The metallic sounds of Fluttershy’s armored hooves echoed through the hallway of the SSV Everest. She and Garrus had been released from the hospital a couple of days prior after having been in recovery for nearly two months. Fluttershy was once again able to move her wings and fly with them to some degree, but biotics still made her wings feel like they were being ripped from their sockets.
They had almost immediately contacted Shepard after they were out and managed to get passage on the Alliance dreadnought. The human vessel was going to pass close to a relay that connected to the terminus systems where the Normandy could pick them up.
“Are you really okay with getting back to work?” Garrus asked as he led Fluttershy towards the bridge of the massive vessel. The turian had picked up an entirely new set of armor to replace the old one, citing that armor was going to be of more use to him than a pile of credits. Fluttershy nodded nervously as they passed a group of humans.
Calm down Fluttershy. These humans aren’t going to hurt you. Also, if they do try, you’re wearing armor and Garrus is right next to you.
“Yes, the Reapers won’t sit still, so neither can we,” she replied as a large door opened, revealing a busy room. Various crew members sat at their consoles checking their systems and reporting statuses to operators at other consoles and at the center of this all an old man was sitting reading something on a tablet.
“Admiral Hackett,” Garrus said as he stood rigidly and saluted, the old man stood up too and returned the favour.
“Garrus Vakarian, Miss Fluttershy, welcome to the SSV Everest,” Hacket said as he led them to a comm room that lay adjacent to the bridge where they could talk in relative silence. “We’ve arrived at the relay, but the Normandy seems to be running late.”
“Any reason for that?” Fluttershy asked, a slight bit concerned.
“He might be trying to avoid pirates or had to survey something before coming here. He’ll have two hours to get here before we have to continue on with our assignment. But I’m sure he’ll arrive in time. It’s not like the Commander to miss a rendezvous,” Hacket said as the three of them sat down at a table that stood in the center of the room.
“Can I ask you a personal question, Admiral?” Garrus asked, getting a go-ahead from Hackett. “Do you believe Shepard is right about the Reapers?”
The admiral thought for a moment before answering, “I’ll admit that I was sceptical when the Commander made his claims, but with all the small bits of mounting evidence which culminated in the attack on the Citadel, I couldn’t deny there was something to it. No ship the geth could build would have been able to take and give that much punishment.”
“Glad to hear at least one more is on our side. Councilor Anderson, while visiting us in the hospital, told us he’s only barely keeping the other councilors on his side concerning the Reapers,” Garrus said with a bit of a relief.
“I just don’t get it. A Reaper quite literally came kicking down their front door, and they’re still not convinced!” Fluttershy said, making an exasperated motion with her forelegs.
“That’s politics in a nutshell for you. Wait for something to turn into a roaring garbage fire before trying to fix it.” Hackett chuckled but a blinking light on his tablet immediately changed his mood to be much more serious again.
“Admiral Hackett, we’re receiving a distress signal,” an operator reported.
“Who is it, civilian or military?” Hacket asked as he immediately rushed out of the Comm room into the Everest’s CIC, the operator turning away from his console to face the admiral.
“S-sir, it’s the Normandy,” he stuttered as he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Confirm. Did you just say we’re receiving a distress call from the Alliance vessel SSV Normandy?” Hacket asked very carefully.
“Yes sir,” the operator replied while he pushed a few buttons on his console, Joker’s voice booming from the room’s speakers moments after.
“Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is SSV Normandy. We’ve suffered heavy damage from an unknown enemy! Shit… come on baby, hold together!”
“Plot a course directly to the location of that distress beacon!” Hacket immediately ordered, “Flank speed!”
“Admiral, what do you need us to do?” Garrus asked as the CIC burst into full motion, Fluttershy hot on his heels.
“If you want to help, head down to hangar one. There’ll be a recovery team waiting there ready to retrieve any launched escape pods,” the admiral told the two of them. Neither objected to that, and they rushed off towards the transportation hub where they got a ride down to the Hangar.
“Garrus, do you think they...”
“They’ll have made it out of there. Every single one of them is too stubborn to die,” Garrus said while nervously tapping the elevator’s door. The moment that door opened, the couple sprinted out into the hangar bay. Four shuttles had already been prepared, and a small complement of crew stood around them, ready to head out at any point.
“I take it that you are the two the Admiral informed me about?” an officer asked as he came walking up to them. Garrus gave him a quick nod. “Good. I want the two of you here for when we retrieve any occupants of escape pods to see friendly faces.”
“Understood,” Garrus replied as he found somewhere to sit down with Fluttershy. The feeling of static electricity washing over the pair as the large vessel made the jump through the mass relay.
Fluttershy leaned in against the turian who put his arm around the pegasus and gently stroked her mane as the two of them waited, watching the shuttle crews launch after about fifteen minutes.
Time dragged on for another couple of minutes before the first shuttle returned, guiding in the first escape pod through the mass effect field that was keeping the air contained. Crews immediately hauled the pod inside while the shuttle went out again to help guide the other pods.
When the emergency pod opened, the first person to come out was Chief engineer Adams, closely followed by Tali, Wrex, and most of the other Normandy engineers. Tali for one seemed to be crying her eyes out while Wrex looked extremely angry and ready to punch anyone in his way.
“I’ll try to calm down Wrex, you go help Tali,” Garrus said as Wrex stomped off while Tali sank against a crate and curled up in a ball. Fluttershy went over to the crying quarian and sat down next to her, carefully extending her wing and pulling her into a wing-hug.
“F-Fluttershy?” Tali asked through her sobs as she felt the pegasus next to her.
“Shhh, you’re safe here,” Fluttershy tried to calm the very distressed quarian.
“S-Shepard didn’t m-make it,” Tali cried. This was something that Fluttershy most definitely hadn’t expected. The Commander had cheated death so many times in the short while that she had been on the Normandy that it simply didn’t seem possible.
“W-what?!” Fluttershy felt her stomach turn as well.
Shepard’s gone? N-no that can’t be! But why is Tali this upset about it… Oh no, did she…
1. Did you love him him?
2. Silently allow Tali to cry.
3. Swear vengeance on those responsible.