Systems Alliance Ranger Training Introductory Manual

Segment 1: Basic Combat Skills and Tactics (I-IV)

I. Induction and Initial Assessment:

Orientation to the program.
Initial physical assessments.
Introduction to the Systems Alliance Ranger ethos.

II. Basic Combat Training:

Intense physical training regimens.
Comprehensive weapons training.
Combat drills focused on real-world scenarios.
Survival basics tailored to diverse environments.
Endurance tests to determine physical and mental limits.

III. Biotic and Tech Integration:

Foundations of working alongside biotic and tech users.
Utilization of biotic and tech skills in varied combat scenarios.
Emphasis on combined arms tactics.

IV. Zero-G and Spaceborne Operations:

Combat principles for zero-gravity environments.
Tactics for engagements on ship hulls.
Strategic operations within space stations.

Segment 2: Advanced Combat Tactics and Extraterrestrial Operations (V-VII)

V. Alien Worlds Survival:

Survival techniques tailored to diverse planetary environments: desert, ice, jungle, and toxic atmospheres.
Comprehensive knowledge about extraterrestrial fauna and potential threats.

VI. Advanced Combat Tactics:

Deep dive into small unit tactics.
Advanced urban warfare strategies.
Principles of guerrilla warfare.
Advanced combined arms tactics alongside biotics and tech specialists.

VII. Vehicle Operations:

Hands-on experience with Systems Alliance standard vehicles such as the Mako and Kodiak.
Engagement tactics alongside armored units.

Segment 3: Elite Training and Specialized Operations (VIII-X)

VIII. Leadership and Strategy:

Advanced leadership courses tailored to field operations.
Command training for squad and platoon leaders.
Strategic deployment methodologies for varied mission scenarios.

IX. Special Operations:

Training for high-risk, high-reward missions.
Reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.
Sabotage and asset denial strategies.
Extraction techniques for personnel and high-value targets.

X. Final Examination and Deployment:

Culmination of all training phases in intense, real-world simulation scenarios.
Comprehensive evaluations of a candidate's capabilities in varied mission settings.
Successful completion will confer the prestigious designation of a Systems Alliance Ranger.

Note: All trainees are expected to adhere strictly to the Systems Alliance code of conduct and ethics throughout the training program. Failure to do so can result in immediate dismissal.

I had a problem. Or, rather, I had a decision to make.

Unlike the training at the Vila, where part of the charm, if one was inclined to put it that way, was figuring out what the hell was going on exactly, Ranger School seemed to be rather... open about the training. Of course there was a lot of empty space (quite literally, most of the pages had plenty of empty spaces for the candidate to take their own notes), but the general structure of the training was there to see.

But that wasn't the real problem. The real problem was the length. And the structure. The entire training set could be taken in up to three separate segments, but it more common way of tackling the massive undertaking was to do the whole thing at once. And while it wasn't clear - it seemed to vary depending on the year - the entire training course would take about 24 weeks.

On top of that, the training opened up the Ranger Tab - a significant achievement by itself - but to get the Scroll and the full R7 designation, one had to serve with the 75th Ranger Regiment. It wasn't a simple matter of choosing one over the other. Completing Ranger School would be an achievement in and of itself, sure. But the 75th? That was an entirely different commitment. It wasn't just about an insignia or an added line on one's service record. It was a unit whose ethos demanded total dedication.

Could I make that commitment? The 75th wasn't a place for tourists. They wouldn't take kindly to someone just passing through, collecting the pretty ribbon and then heading for the exit. At the very least, I had the assessment of Commander Baker, N7, who told me I was no tourist. I just needed focus. And the truth is, I could feel all these threads that were pulling at me from all directions, and I didn't want to let go of any of them.

Maybe I should.

Maybe I should let go of the most important one.

Shepard.

She had changed. Transformed, even, and in many ways in a literal sense. The girl from Mindoir, the down-to-earth pure country girl was, if not gone, deeply asleep. I hadn't seen a glimpse of her in I didn't know how long. I always knew that she would make waves in the Systems Alliance - and, truth to be told, the way she was now, I'd rather have her face the Reapers gun in hand than hiding in a farm somewhere far away.

Maybe the time had come and I hadn't realized it, that sticking around was not really necessary. Perhaps it had never been, not after she enlisted at least.

So maybe me taking a completely different path was the best idea.

As for everything else, well, not everything had to have my mitts all over it. In fact, most things didn't. I had been extremely lucky with Matriarch Benezia, she had taken the ball and was running with it at full tilt. And it wasn't just the Asari. The Systems Alliance was building ships as fast as anyone could manage; I couldn't imagine that the actual knowledge of having the Reapers breathing down our metaphorical necks could have gotten any more activity out of us. And as we grew, so did the others. If nothing else, the Shadow Broker would ensure that - assuming Tela didn't break the balance of conflict she claimed she was trying to achieve. Not to mention the Geth, who had fallen in and, if the plan worked, would be working on creating relays in no time.

Questions about a Systems Alliance operation out in the Omega system seemed to have fallen to the wayside after the announcement of those Prothean artifacts found by the Geth. Funny how that works.

I just hoped that wouldn't make my life harder with my little side project.

So in reality, the galaxy was spinning at full speed, and would keep doing so with or without me. And maybe getting off the wagon was the best thing I could do. And the 75th wasn't a bad way to do it. To be honest, the promised hardships didn't particularly worry me - except in the sense of wondering if I'd be up to the challenge, which was far from certain in my opinion. The idea of such a full commitment was alluring. The future seemed a lot simpler that way.

Of course, there were some things I still had to keep my finger on. Very crucially, the Geth. It seemed like Benezia had blown the lid on the whole "Geth found a way to make relays" plan, which seemed to have taken a bit of a different turn than I expected. As far as I could tell, she had offloaded it on Liara, which was... one way to do it, I suppose. Not like she needed even more reasons to have a target on her back.

I felt a little bad, if I'm being honest.

But the consequence of that was that I had to try and speedrun my side project with the Geth and the Quarians. I had a meeting set up soon, Larran Goh had found a potential solution to the insane web of requirements I had landed on him, and I was quite convinced he was as much in a hurry as I was now, given the news that had been dropping.

As I mused, the door to my miniature apartment chimed; twice, then once. Could only be Shepard. When I opened the door, there she was, easy smile on her face and surprisingly not bursting out of her uniform after the enormous pile of ribs she had put away.

"Hey. How is the digestion going?" I said.

"Getting there," she replied, "but I could use some tea."

I smiled back at her and stepped aside, gesturing for her to come in. "Have you gotten a taste for tea after hanging out with all those Asari?"

"Not really," she replied, plopping down on the cot and avoiding the decidedly uncomfortable chair, "but I figured you have, so you might have some."

"That so? How is it going with you and Fulle then?"

"That's not really it," she replied.

I looked at her, and saw that, while she was relaxed enough, there had to be something in her mind. I took the teapot and two mugs, put them on the table to brew, and sat on the chair, already feeling my poor vertebrae straining against the hard surface.

Maybe I should get some cushions.

"So what's the story?" I said.

"She's... Well, you may know. Asari can kind of sense when biotics are being used," Shepard said, and paused for a moment. It wasn't the track I was expecting, but I nodded. I knew as much. "It turns out they can actually feel where biotics are being used, and even who is using those biotics. With a bit of training."

"Okay?" I said, not really getting where she was going with this.

"And, you know, in my case..." She left the phrase hanging, gesturing at herself. It took a moment, but it finally clicked.

"Ooh," I said. "So it's like that for you?"

"Not exactly. But it's the closest anyone's shown me to how it is. She's helped me a lot with focusing, and during the op too." She looked away as she spoke the last part. I didn't realize it had been hard for her, she had been so focused during the whole thing it seemed like she had glided through it like water off a duck's back.

"And that's what the training is about," I said. She looked at me and nodded. "You're not asking for permission, are you?"

She smiled, taking in my reply as the light prod it was meant to be. She rarely seemed to misunderstand me these days.

"More like a second opinion. She won't do it unless I show her everything, and I'm sure it'll be fine from the other end. But what do you think?"

What did I think? I sat back at best I could, crossing my arms and looking at the ceiling. It wasn't like there weren't any other Asari who were in the know about the situation, and Benezia probably had a few on rotation to hang out with the Rachni. I knew the queens had specific ones chosen as envoys - a rather weird thing for me to consider, but the Asari in question seemed to think it was incredible - so maybe that's what Shepard was thinking? Regardless, bringing another random Asari in the know would probably entail a background check, maybe an interview or two to see if she'd fit, some sort of extremely hard NDA or something, it wasn't particularly worrisome all things considered, and if Shepard thought Fulle was good for it, then...

Oh. Of course.

"Ali," I said, and looked at her. "How long were you at the door before you rang?"

She looked at me in surprise, opened her mouth, and a moment later, chuckled lightly, shaking her head. "Wow," she said. "You figured that out."

"I'm guessing you were listening to my colorful thoughts," I replied.

"Not quite, it doesn't work like that, you know that," Shepard replied. "But I had a look at the Ranger training pipeline. If you go all the way... you're going to have to transfer."

"And you don't want me to?"

"Ye- No! I mean-" She stumbled over her words for a moment, but caught her train of though quickly enough. "It doesn't matter what I want! But I don't want you to think that you're useless, or that I don't care, or... It's just that pale blue colour you had, I can't tell what it is. Just... just how it felt. But I do care, and all your support, I can't thank you enough. And I want you to know that." She paused for a moment and smiled. "And I do want to know your opinion on this."

How things change. The Shepard looking at me, giving me those thoughts, opening up about how she felt... How far she'd come. If nothing else, far from making things harder, she'd make it clearer than ever - she had grown up, past the days of Mindoir, past the fresh recruit, past the angry young woman with nothing to live for. I didn't even need to speak, I just smiled and nodded at her.

Go for it.

"You know," she said, after a few seconds of silence, "I think it's a great idea. You're going to be amazing at being a Ranger," she added.

I laughed at the sudden encouragement. "As long as it's not tech-adjacent. And what about you? Other than Asari training. Vila? OCS?"

"I'm thinking Vila," Shepard replied. "If I'm going to fall on my face, I'd rather know sooner rather than later."

"You're going to confuse the hell out of them," I said.

"Oh?" She gave me an inquiring look.

"No spoilers," I replied. "I kinda want to hear from you how it plays out."

The talk with Shepard had actually put me at ease, at least on that front. Transferring out of the 9th was going to be weird, but I was half-convinced Commander Nelson had brought it up specifically so I'd think about it. He could have said I should aim for the Ranger Tab, do the training (which I could even do in three separate segments, a bit more leeway than the seven-segment training at the Vila), and come back. I might still come back, since the Systems Alliance was so fond of combined operations, if there was ever a need for Rangers in the 9th I'd likely be chosen.

But right now it was a different Goh's holographic form occupied the seat across from me. To my right, a tad too near for my comfort, was Helena Carver. Her business card (which of course wasn't physical, but was still called that; funny how things work in the future) introduced her as a "Systems Alliance Interstellar Liaison & Trade Specialist." Her slender, athletic frame was draped in a perfectly tailored navy blue uniform of the Diplomatic Corps. Caramel skin framed a face with sharp, ice-blue eyes that seemed to capture and evaluate everything they saw. Her black hair, with its hints of silver, was pulled back neatly, while her omni-tool glittered very visibly on her wrist. The aura she exuded was one of measured authority. Given all that, I wasn't sure what she thought about this whole enchilada, with a random Systems Alliance NCO apparently trying to broker some kind of deal with an Asari investor and a Volus banker for a project involving the Geth and the Quarians, but if she had any reservations, she didn't show them.

To my left, Taela S'Naris made for quite the contrast to Helena's grounded, official presence. The asari's skin was a rich shade of purplish-blue. Her face was angular and delicate, with high cheekbones but soft cheeks. Her eyes, a mesmerizing and probably fake shade of green, seemed to hold a galaxy's worth of stories within them, often flickering with an inner amusement or curiosity. Her crest flowed back gracefully like a wave of midnight, dotted with specks of light green markings that sparkled every so often. She wore an elegant, flowing dress of shimmering azure that draped effortlessly over her frame. And around her neck was a delicate choker embedded with a singular gem, which pulsed softly in rhythm with her breathing.

Dunno, maybe she was overdoing it, but in my case I definitely appreciated what I was seeing. Or maybe I was starstruck. She was quite the eyecatcher.

Larran Goh, in his holographic form, took a moment to center himself, his artificial projection fluctuating slightly as he did so. From my end, it almost looked like he was bracing for impact.

"Firstly," he began, "I wish to express my gratitude for everyone's presence today. Organizing this has been, without exaggeration, the most monumental undertaking of my professional career." He took a simulated breath, the slight hiss of his suit's respirator adding emphasis. "Our objective here is clear. We're endeavoring to strike a balance – a mutually beneficial arrangement between the... Geth... and the Rannoch-clan. An arrangement that not only addresses their historical grievances but also sets a course for a collaborative future."

He paused, looking at me, then Helena, then Taela. "There's more at play than just economics or diplomacy; it's about laying a foundation of trust and understanding. And, to oversee such an endeavor, we have representatives from diverse backgrounds. From the Earth-clan, to the long-lived wisdom of the Thessia-clan, and my own humble insights. I trust that, with your cooperation, we will achieve what many believe to be impossible."

Man, but he was going for it. I wasn't sure if he was just trying to suck up to our potential Asari partner or if I was missing that a certain degree of pomp was necessary for high-level business or something. My money was on sucking up to the Asari. I bet there weren't many around who gave him the chance to propose anything after mentioning the Geth and the Quarians both in the same breath.

At this point, Taela shifted slightly in her chair, her green eyes blinking with mild impatience. As Larran finished his speech and looked toward her expectantly, she leaned forward, crossing her hands on the table, the gem on her choker reflecting the light even more prominently.

"Look," she began, her voice confident and slightly husky, with a hint of mischief, "I'll cut straight to it. I don't know much about diplomacy, and all this talk about mutual benefits and historical grievances sounds nice, but at the end of the day, I just want my space station fixed. No more leaks, no more malfunctions. The Geth have to be good with tech, the Quarians know their stuff too, and I need a cost-effective solution. So, why not?"

There was a moment of surprised silence as everyone tried to process the abrupt shift from grand galactic implications to practical engineering needs. Helena, ever the diplomat, blinked once, twice, but didn't miss a beat. "A straightforward approach. Refreshing."

I couldn't help but snort in amusement. "That's one way to put it."

Taela winked at me, her mesmerizing eyes twinkling with unspoken humor. "In my centuries, I've learned that there's a time and place for everything. Here and now? I think we could do with a little less talk and a lot more action."

Larran Goh's holographic form seemed to wobble a tad, clearly trying to regain his composure. "Very well, Thessia-clan. Let us discuss the details then."

Helena sighed almost imperceptibly, a smile tugging at her lips. I wish I knew if she was amused, or relieved. Maybe both.

The ambient lighting of the room dimmed as Taela activated her omni-tool. A three-dimensional projection of a planetoid emanated from it, hovering over the table. The floating image began rotating slowly, revealing the complex topography of the celestial body. Soon, a space station came into view, orbiting the planetoid. As Taela zoomed into the station, numerous labels and markings appeared, highlighting different areas. There were a LOT of warnings.

"This," she began, pointing at the myriad of warning labels scattered across the projection, "is the current state of affairs. Power fluctuations, hull breaches, outdated tech – the list goes on. As you can see, the station isn't just in a bad shape; it's a miracle it's still functional. But it holds sentimental value, and with the right care, it can be more than just operational—it can thrive."

"Sentimental value?" I said.

"It was one of my first investments," she replied. "Surveys of the planetoid showed it was rich in eezo. I thought I was hauling a six-fin."

"So it ran out or something?"

She chuckled at that. "Never was. The eezo was not from the planetoid, it was a small chunk from an asteroid that crashed on it. Once we dug that up, I went broke."

Damn, that's rough. I couldn't help but give her a sympathetic look, but she just waved me off with a shake of her head.

"Does it have a name?" I said.

"Dyastis," she replied, and this time she laughed. "Ironic, isn't it?"

Besides me, Helena chuckled. I made a mental note to look that up later.

Taela paused to take a sip of her tea before continuing. "My proposal is simple: The Quarians and the Geth will handle the renovation and the tech upgrades. In exchange, they'll get a quarter of the station for their usage for the next 20 years. They'll also be responsible for regular maintenance during this period."

Helena raised an eyebrow, looking intently at the projection. "A quarter seems like a generous portion, especially for a 20-year term. But the commitment to maintenance is significant."

Taela simply nodded. "Well, that's what the deal is about. I don't have the funds to fix it and turn a profit. I've spent an embarrassing amount of credits surveying the system, and there's some promising leads, but they don't justify the expense of fixing the station. If it were in working order, I could swim a lot more easily."

I looked at the labeled sections of the station, trying to gauge the scale of the project. "So, we fix, we upgrade, and in return, get a slice of the pie. Sounds fair. But 20 years? Why not 25 or 30?"

Taela smirked, clearly expecting the haggling to begin. "I thought 20 was generous. But I'm open to negotiation."

Helena, ever the diplomat, cut in. "Considering the extent of repairs and the ongoing commitment, I'd suggest we look at a 35-year period. And rather than tying it to a particular project, why not leave it open-ended? That way, if circumstances change, or a project goes under, there's flexibility."

Larran pondered, "A third of the station, 35 years, and not tied to a specific initiative..."

Taela eyed the Volus for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "Agreed. But remember, maintenance remains a non-negotiable part of the deal. And the crew expenses are yours even if the project goes under. Last thing I need is a half-scaled project jumping back into the sea."

I turned to Larran and pointed at him, nodding. He let out a very elaborate sigh.

"Of course, Thessia-clan," the Volus said.

To be fair, this was all almost for show. Larran Goh had briefed me, and probably had briefed our Asari counterpart too, so we really all had a pretty good idea of who wanted what. Filling in the details was what this was all about. As long as the space station wasn't a complete disaster zone and we got what we needed to get started, it was enough for me. And as for the length of the project? The truth was that it was all going to come to head in about a decade. Give or take, depending on how closely events followed what I knew.

But what if we actually won?

I considered this a defiant nod to the future. A way of thumbing my nose at the Reapers, daring to imagine and invest in a time beyond it.

Maybe I should have pushed for a 50 year term.

After a moment of absorbing the settled terms, I leaned back in my chair, shooting everyone a half-smile. "Well, this seems like a step in the right direction. But we should get all of this down in writing, yeah? Just to make sure everything's crystal clear and everyone's on the same page."

To my surprise, both Larran and Taela exchanged a glance, their expressions shifting from calm understanding to slight bewilderment. The Asari's green eyes blinked in what seemed like genuine confusion, and the Volus, despite his mostly concealed features, looked equally taken aback. He almost looked offended.

Luckily, Helena quickly interjected with a graceful smile. "Ah, Roy. Among the Asari, a verbal agreement in the presence of esteemed witnesses is considered binding. Given their ability to meld, discrepancies in recollection are a rarity. So for them, a spoken commitment carries weight equivalent to, or even surpassing, that of a written contract."

She then turned to Taela, trying to ease the atmosphere. "On Earth, especially in business, there's a practice of getting everything in writing early on. It helps ensure clarity and acts as a reference for both parties. It's not meant to question trust, but rather to provide a roadmap for future interactions."

Taela nodded slowly, a faint smile touching her lips. "I see. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. We can certainly provide a written agreement, though our verbal pact here will hold just as strongly."

I cleared my throat, a tad embarrassed. "I apologize. Didn't mean to offend or insinuate distrust. Just... old habits. Very old habits, actually."

Helena patted my arm lightly, her eyes reflecting amusement and understanding in equal measure. "It's always a learning process, Roy. That's the beauty of galactic diplomacy."

Larran, after a beat, added with a hint of humor but a lot of weariness in his voice, "Earth-clan does have a way of keeping things... interesting."

Oh man, I felt for him; I really did.

"So what about the project?" Taela said.

"I have compiled a list," Larran said, "from members of Rannoch-clan. My initial review was... not as promising as I would have liked."

Larran wasn't kidding. It was a series of pre-recorded vids, with quarians trying to sell their ideas of what project they wanted to do. As the Volus put it, most of them ran away screaming at the mention of the Geth, so what we were left with was a rather eccentric collection of ideas.

An Exosuit Customization Shop. Pretty standard until we got to the details, and I realized it sounded more like a Hot Rod shop from back in the old days than anything else.

Virtual Reality Historical Tours. No joke, complete with holographic reproductions of the most important moments of the Morning War. Helena came this close to breaking when she vehemently said no to it.

Reverse-Engineered Prothean Pet Toys. I don't even know where this guy was going with the proposal.

Flotilla-Style Theme Park. Taela had some choice words about having a flotilla of ships orbiting the planetoid while she was trying to revive an asteroid mining operation.

Personal AI Companion Development. Literally everyone said no at the same time.

Zero-G Dance Studios.

It was all looking pretty grim when the next quarian's proposal popped out. Couldn't make much details from the suit, but he was carrying a pile of props when the video started, tried to pull one, something slipped, and everything just fell with a very loud series of clattering sounds as he bent down out of frame to try and pick them up. Then, he immediately jumped up, as if he had realized he was recording.

"This isn't live, is it?" I said.

"No, of course not," Taela replied.

"He could just re-record it," I said. I only got chuckles as a response.

The quarian seemed to hesitate, raised both hands, palms facing each other, and as he prepared to say something, I swear I was expecting him to just go "aliens". All he was missing was the haircut from the meme guy back in the day.

"Habitats."

That's all he said. He reached to the camera and the vid stopped.

"Habitats?" I said, looking at Larran.

"Ah, yes. The Rannoch-clan's plan is to construct..." he seemed to be going through something on his terminal as he spoke. "Habitat ships. Ships that may carry a slice of a clan's planet."

"Huh."

I looked at Taela, and she gave me a look similar to the one I thought I had given her. This actually sounded slightly promising, at least compared to the rest.

"Does he have an actual plan or just a wishlist?" I said.

"The technical documentation is... abundant," Larran said.

"Let's take a closer look," I replied.

Larran wasn't wrong about that, either. But the more I went through it, the more I liked the idea. I wasn't sure if the quarian was trying to blow smoke up ouyr collective butts or if he was actually on the level, but there was a lot that made sense. Ecosystem modelling, long-term storage of specimens to restart collapsed ecosystems, propagation strategies, he seemed to have thought a lot about it.

Only apparently he was a little awkward in front of the camera. Ah well, I could live with that.

Habitats it is.

Author's Notes: I ended up having a simultaneous talk with Shepard on two fronts, which I assure you wasn't planned but ended up happening anyway. Then again, I do the "feelings and emotions over some tea" with some regularity, so there's that. The negotiations, well, props go to the poor put-upon, harried Larran Goh for managing to arrange the most unlikely confluence of circumstances that allowed such a deal to happen.

Props, and a hefty bill, to be sure.

If you like what you see, you can always throw a bit of support (which is GREATLY appreciated) my way at:

tinyurl (period) com (slash) y2q9cop6

Next! Well, probably will be a bit of time skip. There's a lot of housekeeping for a lot of people to do, and that's what we'll do. Of course that doesn't mean there's not going to be at least one interesting revelation. MUAHAHAHAHA.

As always, thanks for follows, favorites, reviews, and of course, thanks for reading!

(On a different note: 1. Mentions episodes will be a tad shorter. 2. Episodes start getting longer. Sigh LOL)