Astrosecond~ .498 seconds, milli-cycle~1 sec, cycle~1 min, breem~ 8.3 minutes, mega-cycle~1 hour, meta-cycle~1\2 hours, solar cycle~1 day, day~ 20 hours, orbital cycle~ 1 month, gigacycle~ 1 year, deca-cycle~10 years, vorn~ 83 years, stellar cycle~400 year, mechanometer~ 1 meter, vun~ hectometer, hic~ 1 kilometer

Thoughts, 'binary code', (alien language), "talking"

After the long elevator ride down to the fourth floor Shepard walked into the Starboard Cargo Area where Zaeed was in the middle of a game of darts. Shuffling three knifes in his hands, he didn't bother looking up as Shepard approached him. "Shepard. About damn time, I was starting to think that quarian suits are a lot harder to take off than normal women's clothing."

Goddamn I want to punch this bum again! Have to change the subject. "So what was it that you wanted to talk about, Zaeed?" Shepard was trying to stop his face from turning red from both anger and embarrassment or just punching him like on Zorya.

"I think it about time I leave soon. We survived the Collector Base, so my job is done. No offense, but I'm not one of them hero types."

Shepard was slightly glad to hear this, but he had to remain professional, "It's been an honor working with you Zaeed."

"Good luck with everything else, Shepard. It's been fun chattin' with you, now go see your helmeted lady friend."

If he keeps this up, bam, zoom, straight to Zorya. Shepard had to leave before doing something he thought he would regret, but stopped thinking about it almost immediately as soon as his mind began telling him how much he wouldn't regret it.

Calming down slightly along the way to Grunt's 'room', he went past the automatically opened doors and made his way calmly over to the young krogan in the Port Cargo Area. Krogan are brutish reptilian creatures with secondary organs and systems as well as a regenerative abilities making killing one extremely difficult. Their aggressiveness nature would suggest that they are predatory but the position of their eyes on their heads, from an Earth evolutionary point of view, would suggest otherwise. Adults have crests on their heads but Grunt's head still has separate ridges. Grunt punched his fists together a few time before registering the commander's entrance. "Shepard."

"Just seeing how everyone is after the fight against the Collectors."

With a loud laugh Grunt said, "Battlemaster it was a glorious fight, one that even Wrex himself will be excited to hear. When we go after the Reapers all of the krogan clans will stand with Urdnot and show the galaxy once again the power of the krogans."

"I hope to work with Wrex again soon."

"Huh, Wrex would kick himself in the quad if he even missed one battle against the Reapers, but he's job of uniting the krogans is equally important…I guess." Grunt shrugged unsure about the uniting was important part.

"Well with the data Legion just gave us we should be able to tip the scale to our favor, maybe even find ways to tear one in two."

Grunt pounded his fists, "Ha…That's why I follow you Battlemaster; Big fights and even bigger things to kill."

"Nice talking with you Grunt."

"Battlemaster the fighting's only going to get better from here on."

With nods, Shepard turned and left the brief meeting, heading for the engine room. Upon entering, he figured it easier to head to Jack so he wouldn't have to worry about her later. Easily moving down the steps, he found himself nearing the biotic powerhouse known as Subject Zero.

Jack was always squatting below the engineering deck in a red lit area. "So Jack, do you plan on leaving when we dock on Omega?"

"Yeah, my job with you is done, but I guess I can stay for a while longer. Don't get the wrong idea her Shepard, I'm not doing it because I like any of you, I'm doing so I can fight that Cerberus bitch upstairs and so I can leave a few craters. Besides I figure if anything, you'll eventually return to Earth or the Alliance and I don't plan on sticking myself that deep into shit. Hopefully we can fuck with Cerberus operations before I split." Her hate towards Cerberus can be traced back to her childhood. Jack, along with several other children, was abducted by Cerberus at young ages and were put through various, almost inhuman, tests, experiments and drugs to create the most bioticly potent human, until it was shut down. After she escaped Jack had gone through many phases and lived a criminal's life.

"So, I guess this is goodbye then?"

"Yeah, it is. I don't need this lovey-dovey shit happening above my head." Jack stood up for her bed, "The offer still stands you know; going pirate with the most powerful ship in the galaxy."

"I'd rather not. So do you need anything else, Jack?"

"You know, you're one of the only people to ask what I wanted." Jack was never a stable element even after dealing with Aresh and blowing up the abandoned facility on Prajia. She was in Shepard's face trying to see past what she thought was a ruse.

"I take care of my crew."

"Yeah you do, especially the ones you're fucking in bed." Jack walked to the other end of the tiny area.

I really don't like her. "I just wanted to see if you're OK after the Collector Base assault."

Jack picked up the pistol she always kept with her, "Nothing a doc or medi-gel can't fix. Other than fucking with Cerberus more I don't want anything else."

"I'll see you around, Jack."

As Shepard walked up the stairs, Jack yelled at him, "Yeah whatever, go talk to your bitch-in-a-can." Shepard was glad that Jack couldn't see his face as he heard that. As soon as he reached the top gave a frustrated groan at everyone's teasing of his relationship. It was now WAY too official he and Tali were in a relationship. Shaking away the reminder of the embarrassment, he turned to walk into engineering to talk with Gabriella and Kenneth.

"Hey Ken, Gabby how are you two."

Both engineers turned to Shepard. "I'm mostly thankful, Shepard. If you hadn't shown up when you did…"

"Kenneth I don't want to think about it." Gabriella was remembering how she and others were just seconds away from being dissolved into genetic goo by the tiny machines.

"Sorry Gabby. So what's up Commander?"

"Just want to see how everyone's doing, if they want to leave or anything since something like this could happen again, though I doubt it."

Gabby spoke, "No way Commander. We've been to hell and back but we all have you to thank for making sure we all got out alive."

"Aye, a normal Commander would be willing to accept losses for the good of the mission."

Tali stepped in, "Shepard is no ordinary Commander."

"And I'm grateful for it too. I plan to stay with the Normandy until we die or retire. The second one is preferable." Ken could never be too serious about many things.

"And I'll be with you the whole time, Kenneth." After the near death experience Gabby has learned to 'let her hair down' expressing her true feeling towards Ken.

"Do either of you need anything?"

"No Commander we're squared away, other than thinking of a new symbol for the Normandy and planning a game of Skyllian-Five poker with some of the crew later."

Finally he was going to talk to Tali. The only individual he wanted to be with on the whole ship. As Shepard confidently walked towards her, Gabby looked over to Ken, who looked at the commander intently, awaiting for a chance to crack wise at the situation. Knowing he was just waiting for a chance to comment on their relationship, as well as find something else to gossip about, the engineer grabbed her friend and pulled him out of engineering, Ken groaning at the turn of events. "Tali?" the commander asked.

Tali was a quarian, a race known for their ingenuity with technology. Quarians were the one who created the synthetics known as geth for labor and military purposes. The quarians tried to make them more useful by networking their programs together. They unknowingly gave the geth enough intelligence to be sentient. The quarians feared ramifications from Citadel laws as well as the geth's realization that they were, effectively, being used as slave labor. They tried to eradicate the geth only to lose all of their worlds to them. After these events the Citadel Council removed their embassy from the Citadel. The quarians have been wandering the stars in a fleet of ships for the past three hundred years. Because they have lived on ships in relatively sterile environments, it had weakened their immune systems to the point that they are required to wear enviro-suits to survive. She turned towards him, "Oh Shepard, what's up?"

"Is everything alright I talked to Chakwas and she said you were a bit down, do you need anything?" he asked genuine worry.

She smiled under her helmet. "Just so you know I'm running a fever, I've got a nasty cough, and my sinuses are filled with something I can't even describe." She replied evenly. Liking how worried he looked, she took two paces to him and rested her head against his shoulder, "And it was totally worth it."

"I'm glad you're happy Miss vas Normandy." Shepard responded with a smile, returning her light embrace if not a little more firmly. She may not be able to feel his skin like when they were together but she still liked the feeling even if it's through her enviro-suit. "It seems scuttlebutt has been busy. Almost everyone I talked to knew about us or they hinted at it."

"I just want to be with you, Shepard. Besides Mordin and Chakwas would never say anything, Garrus probably figured it out himself but he'd keep quiet. Kasumi may be a thief, but she and I have grown to understand each other, so I doubt she would carelessly gossip about us. I don't really care how the others learned about it."

"Legion wanted me to tell you something." He told her, remembering his conversation with the geth. Tali became a little distant unsure how to handle what was about to come her way. "He said that the Geth have almost finished cleaning your people's homeworld and colony worlds."

"Cleaning? Why would they clean it?" she asked, not fully grasping the meaning.

"The geth don't live on the planets, Tali. They've been cleaning it since the end of your war. If your people agree to settle for peace between his people and yours, then they are willing to give you back your homeworld and maybe more."

At times like these Tali was glad her helmet hid her face and could turn the audio off. She shook slightly as her hand shuffled behind his back. Eventually turning off the audio, she removed her arms from his torso and easily brought them around his neck and hugged him tightly. Shepard, slightly stunned by her quick actions, stalled his hands at his sides and left them there for a few seconds before he felt her shake against him. Is she…crying? Giving a slight smile, but still slightly confused, he brought one arm around her keeping her close, and swaying the other on her back, assuaging whatever was making her cry.

To Tali, this news felt just like when Shepard let her have that geth data for her Pilgrimage, four-fold. After a few minutes of a rather intense cry, Tali's incredibly intense grip around his neck loosened as she calmed down. She kept a gentle grip around it in case she felt the need enough to talk, "We should tell the Fleet the moment Legion informs us that the homeworld is safe for my people to return. Shepard, I can't believe it…We can see my world before the Reapers attack."

Shepard wasn't going to ruin this moment for her or himself. He just held on to her as she kept squeezing him with joy. Eventually she lets go after collecting herself further. "Do you think the Admiralty Board and the others can accept the geth after this?"

After taking a further few seconds to collect herself, she replied, "I don't know, but if there is a way to get the homeworld back without costing lives, I'm sure they can put their feelings aside just to be able to put their feet on the ground."

Shepard nodded in understanding and let her hold onto him for a further few seconds before he pulled her away from him. "Tali can you help remove listening devices hidden on the ship."

"Of course Shepard, I think the Illusive Man has seen enough of us. It's time we can surprise them." She broke from the hug, but held his hand evenly, her hands and fingers constantly moving around the foreign, five-fingered hands.

"Thanks, Tali. Mordin and Miranda have already started. I don't know if you're alright with it, but Legion and EDI are also helping."

"I don't mind them but I just don't trust them with my life that's all. I'm only work with them because you are willing to work with them." After the Geth War most quarians hate anything A.I. related. Few, like Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh would like nothing more than to 'put the geth back in their rightful place'.

Nodding, he added, "When you're done I want you to help me with some business in my quarters," playing with Tali.

"Are you suggesting something, Commander?" Tali asked in a playful tone.

"Not unless you want to." Shepard drew his head closer to Tali about to kiss. Helmet or no helmet, he'd express how much he loved her.

The intercoms come alive, "Hey Commander, we're docking on Omega in about minute now."

"Well it looks like duty calls Shepard, but I'll swing by after I finish destroying all of the bugs to help you." She turned back to her console to finish up her work.

Suited up and ready to leave, Shepard approached the docking bay, but before he did he made an announcement, "If anything goes wrong or something dire happens Miranda is in charge. Otherwise just continue your tasks and for those that have new paint scheme ideas for the Normandy, submit your suggestions to Miranda's office while Garrus, Samara and I work things out with Aria."

After hearing various replies from several of the crew, Shepard proceeded out the airlock and to his objective with his two friends in tow. When the three entered the Afterlife Club they had several more eyes following them than before they hit the Omega-4 Relay. The Omega-4 Mass Relay had never had anyone return after a trip through. Mass Relays are the only way anyone can travel between clusters throughout the galaxy. AriaT'Loak, a very powerful asari who was always surrounded by her body guards, seemed rather tense, something Shepard found was rather difficult for anyone to make her do. The Patriarch was there as well.

"Shepard. Word has it that you went through the Omega-4 Relay… and returned." Aria blurted out as soon as he came near enough.

Garka, one of Aria's batarian guards, hesitantly scanned the Commander remembering the threat he made the first time he did the scans. Shepard replied to the asari, "I wouldn't recommend a trip any time soon unless of course you want to see the inside of a black hole."

"I didn't plan on going myself. So your ship looks pretty beat up, how long will you be staying?" She had to keep Omega stable and with a 'dead' Spectre running around that might be harder than usual.

After the scan Shepard took a seat on the couch, "It should be about a week or so, give or take a day or two."

She didn't like the idea but it was better than forcing his way in. "Fine. So besides keeping your ship and crew safe, what do you want?"

"An invading force of hyper-advanced sentient starships is coming and I'm going to need the full support from both the Terminus Systems and Citadel Space." The two listeners were uncertain as to how to take the new information. Shepard detected this right away. "If you want proof of these sentient machines, look at this," Shepard handed a datapad filled with Reaper data.

Aria has been through a lot in her lifetime but that data was something not even two asari lifetimes could have prepared her for. The Patriarch observed her reaction, a sight which was rather rare of her. After scanning through the information, she handed it to the Patriarch and even he too was speechless with the information he was faced with. "Is this the 'Reaper' things you were raving about two years ago?"

Nodding, Shepard responded, "And if the data is accurate, then we're looking at a fleet made up of millions of them. The galaxy saw what one was capable of doing during the attack on the Citadel two years ago; imagine what a fleet that size could do."

"Fine Shepard, we'll help you but I don't know what we could possible do against them."

"Don't worry that datapad also contains some of their weaknesses, abilities and strength." Shepard got up and started to walk away, "Thanks for everything…Aleena."

Aria was good at hiding her feeling, but that hit deep at the asari. She shouted, "Wait!" Aria walked towards Shepard to keep it private. "How do you know that name?"

With a smirk on his face Shepard replied, "Urdnot Wrex told me." Aria was unable to hold the shock back after hearing Wrex's name again. "Don't worry his contract to kill you turned into bodyguard detail until the volus died naturally."

Aria was suspicious about the sudden subject, "Why did you bring this up?"

Shepard was genuinely wanted nothing, "I figured you might want to talk to an old friend before he leads the krogans against the Reapers with me. At least say hi before possibly never seeing each other, again."

After the meeting Shepard moved towards Harrot to discuss business about acquiring parts for the Normandy. "Hello Harrot."

Harrot was an elcor. Elcor are large four-legged beings from a high gravity world. Elcor are a slow species because a simple fall could be lethal on their world. Elcor are monotone in speech because they evolved to use scents, the extremely slightest body movements and subvocalized infrasound, elcor have to express what they are trying to convey when speaking to other species. The elcor remembered the threat Shepard made to help the quarian Kenn, "Cautious greetings: Good day human. Is there anything you need?"

"My ship is in need for part, does the discount still apply?"

"Fearfully: Yes human. I will have parts sent to your ship soon."

"Glad you see it that way." Shepard and team walk back to the ship to help with anything they can.

Bluestreak was prepared for a brutal fight by the gate of Iacon. He was looking for his team and any Decepticons that might follow. "Come on guys, you better have made it out of there otherwise…" Before he could finish that sentence, thuds came from a manhole cover inside the base.

It thudded a few more times until Tracks popped out shouting, "Ratchet, Wheeljack, someone, we need a medic NOW!" Tracks pulled Overhaul's chassis out as gently as he could. Several white and red bots come to aid Tracks and the wounded Autobot.

Ratchet came as quickly as he could to help. Taking a quick kneel beside the damaged Autobot, he took a few quick scans on Overhaul. "The bot's lucky he's still online. Get him to Medical, stat! Prep the team for immediate operation!" A group of Autobots nodded and moved to carry Overhaul on a stretcher. Once they secured him in place, they followed Ratchet as fast and delicately as possible.

Vibes started to climb out of the hole after much of the commotion was done with. Bluestreak rushed to his Commander, helping her out, "Thank Primus you guys made it back." She responded with nothing but silence. It took a moment for him to realize something, or someone, was missing. "Hey, where's Leadfoot?"

In disgraces she looked away, "I'm sorry…he stayed behind to hold back the Cons and…" Despite what Leadfoot told her, she still blamed herself for losing him. "If you want to hit me I won't blame you Bluestreak, I deserve it…"

"What the hell's eating your transistor? Why would I hit you for something you had no control over?" Bluestreak lowered his head, "Yeah I'm mad that Leadfoot is gone, but it's the Decepticons' fault not yours. He gave his spark in the hopes that Perceptor and you could bring an end to this war." He then embraced Vibes in a hug, "It's true what they say about you; you do blame yourself too much like Prime."

Vibes felt a bit better but before Vibes could say anything Blur rushed in out of nowhere speaking a hundred megamiles a milli-cycle. "Vibes! Vibes! Optimus want to speak to you now, now, now! Really, really important! Top secret project! Go, go, go!" Just as fast as he showed up, Blur rushed off in a blue flash. High up in the sky of Iacon, Soundwave's minion, Laserbeak, was circling above the Autobot base undetected.

The leader of the Autobots Optimus Prime had tasked Vibes with the important mission to find new energon sources and if possible allies against their fight against the warmongering Decepticons. Now, standing before the legendary Autobot, Vibes heard Prime's voice clearly. "Vibes, some would call this mission suicidal but we need it. If you don't want to go I can always go myself or find another to…"

Before Prime could continue Vibes interrupted, "No Prime, you're going to be needed to lead the other Autobots against the Decepticons and I can't let anyone else risk their spark."

Thinking for a few milli-cycles, Optimus just sighed, "Alright Vibes. Take a team you see fit for the mission and get to the spacebridge. Take as long as you need to prepare. Prowl has a list of possible teams to take." Unfortunately for them, the Recordicon Laserbeak heard the entire briefing and flew off to report to his master Soundwave. Laserbeak, with his sharpened beak and even sharper wings, used his flight capabilities to his full advantage.