A/N: This is kinda cannonish, which I hate doing, but some of the stuff they wrote with Vega is great. It just gets weak later… Sound familiar Bioware fans? And I've officially decided the FemShep I'm using; she's one of mine that I like a lot. More info on her is at the end of this chapter. If you don't care, that's fine. ^^ She's my Shepard and that doesn't really matter. Her name is Jill.

Reinstated

Shepard looked out the window, looking at the child playing in the courtyard. She turned away to a datapad with a book she'd been reading. Edgar Allen Poe… one of the few things she'd loved as a teenager, but had lost since she joined the Alliance. Or at least since Akuze.

"Commander," Vega said entering the room with a salute.

"You're not supposed to call me that anymore, James," she replied.

"Not suppose to salute you either. We gotta go. The Defense Committee wants to see you, " he said. Shepard looked up from her datapad, and tossed it aside.

"Sounds important. What do they need?" She asked as they headed out the door.

"Not sure ma'am. Just know they needed to see you, now." Anderson came rushing down the hallway.

"Anderson?"

"Shepard! You look good!"

"Admiral," James said. They continued toward the committee.

"A little soft, around the edges" he said, "so, how's it been being relieved of duty?"

"Not bad, once you get used to the hot meals and soft beds. Why's everyone in such a hurry?" Shepard noticed James was following close, and everyone was rushing through in uniform.

"Admiral Hackett is mobilizing the fleets. Something big has hit us." Shepard stopped on the stairwell.

"Reapers?"

"We don't know that Shepard."

"What else could it be?"

"If I knew that…" Anderson said.

"We aren't ready for this. I know that."

"Maybe we aren't. That's why we're going to the committee."

"A committee is a waste of time unless we're planning to talk the Reapers to death," Shepard replied. She could hear a chuckle from Vega who was only steps behind her.

"Why ask me anyway? I'm just a soldier."

"You're the only one who's seen them, been there, fighting, in the trenches. You're our only expert."

"Is that why they grounded me? Took away my ship?"

"Shit you've done, most soldiers would have been court marshaled and discharged. Your knowledge of the Reapers is the only thing that kept you from that."

"And your good word."

"Yeah, I trust you. I understand why you destroyed that relay. But now we need you."

"I'm just a soldier Anderson, not a politician."

"I don't need you to be either."

"Admiral, they're expecting you two." They went toward the room, and Vega stopped Shepard.

"Hey, good luck in there Shepard." At that point Ashley joined Anderson.

"Thanks. If this is the Reapers, I want you on my team."

"It'd be an honor, ma'am."

"You're welcome to call me Jill, James."

"Sorry ma'am."

"Shepard?" Ashley said. Shepard turned.

"Ash?"

"How've you been?" She asked.

"Great! You look good!"

"You too Skipper."

"We'd best go inside now," Anderson said. Shepard nodded and followed.

"You know the Commander?" Vega asked.

"I used to."

"Used to?"

"It's been a while. We went through the death of a good friend together."

"Right. Lieutenant Alenko, on Virmire."

"Yeah. Shepard hasn't been the same since then."

"Lieutenant Vega, Lieutenant-Commander Williams, you've been requested to join the Normandy's crew at this time," A runner said approaching them.

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"You're being deployed." James looked to Ashley.

"Why am I going to be put on the Normandy?" he asked.

"My guess? You're a hell of a soldier. And if you're close to Shepard, it's her ship. Anderson might have realized that."

"I've only known her for a few days."

"I'd known her for five hours when I joined her crew. And for most of it, she was passed out. Anyway, let's get to the Normandy."

"And Mr. Vega, you'll be pleased to know that Lieutenant Cortez is already on the ship."

"Esteban eh?"

"Esteban?" Ash asked.

"Yeah. It's a nickname." They started toward the Normandy, and as they got to the dock, the Reapers arrived.

"Holy shit! What the fuck is that?" James yelled.

"Reaper!" Ashley yelled. They ran toward the ship and Ashley to the cockpit.

"Joker get our asses out of here! We've got Reapers!"

"I know!" Joker yelled back. They pulled out of dock, and Ash sprinted to the elevator, Vega at her heels.

"What are we doing Williams?" He asked.

"Getting guns and finding Anderson and Shepard!" She pulled up her omni-tool, seeing Anderson had an open channel.

"This is Williams, Anderson; I've got the Normandy moving and Vega with me. What's your status?"

"I've got Shepard with me. We'll meet you at the landing zone," Anderson replied.

"Good. We'll see you shortly." Ashley and Vega got on the elevator, and went to the shuttle bay.

"We've got to get moving. It took the entire Alliance to take down Sovereign, and that was one Reaper. And Shepard is the only hope for stopping them."

"You have a lot of faith in her," James said as he grabbed his shotgun.

"If you'd seen what she's done first hand, you would too." Ashley loaded her assault rifle, and then she started to hear Anderson again, but he was breaking up.

"Anderson? Where are you?"

"I didn't read that Admiral! Damnit!" She started to hit her omni-tool, getting a signal from a downed gunship.

"We're coming Anderson! Joker, lock on those coordinates!" They flew out, and Ash could hear Joker over the speaker.

"The Calvary has arrived!"

"Open the shuttle bay!" Ashley ran out gunning down husks, and Shepard jumped on.

"Welcome back, Shepard," Ashley said.

"Thanks."

"Anderson! Come on!"

"I'm not going," he replied.

"We're in this together Anderson!"

"Someone has to go, talk to the Council! Tell them to send help."

"What if they won't listen?"

"Then make them listen! No go, that's an order!"

"I don't take orders from you anymore, remember?" Anderson threw Shepard her tags. She caught them.

"Consider yourself reinstated!"

"I'll come back! With help!"

"I'm counting on you Shepard!" The Normandy took off, as a Reaper took out two shuttles. Shepard shook her head, and followed Ash inside. She was surprised and pleased to see Vega. She was not so pleased that he was following her, breathing down her neck, and asking a million questions.

"Where are we going? Why are we leaving Earth?"

"We're going to the Citadel. We have to get help," Shepard replied.

"The hell with that! Drop me off. The fight is here!"

"No. We're going now."

"I'm not going to leave Earth, set this bird down! This is my planet and I-"

"You think I don't want to stay? Hundreds of people die every minute they don't get help. And you're wasting my time."

"I… I'm sorry ma'am."

"You're fine Vega."

"Shepard, transmission from Hackett, sounds important, "Joker said.

"Is that you Joker?"

"Alive and kicking!"

"Bring it up." Shepard looked to the terminal. Hackett sent them to Mars.

"Joker, bring us to the Mars Archives!"

"Got it Commander." She looked to her right, and saw her N7 armor.

"Everyone, suit up." Shepard started to get into her armor, and noticed Vega pulling off his shirt. She couldn't help but look.

"Hey Skipper, do me a favor and don't slip on the puddle of drool you're standing in," Ash said.

"Don't tell me you don't find that attractive," Shepard replied.

"Way too big for me Skipper."

"Uh-huh. You're looking too, Ash." Ashley laughed.

"All right, all right, maybe he's cute. But there are regs."

"Ash, our planet is burning. I think regs are the last thing I'm worried about."

"Yeah. Does change your perspective on life. You weren't one I'd ever see settling down though, Skipper."

"Me either. But a marine like him…after all the shit I've survived, I'd think about it."

"Hey, are you two gonna get ready or what?" he asked being totally oblivious to the two female marines acting like teenagers. Both of them laughed, and started to get into their armor.


A/N: Why is Ash alive and Kaidan not? One simple reason; No jealousy to write. I hate writing two guys fighting over a girl… two guys fighting over a guy… that I'll write.

Okay, so Shepard is named Jill, she's a Colonist and Sole Survivor, vanguard. All companions survived the suicide mission, including DLC Kasumi and Zaeed, mostly paragon choices, saved the Rachni Queen, re-wrote the heretics, saved the Council, saved Maelon's data, Wrex survived Virmire, Kaidan was KIA, Collector Base was destroyed. No romance questlines done. That ought to be everything. ^^