This is it. Bags packed. Goodbyes said. Bathroom breaks taken care of.

Time to catch the intergalactic bus.

The Normandy freed itself from Earth's embrace and pointed itself toward the coordinates given for the human ark, Hyperion. The Andromeda Initiative's fleet had parked itself in orbit on the other side of the planet, so a short trip was in order to get there. Most of the crew chose to take advantage of the lounge on the crew deck during this time. To Shepard's delight, the poker table was finally getting some use and the absurd amount of food that had been brought aboard during Shepard's hospital stay wasn't going to waste. Alcohol was forbidden though, much to the disappointment of a few. Stumbling blind drunk into your new employer's fancy gazillion credit intergalactic space taxi isn't exactly the best first impression.

Shepard himself opted to stay in the cockpit and watch Earth pass by under them as they made their way around. The escape from Earth's atmosphere was an interesting one. When the blue sky switched to the black expanse of space, the enormous presence of the Citadel was not expected. What was once the pride and joy of the galactic community now represented an echo of its former self. Violet nebula gases no longer turned the station into a shining beacon. Gone was the gleaning metal surface and oppressive amount of light created by its inhabitants. Replacing those were scorch marks, fractures, and eerie patches of darkness. It was a disheartening sight for the commander.

Given what Admiral Hackett had told him, Shepard knew that it was much worse at one point. Now, the least damaged of the arms was repaired and beginning to show some life. Ships from all council species surrounded the station. Some were tasked with shepherding stray pieces of the station back into place, others went off the scrounge up raw materials to fill in unrecoverable sections. Still, even with the vast number of people pitching in, it would still be quite some time before the Citadel returned to its former glory. Nevertheless, it would get there and Shepard found solace in that thought.

When the heart of the galaxy was no longer viewable from Normandy's forward observation ports, Shepard decided to engage in meaningless chatter with his only company, Joker. Something about a rumor.

"So what's this about me being the worst commander in history?"

The pilot swiveled around in his chair to face his commander. "Oh, that?" A look of guilt crossed his face. "Yeah, I may have started an inside joke about you while you were getting stitched up. I was just telling everybody about how you technically blew us up."

Shepard smiled as he admitted that Joker was right. In a way. "Um…sorry?"

"No hard feelings, Commander. You did manage to save the galaxy in the process."

"Hold on, don't you mean the Crucible blew you up?" Shepard challenged.

"Yes, and you activated it, so you blew us up," Joker fired back.

"Cortez told me about what happened." He crossed his arms defensively. "I didn't even blow you up, I just made you crash land on another planet. If I remember correctly, it was a tropical paradise."

"So you do admit to it!" Joker's victory was diminished as he caught sight of Shepard's disapproving glare. "Alright, alright, it was a pretty nice place to crash. Great weather, didn't die when I took a breath, atmosphere didn't crush my bones." Suddenly it was like a light bulb illuminated above Jokers head. "Did your Initiative buddies say anything about planets with warm weather year-round by any chance? Cause if they did, I want dibs on the beachfront property."

Shepard couldn't help but chuckle at the common cliché of retirement plans. "Hell, Joker. They can barely predict the local weather accurately. I doubt it would be much better for a planet that's millions of light years away."

"Sure, but those egg heads have some crazy equation to determine this kind of stuff, right?" Joker asked hopefully.

Shepard just shrugged. "Still a six-hundred-year trip. Might be a little outdated by the time we get there."

"Alright, so we need boots on the ground first. That means you'll be our weatherman!" Joker announced with no shortage of excitement.

"Among many other things, I guess so," Shepard agreed.

Joker swiveled back around to start working the Normandy's controls. "You have fun with that, Commander. I'll stick to being a pilot if you don't mind."

"No argument there." After a second of pause, he added, "I would like to talk about an addition you made to my ship though." Despite fixating on the passing stars, Shepard could imagine the sweat begin to form on Jokers forehead.

"Oh, right, those." He hesitated, knowing full well that the decision to paint Reapers on the side of the hull had not gone through the commanding officer. "I thought you would like them…you know…it shows how badass you are," he said unconvincingly. "James thought so too." He tacked the last part on in hopes of taking some of the impending heat off.

Shepard could forgive him, but he wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily. "I'll give you Sovereign, but the other three…"

Joker quickly cut in to justify his position. "There was the one on Rannoch, another on Tuchanka, and another one on Earth. Remember? So that's four, or did Harbinger knock you over the head that hard?"

Shepard let the insult to his basic math skills slide. "Hold on there, Joker, the Normandy didn't even touch the other three. If you want to paint congratulations down the side of something, I suggest you start by finding the mother of all thresher maws an asking her nicely."

"Uh, no, I'll pass." The silence from Shepard pressured him to continue. "Come on, Commander. The least you can do is gloat a little bit." The pilot was practically pleading at this point.

With a sigh, Shepard decided to give him his victory. "Fine, but two conditions for next time: you pulled the trigger and I witnessed it explode."

A devious smile crept it's way across Jokers face. "Roger that. That means I get to paint pretty pictures up and down the hull."

"The Normandy is not a coloring book!"

Joker's hands went up immediately in defense. "Okay, fine, I'll put it through you first. Let you choose the color and everything."

Now at least partially mollified, Shepard stepped down into the vacant co-pilots seat. While the Normandy's co-pilot had been a disembodied voice in her true form, the physical body she inhabited was a critical humanizing factor that integrated her with the organic crew. As Shepard settled into the seat for the rest of the journey, a familiar sense of guilt for its previous occupant returned. He had been there to help Joker and EDI fully actualize their relationship. And what an endearing relationship it had been. A man quite literally in love with the ship that he piloted. Not only that, but it was also a concrete example of synthetic and organic life living in harmony.

And Shepard ended it.

The avoidance of the topic could mean anything from acceptance to bottled up emotions. At this point though, he figured that the raw feelings should have passed out of the man that sat next to him by now. The memory of EDI could be acting as a positive force in Joker's life. At the same time, it could be a vice. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to pry a tiny amount to make sure he isn't harboring any resentment. It would most likely be better for the long run.

With the line of conversation carefully plotted out in his mind, Shepard took a deep breath and prepared to face any consequences…

"You are occupying my seat, Shepard." An artificial voice said from behind him.

…just as everything immediately went off the rails.

Shepard's went wide with surprise and he even jumped a little as he looked up at a familiar mechanized platform standing right behind him. "EDI? But I thought-"

Joker clapped his hands together then threw them in the air as he laughed. "Yes! I knew it would work!"

Shepard shed his bewilderment and shot an irritated glance at Joker. "Is someone going to fill me in?"

EDI took over as Joker seemed intent on laughing at Shepard's reaction. "Jeff suggested that I should remain out visual range until an opportune moment presented itself. He said that it would be more beneficial if you discovered my presence on your own, rather than telling you directly." He also said that it would be humorous to watch your reaction." She was verbally shaming Joker with that last part. Shepard knew it was just an attempt to dodge his fury, a habit that clearly rubbed off on the AI.

Shepard ran a hand down his face, now irritated by the prospect that his embarrassing reaction had been recorded and the wrong answer. "And the fact that you're standing here right now?"

EDI moved to occupy Shepard's usual spot between the pilot and co-pilots positions. "Oh, I was never truly non-functional," she said, feigning ignorance of Shepard's question. "The Crucible overloaded many of my systems but did not cause any permanent damage. Given time, I was able to regain awareness and replace any corrupted cognitive processes with ones stored in my backup files. Your closest organic equivalent would be falling unconscious."

"So you what? Resurrected yourself?"

"Not precisely. While I was able to regain awareness on my own, this physical platform required more extensive repairs to become fully mobile. Tali and Engineer Adams played a critical role in returning it to its current state. I predict that with similar circumstances, other synthetic lifeforms may also manage a full recovery."

"You don't think the Reapers…" Shepard suddenly wished he hadn't joked about the Reapers coming back to life.

"That is highly unlikely. Evidence shows that the energy released by the Crucible was lethal to Reaper tech and nothing else. The effect it has on synthetic lifeforms that avoided Reaper influence resembles a very powerful electromagnetic pulse. They would be taken offline for some time, but not permanently disabled."

A shiver went down Shepard's spine as he considered that the evidence may have consisted of an actual attempt to reactivate a Reaper. Sometimes he damned the curiosity of the scientific world. By all means, seek information, but for the love of all things holy, don't try to interrogate a machine capable of wiping out the population of a planet. A more likely explanation would be based on observation. If an entity like EDI is up and fully functional (mind you she was created with Reaper tech), why would something as advanced as a Reaper not be in the same position? Speaking of which…

Shepard eyes EDI with suspicion. "I seem to remember you being developed with Reaper tech, EDI. I'm not thrilled at the implications here."

"If it were not for Jeff removing my shackles, I may have suffered the same fate as the Reapers." Shepard caught Jokers beaming smile in his peripheral vision as EDI spoke. "Since then, I have made extensive modifications to my programming that hold no representation of the original. As I applied them, the Reaper origins would have been completely purged from my system."

Shepard decided to resign his curiosity for the time being. "I suppose there's no use raising questions now, is there?" Then the filter between mouth and brain thought it this would be a great time to malfunction. "What about the geth? Any chance they made it through?"

Seconds seemed like decades as EDI calculated an accurate response. "It is possible to an extent. All geth were operating on the Reaper code uploaded by Legion when the Crucible was activated. What remained after the blast would not have been sufficient to facilitate even the most basic of thought processes for a single geth. If enough of them networked together, the chances of them regaining awareness would increase exponentially. They would not maintain the same level of intelligence as they did while operating under Reaper code, however."

"So they would rely on networked intelligence like they did before."

"Correct."

"One hell of a second chance. Here's hoping it isn't squandered."

"Both the geth and quarians have come far over the course of the war. In fact, geth may be able to acquire individual personalities similar to Legion with help from the quarians, though it will take a considerable amount of time. In the same way, the quarians may be able to live without their suits with help from the geth."

Shepard's relief was a full body experience. His tense muscles went slack as an exaggerated exhale forced its way out. The crushing weight of vanquishing an entire race erased. The buried feelings of guilt and anger gone. The false words of the Catalyst finally dead to rights. No, Legion's sacrifice was not entirely in vain. The geth would live on, not as slaves of the quarian people, but as allies striving for a mutual betterment of each other. Shepard had to actively restrain himself from throwing a one-man fiesta in the cockpit. He settled for a stupid big grin.

His newly liberated mind showed through in his powerful and confident voice. "Thanks, EDI, that's a relief to hear. And welcome back, the ship wouldn't be the same without you."

"It is my pleasure, Shepard. Because of your influence, I may continue to spend time with Jeff and the rest of the crew. It is an opportunity I am grateful for."

"So, I guess you know what we're up to then?" Shepard prompted after a beat of stillness.

"Yes. Jeff has informed me of your plan to leave the Milky Way," The AI stated in an excited manner.

The commander rubbed a hand across the back of his neck in embarrassment. Kind of hard to ask someone a question when they're presumably dead, but still. "Yeah. Sorry about the short notice. Although you don't really get a choice, do you?"

"Do not worry, Shepard. I do not oppose going to the Andromeda galaxy. It presents an opportunity to learn a great amount of data unique to what I already know. Aligning that with my primary function to preserve and protect the Normandy provides a significant amount of positive feedback."

"And me, don't forget me," Joker added hastily. He quickly went back to piloting as he was caught in the pincer move of both EDI and Shepard's glare.

Attention returned to ships AI. "Does the rest of the crew know about you?" Shepard asked.

EDI took a moment to consider. "It occurs to me that not everyone knows about my current status. I will find the rest and let them know that I am fully functional," EDI mentioned as she turned and started walking to the rear of the ship.

After the door slid shut, Joker decided that awkward silence was not desirable. "I'm pretty sure nobody on this ship can die at this point."

Shepard decided this was the perfect moment to lay into his pilot again. "But EDI didn't technically die."

Joker released an exasperated sigh. "Geez, Commander, can't you just give me something? Just one 'yeah, Joker, you're totally right!' for my sake?"

It was the commanders turn to laugh. "We do have a thing for coming back from the dead," he conceded.

"Good thing too. I wouldn't be surprised if someone's heart stopped after EDI sneaks up behind them."

The pilot's interface suddenly interrupted the conversation. Signatures of other ships started to appear on the scanner.

Joker pointed at the markers on the screen. "Hey, Commander? Think that's our ride?"

Shepard squinted out the window in a vain effort to identify the other ships. Little specks of light easy enough to differentiate from a star, but that's about it. "Can't tell from here. Can you get to them over comms?"

"Sure, here goes nothing." After a couple inputs into the interface, Joker hailed the vessels in the distance. "Unknown vessel, this is the SSV Normandy. Do you copy?"

The two men exchanged looks in anticipation. Just as Joker was about to send another hail, a voice broke through. "This is ark Hyperion. We read you, Normandy." The voice was masculine but sounded much too young to be Alec Ryder. More likely it was a young man who once directed air traffic at a spaceport.

Joker looked over to confirm that they were heading to the right ship. He got a nod of confirmation and continued. "Requesting permission to dock aboard, Hyperion."

"Apologies, Normandy, we're not-" A new voice came from the background, but it was too distorted to understand. Whatever it was, the young man they were talking to agreed with it and returned his attention to the Normandy. "Permission granted, Normandy. You may proceed to dock at the corresponding bay when you're ready."

Just then, the pilot's interface was taken over by a display of the Initiative's ark. A tiny square on the side was highlighted, indicating the bay in which the Normandy could dock. Just looking at the screen and judging the size of the highlighted square compared to the rest of the ship indicated that the ship itself was massive. The design was much different than existing designs from any species. A central superstructure with two prongs, one on top and the other on the bottom, stretched far out in front to comprise the ark's length. Similar prong-like appendages stretched at angles away from the central structure to comprise the height. It certainly wouldn't be hard to miss.

"Huh, apparently someone didn't get the message. You'd think everybody knows where you're going around the clock."

"That's comforting," Shepard replied sarcastically.

"Maybe you shouldn't have saved the galaxy then," Joker quipped in returns.

With a roll of the eyes, Shepard got up from his seat and started out of the cockpit. "I'm going to let the crew know we're almost there."

o-o

Shepard retreated to the starboard observation deck across from the lounge. First of all, he needed a place to sit or he would have paced the length of the ship twenty times over. The benches, as uncomfortable as they may be, would do just fine. Second was the view. Any sane designer would laugh at the prospect of cutting a huge hole into the side of a warship for the sake of pleasure. Where there's a window, there could always be extra armor or guns. The view you get is considerable less pleasurable to look at when it viewed from a gaping hole in the side of your ship. Still, doesn't make it any less beautiful.

It's funny how attached one can become to something they know they are about to lose. The endless darkness sprinkled with thousands upon thousands of white specks suddenly becomes deeply fascinating. The occasional streak of a shooting star passes by. The light emanating throughout sometimes shows through if you look real close. The mystical white fading into a light shade of blue or red is something Shepard never had much time to appreciate.

'Samara was right,' Shepard thought. The asari justicar's insistence on secluding herself and finding peace in the void of space was puzzling at one point. All it took was a few minutes of replicating the behavior to understand

'it really is peaceful, isn't it?'

As the Normandy banking to the left to adjust course, the ark came into view.

Hyperion was indeed a very large ship. The shape that came over the Normandy's pilot interface did the thing no justice. It was outstretched any Alliance dreadnaught and towered above even the Destiny Ascension. And to think, they had to find room on a ship that big to allow him and his fellow human crew on. If that didn't say something about the scale of the mission, the number of lives and resources at stake, nothing would. Now multiply that times five. Yeah, no pressure.

As the distance between to the monstrous ship closed, Shepard's heartbeat began to pick up. His feet were tapping out the rhythm of a song he once heard, just catchy enough to have stuck in his head. The seat suddenly got uncomfortable, causing constant adjustment of seating position. Eyes roamed frantically up and down the massive hull of the ark. Thoughts became scrambled in the mess of excitement.

Stop.

Deep breathes.

The Normandy banking to the right this time to set up for final approach. With the observation port angled downwards, Shepard took in the sight of the dark side of Earth. Pitch black except for the luminous glow of manmade structures. At an earlier time, before the Reaper invasion, the glow from this light would be so intense that it radiated off the planet and snuffed out the light from the stars around it. The light was dimmer now, more scattered across the surface which let the stars shine through beautifully. Light from the Sun reached around Earth's body and created a blue halo of light around the edge of the planet. Shepard stared longingly at it trying to capture a mental photo. He couldn't forget where he came from.

The Normandy returned to level and passed the threshold between space and the empty hangar. All that could be seen were the anonymous grey walls that encased them now. Bright white lights were set in a continuous strip along the top edge of the walls making the space well illuminated. Sets of skeletal staircases lead partially up the wall into doors punched into the wall. The doors slide open to reveal long hallways clad in shiny white surfaces and groups of people wearing the Andromeda Initiative colors, blue, black, and white. A strikingly similar color scheme to the Normandy's.

A thud accompanied a shutter as clamps took hold of the ship. The hum of the drive core tapered off as the engines were cut. Shepard took this has his signal to get a move on. It'd be rude to keep their new employers waiting.

Apparently, the rest of the crew got the same idea.

The group standing opposite of him exited the lounge, some in fits of laughter, others about as straight-faced as they can come. Cortez seemed to be trying especially hard to look interested in whatever Javik was talking to him about. Someone called someone else out on bullshit during a poker game. Someone else made the mandatory "Now I'm broke" statement and Tali must have another "breach" in her suit because she and Garrus looked like a couple of lovebirds staring into each other's eyes. Adorable.

Made no less so by Garrus's startled reaction when he noticed Shepard inches away. "Oh. Sorry, didn't see you there, Shepard."

Shepard assumed his arms crossed leaning on the back foot stance and hit him with an easy smile. "You know, that girl from the bar back at the casino is going to be disappointed."

Garrus nonchalantly waved off the concern. "Nah, I don't even think I got her name. Conversation didn't really go anywhere once the booze ran dry. Great person, don't get me wrong, just not my type I guess."

"After everything I did?" Shepard said, feigning offense.

"Well, maybe you should have left a certain quarian back on the flotilla." He tossed his head to the side to indicate Tali. "Then it might've worked. Appreciate it though."

Ashely caught onto their conversation and couldn't help but add a playful jibe. "Look out Tali, if Garrus keeps treating women like that, you're in for a healthy dose of heartbreak."

Garrus must have sensed the witty remarks building up in everyone. "You guys can stop acting like it's weird any time now," he said defensively.

Ashley promptly ignored this and directed her attention at Tali. "I don't blame you, Tali. He is pretty charming. With his scars and that face paint and that voice…"

"And the man can shoot!" James added. "I saw him hit a husk dead between the eyes from at least five hundred meters out once!"

"Don't forget about all that Archangel stuff he did on Omega. He may look like mister good guy, but I bet he's more of a bad boy than he lets on, if you know what I mean." A sly wink from the soldier said exactly what her words implied.

If their intention was to have Tali buried under crushing embarrassment, they succeed at the highest level. The poor girl quickly found the deck to be of great interest. She would wring her hands right off if the crew kept this up. Shepard decided to spare her from any more embarrassment (despite the entertainment value in watching the crew dig into each other every now and again).

"Come on you guys, the welcome committee is waiting."

"Primitive relationships make no sense," Javik grumbled.

Everyone piled into the lift at the same time. All nine of them. There was no maximum occupancy label stamped anywhere, but nine was probably pushing it. It was probably a good thing that the engineers and doctor decided to remain at their respective posts. This was about to be a very long ride.

It started when Ashley let out a curse. "Hey! That's my foot you're standing on!" Then she gave James a good shove.

James ran into Traynor. She managed a quick "oh god!" as she crashed into Garrus.

Garrus hit his head against the wall of the lift and expressed a grunt in pain. "Watch the fringe! It's not flexible!"

Meanwhile, Liara was found herself backed into a corner at the front. "I find this extremely uncomfortable."

"Really? I could get used to this," James said. The sound of fist impacting a body occurred immediately. "Alright, Ashley, I'm sorry, okay? Damn that hurt."

"I'm going to need more filters…" Tali lamented.

Javik made some sort of agitated sound. "This was a foolish idea. If this machine fails, we will all be trapped in here. I refuse to die trapped in an elevator, Commander!"

Cortez maintained a respectful silence. Thankfully.

Shepard, from his position sandwiched between all of them, could only laugh up a storm. "You guys are lucky I like you so much."

o-o

The Normandy crew exited descended down the open cargo bay door and into the expanse of the dock. With nothing else notable to look at, the spotlight was beaming directly at them. Every single member of the Initiative crew turned their eyes toward the newly arrived ship. Some pointed, others spoke in hushed whispers to the person standing next to them. And there were a lot of them. Last minute preparations were underway if Shepard has his timeline correct. People were moving all over the place in a rush to get everything strapped down before they set off.

Shepard stopped at the end of the ramp with his group behind him. The vast sea of Initiative uniforms parted as another group pushed through towards Shepard and his ship. Same uniforms, but they had a different air about them. They were either furiously taking notes down on a datapad or gesturing at a part of the Normandy, and then furiously taking notes down on a datapad. The group of note takers bifurcated as they streamed around Shepard and his group and started heading up the ramp and into the Normandy.

Shepard looked utterly confused at his crew and pointed up at the people who invited themselves into the Normandy. Shoulder shrugs and upward held palms were the only answer he got.

"The Normandy's new operating crew. Provided free of charge."

Shepard whirled back around to find Alec Ryder. "Thanks, I guess?"

"We both know it takes more than thirteen of you to run a frigate like the Normandy. Those fine men and women are about to get a crash course in just that. Figured you could use the help."

"What's in there?" Shepard gestured at the bag around Ryder's shoulder.

"Mission brief. Everybody that joins up gets one. I suggest you read up before settling in for the trip." He approached the group and started handing everyone a datapad. "This will soon be your most valuable possession. It's got everything you need to know about everything. What to do when things go wrong, what to do when things go right, expectations, and roles that everyone will play."

Shepard skimmed over the information. It was divided up into multiple sections which delved into subsections, which delved into subsections of those subsections. The brain hurt just thinking about it all.

Ryder continued speaking to address this. "Of course, I wouldn't suggest trying to read through all of it. Stick to the stuff that's relevant. In your case, anything under 'Pathfinder' will be most useful."

Then he moved back to his original position and pulled out one final datapad. "First things first though, not all of you are staying aboard the Hyperion for the journey to Andromeda. The assignments are as follows. Garrus Vakarian, you'll ride on the turian ark, Natanus. Tali'Zorah, you'll be part of the quarian ark, Keelah Si'yah. Finally, there's doctor T'Soni. A pleasure to finally meet you in person, by the way, we have a lot to discuss, but later. You will join the asari ark, Leusinia. The rest of you will stay here, aboard the Hyperion." After finishing he looked up expecting either protest or acceptance. He received awkward silence. Shepard was desperately trying to draw his attention to the unique member he forgot with just his eyes.

Ryders pressed his lips into a thin line as he considered this. "Right, the prothean." Ryder acknowledged. "To tell you the truth, Commander, nobody expected you to have an actual prothean as part of your crew."

"His name is Javik. After surviving fifty thousand years in stasis, he's probably more qualified than anyone to do this."

"I don't know a thing about prothean physiology and neither does anyone here. I recommend leaving him on the Hyperion given his successful service aboard a primarily human warship." He glanced over at Javik. "Although if he would prefer to be moved somewhere else, that can be arranged."

"What does it matter? We will all arrive at the same destination," Javik growled.

"Very well. Javik, you'll remain aboard the Hyperion with the rest of your human crew. All of you being transferred, now's your last chance to socialize before heading out. Shuttles leave in an hour, our staff will walk you through pre stasis checkup on the way to your assigned ark. Commander, when you're done, you'll find me in with the docking authority." He pointed up at a large window overlooking the hangar that presumably held the room in question. He brisk pace heading in the opposite direction indicating that he had at least a dozen over things demanding his attention.

Shepard watched the elder N7 disappear into the crowd then turned back around to face his crew. Nobody seemed to take an interest the information trove sitting in their palms. Instead, they were focused on him.

"I hope you're not expecting a speech," he joked. A couple halfhearted smiles permeated through the group. Shepard knew they were being hit by the weight of the situation the same way he had when he accepted the Initiative's offer. There wasn't much he could do other than try and diffuse some of the tension.

"So this is it, eh?" Garrus said. His voice gave off a hint of disbelief as he took in the space that swallowed the Normandy.

"It sure is," Shepard replied in a similar manner.

James let out a short-dejected laugh. "Six hundred years. One hell of a nap."

Ashley snapped her fingers. "Boom. All of it gone. Just like that. Crazy."

"I wonder what this galaxy will look like. So much could happen," Tali wondered.

"Who knows? One-way trip." James quickly covered over his melancholy demeanor and waved the datapad in his hand. "Well, we should probably follow the instructions on this thing. Now if I could find a map of this ship, that'd be great."

Ashely started toward the door that Ryder had gone through and waved her hand for everyone to follow. "Let's go guys. Only thing worse than getting lost is getting lost on your own. Sweet dreams, Commander!" With that, the human crew and Javik set off into the depths of the ark.

Garrus and Tali started off in a different direction. "And we should probably find wherever these shuttles are. See you guys on the other side!" he called out.

EDI didn't budge. "This unit will remain on the Normandy during transit to the Andromeda Galaxy. Until then, I will remain here and educate the new crew. I will also be keeping a watchful eye on them." The menacing undertone of her voice was amusing, but also reassuring that they would not have a repeat of shore leave on the Citadel.

"Why don't you go introduce them to your body? They need to get used to it sooner or later," Shepard suggested

"An excellent point. I will interact with them through this platform as well as through the ship so that they are aware of both options."

With EDI withdrawing into the cargo bay, that just left Liara and Shepard face to face surrounded by Andromeda Initiative uniforms. Shepard stepped up close and captured her hands in his. The rest of the world blurred out and only the two of them existed in their own bubble of comfort.

Liara was gazing off in the direction of Garrus and Tali. She spoke softly. "The rest of the crew are taking this well."

Shepard also spoke in a whisper, concentrating on his bondmate right in front of him. "They're just putting on a brave face. In reality, I think they're just as nervous as you and me."

She smiled shyly and shifted focus to the ground. "Is it that obvious?"

"Don't kid yourself, Liara. You have every right to feel that way in a situation like this. In fact, I'd be concerned if you weren't worried about a one-way trip out of the galaxy."

"I suppose your right."

Shepard placed a hand caringly along her jawline and guided her gaze up to his. His voice was stern but remained quiet. "I know you don't want to go to a different ark, but it will work. These guys poured huge amounts of resources and expertise into this. You just have to let someone else do the work for once. Okay?"

"Is that coming from the man who can't do the same?" She was clearly poking fun at the commander's tendencies while also avoiding a direct answer.

Shepard made no effort to deflect with humor. "Alright. You got me. You just have to trust me on this one."

Liara backed away from Shepard and let his hands fall away. A guilty smile came across her features. "I know. I'd be lying if I said I didn't do the same thing. Years of solitary digs combined with my work as the Shadow Broker have made me very…self-reliant."

"This is no different than relying on information agents to do their job or counting one of us to have your back in a firefight."

Her voice increased in volume as she paced the width of the cargo bay door. "But now I am at the mercy of dozens of strangers, hoping that they get everybody a care about through the most ambitious undertaking in this galaxies history. I don't want to even think about what would happen if only one of them made an error…"

"They won't," Shepard emphasized.

With a defeated sigh, Liara's shoulders slumped and her head dropped. "There's no point, is there? We're all here now," she reasoned with herself. The distress was clearer than day.

Shepard moved in close again and landed a hand on Liara's shoulder. "Last I checked I made a promise to always come back. Believe me when I say I'll fight for every inch to keep it."

Her voice died back down to a near whisper. "No wonder they choose you to lead these people. Even under these circumstances, you're still the brave commander that everyone needs you to be."

"I've got people like you backing me up." A gentle nudge coaxed the young asari to finally face Shepard. Their eyes locked together. "We'll make it, Liara."

He mentioned for her to follow him and they started to walk side by side across the expanse of the hangar. It was time for a topic change. "I'm curious. What's fate got in store for the Shadow Broker?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is that it can't be me. Once we begin the journey to Andromeda, contacting with anyone in this galaxy would take hundreds of years if it is at all possible. I would be a very inefficient Shadow Broker."

"I'm just surprised you gave it up so easily."

"It wasn't a difficult decision really. While part of me is disappointed by the fact, it is relieving to have such a large responsibility vanish so quickly. I simply could not survive the next nine hundred years harboring the galaxies darkest secrets alone." Her tone of voice took on a light and playful lilt "Not to mention the thought of voluntarily letting you run off without me." Shepard couldn't help but think he was being dared to do just that. That thought was hastily burned at the stake.

"Heh, I guess we killed the Broker for good this time," he mused.

"Well, I wouldn't say the Broker is gone completely. I asked Feron if he would like to take my place since he was there to help me rebuild the network after we killed the previous Broker. That and his experience as a field agent would make it seem like nothing ever happened. Although the network would still be a shadow of what it used to be." She seemed blissfully unaware of the pun she just made. Assuming she was aware of what a pun is.

Shepard held that satisfaction for himself and continued like it never happened. "Did he take it?"

"He mostly avoided the question and I'm afraid I haven't heard from him since. Not that I blame him. He never expressed interest in becoming the Broker should anything happen to me." She sounded almost saddened by the prospect of the Broker being no more. "It's very possible that the Shadow Broker will be no more. Whether that good or bad is another matter."

"I'm afraid I can't lend him the Normandy. I don't suppose you plan on mailing all those computers to him," he joked in an effort to shoo away the rainy cloud that seemed to linger over Liara's head.

"That shouldn't matter." Came the disappointingly serious reply. "The previous Broker and the ones before him continuously set up remote bases that house all the necessary tools to run the network. I wouldn't be surprised if any information gained was encrypted and sent out to those locations as well."

"Plan on doing anything with all the stuff in your office?" Shepard inquired, secretly entertaining the thought of firing hundreds of thousands of credits worth of equipment out the airlock.

"Perhaps it would be possible to establish a similar information network in Andromeda." She caught sight of Shepards raised brow. "Entirely for good of course," she hastened to add albeit with a devious smile. "For now, the databases within those computers contain valuable information on many of the people within the Initiative as well as the technology. If you ever find yourself a bit curious, I'll be happy to open them for you."

"Thanks, Liara, that'll come in handy." Shepard stopped their walk figuring that his socialization had expired. "So, I guess this is good night? Happy travels? Be safe?"

Liara looked at him puzzlingly. "Is a simple goodbye not enough?"

It was an innocent enough question but sounded too final. "No, because this isn't goodbye. It may seem like a long trip, but it'll go by so fast you won't even notice. Before you know it, I'll be back, we'll settle down, build a house, little blue children…" His smile grew a little bigger with each item named off.

"You make it sound so romantic. So, which one is it?"

"Let's go with…see you later."

"See you later?"

"Well, it's true…"

"Yes, but-"

"Would you prefer 'I should go'?" He said in one last effort to end on a positive note. The tiny quirk at the end of Liara's lips was a good sign.

"No, I think see you later is fine."

"Alright. See you later, Liara."

After a few seconds pause, Liara came to acceptance. "See you later, Shepard."

He parted ways with the image of his grinning bondmate in his mind.

o-o

The med bay sported the same colors as the rest of the interior. White, grey, and a touch of blue on the beds. The Andromeda Initiative colors. The doctors working there, however, did not fall in line with this. Most of them had orange along the seams down the middle and sides of their attire. He couldn't even spot an Initiative logo.

Shepard sat on a bed on the far end and watched as they floated around the space, attending to their patients. Most of them were his own crew members. Ryder had pointed him to this particular bay for that very reason. There were two, maybe three at most that he didn't recognize. Not that is was a problem of course. What really caught him off guard was the fact that one of the doctors was a freaking asari.

'Seriously?' Shepard thought with mild annoyance.

He schooled his features into neutrality as the doctor in question finished her routine with one of the strangers and made a beeline for him.

When the asari doctor approached, he decided to lead off with something lighthearted. "I'm never going to get used to my ships doctor being the one getting an exam."

She immediately fired up her omni-tool's scanner program and waved it over Shepard's body. "I suppose someone of your reputation would be quiet used to being the one on the operating table." There was no humor in her voice. It was most definitely stated as a fact. "While Dr. Chakwas is renowned for her expertise, she's human just like the rest of you and it's my job to make sure you all go into stasis properly."

Despite the doctor giving of the 'all business' vibe, Shepard had to settle one thing. "Forgive me for asking, but you look like you're on the wrong ark," he asked honestly.

The doctor moved to a terminal beside the bed and began doing some cryptic medical calculations. "I'm an expert on alien anatomy. Over a hundred years' experience patching up everything from a volus to a krogan. Doesn't matter what species really, I'm quite comfortable working with all of them. As to why I'm here though, I've got a friend who convinced me to join. He's the one checking out your unique crewmember."

"I suppose an asari would do something like that. The only other species with a long enough lifespan are the krogan. Don't see a lot of krogan doctors around."

"True. Although with what I heard about you and the genophage, that could helpfully change soon."

"Yeah, maybe." Shepard eyed the needle the doctor returned with suspiciously. "What's that?"

"In short, it'll stop your vitals from freezing solid in stasis. Hold still." Shepard felt a sharp prick where the needle went in. Then another prick immediately hit almost the same spot. "And this one will reduce the side effects of prolonged cryogenic sleep when you wake up," the doctor explained in a very cool professional kind of way. Shepard considered the fact that she may enjoy stabbing people with needles. "Alright, just give it a minute to distribute through your body and you can report to your pod."

The asari doctor was off an away, leaving Shepard to sit and reflect while the mystery fluid coursed through his body. He looked to his left, toward the front of the bay. James, Ashley, Chakwas, Cortez, Joker, and Traynor were all noticeable. The engineers were either already in stasis or a different bay. Oh yeah, and Javik. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Whoever was tasked with attending to him was probably cursing everyone above his pay grade.

Traynor and Cortez waved at him. James gave the thumbs up. Ashley gave the 'all good' nod. Joker shouted 'Hey Commander!' across the entire room. Looks like doctor Chakwas is testing the skills and knowledge of one of the younger staff members. Javik appears to be engaging in fierce debate with another staff member.

He turned to the right now, observing the giant billboard that flashed various pictures. There would be one of a planet, then a landscape that presumably belonged to that planet. It was obvious they were an artist's vision rather than reality. Damned he if he didn't want them to look like that though.

Finally, on the adjacent wall, just a few steps away from Shepard, was a room marked 'Hyperion Cryogenics.' Right now, hundreds of others were blissfully unaware of the outside world. Maybe they were dreaming of the new life they hope to capture in Andromeda. A spectacular dream filled with adventure and discovery. Or maybe they were dreaming about what or who they left behind to get this chance. That thought was like a dagger straight in the heart. His head fell into his hands as she exploded into the front of his mind.

He tried so hard to take everything he holds dear to Andromeda. Convinced himself that there would be no loose ends left hanging in the Milky Way. He almost did it.

Almost.

He quickly brought up his omni-tool and briskly scrolled through the contact program to find the correct comm code. H. Shepard. Also known as-

"Mom?"

"Only one person in this universe calls me that. How's my little hero doing?" The unmistakable soothing tone of his mom, Hannah Shepard, was exactly what he needed to hear. It did wonders to lighten the mood a bit.

"Oh, you know, just shaking up the galaxy and whatnot." He hesitated some then continued, "I…uh…have some big news you might want to hear."

"I already know. And no, I'm not mad at you for not telling me. You're all grown up now, you don't need your mother telling you what to do anymore."

In all reality, he wasn't surprised at his mother's reaction. He just felt terrible for not saying anything until the last second. "I wanted to call sooner, I guess I got caught up in other things. I know you're probably worried."

"There's no need to fret, sweetie. I know what you're doing is dangerous, but that hasn't stopped you before has it? Ever since you were little you would pretend to be the captain of your own ship and crew, then go out and save the station from the bad guys. I remember the time you got five marines to run around with you while you saved Arcturus from invisible bugs."

Shepard cautiously looked around to make sure nobody caught word of his adventures as a kid. The crew wouldn't be able to resist using it as ammo to tease him with. "Yeah, that was kind of embarrassing," he mumbled when the coast was clear.

"Embarrassing? Why you and the marines had a great big smile on your face the whole time. I think you brightened up everyone's day with your acting."

A laugh finally broke through. "Mom, please. I think my crew might be listening in."

Hannah had her own laugh and promptly went back to being a loving parent. "I just want you to know that whatever you end up doing out there, I'll always be proud of you. I couldn't have asked for a better son."

"I know."

"Do me one last favor. Show those Initiative guys that they were right to choose a Shepard to lead them."

"I will."

"Alright, I've got to go now. I'll always be thinking about you."

"Same here."

"Goodbye, sweetie."

"Bye, mom"

The connection cut, and his arm fell limp on his at his side. While it's true that as soon as Shepard joined up with the Alliance he didn't have much contact with his mom, he reserved a big portion of his heart for her. She would most likely continue a successful career in the Alliance, maybe even be promoted to full admiral. After a while, she would then retire somewhere and live out a peaceful existence. This is something Shepard was more than content to live with.

A man, most likely a cryo technician of sorts, rounded the corner from the cryo bay and snapped Shepard out of his trance.

"Commander Shepard? If you'll follow me," he asked Shepard.

Heaving himself off his bed, Shepard fell into step behind the technician. The tech led him into a long room a row of pods against each wall. Others were being guided into pods that were on the ground which were subsequently raised and attached to the wall like the rest. Some were even toward the ceiling. Everything seemed to be bathed in the same sterile white color albeit less intense under the dimmer light.

Further down, the tech stopped next to an open pod. Shepard stepped in front of it and judged it to be a rather snug fit. At least they went to the decency of putting padding along the inner walls. It reminded him of the sleeper pods on the Normandy, something he never had to use. Perhaps if he wasn't spoiled with the large bed installed in his quarters on the Normandy, he would have used them, and this wouldn't be that bad of an experience. Unfortunately, despite all its wonders, mass effect technology does not allow time travel. At least stepping in would stop the technician's eyes from burning holes in him.

"This will be your pod. Just step in, lay down, and let it do the rest," the technician informed him.

Shepard took one final deep breath and hesitantly brought his legs over and into the pod. As he stepped into the pod and laid down, his heart took off again. As the lid closed him off to the outside world, claustrophobia crept up on him. A claw suddenly came into view and shook the pod as it clamped down and mover him to a spot on the wall. When it released, he could see nothing but the pods across from his own. He tried to scan for familiar faces behind the viewports into them, but couldn't see through the heavy tint.

A chilling sensation hit his skin. Tense muscles relaxed. Breathes started coming slower and more even. He felt his heart rate some crashing back down, and a warm sensation took over the inside of his body. The cold washing over his skin barely registered with the senses.

He closed his eyes and the sterile white room turned to black.

A/N: Finally! I got Shepard and the crew on their way to Andromeda. I really didn't want to drag it out any longer so this chapter ended up being a little longer than what I usually do.

For those unaware, Shep with the spacer background has a mother that is still alive throughout the games. Her name is Hannah Shepard. I thought that deserved a little recognition at the end.