#mass effect hell

“Well, I know the Alliance doesn’t execute people... but there were a lot of Batarians at the Alpha Relay. They might make an exception.” The turian looked past her and got lost in his head. He knew how things would be dealt with in a turian military court. A hearing would be held, and evidence presented. If the evidence proved that Shepard had done all she could do to save the most people she could, the case would be dismissed, and she would probably get a medal of valor. But the Alliance military had this desire to save everyone, no matter what. They had trouble accepting the fact that sometimes, there must be a sacrifice made for the greater good of all. There was a fair chance the hearing would not go in her favor, and with the magnitude of lives lost when the Alpha Relay was destroyed, Garrus had no idea what the Alliance would do to her. Shepard shook her head and shrugged. “So? I’ve already died once.” Garrus sat up and his mandibles flared. He knew she was trying to ease the tension they were both feeling. But her glibness infuriated him. “Alyson, this is serious. The Reapers are coming and you’re likely to be court-martialed, or worse, just as they are knocking on our door! You cannot sit there and act like this is not a serious situation. Please, don’t act like you are not important… to the galaxy. And especially to me.” His admonition made her face fall. She buried her head into the crook of her elbow, and at first Garrus thought she was pouting. Until he noticed the slow, metered rise and fall of her shoulder; a tell-tale sign that she was trying to hold something in. Trying not to cry. Feeling guilty for upsetting her, he grasped the offending shoulders, hoisted her into his lap and forced her to look at him. Her eyes were swollen and wet, but her cheeks were not. She’d managed to stave off the waterworks, but she was clearly troubled. He cradled her curled formed against his chest, and they sat in silence until the tranquility was pierced by the blast of the alarm. Before she unraveled herself from him, Alyson placed a meaningful kiss on his scarred cheek. She rose from the bed and walked toward the steps leading up to where she would shower, most likely for the last time as a free woman. “I’ve only ever done what I thought was best for the most people. We’re at war, whether the Alliance or The Council, or anyone else wants to admit it. I have to fight that war.” She turned around and looked at the turian. “I can only hope they know what I did was me trying to save the most people. If they don’t... I don’t know Garrus.” She shook her head and just looked longingly at him. If there was anything he could do, he hoped she knew he would do it. Right now, she just needed him to be by her side. He nodded, resigned as she was that there was nothing more they could have done. “I know...” Six Months Later Garrus was standing on Menae, watching as wave after wave of Reapers descended on the moon, and the planet it orbited. It had been radio silence from both Shepard and the Alliance about her status, and all he could do was pray that Liara’s intel was true. According to the Shadow Broker, Shepard had been in solitary; not court-martialed but stripped of her rank and under house arrest on Earth. Then the Reapers came and all communication from Earth stopped. Garrus sat alone on an outcropping watching the hulking machines stomp their way across the rocky terrain of Palaven’s moon. They had been fighting all day, but there seemed now to be a lull in the onslaught, so he took the opportunity to get his bearings, and take a short breather. His eyes followed the silhouette of one of the behemoths skyward, struck by the sheer magnitude of them. He had been in the military long enough to know that there was no strategy that would help them with the Reapers. They were a brutally destructive force, the likes of which the turian home world had never seen. There were no tactics to make this even survivable, let alone winnable. As he sat stewing in his own thoughts, a flash of light caught his eye. His gaze moved to follow it and he saw it was a falling meteor. He smiled, remembering what Alyson had once said about them.

* * * * * * * * * * “Oh! It’s a shooting star.” She had said.

“What? No that’s just a meteor falling.”

“Yes, thank you. I know it’s a meteor, but back before our species knew about such things, they were called falling stars. If you saw one light up the night sky, you were supposed to make a wish.” Garrus had balked at the fact that the great Commander Shepard would find fascination with primitive myths and legends. But when he looked at her, she had her eyes closed. Then they opened, and her eyes met his, before looking back at the starry sky. He chuckled and jokingly asked her, “So did you just make a wish?”

“Shut up.”

He was taken aback. “You did! You subscribe to that superstitious nonsense?”

She shoved him and shook her head, looking back toward where the meteor had flared. “There’s a lot of bad in the galaxy Garrus. Sometimes it’s nice to believe in something...bigger.” He had not thought of that. He had been a gruff, duty bound turian for so long, he had forgotten what it was like to have an imagination. To look at something not for just what it was, but what it could be. “I guess you’re right Shepard.” He had wondered that night what her wish had been. Later, before they finally hit the Omega 4 Relay on their suicide mission, she told him that she had wished for him to always be by her side, no matter what came next. * * * * * * * * * * So, looking up at the sea of stars, Garrus Vakarian made a wish. “Spirits or stars or anyone who’s listening. I wish that Alyson is safe. I wish that wherever she is, she’s not helpless, hopeless or in danger. Please, just let her be alright.” The turian sighed and continued to peer into the vastness beyond the moon and the Reapers. Twinkling balls of light that looked so beautiful from far away. Nothing like the fireballs they really were. I wonder if she can see the stars right now. As if in answer to his silent question, he heard his comm start to pick up static and voices. The tower had been down for a few hours, he was glad the forward camp was finally making some headway. “General, do you read? The comm tower is now operational.” He knew that voice. It was a female and not turian. “Much appreciated Commander. I’ll contact Palaven Command.” Commander. “I knew it. It’s Shepard.” Garrus grabbed his gear and made a beeline for the forward camp. Now that he had heard her voice, he had to see her. Had to make sure she was real and really there. He listened into the comm chatter waiting to hear her voice again. “Commander Shepard come in” It was Corinthus. He seemed to be holding their position well. Garrus was certain he was grateful for Shepard to show up.

“Copy General, go ahead.”

“I have information from Palaven Command. Please return ASAP.”

“Affirmative. On our way.”

The path to the barricade had never seemed longer. Now that he was looking forward to getting there, it felt like it took an eternity to navigate the crannies and ledges. But finally, he reached the door and the young soldier standing guard saluted and lowered the gate. Garrus did not know if he could ever get used to so many people looking up to him. He strode into the camp and saw that Shepard had not come alone. Liara meandered around poking at a data pad. She looked up and smiled her coy smile before nodding and looking back down at her secrets. A large human male stood near the asari checking over his rifle. Garrus did not recognize him, but he had an amiable, albeit gruff, looking face. He also nodded at the turian as he walked by. Then he saw her, standing with her helmet off talking to the turian General. Her short blonde bob stood out brightly against the darkness of the nighttime and the steely exterior of basically everything on the moon.

“... as long as they can get us the turian resources we need.”