The one left behind

Chapter one

"Sir, did this somehow slip your mind, you couldn't have told me?" said Sergeant Lopez as he stormed into ambassador Udina's office and approached Captain Anderson in an aggressive manner.

"Lopez, just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse, and what are you doing here, the restriction papers says you'll join back with the Normandy in another month or two", replied Anderson.

Sergeant Lopez had been demoted and sent back to earth with his arrest for punching Commander Shepard some months earlier.

Soon after he discovered that commander Shepard was made a spectre and sent on the mission to find the rogue agent seren, he pleaded to be let go early by the systems alliance stating he would be an important asset to the mission.

Sergeant Lopez was an elite alliance marine that was in charge of the special reconnaissance squad aboard the Normandy often criticized by Shepard for their aggressive tactics.

Although he was well liked by the enlisted members of the Normandy for his heroic actions and leadership on the battlefield, he was looked down upon by the higher ups because of his poor relationship with Commander Shepard even though they knew he always got the job done with flying colors. It angered Shepard that and the rest of the officers like LT. Alenko that Sergeant Lopez never showed much respect to them.

Sergeant Lopez was known for constantly questioning Shepard on almost everything regarding his leadership skills and decision making and was quite rebellious when it came to obeying orders.

"Sir, why couldn't I go on this mission, you know the crew could have used me, did Shepard tell you not to add me on this and why aren't you there with them?" Said Lopez.

"actually Lopez….I put him in charge of the Normandy, and we both decide you would not be aiding him on this mission, this mission is too Important to risk you messing things up, besides he's a spectre now and I couldn't put you there with him, he's more than just the commander now". Said captain Anderson.

"So am I just tossed to the side on this one, what about my marines, they need me, I can't let them go on this without me, no way, we have gone on too many missions together, many of those men trust me more than they trust shepard" said Lopez with a rejected face.

"They'll be okay, Shepard got himself a more diverse crew to aid him on the mission, they wanted to bring down seren just as much as him" said Anderson.

With a sarcastic look, Lopez replies, " wow! Are you serious sir? And you don't think I don't? I lost a corporal at Eden prime dammit! and by diverse, you mean alien don't you?, is it wise to bring aliens on to the Normandy, you know, on the account that it's still a prototype, you really want them peeking there little eyes on our new vessels, but it's okay sir, its shepard, the guy survives one attack on aku..

"LOPEZ, THAT'S ENOUGH!" shouts captain Anderson looking like he just killed a man, "why can't you understand why you're not on the Normandy with him? It's that's kind of talk that made our decision easier than it had to be".

Just then ambassador Udina walks in with a group of armed c-sec officers. Lopez turns around and ready's himself as they approach him thinking that anything could happen.

"I think it's time for you to leave sergeant, you're not on this mission and that's final, c-sec will escort you to one of a guest rooms and you will wait there until we decide what to do with you" said Udina.

The officers take Lopez to one of the alliance guest rooms and wait outside as he himself wonders what Udina has for him.