A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and follows!

I found this chapter difficult to write since it is getting into the actual game time-line now. I want to continue telling Kiliane's story but I don't really want to rehash what we saw in-game. Plus, this is supposed to be about her interactions with people. I just hope it doesn't seem like I am rushing through things.

I have used some dialogue straight from the game because it was good and it fit, but mostly added my own.

Once again, I greatly appreciate any and all feedback.

BioWare owns all, I just can't leave it alone.


Arcturus Station, 2183

Shepard was not having a good day. Which was really unfortunate because today should have been one of the highlights of her career. She had been hand-picked by Captain David Anderson to be his XO aboard the SSV Normandy, the Alliance's newest frigate. It was a prime assignment. The Normandy was as much a marvel of modern technology as it was a symbol of the healing relationship between humans and turians. There were still a lot of hard feelings on both sides left over from the First Contact War, but their best military minds had come together in designing the one-of-a-kind stealth ship.

Yes, Shepard should have been happy but she most certainly was not. And the large group of reporters sitting between her and the entrance to the Normandy was playing a big part in that.

"No matter much you scowl at them and wish them away, they aren't going anywhere. Believe me, I've tried."

Shepard was startled by the voice behind her. She turned to see Captain Anderson standing there with an amused look on his face. She quickly snapped to attention.

"Captain Anderson, sir. I'm sorry I-"

"At ease, Commander," he said, waving a hand at her to dismiss whatever she was about to say.

"Yes, sir." She turned back towards the group of people standing between her and her destination and sighed. "If they just wanted to ask questions about the Normandy and how I feel being assigned to her, that would be one thing. But no matter how they start, things always end up being about Akuze."

"Ah, yes. Drama, tragedy and scary monsters. That'll always make the ratings go up."

Shepard snorted in disgust. "Exactly. They've never really cared about the truth of the situation or that 49 good men and women lost their lives that night. They only want to dramatize it and make credits. I have no use for people like that."

"I heard that you already had a run-in with one of them on your way here."

Shepard winced, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you already heard about that. I didn't exactly handle it very well..."

Actually, that was probably an understatement. She would be lucky if the reporter didn't file assault charges against her. She had heard a lot of stupid questions over the years about Akuze and even Mindoir, but every once in a while someone could still come up with one to make her lose it.

"I heard what he said. He may have deserved it but do try to remember you represent the Alliance. I've managed to smooth it over. Just try not to let them get the better of you again. I've learned over the years that the best way to handle them is to just remain calm and state facts. Like you said, they have no use for facts. As long as you don't let them bait you, they end up looking like the vultures that they are. And to be fair, there are a few reporters out there who are actually decent."

"Very few," Shepard muttered under breath.

Anderson chuckled and took a step forward before turning back to her.

"Unfortunately, they are standing in our way. But what do you say we go face them together? At the very least, I can hold you back if things get out of hand."

She laughed, then took a deep breath and followed him towards the dock. She had a feeling she was going to enjoy working with Captain Anderson.


One week later, Shepard was once again standing with him on the docks outside the entrance to the Normandy. This time, they were on the Citadel and her head was spinning from everything that had happened in the last 48 hours. Their simple shake-down run to Eden Prime had not even remotely gone as planned. Granted, it wasn't exactly supposed to be a simple shake-down run, but even a covert pick-up of a Prothean relic should have been much simpler than what ended up happening. Geth attacking, strange visions, one dead Spectre, and another gone rogue. She really kind of understood why the council had thought she was crazy.

But then they went and named her a Spectre, the very first for humanity. She had a crew ready to follow her after the rogue Spectre, Saren. A crew that included an turian ex-cop, a krogan bounty hunter and a scrappy young quarian, fresh off the flotilla. And she had just been given command of the most advanced ship in the Alliance Navy. It was a huge honor and she was still trying to wrap her head around it.

"Not that I don't appreciate it, sir, but why?"

"Why what, Shepard?"

"Why me? I'm not really sure what I have done to earn all of this. People have always made a big deal of everything that has happened to me: surviving Mindoir, surviving Akuze...now Eden Prime. But frankly, I feel like all I have ever done is survive. And I've left a lot of people behind in the process: my family, my unit, Jenkins and Nihlus…"

"Sometimes the bravest thing a person can do is survive. And not just survive, but live. You have used every one of those experiences to better yourself as a person and as a leader. You know, Shepard, I've followed your career closely for a long time."

When she looked at him in surprise, he explained, "Leon Janowski was a good friend of mine. When you first enlisted, he told me to watch you and I have. Your instructors in boot camp all said the same things about you. You're calm, cool and collected under pressure. You have an analytical mind that can quickly consider all sides of an issue and all outcomes to a course of action. Your career since has just proven that. And most importantly, at least in my opinion, you inspire the people around you to be better. Everyone who has ever served with you has either seen it our felt it."

"Do you know what Commander Janowski's last transmission was? The one that convinced the brass to send you to N school?" Shepard shook her head and he continued, "He sent a recording of your conversation from inside the Mako."

"Sir?"

"You take defeat, you take the hard times and you use them. Vow to do better. You said it then, believe it now."

Shepard remained silent for a minute and then nodded.

"Okay, sir."

She seemed to consider for a second before adding, "For the record? I do believe that I am the best person for the job. I'm just not sure I've earned it-but I intend to go out there and prove that I can. I am going to find Saren and I am going to make him answer for what happened on Eden Prime."

Anderson smiled, "I know you will, Shepard."

"I just wish you could come along for the ride."

Shaking his head, Anderson said, "No. You know as well as I do that this is for the best. You need to be in charge of this mission, unquestionably, one hundred percent. It may not be how I pictured my career coming to an end but I believe in you, Shepard. If that means I need to step aside, so be it."

"I appreciate it more than I can ever say, sir."

"Then do me a favor? Stop calling me 'sir'."

Shepard laughed, nodded and shook his hand. "Ok, Anderson."

Reluctantly, she turned and made her way onto the Normandy, heading straight for the bridge.

"Joker, set a course for the Artemis Tau Cluster. We have an asari scientist to find."

"Yes ma'am. Intercom's open. You got anything you want to say to the crew, now's the time."

Shepard gave a short speech to her crew, making sure they understood just what was at stake on this mission.

"Well said, Commander. Captain would be proud."

"The captain gave up everything so I could have this chance. We can't fail."