FIVE MONTHS LATER

EARTH

Pushing through the mud Tally Shepard dragged her damaged leg along the river bank keeping a keen eye on her dark surroundings she had no idea where here team had been dropped the only thing she knew for certain was she had lost to much blood and if she didn't soon find either her all-terrain vehicle or her team she would be dead. Once again she found herself pushing through the darkness wishing her radio would work.

"SHEPARD!"

The voice echoed through the darkness, jolting Tally fully awake. "What the hell happened?" Tally whispered in a harsh tone at the shorter woman who stood in front of her.

"Hell if I know, I'm just glad I found you both shuttles went down after we jumped!" The woman looked down at Tally's leg. "Geeze what did you do?"

Tally shook her head. "I twisted it when we jumped. It's broken." Looking over the Chief, Tally was glad to see she looked fairly unharmed.

"Really, what was your first clue, could it have been the bone poking out!"

"Sara now is not the time..." Stopping mid-sentence, finally feeling the brunt of the blood loss Tally fell to the wet ground as the world spun.

Quickly pulling off her backpack, Sara reached inside and pulled out some medi-gel, tearing Tally's pants leg, she diligently treated the wound. "That should at least stop the bleeding."

Tally immediately felt a twinge of relief flood her lower limb. "Thanks…." Her words were interrupted by a loud explosion rocking the very ground the two women were on.

EDEN PRIME

Liara, Rena and Shepard were sitting on a picnic blanket overlooking the lake by their home. Shepard had built a small fire and was desperately trying once again to get Liara to eat a marshmallow. "Come on honey, its amazing!" Shepard waved the flaming white blob in front of Liara.

Rena laughed at the display of her parents. "I'll eat it mom!" Rena quickly grabbed the stick the marshmallow was on, eating it quickly she enjoyed it with all her little heart.

"I just don't see how you three eat them." Liara paused. It was the first time they had done something like this without Tally.

Noticing the sadness in Liara's eyes, Rena wiped her mouth before scooting over to her mom's and wrapping Liara in a hug. Shepard looked down at her little girl, grateful that at least for a little while she would still stay this way. She didn't dare admit to anyone how much she herself missed Tally. Shepard's Omni-tool rung to life breaking the family silence, punching an access code in she looked down at the Staff member who was on her small screen. "This had better be good Robert."

The middle aged balding man looked terrified. The office behind him seemed to be in chaos. "Admiral…"

Shepard hated it when people wasted her time, and this felt like one of those times. "Spit it out, you know I'm off today!"

Liara smiled at her bondmate, after the war she had made sure her staff knew that sometimes you just didn't disturb Admiral Shepard. She figured a day off from time to time, was the least the galaxy could do

Robert looked to the side and could see Rena and Liara sitting beside of Shepard. He took a deep breath in before he calmed himself enough to talk. "Admiral, I'm very sorry to have to be the one to tell you this…We wanted to send a team out but figured you'd rather hear this as soon as we heard it…"

Shepard's heart speeded up. The sheer terror in the man's eyes could mean only one thing. Looking over at Liara who shared her same fear with once glance, ice ran through her voice as she spoke. "How badly is she hurt?"

"We don't know Admiral…There was an accident at the academy."

"By the goddess no…" Liara hugged Rena tightly as tears fell out of the small child's eyes.

"What happened?" Shepard wouldn't let her feelings show…not yet.

"We are getting mixed reports Admiral…However, what we do know is that at 2200 hours, the academy started its graduation drills. Two of the shuttles carrying the ATV teams exploded over the Eastern Hemisphere. We have ten KIA's and twenty MIA's. Your daughter is among the twenty MIA's we have. Ma'am, it appears to have been some sort of attack."

Glancing over at Liara, all the pain Shepard was feeling came out in her cold blue eyes. Looking back down at the small screen she choked back tears as she spoke. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Ready the Normandy for an emergency flight to Earth."

"Yes Ma'am, I'm sending a sky car for you, I'll have your ship ready to go by the time you get here."

Wasting no time Shepard was on her feet by the time the Omni-tool's screen vanished. Quickly helping Liara up they kicked dirt on the small fire and almost ran towards their home. For once she was glad the Normandy had been stationed to fly orbit around Eden Prime in case she was ever called on Spectre duty. Shaking her head she didn't give herself anytime to think about anything except who could be attacking. Upon reaching the two story home, the sky car was indeed waiting for her, with two Alliance guards. Turning to look at Liara she pulled Rena into her arms hugging her tightly.

"Liz, we are coming with you!" Liara's blue eyes held steadfast as she knew what Shepard would say and she had decided to cut her off before she had the chance. Sending a telepathic message to Shepard, she didn't want Rena to hear she coldly glared into Shepard's eyes Tally is my daughter too and by the goddess I won't be left behind.

Rena also knew her mom wouldn't want them coming, but her little heart couldn't stand waiting here. "Mom please, let us go!"

Shepard kissed her smallest daughter on her head as she reached over and squeezed Liara's hand. Knowing better than to try and fight her at that moment, she couldn't find words; instead she pulled Liara towards the sky car while holding Rena close.