Chapter 1: Once a Hero
Former commander Hazel Shepard was the first human spectre and the savior of the Galaxy. But as of the year 2200, she is seen as a traitor to humanity and the galaxy she saved as a whole. She sacrificed the old council in the year 2183 and at the time of the Reapers defeat seemed like a wise choice. But human relations with the other races were still strained and they wanted blood...they wanted Shepard. The Asari, Turians and Salarians regained their seats on the council and had Shepard tried for treason. The Alliance media portrayed Shepard as a cold calculating murderer of the old council and had her demonized by the rest of the galaxy.
The council had her arrested at the grave site of her mother who died fighting in the Reaper war. Surprisingly given her violent reputation surrendered without a fight. The new council quickly sentenced the commander to ten years in a triple maximum security prison in an undisclosed location.
The commander has been out for about three months and not even members of her former crew have heard from her. Alliance captain Ashley Williams has declined an interview for this special. But us at Alliance news wire understand that Commander Shepard no matter how extreme her actions, always had the best interests of the galaxy on her mind and that she was the hero this galaxy had when they needed her most.
"Ha, they've been playing that character profile for the last month now Ashley."
"Yeah Haze I know." She replied
"It's all bull shit!" She shouted " They needed me when the Reaper fleet was blasting the Citadel and after they decide to put the same fools I tried to get rid of back on the council!"
"I know Commander they sicked us on the bear." Ashley replied downing another shot.
"If I was still in the Alliance you would be the one I'd be answering to." Shepard snarled
"If you where still in the Alliance you would be an Admiral."
Commander Shepard Once a hero to the galaxy was now out of prison. Bitter at what she calls a betrayal and abandonment of people she thought where her friends, now spent her time in bars with her only friend that shes stayed in contact with since coming out of prison.
"You don't have to keep coming around Ashley." Shepard replied staring at the empty glass in front of her. "I can drink alone...I spent ten years alone."
"Don't talk like that commander!" Ashley snapped "You still have friends on the out side!"
"Tali is an Admiral, Grunt is Urdnot Wreav's second, Garrus is the executor, I don't know about half of what ever my other crew members are doing and then you got made captain." Shepard said agitatedly. "And Liara is back to digging up fossils...and doesn't want any thing to do with me"
"Yeah they made me captain to keep me from busting you out of prison." Ashley said smiling at Shepard
"You're a good soldier Ash...not as good as me...but damn good all the same." Shepard laughed
Ashley gave Shepard a toothy grin. "I don't know, your a bit...old don't ya think?"
"Watch it Williams I might not of been on the field in a while but I could still kick your ass all over this bar!" Shepard mumbled
"We'll have to spare...I'll try not to break your hip grandma."
Shepard rolled her eyes. "I'm only forty six!" she shouted
Ashley and Shepard shared a laugh. Ashley knew that she was probably right. Even ten years locked up hadn't changed her all that much. She still looked the same after all these years besides the white streak in her short black hair.
"So hows being a captain treating you?" Shepard asked
"Work and more work." Ashley groaned " Batarians are getting bolder and attacking colonies in the Traverse."
"That didn't happen when I was active." Shepard mumbled
"The council and the Alliance don't do any thing!" Ashley grunted "And that bastard that replaced Anderson makes me sick!"
Shepard looked over to Ashley who was visibly tense, clenching her fists and took another shot.
"He invited those four eyed assholes back to the citadel, apologizes for the Skyllian Blitz and Torfan and gives them trading rights all the while they still attack human colonies and take human slaves!" She shouted slamming her fist into the table. "It was better when you were around Shepard."
"Yet here we are." Shepard teased " drinking and bitching about the good old days."
Ashley took a deep breath and let it go all at once. "Some times I miss the old days."
"Fighting Saren, Reapers, Geth and almost dieing on a daily basis?" Shepard asked
Ashley smiled and downed another drink. "All of it."
Shepard looked across the bar. She noticed an asari that's been staring at Ashley and her the entire time they were in the bar. Shepard got up and went to this asari without saying any thing.
"You've got a problem?"
"I've got nothing to say to a human." the asari scoffed
"Then we do have a problem?"
"Ever since you humans "saved" the galaxy every thing has been worse because of it!" she stood up and shouted " The only good thing your kind has done is return the council over to the real council!"
"The "real" council never did what needed to be done!" Shepard yelled back.
"So that pathetic human council was better?"
"They certainly had you tail heads on the side line didn't they?"
The asari laughed."You ever fight an asari commando before human?"
"You ever fight a former Spectre?"
The asari laughed hysterically "There haven't been a human spectre since...Shepard." The asari changed her tone. "Are you Hazel Shepard?"
"That's right!" Shepard answered menacingly.
The once confrontational asari was now terrified. "Oh...Oh goddess!"
"Your "goddess" wont be fast enough to save you." Shepard said pulling a pistol on the asari aiming it right on her head.
"Plea...please don't kill me!" the asari begged
"Then you better get out of here." Shepard said putting her gun away.
The asari ran out of the bar, with other bar goers laughing at the scared asari.
"Damn Shepard your still scary!" Ashley laughed
"The bitch needed a lesson." Shepard answered shrugging her shoulders.
Ashley checked her side and noticed that her pistol was missing. "When did you..."
"That's why I would win." Shepard said giving Ashley back her weapon.
This is Alliance news wire with breaking news!The Vid cracked. A Batarian slaving party have invaded an alliance colony in the Traverse, leaving dozens of alliance soldiers dead and the colony itself no longer sustainable. This is the first attack of it's kind since the raid on Mindoir in 2170.
"God damn batarians!" Ashley shouted " Their out of control!"
Ashley looked over to her former commander. Her eyes were glued to the screen of the vid, she watch the pictures of the colony in flames and could tell that she was outraged. But some thing else was in her eyes, Ashley could tell. She had a very familiar fire in her that had been absent until this moment. She knew the look well...Shepard wanted blood.
"Commander?" she asked
"Can you get me a meeting with the council Ash?" Shepard mumbled
Ashley was surprised that she asked that question. "You want me to do what?"
Shepard was griping the chair so hard that her knuckles turned white. "I said can you get me a meeting with the council?" Shepard grunted
"I...um...I don't..."
"Either you can or you can't!" Shepard yelled angrily at Ashley.
"I can get Garrus to make a formal request and I'm still in contact with Tali, she can get the quarian ambassador to push for one also." Ashley said
"Can you get some other Captains or maybe even Admirals to push for me?" Shepard questioned
"For the first human spectre...I can see what I can do." Ashley replied
Shepard took a deep breath and exhaled. "Thank you Ash."
Ashley was surprised. Hazel Shepard, the first human spectre, savior of the Citadel and protector of the galaxy was back. She wondered what she was planning...but she didn't care. She might not have always liked the things she did while she was spectre, but always knew that she would get the job done. Ashley loved the Alliance, but right now they weren't doing what needed to be done. Batarians were invading human colonies, but the Alliance and the council would be arguing on what to do about it. But she knew Shepard wouldn't just throw sanctions against them...when Shepard gets a hold of them there would be blood.
End.
AN/ Had the idea for this story when I was reading "Dark Knight returns" by Frank Miller. I also wanted to tell a not so "cheery and every thing is ok" post mass effect story. I want to tell a story about a very angry and bitter Shepard who is out to protect a galaxy that hates and fears her.
Please review.