Thread: Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end [1x1 with Javorcek]

Miranda checked the medical equipment, reviewing over the logs. She came by every four hours, trusting in no one but herself. She would check the IV, the bags full of drugs, the EKG. Sometimes, she would just stand there and watch her breathe. Shepard lied in the hospital bed, unconscious, breathing through a tube. Half her head had to be shaved in order to open her skull to relieve pressure. Tubes ran down her nose and throat. Bandages were wrapped around her head, her arms, her torso. Miranda had to rewrap those bandages every day, remove the puss, check the stitches. Fairly barbaric really. But this was all they could manage. All she could manage. As brilliant as she was made to be, life is hard. Living in the ashes of what used to be a world even harder. The losses on Earth were staggering, millions killed and transformed into husks. But Earth was lucky. Lucky in that the Reapers didn't want to burn it to ash like they did the batarians, lucky that the Reapers wanted humans unlike the batarians, lucky that they didn't kill Shepard in the first few minutes of the attack. Humanity was lucky to have someone like Shepard. Miranda smiled slightly as she checked the monitors. She was lucky that Shepard remained the way she was. The patient room was plain, clean and most of all well guarded. Even if the war was over, in fact, especially the war was over there might be some people who wanted their revenge. The decisions that Shepard had made over the war had its ugly endings. People were sacrificed for the greater good, for the benefit of all. Miranda could understand that, the scientist in her knew that everything that Shepard did had to be for the long game. The soft human empathic part of her worried about what would had happened if her sister was the one who died because of someone's decision. She couldn't even contact her sister, didn't know where she was. There was also the batarians whose entire system was destroyed as a preemptive strike. Some of them might not see it that way. They might not see past their rage, their grief. Which was why Shepard had a few friends watching over her as she recovered. Grunt glared at anyone who walked by the room, revealing all his teeth. It was sufficient enough to make most people skirt a wide radius around the krogan. Most of the doctors and nurses knew who was the patient in that room but they were sworn into secrecy. While the war with the Reapers was over, galactic society has fallen into chaos. Whatever reason that brought them together nearly disintegrated in the face of despair. The alien fleets that had chosen to fight with Shepard were stranded in the Sol System. At first there was only celebration as the Reaper fleet fell, but tension followed as the fleets realized that they could no longer use the relays. There was panic at first, accusations and then just plain flat despair. They had abandoned their own home worlds and now they orbit another. The agreement that Shepard had worked so hard to cultivate was hanging by threads, threatening to fall apart and drag the galaxy in another war. Admiral Hackett was the highest military official of the Alliance, the supervisor of the Crucible and leader in the last attack against the Reapers. Now that the battle was over, he was in command of the recovery process. Well, not just himself. It was now a joint operations between all races. It wasn't a strange sight to see asari, salarians, turians giving reports to him in person. In their time of greatest need, they had to work together. In the end, it was Shepard who kept them together, who held them when they were tearing apart at the seams. Admiral Hackett rubbed his chin, standing on the CIC of his ship. Primarch Victus, any word on the relays? None. Our best scientists are trying to figure out what made them shut down. Admiral Xen and the quarians are working on the geth. We do not know why the geth all shut down, but it was right before the red beam destroyed the reapers and shut down the relays. What of the Citdael? Rescue crews are working on determining the health of those still on it. Right now, most of the wards still have power and running water. In fact, they're in a better position than those on Earth. We think it's best to leave them there. We might... Victus paused, his mandibles flaring. We don't know how they brought the Citadel here, we might have to leave it in Earth's orbit. Hackett made a noise. I see. Having the seat of the galaxy floating above Earth would be something to get used to. Admiral Hackett..may I ask the condition of Commander Shepard? She is in intensive care. When they dragged her body up from the rubble, the Commander was barely alive. Parts of her armor was burned into her body, her face was a map of injuries, her red hair soaked with sweat and blood. She was incredibly pale, barely breathing. The reports were disheartening. Any other person would have died from their wounds. The troops had rushed her into the closest working hospital, where tired surgeons began treating her most grievous injuries, stabilizing her. It was all they could do, their medical supplies stretched to the limits, doctors forced to use practices that were phased out a few centuries ago. It was all they could do to just keep Shepard from dying from blood loss. Luckily for them, a certain ex-Cerberus operative offered her help. She had built Shepard, made her the cybernetics that had saved her life. Miranda Lawson had managed to work miracles, from stabilizing Shepard to actually moving her towards recovery. Right now she was in a medically induced coma to keep her from waking. It would take months for Shepard to heal. Current projections estimated half a year, maybe more. Hopefully if they get the relays up, they could resupply and get Shepard to an actual facility. But as of right now, they were working with the best they could. I see. Victus cleared his throat. The other admirals and I were wondering if.... He paused. Commander Shepard is an amazing person. During the time I was on Normandy, I hand witnessed her leadership, her bravery. I want to honor that. This war brought out the worst in all of us, and the best. We wish to honor her for her sacrifice, for her deeds. There was a long pause in which Admiral Hackett said nothing. Honor her by working together. By keeping this alliance alive. I need your support Primarch, yours and the others if we're ever going to get through this.