A/N: Hello folks, Sarge here. Sorry about the incredibly long delay, but Endymion and I have had quite a bit on our own plates. Now, we realize that this kind of story is getting a little old hat, but we're dedicated to finishing it. So sit back, accept our apology, and get ready for more of our favorite quarian and Ranger.

Dan froze. This was Commander Shepard...the Commander Shepard. Pointing a gun at him or her didn't seem like a very smart idea, so he lowered the ACR, resting it in the nook of his shoulder.

"I'm Daniel White," he said, as the group of...five, it seemed, approached him. He could see Ashley Williams in the distinctive Phoenix armor, Kaidan Alenko standing off to the side warily, Wrex standing front and center, and Garrus staying back with a sniper rifle. Up until now he could have sworn he was dreaming. There was no doubting any of this now. He was really here. Bury the feelings, soldier. He told himself. The time for deep thinking is later, for now; make sure you can secure your place in the team.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Shepard said, and as their figure came clear from the smoke, Daniel easily spotted the feminine figure the armor only partially concealed. She wasn't particularly tall, in fact seemed slightly short, but her presence was like having a krogan standing in front of you. She had that kind of aura. Okay, a female Shepard. Daniel thought. And a paragon...I think. "I'm Commander Victoria Shepard, with the Systems Alliance." she turned away from Daniel, to look at Tali, who still held her shotgun nervously. "Are you the quarian Dr. Michel and Fist were talking about?" Shepard asked, tone of voice shifting subtly, to a comforting one. She is a professional, Daniel thought.

"Yes." Tali said, slowly holstering her shotgun. "I'm Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, you can call me Tali." Shepard nodded, slipping her own rifle back onto its holster. Daniel kept an eye on both the exchange, and all nearby entries and exits.

"Hello, Tali." Shepard said courteously, extending a hand. Tali looked at it, slightly puzzled, before Daniel whispered to her.

"Just shake it." Tali awkwardly shook the Commander's hand, and Shepard turned her head to stare at Dan.

"Well Mr. White, who and what exactly are you?" Daniel's response never left his mouth. Who was he? What should I say? Oh, hey Shepard, I'm a U.S. Army Ranger from the year 2010, who, coincidentally, knows all of the events that are going to happen in the next two and a half years. Yeahh, she'd believe that...

"I'm-" his omni-tool flashed up, and he looked down, masking a look of surprise. What the hell? On it was an ID, filled with data he'd never seen before. He looked back up to Shepard. "I'm First Lieutenant Daniel White, with the Alliance Intelligence Division." He watched as Kaidan and Ash snapped to attention, and leaned to Shepard's side. "At ease." Shepard's face was quizzical, to say the least.

"What's an Intel officer doing fieldwork for?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. Daniel could see a cautious look on Ash's face.

"This intel was a sensitive matter, and when we got the lead from some sources, we felt it was too good to pass up. I was ordered to keep Tali here safe." Jesus H. Christ, I'm flying by the seat of my pants here. Did Tom set this up? Wait...with what I know of Tom...yeah, of course he did. Shepard nodded, and raised her own omni-tool. He saw intelligent sky blue eyes behind the helmet scanning up and down a page of data, before she looked back up at him.

"It checks out. So spook, do you think that you and your charge would be willing to follow us to the embassy to present the data to our ambassador?" Dan risked a glimpse over towards Tali, who was looking at him in utter confusion.

"We would be," he confirmed, and saw a smile form on the commander's face. Just before she did something he never would have seen coming.

"Alright John, they're on the money!" she called out, and Dan spun around, looking for whoever it was in question.

"Glad to hear it Vicki." A familiar voice said from behind him, and Dan's brain nearly had a meltdown.

Holy shit. There are two Shepards.

Dan turned back around in a flash, to be met with a man in the same set of armor, minus the helmet. A shortly cropped head of brown hair, slightly weathered features, and blue eyes were staring straight into his. The default male Shepard, he thought. The man had what appeared to be the new age version of a large caliber sniper rifle on his back, with a battle rifle in his hands and two pistols on his waist. Daniel blinked rapidly, looking from one to another. The man barked a short, tense laugh.

"It's nice to meet you too. Now, let's get on with this."

As she and Daniel followed both Commander Shepards the rest of the way to the human embassy, Tali felt completely lost. Daniel was Alliance Intelligence? But he had popped out of a laptop, for Ancestor's sake! She wasn't 100% sure where he was from, but she had a worrying suspicion. The picture on the laptop he had let her keep had a man of the same name who looked exactly the same as Daniel. That couldn't be coincidence, which meant that Daniel was over 170 years old, and had traveled through time! I need to get the complete story from him, she thought with resolve. As they were moving, Tali walked up closely alongside Daniel.

"What was all of that?" she whispered, keeping her voice low to avoid drawing the attention of their rescuers. Daniel glanced ahead; making sure no one was looking back at them.

"I have no idea." He confessed, glancing around. "I think Tom sent me a false ID." She nodded, but wasn't finished yet.

"Who are you, really?" she asked quietly, and she watched as he tensed. He seemed to be debating something, before he finally shook his head.

"I can't tell you, not here, not yet. If someone overhears it, they'll put me in the crazy house for the rest of my life." He hissed, glancing around again, quickly shutting up as he saw the female Shepard looking back at them curiously. Tali was determined to get at least one straight answer from him, however.

"Are you the man from the picture?" she asked lowly, as Shepard turned back. He grimaced, eyes squinted tightly shut for a long moment, before he finally nodded.. Tali felt something in the pit of her stomach drop, as a sudden wave of an emotion she couldn't explain rushed over her. Fear? Caution? Mistrust? She wasn't sure. This was...it was too much to try and understand, so her only option was to put it aside for the moment. She nodded slowly, as they headed up the stairs to the embassy.

Daniel slapped himself mentally. Crap! What the hell am I going to do now? With Tali's enlightenment of who he was, things could go a number of ways from here. And the majority of them weren't good. What's the old saying again? There's always a plan, and it usually doesn't work. Yeah, that's the one. He took another look around, listening to the discussion between the Shepards, Anderson, and Udina.

"Firefights in the Wards? An all out assault in Chora's Den? And for God's sake, an explosion that rattled windows in the Tower? What the hell have you been up to Commanders?" Udina raged, even as the woman kept a steady composure. She'd removed her helmet, and Daniel had finally seen her features. A face that held the perfect balance between sharp planes and soft features, brown hair that now fell to her back without a helmet, and a small scar running underneath her left eye. And an aura of determination and feistiness that told you not to stand in her way. All in all, the woman would have been an excellent Ranger.

"Vicki did what you asked, didn't she?" John Shepard said flatly from the window, leaning over the balcony. Daniel focused on him. He was frowning slightly, and overall, he seemed a little grim. Slight bags were beneath his eyes, and he had the look of someone who had seen more in a year than most would see in a lifetime. And Daniel could tell by experience that he was troubled, in more ways than one. This man was a warrior with a haunted past. John Shepard lit up a cigarette with precision, before speaking again. "She has the evidence you want so badly." He nodded to Tali. Anderson turned to look at the quarian.

"I apologize for all of that. I'm Captain Anderson, you are?" the woman in question shifted slightly on her feet, obviously nervous.

"My name is Tali. And he's correct; I have evidence proving that Saren was behind the geth attack on your colony." All eyes turned to her, and Daniel gave her a reassuring look as she quickly pulled up her omni-tool and played the data.

"Eden Prime was a great victory. It has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

Daniel couldn't help the slight shiver that ran through him as he heard those chilling words, though the ones that came after chilled him further.

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers." He was moderately surprised that no one had interrupted the recording. But then again, I can't expect everything here to be the exact same. Daniel's thoughts ran wild, but his posture betrayed nothing. Hands clasped behind his back, eyes ahead, and feet shoulder width apart, he portrayed the very image of calm. It's always surprising how 'hurry up and wait' actually comes in handy.

"So who is he?" Udina's voice interrupted Dan's thoughts.

"Alliance Intel." Victoria Shepard said, while Udina eyed him suspiciously.

"I was never informed that an agent would be coming to the Citadel…" he said, raising an eyebrow as the rest of the room's occupants began to look at him cautiously. Daniel was about to reply with something they would hopefully believe, when the door hissed open. And for once, he was genuinely thankful to hear the particular voice that spoke.

"That's because this was considered beyond top-secret. With every information broker in the galaxy searching for something juicy, sending communiqués wouldn't be such a grand idea, would it?" Tom spoke, stepping through the door. Daniel noticed an immediate change. The old man's friendly and kind aura was dissipated, now was one of utter focus and business-like manner. And the black uniform he wore was a pretty good clue as well. Anderson and the Alliance soldiers snapped to attention, while Udina's eyes widened.

"Director Smith, what are you doing here?" he asked disbelievingly. So that's his last name, Daniel thought. Tom walked with crisp and concise movements, coming to the desk and sitting in a chair before it. Tom's cane was nowhere to be seen, and he stood tall without it.

"For two reasons; first, to support Daniel's identity, as suspicion is so prevalent these days, and secondly," he turned to look at the Shepard siblings, "to re-assign him to your ground team." John raised an eyebrow, and looked at Dan.

"Yeah, and what's he qualified in?" Tom smirked at the same time as Daniel, even as the Ranger responded.

"Tracking, small arms, heavy weapons, vehicles, demolitions, advanced hand-to-hand, stealth operations, sniping, rappelling, amphibious and airborne assaults, and more."

"Okay, okay, I think that's good." The other Shepard said, shaking her head at the two. "John, I'd call that more than qualified. Welcome to the team." Daniel nodded, grinning faintly.

"Glad to be a part of it," he replied, and shook her outstretched hand.

"Um, Commander?" Tali said nervously. "I'd like to come along and help however I can." Vicki arched an eyebrow.

"Aren't you on your Pilgrimage?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes." Tali nodded vigorously. "And the point of our Pilgrimage is to show that we are willing to sacrifice things or the greater good. What would it say about me if I didn't help you in any way I could?" Daniel could see Shepard frowning slightly, so he stepped in to help.

"Ma'am, her tech skills are unrivaled, she is very well-trained with a shotgun, and I'm teaching her the art of sniping. She's also very good with anything to do with ships; the Normandy could really benefit having her onboard." Shepard looked at him strangely.

"How do you know about the Normandy?" Vicki asked. Tom chuckled lightly.

"My dear, in this career, it's his business to know things such as that." The Shepard sister's frown eased, and she nodded.

"Alright. Glad to have you aboard, Tali," she said, sticking her hand out to the quarian as well.

"Thank you Commander, I won't let you down." Tali shook Shepard's hand.

"And one thing, Lieutenant." She turned to look at the Ranger.

"Yes?" he asked, watching her expression.

"Call me ma'am again, and I'll boot your ass from here to Saturn. I'm not that old." She grumbled, shaking her head as she walked away. Daniel could easily see a smirk forming on Ashley's face, and Alenko coughed into his fist to hide his expression.

"Understood, Commander."

"Damn…" was Daniel's only expression when he saw the Normandy for the first time outside of a television screen.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" he nodded. It was so majestic, shining in its berth, gleaming as brightly as a diamond. The entire ship was sleek, predator-like; something that you knew was like an eagle- beautiful, yet utterly lethal at the same time. What a hell of a way to kick off getting thrown into this universe, Dan thought. He turned to Shepard.

"Well Spectre, congratulations on your promotion. Same to you too, Spectre." He said, looking at each Shepard in turn.

"Don't remind us." John groaned. "I can't talk for my sister here, but I don't like having my face plastered all over the Citadel and God only knows where else." Vicki elbowed him in the side of his armor, just barely jolting him.

"Piss off, you know I like it just about as much as you do." She cocked her head thoughtfully. "Though it does mean we'll cut through a hell of a lot more red tape than usual." John made an agreeing noise, as they both approached the stealth frigate's docking arm. Udina and Anderson looked up from their conversation, a tired expression on Anderson's face.

"Commanders, we've solved the problem of finding you a ship. Captain Anderson is stepping down from his command of the Normandy." Vicki's expression was a startled one, as she whirled to look at Anderson. John looked on in mild surprise, hanging back.

"Captain, the Normandy is yours. We can't take her from you." Vicki protested, and John nodded. Anderson sighed.

"She's quick, quiet, and you know the crew. Perfect for a Spectre. John, Vicki, we both know what Saren is capable of. If stopping him means that I have to step down from my command, then I'll do it without hesitation. It's your time now, you two." He said firmly, and Vicki nodded slightly.

"I…we'll catch that bastard, Captain." She responded, and Anderson inclined his head.

"I know you will. Now, we've got a few leads…"

Daniel turned away from the conversation, looking at the Normandy again. She seemed lightly armed. He couldn't locate anything other than a small barrel beneath the cockpit, most likely a mass accelerator cannon. But there had to be disruptor torpedo launchers, and maybe a few point defense guns. I just hope the stealth systems are all that they're cracked up to be. He sensed someone coming up alongside him, and turned to see Tali leaning on the railing, staring at the frigate.

"Keelah, that's…" she shook her head.

"Yeah, I know." Daniel said wryly, shaking his as well. "And remember, this is the first time I've ever seen a spaceship." Tali looked at him again.

"That's…it's still hard to believe that you're from-" he shook his head suddenly, and she nodded. "Right, sorry."

"It's alright." He sighed, resting more weight on the railing. "It's pretty confusing for me, too." The two remained silent, until John Shepard stepped between them, looking down and flicking a cigarette over the side.

"We're pulling out now, if you two lovebirds feel like coming." He said, before leaving. Dan felt some heat rush to his cheeks, and from the way Tali had turned away awkwardly, it was obvious she had a similar feeling. Really? I can survive in one of the worst combat zones in the world, but when it comes to women, I'm as awkward as the next guy.

"I guess we should get aboard." He said, stepping away from the edge. Tali nodded, and followed, still blushing profusely. Keelah, that was embarrassing, she thought. I mean, he's human, I'm a quarian, and even if we felt like…that, it wouldn't work. She shook her head as she stepped into the airlock with John and Daniel, waiting patiently as it began its decontamination cycle. When she stepped out onto the bridge, she hesitated for a brief moment. Humans were everywhere, at their stations working diligently. Talking echoed across the room, and the sounds of the equipment kept the noise level of the room at a din. A number of crew looked up from their posts to stare at her, and she suddenly felt nervous as an older man holding a datapad gave her a mistrusting look. She stuck close to Dan, who was following Shepard.

"Well, I tend to let Vicki handle all of the politics and issues, so she'll be the one who gives most of the orders. Standard battlefield doctrine with us goes out the window; we usually take two squads and figure it out on the go. This is Deck 1, Deck 2 is the crew's accommodations, the med bay, mess, and a couple of other things, and deck 3 is Engineering and the cargo bay." The trio walked down the stairs, marines on guard saluting the Spectre, who returned it lazily.

"So where do we bunk?" Dan asked the other man. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, John pointed to two doors on either side of the stairs.

"Crew bunks are back through there, with restrooms, a small exercise room, a food synthesizer, and a few simulators. The Normandy's not a big ship, but her crew isn't full to capacity, so there should be enough space for a few extra people. If either of you need me, you can usually find me either in the cargo bay or in the crew quarters. Vicki has the captain's quarters, which are right around the corner. I'll see you both around." He dismissed himself, heading back up the stairs. Tali and Dan looked at each other, and the human shrugged.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired. I'm going to hit the rack." He told her. She nodded.

"I'm going to take a look at Engineering; this ship is a technological marvel. I guess I'll talk to you later, Daniel." She said, turning to head for the elevator.

"Tali!" he called, and she looked over her shoulder.

"It's just Dan." He said, smiling lightly. She returned it and nodded, before entering the elevator. He turned to the door, and headed through, entering a narrow corridor that reminded him a lot of a submarine's. He spotted a number of curtains on the walls, with two name plates attached to most. Hot-bunking, he remembered. Eventually he came to one that had no plate, and climbed in, not even bothering to take off his armor. What a hell of a day… sleep claimed him quickly, as the Normandy pulled out of its berth, and rocketed towards the Relay.

A/N: Sarge here again, I know this chapter was short, but we wanted to get something out, to let you all know that we're still working on this. Thanks for all your support, Keelah Se'lai!