I'm doing a replay on my Shep(F), starting with ME1 and will carry on into ME2. And during a mindless day at work, this was born. First of two stories- this one, as one might have expected takes place during ME1. Rated "T" for language (sorry, no delicious smut until the second one).
He'd seen her in photos and on vids before the Saren case ever crossed his desk. Shepard was an interesting figure, but he never saw a reason to do much research on her. Nonetheless, the first photo he ever saw stuck in his mind- a young woman's face, thin scar running across the left side, with gaunt cheeks and haunted eyes. It was a picture accompanying an extranet news article about Akuze.
When he first saw her in real life, he'd felt like banging his head against a brick wall. He'd been put on the Saren case, and time was up, but he had no "real" evidence. He was arguing with Executor Pallin when he saw movements at the corner of his eye. As Pallin left to present his findings to the Council, he turned to see three humans. One he recognized immediately as Commander Shepard, with her N7 insignia and distinctive facial scar. He'd gotten the impression of height from the vids, but in person, she was merely average height, short in Turian terms. However, what she lacked in height, she made up for with an unshakable sense of stature- there was no way, even if he hadn't recognized her, that he'd ever assume that this was an ordinary soldier. Her very presence spoke of strength and command, and right now, her eyes, decidedly NON-haunted, were fixed on him. Before he could explain much, the Terran male at her side said the Council was waiting, and she gave him a brief nod before walking away, her two human companions in tow. He shook his head when he realized that he was watching her, and went to the nearby rapid transit terminal. The investigation may have been officially over, but he certainly wasn't satisfied. Saren was going down.
He was surprised to see her again, and more surprised that she was in Dr. Michel's office. However, he had enough presence of mind to take advantage of the distraction her arrival caused, and made a clean head shot on the merc holding the doctor hostage. He ran to the doctor as Shepard's team took out the remaining mercs with cool and deadly precision. When she turned and complimented his shot, he felt both proud and humbled, and gave the credit to luck. Then, when she turned to leave after getting information, he heard himself call her name. Without really meaning to, he asked to come along, to join her team. When she asked him why he wanted to hunt another Turian, he got defensive as he tried to explain himself. He was expecting some sort of rebuke or disbelief, but instead she raised her hand and welcomed him to the crew. Still not entirely sure of what was happening, he went to the Presidium to inform Pallin that he was leaving.
They had found the Quarian, named Tali, and he had been present when the Council had rescinded Saren's status as a Spectre. When they made Shepard a Spectre in turn, he felt himself standing a little taller, mandibles flaring with pride, as she accepted the honor with poise and grace. He hardly knew this woman, but he was proud to stand with her, and he knew that exposing Saren was only the beginning. They had just returned to the Normandy, and he was getting ready to go to the lower deck, when her voice came over the intercom system. Like the Commander herself, her voice was calm, but there was something inspiring in her tone, more than just her words. Looking around, he saw that everyone on the ship had stopped to listen, all with rapt attention on their faces. And for the first time in a long time, he began to feel like he could really make a difference.
