"Attention, this is your pilot speaking. Please buckle-in, we are going to hit the atmosphere in a few moments and we'll expect a little more chop than usual due to a recent storm. Nothing to worry about." The intercom went off and Shepard was one of the few people that didn't move a muscle.

In her defense, neither did Garrus; simply because they had both been tightly buckled in since they had left. Many times life or death had solely depended on the seatbelt of a transport vehicle. She had been driving a few of them, and that had been one of the many reasons why Garrus' hadn't undone his after the first take-off. Her nails were biting into the chair's arm rest as Garrus still read the PDA in his gloved claws. The man had developed many useful skills these past few years, but reading in a bumping vehicle was one of the most impressive. They hit a few times on air pockets but nothing really major, and when they eased out, Shepard's breath did as well. The pilot certainly didn't handle it like Cortez did.

Joker was a few seats to her left, holding on his chair in a death grip. Muttering to himself about the atmosphere being fine, but rather it was the shitty barring of the vehicle they were in. And after a particularly hard bump (that sent a soft swear falling from Shepard's lips) he proceeded to demand to talk to the pilot because, "That asshole has no idea how to drive! Look lady, I'm a pilot, just let me talk to him for a second. Tell him to adjust to go with the wind and not against- Hey, it's just basic flying- among other things. -Hey, hey, you don't need to get mean about it!" And was promptly told a second later to slap his ass to a seat by Commander Shepard. Garrus glanced at Joker, seeing the man sit so fast he was surprised he didn't break the chair with impact. The transport marshal send a grateful glance at Shepard as she returned to her seat.

Garrus' fingers found hers and she clutched them as the bumps returned. Her hand facing upwards, and his downwards, as he scrolled with his other hand's thumb. He looked regretful. No, that wasn't the right word for it. Shepard couldn't put her finger on it but was thankful for the distraction of trying to figure it out.

He finally turned off the PDA and offered it back to her, eyes still looking at it. "Well said, love. In that bar I told you about, he's going to have a grin on his face. Stick to that and we'll be back home with that little furball of ours." He told her quietly, not wanting the other passengers to hear. "You know you can do this."

"I know. I'm just…" She swallowed, "I was less scared running towards a reaper about to rip apart Earth than I am now about to speak to these people." Her eyes glanced around the compartment. Joker was looking at a PDA he'd pulled out. She could just barely make out EDIs name on a message board. The redheads hand was still tightly with Garrus', and he didn't slacken his grip.

Garrus knew it wasn't the speech that was really getting to her. It was the future she would have from here. The world was saved. The galaxy, actually. But she hadn't thought past that- she hadn't realized that she would be there for the afterward. The time to bury loved ones she would have to live through. Shepard could rally the might of the Ether to her aid, but when it came to saying goodbye to friends she couldn't find it more difficult.

"I'll be right beside you. Take a breath." He whispered to her as her breathing got a little more rapid with the intensity of the bumps and for a moment it felt like their shuttle tilted very hard. It evened out finally as they made their final descent. Garrus continued to whisper to her, doing the best thing he could think of to ease her mind. Prepare her. He walked her through exactly what was going to happen to her. Like a strategy; something she could relate to.

She had done hundreds of these speeches before. But none that really sat this heavily with her. "They'll call your name. Walk slowly with your head held high because you deserve to. Keep your eyes forward and walk up the steps, don't look out at the crowd yet. Read from your PDA and put his name on the wall. I'll take care of the rest to get you out of there." He kissed her on the temple as her breath evened out almost entirely, "-Even if I have to light Joker on fire." He poked her in the side, giving her a loving look. "Just another fight, just not with guns." He repeated what she had said earlier.

Somehow knowing what was to come made her calmer. She squeezed his hand, "I can do that much." Shepard leaned her head back, blinking at the roof as they touched down. "You know the best laid plans usually go wrong?"

Garrus kissed her temple, "And usually we manage." The words sat in her heart and that made her brave.