PREVIOUSLY: Commander Shepard, alive and well after destroying the Reapers and saving the galaxy, has reluctantly begun a brief victory tour on Earth to increase the morale of the populace devastated by war. A new relay in the solar system undergoes construction and connection to the network created by the Salarians. Meanwhile, the crew of her lost ship began their explorations of the world they're stranded on...

Sorry I'm a little later than usual with this chapter, sigh! Mary Shepard experiences both happiness and heartbreaking loss as she waits for the new relay to be finished...a long-standing plot thread runs its course, and shows not all of the Paragon choices she made can have happy ends. More familiar faces return to her life, two of them you haven't seen since the first game! Plus, the misadventures of the Normandy crew continue! What do I mean by 'misadventures'? Here's a Reader Advisory: cuteness abounds in parts of this chapter!

MASS EFFECT 3 EPILOG: CODA by Charles Spencer

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

"SAMURAI"

1

The time passed slowly as construction continued on the new Sol Relay just outside of Pluto's orbit.

With the assistance of Geth Engineers, though, the Salarians had established the basic framework for the relay within a week, far ahead of schedule. In appearance it already began to resemble the Ilos Conduit, which itself looked like one of the original Reaper-created relays. If a design wasn't flawed, then why improve on it? It was only a third as large as the Mass Relays the galaxy had come to rely on for thousands of years, though, like its counterparts spread across the galaxy. That didn't mean it wasn't capable of taking a large amount of ship traffic to slingshot from one point in space to another, but again it couldn't take as many ships at one time as the relays that were millions of years old did. Care and caution were the watchwords for using any of the new Salarian Relays, and no one minded. In a galaxy that barely began to heal after The Reaper War, for many things, baby steps were best.

Things moved faster than expected for the cleanup and relief efforts on Earth, as well. The world was still a hellish mess, and would stay that way for a long time, but the affects of the many races of the United Fleet assisting Humanity were already becoming visible. The most unexpected contributions came from the Geth and, of course, the Rachni. The sight of them alone, especially the Rachni Queen herself, instilled primal fear in many, but it quickly became obvious they simply wished to help. Those who were least able to stomach working alongside the Rachni were, no surprise, the Krogan...but Urdnot Wrex himself talked some sense into his warriors. And they listened when he said, "Their history as our enemies is exactly that: history! The Shepard trusts them to help her people! For the one who gave us our future, I say we can take a leap of faith!" The Rachni were involved mostly in the clearing of rubble and wreckage, and in bringing down structures so damaged they could no longer have been called safe. The way they cleaned things up was amazingly simple: they had the unusual biological quirk of being able to devour and digest both biological and inanimate material. Yes, if given enough time in a certain place, they could eat things clean...and quickly!

But the Earth Systems Alliance had only the remnants of an infrastructure, like its fellow advanced civilizations, in the wake of the terrible war. Government was rudimentary, and both the regional and intergalactic economy trillions of living beings had relied on was nonexistent at the time. The most humble of citizens across the galaxy had to rely on charity from those in authority and those with the most resources, and as many feared and expected, rates of exchange reduced for the time being to barter. It became inevitable that some had to steal simply to eat, in spite of the rule of law, and the powers that be gently yet forcefully sent the message that order had to win the day...preying on one another even for basic subsistence wouldn't be tolerated. But that didn't stop many criminals, even in the Sol System, where the United Fleet continued to wait for the local relay to be completed...incidents of piracy alone there rose steadily. Mary Shepard's message of the galaxy working together in the name of a brighter future for all, tragically, wasn't heard by some.

But the paragon's words were heard by most...testament to that was a visibly building solidarity of mutual support and good will between worlds across the galaxy. More and more beings reached out to each other with the message: If I can help, tell me how...I want to give you the same repect I would want you to give to me. That was reason alone to hope...and believe.

2

Mary Shepard had just returned to the fleet after completing this day of the victory tour...another week to go. Dammit. In the meantime, she had done some of her own checking with sources she trusted, to see if they knew anything about someone with a higher-than-average interest in element zero. So far Mary was unsuccessful in finding whoever might want to create a dark energy WMD...and then she thought of one person she'd discovered days ago was among the evacuees from the Citadel. Someone she knew and dealt with in the past who was evacuated with everyone else in the now-nonexistent Presidium Commons. She called from her quarters on the Destiny Ascension to the Alliance ship he and many refugees were being given shelter on...it didn't take long to reach him.

On her comm terminal, the bright lenses of the Volus known as Barla Von looked back at her...the information broker was his usual, close-to-the-vest self. His words were broken only by the breaths he took from his environment suit's respirator. "I did hear rumors of an individual...perhaps more than one...trying to acquire raw element zero...in the past couple of years. I even put out feelers...to attract their attention. I was also curious to know...why they wanted such a thing...if only to gain that information...for the Shadow Broker. But I was unsuccessful." Barla had also been one of the many, many agents across the galaxy who gathered information for the enigmatic Shadow Broker.

Mary frowned as she looked back at the Volus. "And you never heard anything more? This is really, really important, Barla."

"Sometimes the whispers I hear...are just that, Commander. Whispers that lead nowhere. If only the Shadow Broker was still alive...perhaps I would have learned more from him." Barla told Mary early in their conversation that the Shadow Broker was dead, or as good as dead, perhaps because of the war. But unknown to the Volus, the Commander was on very intimate terms with the Broker. Mary also knew about Liara T'Soni's failsafe known as Protocol Alpha, which for better or worse brought an end to the information network.

Mary quietly nodded. "I understand." Inside, though, she thought, Shit! "How are you doing, though? I can imagine things are unsure right now."

Barla's respirator made a long hiss as he sighed. "Without an economy per se at the moment...better to say things are chaotic! It's bad enough every credit I had in my account manager...isn't even worth the digital code they are recorded on!" Barla didn't trust banks. "The galaxy has been reduced to barter...of all things! But we Volus left such outmoded ways behind...centuries ago!"

Mary felt for him, but at the same time she was tempted to tell him flatly to bear with it; there were people out there in far worse circumstances. "It looks like you'll have to adapt, at least until the credits you saved up are worth something again."

Barla looked contemplative...not an easy thing to do with a mask to protect your face. "Hmm. Perhaps until the economy is back on its feet...I can always investigate some...extralegal opportunities. I've heard of many of those opportunities opening...on Omega..."

Mary Shepard deliberately gave him a look. "Barla, I think of you as a friend, even if you tended to step across the line between what's legal and what isn't. Please, don't give into temptation and truly be a criminal. I'm asking that out of my respect for you."

Barla's eyes fixed on her. "Commander...I had no idea you cared. I promise you...no matter what I do...it will not be with the intent...to prey on others. I owe you...as much as the rest of the galaxy does. You gave me a future...and I will not squander it needlessly."

Mary wanted to believe him. "That's good to know, my friend. And if I can help, ever...just let me know. I owe you too, remember?" For his contributing the assistance of elite mercenaries for the united war effort.

Barla Von bowed respectfully. "That debt cleared when you won the war for us...and thank you, my friend. Be well." Mary nodded in return, and the connection was terminated. As she stood from her desk, though, a new chime sounded from the comm terminal.

An automated, feminine voice announced, "You have an incoming priority communication from the Dallas. Do you wish to answer?"

Mary thought about it for a moment. She was in her yukata and ready to sleep until tomorrow's victory tour nonsense on Earth. But...some nights, she cried herself to sleep, feeling Liara's absence like a deep void in the core of her being. If only to put off doing that again...besides, all communications to the Commander were screened intensively by the Ascension's Communications Officer to ensure she only received calls from friends and known associates. Otherwise, she would have been flooded with calls from strangers. "Why not?" Mary retook her seat behind her desk and said, "Put them through!"

Very quickly, Mary was glad she answered. Two women appeared, one in her fifties sitting behind a desk, with the other about twenty-five years younger clutching the older woman's shoulders from behind. The were both so much alike in their features in spite of the age difference...but that stood to reason, their being mother and daughter. The older woman, Juliana Baynham, smiled and greeted, "Commander Shepard!"

Juliana's daughter, Lizbeth Baynham, was much more energetic as she waved. "Hello, Commander!"

Mary smiled back, surprised. "Juliana? Lizbeth! How are you both doing? I know you came with the Zhu's Hope Unit to provide them science support!"

Lizbeth nodded brightly. "We're good, Commander, thank you!"

Juliana's smile was much more serious. "We had to help them, Commander. It was the least we owed them because of...previous events." Those previous events involving the nightmare creature called the Thorian, which took control of the minds of the colonists of Zhu's Hope years ago on Feros...Juliana and Lizbeth worked as scientists for the ExoGeni Corporation, which financially backed the colony. ExoGeni sought to exploit the Thorian and what it was doing to the innocent souls it enslaved for their own profit. Only Lizbeth knew the full weight of the situation and had tried to do something about it before, but Mary Shepard and her crew arrived and finally changed the situation for the better. Juliana added, "We owe you so much, as well."

She didn't just mean about Feros, and Lizbeth made that clear: "I can imagine you've heard this only a billion times, but thanks for everything you've done to stop the Reapers!"

It began to feel like a billion times to Mary, but she smiled softly in response to their gratitude and nodded humbly. "You're truly welcome. How are Shiala and the others?"

Juliana's smile faded a little. "Well, we can definitely say whatever Indoctrination Shiala suffered, it's gone."

Mary smiled brightly. "I hoped that was the case, and that's great news!" It was Consort Sha'ira who lightened the fears of many in the United Fleet when she foresaw late last week that the aura of Indoctrination within the technology and corpses of the Reapers would extinguish. Only a few days later, the Matriarchs in the fleet used their combined power, and discovered the aura in the Reapers and what they left behind no longer existed. The enemy was truly, in every way that mattered, dead. Sha'ira also foresaw that any still Indoctrinated across the galaxy would soon be free, as well. Mary was still glad to have fought and destroyed the Indoctrination planted within her, whether its 'life' was a short one or not.

The Asari Shiala had been one of those Indoctrinated...in her case, by the Reaper Sovereign when she was an acolyte in service to Matriarch Benezia. Like the Matriarch she devoted her life to, Shiala also wished to understand the motivations of the villainous renegade Saren Arterius and find some way to turn him from his path of evil and destruction working with Sovereign. But like Benezia, Indoctrination turned Shiala into a willing slave of the monsters instead. In order to gain the Prothean Cipher from the ages-old Thorian, Saren sacrificed Shiala and she became joined with the creature on a terrible level, all but devoured by it. In destroying the Thorian, Mary Shepard saved Shiala, who still felt responsible for her actions when Indoctrinated. Shiala wished to atone, and decided to stay and help the Zhu's Hope colonists recover and rebuild.

In the years that followed, however, Shiala and the Zhu's Hope colonists began to suffer unusual, painful side-effects from their experience with the Thorian, because the enslaving spores within them were somehow still active. As she hunted the Collectors, in fact, Mary Shepard encountered Shiala again on Illium. One of the side-effects Shiala suffered was actually visible...her natural Asari skin color was dramatically changed from its blue hue to a bright green. Mary gave Shiala some much-needed help with a legal dispute involving medical care for herself and the colonists.

But it turned out that the unusual medical complications Shiala and the colonists suffered had crystallized into something remarkable...a form of empathic and telepathic rapport had established between them. They had become connected in a way far more primal than even Asari do with their mate during the act of sex. Shiala and the diverse people of Zhu's Hope felt one another, knew one another's thoughts on a level that went beyond intimacy. But it wasn't until the time The Reaper War struck Feros that Shiala and the others took that bond even further: under attack by Husk-type enemies and Harvesters, they acted with a unified consciousness, which gave them an ability and advantage their enemies (themselves simply puppets to the Reapers) lacked. When they liberated their colony, Shiala and the colonists pledged their support to Mary Shepard and the United Fleet, and their unique connection gave them a surprising, distinct advantage in one battle after another after they reached Earth.

Mary wished she had taken the time to contact the Zhu's Hope Unit before now, but for understandable reasons, she was indisposed. She asked Juliana and Lizbeth, "Are the others okay?" She suddenly remembered, and cursed herself. Awkwardly, she amended, "I-I mean, are the survivors all right? I'm sorry..."

Both women smiled softly in return...Lizbeth said, "It's truly all right, and thank you, Commander. We should have known you heard about Ian and May."

Mary had, which was part of why she wished she'd contacted them sooner. Ian Newstead and May O'Connell were both in the Zhu's Hope Unit. Two of the battles the unit fought didn't result in victory...Ian was lost in one battle, and May gave her life to delay the numerically stronger enemy so the others could evacuate. And with the connection they shared...Mary couldn't even imagine how the others must have felt.

Juliana lost her smile...indeed, her expression became unsure. "Well...that's the thing, Commander. We can't be sure how the others are doing now." Lizbeth became visibly downcast in mood.

Mary asked quietly, "What do you mean?"

"The deaths of Ian and May during the war have...affected Shiala and the others. And I mean in ways we didn't expect, because of the connection they share."

Lizbeth added, softly, "Losing Ian and May...hurt them, Commander. The deaths actually affected Shiala, Arcelia and the others physically."

Juliana said, "We've already talked to some of the best doctors in the fleet, but no one knows what to do. I hate to ask, but...could you come to the Dallas and see them? Shiala and the others didn't want to trouble you - "

Mary Shepard's beautiful face took a determined set. "It's no trouble at all, Juliana. I'll see them the moment I return to the fleet tomorrow!" She thought there was time enough to help them.

She was wrong.

3

The next day, during another long expedition, Doctor Liara T'Soni's team finally found one of the more advanced forms of life (uh, sort of!) of the world they were stranded on in the Attican Traverse.

Mission Specialist Samantha Traynor and Engineer Gabriella Daniels had taken point for the team...Samantha looked intently at her scanner for any movement and abberant heat sources as Gabby kept her head on the figurative swivel, her hand on her holstered Predator. Suddenly, as they ascended a grassy rise of the terrain, Samantha stopped. So did Gabby, who quickly held up a closed fist, a signal to the rest of the team. Liara saw and made the same gesture as she whispered quietly to the rest, "Stop!" They did immediately. The beautiful Asari moved quickly to Samantha and Gabby and asked the Mission Speicalist, "What is the matter?"

Gabby whispered a much more direct question to Samantha: "Are we in trouble?"

Samantha looked at Liara and Gabby as she said softly, "I hope not. I'm detecting lifesigns by the hundreds...on the other side of this rise." They had felt a consistent breeze for a while, from the direction in which they were headed, and realized they were downwind from whatever Samantha detected. All three saw the position of the massive reading on Samantha's scanner, a little over a football field in distance ahead.

"Down...everyone, down on the ground," Liara ordered quietly, signaling with a flat hand to lower prone to the ground. Everyone obeyed quickly. "We are downwind from whatever is on the other side of this rise, but no one take any chances. We move together on the ground, slow and careful. Then we shall see what is ahead of us." She looked at a Lieutenant lying on the ground close by who was ordinarily in charge of the ship's Stellar Cartography section. Liara whispered to the woman, "Diana, ready your image enhancer."

Lt. Diana Khan nodded. "Yes, Doctor." Diana was a beautiful Human with raven-black hair whose features had a naturally firm, almost intimidating quality. In fact, she was one of the gentlest crewmembers on the Normandy...she kept several space hamsters in her quarters as pets.

The group moved slowly, deliberately up their face of the rise, Samantha and Gabby still at point. The two slowly eased to the crest before the others...and stopped. With Lt. Khan next to her, Liara looked ahead to the women. "Samantha? Gabby? Report what you're seeing!"

Her only response was dead silence. With a jolt of fear, Liara motioned to Diana to follow her, and they both moved up on either side of Samantha and Gabby. Liara began to whisper, "I said report, you two. What is the...matter...?" Liara's voice trailed off as she saw Samantha and Gabby were staring wide-eyed at something far ahead. Liara looked where they were looking...and her eyes widened with astonishment, as well.

Lt. Diana Khan took one look and she said quietly, almost absently, "Okay, that's something you don't see every day..."

What they saw deeper into the valley ahead of them was most assuredly something that defied immediate classification. It looked at first like a white carpet was moving over the jade-green grass, but a few seconds of observation revealed that the 'carpet' was in fact composed of hundreds...no, as the carpet stretched back from where it came in the distance, it was made up of thousands of individual creatures! It moved in tight formation, and they saw parts of the 'carpet' bounce up into the air, each creature looking like -

Well, Engineer Gabby Daniels said it best: "They look like...bouncing balls of white fur!"

Samantha said quietly, "Listen to the sounds they're making..." It was a distinct sound, and an almost familiar one. "They sound like...pigeons in the park...!" Again, sort of. The high-toned, warbling noises coming from them again and again distinctly sounded like, Mu-mu! Mu-mu! Mu-mu!

Diana looked at them thoughtfully. "What are they doing? Migrating, maybe?"

Liara shrugged softly. "Whatever they are, they do seem to have a kind of collective flock mentality."

Gabby asked, "In other words, the one in the lead does something, and the others follow?"

"Essentially, yes." Liara trained her bio-scanner on the living 'carpet'. "Hm...initial scan shows they are cold-blooded."

Samantha mused, "It's pretty warm today." She looked up... "Are they following the sun or something?"

Liara answered, "It could be that simple...but we cannot presume their motivations at the moment."

With building excitement, Gabby impulsively said, "Then let's collect one! Let's get several!" Liara looked at the engineer, who quickly said with emotion, "Oh, look at them! They're adorable!"

Liara frowned. "We are not out here to collect pets, Gabby!"

Diana offered, "I know I'm not, thanks!"

Samantha was in the same mood as Gabby, beside herself with expectation. "Let's collect at least a few, anyway!"

Diana quickly cautioned, "Whoa, for all we know, those puffballs are like pyjaks. You know what kind of pests they are!" The whole damn galaxy knew. The monkey-like pyjaks were like Earth's rats: they were interstellar pests, constantly stealing food and anything else that wasn't nailed down on planets they managed to infest. (Usually by stowing away on cargo ships, if their crews weren't wary enough.) The Krogan of Tuchanka made it a point of order to exterminate the little bastards at every opportunity...as long as more sensitive races like Humans didn't see, of course.

But that prospect didn't affect Samantha...she implored, "Please?" She and Gabby looked at her with wide, needful eyes.

Liara sighed heavily. "Well, we do need to know as much about this world as possible." She finally ordered to Samantha, "Collect a few, if can, but stay on the fringe of the flock so you don't startle them all!"

Samantha Traynor rose up like a shot and said, "Thank you, mum!" Then she was off.

Gabby Daniels quickly got up and rushed after her. "I'll help, Sam!"

Liara tried to call after them. "Hey...! Don't forget your gloves!"

4

Mary Shepard had just arrived with friends in Bangladesh, India for one of the victory celebrations in her honor when she got the emergency message from Admiral Hackett himself.

Someone Mary knew and cared for was dying.

Government officials quickly put the festivities on hold as Lt. Steve Cortez flew Shepard back to the fleet by Kodiak at best possible speed. Almost immediately after the shuttle landed in the hangar bay of the Dallas, its doors opened and Commander Shepard burst out in a run for the ship's Medical Bay, followed by others who accompanied her to India. Grunt, Jack, Samara, Jacob Taylor, and his fiancee Dr. Brynn Cole did their best to keep up. Steve finally followed after securing the shuttle.

In her dress uniform, Mary Shepard raced through the corridors desperately, cursing herself every step of the way. She thought she had all the time in the world, but she was wrong. So damned wrong.

The Medical Bay. Mary burst through the doors even as they barely opened wide enough to let her in. Down its main hall, she saw Admiral Steven Hackett, who gestured to come to him as he stood next to one of the patient's rooms. He had a lot of company: Captain Lidanya was there, and so were nearly thirty more people...most of them were Human except one, a Salarian. Mary Shepard recognized them all: they were from Zhu's Hope. She reached them quickly and asked Hackett, "Where is she, sir?"

Admiral Hackett began quietly, "She's inside, Commander, but - !" He stopped himself short because that was clearly all Shepard needed to hear. The soldier moved quickly to the door and it opened for her.

Lidanya tried to say, "Shepard, wait - !"

Inside the room, Mary's blood ran cold.

She saw the beautiful former acolyte of the late Matriarch Benezia, Shiala, lying in the bed in the middle of the room. Her striking green skin had gone several shades paler than when Shepard last saw her, a sign of how bleak the situation was. A simple white sheet covered most of Shiala's body, preserving her modesty, because she was naked. She was connected to health monitors, and all reflected her weak, deteriorating state. At Shiala's bedside was an Alliance doctor...close to the foot of the bed, Juliana Baynham held her daughter, Lizbeth, as she was crying.

Mary moved to the mother and daughter, her expression entreating more than her words: "Lizbeth, Juliana! What the hell happened?"

Juliana was close to tears herself as she tried to speak. "C-Commander..."

"Commander Shepard?" Mary turned to the voice, the middle-aged military doctor, who approached to speak to her. His expression was a saddened one, but also seasoned...he looked like he had become far too accustomed to seeing death. "I'm truly sorry...you know the patient, as well?" Mary could only nod. "The patient was found unconscious in the bathtub of her quarters a few hours ago. Investigation quickly showed she took some Nogatch." Mary could only look back at him, speechless. Nogatch was an Asari poison that attacked a victim's body and shut every bio-system down by degrees until death resulted. There was no known antitoxin for Nogatch, and it was 100-percent fatal. "We've done our best to help her, but...I'm surprised she's survived this long."

Mary felt a hand gently touch her shoulder...she turned to see Admiral Hackett as, just beyond him, Lidanya held back Shepard's friends and comrades at the open doors as they arrived. Hackett said quietly, "Shiala's awake, Commander, but...she doesn't have much time left."

Mary nodded sadly, and with a brief glance at her worried friends, she turned to approach Shiala. She reached the side of the bed and carefully sat next to the Asari.

Shiala wearily opened her eyes...and she managed a smile. It took so much effort. "Shepard..."

Mary gently nodded. "Shiala." She couldn't contain herself and she let out a quiet sob, trying her best to keep her tears in check. "Oh Shiala, what did you do to yourself...?"

The Asari's expression was serene, in spite of what the poison must have been doing to her. "It was what...I had to do. I didn't want the others...those connected to me...to suffer any further..."

Mary shook her head. "What are you talking about...?"

Shiala could barely speak above a whisper... "Y-you have to understand...for so long, we were...bonded in a way no one else ever had been. We...knew each other perfectly. We shared one another's thoughts to the point...we nearly developed a unified...consciousness. It frightened us...and yet...it was so wonderful." She managed to smile a little more. "Remember what I said...in the message I sent you...during the war? It...it drowned out the voice of...Indoctrination in me...?"

"Yeah...Juliana and Lizbeth told me yesterday your Indoctrination was gone..."

Shiala's expression became much more solemn. "That...didn't help the problem, Commander. It just made things...clearer to me. I knew what I had to do...for those connected to me...those I love..."

Mary frowned. "I-I still don't understand, Shiala...what problem...?"

"Ian and...and May. Juliana and Lizbeth...must have told you...?"

Mary nodded. "When Ian and May died...losing them hurt the rest of you...affected you physically..."

"When they died...each time it felt like we nearly died, too. The pain was...was indescribable. It was terrible enough to lose them because...we knew them so well...loved them so much..." Shiala closed her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks, still feeling the pain of the loss. "Oh May, why did you have to sacrifice yourself...?"

Mary reached deeply within herself to keep from crying, as well. She knew she wouldn't succeed for long. "You realized something was wrong, didn't you?"

The dying Asari nodded. "The bond we shared...it would have threatened us all. How many more of us would die...before the rest of us couldn't endure such loss any more...?" Regret suddenly reigned in her face... "Shepard, what happened to us...our becoming connected by the Thorian...was wrong. It was unnatural, it should never have...!" She had to stop...it was hard to talk, as well.

Mary's eyes examined Shiala helplessly. "But why blame yourself, Shiala? Why...why this?"

Shiala had to take a couple of deep breaths to steady herself...find her strength...and she looked into Shepard's eyes. "Because I was to blame. Listen. Around the time you woke up...a couple of weeks ago, I...I went to the Matriarchs. I needed to understand once and for all...why we were connected. They had doctors examine me and the others...they analyzed the results...and they understood."

"Understood what...?"

"Commander." Lidanya had entered the room and stood next to Hackett. Mary looked at her as she explained the situation: "My fellow Matriarchs and I came to realize that...Shiala unintentionally created the connection between herself and the colonists of Zhu's Hope. The Thorian spores that infected her were being sustained by her natural Biotic power...consequently, her power also fed the spores of the colonists in close proximity to her. Once they all had one health problem after another, and then, because the spores had survived for so long...they adapted. They developed a connection to one another that naturally shouldn't have been." Lidanya concluded sadly, "Shiala was the lynchpin that held her and the others together. I'm so sorry, we never imagined she would take that information and...and do something like this to herself..."

"I-I had to, Lidanya." Shiala's expression and voice were mournful, yet full of certainty. "It was my fault...I-I should have known long ago. You...you see now, don't you? I should never have stayed to help them. I-I should have asked you to kill me long ago..."

Mary quickly said, "No! Please don't say that...your life is worth something, don't you see...?"

Suddenly, an alarm sounded from the monitors. Lidanya quickly called out, "Doctor!" He had been at the doorway, explaining the situation to Shepard's comrades. He rushed back in to look at the monitors, and his downcast expression said everything. Shiala was deteriorating fast.

"Damn it...!" Mary began to cry as she took one of Shiala's pale green hands in both of hers gently. She felt so much regret of her own. "I-I should have come to see you sooner, especially after I heard about you and the others losing your loved ones...!"

Shiala slowly shook her head. "Shepard...you were there for me twice...remember? You did more for me...for all of us...than we had any right to ask for. We love you, too...I love you more than I can ever say." She began to close her eyes...

...but Mary didn't want it to end like this for the brave Asari. She said in a voice deepening with emotion, "No...no, I wanted to help you! I would have done anything for you and the others - !"

Shiala's voice began to sound like it was coming from a long distance away. "Mary...you were never responsible for me...or for any of us." Her eyes opened, and the Human almost saw into the depths of her beautiful soul. "You might as well...hold yourself responsible for the entire galaxy."

Mary almost laughed. She had made that mistake before, hadn't she? But she wept as she held Shiala's hand... "Oh, Shiala...you didn't have to do this...I could have helped you find another way. A-a better way...!"

The Asari's lips frowned softly as she looked at the savior of the galaxy. "You...you're crying...please don't. May sacrificed herself...to save the rest of us from the enemy. You almost gave everything...to end the war. How...how can I do any less...to set my loved ones free?" Shiala's eyes slowly began to close...for the last time...as she spoke her last, and she managed a gentle smile: "Thank you...for everything, Commander. Thank you...for being...who you are..."

And then...she was silent as Mary felt her hand become limp in both of hers, as lifeless as the rest of her body. The monitors at her bedside suddenly issued alarms, unnecessarily, because her every lifesign flatlined. Shiala, former acolyte to Matriarch Benezia, former slave of Saren Arterius...and finally, hero...was gone.

Full of grief, wishing she had been there for Shiala sooner, realizing terribly that things might not have gone differently anyway...Mary wept as she gently leaned forward and embraced Shiala's body. Admiral Hackett, Captain Lidanya and the Alliance doctor could only observe mournfully as Juliana and Lizbeth held each other. Just outside of the closed doors, screams began to be heard...a terrible wailing from many as they felt the loss of the one who connected them so intimately.

5

Barely an hour later, things had become much quieter...most of the Zhu's Hope colonists were being assisted by Alliance Counselors. They were recovering from the loss of their connection. The spores within Shiala's loved ones had finally become weak because of her deteriorating condition, and just as she hoped, they died shortly after she did. But the tragic loss of Shiala herself was a far, far harder thing to bear. Mary Shepard herself spoke to some of those colonists she knew best. Arcelia Silva Martinez, the leader of the colony, summed up what all of them felt: "It...it's so strange, but it shouldn't be. To not be linked to Shiala and the others. I know I'm not by myself in this room, but I still feel that way...alone."

The Salarian trader Lezra sympathized. "A part of me...misses what we shared. I miss Shiala most of all...her kindness..."

They all felt that loss. Macha Doyle offered tearfully, "From the very beginning, all Shiala wanted was to help our colony. And she did...she really did, even if things happened we couldn't control. Even if there wasn't a connection, it was so easy to love her."

Hana Murakami said thoughtfully, "I can only imagine what would have happened to us if she wasn't there when the Husks attacked...if we weren't connected through her."

Davin Reynolds looked at his wife Greta with adoration as he held her hand. "Bottom line, the lady brought us closer together. And we were able to fight the Reapers with Commander Shepard, too. It might not have been natural, but I'll be damned if it was wrong."

Mary Shepard asked them gently, "What will you all do next? Will you go back to Zhu's Hope? Keep it going?"

Arcelia said with conviction, "It's our home, Commander. We're obligated to keep it alive and help it grow." She looked at the others. "Except...I'd like to suggest making one important change."

Lezra asked, "What do you mean?"

With a building strength in her voice, Arcelia Silva Martinez said, "I'd like to change the name of the colony. I suggest we rename our home...Shiala's Hope. In her memory." Everyone with her couldn't help but smile in response. Mary Shepard, who believed in an afterlife for all living beings after death, knew Shiala would be honored.

A short time after that, Mary reunited with Juliana and Lizbeth...they were in much better spirits, even though they still mourned Shiala, as well. Juliana said, "Thank you, Commander."

Mary frowned. "For what? I wish I'd gotten here sooner..."

Juliana shook her head and smiled. "You were here for Shiala when it mattered...when she was still here. You saw how much that meant to her."

Mary hadn't just seen it...she had felt it. Almost tempted to cry again, she asked the mother and daughter, "What about you two? Are you going back to Feros?"

Juliana answered, "Yes, but not exactly under ExoGeni's dime. They're in a strange situation...the company's alive, but as far as credits go, they're as broke as anyone else because of the economy. Their general policy at the moment is that employees make do with what we've got, especially if we can't find someone charitable enough!"

Lizbeth asked, "What about you, Commander?"

Mary said, "The only thing I care about doing in a little over two weeks is finding my loved ones after the local relay is complete. Nothing else matters to me."

Lizbeth gave her a thoughtful look. "Are you taking volunteers for the mission?" She looked at her mother. "If it's okay, mom, I'd like to help Commander Shepard find her ship and crew."

Juliana gave Lizbeth a stern stare. "If you think you're going to do such a thing by yourself, young lady, you've got another think coming!" Lizbeth looked downcast until her mom added with a smile, "Because I'll want to go, too!" Her daughter beamed and hugged Juliana gratefully. The two looked at Mary then and Juliana asked, "How about it, Commander? Could a couple of scientists help you out?"

Mary Shepard smiled and nodded gratefully. "I haven't officially started taking volunteers yet...but that won't stop me from letting you take the first two seats. And thank you!"

6

On another world. Outside of the wrecked Normandy, Jeff 'Joker' Moreau was sitting on a rock, whistling a tune. He hated not being able to go with any of the teams. Especially the team EDI was on. He, Doctor Karin Chakwas and a few other crewmen were waiting for the teams to return as the late afternoon passed. They didn't have longer to wait...because minutes later, Liara's team arrived, and Samantha and Gabby were of unusually good cheer. They both gladly carried large but lightweight sample containers...strangely, what appeared to be two hand-sized balls of fur were in one container and one was in the other. Even more strangely, the 'balls of fur' were alive, bouncing up and down with high energy. Looking closely, each animal had two small eyes, bright yet black as a doll's eyes. That was the only way to determine where their faces were!

Joker looked at them as they approached... "Okay...what the blue heck are those?"

As they reached Joker and Karin, Liara answered, "Another of this world's native creatures...one of the more interesting ones we've found thus far."

Samantha and Gabby were still fawning over their containers. Samantha giggled, "So adorable...!"

Liara added flatly, "And yes. They are cute, as well."

Samantha said to Karin, "Examine them, Doctor, please! We really want to touch one!"

Gabby cooed, "They must be so soft!"

Joker rolled his eyes. "Oh, brother!"

"Let's see what we can see, then," Karin said quietly as she activated her Omni-Tool and began a bio-scan. She glanced at Samantha and Gabby and informed them, "This will take a few moments..." Moments passed, and Karin smiled thoughtfully as she looked at the readings. "How unique!" She looked at Liara. "You've determined so far they are cold-blooded, correct?"

Liara nodded. "Yes, Karin?"

"They're more than that, Liara...they appear to have an endothermic bio-system!"

Joker looked positively flummoxed. "Huh?"

Liara looked at him. "To explain, Joker, they gain sustenance from heat sources."

Joker raised an eyebrow. "Those little fuzzballs eat heat?"

Karin said, "Figuratively speaking, yes." She looked at the bright readings of her Omni-Tool more closely. "Hm. They are also herbivores...perhaps they only eat vegetation to build additional stores to subsist upon." She looked at a display that showed a virtual cut-away graphic of the creatures' bio-systems. "That would explain these sacs in their bodies..."

Gabby asked hopefully, "So they don't eat meat?"

Karin nodded. "Correct." A moment passed, and she frowned as she scanned... "Hm..."

Joker asked impatiently, "Is that a good 'hm' or a bad 'hm'? Come on, Doc!"

Karin said, "They have no skeletal structure, strictly speaking..."

"They have no bones to support them?" Joker wished for that sometimes!

Karin clarified, "There is an interior framework with a composition similar to cartilage, but their muscle mass has a much higher density." She glanced at the furry little animals as they bounced up and down in their containers, warbling "Mu-mu!" again and again. "I can see jumping is their main means of locomotion...the cartilage must act somewhat like a spring to help them jump."

Liara smiled and mused, "Interesting..."

Samantha quickly said, "Please tell us they're not dangerous!"

Gabby seconded that. "Please!"

Karin smiled at them both. "Patience, patience." Another moment passed... "Molecular scans...positive. Running comparisons on internal bacteria to what we've already innoculated ourselves against...confirmed. No bacteria or other harmful agents within them to beware of." Karin shut down her Omni-Tool and said to Gabby and Samantha, "It's all right to touch them, ladies - !"

Gabby almost cried, "Yay!" She and Samantha hurriedly opened the containers and reached into them.

Joker shook his head. "Good grief - !" As each woman got one out of their containers, the odd ball of fur out sprang out of its container! It bounced around, changing directions several times. Joker flinched. "Whoa! Loose fuzzball, watch it - !"

The living ball of fur finally bounced toward Liara, who reflexively caught it softly in her hands. "Oh...!" The little thing seemed to relax in her palms...its eyes closed as it began to coo softly. It won Liara's heart instantly, and she couldn't help but stroke its fur gently with her fingers. "You're right, Gabrielle, they are so adorable...!"

Gabby said, "I told you!" Outside of that, she and Samantha were completely devoted to the furballs they held...Samantha even held it up to her face, feeling its softness on her cheek.

Karin smiled and noted, "They obviously like the heat your bodies are generating, ladies!"

Samantha looked at Karin and said quickly, "Oh no, Doctor...they like to snuggle." She then began to snuggle with it again. "Don't you like that? Yes, you do!"

This cuteness overload, however, was too much for Joker to take. He suddenly said, "Okay, that's it!" He moved over to Liara and extended his hand. "Let me see that fuzzball!"

Liara gave him a worried look and said defensively, "But I want to hold it!"

"..." Joker couldn't believe this. He finally added, "Please?"

Liara frowned a little and said reluctantly, "For a moment!" She held out the little animal in both her hands...

Joker said, "This won't take long!" Then he scooped it up in one of his own and held it close to his face, staring into its black eyes, which seemed to widen with fear. "Okay, sucker, I know your game and it won't work! You hear me?"

Mortified, Liara began to say, "Joker, what is wrong with you - !"

Joker looked around at the unkind expressions everyone else was giving him, but he didn't care. "You haven't seen the vintage sci-fi films and movies I have, people! I know cute little furry whatchits like this have a dark side!" He then stared down the fuzzball again, accusing: "Yeah, you may be cute! But there's a catch, right? We can't feed you after midnight or get you near water or something and then you'll multiply and change like the Wolfman! You'll grow teeth and wanna chew on us while we're sleeping!"

Karin, for her part, shook her head. "Jeff - !"

But Joker didn't ease up as he talked to the critter. "Or maybe you're born pregnant! We let you eat one little leaf, and you'll start having babies faster than rabbits, and before we know it all the grain's gone and we'll starve to death!" He suddenly pointed a finger at the fuzzball, which made it visibly flinch. "I'm putting you on notice I'm on to you, buster! You can't fool this kid - !"

What happened next was pretty much Joker's fault.

Because he was intimidating the creature, it seemed to shiver in his palm...and without warning, a mouth opened in the fur under its eyes. But the mouth was HUGE, the inside of the maw bright and pink, as it made a noise as loud as Joker was getting: "ROWF!"

Joker panicked and screamed, "YEAGH!" His hand quickly tossed the ball of fur into the air...it landed in the grass and sprang just as quickly from it, like a rubber ball...and then into Liara's hands again.

Karin almost laughed at Joker along with everyone else. "An interesting defense mechanism...undoubtedly to startle big bullies like you, Jeff!"

The little animal looked at Joker and almost asked "Mu-mu?" as it quaked nervously.

But Liara's hands gently held it, a few of her fingers combing into its fur. Its trembling eased and it cooed contentedly as Liara said to it softly, "It's okay, little one, he will not bother you...there, there...!"

Joker stared at everyone with disbelief. No one was listening to him. Taking it personally, he turned to go to the ship's hatch and retreat from the cuteness. He snarled as he left, "Fine. One day they'll cuddle up to you, and then they'll eat your faces off! THEN I'll say I told you so!"

7

Mary Shepard had reached the end of her two-week victory tour. (As far as she was concerned, finally.) She had to admit, it was wonderful to travel across her homeworld and take in its amazing natural beauty and rich diversity of peoples, something she never had a chance to do before. Most of the planet's natural wonders, thankfully, had been spared because of the Reapers' zeal in focusing on Human megatropolises and population centers. For every tragic decimation of a city like Moscow or San Francisco, a mostly-unpopulated area like a rain forest or a protected parkland was left untouched. Smoke, ash and more still choked much of the sky, but the help of Geth engineers who provided new ways to reclaim the atmosphere in a matter of weeks were a tremendous boon to a world that needed to heal.

Mary wanted to put such troubles, and especially the recent honors heaped upon her, behind at least temporarily...dressed in her comfortable yukata again in her quarters, she hoped she'd get some sleep without lamenting Liara's absence again. Fat chance, Mary thought sadly. God, she missed her beautiful blue angel. Not for the first time, she almost saw Liara in the half-light of her quarters, a desperately needful vision, and again with a sudden need to cry, Mary wished she was with her lover and her crew. The completion of the relay truly couldn't happen fast enough.

Fortunately, her door chime sounded, distracting her from her lonely thoughts.

Mary moved to the doors and asked, "Yes?" It had to be someone she knew, she thought. The ship's security wouldn't let anyone near her quarters otherwise.

The answer came quickly: "Shepard, it's Zaeed."

Mary's mood quickly brightened, in spite of the characteristic lack of humor in that mercenary's voice. "Just a moment!" She opened the doors, and Zaeed Massani - fully armored and ready for trouble, as always - stood outside. Mary smiled. "Zaeed, how are you?"

The old mercenary nodded agreeably. "I'm good, thanks. I can't help but notice you've been getting gifts." Out in the hall, on either side of her doorway, packages, flowers, and more were stacked from well-wishers and admirers from Earth. For the past week it's been like that, with no sign of ebbing.

With a mortified expression, Shepard sighed. "Those are just the perishables. Come in." As Zaeed stepped in, Mary continued, "There are storage rooms on the ship ready to burst from all the things being sent to me from...well, everyone."

Zaeed actually succeeded in forming a grin. "Ha. Commander Shepard, Superstar."

Mary shot him a look. "Oh, please don't. I don't mind gratitude, Zaeed, but this is embarrassing!"

Zaeed crossed his big arms and considered Mary. "You saved the damn galaxy from a cycle of extinction. We owe you a lot more than just thanks. The only reason I haven't gotten you anything is because whatever I'd think of, someone's probably already sent you!" He shrugged. "So what's the point?"

Mary smiled warmly. "Having you as a friend is all I'd ever want from you. Honestly."

Zaeed's battle-scarred expression...softened. Not an easy thing. He nodded deeply. "That means more than you know, Shepard."

Discomfort returned to Mary's expression as she told him, "You know I've even been sent food? By the crateful, I might add! I just sent it all to relief organizations on Earth, where they really need food." She looked down for a moment...and then the beautiful soldier's expression grew solemn. She looked back up at the mercenary and said, "I've been given some things I couldn't possibly turn away, though. Let me show you..." Her slender figure glided in her yukata to the other side of the room, to a short dresser, where something unique had been placed.

It was a single-edged backsword, in its sheath, in a humble rack that displayed it. Mary took up the long Japanese katana in both of her hands, and moved over to Zaeed. She lifted it in both hands, in offering.

Clearly stunned, Zaeed mused, "That's a samurai sword." He took it in both hands respectfully, and he carefully pulled the sword a little from its saya. He saw the brilliant gleam of the sword's metal. "Is this as old as it looks?"

Mary nodded solemnly. "It's over 800 years old, actually. It was given to me by the Japanese Prime Minister herself the other day."

Zaeed whistled softly and resheathed the katana, and then bowed as he gave the sword back to Mary, who took it in both of her hands. He said quietly, "That's a bloody cultural treasure you got there." And in his point of view, it was so damned appropriate...not just because Mary incidentally had a Japanese accent to her beauty, but he saw her as a warrior of the first order.

Mary looked down at the sword she held. "I'm amazed I'd be given anything so priceless, but the Prime Minister said I was like the samurai of old. Those who followed their duty no matter where it took them, or..." Something in her eyes shifted as she finished, "...or what it would cost them. She said I deserved this. She told me I embodied the highest standards of courage, loyalty, and honor."

Zaeed nodded. "I won't argue with that." He couldn't.

Mary Shepard shook her head slowly, her expression full of emotion. "I've never asked for anything from anyone for doing my duty, Zaeed." She was silent for a moment...then... "I told you about Kaidan, didn't I?"

Zaeed remembered. "Yeah. Kaidan Alenko. The enemy forced you to leave him behind during that mission on Virmire."

Mary smiled softly. "He was a true romantic. He joined the military to do good and chase the dream of being out there among the stars." Her smile faltered. "Just before we lost him, the last thing he said to me was...he didn't regret anything. He didn't mind dying if the rest of the crew lived and the mission was accomplished." Mary Shepard looked down at the katana she held...her voice was thick with emotion as she said, "He was the samurai, Zaeed. Being ready to give everything was always a part of my duty...but that was something I owed to Kaidan, too."

Zaeed stared at her. "You got killed once by those goddamn Collectors, Shepard. You almost got killed a second time stopping the Reapers. I think you repaid your debt to Kaidan and then some."

Mary's hands pulled the katana closer to her chest. To Zaeed in that moment, dressed as she was in her yukata, holding the katana, the savior truly looked like a warrior of ancient Japan. With a troubled expression, Mary Shepard asked Zaeed quietly, "Did I? Do I have any right to be selfish?"

The old mercenary regarded her with the fullest respect. "I've never been a soldier, Shepard. Just a mercenary. I always lived looking out for myself, not to do good or defend anybody. I only cared about getting paid, because that was the way I knew I did my job and did it well. But you showed me something better after I started following you. You showed me what it meant to be part of a team, in spite of my never getting that son of a bitch, Vido Santiago." The man who helped Zaeed create the Blue Suns mercenary group. The same man who shot Zaeed in the head and left him to die over two decades ago. For better or worse, he had to follow Shepard's orders to save a refinery full of people instead of finally getting his revenge on Vido during their hunt for the Collectors. "You showed me a grit and determination I'd never seen in anyone else, ever. I honestly can't imagine following a better leader than you." He paused, but only briefly. "And I've got to say yes. If anybody in this galaxy has a right to be selfish, Mary Shepard, it's you. But my question is: what do you want?"

Mary's answer came immediately, and it was resolute. "I want to be with Liara. I want to know my crew is safe and well."

Zaeed nodded. "And you'll get that and anything else you want the same way you always do, samurai...you'll make it happen." Mary smiled gratefully and nodded. The mercenary then said, "Listen. I'm also here cause I heard you're gonna start recruiting for your mission to find your crew." Undoubtedly he heard that from others close to Shepard who already volunteered. "Mind if I join you?"

Mary Shepard's smile was brilliant as she nodded again. "I wouldn't mind at all, Zaeed. Thank you."

"My pleasure," Zaeed Massani said, and he truly smiled. "Maybe I'll show you my thanks yet."

TO BE CONTINUED...