I'll still be working on Through Death and Rebirth but I've had this concept in my mind and wanted to kick it off. Depending on how well recieved it is will determine how quickly the remainder comes out.
She wrung her hands in nervous frustration. Each time a scream or explosion could be heard from within the holding cell her jaw clenched. There were no windows in her small 10x10 enclosed room, however she could be certain of one thing… the Reapers were here. The timing made sense. Since she had successfully destroyed the Alpha Relay, the Reapers' last alternative to quickly entering into the Milky Way, the inevitable had merely been delayed. As usual, nobody had listened to her, dismissing her claims without a second thought. She assumed the only reason they hadn't pronounced her as a crazy doomsayer was due to her impressive service record and heroics. And despite that, here she was… in a holding cell on Earth, court-martialed and honorably discharged, on the basis of war crimes. War criminal; the label left a bitter taste in her mouth. She had sacrificed many things and had overcome impossible odds, and all for the good of the galaxy. And this was her thanks.
The floor rumbled beneath her feet as an explosion erupted, too close for comfort. More screams sounded throughout the dust-choked air. She stood, hands balled into tight fists at her side. There was nothing she could do from within this cramped cell. She felt hopeless. If someone would just let her out she could—
"Shepard," a dreadfully familiar voice called through the door.
She stiffened as a terrified chill ran up her spine. That voice… She knew that voice; had heard it many times. The owner of it had been the reason she began this crusade to begin with. No, that's impossible, she chided herself.
"Shepard, are you in there?" the voice questioned.
Isn't it? "Yes, I'm in here," she replied.
"I'm getting you out."
There were a few moments of fumbling with the lock on the other side of the door and a few curses uttered before he finally seemed to get it. She could feel her muscles tense anxiously as she heard the lock on the door click. Not even as the door swung open was she completely prepared for who she would face. The instant her grey eyes met his burning blue ones, her stomach twisted nervously. She glanced down to find him fully armed, while she laid claim to nothing but a single chair.
Taking note of her defensive demeanor, he reached for a weapon at his side; an M-6 Carnifex. Muscles twitching anxiously, she was nearly ready to jump him until he spun the heavy pistol in his hand and handed her the gun stock-first. She glanced at it quizzically, then back up at the bright blue eyes. Acknowledging his quick, affirming nod, she took the gun.
"I don't know why Earth humans still use that archaic technology on their doors," he sneered.
"The lock?"
He nodded quickly before turning to head back out from the room. "Let's go," he commanded.
"Where?" she questioned, repressing a scowl. She wasn't fond of being told what to do, especially not by the likes of him.
Ignoring her biting tone, he urged her on. "Like I said, I'm getting you out of here."
She clenched her teeth and followed him through the dust and smoke. She didn't like his ambiguousness. Though, anywhere would be better than right here, right now. However, she still didn't trust him. He could be leading her anywhere; specifically into the waiting claws of the Reapers. Judging from his past and her experiences with him, anything was possible.
"I know what you're thinking, Shepard," he shouted over the rumble of a blast nearly 500 meters away. "But I'm no longer under their control."
"You say that, Saren, but how can I know for sure?"
He turned to face her, his eyes gleaming through the thick dust and smoke. His sharp, metal plated teeth were clearly visible as he spoke. "You released me of that burden when you destroyed Sovereign. I am of my own mind, and my own mind only."
"I'm not sure that's much better," she snapped.
"Think what you want, Shepard. You may not trust me, but remember that you were the one who chose to let me live," he reminded her before continuing on.
He was right. It had been within her power to end his life; a life that had been controlled and manipulated by the Reapers, a dreaded and sinister race of machines who enslaved and destroyed. And despite the many deaths he had caused and objections from her squad, she had allowed him to live. Then, amidst all the chaos and destruction, he had escaped. Shepard was indifferent about his getaway. There was no way the ex-Spectre would have received a fair trial on the basis of indoctrination. Since then, she hadn't heard any word of Saren so she felt no need to pursue him again. As far as she knew, he was a clever fugitive who knew enough to keep out of trouble, and would therefore never be heard from again. And as far as the Council knew, he was dead. Yet, for some odd reason, fate had landed him here on Earth, likely moments before the Reapers would have ended her life. There had to have been more to his appearance than just to free her from custody; some underlying plan. But he obviously had no desire to divulge any additional information to her. For now, the only option she had was to follow and be on the defensive.
Suddenly Saren came to a silent halt, causing her to nearly collide with his backside. Signaling her to hold position he edged forward, his M-15 Vindicator assault rifle raised in preparation. He stood very still, listening and waiting. She wondered if his turian senses were picking up something she couldn't. Just in case, she held back, remaining as still as he. And then she heard something. It started out as a shuffling. That shuffling was then joined by the thuds and scrapes by, seemingly, a single entity. Whatever was causing the myriad of noises was advancing upon them. She drew in a breath and held it, her sweating palms gripping the gun fiercely.
"Get ready," he told her. "Husks."
She raised her gun and flanked the turian on the right. As the ominous sounds grew closer they were soon united with sickeningly familiar groans and screeches. Then they came from up ahead, spinning around the corner and proceeding toward their prey. Their screeches were quickly joined with the roar of firing guns. The husks went down quickly, falling atop one another in a heap. Even as the last one fell, Shepard knew this wasn't all of them. From around the corner lumbered a large creature, its steps noticeably slower than the husks, but with more raw power behind them. The long nails on its hands scraped against the wall as if supporting its hulking mass as it turned the corner. She had no clue as to what this thing was, but it obviously had to be destroyed. Shoot first and ask questions later. That philosophy typically worked for her.
Simultaneously, both the heavy pistol and the assault rifle went off, shooting a hefty collection of rounds at the massive creature. It hunched forward, the glowing blue of its two sets of eyes focused on the human and turian with deadly intent. It roared with bestial vigor before lunging itself down the hallway toward them.
"Aim for the head!" Saren shouted. "Give it everything you've got."
Aiming between its two sets of eyes, both Saren and Shepard released a mass of devastating gunfire that could have taken out a small army of krogan. For a while it seemed that their firearms were doing nothing to the charging creature as it continued down the hallway in surprisingly quick, hefty strides. Thick green ooze spattered the walls and floor as their guns continued to fire. Eventually, the creature slowed and staggered before falling in a fleshy heap at their feet.
"Let's keep moving," Saren ordered, stepping over the hulking pile.
"Wait, what was that?" Shepard demanded, pointing the nozzle of her gun at the body.
The turian turned toward her, eyes blazing. "It was a batarian, transformed by the Reapers like your once human husks." He kicked at one of the smaller bodies that littered the floor. "The Reapers will not stop until every galactic race bends to their will. That's why we need you."
"Is that why you came for me?" she questioned him curiously.
"The galaxy needs a hero, Shepard. You have fought this since the beginning of this era's threat. You must be that hero." His burning blue eyes studied her intently.
"I can't do it alone," she admitted
"You won't have to," the turian stated, turning from her to gaze down the hall at the exit. "Now let's move."
Gasping groans and haunting screeches filled her ears as they fought back the persistent waves of husks. While the heavy pistol was doing a well enough job for now, she preferred her usual arsenal and felt rather lost without it. Another assault rifle, or even an Arc Projector, would have been quite useful at the moment, especially when the amount of husks surrounding them seemed to be closing in quickly. Off in the distance, she could make out several more large machines descending upon the civilian section of the city. It made her feel both angry and helpless that she could do nothing to prevent this attack. So many humans would die this day and the rest would be reduced to mindless slaves, a fate worse than death. They had to be stopped before they moved on, wiping out all galactic life in their wake. Suddenly a deafening bellow sounded out over the waves of husks, drawing her attention from the Reapers and sending a chill up her spine. Her head shot up to find one of the batarian husks eyeing them hungrily. It reared back, swiping its heavy arm across the smaller husks that blocked its course to its prey. These husks screeched and scattered from its path. It roared again and Shepard quickly aimed between its sets of eyes. Before her finger could squeeze the trigger the creature's head erupted in a mess of green ooze, flame, and smoke. The massive creature swayed and collapsed to the ground, the cavity where its head had been, seeping green liquid. Accepting the assistance from an unknown source as a mysterious blessing for now, she and Saren rained gunfire upon the surrounding husks. A shock of pain coursed through her body as one of the creatures snuck in behind her to land a blow to her lower spine. Saren raised the butt of his rifle, bringing it down upon the husk's head with a sickening crack. The force was enough to split open its skull, and it landed at their feet in an unmoving bundle. Two other husks moved in on Saren, one taking a striking blow to his midsection while the other latched onto his gun arm. He clawed at one of the husks with one unrestricted hand, slicing through its vulnerable neck. As this one fell, the other shrieked and landed a forceful punch against Saren's face. As he was about to raise the butt of his gun to smash into the creature, a shotgun fire rang out causing the husk to stagger back and collapse. A thickly muscled human soldier advanced upon them quickly, firing several other rounds which blew large gaps into of some of the remaining creatures. As Shepard and Saren fought off the husks that had closed in too closely to prohibit the use of their guns, the other soldier took out the rest with his firearm.
When the last husk had finally fallen, both human and turian turned to the soldier. The man removed his helmet to reveal the square-jawed face of an Alliance soldier, his expression one that was clearly familiar with the effects of battle. He had a rather large, muscular build that had apparently taken many long, painstaking years of strenuous activity. But within his eyes, there was a softness and respect that was difficult to overlook. "Commander Shepard," he said with a nod.
She shook her head. "It's not Commander anymore, soldier."
"You're still Commander to me," he told her. "The Alliance was wrong to discharge you. You're a goddamn hero."
She shrugged. "In any case, thanks for the help."
"That's what I'm here for, Commander. I'm Lieutenant James Vega," he introduced himself. "I'm here to make sure your ship has a clear landing zone and that you get on it safely."
"My ship?" she asked, raising her brow.
Lieutenant Vega nodded, but before he could explain further the familiar high-pitched hum of a ship's engine could be heard as it descended overhead. Shepard peered up into the sky, squinting through the blaring light of the sun. The familiar, shadowy shape of the vessel caused her stomach to twist in excitement as it circled their location. As the ship finally fell into clear view she could easily recognize every beautiful dip and projection of the finely-crafted Normandy. She had a new paint job, donning alliance colors, but it was her. There was no doubt.
As the ship's tail-end turned toward them, it began to descend upon the landing zone. A strong gust of wind blew a lock of long red hair across her face and she quickly brushed it away, impatient to see the arrivals. Her heart nearly jumped in her throat when she could make out the two familiar faces of Admiral Anderson and Second Lieutenant Ashley Williams. When the Normandy had completely landed and the hatched touched ground, both Alliance soldiers were quick to make their approach.
"Shepard!" Anderson exclaimed. "I'm glad you made it."
"It's great to see you Anderson. Williams," she said, looking from one to the other.
"I see Saren actually followed through," Anderson said, a hint of venom in his voice.
Saren uttered a low growl from deep within his chest. "I came to Earth, on my own accord, to warn you that the Reapers were on their way, human. But you didn't listen. I was also the one who insisted that we find a way to release Shepard. Yet you still hold your doubts about me."
"It will take more proof than that to convince me you're doing this for the right reasons, Saren," Anderson spat. "But this isn't the time. We need to get Shepard out of here," he said, returning his attention to her.
Shepard nodded. "We can discuss our next steps after we're off this planet."
Anderson shook his head, a grave expression looming over his face. "I won't be going with you, Shepard. I'm needed here. There will be survivors, and they will need a leader."
Shepard crossed her arms over her chest, giving the man a stony expression. "Then I'm not leaving either."
"No. We need you to find out how to stop these things. You're humanity's only hope," he told her sternly.
"I don't think I need to remind you that it's not only humanity that is on the verge of destruction," Saren snarled, pointing a clawed finger at the Admiral. "The Reapers are out to harvest the entire galaxy."
Shepard placed a hand on the seething turian's unarmored arm. "Calm down, Saren. Anderson knows that humans aren't the only ones being threatened." The need to calm the turian that had caused her, and countless others, so much grief was a strange feeling. However, she knew that now was not the time for senseless bickering and aside from putting a gun to his head, she was out of options.
Anderson nodded. "She's right. Even though Shepard is a hero of humanity, doesn't mean she'll stop there."
Saren sneered. "'Hero of humanity', huh? Do you humans always incarcerate your heroes?". Feeling warmth on his cybernetically enhanced arm, he glanced at the hand that still idly lingered there. Shooting the woman a scowl, he jerked his arm away from her touch and turned blazing eyes back to the Admiral. She didn't seem to notice the turian's recoil.
"We had no choice but to make Shepard answer for her actions in the Bahk system. To ignore them would have started a war," Anderson argued.
Before Saren could utter another biting remark Shepard decided to interrupt. "This isn't the time for arguing! Who's ever going with me, board the Normandy. Now." she ordered, motioning toward the ship's open hatch. Turning away heatedly, the turian made his way towards the hatch, shortly followed by the Second Lieutenant.
"I'd also like you to take Lieutenant Vega with you," Anderson told her.
The heavily muscled soldier turned toward him. "Don't you need me here, Sir?" he questioned.
"Negative Lieutenant. I think Shepard could use a soldier like you on her team," Anderson said, turning to the ex-Commander to get her approval.
"The Admiral's right. I'm impressed from what I've seen here today. I could use someone with your skills."
"I would be honored to serve under you –err, with you, Commander," the Lieutenant proclaimed with a grin, indicating that his mistake was entirely deliberate. After issuing a salute to the Admiral, he quickly sprinted up the hatch and into the Normandy.
"Your first step is to go to the Council. Get them to help. They have no choice but to believe you now," Anderson advised.
"What if they won't listen?"
"Make them listen! That's an order," he demanded.
Shepard smirked. "I think you've forgotten, Anderson. I don't take orders from you anymore."
Without a word, the man moved closer, removing something from his pocket. When he stood before her, he revealed a chain adorned with military dog tags, in the palm of his hand. Taking the chain into both hands he slipped it over her head. "You've just been reinstated, Commander," he said proudly.
Shepard stared at Anderson, the man who had been her mentor and father-figure for many years, with a hint of concern in her grey eyes. "I'll be back for you." The Admiral stood tall and saluted the woman in response. Her hand rose to issue a returning salute to her superior officer, but she hesitated and without warning, reached her arms around his torso and drew him into a quick embrace.
He returned the gesture, enshrouding her shoulders in his heavy arms. He was surprised to find that this woman, powerful and indestructible as she was, was actually rather small. But there was an indescribable strength beneath her small stature, one that could not be matched. He hoped that that strength would never burn out, not only for the sake of humanity, but for hers as well. She was the closest thing to a daughter that he had. To lose her again would be a devastating blow.
Releasing her, he stood back to meet her stonewalled expression. "Take care, Shepard."
She nodded. "You too." Without another word she turned and sprinted up the hatch. As it closed, she turned to glance back at the straight-backed Admiral, silently hoping this wouldn't be the last time they would meet.