Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Escape from Tarkov/Mass Effect crossover.
We are at the penultimate chapter for this crossove, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all for sticking with me to this point. It's been a wild rollercoaster ride, and I appreciate you all sticking with me to the very end.
Also, there's a poll on my profile that I have going. If you want to vote on it, I highly recommend that you do so. It'll help decide a portion for a future crossover that I usually do.
As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Escape from Tarkov or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Electronic Arts, BioWare and Battlestate Games. Any material original to the franchises belongs to it's original developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchise is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
Citadel
Citadel Underworld
2183
Anderson was right, O'Connor thought as he looked at a news feed from just a few hours ago. They quickly determined that he was just an accomplice. Sparatus appears to have bailed him out, though, and the cover story he came up with has the media gobbling it all up.
He had to admit, the cover story was quite ingenious. According to it, Anderson had been an unwilling accomplice to whoever had attacked Udina, before being forced to be the fall guy for the attacker. C-SEC had been whipped into a frenzy by the attack, of course, and they were now searching everywhere for the attacker. From what O'Connor could tell, he was the prime suspect, but they had no idea as to his whereabouts.
Looking around as he took a sip from his canteen, he could see the area he was in. While the Citadel was the central hub of commerce and culture in the galaxy, it too, like every major hub, had it's criminal underworld and lower-class areas. This was particularly true for the Wards, as the closer one got to the hull of one of the arms, the seedier and poorer people became.
It was no different here, as he could see people going about their daily business of scraping by on what little cash they had in their wallets. This is the kind of environment that helped prove I was a good mercenary, he thought as he left the area he was at. The seedy underworld of civilization, where contracts are aplenty, criminals thrive, and people like me come down here to clean up that kind of shit. The more things change, the more they stay the same, I guess.
He went over his plan again as he continued walking. I just need to hold out long enough for Shepard and his team to come back from Ilos. If Sovereign and Saren attack the Citadel before then, I'll need to head to the Citadel's Tower and head him off there. If I'm lucky, he'll be inside with only a few Geth to keep him covered. It's a risky plan, but it's a plan nonetheless.
His train of thought was interrupted when he spotted movement up ahead. Looking forwards, he spotted a pair of C-SEC officers that were moving towards his position. They didn't seem to be particularly alert, though, as they were chatting with each other. Probably not aware of my presence, but I'd better not take the risk.
With that, he turned left, moving down a narrow hallway that was formed by rows of stands, each one laden with various items, from the latest consumer electronics, to perishable fruits and vegetables. Looking behind him using a mirror he spotted, he watched as the C-SEC officers continued on, completely unaware of his presence. Rather than take any risks, though, he continued his evasive maneuvers, moving through the crowd to keep his signature minimal.
That proved to be wise, as soon, he began to hear people chattering to each other. Using a small snake-cam he'd gotten from Vorenus at one point, he looked to see what the commotion was. Apparently, C-SEC had finally figured out that he was still on the Citadel, as their officers were now looking around. A photograph of his face was being shown, along with a photo of him in his armor.
Good thing I decided to get a mask when I got the chance, he thought as he fingered his balaclava. It's a good way to hide one's identity if you know how to do it right. Still, I'm not going to stick around and wait for C-SEC to find me. I'm going to keep moving.
With that, he pulled the snake-cam away and continued to walk away. The whole point of his calm maneuvering was quite simple: to blend in as much as possible. A man that's running is more than likely to attract unwanted attention, he thought. Better to blend in and behave like the crowd than stand out from it if you're trying to be stealthy. It also helped that he was wearing clothing similar to what other people were wearing.
Eventually, as he walked along, he could hear more voices, but instead of calm talking, he heard loud screaming and shouting. A moment later, he heard the PA system let out a warning. "ALERT: C-SEC has locked down this area! Return to your homes and remain inside until further notice.
Looking at a TV in the area, he saw the reason why. Looks like Sovereign's finally come for it's prize, he thought to himself. Well, good thing I remained on the Citadel.
In addition, he saw no further need to remain hidden; C-SEC would be far too busy trying to keep the peace and drive out the attackers to arrest him. Pulling his balaclava off, he activated his omni-tool and said, "Vorenus, can you hear me?"
"Yes," came the reply. "We just spotted it on the news. What the hell is that?"
"That's a Reaper, Vorenus. You need to lock down your shop and make sure no one gets inside. Tell Voreg to bust out the special delivery."
"I'll certainly tell him that. We'll lock down the shop and get as many people inside as possible. What about you, O'Connor? What'll you do?"
"I'll do what I do best," O'Connor replied as he reached a small apartment he'd been staying at. "Neutralize the enemy." Closing the omni-tool, he walked over to a panel in the wall near the cheaply made bed before delivering a harsh blow with his booted foot.
The panel fell away with a loud clatter, exposing a crate that was nestled neatly inside of the wall. Pulling the crate out, he pulled the lid off to reveal the T-5V Battlesuit that he'd come to wear and care for. Time to go to work once again, he thought as he pulled the suit out.
Within a couple minutes, he was fully suited up and ready for fighting. Pulling the AK pattern rifle he had out, he rocked the mag in and racked the slide, before doing the same for his sidearm and the shotgun of his choice. Weapons primed, he began making his way to a nearby air car hub that he'd spotted a few hours earlier.
Getting out into the street, he could clearly tell that things were starting to get bad. All around, he frowned when he saw C-SEC officers lying in the streets, their bodies and armor perforated with bullets from snipers. The lighting had also turned from blue to an emergency red color.
He was about to move forwards when he spotted something in the distance. Taking aim, he fired his rifle once, just as a laser beam began tracking over his left leg. That laser promptly disappeared, before he spotted a small figure moving off in the distance. Geth, he thought as he spotted the familiar silhouette. Looks like I know what killed these officers. It'll be a fight to get to the air car hub.
Weapon ready, he began to advance along the winding walkways and footpaths that would lead him to the air car hub. Moving through a formerly crowded market, he spotted a few Geth Troopers that were in the area. Rifle primed, he fired at one of the Troopers, catching it off guard with his gunfire. Electronic components and lubricating fluid splattered everywhere as the bullet tore into the thing's head before exploding.
The others, noticing the commotion, turned and fired at him. Taking cover, O'Connor loaded a 40mm grenade into the GP-30 and leaned out before firing. The loud BLOOP of the grenade being fired echoed in the area, but was shortly drowned out by the loud KA-BOOM that followed immediately after. Loud electronic squeals filled the air, indicating a successful hit.
Moving up, he moved past the disabled Geth before climbing down a few ladders. Reaching the last one, he looked forwards to spot a small store up ahead. Apparently, C-SEC was present, as he spotted their officers fighting off what appeared to be a Geth Juggernaut. "Damnit!" a Turian shouted as he ducked behind cover. "We're getting killed over here!"
"Just hold out a little longer," a familiar voice shouted. "The Executor's going to send reinforcements! I know he will!"
I know that person, O'Connor realized, eyes widening slightly. Keying his local comm unit, he said, "Detective Chellick, are you there?"
"O'Connor," came Chellick, surprise in his voice. "Spirits, where have you been? We're getting mulched over here. Where are you?"
"I'm almost at your position," O'Connor replied. "Listen, once we've dealt with the Geth here, I need one of your shuttles in order to get to Citadel Tower. That's where the Geth are heading, and I'll bet your ass that Saren's there already. Understood?"
"Got it," Chellick replied. "We were sent to arrest you, but I won't arrest the man that's working to fix the problem. If the Council doesn't like it, then they can go to hell for all I care! Just get over here and help us out!"
"Copy that. I'm on my way. O'Connor out." With that, he closed the comm channel and began to quickly make his way over.
Moving forwards at full speed, he spotted a glass door that was in his way. Bracing himself, he smashed through the glass, sending shards of the material flying everywhere from the impact. Keeping his balance, he moved forwards, weapon in hand as he spotted the C-SEC officers.
Apparently, they had entered an air-car dealership, which the officers had been moving through just as the attack on their position began. Bullets where flying everywhere, with the Geth having forced the doors open to get inside, while C-SEC officers were taking cover behind the air cars and the rotating stands they were on. Some were lying on the ground, their bodies surrounded by a pool of blood.
Others were still fighting, while a few were lying on the ground. One was being tended to a medic, who was doing her best to tend to the patient, who was screaming his lungs out as she tended to the stump that used to be his left arm. "Dad, I'm so sorry!" the male Turian was whimpering, his mind cracking from the horror he was facing.
"Hold still!" the medic, also a Turian, shouted. "I'm trying to stabilize you!" Spotting O'Connor, she shouted, "Can you help?!"
"Here!" O'Connor shouted, tossing her a medical kit he'd gotten an hour ago. "That'll help stabilize him! I've gotta stop the Geth that are here!" With that, he charged forwards, weapon in hand.
Chellick, spotting him as O'Connor got into cover, shouted, "Spirits, O'Connor! Where the hell have you been?!"
"Getting my ass over here while avoiding being arrested!" O'Connor shouted. "What's the situation?!"
"We're getting our asses mulched up by that Geth Juggernaut!" Chellick shouted. "We've also got Geth Sappers that are sabotaging our weapons ever time we try to fire at them! Can you help us?!"
"Sure," O'Connor shouted. Loading a grenade into his GP-30, he leaned out and fired at the Geth Juggernaut. An explosion rang out as the grenade impacted, tearing apart the Juggernaut's armor plating and forcing it to retreat behind cover. Spotting a sapper, he fired on it, destroying it with a well aimed burst. "GO!"
"FIRE NOW!" Chellick shouted to the others. "We've got the edge! CHARGE!"
Reinvigorated, the C-SEC officers immediately fired back, downing any Geth that they could see in front of them. Another Geth Sapper fell to the ground, it's lightly armored body cut up, while a Geth Trooper took severe damage before going down. Finally, the Juggernaut was destroyed, though not before it killed a couple more C-SEC officers.
"Spirits, that was rough!" Chellick gasped. Looking at O'Connor, he said, "The shuttle we have is in good condition still. If you need to get to Citadel Tower, get there now! Verana!"
"Yes?" a Turian female dressed in light C-SEC armor asked.
"Can you get this man to Citadel Tower? I don't care if you have to go EVA to get there."
"Affirmative!"
"Then let's go!" O'Connor shouted. "Come on! The sooner we get there, the sooner we can fix this shitty mess!"
At another part of the Citadel, O'Connor gritted his teeth as Verana maneuvered the shuttle towards Citadel Tower as quickly as she could. It was quite tough going, as they were having to avoid being gunned down by Geth aerospace fighters that were swarming around the place, while avoiding gunfire from the ground areas. So far, they were quite lucky, and any hits they took were absorbed by the armor plating on the vehicle.
On top of that, he could see a new ornament the Citadel Tower had: Sovereign. Damn Reaper landed at it, he thought. If I had to guess, it's manually taking control of the Citadel's systems to stop all traffic and secure it's position. Good thing I took the shuttle then.
Still, what I wouldn't give for an actual attack helicopter. At least it'd be able to fire at those pesky Geth. Here, we're a fast moving target sign!
"We're almost here!" Verana shouted. "We can't land at the elevator that's at the Presidium! Seal up your helmet! You're going EVA!"
"Copy!" O'Connor shouted. While he already had his helmet on, he made sure it was sealed before shouting, "Open 'er up!" Verana immediately complied, hitting a button that opened up the shuttle's gull doors.
Almost immediately, all of the air inside rushed out into the vacuum of space, with the area becoming deathly silent. As soon as the shuttle landed, O'Connor got out before giving Verana the signal to leave. As she did so, he took a look around.
From what he could tell, he was standing on the side of the Citadel's central tower. He could also tell that he was near what he guessed was a semi-exposed elevator shaft, as he could see what he thought were the guide rails for the elevator itself. That means I'm close to where the Council Chambers are at, he surmised. Well, it won't be easy getting there.
Just as he thought this, he felt a vibration near his feet. Moving to the side, he watched as an elevator came to his position before suddenly halting. Looking inside, he smiled at the occupants. "Shepard, that you?!" he shouted.
"It's me! I'm with Wrex and Tali!" Shepard shouted. "How'd you get here, O'Connor? I thought C-SEC was hunting for you!"
"The attack began while they were looking for me, Shepard. I managed to convince Chellick to lend me one of his shuttles so that I could get here. You got here just as I arrived. What's the situation?"
"We've got a program that'll throw Sovereign out of the computer systems for the Citadel. We need to get to the Council Chambers, but the elevator's stopped. Can you help?"
"Sure," O'Connor nodded. "Suit up! We're going EVA!" Once Shepard and his team suited up, O'Connor took his AK and fired a single shot into the transparent material.
The hardened glass cracked, before it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. Instead of falling down, the glass was blown out by the air rushing out of the elevator cab, forcing it to fly away into the vacuum of space. Once it dissipated, Shepard and the others quickly got out. "We need to continue upwards. Expect heavy resistance," he informed the team.
"No need to tell me twice," O'Connor nodded. "On we go!"
With that, they advanced forwards, the team moving as quickly as they possibly could. Spotting movement, O'Connor watched as another elevator shaft was blown out, with several Geth coming out. He immediately fire, splattering the first Geth Trooper with a hail of bullets, while Shepard and his team opened fire.
"Nice guns!" O'Connor shouted. "Spectre grade?"
"Top notch!" Shepard shouted. "Looks like they're pissed at you!"
"Tell me something I don't know! Keep moving forwards!"
Weapons roared as they advanced forwards, cutting down any Geth that came across their position. Moving up a 'ramp' that was nearby, they moved past another shaft before turning to the left, moving up another ramp that constituted another facet of the Citadel Tower. The Geth had set up fortifications here, though it wasn't long before they managed to push their way forwards.
Eventually, as they moved closer to the Council Chambers, Tali spotted something. "INCOMNG!" she shouted. "Geth gunship!"
"Oh, come on!" Shepard shouted. "What else is there?!"
"We've got defense turrets nearby!" O'Connor pointed out. "If we turn those on, we can take out the gunship!"
"I've also got your rocket launcher!" Wrex shouted, tossing the RPG to O'Connor. "That'll put a dent in it's armor plating!"
"Thanks, Wrex! I didn't know you had it!"
"I like it! That's why I brought it! Now kill that thing!"
"Tali, you'll handle the defense turrets!" Shepard ordered. "Wrex, you and I will cover Tali. O'Connor, hammer that thing with your launcher when it comes into view!"
"Got it," O'Connor nodded, just as the Geth gunship came into view. Running fast, Tali quickly began powering up the turrets, while Shepard and Wrex covered her. The gunship's turrets fired up, peppering the area with bullets.
Loading a HEAT-TW into the launcher, O'Connor leaned out before firing off a shell. Seeing the gunship shudder, he said, "The barriers are too thick! I need them to be weakened some more!"
"Tali!" Shepard shouted.
"Turrets are active!" Tali shouted. A second later, the defense turrets in the area turned and fired on the Geth gunship, missiles streaking through the air. Firing another HEAT-TW shell, O'Connor watched as the barriers cracked, with the second warhead tearing into the armor.
After a couple more minutes of intense firing, the gunship was forced to retreat, holes torn into it's armor and internal components. Continuing on, the team eventually found the door to the Council Chambers. Forcing it open, they traveled through the small airlock and into the building.
The interior was nothing short of a mess. Fires were breaking out in multiple areas of the Council Chambers, with the mighty tree in the center being consumed by flames, if the massive conflagration up ahead was anything to tell by. Floor tiles were cracked and bullet holes were in the walls.
Moving up, the team advanced, firing on any Geth that were ahead of them. As they reached the area where the Council podium was, Shepard spotted Saren. "Saren!" he shouted. "Give it up! It's over!"
"Hands in the air!" O'Connor shouted. Instead of replying, Saren jumped off of the podium, though O'Connor spotted the attack immediately. "TAKE COVER!" he roared, with everyone scrambling behind what cover they could find.
True enough, Saren reappeared, tossing some grenades at the team. Explosions rang out, though since the team had taken cover, the grenades did little, if any damage. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time," Saren said to O'Connor and Shepard.
"In time for what?" Shepard asked.
"The final confrontation. I think we both expected it would end like this. You've lost, Shepard. You know that, don't you? In a few minutes, Sovereign will have full control of the Citadel's systems. The relay will open, and the Reapers will return."
"Not if we have anything to say about it, fatass," O'Connor bit back.
"I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve," Shepard added.
"You two survived our encounter on Virmire, but I've changed since then, improved. Sovereign has… upgraded me."
"You let that asshole touch you?!" O'Connor shouted. "YOU FUCKING IDIOT!
"Are you fucking insane?!" Shepard shouted.
"I suppose I should thank you, O'Connor," Saren smiled. "After Virmire, I couldn't stop thinking about what you said about Sovereign manipulating me. About indoctrination. The doubts began to eat away at me; Sovereign sensed my hesitation. I was… implanted, to strengthen my resolve.
"Now the doubts are gone. I believe in Sovereign completely. I understand that the Reapers need organics. Join us, Shepard, O'Connor, and they will find a place for you too."
"Like hell I will!" O'Connor shouted. "Sovereign's controlling you through those fucking implants! Don't you see that, you blind asshole?!"
"The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of steel and flesh. The strengths of both and the weaknesses of neither. I am a vision of the future, Shepard, O'Connor, the evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny! Join Sovereign, and experience a rebirth!"
"Sovereign hasn't won yet!" Shepard shouted defiantly. "I can stop it from taking control of the station! Step aside, and the invasion will never happen!"
"We can't stop it, not forever!" Saren argued. "You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful."
"Some part of you must still realize that this is wrong!" Shepard pleaded. "You can fight this!"
When he said that, O'Connor realized that Saren was starting to struggle, as though a part of him that was still good and noble was waking up and fighting back. "M-maybe you're right," he struggled to say. "Maybe there is a chance fo- UURRGGHH!"
Moments later, Saren let out a scream of agony as the implant began forcibly altering his mental processes. "I-I can't fight it!" he screamed. "S-Sovereign's t-too strong f-for me!"
"The implant!" O'Connor realized. "Don't give up, Saren! You can still fight it!"
"I c-can't!" he gasped. Reaching for his handgun, he struggled to press it against his skull. Looking at Shepard and O'Connor, he said, "Goodbye, Shepard, O'Connor. Thank you." A moment later, he pulled the trigger.
The bullet tore through his brain, severing neurons before shooting out the side of his head. Like a puppet who's strings had been cut, Saren slumped over before falling off the platform, his corpse smashing through the glass sheltering the garden below before hitting the ground. The sound of bones cracking and flesh thudding echoed in the Chambers.
Thus ends Saren, O'Connor thought as Shepard walked towards the holographic display hovering near the podium where he'd spoken to the Council earlier. Opening his omni-tool, he uploaded a program, smiling as he saw something.
"Vigil's program worked," he beamed. "I've got control of the Citadel's systems!"
"Vigil?"
"I'll explain more later."
"Quick! Open the station arms," Tali shouted. "Maybe the fleet can take down Sovereign before it retakes control of the station!"
"I'll open a comm channel," Shepard nodded.
Just as he did so, another person came over the comm. "… the Destiny Ascension!" an Asari shouted. "Main drives offline. Kinetic barriers down 40%! The Council is onboard! I repeat, the Council is onboard!"
A moment later, Joker came over the comm. "Normandy to the Citadel. Normandy to the Citadel. Please tell me you're there, Commander."
"We're here, Joker," Shepard replied.
"We caught that distress signal, Commander. I'm sitting here in the Andura sector with the entire Arcturus Fleet. We can save the Ascension. Just unlock the relays surrounding the Citadel and we can come in and save the Ascension."
"Are you sure about his, Shepard," Tali asked. "Human casualties will be high if you send them in now."
"If we don't save the Council, we're looking at a political destabilization," O'Connor countered. "Plus, Sparatus actually believed Shepard. If we don't send in the fleet now, we lose the one man that made our escape possible."
"Sparatus helped out?" Wrex asked.
"Yes, as surprising as it is. He actually believed Shepard from the start, especially when I asked him that one question all those months ago. Besides, this far bigger than Humanity; Sovereign is a threat to every species in the galaxy. Shepard, if we send in the fleet now, we can save as many as we can."
Hearing it put like that, it was a simple decision for Shepard. "I'm opening the relays now, Joker," he decided. "Do what you can to save the Ascension."
"Aye, aye, Commander," Joker nodded.
Closing the comm link, Shepard looked towards the garden that Saren had fallen into. "Make sure he's dead," he ordered. O'Connor nodded, before making his way down into the garden. Pulling out his sidearm, he fired once, putting a hole into Saren's head.
"He's dead," Tali decided.
"Wait," O'Connor replied. "I'm going to -" Just as he said this, he thought he saw a twitch of movement. "Ah, shit!"
Just as he said this, a wave of energy surged out from Saren's corpse, blasting everyone back. Hitting the back wall, O'Connor felt his vision gray out for a moment, while a ringing sound filled his ears. Shaking the impact off, he watched as Saren's corpse got up, while flesh burned and rotted off at an accelerated rate.
Soon, there was nothing left, but a metallic husk of Saren's former self. His claws had been elongated, while his metallic ribs were present for all to see. In addition, his lower jaw was gone, and his eyes glowed a baleful red color. "I am Sovereign!" the creature roared, "and this station is mine!"
Scrambling onto his feet, O'Connor began firing his AK like crazy, while moving to make sure he didn't get hit. The others did the same, weapons firing as quickly as they could. Shepard, having gotten up from the podium collapsing, also fired.
Motherfucker is hard to kill, O'Connor thought as he fired at Saren's husk. Damn thing's tough, but he keeps moving around. It was hard for him to track the husk as it jumped around, but whenever it held still, he fired at it, peppering it's chassis with bullets.
"Wrex!" Shepard shouted as the Krogan was blown backwards by a shot.
"I'm fine," Wrex shouted, his chest armor plating smoking as he got up. "Shoot that fucker!"
That was when Saren's husk leaped at O'Connor. Shouting as he was knocked over, he blocked a blow from the creature, though he was certain his arm had cracked. "Get off me, you fucking bastard!" he shouted, bringing up a leg and kicking it off him. Firing his sidearm, he knocked the thing off.
As the battle progressed, it was clear that, while it was tough, Saren's husk was taking damage. Eventually, as they fired, one of it's limbs was blown cleanly off. "NO!" Sovereign roared through the husk as it's barriers failed for the last time. "I am eternal! You cannot defeat me!"
"Shut the fuck up," Shepard shouted. Weapon overheated, he grabbed O'Connor's sidearm, just as both men aimed at the creature.
"Go to hell, you fucking monster!" O'Connor roared. With that, everyone unloaded onto the husk. In it's final moments, Sovereign did the one thing it never thought it would do: it begged for mercy, only to be annihilated moments later. As it's bullet riddled corpse fell over, it disintegrated, turning into a pile of ash that rested on the green grass in the garden.
"Finally," Shepard gasped. "Let's get out of here!" With that, the team scrambled out of the garden area and began moving towards the exit. Turning around, his eyes went wide as he spotted what looked like a portion of Sovereign coming through the window. The last thing he shouted was, "GO!" Then everything went black.
. . .
Anderson searched frantically as he looked through the debris for any sign of Shepard and his team. With the defeat of Sovereign, they had managed to destroy the Reaper, but a part of it had collided with the Citadel Tower. With everyone on station, they were having to get through the debris to find Shepard and his team.
As he overturned more debris, he heard a man shout, "Sir! I've found two live ones!" Running over, Anderson looked to see who it was.
Looking inside, he spotted Tali and Wrex. From the looks of it, they had avoided injury, with the Reaper's appendage forming a kind of cave around them, sheltering them from the worst of the collision. Walking over, he said, "Take it easy… it's over now." Realizing someone was missing, he asked, "Where's Shepard and O'Connor."
Wrex only looked towards the front of the Council Chambers. Looking in that direction, Anderson saw a mound of debris that was present there, along with a portion of one of Sovereign's limbs. Oh no, he frowned. I got here too late. They're dead.
Crestfallen, he began to help them get up when he spotted some movement. Turning around, Anderson's eyes went wide when he saw two men walking through the debris. How…?
To his amazement, it was Shepard and O'Connor. Both men were limping as they walked, with Shepard cradling an arm, while O'Connor was helping the man along, while holding a hand to part of his chest. Still, they were alive and well, with both men smiling as they approached. "Mission accomplished, sir," Shepard replied, with everyone chuckling as they heard that.
"Damnit, don't do that to me, Shepard!" Anderson shouted. "I'm so glad you're alive and well."
"Me too," Shepard nodded.
"So, when does the R&R begin?" O'Connor asked. "I could really use some right now.