3/4 2186

SSV Normandy

"Rachni? Really?" Hackett asked, almost concerned… Or maybe it was disbelief. Mads wasn't sure, and maybe it didn't matter.

"Yes. Rachni. The Reapers had enslaved the Queen, and took her children as their own foot soldiers. She is probably more pissed at the Reapers than I am, if that's even possible." Mads replied.

"I get that, but are you really sure we can trust her? Not many people who have been under the Reaper's spell ever really come back." Hackett asked.

"I don't have much more than my own gut feeling to go on, but I believe her. And I won't doom an entire species to extinction just based on a 'might'. But I will take full responsibility if she goes rogue on us." Mads answered. He hoped that it would be a good enough answer. Saving the Rachni on Noveria hadn't really fallen well with most people back then, so why should it now?

"I'll hold you to that, Romanov. I suppose they could be useful… In some way or another. But good job regardless, we shut down a Reaper operation, and it would seem that Outer Heaven took care of another problem we had." Hackett remarked.

"Outer Heaven? You mean Sheridan's boys?" Mads asked.

"Yes. They took care of a problem we had. You see; Cerberus had captured a ground-to-space cannon on Tuchanka. If they had gotten that fully operational, it would have ensured heavy casualties. Luckily, he and his team neutralized the threat, and we are now in control of it. It might even prove useful in the future." Hackett explained.

"Good. He did well. William is fast proving himself an ally. Let's just hope it will help us in the future. Also, is there anything else?" Mads asked.

Hackett hummed as he tried to remember anything else that was relevant at that moment. "Ah yes. How long until that cure is ready?" Hackett asked back.

"Mordin said a few days to a week." Mads replied.

"Okay, then there is another urgent matter I need you to look into." Hackett said.

"And what is that?" Mads asked, curious what Hackett had in store for him.

"Eden Prime has been under Cerberus occupation for a little while now. Luckily for us, the citizens are resisting their rule and we have been in regular contact with them. It seems Cerberus has been doing some digging and Intel suggests they have found something, something big. We don't know what it is, but it could be dangerous. Your orders are to recover what they have found, and to help the resistance in any way you can. Is that understood?" Hackett asked.

"Yes sir. I'll get right on it." Mads answered, standing straight and saluting.

"Good. Hackett out." The figure of Hackett disappeared and Mads was left alone. He hadn't been back to Eden Prime since he was there about 3 years ago. It felt like so long ago now, like a distant memory. He wondered what Cerberus had found there. The Alliance dug up a beacon, what else might be hidden underneath the soil of Eden Prime?

As Mads walked out of the comm room and into the war room, he was met by Wrex. Wrex had already been updated on the status of the mission, but Mads hadn't told him any details, since he didn't want an angry Krogan on his tail.

"Romanov. I see you're back, safe and sound." Wrex remarked.

"Quite so. What a mess you dropped me in." Mads replied.

"So it was true with the Rachni?" Wrex asked. Mads was quiet for a little while.

"Yes, it was. And I let them go." Mads finally answered.

"You did WHAT?" Wrex, of course, turned red with anger. He had lost his finest warriors so that the Krogan's old enemy could live on? No shit he was pissed.

"Wrex; calm down. Let me explain: We need allies, more than ever. The Rachni could be a very good ally in the future. I know you are upset, and you have a right to be, but I will ask you to at the very least understand why I did what I did; I can't kill an entire race, not now, not ever." Mads answered, and he hoped it was good enough.

"But Aralakh company-" Wrex tried to protest.

"Aralakh Company gave their lives to save an entire race. The very best of the Krogan managed to keep a race from going extinct. Isn't that noble enough? You should be proud of them, and you should be very proud of Grunt." Mads explained.

"I don't know, Romanov… But I do know that I have doubted you in the past, and yet you turned out to be right. So, I'll try and accept your decision… But know that if it doesn't work out, well… It just won't be pretty." Wrex said.

"I know. I think the Rachni can change, and I think they will help greatly in the future." Mads replied. Wrex nodded in some sense of understanding. Mads just prayed that the Rachni would be of some use. He'd rather not die by the hands of Wrex.

4/4 2186

SSV Normandy, on route to Eden Prime.

"Eden Prime? What are we doing there?" Joker asked. He was confused, and so was pretty much everyone else on the ship.

"Hackett reckons that Cerberus has dug up something interesting there. We're supposed to roll in and secure it, and help the local resistance as best we can." Mads replied as he watched Joker tap away at all the buttons within the cockpit.

"So we're not doing a trip down memory lane? That sucks man. I was hoping for some nostalgia. Who knows? You might run into another badass chick down there." Joker smugly remarked.

"Don't remind me of Ashley… Haven't thought of her in a long time… She deserved better." Mads remembered.

"I think that not experiencing the genocide of all the life in the Galaxy might just be a better fate." Joker said, and Mads for the life of him couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"Maybe… But to do good things, it's best to be alive, right?" Mads asked, rhetorically of course.

"I suppose so… Was there anything else?" Joker asked.

"I see you have gotten real comfortable with your new copilot." Mads remarked. "You didn't have anything to do with it, did you?" Mads asked.

"Me? No, of course not." Joker replied. Mads still looked at him. "Okay, let me put it like this: If I had known that Edi would install herself in a new and sexy robot body, do you honestly think I would have been able to shut up about it? I would have baked a cake... Or something." Joker explained, and he had a good point.

"I am right here, Jeff." Edi reminded him, rather awkwardly.

"Yes you are, Edi. Yes you are." Joker replied, all too cheeky.

"Good to know. I'm heading down to play some Poker before we land. Ping me if there is anything." Mads ordered.

"Copy that. Have fun." Joker replied. Mads nodded and turned around to walk back down to the hall to the elevator. Before he could get very far, someone appeared behind him.

"Romanov?" The synthetic voice asked. Mads quickly stopped and looked back at her.

"What is it, Edi?" Mads asked back, confused.

"Might I ask you a question? About humanity?" Edi asked.

"Sure. Shoot." Mads said.

"It's more that… I have been asking Jeff questions regarding organics way to live, and what there is to live for. He has deflected more than one question with humor. I wonder: Could I ask these questions of you?" Edi requested. Certainly surprising in the moment, but it was probably only natural that she wanted to learn more, as AIs do.

"Sure you can. What do you wish to know?" Mads asked.

"What is the purpose of organic life? Is it just reproduction?" Edi asked, almost unsure of herself.

"Some people think it is. That's the million-dollar question though. Why are we here? You ask anyone, and they'll give you a different answer. But, Organic life can be many things. Reproduction isn't the ultimate goal… I think something along the lines of… Happiness? Content? Love and family are the things that make life worth living. But, this is something you should decide yourself." Mads answered. "That's the beauty of having free will and being self-aware: You can decide what you want from life." Mads added.

"Hmmm, that's an interesting theory. I will think about it. Thank you, Romanov." Edi almost bowed as she said that.

"No worries. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me." Mads said.

"I will." Edi promised. Mads gave her a nod, and he was off to play some poker. Not a moment too soon if you ask him.

Mads was alone at the table, the others were late, as usual. He made himself busy shuffling the cards around, making sure they were properly mixed before their session of Poker. Last thing he needed was one of them accusing him of rigging the game, as if a poker game on the SSV Normandy was worth rigging.

And in that moment, the door opened. None other than James walked in, still sweaty from his work out session. "Do you ever fucking bathe?" Mads asked as he continued snuffling the cards.

"Do you ever groom your fucking beard?" James fired back as he took a seat.

"Fair enough. You're the only one who seems to arrive on schedule. Everyone else seems to think it's fashionable to arrive late." Mads remarked as he placed the cards on the table and fished out a cigarette from his pack and placed it between his lips.

"Did it ever occur to you that you're here like an hour before everyone else?" James asked. Mads looked at his watch, and sure enough, there was still 15 minutes until the game was supposed to begin.

"You got me there. Seems I'm getting old." Mads replied.

"You're already old. I think I see a receding hairline." James commented.

"You're a cheeky son of a bitch. I'll give you that one for free. Next time you pull something like that, they'll be calling you Jimmy four fingers." Mads joked.

"At least I'll get a badass nickname… Anyway, there was something I wanted to discuss with you." James said, with a completely different change of tone.

"Yeah, you said so. Go on, I'm listening." Mads replied.

"Well, it's just that… It seems that in all this chaos, someone managed to track me down and recommend me for the N7 Program. They offered me a position and all. So, I was wondering… When they asked you to be an N7, was it a no-brainer? Or did you think about it?" James asked. Mads took a second to light his cigarette and think about the question as he inhaled some nicotine.

"When they asked me to be an N7, I was still in a state of shell shock. I had pretty much just woken up to this new and fair world and they offered to train me as one of the best. In that moment, I asked myself what my purpose should be in this life. I figured that if nothing else, I should give my life for humanity. Fight for it." Mads answered, and he was truthful.

"So you thought about it?" James asked again, still unsure of what he wanted to hear.

"The N7 Program is hard. It was probably harder than the Spetsnaz training program. It taught me a lot, and I gave a lot back. I grew a lot. For me: fighting is almost living. Out there, where it's you against the enemy. It's simple, life is hard. I didn't think too much about joining. Killing and fighting is all I was ever good at." Mads explained, rather sadly.

"It's just, I think it's a lot of responsibility-" James started, but was interrupted.

"Responsibility and hard work. This ain't no walk in the park, Mr. Vega." Mads corrected him. "But it's worth it. A once in a lifetime opportunity. But only do it if you really want it." Mads reminded him.

"So you think I should do it?" James asked.

"Yes, I do. You're certainly a capable soldier, James. I think you can do it. I'll sign whatever paperwork you want me to." Mads answered as he rose from his seat to go to the bar and grab a bottle of vodka. He brought two glasses with him on the way back.

"What? No tequila?" James asked sarcastically.

"You're not getting me to drink that Mexican garbage. Enjoy some pure Vodka and think about your decision." Mads replied.

"I will. Oh, and you will be my mentor if I do get accepted. Just so you know." James said.

"It will be my pleasure. Now, a small cheers to you." Mads said as he lifted his glass in the air and eagerly drank its contents. "Blyat, it's some good stuff." Mads remarked as he poured another glass.

Meanwhile…

Citadel.

Rorke looked through the crates that had been presented before him. In each of them, enough to fill a squad with high-grade weapons. These were all preparations for the grand finale: taking back Omega. Rorke wasn't going to lie, it would be tough. Cerberus wasn't known for being dumb, they had a lot of resources at their disposal.

Rorke cracked open one of the crates and pulled out a military-grade pistol. He studied it for a little while. It looked fine, and it appeared to be of high quality. It was a newer model, and it looked brand new. Like it had never been touched before. "Did you pick these up?" Rorke asked as he continued to fiddle with it.

"No, supplier doesn't deal with Batarians." Bray answered as he leaned up on one of the crates.

"And who is the supplier?" Rorke asked.

"Sergei the Merchant." Bray replied.

"Sergei the Merchant? You mean Sergei the sneaky fucking Russian." Rorke had never dealt with Sergei personally, but people kept talking about him like he was the best thing that ever happened in the smuggling world since open borders.

"People say he gets the highest quality out there. If what I'm seeing here is true, then I'd say those rumors are correct." Bray remarked as he too began to study one of the firearms.

"Don't lick his ass too much." Rorke dismissed. "These are fine weapons however, which means we're only missing one step." Rorke added.

"Which is?" Bray asked confused.

"Contacting the two legendary soldiers of this galaxy. Romanov and Sheridan, the biggest do-gooders you can find." Rorke spat out their names like they were evil curse words. "Anyway, you have done your part for now. Get these loaded onto our ships and stand by for further orders." Rorke requested.

"You got it." Bray replied.

5/4 2186

Shuttle, on route to Eden prime LZ.

"Now remember. We're here for whatever they dug up. If we run across anyone or anything that can help the local resistance, we send it the right way. Otherwise, focus on the objective and not much else." Mads informed them.

"What should we expect?" Garrus asked as he loaded his sniper with a new thermal clip.

"Enemy wise: Standard Cerberus troops and a science team. Nothing too fancy. As for the package: I can't tell you, because we don't know until we drop down there. But whatever it is, it is of Prothean origin." As Mads said that, he could see the eyes of Liara light up a bit. There was still some underlying fascination with the Protheans in her. It makes sense though; she had studied the area for a real long time.

"2 minutes out, Captain." Cortez said from the pilot's seat.

"Copy that. Everyone: Lock and load. This will probably get hairy." Mads ordered. They all nodded and made sure their guns were ready to go. Mads equipped his M14 and adjusted the scope a bit to make sure it would be optimal. Soon, the doors opened.

The lush garden world of Eden Prime welcomed them back into its fold. It was still a beautiful planet, all things considered. The place you could lie low. Too bad Cerberus had ruined it for the locals, as Cerberus tends to do. The moved with precision and found a few meatheads standing guard over what appeared to be some kind of container.

Mads killed them. Two shots, two kills. The fell and opened the way to the container. They all moved cautiously. They didn't know how many Cerberus troops were stationed there, and they didn't know if they had hit the dinner bell yet.

Liara was the first to get a good look at it, and she was speechless. It didn't happen often nowadays that the Shadow Broker was speechless, but this time she was.

"What is it?" Mads asked. All he saw was what appeared to be a fridge laying on a platform. He scanned the horizon for any further threats as Liara studied the object further.

"If I'm right; That's a cryostasis unit… Which means…. There is a living Prothean underneath." Liara answered with shock in her voice. Mads immediately turned around to face Liara.

"In the quiet words of the Virgin Mary: Come again?" Mads asked confused. He wasn't sure if she was joking or if that he had misheard her.

"I'm positive that it is a living Prothean! Imagine what we might learn!" Liara's head was probably running wild with ideas.

"Can we get him out?" Mads asked as he looked down at the deep freezer that apparently held a real Prothean within it.

"I don't think so." Liara replied as she looked closer. "I think we need some sort of password to unlock it, or a token maybe." Liara elaborated.

"Can't we just take a crowbar and jimmy it open?" Mads asked.

"No! That will kill him, or her. The cryo unit is probably designed to wake them up naturally, if you force it open, it will kill the Prothean… Or put it into a deep coma." Liara protested.

"Okay… Okay, I get it." Mads said as he scratched his chin thinking about what to do next. "James, take Garrus and Kaminski with you. Clear the area of any hostiles and look for Intel that can help our resistance buddies." Mads ordered. James nodded and saluted. "Liara and Riesman, you're with me. We'll look for a way to open this coffin." Mads ordered. They also nodded, and so the two teams split and went looking.

Meanwhile…

FP Glory, Outer Heaven.

"Are you sure it's her?" William asked as he took another look at the data pads he had been given by Irsall.

"Yes. No other profile matches. She was hard to track down." Irsall replied.

"Thatdoesn't surprise me. She was always the best at hide and seek. What has she doing?" William then asked as he took a sip of coffee.

"She cut ties with Cerberus, and apparently her knowledge of the organization makes her dangerous. They are hunting her. As far as my sources tell, she is looking for someone." Irsall swore. He knew that William was passionate about Mrs. Lawson. He would never understand mammals.

"And you're sure she is on the Citadel?" William asked as he looked Irsall straight in the eyes.

"I'm certain. I am however not sure what she is doing there." Irsall answered.

"Probably doing the only thing she cares about: Protecting her little sister. Alright, we'll go there." William decided.

"Might I ask why?" Irsall knew she could be a good asset to the team, but it seemed like an awful lot of trouble to little avail.

"Because she is one of the best, and we need the best. Let's just hope I can talk into coming with us. She normally likes to do things solo if she can help it." William explained.

"Copy that, Sir. I'll set a course for the Citadel." Irsall said as he left William alone to enjoy his coffee. William began to ponder how he could convince Miranda that protecting her sister was best done through them. It sure as hell wasn't going to be easy, but few things in life ever were. He downed the last coffee and went to his quarters. He needed time to think.

A vision. It was more complete than the last one he had received on Eden Prime. This time, it was even more hard hitting than the last one. The tale of a soldier, fighting to preserve the very last of his race. The burden of command leaning heavily, and the decision that affected him to the very end.

Funny how things move forward and nothing changes. How a scenario can play out exactly the same way, just with different people. Like a nice theatrical performance of a play, just with different actors. Mads could see himself in the lone Prothean, fighting against his own brethren who had gone mad with the sweet tone of Reaper words.

As the vision stopped, Mads blinked as he was back in the prefab. The screen flickered as it died. Mads looked back at the others.

"What happened? I didn't understand a single word?" Riesman was confused as he continued to look at the black screen.

"You guys didn't see or understand anything?" Mads asked confused.

"No? It must have been in Prothean! You still have the cipher, so it makes sense!" Liara exclaimed in excitement. Mads had forgotten about the gift the Thorian had given him. It too seemed like a long time ago. "What did it show?" Liara asked.

"A soldier, who had to make a tough decision about who to save and who not to save." Mads replied, finding the whole ordeal rather sad. "Come on; let's go see if there is more information." Mads suggested. The other two nodded in agreement and followed him.

The other team did their duty as well. They managed to beat back Cerberus and get a hold of some valuable information that could be useful in the hands of the Eden Prime resistance. Mads searched for the next bit of information that could unlock the Prothean. He too was getting excited with the possibility of getting a Prothean to speak to. He couldn't comprehend what he might learn, what he might see.

It was with that mindset he watched the other two visions. Whoever this Prothean was, he had been dealt a very bad hand. It's easy to kick responsibility a little further up the food chain, but what do you do when you are at the very top? When people look to you for leadership? Look to you for a future?

Javik, that was the name. Perhaps the last Prothean to ever draw breath. How would he react to the world as it was now? Was it better or worse than the one he left behind? Questions that Mads wasn't sure if he wanted the answers to or not.

Trillions of living, breathing beings have erupted in a chorus of anguish, time and time again. How could any God stand idly by and watch that unfold? The Protheans and those who came before them were subject to a great purge from the machines? Was this the literal tale of Noah and the Ark? The old must die so that the new may emerge and flourish?

No, that couldn't be it. It was impossible. Simply not true. Fighting for survival was the right thing to do. That's why he was here, why he was brought back to life. If the masses don't have a Shepard, they are lost. And if they are lost, they can't win.

As those thoughts swam around in his head, he realized he had put all the pieces back together. Like a twisted jigsaw. He could now open the metal coffin that held the last Prothean within it. James, Kaminski and Garrus had cleared the area of most of the Cerberus troops, though Cerberus was probably far from done. This Prothean was worth its weight in gold to them… As it was to him.

Mads placed his hand upon the metal coffin, and muttered some words that seemed foreign in his mouth. In an instant, a hissing sound was heard. The coffin opened to reveal the Prothean, who hadn't aged a day in 50.000 years. Seems that Mads and the Prothean could bond over shared trauma. Mads looked down at the very face of a doomed race. He wasn't sure what he thought about it, besides the fact that he was pretty ugly.

Then, the eyes of the Prothean opened. He blinked, several times. It was natural, they had forgotten sunlight. He had the same problem in the beginning, along with pale skin. Mads offered his hand to help it up, but the Prothean did not accept, it decided instead to get up on its own accord.

The Prothean looked around. He was probably confused as all hell at what had just happened, but soon his eyes filled with realization. Mads went to put his hand on the Prothean's soldier, a sign of respect… Or was it sympathy? Perhaps it was both. But, the Prothean grabbed Mads' hand, and something unfathomable happened.

It was like they connected. A bit like the mind meld the Asari do. They shared information. Mads had already seen the Prothean's life story, now the Prothean got to see Mads'. Not that it was a pretty one. "It has already begun… It is too late." The Prothean said.

"Too late for what?" Mads asked.

"Victory… Why did you wait? I was supposed to guide the next generation to victory!" Mads remembered the name from the vision… Javik.

"We understand you!" Liara was almost too excited at the possibility of what she might uncover now. Like her life's work finally made sense in some way.

"Of course. I touched the... Erh… Captain?" That word felt weird on Javik's tongue. "And I have learned the language necessary for communication. Seems that communication is still primitive in this cycle." Javik explained. The others were dumbfounded, and so was Mads.

"Cycle?" Mads asked, unsure of what Javik meant.

"Yes. The Reapers operated in cycles. We deemed that the best possibility of survival was to outlast the invasion and rebuild in the next cycle. Seems that plan was foiled. Our automatic sensors were destroyed when the station VI purged the Reaper agents. It was unable to wake us up again… Speaking off: Are there any others?" Javik asked, almost desperate for the answer.

"No. You're the only one, as far as we can tell." Mads answered, and he instantly saw what that answer did to Javik.

"Not only am I the last… But I am surrounded by primitives. Humans, Turians and Asari." Javik remarked.

"We're more than capable." Liara replied.

"I doubt that… But there is no time to waste. I need an overview. Do you have a ship?" Javik asked.

"We do. This way." Mads guided him. Javik was naturally distrustful, and who wouldn't be after being handed such a rough deal? If Mads had woken up and learned that the human race was gone, he would have probably… Actually, he didn't know what he would have done. But luckily that wasn't the case.

A few hours later…

SSV Normandy

"A Prothean?" Hackett asked in disbelief.

"I can hardly believe it myself. But it's true, a living, breathing Prothean. His name is Javik. I'll go down and speak with him a little more." Mads replied.

"I see… Well, he could be a good asset. I doubt many people know as much about the Reapers as he does." Hackett remarked.

"Indeed, and I think he is itching for some revenge as well. He will be a good addition to the team, if we can control him." Mads theorized.

"Do what you feel is necessary, Captain." Hackett said. Mads nodded. "How long until you have the cure ready?" Hackett then asked.

"Mordin is finishing the last strain. I'll speak with him after I have spoken with Javik." Mads replied.

"Good. Hackett out." And so the image of Hackett disappeared.

Mads went straight down to Javik's quarters. It was in the place were Grunt used to be. Several marines were pointing their guns at Javik, they were not sure if it was a true Prothean or not, and Mads could understand why. He ordered them to lower their guns and Liara joined them.

Mads had a long talk with the Prothean. It turned out that Javik had a lot to offer. Mostly about how primitive the Alliance and everyone else was. He talked about how good and advanced the Protheans were. He also offered an insight on what happened to his people, who they got outsmarted. How he was born into war, how it was all he ever knew.

Imagine that? That all you ever knew was suffering and death. That fighting was the only calling he would answer. That his sole purpose now as defeating the reapers. That hit a little too close to home. Javik swore revenge, and he figured that getting revenge was best done by following Mads into battle. Mads wasn't sure as to why, but Javik had maybe seen himself in Mads, just as Mads had seen himself in Javik.

So Mads had a new team member, a capable one at that. Getting the last Prothean to fight alongside him, would be a morale booster for everyone. A chance to show that the Reapers can kill everyone, that they can't destroy everything. Though Liara's vision of the Protheans was destroyed. She had painted them with Asari colors, and had been served a raw reality check instead. The Protheans were more authoritarian than anything. But, it wasn't viewed as a bad thing in the eyes of Javik.

So maybe, there was light at the end of the tunnel after all. A chance for something new. And as it would seem; the Krogan would be the first to taste hope again. A new beginning. Mordin messaged Mads on his omni-tool, to tell him that the cure was ready, and that they should meet in the war room to discuss what to do next.

It sounded like a plan.. Or at least as good as any plan.