Bonjour! This is kind of my first shot at this, I say kind of because I started to write another ME prequel fanfic, and that's kind of morphed into what I'm hoping will be the second part of a trilogy now, with this being the first. But still, I'm pretty new at this, and the only attempt I've taken before this was a Shining Force fanfic which was quite frankly awful. So my self-confidence is shaky at best.

Naturally, ANY constructive feedback you guys can give me will be greatly appreciated. I can't improve without knowing where I'm going wrong and what could be better.

So, about this. All being well, this will be the first part of a trilogy. For this part, the main characters are all OCs, but of course, it will all come to centre around Shepard eventually, so I'll spare you the details on that until we get there. Also, I'll leave out details of events that this story is gonna focus on, but anyone with a decent knowledge of the ME timeline will figure it out pretty quickly.

By the way, in case you're only just seeing this. This is actually a beefed-up version of the original Ch1, which was a hell of a lot shorter and lamer. Hopefully it's better now.

Anyway, enough from me. Lights, camera, action!

2155 CE

Arcturus Stream

"The Sol-6 Relay is in range. Initiating transmission sequence."

The flurry of activity around the bridge began to cease, as the members of the SSV Cambridge crew took their positions.

"Connection successful. Calculating destination and transit mass."

The only other audible sound around the bridge was the beeping and clicking of holographic interfaces accepting commands from their users, alongside the footsteps of those still heading to their terminals.

"The relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector."

Sat on the right side of the bridge, Commander Thomas Jameson couldn't help but feel awed at the mere sight of the mass relays, even after 3 and a half years of serving in space. They were magnificent structures, huge and complex. He felt they each must have been at least ten thousand times the size of the tiny ship he inhabited.

"All stations secure for transit."

He glanced across to the ship's pilot, Flight Lieutenant Rebecca Waters. Watching her work was entrancing – her eyes flickering across the displays taking in every detail, her fingers gliding across the interfaces and systems as if she were a machine, having rehearsed and performed these actions hundreds of times.

"The board is green. Approach run has begun. Buckle up, folks."

The Commander tensed himself as the ship's angle changed to bring it alongside the relay. Blue light emanating from the centre of the structure filled the cockpit, as if an enormous blue spotlight were shining down on them.

"Hitting the relay in 3… 2… 1…"

Though he was expecting it, Thomas still flinched involuntarily as lightning crackled from the relay, bathing it in a blue glow, before a loud, ethereal crack echoed around the bridge and the ship immediately accelerated to several hundred times the speed of light, before suddenly stopping after barely three seconds.

Looking out the cockpit window, Thomas registered the welcoming sight of Pluto ahead of him, signifying the home straight of the ship's journey home, and with it, the start of his first leave of absence in 6 months. As much as he loved exploring the stars and fascinating new worlds, the last few weeks had become little more than a waiting game before he could see his wife and daughter again.

Pressing a button to open up a comm channel, Lieutenant Waters began reeling off the necessary statistics of the mass relay jump.

"Thrusters… check. Navigation… check. All systems fully operational. Drift… around 2,100K."

The distinct Eastern European accent of the ship's Captain, Erika Ziemelis, rang out over the comm. "Nicely done, Waters. And 2,100K? Damn, almost broke the magic 2,000 this time. We'll get there. Find us a comm buoy and let Earth know we'll be home in time for dinner."

"Aye aye, Ma'am." The Lieutenant immediately resumed tapping at the interface. Glancing at her again, Thomas was almost expecting her to start singing to herself through contentment.

Then again, he felt the same way himself. Spirits were high among the entire crew. Two weeks ago, Thomas had spotted a tiny anomaly in a sector of unexplored space that turned out to be yet another dormant mass relay. Upon activating and traversing the relay, the explorers were rewarded with the metaphorical golden nugget of a world bearing distinct similarities to Earth. Further investigation had shown that it would make a perfect site for what would eventually become the eighth human colony. And Thomas was immediately hailed as a hero by the crew for being the only one to spot the relay that led them there.

A few minutes later, just as the ship was passing the icy, barren rock that was Pluto, a barely audible beep at the Commander's console indicated his own comm link had been opened, and Captain Ziemelis' voice filtered through. "Commander Jameson, I've just had a priority message from Admiral Drescher. He'd like to see us both when we arrive back at Vancouver."

A shiver ran down the Commander's spine. It was incredibly rare for an Admiral to request a meeting with a junior officer, and Admiral Drescher was notoriously hard to please. His features slowly etched with worry.

As if reading his thoughts, Waters immediately piped up. "Must be something good if he's taking time out to see you."

His modesty wouldn't allow him to consider it without prompting, but now, Thomas found himself wondering. She's right… I mean, 5 years of service and not a single disciplinary or black mark… maybe, just maybe… no, surely I'm not in for a promotion…?

He knew full what a promotion would mean at this point – his own ship. The realisation of a dream he'd held for as long as he could remember.

He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind, having taught himself long ago not to run away with optimism without a solid reason, and returned his concentration on the flight back to Earth. Still, he couldn't suppress the niggling at the back of his mind.

Just maybe…

Earth, Canada, Vancouver

Systems Alliance HQ

In contrast to the hour-long flight from the Charon relay to the spacedock where the Cambridge would reside for the next few weeks, the shuttle ride down to Earth lasted little more than 5 minutes. Normally, given their close friendship, riding alone with Captain Ziemelis would be a pleasure, but today, it only served to enhance his nervousness. It was clear from her body language that she knew exactly what would be happening at the meeting with Admiral Drescher, and while it made him feel just that little bit extra quiet confidence, the comfortable silence and the suspense that came with it was starting to irritate him slightly.

He was shaken from his thoughts by the rattling of the shuttle's movement ceasing abruptly, indicating they had landed. He shot a quick look to his Captain, who bore an insufferable smirk. Motioning toward the shuttle's gullwing door, she simply said "After you, Commander."

While Thomas was well aware of her tendency to gently tease her crew, part of him still felt it grate a little. Christ, she can be irritating sometimes.

Standing up, the door swung open, and to his shock, the Admiral was standing barely ten metres from the door, waiting for them. Startled, the Commander hastily stood to attention and saluted, which the Admiral swiftly reciprocated. Strange.

While he was never quite sure what to expect from the Admiral, he knew as much that he did not respect people, even officers, without merit. He'd obviously done something right to earn a salute, and the childishly excited part of his psyche perked a little. Still, he couldn't help but feel as unnerved as he always did in his presence.

As he and Captain Ziemelis stepped out of the shuttle, the Admiral finally spoke. "Commander. Captain."

Not quite sure how to react, Thomas found himself fumbling for words slightly. "You, uh, wanted to see us, sir?"

"Correct. Shall we take a walk?" The Admiral motioned for them to follow him, and the pair duly obliged.

Every step felt like a mile, every second feeling like an hour. Thomas was fairly sure he hadn't felt this nervous since his wedding day. The silence – besides the tapping of footsteps – wasn't helping at all.

After a few minutes, they arrived at a debriefing room, one of many that adjoined to each shuttle bay. Holding the door, the Admiral beckoned him inside, before sweeping to the head of the room. To Thomas' mild horror, his Captain joined him there, and under the gaze of the two, he began to feel like the smallest man in the world.

The contrast between the pair was almost comical – where Admiral Drescher was a tall, dark, brick of a man, Captain Ziemelis was a petite, blonde, fair-skinned, almost delicate-looking woman. And yet the mere presence of either of them commanded the respect of everyone in the room.

Mercifully, the Admiral broke then tension with a simple "At ease, Commander." Relaxing slightly, he let out a breath he forgot he'd been holding.

"Commander Jameson. As you know, the Alliance is expanding, and our colonisation efforts are gathering pace. As we discover more mass relays and more space to explore, naturally we need more ships with which to explore it, and capable explorers to command them."

Thomas' heart skipped a beat. He had a feeling he knew where this was going, but reined in his optimism before it got the better of him.

"Captain Ziemelis sent me your report on the world you found beyond Relay Theta-714. Not only is it perfect for colonisation, but your thorough analysis of the environment have allowed us to begin making plans for it already. We expect to establish a colony on the planet within the next 6 months."

Thomas felt a huff of pride. I'm helping build a new frontier. This was what he'd joined the Alliance for – to do his part to improve the human race. The Admiral immediately cut him out of his thoughts.

"But that's not why we're here, Commander. Two months from now, the Alliance will finish construction of a further fourteen frigates and a cruiser. These ships will join the Second Fleet as the 37th Exploration Flotilla, and on Captain Ziemelis' personal recommendation, I would like to offer you captaincy of the cruiser that will lead this flotilla."

Wha… Thomas took a moment to process the Admiral's words. Though he had a feeling he was about to be promoted, he had never expected to be given command of an entire flotilla. Stunned, he glanced at his CO, who shot him a knowing wink and smile, the kind that she employed to instil intense belief in her officers.

Thomas suddenly became aware that the Admiral was awaiting a response. He swallowed, still not quite sure how to react, before training and professionalism kicked back in. Once again, he saluted.

"Sir… thank you. It will be an honour." The Admiral returned his salute once again.

"Excellent. You are hereby dismissed for your six weeks' leave, after which you will officially receive your promotion. You will receive further orders 3 days before you report back for duty."

The Admiral held out his hand to shake, which Thomas, still trembling slightly from shock, accepted.

"Congratulations, Captain. You've earned it."

As Thomas left the debriefing room, he let out a sharp breath. He was still struggling to take in what had just happened. Half the reason he'd joined the Alliance in the first place was because he couldn't think of anything else to do with himself, and now here he was, being given command of not just his own ship, but a whole flotilla.

A flash of apprehension flicked through his mind. Surely this is too big a jump?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind him, followed by the familiar Baltic accent of Captain Ziemelis.

"Thomas!"

He turned, and saw the petite figure of his commanding officer fast-walking to catch up with him. Her authoritative aura caused the twang of self-doubt to hit him again, and he rubbed his forehead, a million thoughts running through his mind.

"So, what do you think?"

"I think…" Thomas struggled to find the words to properly represent the cascade of emotion he was feeling. "I think I'm gonna need something to drink tonight." He let out a nervous laugh, still rubbing various parts of his face.

The Captain offered him her trademark gentle, reassuring smile. "You know why I recommended you, don't you?" He sighed, his normal confidence faltering.

"Honestly… no. For a single ship? Maybe. But an entire flotilla? I don't… I don't know if I'm ready for that."

Ziemelis tilted her head slightly, an air of understanding emanating from her. She was always very good at reassuring her crew, making them feel safe and capable in their roles. She put her hand on his shoulder and began to walk down the hallway with him.

"Thomas, I've never known anyone to take so much care in their work, to be so thorough, so dedicated. A whole new colony has been cleared for construction thanks to the reports you've written. Since you've been my XO, most of what my crew has achieved has been because they've had your example to follow."

"Most of my attitude has come from following your example" Thomas retorted, a hint of debelief in his tone.

Ziemelis gave a slight cocky nod, something that Thomas had called "panto-arrogance" and never failed to make him laugh. "Well, I mean, I am pretty good" she smiled. "But I wouldn't be half as good as I am if I didn't have you behind me." Just as quickly as her cocky quirk appeared, it vanished again, replaced by a slight apprehension of her own.

"I'm taking a huge risk here. This will be as much about me seeing if I can make it on my own as you. But you're growing fantastically as an officer, Thomas. There's nothing more you can learn from me."

Thomas finally met her gaze. She gave him another reassuring wink.

"I know we'll make each other proud."

He thought for a moment. He knew she was right – over his two years serving aboard the Cambridge, Captain Ziemelis had become his best friend as well as his commanding officer. She had been there to banish the cold feet at his wedding and the birth of his daughter. She was a constant pillar of encouragement every time he doubted himself, willing him to do his best. She had almost become the sibling he had wished for so badly as a child.

Thomas closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, before meeting her stare once again and smiling.

"Aye aye, Captain."

She smiled, and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Good man. Now go home, enjoy your leave, and make sure to take a mental picture of Keeley's face when you tell her. That'll definitely be worth remembering."

Oh man, Keeley. Somehow, he'd yet to even consider how his wife would react. His eyes widened, at which Ziemelis laughed.

"Good luck, Captain. I'll see you in six weeks." She turned and began to leave, but stopped after a few seconds.

"Oh! And we're both Captains now, remember? So as of right now, you can call me Erika."

Thomas shivered at the thought. It would take a while to get used to her not being his CO. "I'll have to work on that" he replied weakly, to which she laughed again, before resuming her stride down the hallway.

A twang of hunger prodded at Thomas' stomach. He had been in the air for about 8 hours, unwilling to make any stops after leaving Vancouver for his adopted home of Moscow, and yet, the adrenaline from his unexpected promotion was still pulsing through him. He dreaded to think how his voice would sound after an entire around-the-world flight's worth of constant singing along to the music pumping from the back of the skycar.

In truth, he still felt slightly nervous over the prospect of such a huge leap in responsibility. But after talking to Erika and feeling her belief that he was ready, apprehension was slowly being replaced by a quiet confidence. Now he had six whole weeks to relax, spend time with his family, and psyche himself up before the big day.

Looking ahead, Thomas smiled as the huge, unmistakable domes of St. Basil's Cathedral came into view, perfectly maintained even after having stood for 600 years. The architecture of this city was what had attracted Thomas here – there was not another city on Earth like this. Despite the quick emergence of Prothean technology in everyday life over the last few years, aesthetically, it had remained almost the same as it had for the last 150 years. Along with the likes of London and Tokyo, it was one of the few cities worldwide that anyone with such an interest would call timeless – even as more modern architecture grows, the ancient feel of the city always remained. Thomas often wondered whether in 100 or 200 years, colonies that were being established now would have their own unique landmarks to attract people.

He began to feel excitement taking over as the city gradually drew nearer. It had been nearly 8 months since he had seen his wife and baby daughter face-to-face, though he had been able to talk to and see them via vid calls, he knew it would be no substitute for holding his little girl once again.

He sat back in his chair and began thinking of how lucky they were to even have her. Shortly after moving to Moscow, a transport freighter had exploded about 60 miles west of the city, an almost identical incident to the shipping accident at Singapore International Spaceport in 2151, exposing downwind communities to dust-form Element Zero. The incident had only scared Thomas because Keeley was pregnant, and in Singapore, nearly 30% of the children who had been in utero at the time developed cancerous growths as a result. He had said he'd never forgive himself if his own child suffered the same fate.

Thankfully, there were no signs of such so far, and every indication from doctors who knew the most of any human about Eezo exposure – which, all in all, was still very little – suggested that she would live as normal a life as any other child. But still, Thomas and Keeley never let themselves forget how lucky they were for that.

The Izmailovskaya district in which the family had made their home came into view. Thomas' smile widened just that little bit more, the rhythmic tapping gaining a little extra enthusiasm.

Almost home. Not long now.

A few minutes later, he passed a building to his right, and his own came into view. He looked fondly at the window of their apartment, and to his surprise, spotted Keeley standing on the balcony, waiting for him, holding their daughter in her arms. Thomas' heart leapt as he saw his baby girl. Christ, she's huge!

He saw his wife point towards the car, and the young girl looked, a broad smile spreading across her face, and tried to wave herself. Thomas felt himself welling up at the sight as he guided the skycar down onto the street.

Though he often felt pangs of guilt for being a spacefaring husband with a planetside wife, she appreciated the need for his work. Knowing that she never begrudged him being away was one of the things that gave him the strength to continue.

Leaving the car, Thomas began ascending the staircase towards the apartment. Living near the top floor, it was a long trip, and every step felt like a mile under the circumstances. Twinges of excitement kept prodding at him.

As he rounded the top of the final staircase, he saw Keeley standing in their front door, daughter in arms, and felt his heart skip a beat. The little girl was even more beautiful in person than on the vid calls he had grown used to. Tears began to sting his eyes before either of them had even said a word, as he embraced the family he had missed so dearly. It was one of those moments in which words were just not necessary.

Almost immediately, Keeley picked up on Thomas' slightly overly-emotional state. Though it was normal for him to wear his heart on his sleeve, this was a new extreme. She cocked her head at him, though she couldn't make out any hint of sadness in his eyes.

"What's happened?" she said softly, not quite sure what to expect in reply.

Thomas looked at her through tear-filled eyes, a smile spreading across his face once more.

"Well…"