Goddess, it's hot here. I can't remember the last time I came to an actual beach. I'd almost forgotten what the sand felt like between my toes... soft, but increasingly annoying as it managed to get in to every crevice and piece of skin showing. Maybe that's why I never went to the beach much...
"Shepard, you getting lost in your thoughts again?"
I turned back towards the voice and smiled. "You know me James, I'm not used to being chilled out."
James came walking towards me over the sand, kicking it up behind him as he went. He had obviously stripped to his shorts the second we got here, never shy to show off his body and soak up some suns rays whenever he can. As he got closer he looked me up and down in my bikini, but he was noticing the scars adorning my skin. All over I was covered in a range of scar tissue, from the bumpy types reflective of gunshots and other traumatic wounds, to the precise clinically smooth lines where I had been put back together again by Cerberus. They didn't bother me any more, I have accepted that they are a part of me and my story, but it still shocks others.
He smiled as he reached me and shrugged in his care-free way. "The war is over, Lola, enjoy it. You have certainly earned it. No doubt that when you get back to the Citadel they'll put you to work being their poster Hero."
"Yeah, I can't wait..."
"Come on, let's join the others! They're giving us strange looks." James cleared his throat before starting off again down the beach towards the picnic being chaotically arranged on the sand, not too far from the waters edge.
Several crew mates awaited us there – Joker, EDI, Liara, Garrus and Jack. The rest of the crew had wanted to go to other places first, see family and friends. We would all be meeting up in a couple of days anyway and it was nice to just have a small company of close friends to spend the say with.
I never thought that this day would come. The war had officially ended 2 weeks ago, but since then I have been kept busy, despite only having a few days to rest after almost dying. Again. But my crew needed me, and we were tasked with search and rescue missions, the kind that needed our skill and knowledge to complete successfully.
The others all stood up and shouted their hello's when we finally arrived, and I couldn't help cracking a grin. "Is there any food left for us?!"
"We had to restrain ourselves, believe me, but a hangry Shepard is not one we want to mess with." Joker laughed and threw an apple at me, and as I caught it I laughed. "Hangry? Yeah that's a dangerous state. But you've saved me, thanks."
I sat myself down cross legged on a towel and bit in to the apple, scrunching my face as the sweetness hit me. "How's everyone's tans coming along?"
"Fucking fabulously, thanks for asking."
Jack answered as she lay sprawled out on her towel, wearing even less than she usually does, something I didn't think was possible until now. Everyone chuckled and burst back in to their conversational rhythm, joking and reminiscing, carefree at last.
I sat back on my elbows and stretched out my legs, enjoying the tingling feeling of the sun warming them up. I was so pale I almost blended in with the white sand, but I didn't mind. A tan only made the scars more visible anyway. Maybe that could look pretty though, like body art.
Gradually I started to include myself in the conversations, laughing and joking with them. James and Jack were comparing their tans but I was secretly suspicious that some of James' was the result of a tanning lotion bottle I found in the bin by his room a few days ago. His secret was safe with me though. They all found it extremely funny that I was so pale, of course. I looked deathly pale and ill, apparently. Maybe I should purchase a tanning lotion when I'm back on the Citadel...
Shaking my head I picked up an orange and threw it at Garrus's head as he seemed to find the whole idea of human tanning incredibly funny. "And yet I'm still the hottest one here out of you lot! I own the pale look, alright?"
"Yeah you do," Jack replied and winked.
I rolled my eyes in mock annoyance and slumped down on my back, a small smile on my face. I lay like this for a while, my hands rested behind my head, and occasionally piped up to join in the chatter. I was content just to sit in the background, for once, and listen.
These are the kind of memories I need.
Too long had my nightmares tortured me. When I was awake I was plagued with the real life war, and the losses we all suffered... and at night I re-lived it all again only to wake up in a cold sweat and gasping for breath, gripping the bed sheets as if I was about to fall off the mattress in to a deep abyss and never crawl back out again. Hopefully now I can begin to heal. But first I need to cool down, it's so damn hot here.
Jumping up I gestured toward the sea. "I'm going for a swim," I called as I began hopping across the sand as it burned my feet.
"We will join you in a moment, Shepard," I heard Liara softly reply. Looking back I smiled at her. How sweet she was.
Reaching the waters edge I waded in, gasping as the cold water lapped against my stomach. I kept going until the water reached my shoulders then plunged down, submersing myself underwater for a moment. When I broke the surface again I could see everyone still chatting on the beach, obviously in no hurry to join me. Swimming out further I wondered just how long it would take to reach the next shore if I just kept on going. Days? Weeks?
I was still lost in thought when I was suddenly grabbed and pulled underwater.
It happened so fast I didn't have time to take a breath in as a strong hand gripped the back of my neck and kept pulling me down. At first I thought it was James joking around, but the next second my blood ran cold as I realised this was no joke. I opened my eyes and a pair of bright red glowing eyes smoldered back at me. They were filled with such hate that at first I faltered but my instincts then kicked in and I grabbed it by the throat with both my hands, squeezing. It had no effect. Was it even breathing?
My lungs were burning as this creature kept it's grip on me, trying to drown me, twisting me around in the water so I didn't even know which way was up, like a alligators death roll. As I felt my oxygen levels running out I knew my biotic power was weakening too, I didn't have long...
My body started to hum with energy and began to glow a vivid blue, slowly getting brighter as I focused my power, drawing it from within. I concentrated it in to my hands as I thrust them out towards the creature's body, releasing a shockwave that sent the creature flying through the water. Feeling it's hands leave my throat I swam upwards towards the surface, desperate for air, but before I reached it I glanced down. I could see several metres below me through the clear water, and walking along the sea floor I could see dozens of these things walking along it, making their way straight to the beach.
The feel of the fresh air as i broke the waters surface was a lifeline as I gasped for breath and spluttered in the water. Turning back to the beach the others were unaware of what just happened, still happily chatting and eating.
"Hey!" I shouted hoarsley. The salt water burned my throat. I was too far away from the surface to swim back, I wouldn't make it in time.
Grunting, I drew my energy up again and lifted myself from the water, propelling myself forward just above the waters edge. The biotic bubble around me would protect me for now.
The crew had now noticed me and stood up, anxious. I guessed they could see the look on my face.
"Shepard?!" Liara stepped forward, her face frowned in confusion.
I finally reached the shore and let go of my biotic field. Landing on my feet I looked at the crew and immediately they were all on their feet.
"Crew to me!" I commanded. "Husk-like creatures are approaching from the water! We need to -"
I was suddenly pushed to the ground as the husks finally emerged from the water, but they were fast. They weren't like the husks I had encountered before. Spitting the sand out of my mouth I rolled on to my back and grabbed the husk that had landed on me. It's hands were reaching for my throat again, but I reached his first and snapped his neck. Pushing it aside I jumped up and turned to see my crew all engaged with these things. No one had weapons on them. It's our day off, damn it.
Liara was using her biotics neatly, creating warps to drag in several husks then detonating them. Jack was more... chaotic. Her war cry was just as animal-like as the husks screams as she ripped them apart, sometimes with her biotics and sometimes with her bare hands. Garrus and James were using hand combat to fight off several husks at once, effective as always. EDI was protecting Joker, with his brittle bones we needed him to fly the shuttle, not to fight.
"EDI, get Joker to the shuttle! We will follow." I shouted as I kicked a husk in the head, snapping it's neck back.
EDI immediately picked Joker up and ran back to the shuttle, her smooth movements not hurting him as she ran. I could hear Jokers complaints but even he knew this was for the best.
"Everyone get back to the shuttle, steady now! There's too many to turn our backs to them."
Walking backwards I quickly fell in step with the others as we all retreated, with me, Jack and Liara closest to the husks and Garrus and James behind. The three of us created a barrier to prevent anything from getting through. I didn't want any unnecessary injuries. I wanted Garrus and James to stay with us just in case the barrier failed.
After what felt like a lifetime we reached the shuttle.
"Everyone get in the shuttle. Liara and Jack, on my word...Three, two, one...Go!" I doubled my efforts to keep the barrier up as everyone made a break for the last few metres of the shuttle.
Now there were dozens of husks pounding and crashing in to my biotic field and I could feel the fatigue setting in.
I can't keep up all this fighting much longer... when will it end?!
"Now Shepard!" Jack shouted as she held out her hand ready to catch me.
Taking a deep breath in I thrust out my shield in a nova and blasted the husks back. The first few lines of them were almost disintegrated from the blast. Spinning round I sprinted to the shuttle and jumped, grabbing Jack's hand as the shuttle hovered several feet off the ground, then began to blast upward and back towards the ship.
I pulled myself up in a last effort and collapsed on the cold metal, my chest heaving. I was exhausted. I shouldn't feel so burned out from that level of biotics.
"What the hell was that?!" Garrus demanded. Everyone looked at me, like they always did, looking for answers.
Shaking my head, I just stared up at the ceiling and answered "I have no idea."
What else could I say?
Everyone fell silent for several seconds before I heard Joker mutter in front "Ah man, I left my favourite picnic set down there."