There was no warning. No sensors detecting their approach. Even the geth were taken by surprise. Ships on all sides were lost in the initial attack before the new shields could be brought on line. It was almost as if the Reapers had simply appeared out of space itself. Some sort of cloaking technology perhaps. It was not an ability that had been displayed before. With no contact from Cerberus since Miranda delivered the upgrade blue prints, it made everyone suspect that they were aiding the Reapers in exchange for their own survival. It was a foolish bargain on Cerberus' part if it were true. The Reapers were not interested in other life forms. Only in any purpose that might serve themselves. The Illusive Man was not one to be foolish. That more than anything gave Shepard cause for alarm in regards to the organization.
The Normandy veered hard to port to avoid weapons fire from the lead ship. Harbinger himself was heading the attack and he was bent on destroying Shepard and her ship. Garrus fired the main guns. The blast hit the scarab like ship, but only inflicted marginal damage. Shepard ran up behind him. It was the first time she'd seen him since he'd left the Loft.
"They're taking damage, but so are we." He told her.
"We've lost three geth ships since the shields went up, four quarian. The Neema is still in play. I'm pretty sure we've lost at lest one and the volis are down to one." Joker informed her.
"Give those bastards all we've got. The end of the Reapers begins today!"
She couldn't have known how right she was because in her own mind in was a lie to rally the troops. Though many ships and many more lives were lost that day, Harbinger did not leave the battle field. It was an inspirational victory and the beginning of a hard war in what had begun as a harvest.
Recovering from the battle took days. The volis forces were decimated. The Alliance lost four ships, including Admiral Hackett's vessel. The Council races as a whole lost ten ships. The rachni's forces were depleted by a third of their compliment and the geth totaled four ships to the list of destroyed. The Flotilla's numbers had been cut in half. The Neema had been ripped apart. Few of the crew survived. Tali and Kal' Reager were among them. Non-Council races had too few ships from the start being hit hardest before the Citadel was destroyed. Their numbers were only marginally effected. Services for the fallen were held aboard the lead ship for their people's representation. After the bodies were shot into the system's suns to prevent the remains from being used by the Reapers, the armada hid on or near various moons in the system until repairs could be made.
It had been a long few days. Shifts were scheduled around the clock. The crew ran itself ragged to beat the dead line for scheduled departure. It was only a goal, but they intended to keep it. None worked harder than the Captain and her turian officers. Chakwas had to order Shepard to bed on several occasions. Once after a dizzy spell that sent the captain to the floor.
The next morning Sonya woke to find herself alone. Her belly was rounder now and she had to scoot herself over to the edge of the bed to get up. Sonya slowly got out of the bed and went strait to the toilet. She never wanted to be pregnant again with any species if it meant constant trips to the porcelain throne. She showed and dressed, trying not to worry about the baby or the Reapers and the fate of the galaxy. It was difficult to keep the thoughts away.
A few minutes latter Shepard stood behind Joker's chair as he prepared for the next jump. She glanced over at Garrus as he manned the gun controls. Nihlus was busying himself with tedious tasks to keep his mind from frying with worry. Her own anxiety must have been pouring off of her like the heat she now generated because Joker called over his shoulder to her with one of his usual quips.
"So, Captain, how long 'til we've got three turians aboard?"
She felt like putting a bullet in his head when he said that, thinking of Garrus only a couple meters away. But when Garrus simply continued his calibrations without a sign that he'd noticed, not only did she know he knew, but it revealed that he clearly wasn't dealing with the information well.
"Okay, bad joke, but still?" Joker said, oblivious. "I mean, Nihlus was best buds with the guy who was helping to destroy the galaxy and tried to shoot him in the head! I mean, how do you dodge a point black shot to the back of the head! That's gotta be worth somethin' in the sa..."
"Joker!" Shepard nearly jumped through the chair to cut him off. "Please, don't say another word!"
She gave him a few seconds to not say anything. When he kept his tongue, she decided to use the opportunity to indirectly give Garrus the details, if he chose to listen. She almost hoped it would goad him into confronting the issue before they found Reapers.
"Good. Now Dr. Chakwas and Dr. Jeron both believe I have about a month left to go because the baby is fully developed." She waddled her way between them and sat down on a dividing half beam. "We haven't come up with a name, yet. So don't ask.."
"Taevus Vakarian. Sounds strong!" Garrus said suddenly, and not with care of thought, but bitterness.
"Garrus, I would have told you. I just didn't want any negative reactions."
"I think you waited until it was a little obvious, don't you?" He spat.
"Garrus..."
The blue faced turian stood and left the helm. He needed to cool off, but she followed him. She should have known better. She did know better, but she wasn't going to let the matter remain unsettled any longer.
She expected him to go for the elevator. When he brushed passed Nihlus and went for the armory instead, her heart beat a little faster. Surely he wouldn't..., but as the doors opened he veered to the hall and the com room. He knew she was preparing for an argument with him, so he lead her to the best place to have one. The com room.
The doors shut behind her and Garrus stood, at full height and arms crossed, in front of the console table.
"It's a boy, isn't it." He said coolly.
"He is." Shepard answered and clasped her hands behind her back.
Garrus lowered his head and averted his eyes.
"Nihlus and I are going to have a son." She told him."I hoped you would be happy for us."
"He could have been mine! He could have been our son!" Garrus growled at her.
"You made your choice, Garrus." She reminded him.
"Because I thought it was the right one. Not because..." He trailed off. Telling her would defeat the purpose of being selfless.
"You didn't want to." Sonya finished for him.
'Damn it.' He thought. He didn't have to acknowledge it.
"I thought I was over that. I was over it until..."
His eyes flicked to her belly then the floor.
Sonya didn't know what to say. What could she say? Then the baby kicked. She looked at her friend and took steps toward him to be his friend.
"Would you like to feel the baby move?" She asked.
The question caught him off guard. Even more so when she took his hand and placed it over the heat of her swell. He felt a push and bumps in her skin, like a tiny turian hand or a fringe. His eyes grew wide when it moved. Sonya giggled. He let out a nervous chuckle. She still made him nervous. He wondered if Nihlus ever felt nervous then his hand received another push. She made the Spectre nervous alright, just in a different way now. Garrus' mandibles spread in a grin.