Disclamer: I do not own Mass Effect. Any other story elements that may be reminiscent of copyrighted material is unintentional unless credited otherwise.
Summary: Many knew Commander Shepard but only a few knew or even understood who she was. Far from being a paragon or renegade, upon her shoulders rests the fate of the galaxy. How will she manage when every truth contains a lie and every lie contains a truth?
Note: "Every truth contains a lie and every lie contains a truth." is a quote part of the Suikoden II (published by Konami) dialogue.
Welcome to my first foray into a multi-chapter story in the Mass Effect universe. I do not necessarily plan on following canon events but I do plan on writing from Spectre induction up to and maybe beyond the Reaper war. So thank you for giving this a try and without further ado, let's get on with the story.
Chapter One: Shepard
The N7s are the cream of the Systems Alliance's military crop which one Jane Shepard belongs to. They got the best equipment, the best assignments, the best everything. One would peg this lofty placement of a young marine on her pedigree as the scion of military officers. Granted she was a step ahead than most in terms of head starts as she undertook training from the best at an early age which honed her to become a rare combination of powerful biotics and sniper skills.
A soldier through and through, scuttlebutt says that her sixteenth birthday celebration consisted of signing up for the Marine Corps and spending time in the firing range. Two years later and she was on the fast track through the ranks as she was minted Lieutenant-Commander at eighteen years old. Jealous parties would scoff and point to her lineage as an obvious origin for favoritism but the Alliance was a meritocracy. If they had been rewarding mediocrity, the Citadel council would not have been taken them seriously.
Shepard's detractors would soon be silenced as she went through a series of unfortunate situations where she managed to wrench victory from seemingly lost causes. The first hurdle took place in Akuze when contact was lost with the pioneer team on the new colony. Deployed in a unit of fifty marines, they were tasked to search for the pioneers and for the data they have collected. They went into the settlement blind as they searched in vain for people but were able to recover the data banks left behind. When the unit camped for the night, Shepard's restlessness over the eerie quietude led her to revisit the nearby abandoned prefab buildings to sweep again for clues and pass the time. Luck, fate or perhaps some deity was on her side that night as the marines in the campsite were set upon by thresher maws. Screams tore through the night as the rest of the marines were gorged upon or melted by acid spewed from the horrendous abominations.
Knowing that she would not be able to do anything against the creatures with a simple Mattock rifle, a Predator pistol, and a handful of thermal clips, she opted to focus her efforts in retrieving the data banks in the camp. Notes about Shepard in the official report on the incident read "… She was the only one to make it to the landing zone but thankfully had the data on hand instead of simply retreating." Her superiors who ordered the marines into the zone would have been chewed out for sending in forces without substantial intel but Shepard's recovery of the data gave them a more salvageable situation. They were grateful to her and became supporters of her budding career as they pushed for medals to decorate her with.
Another incident that marked the career of the young marine occurred in Elysium. The batarians came in unexpectedly and swiftly, wreaking havoc upon the settlement as they captured or slew hundreds before they met any semblance of resistance in the form of Lt. Commander Shepard. She was on shore leave enjoying the view when it was distorted by the gory mess of human corpses and batarians. She used one of the repurposed delivery Makos to run down the scouts while rushing to a command post where she raised the alarms in the colony. The SSV Agincourt and other Alliance ships in the docks responded as they engaged the batarian ships. In the air, the Alliance was winning but jamming devices cut-off groundside forces from the rest of the defence.
With no way to request for back-up immediately, Shepard and a handful of marines on leave as well as civilian volunteers managed to activate the main settlement's defences. This managed to slow the advance of the batarians who had all but decimated the southern part of the colony.
The settlement's layout was to the defenders' advantage as hostiles had to be funneled through a bridge before reaching the bulk of the population. Aerial strikes were little to none as airborne hostiles were engaged by Alliance ships while anti-aircraft guns that were part of the colony's grid defense helped serve as further deterrents. The groundside forces' strategy had Shepard sticking to the high ground overlooking the bridge as she sniped at the slavers while the rest held the barricade. Being mostly made up of civilians and green marines, Shepard tasked them with support fire when too many batarians advanced too fast for her to handle.
Mobs were dealt with strategically placed singularities and stasis fields before the trapped enemies were gifted with headshots. As waves of batarians persisted on trekking within Shepard's firing range, the body count rose that eventually served a second purpose as obstacles. Batarian corpses usually carried a grenade or two which Shepard shot at when a group came close to it ending in a bloody shower of limbs. The accumulated grime and Batarian blood also made the path quite slippery that made movement tricky. Nevertheless, the defenders also suffered losses as some of the marine greenhorns forgot to duck. However, all hope was not lost as one of the defenders was an engineer who managed to create a signal that broadcasted SOS that signalled their location. Several hours later, Alliance ships finally swooped in to the rescue.
After the events now known as the Skyllian Blitz, Shepard was dubbed as the 'Hero of Elysium' and awarded the Star of Terra. Her actions further cemented humanity's standing in the galaxy as a race not to be trifled with. Not long after, high command recommended that she undertake further officer training courses.
Shepard was simply driven and no shortcuts were done in her training as she took advantage of the free form education route wherein it was up to the soldier's pace when he will graduate instead of sticking to the standard periods of immersion before graduation. A battery of brutal tests awaited those who opted to graduate early and Shepard passed them with flying colors. It was no secret in the military that anyone who was similarly driven could progress as fast as her but the thing is, nobody was keeping pace.
Her impressive military resume of a 100% completion success rate at age twenty-three was marked by a promotion to commander status. Nevertheless, despite her being effectively the Alliance brass' darling, her image was never used for recruitment posters or for ads promoting the Alliance. This was simply a precaution since her growing fame was rivaling or even surpassed those usually reserved for entertainers. It was enough that people knew her name and some highly regulated media footage and pictures of her were released to the public. It was a trade-off between capitalizing on hero-worship for her to garner further public support for the Alliance or to keep her out of the spotlight for a more effective use of military assets. After all, a recognizable face linked to the military would be utterly useless in covert operations.
Overall on paper, Jane Shepard was the image of the ideal soldier. However, the records did not mention about the person save for a scant excerpt from her psychological evaluations that described her as level-headed and independent which were hardly of any help since one can glean upon these characteristics based on her performance.
Admiral Steven Hackett sighed as he placed down his data pad which displayed Shepard's dossier entry. It was pretty much just a formality for him to read over this celebrated soldier's records as it was already a unanimous decision by the brass on who they would recommend to the Spectre ranks. However, he was quite worried that by recommending her to become part of the Citadel militia, they would be losing a fine soldier themselves.
His colleague, David Anderson, has the utmost confidence in her capabilities and loyalty which was not really surprising as he had basically been mentoring her since she was a recruit. On the other hand, the pompous ass that was Ambassador Udina was sceptical of her qualifications due to her age. It was quite insulting really that a pencil-pushing mouthpiece would deign to argue military adeptness against a board of war veterans. However, this kind of recommendation needed the support of both civilian and military heads. With Udina heading the civilian side, things were at an impasse as he kept pushing for another candidate.
In the end, Udina's protests were shelved after a message from a turian Spectre named Nihlus Kryik showed his endorsement of Shepard. It was the tie-breaker that Anderson counted on should Udina be a hard ass since the Council always assigned a Spectre to help in the selection process. She would report to the SSV Normandy that was to be inaugurated the day after the meetings' conclusion.
When the session came to an end, Hackett held back to have a quick word with Anderson which the latter noticed and discretely slowed his movements in gathering his things.
"So, she's really ready for this? It's a big jump." Hackett stated as he watched his old friend profile slowly ease into relaxation from the heated arguments with Udina.
"She's more than ready." Anderson smiled. "She's an old soul. One thing I worry is if there's enough black chocolate circulating in the galaxy for her purchase and consumption to keep her from getting cranky."
"Well at least that's the sum of her substance addiction." Hackett smiled back.
"Full of quirks she is but she's the best humanity has to offer."
*** HeatmaN has joined the mission ***
*** Wallowhiz has joined the mission ***
*** Poof Dada has joined the mission ***
*** VermillionFury has joined the mission ***
It was a fire fight like no other. The landing pad was a battle zone as a team of soldiers were swarmed by mechs and enemy troopers. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the scene as everything momentarily burned white as a missile detonated upon hitting a soldier.
Buthert: "Gah! Medigel Medigel!"
A turian cried as he tried to get behind cover to save himself from a hail of bullets going his way.
111Bawlzfurst111: "Get outta the kill zone! You better pray we can still beat the other team in this round….Ah shit!"
Those were the 'famous last words' of the human soldier before his head exploded in a shower of gore. The bullet trail of the kill shot could be momentarily traced back to a figure taking cover on a walkway overlooking the landing pad.
HeatmaN: "Headshot! Haha. Now, where the fuck is that volus vanguard? The landing pad's swarming with the enemy!"
*** HeatmaN 14-5 Headshots +500 ***
*** Poof Dada is down ***
*** Poof Dada was taken down by Assault Trooper ***
*** VermillionFury [Biotic Explosion] Turret ***
Wallowhiz: "I'm near the stairs. The volus got smashed early. Got too excited and charged into the fray. Too bad this is stage has a no medigel handicap."
VermillionFury: "Sabotage the Atlases!"
Wallowhiz:"Roger. Heat behind you!"
A figure suddenly de-cloaked behind Heatman_ ss who deftly rolled away from a shot.
Killawhalez321: "Imma kick yo' asses!"
HeatmaN: "The hell? Are you actually trying to hit me or what?"
Killawhalez321: "Shuttup! You motha fucka! Imma bash yu in hard!"
A string of curses came over the channel as two figures engaged in what seemed like a game of tag. Meanwhile, a slender hand moved to lower the volume of the headset to minimize the auditory assault the wearer was experiencing. This was supposed to be a relaxing day of going for the gold. Sighing in annoyance, keys were tapped in rapid succession to fire a singularity against a group of mechs advancing before a biotic blast echoed in a satisfying rumbling bass after the character responding to the commands followed up with a warp.
VermillionFury: "Don't mind him. He's not even level 20 so let the map enemies finish him off. We're almost done. Get ready for extraction."
HeatmaN: "Sorry boss. Got carried away. This noob's so bad he can't even hit a target within melee range with aimbot"
Killawhalez321:"Yo momma so dumb she ate shit and you came out!"
Wallowhiz: "Learn to speak proper English or get a good translator for you omnitool!"
HeatmaN:"My cock's better at FPS than you!"
Killawhalez321: "Your mother! You fa-"
***Killawhalez321 logged off ***
VermillionFury: *sigh* "Finally booted off the server huh?"
Wallowhiz: "We definitely do not need a potty-mouth ruining the game. Games are supposed to be fun."
HeatmaN: "Thank goodness the VI administrator actually works here. Trash talking in multiplayer makes me want to rinse my ears with chlorine."
Wallowhiz: "Ha! You're one to talk. Anyway, you need to watch yourself too Heat. You've got two strikes already."
HeatmaN: "Hey man. It's not my fault the VI thinks I'm cursing when I just talk with an accent. Kinda insulting really."
*** Wave completed ***
VermillionFury: "Gentlemen, focus. Get into position for the next wave."
Minutes passed and the furious clacking of the keyboard echoed in the apartment illuminated by the large screen hanging on the wall. Sounds of explosions could be faintly heard from a headset resting upon a crown of vermillion-red hair that cascaded in soft waves over narrow shoulders. Loose strands were tucked behind an ear to allow emerald green eyes a clear view of the screen.
VermillionFury: "Good work. We did it in record time too. We should be leading the scoreboards now. Anyways, it's been a pleasure playing with you. Until next time guys."
HeatmaN: "Aw, you don't want to go another round?"
VermillionFury: "Thanks but I actually have a life to attend to."
HeatmaN: "Ouch! A life of forever alone to get back to? Sure. Just kiddin'. See ya."
Wallowhiz: "Thanks! Had fun playing this round. Play again soon. Later!"
*** Logged off ***
The screen dimmed as the resolution adjusted from high to low which signalled a change of activity. A small smile adorned the face of Jane Shepard as she closed the window of her favourite multiplayer game. After completing several tours non-stop, she finally got leave for some downtime in the Silversun Strip apartment in the Tiberius Towers her mentor, David Anderson, had gifted her when she turned twenty-one. Grateful as she was for a place to call her own; however, she preferred life aboard a ship with the constant thrill of adventure.
The loft was tastefully decorated after some much needed re-organizing which included Shepard sending back Anderson the art pieces which 'littered' the place, respectfully of course. She never understood why abstract paintings which sometimes resembled vomit were sought out 'pieces' to begin with. Growing up on Alliance vessels, she favored a Spartan room setup with a good view. Nevertheless, she was not entirely without love for the arts though as she filled the empty spaces with pictures she had taken herself. The images catered to her propensity for a nice view since all of them featured landscapes of worlds she had visited.
Eyeing the clock on her computer, it was already past 1600 Alliance standard time. She stretched to relieve her muscles from being bunched up after hours of marathon game plays before getting up to stand by the window. It was still bright outside in the Citadel as the artificial atmosphere displayed bright blue skies. The streets below were a flurry of activity as all known walks of alien life mingled but with only a few humans in sight. Granted that her own species was only accepted within Citadel space less than a century ago, Shepard found it amusing that humans would still cling to the standard twenty-four hour time frame in reference to the earth's rotation when other species from larger worlds operated with longer ones.
Only a few people knew that beyond her military accomplishments, Shepard was intellectually average by Salarian standards. She chuckled to herself as she thought about how not even her own parents knew about her academic escapades as she put it lightly which have accumulated in sheaves of certificates from various institutions for a wide spectrum of subjects. It was in a sense, her way of self-preservation since she would rather her intelligence be underestimated by her enemies and not overrated by her military superiors.
As it were, she was using her mental prowess to decide on whether to go out to the new sushi restaurant for dinner or just resort to reheating leftover pizza from the night before when the sound of a pop-up broke her out of her thoughts. Walking back to her computer, she clicked on the envelope icon to reveal a pop-up window containing the new message.
From: Admiral David Anderson
Subject: New Designation
Shepard,
Grab your gear and meet me at Arcturus Station Docking Bay A4 at 1100 tomorrow.
- Anderson
Blinking to reread the message, Shepard had to wonder if Anderson really gave her the apartment to recharge or to use as an oversized locker. She had not even unpacked from her last tour as she was just three days into her shore leave after all. Nevertheless, going to Arcturus Station usually meant an interesting assignment and so it was without further ado that she settled for reheated pizza and coordinated with Alliance command for transport.
Author's Notes: I hope you enjoyed the story. Please let me know what you think. And yes, I played multiplayer but have been out of it for some time now. Don't bother inviting me as I have lost my touch and will probably be just a drag (If you planned to, how presumptuous of me XD). Thank you!