Prologue ~ Breaking Apart

-separater-

I tapped buttons and frantically typed on the holo-screen in front of me. Around me the Normandy was falling apart. Explosions wracked the vessel as the readings on the screen I was staring at kept flashing one word: danger. The ship wasn't going to make it and there wasn't much I could do. I owed it to my fellow crewmates and the commander to fix things. This was my ship to fly after all and I wasn't about to lose it.

"Joker come on." Said Kaiden from my right. I shook my head and kept typing. He got up and left the cockpit as I continued. Others asked me to leave as well but I ignored them. More pieces of the ship broke apart as I worked; nothing could keep me from my mission now. Salvaging what I could and stopping the Normandy from being destroyed was the only thing on my mind.

It was only when the commander came into the room that I stopped for a moment.

"Joker we have to leave now." he said. I turned my head and stared at him.

"I can still save-"

"There is no time. If you stay here you will die." He said, dragging me out of my chair and throwing me over his shoulder.

I protested for a while but as e neared a more damaged part of the ship I stopped. The commander pushed a button and one of the escape pods appeared in front of us. He pushed me toward it and I nearly fell to the ground. Before I could make contact a pair of warm arms settled me into the seat. I glanced up to see the commander looking at me. His dark blue eyes bore into mine and I nodded.

He started toward me but had to grab the side of the door for support as a particularly intense explosion rocked what was left of our ship. There was no time for me to grab him and save him. He pressed down on the eject button and I was unable to speak for a moment.

"Commander!" I shouted when I got my voice back. This wasn't happening, he wasn't floating into space, there was no way this was real …

Unfortunately it was. That was the last time I saw the commander. It has been three months now and I find myself in a slump. All I can do is think about the past and how I was the one who killed him. If I hadn't stayed on the Normandy he would have been safe. Hell, if I had reached out to him a bit quicker he would still be alive.

-separater-

A/N: This is just the beginning. I am going to get the story started in the next chapter. I hope you all liked it.

R and R