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thelostgirl21 · 3 years

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Oh. My. Frakking. God... Over a decade after Mass Effect first came out, I’ve only just realized now that Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko is literally the main reason Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams joined The Normandy’s crew, and was handed that assignment.

You guys don’t understand, okay! I have SO MANY FEELS ABOUT THIS!

Basically, Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko is listed as being the Head of the SSV Normandy’s Marine detail in ME1, right?

Given I had absolutely no clue what detail officers did, I did a bit of research... And OMFG!

Basically, if I adapt the description I found to fit the Systems Alliance reality:

“Detailers are the [Marines]’ advocate, and [they] take into consideration everything [they] can to ensure [they] are providing the right ‘fit’ for each billet [note: a “billet” is a specific personnel position, assignment, or duty station which may be filled by one person] advertised on the [Career Management System-Interactive Detailing] CMS-ID.

[They] evaluate each [Marine]’s professional milestones and take into consideration a [Marine]’s personal aspirations and stated preferences. There are a number of variables unique to each and every one of us in the [Marines] – from our personal situations: whether we’re single, married, dual-military couple, single parent, same-sex spouse, [Eligible Family Member], whatever – to our professional standing: does a [Marine] have the proper qualifications for that particular job, or do they require training; is a [Marine] a roller to sea duty or shore duty; will this be the best job for the [Marine] and is this the best [Marine] for the command; etc.

For two equally qualified [Marines], we would give selection preference to the one that was ranked higher during the gaining command’s review/comment phase.”

[...]

“When a detailer has selected a [Marine] for a billet, a notification is sent to that [Marine]. [...] Once a [Marine] has been selected, then posted to the billet, the order writing process begins, ultimately ending in the [Marine] receiving a set of orders.”

At the beginning of the first game, I remembered something about Captain Anderson having mentioned that he added Ashley Williams to the Normandy’s crew because Lieutenant Alenko believed that the ship could use a good soldier like her, but never actually realized just how instrumental Kaidan had been to Anderson’s decision.

Basically, from what I understand, as the head of the Normandy’s Marine detail, Kaidan’s actual job would literally be to assess which Marine soldiers would be best suited for any open position or assignment on board of the Normandy SSV, and then be the one to hand them their new position / assignment / duty / orders.

Meaning that the actual reason that Gunnery Chief Williams joined the Normandy’s crew, is likely because Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko watched her in action, saw something in her, came back to the ship to take a look at her file, paid a lot of attention to her family history, her military aspirations, her service records, etc.

Kaidan likely noticed the glaring discrepancy between her impeccable performance reviews, and her lack of career advancement opportunities.

He probably saw the number of times Ashley had been submitting applications for a transfer to a shipboard posting to prior detail officers, and been denied these posts...

And there he is... mourning the death of a friend, sure... but the motherfrakking head of the Normandy’s Marine detail!

The Normandy, a.k.a. the Alliance’s fastest and most technologically advanced starship yet, that so happens to suddenly be having a vacant position for a soldier that needs filling.

Please do yourselves all a favor...

Imagine Kaidan studying Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams’ dossier, reading her prior position applications... and through the haze of all those unspeakable horrors he’s just witnessed on Eden Prime, there’s suddenly this little beacon of light and hope unexpectedly shining right before his eyes...

As a L2 biotic born into a military family, Kaidan Alenko might even have suddenly found, in Ashley Williams, a kindred spirit. Someone that had, until then, been treated with heavy suspicion and distrust by others, simply because of her being perceived as “different” than the other soldiers serving alongside her.

And because of a set of given circumstances, Kaidan finds himself with the power to do something about it. He finds himself having the required level of authority to become the first military detailing officer to actually care about Ashley’s own career aspirations, and the path that she’s been stubborn enough to keep on pursuing despite all the resistance she’s been faced with until now.

Unlike all those other detail officers that have kept denying her shipboard posting applications, he can actually fulfill his role of being her advocate, arguing in favor of her being assigned to the Normandy and offered responsibilities that are better suited for her actual training and qualifications, and ensuring that Williams is assigned to a post that actually makes good use of her outstanding abilities, talents, and dedication as a soldier.

Imagine him smiling to himself, being the little stubborn shit that he is, as he realizes that he’s just about to assign Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams - General Williams’ granddaughter, of all people - to join the crew of one of the greatest marvels of human-TURIAN engineering!

Now, also imagine Ashley’s own surprise, when she discovered that the head of the Normandy’s Marine detail was one of the two people she encountered on Eden Prime.

And that, unlike everything life had ever taught her to expect from those officers until then (including what her own father had been put through in his own career), Lieutenant Alenko was so impressed with her performance in the field, and her dossier, that he decided that she was the single best suited Marine in the whole Alliance for a job on the Normandy. And that Captain Anderson sufficiently trusted Lieutenant Alenko’s judgment in the matter to agree with him and welcome her on his ship (Shepard hadn’t been made a Spectre, yet).

On one hand, she’s just lost her whole unit to the geths, and Kaidan has just lost a friend, too.

On the other, she’s just been offered the career opportunity of a lifetime, when virtually no one ever gave her so much as a chance to explore and showcase her potential.

Once you know that, imagine Kaidan’s sense of pride and wonder as he watches her finally doing the job she’s always wanted to do, and being allowed to continue to grow and build her confidence and her skills as an Alliance Marine and soldier.

Imagine Ashley’s own sense of pride and wonder, as she suddenly finds herself fighting shoulder to shoulder with some of the very best soldiers and officers that the Alliance has ever trained, under the Command of the very first human Spectre.

Think about how the knowledge that Kaidan saw something in her the very first time they met - that had him go “Yup! That’s exactly the type of soldier the Normandy needs!”, and personally hand picked her out of all the other potential Marine candidates that could have had the required qualifications and training for the job - might be affecting her deep sense of friendship and respect towards him.

And imagine how Kaidan might find himself feeling naturally protective of Ashley - instinctively stepping into the role of a mentor and giving her every single opportunity to showcase her talents - while also doing his best to remain very open, laid back, and accessible around her.

Wanting to make sure she knows that she belongs with Shepard and his crew, and that they fully trust and feel at ease around her. That regardless of her family’s history, she’s got the right to carve her own path and that they all believe in her and are glad to have her on the team.

Revisit, if you will, all of their banter and the natural chemistry between them...

Take a moment to think about Kaidan playfully offering to “shoot someone to make her feel better”... About him expressing concern regarding whether she was still happy that she signed on with Commander Shepard, and about she inquiring about how his implant was holding up, and if he was okay...

And now, get ready to have your heart be shattered into a thousand tiny little pieces...

Because, if Ashley is the one that ends up dying on Virmire...

Then Kaidan will be spending the rest of his life knowing that the main reason Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams was there on Virmire with them to begin with... was because of him.

And that, by wishing to allow her to finally be given a chance to advance her career within the Alliance - by assigning her to Jenkin’s vacant post when he saw that opening and allowing her to fulfill her lifelong dream of serving on board a starship - he was the one to accidentally lead her towards a premature death.

Her life, and career, ended before it truly had a chance to begin, all because he thought she was a formidable soldier that deserved more from the Alliance than what she’d gotten so far, and chose to ask for Anderson’s permission to have her being assigned to the Normandy.

And what’s worst is that she died, because Shepard chose to save him.

She could have lived. The outcome of his decision to offer her Jenkin’s old position could have been the beginning of a great military career and an opportunity for Ashley to become one of the very best soldiers the Alliance has ever known.

But because Shepard chose to go back for him and his team, rather than rescue Ashley’s, they’ll never know, won’t they?

She’s dead, he’s not. And now he’ll forever have to live with that.

I’ve sometimes discussed Kaidan having what appears to be a pretty strong case of “survivor’s guilt” (highlighted, in part, by one of his conversations with Tali in ME3)...

But the knowledge that Ashley died because he was virtually the first detail officer to truly believe in her, and to care about her career and aspirations enough to give her a chance to advance within the Alliance, must’ve been tearing him apart on top of everything else...

And if Kaidan is the one to die on Virmire...

Well, then Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko wasn’t just the very first detail officer to finally see Ashley for who she was, acknowledge her potential, and offer her a chance to follow her dreams and build herself an actual career within the Alliance...

But the “cost” of that career, and those opportunities, also ended up being his very own life.

Kaidan asked Anderson for permission to assign her to the Normandy... only for him to be left behind to die on Virmire, because Shepard didn’t have the time to rescue both teams, and he chose to save hers.

Taken within that context, it’s even more heartbreaking to hear Ashley tell Shepard: “I have to be worth Kaidan’s life.”

No wonder she seems to talk about him with such reverence, and in the French version of the game, literally says that a good guy like him should be among angels.

She saw him as her very own guardian angel, even in life...

“I don’t regret a thing” might also become something that either Kaidan or Ashley are saying more for the other’s benefit, rather than for Shepard themselves.

Kaidan doesn’t regret having selected Ashley for that position on The Normandy, regardless of the fact that he’ll no longer have the opportunity to actually be (physically, at the very least) there with her, as she pursues her career, and climbs within the Alliance’s ranks.

And Ashley doesn’t regret that Kaidan offered her that assignment, although she never got the chance to take it any further, and only lived that dream of hers to serve on a ship for such a short (but very intense) amount of time.

I’ve always adored the dynamic between these two... But somehow, knowing what Kaidan’s position on the SSV Normandy implied, and that he’s the one evaluating candidatures for other positions that need to be filled on the ship, and trying to assign the right candidate to each post...

Well, it brings such a wonderful, and yet excruciatingly bittersweet layer to their relationship...

(And I’ve never hated Virmire more than I do now, just so you know...)

#Kaidan Alenko #Ashley Williams #Mass Effect #Wilenko #fucknooovirmire #My Posts #My thoughts #Virmire survivors feels #Whyyy?!?!?!#My poor babies...#Now with added read more technology

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horsyunicorn · 3 years

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Ashley, second human Spectre: I don't have a vital signs monitor of Kaidan on my helmet display. That would be stupid.

Kaidan, third human Spectre: how can I put this? We're in sync. We don't need that kind of technology to keep an eye on each other during combat. We just know.

Ashley: on the other hand, we both have vital sign monitors for Shepard, cos our gosh darned idiot Commander hogs all the medigel.

#wilenko #ashley #kaidan

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fucknooovirmire · 4 years

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Reminiscing about certain things after “Tuchanka: bomb”.

They don’t talk about it.

#ashley williams #Team Eden Primary #Kaidan Alenko #mass effect #wilenko #Adventures in XNALarting #fnv defies canon

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fnvexpo · 4 years

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I’m guessing, between the missions and sorting things out, it was hard to find time for a proper private conversation like the ones they used to have in ME1.

These two really need to talk, but the moment is not right. Today it’s about Ash and her sister.

They can still gaze at each other though. I wonder what impression these guys make like this? Because there’s a lot going on between them that was never addressed.

Relationship drama ahoy!

Kaidan knew it when Shepard and Ashley became involved and was happy for them (suppose, after the ME1 mission they all concluded that regs were overrated). He was happier to find that this romance didn’t affect them as a team, and never did he feel like the third wheel. Nothing really changed.

All was fine and well until Shepard died. Though the time they served together was relatively short, Shepard managed to worm his way into everyone’s hearts. His sudden death was a real blow. Kaidan took it hard, like loosing a limb all right, but Ash was heartbroken, so he figured she had it worse and didn’t let himself dwell on his loss too hard.

Over time the two grew much closer. Soon after the first anniversary of Shepard’s death, Ashley decided that she wanted to really move on and made a move on Kaidan, which he reciprocated. Kaidan himself had developed certain feelings for her back in ME1, but never mentioned it. This time he let himself act on them, because they both needed that. They spent the night together, but next morning came to the conclusion that it was too early for this after all. Ashley - because the memory of Shepard didn’t really leave her (incredible how deeply his adorkable personality affected her), and her feelings for him were still strong, no matter how much she wanted to put them behind; Kaidan - because he sensed that she wasn’t ready. They admitted to loving each other nonetheless, and agreed to try again someday.

Come ME3.

Shepard was no idiot, and noticed the change in dynamics between Kaidan and Ashley. He figured that a lot could have happened in the two years that he was gone, and of course his friends would move on without him. Considering that he’d been prepared to meet his end during the suicide mission, he was fine with this new development. Now he’d be content with simply having these two back in his life, being the team they used to be before there were any hints at romance at all. He is however not certain that he has any right to expect that. What he doesn’t take into consideration, doesn’t even realize, is how much he still means to both of them.

There’s also something he doesn’t know.

When Shepard returned from the dead, after Kaidan saw him and spoke with him again after all this time, his mind kept coming back to his night with Ashley. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that he’d betrayed Shepard - first by leaving him to die alone in the Normandy crash, and then by sleeping with his girlfriend while he was dead. In the meantime Kaidan began to wonder how different Ashley’s feelings for him were compared to Shepard, and consequently couldn’t help imagining how it’d gone between them. Intrusive thoughts all over…

Until one day it all culminated in a dream about himself with Shepard. Soft and tender and passionate. This freaked him out a little at first (I mean, if he had some reservations about being friends with his CO, it’s not much of a stretch that sex would freak him out, right?), but in the end he embraced the truth that, in theory, he wouldn’t mind to find out what it was like - to be with Shepard and feel his touch.

Then again, the suicide mission was not yet completed, and nobody knew if Shepard would come back. And even if he did, would they be able to repair their relationship after everything? Tough luck, man.

At least now Kaidan is aware that he has feelings for two people at the same time. These people just need to catch up with him.

#Ashley Williams #Kaidan Alenko #team eden primary #wilenko #mshenko #leading to #willshenko

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edains · 6 months

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If you speak to Samesh without Ashley present but Kaidan in your party, he suggests to bring her to meet him. Later, they have this alternate interaction

Cute fact: Ashley and Samesh (which suggests Nirali and the rest of her squad did this) pronounce it "two twelve" while Kaidan pronounces it as "the two one two"

#mass effect #mass effect 1 #ashley williams #kaidan alenko #willenko #wilenko #meedit #im taking my wilenko crumbs and running with them thank you #also am very happy with the genuine goodness in samesh's voice when meeting ash #also him calling her 'gunnery chief' in this interaction feels much more poignant #it really cements the fact that nirali respected ash a lot #since her husband calls her by her title w/o being told it #edain's edits

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flame2ashes · 8 months

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Turning off the helmets on Mars for the sake of Screenshots™

#Again this doesn't actually happen in this AU but consider.....I love Wilenko #Flame2Ashes plays Mass Effect LE3 #Virmire Assist AU #Wilenko #Kaidan Alenko #Ashley Williams #Mass Effect #Man I wish I knew how to Interp edit this scene so I could switch the positions #*Manifesting the energy so that I may figure it out one day*

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ezrisdax-archive · 1 year

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gif ask challenge: @camalyng asked: wilenko + overlay/blending

#masseffectedit #meedit #ashley williams #kaidan alenko #wilenko #camalyng #**#I'm sorry for how this one turned out but if I look at it any longer I'll scream

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soldiermom1973 · 5 years

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Secret Santa 2018

I helped out with the MEFFW Secret Santa project and this was one of the stories I wrote. A/N - I’ve never written this pairing because I’ve never been able to leave Kaidan behind.

- - - - - - - - -

Ashley stared at the blank screen in front of her, spinning an empty coffee mug with her fingertips. It had been hours since the Collectors landed and then were chased off by Commander Shepard. Hours since she railed at him for betraying her and everything the Alliance stood for. Hours since he left the colony, his shoulders slumped and a look of dejection on his face.

Commander fucking Shepard

She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that her former commander was alive and working with Cerberus. Garrus was with him, not that it helped any, Ash fumed to herself. She knew the turian idolized the older man and probably jumped at the chance to help him with whatever errands Cerberus had him running.

For months she grieved, not only the loss of the ship and her friends and crewmates, but that of the man she molded herself after. Someone she looked up to as a mentor and a good friend. Someone she shared some of her darker secrets with. Someone she thought she could trust. Alive. He was fucking ALIVE. And working with god damned terrorists.

Ashley let out an angry howl and threw the mug across the room, wincing as it shattered.

“Chief Williams? You ok?”

Ash spun around, startled at the sound of the young ensign's voice. “Yeah,” she muttered. “Just... trying to wrap my head around stuff, that's all.”

“Yeah, who knew Commander Shepard was still alive?” The ensign seemed almost star-struck at the notion and Ash had to internalize a bitter chuckle. There was a time when she was that star-struck, that naive. Not anymore.

“You need something?” Her tone was sharper than she intended but right now, she didn't care.

“Uh, no, ma'am. Just heard the noise and wanted to make sure you were ok.”

“I'm good.” Ash turned back around to the blank screen and fired up her computer, ending the conversation.

As soon as her system booted up, she logged into her email, hoping for a response to her report about the Collectors and Shepard's role in saving the colony. Her heart hammered in her chest when she saw an email from Councilor Anderson. She opened it, confused when she saw it simply said, “You're being reassigned to the Citadel. Meet up with the relief team for further instructions.”

That was it – no explanation, no questions, nothing. “They knew,” she fumed. “HE fucking knew and wouldn't tell me. This just gets better and better.”

She took several deep breaths, trying to get her anger under control. Normally, she kept a tight lid on her emotions, but today was just too much. She opened her communications program and dialed a familiar number, hoping he wouldn't be mad at her for waking him.

The call was answered with a sleepy sigh and grunt. “Yeah? Oh, hey, babe. What's up? Is everything ok?”

Kaidan ran a hand down his face and then through his hair, squinting at the screen.

Ash couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Seeing the man she loved instantly soothed the anger she was feeling moments ago.

“Hey,” she answered softly. “I'm sorry I woke you.”

“It's no biggie,” he smiled, sitting up. “You're on the short list of people who are allowed to. How's Horizon? Did you get that piece of equipment fixed yet?”

Because they could rarely talk over a secure line, Ash had to be vague about the AA gun that hadn't been working. There was nothing like inadvertently letting the galaxy's scum know a human colony was being barely protected, not to mention that the weapon itself would have been a prime target for thieves.

“It's working now,” she said slowly, “but not because of anything anyone here did.”

“Oh?” Curiosity washed over Kaidan's face. “Anything you can talk about?”

“No,” Ash shook her head, “but Anderson's bringing me to the Citadel, so I can fill you in when I get back.” It took every ounce of willpower to keep from telling Kaidan who fixed the gun.

“You're coming home? Ash, that's great!” A familiar swell of adoration blossom across Ash's chest at the gleaming smile Kaidan gave her. “Keep me posted, ok?”

“Sure. Love you. See you soon.” Ash kissed her fingertips and placed them to the screen, smiling when her lover returned the gesture.

“I love you, too. Be careful.”

When the screen winked out, Ash sighed and packed her things, thankful that she followed Kaidan's minimalist thoughts when it came to her duty stations. Her gear filled a duffel, but her own possessions neatly fit inside a large backpack. She gave her room one last glance before heading out to find the relief team's CO.

Read the rest on AO3, let me know what you think!

#MEFFW Secret Santa 2018 #wilenko #fluff #light smut #teensy bit of angst #mass effect #mass effect 2 #horizon

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