Anderson is faced with a conundrum.
Hackett had assured him that he'd get to hand pick his crew for the Normandy.
Knowing that, he'd set his sights on one person in particular; Commander A.D. Shepard; widower, sole survivor of a mission gone wrong.
His former crew mates reported that he could ruthless but was fair dealing with those under his leadership.
This man had been in his sights since Akuze and he still wanted him.
The issue staring him in the face; right now, is that Alliance command has made a mistake!
It has to be a damn mistake.
He's stares blankly at files, two marines with nearly the same damn names and it can't be a coincidence.
David Anderson doesn't believe in them.
The beginning of a headache takes up residence at the back of his skull, the data blurs but even that can't erase what he's read.
Shepard, Aiden, Declan, Commander. Mother: Captain Myers (Shepard), Hannah
Captain of the SSV Orizaba. Father: Mother refused to disclose. DOB: 4/11/2154.
POB: Bethesda Alliance Command Med. Center. Definitely a spacer given his mother's notable career.
Shepard, Adan, Daron, Commander. Father: Captain Shepard, Devaun A.,
Captain of the SSV Hastings, Anderson's former posting. Mother: Father refused to disclose. DOB: 4/11/2154. POB: Bethesda Alliance Command Med. Center.
She is both a spacer and colony kid; given her father's postings and notable career.
Two marines; ghosting one another through the Alliance, always in the same commands and he has a strong feeling that Hackett is laughing at him.
Really laughing his ass off over two fingers of Glenfiddich neat while rubbing that damn beard of his.
He scans the files a third time.
No amount of denial or reasoning on his part can refute the fact.
Shaking his head, he gives voice to the nagging voice at the back of his mind.
"No, this can't be possible. Hackett had to have known, he could not have not known."
He already knows the answer, that smug bastard, Hackett, had always known.
A hand goes to a drawer retrieving a glass and familiar bottle.
Two fingers of amber liquid fill the room with the scent of honey, the mellow taste gives way to a fire, that burns away the ache pounding at his neck.
With a shake of his head he transfers the files to separate data-pads along with the few snapshots each officer has in common.
Their careers move in tandem, no, not in tandem, they've are in sync with one another.
Serving on the same ships, within the same commands yet no one had made the connection, yet he can and realizes that only someone with a pay grade much higher than his could have made this happen.
They'd been forged in fired by the sole posting that separated them, missions that have made them famous; or infamous, depending on whom you asked.
Shepard male on Akuze; sole survivor of said mission and much to Anderson's surprise Shepard female is the infamous Butcher of Torfan.
Even their personalities are entirely diametrically opposed.
Except for a solitary blacked out report; an incident involving Ambassador Udina, she is the consummate diplomat.
She is clearly at ease with politicians, despite the nickname.
He flips through her file taking in each picture, she's rubbed shoulders with most of the top Alliance brass and some of Parliament.
Whereas he...well the last time he dealt with Parliament, his picture had shown up on all the feeds with two birds flying and neither had feathers.
Running a hand over his face in resignation, he empties the glass.
He can't deny the postings as Hackett had handpicked the female.
Closing their service records, he studies the few pictures that accompany their service records.
But for the scars: one that cuts through the left eyebrow and another beneath her lower lip, they are identical twins.
How?
How had anyone missed this?
No one had missed it.
Hackett has had it cleverly hidden.
He makes the postings, assigning the male as his XO and the female as his S1.
He'll make this work, somehow.
He's still studying the pictures when the door to his office opens, drawing his gaze.
The twins stride in, engaged in conversation, laughing and joking; definitely comfortable with one another.
The man's hair is a buzzed dark, red shadow over his scalp and her's a deep, titan red secured in a high ponytail that falls into loose waves over her shoulder.
"So you want to tell me about that new modification you made for warp ammo?"
She asks with her silver eyes shifting to an aqua that sparkle with mirth.
He shakes his head, his own grayish green eyes are crinkled in the corners as he smiles.
"Sure when you explain to me about that no-tell..." he reaches Anderson's desk, his counterpart remains at the door.
"Yeah, that," he finishes when she shocks both men by charging the distance without the biotic flare.
She gives a bow, the length of her hair falls forward to sweep the floor.
It is then that Anderson notices that her damn hair is definitely not within regulations and he wonders where in the hell she puts it in uniform.
"Captain Anderson, Shepard and Shepard reporting, sir," she offers with a lopsided grin.
They snap off a perfectly synchronized salute, dropping it when his own falls.
"Have a seat," he nods toward the group of chairs on the balcony, remaining at their backs.
They move alike; efficient moves that radiate contained energy.
When they drop into the chairs even their posture is identical.
"Fuck. You. Hackett." He murmurs with a shake of his head.
If they didn't know then he'd keep his damn mouth shut.
He briefs the two on their positions and responsibilities, keeping it under wraps that the posting is really an evaluation.
They are potential Spectre candidates and this shakedown is the easiest way to get them evaluated quickly.
He places them on seventy-two hours shore leave with a call back time of 0600 hrs.
Alone, with only his thoughts, he pours himself another glass, taking a minute to sort out his thoughts.
His musings on the situation only serve to piss him off more.
Sipping at his drink he composes an email to Hackett cursing him for the situation, once his ire is sated he deletes it, instead sending an edited version emphasizing that he knows.