It had been just over two weeks since they had departed in the Normandy. Everyone had agreed to go to Tuchanka first because Wrex was eager to see Bakara and his children. Grunt was just eager to kill some things, which there wasn't much need for on Earth. Plus, Palaven would be on their way back to Earth no matter what, so it didn't make much difference. Garrus had wanted to see his father and sister, but his need to see family wasn't as urgent as it was for Wrex.
Not to mention the fact that Wrex was needed to lead his people. Jane didn't doubt that Bakara would be doing a good job in his absence, but the fact remained that they would only be stronger together.
Wrex had been right. The clutch had hatched months ago. There were six of them. With how fast Krogans grow, they were basically toddlers at this stage. Already running around after each other. Shepard quickly realised why Krogan houses were sparse, and made out of stone with how destructive they were. The whole Normandy crew enjoyed taking turns playing with them, though they had all been worn out easily, and wondered how Bakara had been able to manage them. Grunt fit in with them perfectly, already trying to teach them how to headbutt properly.
Wrex had clearly been affected deeply by the interaction. There had always been a chance that he had sired some children in the past, but due to the way they used to procreate, he would never know for sure. It was rare enough for a male to see young children, though that would be changing soon enough thanks to the genophage being cured, but to see them plain as day, and to know that they were his had struck him with such profundity that it was easy for Shepard to notice.
She had watched him taking in the site of their destruction quietly as though the whole experience had been surreal. He had gently picked one up in the midst of the chaos, and gazed deeply into his eyes, calming the child almost immediately. It was as though he was studying the fact that he had a child, and not believing that it would live. If she hadn't known Wrex better she almost would have expected him to cry, but there was no way he would do that in front of all these people.
It's like he knew that Jane's eyes had been on him. Studying him. He didn't care, but he did move his gaze to match hers at one point. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. She saw immense gratitude, and hope. She knew that he was thankful for this chance.
That hope was something that she and Bakara had talked about during her time on the Normandy. In that moment, Jane had easily remembered her saying that 'The genophage forces us to live on hope alone. There is nothing else.' But now that hope had been fulfilled. Now they would have a future. It was finally their time to find balance again, and re-establish their place in the galaxy.
Jane had loved talking to Bakara during the war. She admired her openness, and she had learned a lot about what it meant to be krogan. Their conversations helped Jane understand her people's sacrifice. She still remembered when Bakara said 'When my child didn't draw breath, that's when my life truly began.' Jane asked her about it again during their visit. Bakara had said that it was more true now than ever before, because that instance had fueled her to ensure that no other krogan would have to feel that way again. It had led her to Maelon, which had led them all to a cure. It may have been when her life had truly begun, but not how their lives as a species would end thanks to them.
Bakara had ended off their visit with numerous hints at how much of a blessing children were, and Shepard had plainly told her that she was as bad as her mother-in-law, which had earned her a laugh.
If Jane had been honest with herself, the idea had slowly been creeping into her own head more and more lately, without outside prodding. It was something that she and Kaidan had both admitted to wanting before the end of the war, but especially with the job prospects that had just been thrown at her, she had wanted to settle a bit first… or so she thought? Admittedly seeing the way that Wrex looked at his son had intensified her desire for it, but not enough to talk to Kaidan about it just yet. She wanted to be sure.
They were only able to stay on Tuchanka for a day, because even though Hackett had given her this job specifically so she could be the one escorting her friends home and have that last time with them, this wasn't a social visit. It was hard to say goodbye to Wrex. She liked having him around again to talk to, but this is where he belonged. Tuchanka's future was stronger and brighter with him at the helm.
Now they were getting ready to land on Palaven. Garrus and Tali had been extremely excited. They had both had some deliberations trying to decide where they would settle after the end of the war. Tali desperately wanted to go to Rannoch. She wanted to know what it was to have a home world again, but the simple math of it made their decision an easy one.
Palaven was only 133 light years away from Earth, which made their journey a short two weeks. It still wouldn't be easy to just commute back and forth for no reason thanks to how difficult it would be to get supplies now. Every trip would need some kind of purpose behind it. But still, it was a lot closer than Rannoch, which was an astonishing 86,000 light years away from Earth. That meant that the first time she would even be able to step foot on it at standard FTL speeds would be more than 20 years from now. She hoped that the relays would be finished a lot sooner than that, but at the end of the day she wasn't willing to separate from Garrus. If it took 20 years to finish the relays it would still mean she got to go back to her home planet at the same time, but she would be able to stay with the man she loved too. It really was no contest.
The other part of their decision was also easy for Tali. She didn't have any family to return to, and Garrus still had a father and sister waiting for him. Garrus was excited to finally get to introduce them, and as far as he was concerned, this would be Tali's family to come home to now too. He knew it wasn't the same thing, but it was important to him that she consider this home, at least for now. For her to be doing this so easily for him, meant that he would happily move to Rannoch when the relays were fixed.
As they were preparing to land on Palaven, Jane was preparing to suit up. She hadn't been as upset as she might have thought she would be about being pulled off of active duty, but now that she was looking at her armour it had an air of sadness attached to it. Sure this wasn't the exact same set that she had worn during the war. That was far too destroyed for any functional use, but these were pretty good replicas. She realised that this would very likely be the last time she would ever put it on, and it was only going to be for radiation protection.
She had never joined the military with the thought of wanting to go to battle. That was always supposed to be a last resort. Taking someone's life was never easy, and it wasn't something that you would ever get to take back. When she took a life, she always tried to make sure that it was the right decision. Sometimes the urgency of the situation didn't grant her time to think, and it was purely done through necessity to protect her crew or civilians. Those times always tended to be harder on her, though never regretted.
Instead, she had joined with the intention of protection. To fight the evils of the galaxy to save the innocent. Her causes were noble, and she hoped that she had lived up to it. Her armour was just a symbol of her dedication and accomplishments. She ran her fingers over the N7 logo, and fondly remembered how much work it had taken her to get where she is. The flame that burns twice as bright, burns half as long, as they say. Her career was certainly proof of that. She had pushed herself so hard over such a short amount of time that she couldn't really be surprised that it was about to fizzle out.
Maybe that wasn't exactly the right way to think about it though. It wasn't going to fizzle out, it was simply going to change. Maybe she really did deserve to take it easy for once, though if she decided to go through with being an Admiral, she was sure it wouldn't exactly be easy. Just a different kind of hectic.
As she put her armour on with practiced ease, she tried to revel in the feeling. Remembering the satisfying clink of each clasp buckling into place. Feeling the full weight of it on her frame. It was bittersweet. She liked that her needs for it today were simple, and for good intentions. It was the send off that she preferred. One not muddied with more lives taken by her hand. Especially not now, when things were as peaceful as they had ever been.
As they landed, Castis and Solana had been eagerly awaiting their arrival. They had managed to get a couple of text messages through to Garrus while they were still on Earth, so both parties at least knew that the other was alive. A large comfort in and of itself especially knowing that Garrus had been with the final push on Earth at the end. Garrus hadn't exactly wanted to tell them about Tali by text, but he didn't want to hide her either.
Garrus had been somewhat concerned about his father's reaction to him choosing to be with a quarian, as his dad was far more traditional than himself, but Tali was important to him. He would have preferred to have have his father's blessing in the matter, but it wouldn't have mattered at the end of the day, because he loved Tali with or without his father's approval.
He had been pleasantly surprised to receive a message that was short and to the point:
'We're happy for you Garrus. We can't wait to meet her.'
His father had always been a man of little words, but they were always filled with his truth, so Garrus knew without question that it was genuine.
That had made Jane happy. She knew Garrus would always do right by Tali, but she would have been upset leaving her in a place that she wasn't welcomed openly. If Garrus's family hadn't been so approving, Jane would have pushed harder for them to come back to the Citadel and have a more active role in the MWII. For the time being, they had graciously accepted their positions, but Garrus was requested back on Palaven. They would have to try to do what they could in a less active role for the time being, possibly changing their plans later.
Jane had never managed to get a straight answer out of him as to how far down the line of succession he was, but she had a feeling it wasn't that far, as he had been wanted back for political reasons. If Garrus was willing to do that, he must be pretty important.
They were here mostly to drop Garrus and Tali off, but also to exchange as many supplies as the Normandy could hold. It wasn't exactly built to be a supply shit, but the fuel wouldn't be wasted. If they could bring supplies in times like these, they would do it.
The area that they were needed in was still covered in rubble, which meant they couldn't land there. Victus had sent them coordinates for a clearing somewhat outside of the city centre. Palaven wasn't exactly known for its vegetation, but they had landed in an empty field surrounded by a wooded area.
As they disembarked, Garrus ran to his family, and gave them hugs. He was never usually one to be openly emotional with his father, but now was certainly time for an exception. He was different with Solana. They had clearly been closer. After things calmed down slightly, Garrus backed up to welcome Tali. They were much more subdued, but both also hugged her as well, and made sure to make her feel that she was welcomed. They exchanged a few pleasantries, but then Garrus moved to introduce Jane.
Castis had taken her hand firmly, clearly practicing the customary way to introduce yourself to humans. He thanked her for her service, but more so, thanked her for taking care of his son. There had been a time that he had been cautious about Spectre's, and especially Garrus's infatuation with them. That still may be true, but he admitted that Shepard had opened his eyes to know that at least some of them were good. He was glad that Shepard had been the one helping shape Garrus's opinions and world views, and he didn't doubt that a lot of her influence had done well for his son.
They had explained that Garrus's family home was close to here. They lived in a more rural area outside of the city centre. Still far enough away to warrant a shuttle ride, but that would be for tomorrow. Today was reserved for work.
Victus had only come for greetings and to thank Shepard personally for everything that she had done. It was nice to see him again, but they had work to do. Castis happened to be the one in charge of resource management. He conveniently would be the one watching over the day's events, and providing grunts to load up shuttles with supplies to bring into the city.
Solana was also helping, though that was more of a special accomodation only for today thanks to her brother returning. This way, even though they would be working, they could all be together. Most of her work had been strategizing the best way for cleanup and repair in the city centres, which is where she would be returning after the Normandy would depart again.
The day was a long one. They managed to empty every last supply deemed for Palaven, and everyone was exhausted. Castis informed them that they had some supplies to send back to Earth as well. Some extra Dextro supplies for any turians or quarians still stranded, as well as other raw materials that Palaven had an excess of as thanks for whatever supplies Earth had sent to help their rebuilding effort.
That would be reserved for tomorrow though, which would likely be the last time that Jane would see two of her closest friends for quite some time. She was happy to see that they had finally reached this point. This is what they had all been fighting for after all, but the idea was definitely a sad one.