I do not own Mass Effect.

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Chapter 2 – The Rescue

I put the picture frame back down onto the table as I feel arms wrap around my neck from behind. I look up and could see her face looking down at me with a smile playing across her lips. I smile back at her as my hands came up to hold her arms that were wrapped around my neck and asked, "Seen any interesting costumes yet?"

"Well I saw a group of kids dressed up as everyone from the Normandy's crew, there was even a kid dressed up as Joker." She replied with a laugh and leans her head down to place her head on my shoulder as her eyes move to the movie still playing.

I let out a laugh as well as she mentions a child dressed as Joker. "Well, you best not tell Joker that later, it will go straight to his ego and EDI already has enough issues with that. Anyways I am surprised that there aren't any more kids dressed up as them. They are still all heroes from the war."

"Hmm yes, but you forget that there were many heroes during the war. I have my very own hero right here in my arms." She leans down to kiss my cheek briefly as I felt her subharmonics resonate in happiness.

"Don't forget Solana that you are my hero as well, if it weren't for you I wouldn't be here today celebrating this holiday with you."

She gave the nod and squeezes her arms around my neck once more until the doorbell goes off once more causing her to scoot towards the door while I sat there on the couch still thinking about that day four years ago when we had met.

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Four years earlier

Looking into my HUD, I could see that it just hit midnight by UTC standard time and it was now the 31st of October. Of course, it's Halloween I feel like I am stuck in a horror movie already, I thought as I look around at the remains of Cipritine, Palaven's capital city that was now in ruins. Bodies of both Turians and Reaper forces were spread out along the streets and buildings, the smell of dead and burnt corpses choked the air and made me glad for my helmet. It had been the start of the third day now since I have arrived on the planet and it was my last day to try and find them. The previous two days had been spent checking former military strongholds around the world, but each one visit was only a burnt-out remnant of their former selves. Now he stood in another destroyed city amongst the dead as he continues to look for them.

Wonder if they are even still alive, I ask myself as there hasn't been a single sign of life since arriving on the planet. The sound of footsteps coming from in front of me down the street caused me to stop and quickly move behind a pile of rubble from a nearby building. My head peak out from behind my cover I could see several Turians run along the street. All of them were armed with weapons though only a small number of them had armor as well. The rest must be civilians, I thought as I stood up to grab their attention, but a brute burst from a building in front of them blocking their way through the streets. The Turians quickly began to fire at the monster as they tried to retreat down the road but they were not making a dent in its armor. The brute must have had enough of playing with them since it let out a roar and rushes forward towards them sending some of the Turians flying while crushing two of the civilians splashing the ground in blue. Cursing under my breath, I quickly move out from behind the rubble taking my M-15 Vindicator out and begin to fire burst after burst of weapon fire into the brute's back.

The brute head swings towards me as it registers my bullets biting into its back in annoyance. I continue to shoot as I yell out to it, "Come get me you big ugly bastard!"

It let out another roar as it charges towards me and away from the Turians. Switching out for my Disciple shotgun and begin to unload round after round into the creature head and chest causing its armor to start peeling off. When it was only ten feet away, I quickly collapse my shotgun placing it on my back and quickly pulled out my sword before performing a massive strike on the brute and teleporting away. The monster came to a sudden stop as it look around in confusion as it tried to find me once more, but it didn't see me once I appeared over its body and brought the sword down with both hands and sliced the head off in one clean slice of my blade.

I

drop onto the ground as I flick my sword to the side to clean the blood from the brute off of it before I check to make sure the slayer implants were still running properly. Sliding my blade back into the sheath the noise of footsteps surrounding me could be heard, and I look around to see all the Turians. A single male Turian painted with blue markings similar to Garrus's markings step forward from the other his weapon still pointing towards me as he spoke, "I am General Castis Vakarian of the 23 Militia 1 Division, and I would like to know what a human is doing here on Palaven."

A smile form on my face as only one thought went through my head, thank you. I raise my hand in a gesture of surrender as I reply, "I am Lieutenant Ripley Reed I was sent here to rescue you and your daughter, General Vakarian, on orders of Commander Shepard and your son Garrus Vakarian."

The other Turians began to whisper to each other at my words while a look of surprise appeared on the General face. He slowly lowers his gun as he spoke, "He is still alive?"

"Yes General, he is fine. He is currently with the Commander right now helping him fight the Reapers and build the necessary alliance needed to stop them. They wanted me to get you and your daughter off this planet quickly so you could help secure the Turian supplies that you have and assist us attacking the Reapers."

The General look around at his troops before turning back to face me with a sad smile on his face before speaking, "I am sorry, but I cannot leave just yet my people still need me. However, please get my daughter and get her off this planet."

"Sir you don't understand almost every world now is like this. We need the information you have to help fight off the Reaper."

"I am not leaving Lieutenant. I will, however, give my son all my contacts and information I have been able to salvage here on Palaven. Right now, though I need you get my daughter off and keep her safe!"

I nod my head solemnly before asking, "Where is she, sir?"

"She is back at the base right now; she had injured her leg in operation a few days ago."

"Is it serious?"

"Well she won't be sprinting anytime soon but it not infected yet.'

Before we could continue our conversation through a horrible moan could be heard before several dozens of husks and cannibals came around the corner of the street. The husks haunting blue eyes stare at us while the cannibals begin to feast on some of the dead that laid around the street. Ripping of flesh and bones could be heard throughout the quiet street as they ate. Suddenly a volley of gunfire was unleashed on the Reapers ripping some to shred as more came around the corner. I quickly pull my assault rifle out and join in the firefight as the streets begin to flood with more Reaper forces.

Several of the Turians began to fall to the ground from shots the cannibals were letting out as they neared us. Pulling out my sword I quickly put my gun away I call out to the General, "Get your man behind me and hold them back for a little longer, I have a plan."

The General nodded before issuing orders as I close my eyes and begin to focus all my biotic energy onto my sword. My sword began to glow bright blue as the energy continue to build up, the amount of energy alone on the sword was causing my skin on my hands and arms to peel off. Once enough energy had built up on the blade I open my eyes to see the horde only a few feet away ready to tear the Turians and me to pieces. I let out a yell while swinging the blade and sending out a wave of biotic energy forward slicing apart the horde in front of me. As the wave reaches the end of the street, my knees give out as my vision turns black with General Vakarian calling out to me.