Second Lieutenant Samuel Gant fidgeted nervously, strapped tightly into his seat in the back of a UT-47 Kodiak. This was his first official mission since the Allied Forces had been formed. Of course he was nervous.

Samuel still couldn't believe that Commander Shepard had managed to unite as many of the species as already had so far. With the Reaper invasion in full force, it wasn't a moment too soon that the races of the galaxies put their squabbles aside and focused on their common enemy.

Sam's thoughts turned to Earth. His sister was posted on the SSV Elbrus and he had managed to speak to her since the Reapers took the human homeword. His parents and older brother though were on Earth when the plant fell.

'You look troubled,' an overly cheery voice came from beside the human, breaking him from his thoughts.

Samuel turned to find himself staring eye to eye with an asari.

'Ah,' Sam goggled for a moment, before averted his gaze awkwardly.

Like most human males, Samuel had gone through an unhealthy infatuation with the asari, and staring at the one next to him, he realised the old "interest" wasn't exactly left in the past.

'This your first Allied mission?' the asari continued.

Samuel nodded.

'This is mine as well.'

Sam gazed around the Kodiak in a bit to distract himself. He suddenly realised that he hadn't been introduced to any of the party he would soon he fighting against. In fact, he had barely taken the time to see who would soon be fighting alongside.

Sat directly opposite him, sat a drell, a species Samuel had yet to encounter. The drell was lurched forward, his hands clasped tightly together. He muttered something under his breath that sounded reminiscent of a religious chant.

Next to the drell sat a turian. Out of all the races, Samuel was normally wary of them the most. He had heard tales about the old First Contact War from him grandfather, tales that had haunted him to this very day, and likely would continue to do so.

Samuel must have stared a little too long, as the turian suddenly turned his head towards the human, and proceeded to ask, 'Do you mind?'

'Sorry,' was all Samuel could stutter.

Sat to the other side of the drell was a salarian who was tinkering away on his omnitool.

Back on the Citadel, Samuel's best friend was a Salarian, so he found the thought of working with one to be comforting.

'No, no,' the Salarian grumbled to himself. 'This will just not do. Run numbers again.'

It was at this time Samuel finally noticed the warm wet breath wafting down the nape of his neck. He felt as if something was staring holes into the back of his skull. Samuel turned slowly to find the source of the breath. He now found himself staring into the nostrils of another alien species he had yet encountered before now.

Sure he heard plenty about these beasts before, but no words could have prepared him for what he saw.

'Krogan…' Samuel spoke in absolute awe.

'You noticed?' the krogan's voice boomed.

Samuel heard the hulking brutes words as much as he felt them. In such close proximity, the krogan's very voice made the human's armour shudder.

'Hitting the landing pad in five,'the pilot called.

'You better not be getting ideas, human,' the krogan growled. The way the beast said human, almost made Samuel think that the word was being used as an insult.

'Ideas?' Sam spoke as if he was going through a second puberty.

'I'm the muscle of this operation. When we see the enemy, you best move out of the way and let me get to work,' the krogan warned. He had yet to break his fixated gaze from Samuel.

'You're a soldier, I'm guessing?' the asari interrupted, finally causing the Krogan to shift his stare.

'What's is to you, princess?'

'Yeah, defiantly a soldier,' the asari laughed.

'So, human,' the turian spoke up again. 'Tell me, what are you here for?'

'I'm an infiltrator by trade, I suppose,' Samuel replied. 'You?'

'Suppose you can call me a sentinel,' the Turian said smugly. 'Perfect mix of combat and biotics.'

'Biotics - ha!' the asari chuckled. 'Until you see an asari adept in action, you don't know biotics.'

'You're awfully quiet drell,' the krogan boomed. 'What's your story?'

The drell stopped mid-chant and stared around the Kodiak at the multiple onlookers. Then

lowered his head and continued chanting where he left off.

'Hitting the landing zone now,'the pilot called as the Kodiak began to spurt and rumble.

All the buckles that held back each occupant suddenly released. Each squad member stood and moved for the door, but amongst the pushing and shoving to get front spot, the krogan won the spot.

As soon as the door slid opened, the krogan launched himself out, even though the craft hadn't landed, or at the very least had lowered close enough to the ground for a safe drop.

The hulking krogan vanished in a sleet of white snow that blasted horizontally, all the while shouting a battle cry in sheer glee. Samuel heard a distance thud and a roar of triumph.

'Krogan survived the drop,' Sam shouted to be heard above the hollering snowy wind.

'Welcome to Noveria,'the pilot announced as the Kodiak dropped to the ground.

The remaining squad members departed the transport ship and out into the blizzard.

'Snowstorm. Should give us an advantage in evading enemy detection,' the salarian spoke almost a million miles an hour. 'Suggest we find shelter.'

'You heard the lizard!' Samuel shouted. 'Let's set up camp!'

The squad found a spot near the base of a cliff where the storm didn't lash about as bad to set up camp. The prefab shelters were all fairly self explanatory to assemble, so within almost no time, the makeshift campsite was set up.

They huddled around together, trying their best to stave off the cold. The salarian rattled off something about the heat servo's installed in their armour, and how he modified his to work at peak efficiency - which didn't settle well with the rest of the squad. The krogan sat, trying not to show any reaction to the cold, but every so often, the hulk trembled just a little.

'So,' Samuel found his teeth chattering as he spoke.

'So?' the asari replied.

'How… do we know if you're getting frostbite?'

'I… don't understand… what you mean?'

Samuel attempted to laugh. 'We humans… turn blue. What colour… do asari turn?'

'Ha,' the salarian chortled, evidently suffering no ill effect from the freezing weather. 'Human wit. Amusing.'

Within about twenty minutes, the frigid winds calmed, while not a large reprieve by any measure, it was still a step in the right direction.

'Noverian winds. Change often. During this season especially,' the salarian prattled off as if he worked for the tourism bureau.

'Well I'm going to break the ice then,' Samuel spoke up. 'Scratch that, terrible phrase to use in our current situation. Anyway, I am Samuel Gant,' the human pointed at the asari and asked, 'What's your name?'

'Aura Osiri,' the asari smiled. She in turn pointed to the turian.

'Maulus Viderian,' the turian drawled.

The salarian spoke without being prompted. 'Otak,' he said. 'Otak Kirrad,' the salarian pointed one of his elongated fingers and said - a little too enthusiastically - 'Now the krogan!'

'Urdnot Wrorg,' the krogan growled. 'Call me Wrorg.'

The drell, who was still praying finally spoke for the first time. He uttered his name, not bothering to lift his gaze or unclasp his hands. 'Thayden Krosis.'

Night came and went, much longer than Samuel expected. Otak however informed him that the standard day on Noveria roughly equated to 52 Earth hours.

The winds had mercifully become nothing more than an icy breeze, allowing the squad to move out once morning broke.

'So does anyone know what we're up against,' Samuel asked as the squad marched on single file. 'And for that matter, what our mission entails?'

'Cerberus. Set up weapons research centre in a lab not far from here,' Otak spoke from the back of the queue. 'Allied command attempted to reason with Noverian Development Corporation. No success.'

'So we've been sent in to crack some skulls,' Wrorg gave a throaty laugh.

'A lot of illegal research goes on here on Noveria,' Aura weighed in on the discussion. 'A childhood friend of mine came here once, many years ago. She said something about rachni.'

'Rachni?' Wrorg growled.

'Yeah,' Aura nodded. 'Not entirely sure I believed her. She was a bit of a prothean nut so I think all that time spent in dig sites drove her bonkers.'

The squad came to a spot at the foot of a mountain, leading up to the Cerberus research facility. The complex was buried deep within the mountain side with only the main entrance way and a hangar visible. Like most of the other labs on Noveria, the exterior was coated in snow, so what was showing was still difficult to see.

Otak activated his omnitool and began inputting something on it.

'Cerberus will detect off world communications. Created a programme that will mask the transmission,' the salarian brought up a screen on his omnitool. 'Won't last long. Not fool proof. Hope Cerberus systems not too advanced.'

There was static from the omnitool for a moment, but then a voice broke through.

'Theta squad - come in.'

'Theta receiving,' Otak mumbled.

'Good. Let's make this quick,'the voice spoke amongst the static. 'Cerberus has a scientist held hostage. In addition to retrieving copies of his research, you will need to rescue Adan Ersor.'

'Human?' Otak asked.

'Batarian,'allied command corrected. 'Confirm once mission has been complete. We will confirm extraction details.'

And with that, the static and voice vanished.

'Batarian? Scientist?' Aura shook her head. 'Not two words I ever expected to hear together.'

Wrorg grumbled. 'I thought this was a run and gun operation.'

'Nothing involving Cerberus is ever easy,' Thayden spoke, his voice a little pained.

'You sound as though you've dealt with Cerberus before?' Aura questioned the drell.

'Yes, many years ago,' Thayden replied. 'I do not wish to speak of it beyond the fact I learned the hard way that Cerberus is not to be taken lightly.'

'What are we up against Otak?' Samuel questioned the salarian.

'Cerberus very defensive over research. Facility bound to be heavily guarded. Expect resistance.'

Wrorg gave a roar that sounded almost like a laugh. 'That's why I'm here. Point me in the right direction and I'll start shooting.'

Aura shook her head. 'All this talk of shooting is great and all, but do we actually have a plan on getting in?'

Otak smiled. A very wicked smile.

'Why yes,' the salarian continued beaming. 'Most labs on Noveria have access shafts. Whether it is for emergency entry - or escape - is to be debated. Cerberus lab has one such shaft. Previous reconnaissance of the area shows this entry has not been used. Theory is that Cerberus does not know of it's existence.'

'Theory?' Aura rolled her eyes. 'Great. So the krogan is going in first right?' the asari asked, turning her attention to Wrorg.

The krogan gave her a toothy grin in reply.

The squad swiftly moved up the side of the mountain, Otak lead the way this time as opposed to Wrorg. The salarian took them along a longer route, assuming to avoid detection by any Cerberus lookouts. They reached a flat field of thick snow that the squad struggled to wade through. Eventually they came to a stop and Otak began digging.

It was not long before he managed to reach the access shaft, it was a robust circular hatch that had no obvious method of opening it from the outside. The salarian evidently knew what he was doing, as he produced a small blade of some sort and popped open a plate, revealing a control panel below.

'This will only take a moment,' Otak said, typing away on the tiny control pad. True to his word, there was soon a loud thud as the hatch came loose. Rather than opening all the way though, it only came clear by a few inches.

Otak began struggling with the hatch, his fingers clasped tightly under the door as he pulled with all his strength, but it was apparent that all the years of not being used had taken a toll on it.

Wrorg stepped over and pushed the salarian out of the way. 'Amateur,' the brute grunted as he gripped the hatch at either side. The krogan, in one swift motion, yanked the hatch wide open.

Aura leaned over and looked down the opening, then back up at Wrorg. 'You gonna fit?'

The look of smugness on the krogan's face vanished and was replaced with contempt.

'Maybe not princess,' Wrorg shrugged. 'Feel free to go first.' The krogan bent at one knee and motioned with an arm in a chivalrous manner. When the asari didn't budge, Wrorg added, 'Didn't think so.'

'Now, before we enter the facility, we must -' Otak began saying, but no sooner had the words left his mouth, Wrorg dropped into the shaft. A loud scratching sound could be heard as his armour scraped along the shaft walls, until there was a bang when the krogan landed.

'-Must plan ahead…' Otak finished belatedly.

The remainder of the squad followed the krogan's lead, although moving with a little more caution.