Only a few days after Cyra told her parents about her decision to join the alliance, on Earth, almost on the other side of the galaxy, a black skycar limousine pulled up to the one of the finest and most expensive Sanatoria on the planet. The driver skilfully drove the vehicle into one of the parking slots on the roof of the main building, let the craft hover for moment before he set it down, shutting off the engine. As the hum of the engine slowly quieted down the driver stepped out from his seat, and opened the back door for his employer. A dark haired human male in his late thirties, dressed in an expensive looking dark grey suit emerged from the back of the limousine, taking a few deep breaths of the cold, clean air as he removed his sunglasses, revealing cold blue eyes. His name was Nicholas Fisher. Only a few days ago he'd been appointed the new director of alliance intelligence, by far the youngest to fill that position since the alliance was founded just over a hundred years ago.
He dismissed his driver with a brief nod and took a moment to admire the gorgeous mountain landscape before he made his way over to the two nurses waiting for him in front of the elevator.
"Good morning, Mister Fisher." the older of them greeted him with a kind smile. "Good morning to you too Angela." he returned the greeting with a small bow. "How is she today?" he asked, getting right to the point. He wasn't in the mood for small talk today, he rarely was. "Same as always I am afraid, no change whatsoever. Neither for better nor for worse." the experienced nurse said sadly as they entered the elevator. They rode the elevator down in silence its transparent walls offering an overview of the daily routine on the different floors of the medical centre.
After exiting the elevator nurse Angela turned to the visitor. "If you would excuse me now, I need to take care of a few things. Monica will show you the way." she said putting her hand on the younger woman's shoulder. For a moment Nicholas Fisher wanted to send the blonde nurse away, after all he'd made monthly visits to that same patient for more than 18 years and knew his way around the sanatorium. He decided against it however. The girl was pleasing enough to look at and he knew he from experience he could use something to cheer him up. He followed the nurse through the corridors of the facility in silence until they reached a door in the department treating the mentally handicapped.
"Here we are Sir." Monica said. She moved to open the door but he held her back. "Thank you Monica, but I'd like to be alone with her if you don't mind." The nurse hesitated for a moment. "As you wish Sir." she answered with a polite nod. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me or any of the other nurses." "Of course." he said with a charming smile, letting his eyes briefly wander over her shapely figure as she walked away. He stared at the door for a moment, knowing it would break his heart to enter, but it would also strengthen his resolve. He took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped inside.
She sat, almost motionless, in a wheelchair staring out of the room's large window. "Hello Amy." he said softly as he slowly walked towards her. Her head turned towards him so slightly, he couldn't tell whether she reacted to his greeting or if it was just a random movement. Although he'd visited her dozens of times he still had to fight to maintain his composure when he looked at her face. Irreparable brain damage had twisted her once lovely features into a grotesque mask. A single tear ran down his cheek as he knelt down besides her. Amy had been a pretty, lively and intelligent young woman until on a faithful day, almost two decades ago, she got turned into a shadow, a twisted caricature of her former self.
"I don't have much time." he began after struggling with his words for a moment. "My assistant's been getting on my nerves the last couple of days with his whining about how much there was to do and how little time we had". He paused for a second. "I got promoted recently." he added with a forced smile. "For almost twenty years I worked like a madman and now I am finally in a position to get back at the scumbag who did this to you." Amy continued to stare blankly out the window. There was no indication she'd understood a single word of what he'd just said. He knelt besides her in silence for a few minutes. "I probably won't be able to visit you in the next couple of years." he finally went on. "Maybe I won't be able to come back ever again. But whatever happens he'll pay, I promise!" he said getting back on his feet. He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "Farewell Amy, I love you!". He looked at her one last time before he walked to the door, almost bumping into nurse Monica as he stepped outside. "Take good care of her." he said not even waiting for an answer before he made his way back to the elevator in a hurry. Back on the roof he let his gaze wander around briefly. "Lets get to it." he whispered as he strode towards the limousine, his face cold and hard.
2 years later
"Pre-flight checks are complete, all personnel aboard. We're ready to go Captain." Commander Candela T'Cel reported after checking the holographic displays again. "Thank you Commander." Captain Richard Heisenberg ,a tough looking grey haired man in his late fifties, said walking up to the pilot seat. "She's all yours mister Mitchell, take her out!". "Aye aye Captain" the pilot said with an eager smile. He checked the standard departure procedures for Arcturus station one more time before activating the radio.
"Arcturus control, SSV Wake Island, docking bay alpha one-six ready for departure. Requesting clearance to proceed to Arcturus prime relay after clearing docking ring."
"Wake Island proceed to Arcturus relay via outbound route two, you're cleared to undock. Report leaving the inner control zone."
"Cleared to undock, will report. Wake Island out."
"Releasing docking clamps." Mitchell announced. Slight vibrations could be felt throughout the ship as it's engines came to life. The four hundred meter vessel started to glide slowly backwards out of the docking bay. "Speed now 35 meters per second, clearing the Dock in 15." The pilot used the holographic controls for a minute heading correction, the orange interface turning green where his fingers touched it. After passing the enormous doors of the space dock he turned the sleek warship around before engaging its main engines, increasing power as they got farther away from the station.
"Arcturus Control, Wake Island, leaving inner control zone now."
"Copy that Wake Island, be advised there is a live firing exercise in progress bearing one-six-five mark zero-three-zero. Stay clear."
"Roger that Arcturus. Have a nice Day!"
Flight lieutenant Pete Mitchell frowned. "Why is he telling me this?" He wondered aloud."Our flight path won't even take us close anyway." The captain smiled thinly. "The traffic controllers are required to remind all ship of live firing exercises. If I am not mistaken they put very strict regulations in place after an accident a few decades ago." He briefly put his hand on the pilot's shoulder. "Anyway, good job getting us out of the dock lieutenant, nice and smooth." The captain activated the intercom for a Ship wide broadcast. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. To all those who joined us at Arcturus Station: Welcome aboard. The Wake Island is now officially on her first tour of duty. Take good care of her and she'll take good care of us!" Heisenberg deactivated the intercom. "Speaking of Duty, I'll have to go and see what our new intelligence officer has to show me that's so damned urgent." he said turning to his executive officer. "The bridge is yours commander."
A few decks below the bridge, in one of the cabins reserved for the ship's special forces teams, private first class George Gordon Haggard burst into laughter when he heard the captain's announcement. "Oh man I fucking love our Captain, seriously!" he exclaimed. "Short 'n' Sweet! No grand speeches about how this is the best ship and the best crew, about how we need to do our part to protect mankind and all that. Just 'Take good care of her and she'll take good care of us' Whoosh! Period!"
On the opposite side of the small table corporal Preston Marlowe was shuffling a deck of cards. "Yeah the old man ain't the talkative type." he chuckled dealing two cards each, Haggard got a queen and a six and Marlowe..."Black Jack again?" the pfc protested. "You got a second deck up your sleeves or something?" "Of course!" Marlowe grinned broadly. "And an other behind my ears." Haggard made a face. "Very funny dude. Give me the cards I'll deal now ." he said holding out his hand. "There you go."Marlowe said giving him the cards. "But if your luck suddenly improves I'm gona have to check your sleeves for an additional deck."
"Sure man. You may find something explosive instead of cards there though." Haggard said as he began to shuffle. "What do you think we'll...oh for fuck's sake!" he yelled as Marlowe got Black Jack again. "Something tells me your luck hasn't improved." the corporal said laughing loudly.
"Ha-Ha! Screw this!" Haggard said as he put down the cards on the table hard. "I am gona get me a little nap." he added as he lay down on his bunk. Marlowe, still chuckling, went over to his locker and took out a data pad before he sat down on his own bunk.
"What do you think we'll get?" Haggard asked staring at the ceiling.
"You mean as our new team leader?"
"Yep."
"No idea." Marlow replied with a shrug trying to concentrate on his data pad. "We'll know soon enough."
"Weren't you on watch outside the main airlock yesterday? Didn't you see anything?"
Marlowe put down the pad with a sigh."There were a lot of new guys coming in during my watch. How am I supposed to know if one of them was our new leader?"
"A lot of new guys hm?" Haggard grinned. "Mostly eager, fresh-faced greenhorns straight outta basic training I bet."
"Mostly." the corporal confirmed. "But there were enough vets among them. Quite a few asari too."
Haggard frowned. "Bah! They should have never allowed those blue chicks to join the alliance forces." the pfc growled. "Says the guy with several issues of Fornax hidden in his locker!" Marlowe replied with a smirk. "Well er...yes, they are nice enough to look at, but that doesn't mean I'd like to have one of them watching my back in combat." Haggard said his face reddening. "But seriously, why can't they just join their own navy? What do they get out of joining the alliance?"
"No idea", Marlowe grinned. "Why don't you just ask our XO?"
"Hard Candy? No thank you!" Haggard exclaimed. "My arms still hurt from all those push-ups that bitch had me doin'!"
"Come on Hags!" Marlowe laughed. "If anything you were lucky that the captain wasn't in the CIC when you detonated that flash-bang. I bet Heisenberg would have come up with something worse than a hundred push-ups at double gravity."
"Ah that was just too good an opportunity to pass on!" Haggard replied laughing until he cried. "I mean, what were they thinking letting me guard the CIC during a Combat drill! You shoulda seen their faces!"
"Anyway." He continued after wiping away his tears of laughter. "I plan to stay as far away from her as humanly possible."
"I think Mitchell is quite fond of her."
"I am sure he is, damned little would-be womanizer."
"Oi! You sound jealous!"
"Oh fuck off!"
About twenty minutes later the door to the cabin opened with a hiss as private Terrence Sweetwater, the third member of special operations team Bravo entered. "Hey Sweets." Haggard greeted the boyish tech specialist from his bunk. "Found out anything?"
"Only that we're getting an N7 lieutenant." Sweetwater replied, a little embarrassed that he hadn't been able to find more. "Is that it?" Haggard asked raising his eyebrows. "Come on Sweets what happened to your hacking prowess?"
"Hey I had to be careful. I don't wanna get caught hacking the system again, all right?"
"What are you worried about?" Haggard wondered. "Its not like they can demote you any more."
"Yeah but I don't want to...aten-HUT!" Haggard, Marlowe and Sweetwater jumped to their feet as the door opened again revealing the ship's captain.
"At ease." the captain said with a nod. Haggard couldn't help but stare at the tall, armor-clad asari standing beside the captain. He started to feel queasy when he noticed the N7 sign on her left breast.
"Gentlemen meet your new team leader." captain Heisenberg continued, putting a hand upon her shoulder. "Lieutenant Cyra Sheppard!" Haggard was so shocked, he couldn't even muster a short "ma'am" as the asari greeted them. Fortunately the captain went on before she could notice. "I am afraid we don't have time for a proper introduction." he said. "We have a situation developing that could use your expertise. Suit-up and report to the briefing room in twenty."
"Aye aye Sir!"
"Well let's get to it." Marlowe said after the officers had left. "I think you can close your mouth now Hags." Haggard glared at him for a second.
"We're screwed!"