Chapter 10 - Congratulations
Eternity Embraced

Eternity Embraced, the sequel to A Glimpse of Eternity and Eternity's Struggle, follows the tumultuous relationship of Commander Kiara Shepard and Kaidan Alenko as they wage war against the Reapers that have invaded the galaxy.

Disclaimer: I own only the parts of the individual personality of Commander Kiara Shepard I have developed inspired by the Commander Shepard in the gameplay. I do not own, nor hold any rights, to any of the characters, dialogue, storylines or any part in or of the "Mass Effect" game series. I want to thank Drew Karpyshyn and his staff of amazing writers, animators and voice actors. These are for fan enjoyment only and no money had been made on these stories.

Commander Shepard was quickly learning there were few things worse than politics and she was smack dab in the middle of playing politician. She hated it and she wasn't very good about biting her tongue when it came to the bullshit she encountered. Sure she knew how to be diplomatic, she always had been, but especially with the war, her patience definitely had its limits.

For all it was good to see Wrex, he had asked for a tall order: a cure to the genophage in exchange for the krogran's help with Palaven and the war. As annoying as the demands were, even Shepard agreed with him that is was a long time coming. The turian Primarch was, surprisingly, in agreement as well. He was a soldier before he was a politician, like her, and he saw the value of learning from past mistakes - as well as the cost if they didn't. The salarian Dalatrass, of course, was in an uproar over it.

In the end, Wrex put enough pressure on the Dalatrass with the knowledge that she was holding cured female krogan in one of their secret STG labs that Shepard was able to force her hand on the release of his women. Though she knew it would most likely cost her the salarian support, she knew the value of the krogans and what they could bring to the war. She also couldn't, in good conscience, let the genophage continue any longer if they didn't have to.

Before long, they were suited up and on their way to Surkesh. The mission, like most, hit a few road bumps with Cerberus but in the end, Shepard and her team saved the last surviving female krogan. They also managed to re-obtain Mordin on the crew as well. Shepard was glad he was back. He was an eccentric, and sometimes infuriating salarian, but he'd been a part of her crew, her family, that had helped her take down the Collectors. She'd missed him and his brilliance and she was glad he was there to help them fight the Reapers.

As Shepard leaned over her terminal in the CIC, she felt the crystal pressing into her thigh from her pocket. The female krogan, a shaman who'd renounced her name but had been dubbed 'Eve' by Mordin, had given her the gift as a 'thank you' for rescuing her. The krogan had found it during her initiation rite to become a shaman and Shepard could still remember the words she had said when she'd been gifted it.

Take it as a reminder, Commander. In the darkest hour, there is always a way out.

Shepard didn't know why, but the gift meant a lot to her, as did the message it carried. Somehow, she knew she would need the reminder in the days to come. War was full of dark hours.

Her terminal pinged, notifying her of a new message. Opening it up, she scanned the few that were there she still hadn't read. When she found the latest, her lips curled into a smile.

Subject: Feeling much better
From: Kaidan Alenko

To: Kiara Shepard

Hey Shepard,

Still in the hospital. But I'm up on my feet, eating solid food and making trouble for the nurses. They'll probably throw me out of here soon.

Come by if you're on the Citadel. Same room.

Thanks,

Kaidan

It was still hard to believe he was already healed to the point of almost being released. She realized, then, it had already been nearly three weeks since Mars. She let out a breath. Three weeks since Earth had been attacked by the Reapers and she'd almost lost Kaidan. It seemed like only yesterday. It was a heavy weight knowing that with each day, more people's lives were taken.

She rubbed her face and sighed. Mordin needed time to work on creating the cure to the genophage and she knew a stop back by the Citadel was on the docket. The list never ended of reports to file and people to help. There were advantages to having the best ship in the fleet but also draw backs. It meant there were some things only she and the Normandy could do. She also needed to meet with the turian Councilor and Primarch to give an update on what was going on regarding the negotiations for krogan support.

It didn't take long to get back to the Citadel and the first thing Shepard did after reporting in was head straight for Huerta Memorial. She made her way straight to Kaidan's room and stopped in the doorway when she saw him not only up and on his feet but dressed fully in his uniform. She admired the way he filled it out. The weeks in the hospital had done little to soften the masculine lines he carried.

In that moment, she realized how worried she had been as the weight lifted from her. No longer was he forced abed by his injuries. He still had the shadows of some bruising but by the way he held himself, he was strong and hale. She admired him silently for a moment as he stood near the window, arms crossed as he looked out over the Presidium.

She took the moment to simply appreciate him as she reflected over everything that had happened and how much it had changed. Not just since Saren and Sovereign but Mars as well. They'd been through a lot together and though there was still a lot more to get through, she was glad they now had the chance to work through it.

Kaidan stood there as he looked out, watching the fountains on the lake. He'd been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed the door open. It wasn't until he caught the reflection of Shepard in the window as she stepped up that he was drawn from the myriad of thoughts his brain had trapped him in. He smiled as she just stood there watching him before he turned around.

"Hey, Shepard. If you came to spring me, you're late. I'm getting out soon," he said, the smile not fading from his lips. He felt good, though still a bit sore at times. The general headaches were gone and while the docs still wanted him to keep his biotics offline for a few more weeks, he was confident in his recovery. It was hard to believe he'd been on his deathbed not three weeks prior. The marvels of modern medicine, he thought.

"Good to hear," Shepard said, a smile forming on her lips to mirror his.

"Maybe you already saw the vid, but I accepted Udina's offer," Kaidan informed her, not hiding the trepidation he still felt over it all. A Spectre. He couldn't believe he was being asked but he was honored nonetheless.

"Spectre Kaidan Alenko," Shepard said, her smile growing into a grin as she regarded him, "That's a big deal." She was happy for him. Of all the people she knew, human and non-human alike, there was none she thought more fitting for the position than him.

"Only the second human Spectre. It's humbling," Kaidan admitted with a light chuckle, "Udina thinks they might have a pretty big ceremony, even with the war. He says a celebration will give folks something hopeful to latch onto."

"You ready to take on that responsibility?" she asked, studying him closely. If anyone knew the trials of being a Spectre, it was her, but she also knew he'd been around for all of it in the beginning. He knew what it entailed better than most.

Kaidan grinned and gestured to her, "You set the bar pretty high, but I'll do my best." His smile dropped as he took on a serious tone, "It's strange - on Mars, I should have died. The promotion from Anderson, Spectre status…these are terrible days, but I've been lucky."

The way he looked at her when he spoke stilled her breath. Without saying the words, she knew he was throwing her into the statement of why he was lucky as well and it warmed her. They'd found each other again. It wasn't going to be an easy road, especially with the war, but at least they were in each other's lives again.

"You're perfect for the job. Even back on Eden Prime, I could see there was something special about you. You're a good soldier," Shepard said with a firm nod. Though her words were formal, they held a meaning behind them that went past what she'd said aloud.

"That means a lot," he said, hearing the unspoken meaning behind her words. Things were still raw and fresh enough that the frank openness they'd once had with speaking to each other had gone. Though he hoped to one day get it back, he was content with the way things were. Though both left a lot unspoken, there was no shaking the connection they had or the ability to see what the other meant without needing to hear the words. "I'm happy. I want to serve."

Shepard took a breath as she braced herself for her next words. She'd thought long and hard about what she would do when he recovered but she knew she wanted nothing else that what she was about to offer, "I thought you might want to join the Normandy." She meant it in every way she could. She wanted him close, to give them a chance to try to work out what was between them, but more importantly, she needed him on the Normandy. She hadn't lied when she had said he was a good soldier. He was a great one and she needed the best when it came to fighting against the Reapers.

"Yeah…I've thought about that," Kaidan said with a nod. It had been one of primary things that had taken up his thoughts. He was glad she seemed to want him back on the Normandy as much as he wanted to be back. It wasn't the time to return yet, though. "I need to get out of here first, though - take care of some things," he said, hoping she would see the regret in his eyes.

A flicker of doubt crossed over Shepard's gaze and he quickly moved to clarify before she threw back up the walls she'd finally let down, "I've been trying to locate my old spec ops squads, my students, from Biotics Division." He wanted her to know that he still wanted to rejoin the Normandy but he had other things he needed to deal with before he could.

Shepard understood it, the initial pain of what she'd thought was his rejection fading. They'd been apart for three years and he'd developed responsibilities of his own he couldn't just walk away from. She couldn't fault him for that and it only made her respect him more than she already had. "Any luck?" she asked.

"No. Probably went underground, but they'll turn up," he said but she could see the worry and anxiety he held for them, "If they were easy to find, they wouldn't be doing their jobs."

"Well, good luck with that. Let me know when you're out. I worry…" she admitted softly.

He swallowed at the way she looked at him, her eyes holding his. The urge to step up to her and take her in his arms pulled hard at him but he fought it and remained where he stood. He didn't want her to go but by the dress uniform she had on, he suspected she had an important meeting she had to get to.

He also knew he needed more time to process through everything that had happened. For as much as he just wanted to bury the past and forget it all, three years had been a long time. A lot had happened that he wanted to make sure he put in his past before he moved forward with her fully. It was another reason he wanted to hold off rejoining the Normandy.

"Take care, Spectre Alenko," Shepard said with a soft smile, not wanting to leave either but knowing she needed to. The turian councilor was wanting a report on the status of getting krogan aid and if she stayed any longer, she doubt she could bring herself to leave.

"Stay safe, Commander," he said with a nod. A look exchanged between them and then she took a breath and turned, heading out towards the elevators. One thing was for sure. There was no power in the universe that was going to stop her from attending that ceremony.