The Forever We Fought For

by sniperpal

The galaxy struggles to heal from the unimaginable sacrifices that stopped the Reapers. Its many peoples look to the future with hope, yet some seek to capitalize on chaos. As new choices and battles loom on the horizon, two bound souls and the crew that fought alongside them struggle to move forward and keep the galaxy they saved from sliding back into conflicts of the past.

7. Departed

Departed

The smallest of the four medical bays onboard the Chayym was brightly lit and very quiet, aided by the fact that no one seemed eager to disturb the agitated turian in their midst. For his part, Garrus waited silently in a seat definitely not built for his kind, impatient but not about to cause trouble for the quarians when they were going out of their way to accommodate him. Sealed once again inside his armor and having been subjected to thorough decontamination just to enter the narrow, white-painted halls of the med bay, an old breathing exercise he'd practiced many times to aid his aim with a rifle now helping him keep his cool. The scent of chemicals and disinfectant was heavy in the air and enveloped him with each breath he took; the overwhelming aroma was rough on his senses and made him briefly consider vacuum-sealing his armor.

Stupid idea. Focus, he told himself. Shuffling in the small seat to try for a bit more comfort, Garrus glanced across the med bay's hall at the door three sick rooms down. He'd argued to be let in, but the quarian orderlies had been firm in their refusal, citing the health risks that were only worsened by the grave nature of Shala'Raan's situation. He knew they weren't wrong.

It didn't change the fact that he was stuck out here while Tali was behind that door, alone and watching her Auntie Raan dying in front of her.

He hadn't been present on the Alarei to bear witness as Tali found her dead father. He'd seen the aftermath, however, and it had been a painful sight indeed. Tali had a big heart full of love for her friends and family, and she'd been gutted by Rael'Zorah's passing to the point that Shepard had excused her from missions until they'd made the journey through the Omega 4 relay. There'd been no more time for personal matters or grief at that point, as Shepard had needed them all switched on to survive their fight with the Collectors.

But now there was no fight to distract them, no way for Tali to avoid her woes. Garrus couldn't even offer condolences from a place of understanding; as far as he was aware, he still had family alive, not to mention having Shepard back. Tali, on the other hand, was about to lose the only family she had left. One of his best friends in the galaxy would be very much alone. There were few words that would hold any meaning in the face of that kind of loss.

Garrus was still thinking over what he could possibly say to her when he heard a quiet hissing noise from down the hall. Glancing over, he saw the sick room door finally sliding open and Tali stumbling through it. He was on his feet in an instant as the quarian slumped against the wall, head bowed and hands clutching tightly at her shoulders in utter distress. Grief-stricken as she clearly was, she did not see him approaching.

"Tali…" Garrus muttered once he'd reached her side. Her helmet turned as he spoke up. "I heard-"

An instant later, Tali's arms were around his waist as she leaned against him and trembled. Shaky sobs escaped her, soft and heart-wrenching to hear. Garrus glanced around for a moment and saw that the med bay hall was still thankfully empty of orderlies or other onlookers, at least for now, and he slowly wrapped his arms around Tali and held her close. There really were no words for what she was enduring, and he wasn't the most experienced in comforting others in times of grief. He simply held her until the sobbing quieted and turned to hitching gasps, until her grip on him loosened and he could gently guide her to one of the seats along the sides of the hall.

Garrus took a seat beside Tali and put an arm around her as her helmet fell against his shoulder. He said nothing still, content to wait until she was ready to talk. Tali's breaths were long and pained, and it took some time before she gathered herself enough to speak. When she did, it was barely more than a strained whisper. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see me like this…"

"Don't apologize. You've got more heart than any of us, Tali," he gently replied. "If you couldn't mourn even now, I'd worry that the war had taken that from you."

"No, it just took everything else."

Even through the sniffles she was still fighting down, Tali sounded more bitter than Garrus had ever heard from her. "Not everything," he reassured her. "Not yet. There's still Rannoch, the rest of your people, the Normandy. You're not alone."

Tali let out a shuddering breath and leaned into him harder, hunching her shoulders. "The friends and family I had that made this fleet my home, that I wanted to start rebuilding on the homeworld with- the Reapers took so many of them, Garrus. They took so many of my people. Auntie Raan is the last family I have, and she doesn't have much time left." Her hand found his arm that lay across her shoulders and squeezed it for comfort. "I will be alone if I leave the Normandy for Rannoch."

Her final words hit Garrus particularly hard. Tali had only ever spoken of Rannoch with reverence; it'd been widely understood amongst the crew that she would take her leave one day to help her people rebuild there. To see her now talk about it with anxiety and despair was like seeing her dream shatter right in front of him. The possibility of never again hearing the boundless enthusiasm and wonder in her voice when she discussed the quarian homeworld was a painful one.

Figuring it would be best if Shepard was on hand to discuss the uncertainty of Tali's future with her, Garrus decided to address a more immediate concern. "What you do next is a call you shouldn't make right now, not while you're still dealing with this. If you want to stay for…" He glanced down the hall at the sick room Tali had emerged from. "Sorry. I'm not familiar with how your people handle this. The end, funerary customs, any of it. Point is, Shepard will definitely keep us here for however long you need."

"I don't need her to." Tali's tone grew a little more steady as she pulled away from him and straightened up in her seat. "My people hold simple funerals for all, but I've said my good-byes to Auntie Raan already. She wants us to leave as soon as possible like we've already planned."

"Raan actually said that?"

"Yes. She doesn't want me to hold our crew up just to be here when…" Tali trailed off, and Garrus had a feeling she was biting her lip hard under her helmet. She eventually continued, "...when she passes. That's unnecessary in her opinion, especially considering Shepard's own situation. When I told her why we had planned to leave so quickly, she agreed that it was for the best."

While he understood Tali revealing Shepard's woes to her dying aunt, Raan telling her niece to leave now of all times didn't sit right with him. One of the greatest regrets Garrus would forever carry was the fact that he hadn't been there when his mother had passed. "Are you really ok with just leaving? And what about your people? They won't hold it against you if we head out under these circumstances?"

"They won't, Raan's seen to that. They know that she hung on all this time just to see me once more…" Tali's voice wavered as she stifled a fresh sob. "She told the doctors that as soon as I came back to visit her and then departed, she'd let go. She doesn't want me here to see her die."

And I don't want to see it myself, she left unsaid, but Garrus could glean that much.

"Alright," he conceded, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. "Let's go back to the Normandy. We'll be away from here soon enough with all the help that we've been promised."

"I'll head back alone. Before you do, can you do one quick favor for me?" Tali asked, turning her helmet to look up at him as she did.

"Of course. What do you need?"

"Actually, it's about what Auntie Raan needs. She wants to speak with you before we leave." Tali paused and then added, "Well, she wanted to speak with both you and Shepard, but I told her why that couldn't happen. Instead, she's asked that you hear what she has to say and relay it to the commander."

Taken aback, Garrus could only ask, "Any idea what she might want to discuss?"

Tali just shook her head and muttered, "I don't know. Please just hear her out."

"I will." He stood from his seat and reached down to help Tali to her feet as well. "Listen, when you get back to the ship, go straight to Shepard, alright? Either her or Liara. Don't be like me and bottle everything up. Let them help you out."

"You've already helped me plenty," Tali murmured, slipping her arms around him for another hug, one of warmth and gratitude rather than despair and sorrow, a hug which he gently returned. When she let go of him and stepped back, she continued, "But yes, I'll go to Shepard when I'm back on board. There are concerns I should share with her anyway."

"Sounds good. See you in a bit."

As Tali nodded and turned to depart, heading back down the bright halls, he could see her shoulders trembling ever so slightly as she walked away. She'd clearly been holding it together for his sake, or in case anyone had wandered over to them. It tugged at his heart to see, but he couldn't go after her to offer further reassurance. He'd already made her a promise to speak with Raan first, and so he headed over to the admiral's sick room instead.

Garrus was just outside the door when he recalled that he'd been barred from entry before. Unlike where he and Tali had been sitting, the door was in full view of an orderly's station around the bend of the hall. Simply walking in wasn't really an option when he'd been ordered otherwise by some rather irate staff. Indeed, a few quarians were looking his way even now, while another was coming down the hall at him. Garrus turned and held a hand up in apology as they reached him, stating, "Hey, I heard what you guys said earlier. I just need to ask if-"

"-If you can go in anyway?" the orderly cut him off. As Garrus clicked his mouth plates together and tried to find a better way to word it, the quarian muttered disapprovingly, "Change of plans. Doctrine's been overruled by Admiral Raan's order. She called us on her intercom and demanded you be allowed to see her."

He clearly wasn't too happy about that, but Garrus still told him, "Thanks. I'll try to keep it brief."

"See that you do. She's in bad shape as it is."

With that, the orderly entered a code into the command panel of the door, which slid open to admit Garrus within. The room was dimmer than the bright white halls beyond, yet it was made livelier by the various personal effects within. In the far right corner was a small wooden table, its flat top curving down onto a sphere which Garrus recognized was carved in the likeness of Rannoch. It held multiple holopads displaying pictures or messages of support, and even a large, flowering plant sat in the middle of the assortment adding some color to the place. Opposite that table was a smaller bedside stand, incense burners lit atop it and wafting a soothing aroma into the air.

All of it surrounded the bed and machines gathered against the far wall, a mess of wires and tubes bundled around them and all trailing into the arms and torso of the quarian who lay in a pile of pillows and blankets. Shala'Raan vas Tonbay would never have been considered the most robust example of her species, but the woman that Garrus now laid eyes on looked more frail than any quarian he'd ever seen. That perspective was influenced by the fact that she wore no envirosuit, only a simple hospital gown- it was the first time Garrus had ever seen a quarian out of their suit in person. Raan's smooth skin was a sickly white, paler by far than what he knew of quarians' typical hue from videos. She looked shriveled and wasted away, and her light yellow eyes were marred with blotchy red, sunken deep into a face that was reminiscent of a human's, if a little flatter and with grooves in the forehead. Whether the red in her eyes was from her sickness or from weeping, he could not tell for sure.

Above all else, her extremely labored breathing, each one an audible struggle to draw in air, made it evident that she was nearing her end.

Despite her terrible condition, however, Raan still sat up a little straighter in her bed and fixed Garrus with a slight smile as he entered. "Vakarian. It's-" She was racked by two rattling coughs before continuing, "-it's good to see you again."

"Admiral. Been a while." Trying to keep things tactful, he stated, "I'm glad Tali got to see you. She's been looking forward to it since the war ended."

"As was I. It was a near thing, too, given how little time the doctors claim I have left. It appears that being stubborn can only get one so far."

He leaned against the wall and looked away, feeling awkward, and Raan let out a chuckle which turned into another cough that racked her body. "Oh, don't act like that," she said once her breathing properly resumed. "I've made my peace with this, Vakarian. I need you to listen, not to act all somber for my sake."

"Alright. I can do that much."

"Very good. I must extract a promise from you and I don't want to take up too much of your time. Can't exactly afford to waste my own right now either."

"We can keep this brief then. Will said promise be a reasonable one?"

"I would think it's reasonable enough. You are, of course, aware of what my passing will mean for Tali."

"I am."

Raan shifted in her bed, visibly struggling as she attempted to remain sitting upright. "When she returned from her first journey aboard the Normandy, the crew she'd flown with was all she could speak of for months. She was devastated to hear that Shepard was dead and ecstatic when that turned out to be false. For a while now, Tali's greatest source of joy and motivation has been her steadfast friendship with the Normandy's crew." A small smile tugged at the corners Raan's mouth. "However, considering how often and highly she's spoken of Shepard and yourself, it's rather clear who she cares for the most."

Well, Tali clearly hadn't shied away from discussing personal matters with her aunt in the past. "Has she said that flat-out to you before?" he queried.

"No, but it's been rather hard to miss. When the Reaper War began, she was adamant that Shepard would be the one to stop them, and that our best bet would be to make contact with the commander and assist her however we could. Her faith in her captain is touching."

"Well, we all feel that way about Shepard. She's done the impossible and lifted us all up so we can do the same."

"Indeed. That assault you all launched upon the Collectors is fast becoming legend even in the wake of the larger war." A coughing fit suddenly overtook Raan, her harsh breaths slowly turning into quiet laughter. "You know, when she returned to us after that particular event, Tali confided in me that you and Commander Shepard had become involved. She stated more than once that she was very happy for the pair of you. I'm not sure if she was trying to convince me or herself at the time."

It took a moment to put together the full meaning of what Raan had just said, and when it finally clicked, Garrus felt heat crawling up his neck. "Admiral, if this is some kind of joke…"

"I'm hardly in the mood for jests, Vakarian."

Spirits, she really is serious. If Raan was correct, it added some discomfiting context to many of his past interactions with Tali. "I see. Is this really something we should discuss behind her back?" he asked, embarrassment making him eager for a change of subject.

"We'll hardly get another chance to discuss it, now will we?" The quarian leaned forward, straining hard but determined to glare right into his eyes. "I don't know for certain what the extent of her feelings for you or Janna Shepard may be, although what she had to say about you two at times was… indicative. What I do know is that I'll soon be dead, and the pair of you and your crew will be all that remains in her life. Promise that you will always take care of Tali, no matter what. Promise that you won't let her be dragged down by her many sorrows. Promise me this, Vakarian, and relay my request to Shepard so that she may promise the same."

"Look, we won't just drop her off at Rannoch and leave her behind," he affirmed. "If that's what you're worried about, don't be. I can promise you that Shepard will talk Tali into staying with us for a while to keep an eye on her. As for her, uh… potential thoughts about Janna or I…" He sighed and shifted to lean against the wall more comfortably, troubled but still wishing to reassure the dying Raan. "...the last thing we'd ever want is to hurt her. Shepard and I are involved, though, and it's serious. Tali knows that all too well."

"Of course she does. That doesn't mean the matter isn't still painful for her, however. Tali's grown into a strong and capable woman like her mother was, but she is still vulnerable in some ways and will be more so in the days to come." Raan shuddered and lay back against her pillows, as if what strength she'd summoned was leaving her even now. "I'm counting on you and your commander, Garrus. Take care of her for me."

"We will. I swear it." Remembering a saying from his childhood on Palaven, he added, "May the spirits abandon me when I pass on if we fail her."

Raan held his gaze for a moment before nodding slowly and letting out a long breath, looking relieved. "That's what I needed to hear. Thank you."

She fell silent afterward, struggling to catch her breath even after that short conversation. Garrus waited patiently, mulling over what he'd just heard in the meantime.

All this time together in Shepard's inner circle, Tali, he thought. You could have said something, anything…

It was clear he didn't understand Tali nearly as well as he'd thought, even after all the battles and experiences they'd shared. That realization made him look up at Raan and say, "Admiral, I don't want to take up much more of your time, especially considering that your caretakers are already displeased with me. That said, if there's anything more you want to discuss, any memories you want to share, this is the time to do so." Shaking off the twinge of guilt he felt, Garrus continued, "I doubt we'll have another chance to talk."

"...No, we will not." Raan turned her head where it lay on her pillow and managed to give him a small smile. "We can converse a little longer, I think."

Despite the stated need for brevity, "a little longer" turned into well over half an hour of chatting and reminiscing as Shala'Raan seemed to experience a second wind of sorts. In between periods of rest, she regaled Garrus with tales of the Zorah family during Tali's younger years, or she discussed the time she'd spent with her niece between the Normandy's voyages. The quarian didn't speak of herself much, perhaps not wanting to dwell on her imminent demise which such talk could serve as a reminder of. Instead, she revisited happier days and Garrus lent her a willing ear, knowing that it would help her more than some sympathetic words ever could.

Eventually, the stories petered out and Raan simply sat back in her bed, chuckling and wiping a tear from her eye. "Ah, I needed that. Thank you, Vakarian. I'd forgotten how much brighter the galaxy used to seem."

Garrus nodded. "It'll brighten up again. The thing about getting knocked down to rock bottom by the Reapers is that matters can only improve from here."

"The funny thing is, I might just believe that." Raan looked at him with shining eyes and continued, "The Normandy is returned and my niece with it. What greater sign could there be that the galaxy is well on its way to recovering?"

With a sigh, the quarian glanced down at one of her hands, which trembled where it lay at her side. "I think I truly must rest now, Vakarian. This visit, while pleasant, has taken quite a bit out of me." She paused for a moment before whispering, "As did the one before it."

Garrus looked away for a moment before he tentatively muttered, "If there's anything more you want me to say to her…"

"Nothing. She heard all that I needed her to. Let her grieve, and remember what we discussed, if only so you may avoid unintentionally hurting her later on."

"Depend on it." He slowly rose to his feet, glancing at the sickly quarian who'd had his crew's back at Rannoch and at Earth, who meant so much to someone he counted as family of his own. He dipped his head and murmured, "Thank you for everything, Admiral Raan. May the spirits guide you onward."

"Personally, I've been appealing to my ancestors, but any help I can get for what comes next will be appreciated," Raan quipped with a chuckle. She offered him a final weary smile and continued, "Take care of her for me, Garrus Vakarian. Esu se'lai."

With one last nod at her, Garrus turned and left the room, his visor adjusting to the brighter lighting outside as he listened to the door hiss shut behind him. He knew he would never see Shala'Raan vas Tonbay again.

With a deep breath, he steadied himself and set off through the corridors of the med bay. There was still work to be done, and Shepard was counting on him.

---

Walking around the Chayym was now less time-consuming and confusing, with directions back to the shuttle bays having been provided by Captain Dardatus' lieutenant. His visor now showed him the way, the instructions downloaded and conveniently showing him each turn to take or lift to ride on. There were no stops to make on the way; his fellow turians had proven most helpful in getting all preparations for the Normandy in order, and there was little left for Garrus to attend to personally.

The ease with which he had secured everything they needed was, quite frankly, rather suspicious. It was one thing to do a favor for revered heroes of the galaxy, but in this time of struggle and scarcity, Dardatus had all but leapt to their aid despite having no personal affiliation with them. He'd even taken the time to patiently talk Garrus out of rushing straight to Tali's side, convincing him to instead finalize their plans for the Normandy's logistical needs before going to join her at Raan's sickbed. Another turian of such rank might have voiced disapproval of his desire to cut the meeting short, but Caivan had refrained from doing so.

Everything had proceeded smoothly and without delay, and it all felt a little too convenient. The first name that had been proposed as replacement crew for the Normandy had only added to Garrus suspicions, but those would wait until he could share them with Shepard. Whatever the motivation behind the unconditional aid might be, it was desperately needed and he could not question it till they were away.

The shuttle bay through which they'd entered the Chayym was less occupied when he returned, several of the ships within having departed along with many of the pilots and crew. The scant few individuals who remained maintained a wide berth, save for one turian who stood alongside Steve, looking over the Kodiak. Cortez was gesturing along the underside of one of the engines, and the turian was watching intently, both of them so caught up in their conversation that Garrus walked right up to them before they finally noticed his presence.

The turian corporal, for his uniform marked him as such, jumped when Garrus appeared next to him and turned to give a hasty salute. "Advisor Vakarian! Corporal Terron Adalinus, reporting as ordered. I've been assigned to the Normandy as a reserve pilot for this shuttle."

Spirits, he's young. Without even seeing the other turian's face, Garrus could hear that the pilot's sub-vocals had the telltale immature buzz to them. Knowing that now was the time to make a good impression, he returned the salute and stated, "Welcome, Corporal. Glad to have you with us. I assume you have some experience with Alliance craft?"

"Yes sir. I've run simulations before and got to put that training to the test on Earth. I was shot down early in the fight and made it to a grounded Alliance shuttle that had lost its pilot. Not the same model as this one, but similar at least. There was no choice but to take his seat and get the craft back in the air. Spent the rest of the battle trying to remember the controls and not get blown up by Harvesters." Adalinus' sub-vocals trembled with sheepish embarrassment. "I know it doesn't sound like much, but those were circumstances where one learns fast or dies, sir."

"That they were. Captain Dardatus clearly thinks you learned enough, and I'm inclined to trust his recommendation. I'm sure you'll serve the Normandy well." As the other turian failed to suppress a hum of pleased excitement, Garrus turned to Cortez and asked, "You ready to head back, Steve? Also, did you already take Tali back over?"

"Yes and no. She went over with the first work crew so I wouldn't have to make two trips. I've just been waiting on you and showing Terron here some of the unique qualities of this shuttle."

The upbeat tone of Steve's voice when mentioning their new pilot suggested that the two had already hit it off, which boded well for Adalinus' prospects. Garrus nodded and stated, "Well, I'm finished on my end. Let's head back to the ship so you can continue educating Terron here about the Kodiak while I report back to Shepard."

"I hear that," Steve muttered as he turned and climbed into the Kodiak to take a seat in the cockpit. "People have kept their distance today, but I could tell a lot of them were itching to talk to me. Not really thrilled at the idea of sticking around till we wind up fielding questions for half the liveship."

Garrus followed him onboard and glanced at Adalinus as the young turian joined them within. "Terron," he began, purposely using the other turian's first name- the sooner their new crew got used to the loosened standards on the Normandy, the better. "How much have you actually been told about this posting? Were you briefed on where we'd be headed next?"

"'I know precious little, sir. Volunteers were requested to serve onboard the Normandy for what could be up to a year, regardless of where it's going." Within his sub-vocals hummed a distinct mix of curiosity and wariness, although the former sounded much stronger to Garrus. "If it's not too brazen of me to say, Advisor, I'm not all that concerned about what our destination may be. Things have been very… stagnant around here."

"And you're eager to be away from the stagnation. That's a reasonable desire, pilot. Nothing brazen about it."

The younger turian nodded eagerly before Steve turned and asked him to take a seat in the cockpit. As Adalinus joined Steve up front, the two pilots began a technical back-and-forth with Cortez demonstrating the take-off process and Terron watching eagerly. Most of it washed over Garrus as he instead got comfortable for the short ride back, pondering what he'd learned.

Captain Dardatus had promised that the replacement crew offered to the Normandy would be people who wouldn't mind a long voyage with an unknown end date and unspecified destinations. Garrus had eventually revealed that their first stop would be Palaven, figuring that such news could help attract turian volunteers. If Caivan hadn't even told them that much, however, then he'd truly been serious about picking potential crew who would join solely for the chance to get away from the Migrant Fleet and fly aboard the Normandy. Some of the personalities that would jump at such a chance could potentially be… difficult to manage at first, no doubt. Still, everyone joining for simple and similar reasons would go a long way to achieving cohesion down the line.

Almost everyone, at least. The implications of the "offer" to join the voyage from Dardatus' lieutenant, Caisso Quennin, were difficult to miss. There had been no good reason to say no, and Garrus had a distinct feeling that Shepard would have less of an issue with it than he did. For all that she'd learned about turians from him and on her own time, he knew that some aspects of their culture remained unclear to her, whether she realized it or not.

Quennin would doubtlessly obey Shepard's orders and would serve as a useful intermediary between the Normandy's long-standing crew and the newcomers, but Garrus held no illusions about where his loyalties ultimately lay. Captain Dardatus would only send his own lieutenant away if it meant having a pair of eyes and an influential voice present onboard one of the most important ships in the galaxy. Caivan was also clearly Primarch Victus' man through and through, else he wouldn't have received command of the turians on the Migrant Fleet otherwise. Once galaxy-wide communications were back up, whatever Lieutenant Quennin reported to his captain would invariably make its way to the Primarch.

It was a good thing they were going to Palaven first, and not just so they might find his family. If Shepard found his concerns valid once he brought this up with her, there would potentially be a discussion with Adrien Victus about the concept of privacy. Hierarchy be damned, he wasn't about to brook political games being played on their ship, not after Shepard had just cut most of her beloved crew loose to avoid precisely that.

Lost in his own thoughts, Garrus had barely even noticed their departure from the Chayym and was only brought back to the present by the hissing noise of the Normandy's pressurizing cargo bay. Flying from one end of the liveship to the other had taken barely any time at all and might have ranked as an inconvenience even, but ships attached to the external dry docks could currently only be accessed in such a way. He'd learned that damage to the Chayym remained even three months after the battle, and access to the dry docks from within was still cut off by damaged passageways, their repair deemed a lesser priority when shuttles could manage in the meantime.

Given how quick the flight had been, Steve and Terron were still engaged in a back-and-forth of technobabble even after the hangar had finished pressurizing and the shuttle had been docked. Smothering a grin over how well the two had already hit it off, Garrus opened the door himself and silently took his leave of the pair. Cortez could handle their first new arrival; Shepard would have to deal with the rest herself, and she'd likely want to debrief Garrus beforehand.

Finding her might have taken a few trips up and down the elevator to check each deck, but fortunately his first stop at the crew deck brought a quick end to the search. Garrus rounded the memorial wall and found a rather familiar sight awaiting him amidst the otherwise empty deck.

Sitting at the dining table in the kitchen, Shepard and Chakwas were chatting quietly and laughing, a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy and half-full glasses placed between them. The tension and anxiety that had lined the doctor's face earlier was absent, the older human seemingly completely at ease as she stifled a chuckle and took another sip of her brandy. "Goodness, Shepard, I'm surprised you didn't hit her. She's gone after you before, and you've done worse to people for less."

"I was tempted to," Shepard replied drily. "Al-Jilani used some scummy tactics, but there's a real journalist under that hostile veneer. She did her part for the war in the end."

"I did get to read that final report of hers," Chakwas affirmed. "I was rather busy with my work for most of the conflict, but I did try to keep informed of any news regarding the Normandy." The doctor paused before continuing, "I'm truly sorry I couldn't attend the big party, Shepard. It would've been wonderful to see you and everyone else before… well…"

"Wasn't on you. Your work saved a lot of lives, Karin, all the way up to the end. Don't forget that."

"I'll try not to, Commander." As Chakwas tipped her glass back for another sip, she glanced to the side and saw Garrus entering, and a small grin played across her lips. "Well now, look who's returned to us."

Shepard looked his way then, her face immediately lighting up. "Welcome back, Garrus! How'd it go over there?"

"About as well as it could, I think," he replied, doing his best to sound casual. "We'll get all the help we need. Should be able to get underway quickly."

"Now that's what I like to hear. Good work." She held her glass up and gave him a bright smile. "Take a seat, tell us all about it. Maybe we can break out a bottle of turian brandy."

She was, Garrus realized, just a little bit tipsy. In certain circumstances, that might've been an exciting development, considering how adventurous she could be under the influence, but this wasn't the time for that. They had new crew inbound soon, and she'd have to greet them as their new captain. Her scars and lost limbs would just be seen as honorable battle wounds by his people, but alcohol wouldn't make a good first impression on them.

He was saved from having to immediately address the issue when Chakwas spoke up first. "He can tell you all about it, Commander. I've no mind for logistics and personnel right now. I'll see to my own duties, if you'll permit me." In a quieter tone, she muttered, "That especially goes for double checking my notes on quarian and turian biology."

"You're dismissed, doctor. We'll talk more later." Shepard waved Chakwas away with the glass in her hand, faintly smiling as the older woman gently grabbed her bottle of brandy and returned to the med bay.

Garrus took a seat next to Shepard as she did, eyeing the drink she held. "You two have a pleasant time catching up?"

"Sort of. Reminisced on some good times, and shared some ugly stuff from the war- hence the need for this." Shepard tilted her glass of brandy back and forth. "It took a few drinks, but I heard about what she saw onboard the Citadel after the Reapers captured the place, what it took to survive. It… it wasn't pretty, Garrus. Feeds straight into what I saw when I got there."

Janna looked like she was reliving those moments with painful clarity, prompting him to reach over and hug her against his side, which she eagerly leaned into. "Will Karin be ok?" he gently asked, looking to shake her out of her dark memories.

"That's what I needed to ascertain before we head out. I honestly think she will be, given time." Shepard snuggled more tightly against him and sighed. "Still, seems like no one got out of the war unscathed, soldiers or otherwise."

"And we're still feeling it even now," Garrus murmured. "Poor Tali…"

He felt Shepard shift against him. "'Poor Tali?' Did something else happen that I'm not aware of?"

"Oh, hell. Did she not come find you when she got back?"

"She stopped by this deck, saw Chakwas and I talking, and bailed after saying a quick hello." Janna leaned away to look up and meet his eyes. "Garrus, what happened?"

Garrus took a deep breath before launching into a recounting of his time aboard the quarian liveship, speaking quietly in case Liara or Zaeed were in their respective quarters. He left out many of the finer details of his talk with Dardatus, the logistical agreements struck, and his private concerns about it all, saving those for later to instead focus on his talks with Tali and Shala'Raan. Shepard listened with rapt attention as he told her everything the quarians had discussed with him, her face kept carefully neutral all the while. She didn't even react when he mentioned Raan's revelation about Tali's potential feelings for one or both of them. Embarrassing as it was, Janna needed to know all that was troubling Tali so they could help their quarian crewmate.

When he had finished, Janna closed her eyes and took a long breath. "Damn it all. We'll be worse off without Raan, she's been a good leader for her people. Tali will be way worse off without her."

"She still has us. We'll get her through this."

"Yeah, well, we're gonna have to be careful about how we get her through this. She's in a delicate place now, and you and I might complicate things for her if we're the only people she can turn to aside from Liara."

Something about her tone of voice piqued Garrus' curiosity, although it took a moment for him to parse out exactly what it was. "You don't sound all that surprised about her possibly being sweet on us."

Shepard shot a confused glance his way, though her expression quickly turned to amusement as she snorted out a laugh. "Shit, that's right, I never told you. At our big party on the Citadel, I found her absolutely wasted and talking to herself in one of the bathrooms. Seems she thought she was chatting with various crew members, and her final conversation involved an apparent proposition from you that she join us for a three-way."

Garrus coughed as he made a valiant effort to not picture that scenario in his mind. "Well, that's uh… that's rather imaginative of her."

Janna smirked and leaned over to rest against his shoulder. "That it is. Not the sort of thing you'd expect to hear from the shy girl we rescued from hired guns in a back alley on the Citadel once."

"Why didn't you tell me about it before?"

"No point. Not when we had so little time left." With a sigh, Shepard added, "I just wanted to think about you until the end."

His sub-vocals softly trilled in tune with the affection in her voice, even if she could not hear it. "Well, even if it wasn't the end after all, feel free to still think about me all the time."

That earned a laugh from Janna as she turned and leaned up to plant a kiss on his mandible. He relished the sensation of her lips on him and leaned down afterward for a turian kiss as well, their foreheads softly brushing against one another. They sat together in silence as responsibilities and concerns fell away for a few moments, simply basking in each other's presence.

Those responsibilities couldn't be put off forever, unfortunately, and soon enough Garrus forced himself to lean away from his lover a bit to look her in the eye. "So, what do you want to do about Tali?"

"Nothing, at least for now," Shepard replied to his mild surprise. "We let her grieve in private and open back up at her own pace. If she wants to broach an awkward subject, we both discuss it with her, full transparency for all. Everything Raan said to you stays under wraps unless Tali demands to know, which I doubt she will for some time, if ever."

"...I wager you're right about that." Garrus sighed and muttered, "How is it that things are starting to feel more complicated than when we had the Reapers and Cerberus to deal with?"

"They were the enemy. Everyone else was an ally, whether they knew so at first or not. Galaxy-wide genocide has a way of keeping things pretty straightforward, including personal matters."

"It certainly does." Garrus nuzzled the shorn hair on top of her head and muttered, "Let's go get you tidied up. The new crew will be boarding soon, and they'll want to meet their captain."

"...Yeah, I know." Shepard drained the last small sip of brandy in her glass and delicately left it on the table for Chakwas to retrieve later. Pushing against the table to back her chair up, she wordlessly nodded for him to wheel her away, sitting up a little to keep her leg from dragging on the floor. "Could use a scrub and a fresh uniform, if you don't mind helping me out with those."

"Of course. If you want me to delay them a bit as well so you can… you know…"

"Sober up?" Shepard chuckled and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small packet that Garrus recognized- a pouch of fluids that could be mixed into a drink to rehydrate humans and alleviate symptoms of intoxication. Janna had used several during a few of the crazier nights of their shore leave, and he knew from back then that they were fast-acting. "Karin knows me well and came prepared. Already feeling better about this voyage with her on board."

He chuckled and took her up to her quarters, where they set about getting ready to meet their new crew. Garrus tenderly scrubbed Janna down in the shower, taking care around her amputated limbs after the two of them had found that washing the stumps with too much pressure triggered mild phantom pain. Shepard imbibed the hydration packet afterward and sat down to let it take effect as Garrus laid out her formal blue-and-gold captain's uniform, making sure the empty sleeve and pant leg were neatly folded and pinned in place. As for himself, Garrus cleaned up his armor to wear again rather than donning a formal uniform.

It was a time for appearances, and he knew what his people would expect to see from Shepard and him, given their reputations.

Within the hour, Shepard was freshened up and looked every inch the commanding and authoritative captain she'd always been, albeit far more battle-scarred than before. Any sign that she'd been tipsy before was long gone, and that stern expression she wore whenever it was time to act her rank was back. Once Joker sent a message that the next shuttle from the Chayym was approaching, the two of them headed back down to the CIC to find Liara and Traynor waiting next to the galactic map- the rest of the crew currently onboard were clearly either hard at work or not in the mood to greet newcomers, and Janna didn't seem inclined to force them to attend this first meeting. Not when there'd be plenty of time to get to know their new crewmates later.

The four of them chatted about the accommodations made for their inbound newcomers until a shuttle finally docked at the Normandy's fore airlock, digorging yet another work team, this one consisting of half a dozen laborers carrying heavy loads of disinfection and sterilization equipment. Their purpose was obvious, and Shepard directed Traynor to take them down to the crew deck where they could turn the cargo room previously occupied by Zaeed and Allers into a sterile space for quarians when outside of their suits.

Behind them came the new crew carrying their personal effects, and Garrus studied them carefully as each one stepped through the airlock and down the bridge hallway to assemble in front of the galactic map. Caisso Quennin was at the fore of them all, standing at rapt attention as the others filed in. Suited up in polished red-and-yellow armor with his lieutenant insignia prominently displayed, Quennin looked like a model turian soldier. With a dark gray hide that made the bone-white plates of his carapace stand out, his red facial paint was carefully applied in three horizontal stripes that ran across his brows, cheeks, and mandibles, vertical lines curling upwards to connect each of them at the ends.

The rest of the volunteers were a balanced mix of turians and quarians, four of the former and five of the latter. With Terron Adalinus already onboard, that made for an equal split between both, at least numbers-wise. However, if Garrus was gauging the ages of both groups correctly based on what he knew of quarian physiology and envirosuit styling, then they'd wound up with a bunch of mature turians and rather young quarians, Adalinus being the outlier. That impression was only reinforced when the last quarian entered the CIC and Garrus realized that he'd seen him before; Juma'Honar, the quarian that had served as his guide aboard the Chayym, stood fidgeting at the back of the group as he clearly fought to not stare at Janna.

As the rest of the new crew formed up in the CIC, Quennin saluted Shepard and spoke up. "Greetings, Commander Shepard. I am Lieutenant Caisso Quennin, chosen by Captain Dardatus and Admiral Han'Gerrel to speak for all of us. Per agreements struck with Advisor Vakarian, we have come to volunteer as stand-in crew for the Normandy until such time as you deem our service to be no longer necessary."

Shepard returned the salute, sharp and crisp, before replying, "Thank you, lieutenant. I apologize for being unable to stand to receive you all, but as you can see, my wartime injuries have left me… inconvenienced."

To his credit, Quennin's eyes didn't even flicker towards the stumps of her lost limbs. "No apology necessary, Commander, this is your ship. From what I've been led to believe, protocol is less heavily enforced here than it is on some other vessels anyway."

Garrus forced down a chuckle at that, knowing the lieutenant wasn't necessarily wrong, and he suspected Shepard was similarly amused even as she leaned forward in her wheelchair, hard eyes sweeping over the assembled newcomers. "Let's address that first, then. Whatever you've heard about conduct aboard the Normandy, I still expect professionalism when it's required and for my crew to perform tasks diligently and follow orders when they're given. We have a policy of open honesty onboard; if there's a problem, you bring it straight to me, and if I'm unavailable, you take it to Advisor Vakarian, Dr. T'Soni, or Admiral Zorah. Each of them speak with my authority, and when you're working on the bridge, Flight Lieutenant Moreau does as well. Those among you who will be doing so, step forward and introduce yourselves. The rest, please follow suit afterwards."

One by one they did so, and Garrus did his best to memorize all the names, face paints, and envirosuits. As it turned out, only two of the turians would be on the bridge, Teritas Bellus and Primos Indalius. The only female among their number, Aediana Sricean, was decked out in armor colored similar to Quennin's, a private's insignia emblazoned upon it- she was obviously one of the marines sent to aid in security. The quarians provided the bulk of the new bridge crew; a brother-sister pair named Fal' and Fen'Yemas nar Shunil, a woman called Maahi'Milan nar Ceko, and Vann'Naallo vas Joleya, a male who was apparently the only one amongst the quarian newcomers to have completed his Pilgrimage. Rounding out the trio of new soldiers, Juma'Honar was the last to introduce himself, visibly nervous but still stating his name and rank loudly and clearly.

As the introductions ended, Shepard nodded at the whole group and spoke once more. "Thank you. For the new bridge crew, I ask that you all speak with Lieutenant Moreau after this. The last few months have marked the first time since this ship's inception that it has flown without AI support, and you will all need to be on the same page as him to manage the task." She gestured down the bridge hallway to the cockpit, where Joker waved back at them all. "Beyond that, I advise you all to tour the ship, familiarize yourselves with it and the crew, and get settled into quarters while the work teams all finish their tasks. We plan on departing tomorrow on a course for Palaven; our next destination will be determined afterward. Any questions or concerns?"

The quarian named Fal'Yemas raised a hand, prompting Janna to nod at him. "It's true that you had an AI of your own onboard here? I wasn't sure if that was just a story."

Garrus glanced sideways at Janna and saw Liara doing the same; he suspected that she shared his concerns over how their captain might respond. Shepard didn't reply immediately, gazing at the quarian for a moment before softly replying, "She was not 'our' AI. She was her own person, her name was EDI, and she died to ensure that the Reapers would be destroyed. Just like the geth did."

There was the barest hint of a challenge in Shepard's tone at the end, and Garrus watched Fal'Yemas and the rest of the quarians to see if they reacted negatively, but none appeared to. Indeed, Fal simply nodded after a second and said, "Just so. I thank you for satisfying my curiosity, commander. It will be fascinating to learn the truth behind the many tales that are told about this vessel."

Well, there's certainly no lack of those, Garrus internally acknowledged, faintly amused as he recalled the imaginative stories he'd overheard during their downtime before and during the war.

Shepard was likely thinking the same as she gave Fal a small grin and stated, "You've got plenty of time to hear the truth from us firsthand, sailor. Welcome aboard, all of you."

A murmur of appreciation swept through the newcomers, and the bridge crew then headed back down the cockpit hall to speak with Joker as Shepard had requested. Quennin watched them go for a moment before glancing at Aediana and Juma and ordering, "Private, sergeant, see to our new quarters and take note of how we can use the space most efficiently." He then turned to Janna and queried, "Commander Shepard, may I speak to you and Advisor Vakarian in private for a moment?"

Shepard briefly regarded him with curiosity before nodding. "Sure thing. Garrus, let's move to the conference room." As she spoke, Aediana and Juma picked up their belongings and walked over to the elevator. Janna glanced at Liara as the marines passed by them and murmured, "Head down with those two and help them out with anything they need. Get to know them better, if you would."

The last words were accompanied by a rather pointed look, brief enough that it was easy to miss, but Liara clearly caught it as her own expression went carefully blank. "Of course, commander." The asari turned to join the two marines as they headed to the crew deck, and Garrus had a distinct feeling that before they left for Palaven, whatever Shadow Broker contacts remained on the Migrant Fleet would deliver every available scrap of info about all their new crew into Liara's hands.

Setting that matter aside for later, Garrus grabbed Shepard's chair and wheeled her out of the CIC and through the empty security antechamber into the adjacent conference room. Quennin was right behind them, letting the door slide shut as the noise of the CIC faded away and the turian lieutenant walked to the other side of the large table that filled most of the room. He stood at attention as Shepard leaned forward, arm resting on the table's surface. "Alright, lieutenant, let's hear it. What else do you have to share?"

Quennin's sub-vocals were buzzing with mild anxiety as he met Shepard's gaze evenly. "Captain Dardatus has tasked me with sending reports back to him once the restoration of galactic communications permits it. When we learned that the ship's first destination is Palaven, he thought it best for me to hold off on discussing this until we arrived there, so that Primarch Victus might be the first to address the matter. I successfully argued to bring it to your attention immediately upon boarding instead."

It took effort to mask his surprise; Garrus hadn't expected Caisso to address the issue he'd been worrying about earlier so directly. Beside him, Janna's fingers drummed against wood in a quick pattern as she commented, "I see. And may I ask why you wanted to bring this up yourself instead of leaving it to your Primarch?"

"My personal belief is that it would be highly disrespectful to spend even a minute voyaging under your command while withholding knowledge of these intentions. Your words about open honesty among the crew were appreciated, commander; the sentiment is in line with my ideals. I would much prefer to obtain your approval for the process ahead of time."

There was a hint of indignation beneath his words now, which was at odds with the hefty respect the lieutenant had shown for his captain during their talks on the Chayym. Why would he still be upset about this now, when he's already convinced his captain to let him air this all out immediately? Garrus pondered. Even if he was indignant about receiving these orders in the first place, he'd likely have been placated by that appeasement… unless Dardatus was only passing the orders along, not issuing them.

A familiar calm swept over Garrus, the kind he'd felt back in C-Sec when stumbling across a breakthrough in a case. He stepped forward, one hand on the back of Shepard's chair, and queried, "What exactly were you asked to report, lieutenant?"

Quennin's eyes turned to him. "If this ship gets involved in anything that would have diplomatic consequences, or discovers any information that would be crucial for the Hierarchy to know, I am to send thorough summaries of it all back to the Titan for the captain's eyes only. I was not asked to detail anything regarding the crew or their private affairs; departures or losses during the voyage are to be reported, however." The lieutenant's mandibles twitched as he hesitated for a moment before continuing. "While Captain Dardatus would certainly contact you directly about pressing matters once communications are restored, my task is to provide the complete picture of any and all important events, in case what the Hierarchy hears from other sources omits some details."

Shepard murmured, "You mean us. Your captain thinks we'd lie to our allies."

"Not Dardatus," Garrus corrected her. Janna turned to look up at him as he continued, "This has Victus written all over it. He knows that you and this crew are a relatively independent bunch, and he also knows that we might not act predictably if you were dead, or if anything else had changed significantly since the war's end."

He locked eyes with Quennin then. "These have been standing orders for months, haven't they? If the Normandy ever returned and headed to Sol first before taking off around the galaxy, Dardatus was meant to get someone competent and trustworthy aboard one way or another, to keep track of whatever this ship got up to that might affect Palaven or the wider galactic community."

Caisso nodded slowly. "That is correct. Your decision to request crew from the Migrant Fleet simplified the matter immensely. We would have had to resort to more elaborate measures otherwise."

And like that, the pieces had come together. Victus had planned this as a contingency, knowing that the Normandy could still greatly influence galactic affairs and preparing for its possible return. He wanted to be well-informed, to possess an edge over other species, and maybe even influence the crew's future plans. Even after bailing on the Alliance, Janna still seemed set to get dogged by the galaxy's leaders when she should have been getting away from it all.

A hard pit of frustration and fury was building in Garrus' stomach, and Caisso gave him a wary look. "I understand this is not an ideal situation, Advisor. My concerns that there might be misunderstandings or tensions over my assignment were another factor in bringing this matter forward immediately. It is my hope that we can find an agreeable resolution." He blinked and added, "Ideally, not one that involves my dismissal before we've even departed. That would be difficult to explain to Captain Dardatus… and to the Primarch."

Garrus felt Shepard's hand on his arm and saw that she was staring at him with a look of mild concern. A moment later, he realized that he was gripping her chair tightly with one hand and nearly scraping the table with the talons of his other. With a long breath, he reigned in his warring emotions, shutting away the anger like he'd trained to do when it was time to put his eye to a scope and his finger on a trigger. "Your intentions are noted, lieutenant, so don't worry about me suggesting that you get booted off the ship. I'm not petty like that, and I don't foresee any issues between us besides." He tilted his head in Janna's direction. "Do you have concerns of your own, commander?"

"I did at first, but they just might have been assuaged," Shepard stated. A great deal of tension visibly fell away from Quennin as he heard that, and she offered him a wry grin as she continued, "You strike me as a good soldier, Caisso. Balancing orders and conscience is a fine line that not many can walk. Your superiors are entrusting you with keeping them in the loop, and I don't expect you to betray that trust. If the time comes for you to reach out to them, I suggest that you and I sit down and hash those reports out together to make sure they're as comprehensive as possible. We've got nothing to hide from our allies."

Quennin's mandibles twitched upwards in a smile of his own, sub-vocals humming with approval. "That is a sound proposal, commander. I must admit, I was worried about my task being seen as an intrusion or even a threat. Your understanding is greatly appreciated."

"Lieutenant, you've come to help us out in our time of need; the least I can do is show some understanding. Besides, we'll have to be in sync for this voyage; I'm counting on you for help in getting everyone integrated here. If there's any kind of discord brewing, or you think people are keeping issues to themselves to avoid troubling me, you keep me apprised so we can sort it out. This will likely be a long and atypical voyage, and we'll have to adapt and manage the ship and crew accordingly."

"I believe I can manage that, commander. Thank you."

"My pleasure. Check in with your subordinates and make sure everyone gets settled in, lieutenant. Let me know when we need to talk again."

Quennin gave a sharp salute and departed, heading back out of the conference room to the CIC. Garrus watched him go, pondering what they'd heard. The conversation had been quick but informative; there hadn't been a hint of deception in the other turian's tone or mannerisms, thus Garrus felt certain that they'd heard the whole of the truth that Caisso was privy to. If there was more to the matter, they'd get the rest out of Victus when they finally met with him.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by Shepard's elbow hitting his side. "Hey," she said, "look at me, big guy." When he did so, she continued, "I get the frustration, but let's keep it between us and Victus. I need your help to make sure the new folk feel welcome here; we don't need tensions on the ship."

"I know. Sorry for getting a little emotional there. It's just… you already took some significant measures to get your own people off your back, and now mine are encroaching instead. It's shameful."

"Debatable. Quennin only claimed that he'll need to report back to the Hierarchy about matters of importance. He didn't actually mention serving as their voice and influence aboard this ship, and until he starts trying to do so, I've personally got no issues with him."

"I doubt that serving as eyes and ears is all that Victus has planned for Quennin. Even if it is, it was still an overstep for him to assume that arranging this was his right."

"I agree, and we're going to confront him about it when we get to Palaven," Shepard assured him. "That said, we've still got preparations to handle before we can actually head there. For starters, let's go make sure that the work crews don't scratch the paint on my ship." She said the last part with a joking grin, and her good humor lifted Garrus' spirits as he took hold of her wheelchair to wheel her back out to the CIC.

She was right, after all. There was still plenty more work to be done before they could depart, and Garrus truly was eager to finally head home.

---

The next standard day was a whirlwind as the quarians repaid their debt to the Normandy and its crew by pulling off one of the most impressive rush jobs Garrus had ever seen. The dry dock crews labored feverishly around the clock, both within the ship and on the hull outside using void suits, patching up all the damage that remained from the Reaper War and implementing the custom additions that had been requested. One of the more important of these was the first to be addressed, and so Shepard spent a portion of the day in her cabin as she tested out the small handrails that had been grafted all over the walls. The quarians were no strangers to making ships accessible for the disabled, and it showed.

For only the second time since she'd awoken from her coma, Janna was moving around under her own power, and with much greater success than her attempt after her return to the Normandy. It was still a difficult process that saw her nearly fall down twice, and Garrus had to stop himself from intervening as she balanced on her leg and pulled herself around the room, one hopping step at a time. Even so, the supports had been expertly placed, and Shepard was never out of arm's reach of at least one handhold. When she finally traversed every square foot of the cabin by herself without falling or needing assistance, the look on her face had Garrus' heart aching. Whatever triumph she might have been feeling was visibly sidelined by her frustration over the process being necessary in the first place.

It likely didn't help that it was only her private quarters getting modified like this, which meant she would still have to be wheeled around the rest of the ship.

As for the rest of the ship, the work was mainly focused on repairs, with cratered and burned plating being replaced and internal damage being investigated and meticulously pieced back together. Joker was left in charge of much of that work; the man had a feel for the ship unlike anyone else, and even with EDI gone he could still identify issues with the vessel and direct the work crews to address them. While the repair work continued, the remaining modifications were implemented one by one, the most elaborate of which was the overhaul of the starboard cargo room into a sterile space for quarian use. Even with an entire work crew dedicated to that one task, they still only managed to finish their work by the middle of the next day, at which time most other tasks had already been completed.

So much time being sunk into the project proved to be more than worthwhile, however. A sterilizing airlock had been built into the doorway of the room and extended out a few feet into the hallway, while the walls and floors inside had been so thoroughly sanitized again and again that it was doubtful even a single bacterial cell survived within. A section of the room had actually been remodeled, a protruding wall removed to allow for more space within as it had been fairly cramped inside before. The new quarian crew all seemed particularly pleased with that last change, an understandable priority of theirs considering the sometimes cramped conditions they dealt with on the Migrant Fleet.

Tali, who turned out to have been keeping to herself in engineering, eventually emerged to assess the work and to greet the newcomers. Garrus kept a close eye on her at first, but she displayed nothing but professionalism and a welcoming attitude for her people. She obviously had to still be hurting, but the grief never slipped out. Tali just seemed determined to fulfill her duties as an admiral of her species and as a member of the Normandy's crew. She took the time to individually speak to each of the young quarians that had joined them, and they all looked to be in high spirits and even more eager for the voyage afterward. Not for the first time, Garrus found himself marveling at the strength and resilience of his dear friend.

As for his fellow turians, there was much less personal attention required on their part. Each was polite and highly professional, immediately going about the process of learning about their tasks, their quarters, and anything else they needed to know for the voyage. Even Terron Adalinus, the youngest of them all, had quickly become serious about his duty after his initial friendly meeting with Cortez. His previous experience certainly seemed to be applicable; by the time the Normandy was almost ready to depart, Adalinus had already completed a quick test flight with the Kodiak under Steve's supervision.

All in all, there was a sense of optimism in the air by the time the last of the repairs were wrapped up and the work crews of the Migrant Fleet started returning to their ships. The Normandy was in significantly better shape, its battle scars cleaned up and the few unfinished sections of the interior finally addressed and filled out, their completion having been interrupted by the war's outbreak. Morale seemed high amongst most of the crew as they neared their planned departure, and the ship already felt somewhat lively again with more than twenty people aboard. Supplies from the Chayym were being brought onboard and stored away, the last task to be handled before they headed out, and the sheer amount was staggering. The quarian people were determined to show their appreciation for all that Shepard and her crew had done for them, and they heaped everything that could possibly be needed upon the Normandy. Between what they received from the Fleet and the restock that Miranda Lawson had arranged back on the Citadel, there was enough food, medical supplies, and other necessities for nearly a year.

Hopefully they wouldn't be flying a nomad's trail around the galaxy for so long, but a kernel of doubt remained in Garrus' mind. He agreed with Shepard's decision to distance herself from the Alliance in the short term, but how her standing with them would be managed in the long run was still a dicey matter.

When the time came for them to finally take their leave, there was no flashy farewell or show of pomp from the Migrant Fleet, which was perhaps for the best. The Normandy simply received a joint statement from Admiral Han'Gerrel and Captain Dardatus, wishing them well on their voyage and reaffirming the gratitude of the turian and quarian peoples for the crew's endeavors. It was all very simple and polite, more for appearances than anything else, but it was the formal farewell they'd waited for before getting underway. The crew was still unpacking the supplies they'd received as Joker disengaged the ship from the Chayym's dry dock and the thrusters began pushing them away from the Migrant Fleet. It would be a short FTL flight to the Charon Relay at Pluto and then only two relay jumps from there to the Apien Crest, but the journey would still take at least another day.

With little else to do in the meantime besides getting all the supplies squared away in a timely manner, Garrus found himself unpacking a crate of food in the kitchen and sorting it out alongside Maahi'Milan and Bellus. The two of them were as eager as the rest of the newcomers for glimpses into the truth behind the Normandy's legends, and Maahi had brought up the topic of the geth dreadnought boarding that Shepard had pulled off back at Rannoch. Garrus hadn't been with her for that one- Tali and EDI had accompanied their commander for the mission, as they'd both been more suited for it- but he still shared what Janna had told him about the dangerous fight and the escape through the Migrant Fleet's barrage.

Remembering that last part still made Garrus' temper rise, even long after the fact. He might have done something undiplomatic back then had Janna not personally taught the quarian admiral a very painful lesson about endangering her crew.

Just as he was wrapping up the tale, Shepard's voice called out from the open starboard observation room- she'd apparently overheard him talking. "Vakarian, get in here! Got something for you."

Wondering what she was even doing in there- he'd expected Janna to still be overseeing supply distribution in the hangar- Garrus gave Maahi and Teritas a quick nod and headed into the starboard room. Inside, he found Shepard and Tali on one of the couches, with Janna sitting on the end next to her wheelchair for ease of access. While Tali was staring through the viewport, watching as the much-reduced Migrant Fleet began to recede into distant space, Janna was looking up at him as he entered, a small smile on her face as she gestured at the empty space next to her, a bottle of wine in her hand. "Take a seat, Garrus. We have a toast to make."

He did as she ordered, sitting between her and Tali even as his eyes were drawn to Shepard's wrist and the implement present there. "Finally got yourself reequipped, I see," he observed, nodding at her new omni-tool.

"Migrant Fleet had some spares available. I didn't need anything too fancy, so it was easy pickings, although I do miss some of the features on the nicer models..."

She trailed off as footsteps sounded behind them all, and Garrus turned to see Liara and Dr. Chakwas enter the room, the asari closing the door behind them. "You wanted to see us, commander?" Karin asked politely.

"I did. Tali had an idea for the five of us. Wish it could be six here, but Joker's…" Janna hesitated for a split second before continuing, "Well, he's where he needs to be. Where he's meant to be."

If Garrus hadn't personally witnessed the rift between Janna and Joker, he wouldn't have caught the hint of pain in his lover's face. As it was, no one else seemed to notice; Karin simply nodded and moved to sit on the couch opposite from theirs, commenting, "He flies us ever onward, commander. Better that we not drag him away from his work."

"Agreed," Liara chimed in, surveying the gathering as she did so. "I can't help but notice a common factor among those present. A shared drink with the veterans of the SR-1 that remain aboard, I take it?"

Tali nodded slowly. "I thought it would be fitting," she stated, reaching over to grab a bottle of turian brandy and two drinking glasses off the nearby shelf. "Here we are, off on another voyage into uncertainty, if not outright danger this time. Once again, I leave my people and home behind to travel the galaxy in the greatest company I've ever known."

She glanced out the viewport again, where the Migrant Fleet had now all but vanished from visual range and Mars was now a rapidly shrinking red orb surrounded by the dark of space. Garrus saw her shoulders sag, but Tali remained in control of herself; she took a long breath and continued in a softer tone, "I've lost so much, as has everyone else, and it hurts a great deal; it will for a long time, I think. But I don't want to just dwell on all that's been lost; I want to remind myself of what I still have. What I've always had since the beginning of these wild few years." She looked around at all of them, and the smile on her face was clearly audible, if not visible. "And that is all of you. I wanted to start this voyage off by remembering that you've all been there for me from the beginning, from the moment we all set out on the first Normandy to stop Saren." She poured the brandy and held one of the glasses out to Garrus. "You all should know that it means everything to me."

Shepard smiled and murmured, "Here, here. Liara, could you pour us a round, please?"

The asari nodded and headed to the bar, fetching more glasses before taking the wine that Shepard held to fill them up. Once all five of them had a drink and Liara went to stand next to Tali, Shepard leaned forward and looked around, raising her wine in her remaining hand. "It's a miracle that I'm here to fly with you all again, and I don't plan on wasting this newest lease on life. This toast is to us. Our crew, our friends…" She met Garrus' eyes, and the love in her own was soul-soothing as little else could be. "Our everything."

"To us," Tali affirmed, raising her own glass- amusingly, she'd already put a straw in so she could drink through her helmet. "This wacky family of ours from every corner of the galaxy."

"To us. May our bonds endure as long as the stars do," Liara echoed merrily.

Chakwas looked over them all with a glowing smile on her face. "It can't be expressed how much it warmed my heart to be back aboard this ship. It was my wish to look after you all for as long as I can manage, and now I may." She swirled her glass in her hand and finished, "To us."

Garrus reluctantly broke eye contact with Janna and glanced around at the rest of them, at the dearest friends he'd ever known. "To us. May our future ventures be as carefree and enjoyable as our prior ones have been thrilling and badass."

Shepard laughed at that before downing her drink, with everyone else following suit. A round of satisfied sighs went through the room as they all enjoyed the heady brews- turian brandy was still one of Garrus' prime choices when there was no horosk to be found, an unfortunately common scenario.

Chakwas rubbed at her throat for a moment, nodding in approval at the empty glass she held as Liara glanced over at her. "An excellent blend. Where'd we get this from?"

"There was a smaller crate marked with my name among the supplies that Lawson got for us," Shepard explained. "Had a few goodies in it, some of these bottles among them. Figured I could use one for a special get-together after Miranda went to the trouble of obtaining a bunch of them."

"Actually, the wine was my idea," the empty air next to Karin stated. "You should know that I keep the few promises I deign to give, Shep."

Karin jumped and clutched at her chest, Tali choked on the mouthful of booze she'd just sipped through her straw, Shepard swore loudly and Garrus's hand went for a gun that wasn't present. Liara's eyes merely widened, and as the voice that had spoken registered in Garrus' memory and he allowed his hand to relax, he realized that the asari hadn't been looking at Chakwas, but rather past her. She had evidently glimpsed the faint shimmer of air as it started to turn opaque, a human form materializing on the other couch.

It remained no small annoyance that no matter how many stealth defeat upgrades he applied to his visor, Garrus still couldn't see through whatever custom cloaking method Kasumi Goto utilized.

The thief was lounging casually, stretched out across the couch in her dark bodysuit and looking as carefree as always. The ever-present hood masked much of her face in shadow, but that familiar purple stripe of makeup was still visible on her lips as they stretched into a cocky smirk. Kasumi sat up a little straighter and commented, "Lovely toast, by the way. Glad to see my present being put to good use."

"Kasumi, when the fuck did you sneak onto my ship?" Shepard snapped. "Is it really too much trouble to just tell me to my face that you want to come aboard?"

"Oh, I jumped on just before you guys left the Citadel. Can't our little clique drop in and say hello whenever we have the chance?" Kasumi asked with a mock pout. "Besides, I know you missed me, Shep. It's just too much fun whenever we're stirring up trouble together."

Shepard just set her glass aside and leaned back against the couch, closing her eyes for a moment to collect herself as Chakwas turned to admonish Kasumi. "You gave me quite a fright there, Ms. Goto," the elderly doctor said. "Have a bit of concern for an older lady's heart, would you?"

"Sorry, doc. Force of habit. I promise not to spook folks again, the fun wears off fast once people are expecting you." Kasumi turned to Garrus then and gave him a wicked grin. "Still, it does help to have someone around that I can test my equipment against. Gotta make sure my tricks don't get outdated."

Garrus didn't rise to the bait, only grumbling, "Good to see you too, Goto." In truth, he had no strong feelings one way or another about the thief; at the end of the day, she'd proven her value against the Collectors and displayed a strong if subtle loyalty to Shepard. That hardly meant that a former C-Sec officer like him approved of her antics, and he knew that Tali did even less. The quarian was staring at the thief in their midst, looking fidgety but not raising a complaint. She knew as well as he did that Janna was somewhat fond of Kasumi and that raising a fuss about her being onboard would be pointless.

Liara stepped forward and tilted her head as she gazed at Goto. "Did you avoid contacting me and slip aboard in secret for a specific reason, Kasumi? I know you could've reached out once we arrived at the Citadel."

"Personally I just wanted to say hi to everyone in person and congratulate Janna on, you know, not dying," the thief quipped. "Plus, I was bored. Nothing else to do on the Citadel after three months of free reign, figured I'd tag along and see what you guys get up to. Business-wise, I had to tell the Shadow Broker that she missed a spot. Think you'll agree that it was safer to tell you in person than to transmit a message."

That got everyone else in the room focusing up, eyes turning to Liara as she frowned. "What did you find?"

Kasumi reached into her pocket and flicked a small object through the air towards Liara, who seized it with her biotics. Garrus peered closely and saw that it was a small data chip, barely the size of one of his talons. As Liara reeled it in and touched the chip to her omni-tool, Shepard spoke up once more. "You know, the whole point of this voyage is to avoid trouble. Have you squandered our efforts towards that end, Goto?"

"Nah, we're in the clear. I covered my tracks well." The thief leaned forward and gave Janna a pointed look. "All the same, you do usually like to get yourself involved with whatever mess is brewing. I knew Liara hadn't caught on when you decided to leave the Citadel so quickly. If she had, you'd still be there, getting up in someone's face and giving them a piece of your mind."

Shepard stared at her for a long moment, wheels visibly turning in her head. Liara's eyes had widened as she scanned her omni-tool in the meantime, and now there was grave concern in her expression as she looked back up at Kasumi. "Terra Firma? You believe they're plotting something instead of it being a Cerberus remnant?"

"If there were leftovers from Cerberus, there'd have already been real trouble. I'm pretty sure you guys really did wipe them out, but that doesn't mean their beliefs just vanished." Kasumi shifted in her seat and shrugged. "I spent some time learning about Terra Firma's private ideas for the future, and also I noticed after all the losses the Alliance took in the war, they've got people pretty high up in what's left of it. No denying that they're in a position to possibly start some trouble on the Citadel and elsewhere. Sorry to spoil the start of your get-away with some bad news, but I knew you guys would want to hear about this."

"Why would you even care what they get up to?" Garrus dryly asked. "Even if they spark upheaval, isn't chaos useful for someone in your line of work?"

"A little chaos is. An absolute shitshow is not, and that's what Terra Firma's ideology is apt to cause. Even for a bunch of career politicians and military folk, they seem really short-sighted."

Shepard seemed to contemplate that for a moment before finally asking Liara, "Is there anything urgent we need to worry about? Any signs that they have a legitimate course of action prepared?"

"None, it's all just conceptual for now," the asari replied, although she didn't sound entirely certain. "The group never supported the Illusive Man's actions, but they were not necessarily opposed to his motives. Kasumi's findings indicate that there was a shift in Terra Firma's rhetoric after the war's conclusion. It appears that with the galaxy still in a state of post-war uncertainty and scarcity, some of them see possible opportunities to further establish humanity's prominence and self-reliance without resorting to open warfare as Cerberus did. They haven't acted yet, however, and there's nothing here indicating that they plan to soon."

"Alright, well, if they don't have anything solid in the works then I'm not making them our problem. We don't get involved and we stay quiet on the matter while traveling the galaxy."

Everyone looked at her in surprise then, which only made Janna scowl. Liara tentatively asked, "Shepard, are you certain you don't want to forewarn anyone at all?"

"Look, Terra Firma never had the balls to do anything crazy before, and there's a good chance that they stick to words and protests even now. I won't put urgent suspicions in people's heads without an ironclad cause, not when we need everyone working together right now," Shepard stated. "We stay the course. Liara, once communications are back up across the galaxy, check in with your contacts on Earth and the Citadel. If any idiots do plan on trying something rash, they'll likely have to wait until that point to coordinate their efforts anyway."

"...Very well."

Janna glanced over at Tali and murmured, "The toast was a good idea, Tali. Thanks for suggesting it." With a grunt, she pushed herself off the couch and awkwardly slid over into her wheelchair, slumping into it with a sigh. "Let's get back to work, folks. Make sure everything's settled before we reach Palaven."

With the mood brought down and their commander having dismissed them all, most of the others quickly departed the observation room to return to their own posts, while Kasumi just stretched and got more comfortable in her spot on the couch. Only Liara hung back, the asari looking somewhat ashamed as she muttered, "I'm sorry I didn't catch this myself while we were on the Citadel. I had few insights into that group even before the war, and after so much destruction-"

"Liara, it's fine," Janna cut her off. "Like I said, I don't want us involved in any kind of mess right now. Wouldn't have changed our plans even if you knew about Terra Firma sooner."

Hesitation showed in Liara's expression as she chewed on some words before finally commenting, "Forgive me, Shepard, but this strikes me as unusually passive for you. I'd have thought you'd be rather angered at the knowledge that people are already looking to fill the power vacuum in the galaxy rather than focus on reconstruction."

"Course I'm angry. It pisses me off that people can't get over their self-interest even after the goddamn apocalypse. But even so, there's nothing that we can do." Janna scratched at the scars on her face for a moment, looking ever so tired. "The galaxy is at peace now, or at least it's supposed to be. If we go after anyone solely because of information we're not even supposed to know, we'll be seen as instigators. I won't land us in hot water, not when it accomplishes nothing beyond convincing Terra Firma that we're watching them and opposed to their wishes."

She then turned and eyed Kasumi, who had been listening silently. "And speaking of being in hot water…"

The tone of voice she now used was all too familiar; Goto instantly went still, while Liara wisely decided to vacate the room. Garrus would've as well, as not even Kasumi deserved to have witnesses present whilst being subjected to Shepard's displeasure, but he still needed to push the damn wheelchair around. He took a couple steps back and looked away, doing his best to appear disinterested as Janna fixed Kasumi with a steady gaze.

To her credit, the thief did not wilt under Shepard's attention, but instead met the commander's eyes evenly. "I didn't come aboard just to pull some pranks, Shep. You guys might need my help out there."

"Maybe we will. Maybe you were bored enough to join us for a voyage, and maybe we did need to hear about Terra Firma. There is still a limit to how much bullshit I can tolerate, Kasumi, especially with everything I'm currently dealing with." The stump of Janna's left arm wiggled and Goto's hood shifted almost imperceptibly towards it. "You snuck onto my ship without asking first and interrupted one of the few moments of peace and quiet I've gotten to enjoy with friends in a long time. That would be bad enough if one of those friends hadn't just learned that she's losing the last of her family."

The frown that already showed on Kasumi's half-hidden face deepened further. "Who?" she quietly asked.

"Tali. Her Auntie Raan will die soon. That's part of why she suggested we all share a drink together."

She allowed that to sink in, and Goto eventually looked away, muttering, "Sorry. I didn't know about that."

"No, you didn't, because you didn't bother to just talk to us," Shepard stated, her voice harsh but not quite crossing over into anger. "The aloof, shadowy trickster act was useful back when the Normandy was full of willful strangers that were roped into a fight against the Collectors using money or orders or favors. It won't fly here; everyone currently on this ship is a volunteer who joined because they feel that it's what's best for them. If you're going to be part of it, you need to be more open with everyone so we're on the same page. That's the only way an unorthodox voyage like this is going to work."

Kasumi remained silent, her expression somewhat difficult to read under her hood, her shoulders did slump a little. Shepard sighed and continued, "I hate talking like this with a friend, but I want to make sure we understand each other. Please don't force me to go over it again."

The thief stared out the viewport at the stars wheeling by, looking for a moment as if she might speak, but she eventually just glanced back at Janna and nodded, her mouth shut tight. Even with her face partly concealed, Garrus had enough experience with analyzing human body language to guess that she wasn't angry or offended. Her slouch and lack of tension spoke volumes.

She appeared, he thought, to be feeling legitimately chastised.

After letting the silence linger for a moment longer, Shepard glanced back at him and jerked her head towards the door. Garrus stepped forward to take hold of her wheelchair and start wheeling her out, but Janna glanced at Kasumi again quickly and stated, "One more thing. I know this was your spot before, but this room is now an open area for people to gather or sometimes just get some privacy. You'll have to bunk somewhere else."

Kasumi slowly nodded, asking, "Any specific suggestions?"

"Either grab a corner of the hangar for yourself or just take a bunk in the crew quarters with everyone else. Your call." Janna sat back in her wheelchair and stared ahead once more, very clearly done with the conversation, and Garrus took that as his cue to wheel her out of the observation room. Out of the corner of his eye, Kasumi could be seen watching them leave until the door closed. Once it had, he looked around the crew deck and saw only Liara sitting at the dining table and perusing her omni-tool, while Chakwas was visibly keeping herself busy in the medbay on the other side. The asari gave them both a questioning look, but Janna just shook her head and Liara went back to reading the screen before her as Garrus started marching them over to the elevator.

Still feeling a little awkward after watching Shepard berate Kasumi, as if he'd intruded upon something that wasn't meant for his eyes, Garrus tentatively asked, "Where to? Back to the hangar to finish overseeing everything?"

"No. Everyone else can handle themselves from here. Take me to the cabin, please." Shepard seemed to feel his questioning look on the back of her head and clarified, "I'm tired, Garrus, and I'd like to be fresh and on top of my game when the time comes to speak with Victus. That means getting some actually decent rest, one way or another."

She turned and looked up at him. "Stay up there with me."

The emotion in her eyes, not one of lust but that simple need for him to hold her close as if that was the only way she could sleep anymore, was one that never ceased to make his heart race. It still floored him even after all this time, being wanted by someone else in such a way. "Of course," he murmured. "Want some sleep meds from Chakwas as well?"

"We'll see if I need them later. For now, just take me up so I can try to get some rest without them."

Her hand reached back to lay gently on his, warm and soft as ever. "And after that, we'll go find your family."