The war is over. The Reapers have been defeated. Against all odds, and in the face of the greatest threat this galaxy has ever known, we survived.

It would be some time before that message would reach many of the ships that had retreated to their various assigned RV points. There just seemed to be a reason to try. Search dogs were let loose around the Earth to aid in finding survivors, anyone needing medical attention.

Special attention was made in London , on the ships that still hovered towards the citadel. The emergency shuttles were brought back online immediately by the engineers as they set to work on the main ships. In mere hours the shuttles were launched in an attempt to locate anyone in the rubble, alive, or otherwise.

It will take time, but we will rebuild everything that was destroyed.

There had to be that glimmer of hope as the search team carefully looked through the rubble, trying to look for any signs of life. It was much harder to do search and rescue in places like this, where only certain areas could safely be searched at a time. The surviving keepers had enabled artificial gravity and shields first before setting to work on repairs, as the galaxy had learned they were programmed to do.

After over two hours of searching, the team was about to trade shifts. As they were retracing their steps through the rubble, shifting rocks caught the attention of one soldier. He stopped as the rest of the team kept going. He cautiously approached the source of the noise, pistol drawn. He sidestepped around, peering through the dim light. In a brief reflection of light, he stopped and shouted for his squad.

The highly damaged N7 badge he saw was moving.


Garrus stood next to Joker as they looked out at the setting sun over Eden Prime. Both didn't have to say a word to each other. Everything had been taken down at once. Anything that relied on technology. Omnitools were inoperable. Traynor was still in the core with the others, trying to get the power operational again from scratch.

Both had no idea the status of the ones they loved.

"Wicked piloting," James said, breaking the tension between the two.

Joker only nodded.

"It's a cruel joke, if you think about it," Kaidan said approaching behind them.

Joker nodded again. "Yeah. Eden Prime. All started here. Someone's got a sick sense of humor."

Where everything started to go to Hell. Where the first Reaper Sovereign had slipped through and indoctrinated Saren. Where the hodgepodge of a crew worked together and took down the Reaper, only to have it swept under a massive rug.

Where everything she had worked her ass off, that they all had almost died for, was ignored until it was all too damn late. It had cost them so much. Garrus stood stock still, angry, heartbroken, unable to remember the creed sewn into his genetics. The sacrifice of one for the good of many…

He swallowed hard and kept this focus ahead.

"We'll be needed at the colony," Liara said. "They'll need to know we're alive, since comms are down." They all shifted towards the mainland, where the colony wasn't too far out of sight. "Garrus?"

"I know my way there. I'll catch up." He kept his attention to the water lapping against the shore in the distance.

There was a human thing he had learned his short time "dating" Shepard, as she had called it. In the nights she or he couldn't sleep from fears of the future, she taught him of hope. Most of her kind were religious in some way. Most other species laughed at them for the humans' inability to find something that worked, and even more humans didn't even believe in anything. She was one of those. However, she taught him something that did make sense.

"I am not putting that plate up."

"Then keep it for memory. Just in case."

With how things had been looking… plates had been made for everyone. Shepard kept them in her cabin out of sight, to keep at least one thing from her mind. Hers had not been excluded. His chest felt tighten as she approached him on the bed, holding out the plate. He took it, not knowing what it was at first. He ran his fingers over the raised letters of the plate, realization dawning on his face. "Please don't do this to me."

She shifted her weight to the dip in his hips, bringing his focus from the plate to her. "If the worst happens, I want you to be the one to put it there. Promise me that, Vakarian."

He dropped the plate and put his arms around her, head tilted so she could put hers to his crest. "I promise. Just don't make me do it."

"Not if I can help it. I'm hoping with everything I have it doesn't come to that."

"I hope it does too, Shepard." His spine finally relaxed against the breeze of the shore. "I know you were there that day. When Dad…" His fists clenched for a moment. "When Dad radioed in that he and Solana were pinned. I know you were there when the transmission cut. But you at least let me pretend I was alone." The sun fell lower in the distance. "It really will be an empty galaxy without you. Who else can I break stupid laws and traditions with?" He stepped back and turned to the mainland. "Spirits, don't take her too…"