human
It had been nearly six years since the Reapers had fallen and the galaxy was finally free of their threat, but recovery was nowhere near finished. So many people had died, so much damage had been done. The various peoples of the galaxy would be feeling the effects for generations, but none more so than this one. The first year or two after the war had been complete chaos, with everyone being far more concerned with their own race and homeworld than any other. There was nothing wrong with that really but it had left the galactic political scene in shambles. At least there had been cooperation rather than competition, everyone had needed one anothers help, but the result had required a full reboot of the system.
Not to mention the Citadel, the galactic seat of power, had been destroyed in the effort to stop the Reapers. There hadnt even been a place for leaders to meet, and connects through the extranet had been shaky. Slowly though, things were getting back on their feet and starting to move forward again, and the biggest key for that future was Siti Station. Projected to be just as big as the Citadel, it would no doubt take decades to complete, but after a few years of massive cooperation and effort, the main hub was finished enough to start allowing diplomats and dignitaries to come and start rebuilding the galaxys political system.
The Council was reborn, but this time it included a representative from each race. The Reapers had evened the playing field, everyone had done their part, so now everyone had a Councilor. There was, of course, a human, turian, asari, and salarian, but now there were additions from the elcor, hanar, volus, krogan, quarian, and even the geth. There was no batarian Councilor, their race had been practically wiped out, and now scattered to the wind, they had no central government to represent them and so no one to elect a Councilor, but the other races of the galaxy now worked together like they never had before.
The Council wasnt the only thing that had been restructured though, the Spectres, the left hand of the Council, had as well. Since their creation they had been a shadowy group with no hierarchy or real structure, they had been above and outside the law, able to do whatever it took to carry out the will of the Council with no legal ramifications or consequences. Even murder had been perfectly legal for them. That had not changed, everyone recognized the importance of the Spectres and the importance of their ability to work outside the law. But after individuals like Saren Arcturus and Tela Vasir had been exposed for their corruption, others had as well, and it was acknowledged that some sort of oversight was needed.
So here she was, Artemis Shepard, the first human Spectre, Savior of the Citadel, and the Hero of the Reaper War, to fulfill that need. She would be the first Captain of the Spectres, their leader. Her rank was still the only one that existed outside of trainees being below their full fledged Spectre trainers. She was their leader, they answered to her, and she would put measures in place to better monitor the Spectres and their actions, but besides that, they would operate much the same. Shepard hoped to be involved as little as possible with their methods and operations, that was the strength of the Spectres after all. It took a special breed to be able to do the things they did, and one of the characteristics they all shared was the ability to think and act independently. They were no mere soldiers following orders, they made their own orders, and they needed that ability. To have to constantly check and answer to someone would be a hindrance.
But they needed someone to keep them on the straight and narrow, and Artemis would do her best to make that happen. She had mixed feelings about all this, as it meant that she would no longer be active out in the field, unless she really needed to be. So she was essentially retired from active work, but maybe it was time for that. She wasnt a kid anymore, nearing 39 she was starting to get into the middle aged range, which was mildly horrifying, and Artemis had done more and seen more than most people in the galaxy, and she had the scars to prove it. Her cybernetics were the only thing that had kept her from simply being a shattered mess after the Reaper War, surviving the explosion of the Crucible, falling through space and the Earths atmosphere, and landing in the rubble of some building. She should have died, again, but shed survived and after a year of intense therapy, shed been back at it.
Perhaps it was time to slow down. Or that was what she kept telling herself. If nothing else, it would be good to see some of her old friends again. Joker and Edi had left only a year ago to come to Siti Station to work and live, Joker working with engineers on the air traffic systems and controls, Edi helping with the VI and general technology. Both of them had worked with Shepard after shed recovered from the war with both diplomatic missions and Spectre work. But shed learned that Garrus was here now as well, working with the stations new police force, and Wrex would be here as the krogan Councillor. It was like getting the gang back together, or at least some of it. The others, the ones who were still alive, were scattered across the galaxy.
As the ship she was on came through the relay, Artemis sat up a bit and looked through the window, trying to see the new station. And what a station it was. She still remembered the first time she saw the Citadel, and how amazing and almost overwhelming its sheer scale was. This was much the same, as even with only a portion of it finished, it was massive.
They flew in and docked, and Artemis got up and walked to the airlock, waiting for it to open. Her things, what little she had, would be unloaded and taken the apartment that was being given to her, and for once she wasnt wearing her armor. A pair of jeans tucked into her boots and a hoodie over a tank top was all she bothered to wear. Her red hair was left loose to hang around her shoulders, and she hadnt bothered to wear any make up. There wasnt supposed to be any big fan fare with her arrival, though she was going to attend a big dinner that night were the press would be taking her picture and reporting on her newly appointed position as Spectre Captain. She wasnt looking forward to that.
Shepard was a beautiful woman, she always had been, though now people might call her distinguished before they called her beautiful. She was covered in scars, and she was starting to get some gray in her red hair, not surprising considering what all shed been through. Her skin was fair, almost pale, but with a splash of freckles over the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were a dark green, thin gold rings around her pupils. There were lines of age forming on her face, not prominent, but there was a definite crease between her brows from how much she frowned and grimaced. What did you expect when you had spent your entire life fighting though? It was all shed ever known, from the gang shed run with as a teenager to her days in the military, to becoming a Spectre.
The air lock opened and Artemis stepped off, looking around for her friends, having been told to expect Joker and Edi if nothing else.
gpt
On the open air docking arm of the new Siti station there is a hussle and bussle of technicians working away either loading, unloading or just transporting a variety of boxes or items on powered lifters. Engineers drones buzz around collecting some of them items and heading off into the distance to work on still half constructed bulkheads of the starport. Opposite the shuttle that just docked containing Shepard is a massive almost brick like ship clearly not intended to win any beauty contests by its designers has the most attention to it from the dock workers as everything scurrys from this distance looking like ants clambering over a mound of sugar trying to take every granule that can.
If it was not for this hectic sight then Shepard could easily have thought that no one would meet her untill a diffrent kind of whirring sound made its presence by being very diffrent than the what else can be heard around the starport, the noise is soon overtaken by a diffrent noise a form of whining....yet very familiar.
"I do not care! They never made any plans with us, they never asked for permission and we have no docks for them, tell them we might and is say MIGHT! have a space in three hours! Tell them to visit the next systems moons for a bit, I hear their just WONDERFUL...."
Coming down the long arm of the dock is a scruffy thick bearded man with a cap on trundling towards Shepard standing on a tri wheeled sort of electric skateboard continuing to shout at nothing as if it is normal. "We have the Geth coming in at three, and I mean three! Not a minute sooner and not a minute later! You best have dock eight's maglocks working by then or I am going to offer your sorry ass to the Geth to as a sorry and tell them to make you their pet! Right good...you will be finished for two...." the once disgruntled face spots Shepherd and quickly a hand flies up to his ear and quickly hits his inner earcom at the same time his face burst out into a smile and his arms fly open with a loud and a sound of fake surprise in his voice as he exclaims "Shepard!"
The man jumps off his triboard and begins limping slightly towards Shepard eagerly, wearing a heavy looking thick jumpsuit of a uniform not that much unlike the rest of the workers around except in light blue making seem more regal despite how scruffy his face looks, the reaches Artemis and with a great big smile still on his face he lunges in for a hug yet goes kind of slowly as he is about to make contact he shouts ecstatically "Commander! its so good to see you!" he then lightly embraced the hug whether or not Shepard wanted too.
This kind of behaviour and stance could only be that of Joker who never was one to hold people's ranks or achievements from letting himself be himself towards every being he came across. Breaking the hug suddenly he then acts stunned for a second then regretful all of a sudden before sounding like he is breaking bad news "Look I do not have the time sorry, can we walk and talk?...." Joker then looks at his triboard then back to Shepard and with a weak smile and laugh "You walk...I'll roll." he then presses his arm lightly on the back of Shepards to guide her towards the customs office situated in the bulkhead down the docking arms long length.
Now realising he has never given Artemis a moment to say anything as he jumps onto his Triboard and starts a slow rolling start he looks quickly to her and ask "So how's the kids?!" before his eyes looks away and his bearded faces wrinkles his gaze returns to the Specter before him and his eyes then squint waiting for the answer from her as if he isn't sure now.
human
The dock was madness, people of every race rushing in every direction, drones whizzing about. Construction was in full swing and her arrival went completely unnoticed, not that she was going to complain. But she didnt recognize a single fact, and she had thought that one of her friends was going to be here to greet her. Artemis frowned, and was about to give up and just find her way to her apartment herself, not wanting to admit her disappointment, when she heard a familiar voice.
Joker was easily recognizable to her, even if his beard had gotten a little longer. She was relieved when he finally saw her though, greeting the former Commander enthusiastically. Hey Joker, she greeted in return as he limped over. When he finally reached her and gave her a hug she returned it with only a little hesitation. Artemis wasnt a very affectionate person, but she had missed Joker. She let him go and nodded when he asked if they could walk and talk as he didnt have a whole lot of time, Sure, lead the way.
She walked alongside his triboard through the bustling dock, looking around curiously. When Joker asked her about kids she turned her head and gave him an openly confused look. I dont have kids Joker, not so far as I know anyway who knows with how shady Cerberus was, Artemis commented before looking around a little more. Things seem pretty crazy around here, getting much done? she asked.
gpt
Joker acting a bit disappointed before explaining his odd question "Your Commander Shepard in the last ten years you have not done anything slow, you have survived a hell of alot and I think we could safely say you have actualy died at least twice...thought you might be planting some seeds since I last saw you, I mean before death number three..." Joker stops abruptly and turns looking with a hand stretched out "am sorry! Here am sounding like my mother and then I got morbid...yet here you are walking....and better than me!" he exclaims with honest great enthusiasm before starting his triboard back into motion. " Your an amazing person yet times ticking for all of us..." he says looking sullenly to the ground a little.
Stopping just before they hit the bulkhead wall with a door saying "Customs" in a variety of alien languages with two security officers standing each side of the doorway almost looking like statues with their faceless helmets providing them no sense of being. With a slick screech due to the quick drift turn the jocular dock flight control officer did suddenly. His facing turning uncomfortable and with sigh he lets out "Look I need to go I got stuff to do can't hang with ye." his face brightens for a moment to try and help "But I will be at the dinner tonight, nothin gonna stop me, I will bring EDI...OH yeah! EDI is at her scheduled daily meeting with the new station VI and I don't know who gets crankier EDI or the VI if they are not sticking to their times..." letting out a nervous laugh Joker pauses for the first time since he and Artemis started their lots of walking from Shepard and lots of talking from Joker yet a lack of the two from the same person.