Soldiers

Sometime before the events of Mass Effect 1, Shepard makes an unorthodox call to include Ashley William's unit on a covert op.

I do not own Mass Effect or any of its subsidiaries.

Chapter 1 – Circumstances

Shepard stepped out of the elevator and into the waiting area. Bypassing the other patrons either waiting or talking, he logged himself in at the reception desk. The receptionist informed him that the Admiral would see him in a few minutes, so Shepard opted to sit down in one the chairs and wait.

Once again he found himself on Arcturus Station, due to meet with Admiral Hackett and be given another mission to complete. And due to the fact Shepard was an N7, it was likely something high risk that the Admirals would only trust in the most assured hands. Shepard might have complained, but this was in fact what he had signed up for. If anything he never wanted the skills he acquired through ICT to be wasted while playing gate keeper on some back water colony.

Soon enough a younger officer came into the waiting area and asked Shepard to follow him. Shepard was lead through a series of hallways and through a door, where he found Admirals Hackett and Mikhailovich standing over a holographic projector table. Shepard snapped off a crisp salute.

"At ease, Shepard." Hackett greeted in his trademark gravelly voice. Sheaprd lowered his hand and accepted the handshake Hackett offered. "Glad you could make it. I hope Anderson doesn't mind we've detained his XO."

"Anderson is fully capable of running the Tokyo without me, sir. And he knew you'd only call if it was important."

"True enough." With a nod of his head, Hackett directed Shepard to the holo table. Inputting a command, Hackett brought up the image of a woman in her mid-thirties. Shepard recognized her as one of the chairmen for Hahn Kedar Manufacturers.

Hackett continued. "This is Beatrice Prior. As you may know, she is an important official within Hahn Kedar, and we rely upon them for our weapons manufacture. We've received reports that the transport ship she was traveling on had been attacked by pirates. They must obviously know who she is, for we've received multiple transmissions requesting the pirates be paid five hundred thousand credits for her safe return."

Shepard nodded, but didn't quite understand where he fit in this equation. "And where do I come in, sir? Want me to track them down and find where they're holding Prior?"

"We appreciate the enthusiasm, Shepard, but we're already a step ahead of you." Mikhailovich interjected. He typed in a few more commands, and the image of Prior was replaced with the topographical overview of a fortified base. It was surrounded on all sides by high rocky outcroppings. That made it impossible to get to the base by anything other than a shuttle or by foot. The outcroppings allowed a height advantage to anyone attacking the base, but that was counteracted by the four sniper perches that stood in each corner of clear land between the base and the outcroppings. In addition, on top of the building sat two sets of anti-air defense systems.

"Prior installed a tracking device into her femur some time ago." Mikailovich continued, "Using that, we were able to track her to Utukku, a pitiful little planet in the Mulla Kul System, Ninmah Cluster. The pirates set up base in one of the southern mountain ranges."

"Their anti-air makes it too dangerous to try and drop in troops with Kodiaks," said Hackett. "And we can't bomb them from orbit for fear of Prior being killed in the blast." He turned to Shepard. "The reason you're here, commander, is because you have extensive experience with ground missions such as this. We want you to come up with a plan to infiltrate the base and then lead the assault once we know what to do."

Shepard rested his hand on the table and leaned over the holographic image, spinning it to view the base from different angles. The building was rather tall, so it was likely the facility didn't go too far underground if at all. From what he could see, it only had two entrances. A large gate on the south wall, and an elevator that allowed access to the landing area on top of the base. Contemplative, Shepard gripped his chin, running through different scenarios in his head.

"Whatever you plan to do, commander, make sure that you act quickly." Mikhailovich piped in. "It's likely the pirates will execute Prior once you make it into the base before you can reach her."

Like a light bulb turning on atop his head, the idea formed within Shepard's mind, and a small smile grew over his face. "Well then we make sure the assault team doesn't go near the base."

Hackett and Mikailovich shared confused looks before turning back to Shepard. "How exactly would that help us, Shepard?" Hackett asked.

Shepard zoomed in on the outcroppings south of the base. "What I mean to say is that we'll have the main assault body attack from here. First, they'll use heavy artillery to take out the sniper nests. Once those are dealt with, they'll start laying down small arms fire on the mercs coming out of the main gate. The assault team will make a show of trying to cover ground, but in reality they're staying hunkered down and drawing the pirates' attention."

Shepard scrolled back to the elevator on the northern side of the base. "At the same time, I'll approach from the north, hopefully undetected, and use scaling equipment to make it up to this elevator and sneak into their base from behind."

"By yourself?" Mikhailovich asked incredulously.

Shepard answered without looking up from the hologram. "I move faster by myself, or in small three man teams." He stood up straight and addressed Hackett. "I can't predict how many hostile I might encounter, but most of them should be preoccupied with the activity to the south. I can get in, find Prior, and get out before they even realized they've been duped."

Hackett was already nodding approvingly, going through the logistics in his head. "I say it sounds like a plan. How fast can you and your men get out to Uttuku?"

Mikhailovich gave a dismissal wave of his hand. "The Tokyo's stationed with the Third Fleet right now. It would take too long to break away and head out." He turned to Shepard. "The SSV Leipzig is in dock at this very moment, and she can get you there faster. Thing is, it doesn't have a marine posting right now, so we'd have to bring in another unit."

Ever prepared, Hackett immediately pulled up a holographic list and passed it to Shepard. "This is a list of units on hand that aren't currently stationed aboard ships or on colonies. Read through them and tell us if any of them might fit the bill you need."

Shepard scrolled through the various options, looking through their aptitude scores, service histories, commendations, and commanding officers. One that stood out to him was the 212 Marines, a unit that, despite its outstanding aptitude scores, had a very distinct lack of actual hands on missions. The commanding officer was one Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams. Shepard thought he knew the name from somewhere.

He pulled up her bio. From her picture, Shepard could see that she was very much a military woman. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a regulation bun and the tan on her skin denoted the hours she must have spent groundside while stationed in colonies. She held herself with authority, and her facial features spoke disciplined professionalism.

Beyond that, she was well toned for a woman. She had large brown eyes and full lips. While Shepard didn't normally let himself be caught up in things like this, he had to admit she was quite pretty for a marine. Sure, her nose was a bit big and her features a bit masculine, but it all equated to a beauty that was rugged and earned rather than pampered and crafted.

Ms. Williams had a sterling record, the very epitome of what a soldier should strive for. However, her rank was much lower than someone of her skill deserved, and the fact that she lacked actual groundside combat experience was glaring. Needless to say, Shepard was intrigued.

"How about these guys? The 212?" he asked while enlarging the roster over the table hologram so the other two men could see.

Mikhailovich sneered, failing miserably to hide his disdain. "I think a mission such as this requires more seasoned hands, commander."

"These men and women have been working together for a few years. And they've shown to have a good deal of potential."

Mikailovich still looked unsure. "I don't know, Shepard. What if this goes south? If people hear Williams was involved with a botched op, your credibility goes down the shitter."

Perplexed, Shepard looked to Hackett. "Is there something I don't know about Williams, sir?"

Hackett sighed. "You know of Shanxi's history, yes?"

"The only colony we temporarily lost during the First Contact War with the Turians. What does Shanxi have to do with this?"

"Yes. The commanding officer of the colony's military force at the time was General Nathaniel Williams."

Now it clicked in Shepard's head. Alliance ships had been driven from the system, and the Turians blockaded the colony. Rather than lose more soldiers and civilians to orbital bombardments, General Williams and his forces had opted to surrender. After the cease fire, Williams had been ridiculed in the public eye and his command taken away. After that he faded into obscurity.

Shepard had once done a report about the man in high school, the topic being take a historical 'mistake' and justify it. Shepard had never faulted Williams for his decision, in accordance to his own mentality of prioritizing saving lives over the mission. However, that had not stopped several of his fellow class mates with relatives in the war berating him for his "wrong opinion."

"Now you see why involving Williams might not be the best option, commander?" Hackett implored, "Besides, she and her men don't have the experience for a mission such as this."

While Shepard maintained an outward persona of calm assurance, he secretly fumed on the inside, furious that the woman he assumed to be General William's granddaughter was being short shafted for events that happened decades ago.

Shepard leveled Hackett with a malign glare. "Admiral, do you mean to tell me you intend to hold this woman and her unit back because of her family's history?"

Hackett stood straighter and folded his arms behind his back, unwilling to visibly back down. "What I intend to do, commander, is assist you in rescuing Prior, in any capacity. Now, do you honestly believe William's unit is the best choice for this mission?"

Shepard jabbed his finger on the data pad showing the 212 roster to emphasize his point. "I know that if I were in William's position, I'd be clambering for an opportunity like this. Not just for me, but for my men. And yes, I've made my decision."

Hackett looked to Mikhailovich, who held his hand up in surrender. "You've made your point, commander. I'll make the calls for William's unit to come in and the Leipzig to start preparations for takeoff. At most you'll have five hours before you depart, but probably fewer, to get your things in order."

Shepard stood straighter and snapped off a salute. "Thank you, sir."

Mikailovich pointed a finger at him. "You can thank me by getting this job done right, commander."

"So what do you think we're doing, Brandson?"

"I don't know, Morley," Brandson muttered sourly yet again.

"Oh come on, Brandson! You can't tell me you're not even a little bit curious. Maybe we have to clear a space station full of pirates, or it's a secret mission against the Turians, or…"

Ashley Williams listened to the corporal rant off different ideas, her head ache steadily increasing with each one. She finally had enough when he got to breaking up an underground ring of Hanar prostitutes.

"Morley!" she barked. The young man clamped his mouth shut and stood at attention, but visibly shrank under her withering glare. "The commanding officer will give us the full debrief once we get to the Leipzig. Until then, I suggest you keep your goddamn mouth shut."

Morley did indeed clamp his mouth shut, and muttered a "Yes mamn" while finding a spot on the floor extremely interesting. Ashley might have worried about being too harsh on the kid, but she was too grateful for the silence in the elevator to care.

But while Ashley didn't want to admit it, she too was perplexed as to what their mission was. She'd gotten the call from Alliance command stating that her unit was being taken off of their shore leave for a classified assignment. Stranger yet, they also informed her that Commander Shepard of all people would be taking command of the mission. Both of these things were highly irregular for Ashley's service history, and it irked her not knowing just what was going on.

Despite that, she was still a soldier, and she still had to do her job. So she rounded up all of her men, either in person or by comm., and informed them of the situation. Aside from a few groans of displeasure, they snapped to attention and began getting their affairs and equipment in order. With their preparedness, the last few stragglers would make it to the Leipzig before even an hour after the call came in.

Still, the whole situation grated her nerves, what with the sudden timing and general lack of substantial info. She couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong. Alliance command would never call on a Williams unless the situation was truly desperate. Not after what happened with her grandfather.

Ash mentally kicked herself. That was a road she had been down numerous times before, and it never left her feeling better. For now all she could do was board the Leipzig, get the briefing from Commander Shepard, and prepare her men.

Although Ashley had to admit she was excited to meet the Commander Shepard. After Akuze the man had become a celebrity on the galactic scale, a poster boy for the Alliance. She didn't actually know much about the man himself, just what she'd read in reports and news articles about his assignments that weren't classified. Just that he'd been born and raised on military ships his whole life, his mother Hannah Shepard was currently a rear Admiral, and his father Daniel Shepard was a veteran fighter pilot who died of a heart condition around the time his son was five.

John Shepard had enlisted at eighteen and had been invited into N school early on. He later went on to become one of the school's highest scoring graduates. On Akuze, he had lost his entire unit to a Thresher Maw attack. Reports were sketchy, but Ashley heard there were three Maws in total, and Shepard took all three down with a Mako, but the vehicle was practically half melted by the time the last worm was dead.

After that Shepard became the Alliance go-to man, almost always on point for the most dangerous and high risk missions. If Shepard was involved, Ashley knew their mission today wouldn't be a simple snatch and grab.

The elevator dinged as when they reached the docking bay and its doors opened. Ashley hefted her duffel bag onto her shoulder and followed her two friends onto the docking area. The Leipzig was thankfully easy to find, as it was the only frigate currently in dock. Upon getting closer, Ashley could see that a number of her other troops were waiting to be let in through the ship's decontamination port.

Eventually they all made their way onto the bridge, where the pilot informed them to head down to the ship's cargo bay. There they could stow away their gear and Shepard would be down eventually to brief them on the mission at hand.

A few minutes later, Ashley and most of her men were congregated in the cargo bay, putting their equipment away as they waited for the last few stragglers. Ashley stood off to one side, doing her habitual cleaning and rechecking of her guns. Suddenly, the group's somewhat loud chattering turned to hushed whispers. Confused, Ash picked her head up and looked to the elevator. Sure enough, Commander Shepard had just walked into the cargo bay, surveying her men with a critical eye.

Ashley had to admit the recruiting adds using his likeness did little justice to the man himself. Shepard walked with a calm but powerful assurance to his step. His entire presence was utterly commanding.

Under that persona Shepard certainly wasn't a sorry sight. His dark hair was close cropped, showing the dips and curves of his skull. He had a strong chin, and his dark blue eyes looked like they could pierce your very soul.

His body could only be described as years intense of intense military training. He had a broad chest and limbs that only consisted of lean cords of muscle. It was as though there was nothing going to waste in his figure.

Ash mentally kicked herself yet again. Checking out your commanding officer never panned out well. Attachments only led to tension during postings and had the potential to derail missions.

Besides, she chided herself, a guy with looks like that can do a lot better than me.

Shepard approached one the men closer to him and seemed to ask him something. Ash couldn't hear them from where she stood, but she could guess at the topic, as the marine pointed in her direction. Upon seeing Ashley, Shepard thanked the man and made a beeline for her position. Ash put her weapons aside and stood at attention, snapping off a crisp salute when Shepard was close enough.

"At ease, Williams." He extended his hand, and Ashley shook it. "I've read a lot about you."

"Anything we need to discuss, sir?" She was prepared for this part; the rundown. How he was in charge and Ashley wasn't here to hold him back.

"Before you ask, yes, I know your grandfather was General Nathanial Williams."

Ashley nearly jumped to give her normal platitudes and assure she wouldn't disrupt his command, but Shepard cut her off.

"That being said, no, I do not care that your name is Williams, nor do I subscribe to the idea that your name automatically makes you an inept soldier."

That struck Ashley dumb. Normally during these talks her CO's spoke with barely concealed contempt. Shepard spoke as if he were talking to his equal. It was… different, to say the least.

Ash couldn't come up with a proper reply, so Shepard continued. "All I do care about is if you can follow orders, control your men, and get the job done no matter the cost. If you can do those things, then I see no reason as to why we can't work together."

Still reeling from mild shock, Ashley pulled herself up even straighter. "Of course, sir. I won't let you down." A pause. "And… thank you."

"Good." At that, Shepard relaxed somewhat and a smile spread across his face. "Now loosen up. You're starting to make me feel bad."

Ash huffed a laugh and eased some of the tension in her body. If Shepard was anything at all, it would be odd. Normally her CO's didn't talk with any respect toward until she beat in into their heads that she could prove to be a valuable asset. Shepard spoke to her like her potential was general knowledge. It was… nice.

"Permission to speak freely?" she asked him.

Shepard shrugged. "Um, sure. What's on your mind?"

"You're pretty weird."

His brow lifted in mild surprise. "That's not the normal kind of gushing I usually receive, but I'll take what I can get."

Ashe couldn't help but laugh as she leaned back against the weapon bench. "No, I mean you're... different, I guess. The good kind. Normally my CO's can't stand it when they find out I've been placed under their command."

"Well I do like to think I'm not like most commanders. And like I said, I don't care about your name, just what kind of soldier you are. Besides, from all the guard postings I saw in your file, I figured you and your guys might want a change of pace."

"Amen to that. Ever since the call came in Morley's been itching to find out what it is we're doing."

"I'll get to that eventually, as soon as everyone's present. Speaking of which, do you know when the rest of your men will show up?"

"Last I checked three of our guys were still incoming, but they should be here in a few minutes."

Their conversation might have continued, but both of their heads were drawn upward at the sound of the ship's VI. "Commander Shepard to the CIC. Commander Shepard to the CIC."

Shepard sighed. "Well, duty calls." He turned back to Ashley. "But we'll continue this later?" he asked, a hopeful expression on his face.

Ashley felt a wide smile spread across her face. "Sure. I'd like that."

Shepard nodded, his own smile present, before turning and making his way back to the elevator. Ashley watched him walk away, ruminating on their conversation.

Nice ass too.