Shepard's Power Unlocked

With Mordin's work proceeding apace, Shepard had precious little time to train. Between dealing with the Rachni Relay for Wrex, a mission that reunited him with Grunt, and secured the aid of the Rachni against the Reapers, and the various side missions that he ended up having to deal with as a result of the war, he wondered if he would have enough time to learn anything meaningful from Samara.

For her part, Samara was grateful for his aid at the monastery, and had agreed to help him as much as she could in the time they had. Shepard had command of his biotics—using them was not the problem. It was the powerful displays that drained him, even if he could make such displays with precision. Samara selected the one place where they could train without interruption: Shepard's cabin. The Justicar welcomed Miranda's presence, unlike Jack, who wanted Miranda as far away as possible. Miranda was thankful, but declined, having to see to the ship while John was busy training.

So it was that John Shepard and Samara sat across from each other on the floor of his cabin, their feet folded beneath them in Indian style.

"I want you to close your eyes, and breathe, Shepard," Samara began.

"I'm always breathing," he replied.

"Not correctly. Inhale deeply, from your diaphragm, and through your nose, then hold it." John did as she asked, and then Samara said, "Now, exhale through your mouth."

He again, did as she asked. "Okay."

"Deep breathing is important, Shepard. Too often, the untrained breath with their chest, not from their center. Now, breathe with me."

For the next ten minutes, the two sat on the floor, breathing. Shepard was not sure what this would accomplish, but he did not ask Samara to train him, only to second guess her. By this point, he was very relaxed.

"Now, clear your mind of any distractions, and focus on my voice," she instructed. "Feel the energy around you. It is in the ship, in the air you breathe. It is inescapable, yet few can actually perceive it."

He could actually feel the energy, now that he was relaxed, and Samara had made him aware of it. Shepard focused on the sound of his breathing, and the sound of Samara's breathing. Soon, he could sense Samara with more than just his physical senses. After a little while, he could sense his shipmates, including Edi. Each one had a unique energy signature.

"Energy is all around, you, Shepard," Samara explained. "Now, find the point where your energy ends, and the energy of the air around you begins."

This was harder. He could sense his own energy, but soon, he found the border between the two. His own energy extended out further from himself than he would have imagined, but not so far as to reach Samara. "I can sense it."

"Good. Now, you must make your own borders porous, allowing the energy around you to permeate your being. This may sound trite, but you must become one with all that is around you."

"But if I do that, what will separate me from everything else?"

"That is your ego talking," she scolded. "Nothing truly separates from everything else. That is the lesson that few ever learn, and one that the Reapers can never learn. The Reapers devour, forcing that which is around them to assimilate to their patterns. This is unnatural, and why each Reaper is itself a mass of tortured souls. Do not bend the universe to your will, as the Reapers attempt, but become one with the universe, working in harmony with it. Then its energy will be yours."

Shepard understood the wisdom of her words. It made sense. Scientifically, everything was energy. Nevertheless, what she asked of him went against human nature—against the ego. He wondered briefly if the Illusive Man was like the Reapers in this regard.

Yes, he is.

"Samara?"

Feel my presence, Shepard. We are one with each other, as we are with everyone else. Allow yourself to be one with me, and words will no longer be necessary. He tried hard to concentrate, but Samara's voice in his head said, Do not force it. You must relax, and let it simply happen. He relaxed as she instructed, and soon, he could feel her presence. Not merely sense her being, but actually feel her presence, as though they were touching one another.

Samara …

Good, Shepard. Now, I can teach you.

N7

Samara returned to the starboard observation lounge, where she would remain with Falere until a more permanent solution presented itself. In the meantime, Shepard had learned how to harness the power around him, and how to regulate the power within him. It had been a humbling experience, but a very enlightening one. The lesson had come none too soon, as Mordin had informed him that the cure was ready. Now, the Normandy was on its way to Tuchanka, there to deal with a Turian mission gone awry, investigate a Cerberus presence, and ultimately, to cure the genophage. Samara would not join them: she was obliged to remain at her daughter's side.

Miranda and Garrus, however, would be with him, just as they were against the Collectors. Vega, Liara, and Edi would all play a part as well. This was finally it. Once they arrived at Tuchanka, the Krogan-Turian alliance would hopefully be sealed, and Earth could finally get the aid it so desperately needed.

Shepard had called Miranda to his cabin, for what was likely to be the last quiet evening they would be able to enjoy until the Tuchanka mission was completed. They had finished dinner, and were now seated together on the love seat, each turned to face the other.

"So … was Samara able to help you?"

Shepard nodded. "I finally understand the embracing eternity. I don't think I can do it as Liara does, not yet at least, but I think you and I join—we're both biotic, and you and I are very close, so it would be a two-person effort, but we could do it … I think."

Miranda smiled at this. She had always been slightly jealous of Liara; joining with Shepard had been the one thing Liara had done with him that Miranda never could. She smiled, and looked deeply into his eyes, as Liara did when she joined with another.

"I would love to try, John."

"Alright, then. Here goes."

They held each other's gaze, reaching out with their biotic power, each brushing against the other's energy borders. Slowly, Shepard's barriers opened, and Miranda was able to blend with him.

It was a joining more intimate than mere intercourse, though Miranda was dying to have that with John, preferably while joined, now that she had experienced it with him. Miranda had experienced her fiancé on the most emotionally intimate level, and understood him a good deal more than she had. She realized that this was a two way street, and that he would understand her more deeply than before as well.

"I like this, John."

"I'm glad you do. I don't think I could do this with anyone else."

"What about an Asari?"

He pondered this for a moment before replying. "I don't think I could initiate it. But with you … it's like everything else; you make it possible."

Miranda moved close to him, enjoying the sensation as he enfolded her in his arms. "Let's just be together … no words, no joining—just you and me, in the silence. Moments like this are few and far between now. I want to enjoy it while we can."

He answered her with a kiss, and held her without saying another word.

N7

At first, things seemed to be going well. Shepard, Miranda and Garrus had stopped Cerberus' attempt to take control of an old Krogan canon, and they had resolved the issue of the downed Turian ship that Primarch Victus had asked him to investigate. It was this second mission that proved to be a potential dealbreaker.

Wrex and Primarch VIctus stood facing each other, with Wrex shouting at the Primarch, accusing him of cowardice, deception, and anything else he could think of. Shepard's mission to investigate the downed Turian ship led to another revelation: Primarch Victus' son, Tarquin, was leading a squad to seek out and diffuse an old Turian bomb, planted on Tuchanka during the Krogan Rebellions. Cerberus had unearthed it, and planned to set it off in order to derail the Krogan/Turian alliance that Shepard was desperately trying to preserve. Tarquin lost his life diffusing the bomb, which was near a major population center in the Kelphic Valley. Had Cerberus detonated it, hundreds of thousands would have died.

The mission revealed something else too: Shepard's training at the hands of Jack and Samara had paid off. He was able to use more biotic power for longer without feeling drained, and the more he practiced Samara's methods, the easier it got. He would have to thank her later, but right now, he needed to deal with Wrex and Victus.

"The genophage wasn't enough?" Wrex's voice was quiet at first. But it did not remain so. "You had to plant a bomb on my planet?"

"The decision was made hundreds of years ago. So much has changed!" Victus implored, but Wrex was unmoved.

"Not enough for you to tell us about the bomb, coward!"

"Hey!" Shepard could not allow this to continue. "We can't let the past rip us apart. Working together, we have a chance." He walked over and stood between them. "Primarch, you had a bomb on Tuchanka. Wrex, in the Primarch's place, you would have done the same damn thing!"

"Shepard," Wrex began, but Shepard held up a hand, halting the conversation.

"It's over! His own son died today making this right!"

"Please, Commander," Victus implored. "It's alright."

"Yes, find," Wrex conceded tersely. "Shepard, you've made your point. We have stronger enemies to face."

Shepard leaned against the table/projector in the war room, relieved that it was resolve the time being. "We do."

Victus approached, and Wrex made a grunting sound and walked away. "I understand your reservations before, Commander," Victus offered. "But I hope you now understand the secrecy."

"I hate secrets and politicians, Primarch," Shepard said bluntly. "Your son had to die to fix this."

"Yes," Victus conceded. "You're right, Commander. It was a mistake not to trust you. I know that now." Victus turned, and slowly ascended the steps to the war room's outer ring, and then turned back. "My son … he died with the respect of his men. I wanted to thank you for that." His voice was low, gravelly, and thick with emotion. "His sacrifice will be recorded in the histories of the Ninth Platoon. Something any father would be proud of."

"Yes, sir," Shepard replied. There was nothing more he could say. He only wished that he could have saved the Primarch's son.