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Chapter 44: Unsung Heroes

Year: 2185CE

Location: Normandy SR-2, Port Observation

What used to be an impressive collection of alcohol had been all but destroyed when the Normandy had crash-landed on the Collector base. What a shame. The new stock they had acquired from Omega and Illium would suffice for now. Garrus browsed the limited selection for a second before he reached for a particular bottle on the liquor shelves. Turian brandy.

The door opened and closed behind him, then came a quiet, familiar voice. "I knew I could find you here."

"Nothing like a good drink after going through hell," Garrus commented before he turned around and watched as Shepard settled herself onto the bar stool, resting her forehead in her hand.

"Headache," Garrus observed. "How bad?"

"Not enough to kill me."

Garrus retrieved a bottle for whiskey based on her answer. "Nothing is ever enough to kill you, Shepard. Even if it did, you'd just come back pissed as hell and ready to kick its ass." Double shots of amber liquor filled the glass. "Here."

She opened her eyes lazily and glanced at the offering. "You always know just what I need. Thanks."

"Where's Liara?" Garrus asked, sitting down next to his human sister with a drink of his own.

"Left."

"She's not going back with us?"

"She's the boss now. The Shadow Broker base is all hers. Besides, we can't pry her away from the console even if we try."

"Still, being all alone on a ship that size."

"She's not alone; Feron is there to help her."

"I supposed..." Garrus conceded, taking a sip from his drink. "Our little doctor is now the Shadow Broker. They sure grow up fast."

"Liara is older than both of us combined," Shepard reminded him. "But, you're right. She has definitely changed."

"I still remember the first time we met her. Trapped in that little bubble..." Garrus reminisced. "Good times."

"Things were easier back then."

"Were they really?" He shot Shepard a doubtful look. "You humans have a saying: Ignorance is bliss. Back then, we didn't know what's lurking beyond the veil, waiting to strike."

"Now we know." Shepard drained her shot. "I'd rather die with a gun in my hands than being caught unaware."

"Going out gun blazing." Garrus nodded his approval. "I like that."

"Let's hope we still have time to prepare for the war."

"You mean, let's hope everyone will believe us this time."

Shepard snorted.

"You have to admit our story sounds a little crazy to most people."

"Does it? Let's see..." Shepard leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "Where do I start? I touched an ancient Prothean artifact which then exploded. After that, I had weird dreams about destruction and war. So I asked the Council to go to war with an unknown giant mechanical bug based on my vision, which they sensibly refused. Then we were sent to chase down a rogue Spectre. Along the way we destroyed his cure for the genophage, and nuked a planet. The Council grounded us, but we stole a prototype warship to chase after that giant bug to save the day." She filled her own glass with a dry chuckle underneath her breath. "Guess it does sound crazy when I say it out loud."

"And now another giant bug is coming," Garrus continued the story. "This time, he's brought his friends. Lots of them."

"Yeah..." she breathed, sounding oddly weak for once, as though all the strength had been drained from her. "We have to stop them. And you and I both know we can't win this one by ourselves."

The Alliance.

"You sure you want to go back to the Alliance?"

There was the slightest pause, the barest hint of hesitation for someone who was usually decisive. "I have to, Garrus. What else could I do?"

"Well, we can keep our team and fight against injustice around the galaxy."

"Storm the gates, right the wrongs," Shepard continued for him. "You and me. A rogue Spectre and Archangel of Omega, running and gunning. Getting out of one mess just to jump into another."

"You know it," said Garrus, grinning. "It'll be fun, until the Reapers kill us all."

"It does sound fun," Shepard admitted, sucking in a long breath – a habit of her when she was troubled. "But I can't. Not with millions of lives at stake. That's why I have to go back."

That sense of duty. It had been drilled into Shepard since she was just a child. And it made her a better turian than he could ever be.

"What are they going to do to you when you get back to Earth?"

Shepard shrugged. "Don't know, but I have to warn the Alliance. And you have to warn everyone on Palaven."

Palaven... It was time to go back home. "I'll talk to my father. He is a friend of the primarch. I'll see if he can pull some strings. "

"Think your dad is gonna believe our story?"

Would he believe? Garrus couldn't say, but damned if he didn't try. "My father and I may not see eye to eye – to put it mildly, but he's damned good detective. If the connection's there, he wouldn't deny it."

Nodding, Shepard put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm counting on you, Garrus."

"This is going to be the toughest fight in our lives, Aerin. Sovereign didn't go down without a fight. I doubt a thousand more of his friends would be any different."

"That's what I love about you – the ever realist. Never have any illusions about what we're up against."

"I'm not saying we can't win. Just don't expect to win without casualty."

For a short moment, Shepard became thoughtfully quiet as she stared at the amber liquor in her glass. Humans and their delusional desire to save everyone... Garrus swallowed a sigh along with a sip of his drink.

"If we can kill one Reaper, we can kill a thousand of them," Shepard mumbled as if she was talking to herself. She then turned to him and flashed a familiar smirk. "We just need lots of ammo."

That's the Shepard he loved and respected. "And guns. Big guns."

"Lots of them." Shepard took a long look at him, smiling fondly, although there was more than a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I'm going to miss your ugly face."

"And I'm going to miss you dragging me through hell every day."

She chuckled under her breath. "Promise we'll see each other again before we die."

"Oh we will. Life won't be complete without seeing you again before my last breath."

"Thank you, Garrus, for everything." Shepard draped an arm around his shoulders. "You are the only one who has been with me since the beginning and every step of the way. It's been quite a ride."

"It has." He had never been good with goodbyes, but Garrus was glad to have a chance to share one last drink with the woman who had become his sister, his best friend. And so, he raised his glass and made a toast, "To all those crazy suicide missions and our Commander Shepard."

Shepard raised hers. "To the man who has always watched my back with his sniper rifle since day one. There is no Shepard without Vakarian."

"And no Vakarian without Shepard."


Location: Normandy SR-2, XO Office

When Shepard stepped through the door to her office with a grim look on her face, Miranda could guess what was on the commander's mind.

"Miranda, you have a minute?" asked Shepard.

"Of course." Miranda motioned at the chair across her.

Shepard sat and went quiet for a moment. Her eyes were bloodshot, the circles under them were dark, her skin a little too pale to be healthy. Despite her numerous implants, the mission had taken a toll on Shepard and it certainly showed.

"We will dock at the Citadel," the commander began. "And from there... dismiss the crew."

There it was. The end of a good run.

"Erase all the records," Shepard continued. "I'm flying back to Earth with the ship, and I don't want the Alliance to find out who is onboard."

Protecting her crew til the end.

"Understood." Miranda studied the commander and noticed a strong current underneath the otherwise calm surface. "Are you sure about this?"

Shepard nodded.

Miranda saw it coming, but she didn't have to like it. "You don't have to do this, Aerin. Have you reconsidered my proposal? I can send the data we have gathered to Hackett and Anderson. We can work with them, if that's what you want, but on our terms."

"I don't want to be on the run for the rest of my life. Cerberus is already on our tail, I don't need the Alliance to chase after us as well."

"The brass is only going to bury their heads in the sand. They'll court-martial you for working with Cerberus. Nothing good is going to come out of this, Aerin. You know that."

"At least I'll give them a warning for inevitable Reapers invasion."

"If they will listen." Miranda shook her head in exasperation.

A tiny smirk suddenly appeared on Shepard's face. "You regret not putting that control chip in my head?"

Miranda shot her a pointed look for the joke. "No. I regret I'm not persuasive enough to talk you out of your stupid plan."

"Sometimes, the stupid thing is the right thing to do."

"Ah, Shepard, always playing the hero."

"I used to pretend to be a hero that saves everyone since I was a kid."

"You don't have to pretend anymore. Elysium. Citadel. And now, humanity. A bona fide bloody hero."

"It'll be all for nothing if we don't win the upcoming war." The sudden exhaustion in Shepard's voice was jarring. Still, the commander composed herself quickly. "So what are you going to do after this?"

"I don't know yet. All my life I've been either under my father's control or working for Cerberus. I've never been on my own, with no one to report to."

"Think the Illusive Man will let you go that easily?"

"Of course not. I imagine he was less than pleased when he found out about the account..."

"What account?"

"The Lazarus cell was very well funded. I've managed to drain the money from our reserve before the Illusive Man could close the account."

"Impressive."

"I was planning to use the money to fund our own operation." She handed Shepard a datapad. "This is how much we have."

Shepard arched an eyebrow at the number.

"Just a drop in the bucket compare to what the Illusive Man has spent on you," Miranda commented airily. "Now that we are scheduled to disband, I suggest we give this to our crew. Most of them will have to start a new life with a new identity. The money will come in handy."

"Good idea." Shepard sat back and studied her. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Worry about yourself, Shepard. I have a few tricks up my sleeves."

Nodding slowly, Shepard glanced around her office. Her gaze lingered on everything as if she was memorizing every detail. "This is it, then..."

"Yes. It is," Miranda breathed, forcing a tiny smile. "Thank you, Aerin, for everything you have done. For humanity. For my sister."

"And I couldn't have done anything without you giving me a second chance in life." Shepard stood from the chair and walked over to her. "I don't think I've ever properly thank you for rebuilding me, Miranda."

"It's my pleasure, Commander. The best thing I've ever done."

To her surprise, Shepard opened her arms. "Come here."

Laughing lightly, Miranda had to ask, "Are you serious?"

"Come on. I don't bite."

Still chuckling, Miranda stepped up to the body which was once charred and cold. Shepard's embrace was firm and warm, protective yet gentle, every much like the woman herself.

"Take care of yourself, Miranda."

The tightness in her throat was utterly unexpected. Miranda had to swallow before she could find her voice. "You too, my friend. You too."

"Stay alive," Shepard ordered as she stepped back. "If I ever died again, I'd need you to fix me up one more time."

"Of course. I wouldn't let anyone else to touch my project."

"No, you wouldn't. And I wouldn't trust anyone else either."


Location: Normandy SR-2, CIC

Citadel, where it had all started. Almost three years ago, the original Normandy had taken her to this enormous space station, turning her world upside-down. Now, the successor of her former ship had landed here once again, putting an end to an incredible journey.

Miranda had warned her not to stay at one place more than a few days, for Cerberus had eyes everywhere. But Shepard wasn't planning to stay for long. Once everyone walked out of the airlock for the final time, it'd be time for her to head back to Alliance, head back home. A home she once had longed to return, yet now reluctant to.

Do the right thing, Shepard. Do the right thing...

Her crew had gathered around the CIC, saying goodbye to each other, waiting for her to speak. Speech... Shepard hated it, yet she had to. For her crew, for her friends, for those who had become her family. This was her last chance to express her gratitude to those unsung heroes whose deeds would be buried for their safety sake.

No interrogation room for any of her crew, Shepard had determined. If the Alliance was out for blood, they could have hers.

Stepping up onto the platform, Shepard glanced at the map in front, at the places she had been to, then at the faces staring at her eagerly.

"I don't have much to say," Shepard started, "except 'thank you.' Thank you for believing in me, for risking your lives for humanity. Because of all of you, we have ended the human abductions. But this is just the beginning. We have all seen the truth, and the truth is that the Reapers are coming. I don't know how much time we have, but I know this: We have to be prepared and we have to fight back. We have to – we fight or we die. And I am not going to let humanity or any other race extinct like the Protheans.

So do what you have to, spread the words, prepare for the inevitable. When the time comes, we will kick those bastards back to where they belong. We have beat the odds and survived a suicide mission, and we can do it again. Thank you all for your help. It's been an honor serving with all of you."


Location: Normandy SR-2, Bridge

He always hated goodbyes. Joker remained on his throne and watched as Shepard walked out of the airlock with Garrus – the last of her team. Mission was over, everyone had to go separate ways. And soon, he would have to part with the ship he had fallen in love with at first sight. Well, and the AI... As much of a pain in the ass as EDI had been when they first met, the AI had proven to be the best co-pilot anyone could ever ask for. Smart, resourceful, and surprisingly funny...

Joker leaned back, feeling the leather seat supporting his back, recalling the first time he had sat on this chair. The first time he had watched Shepard walking through the airlock and onto their new Normandy, their new home.

Soft footsteps against the metal floor announced the arrival of the commander, returning to their ship one last time.

"This is it, huh?" said Joker when Shepard approached. "Just you and me."

Shepard clasped his shoulder. "Thank you, Joker."

"Hell of a ride."

"Yeah... Wish it could end better than this."

"You don't have to feel all guilty about things, Shepard. It's not your fault. The Alliance brass have their heads stuck so far into their collective asses that they can't see straight even when you shove the truth in front of their faces. Kinda reminds me of the Council. Too bad we can't call the brass and hang up on them."

"It's easier to be in denial than to face the truth."

"Yeah, until the truth bites them in their ass and they'll come running to you and ask for help."

"Let's hope Anderson and Hackett can knock some sense into their heads."

Joker snorted. "The chance of me winning a dancing competition is higher."

"You sure you don't want to leave, Joker? I can arrange for an Alliance pilot to fly the ship back to Earth."

"And have they sit on my chair, hell no!"

Shepard shot him a look. "Joker."

"Look, Shepard. I know what I'm doing. Yeah, I left them and joined Cerberus, but so what? They grounded me first!"

"I don't even know what they are going to do to me. I can't protect you once we're back on Earth."

"You don't have to protect me all the time, Commander. If they want to throw me in a brig, they'd better throw me in a cushy one that meets all my medical needs. If not, I'm gonna sue the shit out of them."

Shepard remained quiet, but there was just a hint of a smile on her face.

"I'm not gonna hand my baby over to some pilot while I can still fly her one last time," Joker insisted. "I'll be the last to leave my ship- er your ship."

"Our ship," Shepard corrected him quietly. "We'll be the last to leave. Just like old times."


A/N: The relationships Shepard has with Kaidan, Garrus, Miranda, (and to some extend, Joker and Anderson) are the reasons why I started writing this. Seeing their dynamics evolved is really rewarding. But now it's come to an end. Until they meet again in part 3.

The epilogue is coming up next.

Thank you all for reading!

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