Nora's jaw hung open at the paper parcel that had been sent to her. It was delivered by hand by a special courier.
Attention Staff Commander Shepard;
We are honored to inform you that in conjunction with your achievement to the Rank of N7 Marine in the ICT, you are to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Alliance Navy. You will be given an induction ceremony to the N7 on the date of-
Nora had to blink a few times as she read over the letter again. She looked up to the seal on the top of the letter, which verified its authenticity. This was from the brass. She reeled at the idea that the same people who wanted to bar her from promotion for Torfan, were now welcoming her with open arms.
Maybe her performance since then had changed their minds. Soldiers knew for a fact that with raiders and slavers, the chance of dying was always a certainty. And she did remember that the Alliance did their best to make sure she wasn't completely miserable after Torfan by shielding her from the news networks.
She had not spoken with Solomon since their discussion on Arcturus, however, she had received a message now and again that she had been changing their minds about her. A few of the senators who wanted to give her up had also publically apologized about her.
Nora took a seat beside the window looking out to space where various Alliance ships came and went. She looked out to that and smiled a bit.
She was an N7 now. The murmurs about Torfan were growing more silent with each passing day. The weight on her shoulders felt lighter.
She actually felt accepted. She had done it. She looked down to the paper and her smile started to grow larger.
Nora... the Real Nora would have been proud of her. And she'd continue to make her proud. The debt had yet to be paid, however, it was a debt she would gladly pay back. Even if it came to a point where she would have to sacrifice her life so that others could live, she'd be ready for that time.
"Hey, Shepard. Heard you got a parcel from the brass," Riley said as she entered the room.
Nora nodded and responded. "I made it."
Riley's eyes grew wide. "You're an N7?" When Nora nodded, Riley whooped, hollered, then dragged Nora up by her hand and embraced her. "Congratulations, Shepard!"
She found it hard not to be influenced by Riley's elation herself as she let her read the letter.
"Damn, Shepard. I want to say you're so lucky, but you never needed that. I'm so jealous," Riley, an N6 herself, said with a smile of her own.
"Stop it, Riley. You'll make N7 before you know it too," Nora said encouragingly.
"I hope so. But hey, since you're also getting promoted to LC, think you might be transferred to some sweet position on a dreadnought?"
"I don't know. Don't think they'd have much use for a green-horn LC on something like the Kilimanjaro or the Einstein."
"They certainly wouldn't be hurting if they did."
"It would be nice to serve there, wouldn't it?"
"Oh, you'd be great! It's usually near the front, but it also has the chance to be showcased whenever the Alliance navy gets to show off."
"Yeah, in that case, I'd take a frigate then. I'm more reserved than people think."
"Pfft. Please, Shepard. Being the show-off you are, nothing less than a capital ship would be an insult."
"I'm not a show-off!" Nora said defensively, despite the smile on her face.
"Ok, maybe you're not, however, considering what you've done, it'd be an appropriate reward for your service."
Nora looked back down to the letter before Riley snuck up beside her and whispered, "'Captain Shepard' has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
She snorted. "Ok, now you're going off the deep end, Riley."
"Maybe, but I can definitely see it." With one hand on Nora's shoulder, she stretched out the other to create the scene. "Captain Shepard, decorated war veteran, in command of one of the great military cruisers of the Systems Alliance."
She would have disparaged the thought; however, she couldn't get rid of the image out of her head. Nora Shepard, in command of a vessel. The thought caused her smile to return.
"It would be nice."
"Just keep kicking ass, like you usually do, Shepard. It'll happen."
Nora never felt so encouraged before. Or at least in the longest time. Any remnants of her self-doubt slowly faded away as she shook Riley's hand.
"Thanks for putting up with me, Riley."
She smiled brightly. "Only because you kept letting me ramble. I figured it was a good turn that deserved another. That said," Riley took a step back and gave her an energetic salute, "go get 'em, marine."
Nora returned the salute, proudly.
The ceremony was not a large affair, but Nora was fine with that. Several higher ranking officers, N7 alumni, and a few dozen more were there for the ceremony. Apparently, it wasn't every day that someone graduated from the ICT and got a promotion at the same time. The brass thought it was a time to celebrate.
She was not the only one, however. It was also a graduation ceremony for several other graduates, however, special attention was given to her status. She was last, but certainly not least. She didn't feel phony, she didn't feel any shame. She felt proud. The real Nora would have been proud.
When the assembled crowed applauded for her, she felt as high as a kite. She was on top of the world. Even if for a fleeting moment. This was her time. She was not going to waste it. She was a graduate of the N7 program, a Lieutenant Commander, and now was going to be transferred to one of the top of the line ships in the Alliance fleet.
When the ceremony ended, Solomon sought her out with a warm smile and a hearty handshake.
"Could not have happened to a better person, Commander," she said proudly.
"Thank you, Senator," she replied cordially.
Hannah sighed. "Well, ex-senator now."
Nora blinked. "What? What happened?"
The older woman gave her a humored smile. "I knew I was committing political suicide to get you into the ICT. I expected my political career to peter out and die. Turns out it happened a lot sooner than I had hoped. I was dismissed by the heads of the Parliament immediately after you entered the academy for several reasons. All political."
Nora's smile faltered. "I'm so sorry."
Solomon waved it off. "Do not be. I can still serve the galactic community in my own way. Several pro-cooperation foundations and charity funds have requested that I serve on their board of directors. I have no intention of being idle. Nor should you."
"Don't worry, ma'am. I won't be," Nora said with confidence.
Hannah's smile turned bright. "Excellent. Now then, there are a few people I'd like to introduce you to."
Nora chuckled at the politician's insistence to get her to meet people. However, out of the corner of her eye, at the other end of the garden where the ceremony took place, she saw a familiar individual.
Maleia. She stared intently at Nora and even at the great distance between them, Nora could tell it was her and only her that had the asari's attention. From what she could see, the asari's posture seemed different. She stood taller, even more confident than before, as if she were... proud?
"Excuse me for a moment," she told Solomon and quickly went to where the asari waited for her.
They both stood several feet from each other. Maleia's posture and gaze didn't change. She was still hard, she was still powerful. She was still her superior. However, there was something more to it.
"So," Nora said with a smirk, "if I didn't know better, I was right about you getting soft in your old age."
Maleia threw her head back and laughed. "You think too highly of yourself. However, for once, you've actually been able to back up your confidence."
"I must be going crazy. Did I hear you just give me a compliment?" she said with a cocked eyebrow.
The asari smirked and then pulled something out of the folds of her commando leathers. She then walked up to Nora, took her hand and then placed two knives in it, along with another case. One larger knife, meant for CQC, and another, meant for throwing.
Curious, she unsheathed both blades and marveled at their workmanship. They were definitely asari make, however, they were definitely custom made. Only experienced commandos had the means to get such a thing done. Fluid and graceful were the only words she could use to describe the elegant curves of the blade that emerged from the handle. On the handle of both knives, there was an eagle feather that her tribe had collected to represent the trust of the Great Spirit.
She then opened up the case that came with them and found a pair of feathers attached to a bolo which had the symbol of her tribe. It was thin enough to wrap around her head and wear the feathers over her right ear to show her spirit.
"I paid a visit to your tribe back on Earth a short while ago. The one called Paco spoke well of you. He was the one who gave me the feathers to deliver."
In her letters to her tribe, she had spoken about her accomplishments, but felt the need to downplay them so as not to sound arrogant.
With that done, the asari turned around and started to walk off.
"Wait, why come all this way just to deliver these?"
Maleia turned back to her and shrugged. "Because I needed an excuse."
"An excuse for what?"
Maleia was at the door when she said calmly, "Well done, Nora Shepard."
The first time the asari had used her name had left her stunned. Maleia had used that time to walk through the exit and leave her behind. Perhaps never to meet her again. Nora wanted to follow her, but knew that if they were to meet again, it would probably be sooner than she'd hoped.
However, it was difficult for her not to whisper, "Thank you," as the asari's form eventually vanished in the distance of the station.
Some time later, three men spoke in hushed whispers.
"Well, what about Shepard?" The first one asked. "Earthborn… but no record of her family."
A second voice answered coolly. "Doesn't have one. She was raised on the streets. Learned to look out for herself."
A third murmured quietly. "She got most of her unit killed on Torfan."
The second voice quickly rose to her defense. "She gets the job done. No matter what the cost."
The first one asked, apprehensive of the choice. "Is that the kind of person we want protecting the galaxy?"
The second responded with confidence. "That's the only kind of person who can protect the galaxy."
The first nodded. "I'll make the call."
She felt dead. The Blue Wolf had failed in the same way the Red Wolf had. She had peace of mind, but it left her weak and hollow.
The Blue Wolf brushed off her cries with complete and utter apathy.
The Red Wolf sneered at her for her weakness.
She was trapped and hadn't the slightest idea what to do. Unless she figured out a way to move forward, she would stagnate and become nothing.
For days, she traveled the forests, the mountains, the seas, and could still find no answer to her quarry. All the while the two wolves had followed her and would not allow her peace.
It always seemed to come back to those two. It was always either or with them. It was then a fit of inspiration hit her.
She turned to the wolves and demanded both their strength.
The Wolves laughed her audacity.
However, she was stronger than them both. When the Red Wolf attempted to ruin her with its strength, she had used her skill to render its rage useless. She then turned on the Blue Wolf and appealed to it with passion. The Blue Wolf was initially reluctant; however, she had inspired it to action and awake from its apathy.
At her side, both Wolves granted her their strength. She would create something new with them and discover the truth in the lands beyond.
In the XO quarters of the SSV Normandy, Nora blinked, pulled herself up and looked up to the ceiling. For once, the dreams did not leave her confused.
She understood.
THE END
Thank you for sticking with me thus far. I hope you enjoyed the story and that you'd leave a review as to why you enjoyed it... or even if you didn't enjoy it, drop me a line. :3
So, additional thanks goes to, in no particular order:
Trilliath: Who was my art partner in the Mass Effect Big Bang.
PMC65: Who helped toss around a few ideas and whose gentle prodding gave me the idea to start this story in the first place.
Loethlin: Who also helped toss around ideas and helped keep the continuity from this and Ubi Venenum, Ibi Evaqua.
Coming up next (when it's done);
Fractured, but Functional: The Nora Shepard Biography by Khalisah Bint Sinan al Jilani