Note: Dialogue in italics is coming from a helmet or comm. This only applies to dialogue. Meaning that italics OUTSIDE of these symbols "" (double apostrophes) are thoughts for that character's POV.
A/N:I wrote this story because I felt that Vega and Traynor, while awesome in their own right, were poorly introduced to the Mass Effect Universe. This is my attempt to create back stories for them while playing with the AU idea of Commander John Shepard having siblings.
Location: UT-47A Kodiak Drop Shuttle, en-route to SSV Dublin Alliance Heavy Cruiser.
Year: 2182
A bright star shot across the window, briefly casting light into the darkened cabin as it buffeted through space. The shuttle engaged FTL drives, propelling its passengers forward. Shepard stared in awe as blue light attempted to outrun purple, their hues cascading over the window. Mikey would like this...
"Sorry for the rough ride, Lieutenant. We're twenty minutes out from the relay and expecting more turbulence. I recommend buckling up." The pilot said over the Kodiak's P.A system.
"Acknowledged," Shepard replied, sliding the harness buckle into place over his chest.
Operations Chief Vega seated across from him didn't have the same proficiency. Fiddling with the straps, he looked more like a gorilla tangled in cords than any arms master on this side of terminus space.
"You'd think they'd try to make these easy," Vega grumbled. Shepard tried to repress a smirk when the Chief gave up and slumped back with the harness only over his right shoulder and crossed his arms.
Shepard didn't know much beyond the pertinent codex data on Vega. Stationed on earth with the 103rd division, he was similarly transferred to this mission, but the file didn't say why. Sizing up this new guy, Shepard pointed down. "You're sitting on the left strap."
Following his line of sight Vega quickly untangled himself before getting it right. "Thanks."
Uncomfortable silence filled the cabin, occasionally disturbed by a buffet of turbulence before settling. As the Kodiak left FTL and lurched into the familiar stream of space, Shepard's thoughts turned to Admiral Hackett.
Once you were stationed on X-19, you were pretty done with important missions. So when Hackett did the impossible and pulled him in on this classified assignment, Shepard was locked, loaded and waving goodbye to the poor bureaucratic schmucks before the hangar doors even open.
There was nothing more demoralizing than guarding listening post X-19, especially when the rachnii hadn't made an appearance in years. The station was dull and half the military 'royalty' stationed there were so aggravating Liam would've gladly let the rachnii invade.
But it wasn't all hell. A small group of marine exiles punished for doing what the Alliance bureaucrats wanted to sweep under the rug, were the ones Liam formed a bond with and it sucked leaving trusted people behind. Infiltrators didn't have the luxury of working in familiar teams so he treasured his time with the small reliable squad.
Then again for all he knew he was going back to X-19 right after this mission. No sense in getting too nostalgic.
"So who did you manage to piss off?" Vega's voice broke through his thoughts.
Shepard tore his gaze from the stars and gave the soldier a suspicious look. "Excuse me?"
Something in his voice must've spooked the Chief as he sat straighter, palms up in apology. "Sorry, Sir. Forget I asked."
"No." Shepard was curious now. This new mission was supposed to be a break, an escape from X-19 and way back in with the good side of Alliance command, but Vega made it sound like the opposite. "What've you heard about the SSV Dublin?"
Vega looked surprised but seemed to have enough sense to keep it to himself. "Well...I dunno what to think. It's part of fifth fleet, runs under Admiral Hack—"
"Spare me the codex data," Shepard waved him off. "This ship sounds like a punishment to you. I just want to know why?"
"Oh." Vega looked uncomfortable, but he was loose enough to slump back against the wall.
Liam suddenly felt much less enthusiastic and wondered if it was too late to turn this thing around and resume his punishment on X-19. Better the devil you know...
"SSV Dublin doesn't have a bad rap...It's not the greatest ship in the fifth, but—I heard rumors about the captain."
"What kind of rumors?" Liam asked, despite himself. He hated gossip. It didn't just corrode morale and team trust, it destroyed careers and he wanted no part of that. But knowing something was better than the radio silence he received all transfer long.
"Well the CO she's...good, maybe a little too good. But she gets obsessive and when that happens the ship gets boring patrol duty," Vega said, sharing his insider knowledge.
Liam stared at the Operations Chief, fighting a laugh and wondering if the other man actually heard what came out of his mouth.
"She's good. I can see how that's a problem," Shepard said with full on sarcasm.
Vega shrugged helplessly. "It's what I hear. Don't mean it's true."
"And you make a habit to spread what you don't believe to be true?" Liam challenged.
"Hey, you asked," Vega exclaimed in mock defense. "Alright, I'll leave you to first impressions then."
The Chief ducked his head in embarrassment, confirming Liam's earlier assumptions. Shaking his head Shepard refrained from pressing further.
"And Lieutenant?"
Liam looked back to him, waiting.
"What you did during the Blitz...hell they still tell stories about you," Vega said with nothing but hard respect reflected on his face.
"They still tell stories about Jack the Ripper," Liam joked, fighting to keep his face neutral as he watched Vega through hooded eyes. There was no escaping that day of hell on Elysium. "I didn't do anything that day. Those men would've fought with or without me. The situation dictated that," Liam concluded.
Vega shook his head as if trying to clear the cobwebs. "All I know is they'd be dead if you hadn't put a boot up their ass. You led them against Batarians and won. The whole thing was pretty loco if you ask me."
Too bad the Alliance doesn't see it that way, Liam thought as he settled in for the long flight. "Thanks," Liam said, fighting a yawn he leaned back and folded his arms. "...I think."
Within minutes sleep took over and so did the recurring nightmare.
~O~
Chaos erupted as a building crumbled on impact.
Glass rained on the panicked crowd.
Shrieks of panic mixed with pulse fire echoed through the streets, drowning out the moans of fading life.
A small child was ripped from his mother's arms before her corpse hit the ground. People rushed, pushed and trampled over the fallen. Desperately trying to escape the beams zapping past them.
Liam dodged the rushing bodies, pushing against the tide as he headed for a rubble hill. The best vantage point and perfect place for return fire.
Reaching out he gripped the wet rocks only to feel his hand sting, making it slippery against the stone.
Lights blinded him...
~O~
"Are you ready, loco?" James Vega's voice roused Liam from the chaos of his sleep.
"Loco?" Liam asked, more to distract the Chief from his rapid in-take of breath than anything else.
"The stuff you pulled on the Blitz, heroic but loco." Vega grinned. "I think you earned the title."
"I think its Lieutenant, last time I checked." The shuttle was docked. Liam stood, collecting his pack as Vega did the same, trailing a few paces more than necessary behind.
Vega gave a dismissive shrug on his way out. "Your call," Vega said.
The Kodiak hatch slid open to reveal the largest welcoming party Shepard ever saw. Six platoons of no less than thirty soldiers each stood at Military ease, filling a docking bay the size of two football stadiums.
"Attention!" one of the sergeants at the front barked.
The sound of the entire platoon standing to salute echoed throughout. Honored yet stunned, Liam turned to Vega who looked just as surprised. Displays like this were reserved for Admirals and above.
"We're on the right ship. Right?" the Operations Chief backed up half a step, as if ready to rectify his mistake.
Alliance troops only saluted the Commanding Officer of the ship, but the earth marines did things differently by saluting all higher ranking officers as well. Liam snapped to attention and returned the salute anyways, hoping to at least speed things along until someone cleared this up.
Vega followed suit then the soldiers returned to ease, awaiting further instructions.
A short laugh from the front of the Kodiak drew attention. A confident young man with sharp dark eyes and a pilot's helmet dangling from his hip clip, approached.
"Everyone welcome Lieutenant Shepard and Ops Chief Vega." the pilot addressed the crowd. "Admiral Hackett is two hours behind us."
Eyes lit up as confusion cleared, recognition registered and the soldiers began to clap before dispersing into a large gaggle. Shepard exchanged a confused look with Vega before the young soldier turned to them. The lapels on his shoulders designated him as service chief.
"Sorry for the confusion, sir. They're all wound up for the Admiral's inspection and thought you were his escort."
Liam relaxed, happy that this was an Alliance and not earth-based marine ship they just docked with. But more impressed with how this kid conveyed that without pissing off either side. "It's not a problem service chief—"
"Nicholas Hunter, sir!" the young Alliance soldier snapped to a crisp salute, putting all the servicemen below to shame. "The Commanding Officer is in the CIC. She asked me to escort you there first."
"An escort? I feel important," Vega quipped.
Hunter miraculously ignored him, keeping his eyes on Liam and opting to stay composed and professional. Even the slight beginnings of a friendly smile didn't waiver. This kid clearly had the resilience required of a service chief.
"Lead the way." Liam motioned forward and fell in-step with Hunter, shooting Vega a questioning look which the ops chief shrugged off.
The CIC was huge compared to most cruisers he was tossed between. Liam remembered his former CIC, a cramped forward compartment overflowing with screens, wires and too many bridge personnel. The SSV Dublin was triple its size. The best part was that people could actually get around the space since they had enough sense to situate bridge crew to the sides while dedicating the majority of the middle space to a command platform from which a CO could lead an entire assault from.
A pit surrounding the command platform resembled a dugout as they got closer. Two heads could be seen below the ground, focused on their screens.
"Where are they?" a tall, slender woman with the insignia of a captain demanded from her two officers in the pit.
"We got no contact with the bogey. Bastards went off grid, again," the gruff voice of a man in full armor replied from the pit.
Exchanging a look with her sullen looking Staff Commander, the CO turned to a bridge crew member outside the pit who sat at a navigation console. "Triangulate and scour the entire terminus systems if you have to. Don't let them get away."
"Aye aye, ma'am."
Service Chief Hunter stopped and stood at ease, not daring to interrupt. Liam followed his lead and heard Vega do the same beside him, though his eyes couldn't stop scouring every inch of the place. The constrained order and flow of the entire team was mesmerizing. Everyone was getting the job done.
The Captain looked down into the pit again. "Casey, how are we with the plasma cannon?"
"Only 89% ma'am." the woman with purple hair answered from the pit without looking up.
"Guns?" The Captain inquired from the same hardened man that spoke earlier, seated on the right side of Casey.
"Fully loaded ma'am. Just say the word."
"Admiral Hackett made the jump and is closer than we anticipated, ma'am," a feminine voice announced through the comm. "I'm all for chasing pirates, but is giving him the slip really a good idea?"
"Donnelly we pay you to fly not think." replied a man pacing behind the Captain's platform.
"The two tend to go hand in hand, Preston."
"That's enough. Both of you," the Captain had the sense to consider her options before making a decision. "Donnelly, what's his ETA?"
"Right about...now."
"Shit."
Vega leaned in close to whisper, "I love a CO who swears."
"Can you at least pretend you passed basic, Vega? We're guests here," Liam chided lightly under his breath. Secretly praying this wasn't all a big misunderstanding to be rectified with Hackett tossing him back to X-19.
"Guests? More like FNG's," Vega muttered but complied anyways with a 'no hard feelings' smile. He was smarter than he looked, Liam could feel it.
The Staff Commander practically guarding the Captain's back, ran a hand over his face as if trying to erase the days' worth of beard already there. "If we pull out now, they'll jump the relay."
"They won't get far and they know it," the Captain replied, furiously tapping the holo-projections before her. "Casey, Gordon, stand down. We need to go make an entrance."
The woman with the purple hair was first to notice their new arrivals. She smiled, peeking out from the pit. "Looks like Hunter brought some friends."
All eyes in the CIC went to the three men standing patiently at ease, forming a triad. Used to being cloaked and undetected, Liam felt exposed.
"Ma'am!" Hunter snapped to attention and gave another textbook salute as his Commanding Officer approached. Liam and Vega did the same more out of reflex than actual recognition. "Staff Lieutenant Shepard and Operations Chief Vega just landed."
"We can see that," The man named Preston interrupted, facing Hunter like some disappointed dad. "Why are they here and not in debrief, Chief?"
"Because I asked to see them," the Captain shot the older man down, putting herself between him and the young chief. "Relax you two." She addressed Shepard and Vega who complied by reverting to militaristic ease. "No, I mean seriously. Relax."
Vega stretched, working the knots from his neck and shoulders as he rolled his head. The loud crack of his vertebrate seemed reward enough and Liam found it hard not to smile at the look of pure ecstasy Vega was freely sharing with everyone.
"Wow, did you get any sleep in that coffin?" the purple haired Lieutenant named Casey asked, somehow appearing at the Captain's side, followed closely by her partner. She studied Vega with an infectious smile.
"None I can remember," Vega gruffed, completely unaware that they were now making a first impression.
Liam refrained from shaking his head and stepped forward beside Hunter. "Captain Flores, I assume?"
"Welcome aboard, Shepard." She grasped his hand in firm shake, not too heavy but far from gentle. The three officers behind her watched him carefully, eyes promising to put him down if as much as a handshake hurt their captain. "You must be as bat shit in the dark about this as we are," she said.
Liam couldn't help but smile at her straightforwardness. "To put it bluntly, ma'am."
"We'll get you settled in later. I don't make a habit of keeping Admirals waiting," turning to her officers, she ordered, "Casey, Gordon, get down there and show him a proper welcome."
"Aye aye!" they replied in unison before heading to the lift. Casey winked on her way past.
The Captain returned her attention to the young chief. "Hunter, are the servicemen in line down there?"
"Yes ma'am. All marines ready in neat little formations, awaiting the admiral's arrival. Would you like me to oversee?"
She shook her head. "No, Casey and Gordon can handle that. Head over to the debriefing room and set up. Have a seat when you're done."
A brief flicker of surprise registered on the Chief's expression before he gave a crisp salute and headed off. It was uncommon for junior NCO's to be anywhere around a meeting room when an Admiral was on board, but Liam knew the kid was different and was happy that the Captain wasn't blind to her own people's potential.
"You want him in on that?" Preston muttered. Liam was starting to grow weary of the older man ignoring them, but didn't say a word. The Staff Commander stripes on Preston's shoulders reminded Liam of his position.
"I want everyone on the same page," she looked back to Liam and Vega, "You're in Staff Commander Preston's hands for now. I thought I'd have time to debrief but that's not happening." She turned to Preston, voice clipped, "Keep them from getting lost. I'll meet you in the conference room."
"Yes, ma'am," Preston replied with a resigned sigh. When the Captain disappeared to the Dublin's cockpit, Preston crossed his arms and regarded the two new officers.
Liam held his gaze, not giving an inch. Dad always said older Officers liked to psych people out with prolonged stares, trying to separate the weak from the strong willed.
"Staff Lieutenant Shepard," he said with a slight nod before turning to Vega. "Operations Chief Vega. Good to have you aboard."
"Thank you, sir." Liam replied, though judging from his tone, the man's words seemed less than sincere.
Reminiscence clouded Preston's eyes. "I had friends in the Skyllian Blitz."
Ignoring Vega's agitation beside him, Liam answered carefully, "A lot of good people fought there."
"And died there," Preston's eyes flashed with something Liam couldn't quite describe. "But that was four years ago right. No use living in the past when you have such a bright future ahead of you."
"I don't know how bright it is, but I plan on doing all I can to prevent anything like that from happening again," Liam said with a conviction he didn't know he possessed. It seemed like everyone wanted to test him today and he was too damn stubborn to fail.
"We all are," Vega added, finally showing some hint of tact. "No one told us, the Admiral was coming personally."
Liam was grateful for the switch in topics. Preston finally let up his piercing gaze and glanced in Vega's direction. "No. I guess they didn't."
"Admiral Hackett just docked. The Captain thought you might like to know, Preston."
"That's Staff Commander Preston to you, Donnelly," he glared at the comm. overhead.
"Sorry, static over the comms, you're breaking up." The feminine voice disengaged, leaving Preston to shake his head in disapproval.
Liam and Vega fought their forming smiles, as the Staff Commander beckoned them to follow.
A/N: Please remember to review. They get the updates out faster :)