Strike a Pose

by David Falkayn

The adventures of Carrie Shepard before, during, and in between the time covered by the ME games. Trying for self contained stories, chapter 6 is now up

4. Chapter 4: Overture

STRIKE A POSE

Chapter 4: Overture

"Hey, Kaiden. Come on in." Carrie waved Alenko into the little cubicle that served as her combination quarters and office. "Have a seat."

"Thanks, Ma'am." Lieutenant Alenko responded as he sat down, his eyes immediately drawn first to a ratty old doll set on a pillow on the Commander's bed and second to an Alliance Medal of Valor displayed prominently on a shelf next to an old photograph and assorted trophies.

Smirking as she recognized what had drawn the dark-haired lieutenant's attention, Carrie explained, "She's Mrs. Gillyflower." Carrie explained, nodding her head towards the doll, "I've had her since I was five. She goes everywhere with me. The trophies are from various modeling and beauty contests. And the medal..." She explained, her voice dropping to a whisper, "Belongs to John...my older brother. He...he...gave his life to give me a chance to escape when the batarians attacked Mindoir."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you had a brother in the Alliance." Kaiden replied in a sympathetic tone.

"Oh...he wasn't formally in the Alliance." Carrie explained, "He was supposed to get sworn in at the spaceport before being shipped off to recruit training. We were on the way to the port when the batarians attacked."

"Oh." The lieutenant remarked.

"The Alliance brass..." Shepard's lips turned up in a warm smile, "When they found out what happened, went on ahead and placed him on the active duty roster and awarded him the medal posthumously. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if it had been me instead of..."

"No. Don't say that, Carrie." Kaiden interrupted, placing a gentle hand on the woman's knee. "I don't think he would have wanted you to think that way."

"You're right." Carrie sighed as he placed her hand over the lieutenant's. "He wouldn't have." Gently removing Kaiden's hand from her knee, the commander stood up, "So...can I get you some hot tea? It's Formosa Oolong..."

"Where did you get hold of..." Kaiden laughed, "No...let me guess...our 'requisitions' officer, Specialist Pakti."

"Got it in one, LT." The blonde XO chuckled. "Pakti's got a pretty good thing going down there."

"You're not thinking of shutting him down, are you?" Kaiden asked.

Carrie shook her head vigorously, "Of course not! He's not dealing in anything illegal and he's good for morale." She said with a smile as she savored the aroma of her tea. "Besides, he's my connection for a lot of stuff like tea and makeup." Taking a sip of her tea, Shepard asked, "So...how are the L2s holding up? Or are you finally going to make the switch to L3s"

"I think I'm going to stick with the L2s." Kaiden chuckled, "Yeah...the headaches are a pain...Hey...no giggling at bad puns!" Kaiden laughed as his XO began to snigger at his unintended joke. "But seriously, for all their negatives, they do enhance my natural biotic power far more than the L3s."

"I guess I see where you're coming from." Carrie replied, "But...well...you know I'm more a finesse rather than power user. Although...the L5s they're testing seem intriguing."

"How so?" Kaiden asked.

"Well..." Carrie answered, "They're more powerful than the L3s, while at the same time enhancing the more subtle uses of biotics like dominating or reaving or setting stasis bubble traps."

"Reaving's not exactly subtle." Alenko chuckled.

"Can be if you do it right." Carrie grinned. "It all depends on how much power you put into it. Do it as a mild long-duration drain and the target generally doesn't even suspect until it's too late—kind of like a vampire."

"Sometimes..." Kaiden snorted, "You scare me, Carrie."

"Good." Carrie smirked back.

"So...what did you call me in here for?" Kaiden asked, "I'm sure it wasn't just to chat. What's up?"

"I just wanted to get your input on the ground team for Eden Prime before I make any decisions." Shepard replied.

"Sure...what do you want to know?"

"Well...I'll be taking you and I noticed that Corporal Jenkins was at the top of the roster. I wanted your take on him. You think he's up for it?"

"He's young." Alenko replied, "Enthusiastic—maybe a little too enthusiastic sometimes."

"Yeah." Carrie sighed, "That's what has me worried. I don't need any gung-ho rookies flying off half-cocked or putting their feet in their mouths at the wrong time."

"Hmmmm...I don't think you'll have that problem with Jenkins." Kaiden answered back. "Yeah...he can be a little hyper and he does have a tendency to run off at the mouth, but he follows orders and he does know when to shut up. He's a good marine, Commander. Also, he's from Eden Prime. He knows the territory and the locals."

"Good point." Shepard nodded her head. "All right, he's on the team."

"Great." Kaiden smiled as he stood up. "He'll be glad to hear that. With your permission, I need to get to the bridge, I'm copiloting this watch."

"Dismissed, LT." Carrie smiled. "On your way, could you ask Navigator Pressley to drop in. I want to touch base with all the senior officers before we hit the mass relay."

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"Lieutenant Pressley! Come on in and have a seat." Carrie urged as the bald headed navigator entered the XO's quarters.

"Ma'am." Pressley politely replied. "Lieutenant Alenko said you sent for me?"

"Yeah." Shepard replied as she sipped her tea. "I'm just taking the time before we get to Eden Prime to get better acquainted with the senior officers. Would you like some tea or coffee?"

"No, thanks, Ma'am." The navigator stiffly replied.

"Relax, Pressley." Carrie grinned, "This is an informal chat, not your performance evaluation." Shaking her head as the navigator retained his stiff posture, Carrie sighed, "Ok...straight to business then. How long until we reach Eden Prime?"

"Not long, Ma'am. We should be at the mass relay in a few hours and then a couple of hours travel from the Exodus cluster relay to Eden Prime."

"Good." Carrie nodded her head. "And our stealth systems?"

"Optimal." Pressley replied, "Although Chief Adams could tell you more."

"I'm speaking to him after you." Shepard grinned. "And how's our turian guest doing?"

His eyes narrowing, Pressley answered, "Fine, Ma'am."

"You sure?" Carrie asked.

"Yes, Ma'am." Charles nodded his head. "Nihlus..." The navigator almost spat the name out, "...has pretty much kept to himself."

"I see..." Carrie drawled, "Lieutenant? Do you have a problem with turians?"

"Permission to speak freely, Ma'am?" Pressley asked.

Nodding her head, the commander responded, "Permission granted. Go ahead, give me your honest opinion."

"Ma'am." Pressley took a deep breath. "Nihlus is a loose cannon."

"How so?"

"He's a Council spectre and this is a Human Alliance vessel." Pressley declared, "You, me, the rest of the crew, we answer to Captain Anderson and Captain Anderson answers to his superiors. We have a chain of command. Nihlus is outside that chain. He doesn't answer to the captain or to the Alliance."

"I see..." Carrie thought carefully before continuing, "Where did you serve before the Normandy, navigator?"

"I was on the Agincourt before the Normandy," Pressley stated proudly. "One of the first reinforcements to arrive at Elysium after the Skyllian Blitz. After Elysium I received my commission and Captain Anderson asked me to serve on the Normandy. I couldn't refuse."

"Don't feel bad." Carrie grinned, "I couldn't refuse him either. What drove you to enlist?" Shepard asked as she fixed a fresh cup of tea for herself.

"Family." The navigator responded. "My grandfather served in the First Contact War..."

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! "I see..." Shepard quietly listened as Pressley laid out his suspicions.

"So..." Carrie observed, deciding for now to put off discussing the navigator's apparent anti-alien biases. "You think something shady is going on?"

"Not for me to say, Ma'am." Pressley replied cautiously, "But why are we making this run with just a skeleton crew? And why is Nihlus on board? We're here under false pretenses, Ma'am, and I'm not fond of being left in the dark."

"Well Lieutenant..." Carrie smiled as she ended the interview, "Secrets and 'Need to Knows' are something we all have to deal with when we put on this uniform. Best thing for us to do is just do our jobs and Captain Anderson will let us both know what we need to know when we need to know it—right?"

"Yes, Ma'am." The navigator, coming to attention, rendered a crisp salute.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. You can send Lieutenant Adams in now."

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As she sipped her tea, Carrie could barely hear Pressley and Adams talking to each other outside her cabin. "Relax, Charles. You'll give yourself an ulcer."

"I don't like it, Greg. This whole thing smells rotten. He's a turian and a spectre."

"You're just upset because he's messing up your routine, Pressley."

"Maybe...but still..."

"It'll work out, Charles. Now...I better go. It's my turn to see the XO. She in a good mood?"

"Pretty good." Charles answered, "Not quite what I thought she'd be."

"What do you mean?" Adams asked.

"She's no dummy." Pressley concluded, "And she knows how to listen to people. Dr. Chakwas was right—she's not by-the-book. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing though."

"Sometimes it can be a good thing." Adams remarked, "And sometimes a bad thing. Depends on whether she knows which situation's which."

"That's what has me worried." Pressley glumly stated as he walked away.

Pausing at the threshold to her cabin, Lieutenant Adams politely knocked.

"Come in Chief Adams." Carrie smiled, deliberately referring to the lieutenant by his title of chief engineer. "Help yourself to some tea or coffee and have a seat."

"Thanks, Ma'am." Adams replied as he poured himself a mug of coffee and sat down.

"So, Chief..." Carrie asked as she passed in front of the engineer before sitting down behind her desk, "What did you do before Captain Anderson snared you for the Normandy?"

"I've served on pretty much everything the Alliance has." Adams smiled, "If it flies, I've been on it."

"Where was your last assignment?" Carrie asked.

Taking a sip of his coffee, the engineer replied, "The Tokyo, Ma'am. Don't get me wrong, she was a fine ship...good captain...great crew...solid. But...it can't hold a candle to the Normandy."

"How so?" Shepard asked.

"The Normandy's a hot rod, Ma'am." Chief Adams grinned, "She's fast, sleek, and the IES Stealth System gives her an edge no other ship, inside or outside the Alliance, possesses. We can slip into an enemy controlled system, drop off a recon or strike team, and slip out without no one knowing or we can hover within the system and monitor enemy activities without being detected."

"I like that." Carrie smiled, "And it's also good to know that we can get out of trouble as fast as we got into it."

"Yes, Ma'am. Although..." The chief warned, "You do have to vent the heat sinks every so often and that makes us stick out like a sore thumb."

"Thanks." The blonde XO nodded her head, "That's good to know. So..." She asked as she sipped her tea, "Any family?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Adams smiled warmly, "Parents in the Alliance and the Missus...she's back on Earth. Speaking of which...I was wondering if I could ask..." The engineer cleared his throat, unsure as to whether to proceed.

"Go ahead, Chief." Carrie prompted.

"Well, Ma'am. The Missus's birthday's coming up and I couldn't help but catch a whiff of your perfume and..."

"Say no more, Chief." Carrie smiled. "It's called Asura's Breath. It's an asari brand. When's your wife's birthday?"

"June 18, Ma'am." Adams replied.

"Ok...we can do it." The XO grinned, "Thing is...what works for me might not be what your wife likes or wants. So...why don't we do this? Just give me her address on Earth and I'll see that some samples, including Asura's Breath are sent to her by her birthday with your name on it and she can choose what she likes."

"Thanks, Ma'am...but I couldn't..."

"I insist!" Carrie urged, "We probably won't be able to make it back to Earth by her birthday, so it's the least I can do. If you're worried about the cost—you can pay me back when you're able or, even better, why don't you just pay it forward by doing something nice for someone else."

"Thanks, Commander!" Adams' lips turned up in a wide grin.

"Well..." Carrie smiled back as she offered her hand, "I better let you get back to your engines. I've got to get up to the bridge and say hello to Joker."

Taking her hand and gently shaking it, the Lieutenant responded, "It was a pleasure, Commander. Feel free to come by and see the engines any time."

"I will, Chief." Carrie vowed as Adams turned to leave, "See you later."

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As Carrie exited the lift and set foot on the bridge, she heard Jenkins and Chakwas talking near the comm. room. "Nihlus can do whatever he wants...kill anyone he wants..."

"You've been watching too many spy-vids, Jenkins."

"i see you're discussing our passenger." Carrie grinned as she approached the pair.

"So, what do you think, Commander?" The always enthusiastic Jenkins inquired, "You think we're gonna see some action."

"Your action usually ends up with me having to fix you up." Dr. Chakwas grimly noted.

"C'mon, Doc!" Jenkins practically whined, "It's so boring..."

"Take a deep breath, Corporal." Carrie commanded with a smile on her face, "Now exhale. Do that a few more times. Good." She said soothingly, "You don't need to go down there trying to prove yourself, Jenkins..."

"That's easy for you to say, Commander." The corporal remarked, momentarily forgetting who he was talking to, "You've already proven yourself at Akuze..." Seeing the sharp glare directed at him from the commander, the young marine quickly realized his mistake, "I'm sorry, Ma'am." He quickly apologized, "I didn't mean to..."

"It's all right, Jenkins." Carrie replied in a soft voice, "Just rein in that eagerness of yours. A little keyed up is good...a lot keyed up is bad...very bad. Understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am." A much more subdued Jenkins replied.

"Good." Carrie smiled, "Why don't you go below decks and check on your gear, Corporal. We should be at Eden Prime soon and you'll want to be ready when the go order's given—right?"

"I better be going too, Commander." Dr. Chakwas said as she turned towards the stairwell, her eyes reflecting her approval at how Shepard had handled the young corporal. "I'll see you later."

"Later, Doctor." Carrie replied. Making her way towards the pilot's section, Shepard nodded her head in greeting at the officers and ratings she passed by until, finally reaching her destination, she heard Nihlus, "Fifteen hundred k is good. Your Captain will be pleased." Nodding her head at the turian as he slipped past her, Carrie heard Joker's sarcastic complaint over Nihlus's praise, followed by Kaiden's retort.

"So, Commander." Joker probed as Shepard took her position behind the helmsman, "What do you think the real story is—why are we really out here and why is Nihlus here?"

Carrie replied with a smirk and a gentle laugh, "Spoilers, Joker! We'll find out when we find out. Don't want to ruin the surprise now, do you?"

"Yeah..." The helmsman replied, "If the surprise is an ugly one I do."

Captain Anderson's voice then came over the speaker commanding Joker to set up a comm line, then, when the pilot warned the captain that Nihlus was coming in to see him, all three officers cringed slightly as Anderson, after chewing the flight lieutenant out, commanded Shepard to report to the comm room.

"Thanks, Joker..." Carrie sighed melodramatically, "You had to go and land me in the hot seat, didn't you?" Turning to Kaiden, Carrie cracked a half smile, "If I don't come back, Lieutenant, you get custody of Mrs. Gillyflower."

"Yes, Ma'am." Kaiden winked as Carrie turned. Swiveling in his chair, Joker watched appreciatively as Carrie walked away. "Joker!" Kaiden whispered in as low a voice as possible, "Why don't you try to be a little less obvious."

"About what?" Joker asked with a lecherous grin.

"About gawking at the Commander's ass." Kaiden remarked.

"I don't see you looking away." Joker retorted as both men took the time to enjoy the view before Carrie finally dropped out of sight, "And now, we're done." Joker lamented as he and Kaiden returned to their instruments.

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Entering the comm room, Carrie's alert eyes immediately spotted Nihlus standing before the monitor. "Nihlus? I thought the Captain was going to be here."

"He's on his way." The spectre explained, "I wanted to speak with you for a few moments in private before he arrived."

"What about?" Carrie asked as she strolled around the room.

"This planet we're going to...Eden Prime...what do you know about it?" Nihlus asked.

"Not a whole lot, really." Carrie shrugged, "I know it's supposed to be incredibly lovely. I was going to do a photo shoot there a few months back with Asryna and Laura for Sports Illustrated—their swimsuit issue—but the shoot got suddenly moved to Thessia—no one ever gave a reason. Why do ask?"

"It's supposed to be a paradise...a symbol of how far humanity's come...of humanity's ability to protect itself out here." Nihlus declared, "But is humanity really ready, Commander? The galaxy is a dangerous place."

"You don't have to tell me that, Nihlus." Carrie replied, her face darkening, "You're forgetting, I came from Mindoir. I lost my entire family and almost everyone I loved when the batarians hit us. Believe me, I know exactly how dangerous it is out here."

"Point taken, Commander." Nihlus bowed his head momentarily almost as if in silent prayer as Captain Anderson entered the room.

"I think it's time we told Commander Shepard the real reason for you presence here, Nihlus." Anderson declared as he strode to the center of the room.

"I agree, Captain. I think Commander Shepard is an ideal candidate."

"Ideal candidate for what?" Carrie asked as her heart rate increased.

"To be the first human spectre, Commander." Anderson smiled.

Chuckling, Carrie responded, "Me? You've got to be kidding! There's at least a dozen candidates better qualified than me. Hell—you've got Harper, the Hero of the Skyllian Blitz and Stuart, the Butcher of Torfan—who'd jump at the chance. Me...six months ago, I was on reserve status striking a pose and doing perfume and other commercials."

"The other candidates were all considered and rejected, Shepard." Anderson replied.

"You're a survivor, Shepard." Nihlus flatly stated. "Your experiences on both Mindoir and Akuze revealed that you possess strong internal reserves and an indomitable will—both highly desirable attributes in a spectre. You also possess a determination to succeed regardless of the personal cost."

"You're also used to being in the limelight, Shepard." Anderson noted, "The cameras don't bother you—you enjoy them. You can handle the increased media spotlight and scrutiny better than the others. And believe me, as the first human spectre, you are going to attract a lot of attention."

"I'm going to go back to my quarters and check my email and find a ton of messages from Members of Parliament, Admirals, Generals, politicians, statesmen, and military figures, aren't I, Captain?" Carrie wryly commented.

As a slight smirk crossed his lips, Captain Anderson replied, "The Alliance needs this, Shepard."

"All right..." Carrie sighed, bowing down to the inevitable, "So...how do we do this? Is there some sort of qualifying exam or Spectre School or something like that I've got to go through?"

Chuckling, Nihlus replied, "Something like that. We'll be going on several missions together, starting with this one on Eden Prime. I'll be evaluating you on these missions and reporting back to the Council. They'll be the ones who make the final call—although my recommendation will carry a great deal of weight."

"Eden Prime?" Shepard inquired, raising her eyebrows, "What's going on with Eden Prime that would attract a spectre's attention?"

As Nihlus nodded his head, Captain Anderson explained, "There's a reason why your shoot on Eden Prime was cancelled. Archaeologists there found something remarkable—an intact Prothean beacon."

"Ouch!" Carrie exclaimed, "Well, that'll cancel a swimsuit shoot."

"Indeed." Nihlus nodded his head. "They've finally excavated it completely and it's ready for shipping. We're to go down, investigate and retrieve, and then bring the beacon back to the Council for further study and analysis."

"I'm glad to see the Alliance do the smart thing for a change and come clean on the beacon rather than let the black ops boys and girls run things." Carrie noted approvingly.

"That's an interesting position for a human to take, considering the Alliance's strained relations with the Council races." Nihlus commented, his face an expressionless mask, "What brought you to that conclusion?"

"Simple common sense." Carrie shrugged her shoulders, "Hiding Prothean artifacts is one of the biggest no no's in the Council's book. There's no way to keep something this big quiet for long. Word will get out—someone will blab and the colony will still get a visit from you or one of your fellow spectres, only it won't be the nice, friendly visit that you've got planned. It'd be more a smash and grab where people are liable to get hurt or killed. This way, humanity gets brownie points with the other Council races for being cooperative and still gets to share in any discoveries. The other way leads to even more strained relations between the Alliance and the Council which neither of us need."

"Good analysis." Nihlus nodded his head approvingly as Joker interrupted their conversation.

"Captain? I think you're going to want to see this." Images of the colony under attack then flashed on the monitor the footage ending with a female marine calling for help.

Anderson ordered, "Nihlus, I want you ready to move ASAP. Shepard...I want you, Alenko, and Jenkins geared up and ready to go pronto."

"Right, Captain." Shepard crisply acknowledged as she and the spectre moved quickly. "Looks like the evaluations begin a little quicker than we thought." Carrie muttered to Nihlus as the pair left the comm room together.

"Apparently so, Commander." Nihlus agreed. "I'll see you in the hangar bay soon."

A/N: Again, I want to thank those reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing these stories. Thank you for your kind words Amy and Meren. I want to take a moment to talk about canon: While Carrie's not your standard femShep by any means, I am trying to keep to general game canon: the events on Eden Prime will take place more or less as they took place in game; Virmire, Noveria, Feros, etc. will happen as they happen in game—although there might be some variations to fit in with Carrie's character a bit more. I've taken some liberties in setting conversations as you can see in this chapter. The game has Shepard talking with Pressley, Jenkins, and Chakwas on his/her way to the captain. That makes sense from a game perspective—it's an easy way to get the player's feet wet as to characters and what's going on in the game universe. However, those of us who've been in the military know that when the Captain wants to speak with you now—you go NOW! You don't stop and have conversations with everyone on the way. So, I altered things a bit here. I also altered the conversation with Nihlus to keep it from being stale. This is not and will not be a rehash of the games. There'll be elements from the games here, but there's going to be a lot of in-between and while stuff going on too. Also, there's no way Anderson would hit on Shepard! :) He's her mentor, friend, and something of a surrogate father figure. Frankly speaking, I think an Anderson/Shepard ship would come across as more than a little incestuous so, there's no way I was going to go there. No, I'm sticking to canonical ships for Shepard with maybe one or two minor and unimportant OC ships—(cough)Asryna(cough)—but that'd be it. Besides, I think people already have an idea as to what one of the major canon ships is going to be...(cough)Shenko(cough).

Well...that's it for now. I hope you enjoy this part and please feel free to leave a review to let me know what you think. And for those following my other stories: I'm currently working on the next part for "That's 70s Gate", and putting the final touches on the next part of "Who are You".