I figured I better start writing this before I am one of many doing it. Then I would be discouraged and cowardly and would not even try.

Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect or any of the intellectual properties within this document. They belong to Bioware. I am merely playing with them and am not making any profit from this work.

Doctor Jones-Harten watched as the techs lifted the Beacon onto the cargo tram towards the spaceport. With the beacon came three Marines from the 212 infantry unit as security, more for the beacon than anything else. The morning was going well, clear and bright with not much wind.

Then the sky blackened and the wind picked up.

Suddenly there was an explosion from behind and she was propelled through the air. The world became sharp and then fuzzy. Fires were burning below her and shots were being fired above her. A Marine fell infront of her.

Slithering on her belly she went over to one of the dead marines and pried the pistol that was in his cold hand. She hid behind a few crates, waiting to see what was attacking them. They were machines and they terrified her. The only synthetics she knew of resembling those in front of her were geth. One optic piece on the end what she could only think of was a head surveyed the area. She aimed for the largest from behind the crates and fired ten shots. The aiming was pure luck hitting the torso and "head". The geth went down, frying itself as it did so. Quickly she reached over and slid the marine behind the crate hoping to use it as camouflage if needed.

Her fingers trembled as she plucked the grenades from the Marine's body. She was scared, so very scared. She could feel her chest tighten in anxiety and her breathing quicken. She was going to die here, holding onto a Marine that gave his life for a piece of ancient technology. Her eyes clouded over and she passed out.

When she came to the machines were gone and the beacon was active. Flakes of ash floated down around her like snow on a winter's day. Slowly she crept over to a crate closer to the beacon Suddenly she heard the clicking, whining gears of the geth that she had seen before. Quickly she slid a crate in front of her and near the beacon. From the train station she watched as a grey Turian with mechanic implants walk over to the Beacon. The machines that were with him took no notice of her the heat of the sun against the crate and synthcrete flooring masked her body heat.

The scholar in her was enthralled with how easily it was for the Turian to interface with the Beacon. It must have been due to the implants, she thought. It might have been a few moments or a few hours but the Turian was released and calmly went over to the geth.

"Activate the charges. Destroy the entire colony." Then he walked out of sight to the next platform and onto what could be a shuttle.

The shuttle was away before she thought to move again. On numbed knees she slid a grenade on the flooring under a geth and detonated it. The geth scattered in a hundred of pieces. The other machines were instantly aware of her presence. They were firing at her but she kept throwing the grenades. Crates and machines were flying in every which way. When the last grenade was gone only three of the machines were standing. She swore silently and started to pray for a quick death. There was no way she was going to die without taking the last three with her. Popping up she fired as many shots as she dared and crouched back down. Popping up again she took down on of the trio and started on another one. Quickly she slipped off the platform and used it as a shield. She moved back and forth, popping up randomly and firing at the last two. Faintly, behind her own firefight she heard more gunfire. Hope spurred her to pop one last time and riddle the last geth and the minuscule pellets.

Against her mind's better logic she scampered up the edge of the platform towards the beacon. There was no way she was going to let another person go near the beacon. Three armored figures came down the ramp from the train, their weapons aimed squarely at her. She knew their armor, alliance military but that didn't mean they were friendly.

A stray lock of hair from her ponytail swept in front of her vision. The beacon started to throb behind her.

"Stay right where you are!" she shouted. "Identify yourself!"

"Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy." the helmeted man replied bringing the barrel of his shotgun down and away from her. "Where's Saren?"

Saren?

"Commander she's the main researcher for the dig," replied the human in pink and white armor calmly. "Doctor Jones? I'm Gunnery Chief Williams from the 212."

Her mind reeled at the numbers. The dead Marines, she was a comrade of the dead Marines. Slowly she lowered the pistol slightly, her eyes stinging from fumes, ash and tears.

"Doctor Jones-"

"If you're referring to the sinister looking Turian that came through here then you've missed him by a few minutes." She took a back step towards the beacon, it throbbing calling to her.

"Why didn't they find you?"

Why didn't they? "I-I don't know."

"You're safe now Doctor." the other soldier to the right of Shepard replied and took a step forward. "Now just put down the pistol."

"Are you injured?"

"No I'm-" The air around the beacon became charged and a shock wave slipped past her and hooked into her.

"Doctor!" Williams cried starting towards her.

Quickly she was spun around as she was lifted off the ground. Red and black flashes burned their way through her mind. It was maddening, she felt her mind melting at the effect it was having on her. With a push she was released from the burning and collided with something hard.