#this was not covered in n7 training

[i-think-i-should-go]

Garrus: that’s just the gun

Shepard: I DON’T KNOW THAT, DO I???

[a-fantastic-time]

EDI slowly walks into Shepard's room, hesitating for only a moment before walking confidently in. She looks to the commander and clears her throat to get their attention. "Commander? May I ask you for some assistance regarding a sensitive research topic? I'd normally seek out independent research material, but I'm afraid I will require first hand account information for this." She looked normal for the most part, naked in her robotic body but this time there were a few noticeable differences. She had a nipple on each breast, and while her crotch was normally smooth metal it now had a small slit with a clit, having given herself not only a primary sexual organ but secondary sexual characteristics. She made no attempt to cover her breasts or her pussy, allowing the commander to look as much as she wanted. @citadelredlightdistrict

Jane stretched as she walked into her captain's quarters. having just fully clocked out for the evening. She had done her rounds, gave everyone orders to follow, and had finally earned some decent R&R for a good eight or so hours. She had changed out of her uniform, and was now in a pair of baggy N7 sweat pants, and a black bra. Figuring she could air herself out for a bit, before taking a shower and possibly going to bed early.

Although that train of thought was crashed suddenly, when a voice that wasn't coming through her omni-tool, or her room's speakers sounded not too far behind her. Causing her to jump and turn around with her hands ready to fight. Only to take a breath and sigh after seeing EDI.

"Oh...EDI, umm. Sure I suppose we can chat. You could have just talked to me through my communicator like normal." She said not noticing the difference just yet. Stepping closer and smiling. "What is it that you need?" It was only when they were only a few feet apart, did she notice her body being more anatomically correct than normal, especially now that her chest and ass were a bit more full and jiggly. She gulped and looked down, showing very little restraint in trying to look so obviously at her naked form.

[hisuianhellion]

🪐

Mass Effect - Death mention

It had been a few years since arriving here, ten in fact. No documentation. No familial or legal history to reference. A good few psych examinations to make sure she had even a shred of sanity in her skull when screaming about how aliens weren't supposed to be real, where the fuck was she, how the fuck did she even get here. All in front of a Lieutenant of a human space navy that somehow took sympathy on her.

She had told him rather plainly that she wasn't really the military type. But he didn't want her to just end up jobless and worthless on the Citadel. She'd either end up deported or shoved into one of the wards, landing a dead-end job within cultures she knew nothing about. But she seemed to have an aptitude for learning about other races more keenly than those who simply grew up with them, and that had Lieutenant Anderson's attention.

It wasn't forced, but she did still feel strong-armed into service. This or destitution. And it let her get plenty of training in, both on a physical side and a cultural side. Learning how Earth was in the late 22nd century. Learning about the myriad Council and Embassy races. And learning that the colonial mindset of human expansion and brute-forced progress hadn't faltered, but... hey. At least now they had competition in the Council races that held the galaxy in their political grip. What they said went, you just had to abide that.

Quietly sitting in her cabin, she found herself reminiscing. That first gunfight she had gotten herself into, clearing that Red Sand grift without a single casualty on her side. She ended up visiting the family of who died to make sure it wasn't missed. Not on her own side... but hey. Stupid kids making stupid decisions. And it taught her to make sure she talked before shooting, despite what training said.

A year later, a stint in a joint military exercise with the Systems Alliance and the local colonist militia on Elysium turned into what was thus known as the "Skyllian Blitz". It was the bloodiest battle she had ever seen at that point. She was just a Warrant Officer at the time, but Anderson had kept tabs on her. A couple of calls here, a recommendation for enrollment in the ICT program there, and she was an N4 by then. But that fight. That goddamn fight.

Commander, dead. Killed in the first barrage. Captain above him, currently not even there yet, but the SSV Agincourt was apparently en route. The ships above fell almost immediately after the Alliance Navy had appeared, yeah, but the ground troops found little rapport when the slavers and pirates opted to shift from collection to slaughter when they realized there wasn't going to be a way out that wasn't prison.

Anderson had chosen well those few years back, because without Rose stepping up immediately to make sure that the colonists had firearms, cover, and knew where to puncture the attacking Batarians and their hired goons? Well. Those Vorcha would've had a very easy time committing whatever atrocities they were ordered to deal.

Casualties were brought from hundreds, even thousands projected... to nineteen where she was. Nineteen dead, sixty injured but stable. Hundreds... down to just below twenty. And an entire invading army's ground invasion cleared out.

The very following week, she had been awarded the Star of Terra. A month later, she was fast-tracked through the ITC, graduating that in 2182 with the distinction of being a Commander with the N7 code. Six months later, she oversaw the Normandy's shakedown run with Captain Anderson himself, a man with so many medals he could melt them down into a life-sized statue of himself, so said Navigator Pressly. Anderson was her friend. Her confidant. The man who had made sure to put the training to the talent he saw.

And she had just replaced him. Backroom politics, stealing not just his old mission to make people see what Saren was truly like... but the very ship he was slated to command. She wasn't even a Captain at this point. She was the rank just below that, and yet... being a Spectre got her special privileges, it seemed.

She had recruited humans and aliens alike to help her track down a rogue Spectre, murderer of his own friend, slaughterer of so many on Eden Prime. Garrus, Tali, Ashley, Kaiden, Wrex... even Liara. The daughter of Saren's own second in command. Therum was a melting pot she barely got that woman out of alive, and Feros was a lesson in horror she was still reeling from. It was costing her sleep, even...

Now she was here. In the captain's cabin herself of the SSV Normandy. She stared at the Star of Terra, haphazardly tossed onto the desk beside the bed. She rubbed at her eyes gently, standing up and beginning to walk outwards. A wave to Kaiden, who had opted to pass some time during their stop at the Citadel docks by chatting with Doctor Chakwas. Good guy. Very down to earth fellow. She ended up stepping forward towards the stairwell that led to the bridge, but nearly ended up slamming her nose right into a set of armor.

Red. Bulky. Holding a scowl behind it as a hulk of a man stared down at her with reptilian eyes. She looked up for a moment with a faint "eh, sorry", and went to shift past the Krogan.

Wrex reached out, grabbing her arm. And she stopped, her eyes clouding gently before she flicked them in his direction wordlessly. "... Wrex."

"Waite." His grip held her for a moment before letting go. "Don't you humans need that thing called 'sleep'?"

"Hasn't been coming easy. And don't act like Krogans don't need it, either." She turned a bit more fully to look down at him, crossing her arms. "Or does a guy like you run purely off spite?"

The larger of the two actually gave a faint huff, something of a laugh. The last month had gotten him to loosen up, and considering the armor he had just gotten back after a good long while... well. He wasn't all smiles. But he trusted Rose. He knew Rose had not just skills, but a brain between her ears. "Piss and vinegar, I heard a human say back on Omega once. But that isn't your kind of fuel." Her own smirk, forming at his words, faded soon after, and she shook her head.

"... Nah. Been hard to find the time. We've gotta head to Noveria soon, it's the last loose end I can think of."

"And you can handle that when you actually rest. I'm not following a half dead human to an early grave, I'm following a Spectre that knows how to take care of herself." Rose's frown began to deepen for a few seconds, only for her to sigh through her nose. Fuck. Even the resident loner, barely capable of saying anything more than her last name unless she tugs it out of him, is laying into her?

"On one condition." Wrex crossed his arms as well in response, meeting her gaze at the same height despite being a few steps below her, and he knit his brow. "You come out there with me. We go to Zalera Ward. And you have a goddamn drink with me. Mm?"

The look on his face crossed from annoyance at being denied at first, straight to shock at the offer, then immediately confused amusement. And the only thing that changed on his face was the slits of his eyes widening and narrowing in turn with a crease of his jaws loosening slightly.

"I put a gun to your head, so you pull a knife to my gut, eh? Damn idiot." And for the first time, a smirk tugged at his lips, and with a hand on her chest, he shoved her a few steps upwards. "Fine. I still owe you for the armor. But you're paying."

"Cheapskate."

"Put up or shut up, Waite."

[sapphodera]

Juno Shepard as a Companion

From the template by @luckyspacerabbit! Putting under a cut because this is long.

Name: Juno Friedmann

Alias: The Ghost

Birthdate: 5/11/2154 (31 yrs) 

Class, Specialization: Infiltrator; Sniping and Reconnaissance 

Weapons: Sniper Rifles, Heavy Pistols

Powers:

Active: 

Tactical Cloak - Juno can employ a light-bending technology that renders her invisible for a limited time, at the cost of health and shield regeneration.

Rank 4 Evolution: 

Option 1: Shadow Shield - While Juno’s tactical cloak is active, the rest of the squad gets boosted shield capacity and regeneration. 

Option 2: Wraith - Juno’s weapon damage doubles when her tactical cloak is active. 

Decoy - Juno places a flashing decoy that mimics the glare of a sniper’s scope. This will distract and confuse hostiles, drawing fire away from the real Juno. 

Recon Drone - Juno deploys a cloaked reconnaissance drone, which will highlight enemies and make their silhouettes visible through walls and cover.  

Passive: 

Phantom Soldier - Juno’s extensive training and experience increases her hardiness and stamina. Cooldown times are reduced and Juno’s health is boosted. 

Armor: 

Pre-Loyalty: Juno wears light armor to maximize her mobility. She wears armor plating over her boots and kneecaps. Her shirt and pants are made of high strength fabric, with additional padding. A harness and belt keeps her guns and ammo together. She also wears a cloak made of camo-patterned fabric. A neutral color scheme makes it easier for her to blend into her surroundings. 

Post-Loyalty: Her outfit is recolored into an all black color scheme, with the addition of a long-sleeve undershirt. Her cloak is gone, and she has a line of black face paint under each eye. 

Origin: Ex-Alliance

Codex Entry: Juno Friedmann, a human sniper, was the child of two Systems Alliance officers. Her mother, a soldier, and her father, a pilot, raised Juno on various space stations and ships as their postings changed. At eighteen, Juno followed in her parents footsteps and enlisted. 

Juno proved to be a capable soldier, eventually becoming an N7. She was on track to becoming a commander when her ship was attacked by a group of pirates. Despite the crew calling for support, Juno was the only survivor. After learning that their backup was delayed due to prioritizing the escort of a retired general, Juno left the Alliance. 

Eventually Juno put her skills to work and became a vigilante. Traveling across the galaxy, Juno hunted down and killed those who she believed harmed the innocent. An excellent survivalist and marksman, Juno would often track her targets for weeks across remote lands before eventually killing them at long range. Her enemies and admirers alike nicknamed her the Ghost, due to her anonymous identity and the fact she was rarely spotted. 

Psychological Profile: Sole Survivor

Codex Entry: Shortly after graduating from the N7 program, Juno’s crew was assigned to transport a shipment of element zero to an Alliance research base. Pirates attacked the ship, attempting to steal the high-value cargo. Juno contacted a nearby Alliance vessel for backup, but they delayed in helping in order to secure a retired Alliance general’s transport to the same research base. When they eventually did arrive, Juno was the only member of the crew left. She survived by hiding in the ship’s maintenance shafts, where she remained undetected when the pirates boarded the ship. 

Due to the commander of the ship sacrificing herself by intentionally setting off a grenade inside the vessel, all the pirates were killed. Juno and the element zero were recovered by the other Alliance ship. When she learned why their backup was delayed, Juno resigned from the Alliance. 

Recruitment Dossier Text:

The Ghost

- Expert crack sniper 

- Capable of surviving in harsh wilderness

- Uses sniper rifles and recon to track targets and kill them at long range

A woman believed to be the Ghost was spotted helping a wounded man outside the colony Perseverance. Intel shows that she intends to kill the colony’s leader, who is hiding information about the planet’s volatile storms. 

Recruitment Mission ME2: 

Juno is recruitable in the first round of dossiers, along with Garrus, Mordin, etc. 

Shepard and their two squadmates will be sent to the planet Ontarom (the one from ME1 with the space cows). 

When the squad touches down Shepard will be free to explore a grassy clearing on a large, rocky hill. It overlooks Perseverance. Here, you can again encounter the Shifty Looking Cow. Eventually the squad will come across the remains of a fire and a dead space cow. EDI will conclude that the animal was killed less than 48 hours ago, and that the Ghost probably used it as a food source. 

At this point the squad will be attacked by a pack of wild animals. After dispatching them, the squad will come across a small cave. Going inside will result in discovering a colonist who injured himself when rock climbing. He will unintentionally reveal that the Ghost helped care for his wound, after which Shepard can interrogate him for more information. 

Charm: “If you just tell us where she went, I’ll contact your colony and have them get you out of here.”

Intimidate: “Do you want me to report you to your colony officials for interfering with the business of a Spectre?” 

Both methods of interrogation will result in the colonist telling Shepard what direction the Ghost went in. He will also suggest that Shepard remain hidden, as the Ghost will see the squad approach and likely shoot them upon discovery. 

When Shepard emerges from the cave and follows the path that the colonist suggested, they will find themselves in another clearing surrounded by cliffs, which also overlooks the colony. The glint from the Ghost’s scope will be visible. 

To approach the Ghost, Shepard has two options: They can sneak up on her, or walk into the clearing alone and fall when the Ghost hits them, as Shepard’s shields and armor will protect them from becoming seriously injured. If you sneak up on her Shepard will hold her up themself, or if Shepard plays dead their squadmates will. Regardless, the Ghost will surrender once she’s been captured. Her appearance is hidden by the recon hood she wears. 

The Ghost: “You’re not colonists. Who the hell–you’re Commander Shepard! Shit, I guess the rumors really were true. You here to arrest me?”

Shepard: “That depends. Do you want to help me solve a problem the Alliance is ignoring?”

The Ghost: *Laughs* “Like I’d work for Cerberus. You don’t think I know what they’ve done? Do you know how many of them I’ve killed?”

Charm: “Entire colonies are going missing, and the Alliance doesn’t care. Cerberus does. We’re going to find out what happened to them and stop it.”

Intimidate: “Whole colonies–men, women, children–are disappearing. Cerberus is going to put a stop to it because the Alliance won’t. Do you want to help, or stand idly by?” 

After some more convincing, the Ghost will explain that she’ll consider joining Shepard but her business on this planet is still unfinished. She explains that she intends to kill the colony’s president, who is hiding how dangerous the planet is in order to keep the colony profitable. When he is killed, the Ghost’s contact will be able to reveal new research that suggests the planet’s storms will quickly become much more dangerous than expected. 

At this point Shepard can either refuse to help her (which will result in Shepard leaving and the Ghost not being recruited) or agree to help her. The Ghost will give Shepard the controls to her drone (named “Spot”), which is capable of scanning lifeforms and drawing their attention with a speaker. The drone, which has its own tactical cloak, will not be spotted by the colonists. 

This will put the player in a sort of minigame, where the screen will show the drone's camera. The player will then have to maneuver the drone throughout the colony until they identify the target. Then the player will use the drone’s speaker (which plays an Asari pop song) to draw the target outside. At this point, the Ghost will eliminate the target with a headshot. 

As the Normandy’s shuttle touches down, the Ghost will remove her hood and tell Shepard her real name: Juno. At this point, Shepard can ask her questions. 

>Why did you leave the Alliance?

Ans: My ship was transporting eezo when pirates attacked. We called for a nearby vessel to back us up, but by the time they arrived I was the only one left. Later, I found out the reason they took so long. They decided it was more important to finish escorting a retired general before helping us. I resigned right then and there. 

>Why did you risk giving up your position to help that colonist?

Ans: *Shrugs* He was hurt. What was I supposed to do, let the animals eat him? 

>What happens to the colony now?

Ans: I don’t know. A lot of people will probably leave. It might become a ghost town. But I think that’s a lot better than innocents dying in a freak storm just to pad the wallet of some politician. 

As they board the shuttle, Shepard asks one more question:

Shepard: “This is a suicide mission. I don’t want you unless you’re serious about this.”

Juno: “Don’t worry, Commander. I’m already a ghost.” 

Where Are They On The Ship ME2:

Juno joins Kasumi in the port observation deck. Juno has rearranged the cushions on the other couch into a fort, where her sleeping bag lies. A small stack of books and a datapad are next to it. Spot hovers nearby. During cutscenes with Juno, Kasumi will be absent (or cloaked). 

Between missions, she can be asked about:

Her time in the Alliance

Why she left

Her old commander

Her parents

Her time as a vigilante

Any interesting stories?

Why the mask?

Her sense of justice

Her distrust of authority

Her empathy for those ignored by authority

Her rifle

A Normandy upgrade that will allow it to remotely hack Alliance ships—Juno explains she found it on a job. 

Loyalty Mission: 

Kelly: “Juno said she wants to speak to you as soon as possible.” 

When speaking with Shepard, Juno will ask that they go to Illium so she can buy an illegal mod for her rifle. If prodded further, Juno will dodge Shepard’s questions. After the Normandy docks on Illium, Juno is nowhere to be found. EDI informs Shepard that she has already left the ship. After leaving the Normandy, Shepard will question the Nos Astra Concierge, who tells them that she saw Juno steal an empty taxi shuttle and fly off. 

At this point, Shepard will get a message from Juno on their omni-tool reading: I have some business to deal with. Alone. Don’t worry about me. 

EDI gains access to the taxi company’s records and manages to track the shuttle. She tells Shepard it has left the planet and is currently headed towards an Alliance cruiser, the SSV Amsterdam. EDI discovers that Juno’s father, Marcus Friedmann, is currently assigned as its pilot. EDI will also play a message that Juno recently received: 

Female Voice: “This is a message to the Ghost. I’m on your father’s ship. Come and face me, or he dies.” 

Male Voice: “Juno, don’t—” [The message abruptly ends.]

Shepard will try to contact the Amsterdam, but EDI will report that the ships’ comm system has been shut down and none of their messages will get through. Shepard can then decide to travel to the Amsterdam, which has stopped moving and can be found near Illium. Shepard can also ignore the quest entirely, and after the suicide mission it will no longer be available and Juno won’t ever come back. 

If Shepard does choose to pursue the Amsterdam, Joker will get in close using the Normandy’s stealth systems and Shepard will board the ship via shuttle. If Shepard used Juno’s Normandy upgrade, they can enter the ship stealthily. Otherwise, they will have to brute-force it. If Shepard enters loudly or is caught while infiltrating, they will be attacked by Batarians. 

Exploring the ship, Shepard can find that the ship’s crew has locked themselves in the crew quarters. After killing the Batarians trying to open the door, Shepard can speak to the crew. The crew will explain that the ship was boarded by Batrian pirates, who immediately stormed the bridge. The rest of the crew escaped to the crew quarters, where they saw on monitors that Juno boarded the ship and was escorted to the bridge by the Batarians. 

Once Shepard reaches the bridge, they can pass a renegade or paragon check to get the Batarians to let them in, or just kill them. Inside, they will find the bridge crew being held hostage by the pirates. Juno’s father has been knocked unconscious. Juno and a Batarian woman are equipping their weapons. 

Juno will be shocked by Shepard’s presence, and be angry at them for coming to save her. Upon Shepard demanding one, Juno will explain the situation. Years ago Juno killed a Batarian pirate by shooting him through the eyes, which is a huge insult in Batarian culture because they believe the dead’s soul leaves through the eyes. Juno was unaware of this. Now, the pirate’s partner (the Batarian woman) has taken the ship hostage and has forced Juno in a duel to the death. The Batarian woman, named Tasli, aims to kill Juno in the duel as it would be an “honorable killing” as opposed to just executing her. Tasli says she will let the Amsterdam’s crew go after the duel (but not before looting the ship, of course). 

Despite Shepard’s protests, Juno insists on going forward with the duel without Shepard’s help. She only asks that Shepard make sure Tasli honors her promise of letting the crew go. 

Tasli and Juno make their way to opposite sides of the cargo bay and the duel commences. Both make use of the cargo cover and try to shoot the other without being spotted. EDI will tell Shepard she has hacked the Amsterdam’s system, and that she can manipulate the electronics in the cargo bay to work in Juno’s favor (ex. using a crane to move the cargo Talsi is hiding behind). 

Regardless of Shepard’s actions, Juno will shoot Talsi in the leg and disarm her. Juno will get close to her for the kill, at which point Shepard can talk to her via comms. Talsi begs Juno to kill her so she can be with her partner again. 

If Shepard helped Juno using the crane and tries to convince her not to kill Talsi: Juno shoots Talsi in the heart. She is not loyal. 

If Shepard helped Juno but lets her kill Talsi without protest: Juno shoots Talsi in the heart, and then admonishes Shepard for helping her. 

If Shepard explains they didn’t want Juno to get herself killed: Juno is loyal. 

If Shepard retorts that participating in the duel was a stupid idea: Juno is not loyal. 

If Shepard did not help Juno but asks her to spare Talsi, or if Shepard did not help Juno and lets her kill Talsi without protest: Juno shoots Talsi in the heart. Juno is loyal. 

The Batarians will leave without protest and take Talsi’s (along with any more of their comrades) body with them. The Amsterdam’s crew is picked up by a passing Alliance ship. After the mission, Juno will remark that she was surprised that Shepard came to try and help her. She will reluctantly thank Shepard for doing so. When asked about him, Juno will say that her father is recovering well, and that she will make a point to talk to him often even if he is mad at her for dueling Talsi. 

Suicide Mission: 

Juno will not survive being the Vent Specialist, or either Fireteam Leader, even if she is loyal. She will survive the Crew Escort as long as she is loyal, otherwise she will die protecting the crew. Juno will almost always die on the Suicide Mission if she is not loyal. 

Romance: Juno is only a romance option for female Shepards. However, she has very strict morals. If Sheaprd makes a significant amount of choices she disapproves of (see below) she will refuse to romance Shepard (or break up with them if their relationship is already established).

♡ Lock in Conversation: (If Shepard chooses to flirt with Juno throughout their conversations) In the last cutscene with Juno before the suicide mission, Juno can be found at the observation deck, staring into space. 

Shepard: “What are you doing?”

Juno: “Just…looking at the stars. Reminds me of when I was a kid.” She touches the glass. “I spent a lot of time looking out of ship windows.” 

Shepard: “Do you know any of the constellations?” 

Juno: “Not in this part of the galaxy. But I spent a summer on Earth once, and my dad taught me some. Canis Major, Leo, Orion…I’ve been thinking about my parents a lot lately.” 

Option 1: “So have I.” → Shepard and Juno talk about their families. 

Option 2: “You should give them a call.” → Juno says it’s too late to reach them before the mission. 

Option 3: “You need to focus on the mission.” → Juno agrees, and assures Shepard she’s ready for the suicide mission. 

Option 4 (Romance): Shepard places their hand on top of Juno’s. “I’ve been thinking about the people important to me, too.” 

Juno: She pulls her hand away. “Shepard…”

Shepard: “What’s wrong?”

Juno: “I…we can’t do this. For both our sakes.”

Shepard: “What’s wrong?”

Juno: “We’re going on a suicide mission. We’re going to die. There’s no point in this.” 

Option 1: “We’re not going to die.” 

Juno: *scoffs* “You seriously believe that?”

Shepard: “I’m going to give it my best shot.” 

Option 2: “You’re right. This was a mistake.” (Romance terminated)

Option 3: “All the more reason we should have some fun before we die.”  

Juno: “That’s not how I work, Shepard.”

Shepard: “We still have a chance to make each other happy.” 

Juno: “Look, if by some miracle we both make it out alive, we can have this conversation again. Until then…good luck.”  

Option 1: “Good luck to you too, but you were right. Let’s not do this.” (Romance terminated) 

Option 2: “Then once the Collectors are dead, you can tell me about the constellations again.” (Romance locked-in) 

Option 3: “I don’t want luck. I want you.” Shepard caresses Juno’s face, and they kiss before Juno pulls away after a couple seconds. (Romance locked-in)  

Juno: “Shepard, I…I really hope you make it.” She turns back to the window. “I’ll see you at the Collector base.” 

♡ Romance Scene: If both Shepard and Juno survive the mission, Juno will tell Shepard that they should talk in Shepard’s quarters. When Juno arrives, she is wearing a t-shirt and cargo pants and carrying a bottle of champagne. 

Juno: “Sorry. I don’t own any nice clothes.”

Shepard: “I don’t mind.”

Juno smiles. “Luckily this champagne is nicer. I got from a Volus as a thank-you for ‘escorting’ some creeps out of his bar. I’ve been saving it for a special occasion.” Juno pours two glasses, one for herself and one for Shepard. “In the Alliance, we’d used to treat ourselves to a drink after a mission well done…never anything this fancy though.” 

Shepard: “I think we both deserve it.” 

Juno: “Since the Alliance, I haven’t really had anyone to drink with…anyone to care about.” 

Shepard tries to say something, but Juno interrupts them. “Shepard, It’s hard for me. Having people I care about. Loving people always seems to end in pain. But with you…” Juno takes both of Shepard’s hands in hers. “I’d like to try.” 

Option 1: “So do I.” → Juno and Shepard kiss. Juno wraps her arms around Shepard and the scene fades to black. 

Option 2: “I’d like to try a few things with you.” → Juno responds, “Oh really?” They begin making out and accidentally spill some of the champagne. The scene fades to black. 

♡ Can be Rekindled in ME3: Yes

♡ Mordin Advice: Human on human sexual activity, not a mystery. Juno? Personally, a mystery to me. Can’t provide much help besides the basics. I suggest you discover things for yourself. That’s part of the fun, yes?

♡ Kasumi Commentary: “I know that Juno can take care of herself, but if you hurt her I can’t be held responsible for my actions.” / “What have you done to that girl? I saw her actually smile today! At nothing! She was just walking around, smiling!” / “I hope you don’t mind Spot. She cares about that thing like it’s a real pet.” 

♡ If Unromanced: If neither Samara or Juno are romanced, they will engage in slightly flirty dialogue with each other. In ME3, they will be in a relationship. 

Citadel DLC:

Message to Meet:

Shepard, 

Come meet me at the strip when you have time. Joker told me about this place I want to check out with you. 

--- Juno

Friend Date:

Juno meets Shepard outside a club on a strip. Instead of her usual armor, she’s wearing a simple t-shirt and cargo pants with combat boots. 

Juno: “Hey.” [Juno looks side to side, and has her arms crossed. She taps her foot on the ground.]

Shepard: “You look...relaxed.”

Juno: “I just I…never know what to do with myself on shore leave! Usually I’d just pass the time by reading or going to the shooting range, but Joker said this place would really ‘loosen me up.’”

Shepard: “A club doesn’t really seem your style.” 

Juno: “That’s what I said, but Joker insisted I’d like it.” 

Juno and Shepard enter the club, skipping the line due to Shepard’s status. When they get in it becomes immediately clear that it is an Asari strip club. Dancers with various amounts of clothes dance onstage, while an elaborate light show and club music plays. 

Juno: “*laughs nervously* This isn’t what I was, um, expecting…”

Shepard: “Of course Joker recommended it…”

Juno: “We could, uh, just get a coffee or something instead…” 

Shepard then has the option to leave and get coffee with Juno, or stay at the club. If they choose to leave, a cutscene then plays of the pair having a pleasant conversation at a cafe. If they choose to stay, a cutscene plays where they watch the strippers, drink at the bar, accidentally walk into a private room and then run out, and dance. Juno lets loose, and appears to be having a good time. 

Apartment Date:

Juno will arrive with Samara and will people watch with her, along with telling stories of her own time as a vigilante. If Shepard is in a relationship with Samara, Juno will announce “I think I better get going” and leave as things get flirty. If Shepard romances Juno, they will kiss after Samara leaves. If neither Juno or Samara are romanced, Shepard will catch them holding hands when they think Shepard isn’t looking.

Shadowbroker DLC:

Terminal Messages: 

Message 1: VOICE MESSAGE FROM LT. ALIX HARRIS, SENT MARCH 3RD 2182

Lt. Alix Harris: “Hey Juno. It’s me, Harris. I just wanted to check in on you…I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now. But we don’t have to talk about any of that. It’s just…we haven’t really talked since it happened. You haven’t talked with anyone, actually. You can’t shut yourself off like this…me and the guys are really worried. Please just…call me back when you get a chance, okay? I want to see my friend again.”

[The message was never replied to, but has been replayed many times] 

Message 2: SCHEDULED MESSAGE TO HANNAH AND MARCUS FRIEDMANN 

Dear Mom and Dad, 

If you’re reading this, I’m dead. I’m sorry. Better you hear it from me than Alliance Brass right? Don’t be too upset. I’ve been killing for as long as I can remember. It was only a matter of time until it caught up to me. If any of my stuff is left, you guys get all of it. Not like anyone else is gonna want it anyway. Don’t blame yourselves. You did a good job. Take care of each other. 

I know you want to know why. I did it to protect people. Better it’s me over them. 

Love,

Juno

Shadowbroker Comment: “Thank you for bringing the Ghost, T’Soni. Her head will go for a high price.” 

Comments on Shepard’s Driving: “I think I’m gonna throw up…” 

Opinions:

Friends: Tali, Garrus, Samara, Kasumi, Legion, Liara, EDI, Ashley, Joker, Traynor

Neutral: Kaidan, Mordin (ME3), Wrex, Grunt, Jacob, Miranda (ME3), Jack, Thane, Cortez, Kelly

Enemies: Mordin (ME2), Zaeed, James, Javik, Miranda (ME2)

Decisions They Approve Of:

Killing Morinth

Preserving Maelon’s data

Shutting down project Overlord

Curing the Genophage

Sparing the Rachni queen

Helping the Quarians win Rannoch/brokering peace between the Quarians and the Geth

Decisions They Disapprove Of: 

Killing Samara

Sacrificing the refinery workers in Zaeed’s loyalty mission

Letting project Overlord continue

Faking the Genophage cure

Punching Khalisah

Helping the Geth win Rannoch

Comments on Cerberus: “I first heard about them when I was still Alliance. I won’t lie to you, Shepard. Their ‘humans first’ agenda makes me nervous. You know it's just a matter of time before only certain types of humans are first, right?” 

Comments on the Alliance: “They have their priorities skewed. All big organizations do. They get founded on some nice virtue and then, as it grows, the message gets muddled. That’s why I prefer to work alone.”

Comments on the Reapers: “I have no idea how we’re going to stop them. I guess that’s not my problem though, is it? Do you think a bigger rifle would help?” 

Comments about other Squadmates:

Samara: “Now, Samara is someone I like having on my side. I wish I had known her earlier. Between her biotics and my gun, we’d be unstoppable.” (If both unromanced) “Together, we could make a real difference. *Sighs* Maybe when this is all over…” 

James: “He reminds me of the boys in training. They’d say the grossest shit, but one good punch to the jaw and they’d shut right up. He’s the same.”

Zaeed: “I hope Cerberus is paying him a lot, because he won’t hesitate to stick a knife in your back for a few credits more.”

Kasumi: “I’ve stolen a few things here and there, but nothing as impressive as she has. She lets me borrow her books too. So I do like her, even if she does spy on me.” 

Jack: “She was cold to me at first, but after I told her the story of how I shot the dick off a batarian trafficker, I think we’ve reached an understanding.” 

Mordin: (ME2) “I don’t care how the hell he justifies it, the genophage was wrong. Salarians sure can be cunning bastards.” (ME3) “At least he’s trying to fix his past mistakes. That’s more than most would do.”

Jacob: (ME2) “I get why he left the Alliance. I guess he’s not so bad, for Cerberus.” (ME3) “I’m glad he realized what Cerberus really is. I hope he’s doing well.” 

Miranda: (ME2) “I feel sorry for her. Cerberus took her in, and then the Illusive Man groomed her into being his perfect, obedient pet.” (ME3) “Oh, I’d love to see the look on the Illusive Man’s face when he realized she turned against him. Being his right hand man and then joining the other side? That’s one way to stick it to Cerberus.” 

Grunt: “Krogans are such a pain to kill. If you want to down them in one go, you have to use an anti-material rifle and get them right in the eye. Good thing he’s on our side.”

Thane: “I don’t think you get a free pass on murder even if you say a prayer after. Regardless, his skills are impressive. We’d make a deadly pair: one to weaken you from afar, and another to close in for the kill.” 

Legion: “Well, they haven’t tried to shoot me yet, so they’re fine be me. Unless they start stealing my kills. Then we’re going to have a problem.” 

EDI: “The best extranet search engine I know. It doesn’t count as an abuse of power if I keep making her look up Black Widow mods for sale on the darknet, right?” 

Kaidan: “He’s alright. He’s Alliance and a Spectre, so I wouldn’t trust him if it wasn’t for the fact that I don't think he has a single malicious bone in his body.”

Liara: “An information broker, huh? Used a couple of those back in the day. I should ask her what she has on me.” 

Garrus: “He did a good thing, trying to clean up Omega’s mess. Stupid, but well intentioned. I am glad he didn’t get himself killed, though.”

Ashley: “Alliance brat, soldier, poetry lover…she’s a little too much like me. She does know how to party though…” *whistles* 

Tali: “She’s cute. Smart too. I always felt bad for the Quarians. To lose your entire planet…ugh, it makes me sick thinking about it.” 

Wrex: “Krogans don’t usually have a sense of humor, but he's kinda funny. He seems almost well-adjusted. Good thing he’s the one in charge.” 

Javik: “Kind of a dick, yeah? Guess I’d be one too, in his situation.”

Banter:

Joker commentary on recruitment: “Juno seems okay, even if her idea of fun is tracking some bad guy through the mountains and then blowing his head off. If I start seeing a laser on my chest, I’m blaming you, Commander.” 

Joker Comments: “Juno’s actually pretty nice for someone that shoots the dicks off of batarian slavers anytime she gets a chance. Still scares me though.”

Greeting/Default Saying: “Hey.”

How do they Address Shepard: “Shepard”

Combat Phrases: “One down.” / “Hostiles, 12 o’clock!” / (Upon Shepard getting a long-range headshot) “Impressive.”

Low Health: “Cover me!” / “I need first aid!”

Revived: “Thanks.” 

Friendly Fire: “Friendly fire!” / “Back off, Commander!” 

Location Comments: 

Omega: “I’ve tracked a lot of people back here. It’s very vertical, but the alleys make it hard to get a wide view.” 

Illium: “The poor criminals run to Omega, the rich ones run here. It’s always easy enough to snipe someone on Illium. Lots of skyscrapers, and even more big glass windows.” 

The Citadel: “There’s too many people here.” 

Companion Banter:

[Normandy SR-2 Bug Transcript #A23]

Juno: “Samara, could a human ever join the Justicars?”

Samara: “I doubt it. The training itself takes many decades, and biotics are a large part of it. Why? Do you wish to become one?” 

Juno: “No. I was just thinking about how you and I are similar.” 

Samara: “In what ways?” 

Juno: “Well, we don't have anything except our armor and weapons, live by a code of justice, kill those who break it…”

Samara: “Perhaps. I have also killed many people like that.”

Juno: “Well, I’d like to think my code is better than theirs.”

Samara: “I think…if you were an Asari, you would have made a good justicar.” 

[End Transcript]

[Normandy SR-2 Bug Transcript #A19]

Juno: “Spot?”

Spot: *beeps*

Juno: “Who’s my good little drone, hmm? Who’s the cutest, sweetest, little Armali Council reconnaissance-spotter drone?” 

Spot: *beeps*

Juno: “That’s my good Spot. My goodest, cutest, loveliest boy.” 

Kasumi: “Hey Jun–”

Juno: (screams) 

[End Transcript]

[Normandy SR-3 Bug Transcript #H08]

Dr. Chakwas: “You need to take better care of yourself.” 

Juno: “I’m fine. I got worse than this when I was a merc, and I didn’t have a doc to patch me up.” 

Dr. Chakwas: “Yeah, and that’s why you have worse vision in one eye, a twitch in your left knee, ankle pain…”

Juno: “I can deal with it.”

Dr. Chakwas: “Take these pills. One every day.”

Juno: “I don’t have time for—”

Dr. Chakwas: “Do you want me to call your mother?” 

Juno: “...Fine.” 

[End Transcript]

[nicoolios]

Romantic

Happy holidays @biotickaidan! Here’s your Holiday Harbinger present. My apologies for real life getting in the way and keeping me from posting this on time. You mentioned loving Mass Effect for the moments throughout the series that make it what it is, as well as the character storytelling and a love of both Kaidan and Ashley (which I wholeheartedly share!) I hope you enjoy! A big thank you as well to @masseffectholidaycheer for organizing this thing every year and pulling it off.

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45047258

fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14198412/1/Romantic

Amelia Shepard was a lot of things, but she would never call herself a romantic. Romantics tended not to last long in the Alliance, and their numbers amongst N7s were even more dismal. It was hard to romanticize the worst-case scenarios, everything she was trained for, and being expected to choose who would die so more could live beat her down to the point where even finding little things to look forward to was getting harder. That's why turning to fraternization surprised her so. And when fraternization turned to an actual, genuine, using the l- word relationship? Why, that was about as romantic as she’d gotten in years.

She loved Kaidan and Ashley. The talks they shared in the middle of the night about Earth years ago, the way they immediately clicked as a ground squad, the hours spent exploring the Citadel together, even the aforementioned little things like making each other try shitty alien beer in Chora’s Den or taking notes on the most authentic Earth food spots in the Wards. They had a bond the rest of the crew didn’t understand. Commander Shepard didn’t treat them any differently from the crew when it came to missions, but Amelia definitely preferred their company and came to love life aboard the Normandy. Eventually that love spread to one man in particular, born of those late-night chats and impromptu food dates. Private walks on the Citadel. Huddled together in a bunk watching a vid on a small omni-tool screen. Amelia already up hours before her shift, figuring if she couldn’t sleep she might as well get some paperwork done, and finding herself with company. The soldier became the romantic.

Which was how Amelia found herself smooshed into Kaidan’s bunk on the lower level, fingers entwined in his shirt, enjoying the few moments alone before Ashley came looking for some pre-mission destressing. She had already almost gotten her head bitten off by Wrex trying to simply talk to him about the mission. He had to understand why krogan clones weren’t going to help cure the genophage, especially when created by an indoctrinated madman like Saren. He had to understand why going to Virmire was necessary, why destroying the factory was even more so. Emotions ran too hot, especially once Ashley got involved. To avoid anyone getting shot Amelia ordered him into confinement until they reached planet side. Aside from worrying about the general wellbeing of her ground squad, which was a full-time job by itself, all that was left was trying to relax so her friends wouldn’t yell at her for going into a mission already wired. She lived her life wired, finding it near impossible to relax, but saving herself the fight with her crew was worth it. Saving herself her friendships was worth it.

She laid with her head on his chest, one hand on his shoulder and the other playing with his shirt, legs splayed out, hair falling out of its messy ponytail to tickle his face. His arm was curled around her waist, his free hand playing with those fallen strands. Both were in rumpled fatigues ready to be swapped for armor. Both had circles under their eyes, Amelia’s forever more pronounced since she inherited leadership. Both were covered in bruises and healing wounds and scars. Both had no greater concerns than staying in that moment in time forever.

“You think everyone will be able to handle it?” Amelia asked. She caught herself from saying tomorrow, since she’d come to accept that by the same time tomorrow she might be dead.

Kaidan smiled into her hair. “You have a good crew, Amelia. They can handle it. And Wrex will come around. He respects you too much. So does Ash. She'll keep an eye on him. It'll be okay. You'll be okay.”

Amelia had more doubts to voice, more insecurities in her newfound leadership to sort through. Kaidan was the only person she trusted completely to say those thoughts without fear of them leaking to the entire Normandy crew. She had to share them now before the mission, before they could affect her ability to command a ground team. Just as she was about to open her mouth, still smooshed into Kaidan’s chest, the door to the bunk room swooshed open and a storm rolled in.

“What vid are we watching?” Ashley blew in, her personal vid collection on her omni tool already connecting to a tablet in her free hand.

Amelia and Kaidan tried to detach themselves from each other before Ashley noticed, resulting in the both of them ending up on the floor in a mess of limbs and military issue blanket. Their limbs were still partially entwined, Kaidan’s head propped up on the metal supports, Amelia’s wrapped up in her arms in an awkward angle under Kaidan’s shoulder.

Ashley froze mid-step. From the beginning she suspected there was something more going on with the two of them. She just didn’t think it would take Virmire to culminate things. Still. Good for them. “What’s going on here, Skipper?”

“Oh, um, nothing. Nothing's going on, Ash. Just, uh...”

Kaidan never bothered attempting to offer an explanation. He gave a valiant effort to detangle himself and perched on the edge of the bunk, lending Amelia a hand so she could pull herself to her feet.

“Riiiiiight.” Ashley put one arm around Amelia’s shoulders and pulled her towards the door. Amelia reached behind her for Kaidan’s arm. He took it, forming a chain. “I’m assuming neither of you put any thought into this, so I went ahead and picked one out. You two procure the snacks. I'll pull up the vid.”

They were alone again as Ashley detoured into the common area, most likely for the last time in days, leaving them near the kitchens. As Kaidan moved towards the drawers Amelia stuck to his side. Ashley would be a few minutes yet. After all, Amelia was a romantic now. She had to act the part. And by this point, she had to admit, it wasn’t an act anymore. Amelia loved her best friends, the first she’d ever truly had, and beyond that she had Kaidan. She had family.

[gwendolyn-of-loxley]

N7 Month Day 2: Tension

Mini-entry

Maelon grinned his horrid grin, tapping away at his data pad. "Then I will show you, Commander! Behold, a glimpse of a beast lost to time!"

The shudders lifted from behind Maelon, revealing vast lengths of steel cable connecting the concrete pillars. Spotlights jumped blindingly to life, accompanied by loud and heavy clicks. Behind the fence towered vibrant foliage, an abrupt slice of a world untouched.

Reaching behind him, Maelon pulled out a small brass bell. John's brow furrowed, and he heard James mutter a "the hell?" under his breath. The salarian shook the brass instrument, *tinkling* away, before depositing it. A few beats passed, and John considered charging their captors before the foliage in front of them all started to shift.

There was a hush over the group, which was big enough to combine with all the mercenary-guards to form a veritable crowd. First one bush shook, then a second, then a third. Wrex let out a growl that came off more nervous than fierce. Jack's biotics flaired sporadically, but she had too many guns trained on her. The rustling became louder and bigger and wilder and--

Out from the greenery stepped a dog-sized animal. It was covered in small, unimpressive plumage, with scales poking out around the edges. It looked around the many confused spectators, and it chirped.

"Behold," Maelon cried, "Velociraptor mongoliensis!"

A beat. Two beats.

"That's it," Wrex asked. "That's the dinosaur you humans are always on about?"

"To be fair," Liara piped up, "many were much bigger."

[in-faithwe-conquer]

I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favourite blog on the extranet.

THIS IS COMMANDER LENORE SHEPARD. A veteran soldier of the Systems Alliance Navy, an N7 graduate of the Interplanetary Combatives Training (ICT) military program, and the first human Citadel Council Spectre. Together with an extensive team, they're currently battling on the front lines of a galaxy-wide war to stop the Reapers, a sentient machine race dedicated to wiping out all advanced organic life.

Background -

BORN ON APRIL 11, 2154, Lenore Shepard is a graduate of the Systems Alliance N7 special forces program (service no. 5923-AC-2826) and a veteran of the Skyllian Blitz. Shepard is a biotic [Vanguard], having received secondary exposure to element zero in 2168 and officially detected as one in 2171.

EARTHBORN: Lenore was an orphan raised on the streets of the great metropolises covering Earth. They escaped the life of petty crime and underworld gangs by enlisting with the Alliance military when they turned eighteen.

WAR HERO: Early in their military career Lenore found themselves facing an overwhelming enemy force. They risked their own life to save their fellow soldiers and defeat the enemy despite the impossible odds. Their bravery and heroism have earned them medals and recognition from the Alliance fleet. [Lenore, almost single-handedly repelled an attack by batarian slavers on Elysium, earning the Star of Terra, the Alliance's highest honour.]

Romances - TBA

[angstyastro]

hi, i'd love to know more about your shepard! like what class is she, what's her background, etc. any details about her would be cool :]

Hiya!! I’m so happy you asked about my gorl 🥺 I have many thoughts and headcanons about her 💕 I am working on an official ref sheet of her but it isn’t ready yet :’) so I’ll summarize on here for a bit but here’s a quick doodle of her ♥️

Her name is Isani Shepard!

-Sentinel

-Mindor background

-Sole Survivor

Isani is Mexican and she grew up in Mindor up until she was around 4-5 years old. My headcanons are that the attack on the colony happened way earlier for her than what canon gives us and she lost her entire family during that attack. She is almost taken into slavery but is saved by Anderson who eventually adopts her like his own (look he’s a real dad ok)

My Shepard was initially plotted to become one of the alliance’s assassins (there is more lore to this concept such as she met Kai leng much earlier than canon too but that’s for another day) and she is trained as an assassin but the one flaw she has is that she relies way too much on her brute strength and biotics and she is TERRIBLE at trying to sneak or be stealthy which of course is a staple as an assassin and because that’s just something that she cannot change she instead goes through the n7 training and goes through the whole sole survivor incident which leads to her becoming commander of the Normandy eventually.

During ME1 Isani used to sport full body jumpsuit/under suit almost at all times because she suffered ALOT of scarring from the thresher maw attack. She’s not really self conscious about it but she knows that others get judgemental and doesn’t want anyone to try to pity her so she just covers them up.

Isani is very Paragrade but usually is Renegade with missions and how things are supposed to get done vs with her crew/friends she’s very paragon. Of course she isn’t entirely easy to get along with though because I headcanon she has a lot of issues with how certain people have gone through life. Example: Thane.

Isani is my canon for my Shakarios trio but the dynamic between her and Thane/Garrus is very different than what the game gives us lol. Like Thane/Isani are almost on a Rivalromance because Isani doesn’t take Thane’s choice to leave Kolyat/his family too well. She UNDERSTANDS why Thane felt the need to leave but it doesn’t mean she accepts it. Thane and Isani have a rocky start but Thane also sees right through her when it comes to how she ends up handling the fact she was brought back against her will.

Her relationship with Thane/Garrus comes also very differently than in game so that whole reach and flexibility talk doesn’t really happen or Shep telling thane “I want you” after that lore dump of his wife 💀 but the details of them coming together is for another time

Isani deflects serious conversations with jokes and flirting so for a long time no one actually takes her seriously on her flirting/etc and only some crew mates are able to have a serious conversation with her for a while (Joker, Liara, Samara, Chakwas)

I have a lot of thoughts about Isani but these are a few things about her! Thankie sm for letting me ramble kahdjshd

[persephinae]

I know it's just game mechanics, but sometimes when i'm playing and have all these forces firing at Shep, I just think about how maybe she had to undergo extreme training for N7

to where she had to learn not to flinch, how much her shields can handle, even up to and including rockets, and to still stand there if there's no cover and just take the hit without flinching, and keep firing

[hunnybadgerv]

New Perspective, A Prologue

Summary: Newly minted N7 Lieutenant Nyx Shepard is given a solo assignment that tests her personal and professional limits by placing her in a situation her training could never prepare her for. Sent to the garden world of Anhur during a civil rebellion Shepard must embrace her cover and earn the trust of those she is there to try and help. Thankfully, she's not alone, though she didn't expect to be partnered up with her childhood best friend Calev "Caz" Zingel, who becomes her anchor in what becomes a stormy situation.

Notes: This is a prologue piece to a current WIP: First Watch of the Night, which is part of the Guardians in the Darkness Series. It was inspired by the information in the planet codex for Anhur in Mass Effect 2. Most of the characters in this piece are original characters (except Shepard and Anderson). The situation of the story is based on the Anhur codex information.

I spent today rereading (and editing) this piece in order to refresh my memory of Nyx and some of her backstory. Thought I'd repost it here as well, since I can.

[ghostxofxartemis]

I Didn’t Know Where Else to go.

Summary: Ashley brought in the big guns on the Normandy, and now the crew are fooling around with them. Chapter: 1/1 Rating: General Audience Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: N/A Fandom: Mass Effect Trilogy Relationship: Characters: Kaidan Alenko, Male Shepard, Ashley Williams in mention, Wrex Additional Tags: nerf guns graduated into paintball guns, blowing some steam, crew just having some fun, fluff Language: English Series: Dragon Effect Prompts  

 Kaidan’s busy in the middle of doing the duty roaster when suddenly he feels the well of dark energy shift slightly. He’d recognize this energy anywhere, and he frowns, wondering what on Earth did the commander do this time?

His heart stops for a moment when he sees the six feet four tall giant of a man run in his direction and prepares to brace himself. Fortunately, Shepard wasn’t aiming directly at him; he slides skillfully like the trained N7 he is, beside Kaidan, and ducks behind the terminals.

“Commander? Is everything alright?” Kaidan asks, looking down at Shepard, who’s covered in sweat.

“Shh. Pretend I’m not here. You’re on a call with your mother.” Shepard says as he loads a paintball gun. “Ashley got the paintball guns last time we were on the Citadel. I’m hiding out from Wrex.”

Kaidan shakes his head and snorts as goes about his business. He knew this tour would be an adventure when he found out his roommate was assigned as the commander; he didn’t expect this. Naw, he never expected this. Of course, Kaidan was out on round two, a paintball to the chest when he was least expecting it. He should have known better; the commander knew exactly how to have someone down their guard and strike.

“So, mother, how are things?” Kaidan plays along.

“I have an 800 lbs krogan after me. You tell me?” Shepard retorts.

“That bad, huh?”

“I didn’t know where else to go. My Cabin seems too…obvious.” Shepard whispers.

“And how’s Ashley fairing, mom? I haven’t heard from her in a while.”

“Alenko!” Wrex bellows from the other end of the hall. “Where the fuck is Shepard? Ashley’s out.”

Shepard hugs the terminals as much as it allows him to.

“Fuck.” Shepard curses under his breath.

“Haven’t seen him, Wrex.” Alenko

“You give him this warning when you see him.” Wrex slides a finger along his throat.

“You bet.”

“Tell me when he turns around.” Shepard looks up at Kaidan and waits for the signal.

“I gotta go now, mom.”

Kaidan had never seen the man grin so large like this before as he goes out of cover, aim and shoots, getting Wrex straight in the back of the head. “You’re out, big boy.”

Wrex’s booming laugh seems to shake the whole Normandy. “You’re good, Shepard. I’ll give it to you. I won’t go easy on your next round.”

“Thanks for the help Alenko.” Shepard pats Kaidan on the shoulder, laughing as he makes his way to the mess.

Round two is going to be a hell of a battle.

[superlativesamsara]

>A stream begins, depicting a black-armored figure, tumbling backwards out of the cargo airlock of what is unmistakably the SSV Normandy SR1, aglow with an aggravated-looking indigo glow... as they start to fall, and accelerate, that glow begins to increasingly shift towards magenta... and additionally, it starts to become less and less wild, more, sharp, forming into an almost wedge before them, splitting the air and turning a former free fall into something looking distinctly like a controlled dive, quickly turning to a comet-like streak as they continue to accelerate downward on steeply arcing trajectory toward what looks to be some sort of ruins in the middle distance and equally quickly begins building up a re-entry flare against whatever manner of shield that is in front of them.

>The angle cuts. We're on the ground now, looking up. In the background, near the nearest city of the colony proper, a great unnatural storm front barely masking the shape of some titanic spacecraft, shaped vaguely like a cuttlefish, red energy flicking between it and the clouds in short bolts. Then, closer, a familiar red-violet streak, now traced in orange about the edges, though the odd mote of sunshine yellow breaks away from this additional layer, as they rocket on a sharp downward angle now, the camera turning as they pass across its view to slam into a point near to the train station, cratering the earth and staggering a number of Geth combat platforms, actually punching into and through an armature that was overlooking the loading of... something onto one of the trains. As the figure picks themself from the wreckage, the train that has just been loaded with the strange object, too blurry at this range to see clearly due to some sort of electromagnetic distortion, departs from the station, accelerating away. The figure, bearing a crest on their left breast of an N7, stamped in gold, with white and red stripes leading off of it in a pattern that runs down their left pauldron and arm, pulls a boxy contraption from their back, which unfolds into what is clearly some manner of firearm, which they promptly begin unloading into the Geth while the machines process her unorthodox arrival and quickly scramble for cover, one of the heavier units deploying a dropshield where they stand while the others take up behind boxes or various plated metal railings and crates scattered through the freight terminal. The weapon soon begins sparking and smoking, red holographic warnings lighting up along the side of the barrel, prompting them to toss it aside and pull some manner of blade from their hip, that indigo aura wrapping around them again as they seem to almost teleport behind and above the nearest piece of cover, burying it deep into the chassis of the Geth hiding behind it as the energy aura around them seems to ripple rapidly from the direction of their remaining targets. Wasting no time, they'll repeat this maneuver a couple times, Charging to the next layer of cover and handling the bots using it, until they finally reach the heavy that deployed the dropshield. It tries to open up on them with some manner of heavy shotgun, breaching whatever kind of shielding they've been maintaining only for the spray to spark uselessly off of that black armor, leaving little silvery scratches, all as their right arm lights up bright indigo, blade included, and they slams it down, cleaving the machine from shoulder to hip. They'll whip the blade to get the blueish-grey residue of it's... fluids off, then resheath it at their hip, looking at the remaining train as if calculating. They'll pause, look directly at the camera and nod, then break off into a sprint towards the train, pulling a pistol from their other hip, shooting out the connecting bolt to uncouple the front car of the little platform train from the rest, and program it to run at highest output towards the main colony station.

[bluerose5]

First Impressions (Part 1)

Word Count: 1,726

Rated T (Warnings for Swearing, Canon-Typical Violence)

Summary: What if, after receiving that call from Garrus while he was pinned down on Omega, Castis tries to track him down?

"Are you sure it was him?"

"I'm sure." Alec's smile turned mocking, the vitriol directed more towards himself. "I'm no Shadow Broker, but I still have my list of contacts here on the Citadel, even if it's dwindling by the seconds."

"Alec—"

"I don't need your pity, Castis." His smile fell, a subtle frown curling at the edges of his lips. "Besides, I'm doing this as a favor for a friend. Father to father. You know how it is."

"Yeah," Castis Vakarian sighed, "so I do."

It had been quite some time since the elder Vakarian graced the Citadel with his presence, but ever since he received that call...

"You finish up what you have to do there, and then you come on home to Palaven. We have a lot to sort out."

Even now, the echoes of gunfire rang in his ears, but not as much as the resignation in Garrus’s voice.

"Target practice," Garrus had called it.

As if an experienced C-Sec officer with common sense couldn't tell the difference between target practice and an all-out gunfight.

Even now, Castis's chest tightened.

The thought of losing Garrus now, especially when his mother's condition wasn't showing any signs of improvement—

Castis couldn't stand the thought. He couldn't lose both his wife and his son all at once.

When Garrus never reported back, he had to do something. After he spoke with some old friends on the Citadel, Alec Ryder put out some feelers of his own at his friend's request. For a while, there was nothing.

Then, they got a hit.

The Normandy SR-2, arriving to the Citadel from Omega. A ship flagged by Citadel Control's security algorithms for having alleged ties to the pro-human extremist group known only as Cerberus.

It was under the command of no other than Commander Shepard.

Why was Castis not surprised?

Between his and Alec's contacts, they had been able to discern that there were indeed aliens listed as part of the ship’s crew. A surprising move, given the organization's history, but Castis was far from calling them friends. Just because they expanded recruitment beyond their own species did not make them allies.

Add in a Spectre miraculously back from the dead, and the whole situation reeked of trouble.

Alec agreed, so they approached the matter with caution.

Thankfully, Solana understood when Castis had to drop everything and go. All that she asked was that he return home with the knowledge that Garrus was safe. That's it.

Of course, that wasn't enough to satisfy him.

Castis knew that Garrus was alive now, but that wasn't enough.

The next time he and Alec were pinged, they received intel stating that Garrus was spotted poking around the shipping sector of Zakera Ward with Commander Shepard, seeking out a notorious forger. For what? Spirits only knew.

The only other info that they had was that there was a drell and a quarian accompanying them as well.

While they awaited positive IDs on those two, they continued following Garrus’s trail, questioning the loose-lipped volus who was more than happy to give up Fade's position after his lousy bodyguards wandered off for a break.

Eventually, they were led to Harkin's position. It wasn't exactly hard to figure out that Garrus had already been there, what with the trail of bodies and mechs they left in their wake.

Seeing Harkin curled up on the floor, the bastard took one look up at them, then swore under his breath.

"Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me," he spat. "First your son, and now you? Haven't you Vakarians done enough?"

"Heh," Alec chuckled. "We're just getting started, tough guy."

Tapping at his omni-tool, Castis sent out an alert. While he dealt with Harkin, Alec approached the open console nearby, downloading all of its content, including the most recent call to a client.

"Have fun explaining yourself to C-Sec, Harkin, or is it Fade now?" Castis paused, crossing his arms over his chest as he peered down at him. "You can't resist making a fool of yourself for even a second, can you?"

"Hot take, coming from you." Harkin sneered. "You can't even keep that hot-headed son of yours on a leash. Bet C-Sec was glad to finally have his insubordinate ass off the force."

Castis saw red.

He took a step forward, but Alec's hand came down onto his shoulder, stopping him in his path.

"He's not worth it," Alec reminded him gently. As C-Sec swarmed the area, Alec jerked his chin in the direction of the door. "Come on. Let’s go find him before it's too late."

They strolled out together, heads ducked close and voices kept low.

"Did you find anything?" Castis asked.

"More than enough," Alec assured him. "Garrus is looking for a turian by the name of Lantar Sidonis."

"Can't say I've heard of him."

"Hmm..." Alec hummed thoughtfully to himself. "There was a location sent to set up a meeting. Orbital Lounge."

"Good work," Castis said, but Alec shrugged off the praise. "Let's go."

They stopped to make a quick change in a clothing store along the way. They got dressed in casual attire, posing as a couple of friends enjoying the sights.

By the time they made it to the lounge, Castis was already getting antsy. He struggled to maintain his cover, his eyes darting this way and that.

Alec elbowed him in the side.

"Calm down," he warned. He turned towards a random window display to glance over the selection of model ships. "Maintenance walkway above. Over your shoulder and to the right."

Castis snuck a peek as soon as he had the chance to.

He felt all of the blood drain from his face.

Turning quickly back towards the display, he hissed under his breath, "He has a rifle."

Alec shushed him before they could attract too much attention.

"I know, but do we really want to announce that little fact to the entire plaza?!" he whispered frantically.

Right.

Taking a deep breath, Castis composed himself. Usually, he wasn't this bad at remaining undercover, but the stakes were too high —too personal— to ignore.

It was hard to remain calm when your son was about to make the biggest mistake of his life.

Killing in a public place...

What happened to make him fall so far?

"I spotted someone up there with him," Alec said, breaking Castis of his reverie. "Shepard, maybe?"

Looking around at the crowd, Castis shook his head a moment later.

"No, not Shepard. Look. To your left."

Alec followed his line of sight, then ducked his head back down.

"Her, the quarian, and I'm assuming that's Sidonis," Alec said, counting them off one by one. "Which means that might be the drell up top with Garrus. A lookout, perhaps?"

"Hmph."

That was when Castis noticed the spotting laser.

His pupils narrowed into thin slits.

"No."

Alec stopped him again, stepping out in front of him with his hands spread wide.

"Wait, wait, wait," he ordered. "Let's see how this plays out first."

Castis turned on him with a glare.

"My son is about to commit a murder in plain sight, and you want me to wait?" he snapped.

"I want you to think clearly," Alec corrected. "Take another look at who the spotting laser is trained on."

Staring him down, Castis huffed impatiently, but quickly complied. They couldn’t afford to be stuck at an impasse at such a crucial moment.

One look was enough to clear up the image that had been blurred by emotion.

What in the—

"No." Castis shook his head in disbelief, but that didn't change what he was witnessing. "No, Garrus is too fond of the Commander. He wouldn't hurt her."

The conviction with which he spoke surprised even himself, but Garrus's attachment to Shepard was undeniable, as much as he was loath to admit it.

Even then, he couldn’t deny what was right there in front of him. The spotting laser was focused on the back of Commander Shepard’s skull, clear as day.

However, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together.

When Sidonis moved, Garrus followed him, but the Commander was instantly there to block his opening.

There were a few tense moments where words were exchanged, far too quiet to hear from where Alec and Castis were positioned. They went back and forth for a bit, and Castis admittedly feared for the worst when both Shepard and Sidonis started to leave.

The second Garrus had a clear shot at Sidonis, Castis held his breath.

But the shot never came.

"Well," Alec muttered, "that was anticlimactic."

Castis glared and punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"That's my son, Ryder."

With a grumble, Castis dragged Alec along. Their hunt wasn't over yet.

"You should meet mine. I feel like if Scott would've let him go, then he would have somehow managed to pull the trigger by accident. A real stroke of bad luck, that one."

"Spirits."

Strolling through the crowds, they laid low for as long as they could.

By the time they found Garrus again, he was talking with the others by a skycar terminal, presumably waiting on a cab.

A whole flood of emotions came crashing down on Castis at once, and there was no holding back. Not anymore.

Ignoring Alec's warnings not to do anything rash, Castis stormed off in their direction.

Insane how, after so many years of being friends, the N7 was only choosing now to try to be the voice of reason when Castis wanted to be anything but.

Out of everyone, the drell noticed him first, regarding him with suspicion.

Before he could warn him, Castis called out, "Garrus!"

The other three instantly froze, right before they turned to face him.

Garrus’s eyes widened, his mandibles falling slack as he gaped.

"Dad?"

"'Dad?!'" Shepard and the quarian echoed, shocked by such an unexpected turn of events.

The drell, on the other hand, didn't seem the least bit perturbed.

"Ah, his father," he hummed, nodding in understanding. "Your presence in the lounge makes sense now."

Alec's brow furrowed.

"Hold up, you knew we were there?" he asked skeptically.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call you two 'subtle.'"

"That doesn't matter!" Castis snapped.

Clenching his jaw, his mandibles were clamped down tight.

Time to get this meeting back on track.

"Garrus, we need to talk."

[much-obliged-timothy]

Febuwhump #11

Mass Effect - #11 - Chronic Pain

*

“Go, go!” Shepard ordered, waving the others forward.

Kaidan and Garrus charged forward as Shepard covered them. Kaidan used his biotics to throw back the Cerberus agents trying to flank them, following up with a spray of gunfire. Three of them dropped, but two managed to dive behind cover.

“Two, left,” Kaidan informed the others.

“Garrus,” Shepard said, popping out from cover to lay down cover fire as Garrus took aim and waited for one of the fools to pop his head up.

Sure enough, one did and Garrus took him down with a well-aimed shot. The other wisely stayed down and waited for an opening.

Kaidan couldn’t worry about him now. Garrus was on it, so Kaidan crept past him and shifted along cover until he could take on the Cerberus agents up ahead.

He was so focused on that, that it caught him off guard when he heard Garrus yell out a warning to Shepard. Kaidan grit his teeth but kept his focus, even as he heard a crash and gunfire behind him.

As soon as he had a chance, he looked over his shoulder to assess the situation. It wasn’t what he’d been expecting.

Shepard was on the ground, wrestling with a Cerberus agent. The agent was trying to shoot Shepard, but Shepard had a tight grasp on the man’s gun, keeping it pointed away from himself.

But Shepard was struggling. He was a well-trained soldier, an N7 capable of hand-to-hand combat. But his movements were stiff and pained, and Kaidan just hoped he hadn’t been injured when the agent attacked him. Bastard was the survivor from the flank crew. 

Kaidan threw the man off Shepard with his biotics. Instead of springing to his feet like usual, Shepard rolled onto his side and struggled to get up, his arms shaking.

But he had a determined look on his face, and he did get up. He grabbed his gun and spun, firing relentlessly at his enemy until the man was down. 

Shepard didn’t waste any time in rejoining the battle despite his stiff movements. Kaidan couldn’t worry about it now; if he was well enough to fight, his injuries couldn’t be that bad. 

So they fought, with the effortless teamwork that came from deep trust and plenty of experience together. Garrus and Shepard switched positions so that Garrus could take up a position to snipe from while Kaidan and Shepard held a defensive line.

Kaidan tried not to focus on how restrained Shepard’s movements were. He was steady on his feet and seemed to be fully mentally focused. Much as he wanted to, Kaidan couldn’t spare much attention for Shepard during this fight.

But as soon as they’d felled the last man and declared the area clear, Kaidan shifted up next to Shepard while he searched for the documents they’d come to recover. He eyed him carefully, grimacing at the blood drying on Shepard’s armor.

“How bad?” Kaidan asked.

“Not enough for you to fuss over me,” Shepard said dismissively. “I’m fine, Kaidan. It’s barely a scratch.”

“You were moving like you were hurt,” Kaidan said.

“Well, duh, he-” Garrus winced a little at the withering look Shepard shot him. “Oh, ah, I see. Right, well, I’ve got a, uh, document to search for over there. Very far over there. Best of luck, Shep.”

“You’re the worst,” Shepard informed him.

Garrus saluted him with little guilt before scurrying away. Kaidan narrowed his eyes at Shepard.

“Start talking,” he commanded. 

“It’s nothing, Kaidan,” Shepard said, back to searching for the document. “I’ve just suffered chronic pain in my arms since Cerberus put me back together. I had to ‘wake up’ before I was fully healed. It’s manageable most days.”

But not today. Because Shepard had gone up into the base first, pulling his own weight up and then pulling up Kaidan and Garrus after him.

“You told Garrus.” It was a dumb thing to say. Kaidan was embarrassed it left his lips.

Shepard glanced at him. “It became relevant when we were working together back then. And I knew if I told you, you’d just worry about me. Earth is dying, Kaidan. My sore arms aren’t a problem right now. I can do my job.”

Kaidan reached out and touched his arm. “Shepard, it matters. You living in pain because of what they did to you- it matters!”

“I wouldn’t be living at all without what they did to me,” Shepard reminded him. His voice wasn’t harsh; it was just tired. “I died, Kaidan. They brought me back. I’ll endure the pain in my arms if it means I’m here to help save the galaxy.”

He always thought of everyone else before himself. Kaidan loved it about him as much as he hated it.

“Alright,” Kaidan said, knowing it was pointless to argue. “But I know what it’s like to live with pain you can’t stop.” He tapped a finger against his temple. 

“I know,” Shepard said. He was too professional to reach out and run a hand through Kaidan’s hair on a mission, but the look he gave him was one that said he wished he could do anything to make it easier on Kaidan. Even as his own arms sent pain through his body, he thought only of easing Kaidan’s eventual pain.

“Let’s get back to work,” Kaidan said.

Shepard nodded and did just that, his arms slow but never stopping his movements as he dug through a desk. Kaidan watched him out of the corner of his eye.

He was furious that Shepard had to live in so much pain because of Cerberus. But there was nothing to be done for it. He was alive, he was managing his pain, and he had Kaidan to watch his back. It was all the comfort Kaidan could offer him, painful as it was to accept.

[swaps55]

Hi! I have a male Shepard oc that is a Vanguard in the three games, but I was thinking of writing about him and the thing is, while gameplay in the trilogy dosen't really allow that, I headcanon him as not restrictvely a Vanguard. In my head he's more of multiclass between all three biotic archetypes, he knows his way with tech and is an extremely powerful biotic able to pull of a singularity. Granted he likes taking point and charge is his speciality, is a gun nerd (something he got from his dad), but he loves learning and is overall a very intelligent and versatile soldier. Do you think this is too op and I should stick to an archetype, or is this okay and I should write him as such? Thanks for any tips!

Super short answer, your Shepard should be whoever you want him to be. It's your story - Shepard is a phenomenal soldier, and he is OP as fuck, so embrace it and be proud of it. :D

Longer answer? I don't think it's a stretch! Honestly I don't use the classes in fic. I have no problem with anyone who does, as it's a super useful way to convey a lot about your Shepard to your reader, in ways your reader automatically understands. But in my fic, I don’t like to confine a character to a class. Sam is certainly capable of using a sniper rifle; he just prefers a shotgun. His biotic abilities aren't limited by a 'class;' they're only limited by his own strengths and weaknesses. For instance, his lack of patience makes mass manipulation that requires a lot of finesse and fine motor control much more difficult, whereas Kaidan excels at it. That's not a class or training thing, that's a character development thing.

Also, if you take the time to think about the N program and Shepard's special forces training? Shepard's a goddamned badass, no two ways about it. The codex is a little scant about what the N program teaches, but even if you just start to think about it on the surface level, it's crazy:

Interplanetary Combatives Training (ICT) is the Systems Alliance's premier school for leadership and combat expertise. The Interplanetary Combatives Academy, sometimes called "N-School" or "the villa," recruits officers from every branch of Earth's militaries to partake in grueling courses at Vila Militar in Rio de Janeiro.

Initially, candidates train for more than 20 hours per day, leading small combat teams through hostile terrain with little sleep or food. Trainees who do well are awarded an internal designation of N1 and are invited to return. Subsequent courses--N2 through N6--are often held off-planet and include instruction in zero-G combat, military free-fall (parachuting), jetpack flight, combat diving, combat instruction, linguistics, and frontline trauma care for human and alien biology.

Holy fuck, right?

Because I planned to write a lot about Sam's experience with the N program in Cantata, I did a lot of reading about US Military special forces training, watched some really fascinating YouTube videos, and then thought about how that might evolve into something like the N program. Things like Survival, Evade, Resistance, & Escape training, advanced weapons training, extensive schooling on alien offensive and defensive tactics, etc., are all on the table for the N program.

It's hardly a leap for Shepard to be proficient at many things. Being extremely intelligent, able to think out of the box, adapt, and lead are not only likely, but probably required to make it to N7.

For my fic, I went ahead and laid out how my version of the N program works: what it covers, how long it takes, where instruction happens, etc. It's here if you want to take a look at it. Diving into those details really put Shepard into perspective for me. Shepard is a fucking badass.

So basically? Write your Shepard as an OP powerhouse. He's earned it!

[starsinmylatte]

i’m in a mass effect mood so how about a femshep + garrus with “under the skylight and starlight” :) take that any way you wish <3

So, this ended up being way longer than I had originally planned. I'm so sorry it took a while, but I hope you enjoy it!! I personally headcanon that Garrus and Shepard fell for each other back in ME 1 and are just being idiots (affectionately) in love.

Pairing: Garrus Vakarian x Fem!Shepard

Rating: M for a little bit of hurt/comfort. Please remember this is an 18+ blog, so minors DNI

Length: 1.3k

Death had always been inevitable, but now it was fairly certain. Archangel was prepared to go out in a blaze of glory and take as much of Omega’s gang problem with him as possible, but deep down, Garrus Vakarian was honestly just tired. Somehow, this heroic fate seemed kinder than a life alone; one spent without his team, and worst of all, one spent without her.

Shepard had crashed into his life with the sheer force of a falling star. She was beautiful, a fierce warrior unrelentingly dedicated to saving humanity, and the most capable commander he could’ve ever hoped to serve under. How could he not have fallen for her?

Garrus may as well have been found floating in the wreckage of the Normandy because a part of him died the day Shepard was lost. His cracked heart had begun to heal over time with the love and care from his team, but when they were killed, it shattered completely.

--------

The kickback from his sniper rifle shook Garrus out of his daze. His shoulder throbbed from the repeated force. Across the bridge, a Blue Suns officer crumpled to the ground while the others yelled and dove for any available cover. The ghost of a wry smile formed on his face.

Heh. Still got it.

Suddenly, the tone of the battlefield changed. Three more figures hopped over a barricade close to the entrance, and Garrus snapped his scope in their direction.

Shit.

He focused in on the smaller figure in the lead. They seemed to be one of the outside mercenaries from the look of their armor.

Inhale.

The scope was trained for a clean headshot.

Exhale.

His finger moved to the trigger.

Suddenly, the mercenary on the right stumbled, the unexpected fall catching his eye right before he pulled the trigger.

Before Garrus could even think, the mercenary in the middle -a woman- turned back to grab their arm and pull them aside. He would’ve normally chalked it up to some kind of uncommon honor among criminals, but the red and pearlescent white N7 sigil etched into their breastplate glinted in the light as they turned.

For the first time in years, Garrus felt a sharp pang in the heart he swore he no longer had.

His hands moved before he could even think. The concussive ammo was clipped in, and one round was fired into their shoulder. The woman barely even flinched. Instead, she turned, looked knowingly in his direction, and inclined her head.

It may be a cruel joke, but at least it’s a helpful one.

Garrus sighed. Hope was a funny thing; he’d seen the wreckage of the Normandy himself, and not even Shepard could’ve survived that. Now, he’d get to see the woman humanity chose to try and take her place.

Another bullet, lethal this time, left the chamber and a Blood Pack operative crumpled. The woman led her two friends through the doors and into the first floor of the building. Garrus could hear raucous cheers from the mercenaries and gang members on the other side of the bridge.

If I’m right about this, they won’t be cheering for much longer. If I’m wrong……. I won’t exactly have much time to regret it.

As if on cue, several pairs of footsteps could be heard running up the stairs behind him. They ran through the door behind Garrus as he fired another shot. Yet another gang member fell.

Time to see if my luck has run out.

As he lowered his weapon and turned around, the woman released the latches on her helmet. The sight of fiery red hair peeking out from underneath made his heart stop. Time seemed to slow as she lifted it completely off, and, before he knew it, the face Garrus saw every night in his dreams was looking back at him expectantly.

He nearly dropped the rifle. Garrus slowly reached up to remove his own helmet, afraid she’d somehow disappear if he moved too quickly.

“Shepard….. I thought you were dead.” His normally smooth, purring voice cracked with raw emotion; he couldn’t have kept it out if he’d tried.

---------------

Garrus found Shepard where she always was after a difficult mission, the observation deck. His heart jumped again at the sight of her, a feeling he’d have to get used to again. The starlight from the large viewport was the only source of light in the room; it shone on Shepard as she gazed out into the galaxy, brows furrowed in thought.

He made it all the way over to where she sat before she turned to acknowledge his presence.

“It’s good to see you back on the Normandy,” Shepard rewarded him with a small, relaxed smile, one he only saw given to close friends. She gestured to the spot beside her.

Garrus took the invitation and sat. He had recovered enough to be walking around, but the wounds he suffered were still fresh, and the weariness from the long fight hadn’t fully left him. Shepard noticed the slight wince he tried to hide and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“You know you can go rest if you need it.”

The look of genuine concern on her face was touching.

“Shepard, you came back from the dead; my rest can wait.” Garrus paused and gestured around. “The crew, your friends, missed you… I missed you.”

That last bit accidentally slipped out before he could think. Turians didn’t blush like humans, but Garrus was sure his face would be bright red if they did. He was far from shy around women; he was usually quite the charmer, but Shepard was a special case.

For the first time since he had been back on the Normandy, Garrus actually looked closely at her face. Her expression would seem peaceful for anyone who wasn’t close to her, but there was sadness and worry hidden in her eyes. There were new scars on her face still healing from the explosion, and she seemed just as weary as he felt.

“The world wouldn’t end if you got some rest too.” Garrus looked at her pointedly before mirroring Shapard and resting his hand on her shoulder.

They sat in comfortable silence, still in their partial embrace, before she finally responded with a new mischievous glint in her eye. “Since you’re back on the Normandy now, I have your first order. Take the rest of the night off to rest.”

Garrus opened his mouth to protest, but Shepard wagged a finger at him and poked him in the shoulder. “I wasn’t finished yet, but I’m serious. Your calibrations can wait until tomorrow.”

She grinned before continuing, “Besides, I happen to be taking the rest of the night off to make sure you actually follow my order. I know how you are.”

Garrus tilted his head in mock disbelief. “I just got out of the med bay, and you’re already ordering me around?” He feigned a look of hurt, the familiar bantering purr returning to his voice. “Very well, Commander, since you insist.”

Shepard fired back, her tone still light and teasing, “Good to see that all your time as Archangel hasn’t overridden your military training yet.”

This woman is going to be the death of me.

The stars continued to shine through the viewport as they sat in comfortable, friendly silence. There was so much to talk about, so much to discuss, but, for now, there was this moment of peace carved out of a chaotic universe. There was only Garrus and Shepard, and that was more than enough.

Earlier today, life had seemed like a cruel joke, but now Garrus Vakarian would swear to anyone that he was the luckiest Turian in the entire universe. The fight was dicey, they had barely escaped, and he had a few new scars to show for it, but what was new? The most important thing was that Shepard was back in his life. Besides, some women find scars attractive…..

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