The Normandy was quiet. Silence reigned in nearly every room. No one could do or say anything. Their Commander and dear friend had gone up to the Citadel and had not come back. They all knew there was little hope that Shepard had survived what appeared to be a devastating explosion of blue energy. Their hope was gone.

In this silence of mourning, a soft sound could be heard from the shuttle bay, where the source of the most intense grief lay. Tali was on the floor, her eyes streaked with loss. She leaned her torso against Garrus' shoulder as he had his seated back to the shuttle bay wall. Tali was clinging to Garrus, crying into his shoulder. Garrus held on to her in return. He too felt pain. The pain of losing a brother. But he knew that he was suffering far less than Tali.

"Shepard… sob*"

Garrus put his left arm around Tali, trying to comfort her. She could hardly form words, the pain for her was so intense.

"Please Shepard. Come back… Come back to me…"

More painful gasps wracked her body. Shepard's death felt more real as more time passed without a communication from him. Even after all Shepard had been through; Sovereign, the Collector base, countless hardships, and even death itself, Garrus could feel it. Shepard was dead.

"My home is with you Shepard. Please. I need you."

Tali's hand slipped from Garrus's armour as her strength left her. Her mind could no longer control her motor functions. Her grief was overwhelming. Garrus' mandibles quivered as his friend sobbed into his shoulder because of his close friend's death. Garrus was past the denial phase; Shepard's words back at the FOB in London helped him through the stages. He was simply sad. But thanks to Shepard, he could be strong. Strong for Tali. He needed to be a pillar of support for Tali because her world was quickly falling apart. Stirring as little as he could, Garrus brought his right arm up to Tali's head, caressing it.

"Shh Tali. Calm. You're going to be all right."

Tali looked up at him, glowing orbs denying his words.

"Not without Shepard."

This utterance brought a resurgence of feelings of loss and she once again threw herself into Garrus' embrace, trying to hide from her pain.

"Please Shepard."

In this silence of mourning, Ashley and James were in the Starboard Observation Deck, sitting at the bar. Both had drinks sitting before them but they were untouched. They did not want to cheapen Shepard's death by trying to drown themselves in alcohol to forget. He needed to be remembered. Ashley aimlessly stirred a straw around her glass. She had been a soldier with Shepard for a long time. There were regrets, but there was also pride. Ashley regretted not trusting him after he was brought back by Cerberus. She wished that she had always done right by Shepard but she hadn't back then. Trusting him hadn't come easy. However, she did take pride in the fact that she trusted him in the end. For finally fighting alongside Shepard when he needed it most. Ashley let a small smile play over her face. She did her duty and Shepard had made it clear that he was proud of her despite their initial disagreements.

Ashley pushed the drink away and looked over at James at the end of the bar by the wall. The sound of sliding metal accompanied his moving hands. They flashed around his rifle, removing and replacing parts as he disassembled and reassembled the weapon. Despite only being around Shepard for a short amount of time, the Commander had made an impact on the young soldier. Shepard's passion and prowess on the field of battle had given James a paragon of a soldier to look up to. For the first time, James had had a hero worth deifying… and dying for. But Shepard had been taken away, sacrificing himself for the galaxy.

The galaxy… James thought.

Suddenly, James grabbed his precious rifle and threw it against the wall. Its half disassembled frame broke apart and pieces littered the floor. Ashley was unfazed. She had similar outbursts back when Shepard died for the first time.

Maybe that's why this is easier for me. I already experienced Shepard's death a long time ago.

"That everything?" Ashley asked him.

James stared at the wall and breathed heavily to calm himself.

"The galaxy" he muttered, "is so unfair."

Ashley turned toward him on her stool.

"Nah."

James turned an accusatory gaze at her.

"How can you say that? Shepard is dead! After everything he did! After everyone he has helped! He is dead!"

Ashley grimaced and dipped her head in sadness at the mention.

"Yeah. Probably."

She raised her head, reached over and grabbed her drink.

"But it's alright. It'll take time, but we'll be OK. The first time Shepard died, it was unfair. I saw him. He didn't want to go. But then the galaxy brought him back. That was fair. And Shepard knew what he had to do to save the galaxy. I think he always knew. Didn't you see him, James? Running toward that beam? He knew what his purpose was and he grabbed it. Shepard wanted to do this. And the galaxy let him. That's fair."

The harshness left James' face as her words sank in. He reached for his drink as well.

"You were with Shepard longer than I was. I'll take your word for it."

Ashley smiled.

"That's the first time I've heard you use his name."

"Yeah, well, only when he isn't around to hear it."

The shadow of sadness crossed over both of their faces once again but Ashley broke through the veil. She raised her glass.

"To Shepard, the luckiest son of a bitch in the galaxy."

James toasted as well.

"To Loco, the craziest and best man to have walked the Earth."

They both whipped their heads back, and drank to their savior.

In this silence of mourning, Javik was alone in his quarters, wiping his hands with the liquid on his tables. Shepard's presence was still strong throughout the Normandy. His last few hours aboard had been filled with intense emotions that remained behind longer than usual. Javik could sense Shepard's last few hours on this ship.

There was great sadness and pain in him. Shepard missed his home planet. The countless deaths hurt him. He felt… a responsibility to the galaxy. Not only to his home planet, but to everyone's planet. But there was also a fountain in him. A fountain of love and hope. Surprising, for a warrior. The Quarian, what is her name… Tali. Yes, Tali meant so much to him. When he fought, it was not for the galaxy riding on his shoulders. It was for Tali. For her safety, for her life. Shepard was right. Death wasn't enough for him. Death and Love were, what is the human phrase... two sides of the same coin for Shepard. Interesting. Ah yes, there it is. He had a powerful will to live. But he also had an overpowering sense of duty. Shepard was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. It is good to know that he went willingly into the abyss to do whatever he had to.

The doors to Javik's quarters opened and Liara walked in, a small black box in her hands. They did not speak for some time. Javik had nothing to say and Liara had to work up some energy.

"So much has happened."

Javik did not look up.

"Yes Asa… Liara."

The silence resumed. Javik kept rinsing his hands, feeling the essence of the late Commander. This time, Javik spoke.

"Why have you come here Liara?"

"I, I'm not sure. I think I just… have to talk to someone. My line of work is lonely. I don't speak to my friends easily anymore. I guess I've been pouring so much of myself into my work for so long that I've forgotten how. I'll have to fix that soon."

The analytical voice of an information broker only served as a light covering over her grief. It was pulled away as she began speaking about the source of the feeling.

"I knew Shepard since just about all of this began. He is- was, a good friend of mine. I need to speak of him. Your people have always been a symbol for mine, despite the revelations you have given me regarding your race. It makes sense I would come here to talk."

Javik turned away from his pools to Liara, unsure how to discuss a topic such as this with someone who was not only a non-Prothean, but not even from his cycle.

"I knew him differently. I did not have the other half of the coin that he did. To me, he was a warrior. The best warrior of my cycle, and yours. It was an honour to have fought and killed Reapers by his side. I never knew him as a… friend, as you did."

Liara looked into Javik's four beady eyes. The light in her eyes was dimmed as if a mask of shadow was covering her face.

"If you don't mind, I would like to know more about his… other half of him, as you put it."

"You don't wish for him or his memory to end." Javik stated bluntly.

Liara put her black box on the table now devoid of Javik's memory shard and bowed her head solemnly.

"I… yes. I joined minds with him a few times. I can still feel where my mind touched his."

The last few words were barely a whisper.

"I… don't want that feeling to stop."

Javik had been a soldier for longer than most civilizations had existed. He understood this sentiment well.

"It is a good thing. Commander Shepard should be remembered for all of time."

Liara turned to face Javik, pleading.

"And what do you remember?"

Javik was unprepared to answer such a question. As a Prothean soldier, eulogies were a foreign concept to him. But he was not at a complete loss. Shepard's presence was still there. Javik drew upon it as he spoke.

"Commander Shepard. He was a fiery warrior. Unwilling to stop fighting until the last enemy had fallen. Those who preyed on the weak feared his wrath. No one was faster or stronger than Commander Shepard. If they were, he outmaneuvered them so that he was."

Javik became more animated as he reminisced about the great Commander. The four yellow eyes flashed around the room as his mind processed the powerful unseen presence.

"He did not allow his wounds to slow him. Any blow that was dealt to him, he returned it two fold. Pain was a close friend of his. He hated it, but accepted it. He did not fight the past. He learned from it. He used it to his advantage."

Stabbing the air for emphasis, Javik made his final pronouncement.

"But most importantly, he destroyed the Reapers. The killers of my people and countless other organics. The gods of the galaxy, vanquished by this man. This soldier. His actions will affect the galaxy far longer than I have lived. Shepard was not a machine. He was alive! And he fought back! He should never be forgotten."

Liara smiled and wiped a few tears from her eyes.

"He won't be."

Javik felt uncomfortable having caused such a display of intimate emotion and wanted to change the subject.

"What is that object Liara? I have never seen such a thing."

Liara ran her hand over the object as if it was a good friend.

"I guess I don't need them anymore. It is my half of Shepard, my memories of him."

She picked up the box and held it before her and Javik.

"Now…well, they can be my memorials to Shepard."

Liara put the black box down and sat down in front of it. A bright glow emitted from the box and coalesced into an image of Commander Shepard. Liara curled her knees to her chest and held onto herself, tears still falling down her cheeks. Intrigued by the display, Javik sat down before the object across from her and nodded. A small sad smile played on Liara's face when she saw Javik join her but her eyes quickly locked back onto the hologram of her dear friend. She reached out and began the program. Liara's voice reverberated around the room.

"Commander Shepard was born on Earth and fought harder than anyone else for his homeworld…"

In this silence of mourning, Joker was sitting in his pilot chair, unmoving. EDI was kneeling on his right, her hands on the arm rest, eyes full of human pain.

"Damnit" Joker repeated.

He put his hand to his eyes and wiped away some tears. EDI was experiencing many new feelings because of Shepard. Now, nearly all of them caused her pain. Except her feelings for the man in front of her. She spoke with care as human mourning was still a foreign concept to her mind.

"We couldn't have done anything Geoff. The Crucible was firing. We had to leave him."

Those words were not the optimal choice.

"It was my job to fly him in and out! I couldn't get to him in time!"

Joker slammed his hand against the blank pilot's console.

"He died once because I wouldn't leave my ship. Now he died because I left him!"

Angrily, Joker used his arm to wipe the new tears away. EDI placed her hand on his right arm, trying to calm him.

"Geoff. Shepard didn't die because we left him, he died because he knew what was at stake. The Reapers were going to destroy everything. Shepard was willing to do anything to stop that. If you had gone to get him, I doubt he would have come. He would have told you to leave and don't let the giant explosion hit you on the way out."

The attempted joke hung stale in the air. It almost worked. Joker looked over at her, sadness, frustration, and love shining through his tears, contradicting yet enhancing each other.

"I think I still need to teach you a few things about being 'too soon.'"

EDI smiled and placed a hand on Joker's cheek, caressing it tenderly.

"Thanks to Shepard, we have time."

Joker couldn't help himself. His lips twitched upward in a half smile.

She's right. The best way to honour Shepard is to use the time he has given us.

The moment of catharsis was ruined when the ships comms relay beeped loudly. The Normandy was being hailed by an Alliance ship, Admiral Hackett's ship. Joker's hand hovered over the flashing control panel.

"Well… time to find out what new galaxy we live in."

His finger tapped the button. The flashing stopped and Admiral Hackett's voice came over the connection, breaking this silence forever.

"Normandy! This is Admiral Hackett. Can you read me?"

Sighing loudly, Joker responded.

"Roger sir. We read you."

"Status report."

EDI took this question and her ship bound form answered.

"The Normandy has suffered damage to its starboard engines but is still space worthy. Only one casualty to report. Commander Shepard did not make it."

"Don't worry. We understand Commander Shepard's situation" the Admiral quickly replied.

The pair looked at each other, confused.

"Sir, what do you mean by that? Commander Shepard is dead, correct?" EDI's physical body spoke into the console.

The Admiral paused for a long time. With each passing second, Joker shifted nervously in his chair. Could Shepard be alive?

"Hell, you should see this for yourself. Suffice it to say, we won. Return to Earth immediately for debriefing. Hackett out."

Joker sprang to life.

"Wait! Sir, what are you saying!"

But the connection was lost. Hackett wouldn't be answering their new burning questions. Joker turned to EDI with a flicker of wonder in his eyes.

"Do you think…?"

EDI processed this inquiry for several seconds, an eternity for an AI.

"Anything is possible."

The mourning did not return. The only smile on the ship came into being.

"That's good enough for me."

His hope revitalized, Joker keyed the ship wide radio.

"Crew, we've heard from Admiral Hackett. Looks like we might have jumped the gun. We have new orders. We are going home."

Each crewmember accepted the news. Some were hopeful, and some were worried about the outcome of the Battle for Earth. But the key members, the people that had been with Shepard as a friend, soldier, and lover, still missed their Commander. But hope had returned.

Hackett's surprise was hovering above Earth's atmosphere. It, or perhaps 'he', waited with anticipation.