Epilogue

Fort Vancouver Military Cemetery – Vancouver – Canada

Shepard stared at the casket in front of her, the non-denominational eulogist rambling on about how Kaidan served the Alliance and humanity with his sacrifice. It was raining, because of course it was. Her insides felt as dark and depressing as the day itself with a large crowd standing around the grave with umbrellas out to protect against the heavy precipitation.

Tali stood to her right and Ash to her left, while her other squad mates surrounded her. The entire crew of the Normandy had come out as well, and then she was surprised when half of Fort Vancouver all came to the funeral as well with Hackett, her mother, and Anderson at the front, making this the biggest military wake she had ever been to. But, despite being happy that the lieutenant was loved by so many, she still felt dead inside. First Jenkins, then Nihlus, and now Kaidan. She began to wonder if her list of fallen soldiers would ever end.

Finally, the guns were raised, and fired into the air as some of Kaidan's favorite classical music played from the stand. She felt horrible, especially about the fact that his parents, who were standing across from her, couldn't even have the dignity of burying his body. Another strike against her. His mother, a small woman with dark hair wearing a black mourning dress was crying enough to put the weather to shame while his father, a respected retiree veteran himself, simply stared at the coffin with a sad expression. Tali stepped forward and placed the omni-tool, former home of Val'eda on the coffin. She then hugged Shepard's arm tightly as the salute ended, and the casket was slowly lowered into the ground.

Turning, she hugged the quarian to her, holding her tight with one arm as her body was wracked with grief. The crowd began filing out once the music ended and the gravediggers began to fill the hole with hand shovels. Once the crowd had gone, his parents still stood there across the way. Wrex patted Shepard and Tali both on the shoulder before he too left. Garrus nodded to them both. Ash turned Tali towards her and hugged her tight, her own tears flowing as well. Once she had let go, she hugged Shepard as well, finally turning and walking away. Liara looked at them both sadly, reaching up and gripping Shepard's cheek as well as the side of Tali's helmet; then she left as well, the only ones remaining being Shepard, Tali, and Kaidan's parents.

Walking around to the other side, the pair of them faced the grieving couple. Shepard looked them both in the eyes, which was difficult for his mother given her crying. Reaching forward, she held an Alliance flag folded into a triangle shape. "I'm sorry," was all she was able to say without bursting into sobs herself.

His mother took the flag and held it to her chest as the father held the umbrella over them both. Looking down at Tali, the man smiled sadly. "You would be Tali'Zorah then?" he asked curiously.

The quarian looked up at him in surprise, sniffling loudly before nodding. "Yes."

Finally, the mother had stopped most of her crying long enough to talk. "Thank you, Tali."

Tali looked between the pair in confusion. "You're… welcome? For what?"

The father sighed heavily before answering. "Our son told us a lot about you. He said…" started the man before he began to get choked up himself. But he cleared the impulse. "He said that you made him happy. And I heard that in his voice whenever he spoke. He spoke so highly of you."

The mother nodded in agreement. "Kaidan, ever since that school he went to, has been hard to get close to, hard to read. I had never seen him as thrilled with anything as he was when he was talking about you."

Tali almost sobbed again but held back for their sake. "Th-Thank you."

Reaching back, his father pulled out a small black box and held it out for her. "Here, he had this made and was planning on giving it to you himself."

The quarian reached forward and took the small box, then opened the lid curiously. She gasped gently as she saw a small pendant with a data crystal hanging from it. The base of the pendant itself was carved to look like a maple leaf with the data crystal imbedded into the top. "It's… beautiful."

The mother stepped forward apprehensively. "Tali, we wanted to thank you for everything you've done for our son before he passed."

The quarian looked up at the woman and saw her arms opened, inviting her into a hug. With tears flowing again, she stepped forward and hugged the woman tightly. His father stepped into the embrace as well and patted the two women on the back.

Shepard smiled for the first time since the funeral started.

Human Embassy – Presidium – Citadel

Shepard entered the door of the embassy, spotting the man she wanted to see. Udina was at his desk, gathering his personal affects as Tonya, his receptionist, worked on a datapad off to the side. The former ambassador looked up at her in surprise for a moment. "Spectre Shepard; I didn't know you'd be coming by."

She smiled with her hands in her leather jacket pockets as she stepped up to him. "I'm here to negotiate with you, Councilor."

She could tell he tried hard not to smile at the title. "I'm not a Councilor yet. The Alliance still has to approve of me before I become one. But given I've surprisingly got the endorsement of humanity's shining golden hero, I guess it's not a faux pas to go ahead and use the title."

Despite his attempts to hide it, she could actually hear the cheer in his voice. She hadn't heard this since she first got Saren's status as a spectre revoked. "I'm happy to help, Councilor. I'll push back against anyone who says you aren't qualified."

His eyes widened slightly. "That would be most appreciated," he said as he set his box of stuff down. "Now, what did you want to negotiate?"

She smiled lightly at him. "I'll do my best to get you elected as the first Councilor for humanity. But in return, first and foremost, I want all charges against Captain Anderson and any of my crewmates, including Ashley Williams dropped. No assault, no insubordination, no nothing."

He nodded as he looked down at his box of office stuff. "The charges against Anderson were already dropped by High Command shortly after the captain returned from the Citadel. It turns out the Council were talking about pushing sanctions to force the Alliance to drop the charges given his integral role in getting you the Normandy. However, I myself will see that all of your crew are exonerated from whatever penalties they may have accrued for following you."

Shepard smiled, happy that the Council already had her back. "Appreciate it, Councilor. The second thing I wanted to negotiate about is the Normandy. I want her."

He was taken aback slightly at the request. "The Normandy? You can't just take one of the best stealth frigates in the Alliance for yourself."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "You're right; I can't. But you can." His eyebrows furrowed. "You have the authority to designate any non-combat ship in the navy to whoever you want. You'll have even more power to do so when you're Councilor." She tilted her head and waved away his concerns. "And about the navy, you and I both know that they're already working on the construction of new Normandy-class ships. So, this one won't be missed for long."

He let out a small sigh but nodded. "Alright then. I'll see to it that the Normandy is retired from the navy and put into your custody."

She smiled at him gratefully. "I'd appreciate that. Finally," she said, causing him to cock an eyebrow this time. "Ashley Williams and the Normandy crew are to have their tour of duty extended to the Normandy for as long as they decide to be there." He crossed his arms as he eyed her. "They helped me to defeat Saren, and if it wasn't for their help, everyone in the galaxy would be dead now."

Breathing in deeply, he let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, Spectre. Your conditions will be met."

She gave him a genuine smile. "Glad to hear it, Councilor. Now, I'll let you get back to your business. And the next time I call the Council on the comm, you better be there next to them."

Finally, after a long time of knowing the stoic man, he smiled back at her. "I'll do my best, Spectre. And…" he said as he stood in front of her. "For what I did you could have had me harpooned to a wall by a firing squad. So, I wanted to thank you for giving me this second chance."

"You look out for humanity, and you're a good politician. I know you're the right one for the job," she said, giving him a playful grin. "You just need to stop taking things personally. You are now a beacon for humanity on the throne of the highest office in the galaxy. To do that job justice, you have to be able to be objective. We're all part of one big team now and we have to work together."

He stared at her for a long moment before nodding to her. "I understand."

"Good," she said as she turned around and waved at him. "I'll be expecting the deed for the Normandy. Just send it to my email or through the Spectre Network. Whichever is easiest."

Citadel Security Docking Bay 440 – Presidium – Citadel

She stood and looked at them all. The spectre couldn't help but feel sad as she saw the three standing in front of her. Ash stood next to her and Liara on her other side. But the three before her she knew she wouldn't see for a while. She knew she'd miss them, and it was hard to process that they wouldn't be with her anymore.

Wrex stepped up to her first with a big grin on his face. "Shepard, I want to thank you. Never in my life have I been given the opportunity to become a hero of the Citadel just for blasting things to pieces with my shotgun. You've done good for me and my people."

She smiled at him questioningly. "How's your stomach?"

"Heh, no worse for wear. But the regeneration is itchy as hell," he said as he reached down and scratched his padded stomach. "Don't worry about me, Shepard. I've survived much worse than this," he said as he looked away for a moment. "I've learned a lot from you. How to get things done, how to examine myself, and how to look at my own kind. My people have gone a long time without someone to actually lead them. I think it's time for me to get them all together so we can actually work for a future instead of just pumping out mercenaries for the Council races to hire."

"I wish you luck Wrex," said the spectre with a sad smile.

Ash stepped up as well and slapped him on the back, making him cringe in pain slightly. "Don't be a stranger. Maybe invite us over to Tuchanka sometime."

He chuckled again. "Oh, you'd better get your asses there someday. You'll see firsthand the glory of the krogan!" he said as he and Ash lightly headbutted each other. "You're all welcome to come. Even the turian." Garrus looked at him for a moment. "Now, I better be off before you all start blubbering about me. Goodbye, Shepard. And goodbye to all of you," he said as he gave them one final wave before marching off towards the shuttle he was taking.

They watched him go before Garrus stepped up to replace him. He spoke a bit more nervously than the others. "Like he said. You… taught me a lot. Not only about how to lead a team, but how to look at myself and see the consequences of my own actions. And I want to thank you for opening my eyes a bit. I had been clouded by hate for so long that I didn't realize what I was becoming. Thank you, Shepard, for opening my eyes. And thank you for being a friend."

"You'll never have to thank me for that, Garrus. All I did is invigorate your clouded spirit again," she said, getting a chuckle from the turian.

Ash spoke once again, dressed simply in her Alliance Class B ACU uniform. "You and me have to drink again, Vakarian. We haven't settled the argument about which rifle is better."

He scoffed at her for a moment. "Humans always want to argue even when they know they're wrong." She smiled widely at him before he turned back to Shepard. "Thank you, for everything." She nodded to him. "Now, I'm gonna go see if I can't help on the Citadel. They need C-Sec now more than ever to help clean up all the damage that Sovereign did."

"Good luck, Garrus. I hope to hear your witty comments and you bragging about your body count again in the future," she said as she clasped wrists with him. Before he left, she took her fist and lightly pressed it to his convex chest. Reaching up with his own fist, he pushed it against her collar bone, well above her squishy parts. He nodded, and turned to Liara, nodding to her as well as he turned and left for another shuttle. Finally, Tali stood there nervously. Shepard approached and put her hands on her shoulders. "You alright?"

Shaking her head, the quarian just sighed. "No. I'm angry about many things. I lost the love of my life and one of my greatest unconventional friends. Then I almost thought I lost you," she said as she looked up at Shepard. "I'm still upset at leaving Val'eda out of the reports. She sacrificed her life in order to save us and the entire galaxy."

Shepard nodded to her and pulled her in for a hug that she quickly accepted. "I know, Tali. But nobody would understand yet, especially after the geth attacks." The spectre patted her on the back gently. "You have her sacrifice in here," she said as she reached up and tapped on the quarian's face shield. "As long as you remember her, she will never die."

Sighing heavily, Tali nodded. "I know. And I will always remember her." Reaching her hands up, the young woman fidgeted lightly. "I am to be a third rank officer on the Neema. That's almost the same equivalent rank as you were in the Alliance."

Shepard chuckled at her and patted her shoulder. "You were always meant to lead, Tali. You just needed to see it for yourself. So, go out there and get 'em Commander Zorah."

Tali giggled for a moment before giving Shepard one last long hug. Pulling away, she hugged Ash as well. "Thank you Ashley'Williams. You have taught me a lot."

Ash grinned and squeezed Tali tight before releasing her. "You're a quick learner, kid. Now, like Shepard said, get out there and show them who's boss."

Liara stepped forward as well. "I do not know how much help I will be for your cause. But if you ever need me, you can call on me for anything."

"Thank you, Liara. I appreciate everything you've done," she said before giving everyone one last look. "I… will never forget you all. Even as I build a new family on the Neema, I will always consider you all to be my family as well." She was met with three happy smiles before she finally turned away and headed to the towards the fleet transport ship.

The remaining three turned towards each other. Ash nodded to Liara. "You staying aboard with us?"

The asari nodded, her hands clasped together in front of her. "There is no place I'd rather be," she said as she smiled at the gunnery chief, then gave a small look towards Shepard.

Ash looked between the two and smirked lightly. "Alright. But keep the mushy talk between you all."

Shepard chuckled before placing her arm around Liara and pulling her close as they walked together. "Did you hear something my lovely blue space goddess?" she asked, getting a groan from the gunnery chief.

Liara smiled back playfully. "I believe she was asking me not to call you the phoenix of my heart and soul."

Ash groaned again and waved at them. "I'm going back to the Normandy to throw up. You all get a damn room," she said good-naturedly before turning away and heading for the dock housing the Normandy.

Shepard finally turned towards Liara and gripped her hands tightly. "Thank you for being by my side."

The asari placed her head against Shepard's as she smiled happily. "I will be at your side as long as you'll have me," she said before pulling away and tilting her head curiously. "Jane, do you think now is a good time to have children?" she asked curiously.

Shepard went wide-eyed for a moment before cocking an eyebrow. "Doctor T'Soni, are you asking me to meld with you again?" she asked, getting an adorable glare from Liara. "We'll see what happens in the future," she said as she gripped her hip again and began walking towards the Normandy.

Combat Information Center – SSV Normand SR1

She looked at them all, and they all smiled back at her proudly. She was currently leaning against the railing in her spot over the galaxy map. She looked from face to face as everyone gathered around the CIC. Everyone here had proven their worth to her and had risked their careers to help her out. Joker, Pressly, Adams, Gavos, every officer in the CIC and below decks. They all stood around the galaxy map and stared up at her with grins of their own.

"Alright everyone," she said as she stood straight and returned their smile. "I want you all to know that you are all my crewmembers until you see fit to leave. You came with me to fight the good fight across the galaxy from Sol all the way to the Terminus Systems. You risked your very lives and careers to make sure I was able to take down Saren. And you all deserve medals for it." The group cheered quickly and then went silent to let her continue. "Saren is dead, but there's still work to do. The reapers are the real threat here, and someone has to stop them for good. And that's exactly what we're going to do." She looked up at the turians. "Is the Hierarchy okay with you being here?"

Zannia chuckled at the spectre. "They said that our spirits are now a part of the spirit of the Normandy. So, we're likely to be here for a while."

Smiling, Shepard nodded. "You all are my family, my friends, and my crew. But as I said," she began as her face took a more serious tone. "Saren was a puppet. He wasn't the real threat. The real threat is still out there waiting to find some way to get back into the galaxy. And it's our job to make sure they stay the hell out of our galaxy!" Another cheer erupted at her words. "Let's go guys. We've got work to do, she said, causing the crowd to disperse back to their stations. Ash and Liara were the only ones left, and Shepard nodded to them.

"So, what's first?" asked Ash from below.

Shepard gave the newly minted operations chief a smirk. "Joker!" The pilot turned to her. "Take us to Arcturus Station."

He smiled. "You got it, Shepard!" he called as he pulled the ship away from the dock and flew through the serpent nebula towards the relay.

Credits:
Gamingdude
amoor
kynlei
SimonInsists
Spiderhund
SquigglySquid
The Illusive Man
Styli
Celtic Knot
MosaicCreme
The beautiful CrimsonShield75.
PersonalMoniker on the ME Writer's Discord Server.
Actaeus on the ME Writer's Discord Server.
The entire Mass Effect Fanfiction Writers Discord server.
The Beef, Bacon, Beer Discord server.
and the entire Mass Effect Odessey community.

And most of all, you all. Without you reading it, I'd just be here throwing ideas into the wind. So, I only have one thing to say. Thank you, all of you for joining me for this journey and helping me along the way. Book III will be coming. I can guarantee that. I'm going all the way with this. So, strap yourselves in as Shepard takes on the reapers in an original take on the ME Trilogy.

A list of all of the CODEX ENTRIES will be following this chapter once I compile them all. And I want to make this absolutely clear. Anyone and everyone who wants to can use their characters in the universe I've established. You can use the characters I've created. You can reference them, or outright put them in your stories if you like. But please give credit and let me know so I can read it.

See you later, Spectres.