Okay, this is my first fanfic, so go easy on me. Plus, I don't have a beta, so really go easy on me. This story is T right now, but I'll upgrade to M later. It'll probably span all of the first Mass Effect game. Thanks!

doctorwhogirl11

Shepard POV

He's giving me the Normandy. The Normandy. Anderson keeps talking, and I know I should listen, but the Normandy. I suddenly felt guilty for tuning him out and try to focus on what he's been saying.

Feros and Noveria… geth activity, good place to start... go to Therum, Liara T'Soni, the Matriarch's daughter…

"…I know you've been putting a team together yourself, but there's someone I think would be interested." Anderson continued, sparking my interest.

"Who?"

"Ridley Winter,"

Garrus nearly did a double take at the name.

"The Ridley Winter? You can't be serious. Why would she join us?"

"She has some beef with Saren. You mention the name, it'll catch her attention."

"I don't get it. Who is Ridley Winter?" I honestly wasn't following.

"One of the greatest assassins in the galaxy and the strangest one. She only kills for governments, but she's well worth it. She always finishes a job." Garrus replied with a mix of admiration and fear in his voice.

"Where would she be Anderson? What planet?"

"She was seen on the Citadel an hour ago, actually. Finishing up a job. She'll probably be at the Presidium. If not, go to the wards."

"How will we know her?"

"Oh, you'll know. Trust me."

"Thanks, Anderson. For everything."

"You're welcome. Give Saren a good kicking for me, would you?"

"Yes, sir."

We said our goodbyes and headed straight for the elevator.

When the elevator opened to the Presidium, I honestly didn't know what to expect.

"When he says we'll 'know her when we see her' what does that mean?" Tali asked, daunted.

"I guess we'll know her when we see her." I replied, making my way through the Embassies.

All of the sudden, There was a commotion above us, with gunfire and banging. I drew my pistol, not sure what to expect.

A salarian dropped down, running away from someone. Seconds later, we saw that someone. A human woman dropped down, pistol drawn, her back to us. The salarian fired a few shots in her direction, but she dodged them and took cover behind a Citadel Embassies sign.

Garrus aimed his sniper rifle, but I signaled for them to put their guns away. She could handle this.

"I'm not going back!" The salarian manically spoke, "I won't!"

"Your government says otherwise, Alaam. You killed ten people. You don't honestly think they'd let you go?" The woman asked, calmly and coolly.

"I outsmarted them so far! I'll always outsmart them! No one can keep up with my intellect!"

"I'm standing here aren't I? You may be STG, but you're not a genius."

"You'll be disposed of easily."

The woman lowered her pistol and came out of cover. What the hell is she doing? Is all I could think.

"Is she insane?!" Tali cried.

"No. Ridley always has a plan. You'll see." Garrus replied, confident. I wasn't so sure. Assassins are good, sure, but her plan seemed to have taken a turn for the insane.

"I don't wanna fight, Alaam. It took me three days to track you down," She spoke with a strange confidence and holstered her pistol, "I'll make you a deal. Your government told me dead or alive, they just want you back. How about we make it alive? Sure beats a bullet in the brain." Her logic was solid and resounding.

But the salarian held his ground.

"No! I go back, they'll do things to me worse than death! NO!" It was getting more and more obvious this guy was beyond unstable, he was a menace.

"If I take you back and put in a good word, tell them to give you imprisonment instead, would that do it? I don't want to kill you, Alaam. I have a lot of respect for STG operatives. Even more so than Spectres." So. She doesn't like Spectres. That's not a good sign for me or Saren.

"NO! Imprisonment?! Are you kidding me? No way!" The salarian had had enough, I could tell. He fired his pistol right at the woman's head.

I thought for sure she was dead, but she turned so she was right shoulder facing the salarian, pistol drawn. The shot impacted with the Citadel Embassies sign and the woman fired her pistol right at the salarian's head.

He fell to the ground, dead. The woman made a sound like a sigh.

Suddenly, a group of salarians materialized out of nowhere.

"Thank you Ms. Winter," The leader said to the woman as his team picked up the dead salarian. Alaam, I thought, his name was Alaam, "We came as fast we could."

They both accessed their omni-tools; "Here is your payment, as was agreed. The STG thanks you for your cooperation and help." And with that, he scurried off to join his friends.

The woman closed her omni-tool and turned away from us, obviously deep in thought.

I took my chance and walked toward her. What should I say? Hey, my name's Commander Shepard and I want you to help take down the geth, Saren, and the Reapers, whom the Council don't even think exist?

No, that won't do. I'll just walk up to her and figure it out from there.

As I approached her, I took note of her features. Even from her backside, it was obvious she was beautiful. She had long black hair tied up in a ponytail, and she had alabaster skin. She was slim and agile. She wore simple black armor and carried a sniper and assault rifles, submachine gun, pistol, and a shotgun. It was obvious this woman meant business.

"Ridley Winter?" I went with the simple approach.

"Who wants to know?" I took note of her voice; a slight British accent, but also very American.

"Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy."

She didn't turn around. "I know of you."

"What do you mean?"

"Because of Mindoir and Akuze, you have earned a reputation as a survivor. I'm also a very informed person. Your appointment as the first human Spectre may have been a rushed affair, but it's already reaching the ears of everyone in the galaxy. Also, you're taking on Saren." She turned her head to the side, "I took a… personal interest."

She turned around fully, revealing the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. They were luminous, but they carried a weight to them, some hidden feeling I couldn't put my finger on.

"But I'm more interested in what the Alliance wants with me. The don't commission contracts from me, they have their own people to do that. So what do they want?"

"Anderson mentioned you. He said if you heard the name Saren, you'd want to join."

"He was right. There's been bad blood between Saren and me. I never liked him, even before he went evil."

"So you'll join our campaign against him and the geth?" I was hoping she'd say yes. Her skills were incredible.

"And the Reapers?" I knew it was coming, but I didn't sense any sarcasm.

"Yes, the Reapers too. Do you think they're a myth, too?"

"Actually, I believe you. Someone has to have a lot of time on their hands to come up with a lie like that." She believes me? Awesome!

She spoke again. "So I'd be serving under you?"

Oh, no. She's an assassin. This is going to be a problem. "Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"

"On the contrary. I like you, Shepard. You've been through some tough stuff. I'll serve under you and take the mission gratis, but one condition."

"Anything."

She took a step closer. "I have morals. Some people think I don't just because I kill for a living, but I do. If you ask me to go against them in any way, I'll be able to leave right away. Agreed?" She held out her hand.

After I had collected my thoughts, I shook her hand. "Agreed."

She looked satisfied. "Okay then. Where's your ship?"

I smirked. This mission just got more interesting, if that was possible.