thefinaljedi | 16th Transmission: Farewell to the Crew of the Normandy. [Voice/Action]

[It hadn't been hard to notice that Commander Shepard had returned home. Artoo had rolled into his room, her pistol carried in his outstretched claw, whistling and beeping. Luke shook his head and went to check it out, unsurprised to find Alia's spartan room completely devoid of anything. It was pretty thorough, and Luke guessed that the gun had been meant as a keepsake.

Which led him to go knocking on the door of the basement lab to see if Mordin was around. He hadn't seen the Salarian in a while, either. Oddly, it was unlocked, an unusual occurrence all on it's own. He headed down into it, and found everything neat and tidy, save for the Salarian's personal effects. A few obviously trapped books, a scribbled note, and a box filled with Medigel with a note "For the Clinic" on it indicated that he too had returned home.

With Ami kidnapped, Valentine's fast approaching, and his housemates either gone or preparing to leave for a camping trip, Luke was feeling his equilibrium slipping. Flipping open his journal, he sent out a broadcast.]

Hello everyone,

I regret to inform you that Commander Alia Shepard and Professor Mordin Solus have both returned to their world. They were good people, and Mordin saved a lot of lives during the last draft. If it's something you do, have a drink for them. They'd appreciate it.

If you have an appointment with me, I'm sorry, I'll have to cancel for the time being. I'll be in Good Spirits this evening, and tomorrow morning I'm heading into the mountains for some time to myself.

And Shepard, Mordin?

May the Force be with you.

[True to his word, Luke will be in Good Spirits for most of the evening, and he'll be around town packing up some supplies for some time in the mountains. Grab him anywhere around town.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It troubles me, on occasion, that so many of those around us are so overwrought with anxiety and paranoia. For all that our own galaxy was filled with danger, people also had a certain faith- even if their faith was misplaced."

Mordin seemingly had a hard life, from what I know it was well earned paranoia. He was a good man, and the village owes him a great debt.

Strange though, how Alia only left behind a gun. I suppose that was her way.

"Perhaps."

[He glances around the room.]

"Still, with them gone, it will only be the two of us and Artoo in the house. And I'll be moving as well, soon."

[His expression focuses on Luke again, a bit more concerned. Obi-Wan was used to spending his time alone- indeed, it was how he preferred it- but Luke, he knew, was far more social, more often in the company of friends and family and allies.

And he had been closer to Alia and Mordin.]

Adele told me. I'm happy for you.

[Luke shrugged, not really concerned about living alone. Artoo was generally enough company. And he could always visit other people. Home was just a place to sleep and work on projects.]

I'll be alright. I've lived alone before, Ben. Before you came, Artoo wasn't even here.

"I shan't worry myself about it, then."

[He sips his tea.]

"You knew the Commander and the Doctor better than I. Did they have any particular custom of remembrance that we ought to observe?"

[Luke wordlessly stands up, goes over to Mordin's liquor cabinet, and pulls out a bottle of rather pink liquid, pouring two cups. He sets one down in front of Ben, and then the bottle between them.]

Drinking.

[He chuckles at that. Soldiers. Some things never change.]

"Sounds reasonable enough."

[Doesn't even care that the liquid is hot pink, either. He's probably ingested stranger things. He lifts his glass.]

"I believe a toast would be appropriate?"

[Luke raises the glass as well]

To the crew of the Normandy. May the Force be with you.

[And he drinks, downing the odd liquid in a single go]

[And Obi-Wan does the same, though he takes a bit longer to taste the strange beverage, since he hasn't had it before.]

"What do you know of their home galaxy?"

[Luke shrugs at that question]

It's the Milky Way, from what I know of it. The one that contains Earth, though several thousand years past Adele and Ami's timeline. A bit closer to Daisy or Spock's.

And they were dealing with an alien threat called Reapers, from outside their galaxy.

"Well, that doesn't sound promising... still, I suspect they'll be equal to the task. They seemed quite proficient at their work."

I think so too.

[He pours them both a second drink.]

Wish there was something I could do to help, but being stuck here, there isn't anything for it.

"I'm certain this is the reason why we are taught a certain amount of detachment and acceptance, but it is occasionally troubling to think that there is so much that could be done for these worlds, if people with our talents were to find them. The forces represented in this village alone could have altered the tides of our own galaxy for the better."

[He accepts the drink with a frown.]

"I suppose it's foolish of me, but at times it does trouble me."

[What you were taught, Obi-Wan.]

A single Republic strike force could change most of the worlds here for the better, I think. And the people here, yes, they could do much to deal with the problems we've had.

[He drinks]

It's not foolish. It's all within the realm of possibility, if Stark's project goes through.

[He frowns at that thought.]

"That may pose interesting concerns of its own, in truth. What if our intervention into worlds where we don't belong has unintended consequences?"

[It was, of course, a minor concern. If the crew of the Normandy were in danger, and he could save them, would he? Yes. Absolutely. But one has to wonder.]

"If we alter my timeline, for instance, what effect might that have upon yours?"

[Luke shrugged]

To be honest, I don't have any idea. Time is an area I'm not well versed in, but I think I'd still step in regardless of consequences.

[He leans back and smiles]

I'm sure the Force will find a way to balance the scales if something changes. I'm not so arrogant as to think we could solve everyone's problems, but little things, given the chance? I don't see how it could hurt.
[He pauses, thinking. Luke Skywalker did like to think big.]

After all if we alter something in your past, it would change my present. And I'd already be affected by the change and thus not know what needed changing, and it would seem that history was taking the proper course.

[Obi-Wan strokes his beard thoughtfully, then chuckles.]

"I had thought I understood the ramifications of the different timelines. The idea of changing the outcomes alters them considerably."

[He looks toward Luke again.]

"Then again, I suppose that's no different from any other aspect of life. We can only speculate as to the outcome and attempt to moderate our actions accordingly."

It could also create a divergent timeline, where your future and my past are completely unrelated.

[He shrugs]

We won't really know until we try, will we?

16th Transmission: Farewell to the Crew of the Normandy. [Voice/Action]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]

[Action, before the trip]