Lauren slammed her fist into the Cerberus agent's face, sending him to the ground. She brought her pistol up immediately and fired a bullet into his head. His head had barely hit the ground when she turned around and raised her gun at the other agent that was getting up and fired again. A static charge from behind her made her turn again, only to see a blue singularity headed her way. She threw herself out of the way and hit the ground in a roll, coming up with her pistol aimed at the attacking biotic's head. She fired.

The biotic didn't drop dead immediately like she'd hoped.

"FUCKING-" That's when she noticed the blue charge around the biotic's body. "SHIT!"

Lauren dropped her pistol and ran to get out of the way, barely escaping the biotic's charge. She turned on her heel and ran, bolting down the hallway she was in as quickly as she could. A fatigued biotic was no match against one that was hopped up on stims. At least, that's what she hoped. Nothing was worse than facing off against a full powered biotic - stims meant they'd crash. Stims meant that they'd die quicker.

She felt a static charge at her back and dropped like a stone to avoid the singularity that was thrown at her. It slammed against the nearby wall and diminished. Lauren rolled over, freeing her assault rifle from her back and aimed quickly down her sights at the charging biotic and fired.

The biotic had no time to react quickly enough to save their shields, but he did have time to throw up a barrier to save himself from her fire. Lauren dropped her assault rifle and got onto her feet. The barrier dropped just as Lauren threw a nova at the biotic.

Personally, she hated novas with a passion. Sacrificing her barrier for a short blast attack was a very risky strategy. She made it a point to never use them unless she had no other option – to make sure that she never fell into the dangerous habit that got most biotics killed.

He had no chance. The moment the nova hit him, Lauren was charging at him, throwing her armored elbow directly into the man's face.

She didn't see how far his body went – quite frankly it didn't matter. There was not a single person that could survive the nova/charge combination. And even if he was still alive, she had her pistol out and ready.

Light weapons. Powerful high risk biotic attacks. Tactical thinking.

This was why the Alliance loved vanguards. They were a dangerous combination that only required fuel and a few days of downtime after a battle. Not as versatile as regular biotics, but much more precise.

Lauren picked up her assault rifle and put it back on her back. Her muscles ached, her implant stung, and every nerve ending in her body was on high alert. She glanced around and noticed his crumbled body in the corner by a pillar that he must have hit.

She walked over and scuffed his leg with her boot. He didn't move. He didn't look like he was breathing and there was a lot of blood by his ears.

"Can't be too careful," Lauren gripped her pistol and fired a shot into his chest.

"Well, he's certainly dead." A voice said from behind her.

Shepard.

Lauren didn't turn and look at her. "Biotic charges tend to that." She holstered her pistol. "You took your sweet ass time getting here."

"Tell that to Nyreen and Aria." Shepard sounded annoyed.

Lauren froze. You have got to be kidding me.

"Any more Cerberus?" Shepard asked, not noticing that Lauren had frozen.

Lauren recovered. "No. I got the patrol that was sent up here. Wouldn't put it past him to have more outside the mines either – word is that there might be Adjutants inside the mine control room. But that might just be talk to keep the agents out."

"You overheard them?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah," Lauren pointed up at the rafters above. "I jumped down at them. Got the first four on the initial drop, sent them flying into the wall – got the next one with my pistol and a shockwave. Last one fought me."

"Nice job." Shepard looked over her shoulder. "Hurry up you two! Honestly, I know a krogan that move faster."

Aria came into view, followed by an irritated Nyreen.

Lauren narrowed her eyes at the turian, who stopped when she noticed the blonde.

"I thought," Lauren growled. "That I told you to get off Omega, Kandros."

The turian flicked her mandibles in irritation and was about to reply, when Aria cut her off.

"You knew about this?" The asari asked coolly.

"Of course I did," Lauren straightened her posture. "Nothing slips by me on Omega - not even Kandros. I thought you'd know that by now."

Shepard looked at Lauren like she'd never looked at her before. Was she seriously talking to Aria like that?

"To be honest, I don't pay enough attention." Aria walked forward and gave Lauren a cold glare. "Looks like I might have to. What have you got, Sapphire?"

Shepard looked at the two of them and then at Nyreen, who didn't look freaked out by the scene in front of her.

"-The mine is completely powered down. No way in." Lauren's talking caught Shepard's attention.

They were playing professional. Shepard could do that. "Why do you think it's powered down?"

"Either to keep us out," Lauren put her hands on her hips. "Or to keep something in."

"I don't like the sound of this." Shepard sighed. "Let's get this over with. I want off this place as soon as possible."