Though she followed her mother for a while, it didn't take Krinda long to rush off to the bridge on her own. She took a look at the massive galaxy map in the middle of the room. It truly was the heart of the Normandy SR-3.

"Wow." She managed to say while her eyes seemed to swell to the size of grapefruits.

"Welcome aboard, Ms. Shepard." Krinda heard a familiar voice say.

Krinda wheeled around to see a dark haired woman in a commander's uniform coming towards her. Krinda knew it was Ashley. She gave the commander a quick salute, which Ashley returned and then turned into a hug.

"Good to see you, Little Blue. Although, you're not really little any more. I heard you turned sixty recently. Man, I can remember when you were diapers." Ashley said as she released Krinda from the hug.

"Yeah, can we not talk about that with all these people around?"

"Very well. Where's your mom?"

"Checking out c-deck last I saw her. Kinda ran off without her. I couldn't wait to see this place. Um, do you mind if I stand at the control console for the galaxy map?"

"After all the times I saw your dad do it, I'd be hurt if you didn't."

"Sweet!" Krinda yelled and then ran for the aforementioned spot.

Krinda gently ran her fingers over the display. She didn't want to accidently set a destination, but she felt the overwhelming desire to touch it. Her body shook with excitement as she felt the cool metal of the console. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine what her father felt every time she set the destination with a console similar to this. Krinda envisioned flying off to save some oppressed people and her face turned into a look of serene calm.

"Hey, look, it's Commander Shepard!" Krinda heard a familiar voice call, snapping her out of her serene state.

Krinda looked up to see everyone on bridge staring at her. Krinda gave a slight, nervous wave to the crowd and then scanned for who it was that drew so much attention to her. It didn't take her more than five seconds to locate a black haired Latino man of about thirty six years of age, but looking like he was only nineteen thanks to the synthesis.

" 'Sigh' Hello, Devin." Krinda said.

"Uh-uh. Its gunnery chief Williams while on-board, Ms. Shepard." Devin said.

"He got promoted?" Krinda asked Ashley.

Ashley nodded and then told Krinda it had happened about three months ago.

"Wow, congrats, gunnery chief Williams. You look well, old friend."

"Thank you, Ms. Shepard. But, uh, heh, you're older than me. Sixty now, I hear."

"That I am, chief Williams. But, know that your age crack has no merit." Krinda said, trying to sound professional.

"Oh yeah? And why's that?"

"Well for one, I'm an Asari, a being capable of living for at least one thousand years. Sixty is young for us. But, it is also because I, at sixty years old, have something you do not nor ever will have."

"And what's that?"

Krinda then struck a provocative pose and calmly said 'sex appeal.'

All of the younger crew members began to hoot and holler as Devin blushed with embarrassment. Just then, Liara and Hackett caught up to Krinda and came onto the bridge. Liara was immediately shocked to see Krinda's pose.

"Krinda!"

Krinda jumped like she was being shot at, which made Devin laugh his head off.

"Why are you standing there like you work at Azure?" Liara asked.

"Um, putting Devin in his place?"

"What?"

Ashley walked over to Liara and explained the situation. Liara rubbed her temples with a strained look on her face.

"Honestly, I don't know if you two like or hate each other." Liara said.

Krinda walked over to Devin and threw her arm around his neck, which he returned.

"Oh mom, we love each other. We just have a funny way of showing it. Isn't that right, Devin?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Krinda then decided to embarrass Devin again. So, she used her arm that was around his neck to pull him down towards her. She then closed her eyes and planted a long, wet kiss on his cheek. She then released him and walked away.

"What was that for?" Devin asked.

"I just remembered that, when we were younger, you had a crush on me. You even admitted it to my face. I just thought I'd give you what you always wanted from me while I was that close to you." Krinda said with a cute grin and a slight tilt of her head.

"You know that was just a boyhood crush that I grew out of!"

"Sure it was, Devin. Sure it was. Alright, folks, let's get this bird in the air. Rannoch ain't comin' to us."

"You heard her. Let's go, people." Ashley commanded.

The crew immediately got to work, while Devin stood dumb founded.

"Ahem. When I said let's go people, that included you too, chief Williams." Ashley said.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll head for the main batteries right now."

Devin began to walk off. As he passed Krinda, she blew him a kiss, to which he just shook his head and kept walking. Krinda, Liara and Hackett all took their seats after this. It didn't take long for the Normandy to leave its dock at the citadel and head for the mass relay. Once they hit it, Krinda's hands tightened their grip on the seat she was sitting in. She was excited to say the least. Jumping through mass relays was nothing new to her. She'd done it at least one hundred times over the course of the past year while traveling to various dig sites with her mother. It was the fact that she was doing it while aboard the Normandy that made it exciting. Krinda could feel her father's presence everywhere on the ship, even though none of it was part of the old SR-2 Commander Shepard had been on. It was like any ship bearing the name Normandy had Shepard's spirit attached to it. Krinda felt so comfortable at this moment that it felt like the seatbelt that crossed over her chest was her father's arms hugging her.

"I wish I could've gotten to know you. I love you, dad." She whispered.

Liara, who was sitting next to Krinda, just barely overheard her daughter. After the Normandy came out of the jump, Liara leaned over and kissed her daughter on the crest of her forehead.

"I heard what you said. Just barely, but I heard it. I wish you could've known her too. But, I'm sure she's watching over you and me. And she loves you dearly. That much is fact even if she's not around to say so. That's the kind of person your father was. She would have, and I know she does now, love you with all her heart. Just like me."

"I love you too, mom. Say, when we have a moment to be alone, can you share some of your memories of dad with me again? I think they'd feel even more special here on the Normandy."

"Of course. Whatever you want, little flame."

"Why do you keep calling me that? I know Grandma Benezia called you little wing and I know that you know that red is one of my favorite colors and is associated with fire, but come on."

"Why I call you that has nothing to do with any of that."

"Then why?"

"It has to do with the true meaning of your name."

"And that is?"

Just then, Joker came on over the intercom.

"Hey, Liara, Krinda. We're approaching Rannoch. Better get ready so you can say hi to your team."

"Understood, Joker. I'll tell you what your name means later, okay?" Liara asked.

"Fine. Cici better be here." Krinda said with a huff.

Krinda disembarked with a crew comprising of her mother, EDI, Gunny and Devin. Ashley and Joker stayed with the ship to handle other aspects of their jobs. Hackett, meanwhile, was on a vid com call. Once the group reached the dock, they were greeted by various Quarians and Geth. Three Quarians in particular caught their attention.

"Liara! Krinda!" An attractive, light purple skinned quarian woman in an all dark purple suit called.

"Hello, Tali. It's nice to see you." Liara said.

"Hey, aunt Tali." Krinda said.

"My Krinda. You look so beautiful. Seriously, Liara, what do you feed her? Cause every time I see her, her beauty seems to have skyrocketed by a factor of ten. So what are you giving her?"

"Oh come on, aunt Tali. I'm not that pretty. I'm proud of my good looks, but I'm not that pretty."

"Well, you are to me."

"Yeah, but, your one of my surrogate aunts. You're kinda biased."

"Well, how about an unbiased opinion? Kal, honey?" Tali said while turning towards the quarian man standing next to her.

"I think she looks mighty fine. She's got good genes, that's for sure."

"Okay that doesn't count either. Cause he's one of my surrogate uncles."

"Well what about my opinion?" Said the young, about the same age as Gunny, quarian girl dressed in a dark red suit with slight yellow highlights that stood next to Tali.

"Cici? Is that you?"

"Who else would it be, Krin?"

"Cici!" Krinda cried as she threw her arms around Ciala's neck and hugged her for all she was worth.

Ciala wrapped her arms around Krinda's middle and returned the hug with as much strength as she could muster.

"Careful, you two are starting to look like lovers instead of friends." Devin said.

Ciala's cheeks flashed a dark purple, a quarian blush, and she quickly separated from Krinda. She then looked away nervously while she tried to continue the conversation.

"Oh, hey, Devin. Long time no see." Ciala said, nervously looking back repeatedly at Krinda.

"Ciala, are you embarrassed by what he said?" Krinda asked.

"Um, well…"

"Well, don't be. He just said that to get back at me for embarrassing him in front the whole bridge crew a little while ago. Oh, I got him good. I'll tell you about it later. Anyway, don't mind him. He's just pulling you into this to embarrass me. Which he has failed at. Cause I think you are beautiful, Ciala. The last two years have been good to you. You've gotten a lot prettier since I saw you last. So, if people want to talk because we hug the heck out of each other, let them talk. We know how we really feel."

"No you really don't, Krinda. You don't know how I…." Ciala thought before stopping and shaking her head.

"You okay, Ci?" Krinda asked.

"Oh, yeah. Just shaking out the last effects of Devin's joke."

"Good. So, what'cha been up to?"

"Well, I got a new drone that I've been getting pretty good with."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's a multipurpose drone too. It can be a helpful little bugger one minute, then switch over to a fierce destroyer or hovering shield for me the next."

"So you've got assistance, attack and defense capabilities all in one drone?"

"Yeah. Mom made most of its programing. Dad helped make all the major parts. They worked together to get it to spawn from my omni-tool a mere two seconds after I activate it, or summon it as I like to say."

"Did you do anything in its development?"

"Not really. Mom and dad wanted it to be a gift for my birthday last year, so I didn't help make it. All I did was name it."

"Oh right. I forgot to call you on your birthday last year. I'm so sorry. Uh, Happy really belated birthday. So, what did you name it?"

"Chikitikka sal don."

"My Quarian's a little rusty, babe. What does that mean exactly?" Krinda asked.

Ciala blushed slightly from being called babe by Krinda, but still answered.

"Well, Chikitikka is its given name, doesn't mean anything. Sal don basically means 'the second' in our language."

"Ah, okay. You named it after your mom's drone. Hers was Chikitikka the first, so yours is the second."

"Right, Chikitikka sal don. Want to see her?"

"Sure. Bring her out."

Ciala tapped away at her omni-tool for a moment.

"Come say hi, Chikitikka."

Suddenly, drone with colors matching its owner's clothes, materialized.

"Hello, Krinda." The drone said.

"Wait! Your drone can literally talk?"

"Ha ha, no. That's you know who speaking from my omni tool."

"Oh, hi, Corsus."

A holographic image of a silvery blue Geth appeared from Ciala's omni-tool.

"What are you doing in there, Corsus? Why aren't you in your body?"

"Ciala asked me to perform some in depth maintenance on her omni-tool, to keep it running smoothly. I am finished now. The device should perform forty-seven more efficiently than before. I will return to my body and join you shortly."

The hologram faded away and a Geth emerged from a nearby room. It looked the same as the hologram. It's one, flashlight like eye focused on Krinda.

"Hello, Krinda. It is nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Corsus. Hey, remind me again, what does Corsus mean in Quarian again?"

"It means liberator. That name was chosen by the Geth for him when he was made because of how much he looks like our moms' old friend Legion."

"Ah okay, I gotcha. And your name means starlight or something like that, doesn't it?"

"That's exactly what it means. Good memory, Krin. Has your mom told you what your name means?"

"Not yet. But I intend to find out before this trip is over. Speaking of which, you're all coming, right?"

"We all wouldn't be here if we weren't, little ma'am." Kal'Reegar said.

"Well then, let's get on the ship and go!" Krinda shouted while thrusting her fist into the sky.

Just then, an alarm sounded. Kal'Reeger got on his omni-tool immediately and reached the security personnel.

"This is Kal'Reegar. What's the alarm for?"

"An unusually large ship has just entered Rannoch's atmosphere with no word. It has several thanix cannons and javelin missile launchers, and they're all pointed at the ground!"

"What!"

"I urge you to take admiral Reegar and the rest of your family and friends and seek shelter."

"I'm a marine, damn it! I will not run away when my planet is in danger!"

Kal looked around and found a small weapons locker nearby.

"There! There's an emergency weapons locker here! Open it!"

"Yes sir!"

With a loud beep, the locker opened and Reegar grabbed a sub-machine gun from it.

"Everybody on the ship! I've got to see what's going on."

"Be careful, Kal." Tali said.

"I've survived worse than this. It's probably some stupid pirates. I'll be okay."

Just then, the group could hear blood curdling screams.

"What's going on?" Reegar called.

"It's not possible! Those things aren't supposed to be around anymore!"

"What is it, soldier!"

"Ahh!"

"Damn it! I don't know what's going, but you lot need to get on that ship and go!"

"I think this is a hell of a lot more important than some dig! Toss me a gun! I'll help out!" Devin yelled.

"Me too!" Krinda yelled.

"Krinda!" Liara called.

"Mom, the Quarians need our help. Something big is going on! I can't sit by and do nothing!"

"Damn it, Krinda! This is no time to try to be like your father!"

"I'm not! I'm trying to be like me! Now throw me a gun, Uncle Kal!"

A loud banging came from the door at the end of the dock.

"Everybody here better take a gun!" Reegar yelled.

Ciala set her drone to attack mode, which made the red outer parts turn darker.

"Let's do this, Chikitikka!"

"That's the spirit, Ciala! Corsus, you in?" Krinda asked.

"Of course! Let me activate my own drone. Hmm, since Ciala is going to be on offense, I shall be on defense. Activating Defense drone!"

A silvery white defense drone appeared just as the door slammed open. What waited on the other side made those that fought in the reaper war's jaws drop.

"Impossible! Reaper creatures!" Liara yelled.

Cannibals, husks and marauders flooded into the room and opened fire. Reegar did as well and took out several husks before grabbing an armful of guns and throwing them out to everyone.

"Take your pick and kick some ass!" he yelled.

Krinda was first to dash out and grab the first gun she reached. It was a modern model of the Geth plasma smg. She opened fire and tore through several marauders and cannibals.

"Alright, you undead freaks! Who wants their ass kicked next?!" Krinda yelled.

She charged up her biotics and, just like her father before her, used a biotic charge and nova combination to hurl herself into the thick.

"You bastards picked the wrong planet to attack! I'm gonna kill you all!"