I Should Go

by Nevery

Speeches, farewells, denials, howls of grief and of rage. Those that knew Shepard in life remember the Commander in death. Shepard's gender and any interpretations of romance are intentionally ambiguous and left up to you. Disclaimer: Reading these shorts whilst listening to "An End for Once and For All" carries with it a heavy risk of tears.

25. Twenty-Five: Steven Hackett

Hackett, Steven

You were never simply a soldier, Shepard.

I want you to know that.

You were never a war asset to me. I don't think I made that as clear as I should have.

I tapped you, got you to do things that 90% of the people we know would have baulked at. I put a world - a galaxy - on your shoulders and told you not to shrug.

You validated all that at every turn. And what did I do?

I sent you right back into the ringer every time.

Let this old soldier have his guilt, but I want you to know that - if I could - I would never have wished any of this on you.

Not if I didn't believe, absolutely, that you'd get the job done.

What we have now, it's quite something.

It's still not perfect: there are still tensions, and they're deep-rooted. There's still one-upmanship.

But we have the best chance yet for the best future we can dream up.

Thanks to you.

I still don't know what exactly happened with the Crucible. What I sent you into...

None of us do. But whatever you did, you proved me right.

I just wish that was easier to live with.

---

A/N:
First off guys, I am really sorry. I've been away for ages and didn't leave any indication. So I dropped the ball there, and I'm sorry for that.

Things have been really hectic recently, with huge amounts of work, and family gatherings, and I haven't had any proper time to just sit back and relax - let alone write up and post new sections.
With that said, things are slowing down marginally. My work load is still going to be pretty damn high (I have some major exams on the horizon) but I will have time to update this story. Galactic Front is on absolute hiatus for the foreseeable future.

Anyway. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and that I've done the Admiral justice. Hopefully this makes up the absence. Speaking of, I am trying to think of some token of my appreciation for everyone who;s stuck around and waited while I've been gone. If any of you have any particular requests, feel free to fire them off at me.

I'll get around to addressing any outstanding comments or questions once the next chapter is up - which is going to be Eve/Bakara.

Hope you guys are well, sorry again, and be sure to let me know what you think!

-Nevery.