Part 1: The Spacer

A lot had transpired in the last twenty four hours. Jenkins, dying, at the hands of the Geth maybe, but his blood was still stained on her hands. Mara had lost men before, but it never gets easier. As his commanding officer Mara Shepard was responsible for his death. If she had just held back for a few more seconds, if she took point, he could still be alive. And then Ashley, she was a good soldier, yet she was uneasy, like she never expected to serve in space. Mara looked up her record, clean, perfect technical score, no reprimands, but only ground side garrison assignments, no fleet assignments. Huh, Mara murmured, confused. Something about Ashley rang a bell but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Now she was also teamed up with a Turian, a Krogan and a Qurian; now she was a Specter. Free from law, Free from orders, save from the council. Her head was spinning. She was still trying to sort out the vision from the Eden Prime mission. Reapers, what are they exactly, what do they want, and will they really return? The something else came to mind, something Nihlus said. "The Specters have been looking at you as a potential specter for a while." but how long was a while? Since Elysium, or during her tour on the boarder colonies? Or maybe even before that?

Mara's parents had decided that she was to spend a year ground side at a boarding school. She was 10 and had lived on the SSV London for 6 months now. She didn't want to leave, the London was her home, she loved space and she disliked being ground side. Mara still held the memory of her final gaze into space from her parent's quarters dear. This was for her own good, as she had to develop socially, and it also was a necessary safety precaution. The London was being assigned to patrol the Skilian Verge, privateers make constant raids on the boarder colonies and her parents were concerned.

Mara stood in the shuttles airlock, giving her mother a hug goodbye. She paused for a second in the airlock door and stared at her parents. Her upbringing showed. Even though she didn't want to leave, not once did she protest, not obviously, but she had a way of communicating her objections. She looked at her parents, a look that only a mother or father would understand. Their discipline almost cracked at this and Mara swore she saw a tear on her father's cheek. She turned and entered the shuttle.

She had never been on earth before, but she soon found a new fondness for the ground side life. She quickly developed a group of friends and excelled at all her subjects. Her mother and father made her pronounce words properly and spell correctly and she was always asking the chief engineer questions about element zero and mathematics. That was back on the London. She still missed the ship but enjoyed her temporary ground side life. Always, a part of her would be in the stars though. Every night she would stare into the void from the balcony in her dorm. And she never lost her discipline. Never causing trouble but maintaining a strong presence in the room.

She walked the hall as the left for morning class. Rebecca, a dorm mate and Mara's closest friend walked besides her talking about a ranch that her family owned over in Colorado. How in the winter she would make daily trips to Aspen and ski, and the tours of NORAD, the old computer age military facility. A lot of ancient vids were based on Cheyenne Mountain. Back then it was a secret military installation, now it's an out-dated relic from the cold war. This fascinated Mara, but not as much as the mountains. Mountains could bring her closer to the stars than she had been in three months. She missed her parents, missed the London, missed the colours of FTL. She was only 10 yet she had seen the galaxy. She was stopped by an Asari in the hall.

"Hello, you must be Mara" she said politely.

Rebecca stood stunned, Mara gestured with her head, losing none of her poise.

"Yes, I am. Pleased to meet you Ms?" asked Mara

"I am Sangra; I'm... with administration." The Asari said.

"Well Sangra, what do you want?" she asked

"I was wondering if you would come with me to the principal's office to answer a few questions."

"Will the principal be there?" She asked

"When we get there yes but he will leave shortly after"

Mara walked with the Asari to the principal's office.

"Wait here for a few seconds will you, I have to talk to the principal" said Sangra when they arrived

Sangra entered and began talking to the principal.

"I have a request to ask a student a few questions, Mara, she is waiting in the hall" asked Sangra

"This is highly unorthodox, may I ask what authority you have to talk to this student?" asked the principal

"Well, I have the consent of the mother" Sangra said modestly

"I'll have to confer-"

"I also have the consent of the council, leave immediately or I will place you under arrest for contempt." Interrupted Sangra.

"I see, you will tell me before you haul her off to a conscript training program, or is that also your prerogative?" asked the principal in an insolent tone.

"I assure you, that is not the purpose of this interview" said Sangra

The principal left and gave Mara a concerned look as she entered the office. Sangra was now sitting on the principal's side of the desk; she relaxed and flexed the tentacles on her head.

"So, Mara, Shall we begin?" asked Sangra

"I guess" she answered

"Ok, my first question is, what do you think the purpose of the alliance navy is?" Sangra asked

"Well, some people have said it is meant to keep aliens away from our interests, like the Turians and your self. But if that's true, why would we participate in maneuvers with the Turian fleet? Maybe the Navy is like a different part of the citadel fleet." Answered Mara

"Well answered, what about specters, what do you think of them?"

"There're like secret agents aren't they, doing… uh… black ops stuff?"

"Huh, I guess so… One last question, what do you want to do when you finish school?" asked Sangra

"I like space, Ms Sangra. The alliance is the best way to see it, like my parents I guess." Answered Mara

"Hmm…" said Sangra as she wrote something down on a digital pad.

"Ok, thank you, that's all I need, I will see you again Mara, you may return to class now."
Mara stood and left, a little confused at what had just transpired.

Six years later

Mara sat at dinner with her family. Her mother had just returned from her posting on the Einstein.

"So Mara, how have you been, your father tells me you've been sneaking into the deployment area to train with the marines." Asked her mother

"Um, yeah, well in 18 months I'll be old enough to join the Alliance so I thought some tips from the marines would help." Said Mara before she shoveled food into her mouth

"Sure honey, you just like that private Jonathan" laughed her father

"Dad!" Mara protested

"Hehehe, well you've developed your mother's eye. I think I saw him on my way through. Is he the one with the brown hair, blue eyes and perfect a–"Mara's mother was cut off.

"Honey, you're back half an hour and your already eying up the recruits" said Mara's father, obviously offended.

Mara and her mother burst out with laughter

"Oh, sorry honey, I couldn't resist. Bit you on the ass that one didn't it."

"Oh, I knew you two conspire against me."

"Hey mum, distract him so I can swipe his meat loaf" whispered Mara, loud enough that her dad would hear it.

"You really don't want to do that" said Mara's father

The conversations went on into late in the night. Other crew members joined in, welcoming Mara's Mother back. Mara went to bed late, an unwise move considering she had arranged to fly co-pilot with one of the fighter squads. The crew gave her jobs to keep her occupied and taught her how to fly and how "Mass Effect" technology works. Mara awoke to murmurs in the adjacent chamber. She forced her self up, rubbing yellow "goobies", as her mother called them, from her eyes. Her red hair was pushed up to one side. She dragged it down and made a tied it up into a pony tail

"If she wants to. This will give her a head start."

"I don't know, I mean she's still so young, how can she make her mind up now?"

"I'll leave it to you. But, please, at least let me present the idea to Mara."

"Present what to Mara?" Asked Mara as the door slid open.

Sangra sat with her parents

"Mara, long time, no see, well for you maybe" said Sangra

"Um, could you excuse me and Mara while I do this?"

"Ok, but we don't care what you are, it's her decision." Said Mara's Father

"As I've already said, the ultimate decision belongs with Mara" reassured Sangra

Mara's mother and father left the room slowly, Mara's father holding her mother.

"If I remember correctly, you have that affect on everyone" said Mara

"Hm… just humans it seems" replied Sangra

"Well, what's this proposition?" asked Mara

"Well you still want to joint the Alliance don't you?"

"Of course, but I don't understand you involve-" Sangra cut her off

"You've been given a scholarship at a military university due to your good grades" Explained Sangra

"The school specializes in training elite soldiers with a comprehensive background in command and mass effect technology"

"Ok so what's the catch?"

"Well, it requires your commitment to the Alliance"

"Why are you interested in my commitment to the Alliance?"

"I'm not interested in the Alliance, I'm interested in you Mara, and you have potential… Do as you wish, but make the right decision for you. Give me your decision in a day; I'll remain on board until 1800 hours tomorrow."

"Ok, but I still want to know your involveme-"Sangra cut her off again

"Confer with your parents before you make any decisions" said Sangra with finality.

Sangra stood and left, leaving Mara in the room. Mara watched her as the door slid open in front of Sangra.

Mara had never thought about that instance again until now. She lent back into her chair, she felt uncomfortable in this room. She felt she had usurped it from Captain Anderson. She sipped some coffee from a stainless steel mug and relaxed. How could she not have seen it, she was targeted by the specters at 10 years of age, maybe even before!!! She felt tired, a reprieve was required, sleep. "Joker, Set course for the Artemus Tau cluster, lets see if we can't find that Asari." Mara said into her comm.

"Aye-aye commander" replied Joker and in an instant a low, barely audible hum began to reverberate through out the ship. The docking clamps released the Normandy and the ship backed out of the Alliance docking port. Even though the inertial dampeners were working, Mara still felt any change in direction. She stood up from the desk and walked to her bed.

As Mara's head hit the pillow the florescent lights dimmed and she fell to a restless sleep.

Next Part 2, Boot Camp