Author's Note: This is my very first submission and I really have no clue what I'm doing. It's the first chapter of a (hopefully) bigger story, so I've kept things a little vague. However, anyone who is familiar with the game can probably figure out what's going on. Any comments (good or bad) would be greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: Mass Effect is owned by Bioware and Microsoft. I'm poor. Please don't sue.

Rise Above or Sink Below

Chapter One

Commander Annika Shepard sat at her desk, and stared, disbelieving, into the monitor. On the screen, a picture of herself stared back. She ran her hands through her fiery red hair, tucking it behind her ears, and let out a long, sad sigh. Unlike most of the others she had seen, this picture wasn't another photo-op handshake. Instead, it was an image taken from a Citadel security camera. It showed her standing amid the ruins of the Presidium, her face wrinkled in anger, unloading a shotgun round into a Geth's chest plate. The headline above scrolled by…….

"HUMAN SPECTRE'S WEAPON OF CHOICE? A Palaven Sentinel Exclusive Report…. …………HUMAN SPECTRE'S WEAPON OF-"

A light flashed on the screen, indicating her extranet search had another hit. Keying on the entry, Shepard crossed her fingers.

"Good evening, and welcome to the Al-Jilani report, I'm Kalisah Al-Jilanl. We've all gotten to know Annika Shepard quite well in the last month or so, but some things about the 'Savior of the Citadel' are still a mystery."

"Oh shit." Shepard felt a wave a nausea wash over her.

"Tonight, the Al-Jilani report asks, is there a Mr. Shepard in the Commander's life?"

Shepard shut off the screen and stood. Walking away from her desk, she rolled her head from shoulder to shoulder, trying to ease the tension that suddenly permeated her body

"Palaven Sentinel? Kalisah Al-Jilani?" she asked her empty room. "Is this ever going to end?"

Nearly a month had passed since Sovereign's attack on the Citadel, and Annika Shepard was still headline news. Emily Wong had gotten the ball rolling, publishing the first reports of Shepard's heroics mere hours after the attack. Within two days, the Systems Alliance Public Relations Office had to shut down, having been overwhelmed with requests for interviews with the commander. Video coverage of the ceremony honoring those who died in the attack was fed live to every news agency in Citadel space. Her speech, at barely five minutes long, was nonetheless the most watched event of the day.

At first, Shepard didn't mind the attention. In times of war, people need heroes to look up to. Alliance brass wanted to put her on a pedestal, to use her as a symbol of humanity's fighting spirit. She was happy to play the role, to make the speeches, to shake the hands, to pose for the photographs. However, she did so with the assumption that interest in her would eventually wane. It never did. Now, she felt like a victim of her own success.

"How am I supposed to perform the duties of a Spectre when I can't even have a drink in the embassy bar without drawing a crowd?" she had asked the Council.

They had no answers for her. "We are, all of us, in what you humans call 'uncharted territory' now." the Salarian councilor had told her.

"Spectres have to be able to adapt quickly to changes in the world around them." the Turian Councilor had said, in a slightly condescending tone. "Your newfound fame is something you're going to have to learn to live with, Commander, and fast."

The Asari Councilor had little else to offer. "Dealing with the consequences of your actions is just as important as the actions themselves. I recognize the uniqueness of your situation, Commander Shepard. But I have faith you will rise above it."

It was only Captain Anderson, now Councilor Anderson, who offered any helpful advice. "I'm not going to lie to you, Shepard. You're in a tough spot. But you're still the same person you were before this whole mess started. Don't let the spotlight you're under blind you. Stay true to yourself and your crew, and you'll be alright."

Shepard walked over to her bed, and looked down at the dress uniform she had laid out earlier in the day. "You'll be alright." she repeated to herself. "Easy for you to say, Councilor."

Twenty minutes later, Commander Shepard stood on the Normandy's bridge, and marveled at the silence. Her ship was a ghost town, emptied of all non-essential personnel by Alliance Command. Rebuilding the fifth fleet, and aiding in the repair of the Citadel, was shaping up to be the largest construction project ever undertaken by the Systems Alliance. Ships were being brought in from as far away as the Kepler Verge, and every boot shiner and pencil pusher who could work an omni-tool was ordered to pitch in.

The ranks were stretched so thin that it took a call to Admiral Hackett himself for Shepard to get the OK she needed. Even then, she was only allotted a skeleton crew, and a very short time table to complete her mission.

Behind her, the hallway leading to the CIC was vacant, save for Navigator Pressly, who was dutifully keeping tabs on the ship's automated systems.

"Kinda spooky, isn't it Commander?"

"Spooky, Joker?"

"Don't tell me the quiet doesn't weird you out a little." Joker craned his neck to look up at the Commander, "it sorta reminds me of my grandmother's nursing home."

"It's definitely unusual, but I wouldn't call it spooky." Shepard turned and looked back towards the CIC, noting how much smaller the galaxy map looked without anyone standing around it. "A little sad, maybe. Not spooky."

"Well, whatever you want to call it," Joker turned back to face his controls, "I still don't like it. But if you don't mind me asking, ma'am?"

Shepard turned her attention back to her navigator. "Go ahead, Joker."

"What's with the dress uniform? We won't reach Eden Prime for another six hours."

Shepard glanced down at the navy blue jacket she wore, and absently brushed away a few errant fibers. "I don't know. I guess I wanted to get it out of the way."

"Well, you look very….. commanding in it, Commander."

Giving Joker a wry smirk, Shepard ran two fingers behind the collar of her jacket, and gave a tug. "Well, thanks... I think. I've always hated these things."

"Captain Anderson never seemed to have a problem with 'em."

"That's an understatement. I doubt he ever took-" Shepard cut herself off mid-sentence as she heard footsteps approaching from behind her. Turning around, she met the gaze of Liara T'Soni, and gave her a warm grin. "Hello Liara."

Returning the Commander's smile, Liara stepped onto the bridge. "Commander, Lieutenant Moreau."

Joker grimaced in mock agony. "For the tenth time, it's Joker."

"Forgive me, Lieutenant Joker. I still require some practice when it comes to such things as human nicknames."

Joker swung around to face the affable Asari. "OK, first? It's a call sign, not a nickname. Second, it's Joker. Not Lieutenant Joker, not Jeff Joker, not Joker Moreau, or anything else. Just Joker."

Before Liara could respond, Shepard held up a hand to stop her. "OK, just Joker. Just fly the ship, alright?"

Joker swung back around, pulled his cap tight over his eyes, and gave Shepard a gruff response. "Yes ma'am."

"Good. Liara and I are going below to get things ready."

As Shepard and Liara approached the stairs that led down to the quarter deck, a lone guard snapped to attention and saluted. Shepard nodded to the guard, and keyed the door control.

Shepard was three or four steps down, with Liara right behind, when she heard the door hiss shut. The instant they were out of sight, Liara grabbed Shepard's arm, and spun the Commander around to face her. For a second, the two women stood motionless, staring into each other's eyes. Liara was the first to move, wrapping her arm around Shepard's waist, and pulling her close. Shepard let out a sharp gasp before their lips came together in a passionate kiss.

Shepard's hands hovered inches away from the Asari for a moment, her fingers outstretched and taut, before grabbing hold and squeezing the alien beauty tight against her. Continuing their heated embrace, Shepard's hands began to travel up and down Liara's lithe frame, her fingers tracing the delicate curves of her body.

"By the Goddess, I have missed you, Shepard." Liara breathed into her lover's ear.

"Miss me?" Shepard chuckled. "Did you forget last night? And this morning?"

"Of course not." Liara giggled, grabbing Shepard's collar and pulling her into another lengthy kiss. Minutes passed before either woman parted lips to catch their breath.

"Spending the last three weeks on Ilos was not what I expected." Liara said, leaning her forehead against Shepard's. "Even though I was fulfilling a life-long dream, I often found myself distracted."

"What do you mean?"

Pulling back slightly, she continued. "I could not stop thinking about you, Shepard. Not an hour passed when you were not in my thoughts." Liara suddenly grew self conscious, and her gaze fell to the floor. "I am all but certain that my research suffered because of my inability to focus." She looked back into Shepard's eyes. "But honestly, Shepard… I do not care."

"That's the sexiest thing anyone has ever said to me." Shepard gently brushed her fingers across Liara's cheeks before tenderly kissing her once again.

Liara responded by darting her tongue deep into her lover's mouth. Running a hand up Shepard's thigh and across her chest, she teasingly popped a clasp on the Commander's jacket.

Shepard gasped in surprise. She began to feel lightheaded as shivers shot up and down her spine. Her hands clasped onto the back of Liara's uniform, filling each fist with the stretchy material. With one fluid motion, she pushed her Asari lover up against the bulkhead and slid both of her hands down Liara's back. The Asari moaned with arousal, the sound muffled by Annika's tongue as it danced with her own.

The Normandy's hull shuddered slightly, a fairly common occurrence in the overpowered ship, but it was enough to bring Shepard out of her haze. Her eyes snapped open.

Pulling away from Liara's mouth, she tried to collect herself. "We've got to stop, Liara," she strained to speak against the intoxication of longing.

"We still have some time before we land." Liara ran a hand through Shepard's hair, and began trailing kisses down the redhead's neck. "Take me to your quarters."

Shepard's eyes rolled around in her head, momentarily surrendering to desire. But the thought of her impending duties brought her back to reality once again. "Please, Liara. Stop. We have lots of work to do."

Liara relaxed her grip on the Commander, exhaled deeply, and gazed back into Shepard's bright blue eyes. "I am sorry." She ran a blue finger along the scar under Shepard's right eye. "You fascinate me, Shepard. I find that when I am around you, I have trouble controlling my more…. primitive… impulses."

The commander smiled wide, and held the Asari's face in her hands. "You fascinate me too, Liara." Shepard leaned in once more, kissing her softly on the lips, before continuing down the stairs.