Disclaimer: All Characters, locations, technologies, concepts, etc belong to Bioware/EA.
Need
"… She actually thanked me after I was done! I didn't exactly expect fire and brimstone but I didn't expect her to smile as much as she did, either, let alone thank me."
Shepard said to Liara while aboard the UT-38 Kodiak shuttle. The shuttle's other occupants consisted of Garrus and Tali, seated opposite of the couple.
"Samara is a strong woman. She knows the stress everyone is under and she knows unsavory thoughts of would-haves and could-haves can cost lives on a mission. I'm sure she was nothing but grateful for your help in finding a bit of herself."
Liara replied. After their date, Shepard had confessed of her encounter with Samara. She had begged Liara to forgive her and the Asari could only laugh as she held her Commander in her arms. She could feel every emotion, experience every memory, and relive every moment in Jane's life as her own in an instant. She understood Jane's motivations, understood the pain and loneliness she was struggling with –it gave her no small amount of shame that she was the source of those feelings. She was already forgiven the second their minds rejoined to each other for the first time in two years.
"You know, Shepard, we should open up a galactic service: 'Vakarian and Shepard Inc. Making the galaxy a better place, one personal problem at a time!' I mean, we already get involved with everyone we run into, anyway. We may as well make it a legitimate business."
Garrus jokingly proposed. He and Tali were the only ones aboard the Normandy that Shepard had also disclosed her emotional struggles to, and was comfortable enough with to speak of her interaction with Samara. They were both understanding and kind to her in her moments of weakness. Aside from her Mother, they, Joker, Karin, Wrex, Ashley and Liara were the only ones she truly considered her family.
Tali pushed a finger into Garrus' side.
"And why are 'Zorah' and 'T'soni' excluded from the name? I thought we were a team!"
"The billboard space would cost extra, obviously. Need to keep costs low and productivity high, right?"
Shepard grinned even as Liara pushed her own knuckle into her side, between the grey plates of armor she wore. The jovial nature of their conversation was only masking the apprehension each of them felt.
The destination of the shuttle was Alchera. The final resting place of the SSV Normandy.
After another two minutes of travel, the pilot had announced they had touched down in the midst of the wreckage. Standing, the group prepared for the wintery, low atmospheric environment. As she secured her helmet, Shepard's hands were shaking so minutely that only Liara could have noticed. Placing a hand on Jane's padded shoulder, Liara's eyes went black as she asked for entrance.
Shepard allowed her in gladly.
My love…
I'm fine.
Jane… Don't hide. Please.
… A lot of people didn't make it. They were under my command and I…
There was nothing you could have done. But right now, we have a chance to lay them to rest.
…You're right.
I'm right here with you.
Jane felt Liara's mind twist into her own in an act of gentle comfort. Bringing a hand to Liara's, Shepard clutched the Asari's gloved hand. They heard Garrus breathe a sigh of resignation behind them.
"Alright… I can't imagine we'll find anything pleasant but we need to do this."
Their minds separated as Garrus spoke. Jane steeled herself as the door of the Kodiak opened to reveal a somber world of snow and twisted steel. Shepard took the first step out of the shuttle and felt her boot crunch into the snow.
"Keelah…"
Tali breathed as she observed the broken and fractured corpse that was Normandy outstretched around them. Splintered bulkheads surrounded the four. Cracked hull pieces were scattered about and entire sections of the interior of the former Alliance ship were visible, partially buried beneath the snow. The field was littered with pieces of their original ship. A portion of a wall with the name 'Normandy' stood right before them as they exited the shuttle, a gloomy metaphor for a tombstone.
Jane made her way to the wall and placed her hand on the surface, iced-over from two years in this environment. She didn't know what to think, what she should think as they stood in the skeletal remains of her ship. A shuddering breath left her mouth as Liara came up behind her. She couldn't feel the hand on her back through her armor, but she felt Liara's presence in her mind, brushing against her in an attempt at easing her lover.
Garrus and Tali came up behind her as well, both silent as they bowed their heads in quiet reverence for the ship that had brought them all together. After a moment, Garrus placed his hand on Shepard's shoulder.
"Shepard, we did come here for a reason…"
Sniffing, Jane nodded her head and turned to her three friends.
"You're right. We did. Look for any tags or records you can find on the previous crew and bring them back to the shuttle for dissemination to the Alliance. Their families deserve to know where they died, but be respectful. I don't want anything disturbed any more than it has to be."
With a nod of their heads, Garrus and Tali set about to search the wreckage for any mementos to those poor souls who went down with the ship. Shepard took a glance at their withdrawing forms and had to smile as she saw saw Tali's hand come up to lock itself with Garrus' as they retreated beyond sight.
Liara's masked form looked out to the mangled remains of the Normandy. Once the most beautiful ship she had ever seen was now laid bare before her, around her. It was the graveyard for the crew that had taken her in, treated her as one of their own just as their Commander had.
Then it had hit Liara: this would have been the final resting place of Commander Jane Anastasia Shepard, had her body not been found by the former Shadow Broker's agents. Liara shuddered at the thought. To have her lover buried in the snow, frozen in her last moments of agony. It made her eyes mist over as she tried to gain control over her emotions.
Shepard must have felt her inner torment as the Commander came up next to her, threading her hand into Liara's. The former archeologist sighed in relief as she felt Shepard –her Jane- lace their gloved fingers together.
"I know we don't have a lot of time, we need to get that reaper IFF soon, but right now…"
Jane turned to fully face Liara, eyes unreadable behind her helmet.
"Right now… I…"
She couldn't even articulate her words, but Liara knew. She knew, and she smiled as she brought Shepard's taller form in for a hug. Squeezing tenderly, the Asari released her lover and began leading Jane into the broken corpse that was Normandy.
After an admittedly infuriating two hours of hunting down the lost dog tags of her former crew –they had even managed to locate Shepard's lost helmet in the wreck, - Shepard, Liara, Garrus and Tali stood before the dilapidated remains of the M35 Mako ground assault and exploration vehicle. The tank had somehow miraculously landed dead center in the middle of the field, surrounded by the Normandy's debris. Shepard had to chuckle at the irony; She could barely make the damned thing drive in a straight line, yet looking at it now, she knew it was the cornerstone to the entire scene.
Signaling the Shuttle, the group watched as a tall, gold-colored monument was placed directly in front of the Mako. It depicted a miniature Normandy soaring gracefully through the air. Jane stepped forward to offer her words to the monument.
"You were a comrade to us all. You brought us together, fought for us, gave us strength. Without you, none of us would be here today."
Garrus closed his eyes behind his helmet. He was never really the religious type, he never thought there was time for it, but he silently prayed to the Spirits for those who had fallen.
"You suffered through the same battle just as the rest of us did. In the end, you gave yourself so we could go on. We are proud to call ourselves your crew."
Tali raised her head to the stars, to the beautiful expanse of space above them. She hoped the crew she had fought valiantly with could find peace in the skies above.
"You were our home, our mother, our family and our lover."
Liara looked to her Commander. Her Jane. She was so proud of this woman, for everything she did and everything she meant to her. Liara would do anything for this woman. In that moment, she knew: She needed Shepard.
"You deserve your long rest… You've earned it."
Shepard gazed up to the miniature golden Normandy, a tear making its way down her cheek behind her helmet.
"Sleep well, and may your dreams be comforting."
Jane turned to look at what remained of her team from the SSV Normandy's maiden journey in tracking down Saren. She would naturally give her life for any one of her crew, but these three individuals were her core, her foundation. She needed them just as much as they needed her, and each of them knew it.
Liara came up to Shepard, taking her Commander's hand in her own. No words were exchanged, none were needed. The simple eye contact alone was enough for them. 'By your side is where I belong,' is what their eyes claimed, and it was enough.
Jane turned and began walking back to the shuttle, flanked by Garrus, Tali, and Liara –whose hand was held firmly in her grasp. Behind them, the monument stood proud and firm, a symbol of appreciation and deference for the ship that started it all. With hearts forged of steel, they entered the shuttle and began their travel back to the Normandy SR2, the ship that would lead them to their final terminus against the Collectors and whatever may lie beyond.
The cold snow of Alchera blew upwards with the wind, weaving its way unobstructed to the stars.
End.
Thank you for taking the time to join me in my interpretations on a few scenes from Mass Effect 2. I may choose to add more chapters, depending on my mood, however if I do, expect updates to happen at a much more spread-out pace as I do not have any more chapters pre-written. For all intents and purposes, this can be considered the end for the moment. Again, Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again, someday.
