Alex stares into Anderson’s face, not sure what to do.

Anderson! What is he doing here? He should be a Captain… in fact, he should be in charge of the Normandy. This means I’ve arrived before the plot of the first game. I better play the part...

According to what I’ve gathered, I’m a strange, highly skilled Lieutenant known for tech skills that resemble magic, and a completely out-of-place fighting style. That autograph made me look pretty arrogant... should I drop the act and just be myself, or stick to the role?

This is difficult… let’s keep up the charade, at least for now.

Briefly glancing at the two women—both in formal suits rather than uniforms and still unfamiliar—Alex smiles at Anderson.

“If it isn’t Captain Anderson, the famous war hero. Aren’t you busy on the SSV Tokyo?”

“You know about me? You didn’t strike me as the type to make informed choices—or even capable of rational thought,” Anderson replies with a stern tone.

“Who are the two beauties beside you?” Alex asks.

“One is your lawyer. The other will soon be your prosecutor,” Anderson states calmly.

“Oh? I don’t recall hiring a lawyer. Especially not one who seems friendly with both a famous Captain and the prosecutor in charge of my case. Sorry, but I don’t plan to get convicted without a fight,” Alex responds.

“Drop the act. These two are acquaintances of mine. I heard about your case and felt bad. I’ve had my own issues with the Rear Admiral… I want to help you,” he says, looking directly into Alex’s eyes.

Alex stays silent for a few seconds.

If someone offers you a hand, you take it. Anderson’s a good guy.

“If that’s your honest intention, then thank you. I could use the help—though I’m not that worried yet. My omni-tool’s been seized, and if things go south, I don’t plan on going down quietly. After I sue the Alliance, I’ll create the biggest mess you’ve ever seen,” Alex says.

“Your omni-tool? You lost it?” Anderson asks, visibly unsettled.

“Lost it?! After my arrest, of course they took it from me. Apparently my sword didn’t qualify as a weapon because it’s rather… antique. But yes, the tool is gone. I expect it back. You should really tell me where it is. I’m no genius at encryption, so it looks like Aldrin Labs succeeded in their plan,” Alex says.

“Lieutenant Kerber… I’m sorry. I won’t say you’re blameless, but you certainly don’t deserve this. I’m no longer with the SSV Tokyo. I’ve taken command of a new ship—the SSV Normandy. A true beauty, co-developed by the Alliance and the Turians. She’s the most advanced vessel humans have ever built. Costs as much as a brand-new heavy cruiser,” Anderson says, his mood lifting as he speaks.

“I see you’re a little excited. I like that—you’re still young, I guess you just got a new toy, huh? To be honest, I’m kinda interested. My previous duties were important, but I’ve grown weary of them. How about this—you get me out of this mess without any serious repercussions, return my omni-tool, and I’ll not only serve under you… I’ll owe you one,” Alex replies with a grin.

“I’ll do my best. Ladies, I don’t think your expertise will be needed after all,” Anderson says with a smile. Both women kiss him on the cheek and walk away.

“Braggart…” Alex mutters.

Not that I’m jealous! 

“Now then, I’ll try to get you out of here. To be honest, I’m short on time. We’re preparing for a special mission and I won’t be staying on Earth for long. I’m glad I didn’t have to convince you. We’ll be departing almost immediately. Besides you, I’m also waiting on a Turian VIP who will accompany us. Ever since the First Contact War in 2157, our cooperation with the Turians has strengthened a lot. They helped design the Normandy, and one of their top Spectres will be joining us.”

“Spectre? They’re overrated. They still haven’t let humans join, purely for political reasons. I can’t respect that,” Alex says with a smile.

“I… see. That’s a view not uncommon in the Alliance,” Anderson replies, his expression neutral. “Well, I’ll sort out your situation as fast as I can. I’ll send someone for you. Hopefully not a lawyer, if things go wrong,” he adds, his face showing a flicker of frustration.

He should have been the first human Spectre, after all.

“Thank you, Captain,” Alex says, watching the famous officer leave.

If the system allows me to stay locked up, there’s something wrong. This has to be my way out.

Four hours pass before Alex receives another visit—this time, from two new faces.

Alex looks up. Both are fairly tall, dressed in Alliance casual uniforms—navy-blue pants and short-sleeved shirts.

One is pale with a dark brown military cut; the other has tousled dark brown hair, light brown eyes, and a tanned complexion.

These two... Jenkins and Kaidan!

“Hello there, Lieutenant Kerber. I’m Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, and this is Private Richard Jenkins,” Kaidan says politely.

“Nice to meet you,” Alex replies, then adds, “Did the Captain manage to sort things out?”

“As soon as you sign these documents, I have authorization to release you,” Kaidan says, looking slightly apologetic as he hands over a datapad. A legal statement appears, requiring Alex’s fingerprint to confirm.

Not like I’ve got much of a choice... Let’s see.

Accepts warning, no official punishment, blah blah… what’s this? Acknowledges that the loss of the omni-tool was his own fault and forfeits the right to sue the Alliance or any connected business over data loss or privacy breaches, related to the incident in question. Pfft. I didn’t even have an omni-tool in the first place—who cares? They're just covering their asses. Whatever. I’m getting off scot-free—this is a surprisingly good deal. I need to sign!

Alex presses his thumb against the datapad. It scans and confirms his identity. Kaidan nods and signals a nearby guard.

“Free him, right now. Also—Lieutenant, welcome to the crew of the Normandy.”

“Thanks,” Alex says, stepping out of the cell as soon as the lock disengages. He firmly shakes Kaidan’s and Jenkins’ hands.

“It’s an honor to meet you! I’ve heard stories! I’d love to see you fight, if I get the chance!” Jenkins declares as he shakes Alex’s hand.

I hope not… for your own sake. I know that Jenkins dies during the very first battle to a surprise attack by Geth drones.

They quickly make their way to HQ, boarding a small shuttle that carries them to a hangar—where a single ship waits inside.

Once there, Alex can’t help but stare at the incredible sight before him.

In all its glory, he spots the SSV Normandy SR1, a sleek, cutting-edge frigate specialized in stealth and silent running.

This thing is huge... even though it’s considered one of the smaller ship classes. I guess since it’s focused on recon and special missions, it has to stay relatively small.

Trying to enter the ship, he hears a calm voice say: “Decontamination in progress,” as a soft white light scans him, purging contaminants from his body and clothes before he’s finally allowed to step aboard the Normandy.

As Alex finally steps into the ship with Kaidan and Jenkins, he immediately notices the attention he’s getting. Every crewmember they pass stares at him.

I really stand out… should I put away the damn sword? I must look like an idiot to them. But I can’t… how would I even explain that? It’s bad enough that my bow is equipped, even if it’s not visible. I’ll already have a hard time justifying that if it comes up.

“Can I request a little tour?” Alex asks Kaidan.

“Sure, let’s start here. This is the Command Deck. It contains the bridge, the airlock we just entered through, the Combat Information Center, and the comm room,” Kaidan explains, slowly guiding him through the ship.

Alex nods politely at a few crew members who eye him with confusion. He’s equally confused—the monitors lining the walls and desks are filled with data he can’t begin to process.

I don’t know the first thing about military systems… I’ll need a whole lot of LUK and lying to survive this…

They reach the bridge, and Alex instantly recognizes the man seated there.

The man turns around, revealing a blue cap and a rather thick beard.

“It’s true? We’ve got the crazy Lieutenant on board? Wow, he’s really carrying that sword!” he exclaims.

“Is that how you address a superior officer?” Alex replies, activating Ren and staring him down.

Visibly disturbed, the man stutters, “Sorry… sir. That … was out of line…”

Alex laughs and drops his Aura, then extends a hand. “Just a little joke. Call me Alex.”

“You… haha, you really got me. Not bad. I’m supposed to be the joker around here.”

“This is our pilot, Jeff Moreau. Everyone calls him Joker,” Kaidan explains.

“Nice to meet you, Joker,” Alex says, deliberately skipping the full name.

Joker lets out a relieved sigh. “You really had me there for a second. Now I just feel grateful you’re not actually terrifying. Anyway, we just had a special guest board—some Turian VIP. Currently resting in the Captain’s cabin. And this mission of ours? It’s got all kinds of weird flags.”

“Captain Anderson recruited me just for this mission. I’m guessing it’s important,” Alex notes.

“See?! That’s what I’ve been saying. First, the Turian, now you. This isn’t a standard mission. Though they told me there wouldn’t be any combat…” Joker trails off, clearly suspicious.

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Alex replies. “Well, I’ll catch you later, Joker.”

“Yeah, and don’t scare me like that again—my bones nearly broke from the shock,” he grins.

“He has Vrolik Syndrome,” Kaidan explains as they leave. “He jokes about it, but it’s serious. His bones are extremely brittle. Still—best pilot you could ask for, or so I’ve heard.”

Alex walks past Navigator Pressley, simply nodding as they pass.

Can’t waste time on minor characters. I’ll talk to them later, once I’ve got a handle on my situation.

They descend the stairwell to the second deck.

“Living quarters, mess, Captain’s cabin, lab, med bay. We also have storage lockers here—so if you want to stow your gear, this is the place. I’ll get one organized for you,” Kaidan says.

“We’ll probably spend most of our time here, then. But I still want to see the drive core. It must be insane,” Alex replies, visibly excited.

“Sure. Let’s take the elevator down. You might also want to check out the Mako. No idea why we have it onboard, but I haven’t had the chance to drive one yet,” Kaidan adds.

They check out the vehicle bay, including the Mako, before Alex suddenly rushes toward a certain man with a datapad.

“You! Are you the Alliance Requisition Officer? Show me what you’ve got!”

I need to see what he sells!!

“Huh? I mean… sure. Let me check if you’re authorized—wait, you don’t have an omni-tool? Got a datapad or something?”

“No… I was robbed…” Alex mutters.

“Sorry. Until I see permissions, I can’t do anything for you,” the officer replies.

Shit… I need to get some equipment.

“You told the Captain, right? He said he’d get you sorted out. I wouldn’t worry about it,” Kaidan says with a reassuring smile.

After a quick visit to the Drive Core—an impressive, humming powerhouse—and a few words exchanged with its engineer, Adams, Alex returns to the second deck. He sits at one of the tables and sips from a high-calorie energy drink made for soldiers, apparently packed with sugar and nutrients, enough to sustain even biotics in the field. Kaidan and Jenkins sit next to him, and Alex enjoys some fun banter with his new crewmates.

He can’t help but smile.

After that disastrous start, I feared the worst… but look at this. I’ve landed a VIP seat on the greatest adventure in the galaxy. The only question is… what will my role be?

Alex snaps out of his thoughts as a voice announces that Captain Anderson has returned aboard.

Moments later, the Captain approaches with a friendly smile.

“Glad to have you with us. I’m sorry about your omni-tool... It’s not much, but I’ve got a replacement for you. Along with new armor and a pistol. You’ll get it delivered to an empty storage locker in a few minutes. Your file says you’re not qualified—or frankly allowed—to be issued anything more.”

“Heh, it’s fine. That’ll do. Thanks, Captain.”

“Meet Commander Shepard, Executive Officer of the Normandy,” he says, gesturing.

Alex turns, expecting to see the legendary and iconic John Shepard, frankly, one of the biggest badasses in video gaming.

But instead, standing in front of him is a woman wearing the same casual Alliance clothes.

With shoulder-length auburn-red hair, bright green eyes, and subtle makeup, she stares at him with interest.

Alex can’t help but stare back in shock.

I don’t think a certain spider will like this...