Elysium's Darkest Hour

by ParagadeOmega

The War Hero origin story for a female Commander Shepard. I use the FemShep I role play with. Sequel to "From the Ashes of Mindoir." Rated M for violence, language, and awesomeness. Once you read this, you will wish you could play it in the game. I own 0 characters. I am a poor college student. Please don't sue.

Operations Chief Corra Shepard had figured that the shore leave on Elysium would be quiet and calming. It was Shepard's last bit of down time before she'd start the brutal N7 training program. It hadn't taken her longtime friend and mentor, David Anderson, much to convince the marine to accept the offer and join the prestigious special ops program. Shepard had planned to accept as soon as she'd received the honor; contacting Anderson was more of a formality since the lieutenant had graduated the training first-hand. Anderson had recommended accepting some shore leave that would give the operations chief some R&R before being pushed past her limits and broken over and over in the hell that was N7 training. In the days that followed, Shepard was assigned to a post at Elysium. It seemed appropriate. Here was a colony on the frontier of Alliance space; a shining example of humanity's progress, and home of the retired Jon Grissom, humanity's greatest hero. Shepard figured she could reflect; perhaps get perspective on the Alliance's history and roots.

It seemed instead, that she was getting perspective on her own history and roots.

As a show of aggression toward human expansion, batarians had planned to launch a major offensive against the colony world. Wreak havoc. Kill plenty of humans. Grab a few slaves for profit. Just like Mindoir.

Unfortunately for the batarians, Corra Shepard's fury did not for a second falter or fade since the carnage that the aliens befell her home world. Through blood and fire the girl had pained and trained and grown into a lethal, cunning, killing marine. She was determined to ensure that Elysium would not fall.

Batarian ships had bombed the colony's most densely populated cities and had softened the colony's defenses for the landing force. Casualties were rising. Smoke eclipsed what used to be a sunny day. Bodies were burning. People were panicked. Despite the chaos, planetary defensive turrets were keeping landing shuttles from succeeding in anything but exploding. Still, some managed to get through the holes and regroup. Alien pirates and slavers were amassing outside the capital city. The situation was bad and getting worse.

Shepard had been sitting in the military barracks, awaiting permission to begin shore leave when the bombing had first started. Without any confirmation, Shepard had known what was happening. Batarian guns had their own distinctive sound, and she knew the sound all too well. It took her less than a second to spring into action.

A few light frigates and planetary turrets were all that defended Elysium's boarders. The Operations Chief knew they needed backup. Through her tech expertise, Shepard had managed to reach the SSV Agincourt. Luckily the ship was making a routine stop in the Skyllian Verge. The heavy frigate was proving to be Shepard's savior and Elysium's salvation. Above the planet, the ship was engaging the ragtag pirate and slaver fleet. Alliance ships had proven to be a powerful force to be reckoned with, and just a couple were holding their own against the dozens of hostile ships, but the frigate and her light counterpartswouldn't last forever; the lighter ships that were defending the planet were taking a beating. Hopefully, it wouldn't last much longer; Shepard had sent ground reports to the ship that then relayed a distress beacon to the rest of the Alliance. Reinforcements would be on their way, but until then, the Agincourt and the rest of Elysium would have to hold out.

Ground communication had been wiped out shortly after the operations chief had contacted the ship. All Alliance and colonial communication was being channeled through the frigate engaged in battle above the smoking skies of Elysium. The batarians had the advantage and they were pressing it. Hard.

In order to land the bulk of their forces, the pirates and slavers would have to disable the planetary turrets' security. The only way to do that was by taking Alliance Command, located in the center of the city –A city inhabited by off-duty marines, auto-turrets, and one pissed off Shepard. Everyone on shore leave had flooded back to Alliance Command, eager and ready to defend the colony. The main objective as ordered by the Agincourt's captain was to hold the city at all costs and prevent the attackers from taking the only military stronghold on the colony. Shepard gladly went to the front line and took control of the forces accompanying her. Her body count was through the roof and rising fast, and it was beyond warranted.

The aliens of war had hit hard and fast without warning and without provocation. Civilian cities were being bombed, along with both the innocents and marines within. The armored monsters had landed and immediately opened fire. Men, women, and children were slaughtered without shielding or armor to protect them. Survivors were being rounded up as slaves or hostages. Any identified military personnel were killed almost instantly as the vicious invaders left not time for preparation. Officers were targeted in an attempt to leave the surviving soldiers in disarray for easy extermination. At least that attempt had failed. Alliance soldiers were fighters. Fragmented, alone, and without clear leadership, no marine gave up life without taking someone else with them. Lieutenant-Commander Howe was finally identified as the highest surviving rank. He quickly made his way to Alliance Command to issue orders.

Unfortunately, his orders were getting a lot of people killed or captured, and Shepard's patience had long run out.

"Chief! Chief! Reinforcements aren't coming!"

"What?!" Shepard lifted her head from the scope of a Volkov that had been gutted and refitted countless times over.

"The marine forces on Charlie Post have been wiped out! Howe sent our reinforcements to them! He insists that we need no more men!" The Alliance messenger blurted out as he fumbled with his radio.

"Meanwhile he keeps vital forces sitting around the base 'just in case.' While his 'what ifs' rage on, a real battle is being fought here. We need more men to hold here! We're on the most direct route to Command for hell's sake!" Shepard growled as a batarian in her sights fell to the ground. "Charlie Post has shit for cover. Throwing marines to the front like that is sending them to their slaughter. Guerilla warfare is the better strategy to hold that juncture. I've just about had enough of Howe…" Two more batarians and a turian fell. Shepard stood and folded her sniper before drawing an assault rifle. She activated her radio.

"Gunny Dural?" Shepard waited.

"Yes, ma'am?" A voice cracked in over the radio.

"You're in charge while I'm gone. I'll be back with reinforcements." The chief checked the vents of her assault rifle. She didn't wait for the "Aye, Chief" before sprinting back to Alliance Command…

"What the hell are you doing back here, Shepard?! You have your orders to hold Alpha Post!" Lieutenant-Commander Howe screamed at her.

"Yessir, and to do that I need reinforcements. My marines can't hold much longer without help." Shepard stood at attention, hands crossed behind her back, sweat sticking to her dirt-caked face.

"There are no reinforcements! Your marines will do their job! Now get your ass back and do yours!" Howe nearly spat in Shepard's face. The operations chief looked around. Bored Alliance soldiers sat in full armor, cleaning and checking their guns. Their breastplates still gleamed with cleanliness.

"Will all due respect, sir, there are plenty of men here that are needed at Alpha perimeter." As Shepard spoke, the marines paused and looked up, awaiting the word to move out.

"They are needed here in case the enemy breaks through the perimeters. Alliance Command must not fall. I'll say again, get back to your post!" Howe argued.

"And if they aren't sent to help the perimeters, they will surely fall, Alliance Command will be isolated, and it will fall!" Shepard growled through gritted teeth.

"I gave you an order, Operations Chief Shepard. Are you questioning that order?" Lieutenant-Commander Howe stepped up to her so they were nearly nose to nose.

"Sir, yes, sir."

Pow!

Lieutenant-Commander Howe fell to the ground.

"I've had enough of your pathetic trepidations!" Shepard whipped out her pistol and squeezed twice, aiming at each of Howe's kneecaps. He started screaming but fell silent after the operations chief pistol-whipped him. Recovering from shock, every Alliance marine stood, guns aimed at Shepard. She dropped her pistol and put her hands up. She then turned to Howe's second in command.

"Lieutenant Onasi, Lieutenant-Commander Howe is not fit to fulfill his duties of command. That leaves you in charge." Shepard snapped into a salute, ignoring the clicks of safeties coming off from Alliance guns aiming at her. "Sir, I am at your command."

"Chief… What you've done deserves a court-martial and prison time." Onasi looked down at the unconscious Howe. "Or a medal."

"Sir, arrest me or give me a medal, but I have some batarians to kill and some marines to save first. Permission to return to my soldiers?" Icy-blue eyes stared into the deep brown ones of Lieutenant Onasi. The officer put his hand up and ordered the marines to stand down.

"Permission granted. Take your reinforcements with you." Onasi returned the salute and excused Shepard. The operations chief and her reinforcements made their way back to Alpha Post with all the haste they could muster...

It didn't take the marines long to run the several kilometers and reach their destination. With the extra guns firing at the aliens, the hostile forces were being pushed back. Operations Chief Shepard had made fantastic use of the extra soldiers. Several of them were proficient snipers, and the batarians had to charge down an open street to get to Alpha's barricade. It wasn't fair to call it a battle after the reinforcements got into position; more like a slaughter. Shepard commanded her snipers fire upon the heavy-armored opponents, leaving the lighter, faster ones to be annihilated by the rest of her troops. She was also fortunate enough to have a woman who could use biotics. The adept had hurled pieces of debris into batarian cover, acting as a catapult of sorts. The slavers and pirates were many in number, but were also tactical idiots compared to the trained Alliance marines. The batarians were taking a break from their assault, but Shepard had no intention of being ambushed. She had sent out a scout to report on hostile activity; the chief was eagerly awaiting her return.

"Chief Shepard! Scout reporting in!" Gunnery Chief Dural's voice came in over Shepard's radio.

"Perfect timing, Gunny; send her up." Shepard chimed as she picked a piece of rubble off of her sniper rifle.

"Ma'am, the batarians are preparing to mount another assault. This time they're packing sniper rifles too. It looks like the four-eyed freaks want a scoping contest." The scout quickly saluted and rattled off her report.

"And a merry contest it will be. Still, no reason to play nice with pirates and slavers. Have a squad of vanguards circle around to flank. No sniper ever liked seeing a shotgun up-close, but, hey, who does?" Shepard adjusted her own sniper scope, eager to show the aliens that two human eyes were better than four batarian ones.

"There's something else, ma'am." Shepard gave a slow nod, allowing the scout to continue. "In order to avoid a group of batarians, I had to take a detour to the east. Far east. To the outer edges of the city. I saw an office building being guarded by a platoon of aliens, strictly batarian. They weren't as heavily armored as the hostiles we're seeing attack our lines. While I was there, a group of aliens forced civilians of all ages into the building. They were immediately fitted with metal collars. I… I think that those batarians were slavers... There was a large transport ship sitting by the building. Once they gather enough people…" The scout's voice faded.

"They'll take off with the colonists and they'll be forced into a life of slavery." Shepard's voice was venom.

"Chief! News from Alliance Command!" The Alliance messenger's voice rang out as he ran and saluted Shepard.

"What's your report?" She returned the salute.

"Ma'am, Charlie's perimeter is on the brink of failure. The marines over there have no leadership. Lieutenant Onasi wants you to take command of Charlie's remaining forces. He has sent his last squad to bolster Charlie. Corporal Meer is leading them." The messenger held up his omni-tool. Shepard's radio adjusted to listen in on Corporal Meer and his squad.

"Operations Chief Shepard, this is Corporal Meer. We're making our way to the Charlie barricade now to reinforce the soldiers there. The service chief that was leading them is KIA. They await your orders."

Shepard's mind whirred. There was an imminent attack on the Alpha barricade, Charlie Post was about to fall, and a group of colonists were about to be forever lost, if not already.

"Scout, get me an engineer, a sentinel, and three soldiers. Bring them here." Shepard activated her radio. "Dural, take fifteen marines, including the adept and tell them to link up with Corporal Meer. He will be giving them their orders. Gunnery Chief Dural, Alpha Post is yours now. Keep her safe."

"Ma'am, what about you?" Dural's voice rang out over the radio.

"I will be leaving with a small squad to liberate a slaver outpost." Shepard folded her sniper and once again pulled out her assault rifle.

"But ma'am, Charlie Post…" The messenger whined. Shepard altered her radio channel.

"Corporal Meer, this is Operations Chief Shepard. Get to Charlie as quick as you can. Reinforcements from Gunnery Chief Dural and Alpha are on their way. I've linked them to your radio. Tell all marines to disperse into the surrounding buildings. Have a small group lure the enemies into the city. Once they're in deep, spring the trap. Hammer and anvil. The new tactic on Charlie is guerilla warfare. Keep them away from Alliance Command, but don't worry if they get into the city. A talented biotic is on her way with the marines. She's your glass cannon. Use her as you see fit. You have command of Charlie until I arrive." Shepard ordered into the radio.

"Aye, aye Chief. It's time for some payback. We'll rendezvous with Gunnery Chief Dural's reinforcements. Meer out." The corporal seemed almost giddy with anticipation. Shepard couldn't help but smile. The scout quickly arrived back with Shepard's requested squad.

"Scout, what's your name?" Shepard questioned.

"Corporal Hale, ma'am." The scout answered with a stern voice.

"Corporal Hale, you're an infiltrator? You any good with a sniper?"

"With all respect, I'd give you a run for your money… ma'am." Hale's enthusiasm caused Shepard to laugh.

"Good. You're team sniper." Shepard pulled out her shotgun. "I'll be playing vanguard." She looked at her small team. "Suit up, marines! We're going to rescue some colonists and blow a hole to hell for those slavers to burn in." Shepard's order was met with a unanimous "Oorah!"

Shepard and her makeshift squad followed Corporal Hale until she led them to an abandoned building, careful not to alert any roaming batarians on their way. They entered the damage building and made their way through it to the other side. Hale gave the hand signal for enemies ahead before falling back to Shepard.

"Chief, one o'clock. Next building across the street. Take a look." The corporal whispered. Shepard took out her Volkov and looked through the scope out the window. Just as Hale had reported, batarians were dragging civilians into the building. "Order's Chief?" Hale asked.

"Divide and conquer." Shepard folded up her rifle and returned to the rest of the squad. "Listen up, those slavers have that building locked down tight. There's only one entrance, and that's the front. They've got us outnumbered, but by the look of things, we have them outgunned. If we're careful, this shouldn't be difficult. So here's the plan…"

Shepard and one of her soldiers, Corporal Aeducan sat behind a pile of rubble, awaiting the signal from her sentinel, Service Chief Irving.

"Ready, Aeducan?" Shepard asked as she clicked the safety off her shotgun.

"Ready to squish the heads of all the ugly aliens? Always. I find the blood on my boots to be quite fashionable." The woman beside Shepard hummed. The chief couldn't help but chuckle at the massive soldier crouching with her.

The distinctive crackle of biotics rang through the chief's ears.

Pow. Pow. Pow.

Three sniper shots. Irving and Hale had made the first move. The next sound Shepard heard was the screaming of batarians and the rain of assault rifle bullets coming from batarian guns.

"Private Baldur, Service Chief Sten, bring the heat." At Shepard's command, another roll of rifle bullets rang through her ears, this time from the guns of Alliance marines. More batarian screams.

"Aeducan, now!" Operations Chief Shepard and Corporal Aeducan burst from their cover, shotguns blazing as they tore into the batarians. The alien guns cooled down and the batarians were ready to unleash another wave of fire. Anticipating the coming attack, Shepard reached back with her hand. A static sensation flowed up her arm as she manipulated the dark energy around her. With a calculated push of her arm, Shepard unleashed a powerful telekinesis wave that knocked all the batarians off of their feet. The chief rolled back into cover, letting her allies fight the batarians while she fought off the dizziness that accompanied a powerful biotic attack. Sten and Baldur caught up to Aeducan. The marines slaughtered the alien line as Hale provided cover-fire and Irving threw down supporting biotics. However, out of the corner of her eye, Shepard saw another wave coming from down the street.

"Bastards radioed backup!" Hale screamed. The aliens unleashed a torrent of bullets, tearing Sten's and Baldur's shields to pieces. The two dropped to the ground. Shepard and Aeducan dove for cover. The chief pulled out her omni-tool and ran the sabotage command. The closest batarians yelped as their guns overheated. Corporal Aeducan dropped the aliens with a carnage shot from her gun.

"Chief, the batarians brought their birdie friends, and the little pigeons are setting up a turret!" Aeducan yelled over the blasts from her shotgun.

"Hale, Irving, take down the turret!" Shepard ordered as she dropped two more aliens.

"Moving to get an angle!" Hale responded. Too late. The turret was almost online.

Wham!

The butt of a batarian rifle missed Shepard's head by centimeters as it crashed into the concrete above her helmet. The chief rolled out of the batarian's range and blindly shot her hand out at the slaver. Shepard regained her footing and looked up. The batarian's skin was collapsing in on itself. It's body and face were distorted by a surrounding blue aura that ripped at the alien. Unflinching, Shepard emptied a round into the attacker; the batarian dropped.

"Chief!" Irving's voice cracked over the radio. A blue ethereal shield appeared to her side right before a spray of bullets splashed into it. Shepard jolted her head to the side. Through the rippling reddening barrier she saw the turret begin to whir. Sniper shots slammed into the machine, but only hit shielding. The operations chief rolled behind the nearest cover, but she knew the turret-fire would shred it and her. Shepard held her breath as the sound of high-pitched gunfire ripped through the air… along with the sound of turian screams?

"The turret is hacked!" Hale's exclamation triggered the squad to action. There was nowhere safe for the hostiles as Shepard's marines cut them down. When the last alien fell, an Alliance marine stepped up to the turret and tapped it with his omni-tool. The machine exploded as he stepped away.

"Chief, I know you said 'hack the batarian ship and keep it secure,' but all of its guards came to fight you, and I was getting bored." The engineer quipped.

"Considering the circumstances, I think I can forgive you, Private Rand." Shepard nodded her approval before approaching the bodies of Baldur and Sten. She checked for any vital readings. There was nothing. "I should have brought you to the fight sooner…" The chief whispered as she respectfully took the tags from around their necks and ran her fingers over their eyelids. Shepard solemnly shook her head before standing, shoving aside her emotions in the process.

"Rand, help me find the slaver's body that has the code to the slave collars. Hale, watch the perimeter. Alert us if you see anything. Aeducan, Irving, secure the building. Round up all surviving humans." The chief's voice was automatic.

"And any surviving slavers?" Corporal Aeducan questioned. Shepard paused.

"Slavers don't survive. They just live long enough for a quick interrogation." The marine's voice was steel.

"Understood." Aeducan responded…

It didn't take Aeducan and Irving long to find all of the surviving humans, and it didn't take those humans much convincing to come down to the front of the building so Rand could remove their collars with the slaver code.

"Lucky for them, you decided to go humanitarian, huh Chief?" Irving asked as he checked his rifle.

"'Luck' has little to do with it. We don't leave people behind." Shepard paused as she looked out at the dirty, ash-covered faces of men, women, and children of all ages. "Especially civilians. Especially to batarians."

"Too bad they're civilians. Some backup would be nice…" Irving whispered.

"Operations Chief Shepard, come in! I repeat, Chief Shepard, come in! God Damned radio!" Corporal Meer's voice broke over Shepard's radio.

"This is Shepard. I hear you. What do you need, Corporal?"

"Shepard? Thank God! Help! Charlie is on the brink of failure! Guerilla tactics were working great until the bastards brought in grenades! We're being pushed back! Hard! We've set up one last barricade. If it falls, the slavers have a straight shot to military command!"

Shepard looked out over the streets of rubble at the landed slaver-ship, its landing bay door open, awaiting human prisoners.

"Be there in five, Corporal. Hold that line." Shepard switched her radio to her squad. "Aeducan, Irving, Hale, this is Shepard. Report to the slaver ship. Pass out all the batarian guns onboard to the civilians that aren't too young or old to hold them."

"M-Ma'am?" Irving's jaw dropped in shock.

"You were hoping for some backup. So am I. If some of these people aren't willing to take up arms for their home, they're not going to have a home…" Shepard's voice dropped low. This was the last thing she ever wanted to ask a civilian to do. "I had to… for Mindoir."

"Ma'am? I might be able to help." Private Rand's voice broke over the radio.

"Rand?" Shepard blinked.

"If my calculations are correct –and they almost always are- I can hack into batarian communication and use their tech to temporarily undo the block on Alliance and civilian communications." Rand's voice was practically giddy. Shepard thought for a moment.

"How temporary we talking?" The chief asked.

"Oh, say about, thirty to forty seconds max." Rand tapped his fingers together as he calculated.

"Can you get me on every screen on the planet?" Shepard put her hand on Rand's shoulder.

"Every screen, every terminal, every radio on this planet, well, minus military ones looped through the Agincourt." The engineer practically sung.

"Get the engines on that batarian ship fired up, and patch me in…"

Corra Shepard's icy blue eyes adjusted to the bright lights shining on her as she stood in front of the batarian communications screen. Private Rand waved his omni-tool then held up three fingers, two fingers, one finger.

"People of Elysium, I am Operations Chief Corra Shepard of the Alliance Navy and I am here to help you find your courage. Many have lost their lives today, their blood staining the ground of Elysium. Marines. Soldiers. Law enforcement. And the brave men and women who refuse to give up their home. Your husbands. Your wives. Your sons. Your daughters. Your brothers. Your sisters. All because of an unprovoked, heinous attack on this peaceful, prosperous planet, and her citizens. As if this is not treacherous enough, those who survive the initial onslaught are taken as slaves, sentenced to a slow, torturous death in the brutal captivity of monstrous masters. Enough is enough, people of Elysium! This is your planet! Your friends! Your family! Your home! The guardians who fight to defend you need you now! Rise up! Fight, with whatever you have! Join us in repelling these monsters! Join us in taking back your home!" Shepard watched as the lights on the communication system went dark.

"VI firewall back up, Chief. But the bastards are too late. Message was on everywhere." Private Rand happily announced.

"Chief! Shepard!" Corporal Hale ran into the room and saluted. "Ma'am, we passed out the guns like you asked. The colonists were already considering going after the batarians, and after everyone saw that vid of yours, they are positive they want to join the fight. They're asking how they can help."

"Tell them to leave two or three adults with weapons to take their young and elderly to hide in the office building. Tell the rest to board this ship, get near a window or door, and take the safety off their guns." Shepard turned to Rand "Open all the windows, keep the bay doors open. We're dropping down on Charlie and I want all guns firing."

Both Rand and Hale shot out a "Yes, ma'am." Shepard radioed Corporal Meer.

"Charlie Outpost, this is Operations Chief Shepard. I'm sending you the identification of a batarian transport ship. Note that the ship is carrying your reinforcements. Repeat, the ship is carrying friendlies. Do not shoot down. Help is on its way…"

Spurts of batarian blood sprayed the ground below as the stolen slaver transport descended on the Charlie barricade. Shepard was picking the bastards off with deadly precision through a cracked window while the civilians sprayed bullets with the large alien guns. On the short flight over, the infiltrator had noticed the increased amount of gunfire she heard. Humans were coming out of the woodwork to combat the invaders. Shepard had seen the civilians using personal pistols, law enforcement rifles, and even military grade guns that were left behind by the fallen soldiers. Elysium was fighting back.

Even so, the fate of the planet would be decided here, at Charlie Post.

The stolen ship touched down. Shepard, Aeducan, Irving, and dozens of civilians piled out behind the barricade.

"Rand, Hale, keep about a dozen or so civilians with you on board. Continue to circle the battlefield and lay down fire." The chief ordered and was met with the sound of "Aye" over her radio. Corporal Meer rushed over to Shepard.

"Never thought I'd be happy to see a slaver transport, but I'm just happy for the reinforcements. God knows this place has been hell to hold." Meer shook the chief's hand.

"What's the situation with the other posts?"

"Holding, ma'am. The hostiles know that Charlie is the weakest point right now. This is the closest they've been to military command and the bastards are pushing hard." The corporal reported. Shepard looked around behind the barricade. Injured marines screamed out in pain. The air smelled of burned flesh. There was too much red. A few medics ran frantically from soldier to soldier, trying to patch them up. "You wouldn't believe it, but this is actually an improvement. That stunt you pulled caused a lot of people to come out and help. Bravo and Alpha have sent us some civilian doctors and nurses. The barracks at military command doesn't have a single gun that's not in use. We have reports coming in from all over the planet that the people are fighting back." Meer smiled.

"Humanity can be a real pain in the ass for those who underestimate us." Shepard smirked back. "Now, Corporal, let's go get some ground back…"

The stolen ship and barrage of flying bullets from above had loosened up the battlefield enough for the combined forces to regain ground. Under Shepard's command, marines and civilians were able to enter into the abandoned city buildings and lay down cover fire while Meer's main force advanced through the streets below. Slowly, but surely, they were pushing the batarians back while moving the perimeter up. Never being one to sit on the sidelines, Shepard set out on her own to scout, snipe, and sabotage. This was allowing her to gain vantage points where she could gather information and decide the best orders. The infiltrator and her marines were setting up traps that could do massive damage to the enemy while avoiding allied casualties.

"Come and get it, you batarian bastards." Shepard mumbled as she looked through the scope of her sniper. A fuzzy olive head lined with four black eyes marked the sights of her rifle. The infiltrator's fingers itched with adrenaline. Shepard took a deep breath, calming the instinct to squeeze the trigger. The batarians weren't huge on wearing helmets, and the aliens didn't know how to roll. It was a sniper's dream, and Shepard was making it count. But being an infiltrator of the Alliance meant more than knowing how to snipe. The operations chief had led the aliens to believe that the marines had retreated into the building and were helpless targets. In reality, Shepard had sabotaged the heating coils in the lower hall to explode should any movement cross a trip wire she had set up, and a large group of the ugly aliens were going to set off her trap in five meters. Three meters. One.

BOOM!

The lower hall lit up in reds and oranges, incinerating all of the invaders caught in the trap. The explosion nearly knocked Shepard off her feet. Were the marine any closer, the fire would have penetrated her shielding.

"Shepard? Was that you? Are you still with us?" The voice crackled over the service chief's radio.

"No one else knows how to treat our guests quite like me. Looks like a squadron or two of the assholes just left this party along with half the street and building. Tell the marines to move up." Several cheers came in over the radio channel.

"Hell of a move, Chief! Way to take the uglies down! I saw that from way up here in the 'freedom ship.'" Corporal Hale's voice crackled.

"Hale, tell Meer to take the majority of men off the main barricade. No aliens are coming at you this way without getting extra crispy. Focus on the side streets. Nothing gets through." Shepard ordered as she stomped out a few sparks at her feet. The fire was starting to rise.

"Yes, ma'am!" A few seconds passed and Hale radioed back. "Ma'am, Corporal Aeducan is requesting help at a side perimeter. Sending you her location."

"Acknowledged. I'm on my way to take the heat off them." Shepard collapsed her sniper rifle, pulled her shotgun, and dropped down an emergency fire escape as the flames overwhelmed her position.

"Thanks, Chief. I'll tell them the savior of Elysium is on her way."

Shepard marched double time to get to the corporal. Burned bodies and red splattered blood sloshed around her feet. Even through the filters of her helmet, the chief could vividly remember the pungent stench. She tried to ignore the raw bullet holes that were punched through the corpses in civilian clothing. She tried to ignore that some of those corpses were no bigger than children. She tried to ignore the fact that almost all the wounds were on the backs of the face-down bodies.

"What level of coward shoots a running child in the back…?"

The rumble of explosions below her feet caused her to snap her out of the unwanted thought.

"One thing at a time. One batarian at a time."

She quickened her pace.

Within minutes, Shepard arrived out of an alley behind a line of an attacking alien squadron. The batarians were focused on shooting at a barricade that marked where Corporal Aeducan held the side perimeter.

The infiltrator wasted no time pulling an eight inch long blade from her boot and sneaking up behind the closest batarian. Shepard plunged the knife into the weak spot between the shoulder and neck. The batarian held down his trigger finger as he twitched, shooting three of his allies in the back, draining two batarians' shields and killing one. Shepard aimed her shotgun in the direction of the two others and fired until the gun overheated. Their bodies dropped. The rest of the squadron turned on Shepard.

"Aeducan, charge!" The infiltrator screamed as she pulled the knifed batarian in front of her. His allies opened fire. Lucky for her, batarians were wide. Shepard heard the alarms of overheated pistols. She pulled her own and fired from behind her gurgling captive as he fell to the floor. The infiltrator rolled into cover, grabbing her cooled shotgun and firing from behind a crate. Recovering from their initial confusion, the batarians started to rush her position. It was a mistake for the aliens. Corporal Aeducan and the other marines with her had charged as ordered. With Shepard as a diversion, the Alliance soldiers easily took the position. A bloody batarian body hit the floor next to Shepard.

"Hostiles down!" Corporal Aeducan's voice rang out. Corra slid out of cover. "You're a sight for sore eyes, again, Chief. We thought we were dead before you showed up."

"Always glad to help another marine out, Corporal. Call me anytime." Shepard patted Aeducan's shoulder.

BOOM!

An explosion in the sky shook the entire city block. Shepard looked up to see the captured slave ship spewing red flames. Burning bodies fell from the ship as it spun.

"Hale! Rand!" Shepard screamed out.

"Mayday! Mayday! They launched a gunship! We've been hit!" Corporal Hale's distress call rang out through the radio. Shepard watched helplessly as the ship spiraled out of control.

"We're going down! Can't control it!" Private Rand screamed. With a terrible screech, the ship crashed several blocks down.

"Rand! Hale! No! Come in, dammit! Respond!" Shepard screamed into her radio. There was static, then silence.

"Shepard! Shepard, come in! This is Meer! The civilians you brought, they've gone ballistic! They're charging out of cover to try to get to that downed ship!" The corporal screamed over his radio.

"No! It's not safe! They'll be cut off by the batarians and slaughtered by the gunship!" The chief ordered.

"They're not listening! I'm sending my marines to go after them and watch their backs! They're dead otherwise! The batarians disabled one of the anti-air guns that would've taken care of that gunship. Chief, Service Chief Irving is the closest to it. He's on his way to bring the gun back online, but you and Corporal Aeducan are the closest to him. Is there anyway you could help?" Meer's panicked voice begged.

"On our way, corporal. Keep your heads down and try to bring those civilians back. Good luck." Shepard breathed. "Aeducan, we're spread thin. Top priority has to be getting that gun back online. Leave just enough marines to man the perimeter. The rest are taking the gun back with us."

Corra Shepard and her squad unleashed a meticulous fury at all the enemy aliens they encountered on the way to the AA gun. The downing of the captured ship was a huge blow against the resistance, and the marines were out for blood as payment for the heavy loss. Besides gunfire, everyone was quiet, the sound of war and sorrow nullifying the need for words. It was one thing to wage war against soldiers, but killing civilians was a crime that incurred no mercy. The Alliance marines were few in number, but lethally efficient in their purpose. The Operations Chief and her troops reached the AA gun just before Service Chief Irving. The sentinel was as relentless as his fellow marines. Biotic explosions tossed the batarian forces around as if they were weightless. Combined with marine gunfire, and the hail of tech fire Shepard unleashed, the small squad succeeded in taking the AA gun.

"Operations Chief, the VI for the AA gun is disabled. I'll have to fire it manually." Irving said as sparks flew out at him from a control panel.

"Get it done, Irving." Shepard nodded. The sentinel began to climb the ladder leading up to the seat of the gun. "Aeducan, watch his six. Marines, until that gunship goes down, no nonhuman gets past us." The Operations Chief braced herself against cover as the marines created a wide perimeter around the AA gun, using rubble as cover.

"Die you alien bastards!" Irving's voice marked the beginning of a barrage of gunfire that shook the ground. Even through the sound-dampeners, Shepard's ears thundered and her teeth rattled. Her marines mowed down the incoming mercenaries and slavers that were attracted by the rumble of the AA gun. "Gunship shields are down! I've got his attention now!"

Shepard looked up into the sky. A massive flying war machine hulked high above the AA gun. Small fires were beginning to catch where Irving's shots landed. The gunship fired two missiles at Irving's position. Flames exploded around the gun, but it continued to fire. "Shields at twenty percent! Come on!" The sentinel's voice screamed over the radio.

"Marines, rifles to the air!" Shepard ordered, aiming her own rifle up at the gunship. Small arms fire wouldn't do much, but hopefully it would give Irving just enough extra time.

With another whir of the AA gun's barrels, another barrage blasted into the gunship. The combined bombardment punched a hole through the gunship's engines. Distress alarms rang out through the air from the doomed war machine.

"Eat that slaver scum! If it flies it dies!" Aeducan's victory below over the radio caused several cheers from the marines.

"Wait! Oh Sh-" Irving's voice was cut off as the gunship slammed into the AA gun, it's engines exploding and causing a huge blast that knocked Shepard and her marines off of their feet.

Once the infiltrator's head stopped screaming, she was able to stand, shaking the ringing and dizziness from her ears. She looked up, only to see a smoking ruin where the AA gun used to be.

"Irving! Shit!" Shepard tapped her radio. "Aeducan! Do you copy?" There was silence. "Corporal! Answer me!" The radio only held static. She scanned for Aeducan's IFF tag, but it was gone.

"Chief. Chief, they're gone." A marine put his hand on Shepard's shoulder. "We need orders."

"Radio Meer. We're going to help him get the civilians back to the perimeter." Shepard deadpanned as she watched smoke billow into the sky.

"Ma'am, he's not responding."

"Shit. Double time!" Shepard and the marines started their sprint back to Charlie Post.

The Operations Chief tracked Corporal Meer's IFF to a back alley surrounded by apartment buildings. As they got closer, the infiltrator started to pick up a radio signal. What she heard made Shepard's blood run hot with fury.

"The slaves think that they are worthy to fight with their betters. We will teach the humans their place." The low rumble of a batarian voice speaking clear English filled Shepard's radio. The screams of a human man followed. "If they wish to act like rabid varren, we will treat them accordingly. Line them up. On your knees humans!"

Shepard's HUD lit up with life signs, surrounded by enemy indicators. Meer's IFF was among the life signs. The chief and her marines sprinted up the stairs of the apartment complex, desperately trying to reach the windows in the rear where the batarians and their hostages would be below and visible.

"Please, please, mercy! We beg you, mercy!" A woman's voice came in over the radio. Time seemed to move in slow motion for Shepard. The window was in sight. The leader of the batarians became visible as he held a pistol to the woman's head. The other batarians followed his lead and did the same to several other hostages. Shepard unfolded her sniper rifle. Her own heavy breathing and pounding heart drowned out almost all other noise. She arrived at the window, her sniper still deploying. The leader of the batarians cocked his head to the right. Shepard brought up her sniper.

"No." The batarian fired his pistol. His followers did the same. Shepard fired her sniper. The civilian woman hit the ground. Other civilians followed. The concrete behind the lead slaver's head shattered. A line of blood stained the alien's cheek. Only his cheek. Shepard had missed. Four black eyes met one icy blue one through the scope of the infiltrator's rifle.

"Kill them!" The batarian screamed out as he ran for the building.

"Fire!" Shepard screamed to her marines. She took aim at the lead batarian's back, but Corporal Meer's armor caught her other eye. He was wrestling with a batarian for a pistol, but he was losing. "Dammit!" Shepard switched her sights to Meer's attacker and fired. The batarian released his weapon to Meer as the alien fell. Marine gunfire pelted into the executioners as their would-be victims rolled away. After the last alien fell, Meer, what was left of his squad and Shepard's marines met on the ground floor of the building.

"Chief… I won't even try to guess how many times you've saved me today." The corporal mumbled as he and Shepard stared at all of the human bodies on the ground.

"Where are the rest of the civilian reinforcements and marines?" Shepard whispered?

"Chief… I reached them. I did. We had made a hard push and even reached the wreckage of the downed ship. But… that batarian. He was waiting. We were ambushed, and… and we're all that's left. Us, and the few I left at the barricade. The aliens are regrouping for one final push on the forward perimeter. We don't have enough left to hold them back. They're getting more and more ground forces through. Elysium… It will fall." Meer's voice was shaky and unstable. He barely managed to whisper.

"You made it to the downed slaver ship? Were its engines still intact?" Shepard wiped the grime from her face.

"Yes. Still intact. That's where the slaver leader was waiting for us..." The corporal trailed off.

"Fall back to the barricade. Take everyone with you. Hold on just a little longer." Shepard put her hand on Meer's shoulder.

"Where are you going?" The corporal questioned.

"One last gambit. One last bid. One last fight for Elysium. It's all or nothing, but I don't intend to lose. That ship has a distress beacon in it that will attract every alien within a ten kilometer radius, and the shields on those engines are down." The chief checked her sniper scope, made sure her shields were fully charged, and gave Meer a grim grin.

"…One last gambit, then." He returned Shepard's forced grin. "We'll hold out long enough for you to do your thing. Give 'em hell, Chief. God's speed." The two shook hands before the corporal and the marines went one way and the operations chief went the other.

For any other class of Alliance marine, sneaking behind enemy lines would have been difficult. For Shepard, it was second nature. The urgency of her objective and fury of her vengeance drove her on. The hulking mercenaries and slavers were easy enough to avoid, despite the intense urge to fight every invader she came across, but they would die soon enough.

The smoke from the crashed slaver ship led Shepard to her quarry. Avoiding the guards to the ship, the infiltrator quietly slipped into the downed ship through a hole in the armor. The heat from the molten metal caused her shields to slip down half way, but they quickly regenerated.

Shepard navigated her way through the burning steel, sparking wires and chunks of metal stabbing out at her as she made her way to the engines. Burning bodies made her pause as she reverently stepped over her fallen comrades. She did not stop to check for their identities, knowing that doing such would break her resolve and that success of her task would mean avenging those who had fallen.

Once the operations chief had reached the engines, she immediately pulled out her omni-tool, checking the core temperature and deducing what exactly she needed to do. It wasn't long before the infiltrator had finished her programming. Hacking into what little protection remained of the ship's systems, she activated the batarian distress beacon. All enemy ground forces in the range of the ship's call would come. The only thing left to do was send the final command so that the engines would go critical.

CRACK!

Corra Shepard felt her body lift from the ground before flying across the room, slamming into the far wall and barely missing sharp pieces of metal protruding from the wreckage. Ignoring the ringing in her skull, the chief looked up. Four fuming black beady eyes bore into her as the lead batarian slaver hulked over to the infiltrator. Two aliens fists rose high into the air above Shepard's head. Training kicked in. Shepard rolled and kicked out. She felt her foot connect with the alien's armor. The chief sprang to her feet, reaching for her rifle. It was gone. The batarian's surprise attack had knocked her pistol and sniper from her. She could pull a shotgun or assault rifle, but one stray bullet into the engines could detonate them and kill her too.

The batarian regained his footing and came after Shepard again. She waited for the right moment at the alien's charge, grabbing his arm and reeling him face-first into the wall. A deep yelp came from the brute's lungs. Shepard went to follow up her attack, but the slaver forced the back of his head into the front of the chief's helmet. She staggered, grateful for the helmet's protection against her much larger opponent. Shepard let her fist fly at the batarian, but the alien leapt to the side, forcing his knee into the chief's side. The infiltrator fell to the floor, her shields gone and her body screaming in pain. A large, booted foot crashed hard on Shepard's chest. Her HUD lit up in warning as she heard the armor begin to crack. Her lungs struggled for air.

"Weak little human." The leader of the slavers growled down at her. He ran his gloved fingers along the side of his cheek, pulling blood. "You die slowly for this." The chief tried to summon biotic energy to push the creature away, but the day's battle had taken its toll. She didn't have the reserves to unleash any power upon her foe. The batarian ground his boot into Shepard's sternum, laughing as she gasped. Thinking fast, the infiltrator grabbed a knife from her boot and jammed it into the weak point of the alien's leg armor. The slaver howled as he jumped off of her. Shepard wasted no time in rolling forward and ripping her knife from the batarian's leg. She jumped up, slicing at the alien's throat, but only cutting the side of his face. The slaver swung out and Shepard had to jump back to avoid getting hit again. He held his face, growling in the batarian language.

"To match the first mark I gave you." Shepard pointed out with her knife at both sides of the batarian's bleeding face. With a roar, the frenzied creature lashed out at Shepard again and again with renewed vigor. The two warriors entered into a deadly dance of fists, feet, and fury. The batarian had strength and size, but Shepard was faster and had the knife. But ultimately the day's war was catching up with the chief. She had fought long and hard and her body was slowing down. After an extensive brawl, the lead slaver finally caught Shepard with his powerful fist in her stomach. The brutal batarian followed up with a flurry of strikes to the exhausted soldier, bringing the chief to her knees. He picked her up by the neck, bringing her face close to his.

"You achieved nothing. This planet is ours. Your people are ours." With a grunt, the slaver threw Shepard across the room. She face first on something hard. Through icy blue eyes that were blackened and ready to close, the chief looked down on what she had landed. A refitted Volkov sniper rifle. A smile appeared under bruised skin. "And now, pathetic human, your life is mine now." The batarian charged.

"Not yet." Shepard grabbed the rifle, rolled over and fired.

Four black beady eyes went wide then looked down. The armor over his stomach was charred and blown off. The hole that was left started to pour smoke. The slaver fell to his knees. Shepard stood over him, aiming her rifle at the beaten brute.

"M-Mercy." The batarian begged.

"Say it again." Shepard's words were ice.

"Mercy. Please, human. I have medi-gel on my belt…" Blood seeped from his mouth. "Half is yours if you let me live."

"Ask me again. One more time." She whispered, finger itching to fire.

"Mercy! Please! I beg you for mercy!" The alien coughed out blood as he sobbed. Shepard cocked her head to the right.

"No." Shepard fired her rifle. The headless batarian fell to the ground. Wasting no more time, the operations chief took the medi-gel from the dead alien and administered it to herself. It took practically no time for the medical marvel to begin working. The chief felt a pulse of energy enrapture her body as broken bones began to mend and bruises faded. Feeling better, the infiltrator pulled out her omni-tool, finished her programming, and started running.

Corra Shepard was sprinting at full speed down the ruined streets of Elysium, only slowing down ever so slightly to fire her assault rifle back over her shoulder at the pursuing invaders. Her HUD indicated more and more enemy signals were on route to the downed slaver ship. The countdown on her timer was just under a minute.

"Meer, tell all units to fall back and take cover! Engines are critical! Repeat, engines are critical! Sending you my countdown! I am nearing the barricade!" The infiltrator screamed into her radio as bullets from her rifle ricocheted into three more alien heads.

48 seconds.

"Aye, chief! We read you! Providing cover fire!"

Corra rolled under a fence into a back alley and continued to sprint. She exited and saw the barricade in the distance.

36 seconds.

The flash of marine gunfire was unmistakable. Shepard heard the zip of a sniper bullet pass her head and the dying gurgle of a batarian somewhere behind her.

29 seconds.

The chief dropped her rifle and shotgun to lose some weight, leaving only her father's sniper on her back as the barricade filled more and more of her vision.

19 seconds.

Shepard reached the barricade and looked back over her shoulder to see dozens of slavers down the street chasing after her. Gunfire flew past her from all directions.

10 seconds.

Corra jumped on the barricade, doing her best to climb its sleek surface. She felt her body lift up against gravity as purple and blue light filled her vision. Two marines and the biotic that had helped her scale the barricade grabbed her and pulled her into cover. Batarian yells were just on the other side.

2 seconds.

"Get down!" Someone screamed.

BOOOOOOM!

The entire ground rumbled and shook. Shepard had her hands over her head, under cover. Several marines fell to the ground, unable to keep any semblance of balance. The sky went orange. Everything lit up in red. An explosion drowned out all noise.

By the time Shepard's ears had stopped ringing and her vision returned to normal, the other marines were also starting to stand. Ash was falling from the sky. The air stank of burning metal and bodies. The operations chief stood, looking out over the barricade. Fires blossomed over the street. Batarians rolled around, howling in pain. The infiltrator decided it best to check on her marines.

The soldiers were wounded and tired. What little reserve of medi-gel the marines had was quickly disappearing. Everyone had some sort of burn or wound. No one was left unscathed, but this was to be expected. Despite the danger, the marines behind the barricade had survived. Barely, perhaps, but they were alive.

"Chief Shepard!" Meer's voice caused the operations chief to turn around. The corporal ran up to her and grabbed her hand. "Chief… You did it. The wave has been repelled. That last squad… They're in hell or on the fast track there."

"We did it." Shepard looked around at the faces of her comrades. "I doubt the bastards will be attacking Charlie anytime soon. They'll have to wade through molten streets and their burning slaver bitches to do it."

"Ma'am, one of the batarians got blown over the barricade. It's still alive. Barely. The slaver is asking for the commander of this post." A marine ran up to Shepard and saluted as he gave his report. Shepard's stomach twisted but she agreed, following the marine along with Meer to the dying alien and the rest of the surviving Alliance soliders.

Shepard arrived to see several marines pointing their rifles at the batarian. Its leg had been blown clean off. Its arm was a charred crisp and blood oozed from the right side of its face.

"What do you want?" The chief crossed her arms and stared at the soon-to-be corpse.

"T-To give… a message." The slaver coughed up more blood. Shepard took a step back in disgust.

"Then make it quick, batarian; we have more of your kind to kill." Corporal Meer aimed his rifle at the creature's head, ready to put it out of its misery.

The alien held up his good hand.

"Die…" The batarian opened his hand to reveal a small round disk with flashing red lights.

"Dive!" Shepard and the other marines tried to roll out of the way. It didn't matter. A billow of red swallowed the humans and threw them back. Shepard tried to scream out to her marines before everything went black.

"…only one survivor! Just Shepard!"

Corra opened her eyes to see a medic standing over her applying medi-gel to her torso. She looked down. Her tactical armor was cracked and blown off in some areas. The left side of her abdomen looked badly bruised and she could tell by the brutality of the blast that her ribs were broken. Shrapnel stuck out of the remainder of her armor at various places. Shepard felt hot liquid pouring down the right side of her face. The infiltrator quickly realized the only thing she could see out of her right eye was red. She reached to remove her helmet, only to find that the entire piece of armor was gone.

"Chief, don't touch! Shepard, you're in shock. Grenade went off. You have a nasty piece of shrapnel sticking out of your eyebrow and forehead. As far as I can tell, it didn't hit your eye, but we need to get you out of here."

"Squad… Meer… Marines…" Shepard wheezed out. She felt a stabbing in her left lung, but it wasn't filling up with liquid. The medi-gel must have been kicking in.

"I'm sorry, ma'am… it's just you. The corporal… he was in front of you when the grenade went off. He took the brunt of the explosion."

The statement hit Corra harder than the grenade that had exploded. The infiltrator looked around. The stunned and charred face of Corporal Meer and Shepard's fellow marines stared lifeless into her eyes.

"Nooooo…Nooo… No…" Shepard's voice faltered as she spent her energy struggling to reach out to the bodies of the soldiers she had just saved.

"She's in shock! Get her out of here! She's done enough!" A marine holding a large Lancer Assault Rifle ordered to the medic. He nodded and grabbed Corra's arm.

"Sir, I've just received word that the Alliance has passed through the Mass Relay! Reinforcements will be here in less than an hour! The aliens are in full retreat!" Another marine chimed in.

"Thank God! We're all pulling back! Get to the command center! We're almost out of this!" The leading marine helped the medic grab Shepard and pull her to her feet. The medi-gel was kicking in fast. The infiltrator was able to stand with some help. Within minutes she'd be able to run. The marine leaned in to her right ear. She couldn't see him through the blood pouring down her face, and it was difficult to hear past the ringing in her ears, but she made out his words. "We couldn't have gotten this far without you, ma'am. You saved Elysium."

"No. They did." Shepard stared down into the eyes of the dead. Hot liquid poured down her left eye, but it was clear instead of red.