Chapter Text
She scanned her uniform, scrutinizing every seam, button, and insignia for the slightest flaw. Just like the last six or seven times, Rose found no issues with her newly issue officer’s uniform.
Nor with the brand new N7 badge adorning her right shoulder.
“God, Thorny! Ya oglin’ those new loo-tenant bars again?” quipped Parker. “The rest of us might need to finish makin’ ourselves nice n’ purdy, ya know?”
Rose arched an eyebrow, offering a single finger salute to her bulky squad mate.
“C’mon, gunny. Quit flirtin’ with the loo. We gotta make the parade deck in fifteen,” barked Hel’na T’raci, the only other Asari in the unit.
“Gawd, ya blueberries got no sense of humor,” Parker flung back. The huge grin on his pock-marked face proved his words lacked venom.
Rose turned slightly, hiding the grin spreading across her face. She knew for a fact that Hel’na and Parker had one of those ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ things going on. Not that she really cared. The pair functioned beautifully on the battlefield- if they wanted a little stress relief on the side, it was their business. She scanned the rest of the room, taking in the sight of her companions for most likely the last time. The squad, her squad, would be disbanded in mere hours. Never again would Rose enjoy the comradery Delta Squad built with the blood and sweat shed during the grueling, and too often deadly, Interplanetary Combatives Training program. Listening to her friends playful grousing eased her worries, taking her mind off an uncertain future.
The six remaining members of Delta Squad all bore the coveted white and red emblem on their uniforms and well-worn combat armor. Two years of brutal fighting and agonizing training molded the squad into something transcending mere friendship. N7 operatives fought alone, spread out through the galaxy to tackle those jobs too dangerous for lesser trained soldiers. If they were lucky, the squad mates might occasionally partner up for risky or complicated operations. Each willingly shouldered a hefty burden, intent on keeping the galaxy safe from the numerous threats lingering in the stars. They’d known what would be asked of them before they’d set foot in the training academy.
A crisp, building tone snapped through the air, drawing Rose away from her thoughts. The other five members of her squad quickly finished checking their uniforms before lining up in front of the hatch leading to the parade deck.
“All right, Delta,” Rose snapped. “Let’s show ‘em what were made of.”
“Hoo-rah!” answered five voices in unison.
Rose allowed herself a grin before slapping open the hatch’s magnetic release and calling her unit to attention.
Her stomach didn’t start flipping until she eyed the sizable crowd gathered along the bulkheads of the huge shuttle bay of the SSV Kilimanjaro. Several familiar faces, many of them wearing crisp Alliance uniforms, crowded the deck. She even managed to catch sight of her mother and two sisters.
“Detail halt!” she called out. “Parade rest!”
Delta Squad halted in line with her, every member standing proudly with shoulders back and heads held high. Her body vibrated, charged with the same energy she felt before engaging an enemy. Fortunately, Rose had a moment to collect herself as a handful of dignitaries gradually settled themselves around a podium centered in the middle of a tidy presentation area erected mid-deck.
“Damn, Thorny! You draw a crowd!” Parker snickered quietly.
“Shut it, Dozer!” she whispered back harshly.
He had a point. Most N7 graduation ceremonies were quiet, relatively somber affairs held planetside. Apparently, the Council was very eager to embrace the agreement they’d engineered between the allied military forces of the galaxy. Skilled soldiers of every species were able to earn admission into the highest levels of special forces training with humans, krogan, asari, and turian military forces. The salarians stubbornly held out, demanding some bizarre concessions. Her father quietly speculated STG was poking around something sensitive and didn’t want their allies catching wind of it. While the politicians gleefully showed off their efforts, the allied military forces put in the real work, training and learning to operate under a unified command. The arrangement wasn’t perfect, but it lessen the chance of a galactic-wide threat catching every species unaware. Shepard and her allies worked exceptionally hard to prevent a repeat of the unnecessary, fear-driven challenges she’d faced during the Reaper War.
Of course, no one mentioned the war mightn’t have been so devastating had the Council listened to her father in the first place.
Hel’na Tr’aci, the first Asari commando to successfully earn her N7 ranking, which no doubt garnered at least part of the political attention. Both the asari and the Alliance publicly celebrated her notable accomplishment. Hopefully that was the only reason so many military legends filled the bay, Rose thought to herself. Like her parents, she despised being a center of attention.
“Holy shit! It’s her,” whispered Collins, a tiny woman whose fiery attitude scared just about everyone. “Is that . . . holy shit, she’s wearing her Star of Terra!”
“Easy, people. Half the damn Council is watching,” Rose whispered harshly. “Calm and disciplined.”
Her squad quietly parroted the phrase that saw them through the harshest of times in the field. Rose felt anything but calm and disciplined. The admiral not only showed up, meaning she’d hauled serious ass back from her mission in the Traverse, she’d worn the highest medal she’d been awarded.
Twice.
Councilor Sha’ira rose gracefully and took her place behind the podium, easing into a presentation that both praised those in attendance and tactfully browbeat any opposing the unified efforts of the allied species. Rose carefully tuned the political prose out, instead focusing her attention on the admiral.
The scars over Shepard’s left eye and along the bridge of her nose only served as a prologue to the story her battered body told. The woman survived horrors that most others couldn’t begin to comprehend. She’d unified a galaxy and defeated impossible odds to end the worst threat any living species had ever faced. Then, despite suffering injuries that should have killed her, the admiral dragged herself out of a hospital bed and forged ahead to help rebuild the shattered galaxy at the end of the Reaper War.
How the hell was she going to live up to Arial Shepard’s legacy?
Rose scanned the Star of Terra at her human father’s throat, nearly succumbing to the emotions fighting to escape her shaking body. Shepard rarely wore that cherished medal, believing it disrespectful to show it off brazenly. The Star made most people stop and stare, awestruck by the woman wearing it. It motivated Shepard, driving her to fight even harder in memory of those she’d lost. She revered allies and civilians alike who’d died during the Skyllian Blitz. Years later, she and a handful of loyal allies-including Rose’s mother-stood against the enemies of the galaxy in the protracted Reaper War. In recognition of her incredible accomplishments, the Alliance Military awarded her a second Star of Terra. Arial Shepard gained the memories of the hundreds of thousands of warriors and civilians who’d perished in the galaxy-wide conflict.
As a youngster, Rose stared at the Star as it sat in a place of honor in her father’s office. She decided at a young age, after reading everything she dug up about Shepard and her asari mother’s exploits throughout the galaxy, that she wanted, no needed, to follow in their footsteps. Liara wasn’t enthusiastic about her oldest daughter’s choice, but she did nothing to dissuade Rose’s career path.
By age twelve, Rose began referring to Shepard as ‘admiral’, just so she wouldn’t slip and call her ‘dad’ when she donned an Alliance uniform herself. Shepard allowed it, quietly instructing her daughter about military life from that moment on. She never pushed Rose, letting the young asari make lesson-enforcing mistakes, even though it was obviously difficult for her. By the time her sixteenth birthday rolled around, Rose was able to beat James Vega in hand-to-hand combat and could even give her biotic asari mother a run for her money. It took her a few years longer to seriously challenge Vakarian and his sniper rifle.
Both Liara and Shepard were shocked to learn that Rose enlisted in the Alliance Navy, following her human father’s military career path. Both expected her to return to Thessia to join the asari commandos. Her path wasn’t easy by any means, but she fought hard to earn the respect of her human comrades. Her name and her asari heritage threatened to set her apart from other soldiers, but her success opened the door for countless other military-minded asari with human fathers. Rose willingly paid the price to earn the respect of her peers, spending every waking hour training, refusing to stop until she exceeded the expected standards. She also refused any leniency from her commanding officers. Too many instructors and low-ranking lieutenants thought they might just earn a little favor from Rear Admiral Shepard if they played nice with her kid.
Rose didn’t play that way. Neither of her parents played that way, either. Both were tough, but they were also fair. The Shepard-T’Soni household was the most loving place in the damned galaxy, even when her parents enforced their sometimes-unpopular rules. Like most teens, Rose hit a rebellious phase and butted heads with both of her parents. But once she entered the embrace of military life, she began to understand the dynamics of her parent’s child-rearing efforts.
Admiral Hanna Shepard, commanding officer of the Fifth Fleet and her human grandmother, rose and began speaking. Her speech, more succinct than the politician’s, told Rose and her squad mates exactly what they expected to hear. The situation in the Terminus Systems was deteriorating rapidly as an aggressive humanoid race called the thaecairs pushed into the territory.
Rose grimaced, recalling the latest reports streaming in from the distant system. Thaecairs gave the batarians pause, causing the non-council race to reach out with pleas for assistance as their colonies fell victim to relentless attacks. Standing at nearly eight feet tall and sporting retractable jaws capable of crushing the heavy armor of an N7 Destroyer soldier, the thaecairs were a formidable, violent enemy. Quietly whispered rumors among those in the know suggested the hostile species might have integrated some high-tech upgrades from either the Geth or, even worse, the Reapers themselves.
Put simply, the Alliance Military and its allies were going to war. Soon.
Rose snuck a quick glance at Shepard, then towards the large, uniformed group to her right. Grim faces confirmed her thoughts.
Two more Council members spoke at length, leaving her nearly sixty standard minutes to consider how life was about to change. She remained distracted until the elcor representative rose, delivering virtually every sentence prefaced with its intended emotion. Elcor recitations of classical literature were one of Rose’s guilty pleasures and she found herself struggling to contain a laugh as the councilor fervently confirmed his specie’s support for the Alliance.
A stifled snort beside her confirmed that Rose wasn’t the only one suffering that problem. She ground her teeth together and began reciting the Alliance Military Officer’s Oath to settle her mind. The solemn words eased the tension from her body, reminding her of the reason she’d begun this journey in her youth.
She was the daughter of Arial Shepard and Dr. Liara T’Soni, two of the saviors of the entire galaxy. How could she do anything else with her life?
Shepard rose, approaching the podium with a gait that didn’t quite hide her slight limp. Not that anyone in attendance would think the human woman any weaker for it. Hell, Shepard once charged an entire squad of heavily armored Cerberus fighters after taking a kinetic round to the chest; that round smashed through her shields, breeching her chest plate, and collapsing a lung. She fought hard, ignoring the near-fatal injury until she’d forced the Cerberus troops to surrender. No one repeated that story within earshot of Liara, though. After nearly twenty-five years, the asari was still furious at Shepard for her daring act. Her mother cared little that the admiral’s heroics prevented a significant loss of life and ultimately led to the capture of the last Cerberus stronghold in the galaxy. Liara only focused on her memories of watching helplessly as an Alliance doctor struggled to save Shepard’s life. Watching her bond mate struggling to breathe traumatized her mother even more than the terrible things she’d witnessed during three treacherous years of fighting Reapers.
“I’m not really known for my speeches,” Shepard began. She paused long enough to fire a glare at Vega just before he added his own spicy commentary. “Know that I’m honored to stand before you. Every single one of you has been combat-forged into the warriors that will lead our soldiers and terrify our enemies. The emblem you’ve earned bears a heavy price, but don’t think for one moment that you stand alone. You all have an incredible group of warriors ready to fight by your side, no matter what.
“I have no idea what the future holds for us, but I do know I’m damned proud of each of you. We stand united with every species in this galaxy, and together we’re ready to face any challenge. Tomorrow, each of you will receive your duty assignment. The trials you’ll face won’t be easy, but I assure you, they will be worth it. You all signify the tip of the spear, keeping all citizens of our galaxy safe from whatever threats the universe might throw at us.”
Shepard pulled herself to attention, scanning the newly minted N7 operatives with obvious pride.
“Who’s like us?” she bellowed.
“Damn few- and they’re all dead!” roared every warrior in the bay.
# # #
Parker and Hel’na hovered near Rose. Actually, the pair tried their hardest to blend into the background, no doubt to avoid the volus and elcor councilors chatting with the young lieutenant.
“Councilor Von,” Shepard interjected politely. “You’re looking well.”
“Indeed, Shepard. You must come visit soon. I’ve information you might be interested in,” the volus said. “No doubt you’re here to rescue these young soldiers from our ramblings.”
“I’ll visit your office the next time I’m on the Triumph, Councilor,” Shepard promised. “And yes, I’m afraid I need these three for a few moments. Official business.”
The trio followed Shepard as she peeled away from the politicians and headed for a more familiar group of soldiers.
“Perfect timing, Admiral,” Hel’na said. “Not to be rude, but I can only listen to an elcor discussing politics for so long.”
Shepard snorted. “You all can thank me when we head to the bar. All right, we’ve done our job,” she announced as they halted near her family. “I say we hop a shuttle and get back to Triumph Station. This dress uniform is killin’ me.”
“Cortez and Pops have shuttles waiting for us in Bay 3,” Vega said. “Well, well. Baby N7s, you chavals ready to hang with the big kids?”
“Oh be nice, Vega,” Garrus rumbled, his two-tone voice piercing the air. “We don’t want . . .”
“THORNY!”
Rose heaved out a sigh and rolled her eyes before turning to address the huge gunnery sergeant jogging her way.
“Who the hell is that?” snapped Jack as she pushed her way through the crowd. “Shepard?”
“No killing on the Alliance command ship, Jack.”
The biotic grumbled some impolite words before powering down.
The male skidded to a halt in front of Rose before firing off a salute and grinning broadly. He either didn’t notice or didn’t care about the lethal, highly protective crowd that all considered her family.
“What do you want, Rico?” Rose asked wearily. “By the way, loved the blueberries.”
Rico’s face slipped into a devious grin.
“Blueberries?” Liara asked quietly. A faint haze of blue drifted around her body.
“Yeah,” Parker answered with a laugh. “This POG snuck into our berth and filled the LT’s gear locker with freeze-dried blueberries. Like, thousands of blueberries.”
“Easy there, Gunny! Combat engineer, not a non-com pencil pusher. My trigger finger works just fine,” Rico fired back. “Still waiting for that sneaky Slayer Vanguard payback you promised, ma’am.”
“Are you?” Rose answered demurely.
Rico’s confidence eroded slightly as he chewed on that. “Uh. . .”
“Timere de irnotis,” Hel’na offered with a knowing smile. “Better check your gear real close, big guy.”
Rose winked at Rico before offering a sly grin as she turned back toward her friends. The gunnery sergeant rubbed the back of his neck before excusing himself and beating feet for the hatch. The two Asari casually watched the retreating man before dissolving into laughter.
“Please tell me you screwed with that guy,” Jack intoned.
“Nah,” Rose chortled. “But he’s gonna spend the next week expecting the worst.”
“Psychological warfare,” Hel’na said savagely. “Seriously, Rico’s got a major thing for Rose. Has for months now. We love screwing with him.”
“Anyway,” Rose interjected firmly as she glared at her squad mate. “Weren’t we heading for the shuttles?”
Both of her parents were giving her a look that landed somewhere between curiosity and planned murder. She did enjoy Rico’s antics, but their career paths were too far separated for anything serous to develop. And Goddess forbid he upset her. If Liara didn’t flay him with her biotics, Shepard would no doubt beat him into a pulp. Or they’d just let Garrus loose with that sniper rifle of his.
No matter. Rose was stepping into the next phase of her hopefully long military career. Fraternizing, no matter how pleasant the experience, didn’t fit in her world. She was following in the footsteps of the greatest soldier in the galaxy, a boyfriend was out of the question. At least, that’s what she tried to tell herself.