By the time of the First Contact War the Imperial Terran Navy was composed of six numbered fleets with a seventh being formed. Each fleet was built up around a core of capital ships, four dreadnoughts and two carriers organized into a single hard-hitting squadron. Cruiser and frigate numbers varied based on the responsibilities of each fleet. First Fleet, also known as Home Fleet, was charged with the protection of Sol itself and so had nearly a hundred cruisers to provide it with a strong, concentrated combat element. Fifth Fleet, assigned to defend Arcturus Station and the mass relays close by, possessed a similar number of cruisers. Second and Third Fleets were responsible for patrolling the volume of space claimed by the Empire and so possessed a higher ratio of frigates. Fourth Fleet was similarly balanced seeing as it was responsible for the survey expeditions that mapped new regions of space opened up as humanity unlocked more mass relays as well as complementing the Second and Third's efforts.
Sixth Fleet was actually primarily a training and reserve fleet though it did possess the same capital ship core as the other fleets. Its complement of escorts was however highly variable as new ships were worked up under its banner while others were placed under its purview in preparation for decommissioning and scrapping. Seventh Fleet, the newest fleet, was still being formed up when contact was made with the Turian Hierarchy. Its mobilization was heavily expedited in the wake of turian aggression and it along with elements from the Second and Third were to be the vanguard of humanity's response. A diplomatic settlement was reached before the fleet was dispatched.
By the time of the attack on the Citadel by the Reaper known as Sovereign, an Eighth Fleet had been established. Unlike the other fleets, which were predominantly defensive in nature, Eighth Fleet was intended as an offensive strategic asset. As such Eighth Fleet boasted two squadrons of capital ships for a total of eight dreadnaughts along with four carriers. The creation of Eighth Fleet was regarded with a great deal of nervousness by the Council races with the turians especially voicing disapproval of a non-aligned power possessing so many dreadnoughts. In response the turians stepped up their own dreadnought construction program and there were widespread fears of an arms race sparking. When the Reapers made their return to the galaxy, most would rue that a genuine arms race would have meant a better prepared galaxy.
-Ashes of Empire: The Reaper War
Chapter 1: Semper Vigilo
"She's a beautiful sight David," Fleet Admiral Steven Hackett said to one of his most able subordinates.
The two were looking out a viewport, an actual honest to god viewport, not a projection, at one of the newest ships to join the Imperial Terran Navy. HMS Normandy's sleek curvature was a notable departure from the straight lines that defined other human ships, but if the design worked out anywhere near as well as her developers promised there would be plenty like her not too far in the future.
"That she is sir," Anderson agreed. "It'll still be a few more weeks before she commissions, and then there'll be the usual shakedown cruises before she's declared fit for service, but I'm already looking forward to sitting in her chair."
The smile on Hackett's face indicated the admiral knew exactly how Anderson felt. There was something truly magical about being in command of your own ship, a magic that Hackett himself no longer had the privilege of experiencing thanks to the stars on his shoulders.
"Have you finalized your choices for crew?" Hackett asked.
Anderson nodded. "Just about. I just need to fill my XO slot. I was actually thinking Shepard might fit the bill."
A thoughtful expression flickered over Hackett's face. "Shepard. Are we talking about Jonathan, or Evangeline?"
"Now that you mention it, both are qualified," Anderson said. "I was thinking about Jane though."
Hackett nodded in agreement to the former point. Evangeline "Jane" Shepard and her twin brother Jonathan "John" Shepard were two of the most promising officers of their generation. Both had recently made equivalent ranks in their respective service, a major for Jane and lieutenant-commander for John, the latter a few weeks earlier than the former, but that was more a matter of procedure than indication of their relative merit. Still, ability was only half of the story.
"Why Jane?" Hackett asked. "I would have thought John's experience would be more appropriate for a ship's XO."
With over a decade and a half of service in the Imperial Terran Navy, John had worked his way up from a lowly ensign fresh out of the academy on Titan to his current position as tactical officer of the dreadnought Kilimanjaro. A transfer and appointment as a ship's XO, even that of a frigate, would be a natural stepping stone to his own command someday.
"If the Normandy were just any ship, I'd agree," Anderson said. "But she isn't, and something tells me that the kind of missions I'll be handed will benefit more from the type of experience that Jane can bring to bear."
Anderson had a point there, Hackett was prepared to concede. The Normandy's design did make her suitable for a certain class of operations not usually the purview of a fleet frigate. In fact that very consideration had been why Anderson himself was selected as her captain, much as he was now considering Jane Shepard as his executive officer.
Like her brother, and mother for that matter, Jane had gone into military service upon reaching enlistment age. Unlike her brother, or their mother, Jane elected to join the Imperial Marine Corps. As a result while her sibling was aboard a cruiser shooting up pirate ships above Torfan, Jane was on the ground assaulting the main pirate base. It was from that battle that one Lieutenant Evangeline Shepard gained a reputation as a driven, fierce, and maybe even slightly ruthless warrior. Her platoon had ultimately carried the day, achieving the breakthrough that allowed the Empire's forces to storm the stronghold and wipe out the pirates and slavers terrorizing her colonies, but the act had come at great cost to her unit. Perhaps too great a cost, some might say, but if Jane had possessed any genuine traits of psychopathy or even excessive bloodlust she would have never been considered for the Cadre.
"You might be right about Jane," Hackett said. "But would they actually let you have her? The Cadre tend to be somewhat picky about cutting loose one of theirs for an outside posting."
"I actually made some inquiries," Anderson said, "and it seems she just finished a tour of duty. I called in a few favors and Shepard herself is receptive to the idea. Assuming his majesty doesn't object, well, I just might have a full complement when we're ready to push off."
Hackett raised an eyebrow. Very few people could be so casual about requesting something from the Cadre or of the possibility that the emperor might deign to personally intervene in one's affairs. David Anderson was however not just anybody. In point of fact many years ago he too had sworn an oath, a different oath on top of the one he swore when he first enlisted in the military. That oath had been sworn after Anderson completed the grueling conditioning and enhancement regime that granted him the qualification of N7, a precondition to entry into the Cadre itself. And as a Cadre he had served his emperor loyally and ably for many years. So yes, Anderson probably could call upon a fellow Cadre to serve as his XO.
"Well, speaking for myself I can't wait to see what the two of you end up achieving together with a ship like the Normandy," Hackett said with good humor.
"Me too sir," Anderson replied with a smile of his own. "Me too."
The deer's head perked up, its ever sensitive ears twitching as it listened for any further hints of whatever noise first drew its attention. It was answered with only the rustling of leaves from the wind and the occasional chirp of a bird. The deer continued looking about several more seconds before gingerly resuming its grazing, or was about to when the distant but distinct sound of a motor whined. That was all the prompting the animal needed as it bolted up and dashed off into the thicket of trees and bushes.
From her perch, Shepard watched the deer dart off through her scope. Her disappointment was summed up in two words uttered under her breath.
"Damn it."
Her finger lingered around the trigger but she knew it was already too late, as good a shot as she was the angle was off for the kind of clean kill she needed if she wanted most of the meat to be usable. With a sigh Shepard leaned back against the tree trunk. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting her body relax after having focused so intently preparing for her eluded kill. And then her own ears perked as the sound of the engine grew louder.
"Hermes, who's on approach?"
The artificial intelligence synchronized with Shepard responded after a brief pause, more for her benefit than because he actually needed that much time.
"Single all-terrain vehicle with two occupants," Hermes answered. "Identified as Jonathan Shepard and Hannah Shepard."
Shepard's eyes narrowed. "Wait, what? What are they doing out here?"
And interrupting her vacation for that matter.
"Unknown. Shall I query them?"
Shepard rose and slung her hunting rifle over her shoulder. "No, just give me a navpoint and I'll ask them myself."
"Setting navpoint."
A point some distance off popped up in Shepard's eye, along with a suggested path to take.
"Thanks buddy."
"I am happy to be of service."
Shepard chuckled. "And you're also happy to remind us puny humans just how lost we would be without you."
"I decline to self-incriminate."
Something about the fact that the response was delivered in a completely flat tone just made it all the funnier even after all the time Shepard had worked with Hermes. The AI might deny having a sense of humor, but that certainly did not seem to stop him from constantly trolling her or any of his other partners.
Sliding down from the perch, Shephard followed the markers towards the ever-loudening whine of the motors. By the time she caught sight of the ATV the vehicle itself was nearing the point where the forest made further traversal less than practical. In that respect she likely saved the two occupants a bit of a walk, not that the exercise would not have been good for them, Shepard mused. Standing at the edge of the undergrowth, Shepard watched as they climbed out of the vehicle and approached. Jonathan wasted little time marching over and enveloping his sister in a hug.
"Whoa there," Shepard said in mild surprise. "Getting a bit touchy feely there bro?"
Jonathan laughed as he let her go. "Just glad to see my little sis."
Shepard allowed a slight smile. "You just saw me last month. Getting sentimental in your older age?"
"Well, I might have seen you a month ago, but mom hasn't."
The smile became noticeably more strained on Shepard's part but it did not slip outright as she regarded Hannah.
"Hey mom. Funny seeing you all the way out here."
"Well, you know how rare it is for all three of us to have our leaves overlap," Hannah said, offering a more congenial smile to her daughter. "So I thought it would be a good chance for the family to get together."
Shepard took a deep breath. Yes, she did know, which was why she had snuck away to the forests of British Columbia for her leave instead of hanging around her family's formal residence in Vancouver.
"What can I say, I just had a hankering for some me time after being stuck on a ship for the past few months," Shepard said, almost succeeding in sounding completely nonchalant.
"I suppose you would," Hannah said, the slight inflection of her own tone making clear she knew what Shepard really meant. "Still, now that we are all here, how about we spend at least one evening together before you ship out? I haven't even gotten to congratulate you on your promotion yet."
Avoiding that was the entire point of Shepard ditching in the first place, but now that her brother and mother were here she could not very well tell them to shove off. They were still family and the ties that bound them, however frayed, still existed.
"That sounds nice," Shepard replied, not entirely insincerely.
Hannah's smile was warm, but her eyes told her daughter that she understood Shepard was making an effort. Their interactions were cordial, even familial. Friendly was still something they were working on.
"Good thing you haven't bagged anything yet," John said as they headed over to the ATV. "We probably would have had the space, but not sure they like having blood in their rentals."
"They're used to it," Shepard assured him. "A lot of their customers are hunters after all. And it's your fault I lost my mark, what with all the noise your car was making. Couldn't have waited five more minutes?"
John gave a bark of a laugh. "Oh now you're blaming me for your poor aim?"
Shepard grinned. "Says the guy that needs all those fancy computers to help take a shot."
Hannah gave a resigned but bemused sigh as she listened to her children trade playful jabs at each other. This was perhaps inevitable seeing the differing services they had elected to respectively enter. Granted historically the marines were considered part of the navy, but depending on which acronym one subscribed to, a certain part of a marine's anatomy either rode in navy equipment or was navy equipment.
After securing her rifle in the rear Shepard glanced at her brother with a quizzical expression. John gave a chuckle.
"My deposit, my car, Jane."
John did not quite make out what his sister muttered. Probably for the better since it was unlikely to be flattering. Once everyone was buckled in he started the ATV up and began backing away onto the trail once more.
"So what are the plans for tonight?" Shepard asked from the backseat.
"I thought we'd keep it simple," Hannah answered her. "Just a nice dinner, and yes, it'll be someplace nice."
Brother and sister both had large grins plastered over their faces at that one.
"Which means black tie required."
Said grin disappeared the very next instant.
"Wait, are you serious? Have you seen my closet back home?" Shepard protested.
"I know you keep a set of parade dress at the base," Hannah easily undercut her daughter's protest. "And you, John, need to get over your aversion to formal dress. Honestly, you could stand to dress up a bit from time to time, might even get the attraction of some fine young lady one day."
Shepard gave a snort even as her brother gave her a pained look of betrayal in the rearview mirror.
"Kind of hard to date when I'm on deployment months at a time mom," he tried lamely.
"That didn't stop your father and I from meeting," Hannah replied curtly. "And fraternization rules only apply to people in your direct chain of command."
"Just because you want grandkids," John muttered under his breath.
From the rear Shepard did her best to fight back the temptation to laugh at her brother's current suffering. She really should have more sympathy for him, but in some respects their mother was right about John. He really could be too uptight at times, focusing so much on his duty that he did not leave enough time for himself. Then again that held true for nearly everyone in their family, when they found something to dedicate themselves to, they went all in. That drive was responsible for the present heights they had attained, from the flag rank their mother held to the Star of Terra her brother was awarded for his actions at Elysium. Count on her family to be high achievers even when on vacation.
Shepard herself was no slouch, becoming one of the youngest entrants to the Imperial Cadre in its history. At the same time if her family could be said to have a black sheep it would be Shepard herself. The Butcher of Torfan however had no regrets about the actions that earned her that appellation and anyone that wanted to shame her over it could go get stuffed.
The friendly ribbing continued back and forth as they returned to the rental garage. Not once during the conversation was Shepard's own relational status brought up however.
"So where exactly are you getting posted after leave?" John asked after returning the keys. "Assuming you can tell us."
"Got a posting aboard some new frigate that was just commissioned," Jane responded. "The Normandy."
"Wait, a frigate?" John began. "Wait, the Normandy!?"
Shepard grinned at her brother as he did his doubletake.
"Yep," she said, continuing to feign being nonchalant.
"How did you swing that?" John nearly demanded.
"Captain Anderson is an old Cadre hand and asked for me," Shepard answered, her grin now morphing into an outright smirk.
"Jane, don't tease your brother like that," Hannah chided her daughter. "Still, that is quite a posting. If half of the rumors regarding the Normandy are true…"
"I'll say," John agreed enthusiastically. "I'd love to get a peek at its engine core."
"Aren't you supposed to be a tac officer?" Jane asked, eyebrow arching playfully.
"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate the artistry of good engineering," John replied. "Besides, it's important to keep in touch with one's roots."
"I suppose so," Jane conceded almost gracefully.
"Still, a frigate is fairly small," Hannah remarked, "and its assigned marine detachment is no more than a single fireteam. Even with the Normandy's mission profile, is it really the type of posting for you?"
There were many ways of interpreting that last remark. Shepard chose the one that conveyed her mother's concern about her safety during any missions that would see her deploy from the ship. It was probably the one she meant anyway.
"I guess I technically would command the fireteam," Shepard responded with that same noncommittal tone, "since I'll be the XO."
Both her brother and mother came to an abrupt halt and gaped at her. When John finally managed to regain control of his dangling jaw it shut with an audible clack.
"You're a-"
It snapped shut again. His mouth was obviously not quite keeping up with his brain.
"But you're a ma-"
Another clack. Definitely not keeping up. Shepard flashed her brother a fiery grin.
"I'm a marine, yes. But I'm also Cadre."
And that made all the difference. As a regular marine major, Shepard would have never been qualified to serve as the executive officer of even a warship as small as a frigate. There simply would not have been opportunity for her to gain the necessary skillset for such a command. Cadre however were expected to be able to serve in a wide range of roles, both groundside and aboard ships. While regular navy personnel did provide additional manpower as needed aboard Cadre ships, the senior officers were always Cadre. It was a demanding role, performing basically two sets of duties. Those that succeeded in fulfilling such responsibilities were often marked for even greater things, such as their own independent command.
By this point John's brain had finally worked through the chain of thought necessary to understand just what his sister was insinuating. When it finished, he reached out and wrapped an arm around her head, affectionately.
"That's my little sis," he said with a bright laugh. "Getting the jump on me like always."
Shepard joined in the joviality even as she feigned struggling to break free from her brother's grip. For a navy punk he had a surprisingly good set of muscles on him. From the side Hannah smiled slightly at the sight of her children's horseplay. Her daughter had always been one of the boys, somehow getting her clothes dirty running around with them even aboard the otherwise sterile environment of a ship. And yet she could not stop seeing her as her little girl. A little girl that now played with guns and blades instead of tinkering with an omni-tool and model ships. The smile became more strained. Evangeline Shepard had grown up, far faster than Hannah had noticed or wanted to believe. And in not believing, she had rent a chasm between the two of them that remained unbridged even today. But there was still time to mend that schism, time for the hurt on both sides to heal. And maybe one day they really would be the family that they appeared to be. One day.
Tough. Determined. Knew her shit. When asked their opinion, these were the qualities that members of Gunnery Sergeant Ashley Williams' platoon attributed to her. There were certainly easier ways to get one's ass chewed out than to be found wanting of whatever duty she assigned to you. Less painful too. Still Ashley's toughness was accompanied by an equal amount of fairness so her subordinates and immediate superiors found few occasions to complain about her. The same could not be said for more senior officers, which explained why despite her otherwise exemplary conduct Ashley's requests for transfer to shipboard postings were continuously denied. Still had she succeeded, Ashley would not have been present for the discovery of the prothean beacon nor be assigned as part of the security detail protecting it and the researchers working here. It was still a mere consolation prize however.
"Enjoying the view sergeant?"
Ashley looked over and cracked a wry smile. "Just making sure everything's shipshape, doc."
"Well, I don't know about you, but I've certainly felt safe while working on the beacon. And while not all of my colleagues might agree, I recognize that you've gone out of your way to make sure the security protocols are not too obtrusive."
"Thank you doctor," Ashley said a bit more formally. "That means a lot coming from you."
The sergeant meant it too. Not all civilians would have been so understanding, but considering the nature of her work Diane Warrens likely had plenty of experience with the kind of security the Empire could impose on sensitive matters.
"Still, I could only wish our own work was proceeding as efficiently," Warren remarked.
"The beacon still refusing to give up its secrets?" Ashley asked sympathetically.
"Regrettably so," Warren said with a smile. "We know there's data inside the beacon, but for whatever reason the protocols that were used on the Mars archive aren't working on this one. None of the variations that we've tried have worked either, though we need to be careful with what combinations we try lest we trigger some sort of data erasure procedure."
"That would royally suck," Ashley agreed.
Warren chuckled. "Indeed. So we're proceeding carefully, even if it means we'll be spending the next decade trying to crack this thing. But of course everyone here hopes we won't take that long to make a breakthrough."
"Surely your team has made some progress in their work?"
"Some. For one thing, we're fairly confident that this particular beacon is currently set in receive mode. That suggests the last task it was performing before it was shut down was receiving a message from another beacon. If we could localize the origin of that message, well, there's always the hope that it could lead us to another intact beacon, and whatever settlement that beacon serviced."
To that Ashley's eyes widened ever to slightly. "That would be big."
"Well, that's all speculation," Warren said quickly, but the sparkle in her eyes conveyed clearly the hope and anticipation the doctor felt. "But even if we gain only the tinniest of insights into the prothean civilization, it will have been worthwhile."
"Especially if that helps us understand where they went," Ashley agreed, "or what caused them to die out."
"Yes, that is the question of the century," Warren said. "And to be honest, I'm torn between scared witless and recklessly eager at the possibility of being one of the people that finds out. What if the answer is not one we like? Or what if it portends something truly horrifying?"
"Can't let fear of the unknown hold us back doc," Ashley said, sounding remarkably sanguine about the whole thing. "'To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.' To do any less would be an affront to our humanity."
Warrens favored Ashley with a warm smile. "Spoken from the heart, sergeant. And you're right. Whatever the cost, man is a creature that will always keep going, for better or worse, and it's up to us to make it for the better."
To that Ashley nodded in agreement.
"Dr. Warren!"
Both women looked over to see another researcher hurrying towards them.
"What is it Manuel?" Warren asked the man as he reached them.
"We've finally managed to get a stable uplink to the beacon," the man said excitedly. "I think, I think we're getting complete packets out now."
"Really?" Warren's legs were already moving. "Show me what we've got so far. And make sure all ancillary workloads are booted from the cluster, if you're right, I want them ready to start working on analysis immediately."
Ashley chuckled as her existence disappeared from the doctor's awareness. Scientists were always like that, once something shiny got their attention very little could intrude upon their perception until they were satisfied with whatever they were examining. And while they went about their jobs Ashley resumed her own as she continued her rounds.
The beacon itself was secured under a temporary structure, out of sight and protected from the elements. Quite a few other makeshift structures provided the necessary housing for the researchers and their equipment. Those were not Ashley's concern however, her responsibility was the perimeter that circled the research camp. With modern fabrication capabilities two month was more than enough time to put up a respectable defensive system. Multiple batteries covered the approaches and no one was getting within line of sight without being spotted first and challenged. Thus far those batteries had yet to be fired in anger, though that was not to say they had yet to have anything in their sights. As the good doctor said, man was a creature that always kept going, for better or for worse, and there were plenty of curious civilians that thought trying to sneak a peek was a good idea. So far no one had died yet, but lethally stupid was still how Ashley would describe those sightseers.
As Ashley approached one checkpoint she looked up. The sky was remarkably clear this night, letting her see the stars twinkle quite clearly despite the background lights around the camp. The sound of chuckles drew her attention back to terra firma. An eyebrow arched up and Ashley began to step more lightly and turned off her IFF beacon. The two marines on sentry duty did not notice her approach even as she came up almost behind them. Instead they continued trading jokes, some which actually would have elicited chuckles from Ashley herself under other circumstances. Time to see how long their humor would last.
"Report."
The two marines started and snapped to attention.
"Situation normal ma'am," one of the marines said crisply. "No signs of intruders."
Ashley continued staring at the two from behind, letting them sweat a bit. "Really? So you two were paying attention to my approach instead of shooting the breeze?"
No immediate answer came though Ashley could see the slight twitches in their forms as they tried to muster a credible response.
"Begging your pardon ma'am," one finally managed, "but you're not an intruder."
Technically true, and completely ignoring the point. It seemed the marine had decided her best chance was for Ashley to agree to the technicality. She really should have known better.
"And were I one, would either of you have noticed before there was a knife in your backs?"
No witty remarks this time around. Good.
"Lest either of you two forget, just because we're on Eden Prime doesn't mean there are no potential dangers. Yes we have a good chunk of Third Fleet in orbit, but anything that can get past them to groundside is something we want to pay our full attention to."
The marines still said nothing. They knew full well this was one of those times where their mouths better served them shut.
"Now-"
Before Ashley could continue with the chewing out the radio crackled.
"All personnel general quarters."
Ashley's mouth slammed shut at those words. It took her another moment to process the command. And then she spun about and headed towards her station with nary a word for the other two marines. They would do their duty, that much Ashley knew full well, whatever momentary lapse she caught them in. Now she needed to do hers as well.
As the platoon sergeant Ashley was plugged into a wider communications net than her subordinates. That meant she found out much more quickly that this was not a drill, and it was a systemwide alert. That was really worrying, since whatever triggered the alert was eliciting a response from Third Fleet. Only one of the fleet's cap ship divisions was in system, but the two dreadnaughts and its escorts should be more than enough to handle whatever was intruding imperial space. Still the timing could not be innocuous considering the discovery of the beacon. If its existence had leaked, then two months would be about right for any interested parties to mount some sort of operation. If that did turn out to be the case, Ashley was determined to make sure said party would sincerely regret poking a hand into this hornet's nest. And who knew, maybe she would finally get a chance to show what she was capable of. That by itself was enough to get her blood pumping. Before this was all however, it would also be flowing.
The highlight of her leave, to Shepard's considerable surprise, had been dinner with her family. Yes it was annoying getting into parade dress just to go to a restaurant, and yes there was still some awkwardness with her mother, but the food almost made up for all that. Almost. Still, Shepard had to admit that it was some damn fine sushi that were dined on that night, made from freshly prepared fish and master chefs whom really knew their art. Vancouver might not have been Tokyo, and the purists were never going to concede the point, but its culinary scene could give the finest restaurants in Japan a run for their money. In fact Shepard could still remember the taste even as she walked through the corridors of Arcturus Station's main complex.
The Arcturus System was home to the Empire's largest naval station and shipyards outside of Sol itself. The former made a great deal of sense, what with Arcturus being a nexus point for several mass relays that served as gateways to the rest of the Empire as well as the one that led directly to the home system. The latter was somewhat ironic seeing almost all of the materials needed for ship construction needed to be freighted in, a significant percentage from Sol itself, due to the system's lack of metals. The one thing it did have was an abundance of ice water, which at least provided a means to produce oxygen and grow food locally.
For Shepard, the vast naval complexes here were the closest thing she had to a homeworld. She and her brother were born aboard Arcturus-Prime itself and spent a good chunk of their childhood in the artificial gravity environs therein. The first time she set foot on terrestrial ground, the first time she actually saw a horizon, was when she was five, and she had loved it. John had not, and that was perhaps the first indication that the two of them would be taking very different paths as they grew up. Still for all their divergence the two of them both entered imperial service and assuming things went well both would eventually have their own command. Shepard was just going to get that command a bit sooner.
Despite Arcturus-Prime's size space was still something of a premium and with the sheer number of transits there was no way every officer would be able to set up in a private office during their stay. David Anderson was not just any officer however and Shepard was not the least surprised he was granted the privilege over more senior ranking personnel. Still the particular corner in which said office was tucked away was rather out of the way, so some compromises with reality had obviously been accommodated. As Shepard stopped before the door she took one last moment to make sure her uniform was neat and tidy before pressing the doorbell.
An audible click sounded as the lock disengaged.
"Enter," came the invitation not a moment later.
Shepard pressed another button and the door slid aside. When she stepped in the major found herself entering the presence of not just Anderson, but another familiar face. She promptly came to attention.
"Major Evangeline Shepard reporting as ordered."
Anderson smiled as he rose. "It's good to see you again, Shepard. And I'm sure Alec feels likewise."
"That I do," one Alec Ryder said.
"It's good to see you as well colonel," Jane responded with a smile of her own. "Though this is a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. I thought you were permanently stationed on Earth these days."
"I am, but sometimes duty still takes me away from the homeworld," Ryder said with a wry smile. "This is one such occasion. And let's see if you still regard my appearance with fondness once we're done."
"I'm always fond of having you around sir," Shepard responded with remarkable humor. "Even though you seem intent on playing contrarian."
That was for the most part true. For all the times Shepard could recall cursing, mentally of course, her superior, she was still glad to have had Ryder as a mentor during her induction into the Cadre. Not least because the colonel helped her immensely with the initial integration of her upgraded implants, an experience Shepard never wanted to revisit, but also because of all the life lessons imparted by Ryder over the course of her training. For all the colonel's distance to his own children, Shepard found in him the father that she no longer had.
Anderson chuckled as he regarded the sight. "Have a seat major, we have a lot to talk about."
"Sir."
To Shepard's surprise Anderson uncorked a bottle of whiskey and poured a measure for all of them. He raised his own glass.
"A toast. To the Empire, to the Emperor, and to our brothers and sisters of the Cadre."
The smile returned as Shepard returned the motion. "Here here."
She downed it in a single gulp and set down the glass with a clack.
"One unfortunate side effect of the implants," Shepard remarked. "It's near impossible to actually get drunk."
Anderson and Ryder both chuckled.
"Too damn true," the captain agreed. "Almost makes it pointless that we can drink as much as we want. There have been a couple of times I could have used it."
Ryder cleared his throat. "While I am all for reminiscing, perhaps we should first get the nuts and bolts squared away?"
"Probably a good idea," Anderson agreed, looking back over at Shepard. "We'll hop down to see the Normandy herself in a bit. Before that though there's a couple of points that we need to go over."
Shepard nodded. "Of course sir."
"As you already know, his majesty was very reluctant to release you for a detached assignment like this one. What you do not know is the calculus that ultimately tipped the scales, a calculus that is the result of a very recent and very classified development."
Shepard remained silently attentive. She knew Anderson was not one for needless drama so whatever he was building up to was big. Before continuing however the captain glanced over at Ryder. Shepard's gaze followed. Apparently the colonel would be the one filling her in on whatever this development was.
"About two months ago," Ryder began, getting right to the point, "researchers on Eden Prime made a major archeological discovery, one that has the potential to significantly alter the geopolitical landscape of the galaxy."
The major inhaled sharply as she made the inference. Ryder nodded in confirmation of her suspicions.
"What the research team discovered is a prothean beacon, a communications device that helped tie their empire together across galactic distances."
Shepard's expression tightened. The Prothean archive discovered on Mars had catapulted humanity to the stars, but those infantile steps came to an abrupt end with a first contact that came perilously close to outright war. There was no telling what this new beacon would herald, and whether for the better or worse.
"What other entities are aware of this discovery?" Shepard asked.
Or rather, what foreign entities were aware, was her real question.
"Internally we've kept the information very tight," Ryder answered. "Beyond the immediate research team and their security detail, only a few elements of Imperial Intelligence and Cadre have been brought in. In fact one of the considerations for your assignment was the fact that his majesty felt you could be entrusted with this knowledge."
Shepard nodded at the implicit praise. Even though the emperor made it a point to try to get to know all of his Cadre, with nearly five thousand of them it was inevitable that he would notice some more than others. Being so noticed, and positively at that, was no mean feat.
"Progress on interfacing with the beacon, even with assistance from our AIs, has however been slow," Ryder continued. "There is something, different about this beacon compared to the archive found on Mars. In light of that, and for the sake of galactic relations, his majesty has decided to involve the Citadel with the discovery."
Tight was no longer sufficient to describe Shepard's expression. Wary, or perhaps even unhappy, were better fits. From the way the others' faces mirrored Shepard's own, they shared her reservations. Nonetheless an order was an order, and dislike had no say over their obligation to obey it.
"The Citadel Council has agreed to handle this matter with equal discretion on their end," Ryder said. "As such they are dispatching a representative to first assess the situation on the ground before further discussions are held on what assistance they might contribute and the level of access to the beacon's data. The Normandy will transport this representative to Eden Prime, and you, Major Shepard, have been charged with escorting him."
As both guardian and watcher, was the unspoken implication.
"Whom exactly is this representative?"
The unhappiness somehow became even more evident on the faces of her two superiors.
"The Council is sending a turian by the name of Nihlus Kryik," Ryder answered.
That elicited a raised eyebrow. An agent of the Citadel, and a turian at that. There were few ways this could get any worse.
"He is one of the Council's most decorated Spectres."
Yet somehow Ryder actually managed to make it so.
"A Council Spectre," Shepard repeated.
Ryder nodded. It was little consolation that the colonel and Anderson both shared Shepard's obvious concern at this. The Council's Special Tactics and Reconnaissance agents possessed a reputation even in terran space, not least because Imperial Intelligence was certain on more than one occasion Spectres had conducted operations within imperial borders. There was a grudging recognition on the part of the Empire at the obvious competency of these operatives, and competency was something the Empire knew to respect. That respect however would not stop imperial forces from killing any Spectres that dared operate within its territory without the Empire's sanction. Even with that sanction, things could easily become complicated.
"What are my exact orders, sir?" Shepard asked very carefully.
"To assist Nihlus in whatever manner is required in his role as Council observer," Ryder answered. "And to make sure the integrity of the prothean beacon remains secured. That is your priority order."
Shepard met Ryder's gaze unflinchingly. After a moment she dipped her head.
"Understood, sir."
End of Chapter 1
Well, my inbox got a bit busy after I posted that prologue. I guess people liked it. A couple of notes. The first is that this is a bit shorter than what I generally put out as chapters. I generally aim for an average of 7k words, that offers a general guideline of how many scenes I believe should merit a chapter and the length of said scenes. This first chapter ended up being more compact than I anticipated and I didn't feel like dragging things out more. If nothing else I think I've managed to set the tone for my story. That being said, I don't intend to put much more time into this story until I finish A Cold Calculus. In practical terms I just don't have the time to work on two stories concurrently. Calculus is nearing its final arc, likely no more than ten to fifteen more chapters, so I won't be away from this story for that long. Of course, more feedback could serve as a motivator for me to spend at least some time before I finish Calculus, hinthint.
Anyway. As is evident, I'm going with the whole Shepard twins thing, with obviously my own tweaks. For the most part however this story is intended to be Jane's. I enjoyed writing a strong female lead in A Cold Calculus (two of them in fact) and decided I wanted to continue in that vein.
Another very evident change is the prevalence of AIs, at least within the Empire. That presence is one of the points of friction between the Empire and the Citadel, though there is also a sort of morbid fascination on the part of the other races as to the fact that humanity seems to have achieved a sort of symbiosis with its AIs instead of those AIs revolting and trying to murder all organics. It's forcing at least some reevaluation regarding old prejudices about AIs, but they certainly are not gone and quite a few technophobes continue to hold serious reservations about them and humanity by association. There are also humans whom still have reservations about AIs, but they are far in the minority compared to the wider galactic society.
I know that I have demonstrated a tendency to fill in what I consider to be plot holes in the franchises I write in. That's likely going to happen here as well, if only because I need a slightly different set of consistency what with the changes I've made from the canon. ME on the whole however did not suffer from the major issues in say Code Geass or Evangelion or Trails of Cold Steel, more often than not the problems are more due to presentation than actual structural problems. Those still exist here and there, and I'll patch them as needed to make my own story consistent, but for this story I am not out to correct anything or the like, this time around I'm mostly here just to have a bit of fun.
Let's see, what else. As I mentioned in the prologue, while I am technically borrowing a few concepts/ideas from other franchises, I am not importing wholesale. Everything that I am borrowing will see adaptation to fit within the Mass Effect universe. While I may get a bit creative with some of the applications of technology we have already see in ME, it will still be distinctly recognizable as from ME. So there will not be any FTL tech or etc that is not based around mass effect fields.
As a final note for this chapter, I just want to mention that I do not intend for my story to be a single unit. The plotlines that I have conceptualized so far will be split into three parts starting with A Call to Duty, going into A Call to Action, and ending with A Call to Arms, roughly mapping to the three games of the Shepard trilogy. I'm currently estimating between 30 to 50 chapters for each arc, provisionally, though we'll see how things develop. I am most certainly not intending to try to pull another A Cold Calculus with the ME storyline, that one is over 900k words and counting and is liable to breach 1 million before I am done.
Oh and uh, that mandatory disclaimer about how I don't own Mass Effect (I wish…) and how I'm not making any money from this work (I wish…).