The Last Goodbye

"So, you're really going through with it?"

"Yeah. Got a bit of time due to the...grievin' period. Reckon 'cause of the work we did, Council's a little forgivin' in this matter."

"I'd be there with you and Ferox, but you always had a way of terrible timing."

"Heh. Guess I do. Though, not sure who you can blame here."

"Well...its not her fault. I'm...sorry, Edward."

"Thanks, Scilly. It means a lot for the vid-call."

"The graduation ceremony's in a few hours, I should get ready. Afterwards, we'll all go out for drinks. My treat."

"Go tend to the flock, Mama Bird. You let her know I'm proud of her. And I'll dangle that 'I.O.U' over your head till you commit."

"Ha. Glad to see your sense of humor is still there. I-... Make sure you get some rest too. Actual rest."

"Alright, alright. Next thing I know, you'll be wantin' to chew my food and feed it to me."

"Goodbye, Edward."

A soft chuckle left him, "See you soon."

The orange screen that held the feed of the female Turian disconnected, and Edward was sat alone in the Captain's quarters of his ship. The only sound coming from the metal settling after their jump, and the hum of the engines. He turned around in his chair, facing back to look towards the home away from home, the lived in space barely fit for two, now fell massive for just one. His legs found the strength to lift him up, clad in an tank-top, his artificial arm on full display, the bare skin showing every nick, scratch, and scar upon his features, and the bottom fit of formal attire will worn from the wake. The bed creaked as he sat down upon it, memory form contorting to his rear, and yet, it almost seemed like it was expecting another. One that would never return. So many nick-nacks and sorts decorated the space, figurines and glasses, liquor bottles and photos, but it was never quite as cozy as that little apartment on the Citadel. All the Earthly possessions of Aro sat back there, under lock and key, for when his mind was ready to handle that stress. He always did well to keep appearance, but, the grizzled Spectre's face had shown that of all the horrific events in his life, nothing cut quite as deep as this. At least he was there, it wasn't a war zone, or a gunfight. It was peaceful, silent, and expected. And that made it worse.

His hand reached towards the nightstand, a bottle of beer previously opened, fingers reaching towards it, and yet, it slipped past, and towards the framed photo. A Polaroid to perfectly encapsulate the moment in time, a field of golden wheat, twinkling and frozen in mid-sway. Edward to the left, arm extending past the frame, holding the camera, looking up into the lens with a big, stupid grin. But beside him was her. The green-skinned love of his life, jet black eyes absorbing the sun's rays, a grin probably as dumb as his, but, she had her way of making anything she did magic. Her hands tenderly against his side, with his arm wrapped around her side, an embrace to perfectly fit the tone for that time. When he took her home, to the family ranch on Earth, just to let her know, she had a family, even with her short time. Time was the real enemy, the thing that he cursed and bargained with. The thing he drank to, and eventually, what he was committing to today. The time to put her to rest.

"Captain, we arrived at Rakhana. We're maintaining an orbit while Ferox preps the landing craft."

The voice of his pilot snapped his mind free from its grasp, his hand coming up to wipe his face of the sweat, and down the chin dotted with stubble. He was a bit of a mess at the moment. Still, the hand not holding the frame lifted up, sparking the Omni-tool to life, and looking towards the wall as he spoke.

"Copy that, once we're set, have everyone meet me down at the Cargo Hold."

"Roger. See you there."

He let the orange tool disappear, and look back at the frame, letting the metallic finger gently touch the surface of the picture, right against her cheek, wishing it didn't feel like glass. After a moment of silence, the picture was set back in its place, as the Commander rose to his feet to put on the top-piece to his attire, and head for the Cargo Hold.

"Officer on Deck!" One of the sergeants rattled out, the crew filing into position, and saluting as Edward entered, waving his hand dismissively before they all eased. They left him a pathway towards his destination, the only one who didn't formally salute was the Krogan, standing beside the metal casket, carefully sealed for their task. The rest of his crew watched quietly, some averting the gaze in the face of the tragedy, not out of disrespect, but it seemed more polite than staring. The Krogan's eyes, however, never moved, looking down at Edward with the same harsh look he always had, but, he at least seemed to try and look a bit softer.

"Thanks for helpin' out, Ferox." Edward's gaze was looking to his cuffs to straighten them out, before giving an old friend a glance. Ferox grunted at first, before looking at the casket, and huffed. "I owe you. And her. I'm doing this for her sake, as much as your own. She was a strong warrior, for how puny she was." Where one would see that as a terrible joke, Edward snorted and put on a smile.

"Yeah, she really was an ass kicker, huh?" The two exchanged, Edward also looking back towards the casket, before sighing and turning to look back at his crew. He took a few steps to stand in front of the casket, and rather than taking a more authoritative stance, his arms were at his sides, giving the crew currently there a once more.

"You've all been with me through a lot of hell. A lot of fights. A lot of loss. We've gained, and we've all taken hits. Its been a ride, and one that'll continue after this day," He started, turning half-way to the casket, placing a gloved hand against the cool metal, gently rubbing it as his eyes shut. "But, even the toughest have moments of weakness. And despite any species divide we have, we're brothers and sisters in arms. There to catch the pieces that crack off. And I couldn't be more thankful for those in my service." He bit his lip, inhaling slowly, and moving his hand away quickly to stand back to face them. "Once today is done, you'll all have some time for shore leave. Do with it what you will. Afterwards, its right back into the fray. The Galaxy never sleeps, but, we'd all go stir-crazy if we did nothing but work. Its my thanks, for letting me go through with this, and for being the best day crew in the Galaxy." His hand rose to give a firm salute, to which it was responded in kind. His heart swelled, and he lowered his hand. "Y'all are dismissed."

And slowly, they began to trickle away, back to work around the ship, and Edward watched with a feigned smile, doing his best to keep his mask on. His heart was in his stomach, knowing exactly what was in the casket. They all knew. It always hurt to bury a comrade. But in Edward's case, it was something else entirely. He turned to face the black metal box, slowly kneeling down and playing his hand upon the center seam, his smile disappearing from view as only Ferox was left to watch. "You always had a way with words. That's why I'm not a Warlord. You need to know how to talk as well as you can throw a punch." Eddy let out a small huff of air from his nostrils, reaching up to scratch his cheek for a moment. "She was the better talker. I just know how to sell bullshit." Ferox didn't press it, but he did walk up and give a firm, Krogan pat to the back, "Come on. Lets get this over with, so the dead can rest." Edward's body swayed from the pat, but after a moment, he nodded, and rose up to his feet.

After awhile, the casket was loaded onto the Mako, and Edward outfitted himself into his armor. He wasn't expecting trouble, the planet itself was nearly inhospitable, and those that did remain, wouldn't be a threat. He wasn't going to be long as is. The Kodiak soon kicked to life, picking up the ground vessel, and began its decent into the planet's atmosphere, laced in generations of poisonous fog from a bygone era of war and chaos. Visibility was minimal, but the pilot was an expert of their craft. A trajectory had already been plotted, it was simply a matter of weathering the storm. "Alright Commander, prepare to drop." Edward sat at the controls, Ferox remained in the back, safeguarding Aro's casket as the sudden lurch from detachment had their weights shift, before the wheels made contact with the ground below. Edward couldn't see far, but he had scanned a cave not too far from the drop point, and soon enough they began their short trek.

It was a silent one, save for the howling winds of the ravaged planet. So long ago, this could of been a beautiful place. But war does terrible things, especially to one's self. The Hanar had saved who they could, and ensured the survival of the Drell themselves, and yet, a new land brought new problems; in specific, the lung disease that claimed Aro's life, and so many others. And yet, most came to terms with it, just as she did, and Edward saw strength in that. A ticking time bomb, and there was no way to defuse it. And yet, she lived, they lived. He made sure her life was as carefree as possible. They knew their bond was short lived, but Edward had recovered so tremendously with her, this blow was clearly getting to him.  It might of been the reason why they were on Rakhana in the first place. He thought it be appropriate, a culture she held so dear, a place she wanted to go. Maybe she can find what she's looking for, the shores that await her.

When they arrived, it was a rather unimposing cave, one that sat along the face of a cliff, sands whipping along the Mako like thousands of pin-needles scrapping the metal to claw their ways in. He wondered what this place could of looked like in its prime, sitting and looking at the rushing mass of tainted sand that rushed along the hull of the transport. "Come on, Edward! She might be heavier than me, damn girl." That was Ferox's way of coping. It was a weakness for Krogan to show signs of emotion, or at the very least, for Ferox. But, Edward was quick to slip his way into the back, and the two entered the sandstorm, and moved against the winds to get into the cave. The roaring winds shook them both to the bone, but neither spoke about it, they simpled moved through toxic air to the end of the cave. Their suit's lights were the only things illuminating the cave, until Edward pulled a spiked lantern from his waist, and stabbed it into the stone while Ferox laid her down with a grunt.

"There. All done." He stated flatly, the two now standing beside each other looking at the dark metal, sharing a brief moment of silence before the Krogan's helmet turned to look at Edward. "I'll...give you two a minute or something. I'll make sure the Mako doesn't fly off."

The Commander nodded, and Ferox took a moment to look back at the casket, before turning to walk out. He didn't have many words to say, and figured Edward's would mean more than his own. So, he walked his way back outside, as Edward took a moment to sit down beside the lifeless Aro, hidden safely in her sarcophagus. And for awhile, nothing was said, it was a moment that reminded him of sitting beside her bed at the hospital in the Citadel. They did all they could, but her genetics had determined her fate, and it was only a matter of time. The wicked beast that they knew was waiting outside the door. And yet, no words needed to be said. They had done as much as possible in the short span of time, one which to the remaining party, would be a lifetime. Part of Edward simply wanted to remove his helmet, and let his body join her own, but, he knew that wasn't the right answer. He had done his research, he had done all he could, to understand everything about her. They learned together, spilled blood, sweat, and tears. And in the end, they both knew only he would remain. A hero of the Citadel, the one who saved the coup that could of spread chaos across the Galaxy, but in reality, he was a broken man, held together by duct tape and paper clips. And yet, through her, he learned so much about himself. About his issues, his problems, together, they healed, and even though their love together was short, the sheer feeling shared between the two would never be forgotten.

"Its not a fancy tomb or nothin', but, its the least I could do." He said softly, muffled behind the helmet as his head turned to look at the box. "I know you wanted to come back, and we just...never had the time too. Between the attacks, and the missions, we just, thought we'd save it. Years went by, and well, we made it." His voice softened at the end, his eyes squinting to hold back the tears welling at his eyes. "I read what you wrote me. I read it over and over again, hoping there was some kinda weird Drell seance I could use to hear you one last time. But, I guess its for the best that there wasn't." A broken chuckle left him, his gaze looking back to his knees as fists formed from his clenched fingers. How much of him wished for her to pop out of the casket, and surprise him. It was all some cruel joke of the universe. Everything he's loved ended up crumbling before him. All the time, the words, the memories, the ups, the down, when she released her last breath, it crashed on him like a crumbling mountain. And that's when the first quiet gasp of a sob escaped him, a hand reaching up to hold the faceplate of his helmet. "We both knew this wasn't gunna be easy. We were both ready for it, and yet, this...I still feel like I was never ready for it. Who could be?" His head jerked to the side, hand being cast to the stone below him, the metallic scrapping as his armor met the surface. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression. He went through all of them. A bubbling brew that swirled his mind like a whirlpool, his own broken thoughts screaming as they were swallowed by the abyss. "I-...I-," His words choked, his hands reaching up to hold his helmet, his mind almost trying to guide open the release. To end it. And yet, he didn't.

He felt a cool feeling, something that chilled the searing heat of his mind. A quiet, gentle touch, that had pulled him from the inky blackness before. And still did. A memory. The alley, where his mind was reaching a breaking point, had been calmed by her. His thoughts been swept away by the jet-black eyes of her, her words calm and collected. It was the voice of reason, her very words the things that kept him alive. Her actions that made sure he stayed the path. She had done so much, and asked for nothing in return. For she knew his problem, she understood him better than any therapist or quack could. A mind that never turned off, constantly plagued by the past. But she filled in the blanks, the bad with the good. He clung to them, every single one, like papers caught to the wind, chasing a fleeting dream. His hands moved to rest on his knees, his head hung softly as the cave gave no reply. His eyes watered, his cheeks moist under the helmet, and yet, he came to the final trial. The very end of the road. She was gone. But, she was not forgotten. A woman with her own problems and troubled past. A warrior, with wisdom far beyond her time, one whose mind reacted the same ways his dead, just in a more verbal means. Recallings of event's past, weaving stories against her mind's will at times, others with purpose. He learned so much of her, even if her occupation wasn't the most reputable. In time, she became his, and he became hers. They traveled the stars, hand in hand, and during their final moments, he never left her side. Just as he promised.

"I hope bringin' you here gets you to those shores faster." He laughed softly, the afterlife for the Drell. A place like heaven, where minds go to relax, one she spoke off quite frequently. "I should of packed your swim suit. You always looked so damn good in that two piece." Even if her race looked more aquatic, they were more a kin to the desert, much like lizards. But, he could still fancy the thought, even in her passing. "I spent so many nights just sittin', trying to think of ways to keep you around in the beginnin'. Research, experiements, somethin'. But, then it hit me. This isn't the end. Never was. Never will be." A hand reached to touch the lid, gently like a new-born child. "You'll wait. I know you will. It kills me, but...we both know the best things come when they are needed. Just like you did. I already gave my good-byes. But...I'll keep going. For you. I'll live as long as I can, and do what you wanted me to do. Good. I used to think you were that good. That you were the reason to keep going out into the line of fire to save people. But, you were just the catalyst, the reward at the end of a long day's work. You were the light of my life. And even with you gone, you still are." God he wanted a cigarette, but it'd have to wait. This was to be his last moments with her, even if his words fell to deaf ears. "Guess this gives you time to work on that tan. You go back to that big beach party with your Goddess, and I'm stuck doing wetwork." Even in the blackest of times, Edward's defense always resorted to humor. And it had gotten easier with Aro around. But he had to remain that man she remembered, he knew he was. It was just going to be hard. "Who knows what waits for me. But, my promise still stays strong. I just hope that when I come find  you, you don't mind a few extra wrinkles. I'll make mistakes. I'll fuck up, get fucked up, but when God comes knockin', I'm sure he won't mind me slipping away from the pearly gates for a nice beach vacation."

He was glad he was alone. He'd had to have someone watching this. His head slowly laid upon the surface of metal, his eyes shutting. "I'll miss you. Every minute of every day. But, I love you. I still do. It'll take some time, but I'll move on. Until the day comes that we can stand among the waves together. Wait for me, Aro. Wait for me." He needed to let go, his arms had subconsciously clung to the angular shape, his legs shuffling to ready himself to stand, and he leaned his whole body back, looking finally upon the casket, placing his hand upon the center, and smiling widely through the tears. "I love you."

Ferox picked at his teeth inside the Mako, looking at a chunk of...something, before catching a glance of Edward emerging alone from the cave. The back hatch opened, kicking in the storm and rushing wind until the hatch was sealed, and Ferox watched as Edward sat down across from him, the helmet being removed, and the sad face of the soldier on display. Ferox stopped picked his teeth, looking at his finger for a moment before lowering his hands on his lap, and observing the other. "She was good for you. Like the talking stick is good for me. There's gotta be a balance." The Salarian that had been in Ferox's shadow of protection was a chatterbox, but most were. Edward nodded still, accepting the Krogan's word. He wasn't wrong, his balance was just off, way off, completely off. But he was silent. "Shit. Where's Scilly when you need her? She's better with this emotional crap." He gave as wave, before rising up and stomping his way over, giving the Commander a push to force his gaze up. "I'm sick of you grovelling. And the damn Turian will take too long getting back from that military garbage. We're getting back to the Citadel, and we're getting hammered. I'll pay." And Edward watched the Krogan match his way to the wheel to get them to the pick up zone. A few hours he had been in that cave. He didn't realize it until now, but, he had gotten the last of it out. The pain was simply another scar, but, it was one he wouldn't look upon with regret. In the small span of years he and Aro were together, it was the most magical experience of his life. And she would surely be watching him, waiting for the day he walked up to that beach. "Thousand Credits says I can outdrink you." Ferox looked back at him from the driver's seat, snorting loudly. "What? I got nothing to lose." Eddy tried to bring himself back. It'd take time, but, he would. And whenever he got scared, he'd just need to remember her. She was his moment of calm. And in time, he would reach that calm again when it came to it.

She would of probably kicked his ass for crying anyway. But she'd rather see him smile, surely.