Samantha
Samantha's heart raced. It was time to finally speak with Commander Miriam Shepard, at her request. If they were going to work together, with Sam in charge of all incoming and outgoing communications – she was the most experienced communications person on the ship – and keeping communications open with the ground team, she and Commander Shepard had to get a good feel for each other. At the very least, they needed to speak, introduce themselves, and move past Awkward Stammering Sam. From there, Shepard would tell her what to do.
That actually kind of relieved Sam. She was entirely out of her element on this ship. Being given a task and then performing it gave her some semblance of structure, and that was incredibly welcome right now. Especially because she was technically the senior communications officer – though not actually a commissioned officer – on board, meaning she was technically in charge of the other two who worked the swing and night shifts.
Straightening her hair - down, as was allowed to non-combatants - Samantha took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly to help calm her nerves. She didn't know quite why she was nervous. No, actually, that was a lie. There were many reasons to be nervous, and Sam was having a hard time not thinking of all of them at once. Shepard was a war hero before Sam was even halfway through university. Shepard had earned the Star of Terra for holding the colony of Elysium by herself until Alliance reinforcements were able to respond. The commander had then saved the Citadel from Saren, delaying the Reaper invasion that was now ravaging the galaxy. She again delayed it in the Bahak system, after having gone through the impassable Omega 4 relay to take out the Collectors at their home. The woman had somehow cheated death – the details were difficult to come by – in addition to being the first human Spectre.
Perhaps most breathtaking for Samantha, however, was the simple fact that Shepard had saved her home, her family, landing on Horizon and stopping the Collectors before they could take Sam, Ash, and everyone else on the colony.
Sam had a healthy dose of hero-worship going on, and she was desperate not to disappoint.
"Here goes nothing," she breathed, stepping off the lift and into the hallway outside Shepard's cabin.
"Commander, I'm Communications Spec- oh, dear, I'm sorry! I thought you were alone!" Shit, there's Awkward Stammerer. One more step, and we'll be at Too-Much-Information Sammy.
She had unknowingly walked in on Commander Shepard and Doctor T'Soni standing in the hall, doing… something. Probably talking, but Sam couldn't help but think it was more than a mere conversation between friends. She knew from talking with Ashley that they had been involved at some point, but she had no idea if the commander and the asari had reconciled since Shepard had reappeared on the scene. The way that they stood now, the asari's hand on Shepard's arm, the human leaned against the railing… it certainly seemed familiar. The asari seemed concerned; Shepard as though she were confiding something.
And Samantha had interrupted it.
"I'll just-"
"It is all right," Dr. T'Soni cut her off, turning and striding toward the elevator. "I should be going anyway." And with that, the asari swept past Samantha and onto the lift.
That was… incredibly odd.
"What can I help you with?" Shepard's voice jarred Sam out of her momentary reverie. She sounded… almost tired.
Sam nearly jumped, quickly saluting as she straightened to attention in front of her commander. "Commander Shepard, I apologize. I'm Communications Specialist Samantha Traynor. EDI informed me that you had scheduled us to meet in about five minutes, but I like to make it just a tad early when I can. I was part of the retrofit team, and we were all on the ship when the reapers hit. I-"
Shepard finally cut her off. "Whoa, calm down. Traynor, was it? You're doing fine. Why don't you come in and we can talk a little more casually. I did ask you to come here, after all."
I… was I released from standing at attention? Shit… And why did I blather on while at attention, at that?
Well done with that one, Sammy.
Shepard stared at her another moment before it clicked. "At ease, soldier," she said with a wink, turning and waving Sam to come with her as she stepped through the open door to her cabin. Sam dropped her arm and followed, feeling rather sheepish.
Her eyes wandered around the space as she walked in. She'd known it was large from the ship's schematics, and also knew that the space could hardly be used for much else, so it wasn't like the commander was getting more space at the expense of her crew. She took in the empty fish-tanks along the wall, the long desk and private bathroom, the rather large bed, and…
Oh my God stop staring at her bum, Sam!
Samantha's eyes snapped up to her commander's face just as the woman turned back around. Shepard had dusky skin, a little lighter than Ashley's, covered in darker freckles. Her hair was as dark as Samantha's, short but fine, falling in short, loose curls about her head. She was tall, her frame all lean muscle that her fatigues and plain black t-shirt couldn't hide. It was all very... pleasant, not least because of the twinkle in the commander's blue eyes as she smirked at Sam.
"You had something to discuss with me, Specialist?"
Shit. She knows I was checking her out for a second. At least she's entertained and not pissed…
"Oh, yes, ma'am, now that we're introduced, I wanted to see if you were familiar at all with the retrofits."
Shepard shook her head. "Not even a little, though I've been through that damn security screen to the QEC a couple times already. Am I gonna have to do that every time?"
Samantha grinned. A more laidback commander she could definitely do. And her manner already had Sam at ease, calmer, less nervous. She could see why Ashley and Shepard had gotten along so well. "Oh, I hate it, too! And yes, you will. Every time."
"Damn."
Sam chuckled. "Try it thirty times a day, every time you need a different tool. I just started carrying my toolkit with me wherever I went, just in case I needed it in there."
Shepard shook her head, laughing. Then silence descended, the commander not making a move toward more conversation.
Sam cleared her throat. "I, uh… I could show you some of the retrofits, if you like?" she suggested, pulling up her omnitool.
Shepard nodded. "Sure. Take a seat. You want anything to drink? I have… shit, actually, I think all I have is water right now…"
Sam smiled. "I'm all right, Commander. I'm on duty, so water's about all I'm allowed, anyway, unless you have tea or coffee?"
"Water's it for now, I'm afraid. Take a seat. Or are you one of those non-coms who stands on ceremony and can't get the stick out of her ass around the boss?"
Samantha shook her head as she perched herself on one of the sofas along the wall. "Hardly, Commander. In fact, the only thing that kept me out of trouble in my previous assignments was my consistent good work."
"Ah, the humblebrag," Shepard said, handing Sam a glass of water before seating herself a comfortable distance away.
Sam colored a little. "I- I'm sorry, Commander, I-"
Shepard snorted. "Relax, Specialist. The humblebrag is the meat and potatoes of hanging out with marines. Shit, we straight-up brag. You'll see."
Samantha smirked. "I've spent plenty of time around salty marines, ma'am. Hell, I got drunk with Joker and James just last night." She wasn't ready to mention her relationship to Ashley just yet. It just… it felt like betraying her fiancée, somehow. Ashley wasn't ready, so she wouldn't go there. It was unnecessary – Ashley wasn't on the ship.
Shepard sighed. "Wish I'd thought of that. Hell of a day, yesterday."
The image burned onto Sam's brain of Ashley being rammed into the side of that shuttle flashed before her eyes. "I believe that might be the biggest understatement I've ever heard, Commander."
Shepard seemed lost in thought for a brief moment before shaking her head, her eyes focusing back on Sam. "So. Tell me about these retrofits."
Sam nodded, pulling up the information on the datapad she'd brought up with her. "Well, ma'am, as you can see…"