Chapter 27
Shepard felt the Normandy land on Thessia's soil, and an uncomfortable nervousness settled inside her. The Alliance had been kind enough to let her use the Normandy to take her to Thessia, partially because she saved the galaxy, but also because they were hauling some much-needed supplies to the asari home world. Her time on the Citadel had felt strangely distant from the destruction of the war, as it was one of the few places that hadn't been attacked yet by the Reapers. But here, she knew only devastation lay before her on the other side of the airlock door. She had been there when the Reapers invaded Thessia. She'd watched it with her own two eyes. She'd heard the desperate cries for help, the screams of pain before millions of lives were snuffed out. Shepard bit her tongue, fighting back sudden emotion. She glanced at Liara, who was standing a few paces to her right, and her own pain was immediately forgotten. It was replaced with concern and an overpowering, burning desire to take away all of her bondmate's pain. Liara's head was bowed ever so slightly, and tears were freely falling from her closed eyes. It was a painfully beautiful sight, seeing Liara in such a soft, feminine white asari dress, with such sorrow on her face. It broke Shepard's heart a hundred times over, seeing such a beautiful person filled with so much ugly pain.
Shepard closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around her beloved. "Liara . . . my sweet Liara," she whispered, tightening her arms even more when she felt Liara's hands travel up to fist the fabric of her formal uniform. "I'm going to rebuild Thessia, your world, our home. I'm going to rebuild every inch, this I promise you."
Liara may have replied, but their conversation was cut short when Joker's voice came over the comm. "The airlock is pressurized, Commander," he said, and Shepard could hear the strain in his voice. She couldn't blame his reluctance to come back to Thessia. Their last visit to Thessia had been anything but stellar, and her fight with him afterward had been anything but fun.
"Thanks Joker. See you on the other side?" Shepard asked, casting a small smile to the camera in the airlock.
"Edi and I will be out in a little bit," he replied.
Nodding, she turned back to Liara. "Ready?"
Liara cast a slightly ashamed look at the metal door. "No," she admitted.
Shepard laced her fingers through Liara's gloved hand, glad they were fingerless gloves. She wanted, no needed to feel Liara against her right now. She wanted every last asari on the planet to know Liara was her bondmate. She smiled when she saw Liara's flush slightly, but the asari didn't pull her hand away.
"I'm here. You were so much of my strength during the war, Liara. Now let me be yours," Shepard said, placing a soft kiss on cheek.
She felt Liara's hand tighten around her own as she waved her Omni-tool in front of the heavy metal door, and it hissed open.
Both of them gasped in surprise at the sight that met their eyes. Thousands of asari and various other species were amassed around the Normandy's landing pad, and the instant they stepped onto the gang plank, the crowd broke into a deafening roar of cheers. From the corner of her eye she saw Liara's hand flutter to mouth.
"Did you know about this?" Shepard breathed, tightening her hand around Liara's.
"No . . ." Liara replied, equally breathless.
As they descended the gang plank, the cheers grew louder and louder with every step. When they took their first step on Thessia's soil, the roar became deafening and Shepard knew she had never smiled as hard as she did in that moment. She allowed herself this moment of deep seeded pride, happiness, and an overwhelming joy that she had saved such a beautiful people, that they had survived. Tears streamed down both her and Liara's face as they entered the crowd, and hundreds of blue hands reached out to touch them, as if to feel a connectedness to them, and to take a piece of the hope they symbolized all to themselves. And Shepard gladly gave it. Just knowing that she could give them this after failing the last time she came to Thessia made her heart sing. She knew in that moment she belonged here, by Liara's side, for the rest of her life.
The crowd in front of them parted , revealing the smiling face of the ever-regal Councilor Tevos. She stood with her arms extended, and when they reached her, they each took one of her hands. For once the hundreds of cameras floating above their heads capturing the sentimental moment didn't bother Shepard. She wanted to share this moment with the galaxy, wanted everyone to feel this, to share this hope.
The crowd around them fell eerily silent, allowing their Councilor to speak. The remarkable connectedness of the asari in moments like these never ceased to amaze Shepard.
"Commander Nicole Shepard, Doctor Liara T'Soni," she greeted them, her voice soft but powerful nonetheless. It was quite a contrast to the relaxed, playful asari Shepard saw at her party two weeks ago. "The last time you visited our world, the chance to properly welcome you to the beautiful world of Thessia was denied us. So allow me to properly greet the saviors of the galaxy. Welcome to Thessia, my home Commander Shepard."
The crowd gathered erupted again in an elated cheer the councilor took the moment to lean closer so only Shepard and Liara could hear her next words. "This I give to you, Commander. We begin this day of rebirth and rebuilding in honor of you. This day will forever be celebrated in the name of the Commander who shepherded the galaxy into a bright new dawn free of the Reapers."
Shepard bowed her head, offering the only kind of humility she could think of after receiving such a beautiful gift. She struggled for the right words, but when she found none, she looked to the seasoned councilor for guidance. "I fear I am at a disadvantage, Councilor," she admitted. "I do not know the proper way to accept such a gift in accordance with asari traditions. As a human, all I can say is, I am undeserving of such a gift, for this day belongs to us all, to those who could not be here today, and to all those who came before. This day is not my day, but our day." She finished by gesturing to the crowd gathered around them and to the skies above.
A soft, fond smile curled Tevos's lips. "You could not have accepted your gift in a more perfect way, Commander Shepard. Welcome to Thessia, my friend and now Ambassador. Welcome home."