'Damn medal,' thought Elissa as she pinned her medal for bravery onto her dress blues, her mother had insisted that she wear every medal she had ever earned as a way to remind everyone that saw her of all she had accomplished in her military career. When she was satisfied with the placement of the defiant medal, she gave herself a once over in the mirror, smoothing the top of her hair to get the stray hairs under control.

"This is the best it's going to get," sighed Elissa and she looked around her cabin, the one place that had been completely hers from the moment she set foot in there and could not be touched by Cerberus, she had even grown fond of the fish tank that contained the most colorful fish in the galaxy. Glancing over at her desk she held her breath, next to her personal terminal was her framed dog tags that Liara had given her after the mission of dealing with the old Shadow Broker, and beside them rested her helmet from her old uniform. That helmet still showed the signs of scorch marks and chips from her descent into the atmosphere of Alchera, when she had found it on the planet's surface two years after her death she had been hesitant to look into it, she feared there still might have been pieces of her still attached. Much to her relief there had not been, but looking at it now, she no longer felt a chill roll down her spine instead she felt a sense of pride knowing that she had conquered impossible feats including death itself. She was so lost in her thoughts and memories that she did not hear Joker enter her cabin.

"Ellie," said Joker from behind, startling her, "it's almost time to go." Joker too was in his dress blues and he watched her reaction to his words and it was pure melancholy, the sparkle that was usually there in her eyes had faded, he had seen this look on her before when she had lost a friend.

"Jeff," said Elissa, still looking at her desk, "I'm so sorry."

Joker moved closer to her, looking also at the helmet that rested on her desk, the knot in his stomach clenching so tight he nearly threw up, "What are you sorry for, Ellie?"

"For putting you through this," said Elissa, turning to face him now, "this was my mess and I should have cleaned it up, I should have made sure you wouldn't be taken away with me, made sure that you kept the Normandy."

"Elissa," said Joker, "if you weren't on the Normandy, I wouldn't stay on, I'd follow you anywhere, pilot anything you were on even a crappy little merchant ship."

Elissa smiled, "I would never ask you to waste your talent on a merchant ship, that'd be like putting a college professor in a kindergarten classroom, absolutely wasted genius."

Joker groaned in frustration not caring if Elissa heard or not he was trying to tell her in his own roundabout way that she was the reason he had signed on with Cerberus in the first place, that he had willingly given up almost two years of his life just to watch over her while she was being rebuilt, that he wanted to jump out of the Normandy to stop her when she went running towards the beam during the Final Battle, all because he loved her.

"Joker, are you alright?" asked Elissa, she was concerned that he might be upset or something based on that groan.

"No, Ellie, I'm not alright," said Joker and he took her hand in his, "I've been trying too hard to fight against. . . What I mean to say is, we've known each other a long time and. . . I've been trying to tell you. . . ."

"Yes?" asked Elissa, her heart fluttering in her chest.

He did not say anything, he just pulled her against him wrapping his arms around her body, snuggly holding her to his form then leaned down slightly and brought his lips to hers in a deep and passionate kiss. His body seemed to act on its own, his hands traveled to different areas, one hand on her neck his fingers twisting in the stray hairs beneath her bun, and the other one roaming up and down her back finally resting on her lower back though he desperately wanted to reach down lower. He felt her hips press against his and her thigh gently rested on his manhood, the sensation nearly bringing him to his knees as kissed her even deeper than before. She was kissing him back, with as much or more passion, then he felt the tip of her tongue run gently on his lower lip and he eagerly allowed it entry and he moaned when she ran it across his, the mint from her toothpaste overwhelming his taste buds as his tongue danced with hers.

Elissa enjoyed the feeling of his lips against hers, even the tickling of his beard was pleasant on her skin, she nearly moaned when she felt his hand on her neck working her hair with his fingers. She involuntarily pressed her hips closer to his when his hand rested on her lower back feeling his impressive manhood on her thigh, at her touch he seemed to want her more, kissing her deeper. She wanted more, to bring this to even greater heights of pleasure, so she softly ran her tongue across his lower lip and she gained entry into his mouth much to her delight. Feeling bold she ran her tongue across his and relished the feeling of the moan he released that seemed to radiate through her as well, and she wanted to groan when their tongues began to dance.

After a few more moments of being locked together in the amorous embrace of lips, they reluctantly parted, but did not release the hold they had on each other instead they stood there with their foreheads pressed together. Joker could feel his heart pounding hard in his chest though the blood was noticeably somewhere else that was becoming rather painful as it strained against his zipper wanting to be released. He looked into Elissa's eyes, the sparkle and life had returned to them, even if she told him never to touch her again he was glad that he had been able to bring her back from the dark place she was going in her mind.

"Wow," breathed Elissa, smiling, "you're really an amazing kisser."

Joker smiled, kissing her on the nose, "You're not too bad yourself, Ellie."

Elissa's smile began to fade, she wanted to keep kissing him and never stop, wanted to feel his lips on her neck and other intimate areas of her body but right now that was not what she needed to be concerned about. Right now she needed to be thinking about the fact she was going to prison, losing her ship, getting stripped of her Spectre status and throwing the lives of everyone around her completely off track. She knew she was supposed to be worried about all of those things but in Joker's arms, those problems did not seem to worry her as much as they probably should have, she felt that all was right in the galaxy as she stood there pressed up against his chest with his arms wrapped protectively around her.

"Elissa," said Joker, his forehead still on hers, "I'm not sure if this between us is going to become anything with all that we're going through, but I just want you to know, this has been the best ride of my life and the greatest reward."

"Jeff, you're—" started Elissa but she was silenced by a soft kiss that took her breath away, when she was released of the kiss, she saw Joker looking at her with an expression that made her want to never let him go.

"I know, Ellie," said Joker, and he let go of her completely, "I think we should go say good bye to everyone now."

Elissa nodded and allowed him to lead her out of the room otherwise she was not sure if she would ever leave her cabin.


While they stood in the elevator, she tired to put on a brave face but each time she thought of leaving her friends the mask would fall to the ground with a loud thud, this was not going to be easy. They finally arrived at the CIC though Elissa had wished that the ride had taken longer, when they got out they saw a line of people waiting for them each one dressed in their blues, all were there to say good bye to their commander and pilot.

"Who's leaving with us?" asked Elissa as she stared at her crew, "I could call some taxis if necessary."

"None of us are leaving, Commander," said Donnelly, stepping forward, "We are going to stand beside you and fight for the Normandy."

Elissa was touched, she had expected at least a few members to be leaving the ship, but the overwhelming support she was receiving from them was humbling, "You all know this requires a great deal of sacrifice, correct?"

"We know, Shepard," said Daniels, "but we've all talked it over and we are all willing to work together to get through this with you. We're not going to abandon our commander or our pilot."

Elissa placed a trembling hand over her mouth to stifle the sob that was threatening, she had always known her crew was fiercely loyal to her but this was more than she ever could have asked for, and she felt her legs give way. She dropped to her hands and knees, the crew rushing forward to help her but she waved them off, "I'll be fine, just give me a second." Another lie to the crew, she was not fine, nor would she be for a very long time this leaving was killing her, 'I have a duty to these people as a commander and now I can't even do that,' she thought still sitting there on the floor when she felt a reassuring hand squeeze her shoulder. Glancing up she saw Joker easing himself down to the floor, his eyes never leaving her for a moment, and for a split second she thought of telling him not to help her but then she realized that he was losing just as much as she was and somehow was still being her rock.

"Elissa, you have to get up," said Joker to her quietly but firmly in her ear, "you have to be Commander Shepard, I know it's hard, but you have to do it."

Elissa nodded, she knew she was being ridiculous but damn, it was a lot easier to stay there on the floor like a coward than being Commander Shepard. Reluctantly she stood with help from Joker and her mother, and she looked to her crew, all were smiling at her and she knew they had understood her momentary weakness.

"You are the best crew the Alliance has in its service," said Elissa strongly, her voice gaining confidence the more she spoke, "we have gone to hell and we have survived, together we faced enemies most can only imagine and we are stayed strong, this crew has singlehandedly shown to everyone whom has doubted us that we are the best. I could not have made it as far as I have without any of you, I will never forget your loyalty or your camaraderie, I consider you all my family." She looked to her mother who smiled at her, encouraging her to continue, "With any luck, I will be seeing you all again, but if not then fight for the Normandy, fight for your pilot, and most importantly fight for the chance to show those asshole politicians what soldiers are really made of!"

The crew cheered, it might not have been her strongest speech but it was the most personal one she had delivered, and she knew the crew had understood how much she loved them all. One by one, they all came up and saluted her, some stopping long enough to hug her before moving on to Joker, who was also saluted despite being only their pilot and she could tell by his face he felt undeserving of this honor.

"You've earned this," said Elissa quietly and Joker smiled at her.

"If you say so, Commander," said Joker as Daniels hugged him gently.

"We'll take good care of your baby," said Donnelly to Joker as he shook his hand, "she'll be in pristine condition when you get back."

Joker wanted to believe that he would indeed be returning but knew the reality was probably a different story though he said nothing to contradict Donnelly, "Thanks, Donnelly, I really appreciate it and I can't imagine the Normandy in better hands."

Donnelly nodded and left the queue allowing Garrus to stand in front of Joker for what might be the last time.

"How do you know when a Turian is out of ammo?" asked Joker, trying to keep a straight face.

"When he switches to the stick up his ass as a backup weapon," replied Garrus, flexing his mandibles in an effort not to smile, "Why does the Alliance hire pilots with brittle bone disease?"

"So their marines can beat someone in hand-to-hand drills," said Joker and they shook hands, out of the corner of his eye, Joker saw Elissa shaking her head but she was smiling so he counted it as a victory.

"Take care of yourself, Joker," said Garrus.

"You too, Garrus," said Joker smiling as they dropped hands. Garrus was the last person in line and Joker could feel atmosphere change when he realized this, everyone was starting to become sad as they watched him and Elissa leave the Normandy and probably to not return for a very long time. Just before entering decontamination, they both turned back to see the entire crew saluting them again, though most now had tears in their eyes even James looked like he was fighting back a waterfall.

"James, you're in charge," said Elissa, "keep the crew safe until I return."

"I will, Commander, stay strong," said James and Elissa nodded, then they turned and left the Normandy.


When they were clear of the doors, they heard the kinetic shields activate and shimmer across the sleek body of the Normandy and they knew EDI had listened to what Elissa had asked of her, hopefully no one would try to sabotage her again.

"Commander Shepard, Flight Lieutenant Moreau," said a familiar voice, "I'm here to escort you to both to the Tower."

Elissa was relieved to see Steve's boyfriend, Edward Oakley standing there in a C-Sec uniform with a shuttle behind him.

"Edward," said Elissa, "glad to see you again, wish it was under better circumstances."

"Same here, Shepard," said Edward giving her a small smile, "Are you both ready to go?"

Elissa nodded and Edward motioned for them to follow him into the shuttle, once they were settled in the pilot took off following a route that Elissa was unfamiliar with since they had not even used the elevator to get to the transit service.

"Why are we flying this route?" asked Elissa.

"It's for your protection," said Edward, "just to make sure that no one will follow you and try to harm you, it's happened before during treason trials like these."

"To who?" asked Joker, and Elissa gave him a look that told him he should not have asked that question.

"Captain David Anderson," said Edward shrugging, "He was tried for treason after Shepard died, but since he was appointed as a councilor he was found innocent, and someone tried to shoot him en route to Arcturus."

"Do you think you could answer a question that's been bothering me, Oakley?" asked Elissa, her commander voice now being used.

"I'll try my best, ma'am," replied Edward.

"Why aren't Joker and I being tried at Arcturus?" asked Elissa, standing up, holding one of the overhead bars for support, "If this is a treason trial, why aren't we being tried on Earth?"

"Probably because you're a Spectre and you both are traitors to the Council by having worked with Cerberus in the past," replied Edward, shrugging his shoulders. Elissa stiffened, suddenly she was not liking Edward Oakley much anymore, he had already labeled them as traitors without hesitating or justification.

Joker glared at Oakley, and he could tell by Elissa's rigid stature that she had detected the subtle animosity that was being projected by him as well. He was sorely tempted to call for another shuttle to take them the rest of the way to the Tower but he knew if he did that would only raise more suspicion resulting in more questions than answers.

"Where's Hackett?" asked Joker sharply and Edward stared at him a moment before speaking.

"I would assume waiting at the Tower for you two," said Edward calmly, "unless something's come up that might delay him."

"What might delay him?" asked Elissa, startled though quickly covering her surprise.

"He's a busy man with many responsibilities, Commander," said Edward, adjusting his assault rifle in his arms, "I don't which exact meeting or briefing might prevent him from making it to your sentencing."

"You know an awful lot for a C-Sec officer," said Elissa eyeing him suspiciously.

"Helps to have connections all over, as you well know, Commander," said Edward, brushing off her comment.

They remained quiet the rest of the way to the Tower, when they arrived they saw a huge crowd standing outside of it, and Elissa knew all too well that these were the worst bloodhounds in the galaxy: reporters. She sighed, this was the last group of people she wanted to see right now, all they would do to anything she said would be distort and misinterpret what she was telling them. When they landed, Edward and the pilot placed themselves behind Elissa and Joker before opening the doors to the swarm of reporters that waited beyond the foot thick metal door.

"You ready?" asked Joker, trying to calm himself down, he had very little experience when it came to dealing with reporters so he was going to go by Elissa's example when they exited the shuttle.

"Ready as I'll ever be," sighed Elissa, and she gave him a crash course in media training "Don't look any of them in the eye, if you are repeatedly hounded by a reporter with questions just answer 'No comment,' they really hate that answer, also don't mention anything in a whisper to me that could imply to them that we're hiding something. Just look straight ahead and if I start talking to a reporter, you just keep on going, don't stop and wait for me and don't talk to anyone."

"Got it," said Joker and the doors flew open and there was the immediate hum of the reporters' questions not to mention the flashes from their cameras and the lights from their orbs. He followed Elissa's instructions and did not look at any of the reporters though it was rather difficult with several of them getting close to his face, demanding answers, he answered, "No comment," to several of them which really was a repellant to them. Just then, a very familiar reporter jumped in their path, it was Khalisah al-Jilani and she seemed to be very eager to get a word with Elissa.

"Commander, is it true that you are being tried for treason for your past dealings with the terrorist group, Cerberus?" asked Khalisah, smug as ever.

"No comment," said Elissa and she tried to move around the reporter but was blocked.

"Commander, is it also true that you were responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of Batarians?" asked Khalisah, physically placing her arms across Elissa's path.

"I said, no comment, Khalisah," remarked Elissa, her tone now firm.

"Humanity is wondering how the great Commander Shepard has fallen so quickly from grace," smirked Khalisah, "You owe it to the people to give them an answer."

"She owes them no such explanation, al-Jilani," said Emily Wong, coming up from behind several reporters and she smiled at Elissa, "If anything, we owe her an explanation for turning on her so quickly and why no one is supporting her innocence."

Elissa could have kissed Emily, that was the most support she had received from the press in a very long time, "Thanks, Emily, by the way, I'll gladly give you an exclusive interview if I can as a proper thank you for your support."

Emily looked stunned but not as surprised as Khalisah, "Thank you, Shepard, I promise it will only be questions you're at liberty to answer."

"Why does this bitch get the interview?" asked Khalisah, angrily though she was not aware that she had angered Elissa a great deal now.

"Because she is ten times the reporter you are, al-Jilani," snapped Elissa fiercely, "Emily has always been for making the galaxy a better place, unlike you, and I will always be proud to affiliate myself with her over you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to my trial."

Elissa pushed passed both of the reporters with Joker following closely behind her, tempted to give Khalisah a gloating smile but decided against it when he saw her face, so he just walked by her giving little if any expression. He was rather impressed with how well Elissa had handled being bombarded by the press, if it had been him, he would have given them every smart-ass answer he could come up with.

"You're really great at this," said Joker as they entered the Citadel Tower, luckily for them Edward and the other guard were keeping the reporters from entering behind them.

"Thanks, Joker," said Elissa giving him a small smile as they ascended the staircase, her legs feeling more and more like jelly the closer they got to the top.

"Where's Hackett?" whispered Joker to Elissa when he noticed the admiral was no where to be seen.

"Your guess is as good as mine," replied Elissa in a whisper, she was looking around for him but there was no sign that he was waiting around or had been there at all. When they arrived at the top, she half expected to see him standing there waiting to greet them but there was no one there to meet them.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Elissa," said Joker uneasily as they stood at the podium, waiting for the Councilors and the other admirals and generals to arrive, Edward and the pilot were stationed behind them. Strangely, there were several other C-Sec officers stationed around the platform behind the podium where they were standing.

"I agree," said Elissa, she heard a door opening then looked to her left only to wish she had not, Major Kaidan Alenko had just entered the chamber with General Windsor.

"Shit," she heard Joker say, and she knew he had seen him too.

"Something's up," said Elissa, watching as the rest filed into the room, no one even looking over at Elissa and Joker.

"What should we do?" asked Joker, he had sensed something was wrong as soon as he saw Kaidan enter the room.

"Stand here and face the music," sighed Elissa, she knew they were done for even before the trial resumed.

"We call to order this trial," said the Turian Councilor, "would the accused please step up to the podium."

Elissa sighed and moved up a step, Joker did the same, both feeling uneasy about all of the eyes that were on them as they stood there completely exposed.

"After reviewing both of your psychological evaluations and the evidence for the charges brought against you," said the Salarian Councilor, "the generals and the Council have reached a verdict. We find the accused Commander Elissa J. Shepard and Flight Lieutenant Jeffery P. Moreau guilty of all charges." There was a huge outcry from some of the generals, protesting the verdict, wanting to challenge the final decision of the Council.

"I was not aware of this!" shouted General Rowland, obviously angry.

"I did not agree to this verdict!" proclaimed Flight Admiral Washburn his face red with rage, "I demand to know why they have been found guilty!"

Elissa lowered her head trying to control her own rage, even though she had expected the verdict, it was still a cold blow.

The Turian Councilor raised his hand to silence the room, "You are hereby sentenced to spending the next ten years in the Citadel Security Intergalactic Prison, you are henceforth stripped of your ranks of Spectre, Commander, and Flight Lieutenant. The war frigate Normandy has been granted by the Alliance Brass to be put under the command of Spectre and Alliance Major Kaidan Alenko as has her crew to assist him in fulfilling his duties as both a soldier and as a Spectre."

Elissa stood straight up, looked around the room her eyes lingering on Kaidan who had moved closer to the door, she had a feeling that as soon as she and Joker were taken into custody he was going to storm the Normandy.

"You will now be taken into custody and taken to the Intergalactic Prison," said the Turian Councilor, resulting in more outcries by the generals. The C-Sec officers that had been standing on the platform swarmed around them, guns pointed at them though it was unnecessary, and several of them grabbed Elissa and Joker by the arms and shoulders to restrain them.

The officers that grabbed Joker purposefully applied enough pressure to cause him to yell out, "Watch the arms!"

Elissa looked over as she was being dragged away and saw what they were doing, enraged that they were deliberately trying to hurt him, "Ease up on the pressure, you bastards, you could kill him!"

One of the soldiers just smiled at Elissa as he started to bend Joker's arm the wrong way, bringing him to his knees from the pain and Elissa began to fight against the men who were trying to drag her away, "Either treat him right or I'll kick your ass!"

The guards just laughed as they pressed harder on his arms and shoulders, and she saw the pain it was causing him, when she saw a point of leverage she took it and broke free of their grasp, running to Joker's aid. When she was less than three feet from the nearest guard she gave him a roundhouse kick straight to the jaw, knocking the one officer right on his back, then she moved to the other guard and kneed him in the chest, using the momentum to throw him backwards against the railing. The guards that had originally held Elissa were now returning to seize her once again but she stood there, her arms held up, ready to defend herself. Joker was still laying on the floor wracked with pain from his now broken arm though he had been quick to set it the best he could despite the immense pain.

"Come one step closer, and your ass is mine," snarled Elissa, and she carefully turned to Joker, making sure that none of the guards were going to jump her the moment her back was turned. Lowering herself, she helped Joker up to the standing position being careful not to move his arm as the stood, her arms wrapped protectively around his shoulders. She then looked at the remaining guards, "You are going to escort us, if you touch either of us, it will not end well for any of you."

The guards nodded, and formed a small circle around Joker and Elissa, then they started to walk out of the Council Chamber Elissa making sure that they went at a pace Joker could handle to not jar his arm further. They made it outside of the Tower and with the circle of guards surrounding them, the press was unable to reach them though that did not stop them from shouting out questions and requests for an exclusive. When they arrived at the shuttle, Elissa helped Joker in then jumped in herself with the guards following her inside, she sat down next to her pilot feeling horrible for putting him in this situation.

"Jeff, please forgive me," said Elissa quietly as the shuttle took off, "I didn't mean for this to happen, I wish I could change this."

Joker looked at her, his eyes showing no signs of anger or rage, "Elissa, I wish I could do the same, neither one of us deserves this but I'm glad I get to go through it with you."

"That's the only blessing in this whole situation," said Elissa as she leaned her head on his shoulder and he carefully wrapped his good arm around her shoulders. They sat there in silence, listening to the humming of the shuttle as they flew along closer and closer to the prison where an uncertain future awaited them.