"Shit!" Kaidan cursed when a bullet missed his head by inches. He quickly ducked behind cover.

"There are too many of them for us to handle, Lieutenant." Captain Kirrahe said weakly who was lying on the ground injured. His leg was severely wounded and now he has no chance to get up and fight.

"Chances of getting out of this is next to none. That's why I told the Commander to retreat." Kaidan paused. "Hope he listens….." He murmured the last words to himself.

"And you think the Commander will listen to you and leave us as you told him too?" Kirrahe asked.

"He knows that sometimes sacrifices have to be made sometimes." Kaidan replied after he shot a geth and slide behind cover.

"Agh!" A salarian commando screamed and fell after he got shot in his shoulder.

"We are only six now." Kaidan said urgently. "We must hold this point for them."

Adding to their misery a krogan battlemaster emerged there.

"A krogan battlemaster. Damn it!" kaidan cursed. "Everyone focus your fire on the krogan. He must not get close." Kaidan said.

The commandos did as they were told but their bullets were absorbed by the krogan's barrier and it kept on walking forward casually, unfazed. Suddenly, the krogan faltered in its step as two biotic powers hit him simultaneously. Kaidan seized the opportunity and rolled a grenade at his feet. The blast threw the krogan a few feet away destroying its barrier and majority of his armor. Next, a drone appeared and started to rain rockets on the geth troopers. The krogan unsteadily got on his feet but something large dropped on him from above, crushing him to death.

"Wrex?!" Kaidan exclaimed in surprise. A geth was trying to flank them with cloak but a sniper round blew it's head off. Kaidan looked up and Garrus was there with his sniper. He saw Liara and Tali coming down. Garrus kept on shooting geth after geth.

"Liara, Wrex, Tali, Garrus! What are you doing here?" Kaidan asked.

"Saving you and the salarian team, Lieutenant at the Commander's order." Liara replied.

"Where is the Commander? And….. Alicia?" Kaidan asked.

"They…. Hang on!" Liara created a singularity field trapping four geth in the force field. Wrex understood what to do next, from the previous experiences. He sent a warp at the singularity, detonating it and killing the geth troopers in the process.

"The Commander and Alicia has gone after Ashley." Tali answered.

"We need to get out from here now!" Garrus said from top.

"Only seven minutes left! We need to move! Now!" Liara yelled.

"Wrex! Clear a path for us." Tali said patting the krogan's shoulder, which earned her a smirk from the krogan.

"I AM KROGAN!" Wrex bellowed and charged forward towards the geth. The geth fired at him. Most of their shots were absorbed by shields and armor and few rounds just scratched him, which he ignored and knocked them away from his way.

"Clear! Go! Go!" Garrus shouted from top.

Kaidan gently lifted up Captain Kirrahe on his feet and placed his arms around his own shoulder as support. Liara, Tali and the salarian team followed Wrex out. Kaidan followed them with Captain Kirrahe and Garrus was last. He kept watching their back.

FEW MINUTES LATER AT THE CAMP

"The Commander took a big risk by sending you guys behind me." Kaidan said.

"He knew what he was doing Lieutenant." Liara repled a little sternly.

"I know, still…." Kaidan tried to say something.

"What is it Lieutenant?" Liara asked.

"You know Doctor, I have never met a man like him in my life. He is… just so different." Kaidan mumbled.

"He is…. Different." Liara's voice trailed off as her thoughts clouded with worry for the others, especially John. Garrus came running towards them at that time. "We should head back and assist them." Garrus interrupted. "They will need help."

"Wait, let me contact Joker." Kaidan said. "Joker, what's the situation out there? They boarded the Normandy?"

"Yes! Everyone is safe and sound except…." The comm voice was cut out by a huge explosion. "Ah! Damn it! As i was saying everyone is alright except Alicia. She is injured but it's not life threatening. I am coming to pick you up from the camp, Lieutenant. Joker out."

LATER

The crew was gathered in the cargo bay except John and Alicia. They knew that Alicia is in the medbay but John was nowhere to be found.

"Chief, what the hell happened down there?" Kaidan asked Ashley.

"The geth troopers ambushed us but the Commander and Alicia assisted us and we get rid of them without any problem. But next second I was sure that we will fail after Saren showed up." Ashley replied.

"Saren was there?" Kaidan asked.

"Damn! I should have been there to rip his head off!" Wrex growled angrily.

"Go on! What happened next?" Kaidan asked eagerly.

"Saren manhandles us alone, including the Commander. He is not just a normal turian, he is somehow enhanced. He was about to kill the Commander but Alicia intervened. Saren hit her so hard she flew away and hit the opposite wall which was at least ten feet away from them. Commander's eyes fell closed as Saren continued to choke the life out of him. He was struggling but Saren was too strong. Then…." Ashley stopped.

"Then, what?" Liara asked anxiously.

"Suddenly, he opened his eyes and they were glowing bright blue like we saw before. Saren let him go in surprise and within the blink of an eye he was on his feet and hit Saren so hard that I am sure the bastard's jaw was surely shattered from the blow. On the other hand time was running out, so I tried to stop him from hitting Saren and escape but he pushed me away and kept on hitting him. Then, Alicia somehow managed to get on her feet and miraculously calmed him down. When we boarded the Normandy we saw Saren escaping." Ashley stopped and let out a sigh.

"If I haven't witnessed it before I would have never believed you. No one would. This is unreal." Kaidan said and Ashley nodded at his statement. Everyone fell in silence.

"I think we should go and check on Alicia in the medbay." Liara suggested.

"Okay. Let's go." Others agreed with her.

They took the elevator down to the medbay and they found John there, standing outside the medbay with his gaze fixed on the glass of the medbay wall. Liara walked towards him and put her hand on his shoulder to get his attention. He slowly turned his head towards her and only few words left his mouth, "Next time I find Saren, I will kill him." His voice was cold and full of hatred. When he talked his eyes flashed blue, just for a second. Liara stepped back in surprise at his hostility, anger and the sudden surge of power she just felt. It was incredible. It was more powerful than anything she ever felt in her life. But what surprised her most was the fact that what she felt wasn't destructive, it was full of life.

At that moment each and every living asari in the galaxy felt it. Most of them were unknown of the legend, so they couldn't recognize what they felt. But those who were aware of the legend, they knew what it was, when they felt it. And a thousand year old asari justicar was one of them.

Currently, the justicar was spending time with her daughters after a long time. They were talking and laughing among themselves one time, but next second everyone's smile vanished as they felt it. The thousand year old asari knew instantly what she felt.

"Mother, you felt that?" One of her daughters asked worriedly. The justicar didn't answer. Her daughters saw totally confused, a smile slowly forming on their mother's face. Why is she smiling instead of worrying?

"Mother!" They called her again.

"The galaxy has hope after all." The justicar whispered to herself. Then she turned herself towards her daughters. "Remember, the legend I told you about?" They nodded in confirmation.

"The legend lives and he is slowly learning." She smiled.

One of her daughters was about to ask her something but at that moment another asari entered the room. "Samara, you felt that?" The asari asked.

"I did." Samara acknowledged.

"Then you know what this means. We all need to talk. Others are coming also." The asari said.

"I am right behind you Melinth." Samara followed Melinth out of the room after ensuring her daughters that she will return.

LOCATION UNKNOWN….

Miranda felt the soft wind hitting her face as she was walking in a… park? She wasn't sure about that though and she don't know where she is and how did she got here. Wherever she is, the area looked peaceful. It was covered with numerous large trees and she could realize it was the season of autumn because she could see dried leaves on the ground and looking around she spotted dried leaves are also falling from the trees with the gentle breeze. She kept on walking forward. Suddenly, she felt something small bump against her legs. She looked down to find a little girl sitting on the ground with her face down. Miranda realized the girl must have fallen after colliding with her. She bent down on one knee and placed her hand lovingly on the girl's head.

"I am sorry. Are you okay?" Miranda asked softly.

The girl looked up towards her and Miranda was so shocked after seeing the girl's face that she lost her balance and fell on the ground.

She was an exact image of Miranda, herself.

The girl quickly stood up on her feet. She kissed Miranda's cheeks. Then she giggled at her and ran away.

"Wait!" Miranda yelled and ran after her. But she couldn't find the girl anywhere. It was as if she vanished in thin air. Defeated, Miranda decided to turn back, but she stopped when she heard two voices speaking nearby. Curious, she followed the source of the sound and walked forward. After a minute or so she found the source of the sound. It was that little girl. She was hugging a man around his neck and babbling at him. Miranda couldn't see the man's face as he was turned away from her. Miranda watched from distance so they couldn't see her gawking at them. But the girl spotted her.

"Daddy! Look! There she is!" The little girl giggled again pointing her hand towards Miranda. Miranda wanted to run away but she couldn't. She felt an invisible force kept her rooted to the spot. When the man turned his face towards her, Miranda's eyes bulged. Only one word left her mouth, "John?"

He smiled at her. As if she was attracted by a magnet she started walking forward towards him and the little girl. But suddenly, the ground shook violently and trees started to get uprooted. The little girl shrieked and embraced her father tightly. Miranda started to ran towards them. Then in slow motion she watched a red light fell on them and in front of her eyes they were turned to ashes.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" When she felt her heart breaking she closed her eyes and yelled.

She was still screaming when she opened her eyes and someone else was there who was trying to calm her down. Miranda focused on her surroundings. There was no child, no John and she wasn't in any park, she is lying in the medbay of the Normandy. She realized what she saw was just a dream. She sighed and rubbed her face tiredly. Suddenly, she flinched as she felt a sharp pain shot through her head.

"Are you okay?" Someone asked her.

Miranda turned her head towards her right side. It was Dr. Karin Chakwas, who was looking at her worriedly. "I…. I am okay. I just felt a little pain inside my head." Miranda replied.

"It's normal after what you endured. You have a mild concussion and three broken ribs. You should be fine within few hours." Dr. Chakwas said.

Miranda nodded and lay back down. All she wanted was to ran away from the medbay and rush into his arms, right now. The temptation was almost irresistible. But as much as she wanted to be with him, she can't be, at least not now. She have to hide her identity from him until the mission is over. But if she doesn't survive? Then she won't get a chance to tell him the truth, ever. She thought about the situation they are in for few moments and finally decided not to let him know. It's for the best. There are many reasons for which she should reveal the truth as well as there are reasons for which she shouldn't. She groaned in frustration. She felt her eyes slowly getting heavy with sleep. She realized the doctor must have given her some sleeping drugs. As sleep started to slowly overtake her she focused her thoughts to the dream she saw. The little girl in her dream looked exactly like her, except her eyes. They were John's eyes. As she thought about her similarities with the child she realized something.

Oh My God!

She was her and John's child. Her own daughter. Hers. She smiled to herself as she thought about having a child with him one day, perhaps. She kept on picturing the child in her mind over and over again until sleep claimed her.

DE-BRIEFING ROOM

"I have an idea, John. I think the beacon you found in Saren's base was similar to the one you found in in Eden Prime. It may have filled in the missing pieces of your vision. I might be able to help you put all the pieces together." Liars suggested.

"You want to join our minds again, don't you? Okay. Go ahead." John agreed.

The joining process was same as before but this time Liara felt a soothing sensation inside her when she joined her mind with him. She saw all the images inside his mind and put them together. She slowly opened her eyes after ending the process. But this time to her surprise she didn't feel exhausted like before.

"Incredible. I….. I never thought the images would be so… intense." Liars gasped.

"Did the vision make any sense to you?" John asked eagerly.

"It's a distress call, a message sent out across the Prothean empire. A warning against the reapers, but the warning came too late." Liara revealed.

"What about the Conduit?"

"There were other images. Locations. Places I recognized from my research…. Ilos! The Conduit is on Ilos! That is why Saren needed to find the My Relay! It is the only way to get to Ilos." Liara explained.

John stepped back from her and sat down on his chair again deep in thought. "We need to get to Ilos!" He decided.

"Forget about it. My Relay is inside the Terminus Systems. Alliance ships are not welcome there. Neither are Spectres." Tali intervened.

"The Conduit is on Ilos. That's where Saren is heading." He paused. Everyone saw that his face was showing unrestrained anger. "And when he gets there I will be there waiting for him!"

"Saren will have his entire fleet orbiting Ilos. You will never make it down to the surface without reinforcements. You must alert the Council." Liara suggested.

He nodded in agreement and dismissed the crew. Everyone left the room except Liara who lingered behind. She stepped closer to him.

"John are you okay?" She asked kindly, but there was also concern in her voice.

"I am fine, Liara. I am okay." He assured her with a slight smile.

"Alright then. I will leave you here." Liara left him there. Next second Joker contacted John through comm, "Commander, there is a comm buoy nearby. I can link us in if you want to report back to the Citadel Council. You know, to warn them about Sovereign."

"Set the link up, Joker. They need to know."

"Patching it through."

FEW MINUTES LATER

"Commander Shepard. I'm pleased to see your mission on Virmire was a success." The asari councilor greeted John.

"Saren is formidable enough without an army of krogan serving under him." The turian councilor said.

"The krogan would have served Sovereign. A Reaper." John said.

"Yes, we saw mention of this in your report. Sovereign. A sentient machine. A true artificial intelligence. This news is quite alarming… if it turns out to be accurate." The salarian councilor said.

'Really? Now they are doubting me?' John thought. "Sovereign is a reaper. Saren confirmed it." John insisted.

"He's playing you, Shepard. Saren still has contacts on the Citadel. He probably saw your earlier reports. The ones talking about your vision. And the Reapers." The turian councilor argued.

"It's highly possible Saren is using false information to throw you off balance. Our own intelligence has never turned up any corroborating information." The salarian councilor added.

"Sooner or later you're going to have to take something I say on faith, councilor." John replied a bit irritated.

"Try to see this from our perspective, Commander. Saren is a threat we can recognize. However, as far as we know, the Reapers only exist in your visions." The asari councilor added.

"Our decisions affect trillions of lives. We cannot act on the accusations of a single person. Even a Spectre. Not without solid evidence." The salarian councilor said.

"The council cannot take any official action here. That is why we created the Spectres. You have the authority to act as you see fit." The asari councilor explained.

"If you truly believe Sovereign is the real threat, you must take whatever steps are necessary to stop it. And Saren." The salarian councilor added.

"Good luck, Commander. From all of us." The asari councilor said before ending the transmission.

"I forwarded the mission update to the Citadel, Commander. We've got confirmation on those reinforcements. Ambassador Udina wants us to report back to the Citadel. The Council is massing a joint-species fleet to deal with Saren and his geth."

"Back to the Citadel, Joker. I want the Normandy at the head of that fleet!" John said.

"Yes, sir!"

FEW HOURS LATER AT THE CITADEL

"Good job, Shepard. Thanks to you, the Council is finally taking real action against Saren!" Udina said.

"The Ambassador is correct. If Saren is foolish enough to attack the Citadel…. as you believe… we will be ready for him." The asari councilor said.

"Patrols are stationed at every mass relay linking Citadel space to the Terminus Systems."

"Patrols are stationed at every mass relay linking Citadel space to the Terminus Systems." The turian councilor informed.

"How many ships are you sending to attack Ilos?" John asked.

"Ilos is only accessible through the My Relay, deep inside the Terminus Systems. Commander, if we send a fleet in there, the only possible outcome is full-scale war." The salarian councilor said.

"Now is the time for discretion, Commander. Saren's greatest weapon was secrecy. Exposed, he is no longer a threat. This is over." Udina said.

"One ship in the Terminus Systems won't start a war. I can be discreet." John said.

"You detonated a nuclear device on Virmire. I wouldn't call that discreet." The turian councilor said.

"Your style served you well in the Traverse, Commander. We recognize that. But Ilos requires a deft touch. We have the situation under control." The asari councilor added.

"Secrecy isn't his greatest weapon. The Conduit is!" John replied angrily.

"Saren is the master manipulator. The Conduit is just his distraction from his real plan to attack the Citadel." The salarian councilor said.

"Sovereign's the real threat! Saren is just a servant of the Reapers." John said frustrated.

"Only you have seen the Reapers. And then only I'm visions. We won't invade the Terminus Systems because of a dream." The asari councilor said.

"If Saren finds the Conduit, we are all screwed. We have to go to Ilos!" John tried to make them see the real threat out there.

"Ambassador Udina, I get the sense Commander Shepard isn't willing to let this go." The turian councilor said.

"There are serious political implications here, Shepard. Humanity's made great gains thanks to you. But now you're becoming more trouble than you're worth."

"You bastard! You're selling us out!" Ashley was about to punch Udina in his face but luckily Kaidan restrained her.

"It's just politics, Commander. You've done your job, now let me do mine. We've locked out the Normandy's primary systems. Until further notice, you're grounded." Udina said.

"Are you insane? After everything I've done, you still don't believe me?" John said outraged. He really couldn't believe that the Council is doing this to him.

"I think it's time for you and your team to leave, Commander. This no longer concerns you. The Council can handle this. With my help, of course." Udina said smugly.

John looked at all of them with anger in his eyes. They really can't imagine what's out there… waiting for the right time to attack. And now instead of helping him, they just grounded him. Defeated, he retreated with Ashley and Kaidan.

30 MINUTES LATER IN THE NORMANDY

Miranda heard what happened with the Council. She couldn't believe that they grounded him. How could they do it, after all he did? This is one of the reasons she hated politics. Now she wanted to be at his side, supporting him as a…. friend. She found him sitting with his back against his weapons locker. His gaze remained distant even when she reached there.

"John…" She whispered. She called him by his first name as she used to call him. After she came to know that he is her John, she can't bring herself to call him Shepard anymore.

"We are grounded, Alicia. The Council didn't believe me. If Saren get his hands on the Conduit, I don't know what will happen." John whispered.

"I don't know what will happen but know this I am with you always, John." Miranda said taking his hands in hers.

"That means a lot. Thanks, Alicia." He replied with a slight smile. Then surprising her, he pulled her into a hug. Miranda's hand automatically went under his hands and to his back embracing him in return. She smiled and a small tear left her eyes unknown to him. She felt safe in his embrace, again after so many years.

She pulled back from his embrace and looked straight in his eyes. Those eyes in which she can lost herself every time. John also got lost in her blue eyes. Unknown to them their faces were extremely close to each other, their noses almost touching. They could feel each other's breath on their faces. As their lips were about to met, Joker's voice were heard in comm, "Commander, got a message from Captain Anderson. The Captain said to meet him at Flux. The club is down in the wards."

"Sounds important. You'd better go." Miranda said. He nodded at her.

On his way to Flux, John was stopped by a female reporter. "Khalish bint Sinan Al-Jilani, Westerlund News. Would you answer a few questions for our viewers?"

"What do you want to know?"

"You've been given a unique position to represent our race. People want to get a sense of how you'll do that. Humans have been trying to get the respect of the galactic community for 26 years. With that in mind, what are your feelings on being the first human Spectre?"

"The Spectres represent the best of every species in the galaxy. To be asked to join them in an honor." John replied.

"Some have said your appointment is the Citadel 'throwing human a bone.' Have you encountered any situations where Citadel asked you to place its needs before the needs of the Earth?"

"The Council is concerned with the needs of the whole galactic community. We're part of that community now. Our needs are on their agenda, but we're one of the many."

"You really do believe that, don't you?"

"I do. Otherwise I wouldn't have said so."

"Alright. You've been given command of an advanced human worship for your missions. Is there anything you would like to say about it?"

"Actually, the Normandy, was co-developed by human and turian engineers. Its design incorporates many innovations. All of which are classified, I am afraid." John said.

"So the turians have knowledge of the Normandy that is being kept secret from the Alliance public? Do you think it was appropriate for the Earth's most advanced warship over to the Citadel?"

"I wasn't aware it had been 'handed over' to anyone. I'm in command and last I checked, I'm human. Same goes for my crew."

"Human, yes. But you do work now for the Citadel, Commander. Speaking of your new job, did the Council ordered you to sabotage human research concern on Noveria?"

"I'm afraid I can't discuss the details of my missions." John replied, a bit irritated.

"So you were there on a mission from the Council? Interesting. Given your recent experiences, do you think humanity will ever get the respect it deserves from the Galactic community?"

"Respect's a funny thing. People always assume they deserve it. The truth is, respect is earned. And I firmly believe, we can earn it."

Well said. Miranda thought. For some time the reporter was getting to her nerves. She don't know how John has managed to remain calm and hold his composure for so long. If she was in his place, she would've punched the reporter in the face by now. helpless, she just glared at the female reporter from a little distance where she was standing with others. From the corner of her eyes she saw that Ashley was trying hard to not to walk forward and deck the reporter, right there in the public.

"You're an idealist, Commander. A sincere one. I hope you are right. One last question, Commander. Rumors back home say that you are tracking a rogue Spectre named Saren. Do you have any comment on that?"

"I'm afraid I can't comment on whatever my current assignment may or may not be."

"Don't worry. We will find out. The eyes of Earth are on you. Don't let us down." She paused for a moment and said again, "Thanks for your time, Commander."

FEW MINUTES LATER, DOWN AT THE FLUX

"I'm glad you came, Shepard. I heard what happened." Anderson said.

"So did I." Said a female voice from behind.

John turned around, "Mom? What are you doing here?"

"I heard what happened John. So, I came down here to tell you that I believe you. We believe in you." Hannah said. Anderson nodded.

"Thanks, mom. That means a lot to me." He paused and turned towards Anderson. "They pulled me out of the mission, just like they forced you to give up the Normandy."

"Udina has always been a bastard! And still is." Hannah cursed under her breath.

"I know. I'm sorry. I wanted to warn you, but there was no way to send a message to you before you docked. I know you're pissed off right now, but you can't give up. They all think this is over, but we both know it's not. You have to go to Ilos. You have to stop Saren from using the Conduit!" Anderson said.

"There's only one ship that can get me into the Terminus Systems undetected, and she's grounded." John said.

"Citadel control locked out all the Normandy's systems. But if we override the Ambassador's orders we can get them to bring the Normandy back online. You can be in the Terminus Systems before anyone even knows you're gone. I can unlock the Normandy from one of the consoles in the Citadel control center. You'll have few minutes before anyone realizes what's happened." Anderson revealed.

"That's a restricted area patrolled by armed guards. How are you going to get in?" John asked.

"Leave that to me. Just make sure you're in the Normandy when the systems come back online." Anderson assured.

"You're going to get yourself killed. There has to be another way." John protested.

"Don't worry, John. I will be with him to distract the guards." Hannah assured.

"Ambassador Udina issued the lockdown order. If I can hack in his office, maybe I can override it." Anderson said.

"He won't just stand by while you use his computer." John said.

"Hopefully, he won't be there. If he is, I'll just have to think of something." Anderson said.

"Udina won't forgive this, Captain. You'll be charged with treason, a capital offense." John said.

"We don't have a lot of options. I break into the ambassador's computer, or I take my chances with the patrols in the Citadel control." Anderson shrugged.

"You'll have a better chance if you go after the Ambassador's computer." John said.

"I was hoping you'd say that. The ambassador has made this personal." Anderson replied gritting his teeth in anger. Then he looked up towards John, who was already standing on his feet, "You ready to get the hell off this station, Commander?"

John nodded in confirmation. "Let's do this."

"I'll take care of the lockdown. You get down to the Normandy and tell Joker to stand by." Anderson said as he stood up on his feet.

Hannah faced her son. "I want to go with you, John. But I can't. For that I am sorry. Know this, I have faith in you and if anyone can stop Saren, it's you."

"Thanks, mom." John said embracing his mother.

She kissed his cheeks and murmured in his ears, "I am proud of you. If your father was here, he would have been too." She only got a smile from his son in return.

BACK IN THE NORMANDY

"Be ready Joker. The Captain will bring the systems online. Anytime now." John said to Joker.

"I am ready, Commander." Joker said. As the words left his mouth, the systems did come online.

"Get us out of here, Joker! Now!" John said.

He didn't needed to be told twice.

"You know they will strip you off your rank for this." Miranda said.

"The Alliance have to catch me before they can strip my rank. But honestly? I don't care at this point about that." John replied.

"We had to do this, John. We had to. And you know that. There was no other way." Miranda said. Miranda noticed that he didn't mind her calling him by his first name.

"You are right, Alicia. But for now, I will just close my eyes for an hour or two." John said.

"Yeah. Me too." They parted their ways there.

SOMETIME LATER

The commanding officer's quarter was dark and the Commander was sleeping soundlessly on the bed with his arms folded over his chest. Suddenly, the door chimed opened silently and a figure came in towards the bed. The unknown person placed something in the Commander's palm carefully, without waking him up. Then the figure bent down and kissed the commander lightly on his lips and left the cabin silently leaving him in his sleep. After she left, John's fingers tightened around the object she left in his hand. It was the locket.

A/N: I am almost at the end of ME1 part after completing this chapter. I haven't changed things much here, but I hope you like whatever I wrote. Please let me know by reviews about what you think.