This first chapter may be a little slow, it's mostly getting to know Shepard. She's earthborn and a sole survivour, vanguard. It'll follow the games as much as possible and hopefully continues after them.

Shepard. Uhura Shepard. Not a birth name of course, something she'd picked up on the streets back on earth. She always had a way of getting people to do what she wanted even as a kid. Like sheep to the slaughter. That's where the name came from. It was just some nickname that had stuck. Before that she was a Jane Doe. A generic name for 'nobodies', something she didn't ever want to be called again. When she joined the Tenth Street Reds, she was just Shepard. The kid who could take all your credits out of your pocket just by smiling at you. She loved it. There was something about being part of a team, part of a family, it made her feel needed. Wanted. With her dark auburn eyes and long crimson hair, she looked quite the part. Of course when it came down to the real nitty gritty crimes, her biotics and shotgun helped too. Not that she was amazing with them, having no real training.

It was a petty crime turned wrong that sent her the way of the Alliance. Some Volus was visiting earth and if there was anything the reds were, it was anti-alien. She was never full on fanatical herself, but it made some sense. Aliens couldn't be trusted, no one could. Despite the old vids like Star Trek and Star Wars, she watched with Finch, deep down, Shepard knew that nothing was that idealistic. The crime was far from idealistic. Robbing some Volus at gun point and possibly killing his body guards. It shouldn't have been difficult, but being an eighteen year old woman, Shepard hadn't put as much thought into as she should have. The volus turned out to be a turian with armed krogan guards. No one had expected it, mostly because a turian on earth was bizarre. The turian was there on alliance business, a spectre or something. He was meeting with an man named Anderson stationed on earth. Knowing this, everyone should have stopped, but the ambush had already begun. Shepard rushed into the fold, expecting Finch to have her back, but he was knocked out before she'd even started charging. One of the krogan shot at her with an assult rifle, Shepard barely doged, rolling into cover behind a crate. Dark eyes peered over the shelter, The reds were being slaughtered. "Fall back!" She screamed to her brothers and sisters. Everyone did as told, her tone commanding throughout the room. She was just about to run from cover to the exit when her eyes locked onto one of the krogan. A large green beast clad in the best armor she'd ever seen wielding a claymore, something she could only dream of. The barrel of the claymore pressed against the chest of a fellow gang member. "Weisman!" Shepard screamed out in panic and frustration, watching as the creature holding Curt laughed darkly. Without thought Shepard charged across the firing field and slammed into the krogan with full biotic force, knocking the alien onto it's ass. No small feat. Her mistake was looking back to Curt, who was scrambling away and letting her guard down, it was then she felt the cold heaviness at the back of her head, fading into darkness.

When Shepard awoke she shot upright. Only to find herself shackled to her cot. In the room with her was a woman maybe in late twenties or early thirties. "Doctor Karin Chakwas, miss. As far as your injuries go I think you'll be fine, can't say the same for your predicament though."

Shepard raised her brow at the woman. What was this? Was she in hospital? How could she be in hospital, she couldn't afford that. Fuck, she didn't even look like she could. "Well 'Kaaaariiiiin', how about you undo these shakles and tell me what exactly that predicament is?"

Doctor Chakwas made no move to un-shackle Shepard, and noted the woman hadn't given her a name. "Well, it appears your fool hardiness and skill managed to impress both the Spectre you attacked and Captain Anderson. David's always had a thing for hard-luck cases and self sacrificers. In fact. He should be here any minute." Doctor Chakwas bowed her head and smiled, leaving Shepard alone with herself and her thoughts.

Shepard was starting to get an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Well they hadn't arrested her yet. That was a start. Plus she'd managed to impress some alliance ponce. That was something to cling on to. With any luck Finch and the others were okay and not in a similar predicament. Before Shepard could be lost in her thoughts, the door swished open and in walked a man about twice her age. Middle aged, somewhat handsome, with dark beady eyes, that despite that, were somewhat soft and warm. He walked with a strong back and sat down beside Shepard's cot. "I'm not going to lie to you. Normally I have no time for criminals, but from what Raynesh, told me. You took down one of his krogan mercenaries without fatality, trying to save a friend. Now, I respect that." Anderson leaned forward, clasping his hands together and continued, "I also hear you called everyone out of there when things got tough. That was a good call. So I'll cut right to the chase. The spectre you attacked, Raynesh struck a deal with me. I can arrest you or recruit you. You'll start at the very bottom of course, enrolling just like everyone else. It'll be hard and honestly I'm not sure if you've got the morals or the guts to stick it kid, but that's for the boot camp to decide, not me."

Shepard's head was reeling. She had a choice. They might not arrest her. Of course it would mean joining up with the alliance. Well shit, it's not like she had much here on earth anyhow. The alliance meant a warm cot at night, no sleeping with an eye open. No more thieving just to eat. Fuck, this was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

"Well." She said tentatively with half a smirk. "I don't want to go to prison."

"Good choice." Anderson said standing up and looking down at Shepard with a look she couldn't quite solve. "I'll go get the enrollment papers and some guards to un-cuff you. I'll need to know your name of course."

"Shepard." Was the woman's simple reply, but as Anderson still stood there looking expectant, she knew he wanted more than that. Her lips parted and for a brief moment she almost said 'Jane'. Jane Shepard, it had a nice ring to it. Of couse it brought back all the memories of being a Jane Doe. A no one. She was joining the galaxy's navy. She needed a new name. One no one had ever called her before. For the briefest second her mind drifted to the times she spent watching those vids with Finch. The ones about aliens in space and saving the universe.

"Uhura. Uhura Shepard."

Two years passed and as it turned out, the alliance was good for Shepard. She still had the cocky attitude, the bright red hair and the black lipstick, but she also had more control over her biotics and weapons. Not to mention thrown away her alien prejudice. Well most of it. It started with her growing fascination in the krogan fighting style. Charging in with a shotgun and biotics. A vanguard is what they called her. Whilst all the other soldiers were learning snipers, she was up in the thick of it, blowing off heads and biotically punching the practice bots unconscious. Being a part of the alliance was like being part of the Reds. Only she knew now that she was doing the right thing. It helped that after the first few months of training Captain Anderson took her under his wing. He was like the father she'd never had, though she'd never say it to the mans face.

Skidding down the hallways, Shepard stopped suddenly outside the auditorium. The assembly was already in process. Perhaps if she spent less time fixing her make up after making out with Private Brady she wouldn't be in this mess. Damn was that man handsome though. Shepard smirked a little at the thought of how she'd left him. Pressed up against the wall, licorice coloured lipstick smears around his already dark lips. God how he looked so wanting for her. It hadn't been going on long and fratenizing was forbidden, but she was twenty and had hormones. It's not like there was a any gap in command either, they were both privates. Shaking her head from her thoughts, Shepard gingerly pressed the door open. A few heads turned to look at her, but they soon focused back on the commander addressing the hall.

"-dropped out of contact as you know. Now we're not expecting anything serious. Sometimes transmitters fail, sometimes batarian pirates attack colonies. Akuze is a oppurtunity for those of you who think you're ready to prove yourself." Ready? Sheppard couldn't even contain her grin. This was the mission she'd been waiting on. A silenced colony. Everyone knew it was pirates or raiders. She'd show up, blow a few batarian's to hell and then Anderson would have to put her forward for N7 training. "Those of you h volunteer. Follow Staff Lieutenant Stewarts."

Shepard stepped down the hall after Stewarts. She didn't need to sit in on the rest of the assembly any how. She'd known since she first heard whispers about it, that the Akuze job was the one for her. Approaching the register, Shepard scanned her omni-tool. Stewarts look at the screen for a moment and pursed his lips. Something fluttered in Shepard's heart. No. She had to be on this job. There was no way he could refuse her. "Cleared." The moment the words passed the staff lieutenant's lips, Shepard visible exhaled. Only to have that short-lived peace taken from her as something, or rather someone grabbed her rear. Turning to break the teeth of whoever had the audacity to grope her, the woman was once more relieved, finding Brady there instead. Looking much more professional without her lip stains on his. "Signing up too, huh? Think you've got the balls for the job?" Shepard quipped, moving to the side as Brady scanned his omni-tool. "Oh I think you know I've got the balls." Was his whispered reply. Shepard chuckled quietly recalling their recent encounters. A smile Stewart's clearly saw, but chose to say nothing about.

"Cleared."

They both stepped away from the registry and made for their lockers at the opposite end of the hall. "I thought you wanted the Elysium job?" Uhura asked, genuinely surprised to see that Brady had ended up here. Not that she was complaining. He'd certainly make for entertainment after a few slavers were killed.

"Yeah, well you convinced me Akuze was the one for me. You're just so damn persuasive, Uhura." Brady chuckled, slightly nudging the woman. Emptying her locker, Shepard smirked. He liked her enough that he was willing to trade missions. This clearly was going beyond shagging. She kind of liked the idea of that. Being an actual couple. Why the alliance had such strict rules on fraternizing she didn't know. If anything being surrounded by buff men and women was a perk of the job. They should put that on the recruitment vids!

"Well, maybe before we head to the docking bay, I can persuade you to stop by a supply closet?" Shepard purred.

"Oh baby, I don't need persuading."

"Brady!? Please...PLEASE!" Shepard cried out, bent over the man' unconscious body. Shotgun in one hand and her other arm cradling the man's shoulders. "We need to get back to the landing zone." The thresher maws had came out of nowhere. The phrase 'popped out of thin air' was almost eerily accurate. They say these things happen in slow motion. That everything seems to move languidly. That's not how it happened at all. One minute everything was fine and the next. Nearly half the marines were torn in two, blood and entrails colouring the ground. A group of them had managed to get behind cover, but between the poison balls and flailing limbs, the beasts were wiping the marines out in record timing. There was no heavy weapons. Nothing to prepare them for this. L.T Stewarts managed to make a call for the survivors to be picked up at the drop off point, but the words had barely left his mouth when Shepard watched a ball of green toxic acid dissolve him before her very eyes. As the group ran closer to the landing point, the thresher maw picked more and more of them off. One of it's strikes hit a crate, sending spikes of wood soaring. Shepard watched with dark eyes as a shard soar through the air and straight into Brady's back. Sending him sprawling face first on the ground. Without thought, she darted towards the man, a shard of the wood landing deep in her face. Slicing down her eyebrow and embedding itself into her cheek. She pleaded for Brady to get up, begged him, but the man was unconscious and he wouldn't move.

As Brady lay still in pain, she bent down, sweeping a hand under his leg and leveraging him over her shoulders in a trained lift. Fifty marines and one lieutenant stepped onto Akuze that day and yet only Shepard, Brady and two others were running towards the pick up point. Survive. It was the only word she could think of. Blood rushed through her veins, poured down her face, her lungs felt heavy, her bones weak, but above all she must survive. Perhaps it was the haze and adrenaline of it all, all Shepard could remember in those final moments was the sound of her feet thudding against the ground and the sight of the shuttle ahead of her. In a blink of an eye, she was panting on all four on the shuttle floor. Someone was yelling at her, asking her if there was any other survivors. Asking if they should wait. Shepard nodded. There was two other marines following her and Brady, where did they go? She looked at the tree-line in which she emerged. It was eerily still. She never voiced it, but she was sure that no other person was making it back to the pick up point.

Shepard pushed the shuttle attendant away from her face as he attempted to pull out and heal her wounds. She looked back at Brady's still unconscious body. Why wasn't the man focusing on Brady? He was in far much more danger than her. "He going to make it?" She gasped out. Shaking, reeling from the horrors she just watched. Part of her knew deep down, part of her knew the moment she'd seen the wood flying.

"He was dead when you brought him on board." Was the attendants careful reply as they leaned in to cater to Shepard's wounds. Her head span with confusion. It was just supposed to be some batarian pirates. Not...not this. Everything was moving and Shepard was beginning to have trouble focusing. It was so stupid of her. She had thought to herself earlier, why the alliance had such strict rules on fraternizing. This was it. This is why. Not only did she risk her life for another marine that was already dead, she could have saved someone else. She wouldn't be feeling the pain in her heart, the pain she felt right now. Realization finally hit her, he was here because she asked him to be! He didn't even want to go on this mission.
A bubbling cry of panic sobbed out her throat as the events and blood loss finally took it's toll and Shepard hit the shuttle's floor.

Fifty one soldiers landed on Akuze. One came back.