Just a Mass Effect Fanfic

Grounded

(Shepard, Thorne, Kaidan, Ashley, Garrus, Wrex, Tali, Liara, and Kirrahe are gathered in the transmission room, but there still sits one empty chair)

Ashley: I can't believe Jenkins didn't make it. How could we just leave him down there?

Shepard: Jenkins knew the risks going in. He gave his life to save the rest of us. I hate soldiers dying under my command

Thorne: So do I. But the mission would have gone a lot worse if it weren't for Jenkins. He will be missed

Kaidan: He will. I remember one time he asked me to lift him up with biotics, but I accidentally slammed him into a wall. Everyone thought he broke a bone or two, but he got up and said "That was AWESOME!"

Kirrahe: I didn't know him for long, but he was an excellent soldier. There is no death more honorable than a warrior's

(Everyone smiles sadly at Jenkins' bittersweet memory)

Liara: Commander? Excuse me for interrupting, but I have an idea. I think the beacon you found in Saren's lab was similar to the one you found on Eden Prime. It may have filled in the missing pieces of your vision. I might be able to help you put all those pieces together

Shepard: You want to join our minds together again, don't you? Ok. Go ahead

Liara: Here goes... Relax, Commander Shepard. Embrace eternity!

(Liara's eyes go completely black as she joins minds with Shepard to try and make sense of his visions)

Liara: Incredible... I never thought the images would be so... intense. I need a moment to collect myself

Shepard: Did the vision make any sense to you?

Liara: It's a distress call. A message sent out across the prothean empire. A warning against the reapers, but the warning came too late

Thorne: Did you manage to find anything about about the conduit?

Liara: There were other images. Locations. Placds I recognized from my research... ILOS! THE CONDUIT IS ON ILOS! That's why Saren needed the mu relay! It is the only way to get to Ilos!

Shepard: We need to get to Ilos, stat!

Tali: Forget it. The mu relay's inside the terminus systems

Kirrahe: Yes. Alliance ships are not welcome there

Garrus: And neither are spectres...

Tali: Did we just finish each other's-?

Garrus:... Sandwiches?

Tali: (Annoyed silence)

Thorne: Unless we somehow hijack a different ship, we really don't have much of a choice

Shepard: Thorne's right. The conduit's on Ilos. That's where Saren is heading. And we'll be waiting for him when he gets there

Wrex: Saren's gonna have his entire fleet orbiting Ilos. We'll never make it down to the surface without reinforcements

Kaidan: Then we'll have to alert the council

Ashley: And get an entire fleet

Kirrahe: Possibly an army

(Liara's legs get wobbly, but Shepard catches her before she falls)

Liara: I am sorry. The joining is exhausting. I should go to the medical bay and lie down for a moment