4th September 2179, Fort Gyurza

Shepard was briefing the recruits for the mission in Torfan, the very moment they were waiting for. It was almost time to prove their mettle after so much preparation. The last 4 months passed almost like a breeze. Since the success of the conquest mission, Shepard, who became more casual and fonder of the recruits over time, focused more at teaching use of different weapons and advanced tactics rather than physical conditioning this time. Sure, the morning exercise was inevitable, tiring and boring as always, but the afternoon exercises were replaced with more interesting activities like:

Advanced weaponry and combat maneuvering training...

"AHAHAHAHAHA, CRY SOME MOOOORE! DIE SCREAMING STUPID ENEMY MANNEQUINS, BWAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

Sergar screamed and laughed at the top of his lungs while firing the dual miniguns of his juggernaut power armour. His voice was amplified and deepened by the suit and, in combination with the painted shark mouth on the helmet and many discouraging messages scrawled all around, he truly looked terrifying in appearance. The others stopped shooting downrange as they witnessed the sheer carnage that Sergar was unleashing. When all targets were reduced to shreds and smoking pieces, the shooting finally stopped:

"YES, I LOVE THIS THING! SO MUCH BETTER THAN REGULAR SMALL ARMS!" He shouted. Another armour wearing batarian whacked Sergar to the back of his head:

"Hey, leave some for us next time you greedy bastard." He jokingly vexed his burly compatriot:

"First come, first serve comrade Vren."

Sergar happily answered, still pumped up from all the shooting:

"THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A TRAINING EXERCISE YOU OAF! AND YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO USE LIVE AMMO! AND STOP WITH THE WHOLE SOVIET JARGON, YOU ARE BATARIAN!" Akhemisa shouted. She became more talkative, but no less intimidating, as time passed, making her more respected among the ranks:

"Now that was totally uncalled for comrade Wredgoros. It was the party that took me in when I had absolutely nothing left. So show some proper respect please." Sergar protested as politely as possible. Akhemisa smirked and handed him a broom and a shovel:

"Then be a good worker boy and clean this mess. The drill instructor put me in charge of you lot and the last thing I need is to get an ear full. We will be in the flamethrower range." Akhemisa grinned and patted Sergar on the shoulder, leaving him stunned as she left with the others. He wasn't really happy about the fact that he had to clean the carnage he left behind, but he got to it, grumbling and swearing under his breath. Until he got the idea of hiding the pieces in a nearby warehouse.

He buried the small pieces under the dirt with a shovel and stashed the broken mannequins in a tarp. He happily threw them away behind a crate and covered them with said tarp. When he turned to the exit, he saw Shepard right in front of him, leaning on the door case and drinking beer from a bottle, not even bothering to look at him:

"You know that the target practice dummies are not biodegradable, right mate?" Shepard nonchalantly asked. Sergar knew that he screwed up and shook his head. The drill instructor just exhaled and walked towards him:

"You know, I would certainly do the same thing in your potition. But I have to punish you for being caught. 3 days latrine duty. Next time try to be more stealthy."

The answer didn't really surprise Sergar, he knew he was screwed the moment Shepard saw him. He huffed and headed outside, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him:

"You forgot something lad." Douglas said and showed the discarded pile of mannequins. Sergar shook his head in frustration and picked it up:

"Permission to speak freely drill instructor?" The burly batarian asked, still holding the tarp with its contents:

"Sure, go ahead lad." Shepard gave his permission:

"You know you're a real asshole, yes?" Shepard just chuckled at that remark:

"Thanks, I would be bad at my job if I wasn't. But if you don't beat it in 3 seconds, the 3 days will become 1 week, now get the fuck out of my sight, off you go." Shepard ordered, his smirk plastered on his face. He did learn something from Strasskov after all.

Animal care...

"This day, we have some very special guests ladies and...dudes. Born and trained in Germany, a country of planet Earth with long military tradition, the canine prides of the 103rd tactical SMACC corps 'Rasend Hunde', behold the elite seeker squad!" Corporal Guzman, recently promoted, announced. Out of the shuttle came 10 lightly armoured, sunglasses wearing handlers, each of them with a steel jawed, waist tall, german shepherd alongside. The centuries old tradition of using animals in war withstood the test of time and modern technology made them even deadlier. Besides, who wouldn't be afraid of a four-legged mass of flesh and steel plates which was running towards them, hell bent on ripping the throats of its enemies out? A combat demonstration later, which included many decapitated or dismembered mannequins later, the quarians were clapping, the batarians did not look as impressed:

"Not to sound disrespectful, but why don't you use varren? They are bigger and by nature more aggressive than your attack dogs." That came from Gulash Kai'Ram, a former varren trainer who followed his father's footsteps for a couple of years, until his enlistment. The remark he made earned him a cold stare from each member of the seeker squad, even the dogs looked at him angrily:

"Hey, let's stay calm people, his point may be misguided, but it's valid. Captain Eckhart, if you please." Guzman attempted to calm the spirits, hands raised at a calming position. A grizzled, heavy set man with a full grown beard stepped forward:

"Mein name ist Herbert Eckhart, I am der captain of zhe elite seeker squad. I vas training hunde since I was a 17 year old boy. Vhile you correctly deduced that varren are seemingly more fit for combat, zat is far from zhe truth. Zhese creatures are undisciplined, inelegant und can serve more as bullet sponges rather zhan actual

combatants."

The captain said in an annoyed monotone, his thick german accent present in every word. Gulash looked offended but knew better than to disagree with the man:

"Anyone else who wants to ask something? No? Let's proceed then. The commander brought some more special guests. Straight out of the siberian steppes, the best of the 68th assault SMACC corps 'Beastmancer', a warm applause for the bear rider squad." Guzman announced again. What came out of the other shuttle earned a wholly different reaction instead. The quarians and the batarians were shocked still and wide eyed as they saw 6 lumbering war bears exiting the barracks. Each bear rider

wore the traditional soviet ushanka hat and red long-coats over their flak armour suits:

"Greetings comrades, there is no reason to fear us, our beasts are very friendly to their allies." A short woman riding on top of a black bear, clearly the leader of the group,

announced, her bear giving a soft roar. The moment of awe ended when the aliens saw captain Eckhart slowly advancing towards the female officer, hands clenched in fists and jaw set. He looked pretty angry for some reason, even the hairs of the dogs stood upright:

"Vhat zhe hell are you doing here?" Eckhart threateningly asked the bear riding woman. She nonchalantly dismounted and walked towards the angry captain, completely unfazed:

"Nothing, just showing our allies the might of the soviet war bear, and you can call me captain Svetlana Volkova sweetheart." She shot back:

"Vhat might? All I can see iz a bunch of morbidly obese oversized furballs, maybe you need an eye exam?" Eckhart taunted, earning a chuckle from his fellow squad mates:

"Did you check you dogs for fleas? All they do is scratch themselves and leak their testicles. Also, they drink from toilets." Volkova shot back, making her companions laugh this time. They trashed talked each other for some time, until they targeted the aliens for support, while they were either murmuring with each other or just stared uneasily at the whole show:

"Hey, if you quarian fellows use bears, you can kiss goodbye zhe vay of finesse, because theze ztinky beasts only know how to barrel through zhe obstacles." Eckhart tried to persuade the quarians:

"The mere presence of my bears is enough to terrorise any enemies foolish enough to threaten us or our allies. Our batarian comrades where right about your dogs, you should train varren instead." Raucous laughter followed. Eckhart and his squad, along with the now barking and growling dogs, looked ready to lunge on their opponents, and they would have if someone didn't start shooting. Some dove for cover and others checked themselves for injuries after it stopped, their combat reflexes kicking in:

"Now that you people cooled off, can we continue with the practice lessons please? I really want that 2 day leave." It was Guzman who talked, holding a smoking sidearm. They all hastily obliged, the quarians went to train with the seeker squad while the batarians were assigned for war bear training. Meanwhile, sergeant Artyom Dezerian, who was watching how his new assistant worked, whacked Guzman to the head:

"Hey, what was that for?" The freshly promoted corporal asked:

"Tell me, why are you such an idiot you stupid fuck? You've done so well making these pricks shut the hell up and get working and then you ruined it." Dezerian answered through his teeth. Guzman looked confused:

"What did I do wrong?" His question only made Dezerian angrier:

"You didn't use a single curse. You were too sweet and fucking mellow, that's what you did wrong. These morons must get used to adversity and insults to better cope with the terrors of warfare. And if you ever have to use the word 'please' in front of the trainees, you do so sarcastically." The answer was swift and in a hushed tone. Guzman was about to answer when a squad of armed troopers came running towards them:

"Sergeant, we heard gunfire, is everything alright here?" The leader of the group asked, breathing heavily:

"The gunfire was part of an exercise, there is a problem however. This pissant here believes that it's bad to use foul language. So, I want you to take him to the bar and not let him leave until he learns how to use every single insult and curse word that exists in this godamn galaxy." Dezerian ordered as he pushed the hapless corporal towards them. He couldn't see their expressions behind the tinted glass visors, but he was almost certain that these guys were smiling:

"Don't worry sarge, he will make a sailor blush when we are done. But first, we got to talk leave time." The squad leader, a lance corporal answered. Artyom opened his wrist tablet, typed a message and, a few seconds later, a reply came:

"You are cleared men. Just show the code to the nearest gate and you get 24 hours leave. It will become active in 20 minutes."

He answered and sent the code to the squad's tablets:

"Pleasure doing business sir." The squad leader saluted and left with the others, taking an arguing and complaining Guzman with them:

"Quit your bitching Nicki boy, you will be a proper NCO one day. In a few years, we will be reminiscing these moments and laugh." Artyom shouted and laughed. He checked to see how the recruits were doing and he was impressed. The quarians took a great liking to the dogs and the batarians, especially Sergar, were enjoying watching the bears walk on their hind legs or rip apart mannequins with their claws. A good day overall.

Combat vehicle driving lessons...

Mayhem reigned supreme as the cadets were locked in a flurry of vehicular combat in the mud pit. Apart from the medics and the assistant drill instructors who were present, 2 more people were watching the show from the secluded gallery box, which was normally reserved for VIP's:

"So, what do you think about them love? Do they need more training or they can make do in actual combat situations?" Shepard, sitting on a deck chair, drink in his hand, asked the person next to him, who was also sitting on a deck chair:

"You know well enough that I am a commentator and not a driver, what do you need my opinion for?" The person next to Shepard, a female by the sound of her voice, asked:

"Come on now Nir, don't sell yourself short. Besides, I know about yer little guilty pleasure of driving high quality italian automobiles. Also, your photo shoots in Italy and France makes a lot of the lads, and some of the lassies, drool all over the place. I really like the one where you lie down on the hood wearing a see through dress. Who knew red and blue mix so well." Shepard made a snide remark, making Niralya's face go from blueish purple to deep purple for a good few seconds, also earning a quick guffaw from Douglas. She recovered quickly however and smirked:

"Are you jealous of my assets Dougie? Or you genuinely care for me?" Niralya said while she caressed herself from chest to hips, looking Douglas straight to the eye. Shepard's eyebrows shot all the way up. Then he grinned and answered:

"What if I say that the latter is correct lass?" Shepard asked:

"Then you earn my friendly advice, a date with an asari supermodel and maybe a trip to your room." Niralya said suggestively:

"Heh, tempting, but I would prefer the advice first, then we'll see." Shepard answered, causing the enthusiastic asari to slightly deflate:

"Alright then, from what I see, your troops certainly mastered the basics and can be branded as capable in vehicular combat. But, you said that they are training as special forces, so the bar must be set higher. Trust me, if you teach them some more advanced maneuvers like barrel rolls, endos and such, it will be both a confidence boost for fellow soldiers and a demoralising blow for your enemies." She finished explaining:

"Which means that the training is going to take a couple of weeks longer. I wouldn't mind much if present company remained here for some... recreational activities, if you know what I mean." Shepard winked as he suggested. Niralya looked around a bit and smiled wide:

"Quiet, secluded and comfortable, I don't see why not." She said, slowly getting closer to the hunter, like a predator on the prowl, her eyes locked on his. Their faces inched closer and closer, the lips almost touched. It was the sound of an explosion that made them both turn. They both saw the burning wrecks of 2 light combat vehicles and the firefighters rushing to the scene along with the medics. Shepard didn't lose a beat, he gained some momentum and jumped out of the wide open window. He landed about 5 meters (16,4 feet) from the gallery box, rolled when he touched the ground and ran towards the scene of the accident. Niralya, who was at loss for a bit, soon followed, using her biotics to land. She could hear Shepard and his assistants swearing profusely as they were coordinating the rescue of the 4 drivers. It took a few minutes until the fires were extinguished and the injured safe for treatment. No casualties, except the vehicles, but Shepard was still fuming at this unfortunate turn of events:

"HEY, THIS IS A MILITARY BASE, NOT A FUCKING TOURIST ATTRACTION! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HERE BEFORE I SHOVE MY BOOT UP YOUR BLUE..." Guzman saw Niralya's back and thought that she was some visitor, journalist or, even worse, a possible spy because she was an asari. He paused when he saw her face, a face he knew pretty well:

"Oh, huuuuh, hello Ms B'Sern, eeehm, sorry, I didn't recognise you." Corporal Guzman continued in a much softer voice and rubbed the back of neck, obviously feeling guilty:

"Private Guzman, what happened to you?"

She asked. The last time the 2 met, Nicholas was the easily impressed recruit who followed Niralya around asking for an autograph. Really cute, but a bit annoying:

"And you remember me too, this day is getting better. Also, it's eeeh... it's corporal now." He answered as he showed his insignia, being reduced to a giddy, blubbering moron filled with excitement by now:

"NICKI BOY! I SEE YOU NEED SOME RETRAINING! GET YOUR SORRY ASS HERE RIGHT NOW, WE ARE HITTING THE BAR!" A loud voice, which belonged to none other than Artyom Dezerian, called from behind the young corporal, breaking him out of his trance. Poor Nicholas hastily waved goodbye at Niralya as he took off running:

"Don't worry, it's only part of his training. If he aims to become an NCO, he needs to learn how to keep his wits about." Shepard made the asari yelp as he walked behind her, without making a single sound, and giving her a slap on the ass:

"Hey, don't do that again." She demanded:

"Do what?" Shepard asked innocently:

"Being such a vexatious person for once. It is funny sometimes but now it's just plain annoying and mean. How can you treat people like that? What happened to you, what made you so uncaring?" Niralya's voice cracked slightly. Shepard stared at her with disbelief:

"You really believe that I don't care?" He said with a hushed voice. He then looked around and nodded for her to follow, his expression serious as he was almost pulling the hapless maiden. They both went into a mobile artillery vehicle hangar and hid. Shepard checked around again:

"What I am going to say will not get out of these walls, understand?" He asked with urgency:

"Goddess Douglas, you are scaring me, what is happening?" Now Niralya was in the verge of panicking as she was already

sweating. Shepard closed her mouth with his left hand and put his right index finger on his lips:

"Shh, I'm letting you on a secret. It will help you understand. If you want to hear it, that is. Regardless, you won't tell anyone about this, okay?" This wasn't a question, it was an order. Niralya nervously nodded. Shepard removed his hand from her mouth:

"What do you know about the slaver attacks that happened a few months ago?" Douglas asked. The asari looked a bit confused:

"Ahh, yes I remember. A gang of slavers attacked a joint batarian-quarian expedition to a couple of moons close to Abode and captured many slaves, right?"

Shepard nodded at her words:

"That's the official story. But there's more to it..." Douglas explained about how the slavers were still at large in coalition space, the lack of knowledge about where their base of operations is or how they get supplied, the military build-up in hegemony space and the unknown fate of the captured:

"We are facing a crisis as you see, which will lead either in a diplomatic incident at best or full out war. And guess who will be behind the enemy lines." Shepard finished:

"But I thought you enjoy fighting, you are very good at it." The asari said:

"I do, but I'm not worried about me, I'm talking about the little pissants that I've been training about 4 months now. Because both the quarian and the batarian republic's army are in shambles, they gave kids for me to train as special forces, most of them aren't even 20 years old. And they expect me to keep them alive out there. I'll be dammed if I..." Shepard abruptly stopped and perked up:

"What's the matter Doug?" Niralya worriedly asked:

"Follow my lead." He whispered:

"What do you MMMMPH..." She was interrupted by a pair of lips that connected

with her own. Then came the hands around her waist and a lean, athletic body pressing her against the wall. She was completely taken by surprise, her eyes wide open and her hands left hanging in the air. The shock receded a few seconds later and she hugged him back and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment:

"Oh, for fuck's sakes Shepard, you British cunt, go somewhere more secluded." A male voice half joked:

"It was secluded until you came here Park, you dick smoking gook. Now make yerself scarce, I'm busy." Shepard bit back as he turned to see lieutenant Tao Park, a short man of Korean origin who held the same rank as him. A capable field medic with an attitude, he and Shepard went along rather well, except when he was mocking football:

"Hey babe, when you get sick of that prick, call me, what do you say?" Park asked with a grin. Both Shepard and Niralya rolled their eyes, looked him straight to the eyes and shouted:

"FUCK OFF DUMBASS!" Tao obliged and left, cackling like a madman, leaving them alone once again:

"Shall we continue what we started then love?" Shepard asked with a cocky grin. Niralya didn't answer, just grabbed him and continued kissing. The hunter's thoughts were something along these lines:

'First she is willing, then she criticises me for my behaviour, I give her my sob story and she is willing again. No matter the species, some things never change... Not that I can argue with the results.'

Hand to hand combat practice...

Tali was practicing on a large boxing bag while Sergar was holding it from moving and dangling. The same was happening all across the gym camp. Not managing to supress her curiosity, the quarian asked the seasoned fighter:

"Remind me again, why are we wearing these for the sparring session?" Tali asked and showed her purple spandex top, pants and her golden face mask:

"To conceal our identities of course." Sergar, who was wearing black wrestling pants, fingerless gloves along with a black and red facemask, answered matter-of-factly:

"And the rest of the body isn't included?"

She asked again. True, only her face, chest and legs were covered in the form fitting clothes, leaving a good amount of her glistening, purplish gray skin, exposed for all to see. The tight fit she didn't mind, but there were the times before Tali got the immuno therapy when a simple suit puncture could lead to severe illness or death, just like her mother who died from a faulty filter. Also, her light amount of clothing attracted too many stares and wolf whistles from passing males:

"Come on now comrade Zorah, the viewers enjoy watching the pulsing of the veins, the sweat covered skin and the movement of the muscles..." Sergar was interrupted by Tali:

"Wait, viewers? What viewers?" She asked,

shocked. Sergar's eyes went wide as he closed his mouth with both hands. Tali kept staring at him while with her fists on her waist and tapping her foot, waiting for an answer:

"Okay, but you didn't hear it from me. Lately, no one dares to play poker against the drill instructor so he has no additional income. That's howhe got the idea of making a little side business. Many around the galaxy who like combat sports and gambling." Sergar finally relented. Tali stared for a bit, not able to wrap her head around it. Sure, Shepard was a gambler, and a really good one, but an extranet gambling racket? That had to be illegal in an army base, shouldn't it? She tried to get more answers:

"Who else knows about that?" Tali asked:

"Not many. I learnt it a few days ago because he asked me for advice, some medic named Tao Park and now you. There are a couple of other people who know, but I don't have names or faces." He answered:

"But what exactly is he buying and he needs the extra funds?" Sergar lifted his shoulders:

"I have no idea. Some say he is busy with some sort of secret project, others say he spent a lot of money for that asari extreme sports commentator. There are even some who say that he is a gang leader, which I find very unlikely." The heavy set batarian answered truthfully. The second comment made Tali's eye to twitch behind her mask:

"What asari?" She asked in a cold tone:

"The commentator from the demo rally, the one who who is nicknamed the blue saint and uses a flight suit. Rumours say that she and Shepard are a couple, but I believe it's a crock of shit." Sergar answered, ignorant to the wave of emotions it caused to Tali:

"Okay, let's keep training." She replied. Sergar nodded and took his position behind the bag. Tali would never admit it, but for some reason she was fascinated by that human. As she was punching and kicking the bag, her thoughts went like this:

'That infuriating, arrogant, sarcastic asshole. Why does he have to be so handsome... NONONO, he is a complete and utter bosh'tet who humiliated me in my first day and hangs out with some asari... But he has a strong, athletic body and... AARRGH! Keelah, why do I have these thoughts... he is a good engineer too and he hugs so well and... GAAAAAH!...'

She was hitting harder and faster until Sergar replaced her:

"You hit very well comrade Zorah. If you keep it up in our fights, our victory will be inevitable." Her partner answered while smiling enthusiastically. 2 hours later, and after Tali and Sergar won 5 tag team matches, 3 of them via knockout, they changed back to their uniforms and received a hearty applause from their fellows and many human soldiers who watched the fights. The spirits were high and everyone looked like they had a good time, even those who lost their bets. After a medical checkup to check for possible injuries, everyone was cleared to enjoy a night out, except the big winners, who were called to the drill instructor's office:

"I'm in the loo right now, feel free to explore until I'm done." A voice was heard from inside the toilet room.

It was a bit awkward, but they obliged. The room was medium sized, painted in the same grey colour as the barracks. There were few pieces of furniture, just a double bed, an archive cabinet, a small wardrobe, a desk with a swivel chair and a large window overseeing the training grounds. What really caught Tali's attention was the collection of model spacecraft placed on the shelves above the desk. There were at least 40 models of all types and species. Meanwhile, Sergar was absorbed from the collection of guns that decorated the wall. Handguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, a couple of missile launchers, even a few exotic weapons of unknown type. The sound of a toilet being flushed broke them from their immersion to Shepard's collections:

"Congratulations people, you did a damn fine job. Sergar, you kicked arse same as usual. And you Tali, maybe I misjudged you. For your victory, you both get 300 funds to spend them as you wish, just don't tell the others, the last thing I need is people flocking around and asking me for money." Shepard said after exiting the bathroom. He then went to his desk, opened a drawer and pulled out a couple of chits, each containing said amount. Sergar happily accepted his and left, Tali however looked apprehensive:

"By the look on your face, I reckon you have some questions lass. Come on, ask away." Shepard, now sitting with his legs crossed on the desk and his hands behind his head, asked. Tali knew by now that Shepard acted in 3 different modes, depending on the situation. Serious commanding officer, sarcastic asshole and human being. This time, he balanced between the 2 latter cases:

"Isn't gambling illegal in the army drill instructor?" Tali nervously asked. Shepard took a more serious look and brought his right hand to his wrist tablet. A few commands later and Tali's omni tool flared up:

"I see you already put your omni tool in a silent function, so you are not a snitch, just a concerned soldier, I respect that. And to answer your question, yes, it's illegal. However, I made sure no one will get caught and all evidence is untraceable." Shepard answered. Tali was confused however:

"But why? Why risk your career like that? Why risk your own life for a few more funds?" She pleaded. Shepard averted his gaze and exhaled before answering:

"Answer me this first, how important is family to you?" Tali blinked a few times before answering:

"My mother passed a few months before I enlisted. She died from an infection mere days before the immune system repair serum became available. My father is Rael'Zorah, now senator of the quarian democracy..." Shepard raised a hand to interrupt the quarian:

"Let me clarify my question, if your mother wasn't dead but, let's say, stranded on a faraway and hostile planet, how far would you go to find and save her if you were the only one who could?" Tali could have sworn that the temperature in the room fell by several degrees as her commanding officer was waiting for an answer. His gaze was piercing, unflinching and his expression cold as ice, betraying no emotion. It took a few seconds to steel herself and give her answer:

"I would try my best to save her..." She then clenched her fists and added:

"... no matter the cost." She almost croaked her last sentence. Shepard's gaze didn't soften, but there was a visible satisfaction evident on his slightly smiling lips. He then started telling the story of his real father, what he found on that camera, some information he managed to dig up for a hefty amount of cash and getting Tali's promise to keep quiet about this:

"... now you understand why I am risking my neck. I want to find my father, dead or alive, and the fucker who captured him. I want to learn what was so important that needed him, me and who knows how many others to disappear. The records about cerberus cell are currently sealed, but with enough connections, capital and a bit of luck, I may find out the truth." Shepard finished talking. Tali was completely focused the whole time, still trying to wrap her mind around the whole story:

"I... I had no idea Shepard... sorry, I mean drill instructor. This sounds like something straight out of a vid." Tali blurted out. Shepard barked a humourless laugh:

"No shit lassie. Also, there are only 5 weeks of training left. You can call me by rank and name when it's over." He answered with a sad smile:

"So, I can call you lieutenant commander Douglas Shepard?" Tali joked, earning a more genuine laugh from the hunter:

"Commander Shepard is fine, no need for such formalities. Anyway, I'm a little busy now, so take the money and go have some fun, that is an order." He shooed her out. Tali saluted and left. Shepard found it difficult to keep a straight face, as he could read the quarian's thoughts, which were in the lines of handsome bosh' tet, soothing voice, beautiful eyes, athletic body and many thoughts about cuddles, kissing and various stances:

"She needs to find a mate and fast. Let's wait and see how she will look like when older. She will be a mighty fine bombshell in a couple of years." Shepard monologued. True, his mind was full of perverted thoughts, but he had strong control over it, courtesy of his hunter training and mental fortitude. Niralya, while they were good friends, both agreed for it to be just a fling, nothing romantic. Tali was different, she wanted a true relationship:

"Here's hoping for her to find it." Shepard monologued as he emptied his beer can while reviewing evidence regarding cerberus and seemingly related disappearances.

Back to the present...

Shepard was briefing his trainees about their 'final exam', the batarians were now wearing black and red uniforms with berets while the quarians were dressed in urban camouflage versions of their environmental-suits, camo netting instead of hoods and retractable polymer visors. The CISP declassified the necessary information. The slavers had a base in Torfan, a barren world with a thin atmosphere. Their location was discovered by a random psychic sweep only 1 month ago because the planet's crust possessed a high concentration of lead and heavy minerals, rendering all other types of scanning impossible. The base was certainly underground and the only entrance was detectable from ground side. Also, a nondescript warehouse in Khar'Shan was stockpiling enormous amounts of military hardware, rations and mining equipment, which somehow vanished from inside just to be replaced within a week, forcing the hand of the coalition as this could easily be classified as conduct of military operations within coalition space. Energy scans showed space time fluctuations, not unlike those of an activated mass relay, which meant that the hegemony somehow managed to fit, or create, a miniature mass relay inside the planet. There was no sign of the captives anywhere within hegemony space, which could only mean 2 things. Either they were used for manual labor in the secret base, or they were diseased:

"This is it soldiers, the moment we have been waiting for. As of now, 5 cruisers, 10 frigates, a whole regiment of thanatonauts and our very own artillery brigade are gearing for the invasion. We will be the ones to enter their base once our boys crack it open." A pause:

"THEY TOOK OUR MERCY AS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS, OF COMPLACENCY! But the gloves are off now. Enough pussy footing

and prancing around. WE. ARE. GOING. ON THE OFFENSIVE!" Shepard riled up the crowd, who cheered, whooped and gave war cries. He raised his hand to quiet them down:

"As of today, each and every one of you has earned the rank of specialist. My four eyed friends, your are the first of the elite crimson guard unit..." He then looked to the quarian side:

"...and you can call yourselves the hellraiser combat saboteurs." Shepard finished and saluted. After his salute was returned, he continued, more humorously:

"Also, you can call me by name and rank now. I had enough 'drill instructor' with you little pricks. Now go and prepare, we're moving in an hour." A wave of chuckles followed as they all left the room. Spirits were high and the morale was soaring. Even during the flight to Torfan, the untested specialists made jokes and boasting how good they were. The commander however wasn't laughing. He saw many people, friends and foes alike, die, a lot of destruction and suffering, he knew war.

3 hours later, Torfan air space...

"GET READY, COMING IN HOT!" The shuttle pilot warned as Shepard and his squad were landing, 3 more shuttles following close by. The thanatonauts and the crimson guard, now in juggernaut armour, were deployed through chrono transport earlier and were currently using their heavy weaponry against the enemy, wreaking havoc amongst them. The hegemony forces must have had some sort of early warning system because, the exact moment the coalition forces reached the lower atmosphere, a hail of rockets and machine gun fire forced the vehicle transports to land 2 clicks further. The turret defences and enemy vehicles took good advantage of the rough, hardened and mountainous terrain, rendering orbital fire support ineffective. The heavy infantry had to hold on their own, laying suppressing fire against numerous and well entrenched opponents. Which is why Shepard took the platoon of quarian combat saboteurs to neutralise the stationary guns. 2 squads, led by Kal'Reegar and Zimma'Fanis respectively,

were on sniping and long range support duty. Shepard and Tali took the remaining troops for a direct assault:

"Explosives primed and ready commander." A saboteur from Shepard's squad reported:

"How are things in your end Zorah?" Shepard asked through the comm:

"Drones and turrets ready to deploy, just say the word." Tali answered. A few seconds later, the order came, and all 4 squads opened fire. Sniper fire dropped at least 15 batarians, causing a lot of their entrenched soldiers to turn around. An enemy officer took a squad and advanced against Reegar's position, only to be neutralised by Fanis' squad. Soon, more hostiles approached, pining both squads with heavy weapons:

"THEY TOOK THE BAIT COMMANDER, WE MUST DETONATE THE EXPLOSIVES NOW!" Tali shouted. An omnitool command later, and the enemies were blown up to smithereens:

"THE GUNS ARE VULNERABLE NOW, ADVANCE!" Shepard ordered. The platoon obliged and 2 minutes of intense fighting later, the last heavy turret fell silent and the trenches were cleared:

"That was a damn fine job we did now lads and lassies. All we have to do is wait for the cavalry to get their heads of their asses and blow up this door." Shepard roused them up. Cheers and laughs sounded among the troops. No casualties sustained, but there have been several injured thanatonauts and crimson guard troops. While the injured were treated, Shepard was staring at the bunker door. It truly was massive, big enough to easily fit a frigate, who knew what lied behind it:

"Gotta hand it to the hegemony. Building something like this while avoiding detection in our own backyard takes a lot of guts and brains." The lieutenant commander monologued:

"I'm more worried about what else they have in store inside. Our reinforcements best arrive soon. If we have to face tanks or gunships with our current forces, we are in deep trouble." Akhemisa voiced her concern:

"Commander, I took the liberty to plant anti tank and anti air mines near the entrance. If they come out first, they're toast." Tali said, earning a nod from Shepard:

"Very good work Zorah. Keep me posted for any updates." Tali saluted and returned to her post. A minute later, the tanks and artillery vehicles have arrived. A good amount of insults and sarcastic jokes about tardiness later, multiple cannons and rocket launchers took aim for the bunker entrance, ready to turn it into scrap. And they would have, if Shepard didn't get a call in his wrist tablet:

"Am I speaking to the one in charge?" A deep, guttural voice asked:

"I am lieutenant commander Shepard and lead the infantry elements. Do you wish to surrender, or is it a social call?" Shepard answered. A laugh echoed from his tablet:

"My name is Ka'Hairal Balak, captain of the hegemony's armed forces and I have a proposal." The batarian captain said:

"If you want to surrender, just open the bunker entrance and spare us the ammo. The lads really want to blow something up and they can barely keep their enthusiasm down." Shepard humoured:

"That's the problem human. There are too many of our... servants, currently working in the entrance area. Opening fire could lead to many... unnecessary casualties." Balak shot back. This revelation made Shepard's blood freeze. He used his psychic powers and found a large concentration of brain activity behind the bunker entrance. These thoughts belonged to civilians, the exact same ones

who were kidnapped almost 7 months ago. Shepard was shaking in anger, his fists clenching hard and his eyes were shining again. How much he wanted to just unleash his powers, rip the whole door off the hinges and make these four eyed bastards swallow their guns and pull the triggers:

"Hey commander, are we going to blow that piece of tin open or not?" An enthusiastic voice asked from inside the lead tank. That snapped Douglas out of his furious thoughts, allowing logic to take over:

"ALL VEHICLES HOLD FIRE, I REPEAT, HOLD YOUR FIRE. THEY HAVE CIVILIANS BEHIND THAT DOOR!" Shepard shouted on all channels. A series of grumbling acknowledgements followed. The offensive was stopped dead to it's tracks because of that bastard:

"I see you are smart commander, now, could you please patch me to your commanding officer?" Balak asked smugly. Shepard was beyond angry at this point, but had no choice, so he complied.

"Commander, maybe we can find another entrance, maybe an air duct or a..." Tali recommended but was interrupted:

"And you believe they won't expect us? There's no way we can enter through normal means and the ships can't risk to chrono transport any of us inside the bunker." Shepard shot back her suggestion. They both tried to find a solution for this problem. Without proper coordinates and calibrations, a chrono transport could cause severe side effects to the users, switched minds, brain damage, fusing with other entities, rapid aging or complete erasure from the time flow. Half a minute later, Douglas captured

something in Tali's mind. A tactic she used in the game she played in order to freeze her opponents and then swarm them without risk:

"A CHRONO FISSURE!" They both exclaimed at the same time:

"We can render the hostages immobile and invincible..." Tali continued:

"... and we will be able to crack that fucker open without any issue. TALI, YOU BUCKET HEADED GENIUS YOU!" Shepard shouted and hugged the quarian tight, making several heads turned, expressions covered by masks and helmets:

"Commander, not to disturb this loving and heartwarming moment, but your comm is ringing." Akhemisa, who was close by, informed as she showed Shepard's left arm. The pair sheepishly broke the hug, doing a pretty good work ignoring the amused and giggling soldiers and tankers:

"Commander Shepard, is it true that the enemy uses the captured victims as shields?" This voice belonged to the commanding officer of the mission, major Joseph Kyle. A decorated officer, he was nicknamed 'The pacifist', as he once captured a batarian slaver ring and persuaded them to turncoat without resorting to violence, gaining a bloodless victory:

"Affirmative major, we are going to need a chrono fissure in the entrance area, then we can proceed as planned." Shepard recommended:

"Granted, just give us the coordinates. I will keep Balak talking, and remember Shepard the rules of engagement. Those who surrender are to be treated fairly as prisoners of war." Kyle's answer made Shepard's eye twitch:

"WHAT? But they are slavers, they..." Shepard started:

"I know and I don't care. Lynching got us so far, now we take the high ground so, unless they resist, we are to treat them as humanely as possible, is that understood commander?" Kyle ordered, his voice steady and clear:

"Understood and confirmed major." Shepard grumbled an acknowledgement. In the meantime, Tali managed to find a natural crack in the mountain and slipped a drone inside the bunker. The footage showed dozens of

"Commander, we got drone footage inside the facility, want to check it out?" Tali asked nervously:

"Sent it over Zorah." Shepard calmly ordered. What he saw was disturbing. Hundreds of captives, all pressed together against the bunker door, ragged and malnourished. Away from the door stood many armed batarians and multiple battle tanks, all aiming towards the captives:

"Major, I am sending the coordinates now, we will engage at your signal." Shepard informed:

"Very well commander, initiating chronosphere in 30 seconds. Stand clear and ready to advance. Major Kyle out. Good luck." He gave the order:

Meanwhile, behind the bunker door...

2 batarians in a tank were waiting behind their compatriots, cannon aimed towards the bunker door. Hundreds of captured slaves were in the front, acting as shields:

"Hey, do you think the humans will open fire regardless of us having the slaves lined forward?" The gunner asked:

"I don't know. But rumours say that their leader is commander Shepard. He hates our kind so much that he would gladly roll over civilians to satisfy his bloodlust." The driver answered:

"Shepard, I thought he died in Akuze. I heard that many were killed by thresher maws out there.":

"I wish he died too, would be better for us. But not only he survived, he killed a thresher maw alone and on foot too. I also heard from my brother who escaped Elysium, he saw Shepard with his own eyes. He said that human is taller than an elcor, angrier than a krogan in blood rage and he enjoys mutilating those who survive his attacks before he kills them.:

"Come on now, you really believe this stuff? Probably just coalition propaganda to look like mighty warriors. That and the psychics too. Lies and fairy tales, nothing else..." The gunner's speech was cut short by a bright blue light that enveloped the whole area. When it receded, all the slaves were covered in the same blue energy, much like a stasis field. Before anyone could get their bearings, colourful laser rays started piercing through the door, cutting it in pieces:

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?" These were the last words of the gunner before a rocket came flying right to the tank...

A few minutes later...

After the barrage ended, Shepard ordered to secure the bunker entrance and escort the hostages outside. The sight was beyond pitiful. Men, women, even children, all extremely thin, beaten and despite the fact that the captured quarians still had masks on, it was impossible to not see the haunted faces behind them. Shepard almost flinched when he heard their memories. Beatings, electro shocks, starvation and worse:

"We rescued more than 700 hostages commander. The rest must be deeper inside. Do you want us to advance?" Tali asked. Douglas shook his head:

"Not yet. Make sure there are no stragglers around first." Shepard ordered. Tali nodded and went to complete the assignment. Akhemisa came towards him:

"This will not go unpunished." She cryptically said. Shepard gave a stiff nod:

"Don't worry, like the major said, if the enemy resists, they are to be eliminated. Something tells me they will." Shepard answered and winked. Akhemisa gave a nod and went back to her unit:

"No survivors found commander, I found this however." Tali reported back and showed Shepard a paper parchment:

"Would you look at that. The hegemony is becoming smarter. Using paper to avoid hacking attempts or detection." After Shepard read the paper however, his smirk disappeared. The document contained instructions about invading Abode and kidnapping the soviet premier, who would be in a social visit, in 5 days:

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE, WE PRESS ON THE ATTACK! SABOTEURS, ENGAGE CLOAKS, WE ARE GOING DARK! THANATONAUTS, KEEP THE AREA SECURE!" Shepard took command of the situation, as the thick walls and roof didn't allow any signal inside or out. Everyone confirmed the new orders and moved out in a flurry of activity. Shepard and his platoon cleared the 2 secondary depots, uncovering many space worthy fighters, jury rigged to drop vehicles or personnel, equipped with some sort of heat absorbing and light refractive material to reduce emissions and visibility. Only the main depot was left, which was further underground. Drone scans showed about 50 remaining hostiles, a power generator, a lot of rectangular containers, likely for the captives, and a device that resembled a miniature mass relay:

"What's the plan of action commander?"

Kal'Reegar asked enthusiastically:

"Simple, we shut down the power, turn on the strobe lights and eliminate them all."

Shepard answered coldly. Some of the platoon members shifted uncomfortably, but remembering the condition of the captives was more than enough to make them focus and grip their weapons with determination:

"The generator is rigged to shut down people. Zorah, what's the progress in the doors?" Shepard asked for an update:

"Uploading the last code aaaaand... done. Ready to open when needed." Tali answered:

"Good. Everyone, put silencers, ready the strobe lights and engage active camo. Breaching in 20 seconds." Shepard ordered. In 10 seconds flat, every saboteur literally disappeared from sight, silent ghosts waiting to pounce.

5 seconds...

Flashbang grenades ready.

4 seconds...

Shepard's hand on his omni pad, ready to disable the locks.

3 seconds...

The operatives closest to the doors tense up for the breaching maneuver, pressing their backs against the wall.

2 seconds...

Shepard presses the button.

1 second...

The doors slowly start opening.

0 seconds...

"NOW!"

The flash grenades were thrown inside the room, blinding everyone inside. Then the platoon breached the depot, shooting every armed hostile before they could recover. Only 10 survivors remained, who smartly threw their weapons and raised their hands up:

"WE SURRENDER, WE SURRENDER!" One of them screamed terrified into thin air. His words worked like magic, because just a few moments later, 31 figures materialised right before their eyes. All of them were quarians, except the leading figure. He was a human, taller than average, his eyes full of hate as he stared at an open container. It was filled with corpses, completely naked, barely more than skeletons covered with skin. While some of the quarians flinched because of the horrific sight, with a couple of the opening their helmets to vomit, the human just called someone from his comm. Soon, 30 heavily armoured batarians arrived, their expressions unreadable behind the visors. One of the surviving hegemony troopers saw the human make a quick gesture on his throat...

It was the last thing he ever saw.

ANI was a bit too late, but I made this chapter longer. I hope it was worth your patience. This prologue ended with a lot of explosions, bullets, bodies and a good amount of cruelty. I believe I built a strong background for my Shepard, along with an impressive list of titles:

Gunslinger Doug, crazy brit, lion of Elysium, survivor of Akuze and butcher of Torfan. Respected by his allies and friends, merciless to his enemies and best not to piss off. After this chapter, I will work faster thanks to the canon and, maybe, have some time for another crossover fanfic, which is currently on the works.

Hint: GUTS AND GLORY LADS!