Extranet - Alliance News Network - Commander Shepard

Lieutenant Commander Shepard was born 4.11.2154, is a graduate of the N7 special forces program (service no. 5923-AC-2826), and was initially assigned to the SSV Normandy as Executive Officer. Shepard later became the first human to join the Spectres, an elite special task force for the Citadel Council.

Shepard earned this privilege by cracking open the case of the rogue Turian Spectre, Saren Arterius. Saren was responsible for the galaxy-wide resurgence of the Geth and their devastating attack on the Citadel.

Commander Shepard and the crew of the Normandy, which eventually was comprised of several non-human members, chased the Turian and his army of Geth across the galaxy. In this short period of time Shepard made himself known across much of the known galaxy, solving problems in both an Alliance and Spectre capacity.

This journey eventually led to Shepard killing Saren on the Citadel, saving the Council from Saren's immensely powerful ship - despite the cost to the Alliance. It is said that after these events occurred, it was Shepard himself who suggested Captain David Anderson be appointed as a human representative to the Council.

Sources close to Shepard, and the Commander himself, claim there was more to this than the public was told - including the ominous warning of a "Reaper" threat - but this has never been officially confirmed. The Council itself insist Saren was acting alone.

Despite the controversy that continues to surround this chain of events, Shepard became a hero in the eyes of the galaxy for his actions and continued to serve both as a Spectre and a high-ranking Alliance soldier.

Shortly after the attack on the Citadel, the Alliance sent Shepard to root out Geth resistance. The Normandy was sent into a sector where three ships were reported to have gone missing. This is when the disaster stuck.

It is believed that the Normandy was attacked by a Collector ship, ripping it apart. What we know now was given as a statement by much of the escaped crew, and the Normany pilot Jeff "Joker" Moreau. Mr. Moreau stayed at the helm of the high-tech Alliance vessel in an attempt to save it from its destruction. As the rest of the crew abandoned ship, Shepard went to rescue Mr. Moreau. Unfortunately, a blast separated them, just as Shepard got Joker into an escape pod. What happened next is up to speculation.

It is believed the Commander's hardsuit was damaged by the blasts and he was flung into space, barely surviving the Normandy's initial destruction. Air then began leaking out of Shepard's suit and it is apparent that the Commander suffocated to death, coupled with the possibility of the hardsuit burning up during entry to the planet below. His body was never found.

For 2 years the galaxy moved on, remembering Commander Shepard for his exploits. However recent reports from multiple sources are claiming that Shepard is alive and well. High-ranking Alliance Officials have not yet released a public statement, further adding to this mysterious set of circumstances.

All the while over these 2 years, human colonies have been disappearing without a trace during the Commander's incapacitation. Due to the ignorance and political red tape hampering both the Alliance and the Citadel, it seems the "human-first" Cerberus is the only organization in a position to combat the threat.

A popular, if troubling, theory is that the sudden reappearance of Commander Shepard is linked to this increase in Cerberus activity. Some would think that Shepard, whatever the circumstances around his reappearance, is undercover and working with Cerberus, investigating the colony disappearances...