"Hello, Shepard," Samara said serenely as she heard/sensed the solider moving towards her. She wasn't surprised; Shepard always made time for her crew, and today of all days she would be making sure she touched base with any one of them who was here. Opening her eyes, she found Shepard looking fresh and confident. Shepard's drift, however, reflected some of her reservations.
"Hello, Samara. Glad you could join us," Shepard sat down across from her. "No problems so far?"
Samara supposed Shepard meant with the two Spectres she knew about, Teela and Lysana; in light of her anecdote about Nihlus, it was a fair question. "The greater injustice of the Reapers, and the exceptional care exercised by my…current allies…has left no problems. None of my fellow Justicars have sought conflict beyond what the Reapers inspire."
That was just practical. Even Justicars had to know how to prioritize when presented with a host of injustices. The Reapers were the main thing.
"Are there a lot of your Order here now?" Shepard asked, cocking her head.
"A fair few. There will be four on the asari Stiletto team," Samara admitted.
"Wow." Shepard's tone and drift indicated being surprised, impressed, a little awed by such a concentration of personnel.
Well, this was being styled as the last battle, the one that would tip the balance in the galaxy's favor or the one that would see the Reapers victorious over another Cycle. It shouldn't surprise Shepard that so many Justicars had come to Earth to fight on the ground, where the enemy was thickest, to sell their lives for what those lives were worth.
There were other Justicars, though none among the distraction teams, who were planning to be secondary distraction teams of their own, to cause as much chaos and devastation as they could to give the Reapers that many more hotspots of activity to look at.
"…would you like to meet them?" Samara asked, sensing the pulse of human curiosity when she mentioned other Justicars.
"Yes, but I'd rather talk with you, first. Or just sit in silence," Shepard allowed. Shepard usually handled silence very well.
Samara was not blinded by optimism, as Shepard needed to be. The losses to the teams—all the teams, not just Hammer One—would be high. Losses to those not on the main teams would be high. That was why the Reapers were called Reapers. "Shepard, only your actions will be remembered. Thank you again for your help at the Monastery."
Shepard bowed her head. "You're welcome. Thank you for returning the favor."
She knew that Shepard would remember her favorably, if she fell and Shepard did not. "If this battle claims my life and spares yours, please tell Falere…give her my love."
Shepard nodded. "I'll do that, if it's necessary."
It was the one thing that troubled Samara's mind: the lack of opportunities to show her children she loved them. She did not regret her choices, although she regretted some of the necessities. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
They sat together in comfortable silence for what seemed like an age, amassing patience, stockpiling serenity, silencing the storms in hearts and minds. At least, that was what Samara did, and she thought Shepard benefitted from it, as one who stands near a heat source gradually warms.
"Samara."
Samara opened her eyes. "Ah." She got to her feet, Shepard doing so as well. "Shepard, this is Lorella. Behind her are Aurelie and Talassa. My fellow Justicars, Captain Shepard."
"It's an honor to meet you," Shepard declared formally, and with the sincerity that made her such an effective speaker.
Lorella regarded Shepard with cool appraisal. "It is an honor to meet you as well, Captain."
"This is the one who cleared out the Monastery?" Aurelie asked, frowning.
"I am," Shepard answered for herself.
Samara sighed inwardly. Aurelie was not her favorite Order-sister. If Samara could be described as narrow-minded, Aurelie made her look positively indulgent.
"You should have cratered it," Aurelie said firmly.
Shepard smiled innocently, in a way that made Talassa, the youngest of the four, smile back. Talassa, like all the Justicars here, joined the Order before humans joined the wider galaxy and, like most Justicars, had little experience with aliens outside asari space. "That's why I'm an N7 and not a Justicar, ma'am. I tend not to assume the responsibility of being judge, jury, and executioner."
It was only an insult if one took it that way. Being closer to Samara's age than Talassa's, accustomed to the deference show to a Justicar by the asari, Aurelie took it as an insult.
Aurelie drew herself up, while Shepard's posture remained easy, trusting that Samara wouldn't permit her Order-mate to start anything when there was enough going on for everyone to have full helpings.
Samara appreciated the confidence.
"She's bold," Talassa observed as Lorella discreetly gave Aurelie a look that said 'be courteous, or be gone.' "I like that." Then, to Shepard rather than about her, "If we both survive this coming battle, I should like to speak with you more."
"I'd be honored, ma'am." Shepard looked at each of the Justicars in turn. Whatever she saw encouraged or, at the very least, pleased her. "I think this plan just got a lot more stable."
There wasn't much to say after that, and Shepard rarely chattered to fill the silence. She turned to Samara, expression clearly stating that as much as she didn't want this to be goodbye…it might be. "Good luck, Samara." Because Shepard didn't like goodbyes.
"Goodbye, Shepard."
With that, Shepard nodded to the other Justicars and withdrew, pausing where Vasir was standing against a wall. "Vasir."
"Shepard."
Shepard would have continued, had Lysana not popped up, apparently out of nowhere, to detain her.
For Justicars, who were a somber lot by necessity, Lysana was someone to whom some resistance needed to be built up. From the look on Shepard's face and in her drift, the excess of personality was overwhelming to more than just Justicars.