XO of SR2

 If they want to do whatever, at least keep it consistent. Look at Traynor. They have her as a Specialist, but that rank doesn't exist

In the new movies, it's sulu. If that makes any difference. lol

"Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor not a Starship Captain!"

Sorry.

I assume it's the Virmire Survivor, but between the Beginning and Cerberus Coup? Adams is a good choice. I get the impression it's actually EDI, but no, not Liara. Liara's fine with gathering evidence, compiling databases and analysis and stuff, but she's got no military training and as far as we know, not a lot of experience in handling humans, or running starships. She's an academic with an interesting sideline in information dealing. She's bottom of the list, sorry.

I think EDI fulfills the role, sure she's probably not going to past muster with Alliance brass or anybody else, she can hardly be the name on the register, but nobody's going quibble with the future of intelligent life in the Milky Way at stake. The Allince would probably insist on speaking to Adams, Ashley/ Kaidan, Joker or James. I think of the three of them as being approximately equal in rank, although Adams trumps them all on experience. Man, and I though Joker was overdue a promotion... Promote Greg Adams to Commander! STAT! Although I think DR Chakwas could be relied upon to keep them all in order.

The person telling Joker to leave is hardly ever Shep's LI in my games. I assumed it was because they were badly injured after the beam run and in sickbay. I'm fairly sure i've never seen Ashley there, and that Garrus only turned up on the Kaidan-mance. I think the Ashmancer(s) got Liara. In fact i'm fairly sure than in Ash-nobody-Ash it was Liara. In fact i was beginning to think it was always Liara.

I quite often romance Ashley and I don't particularly like her as a squadmate... so, more often than not, she stays on the ship... acting as my XO. 

I don't know if I'd consider Kaidan being my XO, but it's not something I think about. I use him a lot on missions once he's aboard so he wouldn't be there most of the time anyway. Then again, I use Miranda a lot as well and she's the automatic XO, so I guess it's not that big a deal -- just matters who's in line after them.

I guess judging by that Joker scene in 3 it could be Garrus for me, though likely "unofficially" as officially it'd be an Alliance officer. I wouldn't have it ever be Liara, however. When I did have Ashley in 3 I don't think she appeared in that scene either, and she also wasn't my LI.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I was thinking of ME1 Anderson. He's a captain there, while Alenko only two years later is a major, which in the Alliance is the equivalent rank. Kinda silly, but there you have it. 

According to wikipedia an XO is an administrative position, rather than a command position.


By that description Traynor seems to fit the position best. Supported by the fact she is not a squad-mate and stays on ship.

As much as I like the character, I would not have her as an XO. She has no experience serving on a space ship. She has no idea what to do if a crisis were to arise except anything that has to to with comms, her field of expertise.

I'm not disagreeing with that assessment, but be that as it may the military duties of an XO are clear. Of all the crew members on the ship, she does fit the description best.

Even if Ashley/Kaiden was your original XO, the fact that they are unconscious for half the game means the position falls to the next in the chain of command. It is preposterous to think the position would be left "vacant."

Even if the Normandy is an extra-Alliance vessel, and aliens can assume command of her (a proposition I am willing to accept), Traynor has had access to all the intel coming through, making her more "up to speed" than anyone else, even if she does have less experience. And being in command does not mean she needs to lead ground teams (something very odd for Shepard to do, actually); she can easily relegate that duty to Garrus or Vega.

Specialist is an E-4, the same rank as a Corporal.