Aftermath

Chapter 26

"That's it?" Ashley Williams said, her arms folded, unimpressed, across her chest. "That's what you're all worked up about?"

Miranda assaulted her with a steely gaze. "This message could only have come from Shepard."

"You mean it could only have come from the communicator you gave Shepard. Anyone could have sent the message as long as they had that."

Miranda grimaced, unable or unwilling to explain the significance of the message itself. Not to the cocky Commander pre-disposed to disbelief anyway. Instead she turned her appeal to Garrus, who unfortunately looked equally skeptical.

"Even if that is the case, which I know it's not, this proves that they are alive," Miranda insisted.

"Or were for a while at least after they disappeared," Garrus added, stroking his chin in thought. "Still even if it is from Shepard, it doesn't tell us anything. Can you determine where it originated from?"

Miranda shook her head.

Ashley threw her hands up in defeat.

"Look, you just have to trust me when I tell you I know this is from Shepard," Miranda insisted.

"So what if it is? You can't expect to go to the Counsel or the Alliance with this," Ashley said.

"No, of course not. But I don't believe the timing of this is a coincidence either. In twenty-four hours the eyes of the entire Galaxy will be focused here on the Citadel. We all know what is at stake here. And how much danger there is."

"There are ships from every war fleet out there protecting this station. There's no way an attack can get through," Ashley said.

"Miranda's right, we can't underestimate the danger, no matter how many guns are floating out there," Garrus said finally.

"So what exactly are you suggesting we do. All I hear is arm waving and hand wringing but what do you expect we should do about this great threat of nothingness?" Ashley asked.

"Just be ready," Miranda said. "Ready for anything. Ready for Shepard."

###

Shepard watched from the red dirt cavern floor as the last of the Prothean population made their way up the ramp and into the ship. Liara looked up from the counts she was monitoring on her omni-tool and nodded at Shepard. "That's everyone."

Yarus, Kovas and Goren stood nearby. Yarus cast an appreciative glance around the interior of the cavern. The life pods glowed with the blue-green pulse of power, still after over 50,000 years. "This planet has served it's purpose well. But the time has come for us to leave it and take the next step in the future of our people." His gray eyes settled on the massive ship waiting in front of them. "If we succeed this will be a first in many future collaborations between our people." He turned his gaze to Shepard.

"Then lets focus on that success," she met his gaze steadily.

"Indeed," he said, and made his way toward the ship.

Shepard and Liara sought each other's gaze at the same moment, catching and holding. Kovas stepped to Liara's side and motioned towards the ship. Shepard gave her a small, crooked smile trying to relay confidence and hide the fear she felt tickling at the back of her neck. Liara smiled back briefly before tearing her gaze away and disappearing into the ship.

"Well human," Goren's voice rumbled low and menacingly close, "the time has come for your failure."

She met his gaze with a steady one of her own. His expression was full of arrogance and menace. The tickle of fear vanished, replaced instead by the irrepressible need to survive, to triumph even in the face of uncertainty. She was filled with the will to fight, to live. Goren would take that from her, from Traynor, from Liara. Even from his own people. No. She felt white hot anger surge through her veins.