//------------------------------// // A New Mission // Story: Shepard's R&R // by ed2481 //------------------------------// A New Mission Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Shepard twitched on his hospital bed. There was something there... something in the distance. ‘doctor... I think he’s waking up’ Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. The inner parts of his brain began to stir as he made his way groggily back to reality. ‘No wait... family only you can’t ‘all’ come in here’ Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. He knew that sound, what was it? Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. It was a heart monitor! He felt three familiar fingers grip his hand, bringing sensation back to his arm. ‘Shepard.... Shawn.... please.’ Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. But if he was hearing a heart monitor then he was still alive! ‘Tali’ he started groggily, then a rush as everything came crashing back on his fogged mind. “Where...” Shepard’s eyes fluttered open but he saw only darkness, he tried weakly to rise, but was stopped easily a familiar three fingered hand that pushed him back down. “It’s okay Shawn, you’re safe. We’re on the Citadel.” Tali’s voice told him comfortingly. Shepard opened his mouth to try and reply, but his throat felt like it was full of sand; scratchy and horribly dry. “Water.” He managed to rasp through his chapped lips. A soothing gloved hand ran down his arm comfortingly. “It’s coming Shawn, just hold on.” Tali told him, her voice full of calming compassion and love. “What happened?” Shepard croaked in a soft voice, his mind obviously rushing for answers as things became more clear. “The Reapers... What did the Crucible do... Did the others?” “I’ll tell you once you’ve recovered. Where is the nurse with the wat-ah, thanks.” Tali said, interrupting herself. “Open your mouth Shepard.” the Quarian told him. Shepard complied and opened his mouth a crack, just enough for Tali to give him a sip of the water. It was byfar the most delicious thing he’d ever tasted. The cool, clean water sloshed down his throat, filling him with strength and washing away the sand in his throat. “Tali, why can’t I see?” Shepard asked her once he’d had his fill of the water, his voice sounding slightly worried. “You have bandages over your eyes Shawn.” Tali answered. “Don’t worry, you’re not blind, but your eyes took alot of damage when the Crucible fired.” she added quickly before he could jump to the conclusion. “If that’s the worst of it, I guess I came out lucky then.” Shepard said, letting out a relieved, and fairly painful sigh. “No, there was worse, but the doctors have fixed that. They are saying you should make a full recovery.” Tali’s gloved hand ran gently over the side of his face. “You’re going to be okay, Shawn. The situation is not perfect, but... there’s more than enough time for you to recover. All the time in the galaxy.” “Miss Vas Normandy, would you please step away from the patient so that we can remove the bandages?” A calm male voice asked. “Oh, uhhh right... of course, sorry doctor,” Tali complied, obviously embarrassed. “It’s quite alright, perfectly understandable,” the doctor replied, his tone still calm and even. “Commander, I’m about to take the bandages away. I’d advise you to shut your eyes.” Shepard did so and he felt a pair of steady hands working at the back of his head. Then he felt the bandages being pulled away layer by layer, he hadn't even felt them in the first place but now that they were absent he couldn’t understand how he had missed them before. The cool hospital air prickled the skin around his newly freed eyes and Shepard kept them closed for a moment, enjoying the renewed sense of... freedom that he was experiencing. Then he opened his eyes, wincing at the light. The image before him was blurry and out of focus, not to mention far too bright. He could only make out the faint outlines of the doctors and nurses who were walking around the bed, but there was one thing that he could see coming into focus. Sitting on the bed next to him was the one person that he cared about the most in the world. Tali Zorah Vas Normandy. He stared at her for a moment, taking in the familiar covered face, the veil, the beautiful bodysuit, and most importantly the shining eyes underneath all that. “Tali...” he breathed. “Good morning, Shawn,” Tali replied in an affectionate voice. “I hope you slept well.” Shepard paused for a moment, and then he began to chuckle, painfully, and reached out to hug her. Only to be stopped halfway as his IV cord ran out of length. Tali let out a chuckle off her own and scooted close enough for them to wrap each other in each others’ arms. He leaned his forehead into hers and let out a quiet sigh. The doctor’s calm voice interrupted the hug. “Commander, there are several things that we need to test for before we can allow your other friends to enter, and the sooner we do that the better. Two of them are krogan who have been waiting to talk to you for a long time, they are beginning to become... impatient.” Shepard turned to look at the doctor, an older, thin human with a defined widows peak who had come to stand behind Tali. The man had a firm look in his blue eyes but Shepard could see the lines of worry that crossed his face at the mention of krogan. “Right, of course,” Shepard said, untangling his limbs from Tali’s. The quarian stood up from the bed and stepped back several paces, standing against the wall with a slightly jittery, nervous stance. “Okay, Commander, I need you to follow this light,” the doctor said, taking out a small medical laser pointer and quickly moving it forwards and backwards across Shepard’s eyes. Shepard tracked the light and the doctor took it away a moment later and made a satisfied sound while he typed something into his omni-tool. “Good, now let’s move on, I’m going to flash a sequence of lights into your eyes to make sure that they’re reacting properly.” The doctor performed this, and several other tests before he gave a final nod of approval. “Good news Commander, your optical reflexes and reaction time, and seem to be in perfect working order,” the doctor told him with a smile. “Your recovery rate has been nothing short of miraculous...after six months comatose, most people would be suffering from neural atrophy. You’re almost back to full strength. ” he said with a slight shake of his head. “Thanks it-” Shepard began but then cut himself off. “Wait, did you say six months?” Shepard asked in shock. “Yes, I’m sorry, it’s... ” the doctor replied, realizing that he may have broached the subject a bit insensitively. “I’m sure that your friends and family can fill you in on what’s happened since you won us the war.” The doctor paused for a moment before he continued. “Speaking of your friends, I think that it’s about time I let them in, otherwise they might tear down the hospital,” he said dryly. “I’ll be observing from outside if you need me, Miss Vas Normandy.” The doctor left the room and the moment the doors opened Shepard heard a familiar rough voice ranting. “I don’t care if the quack says that we’re not supposed to go in! If he wants to stand in front of a krogan charge, he’s welcome to try and--” “Chief Urdnot, he’s ready for visitors. Now please stop frightening our staff,” the doctor’s voice said with a remarkable amount calm considering who he was talking to. Shepard heard the sound of several excited shouts and a moment later, one very happy, and heavily scarred krogan entered the room, immediately walking to Shepard’s side and grasping his hand firmly. “AHAH! There he is! Shepard!” Wrex shouted boisterously with a grin. “My Brother! Still Alive!” “Wrex!” Shepard replied with a grin of his own. “Of course!” “I knew that you’d be alright, Shepard. I mean, if dying in the Void didn’t kill you, your own clone didn’t kill you, and the Reapers didn’t kill you, then a piddly little explosion on the Crucible sure as hell couldn’t either!” Wrex proclaimed, striking the side of the hospital bed with enough force to make it buckle. Shepard winced. “Wrex, I’m glad to see you too, but would you mind not destroying my bed? I might be in the hospital for a bit longer and I don’t feel like sleeping on the floor,” Shepard asked Wrex. “Heh, sorry,” Wrex told him with an apologetic grin the krogan’s voice was gruff but the sentiment behind was real. “I’ll try not to break anything, damn doctors are already angry enough with me.” “It’s fine Wr-” Shepard was cut off by the arrival of his other friends, whom the staff must have managed to keep in the waiting room.. “You’re awake!” Garrus exclaimed as he walked into the room, flanked by Liara and Kaidan.”I don’t know how you managed it, but you came back again!” The turian said with a large grin. “What’s the matter? The Afterlife too comfy for your tastes?” “The bar was closed, so I left,” Shepard joked with a grin. Garrus began to laugh while Liara and Kaidan looked at him sideways, the asari was the first of the pair to speak. “Shepard, you can’t believe how glad I am to see you up and about!” the blue skinned woman told him with a large smile as a familiar VI Drone hovered over her shoulder. “I have over one hundred hours of video documentation of Dr. T’soni’s time in concentration over your condition if you wish to verify her claim, Commander.” Glyph stated cheerfully. “Yeah, Shepard, you had us worried there for a little while, you know... before we remembered it was ‘you’ we’re talking about.” Kaidan added, a matching happy grin was working its way across his face. All three were rudely shoved aside by Grunt as he entered the room and charged up to Shepard’s bed, stopping just before he smashed into it. “Shepard, you’re alive, and you killed the Reapers, all of them!” Grunt told him with an incredibly out of place scowl on his face. “They’re singing songs of your glory throughout the galaxy and-- Do you have ANY idea how hard it’s going to be for me to top that?!” “Enough, pup, give him time to catch his breath,” Wrex commanded the younger krogan. “He just spent the last six months in a bed, so just maybe he deserves a minute to actually relax before everything else lands on him.” the elder krogan added dryly. “What do you mean, Wrex?” Shepard inquired. A brief silence fell over the room and his friends all looked at each other uneasily, then James entered carrying a gift wrapped package. “Hey Loco, heard that you were up and about so I brought you a get well gift, not like it’ll compare to the billions of others but-” James began as he looked around the room but suddenly stopped talking when he noticed that the majority of the room was now glaring at him. “Um what? Did I say something wrong?” The man asked in confusion. “I’d like to know that too,” Shepard said, looking around at his suddenly silent friends and crewmates. Tali sat down beside him on the bed and sighed while she placed her gloved hands over his. “We’ll explain later, Shepard,” Tali told him gently. “You of all people should know how much I hate secrets,” Shepard told her, his eyes narrowed. “It’s not a secret, Shepard, we just thought that it would be better if we waited for you to fully recover before... talking about it.” Tali explained before shooting a venomous glare, highlighted by the fact that her eyes were the only thing easily visible beneath her helmet, at both Wrex and Vega. “Apparently someone missed the meeting.” “Tali, will you please just tell me what’s wrong?” Shepard asked, clearly exasperated by her elusive answer. The quarian turned back to look him in the eyes again, despite the facemask Shepard could see a compassionate look on his love’s face. “Shepard, you know how you used to be a hero?” Tali asked him slowly. “Used to be, when did I stop?” Shepard asked in return. “Never,” Tali said fiercely. “But... now you’re a living legend Shawn. More than that even... You’re not just ‘Commander Shepard, the first human spectre’. Now: you’re ‘Commander Shepard, Savior of all Sentient Life in the Galaxy’!” the quarian exclaimed. “And... that’s bad?” Shepard inquired, arching his eyebrow. “Shepard, when Vega said that you had a billion gifts... he wasn’t joking. Although it’s more like five billion, and that’s just the ones that are solid objects,” Liara said slowly. “Don’t get me started on the ‘offers’ you’ve been getting.” Shepard stared at her, his mouth dropping open. “Fi-five billion?” he gasped. “I got five billion ‘get well’ gifts?” “Yeah, apparently when you save the galaxy from mass genocide via Reapers you develop a fanclub,” Garrus told Shepard dryly. “Yeah, Loco, there’s a ‘Shepard Salarian Appreciation League’. The ‘We Love Commander Shepard Movement’... That one’s mostly asari, so be sure to put in a good word for me. Then there’s the ‘Fight like a Shepard’ Combat Groups that are forming on Tuchunka studying your combat styles. Then there’s the ‘Shepard is the Savior of our Souls’... those guys creep me out a little actually-” James began to list off several of the groups and as he did so Shepard’s eyes began to widen with every group named but Kaidan put a hand on the James’s shoulder. “I think he gets the idea, Vega,” Kaidan told the man. Shepard was speechless for half a minute, an oddity in and of itself, and then he spoke in a shocked voice. “Am-am I really that famous?” He asked slowly. “Shepard, they want you to be Chairman of the new Alliance Parliament...” Liara told him in a low voice. “And that’s just the human governments. There were also calls for you to take Udina’s spot on the Council, but I think something else is happening there. We’re just waiting for news.” Kaidan added. “Chairman... Councillor... Bu...but I-I’m not a politician!” Shepard declared loudly before he fell forward, coughing violently, his body screamed in protest and pain at the sudden movement. Tali quickly and gently pushed the man backwards so that he was no longer scrunched over forwards and Shepard gave her a thankful nod once he’d finished. “Thanks, Tali,” Shepard gasped. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you, I didn’t want you getting worked up over this before you even had a chance to recover!” Tali stated exasperatedly. Shepard looked from face to face before finally settling back on Tali’s. “It’s not... that bad... It’ll blow over, right?” he asked slowly. “Keelah I hope so, but if it does it won’t be for years, at the least,” Tali told him with a shake of her head. “At least you’ll be rich, your endorsement deals alone could be enough to buy the Citadel,” Kaidan said optimistically. Shepard’s face darkened. “I don’t want to be rich! I just-I don’t know this is a bit much to take in all at once...” he trailed off with a shake of his head. Tali laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be alright, Shepard. Once they get the Rannoch relay up and running again we can get away from all of the damn cameras and build a home,” the quarian said softly. “Cameras, what cameras?” Shepard asked. “Nice going, Tali,” Garrus said with a roll of his eyes. “Shepard, they’re everywhere, watching the hospital for any sign of you. I know because I’ve been keeping watch for anyone stupid enough to try and take you out while you’ve been under. The only reason that there’s not a moron with a camera in here right now is because of the MPs at the door.” “And now that you’re awake. Chances are that everybody... from the Council down, is going to want to know what happened on the Crucible.” Liara offered, although her tone was clearly one of concern. “The Council survived?” Shepard looked up, a mix of shock and relief. “I thought... we thought they had been lost when the Reapers took the Citadel.” “No...thank the spirits.” Garrus shook his head. “The Reapers didn’t bother to harvest the population of the citadel. Just sealed them all up inside with a whole bunch of reaper ground troops. Casualties were high, but there were still pockets of resistance in the Wards active when the Crucible fired. Bailey really gave them hell... organized the civilian milita and C-Sec and even managed to evacuate the Council to a safehouse in Zakera during the first Reaper push. As I understand it, they made him the new Executor for it.” Shepard nodded to himself, a small smile on his face. “He must just love that,” Shepard said with a grin. “Yeah, something like that,” Kaidan agreed. “Alright people, step aside! I’m his mother and I haven’t had the chance to actually see my son in person in over two years,” a familiar voice shouted from the door. Shepard’s eyebrows rose as his friends stepped aside, even Grunt and Wrex, to allow to allow a tall blonde haired woman wearing an admiral's uniform to pass. Without waiting for permission or saying another word the woman stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around him into a tight hug. “Mom!” Shepard exclaimed. “Yes, and that’s Rear Admiral mom to you!” Hannah Shepard told him as she released him. “God it’s good to see you awake, Shawn! I came as soon as I heard. Now... first thing’s first... WHY DID YOU MAKE ME WORRY LIKE THAT!?” “Yeah... sorry about that...” Shepard said, slightly uncomfortable. “You disappear for two years and everyone thinks that you’re dead, show up working for Cerberus, blow up the Collectors, destroy the Bahak system , get put in Alliance Lockdown pending War Crime hearings, and then you spend the next few months flying around saving the galaxy around without even dropping by for lunch with your own mother!” She exclaimed, exasperation clearly visible in her voice. “And then we win... and I have to spend six months worrying about you in the hospital. And to top it all off, I find out that you’re dating Tali here from HER and not you?! Do you know what that kind of stress does to a woman my age?” Shepard’s face, which had up to this point been looking more and more nervous suddenly reddened with a surprised blush and he found himself missing the time he had been facing down Harbinger. “Mom! Who I date is-” Shepard began but he was cut off by a cortal of laughter from his mother. “Relax, Shawn, I adore her,” Hannah told him with another chuckle. “Although don’t think that you’re off the hook, I’m still angry with you about the other things!” “Y’know, I can see where Shepard got his quad,” Wrex stated. There was a dead quiet in the Council private chambers and the four most politically influential beings in the galaxy met, absorbing the information that the Salarian Councilor, Valern, had presented to them...information that had been all but torn out of the hands of a very reluctant Salarian Union. “The contents of the STG ‘s report are... unsettling, to say the least.” Councilor Tevos said. “Councillor... HOW is it possible that we did not know of this sooner? How long has the Union known of--” “I was made aware of this report only last night, Sparatus.” Valern answered quickly, clearly also on edge from the display. “The Salarian Union received it three weeks ago from the Major, before that we assumed him Killed in Action after his ship was caught in the Crucible’s surge through the Relay Network.” “And your government is only telling us now?” Sparatus asked. “We can save the fighting amongst ourselves for later, right now we should be worrying about what form of action we will take,” Councilor Tevos declared. “Action? Who says we are in a position to take ‘action’ at all, Councilor.” Sparatus stated. “It’s been only seven Months since the Crucible. We’re only just gaining access to our homeworlds again. This is not the time to be playing with things we clearly don’t understand.” “Would you rather what’s left of the Batarian Hegemony, or even worse the Terminus systems sinking their claws into this world?” Tevos demanded. “We have a responsibility.” Valern nodded. “The STG agrees. Regardless what the Dalatrass believes, The Salarian Union will not be able to keep this concealed for long. I am well aware that we are all still reeling from the losses of...” “Reeling?! I don’t recall the Reapers laying waste to YOUR planet Councillor!” “That is hardly the point!” Valern replied. “The point is that we have a young race that has access to a remarkable collections of abilities that none of us have ever experienced before and-” “AND you want to exploit them! Primarch Victus gave me a copy of Garrus Valkarian’s report on your Sur’kesh facility. The Krogan were not enough? Your people were looking to weaponize varren and the yagh!” “I brought this to the Council in good faith, Sparatus!” Valern’s tone grew more high pitched as his temper flared. The Turian Councilor sighed, bringing a hand to his face as he considered his position. “Alright... Alright... our fleets are spread thin, but if I lean on the Primarch, I can have three turian cruisers in the system within two solar days to secure...” “NO! We do not want to give the natives the impression of us as conquerors! We are going there to protect and nurture them so that they can help us! And I doubt that they would respond well to a show of force!” Tevos objected. “ ‘Respond’ to show of force? They can’t possibly think they could win if it did come down to that.” “There’s that turian short-sightedness again. Remind me, how well did that mentality go over at Shanxi?” Sparatus began to sputter with rage at the reminder. “Enough! This is solving nothing!” Tavos declared firmly. “The longer this goes on, the larger the chance of someone else discovering this system is. We need a foothold on this world, and we need it now!” the asari stated with finality. “What we need...” Sounded a new voice. Silent until now. His words were soft... but it was all that was needed as the three experienced leaders immediately ceased their heated discussion. “... is a diplomat. A peace maker. Someone who can show these people that we are not a threat to them, but also maintain the integrity to earn their respect. Someone that can represent the best of the united galaxy.” “Do you have someone in mind, Councilor?” Tavos asked slowly, though she already had a good idea of who the councilor was talking about. The human leaned forward over the table, his scarred face speaking volumes for his past... and calm, unshakable demeanor. The face that would be forever remembered for leading the charge that put an end to the Reaper Threat, second to only one other. “I have exactly one in mind.” Shepard leaned back into the couch in his main living room and let out a tired sigh. “A month, Tali, it’s only been a month and I’m bored.!” The man exclaimed wearily, “I never thought there would be a downside to beating the Reapers.” Tali, who was leaning against him let out a sigh of her own. “Tell me about it, I just want to get back to Rannoch. I don’t know what’s TAKING them so long to fix the Perseus Relay. I mean, we got the Sol relay back online in three months and the Salarians, Turians, and Asari are all back in contact. Hell, even the Krogan managed to get theirs working.” she grumbled irritatedly. “I’m sure Rannoch is fine, Tali. They’re probably still just trying to get by with the Geth gone.” Shepard pulled her closer with an arm and they took a quiet moment just to appreciate that they had each other. “I just wish there was more we could do from here.” “You can barely go outside without getting mobbed. Although, you know, Shawn, maybe you should start punching some of those so-called ‘journalists’, the fact that they had the nerve to try and ambush you like that...” she shook her head and let out a frustrated growl as she broke the silence. “I’m beginning to want to do that more and more every day,” Shepard said with a slight growl of his own. “The fans I can deal with, the politicians I can manage. A Reaper invasion? Give me a gun and my crew and we’ll be fine. But the paparazzi? How am I supposed to get away from-” a bright white strobe light suddenly flashed through the window despite the darkened tint. With an angry snarl Commander Shepard got up from his place on the couch and walked over to the window, pressing the button that controlled opaqueness. As the window began to lighten Shepard saw the silhouettes of several dozen news shuttles waiting just outside it. Suddenly they caught sight of him standing there and he was suddenly blinded by bright white light “Commander Shepard, can I get a-” one of the journalists shouted via PA system before Shepard muted him with a press of a button, turning the opaqueness of the windows to maximum and blocking the ‘reporter’ from view. “Alright, that’s it, this means war!” Shepard declared to himself and Tali. “Shawn, you can’t just declare war on the news networks,” Tali said cautiously. “I’m Commander Shepard, I could probably ask to have an arm of the Citadel reserved for a party and they’d let me,” Shepard retorted before he found the PA system that linked to the outside. “This is Commander Shepard speaking, I’m so very honored that you could all this way to catch a glimpse of me. However, if you don’t vacate my airspace I will call Executor Bailey directly and request that he make you leave... or arrest you... whichever requires less paperwork.” he told the assembled crowd of newsies. “If you decide to stay here despite that then I’d just like to remind you that I used to kill Reapers, on foot... with a glorified laser pointer.” he paused to let that sink in for a moment before adding. “And I also have a very agitated quarian with me who has been dying to take a ship apart for a while now, with, or without her shotgun.” There was a moment of silence as the assembled ‘journalists’ considered his words, and then, almost as one, they streaked away. Shepard let out a relieved sigh and walked back over to the couch where he once more collapsed beside Tali. “With or without her shotgun?” Tali asked him with an amused chuckle. “Hey, it’s not as bad as actually getting my old Cain out,” Shepard replied with a chuckle of his own. “You do realize that that quote will be all over the net ten minutes from now, right?” Tali inquired. “Personally, I liked the part about the glorified laser pistol more,” Shepard replied. Tali chuckled and leaned her head against his. “Keelah, Shepard, what are we going to do?” “Find somewhere where there’s no paparazzi,” Shepard answered. “I think we’ve both earned our retirement.” “Retire?” Tali was clearly smirking under her helmet. “I’m only 25, Shawn.” “Admiral, Ambassador, Liberator of Rannoch, Hero to the Quarian People, Co-Savior of Life Everywhere.” Shepard smirked. Tali rolled her eyes and punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Well, if you don’t want to retire, I’m sure you could find a job as a store-clerk for Solarius Electronics.” “Oh shut up,” she grumbled. “Well, maybe I could go out and find a job myself.” Shepard offered. “Ha, you with a job? What could you possibly do that doesn’t involve things exploding?” Tali asked him. “The local sushi bar is hiring waiters so I hear.” “Shepard, you know that they won’t let you work there!” Tali exclaimed with a giggle. “After what happened last time that you ate there I’m surprised that you’re allowed within fifty blocks of the place!” “I’m Commander Shepard... I can go where I want.” Shepard offered, his hands moving down to the quarian’s hips. “Ohhhhh-” Tali pulled herself closer to the human of her dreams. “That you can, Commander...that you--” She was interrupted by a sudden knocking on their door. “Oh, what now?” Tali groaned, her voice full of irritation. “And how did they even get to the door in the first place? I thought the elevator up here was under guard!” “More than when I was under lockdown back on Earth. It’s not one of the crew, they would have called ahead. Whoever it is, I’m going to give whoever it is a piece of my mind!” Shepard growled angrily, moving Tali off of his lap so that he could walk over to the door. He pressed the viewing camera and to his surprise found himself looking into the eyes of Admiral … no... ‘Councillor’ Stephen Hackett. “Sorry for the surprise visit, Shepard, but, I have a mission for you, if you want it,” Hackett said through the two-way audio piece. ”Permission to enter?” “Erahm...yes, come right in, Sir!” Shepard told him once he’d recovered from the surprise of seeing Hackett at his door. He pressed the button on the door and it whooshed open allowing Hackett to enter the apartment. Hackett glanced around the room, quickly taking in every bit of it, and then nodded. “Nice place, Shepard,” he said with a small smile. “Thank you sir,” Shepard replied, giving the man a quick salute. “Ah, Councilor Hackett, it’s good to see you again,” Tali said. “Likewise, Ambassador Vas Normandy.” Hackett nodded politely. “Is this in regards to my appeal for the Quarians to re-establish an embassy on the Citadel?” Tali asked hopefully. In spite of her complaints, the suggestion of a ‘mission’ for Shepard was not something she had been seriously expecting or wanting. Hadn’t they done enough? Hackett shook his head. “The Council hasn’t come to a decision about that issue, and most likely won’t until we can establish contact with Rannoch. No, when I said that I had a mission for Shepard, I wasn’t lying.” Shepard’s eyebrows rose. “What kind of mission?” “A mission that could affect the entire galaxy, one that I believe only you are capable of succeeding at,” Hackett told him gravely. “I already saved the galaxy once, do I really have to do it again so soon?” Shepard asked. “I’m beginning to feel like a maid.” Hackett chuckled. “Don’t worry, Shepard this has nothing to do with the Reapers, and I doubt that you’ll have to fire a single bullet.” Tali walked over to stand beside Shepard. “Knowing Shepard, I highly doubt that,” she said dryly. “Hey, it’s not my fault,” Shepard protested. “I would love to solve things without killing anyone, the problem is that not everyone feels that way!” The councilor shook his head. “Shepard, trust me when I say that you won’t have to worry about shooting anyone where you’re going. They don’t even have guns.” That statement caught both Shepard and Tali off guard. “What do you mean, sir?” Shepard asked Hackett sighed and nodded towards the couches. “Why don’t we sit down while we discuss this, it’s fairly shocking stuff?” “Sure,” Shepard agreed and the three made their way over to couches. Shepard and Tali took one for themselves, and Hackett sat in the one right across from theirs. “So, the mission?” Shepard asked. “Before we begin to discuss the mission, I’d just like to say something,” Hackett began. “Shepard, you’re the best damned soldier that I’ve ever seen and you’ve earned your rest, so don’t feel like I’m forcing you into this choice.” The man shook his head. “But that said we need you Shepard... if this goes belly up then the repercussions could be devastating for everyone. So, say the word and it's yours... Normandy, your command, and the mission. Although if you’d prefer to rest on your Laurels, I can respect that. Like I said you've earned it." Shepard’s eyes widened. “I can have the Normandy again? And the crew? Just because I’m agreeing to take on this mission?” Hackett nodded. “Shepard, as far as i’m concerned, they’re all yours anyways. All you have to do is ask and it’s yours. I’m here, as a friend, asking for your help on this. And I want you to be given your best, and in order to do that you’ll need your ship.” “That’s a very generous offer, Councilor, but what is the mission? I feel like we need to know that before we can know whether or not we’ll agree,” Tali asked the man. A small smile played across Hackett’s lips. “How would you like to be a diplomat?” Shepard stared at him for a second before responding. “Come again sir, did I hear you right? You said that you wanted me to be a diplomat?” “You heard me right, Shepard,” Hackett confirmed. “But sir, I’m a soldier, not a diplomat!” Shepard exclaimed. “Son, you brought together the biggest fleet in galactic history through nothing but diplomacy in under half a year. You’re the best diplomat in the galaxy!” Hackett told him. “He has a point, Shawn, you did manage to pull off several alliance that no one thought were possible,” Tali agreed. “Although, that’s not exactly new for you.” “Indeed, Miss Vas Normandy, and that is exactly what we need to make sure things go smoothly for this mission.” Hackett nodded. Shepard looked back and forth between the two for a second before saying. "Keep in mind, alot of that 'diplomacy' involved me running into gunfire and reaper-fire." “Like I said, they don’t have guns where you’re going,” Hackett reminded Shepard. “Councilor, while I agree with you that Shepard is a good diplomat when he needs to be, and I’m happy that you say that we won’t be getting shot at, you still haven’t told us what the mission involves!” Tali exclaimed exasperatedly. Hackett took a deep breath before he spoke. “How do you feel about horses?” “... and they should be arriving within the next two days.” Celestia, the Solar Princess of Equestria informed her younger sibling as she considered her move. “Two days our time...or two days their... time. How does one even JUDGE time in space, much less across other multiple worlds?” Luna, the Lunar Princess, found herself puzzling, not for the first time wrestling with new ideas since their recent ‘guest of honor’ had arrived. “Our time, Luna.” Celestia nodded. “to be exact, they should be arriving within the next thirty-eight hours if the message the Major received is correct.” “So soon...” Luna sounded worried. “How?” “They can traverse great distances at speeds that make the fastest things in Equestria look like flies traveling through honey,” Celestia said. “Sister, are you sure this is a wise course of action?” Luna asked Celestia, not for the first time as they sat across from each other, staring longly at the Chessboard as she remembered it was her turn. She half-heartedly moved a pawn forwards a square. “In truth, no.” Celestia replied with a shake of her head. “But what I do believe is that we have so much to learn from these aliens. And after learning of the dangers that await outside our own world, we can not afford to ignore this opportunity to start things off on the right hoof.” Celestia replied as she moved a pawn of her own. “But that all assumes that the Major has been ‘completely’ honest with us. SO far, all we have for it is his word... and even THAT is enough to make me worried. By his own admission they are ‘incredibly’ violent.” Luna warned her while she pondered her next move. “In fact, if what you witnessed in that... what was it... ‘Codex Packet’.... was any indication then they spend the majority of their time trying to killing each other.” Luna made up her mind and moved her bishop forwards, taking one of her sister’s pawns. “Indeed, but he has assured me that while the representatives that are being sent are soldiers, they are all calm and level headed.” Celestia said before she brought her queen up to take Luna’s bishop. “Thus far, he has been completely forthcoming... even when he has withheld information, he has indicated he is doing so rather than lying to us.” “They’re sending soldiers as their representatives?” Luna asked with a raised eyebrow. She took a moment to survey the board before her before sending a knight to take a nearby pawn. “That hardly seems... friendly.” “It is a reasonable precaution. Think of it as if we were the ones initiating contact. They are sending these representatives of their major races to judge the potential of our species, and our world. To determine whether or not we are worthy additions to the galactic community. They know next to nothing about us beyond the basics that I have related to the Major during his time here. To them, WE could be the next great aggressors. Their history suggests they have every right to be cautious.” Celestia winced, considering the ‘descriptions’ she had been offered of the last time this ‘Citadel Council’ had sent unarmed diplomats to a world in a show of good faith. Apparently, the actions of these ‘Yagh’ were a terrible lesson for the other races of the galaxy, one they were understandably loathed to repeat. “As their history has shown, it would be foolhardy at best not to send a team of ambassadors who can defend themselves against unknown threats.” Celestia continued, as she brought her castle forward and took Luna’s queen which had been left vulnerable. Luna frowned, both at Celestia’s words and at her move. “I suppose that makes a degree of sense, although what threat we could provide to those who can travel the stars themselves I can’t imagine.” “They are currently ‘very’ vulnerable, Lulu. It is my understanding that they have only recently survived a galaxy spanning war that has severely depleted all of their resources. It is understandable that they would be hesitant to approach a new race without being certain that no harm would come to their ambassadors.” Celestia replied with a shrug. “Keep in mind that they lack any true magic. Even the abilities they do have, these ‘biotics’, are severely limited by comparison. For all of their technology, we actually outstrip them in many fields. Thus their interest in us.” Luna didn’t respond at first, and then she got up from her seat while sliding her king to Celestia, who caught it easily in her golden magic before it could slide off of the table. “This game is not as fun as I remember it being.” She grumbled. “You’re just out of practice.” Celestia said with a small smile as she carefully levitated each of the chess pieces into the table. “And whose fault is that, Tia?” Luna asked her sourly, but without any real venom in her voice. “Both of ours.” Celestia replied with a sigh. Luna let out a sigh of her own. “Forgive me sister, I should not have spoken to you like that.” Luna said apologetically. “It’s alright.” Celestia said as she came over to stand beside her sister and leaned her neck against the smaller alicorn’s. “I’m simply anxious for these aliens to arrive.” Luna muttered as she drew away from her sister. “That’s understandable Lulu, why don’t you go and make sure that the guard is ready?” Celestia asked. “Tis better than waiting here.” Luna replied as she walked through the door which shut quietly behind her. “And I must have a word with the Nobility and Prince Blueblood in particular, we can’t have his… manners causing problems with the ambassadors.” Celestia said to herself as she walked towards the door. “The last thing we need is for him to insult one of them for not properly addressing him.” Empress Cadence and her husband, Shining Armor, had taken a short leave of absence from their positions in the Crystal Empire, allowing the Crystal Steward to act as ruler while they attended the remarkable events occurring in Equestria. It was, after all, a meeting of unprecedented historical significance, and as Cadence sat on their bed in her old room in Canterlot Castle, she could only watch while Shining paced nervously. He’d been doing it for the past twenty minutes, and Cadence had had enough. “Shine, Darling, I know that pacing helps you think. But I don’t think that the castle staff enjoys buying new floors after you grind them to dust.” Cadence told her husband. Shining had good graces enough to look moderately embarrassed and an adorable blush trickled over his handsome face. “Sorry Cadence, I’m just nervous about this meeting is all.” He replied as he came over to the bed, laying down beside her. Cadence leaned into her husband, nuzzling him comfortingly. “One moment, it’s just us... All alone here, masters of our own world, sharing it with the other species. And then... out of the blue, one frog-man falls from the sky and we find out NOTHING is as we thought it was.” “Oh, there you go, being over-dramatic again. Come on, Shine, Auntie Tia says that these diplomats will be peaceful creatures. I highly doubt they are coming all this way to cause trouble for little us. Besides, if something bad does happen then we’ll have you here to see us through it.” She told him before she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Yeah, I know what Princess Celestia said. But that doesn’t make me any less nervous about it.” Shining replied. “For all we know that transmission, and the frog-man were lying and these ambassadors are actually warmongering zealots who want to wipe us from existence.” “Shine dear; just how many of those old science-fiction novels have you been reading?” Cadence asked her husband pointedly. “Hey, it could happen!” Shining defended. “Besides, they can’t be considered ‘fiction’ anymore. I mean, they’re right about there being aliens, so who’s to say that those authors are wrong about the xenocide part?” “Xenoci... Shine, PLEASE tell me you haven’t been reading that horrible Warhorse 40,000 garbage.” Cadence rolled her eyes. “Hey, it’s a legitimate series!” Shining protested. ““hine... that series depicts Aunti Celestia strapped to golden throne, and having to be fed the souls of thousands of ponies every day,” Cadence told her husband dryly. Shining had the deceny to look abashed. ”What reason could aliens beings from other worlds possibly have for wanting to take over Equus, or better yet what possible reason could they have for wanting to kill us all?” Cadence asked. “Maybe our existence contradicts their religion, maybe we’re just a stain on the galaxy, maybe it’s sport to them... or we’re just a routine conquest and they need our resources for-” Shining’s babbling was stopped by his wife’s hoof which had suddenly been placed over his lips. “Shine, I love you, but you have GOT to relax. Everything will be fine.” Cadence reassured him before she removed her hoof. “The diplomats will be arriving day after tomorrow. You do not need to develop an ulcer in that time.” “You’re probably right, dear.” Shining replied with a sigh. “It’s not like we can build a giant cannon that fires the power of Harmony into orbit at them to stop them from coming.” “Sure we can... we just have to call up your sister.” Cadence reminded her husband. For a moment, the two were quiet... then they simultaneously burst into uncontrollable laughter, the tension broken. “I never knew you were such a nerd when it came to science-fiction Shine.” Cadence told him with a last chuckle of amusement at the previous thought. “Well you know, when your sister is obsessed with books enough to create a book fort, a little of it rubs off on you eventually.” Shining replied with a slightly embarrassed chuckle. “Hmm, alright then Shine, I’ve got a question for you.” Cadence told him, her eyes sparkling with unspoken laughter. “Oh, and what’s that Cadence?” Shining asked giving her a raised eyebrow. “Which book series is better, Star Trot or Pony Wars?” She asked him with a grin. Shining gulped, that was an opinion that he’d never expected to have to share with his wife. He took a deep breath, and then began an explanation on why Pony Wars was better... well except for those awful prequel books... Cadence just smiled and listened, happy that she’d finally found something to distract her husband from thoughts of the soon to be arriving aliens. “So these guys that are going to visit are real live aliens!?” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight excitedly while she flew in a tiny circle. “As in they have a spaceship and have laser guns and everything? Not alien like... some griffin from Skyhaven or something, right?” “Yes Dash, for the hundredth time, YES!” Twilight replied with a roll of her eyes. Not that the young alicorn wasn’t extremely excited at the idea of meeting the aliens herself, it was just that Dash’s never ending repetition of the same questions had begun to grate on her nerves a bit. “Do-do you think that they’ll be scary looking?” Fluttershy asked from where she was sitting on one of the couches of the castle’s suites. It was clear from her fidgiting that her imagination was running wild. “I mean, it makes me a little nervous, knowing that there’s an alien right here in the castle.” “Well, I haven’t seen myself, but the one that first met Princess Celestia was apparently some kind of a frog,” Twilight told her friend’s “And there isn’t an alien in the castle, it left this morning.” “Huh? Wait, if it ain’t here in the castle, then where did it go?” Applejack spoke up for the first time since Celestia had ‘informed’ the group of friends about the special visitor this morning. “Yeah! I want to meet it!” Rainbow spoke up. “Its people sent a ship to collect it,” Twilight explained. “Apparently it’s waiting for the others to arrive and recovering. I mean, it WAS stranded here for over six months and hasn’t seen another of it’s own kind in all that time.” “Oh...it must have been so lonely.” Fluttershy opted, but then quieted down again quickly. “What I don’t understand is that if it’s been here for all these months, why wasn’t anypony told sooner?” Rarity asked, her tone equal parts “Because, Rarity, Princess Celestia couldn’t just go out and tell ponies that an alien had crashed here, can you imagine the panic that would cause?” Twilight asked her with a raised eyebrow. Panic indeed. Even Twilight had only been told of this alien the night before. And while she would have liked to have denied Celestia’s claim that she would ‘overreact’, her reaction TO the news made it a moot point. This was big... even bigger than the defeat of Nightmare Moon or Discord or the Rebirth of the Crystal Empire. If even a fraction of what Celestia had told her was true, and the purple mare doubted very much that the elder princess would lie to her about anything (even if she did withhold information for extended periods of time), then this meeting was most likely going to be THE most important moment in Equestrian history. And she, Princess Twilight Sparkle, former Faithful Student of Princess Celestia, was going to be directly involved! Her inner historian was already planning her first essay on what it was like to meet the alien diplomats, her inner princess on the other hoof was trying to prepare a list of simple questions which would prove to be impossible to answer without lots of facts and information. Since the night before, that list had grown beyond a hundred pages and even now showed no sign of stopping. “Well I for one am interested in the fact that apparently they wear clothing all the time. Imagine the market for my dresses!” Rarity said with a wide grin as she thought of both the future profits and the challenge of creating clothing for entirely new races. She was lying on her red fainting couch which she’d somehow managed to bring into the suite without Twilight noticing. “I wonder if they’ll like apples.” Applejack said with a thoughtful expression on her face. She was sitting at one of the room’s tables, slowly tapping her hoof against the wood. “I just can’t wait to meet so many new ponies, it’ll be so exciting!” Pinkie said, she was, as usual, a preverbal ball of energy. “I wonder if they’ll like me.” The pink pony added as an afterthought. “Who wouldn’t like ya Pinkie? Yall’re so friendly I’ll bet ya’ll be best friends with all of them in no time flat.” Applejack replied encouragingly. "Yeah Pinkie, I'm sure that they'll like you," Twilight said. Then she got up from where she'd been sitting and stretched. "Sorry girls, but I've got a few appointments today, I'll see you later, and I’ll get you when the aliens get here." Her friends said their goodbyes and Twilight left the room with a small smile on her face. To be honest, Twilight would have prefered to spend what time she could with her friends, but unfortunately, the duties of being the ‘Princess of Friendship’ demanded more of her time than simply being Celestia’s student. Especially since her position meant that it was vital for her to extend the Friendship of Equestria, along with the rest of their world, to the diplomats that were now in route to their humble little planet. … Twilight really wished she could spend more time with her friends right that moment. The crew of the Normandy sat around central projector of the ship’s Warroom; which had been remodeled for comfort in the past few months as alterations were made to the Flagship of the Galactic Fleet. Shepard had finally decided that enough was enough, and made the executive decision to have comfortable chairs installed instead of making everyone stand around the central table. It wasn’t exactly alliance standard, but all things considered, they let him have his chairs. Watching him were a collection of his trusted friends and allies, those that had been able to come along with him either by excuse of ‘higher orders’ or on personal account. Liara, the Shadow Broker, had secured her place on the recommendation of the Thessia Post-War Matriarch Council as the Asari Ambassador. Garrus Valkerian was right there, having easily secured the Turian Hierarchy’s approval to act in the name of Palaven. Kaidan Alenko, leaned back, now representing the Alliance in any agreement that might be reached with the new species. Representing the strength of Tuchanka was their mightiest warrior: ‘Ambassador’ Urdnot Grunt, who’s purpose had been two-fold: To make sure this new planet’s citizens respected the Krogan... and to show the rest of the galaxy that they were ‘civilized’ enough to take part in such an occasion. And finally, representing the Quarian people of Rannoch, whose technical expertise had been absolutely instrumental in repairing the Mass Relays, was Tali’Zorah Vas Normandy, who sat quietly off to the side, already well aware of the mission parameters and now recording the reactions of her crewmates for posterity. “Alright everyone. It’s good to be home.” Shepard smiled as the crew looked to him, clearly glad to be back under his command, even if circumstances were a bit different from the old days. Now, rather than a squad of rag-tag soldiers fighting their way across the galaxy, they were representatives for their various species, going to promote a peaceful first contact mission. And after all that they had seen, they were all happy for it (With the exception of one... but krogan didn’t count). “But now, it’s time for the briefing.” Shepard started, nodding to his friends as he began to tell them what he knew. “As you are all aware, The council has asked us to meet with a new species and determine whether or not they’re ready for the responsibility that comes with being a space faring member of the galaxy. The details have been withheld and so far the galactic public have not been made aware of this species’ discovery. However, now that we are in route, I can now share with you what we know.” Shepard began once everyone had taken their seats. “Not to sound impatient, but it is about time. The matriarchs were not happy with being forced to accept me as their ambassador in this situation. And given that they were told next to nothing, I can’t say I blame them. For once, even my sources know nothing about what we are facing.” Liara asked. The Shadow Broker looked understandably perplexed. A rare thing for the galaxy’s most informed information trafficker. “The species has been categorized as ‘Equinus-Sapien.” Shepard answered. “They call themselves ‘Equestrians’... or more for a more casual translation: ‘Ponies’.” “Ponies; as in small horses?” Kaidan Alenko asked. “Yeah. Don’t even ask me about the coincidence involved in that.” Shepard replied with a shake of his head. “What the hell is a ‘pony’?” Grunt, the ‘Krogan’ Ambassador of the first contact mission asked, his arms crossed as he stood against the back wall near the door. While he respected Shepard immensely, it was clear that his being there for a mission of peace was ‘far’ from where the Young Krogan wanted to be. In way of answer Shepard tapped his omnitool a few times and the room dimmed and four images appeared on one of the walls. One sported a normal looking pony, one a unicorn, the next a pegasus, and the last what could only be described as a taller mash up of the first three. “By the goddess...” Liara’s eyes lit up, amazed by the appearance of this new alien life-form. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Kaidan exclaimed. “That’s about what I said.” Shepard said with a chuckle. “It took a few minutes for Hackett to convince me that it wasn’t some sort of prank.” “Shepard, are you telling us that we are going to a planet to meet with talking horses, some of whom resemble creatures from human mythology.” Kaidan stated flatly. “That about sums it up, Alenko.” Shepard nodded, having been prepared for the shock from his fellow human crewmember. “Shepard, I am not an expert, but how the hell does a race without hands developed space travel?” Garrus asked as he looked at the images with his head cocked slightly to the side. “The short answer is that they haven’t yet.” Shepard replied. “What?” Kaidan asked. “Shepard.” Liaria spoke up. “Initiating first contact with a pre-spaceflight species is a violation of the Citadel Conventions. After what happened with the vorcha and the...” Grunt huffed, suppressing a small snarl in anticipation of Liara’s words. “K..rogan...” The Shadow Broker offered apologetically before continuing. “The Council has made such contacts highly illegal.” “Well, this is an extraordinary circumstance.” Shepard explained. “Because while they lack conventional space travel and Mass Effect technology, they make up for it with something slightly different.” A video replaced the images; The feed was sliightly grainy, indicating it had been taken with a hidden recording device. It showed a white unicorn, clearly unaware it was being observed, as it maneuvered several books in a glowing aura. “Biotics?” Liara assumed, watching the feed. “Not quite Liara.” Shepard replied, giving her a smile. “Look at the color. It’s golden.” Kaiden, a biotic himself, pointed out. “And that dexterity. I’ve never seen a human capable of such fine control... hell, I’ve never seen an Asari that could actually organize a bookcase with biotics.” “Good observation Kaiden.” Shepard said with a nod. “Thanks Shep.” Kaidan told him with a smile. “As Alekno pointed out, this ‘unicorn’...” “Seriously... Commander?” Kaiden sounded about ready to burst out laughing. “Seriously?” “It’s the closest translation we have to the sub-species, Alenko, roll with it. This... ‘being’... is not using biotics. Truth is, we don’t have a solid idea what he is using. The closest translation we’ve been provided to their term for it is : ‘magic’.” Shepard paused to let the good natured chuckle from Alenko subside, although the various non-human crewmembers seemed confused by his amusement. “It’s a cultural thing.” Shepard explained. “In any case, it is more likely that these abilites are not supernatural, but simply an ability like biotics gained by exposure to some unknown material or radiation we have not yet encountered. However, what we do know is that this ‘magic’ appears to be far more versatile than our biotics, and with a far larger number of applications.” Shepard finished. The image changed, now directed upward. What the crew saw drew a gasp from everyone in the Warroom. “Spirits...” Garrus seemed amazed. “They can ‘FLY’?” “I assumed those wings were vestigial... evolutionary leftovers. How can they be functional?” Liara seemed amazed herself, not an easy thing to accomplish. “Their forms are not aerodynamic enough to allow for self-sustained flight... the number of calories to keep those wings working enough to provide lift would be...” “It gets better... The scientist who analyzed this footage indicate that the ‘pegasi’ here is moving in excess of a hundred kilometers an hour.” Utter silence reigned for a moment before Liara found her voice. “Shepard... how did we obtain this footage, and more importantly how do we know that this isn’t fake?” Liara asked in a slightly strangled voice as she looked at the video that was on repeat. “We have a very good source on planet Equus.” Shepard answered. “A trustworthy one.” “They named their planet Latin for horse?” Kaidan asked with a raised eyebrow, although his remark was ignored as the krogan in the room asked the far more prudent question. “Who’s this source?” Grunt asked. “An old friend of ours actually.” Shepard replied with a grin. “Well, there’s only one group who could obtain footage like this without being observed. And if it’s been kept a secret this long even from the Shadow Broker, I would guess that means the Salarian Special Tasks Group. So I’m going to assume that it’s Major Kirrahe.” Garrus set forward the theory, his mandibles clicking pridefully, sure he was correct. “Dead on, Garrus.” Shepard nodded, pressing another button and bringing up Major Kirahee’s profile and holographic likeness. “The Major was declared MIA seven months ago when the Crucible was fired. His ship was assumed caught in the same relay surge that downed Normandy on Sur’Kesh, but with everything else going on, the Salarians couldn’t mount a search. Three weeks ago, a tightbeam data stream was picked up on encrypted STG frequency by the Salarians, including his report, a request for rescue, and a very strongly worded recommendation to inform the surviving Council to initiate a peaceful first contact. He was finally extracted from the planet six hours ago when the Salarians finally managed to get a scout vessel to the system to recover him for de-briefing and psychological evaluation.” “Figures, it would be the salarians who have found another species to uplift.” Grunt said sarcastically. The tank-born krogan had matured a lot over the course of the war, and he was sounding more and more like Wrex all the time, although he’d yet to reach the level of dryness that the Clan Leader possessed. “Some aliens just never learn do they.” “According to his report, Kirrahe has gained the trust of the head of the most advanced nation-state of the planet’s inhabitants, his report mentions one ‘Princess Celestia’ in particular, a member of the ‘Alicorn’ subspecies.” Shepard said with a nod, choosing to ignore Grunt’s remark. “We are to rendezvous with the Salarian Scout Ship: SUS Curiosity upon arriving in the system. From there, assuming the Major is declared fit by their medical and psych staff, he’ll be transferred to the Normandy for final briefing and to facilitate First Contact.” “It will be nice to see the Major again, maybe he’ll be able to get me one of those pistols with the exploding darts.” Garrus said with a chuckle as he remembered their last run-in with Kirrahe on Sur’Kesh... blowing up Cerberus Troops in preperation for curing the Krogan Genophage. “Good times... good times.” . “Shepard, there’s something about all of this that strikes me as... off..” Liara said as she gently rubbed her chin with her fingers. “What’s that Liara?” Shepard asked. “Well you said that these ponies don’t have space travel. Even with this ‘magic’ and their biological capabilities, I doubt that they’re noticeable enough to get the attention of the Council, especially considering how undermanned the war has left everyone. Sending...well...’you’ of all people. What makes this such an urgent mission?” Liara asked. “The salarians at first didn’t pay any attention to it beyond wanting to recover Major Kirrahe. However, someone in the STG took the time to send an unmanned probe to the system in order to investigate it. When it started sending information about the Equestrian System back to Sur’Kesh however… Well, maybe it’s better if you see it for yourself.” Shepard trailed off for a second, mostly to build dramatic tension before he continued. “This is a chart detailing the planet’s orbit.” A video suddenly filled the screen. The video before them showed a high-quality hologram of a four planet system, a star comparable to Sol, and a tidally locked moon. “The planet is once and again the size of Earth. Pristine Garden World. Comfortable gravity, perfect oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere and a diverse biosphere.” “So what’s the big deal?” Kaidan asked. “Garden worlds are all precious, but I fail to see what the urgency is.” “When the drone approached, it was used as a relay to send a message back to Kirrahe in Real Time from Sur’kesh. After they informed him of the events following the Crucible, he ordered the technician to make the following recording. I’m now going to add a marker to show the rotational data of the planetary bodies.” Shepard told the the crew, after a moment, figures and numbers popped up around the planets and the star, their orbits continuing. “Still not getting it commander.” Kaiden narrowed his eyes, wondering what he could be missing. “Wait for it.” There was a moment of silence as the rest of the crew observed the video. Followed by another moment. And another. “Shepard, is the screen malfunctioning?” Liara asked cautiously. “No, it’s working perfectly,” Shepard replied. “But that’s, that’s impossible!” Garrus exclaimed as she watched the image. “Shepard, that’s impossible!” “Wait... does somebody wanna fill the krogan in on what you’re gawking at..” Grunt asked said with a little annoyance. “The planet and it’s moon...” For the first time all eyes went to the quarian woman who had been sitting quietly off to the side. “...Have both ceased spin.” “The other planets are continuing to rotate as if nothing has happened. The Garden World’s gravity and atmosphere are completely unaffected... but right here... it suddenly becomes tidally locked. As does the moon. A complete halt of rotation.” Shepard said “Shepard, even you can’t make a planet stand still!” Liara started, sounding almost insulted as the video showed a complete slap in the face of all laws of astrophysics. “Well I’m not doing it, so I guess it’s okay.” Shepard told her. “How is this possible?” Garrus asked breaking up the interplay between the two. “According to the transmission log... Major Kirrahe asked the Princess to ‘stop the sun’..” Shepard answered. The hologram then showed the planet suddenly resuming orbit...then gaining speed for a few moments, suddenly bringing the other side around to face the system’s star before resuming it’s natural pace yet again. “And there... he asked her sister to ‘bring out the night sky.’” The crew was lost in silence while the Quarian continued to record their expressions, making sure to get a good close up on each of them.