Chapter One

Nicole Shepard had been a merc for so long she didn't really know what else to be. She was good at it, more than good. Anything needing smuggled, she was your woman. Needing personal protection? She was the woman that would get you out alive. She didn't just take any job though. Perhaps a little shadiness, but nothing out right criminal. She had her standards, but she was well known in some circles. Or at least known enough to be contracted often enough to pay her small crew and keep their ship running.

Her small crew was an odd bunch, but they were loyal to her, and she considered them good friends. She picked them up along the way as she worked from one job to the next. A krogan, a turian, a quarian and one other human aside from herself.

She had been doing merc work since she was 16, and now at age 29 she was probably one of the best mercs in the galaxy, despite being little known. She was quick on her feet, a sharp shot with her gun, and cool under pressure. She never failed to fulfill a contract. She would get the job done no matter how difficult.

She had started off in a small time merc band, but when she turned 19 had decided to go solo. When she was about 25 she had befriended the krogan on her crew, Urdnot Wrex, and they decided working together could be beneficial. Especially since they had worked a number of jobs together before that.

Shortly after she turned 26 the turian, Garrus, had joined Shepard and Wrex. Frustrated with his the way C-Sec did things, he had split ways with the police force and Shepard found him on Omega trying to be the hero no one wanted. She invited him to work with her when she saw his skill with the sniper. She also had to admit she liked the turian himself.

The quarian joined them while she was on pilgrimage a year after that. Poor Tali was caught up in a shady situation near the boarders of the Terminus Systems. Shepard had felt bad for the kid and to get her out of a situation going bad, hired the young engineer to help with the upkeep of their small cargo ship. Tali seemed more than happy to run off with the small rag tag group, if only so she could get out of the situation she was finding herself in.

The other human was probably the odd ball of their group. At age 28 the small group was helping smuggle some colonists off world deep in the terminus systems. They were in need of protection to get away from a gang of pirates who terrorized them for months. Of course who do you turn to when the System Alliance and Citadel Council refuses to go into the Terminus? Mercs were their safest bet, but even then the wrong merc group could end up just as bad a pirate gang.

Kaidan Alenko, perhaps just a few years older than Nicole Shepard, was no soldier. He barely handled a weapon. But he was a powerful biotic. Having fled from Jump Zero after some accident he never spoke about, he found himself alone and with nowhere to go. He traveled from place to place, until he ended up with the colonists in the Terminus. He helped Shepard and her crew when it counted, and she saw the potential for something more in him. So when he asked to go with her after the job she hardly put up a fight.

He was becoming more proficient with small arms over the last year, and he made for an interesting addition. The others picked on him, but it was in good nature and he took it with ease. He was almost like their moral center, if things looked too crooked Shepard almost counted on him to keep their paths straight, especially when work was scarce but they needed to eat.

Shepard sighed as she looked herself over in her little bathroom mirror more scrutinizing than usual. Right now they were on their way to Eden Prime and she felt a bit nervous. The reason for her nerves was a little bit of a story, and as Garrus would put it, it involved an unofficial member of her crew. By unofficial Shepard had wanted to ask this person to come with them, but never did. She didn't want to drag the person in question away from her life. But she was a good friend to Shepard and her crew. So they had sort of adopted her in a way.

Nicole Shepard took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she checked her red hair. It didn't quite reach her shoulders but it wasn't entirely short either. It hung loose, below her ears, bangs swept to the right side of her head, which allowed her to show off three cuff like piercings along the middle outer part of her left ear.

When she felt like everything was in order she grabbed a small duffle bag off her bed as she left her personal quarters to make her way down to the armory. With Kaidan piloting the ship, and Tali in the engine room she had Garrus and Wrex suiting up. Ever to make an entrance, Shepard had planned for everyone to arrive on Eden prime geared up in their matching armor showing off her own personal logo on everyone's armor. They didn't really have a name for their group but Shepard had created something of a logo for them.

They may not have been a big time merc band, but she liked the idea of a uniformed look while they were on a contract. She figured it looked at least somewhat professional. But this was not the usual contract either. It was more of a favor. Shepard tried to refuse payment, but their "employer" had insisted. Shepard had haggled it down, calling it a discount rate, much to Wrex's disappointment.

"We'll be on Eden prime in fifteen, you all ready?" Shepard asked, all business as she dumped her bag next to her locker before she began to dig her armor out of the small storage space.

Wrex grunted his reply as Garrus checked over his sniper rifle. "Ready, Shepard." he said as he looked over to the human, who was starting to put on her heavy armor. "Are you ready?" He then asked, a hint of a teasing tone behind his turian like grin. Shepard looked at him with a mock glare before smiling and shaking her head.

"How about you mind your own business, Vakarian." she quipped back as she worked on getting her leg armor strapped on. In truth she was feeling anxious. Garrus, Wrex and Tali all figured out she had developed something of a crush on their "unnoficial crew member". She hadn't exactly hidden it on their last meeting. Though Shepard figured her flirtatious banter had gone unnoticed.

Their banter was abruptly interrupted, "We're about to hit atmo." Kaidan announced over the ship's comms as Shepard finished getting herself ready, the other two strapping their guns to their armor. Shepard lifted her duffle bag, feeling her nerves kick back in. She didn't know why she felt so nervous. This wasn't a big deal, right? But ever since they were hired on, Shepard had been excited. It had been a little over a year since they had last seen their current employer.

She motioned for Wrex and Garrus to follow her as they went for the cargo hold where they would disembark from the ship. "Copy that, when we touch down go ahead and gear up, we'll wait for you." Shepard replied to Kaidan.

Once the ship landed, Garrus put in the commands to open the cargo bay doors as Wrex stood next to Shepard. "I can't believe you passed up on a better paying job for this." he complained. "Probably would have had more to fight too." He almost pouted as Shepard laughed and jokingly hit the krogan's chest plate.

"Cheer up, old man. I'm sure you'll find something exciting to do." She teased as he frowned, rolling his shoulders. He didn't mind their current contract holder, but he found there was never anyone to really fight when she hired them as a protection detail. It was always boring, a bunch of sitting around staring at plants.

As the cargo bay ramp lowered for the crew Wrex sighed. "You mean you'll find someone to do." He piped back grumpily as Shepard rolled her eyes, slinging her duffle bag over her shoulder. She would have to make this up to the old krogan after the job was done she figured. Find him a good fight somewhere.

Shepard took lead as she and the other two casually walked down the ramp and onto the planet surface of Eden Prime. Supposedly it was some shining example of human colonial efforts. Shepard never took much stock on these things, she was just a hired gun, going wherever she was paid to go. Well most days. This was not the typical job though.

"Shepard!" She heard a barely contained excited voice as she looked to her right, spotting the reason they were here in the first place. Shepard couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach at the sound of that voice, and the smile on the owner's face.

Shepard couldn't help but give a lopsided grin as she turned and started making her way to an asari. "Hey, Liara. Long time no see." Shepard said smoothly, despite feeling a bit too excited to see the asari. Honestly Shepard hadn't realized how much she had missed Liara until that very moment.

Liara stepped up to Shepard, offering to take the human's bag. Shepard shifted it on her shoulder, knowing that it was just full of her clothes, and some bathing products. "It has been a long time." Liara said as Shepard politely waved her free hand, saying she had a handle on her bag. "How have you been?" Liara then asked.

Shepard was about to open her mouth and say something, but Garrus interrupted her, "What no hello for me?" Garrus playfully pouted as Liara gave a shy chuckle, looking to the turian. She was always reserved, shy really. Something that had made Liara endearing in Shepard's eyes.

She stepped around Shepard to Garrus, offering him a shy handshake. "Hello, Garrus. I'm glad you all came, I know it's not as... exciting as any other job you get, but I am happy to see you all." Liara said politely. Garrus shook her hand as Wrex grumbled about wishing she could give him something to shoot and Shepard elbowed him a bit, telling him to behave.

"We're happy to be here." Shepard tried to cover for Wrex's grumblings. "Before we get too far ahead we're just waiting on Tali and Kaidan to power down the ship." Shepard added as she looked over her shoulder, to see if the others were in the cargo bay yet or not.

Liara smiled but looked over towards Shepard's old cargo ship to see if she could spot the quarian. "Kaidan?" Liara questioned as neither could spot the two just yet. This was not the first or second time Liara had asked for Shepard's help on a dig. First time they met was a couple years before when Shepard was hired on by a project lead who had heard of the small group. Liara had taken a shine to Shepard and her small crew though, and had asked for their help a few other times after. Though if she were honest, she was rather fond of Shepard, but she also enjoyed Garrus and Wrex's company.

"Ah, ya... He's kind of new to the crew, we picked him on a job about a year ago." Shepard said sheepishly as Liara smiled and nodded her understanding. Well, whoever this Kaidan was, Liara was sure she'd like him. Shepard had once said she was rather selective of who ran with her. Liara figured anyone Shepard would permit to join her crew would be someone worth knowing.

Liara looked towards a small train depot as they waited. "When they are able to join us, we have a site set up fifteen minutes from here by train." She offered. "I of course have an extra building with beds for all of your crew." Liara informed as Shepard smirked to herself. Liara fretting over them was kind of cute to her. Liara always made sure Shepard and her crew had their own space and anything else they may have needed. "I also made sure we have plenty of dextro based food for you Garrus, and Tali of course." She added.

Garrus' mandibles flared once as he nodded his thanks. "Diligent as ever, T'Soni." he teased. Liara flushed but smiled. God help her, Shepard had missed the asari and her constant need to please her crew whenever they worked with her. It was one of the many qualities about Liara that Shepard had grown fond of.

"Sorry for the hold up." Kaidan suddenly called out from behind everyone. Liara took a moment to study Kaidan as he made his way down the ramp, wearing light armor, same design as the rest of Shepard's crew only he carried a pistol and submachine gun for weapons. Kaidan trotted up to Shepard as he handed her a data pad, she took it and scrolled through the contents.

Liara figured, by human standards, the man was rather handsome. Shepard had kept some touch with Liara since their last job together, but she failed to mention Kaidan before now. Liara couldn't help a weird feeling that came over her about the main. Perhaps curiosity? She wasn't quite sure.

Kaidan looked to Liara, not having met her before, but having heard about her. He smiled and nodded to her once. Liara smiled politely still trying to figure out what it was about him that gave her this unusual feeling. "Where's Tali?" Shepard asked casually as she shoved the data pad into her duffle bag's side pocket. She looked over the man's shoulder to see if she could spot the quarian.

Kaidan fidgeted slightly. "She said she'd catch up in a bit, she seemed to have been cursing at something in engineering." He replied. Shepard couldn't help but grin and shake her head. Her poor old rust bucket of a ship was sometimes a match for Tali's skills as an engineer. The kid was bright too, so that was probably saying something.

Shepard lifted her hand to her ear comm. "Yo, Tali." Shepard called through the comms. "I'll send you the coordinates for camp, join us soon, don't work yourself too hard." Shepard went on.

Liara covered her mouth, hiding a bit of a smile as she could barely hear Tali's voice come through Shepard's comm. "Bosh'tet! I'll be there soon, Shepard, your ship is throwing a tantrum." She replied in frustration as Shepard chuckled and looked to Liara with a shrug.

"Lead the way, Doctor." Shepard then said as Liara smiled more bright;y, turning on her heel to lead the small group to the train station, Shepard walking right along side the asari the whole way as they chatted a bit, trying to catch up after not having seen or heard from each other in a long while.

VWVWV

So I just decided to write something else for now. For any of you who have read Art of War, I still don't consider it a dead story, I just... I don't know it seems like most people were turned off by it. I thought I'd try for a little lighter of a tone so new story lol. A little more A/U. Anyway, see you all next chapter.