There were two things Shepard should be permanently banned from, dancing and driving. The Mako's suspension would have to be completely replaced. It was a total loss after Shepard gunned the vehicle over a cliff and landed spectacularly on a geth armature. Given their commander's skills behind the wheel, he was certain to keep spare parts on hand. Since Sovereign's destruction, their budget had nearly tripled. Every corporation with a pulse wanted their merchandise on The Normandy. Hell he had three different brands of suspension systems to choose from, all gifted from various businesses.
Garrus rolled over to reach for a pair of pliers. In the flash of a second, his head cracked against the Mako's rigid underbelly before he was violently thrown across the deck. There was a sickening pop as his fringe collided with a stack of cargo. The next thing he knew, a set of strong hands were gripping his shoulders, violently shaking him.
"Turian? Come on man. You gotta get up."
What the hell did Wrex want? Couldn't he even get a good night's rest anymore? A sharp pain erupted on the side of his face and jolted him back to reality.
"I'll smack you silly if I have to. Get the fuck up." Wrex bellowed.
His eyes flew open and took in the scene before him. The engineering deck was in complete disarray. Armor, weapons, tools, and pretty much anything that wasn't bolted to the floor had become flaming wreckage. Many of the crew were racing towards the elevator, desperate to escape the chaos. Suddenly a dazzling yellow beam filled his vision as it effortlessly sheared the Normandy in two. The Mako was eviscerated within seconds. Screams began reaching his ears. He quickly scanned for the source and spotted several Engineer staff boxed in by a wall of flame.
"Fucking hell. I gotta find Tali. You're on your own now turian. Try not to die." Without a moment's hesitation, Wrex raced across the engineering deck's remains and out of sight.
"Everyone evacuate now. Distress beacon is live. Get on the escape shuttles immediately." Shepard's voice crackled over the severely damaged speakers.
No one had to tell him twice. Garrus pulled himself up and sprinted towards the evac area. Liara was assisting the remaining crew into the last escape pods.
"Move people. Go Go GO." Two crew members were supporting one another, limping as fast as they were able. Liara biotically snatched the pair and tossed them into a pod.
Garrus leaped into pod two, quickly activating the harness. Tali and Wrex must've been hot on his heels. Not even a second passed before they plopped down beside him, gripping their harnesses for dear life as they shot out of the hull at break neck speed.
"The fuck is that thing? A reaper?" Wrex motioned towards their pod's window. A massive ship loomed over The Normandy. While it looked nothing like Sovereign, the magnitude alone was awe-inspiring.
"I dunno. But I'd bet good creds that it was made by them." Garrus panted.
"Did everyone get out? I heard someone screaming that Pressly is dead." Tali strained against her harness, desperate for a better view of the disintegrating Normandy. Yet, they were already entering Alchera's atmosphere. In a few seconds, nothing but a blazing inferno would be visible as they descended to the planet's surface.
"Just hang on. Shepard will take a full accounting of who's missing once we're on solid ground." Kaiden grit out. His leg was hanging at an angle Garrus was certain wasn't normal, even for super-bendy humans.
Shepard
Through his helmet, Shepard met Joker's gaze. The truth crept in and surrounded him. This is it. This is how I die. He hit the pod's release button. And as the cold vacuum of space swallowed him whole, he found himself thinking of Liara and all her propositions. Wondering why he kept a distance between himself and any woman who wanted more than a quick roll. What a fool he had been. His lungs were on fire. Pain seared through every nerve as he gasped for air, never fully giving in. He fought until his body went still over Alchera's orbit. His last thoughts were full of regret, of how he died the same way he chose to live – cold and alone.
Garrus
As their pod smashed into the surface, a cloud of white erupted around them. The team quickly went to work extracting themselves.
"Of course it's an ice planet. Why wouldn't it be, given our luck." Garrus whined as they disembarked onto the frigid expanse.
"You bosh'tet! Are you serious right now? The Normandy was just decimated and you're complaining you're cold?!" Tali screeched, still high on adrenaline. "Who knows how many people we lost! Kee'lah. Where's Liara? Or Chakwas? Did Talitha make it out? What about Amina? Ancestors, Adams! We were both trying to re-engage stealth systems when Wrex dragged me away."
"Relax Tali. Liara was escorting the crew, on what I assume were Shepard's orders. She's right behind us. They all are. Just calm down."
As if on cue, a loud thudding interrupted the cold, empty space. The source turned out to be none other than Engineer Adams and a half dozen crew members. Tali ran over and immediately began assisting them as they limped out of their pod. Damn. The engineering deck must've been hit harder than he realized and his outlook wasn't that positive to begin with. Garrus aided the crew out of a couple more pods, then quickly went to work applying medi-gel to their various wounds. Most had several cuts and bruises. A few acquired some nasty burns from falling debris.
A few minutes later, another pod detonated a snow drift. Wrex stomped over and went to work on the escape hatch. When the door gave way, they were immediately greeted by the sound of frenzied sobbing. Chakwas spilled out of the opening and was promptly assisted by the krogan, who then reached inside and pulled out the commotion's source, a hysterical Liara. She immediately shrugged off the krogan's grip and dropped to the ground.
"Shit. Who'd we lose?" Wrex's voice was a low growl.
"It's best we wait. For confirmation." Chakwas's harsh whisper carried across the empty space.
"Goddess, I shouldn't have left. I shouldn't have left him behind. I wouldn't have if he… goddess what have I done?!" Liara was hugging her knees, rocking from side to side.
"Liara, come now. We don't know for certain."
"I know what I saw! He died … I watched him die."
"Pressly?" Tali cautiously approached the asari, almost as if she was afraid of the answer.
Their explanation came in the form of yet another explosion of snow. Without a backwards glance, Wrex marched forward and ripped the hatch right off its hinges. Garrus watched as his hulking frame became as still as a statue. "It's Joker."
Tali immediately began running over. "And who else? Where's Shepard?"
"It's….Joker."
"You said that. Who else is with him? That's our last pod!"
Garrus hung back, watching the scene play out before him in disbelief. He stared in silence as Tali shoved her way passed Wrex and fell to her knees. Watched as Adams approached Kaiden, with an outreached hand, an offering to help the injured biotic to his feet. He shoved Adams aside, loudly shouting that he was wrong, no way Shepard was dead.
Chakwas leaned into the escape pod and draped one of Joker's arms over her shoulders. She gingerly pulled him to his feet and supported his small frame as they inched out of the pod. Joker's gaze was fixed on the ground, refusing to look up.
Garrus rushed forward. "Joker? Joker? It's not true is it?"
Jeff continued staring at his boots. His voice was low, raspy. "He's gone."
He wasn't sure how long they stood there. Hours? Minutes? Time seemed to stand still. After awhile, a harsh clanging of metal breaking against metal broke through the insufferable cold. Wrex had dismantled an escape pod with his bare hands. Now he was using the rebar as a blunt instrument, bashing it against the mangled pod.
They stayed like that until The Alliance picked up their distress call and sent in the cavalry. Between Liara and Tali's fractured sobs came Wrex's violent outbursts. There weren't any pods left by the time the rescue team reached them. And Garrus just stood there wondering if any of it was real.