Mass Effect II Through the Fire and the Flames

by Tutor Veritatis

Shepard's past as a 10th St. Red comes back with a vengence after receiving a message from a storage facility where he buried his past. He will face the demons and mistakes of his past, with the love and support of Tali, and overcome his greatest mistake.

8. Epilogue

Mass Effect II – Through the Fire and the Flames

Chapter 8 – Epilogue

"AH!" she screamed, throwing the drawer closed in her frustration. Running fingers through her hair, she took steadying breaths, trying to remember where it had gone. One last breath, she went over every surface she'd come into contact with since entering the garage. Finally remembering, she groaned, feeling stupid at her absentmindedness.

At a large table laden with parts, tools, and machines of all purposes, her eyes caught onto a glint of stainless steel. Reaching out, three fingers grasped the long wrench and lifted it before her eyes. "Keelah, there you are" Tali murmured. Twirling the wrench between her fingers, it spun faster until it became a blur. But she lost her grip and the tool flew out of her hand, spinning end over end, toward several cans of epoxy and resin.

Tali barely got a word out before an arm caught the flying tool. The owner of that arm moved out from behind the wall, raised his eyebrow at the stunned Quarian woman and said "you should be careful with this" Jeremy said, shaking the wrench back and forth. Blushing with embarrassment, she accepted the wrench. Her hand brushed over his, three fingers of warm flesh against five of hardened ceramic and titanium. She shrugged it off most days, but the touch brought back the day he'd lost his right arm.

After infiltrating a Reaper and annihilating the mass effect core, the team had fought tooth and nail back to the insertion shuttle. Every corner hid a dozen enemies, every crate an ambush, and every shadow an enemy. One last corridor, with dozens of husks and abominations in their way; Shepard opened on the creatures with his Revenant, taking headshots where he could, crippling others. One shot nicked a conduit, and an exploding abomination lit the eschewing exhaust.

The explosion sent debris across the corridor, flying shrapnel cut the last of the damned creatures down. One large piece, triangular and sharp-edged, flew at Jeremy. It caught between elbow and shoulder, pinning him to the wall at his back. The rest of the squad was halfway to the shuttle when he cried out in pain. Tali had turned, seen her love, and then seen more husks, backed by scions.

She had only gone two steps before Garrus grabbed her from behind, dragging and screaming to let her go, all the while watching in horror as the creatures descended upon Jeremy. He saw them as well; resignation veiled his face at the approaching horde. Tali feared he had given up; instead, she watched as the Omni-blade materialized and severed the pinned arm at the shoulder. A clean cut through armor, flesh and bone, Shepard stood, Revenant cradled against his stomach, running and shooting until he fell over the step into the shuttle.

A liberal application of medi-gel, until it dripped from the stump of an arm remaining, prevented major blood loss but not the shock that proceeded. Jeremy passed out until he was in the sickbay aboard Normandy. Chakwas and her staff labored for hours stabilizing him; only until she was satisfied would she let anyone in to visit. Tali, at the prodding of Garrus and the rest of the team, went in first.

The shutters were closed to offer privacy; Jeremy lay in one of the beds, instruments silent as they monitored vitals. He was asleep, and she sat at his bedside, his large hand cupped in her smaller two. She tried to hold back but the tears came unbidden, though no sound but her sniffles revealed her distress. Then Shepard awoke, smiled at her, and proceeded to remove her mask, whereupon he kissed her.

Tali was pulled out from her memories, quite physically, into Shepard's arms. "You got that faraway look about ya' again" he said, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. Her mouth crooked on one side in a half-smile, but said nothing. Wrench in hand, she walked over to her motorcycle, Mãriana.

Shepard watched as Tali walked; since the end of the Reaper war, she had gone without her enviro-suit and adopted…freer attire. She wore a sleeveless shirt, and shorts, made from a pair of jeans shortened by a combat knife, and her old boots from the suit. "I just need to make some adjustments; about fifteen minutes then I'll be ready" she said. "Alright, I'll make the call" he replied. Through the door he came from, down the stairs and into the kitchen, he opened a conference call to the contacts he selected.

"We'll be ready to move out in fifteen, rendezvous at central first in thirty" Shepard received four affirmatives, closed the channel and entered the bedroom. Pulling out his riding leathers, he pulled the tight pants over his shorts and buckled them with his N7 belt. The jacket slid over the prosthetic easily, encased as it was in a smooth shell of ceramic.

He had been offered a sleeve of synthetic leather-skin to hide the cybernetic limb, but refused. The doctors gave him a look of bewilderment that anyone would want to openly show their disfigurement when a simple sleeve would make it appear as though he'd never lost the arm. He'd told them his right arm was the price he paid to survive, and he'd paid without hesitation.

Tali entered the bedroom, took one look at her husband in his tight-fitting leathers-the muscles of his legs, chest and arms accentuated-sent her heart beating a little faster. "I just need to suit up; the bikes are ready", she said, telling herself later would be better. Shepard nodded as he pulled on and laced his boots.

Once dressed, they entered the garage and mounted their machines. Shepard took the helmets from a rack on the wall, handing Tali her own-a basic helmet with an engraving of swirling patterns reminiscent of her suit silken wrap and hood. Once the helmets were secure, Jeremy opened a comm. channel to the rest of the group they were to meet on their way. "Headin' out, meet at rendezvous Charlie". "Affirmative"; "By your word, Battlemaster"; "Got it"; "We shall be there" came the four replies.

Taking the handles, Jeremy and Tali kicked their machines into life, revving until the engines roared. Twisting the throttles open and disengaging the brakes, the twins screeched as the tires spun out, catching on the garage floor and flying out through the open door.

Riding parallel down the hilly road, over small juts and dips of the land, the couple spied the Central Highway in the distance. Jeremy's audio came alive as they rode, and the sweet sounds of drum beats and straining guitar strings brought the air around them alive. A grin spread across his face as the music rang out and set his spirit free. Twisting the throttle until fully open, Nil Desperandum and Mãriana 'Zorah vas Rayaa rode down onto the distant road.

Approaching the on-ramp Jeremy and Tali decelerated, leaned right into the turn, and opened the throttles fully once again to jump as they crested the ramp onto the elevated road. Turning southward to their destination, a blip pinged on the locater of his Omni-tool. The newcomer crested the on-ramp as they had, approaching from behind to on Shepard's right.

He wore Turian-styled riding leathers with blue accents, accompanied with a helmet reminiscent of a fierce predatory bird found on Palaven. His machine resembled Tali's in how he rode-body laid out down along the machine-though the body of the machine was the exact opposite of Mãriana. Whereas Tali had styled the body with the pattern of her suit wrap, including a rich purple color, Garrus had little stylization whatsoever, accept for the intricate design painted upon the front, the rest remained a plain gunmetal grey.

A guttural roar approached from their six o'clock; in his rearview camera, Jeremy saw a massive steel steed bearing a giant of a rider. The tall exhaust pipes shook with the power of the massive engine, growing louder as rider and machine approached. Drawing level with the three riders, Grunt, garbed in varren skins with a fanged skull-plate helmet, let out a roar, fist punching the air. Shepard responded with his own fist.

Two final blips flashed on his Omni-tool, approaching from ahead. The two appeared, garbed in simple black riding leathers and helmets, one jumping higher as she crested the lip of the road, a corona of blue enveloping rider and machine. Slowing to join their four companions, the riders formed two columns of three apiece. Looking back at his friends, raised an open left hand, closed it, and activated the third stage.

Simultaneously, the six machines opened, the booster nacelles unfolding, safety mechanisms disengaging. With a cry of klaxon alarms, the six activated their systems; six gouts of fire erupted from the accelerators. As the thunderous sound eschewed from the powerful speakers of each riders machine, the spirit beasts awoke.

A mighty bear, a great eagle, a grey wolf, a snake, and the two phoenixes' that merged into one. The creatures flew through the air, riding with and above their mortal bodies. Theirs was a bond of loss and sorrow, joy and laughter, closer than blood or race. The fires of the great beast ceased and the riders rode the last few miles in silence. No sound but that of the engines was heard across the vast plains, as though every creature had fallen silent in homage to these old spirits.

Pulling left to the off-ramp, the six companions rode on toward a canyon, its sheer cliffs towering into the sky, ever rising higher as they drew near. Within the canyon a road, formed of an old river bed, curved and twined, following a path cut millennia ago by water, wind and time. Dismounting, Jeremy gazed upon the five who rode with him.

Garrus, the old scar on his face now joined by a missing fringe spine, cut off by a Reaper beam weapon; Grunt, missing his left eye and bearing a brutal scar from the top of his head-plate to the jaw; Jack, one of the few among the old crew who had come out unscarred despite all the Reapers attempts. The war, ravaging worlds and sundering the lives of millions, had tempered the rage Jack had held the entirety of her young life.

She had grown out her hair, significantly, since the last time Jeremy had seen her, nearly five years ago during the victory celebrations. Dark chestnut strands without order hung about her face, ending at the base of her neck. Small changes were apparent about her person, and not merely the conservative way in which she now preferred to dress. Her gait when walking had less force, her body posture more relaxed. And Jack smiled when she saw him.

The smile Jack had on was beautiful, accentuating her face and making her look years younger. She broke into a run once off her bike, and jumped at Jeremy, nearly forcing him to the ground. She laughed as he balanced and embraced in return.

Releasing him, Jack turned on Tali and did the same, leaving Jeremy with the other three. Garrus approached, hand out, and they grasped by the forearm. They exchanged no words, just a simple nod and a shake of the shoulder before the young, yet far larger, Krogan youth approached.

Grunt's head bowed low, with his right fist over one of the two hearts. "Battlemaster, it is good to see you healthy and strong" he said; Jeremy returned the salute "I am thankful you could be here today, my friend. How fares clan Urdnot?" Grunt looked up, a happy grin revealing his sharp teeth, "Urdnot grows every year. Clan leader Wrex expects a brood within six months, and myself in seven. The clan leader said he would name his first son after you".

Jeremy smiled at his old friends then turned to see the last of the riders. Their sixth companion removed his helmet as soon as Jeremy laid eyes on him; he breathed of the dry air as though it was water from the fountain of life, the red flesh of his neck flexing as he inhaled. The sunlight gleamed upon his teal green skin; he opened his eyes, nodded once and followed as the six climbed the hill into the cave set into the canyon wall.

Beyond the entrance, a small cavern lit with braziers and fire troughs, stood assembled the gathered survivors of the Normandy SR-3, among a few from the crews of the SR's 1 and 2.

"Captain on deck!" someone within the crowd shouted, from the accent Jeremy believed it was Donnelly.

The crowd turned to the cavern entrance, and Jeremy saw them fully; Chakwas was at the forefront, Gardner on her right. The two had wed just a month after the end of the war, both whole and healthy. Jacob and Kasumi, also wed but during the conflict when it seemed as though the Reapers were about to be turned back. They weren't, and both had been injured in an attack. Once recovered, Jacob proposed, and Jeremy had performed the ceremony in the CIC. Not a day later, the Alliance and Turian fleets, assisted with Krogan shock troops, assaulted two Reaper dreadnaughts. That battle had been brutal, a near pyrrhic victory, but the Reapers were destroyed.

Looking more, Jeremy saw faces he knew and others he didn't. He saw Donnelly and Daniels, with a three year old on the tall Scotsman's shoulders, with the same hair color as well. He saw the crewmember who talked endlessly about his family. His daughter held her father's left hand and a fair woman on his right.

Engineer Adams, Ashley, Joker and Chambers, all surviving members and honoraries gathered here. Stepping forward, into the bowl in which the old crew stood, they parted into two columns three rows deep each. "Ten-hut" someone of the crowd called out; all followed suit with snap of heels, backs and shoulders straightened, followed by sharp salutes.

As Jeremy moved between them, his six riding companions melding into the gathered crowd, he stepped onto a raised stone plinth, circular and almost perfect in shape as though molded for the purpose of elevating someone above the heads of others. He looked upon them, his friends and crew. They had journeyed through hell together and now reunited to remember.

Removing the riding jacket to show his prosthetic, he addressed the gathered men and women. "My friends, colleagues, comrades in arms who have shed blood and tears together, who have enjoyed laughter and drink as one, and have given peace in those darkest hours" his voice carried throughout the space, circling and amplified but never echoing.

"We have reunited on this day, to remember, to honor those who have gone before us, to reaffirm the bond we share, and to confirm the joining of another" Jeremy looked toward the Drell youth "Kolyat Krios, come forward". The boy looked nervous; he turned to Jack, who nodded and gave him a shove toward the rock.

The crowd parted around him, forming a path. Kolyat walked, a slow nervous pace, until he stood before Jeremy; when he spoke to the young man, his voice was quiet but all could hear. "Your father joined my squad after simply being asked to lend his skills; he survived many battles, small and large, and was instrumental in the assault and destruction of the Collectors. And though small, he lent his skills during the Reaper War, and gave his life to save others."

In his periphery, Jeremy could see a number of crew from the SR-2 bowing their heads; among them Grunt, with his right fist over his heart, and Jacob who stood straighter, remembering the first time he'd met Thane, accusing him of fickle loyalties, and now proud to have served with him; "we remember and honor his sacrifice and we offer to you, his son, the choice to join us", holding out his prosthetic hand, Kolyat hesitated for a stretch of seconds.

Kolyat grasped the proffered cybernetic limb at the forearm, enough for Jeremy to pull him up and stand with on the dais as well. The crowd whistled and clapped. Once the noise silenced, the rear cavern wall shifted, a stone slab slid away to reveal a row of holographic projectors. Upon the projectors came the faces of the dead: Thane, Mordin, Miranda, Samara, Zaeed.

Turning to face the projectors, Jeremy knelt and placed his right hand over his heart, followed by Kolyat and the gathered members of his crew. A short oath to honor the fallen before standing again; closing the thumb and middle-finger of the left hand; the sharp snap of flesh echoed throughout the cavern. Rock shook; a shriek of large mechanisms coming alive from a long period of dormancy. Below the row of projectors rose a small stage, occupied by various instruments-guitars and a set of drums mostly.

Jeremy mounted the stage accompanied by Garrus, who took a bass, Grunt who occupied the drums, and Jacob on a second guitar. Once the group was ready, all light within the cavern dimmed as a spotlight shone down upon the floor, illuminating a space of fifteen foot diameter. Into this pool of light walked Tali.

Her riding leathers were discarded, underneath which was hidden a dress of deep purple, the rich color and her dark hair a beautiful compliment. She wore no other adornment, nor even shoes. Spreading her arms, she stood still as a statue until the group began to play. Slow graceful movements in time with the music of the guitars and drums. Until Jeremy began to sing,

Tali's body flowed in perfect harmony with the music and lyrics, her hands moving in careful patterns complimenting the rhythm of her figure. As the song grew in speed, so did pave of her dance.

To Jeremy, it looked as though Tali had abandoned her body in favor of allowing it to follow the music, drawing upon all she had been taught to perform spectacularly for those she considered her family.

As the song continued, a second dancer, graceful and lean, with black hair as well but a white dress against her cream skin, fell into perfect synchronicity with her Quarian counterpart. The two moved as though made of water, forms moving past each other, never touching, always shifting.

The duo of Kasumi and Tali were finally joined by a third, red hair and dress a fiery counter against the purple and white. Their movements became an elaborate flurry of feet, legs, arms and torso, each moving between the others without ever making contact.

The song began to build toward a crescendo; Kelly, Tali and Kasumi responded with speed as well, arms and legs flashing past one another, bodies never far apart. The crew beat their hands in time with the dancers and music, adding to the din and fervor of the cavern, until the guitars and drums ceased with only Jeremy remaining. As the song ran down, the overhead light dimmed, casting the cavern into shadow once again.

The last strains of music fell away to the hush of the cavern; light swept across the cavern again, revealing the three dancers in the center of a circle of people. All three had a sheen of perspiration from their exertion, but also a small contented smile, for Tali, a smirk, seductive and smug, for Kasumi as she locked eyes with Jacob, and a big happy grin spreading Kelly's lips wide apart.

The crew cheered, whistled and applauded the dancers and musicians. No sooner had their gathering begun that it ended; the old crew dispersed, returning to their new lives beyond war and the memories of the Reapers, but vowing to return again.

Tali watched them leave from the cavern entrance, again in her riding leathers and her helmet held under one arm. Jeremy wrapped his prosthetic around her waist, pulling her into him as they witnessed the departure of the three-or-so dozen people. She sighed out loud, head low as the last of her friends departed.

She wished they could stay longer, talk and socialize as they had back on the Normandy, but…none wanted to as they all knew it would lead to talking about the war and…everything that had happened. Tali looked down at her husband's arm, synthetic and perfectly precision for full functionality. She sighed again, 'this short gathering is for the best; we can't dwell too heavily on the past'.

Jeremy cupped her cheek with his remaining hand-the rough, callused skin, big fingers and large palm was a soothing caress to draw her out of her brief melancholy. He kissed her, full and deep, her eyes dropped under their own weight. It was an eternity within a moment. Pulling back, he took her hand; without a word, they walked to their motorcycles.

Laying upon the body of the machine, it came to life beneath her, and began to play a song which echoed throughout the canyon as it thundered from the speakers. She smiled as the song played. 'Always know exactly what I need to hear, Tali thought.

Twisting the throttle, the engine roared with power. Their back tires spun out, dust and dirt flying high in a great arch; the wheels caught and the machines shot down the canyon pass, their riders catching the last rays of another setting sun as it descended beyond the far away horizon. Riding down the length of the great highway, the riders engaged their machines, opening the hidden true form. The great spirit-beasts came alive with a roar of fire and the sound of thunderous drums and wailing guitars, combining to a single being, whole and one as their riders, chasing the setting sun, the same as the one five years ago.

Author's Note: Finally finished. Took longer than intended, but could not find the right method or means to do so. This had initially been intended as a quick final, but it quickly became more than that.

Fir those of you who have continued through this since the past summer, I Thank You, truly, as it makes me glad to think that people enjoy reading what I write and that may be similarly inspired as I was.

I have planned a number of future fictions: Fallout 3, New Vegas, Dragon Age and more Mass Effect. I may have something within the next week, but I cannot promise as I can be fickle when laziness sets in, especially during the college semester. But my ideas never stop their perpetual creation, so even though I am not writing what will come will be of as good quality, if not better, than this first piece of mine.

For now, constant readers, I bid you farewell,

Tutor Verum

Music which help shape this chapter:

Iron Savior:

Heavy Metal Never Dies

A Moment in Time

Linkin' Park:

New Divide

Santana:

Into the Night, with Chad Kroeger(for the dance)