Chapter 2 - New Arrivals"Any new recruits will be designated their own bunks for the duration of initial training aboard this frigate. There are no do-overs, there are no mommies to cry to, there are no dolls to play with! Everything you do here will have consequences throughout the entire galaxy so don't screw this up bucket heads!"
The drill Sergeant aboard Alliance frigate Waterloo wasn't known for her eloquence, but she could get the job done. This was the ship Sira would receive her training on. As the Sergeant said, everything here counted already, since there was no actual training program designed for this. New recruits would be dropped straight into action on what were supposed to be shakedown runs where trouble was expected. Plenty of them made it through, although there were some who did not. Training was tough and everything was as real as can be, and this made some of the other recruits nervous. Sira however was as calm as could be, she had nothing to lose and would give herself 100% to succeed, no matter what the odds.
After the Sergeant's very motivating speech explaining how death is common and how new recruits had a life expectancy of half a mission, all the trainees were sent off to their bunks to prepare for their first assignment. Every trainee was assigned a squad and a bunk and were given the details of their assignment for study and planning. How they spent their time until zero hour was up to them, the mission itself would show if they were prepared enough. Sira decided that the best thing to do was jump straight into planning with her squad mates, two human engineers and a human biotic. They were surprised that they had an Asari as their squad mate, since most of the N7 operatives present were human. As Sira tried to go through the details of the mission her stunning looks proved distracting to her companions, this was going to be a lot harder than first expected...
Their mission was simple, a package containing materials for the Alliance Crucible project was to be extracted from a Turian colony. Resistance would be minor if at all present. Together with her squad Sira figured that it wouldn't be necessary bringing heavy arms since they'd have Turian support and as such they would be able to focus on moving the package rather than trying to cover their own flanks from possible ambushes. After they planned out everything they thought had to be planned out the two Engineers decided they wanted to rest, Sira and the other biotic preferred to stay up and spar with each other to see how advanced their techniques were. Together they headed down to the hangar deck of the ship and on the way there they introduced each other to them. His name was Alan, hers was Sira.
While sparring, several of the crew noticed the two new recruits banging it up with their biotics and decided to watch. Alan was a very agile fighter, although not a very offensive one, Sira was the complete opposite. She was used to soaking damage with some of her barriers while throwing and warping everything around her. Everytime Sira managed to get a shot in, Alan dodged it. Every time Alan managed to get a shot in, Sira's barrier soaked the damage. "It's going to take your pretty ass a lot more than just some throw if you want to take me down." Alan was taunting her, so very secure of his own abilities. This was Sira's first actual fight, she had never fought another biotic before, let alone sparred with somebody at all. She only ever used her biotics to fend off drunks and perverts on the Citadel and wasn't sure how much she could actually do. As the fight raged on, more and more crewmembers including the drill Sergeant came to watch the two biotics create a battlefield in the hangar bay of the ship. Alan kept dodging and running around as Sira tried to get rid of everything he could take cover behind.
The drill Sergeant was impressed with the abilities of both biotics. Several hours had passed since their fight started, and every non-essential crew member had gathered inside the hangar bay to watch these two new recruits take each other down. Some had even started a few bets that the cute Asari would get her pretty face pummeled by Alan. There wasn't much left standing in the hangar bay at this point, most crates had been flung to the walls, most chains were warped up against the ceiling. The only thing Alan had left to use for his defense was his own agility. He had come to realize that he couldn't break Sira's barrier with his current level of attack and decided that it would be time to end this. He managed to get behind the Asari and grabbed her, making sure she couldn't get away. As the crowd cheered Sira just let out a small giggle, this was exactly what she had hoped for. She knew how to get out of this one, plenty of lustful drunks had tried this on her back on the Citadel. With a bright white flash Alan was thrown to the wall behind them. The impact was so hard that the bang was audible up to the main deck. Sira walked over to Alan and said "I guess this means I won doesn't it?" With a grin on her face she offered her hand to help him up, but he refused.
She didn't know why he was so angry at her, wasn't this supposed to be a sparring match to see who had the better technique? She wouldn't have been like this if she had lost, why was he acting this childish. Alan stormed off towards their bunks, but as Sira was about to leave the drill Sergeant came to talk to her. "Mighty fine performance there kid, never seen a biotic fight last this long between mere recruits, what's your name?" Sira answered and the Sergeant said she had a special offer, if the first mission would prove successful Sira would be in charge of her own squad of recruits. Obviously she wouldn't be the only one, every promising trainee would be given a squad to see how they handle themselves in a leadership position. Sira gladly accepted, thanked the Sergeant and headed off towards her own bunk to get some rest. When she entered the room a lot of faces turned her way. It was quiet, there was some awe, some despise, some admiration, some jealousy. Sira didn't know how to handle it and just walked straight to her bunk and sat down. You could see some of the younger boys watch her as she took her training suit off and slipped into something more casual. Her smooth skin and perfect curves provided quite a show for some of the more "active" guys in the operative program. Sira ignored them, for now it was time for some shut-eye before the op, she'd need it and she knew that.
The Alliance frigate Waterloo entered the atmosphere of the Turian colony, Sira and her squad were suited up and ready to be dropped of by shuttle as the ship would find a nearby landing pad to touch down and wait for the package to arrive. Alan was still a bit grumpy but was noticeably focused on the task at hand. The two engineers followed the two biotics as they made their way to the settlement where the package was being prepared. So far so good, not a single bit of resistance, no sign of trouble. This would truly be a textbook example of a shakedown run. That was until they actually arrived at the settlement. There was nobody in sight, not a single living being around. Only empty streets and an obvious warehouse where the package was stored. "Oh well, guess they're all still asleep" muttered one of the engineers, but Sira had a bad feeling about this: "I hope so, just watch your back, I don't like this".
When they entered the warehouse and secured the package, the squad heard a howling shriek coming from outside. This was no Turian who was screaming, it was something different. The sound went through bone and marrow as Sira immediately told her companions to take defensive positions and prepare for an assault. The engineers set up at the entrance of the warehouse and placed some traps, they weren't going to get in through there. Alan scouted the rest of the building for any possible entry points but couldn't find any, so he decided that this was the time to get some payback on Sira. "Doesn't look like anything's gonna get in and out of here, good job ****, you got us into this mess, now get us out of it too."
As the assault began, several "monsters" were approaching the warehouse and were easily dispatched by the engineers. Their handguns were still up to the task, but they were worried that once the heavier units would show up they wouldn't stand a chance anymore. While the two of them held ground, Sira tried to open the package to see what was in it. Alan just stood there watching, grinning at how desperate Sira looked. She did feel a bit nervous, they were put in a tight situation with no way out, and they still had to get that damn package out of there. Then she finally managed to get it open and... it was empty. The damned crate was empty. "How is this even possible" gasped Alan. "Are they seriously expecting us to deliver an empty crate?". But Sira knew what happened, the enemy that was assaulting them had already secured the content of the crate and set up a decoy to trap them. The only decision remaining now was, were they going to look for the original package, or simply try to extract themselves out of this messed up situation.
Sira decided that the best course of action would be to forget about the package and just try and make sure everybody got out of this alive. The two engineers were still holding up at the entrance. Sira looked for another way out as Alan just mocked her even more: "I already told you, there's no other exit in this building. Stop being stupid". That wasn't what Sira was looking for though, she knew there was no other exit, and they couldn't go out the existing one. So the only solution was to create another exit. After finding what appeared to be a thin wall leading outside, she went over to the engineers and ordered one of them to set up some explosives on that wall. She took up defensive positions in his place as the engineer went to blow a hole and create their new way out. "That's never going to work and you know it" said Alan who just wanted to see Sira break down. This time Sira answered: "Will you just shut the **** up and do something useful? Do you want to die here? Is getting back at me so important for you that you'd risk not only your own life but the lives of everybody involved in this?"
This made Alan shut up, he didn't expect a response like that. Not much later the other engineer shouted through the building: "THREE! TWO! ONE!" A loud bang blew up the thin wall designated by Sira. "Now! Go! Go! Go!" she shouted as the entire squad rushed outside. Again that howling shriek filled the air. "This way" shouted one of the engineers. They knew they had to get back to the ship now. As they ran through the settlement they shot down any minor enemies they found with their handguns and biotics. Alan was running at the back, still skeptical that Sira could pull this off. The squad eventually made it out and was out in a field heading towards the landing pad where their ship had touched down. They were now in radio contact and explained their situation. Their orders were to dig in and wait for the shuttle to pick them up, which they did. They found a cliff that would provide them backing cover as they took defensive positions behind the rock formations. Quickly they were surrounded by enemies, only now they got a good look at what they were up against. These were truly monster. But Sira recognized these monsters. Some looked like Batarians, others like Turian, some like Humans. They were Reaper forces, synthetics created from the DNA of the galaxy's strongest species.
One enemy in particular eventually caught Sira's attention. As a howling Banshee showed up on the battlefield Sira's courage sank in her boots. "By the Goddess... That's an Asari..." Seeing what the reapers did to her own kind she had momentarily lost all hope of getting out of this situation. Alan only smirked, he had seen Sira break. Now was the time for him to take actions and get things done. Show up as the hero of the day who saved everybody. He started throwing his biotic projectiles into the enemy ranks. Cannibals, Marauders and Husks alike were thrown around as the engineers used their tech abilities to finish them off. Sira was off focus, but helping as well. Causing some biotic explosions together with Alan they managed to hold off the enemy forces until the shuttle arrived. Obviously they couldn't extract in their current position, but the shuttle had a gunner who cleared a path for them. The engineers, Sira and Alan started to head towards their extraction. Without trouble the engineers made it onto the shuttle, Sira was closely following, but Alan had tripped and was lying on the ground ready to be killed by the Reaper forces closing in on him.
Sira wasn't going to let this happen, she turned around and ran back to Alan. The gunner in the turret couldn't fire, he'd risk shooting down Alan and Sira. All they could see was the two biotics getting swarmed by enemies, who would occasionally be sent flying off by powerful biotic abilities. Alan made it back to the shuttle but there was no sign of Sira. Only a swarm of Husks and Cannibals at the location where Sira was supposedly at. The shuttle couldn't wait much longer, they risked getting swarmed themselves. But then a powerful cry from a young Asari could be heard. Enemy forces were flying around like never before and a glowing figure emerged out of the enemy ranks. Sira had found her survival's instinct and was taking out the weaker enemies carving herself a path back to the shuttle. As she reached the door, she jumped for it and a hand pulled her in, it was Alan's. "Thanks" he muttered as the door shut and the shuttle flew off, to get the squad debriefed back on the Alliance frigate, Waterloo