Chapter Text
Nora rose to her feet, far too aware of the weight of every pair of eyes in the room at her back. It was unnerving, to say the least. Her heart pounded, and she had to wipe her palms off on her skirt as she focused her attention on the judge. She hated being so scrutinized, but there was no alternative for her now.
Cody stood tall and unwavering beside her, a pillar of strength. She straightened up to match, trying to follow his example. If not for him, she might have attempted to make a run for it, but she would trust him. He hadn’t led her astray yet.
“Cody Shepard,” the judge spoke, his voice easily carrying to the back of the room even without audio enhancement, “you stand accused of treason, terrorism, murder, larceny, and massive interplanetary damage. Nora Shepard, you stand accused of treason, terrorism, and murder.”
Nora swallowed hard. The charges sounded much worse read aloud in a courtroom.
“Mr. Shepard, how do you plead?”
“Not guilty.”
“Miss Shepard, how do you plead?”
“Not guilty,” Nora said, a little too loud. She cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks begin to heat up as she and Cody took their seats.
“As expected,” the judge sighed, motioning for the Alliance prosecutor to proceed.
“Prosecution, your opening statement?”
A man with short salt and pepper hair wearing a tailored navy suit, complete with a bow tie, stood up. He turned to address the jury as he stepped out from behind the table, spreading his hands wide in a welcoming gesture. Nora didn't miss how several of the jury members made a face.
“Esteemed jury members, the Shepard siblings stand accused of crimes against the Alliance, crimes against galactic species, and crimes against humanity. In their pursuit of the Collectors, they ignored galactic conventions and linked arms with Cerberus, an organization graded galaxy-wide as terrorists. Mr. Shepard commandeered a stolen and illegally modified Alliance vessel, and even when given the opportunity to return to the Alliance after his resurrection, he made his true loyalties clear. As a final act of extreme paranoia, he destroyed the Alpha relay, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of Batarians. He claims this was done as an effort to delay the Reapers, the enemy Shepard continually uses to justify his abhorrent actions.
“Miss Shepard supplied Cerberus with labor and intelligence even before the Commander was resurrected. She coerced one of the Alliance’s finest pilots to join Cerberus and used her charms to draw away a talented doctor. We have reason to believe she acted as an undercover agent and likely committed more crimes than we are even aware of. David Morris, a well-respected captain, was only one of her victims and the only one we have proof of. However, it is not unreasonable to believe other Alliance soldiers met their end by her hand.”
Nora took a deep breath, keeping her face carefully relaxed. Cody had warned her some of the accusations would be hard to hear, but she needed to remain calm. The thought that she had coerced Joker and Doctor Chakwas to join Cerberus was absurd, and Morris deserved what he got whether they knew about his connection to her or not. He was working for Cerberus, too.
“I ask you, the ladies and gentlemen of the jury to keep the long-lasting impacts of these crimes at the forefront of your minds as the trial proceeds.”
The prosecutor sat down, immediately rifling through his papers as the judge turned to the defendants' side of the courtroom.
“Defense, your opening statement?”
Nora watched both her and Cody’s lawyers stand in sync, straightening their jackets. Their suits were black, their hair was bright blonde, and their brown eyes sparkled with determination. They were twins in their early thirties, which was considered young to be in court, but their confidence was well earned. They had an impressive resume, hence why they were on such a high-profile case. Cody’s lawyer spoke first.
“Members of the jury, Commander Shepard has been a name synonymous with heroism, strength, and determination since his valiant efforts on Akuze. He is known among Alliance soldiers as the man who follows his gut, and it’s right every time. The Commander has cheated death, a feat we all wish we could match, and when he returned, he did the impossible: rallied a new team, reconciled their differences, and led them through the Omega 4 relay, defeating the Collectors harvesting our vulnerable colonies. Without his heroic efforts, we would have lost hundreds of thousands more of our people. We, as Alliance, understand that sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good. When has Shepard let us down before?”
Nora’s lawyer immediately chimed in, “Without his sister, Nora Shepard, we may not have seen the Commander walk the mortal plane again, let alone save anyone. Her willpower, vigor, and iron will pushed her onward to support her brother in his venture. Without her, the Commander wouldn’t have completed his mission, and we would instead be arguing about how best to inform the families of our far-away citizens that their loved ones are gone. Furthermore, she has shown that strength and honor can be found in unlikely places, arguably a lesson the Alliance would be well to learn. We are better off for both of their actions. We would also like to remind the jury that the Shepards were brought in peacefully as soon as their mission was completed.”
They both sat down, exchanging a meaningful glance before shuffling through their notes.
This trial was odd, Nora thought, as it didn’t seem that the point was to prove whether or not they had committed the crimes but whether or not they were justified in doing so. Their defense didn’t deny a single claim. Why did they even have to enter a plea?
Cody’s relaxed stance began to make more sense as it became apparent the Alliance was painfully lacking in intelligence regarding Cerberus and what had truly happened on the inside. The prosecution had some solid evidence, but much was based on hearsay and circumstance, which their defense consistently objected to. By the end of the first day, most of the prosecution’s evidence had been struck from the record.
Thankfully, they weren’t doing any questioning today, so Nora wasn’t asked to take the stand.
She was practically vibrating in her seat as the courtroom was released for the day, and she couldn’t help leaping to her feet to stretch. Cody chuckled, ushering her into the aisle so they could get a move on.
“Oh, no, wait, are the crowds still out there?” Nora asked, shooting her brother a worried look over her shoulder as he continued guiding her down the hall, his hand at the small of her back.
“They’ll be waiting every time we go outside,” he answered, smirking, “might as well get–”
“My son!”
Nora froze, tensing up as a familiar shriek carried down the hall, accompanied by the fast clicking of a woman in heels racing towards them. Her features contorted in an unpleasant grimace, and she didn’t turn around to greet the woman right away.
Cody, on the other hand, lit up, spinning around on his heel to catch his mother in his arms. They embraced tightly, the picture of a beautiful mother and son relationship.
Nora turned slowly, straightening up and setting her shoulders back. Her father closed the distance between himself and his wife, fixing Nora with a cold stare. She looked away, but did a double take to inspect his eyes closer. There was something different about them…Were they bluer than before? Had he gotten cosmetic surgery while they were gone? Why would he do that?
He blinked, and it was gone. Nora shrugged. It was probably just cybernetic enhancements. Why should she care, anyway?
“Why didn’t you call me? I was so worried; we went to your funeral,” Jennifer Shepard fussed over her precious baby boy, smoothing his hair and straightening his collar. Nora took a measured breath, refusing to let this hurt her anymore. She knew the drill; she was the spare child.
“It’s good to see you, son,” their father said, shaking his son’s hand, “and Nora, I’m…surprised to see you.”
His eyes were cold as they met hers, and she noticed the blue sheen again.
“Never thought I’d submit to the Alliance again?” Nora cocked an eyebrow, crossing her arms.
Mark Shepard chuckled, “Yes, that’s it.”
Nora sighed. She didn’t want to play these games with her parents anymore. Thankfully, the stern marine who was supposed to escort them had come to her rescue.
“Move out! Refrain from speaking with the prisoners!”
“Call me when you can!”
Their mother waved enthusiastically as they were separated again, standing on her tiptoes to watch her son leave. Nora waited until her back was turned to pretend to gag, grateful the touching family reunion had been interrupted.
She was even glad to see the screaming crowd outside. At least some of them actually called her name first.
Alliance Marines kept themselves busy keeping their “fans” away from the walkway. Nora couldn’t fight the slight smile on her face as they entered the sky car. She couldn’t help it; it was amusing to hear a crowd chant their name like rockstars while they were under arrest.
Cody leaned back and stretched, a yawn fighting out of his chest and forcing his mouth open, “We made it through day one,” he said, reaching across and ruffling Nora’s hair affectionately.
She smacked him in the ribs, shoving him off her, “How many days are there?”
“It depends on how long it takes to sort through the evidence and get the witnesses on the stand.”
“They don’t seem to be trying very hard to prove we didn’t do it,” Nora said, voicing her confusion from earlier.
“That isn’t the goal,” Anderson said from the front seat, “You two are trying to prove it’s worth the liability to keep you in the Alliance.”
Nora stiffened but kept her expression neutral. It made sense, after all, that the only ticket out of this was to officially enlist.
“It’s odd,” Nora said instead.
“I can see how it would feel that way,” Anderson said, giving her a warm smile, “but it tends to end in more favorable outcomes for the accused. Given the magnitude of what you two accomplished, this is little more than a formality.”
He lowered his voice, “But don’t tell Hackett I told you that.”
Nora giggled. She’d been fond of Anderson since Cody had died; he had helped her a lot during that time, and it was clear her brother was important to him. She was touched by that.
They exited at the hotel and followed their escort inside. Nora waved to Cody as they were split up in the lobby, taking separate elevators upstairs. Her door was unlocked for her, and she was ushered inside with the door shut behind her.
It was a good-sized room, far larger than she really needed, with a separate bedroom off the side. It was luxurious in a way she hadn’t expected, with plush carpeting and soft, comfortable furniture. The decor was tastefully arranged, and the neutral color scheme complemented the grays and blues of the sky outside her window.
While she wasn’t required to be accompanied inside the room, there was a marine stationed on her balcony, as well as at the entrance to the hallway. The constant surveillance made relaxing difficult, especially without her omni-tool to distract herself. Having a balcony guard felt unnecessary, although as she had the thought that her room was on the 15th floor, far too high up to escape without risking grave danger, she realized what the marine was actually there to prevent.
She sat on the sofa, doing her best to ignore the growing sense of unease spreading throughout her body. The marine outside shifted, and she turned her attention to him.
“Hey.”
He ignored her.
“Hey, you, with the boots.”
“Yes?” He didn’t sound pleased to be speaking with her.
“Do you have to stay out there all night?”
“No, I will be relieved in two hours.”
“Oh…do they have to stay out there all night, then?”
“Yes.”
“Do you at least get a bonus for that or…?”
“No.”
This was going nowhere, fast.
“Okay, nice talking to you.”
She sighed and moved to the bedroom of the suite. It was awkward hanging out in the other room with that marine standing on the balcony, pointedly ignoring her.
Thankfully, the Alliance wasn’t completely heartless. They had provided her with a small library of books to read, and that’s how she entertained herself as the sun began to sink under the horizon.
It was nice to be back in Vancouver. The skyline was gorgeous, and she had fond memories of the area from when she met Kaidan’s parents.
It felt like a lifetime ago. Was there really a time when she had been so carefree as to go to the zoo with her boyfriend’s parents?
She wondered what they thought of her now. Did they know what had happened? Had Kaidan told them anything?
Her chest tightened at the realization they probably hated her. They had been so open and friendly with her, yet that may be another bridge she had burned while stealing Cody away from the Grim Reaper.
She startled as a sharp knock came at her door. She hurried to answer, bored out of her mind and looking forward to some kind of distraction.
It was just a hotel employee, bringing her dinner. She wondered what this poor employee could have thought about the armed guard standing outside her room.
She sighed and set the platter down on the table, taking a seat. She rested her chin on her hand and looked out the window.
Actually, it was unlikely the employee didn’t know why she was here. That was about all she knew about the current state of the media: it had been heavily focused on her and her brother lately. She wasn’t allowed to watch it or listen to it, so she didn’t know anything else.
She ate in solitude, waving to the balcony marine as he left for the night. He didn’t wave back.
The woman who took over seemed more cheerful, though, giving Nora a friendly nod before she took her station. Secretly, Nora was relieved that her night guard was a woman. She wasn’t sure if the Alliance did that on purpose, but she suspected it was intentional.
Nora showered, brushed her teeth, changed, and crawled into bed. At least the bed was comfortable, almost better than her bed on the Normandy.
She buried her face in her pillow, not wanting to think about the Normandy. It was too painful. She missed everyone so much; they’d hardly had a chance to celebrate their victory before she and Cody were separated from them.
Anderson wouldn’t tell her anything about her former team, only that everyone had returned to where they belonged safely. That would have to do for now.
As her eyes drifted closed, her last thought was whether she would get to see Kaidan before he testified tomorrow. She hoped the powers that be would let them talk, even if just for a moment.
The next morning, Nora smoothed down her skirt while waiting for Cody to come downstairs. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, fiddling with her hair. Her skin felt tingly as nerves overtook her.
She was so nervous about seeing Kaidan, the trial, her future…about everything.
She sighed in relief as the elevator doors down the hall opened, revealing her brother and his escorts.
He flashed her a big grin, striding over and linking arms with her as they headed for the exit. She placed her other hand on his arm, leaning on him.
“Are you ready?” he asked her, his voice relaxed.
“I think I’m going to throw up,” she answered.
Cody laughed, following their escorts out to the skycar.
“Just promise me you’ll wait until we land.”
Nora climbed into the seat, turning to him once he got in beside her, “No promises on when, but I’ll make sure to aim for you.”
“I’ll finally fulfill my dream of being an only child,” Cody sighed wistfully, “because if you puke on me, I’m throwing you out of this car.”
The marines in the car with them didn’t seem to find the exchange very funny, but it brought a smile to Nora’s face. She was grateful for the short distraction.
As soon as they landed in front of the courthouse, the nerves bubbled back up, squeezing her chest and making it difficult to breathe.
There were people lined up again, clamoring for a glimpse of one of them, but Nora felt more prepared for them today.
She followed her brother down the walkway, looking straight ahead and ignoring their adoring fans. It wasn’t that she held any ill will towards them, more that she didn’t think it would look good if she was perceived as basking in the glory. Her brother seemed to have the same idea, mirroring her actions.
The wooden doors closed behind them, muffling the sound of the crowd beyond. Nora scanned the atrium, her breath catching in her throat when she spotted who she was looking for.
Kaidan stood beside Anderson with a furrowed brow and heavy frown. He was talking quietly; his lips moved quickly while he spoke, like he was agitated about something. He was dressed nicely in a suit, and Nora felt her cheeks heat up when he looked up and caught her staring. He looked amazing.
She faltered, but Cody gave her a hearty shove in the right direction, nearly causing her to stumble.
“Don’t stop now,” he mumbled, herding his sister over.
Anderson lifted a hand in greeting, but Nora could see he was troubled as well.
“Morning, Shepards; are you prepared for the character witness testimonies?” Anderson asked.
“No,” Nora answered honestly, shaking her head, “not in the slightest.”
“Excuse us,” Kaidan said, his voice quiet but firm. He caught Nora by the elbow, steering her away from Shepard and Anderson.
Once they could speak without being overheard, he turned to her. His expression hadn’t changed, and Nora’s heart began to pound with worry.
“What is it?” she asked as he dropped her arm. She glanced down at his hand, already missing the warmth.
“I didn’t want you to be blindsided, but there isn’t anything I can do to stop it. Listen, no matter what happens in there, you’re safe, and you have to stay calm.”
Nora’s eyes widened, her heartbeat quickening to an impossible pace, “What are you saying? Blindsided by what?”
“Nora, who knows you that serves in the Alliance other than me and your family? Who could the Alliance possibly call as a character witness?”
Her blood ran cold, and her ears started ringing. Her vision faded until it was like Kaidan was standing far away from her, at the other end of a tunnel.
She blinked at him as he grasped her biceps, snapping her back to reality.
“Stoll,” she whispered, feeling dazed. The grim look on his face confirmed her worst fears.
“Listen to me; he can’t do anything to you. He can say whatever he wants, but he can’t hurt you. That room is full of soldiers whose job it is to keep you and the Commander safe on Hackett’s orders.”
She was having trouble focusing on his reassurances. The thought of coming face-to-face with her former instructor filled her head with white noise.
Kaidan squeezed her arms, attempting to get through to her. She held eye contact with him.
“Even if none of that were true, Shepard and I won’t let anything happen to you,” she felt his grip tighten like he wanted to pull her closer, but he resisted the urge and stepped back instead, letting her go, “and besides, I’m going to try to get his testimony stricken from the record.”
“How?” Nora asked, her voice shaking, “Kaidan, you can’t bring that up, not here, I can’t–”
“No, not that,” Kaidan cut her off before she could panic, shaking his head, “Sorry. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
She exhaled, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. She grimaced as her blazer tightened uncomfortably around her shoulders. She missed her armor.
“I know,” Kaidan sighed, “I’m sorry, I wanted to warn you sooner, but…” he trailed off, leaving the obvious unsaid. She wasn’t allowed contact with anybody.
“I know. Thanks for telling me,” Nora tilted her head back, squeezing her eyes shut, “Does Cody know?”
“No…I didn’t know what he knew.”
“We should tell him. He…he might not respond well to seeing him without a warning.”
Kaidan nodded, understanding that he wasn’t the only one who knew of Stoll’s crimes.
Nora took a deep breath and turned to rejoin Anderson and her brother. She shot Kaidan a grateful look as he patted her shoulder in a gesture of solidarity.
“Everything alright?” Anderson asked with a raised eyebrow as they returned. Cody frowned when he saw her face, and she guessed she must still look pretty shocked.
“What happened?” Cody asked, rounding on Kaidan, “What did you say to her?”
“Cody,” Nora stopped him from getting upset at the wrong person, “Stoll is testifying today.”
“What!?”
His surprised shout echoed off the marble walls around them, drawing curious stares their way. Kaidan waited for people to turn back before elaborating.
“I wanted to warn Nora, there wasn’t anything I could do to stop it.”
Anderson looked between the three of them, trying to piece together what was going on. He remembered when Kaidan had asked him to unlock an old file after he had declined to work for Stoll…it seemed this went deeper than he had anticipated.
Cody turned his attention to Nora, “Are you going to be okay?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t been in this situation before,” she looked down, keeping her arms crossed tightly over her chest. It felt like the only thing holding her together.
She heard her brother take a measured breath, then felt his hand clasp onto her shoulder. She looked up at him, two pairs of hazel eyes locking together.
“He has no power over you,” he told her, “He can’t be stupid enough to try something in a court full of witnesses, and if he did, we would stop him. You’re safe, even though it doesn’t feel like it.”
She nodded resolutely, trying to believe in her brother. He hadn’t failed her yet, and it was easier than believing in herself at the moment.
Still, Nora felt the panic rise like boiling water in her throat as people began to move inside. The court would be in session soon.
“I’m not entirely sure what’s going on,” Anderson said, waiting for Nora to meet his gaze before continuing, “but the Commander is right. Nobody in that courtroom will cause you harm, even if they want to. The guards are heavily armed, you’re a biotic, and you would have full permission to defend yourself however necessary.”
She nodded, releasing the breath she was holding as they were ushered inside. She stayed next to Cody, keeping him as close to her side as possible. She wasn’t sure when Anderson and Kaidan were separated from them, but soon, she was standing beside Cody at the table.
She could still hear the blood rushing in her ear, making it hard to hear anything other than an incessant tapping noise to her left. The taps got louder and louder until they were hammering on the inside of her skull like a jackhammer.
“Stop it,” she hissed to her brother, making him take his tap-dancing fingers off the table.
“Sorry,” he whispered back. She huffed, immediately regretting snapping at him but too anxious to properly express herself.
“I know,” he said softly. She shot him a grateful look.
Nora struggled to pay attention to the recap for the jury and the agenda for today. She stared at the Alliance flag hanging behind the judge, avoiding looking around the room lest she catch a glimpse of Stoll. She wasn’t ready.
She would never be ready.
But she didn’t have a choice; she had to be ready.
She took a deep breath. She needed to keep it together; this trial could have dire consequences for her and her brother if she blew it now.
She trusted Kaidan, she trusted Cody, and she trusted Anderson. Hell, even if she didn’t exactly know Hackett, she knew it was unlikely he would just stand aside and allow harm to come to her.
This was the safest way to run into him again, really.