Heyo! First story on this site and hope you like it. Obviously, it's a mass effect fanfic, focusing on the events during ME3. I can't promise updates at precise intervals but I will try a week at a time. The inspiration of the story is that we never really see any effort to defeat the Reapers other than everyone putting their eggs in the Crucible basket. I mean, seriously, what if the Reapers found the construction site? Anyways, like is the custom with any Fanfic, I should start with a simple, this is not my story etc. etc.

This story focuses almost purely on OCs with mentions and maybe guest appearances from Shepard and squadmates. I will change ME3 in certain spots (*cough* ending *cough*). I will accept fanmade OCs if you want. If I see one that I really like I will replace one of my characters with him, (credit of course being paid to the original creator, of course). I've already got my main human characters. Any species will work. Batarian, Turian, Krogan, Quarian, Collector (not really, but you see what I mean.) I think that about covers everything. Read, enjoy, review.

Thatch opened his eyes, feeling his head pound with each pulse of the brain. The visor of his helmet was cracked, the glass threatening to enter his eyes. He felt the warm sensation of a liquid dripping down his face as he sat there, the mangled remains of his ship pinning him to the floor. His standard Alliance Marine armor was keeping the pressure from breaking his bones, already weak from the jar of the crash. Outside of the wreckage, the distant sounds of explosions and screams sounded outside the temple of destruction that was once his ship. His only view was a triangular opening created from the ajar in the shuttle door, showing him a blurred view of the battleground outside.

Thatch closed his eyes and cleared his mind. If there was one thing that he knew, despite his lack of experience was that a foggy mind was likely to get you killed. Then, he moved his hand underneath the rubble that immobilized his legs, giving a weak effort to remove the blockage. The metal budged slightly, but did not free the man to move freely. He sighed, his muscles protesting the mere thought of even trying once more. However, Thatch pushed through this and tried once more. Instead of pushing the debris off all at once, he instead slowly pushed, the metal giving way easier. He was able to free himself within a half hour, his mind becoming clearer as he did so and his muscles able to push faster without reaching their limit.

When Thatch freed himself, he used the wall behind him to push himself to his feet. His hand went to his side and he pulled M3 Predator from his hip. Attempting to walk over to the exit failed, the action becoming a series of stumbles and trips, ending when he fell into the window of the door. The door immediately gave way, sending both soldier and door to the floor in a heap. "Damn. Why can't I be like those people who can shrug off things like this?" Thatch commented to himself, his voice no more than a hoarse and cracked whisper. Upon hearing it, he realized that he must have been unconscious for hours, the filters on his helmet would have filtered smoke from the battle. Thatch sighed, and wondered if that was why he was so weak at the moment. Dehydration could happen to anyone. However, since he had no water nor any means to get some, he was forced to push the issue away and stand once more.

When he was on his feet, his eyes fell back upon the transport that was supposed to carry his unit to Palaven to assist in the evacuation effort. No sooner had they entered orbit, did a reaper's beam hit their ship and slice their engines clean of the hull. Looking at the mangled bodies of the floor, he realized that he was likely the only survivor, many of the injuries that his crew had sustained impossible to survive. No sooner had he thought that, he saw the chest of his commander raised into the air slightly before falling. "Lieutenant Katori," He tried to call but found his voice unwilling to cooperate with his wishes. He sighed and began to walk over to where his commanding officer was lying. Her helmet was gone, a piece just underneath a large pile of rocks that must have come down after the shuttle crashed. Thatch was just glad that her head was not with her helmet at the time.

Takara Miyabi Katori was young for a Lieutenant, far younger than normal. However, with the Reaper War, it was not surprising that someone would get a promotion, the commanders with experience a good majority in the list of casualties. Katori had long black hair that covered her face, hiding any injuries from Thatch as he lumbered towards her. Just as he reached her, Thatch heard the screech of a reaper ground unit, and it sounded far too close for his comfort. Thatch forced himself to go faster ignoring the protests of his legs as he did so. Katori was free of the main wreckage of the shuttle, off to the side as if she had attempted to jump free just before it hit the ground. Large piece of shrapnel was embedded in her left arm, but the hand still held onto a reinforced Katana with a grip that would make a Krogan proud.

"Lieutenant!" Thatch tried as he got closer, forcing his voice back to normal. It felt as though the word was ripped from his throat, each syllable causing a stabbing feeling. His commander didn't answer him , remaining still and limp against Palaven's ground. Thatch took a moment to identify his surroundings, trying to figure where the shuttle crashed. The terrain around them was empty, the plants and discernable landmarks scorched black from the Reaper forces. The only thing that was unique among the hills of rubble and the various skeletons of buildings, was a relatively intact structure. It was a parking garage, though the top floor had been broken on the far left side, causing an incline in which a black skycar balanced delicately on the decline and the flat ground. Scorch marks littered the walls, suggesting that a defense force was once held up there before they had been forced to retreat or had been slaughtered. The latter was most likely.

"Alright, Lieutenant, let's go there." Thatch spoke, though it was mostly to make sure his voice still worked. The Lieutenant said nothing in response, still lying unconscious on the ground. Thatch walked over to her, dropped to one knee as he neared. He wished that he had some medi-gel that would soothe his pains so this would not be so difficult. However, willpower would have to suffice for now. He grabbed the Lieutenant's arm, the one not embedded with shrapnel, and draped it over his shoulder. Then using all his remaining strength, he pulled the woman over his shoulder, her face finding its way into the crook of his neck. Her breaths were short and quick though, she seemed healthy enough to live without immediate medical attention.

Standing up took just as much effort and by the time Thatch was back to his normal height, he was beginning to pant with exhaustion. He couldn't help but smile sarcastically as he thought about before this, where his biggest worry was whether he would get to see any action as opposed to whether he would survive past the current day.

One Week Ago….

"Look at that! Sergeant! Just for watching a damn hallway!" Thatch laughed and complained simultaneously. His squad mate, a woman named Nadia, just smiled to amuse him and continued to sip his drink. He had been going on about the promotion he had received for doing nothing since they had arrived in the bar. "God, give me a promotion when I kill a Batarian Slaver lord or when I singlehandedly take out an entire fleet but not when I successfully warded off sleep." Thatch stopped talked when his omni-tool beeped, announcing that the Vanguard had a message. It was from his commanding officer, a man named Jedar. Expecting himself to receive new orders seeing as he was now squad leader, he entertained the idea of completely ignoring it before he pulled it up.

Turn to the Earth News Network. That was all the message read. Thatch scrunched his forehead at the message but shrugged his shoulders at it. "Hey, barkeep, mind switching to ENN for a few seconds?" The Salarian Barkeep nodded and clicked a button on his omni-tool, changing the station to the channel requested. The words that were screamed by the reporter caused the entire bar to go quiet. "EARTH IS UNDER ATTACK!" Nadia dropped her cup and it shattered on the floor but the barkeep paid no mind. The image on the tv was blurry and barely coming in, the newswoman clearly still on Earth. The few clear images that made it through were not something that people would want to see.

The first was of a massive ship with a purple tint to it. Just from the angle, everyone could tell that it would make the Destiny Ascension look like nothing more than a simple frigate. The next image was of the same ship using a laser like beam to eradicate a building that was over thirty stories tall, like it was nothing more than a child's building made of wooden blocks. The final image was of the reporter's face. "Listen, Maris, Mommy...[static]….going to make it, you be good to….[static]…..I love you both." The screen went dark and the entire bar was left with nothing more than a blank screen.

Almost all at once, every human soldier in the bar leapt to the feet and flew from the bar, pushing aside the various aliens and furniture. "You want action, Thatch." Nadia commented behind him as the group of soldiers ran from the bar. Thatch just turned and smiled at her, glad his wish came true.

Present time…..

Thatch lifted Katori on his back once more, the door that had been jammed now on the floor courtesy of a biotic punch. His hand hurt, throbbing from hitting the heavy metal, but it did him some good, the adrenalin pumping through him giving him a new burst of energy to continue his quest for Sanctuary. Another beneficial consequence was the amount of noise caused from his actions caused Katori to stir. She still wouldn't wake from any of his words but it gave Thatch comfort to know that she not in a coma from the crash. Though, it was likely that she had a concussion and would still need some form of treatment. He walked into the dark hallway, barely able to see more than two feet in front of him. If he was right, he should come by some stairs soon. Assuming that Turians used stairs like the rest of the galaxy.

As he trudged onwards, he thought about how often he used to think about visiting other worlds. He had them all on his list, with Palaven being fifth in his top five. Before that was Thessia, Sur'kesh, Mindoir, and then it was Earth. Being a spacer kid, he had heard endless stories about the ball of blue water and green trees but was never granted the opportunity to see it in person. Unfortunately, thanks to the Reapers, his wish was likely to never be granted. Katori stirred again but there was no audible sounds from her. Thatch cocked his head to check on her but was blinded by a bright light at the end of the hall, only able to hear the sound of a thermal clip being put into a gun.

One Week Earlier….

Katori sat silently on the floor, her katana on her lap and her legs beneath her. She was dressed in an elegant white and blue kimono and her hair put up into a bun like that of the ancient Geishas. Katori grumbled irritably to herself as she looked at the clock on her omni-tool, her father being late as usual. It was her father's request that she dress in such an ancient manner, saying that he had something planned for her. It was likely to be another marriage request at the behalf of another of his business partners. Her father, despite being born centuries before the time it was socially acceptable, insisted on following the older traditions of Japanese history. Even when she had joined the military and reached the rank of Sergeant, he refused to recognize she was capable enough to choose her own spouse. Not that he didn't respect her as a person but simply believed that choosing a spouse was beyond her capabilities.

Her mother spoke in the next room over, in a vicious verbal debate with a rival in her omni-tool design business, arguing about the copyrights over the recently designed omni-tool blade. Katori rolled her eyes and couldn't help but think that no matter how sophisticated technology can get, it never beat the actual workmanship of steel. It had been a joke when she had first joined the military, it had been a running joke that she carried a Katana everywhere. But it had stopped being a joke when she used the very same katana to defeat over a hundred vorcha from the Blood pack, earning herself a medal in the process.

Katori stopped as she realized her mother was repeatedly saying hello. Katori stood and walked into the same room as her mother, who had just thrown her phone across the room in anger. "Problems?" Katori asked brushing a loose strand of hair out from in front of her face. Her mother sighed and looked at her with an angry expression.

"Dariah from the Bluewire company hung up on me. I guess she realized that our company owns the omni-blade but didn't want to admit it." She sighed and rubbed her head before her expression turned into one of stress. "I'm sorry, koibito, I don't mean to bore you with business. Is your father still not home?"

"No. I wish he'd hurry so that I can take off this ridiculous outfit." Katori confided, using her katana to threaten cutting the fabric. Her mother chuckled and gave her a look of sympathy.

"Yes, I never much liked the Kimono either. Well, would you like me to make something to eat? Your father is most likely caught up in business." She offered, making her way into the kitchen. However, before they could step from the room, the entire home shook, sending her mother to the floor and causing Katori to stumble. "Was that an earthquake?" Before Katori could answer, there was a massive boom from outside, threatening to rupture the eardrums of the two women.

"That wasn't an earthquake." Katori said and sprinted to the door. If not for the kimono, which impeded her movements, she may have been by the door when an explosion caused the shrapnel of wood to slice through the air and embed itself in the wall behind her. Katori managed to avoid taking any of the shrapnel, ignoring her brush with imminent danger and rushing outside. She was frozen in her tracks when she saw the carnage of what was once Tokyo.

Present time….

Katori was vaguely aware that someone was caring her, saying something that seemed like nothing more than dull sounds and grunts. There was someone beside him, talking in a panicked tone, however Katori could not comprehend their words either. She calmed any panic that came forward as she felt the hilt of her katana in her hands. She opened her eyes and was met with blackness, the sockets around her eyes burning with pain. She thought of a few expletives as she realized that her eyes must have malfunctioned during the crash. "Who is carrying me?" She asked, her voice cracked and barely above a whisper. There was a laugh and then the man who was carrying her said something. The only words she understood was something along the line of sleeping beauty. She shook her head and forced herself to focus. "Come again?"

"Well, you could just look, but its Sergeant Francis Thatch. Glad to see you back in the land of the living." The man said. Katori felt herself being lowered to the ground and was almost elated when solid ground hit her feet. She stumbled a few seconds before she caught hold of his shoulder, latching onto the space between armor and his shoulder. She was glad that her left arm had not suffered the same fate as her eyes, unsure if she could handle being blind and defenseless. She felt Thatch staring at her oddly, but he said nothing on it, most likely assuming it was because her legs were weak.

"This is all that's left?" said a different voice. This one was much gruffer and sounded as though it belonged to a turian more than a human.

"Unfortunately. Our shuttle was shot down by a destroyer class reaper when we entered your atmosphere. I was able to survive mostly unscathed due to my biotic barrier and Lieutenant Katori here survived purely on luck." Thatch replied to the turian. "Don't worry though. Our job is still the same. We will escort your people to the evacuation zone. What are your numbers?"

"We have thirty-two altogether. Twelve children, seven women and the rest are men, including myself." The turian answered. She felt Thatch beginning to walk and she quickly let go. Following the sound of the footsteps and being wary about how the ground slanted around her, she did her best to follow without tripping over everything. Her legs protested the very act of walking but she ignored them, showing no weakness at the moment.

"What's your name?" She asked, stepping over what she assumed was a blockage in her path.

"I'm Commander Drizen, of the fifty-fourth Turian battalion. I was the one who requested the evac, though, I meant it more for our forces." He said that last part as if he was throwing an accusation at them. "Though, now is not the time to be picky. I've been forced to arm some of the civilians to keep back the Reaper forces. They're pushing heavy on the other side. We need to go now, even if there are only two escorts. Where's the evac zone?" Drizen informed them. The sound of him injecting a thermal clip into his gun filled the air, Katori identifying the make as a Mantis Sniper.

"It's near the statue of the first Primarch. Your forces set up a safe zone, but they won't be able to hold it long. We were given twenty hours to get you there." Katori told him, looking to where the Turian's voice was coming from.

"We crashed about five hours ago. My omni-tool's clock broke around that time." Thatch informed. There was a small chuckled from Drizen.

"That's your alarm setting. It's not broken, it's just waiting for you to set it." Drizen told him, amusement in his voice. Thatch grumbled something and the sound of his omni-tool beeping filled the room. "Thankfully, I saw when your shuttle went down. It was about six hours ago. You were close but at the moment, every second counts. The statue is about twenty klicks from here. We can cover a mile per hour, if we want to take it slow. We'll have plenty of time. I'll go get everyone ready." With that, the sound of footsteps leaving filled Katori ears. The moment she was sure that Drizen was out of earshot, she grabbed Thatch and forced him close so she could whisper.

"Look, I have cybernetic eyes. They shorted out during the crash and now I can't see a thing." She told him. She felt his surprise and quickly covered his mouth when he tried to say something. "Obviously I cannot command the evacuation. You will have to take command, seeing as you are the only person left. Just remember to move them fast and quick. Have the women carry the children when they get tired and keep them moving at all costs. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am. What about you?"

"I will do my best to keep up but do not slow down for me. All that matters are these civilians getting off Palaven. This mission is up to you Sergeant."