Chapter4

Victory

After a week docked at the Citadel, Vega and his team had finished sweeping for survivors. They had found a surprising number, and in fact, more than the Normandy could hold. Vega set up a camp area in the Silver Sun Strip. They managed to find scattered groups of C-Sec officers who coordinated to maintain watch over the camp and to maintain order until the refugees could be evacuated. Among the survivors were the Asari Consort and the Asari Matriarch Aethyta, the bar tender from Apollo's Café and more significantly, Liara's "father." As much as Vega wanted to bring the Asari Consort onto the Normandy, he couldn't justify it, and he was concerned that bringing any more onto the Normandy might cause unrest with those who could not come aboard. But Aethyta was family.

"Matriarch Aethyta," he said, pulling her aside. "Liara is aboard the Normandy, ma'am. She'd like to see you or at least know you're okay. Commander Shepard has authorized me to invite you aboard." He lied; Shepard hadn't said anything of the sort, but he knew the Commander well enough to know that he wouldn't object.

"Now why would he do that?" Her sarcasm was unexpected, but Vega answered.

"Because your daughter is part of his crew," he said matter of factly.

"Oh. I thought maybe he just wanted better drinks and a busty barmaid on the Normandy," she said.

"Nah," said James with a laugh. "I've got that covered. The drinks part, not the barmaid part."

"Well in that case," the matriarch said with a shrug, "Lead the way big boy."

Vega led her onto the ship and took her to the lounge.

"Wait here," he said. "I'll be right back."

"You've got it, big guy," she said nonchalantly.

Vega then went down the hall and knocked on Liara's door. Her voice came through the intercom.

"Yes James?"

"Liara," he said and paused for a moment. On missions and in social situations, talking to Liara was easy for him. But it was a known fact that when she was in her quarters, if you weren't Commander Shepard, you didn't disturb Dr. Liara T'Soni. "Your… um, father? She's in the lounge. I brought her aboard for you."

"Did Shepard authorize you to bring an Asari matriarch and spy aboard Humanity's most advanced warship?"

"Um . . . no."

"But you did it anyway," she said. "Why?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I just thought you might want to see her."

"Sometimes, James, you remind me of Shepard," said Liara with a slight laugh. The door opened and Liara joined Vega in the hall. "Well, I wouldn't want to keep her waiting," she said with a smile.

Liara went to the Normandy's lounge and saw her father behind the bar, taking stock of the liquor.

"Your commander sure knows how to stock a bar," remarked Aethyta. "Now that we're stuck here indefinitely, at least we know we're stocked for a few good parties." She hoisted a bottle of Serrice ice brandy. "And to think, he shares the good stuff with his crew, enlisted and officers alike. No wonder you guys love him."

"You know that booze and parties are not what makes Commander Shepard so inspiring to his crew," protested Liara.

"Relax kid," replied Aethyta. "I'm just yanking your chain a bit. Gotta say, your commander pulled it off. He shoved their metal tentacles right up their …"

"Father!" Liara cut her off. Aethyta looked at Liara as an adult looks at a small child protesting about something they don't understand.

"Liara," she said with a smile, "you know I've got a bit of a Krogan mouth on me." She stepped out from behind the bar. "Thanks to your commander, I get to shoot it off a while longer. Come here kid." With that, Aethyta pulled Liara close and embraced her. "I thought I'd lost you when I heard that the Normandy was at the vanguard of the battle."

Liara felt the tears come. She hugged Aethyta tightly and finally allowed herself to cry. She had lost her mother to the Reapers at the beginning of the war. To learn that she still had a parent at the end of the war and to have that parent survive was a miracle.

"By the goddess," she cried, "I didn't think I'd live to see you, or anyone else for that matter, again. When we heard that the entire platoon was wiped out by Harbinger in the final push, I despaired. I wished that I were dead. I did not want to see our civilization beaten, enslaved, and destroyed by the Reapers. After Shepard armed and fired the crucible, we had thought him dead. Even with the victory, I didn't want to feel anything. It seemed that all that was left to feel was pain and loss."

She could not go on. So Aethyta just held her daughter and let her cry.

Samantha Traynor saw Shepard take the OSD from his terminal and turn towards the elevator. Williams looked unsure of whether or not to follow, but he said, "Come on, Ash." Then he looked at Samantha and said, "You too, Traynor."

The two women wasted no time in following him onto the elevator. They went to the AI core, walking through the med bay as they did. As they entered, a young lady who looked haunted and scared suddenly found her confidence and courage when she saw Shepard.

"Shepard!" The young lady stood. Shepard smiled and gave her a brotherly hug.

"How are you doing, Kelly," he said.

"About the same," she said. "But I'm not getting worse. And you being here . . . It makes everything better."

"Samantha, Ashley," said Shepard as he turned to them, "this is Yeoman Kelly Chambers. She was my yeoman and the Normandy's counselor on our mission against the Collectors."

Kelly smiled at them and nodded.

"Kelly," he said, "You and Specialist Traynor have already met. She took over your old post after I turned the Normandy over to the Alliance."

Kelly and Samantha shook hands.

"How do you do," said Samantha with a smile, indulging the commander in his formal introductions. "Honored to meet you. Again. Commander Shepard speaks very highly of you."

Kelly looked at her and held her gaze, a wistful look in her eyes. "Thank you, Specialist," she said softly.

"Please, call me Samantha." Samantha gave her a quick hug.

"And this," continued Shepard, "is Lt. Commander Ashley Williams."

"Kelly," said Williams cheerfully. "Good to finally meet you."

"Likewise, Lt. Commander," said Kelly, shaking William's hand. "It is an honor to meet you. I read about you after you helped Shepard stop Saren. I . . . hope you don't mind me saying, but you were an inspiration to me."

"Thank you," said Williams, blushing slightly. "And it's just 'Ashley.' Glad to have you aboard."

The three then went into the AI core where Tali sat by Edi.

"Here, Tali," said Shepard, handing the OSD to Tali. "This should be it."

"Thank you, Shepard," she said as she put the OSD into a slot inside of Edi's right ear. Tali had Edi hooked into her omni tool and began the process of uploading Edi's files into Edi.

"This will take some time, Shepard," she said. "I will let you know when I'm finished."

"If there's anything you need," said Shepard, "anything at all, let me know."

"Thank you Shepard, but I've got this."

Samantha thought she could see a smile through Tali's visor.

"John," said Ashley, "I . . . need to debrief you on some things. I figured since we're parked and Tali is working on Edi, now is a good time."

"Sure thing," he replied. "We'll talk in my cabin."

"I was hoping you'd say that," replied Williams.

"If anything comes up, Commander," said Samantha, "I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Traynor," he said as they left the AI core.

Samantha left Tali to her work. As she exited, she saw Kelly Chambers again. The girl looked thin, which was unsurprising given what she'd been through, but more than that, she looked broken, as if something had shattered her very spirit. Somehow, Shepard's mere presence helped her to pull it together, but without him, she looked lost and haunted.

"Kelly," she said with a smile, "would you like to stretch your legs a bit?"

"What did you have in mind, Samantha?"

"I could use some company up in the CIC," she said. "There isn't anything pressing going on and you look like you could really use a friend right now."

"Okay," said Kelly with a slight smile. She could see that Kelly was unsure, so she offered her hand. Kelly took it and Samantha helped her up and walked her to the elevator. She didn't let go of Kelly's hand and Kelly didn't make any effort to pull away. It's like she has no motivation of her own, thought Samantha.

Ashley and John stepped off of the elevator and he immediately scooped her up and kissed her. He carried her in, and she just enjoyed it. The coming conversation would be more serious, so a little romantic levity was welcome. He laid her on the bed gently, but she sat up.

"John," she said, "please, just sit with me."

"What's on your mind, Ash?" He was as nonchalant as ever, but she had long ago learned to read the subtle differences between casual conversation and genuine concern. This was the latter.

"I'm eligible for retirement after this war," she said. "I'm leaving the Alliance military and I'm leaving the Spectres."

"Why Ash?" John looked at her with shock and surprise. She couldn't blame him. "You worked so hard to get to where you are. To redeem your grandfather's name, to vindicate your father, and to do well for yourself," he continued. "You deserve this, Ash. You're a dedicated soldier, and the best I've ever worked with."

Hearing him say that made her beam with pride. She knew he wouldn't just say it because they were lovers.

"It means everything to hear you say that, John," she said. "But things have changed."

"Ash, talk to me," he said in a concerned tone. "What's wrong?"

"It's not what's wrong," she said trembling. "It's what's right. So very, very right." She began to tear up while smiling at the same time.

"John, I'm pregnant," she said.

"Ash, that's wonderful!" He pulled her close, kissing her. "This . . . this is the best news I've heard in . . . well, a long time!" He paused for a long moment. "Looks like the Normandy is going to be getting a new commander," he finally said.

"What do you mean?"

"Because," he smiled, "I'm resigning my commission."

Ashley threw her arms around him. "Thank you," she sobbed as she broke down in his arms. "I never . . . thought you'd leave the Normandy. Not even for me."

"Ash, I would do anything for you."

Edi was aware. She wasn't immediately sure of how much time had passed since the Crucible had fired, but once she was fully restored, she would have all of that information. She looked around and realized that there was something inserted in her ear.

"Edi!" The voice of Tali Zora Vas Normandy filled her ears.

Edi sat up slowly. Something was different. Not right. She looked down and saw her body. If she had suffered any physical damage, Tali had repaired her flawlessly.

"Tali," she said. "Thank you for reviving me. Jeff . . . is he safe?"

"Right here, Edi," came Jeff's voice. She felt his hand holding hers. She looked to see him next to Tali. She smiled and gently squeezed his hand.

"Don't thank me," said Tali. "Thank Shepard.""

"Shepard lives?" Edi sounded pleased. "This is unprecedented. His continued existence defies all natural laws and probability."

She stood up from the table and looked around. She tried to read the status of the ship, but was unable to.

"Tali," she said with a panicky tone, "I am contained entirely within this platform. I have no connection to the ship!"

"I know," said Tali. "The ship's hardware was damaged beyond repair. You should be able to tap into the ship systems from your seat at the bridge. I can put together a custom interface for you if you need. But you are now . . . you."

Edi contemplated for few moments. Then she turned to Jeff.

"I believe I can adapt," she said with a smile.

Diana Allers had been waiting for the right opportunity to catch Commander Shepard and Lt. Commander Ashley Williams. A joint interview with humanity's first two Spectres, both of whom had been fighting the Reapers from the very beginning, would be the interview of her career. Being embedded on the Normandy, she was also keenly aware that on top of all that, the two Spectres were romantically linked as well.

It had been two weeks now since the defeat of the Reapers. Commander Shepard had gone to great lengths to restore power to some of the apartments in the Silver Sun Strip. His apartment had a back-up power supply that could reportedly power it for a year according to her sources. He had moved back into it temporarily with Lt. Commander Williams and the Normandy's officers and the Alliance fleet was on its way, with the Asari, Turian, and Salarian governments sending ships to evacuate any of their own and to assist in rebuilding the Citadel. The marines and the remaining Citadel medical personnel had coordinated well to assist refugees, and Shepard was out among the people daily to check up on them and to try to get a first-hand sense of their needs. He seemed equally adept with both human and nonhuman species, and his crew was equally helpful to all of the refugees regardless of species. Shepard even had two communications officers and Tali, the Quarian ambassador, set up communications for the refugees. Daily, he sent people to locate food stores and drinkable water. And miraculously, each day, they found more survivors. Allers was impressed. And she had been covering the story religiously, but the interview continued to elude her.

Suddenly, she turned to see Shepard and Williams walking hand in hand. Talk about the perfect storm, she thought. There she was with her camera on and rolling and there they were, walking in her direction. She wasted no time in intercepting them.

"Commander Shepard, Lt. Commander Williams," she called as she hurried to greet them.

"Allers," said Shepard curtly.

"Commander Shepard, the galaxy has question for Humanity's Spectres," she said emphatically. "Now that you have defeated the Reapers, the state of the galaxy is . . ." Shepard cut her off.

"Firstly, 'I' didn't defeat the Reapers," he said. "We defeated the Reapers. Humanity, Turian, Asari, Krogan, Batarian, Volus, Geth, Rachni, Elcor, Salarian, Hannar, and Prothean. We fought together. We bled together. We sacrificed together. I was lucky enough to have had a prominent role in the Reapers' defeat, but without my crew, without Ash at my side, I couldn't have done it. Without the support of Admiral Anderson, Admiral Hackett, Urdnot Wrex and Primarch Victus, this victory would not have been possible."

"That's right," said Ashley. "When I first joined the Normandy crew, I felt that Humanity had to stand on its own. But that changed after Ilos. And look at what we've accomplished. No way any species could have done this on its own. No way."

"What of the Council," Diana asked, shifting her focus. "So far as the galaxy knows, the Council was lost. And with the galactic governments in a state of disarray and the relays destroyed, we have a very difficult road ahead of us."

"First," said Shepard, "The Council is alive. That has been confirmed. Secondly, yes the governments are in disarray. But they can be put back together. Yes, we've suffered devastation on a galactic level, but we will rebuild. Even the relays will be rebuilt. We can rebuild and we can renew. Better than we were before. If we remain united. Things cannot return to the status quo. Not if we want to restore what has been lost. Not if we want to move forward as a galactic community. Make no mistake. We will rebuild. We will continue to search for survivors and to reunite families. We will get past this. And we will never have to face this again."

Diana was seriously impressed. She remembered when Shepard was first interviewed by Khalisah Bint Sinan Al Jilani. He had been professional enough and came off reasonably well, but now, he was inspirational. He was anticipating the concerns of the viewers and addressing them. More importantly, he gave them hope.

"Commander Shepard," she said with a coy smile, "I hear that humanity's two Spectres have struck up a bit of a romance. Care to comment?"

"Sure," he said. And with that, Shepard leaned over and kissed Williams on the lips.

"Commander Shepard and Lt. Commander Williams," Diana concluded. "Humanity's Spectres. And you saw them together first, here in the Battle Space."

Carlota Williams and her three daughters; Abby, Lynn, and Sarah, were brought onto the Normandy for medical attention. Nothing urgent, and most likely, they could have waited on the Citadel or in Shepard's apartment. But Shepard was adamant that they be looked at by Dr. Chakwas, and Ashley wanted them to see the Normandy. This ship had been her home for over a year now, and she wanted her family to visit that home.

This was actually the first time she had ever seen Shepard. She had seen pictures of him before he had been declared dead almost three years ago, but she had never met him. He looked like he had been through hell and his face bore the marks of several years of near constant battle, but he was recognizable. She never expected to meet Ashley's beau by having him pull them from rubble. She had to admit that it was a hell of a way to make a good impression on her. Seeing him organize search and rescue efforts and get the refugee camp set up impressed her even more. His way of moving through the camp and checking up on everyone really helped everyone to keep it together. Survivors on the Citadel were in a very precarious position, some having come to the Citadel as refugees, only to find that their refuge was actually an elaborate trap. Getting communications set up really helped them. People did not feel isolated and cut off. He kept everyone abreast of what was going on so that nobody felt out of the loop. Unfortunately, his constant work meant that she had not had a chance to get to know the man her daughter was planning to marry.

"Mrs. Williams," said Dr. Chakwas, interrupting her thoughts, "Ashley has always spoken of her family, of you and her sisters. I felt like I knew you already. Everything checks out. The four of you have no serious injuries. If you were soldiers, I'd say you're all cleared for duty."

"Thank you, Doctor," replied Carlota. "As much as Ashley's written to us and talked to us about the Normandy, I feel like I know all of you as well. Though I must say, I never expected in a million years to be sitting in Normandy's med bay."

"These are strange times indeed," observed Dr. Chakwas. "Four years ago, I never would have imagined the Reapers or the Battle of the Citadel. And I certainly never imagined anything like this war."

Prime Minister Dominic Osoba sat in his office watching the vids. Battle Space had just aired and he watched Shepard's interview with intense interest. He had assembled his cabinet and had taken the reigns of the Systems Alliance. However, there was one appointment to be made that required care and thought: the appointment of a councilor to send to the Galactic Council to serve as Humanity's representative. He had a list of names in front him, all good choices. But he had already made his decision. There was only one name that he wanted on that list. And as the Alliance prime minister, he was determined to get it.

"Margaret," he said, paging his secretary.

"Yes, Mr. Osoba?"

"Get me Admiral Stephen Hackett."

"Yes sir, right away."

Admiral Hackett's image soon materialized on his screen.

"Mr. Prime Minister," came the Admiral's gruff voice.

"Admiral Hackett, are you seeing this?" Dominic Osoba sent the Battle Space feed to Hackett.

"Yes," said the admiral.

"Admiral," said Dominic, "Commander Shepard is not just a war hero. He's not just Humanity's first Spectre. He is Humanity's champion."

"Mr. Prime Minister, I'd say that that is an understatement," replied the admiral. "What can I do for you?"

"I have a request," he said. "And I will not take no for an answer."

The admiral paused. "What is it?"

"Shepard."

Shepard had made sure that Liara and Matriarch Aethyta were set up in one of his guest rooms. He did not want Aethyta on the Normandy. Normally, he'd have reprimanded Vega for bringing her on board, but he knew that Vega had meant well and Shepard was in far too good a mood to get upset about it. He counseled him on it briefly, but commended his initiative. He had been sending daily status reports to Admiral Hackett and Hackett had kept him abreast of the status of fleet. The first Alliance relief ship was due to arrive today and Shepard was on his way out meet them, Ashley by his side. The SSV Orizaba, a Kilimanjaro class dreadnaught, had entered the Citadel's orbit and was preparing to dock. His com came to life with an incoming message from the Orizaba.

"Mom," he said brightly. "It's been too long. How have you been?"

Ashley smiled but looked at him incredulously.

"Do you say that to everyone?" Ashley had to ask, as that was exactly the same greeting he'd given her when they'd met on Horizon during the Collector attacks.

"Only when it's been too long," he said. "In Udina's case, it was never long enough."

"John," came the voice of Admiral Hannah Shepard, "Is that you?"

"Yes it is," he said. "Yes it is. I was surprised to hear that a dreadnaught was the first relief ship coming, but I'm not complaining."

"As soon as Admiral Hackett told me that you were holding down the Citadel, I insisted on being here right away," she said. "Speaking of Admiral Hackett, he's on board. As is Prime Minister Dominic Osoba."

"How's he doing? The last time I saw him, I had the unpleasant duty of telling him that his son had been killed on the streets of Benning during Cerberus attacks."

"We've talked quite a bit," she said. "He's still mourning his son, but he's doing well. He really appreciated what you did for him."

Shepard looked out at the Citadel vista. The once proud station was in a sorry state. One of its arms had been shattered, its disembodied section floating in the Citadel's orbit. Through it, he saw the Orizaba cruising towards the docks. He wondered if there were survivors on that section.

"Well," said Shepard, "Come aboard the Citadel. I have someone for you to meet."

"See you soon, John." And with that, the transmission ended.

Ashley stopped as they walked. She looked hesitant, unsure.

"John," she said softly. "What if . . . she doesn't like me?"

"Ash, she'll love you." He put his arms around her and pulled her close. "Now come on. It will be fine. You'll see."

They made their way to the docks as the Orizaba was docking and found the Normandy crew assembled. Vega stood at attention. Garrus, Liara, Tali, Edi, and Javik all stood in a separate group, and Diana Allers stood ready, her vid cam floating in the air. She was narrating something. A group of civilians looked on, among them Aeliana and Kelly Chambers.

"Ten hut!" Vega fired off a crisp salute to Shepard and Ashley. The crew stood at attention. Shepard saluted back.

"At ease," he said. Shepard went through and shook hands with each of his crew.

They all stood at attention as the ship's airlock opened. Instead of admirals and dignitaries, however, the relief personnel were the first to disembark. Shepard acknowledged them and they hurried to the refugee camp. Then off stepped Jacob Taylor, Dr. Brynn Cole, and Miranda and Oriana Lawson.

"Shepard!" Jacob shook Shepard's hand and gave him a quick embrace. "You fired the shot heard round the galaxy! Doubt anyone will ever beat that kill count!"

Miranda hugged him, as did Oriana. All three greeted Ashley as well.

"Miranda, Jacob," said Shepard, "You're Normandy crew. Get over here."

"Yes sir," said Miranda with a smile.

"Chambers," Shepard called. "Come on over. This is for you too."

Kelly reluctantly walked over.

"Shepard," she said shakily, "I was Cerberus when I was on the Normandy."

"No," Shepard replied. "You were Normandy crew. And that makes you family."

He then looked over to the shapely silver and gunmetal mech.

"Edi," he said, "You're more a part of the Normandy than anyone."

"Yes sir," she said, her vocal inflections and facial expressions now reflecting her joy. She stood by Jeff's side, holding his hand.

The airlock opened again, this time revealing Admirals Hannah Shepard and Steven Hackett, and Prime Minister Dominic Osoba. Hannah Shepard, much as Ashley had, broke from the group and raced ahead to embrace her son.

"I thought I'd lost you again," she said, teary eyed.

"Yeah," he said, "So did I." He embraced her as her son. Then he stepped back and saluted her. Ashley followed suit.

Hackett and Osoba had caught up with her and extended their greetings as well. Shepard and Ashley saluted.

"Commander Shepard, Lt. Commander Williams," said Hackett, returning their salutes. "Before we get started, there is a matter that needs to be addressed. Admiral Shepard, if you please?"

Hannah Shepard brought herself up, straight and tall. At 6 feet and two inches in height, she was nearly as tall as Shepard himself.

"Commander Shepard," she said, "Please step forward."

Shepard did as he was asked. His mother produced gold commodore's bars and pinned them on him.

"In recognition of your long service above and beyond the call of duty and your unswerving dedication in command of the SSV Normandy SR-1 and SSV Normandy SR-2, you are hereby awarded the rank and privileges of Commodore of the Systems Alliance Navy."

Commodore Shepard saluted the admirals.

"Lt. Commander Ashley Williams," continued Admiral Shepard. "Please step forward."

Ashley did so as well.

"In recognition of your bravery and courage and years of service above and beyond the call of duty, you are hereby awarded the rank and privileges of Captain of the Systems Alliance Navy." She then leaned in close to Ashley and whispered in her ear, "John told me. I will be very proud to call you daughter."

Ashley beamed. "Thank you ma'am," she said softly. She saluted the admirals and then stepped back into line with Commodore Shepard.

Admiral Hackett called forth each of the Normandy crew and gave them their commendations personally. Then he got to Miranda, Jacob, and Kelly.

"The three of you have served with distinction," he said.

"Jacob Taylor, I reinstated you when you returned. I am pleased to promote you to the rank of Lt. Commander in the Alliance Navy."

He then turned to Miranda.

"Miranda Lawson," he said, "You've proven your worth as an XO on the mission to defeat the Collectors. You've been a valuable asset in the war against the Reapers and you fought in the Battle for Earth. I present you with the rank of commander. Report to Alliance command for your orders."

"Yes sir," replied Miranda. It was clear that this was not spur of the moment.

"Kelly Chambers," he continued, "I've awarded you the rank of yeoman based on the recommendation of Commodore Shepard. He tells me you've been through a lot. But if you want a place in the Alliance Navy, we'd welcome you with open arms."

"I'm honored sir," she said, saluting him.

Finally, Admiral Hackett stood before Edi.

"Edi," he said as Prime Minister Osoba joined him. Edi saluted as one should, even though she was technically not a soldier.

"Edi," said the Prime Minister, "It is my pleasure to recognize you, not as an AI mech, but as a citizen of the Systems Alliance, accorded full status as a human being. It is not our creation that defines us, but our service and our actions."

"Thank you sir," she said. "I shall endeavor to be worthy of the honor you have given me."

"And with that technicality addressed," said Admiral Hacket, "Your status as an Alliance officer is now active. Edi, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Ensign and ordered to serve aboard the Normandy."

The crew applauded loudly. Shepard breathed a sigh of relief. Now Edi would never be subject to any kind of disassembly to see what makes her tick. She was a person now. No, she had always been a person, he thought, but now everyone else knows it.

Finally, Prime Minister Osoba called Ashley and he to stand before him.

"Captain Williams," the prime minister said, "In recognition of service above and beyond the call of duty and for exemplary courage and duty in the face of the greatest enemy the galaxy has ever faced, I award you with the Star of Terra."

Ashley became visibly faint. Shepard just smiled. Your grandfather and your dad are smiling from Heaven, he thought. The prime minister then turned to Shepard.

"For dedication, for courage, fortitude, steadfastness, and for never, ever giving up in the face of not only the enemy, but in the face of political obstructions both within and without the Alliance, I am proud to present you with a second Star of Terra." He handed the medal to Shepard and said, "And now I must ask you to accept an assignment for which I feel that you are the only qualified candidate."

"Sir?" Shepard looked at him with as much of a poker face as he could manage. He wasn't sure what Osoba was thinking of, and he wasn't sure he really wanted to.

"Commodore Shepard," began Osoba, "You are the hero of the Skylian Blitz, the Savior of the Citadel, the first human Spectre, conqueror of the Collectors and the Reapers. You united the galaxy, something nobody else could have done. Now I ask that you serve as Humanity's Councilor on the Citadel Council."

A political posting. Shepard hid his immense distaste for the idea well, but he had to say that it was probably for the best. With a child on the way and a marriage to plan, a political appointment would mean stability. And he already had a nice pad set up on the Citadel.

"It is my honor to accept, Mister Prime Minister," he said.

In the months following the return of Earth's fleets, the Alliance government found its footing and Shepard found his place among the councilors. Shepard and Ashley were married on Elysium at, ironically, the Shepard Memorial Plaza. Ashley Shepard gave birth to their child, a daughter they named Jan, eight months afterward. One year later, Garrus and Aeliana got married in the same place.

With both of Humanity's Spectres out of regular service, Shepard put Miranda Lawson's name forward. She and Garrus Vakarian were inducted into the prestigious ranks of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance.

The Normandy crew was awarded a Galactic Unit Citation for their efforts throughout the conflict with the Reapers.

The Council unanimously voted to grant the Krogan an embassy. Urdnot Bakara was sent as ambassador.

Javik opted to reevaluate his fate and to coauthor a book with Liara about the Prothean Empire.

Liara remains in power as the Shadow Broker.

The Quarians successfully resettled Rannoch, and Quarian children born on Rannoch have been able to forego wearing enviro-suits. Tali is the Quarian ambassador and maintains an office on the Citadel.

Geth programs that had uploaded into Quarian suits were spared the destruction of the Geth people. The Quarians built new platforms for them and the Geth ambassador shares its office with Tali.

Shepard provided the data disc that he'd retrieved from Ilos three years ago to the scientists from the Crucible project. The Quarians and the Geth also sent scientists to assist. The disc had information about the Conduit and mass relay technology that they were able to use to begin repairing the relays. The first relays repaired were Earth's and the relay in the Serpent Nebula where the Citadel had been. The Citadel was then moved back to its original location. The relays for Thessia, Palaven, Tuchanka, and Rannoch were the next to be repaired.