Picking Up the Pieces

The Reapers were in the Parnitha system in the hundreds. They were spreading out to destroy everything in the system as well as the Asari home world. EDI informed me that all Asari forces were in full retreat and I ordered Joker to set us on a course to the Mass Relay so we could escape, but when he asked me where we should go, I had no answer for him. Eventually deciding on the Serpent Nebula where the Citadel resided, I called the rest of the team and Specialist Traynor to the War Room.

My team could tell upon entering that my conversation with Councillor Tevos had left both of us emotionally drained and Liara, though suffering herself, tried to help me.

"Nobody could have predicted that Cerberus would reach Thessia before us, Scott."

"Not good enough," I growled, my self-loathing bubbling to the surface, "it's my job to be prepared! And now Thessia is lost… as is the data on the Catalyst, and that's on me."

I slammed a fist down,

"I'm sick of Cerberus beating us to the punch! They hit Mars before we did, almost ruined our attempt to rescue Bakara on Sur'Kesh, and they almost took control of the Citadel."

"Let's kick them in the balls first for a change," James piped up. I agreed whole-heartedly and asked the crew if anyone had any leads to act on. I was prepared to take anything at this point, I had to get back in the game. As I checked around my team for an answer, I came to look upon Liara who could barely hold her head up with what had just happened an hour ago.

She was in the most pitiable state that I had ever seen her as she struggled to restrain her tears. Her body was quaking slightly and her breathing was irregular. My concern for my dear friend took precedence for a moment and I was about to tell her that she should go back to her room and rest, but Traynor suddenly made herself heard.

"There could be something, Commander…"

"Let's hear it, Samantha," I snapped back to focusing on our mission, or finding a mission at least. Sam brought up a map of the galaxy on the strategy board and pinpointed the Athena Nebula cluster within which Thessia was located. Her marker then jumped from one Mass Relay to another then another,

"I was able to track Kai Leng's shuttle through the relay and extrapolate his destination… but the signal disappeared in the Iera System."

"Naturally," I grunted.

"But that's the interesting part, Commander. It's not just gone. It's being actively blocked."

"By what?" I asked. Samantha thought things through but could not give me a definitive answer,

"I don't know. But something is interfering with all signal activity in that region of space."

"Commander," EDI said, "the Iera system is home to Sanctuary and little else."

"Sanctuary? You mean the refugee haven that I've heard about?" I asked.

"Yes," my AI friend replied, "Sanctuary was constructed on Horizon."

"I'd rather not go back there again," I said as I had a flashback to our intense battle with the Collectors when we interrupted their attempt to abduct the colony. "But if you think it's worth checking out Traynor…"

"I do, Sir," Traynor nodded.

"If Specialist Traynor had not examined the data so thoroughly, the interference would have been almost impossible to detect," EDI said.

"Nice work, Sam," I smiled at her, "you've given us a shot, let's make sure we don't waste it."

"I was on Horizon for a while and you were the only Cerberus presence while I was there," Ashley said doubtfully.

"It's a slim lead," Liara whispered weakly, "let's hope it's the right one."

"I don't care how slim the leads are at this point," I said to the whole team, "we've come too far to let Cerberus stop us. I want that Prothean data, I want the Catalyst. No excuses! Everyone dismissed."

Everyone left the War Room to get washed up and rested before we hit Horizon which would be in about two days time. Liara was at the back of the procession and I gently took a hold of her arm to quickly tell her to get her head down for a sleep and that I would be around to check on her later. The distraught Liara nodded but did not make a sound and dragged herself out of the room, Traynor waiting for her to try and help her girlfriend through this difficult time. However, I first had to inform Admiral Hackett both of what had transpired on Thessia, and our new plan of action.

However, when I placed the call and Hackett answered I was surprised to see Admiral Anderson appearing before me in hologram as well.

"I'm patching Gardner in now," Hackett said to my old friend. Admiral Anderson still looked solid, but the strain of constant combat and hiding from the Reapers back on Earth really showed on his face, especially around his darkened eyes.

"Scott," Anderson addressed me informally straight away, "I've just learned about Thessia… How you holding up?"

"We were so close, David," I told him, "so fucking close to ending this war. But that bastard Kai Leng screwed me over."

"Yeah? And what of it?"

David's reply caught me by surprise and I wheeled around to look at him.

"So he beat you," Anderson said again, "what does that mean?"

"It could cost us the entire war," I retorted, "it could cost all of us our lives, and I'm responsible."

Admiral Hackett maintained an intrigued gaze at me as David turned the tables on me.

"Scott, do you know how many times I got my arse handed to me over the years? Surviving the First Contact War was a goddamn miracle. They said I was a hero, but I just felt lucky to get out alive. These guys I'm fighting alongside in the resistance, they know it's a losing proposition. They know the chances of seeing tomorrow are slim to none. But they all signed up anyway. I'm looking out at the ruins of London right now. I was born here and it looks like I might well die here too."

I knew what David was trying to tell me. We could all be dead this time tomorrow, so do not dwell on should-have-beens or fixate on the mistakes I had made. I had to dust myself off and look forward. There were no such things as problems, only solutions. David seemed to have sensed that he had gotten through to me and said,

"So I say point us at the Reapers and we'll take our chances."

"You'll make it, David," I told him, "and when this is all over, we'll go for a few pints in some over-priced London pub."

David grinned and laughed,

"If that's the case, you're getting the bill. But Commander, I have an order for you. Shake this off… can you do that for me?"

"I will, Sir," I said. I would do it for him, I would do it for Liara, I would do it for Tali. I would do it for everyone.

"Good," David said before turning to Hackett. "I've said all I needed to say, but I need to get back to it now. Good luck to both of you."

Admiral Hackett wished Anderson luck as he signed off to continue leading the resistance effort in London.

"He's right, Gardner," Hackett said to me, "we still need you. We're all depending on you to bring us through this war. Don't let one setback take your will to fight."

"I won't, Sir. I've got too much to lose if I quit."

"Glad to hear it. Thessia was a failure, but you're still alive and the Prothean data is still out there somewhere. Do you have a plan?"

"We do, Sir," I said cautiously, "but it might be a longshot."

I explained how Traynor had tracked Kai Leng to the Iera System but got no further than that. There was no way to know if Leng had stopped in that system or had continued on, but the Iera system and Sanctuary on Horizon was the only place that I could point to as our next feasible objective. Admiral Hackett grew less and less certain as I went on. He took to the idea that Kai Leng would probably have moved beyond the Iera System and that searching in that sector of space would be a waste of time.

"Sir," I said finally as I felt that he was about to reject my proposal, "what choice do we have? We have nothing else… no more information about the Catalyst or what it is. I would not suggest this operation if I was not confident in the abilities of my team, especially Traynor."

Steven Hackett stood and thought about the idea some more until he said,

"You have the green light to go to the Iera System, Commander, but keep me in the loop. If this turns out to be a wild goose chase, I want to know so I can put you to other work, understood?"

So that settled it. The Normandy continued on its course for the Iera System. To be honest, I did not know if we were going to find anything at all, but to have some kind of mission, a goal, in front of me made me feel better and think more clearly. However, I noticed that the morale of the Normandy team had suffered a huge blow with the fall of Thessia and I knew that I was partly to blame for that. The way I had acted when Kai Leng had escaped, and by ignoring my team, closing them off from me as I grieved inside. Anderson had set me straight and now I needed to do the same for my guys. Liara was at the top of the priority list, and after a wash I made my way down to her room. However, when the elevator opened on the crew deck, I passed Garrus who knew where I was headed,

"You won't find her in her room, Scott, we saw her storming out of there a few minutes ago."

"Where did she go?" I asked perplexed. Garrus looked worried,

"I think she went to… talk with Javik. Her world has been totally rocked, the Reapers are destroying her world and Asari history has just been retold right in front of her. It's a tough one."

"Thanks Garrus, Javik might not know what he's in for," I said as I jumped back into the elevator and went down a level.

Everything that Javik had said about the Protheans intervening in the past of the Asari, guiding them along their own path, was true. We all knew that because Javik had no reason to fabricate such a story, nor would it serve any purpose to himself. Athame, Janiri and Lucen were all Protheans who had come to Thessia to educate and alter the Asari as they saw fit. Now, these renditions that the Asari kept in the temple were the last, distorted memories of those tales. However, it did not change the fact that Javik could have gone about it gentler with Liara, to save her suffering a double blow to her psyche in the time span of one catastrophic day. But his ruthless and pitiless character, understandably formed during his lifetime of war, did not allow him to see matters that way. He said it how it was, end of story.

Unfortunately for Javik, Liara was already livid and was really letting him hear it when I entered Javik's quarters.

"Those were all lies back there!" Liara screamed at the Prothean. Javik's demeanour was as composed as ever as he stood with his arms calmly crossed in front of him and leaning on one of his tables.

"You wished to know more about your history Asari, now you do," Javik replied. Liara could barely contain herself as she paced back and forth, her hands waving wildly as she hollered, and every so often I could see a slight build-up of biotic energy around her.

"Tell the truth," Liara yelled.

"I am. Athame was Prothean. You saw it with your own eyes. Why do you continue to deny it, Asari?"

"I have a name! It's Liara T'Soni, and I'd appreciate you using it once in a while…"

Liara's hand cupped and I saw the beginning of a biotic attack about to be unleashed. I actually panicked. I had not expected this from Liara. She was undoubtedly upset and completely distraught over the day of events we had just suffered through, but to actually be prepared to attack another member of our team? I had to stop it and I leapt in, taking a firm hold of her arm before she started a battle that could very well end with a fatality.

"Settle down you two!" I used the loudest voice I had and caught Liara just in time, Liara's blue eyes seemed to filled with lightning as they flashed to me,

"My home was just destroyed, and all Javik can do is gloat!"

"Javik," I faced him, "given what has happened today, you could show a little compassion. You should apologise."

"Apologise for speaking the truth?" he grunted with disdain.

"For not doing more!" Liara suddenly blurted out.

Javik and I were both intrigued by Liara's outburst and I slowly let go of her arm as she seemed to regain an element of self-control.

"You're a Prothean," my friend cried, "you were supposed to have all the answers. You were supposed to stop the Reapers. Why didn't you defeat them?"

"We believed you would," Javik said to Liara. The buzz of biotic energy dissipated from Liara and we threw each other a questioning glance.

"Long ago we saw the potential of your species. Even back then it was obvious to us that Asari would achieve greatness. The intelligence, the wisdom, the patience. We knew the next galactic cycle would need the Asari so you were… guided when necessary."

"Well it didn't work," Liara said miserably.

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Javik countered. "Thessia may be lost, but the Asari are not. So long as even one of your kind remains standing the war is not lost."

"I… I guess that goes for Protheans too," Liara managed to look Javik in the eyes again. Javik approached her and met her gaze,

"Despair is the enemy's greatest weapon, do not let them use it… Liara T'Soni."

None of us had seen this conversation ending in a peaceful manner, but inside we were all deeply glad that it had. For the moment, Liara had been placated, but all the energy that she had been displaying but a minute ago rushed from her again and her body sagged from exhaustion. Without looking at us or speaking, my bereaved friend drifted out of Javik's room.

"That was unexpected," I said when the door had closed, "thank you, Javik."

"We still need her mind to aid us in this war. We cannot lose her," Javik said with slight indifference.

"So did you actually mean anything you said there?"

"What does it matter?"

I took a step towards him and wore a harder look,

"Liara is a very important friend to me. It matters."

Javik's four eyes studied me before he walked back to his computer with mild annoyance,

"Then I will tell you what you want to hear. I meant what I said."

"Whether that's true or not," I said on my way out, "thank you."

I went back into the elevator and followed Liara up to the crew deck where I now found that Tali had joined Garrus at the memorial wall.

"How did it go?" Garrus asked straight away.

"It was… tense," I sighed, "but it went a lot better than it could've. Did she go back to her room?"

"Stormed back to her room, more like," Garrus said, "we want to go talk to her, try and help…"

"But neither of us know what to say," Tali admitted, her hands fumbling nervously. "I just got my home world back and Garrus thinks that, since Palaven is in the same state as Thessia, he'll just remind her of how many people are dying."

"I suppose having a reminder of Earth doesn't help either," Garrus speculated. I hated to admit that he had a point. Earth was a shattered and torn planet with at least a couple of billion of people dead by now. But there was still a resistance putting up a fight against the Reapers all across the globe on every continent.

I knew that the story was the same for every world that the Reapers had hit. Palaven was host to the fiercest and most brutal land war that the galaxy had yet seen as Turians, Humans, Asari, Salarians, Geth, Quarians and Krogan all fought together as one to fight back against the invaders. With the Genophage cured and the Krogan organising for total war, the Reapers had only just mustered enough forces to begin an assault on Tuchanka. Thessia was deemed lost, but I knew that there were still billions of Asari taking on the Reapers every chance they got. Perhaps I could remind Liara of this. Javik was right in that respect. Even if the world is lost that does not mean that the entire species is lost too.

"I'll talk to her," I told Tali and Garrus and headed for Liara's locked door. As with every door on my ship, it opened for me and the sight I saw before me made me hurt inside it was so dreadful. Liara was just sprawled out on her bed in her clothes and crying almost uncontrollably. There were messages on her terminal that were unopened and calls coming in from her agents that went unanswered as Liara let herself sink into the deepest recesses of despair. Javik's warning about not letting her succumb to this grievous wound rang in my ear and I moved in to try and bring her back to us. Surprisingly, however, it was Liara that spoke first.

"How did this happen, Scott? Did I just assume that the Asari would be ready? Did I just assume that Thessia would be safe? I abandoned my people."

"You had nothing to do with the attack on Thessia," I said.

"They're dying by the millions!" She wailed. "How many of them are dead because I demanded their help?"

I walked briskly over to her bed and stood over her so there was no way that she would not hear me,

"None."

"Scott, that isn't true," Liara shook her head.

"Liara, you've been warning your people about the Reapers for three years, there's nothing that you should feel sorry for. We may have lost Thessia but we still have the Asari. I know you can think of another way to help. I know you can do it."

Liara, who had so far not moved an inch on her bed as she remained flat out in her dark state of mind, now started to slowly raise herself up. She blinked repeatedly and wiped the blinding tears from her eyes, slowly sitting up and getting off her bed on weak legs. I offered a hand and, after looking up at me with those big blue eyes, she took it. I drew her into a hug and closed my arms around her,

"It'll be ok, Liara. We can pull through this… all of us together."

"I…" Liara started as we released from our embrace, "I can help the refugees that are escaping the system. Find them supplies, fuel, tell them where they can still go or get them entry to the Citadel. I can…"

She went over to her console and immediately started putting together orders and lists of agents she could use for her relief operations.

"I knew you'd think of something, Liara," I said, full of pride at her speed of organising herself. The desire to help had always been there, I did not doubt, but she just needed that extra hand to make it happen. I decided that I would leave her to it now that the Shadow Broker was back in action, but she caught me just before I opened the door out to the mess hall.

"I still need some time, Scott, but thank you… for everything."

The pain of the experience was still plain on Liara's face, but she was up on her feet and keeping active which showed recovery already. Tali and Garrus were still at the memorial wall and I thought I heard them talking about Legion. They both spun around to see me and seemed encouraged by the semi-pleased expression that I wore.

"She'll be fine," I told them before they asked, "she just needs time to get through this."

"We just did not know what to say," Garrus said again with perhaps a little guilt that he could not have helped.

"There is nothing to say to help with something like that," I told my friend, "but simply being there helps."

The three of us stood and talked together by the memorial for a short while. We were all still in a state of shock at what had happened on Thessia. Tali made an astute comment about why she thought that the loss of Thessia seemed to be so hard to swallow,

"I suppose we just all thought that, out of every species in the galaxy, the Asari would be the best prepared. That they would be the ones to hold them off when the Reapers came for them."

"The Reapers just waited to attack the Asari until their attention was elsewhere, just for a second. But that's all they needed. Then before we knew it, they were all over Asari space. Every one of their colonies got hit at the same time," Garrus told us.

Strangely, my mind went to Illium rather than Thessia. Although it was far from the safe haven that Thessia had been in peacetime, it was still a beautiful and incredible Asari world that I had actually been able to visit before this war started. I guessed that the Dantius Towers would be in a worse state now than when I had left the premises.

Garrus quietly said that he had other business to attend to, a call with the Primarch, and slipped away to the forward battery. Tali took my hand and closed into my side. The soothing sensation she gave me was much needed and I rested my head on hers.

"And how are you doing?" she asked, "I know you're blaming yourself for this, Scott, but you did everything right!"

"I know, Tali, but it's still fresh in the mind and it'll take a while. I'm giving everything I've got to make sure that Hackett has what he needs to get the Crucible finished, and we're going to find that data on the Catalyst if it kills me… but I still don't know what it does. Everyone's looking to me to be the tip of the spear in this war, but who am I really? Who am I to make that call?"

"You're the one who was right all along," Tali turned my head to look straight at her, those glowing big eyes underneath the helmet looking back out at me. "You are the one who fought when no else would. And if that isn't enough, you're the man I love. Never forget that."

Tali could always make me smile and feel warm and hopeful on the inside. It was just a natural gift she had with people that I admired so much about her. She touched her mask to me and I kissed the top of her hood,

"Thanks Tali. If there's another reason that I'm never gonna give up, it'll be because you would be so mad with me."

Tali laughed,

"Damn right I would. No more snuggles or movie nights or…" she became rather suggestive, "any of the other things you like about me."

For the first time since the fall of Thessia I was able to crack a smile,

"Then no giving up. And speaking of movie nights, we should have one today while we're enroute to Horizon, just some time for us before we have to start sorting out Intel and all that before we arrive."

"Sounds great," Tali said happily.

"You go on ahead, Tali," I said with a glance towards the door to the forward battery, "I'm going to check in on Garrus first."

My wife hugged me and headed up to my cabin to get relaxed and choose the movie, it was her choice. With a curious sense of inquisitiveness, I headed to see my Turian friend.

"…Dad? Dad!"

Garrus was pleading over a comm channel, but all I heard from the other end of the transmission was static that went on endlessly before the call finally cut off all together. Garrus' head slumped and he staggered back a few paces before collapsing into a chair in the corner of the room where I heard him pray,

"Spirits. If you truly exist… protect them. Let me see them again."

He sat there with his eyes staring at the ground, as miserable and disenchanted as I had ever seen my long-term friend. I had never seen him like this and I felt awful for him. Garrus was always so cool and frontally strong and ready for anything, but now I was seeing a less certain side of the veteran soldier.

"Garrus? You ok?" I asked. He was suddenly brought back from his reflective state and shuffled in his chair to stand up as being called to action, but I put my hand out and stopped him,

"It's ok, Garrus. I'm just coming by to make sure you're alright. What's happening?"

Garrus sat back in the chair again, tense and worried,

"I just had to make a tough call with the Primarch," He said.

"What about?"

"Whether or not we keep defending Palaven and our colonies, or if we withdraw the strength of our fleets for when we deploy the Crucible."

"The Turians can't do both?"

"Not with the beating we're taking. We've lost a few thousand warships, Scott… at least a couple of dozen of our dreadnoughts. We don't have the strength to launch a full-scale assault on the Reapers, we don't even have the strength to hold what ground we still have."

"So what did you say?" I asked.

"I said that we needed to keep our strength back until we are ready to deploy the Crucible."

The weight of this decision lay heavy on Garrus and I could see the hurt in his eyes.

"A full retreat?" I mused to myself. "No other options?"

"If there are any, I can't see them," Garrus replied sadly, "the only hope for my people now is the Crucible."

So the mighty Turian fleets had retreated from the battles that took place over their worlds so that they may be able to return at a later date. This meant that the Reapers would have total superiority over every planet that they were battling the Turians for. What made the Turian withdrawal worse was that it was actually a decision that had to be made. The fleets of every other major species had not even lasted long enough against the Reapers to even think about such a decision. The Reapers had simply cut through them and forced them to run for their lives.

There had been small successes achieved by the fleets of the Humans, Asari and Salarians, especially once reinforced by the ships of the Geth, Quarians and the vicious fleet belonging to Aria T'Loak. But the fight put up by the Turians had been nothing short of monumental and they had managed to do a considerable amount of damage and score some kills. Garrus knew this, and now he knew that he had made the decision to leave their worlds exposed. However, that was not the only matter on the Turian's mind.

"What about your family, Garrus?" I asked carefully.

"Once the Primarch and I had made the decision I tried to call my dad on Palaven to warn him. He and my sister were on their way to an evac area that was coming under attack. I… could hear the firing and shouting all around them."

"Are they ok?"

"Dad said my sister has a broken leg," Garrus buried his head in his hands, "but they were near a shuttle when… when…"

"When you got cut off," I knew what he was about to say. "They'll be ok, Garrus. Your dad is a legend of C-Sec, and if you and him are anything alike then he'll have the wits and drive to get himself and your sister to safety."

"Thanks, Scott. But that's the thing about getting older… the platitudes get just as old," Garrus said.

"Remember how many times you've told me not to give up Garrus? Well now it's my turn. We will get through this, and so will your family. You will see them again."

"I hope so, Scott. There are some times that I feel less confident."

"Thessia's shaken us all up a bit I guess," I sympathised with him.

"There's only so much fight in a person. How long before that fight is kicked out of you? How long before…"

I cut him off quickly,

"Before your friends band together and bring you back from the wallowing pool of misery that you're diving into."

Garrus laughed,

"Yeah, you're right. That doesn't sound like a good place to be, especially since Turians are terrible swimmers."

The idea came to me and I could almost feel that little lightbulb flicking on and glowing above my head. I sent all of my ground crew a quick message from my omni tool,

"Everyone meet in the lounge. Much needed drink required."

When the message was sent, I motioned for Garrus to do the same. Despite his initial protests, he eventually stood out of his chair and followed. As we neared the lounge on the port side of the crew deck, I was surprised to see Liara just emerging from her room. She still walked with a slight stoop but it was encouraging to see her coming at all.

"Good to see you, Liara," I said.

"If there is ever an occasion that a drink is needed, this is that occasion," she replied in an attempt to joke. I entered the lounge and saw that everyone else was there including Tali, and James already had a few drinks poured.

"We're not getting wrecked, Vega," I laughed, "it's just a couple to calm ourselves."

"Yeah… I know," he chuckled as he slyly stopped pouring a glass halfway through and screwed the lid back on.

We all obtained a drink each and made ourselves comfy on the sofas where I told everyone why I had called them here,

"Look guys, I know we're all having a hard time with what happened on Thessia. And I know that the way I reacted didn't help either. But I think the best way to help each other is just to grab a drink to calm the nerves and chat amongst friends. We'll be hitting Horizon soon and I think we need an hour just to chill. Who's with me?"

One by one, they all gave me a small cheer and raised their glasses. The round of cheering came to Liara last and I waited for a few moments until she could summon the strength to join in. Her eyes met mine and she held my look for a while until a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth and she nodded taking a sip of her drink.

"EDI, you joining us?" James asked her as he held up a glass for her.

"I do not need to consume alcohol in order to keep myself composed, but thank you for the offer," EDI said politely. James was having none of it and started to pour a small glass anyway,

"C'mon EDI, you're one of us and you're joining us for a drink. Besides, that body was designed to infiltrate places with people, right? So it would have had to eat or drink to avoid suspicion… right?"

We all had a chuckle as EDI accepted and took the drink, raising the glass,

"To the Normandy and the men and women who serve on her."

"And the AI that keeps us all alive," James quickly added.

We all drank to the toast, everyone letting the cool liquid go down and savouring the moment. Then the conversation started as my friends all calmed down and let their worries slip to the back of their minds for a while. On the topic of EDI drinking, some of them wondered if she had programming that let her pretend to be drunk and EDI turned it on, but no one noticed any different.

"I think some Cerberus guy phoned that one in," Garrus laughed.

"Did the SR1 have an AI?" James asked.

"No, just the basic VI that all ships get," Ashley said, "no one trusted AI enough for that. But maybe they'll think again after the Normandy saves the galaxy."

"There was a Normandy before this one?" Javik asked, "what happened to it?"

"You haven't read up on it? She got ambushed and destroyed by the Collectors… Scott went down with it," Garrus told him.

"He sacrificed himself to make sure that Joker and I made it off in time," Tali said, squeezing my hand slightly. Javik studied me and I saw his eyes flash to where my hand sat intertwined with Tali's.

"And then you were resurrected to fight the Reapers," he said slowly.

"Kind of like you I guess, huh Javik?" I chuckled.

I had sometimes wondered about Javik. The stone-hearted old soldier respected me, that I knew from the way he carried himself when fighting by my side. However, I was not sure whether he would consider me a friend. I sometimes wondered if Javik deliberately kept others at a distance because he had already lost so much, everything and everyone he knew when he was put into stasis fifty-thousand years ago. Perhaps he feared losing more. He spoke no more of it and sat quietly for the duration of our little get-together.

There were a few laughs and stories of what each person had done before joining the Normandy, stories about some of the team members that were with me against the Collectors but were elsewhere now. James seemed to have a fascination with Wrex and Grunt and wished he could fight alongside them.

"It was great when we teamed up with Wrex against your clone, Commander," he said excitedly, "just a walking killing machine!"

After that Tali had a joke with Liara that, were it not for the first Normandy, she would still be stuck in the Prothean security device in which we had first found her on Therum.

"I've told you," Liara said with some humour and some shame, "I hit something that I was not supposed to and became trapped."

"Please help me," Tali said in a funny voice to imitate Liara, even holding her arms out and pretending she was being held aloft in the device, "I'm trapped in a bubble, get me out!"

I was glad that Liara laughed at this, because it meant that the rest of us could as well.

Hanging out in the lounge with everyone was short, but very sweet. Times like that helped to really cement the team together and keep their loyalty and friendships strong. It was that bond, after all, that was going to see us through everything that was still to come. Through thick and thin, the Normandy team would always remain steadfastly dedicated to each other, whether they were on the ship at that time or had served previously. I was sure that most of the team had another drink but I let it slide. They knew their limits and did not want to jeopardise the lives of their friends from being drunk or hungover during our next mission.

I sent everyone to rest and headed up to my cabin with Tali, plonking myself in my chair and looking up what I could about Horizon and Sanctuary.

"You don't need to sleep?" Tali asked as she climbed into bed. In truth, I had felt exhausted after our miserable defeat on Thessia, but relaxing in the lounge had given me bounds of fresh energy and I was going to use it to try and gain some Intel for our mission, if there was even a mission to be found.

"I'll join you in a bit, Tali, just looking up what I can on Sanctuary."

"Try not to be too long. I could use a snuggle today," she giggled. I gave her a smile and kissed her on the top of her helmet.

"Sorry, I cancelled our movie night…"

"No," Tali said immediately, "what you did was… absolutely what you do, Scott. I never thought I would see half of the crew smile again, or hear them laugh. Especially Liara! But you worked your magic and brought us together. There's no finer leader in the galaxy."