Author's Note:
It has been QUITE A WHILE since I last uploaded. That would actually be an understatement. Rest assured, I have not forgotten about this story. Life just has a way of getting IN the way. As far as the actual progress I have made? I've definitely got the drafts of up to chapter 15 done. So there's at least that.
Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful and deep universe that BioWare created for Mass Effect. I don't even own any of these characters, save a few OCs and Shepard herself. So there.
Also, I would really appreciate it if anybody would leave a review. Constructive Criticism is AWESOME. And I don't mean that in the 'If you say I suck I'll ignore you' or the 'Please only give me transparent praise' way. If you see something wrong, tell me. That's why It's up here and not in some back corner of my hard drive!
Chapter 7
February 3, 2185
Normandy SR-2
Deep Space, En Route to Sahrabarik System
Sam Shepard snapped awake tangled in her sheets, sweating.
Well, it's good to know the therapy worked.
She half stumbled out of bed and over to her desk to check the seemingly endless flood of emails she had been receiving.
"Up to twenty this morning. Perfect."
She read through a couple requisition requests the Petty Officer had forwarded and deleted a couple spam messages, but came across one that got her attention. It was from Anderson. Shepard read it through several times, trying to make sense of it all. He knew she was alive, knew she was with Cerberus, and even had her mail account. He was also asking her to come to the citadel to explain herself.
Finally, some sense.
Shepard banged out a quick message to Joker regarding their next port of call and got up to shower down by the crew quarters. As she walked towards the door, she stepped on a recessed pressure pad and the wall next to her office slid open to reveal a large bathroom complete with a shower. Shepard gawked.
This is so against regulations.
She hesitantly stepped inside and peered around. Satisfied it wasn't that opulent, she stripped off her undershirt and undergarments, and tapped the water control. The jet hit her like ice and she flipped the temperature control angrily.
Well, at least now I'm awake.
January 7, 2183
SSV Normandy
Docking Bay 7, Gagarin Station, Sol System
Jeff "Joker" Moreau fiddled with one of the numerous user controls embedded in the ship's software, seemingly oblivious to Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko's approach.
"Joker?"
"Yeah?" he replied, not even turning his head.
"You hear we're getting a new CO?"
"The Captain may have mentioned it. Some war hero or something. A transfer from the Okinawa."
"Can't be any worse than our last one," Alenko offered, nudging Joker's shoulder.
"It's not my fault she was hot!" Joker exclaimed, raising both hands above his head.
"And I'm sure it wasn't your fault she wound up breaking three of your ribs."
"Worth it."
Kaidan closed his eyes and shook his head.
"You're absolutely the worst example of an Alliance soldier I have ever seen."
"I'll take that as a complement. Now if you're done antagonizing the guy in charge of not ramming the ship into the nearest asteroid, I have work to do."
"I just wanted to get your opinion, Moreau,"
"So did our ex-XO."
Kaidan marched out of the bridge without a word, nearly knocking their Captain over.
"Staff Lieutenant, what's the rush?"
"My apologies, Sir, my mind was elsewhere,"
Anderson looked intently at the Staff Lieutenant, then glanced over his shoulder at the pilot, who gave a jaunty wave.
"You don't appear to be busy, so I would like you to give our new CO a tour of the ship. This is Lieutenant Commander Samantha Shepard."
A small, but determined looking woman with chestnut brown hair pulled into a messy bun shook his hand. A subtle change in his magnetic field told him she was a biotic as well.
"Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, at your service ma'am," he offered.
She pierced him with the greenest eyes he'd ever seen, as though examining his thoughts. The subtle field surrounding her pulsed slightly, then she seemed to relax.
"It's a pleasure, Alenko," she said with a low, almost smoky voice that gave him something else entirely to think about.
"Lieutenant Commander Shepard will be taking over for Commander Wulff." Anderson stated.
Kaidan let go of Shepard's hand and, with conscious effort, avoided her gaze.
"Then Wulff won't be back?"
Anderson looked over his shoulder in the direction of the bridge with disdain, then simply said "No."
"Shame, she was just starting to get acclimated here," Kaidan said with the barest hint of humor.
"It will be good to work with another biotic," Shepard said suddenly, confirming Alenko's earlier suspicions. "I haven't had the chance before."
"Well, I guess I'll be the one to do you the honor," Kaidan said thoughtlessly.
February 3, 2185
Normandy SR-2
Deep Space, En Route to Sahrabarik System
Miranda stood impatiently next to the holographic galaxy map in the center of the Normandy SR2's Combat Information Center. When the Commander stepped from the elevator in a freshly-pressed Alliance Captain's uniform it was all she could do not to make a face. She stuffed the emotion back into her subconscious and stepped towards Shepard.
"You're late, Commander," she said, with more venom than she had intended. She quickly gave a small smile to offset it.
"Did you know I have a bathroom, Lawson?"
Miranda inwardly frowned at the odd statement, but kept her features outwardly neutral.
"It was included in the design for the Captain's quarters. The SR2 is not standard military design."
"Obviously." Shepard scoffed, then walked off towards the armory.
"Shep… Commander?"
"Lawson?"
"You have several items on your itinerary for the day. You aren't scheduled to visit Operative Taylor until after lunch…"
"Miranda, I have an assistant already," Shepard said, motioning over to Kelly Chambers, who smiled brightly back.
"I… yes, Commander."
Shepard turned away and walked toward the Armory door. She looked back, but Miranda had already entered the elevator. She continued into the armory, where she found Jacob Taylor standing in front of a fully disassembled M-29 Incisor.
"Just got three of these in this morning, Commander. State-of-the-Art. It'll put three rounds in the head of your target in the same time another rifle would put one."
"Do we even have any marksmen aboard?"
"Not yet, but that should change soon. As I understand it, we've got more crew incoming."
"Your boss sent me a few potential recruits," Shepard said, picking up a large pistol with a mounted laser sight. "How many of these you got?" She asked, waving the handgun.
"He's your boss too."
Shepard glared at him, nearly setting his uniform alight. Jacob held up his hands and backed away, hastily changing the subject.
"Only two. That's an M5 Phalanx. Top secret Alliance development. I pulled a few strings with some friends to acquire those."
"Can I have it?"
"The other one's yours, Commander," he replied, pointing to an unassuming black case on the table in the center of the room.
Shepard flipped the clasps on the case and opened it to see another pistol, this one shiny and new. She pulled it from the foam insert and examined it.
"I think I love you, Mr. Taylor," she breathed, letting her fingers settle on the molded grip.
"You're welcome, Commander."
After a thorough weapons examination, Shepard proceeded to the engineering deck, where she chatted with the engine techs, Ken Donnelly and Gabriella Daniels. The two of them introduced her to the enormous power core, which occupied the entire back section of the ship.
"She's quite a sight, eh Commander?" Donnelly lilted, his Scottish accent giving his every word personality.
"That she is, Donnelly."
"She's the heart of the Normandy. And EDI's the soul."
"EDI?"
A holographic ball on the end of a stalk popped into existence over the nearest console.
"Hello, Commander. I am EDI, the Normandy's artificial intelligence."
Shepard immediately tapped her comm link and pinged Miranda.
"Miranda, get this EDI thing off the ship."
EDI's holographic projection drooped slightly.
"Have I offended?"
Miranda sighed and tapped a button on her desk.
"Commander, we can't just take the ship's AI out."
Honestly… she thought, It's like Shepard didn't even read the manual…
"She was fully merged with the ship's systems this morning. I would have told you that had you stayed to talk."
"AIs are illegal, Miranda. I personally killed over 800 Geth. I destroyed the Reaper Sovereign, and I even shut down the Alliance's Hannibal VI, which nearly killed me with only partial sentience. I want this thing gone."
"I pose no threat to you or your crew, Shepard," interjected the AI. "I am limited to providing tactical advice and controlling the ship's point-defense GARDIAN lasers in a combat scenario. I am further restricted by blocks embedded in my programming."
Shepard eyed the projection suspiciously, then sighed.
"Fine. But the moment I hear anything resembling madness, I'm tearing the AI core out myself."
Joker took that opportunity to announce their arrival at the Citadel and Shepard trooped to the elevator with a few of the engineers. It was time to get off this madhouse.
