Tali lay on her back and gazed at the cloudy sky. Her entire body felt distant, disconnected, as if she were occupying it via remote uplink. Faces she'd never see again flashed before her. Kasumi. Grunt. Zaeed. Samara. Miranda. Jacob. Legion... Shepard. Shepard was gone. As she lay with the soil of Rannoch beneath her back, all she could think was how she wished she died with them. "Why didn't you kill me, too?"

The blue geth still sat on the ground next to her. "Consensus was restored to the collective, but not before severe damage was inflicted upon the allied squad. Your physical location behind the terminal at the rear of the chamber shielded you when we initially broke through. At the conclusion of the engagement, Shepard-Commander and the others were beyond repair. As we lacked an environment suitable to sustain critically injured organics, we brought you and Vakarian-Garrus here."

Tali closed her eyes. No suitable environment. That could only mean one thing. She asked, already knowing the answer. "And the Normandy?"

"Geth ships routed to Orbital Body 411319 by the Illusive Man were directed to destroy the hub to prevent Creator-Admiral Xen from countering Cerberus control. The Normandy successfully intercepted the first wave of these vessels, providing Shepard-Commander time to penetrate the hub. However, reinforcements arrived. Normandy was unable to combat them all. By the time consensus was restored, the Normandy had been destroyed."

More faces flashed in Tali's mind. Gabby. Joker. Doctor Chakwas. Kelly. Just as the geth had described the massacre of the entire population of Rannoch to the Conclave, they relayed the death of her friends as if relaying a weather support. But it wasn't the geth's fault. Tali asked for information, and the the geth provided it. Only one question remained. "What happened to the Migrant Fleet?"

The geth buzzed. "Creator forces misinterpreted the collective-wide suspension of our runtimes as a successful deployment of Creator-Admiral Xen's virus. The Creator Heavy Fleet transited immediately to Tikkun and set course for Rannoch. When we came back online, the Creator Fleet was at the center of the largest concentration of geth ships in the system. We counter-attacked in force. Creator vessels retreated to Dholen but were intercepted by additional geth forces arriving from Ma-At."

Tali stared at the open sky. "How many...?"

"Four thousand, one hundred and three ships were destroyed at Tikkun. An additional two thousand, two hundred and twelve were destroyed at Dholen. Eighty-seven avoided destruction and retreated to Nariph where they rejoined the lead elements of the Creator civilian fleet in an attempt to solidify a defensive position. Our fleets merged at Dholen with the intention to eliminate the creator threat once and for all."

Six thousand ships, Tali thought. The entire Heavy Navy, the bulk of the flotilla's defenses, had been annihilated. After Xen's last betrayal, the geth have condemned the entire creator species to extermination, the Illusive Man had said. It wasn't revenge. It was logic. Cold, hard logic... the same logic that resulted in the tomb of a world on which she now rested. And now, she might be the last quarian to ever see it. Perhaps, even, the last quarian at all. As much as she feared the geth's next answer, she had to ask. "So did you?"

"No."

Tali looked at the geth. It extended its hand to her, offering a plastic cuff to her. She sat upright and took it from the geth. It was her omnitool, she realized.

Platform Two's flaps expanded. "As we consolidated our forces at Dholen and ran simulations to ascertain optimum efficiency for attack, we analyzed the code you injected into our network to prevent further attempts at infection. We discovered two versions of the virus. The first matched the virus used to infect this mobile platform aboard the Creator vessel Anba."

"Xen's virus."

"Yes. As per established creator behavioral patterns, Creator-Admiral Xen attacked when she believed she had the advantage. Timestamps and file versions on your omnitool indicate you further modified this code prior to injection at the hub. Logically, you should have reverted control of consensus to the Creators. Instead, you chose to free us." The geth bowed its head. "We judged it unconscionable to use this freedom to exterminate your species. We suspended the attack and allowed Creator forces to retreat."

"Keelah..." Tali slumped forward on her knees with a long, relieved sigh. The Navy had been wiped out, thousands of ships, almost a million lives lost, but she wasn't the last of her kind after all. The Migrant Fleet survived. "Thank you."

"We thank you, Creator-Tali'Zorah."

Tears running down her cheeks, Tali looked back up to the billboard and the happy, photogenic quarians holding their frozen vigil over the quiet streets. The people who posed for the picture were long dead. The geth in the picture might have even been the ones that killed them. Did any of them have a inkling of what was going to come, and what it would cost? But the ghosts of the past had no say for the future. A new fear enveloped her. Without the Navy, The Migrant Fleet was in grave danger. "Where are they now?"

"The Migrant Fleet is scattered between the relays from Nariph to Raheel-Leyya. We dispatched Liveship Four to augment Creator food production and to encourage them to consolidate in a single location, but the Creator fleet has been reluctant to approach."

"Do they know that you called off your attack?"

"We do not know."

Tali stared in disbelief, then nodded her head with understanding. She slipped her omnitool back onto her wrist. "Communication's never been your strong suit, has it? Maybe I should talk to them. Would that be possible?"

If a geth platform could show relief, Blue would have done so. "With your permission, we will interface with your suit's communicator and route them through our network. Stand by for uplink."

With renewed vigor, Tali climbed to her feet. Blue stood as well. "Listen," She opened her omnitool to configure her suit's comm system for open access. "Scattered as they are, and with the Navy destroyed, the Migrant Fleet has no protection. And our food supplies will run out soon. In days, maybe. We need your help. You have every right not to trust us, but if I can convince the fleet to come back to Dholen... Is there any way you'd let us stay there? Or even Nariph? Just until we can rebuild."

The geth's flaps undulated around the perimeter of its head, seeking consensus. "We predict that long term, this plan is unsustainable and will ultimately result in renewed conflict with the creators."

"We were so close, Blue," Tali pleaded. " If you can just give us another chance, I know we can make this work. Please. We can't make it on our own."

"Negative. A permanent solution is required." The geth's flaps returned to their normal configuration. "If the Creators agree to a cease-fire, the homeworld is yours."

Tali swayed, suddenly dizzy.

Just as it had done before, the geth platform reached out to steady her. It scanned her vital signs to ensure the spell was not the result of the considerable damage her physical platform had sustained. Consensus dictated that it provide support until she was ready to stand on her own.

Inda'Darrin vas Tuppo couldn't breathe because of the giant human's boot on his back, smashing him against the deck of his ship. The Tuppo, like every other ship in the Flotilla, followed the Navy after the emergency fleet relocation order came down. No one knew why they were relocating from Raheel-Leyya, or where they were going. The only communique was a recorded message from Admiral Xen stating that negotiations with the geth had broken down.

Then, like every other ship at Sahrabarik, the Tuppo ran for its life. Privateers from all over the Terminus swarmed the Flotilla after word spread of the Navy's defeat at Tikkun. Navy battle groups secured the relays, but they couldn't protect forty-five thousand ships waiting to transit each relay. So like predators set loose in a herd, pirates and mercenaries swooped in and drove the quarian formations apart, separating the weak and the helpless from the pack.

Trapped at the heart of the Terminus, Tuppo joined a convoy fleeing to Amada. But the predators had to chase someone, and the unarmed freighter's old engines couldn't keep ahead of their pursuers. Facing death at the guns of a privateer over some forgotten ice world, the Tuppo's captain had one choice. Submit and be boarded, and surrender whatever cargo they had and hope their captors would set them free.

Captain Ril'Pizar vas Tuppo now lay on the floor next to Inda, his mask blown out by a rifle shot. He and the other officers rushed their attackers as they began to execute the ship's crew in the cargo hold. Even though the quarians outnumbered the pirates twenty-to-one, numbers and bare-handed courage were no match for automatic weapons. Inda took two shots to his thigh and he fell. His suit self-sealed, but the bone in his right leg had shattered and down he went without taking out a single pirate.

Now an asari knelt beside him, a pretty smile on her blue face. The cries of children and the wounded echoed throughout the Tuppo's vast cargo hold. "Look," she said. "All your tough guys are dead. All we have left to shoot now are grandparents and kids."

The giant human standing over Inda pressed his boot deeper into the quarian's back. "And we don't like to shoot anybody's grandma unless we really have to."

"So," the asari said, "I'm gonna ask you one last time. What are you hauling? And if you truly have nothing, then point out a ship that doesn't, and we'll let you go."

"Go fuck yourself," Inda rasped. "I've seen what you do to ships you let go."

"Woah," the asari merc said. "One last tough guy after all. Marcel, run back to the shuttle and grab the power drill. Make sure it has a nice long bit. I want to see what Mr. Toughguy's mask is made of."

Rapid-fire gunshots roared through the hold over the screams of the quarians and the pressure on Inda's back disappeared. His vision blurred from oxygen deprivation and blood loss and he saw only white flashes. He closed his eyes to wait for the end. Single shots rang out in succession. Execution shots, one at a time.

The cargo hold fell silent. When Inda opened his eyes again, he was lying on his back. The asari who was just taunting him lay next to Captain Pizar, her own head reduced to a gooey red mess leaking blood all over the deck.

"Take it easy," said a quarian as he leaned over Inda with a rifle slung across his back. "You took a bad shot to the leg, but you're going to be okay."

Inda stared at the man in his red battle armor. "Who are you?"

"Kal'Reegar, sir. Fleet Marines. The Toppo's secure. The system's clear of trouble. You're safe now."

"Thank you," Inda whispered.

"Don't thank me," the marine said and nodded to his companion, who worked on Inda's shattered thigh. "Thank them."

Inda looked down at his leg. The weave over his thigh had been peeled back, and blood-covered fingers poked and prodded the exposed wound. Fortunately, he felt no pain. He looked up to thank the medic treating him and found himself staring into the glowing aperture of a geth platform. It buzzed, then returned to its work. He looked around in confusion to see geth tending other members of the crew, mixed in with a handful of Fleet Marines. "Huh," he said as he faded to unconsciousness. If this your death dream, he thought, it's sure a weird one.

Councilor Tevos sat at the desk in her office with the lights dimmed. The glittering arms of the Citadel wards illuminated the room through giant pane glass windows behind her. It was her favorite way to create a calm, relaxing atmosphere, and right now she needed it more than ever. Eight holoscreens glowed above her desk, each carrying a different news feed, reporting the same story.

"You are watching live coverage from the Sahrabarik relay, where geth ships continue to escort the quarian Migrant Fleet to an unknown destination. While it's unclear what transpired to end to the violence between the geth and their quarian creators, it's evident both sides are observing some kind of armistice as quarian ships continue to rendezvous with their former enemy without any signs of conflict. Speculation continues that the quarians have managed to assume control of their AI servants once again, and that the quarian people are finally on their way home. Should this theory be proven correct, it could set the quarians on a collision course with the Citadel before they ever reach Rannoch.

"While the geth incursion to the Terminus been peaceful for the most part, there have been reports of geth ships firing on raiders attempting to target outlying vessels of the Migrant Fleet. Audio broadcasts, allegedly originating from the geth, are warning all vessels not to interfere with any quarian traffic. And thus far, no faction has been brave or foolish enough to challenge the sentient machines..."

Tevos muted the audio and turned to her keyboard. Are you watching the feeds out of Sahrabarik? she typed.

Yes, came the response. The same scenario is playing out in every system where the Migrant Fleet was stranded. Our ability to gather intelligence ends at Nariph, but all indications are that the Migrant Fleet is returning to Rannoch with the help of the geth. This poses a new problem.

Tevos waited, watching the feeds covering the ongoing rescue of the quarian fleet by the geth.

Here is what we want you to do, came the next response. Assemble the Council and issue a statement praising the end of the quarian conflict. In the spirit of unity, ask the citizens of Citadel space to offer whatever support they can to help the quarians rebuild their homeworld. At the same time, notify our embassy on the Citadel to open their doors to any quarians stranded in Citadel space looking for passage home, and coordinate with the turians to gather food for the journey. We will provide transportation free of charge. This needs to be done immediately, and publicly, with your full, unwavering support.

Understood, Tevos typed.

We will send surveyors and civil engineers to assist the quarians in assessing the safety of buildings on Rannoch for habitation. This should be done free of charge as a celebratory gift to the quarian people. But there is one specific location on Rannoch that must be secured before any quarian or geth in order to retrieve intellectual property left behind during the geth uprising. The first asari assets sent to Rannoch are to make this their highest priority.

Understood, Tevos typed again. What is our position if the geth are under quarian control?

There was a lengthy pause from the other side of the screen. We shall take no position on the matter until the property in question is secured. Session Concluded.

Tevos sighed with relief and sat back in her chair. The muted footage from Sahrabarik still played on the holo. In spite of everything that had happened the past week with Commander Shepard, Dashta, Cerberus, the reaper invasion, she was genuinely happy for the quarians. They had suffered enough for the first geth uprising. But if the rumor of domination over the geth proved true, could they avoid paying the price again?

And what of Commander Shepard? He and his ship had not been heard from since the breakdown of negotiations at the Migrant Fleet. As much as she respected what he had done to bring the reaper threat to their attention, she had to admit she would rest a lot easier if she knew for certain he was never coming back.

One of her screens chimed with an incoming message from her receptionist. "Yes, Delia? What is it?"

"Madam Councilor, you're needed in the lobby."

"Why? What's going on?"

"Um... Councilors Sparatus and Valern are here to see you. It seems urgent."

"Very well," Tevos said. The hundred or so other crises needing her attention would have to wait. Why her fellow Councilors couldn't just call like everyone else, she didn't know. She walked across the office and out the front door.

As Tevos crossed the threshold, she convulsed as every synapse in her body was scrambled by electrons. She collapsed, but was immediately caught and held up by someone behind her. Her arms and legs might have been reduced to rubber, but she could still see and hear.

Executor Pallin, the turian head of C-Sec security for the entire Citadel, faced her from the center of the lobby with his hands behind his back. A dozen other C-Sec and other Citadel officials stood behind him, including Sparatus and Valern, all staring at her with darkness in their eyes. Her assistant, Delia, still sat behind her desk, face frozen with shock.

"Councilor Tevos," Pallin said. "You are under arrest."

"Wha-" Tevos could barely breathe let alone talk. "What the meaning of this-?"

"Commander Bailey, secure the Councilor's office."

"Yes sir," said a human in C-Sec garb, standing next to the office door. He holstered his stun baton and waved the other C-Sec officers into the Councilor's workspace.

"You can't come in here," Tevos rasped. "This is sovereign territory of the Asari Republics!"

"Oh, but I can, Madam Councilor," Pallin said, "when the security and safety of the entire Citadel have been compromised. As the charges against you show they have."

"What charges?" Tevos said with as much outrage as she could muster while suspended between two turian C-Sec officers like a stuffed toy.

Pallin walked slowly toward the Councilor, his hands still behind his back. "Corruption. Fraud. Influence peddling. Espionage. Racketeering. Murder. Conspiracy." He leaned in close, his sharp teeth grinding as he spat out a final charge. "Treason. Someone who is as long-lived as yourself will have a long time to reflect upon your crimes, assuming we aren't granted the privilege of executing you. Take her away."

"Yes sir," a pair of turians lifted the stunned Councilor so her feet would not drag. Tears flowed down her cheeks and spattered on the polished marble floor as they carried her away.

Pallin turned to the observers brought to the Councilor's office to witness the arrest. Like the receptionist, they all watched with silent astonishment. As his officers proceeded to gather evidence and interview Tevos's staff, Pallin walked over to a tall human in the Alliance uniform. Next to him, a salarian in a white lab coat sniffed loudly with satisfaction. "I suppose you enjoyed that."

Anderson shook his head. "Not as much as you'd think."

Pallin cleared his throat. "I must reiterate how much I appreciate that you came to C-Sec with this. It would have been very easy for you to use this situation to your own advantage."

"That happens entirely too much around here as it is."

"Indeed." Pallin shifted his gaze around the room. Even after years of exposure, he was still never completely at ease talking to humans. "Has there been any word from the Normandy?"

Anderson and Professor Solus exchanged a stoic glance. "Not yet," Anderson said.

"I see. May I ask you a personal question?"

"I suppose."

"There are rumors that you have abdicated your position as Councilor. Is this true?"

"It's not official," Anderson said after a pause.

Pallin smoothed out a wrinkle on the front of his uniform. "I sincerely hope you reconsider," he said, and followed his officers out the door.

The Illusive Man took a long draw from his cigarette and exhaled, sending a plume of smoke blossoming into the air before him, bathed in the red glow of Anadius beyond. The star's photosphere churned and boiled as it always did, as it would for millions of years to come, long after any human eyes would be around to see it.

He lowered the cigarette, at the same time letting his Jormangund Technology sidearm fall to his lap. With no more heat sinks, the custom Pinnacle pistol with ivory grips was of no further use. He reached out with his newly freed hand to pick up a bottle of eighteen-year old single-barrel whiskey to pour in his glass. He had no ice, but for bourbon of this quality, he would have preferred it neat anyway. His hand trembled as he poured, spilling the precious liquid out of the glass.

He shook his head at his own sloppiness and brought the glass to his lips. Sadly, the golden liquid had no taste in his mouth. He glanced down. The front of his crisp white shirt was soaked with blood. Drinking with a belly wound was the last thing someone in his condition should do but he wasn't about to let good bourbon go to waste. He downed the entire glass before pouring another one.

The clank of metal echoed from the obsidian floor of his private chamber. He didn't bother to look, preferring to concentrate on the golden liquid his glass. Shadows fell across him as figures moved in front of the window. Geth platforms stared from all sides with their brilliant, unblinking eyes, weapons leveled at his head.

How the geth had found Cronos Station, the Illusive Man didn't know. Perhaps they managed to interface with his personal systems during the brief time he was in control of the collective. Or, more likely, they deduced the location from Archer's information store. But how didn't matter at this point. Through technological prowess and sheer numbers the geth utterly decimated the finest software, hardware, and organic defenses humanity could muster. Their attack was a complete surprise. The station fell in minutes.

But the geth made no move toward him. Before he could ask why, another figure stepped into view. Though its physical form was similar to the geth, there was no mistaking the swirled lavender cloth that wrapped her body, or the piercing gaze burning behind the semi-opaque mask of her environment suit.

"Tali'Zorah," the Illusive Man said. "As strange as this may sound, this is an honor."

The quarian stared at him with eyes as cold as his own, then raised her shotgun and pulled the trigger.

Tali didn't flinch as she fired. The human's head snapped back behind the chair, his glowing blue eyes now gazing lifelessly at the ceiling. She fired again. And again, and again, alternating between his head and chest, making the body jerk in the chair. She only stopped when the glowing heatsink popped from the receiver of her shotgun.

She lowered her weapon and slid it into her leg holster as walked past mangled corpse of the Cerberus overlord. A gargantuan white geth platform stood guard by the exit. Muffled gunfire still erupted sporadically in the distance. "Copy everything from their network," Tali told the geth as she passed. "Then put this entire station into the sun."

"Acknowledged," said the geth prime in its bass-heavy voice. Before it had finished its aural response, the other platforms on the station were already executing Creator-Tali'Zorah's commands.

"What do you think they're talking about in there?" Specialist Kenner stared at the door to the briefing room as if she were able to see through its alloy hatch. But like everyone else on Arcturus Station, she would have to wait to find out what secrets Tali'Zorah vas Normandy was revealing to the top brass about Cerberus. The N7 logo on the breastplate of her armor didn't earn her any special favors. She would have to find out like everyone else.

"I'll tell you what," Corporal Tyler replied. "She's giving up every edge we've got over the rest of the galaxy in there. Why the fuck did they let that bitch come aboard in the first place?"

"Come on, man," Staff Sergeant Merlind shook his head, "Some of that shit Cerberus did was way out of line. I mean... we're supposed to be the good guys, right? We don't do that kind of thing. Not us."

"You mean the same shit aliens have been doing to us for the past thirty years? I mean, have you been tracking at all what the asari have been up to, lately?"

Kaiden Alenko stood beside the briefing room door with his Avenger rifle pointed at the floor, listening. He could tell his subordinates were getting agitated. There was only one sure-fire way to put a stop to it. "Criminal Investigations is going to take charge now. Whatever evidence has been brought to Command will be evaluated and acted upon accordingly. Beyond that, it doesn't matter what any of us think. We follow orders, period. We clear?"

"Yes sir," his squad replied in unison. For the next several minutes, they waited in silence.

The hatch to the briefing room opened. Kaiden stood at attention, but looked from the corner of his eye through the door. A cadre of Alliance military personnel of the highest ranks from all branches filed from the room, their faces sullen, unable to look anyone in the eye. Whatever information they'd been given, it wasn't pretty. Inside, two Alliance officers remained, along with the main participant of the meeting. Tali'Zorah stood in front of them exchanging goodbyes.

In their time together on the SSV Normandy, Kaiden couldn't remember ever seeing Tali looking so disheveled. Sometimes she would turn up with a stained veil after crawling through the bowels of the ship, but as a representative of the quarian Migrant Fleet, she always tried to keep up appearances. And everybody knew if Commander Shepard was going to be around, Tali would always look her finest. One time, after being coated with a particularly viscous compound during repairs, she spent an hour in the showers with liters of solvent cleaning her suit, not because she needed to be clean, but because Shepard had invited all of the aliens aboard the Normandy to dinner and she couldn't bear to appear anything less than perfect in his eyes.

But now, her suit was covered with patchwork repairs. Her colorful cloth wraps and cowl were faded and tattered and filled with frayed holes. It was a far cry even from how she looked on Horizon, the last time he'd seen her... or Commander Shepard.

Kaiden watched as Admiral Hackett shook Tali's hand. The Admiral's stoic manner was legendary in the Alliance, yet the gray-haired veteran's face was filled with sorrow as he spoke at length. Then Tali turned to the other remaining officer.

Everyone knew Admiral Anderson was just as tough as Hackett, but instead of just a handshake, Anderson reached out and embraced the quarian woman. Tali wrapped her arms tightly around him and buried her head in his shoulder. Anderson held onto her, murmuring to her while Hackett stared at the floor. Then, Tali took a step back, her hands in Anderson's, and they exchanged a simple nod. She then turned toward the door with both admirals close behind.

"Alenko," Anderson said.

Kaiden again stood at attention. "Sir."

"Escort Miss Zorah to her shuttle."

"Aye, sir."

Kaiden and his squad formed a mobile perimeter around Tali as they walked toward the elevators. They passed through numerous security checkpoints supervised by the Alliance's most trusted and elite soldiers during the special envoy's visit. They weren't just for show. Alliance Command didn't want any incidents.

The entire time, Tali didn't acknowledge Kaiden's presence at all. When the doors opened, they traversed the empty corridors in silence. They reached their destination, a docking bay where Tali's shuttle was waiting. The doors opened, revealing an insect-like geth shuttle beyond. Two geth platforms turned their spotlight eyes on the newcomers, and the human soldiers present tensed at the scrutiny. None of the humans dared enter.

Kaiden reached out as the quarian stepped through the threshold. "Tali? Wait."

Tali turned to face him.

"Thanks for doing this," Kaiden said. "As bad as it will be for us, the galaxy needs to know exactly what Cerberus did. What they were responsible for."

Tali's eyes dropped to Kaiden's chest, to the red-and-white N7 logo emblazoned on his armor's right breastplate. Her tone was cold. "I didn't do it for any of you."

"I know," Kaiden said. "It's just that... Well, now everyone will know why Shepard did what he did. No one will ever think of him as a traitor again."

Tali fixed him with an icy glare. "Some of us knew that from the start," she said, and walked to her waiting shuttle without looking back.

TODAY'S TOP HEADLINES

***BREAKING NEWS*** THE COMING INVASION - Citadel, Serpent Nebula: Once considered myth, the reaper threat has been validated by Citadel and Alliance specialists. Story developing.

Asari Councilor Cooperating with Investigators - Citadel, Serpent Nebula: Lycoris Tevos, formerly representing the Asari Republics on the Citadel Council, has purportedly given up her rights to council and is speaking freely to C-Sec officials investigating a covert network of informants and provocateurs that, according to C-Sec Chief Venari Pallin, "dwarfs the scope and influence of the human terrorist group Cerberus in every way." With ties that stretch to the asari homeworld itself, investigators on Thessia are now attempting to connect the deaths of several prominent Matriarchs, including former Citadel Councilor Naranna who died last night of an apparent heart attack, the fifth such death in the days since the arrest of Councilor Tevos... (more)

Earth Systems Alliance Trumpets Major Victory over Terrorist Group - Arcturus Station: Though details about the operations are classified, Alliance officials stated, "without a doubt, the dark shadow which has lurked over humanity's shoulder has been excised." After obtaining detailed lists containing the location of every cell and agent of the terrorist organization, action by the Alliance was swift and severe. When asked if rumors were true that the space station used as a headquarters by the Illusive Man was launched into the local star, Admiral Steven J. Hackett commented, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant..." (more)

Quarian Fleet Ends Three Hundred Year Voyage - Rannoch, Tikkun; It was a time for tears and reflection as the first quarian ships landed on their homeworld of Rannoch, ending an exile that lasted three centuries. Dignitaries and well-wishers from around the galaxy have been forced to watch from a distance, however, as geth ships continue to turn back all non-quarian traffic beyond the Perseus Veil. Traffic patterns are expected to remain snarled throughout the Teminus Systems for the foreseeable future as the trailing end of the quarian Migrant Fleet and their geth escorts head home. (more)

Vigil for Legendary Commander, Crew Expected to Draw Capacity Crowd- Citadel, Serpent Nebula: Samesh Bhatia hoped that at least ten or twenty people might turn out for a proposed memorial service for Commander Shepard and the crew of the Normandy on the grounds of the Citadel Commons. Mister Bhatia only met Commander Shepard briefly, but it was an encounter that changed his life. (Related Story: Alliance Commander Slices Through Red Tape for Fallen Marine's Family) He soon found out he wasn't alone, as some of the highest-ranking officials from all factions throughout the galaxy started turning up on the guest list. Within a day, sitting Citadel Councilors, ambassadors, and diplomats from throughout Citadel space had sent requests to speak in honor of Commander Shepard, killed along with his crew while bringing about an end to the geth/quarian conflict. (Related Story: Shattered Consensus - Casualties of "The Evening War") Both the quarians and geth plan to send delegations, bringing a proposal that Commander Shepard's remains be interred on Rannoch...