Epilogue: Never Surrender.
Many Years Later…
Far above some outlying planet in the Athena Nebula, a man stood over a holographic map of the system, and the red and blue blinking lights that represented allied and enemy ships.
"This isn't looking good," The Commander stated, watching as the red dots pushed the blue back toward the planet his flagship was currently orbiting.
"You can say that again," a familiar blue hologram said from beside him. "They're really pressing us hard, and it's only because this attack came out of nowhere."
"Of course it was unexpected, this planet has no worth at any level," another hologram stated, standing to the left of the first hologram. "No minerals, no life of any kind, nor an atmosphere that can support their kind."
"Maybe that's why they've attacked our fleet here," the female hologram suggested. "They want to truly test us, and themselves, in the hostile environment."
"Test us? They want us dead, that's all they care about!" the second, male hologram exclaimed.
"Quiet brother, she's got a point," the commander stated, watching the allied ships being pushed nearer and nearer. "Let them have it."
"What?" the two advisors exclaimed.
"Let them land, it's clear they're winning in space combat," the commander said, as he picked up his olive helmet with its custom orange visor, and flexed his armoured shoulders. "If they want this planet then they will fight US on the planet's surface."
"You're serious, aren't you?" the woman asked.
"Always," he replied, clicking his helmet into place.
He watched the red dots moving past the blue, before disappearing when they entered the planet's hologram.
"All enemy ships have gone planet side sir," a private reported from a short distance away.
"Good," he said, moving for the door. "Call in reinforcements, surround the planet and ensure they cannot escape. If they want this planet so bad, then they'll earn it."
"We're on our way brother, save some of them for us," Admiral James Shepard stated, before his hologram faded away.
"Do you want me to join you?" Cortana asked, her hologram appearing above a small orb floating in front of the Commander.
"I'd be lost without you," he smiled behind his helmet. "I'll try to save some for you."
"Don't make a girl a promise…" Cortana smirked.
"I keep my promises," he replied. "See you planet-side."
"Not if I see you first big brother," Cortana smiled, before her hologram faded.
He was handed a rifle, pistol, and several grenades as he walked briskly toward the main hangar. He looked out of the hangar door as bombers took flight overhead, taking a deep breath before pulling a lever to his right. The floor opened, and he dropped out of the flagship, plummeting toward the planet surface in only his armour.
He hit the ground hard, the impact sending a shockwave out in all directions, and alerting the enemy to his arrival. He straightened up, and was immediately met by the enemy, the towering beast leaning over him, before letting out a bellowing roar.
"Demon!" The Yahg snarled. "Come to die?"
At this more Yahg appeared to flank the main one, outnumbering and surrounding the commander.
"Not today," he replied, activating his tech armour, which flashed into life and disorientated the Yahg.
With the beasts distracted, he grabbed his pistol and shot the eight nearest Yahg between the eyes, before numerous explosions on all sides signalled the arrival of his support. He ducked behind the dead beasts as gunfire erupted on all sides, most of it directed at him.
"Commander Shepard!" a private yelled, before a Batarian soldier knelt beside him.
"Status report!" Commander John Shepard III barked, peering over the dead Yahg to see where its compatriots were.
"We've got them pinned sir, they're not leaving the planet alive!" the private said excitedly, before a headshot made the Batarian's head explode.
"Neither are you demon!" a Yahg roared, hurling a grenade over the corpses John was hiding behind.
"Moth… Goddess protect me!" he muttered, before leaping back, away from the grenade before it exploded, ripping the dead bodies to pieces.
He cocked his rifle and charged the Yahg front line, seeing his allies following his lead on the suit's heads-up display. A roar overhead, and a shockwave of biotic energy clearing his path signalled the arrival of Cortana on the battlefield, and John glanced to his left to see her running at his side.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Georgia smiled, watching her children fighting the Yahg on a large table, with Samara and Miranda at her side.
"Like mother…" Samara smiled.
"Like sons and daughters, they're upholding the family name," Miranda finished Samara's sentence. "Though I'm more troubled by the Yahg, how the hell did they advance so suddenly?"
"A Reaper was killed by an exploding Mass Relay, and its corpse crashed on their homeworld," Georgia said, having learnt about the root of the Yahg uprising in an instance. "They weren't indoctrinated because of the synthesis, but they spent the past few decades learning from its remains, unbeknownst to the rest of the galaxy."
"But surely we would have known about their intentions, how did we not see this coming?" Miranda asked.
"The Yahg to don't worship any divinity, instead following a pack mentality and survival of the fittest," Samara explained. "Perhaps we were blind because we did not hear their prayers, a mistake I do not think we should ever repeat."
"Agreed," Georgia and Miranda said in unison.
"Should we help the Council races push the Yahg back to Parnack?" Georgia asked.
"Some assistance would be advised against a race that even gives the Krogan a run for their money," Miranda replied.
Georgia waved her hand, and the floating surface, upon which they had been viewing John III's heroism, turned bright white and descended into the floor. Their thoughts on the Yahg uprising were pushed to one side, as a familiar exclamation sounded from behind them.
"What the fuck?"
"Hello again Jack," Georgia smiled, hurrying over to hug her former-convict friend.
"Where the fuck am I?" Jack exclaimed, though she didn't shake off Georgia's embrace.
"The afterlife, or paradise as some would call it," Samara smiled, as Georgia moved to stand at her loves' sides again. "You're no longer bound to flesh and blood, you are ethereal and eternal."
"So… why are we still… us?" Jack asked.
"It's a part of us, even in death," Miranda said simply.
"And why are we… naked?" Jack asked her next question, glancing down before anger rose to the surface. "Where the fuck's my ink?"
"You see the afterlife how you want to see it Jack," Georgia explained. "If you want to see everyone naked, you'll see everyone naked. And about your ink, in death we are essentially born anew."
"Stop with the pious shit!" Jack snarled. "Where am I?"
"Look up," the triumvirate said in unison, having heard this question many times before.
Jack looked up, and her jaw dropped. The galaxy itself twinkled in the distance, the centrepiece in the eternally dark blue sky. Jack's eyes then turned toward the vast structure she seemed to be in the centre of. It was a vast structure, much bigger than the Citadel, with a large disc with eight arms reaching out on all sides.
"What the…" Jack stammered.
"In the Sierra reality it was called the Ark, a vast artificial structure that controlled the Halos, and could activate them all at once." Georgia revealed. "I copied it and brought it here, and it is now our paradise in the afterlife."
"Our?" Jack asked. "You lovebirds need something this big…"
"It's not just us here Jack," Miranda chuckled. "Most of the Normandy crew who passed on are here now, spending their days however they please."
"And now so can you. Days can pass like seconds, years like hours, time is infinite now." Samara said, gliding over to cup Jack's chin. "If you want to destroy, you can. If you want to play with life, you can."
"And if I want to fuck?" Jack smirked, eyeing Samara's bare breasts.
"You can," Samara growled, pulling Jack into a powerful kiss.
"Alright, what exactly happened to you? You got old true, but that wasn't you they shot into the central sun." Jack smirked. "You were nowhere near dying of old age, yet here you are in the 'afterlife'."
"It became clear that we weren't going to die in each other's arms, but we didn't want to live without the others," Samara explained.
"So we took the Normandy and flew away, leaving the mortal realm behind as we flew here." Miranda continued.
"So that's not the Normandy in the museum on Earth?" Jack asked.
"A clone, but not the original," Georgia smiled. "The original is here. "Jack, if you don't mind me asking; how did you die?"
"One of those beasts got me, tore me in half after I was surrounded by the bastards," Jack snarled, clearly pissed by how she died. "I'm just happy I died fighting, your son is quite the leader like you, he just doesn't give up, and I can't deny that I admire that trait."
"Never surrender," Miranda said simply, and Jack laughed.
"Well said cheerleader," Jack grinned.
"Never surrender." Georgia said, looking up at the galaxy overhead, her gold eyes twinkling.
FIN.
"In War: Resolution,
In Defeat: Defiance,
In Victory: Magnanimity
In Peace: Good Will." Winston Churchill.
-AN-
I apologise for the continued delays, but at last I have brought the Shepard Series to a suitable end, just in time for Halo 5. :P
The next story I intend to start posting is my Star Wars fanfic, again well-timed, which should be before the release of Episode VII.
I want to thank you for being so patient with me, and hope you have enjoyed my writings.