The Yaska, of The Quarian Migrant Fleet, 2186 CE

He didn't sleep well that night cycle, he was too worried, too alert, they could get the signal any moment after all. He knew it wasn't good, knew he still needed to recover from his near death experience but he simply couldn't rest when they were so close to ending this war.

He spent most of the morning with Rei and Niya, neither had much experience handling a gun and there was no way he would let them stay on the ground team without at least teaching them the basics. Niya had decided she would only need a pistol as back up, claiming her tech skills could handle anything else. Rei was smarter, she had allowed him to train her with SMGs and she was a decent shot, so long as she stuck to burst fire.

With nothing left to do he found himself wandering the ship until he could no longer ignore his stomach and headed to the mess for lunch. A few of his fellow soldiers sat at a nearby table with 2033, though why the Geth was there he didn't know, it wasn't as if they had to eat. He grabbed some nutrient paste and debated whether or not to join them when it was decided for him.

"Hey Captain, sit with us?" Ven'sheya waved him over. He didn't know the young recruit well, perhaps this was a chance to bond with him while he still could, he shook of those particular thoughts and joined them. They spoke of the upcoming mission, weapon and suit upgrades and what they would do when it was over, they were all young and hopeful, he wouldn't ruin that for them now by telling them they may not survive. As the conversation died down, he finally began what passed for a meal.

"So, I think 0402 loves you." Ven laughed and he nearly choked on the paste. "I told you not to let it into your suit, man."

"Loves me?!" he sputtered.

"Yeah, I mean just think about how it used to follow you around and now, you should hear the way it talks about you! It sounds like a love sick teen, I swear." he laughed harder, as if this was somehow funny. The unit in question had been avoiding him lately and he still wasn't any closer to figuring out why. He wondered justhow it spoke of him that made the other marine believe it was in love.

Josin'Taris shook his head and sighed. "Geth don't feel emotions, Ven, and love's just that, an emotion."

"Thanks to Legion, we are alive." 2033 sounded almost sad. "We may not feel things as you would, but we do feel, Creator Taris."

"I'm sorry," the recruit actually did appear to mean it, he was glad the rest of his crew had warmed up to the Geth, "I didn't know."

"It's okay." It reassured him, "This is new for us and we are still figuring out what it means but I believe that what she feels is admiration, not love."

He had picked a bad time to resume eating as he nearly choked on yet another mouthful, "She?!"

"I didn't think Geth had genders?" Ven asked what he couldn't.

"We don't or... we didn't. Though some Geth have recently begun to associate with a specific gender and 0402 feels that she is female."

He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help feeling a little betrayed, after all he had shared about his life, it... she had kept this from him. Though he understood, it must have been hard and it wasn't like he would have been much help. He wanted to ask 2033 when this had happened but decided instead to ask something else, "what about you?"

It seemed it wasn't expecting that question as it was silent for a time. "I am undecided."

In the days that followed, he observed 0402 and noticed that her mannerisms were decidedly more feminine than the average Geth. He had hoped to speak to her about it but as the call came in to take the fight to Earth, he forgot all about it and got lost in the last minute preparations.

His ground team gathered in the cargo bay to load the shuttle with their weapons, spare ammo and medkits as they listened to Alliance Admiral. Hackett rally the united fleet, he had to admit, the man had a way with words. When they had completed their task they all sat around the shuttle to wait, Niya linked up her omni-tool with the picture window camera located on the front of the ship and opened up a projection so they could all see what was going on outside. The fleet that Shepard and her crew had gathered was massive, there seemed to be ships from every race in the galaxy out there, all united under a single banner.

They watched with bated breath as the Normandy lead the fleet through the relay, the sight that greeted them was worse than he feared.

"Ancestors, how many are there?" Josin exclaimed, a note of fear in his usually stoic voice.

His squad kept talking but he tuned them out as he stared at the projector and the thousands of Reapers orbiting Earth, waiting for them. He was filled with worry for Saali and Yaen, who would be right in the thick of all that.

"How am I supposed to get us through that?!" Niya's eyes widened behind her mask, she was tasked with piloting the shuttle and he didn't envy her having to navigate through that. Still he had faith in her, she was an excellent pilot and though she had many faults, they were out shined by her skills, both on and off the field.

His thoughts were filled with the very real possibilty that they might all die, they might not even make a difference. Thankfully, the pilot cut off that train of though as she spoke over the comms. "We're 15 minutes out from the drop site, Captain." she sounded uneasy, not that he could blame her.

"Thank you and stay safe out there, Saali."

"You too, Kal, and this time, no heroics and that's an order! I want to see you all come out of this in one piece."

He laughed, "I'll keep that in mind, ma'am."

"You damn well better."

"All right," he addressed his squad, "you heard the boss, time to move."

As they all piled into the shuttle, he pulled Ven aside. "I want you riding co-pilot, it's a mess out there and you've got good eyes. Keep us safe." the recruit nodded the affirmative and they both climbed into the waiting shuttle.

Authors notes: So, I added a lot more than I originally intended with this chapter, I hope it's better for it. Next up, London!