Title: A Shepard in the Wilderness
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect.
Summary: A retelling of the Mass Effect saga where Shepard forges her own path and takes command of the Galaxy, and some of her crew, in her own way. Earthborn, Sole Survivor Fem Shep.
A/N: In this story, I am using a modified ME3 weapons/powers system and ME3 weapons. The major changes are as follows: Ammo powers are a program in the omni-tool that gets more powerful as it is used (so the powers are determined by what the user chooses to install not based on class); all characters can use pistols (I mean really, Garrus can use an Assault Rifle and Sniper Rifle but not a pistol?) and can be trained in other weapons by those who are trained in them (Garrus can teach Tali how to use an Assault Rifle); Improved heat sink magazines are not a weapons mod, they are the actual heat sinks that are purchased seperatly, and weapons can have mods in three arears (top rail, barrel and internal), but like in ME3 you can't have two mods in the same area. Shepard has also more than one 'Bonus Power' to more accurately reflect her history and N7 Status.
"I have already ordered Joker to set a course for the Citadel. We'll be arriving in a few hours." Captain Anderson said. "Go get some food and a shower. I'll let you know when we are getting close."
Commander Rhian Shepard simply nodded her head as the Captain turned and left. Shepard was a short, lithe woman of mixed Asian and European decent. She had shoulder length black hair that was kept back in a ponytail and deep chocolate coloured eyes. Standing up from the bed she stretched, feeling the pain from her encounter with the Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime. She walked out of the Normandy's Medbay and into the central mess area. Lieutenant Alenko was off to the right with the Doc while Gunnery Sergeant Williams was leaning against the bulkhead directly in front of the door to the Medbay. Williams stood up straight as she saw Shepard exit the Medbay.
"Commander, how are you feeling?" Williams asked.
"Tired, sore, hungry and in need of a shower." Shepard replied.
Rhian made her way to one of the mess tables, nodding for Williams to join her and thinking that it was interesting that the mess was just outside the Medbay. Maybe it was designed with the Chef's Wednesday Surprise in mind. The surprise was if anyone could stomach the damn stuff. As she slid into the seat, with Williams sitting across from her, one of the Mess crew approached and Shepard ordered a coffee and a sandwich.
"Commander, I just wanted to say thank you. I must have activated some kind of security feature or something." Williams said, running a hand through her dark hair.
"You're part of the crew now." Sheppard replied, nodding to the Mess crew who delivered her coffee and sandwich. "I'm sure you'll find a way to pay me back. And normal watching each other's backs during fire fights do not count, obviously."
Williams looked at Shepard for a moment thinking that the Commander was joking, but then realised that the other woman was completely serious and a confused and contemplative look crossed Williams' face before the professional expression returned.
"Tell me what's bugging you Williams." Rhian said, her voice with the concern that was considered appropriate for an Officer in the situation.
"It's just I feel so guilty that I was the only one out of my unit that made it out of there. Let's face it; I was only taken aboard the Normandy because you lost a crewmember." Williams replied.
"It's never easy being the only one left." Shepard agreed, taking a final bite from her sandwich.
"Oh, I'm sorry Commander, I forgot that you were on the Akuze mission." Williams said, then a look of horror crossed her face as she realised how that could be taken.
"It's ok, Gunny." Shepard replied. "It's something you live and deal with day by day."
Taking one last sip of the coffee, the Commander stood and made her way to the small cubby space that was reserved for the Ship's XO. It was just a small room with a bunk and a tiny shower alcove. Stripping down she stepped into the shower. Her body, from below the neck to her feet and the very top of her arms was covered in tattoos, a couple of vivid brands and more than a few very old scars, most from well before she had ever joined the Alliance. The only parts of her that were not marked were the parts that were uncovered while wearing uniform.
Ducking her head under the flow of the water as she felt the stress of hours in armour and the residual pain away in the heat. Finishing the shower she quickly dried off and then dropped on the bunk naked and fell asleep.
"You surely made a mess of this, Commander." Ambassador Udina said.
"There is more at work here than you realise, Ambassador." Captain Anderson said.
"And don't call her Shirley." Williams added, earning her a cuff over the head from Lieutenant Alenko and a groan from Undina.
"I assume you have never been in combat Ambassador." Sheppard said. "Things are always fluid. Nhilus made his own decisions and was on his own when he got killed. How he was supposed to evaluate me in combat when he was off by himself I will never know."
"It still does not help our case, Shepard." Udina said. "This was Humanity's chance to prove it could be major player on the Galactic stage."
"When will we be meeting with the Council?" Alenko asked.
"Our case will be heard in two days." Udina replied. "That is when C-Sec will be presenting the results of their investigation. In the mean time, keep out of trouble. Captain we have some things to discuss."
Shepard, Williams and Alenko picked up their kit bags and stepped out of the Ambassador's office and turned towards the entrance to the ambassadorial suites.
"So what now?" Williams asked, as they passed the Embassy reception towards the main thoroughfare of the Presidium. "Woah!"
The last the Gunnery Chief added when she saw the lake that ran though the centre of the Presidium.
"Captain's arranged quarters for us during our stay." Shepard said.
"Here?" Alenko asked.
"Of course not. One night's rent on the Presidium would cost you three months pay, Lieutenant." She replied. "Besides the Wards are more interesting."
"I take it you've been to the Citadel before, Commander." Williams said.
"About six years ago. Went to a part of the Wards where they had never seen Alliance Soldiers before. A Turian bar owner mistook me for a stripper looking for work." Rhian said, leading the group towards the access passageway down into the closest Ward. "Broke his arm in three places. Wound up in lockup for two hours till a human told him about the Alliance Uniform and what it means. He explained it was his own fault and I got released."
"Why are we not staying back on the Normandy?" Alenko asked.
"Because every time you go on or off the ship then you have to go through Citadel Customs." Shepard replied. "And given the bloody politicians, if we stayed on the ship then they would be constantly calling us in for meetings. And personally I don't much care for full body cavity searches, at least not from strangers."
"Of course, as we are staying here we won't hear hide nor hair till the session with the Council in two days." Williams said.
Shepard led them down into the one of the 'Upper Wards', which was accessed directly off the presidium not to far from the Embassies. Anderson had arranged individual rooms in a decent little Hotel about a ten minute walk from the access way up to the Presidium. The rooms were nothing special; a bed, a coffee machine, a wardrobe and a view screen.
Ash was woken by the knock at the door. Glancing at the holographic clock next to the bed she noted that she had only been asleep for a few hours. It had been late Morning when the Normandy had gotten into the Citadel and they had been released from Udina's office in the early afternoon, but she had been exhausted when they had arrived. With a groan, she rolled out of bed and padded over to the door in a tank top and a pair of soft exercise shorts. Looking through the peephole, she saw the face of Commander Shepard on the other side. Not even thinking about what she was wearing, Ash through open the door, half expecting Shepard to be dressed in Armour and ready with a mission. Instead Shepard was dressed in a pair of jeans, that just fell short of being tight enough to qualify as 'painted on', a slightly loose white blouse and a leather N7 Jacket. Even when not in their Armour, all N7's love proclaiming their status.
"Commander?" Ash asked.
"Get dressed, Williams. I'm taking you out to dinner." Shepard said with a grin, and Ash knew it was not really a suggestion.
"Huh? What about the Lieutenant?" Ash asked as she stepped back from the door and turned to her kitbag to find some civilian clothes.
"He's got a migraine from his L2 implants, so he won't be joining us." Shepard replied.
Ash managed to find a pair of black slacks, a light blue blouse and an old bomber jacket that had belonged to her father. Anderson had been kind enough to let her collect her personal effects before they had left Eden Prime, not that she had much in the way of Civvie clothes. It was that outfit and a god awful bright pink blouse and skirt set that one of her sisters had gotten her as a joke. Pulling on her duty uniform boots, and idly noting that Shepard was wearing the same, Ash stood and began walking to the door.
"Bring your sidearm." Shepard ordered.
Ash retrieved her pistol and was about to magnetically attach it to her thigh like she did in her Armour but then she realised there was nothing to attach it to. With a shake of her head, Shepard took the pistol from Ash's hand and, reaching around her body, tucked it into the back of Ash's pants. Ash, despite herself, looked at the back of Shepard's pants thinking that they were too tight to do the same with the Commander's Pistol, only for Shepard, who had caught the look, open her N7 jacket to show an old style leather shoulder holster.
"Oh wow. I've never seen an old style holster before. I thought no one used them since they found the Mass Effect tech on Mars." Ash said.
"Not everyone gets the latest tech, Williams. And sometimes it is useful as no one goes looking for holsters anymore." Shepard replied. "I still got an old style, pre Mass Effect, hold-out pistol and ankle holster. Of course I can't wear that in these pants."
"So where are we going?" Ash asked.
"A little steak house about twenty minutes from here." Shepard replied. "The most popular Human run restaurant on the entire Citadel. You usually need a reservation six weeks in advance, but the owner owes me, so I called in a favour to get us a table."
"Why am I not surprised that you are owed favours by restaurant owners on the damn Citadel, Commander?" Williams asked.
"Because you're more than just a gun and a tight ass?" Shepard asked. "Or maybe you are just cynical. Which is it Chief?"
Usually Ash would come down on someone who made a comment like that like a bag of hammers… fired from a Dreadnaught's main gun, but there was something about Shepard that Ash could not explain. It was that something that deflected her ire at the sometimes crude innuendo of the Commander as much as it inspired her to follow the Commander anywhere.
"Watch and find out." Ash replied.
Even she did not know if she meant watch her actions or watch her ass, but Shepard just nodded, grinned and walked out of Ash's room, leaving the Chief to follow after.
"Rhian! Dear, it is lovely to see you." The owner of the restaurant said with genuine delight. "It's been far too long, my friend."
"That it has, Martin. That it has." Shepard replied.
There were looks of surprise and outrage on the faces of some of the patrons waiting to get in as Shepard and Williams were escorted past the line. Despite the fact that the restaurant was in the Wards, most of the patrons were the high and mighty of the Citadel, including two Turian Generals, the Asari Councillor and pair consisting of an Asari and a female Human who were the biggest Holovid stars at the moment with their series of 'buddy-comedy' movies where the pair were Security partners patrolling the Airtimes Tau Sector.
While the owner tried to placate the crowd by informing them that without Shepard he would not be alive to have opened the restaurant, the two Alliance Soldiers were shown to their table. Ash actually had a fun time, eating drinking and talking with Shepard. Apart from the now deceased Nirali Bhatia who had been in her unit on Eden Prime, Ash had not had many female friends in the past several years, partly thanks to her Grandfather's reputation and partly due to the fact that most Maries she had been assigned with were male. Even so, it was not until the night was over and Ash was back in her small hotel room that she realised that she had done nearly all the talking and still knew next to nothing about Shepard.
TBC…