Welcome Note: Well, I've heard these are good things to add in so I thought I might as well do it. Hey guys, welcome to the first chapter of my first fanfic. I appreciate you taking the time to browse through Mass Effect Fan Fiction, and I'd like to extend further thanks for deciding to read this one. So thats about it, thanks for reading and hopefully reviewing.
Disciple of Stig
SYSTEMS ALLIANCE NAVY INTRANET FILE, RN # 2183-06-23 86297-096
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LOADING . . . PLEASE WAIT . . .
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SERVICE RECORD OF: Shepard, Logan A
Service No: 5923-AC-2826
HISTORY PRIOR TO ENLISTMENT:
Date of Birth: 2154/04/11 CE
Name of Mother: Shepard, Hannah V
Name of Father: Shepard, Michael J (Deceased, KIA)
Siblings: Shepard, Kiera I (younger sister; born January 12th 2156)
Place of Birth: Systems Alliance Station, Arcturus
MILITARY SERVICE HISTORY:
Date of Enlistment: 2172/04/11 CE
Place of Enlistment: Systems Alliance Offices, Mars Naval Base
Graduated From: Macapá Boot Camp, OIC: Commander Ellison
Additional Training: Interplanetary Combatives Training Academy, graduated to N2
Interplanetary Combatives Training Academy, graduated to N5
Officer Candidate School, graduated as a Second Lieutenant, received distinguished honor graduate grade
Interplanetary Combatives Training Academy, graduated to N7
Awards and Honours: Star of Terra, awarded for distinguished service in the Skyllian Blitz
Current Rank: Lieutenant Commander, 2 years time in grade
Current Posting: Executive Officer, Alliance Frigate SSV Normandy
ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Urban Combat and Mobility Course
Counter-Sniper Operations Course
Advanced Small Unit Ground Tactics Academy
Ground Reconnaissance and Planetside Combat Academy
ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS:
Lieutenant Commander Shepard is currently serving with the Systems Alliance Naval Fleet. He is the first child of Hannah and Michael Shepard; both enlisted of who were at the time serving in the Alliance Navy. His father was declared Killed in Action during the First Contact War, and this affected Shepard harshly, psychologically scarring him. He moved with his surviving parent, Hannah Shepard, as she moved from post to post in the fleet, never staying in a single location for more than a few years. Shepard enlisted on the day he turned eighteen and has served the Alliance valiantly in his surpassing ten years of service.
Lieutenant Commander Shepard is a graduate of the Interplanetary Combatives Training Special Forces Programme and an honor graduate of Officer Candidate School, having earned the badge of N7 in the Interplanetary Combatives Training Programme. Shepard is a highly adaptable marine and has proven to be a gifted leader and a cunning strategist. He is an accomplished sniper and is highly skilled in the use of most weapons in service with the Alliance, which was demonstrated most notably during the Skyllian Blitz of 2176, where Shepard defended the colony of Elysium from hundreds of Batarian-backed pirates and slavers. Displaying uncommon valor and dedication to duty, he risked his life to prevent the Batarian forces from inflicting additional civilian casualties.
In light of his actions during the Blitz, he was awarded the Star of Terra for his efforts in repelling the attack. Lieutenant Commander Logan Shepard has served aboard numerous Alliance Vessels and Facilities in the posts of Gunnery Officer, Armoury Master, Cargo Master and various other postings. His previous posting was as the Cruiser SSV Tokyo's Chief Gunnery Officer. He was transferred from that position on the request of Tokyo's CO Captain David Anderson to the SSV Normandy, which Anderson now commands. He currently serves in the position of the Normandy's Executive Officer.
Shepard has shown a strong dislike for the Batarian Hegemony and has required discipline on multiple occasions for taking part in altercations with members of the rogue race; this however, is overshadowed by his exemplary service record. He has otherwise shown no inclination toward xenophobic behaviour and appears to be open-minded towards the Citadel Races. Shepard has a strong inclination towards using force as a last resort; he is a compelling leader and uses his charisma to settle disputes amicably before they escalate.
In short, Shepard is an exemplary Marine and a very capable Officer. His leadership style is lenient, hands-on and he is known to keep an open-door policy towards the crew he serves with. His skills as a leader are only exceeded by his loyalty to his ship and its crew.
Ashley sighed. "The man is a navy brat turned grunt," she muttered to herself, after skimming through the report. "He is also a lover of the bug-eyed aliens and a 'charismatic leader'? He'd make a good politician. And he doesn't mind fraternization between members of the crew. Interesting..." a frown crinkled her face at the second part of that statement.
She synced the Commander's service record to her Omni-Tool to read again later, wiped the search from the history and left the terminal before Kaiden returned to notice she had used his clearance to get the XO's record. She returned to her post in the Mess Hall of the Normandy. Shepard had been in the Medical Bay for a while with the Captain, and she wondered what was being discussed.
'Probably a rough debriefing, no doubt.' she thought to herself. She heard the Medical Bay's door open and watched as Captain Anderson walked out and moved across to the CO's office on the other side of the Mess Hall. She leaned against the back wall and studied the room and the people in it; Lieutenant Alenko was back at his post at the front of the Mess Hall.
Ashley was lost in thought, about what dark past Alenko was hiding when she heard the Medical Bay door open. Shepard walked out, looking like he had just woken up from a rough night after shore leave.
'Guess getting mind probed by a Prothean Beacon is a pretty shitty experience.' she observed silently, watching as he walked over to the Staff Lieutenant and struck up a conversation.
Shepard placed his hands on the counter and leaned over it towards Alenko, and Ashley tried to hear what was being discussed but her focus was drawn away from the conversation to other parts of her new Commander. 'Damn, that man has a great ass.' she thought as she admired the view for a moment more, hoping she hadn't given herself away to the rest of the people in the Mess.
Shepard nodded to Alenko, signalling the conclusion to their exchange. He walked towards the CO's cabin, but then stopped, thinking better of it. Only when he sauntered off in the direction towards the stairs to the CIC and the elevator down to the Cargo Hold was Ashley able to return her thoughts from the Commander's outstanding posterior, and to the events of the last 24 hours. The loss of her unit had begun to sink in and she felt the survivors' guilt start to grip her. She closed her eyes, still able to see the Geth, able to hear the gunfire, feel the wind from the enemy fire whizzing by her face, able to smell the husks, a distinctive mix of rotting flesh and burnt electronics, the thing screeching as it clawed for her face, coming closer and–
"Gunnery Chief Williams?"
She jumped and spun around, seeing Shepard behind her carrying a small box containing random items. A small, guilty grin spread across his face briefly at his success in startling her. "I didn't mean to creep up on you. We need to put in a requisition order with supply for your replacement uniforms, assign you some duties and a bunk. Follow me to my quarters."
Shepard gestured for Ashley to enter his room first, and he followed as she marvelled at the size of it. It was only a third of the size of the Crew Quarters, but it was all his space. A double bed sat in an alcove on the far right corner of the room, the desk was just ahead of it with a computer terminal on top. She eyed the bed with jealousy briefly, feeling the exhaustion starting to set in.
Many framed photographs graced the walls. One had a group of eleven people, four women and seven men, each with smiles on their faces and their right arms in salute, holding certificates bearing the coveted red and white N7 emblem in front of the N-School Villa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Another had both Shepard and an older woman in Alliance Dress Blue Uniforms with a younger, attractive blonde in her late teens wearing a formal white dress, all with smiles on their faces. Shepard looked younger in this photo.
'Must be graduation from Basic Training in Macapá.' Ash thought. 'They all have the same blue eyes. The older woman must be Mrs Shepard and the younger woman the little sister.' The resemblance was hard to miss, but there was a pained expression in the faces of the family – they were missing both a father and a husband.
She stepped forward for a closer look but tripped over the boxes that cluttered the floor, emitting a startled yelp as she stumbled and flailed for balance. With a blinding flash of movement, Shepard spun and caught her by the shoulders, steadying her as she collided with his well-muscled chest. She looked up at him, into his blue eyes that he shared with his mother and his sister, and they lingered in the moment before Shepard returned her to her own feet. "Careful Chief, if I save you anymore today people will start to talk," he said with amusement, a flicker of a smile crossing his face.
Ash felt blood begin to rush to her cheeks, but regained control of her emotions before she turned completely red. "I'm sorry, sir," she apologised, bending down to re-arrange the contents of the box she had knocked over. It was another pile of photos and she found herself smiling at the picture at the top: it was in a bar of some sort, showing a fistfight involving four Alliance Marines and around a dozen Batarians. She let out a small chuckle at the sight of Shepard's left fist firmly planted in a Batarian's face.
"Find something you like, Chief?" She looked up at Shepard, who had his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. The look suited him, and she was beginning to have trouble focusing on the situation; she could smell the clean scent of his fresh uniform as he leaned in to glance at the picture. "Yeah, that was a good night in some seedy bar in the Traverse, about two years after the Blitz." he recalled, grinning at the memory. "Those four-eyed assholes were bragging about the strength of the Batarian Navy, saying it could rival the Turian fleet. Then someone said that if it was that strong, maybe they should stop funding pirates and slavers and start fighting like a real Navy. And it wound up with two dozen Batarians taking a nap on the floor, us getting tossed out the bar and about two weeks on extra duty."
Ash laughed and got to her feet, "You do know how to have a good time, skipper." He was certainly charismatic, and had a sense of humour. She gestured to the photo she had stepped closer to examine and asked, "Is that your sister Kiera with you in that photo?"
She realised her mistake just as the words left her mouth. Shepard's right eyebrow arched so high it threatened to vanish into his jet-black hair, and Ash searched in vain for anything to change the topic. The smirk had vanished, being replaced by a broader grin; he was enjoying watching the Gunnery Chief dig herself into a deep hole. Finally he spoke, "Yes, that's Kiera Isabella Shepard, my little demon-possessed sister. She's on earth, doing something with medicine. She rebelled against the military family thing long before even I got ideas of enlisting. Good thing too, the military isn't a place for Divas." Ash snorted at the thought of a woman bitching about a broken nail on the battlefield. "I take it since you know about my family you somehow got hold of my file." he stated, face determinedly neutral.
'Busted!' Ashley cursed to herself, trying to avoid his gaze as he sat down at his desk and entered his password into his terminal. He gestured for her to have a seat opposite him while he worked. He brought up the Alliance Requisitions interface and spoke up, "Williams: you're about 5"9 - 5"10, around 65-70 kilograms, size 6. Correct?"
"Yes sir." she replied plainly.
"The Alliance Wardrobe special: three sets Alliance navy uniforms, one set of Dress blues, three pairs of regulation boots and one pair of dress shoes. I will leave you to shop for your own drawers. Just sign here on the hand receipt." he spun the terminal, allowing her to double check the list, before she pressed her thumb on the printing pad. "Is there anything else you need?"
"No sir. But I would like to send out the Condolence Letters informing the families of the Marines on Eden Prime about their deaths." Ashley said, pain creeping into her voice as she mentioned fallen comrades.
"It has been handled by Colonial Garrison Affairs, Chief." Shepard replied, his voice softening. "I understand you feeling duty-bound to do it, but the 212th is no longer your outfit. You serve on the Normandy now." he paused, clearly uncomfortable. "I see you like the cabin, got your eyes on a spot in the command structure?" he had turned his chair around to face her.
"Maybe one day, skipper. For now, I'm content as a detail lackey. I'm not a fan of the politics and ass kissery that comes with a command."
Shepard snorted, "You don't mince your words Chief. I respect that, and I'm willing to bet a bottle of scotch that the term 'sugar coating' isn't high up in you vocabulary. I don't suppose 'tact' is, either. That's good, I think you are going to fit in fine in here on the Normandy. We need less over-achievers looking to give the orders, and more soldiers that focus on executing the orders. And for the love of all things good and pure, drop the 'sir's. Understood?"
"Yes sir." Ashley answered immediately, earning a grin from Shepard that made her stomach a little lighter.
"Ray is handling Jenkins' duties in the CIC, so I'm assigning you to the Armory for weapon maintenance. Unfortunately, the only bunk we have available is the one that Jenkins' used to occupy. That'll have to do."
"Yes Commander," Ashley replied. "Thank you."
Shepard looked at his watch and sighed heavily, "I think the majority of the crew from the evening meal have cleared out from the Mess Hall. I wonder what Mess Sergeant Fletcher cooked up tonight, I hope it's not that space cow mystery meat casserole crap of his again. I've had Meals Rejected by Ethiopians that tasted better." He stood up and gestured that Ashley do the same, and she left the XO's office with Shepard close behind. The Mess Hall was beginning to empty out as they made their way to the buffet, Shepard inspecting the remaining contents and recoiling as soon as the aroma of the evening's offerings met his nose. Ashley had to stifle a giggle at the sight.
She heard Shepard grumble something along the lines of "I swear, when I get my own boat, I'm gonna make sure that the person feeding my crew can actually cook healthy and good-tasting food and that they don't need to do it with shitty, budget, Military Grade, freeze-dried provisions from the First Contact War..." while he hunted in the kitchen for a fresh pot and various ingredients. Ashley stood with her hand over her mouth, keeping her giggles in check.
'Fearlessly holds off Batarians in the hundreds at Elysium, kills flashlight heads by the dozens, and almost falls over when he smells bad military cooking,' she snickered to herself. Shepard stood back up, a pan in hand with some rice, chicken, bacon, crushed garlic, mushroom and a small can of mixed vegetables. He then brought up his Omni-Tool and searched for the Risotto recipe he had perfected when he had to cook for himself and Kiera.
An hour later, Ash found herself sitting opposite her XO at a table in the Mess Hall while they enjoyed the Risotto they had prepared together. The topics discussed ranged from the events of the day, Shepard's other brawls with Batarians, previous postings, Ashley's garrison on Eden Prime, how they were gonna kill the absolute shit out of Saren, and lastly, their respective families, a topic neither could shut up about. "So who taught you how to cook, you know with your mother being on duty?" Ash asked.
Shepard gave her a look, as if to say 'If you're gonna insult my cooking ...' "My mom was posted to SSV Albert Einstein operating out of Arcturus when I was 14. One evening we ate the stuff that they served in the Mess Hall, and Kiera and I ended up barfing it up later. So I logged onto the extranet and copied down a few recipes. When our mom came back for some rack time, I had made a giant mess of the kitchen in her quarters. After the pep talk, her first task was to teach me a few basics. This Risotto was one of the first recipes I mastered."
Ashley knew firsthand the desire to learn how to cook, and given learning a new skill or eating military food, it wasn't a hard choice. "When she came back from the raid on Mindoir she was a mess, I didn't know it but there were over 500 marines killed trying to retake Mindoir. Many of them were people I knew and some of them were parents of kids I was friends with, hence the reason I can't stand Batarians. Also the reason I decided to enlist," he continued, his face darkening. The service record showed her the War Hero and Poster Boy of the Alliance, but in a few short hours, she had started to see the man behind the reputation. "Next question, Chief." Shepard ordered, taking a large swig of the orange juice he had poured for their meal.
Ashley gave him a thoughtful look as she took the last forkful of the Risotto into her mouth, "I think that's enough for tonight, skipper."
Logan finished his own meal, accepting the end of their casual conversation. He savoured his final few forkfuls of Risotto, before placing his knife and fork together on the plate. His body language changed, as he stood, before addressing Ashley, not as her colleague, but her Executive officer
"Understood Chief Williams, get cleaned up and rack out. You will be accompanying Lieutenant Alenko and I to the Embassy tomorrow to give our report to the Council. Your bunk is prepared and some fresh clothes are there waiting for you. Now, if you will excuse me, I have twelve hours of work I need catch up on before we dock at the Citadel in seven hours. Dismissed." Shepard and Ash stood up together. He collected the trays and cutlery, placed them in the washing up area, and turned to face the new crewmember.
She walked over to him, a little hesitantly, "Thank you Commander, it's nice when someone makes you feel welcome." With that, she raised her right arm in salute and Shepard nodded and saluted her in turn. She turned towards the crew dorms and walked away. Shepard stood in the mess a while longer, deep in thought, before turning and heading for his cabin.
Authors Note: So there we are. Chapter One done and dusted. I'd like to thank my Beta Readers, Shaka and 570K4/HailMacBeth for their invaluable input in this, as well as all the support from fellow writers, all the folks in the Aria's Afterlife forum for their ideas regarding canon details, story help and examples of good writing and so on.