Chapter 86 – Homeward Bound
Charon Relay
Pluto
Sol System
HSA Scientific Task Force Six
It has been 23 years since the defeat of the Reapers
"Remember the arms pull slightly to the left, you have to compensate for that."
"Yeah yeah, I got it."
The two technicians, one human, one salarian, floated in outer space. Looming above them was the dark form of the Charon Relay, which had gone silent and still ever since VR Day. But it was still in one piece, and that was a stroke of good luck.
They manipulated the little engineering module that crawled over the relay, making tiny adjustments. Even sitting in a ship would interfere with the signals, so they donned space suits and floated outside, orbiting Pluto. In front of them, the relay. At their backs, Sol burning bright, an unimaginable distance away.
Their very presence at Charon was a classified top secret mission. Officially, no one was supposed to approach the relay without prime ministerial clearance. A turian patrol was nearby, on the watch for any intruders. The technicians would get to work in peace.
They had been stationed here for a long time, with one goal in mind. If the Charon Relay could be repaired, the non-humans who helped liberate Earth could finally return home. For years they had worked on this task, referring to intelligence received from elsewhere, relying on materials delivered to them on a regular basis. Other teams were stationed around Pluto as well, all working together on different parts of the relay.
The salarian was old, as his species reckoned time. He was forty-two, and would be dead in the next few years. He hoped to see his life's work complete before then. As the module moved around, he kept a close watch on the readings, much like a panhandler who watches the river currents for a glint of gold, holding on to the same hope that sustained him for the past decade.
And then he saw it.
"Take a look at this," said the salarian technician.
His companion drifted over, and looked at the same data feed. There was silence for a moment.
"You're not fucking with me?"
"Look! Look at that and tell me I'm wrong."
The human took in a deep breath. He thought he knew how Sir Alexander Fleming felt when he walked into his lab and noticed that mould had destroyed his samples of bacteria. The sudden, mind-spinning realisation that everything was about to change.
"Inform the other teams and alert the prime minister's office that the relay has just come back online."
Odesa, Ukraine
Prime Minister's Office, Humanity Systems Alliance
Prime Minister Inara Serra
Leaders in history are defined by their greatest challenge. The Emperor Justinian and the plague. Ashoka the Great bringing peace after war. Some had two monumental challenges to deal with, like Franklin Roosevelt and the Great Depression, shortly before World War II.
If all went well, HSA Prime Minister Inara Serra would join the ranks of the latter. First, guiding humanity safely through the Reaper War. And second, sending their friends and allies back home.
Earth had changed with the presence of so many non-humans permanently residing here, in many ways for the better. Just by seeing them walking around, humans were reminded that they lived in a galactic community, despite the damaged relay limiting travel. People knew they could never go back to a time of isolationism, and would work with others to build a better future.
The non-humans contributed directly in many other ways too, under the direction of the HSA. The asari, with their biotic abilities and immense experience, helped with the rebuilding efforts and served as teachers. The krogan lent their physical strength, their natural aggression kept in check by Wrex. The elcor did the same.
The salarians worked closely with Earth's scientists, although their situation was complicated due to their short lifespans. The quarians supported the turians, providing their main source of food, and offering their technical expertise along with the geth. The turians themselves did police, detective and guard work, and helped to keep order.
The homeworld recovered faster than it would have been thanks to their help. It also provided a good counter argument to any accusations of freeloading from ungrateful people. As if saving Earth and the galaxy at large from the Reapers wasn't enough. But some people would always have the 'what have you done for me lately?' mentality, and luckily, HSA's allies rose to the challenge.
Inara knew all about the ingratitude of the masses. She'd lost her first general election after the Reaper War. For a while, she seriously considered walking away from politics altogether. Despite the brave face she put on for her friends, the disappointment was crushing. And to be honest, there was more than a bit of resentment.
I helped to win the war, and this is how I'm repaid?
But the time away did come as a relief. She could hand off her responsibilities to Maisie Murray, let her get on with the urgent rebuilding work, and take some time for herself. Inara went from a desperate, back-breaking workload at the height of the a galactic war, sleeping four or three hours a day every day, to having unlimited free time. It was rather like going over a waterfall and then later bobbing along a slow-moving river.
After about a month of solid sleep and another couple of months purely on rest and relaxation and transcendental meditation, Inara had a conversation with herself. As she was naturally a good speaker, it was a very productive one.
What do I want above everything else? To help others. Can I achieve that without politics? Yes, but not to the extent I hope for. Am I prepared to accept the sacrifice that comes with a political career to achieve what I want? Yes.
After that, it was merely a matter of executing the correct steps to get what she wanted.
Inara kept her head low, and eased into a public life once more, bit by bit. A charity appearance here, a paid speech there, volunteering in the rebuilding effort. She got back in touch with old friends, made new ones, and rebuilt her networks. She kept her ear to the ground for information, and silently tracked Murray's progress. Her goal was to make everyone think she wasn't going to run again, and she largely succeeded. There was gossip, but not much.
An opportunity arrived in the form of a leak. Murray had decided to bury HSA's records of Cerberus activities, reasoning that the uproar was not worth revealing the truth. Inara immediately grasped the implications.
John Shepard, the Defence Secretary, would oppose this. He'd said so as much to her, even before the liberation of Earth, back when she was still a wartime prime minister. Shepard would stop at nothing to shine a harsh light on Cerberus's crimes.
Murray would not budge, therefore Shepard would resign from the government, she was certain of it. But Shepard on his own wouldn't be enough. There needed to be an alternative. So Inara made it her business to procure one.
She sent out feelers to a certain politician with grand ambitions of his own. Li Hsien-wen ticked all the boxes in terms of competence and ability. The only question left was his stance on Cerberus. Inara discovered that Li was ambivalent on burying the data or exposing it to the public. They met in secret, so secret that even their close aides had no idea.
Inara laid out the options. If Li would support the Cerberus truth and reconciliation project, she would help him become the next prime minister.
Li was sceptical, if not outright cynical. How would that happen? And why was Inara doing this for him instead of seizing the top job herself?
He didn't know that Inara had an ace up her sleeve, in the form of Ashley Williams. Ashley had opposed publicising Cerberus's crimes during the war. But the war was done, and she had changed her position.
It was Ashley who let Inara know that Murray was not budging. "You turn if you want to," she had haughtily remarked to a Cabinet colleague. "The lady's not for turning."
So it was Ashley who offered to start the ball rolling. Shepard leaving alone wouldn't be enough. Ashley quitting, even less so. But the two of them together? Two high-ranking government officials, both crew members of the fabled Normandy, both veterans of the legendary Battle of London? That would be enough to sink any prime minister.
I only have to say the word, and Murray will lose, Inara explained to Li.
Name your price, Li replied.
Inara was modest. She wanted to be Secretary of State, responsible for handling relations with the non-humans. It was the kind of job she could do in her sleep, having previously matched wits with the Citadel Council. And frankly, Li needed her expertise.
Li had been a resistance fighter on Earth during the Reaper War. Great campaign material, but it left him bereft of the personal relations he needed with the non-human allies. A job for her and a promotion for Ashley. Small potatoes, compared to what Li would get in return. The big chair. The top job.
Left unsaid was Inara's cool-headed assessment of her own political chances. Humans did not like a loser. Becoming the election nominee this close to her previous defeat would be a futile effort. No, she didn't want to be in the running for prime minister. At least not now.
Li knew she still harboured long-term ambitions, but she knew he knew. And she also knew he would make a calculation, and realise it didn't really matter. Not if he got to be prime minister first.
Done.
And that was how Inara returned to politics with a big victory after suffering a shock defeat. Climbing the greasy pole, as Disraeli once observed, was difficult work. One had to keep trying. And Inara was nothing if not a hard worker.
Secretary of State was perhaps the easiest job she ever had. With the Citadel Council gone, and the non-humans on Earth realising they were stuck, at least for some years, they were a lot more cooperative than they otherwise might have been.
She travelled the world, meeting with the national governments, rallying their support with her personal charm. Even if Li noticed that Inara's trips generated a lot of positive press coverage, he said nothing.
Before Li's re-election bid, fifteen years after VR Day, he sought her out and asked if she was thinking of running as a PM candidate. He came to her first, instead of the other way round. As a member of the Kennedy Administration on Earth long ago once said, they were standing eyeball-to-eyeball, and the other guy just blinked.
Inara kept silent just a moment longer than was necessary. Then she smiled. No. I'm not going to launch a bid to become prime minister.
Li asked if she would continue as Secretary of State. Her prediction had turned out to be accurate. Li was good at the job, but he lacked the close relationships she'd built with the non-humans. He still needed her. And she could use a bit more time to let the voters forget about her failure, and come to accept her as a future candidate.
To all observers, she was nothing more than the dutiful chief diplomat to a hard-working prime minister. She served alongside John Shepard and others in Cabinet, working as a team to rebuild Earth and help people recover from the devastation. They were doing good work, and succeeded in completing the Cerberus truth and reconciliation project. It was a dicey affair, and all of Inara's diplomatic skill was needed to smooth things over with all factions, but they managed to bring it to fruition.
Shepard in particular hammered away at the theme of collective responsibility for Cerberus's crimes. It wasn't a popular position among the public. It was clear Shepard had absolutely no interest in the top job, otherwise he'd have taken a more moderate approach. But it made him no threat to Li personally, and Shepard got the support he needed in return.
Then came her moment at last. Li had served two terms. He could have gone for another, but chose to step aside. And who better than Inara to step up?
She went from country to country on a breakneck schedule, trying to drum up as much support as possible. Her calculations were correct – she had stayed out of the spotlight just long enough that the stink of failure had washed off. Adoring crowds greeted her everywhere she went, from big cities to small villages. Every vote mattered, after all.
It seemed that nothing would stand in her way. But there was one small snag.
Shepard suddenly resigned his office, just before the election. There had been no indication he would do so. Indeed, despite his aversion to retail politics, he'd been enthusiastic about campaigning for her election. Inara only found out when Li called a Cabinet meeting to inform everyone of Shepard's departure. He gave no reason, only saying it was a personal matter. And he made it clear it was to be kept under wraps.
Inara only found out later what went down. Shepard had to rescue his daughter from a dangerous situation. He felt he would be better off not being a member of the government while he did it. She only heard the rumours later, of the extreme things Shepard had done and the lengths he had gone to bring his daughter back home safely. But that was Shepard all over. A man who truly believed in principles and ideals...until he was backed into a corner. Then the gloves came off and he fought dirty. He played to win.
Shepard said he resigned so as not to tarnish his office, and to protect her campaign, had the news gotten out. Whether or not it helped, it worked. Inara swept to victory at long last. Elected in her own right as Prime Minister of the Humanity Systems Alliance.
If she was counting on Shepard to resume work after rescuing his daughter, that was dashed. Shepard was finally done with the job. But that didn't mean he was done with politics. In exchange for his continued support for her government, Shepard asked only one thing – fix the damn relay. Send everyone home. It was the main thing he had been working on, right up to the day he resigned.
Inara weighed the pros and cons, and decided fixing the relay would work out in her favour. And so she agreed to Shepard's request.
The Charon Relay had stayed silent for too long. It was time to get it working once more.
The trick, Inara decided, was to keep it an open secret. Yes, she was funding research into fixing the Charon Relay, that was never denied. But exactly how much funding...well, her government could provide an estimated figure, but the true costings and breakdown were classified as state secrets.
Although she found it distasteful to exploit their desperation, the salarians proved to be the most helpful. They handed over some of their scientific knowledge and technical secrets to the HSA. This was then quietly disseminated to the private market. The fortunes made from the patents and licensing deals generated a huge amount of cash, which Li plowed back into relay research and repair, and Inara continued the policy.
Cooperation wasn't a one-way street. Shepard and Li had decided to place most of the salarian leadership, and anyone who wanted it, into cryogenic stasis. This was based on an absolute top-secret contingency, codenamed the Andromeda Project, where massive arks filled with cryogenically preserved organic beings abandoned the Milky Way for the next galaxy. If the Reapers won, the species would still survive.
Thankfully it didn't come to that, but the technology remained. And they could be used to save the salarians. A few salarians declined the offer, sacrificing themselves to dedicate the remainder of their lives to fixing the relay. They would therefore die a natural death on Earth. But most, including Marshal Malloris, commander of the Salarian Expeditionary Fleet, went into the pods. They were housed on Luna, the moon, and placed under heavy guard.
The next step was acquiring the technical knowledge. Thanks to the few quantum entanglement communicators that remained, the HSA was able to keep in contact with its colonies around the galaxy, as well as the other former Council races. Bit by bit, they pieced together the situation on other planets and shared what they knew.
The Crucible did wipe out Reapers everywhere. Every Reaper on every planet, and those drifting in space, had died when touched by the Crucible's blast. The other planets were also trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild. Using the QECs was time-consuming and expensive, as very limited amounts of information could get through. Demand was always high, because colonists wanted to get in touch with their families on Earth, and vice-versa.
But upon his ascension to the top job, Li mandated that the use of the QEC would be solely be limited to exchanging scientific and technical knowledge. He made it clear – HSA's top priority would be to fix the relays. Everything else came second. This policy extended to the regular comm buoys, once they were repaired.
Most of the information had come in dribs and drabs in the previous years, when Li was still PM. Understandable, as Thessia was devastated, Palaven almost collapsed, Rannoch only newly reclaimed and Tuchanka never a great centre of research to begin with.
But as on Earth, it was the salarians who came in clutch. Although the Reapers were advancing on the Annos Basin in the late stages of the war, their forces had not actually landed on Sur'Kesh when Shepard activated the Crucible. And that meant that Sur'Kesh, with its lush jungles, thundering waterfalls, and most crucially, its vast facilities dedicated to scientific and technical research, was left untouched.
In the years to come, salarians may yet become the dominant species in the galaxy, much like how America prospered after World War II while Europe struggled to rebuild. But that was a complication for the long term. For now, Sur'Kesh's survival was a boon. The salarians quickly got to work, no doubt motivated by their own desire to bring their comrades back home.
Relay technology was fiendishly complex, and even the asari didn't bother too much about understanding how it worked. But with a whole planet full of salarians, given enough motivation, the rules had changed. Researchers on Sur'Kesh sent messages back and forth to the HSA, especially for information related to the Citadel, which was still in Earth's orbit. One arm had broken off and was currently lying at the bottom of the Pacific, but the rest of the station itself was still intact, eerie and empty, the biggest graveyard in the system hovering just overhead.
Working together, they made advancements in understanding how the Citadel interfaced with the relays. Then the next challenge was replicating that effect without the use of Reaper technology, which had been wiped out by the Crucible.
It took the better part of twenty years, which to a salarian who only needed an hour's sleep a day, was comparatively longer. But they finally succeeded in coming up with an alternative to Reaper tech. The theoretical had become potential. However, an even bigger challenge loomed.
How were they going to find the materials to fix the relay?
The HSA was limited to Sol System, with their colonies out of reach. According to the salarians, extremely rare materials were needed to repair the relay, materials that simply weren't available locally. Inara pursued two avenues. The first would be to lean on Earth industries to synthesise what was needed. The second was to go rooting around the Mausoleum of Mars to find materials brought in from other solar systems.
She was inspired by Shepard, who had used a similar trick to settle a dispute between the quarians and turians. The dead ships that had crash landed on Mars during the Battle of Earth were gazetted as a war cemetery. Inara didn't care. She authorised teams to go to Mars and take what was needed, and tried not to worry about the fact that they were technically engaged in grave-robbing.
It was tedious, difficult, and dangerous work. At any moment, someone on Earth could have discovered her plans, and caused an uproar. The HSA should be focused on rebuilding Earth, not a longshot project to help the aliens get back home, they would cry. And so on, and so forth. But Inara held firm. She knew the importance of their work. She knew Shepard was keeping a close eye on the progress, and she knew he could make her life hell, should he choose.
They were friends. She was godmother to one of his children. But Inara was a politician, first and foremost. Keeping Shepard on her side was not only polite, it aligned with her own interests.
So under the surface, the work continued, while Inara kept everything else running as smoothly as she could. She had set the wheels in motion, and there was little she could but to wait. That was the mark of a good leader. Micromanaging everything would just be wasted effort.
Inara trusted that when the breakthrough occurred, she would be the one to announce it, and write herself (even more) firmly into the history books.
Inara was in the middle of lunch with the president of the EU Commission when she received the alert. It was only her long years of diplomatic training that stopped her from jumping onto the table and yelling out with joy.
They chatted away politely, although Inara barely absorbed what he was saying. She decided to forego dessert, much to his surprise.
"Something urgent, my dear?"
"Yes, but I'm afraid I can't say more, Antonio. We'll talk soon."
She was scheduled for another high society meeting after lunch, but as she hurried out of the restaurant and informed her startled Secret Service agents, plans had changed. She needed to get to a secure location that could take calls immediately.
Her aides set up the tent that blocked invasive signals, and that was how Inara first caught a glimpse of the Charon Relay looking like it did over twenty years ago – glowing blue and pulsing with energies.
"Has anyone tried using it?" she demanded.
"No, ma'am," came the answer from HSA Task Force Six. "We're taking readings and monitoring the relay, but so far, everything looks fine."
"Continue to monitor the relay and do not put yourself at risk," Inara said. "We'll be in touch shortly."
Inara called an emergency Cabinet meeting. Every member of the Cabinet needed to hightail it to Odesa or reach a secure communications location within the next hour. She used the hour to race back to her offices and read up on the reports sent back by the Charon Relay Task Force, growing more and more excited with each new piece of information.
This really could be it.
She swept into the Cabinet Meeting room and dismissed her aides. This was a meeting requiring clearance at the highest level. The only member of the Cabinet physically present was the Home Affairs Secretary, Ashley Williams, who happened to be in the building. The rest were scattered around the globe.
"I'll get right to it," Inara said, once everyone had signed in and secured their own lines. "The Charon Relay appears to be back online."
She let the full import of the news sink in. Some looked stunned. Others looked overjoyed. Ashley, sitting opposite her, looked up in surprise.
"Do we have a visual?" she asked.
Inara called it up, and they all peered at the footage. Task Force 6 had taken a video. The Charon Relay looked as it once did, all fired up and ready to go.
"Does anyone else know?" asked the Secretary of State. "The turians?"
"Turians have a patrol fleet nearby, but I don't think they have visual or instrumental readings of the relay," said the Secretary of Defence.
"We need to find out if it still works," said the Secretary of Energy.
"We'll have to risk it," Inara said. "Does anyone object to sending a ship through the relay to find out more?"
"I'll be the Devil's Advocate," said the Secretary of the Colonies. "If the relay isn't working as it should, our man going through may end up literally anywhere in the galaxy. He could be stuck in space, billions of light years away from the nearest planet, and starve to death."
The Cabinet agreed he had a point.
"So we're looking for a volunteer," said the Secretary of Culture. "Any ideas?"
"We could use a convict on death row," suggested the Secretary of Industry. "Even if he starves to death, it wouldn't matter."
"That's a horrible idea," said the Secretary of Energy.
"You come up with something then."
Another alert interrupted the discussion. Inara glanced at it, then read it out loud to the Cabinet.
"One of our technicians near the relay is volunteering to take a ship through," she said. "One of the salarian advisors. He said, and I quote, 'I could be dead tomorrow anyway.'"
The Cabinet glanced at each other. But it seemed like no one had any better ideas. They decided in favour of letting the salarian try.
Charon Relay
Pluto
Sol System
Olor Slig Tollunus Gerenna Fulanav Gortann, known as Gortann to his friends, didn't feel nervous as he piloted his small ship closer to the Charon Relay.
The most nervous he'd ever felt was journeying to this very spot some twenty five years ago, serving with the Salarian Expeditionary Fleet in a bid to help liberate Earth. After facing the Reapers in battle – and surviving – there was little that he feared.
But as one by one, he saw his friends either succumb to old age or choose to preserve themselves in cryogenic pods, Gortann discovered a new fear. That of being alone. With few options left, he volunteered to join the HSA's scientific task force and do what he could to help repair the relay.
It was slow going at first, hampered as they were by a lack of knowledge and materials. But once Sur'Kesh made the breakthrough – and how proud he was that the salarians had done it – the job became easier. Gortann worked practically round the clock, unencumbered as his human partners were by the need to sleep a third of the day.
It had paid off. He was the first to realise that the Charon Relay had restarted. And he wanted to see what was on the other side.
The task force received confirmation from the prime minister. They would allow Gortann to take a science ship and attempt to travel through the relay, as long as it was completely voluntary. He was telling the truth, anyway. At forty-two, he was as ancient as a salarian could be. Better him than a younger human with their life ahead of them.
The other reason, which he kept to himself, was that he was certain he was the smartest person assigned to Task Force Six. So it had to be him. Someone else might have gotten it wrong.
The Richard Feynman, the sturdy little science ship that had served as his home for the past couple of years, continued to close the gap. His partner had been transferred to another ship, carrying with him some of the lab equipment and samples. Gortann knew all eyes were glued on him as he approached the relay.
"This is Gortann," he radioed, beginning the final descent. "I go forth in the names of the Salarian Union, the Expeditionary Fleet, and the friendship between the human and salarian peoples."
The Charon Relay pulsed. The Feynman vanished. And Gortann left Sol System.
Arcturus
Arcturus Stream
Gortann had been provided with astronavigation data to confirm his position. But he didn't need it. The first thing he saw was the looming wreck of Arcturus Station, destroyed during the earliest stage of the Reaper War.
This was where the HSA Parliament was housed, and where nearly every member of the government and the Legislative Assembly died when the Reapers struck. That was how Inara Serra had become prime minister by succession the first time, as she was on the Citadel and the last surviving member of the government.
The wreck of Arcturus orbited the gas giant Themis, drifting eerily through space as it had done for twenty years. During the war there was no time to collect the bodies. After the war, it was too far. But Gortann was here now, and he could see the remains and the ruins.
More ships, damaged and lifeless, drifted around the relay that led to Charon. The remnants of the HSA Second Fleet, the Sabres, once commanded by Admiral Muhammad Rashid Al-Maliki. He had sacrificed himself and his men to ensure the escape of Third and Fifth Fleets, and in doing so, may have ensured final victory in the war.
Despite the ghosts of the past, their presence was an electrifying confirmation. Their repairs of the Charon Relay had worked. Gortann had been sent to Arcturus. The process could be repeated, repairing the other relays in the system. And once that was done...everyone could go home.
Gortann seized the QEC, one of the precious few that remained to the HSA. The prime minister had ordered one sent to him in hope of this very moment. Its twin remained back on Earth, in Odesa, currently being watched by the most senior members of the HSA. It was time to deliver the good news.
This is Gortann of the Feynman. Trip successful. Reached Arcturus. Relay repair confirmed.
Odesa, Ukraine
Cabinet Office, Humanity Systems Alliance
Prime Minister Inara Serra
The cheer that went up when the QEC relayed its message was the loudest that Inara had ever heard in the time she had spent in this office. Her Cabinet Secretaries, usually reserved and stoic, were hugging each other and yelling in celebration. Two Secretaries whom Inara knew loathed each other's guts were embracing like lovers. Ashley Williams, one of the toughest people Inara had ever known, was sitting at the long table, face in her hands, sobbing like a child.
Inara patted her on the back. "It's fine, my dear. This is thanks to all your hard work. We couldn't have done this without you."
Ashley wiped her eyes. "Thank you, ma'am. Though I have to say, Shepard and Li really pushed for this. We can't forget the foundations they put down first."
This victory was the work of thousands, and yet, Shepard was really the one who had pushed the hardest for the repairs. Escaping the invasion of Earth, returning with allies to free the planet, he knew better than most the importance of home, especially to his non-human friends.
"Of course," Inara said. "Soon we'll be able to announce the news, and they will be given the credit they deserve. Shepard has once again helped to achieve the impossible."
Winter Lodge, Ski Resort
Megéve, France
Jack Shepard
Jackie walked into our cavernous bedroom and yelped in surprise. I was lying on the bed, stretched out full length on my side, propped up on one elbow. I was stark bollock naked save for a Santa Claus hat on my head and another one on my penis.
"Ho ho ho," I said, making my fake beard wobble. "Have you come for presents?"
Jackie slammed the door shut and sat down on the floor with her back to the door, shaking with helpless laughter. She sprawled on the floor and kicked her legs, her face completely red.
"Jack," was the only thing she managed to say before collapsing into laughter again.
"Look above, there hangs a sprig of mistletoe! You get to kiss Santa, but you get to choose where."
"What if the kids saw you?!" admonished Jackie.
"I've bribed Summer to take them outside and 'collect firewood' and also get more eggnog from the shops, just so we can have some alone time," I said. "Now Dr Jackie Shepard, I am very much in the mood for some sexual intercourse."
Jackie stood up and stripped off her clothes in a flash, striking a naked pose by the fireplace. My second hat moved.
"What does a bad girl get for Christmas, Santa?" she asked seductively.
"Whatever she fucking wants," I said eagerly.
"Right answer."
Jackie leapt on me and ripped off my fake beard and hats, bending down for a tender kiss. Then she got on top of me, both knees on either side of my head, her pussy inches from my mouth.
"Sit on my face," I managed to gasp. Jackie writhed on top of me, grinding her pussy all over my face. My tongue darted out and I lapped at her where I could, but I mostly just focused on not suffocating to death. Though, what a way to go if I did.
Jackie groaned deeply and arched her back, her pussy flooding my face. I loved when she did that, proof that I could make her climax with my tongue alone.
"What now?" she asked, when she got her breath back.
"Now we make love," I said, gently helping her to lie down on her back while I got between her legs. Jackie let out a little sigh when I slid my cock into her pussy, and she put her arms around my neck.
"Go slow," she said dreamily. "I want to savour this."
So I went slow, thrusting slowly but steadily, listening to the crackling of the log fire, the faint sound of Christmas music from the living room downstairs, and Jackie's short breaths and sighs of pleasure. She peppered my face with kisses as her hips rose up to meet me.
"Jack, don't stop," she said, her eyes closed, biting her lip.
"I won't."
"Oh my god, keep going."
"I will," I said, trying to concentrate. Jackie moaned loudly and wrapped her legs around me, tight, the cords of her neck straining. I was pretty sure she'd came again, and I tried hard not to lose control. Soon Jackie quietened down a little, and I spent myself deep inside her, locking lips with her as I did so.
Her hand held mine as we both lay back on the pillows, panting heavily.
"That was fun," Jackie said. "Thank you, baby."
"You're welcome darling," I said. It had been a hectic week, preparing for our family Christmas trip. We'd booked a luxurious private winter lodge in France, where the kids could go skiing and have a real snowy Christmas that you couldn't really get in Santa Barbara, California. Summer and Hunter had tagged along, Scout had come down from Oxford with her new girlfriend Priyanka, and we were looking forward to the holidays.
We cuddled and made out some more, until the sounds of the kids coming back jolted us into action to put our clothes back on and walk outside. The kids piled into the living room, taking off their puffy coats and hats and pulling off their boots.
"Got everything on the shopping list?" I asked Summer. She chuckled.
"Sure did, Dad." I know she knew exactly why I sent her outside, but at least she was well paid for her discretion.
I fussed around in the kitchen, getting the lamb, goose and vegetable roast ready while Jackie and Bailey put up the last of the decorations. Theo stacked the logs in the fireplace and soon had it blazing merrily.
When I was a kid, my parents always made Christmas special. We weren't particularly religious, but we just liked the holiday atmosphere. No matter where my parents were stationed, we had a nice celebration with lots of parents.
Jackie never had anything like a simple Christmas dinner growing up, so when Summer was born, we decided to start our own family tradition of having a big celebration. Sometimes we stayed at home, sometimes we went on a holiday trip to other countries. But no matter what, we had fun. That was part of the joy of having your own family, you got to make up and practice new traditions to pass down over the years.
Theo hurtled into the living room, and turned on the newsfeed. "Guys! Something's up!" he yelled.
"What's going on?" Jackie asked.
"Some big news announcement! My feed's going nuts. The prime minister's speaking live!"
"Maybe it's another war," Scout quipped. "Come on Dad, time to get out your old uniform. You too Mom."
"Oh hell no, one's enough for me," I said.
The news anchors were buzzing excitedly about the HSA's sudden announcement. None of them had a clue what was going on. The feed cut to the familiar face of Inara, sitting at her desk in her office. She was flanked by the flags of the HSA and the Office of the Prime Minister, and she was looking directly at the camera.
"My fellow humans, and honoured allies, I have an important announcement to make," she began. "The Humanity Systems Alliance can confirm that the Charon Relay near Pluto has been repaired. We have conducted numerous tests, and determined that relay travel from Sol System is possible once more. Repairs are underway at Arcturus, and once those are complete, we will be connected once again to the galaxy at large."
Jackie had come to my side. She reached for my hand and held it tight.
"Humanity will owe an eternal debt of gratitude to our non-human allies who risked life and limb to liberate our homeworld from the foul clutches of the Reapers," Inara continued.
"For nearly a quarter of a century, it has been our high honour to be their hosts, and partners in rebuilding Earth. We can do no less than ensuring our friends will be able to safely return home.
The repairs would not have been possible without the technical knowledge and scientific expertise shared by our allies on Sur'Kesh, Thessia, Palaven, Rannoch and Tuchanka. We estimate that the final repairs will be completed in a maximum of two years.
Preparations are underway to facilitate relay travel for those who wish it. Details for the application process will be revealed in due course. Not only will our allies get to return to their friends and families, those of you with relatives and loved ones in our colonies abroad will be able to meet face-to-face once more."
Inara paused, and smiled. "It has been my privilege to deliver this message of hope and joy during this time of festivities. May we all take some time to reflect on our blessings, and celebrate the return of our freedom. I bid you all a good evening."
"They did it," Jackie whispered. She pulled me into a hug. "Oh, Jack. You did it."
We shared a kiss, while the kids made a tremendous racket. I couldn't speak. For so many years, I hoped and waited and watched and worked to get this done. Humanity was never meant to be confined to Earth. Our destiny lay in the stars. And our friends could finally go home.
Tears came to my eyes. Jackie hugged me and patted me on the back as I wept. I vaguely heard Bailey ask why Daddy was crying, and Summer telling her that everything was fine, Dad was just overwhelmed with relief. And she was right.
I kissed Jackie again. "I love you," I told her. She mouthed the words back to me.
"This is wonderful news!" I told everyone. "Get out the champagne, let's celebrate!"
Two years later
It has been 25 years since the defeat of the Reapers
Jack Shepard
I almost wished I was still in government and knew what was going on behind the scenes. Almost.
Inara's announcement electrified everyone on Earth. It seemed like everyone was talking about nothing else. Some were excitedly making plans to meet with their relatives on human colonies, who had struggled to maintain themselves over the years, cut off from Earth and regular trade.
Speaking of trade, the corporations were ecstatic to be able to reach the galactic markets once more. Huge fleets of cargo ships were constructed, both to ship supplies to the colonies, and to bring back raw materials for Earth's industries.
But first in line would be the non-humans. They had priority in the queue. After waiting so long with little certainty, another two years was nothing. The salarians, most of all, were overjoyed. And my friends too.
"I wonder what Rannoch is like now," Tali said excitedly. We were chatting over a videocall, Tali having found a rare opportunity to take a break. Unlike me and the HSA, she remained on the Admiralty Board, now its most senior member following the death of Shala'Raan. We'd all attended the funeral, up in space, where Raan's body was laid to rest and ejected out of the ship, free to roam the stars. Following the passing of her Auntie Raan, my friend was the most senior quarian around.
"Probably condos and shopping malls everywhere," I joked. "Only with geth serving the burgers and mopping the floors."
More seriously, we discussed the implications of Tali returning home with the bulk of the Heavy Fleet, Patrol Fleet, and the surviving Liveship, which had done admirably well to keep the turians fed for two-and-a-half decades.
"They might see you as a returning conqueror," I said. "You will upset whatever balance exists on Rannoch, just by the sheer firepower you command."
"That's true," Tali mused. "Constant communication must be the key. I have to show the other quarian leaders that I only want to work with them. Then I can build that house on the homeworld, and take a break. Remember, Jack?"
I remembered, that moment just after we'd destroyed the Reaper on Rannoch, and stopped the quarians from slaughtering the geth. I was glad that Tali had gotten to walk on Rannoch, no matter how briefly. That memory had to have sustained her through the long years away from home.
"I remember," I said. "And start a family too?"
Tali had a few lovers, had a couple of serious relationships, but nothing that lasted. She was always busy, and privately, Jackie and I thought that her position made her intimidating to others. But I knew Tali wasn't about to give up her job just to impress others. Anyone who wanted to date her would just have to deal with it.
"Who knows?" she said flippantly. "Maybe I don't want a family. Maybe being Auntie Tali to your kids is enough for me."
"We'll come and visit you on Rannoch," I promised. "Any time you want, just give us a call."
"I'd like that," she said, sounding pleased.
I had a chat with Wrex too. He had been busy rounding up all the members of his krogan warband. All of them would be leaving Earth to go back to Tuchanka, at least for a while. Then they would be free to go wherever they pleased.
"They need to reconnect with their clans, listen to the matriarchs," Wrex said. "They need to see Tuchanka and walk among its ruins, understand what was lost and what could be theirs once more."
I was honest about my fears and worries. I was afraid that with the genophage cured, it wouldn't be long before the krogan started thinking about galactic conquest once more, pressured by exploding numbers. And if that did happen, blood would be on my hands, as the man most responsible for ensuring the cure was implemented.
But Wrex allayed my fears. The krogan, he explained, would slowly learn that glory in battle was not the only glory there was. His first grand aim was to clean up and rebuild Tuchanka. The matriarchs, who valued peace and stability, would have a greater role to play in krogan society. Bakara had already seen to that, reforming krogan leadership on Tuchanka along ancient krogan tribal units, instead of the warbands of the recent past.
Every krogan will have to bear the responsibility of raising their child, Wrex elaborated, instead of letting the clan raise them as before, while they went out to serve as mercenaries. Not all of the women will become matriarchs. They will not be pressured to have children either. Over time, things will become more balanced.
I felt much more assured. Wrex's survival would be the single biggest factor in keeping the peace. No doubt there would be a handful of krogan warlords trying to carve out their own empires. But Wrex would always have more warriors to call on himself, and by building enduring institutions, he could make sure the krogan continued to live by his example even after he was gone.
"Don't worry Shepard, I'll keep them in line," Wrex said. "And if I don't, I know you'll show up and help me kick some heads in."
"I'm not exactly in the best shape..."
"You don't need to be. Just one mention of your name and they'll start running," Wrex said. "Now when are you coming to Australia for a drink?"
There were plans to reform the Council, but not based on the Citadel, which was broken beyond repair and still infamous as a symbol of Reaper control. Inara mentioned the possibility of having a rotating Council among the member worlds. More species would be invited to join, not just the four from before. The new galactic community, and its government, would strive to represent more of the galaxy's people, and work for the good of all.
I was excited to share what I knew of space travel with my kids. My children had spent their entire lives on Earth, never leaving the Sol System. That was never the life I envisioned for them. I wanted them to explore the galaxy, immerse themselves in new cultures, and find opportunities beyond the local neighbourhood. Earth would always be home, but the entire galaxy was waiting out there.
"Remember what I said, before we got married?" I asked Jackie one day, as we were reading in bed before going to sleep. "I want to explore this galaxy with you, just you and me. Maybe once Bailey goes off to college. Then we can go wherever we want."
Jackie said she didn't like the idea of going away, too far from the kids, but she admitted she might feel differently once all the kids had left home and we became empty nesters. She liked settling down on Earth, but the spacer kid in me was itching to get out there again, and visit some of the planets I'd briefly visited before, now they weren't crawling with Reapers.
We tracked the progress of the repairs ongoing in Arcturus. The salarians on Sur'Kesh took the lead, quickly getting their Pranas System relay online, and using that to make further repairs to others. Bit by bit, the galactic map was being restored.
It took two years, just like Inara said. The veterans of Sword and Shield Fleets and the Hammer ground teams had a choice to make. Some had put down roots and settled down on Earth. They'd even married and started families. But others couldn't wait to go back home. They packed up their things, made preparations, and exchanged messages on the repaired comm buoys when they got the chance. The great migration was almost underway.
The quarian Flotilla. The turian Armada. The former Citadel Fleet, now united under the command of Matriarch Lidanya, and bound for Thessia. Wrex and the krogan, hitching rides. The salarians in cryogenic stasis, watched over by the comrades. The volus, the elcor, the hanar, the drell, the batarians and the vorcha. All booked places in the queue.
Meanwhile, we got on with our lives. Summer and Hunter had moved in together, with Hunter taking a job in Chicago so he could be near Summer. Bailey progressed in school. Theo started thinking about college, and asked if he could apply to study on Thessia, whose schools of philosophy dwarfed humankind. We promised to help him however we could.
As for Scout, she came back and told us that once she graduated from Oxford University, she intended to enlist with the HSA.
"I want to do this, Mom!" she insisted, over Jackie's strident objections.
"Scout, there's so much more you could do!" Jackie said. "You could be a doctor, or a scientist..."
I couldn't help myself, and chuckled. This was exactly the same thing my mother went through with her father. Jackie rounded on me in an instant.
"Do you think this is funny, Jack Shepard?"
I apologised, and explained the connection with Hannah Shepard. Jackie remembered, after a while. My mother had told that story when we got married the first time.
"But still! My baby girl is going to be some jarhead with a rifle!"
"Hey!" I said, but mildly.
"Oh no, Mom," Scout corrected. "I'm not joining the Marines. Sorry, Dad. I'm signing on with the Navy. I get to continue my research once I serve my bond, they said. The military needs thinkers too."
"You know you don't have to do this just to make me proud," I said seriously. "Your mother and I are already immensely proud of you, and all you've accomplished. You don't have to feel like you need to carry on some kind of family legacy."
"Thanks Dad," she said. "But I've thought it over, and this is what I want to do. We can't keep hiding on Earth forever. The HSA needs leaders to build a new galactic community from the ashes of the old, and I feel like I can do a lot of good."
"This is your fault," Jackie said to me.
"Me? What did I do?"
"All your lectures and speeches about the galactic community and how we need to stand together with our allies. I blame you, mister."
"You helped too, Mom," Scout said. "You always told me to go where I was needed most. And I think this is where I'm meant to be."
Jackie still didn't look entirely convinced, but went to our room and came back with a silver dollar in a velvet case. I smiled when I saw it.
"Your grandmother gave this to me when we got married the first time," Jackie said. "It's the silver dollar from her commissioning ceremony. It was a gift from her father. I've held on to it all these years, but if you're serious about this, I know she'd want you to have it."
Scout gave Jackie a big hug, and she had one for me too.
"You can be anyone you want to be," I told my daughter. "But if your mind's made up, then I'll admit it's nice knowing that a Shepard from the new generation will be serving with the HSA. We love you so much, sweet pea. More than you'll ever know."
Baikonur Cosmodrome
Kazakhstan
The momentous day finally dawned. There would be a ceremony, covered by every news network on Earth. The dignitaries and guests of honour would be gathered at Gagarin's Start, the launch pad that kickstarted the space race centuries ago. It was here that a brave man named Yuri Gagarin had once blasted off into outer space, and from then on our species never looked back.
We'd been invited as guests of honour ourselves. I wore a dark civilian suit, not my uniform, but in acknowledgement of the momentous occasion, I pinned my medal of service in the Reaper War to my chest. After all, helping everyone to return home was why I fought, and what I worked for as the former Secretary of Defence.
Jackie bought a new outfit for the occasion, a throwback to her Normandy days. She paired a white shirt and dark trousers with a dark blazer that looked like her old leather jacket. Her hair was pulled back in her old ponytail, and I couldn't help but remember all the time we spent together on board the ship, racing around the galaxy to save the worlds.
"You look stunning," I told her.
"You're not so bad yourself," she said.
Ashley had called a few days ago with an offer from the prime minister. Would I be willing to make a speech? She knew I didn't really like to call attention to myself in public. After thinking it over, I declined. While I'd worked hard to make this happen, it was Inara's time to shine. Let her take the lion's share of the credit.
"Oh, she'll be pleased to hear that," Ashley said. "You know, sometimes I think she's still worried you'll endorse one of her opponents, or make a run for the top job yourself."
I snorted. "Please, Ash. I've done my time. I'm enjoying retirement. You should too, by the way."
Ashley laughed. "Hell no, Skipper. I've still have things I want to do in this chair. But you know, now the relays are back up, I feel like taking a trip. I still miss those days on the Normandy sometimes."
"Me too, Ash. Me too."
In cities around the world, crowds lined the streets to watch specially constructed video screens that displayed the ceremony. For those of us at the site, we were gathered in an immense hall that had a floor-to-ceiling view of the Gagarin Launch Site outside, where a small ship was waiting. We filed in and took our seats.
It seemed like everyone was here, from world leaders, to HSA officials, to my old Normandy crew and veterans of the Battles of London and Earth. I shook a few hands, waved to a few others. Then it was time for the speeches, with Summer, Scout, Theo and Bailey sitting beside Jackie and I.
After a few people spoke, it was Inara's turn. She was dressed in a gown of pure white, and looked like a goddess. This was her moment, and she knew it. She spoke of the values of compassion, kindness and tolerance that the HSA had worked hard to instil so that humanity could peacefully coexist with its allies despite the difficult circumstances. She spoke of courage, the bravery needed to leave your home behind and sail into the jaws of death to free a planet that was not your own, because it was necessary to win the war.
Then she spoke of love. The love that exists between comrades and brothers-in-arms. The love one feels for their nation or their people. The love of family, that drives their desire to protect. And the love of home, the place where you felt safe.
"We fought and won the war because of the love in our hearts, that drove the sinews of our bodies," Inara said. "We rebuilt the relays because we know what it is to lose a home. When the Reapers took Earth, every human believed that one day, we would be back. And so it was with the relays. That simple belief drove us ever onwards. One day, you could go back home."
To my surprise, Inara invited me to stand up for a round of applause. "All of you know John Shepard's reputation as a hero of the war. Fewer will realise that his work as Secretary of Defence was instrumental in getting the relays repaired. Without his early efforts, we would not be gathered here today. Thank you, General Shepard."
I waved at the crowd as they applauded and cheered. It was nice of Inara to acknowledge the work I put in to fix the relays. So many things could have gone wrong. The potential for a huge political backlash if someone argued that the resources we put into the relays would be better spent rebuilding Earth.
But while the task of rebuilding was a worthy goal, that would mean isolationism. And I would not allow mankind to revert to an insular state of mind, suspicious of the world beyond its borders. We were part of a galactic community, and always would be. The sooner we re-connected with one another, the better.
Inara also praised Li Hsien-wen, her predecessor, for his hard work and it felt good to applaud the man. His hair had gone grey during his time in office, but he still looked as hale and hearty as ever.
Then it was time for the ceremonial lift-off. The ship waiting on the Gagarin Launch Site was assigned to the Destiny Ascension. At the signal, it would rise up, leave Earth's atmosphere, and fly to the Charon Relay, where it parent ship was waiting. Matriarch Lidanya, in recognition of her contributions during the Battle of Earth, would be the first in the queue, headed for Thessia.
"Go now with all our best wishes, and remember that this is not goodbye for ever, but until we see you again," Inara said at last.
The ship fired its engines and left Earth, and I wondered if the scientists in Baikonur felt the same sense of wonder as they watched Gagarin's rocket take that same path, all those years ago.
It flew past the long line of waiting ships, the silvery hue of the quarian Flotilla, the proud hulks of the turian Armada, and lots and lots of cargo transports. It finally reached the head of the queue, and docked with the Destiny Ascension.
"Let me express my heartfelt thanks to humanity for being most excellent hosts during our sojourn on Earth," Matriarch Lidanya said, in a message to us. "It has been the honour of my life to fly into battle to help free your planet. As your prime minister said, keep well until we meet again."
It seemed like everyone was holding in a breath as the Destiny Ascension approached the Charon Relay. Then it disappeared. Arcturus confirmed the presence of the Ascension as it appeared on the other side. It flew towards another repaired relay, and onwards to Thessia.
Back on Earth, a great cheer rose up at the news that the asari flagship had made the successful trip. The waiting ships began to move, broadcasting messages of farewell. It would take some time before everyone could make their own trips. But for now, it would be enough.
I held Jackie's hand as we watched Wrex's transport leave, and then Tali's liveship. Our friends were going home at last.
"We'll visit them soon, won't we, Dad?" Bailey asked, tugging at my hand. I gave hers a squeeze.
"Of course we will," I said. "Your Mom and I will take you."
Jackie smiled at me, and I saw so clearly how wrong I was, back when I first saw her in that prison ship called Purgatory. I thought she was beautiful despite her crazy tattoos, despite her simmering rage, despite what I thought were flaws. The truth was, she was beautiful inside and out because of her imperfections, the facets that made up the whole.
All her life's experiences, all the pain she endured, the things that she'd done and the horrors she'd seen had made her the person she was. It brought her path to cross with mine, where I would lose my heart to her forever. She was the reason I fought and the reason I lived. She was my best friend, the mother of our children, and the love of my life. I was thankful for everything we'd endured together, and excited about what the future would hold.
She was my Jackie.
"What are you thinking, babe?" she asked, cupping my cheek with her hand. I leaned in and kissed her, rejoicing in the feel of her lips on mine, my heart skipping a beat like it was our first time.
"I love you so much, Jackie."
She kissed me again. "I love you too, my Marine," she whispered, her eyes bright.
Our children gathered around us. Mercurial Summer, so like her mother in temperament and unbridled joy, creative, passionate, and kind. Driven Scout, our prodigy, who would dedicate her brilliant mind to the service of others. Thoughtful Theo, who had a galaxy of opportunity laid out before him. And our bright little Bailey, who loved nothing more than to make others feel the same happiness she did.
"Come on, kids," I said. "Let's go home."
I held on to Jackie's hand as we all left the building, and headed back home.
The End
P.S.
I can't believe this took me twelve real life years. I also can't believe it's finally done. I've been through a lot in my life since the time I wrote that first chapter to the moment of writing this post script. This story has been with me all this while, and I'm relieved to have finished the story of Jack and Jackie Shepard.
For those of you who have been reading, whether you started from the first chapter or have stumbled upon this for the first time, there aren't enough words for me to thank you. I hope you've enjoyed the ride.