Chapter 1

"Fallen"

"No man ever achieved worthwhile success who did not, at one time or other, find himself with at least one foot hanging well over the brink of failure"

-Napoleon Hill

"Captain, you will be stripped of your rank and command. From this point on you will be Commander Benjamin Wolf and will report to Captain Arterious with the joint fleet. Consider yourself lucky Commander, most people would be dishonorably discharged, but we took into consideration your admirable service record upto this point. Do you have any questions, Commander?" Wolf scanned the faces of the board, before shaking his head in disgrace. "No, sir, I do not" he said, trying to hide his remorse. "Then Commander, you are dismissed and are to report to the Houston tomorrow." Wolf bowed his head slightly, before stepping off the raised podium he stood on. Turning around, he could almost feel the eyes of the admiralty board burning a hole in his back. They had every right to strip him of his command and take his bars. It didn't lessen the injury to his pride, however. Wolf continued his walk of shame from the Admiralty Board's chambers and out into the busy streets of London.

Wolf looked around at the towering skyscrapers and sighed deeply. He barely ever made it back home to Earth the entirety of his six-year service with the Alliance. There was never any reason for him to visit he had no family and everyone he cared about was out in the galaxy. Some were military and others were outcasts like him. His opinion of those who lived on Earth was quite low, matched maybe by his opinion of those who lived on the Citadel. He gritted his teeth as he remembered the giant space station - the lost sight of the real dangers and problems of the galaxy. The Council refused to make the hard decisions that needed to be made. All the Citadel residents talked about was parties and local politics. Meanwhile, soldiers like him were fighting wars to keep them comfortable. He and his men were the ones who stood the line against the horrors of the galaxy, not the politicians.

Entering a nearby taxi, he entered the name of his hotel on the prompt screen in the cab. Acknowledging with a chirp,the cab lifted from the ground and took off towards the heart of London. He couldn't help but let his mind languish in what had just happened as he watched the buildings zip by. London was beautiful in a way, as much as he hated the city The buildings shimmered in the setting sun and the nightlife began to peek out from around the corner. London was known for its clubs and bars. They were some of the major party scenes for the wealthy and powerful of the city. One bar he frequented in particular during his trips to Earth had a massive marble lobby, adorned with large innate supports and filled with soft piano music. It reminded him of the old ways, when Earth had class and was filled with the people who would stand up and do what was right, no matter the consequences. That's how Wolf viewed himself, as someone who would do what needed to be done. He was 6'2" and muscular - not many people told him what to do. Whatever he couldn't usually solve through brute force, he'd resolve with a silver tongue. His ways of being diplomatic had gotten him far in the Alliance and helped him rub shoulders with all the right people. It'd been a skill that aided him in getting his command; he had several high-ranking officials vouch for his character. Of course, it didn't matter now, they all recused themselves from his current predicament.

The hotel lobby was calming, filled with the soft sound of piano music that Wolf had so enjoyed. It was usually a good backdrop for drinking his problems away. At least that was the case during his divorce. Even thinking about her gave him a bad taste in his mouth. A taste that required a drink, now that he thought about it. Wolf quickly made his way to the bar, where an eager quarian awaited his request. "Can I get you anything sir?" she asked. Wolf couldn't help but smile at her. Even under her environmental suit, he could hear her intrigue. Or maybe he was imagining it. He always liked quarians. They were honest and generally to the point. He had always wanted to be with one and now seemed like as good a time as any. Not like he had a reputation to worry about anymore with the Alliance. He had sunk as low as he could. "I can think of a few things, but let's start with an Earth whiskey neat," Wolf said with a sly smirk. The female quarian chuckled a little, acknowledging his subtly. "One whiskey coming up." She turned from the counter, grabbing a tumbler from the shelf and a bottle of brown liquid. The mark of a good bartender was how they poured the whiskey. It couldn't be too fast where it would splash on to the sides of the glass but it couldn't be too slow either, where the customer would get impatient. The quarian poured the whiskey with grace, being careful to keep the glass as neat as possible. Putting the bottle down, she grabbed a napkin from the cart next to her and placed it onto the bar, the glass on top of it. "There you are. If you need anything else, let me know," she said chipperly. She then turned away, walking to another customer.

Wolf grabbed the glass and began to sip the whiskey slowly. He looked down to find something written on his napkin that almost took him by surprise. "I get off at 1900, met me out front." He had never known a quarian to be so forward before. Usually, most females enjoyed a little cat and mouse, but not this one, apparently. Then again, there was a reason he liked quarians - they were usually honest and forward. Smiling at the note, he looked up at the bartender to find her keeping a watchful eye on him as she talked to her other customer. She was paying just enough attention to the turian to get his order and pour his drink. He couldn't help a nagging feeling something was off about her though.. Quarians were generally xenophobic and not exactly big on interspecies relationships. Of course, what he had in mind wasn't a relationship, but even a night with a human could be deadly to them. Wolf tried to push the concern from his mind as best he could, though he was naturally suspicious by nature. Pulling up his omni tool, he looked at the time, trying to see how much longer he had to wait. It was already 1848, so he didn't have enough time to change out of uniform before meeting the bartendern. Which reminded him - he didn't even know her name.

Approaching him again, she looked at his glass and then met his eyes. "Do you need anything else, before shift change?" she asked, slightly tilting her head. "Yes actually, I just have one question. What's your name?" he asked with a slight smile. "Solae," she chirped again, then walked off towards the end of the bar where she met another male turian that he assumed was her replacement. Wolf stood up from the bar and started walking back to the lobby of the hotel. He assumed she would find him, at least that's how it sounded. He paced calmly around the lobby, waiting for his new friend to show up.

Whilst being behind the bar, Wolf hadn't realized how appealing Solae's figure was. She caught his eye as soon as she stepped out from a door reading "Staff Only" across the lobby. Her slender figure was one that you'd find on a goddess statue in Ancient Greece. Most men would probably try to win her favor if she wasn't a quarian, an unfortunate reality in the galaxy. Most viewed them as thieves and vermin and they were hardly acknowledged as existing when seen in public, treated more like a fixture on the street than anything.

"Hey," Solae said nervously.

"Hey back, you look incredible. I'm surprised I've never met you before, how long have you been working here?"

"I've been here for about two years or so. I've seen you a couple times. Always thought you were quite charming, from what I overheard. You sometimes had other women with you. I assume that's why you don't remember me." She chuckled half-heartedly.

"Ah, yes. Those were business-related, believe it or not."

"Not," she answered jokingly.

He laughed, picking up on her sarcasm. "And you have a sense of humor, got the whole package going on, huh?"

"I do work at a bar, you almost have to have a tainted sense of humor. It might as well be on the job posting."

Smiling, Wolf touched the small of her back and suggested in a nonverbal way that they go somewhere else. Solae just smiled and let him lead her.

"Where are we going?" she asked coyly.

"I figured me and you could go have a drink at a private little bar I know of. I hear the drinks are cheap and I know the owner." He chuckled lightly while escorting her in to one of the main elevators in the lobby.

Pushing the 20th-floor button once inside, the lift shot up the hotel tower. "So, what brings you all the way to London?" he asked.

"I'd love to say it was a part of my pilgrimage, but that would be a lie," she responded with disgrace in her voice.

"I feel like there is a big story there. Would you mind telling me about it? As long as I'm not being too nosy?" Wolf requested.

The lift dinged and was followed by a soft female voice notifying its passengers they had arrived at their selected floor. Wolf led Solae from the lift and into the marble-floored hallway of the suites in the hotel.

"No, you're fine. I don't mind talking about it. It's just not one of my finer moments." She shrugged and continued to be led by Wolf to a door labeled 155. He fumbled around in the depths of his breast pocket in search of his hotel key. Pulling out the small chit, he slipped it across a metallic surface, making it chime a cheerful tune.

No longer than it took for Wolf to close the door behind him, than Solae began taking off pieces of her biosuit. Wolf stopped, completely shocked as he turned from the door. The quarian's beauty was more than what he had originally thought. Not many people alive have ever seen a quarian without their masks on. Considering their inability to function for long periods in non-sterile environments, it was a very rare privilege to see.

"Are you going to be alright?" Wolf asked with despair in his voice.

Solae dropped her mask on the floor as she slowly approached Wolf. "I'll be fine. I'm ...more resilient than most quarians, but you're sweet for being concerned." She smiled as she caressed his face.

Solae ran her gloved fingers over Wolf's beard stubble, almost fascinated by the sensation. Pulling her hand from his face, she took her glove off and began to run her hand across his face again. Not much surprised Wolf, but Solae's reaction to the sensation was surprising. She had a smile that ran from ear to ear.

"Am I to assume you don't touch people this way a lot?" Wolf asked with curiosity.

"You're the first human I've ever been with. I've wanted to do that from the day I saw you." She laughed nervously, still touching his face softly. He grabbed her hand, gently putting it to her side as he leaned in to kiss her. His lips met hers, taking her by surprise. She hadn't expected humans' lips to be so soft and moist. He continued to kiss her as he reached his arm around her, pulling her closer. Slowly, his lips began to peck down her neck as he peeled off her biosuit from her skin. She trembled at every feeling against her bare skin, as if it had been the first time she had ever felt anything.