Tuchanka, Clan Urdnot Camp, 2187

Commander Shepard marched boldly through the camp of Tuchanka's chief clan. The members of Clan Urdnot stared menacingly at the human, as though he were not welcome. These were the young and restless tribesmen. The elders, however, gave Shepard looks of honor and respect, something that is rare among humans. The Commander smirked as he reached the Clan Chief's throne. An old friend stared down at him, a wild toothy grin spreading across his face. "Shepard! You return." Urdnot Wrex half-yelled from his ruined seat of power.

"Yes, old friend." Shepard said, not showing as much as a hint of weakness or vulnerability. Wrex's old eyes looked him over, as if looking for something.

"Where is Urdnot Grunt?" he inquired, eyes locking with Shepard's in a menacing manner.

Shepard cleared his throat as he began to speak. "He chose to remain on the Normandy. He's sparing with some of the new crewmen."

"Ah, I see. Tell him that his Clan wishes him well. Good warriors are hard to come by." Wrex said. He reached for a drink, most likely some Krogan concoction that would destroy a human's insides. "Shepard, I know you. Reminiscent chats and nostalgia aren't up your alley. So, now the all important question arises." Wrex paused to take another drink from his flask. Shepard saw droplets of bright red fluid wash over his lips. "Why are you here?" Wrex asked.

Shepard straightened his spine and spoke loudly, so that other Krogan might hear. "As you know, the galaxy is in the midst of war. A new enemy, the Covenant, has appeared on our horizon. The Council and, ultimately, the galaxy face annihilation at the hands of these xenophobic monsters." Shepard explained, appealing to the Krogan bloodthirst. It appeared to be working. "The Covenant possess technology far beyond our own. To make matters worse, the Reaper fleet has been sighted in the far reaches of the galaxy." He continued, a small crowd having gathered around him. "I have come here today, on behalf of the galaxy, to ask for your aide in the coming battle. We need your help. We cannot win this fight alone." Shepard finished. The Krogan gathered around him roared with bloodlust at the mention of the upcoming battle. They face impossible odds, and Shepard knew that would appeal to them.

Urdnot Wrex looked at Shepard with wise and hungry eyes. Without even so much as a word, Shepard knew he had their support. Wrex nodded, motioning for a number of warriors to cheer. "Inform the council. We will have our forces gathered within the month."

SSV Normandy, Shepard's Wolf-Pack, Citadel Space, 2187

Tali woke to the sound of computer keys tapping furiously. Shw sat up and looked at Shepard, who was busy typing something on his terminal. "John, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing…Just sending reports to the Citadel and Alliance command." Shepard replied, not missing a beat in his typing. He had been typing his information for the last hour.

"John, couldn't this wait? You've hardly paid any attention to me." Tali said, slightly annoyed, "And I could use a little attention."

Shepard sighed as he hit the last key. "And…Send." he whispered. Swiveling his chair around, he looked Tali dead in the eyes. She stared back at him, and then made a suggestive expression.

"Well?" She said, making Shepard grin.

"Again, Tali?" He asked, voice light with sarcasm. Smile still wide on his face, Shepard walked over to the bed and, after a vigorous 'workout', fell back into a deep sleep with Tali held tightly in his arms. For a brief moment, all felt right in the Galaxy.

Three hours later...

Shepard's eyes slowly slid open as he awoke, his vision still blurry. Only three hours, he thought as he looked at his clock. He carefully slid away from Tali's still sleeping body and walked to the bathroom, gaze drifting back to her as the door slid shut. After a brief shower and change of clothes, Shepard stepped back into his quarters. Tali now sat up on the bed, her enviro-suit still in a mishapen pile on the floor. "John, where are you going?" She asked, stifling a yawn as she stretched. Shepard rubbed his towel against his head in an effort to dry his still wet hair.

"To the mess. Want anything?" he replied, tossing the towel into an obscure corner of the room.

Tali rolled her eyes and reached for her suit. "No, haven't been able to eat right lately. Not sure why." she said. Shepard shrugged and walked into the elevator as Tali finshed sealing her suit. As the elevator reached its destination, Shepard was greeted by Dervish.

"Commander, I have something very important to dicsuss with you." he said, eyes locked to his omni-tool. Dervish was deep in some kind of tedious work, yet he was somehow able to guide himself through the pleasantries of a normal life. As they walked over to a table, Dervish dodged two groups of crewmen and sat down, all while furiously scanning through information on his omni-tool.

"How do you do that?" Shepard asked, absolutely baffled at how he managed to do these things.

"Years of practice." Dervish said, finally de-activating his omni-tool. His eyes were bloodshot. It was obvious that the man had very little sleep. Shepard inquired, but all Dervish would say was "I got enough."

Shepard sighed and looked down at his plate. Gardner's special breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage. The works. Gardner smiled from his corner of the mess hall, obviously impressed with the reactions garnered by his latest meal. "Glad you like it, boss." he whispered.

"Commander, incoming transmission..." Joker's voice trailed off as the signal played through his headset. "Commander...I...I..." Joker began to stutter from the shock of what he was hearing. Not Earth, he thought, Not Earth. Shepard played the recording through his omni-tool. The SPARTANs below deck heard through the intercom. Earth had fallen. The Reapers now held the center of humanity. Its origin point. Nothing could possibly send morale any lower.

"Joker, plot a course for the Citadel. This war ends now!"

Unknown space, 2187

Deep within the confines of the structure, ancient mechanisms had activated, setting in motion the long process of Reclamation. Sentinels flew overhead, and the lone moniter activated several holo-panels, ending with a secquence of locator beacons. Ever since the Old Machines had been detected inside the galactic rim, the stations automated systems had re-activated all the fital functions. Weapons, life supports, and containment protocols have all been put into effect. The arrival of Reclaimers, fortold in their programming for millenia, is finally upon them. The ancient programs and constructs of the Forerunner darted helter skelter throughout the Ring, preparing it for whatever may be recquired. Nazaran Contigency, Flood Protocol, Preparation-31...Any outcome the Forerunner had forseen. The moniter activated the final secquence of panels and preparation systems before it could assume the waiting stance. "Soon, my masters preparations shall come to fruition." The monitor sang quietly as it assumed its standby mode. Sleep was now upon it, as well as the whole of the Ring, absent save for indigenous lifeforms. All the preparations they had made, however, could not have prepared them for this.

To Be Continued...

AN: Thanks for staying so faithful to the story. However, because of time constraints, it may be a while before I post again. However, as far as this story goes...Well, thank you all for reading.

Also, if you want more, I will be making a sequel soon, so be patient. Anyways, thank you to all of you faithful readers out there! See you all next-time in Mass Effect: Fall of Sorrows