Chapter 4

Shepard stared idly at the elevator door as it came to a stop. The panel chimed softly and the current floor updated to display a two. He took a deep breath and glanced to Liara. She stood at his flank with her arms crossed and nodded toward the door.

"Go on! I need to head down to my cabin and take care of some things."

She smiled warmly as he turned and stepped toward the hatch, causing it to open and reveal the ever-busy CIC. The crew was clearly too busy to notice the elevator opening. Systems operators sat at their seats and tapped away diligently at their stations. Shepard stepped out of the elevator and approached the familiar figure standing to the right of the CIC's galaxy map. The commander casually stepped up to her side and looked to the panel as she worked. She didn't seem to notice or mind that someone was observing her.

"Working hard, Traynor?"

"Hard as always, boss."

She continued swiping her fingers across the screen for another second before coming to an abrupt halt. She spun to her side, eyes wide. "Shepard!"

Traynor clearly didn't know whether to salute, shake his hand or give him a hug. Luckily before she had to choose the eight or nine crewmen on deck began surrounding them and filling the air with various welcome homes and slaps on the back. Shepard talked joyfully with them and cracked a joke or two about how the Collectors tried to kill him once and the Reapers clearly didn't learn from their mistake. Shepard made sure to shake the hand of every one of them before they headed back to their stations. Once they had dispersed he turned back to a wildly grinning Traynor who stood leaning against her console.

"Aaand Joker owes me a ten spot. He thought you'd be on the Issus for at least a week." She shook her head playfully, "Silly boy." At that the specialist stuck out her hand. Shepard grabbed it and shook firmly.

"Looks like things held up without me." As Shepard spoke he turned and leaned against the console next to Traynor, looking toward the elevator but at nothing in particular.

"Well, it was tough to get by without your notoriously meticulous micromanagement, but somehow we made it work." She glanced toward him and smirked.

Shepard let out a small chuckle and shook his head,"So this is really it, huh? We did it?"

Traynor furrowed her brow as she responded, "Wait, you're asking me? You were there, weren't you?"

He shrugged lightly. "I was bleeding out and barely conscious when I activated the Crucible. You know more about what happened than I do."

"Well I know what EDI, Liara and I have theorized." She tottered from side to side and she put on a jokingly arrogant tone. "Well, let's be honest, I'm the comm expert who provided most of the data, buuut who's keeping score, right?"

Shepard shook his head with a smile and stood up. "Well I have a lot of people to see before EDI can debrief me. I'm glad you're still in one piece, Traynor."

The specialist stood up from the console as well and took a step toward him before awkwardly embracing him in a quick hug. "Thanks, Commander. I'm really glad you're back."

She quickly cleared her throat and snapped a proud salute which Shepard earnestly returned. She nodded and turned back to her console, leaving Shepard with only one person left to see on the CIC. He rounded the galaxy map and walked down the hall to the bridge nodding and waving to crewmen as he passed. He tapped on the bulkhead as he stopped at the entrance, looking at the back of the helmsman's chair. The chair slowly turned around to reveal Joker with his hands folded up to his mouth and his eyes narrowed.

"Ah, Commander Shepard. I've been expecting you..."

Shepard casually sauntered forward, eyeing him suspiciously. "Is that so?"

Joker shrugged and dropped his hands to his sides. "Na, just messin' around. Though I will say it's an honor to be flying for the man who destroyed an entire armada of galaxy-eating, sentient deathbots. I bet you don't see that on many résumés."

The commander laughed and gave a ponderous shrug. "I don't know. I think we can give that honor to just about everyone in the galaxy at this point."

"Yeah, seriously. Can you imagine how much hazard pay the Alliance is going to have to dole out in a few weeks?"

Shepard shook his head in amusement before looking over to the empty co-pilot's seat. "Where's EDI?"

"My analog form is currently on the Engineering deck. Do you wish to speak in person on the bridge?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll call you up to my cabin when I'm done visiting with the rest of the crew."

"Understood, Shepard."

Shepard looked back to Joker. "I think I owe you a thanks for saving me. Or at least part of one."

Joker shrugged. "Eh, you know, just flew the ship through the hotbed of the biggest galactic naval battle in recorded history to pick you up. No biggie. And to be fair EDI did tell me where you were so I guess you could get her a thank you card or something."

"I'll have to do that. But I think she might be confused as to why I gave her a piece of paper with words on it instead of just speaking them to her."

Joker nodded in agreement. "Honestly I'm a little confused why people do that."

Shepard walked over and sat down in the co-pilot's seat, turning to face Joker as he sat back and relaxed. "So how did the battle go? I assume the Normandy was on the front line."

"Uhhh. Yeah. Sure. Front line. I mean after we had dropped you off on Earth and got back up to the battle there really wasn't much of what I would call "lines" so much as a giant clusterfuck of death. But if you want to call that the front line, go for it."

"I've been in enough battles to tell you that a giant clusterfuck of death is exactly what I'd call the front line. Score any kills?"

Joker leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head coolly. "Eh, a few. There was this Reaper capital ship that I took down single-handedly."

"Pardon my interruption, Jeff, but I do believe it was my firing vector that set you up for the initial shot, was it not?"

"Uhh, yeah, keyword being initial. And the follow-up that tore that thing in two? I'll take credit for that one if that's okay with you."

Shepard smirked as he observed the squabble between the two.

"Fine. I suppose that was a rather impressive shot."

Joker nodded and sat up. "See! Like I said. We did a little bit."

Shepard stood from the seat and walked over to Joker's chair, holding out a hand. Joker looked at the hand near his face and pushed it away before pulling himself to his feet and finding his balance, holding his hand out. Shepard shook it and gave Joker a pat on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Joker. You're a hell of a pilot and a hell of a friend."

"Aw, geez, commander you're gonna make me tear up." Joker nodded in thanks and sat back down. "Commander."

Shepard nodded and turned to leave as the chair spun back around to the helm console. Shepard walked back down the hall toward the elevator.

Shepard stepped off the elevator and onto the Engineering deck, having finished his rounds on the hangar and crew's quarters. He walked through the series of reinforced doors leading to the engine room and smiled as he saw the Normandy's engineering team at their stations.

"Officer on deck! At attention!" Engineers Adams, Donnelly and Daniels immediately turned and snapped to attention, holding for only a second before breaking and smiling. Shepard grinned and nodded. "Now those were some nice salutes!"

Daniels broke attention as soon as Shepard teased them and crossed her arms. "Really funny, commander. You had us worried sick!"

Donnelly and Adams took a few steps forward to stand next to Daniels and nodded to Shepard. Donnelly crossed his arms and cocked his hips to imitate Daniels. "Aye, sir. Worried sick! Ya know, mainly because we didn't want to get reassigned from the Normandy, but still worried!"

Shepard chuckled and extended his hand to offer a shake to each of the engineers. Donnelly, Daniels and Adams accepted in turn.

"You sure know how to put up one hell of a fight, commander." Adams grasped Shepard's hand firmly as he finally spoke.

"I do what I can, Adams. Everything going well down here?" Shepard glanced around the Engineering compartment.

"Ship shape, captain." Donnelly smiled proudly as Shepard nodded in affirmation.

"Well I expect you three to keep it that way!" Shepard grinned and gave the three engineers a salute that was returned instantly by his crewmen. "But if you'll forgive me I have a little meeting to attend to..."

"Sure thing, commander!" Daniels beamed in excitement as she lowered her salute and turned back to her work.

Shepard nodded a goodbye and turned to exit. As he reached the hallway he glanced left to the compartment where Javik had set up his quarters. Shepard turned to the right and boarded the elevator once again, this time heading up to his own room. He looked up slightly as he spoke.

"EDI, I'm headed up to my cabin if you're ready."

"I am always ready, Shepard. I will be there momentarily."

Shepard lounged on his couch with his arm draped across the back as he waited for EDI to appear. He held a datapad in his free hand, methodically reading through Admiral Hackett's after action report on the Battle of Earth. He could not help but be in awe of the odds they had faced and somehow overcome. However, his biggest concern was that of the approximately one hundred surviving Reapers that had fled the battle before the fleet could finish them off. His rational self acknowledged that they would most likely scatter and never mount a serious counterattack, but that little bit of paranoia in him that helped him stay vigilant was having a hard time accepting this. He shook his head and set the datapad down, determined not to over think anything at this point. He stood up and walked to his computer terminal to read through the back-log of messages he had no doubt accumulated. Unfortunately he didn't even have the chance to turn on the monitor before a single loud "clang" rang out from the door of his cabin. He froze for a moment, stifling a laugh the best he could.

"EDI, is that your version of a knock?"

"I do not understand why organics find it necessary to knock more than once."

Shepard turned and walked to the door, opening it for EDI as she stood perfectly still and waiting on the other side.

"I think it's to avoid confusion. A single knock could be confused for something else... like someone dropping a heavy object, for instance."

EDI entered the room and Shepard turned to follow. She took three steps before stopping once again.

"I see. My on-board sensors allow me to isolate many factors of sound anomalies including cause and probable origin with accuracy up to ninety-eight percent. I had not considered organics' lack of standard ship sensors."

Shepard nodded toward the sitting area, bringing the two down the steps and to the couch. He sat down and glanced up to EDI as she remained standing.

"I would prefer to stand, Shepard. Also, I have decided that I will knock three times from now on."

EDI stood still for a few seconds before turning and slowly pacing back and forth on the opposite side of the table from Shepard.

"I would like to begin by saying that I have been documenting the crew and ground team's actions since the battle. If you would like an update on your team's status I would be glad to provide you with my most recent data."

Shepard immediately sat up as EDI mentioned the squad.

"Yes, please. So far you and Liara are the only ones I've seen."

EDI nodded and stopped pacing, returning to a standing position. Her arms folded behind her back as she stood at a pseudo at ease stance.

"The team is currently engaged in combat operations on Earth. The Alliance has made it their top priority to eliminate remnant Reaper forces in major population centers to facilitate the rebuilding process of major cities and their infrastructures. Most team members are fighting with different units and are ready to be recalled back to the Normandy. Assuming that does not directly contradict a standing order, of course."

Shepard leaned back, running a hand across the top of his head as he considered the situation. "So... that's everyone on the team except for you and Liara?"

"No. Doctor Chakwas is on Earth working in a field hospital. In addition, several members of the team are no longer in-system. Urdnot Wrex and a majority of the Krogan forces returned to Tuchanka almost immediately after Admiral Hackett declared victory in the naval battle. Tali'Zorah also left with the Quarian fleet when they returned to Rannoch. I believe she wrote you a message which is available at your private terminal."

"I see. And you and Liara have had work of your own?"

"Correct. Liara, Specialist Traynor and I have been studying the Crucible's discharge and I have determined what I believe to be its primary function."

Shepard shifted anxiously. "Which was?"

"A transmission device. The Crucible was designed to boost the signal strength of a transmission sequence that appeared to be stored on the Citadel. The Citadel, or Catalyst as it was referred to during construction, had already been prepared to transmit the signal by a previous cycle. In doing so, the Citadel provided the transmission itself as well as the ability to draw incredibly large amounts of power from the station's reserves." EDI remained straight faced as ever as she explained her theory to Shepard, still standing motionless with her hands behind her back.

"So you're saying the Crucible was basically a giant antenna?"

EDI pondered this for a moment. "Strictly as an analogy, yes. The Crucible's engineering itself is far more complex than that of a simple antenna. The signal was broadcast into the Reaper's primary 'frequency' of communication. While I have always documented the presence of these signals they are too complex and... different for me to comprehend them."

Shepard nodded slowly before cocking a brow. "So what exactly was the transmission?"

"I believe the best human analogy would be a sensory overload. The signal itself was simply so strong and full of data that the Reapers could not process it and crashed into a catatonic state. Some recovered quickly. Most did not."

Shepard sat back and stared into nothing as he tried to comprehend the idea that the Reapers, the greatest foe any race of any cycle in the galaxy had ever faced, had been defeated by something so simple. "That's it? That's really all that happened when I activated the Crucible?"

"As far as I, Doctor T'soni and Specialist Traynor can tell, yes."

The commander shook his head and laughed. "After all this time... all I'd ever needed to do was shout at them as loud as possible with an enormous megaphone."

"While I recognize you meant that comment in jest, I would advise that you not undervalue the role the fleet played in the final battle. Your work assembling the largest fleet in recorded history is the main reason we emerged victorious."

Shepard sat back on the couch and smiled. It felt good to hear that. To know that three years of work had finally paid off was a feeling he welcomed with open arms. "Well, anything else you wanted to debrief me on?"

"No, Shepard. That is all."

"You said the team is down on Earth... Could you contact them and find out who can return to the Normandy within a few hours?

EDI nodded curtly. "Of course, commander. Message sent."

"Thanks, EDI. Dismissed." Shepard stood up as he spoke, nodding appreciatively to EDI's analog form. She smiled in return then turned to leave the cabin.

Shepard returned to his private terminal and flipped the monitor on, taking a seat in front of it. He let out a groan as he scanned the enormous list of unread messages. He tapped the filter field and typed into the bar, "Sender: Tali'Zorah." The list of messages quickly filtered to only a handful, all marked as read but one. He tapped the unread message and began to read.

Shepard,

I hope this message finds you well. The last thing I wanted when we hit the ground in London was to leave without you leading us out. Sadly that fear became a reality and we were forced to hold our own without you. Right now all I or anyone else on the team knows is that you are alive and should recover quickly. Knowing this it saddens me to have to tell you through a message that I will most likely not be there when you awaken. I just left a meeting with the other Admirals and the fleet is preparing to return to Rannoch... as a member of the Admiralty Board I will be returning with them. Please reply whenever you can, Shepard. It'll drive me insane with anxiety if I have to wait too long to find out how you're doing.

Always your friend,

Tali'Zorah vas Normandy

The commander smiled and clicked the reply box, typing in a quick response.

Tali,

Things are going well for me. I'm not dead, for starters. I'll spare you the details for now though. I'll give you the full run-down face to face before you know it. I'd get to work on that living room, by the way.

-Shepard

He let out a long yawn as he hit send, giving a wide stretch of his arms. He stood and after thinking for a moment or two about what to do next, quickly found himself gravitating toward his bed. He dropped onto the sheets and let out a sigh of relaxation. He'd earned a little nap.

"Shepard...?"

The commander groaned slightly as his rest was tragically cut short by a soft voice and nudging on his shoulder. Shepard rolled onto his back and opened his eyes, groggily turning his head to the right to see Liara sitting on the side of the bed next to him. She wore and amused smile as he rubbed his eyes in an ill-fated attempt to jump-start them.

"Nnggghhhh... Liara..?"

"I'm sorry I had to wake you, but you hadn't responded to my knocking."

Shepard closed his eyes and let out a small yawn. "You worried about me?"

"Only that you might have been upset that you were asleep while the team was waiting."

Shepard's eyes flew open and he sat up, looking to the ceiling as if EDI was there. "EDI, did we get responses from the team members on Earth?"

"Yes, commander, but I thought you might want to enjoy the rest. I informed Doctor T'soni and she insisted on reporting the responses to you."

"Well... I can't say either one of you was wrong." Shepard leaned over and kissed Liara on the cheek. "Thanks." He glanced to the ceiling. "You too, EDI. So what's the situation?"

Shepard pulled himself to the side of the bed and dropped his feet to the floor, Liara standing up with him.

"Well, according to EDI the team members are meeting in a forward operating base in a city called Berlin."

Shepard looked to her curiously. "Berlin?"

"The Alliance is working hard to wipe out Reaper forces in high population centers." Liara shrugged, assuming Shepard would know more about Berlin than she did.

"I see. Who exactly do we have on the ground there? EDI, do you know?"

"Multiple crew members have responded affirmative to the recall order. James, Garrus, Kaidan, Javik, Doctor Chakwas and Jack are all in the Berlin area and will be at the FOB when you arrive."

Shepard grinned slightly and looked to Liara. "So we're headed to a city in the throes of battle? I hope my spare set of armor is still in the armory."

"You know the base is probably very secure! It's not like we're going to be dropped into a combat zone." Liara crossed her arms and raised a brow as she made her argument.

"You're probably right. Still, better safe than sorry." He winked and walked to the door. Liara shook her head with a sigh and followed close behind.

Author's Note

Well this chapter just ended up being a whole lot of exposition. Sorry about that. However now that Shepard has been brought up to speed the actual story can begin! Also I'm not sure I'll ever be satisfied with the Crucible. In the end I wanted something that helped win the battle, but wasn't just a giant deus ex machina. I also didn't want it to overshadow the fact that the galactic fleet still won the battle itself. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!