Work Text:
Growing up around ships and space stations, learning the ins and outs of engines, jump drives, and cores, Annabelle thought she had seen everything.
Then she received orders to report to the dock on the opposite side of Arcturus from the barracks to become the CO of a ship called Normandy. ‘ Such a strange name, ’ she thought to herself as she carried her duffel to a shuttle that would take her to the other side of the massive station.
As she approached the dock where the ship lay, she over heard more and more soldiers talking and whispering to another.
“ Have you seen the new ship? It’s berthed just over there!”
“I’ve never seen such a design. I heard Turians were involved.”
“Why? Couldn’t we have just built it ourselves?”
“I heard it was because they wanted to get past the First Contact war. Maybe this is a galactic offer of peace to show that there are no hard feelings between the Alliance and the Hierarchy?”
Anna frowned as she continued walking. Why would the Alliance do that, indeed. It was just rumor and speculation right now. At least until she talked to Captain Anderson, her commanding officer.
When she reached the dock to the waiting and screening area, she caught a glimpse of a wing from outside a window and felt herself drawn. Once at the window, her duffle and jaw both dropped to the floor and she hurried to the window that went the length of the berth and along another terminal, completely forgetting her bag.
The Normandy, proudly painted in large letters along the side, was a design unlike any she had ever seen. Within its lines, she could see a bit of both sides; like a child born of two warring families. She could see the Turian in the body design, the length, and how it sloped in the front towards the bow. Even the bird-like feel of its wings.
But there was a stealthy aspect that was reminiscent of the Alliance in the height and the engine thrusters she was carrying in the back. The design on the tale was different, however, but effective.
All-in-all, it was a gorgeous ship and it took all she had not to start drooling. Unfortunately, she couldn’t keep her hands from clenching in want; she wanted to get her hands on the drive core to see if it was different as well.
Anna brought up the clock on her ‘tool and saw that she still had a couple hours in which to acquaint herself with her soon-to-be home away from home.
She hurried back to where she had left her duffle, hefted it over her shoulder and hurried down the bridge and into the decontamination area, nearly bouncing on the balls of her booted feet in excitement.
“Decontamination process complete. CO Shepard is aboard - XO Pressly stands relieved.”
Anna gripped the strap of her bag tightly in both hands as she passed through the entry and into the ship. To her left was the cockpit where she could see a man doing preparatory calculations on the displays, his fingers flying over the commands as if he had done it a thousand times. To her right was the long walk to the CIC where she could see a few people milling about, doing checks and rechecks of the ship's systems to make sure she was ready for her maiden voyage.
Her head shot from side to side as she walked down to the circular CIC. The room screamed Turian in its shape and form, with the galaxy map and the podium where the captain stood, lording over the crew as they ran the ship. Anna could see the effectiveness of such a design. It wasn’t something she was used to, but she had to remind herself that it wasn’t solely created by the Alliance.
To the left and right of the CIC were doors already guarded by soldiers. When she approached one of the doors, the soldier saw her and instantly straightened his posture and saluted her. Anna looked down at her uniform to see if she had any insignia showing her rank but saw none. When her eyes landed on the younger man again, he was still saluting and she raised one dark eyebrow.
“Why are you saluting me, soldier?”
“Because you are Commander Shepard. The Hero of Akuze. You were all over the news, Commander.”
Anna frowned to keep dark memories of screams and Thresher cries from coming front and center that years of therapy had helped her suppress but not fix, earning a worried look from the soldier before her. She shook her head and looked at the man. “That’s me, but you can stop saluting now. How do I get to the crew quarters?”
The man stepped away from where he had been posted, showing a glowing green access panel. “Take these stairs down one level. The pods are in the back, in between the captain’s quarters and the medbay past the mess hall.”
She nodded in thanks and went down the curved stairs, marveling at the openness of everything and how much more cozy the crew quarters felt than other ships she had served on, finding the sleeper pods exactly where she had been told. Anna quickly found the locker with her name on it and squared her possessions away before looking for a way to engineering, finding it at the bottom of a service elevator and another set of stairs. ‘ Just how tall is this ship?’
Anna stopped at the door, her hand hovering over the access panel and shaking slightly in excitement. She could feel the thrum of the engine through the floor at her feet, telling her it was a large mechanical marvel for being in such a small ship, and when she went inside, she wasn’t disappointed.
When the door opened, Anna’s jaw dropped again as she walked slowly into the building.
It. Was. Massive!
How did they get such a large drive core into the back of the Normandy?
“I have to find out!”
Oh, she could not wait to get her hands deep into the workings of this ship to see how she ticked!