Author's Note: Hey, everyone! This is a story idea I've been thinking about for awhile, and I finally decided to put it to words. One big thing, this is NOT a self-insert, just an OC insert. If this story does well, and my readers respond positively, I plan on making this a full-fledged story.


Cronos Station
04/30/2185

Operative Maya Brooks stared at the holoscreen at her desk, her eyes darting around to read information she had already read dozens of times before. On the screen were the dossiers of four individuals, potential recruits for Commander Shepard's mission against the Collectors. She had been tasked with compiling the list of recruits, already having approved four others. Those recruits, the turian vigilante Archangel, the salarian professor Mordin Solus, the krogan super soldier (though he wasn't the initial option), and the convict Jack, had all agreed to join Shepard on his mission. The Illusive Man had been impressed with Brooks' work in picking recruits, so he ordered her to find another round. She had started out with about four dozen potential recruits, and condensed the list down to four. One of the recruits, the quarian engineer Tali'Zorah vas Neema, was a locked in choice. The Illusive Man had personally requested that her dossier be one of the finalists. His reasoning was, the more people on the team that Shepard had a past with, the more comfortable he would be working for Cerberus.

Shepard had already made his stance on Cerberus very clear to both the Illusive Man and Operative Miranda Lawson. To put it lightly, he wasn't a fan of the organization. Archangel had turned out to be his old team member Garrus Vakarian, an unexpected stroke of luck for the Illusive Man. By adding Tali'Zorah as another recruit, Shepard would have another friendly face and trusted individual aboard the now Cerberus-controlled Normandy. Operative Lawson had included in one of her regular reports that she suspected intimate feelings were present between Shepard and Tali, based on their reunion on Freedom's Progress. She explained that their interactions with each other were too emotional and heartfelt for what would be expected of two former squadmates, or even close friends. Even though, to Tali'Zorah, Shepard had been dead for two years, Lawson had made it clear that the high level of emotions hinted at romantic feelings between the two. Shepard's reunion with Garrus Vakarian, his best friend, hadn't been as emotional, she pointed out. All these reasons combined resulted in the Illusive Man metaphorically throwing Shepard a bone. He wanted Shepard to know that, like a dog, he would be rewarded for good behavior.

So aside from the quarian, that left three other recruits to choose from. The Illusive Man wanted three total, so that left one to be eliminated. And that problem resulted in her reviewing the three individuals' dossiers over and over again. There was no doubt in Brooks' mind that these three were the best of the original pool. The question was which of the three was the least valuable. They each had their strengths and weaknesses, each could benefit Shepard's team in a different way.

Thane Krios, drell assassin, rumored to be the best in the galaxy. Proficient at long range, close-quarters, and hand-to-hand combat. Brooks reviewed the information in her mind. Samara, asari justicar, biotic power rivaled by only the most powerful asari matriarchs. That just leaves…

"Brooks, have you finished compiling those dossiers for the Illusive Man yet?" a voice behind her asked, startling her from her thoughts.

The voice belonged to Operative Victoria Bryant, Brooks' immediate superior.

"Not yet, ma'am. I'm still trying to condense the list down to three." she answered, turning to face and salute the officer.

Bryant looked impatient, "Well how many do you have now? The Illusive Man said he wants those files ASAP."

Brooks turned back to her holoscreen and pointed to the dossiers, "Four, I know Tali'Zorah is a lock in, I'm just having trouble striking one of the other three. I'm leaning towards getting rid of…"

"Just send the Illusive Man those four. We don't have time to waste getting rid of one more." Bryant interrupted. "I know he said three, but one more recruit won't hurt. If it's that big of a deal, either he or Shepard can get rid of one."

"Yes, ma'am." Brooks responded, sending the list of four to the Illusive Man. Well, glad that's over with.


The Normandy SR-2

"I've forwarded you four more dossiers. Keep building your team while I find a way through the Omega 4 Relay." the Illusive Man stated. "And be careful, Shepard. The Collectors will be watching you."

Shepard didn't reply as the Illusive Man terminated the QEC connection. He just stared back into the Illusive Man's unnatural blue eyes as his form faded away . Though he didn't express it outwardly, he was seething with anger. Shepard and his team had just gotten back from their mission on Horizon, a mission that had felt like a trap the entire time. As it turns out, his feeling was right, the Illusive Man confirmed that the plan was to lure the Collectors to Horizon. Shepard and his team, along with Ashley Williams, who had been assigned to the colony by the Alliance, all acted as bait for the Collectors. And they completely took that bait. Shepard had hammered the point home during his conversation with the Illusive Man that he was furious with the lives of his team, and the lives of the colonists, being put at risk like that. The Illusive Man had nonchalantly brushed his concerns aside, saying that it was all part of his master plan.

When the Illusive Man's form finally faded away, Shepard closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath to calm the inferno inside him. He was the commander of the Normandy, he couldn't let his rage be seen or detected by the rest of the crew. Shepard was supposed to appear calm and in control at all times, that included being in control of his emotions. He walked out of the conference room and through the Armory to the CIC, giving Jacob a friendly nod as he passed.

Whose bright idea was it to not put the armory near the shuttle hangar? Cerberus definitely could take some notes from Alliance design. he thought.

Shepard checked his emails, and seeing as there were no new ones, he closed his private terminal. After checking in with Kelly Chambers, who had nothing new to report regarding the crew, he boarded the elevator to his personal cabin. Shepard immediately fed his fish as he entered, a habit that he formed right after his first set of fish had unfortunately died from starvation. He smiled as he watched the exotic fish gobble up the flakes of food. Shepard enjoyed watching his fish as they swam around blissfully, though he had to admit they left something to be desired in terms of meaningful interaction. He would love to have a dog onboard, but that would create too many problems, namely where it would go to the bathroom.

Shepard took a bottle of water from his mini refrigerator and sat down at his desk. He took a quick gulp as he pulled up the four dossiers the Illusive Man sent him. Shepard had been pleasantly surprised with how the previous four recruits had turned out in terms of their combat ability. He was ecstatic when Archangel turned out to be Garrus, extremely grateful to have a close friend on the team while being surrounded by Cerberus operatives and personnel. Mordin's knowledge had be invaluable, Grunt's combat prowess was unmatched, and Jack's biotic abilities were second to none. As far as those three's personalities, the jury was still out on that. Mordin seemed like a good man, but his talk of the genophage was a bit unsettling. Grunt seemed a little too obsessed with killing and violence, even for a krogan. There was also the matter of the poor first impression Grunt left, where he had tried to kill Shepard. Jack seemed mentally unstable, and shared Grunt's unhealthy obsession for killing and violence. Her attitude, her outfit (or more appropriate, lack thereof), and failed attempt to sleep with Shepard combined with her mental situation left him with a very uneasy feeling towards her. Garrus was the only one he knew closely and trusted unconditionally, but even he seemed a bit different. With the three others, Shepard hoped that either their personal problems wouldn't be a detriment to the mission, or at least their tactical usefulness would outweigh their problems.

Shepard thoughts were instantly brightened when he read the first name on the list of recruits.

He smiled as he read the name aloud, "Tali."

Shepard remembered back to their heartfelt reunion on Freedom's Progress, another addition to the extensive number of pleasant memories he had of her. Save for Garrus, Tali had been his closest friend on the original Normandy. Shepard's smile grew even wider when he reminisced of all the good times he shared with her two years ago. Their talks down in Engineering, the laughs they shared in the mess hall, their banter on missions. How Tali's eyes light up when he gave her the geth data they retrieved on one of their missions as a pilgrimage gift. Tali had been the one to console him the most after Kaidan's death on Virmire, and he remembered the two hugging for what felt like an eternity. He truly cared deeply about her, and would be lying if he said he had no romantic feelings for her. And now, Shepard had the opportunity to recruit her for a second time.

Shepard eventually moved on to the other names. Thane Krios, drell assassin. Samara, asari justicar. After he read those two dossiers fully, he pulled up the last one on the screen.

Name: Aaron Sorenson
Species: Human
Race: White
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 04/16/2159
Height: 6' 1" (Last official record taken on 5/30/2178, current height estimated to be similar)
Weight: 207 lbs (Last official record taken on 5/30/2178, current weight estimated to be similar)
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Green
Profession: Bounty Hunter
Current Location: The Citadel

Professional Background: Enlisted in the Alliance Marines in 2177. Dishonorably discharged in 2178 following events of the Torfan Campaign.

Combat Style: Proficient in medium range, close-quarters, and hand-to-hand combat. Utilizes assault rifles and heavy pistols. No biotic ability, limited tech abilities.

After reading the dossier for Aaron, Shepard's eyes darted back and forth between two phrases. Dishonorably discharged. Torfan Campaign. Shepard leaned all the way back in his chair and rubbed his face with one hand.

Great, just great. Nice work, Illusive Man, just the type of guy I need. he mused.

Shepard hadn't been there, he remembered reading about and seeing coverage of the events of Torfan on the news all those years ago. The Alliance had attacked the final remaining batarian slaver and pirate stronghold in Citadel space, located on a small moon called Torfan. However, these were no random batarians, these were the ones responsible for the Skyllian Blitz, for what happened on Elysium. Shepard had initially been happy to hear that those batarians got wiped, having been present on Elysium himself during the attack. However, a few days after the attack on Torfan, it was revealed that a platoon of Alliance marines had massacred unarmed slavers and pirates who were trying to surrender. When the investigation was over, around 30 marines had been dishonorably discharged, some actually had faced prison time. Shepard just hoped this Sorenson guy wasn't one of the few that had been in prison. The Normandy already had too many convicts.

A thought popped into Shepard's head, and he leaned forward again to see his terminal. He placed his elbow on his desk and cupped his hand around his chin, his eyes staring at the screen. Aaron Sorenson was born in 2159, and Torfan happened in 2178. A quick calculation in Shepard's head determined that Sorenson was just 19 years old when he was at Torfan.

Jesus Christ, just 19 years old. He was barely an adult. Shepard thought.

He decided to go recruit Tali first, telling Joker to set a course for Haestrom. After that, they would refuel and resupply at the Citadel, and try to recruit Aaron.


05/06/2185
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel

Aaron's omnitool began beeping incessantly as the alarm app went off. He rose his head a little off the pillow and struggled to open his tired eyes. Aaron brushed a few strands of hair back off his forehead, and was a bit surprised to see a blue arm draped over his chest. He turned his head to find the arm belonged to a naked asari sleeping close next to him, her head lying on his shoulder. She appeared to be in her maiden stage. As Aaron slowly began to recall the events of the previous night, the sight of a naked woman in his bed became less surprising. He remembered going out to a bar, chatting up the asari now lying next to him, and bringing her back to his hotel room. Aaron's and her current states of undress were enough to give him an idea of what transpired after they arrived. Aaron slowly got out of bed, trying to not wake the asari next to him. His plan was to slip out of the room undetected, hoping that when she woke up, she would take the hint and leave. Despite his best efforts, he stirred the bed just enough to shake the woman from her slumber.

Dammit. Aaron thought.

"Hey baby, what a night!" the asari greeted, a smile on her face.

"Best night I've had in awhile." He lied, faking a smile. It was average.

A puzzled look came across her face as she noticed Aaron getting dressed.

"Where are you going, Aaron?" the asari asked.

For the life of him, he couldn't remember her name.

Aaron looked up from putting on his pants, "I just have some work I have to take care of."

"Oh… well, I really enjoyed last night. Would you be free to do something again tonight?" she asked.

He gave her his signature charming smile, though it was forced. A smile which, combined with his natural charisma and handsome looks, could get him anything he wanted.

"Of course, babe." he lied as he put on his plain, gray t-shirt. Oh, I'll be free. Just won't be with you.

The asari smiled a cute smile back, "Great, so you'll call me tonight? You have my number, right?"

Aaron pulled up his omnitool and scrolled through his contact list, looking for one he didn't recognize. He spotted one, with the name 'Kalena'.

Kalena, that's her name! "Got it right here, Kalena." Aaron said, showing her the contact.

He turned around, hiding his omnitool from Kalena, and promptly deleted her contact info as he put on his favorite black leather jacket. Just his style, to say he hated modern, form-fitting clothes was an understatement.

"Alright, then I'll see you tonight!" Kalena said joyfully.

"Yes, you will." he replied as he finished lacing up his brown combat boots, tucking his black jeans into them. No, you won't.

He paused as he picked up his dog tags, the ones he'd been issued during his time in the Alliance Marines, and slipped them around his neck. Aaron grabbed his Carnifex heavy pistol and holstered it to his right hip. He quickly stopped in the bathroom, checking himself in the mirror. He slicked back his dark brown hair with his hand, which had fallen onto his forehead. Noticing it was about three and a half inches long on all sides, Aaron vowed to get a trim soon. His beard was getting a bit scraggly as well, and could also use a trim. Satisfied with his appearance, he walked out the door of the hotel room, hearing Kalena yell goodbye. Aaron looked down and shook his head, smiling, as he couldn't believe she had fallen for his lies. As he checked out in the lobby, he thought about how surprised Kalena would be when housekeeping showed up. As Aaron stepped outside the hotel, he promptly hailed a taxi, and was off to Zakera Ward.


Zakera Ward, The Citadel

Aaron paid the taxi driver and got out of the skycar. He got in line for Zakera Ward Customs, which surprisingly wasn't as long as he had expected. Security had been tightened all over the Citadel after the geth attack two years ago. Now, movement between wards for civilians was a hassle. Aaron just thanked God that he wasn't on the Citadel at the time when the geth and their massive ship attacked. Before he knew it, he was the next in line for the customs agent.

"Do you have a permit for that weapon, sir?" The female agent asked, sounding and looking as though her entire job irritated her.

"Yeah, right here." Aaron responded, pulling up his permit on his omnitool.

Confirming that it was legitimate, the agent waved him through. Gun laws were pretty strict on the Citadel, with special permits required for each weapon owned. In his line of work, they were just a hassle to acquire and a waste of money. As Aaron stepped into the biometric scanner, he just hoped his trip to Zakera would be more pleasant than his last. He had had a run in with C-Sec a year ago, which ended in a four hour long holding in a cell. The flashing red lights and sirens that he set off confirmed that this trip would, in fact, be like his last. Aaron threw up his hands in disgust.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" he yelled.

C-Sec officers came bursting through the doors, guns drawn.

"Get down on your knees!" a turian officer barked.

Aaron reluctantly complied, knowing it was better not to get into an altercation with C-Sec officers. His hands were cuffed behind his back, and his pistol was confiscated.

"Hey, that's legal, asshole! I have a permit for that, you can't take it!" he shouted over the sirens.

The human officer either didn't hear or didn't care about Aaron's protests, as he walked away with his pistol. The remaining officers lifted him to his feet, and walked him into the C-Sec office. Sitting behind a desk, a smug look on his face, was Captain Armando Bailey.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Welcome back to Zakera Ward, Mr. Sorenson." he greeted sarcastically.

"Fuck you, Bailey! I know what you're doing, I haven't forgotten what happened a year ago." Aaron spat back. "My weapon permit is up to date, same with my bounty hunter license. Let me go, asshole, I know my rights!"

Everything he said was the truth. The Citadel Department of Justice, which controlled C-Sec, among other agencies, knew there was a crime problem on the Citadel. They also knew that C-Sec didn't have the manpower, or the resources, to solve the problem. So they authorized bounties to be placed on criminals deemed worthy of one, which there was never a shortage of. The entire process was tightly controlled, with each bounty hunter needing a license that had to be reissued every year. There was a stipulation that C-Sec could hold anyone suspected off not having a bounty hunter license. Bailey pulled that trick every time a well-known hunter like Aaron passed through Zakera Ward. For reasons unknown to him, Bailey hated bounty hunters. Maybe he thought C-Sec was capable of handling the crime problem, or perhaps he didn't like the idea of civilians going after hardened criminals. Either way, Aaron thought it was bullshit.

"Don't worry Mr. Sorenson, I'm sure everything is in order. I'm just doing my duty to confirm that it is." Bailey stated. "If all your permits and licenses are up to date, you'll be free to go. Although, we are pretty busy today, and our extranet connection is a bit iffy, so it might take a while."

Aaron wanted nothing more than to smack the stupid grin off Bailey's face.

"Goddammit Bailey, don't you have bigger things to worry about? I think Zakera Ward still has the highest murder rate of all the wards." Aaron retorted. "Glad to know that C-Sec is using it's resources to keep citizens like myself safe. And not wasting them on harassing a legal bounty hunter!"

He shouted the last part to make sure everyone within earshot heard it.

"Officers, put Mr. Sorenson here in holding cell four." Bailey ordered.

"Fuck you, Bailey! Your wife's a whore!" Aaron shouted as the officers forced him away.

He didn't really know if Bailey's wife was a whore, he just said anything he thought would get under Bailey's skin.

"You're right, that's why I divorced her!" Bailey called out to him, chuckling slightly.

Dammit. Aaron thought, upset that his insult didn't have his desired effect.


Author's Note: Alright, so now you've met and gotten a glimpse of Aaron Sorenson, bounty hunter, womanizer, and borderline asshole. Let me know what you think of Aaron and the story premise in a review! If you all like the character and the story idea, I will continue writing!