Chapter 1: Trials and Tribulations

Be careful whose identity you decide to assume, while it may reap your tremendous rewards it also will earn you powerful enemies...

Liara was overwhelmed it had been one month since she, with the help of Shepard, had taken over the old Broker’s operation and to everyone else in the galaxy no one noticed or so she thought. Shepard’s effort on taking on the Collector’s got a heavy shot in the arm as resources became available intel, and everything else. Suddenly it was as if Shepard’s team was on super juice, and it seemed so to everyone else. Unfortunately, for both Shepard and Liara, someone else noticed too.

Veronica smirked as she looked at the readout at her screen. It was the same signature as before and it was coming from Commander Shepard. There was no doubt now, Commander Shepard was working for the Broker. Veronica sipped her drink as she looked down under her desk at the naked Asari under her feet and said,” Don’t look at me, get back to work. The Asari dejectedly lowered her gaze and extended her tongue and continued to lick the heel of her Mistress.

“Right where you belong, now to make a call to my boss and we will be right as rain” Veronica said as she hit a button on her Omni tool, smirking as a screen came up revealing the picture of a cornhusk blonde woman on the screen, “Boss, I have found a match ... same elements and you are going to like this ... It is Commander Shepard, hero of the Battle of the Citadel!”

Shepard was heartbroken as she just debriefed the Alliance on her actions in the Bahak system in Batarian space and despite ridding the galaxy of the Collectors & saving the galaxy of another reaper invasion she might have to spend the rest of her days in a supermax prison while the galaxy is wiped out at the hands of the Reapers. She was extremely frightened and while she was not in prison yet, she knew which way the winds were blowing. The destruction of an entire system was considered monstrous and while people entertained her reaper justification before, many people, especially the Batarians were not having it. If only she had enough time to warn them before the system blew.

Shepard arrived at her apartment on Earth, although how long she would have it would be anyone’s guess, since it would most likely be gone the minute her sentence was handed down. Currently, she was grounded on Earth until further notice. In any case it was out of her hands. The vid-com rang to life from across the room. Jane Shepard clad in only grey underwear and a tank top casually walked over and clicked to see who the call was from, she did not recognize the number but she answered it anyways. she never recognized any numbers anymore since she was gone in space for so long.

A gorgeous raven-haired woman appeared on the screen before her. The woman’s steel gaze mesmerized her as they captured Shepard’s apt attention.

“Ah nice of you to dress for our first face to face as it were. Commander Shepard ... We request your presence; our people will pick you up at 7 P.M this evening wear something nice. We are about to make all your troubles with the alliance go away.” The woman said with a smug grin on her face.

“And if I refuse? Shepard said in a stern voice.

“Then you will never hear from us again, and you can ponder what might have been as you rot in a maximum-security prison waiting for the Reapers to arrive.” The woman said in an annoyed voice

“You have not even told me your name” Shepard stammered out.

“It does not matter, be ready or don’t, it does not matter to me one way or the other but I do recommend you make a good impression; my boss does not like to be ... disappointed.” The woman said eyeing Shepard up and down like a piece of meat. Shepard was not an idiot she could read between the lines this was going to be a formal meeting and the only formal wear she had was the dress Kasumi gave her in their operation in taking down Donovan Hock’s operation on Beckenstein.

Shepard sighed as the vid-com fell silent and went dark. She then immediately started on the task of getting ready for her “date”, however, if this meeting went as well as she hoped then she would be back in the game. These people might be connected and might be able to make this Batarian problem go away, and she can get back to her main goal of fighting the Reapers.

Shepard’s taxi dropped her off at one of the most expensive restaurants in Alliance HQ located in Vancouver, British Columbia. She walked out. The place was much nicer that Shepard has ever been accustomed. She walked up to the front hostess and said that she had a reservation at the restaurant.

“Hello, I am supposed to meet someone here at 7:00 P.M. They should be expecting me” Shepard said in the politest voice she could muster.

“I am sorry do you not even know their name?” The snide host stated flatly as she looked down on Shepard with derision.

“I was told to be here at this time” Shepard said somewhat annoyed.

“Oh so you are the one. I see. Very well proceed to the far back booth near the aquarium, do not look at our guest. Stay on the through way, and hurry, the person that requested your presence is a busy woman.” The host said.

“Excuse me, I will talk to your manager as soon as I am done with this ... this... lady.”

“Be my guest, if you still feel up to it” the host slyly replied.

Shepard decided not to waste anymore time on this person and slowly and furtively stumbled back to the booth where a blonde woman was sitting. She was eating some soup of some kind, and hardly paid any attention to Jane Shepard merely pointing her spoon across from her as she stared down and took another slurp from her bowl.

Shepard sat down adjusting her dress as she took a seat inside the booth. However, the initial impression was a nice one from the female across the booth from her.

The woman had her honey blonde hair in a harsh bun with sticks stabbed through the back of it. The woman’s clothing was for lack a better term, perfect. There was not a wrinkle nor a speck of dust visible on her outfit. An outfit that displayed her gorgeous legs perfectly, as a matter of fact, the woman was quite stunning.

“Well Jane it seems you have gotten yourself into a tight place that will not be easy to get out of, or cheap.”, the woman said. The woman seemed to look on with a blue steely gaze into the depths of Shepard’s soul.

“What do you mean not cheap?” Shepard quickly shot back.

“I mean that you just committed genocide on an entire star system of one of our most hated enemies, and are expecting to let due process take its course to exonerate you.” The woman stoically stated.

“I did it to stop a reaper invasion, the entirety of Batarian space would have fallen to the reapers if I had not done what I done.” Shepard shot back defensively.

“An invasion that only you can verify was happening. Shepard not even your own crew can back up your statement, you went alone for some odd reason. You are the ones that so violently dealt with the Batarians on Torfan and on Terra Nova, people believe you are xenophobic towards Batarians.” The woman casually explained to Jane as she took another slurp form her soup.

“So, what do you want in exchange for helping this problem go away. “Shepard asked inquisitively.

“You ... simply put, I want you to become an asset to myself and to whom the people I represent.” The woman said in a calm voice.

“An asset, what kind of asset?”. Shepard quipped back.

“The kind that follows orders, I must warn you however, if you do not accept my offer tonight the next offer will not be as generous.” The woman said as she looked directly into Shepard’s eyes and took another slurp from her soup bowl.

“Follow orders? What kind of orders?” Shepard asked, feeling her stomach turn.

“Any kind I choose, be my slut for the night, be my muscle, you will be my girlfriend as well as my head of security and my number two, you will have a modicum of respect on both fronts if you choose to accept my offer this instant, if not, then I have no use for stupid sluts in my organization, if you prove yourself not smart enough to see the value I possess, then I am afraid you will most likely not like what happens to you if you walk away tonight.” The woman calmly laid out.

“Stupid, because I will not be a trophy wife for a woman who has not told me who she works for or what organization she is referring to, what kind of work do you do, hell I do not even know your name, and you expect me to jump just because you say so? Now who is being stupid?” Shepard shot back angry at the conditions the woman just tried to lay down. The woman’s body tensed as Shepard insinuated that she was stupid for making this offer to her.

“Now I suppose not, honestly a part of me tingles at the thought of you refusing. Veronica my second in command told me to offer the position to you because she would accept being beat out by the woman that wiped out the collector base and the hero of the citadel. As for my name, it is Callista Everheart, if you will not accept my offer I think you should leave, I have sent a contact number should you choose to rethink your need for our assistance. Just remember what I offered you ... I was more than fair. “Callista said smiling.