BioWare/EA; it's in the game!

Systems Alliance Diplomatic Docks, Lower Ring, Presidium, Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula, June 15, 2183

Author's Note: Install DLC Characters? Y/N? (Wai… what?)

And now meet Humanity's First SPECTRE. I invented a new class: Tech Warrior. This Lion has toys.

And onto your regularly scheduled fanfic!

I can't believe it, I'm a Council Agent. A SPECTRE.

Commander Jane Catherine Shepard stood at the Diplomatic Docks for the Systems Alliance and Human Embassy, situated 'under' the Presidium Lower Ring of the Citadel, usually just referred to as 'the Cit'. Berthed in the docks was the SSV Normandy, a one-of-a-kind Stealth Frigate that, just a couple of hours prior, was handed to her by none other than Poppa Bear, Captain David Edward Anderson. The ceremony that had involved the entirety of the crew of the Normandy had been both touching and sorrowful as Jannie took command of Poppa Bear's ship, her heart aching with the act. When her father died fighting int he First Contact War when she was three, Lieutenant (junior grade) John Michael Shepard's best friend, Lieutenant (junior grade) David Anderson had honored his friend by becoming a godfather to his best friends' daughter. Jannie couldn't remember her father; she had pictures, mementos, and stories, of course! But Poppa Bear had been her dad, the one who helped raise her along with her mother, Captain Hannah Singer. Jannie looked up to Poppa Bear her whole life, the very model of a man, a warrior, and a father. Succeeding him had been a tearful joy.

Losing him had been a knife to the heart.

"You'll do well, Jannie." Poppa Bear told her as they stood together, looking upon the vessel in question, a Human-Turian hybrid Frigate built around the concept of a Stealth vessel meant for long-range reconnaissance and silent running. "I have every faith in you, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Poppa Bear." The compliment was a bittersweet pill, one that came with a bitter taste. For three weeks, Jannie got to serve alongside her dad for the first time, to really get to know him as a leader and as a man. Before, he was both father and role model, one that she strove hard to be like, to be respected by. All she wanted in her life was to make Poppa Bear proud of her, no matter how many times he told her he already was. Being his Executive Officer was a dream come true, working alongside him day in and day out, to be an example to her subordinates, both Commissioned Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers. For three weeks, there was no other place she wanted to be, working alongside the one they called the Black Fox, the First N7, a hero through and through, tested and proven on the battlefields of Shanxi. It was a dream of hers to work with him, and Poppa Bear admitted to Jannie that he too had looked forward to the opportunity to have her at his side.

And then a backstabbing motherfucker had gone and ruined it.

"I just wish…" Words failed her. I need you, Jannie wanted to say, but there were too many people on the docks. Now she was a full-fledged SPECTRE, and she needed that guidance, that assurance, that wonderful man in her corner, giving advice and that knowing smile. Being the Commanding Officer of her own vessel was a goal she was secretly thrilled at, but not at the price that was being paid now. "Can't we tell that snake to go fuck himself and have you come? The XO position did just open up, after all." That had Poppa Bear chuckling with some amusement.

"Every father's dream is to have their kid succeed them. Being their subordinate?" The dark-skinned man groused with a bemused smile as he looked at her fondly. "Jannie, I'm proud of you. Not because of what you've achieved, but because you were able to do so because of who you are. You wouldn't have succeeded if you weren't so determined, so willing to push yourself further and better. The Council had a point; it takes a certain type a person to achieve greatness, and it starts with themselves. And I am proud to have been a part of that journey, Jannie, to watch you grow into something beyond magnificence. My daughter, the SPECTRE." As always, there was that hint of sorrow behind those chocolate eyes, and Jannie knew what it was about; Poppa Bears' own SPECTRE Candidacy Trial. It irked her to no end that the same asshole Turian that practically framed her Poppa Bear was also responsible for Eden Prime and now a whole slue of other crimes. Payback was going to be a sweet, sweet dish she was going to serve with a smile. And bullets.

"Well, we'll be disembarking in a few hours once we finish up loading the extra supplies, equipment, and support systems for my new guests." The effort to discredit Council Agent Saren Arterius had been aided by a host of people that hadn't been Human, giving Jannie the evidence, proof, and confirmation to revoke Saren's immunity status and label him an Enemy of the State.

There had been Detective Garrus Kaaldon Vakarian, a Special Crimes Unit Investigator and a sniper of the Citadel Rapid Response Unit (RRU), or CitSWAT, who had collaborated leads. There was the 'big game hunter', Urdnot Wrex, a Krogan of impressive size and violence, hired out to take on the hard jobs that most mercs and hitmen walked away from due to the difficult, picking up a hit from the Shadow Broker himself. There were the Quarian Pilgrims, Tali'Zorah nar Reyya and Niki'Raan nar Tombay, who had hard data evidence of Saren's involvement with both the Geth and being on Eden Prime itself. And then there was Special Reconnaissance Agent Zevin Raeka, a Salarian Union Special Tasks Group Operative who had complied and verified several files, being audio, visual, and data, as accurate and unedited, including Jannie's combat footage of that smugglers' eyewitness testimony. Each had helped out in a significant way, and each professed to wishing to aid in the endeavor for a variety of reasons.

A big part of her wanted to say no, but Jannie remembered Eden Prime. The fires, the bodies, the conversions of corpses into monstrosities, the horde of Geth hardware platforms, the tense moments when First Lieutenant Kaidan Raphael Alenko hacked and deactivated an Anti-Matter Bomb. Humans had been slaughtered in Constant, and a full Battalion of Colonial Army Soldiers had lost their lives fighting the Geth to protect the civilians and the Prothean Beacon, all of them losing their lives save one, Staff Sergeant Ashley Madeline Williams. Who was to say how many more lives would have been saved if Jannie had gone in with a bigger team? Would Corporal Richard Jenkins still be alive? Would Council Agent Nihlus Kryik? She had sent a request to the Navy Bureau of Personnel requesting additional Sailors and Marines, the Normandy running off a skeleton crew meant for a shakedown run, not a Capture-or-Kill SpecOps mission. The way that Dumbassador Donnel Udina spouted off about 'his' report to the Alliance Parliament made it sound like he was going to discredit her the first chance he got. That would complicate things.

If she was forced to make do with what she got, then Jannie couldn't afford to be too choosy. She was going after one of the best, after all.

"Where to, first?" Poppa Bear asked.

"To find and locate Doctor Liara T'soni." Jannie replied, looking to the dark-skinned man. "This shit started over ProTech, and she's supposedly an expert that may have ties to either Saren Arterius or this Matriarch Benezia T'soni. Denying him his little prize is a win, and then I can see what she knows about the Beacon or this… Conduit." Jannie had no idea what the 'Conduit' was, save that Saren was looking for it, and it had evidently require the Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime. Tali'Zorah's evidence had been an audio file with both Saren's and Benezia's voice, mentioning the Conduit and the Reapers. Jannie figured them to be a threat much like the Rachni; something that might be behind a locked Mass Relay or something inaccessible at this time. A conduit was a channel or device meant to transport or convey something, so Jannie figured it to be a far-flung Mass Relay, or perhaps a means of communication. She didn't want to admit that she thought that Councilor Sparatus Quinlinis was likely right; a hyper-advanced synthetic species wouldn't obscure themselves for so long. But the dreams showed her… something. They didn't make any sense, though, no matter how hard Jannie tired.

She hadn't had a full nights' rest since Eden Prime.

"Know where she is?"

"No, but I know of the name." Jannie wasn't sure of where she had heard of it, but she recognized it almost immediately after Councilor Tevos T'essus mentioned that Benezia had a daughter, a Doctor of Protheantology. The N7 had already contacted the Asari Embassy to inquire the good Doctor's location, and had gotten the standard-and-expect we're so sorry, but fuck you response she'd expect from the Embassy of the Thessian Republic of City-States. That hadn't been their exact words, but that had been the gist of it. The next call had been to the University of Serrice, where Doctor T'soni had received her Doctorate and was employed as a researcher. Their Personnel Office had been extremely apologetic in their refusal, admitting that they didn't release information about persons or their locations due to security concerns, which Jannie got. Still, a pain in the ass, but at least it hadn't been fuck you. So… she was going to have to find Doctor T'soni the hard way. Where the hell would she find a Protheantologist?

Wait.

Jannie opened up her Kassa Fabrications' Polaris Omnitool, looking at the app screen and clicking on the Chirper App. Sara and her had been exchanging regular correspondences for years, minus a few periods of time such as when little Sara went to Boot Camp or Field Medical Training Battalion, or when Jannie underwent some more advanced training courses or a mission that required radio-silence. It was good hearing from Ryder and her time on Therum, the Corpsman having reached where she wanted to be; a Fleet Marine Corpsman attached to a Marine Unit, a lofty and prestigious position for a HM 8404. Seeing her succeed in her dreams? Jannie was proud of her friend, the young woman who had saved her life back on Elysium, the little girl who had looked up to her her whole life. Jannie went through the queue of messages where Sara talked about the dig site, the Corpsman obviously excited about seeing a real-life Prothean ruin, the Cit-born touched at seeing history despite being born on a Prothean-constructed space station. She had mentioned a few names of the Serrice Expeditionary Team, such as Professor T'vara, and a Turian Doctor named Antanin. Jannie had been rather intrigued by the many professions involved with Protheantology; Paleontechnology, Paleosociology, forensic research, Xenoarcheology… she had no idea. Sara was obviously giddy about it.

Wait, here it was…

I was talking to some of the researchers here, Sara had told her almost two weeks ago, and the viewpoints and thoughts are amazing. There's this one young Asari, a Maiden, who tackles the extinction theory of the Protheans. She's a bit of a nutjob, honestly, but Doctor T'soni is actually quite nice for a weirdo…

Bingo.

"Found it." Jannie smiled at Poppa Bear, queuing off her Omnitool. "Doctor T'soni is in the same dig site as Sara is on Therum. That's… not close." The Artemis Tau Cluster was literally at the most Rimward edge of Earth Alliance Space, practically touching the political border of Earth Alliance Space and Batarian Hegemony Space. The SSV Normandy would literally have to traverse Counterspinward across Inner Council Space and almost the entirety of Earth Alliance Space to reach the Cluster. Jannie tapped the on-board communicator clipped upon her chest, designed in the symbol of the Systems Alliance, connecting her to the Normandy's VI communication protocol. "VI? Connect me to Lieutenant Commander Pressley, Navigation."

"Connecting." The automated electronic voice spoke in a digital female tone, as the on-board VI connected her communicator with Charles Pressley.

"Commander?" The Frigate's Navigator and brand-new Executive Officer spoke up, his voice coming into Jannie's receiver, a small attachment that was set behind her left ear, meant to stimulate the fine bones of her inner ear without actually making noise.

"XO? We need a work up to our next destination. Dig Site Alpha, Therum, Knossus System, Artemis Tau Cluster." The Commanding Officer of the Normandy told her XO, her communicator transmitting her words to the man who was in the Command and Information Center of the Frigate. "Give me the most direct route and soonest possible ETA. We have at least one pick-up, and it is possible the enemy may seek the same thing. I'm looking for speed, not fuel economy."

"Understood, Commander. I'll begin the work up, assessment, travel time, possible fueling stations and discharge points, and the most time efficient route." The Navigator replied. "I should have a couple of options for you to select from within twenty minutes." Jannie knew that a good Navigator was hard to come by. The job involved knowing space lanes, traversing systems with moving celestial bodies and gravity wells, finding refueling points for Heavy Helium and Discharge Points for static build-up, and understanding spatial physics. Thankfully, when Poppa Bear handpicked Charles Pressley for the job during the first days of Normandy's test runs, he had picked one of the best. If there was a man who could shave minutes if not hours from a translation estimate, it was Lieutenant Commander Pressley.

"Alright. Let me know when you've got it done, and I'll head up to the Bridge. Shepard out." Jannie turned off her communicator as she looked to Captain Anderson. "Sure I can't kidnap you? Sara might have gotten the Jarheads to install a pool at her hellhole."

"Tempting, but my place is here, watching your back and making sure there is a proper buffer between the military command and your command." Poppa Bear replied, and Jannie knew what he meant. The System Alliance had worked hard to get a SPECTRE… but they had no real idea what to do with one now that they had achieved it. Technically, she was separate from normal military command, and even Special Operations command. What Poppa Bear would be doing was to create the groundwork on the command structure and protocols for Human SPECTREs, including herself and any future ones. Likely, it would be an Embassy position to act as a liaison, a go-to link to create a stopgap so that the Ambassador or the Admiralty Board didn't seem to be in control of a Council Asset, but also fielding missions and assignments in Humanity's interest. Honestly, there was no one else Jannie rather have than Poppa Bear, a man with decades of experience and even a one-time SPECTRE candidate himself. It was possible he'd ask another SPECTRE how their species handled it for ideas and groundwork. In his hands, Jannie trusted. "Find Doctor T'soni, and find out what she might know. Her expertise may be valuable, and at the least you will deliver a blow to his efforts by taking away a potential asset."

"Might stop in and see Sara, too." The Commander said with a wink, getting Poppa Bear to chuckle. "Part of me wants to offer her a spot on the Normandy. The only Corpsman we have is a Dispensary clerk, not a Doc. We need a Doc." Corporal Richard Jenkins might still be alive if they had a Doc for the shakedown run, but there hadn't been any real need for a combat-oriented Corpsman. The Normandy didn't even have a compliment of Marines!

"If you choose to do so, let me know, and I'll get the ball rolling." Poppa Bear understood. Having a Doc would be good, but Sara was practically one-of-a-kind. As a former CitEMT, Sara had learned how to provide emergency care to like a dozen species, with just a shade over three years experience under her belt. Add her two years in the Systems Alliance Navy as a Corpsman and the fact that she was an FMF Corpsman now? There likely wasn't anyone in the entirety of the Systems Alliance Military like Sara Ryder. Considering the Normandy had Humans, Turians, Quarians, Krogan, and Salarians, Jannie would need a xenomedic. Doctor Karin Chakwas was, thankfully, a surgeon who could operate on Humans, Turians, and Asari, and likely provide some care for others, but she wasn't a ground combatant; not at her years, and certainly not risking someone of her experience as a surgeon. No, Sara would be perfect for the Normandy. Plus… Jannie knew that Sara would be thrilled to work with her, much like Jannie had been with Poppa Bear. Shepard had to admit that she wouldn't mind having her friend with her as well.

"Should I?" Jannie asked, looking to the dark-skinned man. "I mean, she just got where she wanted to be, and as I understand it, that Dig Site and the Marine Platoon went without for like six weeks before she showed up." To take her away would mean that they would have to do without. And Poppa Bear didn't know that Sara was… well, falling in love with an Asari Matriarch, the Dean of Prothean Research and Studies from the University of Serrice. She hadn't said it, but Jannie could tell. She was a young woman falling in love for the first time, and falling pretty hard, at that. Part of her didn't want to whisk Sara away from that. Maybe this Professor T'vara could be of help considering this whole fiasco started with ProTech. Couldn't hurt to have an expert on-board. A 'ding' on her Omnitool had Jannie looking at it instinctively, and she saw a bubble icon on the side of her holographic screen with Sara's icon on it, meaning that Ryder had sent her a Chirp. "Well, speak of the devil! Sara just Chirped me." The redhead smiled as she clicked on the Haptic prompt to bring up the message.

What she saw had her heart seize in her chest.

SaraRyder

AngelIllyeria

Auntie! We're under attack! It's the Ge

"No…" Jannie felt her soul shutter as she looked up to Captain Anderson, a look of concern growing on his face as the horror of it washed over Jannie. Sara didn't even have time to finish her message? She typed quickly on her Omnitool.

JaneShepard

LionElysium

Sara?

JaneShepard

LionElysium

Sara?

The subscriber is no longer in service. Please contact Skywire Customer Service if you feel this message is in error, available 24/7 throughout the galaxy!

"Oh no…" This couldn't be possible! The Geth had fled the Utopia System after the attack on Eden Prime, and a weeks' worth of combat patrols by the Systems Alliance hadn't found a trace of them in Earth Alliance Space. How the hell had they gotten to the Knossus System undetected? Again? Poppa Bear moved to where he could see the text field, and he saw Sara's message.

"Go." Captain Anderson told her, clapping a meaty hand on her shoulder. "I'll scramble up something from the Admiralty to buy you time." He didn't need to be told what Sara meant to Jannie.

"Thanks." Jannie gave him a smile. "I got an Angel to save." Jannie didn't need a Navigator and a star chart to map that scenario; Saren had sent the Geth to collect Doctor Liara T'soni, no doubt. And there were thirty-seven Marines and a Corpsman that would give their lives to stop them. Not on her fucking watch. Jannie hit her communicator again. "VI! Ship-wide announcement, Priority One!"

"Connecting."

"All hands! Brace for immediate departure!" The commander spoke as she strode towards the Normandy, her face set and her body language purposeful. "Throw all incoming supplies into the cargo bay and sign off immediately to stow away during translation. Navigation? Find me that absolute fastest possible route to Therum. Lieutenant Moreau? The bare essentials of checklists that will have us depart five minutes ago. Everyone else! Prep for Alert One Status! Combat teams, conduct pre-combat inspection on all weapons, armor, tech, and equipment, and prepare for brief in twenty minutes in the cargo hold. That is all." She was already halfway up the gangplank heading towards the Bridge Deck of the Frigate when she tapped her communicator once more to turn it off, her mood set. Sara… Sara was in danger.

God, please let her be okay.

"Translating through the Widow Relay in three minutes." The voice of Flight Lieutenant Jeffery 'Joker' Moreau came over the intercom as Commander Jane Shepard stood at the head of the CIC, on top of the raised platform in which three updater screens let her observe the functionality of the SSV Normandy at once, giving her an idea of its current effectiveness. "Estimated ETA to Utopia Relay is seven hours and fifty-one minutes." The translation time through the Mass Relay Network had a sick feeling grow into her stomach as Jane looked upon the holographic display of the galaxy map, magnifying upon the trip. Seven hours and fifty-one minutes from the Citadel to the Utopia System. A one hour and fifty-two minute burn at FTL to reach the next joining Relay from the Utopia System to the Antaeus System in the Hades Nexus Cluster, a six hour and sixteen minute translation. A two hour discharge and refuel on top of a one hour and five minute burn to the next Relay that would lead them to the Knossus System, which would take another two hours and two minutes. Then a forty-eight minute burn just to reach Therum.

Total time? Twenty-one hours and fifty-five minutes.

"Commander?" Lieutenant Commander Charles Pressley spoke up from is position by the Navigation suite at the port side of the CIC, tapping away. "I can possibly shave off an hour or two depending on local conditions; solar weather, spatial anomalies, and using slingshots for gravity-assisted acceleration." Pressley was queuing up current positioning of Relays and systems maps to find ways to drop the travel time. Twenty-one hours and fifty-five minutes… "Utopia System is our best bet. Both Relays are at polar opposite ends of the system, and we can use Utopia for a burn in-system instead of traveling the circumference. FTL in-system is dangerous, but I know the system well. I can clear traffic with the use of your SPECTRE Priority Codes."

"Permission judiciously granted, and clear all traffic lanes and anything else that comes up unless otherwise directed." Jannie told her Executive Officer, smiling at the abuse of privilege. She was a Council Agent, and she was allowed, wasn't she? If the Geth were attacking Therum (or worse, the Dig Site) then she would likely be the first responder. Any minute she saved was one minute less the Geth had. And then she was going to land on them. With both feet. Hard. No doubt Poppa Bear would be on the horn to get reinforcements or back-up, but scrambling a response unit of Naval vessels took time; fueling, ordinance, resupply, making sure the necessary assets were in place, not to mention that they could be pulling away necessary forces that could be somewhere else. No, she would be the spear of this operation, free from restriction and having to cobble together some ragtag fleet in which seven Captains bitched about who was in charge. She looked to Pressley. "Charles? The Geth are attacking Therum as we speak." That had the older man's eyes go wide. He had been there for Eden Prime, coordinating elements and forces from the Normandy, undoubtedly saving lives where he could. He might not be a Ground Commander, but Pressley was as dedicated to his profession as Jannie was. Poppa Bear had selected well.

"Isn't that where Sara is?" The LC wasn't an idiot. Every Human on the Stealth Frigate knew the story of the Lion and the Angel. Jane Shepard was a military hero, the Lion of Elysium, the woman who had saved thousands of teenagers from a life of slavery by dispatching over a hundred raiders by pining them down and funneling them in a school corridor. But Sara? Sara Ryder had directly saved the life of Jane Shepard, skipping school and the Citadel upon hearing of Elysium's attack. A thirteen year old girl had jumped station, stowed away on a military vessel, and had searched for her Auntie in wartorn Illyeria for a couple of hours before making her way to Illyeria General Hospital and finding a nearly-dead Ensign Jane Shepard on a litter, barely bandaged and left for dead due to triage. Jane had been shot four times, three of them in the chest, and once in the belly. Sara had painstakingly pulled the rounds out, given her IV's, and stitched her wounds together. Jane had fought for others. Sara… Sara had directly saved the lives of over eight dozen people left for dead, thought to be in too serious a condition to work upon. Jane had protected lives, but Sara had saved them with her bare hands. No knowledge, no experience, but no hesitation, either.

Jane owed Sara her life, simple as that.

"Yes." The tone said it all. Humanity's First SPECTRE was going to go on a warpath, and the Geth were going to find out exactly what an N7 could do in case Eden Prime wasn't enough of a lesson. She wasn't sure if a machine race could feel fear, but she was certainly willing to test that theory out. "I'm going to brief the troops down in the cargo bay and prep for deployment, LC. You have the Conn, and feel free to step on as many toes as you like to get us there. Abuse the shit of that SPECTRE clearance, XO."

"Roger that." Charles looked a little smug at the thought. Alien authority might not sit well with him, but Jannie was a Human about to use said authority to go save Humans. Pressley was all for that. "How many are you bringing to ground?"

"The entire team." Damn, Jannie had hoped to find some quiet place to work together, to integrate the obviously different members together for a basis of cohesion. The Turian Detective, Garrus Vakarian, would likely be the easiest, since he was former Hierarchy, and no bullshit a member of the famed RRU, a sniper who kept miscreants from detonating bombs or executing hostages. The Quarians girls would probably know a thing or two about the Geth and have their own surprises. Wrex was just a walking tank who thrilled at tough targets, a big game hunter. Zevin Raeka didn't seem like much at first, but the female Salarian who wasn't a Dalatrass toted a Kassa Fabrication M-55 Argus Battle Rifle, a very heavy caliber three-shot rifle that could fold most sapients in half with the first two bursts. It was almost as nasty as what Jannie herself carried. And she didn't doubt that Staff Sergeant Ashley Williams would like a little reconnect with the Geth. "I'm going to drill them over basics and integration. I hate for the first time to be in the middle of battle, but I don't doubt we're going to need the numbers." The Geth had deployed something like a hundred thousand hardware platforms onto Constant.

"I'll take care of everything up here, Commander." Charles said with a nod. "We'll get you there so you can shoot some cans. As soon as possible." That dedication was there, and Jannie had no doubt that Pressley was going to do his best to be a man of his word.

"Keep me updated." The Lion left her post as she headed towards the staircase that would lead her down to the Gun Deck, and then to the elevator that would take her to the Orlop Deck. The slow elevator did nothing for her frayed nerves or her patience.

Twenty-one hours, fifty-five minutes.

"Hold on, kiddo." Jannie said to no one in particular, her heart heavy with the thought of the Geth on Therum, and a memory of holding a brand-new infant girl in her nine-year old arms, blue eyes looking into her green ones. "Calvary's coming."

"Commander? Translation to Knossus System successful." Came the voice of Lieutenant Commander Charles Pressley over the 1MC intercom of the SSV Normandy as Commander Jane Shepard worked on Bastila, her personal security drone. Bastila was an effort of years of tinkering, upgrades, improved VI systems, and a whole host of toys to play havoc upon the enemy. What started off as a contragravity security turret grew into a weapon in its own right, capable of firing OmniGel-manufactured mini-rockets, a coaxial light machine gun, providing electronic protection while hosting a wide variety of programs to intrude into enemy systems and routines. She hadn't invented the concept until after Elysium, to basically have a host turret that was part-tank and part-electronic warfare suite. It had a host of high-grade processing chips, external OmniGel containers for Omnirockets and machine gun ammunition, MetalGel and CeramiGel containers for self-repair, and several running programs to protect itself and Jannie from intrusion software. She had also integrated several viruses and systems protocols for disabling higher systems functions in enemy capabilities.

And of course there was Ghost, her polygon-shaped hand-crafted electronic intrusion and cyberwarfare drone.

Jannie checked her Kassa Fabrication Polaris OmniTool and noted that the SSV Normandy practically broke a galactic speed record reaching the Artemis Tau Cluster, reaching the Knossus System in nineteen hours and twenty-one minutes. Flight Lieutenant Moreau had performed a solar slingshot with Utopia to damn near double their maximum speed through the system after Pressley 'cleared' a path using Jannie's brand-new SPECTRE clearance. The Normandy became first in line for every Relay, bumping itself to the front of every list instead of waiting for transportation, civilian, and even military traffic. Priority was always military, but a lone military Frigate with the Systems Alliance might find itself behind a fleet movement, a Reconnaissance Flotilla, or even just a combat patrol, depending on the situation or sector. For the past nineteen hours, the Normandy had top-tier access and privilege. Jannie had never been one to abuse her rank or her SpecOps clearance, but she had to admit it was nice when it mattered. And it certainly mattered now.

"Damn fine work, Pressley." The Commander told her XO via a nearby communicator, connecting it with the bridge as she worked at the workbench in the cargo bay of the Normandy. "Open all frequencies for distress beacons, emergency beacons, and any other distress signals. We need intelligence, and even crappy intelligence paints a picture, XO. Numbers is priority since we have an idea of location, but anything else describing composition will do."

"Understood, Commander." The wall unit replied. "Joker states that we should arrive in thirty-seven minutes thanks to lack of traffic." That was eleven minutes faster than the original projected time.

"Give Joker my compliments." Jannie 'hung' up on the call, and then put her thumb on the biometric scanner to authorize the use of the 1MC. "Ground Team? Get into RedConTwo status and meet me in the cargo bay for final pre-combat checks. We deploy in thirty plus." She shut off the call as the redhead went to Bastila and closed the access panel on the rear of the hover turret, sealing it close as she went to her equipment locker, opening it up to reveal her heavily-modified Armax Arsenal Predator H-Series Battle Armor that she had customized to look like… well, the MJOLNIR Armor from the Halo Series to look just like Master Chief John-117's. Add the fact that she had installed several systems and modifications in the pricey armor to make herself an even bigger threat on the battlefield. She had the servos and actuators customized for enhanced speed and reflexes while completely overhauling the helmet for a sophisticated Augmented Reality Overlay HUD that provided state-of-the-art details, as well as several different vision modes. Her armor also had several high-speed processors to line with her Omnitool for faster computing and to handle multiple processes at the same time without lagging or interrupting, and a suite of different combat profiles to enhance the effectiveness of her kinetic shielding and power consumption. While Jannie worked herself hard physically to become a better combatant, she also worked hard to make sure that her weapons, armor, equipment, and toys were equally just as much a threat.

Jannie suited up, taking off her Alliance Blues to reveal the combat undersuit, which was a ballistic weave meant to protect against small caliber rounds. Folding her uniform, she began armoring up in her Predator Battle Armor, putting on the curiess and greaves before donning on the chestpiece, vambraces and bracers, and finally placing her helmet on top of her locker. She saw her weapons at the ready as she selected her favorite rifle, the Alliance Offensive Firearms Initiative M-99 Saber Battle Rifle and magnetically locked it to her chest, and then added the AOFI M-5 Phalanx Combat Pistol to her left thigh. Her final selection was the SOCOM N-7 Hurricane Submachine Gun, locked just forward of her left hip. Satisfied, she donned her helmet as she saw the others of her ground team prepping themselves as well.

"Cortana?" Jannie spoke up, activating her armor's personal VI suite. "Initiate start-up sequence, run performance check, and handshake with selected weapons systems." The boot-up sequence was already cycling up as the helmet's ARO activated, displaying a progression bar as her field-of-view began to populate with information at the corners of her vision, keeping the center free of distractions. IFF tags were included for friendly forces, outlining them in blue as Jannie swept over Staff Sergeant Ashley Williams and Detective Garrus Vakarian to make sure that both Human and Turian were marked friendly. The weapons handshake was complete as her Saber was encoded to her armors' system, preventing it from being hacked or jammed while being able to activate a variety of weapons sub-systems vocally instead of manually. The performance check was completed, and everything was in the green. "Bastila, attach." The hover turret activated and moved to attach to Jannie's backpiece, sealing magnetically for transportation and deployment. "Ghost? To me." The polygon drone darted from its inductive charging station in her locker as it hovered over her left shoulder, linking with Cortana, as did Bastila. Everything was running at a hundred percent. With a smile, Jannie closed her locker and looked over to her troops.

"Damn, I wish my armor looked like Master Chief's." Sergeant Williams told 1st Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, the Combat Engineer chuckling out loud.

"I'm just happy she doesn't look like Boba Fett." Alenko told the Soldier, who gaped at him for a moment.

"That would be so fucking awesome! Or War Machine! Have a tracking machine gun on your shoulder." The Colonial Army Staff Sergeant replied with a smile as she donned her Rosenkov Materials' Titan Heavy Combat Armor, grabbing her Kassa Fabrications' M-76 Reverent Light Machine Gun and locking it to her chestpiece before grabbing a Elanus Risk Control Services' M-3 Predator and locking it on her right hip, and then a ERCS M-9 Tempest Submachine Gun, putting it on her left hip. Next came her Kassa Fabrications' Armageddon Objective Shotgun, placed over her left shoulder before grabbing her Devlon Industries' M-92 Mantis Sniper Platform and locking it over her right. The last thing she grabbed was her Heckler and Koch M320 Variable Munitions Launcher, locking it on her left hip.

"Hate to tell you, Sergeant, but I already have a machine gun that tracks over my shoulder." Jannie thumbed at Bastila locked on her back. "Besides, I so see you in Captain America armor. Perhaps even the shield." Captain Steve Rogers was an Army Soldier, and no doubt the Colonial Army Soldier would go giddy with the thought. "We got a paint fabrication suite on the workbench if you're interested after mission." The look on Williams' face was almost that of pure joy. Someone was going to be enjoying themselves later and getting rid of that ugly olive drab green color off her Titan Combat Armor. At the least Kaidan had re-spec'ed the colors of his Aldrin Labs' Onyx Heavy Armor (Bomb Disposal Variant), adding the scarlet and gold to his pauldrons to identify his rate.

"Alright, listen up!" The Commander spoke up to her seven ground team members, all of them having already dressed and armed themselves for combat. "Our mission is simple; a capture/rescue in a hostile environment. Our main priority… is Doctor Liara T'soni." God Jannie wished she could say otherwise. "As she is the daughter of Lady Benezia T'soni, a confederate of rogue Council Agent Saren Arterius, it is the likely conclusion that the Geth have deployed and assaulted Dig Site Alpha to retrieve Doctor T'soni, with or without her permission. Whatever the case may be, she is not to leave the planet in the care of the Geth or whatever forces that Saren commands. If we cannot obtain her, she is not to be handed over to him alive. Will that be an issue?"

"No." Detective Garrus Vakarian spoke up, already shouldering his Armax Arsenals' M-98 Widow Heavy Sniper Rifle. "If her knowledge leads him to objectives that will endanger others, then the life of one is a small price to pay no matter how regrettable." That actually surprised Jannie a little bit; she actually figured the Turian C-SEC Detective to be about law and order. He evidently saw things in a different light. Likewise, Agent Zevin Raeka was nodding her head in agreement, armed with her Kassa Fabrication M-55 Argus Battle Rifle. Jannie hadn't missed the sight of an Ariake Technologies' M-90 Indra Automatic Sniper Rifle peeking over the Salarian females' back, either. The Salarian didn't strike Jannie as just a simple combatant, not with what the rumors of what Salarian STG was capable of. It didn't look like either the Turian or the Salarian would have issues pulling the trigger if necessary.

"Our secondary objective is the location of a Naval Corpsman by the name of Petty Officer Sara Ryder." Lieutenant Alenko shifted slightly at that. "Chief Ryder is the Angel of Illyeria, as well as a trained combatant and xenomedic from the CitEMS. We lack a combat medic, and with this many species available, she is likely the only one in the entirety of the Systems Alliance Military with the knowledge, training, and experience to deal with wounds and casualties amongst those in Citadel Space." Williams was nodding at that, likely comparing Jannie's relationship with Sara with her own younger sisters. Sometimes things got personal, and Ashley understood that the Lion was making it so for the good of the mission. "Finding an alternative would likely mean someone from CitEMS with prior combat experience, be it a former Hospitaller, a Frontline Barber-Surgeon, or Trauma Care Specialist who wishes to leave the Emergency Medical Services to join a Human vessel on the hunt for a disavowed SPECTRE. I'm not exactly holding my breath on that. We find the Angel, and I will offer her a spot on this vessel and this mission. I've already lost one man to the Geth, and the Staff Sergeant here," the Commander indicated Williams, "lost her entire Battalion. The Geth don't fuck around, and we're going to need a balls-to-the-wall Doc. Chief Ryder fits that bill crystal clear.

"Our last objective," Jannie continued, "will be the location of a Prothean scientist by the name of Professor Irissa T'vara." That had everyone looking at her. No one had ever heard of her. "Professor T'vara is the Dean of Prothean Research and Studies from the University of Serrice, and the Lead of Dig Site Alpha. She is likely the foremost expert in all things Prothean in the galaxy, and commands the respect of the community. This started with a Prothean Beacon, and a second attack involves a Prothean Site, or just a Protheantologist. Saren's objective obviously involves something dealing with the Protheans, and we need the intelligence. Locate and obtain Professor T'vara with the intent of bring her aboard temporarily. Any questions?"

"What kind of friendly forces will we be looking at?" That was the Pilgrim Niki'Raan nar Tombay, the young Quarian female who wished to be a Migrant Fleet Marine. Jannie noticed that her combat rifle was of unusual make and design, obviously Quarian in nature. In fact, both Quarians were armed with non-standard weapons. Likely, they were designed with killing Geth in mind. It was one of the reasons Jannie agreed to have them on-board.

"Good question, Specialist Raan." Jannie nodded, complimenting the taller Quarian in an EnviroSuit that was a blue-and white motif as oppose to the purple of her cousin, Tali'Zorah nar Reyya. "There are thirty-seven Alliance Marines deployed as site security at Dig Site Alpha, with defensive positions and anti-ship weaponry. If the one hundred and nine civilians of the Expedition haven't been evacuated due to conditions, I understand there to be a dozen Turian Reservists being lead by a former Centurion of one of the Hasti Units who is well aware that he is to protect the civilians and evacuate them when it is safe to do so. Otherwise any other forces will come from out-of-system, and likely will face against whatever space forces the Geth have deployed above Therum. We very well may be on our own, and should prepare for that fact. Which is why we'll be deploying in our M35 MAKO Armored Personnel Vehicle." Jannie nodded to the multi-wheeled vehicle sitting behind the group. "The Geth dumped a hundred thousand on Constant, Eden Prime. They are very effective out in the open. I don't doubt that we may be seeing over a thousand or so hardware platforms on the ground or in the vicinity of the dig site, so I am to have as many advantages as possible. Bring out the best shit and the best hits."

"My kind of party." Urdnot Wrex spoke with a toothsome smile as he hefted his Graal Hunting Shotgun, a slug-throwing shotgun that was meant to pierce Thresher Maw hide, supposedly. Jannie actually couldn't wait to see what it would do to a Geth Trooper.

"Alright, folks, we're at RedConTwo! Load up on your pre-designated packages and builds and get ready to fuck something up!" The Lion commanded, getting a hearty 'hooah!' from Staff Sergeant Williams. "Williams? You're driving."

"Awesome."

"Commander, can I have a word with you?"

Commander Jane Shepard was standing near the deployment door of the M35 MAKO Armored Personnel Vehicle when 1st Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko got her attention. They were approximately ten minutes from reaching Therum, and the SSV Normandy's scanners and LADAR had picked up at least six Cruiser-Class vessels that weren't of Human make or design, and one that appeared to be a Destroyer-Class, possibly a hardware platform transport, if it was Geth in origin. God only knew how many platforms the Geth could cram into a vessel.

"What's shaking, LT?" Jannie was observing her Omnitool, linked with the ships' VI for updates on position, intelligence, and the hopes that Sara might Chirp her. The first strike had undoubtedly been the systems' GalacticNet Comms Buoy, and without the li-fi connectivity, Jannie knew it was a dismal chance that her best friend would be able to communicate with her. Still, if she didn't do that, she'd be pacing a trench in the cargo bay's deck.

"Commander, I have a concern about the mission." The Combat Engineer replied, looking a little nervous. Back on Eden Prime, Lieutenant Alenko had really shined, being an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Member, as well as a rated Electronics Officer. He was a small-scale hacktivist who could break through security and reprogram systems, be it doors or bombs. It was obvious why Poppa Bear included him on the Normandy's roster. He also happened to be a Biotic as well, trained at defensive tactics, providing Barriers and Shields for members of the team.

"Is it with our extra team members?" Jannie figured that would be a problem. Most everyone on the Normandy was either Earth-born or Colony-born, and had little interaction with aliens. Only two came from colonies that hosted larger alien populations, and even then that didn't exactly guarantee cooperation. The N7 remembered well the unease that everyone had when Agent Nihlus Kryik had been on-board, and it hadn't necessarily been because he was a Council SPECTRE. Staff Sergeant Williams hadn't said a word, but the dark looks she gave the aliens, especially Detective Vakarian, was telling. She was far from the only one.

"No, Commander. That I get." Okay. "It's with one of our objectives." Okay, Jannie thought she figured it out. The Lieutenant probably wasn't too keen at the thought of the possible kill order of a civilian. Being an N-Operative meant that one understood that war was cruel, dirty, unfair, and usually meant the wrong people were going to die regardless of circumstances and efforts. It was one of the reasons why SOCOM made Villa Militar so excruciatingly tough, throwing scenarios just like this one at the recruits to help them understand that sometimes one needed to get their hands dirty for the benefit of many, if not all. Some of those missions were staged, to create a psychological scenario that seemed very real to the recruit, to put them in a situation where they had to choose comrade over mission or vice versa, or to kill the enemy at the cost of an innocent life, or to rescue the innocent at the knowledge that the enemy would go free. There weren't wrong choices, only wrong reasons. And the worst thing to do was to hesitate, to not make a decision, to not being able to justify while one thought a particular choice was right at that time. The N1 course was merely physical, and though it had the highest washout rate, it was also the easiest due to the fact that the obstacles were physical, and made sense. Psychological scenarios involving Catch-22's that put an Operative in a bad situation that they had to solve knowing that someone would pay the price? Many didn't make it for that reason.

"Is it the kill order?"

"No, ma'am. That I get." Kaidan replied, though the redhead could tell that it did bother him. "It's not an easy call, but I understand it's a necessary call. No, it's the second objective."

He meant Sara.

"I'm listening." Jannie had to blank her face and her emotions, to have the Commander sit there and listen, not Jane Shepard. She was a leader, and she couldn't let her emotions interfere. Perhaps Lieutenant Alenko deduced some positive insight she might have missed.

"I understand that Chief Ryder is like family to you," Alenko began, "but will including her onto this mission be for the best? If she gets into a situation that puts her into danger, could it throw you off? You've already pushed the ship and crew towards extremes to reach Therum as quickly as possible for her. I just want to make sure that we are remaining objective about the situation."

The N7 took a very deep breath and tried not to smash the face in front of her with her fist as hard as humanly possible. It was really trying.

"So that I'm understanding correctly," Jane began, her tone made out of iridium as she held onto the rage that was quickly building inside of her, keeping it in check. "You think going into battle with an objective for a teammate that would provide us great benefit is somehow… too nepotist because the very same person saved the life of your Commanding Officer? Is that what I am understanding, Lieutenant?" Alenko's face paled as Jannie stared at him, her temper almost breaking loose. "The Geth are attacking a Human settlement, and you question me pushing my vessel to the extreme for the thirty-eight Marines and one-hundred and nine civilians at the site? Our enemy could very well almost have they very thing he needs or wants, and you think I am playing favorites? Do I have this right?"

"I…"

"That was rhetorical." Jannie took a big step forward, the rage palatable as Alenko took a step back, recoiling away from her wrath. "Chief Ryder chose to be a Fleet Marine Corpsman, busted her ass for the honor. She's saved more lives than I have, and we need someone just like her here to look out for us all. Or have you forgotten what happened to Corporal Richard Jenkins?" Jenkins had died fighting for his home, the sight of Constant on fire making him rash and impulsive. Had Sara been there, Jannie didn't doubt the Corpsman would have saved the Marine. When writing a condolence letter to his parents, the N7 learned to her shock that both of Richards' parents had died during the attack, the entirety of the family lost. That had been a crushing revelation that Jannie had to deal with. All Richard wanted was to fight for and save his home, something that Jannie could understand. Unfortunately, he had rushed ahead before Jannie could recon the area properly and had been attacked by multiple Geth Recon Drones, cutting him down quickly while Jannie paid attention to her sector of fire, engaging the enemy. If Sara had been there (or any other Marine Corpsman), they would have held Corporal Jenkins back, or been able to treat his wounds before he bled out, at least given the young Marine a chance. No, never again. Her team needed a Doc, and there was no doubt in Jannie's mind that Sara was one of the best. Five years experience in the medical field at the tender age of twenty, and then put Elysium on top of that? Sara Ryder was likely the most famous Human paramedic in the galaxy.

"You say when she puts herself in a situation that will have her in danger, but have you forgotten what a Marine Corpsman does?" The Commander continued, her voice hard enough to crack diamonds. "When she does, it will be because one of us will be in a situation that will be dangerous, and she will likely throw herself selflessly to save us, facing the odds and bringing us back. Or would you rather I had Able Seaman Linda Basheer suit up and come with us?" Basheer was the Normandy's HM8404, and a Pharmacist's Mate, the traditional Dispensary worker. Jannie had thought to bring it up to the Normandy's Corpsman until she got a good look at the young woman and realize that she was a little too pudgy and frumpy. She would likely be the first casualty. "Chief Ryder is a Marine Medic, a Surgeon's Mate, a xenomedic, and no slouch when it comes to firearms. She'll fit in perfectly."

"Aye aye, ma'am." The Lieutenant replied, likely saying anything to avoid anything further.

"Now load up in the APV, Lieutenant. Now." The anger was still there, and Jannie did her best to let it simmer down before she snapped at someone who didn't deserve it. Her mother always said she had inherited her fathers' fiery temper.

"Done ripping into some ass, Skipper?"

Jannie turned to see Staff Sergeant Ashley Williams off to the right, holding out her hands in a peaceful manner to indicate I'm not here to start a fight. Her anger was still there, still seething on the inside.

"Handled it better than I would have." The Sergeant said, pulling out of one of her hardcase pouches a small cigar, lighting it with a small lighter app on her Omnitool, letting off a cloud of pleasant-smelling smoke. "Dealt with that back on Eden Prime during the initial attack, boys and girls worried about their families and homes in Constant while the Geth were dropping on us like the plague. It's a hard thing to tell a man to not think about his wife and kids when you see your home on fire." Williams wasn't just the sole survivor of her Platoon, the 2nd Battalion 12th Infantry Regiment, but of the entirety of the Colonial Army in and around Constant. Even after a week, there hadn't been one remaining member of the military for the 2-12, the 2-22, or the 2-32. Ash… was still dealing with it. "I wish I knew then what I know now. Wish I had let them run home to spend their last moments with their families, given them a chance to evacuate them." Williams' face was made of stone, but behind that wall was grief, flaring behind brown eyes. "I've always heard that the Villa didn't accept anyone who hadn't lost a man or woman in combat. Now I think I know why."

"While not exactly true, it's heavily sought." Jannie sighed, the anger slowly fading. "Did you pick up the packages and builds I suggested?"

"Hells yes, Skipper! Modular combat systems for different fights?" The Soldier was all smiles. "Let's someone be better equipped for an unknown fight ahead without having to worry if the weapon selection or armor selection was appropriate enough? That's a stroke of genius! I ended up going with the Heat Dispersion Package for more firing time and an Hot Swap Ammo Mod Build for different nasties. You N's sure know what's what."

"Actually, Sara came up with the concept. Seriously." Williams looked shocked at that. "Back when she was an EMT with the CitEMS, jumping off of Skybulances to pull splinters from Matriarch's toes back on the Rings, she had these med-paks that she could attach to her paramedic bag, species-specific instruments and medications instead of carrying everything at once or having to run back to grab something. Within a few weeks, all of her Skybulance crew had the same things, snapping on something based upon whatever call they had received. When I saw it and asked about it, little fifteen year old Sara was giddy explaining it to me, showing me an Asari one, clipping it on and off, saying how an Asari call would get two attachments instead of swapping out an entire bag or having to do without."

"And you adapted the idea for war." The Soldier nodded, getting it. "Yeah, makes sense." Williams looked down to the Packages in question that were mag-locked to her front of her thighs for easy access, giving her options in case of changing circumstances. "Can't prepare for everything, but you can certainly try preparing for most everything."

"There's about a dozen or so packages and about thirty or so builds oriented to people, weapons loadouts, preferences, and toys." Jannie filled in, tapping her own; one being a multicore VI processor for better processing speeds for her Omnitool, Cortana, and Ghost, and another being a more-refined targeting system to correct minute-of-angle deviations to effect for better accuracy towards known weaknesses in armor and species. "I prefer my Tech candy, of course."

"Yeah, well I saw that hover minitank of yours just annihilating Geth on Eden Prime, so I'm not complaining." There was a broad smirk on Ashley's face for a moment before it went serious. "Skipper? We're going to find her. Probably on top of a full recycling bin."

"I hope so." Shepard looked to Sara's last message, still unfinished. "God, please make it so." Auntie, I just wanted you to be proud of me, Sara had said back on Elysium when Jannie had woken up, utterly shocked to see the thirteen year old girl in Illyeria. When she had learned of all Sara had did… God, there wasn't an word invented for what she felt for Sara Ryder. Years of flashbacks swept her vision as Jannie remembered those blue eyes, that easy smile, her effervescent personality and unquenchable spirit. The thought of seeing that cherubic face lifeless was worse than dying.

"Please let Sara be alive."

Author's Note: Jane Shepard is a Tech Warrior; she fights with guns and toys. Most of her arsenal lies with Bastila and Ghost. She also carries a M-99 Saber.

Jane is also a complete nerd with all the saves. So she's a bit of a CosPlayer, and has altered her Armor to look like a Spartans' MJOLNIR Armor. Because… wouldn't you?

Bastila (Contragravity Auto-Turret) - 'Bastila', named after a Star Wars character, is a weapons platform that fires OmniGel-shaped Rockets, a light coaxial machine gun, sensor suite, targeting system, laser identification system, multi-passive viewing systems, deployable defensive shields, has armor rated to bounce most medium-weight small arms, and a passive li-fi linkup with Jannie's high-tech armor. It also boasts incredibly dense firewalls that can protect a nearby squadmate from hacking, intrusion software, or electronic sabotage. Bastila is the muscle of Shepard's repertoire. (based off the Assault Turrets from ME3MP, MEA, and MEAMP)

Ghost (Contragravity Drone) - 'Ghost', named after a Destiny character, is a personalized drone. It provides navigation, topographical information, environmental updates, accesses computer systems, cracks firewalls, lights darkened areas, remote hacks enemy systems, provides a temporary Faraday Cage, 'hazes' friendly electronic signals, can provide limited camouflage, and provide medical analysis (friendly and enemy). It can also perform minor repairs on itself, other drones, and on personnel armor. It is made out of a durable synthmetal, is shaped in a polygon, and can use its abilities to cause harm (such as overload, sabotage, hacking, invasion, energy drain, and tech corruption). Ghost is the hidden muscle, decimating enemy troops without firing a shot. (Based off of Ghost off of Destiny, but with the full range of 'Engineer Class' talents.)

Cortana (Armor VI OS) - 'Cortana', named after a Halo character, is an advanced VI personal assistant/software management suite. It compiles sensory data for optimal battlefield performance to maximize Shepard's performance, adding power to certain systems in times of need for better reflexes, better speed, or better protection. It also encodes and hardlocks weapons systems to prevent hacking, sabotage, or scanning. (Software Management Program, as well as adding 'Soldier Class' talents.)

Yes, Bastila is named after Bastila Shan, of Knights of the Old Republic, who was also voiced by Jennifer Hale, FemShep's voice actor.

Ghost is the Drone from Destiny, minus it being an AI. It is instead an advanced VI handmade (and hand-programmed) by Shepard.

Cortana is simply the name of the VI of Jannie's armor. This isn't a Halo crossover, just Jannie geeking out. Yes, it does come with a holographic blue woman in her field of vision.

Packages and Builds - I'm using the ME3MP and MEAMP packages and builds as a part of this universe, making them modular attachments to armor to provide whatever specs they incorporate; extra grenades, multicore VI processors, and the like. While this story isn't canon (obviously) I am going to use as much of the weaponry, armor, mods, and upgrades from all the games plus the multiplayers. The Geth will have abilities from ME3MP, since I don't exactly remembering them having too many powers (save the Hunter's Tactical Cloak and the Juggernaut's ME1 Tech Armor). They won't have the 'science' tech abilities (incinerate, cold thingie, or overload) but they will most certainly have sabotage, overheat, hacking, invasion, drones, and other swear word-worthy powers, along with DigiCloak, Fortification, Shield Boost, and other combat abilities. Plus… something out of the Borg's Handbook How To Take Over The Galaxy; adaptability.

Corporal Richard 'Leroy' Jenkins and the Price of War - I mention how Jenkins' died, as well as his parents considering they're from Eden Prime and Eden Prime was attacked. I also mention that Commander Shepard was firing at the enemy as oppose to rescuing a comrade. This is absolutely correct. I use to teach my guys this painful lesson that, if we are being engaged and one is hit, I will continue engaging the enemy until they are dead/incapacitated/captured/surrendered/fleeing, and you might possibly bleed out unless you provide self-aid. This isn't cruel. Wounding one and having another take care of the wounded takes away two guns, and might change the tide of battle. I told them that it implied to me as well; if I got shot, kill the motherfuckers responsible, then go check on me if I can't do it myself. And yes, I most definitely was a man of my word on that one.