A/N: Sorry for the lateness in updating. Not only this chapter – even if it's short-ish – was very difficult to write (more than 10 draft versions! A personal record!), but also Real Life™ threw me a curveball that totally wrecked my creativity flow.
# Tip: This story – and all others in FFnet – looks *mighty* better if limited to 600 pixels wide. How? See post-chapter A/N #
Disclaimer: Mass Effect, its universe, and the characters within, all belong to BioWare.
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Last Rites
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Chapter 7: The Justicar
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She gently extinguishes the orb of biotic energy between her hands as she opens her eyes.
Four hundred years I have pursued her.
She slowly stands up and walks toward the window.
And finally it is over. Now I can continue my life.
She leans forward on the railing.
As a justicar I shall punish all who committed injustice.
She closes her eyes.
But I shall also fulfill my promise.
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Someone knocked the door to the Starboard Observation.
"Come in, Officer Lawson," Samara answered while still being seated on the floor.
Miranda entered, trying hard to hide her surprise, although her voice betrayed her perplexity. "How do you know it was me?"
Samara smiled as she stood up. "All biotics have unique field patterns. When one has lived for more than 6 centuries, one learns how to identify them. Please, have a seat," she said, gesturing politely to the sofa.
After they seated themselves, Samara continued, "You did not come here to meditate, I can sense your mind. What could I do for you, Miss Lawson?"
Miranda mulled over her thoughts for awhile, before replying. "Justicar, I'd like to ask you a question: if we make it alive out of this mission, would you return to your previous life, following the codes of the justicars?"
Samara tilted her head, wondering where Miranda's question going to lead. "Miss Lawson, my Oath of Subsumation binds me to Commander Shepard. Only he can release me from my oath. Until he does so, I shall proclaim my loyalty for him."
"What about the people that he had killed? Will you avenge them?"
Samara raised an eyebrow. "I have seen the Commander killed people, yes, but never unjustly. He was, and still is, a paragon of justice. He dispensed justice to those who deserved to die. He had done nothing contrary to the justicars' code."
"What if he joins Cerberus. Will you turn against him?"
The XO's last question caught Samara by surprise. She had never mulled the possibility of Shepard joining the human-supremacist group, a groups that she knew was reviled by the Citadel Council, and thus by extension, the asaris. A group that had committed heinous acts against the galaxy. A group that ran counter to her justicar codes.
Before Samara had a chance to reply, Miranda pushed on. "Knowing the commander, he'll give a chance to all non-Cerberus members of the crew to either follow him, or leave in peace. When the time comes, will you choose either? Or will you re-apply the justicars code and kill him?"
Samara gazed into Miranda's eyes. Suddenly Samara understood.
Samara chose her words carefully. "His choices are my choices. His morals are my morals. His wishes are my code. If Commander Shepard is willing to join Cerberus, then I will not stop him."
They sat there in silence for several seconds. Then the justicar saw tears welling up in the XO's eyes.
"Please promise me that... that you will never harm Shepard..."
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She opens her eyes.
Your choices are my choices.
She would never join Cerberus.
Your morals are my morals.
What Cerberus have done - most of their actions are against her conscience... But still...
Your wishes are my code.
She gazes to the stars. She only knows two things that can deliver her from this dilemma.
Goddess, help me, for I know...
One, Shepard can retain her oath instead of relieving her. But Miranda was right; Shepard would not do that. So there's only one way...
... I am bound by the justicars' code as long as I live.
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Author's Note: Yeah. Back to the regular death-wish-y chapters.
About the tip: Yes, *all* stories in FFnet looks much much much much better if width-limited to 400-600 pixels. If you're using Firefox, then have I got a good news for you!
- Install the "Stylish" add-on
- Restart Firefox
- Go to userstyles dot org
- Install the style called "FanFiction. Net – Limit story width" (just do a search for "limit story width" – I created that style, so you should see my name there)
- Enjoy! (no need to restart after installing the style)
Next up: A mighty warrior. (If you can't guess… shame on you :P )
