A/N: This is the end. Thank you for reading, hopefully I did these characters justice with my first foray into their massive world.
Athena returned to the Normandy, buzzing with adrenaline and emotion. She would now be addressed by a member of the Alliance as Captain Athena Shepard, SSV Normandy SR-2, retired. When Admiral Singh had promoted her, pinning her new insignia, it had taken every ounce of her control not to sputter in surprise. Athena had been content with reaching Commander, she had never thought to achieve any higher rank.
Her crew were all smiling, whooping happily and hugging her now that they were away from the upper command. Liara's eyes were shining overbright when she hugged Athena, while Tali's voice warbled suspiciously. "I am so glad to call you my friend, Captain," the quarian said, her voice soft with emotion.
Athena snorted, still not used to her new title. "I remember when the captain of the Rayya called me that during your trial. I never thought I would reach the rank of Captain. I was always happy as Commander Athena Shepard."
"You earned it, ma'am," James said, grinning. "With everything you've done in the past year? You more than earned that title."
"Just one more of those left," Joker said with a smirk. "Knowing the Council, it's going to be a big deal, huh?"
Athena groaned quietly. She'd forgotten about her retirement from the Spectres and the gala afterwards. Crinkling her nose, she said, "You could say that. Liara, I'm going to need your help. Apparently, the Council has decided to hold a little party after my retirement from the Spectres, I'm sure all of us are expected to attend. I'm going to need your help on having something fitting to wear."
Liara squealed in excitement, while several people around them groaned or shook their heads. "Actually," the asari said smugly, "I happen to have something that will work. I got it for you a while back, but never had the occasion to give it to you. I'll make sure it's in your hands in time for this 'party'."
"Why would you have bought me something in formal wear?" Athena asked, bemused.
"I figured you may end up invited to some events after the war. I never guessed it would be a Council gala, but it should work anyway," Liara said with a grin.
Joker spun as a console beeped. "Vid message from Admiral Hackett, Captain."
She rolled her eyes at him for using the new title, then said, "On screen, Flight Lieutenant."
Behind her, several of her crew were snickering at the exchange. Admiral Hackett's face appeared in front of them, causing them to fall silent.
"At 0900 hours tomorrow we will set out, Captain Shepard. The Okinawa will accompany you. As we still have not found a replacement for Donnell Udina in the chaos of the war, I have been acting as humanity's representative on the Council."
"Understood, Admiral," Athena replied.
"Hackett out."
"So where are we going?" Joker asked curiously. "I kinda need to know so I can, you know, pilot the ship."
"The Apien Crest, Joker. Apparently the Turians won the debate on who got the honors of it. We're meeting the Council in orbit above Palaven."
"Wait a minute," Joker spun around, holding his hands up. With a tone that was both incredulous and restraining laughter, he said, "You're telling me that you got the Turian Hierarchy, who held a big grudge against us for years because of the First Contact War, to respect you enough to invite you to their home system?"
Athena snorted. "Don't sound so surprised, Joker. You know I tend to do impossible things. Plus, I do happen to be a citizen of the Turian Hierarchy. I got that confirmation two days ago. A sponsorship from General Corinthus, unanimous agreement by Primarch Sparatus, Victus and Acanthus, and apparently a secondary sponsorship from Castis Vakarian."
"What?" Several of her crew looked rather shocked. Of course, she hadn't told them that she planned to retire there. Garrus looked both bemused and very happy.
"Only you, Captain. Only you," Joker shook his head.
"Right," Athena said, turning her back on him and facing the others. "I know all of this is very exciting, but the lot of you are going to need sleep. Tomorrow is likely to be a long day. 0900 hours will be here sooner than you know it."
Still chattering amongst themselves, the crew dispersed, headed to their quarters. Aside from Garrus, who stayed where he was, chuckling quietly.
"What?" She asked him, tilting her head a little in confusion.
"Do you even realize how amazing you are, Athena? Breaking down barriers like they don't even exist, uniting people that have been warring for centuries? Like Joker said, you're the only one who could get my people to offer you the kind of honor they repeatedly do."
"You might be just a tiny bit biased, Garrus," she replied, amused.
She walked away, heading for her quarters. It had been a long night; tomorrow would be longer still. Behind her, Garrus looked at Joker in exasperation and amusement. The pilot just shrugged his shoulders.
Garrus was awake early the next morning, before the appointed time. He made his way to the bridge anyway, waving at a couple crew members as he passed them. Joker and EDI were both on the bridge, in their usual spots. Joker appeared to be running some checks on the Normandy's system, using the idle time to adjust a couple of settings.
"Hey big guy, can't sleep any longer?"
"Turians don't normally sleep more than a few hours," Garrus explained. "I've been awake for a while, just tinkering around with my rifle since I didn't want to wake the crew."
"How long has it been since you've been in your home system, Garrus?" EDI asked.
"Since I joined you guys on the mission to recover Victus from Menae. So about two years. My father and sister are back there though. They say repairs are going well, but there's still a lot of work to do."
"How long have you known that Athena had applied for citizenship?" Joker asked.
"Since Rannoch. I didn't know she'd actually gotten her reply back however."
"Shepard's kind of weird in a way, isn't she? I mean, your people are hard to impress, you've told us that enough times. Yet they're openly inviting her to your home system and home world and she doesn't seem to realize how big of a deal that is."
"How often does she ever realize it when she does something incredible like that, though?" Garrus mused. "She just sees it as something that needs to be done, so she does it, no matter the cost. In a way, it's a very turian mentality."
"She's quite remarkable, in many ways," EDI commented. "Her resilience to the rigors of what she has been through is very impressive. She is proud of her abilities but questions her own capability at times, yet never questions the value brought by others. She gives praise easily and often, but doesn't seem to like having it given to her."
"She's definitely a bit of a contradiction," Joker said with a grin.
"Is Athena awake?" Garrus asked.
"Awake and headed in our direction. She just exited the elevator," EDI confirmed.
"It's only 0830," Joker said, glancing at a display.
"Her sleep patterns were erratic last night," EDI commented. "Her REM levels were elevated and there were frequent interruptions."
Garrus frowned. That sounded like how she got when she was having her nightmares during the war. He had hoped those would start leveling off. As she approached them, Garrus could see in her silvery eyes that she was a little unsettled, though it was well hidden.
"Good morning," she greeted.
"Morning, Captain," Joker said cheerfully.
Athena shot him a look through the back of his chair. "You're enjoying that, aren't you?"
"What? I've got to use the proper respect for my commanding officer, Captain."
She rolled her eyes and minutely shook her head, prompting a small laugh from Garrus. "Don't you start," she grumbled at him.
"Normandy ready to go?" she asked.
"Yeah. Just waiting on the signal from the Okinawa. Figured it was better to let them lead off through the relay, the Okinawa is massive."
"It's the largest dreadnought in the Alliance fleet," Athena replied. "At least, the largest one that survived the war. I think the Second had one that was larger, but the entire Second Fleet was destroyed."
"It's going to take some time to rebuild the fleets after this," EDI commented. "Starship construction is a massive undertaking."
"We'll get there eventually," Garrus mused, "but it definitely will take some time."
At precisely 0900, the Okinawa sent a readiness signal, engaging thrusters and moving away from the rest of the Fifth Fleet. The Normandy followed, tagging along to the dreadnought's right, just outside their slipstream. As they approached the Charon relay, Garrus instinctively braced himself on the back of Joker's chair, Athena merely crossing her arms.
They hit the relay and launched into blurring lines of white and blue. "All hands brace for deceleration," Joker called.
With the barest hint of a shuddering sensation, the Normandy exited FTL, slowing rapidly. They were still in the same spot relative to the Okinawa, flying slowly away from the relay.
In front of them, turned broadside to interrupt flow from the relay, was the distinctive arrow-like shape of a Turian dreadnought. Unlike some members of his kind, Garrus wasn't able to immediately identify the craft. As they flew closer, the dreadnought hailed them and the Okinawa on an audio-only channel.
"SSV Okinawa, SSV Normandy, welcome to the Apien Crest," a voice rumbled over their speakers. "This is General Verus, commanding officer of the Valiant."
Garrus sucked in a sharp breath, startled. The Valiant was the dreadnought that was in charge of policing Palaven airspace. That was one heck of a choice for an escort.
"A pleasure, General," Admiral Hackett responded. "The invitation to visit your home system was unexpected, we are honored by your trust."
"It is amongst the very least we could do to honor the one who enabled us to save our home world and our very species, Admiral Hackett. We are going to serve as your escort through the Turian fleet lines to your rendezvous point."
"Lead the way, General."
The Valiant turned, flying through open space in front of them with the speed and elegance the dreadnought was known for. The Valiant was one of the fastest craft of her class, capable of executing maneuvers most dreadnoughts were just too large to do.
Their flight path appeared to lead them almost directly through the middle of the turian fleet, before arcing in a slow curve as they approached Palaven. The comm was still open, the General answering questions from Hackett on occasion.
"How did the turian fleets fare, General?" Athena questioned.
"We took significant losses," Verus admitted, "though they would have been higher if not for everything you did for us, Captain. In total, we lost just over a quarter of our fleet between attempting to hold Palaven and then assisting in the Sword and Shield fleets. The greater loss was to our ground forces, we lost a lot of brave men and women in this fight."
"I'm sorry for your losses, General," Athena's voice was quiet, honest.
"Appreciated, Captain. As I said, everything you did for all of us and the Turian Hierarchy in particular decreased those losses exponentially."
"I was doing what I needed to do, General."
"Just so," Verus responded. "The longest effort was actually routing the last pockets of mercenaries; gangs and a few remaining Reaper traps off of our colony worlds. The last we cleared was Taetrus."
Athena made a soft, angry noise in her throat. "When I heard about the Reaper attacks on your system, General, the one that got me the most was the attack on Taetrus. That was just an insult."
When Verus spoke, it wasn't hard to hear the surprise in his voice. "How so, Captain?"
"I know the importance Taetrus has to the Hierarchy, General. Taking it in the first push like they did, then broadcasting the damn footage? Like I said, that was just an insult," Athena huffed.
"I will admit myself surprised, Captain. Not many of your species know of Taetrus nor its importance to the Hierarchy and the Turians in general."
"I have great respect for the Hierarchy, General. Unlike a lot of humanity and your own people, I don't hold any animosity for the Relay 314 Incident. The entire thing was avoidable, both sides made mistakes. I've always held my own judgement about things, General Verus. I fought alongside many of your people in this war and before, I would like to think that has given me a greater understanding and compassion for your way of life and your people as a whole."
Verus was quiet for a long moment, seemingly absorbing Athena's words. "I'm beginning to realize that, Captain," he said finally.
Garrus and Joker exchanged an amused glance. There she went again, changing people's impressions of her and humanity without the slightest effort. Garrus could hear it in Verus' voice, the General was clearly caught off-guard.
While they had been talking, the Valiant continued to lead them ever closer to Palaven, arcing away from the main bulk of the fleet. A large dreadnought hovered on the outer edge, surrounded by a patrol of smaller fighters.
"This is Relentless, one of our foremost craft. She's the largest surviving dreadnought in the fleet, as well as one of the oldest. The Relentless has served in major battles dating from the Unification War onward, earning many honors along the way. She's still an active member of our fleet, with some of our most decorated officers in command," Verus explained, a tone of respectful awe in his voice. "The Relentless is your destination. You will be contacted shortly with information on how to proceed."
"Thank you for your escort and your time, General Verus," Athena said promptly.
"The honor was mine, Captain," Verus answered, as the Valiant turned away.
No sooner had Joker closed the comm than it pinged, once again reaching both the Okinawa and the Normandy.
"Okinawa, Normandy. This is the comms officer aboard the Relentless. Our commanding officers are finishing prepping things for your arrival. I am to direct you both to send over shuttles to our docking bays. Admiral Hackett, please bring whoever you feel necessary. Captain Shepard, your entire crew has been invited over for the ceremony. The Council will have instructions afterward on the celebration gala."
"Understood, Relentless," Joker responded. "Normandy out."
Spinning around, he smirked at Athena and said, "So we all get to go, Captain. Neat, I've never actually seen the interior of a Turian dreadnought before."
"None of us besides Garrus would have, Joker," Athena rolled her eyes at him. "Our regular crew will stay behind and man the Normandy. EDI, are we in close enough range from the Relentless for you to maintain control and come with us?"
"We are, Shepard."
"Good. Neat uniforms and good manners all around, Joker. Neither myself nor Admiral Hackett want anyone embarrassing us tonight."
"Yes ma'am," Joker said with a solemn salute, before adding indignantly, "do you really think I would do anything else, Captain?"
"With you, Joker," Athena answered wryly, "anything is possible."
If the Relentless appeared massive from the Normandy, the interior only reinforced that. The turian dreadnought's sheer size was mind-boggling, enhanced by the clean, sharp lines and sleek, angled bulkheads. Hallways were wide open and well-illuminated, without any form of obstruction in the corridors. Doorways were well-concealed, sliding open at oblique angles with enough height for the tallest of the lean, angular turians.
Once they boarded, Athena was respectfully led off in a different direction to a private crew quarters area to prepare for the ceremony. Liara went with her, to help her with the Spectre uniform. Athena hadn't even realized that the Spectres had their own dress uniform, she'd never worn it.
The asari Councilor, Tevos, had realized this, sending it ahead to the Relentless. She had apparently gotten the sizing from Liara, as her friend explained.
"Tevos realized you had never attended any formal functions in your duties as Spectre, so she sent the uniform ahead. She knew I was friends with you and likely had your sizes, so it's tailored to you properly. Tevos is known for being practical like that, she's one of the most respected Matriarchs of my people," Liara said as they walked.
"Well, I'm thankful for her practicality," Athena said, bemused. "I never even knew the Spectres had their own uniform. Everything we do is usually based on discretion and stealth, being able to identify us with a uniform is a bit counterintuitive."
"It's yours for the rest of your life," Liara told her. "If you attend any function in the future where the Council is there, you'll be expected to wear it. Not many Spectres reach retirement age, nor chose to actually retire. The Council changes every so often, they like knowing who has served them in official capacity so that they can thank them properly."
Athena made a noise of consideration, cut off by their arrival at their current destination. "Thank you," she said to their escort, a Turian scout by his uniform colors and gear.
"Not a problem, Captain. As I said, I will return in about an hour to lead you to where the ceremony is being held." He saluted, then briskly walked away.
They entered the room, Liara locking the door behind her. The personal quarters of a turian dreadnought were about what Athena had expected, sparse with the same sleek lines that characterized the rest of the ship. It was very modern, with minimal frills and personalization.
"Very utilitarian," Liara commented. "Which is about right, considering. Turians are about social contributions and personal and collective honor, not cushy comforts."
Athena snorted, but didn't contradict her. Outside the large picture window, they could see a portion of the fleet they had flown past earlier, looking like tiny toy models from this distance.
Opening a series of packages, Liara gave her a couple of pieces and teased, "I think you can figure these bits out."
Athena laughed. It was a crisp white shirt, black trousers and a long-sleeved black tailored jacket. "I'm sure I'll manage."
She went into another room and pulled them on, taking care not to crease the pressed, stiff fabric. Whatever material it was, it had a very stiff feel for how thin it was. Athena wouldn't be surprised to find out that it had shielding or some type of armor plating woven into the fabric. The buttons on the top were made of a silvery material, set off-center to the right. The piping over the shoulders, the collar, the trim and down the front panel was all a rich silver as well.
The trousers were stiff and straight, falling to her ankles. The outside central edge had an inch-wide white panel from her hips to heel, bordered in more of that fine silver piping. The shirt was pure white and made of a soft, silky material, without sleeves. It tucked neatly into the trousers underneath the jacket, which reached to just below her hip. The whole thing was tailored exactly to her size, with small triangular cuts above her hips to allow for movement.
Testing the flexibility with a roll of her shoulders and a twist of her back, Athena was surprised to find that the material was actually fairly giving, allowing a range of movement she wouldn't have expected for a formal uniform. Though it made sense for the Spectres, elite agents as they were. One never knew when something was going to pop up. Though, whoever had designed the uniform was paranoid indeed.
Exiting the room, she folded up her casual uniform and tucked it into the empty box, seeing that Liara needed a few more moments to sort out the various pins and medals that went on the uniform.
"Right, I think I've got this sorted," Liara said. "Luckily, Tevos sent instructions for how it all goes, it was just sorting which medal was which."
A bright silver copy of the Spectre insignia went onto each shoulder and the left side of the stiff mandarin collar. The ranking bars from the Alliance, in silver instead of gold, went onto the right breast area. On the left went a pin miniature of the Citadel, representing the attack by Sovereign. Next to that went a round pin with the Council symbol for saving the Citadel from Cerberus. Below was a pin with a miniature of the Omega Nebula, for the Collector mission. Next to that was a pin with a relay on it, which was apparently the neutral design chosen for the Reaper War. On both sides of Athena's wrists were additional pins in the shape of tiny glittering stars.
"Very shiny," Liara said with a grin, stepping back.
"I'll see you soon," Athena said. "Thanks for the help."
"Anytime, Shepard." Liara walked out.
Liara moved at a brisk pace through the Relentless, having knowledge of the dreadnought's layout thanks to Glyph and some research once they knew their final destination. She gained a couple of passing looks from turian soldiers, but most of them ignored her. Their strict military doctrine discouraged curiosity of matters above their clearance, which most turians followed with unquestioning trust.
Garrus had always been somewhat different than the majority of his people from the time Liara had first met him. Curious, somewhat nosy, impatient, a little reckless. He was one of her closest friends, and had changed the most since first joining up with a young human Alliance Commander. They had all changed since meeting Shepard, for the better in Liara's opinion.
Reaching the bridge of the Relentless, she walked through the door and skirted around the edge, noticing that they were beginning final preparations. It looked like near the entire compliment of soldiers on the Relentless were being brought onto the bridge, standing in three exceptionally straight lines that stretched the length of the massive bridge, probably close to a thousand feet in length.
Near the viewport at the head of the bridge was the rest of the Normandy crew, as well as a couple of additional turians. As she approached, Garrus motioned her over. The male and female with him shared his facial tattoos, giving Liara a good idea as to who they were.
"Liara, this is my father Castis and my sister Solana. This is Liara T'Soni, a long-time friend of both myself and Captain Shepard."
Castis nodded in acknowledgement, while Solana smiled. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Liara. I have heard much about you from both my brother and the Captain. All pleasant, I assure you."
Liara smiled, "Likewise. Athena has mentioned you both fondly. She has told me more than once she appreciates your friendship, Solana."
Solana looked up, over Liara's head. "Looks like we're almost ready," she said, nodding.
Liara turned, watching as the Councilors approached. Left to right were Councilors Sparatus, Tevos and Valern, using the same order they did in the Council Chambers. Admiral Hackett stood at a proud parade rest on the other side of Valern. Next to Sparatus were Primarch Victus and another male Turian with almost black facial plates and skin, wearing scarlet and black. "Who is that next to Primarch Victus?" Liara asked Castis curiously.
"Primarch Acanthus," Castis replied promptly. "Councilor Sparatus is also one of our Primarchs, those three are responsible for the majority of decisions within the Hierarchy that reflect the Turians as a whole."
"Quite the display of power here, both for your species and the Council races as a whole," Joker commented quietly.
"Indeed, Flight Lieutenant. It's a momentous occasion. Spectres rarely ever retire, or live long enough to do so. Certainly not ones as decorated as your Captain Shepard."
"Who is that group over there?" James asked curiously, nodding his head.
Looking over in the direction the man had indicated, Liara grinned. She had no idea who those individuals all were, but the uniform told her exactly what their position was. After all, she had just helped Athena put on one identical to it.
"They're Spectres, active and retired," she said, drawing the attention of her companions. "Athena's uniform is almost identical to theirs, other than a few different medals and a slightly different design for the human frame."
They were mostly turians, with a few asari and just one salarian present. "These ones must be not currently on active missions. I'm sure the Council wouldn't recall those who are working on recon, even for this occasion. Revealing them now would be detrimental to their work."
"Not a group I would ever want to mess with," Tali said quietly.
"Nor me," Joker commented, shaking his head.
"I think we're ready to start," Liara said, watching as the Council stopped speaking with each other, facing the doorway. The bridge fell silent, all attention focused on the leading figures in Citadel space.
"We have gathered here today," Tevos spoke, her voice carrying effortlessly over the gathered people, "for a singularly rare occasion, the retirement ceremony of an active member of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance program. The Spectres are the embodiment of an ideal, individuals who are exceptional in their field. Regardless of their talents, too few of our elite ever reach the age of retirement, nor chose to do so."
Her words must have been a pre-arranged signal, because the door leading onto the bridge slid smoothly open. Athena stepped through the threshold, stopping just inside the door. After it slid shut, a whisper of movement announced a rather extraordinary sight. Without any form of auditory or visual signal, in a long rolling procession executed with incredible precision, line after line of the turian soldiers arranged for the ceremony raised their right arm out, snapped it in a sharp saluting motion, and then stopped, holding it.
From the look of surprise on both the Council and the Primarch's faces, this had not been planned. That made it even more significant to Liara, because it meant that these soldiers had planned this out themselves as a way to honor Athena.
The surprise wasn't over, either. Without hesitation, Athena raised her right arm, splitting her face in half vertically with her palm, then snapped her arm out at a sharp angle away from her body. The movement was so smoothly done, it was as if she'd practiced it before. With a single loud echo, the soldiers dropped their salutes, dropping back into a formal parade rest stance.
"Did you show her that salute, son?" Castis asked Garrus quietly, surprise in his burring tone.
"I did not," Garrus answered, looking equally surprised. "She must have just picked that up form observing our forces during the war."
Athena started forward at a steady, measured pace. She looked neither left nor right, gaze straight and focused. With how long the bridge of the Relentless was, the trek took her quite a while. As she passed each row, the soldiers in each line executed a pivoting turn, facing the Council. They moved almost in unison, a testament to their years of training together as well as their strict military doctrine.
Finally, Athena reached a point where she was almost at the same level as the arranged Normandy crew and stopped. Shoulders back, spine unnaturally straight, she snapped a respectful salute and held it, waiting.
"At ease, Captain Shepard," Sparatus told her, his voice rumbling low with impressed respect.
Like at her Alliance retirement ceremony, Athena refused to drop to a more relaxed parade rest. She dropped her arm and rested both and her sides, retaining her straight, alert posture.
"Captain Athena Shepard, you stand before us today as a soldier of remarkable distinction," Valern started. "When you joined the ranks of our elite forces in 2183, you were already a soldier of renown amongst your people, gaining the prestigious N7 rank and the title of the Lioness of Elysium at a very young age."
"We sent you after Saren Arterius, one of our respected Spectres. One who had fallen from his way, drawn in by the power and allure of a threat we were not ready to acknowledge," Tevos continued.
"Though that road was difficult, the path hard and demanding, you never faltered from your course. Even at great personal costs, you were dedicated and determined to stop Saren," Sparatus added.
"You saved the Citadel," he continued, "and sacrificed human lives to save ours, a debt we could never adequately repay. When we presumed you to be dead, you continued to defend both humanity and the galaxy by taking your crew on the definition of a suicide run, taking out the Collectors and the threat they represented."
"The Reapers arrived not even a year later, and we have all seen in person and through vids what you have done for us," Tevos spoke. "Risking it all, time and time again, to end the threat of the Reapers. Some would have said that uniting the galaxy against a common threat would have been impossible."
"Yet," Valern said, "even though the odds were high and the stakes higher, you did the impossible. You brokered an alliance between the Turians and Krogan. You gained the assistance of the Batarian Hegemony and the notorious Terminus Systems gangs. You ended a war three centuries in the making by attaining peace between the Quarians and the Geth."
"Leading the Sword fleets, the Normandy successfully attacked the Reapers above Earth. While the costs were high, they would have been higher without your work, and every soldier in the air and on the ground knew it," Hackett spoke up for the first time. "For the last time, you did the impossible, surviving direct confrontation with Harbinger and successfully activating the Crucible."
"Yet of all of these accomplishments," Sparatus took over again, "perhaps the most astonishing of them all is the fact that you stand before us to receive these honors and praise. You proved over the course of your time as a Spectre, again and again, not only the worth but the mettle and integrity of humanity. Without your actions, we would not be here to give you our most sincere thanks."
Valern looked to the gathered Spectres, motioning. The sole salarian Spectre stepped forward. "You may recognize Jondam Bau, Captain Shepard. You worked with him on the Citadel during the war. He insisted on being here today to present you with this."
"Captain," Bau spoke, facing Shepard, who had turned in his direction. "You have proved over the course of this war to have the canny intelligence and planning worthy of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance unit and the Salarian Special Tasks Group that it was based on. As a token of gratitude from the Salarian Union, I am glad to present you with the Silver Dagger, one of our highest military honors."
He stepped forward, pinning the dagger neatly on her left side, along with her other medals and awards from the Council. Then he stepped back, rejoining the other Spectres. Around Liara, a few voices were murmuring quietly in surprise, discussing the honors bestowed. Shepard was only the second non-salarian presented with the honor, the first being the late Ashley Williams.
With a small quick twitch of his jaw that might have been a grin, Primarch Victus stepped away from the other two Primarchs, facing Athena on her left. She pivoted sharply to face him, somehow retaining her composure despite the shock of the Salarian Union's 'gift'. Since she had cured the genophage over the Dalatrass' protests, Athena had told them she hadn't expected much from their relationship with the Salarian Union afterward.
"Captain Shepard," Victus inclined his head. "When you came to Menae to retrieve me for the summit, I had heard much about you. However, I had never actually seen you in action myself, nor been near you long enough to judge your character. From the moment you assisted my garrison in driving off Reaper forces to the moment I left the Normandy after the genophage was cured, I quickly realized why members of my species were so impressed by you."
"Your character, actions, words and mannerisms are very similar to the Turians. Without even trying it seems, you embody characteristics of our military doctrine that some of us spend a lifetime chasing. Your integrity and strength of will are a formidable thing, as is the respect and dedication shown by your crew through insurmountable odds. I am proud to consider you a friend, Captain Athena Shepard, and pray that it remains so."
"While this presentation was a unanimous decision, I am glad that I won out on the honors of being able to present you with this. Captain Athena Shepard, I am honored and proud to present you with the Star of Palaven, the highest award offered in the Turian Hierarchy."
As he gave her a sleek, slim case, very quiet rumbling broke out. Liara looked over to Garrus and his family. They all looked absolutely floored. The Star of Palaven had only been handed out a hundred or so times over their 15,000 years of history. It was an award given to their retiring Admirals, or other high-ranking military officers that had served since the Unification War. It spoke, more than anything, of their enormous respect for Athena and all she had accomplished.
Athena sketched a quick salute and once again turned to face the Council. Liara could tell she was more than a little rattled by the series of shocks that they kept giving her. That was the thing that amazed Liara, that Athena would never expect or want to receive these kinds of things.
Finally, she spoke. "Thank you, Councilors, Primarchs. The things I have done in my career could never begin to repay the honors you have shown and given me here today. The threat the Reapers represented to the galaxy was a threat I would never have been able to turn away from. Certainly not if I ever wanted to be able to look myself in a mirror. All of these things that I have done, I did because they were the right thing, the only thing, that I could."
"And that," Sparatus said, "is exactly why they are so remarkable, Captain Shepard."
Admiral Hackett stepped forward, prompting some surprised mutters. Liara watched curiously, as Athena seemed to know what was going on by the widening smile on her lips. She said something quietly to the Admiral, who nodded. Turning at an angle so that he was facing not just Shepard, but the Council and gathered people as well, Hackett began to speak.
"I have been asked, more than once over the course of the war," Hackett began, "why Shepard? Why did I trust one woman, no matter how remarkable, with gathering the alliances we would need? Why did I put her under impossible conditions again and again? Why did the Alliance give her so much authority?"
"I could say that the Captain's record proved her worthy. I could say that by saving the Citadel, she had proved she would do what was necessary. I could even allude to her saving Elysium, saying that her courage was above that of any other soldier in the Alliance."
"While all of these would be true, there was another reason I always trusted Athena to do what must be done. A reason that she remained independent, though her actions would have earned her a place in the Fifth Fleet over and over again. A reason which until now, neither one of us could acknowledge. You see, from the moment Athena enlisted to the moment she retired from the Alliance, I had no direct control over her career, despite being the leader of the Systems Alliance Navy."
"Sometimes trust runs deeper than just loyalty, dedication and courage. Sometimes it has to be based on something more permanent than mettle, inspiration, and the ability to gain and hold loyalty. Sometimes, when the times get tough and the decisions tougher, you have to turn to those closest to you."
"The reason why I always trusted Athena with these impossible decisions and orders is simple. Athena Shepard is my daughter."
Shocked chatter broke out. The Normandy crew exchanged stunned glances. Garrus in particular looked… astonished.
"We have never been able to claim this bond until Athena retired from the Systems Alliance. She insisted, wanting there to be no accusations of favoritism in her military career. All the honors and titles she has earned have been on her own hard work and dedication. It is only now that I am able to say that she is my daughter, and that I am incredibly proud of her."
He stepped back, and a still obviously surprised Tevos spoke the traditional closing words.
"We acknowledge your retirement, Captain Athena Shepard, from the active records of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel. Your records are sealed, only your achievements remain. Go in peace, Captain."
Outside, mimicking her other retirement ceremony, dozens of ships in the Turian fleet fired off celebratory rounds, streaking through the air around and above the Relentless. Around the room, spectators began to clap slowly, the sound building into a cacophony of noise. In the middle of it was Athena, who finally relaxed, smiling at little as the Councilors approached, shaking her hand and saying a few private words.
Liara smiled, a few tears streaking her cheeks. They were all amazed at the information they had just learned, but she was caught up in the moment. Liara was very proud of Athena, and happy for her. It had been an incredible career, and the normal life of her best friend was promising to be just as incredible. No one deserved it more.
Directly afterwards, Athena met her crew and the Councilors inside a side chamber. Garrus was curious as to what she had to say in private, especially after the mind-blowing events of the past hour or so. He knew his people respected Athena, but respect was one thing. The honors she had been offered by the Turians and Salarians? Garrus was aware that she was only the second non-salarian to get the Silver Dagger, and he damn well knew she was the only non-Turian to be given the Star of Palaven. Their highest military honor had been earned by few of his own species, let alone outsiders.
And then there was that nice little shocker of her being Admiral Hackett's daughter! She had never even hinted at that, maintaining a cool professionalism with the man whenever they interacted. He had not expected his beloved to be the daughter of the Commander of the entire Systems Alliance Navy. Luckily, despite being a First Contact War veteran, Hackett appeared to have zero grudges against the turians themselves, much like his daughter.
"The reason why I wanted to speak to you in private, Councilors, Admiral, is because there is a piece of information I have yet to disclose. In the interest of only telling this tale once, I chose to wait for my retirement from the Spectres. The information, as I'm sure you may have guessed, is specifically what happened after Harbinger fired on Hammer, and the events leading up to the activation of the Crucible."
Garrus sucked in a sharp breath. Athena had never given any indication that she wanted to speak about this, now he understood why. She still looked incredibly reluctant, but she wanted to put it on the record. "I ask that you allow my crew to remain here for this discussion. I want them to understand what happened as well, but I don't want to have to speak about this more than once."
"Of course, Captain," Tevos said. She stepped forward, set a small disc on the table, and tapped a few times on her omni-tool. It began to glow, though it made no other action or any sound.
"When you are ready, state your name and rank, then begin."
Athena took a deep breath, appearing to steady herself. "Captain Athena Shepard, Systems Alliance retired, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance retired."
"Immediately after evacuating my squad via the Normandy SR-2, I turned back to the Citadel beam and once again started in its direction. The sound Harbinger made rang in our ears, the rush of air from the beam knocked several soldiers from various species off their feet. Harbinger fired steadily, their laser arcing in broad strokes that would hit and kill dozens at a time. I stumbled, hit the ground on my knees."
"When I stood, I was looking directly at Harbinger. The Reaper turned towards me, angling the laser in my direction. I would not be able to dodge in time. So, I stood my ground, refusing to give Harbinger the satisfaction of seeing me running. When the laser reached me, I knew an instant of pain and bright red light, then nothing."
"I regained consciousness what must have only been moments later. I could hear Major Coats calling back the remainder of Hammer forces, ordering a retreat to the buildings for cover. I heard someone ask if they had gotten anyone to the Beam and they replied in the negative. I knew, despite whatever state I was in, I would have to reach the Beam."
"Getting onto my hands and knees alone almost cost me my consciousness. I was in a haze of pain and noise, sounds around me faint and echoing. My sight was attempting to fail me, to drag me back under. I resisted, picking up a pistol with what little strength I still had left. My pace was slow, staggering. The pain I was in was immense, I could feel every burn, every broken bone. Somehow, I remained on my feet, managing to take out two husks that attacked me as well as a sole Marauder, even though it dropped my to my knees with a bullet in my left shoulder."
"I picked up my pace as my sight began to fail me, a shuffling jog that carried me into the middle of the beam. White, silver and blue light filled my fading sight and I once again lost consciousness."
Around the room, silence reigned. Garrus shook himself a little, startled to realize that he was holding his breath. Listening to this was more difficult than he had expected. The Councilor's faces were solemn, serious. They let Athena pause, gathering her thoughts and her courage, as her face was slightly ashen.
"When I woke, I was in a section of the Citadel I had never seen before or since. A keeper was near me, sorting out inorganic materials from the piles of bodies. It was dark, with a dim red lighting. Around me were piles of bodies, hundreds, perhaps thousands. As I pulled myself to my hands and knees, someone spoke. It was Anderson."
The crew of the Normandy tensed slightly, hearing the name of their friend and former commanding officer. They knew Athena had probably been there when he passed, but none had ever asked her about it.
"Anderson said he had followed me up, though we didn't come out in the same area. Presumably the beam led to several different stations where bodies were sorted, perhaps by race. As I pulled myself to my feet, he said that the area reminded him of my attack on the Collector Base. We speculated that they were beginning the process of creating a Reaper, sending the bodies of the dead and living up to be processed."
Garrus shuddered a little, remembering the Collector Base and the central chamber where they had rescued the Normandy crew. That had been a grim scene. Anything similar to that would be difficult indeed to witness.
"We both set out, aware of our goal. Anderson reached an open area first, I soon followed. He mentioned a console, and I told him not to get too far in front of me, just in case. He fell silent. I tried to contact him a couple more times, then just tried to reach the platform he had found as quickly as possible."
"He was standing in front of a control panel. When I spoke his name, Anderson turned, but he wasn't in control of his own body. His movements were stiff, unnatural. He tried to speak, but couldn't. The feeling that took over me next is difficult to describe. It was like the worst headache you've ever had, multiplied a thousand-fold. It was immense pressure, forcing over me like a drug. I couldn't move, the muscles in my body went rigid."
"The Illusive Man stepped out of the shadows next to me."
The Normandy crew made several angry sounds under their breath at the name. Garrus shook his head, Athena's words beginning to make a horrible sort of sense. After all, they'd seen the videos on the Cerberus headquarters of the Illusive Man deliberately taking implants with Reaper technology in his desperate desire to control them.
"The Illusive Man spoke to me, told me that he'd warned me. His ultimate goal was control of the Reapers, and of us. He was the one who held us unable to move, to defend ourself. Using his implants and the studies he'd performed at Sanctuary with Henry Lawson; he'd achieved some form of Reaper indoctrination."
"He went on to talk about how humanity had advanced far beyond our own reach with the discovery of the Prothean ruins, and how the Reapers would advance us even more. He bragged about how studying the Reapers and their indoctrination had leant him understanding, talked about how advanced they were. He took control over me through the cybernetics that Cerberus had rebuilt me with."
"Under his control, I raised my pistol and shot David Anderson, just once, in the abdomen."
And suddenly, Garrus understood the last of her crushing guilt. She had thought it was her shot that killed Anderson. He shook his head a little, wanting to go to her. But he stayed put, watching her. She took a couple of deep breaths, closed her eyes briefly, and continued.
"I talked down the Illusive Man, who himself had been indoctrinated by the Reapers. Once he realized it, he, like Saren before him, raised his pistol and committed suicide by gunshot. I stepped forward and opened the Citadel arms, collapsing next to Anderson. We spoke briefly. After a momentary lapse in the conversation, I said his name again. He didn't respond. When I looked over, he was gone."
Athena looked down, falling silent for a handful of heartbeats.
"I'm not sure if I dozed off or fell unconscious again, but the next thing I was aware of was Admiral Hackett contacting me. He told me the Crucible was docked but had yet to activate. I crawled towards the platform, but was unable to spot anything. Almost passed out on the deck, I became aware that it was rising in the air, through the roof of the platform."
"In front of me was a shimmery being, translucent. It took the form of one of the first casualties I had seen on Earth, a young boy. It was see-through and shimmery, taking concentration to actually discern from the ripples in the air. Around us was machinery, above the open space, with Reapers and the allied forces still fighting."
"The 'boy' introduced itself as the Catalyst. We had thought that the Citadel itself was the Catalyst, but we were wrong. The Catalyst was the name of an old, advanced artificial construct. The same one constructed by the Leviathan millennia ago to solve the conflict between organics and synthetics. It explained that the lasting peace it sought had not been achieved, leading to the successive 'harvests.' It was convinced that it was saving us by storing our collective intelligence in the form of a Reaper, modeled after Harbinger, the first."
"When I asked why it was bothering to explain all of this to me, it said that I was proof that the solution of the Reapers was no longer going to work. It indicated that the Crucible was a power-source to create change, but due to restrictions in its construction, the Catalyst couldn't create these changes itself. I was left with the power to decide."
"I could take over the Reapers, forcing them under my control. It would kill me, absorbing my physical form, but my intelligence and what had made me human would remain. The second option was to destroy the Reapers, as had been our original goal. The Catalyst warned me that the relays would likely be destroyed, as would the Geth and all other synthetic life. Others would be negatively affected, as we used synthetics in our day-to-day life, as well as individuals like me who have cybernetic surgery."
"The Catalyst also presented a third option, a supposed perfect solution. I could throw myself into the Crucible energy, adding my own physical energy to that of the Crucible. By breaking down my physical self, it would allow the Crucible to meld organics and synthetics into a new DNA framework, giving synthetics understanding of organics and vice versa. However, the Catalyst itself said that they had tried something like it in the past and it had failed. More than that, the Catalyst itself was a synthetic creation, was it simply attempting to avoid destruction?"
Athena paused briefly, then continued. "I couldn't make that kind of decision for all life in the galaxy, forcing that kind of change on us. So, I made the only decision I could, and forced myself over onto an adjacent platform. I fired upon a massive storage chamber, releasing the Crucible's energy in the form of destruction. As the pipe exploded and darkness took over, I focused every ounce of my energy and willpower into refining the blast, trying to keep the damage to only the Reapers and their allies. But I had no idea if I would be successful or not."
She fell silent, looking down at the table in front of her. Tevos raised her arm, and with slightly trembling fingers tapped her omni-tool, turning off the small recording device. Picking it up, she tucked it into some discreet pocket before catching Athena's eyes. "I say it again, Captain, you have done more than anyone could have ever expected nor dreamed you would achieve."
Admiral Hackett caught Athena's eyes and said, "For your own personal information, Athena, your shot was not the thing that killed Admiral David Anderson. He had severe internal hemorrhaging. Even if you would have been able to get him off the Citadel, he wouldn't have lasted long."
"That is good to know, sir," she said quietly.
Tevos looked over to her gathered crew and spotted Liara. "T'Soni, I will send you the information on the gala tonight, specifically where on this ship it is being held and when. I trust you to distribute it to the others."
"Of course, Councilor."
The four members of the Council nodded respectfully at Athena and then left the room. Breaking the silent stillness, Tali walked over to Shepard, knelt next to the woman, and hugged her.
"I am sorry that you went through that alone, Athena. Any one of us would have gone with you to the very end."
"I know Tali, thank you," Athena said softly, her voice choked with emotion.
After explaining how the end of the war had happened, Athena was given a couple of hours to herself on the Turian dreadnought. She stood at the picture window of the quarters she had been directed to earlier, staring out at the drifting ships. Athena had never wanted to remember what had happened at the end of the war, but the Council and the Alliance deserved to know, as had her crew. They had been with her through thick and thin, through a suicide mission and the many battles leading to Earth.
It was strange, looking out at the Normandy, the Okinawa and various Turian craft, knowing that she was no longer considered active military. She had known the likelihood of surviving the Reaper war was low. But as she had told the Council at her retirement ceremony, she never could have backed down from the war. Just the thought of leaving it in someone else's hands was impossible to consider.
Now here she was, a retired Captain, bestowed with honors few if any other humans would achieve. The Star of Palaven and the Salarian Silver Dagger rested in their commemorative cases, her name engraved in small plates underneath. Of the two awards, she had least expected the Salarian Union's gift. After curing the genophage for her longtime friend Wrex, Athena had never thought to hear from the Salarian Union again. Dalatrass Linron had been furious, Athena well remembered her scathing note after the genophage cure had been dispersed.
Not that she had anticipated, in the slightest, the Star of Palaven. Going by the reaction of Garrus and his family, it was an exceedingly rare honor. They had already shown her more respect than she had every expected to receive from the authoritarian race with the gift of citizenship within their society. To be given what was apparently their highest military honor?
A knock on her door had her turning. "Come in," she called.
The door opened, and Liara walked inside. "The gala is in a few hours, I thought I would come a little early and help you get ready." She held up a box, which made Athena's eyes widen. She'd somehow forgotten the fact that the gala meant that she would be wearing a dress.
"Should I be worried?" She asked, half-serious.
Liara put her arms on her hips, giving Athena a look. "Very funny, Athena. There is a shower through there," she pointed to their left. "Get moving. I was going to help you with your hair as well."
Deciding that the better part of valor was simply complying, Athena walked into the room indicated, obeying her bossy asari friend.
Liara giggled a little at her self-conscious friend and said, "Don't worry, you look amazing. Just because it's not that military issue dress you wore to any other function doesn't mean you need to be so nervous, Athena. Remember, fine clothes themselves can be a form of armor."
"I'm just not used to wearing anything this… fancy. Are you certain that this works for me? I know it's based on an asari style, and I don't have the figure you do," Athena said quietly.
"It's perfect," Liara reassured her. Winking, she added mischievously, "Garrus isn't going to be able to keep his eyes off of you when we join them."
As Liara had guessed, the words put a slight dusting of color on Athena's high cheekbones. But really, that dress wasn't just fitting for the slender human woman. It was fabulous. A rich dark blue fading into black, it left her shoulders and neck bare. Crossing over the front of her body, the fabric left a section of her abdomen exposed, and most of her upper back. The long skirt was asari silk, with tiny dark beads in the fabric that caught the light and sparkled. Luckily, Athena was already comfortable with combat boots that had wedge heels, so the shoes had a lofty heel as well, adding just a little bit of height.
Around her neck was a three-tier choker with a central stone that shifted colors depending on the light. Her hair, almost reaching the middle of her back when down, was lifted up into a stylish display of curls, with a few tendrils left loose around her ears. She was getting looks from people they passed, who all looked startled as they realized that the beautiful human woman walking by was the same Captain they had honored earlier that day.
"We need to go and greet the Council and the Primarchs first," Liara said, "as a courtesy. The Council because this is their gala. The Primarchs because they are hosting the event and this is their home system."
Athena nodded, and they set off through the crowd of finely dressed people to find the aforementioned individuals. Liara knew they stood out from the crowd, she was wearing a gown in shining silver and white, which caused Athena's darker dress, black hair and silver eyes to stand out even more. Along with everything else that Shepard was unaware of, she seemed to be oblivious to the fact that she was in fact a very beautiful human being.
The lack of armor or even a uniform was even more obvious now, as Athena's pace was very light and she almost glided across the floor. Without the pressure of a war and her rankings on her, her shoulders were lightly thrown back and her eyes softer, more relaxed. Liara was beginning to see what she would be like as a normal person, and it made her smile. She was very glad that this extraordinary person called her a friend.
Athena was actually the first to spot the Council, nodding in their direction. They cut a smooth path up to the four individuals, Admiral Hackett was standing with them in his dress blues, talking quietly with Tevos. Liara was still shocked over the information from Athena's ceremony, she had never had even the slightest notion that Athena was the Admiral's daughter. Valern was the one to notice their approach and called out, "T'Soni, Shepard. It's good to see you both."
"Thank you for the invitation, Councilor Valern," Athena said, a small smile on her face. "We've had too few occasions to actually take in the fact that the war is over, with the recent intense focus on rebuilding and recovering our lost."
Liara caught the quick, surprised expression on Victus' face when he turned and saw them, before he hid it. Her lips twitched in amusement, clearly the Primarch had not expected Athena to look quite so… different. It was one thing to see the fierce Commander or Captain Shepard, a dedicated fighter. The slim, attractive figure next to her was another creature indeed.
They greeted Tevos, Sparatus, Victus and Acanthus before making their departure, wandering through the crowd. Letting go of a quick, rattled breath, Athena snagged a pair of champagne glasses off of a passing waiter's tray, marked appropriately. She handed one to Liara and took a quick sip of her own, causing Liara to laugh.
"That wasn't that bad," she teased.
"I'm not the best with formal or political situations," Athena said wryly.
"You handled it very well," Liara reassured her. "Let's find the others, shall we?"
Athena nodded.
They wandered through the crowd, keeping an eye out for their friends. Liara meandered off a little as Athena was stopped by a very surprised but pleased General Corinthus. About twenty feet in front of her, Liara spotted their group. Garrus had his back to her, wearing his usual black and white dress uniform/suit. EDI was actually wearing a slim black dress, a gift from Liara. Joker was casual in an open jacket and crisp white shirt, actually not wearing his hat for once. Tali had dressed up her suit with fine silver plating and silk fabric with a rich violet and silver pattern.
Garrus' father Castis was wearing a deep blue that paired well with his pale creamy tint, while Solana looked fancy and pretty in red. The last of their party, Kaiden, wore a simple black suit with a red shirt and white tie, a reverse of the usual colors. Wrex of course was just wearing his usual armor, polished to a high shine. James and Steve appeared to be wearing their dress uniforms, probably the fanciest things they owned.
"Don't we all clean up well," Liara teased as she joined them, setting her empty glass on a tray and retrieving a full one.
Joker laughed. "It's really weird seeing everyone in fancy clothes like this. We've been fighting for who knows how long, it's hard to let go of old habits."
"Now we get to let go," Steve said with a grin. "The war is over, hopefully any future conflicts are relatively minor in comparison. We have peace, for a while, and are celebrating the retirement of a dear friend. The champagne is excellent, by the way."
Several of them laughed at his words. "It is weird, not to have to look over our shoulders all the time," Tali mused. "We have been such a target for so long. I keep remembering three years ago, when Shepard was on the Citadel, what if she hadn't come across me in that alley? What if Saren had gotten to my data first?"
"So many of the situations we faced were all hinged on Shepard's decisions," Kaiden agreed. "If she had made different choices, things may not have turned out quite as well as they did."
"Where is Shepard, anyway?" James asked, looking around.
"She's here," Liara said. "I just passed her, she spotted General Corinthus in the crowd and wanted to speak with him."
"General Corinthus is a difficult man to impress," Castis said mildly. "I was surprised to hear that he had been the one to initially sponsor her citizenship with the Hierarchy."
"That's Athena in a nutshell, really," Joker said with a grin. "She has this habit of breaking down barriers and old hurts without even trying. She just does things as she believes they should be, and endears herself to practically everyone she meets in the process."
Liara looked over her shoulder and quickly smiled. Athena was just breaking through the crowd, having spotted Liara and the others. The first person to spot her would probably be Joker, so she watched the pilot's face. It was rather comical, actually. One moment he was talking easily with Wrex and James, the next his eyes widened in surprise and he stuttered to a stop.
Letting a smile curve her lips, Liara turned, making sure that she had a line of sight on Garrus. The moment he spotted Athena walking towards them; he went very still. His gaze remained locked on Athena as she walked up. Liara resisted a giggle, clearly Garrus was amongst those who didn't really realize how pretty Athena was.
Slowly, Athena walked up to them. Pinning Liara with a look she accused, "You disappeared!"
Liara laughed. "Sorry, Athena. You were talking with Corinthus, I figured I would keep going and find the others. You found us just fine."
The woman hummed in consideration, coming to a halt between Liara and Garrus. She looked at him and flashed a small, almost shy smile. Then she looked at the group's shocked faces and said huffily, "What?"
Steve laughed. "Sorry, just not used to seeing you in fancy stuff like that. You look very nice, Shepard."
She rolled her eyes. "It's Athena, you might as well get used to it. I'm not your ranking officer any longer, Steve."
"A matter of respect, ma'am," he shot back, grinning.
Athena rolled her eyes skyward in exasperation, which made the others laugh. Spotting Solana and Castis, a warm smile crossed her lips and she briefly left her spot. "I'm glad to see you, Solana. I was hoping you would be able to come for this."
"I wouldn't have missed it," the young female said with a grin. "Turned out to be quite the occasion. I'm sure it will fuel some interesting conversations back on Palaven. Not that my father is interested in that kind of thing, of course not."
The Vakarian patriarch huffed at his daughter, giving her a reprimanding look. "You are far too cheeky at times, Solana."
"I've got to keep you on your toes, don't I?"
Castis let out a low, rumbling sigh, which prompted a laugh from both Solana and Garrus.
"See what I put up with?" he said, commiserating with Athena.
"I'm sure it's just miserable," Athena said back, totally deadpan. Then, with a smile, she said, "It's good to see you, Castis."
Before the elder turian could react, she reached out and lightly gave him a hug. He gave a small startled rumble of surprise before gently returning the gesture. "It is good to see you as well, my dear. I look forward to resuming our matches, if it pleases you?"
"Nothing would please me more," Athena was quick to reassure. "Though I may be slightly rusty at it, the closest we humans have to savarl is chess."
"Then perhaps," Castis said with a tinge of amused dryness, "there will be a few less draws for a while."
Athena laughed, shaking her head in amusement.
They stood around for a while, talking. Behind them, music began to play and the middle of the room cleared, turning into a dance floor. Some of the music chosen was asari, others turian. There were even a smattering of human and quarian songs in the mix. A few songs in, a graceful waltz-like tune started up. A few dozen pairs were on the floor, the majority of it unoccupied.
Watching Garrus' face, Liara saw the exact moment he made his quick decision. Turning to Athena, he extended a hand, 'palm' up. Without hesitation, Athena took it, letting Garrus lead her out onto the floor. Liara watched with a delighted smile as her friends, as if they'd been dancing to this song before, swept off gracefully across the floor. The implicit trust and closeness in them were obvious.
They were making a fairly difficult dance look like it was effortless. Around the room, people were turning to watch the pair, murmuring quietly to each other. Either on the beauty of the sight, or, if they were clever enough to catch on, the unusual pairing of a turian and human.
"Finally," Tali muttered. Her voice was pleased however. "They've been so quiet about being together for so long, they both deserve this."
"Wait," Kaiden said slowly. "Athena is with Garrus?"
Joker snorted. "They've been together since before the run against the Collectors. You're about the only one on the entire ship that never caught it."
"They match each other well," EDI said quietly. "Garrus picked up the improvisation and leadership skills from Athena, while she benefited from his practicality and discipline. Athena also trusts him implicitly; Garrus has been with her since her first days as a Spectre and has always stood with her decisions and leadership."
"I will admit that I was a bit skeptical of her at first," Castis admitted, the older turian watching his son and Athena intently. "Humanity and my people had a rocky start, to say the least. But she was not what I expected of a human and a Spectre. She is very dedicated to doing things the right way, and her outlook on my species is very open-minded. Garrus was in a rough place for a while after the first Normandy was destroyed. She rescued him from that, and she makes him very happy."
"They deserve this and more," Liara agreed, a smile on her face.
Athena had not expected Garrus to ask her to dance, but really, she should have. After the spicier little tango they'd shared on the Citadel, Athena had a feeling that this would become a lot more common in the future. Luckily, Garrus was an incredible dancer himself. Patient as well, good at teaching her the steps to dances she had never seen, let alone performed.
Executing small spins and turns, completely absorbed in each other's presence, it was easy to forget their surroundings. It was just the two of them, no more battles, no lingering guilt. Athena was just here, in the moment, dancing with her beloved Garrus. Finally. It felt like a lifetime since she had first met him, not four years, almost five. He complimented her in a way she had never imagined possible.
"You look amazing," he said quietly as they glided over the floor.
"Thank Liara," Athena said, amused. "I doubt I would have been bold enough to try something like this without her influence."
"It's amazing, Athena." Garrus mused. She had the feeling he wasn't talking about the dress. "I wasn't sure we would get to this point. I didn't know if you had survived the end of the war, if you would be just a memory. After having someone like you in my life," he shook his head, "any other life would have paled in comparison."
"And you claim you aren't a smooth talker," she teased, a flash of color in her cheeks. "That goes both ways, Garrus. I can't imagine what my life would have been like without you in it."
"Then I guess we are both incredibly lucky, aren't we?" Garrus mused, as the song wound down. They stopped, still standing very close.
"We are," she murmured, touching the side of his face and catching him in a gentle kiss. Around them, people finally seemed to realize what had been right in front of them the entire time. They looked on in consideration, wonder and a little envy at the pair, two halves of a single soul.
With an arm around Athena's waist, Garrus led the group out of the grand room the Relentless used for gatherings, headed down a corridor. The door he wanted slid open easily. In front of them was a viewport, with floor-to-ceiling outer windows. Just beyond the Relentless was the Normandy, shining in muted starlight. Beyond that was the curved edge of his home world, Palaven.
They each picked up a glass of champagne and gathered around, Athena looking up at him with a smile. "To beginnings, endings and everything in between," Garrus said, raising his glass.
"To friends, family, and honor," Liara added.
"To the memories," Steve said simply.
"To old friends long gone," Tali replied.
"To doing the impossible, over and over again," Joker grinned.
Athena finished it as simply as it had begun. "To the Normandy."
They all drank their glasses, then gathered around to watch the sight out the window for a few moments longer. Eventually, they would part. Wrex would go back to Tuchanka, Liara to Thessia, Tali to Rannoch. The Normandy would return to the Citadel and pick up her new commanding officer and orders. Garrus and Athena would begin their life anew on Palaven.
For now, they gathered around and gazed on the ship that had started it all, reflecting.
To the Normandy indeed, Garrus mused, smiling at Athena.
What a ride.