Chapter Four: Preconceived Prejudice
"Who is calling at this ungoddessly hour?" Tevos complained into her pillow. Maybe if she ignored it the insistent buzzing of her FTL comm it would simply stop and whoever was inconsiderate enough to call at this unholy hour would get the hint.
Several rings latter…
…apparently not.
Half tempted to slam the offensive device into oblivion via a biotic pulse; the Councillor squashed the youngling impulse and slipped a sheer silk robe over her nude form and answered it instead.
"Yes?" she all but snapped not waiting for the holographic representation of whoever it was on the other side of the line to appear. When Aria's visage shimmered into view the Council suppressed a slight smile etching its way on to her face. The Pirate Queen always brought a giddy guilty pleasure to her. She had ever since-well a long time ago.
"Aria, what can I do for you?"
"That's a swift turn of the voice." The Queen gently teased. "Sorry to have to wake you, Tevos but this is important."
"Must be, you never give a social call, even to update me on our daughter."
"Liselle is fine. Hale and hearty." Aria answered. "I suspect your informants already keep you well appraised about her."
"Perhaps. But it's nice to hear it from her mother's own lips. So this important matter you brought up, what is it?" the councillor rubbed a hand along her neck in the attempted to mead out the kinks.
"One of your Spectres is making a bit of a noise here."
"Let me guess, it is Shepard. What has she done?" there was a tiredness in Tevos's voice that had nothing to do with her interrupted sleep.
"Other than riling up three of the major mercenary groups in the Terminus Systems and starting a personal war with Cerberus, you mean? She's very adamant, obsessively so in her quest to put an end to the Reaper threat."
Tevos sighed. Her hand shifted from her neck to rub the space between her eyes feeling the tension already beginning to build. "She has come to you now? I suppose it was too much to hope she'd be distracted by her missions to hunt down the last remnants of the geth and tracking down prothean relics. Ever Since Eden Prime she has not yield her stance on this Reaper threat.
"Tell me."
"Agent Shepard has been touched by prothean beacons; they marked her and it very nearly killed her. They were designed for a prothean mind but she was able to withstand their influence where a weaker mind would have been completely overcome. Our investigators found such a man on Eden Prime who apparently had also been touched by it. He's nothing but a blithering idiot now. Quite mad. He had to be institutionalized, I fear. One might go as far to say the beacon also opened the door to Saren's fall.
"You see, it implanted Shepard, Saren and this human man with ancient memories of the lost race. They are so ingrained in this device's stored memories that all three of them believed these visions to be true. These memories are what drove Saren to turn traitor and side with the geth because he saw no hope of surviving the supposed coming war with these Reapers. The repurposed Reaper ship reclaimed by the geth indoctrinated Saren and Matriarch Benezia and all her huntresses, Saren's krogan minions.
"As for Shepard, it drove her to extraordinary lengths to make a resistance against this threat of a parahistorical theoretical enemy. We ordered her to stop Saren's rampage and she did. She saved our lives, yes against the threat of the geth. But there is no clear evidence that the Reapers are a true threat beyond their derelict vessels being reclaimed and used by enemy forces and in Shepard's tormented memoirs.
"I've touched Shepard's mind…"
"As have I. Her memories are mingled yes, but her warnings are honest ones." Aria interrupted her former lover. "I ripped that knowledge from her mind. Tevos, I didn't simply meld with her. I went deeper and took what I wanted."
Astounded at the news the matriarch could only stare at the pirate queen. "You what?!"
"You heard me. And you know when you go that deep with such brutality the mind can not conceal the honest truth. Shepard doesn't just believe the Reapers are real, they are real and they are returning. They do so every fifty thousand years. I think you know it too. Question is what are you going to do about it?" Aria's hologram crossed her arms over her chest.
Tevos sighed. "Shepard has put us in a very difficult position. Impossible really."
"You mean the fact you denied and covered up her claims and now have to admit she's telling the truth. Tevos, how fucking difficult will your position be when the Reapers do get here, start burning worlds and the news gets out that well fuck me, Shepard was telling the truth along. Everyone will believe The Council just sat on their asses again instead of making preparations. Sounds familiar doesn't it? Isn't that what you did when Saren and that damn ship of his-a Reaper if I'm not mistaken attacked the Citadel? Way I hear it my daughter's sire owes her life to Shepard as does the rest of your precious Council. "
"Uniting the galaxy to fight as one will be monumental impossibility, Aria. Do you actually think the krogan will go to war with us, for us after what happened during the Rebellions? The asari have been down that road before we can not afforded to do so again. Should a summit be called the asari can not and will not make an appearance. History is a strict mistress. We learn from it or we will be crushed by it.
"Then there are the other races to consider. You don't actually believe the quarians will come to our aid? They've been fighting a cold war with the geth for three centuries, which will not end any time soon. They will never give us aid.
"And how about the Terminus Systems? The vorcha, batarians and the other races that calls that part of space home; they will never make an alliance with the Citadel Systems unless we make impossible concessions to their demands. The allowance of free slavery being one of them as well as trade in narcotics. No one government has the resources to spare to give that kind of aid to another world. It is impossible."
"Impossible?" Aria snorted in contempt "I believe you have a Spectre that specializes in doing the impossible. Set Shepard to the task. On the plus side it will shut her up. On a smaller scale concentrate efforts on Thessia, order the Matriarchy to start construction on underground vaults to bunker our people when the shit storm hits. Start stockpiling emergency resources across our colonies, harden the lines of our communications and step up defences. And make a token task force to handle issues of Reaper tech used as a weapon and let the other Council members know you're doing this. They will follow suite and their own governments will have the responsibility to oversee the protection and survival of their own people. But to do nothing just because you will lose face by admitting Shepard is right is idiotic at best. And you know it."
"I will…considerate it." Tevos uttered softly. Her voice raised in a pitch filled with curiosity. "Why are you championing this human, Aria? I thought you cared little for Spectres."
"Oh I wouldn't say that. Vasir is a good toss in between the sheets."
Tevos frowned. Aria grinned.
"You're telling me you never had that luscious blue ass in your bed?" the Pirate Queen teased. "I know your tastes. She's just your type. You're a liar if you tell me you haven't had a taste of her."
Tevos continued to frown. Aria continued to grin.
"As for Shepard? I like her. I even have a bit of respect for her." the pirate queen pinched the air between her forefinger and thumb. "She's smart; she's very crafty, very shrewd. Feisty. I like that. Though, she is a little too idealistic for her own good and maybe a little too bluntly spoken as well. But she still is in her maiden stages so it's to be expected.
"Hell the Matriarchy even allowed her on one of our more sacred rituals. Even my pole dancers gossip about her taking on a firaxon shark with only her mentor. On our Hunt we had three other huntresses with us and two our mentors. Now I know you had a hand in making sure that Shepard was able to undergo the rite of passage and just in time for her wedding feast. How romantic."
The Councillor was silent for a moment, then: "I'll speak with the Matriarchy. Perhaps a bit of prudence is not a wasted effort."
"Tell me Tevos why did you and your fellow Counsellors turn her into a Spectre?" Aria was intrigued to find the answers. "Especially as it seems you have so very little respect or trust in her."
"She proved a remarkable reliance and a brilliant mind for tactics during the Skyllian Blitz." Tevos answered and relayed what she knew from Shepard's own report of what happened on Elysium, along the reports of Hackett and Anderson.
"Rallying the troops into an effective fighting forces, securing the vast majority of the population and in the end standing alone against a full platoon of slavers to the extent she nearly kills herself by over extending her biotics. Impressive. You hear things of what happened on Eden Prime, some seemed to be exaggerated but disarming four nukes is also impressive. Seems she very driven to save as many lives as possible. Why she even sacrificed hundreds of human lives deliberately to save the Destiny Ascension. Ever ask her why she did this?"
"You think she did it to curry favour with the Council? I highly doubt it. Shepard simply saw the wisdom that should we fall, the vacuum of power left behind would harm Citadel Space stability. And by proxy- the other regions of space would equally become unstable as they try to take advantage of this vacuum." said Tevos.
"And yet you do not listen to her warnings. In fact you hushed it all up and blamed the attack on the Citadel on the geth. Why ignore the true threat of Sovereign?"
"Now you sound like her. Truly I thought you had better wisdom, Aria. The geth was threat true and present for all to see, to witness. Panic would spread faster and more deadly than that plague your Omega suffered should any hint the Reaper threat leak. This way we contained it. Sovereign was an isolated ship, a recovered and repurposed derelict Reaper ship. Nothing more. Perhaps it is a cruel and unfortunate truth but in order for the Council to maintain order, misinformation must be implemented."
"And by doing so you make one of your own Spectres to seem mentally unstable. You dishonour her-your hero, your saviour. What is it one of ancient salarian philosophers once said? Ruling is convenient but only for rulers. The people must live to serve.
"I can appreciate that, it's how I maintain dominance over Omega. But when I have an extraordinary servant, I do not out of hand make them an enemy. Queens and pawns, Tevos, Matriarchs and fools."
"Waxing prophetic warnings now Aria?"
"Just making an idle statement." the Queen of Omega said. "Make of it what you will."
Aria cut the lines of communication. It had been four days since she ripped the visions from Shepard's mind-four nights of nightmares, each darker, bloodier and hopeless as the last. Each ending in Shepard morbid warming that she should awaken before it becomes worse. Maybe now she had done what she promised to do they would end.
Goddess damn that blasted Spectre! The lilac skinned matriarch wanted to hit that puny human with a biotic pulse so powerful Shepard would end up in the next cycle for playing her as she did. However Aria couldn't help respected Shepard for using her own 'rule' against her.
Why it was almost worthy of a move from the Queen herself. Though Aleena probably had more do to with that then the Spectre's own initiative. Still Shepard was willing to go through with it. Aria gave her that much. No doubt Shepard will still be feeling the effects of the forced meld for days to come. As far as T'Loak was concerned a four day migraine and the occasional nose bleed was fair compensation for four nights of fucking nightmares.
They were even.
MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME
Liara kissed Samantha's brow as if it would seep away the migraine still stubbornly lingering within the human's mind. At least the acoustical buzzing-whine had finally stopped as did the flashes of light behind the eyelids. And praise the Goddess the nosebleeds stopped after the second day.
Dr. Chakwas was concerned for the very possible neurological damage the forced melding had caused. Shepard willingly went through the motions of the medical examinations more out of the promise she gave Liara and a bit of common sense than any true willingness on her side. Fortunately the physical trauma was only temporary; it was the physiological trauma that had both doctors concerned.
Both for very similar but very different reasons. Chakwas had yet to determine if the Spectre was fit for duty. So far she had not decided otherwise. Liara on the other hand was concerned that such an attack on her beloved's mind would have far reaching far greater consequences. They had made love but had not yet bonded. The asari was concerned that Samantha would bulk at the connection and shut her out. The bond between them had dimmed a little; the mental shielding was nearly impenetrable. There was a part of Liara that greatly feared because of the forced link, she would lose the deep connection she had with her bondmate.
For the past four days the only time the link was completely open was during Sam's horrific nightmares. Liara was pulled into each visceral image after the other. Sometimes Samantha was seeing the world being torn apart by machines, traitors and creatures of the Reapers through the eyes of a prothean: more specifically through the eyes of Regent Izu-Chaun. The prothean scientist who had devised the Vinculum in order to store the memories of her people, still haunted Shepard long after her severance from the blasted device.
In other nightmares Shepard was running through a burning monochromatic forest filled with the dead and dying. Voices screamed out all accusing her of not doing more the loudest of them was the silent unborn cries of Secura. The galaxy was on fire. The creatures created by the Reapers were friends…loved ones…Liara. Rather than have Liara become a soulless husk of what she once was, the nightmare always had Shepard holding a grenade, killing them both as well as newly conceived child in Liara's womb.
For a time the night terrors had dissipated now they were back in full force pulling Liara into them as a helpless observer, unable to intervene or wake her bondmate from the torment of Samantha's subconscious. Sam's terror flared through her barrier to reach the asari. Then there was silence again. Waves of nausea swept over the asari, jarring maiden's own aching head. Screwing her eyes shut against the light coming from the fish tank, Liara tired to reach Sam through their link.
What happens to one happens to the other. That was the nature of the gestalt that so fully bonded them. Liara gasped holding the side of her head as Samantha curled tighter into a fetal position holding her own sides of her skull. The sudden overwhelming pain infused itself into Liara's brain.
"Li-Liara." Sam grunted through clenched teeth. Wincing she rolled over daring to open her eyes, she met a pair of pain lanced beautiful blues. She stretched out touching her beloved's hand. The physical contact was an extravagant explosion of suddenly not being in pain.
In that moment of stillness clarity struck. They had suffered another gestalt. The effect rippled through them, pushing their bond deeper. The tides and eddies of their connections shifted as the pulse of nebula's core. Captivating, and dizzying—a rapturous glorious whole.
More than hands touched. Foreheads pressed together, no words passed between bondmates.
The link fully opened shut out the pain. What happens to one happens to the other. In order to protect each other from the trauma, pain of a battlefield to protect any child they were to have, they had to shield their own minds. But in doing so the lovers risked opening yet another gestalt, another wave of inconsolable mental anguish and crippling migraines.
There had to be a balance.
There had to peace.
MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME
Even in her cell Miranda could feel the Normandy was a buzz with activity. Shepard had been sending out several scouting parties to various sectors of the Omega Nebula over the past four days. Of course in the Cerberus operative's secluded confines did not permit her to know the specifics, none of the guards were forth coming in fact none would speak to her. And all four within the brig were very defiantly asari. No one wore a helm this time round; it seemed that ploy was only for Oriana's benefit.
Of her sister, they had spoken little but at least Oriana was willing to open a dialog. It was a hopeful start. For the first day mush as it was with Shepard, Oriana took a set at the card table and ate lunch together. Today it wasn't MREs it was freshly made fkio hen soup and sourdough bread.
The Thessian fkio were purple flightless flamingos like birds that had two tails and four wings. To Miranda fkios seemed resemble the kiwi birds from New Zealand more. The only thing that was remotely flamingo-like about them was their necks and legs: their bodies and heads were defiantly kiwi. Their meat was as common fair on the asari homeworld as much as turkey or goose on Earth.
It was actually a nice change from field rations.
There was an agreement passed between them. There was to be no talk of Cerberus. Instead the newly reunited sisters spoke of safer topics: music being one of them. Apparently Oriana loved Adagio's Fifth just like Miranda did. In fact the younger woman loved to play as much as she enjoyed listening to it as she was an apt violinist. They spoke of Oriana's plans of becoming involved in the colonization effort. the younger genetic-twin even joked about it. Miranda smiled at the slight difference in them as she had no true since of humor.
"I want to know something." Oriana suddenly piped up drawing her sister's attention to her. "If our father was so concerned about a legacy, his dynasty why did he go out of his way to make sure his tank-bred babies was girls? You'd think he'd want a male heir. Most men care only for a male heir, carry on the name and all that. In high society female offspring are merely tolerated if only breeding stock to be traded for the sake of an alliance.
"Yet Henry Lawson make sure he had girls. He had to extract his Y chromosome to insure the end product was XX not XY. That takes quite a bit generic engineering and a lot of recourses. And he made sure the end product had the most desirable traits. So why females? Why daughters?"
Miranda smiled. "I asked him the same question when I was still a child." the older sister offered a dry humorously chuckle. "You truly what to know what he told me?" there was a nod from the younger woman. "He said he wanted a true dynasty not a rival. A male could only be a rival, a son carries the legacy of his father's name but he is also the supreme rival of his father. It a son's destiny to take over the family, but a daughter inherits it.
"The name Lawson will carry on because of what I am, what he created me….us to be. I wasn't the first daughter he made only the first he kept, and he made sure I knew it. You are the second. And you were created not to be the spare but because I was too wilful to be what he wanted. You're right our genes are tailor made, Sister. He made us into the penical of human evolution and perfection, Oriana. There is nothing we do, have done or will do that isn't because of our genes. The only thing we can lay claim to is our failures, our mistakes. Every success we have is due only because our father's generic tampering. He gave us the innate advantage to succeed."
Oriana shook her head. "I don't believe that. I'm good at the violin because I've practiced all the time. Three hours a day since I was four. That's why I'm good, good enough to get into Julliard or Grissom if I wanted. It is not because I was tailor made in some Frankenstein Cerberus lab!" Unable to contain her frustration and anger the younger sister shot to her feet and stalked towards the door of the brig in a storm.
"Wait! Oriana!" Miranda called out after her, her voice useless to recall her sister. Lawson rushed the door but was thrown back against the floor when she rushed the forcefeild surrounding the bars of her cell. "Damn it!"
Miranda rose with poise and dignity acting as if she hadn't just run headlong into an electrified barrier. She reclaimed her chair near her bed. "Damn it." She rubbed her face with her hands, tears falling down her alabaster cheeks. "DAMN IT!"
The asari guards watched the little drama play out with mild interest. One of them displayed a satisfied smirk at the human's folly. Another looked away almost sorry for what her eyes had witnessed but knew better than to display more than that. Pity was wasted on the human who would not even appreciate it nor accept it.
Now that their human captive was the only one within the brig the guards departed, leaving Miranda in seclusion. She was of course to be highly monitored but there was no cause to leave four guards within the brig to simply stare at four walls for an entire shift.
The monitoring wasn't simply left up to electronic devices but eyes-on or so to speak. A two-way mirror created the facing wall of the brig's main entrance. Here a rotation of guards kept a steady vigilant watch.
Rising her dark head Lawson shouted out defiantly the seemingly empty room. "I want to see Shepard! I demand to see her!"
A comm-switch activated, "Your request has been noted and will be passed along. In accordance to priority it may be answered." A disembodied voice called over the radio.
Maybe be answered? Priority? Bullshit! Those slue-skinned hussies wouldn't tell Shepard a damned thing. "Tell your Spectre I'll trade her some information in this sector. Information Cerberus has. Tell her!"
MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME
"Hey Professor. Got a minute to talk?" Shepard asked as she walked into the lab.
The aged salarian nodded. "Of course. Plague on Omega dealt with. Plenty of time to analyze Collector Intelligence. Impressive laboratory. Missed working with operations with a budget. Best setup I've seen since working with Special Tasks Group."
"Is your assistant Daniels settling the clinic since you left?" Shepard started off conversationally.
"Doing well. Left him security mechs just in case. Can't be too careful. Also tired of mechs. Noisy." The lines around the salarian's face grew taunt. "Never used them in STG."
The dark haired woman offered a consultative smile "Must have been frustrating working in Omega which such a limited facility."
Mordin shook his head surprising the Spectre. "No. Loved it." he smiled. "Limited ability presents challenge! Save greater number of people using limited resources. Security threats. Gangs. Mercenary groups add additional difficulty. Quite enjoyable. Plague stretched abilities to the limit. Couldn't have asked for more. Also enjoy saving people of course" the last bit seemed clumsily added. But it made the Specter smile nonetheless. "Helping the helpless. The greater good, all that too." Mordin waved a dismissive hand in front of his face. "Nice retirement after STG work complete."
This intrigued the humans. "Tell me more about the salarian Special Tasks Group." the Spectre folded her arms under her chest in her more relaxed pose. She and Kirrahe never actually spoke about it and he wasn't so inclined to offer insight. He was a good man, good office just not personable. Then again in the commander's experience so few high ranked officers were…well save for Anderson.
"Respected organization. Clandestine. Handles difficult assignments with limited oversight. Recons, analysis. Occasional wet work. Identify problems, have neutralize options ready should the need arise. Model for Council Spectres, based on Special Tasks Group. Very similar."
This Shepard did not know. Kirrahe never actually spoke mentioned it. "Similar in what way?"
"Salarians lack numbers, brute strength, military prowess. Have to rely upon stealth. Intelligence. Agents trusted given wide operative freedom. Spectres similar. Given goal, told to accomplish. Better founded of course." he chuckled. "Didn't have to buy our own weapons."
Shepard snorted. Yeah that was a new one on her too. In the Alliance she was given weapons, armor though if she wanted more or different makes and models she had to purchase her own. When she joined the Spectres she half expected to get their standard issue armaments and hardsuits only to be told she could have whatever she wanted provided she paid for it. Hell the Humanity's first Spectre half expected to have to fit the bill for her new ship on top of it all. Fortunately it was issued but all upgrades had been on her dime not the Council's.
How fortunate it was that she had the foresight not only to send out probes to collect resources on the plants within any system the Normandy was in but she had done so under her registration number. So all proceeds went directly into a fund she set up for Normandy's extra expenses. Expenditures like new cyclonic shielding, Silaris armor and the more efferent Helios thrusters, greater probe capacity, superior scanners well as higher caliber Thanix cannons.
"So what kind of research were you doing in the Special Tasks Group?" pressed Shepard.
"Not simply research. Several recon missions. Covert. High risk. Served under young Captain Kirrahe. Surprised to see him on board. Studied krogan genophage. Took water, tissue samples from krogan colonies."
"I worked with Kirrahe before." Shepard explained. "It's why he's here now. His team helped me destroy Saren's cloning fancily on Virmire."
Mordin nodded. "Heard he was part of that. Jury rigged explosive." once more Mordin chuckled softly. "Always got job done with limited resources. Good Captain. Bit of a cloaca though. Loved his speeches. 'Hold the line!'" another chuckle. "Personally prefer to get job done and go home. Probably military bravo. Jargon. Chest pounding." looking up he saw the human's right eyebrow arch up to her forelock, which he recognized as a human body language for either surprise or displeasure. It was difficult to tell. He coughed embarrassingly. "No offence."
Shepard grinned "As long as you're not calling me an assehole same as him, none taken. You're right about military chest pounding to rally the troops. You have to inspire them. But yeah I can also see the appeal of getting the job done and going home. Only my ship is my home." Shepard smiled. "Born on one. Lived my whole life on them, more than likely die on one."
"Ah yes. Heard that too. Space born vagabond. Like quarians." again he coughed "Not bad thing. Always on the move. Know how to live compact life."
Shepard decided to let it slid. She'd been called worse than a space born vagabond at least he hadn't called her a cloaca. "So tell me why was the STG studying the genophage?"
"Krogan rebellions bloody. Dangerous. Nearly as bad as rachni attacks. All species evolve. Adapt. Mutate. If genophage weakens. Need to be prepared."
This didn't sound good. Frowning Shepard's blue eyes pierced into the man before her. "What was the STG preparing to do?"
"Military schematics for likely krogan population growth. Political scenarios for attack points. Genophage reduced krogan numbers. Species aggression unchecked, population explosion would be disastrous. STG helped check krogan rebellions. Needed to be ready to do the same. Simple recon. Nothing to worry about."
Shepard knew a brush off when she heard one. She wasn't about to let this go. "What exactly is the genophage." she knew from Wrex and the history books that it was a sterility plague but now was the chance to know far more about the thing that was killing her friend's people.
"Bioweapon designed by salarian science team. Deployed by turians to end krogan rebellions more than a thousand years ago. Effectives every cell of krogan body. Probably and incorrectly considered as a sterility plague. Actually adjusts viable fertility rates to compromise for high krogan birth rate. Stabiles birth rate to pre-industrial population.
"I see." Shepard's frown didn't' disappear. In her heart she felt the genophage was wrong. What was to stop the Council from making the same decisions for another race? Like humanity? What if they decided horridness crimes committed by the likes of Cerberus was enough to order the construction and deployment of another bioweapon? They cast the quarians out after the Morning War. They cast and rightly so the bartarian's out for their slaving practices. What if the next race they commented an exulted march upon was humans for the atrocities committed by one small but very powerful organization?
Dislodging such thoughts from her mind. Shepard changed the subject matter. "I'm glad the labs and personal are working out for you."
"All quiet satisfactory. Just need more samples, More Collector data. Tissue samples. Anything you can get, I can use. Find new tech."
"We've uncovered a great deal already and I've sent a couple of teams out following up on some leads while were here in the Omega Nebula. And Mordin, it's good to have you aboard."
"Glad to be here. Must get back to work. Will talk latter."
MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME
The leads Shepard spoke about led to two different systems within the sector. Instead of leading the groups herself, the Spectre had delegated the missions to her more than capable people. Williams was to lead one while Garrus took the other, Shepard wanted more than simply given them the opportunity of taking command, she wanted to prove themselves, to themselves. The way the Spectre saw, it was time for both of them to stop following, it was time for them to take the lead.
The first anomalous signature came from the Arinlarkan system which had only one planet called Utha. The oceanic ice planet had an ozone similar enough to Earth but it wasn't enough by far to ward off the substantial gamma radiation. It was defiantly not one's first choice of planets to land on despite its rich mineral deposits.
It was however from what intel the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance had on it, a way station for slaves escaping their batarian masters. What little land it has is tectonically stable and its considerable radiation belt and electronic storms grant cover from many types of sensors. Fleeing ships typically hid on Utha long enough to discharge their drives cores and stock up on deuterium before trying to make it to the cluster's mass relay.
It wasn't the frozen water world that drew the attention of the Normandy, it was an appearance of a derelict ship in a synchronize orbit around the planet.
MSV Strontium Mule sustained heavy damaged by Blue Suns mercs led by one Captain Vorhess, a wanted man in several systems. The turian had seized the ship, slaughtered the crew all for the opportunity to highjack the cargo of prothean artifacts. He had stationed his man-a Sergeant named Boortis within the cargo hold, a man wanted for several counts of pirating within Council space.
Williams was successful in resizing the merchant ship and retrieval the relic. Neither named criminal however was taken alive. Their deaths were reported to appropriate authorities. More importantly to the young lieutenant she had gained Shepard's approval for not only retaking the vessel but for a successful command over her team.
Within a day of reporting the success over the Blue Suns, the Normandy received transmissions from Alliance Intl that Vorhess's Suns were operating out of a base in the Sigurd's Cradle. Which incidentally was the place the MSV Strontium Mule had been ambushed. Apparently the Mule had been lured there by old but favored false distress call trick.
The second anomalous signature was discovered by Liara. She had very willingly given command of the Science Team over Mordin Sullus while she took the lead over Intel. Liara's capabilities of becoming an information broker were proving very beneficial. Apparently she had quite the talent for it. The maiden was able to trace the transmissions of a Cerberus operative working within the Omega Nebula back one to the plant of Lorek in the system of Father.
Indeed Garrus's team did in fact find the lost operative who had been captured by the Eclipse under the command of salarian named Morl. His base was overrun with vanguards and troopers however they were dispatched by a combination of biotic and tech attacks without a loss of life on the side of the Normandy.
The Cerberus operative wasn't as fortunate however as he had died under the Eclipse interrogation. The data harvested from the dean man was salvageable. By Liara's orders the information was collected and sent to the Alliance Command as well as the Council. She meant to protect her Bondmate and fully legitimize the Spectre's continued hunt of the rouge organization. T'Soni also kept a copy for herself with the express intent of cracking the heavily encrypted dated to further her own agenda as an information broker.
The one mission Shepard had not delegated was the mission to Amada system. The forth planet of the system was highly significant to the Spectre. It was here the first Normandy met its fate. Destroyed by an unknown enemy, though Shepard now highly expected it to be the by the hands-the claws of the Collectors.
As per SOP whenever a team was to touch down on an unknown planet scans were taken from the galaxy map. This was then transferred to the relevant ground crew allowing them to prepare for any possible situation once they touched down.
Scans revealed that Alchera's crust was composed of carbon and ice. While low density, its large size allowed it to retain a thick atmosphere of methane and ammonia. It is believed that if Alchera had acquired a bit more mass when the Amada star system formed, it would have formed the core of a second outer-system gas giant. Alchera has three moons: Uluru, Wandjina, and Baiame.
Shepard assembled her crew. Those who had served aboard the Normandy, the first and true Normandy. Changing its IDC to the Victory didn't alter that fact. The Council in their infantine wisdom ambushed the truth. They had decided to rechristen the true Normandy for the victory it led over the citadel. They did so because they were convinced use of information and disinformation is ultimately the path of power. Councillor Tevos said it herself that to push others into an unreal world is a balance of that power. It facilitates what is necessary to keep the peace.
The Normandy or at the very least the sprit of the Normandy had to live on. The legend of Shepard and the Normandy had to live on. If it did not then the enemies gain a foothold within Council territories which was something that could not be afforded to either the geth or Cerberus or to the Reapers and their agents.
Guilt still held heavily over Shepard's heart. Her ship, the true Normandy had been shot down, destroyed because enemy agent believed she was in command of it. Twenty lives were unaccounted for, twenty souls who ironically had served with Shepard when she was still in command. Twenty soldiers who were familiar with the ship's operations which normally would not be an issue as one Alliance ship was the same as another. But considering the Normandy SR1 was a prototype that familiarity was quintessential to retain the ship's operations at peak performance.
Even still that familiarity had not saved the NormandySR1 from its untimely fate. But its destruction may yet save the Normandy SR2 and the souls aboard her. Discovering how the ship was destroyed was key as was creating counter defences to insure that fate wasn't shared. Shepard was very confident in the upgrades that had been installed during their month long dry dock at Illium, but if it wasn't enough the data analyzed from the crash site would reveal any vulnerability.
MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME
It was one big iceberg.
Broken, jagged and shattered—the ice and the Normandy.
When she saw the broken remains of her ship, Shepard's knees nearly buckled. Her heart lurched beneath her rip cadge. This ship that led her to victory, to triumph over Saren, and over Sovereign didn't deserve the inglorious stripping of her name. She didn't deserve this fate to be obliterated and left to rot on a frozen world like the carcase of a lion's feast.
She didn't start when she felt a hand upon her back. Imagined or not the human felt the warmth radiating from her wife's palm against the shell of her hardsuit. "Are you alright, Melethril?" She asked knowing that indeed her bondmate, her lover was very far from alright. Yet Shepard nodded as Liara knew she would. Her brave, ever enduring, light of her heart would always press on unto the darkest end.
"God look at her!" William's voice broke over the radio disturbing Liara from her inner thoughts. "There is nothing left. What kind of weapon can do that?"
"Reaper tech." Garrus answered. "We saw it with Sovereign."
"Keelah." Tali echoed everyone's astonishment. "They didn't stand a chance. Those Reaper cannons tore right through the hull."
Silently Shepard passed all of them, her head bowed she walked to the center mass of the destruction. Slowly she saluted the old dead girl. Stealing herself she turned around and faced her crew. "There are twenty souls unaccounted for. We need to bring their families clouser. Something. Anything. Calibrate your omni tools to pick up stainless steal; it should lead you to dog tags that should still be on our MIAs if any are to be found. Once we find them we load the bodies onto the shuttle and place the memorial Hackett shipped to us.
She didn't say anything more, there was nothing more to be said. There had been no orders to pair up but it seemed almost inevitable and an almost natural response. Tali and Garrus wondered to the north towards the defunct M35 Mako. Of course Shepard had a sad grim smile; Garrus had a particular fondness for the transport or at least that particular one. He was always repairing, calibrating and doing general maintenance on the beast, especially after drops planet side.
Shepard admitted she had a small amount of fondness for the transport itself despite its stupidly vertically aligned mass accelerator. Sure it handled like a drunk rhino and had no agility what-so-ever no real speed, no lateral movement, but the thing could climb and climb for days and had a powerhouse of a cannon. It could take down a threshermaw like nobody's business. It was one of the reasons Shepard retained two of them along with their bigger brothers the M36s aboard the new Normandy.
Normandy: as big and as proud as you please printed on the hull of her dead ship. It didn't read Victory, it was Normandy as it should. No amount of politicking and game playing would ever change that. Shepard was in half a hind to plant the memorial near the hull and send a holodisk back to the media in utter defiance of the Council's decision to discarnate her memory.
Once more the Spectre felt her bondmate's presence in her mind as well as at her side. Without word Liara laced her fingers into Sam's. "I am sorry." she uttered softly.
"Yeah. Me too." she turned and pressed her helmeted forward against Liara's. "I didn't think it was going to be this hard. I lost soldiers in my command. I hated it, this is no differently. To see her torn up like this…" Shepard sucked in a breath of regulated air. "God damn it. I hope to hell she gave as good as she got."
Liara closed her eyes. Not for the memory of the ship or even the lost lives that had gone down with her, but the selfish thought she was thankful to the Goddess that her Samantha wasn't in command. She in deep in the marrow of her bonze Samantha would have perished along with her beloved Normandy. She didn't know how, but she knew, she knew Samantha would have died had she been in command. And she'd be here now looking for her bondmate's corpse, her tags, anything of her beloved.
They continued to search the debris field; so far eleven dog tags had been recovered. Ash found names of people she had made friends or at least good acquaintances with. The Draven twins, Rosamund and Talitha who were marines along Addison Chase and Silas Crosby the latter two were from Amaterasu the same colony as Ash's family finally settled after her father passed on.
Tali came across two names she recognized form Engineering: Alexei Dubyansky, and Raymond Tanaka. And there was Amina Waaberi who was so proud of being spacer-born just like the great Commander Shepard. The young woman had been the same age as Tali, and was continually asked her questions about life on the Flotilla. Tali smiled behind her mask remembering the young woman's eager curiosity. The smile fell when she realized finding these tags…meant Amina was dead.
"Skipper." Ash's voice called out from somewhere west of Shepard's position. "Where are the bodies?"
"Say again?"
"The bodies. Where are they? Shouldn't there be bodies? We have lifepods, debris I found at least five dog tags, eezo canisters but no bodies. This planet doesn't have animal lifeformes, and this place is a deep freeze, so where are they? Could they have been spaced? Burned up in atmo?"
The question struck a nerve in the commander. She had been wondering the same, Why weren't there bodies? There should be bodies "I don't know, Williams. I have no answers for you. Hackett must be asking the same questions, which is why he sent us here. Scanners didn't pick anything up in space. Keep looking for the tags, they maybe all we find."
Shepard turned her attention to a row of sleeper pods often referred to as coffin pods as they were the same size and shape as coffins her mind flashed back when they were whole and their berth sound. Behind her was the mess hall between these two areas she and Liara found five of the tags. She called up seeing Corporal Monica Negulesco, who had been given the duties of a mess sergeant. A gloved hand traced over her name engraved upon a bit of mettle. On the reverse side of the one tag was an etched image of the frigate, showcasing where a solider served. On the other tag it was the Alliance insignia that marked it.
Shepard's own was slightly different: each had her name, rank, serial number, blood type and religious affiliation as standard. On the reserve side of her tags held the N7 insignia and upon the other the Spectres.
This was probably all that was left of the young woman. The Spectre thought remorsefully as her hand traced the name again. But where was her body? There was no trace of it. Changing the parameters of her Omni tool, Shepard didn't even pick up any trace signatures of her DNA other than what was on the tag it self.
Many more names were picked up. Shepard paused in her search when she came across a helmet—an N7 helmet. Her helmet. How in the hell? She turned it over and over in her hands. It was heavily scarred, dented and burnt. There was a familiar dent on the forehead. It was where she had hit Wrex when she headbutted him to gain his respect and oath during their mission against Saren. It must have been down in the armory and forgotten once Shepard purchased her Colossus armor from the Spectre rec-officer.
"I'll be damned." she flipped the helmet once more in her hands, "This thing has been through hell and back."
"Perhaps it should have a new home in our quarters." Liara offered as she trailed her fingers along the contours of the helmet. Once more she thanked the Goddess her beloved was not on this Normandy when it was shot down. "Perhaps for good luck."
Shepard grinned. "Maybe so. Either way it's still mine." She took hold of it in her left hand. "I'm taking it back."
They had by now a count of twenty dog tags they had full accounting of the MIAs which were now officially KIAs. Still no bodies which was very strange, no sign, no trace. Nothing. It bothered everyone on the squad. There should have at least something, if they were vaporized in atmo or whatever blasted cannon tore into the NormandySR1 then there would be no dog tags. It was as if someone came before and snatched their bodies and insured they left no trace of their trespass. But if that were so, why leave the tags behind? A warning? Posturing? No if it were either one then there would be an accompanying message.
Wouldn't there? Unless it was the Collectors that took them just like they took the colonists of Freedom's Progress. But again why leave behind the tags? The only thing Shepard could come up with seemed almost impossible. But Sherlock Holmes said it best: when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Pirates then, body snatchers looking for someone. A specific target—a bounty they hoped to sell to a particular buyer. But by whom? Perhaps the body snatchers thought to deceive their employers by removing any identification and selling their booty under false pretenses that the bodies they had were the ones the buyers wanted.
So that begged the question who wanted human bodies? Collectors yes for some unknown reason but why would anyone else? Sam looked to Liara and an idea formed in her mind. Liara's ability thus far as an information broker was developing exceptionally well. Perhaps she could find who has a bounty on the bodies of Alliance soldiers.
Her eyes watched curiously from under the visor of her helmet as her beloved bend down in the ice and snow to retrieve something buried in its white womb.
"This datapad belongs to Navigator Pressly." Liara said picking up the thin object. "Was it left behind perhaps? I thought he was stationed aboard the human ambassador's ship-oh…I suppose he would have been reassigned after Udina's defection."
"He must have requested the Normandy…um I mean…the Victory… " Williams commented. "He was her navigator after all."
"She will always be the Normandy. Those poncy twats on the Council will ever change that." Garrus said venomously.
Shepard nodded in complete agreement with the turian. "What does it say Liara."
"They seem to be private thoughts, Spectre." Liara used her bondmate's rank out of deliberate purpose. She needed to be ordered to invade a dead man's personal belongings, his thoughts he believed were his alone.
"He's passed on. Besides he might have written about whatever it was that did that to them. It they were being dogged. Read it." came the order.
"Aye aye." T'Soni obeyed. "Much of it is corrupted but I will read what I can." she cleared her throat and began to read the uncomfortable words: '….spoke to the Commander about this. I…..all these damned aliens aboard the Alliance's most advanced ship. I just don't trust them. Esp…..that damned asari. What does Shepard think this is some kind of zoo?'"
Shepard face contorted into a grimacing sneer beneath her mask. "Kicking him off my ship is the best move I made in personal."
Ash's face too held a grimace. But for another reason. She remembered the day she Pressly wrote that. She was in the mess with him. Apparently he saw her as a kindred sprit for when she asked the Navigator what he was working on he read aloud what he wrote and Ash had laughed at his comment and had agreed with it. She was still sore at Shepard for dismissing her worries despite headbutting Wrex to get him in line.
Hell she even admitted to Pressly that she couldn't tell the animals from the aliens when she was on the Citadel. He had chuckled at her quip about skull-faced birds, bug-eyes amphibians, basset hound bowling balls, talking turtles and squid-headed tarts that shook their asses on stage and pretended to be all wise off it. Now she was ashamed of those feelings. Looking at how happy and contented Liara made the Skipper she was embarrassed she had always thought the asari as noting more than squid-headed tarts. Her jib about asking Miss Protean Expert about her sex life she found hysterical. Hell she always beloved that the asari yeah were okay in the looks if you don't mind tentacles instead of proper hair and you like lose floozies. Hell until she had a true conversation with Liara, Ash always said asari were nothing but blue-space whores, there only for the Captain Kirk-the-Jerk womanizers of the galaxy to fuck. Only they were blue instead of green but they were only there for tits and ass. And the Commander…was not a Kirk-the-Jerk fuck off.
Williams slowly and begrudgingly admitted that Liara was a remarkable woman. The Lieutenant now would gladly lay down her life for her and the others on squad. This wasn't to say her misgivings about aliens weren't totally vanquished but she wasn't as hardcore set against them as she once was.
"There is more. Some of it is just as corrupted as the first entry." Liara said "…with the quarian. Seems she on some kind of pilgrimage, trying to improve the lot of her home ship. I can understand that. I would…. let babysit my children or anything but if she has to be onboard I suppose it's not that bad."
Tali shrugged. "That was when he had the chicken pox. I programmed a game for him on his Omni tool to help pass the time he was in sickbay. I know it was only a couple of days but it gave him something to do. He wasn't exactly the Galaxy of Fantasy sorta guy but he liked strategy games. You know the type where you build up cities, create armies, trade routs and such. He seemed to like it." the young woman signed. "He was always cold before that, I didn't know he thought of us as just animals. But I'm not surprised most races think quarians are nothing but suit-rats. You're the first person to ever treat me as an equal, Shepard."
Garrus put a hand on taloned hand on his lover's shoulders. "I wasn't exactly good to you either."
"But you were never unkind." Tail's voice smiled.
Ash looked away again. She had called (or rather shouted) Tali a thieving suit-rat when the young engineer had used some of her tools she had at her work station at the armory. She had accused the girl of thievery not understanding that aboard quarian vessels that if one wasn't using a tool another could do so. It was simply their way. She had even made the engineer cry and actually took pleasure in doing so, it taught the suit-rat a lesson after all. Again shame sunk into the marine's soul, she was unable to look up. Williams knew the quarian never told Shepard of the incident, instead the girl waited to be sent packing just like Williams threatened her with.
When the lieutenant dared to rise has head she saw Shepard's head was turned to her with a very knowing look. "Is there another entry?" Williams said attempting to ignore the uncomfortable feeling taking residence within her.
"There is. It seems to be the last one. He seems to have made an attempt to redeem his previous beliefs." Liara said with surprise filling her voice.
A more passionately justified Shepard might have once claimed too little too late. Instead the N7 decided give the dead navigator the benefit of the doubt. Liara's soft voice pulled the dark haired Spectre out of her internal musings.
"He writes. '…for a while now, and I'm taking a look back at past entries in this journal…how blind I was at the time. I came on this ship firmly believing humanity was on its own in the galaxy….. Shepard brought all these aliens on board, and there was no way we could have accomplished what we did without them. I am proud to say…die for any member of this crew, regardless of what world they were born on.'
"It is commendable he had a change of heart." Liara said diplomatically after she had finished reading. "It is often difficult to overcome prejudice. I had my own of humanity do not recall, Samantha? I believed it was a short-coming to be such a short-lived species. And before meeting you Melethril I never took humanity seriously. We all grow either away from preconceptions, ignorant fear and racial stereotyping and shun it or we move towards it and embrace it. It is how we choose to grow that defines who we are."
"Wisely put, Li." Sam signed "Come we have a monument to place." she said passing Williams. She paused for a moment and placed a hand on the other human's armored shoulder. Her voice now became a faint whisper. "Away from or towards, Ash. You've been walking away from it for sometime now. I know it hasn't been easy for you and I'm proud of you for every attempt you make to walk away." the older woman stood closer. "At the very least you don't voice aloud you thought my wife to be a squid-headed tart."
Ash paled. "You knew…?"
"You were not exactly discrete."
William winced. "You didn't cite me for it."
"I very nearly did. But I'm a great believer in second chances. Had you vocally persisted in conduct unbecoming of an officer I sure as hell would have chastise you for it-stained your exemplary record. Fortunately I didn't have to; you took the chance I gave you. Liara said it: away from or towards Ash, there are only two choices for hatred. " Far more loudly the Spectre added. "The only way we win against the Reapers is if we all stand united. The war against bigotry in every race will be just as daunting as the one that is coming for us. But I have no idea how to get the krogan, salarian and turians to work together, or everyone else to see the quarians more than gypsy scavengers.
"You're not the only one struggling with race hatred. I despise batarians and everything they stand for, everything they are. But if we don't stand united we fall divided and the Reapers will have won. I won't let that happen. If I have to bash a few heads, yell and threaten then that's exactly what I'm going to do. If I have to make concessions and make nice, I'll do that to. There had been too much death already."
"I wonder how many more memorials will be erected by the end of it all." Ash muttered.
"Too many. Far too many." a heavy sigh followed the words.
"Samantha." Liara took a tentative step towards her bondmate. She had not heard the conversation shared between the two humans nor did she need or care to. Her agenda was another kind, though perhaps no less uncomfortable. "We were not the only ones to have served on the Normandy. This Normandy. Perhaps if we allowed those who had to see her… to pay respects they may feel…that they have some clouser. I do not know. I am not military but I understand the importance of the need to say ones farewells to a beloved ship and fellow crewmates."
Sam stepped up to her Angel Eyes and wrapped her in an embrace. "A great idea Liara. If the crew wants to they should be able to have the opportunity to salute the ol'girl."
Activating her helmet's radio she patched into the Normandy's bridge. "Joker patch me into Normandy's open comm-channel."
The seriousness in her voice forestalled any jest on the pilot's lips. Joker learned fairly quickly when his jokes were accepted and when to keep his tongue between to his teeth. He had pissed her off with the comment: 'I knew what I'm was doing' back on Virmire. She was a little more accepting of his humor than Anderson but she wouldn't let everything slide. The shredded remains of her first command he knew to keep silent about what she saw down there.
"Aye aye Spectre. Patching you through now."
It took only a moment before Shepard had the rapt attention of the full ship's complement. "This is Spectre Shepard. As you all well know we have found the remains of the Normandy SR1. Twenty of her crew never made it off her. We found their names and they will be remembered with honor. They will be remembered for serving on the true Normandy. The Council can not take that away.
"It has been said I requested the change of IDC. I did not. I am an officer and I do my duty. I am a Spectre and I obey my orders and I did so. And a name was stripped and given to a ship that already bore one. Because of a legend the Council needed.
"For those who wish to honor the true Normandy a shuttle will be waiting in hanger bay to transport you ground side. When all have assembled the placing of the monument will take place. I await you're arrival. Shepard out." She deactivated her radio and looked up into the frozen heavens.
"How many do you think will come?" Tali put to words the wonder of them all.
"Don't know. Thinking maybe Dr. Chakwas, Joker for sure, Adams and his crew too." Ash answered for her Skipper.
"And the marines that served on her." Garrus added. "Might take two shuttles."
A crack of thunder boomed overhead—the sound of a large ship braking atmo. Breaking through the dense cloud cover the distinct silhouette of a wavecrest class frigate came into view.
"What in blazes?" Shepard instinctively raised her hand to the level of her eyes as she looked up.
As if hearing her question Joker's voice broke over the external loudspeakers of the Normandy. "Sorry Commander. It seems that we don't have enough shuttles to ferry the entire crew completed to your LZ. I was forced to improvise."
A laugh burbled out a proud commander. The appearance of her crew all them touched Shepard deeply in such fathoms she was unable to put voice to it. She watched as Joke expertly navigated the nimble ship on top of an ice plateau directly south of the last bit of wreckage. As soon as it touched down the rear gangplank lowered and the crew filed out by the score. All of them even the scientists marched in formation. They were led by Shiala, Dr. Karin Chakwas, Engineer Greg Adams and in a hyper accelerated mobility hardsuit Flight Lieutenant Jeffery Monroe. Behind them the soldiers who served aboard the first Normandy and behind them the new crewmembers. Only a small contention was left aboard the warship but they would see and hear the memorial service all the same.
Shiala approached. "Spectre Shepard, Huntress Naga'sadow came to me with the initiative to form an honor guard in the respects of the human tradition to give the Normandy the proper sending with your permission. I took the liberty and granted her request."
The human clapped a hand on her XO's shoulder. "Make it happen. And thank you, Shiala, I'll make sure to tell our young huntress. This means a great deal to me and I know it will to the other human crewmembers as well."
It mere moments the crew assembled swiftly into platoons waiting for their Commander. For a moment she said nothing but called up her Omni tool and left the small screen display up.
Somewhere in the back Joker could be heard saying; "Look what they did to my baby!"
A second latter Dr. Chakwas was shushing him.
"Those that served aboard the Normandy SR1 were valiant and courageous in the face of insurmountable impossible odds. They stuck by her Commander and their crewmates when on the hunt to stop Saren and Sovereign. "When we faced almost certain court-martial for the theft of this fine ship they did not bulk, did not run and they did not even with just cause mutiny. Instead they served with distinction and courage. No commander could ask for more.
"I can say without hesitation each of those lives lost were extraordinary people, they were diligent, talented and dutiful. They had senses of humor and kindness and above all courageous. I have no words to honor them or do justice for their sacrifice, for their lives. I have no words to utter about this marvelous ship that gave us the victory over Sovereign.
"While words alone can not be enough I have some names that might do. We often speak the names of those who give their lives for their world. And while these twenty men and women did just that, that is not what their lives were about. The following are the names that did not die in service who are indeed alive today because of the twenty here:
"Commander Samantha Shepard-Spectre, Second Lineament Ashley Williams, Dr. Liara T'Soni, Garrus Vakarian. Tali'Zorah vos Normandy, Urdnought Wrex…"
Shepard's list went on to name every soul that served aboard the Normandy SR1 when she had finished she stood back and Commander Shiala took the impromptu stage.
"Honor guard! Present arms!"
From the back ground seven soldiers marched with deliberate precision to the right flank of the Specter's position and the golden statue of the Normandy in flight. As soon as they appeared the calmer of heels clicking echoed for miles. The metallic staccato sound of arms being raised into a solute was as loud gunfire to follow.
The seven consisted of two humans, Sergeants Phineus Ragnos and Mira Baas, two asari: huntresses Naga'sadow and Lieutenant Morwen then the turian CAG Russan Vos and Sergeant Thingol the last was Commander Kirrahe the only salarian within the guard.
"Ready hah!" Shiala barked the order.
Seven rifles gave a single unison shot into the air. Twice more the rifles fired in the great frozen air of Alchera. The crew did not drop their held salute until the last round fired. The seven shouldered their firearms and retreated back into the general population of the crew and waited orders to be dismissed.
To the Spectre the twenty-one gun salute and more importantly the full assembly of her crew was far far more than a show of full military honors. It was a symbol of unification. A transcendence beyond preconceived prejudices.
Maybe there was hope yet.
MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME
AN: The dog tags in this story are not based on RL ones but Shepard's N7 tags you can buy which are of thicker steal than their RL counterparts. So theoretically you can have two different images on them not unlike a coin. On the ones you can buy one tag has the N7 emblem the other Shepard's basic Intel. On the Normandy crash site DLC assignment you see the image of the Normandy on the tag (though I think it is just a frigate to show where the solider is stationed.) Also on the tags Anderson tosses Shepard during her/his reinstatement it seems that on one of them has the Alliance insignia. So yes I took some liberties. Apologies to my readers who are active / retired military personal that may cringe at the inaccuracies but remember this is based on what is seen in game.