Chapter 1

Frantic eyes searched the room as faint "aws" resonated from every corner. Sounds of a new life echoed through the shallow corridors of the hospital. The infant's vision cleared instantly as his attentive eyes anxiously took in as much of this new world as they could; fixating on the most captivating thing in the room, his mother's face. The infant gawked and gurgled at the softened features of a woman draped over him. There was no introduction into the new life outside of the womb but the infant knew this was where he would stay. The infant did not understand what to make of this world. With no control of his motor functions, the infant squirmed as his limbs flailed in every direction.

The infant could not make sense of much. All was foreign to him compared to the familiarity of his old home. Still, the woman gazing upon him smiled and soon she began to glow. The infants' eyes bulged with bewilderment as the smoggy light engulfed them. Combining the sensation with the warmth of her smile, the infant somehow interpreted the feeling as something he wished to stay. Before drifting off into a deep sleep in his mother's warm embrace, the infant felt a tug at the corner of his mouth. A sound like laughter escaped the woman's throat as she placed her finger in the infant's tiny palm.

…

"Born into a world where nothing is of knowledge, people have no choice but to grow both literally and figuratively, transforming completely into an unknown. People are not born knowing what their destiny is, or where life would take them. We as people simply learn, whether it be from experiences that shape and mold us, or it be lessons of our parents teachings in hopes that they are leading us down the right path. We rely on those above us, those who hold all power over our lives in hopes that they will not lead us astray. Our mothers, fathers, grandparents, even strangers we meet along the way. We hope that we can find truth in the words they tell us, sincerity in their acts of kindness, and hope for support no matter what choices we make in life. Some of us however, don't get a choice. Some of us don't get to bask in the joy of family or friends or simply the innocence of childhood. Some of us don't get to choose our path; Some of us are called upon to enlighten the idea of having a destiny, one that could change the face of the world as we all know it. It can't be easy to carry the weight of not only your own world, but an entire galaxy on your shoulders; To be the face of all humanity; a hero in the darkest hour. No, it can't be easy to be that one person to make the world stop and look, recognizing your inability to stop fighting for what you believe in. To be that person to be the voice of an entire race, to be the one to stand up and fight against a threat so big, sacrifices are unavoidable if you failed. Some people would dismiss the idea, claiming it an impossible task to take on such a burden. Some would say that it is not that impossible, if you have the right person for the job. His name is Commander Shepard, and here is his story before he earned the title of a HERO, when he was just an ordinary person. This is a story of his wars of life."

…

Malik Anthony Shepard was born April 11, 2154 in the still renowned "windy city" of Chicago, Illinois. As a once feeble infant who was dependent upon nothing else but his mother's love to mold him into the man he shall become, little Shepard had no way of preparing for the turn his life would take. It was impossible to know that his first night into the world resting in his mother's arms would be his last time seeing her face.

Shepard's days as an infant quickly flew by as most often do. His childhood felt rushed in a sense that he never had any stability. Shepard moved from orphanage to orphanage and from one foster home to the next. One home in particular detained a tremendous amount of turmoil on his life. It made a certain impact, not necessarily for the greater of things. He remembered the first day he saw his new foster parents, their matching smiles beaming in the sunlight. They had a radiance about them that drew Shepard to them. During their visit at the orphanage, they were simply 'just looking' as if searching up and down the isles of a grocery store.

They said to have been discussing the possibility of adopting and just wanted to know their options. Shepard hadn't a clue why, but he so desperately hoped to be their choice when the decision came about. Ms. Han, the woman in charge of things at the orphanage, was giving the lovely couple a tour of the facility, introducing them to some of the children along the way. Shepard, never straying too far from the couple crept in between corners of the house, sticking to the shadows as not to not be seen nor heard. Shepard made a habit of this, becoming uniquely good at it over time, he had to otherwise he would be shooed away.

The children were often times whisked away by activities given to them by Ms. Han when she and another adult were talking. She knew that every child wanted to be adopted, every child wanted to feel normal. She understood the anxiety the children went through on a daily basis, wondering why they were cursed to live like vorcha, confined to a single space instead of enjoying what it was like to have a real family. Ms. Han did her best to accommodate for the things they didn't have but there was only so much she could do. They lacked the luxury of their own bedrooms and they often times had to make do with the food they had, usually eating leftovers four times a week, but the children were taken care of in the least.

They learned to appreciate the ones around them and consider themselves one giant, diverse family. Even that didn't seem to help them sleep most nights. Some cried, hurt that their parents wanted nothing to do with them, while others like Shepard, never knew their parents and lived in constant wonder. They wondered what they looked like and if they were perhaps still alive. They wondered if they would know their parents if they saw them, or perhaps if their parents would recognize them. Shepard had no intent on believing something that held no evidence of truth. When Shepard was old enough to ask, he learned that some things were best kept silent. He was unsure of how to react when his uncle told him the bitter sweet story of his background.

[Flashback]

"I've already told you about your mother Shepard, what much more do you want to learn?"

"I want to know everything about her. I want to know something you haven't told me about her…what was she like?"

Shepard's glossy eyes gleamed up at his uncle; a stocky man with a wide chest and broad shoulders. He had dark hair and eyes, kind of shaped like his. His skin resembled a cup of hot cocoa, smooth and creamy. He had high cheekbones and a bright smile. Shepard loved his uncle. After his mother passed, Shepard's uncle assumed responsibility of the infant. He had been with his uncle for most of his child life. He was now seven years old and harbored many questions.

"…something you don't know huh?" he stroked his shaggy beard.