Series Title: After the Reapers
Pairing: Garrus/Shepard
Author: Knights-Honour
Disclaimer: Mass Effect universe © BioWare
Any character you haven't heard of © me
Author's Note
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!
This little story is in response to the ME3 trailer.
If you haven't seen it yet, I HIGHLY recommend that you do.
The Beginning of the End
"Commander?"
Joker's voice echoed through the Shepard's quarters. Shepard looked up from the report she had been reading to the com on her desk.
"What's up, Joker?"
"Councillor Anderson is requesting a meeting with you. He's says it's urgent."
"Alright, patch it through."
"Aye, aye."
A hologram of her mentor soon appeared on the screen in front of her.
"I'm afraid this isn't a social call, Shepard," he addressed her immediately, his voice grave.
"What's happened, sir?"
"It's begun."
Shepard felt the blood drain out of her face. "When?"
"Two weeks ago. A small team of soldiers have only just managed to get word to the Alliance brass, and they passed it on to us."
"What… What're the stats?"
"Two million dead within the first day; seven by the end of the week. And that's just in London. All defences have been totally annihilated, and everyone's been on the run since. The Alliance is doing all they can, but they're vastly outnumbered."
Shepard closed her eyes, the images of a devastated Earth flooding her mind. She'd only been there a handful of times in her early years. Being a Navy brat meant that she had never in the same spot for too long, but her parents had taken her back to their home planet at her request, so that she could explore her Australian and Native American heritage.
"And what of the Council?" she spoke after a moment, opening her eyes to look at the hologram again. "Are they finally willing to accept that the threat that I've been warning them about since I first became a Spectre, is finally upon us? And that after they've exterminated humanity, that the rest of the galaxy will be next?"
"Yes, and they're willing to give you every resource you need-"
"And about damned time!" Garrus' growl startled Shepard, and she turned to look at him as he approached her desk.
"Garrus." Anderson nodded his head at the Turian as he stood behind Shepard's chair.
"Councillor," Garrus returned the greeting.
"So what's our next step?" Shepard questioned, returning the conversation to its grim topic.
"It won't be an easy task, but our only hope lies in uniting all of the races against the Reapers."
"An impossible task," Shepard murmured.
Anderson chuckled. "But you seemed to have built your career on impossible tasks," he reminded her. "Good luck out there, Shepard. You're our only hope."
Shepard nodded her head grimly before the hologram disappeared. She took a deep breath, her head falling into her hands as she contemplated the grim mission that they were about to undertake. A gentle squeeze on her shoulder reminded her that she wasn't alone in this, and she looked up at her mate for a moment before she abandoned her chair and stepped into his embrace.
"We'll get through this," he murmured to her.
"Spirits, I hope so!" she returned, a hint of hysteria in her voice.
"We will," he soothed, stroking a tri-fingered hand down her back, hoping to calm her. It seemed to work, because when she stepped back she was a little less tense.
"EDI?"
"Yes, Commander?"
"Can you inform the crew that there's a meeting in the CIC in ten minutes, please?"
"What about Grunt?"
"Leave him be. He's due back on board this afternoon, I'll tell him then."
"Understood." the orb blinked after a moment. "Messages away. Are you feeling alright, Commander?"
"Not really. But thanks for asking."
Hand in hand with Garrus, she left her quarters to start the beginning of the end.
Fin.