This is a reboot of a Fan Fic I was working on. I decided I didn't like how it was so far and have been reworking it. Some of it is the same, most of it is new. This chapter has been unchanged. Most of this story will actually be told through flash backs, with stuff from the games in between. Feedback and reviews are always wanted and welcome, even if it's just to give me some encouragement!

…...

Viveca stood in the hall way that lead from the wards to the C-Sec headquarters, trying to look nonchalant as a sparse but steady stream of officers and civilians flowed back and forth. Most glanced at her, but she petended to be on her comm, asking someone where they were, as if she were waiting for them. She was waiting for someone, but she didn't know them, not really, and technically they weren't late because they didn't know she was waiting for them. Viveca was in her mid thirties, and was fairly average by human standards, although well put-together, she was normal height for a woman, 5'6", and average weight, but fit, and she was pretty, maybe beautiful to some, but not by popular opinion. There were a few features, though, that made her stand out, like her brassy red hair, long and flowing, and flashing blue eyes.

The doors to the elevator opened and Viveca lifted her wrist as if to start talking to some one on her communicator, but stopped short as she spotted one Commander Aeron Shepard stepping into the hallway. Shepard was the first human Spectre, and he looked the part. He was tall and broad, like a Marine should be, he had naturally tanned skin, dark blue eyes, and dark hair cropped into the military regulation crew cut. He didn't look all together unfriendly, but he was certainly intimidating. He was flanked by two other Marines as he stepped off the elevator, a man and a woman.

"Commander Shepard?" Viveca called as he started to walk past her.

The marines paused and looked at her, Shepard looked slightly annoyed, "Please, no more questions, I don't have time for an interview," he said putting up his hands in a defeated manner.

Viveca quirked a pierced brow at him. "I'm not with the press, I need to talk to you about Saren Arterius," she explained quickly before he could interrupt her or keep going. Thankfully, this got his attention.

His blue eyes narrowed, and he gave her a suspicious look, "What about him?" he asked, voice low. There was no one in the hall, but no need to be careless.

"Ah..." Yes, no need to be careless, "is there anywhere else we could talk?"

"Commander, we don't have time for this, Captain Anderson is waiting," the female Marine spoke up. She was tanned with dark brown hair pulled back in a pony tail and light brown eyes, and she was pretty despite the frown on her face, "And we have all the evidence we need," her tone was annoyed, and the look she gave Viveca was suspicious.

Viveca gave her a cool look back, but was secretly pleased that the woman had told her one thing she wanted to know. By her words, Viveca guessed that they had gotten the council's permission to go after Saren. "This isn't incriminating evidence, I... I can help you find him," she told him, her look imploring, "Please, just let me talk to you, it doesn't have to be right now, just whenever you can."

"Sir," the other male marine spoke up this time, "I don't think waiting a few more minutes before we leave will make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things." He seemed much nicer, and even gave Viveca a small, reassuring smile, his features displaying a strongly Asian background. She looked at the Commander, brows raised slightly, she was hopeful, but she tried to look expectant instead.

He seemed to consider her for a moment, before he sighed, "Very well, meet me up on C Dock in fifteen minutes," he told her. Viveca nodded curly, trying not to look as relieved as she felt.

So, fifteen minutes later, Viveca was riding the elevator from C-Sec to the space docks. The doors opened and she stepped out onto the platform, glancing to her left and spotting the SSV Normandy, an sleek and impressive ship whose design was a collaboration between the Turian Hierarchy and the Systems Alliance. It was also the ship Commander Shepard served upon. Viveca glanced around and spotted Shepard standing on the platform at the end of the docks. He didn't look up as she approached, seeming lost in thought. Viveca glanced out towards space, where stars sparkled and the red cloud of the nebula that protected the Citadel shimmered. The force field that kept them from being sucked out into the void was barely noticeable. "Commander?" She said as she paused, not wanting to sneak up on him. She'd known enough soldiers to know this was a bad idea.

He turned his head slightly to look at her over his shoulder before turning completely to look at her. "I apologize for not introducing myself earlier," she said as she extended her hand, Shepard took it and they shook hands in the customary greeting of their people, "My name is Viveca Allaway."

"You obviously know who I am?" Shepard asked, and Viveca nodded.

"Of course, the entire Citadel is abuzz about the first human Spectre, most are guessing that it has something to do with Eden Prime, but only a few of us know that your investigation is focusing on Saren."

The Commander pursed his lips for a moment before saying, "And you say you can help me find him?" She could tell by his tone and the tightness of his face that something was bothering him, but it wasn't her business to ask. It might be her, but she didn't get the feeling that it was.

"I can, but I want to join your crew," she told him.

Shepard's brows shot up in surprise, "And why should I bring you along? I've got a full crew plus several additions, we should be more than enough to handle him."

Viveca nodded in agreement, "Yes, I know. A Quarian mechanic, a Krogan bounty hunter, and a Turian with too much ambition for C-Sec."

Shepard's blue eyes narrowed, "Yeah... how did you-"

"I have my sources. And you're right, you should be able to handle Saren with the crew you have, but I can help you find him so you can handle him faster."

"How much do you know about Saren?" She asked Shepard, her tone making her sound like a knowing teaching quizzing her student.

Shepard gave her a look that was both suspicious and annoyed, "He's a now former Spectre, he fought in the Contact War, he lost his brother in the war and he blames humans for his death."

Viveca smirked, "You can learn all of that if you do a thorough enough extranet search and I'm sure you have access to some private files detailing his exploits as a rather ruthless but successful Spectre."

"What's your point?" Shepard asked.

"My point is, I knew Saren personally, I know the way he thinks, the paths his thoughts take. I'm sure you could have some one whip up a psychological profile of him, but I already know him. I can help you find him," she explained, her tone serious.

Shepard's look grew even more suspicious, "How do you know Saren personally? He hates humans."

Viveca sighed, trying to hide the pang that that brought her, "Yes, I know he does, but you know how it is, when you get thrown into an impossible situation, you form a bond, even if you hate one another."

"Is that why you want to catch him? Because you hate him?" Shepard asked.

Viveca sighed, shaking her head slightly. "No. Saren and I have our differences but... there's something wrong with him, Commander, I don't know what it is, but it's obvious that it's more serious than I realized. Saren is a cruel, cold-hearted bastard who would sooner shoot you in the face than help you, but he's loyal to the Council, he would never do anything in his right mind that would go against them," She frowned and looked away, sighing, "Look, I know you'll look up my file before you even agree to let me on, you're going to see some stuff that's not going to exactly make me look like a shining citizen, but I promise you, if you let me on your crew, I will help you find Saren."

...

Commander Aeron Shepard's arrival is announced by the woosh of the sliding doors as he walks into the ready room, seeing Chief Williams and Lieutenant Alenko waiting for him. They both stand as he enters the room, and salute. "Have a seat," Aeron gestures and they sit, he does as well. They have a quick briefing about everything that's happened, and what's next in the plan. Aeron wants to go to Feros next, thinking that the presence of Prothean ruins might have attracted Saren there, since he was obviously interested in their technology. And there's one last thing to discuss. The Commander pulls out two data pads and hands them, one each, to Ashley and Kaidan. "This is the file on our newest crew member," he tells them, and waits a moment as they read.

Ashley is the first to say something, no surprise. "That woman that was waiting for us outside of C-Sec?" She asked, frowning. Aeron nods. "But Commander! This woman spent ten years in prison on terrorist charges!" She protests, waving the data pad around.

"I'd hardly call her a terrorist," Kaidan says, still reading, "Says here her entire colony was either wiped out or taken by Batarian slavers in the Skyllian Rift, and after finally getting of slavery, she and some other former slaves and people who'd lost people to the Batarians started attacking slavers and people who kept stolen slaves."

Ashley didn't look impressed, "Yeah, sounds like a terrorist."

"Sounds more like some one whose experienced a lot of pain and retaliated," Kaidan countered.

Aeron wasn't surprised by their reactions, Kaidan being far more compassionate than Ashley. "Wait, it says here that she and her ring were taken down by Saren and a few other Spectres," Ashley added, her brow furrowing. Kaidan read that part as well, "So what then? She wants revenge?"

Aeron shook his head, "No. Or she says she's not out for revenge, she didn't really tell me her reasons, but she almost seemed concerned for him."

Kaidan and Ashley look at one another then back to their Commander. "Concerned? For Saren? That Turian hates humans, and he's the one that sent her to prison," Ashley said, her brows raised and looking very dubious of this whole thing.

"I know, but she's dealt with him before, none of the rest of us has, so I'm bringing her along," He told them, standing up. Ashley opened her mouth to protest, but Aeron cut her off before she could start. "This is my ship, Chief, so what I say goes, and I say she goes with us, that understood?" He asked curtly and she pursed her lips for a moment before answering.

"Aye aye, Commander."