Summary: James manages to find something to say.

a/n: Written for the August Fanfiction Challenge, Day 12: Major Character Death.

Knowing

I didn't see her at first. Couldn't see her. And it was my own fault.

Like so many people, I heard her name and thought I knew everything about Commander Shepard. And maybe I did.

The problem was I didn't know Feign. No, that's wrong. I didn't know Shamara. Feign is the name she got in the Reds because she could go just about anywhere unnoticed, she could be anyone and no one. They called her Feign because she was a master of the sham.

When she ran, or more to the point, escaped the gang with nothing more than her life and needed an out, the recruiting center she avoided like the plague became a beacon. She chose a name, stole enough money for her credentials, and enlisted.

She was sixteen, not eighteen like her ID with a made-up name claimed. But she was tall for her age, broad, and muscular if a bit thin from her time on the streets.

Shamara means 'ready for battle.' Fitting, don't you think? She always was. Hers was the name on the top of everyone's list, always ready for the fight, even the one none of us were prepared for.

Shamara never backed down, never gave up … she pushed herself, sacrificed everything to get the job done. And because of her doggedness, determination, and dedication we're all here today.