A/N: Expect updates to be regular, but much less frequent from here on out. I'm going to shoot for an update every 3 weeks. Classes have started here at my university, and it's unreal how much of my free time NROTC is sucking up, especially with me being a Marine-Option. That said, I will do my best to make this a satisfying story, and I promise that Jane Shepard and "I" will reunite at some point.

3 weeks later, 0500 hours, 2186

Journal of 2nd Lieutenant Chuck D:

The six of us from ICT) have been assigned to the Marine Detachment aboard the cruiser SSV Nairobi, attached to the Third Fleet. Currently, the ship is just doing patrols around the Arcturus system, making sure the batarians don't decide to hit the capital in retaliation for the Bahak system's destruction. Officially, we're each in command of a platoon of 40 infantry Marines, but I have the feeling that, more often than not, it's just going to be us six deploying as a small Special Forces team doing recon and direct action missions. That said, this is technically my first real command. Part of the "tip of the spear," as they say.

"Lieutenant!" rang out an older woman's voice from my doorway.

"Ma'am?" I got out of my chair and snapped to attention, curious about what our XO, Lieutenant Commander Anna Glenn, had to say at this hour.

"Report to the CIC. Captain's orders." the LC said gruffly, turning to exit my room.

"Aye, aye, ma'am." We must have received some new orders for the ship or something. Hopefully we'll get out of this patrol mission soon. Not saying I want to "see some action" necessarily, but this is just plain tedium. I got up from my bed and started making my way to the deck's elevator.

"Chuck, you know what this is about?" asked Alan, who fell in step beside me.

"Not yet, bro. I got about as much of a clue as you." I shrugged.

"Damn. Well, hopefully we'll actually deploy somewhere. I want to get some!" Alan bashed his fists together in the typical krogan style. The elevator stopped on the top deck with an electronic "ping," and we stepped out together as the door's opened. The rest of our N7-trained team along with the CO, XO, and our company commanders, Staff Lieutenants Neil Knight and Iven Crossfield were already gathered around the circular galaxy map.

"Listen up, ladies and gents," Captain Bridgeman began while standing in front of the display. "Approximately three hours ago, the entire Batarian Hegemony went dark. No propaganda broadcast waves, no bursts within their territory, and no comm buoy traffic originating from any batarian systems. We're still in contact with the rest of Alliance space. So, either something is taking them down from the inside, or the forces that took them out came from outside the galaxy." The Reapers are here. Hell…

"Navy crew, you're to report to your battlestations and stand by." said Lt. Commander Glenn.

"Marines, you're to do armor and weapons checks and be ready to deploy at a moment's notice." stated Lieutenant Knight.

"That means until otherwise specified you will do everything, including sleep, in your hardsuits with weapons strapped." said Lieutenant Crossfield matter-of-factly.

"The Marines aren't gonna be happy about that." Christa murmured.

"When are you Marines ever happy other than when you're killing something?" said Glenn in an admonishing tone. "By the way, nothing we just discussed here is to leave this room until we do official briefings."

"Roger that, ma'am." I acknowledged, trying not to hide my dismay.

"Hey look," Valentina chirped as us six platoon commanders piled into the small elevator in the back of the bridge deck. "Now we can't even justify why the troops have to sleep encased in ceramic."

"Fuck it," I sighed as the lift began its slow descent to the crew quarters, where most of the Marines would be. "We'll just say we have an imminent threat coming. We don't have to tell them anything about the batarians or the Reapers."

"Ho, ho, hold up," Buzz interjected. "You did not just say Reapers. Don't tell me you actually think those things exist."

"Well, what the hell else do you think it is?" I inquired defensively. "The Alliance isn't going to try any deep cover operations after what Commander Shepard supposedly did on Aratoht. The other species don't really have any quarrel with the batarians, and what else is there outside our galaxy?"

"Hey, hey," Sally jumped in. "There's no reason to get worked up about this. Enemies are enemies. Let's wait until we actually get the call to kick their asses before we start worrying about specifics."

"Now that I can live with." Alan said, settling our dispute. "We're here anyhow. Let's get 'em all mustered up. You do the honors, Chuck."

"Right," I put on my business face, walked over to the intercom handset for the deck, and detached it from its holster. "Reveille reveille reveille! Marines, attention! Starting now and lasting indefinitely, you are to wear your hardsuits and all five of your assigned weapons at all times except for showering and using the head. You're to have your full helmet either on or within reach." As if on cue, groaning and cursing could be heard coming from the racks and sleeper pods. That's why they wanted me to do it. "The time is 0515. You have until 0600 to take care of your hygiene, get changed, and muster in the shuttle bay for a briefing from Lieutenant Knight and Lieutenant Crossfield." I hung up the headset. "All right, let's get down there."

The six of us grabbed MREs from one of the galley cabinets and headed back to the elevator. Buzz hit the button for the shuttle bay, and we began the long and slow descent to the ship's bottom deck. Seriously, it's the twenty-second century. Why the piss are elevators on Alliance ships so goddamn slow? The intel brief in the CIC suddenly had me dwelling on the relationship (or whatever it was) I had with Commander Shepard. I hadn't written to her since inviting her to my commissioning ceremony almost four months ago. Unfortunately, she was forced to decline due to having just turned herself and the Normandy in at Alliance HQ in Vancouver. Even then, I doubted she would have driven or flown all the way down to New Orleans just to see some guy she slept with get his gold bars pinned on and receive his sword.

"Chuck, you straight?" Alan waved a hand in front of my eyes.

"Huh?" I realized the elevator had opened and the other Lieutenants were starting to file out. "Yeah, guess I just started daydreaming."

"All right. You had this far-off look in your eyes and I thought you were about to pass out or something. Anyhow, let's do this." The six of us stepped out into the massive shuttle bay. Rows and rows of UT-47A Kodiaks and M35 Makos sat idle along the bulkheads, while makeshift workout equipment (spare Mako cannons as pull-up bars, for example) sat unused near the middle. Lieutenants Knight and Crossfield were near the middle, tearing open packets of spaghetti and bread.

"Take this time to eat and get your gear from the lockers, ladies and gents," Knight called out. "We've got a busy day ahead of us."

By 0600, all of the Marines had fallen into their respective platoons, with us six 2nd Lieutenants standing in front of them facing Staff Lieutenants Knight and Crossfield.

"ALPHA COMPANY!" Knight barked.

"PLATOON!" Alan, Valentina, and Christa turned their heads and called.

"ATTEN-HUT!" Knight's voice cracked like a whip, and the first three platoons snapped from parade rest to the position of attention.

"BRAVO COMPANY!" Crossfield yelled.

"PLATOON!" Buzz, Sally, and I turned our heads and shouted.

"TEN-HUT!" Crossfield's voice echoed, and the remaining three platoons snapped to attention.

"Most, if not all of you," Knight began. "are probably wondering why you're in full gear. I'll put it to you clear, no BS: there's some shit coming and we have to be ready. I know it sucks, but it's what you signed up for. Platoon commanders, you're to continue maintaining your Marines to the high level of readiness we've established."

"That means weapons maintenance, that means close order drill, and that means physical training," Crossfield added. "I'll let you schedule and delegate as you see fit. That's all from me." I turned toward my platoon, deciding simply to wing whatever speech I had to give.

"I know y'all don't want to hear my blather on about the importance of maintaining your bodies and staying fit to fight and shit, so I'll make this short, sweet, and to the point. There's a war ahead of us. Not everyone will be going home alive after it's all over. I hate to say it, but we have to face facts. If there's anyone in your life you're close to or need to settle things with, now's probably the time to do it. You know I'm not big on drill, but today I expect every one of you to clean your weapons and do the barbell lifting circuit I wrote, along with pull-ups and crunches. We'll do a knockout drill competition later if we have time. Platoon Sergeant, I have some business I need to take care of. You're in charge until I get back. Dismissed!"

I opened the hatch on a Mako and climbed into the turret, one of those places that made most people feel claustrophobic but gave me a sense of security and coziness. I then pulled out my DataPad and began typing an email draft.

Commander Shepard,

Hey, it's Chuck. How are you, other than antsy from being locked up at Alliance HQ? I'm on the Nairobi, and I finally have my own command. 40 Marines, all ready to kick down the gates to Hell if I asked them to. God, that must seem like another life to you. I mean, I guess it was considering those two years you were, well, you know.

Anyway, that's not what I wanted to say. The thing is, Shepard, I miss you. I know you said to try and find someone else, but there's no one out there I feel anything for except for you. I'm sure you hear this all too often, but you inspire me more than anyone else does. I'd sort of idolized and developed a crush on you since seeing your Spectre induction those three years ago, and it was love at first sight that month later when I met you at Purgatory and you took me back to your ship. You're the epitome of a leader, a fighter and a human, and I want to be just like you one day. But besides that, I want to see your beautiful face, hold your glorious body in my arms, and kiss your soft lips again. I need you in my life again.

I don't know how much you're hearing back on Earth, but those Reapers you keep on trying to warn everyone about? I think they're coming. Admiral Singh sent out a message to all the ships in our fleet, and a few hours ago we had an intel brief saying that the whole batarian race just went silent. Just, if I don't ever see you again, know that I cherish the short time we had together. It was one of the few that made me really feel human. Please, stay safe.

Very respectfully,

Chuck

A/N: Whew! That was fun. By the way, I know continuity seems to be a bit screwy. It's because I never planned this story to go anywhere past the first chapter. But I got it figured out, though. The first chapter (AKA the sex scene) took place in 2183, let's say after Therum (the Purgatory club existed back then). The second, third, and this one are taking place in the last couple of months between the end of the Arrival DLC and the start of Mass Effect 3. Oh, and the next chapter is going to be very interesting. I'm basically going to be novelizing the Fall of Earth. You know, that whole Codex entry where the Reapers pour through the relays, destroy Arcturus Station, etc. Yeah, I'll strive to do that justice. Again, please review so I know what I'm doing right and wrong. I honestly feel like my writing is slipping a bit.