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LOG XI
The SSV Normandy SR-2
“Attention Normandy crew: all personnel is to report to the Mess Hall immediately,” came Joker’s voice over the comms. Samantha glanced down the bridge towards the pilot’s pit, the back of Joker’s head giving nothing away. She wasn’t the only one mystified either: there were more than a few with confused looks on their faces. The bridge had become somber after losing EDI, and though Joker had built himself on wit and skill, her loss had drilled a hole straight through the pilot that was noticeable to everyone.
“Wonder what this is all about,” Navigator Max Willcox whispered to Samantha as they headed downstairs. “Hope the Captain’s doing alright.” She gave him a hopeful smile but stayed silent. The hall was already bustling, and Sam caught Kenneth and Gabby taking surreptitious glances at the medbay windows which, to her surprise, was empty save for the curtains that were still shuttered around Admiral Anderson’s bed. Sam had caught a glimpse of the Admiral on his stretcher alongside a near-unrecognizable Shepard when Garrus and the squad brought them back to the Normandy.
Garrus appeared from the elevator, dressed in a crisp black and navy suit that looked like it had been pressed recently. Greetings were called out to the Acting Captain, and he smiled and nodded in reply. There was a new spring in his step, Samantha noticed, and he held his head high, with purpose. Flanking either side of the room were the Commander’s squadmates: Ashley, Javik, Kaidan, Tali’Zorah, Liara, and Glyph. To Samantha’s surprise, they seemed to be as in the dark about this sudden meeting as everyone here was, and suddenly she was afraid that, perhaps, Dr. Chakwas just wasn’t able to save the Commander.
“I’m, uh, not usually one for speeches, which may come to a surprise to some of you,” Garrus started, getting a few chuckles. “But there’s a couple things that you all need to know.”
“First, I wanted to thank you for all your confidence in me as your Acting Captain. It’s been, hard, to say the least. You learn a lot about war and politics when you grow up on Palaven, but it’s nowhere close to what it’s like actually doing it. We um,” he cleared his throat, glancing at his fellow teammates, “we’ve come along way, and it’s thanks to all of you that we’re still standing here.”
“Hear hear!” called Kaidan, good-natured cheers and clapping followed. Garrus’ smile was grateful, and he waited a moment until it died down to continue, folding his hands before him.
“The second is, quite honestly, much better shown than told.”
Perplexed, the crew followed the Captain’s motion towards the back of the Mess Hall, where Commander Shepard stood tall, wearing her pressed Alliance blues and a grin so ecstatic, Samantha thought she could feel the physical tug on her heart.
“Oh my god, it’s the Commander!”
“Shepard’s back!”
“Commander Shepard’s back!”
A tremendous uproar erupted, cheers and tears coming in both equal measures as Shepard went to greet her crew. The scars on her face had become more numerous, and there was a bit of a limp to her gait, but the Commander fiercely hugged each and every crewmember and squadmate, radiating that comforting authority that guided the Normandy and her people. She made her way towards Garrus and kissed him gently, to the whistles of her crew, before standing beside him.
“I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am to be here will all of you right now,” Shepard started, meeting the gaze of each person as the room fell into a respectful silence. “When Joker took us all through the relay to Earth, there was only one option: to win. To fight the Reapers, and win . That… that took every one of us. The whole Milky Way, including us. But all of you? All of you are the reason I’m standing here now. When the Normandy evac’d London, I hoped beyond hope that if this was to be my last mission, it was going to succeed, regardless of the cost. I’m so glad it it wasn’t my last. I’m so glad to come home to all of you.” Shepard gave a watery chuckle, rubbing the back of her hand against her cheek amidst applause and whoops. “Now, I understand Admiral Hackett has promoted Garrus as acting captain while I recover and catch up. I’d like all of you to continue to look to him for the time being. There are so many unknowns we have to face now, and a lot of people are going to be looking to us for help. But as long as we continue to work together, we’ll always get through anything that stands in our way.”
The room grew loud with applause and more cheers, Shepard’s measured words and bare-bones honesty a soothing balm to their raw, and now healing, souls. Samantha, too, felt as if she had grown lighter while listening, following the current of courage that the Commander was so good at creating. Glyph, with a whispered order from Liara, had begun to serve drinks when Garrus raised his hand high.
“I’ve got one more thing I need to announce, and then we can get back to celebrating our fearless leader’s return,” he said, corralling the attention back to the front of the room. Joker had arrived, coming down the stairs with a broad smile on his face and leaning up against the elevator wall. Vala gave him an inquisitive look, but was waved away for later. Garrus cleared his throat, shifting from one foot to the other.
“Three years ago,” he started, “I was lucky enough to be able to leave C-Sec and become the first non-human to join Commander Shepard aboard the Normandy, also making me the first non-human to be a part of an Alliance crew. Me, Tali, Liara,” he nodded to the two women, who were linking arms with one another, “we were there from the very beginning. The things we’ve seen, have done , heh, maybe I’ll write a book about it one day. But we were a part of this crew because Shepard fought for us to be there. It didn’t matter what you looked like, as long as your heart was in the right place. All of us here, right now, we know this. We’ve all had the Commander step up for us. And so, in her hour of need, we returned the favour.”
Garrus took a step away from Vala with a smile as the crew whistled and cheered, before continuing on.
“We were there to bring her back home, as she’s done for us countless times, and today I’m glad to say the Commander has been given the all-clear from Dr. Chakwas to return to her duties. I am, of course, more than happy to turn over leadership to you again, Shepard,” Garrus said with a cheeky bow, making her grin. “You’ve done nothing but lead us with honesty, integrity, compassion, and loyalty that I’ve never seen in a human, or turian, before.” He reached out for Shepard’s hand, which she took with a puzzled look. “In fact, I’ve never met anyone, human or not, that was quite like you. And I think, maybe… maybe it’s finally time I make sure you’re the last.”
Squeezing her hand briefly, Garrus slowly sank to one knee amidst gasps from the crowd, dipping a hand into his pocket to reveal a small, polished sphere. Pushing it open with his thumb, he revealed a gleaming band of platinum with a small sapphire and ruby recessed into is. “Commander Vala Shepard, I have loved you ever since we returned from Virmire. I’ve lost and found you far too many times than is recommended by any doctor, and quite frankly, I don’t want to travel the stars with anyone other than you. Val, will you… marry me?”
Vala laughed, tears falling as he slid the ring onto her finger. “Yes, god yes, Garrus.”
Garrus rose to his feet, following the elation in his chest, and whisked Vala into his arms with joy to wild cheering. She pressed her face into him, crying and laughing and kissing him in equal turns.