Renewed Hope
Chapter 1: Wondering Where You Are
It had been months on this spirit forsaken planet, but as Garrus sat near the ship looking up at the star covered sky he knew somewhere out there his love, his best friend, his commander was waiting for their return.
If someone had told him 3 years ago that he would fall in love with a human alliance commander, he probably would have laughed. Now though every day away from her side tore him apart. Everyone else was sure she didn't make it, but he wouldn't think that. She had survived so much that a red beam that fried all the synthetics and reaper technology wouldn't destroy her.
He glanced to the door of the ship knowing it would only be another week or two until they could finally leave. He knew Joker had been working himself to pieces to keep his mind off the empty core and body that had been EDI's. He hadn't fallen to that point yet but he figured that if Shepard was dead when they returned, he would.
"Eve, I know your out there, the crews have been wondering where you've been," Garrus said looking back to the sky, "Tali has been telling me to have courage, and I'm trying to for everyones sake."
Garrus then chuckled to himself saying, "They've been looking at me for command, apparently they all thought of me as your second even though Ash would be more suitable for that being Alliance and all. It was a bit surprising to have a crew of mostly humans following a turian for leadership but I am handling it. I just ask myself what you would do in the situations I face."
Garrus then looked down closing his eyes slowly saying, "Spirits, if only I had a sign that she was still alive out there. It would make this so much easier..."
He heard the airlock door disengaging causing him to glance over seeing Tali coming from ship looking around then noticing him. He sighed seeing his quiet time was done and time to go back to things that would keep Shepard from the center of his thoughts.
Eve Shepard laid in the hospital bed on the Destiny Accension, it had been turned into an emergency hospital for the critically injured or people who were important to the future of the galaxy. Shepard apparenltly met both of those as much as she didn't agree with the second. She glanced over a small smile on her lips seeing Grunt asleep there. She then sighed wishing she knew what happened to the crew on the Normandy especially Garrus, it had been heart breaking sending him back onto the ship with Javik of all people proping him up. She shook her head slightly knowing she was lucky Miranda hadn't been on the Normandy and got her awaken from her coma in a mere two months.
All her friends that had survived until the final battle, except Zaeed (though no one was sure he hadn't just disappeared once the battle was over), and had visited her since she woke up a month ago. Grunt in fact rarely left her bedside saying that he didn't trust these Asari with the care of his battlemaster and was going to protect her no matter what. She was touched by that and just added it to more reasons Garrus would have to tease her about the krogan being her adopted son. Well that is once him and the rest of the Normandy made it back.
She would never let herself think that they wouldn't be coming back. When they did, she would be ready and maybe her and Garrus could retire like he wanted. Perhaps even find out what a Human-Turian hybrid looks like, the Salarian's owed her anyway and she was sure they could figure that out for them.
"Commander, we just got a transmission from the Normandy," a young Alliance Cadet said quickly as he came into the room waking up Grunt in the process.
"It's about time," Grunt muttered glaring at the Cadet then looking over to Shepard wondering what she would say.
Eve pushed herself up into a sitting position with a groan before looking at the Cadet asking, "Really? That is great news, what does it say?"
"Here you are commander," the cadet said offering a datapad to Eve before saluting to her.
"At ease Cadet," Eve said before she pushed play on the message hearing Tali's voice come from the speaker which caused her to smile.
"This Tali Zorah vas Normandy, requesting assistance for the ship Normandy SR2. We have been stranded on an unknown garden planet for 90 day cycles. If you receive this please trace this message and return communications. News on the war and Commander Shepard would be much appriciated and could raise crew moral," Tali's voice rang out over the speakers causing Eve to glance up to the Cadet.
"Did you already return communications?" she asked in hope that Garrus was alive as well, though she was still happy to hear Tali's voice.
"Yes, Commander, we told them we faced casualties including the Geth in total but that the reapers had fallen with their systems fried. We also told them that you were awake and recovering from critical status at an outstanding rate," the cadet said with a nod, "We are working on getting the QET more stabalized to have a direct conversations besides audio messages such as these. When we succeed we will come get you if you wish."
"I do, thank you Cadet," Eve said with a nod smiling wider now at learning at least part of her crew survived.
She didn't think about EDI at the moment, knowing all to well she wouldn't be one of the ones returning. She had already come to terms with the fact she played ruthless calculus, as Garrus had aptly put it, on that that platform to save the galaxy she had to sacrifice all AI. She had never expected to come out of it alive, she was just tired of the war and the other two choices didn't seem right to her. Becoming a god of the reapers or merging all synthetics with organic life wasn't a type of control she wanted. She was there to destroy the reapers not to make peace. For once in her life she was wanting nothing but the distruction of an entire species (even after Mindoir and Elysium she hadn't felt like that toward the bartarians), if you could even call the Reapers a species, and didn't think of the sacrifices. Even though she knew that she would have to talk to Joker when he returned because the guilt over EDI and the Geth sometimes haunted her dreams.
She let out a sigh watching the Cadet leave the room then looking to Grunt asking, "Why don't you go get something to eat Grunt? Maybe go tell the others they made contact with the Normandy but if Wrex is in those discussions with the other leaders don't interrupt."
"But Shepard they don't have any decent ryncol on this ship," Grunt grumbled stubbornly not wanting to leave Shepard's side when no one else was there.
"Grunt, you don't need ryncol anyway, even though even the cheap stuff still kicks you on your ass just the same," Eve said shaking her head slightly, "Last time you drank any, you caught a C-Sec car on fire and then took it for a joy ride after you climbed on the statue in the presedium. Don't make me pull rank on you just to get you to go eat."
"We aren't on the Normandy, Shepard, you have no rank over me out here," Grunt said sure of himself which only earned a stern glare that most who had ever been on her crew knew you didn't want to face, "He he he, fine Shepard. I'll go eat just don't let that damn asari doctor do anything to you. My Battlemaster needs to be in tip top shape soon after all."
With that he got up leaving Shepard to slowly fall asleep with a hopeful smile on her lips, that most hadn't seen in a long time.
"What is it Tali?" Garrus asked coming up the ramp to the quarian in wonder, he hoped it was good news and not another set back.
"We received a message from the Destiny Accension in response to the one I sent two days ago," Tali said happily looking at Garrus with her glowing eyes through the helmet, "You need to hear this."
Garrus maniable moved slightly wondering if the news was good or even if it included news on Eve. He followed Tali up to the war room QET standing in front of it as Tali activated the message on it. He listened slowly hearing a normal alliance soldier's voice come over the speakers.
"Normandy, this is the Destiny Assension which received your message. It is good to know that the Commander's ship is still intact and that at least parts of the crew remains," the message said in direct speech, "We are happy to inform you that the reapers fell, their systems completely fried. Though the blast also fried the some of the communication boyous which we have been able to recover most of, as well as seriously damaged the mass relays which we are working on recovering with some already done, and fried the Geth's circuits fully. The Quarians are trying to bring them back online but the outlook doesn't look good."
At that Garrus looked at Tali saying, "Well that is unexpected, sounds like they need your expertise Tali."
Tali shook her head saying, "Perhaps, my people will recover Rannoch much easier with their aide. It is still hard to accept that we had a truce though."
Garrus nodded in understanding before listening to the rest of the message in wonder if it said anything about Shepard. He listened to the rest of the briefing on the aftermath of the war glad to recovering efforts were going along strong.
"Finally, to answer your other question about Commander Shepard. She is alive and recovering in the emergency hospital onboard this ship. She woke up about a month ago and is gaining strength quickier then the doctors expected. Though there is a krogan that is making it hard for any doctors to treat her other then her personal doctor Lawson so when you return you could probably be of aide in that situation," the message continued causing Garrus to let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, "We have attached coordinates of this ship, we request you to input them so we can get a direct line up with your ship. The Commander wishes to know your status as well."
"She's alive..." Garrus said in shock looking over to Tali who nodded before getting to work on the QET to get that direct line.
"You should probably go tell the others, I'll come get you when this direct link is established," Tali said looking back at Garrus.
"Thanks Tali," Garrus said as he turned heading out to speak with Joker first, his own hope had been restored. Now all he needed was to hear her voice again and he would do everything in his power to get back to her.