WARHAMMER DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. MASS EFFECT DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. DO ANY DWARFS WANT TO GIVE ME A HAND? SOME GOBLINS SHOWED UP AND ARE SAYING RUDE THINGS ABOUT MY FAMILY LINE.

All right, I think it's about time we wrapped this one up!

Honor-Bound

Chapter 38

The New World, Part 8

"For all that she was well-traveled, for all the many allies she would cross great distances to visit, General Shepard never returned to Lustria after her first expedition. Some within Imperial nobility would demand that she lead other armies there, to claim the vast riches of that mysterious land, but each and every attempt was met with recriminations from the Emperor himself. Furthermore, any expedition to the homeland of the Lizardmen that was not sanctioned by the Emperor became a crime punishable by death."—Imperial History, Vol. XXII

…

Shepard tilted her head back and sighed in relief as the cool water poured across her face. Her armor might have reduced the heat of Lustria's jungles, but it didn't completely block it out. All along the stream, her men were doing the same thing as her, using the water to wash away the sweat on their faces. A few had even moved further downstream and stripped down to more thoroughly wash.

Normally, the troops were less inclined to bathe—like most people in the Empire—but Shepard had enforced the need for cleanliness in her army. She didn't want half of her men down from illness because they had neglected basic hygiene. And with their departure from Lustria fast approaching, this would be the last time any of them would have for a real bath until they reached the Empire.

Shepard let the sunlight dry her hair, and then slowly returned it to its usual braid. It was getting a little long for her taste, but after everything that had happened to her in Lustria, she'd decided to let her discipline slip, if only a little.

Honestly, Shepard would have set sail for the Empire weeks ago, but Kroak had persuaded her to stay for another two months, if only because he wanted to use the shard to permanently restore the temple-cities' spawning pools. Once that was done, the Lizardmen would be able to reclaim their lost territory, and secure it against threats from Chaos. But the timeline was just a few days away from ending; Shepard needed the shard, and she needed to get back to her family.

She had done the math in her head; if they left soon, and the weather was with them, they'd be able to get back to Nuln before Eliza gave birth.

"General!" Shepard glanced behind her and saw Gregor striding towards her. His tone wasn't urgent, so she wasn't worried.

Gregor hadn't recovered from his injuries in time for the final battle against the Dark Elves, something that had earned him some ribbing from the younger knights. Over the last few weeks, Gregor had put each and every one of their faces in the dirt in practice matches. He was still getting on in years, with more silver in his hair and trim beard than when Shepard had met him, but his arm was still strong, and his mind was sharp.

"What's up, Gregor?" Shepard made her way over to a tree stump and finished braiding her hair.

"The Amazons have sent a party to meet with us. They don't seem worried, so I do not believe there is any danger."

Shepard smiled; after the battles outside Hexoatl and against the Dark Elves, relations between her men and the Amazons had grown friendly. Many of the warrior women had admitted that they were wrong about men; they weren't going to start trusting every male they met, but at least they'd be willing to give Imperials a chance. This attitude was limited to Quetza's tribe, but it was something. To her amusement, a few of the more open-minded Amazons and the braver Imperials had had a few intimate encounters once drinks began to flow.

"Well, let's see what they want." Shepard blew a sharp whistle, and Stormwing got up from the shade of the tree he was napping under. "Maybe their scouts spotted Kroak coming back early."

"That would be nice." Gregor blew his own whistle, and Mortis darted over to him; the Demigryph squawked at Stormwing happily, then hopped away from a lazy swipe from the Griffon. "As beautiful as this land is when we are not fighting, I find myself yearning for home."

"Yeah, so am I," Shepard admitted.

As the two walked to meet with the Amazons, Shepard waved at the men she passed by. Locke, in the middle of regaling some of his Pistoliers with a story, stopped to wave back, and Richter nodded as he supervised drills.

The army had been in a good mood ever since Shepard had recovered and the last battle had concluded. The veterans in particular were happy—they had taken far fewer casualties during this expedition, with less than three hundred dead. They knew it was because of their allies and a great deal of luck, but they were just happy to not be burying as many friends this time.

Shepard and Gregor met the Amazons just outside the Imperial camp. Quetza and Ahuila led the party of a dozen warriors; all of the Amazons nodded respectfully, not just to Shepard, but Gregor as well.

"It is good to see you again, Three-Headed Wolf," Quetza said, then turned to Gregor. "You as well, Grand Master."

"It's only been four days," Shepard reminded her. "Not a lot has changed."

"It is about to," Quetza said. "Lord Kroak has been spotted coming this way."

Relations between the Amazons and the Lizardmen were also starting to change. Kroak had offered the Amazons a home in the temple-cities, in exchange for helping with the defense of Lustria, and assisting in the recovery of Old One technology. As far as Shepard knew, the negotiations were still ongoing, but she held out hope that they would make peace.

Quetza smiled, but it was sad. "I will miss your company—both of you. I have grown used to you crashing through the jungle."

"Aw, she likes us!" Shepard's grin was a little forced. She had gotten to know the Amazons over the last two months, observing their rituals and joining in on their hunts. Partly because of the respect she showed them, but also because she was the Three-Headed Wolf, Quetza's tribe had adopted her as an honorary sister.

"There is one thing I would ask of you, before you leave," Quetza continued. "Our Priestesses have foreseen great struggles ahead of you, and if you are half as important as the Slann believe, I would ask that you take Ahuila with you, to be your shadow and keep you safe."

Shepard wanted to sigh; Quetza had been hinting at this request for several weeks, but she was reluctant. She didn't necessarily want a bodyguard, and she worried that Ahuila wouldn't mesh well with Imperial society. True, she got along better with men, but she was still on her home turf. Then again, she'd been with her to see the plaques that Kroak had shown them; she was literally the only person on the planet, other than the Emperor, to know that Shepard was from another realm, something she hadn't even told her closest friends.

She took a deep breath. "Only if Ahuila wants to go of her own free will, not because you ordered her, or because someone saw the future."

For her part, Ahuila didn't even blink. "You are important to this world, Three-Headed Wolf; therefore, you are important to my people, and to me. I would be honored to follow you."

Shepard held out her arm, and the two women clasped hands like warriors, hand to wrist. "Then welcome aboard."

While that happened, Quetza spoke to Gregor. "Ahuila is a capable warrior, but she is still my daughter. I trust her, but please…"

Gregor nodded. "I will do my best to make sure she returns to you alive."

Quetza smiled in thanks, then leaned in close, so that they were not overheard. "And I offer you a bit of advice, my friend—do not fool yourself into believing that your feelings for Shepard have died, or turned to great respect. She is worth pursuing, and she will realize that you are worthy. Do not give up hope yet."

Gregor kept his features neutral. "I… will consider it."

Quetza didn't say any more, but continued to give him a knowing look. Thankfully for Gregor, he was saved from continuing the conversation when Stormwing and Mortis raised their heads upon hearing something approaching from the jungle.

"General," Gregor called out, "I believe the Lizardmen are here."

A moment later, the first of the Lizardman column appeared at the edge of the clearing, just outside the camp. The procession was long and heavily armed, which was appropriate for someone of Kroak's importance. It was led by veteran Saurus and a pair of ancient Stegadons—creatures that reminded Shepard of a Triceratops, but bigger and with more spikes. Hundreds of other Lizardmen arrayed themselves outside the camp; they were alert, but not aggressive, though some of the Humans had a hard time telling the difference.

The ranks of Saurus parted to allow Kroak to float unimpeded towards the Humans. "Fate-Breaker, I have returned to fulfill my end of our bargain."

Shepard blinked, then smiled. "So you're all set? No more Chaos crap messing up your cities?"

"The corruption has been purged, yes. With the Skaven driven off and unable to poison our spawning pools again, we will be able to repopulate and secure Lustria from all threats."

"And the rest of our agreement?"

Gregor turned to her in surprise; he hadn't been aware of any other parts to the bargain.

"I swear to you that my people will not set foot on your Empire's soil, unless we are attacked first." Kroak sounded faintly amused. "You truly are a protector, Fate-Breaker."

"I wasn't aware you were forging an alliance with the Lizardmen," Gregor said dryly.

"It's more of an implied mutual defense pact." Shepard shrugged. "And I'm used to doing what I can to keep people safe. Might as well embrace it. Anyway, the shard?"

A Saurus stepped forward with the rune-covered chest that Shepard had let them borrow for transporting the shard. As soon as Shepard held the chest in her hands, she cracked open the lid to view the contents; the golden light reflected on her face, and for a moment, it looked like her old coloring had returned. Then the box was closed again, and Shepard handed it to Gregor.

"And you're sure I can keep the shield?" Shepard gestured to Spellmaw, which rested on Stormwing's saddle.

"Consider it my people's investment in your success," Kroak said. "It has served you well in the past, and I am sure that it will do so in the future."

"Thanks." Shepard turned to Gregor. "Well, we've got what we came for. Get the men—" she glanced at Ahuila and coughed. "I mean, get the troops on the ships. I want us setting sail in three hours."

"Yes, General." Gregor shared one last nod of respect with Quetza, and then he mounted Mortis and rode into the camp to shout orders.

"I'd be lying if I said this was a fun trip," Shepard said to Kroak. "But I'm glad I learned about the connection between our two realms."

"You are?"

"Yeah. I've been pinning my hopes on this artifact being able to send me home, but I had no idea where it came from, or who made it. Now I do, and if these Old Ones had something that sent me here, then this thing can send me back." She turned and began walking toward the ships. "Well, I guess I'm off. No offense, but I hope I never have to come back here."

Kroak couldn't move, but Shepard got the sense that if he could smile, he would. "We will see each other before the end, Alexia Shepard. The spark of Order is strengthened with every step you take, and it will grow into a raging fire that will stand against the darkness that waits for you."

Shepard froze as she processed that, and then visibly shook herself. "And on that totally-not-ominous note, I'm out!"

…

The journey back to the Empire was harder than the trip to Lustria. Despite the speed the ships' steam engines provided, the wind was against them almost the entire way, slowing their progress. It took just over two months of sailing before they reached the port in Nuln, where they were greeted to thousands of cheering civilians and soldiers.

Waiting at the front of the crowd was Emmanuelle, who greeted Shepard with a warm embrace. "Welcome home, Alexia. Nuln just hasn't been the same without its Seneschal."

Shepard removed her helmet, her appearance shocking the Elector Countess for a moment. "It's good to be back, my Lady. Have I missed much?"

"Thankfully, nothing that couldn't be handled without you." The two women stepped aside as the ranks of Shepard's army marched down the ships' ramps. Emmanuelle noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, and jumped when she saw Ahuila waiting in the shadows. "By Sigmar, what—"

"Elector Countess Emmanuelle, I'd like to introduce Ahuila, a friend of mine from Lustria. She's going to be, in her words, my 'shadow'. I stopped fighting her on the matter." Emmanuelle eyed Ahuila's outfit, obviously scandalized, and Shepard continued before her friend accidentally made an enemy. "The Amazons are capable warriors, and a proud people. I was also adopted into Ahuila's tribe, after we fought together several times."

"I… see." Emmanuelle tore her eyes away from the Amazon. "I wish we could talk, General, but I believe that something does require the immediate attention of you and Captain Locke."

It took Shepard only an instant to realize what she was talking about. "Gregor, handle things from here! Captain Locke, you're with me!"

Locke was already at her side. "It will take some time to get through the crowds, General."

"Not for me." Shepard blew a sharp whistle, and Stormwing landed next to her. "Climb on! Emmanuelle, we'll talk as soon as—"

The Countess pointed in the direction of her manor. "Just go, quickly, or you'll miss it!"

Stormwing was in the air almost before Shepard and Locke were completely secure in the saddle. Some in the crowd were confused or alarmed at their heroine's sudden departure, but since none of the other soldiers were worried, they quickly calmed down.

It took the Griffon only minutes to reach the manor, and the two riders leaped off his back and ran inside. A nervous servant guided them to a room that had been specially prepared; before they even reached the door, they heard the sound of a baby crying. The sound caused Locke to trip, but Shepard caught him by the shoulder.

"Easy, man," she said calmly. "Just go in there and meet your family. I'll be right behind you."

Locke took a deep breath, then opened the door and walked in. Shepard waited a few seconds before following after him. Inside, she saw Eliza lying on the bed; the young woman was drenched in sweat and looked absolutely exhausted, but her face glowed with the happiest smile that Shepard had ever seen. In her husband's arms was a tiny bundle, swaddled in thick blankets; from Shepard's angle, it was hard to see the details, but she caught a glimpse of a tiny nose poking out.

Eliza weakly turned her head and smiled. "Alexia? Is that you?"

"Yeah, we're both back." Shepard made her way to Eliza's side and took her glasses from the bedside table and put them on the other woman's face. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." Eliza's eyes focused on Shepard's face, and her smile disappeared. "Alexia, what happened to you!?"

Shepard gently shushed her. "I'll tell you later, I promise. Just know that I'm okay. Today is all about you and your baby. Oh, is it a boy or girl?"

"A girl," Eliza said, beaming once more. "Elias and I discussed names before you left, so I'd like you to meet Eleanor Alexia Locke."

Shepard's eyes stung with tears; not only was the newborn her goddaughter, she had her name! She turned to Locke and got a better view of the baby; she was red-faced, but a wisp of hair, the same color as her mother's, could be seen.

"She's adorable," she said, then gently hugged Eliza and kissed the top of her head. "I am so proud of you."

"Thank you." Eliza giggled tiredly as tears of happiness ran down her cheeks.

"Why don't I give you three some time alone?" Shepard stepped back. "I think I need to check on my own kid."

"He's in the room next door," Eliza mumbled, her eyes starting to close. "There are guards."

Shepard had noticed several Greatswords outside, but she had been in too much of a hurry to really pay attention. She carefully hugged Locke and grinned at Eleanor, and then quietly withdrew from the room.

There was noticeably less energy inside David's temporary home. A pair of guards stood at attention, both inside and outside the room, but they were focused on keeping David safe, not entertained.

"At ease, men," Shepard said as she entered the room. "I'd like to spend some time alone with my son."

The guards saluted, and then left, closing the door behind them. David, who had been sitting in a crib that was looking a bit small for him, perked up as soon as he saw his mother.

"Mama!" David held out his arms excitedly.

"Hey, little man!" Shepard again had tears in her eyes as she picked up the son she hadn't seen in months. "Did you miss me?"

David was up for understanding some words now, because he nodded. He then noticed how different Shepard looked, because he frowned and clumsily pressed his hands against her face.

"I know." Shepard hugged him, making sure not to press him too hard against her armor. "I'm okay, I promise."

I'm going to be saying that a lot, aren't I? she thought.

David seemed to accept that, and leaned in. "L' you, Mama."

Shepard gently stroked his hair. "I love you too, David."

…

A few days after Shepard's return, a party of Reiksguard arrived in Nuln to escort her and the newest shard to the College of Light, where it would join the others. As usual, she was met by Karl Franz; the two had exchanged a few letters since she'd come back to the Empire, which allowed her to warn the Emperor that she was bringing a guest.

"So, you are one of the mysterious Amazons I've heard tell of." Karl Franz dipped his head in greeting as Ahuila stepped out of the shadows. "Welcome to the Empire."

Ahuila nodded in return. "My thanks." She glanced at Shepard. "I am ready, Three-Headed Wolf."

As Ahuila was one of the few who knew the full nature of the artifact, and the fact that she was her shadow, Shepard decided that she would be the only other person to help her deliver the shards to the Light Wizards.

Karl Franz grinned. "Another title, General?"

"That is what my people call her," Ahuila said. "The Lizardmen call her Fate-Breaker."

Shepard sulked. "Yeah, yeah, I've got even more titles. Let's just get this thing locked up with the others, okay?"

The Emperor laughed. "As you wish, General."

Shepard and Ahuila followed Karl Franz into the College of Light, where a Light Wizard guided them to the vault. Shepard had a cordial relationship with the College, though it wasn't as close as the one she shared with the Jade and Celestial Colleges. Still, she appreciated what the Light Wizards did to purge Chaos and keep Daemons at bay.

"General, welcome back," Johann said as the three entered the vault. "I've been told that you have another addition for us?"

"Yep." Shepard hefted the chest and opened it. "We're adding this one to the mix, right?"

"Indeed. The artifact's power grows with every piece added." Johann's face lit up with curiosity. "I am eager to see what its full effect and form will take."

As Johann brought the shard over to the larger piece that hovered on its pedestal, it flew over on its own and attached itself. Now, the artifact really did look like a small Mass Relay; Shepard had probably seen hundreds of scale models of them in various stores back home, though none of them were gold… or had magic powers.

As before, the artifact thrummed with power as it became more complete, but this time, the pulse was enough to stagger everyone in the vault.

"Damn, I felt that one," Shepard said, trying to remain casual. "Hey, I just thought of something."

Karl Franz looked at her. "What?"

"Well, energy isn't destroyed or created, only moved around, so…" Shepard squinted at the artifact. "Where did it send all that?"

…

"Admiral, we've picked up another one!" Samantha Traynor's hands flew across her console. "It's ten times bigger than anything else we've detected!"

"Correction, this energy signature is eleven-point-six-six—repeating—times more powerful than anything previously recorded." EDI's holographic avatar spun to face the others in the room. "The total yield measures at nine yottatons."

Liara sat back in her chair. "Has anything ever displayed that much energy?"

"The Crucible, right when it activated," Hackett answered. "And these pulses aren't happening with any kind of regularity or pattern that we can identify. My gut tells me that this is being done by someone."

Garrus' talons gripped the table. "And you think it's Shepard?"

"I'm not sure," Hackett admitted. "But the energy is identical to what we detected before we lost contact with her. At the very least, it's worth investigating."

"The Alliance and the Council didn't seem to agree," Miranda said, the words coming out as a growl. "They've declared her KIA."

"Officially, yes, but these energy signatures are still worrying, which is why I've called you here." Hackett smiled. "At the moment, I'm operating with limited resources, especially in the way of personnel, so volunteers are appreciated."

"If it means finding Shepard, even if it's just her body, we're in," Garrus said, speaking for everyone assembled.

It hadn't been hard to gather up Shepard's old friends and crew. All Hackett needed was to tell them that he was looking for Shepard, and they had joined. The three most important members of Operation Lost Shepherd were Liara and her Shadow Broker connections, Wrex and Grunt with their Krogan soldiers, and Major Kirrahe, who had access to STG resources. Combined with the individual skills of the rest of Shepard's surviving crew, and EDI to manage everything, the project was already operating smoothly.

"Until we have a way to travel to the source of this energy, your assignments are unchanged. If we have to move fast, I want the Normandy ready. Has the ship finished her refits?"

Joker grinned. "She's even better than she used to be, sir. Doesn't matter what planet Shepard ended up on, we'll get her."

"I hope you're not just boasting, Lieutenant," Hackett said, "because Shepard's life may depend on it."

Okay, quick explanation for why I updated this one so fast. First, it wasn't that long of a chapter, and mostly just a wrap-up. You know my pattern for these arcs, so I doubt many of you are surprised. Second, I've had this arc in my head for way too long, and it was getting in the way of writing my newest book. Now that I have a break in this story, I can get back to my career.

Also, for those of you who have bought my eBook, I am so thankful! There aren't many of you, but I appreciate it. However, it's still not enough for me to live off of, which is why I'm job-hunting. I wouldn't be surprised if you all don't see updates from me for a while, unless I start getting sales. So, please, check out my book, Alpha Sanction, by Josh Gottlieb, on Amazon, or on my website (link in my profile). Your support there means goodies here!

Anyway, yeah, Ahuila is sticking around! Shepard now has an Amazon bodyguard. I kind of wanted Shepard to have someone who was aware of Shepard's role in all this, but also be more than a sounding board. Who better than a badass warrior-woman? Also, yeah, Shepard got adopted into Ahuila's tribe. Because after all I put her through in this arc, she could use more friends.

And Gregor still has feelings for Shepard. Still not sure how that one's going to play out, I'm just playing it by ear there.

Also, Eleanor Alexia Locke, welcome to the party! Because I think we all really needed some happiness. Congrats, Eliza and Elias Locke! Oh, quick aside: It didn't occur to me when I paired those two up that their names were so similar. But now that they have a kid, I thought I'd run with it and give their daughter a similar name. I thought it would be cute.

And a quick visit to the Mass Effect universe! We haven't been there since Gregor signed up with Shepard all that time ago. I just wanted to remind everyone that Shepard's old friends are still looking for her, even if the Alliance and Council are being true to form and abandoning her. Because why would they change? It's not like Shepard, say, saved the fucking galaxy, right!? God, I hate the level of stupidity in ME's upper management. They're all morons.

Sorry, bit of remembered rage poking through there.

As I said, taking a bit of a break, but I'll leave you with a teaser for the next arc.

Next Chapter: As the next shard is revealed, a threat rises in the heart of the Empire's seat of power! Shepard rides out to meet it at the side of the Emperor himself!

Some soldiers fight for their nation, others fight for Sigmar, and many fight for their homes. But the most valiant of all fight for Muffins.