Chapter 27: A New Horizon for Humanity


Shepard looked around him at the destruction that had been wrought on the Presidium. Bodies were scattered around the grounds. Debris littered the area. Smoke rose from fires that rescue crews were still combatting. This was what Elysium had looked like after the Blitz. This was what victory looked like. There was always a cost.

But the Council was efficient in cleaning up close to home, if nothing else. It had been several hours since the end of the battle, and already crews were hard at work in cleaning up the damage from the attack. After cleaning the damage and hiding the scars, would people remember today's terror and tragedy?

"Commander?"

Shepard numbly wondered if they would ever find Ratchet's body in the mess. Joker and Ashley had reported him still aboard Sovereign when it had been destroyed. He had felt the shockwave from the Presidium tower. Nobody would have been able to survive that blast. But he had seen Ratchet do the impossible. Perhaps…

"Commander?"

And Ashley. Was she ok? Had she been indoctrinated by Saren and Sovereign? She was currently in a medical ward under careful watch. Her vitals were stable, but almost a third of her body had been converted into cybernetics. Her muscles and bones had been heavily augmented, but the tradeoff was something the doctors were still trying to comprehend. How would she cope?

"Commander!" The sharpness of the voice cut through the fog of Shepard's mind as he turned and focused on the medic addressing him. The salarian gave him an appraising look. "I've given you basic treatment for your injuries, but I wish to inform you that the Council has requested your presence."

Shepard slowly processed the statement. The Council needed to see him. Why? What more did they want? The commander numbly nodded. "Ok." With a groan, Shepard slid off the cot he was sitting on and stood.

The salarian quickly placed a hand on Shepard's shoulders to steady the man. "Steady, human. My scans indicate that your body is still recuperating."

Shepard shrugged off the medic's hands. "Thanks for your help, doc, but I'll be fine." With a nod, the commander looked around for the Council.

"They've set up a command deck over there," The salarian medic gestured. "Shall I order an escort for you?"

Shepard ignored him and began walking towards the designated direction before realizing he was being rude. "No thanks," He said with a curt head shake. As the commander walked, he took stock of those being treated. Nearly a third were civilians. Saren and the geth had cut deep into the very heart of the Presidium. Sovereign, the geth, they were machines and they did not abide by the rules of war set up by the sapient species. The coming war - and it was all but certain that a war was coming - would be brutal and savage. Most would be unprepared. The tragedy seen today would be magnified tenfold if nothing changed.

Before he knew it, Shepard found himself standing in front of the humble command deck that the Council had set up. The commander found it odd using the term humble to describe anything about the Council. Focusing his mind, Shepard pushed the chaos of the last few hours away and took a deep breath.

With a hiss, the door slid open and Shepard found himself looking at the expectant eyes of Captain Anderson, Ambassador Udina, and the Council. As he walked forward to join the small circle, he made eye contact with the Captain who gave him a subtle nod of approval. The commander looked at Udina, whose mouth turned up into what must have been a small smile before it disappeared entirely. Shepard wondered if Udina hoped he had forgotten about the Normandy's lockdown.

Shepard then made eye contact with each of the Council members. The turian councilor, Sparatus, looked decidedly meeker after seeing the might of a single Reaper, though Shepard wondered if that feeling would pass into false security after the Presidium had been cleaned up. Tevos and Valern, the asari and salarian councilors, looked completely inscrutable to Shepard, a skill that most politicians seemed to have.

"Ambassador, Captain, Commander," Tevos began, timing the beginning of her speech just right to prevent a bout of awkward silence, but also avoiding seeming rushed. "We have gathered you here to recognize the enormous contributions of the Alliance forces in this war against Saren and the geth."

"Many humans lost their lives in the battle to save the Citadel," Valern continued seamlessly, "Brave and courageous soldiers who willingly gave their lives so that we – the Council – might live."

"There is no greater sacrifice," Sparatus proceeded, "And we share your grief over the loss of so many noble men and women."

Tevos nodded before addressing Shepard directly. "The Council also owes you a great personal debt, Commander. One we can never repay." Shepard's eyes widened marginally in surprise at the acknowledgement as the asari councilor continued. "Due to the heroic and selfless actions of you and your crew, Commander, you saved not just our lives but the lives of billions in the galaxy from the threat of Sovereign and the Reapers."

Shepard's brow furrowed as he wondered if there would be any real action that came from this.

The salarian council spoke up. "Commander, your heroic and selfless actions serve as symbols for everything that humanity and the Alliance stand for. Though we cannot bring back those valiant soldiers who gave their lives to save ours, we can honor their memories through our actions."

Shepard glanced around, wondering if this sentiment would continue to hold amongst the Councilors. His musing was cut short when Tevos spoke again.

"Humanity has shown it is ready to stand as a defender and protector of the galaxy and her many species. You have proved you are worthy to join our ranks and serve beside us on the Citadel Council."

Shepard's eyebrows were now fully raised, shocked by what he was hearing. Before he could respond, though, Udina slid in quickly.

"Councilor, on behalf of humanity, we thank you for this prestigious honor and humbly accept."

Sparatus nodded. "We will need a list of potential candidates to fill humanity's seat on the Council, and given all that has happened, any input you provide will carry a great deal of weight, Commander. Do you support any particular candidate?"

Shepard mentally cursed. They wanted him to make a decision like this now? Shepard looked between Udina and Anderson. Udina was the only political figure with whom he could claim any sort of familiarity with. Meanwhile, Anderson had been his commanding officer for the past year, while he was stationed on the Normandy.

In the heat of the moment, Shepard could think of nobody else that might be suited for the position. Anderson knew about the threats that the Reapers posed. He was a decisive man, and was considered direct by most and blunt by the rest. He would be chewed up alive in the arena of politics.

On the other hand, having a politician like Udina on the seat made Shepard even more queasy. How could a man like that be trusted to continue the fight against the Reapers? Perhaps he would fight for humanity's best interest fervently, but Shepard's instincts told him that the man would always choose the path of least resistance. How could he stand against the Reapers?

Shepard started lightly when he realized he had been deep in thought for the past few moments. He almost cleared his throat before thinking better of the nervous reflex.

"In the coming times ahead, I believe that we will need someone with the courage and will to stand up for their beliefs and principles. I believe that Captain Anderson can be that someone," Shepard said, choosing his words as carefully as possible.

Udina's head whipped towards the commander with incredulity. "Him?! You must be joking! He's a soldier, not a politician! He does his talking with his fists!"

Anderson glanced at Udina, but held his tongue. It gave Shepard hope that the Captain would be just fine as humanity's Councilor.

"And that's why Captain Anderson has my support, Ambassador. There's a war on the horizon, and we need leaders with the knowledge, experience, and willpower to see it through to the end," Shepard retorted, before adding, "Besides, we already have too many politicians on the Citadel."

"I think it's an inspired choice," Tevos stated, cutting off any further protests Udina may have had. Shepard wondered if he couldn't detect a hint of mirth in her eyes at seeing the Ambassador being knocked down a few pegs. "The Council will take your recommendation into heavy consideration when selecting humanity's new representative."

Shepard nodded and looked at Anderson, trying to see if he could gauge any sort of reaction out of the captain. He received only a nod and a look that said later.

"Sovereign's defeat marks the beginning of a new era for both humanity and the Council," the turian councilor stated.

Shepard, sensing that the meeting was coming to a close, decided to include on final addendum. "Sovereign was only a vanguard. The Reaper fleet is still coming. Hundreds of ships, maybe thousands. All as powerful and heavily armored as Sovereign. We need to unite, no more than ever, and prepare for this threat."

Shepard looked around and was dismayed to find that there was still a hint of hesitation in the eyes of the Councilors. He noticed that Udina did not offer any support either. Thankfully, it was Anderson who spoke up in support. "Shepard's right. When the Reapers come, we must stand side by side. We must fight against them as one. And together, just like today, we can drive them back into dark space."

Shepard smiled as the confidence that his commanding officer had originally inspired within him blazed renewed. He could see that even the Councilors were drawn to the confidence and strength that Anderson exuded.

"Captain, thank you for your words. Let us conclude this meeting, though if you and the Commander can stay behind please," Tevos requested. It was a clear dismissal of the ambassador.

A flash of hurt and rage flitted across Udina's face as he realized that he was no longer within the inner circle, but before anybody could notice it, the ambassador had composed his face once again. "Once again, Councilors, on behalf of humanity and the Alliance, thank you for this honor." With a dip of his head, Udina swept out of the room.

When the door swished close, it was the salarian councilor that spoke. "Shepard, we wanted to personally debrief you on the situation regarding your crew member, Ratchet, the Lombax."

Shepard furrowed his brow. "What did you want to talk about? He was on Sovereign when we destroyed it, and is presumed dead."

"Yes, we understand and received your report. Most likely, he is indeed dead," Sparatus said not unkindly. "However, due to the sensitive nature of his mere existence, Ratchet cannot be discussed by either of you or any of the Normandy's crew who are privy to this knowledge."

Shepard nodded in understanding. It was too late, though. If Saren and Sovereign had known about Ratchet, the information existed, and there were people in the galaxy who specialized in uncovering secrets such as those.

"However," Tevos stated, "We did want to acknowledge the tremendous impact that he has made, as he was instrumental in saving us and repelling the geth forces on the Citadel."

"Through our discussions," Valern continued for Tevos, "We have determined that neither you, Commander, nor you, Captain, violated the Council's statutes of First Contact, given the… unique context. As such, we have exonerated the both of you of all crimes and charges, and have decided to reinstate your status as a Spectre, Commander."

Shepard only nodded. It all sounded like more politics to him. "Thank you, Councilors. If you don't mind, I should take my leave as well in order to debrief my crew." Receiving a nod, Shepard turned and left the chambers, shortly followed by Captain Anderson.

"Shepard, wait," Anderson said as he grabbed the Commander's arm. The two were alone in the outer courtyard. "Thank you for recommending me."

Shepard nodded. "I meant what I said, Captain. War is coming, and we need someone who can keep the Council accountable. I'm not sure a politician like Udina will be able to keep the Council to task like you can."

Anderson chuckled. "I'm flattered you think I can cut through the Council's bureaucracy, Shepard, but Council politics requires a defter hand than what I'm used to."

Shepard returned the laugh. "Hey, I'm the marine here. Stop taking my lines."

Anderson smiled. "I suppose that we'll have to wait and see how this plays out. But you did well today, son. You led your crew and against all odds somehow saved the galaxy. Take some time to rest, because I have a feeling that the worst is still yet to come."


A/N: Hi everybody. Super short chapter after a super long wait. Sorry about that. I'm running into writer's block with this next section, but still wanted to release something. It's basically an extension of the original ending from Mass Effect, so my apologies if the content seems derivative. Ratchet's story, though is not yet over and will require at least another few chapters. Regarding the current pandemic, I hope everybody is healthy and safe. It can definitely be a bit scary right now, so best wishes to you and your loved ones.