Once again, thanks to Elana.S for the beta!

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2171 – Earth, BioWorks Training Academy for Biotic Youths

"I wonder what's going on today?" Andie wondered as she used her chopsticks to maneuver a ball of sticky rice into her mouth. A group of teachers walked through the cafeteria with hurried steps and anxious faces. She resisted the urge to scratch at the headjack at the base of her skull. Her surgery had more than half a year ago, so it no longer itched as if a thousand ants were biting her neck. It was a sort of phantom itch now: her brain's reaction to a foreign presence that it was still getting used to. Their instructors said it would fade in time and then usually followed their reassurances with another lesson on proper maintenance of said headjacks.

"Mmm?" Her friend Saskia was gazing across the room at a completely different distraction. John, a student in their class, was eating with his usual assortment of followers and apparently had said something funny because they all were roaring with laughter. Andie rolled her eyes and kicked her friend lightly under the table.

"Ow! What?" Saskia scowled, tearing her dark brown eyes away.

"Something's going on today," Andie repeated. "The teachers all look nervous. That can't be good news for us."

Saskia shrugged, obviously not caring. "Maybe some kid warped a chair or something. It happens sometimes."

"Maybe…" Andie said, unconvinced.

"You ready for the trials today?" Saskia asked, changing the topic with a wave of her chopsticks. "What team did you make?"

"Delta Team," Andie said, grinning. "And yeah, I'm ready—ready to wipe the floor with your team!"

The trials were the biotic students' version of a practical portion of final exams for the semester. Though BioWorks was technically an independent research and development corporation, they were heavily sponsored by the Alliance who hoped to recruit the young biotics once they came of age. As part of that sponsorship, during the trials the students were bused over to an Alliance training facility with a combat simulator. Not all the simulations during the trials would be combat, of course, because not all the biotic students were headed in a military career path, however much it was encouraged. The trials were designed to show what the students had learned and how well they used their abilities to overcome various obstacles.

"If you mean 'wipe the floor' as in getting the highest score, I already knew that would happen," Saskia said with a snort. "You're the best student here, Andie. Everyone knows that. You're the only one besides the teachers with the stamina to keep a barrier up and still have enough power to throw a crate across the room and then warp it into submission. I don't know if you've noticed, but you kinda freak everyone out."

Andie drew back, frowning. "What are you talking about?"

Saskia's eyes slid over to John again, who was rising from his table, tray in hand. "I don't mean anything by it, just…" She shrugged. "There's a reason you don't have a date on the weekends."

Andie flushed. "The reason I'm so good is because I practice on the weekends when everyone else is out getting drunk," she snapped, hands clenching. "Maybe you'd be able to lift something more than a few inches off the ground if you practiced too."

Saskia's face crumpled. Andie sighed, closing her eyes.

"I didn't mean that, sorry."

Saskia nodded and stood from the table. "I gotta go. My team wants to practice before the trials start."

Andie followed, lifting her tray, wondering what Saskia would think if she knew the truth. The reason she had started practicing on the weekends was partly to avoid the social gatherings on the weekends. It had started when she first arrived after her recovery from surgery first as an attempt to catch up everyone who seemed so much more advanced than she was, and then as a sort of shield against the other students. All her peers were concerned about dating and sex and who was doing what with whom on the weekends. It all seemed so… juvenile. Didn't they know what was out there? Didn't they know about pirates and… slavers?

But of course they didn't. Most of the other teens at this facility were from Earth, probably the safest place in all of Alliance space in terms of danger from the rest of the galaxy. She didn't have anything in common with any of them. They all had families and homes and hobbies outside of the biotic school. Andie… didn't. Her aunt and uncle sent regular vid mails, it was true, but Andie knew she couldn't anchor herself to them, couldn't duck back under the illusion that everything was okay as long as she had someone to take care of her. She was seventeen. Next April she'd be eighteen, legally an adult according to the Systems Alliance. She had to have a plan so she wasn't a drain on her aunt and uncle's resources. Once she had vowed never again to be a useless leech, and she would prove it, if only to herself. And she would be ready the next time a batarian showed his ugly face.

She looked up, noticing that Saskia had left her quickly behind and felt a twinge of annoyance. She hadn't even apologized for that comment, even if it was true. Whatever. Andie would have a get an apology later. It wasn't fun to have sullen silence between roommates.

Walking toward the cafeteria exit, she nearly ran into a tall, dark-skinned man in an Alliance uniform who was walking in at the same time.

"Excuse me," he said in a deep voice, "I seem to be lost. Can you point me in the direction of Commander Palmer's office?"

Andie took in the two horizontal gold bars on his uniform as well as the small, nearly imperceptible N7 pin on his collar and straightened slightly.

"Of course, Commander. It's down this hallway, turn right at the intersection and straight down. Her door is on the left with the big Alliance sigil on it."

The man nodded. "Thank you…"

"Shepard. Andie Shepard, sir."

The man's dark eyebrows rose. "Shepard? I've heard a lot of good things about you. Top of your class in academics and biotic potential? Glad to meet you. Name's Anderson."

Andie shook the Commander's hand.

"Anyway, I have to be going," Anderson said, eyes darting down his intended path. "But I'll be keeping an eye out for you at the trials. Good luck, Shepard."

"Thank you, sir," Andie said in surprise, eyes wide, and watched him leave. What was an Alliance officer doing at their school? Then it hit her: the trials. That must be why the teachers were so nervous. Anderson must be one of maybe several Alliance recruiters. Everyone knew that the Alliance sought biotic soldiers from their ranks. A few had already graduated and enlisted during Andie's time there. This must be the next round of recruiting… and her chance to finally do something with her life.

Andie inhaled a deep breath and set off toward the gym. Delta Team had to practice.

#

Andie took longer in the showers than everyone else, and so consequently she was alone in the locker room when she changed into her uniform. Which was lucky, really, because she didn't think she could face her teammates.

Delta Team had lost. Badly.

She sat down on the bench between the lockers and rubbed her hands over her face. What had gone wrong? Delta Team had some of the best students of their class. They had prepared. They had practiced. But it hadn't seemed to make a difference. Their final score hadn't even given them any of the top three spots. Andie had been counting on those scores to impress the Alliance recruiters. Now she had nothing.

She heard the door creak open and realized she had been staring blankly at her open locker. Belatedly, she reached for her belongings when a familiar deep voice brought her up short.

"Tough fight out there, Shepard."

Andie turned, seeing Commander Anderson at the end of the row of lockers, arms folded across his chest. She didn't reply, pulling on her jacket. Shouldering her bag, she moved to walk past him. His voice followed her.

"So that's it, huh? You're giving up already? Not even going to learn from what went wrong?"

She stopped and turned around. "I'm not really in the mood for a lecture… sir."

Anderson kept staring at her with a level gaze, no pity on his face, but no malice either.

"This isn't a lecture, kid. This is life. Do you want to know what went wrong out there?" he repeated.

Andie sighed. "Fine. What went wrong?"

"You're too good, Shepard. That's what went wrong."

Andie blinked, confused. She'd expected a boot-camp style dressing-down on what a failure she was.

"What?"

"Ever since I got here," Anderson replied, arms still crossed, "I've been told that you were the one with the most potential. A lot of biotic students here are uncertain about their abilities, about what they want to do with them, but your teachers all told me you were different. You were at the top of your class for biotic potential, you spike higher than even some of your professors, and better yet, you planned to enlist next year. You're the best and brightest this school has to offer, but the education you gained here lacked a crucial element."

"What's that?"

"Teamwork." Anderson leveled his gaze at her. "Shepard, I watched you walk out into that simulation confident but alone. You acted as if the other three members of your squad didn't exist."

Andie flushed with anger. "Everyone knows I'm the only one with barriers worth anything. It was in the plan that I would take the brunt of the attacks and they would flank, but it just… fell apart."

Anderson shook his head. "A good squad leader never takes on more than she can handle. Your failure today wasn't the scores, it was in leadership."

Andie locked her jaw to keep it from trembling even as her throat burned. She wouldn't cry. This whole stupid trials thing wasn't worth crying over, and she should know that, should know better.

"I didn't come here to berate you, Shepard," Anderson said after a moment of watching her silently.

"Then why did you come?" she asked, brow furrowed.

"Because I saw something that no one else did: even when you could see the tide turning against you, you fought. Leadership skills can be taught, Shepard, but you're a fighter and that's something you're born with." He took a step forward and tapped his omni-tool. Hers lit up in response. "Next year, when you turn eighteen, give me a call. I'd be happy to sign your enlistment papers." He smiled then, softening his stern features. "The future is blank unless you do something, Shepard. A white canvas waiting for you. Don't let it stay that way."