For Our Future
One late afternoon as Tukkun was setting on the horizon Tali'Shepard vas Rannoch and Commander John Shepard the Bane of the Reapers, Savior of the Citadel, Destroyer of the Collectors, and the Lion of Elysium sat together with their pet FERNIS mech; Odin, and opened a blank page at their desk. Beginning a memoir; the story of their lives, with all the hardships and tribulations they encountered.
The year was 2183, Shepard watched Earth below him disappear and the Normandy SR-1 come into sight. Supposedly the most advanced warship ever created, and he would serve as XO to a man he deeply respected; Captain Anderson. A father figure towards him after his actual father died when Shepard was 23. He and Shepard had been defending Yeonus; a small human colony being attacked by the scum Shepard hated the most in the galaxy, Batarian slavers coming to haul more innocent Humans to a fate worse than death. Shepard despised their slaving operations after seeing what happened to people that were freed after Alliance battles first-hand.
People locked up in cages too small to even move in just to be treated as animals by their captors with marks indicating torture being a favorite to do to them. Covered in lash marks the victims would be terrified of the armored Humans, thinking they were Batarians coming to do… horrendous things to them. But after all the hardship done by them again and again towards Humanity and Shepard, killing his father most importantly. He was given commendations to begin N7 training, completing it at an exceptional pace being the first to reach that rank at only 24 years old. A training academy filled with things meant to break people to their tipping point then even farther, but those who lasted were given the most advanced armor, weapons, and knowledge known by the Alliance, even some secret technologies they traded with the Shadow Broker for as the rumors go. But as he boarded the Normandy being gawked at for his height, being 6 foot 4 inches, 250 pounds of a muscular physique, with a skinny face dotted with stubble and jet black hair. Those things did not help him though when he had to fit into his sleeper pod, which was built to house only 6'2" servicemen.
"Damn Alliance engineers" Shepard muttered to himself.
He began to walk away from his pod to get a nutrient bar, when something unexpected happened, "COMMANDER SHEPARD SIR!" an obviously younger and much smaller man dressed in Alliance Navy fatigues approached. He began excitedly "my name is Richard Jenkins sir your my CO, I just got out of boot camp I can't wait to get out there and bring the fight to the enemy!".
Shepard could tell he was like every young kid wanting adventurous stories to tell his friends back home "listen," Shepard began. "Can we discuss introductions with the rest of the squad, I was just going to get a nutrient bar then talk to the pilot," explained Shepard.
"Oh ok then! Well, see you in a bit Commander!" Jenkins replied enthusiastically.
So after grabbing his bar, quickly eating it to ignore it's disgusting taste as he walked up the steps to the CIC. Questioning why they added a long staircase to access the most important part of the ship, he reached the cockpit with Staff Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko, a former student of the abandoned BAat program. Shut down silently for whistleblowers telling the media about the miscaring for the kids taken there to be trained in the early days of Human Biotics. A man who Shepard excited to work with, as he hadn't had a Biotic in his squad in a long time, at least since the mission to protect a top Alliance admiral from any assassination attempts, even then he was just providing a Biotic barrier to the admiral. "Pilot Moreau, how long until we reach the Charon Relay?" Shepard asked.
Moreau; a skinny man with facial hair on the verge of breaking restrictions, and dawning a navy blue SR-1 hat replied "Commander just call me Joker it's what the rest of the crew calls me anyway."
"Joker, I think you forgot to answer the Commander's question." Kaiden lightheartedly said.
"Oh right, yea we are 3 hours out maybe you should talk to the captain and that SPECTER with his pole up his ass" Joker replied.
"Are you always this much against protocol when talking to a superior ranking person" Shepard chuckled as he said it, not caring very much as he always liked being informal with his subordinates when not in danger. It's what inspired loyalty towards him as they saw him as a fellow soldier, not some up-tight alliance career boy.
"Sorry Commander please don't add to my behavioral reports, they're already filled up to the brim. Besides, no one else can fly this baby like I can" Joker stated proudly.
"Is that so" Kaiden chuckled.
"Yep, you remember to jump up your suit after you leave the bathroom is good, but jumping a 2,500 ton frigate to a target the size of a pinhead is impressive. Look who's laughing now at the kid with fragile bones." Joker mocked
"Wait, fragile bones?" Shepard inquired.
"Wait, you haven't read my files, you're the XO I thought you would know." Joker turned around surprised.
"Here we go." Kaiden put his hand to his forehead and began to shake his head.
"No, wait what do you mean by 'fragile bones.'" Shepard questioned
Joker began, "ok so, I was born with a condition where my bones are fragile as glass. But ask me to make the Normandy dance and I'll do it, just don't ask me to get up and dance, unless you like the sound of snapping bones."
"Look Joker," Shepard said, "you don't have to prove that to me only to the Captain and if I wanted to hear snapping bones I could just get Alenko to biotic throw you" He joked, "speaking of which about the captain, I should go" Shepard began to walk away towards the communications room but when he entered he only saw the SPECTER; Nihlus a Turian with red and black armor, with white colony markings, and a stone expressionless face.
"Shepard, I'm glad you're here first I wanted to talk," Nihlus said with an unreadable expression on his face. "I heard we're heading to Eden Prime. Do you believe humanity is able to really defend itself or is your Alliance not ready for the dangers of the galaxy? Actually, nevermind that question I sound like a racist, I look forward in seeing you in combat as a candidate"
Surprised, Shepard responded, "Sir, I don't understand a candidate for what?"
"You're being chosen to represent your species as a SPECTER if you succeed in the coming missions per my request," Nihilus told.
Me, a SPECTER that would be an impressive title to add on my service record, though I won't have much of a team to work with. That thought got Shepard not feeling as happy, he always loved being able to work with teammates to accomplish a mission. "I look forward to it sir" Shepard rescinded, just then Captain Anderson entered the Com room.
"I think it's time we told Shepard what's really going on in this mission to Eden Prime," Anderson proclaimed
"This mission is far more than a shake-down run," Nihlus added
"What do you mean 'far more than a shake-down. What's being hidden sir'" Shepard asked the Captain.
"We found a Prothean beacon on the planet, we need to go down and pick it up as fast as possible so no one else takes it. This information is strictly on a need to know bases," Anderson explained.
"Wait, like the one on Mars. Sir respectively that put humanity forward 200 years why only send one frigate down to retrieve it," the commander asked flabbergasted.
"With the new stealth drive we can be much more inconspicuous than the entirety of the alliance fleets" Nihlus explained.
But right then Joker came in through the intercom "captain feed from Eden Prime just came through, I think you'll want to see this"
"Patch it through Joker," stated Anderson
Gunfire. Plasma weapons shooting everywhere "We are under attack. I REPEAT UNDER ATTACK!" just then a massive squid-like starship Shepard had never seen before emerged out of the black clouded sky. Coursing with red energy around its body but right then it made a screech so loud it was deafening if not for the limits on how high the volume could be. Right after that the screen cut to black.
"What the hell was that?" Anderson said to himself, "Joker move the video and pause at 6.45 minutes now!" he said right after that.
The image of the massive ship again took over the entire Omni-projection "Commander gather your team and meet me in the cargo bay, we're going to drop in and retrieve the beacon at all costs." commanded Nihlus in his usual plain tone.
With that Shepard began to quickly walk towards the cargo bay to retrieve his gear, "VI tell my team to suit up and get ready for briefing in 0045"
"Yes commander" the VI responded
Almost 10 minutes later the team was assembled suiting up as Shepard began slowly, "Ok team this is the first real mission together, this isn't the sims if you get killed you're not gonna just feel some pain from the bolts of electricity." but, he could still see Jenkins eagerly put on his combat gear. "And Jenkins no playing hero if we work as a team we'll get to see another day but if you get excited and chase the enemy you won't be heading home in medals but a coffin" Shepard tried to explain.
"Don't worry sir I plan on returning in one piece, I don't wanna emotionally kill my ma back home on Terra Nova." Jenkins replied as formal as a rookie could be.
"Good, well besides that we haven't talked during our sim adaptations to a squad so Alenko this is Jenkins, Jenkins this is Alenko, and finally Alenko, Jenkins I'm Commander Shepard your CO" Shepard introduced. He continued, "But enough of that let's finish up the last of our suits and group up with Nihlus so we can hell-drop"
"HU-RAH!" Kaiden and Jenkins said in unison.
"Shepard we'll be dropping in two different landing zones 3 klicks away, I prefer to work alone but I'll be able to still review your helmet-cam footage and our comlinks for your test in becoming a SPECTER," Nihlus said as he strapped into his drop-pod "but remember commander com silence.".
"Yes sir, we'll regroup later on," Shepard responded diligently. "Let's get into our drop pod men" he commanded, entering a tight pod able to fit 4 marines, each with their own harness and shelf seat. Once they were all strapped in the lights turned a ghostly deep red.
The pod VI then began to give a countdown sequence "all users prepare, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, launch initiated." a loud bang was heard signaling the clamps had detached. The pod began to shake violently as Shepard could see through the small port side viewing hole flames burning the outside as they entered the atmosphere. His mind instantly switched into command mode as he could hear the VI count down the altitude. And most of all praying to whatever is above that the pods thrusters shoot off, as it was very common for drop-pods to have malfunctions leading to it smashing into the ground at terminal velocity. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of watching Jenkins hold in his stomach contents and listening to the VI he could hear the tell-tale sign of the boosters shooting off to slow them down at the last second. "Touchdown, all occupants please disengage seat harnesses' ' breathing a sigh of relief he unlocked the harness and grabbed his assault rifle off his back, I have no idea what's out there but I have no care to find out.
"Ok squad move out and form up on me!" Shepard yelled.
"SIR YES SIR!" they chanted in succession.
"The hell are those things?" Kaiden asked as he pointed towards fat beige floating animals.
"Gasbags don't worry they're harmless but don't pop them they can be loud if they rupture," Jenkins told Kaiden.
"Sounds easy enough," Shepard added.
"Hold position," Shepard said; seeing something was up ahead, what were those; drones maybe? But Jenkins had other plans, he wanted to see what those things were so he could tell such unbelievable stories, going against his better judgment.
Against direct orders, Jenkins moved ahead "JENKINS what are you doing" the commander yelled as quietly as he could. Then suddenly the drones emerged and started firing rapidly plasma weaponry which Jenkins shields after so many shots, could not hold with the plasma bolts melting his chest open. "OPEN FIRE, I REPEAT OPEN FIRE" Shepard yelled, they made quick work of the drones, the creators obviously not caring about shielding it. Once killed Shepard steadily approached Jenkins and was about to open a medi-gel stim but after seeing the damage saw he had already passed "I'm sorry Jenkins, I'm sorry" he said mournfully. He had seen soldiers die on Elysium in mass numbers but the pain of not saving them never goes away. "Alenko mark this position so it can be picked up later for a proper funeral but keep ur mind clear we need to keep going," he told Kaiden.
"Aye aye, sir" Kaiden responded. And after fighting through waves of the drone type creatures Nihlus came over the com and told him he was going to investigate the shipping docks.
"Let's keep moving." the commander said. But right after crossing a small forest, he saw a woman dressed in Colonial guard battle armor running from the… Geth? I thought those robots didn't come out of the old Quarian systems why the hell are they in Alliance space putting people on stakes, this situation just got a whole lot worse he thought to himself. After dispatching the Geth he approached the women.
She began breathlessly "Gunnery chief Ashley Williams thanks for saving my ass back there"
"You're welcome now, what's the status here?"
"Communications and defense platforms are offline, sir. I've been fighting for my life ever since my squad got wiped out by those Geth." she told, "they must've been after the beacon we uncovered".
"That's classified intel how did you know about that discovery," Shepard asked
"We're a small outpost if something happens everyone in town usually starts talking" Ashley explained.
"Well join up on the squad if you still got a fight in you because we're after that beacon" offered the commander.
"Aye aye, sir" she simply responded.
After fighting through hoards of Geth and talking to some insane scientists they finally arrived to see a Turian talking to Nihlus. But something seemed off, just then the other Turian pulled out his Predator and shot Nihlus; killing him instantly. "Holy hell what just happened?" Ashley muttered already knowing the answer to her question. As the other Turian told the Geth to shut down the train he hopped on a shuttle and began to go towards the other station. Seeing his time to strike Shepard vaulted over his cover and slowly made his way over to the Geth activating his tech armor to help stop a few more rounds from penetrating his shielding system. Pulling out his M-9 Avenger he switched it to burst-fire mode signaling Kaiden and Ashley to provide long-range cover with their Mantis sniper rifles. Once the first Geth got far enough away from the rest of his squad Shepard fired. "Gottcha you piece of plastic," he whispered.
But seeing two more Geth troopers approach his position he opened his Omni-tool and activated an overload on one of the Geth. Seeing his comrade go down the other raised his assault rifle to where Shepard was covered only to get a fist-sized hole in his chest instantly killing it. Once Shepard cleared out the rest with a combination of biotic, tech, and just pure gunfire he signaled his team to regroup on him. Kaiden started, "Too bad we weren't close enough to distract that other Turian from killing Nihlus"
"Kaiden mark his body location as well as upload his armor footage to my Omni-tool. I'll need this to get that other Turian in custody." Shepard ordered "And let's hop on that train we have to reach the beacon it's still our priority mission"
"Sir, yes, sir" He replied. Once they arrived at the station they heard the other Turian announce something along the lines of.
"All of you I want you to blow this place into oblivion and recover the beacon." The grey colored Turian ordered his Geth servants. Shepard and his team quickly diffused all the bombs and took out the Geth just in time before they took the Prothean Beacon.
"Ground team to Normandy do you read." Shepard began to give the coordinates for pick up but whilst doing that Ashley's curiosity got the better of her and began to walk towards the beacon, glowing green devilishly.
"Arghh" Ashely grunted, Shepard hearing this turned around and made a bolt towards her; he wasn't about to let another squad member die today. But as he threw her away from its grasps it consumed him, feeding him thoughts of organic and synthetic flesh being combined, screeching horrific sounds ending with an explosion, and then blackness; he had gone unconscious and the evac just became a lot more serious.
Author notes: There we go, the first chapter done thanks for reading, more to come soon.