QuickNote: I found out that the section breaks I use in Word don't exactly translate over to the site. I'm going to start putting in breaks to more clearly show the change in sections.

Chapter 5:

An Important Mission

Shepard woke up as suddenly as he had gone to sleep. It wasn't a nightmare or anything like that. But it was jarring all the same. He couldn't bring himself to open his eyes for a few minutes, debating whether it was worth it to try and go back to sleep. Eventually reason won over, and Shepard opened his eyes.

The view outside was surprising, to say the least. Rain was falling at a steady pace, and it seemed that quite a bit had already fallen through the night. What was really surprising, though, was the high amount of sunshine glistening through the sliding door. The entire room was lit by the sunlight, accented by the raindrops that had rested against the glass all night long. It was a beautiful sight, especially for Earth.

Shepard felt a disturbance behind him, someone else moving underneath the covers. He turned over…. and immediately changed his mind on what was beautiful.

Swift was also awake, her face a cross between content and mildly sleepy. Her face and hair still showed evidence of their nightly activities, but she didn't care in any way shape or form. It was one of the things Shepard had always loved about her. She knew what she liked, and she was never shamed by it. She was absolutely beautiful.

Upon noticing Shepard, she smiled. "Hey," she whispered, her voice a bit hoarse from inactivity.

Shepard smiled back. "Hey," he replied. "You sleep good?"

Swift's smiled broadened, and Shepard could have sworn that she was grinning slyly. "Kinda hard not to, after last night."

Shepard laughed and kissed her. They held that moment for a while, taking in every possible emotion from each other as they could. But Shepard felt something else in her. Concern? He broke off, slowly to not surprise her too much. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Today's my birthday," came the reply. Swift knew better than to lie to Shepard. The guy could spot a liar in a sea of saints.

His smiled returned for a moment. "Well, happy birthday." But the feeling wasn't gone. She was definitely worried about something. "Why are you worried about your birthday?"

"I'm 18, Shepard. 18 years old and I'm running a gang."

Shepard was taken aback by her tone in the statement. Swift had lead the gang for three years, without hesitation or regret. What had changed? "Yeah?" he said, confused.

Swift sat up, the covers falling off her unclothed body. "The Reds have been my life for ten years. The past three have been especially consuming. I just… is this what I want my entire life to be? Leading a gang day in and day out?"

Shepard paused for a moment. The question wasn't quite new to him. Numerous members of the Reds had considered leaving before. Few actually did. And those that got their way to leave didn't last long "on the right side". They'd always have to resort to stealing, cheating, gambling, and any other illegal activities just to stay alive. Then they'd end up either in jail or dead. "What else is there?" he asked, forcing his voice to remain upbeat and casual. "People like us, we don't last in society's rules."

Swift hesitated, and Shepard knew what she was going to suggest even before she said it. "There's always the Alliance." She sounded a bit unsure, as if the idea was a long shot. Which it was.

Shepard couldn't stop a small chuckle leaving his lips, earning a glare from Swift. "I can't imagine you in dress blues," he commented, still grinning.

"I'm serious," she said sternly. "And you should be, too. This gang can only give so much."

Shepard was getting annoyed now. "This 'gang' has given me everything. I'm not about to just turn my back on them."

Swift didn't say anything for a moment. Then, clearly not wanting to argue, she moved over to Shepard and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Just promise me you'll think about it," she replied simply, calmly. "I know things are great now, but they can't last forever."

Shepard thought for a moment, then nodded. The least he could do was keep his options open. Though he hoped he would never have to use it. Swift's smile returned and she kissed Shepard again, this time lingering for longer, her concerns gone. When they separated, Shepard examined her for a moment, taking in every inch of her beauty. And there was a lot of it to take in. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and Swift fell sideways, two holes in her head for an entry and exit wound, the smile never leaving her face.

Shepard woke up with a start, sitting up immediately. His breaths were quick and shallow, and sweat was everywhere on him. He turned his head and looked out of the sliding door, taking in the sights. The sky was black, either from night or clouds, and rain tore into the glass with a ferocity that could make a krogan nervous. Shepard sighed and buried his head in his hands. I hate this fucking planet, he thought. He glanced over at his alarm clock, and got out of the bed. He had a long day ahead of him, preparing to return to Grissom Academy to resume his N7 training. Anderson vouched for his absence, giving Shepard three days to finish his homework, including his dreaded tech essay.

Six days had passed since Dhalen Orion's assassination, and the Alliance couldn't find any real leads. They were still trying, of course, but after Shepard's initial report on the matter he had ceased to become useful to the investigation. It took Udina all of a day to declare Shepard useless and throw him out. Anderson had protested, stating that Shepard was a witness to the event and one of the few to see the assassin, no matter how brief the encounter. Politics eventually won out, however, and Shepard was booked on a ship for Grissom tomorrow.

Shepard ate breakfast in the hotel's cafeteria, thinking about the short and unhelpful investigation, the quasar tournament ad he saw, even some politics, anything to keep his mind off the recurring dream. He was suddenly interrupted by someone sitting across the table from him. Shepard looked at his "guest" in surprise.

Callus didn't seem particularly enthused to be talking with Shepard, but the look in his eyes told him that he was desperate. "I need your help," he said bluntly.

Shepard frowned. "With what?" he asked.

Callus looked over both shoulders, as though looking for a tail. "The investigators of my father's murder cut me out. Said I was too emotionally involved, that being a part of the mission would be too big of a risk."

Shepard nodded slightly. He understood Callus' frustration. He went through the same thing when his first commanding officer was killed by a CAT 6 soldier. "What makes you think I can help you?"

"You know your ambassador." Shepard scoffed. Unfourtunately, he thought. "You can talk to him, get him to investigate the evidence I found."

"You mean the ones the turians have?" Shepard asked, ignoring the glare Callus threw him from the tone his voice.

"I managed to scan the rifle with my omni-tool. I can give them everything I know, and they can act on it how they see fit, so long as I'm involved. I have to know the truth. I have to know who killed Dhalen."

Shepard looked away for a moment. He wasn't sure if Callus was being true to his word or not, but he knew he couldn't deny the turian a chance at retribution. Finally he spoke, "I can't talk with Udina, but I can tell this to Commander Anderson. He can tell Udina and try and get us in on the investigation. I'm guessing this'll have to be done without the turian hierarchy knowing?" Callus nodded. "Alright. No promises, but I'll see what I can do."

Callus nodded again. "I guess that's all I can ask. Thanks, Lieutenant." He stood up and started to leave. "I'll go and get prepared. Tell me when you've found out anything."

Shepard nodded. "I should go, too. Anderson needs to know about this." That's going to be a fun conversation.

"He wants us to do WHAT?!" Udina exclaimed angrily. Anderson had just relayed Callus' request to the human ambassador, and he was taking about as well as Anderson had expected. "Commander, have you ever heard the phrase 'political shitstorm'?" The question was rhetorical, but Anderson nodded anyway. "If the turian hierarchy knew we were even planning on undermining their investigation, they'd bar us from the Council forever! We'd be hung out to dry like the krogan and the quarians!"

Anderson held back an annoyed sigh. "This isn't about the damned politics. A turian ambassador was assassinated on human soil, by a human's hands. We owe them whatever assistance we can provide in the matter. Official or otherwise."

A typical soldier's response, Udina thought bitterly. How stupid did he think he was? "If they wanted our 'assistance', they would damn well ask for it! The ambassador's own son-"

"Is the one who wants us looking into this." Anderson interrupted. "He's already given everything he knows about the assassin to Alliance investigators, and they've gathered some new intel. Discreetly," he added before Udina could jump down his throat again.

Udina looked away bitterly. Why couldn't these damn jarheads understand that there was a reason official rules were in place? "What did they find?" he asked grudgingly.

Anderson activated his omni-tool. "According to the scans, the sniper rifle used to kill Dhalen Orion is styled like an old one, not like the ones we use nowadays. It's from the era of the Iraqi Occupation, circa 2010. All studies show it to be a heavily modified version of a 50 Caliber. Not many people would have access to something like that. The only two that I can think of would be the Council and Cerberus. Since Shepard," Udina's face screwed up at the mention of his second least favorite soldier, "saw the Cerberus logo, we can assume that it was one of their contacts. Our best bet for something as modified as this is Goir Namis, an arms dealer out in turian space." As Anderson finished his report, he waited for the ambassador to say what he knew he would.

"And this information is accurate?" Udina spat out.

"As accurate as we're going to get, Ambassador."

Udina rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'll set up a ship Captain Foster and get him ready as well."

Anderson nodded and left, smiling at his small victory over the human ambassador.

Shepard whistled low. It had been two years since he'd seen the Kennedy, and when he had, he wasn't in the best of shapes. Now he had the time and focus to enjoy the view. It was roughly the size of a dreadnaught, but half the weight due to its light armor. That didn't mean it was useless in a fight, however. The armor was more durable than most, allowing more pressure or friction before giving away or tearing. Shepard was quite impressed with what the Alliance R&D people had been able to cook up. To his right was supposedly the ships pilot, though Shepard could hardly tell what a guy on crutches could do to fly a ship.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Flight Lieutenant Moreau asked, though it sounded less like a question and more like a statement of fact.

Shepard nodded. "That she is," he replied, not wanting to argue with the crew before he even got on board. He looked at the pilot skeptically. "You're not going to aggravate your injury trying to fly this thing, are you?"

Moreau scoffed. "I don't fly with my feet, Lieutenant. As long as I'm in my chair, I'll be fine." He lowered his voice, as though there was a crowd around them. "Gotta be real careful when I get up to take a piss, though."

Shepard grimaced at the thought. He decided to change the subject. "What have they told you about the mission?" he asked.

Moreau shrugged indifferently. "I'm just the pilot, Lieutenant. I never really know the purpose of half the missions I'm on. That said, there's a rumor about an anti-Cerberus mission?" Shepard nodded. "Well, then I hope we see some good action out-." He stopped suddenly and glared at a couple of engineers working on the Kennedy's thrusters. "HEY! DUMBASSES! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU'RE FUCKING UP THE BALANCE! I CAN'T FLY THIS THING IF IT'S SPINNING AROUND IN CIRCLES!"

Shepard chuckled, amused at the pilot's brash behavior, when he noticed two very serious-looking figures behind him. "Joker!" one of them shouted. The pilot in question turned to the voice and paled at the man behind it. Captain Keith Foster had a reputation for being the hardest-ass son of a bitch in the Alliance military. He ran his ship and his crew with airtight precision. It was the reason his crew never fully liked him. It was also the reason his ship had lasted through the First Contact War to now. Though the old man turned down every promotion offered to him, he still commanded the Kennedy with the authority of a Fleet Admiral.

Shepard immediately saluted, "Joker" following suit. "At ease, damn it," Captain Foster grumbled. "Joker, get your scrawny ass on the ship and get it ready for takeoff. We've got an important mission to go on." From the sound of his voice, Shepard could tell he doubted the importance of the mission. A look from Anderson was all the confirmation he needed. "Gentlemen, I'll see you aboard." And he followed Joker through the airlock into the Kennedy.

Shepard went to follow, but something caught his eye in the window. In the shipyard across the river, the workers were building a small frigate unlike anything Shepard had seen before. Anderson noticed his gazed and smiled slightly. "Won't be finished for another few months," he explained.

"What kind of ship is that?" Shepard asked.

"It's a new class of frigate. Co-developed between humans and turians. Uses some kind of stealth drive to hide heat emissions."

"That sounds… useful," Shepard replied, not sure if he meant it.

"We'll see if she's up for the challenge of meeting our expectations when she's finished," Anderson went on. "Who knows? She might just surprise us. Come on, let's head out. The sooner we find this damn arms dealer, the sooner we can put this problem to rest.

Shepard continued to look at the new frigate, concern etched on his face. Whatever the problem was, he had a feeling it wasn't going away anytime soon.

Author's Note: This section was originally supposed to be just one chapter, but it ended up going long, so I'm splitting it up into two. Hope the part with introducing Joker was well done. Don't forget to review and spread the story. Let me know how I'm doing.