Mass Effect: N7

1

The shuttle doors opened and the young marine squinted his eyes against the sunlight that beamed in. He stood from his seat, throwing his duffel bag strap over his shoulder as he stepped off and looked around, taking in his surroundings with a quick glance. He had no idea where he was now. All he knew was that this was one of the fabled "N7 Training Facilities" the Alliance military said so little about; not the one in Rio de Janeiro, but one of the distant facilities off-world. The soldier had been told he'd been selected for the N7 program, and less than twenty four hours later he and every earthly possession he owned were crammed into a shuttle for a long ride to the facility. That was almost two days ago, and after forty-six hours straight stuck in a shuttle's cargo bay, being able to set foot on any planet was welcome. He ran his free hand back through his dark brown hair over silvery blue eyes set in a mildly rounded face with shallow cheekbones. This planet was arid, dry, but not uncomfortably hot. The facility he found himself in was rather sprawling, yet still small at the same time, the largest of the structures being no more than two stories tall. There was gunfire in the distance, sometimes accompanied by an explosion, no doubt training exercises for N7 recruits. The young soldier reseated his duffel bag on his shoulder as a man about his age in an Alliance uniform with a major's star came confidently walking toward him.

He waved his hand to clear dust the shuttle's engines had kicked up, "Lt. David Wagner?"

The brawny marine, David Wagner, dropped his duffel as he straightened in a proper salute to a superior officer, "Sir, yes, sir."

"At ease, lieutenant." The officer extended his hand, which David shook, "Maj. Fitzgerald. Welcome to N7." The major motioned toward the largest of the buildings as several marines rushed past him to start removing David's things from the shuttle, "Right this way, lieutenant. You're the last to arrive, so we'll be able to get things started now."

David fell into step with the major as they started walking, "With all due respect, major, could I ask why I'm here?"

Fitzgerald nodded as he walked, "You've been selected for a special N7 program. Your particular skill set is needed for this team."

The lieutenant nodded quickly, "Yes, I understand that, sir, but I was under the impression I was already N7; have been for the last two years. So what's going on?"

"I said you've been selected for a special N7 program, lieutenant. You'll understand everything in the briefing." They entered the main building and immediately took a flight of stairs to the second level before ducking into a small, dimly lit room with a line of six chairs along the right wall.

Fitzgerald waved an arm into the room, "Take a seat and wait right here, lieutenant. I need to go rustle up the rest of them. Be back in a minute." With that, the major left David alone in the room. He dropped his duffel next to the second seat in the line and sat down heavily in it. He had no idea what was going on, but it didn't bother him. He enjoyed puzzling through mysteries like this, and it was even more exciting when he was right in the middle of it. After several minutes, the door opened and a slender woman walked in, taking the seat on the end next to David. She threw her long brown hair back off her shoulder as she sat down and crossed her leg over the other.

"Hi." David extended his hand, "Lt. David Wagner."

The woman leaned over to shake his hand, "Hello, David. I'm Lt. Faulkner, but since we're the same rank, you can call me Megan in off-hours." She spoke with a gentle British roll in her voice.

"Nice to meet you, Megan." David leaned his elbows on his knees, "So…you have any idea why we're here?"

Megan shrugged, "No clue. I just got here a few hours ago myself."

The door opened again and someone else came through, a sturdy man with high-and-tight blonde hair and green eyes. He saw there were people in the room and immediately made his way to David.

"Güttentag." He spoke in clear German with a stiff matching accent, "Com. Markus Krause, N7." He extended his hand to David.

"Commander on deck!" David stood and saluted, with Megan also following with the call-out.

Com. Krause waved them both down, "For pity's sake. There's no need for that right now."

Megan sat down again and David dropped his salute as he nodded, "Sorry, commander."

"Please, during off-hours call me 'Markus', or 'Mark' if you prefer." The commander pointed at David, "But make no mistake, while on duty, my name is 'commander'."

"Yes, sir." David nodded as he sat down, "So would you happen to know why we're here, sir?"

Markus shook his head as he sat down a seat away from David, "I've been told not to discuss it before the briefing."

David's eyes brightened, "So you do know. That makes one of us."

Over the next few minutes, three more people joined them in the room, a slender woman with short black hair, a sturdy blonde with a scar on her neck, and a young man with thick red hair who pulled the last seat on the end further way from everyone before sitting down. Six people, all soldiers, all N7-rated, sat gathered in the small briefing room, and only one among them knew why they were here. Several minutes of conversation were concluded when the door opened for a final time and Maj. Fitzgerald came in. Everyone, starting with Markus and David, all stood and snapped to attention when he came in the room, even the unfriendly-looking redhead apart from everyone else.

The major stood in front of everyone, "At ease. Take a seat." He set the datapad he was holding down on a table behind him before folding his arms over his chest, "Welcome to Interplanetary Combatives Training, Division 2. Division 2 is the covert operations, direct-action, black ops branch of N7. We're a very small portion of the overall N7 program." He gestured to everyone, "Everyone in this room – including myself – comprises the entirety of Division 2. Fewer people, less red tape, more work gets done; that's how we roll. You've all been selected for Division 2 due to your unique skill sets and your proficiency in those skills. N7 is the best of the best in the Alliance military, and you are the best of that. Heck, I've seen your records; some of you actually qualify for Spectre recruitment. I'm not going to lie to you: everything from this point out will be the toughest you have ever faced in your life. The training is going to be tough; the missions are going to be tougher. But that's why we picked you, because you can rise to the challenge. That said, I want to give you one last chance to back out. If you want out, you'll be transferred back to your old unit; no muss, no fuss. Just speak up now."

After a long and quiet moment, the German, Markus, raised his hand, "If I may, sir. It looks like I speak for everyone when I say that we're in. You say we're the best, and this is our chance to prove it."

The major nodded, "Well, I guess that settles it. Before we continue, I do need to settle some SOP with you guys since you're all new to this. Division 2 is a covert branch of the military; we expose minimal information while in the field. We use codenames and your new combat uniforms and hard-suits will not have name or rank visible on them. Memorize each other's codenames. I'd recommend using them in the barracks during off-hours to that end. Without further ado, we'll go ahead with introductions. For those of you who I failed to introduce myself to, my apologies; I'm Maj. Fitzgerald. 'Tom' or 'Fitz' in off-hours, but keep the rank in mind when you use them. I'm the director of Division 2 and I'll be your commanding officer as well as intel adviser and shuttle pilot during missions. My codename is 'Zeus'."

Lt. Wagner arched an eyebrow, "A major who flies shuttles?"

"I'm a bit more hands-on than most majors." He picked up the datapad behind him and gestured to Megan, "Now for the field ops. This is Lt. Megan Faulkner, Adept class biotic specialist; marks from superiors for discipline and stability under fire. You'll be augmented and specialized as an N7 Fury. Your codename will be 'Fang'."

Megan furrowed her brow, "Augmented, sir?"

The major nodded, "Yes. You'll be receiving the standard battery of Fury-class cybernetic implants to enhance your biotic abilities. It's kind of ironic that you're marked for stability, because you're going to be specializing in instability. They're also going to teach you how to…what was it?" He looked at his pad, "Phase. They're going to teach you something called 'phase evasion'."

Her eyes widened, "Phasing?"

"Yes. Is there something special about that? I'm not a biotic."

Megan chuckled lightly, "Well, it's considered the pinnacle of biotic control; reducing one's own mass so much as to be able to cross short distances almost instantly. I'd never heard of any human ever mastering it."

The major looked at his pad again, "Well, very few still have, so good luck on that front." He motioned to David, "Next we have Lt. David Wagner, front-line soldier and a dang-good marine if his record is to be believed. Marks from superiors for excellent marksmanship, courage in the face of danger, and…" He looked at his pad again, "…an 'uncanny knack for wide-scale devastation'. You're going to be specialized as an N7 Destroyer. They're going to train and condition you in the use and functions of the T-5V combat power armor. It's quite a nice toy you're going to have, Wagner. I'm very jealous. Your codename is going to be 'Sword'."

The lieutenant smirked, "Destroyer? That sounds promising."

Fitz moved on to the next soldier in line, "Next we have our team engineer, Lt. Mira Simonov; marked for tactical excellence under fire and very high marks in demolitions exercises and bomb disposal. You're going to be specialized as an N7 Demolisher. As the name implies, demolitions expert proficient in the use of a variety of grenade types and demolitions ordnance for differing combat situations. Your codename will be 'Tech'." Lt. Simonov, the blonde with the scar on her neck, simply smiled and nodded in response.

"Next is the team's token Sentinel class soldier, Lt. Com. Markus Krause; marks from superiors for courage under fire and extensive knowledge of electronic systems, particularly those of combat devices. As ranking field officer, he's also going to be in operational command during missions. You're going to be specialized as an N7 Paladin. You're going to be trained and conditioned in the use of an omni-shield as well as several combat devices. Your codename will be 'Delta'."

Markus' brow furrowed, "Omni-shield?"

The major nodded, "An omni-tool upgrade with a directional shield that can stop just about anything. I hear it's quite useful for clobbering things, too, but I'll let you decide that for yourself." Fitzgerald looked at his pad again, "Our next contestant, ladies and gentlemen, is Lt. Sara Montfarette, team infiltrator; very high marks for sniping proficiency and expert in concealment. You're going to be augmented and specialized as an N7 Shadow. They're going to teach you advanced covert movement techniques as well as full close-quarters combat sword training. Your codename will be 'Dagger'."

Lt. Montferette's head came up at the mention, "Sword training?" She spoke with a soft French accent.

"Yes." The major nodded as he picked up a sword about a meter long from next to him, "One of these; reinforced titanium blade with a monomolecular edge. This thing could cut through just about anything. And in case you're wondering why use a sword in modern combat, they're silent, which I think an infiltrator can appreciate."

She nodded slowly, "And you also mentioned augmentation."

"Standard battery of Shadow-class implants to improve agility and mobility." The major checked his pad again, "Last, but certainly not least, is Lt. Andrew McTavish, Vanguard class biotic combat specialist; marks from superiors for high aggression in combat as well as high marks in close-quarters exercises. You're going to be augmented and specialized as an N7 Slayer. They're going to teach you some advanced biotic combat techniques, and – something your record says you'll appreciate – close-quarters combat sword training. Your codename is going to be 'Hammer'."

The red-headed biotic, Lt. McTavish, nodded, "You mentioned augmentation. I assume it's gonna be the same as what Lt. Faulkner is gettin'?" His words rolled out with a thick Irish inflection.

"Similar. Slayer-class implants are kind of a mix of Fury-class and Shadow-class. You'll have implants to enhance your biotic abilities, but also some to increase mobility. They're also going to teach you the same 'phase evasion' that Lt. Faulkner will be learning."

The biotic soldier nodded with a smirk, "Sounds nice. Can't wait to get my hands on that blade."

Fitzgerald put his datapad down behind him, "So that's everyone. Before we dismiss, I want everyone to take a good look around at the people in this room. This isn't just a team, it's your team; your family. We are going to be all each other has for the foreseeable future. I'd like to see us all get along as best we can. The missions you're going to face after your two weeks of training are going to be the toughest anyone's ever seen. No backup, no support, no reinforcements, very low survival index. Good camaraderie in a team this small could mean the difference between life and death for you. Your training begins tomorrow at 0600 sharp. Until then, all of your belongings have been moved into Barracks 4. I suggest you go make yourselves at home and get plenty of rest. You're going to need it. Dismissed." With that said, the major picked up his datapad and walked out of the room.

A moment later, Com. Krause stood and looked at everyone, "You heard the man. Let's go get settled in. This is going to be home for a while." Everyone stood to follow him out and on their way to Barracks 4 where their belongings were. The team left the main building and went around to their barracks, where they all found their things deposited in a neat pile in the day room of the barracks. Barracks 4 was evenly divided into three rooms; a small bunk room on either side with a communal day room and equipment armory right in between. Half of the team took the time to look around at the barracks that would be their home for the foreseeable future while the rest went about gathering their things and getting unpacked. About half an hour passed and the pile of stuff in the middle had begun to decrease in size as the Division 2 team went about making their barracks a little homier. It was also then that their field officer decided to break the silence that had begun to linger over all of them.

Delta set a crate of his things down and cracked his back, "Well, if we're all going to be working together, I think we ought to get to know each other a little better. We got the formal introductions out of the way, so how about something a little less formal. I'll start us off. I'm Com. Krausse, but in off-hours you can call me 'Markus' or 'Mark', or use my codename 'Delta'." He turned and motioned to the team Vanguard, "Hammer. What's your name? Andrew, is it?"

Hammer nodded as he opened one of his boxes, "Aye, that's my name. But I've takin' a shine to the codename, too."

"I can tell by your accent that you're definitely of Scots-Irish descent. Ja?"

The soldier nodded again, "A little of both, really. I'm Irish by blood, but born a citizen of Scotland. And I have a temper to match them both, so don't go triflin' with me now."

Delta chuckled, "I had no such intention. So where did you grow up?"

"Suburbs of Dublin in good old mother Ireland herself. I can't bring myself to call any other place home; just don't feel right."

"And how was it growing up as a biotic?"

Hammer dropped the lid on the box he was searching and looked at Delta, "You always ask this many questions of total strangers?"

The older German nodded, "If we're going to be risking our lives together, I think we ought to know each other. Don't you?"

"It's okay, Andrew." Megan spoke up from where she was unloading a pile of her BDUs from a crate, "From one biotic to another, I don't think you have anything to fear from this bunch."

Hammer huffed as he resumed rummaging through his box, "Easy for you to say. When my abilities manifested when I was ten, I became the target of every bully in school. I can't remember all the times I was suspended for fighting. I never started a single one of those fights, but I always finished them."

David tossed a box full of his clothes into the guys' bunk room before turning to look at Hammer, "What do you mean? Didn't your parents send you to a school for biotics?"

"Ma and da both worked two jobs each just to keep a roof over our heads. They couldn't afford a fancy private school, so I had to stay in the public education system. It wasn't until I went to college that I met another biotic. While in college, one of my fitness teachers told me I need to find a way to put all my aggression to good use." Hammer smirked mischievously, "I joined the Alliance marines. The rest is history." He looked over at Megan, "I don't suppose you had to deal with any of that bull growin' up, too, did you?"

Fang shook her head, "Oh, no. I never dealt with that. My parents were rather well-to-do accountants in Bradford, so when I manifested at the age of nine they could afford to send me to a biotics school."

Delta chuckled as he opened a crate of his personal belongings, "That must have been nice, not having to face ridicule every day at school."

"Not really. The school was about an hour from home, so I never really saw my parents much. Not that I saw them a lot before that. Anyway, I wasn't in that school long before I was drafted into the Alliance as one of the first combat-proficient biotics."

David lifted another crate of his stuff from the pile, "That means you went through BAAT at Jump Zero, didn't you."

Fang shook her head, "Yes, I did. I can't say I enjoyed my time on Arcturus Station, but I know it made me all the stronger for it."

"Does that mean you're an L2, also?"

She shook her head, throwing a lock of hair in front of her shoulder, "Oh, no. I was upgraded to L5x about three years ago, and I can't begin to describe how grateful I am for that. No more migraines."

Delta closed up another crate before lifting it onto his shoulder, "You're from south Bradford, aren't you. A close friend of my in high school was from there. I recognize the accent."

"Yes, that's right. South Bradford." Fang neatly folded another set of her BDUs, "So what about you, commander? Berlin?"

Delta came back in from depositing his crate with his things, "Stuttgart, actually. I get that a lot. I joined the Alliance military straight out of high school. I liked my first four years as a marine so much I decided to make a career out of it. That and a passion for tinkering with electronics set me up as a Sentinel." He opened another crate and started removing the contents, "Lt. Simonov, you haven't said much of anything, so I can't really place where you're from."

Tech pushed one of her boxes to a pile of others, "I'll save you the time and tell you. I'm from Russia; Siberia, to be exact." True to her word, her alto voice carried a mild Russian inflection.

"And what brought you to the Alliance?"

The engineer shrugged as she briefly checked one box, "A passion for chemistry in school, which turned into a passion for explosives in college. After graduating with a degree in demolitions engineering, I worked for a construction contractor for a few years before joining up." She paused and looked away almost in reverie, "It gives a feeling of power, knowing that something that took months, even years to build, I can destroy in a matter of seconds."

David arched an eyebrow toward her before resuming his unpacking, "I'm suddenly feeling glad that you're sleeping in the other room."

Tech suppressed a chuckle as she continued moving her things, "You don't seem very confident for an American."

"Oh, no. I'm confident. I just have a healthy respect for explosives." He closed and pushed another of his crates toward the guys' room, "By the way, how'd you know I'm American?"

"An ex-boyfriend. You remind me of him."

"And what happened to that relationship?"

Tech shrugged, "The last time I saw him, I broke his arm."

"Well, nice to know I'm off on the right foot." Sword opened a box and closed it after, not finding what he was looking for, "Since it seems to be my turn to share, my history is pretty much the same as the commander's, but for different reasons. I joined the Alliance marines straight out of high school because it was either that or juvenile detention. I ran with some really bad crowds when I was a kid and the Corps set me straight. My first year as a marine taught me the value of discipline, honor, and ethics. When my first four years were up, I renegotiated my contract for career, and here I am."

Delta came of his room brushing his hand together in satisfaction before turning to the only member of the team who hadn't shared her history yet, "I caught a little of your accent, Lt. Montferette. I can tell you're French, but beyond that I have no clue."

Dagger smiled as she unpacked some of her civilian clothes, "Monaco, actually. Or at least that's where I was born. But I call any place where they speak French home." The timbre of her voice combined with her accent made her quite soothing to listen to.

Delta snorted in response, "I hear you there. I haven't had a good conversation in German in several years."

"Well, I don't have a specific accent because I was raised in both Monaco and Paris alternately. My parents divorced when I was little, and I lived with my mother, but spent every other month with my father in Paris. My father was a sniper in the Alliance, and when I went shooting with him one day, he convinced me to join up; follow the tradition."

"And how did that end with you as an N7 infiltrator?"

Dagger shrugged, "I learned everything I know about marksmanship and concealment from my father, and I built on it with my own experience as a teenager in the streets of Monte Carlo. N7 noticed me after a little adventure of hiding from geth on Eden Prime for two days. Apparently, someone important noticed."

"Apparently." Delta went over to a console on the wall near the main door and called up a few screens, "As much as I hate to shed informality, duty calls. Our training begins at 0600 tomorrow morning. Three of you – Dagger, Fang, and Hammer – all need to report to the base infirmary for augmentation. The rest of us report to the armory to get new equipment before we hit the training grounds. For tonight, I'm going to report to the rack, and I recommend everyone else do the same soon. It's going to be a long day tomorrow." He turned away from the console and disappeared into the guys' room. Everyone else had a few odds and ends to finish putting away before they could call it a night.

Delta was gone for only a minute before Hammer piped up from his corner of the room, "Am I the only one who noticed somethin' here?"

Sword stopped what he was doing and looked over at him, "What's that?"

"Durin' that little love-in, I couldn't help but notice that everyone on this team is from Earth." Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Hammer at the mention of the world the Reapers took first in their war against all life in the galaxy; the world that apparently was home to everyone on the Division 2 team.

Fang shrugged as she resumed what she was doing, "Maybe the major wanted us all to have something in common."

"Yeah, that's probably it." Sword nodded as he finished up what he was doing, "He did mention how we need to have good camaraderie in the team. He probably wants us all to have something in common to help that along."

Hammer shrugged, "Hmm. I suppose so. Still, I can't help feelin' there's more to it than that." He stood and stretched, "I'm bunkin' down. I had a long trip getting here and I get to be turned into a cyborg tomorrow, so I want to be well rested for it."

Fang closed the box she was looking in and nodded, "He's probably right. I, for one, am exhausted, and I'm getting that augmentation in the morning, too. I'm off to bed. Good night, David."

Sword nodded as she left, "G'nite, Megan." The door closed behind Fang, leaving Sword alone in the day room. He looked around the room and nodded subtly to himself. This was a new chapter in his career as a soldier. It was for all of them. A new chapter and a new challenge, one they all seemed ready to face. He nodded one more time before standing up and heading to his room for the night. The galaxy would never know what hit it.