Chapter 1: They Came, They Landed, And They Wish They Hadn't

Earth Time, 1843 hours, 2nd July, 2183; Milky Way/Exodus Cluster/Utopia/Eden Prime

Nirali Bhatia POV

I was dutifully playing bodyguard as I watched over the proceedings of the Beacon being prepped to move to move to another location for the ship to pick it up, even if it was tedious to watch the scientist's scurry around the Prothean artefact like ants around a piece of candy, it sure beat the hell out of cleaning rifle's back at the armoury, and Gunnery Chief Williams made you polish them until you could see your reflection in them.

Don't get me wrong, I myself admire Williams for her combat prowess and superior leadership, but she can be uptight at times.

"Attention, Private Bhatia!"

Speak of the Devil and she will scare the shit out of you.

I quickly pivoted on my feet to face William's and snapped to attention.

"At ease" she said with a slight smirk on her face, obviously she did that for a laugh at my own expense.

"I thought you were instructing the new guys which way to hold a rifle, Gunnery Chief Williams" I stood at ease as I used formality to get my own back; two could play at this game.

As predicted she cringed as soon as I said her full rank, she then smiled openly as she looked around at the hustle and bustle going around the dig site, "I just thought I'd look around to see what the eggheads where doing, and besides those newbies can take care of themselves for an hour, remind me, why all these greenhorns came here in the first place?"

"Please Ash," I said, dropping rank for a more comfortable conversation "as you know, with all business with the Beacon, the Alliance has been sending more troops for extra security for it, you know how people are jumpy over things like this, no doubt the crew will be well equipped…" I then mentally kicked myself as I realised what I said, a glance at Ashley's saddened expression confirmed my mistake.

Ashley Madeline Williams was one hell of a soldier and leader, screw anyone who thinks otherwise, but unfortunately Ash's grandfather was the leader of a garrison back on Shanxi in the First Contact War, who also had been known as the person who committed the first surrender to an alien force, because of this, her superiors held it against her and denied her request to serve on a ship, the bastard's.

"They probably are a bunch of airheads anyway," I quickly amended, I then joked, "maybe that's how they breathe up there"

Ash crack's a smile at this, as she turns back to watch the 'eggheads' do what they usually do, make something simple incredibly confusing.

"Well, as you were Nirail" We then mock saluted each other and she went on her way, I looked after her sadly, I have torn feelings about Ash going on with her career, I always supported her to do her best, yet I'm glad she's stuck with us, after all we trained with each other, under the same drill instructor, so it's understandable why I want her to stay, but I can't help but feel guilty at wanting her to be stuck here.

But when I think about it, I'm a bit of a hypocrite; after all I'm retiring soon to start up a restaurant with my husband Samesh.

Samesh, my thoughts are lifted as I think about him, I've been missing him terrible as well, I even listen to recordings of his voice at night, it's that sad, still, I can't believe how soon it will be until we have a life for ourselves on Earth.

I then snap out of my thoughts when a one of the younger recruits called out to me, I look around to see someone faraway, Bradley I think his name is, shouting out about something, I quickly took note of his panicked expression and then-

BANG, SPOOOSH!

Fuck!

I then quickly dived behind cover as Bradley hit the ground, dead; I looked over to see the hostiles, the metallic bodies and singular flashlight eye's was enough to tell me what they were.

Geth, Shit!

What were they doing here? I might not be a genius, but the Geth haven't been seen outside the Veil in a few hundred years, and they come here of all places!

Luckily, they hadn't spotted me yet, I quickly moved behind cover away from their position.

I can't believe it, retiring in a few days and suddenly, I'm in the middle of a warzone, if this Gods way of saying stick to the job, write a letter next time!

A Few Hours Later

I've been dodging these Flashlight Heads on and off for what seems to be forever, but it's getting harder every time I see them. I even had to kill all the Geth in a small patrol that got the jump on me. What I do know at least is that most of the 212th were dead, in fact, I found many of them impaled on some wacked up spikes. And threw up at the sight of it.

I looked around from my position, It was clear, I moved forward to the next cover, I was only a marine, so I wasn't very good at the stealthy stuff, but I'm doing okay so far-

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Shit! I spoke to soon; I quickly ducked behind a few rocks before my shields could take another hit.

This was no small patrol, it was 8 foot soldiers and two drones, firing at my position and advancing.

I looked for any possible sign for escape, but there was none, even if I did try to run for it, the drones would cut me down, to many to fight as well, and my ammo block was nearly depleted, I didn't bring any extra.

I saw my hopeless situation and suddenly thought of Samesh.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered, thinking of how he will feel when he hears I'm dead and a tear ran down my cheek.

God, if you're really up there, do something.

Eden Prime Orbit, Sabertooth POV

I woke up to the some sucking sound

Garg

I told those idiot cleaners if they went near my cage again I'd-

Then I remembered the last match, Logan, and him knocking me out, I then snapped open my eyes.

"WHAT THA-" I was shocked at what I saw, a great expanse of darkness, and thousands of small dotted lights outside some kind of glass wall, I would of smashed it if I hadn't seen another sight that shocked me.

A planet, a fucking planet and I'm looking down on it, when I was on my 25th year of living I had been interested in the recent explorations in space, my present Handler, forgot his name, got me a few pictures of Earth of above the clouds from NASA, he was quite generous, too bad that didn't stop him getting his leg chewed off by a Gragle.

I sniggered at the memory before I remembered where I was.

"I SWEAR LOGAN, WHEN I FIND YOU I WILL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF" That pathetic worm, he actually betrayed me and let me live! Idiotic to say the least, I will enjoy slowly tearing every shred of flesh from his living body.

I was busy dreaming up the many possible ways in which I could make his last few moments in this world as agonising as possible until I realised something.

The planet was getting closer.

I do not claim to know everything about how things work in space, but even the most dim minded of people can work out, that falling from it, would not be an experience one would enjoy.

"WHEN I FIND THE PERSON WHO DID THIS, I WILL FORCE FEED THEM WHATEVER IS LEFT OF LOGAN"

Those were the last words I spoke as I hurdled towards the surface.

Geth Platform POV

'Targeting Organic, Covering Fire, Advancing On Position'

'Warning: Space Bound Object Detected'

::Calculating::

::Calculating::

'Landing Coordinates, Approximate 4.3 Metres From Platform's Position'

'Requesting Consensus'

'Consensus Received'

'Platform Retreating'

'Platform Re-

CRASH

'P-P-P-lat-f-form-Re-Re-q-qui-res-Re-Repair'

Nirali POV

What. The. Hell.

I know I asked for help, but this is kind of overkill, not that I'm complaining.

I looked around at the wreckage, a few of the Geth were caught in it, thats a relieving sight, but I know that there are still others, I got my rifle ready, despite how much ammunition I had left, I needed to try.

Then suddenly about twenty metre's away from where I stood the wreckage let off a hissing sound, I then examined closer and noticed a metal pod of some sort with a glass front, the closest thing I could relate it to would be a bulked up sleeper pod, with rockets.

And then the fourth biggest surprise of the day happened (Ash scaring me, Geth attacking me, sleeper pod from the sky), a guy actually crawled out of the pod.

He looked like a caveman from the old vids, minus the 21st century combat trousers, boots, and Viking helmet (Seriously?), as well as some crazy type of claws on his hands, he looked incredibly dazed, and I guess he would be considering he fell from the sky.

He then shook his head from his crouched position and looked up to see the-

Shoot! I forgot about the Geth, I stopped standing, which I realised I was doing and crouched behind cover again, but not taking my eyes away from the scene before me.

It seemed as if they were having a staring match or something.

Sabertooth POV

Okay, after I fell through a terrifying six minutes of fiery terror, I felt a shockwave go through my bones and that feeling were your stomach is lifting stopped so suddenly that I was convinced that it hit my liver.

I took this as the fact that I had landed.

Now here is when the problem comes in, I happen to remember from broadcasts I saw on the television I earned in my cage, that no planets have air in it, therefore if I go outside most likely I'll die.

As I was contemplating on what to do, there was a sudden hissing sound, strange I wonder-

ARRGGG THAT SLIMY, TWO FACED, SON OF A-

Wait… how come I'm still alive.

I can't be cursing Logan if I'm dead so…

I opened my eyes and looked to see the now open compartment.

Oh, someone is going to really feel their stomach touching their liver when I'm done with them.

Still disorientated from the crash-landing, I hefted myself out of whatever death trap I was inside and fell onto…

Grass?

Okay, I know I'm on Earth now, no planet in the solar system has greenery.

Is this some crazy practical joke or something?

Because if it is, they are going to feel a foot up their ass.

Their own foot that is.

I see some black spots in front of my eyes and shake my head, damn that was hell.

C-cink-C-ci-cink

What's that clicking?

I look up to see…

Hollow-Men?

I remember those metal monstrosities, sure with their numerous guns, explosives and their incapability of running away, they made good opponents to battle in the Pit.

But Hell!

No screams of terror, no face of hopelessness, NO BLOOD.

Thus why I call them Hollow-Men, honestly, no fun at all.

But wait, these look different from regular ones; five of them look like men, if you count out the three fingers and strange head's plus two floating one's, strange, no propellers or noticeable way it could be doing that.

I then realised they were looking at me, I stared back to make sure.

"So…" I said to one of them, "You wouldn't 'appen to be programmed by my former 'andler by chance?" I can't believe I'm talking to a Hollow-Man

They looked at me another second before raising their weapons at me.

"I take zat as a yes"

But despite my weakened state I shot up and sliced the rifles of the two that were closest to me, Hah!

I didn't give them a chance to think though; I immediately grabbed the 'eye' part of one of them and ripped it out, while using my other claw to rip off an arm.

1/7

I rounded back to the remaining one with the broken rifle, I notice the other three Hollow-men and the floating one's aiming at me, I proceeded to grab the weapon-less one by the neck and held it in front of the now firing Hollow-Men, it then proceeded to be ripped under the hail of bullets firing toward me.

2/7

Its comrades held fire too late as their counterpart fell to the ground, foolish.

I than used my agility and jumped up to both of the floating buggers and neatly sliced them in half, I then kicked the head off one of the walking ones on the way down, not even a challenge.

5/7

Those metal heads finally used whatever they called brains and threw what I assumed to be a grenade, my suspicion's proved correct and as I dived away it blew up, halfway through my manoeuvre I grabbed one of the rifle's dropped from the fallen.

I got behind a rock as they shot at me, I knew from basic tactics that both of those things would circle around either side of the boulder to get me in their crossfire, so I did what they wouldn't expect, I jumped on top of it, hah, idiot machine's, they didn't even register the movement above.

I never did like using gun's, even though my claws could easily use weaponry without retracting them (By the Devil forbid), It is just that I like getting up close and personal, but I guess with the present circumstances…

I aimed at the one on the right first, shooting like no tomorrow, but it didn't even seem to do anything, defective?

But then a strange energy seemed to evaporate from around the Hollow-Man and it proceeded to be ripped apart from what I was inflicting on him.

6/7

The other had heard the shots from above, and aimed towards me, but before it could fire, I flung my weapon, barrel first towards it, with my enhanced strength it easily slid through its chest and pinned it to the ground.

6/7

Huh?

I looked down and saw it was still twitching, with a white pool of something forming around it, wait…

"Blood?" I asked, I then checked my claws, and they were in fact covered in in the strange white blood similar to the one pooling around the Hollow-Man.

"…I'm liking zis place already" I said with a grin, I then jumped and walked over to the fallen scrap metal, I raised my claw and-

"Eeee-zzzz-mer-m-mercy"

…what?

A Hollow-Man… devoid of all feelings and fears… and it was begging for life?

Does it even count as 'it' anymore?

"GOD DAMMIT" I shouted to the sky, as if damming it for bringing me here "Just when I find something good here, I have to find out eet is capable of BEGGING!" Screw any God who is laughing at me right now.

"What difference does it make?"

I whipped my head around to see the woman who had spoken, strange, although there were plenty of women fighting in the Pit, this one was wearing what seemed to be military wear, and I know for a fact they haven't accepted women into the armed forces yet.

She seemed to be of Indian origin, with her hair in a ponytail, black.

Her armour was green and light grey in the intersections, with weapon's strapped on her back and a strange pistol in her holster.

But I hardly was in the mood to question right now; I need to vent my fury on something.

"OF COURSE ZERE IS A DIFFERENCE!" I roared at her, to her credit she didn't flinch too much.

"'OW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU 'AD TO FALL FROM ORBIT DOWN TO AN UNFAMILIA' PLACE AND SUDDENLY' GET SHOT AT! THEN WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE ONE OF ZA FING'S YOU DESPISED ABOUT AN ENEMY WAS REPLACED WITH BEGGING!" I twisted at the word, saying it made me ill. "BLOOD FOR A WHINY SURRENDER!"

I shouted at her a few more moments before I finally calmed down, she looked slightly shocked, but kept firm ground, strange girl.

I then glared down at it, him, DAMN!

"You come vith a chip o' something?" I asked impatiently

It/he looked at me "Specify"

I was getting annoyed "I am not lugging around your soon to be corpse, so can you be at least a little convenient and become smaller"

He/It seemed to be thinking, it/he then took out a bulky device that looked like a Walk-Man that I saw one of the younger cleaners brag about, he said he got it before it even came out because of his rich dad, then I thought he stole it because if it was not likely he could get an expensive device that can play music, and be stuck cleaning the animal cages.

He/it then gestured for me to take the device, and I did, for a few second's nothing happened, and then he/it seemed to jerk for a few moments before his single eye winked out.

I took a lucky guess and looked at the device held in my claw, and just as I did, it spoke "This program has accepted new platform, will provide service to pay back mercy from organic"

I than had to ask the question "I didn't know 'ollow-Men could show gratitude"

"We are Geth, we are not ollow men" Great, a machine with a sense of humour now, what next?

"Vell, whatever you are, you have knowledge, and I need it, first of all-"

But before I could say another word I heard a clicking sound, and I turned to see the Indian woman pointing a rifle at me, great, another comedian.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" she shouted at me

"I'm not in ze mood," I replied menacingly "why don't you put down the gun, and I will forget you raised it, or you will end up on my body count!"

I saw fear in her eyes, but she quickly shook it off "That, thing, is the reason why people here died, you stomp on it, and I will forget you considered allying with it"

"We do not seek violence now, we have concluded that out of 638 programs, 478 have judged to pay back mercy from human" the device said

"Okay, two fing's" I interjected "My name is Sabertooth and I am not a weak human" I put pressure on the word not.

"Well either way, it's either you go off with your Geth buddy, or do the smart thing and follow me" the soldier said.

Strong, better resolve than half the things I faced before, but still, foolish. So should I find some way around this? Might be easier just to kill her, yet, I could follow through with her idea and stomp on it/him, what allegiances do I have with a hunk of metal, yet it/he could be a worthwhile companion.

So then, I made up my mind and…

A/N: Where's the rest you may ask? It will be decided by you, yup you will see if this vicious predator keeps his A.I. Walkman buddy, make friends with the soldier whose fate was changed, or find a way to compromise to make them both accept each other, be prepared, for if I get enough votes in one direction, he will follow through, so choose wisely when it comes to it!

The polls are open on my profile, go right on ahead and vote now!