Ch.1 Killing the Bounty Hunter

My boots echoed on the steel floor of the Normandy. The stairs are dark only being illuminated by the dim floor lights. "Shepard Sir", Kaidan Alenko said, saluting me.

"What is it Alenko?"

"Joker spotted a distress beacon on the planet near here, and I was sent to report it."

"Alenko I am not the one in charge here remember caption Anderson is."

Alenko looked hesitant, dark brown eye glancing back and forth as he said, "I am aware, but Joker and I thought if we told him ourselves he'd tell us there was no time we have to get to the Citadel as fast as possible."

"So why tell me this?"

"We- I think you'll have a better chants of convening him then me or Joker."

"Ok I'll try but am not promising anything."

Kaidan eyes lit up as he saluted and thanked me going back to Joker to tell him the news. Sighing my feet once again trotted down the stairs hand robbing my neck as I try to think of what to say. "Hi captain, remember the assignment were on? You know the one that is almost as important as when humans discovered mass relays. Yes, well I was wondering if we could put that on hold and go to a planet wear the people might or might not be dead thanks you're a pal."

"What was that Shepard?"

Shocked my body spun around to reveal none other than caption Anderson standing behind me eyebrows raised. "So sir can we go?" I said saluting.

There absolutely nothing out of my mouth that can make this situation any worse than my mind want to Joker and I prayed he stayed quiet. Anderson aged face revealed nothing mouth in a hard line then he said "Shepard in a few hours you may or may not be a Spectre, but if you do become one that means you will be in command of your own ship and that means deciding whether or not to respond to that beacon. Shepard let's say you are now a spectre what would you do?"

It only took a few seconds for me to respond back straight as I said, "I'd send a small but strong team in to investigate."

Anderson nodded then said "gear up Shepard I'm sending you, William and Alenko to find out what's happing on that rock and Shepard."

"Sir"?

"Try not to speak out loud it tends to make thing awkward", with a chuckle he left to his cabin leaving me stunned.

"Smooth commander", snapping my head to the left I saw Ashley William leaning agented the wall a playful smirk on her lips.

"Laugh it up William but just so you now I'll be thinking of this wonderful chat next time wear in enemy fire."

"You're no fun commander", William said her body pushing off the wall long legs waking besides me.

"Permission to speak freely commander."

"William I'll listen to anything you have to say."

"Are you sure it's wise to delay the mission like this what if we go down there and we find out it's a trap set up by pirates looking for an easy score."

"Then we kill them and make sure nobody else is tricked by this beacon. Thank you for voicing your concerns but if we don't land on this planet we just take away c-sec time to investigate Saren, and a lot of people might die."

"Got it commander all go and get LT so we can suit up."

"LT?"

"What I think it original."

"Whatever you say William, whatever you say."

William just laughed heading upstairs to inform Kaidan to suit up well I headed toured my looker to receive my N7 armor and weapons. "Commander we are in orbit and the MAKO ready to launch."

"Got it Joker heading out now."

So stepping onto the elevator and waiting, and waiting some more I finely arrived at storage William and Alenko waiting for me. "Took your sweet time didn't you."

"Am choosing to ignore you William, Joker ready to go?"

"All set commander ready whenever you are."

With a nod me, Alenko, and William headed into the MAKO as the dock hatch slowly opened (although it was going faster than the elevator) and a huge gust of wind burst through. Alenko turned pale as he said "William you might want to hold onto something."

"What why? And commander why are you smiling so !"

My foot smashed the gas pedal the MAKO zooming out of storage at full blast Alenko clutching the seat for dear life, and William screeching at the top of her lungs. We landed on the planet with a thump William trying to catch her breath wall Alenko was trying very hard to pry his hands off the seat. "Scared William?"

"NO!"

"Trust me William when I say that even the bravest of souls is afraid of Commander Shepard driving."

With a grin on my face my foot slammed onto the gas pedal rocketing off once a gene. One hour had gone by in the cramped MAKO and truthfully I was getting nerves'. "Alenko how much longer"?

"Not much longer commander, its right over that hill."

So with a new determination the MAKO went even faster revealing…A war zone. A large group of pirates were trying to get into a science lab and failing miserable. The lab was more like a fortress, poisons gas spewing from the ground, turrets along the walls shooting anyone that gets to close. However it appeared that some were getting in. Then one of the well armed men spotted the MAKO and shouted "she's got reinforcements"!

"Time to go men."

"Hay"!

"And William."

"Beater…. I think."

So with Alenko watching shields and me and William manning guns (her using the big once of course) we annihilated the pirates. The last one went down surprise and fear on his face screaming. "Shepard, oh god Shepard help me"!

"Hang on Toombs, hang on!"

"Shepard!"

"Shepard, HAY SHEPAD."

"What! Oh sorry William right how we get to the door without being shoot at or poisoned."

William and Alenko just stared worry clear on their face. "Commander the turrets stopped firings and the gas is gone too."

"Oh…. Well then let's move out!"

Alenko and William just nodded silent as stone as they grabbed their gun. We sprinted toured the unlocked door, Alenko lighting up the dark hall with his Biotics. We swiftly shot any mercenaries that appeared. Then finally we came to the last door the only one locket. Suddenly the door unlocked, there was defiantly someone watching us. William and Alenko shot me a nerves look but still we pushed on, bursting into the room arms at the ready, only to reveal a young woman looming over a security system. She had an old lab coat patches barely holding it together, her skin a sickly pale, and her brown hair problem one healthy and vibrant is thin and un-washed. Then gust as I was about to open my mouth she spun around and aimed a pistol right at my face.

My fingers typed rapidly on the consul eye sweeping the many screens observing the squads movements, and trying to aliment any bounty hunters that they missed. When id first saw there giant vocal looming over the horizon I almost screamed in frustration then the morons started shooting at said vocal. Truthfully I was still nerves they could very well be another band of Mercenaries trying to kill me that's when my tired brown eye landed on the Alliance symbol on the side. Still what I was doing here is not precisely legal so depending on their personality my hands could very well "be cuffed in irons" as the saying goes. These people however appeared to be an oddity, staying in there "MAKO" longer than anyone would deem necessary, having a Biotic in their mitts, (a powerful one too according to his dead advisers) and most confusing thing off all why they were even hear. To the best of my knowledge no distress beacon had been sent, and even if the unlikely had happened and it has gone off why did the Alliance send such a powerful team? The questions were still there even when the odd squad was at my door step nervously glancing at the locked door. With a simple click the red turned green and my full attention was once again on the screen trying to ferret out the last of the idiots from my lab. In fact I was so absorbed that I'd completely forgotten the armed people standing awkwardly at my door step that was until I heard the click of a gun. Instinct had taken over and my hand reaches for my pistol without thinking. Everyone was still the leader's small blue eyes never leaving my brown ones. Finally after what seemed like an eternity I spoke, "who are you?" That seemed to take the other two off guard but the leaders face was still impassive reviling nothing. "You first." "Arabella I am a scientist that is currently in need of your help." "Wait a minute we just take out an entire squad of Mercenaries so we could save your ass! The least you can do is tell us what the hell your doing!" My eye lazily scanned the woman that had spoken out. She appeared to be in her late twenties brown eyes flaring in anger. The commander sent a warning glare her way but if she saw it she ignored it. "I apologize if I offended you that wasn't my intention if you want to know anything I will answer to the best to the best of my abilities." "Ok first of all why are people trying to kill you"? The leader said small blue eye glancing at me oddly. "I stole something," the woman and man ground the leader however simple sighed looking like he had pulled a all-nighter and was about to do another one. This was the very reason why I worked in the middle of now ware besides the running for my life thing. I was horrible with people. Indeed reason and knolled had taken its place leaving me with an I.Q of about 200 and zero social skill. "Let me explain." "Why? It's pretty obvious that she's a thief and pissed off someone rich enough to hire thugs to kill her!" "That's partly true however am not a thief am a scientist more precisely am a doctor." "A doctor robbing a rich guy right when wear going report to the Council? What's the odd of that happing ha Shepard?" The man to the left of this "Shepard" whispered. "Zero considering I stole something from a company and not some "rich guy". The man caught awarded and Shepard surprisingly chuckled softly. "So what and why did you steal something Arabella?" "I was a scientist at a very large company researching Drell when my superiors at work discovered something, a new material that no one has ever seen. With it you can make nearly anything. Ad suggested to my superiors that we make it into cure for Kepral's syndrome." "Sorry but what Kepral's syndrome? And what is a Drell?"

"Drell are a reptile-like race that used to live on the world Rakhana however because of overpopulation and pollution they wear dying. That is until the Hanar came into contact with them and transported thousands out. Kepral's syndrome is a disease only Drell can get. Drell are used to a dry environment however Kehje the Hanar home world ware the Drell live now is hummed and rains constantly. Their lungs are not used to the moisture and eventually start clogging. In a year maybe two it will be hard to breath and it will be spreading to the other organs throw their Tissue and die slowly coughing up blood."

"The slow death bit was going a little over bored doc."

"Am sorry if you wear offended but your leader asked to hear the truth and so I told him."

She looked at me strangle although am not shore why and then sighed and said, "Just tell the rest of your story please before I shot."

"Why would I telling the story stop you from shooting me?"

"I swear to god!"

"Oh your angry at me." At this point the woman was trying to reach for her gun however Shepard was holding her arm, both look stoned at what I just said.

"Ma'am maybe you should finish your story."

"Off course Mr…."

"Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko ma'am" he looked like he was about to shake my hand but thought beater of it and stayed beside his commander.

"Anyway they refused instead making a bio weapon"–

"A bio weapon I'm pretty shore the Council and the Alliance declared that illegal doc."

"They did and with good reason. You should have given this to the authority's ma'am."

"Why so they can destroy it? No right know this can help with curing Kepral's syndrome it won't become an instant cure but it will make us years closer. Think about how many lives will be saved!"

Shepard said nothing for the longest time finally he looked at me straight in the eyes and said when it's… changed can it still be made into a bio weapon?"

"No that will be impossible once something created you cannot go back."

"Alright then we'll help you."

"But commander what if-!"

"No buts Chief were helping."

"Yes sir," she griped glaring at me suspiciously.

"Ok Arabella what do you need us to do?"

"First things first how did you even know I was here?"

Confusion spread across his face as he said "didn't you send the distress beacon?"

"Distress"- my eyes snapped over to the wall then I bit my lip hard, so hard the revolting taste of copper was on my taste buds but that meant little to me right now.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

When the facility's power is under 50% then it automatically sends a distress beacon."

"So how low is it?" "It's 47% all main power systems are still online but most of the turrets are off line and know that I turned off the gas I can't get it on again. The main gun still works but its electrical charged and this place can only allow three shots before the whole facility shoots down."

"Well shit."

"And more appear to be on the way."

"Shit! Remind me again commander why did we come here?

That's when both the brown haired woman and Shepard glanced at the Biotic and she said "oh right."

"Follow me to the basement all show you my laboratory and more importantly at this moment the weapon system."

"Wait!" "Yes."

"If wear going to work together then you should at least hear are names."

"Alright so what are they?"

"This is Kaidan Alenko and Ashley William."

"And what's your name?"

"Varric Shepard."