Chapter 6

(Ruins around Alliance Command)

Shepard shivered as he ran through the wreckage of what used to be Alliance Command, bodies were littered everywhere he and Anderson went. He prayed Ashley and James made it out ok, but then he quickly shook that depressing thought away. This was no time to think about things like that, he needed to focus. As they came up onto the roof of one of the buildings that made up the center of the Alliance Command they came to a dead stop, what he saw was something he saw in most of his nightmares since Eden Prime when this all began.

"Husks," Anderson spat as he raised his pistol and took aim. "Kill them all," he ordered.

Shepard didn't need to be told twice, he raised his own pistol and began to fire two shots to each Husks right in the head. Between the two of them all seven of the Husks were eliminated before they could turn and attack.

"God damn, this means a ground assault is already under way," Anderson said with a curse.

Anderson's eyes showed his anger to which Shepard could relate. This wasn't just any planet they were on. This was Earth… their home. The one planet they had done everything to defend, and because of the pencil pushes in charge they had failed.

"Anderson to Williams do you copy?" Anderson called into his communicator as they reloaded and rushed onwards. "Williams report?" he ordered before something came back although clearly garbled. "Repeat, I can't hear you," Anderson shouted.

"Sorry sir, having trouble with the radio," Ashley's voice came back firmer this time so even Shepard could hear it. "James and I had to retreat in the mad rush that started once the attack began, we made our way to the Normandy hoping to help you if you survived the attack," she reported.

"We survived, but I'm afraid to say no one else did," Anderson replied. "Get the Normandy out of the dock before it is hit and come get us," he ordered.

"Already on root sir," Joker's voice came over the comm. "We are triangulating your position now," he added.

"Good," Anderson shot back before coming to a dead stop as they came across more Husks blocking their route. Once more he and Shepard opened fire, taking down three before the others tried to rush them. Shepard rolled sideways and came up firing, taking down another two before he ran dry. Letting out a growl he rushed forward and used his Omi'blade to impale another. Anderson slipped in his last clip and downed the last two, a sudden explosion knocked them both down, but they quickly regained their feet.

"This way," Anderson shouted as he pushed open a nearby door which had its locking mechanism clearly destroyed.

Again they had to ignore the bodies that lay scattered everywhere. Anderson ran ahead and Shepard was about to follow when he heard a noise of to the side of them. Turning he went to check it out, seeing a shadow coming from the vent he pulled the vent cover of and looked inside. He was shocked to see a young boy of no older than five inside looking scared, not that he blamed him, then it hit him this was the same kid he had seen from his room only an hour before.

"Hey kid, come out of there," he tried to make himself look unimposing as he reached inside, but the kid scurried away. "Come on it's not safe here, come with us we can protect you," he tried to reason, but this time the kid turned and fled even deeper into the shaft.

Shepard shook his head knowing there was little he could do and quickly left. He quickly caught up with Anderson as they ran out of the smashed window and onto a nearby ledge. The ledge however gave way sending them both tumbling down almost like an amusement park ride. He smashed into the ground quickly winding himself. Coughing he pushed the pain away and stood up, Anderson soon followed and they were surprised to find themselves street side now. The fall had taken them all the way to the street below, and they had lived through it.

"Joker lock onto us and come get us," Anderson ordered through the comm. "We can see the dock from where we are now," he informed him just before the whole dock erupted in flames as it was hit by a mass beam of energy fired from a huge Reaper that had come up behind it.

"JOKER," Shepard shouted in horror, thinking he and all the others had been killed.

"Joker, do you read?" Anderson shouted into his comm. "Normandy… come in," he ordered in growing dread.

"Normandy still here," Joker finally responded after a tense few moments of silence. "We just managed to get out of the dock with two other ships. The whole hangar is gone sir, with everyone still left inside," he reported in a tone of complete horror. "That Reaper came out of nowhere," he added and they could both hear the stress in his voice as he spoke. "You'll have to wait a bit for pick up sir, we have incoming," he said before the communication cut off.

"Damn it," Anderson spat as they came across two soldiers, one who looked wounded.

"Easy Anderson, if anyone can get past the Reapers, it's Joker," Shepard cautioned him. "Report soldier," he ordered as they crouched down beside him.

"We got cut off from the evacuation shuttle which basically saved our lives sir as it was hit just as it lifted off," the unwounded soldier reported. "Stay down low sir," he added quickly as Shepard moved to stand up and look around. "Those things are just across from us, looking for survivors," he warned.

Shepard paused in his upward movement and then looked across the wreckage to see creatures he hadn't seen before milling about near a pile of dead bodies. He had seen some ungodly sights in his time, but these things really put him on edge.

"What the hell are they Shepard?" Anderson inquired as he looked as well.

"No clue, I've never seen them before," Shepard responded. "Clearly the Reapers have been busy, they almost look like Batarians," he whispered in shock. "Like with the husks they've transformed sentient species into their slaves," he spat in distaste.

"Do you have any thermal clips?" Anderson inquired as he kept his eyes on the enemy.

"Yes sir," the unwounded soldier said and quickly handed over several clips which Anderson and Shepard quickly took, reloading their pistols and putting the others in their belts. "Stay in cover, more shuttles should be coming soon, when they do, get on one and get out of here," he ordered.

"Yes sir," the unwounded soldier said even as the wounded one managed to whisper a good luck sir. The wounded man was clearly in a lot of pain.

"Where are we headed?" Shepard asked as they prepared to attack.

"The downed shuttle, it might have a beacon on it we can use to help the Normandy find us," Anderson answered as he raised his pistol and took aim.

At once both opened fire taking the creatures by surprise and dropping three, but the other two quickly returned fire, forcing them to take cover. Shepard moved down the line to get another line of sight before opening fire again. His bullets tore right through one of the things brains, splattering the other two with its gore.

Anderson popped back up and took down another while Shepard fired an impact burst that stunned the last one, allowing Anderson to kill it as well.

"Let's go Shepard," Anderson called and then rushed onwards towards the downed shuttle. On the way Shepard found an M-8 Avenger assault rifle on the ground near one of the dead bodies, grabbing it he quickly loaded it as they moved forwards. As they reached the smashed ramp leading up to the ruined shuttle they came under heavy fire from more of the creatures. Shepard opened fire with a yell of rage as Anderson ducked into cover. Four of the creatures were ripped to pieces from the well placed fire from Shepard's assault rifle. But he quickly ran dry forcing him to take cover as well, allowing the creatures to close in on them. Anderson quickly began to fire as Shepard put the now empty assault rifle over his shoulder and pulled his pistol. For a few moments they exchanged fire before they managed to take down the last four. More were massing, but they had time now to run to the ruined shuttle. Anderson began to look for the homing beacon while Shepard took up a covering position. He then reloaded his assault rifle with a new clip he found near another body.

"Better hurry sir there are more coming and from more than one direction," Shepard warned him.

"Found it," Anderson shouted after a tense few minutes before setting about activating the beacon.

"Normandy, do you copy? I have activated a homing beacon near a downed shuttle, need pick up and heavy support fire," he shouted into his comm.

"Roger that sir, on our way," Joker's response came back quickly. "We managed to get past the damn Reaper in our way, but more are coming," he added. "We will have to do this quickly," he warned.

"Understood Joker, we have enemy contacts moving in on us, so watch yourselves coming in," Anderson responded as he moved to help Shepard repel the attackers as they closed in on them. In the background they tried to ignore the massive form of a Reaper as it moved closer towards them, leaving the burning wreckage of the hangar behind it. "Here they come, open fire," he ordered.

He and Shepard quickly began to pour all the fire they could into the approaching mass of the enemy forces, for every one they managed to take down more appeared to take their places. A shadow suddenly appeared above them causing them to look up. Shepard smiled as he saw the Normandy take position right over them and the hangar doors opened to reveal Ashley, James and three marines who quickly opened fire into the advancing mass, even as evacuation shuttles began to arrive along with two other cruisers to cover them.

"Time to go Anderson," Shepard shouted as he turned and began to run towards the waiting Normandy and he didn't have to look behind him to know Anderson was right behind him.

Shepard began to jump onto a ramp leading up to the hangar door of the Normandy just as one of the marines was hit in the shoulder and went down. Anderson paused and spun around, quickly killing the creature who had managed to close in on them before running after Shepard just as he jumped onto the Normandy. Shepard quickly turned and began to yell for Anderson to follow.

Anderson made a snap decision and stopped running. He knew he was basically consigning himself to a quick death, but as he looked around at the soldiers running for the shuttles he knew they needed someone to organize and lead them in the long battle to come. High command had been wiped out in the initial attack, and he had little hope anyone else of high enough rank had survived either.

"Get out of here Shepard, that's an order," Anderson said, looking up at his friend with a grim smile. "Get to the Citadel and get help, we need an alliance and you are the best hope we have of being able to do that," he added. "I'm staying and that is final, now go I need to stay here and help organize our people until you return," he told him as he backed down the ramp. "Good luck son and god speed," he stated before he turned and ran towards one of the shuttles with two marines quickly flanking him and providing cover as he boarded it.

+OS+

(SSV Normandy)

Shepard could only watch as the shuttle took off and left the area as did two others, a third was just about to take off and as he looked he noted just as the doors closed the little boy he had tried to help earlier at the front of the group of people on board. He felt a brief moment of relief that the kid had somehow survived and made it to safety, when suddenly a Reaper landed right in front of the Normandy and its two fellow cruisers and opened fire ripping apart the shuttle with the kid inside, much to his horror as well as the one next to it. The Normandy banked hard to the left as it pulled away, the other two cruisers quickly followed. Ashley pulled him away from the opening as James slammed his hand on the button to close them. The two Marines pulled their injured comrade up the ramp as it closed. Shepard felt sick to his stomach as he was cut off from the carnage and for some reason he kept thinking about the death of the little boy.

"Joker, get us the hell out of here," he ordered over the comm.

"You got it Shepard," Joker responded. "I've got Admiral Hackett on comm sir, but the signal keeps breaking up.

"Put him on down here," Shepard ordered as he headed for the nearest terminal doing his best to focus and not worry about Anderson and ignore the sickness he felt as Earth was consumed by the Reapers.

"Admiral, this is Shepard," Shepard said as the man's face appeared on the screen.

"Shepard I am ordering you to Mars immediately, your friend Doctor T'soni is there and recently reported finding a possible weapon in the Prothean archives to use against the Reapers," Hackett informed him. "However we lost contact with her and Mars just before the attack by the Reapers started, I want you to go and find her and get her off that planet," he ordered. "Whatever she found may be the only hope we have of winning this war. Do you understand me?" he added.

"I understand sir, we'll get right on it," Shepard assured him. "Sir? Anderson chose to stay behind on Earth," he reported with a sigh. "High command was wiped out in the attack and he felt he was needed to stay and rally our people to keep as many alive until we can come back for them," he continued. "He ordered me to the Citadel to try and rally the other races together into an alliance," he finished.

Hackett looked away for a few seconds before nodding his head in understanding. "He's a brave man Shepard and if anyone can keep our people alive through this it is him. We must have hope that when we do come back he and as many of our people as possible will still be alive for us to save them," he stated. "Once you've been to Mars and hopefully rescued Doctor T'soni then you can head to the Citadel and carry out Anderson's orders," he went on. "I'm sending out a message alerting all our remaining forces I am reinstating your rank and command of the Normandy," he continued before the line went dead.

"Hey loco what the hell is going on?" James demanded from behind him. "Why didn't Anderson come with us?" he vented his anger at what was happening showing in his tone. "And why the hell are we running away?" he spat.

"SHUT THE HELL UP JAMES," Shepard shouted as he spun around. "We are not running anywhere, we are doing what we have been ordered to do and that is first to rescue Liara on Mars and then to get to the Citadel and rally the other races to fight this enemy," he pointed out with a growl as he glared at the other man. "You don't' think I want to stay and fight? Because I damn well do, but that won't help us or our people," he vented his own rage as he spoke. "We need help if we are to win this war, we need them and they need us no matter how much they might argue at first," he told him as he moved closer to James who looked shocked by the anger he had provoked in the man he had been guarding for the last several months. "Now shape the hell up James and remember your place. The Normandy is back under my command and you are now a part of her crew and now get our wounded to medical," he ordered with one last glare.

James stared at Shepard for a few seconds before realizing in his anger he might have stepped over the line somewhat, snapping of a salute he moved to help the two marines with the wounded man they were checking out.

"You realize Shepard that we have no doctor on board?" Ashley pointed out as Shepard moved back towards the comm. "Just a part time nurse," she stated when Shepard paused and glanced in her direction.

"She'll have to do for now," Shepard said with a sigh, wondering where Doctor Chakwas was stationed right now if she wasn't on the Normandy. "Joker, get us to Mars as fast as possible, Liara is there and she is in danger," he said into the comm.

"Understood Shepard, shall I have the two cruisers follows us or send them to join up with Hackett?" Joker replied.

"Tell them to stay on our tail. Until we get out of the system we are in danger and thus we need all the help we can get," Shepard answered after taking a few moments to think it over.

"Roger that," Joker responded. "And Shepard? Glad to have you back on board," he added before he signed off.

Shepard smiled, pleased to know Joker had made it through all the chaos of the escape. He had been so sure he and the ship had been blown up when the hangar had gone up until they heard his voice on the comm before they were rescued.

"Report to the bridge Ashley. You are in command until I come down," Shepard said turning to the person still in the hangar. "I need a little time to get my head straight," he admitted at her look.

"Understood Shepard," Ashley responded, unsure how to really act around her one time lover now as they were back on the Normandy, but she quickly turned and headed for the lift so she could get to the bridge.

Shepard watched her go, already aware she was still uneasy around him. He let out a sigh and headed for the lift himself, intending to head to his quarters and try and regain his footing somewhat. He couldn't command a ship if his head wasn't in the game as the saying went. Once the lift stopped he quickly entered his quarters and paused as he noted his fish tank was empty and he wondered where his fish were.

"Miss Chambers took your fish Shepard," EDI reported out of the blue almost making him jump.

"Kelly took them?" Shepard inquired as he removed his blood and dirt covered shirt so he could get a new one.

"Indeed, she took them on her last visit to the ship after you were stripped of command and basically put under house arrest," EDI told him. "She was concerned either they would end up dead from some sort of accident, or some techy would remove them and just dump them into a lake somewhere," she stated. "I believe she took them as a memento," she added after a second or two.

Shepard smiled, thinking of Kelly as he put on a new shirt before sitting on his bed and running his hand through his hair. He hoped wherever Kelly was she was at least safe. Lying down he tried to bring his raging emotions under control. The sudden attack on Earth, death of high command as well as the boy he had seen had shook him up like never before. After all the struggles he and his crew had gone through to safeguard Earth they had failed, and now Earth was burning and their people were slaughtered. But he knew it wouldn't just be Earth that was under attack, the other races would soon fall under attack as well, of that he was certain.

His mind turned to Liara and he wondered what had happened on Mars to cut off contact. Was it the Reapers or something else? Whatever the case, he hoped his old friend was alive, closing his eyes he let out a sigh and did his best to calm down before he headed for the bridge.

+OS+

(Sol System)

The Normandy banked hard as it dodged through the fire of the Reapers as it tried its best to escape. It's companion cruisers fired their weapons and did the best to protect their lead vessel. All three ships took hits as they made their way through the growing tide of Reapers. Finally all three made it through and headed for Mars as fast as they possibly could. The people on board all three ships did their best to ignore the carnage they could see from the view ports and the knowledge it was their home planet being assaulted. They focused on their orders and prayed they would one day return and destroy the enemy who dared to attack their home. Time was against them as they headed for the small red planet named after the Roman god of war. More Reapers would soon arrive and every planet in the system would soon come under attack.