Chapter 20 - Breaking News
Eternity's Struggle

Eternity's Struggle, the sequel to A Glimpse of Eternity, is a complication of short stories, letters and life-snapshots that are sprinkled throughout the events of Mass Effect 2 following both Commander Kiara Shepard and Kaidan Alenko. While they're in chronological order, its not the complete storyline of the whole of Shepard's missions as she prepares, then faces, the Collectors. There will be SPOILERS. Please read the Eternity Series - Disclaimer for more general information.

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.

"Breaking News: Kiara Shepard, the Hero of the Battle of the Citadel, has returned home to Earth disgraced. This footage was taken earlier this afternoon when she turned herself in the Alliance Detention Center in Vancouver following charges of terrorism that have been levied against her in response to the destruction of the batarian system of Bahak. Sources report that she has been stripped of her rank of Commander and her ship, the SSV Normandy SR-2, has been impounded by Alliance authorities. We're with Alliance Command's spokeswoman now on the details surrounding these events…"

Kaidan watched the vid with confusion and disbelief. He'd never thought he would have ever seen Shepard, dressed head to toe in her dress blues, being escorted into the Alliance Command's Detention Facility. He noticed both Admiral Steven Hackett and Admiral David Anderson standing in support of her.

Confusion ran rampant through him. What the hell had happened? He'd heard about the system being destroyed, everyone had. Over three hundred thousand batarians were killed when an asteroid collided with the Mass Relay of the system. He hadn't known Shepard had been a part of it, though. He'd only just received the previous week a letter from her stating she had made it home from the Omega 4 relay mission.

He had been more relieved than he admitted at her letter. He couldn't think about what that could have meant for them though. Not when she was being held at the Detention Center. Wasting no time, Kaidan put in a call to Anderson's office. He was going to find out what the hell was going on.

Kiara had thrown him for a number of loops lately, and he couldn't be sure of her loyalties or what the hell she was doing with Cerberus, but he knew her. There was no way, unless there was no other choice, the Shepard he knew and loved, would have sacrificed so many lives.

At least, he thought he knew her.

Maybe Cerberus had changed her more than he thought…

Thankfully, it didn't take long for the scandal of 'disgraced Commander Shepard' to simmer down, at least among Alliance Command. Kaidan had learned what had happened and why she was being brought up on charges as he learned more of the facts. He didn't blame her for the decision she made with the Alpha Relay. He would have made the same if he'd been in that position.

While there were still a lot more formalities to pursue and races, particularly the batarians, to appease, it was looking more likely that she would be found not guilty and the charges dropped. She was still being held but it more a formality and a form of protection to keep the batarian's from getting their hands on her.

The fact what happened had proved the Reapers were really coming and she was the only person in the galaxy with the most experience dealing with them. It helped in her favor. Anyone who had experience with the Reapers was being brought in and debriefed thoroughly. He was glad they were taking the threat serious but he still wasn't sure they were going to be fast enough.

At least Shepard was there to give her expertise. He was glad she was. Try as he might to have moved on and gotten closure, he hadn't been able to. There was no 'moving on' past Shepard. She was the woman he loved and there would never be anyone more perfect for him than her. He wondered if at some point they could figured things out and fight to make something work between them again, if she put Cerberus behind her.

For everything that had happened and everything he still felt for her, that was the one element he didn't think he'd ever be able to get past. It was a roadblock from hell whenever he entertained the notion of maybe trying to make things work with her. He didn't want to give up on her again but her ties with Cerberus had changed a lot of things.

They had seen, together, the horrors that Cerberus facilities were willing to inflict to get their end result. They'd even discovered they'd been the one's who released the thresher maws on Akuze. How she could work for them after knowing all that sickened him. Maybe whatever happened to her when she had "died" had changed her. Maybe Cerberus had just put her back together how they wanted her, a trophy pet and tool for their ends.

He sighed. She had seemed like herself on Horizon and she sounded like the Kiara he had gotten to know and fought beside in her letters. He still wondered if he was being too harsh, but a part of him couldn't trust her anymore. Not after working for Cerberus, whatever her reasoning was.

A chilling though sank into him. As much as he wanted everything to be okay, for them to be able to move on, how could he even think of trying to make them work if he couldn't trust her?

He realized he couldn't and that hurt more than when he'd thought she'd died.