Citadel, Zakera Ward, 2150 Hrs (GST)

Shepard walked casually through the alleyways of Zakera Ward. He had alrady taken Tali out to dinner, and had Mordin escort her back to the Normandy. After that, Shepard browsed the local comm traffic looking for leads. After a feew hours of searching, he found one. Missing persons from the lower end of Zakera ward. Leaving the local C-Sec office, Shepard called in his squad from the Normandy. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, they finally arrived.

Zaeed stepped out of the cab first, handing Shepard a case. "Here's your gear, Commander." he said dryly. With an affirming nod, Shepard proceeded into the cab, changing into his armor and checking his weapons. Satisfied, Shepard stepped out of the cab and headed off in the direction of the report.

Zaeed and Legion followed the Commander at a steady pace, all eyes vigilantly searching for their targets, the unknown hostiles. Shepard listened to the recording from Executor Vakarian's office. "Zaeed, notice anything suspicious?" Shepard asked, looking back at the aged mercenary. Zaeed met his gaze with a smirk. He was glad to finally have a chance at some action. Shaking his head, Zaeed

"No sir. A bit quiet, though." Zaeed said in a hushed tone, sweeping his head around to soak in their surroundings. Legion's "eye" darted randomly, as if trying to surpass Zaeed's method. Shepard returned his gaze forward, catching a glimpse of two figures passing behind a planter. Shepard could plainly see them through the leaves. However, he never saw them emerge from the other side.

"Check your weapons. Something's not right." Shepard said, thankful he was wearing his Kestrel Armor. Two lights flickered green on his HUD, signaling an "affirmative" from Zaeed and Legion. Shepard signaled Legion to move up to a supervisor's booth, a decent vantage point in case things got ugly. Zaeed pulled out his Revenant LMG and put himself on a ledge behind a large container. Shepard pulled out his shotgun, the M-22 Eviscerator, and checked the heat gauge. Heat Level: Minimal, flashed across the display. Keeping the shotgun in a semi-ready position, Commander Shepard approached the planter.

"Shepard, I don't like this." Zaeed said, voice electronically distorted by his comm.

"Noted. Keep weapons at ready." Shepard replied, seeing the lights on his HUD blink green in agreement. Legion boosted his sensors in an effort to detect the unknowns through their stealth systems. It worked.

"Commander, We detect multiple anomalous energy signatures, similar to stealth fields, in the vicinity. Also, power readings similar to amplified shielding have also been detected." Legion chimed, his robotic voice chilling in the still air of Zakera Ward.

Suddenly, the Commander saw a shimmer move across his field of vision, and a blinking red light flashed on his HUD. Instinctively raising his shotgun, Shepard called out to his squad, "Open Fire!"

Zaeed didn't have to be told twice. As one of Legion's sniper rounds impacted the hostile's kinetic barriers, he opened fire on the rapidly de-cloaking creature. The hostile's shields flashed brightly before disappearing, leaving nothing between Zaeed's rounds and the creature's armor. With the sound of mass accelerator rounds hitting metallic armor filling the air, the first of the hostiles flashed fully into view. A truly terrifying creature, almost as large as a Krogan, if not larger. The warrior had large, predatory yes, a hulking body mass and musculature, and an air of pride. This creature was an elite soldier. The best of the best. A worthy opponent. Zaeed smiled as the crature came closer. Cycling the heat sink in his weapon, Zaeed decided that now was the time. He activated his Armor Piercing rounds.

Zaeed roared triumphantly as the first warrior fell to the ground, clutching its chest-piece. The other warriorignited a blade of pure energy and came charging at Zaeed like an angered bull. Shepard turned, pumping two blasts into the creature's shields, the second blast impacting directly on its armor. Legion fired another shot from its Widow Anti-Material Rifle, punching a bowling ball-sized hole in the hostile. The hulking creature staggered and fell forward, making a dull thud as it hit the ground. Heavy breathing emanated from the other warrior as it attempted to raise itself from the ground. Zaeed deliverd a swift kick to the side of its head, sending it sprawling out across the alley. Legion descended from its vantage point and proceeded to scan the two creatures.

"Genetic composition unknown, although similiar to earth saurian species." Legion stated, its "face" contorting into an unknown expression. Shepard looked back at the two creatures, analyzing them in his own way. He walked over to the barely conscious one, noting the intricacies and overall proud look of its armor.

"What are you?" he muttered, a sliver of himself wanting an answer. The alien exhaled loudly, almost sounding like speech. Sangheili, is what the noise sounded like. "Sangheili?" Shepard said, crouching to look into the aliens eyes. The large unknown saurian coughed twice before making an actual, bona fide reply.

"Yes, defiler, Sangheili. And we will destroy your kind." it said, zealous hatred consuming its voice. Shepard shook his head. So, that's how it is?, he thought. Standing up, Shepard fireda burst from his Locust SMG into the back of its head. "That ones for us." he said, putting the SMG back onto its magnetic holster. "Come on boys, let's get these back to the ship." Shepard ordered, kicking the dead warrior in its side.

"Commander, Wedetect more anomalous signatures." Legion stated, shifting to his Geth pulse rifle. Shepard sighed, cycling the heat sinks in his Locust.

"Defensive positions." hecalled out, sliding around a corner. Hechecked his squads vitals. All Green, he thought. Legion's sensors picked up movement on their left flank. Motioning to Shepard, the robot threw two disk grenades into a side alleyway.

"Traps,Legion's voice rang through Shepard's comm, making the Commander nod in agreement. Zaeed nodded at Shepard, motioning for a bull-rush attack. A full frontal assault would normally be suicide, but with Shepard, impossible was a daily acquaintance. Shepard's affirm light flashed on Zaeed's HUD as he cycled his heat-sinks. They waited for the booms.

"For the Prophets!" one of the Sangheili warriors cried, de-cloaking as he sprinted around the corner. 3...2...1..., Shepard counted down mentally. At the third red flash on its motion tracker, Legion thumbed the detonator.

Kaboom.

Zaeed and Shepard both lunged out from behind their cover, firing large bursts into the oncoming warriors. "Come on, you split-jawed bastards!" Zaeed roared over the machine gun fire. Shepard fired five round bursts into the crowd as they returned fire. Plasma bolts flew past the both of them, melting the metal walls of the alley behind them. "DEW's! Fall back! Fall BACK!" Shepard yelled, back-pedalling into a side-alley. Zaeed and Legion followed.

Legion climbed onto a container, a plasma bolt flying right threw the iconic hole in his chest. "Returning fire!" Legion yelled, his pulse rounds ripping holes in the Sangheili's shields. Two more grenade explosions rocked the alley before leaving one warrior left standing. "My people...will be...AVENGED!" the Sangheili roared as he charged Shepard's position, arming two plasma grenades in a kamikaze attempt. Zaeed pumped his grenade launcher one final time, while Shepard and Legion emptied both of their thermal clips into the warrior, his shield flashing as their rounds impacted. One final flash, and the Elite Warrior collapsed, his body disappearing in a flash of blue light as the grenades detonated.

Shepard blinked to clear his vision. Everything was still tinted blue when he regained his sight. Soldier instincts kicking in, Shepard did a sweep of his surroundings. Zaeed and Legion were alright. The Sangheili attackers were all dead. All but one, Shepard remembered, looking at where the semi-conscious warrior should be. He found only emptiness. "Shit." Shepard growled.

Suddenly, Zaeed and Legion found themselves being liftd up from behind. The injured warrior and another disengaged their cloaks so that their victims could see their demise. Shepard's instincts took over, instantly causing him to fire the sequence of neurons that released a wave of dark energy that pick up and threw the warriors against the metal walls of the alley in one massive biotic throw. "Back OFF!" Shpard yelled. The two warriors, disoriented by being thrown thirty feet into a titanium wall with the force of a runaway freight train, collapsed. Shepard ordered them to be brought to the Normandy. "Mordin's gonna have a field day with these guys." Zaeed spat as he and Legion hefted the heavy bodies into a cab. Shepard nodded, a headache forming from the intensity of the biotic throw.

Normandy SR-2

"John, you should really try and relax." Tali whispered, helping Shepard out of his armor. Since the Omega-4 Mission, Shepard had taken the liberty of moving Tali's things into his quarters. He loved every minute of that decision. "And you should definitely let me help." Tali continued, removing the last piece of Shepard's Kestrel Armor, leaving the Commander stripped down to his under-suit. Tali grinned affectionately when she noticed the smirk on Shepard's face, thankful that Mordin's present still worked. "I see you can definitely take a hint, Commander." she joked as they rolled onto his bed, disengaging the seals and locks on her bio-suit rapidly, while Shepard ripped off her face-mask and tossed it aside like an old gum wrapper. With her face-mask off, Tali pounced on Shepard like a lioness, rolling him over on his back, with Shepard pulling off the rest of her bio-suit. With the last barrier between them out of her way, Tali and Shepard pressed up against each other, and the rest of the night blurred away, Shepard unable to remember anything other than an intense whirlwind of passion.

Shepard woke up several hours later, with Tali still sleeping next to him. Slowly getting up out of the bed, Shepard slipped back into his jumpsuit and snuck down to Mordin's lab. He was going to get answers even if it killed him.

AN: Okay guys, first poll. What Spartans should I bring in first? Two votes allowed per person (Can't vote for same choice twice)

1. Noble Team

2. Kurt-051

3. John-117 (aka MASTER CHIEF)

4. Tom-B292

5. Alpha Company (SPARTAN-III's)

6. Spartan Group Omega (Halo Wars)

PS: I apologize for changing love interests. (I personally prefer Tali) For those of you who like Kelly, There'll be a poll for that later.

Sincerely,

-Sergeant K-BAR