Mass Effect 3 Epilog: Coda

by Charles Spencer

What happened after the 'red ending? This is my epilog to "Mass Effect 3" I started before the Extended Cut...when we had to live with an incomplete 'ending' with huge logic holes. This is my attempt to complete "Mass Effect" in both a logical and more importantly statisfying fashion! The main character is Mary Shepard, who took the Paragon path! In loving dedication to Kat.

10. Chapter 10

I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter, everyone...there'll be a two to three day delay for the following chapters, too. Sigh, life intrudes!

PREVIOUSLY: Commander Mary Shepard has gotten better from her injuries from bringing an end to The Reaper War, and the entire galaxy is hailing her as a savior. But all that matters to her is finding Liara and her lost crew. With the help of the Geth, though, the construction of a new relay that can take Shepard where she needs to go will only take a month.

But...Commander Shepard has things to do, and there are still loose plot threads to tie up, in the month she must wait before she can conclude her journey. Unfortunately, more questions are raised as Shepard gets some ominous news from Samara and another old friend. (Some of that news involves the dark energy stuff foreshadowed in "Mass Effect 2"...slight spoiler, I had to take that in a different direction since BioWare originally meant for it to lead to the ending of "ME3"!) Meanwhile, the crew of the Normandy strike out to explore the world they're stranded on...

...and Jack meets Sha'ira again. On that last, a Reader Advisory: you might get a little hot under the collar when you get to that part of the chapter! ^_^

MASS EFFECT 3 EPILOG: CODA by Charles Spencer

CHAPTER TEN:

"THE SEEKERS"

1

The last thing Mary Shepard wanted to do the next day was start a victory tour on Earth.

However, whether she liked it or not, she was called to Admiral Hackett's office on the Destiny Ascension that evening, and was told that was what would occupy her schedule for at least the next two weeks. To meet every surviving head of state (or their successors) of the nations of Earth to receive military honors from them...it was also expected to boost the morale of the mostly-homeless populace. Shepard quickly didn't like it. She tried to say, "Admiral, I understand why you want me to do this - !"

Admiral Steven Hackett interrupted, "So you shouldn't be debating with me...but I have a feeling you will, anyway."

Hackett's feelings were on the money...Mary's face took on a firm set. "Sir, I'm a soldier. I didn't enlist into service for medals."

He stared at her. "So you think of the honors you'll be given as trivial. Do you think of the medals that you've already been given by me and the United Fleet commanders as trivial?"

Shepard blinked and said defensively, "I-I didn't say that, sir! It's just, if I'm going to be given anything because I did my job, I...I'd rather it be done without so much...well, ceremony!"

"The many heads of state of Earth would disagree with you. Every Human who has a heart and understands what you did for them would disagree. You deserve all the medals and accolades you're going to be given."

"Sir...!"

"Think of this as a temporary vacation, Shepard."

Mary shook her head. "I've been unconscious for three weeks, Admiral, that's vacation enough! I request to help with the relief efforts instead, please - !"

Hackett quickly and decisively shut her down. "Denied, Commander! Be in the main hangar of this ship at 0700 hours! Dismissed!"

Mary tried to open her mouth, but a hard look from Hackett said it wouldn't have been a good idea. She saluted him crisply and said, "Yes, sir!" She turned on her heel and left his office...

When Mary stepped into the hall, she felt the doors close behind her. Then her being stiffened and her cheeks flushed. Mary Shepard missed Liara terribly...she missed her lover a helluva lot more than her left arm, without a doubt. She hoped she could stay busy until the time came that the local relay was completed in a month, to distract her if possible from Liara's absence, but accepting medals, going on parades and whatever across the planet wasn't her idea of 'distracting'. The soldier and savior of the galaxy looked down at the polished floor, and she saw the reflection of her beautiful face scowl at herself...Mary said in frustration, "Shit!"

A calm voice asked her, "Are you all right, Shepard?" She looked up and saw Samara approach her in the hall, smiling. "I'm truly happy to see you well."

"Samara!" Grinning, Mary rushed to the Justicar and hugged her. Taken only a little by surprise, Samara gladly held her in return as she said, "God, it's great to see you!" Mary pulled back to look into the Justicar's eyes...her own were suddenly full of emotion, especially gratitude. "I...I barely remember feeling you touch my mind weeks ago. I-I was told you helped me get through that pain...thank you..."

"It was the very least I could do, dear friend."

Mary's eyes shifted in emotion and she examined Samara. "Are you all right, though?"

The Justicar's stoicism came to the fore, almost like a shield. "You insist on worrying about me..."

With feeling, Mary said, "Damn right, dear friend. So...?"

Samara said, "I needed time to rest when I broke the empathic link days later." She finally smiled and reassured, "I am all right, Shepard, truly."

Mary reluctantly pulled away from Samara, but held her friend's hands gently. "I didn't see you when I woke up, Samara. Is it all right to ask where you were?"

"Of course. Something has developed that has given Admiral Hackett reason for concern. He asked me to investigate on his behalf."

Mary raised her eyebrows. "Should I be worried?"

Samara shrugged. "I do not know. What has developed is this. Most of the mercenaries the crimelord Aria T'Loak contributed to the war effort are no longer in your star system."

Mary Shepard frowned. "The Blood Pack, Blue Suns, and Eclipse. Are you and Hackett sure their absence isn't because they were killed in action?"

"It took me some time to determine that was not the reason, with the assistance of your fellow Spectres in the system. It will take even more time to scour every planet to find them, if they are even here."

"And if they're not...dammit." Mary got angry, and gave voice to why: "The bastards must have backed out of the deal during the fighting and quietly left the rest of the fleet. They probably even took the local relay to travel to Omega at some time before the end of the war."

Samara nodded, somber. "I am thinking the same thing, but do not be so surprised. You did make a deal with the likes of Aria T'Loak to press selfish, murderous criminals into service for the common good. It stood to reason they would continue to look out for themselves and abandon us."

Mary Shepard winced. "I know, it was damn near a devil's bargain I made. I was never comfortable dealing with Aria, but we really did need all the help we could get. Chances are, they're helping her get her house back in order on Omega now, cleaning out any remaining Cerberus presence if any of those terrorists are still alive."

Samara nodded. "It is possible. But Admiral Hackett himself told me he would personally find out exactly where the mercenaries are. And for such a question, you already know who he will go to for the answer."

2

That same night, not much later, Admiral Hackett did indeed call the one person who could tell him what he needed to know about the mercenaries. As he sat at his desk, he saw an image finally appear on his monitor of Aria T'Loak, who sat in her lounge area in Afterlife on Omega. The pulsing, multicolored lights danced over her exotic visage. She smiled and said, "Well, now. The esteemed Admiral Steven Hackett. You're just like I pictured you'd be...only with more scars."

Hackett replied, "And you're just like I pictured, Aria. The sort of cold, selfish bitch who would back out of a deal you made with Commander Shepard."

The crimelord grinned. "I like you already. As your fellow Humans would say, you don't beat around the bush. But if you're a real man, you must know it isn't polite to insult a lady."

"I'll take that under advisement the next time I meet a lady, Aria. As I was saying, you backed out of the deal you made with Shepard to have the mercenary organizations under your control join the war effort. I can think of far, far less polite things to call you."

Aria's grin faded a little. "And you might be justified in doing so, Admiral, if it wasn't for one thing. I kept my end of the deal...I wanted them to fight with you. Illium was devastated in the last week of the war, and the Reapers set their sights on Omega next. Winning the war would only have benefited everyone, including me. I'm therefore sorry to say this...the mercenaries left you on their own accord to return here."

Hackett's eyes examined her. "How can I believe that?"

Matter-of-factly, Aria said, "Because the leaders of the Blood Pack, Eclipse and Blue Suns told me so. That didn't put me in the best of moods, and finding out you won the war didn't make me feel any better. I always honor my deals, and I don't like the idea of cowards working for me. Both of those things are bad for my kind of business."

The Admiral's expression didn't change. "Again...how can I believe that?"

Aria sat back...her expression cooled. "I had their leaders killed, all three of them, in a very public ceremony on Omega...just to remind people I'm not someone to be fucked with. I can send you the recording, if you want."

Hackett nodded. "Do that. And none of the Eclipse, Blood Pack or Blue Suns stayed behind in my home system?"

"Why would they do that?"

"Because I remember all three of those organizations issuing a kill order for Commander Mary Shepard a couple of years ago. Something to do with her helping a vigilante on Omega."

Now Aria's eyes examined Hackett from half a galaxy away. "You mean Archangel. Yes, that was a nasty bit of business, wasn't it. Shepard tends to get on the wrong side of the wrong kind of people. You need not have any concerns in that regard. I rescinded that kill order."

"You did?"

Aria T'Loak was forthright: "I owed Shepard a debt...some idiots in the Blood Pack thought they could plan to kill me before she told me the score. I owed her for that...if I hadn't, she wouldn't have left Omega alive after the Justicar in her crew, Samara, killed this nasty little serial killer they were hunting. I repay my debts, Admiral, and to do that I made it clear any vendettas against Mary Shepard be stopped. Permanently. I also made sure the Blood Pack underwent a bit of...reorganization at the time in response to the planned hit on me." Translation: she killed the Blood Pack's leadership on Omega at the time.

Hackett smiled a little. "Because you're not someone to be fucked with."

Aria smiled back. "Exactly."

The commander of the Earth Systems Alliance Navy said, "Do me a favor anyway, Aria...perform a head-count."

Aria's smile dropped off her face. "What?"

"You heard me. I want to know every member of those mercenary groups are there on Omega, with you, at this time. We do have a number of mercenary fatalities...at least some of them lived and died with honor, like many of the last remnants of the Batarian military." He wouldn't miss the Batarians, though...the last he knew, less than five-hundred of that race were spread across the galaxy. Their last military leader, Balak, and the remaining soldiers under his command joined the United Fleet. Subordinates reported that Balak died during the fighting with the Reapers, like many under his command did. Hackett had been tempted to say good...the son of a bitch was a terrorist and coward. If the remainder of that race didn't focus on reproduction, they'd go extinct. No big loss if they did, but the missing mercenaries were a greater concern for many reasons. "I want to be sure every one of them can be accounted for in one way or another."

Annoyed, Aria snarled, "Do you have any idea how long that would take?"

Admiral Hackett coolly said, "Just do it, as a favor to me...because you didn't hold up your end of the deal to help the war effort. Do it because if any of those mercenaries are here in hiding, preparing to do something I won't like, then I'll take it personally and hold you accountable." He then deliberately sat forward in his chair and added, "Do it...because I'm not someone to be fucked with."

Aria T'Loak smiled brightly. "Now I'm really starting to like you, Admiral."

3

Somewhere in the Attican Traverse...on an unexplored world.

The entire crew of the crash-landed Normandy SR-2 was in high spirits as Lieutenant-Commander Ashley Williams addressed them in the CIC: "Okay, people, we've been on unofficial vacation for almost a month, but that ends effective now! Remember you're soldiers! A lot of things were uncertain before, but now we know our Commander is all right, and she will be coming to find us this time next month! She won a damn war for us, so she WILL come and find us! When she does, I want Commander Shepard to see the best damn crew in the Alliance Navy and the United Fleet hasn't lost its edge! Do I make myself clear!"

The crew of the ship had thankfully maintained its standard number of crewmembers - 51 in all, including Williams, with the only absence felt being Lt. Steve Cortez, who had been left behind on Earth - in spite of the terrible war they just won, as much a testament to Commander Shepard's leadership as anything...adding the seven fully-healed casualties picked up from London, the mostly Earth Systems Alliance crew came in at a total of 58 souls. Therefore, the response was loud as everyone she spoke to answered enthusiastically, "YES, MA'AM!"

Ashley smiled warmly and nodded. "That's what I want to hear! This is our first expedition into the wilderness of this planet, and I don't want any chances taken!" She asked that not just because it was what Shepard would have wanted, but because many of them had families waiting for them. Those families sent galaxy-wide messages of devotion and support for their absent loved ones not long after Mary Shepard spoke her emotion-filled words to Liara and the crew...hearing from their loved ones as well meant everything. It certainly did for Ashley: she couldn't stop crying tears of joy as she heard from all of her sisters - including Sarah, who she had last seen on the Citadel, and she was so elementally thankful they were all okay. Garrus Vakarian heard from his father and sister, both of whom he'd last seen on Palaven and had thankfully survived the war that devastated their world...and Tali'Zorah vas Normandy even received a message from her adored 'Auntie Raan'. The long-haired beauty looked to the lady standing next to her. "Doctor?"

Doctor Karin Chakwas nodded. "Lieutenant-Commander!" She looked to the rest of the crew, everyone of them she considered her family, and began: "Remember your safety protocols for going into unexplored territory. Remember your training, everyone. Follow your team leaders' orders to the letter, because they won't let you forget what you need to do to stay alive! Remember the basics! First, when collecting botanical and zoological samples, do not ever use your bare hands! Use your latex gloves for plants, and your reinforced gauntlets for any animals, no matter how harmless they might seem! Second, use your noses like your lives depend on it, because it just might! Smell anything out of the ordinary, report to your team leader immediately so they can begin scans of the local atmosphere and apply your oxygen masks! Third, if you hear anything out of the ordinary, report to your team leader immediately! Fourth, see anything out of the ordinary, report immediately! Fifth thing, do not taste anything, even water, unless it's part of the catalog of safe samples we've already collected, and even then use your portable scanners to be sure!" Karin wanted to emphasize their using all of their five senses...it was the best way for them to remember what they needed to. "Finally, if you feel light-headed, tired, or sick for no clear and present reason, take no chances and report how you feel to your team leader immediately! Remember there is no such thing as 'too' careful, and you're looking out for the well-being of the soldier next to you as much as yourself!"

Ashley said, no-nonsense, "And if any of you forget, don't hesitate to ask for a reminder! I don't want foolish pride or ANYTHING to get in the way of all of us staying alive to see Commander Shepard and our loved ones again! Hoo-rah?"

The answer came from the rest of the crew in unison, and with feeling: "Hoo-rah!"

"Okay, I'm leading Team One!" Ashley gestured to Garrus Vakarian, the tall Turian at the forefront of the group, and said, "Garrus is leader of Team Two!" She then gestured to the lovely Asari, Liara T'Soni, and announced, "Liara, you'll command Team Three!" Ashley finally looked to the Quarian among them, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, and nodded to her: "Tali'Zorah, you lead Team Four!" It was a gentle irony that the other three team leaders besides Ashley weren't ESA, but that didn't matter to the rest of the crew. "The rest of you already know which team you belong to, so divide into them! I'm sorry not all of you can come, but we need people to stay behind to watch over the Normandy, just in case - !"

One of the crew, Engineer Gabriella Daniels, raised her hand. "Lieutenant-Commander Williams!"

Ashley looked to the pretty redhead and nodded. "Yes, Engineer Daniels!"

"Permission to switch from Garrus' team to Liara's, ma'am!"

Ashley didn't see any reason to deny that request or ask why. "Granted!" She looked at a younger Private who was about to mix with those close to Liara and said to him, "Donovan, switch with Gabby!"

Private Mike Donovan nodded crisply. "Ma'am!"

Donovan changed places, and Gabby moved with a smile to Liara's group. The pretty engineer drew close to another beauty in the Asari's group, Mission Specialist Samantha Traynor, who smiled back at her. And someone took note of it. Kenneth Donnelly commented, "Huh, how about that."

Ken was standing in a cluster with James Vega, Jeff 'Joker' Moreau, and Chief Engineer Gregory Adams. Joker and Greg had to stay behind, one because of his brittle bone disease and the other to keep watch over the ship's systems. Joker looked at Ken and asked, "How about what?"

Gabby's 'partner in crime' in Engineering looked at the pilot. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed?"

Even James Vega had to ask, "Noticed what?"

Ken said, "Gabby's been spending a lot of time with that Traynor girl lately."

Greg said, "Ken, her name's Samantha."

"Nah, now that we're into the military fol-de-rol again, it's Mission Specialist Traynor."

James said, "Hey, man, don't say that too loud. You're as military as the rest of us!"

Joker looked at Vega then. "You know, come to think of it, you never said what your rank was."

James frowned back. "What're you trying to say?"

Joker said, "I'm just saying..." He shrugged. "...you never said what your rank was!"

"I'm a Corporal, so what?"

"So now I know!"

Ken kept looking at Gabby and Samantha. "I'd like to know why Gabby wanted to be on Samantha's team." Ken was on Garrus' team.

Greg frowned. "I dunno, a lot of us have gotten closer to each other since we crashed here. What's the big deal?"

Ken said quietly, "They've been spending a lot of time together, and I mean more time than comparing beauty tips and some such!"

The other three guys looked at him. Joker asked, "What are you trying to say, Ken?"

It was Ken's turn to get defensive. "I'm making an observation, that's all...!"

Greg looked at him with a strange grin. "You think that's what ladies do in their spare time? That's positively antique!"

Ken looked at his commanding officer in Engineering and said, "I'm using that as an example, Greg! I - !" Suddenly, he noticed all three of the guys had stiffened and were looking behind him. Feeling like a trapped rat, Ken slowly turned...and looked at the beautiful yet stern face of Ashley Williams, her arms crossed, looking hard at him like a mother would at a child with his hand in the cookie jar. Not far behind her, everyone else on the ship was watching with amusement. Ken quickly straightened up and said, "Ma'am!"

Ashley observed, "You look like a group of old hens clucking at one another! Is there any reason in particular you gentlemen have decided not to pay attention to your senior officers during an important briefing?"

Joker quickly said, "Well, in my defense, I'm not going, remember?"

Ashley gave him a look and grunted, "Uh-huh." She then glared at the other three. "So what about the rest of you? Or can you guys think of a good excuse?"

James tried to come up with something to say and fell upon...something lame. He said, "Ma'am, I just had some questions for Engineers Adams and Donnelly about...er...engineering. Ma'am!"

Ken was fit to groan as Greg gave him a look and commented, "Yeah, L.T., there's things the big guy doesn't know. A lot of things!"

Bemused, Ashley said, "I'd agree with that!" She then decided to be merciful to these clowns. This time. "Well, if you're all done, maybe we can get this show on the road!" Ashley turned to everyone else and ordered, "Let's move out!"

And the crew, fully organized, did so...many were equipped with collection kits, others with scanners, others with weapons. Just in case. They left in single file from the main hatch, and then began to divide into their teams, drifting to their respective leaders. Joker and EDI were the last ones out; he just wanted to see his lover out and watch the groups leave. They took a few steps onto the alien earth together, looking at one another with devotion. The synthetic woman was on Tali's team. Joker said quietly, "Be careful, huh?"

EDI nodded deeply. "We will, Jeff." Then she drew close to him, and her chrome lips gently brushed against his. She said solemnly, "I love you."

The lovestruck pilot could only manage, "I love you, too."

Garrus Vakarian looked in Joker and EDI's direction...and he seemed to freeze with shock. Joker noticed and turned to his friend, confused...then the Turian blinked a couple of times. Garrus finally said, loudly, "What the hell is THAT?"

Ashley winced and turned to go to Garrus. "Dammit, what now...!"

Tali'Zorah separated from her group to go to her lover immediately out of concern. As she reached him, she saw Garrus was staring at the ship...she turned in the direction he was looking as she began, "Garrus, what are you going on...about...!" Tali had stopped because she saw what Garrus was looking at.

Everyone else was doing the same...Ashley slowed to a stop, looking at the Normandy with wide eyes. Even Liara couldn't help but look stunned as she softly said, "By the Goddess...!"

Joker and EDI both felt a foreboding...and slowly turned to look at what everyone else was staring at. They quickly saw the reason everyone else was shocked. Shallow marks had been made in the fuselage of the ship...at the hatchway, in fact. The marks were long and ragged, almost slashing at the door. They looked like...something scratched at the ship's hull and tried to get in.

Joker managed to say, "I hate to quote someone else, but I'd definitely call this...problematic!"

4

The Destiny Ascension. Intimate moments were about to unfold.

Consort Sha'ira was in her spacious quarters, lighting a candle. There were candles alight everywhere in the room, by the scores. Their soft illumination combined and made her quarters a beautifully spectral, peaceful place...a mirror to the one who stayed there. Sha'ira heard the door chime. She had expected it. The Consort said quietly, "Come in, Jack."

The doors to her quarters slid open, and Jack was at the threshold...the unique, formidable beauty entered slowly as she stared at the Consort with a frown. "You just had to do that mind-trick shit again, didn't you?"

Sha'ira turned to look at her visitor and reassured, "I was not trying to trick you, Jack..."

Jack quickly got annoyed. "Okay, okay! God, you have to be so serious."

The beautiful Asari considered the Biotic. "No...I do not have to be. You did not have to come, either..."

Jack nodded as she stopped yards away from Sha'ira. "I know. I...I wanted to, mostly to say thanks. Thank you for helping Shepard get better."

Sha'ira bowed. "It was an honor to do so."

The younger beauty was visibly getting more uncomfortable with each passing moment she was here. "I...I'm also here because...uh..."

Sha'ira smiled softly. "You do not have to say it, Jack."

That didn't make the girl feel any better. "Yes, I do. I...I want to know what you're...you're offering."

The Consort said simply, "I already told you."

Jack flushed a little, her cheeks brightening. "I-I know, I - !" She looked down at the floor, troubled. "Why the hell am I so scared of this...? Why am I scared of you?"

Sha'ira was patient. Calm. "I told you, Jack...you did not have to come. But I do want you to be here. I want to give of myself to you...as much as you want that."

Jack managed to look at Sha'ira...into her eyes. She managed, "I want to be here too, Sha'ira...I..."

"Shhh." The Asari was so beautiful in her pastel robes. She gestured to Jack, inviting. "Please, come closer."

Jack's full lips pursed together and she slowly moved to the Consort. She glanced nervously at the candlelit surroundings. "You...you knew I was coming." Fearful, grateful, Jack said, "Thank you..."

Sha'ira said, "No...you deserve my gratitude. You were there with Mary Shepard on her long road...and if you wish, you can be there with her still. She desperately needs to find her loved ones. Just as you...need her."

Jack...stopped only a few yards away from Sha'ira. Her eyes were so unsure...she whispered, "I...I-I'm so scared..."

"Shhhhhh." Sha'ira's very presence sought to soothe the girl, as her soft voice reassured. "You do not need your defenses here, Jack. It was your choice come...you can tell me to stop any time, and I will. I promise."

Jack looked down again. Fearful. Desperate. "I...I need to know some kind of peace...at least for a while. I need to feel things I've never felt before."

Very slowly, the Consort took one step toward Jack. She promised, "You will." Sha'ira's eyes examined the girl...and knew. "But you need more...you need what only one other can give to you, Jack. At some point in our lives, each and every one of us turns to the one we know holds the answers to our questions. But you never had someone like that to turn to. You never had someone who gave you the certainty and warmth only a parent can give to their child. Instead, you have only known chaos in your short life."

After a moment, Jack nodded. "That changed...after I met her."

The Consort's voice soothed. "She offered you certainty and warmth...even though she never had such things when she grew as a child. You both are so much alike, Jack...you have no reason to be afraid of her. And she does love you, too." Slowly, Sha'ira drew ever closer to Jack. "If you want it badly enough...she will always be there for you. But only if you are there for her. If you can reach past your fear...that you are unworthy of her."

Jack almost laughed. "Damn, you really are a drama queen."

Sha'ira smiled brightly. "Thank you." She gracefully reached into a pocket of her robes, and took out a small remote. "Relax now, Jack. And listen..." A sound system had been activated. Drums began to sound...urgent, primal, slow in their beat.

There was still a short distance between them. Jack felt a surge of fear. "Sha'ira, I..."

The Consort's eyes looked into Jack's eyes...and then into her. Her voice was gentle. "You need not fear me, either. But you can simply say stop at any time. Truly."

After a moment...Jack let out a sharp sob and looked down as she began to cry. "Oh, God...I'm still that weak little girl. I was made to feel what those fuckers wanted. I was made to do anything they wanted. I-I went through so much shit..."

Sha'ira nodded with sadness...as her voice offered... "Yes..."

The young woman known as Jack, the most powerful Biotic in existence, truly turned to her inner strength then. She began to focus as tears spilled down her beautiful cheeks. Her fists clenched...and then gently relaxed. It seemed like a lifetime before she found the certainty to truly say for the first time in her life, "I don't want to be afraid anymore." Jack looked forward again, into Sha'ira's eyes, and it felt like longer than a moment passed before she took that last step to bring them together. With no distance between them, Jack smiled at the Consort. Her eyes were so full of need. She whispered, "I want to be with you."

With no distance between them, Sha'ira gently placed her hands on Jack's shoulders. Her voice fell to just above a whisper. "Then close your eyes...and listen. Let the music take hold of you." The drums began to quicken in their beat...and strings joined them in answer, just as urgent.

Jack's eyes closed...her nervous breathing slowed.

The girl heard Sha'ira as she said, "Let yourself be carried by the music...to a place where you need not know fear." Jack began to feel her fear, the fear that had always been with her...drain away. Her heartbeat slowed and steadied as moments passed.

Jack whispered softly, "No fear..."

"But I swear...you will know other things." The music slowly built in intensity as Sha'ira slowly, gracefully stepped around Jack. "You will know bliss..." Behind the girl, the Consort's slender blue hands rested upon her shoulders again. The Asari moved close and spoke into Jack's ear. "...the most primal joys..." Her hands moved down and caressed the length of the Biotic's tattooed arms, and then back up again slowly...sweetly. "...things you could not even have dreamed of will be yours."

Jack felt the music as it increased in need...her entire being was still, ready, her breaths shallow.

The Consort told her the truth: "I will bring you peace."

Then. Sha'ira's arms moved to hold Jack from behind with the most exquisite tenderness...one of her hands moved up, and softly skirted upon the girl's lovely neck, and stopped to carefully rest over her left ear, almost cradling the side of her face. Jack relaxed back into her. The music was intense, everything, and so were the sensations...

Sha'ira, as she held Jack from behind with one arm, gently turned the Biotic's face to hers. Their lips were close...very close. Sha'ira said softly, "Now." The Consort's face drew close and her lips gently brushed against Jack's in a ghost of a kiss...and then again, giving her more. The girl's face drew close to the Asari's then, tentatively, and her full lips found the Asari's...needful in warmth, but without fear. Each kiss they shared built in intensity...and then their lips pressed against one another...their tongues slowly, needfully began to dance with each other in their mouths, almost in time to the music that became everything.

Jack began to know peace...bliss...and oh, so much more.

5

Back at the Normandy. Doctor Karin Chakwas had just finished her examination of the scratches on the hull and looked at her scanner's findings. What she had to say to everyone wasn't exactly good. "Ah, I'm sure this news will not set a lot of hearts at ease. I can confirm these are definitely claw marks."

James Vega said, astonished, "Claw marks. Something tried to...to SCRATCH into the ship?"

Garrus said, "Did a pretty good job of it, too."

Tali looked down at the ground, at something else no one had noticed right away... "Whatever scratched our ship also had to leave these tracks." The tracks left deep impressions in the grassy ground. Which meant it was heavy...which also meant it was big.

"Okay," Ashley Williams said as she looked the situation over. "A big animal we haven't seen yet scratched our ship. This doesn't change our plans."

Kenneth Donnelly looked at her and said haltingly, "Wh-whoa there, Lieutenant-Commander! Something with big claws and maybe bigger teeth is out there! And that doesn't change things?"

Gabby Daniels said, but uncertainly, "We still have to find out what's out there, Ken!"

Gabby looked at Samantha Traynor, who was more than a little unsure, for support...Samantha found the strength to agree and offer, "It's better that than waiting for something to look for us!" Gabby nodded.

Liara T'Soni nodded. "True, Samantha. Staying here will not help anything, anyway!"

Garrus looked at Ashley, and then at everyone else. "We have to strike out and explore, because only the Spirits know what's out there we need to find out about!"

Ashley nodded. "Exactly, Garrus!"

Tali looked at everyone and sought to lift their spirits again: "Listen, everybody. I've explored and scavenged dozens of alien worlds I didn't know, and they were a lot less pleasant than this! Just as long as we're alert and careful, our chances are good. Honestly!"

Samantha smiled a little. "Well, when you put it that way..."

Gabby said, wanting to hedge her bets, "I would've liked it better if Tali said our chances are excellent instead of good!"

Tali conceded, "Even I've had close calls, okay? But I was working alone!"

Liara then said to everyone with a strong voice, "Listen to Tali, all of you! There is strength in numbers! Working together, looking out for each other, we'll be all right! Okay?"

The Asari didn't get an answer right away. Ashley quickly, loudly said, "The lady asked a question, people! Hoo-rah?"

That was enough...everyone else looked to Ashley and echoed, "Hoo-rah!"

Ken tentatively asked, "Uh, L.T.? Can we get bigger guns, just in case? Please?"

Ashley shot Ken a look and said, "Fine! Anybody who wants to change their loadout, go ahead! But be quick!"

James Vega began to dash into the ship as he shouted, "Dibs on the grenade launcher!"

Annoyed, Ken bolted after him. "HEY! I want that!"

Ashley mused, "Since Vega's on my team...whether I like it or not...getting a big gun is actually a good idea."

EDI asked, "Why do you say that, Lieutenant-Commander?"

"Because I'll have my team track down this critter as the rest of you go in separate directions for sample-collection and exploration." She looked back at the Normandy with an angry gaze. "I don't like the fact that some damn thing scratched our ship."

Joker nodded whole-heartedly. "I'm kinda taking that personally too, Ash! I mean, hasn't this poor girl been through enough?"

6

Ten long hours later, Ashley's team was still following their quarry...James had been assigned to point to track it, and he had no problem keeping with its trail. They had another twelve hours of sunlight before darkness fell, and it was almost time to turn back. They had moved through dense forest for a while, and saw at least several members of one of the native species to this planet. They were like monkeys in the way they acted moving among the high branches, but they looked like octopus. Sort of. They were covered in fur, and they used their long tentacles to snare berries in the canopy and take them into their mouths. They each had six eyes, and didn't seem to notice the off-worlders...or at least, they didn't consider the team to be a threat. Ashley had one soldier take notes of the creatures' behavior as another made a video record of them.

The team just entered an open clearing when one of them spied something only twenty yards away. Private Tasha Campbell pointed to it as she called out, "L.T.? Over here!"

Ashley looked at it. It was a beautiful flower with nearly tiger-stripe patterns on its petals. She nodded. "Definitely something we haven't seen yet. Collect it!" She said to everyone else, "Hold up a minute, everyone!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Tasha put her reinforced gloves on, just in case. For all she knew, she thought, the damn thing might bite.

As Tasha knelt next to the flower (if it was one) and carefully began to section off the dirt it grew out of from the rest of the terrain, a fellow private in her regulation Alliance blue including a beret, moved to stand next to her and keep a lookout. Private Deanna Westmoreland mused, "This sure beats guarding a damn door every single day." She and her fellow bereted Private acted as security controlling access to the War Room of the CIC Deck for pretty much the entirety of the war.

Tasha grinned as she gently lifted the flower(?) and the dirt surrounding its roots(?) from the alien earth. "Hmf. Never thought crashing would get us a different duty." Suddenly, one of the flower's leaves slowly wrapped around one of her gloved fingers, but it wasn't a threatening gesture. Tasha frowned a little. "Okay, calm down, whatever you are...!"

As the private put the specimen in a sample container, Ashley looked impatiently at James. "Vega, over half the day's gone! You are still tracking it, right?"

Annoyed, James looked at Ashley. "For the upteenth time, ma'am, if I lose sight of its tracks, I'll - !"

That was when they heard the sound.

Ashley quickly gestured to the others, and the team of twelve Marines fell into crouches. All of them got out their sidearms James gripped his M-100 Grenade Launcher and Ashley quickly got her Avenger assault rifle at the ready. The Lieutenant-Commander didn't like their present situation: they were still in open ground, fully exposed. If they were in a combat situation hunting for enemies, she knew they would have been in trouble.

The sound came again...it was a crisp crunch! It came from the treeline of another growth of forest only fifty yards ahead. Deanna pointed in that direction and said, anxious, "Toward those trees!"

James quickly cautioned her. "Shh!" Keeping at a crouch...he slowly began to move toward the direction of the noise.

Ashley quickly whispered, "Careful..."

James turned to look at her, and winked...

...and out of nowhere, what made the noises before burst out of the shadows of the forest ahead. And it WAS big, about ten meters tall, in fact. It looked like a very, very ugly cousin to a mythical centaur...it moved on four legs, and its upper body was tall above its front legs. It was covered in dirty fur, its human-like arms long and ending in scythe-like claws about four more yards in length. It had one eye, and a vertical mouth that opened and revealed rows of sabre-like teeth as it issued a blood-curdling roar: RREEEAAGGGHHHHH!

Wide-eyed, James cried, "Aw, SHIT!" He suddenly, instinctively backpedaled from the sight of the alien predator, and one of his heels tripped on the uneven ground of the clearing. "Waugh!" As he fell on his butt, he fired his grenade launcher in the general direction of the beast. Thumm!

Of course, he missed.

But it was a near-miss: a tree next to the beast exploded in a blast of fire, splinters, and a healthy amount of alien sap. SHRA-KOWW! Ashley and everyone else fell prone on the ground as the creature froze in clear, sudden horror...it then whirled and rushed back into the shadows of the forest where it came from faster than it had any damn right to, considering its size. It seemed to whine as it did so with a fearful REEE! REEE! REEE!

James watched it leave with a stunned expression as he sat on the ground.

Everyone else in the team stood...some of them had gobs of sap splash on them. One of those people, James saw with sudden dread, was Lieutenant-Commander Ashley Williams. She looked mortified as she stood, and she raised one of her hands to her wet, seriously sticky hair. Her fingers combed through her long hair to get the sap out, but it didn't help much. Livid, Ashley stared at James and said, "Nice shooting, Tex."

James awkwardly stood, very self-conscious as the others stared at him. "Uh...in my defense, I tripped."

Ashley growled, "Okay, nice shooting for having tripped!"

As his commanding officer began to walk to him, James said, "Ease up, Lieutenant-Commander! I still scared the thing off!"

"Yeah, because you killed a tree!"

"So what?"

Ashley stopped in front of the big man and spread her hands. "So this is a virgin ecosystem, genius! We have no idea how much of an impact we make would be TOO much! And we're covered in its sap, dammit! It's a good thing Doctor Chakwas already did full tests on trees like that in the area around our crash site! I'll still check with her just in case this sap has...has...I don't know what!"

James frowned and gave her a level stare, unrepentant. "I just shot a tree! What's the big deal! You make it sound like I shot a relation of yours!"

Ashley stared at him. "Why you muscle-bound, over-compensating, trigger-happy...LUNK!"

James glared at her and said, "Who's over-compensating?"

Ashley looked at everyone else and shouted, "All right, fun's over, everyone! We're going back to the ship before we lose daylight! Let's go!"

As everyone began to follow her, some awkwardly because of alien sap, James shouted after her, "Hey! I don't over-compensate for a damn thing!"

Ashley whirled and shouted, "Really? I thought your liking to carry big guns was a clue otherwise! And what about your excercising every damn free moment?"

James flinched. "What's wrong with exercising? I like to stay in shape! I gotta stay ripped for combat situations!"

Everyone else watched the two as they argued. Ashley grinned as she said unkindly, "Oh, yeah? I thought those bulging muscles were for hiding things that were...well...smaller!"

James suddenly got VERY defensive then. "Hey!-HEY! NOW I get what you're saying! I don't over-compensate for...f-for...!"

"Yeah?"

James stared at her and finally said, "Suddenly I don't wanna talk to you!" He then turned and began walking back the way the team came.

Ashley was beside herself as she stormed after James. "Ohh, really? You're not getting out of it THAT easily! Hey!"

James said, not looking back, "I'm walking and not listening!"

Deanna looked at the two as they followed them with the others. She looked at Tasha and asked, "Are they gonna shut up before we get back to the ship?"

Tasha had put her sample, sealed in its container, in her backpack. She gave her fellow private a dubious look. "I hate to say it, but we couldn't be that lucky."

Deanna shook her head. "This is gonna be a long damn month..."

Fortunately, the other teams' explorations were uneventful...the same could be said for the entirety of the first week as they waited for Commander Shepard to rescue them.

It wouldn't stay uneventful for long.

7

It had already been a long day for Mary Shepard after the start of her victory tour...she had gone to three cities in the United North American States, and if this start was any indication, the pace would be like a whirlwind. And it still didn't help her miss Liara any less. Still, she was overwhelmed by the response of those she saw in the ruins of New York City alone. The government had to move to Old Manhattan Island itself, one of the few parts of the massive city left standing, and its leaders honored Mary Shepard here under the statue of George Washington in front of Federal Hall. Even though she was never part of her homeland's military, she was nonetheless given its highest honors, both military and civilian: the military Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. She felt warm as she received such honors, but it was sobering to be part of the parade that wound through the decimated ruins of the megatropolis. In spite of the uniform jubilations and expressions of cheer and thanks from those survivors here who saw their savior, Mary would have felt even better if she had left the parade and joined the displaced and the homeless who had to live in shantytowns and tent cities to help them in some way, any way. But she realized how much hope and happiness she brought to those people not only in New York, but in what was left of Washington, D.C. and San Juan, Puerto Rico just by being there.

That evening, she was in her quarters on the Destiny Ascension, finally in her more casual short-sleeve uniform...when she received a visitor. Mary called out, "Who is it?"

The female voice answered, "Commander, it's Gianna! I've got gifts!"

Mary suddenly rushed to her doors and opened them, and standing there with two six-packs in her hands and a bright grin was Gianna Parasini, the beautiful Noveria Development Corporation Internal Affairs investigator she last saw on Illium. Mary grinned back. "Gianna...!"

"Surprise!"

Mary truly was surprised, and happily so. "It's been too long, Gianna! What brings you here?"

"What else? Once I owed you a beer, Commander. After everything you've done, I owe you a damn brewery!"

Mary shook her head gently. "You don't owe me a thing, my friend."

Gianna sighed. "Shit, I knew you'd say that. Let me agree to disagree, okay? Besides, if you're not doing anything..." She held up her offerings. "I'll share a couple of six-packs as a down-payment! How does that sound?"

"Sounds like you need to get your ass in here! Let's go!"

Gianna laughed and entered Mary's quarters...she then quickly set the beer on the floor and hugged the beautiful soldier. In a much more solemn tone, Gianna said, "Seriously...thank you. None of us can say that enough times, I know."

Mary warmly returned the embrace and quietly said, "Yes, you can, Gianna. Really."

An hour passed quickly as they each ran through a six-pack, as they talked and laughed with true warmth. Mary finally said, "Thank you for this...I had a long day accepting one medal after another, feeling like everyone on Earth was watching me..."

Gianna grinned again. "And of course, everyone was!"

"Don't remind me! And I want to forget how many times I've already been called The Shepard..."

The investigator looked at the soldier thoughtfully. "I know you well enough to figure that basking in glory isn't your style."

"And it never will be. Some friends and I are going to get together later to wind the evening down...you're more than free to stay."

Gianna held up a can in salute. "How can I refuse an invitation from the savior of the galaxy?"

Mary winced. "Ugh...!"

"Sorry, sorry! I couldn't resist! Before we have some real fun, though...I needed to catch you up on things I've been doing." As she finished that last statement, Gianna lost most of the good humor in her expression.

That sobered Mary, who looked back at her. "You're starting to sound serious."

Gianna set her can down...for now. "Because my business is serious, remember? And this was before I helped supervise shipments of Elanus Risk Control Services weapons and munitions to the Earth resistance."

Mary smiled warmly. "You saved so many lives doing that...people need to thank you, too."

The investigator shook her head. "Come on, I was born on Earth, too. It was the least I could do. But I needed to talk to you about things I was into before that, Mary...I couldn't talk to you at all before now because you were on one mission or another during the war."

The savior looked at Gianna cautiously. "I'm not going to like where you're going, am I?"

Gianna said, "Here's a hint: I was already given clearance and told Admiral Hackett what I'm about to tell you."

Pure business, Mary Shepard said quietly, "You have my attention. Cleared by who, the ERCS?"

"Yeah. I was contracted to be an investigator for them while you were looking for the Collectors. You remember what I told you the last time we met on Illium?"

"Yeah, your superiors were worried about individuals having an interest in dark energy?"

Gianna nodded. "Any time anyone asks about dark energy, or even eezo, it gets the attention of a lot of official people. I found out there was one guy I really needed to focus on, a scientist from Sur'Kesh who was making inquiries here and there. I started tracking his activities and the trail led me to Omega, where this Salarian started buying element zero on the local black market."

Mary nodded. Element zero was the most tightly regulated resource in the galaxy...but that didn't matter if you went to the wrong places, like Omega. "That's not out of the ordinary."

"True, but what got my attention was how much this son of a bitch was buying...I mean, a lot more than what's standard for a starship and its reserves. Another big red flag for me was that he requested it all raw and unrefined. As a matter of fact, I discovered a lot of refined eezo was bought at Omega over the counter by Salarian customers, all with the authorization of their Dalatrass."

Mary noted, "Most likely for the relay network they were making."

Gianna smiled a little. "Mmm. I didn't know that at the time...I still discounted the government customers immediately. This one scientist I was tracking was being much, much sneakier. I managed to get a lock on his accounts, and I confirmed he was being bankrolled for all of his purchases, with plenty left over to make him comfortable for a long time."

"Do you know who he was working for?"

Gianna frowned sourly. "No...and I really, really want to know. Long story short, I kept tracking the scientist's movements, trying to figure out where he was delivering the raw eezo. I talked to some underworld contacts I knew and trusted, and this Salarian was getting as much information as he could about Geth activity in a particular location."

Mary blinked. "Geth?"

"Yeah. The location he asked about, where he went...you're not going to like it."

Mary Shepard didn't care. "Where, Gianna?"

The investigator said quietly, "It was the Dholen System."

The savior's eyes widened. She almost whispered, "Haestrom's star...oh, God..."

"It was later I found out it also got the interest of the Quarians. And you."

"I went there to help an old friend. She was investigating why Dholen was destabilized, burning itself out. The Quarians had no idea why the star was doing that, but that somehow dark energy was involved..."

Gianna nodded. "I got the same readings from my ship's sensors. I rushed as fast as I could to some theoretical physicians for ERCS who specialized in dark energy. I already had a nasty fucking feeling in my gut, and I hoped to Heaven they said I was wrong to be afraid. But...they said I was right to talk to them. Mary...Dholen could only have been destabilized by a dark energy detonation, which would easily have been created by the amount of raw eezo the scientist paid for."

Mary Shepard stared at her. "Gianna...you know what you're saying...?"

Almost reluctantly, the beautiful investigator said, "Yeah, I do. I kept hunting for that goddamn scientist until I finally caught up with him just before The Reaper War started. He had an apartment on Illium, of all places! I found his body there...he'd been murdered weeks before I got to him. Probably by whoever employed him to cover their tracks."

Shepard snapped, "Screw him. Gianna, everything you're telling me...it all points to one thing! Someone out there contracted this scientist to buy enough element zero to create a weapon that can destabilize a star, and then killed him to protect themselves! Someone out there wants to make a dark energy WMD." She almost couldn't believe she said that, but the pieces fit too damn well together. Dark energy weapons of mass destruction had been outlawed for over a thousand years, and for good reasons. In fact, it was one of the few intergalactic crimes punishable by death by every advanced race in the galaxy. The last time such a damnable weapon was made, its detonation held enough pure destructive power to annihilate an entire star system. Mary remembered uncomfortably the parallel with her destroying the Alpha Relay...but that was a necessity to stop an overwhelming, near-unstoppable evil, and she had tried to alert the Batarian colony in the system. For someone to use such a weapon in malice against others...no sane person could ever want to conceive such a thing.

Gianna nodded sadly. "Yeah...but the trail's gone cold for now, Shepard. I have no idea where the scientist's employer is, or even where to start looking. When I told Admiral Hackett all of this, he said he'd give me the backing of the Spectres to continue my investigation. For now, though, until our star system is connected to the new relay network, he told me not to tell anyone else. But I had to tell you."

Mary nodded solemnly. "Thank you for that, Gianna. If there's anything I can do to help you after I find my loved ones, I absolutely will."

Gianna managed a grin then. "I know. So! Until we can do anything about it, I'll help you wind the evening down in grand style. And maybe we'll both get drunk enough to forget all the shit I just told you."

Mary nodded again and held up her can of beer. "That sounds like a plan, my friend." Gianna quickly clinked her can against Shepard's. But...the savior's mood turned downcast again. "I hope we can forget, at least for tonight. God, this is the last thing the galaxy needs right now."

Gianna Parasini nodded in return, and deeply. "You're right. But it doesn't change what we've got to live with. There's an asshole out there who wants to create a weapon that would make them...oh, a thousand times more dangerous than an average Reaper."

TO BE CONTINUED...