James Vega. "Oh, I am embarrassed and blushing"
James Vega is an Alliance lieutenant and one of Shepard's companions in Mass Effect 3. He is strong, good-natured, likes to tease the crew and the captain himself. Sometimes reckless, but damn loyal to the Alliance.
Vega is a hot-headed guy. He has a fiery temper and prefers action to words. This is why he unhesitantly rammed his shuttle into Doctor Eva's shuttle, a Cerberus employee, when she attempted to escape from Mars. He is a gambler, often stopping by to play cards with refugees in the docks when the Normandy arrives at the Citadel.
Vega doesn't like to remember other people's names; he prefers associations, so each crew member has a nickname in his eyes.
The nickname for male-Shepard is "Loco", which means "crazy".
The nickname for female-Shepard is "Lola", in honor of his best friend's sister.
The nickname for Tali is "Spark" (Искорка).
The nickname for Garrus is "Chipped".
He calls Steve Cortez "Esteban". They are old friends, having served together in a colony that was attacked by the Collectors.
Be careful, Shepard. Vega has his eyes on the cabin!
Mass Effect: Paragon Lost
At the beginning of his career, Vega and a team of elite soldiers were sent to a colony in a distant star system. When the settlement was attacked by the Collectors, Vega and his soldiers had to defend the population.
This event is recorded in Vega's file as the "Incident on Fele".
Note: this is an anime, set to be released in 2012.
Mass Effect: Conviction
After the incident on Fele, Vega became a regular at the gambling bars of Omega. During one of the games, he heard a broadcast about Captain Shepard's actions during the events of the DLC "Arrival" and the galaxy's reactions to them. When the journalist began discussing the bounty placed on Shepard's head by the Batarians, Vega calmly ripped the screen off the wall, telling the bartender that he could take his winnings as payment for the damage.
The group of Batarians he was playing cards with accused Vega of being a "Shepard Fanboy". A fight broke out. The infantryman managed to fend off the Batarian's attack with the torn screen. But in the midst of the brawl, Anderson shows up and orders Vega to come with him.
Catch me if you can.
Anderson asked Vega to "come to terms" with the incident on Fele and said he had a job for the lieutenant. James refused, stating that he didn't want that, and asked why Anderson didn't just toss him in the brig. To which Anderson replied that Vega was not far from the truth, as the admiral was recruiting soldiers to guard the ship and its only prisoner: Captain Shepard.
[Mass Effect 3](/games?search=Mass Effect 3)
James Vega is assigned to accompany Shepard to the Alliance Defense Committee hearing, but it is interrupted when the Reapers attack Earth. Vega and Ashley/Kaidan (depending on who survived Virmire) make it to the Normandy and help Shepard escape the planet. Vega was unhappy with the captain's decision to leave Earth, although later at the Citadel he admits that it was the best choice.
On the ship, Vega can most often be found in the cargo hold. In their first conversation, Vega suggests a sparring match, during which Shepard learns details about his service record. Vega compares Shepard to his former captain, Tony, a "tough son of a bitch," but a "good commander" who was killed along with most of Vega's crew while defending the colony from a Collector attack. After the captain's death, Vega took command and had to decide whether to save the colony or preserve the data the team had collected that could be useful in destroying the Collectors.
Alliance-style Tango.
Vega chose to preserve the data, but as it turned out, it was in vain, since Shepard had already dealt with the Collector threat. That meant Vega allowed the colony to perish for nothing. Shepard convinces the lieutenant that he is blaming himself too much, which leads him to engage in reckless stunts like on Mars, not caring for his own safety.
Another time, Shepard can chat with Vega in the bar "Purgatory," where the lieutenant invites Shepard for a drink. Vega talks comfortably with the captain, while other soldiers tend to be wary of Shepard due to his reputation. When the captain, who considers himself just a simple soldier, expresses dissatisfaction with this fact, Vega advises him to treat everyone with a round of drinks. Shepard can refuse, but if he agrees, he can win the soldiers' favor by interrupting the toast in a renegade manner. If he doesn’t make it in time, James will finish the toast himself.
Vega and N7
One day Vega will want to talk to the captain privately. After carefully looking around the cabin, James tells Shepard that he was invited to join the N7 program, but he isn’t sure if he should accept. If the Reapers win, there won’t be any N7, and the training is very demanding. He is also surprised by the invitation due to his past failures, and since Shepard has gone through the N7 program himself, he decided to ask for advice from his "senior officer". Shepard can advise Vega to accept without hesitation, or he may reply that such a decision deserves some thought.
After some time, Shepard meets Vega in the refugee camp. James decided to accept the invitation to the program and is getting a new N7 tattoo in celebration.
Should I get a pony?
Romance with James
A romance with James is not available. You can only flirt with him a little. This individual, like Joker, appears to take subordination much more seriously than Kaidan.
However, some fans of James are unhappy with this fact and even attempted to create a petition requesting that they be allowed to seduce Vega. Well... it happens.
Details:
Originally, James's last name was Sanders, but due to its similarity with Kali's surname, it was changed. However, during the "Grissom: Attack" mission, Vega will state that his father's last name was Sanders, but they do not maintain a relationship.
Vega is voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr.
James has few dialogues with Shepard, but quite a lot of conversations with other characters, especially Garrus.
If Ashley is alive and brought onto the ship, she can eventually be found drunk in her cabin. She will mumble that James got her drunk and then pass out.
Author's text + partially translated
Thanks for the proofreading – Soth