November 25, 2188
The sun was already high in the sky when Sam Shepard woke. As his eyes opened, he quickly screwed them shut again as a ray of sunlight shot right into his eyes.
Sitting upright, he shook his head to wake himself. Sam was answered by a dull ache, and he groaned loudly.
"Damn it. Glyph, what time is it?"
A bright blue orb materialized at his bedside.
Flaring to life the info drone Glyph answered, "It is 11:18 AM, Commander Shepard. May I recommend a dose of pain relief and a side of toast do help with your hangover?"
"Don't worry," Sam said as he rubbed his temples.
"I'll be fine."
Forcing himself off the bed Sam looked out the window of his small lake house. The water outside shimmered as it was stirred by a light breeze, and the sunlight was reflected by hundreds of ripples across its surface.
Damn. Missed another good sunrise.
In the morning light, Sam could see his pale, rugged face reflected on the glass wall in front of him. What used to be merely a light stubble was now turning into a beard, and his dark brown hair was matted by what must have been a wild night.
Behind him, there was a soft stir, and a woman's voice called out his name.
Sam smiled, turning away from the lake to look at the beautiful blue form laid out on his bed. Liara T'soni rested on her side, propping herself on her elbow as she looked at him.
"How long did we sleep in this time?"
"It doesn't matter. At least we have the time to sleep at all, now." Sam walked over to sit beside her, taking her hand in his and giving her a deep kiss.
"Morning."
"My head feels like it's about to fall right off," the asari doctor said, stepping off the bed and making her way to their shower.
Usually Sam would have enjoyed taking in the sight of his naked girlfriend walking to their shower. Perhaps he would have joined her. But the throbbing in his head grew worse, and he dissuaded himself from it.
As Liara cleaned herself Sam moved to the kitchen and began making breakfast for them both.
"Glyph, the morning news?"
"Yes, commander."
The info drone buzzed past him, switching on the TV screen mounted on the wall.
ALLIANCE NEWS NETWORK
-Humanity's Voice Abroad
Post-War with Khalisah al-Jilani
Sam allowed himself a grin as a familiar faced flashed across the screen. Seated at a desk was a reporter he had encountered several times over the past few years. As recently as two years ago, he had hated this woman with a passion.
But time and a destructive war had a way of changing one's perspective.
"Good morning, I'm Khalisah al-Jilani. As we draw near the two-year anniversary of victory in the terrible Reaper War, we at ANN wish to offer our continuing support for the families who are still rebuilding and recovering.
Today, a public gathering is taking at the war memorial in greater London. Veterans of the conflict will speak on behalf of their fallen comrades, and our fellow Council races who lent their aid when our world needed it most."
Unable to resist, Sam chuckled at the reporter's kind words towards the end. They were a far cry from her tune when she first met him.
And his brother.
He finished preparing a meal for himself and Liara and sat at the table, downing a gulp of orange juice.
His omni-tool pinged, and he checked it as the ANN report continued.
From: Miranda
Commander,
Hope shore leave has been treating you well. I heard you and Liara had another late night out.
Your brother sends his best, says he won't be back from the hike for a few days.
Also, might want to check the news at about three o'clock. It's airing today.
Regards,
Miranda Lawson
P.S. Oriana called. Says you still owe her a rematch at the Kepesh-Yakshi table.
"Ben is still in the Sierra?"
Sam closed the omni-tool as Liara's arms crossed over his shoulders. She was wearing a dark grey sweater marked with blue asari glyphs, a gift from Kelly Chambers.
"He just needs some time. Probably wants to wait a while, until the media buzz dies down."
"Miranda said the special is coming on today. I understand if you don't want to watch, but…"
"No," he answered and spun on his feet to look at Liara.
"It's alright. You can go ahead and put it on. Just make sure you dial everyone else in when they call. Joker and Karin spent weeks planning this out, I don't want to disappoint them.
Ben and Miranda will probably be watching too, wherever they are."
At a mountain peak overlooking miles of forest below, the former commander of the SSV Normandy stopped to catch his breath after a long climb.
Ben Shepard took off a pair of sunglasses, taking in the serene view around him. There was not a skycar to be seen. No noises except those of nature. None of the urban bustle of the Citadel.
It was just him and the open world. A world he had almost given his life for many times over.
Wiping a thin sheen of sweat from his face, Ben took a swig from a heavy bottle of water and sat on a rocky outcrop to catch his breath. The wind was picking up now, and as it ruffled
Only half a minute into his peaceful sitting the earpiece he'd brought with him vibrated. Sighing resignedly, he tapped it.
"Hey, Commander."
"Joker."
"Got about five minutes before your big break in TV. The whole crew's going to be sharing a call when it happens. Sort of what they used to call a "group chat", back in the day. You sure you don't want to join?"
"No thanks. I'll be fine out here. And really, you don't have to call me commander anymore."
"Sorry, old habits. Anyway, enjoy the hike, send any pictures you can…
Sir."
Ben could hear Joker snickering, but before he could scold the pilot, he heard a light crackle and the call was cut off.
Even as he prickled at Joker's snarking, Ben at least appreciated his old friend taking the time to call.
It was good to know time hadn't dulled his sense of humor.
Ben reached into his backpack, extracting a datapad. With the tap of a button it flared to life and the ANN network was displayed onscreen.
"You alright up there?"
Miranda Lawson's voice rang out from twenty feet below. The former Cerberus agent was walking up the mountain after him, albeit taking her time.
She was not dressed in her usual skintight suit, nor the combat fatigues she adopted later in the Reaper War. Today she wore a simple grey tank top and dark blue athletic leggings. Her dark hair was held back in a ponytail, keeping it out of her face as a chilly wind picked up around them.
"I'm alright," Ben replied.
"You sure?"
Miranda caught up to Ben, placing her hands on her hips and taking a deep breath.
"Looked like you were in a bit of a hurry."
Kicking back against the rock, Ben took another gulp from his bottle. "Maybe I just wanted to beat you up here."
"Hmph. And you always said I was too competitive."
Miranda slouched against the rock, looking down at the screen.
"You think they'll do you boys justice?"
Ben did not answer. He was not going to make any decision now, how could he?
He and his brother did their best to help the galaxy understand the truth, as did their old squadmates. No tall tales, no propaganda. Just the facts.
What these people chose to do with it, that was up to them.
The clock changed to 3:00 PM, and the program finally began.
"Commander Shepard. It's hard to go anywhere in the galaxy where those words don't elicit a strong reaction. From Earth to Elysium, from the glittering skylines of Illium to the dark slums of Omega, the names Benjamin and Samuel Shepard are synonymous with heroism and leadership.
The service of both Shepards has spawned many tall tales and legends. But who are the men behind the legends?"
Jeff "Joker" Moreau
Pilot of the SSV Normandy
"Oh god, really? Who are they? That's a hell of a question.
I mean, I can give you the short answer. They're damn good soldiers and the best men I know. You want the long answer, we'd be here for days."
Steven Hackett
Admiral in the Alliance Navy
"Simply put, those boys are heroes. Both answered the call of duty, hell I'd say they went above and beyond. You ask me who a loyal, dedicated soldier is, I point right to them."
(News footage of the Skyllian Blitz, as Commander Benjamin Shepard holds the line against batarian soldiers, before a cut to Samuel Shepard presenting at the memorial on Akuze)
"Since enlisting in the Alliance military, the Shepards led long and storied careers. Until two years ago, when they brought an end to the Reaper War, the most devastating conflict in galactic history."
(Broadcasts of the united galactic fleets battling the Reapers above Earth, a Geth Prime extracting a survivor from the wreckage of London and the Citadel undergoing repairs after the battle)
"A victory that came at great cost to all, and saw the eldest brother retire from service while the younger continues to serve today."
(Grainy surveillance footage of Ben Shepard boarding a civilian vessel to Earth)
Emily Wong
Reporter for ANN
"Hello, I'm Emily Wong. For the past five years, I've had the privilege to follow the Shepards' exploits. Now, for the first time, an in-depth look at the lives of Benjamin and Samuel Shepard, heroes of the Reaper War."
-SPECTRES-
COMMANDERS OF THE NORMANDY
Presented by Alliance News Network
PART I
EARTHBORN
(Opening shot of a sunrise over the San Francisco Bay)
"Benjamin Shepard was born in 2152. No records of his larger family remain, only that he was brought up into a poor community and his younger brother was born roughly two years later.
Orphaned at an early age, the pair grew up in the slums beneath San Francisco. By their teenage years, both had been forced to resort to drastic means to survive. Rumors have floated about of an entanglement with various street gangs, such as the Tenth Street Reds."
Jeff Moreau
"Okay, just want to be clear here, you got their permission to talk about all this, right?"
Emily Wong
"Of course. Our correspondents contacted them a week ago."
Jeff Moreau
"Great."
Emily Wong
"Tell me, do the commanders ever talk about their time on the streets?"
Jeff Moreau
"Not often, and when they do, they're pretty scant on the details. I don't really want to pry into it. They were just kids, and they only had each other.
Can't imagine what that was like."
Kelly Chambers
Veterans Therapist, Former yeoman on the SSV Normandy
"One of the first things you have to understand about Sam, and Ben too, is that hardship and violence is something they've known all their lives. It's followed them wherever they go.
Sometimes it seems they themselves are drawn to it. Shortly after he retired, Ben and I had a call that lasted almost a whole afternoon. He knows it's going to be hard to leave all this behind, close the book and start again.
This was his whole life."
July 7th, 2168
As the last rays of sunlight vanished over the water, the city pier stood black against the dusky sky. Wisps of cloud reached above where the sun had just set, lit up like flames. Far behind the pier, the city of San Francisco stood in a glittering display of glass and concrete.
It was a beautiful sight, something one could put to canvas and display in an art museum.
But the peaceful setting was broken as the shapes of two small boys rushed down from the city streets to the pier. Each wore a mask that covered his face up to the nose, as well as a set of night vision goggles.
"Are they still behind us?"
The taller of the two managed a glance behind them. Rounding the street corner just thirty yards back was a police car, its siren blaring loudly and the familiar red and blue lights illuminating the street.
"Shit! Yeah, they are!"
Pulling into a full-on sprint, the other boy gestured his companion to follow him and reaches the edge of the pier.
"Okay, if they could see us, they'd have a drone hovering right over us by now. Jump!"
The taller boy faltered.
"Jump? It's probably freezing in…"
The other flicked his wrist, and a blue shimmer surrounded his hand. The tall boy was pushed forward by an invisible force, and with a yelp he fell straight into the water.
His biotic companion dove in gracefully. It was dark under the water, dark enough that they could barely see where they were going until he lit his hand again. Before long they found their destination, a drain that led to an air pocket beneath the local district.
The air pocket stretched out into the underbelly of San Francisco, a vast sprawling series of tunnels and slums that acted as a town all on its own.
Just next to the water was a cavern, carved out from what used to be a sewer. Now it was the headquarters of the Tenth Street Reds.
After a minute of swimming through the freezing drain, the boys surfaced to the cheers of a hundred boys and girls present.
"That wasn't so bad," the smaller boy said through chattering teeth, "Was it?"
"I hate you so much right now," the other boy griped, taking a blanket from his girlfriend, who began chiding him for his tardiness.
"You two were supposed to show up half an hour ago! What took you so long?"
"Ask him!"
The other boy stepped out of the water. Sam Shepard was smaller than most of the other Reds his age, but his wiry frame and biotics made him one of their more capable 'scavengers'. Coupled with an entire childhood's worth of fights and growing biotic potential, it was hard for any of the other Red boys to boss him around.
Save for one.
Shaking out his wet, messy hair, Sam looked around to see several others beginning to glare daggers at him.
"Okay, what? What? We made it back at all, didn't we? And we managed to shake the cops, and we got all this."
He lifted several packs of batteries from his pocket. "To keep the lights going another week or two.
They're nice and sealed, so don't worry about all the water."
Sam's friends in the gang rushed in and he handed the packages off, yet while they kept on cheering the others kept their distance. Tonight was not the first night Sam came home late, for any number of reasons.
On the way to his tent, two of the Reds passed by him and muttered different insults his way.
"Lightbulb."
"Freak."
Sam felt like giving each of them a sharp elbow in the ribs, but he thought better of it and just kept walking. So what if he could move things with his mind and light a fire, because some glowing blue dust his mother had picked up while she was still carrying him?
Wherever she was, whoever she was, that was her fault. Not his. He was just making the most of what he had.
Sam rushed to his tent and changed out of his wet clothes. Leaving them to dry he gathered a bundle of spare wood and paper into his homemade fireplace. Snapping his fingers, he sent a charge of dark energy into the bundle and warmed his hands next to the ensuing fire.
When he could at last feel his knuckles again Sam donned a worn sweater and heavy cargo pants. He hopped onto his sleeping back, pulling out the book he had stuffed into it before leaving.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Sam opened to where he last left off but could barely get past a few words before the flap of his tent opened.
"Hey there, Robin."
Folding his arms, Ben Shepard looked down at Sam with a frustrated look.
"So, out with it. What kept you this time?"
"We got the supply run. Peter got the food and I got the batteries, then a cop picked up our trail. Apparently, Peter had slashed the tires on his cousin's antique car.
Tires, I didn't even know any car still had those."
"So, it was his fault?"
For as long as either could remember, Ben had a nasty habit of cutting right to the point.
Sam always hated that.
"Okay… I picked up a couple extra packs from the market and dropped them off to the Marshals' house. There, happy?"
Ben sat down, burying his face in his hands.
"Not even remotely. Would you… Would you put down the stupid book and look at me?"
Sam did as he was told and dropped Robin Hood sharply.
"I know you mean well," Ben explained, "but you need to stop playing hero every time a cat gets stuck in a tree. These people, they have rules, boundaries. Look after the people here if you like, but we can't help everyone."
Sam shook his head.
"Ben, it's a gang. I think the general principle here is fuck the rules."
He looked down at the book for a moment, then back up at Ben once more.
"And it works for me. Fuck the rules. It was the right thing to do. Penny and her parents are starving up there. We'll be out of this place soon enough, you keep saying, at least let me do some real good while we're here."
Ben watched Sam, placidly taking in what he had to say.
"Again, I get it. Just, please be careful. Right, wrong, what matters to me is keeping you safe.
It's getting harder to do that, the more you piss these thugs off. I'll always stick up for you, you know that. But I can't do it all by myself."
Sam's eyes drifted.
"Then don't. I can handle it. You don't have to stick up for me."
Ben got up and cocked his head, looking both amused and oddly hurt.
"Yes, I do."
Walking out he left Sam to his thoughts.
"After an entire childhood on their own, the Shepards moved into a shelter for disadvantaged youths in 2170. The following year, things began to change as Samuel Shepard underwent testing for his biotics and was fitting with the implants.
In 2172, both enlisted in the military, and their lives were changed forever."
A photo taken of the Shepards beside their fellow recruits.
Emily Wong
"Your training as marines took you off world, and you didn't return to Earth for many years after. Looking back at that day, did you have any second thoughts about leaving? Is there anything you would have done differently?"
Ben Shepard
First Human Spectre, Former Commander of the SSV Normandy
"...No. I'd promised myself a fresh start, and that meant I had to leave everything behind. Everything. Did I plan to come back here, and make my peace? Find a place to settle down when I was done? Yes.
But it's not much of a life if you spend all of it looking back."
Emily Wong
"And would you say you've done that?"
Ben Shepard
"Done what?"
Emily Wong
"Made your peace? With your discharge from the armed forces, and the start of a new life, would you say you are proud of the one you leave behind?"
Ben Shepard
"Emily, on the Normandy I flew with the best pilot there ever was. I fought next to the bravest men and women I've ever known, and together we saved the galaxy.
With them I didn't just find fellow soldiers. I found a family.
Yeah. I'm proud of that. And I'm ready to see what comes next."
(Aerial shots of the Citadel, then the Alliance Fleet in space)
"The Shepards' recruitment was just the beginning. Several years into their military career, both would be put to the test. One would face a fateful battle, the aftermath is still felt in the political landscape toady, while the other survived a deadly terrorist attack that marked one of the Alliance's first encounters with the terror group called Cerberus.
When we return to SPECTRES, join us as we examine the battle on Elysium and the tragedy of Akuze."
-SPECTRES-
COMMANDERS OF THE NORMANDY
Author's Note: Hey, fellow Mass Effect fans. Long time.
Thought I'd try something new, something different, as I dove back into the world I started with Two Against the Galaxy.
This tale will be half documentary, and half a series of one-shots from the beginning of the trilogy to the end. Their love lives, the crucial choices they make, and their squadmates in the aftermath of the series.
Couple of things you'll notice concerning the lore
1: Yes, the geth are around after the war's end. This applies to the different ending in store.
2: Emily Wong lives. Didn't like what was done to her in supplementary material for the third game, so here she is alive and well, having survived the war.
More will be revealed in time.
Hope you guys like it. Let me know what you think, and I'll see you next time!