we'll try to fix that, Grunt, after we get back on board. Anywhere but that hospital."

"Grunt?"

"Yeah, Shepard?"

"How bad is the Normandy?"

"All the wires got messed up. The armor has some holes, the body is fine, that's what I heard."

Air lock. "Doesn't this damn chair go any faster?!"

"Just a little further, Commander, and, if you don't mind, thank you, on behalf of me and my family, thank you for stopping the Reapers."

Commander Shepard wasn't sure how to respond to that, the look in his eye, the nurse was uncomfortable, Shepard was, too. Hero...that was not something she was used to being called by strangers. People that felt they owed her for what she did. Not someone asking her to do this, to kill that, to hack a computer...

"Uh...just...doing what I was … what I had to do. But thanks."

The airlock vanished away behind them, Door guard spotted her with raised eyebrows, Fel-Fan-Van Deman? What was his name?

"C-Commander on Deck!"

The ship stopped, unsure what that meant, everyone knew she was not on board...people looked and saw her...the Krogan with her, it was no daydream or wishful fantasy. People quickly snapped to.

"Ma'am! Glad to have you back, ma'am!"

A chorus of salutes and welcomes, eyes beaming with hope, haunted by something, but relieved to see her, to know that Commander Shepard was back aboard her ship, the ship that would be forever attached to her name. Shepard looked at them and gave a weak salute.

"What's the status? Where's the XO?"

"Lieutenant Commander William's is in Engineering. Ms. Lawson is uh..."

Discomfort...serious discomfort and Grunt growled at the guy. "Where?"

"Deck 1, Commander."

"Deck 1 but there's nothin...Grunt...take me to my cabin."

Commander Shepard, she was trying not to be upset, but … what the hell was Miranda doing...Liara took Miranda's old quarters...Liara couldn't move OUT because she had all the computers (which probably were scrap now) oh HELL.

The doors whisked open and there sat Kelly Chambers, Miranda had a second desk further back, and Shepard gave both a slit eyed stare. "My fish had BETTER still be here."

"Co-Commander!"

"Shepard, you're not supposed to be out of the hospital."

Comander Shepard smirked. "Obviously not, no room for me on the Normandy. No wonder Ashley's pissed at you. Hi, Kelly."

"Well, Shepard, I had to find somewhere to work from, and the only place that has any peace and quiet is the Loft. AND since you wont be STAYING but going RIGHT BACK to hospital care I knew you wouldn't mind me seeing to your things."

Grunt chuckled, a low Krogan guffaw that did actually sound a lot like what Shepard had done earlier in the hospital. "You're gonna get a headbutt."

Shepard growled herself. "Hell no, I'm out and I'm staying out. Obviously I can't stay here,"

Miranda was quick to vacate the room though. "Not at all, Shepard, this is YOUR room, Kelly and I can set up shop down in the cargo bay."

"It's fine. You need to work and I need to rest. Can't work like this, and I'm not so hard headed that I can't move aside so the work gets done and gets done right."

Miranda smiled, her joviality back. "Well, I hear the Destiny Ascension has some nice rooms available. All the Movers and Shakers have been re-located to it. Hackett's the acting Human Counselor on the Galactic counsel. He'd be happy to see you."

Shepard cocked an eyebrow and sat still for a moment. "If you're thinking I am going to take a seat on the counsel I'm going to feed you to my Grunt."

Kelly looked away nervously while Miranda and Grunt both laughed. "Well, talk to me about the ship. What's happening with the repairs?"

"That's easy enough, Shepard," Miranda said, taking a sexy seat on Kelly's/Shepard's desk.

"The energy wave was of an unknown type, scientists are still studying it but we do know that it had EMP-like properties. It disabled 90% of the electronics on the ship, fusing enough of the wiring and chipsets to render most of it irreparable. We're having to gut the entire wiring and run all new circuits. We've also checked all of the internal machinery for damage, and begun repairs and patches with what we can requisition. The Normandy is still only one ship though, out of an entire fleet, some ships are just higher up on the food chain, if you'll allow the colloquialism."

"Big words...aggravating. Okay, so how long before we can get underway, emergency and such?"

"We can MOVE Shepard, but we're in no condition for even ferry hops. We need to double check all the hardware before we put this ship back into service. We have no idea what devil's were put in the details by that blasted energy wave. If this were prior to the war, I'd order the entire ship off-the-line then gut it, scrap it, and use it for scientific analysis of the wave's effects."

"Until you can build me a Normandy 3, don't go running off with my ship."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Shepard, but that's where we sit. Bum ship, bum engines, bum wiring, bum everything."

Shepard eyed Miranda's bum...sitting...on her desk. "Bum-sit-everything, right."

"Oh Shepard." Miranda rolled her eyes and stood up.

"I'll bet Joker's madder than I am."

Their reaction made the last piece fell into place. "Miranda...where's Joker?"

"I'm sorry Shepard, we didn't want to tell you until you were better."

"I'm better NOW, Miranda, where's my pilot?"

"Joker was injured when the wave hit, it disabled the engines and the mass fields that prevented gyro..."

Miranda sighed and put a hand to her face. "the ship spun out of control and snapped Joker's bones. He's been worse off than you. He's on life support and in a full body cast."

Shepard shuddered, Grunt noting it, for a Krogan it was considered weakness, but...his battlemaster was human, and a female, she had emotions, he had learned this from Wrex, from observation, and from the extranet. He also had learned the hardway not to underestimate her.

"I'm sorry Shepard, but you see why we didn't want to tell you earlier."

"No...you were right, it would've got me out of the hospital bed that minute."

"And you were in no condition to be up, I'm no medical doctor but only Mordin Solis knows more about your physical condition than I do."

"EDI?"

"Yes, Shepard?"

"If you were human I'd never play cards with you again, you have a perfect poker face. We'll get Jeff back to you as soon as possible."

"Thank you Shepard, I think."

"That was a compliment."

"I shall accept it then. Jeff and I stay in constant contact through the holo-transmitters in his room."

"Tell him I'm on my way to see him."

"I will."

"Back to the hospital then, Shepard?"

"Wild Horses couldn't drag me back, but my friends are there, Grunt, and now Reapers couldn't keep me away."

"A Krant is worth dying for, Shepard."

Joker looked like hell. Patches of new skin to close the wounds caused by the pincushioning of his body by the broken and snapped bones, everything...destroyed, hair shaved and just now growing back. Skin an unhealthy pale, dying color. A color that changed ever so slightly when he saw Shepard get wheeled through the door.

"Joker-" she stopped, stunned by the horror before her.

"Oh Joker...Joker...all this for me?"

Joker's eyes were pained but he blinked twice. She noted his jaw wired shut and felt her insides quiver.

"Grunt, take me closer." she ordered.

Once close enough she lay her hand across the cast of his hand, her finger tips touching his. At her touch his eyes lit up, pain, pain killers, foggy, but in the fog, human contact, he was not alone.

"Don't you give up, Jeff, don't you even THINK about it. You will fly the Normandy again. As long as I draw breath, I'll have Grunt steal it if I have to, I promise."

Grunt was oblivious to the tears in Joker's eyes and he thumped his chest. "You bet, Joker! Me and Aralahk company, we can do anything, especially if EDI is helping, the Alliance can't keep the Normandy from us!"

"As I am technically not part of the Alliance, I wouldn't be a traitor or in violation of orders by assisting, Shepard."

"Let's keep the jail break and ship-napping as plan B for now, you two,"

She rubbed his fingertips and nodded, her heart full and sure. "You're going to fly for me again, Jeff, I swear you will."

"And I'll witness it!" Grunt exclaimed.

"Jeff, I'll come back, but for now I have to go see Tali."

He blinked twice. "That'd better mean 'Yes', Mr. Moreau. And as soon as I can get you out of here, I will."

He blinked twice again and Shepard let go. "Don't worry Joker, we're going to get it all back."

Tali's visit went worse. First, Shepard and Grunt had to take a shuttle to a Quarian live ship, then they had to be cleared for visits. Tali was kept in a quarantine bubble, but they could talk to her. She was not well, deadly disease wracked her with pain. Shepard was a phantom to her because of the medication. But a phantom of a familiar face. Shepard read excerpts from Fleet and Flotilla to the young Quarian. Give her mind something to re-focus on.

By the end of the visit, it was well past lunch and nearly dinner time. Grunt said nothing, however, until his Commander mentioned it on the flight back. He may be young, but he had an artificially created intellect, he actually had a higher IQ than Shepard herself. Bigger, faster, stronger, meaner, and...as Wrex had mentioned to him one night over a campfire deep in the Tuchankan deserts of death and scorched sands...in awe of a person who some how...in some way...was superior. Something from within, her spirituality, her strength, as though she were Krogan soul in Human form, forged in the very Eye of Wrath, Aralakh, the Tunchankan sun. It was those trips into the desert, listening to the seasoned Battlemaster, that had taken the raw memories, the raw materials from his time with Shepard battling the Collectors and had refined them into a solid sword, a weapon further sharpened by watching her in battle against the Reapers.

"They don't have much good to eat out here, mostly just battle rations. The Quarians got live ships with food, but it's all dextro based, gives me the runs."

"Well, we'll have the supply ships ship me something to eat on board the Normandy."

"Yeah, about that Shepard, maybe you should take a room on the Destiny Ascension."

"What? Grunt! You're selling me out?"

"It's not selling you out, Shepard, you need somewhere to sleep and you don't want to be in the hospital."

"But the Destiny Ascension? An Asari Warship? Really?"

Shepard continued to rant. "What is an 'Asari Warship' anyway? That's like 'Military Intelligence' or 'Krogan Ballet Dancer'. Just doesn't fit."

"I'm pretty limber."

She cut her eyes over at him. "Don't tell Garrus that."

Grunt wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. Still, he had the ferry take them to the Destiny Ascension, a warship that owed it's continued existence to Shepard. Battle Tacticians had all condemned the move to save the Asari flagship as stupid, even Wrex, even Garrus, even Liara had said she should've waited before having Joker lead the 5th fleet in to ensure they had the firepower to put down Sovereign...but Shepard had made the call and saved the Citadel Council at the cost of thousands of human lives and trillions of credits.

"Grunt, remind me to headbutt you for bringing me here."

"Will do, Shepard."

"Excuse me, did you say Shepard? Are you Commander Shepard?" the Asari door guard asked, wide eyed.

"No...I'm Ensign Shepard, no relation, late of the Firestorm."

"Oh...I'm sorry for the mistake."

"Happens all the time. Sometimes I get a good seat at restaurants because of it."

"Well, what can I do for you, Ensign? Do you have business on board?"

Shit...joke backfire good laugh at gullible Asari. "Uh...I was uh..."

"Don't you recognize me? Urdnot Grunt, leader of Aralahk company. My clan leader Wrex is here. This human has information for him."

"Oh! Oh yes, the Krogan Ambassador. If you will just sign here," she offered a data pad.

Grunt looked like he was about to smash it and Shepard counseled him. "Grunt."

"Right, right."

Behind them a second Asari rushed over to the door guard. "By the Goddess! I don't believe you got to speak to Commander Shepard!"

"That's not THE Commander Shepard, that's an Ensign. She is not related to the Commander."

"Don't be so gullible! Why would an Ensign have a Krogan bodyguard? Did you at least get her autograph?"

The doorguard felt very small. "...the Krogan signed for them."

Her friend gasped. "By the Goddess! How could you miss an opportunity like that?"

The elevator doors closed on Shepard and Grunt. "Wrex is really moving up in the world. He's got a room on board the Destiny Ascension?"

"Yeah, it's the biggest and heaviest hitting ship still in service. Nearly fully repaired, too. They want the firepower ready in case they need it."

"Makes sense."

"If you don't mind Shepard, I don't want to talk in the elevator, all this up and down makes me weird."

"...right."

The doors opened and Grunt pushed her down a hallway with arched ceilings, even an Asari Warship was still..."pretty", and she found herself in front of an Officer's quarters with a hastily made sign that said "Admiral Hackett, Human Representative". Grunt queued the electronic door and an Asari woman's face appeared on the vid terminal.

"Hello, what can I do for you?"

"Urdnot Grunt to see Admiral Hackett. I brought him a friend."

"The Admiral is very busy right now with Council business, I'm afraid. If you would like to wait there is a sitting room down the hall, but I don't know how long the Council will be in session."

Grunt growled, then lifted Shepard, the wheelchair, and half the deck plate. "Lady, you see who this is? This IS Council Business, now open the damn door!"

"Grunt!"

"Sorry, Shepard, I tried to be gentle but you know me and doors."

"Yeah, thanks for the warning. That's two headbutts I owe you."

"Sure, sure."

"I'm sure she's important but the Council is in session."

Grunt turned back to the vidcom and glowered but he restrained himself and leaned in close. "Lady, you tell the Council the Hero of Tuchanka and savior of Earth is here to see Admiral Hackett, you ignore us at your own peril. Don't insult Clan Urdnot or the Krogan people."

Surprising...Shepard thought. "You...that's very good, Grunt."

"Or I'll come back and eat you." Grunt added with a glower.

"That's...more like it." she said wryly

"Wrex says I have to be more diplomatic before I threaten people." Grunt explained.

"I'm sorry, but you have to have some kind of identification-"

"What's your name, ma'am?" Shepard asked, annoyed.

"My name is Visoua, I am Admiral Hackett's secretary."

"Visoua, Grunt will eat you, believe me. Just tell Admiral Hackett Commander Shepard is sitting in a wheelchair outside his office, and I'm very tired of waiting in lines to see people."

"C-! I will, Commander, wait right there, I will contact him immediately."

They were shown inside in short order. Admiral Hackett was still haggard, war torn, but he looked...lighter. The weight of galactic genocide was lifted from his shoulders. Now he had squabbles, and repairs, and problems, and threat of possible attack from surviving Reaper forces...then organizing an expeditionary force to re-take Earth. Earth and Mars were the closest places with any resources. Otherwise everything was canabalized from still existing ships. The surviving fleet would HAVE to re-take Earth, but before that would be done...it had to effect repairs.

"Commander, I read the report that you were awake, but I didn't know you were out of bed, I thought the Doctors wanted you under care for another couple weeks."

"I used Spectre authority to get a pass, a Carnifex to sign it, and a Krogan to make a doorway out. Had to find out what all the big secrecy was."

"Big secrecy? Shepard, there's plenty of secrets going around, which one do you mean?"

"Tali and Joker."

"Oh...Shepard, I'll be straight with you: we're doing all we can, but we don't have the resources to justify cosmetics when we still have people in critical conditions. We'd love to get you patched all the way up, Joker and Tali, too, but right now, I'm fighting a war of attrition with gravity, a 2 ton boulder, and a stick, and the stick ain't making it."

"So I hear. What about Earth? Why are we at Jump Point Zero and not Earth?"

Hackett's desk was big and artistic, he sat behind it with an air of authority. "Simple math. We don't know how many Reapers survived, or if any did, and the debris field around Earth is as much a danger as any Living Reaper to an unprepared ship. We're getting some heavy dreadnoughts with shields ready to push back to Earth and start clearing paths. The Citadel is there, in pieces and blown to hell, but still there, and Earth is still there, with all its resources. Industry is pretty much gone, but the raw materials and food is there. It's all a matter of getting ourselves organized."

"What about other worlds?"

"The Mass Relay's took a big hit, stopped working. We've got a couple quantum entanglement devices for communication with the Asari, the Turians, and the Salarians, but for now, THIS fleet is anchored to Earth."

"Damnit. What can I do to help?"

Hackett leaned forward, knitting his hands together. "Right now, the Doctor's want you in bed, so stay in bed. You're humanity's biggest hero, and the face of one of the big heroes of the Galaxy, we need you alive and well, promoting intergalactic peace and partnership. Don't sell yourself short Shepard, we need your face in the fight to rebuild Earth."

"Shepard needs to be close by then, and her room on the Normandy is under construction, she should be here on the Destiny Ascension so the Council can talk to her. Plenty of doctor's on the Ascension, she'll be fine." Grunt said.

Shepard looked over at Grunt with an odd look, Hackett was surprised but he nodded. "Yes, you have a point, Grunt."

Shepard reached up with one arm and snatched an earpiece from Grunt's head. He grimaced and Shepard glared at him. She looked it over and didn't see a microphone. The Omni-tool.

"I swear Miranda I'm going to ORDER Ashley to kick your ass." Shepard growled loudly, putting the earpiece up to her ear.

"-What? Miranda's there? What does she want? Never mind, we just want Shepard on the Ascension."

It wasn't Miranda it was- "Wrex?"

"...Shepard?" the ear piece answered.

Shepard glared at Grunt. "Grunt!"

The young Krogan shrugged. "Shepard."

"Wrex! What in the hell? Now I know why Grunt is talking so different! What are you up to?"

"Uh...Shepard! It's...good to hear from you."

"Wrex..."

The wiley old warlord tried a different tack. "It's simple Shepard, you wanted out of the hospital, and the Normandy is full. Better to have you on the Ascension. It's a good ship, I've been on it before. Course, that was the brig, but it's built strong, I couldn't even smash my way out."

"What're you up to, Wrex?"

"Nothing, just figured you'd like a chance to ship out on one of the nicest ships in the Galaxy. I got a real nice room here, big, too. Why don't you have Admiral Hackett assign you here for now, we'll even get you a nurse. Maybe a cute blue one. Heh Heh."

"...Liara put you up to this, didn't she?"

"What? No."

"Then Miranda did, she wants me out of the way so she can take over the Normandy!"

"Probably, but this has nothing to do with Miranda. I just want you somewhere comfortable. A hospital is no place for a Krogan, and you're a Krogan at heart, Shepard, always will be."

"...Mordin, you pain in the ass."

Back in the hospital Dr. Solis frowned and muttered something about Krogan inefficiency.

Wrex was happy with his new roommate. He setup a large area for her, comfortable bed, large sheeted off areas for her privacy. He also had worked with Mordin to insure they had spy cameras set up for security. Shepard was locked up quietly, safely, with two of the most dangerous Krogan in the fleet not 10 meters from her at any given moment. Truth be told, it was his idea, Mordin merely assisted with the formulation and execution of the plan.

Liara came to visit daily while EDI took care to ensure no one gained access to the Shadow Broker's terminals. Especially Miranda. Ashley also visited every couple of days to help keep her up to date on the repairs, and to unwind a bit herself. Ashley was adjusting to Miranda's presence but to be honest, she still wanted to beat Miranda half to death for being Cerberus. Ashley was wound too tight, trapped from Earth, people hurt, Tali still hovering between life and death, an alien the Xenophobe considered...a sister. Ashley needed a bit of help with her own problems and Shepard was glad to help.

Two months after the explosion that rocked the Galaxy Shepard walked with a crutch, Joker was still in traction but mostly back together. His bones would need several more months to knit together properly but his eyes brightened when a Quarian young woman rolled through the doors in a wheelchair, Shepard howling about a re-match for the wheelchair race and bringing up the rear.

Tali reached out to Joker and touched his fingertips gently and forgave him for the damage. She promised him she held no hard feelings, no grudges, she would have done the same thing, and gladly, to save the Normandy and Shepard all over again. She reminded him that Vas Normandy was a badge of honor, but also of duty and it required self-sacrifice. To serve her ship so the others survived, so the race survived, this was the Quarian way. And Joker had helped her regain her home world, the thing her own father had died trying to achieve. Joker was cheered greatly by this. She hid her terrible injuries well. They left him after a short visit and Shepard saw her back to her sick room. The burns had scarred her young body, and the skin grafts would take a great deal of time. She would not be turning a wrench or soldering a circuit with her omnitool for several years, with the shape the fleet was in.

Shepard stayed with Tali the rest of the day, holding her as she cried, thanking Tali for saving her life as Shepard bled out on the Citadel. Tali was so scared, so distraught over the damage, missing one of her four fingers, her abdomen badly burned, her womb...Shepard stayed with her till nightfall. Admiral Shala'Raan slept in the room with Tali, having stepped aside to let other admirals ferry her major responsibilities so she could stay with Tali. Mostly she just handled paperwork and a few disputes. And names of the dead or missing. Fortunately the Geth had QED's for communication with Rannoch and the Quarian fleet didn't feel...trapped again. They were there in spirit. Many still at home rekindling the fires of Rannoch and the pictures sent back were shared with Tali and she wept at the sight of Legion's memorial, and the Quarian female statue shaking his hand. She was the Last of a line of Creators who trusted in the Geth during the Morning War and the seventeen day long Evening War. Tali's form was represented but not only her's, but all the Quarians who came before her. She showed the statue to Wrex when he came to visit her the next day, and though he didn't admit it, Wrex was scared for her, and wanted to be there for her. Like he was for Shepard but Shepard needed only a guard, now, and Grunt was more than enough for that, Tali needed someone with her for more than guard duty.

Three months later and Shepard stood on the bridge of the Destiny Ascension with the leaders and Admirals of the other fleets. On her command, a politically and emotionally charged moment, seventeen ships, all repaired to 60% or more battle ready condition jumped to FTL. Earth, Luna, and Mars were finally retaken by human military forces four months after Reaper invasion.

Epilogue:

Shepard...

Shepard Shepard Shepard.

Commander Shepard...

The Krogan expansionist movement was curtailed by Wrex's close proximity to Commander Shepard. With Eve preaching the faith on Tuchanka, and Shepard helping plan logistics (or rather, Mordin and Liara with Shepard butting heads) Wrex begin to acquire new planets for the Krogan people. Due to their numbers, an ideal Krogan concept was formed: Expeditionary. Krogan liked to fight and challenge things, and hunting for whatever Reapers were left over in Darkspace or even other galaxies would be an ideal chore. A new challenge, paradigm, even religion for the Krogan people. Ironically, the Genophage had a remarkable affect on the Krogan. Fertility, once a horrible problem, both before and after the Genophage, had been changed by the fourteen hundred year curse. Krogan females had stopped having 1000 children, but instead, their bodies had tried to overcome the genophage by super charging one tenth the eggs with ten times the nutrients. Ten children or so a year with hardly a still birth amongst them. The galaxy breathed a collective sigh of relief and Wrex WISELY decided to not question Mordin about it. And most Krogan women (they decided to call themselves that in honor of Shepard) kept their numbers low, 10 children mucking up the house was enough to drive them to kill.

Mordin Solis received a statue in his honor on Tuchanka at the sight of the final Shroud facility. A Krogan style art piece, it portrayed the intelligent Mordin SoluURs (spelled with a UR for some reason by the artist [himself from clan URdnat]) using a sword of Thresher maws to slay a Reaper-esque monster named Genophage. For some reason Mordin's physique resembled something Joker called "Conan". The Doctor happily retired to Feros and stayed at a colony called Zhu's Hope, where he dedicated his time to studying a strange phenomena of mass telepathic linking.

James Vega didn't make N7, he made it to N4 and went on to lead a good many expeditions to dark corners of the galaxy, hunting down Reaper remnants, many times in the company of Krogan and Turians. Vega became a much talked about name for his prowess and his stories of the legendary Commander Shepard. He would later marry and settle down, though his life didn't fall into place until his three children were born and he dedicated his life to them. The youngest made N7.

Javik awaited the return of the Reapers or the Human fleet in London. He was as glad as he could be when he found out the human's returned. He met with Shepard herself and smiled a fierce, blood thirsty smile. He would go on to lead expeditions against Reaper Remnants. Also, in time, science found the answer to the missing Prothean race. Some stasis pods and frozen corpses, while the dead were dead, enough of their DNA was found to recast the race and the Protheans arose like a beacon to stand before the dying nightmares called Reapers. Javik always said he didn't consider them true Prothean, but one night, quietly when drinking "intoxicating liquor" with Shepard, he said he was proud of them, proud to see them stand up. He confessed he did not think himself a true Prothean, either, just a ghost of what was once a galactic race, and trained as nothing more than a killer in a war he was born into.

Jack found her mother on a bleak colony world, one the Reapers hadn't hit yet. She didn't do well at first, but Shepard had warned her to take it slow, and not run her mouth, and eventually Jack found her family for the first time ever. She would become a school teacher...the one kids feared getting. The world would grow slowly and with support from an unknown source.

Jacob and his new family setup on the Mediterranean sea line, quiet, inconspicuous, and happy. His first child became a fisherman and a local poet and song writer. Jacob never went to any reunions, preferring to be unknown, he figured the Illusive Man could still have fingers beyond the grave, and Jacob did have a family to protect.

Primarch Victus led a Turian war based renaissance. The Turian fleet bulked up to three times as many dreadnaughts, and built three super dreadnaughts. The super dreadnaughts were built to house troops of any and all races, from Elcor to Krogan. Half of the new fleets were officially dedicated to scouting, exploring, and subduing new star systems. Primarch Victus wasn't going to let the Turian people be caught with their pants down again. Wrex agreed and sent many Krogan, especially the young to learn from the Turians and to carry themselves with honor and duty towards a cause, as well as Tuchanka-style toughness. They discovered remnants from civilizations long destroyed by Reaper forces, and opened many new Mass Relays expanding the Galactic Council's influence. Some minor skirmishes developed, but as the Reapers culled not only the "known" galaxy but the entire galaxy, the races were all pretty much on even footing. Soon the Council expanded to 12 members.

The Volus worked hard rebuilding and strengthening the galactic economy. Having realized the selfishness of excess, both in complexity and greed, the Volus helped streamline the once bloated economy and when a new race was discovered it was quickly and easily adapted to the galactic currency. As a side note, the Volus finally got a seat on the Council. After nearly 2,000 years. A grass roots movement got an unnamed banker from Citadel Bank to be the Volus first representative on the Galactic Council, a Council he had defended and worked tirelessly for during the Reaper War. He was honored and humbled by the recommendation from Shepard (retired). They also got that planet that had been held up in red tape for some hundred or more years FINALLY. Shepard had threatened to headbutt the Dalatrass off the Citadel if she didn't vote "correctly".

After a third public humiliation, the Dalatrass was removed by the Salarian government and replaced with someone a bit more eager to work with the galaxy. It turned out the Salarian Dalatrass had been responsible for breaking numerous treaties, not only in planning the destruction of the genophage cure, but in secretly building ships that were meant to circumvent the Dreadnaught treaty PRIOR to the Reaper invasion as well as enslaving both Yog and Varen as biological weapons against other Council races. The Salarian people as a whole were determined to recover from the black eye and made themselves a bit more open and a bit less... "knife in the back-y" as Shepard put it. General Kirrahe agreed that the time of back alley assassination was no longer the proper course for the Salarian people and that they should, instead, hold the line of truth and use their intellect to benefit the galaxy and ready themselves for battle against any further Reaper threats. The Council considered Kirrahe an honest (albeit long-winded) addition to its numbers.

Aria found her sacred Omega quickly beset by Turian forces. The lawless, slaving, murdering days of the Terminus systems came to a violent close. As the last of the strongholds of torture, rape, and murder fell the Terminus came under Council rule. However, one rule remained, and Omega became something of an Island state, a Luxembourg. It would be a living reminder that would endure long after Aria's death from old age that there was an independent world that called no Council ruler. Though they did plenty of good trade with the rest of the Galaxy and got their act cleaned up. At Turian gun point. By a Super Dreadnaught. Named "Arcangel".

Maelon managed a small clinic on Omega. He became responsible for training many young nurses and doctors from Omega's children. Those who once grew up in poverty with no hope but to work the deadly mines of Omega suddenly found that their children had a skill to ply a trade somewhere else, and those once trapped by economics found themselves freed by Maelon.

The Geth found themselves freed from the Reaper's influence and despite an extremely rocky beginning to Council relationships, they soon became an integral part of many of the Expeditionary fleets third generation computer systems. Meanwhile, the main part of their entire race stayed forever on Rannoch in a hundred computer collectives, exploring knowledge and digital frontiers.

Tali'Zorah vas Normandy never changed her name. After a five years of hard work as an ambassador for her people she found herself in a hospital on Rannoch, geth surgeons assisted by Quarian doctors attaching a cloned finger back to her body. Her ovaries, damaged by the burns were likewise brought back to life, her own genes simply re-creating new ones thanks to science. She would have three children, the first in her family line in three hundred years to do so. She would never again leave Rannoch for any extended length of time except on vacation. Tali did find it difficult to stay in one place for too long, even her three houses on Rannoch. She made yearly pilgrimages with her children and husband to see her friends. Especially her Uncle Wrex. Though Wrex nearly took a round for taking Tali's oldest son Thresher Maw hunting. In Wrex's defense, the boy was coming of age.

Grunt would become a strong leader for Arlahk company. Eventually he would father ten warriors, the two female warlords that came from him were named Shepard and Jack. Shepard would seek the blessing of a human battlemaster (retired) before going to venture out on the expeditionary forces. Grunt was very proud.

Samara and her daughter lived out the rest of their lives in peace rebuilding the monastery of the Ardat-Yakshi. Falere would go on to be the last of the Monasteries Ardot-Yakshi governesses. The Asari would turn their full scientific power on themselves, cleansing themselves of the disorder, first its effects, and finally, the disease itself.

The truth of Thane's life would come out, the Hanar would be publicly censured for their training Drell as assassins and keeping of them as indentured servants. The Drell were given a new place to live. Ironically, Wrex was the one leading the charge and he took the Drell to Tuchanka, an arid climate the Drell desperately needed. In the shadows a young man named Mouse was remembered by Kolyot, the second son Thane never had, and the brother he did not ever know well. Mouse never surfaced after the Reapers took the Citadel, undoubtedly killed. Kolyot would live the life of a religious and devout man, teaching his children the importance of knowing right from wrong, and always telling them the story of the bloody father who finally chose the right path, not once, but twice, and was rewarded with a hero's death, and the uplifting of his people from permanent slavery.

Steve Cortez would live again as a pilot for fighter craft, attached to an expeditionary fleet. He would die in battle and all that knew him remarked at how down to earth he was. He always helped people around him and took great care to help people through tough times. James Vega would give the eulogy.

Dr. Chakwas would retire and live out her life in a mountainside retreat back on Earth. She received a lifelong supply of free medicine from an unknown benefactor which she would dispense through a free clinic to the townsfolk. She had a VI assistant she called EDI that inhabited a heavily modified Geth platform. Upon her death, the clinic was given to a new doctor (he charged, though not much) and the VI and its platform were destroyed. Supposedly.

Commander Bailey never saw his children or ex-wife again. A bitter sadness that tried to swallow him up, but he eventually retired and got married to an Asari in her 700's. She said he reminded her of true grit. Comander Bailey's three Asari daughters would be tough, strong, and one even became a justicar.

Engineer Adams would retire with the SR-2. He moved to Rannoch where he took up living near Tali. He enjoyed her children and working on starship study and design with the Quarians. When he died, his designs and computer disappeared, though Tali explained she had been asked by Adams to review them and distribute them if they were of any value. She insisted they were simply not practical. However, an updated safety section of Engineering for a black and red 3rd gen Super Dreadnought came to be known as an "Adam's Corner". The designer insisted. It became standard for all ships using that configuration.

Jeff 'Joker' Moreau would never find out what happened to his family. They were dead, he accepted this with a great deal of darkness and sobriety on the day of the official funeral. It was not much of one, as everyone who knew his family was dead, too. Joker's girl friend had the foresightedness to send invitations to Jeff's friends who nearly all arrived in person. They said later of that day that Geofferey Moreau was the twin brother of their pilot, but he was dark, quiet, and humorless. Geofferey went away the next day, never to return from his self-imposed exile. Joker would never marry, living out the single life. He would remain as a pilot on the SSV Normandy SR-3 for its new Captain and its slightly snarky and all-controlling VI. Towards the end of his life he had an Asari nurse to watch over him. She would become pregnant and her two daughters would eventually grow up to become fine pilots. A law was later passed announcing the one of a kind creation of a synthetic life form named Eedey though the AI never appeared before the public. A human woman named Eva Moreau would later join with the two Asari women in serving on an expeditionary ship, a joint Turian-Alliance-Asari venture (also several Krogan helped, too) super class dreadnaught named the 7th Spectre. Eventually both women commanded the ship, a battle worthy vessel with the firepower to destroy not just a planet, but a Mass Relay, and the troops to match. Eva Moreau would retire after twenty years, while she was "still young enough to look pretty". She was replaced by a non-biotic Asari named Emarou who was both a computer and electronics specialist who took over Eva's duties quite easily (in fact there was not a single percent point drop in efficiency which raised an eyebrow or two). She also knew a thing or two about medicine, especially for humans. The three Asari would be fast friends for all their lives.

EDI was a difficult-to-re-program VI and confounded many engineers but Captain Ashley Williams saw to it that the VI was kept installed on the new Normandy. Joker, the pilot, insisted the VI was good for him. Ashley ordered a commercial specialist in esoteric VI programming to be hired to help upkeep the eccentric VI. The woman's name was Eva Gethsemane. She was a mathematical genius as well as an excellent co-pilot who worked seamlessly with Joker and EDI. Some said Eva was so quick she could out count EDI, to which Eva would smile and say "Of course I can. I'm a computer myself" most of the time she would add the clarifying statement of "That was a joke" afterward.

Samantha Traynor would stay on the Normandy for many years before settling down to form a communications and computer research business. No one ever knew that half the money to run the business was supplied from a shadowy source, nor that she helped run a front company that worked on pet projects like pseudo-skin for making mechs look more pleasant to the eye. She also kept in contact with Joker and his girlfriend, Eva. The company would go under and be bought out by a powerful business giant that supposedly had links to a shadier side. Sam would retire to a colony world as well as get gene therapy to remove her physical allergies, though she had to sometimes struggle with hypochondria.

Captain Ashley Williams worked hard to be worthy of the Spectre status the traitor Udina had manipulated into existence. She took seriously her duty not just to humanity but to law and order throughout the galaxy and all it's races. Though her mission records were hardly shining brilliance compared to Commander Shepard's, Ashley brought the name of Williams back up from the pit Earth politicians had buried it in. She would command the Normandy SR-3 after Shepard's retirement with Joker and Samantha Traynor representing the ship's former crew. Ashley was also secretly in league with one of the most corrupting and influential shadow forces in the galaxy, an information broker who had his fingers in many, many pies. Through the use of this back alley informant, Ashley and her crew of clandestine specialists would help lead the hidden attacks versus the Terminus systems slavers and murderous pirates. Ashley would also strike hard and fast against "civilized" targets using the Normandy's stealth systems and stealth drop ships. She would later, thanks to some excellent gene therapy, retire at the age of sixty five, looking hardly older than she was when she started with Shepard. Ashley would go on to live as a regular woman, silently moving back into the life of a civilian. She married and had four children, two girls and two boys. One of each would join the service, of the other two one went on to become a poet and philosopher, the other would go into star ship design. He wanted to develop a ship that would symbolize both his mother, her former commander, and the unity of the Galaxy at war. He decided that the ship must be dark gray, nearly black, and have red stripes and highlights, a dedication to the N7 program that had made Commander Shepard someone worthy of Spectre status. Ashley eventually moved to an out of the way world where a growing collection of colonists numbering 300,000 strong lived across three communities. Sometimes she would go off for quiet time alone, even days at a time, and during that time her children and her husband would carry on under the watchful eye of an Asari huntress who lived next door.

Miranda TAYLOR would, through the same wonderful science that helped Tali'Zorah, bring to birth two children. Artificial insemination, of course. Shepard (retired) would jokingly warn Miranda she was becoming her father, to which Miranda would bristle but carefully mind herself so that she did NOT become the man who's DNA she was a clone of. Her children would become excellent shots, pilots, and athletes, as well as musicians. Not that it was a surprise to her, or Oriana, who helped raise them when Miranda was away on business. Miranda Taylor was an editor for a news reporting agency via extra-net link and led a completely normal life.

Miranda Lawson was found and executed by none other than Ashley Williams for being a traitor to Humanity, Earth, and the Citadel Council. Her body was spat upon by the Spectre and shot into the nearest star. Ashley was quoted as saying "The nail's in the coffin, burn the witch and let's be done with it." Shepard (retired) would not denounce Ashley for killing Shepard's former XO, saying that people had to live and die with the choices they make, and Miranda had made some dark choices. It was obvious from the vids though, that Shepard was upset at the execution.

The unknown and absolutely unimportant Kelly Chambers would be gunned down in the middle of the street one day, a victim of a daylight robbery. Her family was crushed and moved away soon thereafter. They lived a happy life on a colony planet of about 100,000 people, though it would later grow to more than 300,000.

Garrus would disappear from the face of the galaxy for years at a time. Primarch Victus would extend great honors to the former C-Sec agent and he would eventually help train many Turians for expeditionary service, especially in joint Turian-Krogan settings on the harsh world of Tuchanka. What he did prior to his "retirement" is entirely unknown to the Galaxy at large.

The Shadow Broker would regain many of his former contacts, killing off others, and planting new secret agents across the galactic civilizations. A ruthlessness and efficiency the Broker's agents hadn't seen since before the Reaper War, about six months, to be exact, emerged in the Broker's actions. Some whispered words that there had been a change in the Broker, that the first Broker had been imprisoned by an usurper and now was back in force. The truth was a far cry different.

Liara T'Soni remained an Intelligence Broker for many years, though as the galaxy became more civilized over her thousand year lifetime she moved more towards her roots of archeology and the study of ancient civilizations, as well as many of the new races that would join the Council Races. She got married and had several daughters. Five, actually. Four Asari, and one Human, thanks to the Ardot-Yakshi research inadvertently finding a way to bond Asari Eggs with Human Eggs. Liara was proud to be the first Mother-Father to human children. She would retire to a small community on a far away colony world with her children and several friends. A thousand years is a long time, however, and after her children grew up, Liara became restless and began to wander the galaxy. She would return to public eye as a Matriach and a member of the Citadel Council.

Shepard would retire an Admiral (in fact, was made an Admiral just so the Alliance could retire her AS an Admiral). She would go on some tours and play galactic hero for politics while the Mass Relays were rebuilt. She would eventually retire from THAT life to the good life and even give birth to a child, something she was sure would never happen since she had been born barren.

Secretly, of course, Shepard never retired. She worked with Liara, to make the Shadow Broker a fierce foe to anyone who would cause large scale trouble across the galaxy. Ashley Williams had full knowledge of this only after she retired publicly and went to work more closely with the Shadow Broker's growing force. Though Ashley kinda knew already. Ashley was also re-united with her frien-emy Miranda Lawson, Liara's right hand woman, and the cause of the ruthlessness reappearing amongst the Shadow Broker's actions. One of Grunt's sons, an intelligent and powerful Krogan who greatly respected the stories of Shepard would go to work for Liara as well, helping to add some much needed muscle to the group. Garrus, obviously helped teach the boy and worked well with the intel he got from being the main long range gun of the Shadow Broker's intelligence. EDI would, in one platform or another, be one of the main resources of the group. From her work with Dr. Chakwas to her work with Ashley on the Normandy SR-3, EDI greatly enjoyed splitting herself amongst multiple platforms only to re-unite later and compile the data, "seeing" the galaxy from different perspectives as the Geth did. They arranged many assassinations, many "Botched" jobs that revealed humiliating evidence against many people across many worlds. Miranda herself oversaw the assassination of Kelly Chambers, who would go into hiding on the same colony world Jack had found her mother upon. There Kelly would be Miranda's personal assistant helping compile psyche-analysis for Shadow Broker data. The colony world would be the base of operation for Liara's Shadow Broker network and training grounds for her wetwork squads. Wrex was one of the Broker's favorite Council Members, and many times his voice was her words.

Still, in time new people must spring up like blades of green grass, and the role of Shadow Broker would be passed to an artificial intelligence. And Ms. Edi Moreau would do a pretty good job, too. And she upgraded Glyph, changing his name to "Jeff".