Well it's been a very long time and I've only just recently got my head around writing again and found the time to do it. I wanted to do something different from my previous fics that I will hopefully get back to but no promises, I just want to see how this goes and hoepfully get back into writing again! All comments and criticisms are welcome, failure is the gateway to learning so have at it!

Exitus Acta Probat

Chapter 1

"One more thing Shepard" the redhead rolled her eyes at this statement, she hated this petty little man yet he was the human ambassador to the Citadel so her new-found status as the first human Spectre wouldn't get her out of his rambling commands.

"Yes ambassador, what is it?" she asked as she noticed a man step off the elevator behind them, he wore a black uniform, obviously navy yet no insignia or rank were displayed. He carried a duffel bag over his right shoulder and was carrying what seemed to be a file in his left hand. He was tall, muscular and tanned. He had dirty blond hair and blue eyes and clean-shaven. He had the swagger of an officer, confident yet quiet and with a ridiculous smirk on his face she already didn't like him and would never admit that he was very good-looking.

"Ah here he is, Shepard this is Commander Dare, he will be accompanying you on your mission" Udina couldn't keep his that smile off his face even if he wanted to.

"He's from the Office of Naval Intelligence, the admiralty board has requested that he go with you on your mission to catch Saren, just to make sure you don't put the Council before... human interests" if looks could kill Udina would be six feet under right now, she had never liked him from the moment she met him.

"So you're sending someone along to keep tabs on me, what makes you think I'd put the Council before Earth and better yet I don't report to the Admiralty board any more!" she would have smacked him right there and then yet luckily for the ambassador, Anderson stepped in.

"Now Shepard I know you don't like this and I don't either but this is important, you know what ONI is like, their merely looking after their interests and it's not like he's some rookie on his first day of boot camp, he's as qualified as you are" she had to smirk at this,

'Great someone who can step straight into my job if I fuck it up, at least he's wiped that smirk off his face' the 'new' commander stood next to Captain Anderson.

"A pleasure to meet you Commander Shepard, I read the reports of what you and your crew have been through the last few days and want you to know my skills and resources are at your disposal" he said politely yet and outstretched his hand to the rather pissed off redhead. She stared at him for a moment until finally accepting it.

"Glad to hear, get yourself settled on board" he nodded at this, handed her his file and left the trio,

"Now if you don't mind ambassador, I have a rogue Spectre to catch" she nodded at Anderson an left the two.

"Of course Commander, remember we will be watching" she could hear his footfalls as he walked off,

'Ass hole' was all she thought as the outer doors of the Normandy shut behind her. As the Normandy hit the relay firing the redhead and her crew into the unknown, she knew this was going to be one hell of a ride.

Commander Shepard sat at her desk in her quarters reading up on all she could about her first destination and who they were going after. The planet was called Therum, it had a small population, mostly miners and surveyors but the one occupant she was interested in, a Dr Liara T'soni, the daughter of Matriarch Benezia, an ally of Saren. Initially she thought that perhaps the good doctor would have information on her mother yet judging by her file she was too busy trying to discover the secrets of the Protheans. As she finished the files she noticed the newest addition to her crews file and opened it. She was surprised, no black ink to be seen, strange for an operative of a black ops group. She was impressed too, he was chosen for ONI straight out of boot camp, deployed on numerous missions across Council space as well as the Terminus Systems. He was N7 too apparently he held every record going, proficient in long and short range warfare, advanced hacking and electronic skills as well as hand to hand combat. An expert in interrogation, infiltration and long-range assault, no Biotics though.

'At least there's something I have on him' she read on, a natural lone wolf yet in the few times he has acted as squad leader has shown an intense tactical and strategic abilities. She read on until a knock came at her door,

"Enter" she called, the door opened to reveal the very man she was studying. As he approached her she noticed he had shed his jacket to a form-fitting black t-shirt.

"How can I help you Commander?" she looked at him as he stood next to her desk with his arms crossed,

"Well first you could call me Jack, were the same rank and this is your ship and secondly you can remove any doubts you may or may not have about me, I am here to help you and will not second guess or undermine you as well as that all my reports back to ONI will go to you first, if were going to work together we will need trust each other so there it is" he finished speaking and didn't take his eyes off hers. She thought of this for a moment, maybe she had guessed him wrong, all though he was here to observe her, he made it clear he was on her side or it could just all be a trick to gain her trust, he was ONI after all.

"Well thank you... Jack, that is much appreciated" he was still looking into her eyes with that intense stare.

"So Shepard what's the plan, find miss T'Soni and interrogate her about her mother, though judging by her file I doubt we'll need to interrogate her" he relaxed slightly in her presence.

"Yes I agree yet we do need to find out anything she knows" she found herself relax too, the initial annoyance of his presence long gone.

"Sounds good to me, knowledge is worth as much as gold" as he left for the door he turned slightly to look at her once more,

"I'm going to introduce myself to the rest of the crew, hopefully show them that us spooks aren't too bad, I'll talk to you later" he smiled as he left. The redhead looked on as the door to her quarters shut behind the intriguing new addition to her crew.

Thanks you for reading, please leave a comment and let me know what you think!