Chapter 1

"Tali! No!" Shepard yelled while the Quarian got carried away by a swarm of Seekers. The doors closed but he could still hear her screams over the radio. A single tear rolls over his cheek as he closes the channel. But there was not much time to grief. "Shepard! Are you there? Do you copy?" he heard over the radio. It was Jacob. Shepard left him in charge of a second fire time in order to fight the Collectors on two fronts.

"I copy. Where are you?"

"Pinned down at the door! Takin' heavy fire!"

"Get this door open!" Shepard ordered Samara while he and Dante got into position at the doors. As soon as the door opened the rest of the squad rushed inside while Shepard and Dante provided covering fire.

Shepard looked around to see if everyone was alright. From the corner of his eye he saw Jacob clenching his teeth and holding on to his stomach. Then he saw blood.

"Jacob! Are you alright?"

"I don't think I'm going to make it, Commander" Jacob coughed up blood.

"Mordin! Get over here, hurry!" Shepard barked at the Salarian professor. It was too late. Jacob let out a sigh and every muscle in his body relaxed. He was dead.

Shepard woke up screaming.

"Is there something wrong, Commander?" It was EDI, the ship's artificial intelligence. Shepard had no desire to speak to it now.

"I just had a bad dream, EDI. Get back to whatever it is you do."

"Very well, Commander" EDI replied in her calm, neutral voice.

Shepard got out of bed and sat on the couch, his head in his hands.

It has been two months now since the destruction of the collector base. The mission was a success, but they lost way too many men. The entire Normady crew aside from their helmsman, Jeff "Joker" Morreau, didn't make it. Of the thirteen people Shepard recruited for his elite squad, only four, excluding himself, made it out alive. The mission was a succes, but at a high cost. Shepard's been haunted by these nightmares ever since. He wanted to appear strong to the crew, but they knew. No one came out without scars. Both physical and mental.

"What's up?"

Shepard startled and looked over his shoulder. It was Dante. He's a well-built, 27-years old man with short, black hair. He had served with Commander Shepard for a total of four years now, and the two had become close friends.

"EDI told me you had some trouble sleeping, so I thought I should check up on you. I do hope there won't be any need to put a babyphone in here." Typically Dante, always treating serious situations with sarcasm.

"I'm fine." Shepard said.

"Listen, Adrian", Dante's tone became serious. Not many people, even his good friend Dante, called Commander Shepard by his first name. Dante walked over to the couch and sat down, leaning over with his elbows on his knees.

"We all have trouble dealing with this. You, me, Joker and hell, even Zaeed got teary-eyed for a minute or so."

Shepard smiled. It wasn't a happy one, rather a forced one to show Dante he was all right.

"Anyways", Dante went on, "we're touching down at the citadel within 15 minutes. Thought it'd be good for you to meet with Councilor Anderson again and let him know you're still alive. And while we're there, why not try to get the Council on our side so we can take the fight to the Reapers, eh?"

"Like they'll listen to us" Commander shepard replied, "they think I am crazy".

"It's always worth a shot, my dad used to say. Three's a charm, right?"

Shepard couldn't resist to chuckle. "Alright. I'll meet you and the other in the CIC in fifteen minutes. I think we all deserved a day off."

"That's my boy." Dante stood up and went back to the elevator. As soon as he walked out of the door, Shepard lay down on his bed again. He looked at the clock. He couldn't believe he slept another ten minutes. Better hurry up, he thought and stood up again.