Chapter 1: Onboard the Normandy
June 9, 2183 CE
John Shepard
Onboard the SSV Normandy SR-1, En Route to Eden Prime
1100 hours
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." -John 10:11
"The Arcturus Prime relay is in range. Initiating transmission sequence. " Jeff "Joker" Moreau's voice echoed over the comms as John Shepard made his way through the CIC. This was his first time as XO of a ship and under Captain David Anderson, of all people.
John nodded at a few crew members as he walked through the CIC. He bumped into Corporal Richard Jenkins due to the close quarters. The other man acknowledged him, and John kept walking. Navigator Charles Pressly nodded at the commander as he passed his station. It was so odd to John that all these men and women looked up to him, that he was their commanding officer. His thoughts drifted to his captain, the only reason he'd made it this far in the first place.
Anderson had been the one to encourage John to enlist. After his father was killed by Batarian slavers on Mindoir when he was sixteen, he was found by a passing patrol led by the man. John had no idea at the time where his mother was and honestly had no desire to find out. His parents' divorce had been a nasty one, and he wasn't eager to live with the monster his mother had become. Instead, he lied about his age. Dumb move, lying to military officials with biometric scanners, but he was desperate, and Anderson saw that. He took John under his wing, enrolled him in the Academy, and he later found out that he'd contacted John's family to let them know he was alive and in school.
John still hadn't heard from his mother, but he couldn't say the same for his little sister. Mia had started writing John emails when he was still in school. Mostly complaining about their mom, new boy drama, kid stuff. He tried to keep up with replying to her for a time, but about six years ago, right around the time of the Skyllian Blitz, he stopped replying to her. But she just kept on writing. She told him she knew he was busy, and hoped he'd write back soon. The emails kept coming, slowly changing from worried doubts to optimistic anecdotes about herself. She stopped talking about their mother shortly after the Blitz. She told him everything in those emails. How she'd enlisted at eighteen but being on base with their mother was detrimental to her career at best and to her mental health at worst. He knew about every promotion, every assignment… every boyfriend, every one-night stand. She'd used her brother like a diary, and he was thankful for that. He loved hearing about her success. Last he'd heard, she'd passed her N7 training and was awaiting new orders. For six years, he looked forward to his emails from Mia, even though these days he never had time to reply. It seemed he barely had time to think.
"We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination. The relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector. All stations secure for transit. " Joker's voice pulled John out of his head as he came to stand beside the man's seat, next to the turian Spectre, Nihlus. John loved watching Joker work. The man was top of his class in the academy for a reason.
"The board is green. Approach run has begun. Hitting the relay in 3…2…1…" John braced himself for the soft jolt of the ship being flung by the mass relay, headed for Eden Prime.
"Thrusters, check. Navigation, check. Internal emissions sink, engaged. All systems online. Drift…just under 1500 K." Joker said, satisfied with himself.
"1500 is good. Your captain will be pleased." Nihlus remarked with a nod, then turned to leave. As the doors swooshed closed, Joker looked over at Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, sitting in the seat beside him.
"I hate that guy." He scoffed at the other human.
"Nihlus gave you a compliment, so… you hate him?" Kaidan asked, arching a brow up at John questioningly.
"You remember to zip your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that's incredible. Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid." Joker grumbled, shaking himself out.
"You're paranoid." Kaidan deadpanned. "The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."
"Yeah, that's the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story." Joker rolled his eyes.
"I'm with Joker. They don't send Spectres on shakedown runs." John said, shifting his weight uneasily.
"So there's more going on here than the captain is letting on," Joker said, glancing up at the commander.
" Joker, status report ." Captain Anderson's voice sprang from the comm, causing John and Joker to jump.
"Just cleared the mass relay, Captain. Stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid." Joker stated matter-of-factly.
" Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime. " Anderson said shortly.
"Aye, aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way." Joker half laughed.
" He's already here, Lieutenant. Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing. " He said sternly.
"You get that, Commander?" Joker asked, looking up at John.
"He sounds upset. Something must have gone wrong with the mission." John frowned, turning to leave.
"Pft. The captain always sounds like that when he's talking to me." Joker laughed.
"I can't imagine why." Kaidan groaned, and John smiled as he could almost hear the other man rolling his eyes as he headed out the door towards the comm room.
When John arrived at the comm room, though, it wasn't Anderson whom he found there, but Nilhus, who was examining an image of Eden Prime. He turned when he heard John enter.
"Commander Shepard. I was hoping you'd get here first. It will give us a chance to talk." Nilhus said. John frowned, looking up at the taller turian.
"Where's the captain? He said he'd meet me here." John asked.
"He's on his way. I'm interested in where we're going. Eden Prime- they say it's quite beautiful." He said, returning to the image he'd been studying.
"They say it's a paradise." John agreed, not understanding where he was going.
"Yes... a paradise. Serene. Tranquil. Safe." The Spectre drawled languidly. "Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it? Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?" Nilhus turned back to John, examining him as though sizing up his next target. John squared his shoulders and narrowed his eyes.
"Why are you asking? Do you know something?" He asked his brows furrowing.
"Your people are still newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a very dangerous place. Is the Alliance truly ready for this?" Nilhus asked, looking over John's shoulder as the woosh of the comm room doors announced the arrival of the captain.
"I think it's time we told the commander what's really going on," Anderson said, coming to stand next to the turian. John's frown deepened and he looked between the two men as Nihlus spoke again.
"This is far more than a simple shakedown run." He said evenly.
"You don't say? Well, at least we know the Council isn't wasting resources, sending Spectres on trial flights." John bristled, still not understanding the need for secrecy and riddles.
"We're making a covert pick-up on Eden Prime. That's why we needed the stealth systems operational." Anderson informed John, his voice attempting to be placating.
"And you didn't tell your XO because…" John led, crossing his arms over his chest.
"This comes down from the top, Commander. Information strictly on a need-to-know basis. A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of beacon during an excavation. It was Prothean." Anderson said, his almost pleading expression impressing upon John the importance of this mission.
"I thought the Protheans disappeared fifty thousand years ago?" John said, arching a brow and crossing his arms over his chest.
"Their legacy remains." Nihlus chimed in. "The mass relays, the Citadel, our ship drives - it's all based on Prothean technology."
"This is big, Shepard. The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years. But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to bring the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study." Anderson said. John nodded, understanding the importance.
"Okay, I can see why acquiring this artifact could be dangerous," he agreed, dropping his arms and relaxing a bit. "I suppose I understand the need to keep it under wraps."
Nihlus raised a brow plate at that but seemed satisfied with Shepard's response. Still, it was his turn to change posture, straightening up.
"The beacon isn't the only reason I'm here, Shepard." He said, looking him over again like he had before, as though he were a piece of meat.
"Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander. He's here to evaluate you." Anderson said calmly, as though John should have expected this.
"Evaluate me? For what?" John said, looking at Anderson as if he'd just sprouted a second head.
"The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time. Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it shows how far the Alliance has come." Anderson said. Again with the speaking in riddles. John turned to Nihlus, who looked satisfied with his visual appraisal of the man. John hoped that meant he'd stop eyeing him like prey, but he knew that probably wouldn't be the case.
"Your actions saved Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz. You exhibited excellent leadership skills, not to mention single-handedly sealed the colony's breached defenses. I think those skills could be put to good use. That's why I put your name forward as a candidate." Nihlus said, almost casually. John almost did a double-take.
"Wait. You put my name forward?" John asked, looking between Anderson and Nihlus as if waiting for one of them to burst out laughing at the joke. When neither did, his frown deepened, and he turned back to Nihlus. "Why would a turian want a human in the Spectres?" He asked cooly. Nihlus's gaze turned almost stony, in a way John was used to seeing just before men entered battle.
"Not all turians resent humanity. Some of us see the potential of your species. We see what you have to offer to the rest of the galaxy... and to the Spectres." Nihlus said, his facial expression softening just a bit. "We are an elite group. It's rare to find an individual with the skills we seek. I don't care that you're human, Shepard. I only care that you can do the job."
John looked over at Anderson, arching a brow. "I assume this is good for the Alliance. What about you, Captain? You think I can do the job?" he asked the older man with a half smile.
"Earth needs this, Shepard." Anderson stepped forward and clapped a hand on John's shoulder. "We're counting on you."
"I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together." Nihlus said matter-of-factly, and John had a momentary flashback to his N7 training. He repressed a shudder and nodded, squaring his shoulders and trying not to get too excited about the prospect of being the first human Spectre. He was curious about this Prothean beacon, and why they needed a ship like the Normandy, on her trial flight, to defend it.
"This beacon… Why exactly are we transporting it instead of the science team? Should we be expecting trouble?" John frowned, looking between the men.
"All advanced galactic civilization is based on Prothean technology. Even yours." Nihlus said.
"If we hadn't discovered those Prothean ruins buried on Mars, we'd still be stuck on Earth. That was just a small data cache. Who knows what we can learn from this beacon? What if it's a weapons archive? We can't let it fall into the wrong hands." Anderson said, nodding at the commander, who frowned.
"Like who?" he asked.
"The Attican Traverse isn't the most stable sector of Citadel space. There are plenty of raiders and criminal groups active in the region. They might figure a Prothean beacon is worth the risk of attacking an Alliance ship. Plus, Eden Prime is right on the border of the Terminus Systems." Anderson said. John frowned at that.
"The Attican Traverse is under Citadel protection. If the Terminus Systems attack, it's an act of war." he pointed out, skeptically.
"Technically, yes. But some of the species in the Terminus might be willing to start a war over this." Nihlus sighed.
"The last thing the Council wants is to get dragged into a major conflict with the Terminus Systems. We have to keep this low-key." Anderson said, meeting John's eye and clapping a hand on his shoulder.
"Just give the word, Captain." John nodded, holding the other man's gaze for a moment.
"We should be getting close to Eden-" Anderson was cut off by a comm transmission, Joker's voice coming from the nearby speaker.
"Captain! We have a problem." Joker's voice sounded panicked, immediately putting the hair on John's arms on end. Anderson sounded worried as he responded.
"What's wrong, Joker?" He asked.
"Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You'd better see this! " He said.
"Bring it up on screen." The captain ordered. John's jaw dropped as they watched the screen, Alliance members being attacked, the sound of gunfire in the background of the video as a woman with shoulder-length red hair got close to the screen.
"Get down! " She yelled, raising a sniper rifle to fire at the enemy. The camera caught a flash of an N7 logo on the soldier's shoulder as the camera spun. John's heart sank. He knew that red hair. That Widow X. " We are under attack! Taking heavy casualties. I repeat, heavy casualties! Need evac… they came out of nowhere. We need-" the soldier took a concussive round to the shoulder that knocked out her shields, followed by the camera turning, pointing at the attacking ship, then the transmission went dark and the screen turned gray. John frowned. He'd never seen a ship like that. He looked up to the captain with worry.
"Everything cuts out after that." Joker's voice came from the speaker. " No comm traffic at all. Just goes dead. There's nothing ."
"Reverse and hold at 38.5." The captain ordered. Joker pulled up the timestamp requested and a still image of that strange ship filled the screen. John's frown deepened. Anderson seemed unable to recognize the ship as well. "Status report." Anderson barked, a surefire sign he was concerned.
"Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area." Joker reported.
"Take us in, Joker. Fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated." Anderson said, finally turning back to John. He hadn't been sure if the other man had recognized the soldier, but that one look was all it took for him to know that Anderson was well aware of who had sent that distress call.
"I'll say. That's my sister down there." John said, rubbing a hand down his face. "I'll grab Alenko and Jenkins." He said. Anderson clapped a hand on his shoulder for just a moment longer, then turned to Nihlus.
"Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold, Nihlus. Shepard, you're going in."