Duality Effect

Chapter 1: And So It Begins

Character info:

Zierrah Shepard - (Age: 28, Class: Infiltrator, Affiliation: Paragon, Personal History: Spacer, Military Record: War Hero)

Aralynn Shepard - (Age: 21, Class: Vanguard, Affiliation: Renegade, Personal History: Earthborn, Military Record: Sole Survivor)

A/N: Link for the cover art can be found on my profile, in case you want to see what Zierrah and Aralynn look like. :)

(Edit on 4/3/12: Changed Aralynn's rank to Lieutenant Commander.)

"Commander Zierrah Shepard. Says here that her parents were both exceptional soldiers. She grew up on Arcturus Station itself; earned picture-perfect records in the military academy. Orchestrated the entire Skyllian Blitz, saving thousands of lives," Captain Anderson dropped the file on the conference table with a thwack, causing Ambassador Udina to glare at him over his copy of Snooty Politician Weekly. "Sounds like we've found the perfect soldier for this mission."

"Are you sure this is the kind of person we want protecting the galaxy?"

Captain Anderson tilted his head to the side, looking confusedly at the ambassador. "Yeeeeessss," he enunciated slowly. "Having decorated war heroes protect the galaxy is generally a good thing."

"I'll make the call," Ambassador Udina declared regally.

"Just one more thing. There's still an outlying issue: Commander Shepard's addendum," the Captain interjected, pointing out a sticky-note attached to the front of the file.

"What addendum?" Udina snarked.

"She specifically requested that her sister, Lieutenant Commander Aralynn Shepard, also be assigned to any high-profile missions she may be sent on."

"The same Aralynn Shepard who ran away from the academy to become an artist, magically appeared to claim glory in the Blitz, survived the fiasco on Akuze due to reckless driving, and became the Navy's youngest Commander only to get demoted for innumerable counts of insubordination?" Udina ranted.

Captain Anderson held up his hands in a placating gesture, "Ambassador, please recall that this was the one reward Commander Shepard would accept for her bravery on Elysium. Not to mention, she managed to finagle a live-broadcasted agreement to this during the award ceremony."

"Captain! Lt. Commander Shepard is a trigger-happy loose cannon who refuses to adhere to any regulation whatsoever! The only reason she's even still in the military is because she's so well known, the media would crack down on the Alliance if we did fire her!"

Captain Anderson straightened his posture defiantly, "I can personally vouch that both these women are exceptional soldiers. Keeping Shepard at her current desk job smacks of disloyalty just as badly."

"Fine," the ambassador grumbled. "Now if you would be so kind as to leave my office, I must catch up on my reading." Udina promptly turned his chair around and picked up a copy of The Idiot's Guide to Annoying Your Co-workers.

Captain Anderson sighed as he made his way to the Normandy's conference room. He could hear the bickering all the way from the mess hall. The yelling built up in volume, until it reached a crescendo that certainly didn't befit a couple of commanding officers. Suddenly, a loud, very expensive-sounding crash rang through the air.

It was quickly followed by a loud cry of, "If you heard that, Cap'n, I didn't do it!"

Captain Anderson shook his head, barely repressing an amused grin. Despite their rather quirky personalities, he was very pleased to have both sisters on his crew. The Shepards had been family friends for years. He knew that if the girls were even half the soldiers their parents were, the aggravation would be well worth it.

Footsteps sounded from the staircase. Ah, here they come.

The two figures that emerged were unmistakable. Zierrah was the very paragon of Alliance soldierhood. She was immaculately dressed in military-issue fatigues and had her coppery brown hair swept into a neat bun. Her gentle blue eyes were rimmed with just enough makeup to be feminine, but professional. The elder Shepard stood ramrod-straight, exuding both authority and kindness at the same time.

The other, however, was like a converse image of her sister. Aralynn sported a pair of Alliance-issue black cargo pants and a matching tank top, though she had also added a studded belt to the mix. She didn't carry the usual weapons kit, but simply had a pistol at her hip and two shotguns strapped in an X-formation on her back. Her striking purple eyes were liberally framed by mascara and red eyeshadow, and her jet-black hair lay shaggy and loose across her shoulders. Truth be told, she looked more like a mercenary than an Alliance officer.

At the moment, she was slumped forward with her arms crossed, attention focused solely on her sister. Zierrah was, by the looks of it, in the middle of a lecture on protocol.

"You should at least try to take your career seriously! It's not hard to remember that while we're on duty, I'm not your sister. I am your immediate commanding officer and should be treated with respect."

"You know, I'm pretty sure that most officers and subordinates don't share an apartment. Or parentage, for that matter."

"Don't remind me," Zierrah muttered. "Now, do I make myself clear?"

Aralynn smiled slyly and fired off a mock salute. "Crystal. Oh, and by the way, Commander?"

"Yes?" Zierrah replied warily. She didn't like the too-innocent tone her sister was using.

"I dropped your toothbrush in the toilet this morning. Ma'am."

Zierrah's eye twitched. Aralynn simply smirked and flounced off towards the cockpit, extracting a cherry-flavored lollipop from her pocket as she went.

"That girl is pure evil, I tell you," Zierrah muttered to Navigator Pressly. She shouldered past the turian Spectre, Nihlus, and entered the cockpit just in time to catch the dregs of a rather furtive conversation.

"Besides, Spectres are trouble and I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid," Joker muttered as he checked the Normandy's flight stats.

In the co-pilot seat, Kaidan gave a not-so-subtle roll of the eyes. "You're paranoid. It's just a precaution; the Alliance has the right to put whoever they want on this ship."

"Sure, that's the official story."

Aralynn cut in, "Yep, and only an idiot believes the official story." She rolled her lollipop to the other side of her mouth, taking a moment to think. "This whole thing has 'hidden agenda' written all over it. In bright red marker. I mean, I can understand adding a crew, but the Spectre was a dead giveaway."

"Hey there, Commander," Kaidan respectfully nodded toward Zierrah.

"Lieutenant," she replied. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Rest assured, I'll do everything in my power to find out what's going on. Just focus on your own responsibilities and everything will be fine."

The cockpit's intercom suddenly flashed to life. "Status report," Captain Anderson ordered.

Aralynn zoned out, instantly becoming hypnotized by the cockpit's flashing lights. Her mind was just not built to accommodate tech lingo; she usually retreated into her own little world to avoid listening to it. Though she was unaware of it, some minutes passed before she was hurtled into reality once more.

"Oh, and you better brace yourself, Captain. I think Nihlus is headed your way."

"He's already here, Lieutenant," the captain snapped. "Just tell Staff Commander and Lt. Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room."

"I'm on my way," Zierrah spoke into the intercom.

Aralynn took the lollipop out of her mouth and pushed away from the wall she'd been leaning on. With her free hand, she playfully smacked Joker upside the head. "Ooh, you pissed him off. Now we're gonna have to deal with Hurricane Anderson," she sing-songed.

"Hey, it's not my fault! The captain always sounds like that when he's talking to me."

"I can't imagine why," Kaidan muttered.

Aralynn snorted, "Hey, c'mon. It takes a lot of innovation to constantly annoy these military types." She turned to leave, tossing a spare lollipop Joker's way. "See ya, boys."

Once Aralynn was out of earshot, Kaidan whispered, "Is it just me, or is there something a bit…off…about her?"

"Eh, you're just jealous that she likes me better."

Zierrah shifted her weight from foot to foot, impatiently waiting for her sister to finish talking. Corporal Jenkins had just flagged her down for a conversation, and was now ranting about the onboard Spectre.

"It's just that…this could be my big chance, you know? I've never worked with a Spectre before!"

Aralynn shot him a knowing smirk. "Just do your job, follow my orders, and there won't be any problems," she replied, the playful lilt in her voice taking the sting out of her words.

She and Jenkins went way back. They'd met the very first day Aralynn enlisted and had a playful rivalry going on ever since. Her promotion to Lt. Commander after Akuze had him constantly on the prowl for his own 'big break'.

"Aralynn, may I remind you that we have a meeting. You know, the one we were supposed to be at five minutes ago," Zierrah cut in.

"Alright, alright," Aralynn groaned. "Catch you later, Corporal."

The two sisters walked into the conference room side-by-side. Nihlus was standing at the very end, with his back to them.

"Yo, Nihlus," Aralynn greeted him brusquely. "Where's the Cap'n at?"

"He said he'd meet us here," Zierrah explained.

"He'll be here in a bit," Nihlus replied. "In the meantime, I'd like to talk with you two."

Zierrah chose to remain standing, arms crossed in a professional manner. Aralynn flopped into a seat and leaned back, crossing her ankles atop one another. "Yeah? What about?" she asked.

"Have you ever been to Eden Prime? I hear it's quite beautiful."

"I wouldn't know," Zierrah replied matter-of-factly. "Never been there."

Aralynn scoffed, "We're marines, not some freaking tourists." Zierrah shot her 'the look', and she reluctantly quieted down. Aralynn found herself zoning out again after Nihlus launched into a monologue about humanity's role in the Council, coming back to reality only when Captain Anderson finally entered the room. She hated discussing politics almost as much as she hated discussing technology.

"Commanders," he nodded at the two in turn. "I do believe there's something you need to know about our mission to Eden Prime. It's not an ordinary shakedown run."

Zierrah nodded respectfully, "I gathered as much, sir."

Aralynn scoffed, "Duh. I figured that out ten minutes ago and I haven't even been paying attention to half the things people have been whining to me about."

"Anyway," the captain continued, "We've recently unearthed a Prothean beacon on Eden Prime and are on our way to pick it up-" Zierrah absorbed every bit of information, taking time to nod every now and then, but Aralynn just stared at the wall behind the captain's head. Inwardly, she ranted, My gosh, what is it with people here and lengthy monologues?

Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life. "Receiving transmission, Captain. It's from the ground team on Eden Prime. I think you really need to see this."

Captain Anderson ordered, "Play it back, Joker."

The group of four stood in silence as they watched the plea for help. Aralynn could tell her sister was trying to keep a brave face as they observed the marines being decimated. She, on the other hand, let her own pixie-like features array themselves into a scowl.

When the video paused and centered on a strange, claw-shaped machine hovering in the air, her interest was immediately piqued.

"Cap'n, please tell me we get to go and nuke that thing," she requested, anger saturating her tone. The squad dispatched to Eden Prime hadn't even been intended for combat; they were just a security detail. Whoever thought they could waltz in and simply zap them off the face of the planet definitely had another thing coming. Aralynn, in particular, hoped that "thing" would be her.

Joker interrupted, "We're seventeen minutes out; no other Alliance ships in the area. Captain?"

Captain Anderson sighed, "Take us in. As for you, Shepard, the priority here is retrieving the beacon."

"But…" Aralynn intoned, the unspoken protest hanging in the air between them.

The captain let out a longer sigh. "But once that's finished, you may attack the enemy ship if you like. Provided that if – and only if – no civilian or troop casualties will result, and the ship is still in the vicinity."

Aralynn looked affronted for a moment. "Why Cap'n, I can't believe you would think me so reckless!" Behind her, Zierrah looked back at the screen to mask an eye-roll.

"At any rate," Captain Anderson quickly changed the subject. "You may be wondering why Nihlus is here. Truth be told, he put your names forward to be inducted into the Spectres. He's here to evaluate your performance."

Zierrah looked completely awestruck. "It would be an honor, sir. Anything I can do to help the Alliance-"

"Like hell he will!" Aralynn interrupted. "I dunno about her," she said, pointing to Zierrah, "but I don't like people making decisions about my future."

"Shepard, this isn't about you! Humanity needs this, and, at the moment, you're the best we've got."

"Since when?" Aralynn exclaimed. "Last I checked, I just tote shotguns around and throw things with my biotic powers!"

The captain let out an almost inhumanely long sigh, "Well, you're very good at what you do, and if both your experiences on Elysium and Akuze can testify, you two can withstand things most ordinary people can't."

"It's true," Nihlus added. "Both of you demonstrate a remarkable will to survive, which is a very useful skill in this line of work."

Aralynn still looked hesitant despite Zierrah's pointed nudging, so Captain Anderson decided to appeal to her own personal brand of logic.

"You get diplomatic immunity, access to Council funds, and free black-and-red armor like the set Nihlus is wearing right now."

"Deal."

"Alright, ladies, the mission is all yours," Captain Anderson yelled over the roar of the engines. "Good luck!"

"You can count on us, sir!" Zierrah replied, firing off a quick salute. She turned to her team and gave a 'move out' signal.

Aralynn nodded and sprinted toward the hangar door. She jumped out head-first, whooping as she flew spread-eagle through the air and parachuted down to the ground. Three thuds behind her signaled that the rest of the team had landed as well.

She removed her helmet and shook out her hair, tying it into a rough ponytail at the back of her head. Gunfire sounded in the distance, and Aralynn was itching to join the fight.

Kaidan pointed at some strange, mutant-looking creatures floating above a nearby pond. "What are those things?" he asked incredulously.

Jenkins replied, "Gas bags. Don't worry, they're harmless." Suddenly, three shots rang through the air and the creatures disappeared in a plume of green smoke. Everyone turned to look at Aralynn, who was still holding her shotgun aloft.

"Whaaaaat?" she asked innocently. "Just a little target practice."

"Let's try not to give away our position next time," Zierrah reprimanded her. "We're supposed to go in quietly and extract the beacon. Got it?"

"Oh man," Kaidan exclaimed, drawing both officers' attention. "Commander, you need to see this." He was standing over a rock, where two charred, skeletal figures were sprawled across its' blackened surface.

"Yup, I guess it's safe to say there are hostiles nearby," Aralynn said.

Zierrah quickly motioned for the team to crouch. "Stay on your guard," she ordered. They slowly advanced into a meadow, hiding behind a rock for cover. After scoping out the area, Zierrah gave the signal for Jenkins to take point. The minute he stepped out into the open, however, a drone popped out from behind a rock and began firing, nailing the hapless soldier square in the chest.

Zierrah barked, "Man down! Take cover!" She quickly positioned her sniper rifle on top of a rock. It was difficult to get a lock on one of the drones, as erratically as they were flying. Kaidan crouched next to her, periodically leaning up and firing off shots with his pistol. The drones were too far away to be affected by any biotic or tech attacks.

Aralynn muttered, "If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself." She raised a biotic shield and charged at the drones, firing madly with her shotgun. Those pieces of floating scrap metal had just taken out the last person in this galaxy that she could call a friend. Now, it was payback time. Adrenaline and fury pumping through her veins, she jumped right under the closest drone and pumped bullets straight into its' core. Above her, a sniper round whizzed past and incinerated one of the drones. She heard Kaidan moving up behind her, and sure enough, the final drone overloaded. Shrapnel flew through the air and scored her bare cheek, but she paid it no mind.

Two drones came flying over the nearest hill. Aralynn pushed out her arms, hands formed into claws. A biotic vortex appeared; the drones were immediately swept into the circle of dark matter. She quickly swung her arms downward, slamming the drones into the ground. Still incensed, she ran up to them and ground the metal remains under her heel. She continued stomping on the remnants of scrap metal until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"What, Alenko?" she yelled, whirling around and slapping his hand away.

"It's Jenkins, ma'am. The shots ripped right through his shields. Poor guy never even stood a chance," he said apologetically.

Aralynn looked over his shoulder, where Zierrah was kneeling down to close her friend's eyelids. So, it was true; he really was dead. For a moment, her stomach lurched with sorrow. She closed her eyes and looked away from the scene; her mind suddenly assaulted by images locked away long ago.

Red sand in my eyes. Corrosive acid pooling in scattered tire tracks. My whole platoon, lying cold and unmoving all around me as night fell. Freezing wind sweeping over me, almost as numbingly cold as the dog tags in my hand. So alone…so empty…

Aralynn's eyes snapped open and she caught herself just in time, painfully swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. There would be time to break down later; she owed it to Jenkins, if not the rest of her late squad, to keep a clear head, stay alive, and complete the mission.

She took a deep breath and steeled herself. He wasn't coming back. Her squadmates on Akuze weren't coming back. All she could do now was tough it out and move forward. "Marines die," she derided Kaidan. "It happens. Now come on; we can't let this affect the mission." She turned on her heel, leaving a very shell-shocked Kaidan in her wake.

Little did he know, they were never just Marines. They were friends, they were people with hopes and dreams and futures; people that she'd failed to protect. She wasn't angry at them, nor was she angry at him. She was just…angry. Even so, Aralynn would just as soon own a troupe of tap-dancing hanar than talk to anyone regarding feelings.

Zierrah came up and tapped Kaidan on the shoulder. "I'll personally see to it that he gets a proper memorial. A transport will come later to pick him up." His eyes flickered to the raging woman ahead of them, and she caught on to his train of thought. "Don't take it personally, Alenko," she added. "She's like that with everyone. Look on the bright side, though – at least the rest of this mission should pretty straightforward."

"What do you mean, the artifact must have been taken?" Aralynn hissed.

Kaidan explained dutifully, "Well, I assume it means exactly what it sounds like-"

"SILENCE, MINION!"

"…Yes, ma'am."

Zierrah looked at Kaidan sympathetically. She pretty much sympathized with anyone under her sister's command. They often ended up taking the brunt of her frustration, especially in difficult situations such as this.

She took a careful step toward Aralynn and ordered, "Aralynn, just calm down and we'll figure everything out. You don't have to get angry yet."

Aralynn's eye twitched as she turned to address her sister. "My friend's just been shot by an evil robot, the beacon is gone, and I cannot fit a freaking cherry lollipop inside this helmet…you better believe I have the right to be angry right now!" she ranted.

Ashley looked confusedly from person to person. "Is she always like that?" she asked, pointing to Aralynn.

Zierrah groaned, "You have no idea."

Aralynn moodily kicked the ground where the beacon had once stood. "Ah, screw this," she muttered. "I'm gonna find me that beacon." She swung her shotgun up into her hand and stomped up a nearby hill, all the while muttering about wanting Spectre armor.

Ashley blinked a couple of times. "I'm going to die," she announced matter-of-factly. "I am so going to die before this mission is over."

The trio trekked up the hill, following in Aralynn's wake. Zierrah quickly caught up and took point, with Kaidan covering their six o' clock.

"Careful. This looks like a good place for an ambush," he warned.

"There's nobody around," Aralynn said blankly.

"Hence the term ambush," Kaidan shot back.

Aralynn turned to him, eyes narrowed in frustration. "Listen, lieutenant, if you don't shape up right now, I swear I'll-"

"Oh? With all due respect, ma'am-"

"Will you two be quiet and look?" Zierrah interrupted. She placed her hands on Kaidan and Aralynn's heads, turning them in the direction of the camp. Several metal spikes began to lower to the ground. Atop these spikes lay circuit-covered humanoid figures, whose eyes began to glow with a haunting blue light.

"Whoa," Kaidan breathed.

"They're still alive," Zierrah whispered in horror.

"Oh my gosh…what did the geth do to them?" Ashley cried.

"Sweet! Robot zombies!" Aralynn cheered with an open-mouthed grin.

The husks charged at them with feral snarls, metallic hands raised and formed into claws. Zierrah and Kaidan unleashed a wave of electronic attacks on the first two, shorting out their shields, after which Ashley finished them off with automatic fire. Aralynn ran straight at the third one and hurled it to the ground with her biotics. She pounced into the air, pumping two shots into its' metallic chassis as she flew by.

"Double tap!" she announced.

Zierrah signaled for silence, then motioned Aralynn to storm the sheds just ahead. Aralynn nodded and crept toward the sheds with catlike grace. If there was anything she learned from her horror movie addiction, it was that entering sheds in a zombie-infested area was serious business.

She approached the left shed and crouched by the entryway, both shotguns drawn and ready for action.

"Shouldn't we help her, ma'am?" Kaidan whispered to Zierrah.

"Just let her do her thing."

Quick as lightning, Aralynn kicked the door down and spun around, pointing her shotguns at the shed's interior. "It's clean," she called, stooping down to gather some upgrade containers. She tossed them to Ashley as she made her way to the second shed. This time, she fiddled with her omni-tool for a second to hack the door lock. Although the door would have slid open quite smoothly, she kicked it down anyway.

"We got survivors!" Aralynn shouted, lowering her weapons. Zierrah, Ashley, and Kaidan rushed into the tiny shed, promptly squishing Aralynn against the wall. She squirmed out of their crowding presence and resumed her former intimidating pose. Inside the shed stood a panicked-looking researcher and her assistant, who was quietly rocking back and forth while talking to himself.

"Oh, thank goodness, another human! We were beginning to think help would never arrive!" the researcher exclaimed.

"You're safe now, miss," Zierrah assured her gently. "Just hold on a little longer, and we'll make sure the Alliance sends a rescue squad for you."

The assistant's jittery gaze finally settled on them. Apparently, he'd only just noticed that a squad of marines had kicked down the door. He began running around in circles and shouting, "It is too late! The end for humanity is near; who can stop the flood once all the events are set into motion?"

Aralynn spared the researcher an uncertain look. "Is he on allergy medication or something?"

The researcher waved a hand and replied, "Don't worry. My assistant is a brilliant man, just a little…unstable. I've given him a mild sedative that should take effect soon. He's not usually like this; but, as they say, genius and madness are two sides of the same coin."

Her assistant piped up again, "Is it madness to speak the truth? How do I know I'm not the only sane one here?" He strode up to Aralynn and demanded, "And you! Where did you put my milkshake? I know you have it! We are doomed without its' creamy goodness!"

Aralynn glanced from side-to-side nervously, "Ummm…"

He grabbed her shoulders and whisper-shouted, "And the pickles…and the pickles…and the pickles!"

She let a long-suffering sigh out of her nose and looked heavenward. "Oh, for the love of-" Her fist was promptly introduced to his nose.

The researcher screamed in horror, "Wha-! What did you do that for?"

"Other than the reason he was stark-raving mad?" Aralynn drawled, clearly unimpressed.

"Really, ma'am, wasn't that just a little extreme?" Kaidan commented.

"Isn't your face just a little extreme?" she shot back petulantly.

"Okay, now that's just uncalled-for!"

"Your face is uncalled-for."

"Alright, now that is enough!" Zierrah shouted, stepping in between the two. "Good Lord, it's just like commanding a group of three-year-olds with firearms! Williams…just lead us to wherever the hell the beacon is, now."

"Yes, ma'am," Ashley replied.

"You know, there's a reason I never signed up for bomb squad!" Aralynn bellowed. She whirled out from behind the crate and sent a wave of biotic energy toward the oncoming geth. They were still too far away, and the attack dissipated into thin air. Ashley took her place and began peppering them with heavy fire.

Behind her, Zierrah was busily sorting through the mess of wires inside the bomb's shell. She snapped, "Lt. Commander, will you please just shut up and clear the way? We've only got about a minute and a half till these things explode!"

"I'm trying! Why don't you give it a shot, then?" she yelled back. Zierrah turned around and gave her 'the look' again. Aralynn rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Fine. Alenko, be a dear and draw their fire, will you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kaidan said. He raised a biotic shield and edged out into the open, letting loose a volley of pistol rounds. Aralynn dodged over the concrete slab she had been using for cover and ran, sliding on her knees until she was right between the two geth. She let loose another wave of biotic energy, sending one over the railing and knocking the other unconscious.

She smoothly removed her shotgun from its holster and fired two precision shots at a fuel container. It exploded, blowing away the geth at the end of the platform. Aralynn lowered her shotgun and smirked almost appreciatively. "Nice cover fire, Alenko. I should use you as a human shield more often," she said.

Kaidan gulped audibly. "I'll take that as a compliment, ma'am."

Zierrah sprinted past both of them, racing to get to the final bomb. Her omnitool was out before she even skidded to a stop; fingers dancing across the glowing orange surface. At long last, she let out a sigh of relief and slumped against the bomb's metal casing. "This one's dead," she announced. "Remind me to give you all a crash course in decryption when we get back to the Normandy. There is no way I'm deactivating four bombs by myself ever again."

Aralynn snorted. "Ah, what would we do without our own personal techie nerd? Comes complete with sniper rifle and everything."

"Can it, Aralynn," Zierrah intoned. Her blood ran cold as a metallic shriek sounded from the stairwell below.

"We got hostiles," Kaidan said, looking at his omnitool.

"I call dibs on the husks," Aralynn called out. She crouched behind her sister, who was propping her sniper rifle on the top of a crate – and not a moment too soon. A geth trooper came barreling up the stairs, right into the path of Zierrah's scope. It was felled in one shot.

Ashley rolled into a crouch next to the railing. Swiveling around, she peppered another trooper with automatic fire until its' shields were depleted. A few taps of Zierrah's omnitool, and the cyborg overloaded in a shower of sparks and oil.

Now that the coast was clear, Aralynn leapt over the crate and took point. Even before she reached the bottom step, she could see three glowing blue figures shuffling toward her. Her mind retreated into battle mode, where there was nothing but her, the husks, and pure instinct. It wasn't unlike playing her bass guitar – you didn't think about which notes to play, you just knew how and you did it.

Subconsciously, she began to count a beat in her head; she could almost hear the thrum of the imaginary bass line.

One… Her shotgun snapped forward and a shot sailed through the air, downing the husk with a solid headshot.

Two…A biotic vortex spawned on the far end, hurling the second husk into the air.

Three…Aralynn twirled around and rifle-butted the last husk before it could pounce on her. The torque was strong enough to send it flying back a few meters, twitching sporadically.

Four. The shotgun slid back into its holster without missing a beat.

Four seconds. It was all over in four seconds. Aralynn swaggered out to the middle of the docking port, satisfied with her handiwork.

Before her sat the Prothean beacon they'd been sent to retrieve. Sure, it had come at the expense of Jenkins, Nihlus, and Ashley's entire unit – but Aralynn was a survivor, and in time, she would pay her respects to the fallen. For now, though, she would bask in the glory of victory and the adrenaline rush of a battle well fought.

Zierrah immediately began talking on her communicator, letting Captain Anderson know that the mission had been a success. As she passed by, Aralynn felt something cold and metallic press into her palm. She furrowed her brow and opened her hand, palm-up.

Jenkins' dog tags.Aralynn's eyes snapped up and met her sister's. Zierrah was still mumbling mission details into her communicator, but she spared a sympathetic smile over her shoulder. Aralynn returned the smile and mouthed the words 'thank you'.

She turned away and spared a quick glance at Ashley. The gunnery chief was hanging back, nodding halfheartedly as Kaidan gushed over the beacon. Aralynn felt a pang of sympathy – a small one, but it was there nonetheless – for her fellow soldier. She remembered, all too well, how it felt to lose your entire unit and be helpless to do anything about it. Even now, the despair, grief, and self-blame plagued her mind to the point of near-insanity.

"Hey Williams," she called out. Aralynn mentally winced at how brusque her tone sounded. She really wasn't used to the whole 'shoulder to cry on' act, but she'd do her best.

Ashley looked up in surprise. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Hey, um," Aralynn began nervously, "I know exactly how you feel right now-"

"Right, you were on Akuze."

"Yeah. Look…just hang in there. I'm not gonna lie; you'll feel like total crap the first few days, but the pain does go away with time. Kind of like ripping off a bandage. You're not gonna like it, but you have to get through it, you know?" Aralynn knew it was a lousy pep talk, but Ashley smiled nonetheless.

"Thanks, ma'am," she said. Her eyes flicked to a spot over Aralynn's shoulder, and she abruptly called out, "Kaidan! Careful, you don't know what that thing will do!"

Aralynn turned around to see Kaidan wandering toward the beacon, inspecting it curiously. "Alenko!" she barked. "You better not damage the goods, or let me tell ya, there'll be hell to pay."

Kaidan protested, "But I'm not even touching it! How could I possibly break it?"

"I'm sure you'll find a way," Aralynn said dryly. "Now, back it up."

The beacon began to glow with an unearthly blue light. Kaidan barely had time to let out a cry of surprise before he began sliding helplessly toward the artifact. It didn't matter how hard he dug his heels in or how much he flailed – the thing was drawing him in, and it wasn't letting go.

Out of nowhere, Zierrah dove into Kaidan's path and tackled him. She used the momentum to pivot around, throwing the lieutenant out of harm's way with an almighty cry. However, she now found herself being dragged backwards, trapped by the beacon's strange magnetic field.

"Sis!" Aralynn shrieked. Without thinking, she ran forward and threw her arms around her sister's waist in an attempt to weigh her down. It was no use. Both women were swept into the air, suspended a foot above the dock's metal floors.

Aralynn's head felt like it was going to explode. Thoughts, information, memories, and images rushed into her mind like a tidal wave; a constant barrage of information that was almost too massive to process. She wanted to scream, to stop the data from flooding her brain, but there was nothing she could do. Panic coursed through her as she realized she was completely helpless, at the mercy of an alien device that she knew absolutely nothing about.

Suddenly, the strange current around her ceased to exist. With it went the magnetic field keeping her aloft. For a single disconcerting moment, she found herself floating in complete blackness.

Then the floor abruptly swung up to meet her side. Aralynn's head made contact with something cold and hard, even as her entire left side began to throb unrelentingly. She tried opening her eyes, but to no avail. Everything was a blurry mass, swimming in a myriad of colors and faraway sounds. Her limbs felt sluggish and numb; unconsciousness would not be too far off.

One final thought flitted across her mind.

Oh, Alenko is SO going to pay for this.

AN: So there you have it. Thanks to writtenrhythm for beta reading this chapter, and suggesting some changes to make Aralynn a little more...shall we say, tolerable. XD (Yeah, I know I cheated a little by giving her the ability to do biotic singularities when she's just a Vanguard, but hey, it's AU.) Don't worry, she may be full-on Renegade but she has some redeeming qualities. :)

So, liked it? Loved it? Any observations on the characters? What do you think is going to happen when she wakes up? .

Review please! :3