A/N - I've grown a little tired of writing original stories for the time being. I still have quite a few ideas for single stories or longer series that I have written down to start writing later, but for the time being, I'm going to have a little fun turning back the clock and writing a little fan fiction. And this series is based on my favourite sci-fi series, Mass Effect.
It's not going to be a thoroughly in-depth overview of all three games but will cover the main plot and some assignments (ME), the main missions and selected recruitment and loyalty missions (ME2) and the major missions with occasional side quests (ME3). But this is largely a story dedicated to Shepard having a lot of fun with a myriad of lovers. Because of this, some characters might not appear and will be replaced by others.
Australian / British standard English. There is a good chance of reading the following: lots of profanity, characters drinking, typos, and bad grammar at times.
Proofreading and editing suggestions provided by OhDave1. Any mistakes are still mine.
Comments are appreciated as always.
Feedback by email is always welcome. Enjoy chatting with anyone who likes my work.
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How it all began...
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Beginnings...
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Sitting in the waiting room, I glanced around at all the well-dressed people sitting around me. I almost laughed to myself as I knew that my face didn't fit with any of these fellow officers. I hadn't shaved in a couple of days. I kept my hair close-cropped. And I knew that I had a certain look in my eyes. I met the eyes of many of the men and women. They quickly looked away. I knew what I looked like.
The meeting was taking place in secrecy. I'd been summoned by my superior and told to report to Arcturus. I packed my kit and caught the first available flight out. I didn't have many friends in the unit simply because many that I'd made relationships with were now dead. When I arrived on Arcturus, I was greeted by a couple of MPs who led me towards accommodation and told me to stay and wait until I was summoned. That had been a little over forty-eight hours ago.
A cute little blonde walked out of a nearby door and glanced around the room. "Lieutenant-Commander Shepard," she said.
I stood up and stretched my weary muscles before I approached her. She had to glance up at me which always made me chuckle. I wasn't obscenely tall, but I was six-two, rather broad and my short-sleeved shirt did nothing to hide my physique. She opened the door and gestured for me to enter. Three men were waiting for me, all of them standing behind the other side of the wide table. I recognised the three of them immediately.
Donnel Udina, the Alliance Systems Ambassador to the Citadel. Alliance Admiral Steven Hackett, Commander of the Fifth Fleet and a living legend amongst the Alliance servicemen and women. And Captain David Anderson, a man I knew well enough. Probably one of the closest people around that I'd consider a friend.
"Take a seat," Hackett told me after I saluted, a gesture Hackett and Anderson returned. "I'm sure you've been curious as to your reason being here, Lieutenant-Commander. We are currently looking for a candidate to be the new Executive Officer serving under Captain Anderson on board a new and somewhat experimental ship that has been designed and built. This position will include a promotion to Commander with the potential of a further promotion in the near future depending on the outcome of your service."
"But first we must get to know you first," Udina said, leaning forward and fixing me with a gaze, "We've got your service record here along with your life before joining the service. But we'd rather hear certain things from you."
"I've never hidden anything that I've done, sir," I replied.
"We know you didn't have the easiest time growing up. Care to answer a few questions about that?" Anderson asked.
"I can probably answer the questions without hearing them. Respectfully, sir. I was abandoned as a baby. Grew up in foster care, bouncing from home to home for my first twelve or so years. Got stuck with more than one creepy guy than I'd care to remember. Knew that adoption wasn't going to happen once I was a teenager, so I just upped and left one night. Packed my few belongings and hit the streets. I'd spent plenty of time on them already. I was considered a delinquent by the social worker in charge of my case."
"When did you commit your first crime?" Hackett wondered.
"Before I ended up on the streets? I was shoplifting from an early age. It didn't take long until I was running with a gang though. And by the time I was sixteen, I was running it. I've always been rather big and solid for my size. The streets are tough. It's dog-eat-dog. Turf wars and all that stupid shit. Cops did their best, but kids are quick and nimble. We also knew technology was where we could make credits. It's amazing what you can learn on the internet."
"Why did you kill him?" Anderson asked bluntly.
"I'm sure that you won't believe me if I said that it was an accident. But what happened is what led me to this very position right now. It was a pitched battle between two gangs. I was simply trying to get him off one of my boys. Things escalated from there and, well, two days later..."
"You fought off the cops but didn't kill anyone. That showed restraint," Hackett suggested, "Did you kill anyone else?"
"Not until you gave me a uniform and showed me how to kill efficiently. I'm not saying that I didn't spend a few years roughing people up. Caused broken bones and no end of bleeding. But the code was that we didn't kill our targets. We'd steal. We'd cause havoc. And we'd do anything we could to survive and get any credits that meant we could live. But murder? That was always a step too far, a line not to be crossed."
"We could discuss what happened on Elysium, Lieutenant, but I'm more interested in Torfan," Hackett stated, "In your mind, do the two events relate?"
"One hundred percent," I practically growled, "You've got my service record. You know what I've been sent to do ever since I graduated. The invasion of Elysium may have been led by a turian, but it was batarian boots on the ground causing destruction, killing indiscriminately."
"You earned numerous commendations for what you did on Elysium, Lieutenant," Udina said.
"I did though they were lessons learned with the men and women that I'd been serving with."
"The Roughnecks," Anderson informed, "Made up of some of the more interesting people to serve."
"You mean ex-criminals that had joined the Alliance instead of serving time in prison, sir," I retorted, "But I hide no ill will that I was given that choice. I was going to end up dead either way. Dead on the streets somewhere, or I might end up dead serving in this uniform."
"Anyway, back to Torfan... How would you describe the events, Lieutenant?" Hackett wondered.
"Can I put it bluntly, sir?" The two men in uniform shared a glance. Anderson even managed a smirk before they nodded in my direction. "It was an absolute clusterfuck from the moment we had boots on the ground, sir. But it was because it was a clusterfuck that allowed us to push home our advantage. But I'll never forget what I saw, sir. What they were doing to us humans. It wasn't just the slavery. It was the conditions. The obvious abuse and torture. And what they were doing to women..."
"Would you say that you committed murder, Lieutenant?" Udina wondered.
"No. I killed terrorists. If you wish, you may refer to them as enemy combatants. But the usual rules of war were not present. The Geneva Conventions once covered how war was conducted on Earth between nations. The Ilium Accords is an agreement between the Alliance and the Council regarding our conduct should a skirmish break out before the Council can get involved. And I'll tell you one thing. Everyone was an enemy combatant that day. There wasn't a single batarian I met that wasn't carrying a weapon."
"Did any of them attempt to surrender?" Udina asked pointedly.
I met his eyes and did my best not to smirk. "No."
That was a lie. I knew it. He knew it. Hackett and Anderson knew it. But there were no witnesses to the fact I shot more than one batarian without a second thought. After what happened on Elysium, anyone who landed on Torfan went in with a bloodlust for revenge. Because that's what the mission was. Humanity's revenge. The turian in charge escaped, and we knew trying to get him would be difficult. But the batarians?
Ripe for slaughter. And they sent in the worst of the worst to get the job done. Ever seen the movie 'The Dirty Dozen'? We made them look like schoolchildren in comparison.
"How have you found N7 training?" Anderson asked.
"Invigorating," I replied, almost managing a smile, "Probably the most rewarding thing I've done in my life so far. I'm stronger and fitter than I've ever been, and I know that I'm being pushed far beyond what limits I thought I had. And I'm aware of the washout rate. It's why I won't allow myself to fail."
The rest of the interview was a more question-and-answer session. Most of it was about my service, but also questions about my opinions about certain matters that could see me perhaps being involved. I answered honestly to every question as I had nothing to hide.
When it was done, I stood and saluted again before I strolled out into the waiting room. A receptionist told me that my presence was no longer required and that I would be told the outcome of the interview within seventy-two hours. I would remain on Arcturus until then though I would now be free to roam about should I wish.
Lying back on my bed in the quarters that I'd been given three days later, there was a ding telling me that someone was at the door. No surprise to see two MPs waiting for me again.
"Am I under arrest?" I joked. I was still waiting for the day the hammer would fall on me and that the Alliance would charge me for crimes from what I did on Torfan.
"You're to pack your gear and come with us, Lieutenant. Captain Anderson has asked for you."
Little did I know how my life was going to change in the next few days.
*****
