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 Sixty-Seven: The Old Soldier XVIII.

He either finally, officially, lost his mind for good this time, or some twisted Spirit was getting some serious enjoyment out of screwing with him like this.

Or maybe it was some combination of the two.

After much pleading, combined with a rather solemn promise to keep him informed no matter what was happening, whether it was good or bad, and a good, old-fashioned threat or two, sounding more and more like her mother as she said each one, Solana had finally managed to convince her stubborn-as-all-hell, old soldier of a father to stay down in the Med Bay while she went up to the CIC after Garrus by herself.

It had become painfully obvious that Adelais was far more injured than just a fractured rib or two and a pretty nasty concussion. The old Turian couldn't even stand on his own two feet for more than a split-second, or even move, really, without his entire body ravaged with an excruciating, pulsating pain, which seemed to stem from no discernible spot that Adelais could sense.

Spirits, he'd thought in growing irritation, watching Solana disappear and the silvery, metallic door to the Med Bay slipping quietly shut behind her, unable to believe he'd really just got told to stay behind by his own daughter (Really, who was the parent here?), I really am getting too old for this.

The pain steadily grew worse as Adelais listened to Solana's garbled, seriously over-complicated explanation of what was happening out there, and after listening hard for a few minutes, vainly trying his best to understand what she was trying to tell him- during which his head began to ache- Adelais lost patience and turned off the headset and, finally losing his temper for a split second, threw the damn thing across the room.

Soon after, out of desperation, Adelais ordered the lights above him turned completely off, and, sitting there on the little cot in near complete darkness, the old soldier hunched his back, letting his head rest in his arms, which lay horizontally across his thin, armored legs, and closed his eyes.

And even when the ship lurched suddenly, Adelais didn't open them.

Adelais.

Adelais doesn't move.

Adelais.

Not even a twitch.

No, Carissa.

Adelais.

Something comfortingly familiar and warm slowly wrapped around his shoulders after a few moments, and Adelais can feel the pain already slowly ebbing away, and he clasps a sharply taloned hand over the two thin, softer (but still filed sharp) ones that wrapped around him.

That isn't going to work this time.

Her quiet, disappointed sigh made him shake his head and tighten his grasp.

Something in him clenched tight when she did that.

You should be resting.

And you shouldn't be here. So we're even.

Adelais…

It's all right, Carissa.

No, she said, sadly, the clear misery in her voice making whatever was clenching inside him wring even harder, making it harder for him to think- and even breathe, It's not. You're hurt.

I've been hurt before. We both know that.

Adelais, please.

The ship lurched again. Adelais looked up at the darkened ceiling, midnight blue eyes narrowing as he slowly, carefully got to his feet, ignoring Carissa's kind warning and the pain that instantly erupted. Leaning against the wall in order to keep balance, he slowly made his way for the Med Bay door, picking up the headset as the metallic door slid open for him as he moved.

"Solana?" he asked, sharply, as he put on the headset, wincing at the jagged-sounding, almost deafening static that instantly came up through its speakers as he fiddled with it, trying to find the right Comm. channel, all the while cursing himself for throwing the damn thing in the first place.

"Dad?" Solana's panicked voice instantly intercepted Adelais' attention from the pain, Dad, you've got to come up here and see this! You're not going to believe it!"

"On my way," Adelais answered, just as he was met with static once again.

What the hell is going on out there? Adelais wondered, I hope no one's gotten hurt.

He found his sniper rifle lying abandoned on the Mess Hall table, and he took it with him, tightly strapping the old weapon in its worn harness on his back, ignoring the instantaneous protest his body made as the added weight threatened to bring him collapsing to the metal ground.

Adelais, you don't have the strength for this, Carissa protested, pleadingly, as he leaned against the wall of the elevator, fighting the shaking, clenching feeling deep inside him.

I have to, Carissa.

Adelais, you can't-

The doors of the elevator opened to reveal the CIC.

Adelais could feel his breath die in his throat when he took in the sight before him.

His heart stopped for a fraction of a second in sheer shock.

And his legs gave in from underneath him, making him collapse to the floor of the elevator.

N._.S._.S

Ghosts.

Definitely not something Adelais ever truly believe existed, despite everything he'd seen-

Namely, of course, Carissa.

Now, as he stood at the cockpit, behind the Alliance pilot, next to Garrus and Solana behind him, crowded into place by the rest of Shepard's crew and an unusually grim, silent Victus, Adelais couldn't believe he'd been so naïve to ever once doubt that ghosts- or whatever the hell these things called themselves- weren't real.

Solana had stared at Adelais in true shock as he'd entered the room, and Victus' mandibles had actually clicked in it, as Carissa's now near-perfect form came in with him.

She stood beside Adelais now, gripping his hand.

Garrus had turned to look at her, his ice-blue eyes not showing the slightest bit of shock, and nodded at her before turning his head back, mouthing something Adelais didn't quite catch.

Standing in the vastness dark of space like it was nothing, hand extended as if blocking Cerberus' attack with a mere wave of her hand, was a holo-looking form of Commander Shepard, with her back to them, looking perfectly calm, confident, even, despite the jagged-looking fissure in her back that Adelais- and everyone else, surely- could see clearly, like a burning crimson mar in her body.

Beside her were five others.

They looked like Holos, just like their Commander.

But Adelais knew that definitely wasn't what they were.

Ghosts, maybe-

But no mere Holo even came close to describe the kind of power this assemble clearly possessed.

One was a Drell, hands folded serenely behind his back. Another was a Salarian, arms folded across his chest, chuckling like someone had just told him a joke; and another was a Geth, standing proudly, but rather awkwardly, at the edge. The last one was a Human woman, dressed in old-style Alliance armor.

The last one stood on Shepard's right- this one, however, Adelais noticed, looked different than the rest. Although he, too, kind of looked like a tall, azure Holo, something was off about him- he flickered too much and his azure was slightly less bright than the other's-

A true "ghost," maybe?

"His name is Ranger the Human next to Shepard," Garrus said, unexpectedly, breaking the grave silence that suddenly filled the Normandy, "the Drell's name is Thane. The other woman is Ashley. The Salarian's name is Mordin, and the Geth is Legion… they were the ones we lost."

The ones we lost.

They're ghosts, definitely, Adelais thought, but what could have called them here?

More figures began to materialize- Victus gave a sharp, pained intake of breath when his son, Tarquin, stepped up next to the Geth, arms folded, mirroring his father's old soldier's form. The calm-faced Liara pointed when the ex- Turian Spectre, Saren Arterius, and his brother, Desolas; backed by the familiar face of Matriarch Benezia, approached the growing group of fallen warriors.

Shepard lowered her hand back to her side, and spoke, as the group around her seemed to grow brighter-

All except for Ranger, whose light seemed to dim even further as more and more joined the group.

"This is your last chance," the Commander spoke up, as the group gathered closely behind her, "You have only this last chance to go and have a chance at escaping. If you don't, then the spirits of those you aided in killing will not hesitate in attacking you on my order."

Another shot echoed, but Shepard easily blocked it before it hit her with a flash of what looked like an invisible shield of Biotics, as if it were nothing but a pebble.

"So be it," she said, her voice growing inhumanly dangerous. She turned her head toward the few "ghosts" of the fallen, and smiled a beatific smile.

"Protect."

N._.S._.S