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-Eight: The Missing XV.

It was actually funny how she could still sense his presence before actually seeing him.

She steadfastly ignored him, keeping her eyes trained on the advancing Cerberus ships. With the Catalyst gone, she had full control over the boy-God's power, thanks to the Control Chip. Soon, she sensed more spirits joining them- she saw, out of the corner of her eye, Thane silently approaching, walking on nothing but empty space, like she was, followed by Mordin. Ashley and Legion materialized on her other side, and the Commander felt an amused little smile curling her lips.

They were here, her friends, fighting by her side, one last time.

Just as she knew they always would.

"This is your last chance. You have only this last chance to go and have a chance at escaping," Shepard found herself saying, as a few more familiar faces began showing up- including Saren and his brother, Desolas, Matriarch Benezia, and even the Primarch's son, Tarquin. "If you don't, then the spirits of those you aided in killing will not hesitate in attacking you on my order."

She can hear the clicks of her comrade's weapons behind her, and her smile widened ever so slightly as Ranger withdrew his "old-school" assault rifle, grinning that old cocky, wide smile that she'd once felt she could never live without, as she lowered her hand, preparing to give the order that she knew that he, and the others standing behind her, waited for with almost an unsurprised, accepting, held breath.

"Protect!" she ordered, sharply.

With that, their fight began.

Everyone but Ranger heeded, and vanished.

She stepped forward as the lead ship turned toward her, extending her hand as Ranger took aim.

"Like old times, eh, Shep?" Ranger asked, with another grin.

"If it was, I'd be the one with the rifle," Shepard answered, dryly.

"Tch!"

Empty space had become the battlefield. She witnessed Saren, Benezia, and Desolas in front of the Destiny Ascension, downing one of the ships together with twin weapons. She saw Thane standing in front of another, watching as it burned with his hands still folded serenely behind his back, and Tarquin stopping an attack on the Normandy's flank with a simple, single firing of his weapon.

When the lead ship attempted to fire at will at the Normandy, all Shepard had to do was pull a Biotic Field to protect the ship from being hit.

All Ranger needed to do was fire one shot.

This power, it's incredible, she thought, as the ship exploded in front of her eyes, I understand now why the Illusive Man wanted this so much now.

But no one in the Galaxy will ever be fit to wield it.

N._.S._.S

Hero.

That word meant so many different things-

A definition for every being in the Galaxy.

But what did it mean to her, when people told her that was what she was? When they cheered and clapped for her when she came back after the Skyllian Blitz?

Absolutely nothing.

What was a hero, anyway?

Someone who sacrificed themselves for someone else?

Someone who fought and died for what they believed in?

Heroes were remembered for what they died for.

Soldiers were remembered for what they fought for.

And Joleen Shepard would never forgive herself if she ended up a hero.

N._.S._.S

The silence was excruciating.

As the battle waned and finally ended, with not a ship of Cerberus' left uncrushed, Commander Joleen began heading back to the Citadel Control Room, as her comrades began lining up, one by one- all except Thane, who, it seemed, had already disappeared.

Anderson and the Illusive Man stood just outside the gargantuan window of the Control Room, Anderson's arms neatly by his side, and the Illusive Man's folded irately across his chest.

He'd lost.

She knew he'd finally accepted that-

Dead or not.

Ranger walked beside her, still grinning.

Shepard stopped just before reaching them, and turned back to face the Normandy, the Destiny Ascension, and all the other ships, full of people from all around the Galaxy, finally united as one, single, powerful, unstoppable force, and she smiled and nodded.

She turned back fully, and put her hands behind her back, and took a deep breath."

"Almost a year ago now," she began, strongly, speaking to each and every single member of every single ship facing her, "I asked the races of the Galaxy to stand together as one, to defeat the Reapers," behind her, she could sense the Illusive Man and his assassins, Kai Leng and Hades, standing to one side now- to her left, and Anderson (backed by all her old crew)- on her right, "And now, I'll tell you how."

"I met with the Primarch of Palaven, sent the Krogan to their defense, and ended the Genophage. I ended the War between the Quarian Flotilla and the Geth before it began, destroyed Cerberus, and united all the mercenary groups under Aria T'Loak's rule. I did the impossible- but," she added, finding her rhythm as she stepped forward again, gesturing out to all the various ships before her, "I also watched the impossible happen."

"I saw Turian soldiers call Krogan Battlemasters their friends, and as Human Generals defended their lines- and the Salarian scientists and Asari Commandos next to them. I watched as Geth defended Quarian machinists and medics, no matter how far the Reapers advanced, destroying all in their paths, and watched as Volus and Elcor selflessly gave whatever they had left to save the Homeworlds of their professed rivals."

"I watched as Rachni worked tirelessly beside the ones that once vowed to destroy them, and watched as Non-Council-Members sacrificed themselves for Council Members. I watched as races who once vowed to be at each other's throats for as long as they existed make up and stand together for the first time in history."

"This is what made us able to defeat the Reapers. It wasn't the choices of one man, one woman, or one child, or the decision of a single race. It was the combined decisions of each and every one of us that made our victory over the Reapers possible," she declared, aware that every single pair of eyes were watching her every move and every ear listening to her out there, "And all simply because we worked together as a single, united force."

She gestured to her left, at the Illusive Man, Kai Leng, and Hades, "These were the daggers in our backs, as they were once to the Protheans, and all who came before them, just in a different race. Even the first 'Pro-Human' terrorist group, Terra Firma, which flourished during and after the First Contact War, had but one goal- to tear us apart before we even had a chance. They murdered at will, but now…" she waved her hand once in a flicking gesture, and each man, in turn, ending with the Illusive Man, disappeared easily, "They are naught- and shall never be reborn again."

Now, she gestured to her right, at Anderson and her fallen friends. "These are the forces that pushed us onward to victory- those that sacrificed themselves freely, without hesitation or regret. Their names will live on in our Galaxy for as long as we stand together, and remember them for who they were, and what they fought for- but not for how they died, and not as heroes, for that is not what they were- they were the guiding breath, the beacons of hope and the light of our species- the ones that proved that we do have hearts, that we are not machines to be ordered and destroyed at a whim- even if that whim is a God's."

"It was by the Catalyst's decision eons ago that the Reapers were created, to stop us from advancing to the point where we could be beyond his control, to the point where even he, with his God-like power, could put an end to us. It was by the word of him that our destruction was forced. Fortunately, our will was unbreakable, and our hearts unblackened so that not even his greatest, most devastating creation, the Reapers, could stop us, once our goal was set. I," she admitted, her voice growing slightly softer at it, "I was only the tool that unlocked your choice, the Catalyst's greatest, and most powerful creation- the tool that freed each and every one of you from the Catalyst's control."

"Now that our futures are unhindered, as are your children's, your children's children, and all that are born long after all of us are gone," she said, her voice growing stronger, "It is only more vital that we stay united together, no matter what small arguments or dissenters or war-mongers say. Yes; there will always be someone who does not want this or that, and people who are 'anti-this' or 'anti-that,' but as long as we remain standing together, nothing shall stop us from repairing the damage done by the Reaper War and Cerberus' massacring. Because we," she ended, bringing her fingertips to touch the crimson wound on her chest, "We are strong as one, and the Reaper War only proved how true this is- by standing together, no one dissenter, no one war-monger, can stand in our way."

With that, turning to her old friends, smiling the kind, relieved smile she knew it to be, Commander Joleen Shepard waved her hand once more.

"Rest now."

And the spirits, one by one, vanished in flashes of bright, snapping lights.

All except Anderson and Ranger, who stood, arms crossed, no longer grinning, leaning against the gargantuan window of the Control Room, eyes flashing oddly as he watched what happened next.

Shepard slowly walked to his side, and, facing the Normandy and the Destiny Ascension, straightened her body and flung out a powerful, final salute.

Anderson did the same.

She could feel Anderson's leaving, and warmth spread throughout her entire body, as if beginning to fall into a deep sleep. When she turned again, she was met by Ranger, who put a serious hand on her shoulder.

"It's not too late, Shep," he said, quietly, kindly, "You can still come with me."

Shepard smiled and shook her head.

"You're in for something in there," he said, quietly. "Someone bad is waiting for you."

Shepard just smiled again. "I know."

And Ranger cracked another, wide grin. "God, you sure are stubborn, hero or not, Shep."

"I'm not a hero," Shepard answered, instantly, though still tenderly, even as Ranger's form blurred and began to disappear. "I'm just another soldier. Like you."

Ranger shook his head. "Whatever you want, soldier."

Shepard flashed another salute.

This time, Ranger returned it. "See you on the other side someday."

Shepard only smiled at him, and nodded slowly in response.

"Think he'll make it in time for you?"

Shepard turned her head toward the Normandy, picturing Garrus clearly in her mind. "No doubt about it."

Ranger's laughter echoed in her ears as he gave a final wave and disappeared-

But somehow, that no longer scared her as it would have years ago.

Because now, now she was free.

Free in more ways more than one.

The nightmare was finally over.

… then, just as she closed her eyes, it was all over.

N._.S._.S