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Suicide Mission: the Omega 4 Relay

The shuttle was a little crowded with the entire team on board. Their final mission, bringing the fight to the Collector home world, was right around the corner. Looking at these people, you wouldn't say that soon they would be fighting for their lives. No, fighting for the fate of the galaxy.

Everyone seemed at peace, all willing to follow Shepard passed the teeth of hell, and hopefully back again.

Was it fair to have started a relationship so soon before a mission he might not return from? Garrus couldn't say. He did know that Dani was the single most important reason that made him hell bent to get out of this alive. When he got back, there was something he wanted to ask her.

Maybe the timing was terribly off, with the Reapers knocking at their back door, but when they would finally come, he wanted to face them with Dani as his bond mate.

The idea – no, the realization – had struck him when the red dot of his sniper rifle had danced on the skull of Sidonis.

Yes, after months of searching, he had finally found the traitor. And, since Shepard had been obliging enough to other crew members, to enable them to tie up loose ends - tend to unfinished business, Garrus figured he deserved to find some peace as well. Peace in the death of Sidonis.

One bullet for all his sins.

Though Shepard had assured him he would help, when push came to shove, he had stepped into Garrus' view before he could take the shot. Every time Sidonis moved, Shepard had moved with him.

They had talked, discussed and Garrus had cursed. Shepard pointed out Sidonis was already a dead man, already paying for his sins. A quick death would actually be a kindness, but not worth it if it would change Garrus forever. Shepard reminded him that so much more was at stake than just revenge.

In the end it didn't really make a difference for his dead crew mates or their family, but if he took the shot, Garrus would be a cold blooded murderer and as such he would stand in front of Dani, always. She loved him and she would never mention it, but Shepard had warned Garrus she would never forget. It would break her heart. It would change both of them.

In a short flash, the tiniest of moments, Garrus saw her standing next to him, their hands roped together in a bonding ceremony. All his friends were present. His mother and sister too. Not his father though, he would never approve of his son bonding with a human. Or maybe he would. The last time they had talked it had been . . . good.

And he realized bonding with Dani was what he wanted, more than anything. If killing Sidonis meant that Dani would look at him differently. Look at him less . . . it was not a risk he was willing to take.

He told Shepard to tell the traitor he could go. His life would be spared. For the rest of his days, he would rise and go to bed with the knowledge he had betrayed his friends and cost them their lives. It was punishment enough. It would have to be.

When they returned to the Normandy and he told Dani that Sidonis was still alive, the look in her eyes told him he had made the right decision.

While Shepard kept building his team and offering them a chance to settle things, Garrus and Dani stood together with pride. There was talk, there always would be, but as long as they had each other, they didn't care.

He was an ugly turian who got lucky with a beautiful woman and people wondered how he'd managed that. Damn if he knew. . .

Some individuals referred to Dani as Sub-Zero and they wondered why Garrus would want to risk freezing his dick off by having intercourse with her. Ah, if only they knew. . .

Most of the crew additions were nice enough. Grunt was an acquired taste. Mordin was a good man, though mostly annoying. Jacob and Miranda were decent enough considering they were Cerberus.

Jack was just plain crazy, but Garrus knew most of her attitude was just a front. Kasumi was just . . . weird, but her and Dani had grown really close. He liked Zaeed, even though the crazy bastard was a cold blooded killer and mercenary. Then there was Thane . . . decent guy, dying of Keplar Syndrome, but there was something about the way he sometimes stared at Dani that made Garrus want to blow his head from his shoulders.

The asari Justicar was something else. She could kill you in cold blood and be as serene about it as a goddess. As long as her code permitted her the kill, she felt no remorse.

They now even had a geth on their crew, if you'd believe that. Turns out, there were two kinds of geth. Good geth and bad geth. Geth who just wanted to live their lives in peace and geth who worshiped the Reapers and wished to destroy all organics. It was hard because in Garrus' mind the only good geth had always been a dead geth. But, Legion slowly made him change his mind.

And not only his by the way.

Garrus turned his head and smiled at no one other than Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. Previously known as Tali'Zorah vas Neema, previously known as Tali'Zorah nar Rayya.

They had given her the name of the Normandy because she'd been looking at charges that might have exiled her. The name had been intended as an insult but one little shouting match of Shepard and the quarians now regarded that name with respect. And Tali carried it with pride.

Tali smiled back at Garrus and took his hand to squeeze it.

The reunion of her and Dani had been a memorable moment. One he would cherish always. It was a pity that Liara had turned down Shepard's offer to join the Normandy as well.

Garrus was grateful that Shepard had taken Thane and Zaeed on this one last Cerberus errand. Between the missions to retrieve Tali and to help her clear her name, there had not been much chance to talk and he didn't want to steal the few moments away Tali spent with Dani.

So here they were, crammed in a shuttle, reminiscing how they got here and how good it was to see each other again. Tali was over the moon when she found out he and Dani were now finally a couple.

The reason they were all in the shuttle was that the Reaper IFF had finally been hooked up. Their one chance to make it through the Omega 4 relay alive. Though the device was powered, it was causing some unusual instability in other systems. EDI had recommended a more thorough analysis before attempting to use it.

Because it was hard to make an estimate when a complete analysis would be ready, Joker had recommended Shepard to use the shuttle. Miranda had then proceeded to gather all crew mates to meet Shepard on the shuttle. Once closer to their destination Shepard could decide on his shore party.

It would probably be just a short mission, but it gave them time to catch up.

"I can't say it enough Garrus," Tali chirped. "I'm so happy you found her. And you're together!"

"Yeah, I'm happy too," he flared his mandibles in a quick smile. "Sorry for - you know, being so rough on you at first."

"I know. It's okay. I blamed myself as well for a long, long time."

"No, Tali," he sighed. "It's not okay. She made the decision herself. I just . . . after losing her, I didn't want to blame her for it as well. I couldn't. But I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"Hey, let's not worry about that. She's back. You're together. And I am very happy for you. She has changed a lot, hasn't she?"

"She has. She has grown, a lot."

"And you love her, right? It's not just a crush between you two. I don't think it ever has been."

"No, no it hasn't. I think there always was... something. It just took us a damn long time to figure it out."

"It's a miracle you got there at all." Tali snorted. "Seriously, Garrus, you were clueless. Both of you! Just... completely clueless!"

"Hey, we got there didn't we? Give us some credit!"

"Oh absolutely not, all that goes to me! And maybe Liara, a bit."

Garrus laughed lightly. "Keep it up Tali and I'm not going to share my little secret with you."

Tali scooted closer to him, if that was at all possible. Nearly ended in his lap.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"Oh now you can play nice again! Oh well, since you insist." Garrus smirked. "When this mission is done and assuming we all live to tell about it. I ah, I plan to ask her to be my bond mate. You know . . . marriage."

Tali just stared at him for a moment. With a quarian you could never be sure, but her eyes were glistening a bit too brightly inside her helmet. He was pretty sure she was tearing up.

He chuckled and looked away, a bit embarrassed. Again he thanked the Spirits that turians didn't blush.

"I'm so happy for you Garrus," Tali finally said. "And she will she say yes. I'm looking forward to the ceremony."

"So am I, Tali,"Garrus squeezed her hand. "She'll make a respectable turian out of me yet."

"Never going to happen, Vakarian. You're way too stubborn. You could give a vorcha with a flamethrower a run for his money!"

Suddenly the door to the front slid open, revealing a very pale looking Shepard.

"I just got word. The Normandy. . . " Shepard shook his head. "The Normandy has been under attack again. Joker barely managed to escape but . . . the entire crew has been abducted."

Garrus heard the words but they sounded so absurd, they didn't really register.

"Abducted? What do you mean? By whom?" Miranda demanded.

"The Collectors again. I'm not sure about the details but we're heading back. Right now."

The reality and meaning of those words sank in once Garrus stepped inside the now empty Normandy. No one was there. They were all gone. Except for Joker.

Joker couldn't quite meet his eyes inside the briefing room and a coldness settled deep inside him.

No. He refused to accept she was gone. Again. She would have found a way to escape. Or hide. Or . . . something.

He rushed from room to room, called out her name, not willing to believe until finally, after having searched every inch of the Normandy, the horrible emptiness was the ultimate proof.

His feet, feeling like dead weight, dragged him back to the briefing room where Miranda was chewing off Joker's head.

"Everyone?" she asked, her voice climbing. "You lost everyone – and damn near lost the ship, too?"

"I know, all right?" Joker hollered back. "I was here!"

"It's not his fault, Miranda. None of us caught it," Jacob interjected.

"Mr. Taylor is correct," EDI piped in. "The harmful data in the Collector drive was even more sophisticated than the black box Reaper viruses I was given."

"I heard it was a rough ride, Joker," Shepard placed a hand on his shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"There's a lot of empty chairs in here," Joker murmured.

"We did everything we could, Jeff," EDI oddly tried to comfort him.

"Yeah, thanks. Mom."

"Is the ship clean? We can't risk this happening again."

"EDI and I purged the system. The Reaper IFF is online. We can go through the Omega 4 relay whenever you want," Joker said, though it was nearly a question. He sounded so hopeful.

"Don't even get me started about unshackling a damned AI," Miranda still refused to let it go.

"What could I do against Collectors, break my arm at them? EDI cleared the ship. She's all right."

Garrus would have reeled back in surprise if he wasn't feeling so numb. Still, it was surprising to hear Joker refer to EDI as she.

"I assure you, I am still bound by protocols in my programming. Even if I were not, you are my crew mates."

"EDI has had plenty opportunity to kill us. We need all the help we can get." Shepard nodded at Joker.

"Sounds like we have everything we need to rescue the crew," Jacob said while folding his arms.

"We've done everything we can." Miranda agreed for once. "It's time to take the fight to the Collectors."

"Joker, head back up to the bridge. The rest of you, to your stations," Shepard ordered.

"Aye, aye, Commander." Joker saluted. "Just punch up the Galaxy map whenever you're ready."

"Joker," Garrus called after him when the pilot got up from the table to leave. "Did you see her? Dani, is she . . . is she still alive? Is there a chance to save them?"

Joker sighed and had trouble meeting his eyes again.

"I honestly don't know, big guy. It was chaos and I saw someone get dragged away, Kelly I believe, she was screaming. There was a lot of screaming."

He seemed to realize that was not helpful at all. So he turned around and left for the bridge.

Garrus followed him and soon noticed that Shepard was right behind him as well. Joker settled his ass in his chair, before he swiveled the seat to look at them.

"Commander, Garrus. Sorry about the crew. About Dani and . . . and you know what? No, I'm not sorry! What the hell were you doing leaving us out here where Collectors can work us over? Because you know what, I should . . . I should just go. Next port, just get the hell out of here!"

EDI's blue bobble head appeared. "You don't mean that, Jeff."

"I . . . no, but it . . . felt good. I'm sorry, Commander. Okay, I'm ready, I'm good. I'm ready to save the day."

"I know how dangerous it was. If you need some time, let me know."

"Jeez, don't get like that. I know I got lucky, I don't need you getting all touchy feely. Besides, Garrus looks about ready to kill me if I would say I need some time."

"Shepard is right to be concerned, Jeff. You may have suffered a number of stress fractures. Rushing right ahead is not beneficial for the captured crew. That includes Dani Pryde," EDI stated.

"That's what pills are for, EDI. We're going to get the crew back. Get Dani back so Garrus won't rip me apart. She's so my mom," Joker grumbled.

Shepard chuckled. "I notice you're calling EDI her and she now."

"Huh," Joker said in surprise. "No, I hadn't really noticed that. EDI, should I have noticed that?"

"No, Jeff," EDI replied. "It is not worth noting."

"Well, there you go, Shepard. Looks like we haven't noticed anything."

"I think you're taking the human-machine interface a little far."

"I'm just having a little fun with you, Commander. No need to get all unnatural on me."

"Yeah, because this is such an opportune time to make jokes," Garrus bristled. "Have you plot a course for the Omega 4 relay yet?"

"The coordinates were forwarded to the galaxy map at once, Officer Vakarian. We only need the Commanders orders. And what Jeff and I are exhibiting is more a platonic symbiosis than hormonally induced courtship behavior."

"EDI, that was a little creepy!" Joker made a face.

"Turns out EDI is more than capable of handling the Normandy on her own," Shepard teased. "You're not concerned she can replace you?"

"Well, she's amazing, but there's something off about how she handles the Normandy. We ran simulations before you got back and it turns out it's better when we both have the helm."

"Calculating an optimum course of action is simple. If two AI weapons are pitted against each other, the one with superior hardware will always win. Human misjudgments defy predictive models," EDI seemed to agree with Joker.

"License to screw up, Commander. You heard it straight from the ship."

"Well, just let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"I will, Commander. But EDI's got it covered. Let's just, get the crew back safe okay?"

"We will, Joker, make no mistake. Set course for the Omega 4 relay, right now!"

"Aye, aye, Commander!"

Shepard nodded at Joker and signaled Garrus to follow him.

"I know you're impatient to get Dani back, Garrus. But I need to reassure the crew first. We can't hurl ourselves in battle with everyone high strung and on edge. If that means crack a few bad jokes, so be it. Understand?"

Garrus sighed. "Yes, Commander. I do. I hate it, but I do."

He spent the next few hours alone, preparing himself for the battle ahead.

"I'll find you Dani," he swore. "I'll find you and by the Spirits, when I do . . . I'll marry you. No more time will be wasted."

"Approaching Omega 4 relay. Everyone stand by," Joker's voice sounded over the intercom.

"Let's make it happen!" That was Shepard.

This was going to be a bumpy ride! Garrus braced himself against the railing in the Main Battery.

"Reaper IFF activated. Signal acknowledged," EDI informed them.

"Commander? The drive core just lit up like a Christmas tree." Jacob was keeping a close eye on the situation in the engine room. "Drive core electrical charge at critical levels."

"Rerouting!" Joker hollered.

"Brace for deceleration," EDI warned. Garrus closed his eyes and held his breath.

The Normandy lurched and for a moment quivered like an arrow.

"Oh shit!"

Garrus' eyes snapped open hearing Joker's exclamation. He strengthened his grip, just in time. The insane maneuvers would have thrown him around the Main Battery like a rag doll otherwise.

As sudden as the crazy ride started, it stopped and Garrus could feel the Normandy reaching equilibrium.

"Too close." Joker sighed relieved.

Garrus couldn't see what was happening, but the comm chatter kept him up to date. He just had to make sure that the Thanix gun, the Javelin disruptor torpedoes and the GARDIAN lasers were calibrated, prepped and ready to fire.

"These must be all the ships that tried to make it through the Omega 4 relay. Some look ancient." Joker breathed in awe. Garrus could only imagine the scene unfolding around them.

"I have detected an energy signature near the edge of the accretion disk," EDI informed.

Garrus kept a close eye on the readings, his hands stilled a moment when he heard Shepard.

"Has to be the Collector base. Take us in for a closer look. Nice and easy."

Time was drawing near.

"Careful, Jeff. We have company."

Garrus' eyes snapped to the readings flashing across the screen. Enemies on their tale.

Small enemy crafts, looked like mobile mines. They were under fire. His fingers flew over the keyboard prepping counter active measurements, the GARDIAN lasers.

"Taking evasive maneuvers," Joker hollered. Crap, not again!

It was not so bad this time but apparently Joker's piloting skills hadn't been enough and they were still in danger.

"Now they're just pissing me off!"

Shots were fired and Garrus kept a close eye on the ship's guns performance.

"EDI – take these bastards out!"

Suddenly a tremor shot through the Normandy. She lurched and trembled, sparks were flying everywhere.

"As long as the new plating holds," Miranda said in a doubtful tone.

"Dani oversaw all modifications, Lawson," Garrus snapped. "The Silaris armor will hold."

The ship lurched a couple of more times and he had to make a real effort to keep himself standing.

"They want another round? Come on girl, let's give it to them!"

He heard an explosion somewhere near the engine room, felt the ship quake but kept his fingers busy prepping the guns for another round. A few times he had to grab the railing to keep himself from being flung around but he just grit his teeth and kept working. They all had a job to do.

"Alert. Hull breach on the engineering deck."

"It's in the cargo hold!" Shepard said, his voice clipped and tense.

"Aye, aye, Commander."

Not long after that, Garrus could hear guns firing. He had no idea who Shepard had taken with him, but he was glad it wasn't him. He had a lot on his plate right now. His eyes darted between all the different readings, making sure the numbers were and stayed in the green.

"We're sitting ducks out here! I have to try to lose them in the debris field!"

"Our kinetic barriers are not designed to survive impact with debris that size, Jeff."

"How about that little project Dani was working on? Wasn't the Normandy supposed to be able to phase by now?"

"She had a lot of different projects to work on, Jeff. Between all modifications, your request for a tactical cloak and her assistance to Dr. Solus, she simply didn't have the time to finish it. I've seen her schematics and calculations, they were . . . impressive. I also believe it was never meant to be a standalone feature, she was always to be the one to actively phase the ship. Even if it was finished, it couldn't be used."

"Dammit!" Joker cursed. "Then I guess it's a good thing we upgraded. We're going in."

From the Main Battery Garrus could hear the drive core whine. The ship turned, quaked and trembled and Garrus nearly broke his wrist when he was flung against the railing. He shielded his eyes against the sparks when several circuits overloaded.

Garrus could hear heavy objects slamming against the hull, he also heard the seams creaking of the metal plates holding the Normandy together. She was straining to get out of this alive.

Something vast screeched across the hull and for a moment Garrus swore they were being torn apart. Miraculously, the plating held, though just barely.

Garrus remembered all the times Dani and Tali had spent coming up with the multi-core shielding, utilizing Cyclonic Barrier Technology. And the heated discussions Dani had with Jacob who kept persisting to retrofit the Normandy with Cerberus designed heavy armor.

Dani had been able to convince Shepard to go for the Asari designed Silaris armor instead. Jacob was completely against it because it was expensive as hell and the armor had to be attached to the ship's superstructure. This meant simply that shock waves from massive fire power could still destroy the metal beneath the armor itself. He felt it was too big of a risk.

But, Dani had countered that the untested Cerberus armor couldn't hold a candle against the Silaris armor. When she said she'd ran the numbers in her head, that was enough for Shepard. The Silaris armor was acquired and installed. Today her fastidiousness might have saved some lives.

"Come on, find some room," Joker pleaded.

"Kinetic barriers at fourty percent."

"Reroute non-critical power! This is gonna hurt!"

The lights in the Main Battery flickered off. Garrus quickly siphoned power reserved for the GARDIAN and Javelin torpedoes, to the large Thanix gun before shutting down the supporting fire so even more power could be redirected to the main core. The engine whined and Garrus could feel the ship accelerate.

Garrus was not a religious person. Never had been. Religion wasn't really a thing on Palaven, though they did believe in certain spirits inhabiting certain places or even a group. Right now, he was praying to every deity in the universe, praying to make it through, praying to get Dani and the rest of the crew back, praying to get a chance to shoot the Collectors into the afterlife, praying to have a chance to marry the woman he loved.

"Damage report!" Joker demanded.

"Kinetic barriers steady at thirty percent. No significant damage."

Garrus sighed in relief, like he imagined everyone was doing.

"Take the helm, EDI," Joker ordered. "Keep it slow. See if we can avoid any more attention."

"I have detected an enemy heading for the cargo hold."

"That thing again! This one's up to Shepard. Enemy coming your way again, Commander!"

"Affirmative, thanks for the heads up, Joker!"

Again the sounds of gun fire echoed through the ship but it died down quickly.

"Better get back up here, Commander," Joker requested. "We're about to clear the debris field."

"There it is – the Collector base." Miranda sounded awestruck.

"See if you can find a place to land without drawing attention," Shepard ordered.

"Too late. Looks like they're sending out an old friend to greet us."

Again Garrus' eyes snapped to the readings on the screen. The information pouring out chilled him to the bone. Something huge was headed for them. It was a Collector ship!

From the vast readings it was readying a massive weapon for them. The Normandy lurched in an evasive maneuver and Garrus quickly checked the readings on the Thanix one last time.

"Time to show our new teeth. Fire the main gun!" Shepard ordered.

Garrus smiled seeing the retractable battery of cannons extend on the screen. The weapon charged and shot an accelerated stream of superheated molten metal towards the Collector ship.

He could feel and hear the impact it made and he smiled again, knowing what horrendous damage it would have caused.

"How do you like that, you sons of bitches?" Joker cheered.

"Get in close and finish them off," Shepard ordered.

"Everybody hold on – gonna be a wild ride!"

Garrus fingers flew over the keyboard directing reserved power to the Thanix gun before grappling the railing as Joker's mad surge threatened to flung him from his feet again.

"Give 'em hell, girl!" Joker cried out and Garrus saw the Thanix charging up again.

He smiled. The Collectors would be in for a little surprise!

When the Thanix fired again, Garrus could actually feel the enormous kick-back.

"Look out!" Miranda cried out. Moments later, a sudden explosion warped against the Normandy's shields and flung her through space.

"Mass effect field generators are offline. EDI – give me something!" Joker cried out.

Hm, he might have overdone it with the Thanix, just a bit.

"Generators unresponsive. All hands brace for impact."

Okay, next time maybe not pump all the reserves in a single shot. Garrus closed his eyes and braced himself but still couldn't prevent himself from getting smashed against a wall.

The maddening screech of metal tearing up deafened him and the sparks flying across the Main Battery temporary blinded him.

Then, everything went still and silent. They'd stopped moving. Garrus waited for news coming in over the intercom while he dragged his bruised body from the floor.

"Joker, you okay?" Shepard inquired after his pilot.

"Ungh, I think I broke a rib. All of them. "

"Multiple core systems overloaded during the crash. Restoring operation will take time."

Miranda sighed dejected. "We all knew this was likely a one way trip."

"I'll do whatever it takes to stop the Collectors, but I plan to live to tell about it," Shepard replied grim.

"I'm glad you're in charge," Joker claimed. "What's next?"

"How long until the Collectors find this landing zone?"

"I do not detect an internal security network. It is possible the Collectors did not expect anyone to reach the base."

"If we're lucky, their external sensors were hit like we were. They might not know we're alive." Joker agreed with the AI.

"Then let's get our people back and blow the Collectors to hell!"

Garrus took that as his cue to join Shepard. Before he did, he quickly entered his shared quarters with Dani and retrieved a tattered bit of cloth from the desk. It was the small piece of fabric he had torn from her tunic so long ago. There, all set.

He was about to close the desk when his eyes fell on the gauntlets. He pulled his small brow plates in a frown. He figured they could use all the advantage they could get. If they found Dani. . . No, when they found Dani, maybe she could make good use of it. He tucked the small items securely behind his chest plate and then left the room.

Shepard's voice sounded over the intercom, requesting all crew to assemble in the briefing room.

When he arrived, together with Grunt, Tali and Jack, all he saw was grim set features, guns and armor getting checked and a shitload of determination.

Every single person in the room looked up when Shepard made his entrance. His mere presence commanded attention.

"This isn't how we planned this mission, but this is where we're at," Shepard started his speech. "We can't worry about whether the Normandy can get us home. We came to stop the Collectors and that means coming up with a plan to take out this station. EDI, bring up your scans."

A holographic blue print of the vast Collector base blinked into being.

"You should be able to overload their critical systems if you get to the main control center here."

A blue waypoint marker appeared somewhere at the top of the image.

"That means going through the heart of the station. Right passed this massive energy signature." Jacob pointed at the holograph.

"That's the central chamber. If our crew or any of the colonists are still alive, the Collectors are probably holding them in there." Shepard nodded, probably remembering the layout from their previous mission on an abandoned Collector ship.

"Looks there are two main routes. Might be a good idea to split up to keep the Collectors off balance, then regroup in the central chamber," Jacob suggested.

"No good," Miranda countered. "Both routes are blocked. See these doors? The only way past is to get someone to open them from the other side."

Shepard cradled his chin in his hand, lost in thought for a moment.

"If we send a team down each path, they can keep the Collectors busy while someone else sneaks in through this ventilation shaft here."

"Practically a suicide mission, I volunteer," Jacob stated, his voice firm and determined.

"I appreciate the thought, Jacob." Miranda shot her colleague down again. "But you couldn't shut down the security system in time. We need to send a tech expert."

"It's your call, Commander. Who do we send into the shaft?" Jacob looked at Shepard expectantly.

Garrus could see Shepard's mind working. One wrong decision and this entire mission could go pear-shape very quickly. A lot was riding on his skill to pick the right people for the right job.

"Kasumi – you've got the tech skills to do this."

"I won't let you down." Kasumi acknowledged her task.

"The rest of us will break into two teams and fight down each passage. That should draw the Collector's attention away from what you're doing."

"I'll lead the second fire team, Shepard." Miranda moved to stand next to the commander. "We'll meet up with you on the other side of the doors."

"Not so fast cheerleader," Jack protested. "Nobody wants to take orders from you."

Garrus couldn't keep himself from nodding in agreement. Weird that he and Jack were on the same page for once.

"This isn't a popularity contest!" Miranda obviously felt snubbed. "Lives are at stake. Shepard – you need someone who can command loyalty through experience."

Shepard turned to him, their eyes locked. "Garrus, you're in command of the second team."

A look of understanding passed between them and Garrus nodded, ever so slightly, no one else would probably even see.

"Well, at least he knows what he's doing," Miranda huffed. Shepard raised his hand to calm her and stepped forward.

"I don't know what we're gonna find in there, but I won't lie to you. It's not going to be easy. We've lost good people. We may lose more. We don't know how many the Collectors have stolen – thousands, hundreds of thousands. It's not important."

Every single person in the room watched their commander, their captain speak.

"What matters is this . . . Not one more! That's what we can do, here, today. It ends with us! They want to know what we're made of? I say we show them, on our terms! Let's bring our people home!"

Everyone raised their gun and roared in a single battle cry. The game was on.