Chapter Text
The Normandy SR-1.
Elianna Shepard gripped her bag a little tighter as she approached the airlock. According to the message she had received about her transfer, she was early, but if everything she heard about Captain Anderson was true, he was already on board and getting to know the new members of his crew. Which included her. As the new XO.
And, if rumors proved to be true, with a Spectre joining them. A turian Spectre.
She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and focusing her attention away from the past. She could do this. This was no Jump Zero. She was no longer at Brain Camp. She had come so far since then. And if she could rise to the rank of Commander, could save Elysium, then she could deal with having a turian Spectre on board the Normandy. It wasn’t like every turian was just like Vyrnnus.
Unsurprisingly, the ship was already teeming with activity as she stepped aboard, with crew members rushing about to finish the final checks before takeoff. After all, the shakedown cruise for the prototype deep scout frigate would have many hopes riding on it… and even more people watching, eager to see the results of the human-turian co-developed ship. It would either illustrate the success of interspecies cooperation, or provide further evidence that the relationship with turians following the First Contact War was irreparable.
Everything relied on them.
Part of her still couldn’t believe that she was there, as Commander Elianna Shepard, the new executive officer of such an important shakedown run. That she was the same person who had shied away from any sign of violence, even at BAaT. The same person who had been frightened of Vyrnnus, and later of…
She shook her head. There was no use thinking of him, no use regretting her reactions in the past. There was nothing she could do about the pain she was sure she had caused him; she didn’t even know where he was, hadn’t thought to keep track of him after they were all allowed to return back to Earth.
Setting her shoulders resolutely, she pushed her way forward, though she took care to dodge the crewmen already rushing about. A loud, irreverent voice sounded from the front of the ship and she headed for the cockpit; even if Captain Anderson weren’t there, someone ought to be able to steer her in the right direction.
The source of the rant – waxing poetry on the experimental drive core, if she followed the technical terminology correctly – came from the bearded man who was presumably their pilot, lounging in the chair. Her lips twitched at the unnecessary addition of an SR-1 baseball cap perched on his head. And beside him…
Dropping her bag unceremoniously behind her, she snapped to attention as the man who could only be Captain Anderson turned his gaze to her. She barely restrained a wince at the thud from behind her – dammit, and after she had spent a few hours organizing everything, too – but the captain’s eyes were amused as he intoned, “At ease, Commander.”
She relaxed with a semi-sheepish smile as he gave her a quick rundown of their orders from Alliance High Command before offering her a tour of the ship. Hauling her duffel behind her, she accompanied him through the CIC and towards the crews’ quarters.
They were moving towards the medical bay when she felt it – the slight thrum of energy that indicated another biotic was nearby. Her attention faltered. It wasn’t entirely unexpected for an Alliance vessel that was clearly designed for covert operations and dangerous missions, but the familiarity of it…
“Captain!”
She froze; she could recognize that voice anywhere, even after a dozen years, even if the circumstances of their friendship, or whatever it was that they shared, felt like they had occurred a lifetime ago.
“At ease, lieutenant. I was just showing our new XO around. Have you had a chance to meet Commander Shepard?”
“I- Elianna?” Her name came out as a strangled gasp.
She turned around slowly, holding her breath. He had grown, filled out with the training he’d received since their time at BAaT. Just as she was no longer the scared, defenseless girl, he was no longer the lanky, somewhat awkward teen who had been her protector, but she could still find the boy she had known in the planes of his face, his dark hair. The warm, amber eyes, wide with shock and disbelief and something else entirely.
“Kaidan.”