Authors note

To everyone about to read this Thanks. This is based off the mass effect universe and takes place while Shepard is in Alliance custody till the end of the reaper war. This is not a fic about Shepard or anyone aboard Normandy however they will be mentioned and maybe even some of the crew will be in it. Please review and let me know what think, also if you have ideas feel free to PM me or add it in the reviews.

Note: I do not own Mass Effect or anything related to mass effect. It belongs to Bioware

Chapter 1

Location: Unknown 2186 CE March 8

The holoscreen was flickering again. That erratic, semi static that made the projected image waver just enough to annoy someone who was trying to read, and wake someone who was trying to sleep the projector managed to accomplish this spectacularly. Staff Lieutenant Rodriguez looked up from her Datapad and sighed lightly she rubbed her eyes and looked at the digital clock on the wall, coming up on two AM local time. Standing ready as a member of the ground alert team was never fun, you had to spend your time on base, in the ready room, in gear. Ready to leap to and race out to your battle stations sitting charged, loaded and ready to go. Not something that you liked to do, but of course this was all part of being part of the Systems Alliance.

Her Omni-tool beeped signalling an incoming call from her CO, she quickly answered, wondering what could be so important at this hour.

"Rodriguez your new orders are in, you are to find Winters and you are to protect him until we say otherwise, keep in mind Winters is a class one asset but is also very dangerous in his own right, be careful and one last thing Lieutenant you are to follow these orders with your life we need Winters."

Winters... God she hadn't seen him since... shit. She swallowed hard, her stomach filling with dread... this was no ordinary mission, that's for sure

"Sir yes sir, I'll begin my search if you have any further information send it to my Omni- tool and on N7 Shadow encryption protocols, Rodriguez out." Orders are orders, she thought. Man this night just kept getting better and better. She wished that the holoscreen was her biggest worry now

Location: Illium 2186 CE March 16

Winters smiled and put up a shield between himself and the mercs. The bullets just bounced off the shield and fell to the ground. Glancing around the dimly lit bunker, he couldn't help but laugh as he casually walked towards his rifle. He stood before it and cracked his knuckles, then reached to pick it up. Just as he was about to grip the rifle, he heard a beep from his Omni-tool and to his horror, saw his shield flicker away. Quickly jumping behind cover waiting for his shield to recharge he took two men down before his rifle jammed. He quickly put another merc in stasis, noting his shield had recharged he ran up to the last two mercs quickly throwing the one over his shoulder then using warp, damaging the last standing merc on a molecular level. After checking if everything was clear. He turned to look at an empty corner, and softly laughed.

"They don't make things like they used to huh, Rodriguez."

He hears a soft sigh and the tell-tale hum of a stealth cloak being deactivated. A familiar silhouette stepped out of the shadows

"Damn you Winters I still have no idea how you always detect me, good work on those mercs I must say, BUT next time leave at least one for me, A girl has to kick some ass." She smiled cockily and shook out her hair.

"No promises Lieutenant" He sneered. He wasn't really in the mood for the Alliance right now. Not when they had bigger things than him to deal with. Like, oh the Reaper Invasion "now tell me what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed be dealing with the reaper threat?"

She pressed her lips into a thin line the accusation obviously struck a nerve."New orders, all I can say is that you need to come with me, you are now classified as a class one asset and I'm to get you there in one piece." Her voice had lost the playful cheer it had before, now it was monotone, professional.

Now he was agitated, sending one of his old squad. And Rodriguez at that was below the belt. Frustration crept into his tone "And if I refuse to come? I'm no longer a puppet of the Alliance, I have other more important things to do, things the Alliance will never help with, This is too important for me to give up."

She smiled sadly like she knew this was going to be his answer. "Then I'm afraid I'll have to take you by force, I'm truly sorry." She pressed a button on her Omni-tool as she shook her head

Before Winters could even react he felt a slight prick in his back and slowly passed out, hearing multiple voices all around him.

Location: Unknown2186 CE March 21

Everything was blurry, faint sounds. He remembered taking out mercs... and after that a figure in the shadows...who Rodriguez... yes... but what... Winters tried to fight off the heavy dose of sedatives but it was useless. In his struggle he heard a few words:

'Do... now... prepa... dose.' Then he slipped back into the shores of unconsciousness.

"How? How did he wake up from that?" The head medical doctor asked.

"He's a fighter, that much is obvious. I can tell you this much it won't be the last time either "The Staff Lieutenants voice could be heard from her desk. "Just make sure he doesn't regain consciousness he might just bring this whole place down."

"Yes of course Ma'am".

"He is starting to wake again LT. Should we administer more sedatives?" Asked Dr. Aaron Kingsley in a thick Irish accent.

"No, it's time we introduced ourselves. Let him wake. "Rodriguez answered thoughtfully. "Oh and ease the pain if you can."

The blurriness quickly replaced the darkness, sounds started to become more distinct than they did a few hours ago. Winters tried to speak but his voice came out as a wild rasp. Clearing his throat he shouted:

"Who's there? Where am I? Release me this instant!"

As soon as he finished shouting, the cell door opened, but no one came in. After waiting a few minutes, Winters slowly got up from the bed, taking the time to admire the small cell he was in, looks more like an isolated med bay really. He sauntered towards the door, and as always, constantly alert for any signs of danger. There were none, so he decided to leave the cell, knowing very well that this was a game they were playing. He slowly peeked outside his cell door, both ways, and found the passage way strangely vacant. Winters took a deep breath and started to move noiselessly down the corridor of the well lit passageway, cautiously, taking care to avoid detection. He started to try each door, finding each to be locked, until he came across an unlocked door at the very end of the corridor. He waited for a while before opening the door, gathering the strength needed to use his biotics. When he was sure he had enough, Winters entered the room. He took a quick scan of the room, counting one person, a hostile for all he knew. Quickly putting the man in stasis he moved further on to the next room, where he found a young, beautiful woman, with long dark hair sitting behind a desk.

"Rodriguez this is one hell of a stunt you're pulling. You do know that if I choose to I could bring this whole place down and live to tell the tale, you and your team on the other hand might not be so lucky. "He balled his fists. What the hell was going on here? Knocking him out and bringing him to some... Alliance base. The blue glow of biotics flickered across his skin dangerously

The LT. smiled she obviously didn't care that he could toss her across the room without half a thought. "Oh please Taylor, I know you could bring this building down, however I know that you wouldn't after all, you wouldn't want to hurt me now would you?"

He faltered. Shit. She had him there. The tension left his body. He wouldn't hurt her but he was still pissed and he still wanted answers.

"Just... what does the Alliance want with me? If it's about the Reapers, I'm already doing all I can, does it matter what armour I'm wearing?"

"You'll be filled in by my captain until then, we have prepared a room for you and you will follow orders otherwise you sleep again." The Lieutenant Commander said in a way that made it clear there was no room for argument.

Location: Unknown 2186 CE April 1

Hearing a soft thumping noise coming from the direction of the door, Taylor gets up and slowly looks around the small office he was in, he was sure that it belonged to Rodriguez but the point is, it remains an Alliance office, opening the door, he smirks at the young guard, "Well now look what we have here, judging by nervous look on your face, I think you feel you would rather not be here, just say what you have to and get finished already" After hearing what the young guard has to say Taylor slowly follows the directions given to him by the guard, after a few minutes of walking, he turns to see Rodriguez and her captain waiting for him in a small cramped meeting room, before he could say anything, Rodriguez quickly jumps in.

"Captain this is former 2nd Lieutenant Taylor Winters and Taylor this is Captain Petrov"

Slightly annoyed by her, ruining his moment for sarcasm, he turns to look at the Captain

"Ah Mr. Winters I know you are the only successful case of L6 biotic implants and that you out power even the greatest Asari commandos, even before your implant you were one the most talented biotics, which is why you are here. We are starting an Alliance funded black ops team, we need the best of the best, and you are one of the best biotics we have." Petrov had the air of authority that made it obvious to Winters he'd seen his fair share of wins and losses alike. If he wasn't Alliance, Winters might even like him

"I mean no disrespect," Started Winters "However we all know you have the best, is the rumour not true that Commander Shepard is in Alliance custody? You already have the best, and I think you owe Shepard your lives. You should focus on the Reapers and not on starting black op teams, the best of the best should be allowed to prepare, Shepard warned us they are coming but you still do nothing." The fact that Shepard was locked up after everything that had happened made Winters mad. Just goes to show you could save the Galaxy three times over and the only things people seem to care about are rules and regulations

Petrov frowned "We had no choice, we had to bring Shepard in, otherwise it was war with the Batarians," his tone made it clear he was just as unhappy about Shepards imprisonment as Winters was, he cleared his throat and continued. "Secondly this black ops team is our fallback for the Reapers. An Alliance scout team found a relay bigger than any we have ever seen. We sending this black ops team through, the key to stopping the reapers could be hidden beyond that relay." He stood, folding his hands behind his back and began pacing back and forth

"Okay let's say that I join what's in it for me? You cannot expect me just to drop everything and do as you say. "This whole idea just seemed wrong. What was Petrov playing at? He wasn't even Alliance anymore

"We have decided we will reinstate you, promoting you to staff commander and also inviting you to complete N7 training, seeing as you were an N6 and have done even more since you left the Alliance, we will do the paperwork later today you have until then to decide, Rodriguez, Winters you are both dismissed."

Location: Unknown 2186 CE April 1, Later that day

Winters took a deep breath, taking a few seconds watching Rodriguez do her workout.

Sighing Taylor calls "Michelle, you have a minute?"

Looking up at the sound of her name she replies "Sure Taylor what's on your mind?"

"Well I've been thinking this whole black ops thing, is it really what it seems? Or is there yet again a hidden agenda like last time? I need to know, cause you know secrets can get people hurt and after last time I don't think anyone that was with us deserves to be hurt again." N7 training and Staff Commander. It was almost too good to be true... but joining the Alliance again after what happened. Not to mention this was most likely a suicide run... and well He wasn't Shepard going through the Omega 4.

A frown crinkled her brow at the sound of genuine sadness in his voice. It was unlike him. "I'll admit this whole thing does sound sketchy but I assure you everything is as we said, it's almost time for you to decide. Have you made any progress with that yet?"

Looking at his feet Taylor says "Well actually I...there are just a few fine points I need to sort out with Petrov, and depending on how that goes then I'll decide on whether or not I'll be joining this... operation."

Location: Unknown 2186 CE April 1, 18:00

"No funny stuff this time, am I clear Petrov? After that last Alliance mission where your intelligence nearly got us all killed. I trust you read my reports?" Asked Taylor curiously,

"You're clear," mumbled Petrov looking around the spacious office, anywhere but Taylor, "and of course I have read the reports all of it from where the geth boarded your ship, till the point where you made everyone get in escape pods and personally opened every airlock on the ship to get rid of the geth, then instead of following Alliance orders to dock you went ahead and continued the search for Shepard. Of course we made Rodriguez acting captain, how could we not? You didn't follow orders!" Petrov sadly whispered.

"And making her acting captain helped with what? On the way to the brig I over powered the guards and escaped, must say that escape pod I stole was very well stocked. See I planned my escape perfectly, ejected an escape pod with a guard that was taking me to the brig, for them to recapture only I was in another one, which I ejected right before they used the mass relay. And I was the one who saved Rodriguez and the crew. So like I said; no funny stuff." Turning to walk away Taylor looked behind him. "Oh and I accept the offer sir, now excuse me I need to get in touch with some contacts."

"One last thing Winters I've complied a few dossiers I'll…"

Laughing Taylor continues walking and slams the door closed before Petrov could even finish his sentence.