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A/N: Thanks to everyone who followed along and left such wonderful reviews. It's been grand!

Chapter 40

Shepard surveyed the scene in the cargo hold. Medics of mixed races had set up a makeshift triage unit per Dr. Chakwas' orders. From what she could tell, Alliance soldiers were grouped on the far right, some aimlessly wandering up and down the ranks, while most appeared to be waiting for treatment. Turians and quarians took up the middle, the cargo bay fans separating out the ranks. Medics familiar with dextro DNA treated them, providing what aid the Normandy had to give. Krogan milled around on the left side, the small number gathered excitedly sharing stories of the battle, Wrex among them.

He spied her instantly and flung his arms wide in greeting. "Shepard!"

"Wrex." A crooked smile creased her face as she joined him among the circle of warriors. She stumbled forward as he slapped her on the back affectionately, suppressing a wince of pain as she tried to regain her balance. It would not do to lose face in front of the krogan now.

"We were just sharing stories of battle, of victories won against worthy foes."

"Well," Shepard drawled. "I'm happy to see you're keeping it all in perspective, Wrex."

The battlemaster roared with laughter, the others joining with him, the rumble of their amusement echoing throughout the hold and turning heads.

"What brings you to the Normandy?" She asked, looking him over. "No one looks injured."

Red eyes rolled forward to meet hers and he bared his teeth in what she supposed was a smile. "No Shepard. Those of my clan," he gestured broadly. "Those that are with me have suffered no injury. We seek transport to the Citadel."

"The Citadel?"

He nodded, enormous head dipping in an oddly graceful manner. "As leader of my clan, and those clans pledged to Urdnot, I speak for a united krogan race. I think the Council will be interested to hear what we have to say."

Shepard couldn't hide the surprise as it crossed her face. "Wrex, I never pegged you as a politician."

He chuckled lightly and nodded again. "Perhaps, Shepard. It seems we will yet see what the future holds for us. Thanks to you."

She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted as EDI's avatar flared to life beside the elevator.

"Commander, your presence is requested in the comm. room for debriefing."

Shepard shot Wrex an apologetic look, but he waved her off, understanding, and returned to the attentions of his clan.

"Have the senior staff been notified, EDI?"

"Affirmative, Commander."

The commander nodded. "I'm on my way."

The avatar wavered slightly. "I have also taken the liberty of scheduling a second, private debriefing with Admiral Hackett and Admiral Anderson per their request. They were most insistent."

"Of course they were." Shepard heaved a sigh as the elevator doors slid closed.

O o O o O o O

The commander took a seat as Miranda and Kaidan followed her into the comm. room, the familiarity of routine offset by the absence of Jacob and Garrus. She studied their empty seats briefly before setting her mind to task. Kaidan shifted slightly in his chair as he studied the data pad in his hands. Miranda turned to Shepard with her usual calm demeanor, a hint of curiosity in her eyes as Hanson and Serviceman Goering entered the room. She immediately took the chair opposite Kaidan while Hanson appeared reluctant to sit next to Miranda.

"Ms. Goering? Mr. Hanson? Thank you for coming. I'm sure there are many other things you all would rather be doing right now, but with Jacob and Garrus out of commission it falls to us to hold the ranks." Shepard punched in a series of commands into her omni-tool before continuing. "Doctor Chakwas has been logging in quite a few hours and our medical supplies are almost exhausted. Miranda, I want you to allocate whatever resources we have to assist. Use whatever you need to. I don't care. If there's a crewmember on board with first aid training, send them to Chakwas."

Miranda nodded, making a note on her data pad.

"Also, see if we can get some sort of reimbursement from the Alliance. We're using our own medicinal stores, and we did do Hackett's grunt work, after all."

"Yes, Commander." She typed in another notation on her pad. "I'm sure Commander Alenko will be available for collaboration if need be?"

Kaidan nodded, eyes still glued to his data pad. "If you think I can be of assistance, Ms. Lawson, let me know."

Miranda cocked a slender eyebrow, but shifted her attention back to the commander. "Very well. Anything else, Shepard?"

"Not at the moment. I'll inform you of changes as they come.

"Hanson, I need you to cover Jacob's workload. You're the only other person on board who knows the system as well as he does. I want an estimate on the repairs needed before we reach the Citadel - damage done, costs, materials. Everything."

"Aye, aye, ma'am." Bright eyes lit up as he switched on his omni-tool. "I already have the contact information for that Zimm fellow we worked with before. I'll see if he's available. Ms. Chambers too."

The commander cocked an inquisitive eyebrow.

"For collaborative purposes only, ma'am." Hanson added quickly.

Shepard punched in another sequence of commands and heard a soft ping from Kaidan's omni-tool. "Kaidan, I'd like a report from you regarding Citadel forces and our losses during the attack. I also want specific details on all Alliance ships deployed and destroyed during the engagement."

He glanced up from his information at the last and shot her a quizzical look. "I'll see what I can do, but it'll take some time."

She nodded, but did not elaborate. There would time enough for that later. "I also want you to notify Citadel forces of their crew we've taken on board – survivors and casualties. Dr. Chakwas should have their names, ranks, and ID numbers on file."

"Evans is already working on that, Shepard. I expect his report by the end of second watch."

"Good."

"Do you need me to cover Garrus' workload too?" he asked.

Shepard frowned as she remembered Garrus' bandaged body. "No. Ms. Goering here will do that. She's almost as familiar with the batteries as Garrus is." The commander turned her attention to the woman at the end of the table. "Serviceman, I'll need reports on our current power draw, damages, repairs, and any parts needed to get us back to optimum levels. Ken and Gabby can assist. EDI is also available should you need additional information."

"Yes, ma'am." She stated smartly.

"And how is Garrus doing?" Miranda set her data pad down, a look of genuine concern on her face.

The commander pursed her lips, pushing aside the unpleasant memory of her friend's injured form. "Dr. Chakwas gave him a good prognosis. He should recover." She looked up from the table and met Miranda's eyes. "She's not so sure about Jacob, though."

A flicker of something akin to pain ghosted across Miranda's face and she turned her attention once more to the data pad as if studying it intently. "I've already arranged for him to be moved to a facility on the Citadel upon our arrival. He'll have the best medical care available."

"I'm glad to hear it, Miranda." Shepard wasn't surprised by her actions, and certainly not by the calm demeanor she displayed. Her incredible efficiency was a dead giveaway. The commander had always idly wondered if she still had feelings for Jacob. Now she knew the answer.

"Is there anything else, Commander?" Miranda asked as she looked up from her data pad again.

Shepard frowned again, thinking. "No."

"Then we'll be leaving for the Citadel soon?" Hanson asked eagerly.

"Yes. We're accompanying the bulk of Fifth Fleet on their way back to Arcturus, diverting at the Charon Relay. We depart within the hour."

"Good." Miranda stood and straightened her uniform. "If there's nothing else, Commander, I've got reports to file."

"That's all I have at present." Shepard waved her off. "Like I said, I'll let you know if the situation changes."

Miranda nodded and switched off her data pad, smoothly exiting the room. Hanson and Goering stood to leave as well, their excited shuffling overly loud as Hanson tried to push his chair in. Shepard cringed slightly as metal squealed and grated together, and Hanson abandoned the attempt, awkwardly following Goering out of the room. The commander watched as they left, slightly relieved, and Kaidan turned his full attention to her once they were alone.

"So are you going to tell me why you're so interested in these Alliance reports?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, doing her best to deflect his question. "Just a hunch."

"Something I should know?"

Shepard shot him a brilliant smile. "Don't you have work to do?"

"You aren't going to tell me are you?" He stood, a crooked smile on his face as she shook her head. "Alright then. See you tonight?"

Her smile turned wicked. "My cabin will be available for that personal debriefing I've been expecting, Commander Alenko."

Dark eyes flickered teasingly. "I'll have that on your desk by this evening, ma'am."

O o O o O o O

The soft glow of the stars held her attention, keeping her from the restful embrace of sleep. They twinkled almost playfully as they drifted by her window, adorning the ceiling of her cabin with fleeting beauty. She tilted her head to the left, admiring the view beside her, dark hair rumpled on a soft white pillow. His face was peaceful in sleep, absent of the usual care and control he carried, no lines of worry creasing his brow. Careful not to wake him, she slipped from Kaidan's arms. The chill of the room caressed her naked form as she padded softly across the floor, pausing beside her desk in thought.

The blue light of the aquarium drenched her quarters in a serene glow, imported seaweed waving to and fro as the Skald Fish weaved around and within it. Kaidan had thoughtfully reprogrammed the tank to feed the fish at routine intervals and this batch had survived longer than any other.

Something so beautiful shouldn't stay empty, Shepard.

She smiled at the memory as she stood before the glass casing, arms crossed in thought as she pondered the day's events. Both Tali and Reegar had survived the ground war, Reegar's team taking few casualties. He had even professed rare praise for Hanson's assistance during the mission, his technical expertise invaluable in order to maintain their safety on the pressure cooker planet. After a brief good-bye, Tali and Reegar had returned to the flotilla, en route to an unspecified destination. Shepard didn't think it would be too long before she would see them again.

The Normandy had picked up Legion hours earlier, no problems reported as his signal had remained undiscovered. It admitted to gathering organic readings on the quarians, stating the data should be useful in deciphering organic interaction and hostility toward synthetics. Shepard had decided to leave that issue alone for the time being, focusing instead on more important concerns.

Samara opted to return to asari space, her oath as a Justicar taking precedence over personal desires. She had bid Shepard a fond farewell, although the commander did not think they would meet again. She had transferred to one of the Council's cruisers filled with wounded, which left the system shortly after she boarded.

Their promise fulfilled, the rachni disappeared once more into the void.

Her meeting with Hackett and Anderson had been surprising, although because of Dholen's interference, it was audio only. She bit her lip in thought at the memory. The Alliance had offered her full reinstatement and a captaincy. No doubt a PR campaign would follow and the thought of it churned her stomach. She had had her fill of military propaganda, and being the galactic poster girl for the Alliance was not on her agenda.

The Alliance offered her what she already had, but with strings to boot. The commander had promptly turned them down without a second thought. She was a Spectre and in command of her own ship with a crew that could outperform any in the fleet. Shepard would remain a Corsair, knowing without a doubt that this was where she belonged.

The rustling of bed sheets caught her attention and she saw that Kaidan had awoken despite her attempt at silence. He turned his tired gaze on her, dark eyes drinking in her bare body, and pulled the sheet from off the bed as he stood. Moving behind her, he wrapped her in his arms, the sheet covering their nakedness and sheltering the budding warmth between them. Tension eased from her body as she leaned into him, the scent of honey and summer breezes drifting on the air. They stood there for a time, watching the fish swim aimlessly, basking in the familiarity of each other's presence.

"Thank you," she whispered, reluctant to interrupt the comfortable silence.

"You're welcome."

She could hear the smile in his voice, the smoky timbre so familiar, and still so very tantalizing. She didn't feel the need to expound further. They had said all they needed to and more. He was with her, beside her, no matter the cost. No matter the danger. He would be with her all the way.

She pressed closer to the warmth rolling off him, their bodies rocking gently as if swaying to a slight breeze, the blue glow of the aquarium softly pulsing with the rhythm of the ship. His arms surrounded her, firmly yet gently hugging her form. A wave of contentment suffused her body, warmth spreading throughout her limbs, and she allowed herself the courage to hope, to enjoy the peace that he provided.

This is what she had fought for.

This is where she belonged.