Chapter 19

ANN Report: This just in, the Citadel Council just approved of a temporary lift of the ban of several previously illegal narcotics, including red sand. This lift allows the legalization of production, transport and sales of these drugs on citadel worlds who approve of terms. The newly appointed Human Councilor, Rebecca Gracin, commented on the reasons for this decision.

"We came to this decision to prevent further violence from erupting in our rebuilding galaxy. The criminalization of these dangerous and even deadly drugs allowed crime syndicates both in the Terminus systems and the back alleys of all citadel worlds to grow in strength while countless lives are taken in the conflict over these substances. By allowing Citadel worlds to allow distribution and sales, crime and violence can be adverted. With proper regulation and tax standards enforced, the majority of the profits can be put into the hands of the governments to fund reconstruction efforts and rehabilitation organizations to help the people who are abused by these drugs. My belief is that this is an historic moment in our history as it will aid in our road to the brightest future we have dreamed of when humanity and all other species took to the stars."

Her statements carry meaning as several council worlds, including Earth, Thessia, Palavin, and others have agreed to allow legalization of the sales along with the regulation and taxation standards provided. How long this lift will stand will depend on the results it will carry in the coming months. We only hope that the outcome Gracin and the members of the council believe will come will happen.

The tour of the galaxy continued without a hitch. After departing from Rannoch, the Normandy arrived at Elysium where Grissom Academy stood in orbit, untouched by the Reapers after Shepard saved what was left of the students from Cerberus. The Ascension program students welcomed Shepard along with their new mascot Eezo.

"Yeah he's from Thesssia. Naturally biotic from all the element zero. The biotics make them short-tempered, so a lot of them get abused or abandoned. Can you imagine someone doing that? I found him at a rescue place. I'm trying to teach him that it's okay to trust people. He started out really angry, but I've been giving him lots of love, and now he's a big old softy."

After a pleasant meeting with the students, Shepard talked with Kalie who thanked him again for his help and the words he said for Anderson on Earth. She then brought up the case of Anderson's Will. In the Will, it described that many of the valuables were to go to Kalie but the Will specifically said that the apartment on the Citadel was to be his. The first time when Anderson lend it to Shepard, he felt it was almost thievery to have it all to himself. But Anderson insisted because he needed to Shepard to clear his head before he engaged in the final moments of the war. Kalie explained the same thing to Shepard that he should be the one to take it since she found Grissom and Elysium to be her home.

The apartment was surely damaged after the Reaper occupation and the Crucible blast but she had documentation that the lease was still entitled to Anderson and the Will allowed ownership to be handed to him once repairs were made. It gave Shepard some relief that he and Liara had somewhere to stay until they decided where they truly wanted to live and raise their little blue children. So Shepard accepted the terms.

After the academy, they went down to the planet surface. They arrived at the city where Shepard made his stand. The memorial was there like the newsfeeds said when Shepard came back from the grave. When Shepard arrived, he could recall his solo struggle to fight off the slavers. He didn't know what was going through his head when he decided to stand against entire legions by himself. But with his determination and his wits and his deadly aim and agility, he tore down the Batairans one by one all the way until the cavalry arrived and pushed them all off the planet. All he could think about when they helped him off the battlefield was laying down in his bunk. Now with the Reapers gone, the galaxy granted him his well-deserved rest from all the fighting.

After mingling with the inhabitants, Shepard continued the tour to several of the other colonies. One of them included Feros, where he met with Shiala and the returning residence of Zhu's hope. When Shepard herd from the colony after the Reapers took over Earth, they said they shared a telepathic link among each other due to the lingering Thorian spores in their bodies. It allowed them to learn combat skills easily and they shared their thoughts allowing a brilliantly coordinated defense against the Reapers until they evacuated. Following the evacuation, the newly trained colonists and Shiala herself volunteered for the front lines and all of them made it out alive. But when the Crucible was fired, all of the spore infected volunteers suddenly fell ill. They all reported to have serious cases of vomiting, unstable urination and diarrhea.

When the doctors diagnosed the colonists and Shiala, they found that the Thorian spores that lingered in their bodies had been expelled via their excrements. It was theorized since the Thorian was under Reaper indoctrination, with the Reapers and the Catalyst destroyed, the spores no longer had a signal to integrate with the victim's host thus they were expelled from the bodies of the hosts. Once the sickness past, the colonists reported to have normal vital signs but no longer shared their telepathic link.

To Shepard, it was a good thing. The telepathic connected between the colonists was a great asset in the fight against the Reapers. But with the Reapers gone, that ability would attract attention from a lot of people, not just Exogeni. With the people free of the thorian spores, they would be left alone for good. The upside was the combat skills they learned with Shiala still remained so they volunteered to serve as new Alliance soldiers while others stayed to work security for the reestablished colony.

After Feros, Shepard continued the journey. Terra Nova was very welcoming as well as Horizon, with the horrid sanctuary lab blown sky high as requested by many of the victims affected by Cerberus. And of course Eden Prime, the place where it all began. The team took in their moments of how Alanko and Shepard came across Ashley and fought their way to the Beacon where the adventure of their lives started. An adventure that shattered an age-old order that trapped the galaxy in an endless cycle of uplifting and extinction for what was seen to be the greater good. But now, the cycle was broken and the galaxy was truly free. All thanks to him and his team.

They departed and continued on their cruise. After stopping by several more worlds, Shepard received an E-mail from someone he didn't expect.

Admiral Shepard,

Good to see you're alive and well Admiral. You may not have known me, but I was Nyreen Kandros's second in command for the Talons when you and Aria arrived on Omega. My name is Lantis Meia. With Nyreen's death, I have been given the position as the new leader of the Talons. Hopefully by now you've heard about what we've been doing as of late.

We have a shipment ready for delivery for citadel space. Perhaps you could come by and pick it up. And if it's not too much to ask, perhaps we can meet at Afterlife while you're here. It'd be quite an honor to shake the hands of our savior. Don't worry, the Talons have been doing some cleaning up of the station so you won't have to worry that much about keeping yourself on your toes.

"Now that's unexpected, isn't it?" Joker said. "The most wretched hive of scum and villainy is asking you to pay them a visit. If that's not a set up for a trap I don't know what is."

"I have verified that the shipment mentioned by Lantis is scheduled for delivery to Alliance space," EDI said. "If you wish for the Normandy to proceed with the shipment pick up, we will begin immediately."

"Set course for Omega," Shepard said.

He really couldn't believe that he was heading back to Omega. When he first arrived, Shepard had unpleasant reminders of his life on the streets with Omega's dirty allies along with the abundance of criminal populace who roamed the station maiming, steeling, dealing and killing almost anyone, anything and anywhere. It was the opposite of what the alliance and citadel stood for.

But he was very surprised when he came across Nyreen and the Talons. After the previous leader of the gang was removed, Nyreen took control and actually turned the members into disciplined fighters and protectors of the people of Omega. Seeing the organized fighting group looking after the civilians gave Shepard hope that perhaps there could be something good in Terminus. More than just the small groups of people like Mordin or even Garrus who made trouble for the gangs until his team payed the price. Perhaps this was the chance to see if the rumors were true that the Talons' moral compass that Nyreen put into them would be carried on.

The Normandy came through the relay and approached the station. Shepard saw a plethora of ships moving in and out. With supplies in desperate need, Omega and Illium had their work cut out for them being the two hearts of trade in the galaxy, with Omega mainly pumping the Terminus side.

"SSV Normandy," The traffic operator spoke. "You are cleared to dock. Cargo is ready for loading. We have security detail waiting for your protection if you wish to roam the station."

"Well then," Joker said. "A red carpet welcome and personal body guards. Guess Omega's standards really have improved thanks to the Talons."

We'll see about that, Shepard thought.

Joker carefully maneuvered through heavy traffic and gracefully docked the ship in the bay.

"All set, Admiral. You're free to brave the streets of Omega once again."

Normally, Shepard would always bare his combat armor in a place this hostile but he wasn't going to need a full arsenal to fulfill any tall orders. Just a small shield generator under his uniform and a Carinfix would do nicely. After all, he managed to outsmart squads of mercs in a leather jacket and only a Suppresser hand gun, which unfortunately was lost when he battled his doppelganger aboard his ship, so he felt confident enough to fight if things went sideways.

The airlock opened and Shepard stepped off the ship. He found two crimson armored Turian Talon soldiers standing ready.

"Welcome back to Omega, Admiral," one of them said. "The shipment's ready and we'll have our boys load it up during your visit. We'll do our best to keep you safe."

"Thank you," Shepard said.

Shepard nodded. He walked with the two soldiers out of the docks and into the streets. The others decided stay on the ship, especially Garrus, who despite gaining a huge fan base for his vigilantism knew there'd still be several surviving merc groups who wanted him dead. Despite being welcomed warmly on the other planets Shepard visited up until now, Nova reluctantly decided to stay knowing that a Geth could raise some eyebrows and even be tempting for salvagers to strip for parts.

The Talon escorts brought Shepard through the streets towards Afterlife. Along the way, Shepard really did see the changes happening to Omega. Omega had always been known for dirty streets, deadly back allies and the smell of violence everywhere. It was still here in abundance, but there were subtle changes that were noticeable. All around, there were Talon patrols surveying the main streets with some guard posts on main avenues. It wasn't like the barricades Cerberus had put up when they established marital law on the station. They were more like police stations, similar to C-Sec.

In addition to the Talon patrols, he saw a great amount refugee centers. Unlike the filthy slums those unfortunate enough to found themselves in, these centers had bunk houses with a building standard and security guarding it, both Talon troops and newly manufactured LOKI mechs. Also there were many doctors treating sick patients all around. The sight of it gave Shepard a feeling of hope that he had when he came across Mordin's clinic the first time.

They made it to Afterlife.

"Head on in," the Talon guard said. "We'll wait for you for the trip back if you need it."

Shepard nodded. The noise of the music blared through the inner door. When it opened he was blasted by the noise of Omega's heart and soul. It was like what Shepard remembered it to be; Asari strippers atop the center platform and the people sitting around the club drinking away their sorrows and lives away while others took to floor to dance themselves numb.

"Welcome back Admiral," A Batarian in armor walked up to him.

"Bray," Shepard said. Aria's second in command. "You have your Autograph book this time?"

"Just being in the presence is enough for me," Bray said with a grin. He pointed his thumb up toward Aria's perch. "Lantis's up top wanting to speak to you."

Shepard followed Bray. Most of the eyes of the bar didn't float toward him but some of them deviated from what they were doing, whether they were in admiration or grudgingly for the trouble he caused them.

Shepard turned the corner at the top of the stairs. Everything that General Oleg set up was gone. The only thing that was missing was the queen herself. She must have stepped out for something. Instead, there was a giggling Asari dancer sitting on the lap of a chuckling Turian. Shepard assumed this was Lantis.

"I'll see you out once you're done here," Bray said stepping out leaving Shepard with the Turian. The dancer turned her head and caused the Turian to take notice.

"Oh," he said and looked back at the dancer. "I'm so sorry honey, but we're going have to cut this short."

"It's okay," the dancer said drawing her finger across the side of his neck down to his chest. "I'll be waiting for you at my place later tonight. I hope you can make it."

"Ohhhh... you know I will," he said gliding his talon over her hip and gave her a gentle pinch behind her. The dancer gasped and giggled before she gave him a gentle slap on the mandible. She stood up and left him with Shepard. The Turian stood and approached him. He wore a dark brown trench coat over his concealed armor, which the chest plate bore the Talon symbol. His skin was brown, slightly lighter than his coat and like all the others, he bore the Talon red stripe down his forehead to his nostrils. But the most interesting feature was a single scare that ran over his right eye. It was then that he realized that, his right eye was covered with a metal patch.

"Admiral Shepard," he put his hand out and Shepard shook it. "It's quite an honor to meet with you face to face." His face moved to a position that resembled a smile.

"Lantis Meia, I suppose?" Shepard said.

"Quite right," Lantis said. Unlike Aria or even Nyreen, Shepard noticed that this Turian was very relaxed, sly and even a bit playful despite the scar and the patch on his eye. "I hope your walk over here wasn't… too unpleasant."

"Not the slightest considering the security standards and the other surprises on the streets."

"Just a small part of what we're doing," Lantis sat down on the side of the couch and Shepard sat down next to him.

"I've always found you to be a fascinating man, Shepard. How the Alliance's greatest solder was once a street dweller like many people of Omega were. Yet somehow you managed to find not only the determination to survive but also the courage to embrace the morals of a warrior and a protector."

It was an amazing feat when Shepard looked back on it.

"I made it my goal to be better than I was when I lived on Earth," Shepard said. "If I didn't, then I would be nothing more than the scum the people above me treated me as."

"In the end, it succeeded," Lantis said.

"And I suppose that's what drives you and the Talons?"

"Omega may have changed many times with new leaders rising and falling over the centuries. But it never became different. After Cerberus took over the station, the tradition of succession through bloodshed and dominance over those who are weak wouldn't work. It was by banding together and accepting allies that we were able to prevail.

"Nyreen trained us to become fighters against Cerberus but she also taught us the values of protecting the people who supported you. Without that ideal, we never would have succeeded in standing together to overthrow Cerberus. And it was those ideals that allowed you and the entire galaxy to fight the Reapers and deal the final blow against them. Like how you became the man you are, we've changed ourselves to become something better than what we were."

"How exactly have you been doing that?"

"You've seen already that we have some sense of standardized housing along with security patrols to keep trouble makers from taking advantage of the innocent."

"And I suppose you're methods of keeping the perpetrators in line involve a level of discipline?"

"A level that's necessary by Omega's standards. But beyond that, our efforts out in Terminus have been a large effort. With Aria's support and the ideals we stand for, more and more people are joining the Terminus Militia to fight the warlords and slavers, both old and new, while aid can be given to those who need it."

"I'm all for freeing people from warlords and slavers," Shepard said. "But to be honest, it pains me a little to see another war start after I worked to end one."

"War has always been a part of Terminus. The only thing that was missing was direction. From the ashes of an old age, a new one emerges. For the lawful, it will be a renaissance of peace, advancement, cooperation and exploration. For us, it is an age where we stand up for what is right. For so long, Terminus was dominated by those who placed themselves above all the rest. With our help, the people are the ones who decide their destiny while we provide the protection they ask for."

"And how does Aria feel about all of this?" Shepard asked.

Lantis's answer came when he turned his head to look up at someone standing in front of the couch. Shepard already knew who it was before he turned his head.

"She feels content with most of it all things considered," Aria said and looked over at Lantis. "I suppose that you've been able to impress our savior about how Omega and Terminus have changed?"

"Most of it," Lantis said. "Perhaps you can fill in your side of the story now that I've given mine?"

Lantis nodded to Shepard before getting up. He looked over at Aria before he exited Aria's perch leaving him and her and her body guards standing at the base of the stairs.

"Impressed by the renovations?" Aria said taking her seat in the center of her couch.

"I'm happy for it. All things considered," Shepard said.

"Well… that's good to know," Aria said drifting her gaze away.

As Shepard expected, the faint scent of disdain was in her voice. Knowing her, the new things might ruffle several feathers.

"I suppose the Talons and you are getting along for the most part?"

"Getting along is as close as a term one could only describe," Aria said. "Ever since we handed all of the Cerberus occupiers over to the Alliance, Omega hasn't been the same as I remembered it. Even with all the stink of Cerberus washed away, the pieces never fell back the same way."

"And what do you mean by that?" Shepard leaned forward not being too direct.

"You should already have an idea," Aria said. "Even with my competitors under my rule, without their influence controlling my station, I see I am not the only one running the station anymore."

"Seems to me the people are rising up to have their voices be heard," Shepard said. "You can't deny how powerful it can be."

Aria looked over at Shepard and gave a dark grin that passed as amusement.

"Before your war started, I would have bothered to laugh in your face," she rolled her eyes to the club again. Her grin disappeared. "But now, it seems they are the ones who are laughing in mine."

"But you said are fine with this, aren't you?" If conflict was brewing it could mean more trouble than their already was.

"There isn't a point in starting a war with the Talons and the Militia, if that's what you're concerned about," Aria said. "I have my share of the real estate while everyone else has theirs. Fair is fair all things considered."

"But you're still unhappy about this?"

Aria was slow to respond to him and Shepard could see why.

"After you managed to activate that miracle weapon to make the Reapers drop dead, many things happened faster than everything I've seen of this station from the hundreds of years I've been on it. Once I took my place on this station, I expanded my control, dealt with those who opposed me until I came out on top. The syndicates dissolved and those who were left joined me and made Omega strong. The people of Omega followed me and in return I gave them freedom. But ever since I was forced off my throne, the people looked up to someone else in their time of need."

"So you're blaming Nyreen?"

Aria closed her eyes.

"Nyreen was always a stubborn individual. I've always said she's predictable and had too much emotional baggage to survive on Omega. But in the end, she brought her followers together and not only did she stand up to Cerberus. She stood up to me."

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back.

"And now her people aren't afraid to stand up to me either."

She then looked over at Shepard.

"But she wasn't the only one who has changed Omega."

"You know that I couldn't let you do those things, Aria," Shepard said. "I did what I believed was right."

"Yeah, I know the story. The street rat who rose up to become the crusader of righteousness and justice. Even fighting for it in the corner of the galaxy where it seemed all but unseen. But it seems the people of Omega saw it too. So to make a long story short, your influence spread to the people of Omega, and that caused them to believe in what Nyreen did. And now I find myself listening more and more to the people of Omega more than I had before instead of laying down my rules for them to follow."

Aria paused.

"Right now, I don't know whether to thank you, or blame you for aiding me to reclaim Omega."

"You still think compassion and mercy are a disease?" Shepard asked.

"A disease that is as contagious as hatred," Aria said. "And now it's caused a change that doesn't seem to be able to stopping any time soon. It would be futile to try to stop it when it would be less of a hassle to go along with it. So to answer your question, yes, I am a little upset I'm not the absolute queen like I was before. But I'm willing to follow it."

Coming from Aria, Shepard could take it as enough reassurance that she wouldn't fly off the handles anytime soon. He knew Nyreen's death had a big part to do with it but he didn't need to mention it to Aria. He could clearly see that she was conflicted already and it was best to let her deal with it herself. With the assurance out of the way, he proceeded to the next question.

"How are the Blue suns and the other merc groups taking orders from you?"

"The majority have fallen under my command without a hitch. But there are dissidents who broke off like you'd expect. They're not as large as they were but they'll grow themselves over time. But me and the Talons and the Militia have teamed up so their enemies and my competition can be dealt with, including what's left of Cerberus. Keeps my forces happy and keeps the credits flowing."

"Just as long as the damage is minimized, I'm okay with that," Shepard said. Just then, Shepard's Omni-tool blinked and he brought his hand up to his ear.

"This is Shepard," he said.

"The Talon's have completed loading the shipment," EDI said. "We are ready to leave on your command."

"Alright then," Shepard stood up. "Start preflight checks. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Happy trails Shepard," Aria said darkly. "I hope this stop on your victory tour was a highlight."

"It was a surprise. I'll give you that."

Shepard turn away leaving Aria on her throne. He proceeded down the steps and across the floor toy where Bray was waiting. Shepard looked back at the club one last time, seeing Aria perched on her throne but also the people below.

The escorts brought him back to his ship and Shepard proceeded though the airlock.

"Well then," Joker said at the helm. "It seems you making it back here in one piece proves the theory of Omega's standards improving was correct."

"Preflight checks are complete and we have a course to the delivery location," EDI said. "Shale we proceed with takeoff?"

"Take us out Joker," Shepard said.

"Aye aye," Joker replied.

The Normandy disengaged from dock and pulled out. As the ship maneuvered through the traffic, Shepard proceeded to the starboard lounge. As the Normandy approached the relay, Shepard looked out to Omega one last time. Terminus was a dangerous place and Omega was the forefront of all the horrible things that happened but it seemed that there were seeds of change that were growing. For Omega and the billions of people who were stuck in the Terminus systems. Thousands of people were standing up to the evils of warlords and uniting to fight for what was right. Doctors going out of their way to provide aid to those unfortunate enough to find themselves on the other side of the galaxy. Past all the politics and hard resistance of the evil that existed before the Reapers arrived, Shepard could see one thing that one would never associate with Terminus. Hope.

Shepard grinned as the Normandy was shot through the relay the next point in the galaxy.

Author's note:

Bin quite a while since I've written anything. College and writer burnout have taken their toll. And I haven't really fully planned anything beyond Chapter 18 because the resurrection of the geth was my main reason to start this story to give readers a template of the Perfect ending to the franchise. This chapter was in the works for a while but my writer burnout kept me from finishing it. But with Andromeda around the corner, I feel more motivated to continue and conclude this story before then. With your support, we can get there.

Sometime in the future, I do plan on expanding this ending in a project I'm dubbing "The Terminus Revolution." Don't know if it'll be mega sized or just a small short story but I'll see what I can do.

I'd like to give credit to ImperatorAlicia and her brilliant Mass Effect name generator to give my first organic OC his first true name (The first one ever being of course Nova). When I get to the Terminus revolution, I'll work on his backstory.

I'm currently working on the template on the final chapters so you can expect more in the future. Hopefully within the next year XD (Or less than that.) Thank you for reading. A favorite will be great and a comment would be even better. I'll see you next time.