Mindoir, 2170
"You're home early, Ellowyn." Her mother smiled taking a seat at their kitchen table.
"They said some unidentified ships were seen flying through the area, so they sent us home early." She replied tossing her school books on to a chair and racing up to her room to watch the skies. The rest of the settlement was glowing red along the horizon. "Mother?"
"We're leaving." Her mother took her by the hand and led her down the street.
"Why won't you tell me where we're going?" Ellowyn panicked watching as her friends and their families left their homes behind. "What's going on?"
"There an Alliance Navy cruser here to pick us up just beyond this point-" her mother cut off and watched in horror as the rows of people in front of them fell to the ground in unison with the sound of shots fired.
"This one is too old." The Batarian spoke pointing at Ellowyn's mother. Ellowyn did not look to her left, the feeling of her hand going limp and the gentle thud of her body hitting the earth was enough to send her heart beating in her ears. She wanted to make a rude comment, if she was going to die like this she wasn't going down without poking fun at these Batarians, but no words came out.
"You're awfully scrawny, aren't you?" He tucked his gun against her side and pulled the trigger laughing as she hit the ground. "Leave this one." His followers moved with him leaving Ellowyn in the pile of bodies clutching her side.
It felt like hours, though really it was a few minutes.
"I don't understand why they're having us groom the place for survivors, isn't it clear that we came too late?"
"You need to be grateful that we didn't get the worst of it on this end. The other squads are coming back looking like Hell."
"Mira, I think I just saw movement."
"Says the one who didn't want to bother looking." A third voice commented.
The man ran over to Ellowyn and held his head above her mouth to listen for breathing. "She's alive," He looked around amazed, "Can you hear me?"
Ellowyn blinked twice and lost consciousness, comforted by the Alliance Navy Emblem on the trio's uniforms.
"Get her some medi-gel and bandage her up we're taking her back to the ship." Mira spoke.
"Should I call for the medic?"
"No" she replied "If we want her out of here alive it's our best bet just to carry her to the doctor."
"That really isn't protocol. . ."
"If we get bitched at then it's on me the two of you were just following orders."
"Yes ma'ma."
"I'm glad to see you're coming too." Mira, spoke helping Ellowyn to sit up. "Lt. Mira Frost. You can just call me Mira, I'm not much for that formal stuff. Do you have a name kid?"
"It's Ellowyn, Ellowyn Shepard."
