Warnings: Major character death, potentially lots of sadness, though hopefully not a lot in the way of angst. Spoilers for 'From Ashes...' DLC and original ME3 ending.
Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to EA and Bioware, I'm just grateful they let me play in the sandbox. There is one line of dialogue in chapter 6 borrowed directly from the ME3 - you'll know it when you see it.
AN: Written for the 2013 Mass Effect Big Bang. There's some wonderful companion art to this piece, drawn by the lovely and talented Minque, who did an absolutely amazing job. I'd link them here if I could, and I highly recommend you check AO3 or the MEBB LJ community for links to the artwork, since they make everything come alive in a really wonderful way. Not related to any of my other fics. For you DK fans...I'm working on it, I promise. In the meantime, enjoy-and hey, this one's a completed piece!
Coda
Now that he was safely back in his quarters aboard the Normandy, Javik headed straight for his calming pool, holding his hands above it as he tried to center himself. The device he'd used to project Shepard's hologram was behind him, and close enough to be in range for his vocal command, repeating his own name as he had for so many others. "Javik." He didn't bother looking behind him to see the image that floated above the device. He'd seen enough of Shepard's battered body in seeing to her last wishes that the image had been burned into his mind, probably forever.
"Javik..." These had truly been her last words, if the rough edge to her voice was any indication. "If you've done what I asked, mere words aren't enough to express my gratitude."
As she often had in the recordings he'd played for others, she paused often to cough or catch her breath, so much so that he'd become accustomed to the cadence of it.
"I can only imagine how difficult it's been. I know my crew well enough to know how they all would have reacted. But Javik... don't underestimate them. And don't underestimate yourself. I know we're just primitives to you, that you think emotion is weak, but... I hope that this has made you think otherwise. Or, at least, has made you think that maybe some of this has some value to us, even if you don't understand it yourself."
Her next pause was lengthy, giving Javik ample time to realize how right she was. He'd never understand their emotions, not really, but at least he could now grasp how important they were to all the various species of this cycle. For so many of them, their emotions gave them such a strength that he'd never imagined they'd be able to claim. It was illuminating, and humbling, to come to those realizations.
As if she'd heard his thoughts beyond the grave, her raspy voice echoed through his chamber once again. "Don't sell yourself short, Javik. It took a lot to be able to do this, too. And..." Again, she paused to cough, and he could hear the scrape of armor as she tried to move; glancing over his shoulder, he noticed that she'd had to pause to wipe blood from the corner of her mouth, and again, he was amazed at her strength. "I know you said you wanted to find your platoon and make your end there. Think about sticking around, though. I know Liara'd love to have your help, and you still have a lot of insight to offer about the cultures that came before us. Just... think about it."
He watched as the image of Shepard closed her eyes and relaxed visibly, as if she'd finally said all she felt she needed to before the end. "One last thing, Javik... for as long as you do stick around... keep an eye on them. My crew. They're good people. The best. They'll just need a little nudge..."
The image of Shepard faded, and as it did, Javik's senses expanded to the whole of the ship once more, and he realized that she was right. Their grief was still there, but rather than an all-consuming ache, for most of them, it was a healing sort of pain. It was similar to his own hurt, he thought - it had taken all this time, and the intervention and annoyance of a primitive human woman to break him out of the soup of grief and rage over the passing of his entire empire. Perhaps he would stay for a while and help the asari, there was value in that, as the Commander had suggested.
They'd be all right in the end, he realized, as soon as that thought had crossed his mind. Even himself.
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