A/N: The bit in italics is dialogue from Mass Effect 3, but it's from memory, so it may not be exact. Also, I'm aware the 'double voice' for the Turians is technically called 'flanging', but in here I refer to it as a sub vocal. My headcanon for it is that it's an undertone to their voices that conveys meaning. So they could be saying one thing, but the meaning is the complete opposite. Most don't interact with Turians enough to pick it up or care about the differences in tone. Races like Asari and Quarians are aware of it because they interact with the Turians more.
It had been an entire year since the end of the war. Athena stood in front of a mirror in her quarters, contemplating her reflection. She could hardly believe that so much time had passed already. A year ago today, she had boarded the Citadel and met the Catalyst, ending the cycle of destruction that the Reapers had represented. A year ago today, Anderson had died.
She let out a wavering breath and forced the memories away. They were for another time, another place. She kept telling herself that, but the time she was waiting for had yet to come. Athena was starting to wonder if it would ever come, or if she was just too much of a coward to tell people what had happened after the final push to the beam.
She closed her eyes, took a series of deep breaths, and focused on the blackness of the insides of her eyelids. The pure nothing. Slowly, her thoughts flowed from past memories to the present, the creak of a bulkhead under her feet, the hum of engines, the faint noises of crew moving about.
The Normandy was fully repaired, and Admiral Hackett had asked her if she wanted to resume her post as the Normandy's commanding officer for its shakedown cruise after repairs. They were to test the FTL drive and other functions, making sure that the advanced warship had been repaired to its high-performance specifications.
Athena had jumped at the chance, desperately needing to board the Normandy again and fly with her crew, to reassure herself that everything was fine and normal and that her life wasn't composed of war and death. The Normandy crew that was here had all joined up again as well, even Samantha Traynor. In the previous year, Tali had returned to Rannoch, Wrex to Tuchanka, and Liara to Thessia. Athena intended to stop by and pick up each of them, fully reuniting the remarkable crew that had helped her win the war.
Garrus had hardly left her side in the past year, joining up with the volunteer crews removing bodies and repairing damage on the Citadel at Athena's insistence so that he wouldn't go crazy from being idle. He'd also been spending more time with his family, according to Solana it was the most time he'd spent with them since finishing his compulsory military service with the Turian Navy. Athena continued to bond with both members of his family, trading stories and gossip with Solana and more serious conversations over savarl with Castis.
Solana had also subtly become a psychologist of sorts for Athena, helping her deal with her memories, nightmares, and leftover tension from the war. The young female had done so in such a subtle manner that Athena hadn't even realized it until a few months had passed and she found herself telling Solana about the death of Ashley Williams. Solana had listened without judgement and then calmly, logically helped her walk through the emotions she had at leaving a member of her crew behind.
Athena refocused on her image in front of the mirror. Her midnight black hair hadn't grown back to its previous length, but it was now long enough for a sharp knot at the base of her skull. The smaller scars had disappeared, while the larger ones were beginning to fade into silvery lines. Athena had felt self-conscious about the vast network of them she had across her body, at least until she'd been talking to Garrus one day.
He'd spotted her tugging on her long-sleeved shirt as one of the medical ship's crew had walked by and had laid his hand across hers, stilling it. "You've survived the impossible more times than anyone could count, Athena. You're a survivor, a hero, one of the most incredible people I've ever met. Besides, you've always told me not to worry about this," he tapped the left side of his face, "and I happen to find the silver on your skin very attractive."
After that, she hadn't worried about the scars as much anymore. She smoothed down the front of her uniform unnecessarily, the dress blues with gold trim were already spotless and straight, she'd had to be refitted a few weeks ago, she had lost a lot of weight in her rehabilitation process.
While she stood on her own, the appearance was deceptive. She had slender metal braces wrapped around both of her legs beneath her trousers, the tops wrapped around her thighs, while the base tucked into her shiny black boots. Her right shoulder was also tender and she couldn't rotate it too far, and her ribs were tight, each breath short. Still, the amount of progress she'd made in a year continued to amaze the doctors responsible for her care.
It was fitting that today was the first anniversary of the end of the war. They were re-christening the Normandy, setting out on their first voyage since the end of the war. She had been told to expect to give a short speech, and there would be press, of course. She'd requested Diana Allers personally, having gotten to know the host of Battlespace over the course of the war.
She opened her door for the last time and set off down the corridor towards the hangar. A shuttle was waiting for her there, ready to ferry her over to the cradle where the Normandy waited. She boarded it and stood in the middle, too uneasy to sit. The last time she'd been in a shuttle had been the drop onto Earth. So instead, she stood, folding her hands behind her back, and closed her eyes, feeling the dampeners kick in as the shuttle lifted off.
Normally she had her crew here with her as she flew, an uneasy silence filling the air as they were ferried to their next battle. Interrupted sometimes by the click of a weapon as they double-checked settings and thermal clips. Now, a neutral silence reigned, the only sound the humming of the engines and the fingertips of the pilot on the haptic interface.
The shuttle began to settle down and she opened her eyes, preparing herself for what waited on the other side of the panel. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself, then straightened up, ignoring the lingering pain in her ribs and shoulder. The door panel popped forward and started to slide open.
The first thing that hit her was the noise, dozens of voices chattering excitedly at the sight of the shuttle. The next was the lights, the hovering drones flashing hundreds of images per second, or recording her every step. She'd first started having to handle the press after her efforts on Elysium, but it had been nothing compared to when she had been declared the first human Spectre. By now, she was used to the buzz, the hive of activity that followed her every step.
Spotting Hackett, she stepped off the shuttle and headed in his direction, her pace measured but unhurried. They parted before her like waves before a rock, flowing to take up space behind her and close her retreat. It made her instinctively a little edgy, having her escape closed off. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that it was just a press op, not a war zone.
She stopped to the left of Hackett and saluted, holding it until he responded, which he was quick to do, reaching out to shake her hand. Then she turned to face the crowd, registering Garrus, Cortez, James, Kaiden and the others standing to her left and behind her slightly.
Hackett raised his right hand, and silence quickly fell, ears straining to hear the man's gravelly voice.
"It has been a year since the end of the Reaper Wars. A year since hundreds and thousands of brave men and women of all species came together to fight for their future, a future free from the threat of seasonal annihilation. A year since the woman next to me, and her crew behind, saved us all by uniting the galaxy, a feat most said couldn't be done."
"A year," he continued, "since we, each of us, lost innumerable count of loved ones, family, friends, comrades. But all of them, from wherever they may be now, know that we succeeded, that they helped us win the war. They know that the fight was not in vain, their hope was not misplaced, and they know that their final moments mattered."
"Today, we come together to re-christen and launch the Normandy SR-2, the remarkable frigate which led the Sword fleets, which never buckled no matter the odds, which has survived more than one mission most would term suicidal. But we are not re-claiming the Normandy for just the Systems Alliance."
Behind her, the crew stirred, surprise on their faces. Athena faced forward, keeping her face still and expressionless. She hadn't been allowed to tell any of them this, not even Garrus. Hackett had been explicit on that, perhaps knowing that she would share it with him if no one else.
"Instead, the Normandy SR-2 is the first of a new collection of vessels, belonging to all species. A reminder of what unification won us, and what dissent could cost. The Diplomatic Council Fleet, as it will be known. Not only that, but within the DCF, the Normandy will belong exclusively to the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance division, operating as a covert recon, observation, research and insertion vessel, carrying on its duties to not just humanity, but all of us."
Behind him, the curtain covering the Normandy's name dropped, revealing both the name and the logo to the left of it, a supersized version of the Spectre program logo in gold, outlined in black. "The Normandy," Hackett finished, "will remain under command of the Council for the length of her service. Upon retirement, she will be returned to the Systems Alliance, and future decisions about her fate will take place."
"Standing next to me," he said, "is a woman whose face should be recognizable not only across Council space, but across the galactic community. Responsible for uniting the Sword and Shield Fleets and coordinating efforts against the Reapers across the galaxy, she is the first human Spectre, and far from the last. Here to speak a few words about the Normandy, the one who knows her best, Commander Athena Shepard."
A ripple of applause rang out through the crowd, surprised murmurs still echoing through the room as people discussed the DCF and the Spectre division. Athena raised her gloved hand, asking for silence. It quickly fell across the room, surprising her at its suddenness.
"The Normandy has been many things since it's construction began," Athena said, her voice quieter than Hackett's. "A joint venture between the Turian Hierarchy and the Systems Alliance, proof that we could work together after our combative beginnings. An experimental technology, the most highly-advanced warship of her class. A symbol to the galaxy as we sought to join the disparate groups together against an enemy many said we had no hope of defeating."
Athena paused, gathering her thoughts. "For myself and the crew of the Normandy, it has been home. The majority of us have served on her and her predecessor for over three years together, facing down giants and finding ourselves triumphant again and again. But it has not been without losses, both personally and in our fight against the Reapers. Our memorial wall is fuller than I had ever wanted it to be, with names of both human and alien crew members alike."
"Taking command of the Normandy once more isn't just an honor. It's not just my duty as a member of the Systems Alliance and the first human Spectre. It means returning home, proving to all of us that we will regain a normal existence, that we all will laugh again, continuing to live and love in this galaxy we call home. That's the greatest insult we can offer to the memory of the Reapers and the war they ravaged our lives with. That we will go on, that they will become just a memory, blurring over time."
"I am proud to take up command of the Normandy once again, to take to the stars and remind us all that we are home, and that there is a life beyond the Reapers. It's been a year since the end of the war, now let us forge our future together, and let our horrors fade into the past, where they belong."
It started slow, with a few small echoes. But like an echo it rippled, building and crashing in on itself until the sound of applause filled the room. They finished the traditional ceremony and Hackett shook her hand again, stating firmly, "She's yours, Commander. Seek the stars, but never forget the feeling of solid ground."
The crew had begun entering the Normandy during the final part of the ceremony, the bridge crew immediately taking their places. EDI had already begun warming the engines, so the Normandy was prepared to take flight. Joker sat in his chair, smiled at her and said, "Ready when you are, Commander."
The rest of the crew that didn't work on the bridge lined the CIC, watching her as she made her way to the galaxy map, striding up to her customary location. Traynor opened a general band comm and Athena took a deep breath and said, "Take us out, Flight Lieutenant."
She touched the bar in front of her lightly for support as the engines throttled and the Normandy sank down briefly to clear the docking cradle. The thrusters engaged, momentum dampeners kicking in to keep the crew stable and with a minimum of vertigo from the movement. Cheers filled the comm from all sorts of different voices as they moved away from the Citadel and the remainder of the Citadel and Systems Alliance Fleet. As they approached the Charon relay, Athena nodded at Samantha, who closed the outside comm.
"Take us outside the system, Joker, just to finish the display. I'll have a destination chosen by the time you're done."
"Yes ma'am," Joker called cheerfully, launching the Normandy into FTL for the final approach to the relay.
Athena looked down at the galaxy map, taking in a deep breath. Where did she want to go first? Her fingers wavered on the controls; friends long gone popping up before her eyes. Firming herself, she made a decision and selected a system and the planet before she could back out. She let go, bringing her arms back to her sides as she tried to control the shake in her hands.
Tuchanka. Home of Wrex, Bakara, Grunt and the rest of the krogan. And the final resting place of the salarian Mordin Solus, an eccentric, brilliant, humorous individual, and one of her best friends.
Athena had retreated to her quarters, so the Normandy crew followed her lead. Garrus headed up to the bridge instead, wanting to talk to Joker and EDI. He was curious if they had known anything about the surprise information Admiral Hackett had dropped on them. He doubted it, it seemed to have been kept very hushed by what remained of Alliance Command. He knew it was likely that Athena had been told not to speak of it, but he was still curious if they had heard any rumors.
"So," he said conversationally as he took up his spot behind Joker, "Diplomatic Council Fleet, Spectre Division. The Normandy has a title now."
Joker laughed dryly, "You could have knocked me over with a pin when Hackett announced that. Though really, it's not a huge surprise if you think about it. The Normandy's bigger than just a Systems Alliance vessel now, she's become a symbol to others now."
"That is surprisingly deep for you, Lieutenant," Garrus commented. "I was quite surprised myself, though it does make you wonder what will happen to the Normandy if Athena ever retires."
"The likelihood is that this vessel will pass to another Spectre, possibly even Major Alenko if they keep it in human hands. Or alternatively, it could become a diplomatic vessel for the Council members themselves," EDI stated, even as she stared at the interface in front of her.
"Speaking of Shepard," Garrus said, "Where did she finally decide on for our course?"
Joker and EDI exchanged a glance before Joker said quietly, "Tuchanka. I guess we're paying Wrex and Grunt a visit."
Garrus momentarily closed his eyes, realizing as they had what else was on Tuchanka. After all, that was where they had cured the genophage, where Primarch Victus' son had died, and where they had lost their old teammate Mordin.
"I wonder when these moments will stop hitting us so hard," Joker muttered. "God, anywhere on that galaxy map has memories for all of us, and most of them aren't great."
"That's what happens when you fight a galactic war," Garrus answered quietly.
Silence fell for a long moment, then EDI spoke. "We should reach Tuchanka in two days, luckily the Charon relay is the only connection we need and it was amongst the first to be repaired. Commander Shepard has retreated to her quarters. By her metabolic readings, she is currently resting."
"Good," Garrus answered, "she's doing well with her rehabilitation, but I know being on her feet for an extended amount of time pains her."
Joker snickered. When they looked at him, he explained. "You are so protective of her. Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing, but I don't know how clueless some of our crew have to be to still not realize you two are together."
"Namely Kaiden, I'm guessing," Garrus said dryly. "I'm not looking forward to when he finally puts it together, if I'm being honest. Athena has been very transparent with me; I know they were together prior to Ilos. He might have some issues with it, but he won't like it if he pushes her."
"What does he expect?" Joker said incredulously. "He accuses her of betraying the Alliance on Horizon, refusing to believe her about the connection between the Reapers and the Collectors. Then he accuses her of helping Cerberus break into the Mars facility. To top it all off, he points a gun in her face and says she's helping Cerberus with the coup and refuses to back off, almost getting the Council murdered under his watch! Frankly, I was kind of shocked that she let him back onto Normandy. What does he think she's going to do, just forget about all of that?"
"She hasn't taken him on a ground mission since the fuel depot on Cyone to assess his abilities," EDI pointed out. "She also sent him to rescue Captain Riley's team, keeping Garrus with her. She doesn't trust the Major in any capacity to have her back, whether she consciously realizes it or not."
Garrus blinked, thinking back to that mission and analyzing it from EDI's perspective. She was right, Athena hadn't hesitated to send Kaiden to help the other team, keeping Garrus with her. And like EDI had also pointed out, he hadn't been on a mission with her since.
He left the bridge soon after, heading down to the main battery. It was as he remembered it, the empty workstation for his rifle, the controls for both the regular guns and the Thanix missile system Athena had upgraded to, and the interface that had held information about the Turian fleet for months. It was blank now, no longer linked to his fleet's intel reports.
He sat down and stared at the screen anyway, a thousand different thoughts running through his mind.
Two days passed with alarming swiftness and suddenly, the Normandy was being directed to dock at an interior landing pad on Tuchanka. The krogan directing them, while not exactly excited, still seemed far friendlier than the last time Athena had set foot on the war-torn, nearly ruined world. For once she wasn't on a mission, so Garrus, James, Kaiden and Cortez had all voted to accompany her out into the scorching heat and blowing sand. EDI had even persuaded Joker to accompany her and leave the Normandy parked behind them.
Athena also wasn't wearing armor, something that was making her distinctly uneasy. But Chakwas had been clear, the armor was far too heavy and restrictive, even the light class would cause more harm than good. She did have a sidearm, just in case. Her trusty little M-11 Suppressor. Amusing how something that had come from one of the worst fights she'd been through was now so essential to her.
Two figures approached them in the relative protection of the docking pad, surrounded by old pitted walls and twisted, ruined metal walls. Athena recognized both instinctively, the figure on the left had a heavier gait and posture, while the one on the right was more energetic but his general aura was no less lethal. The one on the right broke into a shuffling run, sunlight glinting off of white and silver armor. "Shepard!"
Athena laughed, her companion's distinctive laughter echoing back. Behind her, Garrus, EDI and Joker all smiled, knowing who this krogan was instinctively. The others hadn't actually met him, but knew his name.
"Grunt!" Athena called, grinning as the young krogan ran up to her, giving her a light tap on the back of her left shoulder. Grunt had faced a lot of obstacles already in his short life, being cloned in a tank by an insane warlord for some plan Athena still didn't understand, or care about. His own kind had distrusted him immensely on sight, he'd had to fight tooth and nail to earn every bit of the respect he now had.
"Couldn't believe it when I heard you survived that mess," Grunt said with a grin. "At the same time, I didn't doubt it, if anyone could face the Reapers directly and survive it would be my first and best battle master."
Athena smiled back, though part of her twinged in remembered pain at the memories that briefly flashed before her eyes. "We all survived," she countered, "something that I am very grateful for."
"So am I," Wrex grunted as he walked up, shooting his young clan member a look as he drew level. "Wouldn't want to run out of opportunities to pull your ass out of the fire, would we?"
Athena narrowed her eyes. "I thought we covered this back at the Citadel," she countered playfully, "most of the time it was me pulling your hulking mass out of trouble, remember?"
He grinned, shrugged his massive shoulders and said, "Old age, you know. Bad memory."
Garrus 'coughed', the sound used to cover the word "Liar."
Wrex's grin widened, "Good to see you too, old friend. I'm glad the Reapers didn't deprive me of one of my best sources of banter."
"Humph," Garrus muttered, but he sounded pleased.
"Wrex, these three are EDI, Steve Cortez and James Vega. Joker and Kaiden you know, of course. This is Urdnot Wrex, unofficial leader of the united Krogan clans."
"Likely to stay that way," Wrex input dryly, "Krogan don't exactly vote on things, though our females are trying to change that. Along with everything else we've seemingly screwed up over the past several centuries."
"Where is Bakara, anyway?" Athena asked, surprised to see Wrex without the female nearby.
"Holding down the fort while I came to fetch you. She has the same authority as me, whether our old-minded males like it or not," Wrex said.
"Toss them in and hope they swim?" Steve mused.
"Not really," Wrex responded, "Our females had a clan structure of their own and even some of them had old-fashioned minds. Bakara had been a leader and influence to them before she became my mate and co-leader. She's tough, and our women don't lack for spirit. She's probably just fine."
"Probably?"
Wrex shrugged, "Until we get there, I can't say for certain how many shenanigans she's managed to get herself into. I only knew of one person for sure that needed to speak with us before I left."
"Hold up, Wrex," Garrus raised a hand, "I need to know one thing for certain," his face was deadly serious. "Is Kalros' territory anywhere near where we're going?"
Wrex grinned. "Scare you that much, did she? No, her territory is all near where the Shroud stood. No giant thresher maw encounters are planned while you're here."
"Planned?" Athena questioned in amusement as behind her, James and Steve mouthed 'giant thresher maws' almost in unison.
Wrex shrugged. "You never know what's going to happen on Tuchanka. Thresher maws are as much a part of our environment as the varren. They mostly stick clear of our settlement area though. We've only had to lure a few off in the past year."
"Commander?" James asked cautiously, "Is this the same maw that took down that small Reaper you faced here?"
"Yes," Athena answered a little shortly, shaking off the memory and the pang of guilt and remorse at Mordin's death that always followed. "But luckily we're out of her range, it seems."
Athena's mood visibly deteriorated as they flew in a pair of shuttles over the Tuchanka landscape. Garrus could guess at the cause of her introspective behavior, internally cursing the harmless question James had asked. Her gaze was distant, her posture visibly closed off as they flew over seemingly endless dunes of sand, bone and glimpses of ruined structures.
Their destination was the Kelphic Valley, the same region that the Primarch's son had saved from a nuclear explosion during the war. It was actually near the ruins of the ancient city they had explored on their way to the Shroud, according to Grunt's chatter they had been gathering plants from that area and bringing them over into the valley as they cleared sections of land and determined that the radiation from their own wars had fallen to negligible levels.
"How did you successfully cure all the krogan that were off-world?" EDI asked Wrex curiously. "The particles that the Shroud gave off wouldn't last long enough for space travel, even for a vessel like the Normandy, which is faster than most."
"Mordin left us instructions," Wrex answered, "He was a smart little pyjak, that's for sure. He left a datapad full of information on the cure for us, how to check viability and make sure it spread to all of our species. The Shroud's particles continued to fall for almost six months after the cure was dispersed, even if we couldn't see them. So once word of the cure spread, it was easy to convince krogan off-world to come back to Tuchanka long enough for it to spread through their systems. Some left again, but most of them stayed."
"Have you received any assistance from other species?" Steve asked curiously.
Wrex nodded. "Winning a galactic war together heals a lot of old grudges, it seems. We've had help with everything from infrastructure to agriculture from Asari, Quarians, a few Turians and even some humans. Some of the Asari have stayed on our planet, they formed bonds of friendship and otherwise with my people when we were fighting together. They also remember a time before we destroyed ourselves through nuclear winter and want to help us reach that glory again."
"It's amazing what facing certain genocide will do for cooperation," Joker said dryly.
"The Normandy is proof of that," Garrus mused. "Look at how many of us, from how many different species, have managed to work together. If we could co-exist for as long as we did, it was only a matter of time before our separate species managed to do so as well."
Their shuttle landed and they rejoined with the others, staring in wonder at the sight before them. Athena's eyes cleared; thoughts momentarily pushed away by what she was looking at.
Before them was a massive clearing, over which flew flags with bright, contrasting colors representing each of the krogan clans. Hundreds of krogan milled about, with varren at their heels begging for scraps or fighting with others from different clans. The onslaught of noise was incredible, even muted by the simple brick walls that outlined different areas. But it was another thing that had them all staring in wonder.
Children. Young krogan children ran amok amongst the varren and a few wild pyjaks. Chasing each other or their parents, darting in and amongst the hulking adults with the speed, guile and lack of caution that youth granted. They wore bright colored clothing knitted with pride and skill, young females wearing the distinctive hoods of their adult peers, while males ran around bare-headed.
"Wow," Joker said, grinning. "I've never seen krogan children before."
"For good reason," Wrex said. "When the genophage still ruled our lives, these children would have been considered living miracles for surviving pregnancy and birth, their mothers considered 'lucky'. We safeguarded them, hiding them with the females for their own safety, so they wouldn't be kidnapped by other clans and turned against us in adulthood. Now that the genophage is cured, we don't have to hold onto each and every one so tightly to ensure just the basic survival of our species and clans."
"It's one thing to hear about the genophage, the statistics and the reasoning," Garrus mused, "but quite another to see the living contrast of what impact it has had on your people both before and after being cured."
"It is the new future we all have now, thanks to all of you and in particular the sister of my heart," Wrex said, smiling at Athena.
She smiled back, looking out over the sight with wondering eyes. As Bakara walked up to them, Garrus gave a small sigh of relief, unheard over the clamor. Perhaps this was what Athena had needed to see all along, the results of her efforts. Maybe, just maybe, coming here would heal one of the ghosts in her past.
Garrus sat outside the central structure that was Wrex and Bakara's home and the main building of the krogan clans, at least for now. It was a simple structure of brick formed from the endless sand, but it was more than they had claimed for a home just a few months ago. According to Wrex, they had just begun building semi-permanent structures in the Valley a few months before. Long term they hoped to use still-sound pieces of metal from old buildings and construct a few sturdier buildings. Wrex planned for them to last at least long enough to start rebuilding their cities and roadways.
The night was clear and bright, stars glinting in the sky, shining faintly down onto the ground. There were still sounds around Garrus, a few varren growled at each other somewhere off to his right, while some krogan voices were behind and to his left. Most of the inhabitants of the Valley had settled down for the evening, short as it was. Tuchanka nights were only six Earth hours long, with 18 of daylight.
It made the heavy-duty shutters on their buildings that Garrus had seen make more sense. If anyone were to sleep or at least rest longer than that, they had to block out the glaring Tuchanka sun. He was surprised at his own lack of tiredness, instead he felt somewhat energized. Seeing the results of their desperate fight on Tuchanka made it all worth it, filled him with an invigorating energy born of deep satisfaction.
Behind him he heard a whisper of noise and he turned his head sharply, hands instinctively reaching for the pistol he'd brought with him, just in case. War-heightened instincts didn't just go away, after all. For far too long, whether he lived or died had depended on him having a weapon and an exit handy.
Someone left the building and closed the door behind them, being careful to not make excess noise. They were slim and fairly short, walking with a slight limp. Garrus relaxed, recognizing the figure even in the dark. Athena had done remarkably well with her recovery so far, but she still favored her legs a little after being on them for more than a few hours. He knew she still used the braces; he'd gone to check on her in her quarters a few times and had removed them so that she could rest more easily. The braces were advanced tech, but they were still somewhat cumbersome.
"Athena," he greeted quietly, alerting her to his presence. He was fairly sure she had seen him, but he didn't want to startle her. He knew she felt vulnerable walking around in civilian clothing without any form of armor to protect her, but he also knew and would firmly enforce Chakwas' warnings.
She stepped into the light of a flickering yellow lamp, the shadow of a smile gracing her lips. "Garrus," she said softly, her voice full of warmth.
"I would have thought you'd be resting," he commented. "We've had quite the day with the tours and everything."
The smile lingered on her lips, but her eyes were a little distant. "Come with me?" she asked, instead of answering him.
He stood without hesitation, following her. She led them to an older sky car, Wrex's unless he was mistaken. She flicked her wrist, unlocking it with a code on her omni-tool. Fairly certain that she had pre-approved this with Wrex, Garrus walked around the other side and slipped into the passenger's seat. He watched her face in the dim lighting, trying to guess her mood. She was very quiet and introspective, but her movements were deliberate as she keyed up the guidance system and plotted a course.
Taking the controls, she got them up off the ground smoothly and turned, opening the throttle slowly. They moved through the night sky in relative silence, the only noise being the hum of the sky car's motor and thrusters.
Garrus wasn't the best at guessing human moods still, but he could guess that the silence around her was thoughtful, pondering. She parted her lips several times as if to speak, then closed them again, changing her mind. Guessing that she was trying to think of how to put her thoughts into words, Garrus stayed silent, watching the landscape flow by around them.
After approximately ten minutes at their current pace, their destination started becoming obvious. Even though it was less than half its former height and bulk, the remnants of the Shroud were obvious, as was the arena they had fought through. The memory was vivid for Garrus, with Brute after Brute dropping from the sky as the Reaper destroyer tried to stop them from reaching the building.
It had ultimately failed, crunched by a giant worm. A precursor for the fate of the entire race of ancient machines, though they hadn't known it at the time. Then it had just been a miraculous victory at the cost of many good krogan and turian lives. As well as one particular salarian.
Athena finally landed the sky car near the wreckage of the building, at a precise set of coordinates she seemed to have memorized. She exited the car, Garrus following her quietly. With a flick of her omni-tool, a small drone materialized, turning on a series of lights over its holographic body. It floated along above them, flooding the two of them and the area around them in light.
Athena cautiously walked forward, leading the way through pieces of the wreckage. It was very stable in appearance, otherwise Garrus might have thought of objecting. But her movements were cautious, her pace unhurried. She knew where they were going, but at the same time he knew she wouldn't risk it if it were unsafe. Finally, after a few more slow minutes of careful procession, the lights revealed a fairly massive room with two gigantic tables and what remained of an elevator shaft.
She raised her omni-tool again, directly in front of the shaft. Opening his mouth to object, Garrus ceased the movement when instead her omni-tool appeared to trigger some sort of recording. In front of them was Mordin as Garrus had last remembered seeing him, a few shining scars projected on to his skin, eyes bright, intelligent and sparking with conviction.
Directly to Garrus' right was the holographic form of Athena herself, standing mere steps away from Mordin. The present version of the woman stared at herself for a second, contemplating the image. Then she flicked the omni-tool again and stepped back.
There was a sound as if from a series of explosions, and then the holographic form of Athena stepped forward.
"Damn! Mordin, this place is coming down around us! Is the cure ready to go?"
"Yes," Mordin replied, fingers scrambling over the interface on the table across from the elevator shaft. "Loaded for dispersal in two minutes."
"And Eve?" Athena asked.
"Headed to safety," Mordin replied, satisfaction oozing from his voice. "Procedure was traumatic but not fatal. Maelon's research invaluable, don't know if she would have survived procedure otherwise. A good match for Wrex, will provide stabilization factor for krogan."
The image of Athena cringed back, as if from another falling piece of debris. "Come on, Mordin! We need to get to safety—"
"No." Mordin's voice was firm. "Need to counteract STG measures, otherwise cure viability fails. Must go to top of tower."
"Up there?" Shepard replied incredulously. "Mordin, this place is falling down around us, you'll never survive it. Can't we counteract it from here?"
"No," Mordin dismissed, "not enough time. Cure will fail if I attempt it from here, STG will have protected it from remote bypass measures. Must go up myself."
"Why?" Athena yelled. "You've always defended your genophage work before. Why do you have to throw your life away for this now?"
"BECAUSE I MADE A MISTAKE!" Mordin shouted. There was a short pause. He seemed as surprised as Athena that he had actually shouted. Mordin rarely ever raised his voice. "I was too fixed on the big picture, forgot that big picture was made of many little pictures, lost sight of impact on the krogan as a people."
"My mistake, my responsibility to fix." He stepped into the open elevator shaft, sighed and closed his eyes. "Would have liked to run tests on the seashells."
"I'm sorry," Athena whispered, guilt and regret in her voice.
"I'm not," Mordin answered simply, opening his eyes. "It could only be me."
The elevator door shut and started to lift up into the air.
"Someone else might have gotten it wrong," Athena choked out, finishing the man's signature phrase.
The recording abruptly cut off, the silence echoing. But it wasn't a complete silence, as a rattling, ragged breathing filled the air. Garrus blinked himself out of the surprised silence he'd fallen into while watching the recorded conversation. He instinctively found Athena, standing there staring at the place where the image of Mordin had been seconds ago. Her shoulders were quivering and she was trying, unsuccessfully, to control her rattled, shaky breathing.
Without even thinking about it, he moved to her side, wrapped his arms around her slender body and drew her close, pulling her head into the groove of his neck. She didn't attempt to protest, turning into the firm support he offered. His mind buzzed over the conversation, realizing finally why she had felt such guilt over Mordin's death. If she hadn't agreed to cure the genophage, or if she had taken the dalatrass' offer, Mordin might have possibly survived. But of course, that was conjecture at this point, and Mordin himself would never have stood for tricking Wrex or Bakara, or Eve as he had known her.
"It was not your fault," he said firmly, as her breathing started to even out. "Mordin made his choice, you know he would never have stood aside and let the cure fail, or try anything that had less than a definite probability of success. Just because you agreed to cure the genophage doesn't make you responsible for his death. Mordin said it himself, he wasn't sorry that any actions had led to that moment."
She didn't answer, only letting out a few trembling breaths as she stood there, making no attempt to leave his grip. Garrus considered his next move and realized that it was the only possible one. "Delete the recording," he said firmly. "Let him go, let his spirit rest. He doesn't blame you, it's time you stopped blaming yourself."
She froze, trying to speak and failing. Finally, in a near-whisper, she said softly, "Okay."
He let her go, watching as she raised her shaking arm and cued her omni-tool again. The images of her past self and Mordin appeared before them again, as the fingers of her other hand trembled with emotion and nerves. She took a deep breath, momentarily closed her eyes as if to gather her courage, and opened them only a split second before her fingers tapped the buttons, the images fizzling away.
Once again it was just them and the drone providing light in the empty, ruined tower. Athena lowered her arm, letting out a long, exhausted sigh as if she'd just finished running through a battlefield. Her eyes were wild with emotion, but she turned to Garrus and gave him a trembling smile.
This time, Garrus led the way back out, and when they reached the sky car, he claimed the driver's seat. Athena didn't protest, sinking into the passengers' seat as if she wasn't sure her legs would hold her any longer. She still looked shaken and emotional, but her mood seemed lighter somehow. He couldn't have imagined how long she was holding onto that recording, nor the guilt for Mordin's death. He wondered how many more of those recordings she had, and if he would see all of them possibly on this shakedown cruise.
If it helped her, and him at the same time, he would watch every damn one with her. The war may be over, but the process of recovery was a long one, and he would be there every step of the way for the one he loved more than anything.
For the rest of their stay on Tuchanka, Athena was like a different person entirely. She had been carrying the weight of Mordin's death for so long, it was like she was floating on air. She teased James about his fascination with the krogan, surmising that it was based in shared "bulk". She encouraged him and Steve to go out on several adventures around the valley, warning Grunt not to give them even the watered-down version of ryncol, the local drink. It likely wasn't consumable by anyone but the krogan, who had several redundant systems to take the brunt of the potent alcohol.
She and Garrus went on several exploratory visits to local ruins in the company of Wrex or Bakara, as long as they weren't tied up in other matters. James, Grunt and Steve joined them another time, which was rather memorable for the brief encounter with another thresher maw. Luckily, the powerful creature quickly lost interest in them and moved on.
"You've run into multiple ones of those things? And killed at least one on foot?" James asked incredulously. When Athena just mutely nodded, watching the maw's path with intense focus to make sure it wasn't going to double back, the soldier muttered under his breath in rapid Spanish.
"You are crazy, Commander. The things you've done," he shook his head, "Loco. Absolutely loco, the lot of you."
Garrus snorted, able to guess what the word meant, even if he didn't recognize the language.
They left Tuchanka a few days later, Wrex in tow. Athena promised to have him back in a couple of weeks, she just thought he'd like to see Liara and Tali when they weren't on a critical mission to save the galaxy, again. Whether Wrex suspected anything else was afoot, he didn't say.
Athena was beginning to realize that as much as she loved the Normandy and space, she wasn't really going to be able to resume her duties as the commanding officer of this ship. At least, not as one who still actively participated in missions. She had done her duties to the Systems Alliance and humanity, multiple times over. Despite only being in her mid-thirties, she was tired.
Every waking moment had been filled with the threat of the Reapers. For the last three years, it had felt like she was the only sentinel and lone voice of warning between galactic society and utter annihilation. Athena was tempted, very tempted, to finish this 'reunion tour' of sorts and then retire. She wasn't sure that she could live another life other than a soldier, but she was tired of having to always be on her guard, always looking over her shoulder for the target on her back.
She sat down at her desk in the captain's quarters, spotting the blinking light on her private terminal. Athena opened her inbox, smiling as she spotted the vid-message from Solana Vakarian. She had grown close to Garrus' sister, she was like the sibling Athena had never had.
She clicked on the message, curious as to what the woman had to say. Athena knew her and Castis had returned to Palaven a few days after the Normandy had taken off.
"Hey Athena. Just wanted to call and check in on you guys, see how the shakedown on the Normandy was going. Hopefully smoothly, you guys have had enough adventure for several lifetimes! Remember, feel free to contact me if you want to talk, I'm always an open ear for you. Father and I have returned to Palaven, we're assisting in the rebuilding process. There's been a lot of progress made in the last year, but we're a long way from done."
"Strangest thing, it appears the Reapers have done us at least one favor." Solana paused. "One of the big things our species had to adapt to was a weak magnetosphere. The radiation on the surface was always really strong, that's why we developed the plates over our skin. It was apparently hindering Reaper efforts to conquer our world, so they had been using what we assumed was a semi-permanent cloud coverage."
"Turns out they were terraforming our planet, or at least modifying the atmosphere. The Reapers realized the battle here was going to be both long-term and a ground war. The husks in particular are susceptible to the radiation. Anyway, without a lot of scientific jargon, they permanently reduced our radiation levels. We've had a few human crews here helping us, and they're working in shirt-sleeves. They tested the radiation when they first arrived and said it's almost negligible in the air, even for humans."
"Our scientists aren't sure what that's going to do long-term for our ecology or even the Turians as a whole, perhaps future generations will have thinner plating? Anyways, it's pretty crazy but also beneficial because now you could actually visit here! Wouldn't that be neat? Take care, and tell Garrus I said hello! I think Father planned on contacting him later this week."
Athena sat there long after the message finished, mind spinning with thoughts as she contemplated the surprising information Solana had just given her. Slowly, an idea began to form in her mind. It seemed crazy, but how crazy was it really? Would it be possible for her to get permission to live on Palaven?
She had no idea what the laws were on the subject, nor how to even start the process. Luckily, she was friends with someone who would know. Opening a blank file, she started to carefully compose a message. One addressed to Primarch Victus, respected General and member of the Turian Hierarchy.
Athena had a secretive smile on her face for the last week, and Garrus was beginning to lose control over his curiosity as to why. Not that he was concerned to see her happy about something, it pleased him. But what could make her seem so delighted? Whatever it was, she wasn't forthcoming with information at the moment. They were hours out from Rannoch, having picked up Liara in what was essentially an express shuttle run.
Athena had not set foot on the surface of the Asari homeworld, perhaps not wanting to confront her emotions over one of the only major battles that she had lost. Kai Leng was dead, stabbed through the ribcage on the Cerberus headquarters. Garrus knew she still felt guilty about failing the asari commandos and councilor. Especially since she had asked so much of the soldiers they passed on the route to the temple.
So, Steve had gone down by himself and retrieved Liara, who was more than willing to join them aboard the Normandy, wrapping Athena in an emotional hug upon sighting the woman. Liara had been helping in the rebuilding of her homeworld, using her remaining influence and resources as the infamous Shadow Broker to do everything from source raw materials to find survivors and identify bodies.
The one thing Garrus did know for certain was that she had gotten permission for Samara's daughter Falare to move back to the homeworld she hadn't been on for over 300 years. Falare was an Ardat-Yakshi, but her gene remained latent as she had proven she had no desire to cause harm to any being.
Ardat-Yakshi had a rare genetic disorder that caused the death of anyone they melded with, which led to a boost of power and understanding in different species for the Asari themselves, which in turn led to an addiction to killing. Falare's own sister Mirala, known as Morinth, had been one such Ardat-Yakshi, becoming a fugitive by running from Thessia and laying a trail of murder for over 400 years afterwards.
Now they were just hours out from seeing the last of their original crew, Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya. Though perhaps the ship names had been dropped and she was now simply Tali'Zorah vas Rannoch, or even just Tali'Zorah. To the crew of the Normandy, she was simply Tali. She had been very young during Athena's original quest tracking down Saren, having just been on her traditional Pilgrimage into adulthood for a few months.
Now she was an Admiral and a respected member of the Quarian people, an expert on the geth and alien technology in general, and one of Garrus' best friends. Tali had grown so much during her time with Athena, they all had really. She hadn't had an easy life, trying to live up to the reputation of her father, a respected Admiral, being put on trial for treason due to his own actions. Through it all she had stayed loyal to Athena and the crew of the Normandy, never hesitating to follow her into fire.
The Geth were also on Rannoch, co-existing peacefully with their creators for the first time in over 300 years, thanks to the efforts of Shepard and another fallen crewmate, Legion. The AI had gone from being the scourge of the galaxy to heroes and saviors, deploying into some of the worst hot zones of the war. Their fleet was massive, probably second only to the Turian fleet in terms of sheer size.
"Approaching Rannoch, prepare for drop from FTL," Joker's voice came over the intercom. Garrus was standing inside the port chamber, known commonly as the observation lounge. To his left was a poker table, to the right a bar. Outside the massive window were currently streaks of white, blue and silver light.
The deck under his feet seemed to drop lower as the speed of the Normandy slowed, and abruptly the streaks of light became smaller and smaller, until they were individual stars, just small pinpricks of light. They drifted past the mass relay toward the planet of Rannoch, passing through clusters of both geth and quarian ships. The quarians had elected to keep most of their ships, taking apart only the oldest ones for materials to rebuild.
"Entering Rannoch atmosphere in five minutes," Joker's voice called again.
Garrus left the lounge and headed for the bridge, curious as to what differences had been made in the year since his last visit to this planet. He knew the geth and quarian engineers had been working together to build structures capable of supporting their civilians, but supporting the full 17 million quarians was a tall order.
Athena was already on the bridge when he arrived, standing in her customary spot. Her arms were lightly crossed over her front, expression contemplative. Joker was relaxed as usual, fingers flicking over the controls for the Normandy with an ease that belied how skilled he actually was as the only helmsman that had ever piloted the advanced warship. He'd been hand-picked by Anderson when the Normandy was constructed, and had earned every bit of the praise he received over the following years.
Garrus joked around with him a lot, but he honestly could say there were only a few pilots he truly trusted over the years, and Jeff "Joker" Moreau was one of them. It took a lot of skill and talent to fly a warship and anticipate the flow of space combat, as well as sheer nerve and a lot of guts. Joker had all of that in spades, and seemed to handle the pressures of being the pilot of a Spectre's private vessel pretty well.
The Normandy began to slow, dropping through the atmosphere of Rannoch with streaks of light racing past them towards the stars. Some of those lights were red and orange with dispelled heat, but the Normandy's descent remained steady. As they dropped through the clouds, the desert grass, sparse trees and huge rock formations started becoming larger and larger.
So were the flickering lights they were headed towards. In another few minutes, those flickering lights became buildings, then a city. As they continued to drop down towards a large area of sand ringed with lights, the true size of the city became obvious, and Garrus was reluctantly impressed. They had managed a lot in just a year, none of these buildings probably housed more than a family unit aside from a few clustered on the far side, but there were hundreds of them, with outdoor lighting to boot.
Athena turned and walked off the bridge, heading towards the elevator. Joker and EDI would likely join them once the Normandy had landed and was secured. Garrus followed her, eager to see Rannoch for himself now that he wasn't being pursued by a Reaper. The elevator paused briefly on the crew deck to pick up Kaiden and Liara, then continued down. Wrex was down in the shuttle bay apparently, talking with Steve and James.
Athena smiled happily, excited to see Tali again. The female quarian was one of her best friends, had stuck by her side through thick and thin. She hadn't hesitated to trust Athena, even if she was wary at best of Cerberus. She had never accused Athena of betraying her own principles, unlike some others.
She didn't look in Kaiden's direction as she thought about him, annoyed that her thoughts had tracked in that direction yet again. She had rather hoped that Kaiden would stay with the Alliance when the Normandy was repaired, the relationship between the two of them was strained at best. Kaiden hadn't guessed that she was with Garrus, but he knew that their own attempt at a relationship was dust beneath their feet.
She had a lurking suspicion that Kaiden thought he would gain control of the Normandy if she ever retired. Athena had made her own suggestion to Admiral Hackett, but she hadn't formally sent in her intention to retire, at least not yet. The elevator doors opened and Athena stepped out, smiling wryly at the sight of James chatting up Wrex. It amused her, how fascinated he was with the krogan in general. At least Wrex had been around humans long-term before and wouldn't be easily offended by anything James said.
Wrex spotted her and lumbered over, grinning. "Haven't seen Tali since you came to Tuchanka with Grunt that first time. Looking forward to it, I hear she's got a position of respect amongst her people now?"
Athena nodded. "She's an Admiral now, so she's responsible for major decisions that affect their people as a whole."
"Good for her. Always knew she was going to go places," Wrex grunted. For him that was high praise indeed.
The ramp started to lower, revealing the landscape of Rannoch as the sun was just beginning to set, painting it in hues of blue, red, orange, and yellow. The natural land around them as well as the makeshift city were beautiful in that light, like a painting or an old photograph.
There was a sudden noise, more like an excited squeal than anything, and a figure darted up the ramp, throwing their arms around Athena. She startled, then laughed, wrapping her own arms around a slim waist and squeezing.
"Shepard! It is so good to see you. Keelah, it feels like it's been forever!"
"It hasn't been that long, Tali," Athena said with a laugh. "It is really good to see you though, I've missed having you around."
She greeted each of them in turn, some more warmly than others, before pulling back, a smile obvious in her voice if not for on her masked features.
"I'm so glad you came back here," Tali admitted. "I wasn't sure you would want to after everything that has happened."
"I wanted to see how you and your people were doing," Athena said with a smile. "We left in such a hurry I wasn't sure how things were going to work out with the geth. I know you said they were helping your people build an immune resistance, but it's been a year already."
"It doesn't seem like it's been that long," Tali said quietly. "I keep waking up thinking I'm still on the Normandy, wondering why I hear birds and insects instead of the hum of the drive core."
"Captain Shepard," a familiar, heavily-accented female voice spoke up. Tali didn't quite jump, but she did pivot swiftly to face the new arrivals.
Recognizing the female in front of her, Athena nodded and said firmly, "Admiral Shala'Raan vas Rannoch."
Nodding to the males beside her, "Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Rannoch, Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Rannoch. It is good to see each of you again. I am glad that you all made it through the final battle at Earth."
"And it is very good to see you, Captain Shepard," Koris said, his voice warm. "If not for you, we would not have all of this," he waved his hand around to indicate the planet, "nor would we have peace with the geth."
"Admiral Xen sends her regards, but she is busy investigating a project with some of her scientists and the geth engineers," Raan stated.
"I am not offended," Athena quickly reassured the woman. Truthfully, she was rather glad that Xen was otherwise occupied. The technologically-obsessed female had always creeped her out somewhat.
"We each do have projects currently occupying our attention," Raan apologized. "Hopefully we will have time to visit with you on your stay here on our world. For now, we must apologize and head back into the city."
"No apologies necessary," Athena quickly reassured. "I know that the needs of your people come first, and my visit was hardly planned."
The admirals departed, and Tali turned to Athena. With a somewhat sheepish tone to her voice, she said, "I thought I had a few minutes more before they arrived. Word of your arrival spread faster than I had thought."
Grinning, Athena replied, "I wondered why you almost jumped when Raan spoke."
"Never mind that," Tali said quickly, leading them the rest of the way down the ramp. "I have a couple of ground vehicles here, let's head out."
Joker and EDI walked down the ramp just before they left, EDI remotely raising and securing the ramp. Before heading to the second transport, EDI walked over and handed Athena a datapad. "This message came to your private terminal just before we departed the Normandy. It's marked priority-level clearance, I figured it was something that you would want to see."
"Thank you, EDI." Athena replied, taking the pad. There were many curious looks at the datapad, but she didn't immediately open it. Instead, she tucked it into the panel beside her and said to Tali, "Ready when you are."
They flitted rapidly through the streets, a seemingly endless maze of similar buildings that Tali negotiated with ease. They passed geth and quarians alike, waving as they darted by. Roadways for the vehicles were two cars wide, allowing for passage in each direction. They stopped outside one of the larger buildings that had two levels and an overlook by the cliffs.
"Prime real estate," Athena teased, recognizing the view somewhat.
Tali laughed and said, "There wasn't any resistance to it, for sure. There's so much room for all of us that nobody argued with me for taking this particular area. And the views from the upper level are spectacular."
"You have this to yourself?" Steve asked curiously as they stepped inside the spacious building.
"All of the admirals have prime property with two levels," Tali explained. "It was a perk our people insisted on. They felt grateful for our leadership being part of what brought our people home after almost three centuries of living as nomads."
"After fighting the geth and saving the galaxy, I think you are owed at least this," Garrus commented, looking around.
"There you and I would differ, Garrus. The adoration feels strange, I am just one of them, a member of the former flotilla. I resisted the war; I would have killed the geth without a second thought."
"You resisted the war because your first thought was the people," Athena pointed out, "same for you thinking to destroy the geth. Those are not actions lacking in praise, they are just a different way of thinking. You earned this Tali, never doubt that."
"Speaking of the geth," Wrex said, "how has it been, living alongside them?"
"It has been an adjustment for both of our races," Tali admitted. "The geth faced a lot of hostility from our people at first, especially while the Reapers were still involved. There were many of our kin who weren't sure that the geth could resist being taken over again. Our marines are having the hardest time adjusting, they lost a lot of friends and comrades, oftentimes family members as well. Both past and present, we have been fighting the geth for almost three hundred years after all. We can't change their mentality overnight."
Her tone grew optimistic. "The geth are very understanding of this, however. They are doing all they can to alleviate suspicions and forge trust with our people. They talk readily about the heretics and the schism in thinking. They understand that we took the actions we did to protect ourselves and as far as we know, they don't hold grudges. They have been sharing information and technology with us as well, even caches of raw materials that have allowed us to build this city quicker than we would on our own. There are roadblocks of course. Giving them true intelligence makes them remarkably similar to organic races, but they are still machines. They are evolving, but their thought processes and emotional processing is still very linear."
"The amount of progress you have made in just a year is remarkable," EDI commented. "Less than that really, considering the amount of time it took to repair the relays involved in getting here."
"We've been back at Rannoch for six months," Tali nodded. "But our civilians and their captains who stayed behind have been working with the geth since we successfully killed the Reaper before the end of the war."
"The Reaper corpse, what did you do with it?" Liara asked, concern in her voice.
"Towed it out to space, launching it past the Perseus Veil," Tali answered instantly. "It took almost all our remaining ships just to get it off the ground and past Rannoch's atmosphere, but I made sure they knew how important it was to get rid of every scrap of debris from it. Our species just came home, we don't need to have anyone fall under the influence of a dead Reaper."
"Good," Garrus said, nodding firmly, "getting rid of those things seems to have been a top priority everywhere. We don't need any more trouble."
"Amen to that," James remarked, causing him to have to explain the human phrase.
Later, in the room Tali gave her, Athena remembered the datapad. Fishing it out of the drawer in the simple nightstand, she turned on the screen and loaded the message.
Palaven Command
Turian Hierarchy
Private Correspondence
Commander Shepard,
It is good to hear from you. I had heard word of your remarkable survival and recovery, but never thought to hear from you personally. While unexpected, it is not unpleasant in the slightest. When you came to Menae to whisk me away for the war summit, I had my doubts as to our ability to survive this war. My species has seen thousands of years, but I had thought that I was seeing our last.
You proved me wrong, Commander, and I thank the Spirits that it is so. We are rebuilding Palaven and all of the worlds hit by the Reapers, and each of my Turian brothers and sisters is stronger for the experience. We have suffered horrific losses, but gained so much as a people and a species. I lost my son, but gained a friend and ally. May it always stay so, Shepard.
As to your inquiry, it is true that our atmosphere was permanently modified by the Reaper presence and that we do have a few humans here helping us rebuild. There are also a few Quarians, Asari, and a handful of geth. It has been an exercise in trust-building, communication and inter-species understanding for all species involved, as many Turian mannerisms seem strange to outsiders.
As a friend, I will give you a direct answer to your second query. It is indeed possible for an outsider to be granted permission to visit our homeworld. It is also possible for them to be granted citizenship and a place within the Turian Hierarchy. The second requires only a sponsor from within the Turian military officers. A steep request, for most. I would have gladly given it myself, but General Corinthus beat me to it. He says he owes it to another soldier and one of the best.
So, Commander Athena Shepard, the process has begun. There is a form attached to this letter, send it back to me via this message and I will submit your request to my peers myself. I have no doubts that we shall soon be sending you a message accepting, no welcoming, you to come home.
Regards
Adrien Victus
Primarch of Palaven
Turian Hierarchy
An enormous grin spread across Athena's face and she left her quarters, heading to Tali's balcony, where she knew Garrus was. Likely Tali herself as well, maybe Liara. She had been hoping for this answer, but never imagining it. The Turians were a proud race based on military doctrine, service to the people, and collective as well as individual honor. She knew that she had earned some respect from them for saving the galaxy, but the personal tone of respect and admiration from Victus, she'd never expected that. Nor Corinthus, with whom she had only briefly interacted.
As she'd thought, the trio of individuals were sitting on the upper balcony, trading drinks and stories. She leaned against the doorway, watching them with a smile on her face. She'd never worked very closely with aliens before becoming the commanding officer of the Normandy, now she considered these three as her beloved and close family. She would never trade any experience she had been through for the loss of that feeling of belonging.
"That is the largest grin I've seen on your face in a long time," Liara said to her with a smile, jolting Athena out of her thoughts.
"I have a lot to smile about," Athena countered. "We won the war; the Reapers are no more. I lost people that I cared about, but life goes on. I have a reason to care for living, people that make each step and moment worth it."
Garrus' smile was soft, understanding. He knew the meaning behind the words, remembering no doubt her paralyzing guilt over the death of Mordin. The memory and recording of Legion's last moments lingered in her mind, but she would deal with that another day. Right now was another one of those good moments she'd remember for the rest of her life.
She walked over and sat down next to Garrus, casually handing him the datapad. Reaching forward, she poured herself a drink from Liara's table, leaving the one between Tali and Garrus alone. She knew better than to try and drink anything shared between two dextros.
"Is that the datapad EDI gave you as we left the Normandy?" Tali asked curiously.
Athena grinned, nodding.
She leaned back in the opposite corner of the seat, so that she could watch Garrus' expression as he read the letter. The upper part of his facial plates, what she'd always referred to as his 'eyebrows', rose as he noted the opening information. A burr of curiosity left his throat as he continued to read, visibly surprised at the tone of respect and esteem coming from one of the leaders of his entire race.
As he read the information about his planet's atmosphere, the burr toned higher in surprise, eliciting an amused smile from Liara and a small giggle from Tali. They weren't used to hearing that particular noise from their stalwart friend. The sound trailed off entirely as he got down to the end of the letter, which had Athena's smirk widening.
Liara had time for one quizzical glance at Athena before he processed what he'd just read. He actually dropped the datapad, which clicked to the floor. His head snapped over so that he locked gazes with a madly grinning Athena, no doubt finishing up processing what he'd just read.
Then his sub vocal sound returned, jumping straight from a soft burr to a near-growling sound of pure delight. He surged forward, wrapped both of his hands to frame Athena's face, and brought their foreheads forward to touch. Athena couldn't help it, she started to very softly laugh, reaching up with her hands to very lightly touch his.
The expression on his face was one of amazed happiness, and she smiled lovingly back. If she had known this would mean so much to him, she would have done it sooner. She had no real connection to Earth, after the war she wasn't sure she would be able to set foot on its surface again without seeing it in ruins. But Palaven was a clean slate, and Garrus' family was there.
"All right," Tali said finally, curiosity warring with delight in her voice, "what has you so happy, Garrus? Not that it isn't cute to see you two so open with your emotions, but that was very sudden for you."
Garrus was still rumbling so strongly with emotion that Athena wasn't sure he would be able to speak. So instead, she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder so that he could put an arm around her waist and still hold her close. He draped his other arm across her shoulders, tugging her in close. It made her smile widen.
"I sent a message to Primarch Victus, asking him if it would be possible for me to visit Palaven," Athena explained. "The Reapers modified Palaven's atmosphere permanently, it's no longer a lethal level of radiation for other species. There are currently humans there helping rebuild and they're working in regular clothing. From the studies performed so far, the radiation level is minimal at best. It's still in the ground, but the exposure is so low it takes decades or even centuries to build up, or at least they're currently estimating."
"That's unbelievable," Liara said, shocked. "To think that in the short time the Reapers were on Palaven they could change the entire atmosphere? I wonder if they have affected any other worlds?"
"So, you can visit Palaven? That's amazing!" Tali said, excitement in her voice.
"That's just the thing," Athena said with a grin. "Apparently it's also possible for other species to become citizens of the Turian Hierarchy and Palaven itself. It just requires sponsorship from one of their active military officers. The general we met on Menae? Corinthus? He got wind somehow that I'd contacted Victus and put in sponsorship for me. There's an application I have to fill out and I can actually live there."
Liara's jaw dropped in surprise. It was such a comical expression on her face that Athena had to withhold a giggle. "You can live on Palaven with Garrus and his family?"
Looking at a still silent but clearly delighted Garrus she said, "No wonder you're so happy!"
"Happy?" he finally said, the rumble in his voice obvious. "No, Liara, that is too tame a term for this. I am unbelievably, amazingly, joyously ecstatic at this!"
They all laughed, including Garrus. Then they sat back, trading stories long into the evening. Athena smiled, lightly reaching up to touch Garrus' hand where it draped across her shoulders. She was lucky to have him, so very lucky.