Since the Mass Effect games are backwards compatible, you can bet your ass I’ll be taking screenshots with my Xbox One of my not so pretty Shepards as I go through the games again.
See, I have this headcanon that Shepard's father, who was also a marine and one of the first humans to explore the Citadel, knew Garrus' father from his C-Sec days. Shep's dad was always bugging Garrus', getting involved in cases he had no business being a part of (much like his daughter would years later) and just in general driving Garrus' dad up a wall with his strange human ways, the most enigmatic of which was his insistence at calling the elder Vakarian "Lestrade."
I can just imagine Garrus' dad finding out that his son is not only getting married to a human--the first human Spectre, Savior of the Citadel, Hero of the Reaper War--but the daughter of that insufferable human male and that they're going to be tied together through the binding laws of marriage, making them in-laws, that his grandchildren will be calling that man "Grandfather" and he just can't with anything anymore. Shep's dad, on the other hand, thinks it highly hilarious.
Sephie Shepard's ruthless reputation hides a cheerful disposition and boundless optimism.
Name: Sephie Shepard
URL: i-am-shepard-commander
Basics: Soldier/Paragon/Spacer/Ruthless
Headcanon: Born to David and Hannah Shepard aboard the SSV Vailulu’u, Sephie inherited her mother’s looks and drive while being gifted with her father’s wit and creativity. Able to think outside the box, she stood out from her peers at an early age and was praised for finding “unconventional but effective solutions” to problems.
Sephie rarely saw either parent as a child, as they were both prominent officers in the Alliance and very busy. They loved her dearly though, and made sure that she knew she was their world. The young Shepard grew up on ships and never felt any real attachment to the human homeworld, despite both of her parents being Earthborn. Her father left behind a large family, but never cared to talk about them much. Her mother, on the other hand, was an orphan at the age of eight when her parents were murdered and was brought up by her cousin Jacqueline.
Sephie wanted to live up to her parents’ names and was a meticulous student. She was the center of attention more than once, and, like her father, loved it. The constant adoration she received from her teachers and parents inflated her ego greatly and she did not feel bad that some of her peers hated her for it.
Thanks to her father’s influence, she grew up open minded regarding alien races, though this didn’t stop her from developing a bad relationship with all of batarian kind, much like the infamous and fictional Captain James T. Kirk’s relationship with the Klingon race.
Sephie’s first major mission was on Torfan, much to her delight, and in her over-eagerness and refusal to believe that she could do wrong, she planned an attack that would jeopardize the lives of most of her comrades. Betting that it would all work out to her advantage in the end, she was horrified when more than half of her squad was cut down. In a fit of rage, she killed every batarian she could find.
Ever since the massacre at Torfan, she has been seeking redemption for her actions and holds to the creed that those that leave their comrades behind to die are “trash.” Her personality has greatly changed as well, and where before she was cocky and arrogant, she is now humble and avoids the spotlight whenever possible. She believes that she does not deserve recognition for her actions on Torfan and almost turned down the N7 recommendation but decided to pursue it as a means of honoring her fallen comrades. When the training was at its toughest, she would think of their bloodied and lifeless bodies and press on.
She was offered surgery after returning from Torfan to get rid of the scars on her cheek and brow but refused, seeing them as reminders of the person she used to be and never wanted to go back to being. She was a bit disappointed to find that her face had been restored to its pre-Torfan state following her reconstruction by Cerberus, but she understood that there was no way they could have known—or even cared—about her feelings towards the facial blemishes.
David Anderson, an N7 marine, had had his eyes on Shepard for a long time, taking a special interest in her career especially after she graduated top of her class in the N7 program. Anderson saw a bit of himself in Shepard and wanted to help her grow into the soldier he knew she could be. Not having had her father around much in her youth, Shepard quickly came to view Anderson as a surrogate father of sorts. His death at the end of the Reaper War greatly affected her, though she does not blame herself for shooting him as she was controlled by the Illusive Man and there was nothing she could do.
By the time she had begun her service aboard the Normandy, Sephie had become quite a pleasant person. Her reputation scared most people away at first, but she quickly proved to be outgoing and genuinely concerned about each individual’s wellbeing. Despite all that she had gone through, she had come out an optimist that always looked for a way to cheat the “Kobayashi Maru” situations of life. Her optimism leads to her believing the best in people, and she tries to give every individual a chance to prove themselves before levying judgment.
In the hunt for Saren, she struck up a relationship with the biotic Kaidan Alenko. The two are no longer a couple, but there is no bitterness between them and they remain close friends.
Garrus Vakarian is Shepard’s current boyfriend and fiancé. Their relationship has been an interesting one, with Shepard starting out as Garrus’s mentor and someone he relied upon for guidance, to becoming a relationship of mutual respect, trust, and deep understanding.
Shepard has developed strong relationships with each crew mate that has served under her. Notable ones besides Kaidan and Garrus are: Wrex (who considers Shepard a sister and made her an honorary member of Clan Urdnot), the late Mordin Solus (who Shepard enjoyed discussing various topics with late into the night; she also found his verbal tic adorable), Grunt (who Shepard sees as her “big krogan baby”), the late geth Legion (who saw Shepard as an idol), Tali (who looks up to Shepard as if she were her older sister), Miranda (who acts as Shepard’s best friend and confidant), Liara (Shepard’s other best friend), Jack (who feels indebted to Shepard for helping her turn her life around, though she’ll never admit it), James (who sees Shepard as his mentor), Joker, and the late EDI.
Sephie loves old Sci-Fi books, games, and movies. In fact, her childhood hero was Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. Sephie likes instrumental music, is a night owl, and prefers facing her enemy head on with overwhelming force rather than planning things out to the last detail. Luckily, she’s a quick thinker and can get herself out of most jams she gets herself into. She suffered from depression after losing her squad on Torfan and nearly lost herself in guilt. She was able to get through it by pushing herself and making herself believe that every breath she took was not only for herself but for them as well.
Now that the war is over, Shepard is continuing her adventures on board the Normandy. She mostly plays diplomat and assists in building new alliances, but she doesn’t mind. Much. In addition to being engaged to turian Advisor Garrus Vakarian, close friend to krogan leader Urdnot Wrex, Admiral Tali’Zorah vas Normandy of the quarians, and Shadow Broker Liara T’Soni, her father has become the head of the new human government. Needless to say, Sephie has her hands full jumping between the various systems trying to keep the peace.
