Garrus was sitting in his old room at his parent's house on Palaven. It felt strange for him to be back after so long, especially without his mother there. Damn, I miss her. He thought to himself as he checked his messages on his padd. There was the usual junk mail along with messages from his "task force". He had done what Jane had asked and told his father about everything he'd learned about the Reapers since the battle on the Citadel with Saren and Sovereign. He didn't think his father would believe him, but he listened and even talked the Primarch into giving him resources to help prepare for their invasion. He knew the task force was just an honorary thing in order to quiet him down, but he was doing all he could to help prepare his people.

"Still nothing." He sighed when he saw Jane hadn't replied to any of the messages he'd sent over the past six months. He missed her and assumed the Alliance probably wasn't allowing her to receive or send any outside communications. He hoped that was the case and she wasn't just ignoring him.

He still remembered when they arrived at the Citadel to drop him and the others off. He had hoped to see her again before he left the Normandy, but she didn't show up. He asked Joker about it, and he told him she hadn't left her cabin since she told everyone what she was doing.

"But that was two days ago!" He had said to Joker.

"I know. Believe me, I've tried to get her to come out. So has Tali. Half the time she won't even respond." Joker told him. "I think the Batarian deaths are taking a toll on her, along with having to say goodbye to everyone she cares about, especially you."

"Really? Me?" Garrus had asked him.

"Don't be an idiot! After her dying, you almost dying, and prepping for a suicide mission, you guys finally got together and what happens? She had to destroy a whole system to buy the rest of the galaxy more time because none of the 'important' assholes believed her about the Reapers. She's turning herself into the Alliance because they're the only ones that can help her. Can you imagine how hard it is for her to send you away?!" Joker ended up yelling. Garrus was taken back at first, but he realized Joker was also saying goodbye to everyone and taking Jane to turn herself in, which must've been hard on him too.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I'll see if I can get her talk at least." Garrus said as he turned to make his way to Jane's cabin.

"I don't think that-" Joker started but Garrus was already walking away from him.

"Jane? Could you let me come in?" Garrus knocked on her door. When she didn't answer, he tried to open it, but it was locked. "I know I can't fully understand what you went through with the Relay but I would still like to talk to you. Please, Jane, let me in."

Garrus had stood outside her door a few minutes longer, but to him it had felt like hours. He swore he could hear her quietly crying and it broke his heart. He wanted to hold and console her like he had done so many times before, and most importantly, he wanted to tell her how he really felt about her. He couldn't believe they were being separated now after everything they had been through.

He was jolted from his thoughts when he heard his dad.

"Garrus. You need to go right now!" His dad came running into his room.

"What is it?" Garrus asked. He didn't like the worried tone of his dad's voice.

"It's the Reapers. They've come. We've just got word that they've started an invasion on Earth!" He told him.

"What?! Jane- Commander Shepard is there! I have to go-" Garrus started as he ran for the door, but his dad stopped him.

"No! We need your expertise. By our calculations, they're heading for Palaven next." he said, while firmly gripping Garrus's arm.

"But-" Garrus tried to argue.

"Look I know how you feel about her, son. But we need you." His father said, calmly.

"She was my commander. Of course, I-"

"I know you have feelings for her. You're my son. I've noticed how your face lights up when you talk about her and how sad you look when you must be missing her. I was the same way with your mother. I don't know why you would try to hide it from me." His father said as he looked at him.

"Well, she's a human and was my commander. But she's the most amazing woman I've ever met. I was going to tell you but I'm not even sure where we are right now." Garrus replied, sadly remembering their goodbye.

"That doesn't matter right now, son. We can talk more about this after Palaven is safe. But if it makes you feel better, I approve. I can tell she makes you happy and besides, from the stories I've heard, she's no ordinary human woman." His dad told him.

"Thanks dad." Garrus said as he went to grab his armor and guns. It was then he realized his dad had grabbed his own gun. "What are you doing?"

"This is just for in case." He replied to him.

"Where are you going?" he asked, worriedly. He knew his dad had been a successful C-sec officer, but he didn't know how to fight Reapers or their minions.

"Don't worry. I'm just going to go find your sister and then we'll find a shuttle to evac- "He started to say before they were interrupted by explosions and the ground shaking.

"Damn, they got here fast!" Garrus panicked as he looked out the window. He could see buildings were on fire and saw several giant machines firing on his home world. They resembled Earth squids that were well over 100 meters tall and made out of a metal construct. He recognized them as Reapers. "Dad- "

"Go! Get to a shuttle headed for Menae. They'll have a base set up there. Just like they did during the Krogan Rebellions. I have to find your sister. We'll be fine, now go!" His dad ordered him.

"Yes, sir. And dad…" Garrus complied and was about to tell his dad he loved him.

"I know. Me too." He said quickly to Garrus as he ran out the door. Be safe, dad. Garrus thought as he ran to find one of the military shuttles to get to Menae.

He dodged blasts from the Reapers and shot at any husks that were released on the ground. He had managed to get to a shuttle right before it took off. He was strapped in and on his way to Menae when he noticed a shuttle next to them had been shot down.

"Damn. Why didn't we have any warning before now?!" A turian sitting next to him panicked. We did but no one listened, Garrus thought to himself. After seeing Palaven on fire, he was in no mood to get in an argument.

After they arrived on the base, without somehow getting shot down, they were told to go see the commanding officer in the area. They were told it was General Victus. Garrus knew of him only, he knew he had a lifelong military career and was popular with his men, but due to his unorthodox methods, he wasn't too popular with the hierarchy.

When Garrus approached who he could only assume was the general, since he was the one giving out orders, he saw he was a stern looking turian with black markings vertically covering his face.

"Vakarian?" Victus addressed him formally.

"Yes, sir. But how did you- "Garrus was about to ask him how he knew who he was, the surprise visible on his face.

"I was told you were our expert on Reapers. They told me to look for a nervous turian with blue markings and a facial scar. That one was hard to miss." He chuckled.

"Right. I wouldn't call myself an expert, but I'll help however I can. Did any of the supplies I requisitioned get here?" He asked the general.

"We got the mounted turrets set up, informed anyone who can use overload and disrupter ammo to do so, and grabbed as much ammo and explosives as we could." He informed Garrus. "But could you tell me what these are?" He asked him as he pointed to the monitor in front of him. When Garrus looked, he saw what looked like turians but it seemed like they had metal fused into their bodies.

"That's a new one for me. It seems like they're abducting turians and twisting them into these, like they did when they turned humans into husks." Garrus told him, horrified.

"That's what I-." Victus started when he suddenly stopped midsentence and spoke into this comm. "What? Okay, hold that barricade and I'm sending some backup."

"Sir?" Garrus looked at him questionably.

"My men are being overrun by husks and those Marauder things, that's what they've been calling them. They're at the western barricade a few kilometers from here. I need you to go and keep those damn things off my men!" Victus ordered him.

"Right away, sir!" Garrus replied with a salute and headed in the direction he was directed to.

Hours had passed before he and the other turian soldiers finally cleared the area of the husks and marauders. He was about to head back to Victus's last location when he had heard the chatter over his comms of two Alliance marines and an Asari arriving at the main barricade camp.

"You guys hold this area here. I'm going to go see if I can find out what is going on at the main barricade." He ordered the turians. I know it's a long shot, but that could be Jane. She could've made it off Earth, he thought to himself. He had made himself not think about it because he couldn't stand the thought that she maybe hadn't made it. When he had arrived at the main barricade, he saw a woman in black N7 armor with blue and red stripes going down the arms, a larger muscular man with darker skin in dark navy-blue armor, and a blue-skinned Asari in white and light blue armor with an overcoat talking to a dark grey colored turian with white markings along the sides of his face. Garrus recognized him as General Corinthus. He overheard an all too familiar voice saying she needed someone, anyone, for the Primarch.

"We'll get you who you need, Shepard." Garrus said as he walked up to them.

"Garrus?!" Jane had sounded surprised and relieved when she saw him. He walked up to her and shook her hand. He knew it wasn't the time or place to be too informal but couldn't help himself from putting his other hand on top of hers.

"It's good to see you too." He said as he smiled at her. He took in the sight of her round, emerald, green eyes that he remembered getting lost in so many times before; her pursed maroon painted lips that he had kissed hungrily before they took down the Collectors, he still remembered how soft and warm they had felt. He took another moment to admire the brown miniature specks that ran from her left cheek across her nose to her right cheek; they had initially reminded him of stars in a galaxy and she had been his galaxy for the longest time. Her fire red hair was slightly longer than before, running slightly down to the middle of her shoulders.

"Vakarian, sir." Corinthus acknowledged him with a salute.

"At ease, general." Garrus remarked back. He wasn't used to being regarded with authority. "I'm glad to see you made it off Earth." Garrus said as he turned his attention back to Jane. He reluctantly let go of Jane's hand.

"Yeah." She replied to him with a dark expression. She then introduced him to the other marine with her as James Vega. She told James that Garrus had helped her to take down Saren and the Collectors, remarking he was a hell of a soldier. I'm not usually one for praise but it feels nice coming from her, he thought to himself as he shook James's hand. He then turned to Liara and told her it was good to see her again too. Corinthus turned towards them to inform them that the next Primarch in line was General Adrien Victus, but they weren't aware of his current location. Garrus informed Jane that he had been with him that morning and he was a respected general among his men but not with the hierarchy.

"Why is that?" Jane asked with curiosity.

"Well, he tends to play hard and fast with rules to get results. Kind of like a certain ex-spectre I knew." Garrus smirked at her. She returned his smirk with a sheepish grin.

"That was only a few times and under the direst of circumstances!" She tried defending herself, which made Garrus chuckle at the thought that he could still tease her. Glad to see some things never change, he thought to himself. Liara then brought up that she heard about Victus when he had let turian separatists and salarian spies wear each other down so he could swoop in and take both groups down with no casualties on his side. He then heard Jane reply into her comm, asking Joker if they had an emergency because she was busy. He watched as she looked worried about something. Liara then asked her if she should go and check on the Normandy and Jane told her to go.

"Harvester incoming!" James yelled out, interrupting them. They all ducked down as they watched a synthetic-organic unit which closely resembled an Earth dragon fly over and past them towards the nearby airfield.

"We better go take care of whatever that thing dropped off. You coming, Garrus?" Jane looked at him.

"Are you kidding? I'm right behind you." He replied to her with a smile as he grabbed his sniper.

"Great. Let's go!" She smiled back at him as they headed towards the airfield.

At the airfield, they witnessed dozens of husks coming towards the barricade. Jane hopped on the nearby mounted turret and blasted them while Garrus and James were on either side of her taking out any that got past her, which wasn't many. Once they had dwindled down the husks, they saw a synthetic-organic that appeared to be a krogan body with a turian head. The horror of the reapers never ends, Garrus thought with a hint of disgust.

"What the fuck is that?" Jane asked.

"They're calling it a brute. It's a krogan body fused with a turian head!" Garrus replied to her. The brute then seemed to notice them as it rammed its body into the barricade causing Jane to lose her balance and fall into the field below.

"Dammit!" Garrus cursed as he and James jumped down to help her. Jane stood herself up and got enough distance to throw a sticky grenade onto its midsection while Garrus threw a concussive shot to stun it and James hit it with a carnage projectile which caused the grenade to detonate, and the brute exploded.

"Thanks, boys." Jane showed her gratitude to them while she wiped brute entrails off of her shoulder. Corinthus came on their comms telling them he still couldn't reach Victus. Jane said they'd go after him on foot and asked if Garrus could take them to his last known location. Garrus agreed and started leading them through the moon's terrain. He stopped after a few minutes to look up at Palaven in front of them.

"Dammit. Palaven. See that big orange spot right there. That's where my family home is." He said out loud as he pointed them towards the area he was talking about. Jane expressed her sympathy, which meant a lot to him. Earth has to be in the same shape as Palaven, maybe even worse and she still is showing sympathy towards me. Garrus shook his thoughts and kept leading them towards where he last saw Victus. They came across a few turian soldiers who were looking over an injured soldier. Jane asked them if they were alright, and they said they'd manage. Classic Jane, worrying about individuals while we're in the middle of a battlefield fighting for our lives, Garrus thought before he asked the soldiers if they'd seen Victus. One of the soldiers informed them he had seen him heading south not long before. Jane told them to take care before they headed south to find Victus. When they were just ahead of the south camp barricade, they heard the sound of fighting and Jane told them to book it because she wasn't losing another Primarch to the reapers. He and Jane found cover behind some rocks and started sniping marauders while James let loose on them with his assault rifle. Once the area was clear, they made their way towards Victus. Jane introduced herself and Victus told her that he couldn't wait to find out why she was there. Of course, he knows who she is already since I talked her up to him making small talk earlier, Garrus thought to himself feeling slightly embarrassed as they discussed him being the new Primarch. He seemed reluctant to take the role and even more reluctant to leave to play politics. Jane eventually convinced him that she needed leaders with war experience to defeat the reapers. He told her he needed to talk to his men and headed towards a small group of soldiers.

"Look at all of this chaos and destruction. And they want my expertise on how to stop it." Garrus said to her in exasperation. "Do you really think this summit will work? Can we stop them?" He asked her.

"I'm not sure, Garrus." She confided in him. "But I'm sure as hell going to give my all to try."

"Well, I'm with you." He told her. He knew she was being truthful when she said she'd do her best and he wanted to help.

"Welcome aboard, Garrus. Again." She smiled as they shook hands.

Victus walked back over to them and said he was ready, but he had a condition. He told her he couldn't spare his fleets to Earth until they took some pressure off of Palaven. Jane questioned him on how they could do it and he told them that they needed the Krogan. Jane repeated his words about the krogan and looked like she was in thought. Garrus remarked that her summit just got interesting when she agreed they would try as they headed back towards the Normandy.