Shelby leaned against her window, partly supporting her weight on her arm just above head level, against the window's glass. She stared out of the window and smiled a bit at the happiness in a child's face who was playing with a toy Alliance ship on the level below her. Her door opened behind her, but she didn't pay it any mind. It wasn't like Kaidan had finally shown up to visit her. He'd ditched her yet again, never coming to visit, or even reply to or send her messages. She didn't know what else she had expected from him. He was just sticking with his old patterns after all. Tell her that he still cares about her, that he doesn't want to leave her, then when things get rocky, he leaves her behind. He hurt her yet again, but Shelby was so used to it now that it had just made her numb.
"Commander." Vega said with a salute, prompting Shelby to turn and look at him.
"You're not supposed to call me that anymore, James." Shelby said as she grabbed a data pad from her desk.
"Not supposed to salute you, either." He said with a shrug. "We gotta go. The Defense Committee wants to see you."
Shelby paused and looked to Vega from her data pad. "Sounds important." She said and gently tossed the data pad onto her bed on her way out the door with Vega. "What's going on?"
"Couldn't say. Just told me they needed you...now." Vega said as they walked down the big hallway, finding Anderson on their way. "Admiral." Vega greated him with a nod.
"Anderson." Shelby followed up as Anderson walked next to her.
"You look good, Shepard. Maybe a little soft around the edges." He teased her.
'Wait, seriously?! Did Anderson just tell me I got fat?!' Shelby mentally panicked a bit as she looked to her hands on her stomach.
"How are you holding up since being relieved from duty?"
"Ya know, it's not so bad once you get used to the hot food and soft beds." Shelby joked.
"We'll get it sorted out." Anderson said with a little smile in his tone.
"What's going on? Why's everyone in such a hurry?" Shelby asked about the bustling hallways they were in.
"Admiral Hackett is mobilizing the fleets. I'm guessing word made it to Alliance Command...something big's headed our way."
Shelby stopped at the base of the stairs that Anderson was going up. "The Reapers?"
Anderson stopped and turned to face her. "We don't know. Not for certain."
"What else could it be??"
"If I knew that..."
"You know we're not ready for them if it is them...Not by a long shot."
"Tell that to the defense committee." Anderson said as they continued on their way.
"Unless we plan on talking the Reapers to death, the committee is a waste of time."
"They're just scared. None of them have seen what you've seen. You've faced a Reaper. Hell, you spoke to one -- then blew the damned thing up! You've seen how they harvest us, what they plan to do to us. You know more about this enemy than anyone."
"Is that why they wanted me in lock up? Grounded me? Took away my ship?"
Anderson stopped again and faced Shelby. "You know that's not true. The shit you've done...any other solider would've been tired, court-martialed, and discharged. It's your knowledge of the Reapers that kept that from happening."
"That and your good word?"
"Yeah, I trust you Shepard. And so does the committee."
"I'm just a soldier, Anderson. I'm no politician."
YOU ARE READING
Second Chances(A Mass Effect Fan fiction)
Fanfiction*UNDER REVISIONS* Shelby Shepard didn't lead a very interesting life in her 16 years on the colony of Mindor. But one fateful day, her life was turned completely upside down. She is forced to leave her home and start a new life. Will she thrive or f...
