I do not own Mass Effect.

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Chapter 1 – The Mission

It was once more Halloween, and I was awaiting the trick-or-treaters while I had sat down sipping a beer as the TV played an Asari horror film. I had decided to wear my old N7 Slayer armor back from the Reaper War; my helmet placed on the coffee table in front of me. The movie had just introduced the monster when the doorbell rang loudly through the apartment, and I quickly place the beer down and pulled my helmet on before opening the door. Three children stood in front of me wearing different costumes with each one holding a bucket with eyes instantly asking for candy. The child in the middle was a human wearing a ninja costume. To human's child left was a Turian girl that dressed like an old western sheriff you would see on earth. The final child was an Asari girl dressed as a witch.

As they look up at me, they each had a smile on their face as they said together loudly, "Trick or Treat!"

I chuckle softly to myself I quickly gave each one of them a piece of candy making sure that the Turian girl got Dextro candy. They immediately yelled out a thank you before running from the house towards their awaiting parents. Taking a step through the doorway, I look at the other doors in the hallway seeing other kids going from door to door. Children and adults were outside in the hall from all different races having fun and collecting candy. My face broke into a smile as I close the door and pull my helmet off before giving the old N7 helmet a look over in my hands. I could see some scratches and scorch marks on it from previous fights.

Placing the helmet down beside the bowl of candy, I walk back to couch grabbing my beer once more as I go to take another sip; however, before I go even take a sip the doorbell rings once more letting me know that more kids were standing outside the door. I couldn't even move towards the door when a Turian woman came out of the bedroom and walked towards the door. Her costume that she was wearing came from some human game called Assassin Creed that she was obsessed with recently. She quickly gave out the candy before walking towards me with a slight sway in her hips.

She slowly put her arms around my neck as my arms wrap around her waist holding her tightly to me. Her eyes could be barely seen beneath the hood, but the smile on her face was still easy to see. That smile quickly came up to meet my lips in a quick kiss before she pulled away once more with a grin now on her face as she spoke, "So how do you like my costume?"

My eyes scan over her costume and notice how skin tight it was on her, the costume showing off her body's curves clearly. I give my head a slight shake as I look back into her eyes before replying, "You know I like you in almost anything."

She moves in closing kissing me softly as she could once more before pulling away as the doorbell signal that more trick-or-treaters were outside their door. She quickly slipped out of my grasp and walk towards the door before calling out to me over her shoulder, "How about you sit down and rest for a little bit we still got the party later, I got the kiddies for now."

Nodding my head, I sit back down as my eyes move over to the table beside the couch noticing a picture frame sitting there with me in between a human and a Turian smiling. Picking it up, I smile as I thought about it the two men inside of the picture. Garrus and Shepard thank you for everything you both have done for me, I thought as my thumb run over the edge of picture frame a smile on my face. My mind quickly wanders back to how I first met these two men who later became like brothers.

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Four years earlier

The Kodiak pulled out from the SSV Everest and flew towards the SSV Normandy with my eyes looking out of it watching the rest of the Fifth Fleet on patrol around the Crucible. As the Kodiak pulled up along side the air dock, my thoughts begin to wonder why the Commander, a man with such distinction and an incredible crew, would need my help. I quickly stood up picking up my bag with my equipment and few personal items and exit the Kodiak and enter the airlock. The doors open into the ship showing a woman of Indian descent with short black hair and a tablet in her hands as she gave me a smile that seems one that was genuine and not forced like many others during recent times with Reapers taking over planet after planet. Her voice broke me out of my thought as her British accent shown through, "I am Specialist Traynor the Commander assistant. He is waiting for you in the war room lieutenant."

She quickly begins walking through the command center of the ship, she was pointing out to different parts of the ship as if she was giving a tour, but my mind was more focus on my surroundings taking the sights of the legendary Normandy in. However, my sightseeing stopped as we enter a new room where a weapon scanner was set up at, and two guards looked at him. One of the guards held her hand out to me as she spoke sternly, "I need your equipment lieutenant, you can get it back afterward." The bag quickly transfers from my hand to her own before I stepped into the weapon scanner and waited briefly for it finish its run through. I waited for the scanners to finish running through its program clearing me of no weapons, and allow me to pass on with Specialist Traynor following quickly behind me. Exiting the scanning room we enter a small hallway area where a glass in case conference room stood to one side. Inside there was a human male that was obviously Commander Shepard, and a Turian was also standing beside him but was facing out one of the portholes in the ship hull.

Stepping into the conference room, I quickly snap to attention giving Commander Shepard a salute which he immediately returns the salute to me with a smile on his face telling me at ease. He walks around the table to other side nudging the Turian as he passed him. TheTurian turned around allowing me to recognize him as Garrus Vakarian. I wasn't able to say anything else though before the table in front of me came to life showing an image of a planet. My eyes were focused on the model, studying it, as the Commander spoke, "Lieutenant Ripley Reed there a reason I have asked Hackett to send you here. If you haven't figured it out yet, but this is Paladin. Currently, it is under siege by the Reapers and with plenty of people still left on it fighting for their lives."

Garrus move beside the Commander as he looks at the hologram, his face though stern was betrayed by the sadness in his voice. He continues to speak from where the Commander left off, "That includes my father and sister."

The Commander spoke once more, "This is where we will need you, Lieutenant. Garrus father is very influential in the Turian Hierarchy, and we need his help along with the Primarch to secure the Turian military forces in taking back earth. He has been able to obtain many records that were thought to be lost but can help us secure needed supplies for not just the Primarchy but us as well. To get them out we need someone to find them on Palaven and help get them to a stealth shuttle to get them out. This mission is going be tough, and we can only afford one person to go."

I steel myself as I hear that only one person would be able to go and spoke sternly, "I guess I am that one man you want to send down there sir?"

The Commander nodded as he spoke, "Yes, we choose you because of your records of being in the N7 program and dealing with Reapers make you a good choice. Also, your new Slayer implants will allow you to quickly move through the battlefield and handle small groups of Reapers by yourself. We need you to locate them and retrieve them once more rapidly. The Normandy will be nearby to collect you, but you have only seventy-two hours to find and retrieve them, any longer and we will have to leave. Any questions?"

Nodding my head, I quickly ask one more question, "When do I deploy?"

Garrus face broke in a smirk as he answers, "In 6 hours."