A black-haired woman geared up in armor stepped out of the transport and looked around. Not finding anything unusual, she stepped out of the transport, bag in hand. It was a quiet night on the Citadel, with only a few dock crew members working around. Captain Aster Shepard was glad for the late arrival; it was nice to avoid all the paparazzi that seemed to know when she was going to make port at the Citadel. Being in the spotlight was one thing that Aster extremely disliked. One could say that she hated being noticed because of who she was associated with. Her brother, Spectre John Shepard, was well known throughout the galaxy for his heroics to stop an assassination attempt on the Council members. He was considered, by most, a hero and an icon, if you will.
Aster, on the other hand, only saw John as a brother. Not a hero or an icon...just her older brother. Who loved attention and being recognized. Being a Spectre was not her cup of tea.
She didn't hate her brother; on the contrary, she loved him, but she also didn't like being compared to him. While her brother thrived in the spotlight, Aster preferred to operate in the shadows. She was part of an Infiltrator squad that specialized in infiltration, hostage rescue, and other specialized tasks that most individuals would think twice about doing.
Even though Aster was nowhere near her brother's level, she was the best at what she did. If you want something done or want something to go away, you send Captain Aster Shepard. If you wanted the galaxy to be saved, you would send Spectre John Shepard, the hero.
"Captain," her pilot, Cortez, called out behind her. "We received a call from Major Anderson. He wants to see you as soon as possible."
"Doesn't he always?" Shepard muttered quietly, taking another look around.
Aster wasn't paranoid, but she knew that over the years, she had made some powerful enemies who wanted her dead. She couldn't afford to be careless. Satisfied that no one was lurking nearby, Aster shifted her bag onto her shoulder and began to walk toward the elevator. Anderson wasn't known for his patience, and Aster wasn't known for her tardiness. Major Anderson, however, was known for his overprotectiveness of Aster more than of her brother, John. She was, after all, a bit younger than John when they lost their parents during the initial batarian attack on Eden Prime. Regardless of the circumstances that brought the Shepard siblings to Anderson, they owed him a lot.
It was a known fact that the batarian was out of control, and little was being done to stop them at the moment. Humanity and the Turians were still recovering from the war, and many of the species on the Citadel didn't have a strong enough army to stop any batarian attacks. Since the Batarian renounced the Council and anyone associated with them 10 years ago after the war between humanity and the turians, they had gone on a rampage, killing everything and everyone they came across. No territory was safe from the slaughter.
Aster waited patiently for the elevator to open in the center of C-Sec. It had been several months since her visit to the Citadel, but the music was worse than ever. A lone turian maned the C-Sec security desk when Aster emerged from the elevator. She wasn't surprised to see Chellick watching a vid on his omni-tool, after all, every time she came back from a mission, he always seemed to be waiting for her.
Some wouldn't think it weird to see the turian at the desk, but Shepard knew Chellick was keeping tabs on her departures and arrivals. Aster really didn't like anyone knowing her business, not when knowing her could get them killed. It was one of the main reasons she requested late arrivals; she wanted to avoid people as much as possible.
Chellick looked up from his omni-tool just in time to see Captain Shepard walk out and had to hold back a smile. Many wouldn't give this figure a second glance, but Sergeant Chellick knew the distinct aura of Captain Shepard. There was something about her that oozed strength, confidence, and a deadly killer instinct that no one would dare mess with. Her black hair, turquoise eyes, and olive skin made her the prettiest human Chellick had ever seen. Not that he would admit it to anyone, turians and humans still weren't too fond of one another.
"Captain," Chellick called out in greeting. He was always happy to see her every time she returned from a mission. "Good to see you."
"You're still here, Chellick?" she asked, walking closer. "I thought you would have gone home by now."
"Got the late shift," Chellick replied. There was no need to tell her; he had traded his shift with someone else's to get a chance to talk to her.
"Going to see the Major?" he asked, hoping to continue the conversation.
"Yes," Shepard replied, shifting her bag to her shoulder. "He'll want to hear all about my trip."
"Of course," Chellick answered, thinking of a way to continue the conversation.
"Chellick," Shepard said. "If I were you, I would be careful about how familiar you become with my habits."
"I-" Chellick was speechless.
"It's not safe," Shepard continued. "You've been warned."
With that, Shepard said goodbye and continued on her way.
"Bye," he said, quietly watching her go. "Until next time."
Aster made her way through the Citadel, watchful as ever until she got to the offices of the Human Embassy. Major Anderson had an office right next to it, even though there wasn't an elected Human Councilor. She stopped in front of the doors and tried to look presentable before knocking. A soft enter was heard before the Captain squared her shoulders and entered the room. Admiral Steven Hackett and Major David Anderson, her adoptive father, were waiting for her. Shepard walked up to them, stopped just a few feet before them, stood to attention, and saluted.
"Captain Aster Shepard reporting, sirs," she greeted.
Admiral Hackett saluted and motioned for Aster to take a seat.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" She asked, making herself comfortable.
"I wanted to hear the report straight from the source," the Admiral replied.
"I'm assuming you read the report, Sir?" Aster asked, a bit confused.
She couldn't understand why the Admiral of the Alliance forces would take a personal visit to hear a report.
"Yes," the Admiral replied. "I find it quite amusing."
The Council sent Aster to retrieve Councilor Tevos's daughters. There had been rumors of an assassination attempt on their life and since John wouldn't be back in time, they decided to send in another Shepard for retrieval instead. It was a simple mission, really, a pick-up and drop-off. The easiest mission Aster had been on since her graduation from the N7 program.
"It was the least I could do," She replied, sounding as genuine as she could. "They've been so kind to me."
In reality, Aster really didn't like being sent out on meaningless missions; her skill was definitely being wasted. The Admiral and the Major shared a look but didn't reply. They knew she was lying.
"Is there something else?" Aster asked, looking at them both. "I find it odd to see both of you together."
"No, nothing for you to worry about," Anderson quickly said. "How about we go get some dinner?"
"You'll be joining us, Admiral?" Aster asked, standing up.
"No," he replied. "Maybe next time."
With that, the Admiral excused himself, leaving Aster and Anderson alone.
"What was all that about?" she asked, staring at the door Admiral Hackett had gone through. "He never shows up without a reason."
"Nothing for you to worry about," Anderson repeated, grabbing his things. "Come on. I hear the soup place you like so much should still be open."
Anderson and Aster made their way toward the Wards, careful to avoid the roaming C-Sec officers on patrol. It was best to stay away from them and remain hidden. If they were seen, the patrol would insist on escorting them. The trip wasn't far, and in no time, the pair were in the lower market behind the black market, where a Salarian had opened a soup shop called Saertall Soup. When they entered, they were greeted by Saertall himself.
"What will it be?" he asked, wiping his hands on his apron
"I'll have a number 3 and a side of your honey marinade," Aster answered, taking a seat at one of the tables. "Oh, and a tea."
"I'll have the same thing," Anderson answered, also taking a seat.
Saertall excused himself and went to the kitchen to prepare their meals.
"How's everything?" Anderson asked. "Anything new?"
"Not really," Aster answered. "Just trying to keep busy, you know. Not much to it."
"So that rumor about getting cozy with a certain turian in C-Sec is nothing but a rumor?" Anderson asked nonchalantly.
"Ah," Shepard said smiling. "There is nothing there if you're wondering."
"You sure?" he asked as Saertall came by with their drinks.
"Yes," Aster said, taking a sip of her tea. "You honestly think I have the time to be wasting? If that ever changes, I'll let you."
It didn't take long for Saertall to return with their food.
"Instead of worrying about those rumors," Aster began. "How about we eat our dinner and head to bed? I could use a nap."
Aster had been right to be worried; she hadn't been the only one worried about attracting unwanted attention. If Anderson knew Chellick knew her, then other people could also be watching.
I hope he doesn't get himself into trouble...
After they ate their dinner and left the soup shop, the pair headed toward the Tiberius Towers, which were located on the Silversun Strip. Silversun Strip was part of human housing that the Council had given Humanity as part of the peace treaty.
"You seeing Dr. Chakwas later on tonight?" Aster asked as they entered the building and headed toward the elevator.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, hitting his floor number.
"Of course, you don't," She said, hiding a smile.
What makes you think I'm not keeping tabs on you, orJohn?
When they reached the third floor, Aster said her goodbyes and went into her apartment. She took a quick look around to make sure the apartment was empty; the kitchen was on the right-hand side, followed by the living area to the left. There was a small office, a workbench, a bathroom, and one bedroom. It wasn't big or anything, but it was good enough for her since she rarely had a chance to stay more than a few days.
After removing her armor and placing it on the workbench, Aster placed a quick grocery order for delivery to her place and grabbed her clothes to take a shower. She would have preferred to take a long bath and enjoy her stay, but unfortunately, she didn't have the luxury of relaxing. Aster wasn't sure when she would be sent on another mission. The doorbell rang as Shepard pulled on a hoodie, wearing nothing underneath. She thanked the deliveryman, tipped them, and went to put away the groceries.
The cupboards and fridge were empty because she always made sure to buy only enough food for two days. It was best not to waste. Once that was done, Aster sat on the couch and went through a list of movies to choose from. She didn't have much, but she preferred to have some background noise while she caught up on emails and reports. It wasn't long before Aster fell asleep to the blurring of words on her omni-tool.