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Shepard stood staring at the closed cargo bay doors of the Normandy. Was it possible she had just lived through a Reaper attack on Earth? Abandoned her home planet in favor of flying off to convince a bunch of aliens to come back and defend the human homeworld?
Yes, it seemed that was what had happened. She lifted the hand that still clutched her dog tags and slipped the chain on over her head, feeling them settle in their familiar location, feeling more herself with them there. With her left thumb, she rubbed the back of the plain metal ring she wore on the third finger of that hand. Thane was on the Citadel; she would see him soon. It seemed mean, somehow, to be glad to be reuniting with her husband when so many people on Earth wouldn't live to see another day, but she felt the lift of her heart at the prospect of seeing him anyway.
"What the hell, Shepard? Where's Anderson? And where are we going?" Vega's voice cut into her thoughts, and she turned to see him advancing on her, anger plain in every rigid muscle. "We've got to turn around and get back in that fight."
"You ever fight a Reaper, Vega?" Kaidan asked. He was at the arms locker near the shuttle bay, looking through what they had on hand. "It takes a hell of a lot more than one ship. Even when that ship's the Normandy."
"Yeah, but we can try!"
"We'd get ourselves killed. We're no good to anyone dead," Shepard told him. "We're going to the Citadel to talk to the Council. We need their help if we're going to defeat the Reapers."
"Come on! Anderson wouldn't order us to leave."
"He would, and he did. Without help, this war's already over. Do you have any idea how many ships it took to take down Sovereign? And even at that, it nearly destroyed the Citadel. Earth's going to have to hold out until we can come back with a fleet. Several fleets."
"Fine. Then drop me off somewhere, because I'm not leaving Earth while it needs me." Vega glared at her. He was perilously close to insubordination, but Shepard didn't care about that right now. She needed him, needed all the good people she could get, and she needed to make him understand the scope of the danger they faced. Not just Earth, but the entire galaxy.
"Don't you think I'd rather stay and fight? So would everyone on this ship. But we can't save anyone on our own. We need help, and no one is better qualified to get it than I am. Look, Vega—"
Before she could continue, Joker's familiar voice crackled through the speakers. "Commander!"
"Joker! Saving the day like always."
"Yeah, well, I figured I owed you one."
"Consider that debt fully paid."
"I wouldn't cash it in just yet, Commander. Who knows what's ahead of us."
"That's what I like, a positive attitude."
He laughed. "Got an emergency transmission for you from Admiral Hackett."
"Patch it through."
Hackett's image was snowy and indistinct, his words cutting in and out. She was able to update him on their situation, and he ordered her to stop on Mars first. She caught the words "Dr. T'Soni" and "stop the Reapers." Well, if Liara was there, she likely had some information they needed.
"Joker? Set course for Mars."
"You got it, Commander."
She strode toward the lockers. Mars was a much shorter trip; they'd need to get their gear ready. She was glad to see a lot of hers was still here.
Behind her, Vega turned to Kaidan. "This is loco!"
"If Admiral Hackett wants us on Mars, he's got a good reason."
Shepard was glad Kaidan was aboard. He was a good soldier, and an intelligent man. She was going to need both qualities to get through whatever lay ahead. She made a mental note to tell him so, as soon as there was time.
"Both of you, grab your gear. I want boots on the ground as soon as we get there."
Vega looked like a thunder-cloud, but he began putting a set of gear together. Shepard hoped he would come around eventually. She could always send him back to Earth from the Citadel, but she'd rather keep him on board.
On the other side of the locker, Kaidan was efficiently assembling his own gear, and she smiled. It was good to be going into the fight with him at her side again.