"Search the East side of the wreckage, send up a flare if you find any survivors in need of medical attention. If they are able, escort them to the nearest refugee shelter. If you find causalities, military or civilian, tag them."
The chorus of "Yes, sir's" that followed were of little comfort to the admiral. There were too many dead, too many that had to be tagged. The morgues throughout the city of London were going to overflow with the dead. If they weren't careful, disease would spread through the city like the Black Plague that had happened centuries before.
He didn't know how Shepard had managed to make it inside The Citadel-it was a miracle, a miracle that spared the galaxy. The dead Reapers around London served as a morale boost to the citizens of Earth, but also acted as a testament to the courage of the soldiers who fought in the terrible war. The Reapers were gone; the galaxy was safe.
Hackett cast an eye over the his remaining troops searching the rubble. Many soldier that had assisted in the final push had died or been wounded. Few had come out without some sort of injury. Those who were able to walk were helping locate survivors-a tedious job that usually ended with despair.
"Sir! We found a body!"
Hackett frowned, normally there was no need to alert him about a causality. He looked over at the soldier.
"Who is it?"
"Looks like that Cerberus guy, the Illusive Man."
Hackett ran over to the soldier, seeing that he was correct when the Illusive Man's body was in his sights. The man was dead, his body twisted in an odd direction and burnt from the blast of a Reaper gun.
"What was he doing so close to the beacon?" Hackett mused aloud. He looked up at where the beacon had been, connecting The Crucible to Earth. The results of the mad dash to the beam were shown in the number of bodies that littered the streets. Earlier, they had found Anderson, bloodied and unconscious, but breathing. So far, he was one of the few that Hackett's recovery team had found alive.
"Tag him." Hackett ordered the soldier. The admiral turned and walked away, going to return to his former post at a high vantage point.
"Admiral!" There was a note of urgency in the soldier's voice that made the admiral change direction and head in the direction of the voice.
"Sir! We found a living friendly. It's-" The soldier hesitated, and Hackett increased his pace to a slight jog, "it's an N7."
Hackett broke out into a full run, sliding to a stop when he reached the soldier. He fell to one knee.
"My God, it's Shepard." Hackett gingerly reached for the clasps of her helmet. He glanced side-long at the soldier who had signaled him, "Send up a flare and go gather a medical team, stat!"
"Yes, sir!" The soldier ran away, fumbling with the flare gun he had pulled from his belt. Hackett shook his head despite the circumstances of his current situation; in order to get troops for the war, the resistance had taken any help that they could get. The soldier was probably a farm worker from the outskirts of the city who had never held a gun in his life.
Hackett surveyed the woman lying in front of him: she was completely still, though there was the slight movement in her chest that signaled she was breathing. Her armor was burned completely in some spots, and the rest was covered in black soot from the explosions. Shepard's left leg was positioned in an odd angle-it pained Hackett to see that break. It would be a while before Shepard was able to walk again.
Finally separating Shepard's helmet from the top of her suit of armor, Hackett slowly lifted the piece of equipment from her head. He made a noise in the back of his throat at the sight of the galaxy's savior.
Shepard eyes were closed tightly, as if even in her unconscious state she could feel the pain from the burns that marked her body. Her face was pale from loss of blood-her burns were of the third degree, Hackett surmised.
How she had managed to fuel The Crucible and destroy the Reapers, only Shepard could tell them.
Hackett glanced up from the battered body of his prized soldier as a medical team came into range. He waved an arm to show the men his location. As the medics came closer, Hackett rested a hand on Shepard's forehead, comforting her in her unconscious slumber.
"Don't worry, Shepard, you're safe now. You're home."
A/N: No Shenko in this chapter, but don't worry, it is coming. :)