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Terra Pericolosa

Chapter 1: Prelude to the End

November/XX/2186

London/Monday/6:24 AM

Fire, screams both angry and scared that's all I hear around me. That and the shooting with shots going every which way, the lines are scattered there's no real front at this point. If your in a squad of some kind the ground your on is your objective to hold to your dieing breath. Gun ships, transports ships, even a few fighter ships buzzing all over the sky.

The sky…"god" it look like hell falling from the heavens. If it wasn't Reapers or reapers troopers falling it was debris from falling ships from both side falling threw the atmosphere. "How was the fight going up there?" I wonder just a bit? Could it be better then fighting on the ground? "Maybe I should have joined the Navy like my older brothers".

I wonder were they are right now, it's not like I got news of what was happening these past few months out in the galaxy. The only one's he new that got updates were his superiors and they only trickled news that was relevant to everyone, not some trooper trying to find the location of his brother.

There was some noise coming from around the corner, sounded like dragging, heavy breathing 'cough'!

Oh that's good they don't cough (not that I've ever heard one cough) 'COUGH'. It was getting louder, "then again they properly can cough"

I was momentarily distracted by an engine sound coming faster on my left side. There it was, are pickup to get us the hell out of this madness.

A M-35 Mako god must have seen me in my hour of need "You know because this was the only time he might have every given a shit about you."

"I got to call everyone to the courtyard we can still get out of here" Just as I was going for the headset the Mako drove off down the road without so mush as a pause in its step.

"Well shit…well FUCK YOU TO" I try to get up from leaning down on the churches steeple when another Mako came around the corner. "oh ok that works to…ALL RIGHT NOVA TEAM ON ME are objective is complete 'Nevada-7' made it to the beam lets get out of here OVER"

…no response "Nova team acknowledge extraction OVER"…nothing. "damn it Nova team acknowledge my command" Now that I thought about it Marcus was in charge of reporting that the convoy was here.

Last thing I heard from the rest was that there was a breach in the left flank, but I couldn't help or even respond at the time I was holding the courtyard "Not that it helped much you're I'm my own puddle of blood stuck to a wall".

But they all can't be dead I still hear muffled shooting coming form inside. "most of your original squad is dead even your Captain"

Just as I'm about to get up to signal down the Mako I see smoke coming from its rear as well as a M-44 Hammerhead driving in reverse. As the Mako drives by the church I can see just above the low brick wall of the courtyard that the back of the Mako was blasted apart with most of the top canopy busted open while dragging its two rear tires. There also appeared to some dead if not mangled marines inside with the driver either not knowing or just not giving a damn that his passengers were dead. Meanwhile the Hammerhead just kept firing away at what appeared to be a Harvester… "Ah shit"

I duck just in time as the Harvester swooped down low and lifted up the .44 from the ground bring it further down the street. For a moment I'm relieved that the flying beast left but I just got ahead of myself as the thing banked right and flew for what I assumed was another pass to finish me or what ever it had seen. But instead it seemed the operators of the 44 weren't going down with out a fight as the hole time they were held my the Harvester they were firing point blank at is chest. In response to this the Harvester threw the 44 with great strength into a complex but not with out one last homing missile finding its mark inside the beast which in turn set off a chain reaction blowing the thing in a large explosion blinding me.

For the brief moments that I couldn't see or hear that dragging noise was getting on top of to me. I prep myself for what ever it was when a warm wet hand grabs hold of me.

"Stark it's me Ruri" "oh thank god it's her" He was worried because he had just brought up his Phalanx to bear on what he thought might have been a reaper of some kind.

In response I try to bring her closer but she pushes me aside. "Don't it would hurt too much" she said with a hint of regret in her voice.

I take a moment to inspect her to see the extent of what she meant. "That looks bad, have you taken a med-gel?" "That's not going to fix that" In her Nemesis armor she looked like she had been the target at a firing range. Her right arm sleeve was burn away, the chest piece above her breast was chipped and broken, the sniper hood that was part of her armor mush have been thrown aside. But the worst was the small steal pipe sticking out of her left shoulder.

She looked at me sickly "it not as bad as it seems…except if you move it. What's really hurting me is my arm itself is broken from the fall"

"what fall you were in the bell tower with Mar…i? Where's Mari?" she said nothing. "Ruri answer me where's Mari? I was just talking to you 15 minutes ago. You two were covering Shepard to the beam. What happened?" I must have ask the same question a thousand time before she broke down.

"SHE'S DEAD DAMN IT SHE'S DEAD!" Ruri cried.

"…what?" I could hardly say that one word to many things were going through my mind.

"she pushed me out of the tower when the Banshees reached us. I don't think she meant to impale me on this but by time I looked up the bell room blew up" she gave me a look to say that I should believe her and that she was sorry at the same time.

While I wanted to morn the death of my friend of 24 years more or ask question about everyone else in the church I had to ask the most important question of all.

"Did Shepard make it to the beam Ruri?" I was giving my all to put on a good face despite the tired, nerve broken me that was just under the skin.

She looked at me with a sad worried look on her. "I don't know at first we were shooting anything that was trying to get in the way of Shepard but then this Reaper capital ship landed right next to the beam, the last time I looked a plasma stream struck the Commander"

At that moment I not sure if I had snapped or simply accept that this might be the end of it all. I reached over and pulled Ruri next to me. She in turn understanding just leans with me brushing that absurd dark violet heir color on my face. I was worried for her, she was breathing slowly with what I can see was a lot of strain on her despite the cybernetic implants in her heart. Then there was me with what I'm positive is a broken ribcage and fractured kneecap. Worst was that my suits power system was dead so I was not getting any stabilizing med-gel. "were not getting out of this one"I come to a conclusion in my head just after that thought.

"Care to join me in ending it all? I think I still have a clip in my gun." I was giving her a very serious look at this, but just to make a point. "We don't have the strength to fight off anything that might come are way in the next few minutes let alone hours"

"…are you sure?" with almost disappointed look on face she asked.

"Yes"

"Fine but I think we should use my gun" pointing at the bent barrel on my gun then handing me her M-358 Talon.

"good point…so were do I do it the head?" (believe me its an important question)

"No, no to messy for me this thing is a small shotgun, in the heart for me." "Was she being picky about how to go out?"

"…before we do this will you do one more thing with me?" I ask with almost pleading eyes.

"Anything"

"When the sun is just over the horizon, it will happen any moment just one last time" the sadness of what to come hitting me more as I talk about the inevitable.

"Sure I don't see why not" Ruri said with that beautiful face.

Such a beautiful smile, almost motherly in a way. At this I reach for what's left of my Kestrel helmet and throw it aside "damn thing cost me half a months pay…plus tax!" the front half had broken off some time ago. I look to Ruri she in turn looks at me and then we look at the gun.

"will you do it for me?" she ask looking down with shame in her face. I lift her face by the chin and look into her eyes. "…yes" regret and sorrow in my voice. We lean in for one last kiss it's warm and gentile with passion not unlike the night before in France.

As the sun got brighter I started holding her closer holding the gun in my hand stronger "two quick one's in her chest then you" As I bring the gun to her chest she pushes me back "oh thank god I don't know if I could have finished it".

"Look at that its not the sun." pointing across the horizon.

She was right it was coming from the sky a bubble like sphere grew and started spreading all across the sky.

"It's beautiful" Ruri pointed out with a spark in her eyes.

"It certainly is" at this point it was to bright to make out what color it was until it got closer. With in a few seconds it seemed to be flooding across the land.

"That's a rather nice color of…"

/

July/6/2186

Over Strait of Georgia/UNAS/Tuesday 8:36 AM

"Well that was easy wouldn't you say Capitan Nolen sir" I said over the teams com.

"Keep it down Chief Novak something going on at HQ" the Capitan waved me down to keep me from responding. But in my immature ways I just look for someone else to talk to in the Kodiak. I was left with one of two prisoners in my care.

"Oi little Nem got anything to talk about before you go away for long time" the woman in question was held in restraints not even these new suits could break out of.

She just looks more or less at me but past me out the tinted glass. "not to you ass" she scoffed. That's when Mari nudged the prisoners face from looking at her with the butt of her Rifle.

"Stark don't talk to them, Cerberus doesn't have a track record for being captured alive these two wont last long no matter where we put to them" grumbling with spite about a well know fact with any Cerberus prisoners. (Inmate stabbings, overdosing in cell's at night, rogue guards shooting them etc)

"Take it easy Mari no need to make the prisoners nerves" Phil said trying to listen in on what the Capitan was focused on.

"By the way Stark have you heard from your brother at Arcturus Station or the one hanging in orbit?" Phil inquired leaning at the barrel of his new M-96 Mattock.

"no but I was going to do it when in get back to the HQ. Why?" Well at least I can say I'm talking.

"It's to late to do anything now" the prisoner said looking outside.

"what the hell are you tal..!" that's when the shuttle bobbed up and down and the volume on the loud speaker flared up. That when bits and peaces of the radio chatter just kept coming through.

"there everywhere!" zzzz

"this is New York Head quarters were being bombed I say again were being…zzzzzz"

"we got hostile infantry scattering all over the place…oh god some are at the doors already. zzzzz"

"fire your weapon damn it keep them off the runway" zzzzz

"open the armory damn were unarmed" zzzzz

By this time I was looking out the window and could see Vancouver with "what's the word I'm looking for?" metal cuttlefish ship descending all around it.

"were all going the die we were to late" the girl said looking down. For or a brief moment I'm to shocked to say anything that can be considered a thought process.

Then I had one. "I think this was the briefing we were going to get when we returned."

End Chapter 1

Authors notes: This story came to me after I finished ME3 a second time and by then I wish there could be a story of the men and women left behind on Earth but there's far and few between (liar you've never found even one). This is one of the longer chapters some will be short almost like a journal. Some longer, maybe ¾ of this chapter's length. Now know this I'm in the process of finding a job and studding the Asvab, so you might not hear from me sometime. This is a story I hope I can keep and finish and not burn out and give up on. This story will stay teen and just maybe move up to M later, don't expect adult action in this to much (they'll more or less go to a fade to black leaving it to your imagination). If you see any errors let me know. Comments and suggestion are welcome.