After Hackett left, Shepard sat in the medbay mulling over her thoughts. She knew she'd had no other choice, but the truth of what she'd done still left her feeling like a monster. She would return to the Alliance, if only to put an end to the rumors that she had, in fact, gone rogue. To prove once and for all that her loyalties were to the Alliance. But first she needed to ensure the protection of the crew that had just done so much for the galaxy. They had not been a part of the destruction of the Alpha relay and the Bahak system. She would not have them imprisoned for that. Deciding on the Normandy's next destination, she headed back up to the CIC.
"Joker, set a course for Omega and patch me into the comm system."
"Aye, aye, Commander."
"Listen up, folks," she began, informally. "By now you must have all heard where I was the last few days and what has happened. The Alliance will come calling for me and, in spite of everything, I will be returning to wherever with them, to face whatever charges they may level against me. There is no reason for the rest of you to get caught in the fallout. We are heading to Omega. Your contracts with Cerb- With me, are fulfilled. You will be paid and are free to go on as you please. I will not ask any of you to stay with me. Thank you for all of your hard work." With that she cut communication and turned to go back to her cabin.
Kelly stopped her. "Commander, if you need me for anything..."
"Thank you, Kelly, I'm fine. If you wouldn't mind, I'm sure there are members of the crew who could use a hand preparing to disembark."
She wasn't surprised when she heard the door to her cabin slide open. She was, however, surprised when she turned around from her desk and saw Miranda and Jacob with Tali and Garrus. Tali, she'd expected, her home was the Normandy now after all. Garrus, well, he was with her no matter what. He'd made that clear several times over. She had to admit, she'd hoped Miranda would stick around and Jacob would come back to the Alliance, but...
"Commander," Miranda spoke first, in a rare display of hesitation. "Jacob and I were talking to some of the crew - the Cerberus crew - and, well... There are a lot of good people on this crew who were specifically recruited for our mission. They have little to nothing to do with any of Cerberus' other pursuits and many were hoping to remain with you and the Normandy."
Shepard smiled. They were a good crew and after all they'd been through were maybe even closer than the crew of the SR-1. "Miranda, I can't guarantee anything. I'm not even certain what I'll be returning to, but I will do my best to speak for any members of the crew who wish to return to or join the Alliance."
Miranda and Jacob looked at each other and she saw them relax.
Garrus spoke up next. "Shepard. You know I'm with you wherever you go. The Reapers need to be stopped and you are the galaxy's best bet."
"I can always count on you, Garrus. And Tali," she looked to the quarian. "You are vas Normandy, if you want to stay, I will be happy to have you. If you need to return to the Migrant Fleet, I will be happy to know that I have an ally amongst your people."
"Thank you," Tali said. "After everything, and meeting Legion, as much as I'd like to stay with you, Shepard, I think my people are going to need me in the near future. I will do my best to ready them to fight at your side."
Something in the young quarian's voice told her that Tali had grown tremendously in the past few months. She was proud of the woman who she'd, though they didn't even share a DNA base, come to view as a younger sister.
The four stayed to chat for a while before drifting back to their own quarters. A few hours later, Joker made the announcement that they were docking at Omega.
Miranda had made sure that everyone was paid as had been agreed upon by Cerberus with an added bonus out of the reserve funds Shepard had managed to squirrel away over the course of the mission. Shepard was in the docking bay to say goodbye to everyone as they made their way to their own destinations.
Saying goodbye to Zaeed was not as easy as she'd thought it would be. Joker had not been wrong in his assessment of the grizzled, old mercenary. She'd enjoyed talking to him over the last several months and had been comforted by the presence of a kindred spirit. He was off to find Santiago, he'd said, and to reclaim the Blue Suns. For her part, Shepard hoped he was successful and had EDI hack Cerberus resources to see if she could find any leads on his whereabouts to assist him.
Samara was off to hunt down the unjust. She was still toying with the idea of starting on Omega. Shepard told her that might be the task of a lifetime, to which Samara replied that she still had several hundred years left to get the job done.
Thane was headed to the Citadel to spend some time with Kolyat. She wished him all the best.
Kasumi was, as always, mum on her next adventure, but she promised to look Shepard up the next time she was around. They had some shopping to do, after all. Quietly, she mentioned that she needed to be kept informed of that long overdue makeup with one Commander Alenko. All Shepard could do was hug the small Japanese kleptomaniac and wish her the best.
Legion planned on going back to the Geth, to ready them for the coming of the Reapers. They were still reaching consensus but he seemed hopeful that she would be able to count on them as an ally when the need arose.
Grunt had a breeding request or two that he felt the need to fulfill after the success of the suicide mission. He said he was going back to Tuchanka to strengthen Urdnot and await his battlemaster's next command.
Jack, well, Jack didn't feel like telling Shepard what her plans were, but something had changed in the violent, crazed biotic. To Shepard she seemed less rough around the edges. She had a feeling they'd be seeing each other again.
Saying goodbye to Tali had choked up the both of them. They hugged and Shepard told Tali to say hello to Kal'Reegar for her. She couldn't tell if the quarian woman had understood the underlying teasing or not.
Mordin was the last to leave. Neither were certain what the future held but the salarian promised to see to it that his people were prepared for it.
That left Joker, Chakwas, Miranda, Jacob, Garrus, Ken and Gabby and a handful of now former Cerberus aboard the Normandy. Shepard had emailed Hackett and Anderson, letting them know that she was awaiting orders to return.
A week later Anderson showed up with a small complement of Alliance Marines and officially arrested her.
Garrus was furious, that much was certain. Shepard had expected that things would not go well, though she was surprised to find herself in the brig of her own vessel under the guard of a young, musclebound Marine named James Vega.
The rest of the crew had been allowed to remain aboard in their own quarters. Anderson was working to secure safety and reinstatement for those that wanted it. As far as he and Hackett were concerned, they'd proven their worth to the Alliance by going through the Omega 4 Relay and returning to stand loyally at Shepard's side.
Garrus was not taking it well. He finally came down to see Shepard, to tell her that he couldn't sit by and watch her suffer such indignant humiliation after everything she had done for the galaxy.
"I think I'll return to Palaven, Shepard. I can't sit by and watch this farce."
"Garrus, it's just a show to appease the Batarian Hegemony. Hackett is working to smooth things over for the Alliance. We cannot fight a war with the batarians and the Reapers at the same time."
"I understand, Shepard. But I just can't stay. Every ounce of my honor is screaming at me to knock out this meatbag," he gestured to Vega, standing at attention next to her holding cell, doing his best to ignore the bristling turian, "and bust you out of here."
"It's 'meathead', Garrus, but yes, I understand. Anderson can see to it that you get the transportation you need. Don't worry about me. It won't be long before I come calling on you for the grand finale."
"I'll be ready. I promise." He turned and left, barely restraining himself as he passed Vega.
"James, I'm sorry about that. Garrus can be a hothead, but he means well."
"No need to apologize, Commander. Turians are turians. Besides, I'm here to protect you and he is no threat to me." He sounded cocksure.
The rest of their return to Earth proved uneventful.
She was standing in front of the Alliance tribunal, in dress blues she hadn't worn in years. Someone had pulled her personal affects out of storage and she'd polished her boots and medals.
So far the trial had gone exactly as she'd feared. Just like the Council, they questioned her sanity over the Reapers, and vilified her for her actions in the Bahak system. She'd been warned by Hackett and Anderson that it was not going to be pleasant. That they were putting on a show for the Hegemony. The only familiar face she'd seen on the witness stand testifying in her favor had been Anderson. She wondered where Kaidan was and why he had not been called in on her behalf, but at the same time, she was glad that he was not here to witness this. She still feared that he'd see it anyway, it was being televised after all.
The tribunal finally came back with their verdict. While the trial was a show, the result was not and she was nervous.
"Aurin Shepard. Commander of the Normandy SR2, Alliance Marine. N7 graduate. You have been found guilty of consorting with terrorists. You are hereby relieved of duty and sentenced to remain in Alliance custody."
She felt as if the floor had fallen out from under her and stood there in silence. Anderson and Vega came to escort her back to her quarters. At her door Vega stopped, returning to his previous post just outside. Anderson followed her in. Neither said a word until they were behind closed doors.
"Shepard, I know it's not what you wanted. Hell, it's not what I would have chosen either, but the Alliance council has formed a committee to discuss and plan against the Reaper threat. They felt this was the best way to keep you out of Batarian sight, while still being able to call on your expertise."
"So they believe me now, do they? What the hell, Anderson! What about my crew? Why are they so intent on shooting themselves in the foot? It's just like the damned Council. Crazy Shepard. Worth keeping around. Not worth trusting." She sat down on the sofa with a loud sigh. Elbows on her knees, she cradled her head in her hands.
"I have no idea how much time I bought us, you know?"
"I know, Shepard. We'll figure it out." Anderson clapped her on the back once before heading out the door.