Mass Effect: Each Story Has A Million Tales.
Summary: "There is always more than just one side to a story- and more than one lesson to learn. Follow Garrus Vakarian as he stands by a promise that he means to keep, contemplates the true meaning of life, death, and the ultimate sacrifice, and as he confronts someone who should have been behind him all along. Follow Adelais Vakarian as he mends a broken bond, and as he comes to terms with a terrible loss of his own. Follow Kolyat Krios as he navigates through a very dangerous place, only to find another- under the guidance of someone who may or may not be there at all. And follow Commander Joleen Shepard as she goes through her past and present, only to find herself in the middle of a battle for her future." (Garrus' Story: 'The Promise-Keeper.' Adelais' Story: 'The Old Soldier.' Kolyat's Story: 'The Wanderer.' Shepard's Story: 'The Missing.')
Warning: "This is a heavy one- some swearing, angst, implied adult situations, adult situations, a few character deaths, violence, and blood. All the big ones this time. Remember, this is my Shepard, my feelings on the game and what should have happened and will happen, with my own opinions and storyline, so no nasty comments. Got it? Good." (Commander Joleen Shepard: War Hero, Earthborn. Soldier. Paragon. Romanced Kaidan Alenko in the 1st game, Garrus Vakarian in the 2nd and 3rd. Shot and killed Udina during the Citadel Coup.)
Disclaimer: "I do not own Mass Effect. At all. So don't make me say it again."
Author's Note: "Just so you all know, the name 'Adelais,' is Latin for 'Noble,' and the name 'Carissa' means 'the most beloved one.' Personally, I just thought the two names fit the story and what the characters were meant for."
N._.S._.S
Chapter Forty-Seven: The Missing IX.
What the hell had she done?
Joleen Shepard stared down at the quickly-bruising back of her hand.
Did she just hit Garrus?
Stunned, Shepard slowly lowered herself into a chair, suddenly feeling light-headed and weaker than even how she'd felt when she'd just woken up that morning.
What the hell have I done? She wondered, staring at the ring she had, less than an hour before, accepted. She'd made a promise to Garrus- a promise that clearly meant everything to him.
Now she'd just walked all over it.
Worse than that.
She'd just spit on it!
She'd just spit on Garrus.
On Ranger.
On everything she'd laid her life on!
On everyone she'd lay her life down for!
Shaking, she stood up.
N._.S._.S
Word of what she had done spread throughout the Normandy like wildfire. The remaining members of the crew (Tali, Joker, EDI, and Chakwas) were avoiding her like the plague.
Unable to stand the looks she interpreted as accusing, distrusting and hurt, Shepard fled to her cabin.
She had destroyed her own crew's trust in her with a single blow-
Literally.
But within the next hour, reports began to file slowly in, one by one.
One from everyone, as they had been ordered...
One from everyone, that is... except Garrus.
N._.S._.S
"Commander, we have confirmation on Cerberus' position."
Shepard forced her eyes open.
It had been an uneasy restless sleep- nightmares of every sort (from the impending Cerberus attack to Elysium's beaches, to Garrus standing alone in pitch-blackness and then suddenly vanishing as Shepard called out), plagued her the entire time.
It seemed that she bolted up in a blind, panicked terror from them every five minutes.
She'd fallen asleep soon after reading over the other's reports and then catching up on some of what she'd missed when she'd been comatose.
Surprisingly, she'd found that the Galaxy hadn't made much progress at all on repairing itself after the Reaper War, even after all this time, and even the Citadel wasn't much better, despite the Keeper's getting it back up and running smoothly again after only a few days.
Sparatus already had contacted her in a brief message that told her, quite coolly, that the fleet from Palaven was accounted for and was currently lying in wait, prepared for a fight. Hackett had reported the same for his Human fleet (and even the remaining Geth, the Quarian, the Hanar/Drell, and even the Krogan fleets) Valern had told her about two hours ago that the Special Task Group had arrived.
No one mentioned the old crew.
And, even more unsurprisingly, Garrus never reported in.
She hadn't really expected him to after what she'd done to him.
She doubted he would ever even speak to her-
"Commander, we require your presence in the Combat Information Center immediately." EDI repeated, this time more urgently.
Rubbing impatiently at her eyes and quickly calling out an acknowledgement, Shepard knew she had to get ride of evidence that might lead into people (correctly) thinking that she'd been crying. So, she went into her restroom for a quick wash and even quicker application the makeup that she only used on extremely rare occasions to expertly hide the sleep-deprived bruises and reddened puffs under her eyes. Lastly, she put on a freshly dusted-off and cleaned Alliance (the same blue-and-gold one she wore last time) uniform.
She left the still faintly-glistening ring on the dresser, next to the photographs of Garrus and the old crew.
N._.S._.S
No one said anything as she approached the Galaxy Map.
Councilor Valern, Vega, and Kolyat were already waiting for her.
"Three days," Valern announced, "We have three days until they attack."
Shepard's eyes darted to Vega's.
He didn't meet her gaze.
"That seems short, considering how long they've been coming," Kolyat spoke up, folding his arms. "Are we absolutely sure your people got this correct?"
Valern gave the kid a kind shrug. "Obviously you've never met the STG. These predictions are accurate to the hundredth. Cerberus," he added, as Shepard stepped up to view the Galaxy Map herself, "has been system-jumping for some time, hopping from planet to planet. The STG calculates their force grows each time."
"They're gathering allies," Kolyat finished with a stunned intake of breath, his left hand clenching- Shepard noticed that his right twitched only slightly, the tips of his fingers not even meeting his palm.
He couldn't even make a fist with his right hand anymore.
"Exactly." Valern nodded in approval.
"Councilors Hackett and Sparatus told me that everyone's already in place- is C-SEC taking care of the civilians?" Shepard asked turning her head to Valern.
"That is not my area of concern, Commander," Valern said, easily brushing her question off. "I do suggest asking Adelais Vakarian, however- Sparatus reported that he's been working closely with C-Sec and the Primarch as we speak, herding civilians into any spare sky-worthy vessel."
Shepard nodded. "Understood. Thank you, Councilor."
N._.S._.S
"There's no way we're getting every single person out before they get here, Commander," Adelais Vakarian reported, calmly, as he appeared in the holo-comm. "Right now, we're focusing on those who can't- or won't- fight and those in Huerta Hospital. Everyone who stays behind will have to hope Cerberus will be stopped before they reach the Citadel," the Turian added, darkly. "It's the best we can do for now."
"I understand," Shepard told him with a nod, "Thank you."
Adelais' holo folded its arms and gave her a considering look. "You know," he said, "I don't think I've seen Garrus so adamant about disobeying a direct order before, Commander."
Shepard froze. "I'm sorry," she said, as coolly as she could. "I don't know what got-"
Adelais held up a taloned hand. "Your excuses are not for me to hear, Commander," he said. His voice grew almost threatening as he continued, "But I ever see you lay hand on my son like that again," he told her, midnight blue eyes flashing, "I will not stand for it, and I will stop you."
He gave her a stern, meaningful glare. "Am I understood, Commander?"
Shepard bowed her head a bit. "Yes, sir."
Adelais gave her an almost respectful nod and signed off.
N._.S._.S
What the hell have you done? Ranger demanded, folding his arms behind his back. She could hear the anger in his normally careless, playful voice. What have you done?
She flinched at the sheer fury in it.
I didn't mean to.
You've gone and fucked up big time, Shep! Ranger cruelly, relentlessly hissed, dark blue eyes blazing in an anger that beat the living hell out of every single other terrifying thing Shepard had ever known-
It crushed the Reapers.
It decimated Cerberus.
And it kicked death's proud ass in a single blow.
Do you have any idea what you've done? Do you?
Images- terrible, terrible images flashed into her mind.
Everything you've ever believed in!
She saw the faces of her crew lying prone, lifeless, on blood-spattered ground.
She saw the Primarch lying dead against the wall nearest the Council Chamber...
The bodies of Hackett, Sparatus, Valern and Tevos hanging from the Chamber's ceiling...
Everything you wanted to protect!
She saw Kolyat at their prone feet, right arm missing and eyes wide, a sword lying abandoned next to him...
Adelais lay near the Normandy's docks...
Solana just feet away...
Within the Normandy, in the CIC, were Joker and EDI...
On the Crew Deck were Liara, Vega, Kaidan, and Tali...
Blood everywhere...
All of them, dead...
Everyone you loved!
Garrus standing in the Control Room. There's a Reaper out there, bright red "eye" staring down at him, hundreds of ships surrounding it...
The Catalyst, taking Shepard's form, was grinning a cruel, victorious smile...
Instead of a bright blue, like last time, it was now a bright crimson...
Like the Reaper's eye...
The Catalyst stepped up, still grinning, and rose its hand...
Gone! All of it!
Ranger's formally dark blue eyes had turned into the Illusive Man's damned strange, bright-blue ones...
And his voice was worse than a thousand Reaper shrieks...
You alone are responsible!
Crimson flashes destroying the Control Room, taking Garrus with it...
...DESTROY!
You! Commander Joleen Shepard! The Illusive Man's voice shouted from Ranger.
You alone made our victory over the Galaxy possible!
...and everything went black.
N._.S._.S