Mass Effect: Maelstrom Siblings

by Leaf Ranger

When faced with protecting an entire galactic community, it's always good to have friends and squad-mates at your side. But it's even better when you've got your brother with you as well. Get ready galaxy, because here come Alicia and Naruto Shepard, the Maelstrom Siblings. Rated M for swearing, action, gore, and implied sexual situations.

5. The Fox and the Hound

Well from the reviews I was able to see, a lot of you really enjoyed the last chapter. That's great. I'm happy you all enjoyed it so much.

Quick note, before we begin here. One of the reviews, an anonymous one called Guest, brought up thermal clips. I mentioned them in my previous chapters, despite the fact that thermal clips are not introduced until Mass Effect 2. This is something that I did talk about in the previous chapter, but I did not explain my reasoning for using thermal clips now rather than later. For that, I apologize. My reason for using thermal clips is because ultimately the weapons technology of both Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2&3 is flawed, but merging them together actually becomes something that is more realistic. Mass Effect gives you weapons that are essentially 'infinite ammo' weapons. The only limitation is how many shots you fire before the weapon overheats and cools down. Mass Effect 2 and 3, they impose an ammo system on the players, though they disguise it as stating 'this is how many rounds you can fire before your weapon overheats and you have to replace the thermal clip'.

Thing is, cooling technology doesn't work the way they would have us believe it does in ME2 and ME3. A thermal clip wouldn't have some set limit before it becomes unusable, because long periods of inactivity would allow it to cool down as well, thus extending the periods that a weapon can be used with the same thermal clip. That being said, there would come a point where whatever coolant is being used in the thermal clips would eventually be burned off by repeated use, whether that repeated use was long bursts of continuous fire, or on and off again usage over a long period of time. At which point I do think a thermal clip would have to be replaced.

So, for the sake of realism, I've combined the two concepts of weapon technology to create a more realistic weapons technology. Thermal clips are a thing already, and they do need to be replaced, but they are not some 'set ammo limit' item. How long they last depends entirely on how much the weapon in question is used, and how many periods of cool down the weapon is allowed to have between periods of operation. It varies from weapon to weapon as well as from operator to operator.

I hope this explains things to you 'Guest', as well as to anyone else who might have been wondering about that.

Also, Mandalore the Freedom is searching for a beta for one of his fanfics, a Mass Effect. Please contact him if you're interested.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Bioware respectively. Please support the official releases.

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Chapter 5

The Fox and the Hound

Lance Corporal Ashley Williams, marine of the Systems Alliance Marine Corps, let out a soft grunt as she adjusted to a change in the flight path of the Kodiak transport shuttle she and her fellow marines currently were riding in. She was one of close to a platoon's worth of marines re-assigned to the garrison on one of the Alliance's relatively young colonies located out in the Terminus Systems. Currently, their Kodiak, one of a flight of three carrying the new troops, was approaching the military garrison of Watson, a human colony located in the Skepsis System of the Sigurd's Cradle nebula cluster.

Watson was unique in that after it was discovered by human exploration probes, three separate human confederations on Earth had claimed the planet for colonization. The System's Alliance ended up brokering the 'Reykjavik Compromise', which allowed the Chinese People's Federation, the United North American States, and the European Union to start up limited colony cities on the planet of Watson. Due to the colony's location, and the fact that the three coalitions colonizing it couldn't unite even for the colony's defense, the Alliance had stationed garrisons both on the planet, and on the moon orbiting the planet, known as Franklin. The latter was also home to large missile silos housing Javelin missiles, powerful anti-ship projectiles that would rip apart any large scale ships that entered their range. They were a new addition to the Alliance's arsenal.

The nineteen year old brunette quietly shifted in her seat, making sure her duffel bag was secured beneath her as she felt the shuttle start its final approach towards the garrison base known as Fort Reykjavik, in honor of the compromise that led to the colonization of this planet. As she looked up, she couldn't help but note, yet again, the subtle distance between her and her fellow marines. To the average observer, it wouldn't seem so, as the Kodiaks were not exactly spacious shuttles, with barely enough room for maybe twenty soldiers sitting in the seats or standing and gripping the ceiling rails. Currently there were fifteen marines, counting herself, with all their duffel bags and other equipment taking up the remaining space. Even still though, the other marines seemed to be sitting apart from her. And she knew perfectly well why there was a distance between them. It had to do with who she was, and who her family was.

During the First Contact War, her grandfather, Harold Williams, had been a general in the Alliance Marine Corps, and in charge of the garrison of Shanxi. It had been he who had struggled to resist the turian occupation, and ultimately surrendered to the turian occupiers, in order to save the civilians and his remaining soldiers from the brutal and destructive methods of the turian occupation force.

When the war ended due to the Council's intervention, her grandfather was brought back to Earth in shame, being the first and currently only human military leader to surrender to an alien race. While no charges were brought against him, he was still humiliated and drummed out of the service.

When Ashley's own father joined the service as well, the taint of her grandfather's actions followed with him. Not trusting the son of the first and only human commander to surrender to an alien, Terrence Williams was never able to rise above the rank of Seaman Recruit, and given a series of worthless postings within the Alliance Navy. (1)

And now Ashley herself was serving in the military as well. Unlike her father, she had ended up in the Marine Corps, as she had been refused service in the Navy. Because of the dishonor heaped on her grandfather, and the stigma holding back her father, Ashley had pushed herself hard during Basic Training. She did not give them a single moment to doubt her resolve or her commitment. She remembered what he father told her before she went to Basic; 'that a Williams had to be better than the best, if only to avoid suspicion'. And she fully intended to live by those words.

Thankfully, her resolve had paid off, if only slightly. In the three years since she graduated Basic, she had managed to rise to the rank of Lance Corporal, though that did little to soothe her anger and growing bitterness. She had seen marines less dedicated, skilled, or passionate as she be promoted before her, and knew that despite her efforts, the 'Williams Curse' was still strong.

Especially now, as she was assigned to a colony in the middle of nowhere. Ashley sighed as she rubbed her face, before looking up as the intercom buzzed and the pilot spoke up. "ETA to LZ is two mikes. I'd suggest you all get strapped in and ready to land."

The other marines in the shuttle quickly began to get themselves squared away, as Ashley checked the harness that secured her into her seat. Seeing it was secured, she settled in as the Kodiak made its final approach towards the landing pad.

As the shuttle landed and the door on the starboard side of the shuttle opened, Ashley got her first look at the world she had been assigned to, and shivered slightly as she felt cold air rush in. Watson was a garden world, but it was cooler than Earth's normal temperature. She could also feel moisture in the air, which wasn't surprising given the large amount of water covering the planet, with only a couple large continents and dozens of islands dotting its surface.

As she released her harness, grabbed her gear, and stepped out of the shuttle, placing her cover on her head, she also caught sight of two figures standing at the other end of the platform, while technicians moved forward to help secure the Kodiak and begin its post-landing maintenance. She and the other marines quickly streamed from the three Kodiaks, forming up into five ranks of nine each. Each stood at attention and saluted as the first figure, a woman in an officer's uniform with a pair of silver bars on her collar, indicating she was a captain of the Marine Corps. Behind her and to her right was a figure that all of them recognized, courtesy of the media blasting the image of him and his sister nonstop for almost six months following the Skyllian Blitz. Naruto Shepard, the only alien in the Alliance military, was also at attention, dressed in an officer's uniform, with the single silver bar of a 1st Lieutenant on his collar.

For many in the Alliance, and many other humans in Alliance space, the Skyllian Blitz had been a massive morale boost following the First Contact War and the raid on Mindoir. The Alliance colony of Shanxi being overrun by turian forces and the colony of Mindoir being pillaged and almost completely wiped out by slavers and pirates had greatly affected a lot of people, causing some people to believe humanity couldn't handle dealing with the alien cultures in the galaxy. But then the heroic stand on Elysium, where the local garrison and a goodly portion of the civilian population managed to hold off an overwhelming force of slavers, pirates, and criminals, had lifted the dampened spirits, and breathed new life into humanity's belief that it belonged in the stars. A massive award ceremony had been held, all of it being televised across Alliance and even Council space, as the heroes of the Skyllian Blitz, both military and civilian, were congratulated and awarded for their valor and courage. None more so than Alicia and Naruto Shepard, the two soldiers who had led the defense, and even fought off a massive alien onslaught by themselves. The pair of them had been awarded the Star of Terra, Earth's highest reward that could be given to its soldiers.

And now one of those two heroes was here, standing before them. This of course made quite a few of the soldiers a bit nervous, and others awe struck, especially when they realized he was also young, only twenty three years old.

The captain now spoke, addressing them. "All of you, at ease," she said. As the marines moved to the at ease position, she continued to speak. "I am Captain Maria Cutler, commanding officer of Baker Company of the 81st Battalion assigned to protect the colony of Watson, and I welcome you to your new home. As of this moment, you all are the 2nd platoon of Baker Company, and you answer to Lieutenant Shepard here, who answers to me. I expect each and every one of you to serve with obedience, courage, and alertness. This assignment is not a cakewalk people, because we are the Alliance's frontier, and there are plenty of people out there who think that makes us an easy target for them to attack. So be ready and alert at all times. Am I understood?"

"Ma'am yes ma'am!" Chorused the marines, as Captain Cutler nodded.

"Alright then. Lieutenant Shepard will show you the base and get you squared away in your barracks. You'll be receiving your duty assignments at 2100 hours. That's all," she said. As one, they all saluted her, which she responded with her own salute, before turning and walking off. Naruto now moved in front of them to address then.

"Listen up," he said, as he stood before them. "I know that a lot of you probably are having some reservations about serving under an alien. Well let me settle this here and now. If you've got problems, I want to hear them. Do not hide them from me," he said. "No matter what you may think, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I may not be human, but I am an officer of the Alliance, and that is where my loyalty lies. Any questions?" He asked.

No one spoke, and he quietly nodded as he looked them over. They were his soldiers, his responsibility. They would follow his orders because it was their job, but he was going to earn their respect, so that they wanted to follow his orders. His eyes lingered though on the young lance corporal in the second rank, because of the brief flash of emotion he saw on her face. He mentally frowned at having seen a look of anger and frustration on the young woman's face, before it quickly became a passive mask.

Deciding to handle the situation later, if it was a situation, he simply nodded. "Right then. Platoon! Attention! To the left, face!"

The platoon quickly came to attention, and at the second command, turned left in unison. And soon enough they were marching out, heading from the landing area and towards the barracks area.

Unknown Location

A figure sat in the center of a dark room, the only illumination being a massive reddish-orange star visible at one end of the room. He quietly smoked a cigarette, exhaling the smoke from it as he held it in one hand.

Behind him, a figure approached him, moving into the light, revealing it was a woman carrying a data pad and dressed in gray, white, and black themed scientist attire. She stopped at the figure's side, and handed him the data pad. "Sir, this report just came in from our lead operative on Operation Remnant. He reports that his team is in position with currently no trouble, and they are beginning their information gathering.

The figure looked at the data pad with glowing blue artificial eyes. "Good. Are there any indications that his position might be compromised?" He asked.

"No sir. While Council agents are searching for him concerning his previous mission, there's no indication they are on his trail yet. However, we're still keeping our ear out for any possible information leaks," the assistant said, as the man nodded, still reading the data pad.

"Excellent. Keep me informed of anything new," he said, handing the data pad back to her. "That'll be all."

The assistant gave a nod, and stepped back, before turning and leaving, as the figure continued to smoke his cigarette, staring at the star as he contemplated the current assignment one of his most trusted operatives was on. The alien known as Naruto was proving to be quite an influential factor, one that he could not ignore. Finding out the Alliance was able to retain custody of Naruto was a boon to humanity, but afterwards, he had watched them squander this chance. The boy could offer so many advances, so many advantages to humanity, but instead he was raised and treated relatively like a normal person. He should have been crafted and honed into a powerful asset for the Alliance.

However, he hadn't counted on the events of Mindoir resulting in the outcome they did. Naruto and his 'sister' had joined the Alliance military, despite protests from members of the Council. And the events of the Skyllian Blitz had now catapulted that same pair into the spotlight. They were heroes of the Alliance, beacons of hope and courage.

Musing quietly, the man quietly lifted a glass of bourbon and drank it, setting the glass down. Naruto was proving to be quite a boon to the Alliance, but that did not mean he was a boon to his own goals. And that was why he had authorized Operation Remnant, and sent that team to Watson. To try and find out more about the boy, to find if he'd be amicable to his goals.

The figure known as the Illusive Man took another drag on his cigarette, as he brought up a holographic computer screen and began to type in a few commands. Yes, Naruto would prove to either be an asset to Cerberus…or he'd be a threat that would be eliminated, when his usefulness to humanity ran out.

Watson, Fort Reykjavik

Naruto sighed as he sat quietly in the office for Baker Company, where the Company command staff filed paperwork associated with the running and supply of the company. The reason for his sigh was the report sitting before him.

It had been two weeks since the arrival of 2nd platoon, and in that time, Naruto couldn't help but notice a tension between certain members of his platoon, mostly centered on Lance Corporal Ashley Williams. While Naruto had not seen anything come of it though, his platoon's staff sergeant had requested to speak with him. Naruto had granted the request, and now awaited said sergeant's arrival.

As he waited for said sergeant to arrive, he quietly mulled over how different things were for him. Roughly a year ago he was being shuttled from cushy posting to cushy posting, the 'trophy' of the Systems Alliance. And then one single battle and everything changed. After the battle on Elysium, he and Alicia had been treated for their injuries, and debriefed on what had happened. They had both been whisked away back to Arcturus Station, where the Alliance planned to hold a massive award ceremony for the heroes of the Skyllian Blitz.

Flashback

Naruto remained sitting in his seat, watching the proceedings going on inside the massive hall in Arcturus Station. Here, hundreds of military officers, civilian politicians, and news reporters were gathered to see the award ceremony being held. Naruto currently was on a stage at the front of the hall, along with Alicia, several politicians and military officers, and the Council itself.

Standing at the podium was Fleet Admiral Gerald Hanson, the highest ranking officer in the Alliance Military. Currently, he was speaking to everyone. "We are gathered here, on this momentous day, to honor the brave heroes who fought on the colony of Elysium. All those who fought, whether they were soldiers of the Alliance, soldiers of our esteemed allies, or civilians who bravely answered the call when their help were needed most, showed the greatest of courage and valor. Gallantry and heroism was shown by so many, that it is my greatest regret that we cannot honor them all individually. But we still honor their heroics and sacrifice this day. Each civilian who took part in the Battle of Elysium is hereby awarded the System Alliance's Medal of Valor, the highest award to possibly grant to a civilian."

The audience and those on stage began to clap and cheer, as two large screens began to slowly scroll through the name of each civilian, human or otherwise, who was awarded the medal. The clapping and cheering continued on, until the last name was shown, and the screens went blank. Hanson continued at that point. "To our brave men and women in uniform, who showed their gallantry and selflessness in defending their home and those under their protection, we award each of them with the Alliance's Distinguished Service Cross, in recognition of their outstanding bravery."

The clapping started up again, as again the screens lit up with the names of each of the Alliance Marines and Navy personnel receiving these rewards. Again, it continued until the list ended. Hanson smiled as he came to the final awards. "Lastly, we wish to recognize the services of two of our finest, who not only fought against the overwhelming enemy force, but led the defense of Elysium, and fought a gallant holding action against superior enemy numbers. First, 2nd Lieutenant Naruto Shepard," he said, as Naruto stood and walked forward, meeting the Fleet Admiral and saluting him. Hanson returned the salute. "We are proud to honor you with the highest honor we can bestow on any member of our armed forces: the Star of Terra," he said, as he held up a case, opened to reveal the medal that was the highest honor the System's Alliance had to bestow. Naruto took the case when it was presented to him as people clapped and cheered, and shook the admiral's hand, before saluting again, and returning to his seat.

As the cheering died down, Fleet Admiral Hanson began to speak. "Finally, it is time to honor the woman who led the defense of Elysium, and who stood against insurmountable odds, and came out victorious. Lieutenant Junior Grade Alicia Shepard."

Alicia stood, and marched forward, saluting the admiral. Her left eyebrow was now slightly marred by a still somewhat vivid scar, left behind by the knife that had cut through her visor and wounded her. While conventional medicine would have easily gotten rid of the scar, Alicia had asked to keep it, as she felt it gave her a bit more character.

Now, the admiral saluted back, before picking up a second case. "Lieutenant Shepard, you have embodied the ideals and goals of the System's Alliance, and surpassed them. For heroism and service above and beyond the call of duty, we are proud to award you with the Star of Terra," he said, as he handed Alicia the case, and shook her hand proudly, as more cheers erupted. Naruto, from his seat, could only smile as he saw Hannah Shepard, along with Tsunade and Jiraiya, clapping and cheering quite a bit, both for him and Alicia.

Alicia, having accepted the reward, saluted the admiral as well, and returned to her seat. As the cheering and clapping died down, Admiral Hanson turned back to the crowd. "I now take this time to turn the podium over to Councilor Tevos of the Asari Republics, who wishes to speak as well."

He stepped away from the podium and moved to his seat, while Tevos stood and moved to the podium. "Thank you Admiral Hanson. The members of the Council, as well as the various other affiliated races, wish to offer our own gratitude and admiration to the men and women of the Alliance Navy and Marines who fought and died to defend our civilians on Elysium, as well as the civilians of the various races who fought on Elysium as well. They have done all of us proud this day, embodying the courage and strength we should all aspire to achieve. But most importantly, we wish especially to extend our gratitude towards Alicia and Naruto Shepard, who led the defense of Elysium. They are the truest of heroes, and I for one applaud their actions and efforts. Thank you," she said, as she turned to look at Naruto and Alicia, and began to clap again. The entire crowd began to clap once more, even louder than before, with even Councilor Sparatus giving a rather sincere show of approval. While he may not like humanity or the Systems Alliance, he would not deny that the Shepard's actions were quite admirable and worthy of respect.

Naruto just grinned at Alicia, with her giving him a grin back. The two slowly stood, and bowed, accepting the new applause and cheers, as vid cameras flashed.

Flashback Ends

It wasn't long after the award ceremony that the pair of them had both been promoted, Alicia to the rank of full Lieutenant while h had been promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Not only that though, but they had received invitations from the head of the Interplanetary Combatives Training program, more commonly referred to by most in the Alliance Military as the N7 Program, for the reason that the ICT program was responsible for training the best of the Alliance's Navy and Marine officers into the highly skilled and elite N7 operatives that made up the Alliances special forces. The N7's were the Alliance equivalent to the original Navy SEALS and Army Rangers of the old United States of America, as they received the best equipment, the best training, the best commands and postings, but in return were expected to give the absolute best in return.

Both of them had of course jumped at the chance, and were entered into the program, shipping out to the Vila Militar in Rio de Janerio to being their training.

As expected, the training was some of the hardest and most punishing they had ever been through. They were put through 20 hour days, with little food or sleep, running constant mock combat scenarios and drills in some of the harshest terrain on Earth, all to test their capabilities as leaders and tactical operatives. They started with a total of thirty trainees, and by the end of the training, only twelve of the trainees remained to receive the initial N1 designation, meaning they had completed the first course of training.

Following the completion of the N1 training, they had been rotated back out onto assignments, until the next round of training for the N2 designations began. This was why Naruto was now posted out on Watson, to gain more leadership experience as well as greater combat field experience.

Looking up as he heard approaching footsteps, he saw the staff sergeant of his platoon approach. The man stopped before him, and saluted. "Staff Sergeant Sasuke Uchiha sir. Thank you for your time," the man said.

Naruto stood up, returning the salute as he studied the man before him. He was slightly shorter than Naruto, with somewhat pale skin, dark brown, almost black eyes, and black hair that currently had been trimmed down to a crew cut. (2) Naruto found him to be a good soldier, following orders to the letter, and getting his assignments done promptly.

He had noticed however, from time to time, that his Staff Sergeant had been paying quite a bit of attention to him. Like he was studying or analyzing Naruto. It made Naruto wonder if Sasuke was watching him, as if wary of Naruto.

He indicated the chair across from his desk, as he sat down in his chair. "Please, sit. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

Sasuke quickly took the seat, sitting at attention. "Sir, I thought it would be prudent to bring to your attention a couple of…incidents within the platoon, sir," Sasuke said, as Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"Incidents? What kind of incidents?" Naruto asked, leaning forward.

Sasuke shifted slightly before answering. "It's nothing serious sir, just some problems between members of the platoon. They're having a tough time…adjusting to one of their fellow platoon-mates, Lance Corporal Ashley Williams," he reported.

Naruto frowned as he typed into his computer, bringing up the file of said soldier. He blinked as he recognized the woman who had flashed him a look of anger at the landing pad, before reading up on her file. "Aah, I see. What exactly is the nature of these problems? Does it have anything to do with her…family history?" He asked quietly, seeing a special notation in her file regarding her family.

"Unfortunately, yes sir. Several of the others were somewhat…vocal about their mistrust of her being able to be relied upon, whether in combat or for anything. I've noted that she has tried to hold her temper in check quite well, but…a few of the incidents came close to erupting into fights sir. And unfortunately, her squad sergeant seemed to turn a blind eye to the actions of her squad-mates. She came to me regarding the problems and I sorted it out, but I thought you should know about it, sir," Sasuke reported.

Naruto nodded, turning to him. "So you have no problems with what happened with her grandfather?" He asked.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "No sir. Forgive me for saying sir, but even if I thought what General Williams did at Shanxi was wrong, which I don't, I still wouldn't take that out on his son or granddaughter. They are their own people, sir." Sasuke said firmly.

Naruto nodded. "That's a commendable attitude, one I happen to agree with. I thank you for bringing this to my attention. Still, I think it would be prudent for me to speak to Corporal Williams to make sure everything is alright. Please have her report to my desk as soon as she is able. Is there anything else Sergeant?"

"Nothing of importance sir. Thank you for your time," Sasuke said, as he stood and saluted. Naruto returned the salute, and watched as Sasuke marched off, before sitting back in his chair, pulling up another file and starting to read it.

Ashley meanwhile was currently in the armory, going over her M-15 Vindicator assault rifle with a fine tooth comb, tweaking the weapon to match her standards. Nearby an M-92 Mantis Sniper Rifle awaited the same treatment, as did her standard issue M-3 Predator pistol.

Ashley would admit to herself she enjoyed working on her weapons. She was a good shot, and a good soldier, but her true area of expertise lay with weapons maintenance. During Basic, she could easily field strip any weapon, put it back together, and it'd run better than new when she did so. So whenever she could, she would spend time in the armory, fixing up her weapons, or even fine tuning the weapons of her squad mates, if they asked her too. Though the latter rarely happened at all.

She felt her anger bubble up in her, as she thought about recent events. About the snide comments made behind her back, or even to her face, the veiled insults because of her family history. Even her sergeant had turned a blind eye to it all when she brought it up with him while barely repressing her desired action, which was rearranging the faces of her fellow squad mates.

There had been one person who listened though; the staff sergeant, Sasuke Uchiha. She had told him about the problem, per regulations, and he had immediately spoken to the miscreants, sorting them out. He had also told her that if she had other problems, to let him know immediately.

It was hard to admit that she might have finally found someone in the Alliance who didn't show her mistrust or disgust for her family name. It felt nice to have someone she could confide in and talk to.

Letting out a sigh, she continued to tinker with her weapons, only to stop as she heard someone approaching. She quickly set down her tools, wiping her hands before turning. Seeing the man she had been thinking about, she came to attention, saluting. "Sir!"

Sasuke saluted back. "At ease corporal. I have a message for you. Lieutenant Shepard wants to speak to you as soon as you're able to meet with him," he stated.

Ashley tensed slightly, but nodded. "Understood sir. I'll get cleaned up and go see him immediately," she said.

Sasuke gave her a bit of a disarming smile. "Don't worry too much Williams. You're not in trouble," he said.

Ashley hesitated a moment. "I'm not worried about that sir," she said, unsure if she should or could speak what was on her mind.

"Aah…then perhaps you are a little uncomfortable about our lieutenant? And his heritage?" Sasuke asked her. Seeing her start, he raised a hand. "Speak freely Williams. He won't hear anything from me."

Ashley glanced around. "I-I don't have that much of a problem with it. It's just…just…"

"He's not human," Sasuke said, as Ashley slowly nodded.

"I mean…I don't want to sound like a Cerberus supporter or anything, but…it does feel awkward, taking orders from someone who isn't human," she said, as Sasuke nodded.

"I understand. After all Cerberus has done lately, it's a surprise the Council races aren't breathing down the Alliance's neck more to bring them in," Sasuke said.

Cerberus was a paramilitary human survivalist group born from the chaos of the First Contact War. There were those who felt that the turian occupation of Shanxi was proof that humanity needed to go it alone, and work towards its own survival and advancement. While those who wished to work legally towards the betterment of humanity joined political groups like Terra Firma, others felt that this was not enough. And so they flocked to the banner of Cerberus, led by a mysterious figure known only as the Illusive Man. While little was known about Cerberus or the Illusive Man, what was known was that Cerberus was behind several assassinations and terrorist actions that targeted not only aliens who they considered a threat to humanity, but humans who proved to be a threat to their goals, ranging from military officials to political targets.

Ashley nodded as she turned, powering down most of the equipment to tune up her weapons and putting the Vindicator back together. "Anyways, thank you for the alert sir. I'll be sure to head over to Lieutenant Shepard's office immediately," she said, turning and saluting him.

He nodded, saluting her back. "Corporal," he said, before heading off.

Ashley just let out a sigh, finishing cleaning the table up and securing her weapons in their racks, before heading back to the barracks. A quick wash and change into clean fatigues and she was on her way to the officer's building.

Naruto glanced up as he heard approaching footsteps, and saw the form of the young lance corporal approaching. He stood as she came to his desk and saluted. "Sergeant Uchiha said you wanted to see me sir?" She asked.

He returned the salute. "Yes I did, please sit," he said, as he sat down. She quickly did the same, as Naruto studied her for a few moments. "I understand that you've been having trouble with some of your squad and platoon mates recently," he said.

Ashley simply nodded, trying not to let any emotions show. "Yes sir. However Sergeant Uchiha assured me that they shouldn't be a problem anymore, sir."

"Yes, that's what he told me. However, I want to be on top of this problem as well. You're all under my command, and if there are issues, I want to make sure they're solved. We can't go into a firefight if we can't trust each other," he said.

"Yes sir. I'll try to not be a problem for the platoon, sir," Ashley said.

Naruto blinked, looking at her. "I'd hardly call you the problem, Williams," he said. "The problem is your squad mates not seeming to understand that your grandfather's actions are no indication of who you are or what you do. You are not your grandfather, and neither was your father. You are your own person," he said.

"Yes sir," Ashley said stiffly, not enjoying the mentioning of her grandfather and father. It just rammed the fact home, again, that she was being unofficially censured by the Alliance, while the man in front of her, an alien, held command over her.

Naruto blinked as he saw the conflicting emotions on Ashley's face, and on some instinctual level, could feel negative emotions emanating from her. Frowning slightly, he sat back. "Williams, if you don't mind…I wish to ask you a question, and I want your honest answer."

Ashley looked at him, before nodding. "I'll answer to the best of my abilities, sir," she said.

"What do you think of me?" He asked her, making her start a bit as he watched her. "Are you perhaps…angry with me? Fearful of me?"

"I'm not sure I understand why you're asking me this, sir," she said, before Naruto waved his hand.

"Please speak freely here. I want your honest opinion, and I don't want it restricted by formality," he said. "Please tell me what you think of me."

Ashley hesitated, before finally taking a breath. "With respect…I'm annoyed and angry. My great grandmother, my grandfather, my father, and I, we've all taken the oath to fight and serve the Alliance. My family has always been loyal to the Alliance. We always give more than one hundred percent in everything we do, my father and I even more because of what happened with my grandfather." Her voice slowly started to grow angry as she kept speaking. "And yet my father never rose above the rank of Seamen Recruit, and I've been bounced around to a bunch of assignments in the middle of nowhere. And yet you…you're here, a 1st Lieutenant, honored with the Star of Terra, and you're a…a…"

"An alien?" Naruto supplied, catching her off guard.

Ashley took a deep breath, calming herself. "I meant no disrespect sir," she said quietly.

Naruto just nodded quietly. "I understand Ashley and I asked you to speak freely. You have a hard time seeing me, not even a human, being given position and awards that you have a very hard time achieving, not through a lack of hard work, but because of a stigma brought about because of what happened with your grandfather. Does that sum it up?" He asked her.

Ashley quietly nodded, looking down slightly. "I'm sorry sir. It's just…hard, dealing with the crap dumped on me because of what my grandfather did."

"I understand Williams. Don't worry about it. Now, is there anything else you wish to tell me?" Naruto asked her.

Ashley shook her head, surprised that she was feeling somewhat lighter, somewhat better. "No sir."

"Alright then. Again, if you have problems in the future, let me or Sergeant Uchiha know. You're dismissed," Naruto said.

Ashley stood, saluting. "Thank you sir," she said, as Naruto saluted her back. With that, she headed off, surprised at the words Naruto had said, and how talking with him actually made her feel somewhat better. As if admitting what she had to him just made things easier for her. Mentally shrugging, she headed back to the barracks, to get some rest in before her duty shift that night.

That evening

A young woman dressed in a shirt and casual pants let out a groan as she activated the locking program on her apartment's door and slouched into the kitchen. Gently dropping a bag containing medical supplies on the counter, she opened the fridge and pulled out a light beer, slowly opening it and taking a swig of it. Turning, she slouched into the living room, activating the lights as she did so. It was only then she became aware of the figure sitting in said living room, wearing a hood that shadowed their face completely.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" She yelled, almost dropping her beer in surprise. The figure however simply raised one hand, before speaking, their voice distorted by a vocal scrambler.

"Agent Karin, have you succeeded in collecting the samples?" The figure asked, as Karin let out a breath of air, running one hand through her half messy, half straight red hair. Her eyes narrowed behind her glasses though, as she looked at the figure.

"Authorization code first," she said, as the figure nodded.

"Authorization Gamma-Two-Strike-Seven-Beta-Six. Confirmed?" The figure asked.

Karin nodded. "Confirmed. I've collected the necessary DNA samples and copied medical files on Subject Vulzan. They're in my bag," she said, nodding towards the kitchen.

The hooded figure nodded. "Excellent. Cerberus command wants to extract you immediately, as this will likely compromise your cover as a civilian doctor at Fort Reykjavik. There's a shuttle waiting for you at Docking Pad Three. I suggest you prepare for immediate egress," he said, before pulling out a data disc. "Take this with you. It's the information I recovered regarding the salarian STG's recent mission to Tuchanka. Ensure it reaches Cerberus command."

"Understood. What about you?" she asked, a hint of worry entering her voice as she took the data disc.

The figure waved one hand. "I still have my two missions here to complete. My team has infiltrated the missile base on Franklin, and even now is extracting all information on the Javelin missiles there. I, in the meantime, will continue to study Subject Vulzan and find out if he is an asset or a threat."

Karin nodded quietly. "Alright. Let me know when you're free though. I wouldn't mind a date," she said with a wink.

The figure merely sighed, shaking his head. "Still the same old Karin," he stood, standing. "Until next time," he said, before leaving out her window.

Karin meanwhile set aside her beer, going to the bedroom of her apartment and quickly removing several important documents, as well as wiping the small terminal clean of any and all information. From one drawer she drew out an M-3 Predator pistol, which she hid inside her bag in the kitchen. Packing up her clothes and files in a much larger bag, she slung that over one shoulder, grabbing her medical bag, and turned, leaving the apartment. She quickly wiped all her information from the apartment door's program, before heading out, leaving behind nothing to suggest she had ever lived in that apartment.

Unregistered Shuttle, Three Weeks Later

Jondum Bau, one of the Council's newest Spectre agents, quietly read over the files once again regarding his current mission. Almost five weeks ago, an operative of the human terrorist organization known as Cerberus had intercepted highly sensitive and classified information that the Salarian Union would prefer was never known to anyone, even the other Council races. The Special Tasks Group agents had been busily searching for the agent who uncovered the information, attempting to keep the entire matter quiet, but when it was discovered that the agent in question was now hiding on a human colony, the Dalatrasses who governed the Union knew that they had to reach out to the asari and turians for help.

The Council was told about how a Cerberus operative had stolen incredibly sensitive information to the salarians, and in conjunction with the Alliance's ambassador, had come to an agreement. A Council Spectre would be sent to the human colony, and would find the Cerberus operative or their trail if they had already left. The Union had managed to influence the Council enough to send one of their salarian Spectres in to handle the job, confident that said operative would not allow the Council to know the true extent of the intel.

Bau however was worried about how he was going to find this agent. The colony he was heading too, Watson, had received a number of new arrivals for its military garrison around the same time the agent was fleeing, and he could have easily hid amongst them. It would be tricky to find them, especially since he was to do so as covertly as possible.

He did hope to have at least a few allies on this search. The Alliance had assured him that the leadership of the garrison would be ready to work alongside him, all of whom they assured were trustworthy.

And he'd admit he felt excitement at meeting the young vulzan and hero of Elysium, Naruto Shepard. 'This should be quite interesting,' he mused, as the shuttle began its descent towards Watson.

Naruto quietly stood with the captains in charge of the three companies stationed on Watson, as well as Major Ronald Aaronson, the commanding officer. The major had been contacted by Alliance command, and informed of the situation, as the Alliance knew it, and then had been told to share the information with those he could trust. As such, he had turned to his three company commanders, as well as Naruto, knowing none of them could be the Cerberus agent in question.

Now, they waited for the arrival of the Spectre agent, who Naruto was going to be assigned to work with in uncovering the Cerberus agent. The reason being that the most likely suspects of being the Cerberus operative were all members of the 2nd platoon of Baker Company, and Naruto, as their direct commanding officer, would be the one who knew them the best.

Even now though, Major Aaronson was a bit agitated. "I want to know how in the hell a damn terrorist is hiding right here in our own garrison!?" He yelled, glaring at each of the other people present.

"Well, if they could access our personnel records, they could easily insert a false profile for their agent, and have them added to a group of soldiers," Captain Cutler said. "Our IT specialists do their best, but no system is perfect. And so far, we haven't caught anyone who's overly suspicious."

"I know who my money is on it being," one of the other captains said, their arms crossed. "I wouldn't put it past someone related to Harold Williams to want to stick it to both the Council and the Alliance, and joining Cerberus would be the best way to do it."

Naruto stiffened slightly, before speaking. "With all due respect, sir, Lance Corporal Williams has proven to be quite a dedicated and loyal soldier of the Alliance. I find it extremely difficult, if not downright impossible to see her as a Cerberus operative."

"Lieutenant Shepard, do you have any possible leads? The soldiers who are suspected are under your command; surely you've got some ideas?" Major Aaronson asked, as Naruto thought for a moment.

"To be honest, not at this exact moment sir. After being informed of the situation, I went over base security logs and duty rosters for my entire platoon. Pretty much all of the enlisted soldiers check out clean, with none of them being suspicious. The NCO's have been a bit harder to keep track of because they operate somewhat more independently then the rank and file do, but still, I've come up with nothing. However, I've already sent a request to Alliance Command to do a full background check on each and every soldier in my platoon. Hopefully they can have an answer back in the next day or two," he said.

"Keep on it. I want this operative found and caught. We can't allow a terrorist agent to use our own ranks to hide in," the major said, only to stop as his intercom beeped. He pressed the button on it, activating it. "What is it?"

"Sir, Spectre Agent Bau has arrived," spoke his assistant sitting at the desk outside the major's office.

"Please show him in," Major Aaronson said, as the others all moved to either side of the desk.

The door soon opened, and in stepped a grayish skinned salarian wearing what at first glance seemed to be the standard armor worn by most salarian soldiers and operatives, except it was black with gold trim. The standard salarian armor was quite light, having armor only over the forearms, upper chest, thighs, and shins. The rest was reinforced mesh designed for flexibility and to absorb lighter attacks. This armor however appeared to have stronger armor plating, as well as parts of the mesh suit being lined with circuitry and gadgets designed to facilitate counter hacking and sabotage attempts.

He quickly stopped in front of the major's desk. "Major Aaronson? Spectre Jondum Bau, on special assignment from the Council and Salarian Union. Thank you for agreeing to give me access to your base."

Major Aaronson simply nodded. "Welcome, Spectre Bau. This is my senior staff, in charge of the companies under my command. And this is 1st Lieutenant Naruto Shepard. You'll be working with him, since it his platoon we suspect the Cerberus agent has infiltrated," he said, indicating Naruto.

Bau turned to Naruto, holding out a hand. "Lieutenant Shepard, it's a pleasure and honor to meet you," he said.

"Likewise," Naruto said, as he shook Bau's hand. "I hope that I can be of help to you, in finding our traitor," he stated.

"Yes. If you don't mind, I'd like to get right on that. Have you discovered anything so far?" Bau asked.

Naruto quickly brought up the information they had discovered so far. "We've gone over all the security logs and footage on base to try and find anything suspicious. So far, the one major discrepancy we've discovered is that roughly two weeks after the arrival of my platoon, a civilian doctor contracted to provide medical aid on base here mysteriously vanished, without a trace at all. We do not suspect she was the operative you're looking for, as she had been living in the colony for some time before the platoon arrived. However, we cannot rule out that she might have been an ally of the Cerberus operative in question. Otherwise, we have found nothing so far, though we are going over all the profiles and backgrounds of the soldiers within my platoon. We should hopefully have the results for that in the next few days."

Bau nodded at that. "Good, good. For now, I'd like you to continue operating as normal. We don't want to spook our quarry into fleeing before we catch him. I'll do my best to remain absolutely discreet while on your base, major."

"What I want to know is what is this traitor doing out here?" One of the captains asked, frowning. "We're a fairly out of the way colony with nothing to offer."

"Actually…you have two things here I think a Cerberus operative would be interested in," Bau stated, looking at said captain. "The first being the lieutenant here. It is very likely that the operative would be quite interested in finding out if Lieutenant Shepard here is an asset, or a threat to Cerberus's future plans, since he is such an unknown, relatively speaking. However, the second would likely be the Javelin missiles you have stored here as well. They're a new experimental weapon your people are utilizing for planetary defense against larger scale ships, correct? I would think a Cerberus operative would be interested in possibly getting their hands on whatever information they could regarding said weapons, so that his or her organization could in turn use it, no?"

Major Aaronson nodded at that. "That makes sense…alright. I want to discreetly increase security around Outpost Delta. We'll keep an eye out any suspicious activity up there."

Everyone nodded at that, as Bau looked back at the data. "Very well. May I ask where I'll be staying while here?" He asked.

"Of course. Lieutenant Shepard will show you. If you require anything, please contact me or Lieutenant Shepard directly, and we'll see that you get what you need," the major said. "Lieutenant Shepard, you're dismissed."

Naruto nodded as he saluted. "Yes sir," he said, before turning and leading the Spectre away, leaving the major and captains to confer with each other.

Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, the Spectre's arrival had not been as discreet as they wanted it to be. A shadowy figure quietly watched as Naruto escorted Bau to where his quarters were, a frown forming on their face, as they melted back into the shadows of the building they were leaning against. This would not bode well for their plans.

Elsewhere, Ashley Williams stood with the rest of 2nd Platoon from Baker Company, each soldier holding their weapons at attention, while Staff Sergeant Uchiha moved between the ranks, inspecting each weapon. Arriving at Ashley, he watched as she quickly held out her Lancer, pressing a button so it opened its casing for inspection. Sasuke took it from her hands, and began looking it over for any malfunctions, imperfections, or dirt or rust. Finding none, he nodded, returning it to her. "Good," he said simply, in the stern 'sergeant' mode that was essential for soldiers of NCO rank.

As he moved on, Ashley quickly closed up her weapon, resuming her at attention stance and waiting for the inspection to end. As she waited, it gave her some time to think about how things had changed, if only slightly, since her talks with both Sasuke and Naruto.

Since that time, her problems with her platoon mates had largely died down. While none of them had become friendly or eager to associate with her outside of duties and such, they had also stopped the comments and glares. At least while she was looking or within hearing range.

Not only that, but Sergeant Uchiha seemed to have taken an interest in her. He would often find her off duty, and they'd talk a bit, about various things. They'd talk about home, with her mentioning how she grew up all over thanks to her military family, and him talking about how he grew up on a colony world, his family being a rather well off merchant family. She had been saddened to learn that he had an older brother who had also joined the Alliance, but had been killed off by batarian pirates and slavers during a skirmish with them.

Which also led to them discussing something they had in common. Both of them tended to be mistrustful of the various alien races they had discovered in the alien galaxy. Ashley had enjoyed being able to share her beliefs and opinions with Sasuke, and finding someone who agreed with her, instead of spouting off the usual 'they're not that bad and we need to work with them' dogma.

Ashley's thoughts were quickly interrupted as Sasuke marched back to the front of the platoon. Bringing her attention to the present, she focused on him as he began to speak. "Platoon, holster arms!"

As one, the platoon moved their weapons to the magnetic plates on their armor that would hold said weapon, said weapons folding and contracting into their compact forms. As they finished and came back to attention, he issued his second command. "Platoon, parade rest!"

The soldiers quickly adopted the parade rest stance, feet shoulder width apart, hands clasped at the small of their backs. With them at rest, Sasuke began to speak again. "You all did well on the weapons inspection. Good work. But don't get lax about your weapons maintenance! If I pointed out anything, make sure you get it sorted quickly. Understood?"

"Sir yes sir!" The echoed as one, as he nodded.

"Good. Platoon, attention!" He ordered, as they quickly snapped to attention. "See to your weapons. Chow will be at 1800 hours. Third Squad, you have First Watch at 2100 hours. Dismissed!"

The platoon all saluted him, and after receiving his dismissal salute, broke formation. Some of them began to chat with others, as they all began to stream towards the armory to secure their weapons, Ashley hanging back a bit to allow the others pass her up. She found it was simply easier to hang behind them and be the last one in, rather than being in the middle of the pack and jostled 'unintentionally' or the front where everyone could see her.

As she neared the armory though, she glanced back only to blink as she saw Sasuke heading off towards a more remote corner of the assembly area. She wasn't sure what prompted her to do so, but some instinct told her to follow him, so she quietly turned around and did so, keeping her distance as she shadowed him. She couldn't quite place it, but something just seemed off with the way he was moving, the way he was holding himself.

He quickly moved around the corner of a building, and she sped up slightly to catch up, stopping at the corner and peeking around it. He was just disappearing around the next corner, and she quietly followed, stopping and peeking again, this time finding him stopped and glancing around. She quickly pulled back before he could see her, and listened intently for any movement from him. She heard what sounded like three beeps issue from his omni-tool, only to be answered by three more beeps, and then approaching footsteps. She ever so slowly peeked out again, frowning.

Sasuke had been joined by another soldier, a 2nd lieutenant from the ranking on his collar. And yet the man seemed to be deferring to Sasuke as if he was his superior. "Sir, I've discovered some troubling news," the man said quietly to Sasuke.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, his tone much colder than Ashley had heard before, as the other man glanced around, before speaking.

"There's a salarian on base sir. I saw him being escorted from the command building by Lieutenant Shepard. Judging by the armor and the way he's carrying himself, I'd say he's STG at the very least," he said, referring to the salarian's spec ops forces.

Sasuke frowned as well, going over the news. "Is he the only one? I'd hate to think we have a team of STG operatives right on top of us. Not when we're so close to the end of our mission."

"No idea sir. He's the only one I saw. I'll see about looking around for others, though they're probably well hidden," the lieutenant said.

"We'll need to keep a low profile. The shipment of new Javelin missiles is arriving here in two days, and we cannot blow this mission when we're so closing to completing it. Is everything ready?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes sir. The distraction is ready, and will draw a large portion of the garrison away from Fort Reykjavik, and give us plenty of time to seize the new Javelin missiles at Outpost Delta before they're secured. We've also received confirmation that the extraction ship will be ready to pick us and the missiles up," the other man said.

Sasuke nodded. "Good. It'll also give me some more time with a possible recruit I've found. Ashley Williams. I think she's amenable to our cause. She may not say it, but I can tell deep down she has a dislike, if not hatred, of the Council races and their pawns. Given what happened to her grandfather because of the turians, it's understandable," he said with a smirk.

"What about your other mission sir? Is the alien an asset or a danger to Cerberus?" The man asked.

From her hiding spot, Ashley's eyes widened, and her heart beat rapidly in her chest at the mention of Cerberus. Sasuke was a traitor, a Cerberus agent. And so was this other man as well. Her hand was already halfway to the folded Lancer on her back, her gut reaction being to step out and capture them both, bring them in for treason, but she stopped herself at the last second. She had no evidence beyond what she had heard, and her family's reputation would likely ensure no one believed her. Plus, her weapon wasn't loaded, and Sasuke would know that. She slowly forced her arm back down, as Sasuke responded to the other man. "Unfortunately, I cannot be certain. He certainly seems to be interested in protecting humanity, likely due to his adopted father's death on Mindoir. But whether or not he'd support Cerberus is another matter entirely. What I have been able to figure out is he is loyal to his sister, and so wherever she goes, he'd follow."

The other man didn't respond, and Sasuke glanced around. "Just make sure no one is found out or gives anything away before the transport arrives. Cerberus is going to need to study those weapons if we're going to have a chance of duplicating them. Have you got copies of the blueprints?"

"Yes sir, but the blueprints are purposefully missing certain key parts, to ensure that anyone who steals them is unable to fully replicate the weapons using them alone. We'll need at least one intact missile."

"And we shall have one. Return to your post, and keep an eye out for more salarian agents. We're almost done," Sasuke said, as the other man nodded, and quickly left. Sasuke waited a few moments, and then started off in a different direction, leaving Ashley standing there.

She slowly stepped away from the corner, a cold sweat breaking out as the full implication of what she had just heard hit her. Sasuke was a Cerberus agent, an operative of a terrorist organization who was planning to steal a shipment of heavy anti ship ordinance. He had pulled the wool over her eyes, making her think he was a sympathetic friend, when really he was a traitor to the Alliance. What was worse though was hearing him state how he saw her as a possible recruit for Cerberus.

She felt sick to her stomach at the thought. She had given him that impression? That she'd be willing to betray the Alliance, and join Cerberus? She staggered a bit, trying to gather herself. No, she was no traitor. That bastard might think she could be, but he clearly didn't know her like he thought he did.

Shaking her head, she banished those thoughts. It didn't matter. What mattered was bringing this bastard down. Her first instinct was to head directly to the nearest squad of MP's, or Military Police, and tell them exactly what she heard. Bringing up her suit's systems, she cursed as she realized the whole time her suit had still been in 'parade' setting.

Each suit of Alliance combat armor, from the standard marine armor to the advanced N7 armors, came equipped with different operation settings. When set to combat mode, every system of the armor was active, including a recording system used by Alliance command to get more accurate records of what happened on missions, rather than solely relying on the words of eyewitnesses. However, in 'parade' setting, the majority of the armor's systems would be powered down, including the recording system. Her armor had been in 'parade' setting for the weapon inspection, not requiring anything but the most basic functions to be active, and as such, she hadn't recorded anything of what she had just heard.

Upon realization of that, she dismissed the idea of reporting to the MP's. They'd likely dismiss her claims simply because of her grandfather, or they'd do a lukewarm investigation, to say that they took her warning seriously when they hadn't. The same would be true for the Inspector General on base. The only option she could think of that wouldn't end in failure was reporting to Naruto what she had heard. (3)

Her course of action set, she immediately brought up her omni-tool. "Locate Lieutenant Shepard," she ordered into the computer, and quickly the device accessed the base computer, using it to track down the location of the lieutenant.

Naruto meanwhile was currently with Bau, going over the records of each soldier in his platoon with a fine tooth comb. The salarian was frowning a bit, as he marked certain profiles. "Each of these soldiers has lost someone to battles with other species. That might be a possible connection," he said, bringing up those specific files.

Naruto glanced over them, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the five names, seeing both Sergeant Uchiha and Corporal William's amongst them. "Williams didn't lose a family member to combat with another race," he said.

"No, but from what I understand, her grandfather was the commander of the Shanxi garrison during the First Contact War. It would be motive for her to join Cerberus, if it meant striking back against both the turians and the Alliance for what happened to her grandfather," Bau stated logically. Seeing the look on Naruto's face, he blinked. "You don't agree?"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't believe she's a Cerberus operative. Call it a gut instinct…or an animal instinct," he said half jokingly, before growing serious. "It is quite possible that the Cerberus operative isn't driven by the loss of a family member. They might simply have xenophobic views in general. We shouldn't discount other possibilities," he said.

"True, true," Bau said, as he set the currently selected files into one larger file, marked 'Suspect List 1'. He set about going over the other files with Naruto's help. "Do you know when we might receive the results of your Command's IT analysis?" He asked.

"It should be within the next day or two. They were going over every personnel file of those present on this base, just to be sure. But considering that practically everyone outside my platoon was already stationed here before this information was intercepted, it's highly unlikely any of them are the suspect," Naruto stated, before wearily sitting down. "Still, it'll take them a bit to finish their analysis."

Bau nodded, before setting aside the data. "Hopefully, it'll be before the Cerberus agent decides to move on. They've been here for quite some time, and staying in place for too long is dangerous for an agent in hiding," he said, remembering his training from the STG.

"Heh, we wouldn't have even known about him if not for your government," Naruto said, rubbing his face tiredly.

At that moment, there was a chime from the door of Bau's quarters. Naruto frowned, holding up a hand to Bau before moving to the door and activating the intercom. "Who is it?"

"Lieutenant Shepard? It's me, Corporal Williams. I need to speak to you urgently sir," spoke the voice of Ashley through the intercom.

"Can this wait Williams? I'm dealing with something very important and-," he started, only to be interrupted.

"Sir, I've just discovered that there's a team of traitors in our midst," she said, causing Naruto to stop and look back at Bau, who blinked back. Naruto activated the door lock, causing it to slide open and to reveal Ashley standing there.

"I think you better come in and explain, Williams," he said, stepping aside so she could enter. As she did, he quickly closed the door to prevent anyone else from seeing or hearing.

Outpost Delta, Franklin Moon

Sasuke gingerly stepped over the unconscious body of yet another one of the soldiers stationed at Outpost Delta, a victim of a potent knockout gas unleashed through the ventilation system, rendering everyone unconscious for several hours except for the two of his operatives who had been stationed on the moon based missile outpost. So far, it seemed his team's plan was going accordingly. On the surface, the entire garrison had been drawn out by their distraction, a series of catastrophic failures in each of the colonial settlements on the planet, leading to loss of public utilities and power. With the Alliance Marines surface side keeping order and aiding in repairing the sabotaged systems, they wouldn't be able to respond to any reported irregularities or distress calls from Outpost Delta. Especially once the outpost's garrison was rendered unconscious.

Now, his team of eight had control of the missile base, and stood in the central armory, where several large missiles were stored. Sasuke smirked behind his mask before pointing to the two of his operatives who had been stationed at the outpost. "Begin the transference process from here to the main landing pad. We'll be standing guard there in case any Alliance troops catch wind and try to make a landing," he said.

The two operatives nodded, their faces, like his and the rest of the team, hidden behind fully sealed helmets to prevent the gas from affecting them as well. Each one of his team had discarded their various disguises, donning now the combat armor of Cerberus soldiers and officers, displaying, for the first time in weeks, their true allegiance.

Sasuke turned and moved off with his six remaining operatives, leaving behind the two who set to work starting the automated conveyance system that allowed the soldiers of the outpost to transfer missiles from the landing pad to the armory, the armory to the launch tubes, and vice versa. Now, they set the parameters to begin loading missiles and conveying them towards the main landing pad.

As the first missile was loaded and began to be carried towards the landing pad, one of the Cerberus Agents turned, nudging an unconscious alliance marine before squatting down. "Hey, I think this one is Rollins. He was an asshole, wasn't he?" He asked his comrade.

The other one rolled his eyes behind his visor. "Yeah, so what?" He asked, focusing on the task at hand.

"Well this would be the perfect time to get some revenge on him for all the shit he gave us while we were stuck here. Acting like such a big fucking shot," the first one said, smirking as he tried to decide what he could do to the unconscious marine.

"Just leave him be and keep your focus man. We need to get this done as quickly as possible." The second one said, monitoring the control console.

"Yeah yeah," the first one side, standing up and finding himself face to face with an armored salarian. Before he could even speak the salarian lashed out, striking his throat and disabling his vocal chords. He gasped, trying to yell, as the salarian quickly rushed forward, grabbing the man's helmet and slamming him towards the ground, adding a leg to help trip the Cerberus agent and thus smash him into the ground, where he was rendered unconscious.

The second Cerberus agent turned, hearing the commotion, and cursed, reaching for his gun, when there was a tap on his shoulder. "Hey there, mind if I cut in?" Spoke a male voice, as Naruto, in full armor, brought the fist back and smashed it right into the man's helmeted face.

The Cerberus armor, like the Alliance armor, had reinforced visors covering the eyes, giving the wearer visibility with as much protection as possible. Despite the visor being made of a reinforced material designed to stop small arms fire, Naruto's fist, thanks to his vulzan strength, smashed the visor, causing it to shatter. The operative was sent flying, smashing into a wall and slumping to the floor, unconscious from the blow Naruto had delivered.

Ashley, who had been hidden from view behind some crates and watching for any extra enemies popping up, now stepped into view as Naruto and Bau secured their opponents. "Remind me to never get into a sparring match with you sir," she said, staring at the unconscious man whose face was bleeding from shards of his broken visor.

"Don't worry corporal. I'm more of a grappler anyways. My sister is the straight up puncher of the family," he said with a grin, before activating his comm. "Baker Two to Alpha Actual, infiltration successful."

"Roger that. Situation groundside is under control. Continue with mission and secure hostiles for interrogation. Missile safety is priority alpha," came the response from Major Aaronson.

Naruto nodded, ending his comms and drawing out his Lancer, turning to Ashley and Bau. Ashley also was carrying her Vindicator, while Bau carried two salarian weapons. One was a pistol known as the Scorpion to the Alliance, a small weapon that fired powerful 'sticky rounds' that stuck to whatever they hit, before exploding due to potent explosive fillings inside each round. The second was a salarian shotgun called the Rehgar, a potent shotgun capable of quite a bit of damage despite its small, compact form.

"Alright, let's move out. Remember, we're outnumbered, so keep your head on a swivel and keep to cover. Let's move out," Naruto, said, taking point as they headed towards the landing pad.

When Ashley had revealed all she had learned about Sasuke not only being a Cerberus operative, but leading a team of them intent on stealing the Javelin missiles, Naruto and Bau had been quick to inform Major Aaronson of what they had found. The major's first instinct had been to arrest Sasuke, but stopped when he realized that doing so would be far too risky. They did not know the exact number of Cerberus agents, and it was likely that if they captured Sasuke, his team would be able to cause untold amounts of damage and destruction to the civilian settlements they were charged with protecting. So instead, the plan was to allow a small strike team to handle Sasuke, allowing their quarry to think his plan was succeeding and drawing out him and his team.

Now, the trio moved down the hallways, taking each corner and turn carefully until they reached the final hallway leading towards the main landing pad, which they could see through a pair of large viewports in the walls on either side of the door. Said landing pad was large enough for transport ships and shuttles to land in, and was fully enclosed save for a single wall, which was secured with both a force field and armored doors. The doors denied entrance or exit to the landing pad unless retracted, at which point the force field allowed those within to operate while allowing ships to enter and exit. Currently the armored doors were retracted and a transport ship, painted in the white, black and yellow colors of the Cerberus organization and bearing their emblem on the side of the hull, was parked in the landing pad, its cargo bay opened and waiting to receive the missiles.

The trio stopped at the doorway, with Naruto checking the map generated by his armor's motion sensors. "Looks like all seven of them are near the ship itself. There's not a lot of cover between the door and them, so we're going to need to move fast to the nearest cover once the door opens. Williams, you take the right flank. I'll take the left. Bau, you go up the center. Just keep moving till you get to some cover. Clear?"

The two others nodded, each gripping their weapons, as Naruto palmed the holographic door control. The system made a soft noise as it processed the command, and then the door opened with a whir.

Sasuke Uchiha, hearing the noise of the door opening, turned just in time to see the three armored figures rush out, guns firing at him and his troops. He immediately ducked down behind some boxes, as the rounds ripped into the ground and boxes around him, some of the rounds impacting the hull of the ship. His fellow agents took cover as well, drawing out their weapons. They immediately began returning fire at the three charging enemies.

Naruto grunted as a couple rounds hit his shields, dropping them to eighty percent as he dove behind a large cargo hauler, panting slightly. Checking his squad readout, a feature useful when operating with a small squad of no more than five soldiers, but useless when in a larger group, he saw that both Ashley and Bau had also suffered minor hits to their shields. But he could also see they were both in cover as well. Nodding in satisfaction he half rose from his cover, opening up on the nearest enemy.

Sasuke popped up, firing rounds form his own Lancer at Naruto's position, before ducking back down. "So, it seems I was found out. Tell me Naruto, what gave me away?"

"Maybe next time you'll have secret meetings where you can't be overhead, asshole!" Ashley shouted out, firing her Vindicator at a pair of the Cerberus agents crouched inside the transport ship, using the cargo doorway for cover. The three round bursts from the Vindicator were more accurate then the rapid fire of the Lancer, allowing Ashley to more accurately hit her targets.

"Oh, come now Williams, why all this aggression? Cerberus is standing up for humanity. We're fighting against the aliens who were responsible for your grandfather's disgrace, against people like those who turned your family into scapegoats! We're fighting to protect humanity's future! I'd think you'd be eager to join us!" Sasuke shouted, leaning out and firing at Bau, who had exposed himself to fire at a couple of his soldiers.

Bau ducked down, while Naruto used that opportunity to move up to closer cover, drawing closer to Sasuke. Ashley growled as she pulled out a grenade, priming it, before throwing it at a Cerberus soldier hiding behind a cargo crate filled with thermal clips. The grenade exploded, turning the cargo crate into an inferno. With his kinetic shields drained by the explosion, the exploding inferno engulfed him, with his armor being unable to withstand the heat. He screamed in pain as he was cooked inside his armor, struggling to put himself out.

"Safeguard that, bastard!" Ashley shouted, rising and firing again at Sasuke's position.

Naruto meanwhile grinned as he saw a perfect opportunity to cause his own chaos. Summoning up his biotics, he fired a powerful throw at a large heavy crate that two of the other Cerberus agents were hidden behind. The crate went flying back, smashing the two Cerberus agents into a wall. One fell to the ground unconscious, while the other staggered, his left arm hanging limply at his side. He stumbled and hit the ground, trying to crawl towards the transport ship.

Sasuke however chose that moment to pop up, and fire at Naruto, the rounds impacting his barrier, and one smashing into his Lancer. Naruto cursed, ducking down, and checking his weapon, only to find it sputtering and smoking. The round had hit dead center, destroying the main processor and rendering the entire weapon useless. Dropping it, Naruto pulled out his Predator which would be far more useful in these close quarters then his Viper would be. "I'm going to give you one chance Uchiha. Surrender now and hand over whatever data you took from the salarians, and you'll be given a fair trial."

Sasuke just scoffed. "Fair trial? With the appeasers to the Council being the ones judging me? The trial will be rigged so they can gain the Council's favor, alien. Terrorists like me are a shame they can never allow to have a fair trial."

Naruto shrugged as he readied himself. "I tried," he said, before gathering his biotics around him, forming a barrier, a biotic shield to add to his own armor's kinetic shields. Vaulting over his cover, he began firing his Predator rapidly at Sasuke, charging his position.

Sasuke cursed as he fired his Lancer, holding down the trigger as he tried to drain both Naruto's biotic barrier and his armor's shields, but the stream of rounds from the rifle soon halted as the weapon overheated, the thermal clip taxed beyond its capacity. He tossed aside the weapon just in time to block Naruto's fist, wincing as he felt the power behind Naruto's strike, and mentally thanked the genetic augmentation process that Cerberus made standard for all soldiers, a process that enhanced their strength, stamina, and reflexes. Of course, he had another ace of his own, which he quickly decided he was going to need as he blocked and dodged a flurry of blows and grab attempts from Naruto. Closing his eyes for the briefest moment, he sent a mental command to the small nanochip in his brain, and felt the tell tale tingling sensation in his eyes as the chip activated his ace in the hole.

Naruto quickly moved in, launching a fast right hook towards Sasuke's head, only for Sasuke to grab it, holding it in place. Naruto grunted, struggling to push his fist in, only to blink as he saw the Uchiha's eyes through his helmet's visor. Instead of the normal black-ish brown color, they now glow red, with three black marks in each eye. Sasuke reared back with his right arm, punching at Naruto, who barely ducked in time, only to receive an armored knee to the faceplate of his helm that sent him staggering back. Shaking his head, he readied himself as Sasuke launched another strike, which Naruto barely dodged. He attempted to grab Sasuke's outstretched arm, only for Sasuke to twist away with near inhuman reflexes.

"Like it? It's a little cybernetic enhancement that gives me quite the edge in battle," Sasuke taunted, readying himself for the next round of fighting. "With these, I'm more than a match for you," he said.

Naruto growled softly as he rolled his shoulders. "Fine…I guess we do this the hard way," he said, as he moved in to fight again.

Bau meanwhile was peeking out from behind his cover, seeing the first missile approaching the transport ship. The remaining three Cerberus agents were all firing, trying to retreat back to the ship while keeping him and Ashley pinned. Bau turned his head to look at Ashley, who was currently changing out the thermal clip on her Lancer. "Corporal Williams! We need to stop that missile before the Cerberus troopers can secure it!" He shouted.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Ashley said sarcastically, as she popped up, fired a quick burst, and was forced back down by the return fire. "If you've got any ideas, I'd be happy to hear them!"

"Provide me with cover fire while I move up to that next position! I should be able to destroy the conveyer with a well placed shot!" Bau said, pulling out his Scorpion pistol.

Ashley blinked at him. "Are you crazy?! If you hit the missile, you'll kill us all! The controls for it are right there!" She said, pointing to where the hanger's control for the missile conveyer system was located. "We can just stop it!"

Bau frowned as he glanced between it and the Cerberus troops. "We'd never make it to it. You have to charge through the open to reach it!"

"Yeah?! Watch me!" She snarled, not willing to trust Bau's plan. Gathering her feet under her, she lunged out of covering, firing the whole time at the Cerberus troops still firing at them. They were forced down as she kept running towards the control panel, to shut down the conveyer system.

Unfortunately, she hadn't accounted for the wounded Cerberus trooper, who was now crouched in the cargo hold of the transport ship. Even with his left arm broken from being smashed into the wall by the crate, his right arm was still good. And that he used to throw a grenade in Ashley's path.

Ashley's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the grenade landing in front of her. She barely managed to stop and throw herself to one side when the grenade went off, throwing her to the ground. She groaned, stunned, feeling burning pain in her back and unable to comprehend what was going on around her as she saw a figure moving over her. Her eyes were barely starting to come back into focus as she saw it was one of the Cerberus troopers, as he aimed his rifle at her head.

Suddenly, his shields flared as a spread of small rounds slammed into him, staggering him back, followed by a second barrage of rounds that ripped through his armor, dropping him. Ashley groggily turned her head to see Bau firing at the other Cerberus troops from cover. The pair of remaining troopers, having enough, rushed aboard the transport ship. Bau pulled out Scorpion, aiming it at the tracks of the conveyer system and firing, the sticky round hitting ahead of the missile and detonating, destroying the tracks and stopping the missile.

Hearing the engines of the transport start to power up, Bau aimed his Scorpion towards the ship, only to stop as he saw Ashley moving weakly, blood seeping from her back where her armor had been penetrated by shrapnel from the grenade. He wavered a bit, torn between firing t the transport to try and disable it, and helping a wounded comrade. Letting out a salarian curse, he dropped his pistol and moved to Ashley, grabbing her and dragging her to safety, where he began to diagnosis her condition.

Meanwhile, Sasuke growled as he ducked under one of Naruto's punches, attempting to launch a strike at the vulzan's armored stomach, only to have to block a blow from one of Naruto's knees. As he did, he started to feel pain in his eyes, and cursed to himself. The cybernetic eye enhancements he had received, code named Sharingan, gave him a huge advantage in hand to hand combat, as they allowed him to perceive and process enemy movements and attacks at a much faster rate than normal, as well as memorize opponent's fighting styles to study, analyze and deconstruct later. However, the downside was that he could only use them for brief periods of time before they started to cause damage to his eyes, due to the optical nerves not being able to handle the connection to the cybernetic optical implants.

With his advantage starting to slip away, and seeing the Javelin missile being stopped in its tracks, Sasuke decided he had to end the battle and fast. Dodging back, he purposefully left himself open for Naruto to go in for a grab, only to reverse it and throw Naruto away. As the vulzan marine recovered, Sasuke pulled out his own grenade and primed it, throwing it at Naruto as he turned and rushed to the transport ship.

Naruto cursed as he grabbed the grenade with his biotics, flinging it away from him and ducking as it exploded. Standing up, he was in time to see Sasuke board the transport ship as its engines fired up, the ship lifting off. Turning, Sasuke smirked as he mockingly saluted Naruto. "We'll see each other again, Naruto! This fight isn't over!"

Naruto growled, watching the ship pull away and shoot out through the force field, disappearing off into space. Turning, he found Bau still checking over a wounded Ashley. "Is she okay?" He asked as he came over.

"Her injuries are not severe, merely flesh wounds. Though the number of them will require some time to heal," Bau reported, standing up. "I administered medi-gel to the wounded area, but I suggest getting her to medical personnel as soon as possible.

Naruto nodded, before looking back at where the transport shuttle had been. "I'm sorry we let them get away," he said.

Bau just let out a dry chuckle. "That won't look too good on my record," he said. "But ultimately, he's not safe yet. I can still pursue him and attempt to retrieve the data," he said, looking down at Ashley. "Truth is, I'm not sure if I'm going to be a good Spectre agent. I'm not one who enjoys the idea of sacrificing lives for the sake of the mission."

Naruto clapped a hand on Bau's shoulder. "I think you might make a better Spectre then you realize," he said, before turning to activate his comm and call the garrison command for assistance.

Meanwhile, aboard the fleeing transport ship, Sasuke grunted in pain, his eyes bleeding slightly as one of the uninjured troopers tended to them. The pilot of the ship entered the cargo area, approaching him. "Sir, the Illusive Man wishes for a status update on the mission," he said, as Sasuke growled softly.

"Report to the Illusive Man that the mission was a failure. We were unable to secure the Javelin missiles…and subject vulzan apparently will not be an asset to Cerberus. It is likely he will become an enemy to our cause."

"Understood sir," the pilot said, moving back to the cockpit to send the message to the Illusive Man, while Sasuke growled to himself.

'We will meet again, Naruto. And I swear that when we do, your race will end that day,' he thought, as the shuttle approached the Mass Relay and prepared to make the jump to their next destination.

Infirmary, Fort Reykjavik

Ashley groaned softly, laying in one of the medical beds in the infirmary, hating that she was forced to lie on her stomach. But lying on her back was too painful, at least at the moment.

She let out a quiet sigh, contemplating her situation. It had been two days since Sasuke had escaped, and while she was happy to hear he had failed to recover any of the missiles, she still hated that not only had he escaped, but she was at least partially responsible for his escape. If not for her actions, Bau probably could have disabled the ship, or they could have boarded it and seized it.

But instead, she ended up wounded and the bad guys escaped. Sighing, she buried her face into her pillow.

"Did I come at a bad time?" Asked a slightly teasing voice, causing her to look over her shoulder, wincing as her back twisted slightly. Naruto stood there, chuckling a bit at the awkward position she was in.

"Sir? What are you doing here?" She asked, wincing as she struggled to get into a sitting position, thanking the doctors for the painkillers that dulled the pain in her back. Naruto moved over to her and helped her as best he could, until she was sitting up and facing him.

"You can drop the sir for right now Ashley. Call me Naruto. And I just came by to check up on you. How you doing?" He asked.

She let out a sigh. "I'm tired, I'm bored, and I'm in pain sir…I mean Naruto," she said, frowning slightly. "And…to be honest sir…I'm confused as hell as well."

"Oh? About what?" Naruto asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down in it.

"About…why did Bau help me?" She asked. "I mean…I…I don't…ever since I've been old enough to understand things like politics and stuff, I've just…I've believed that we can't rely on the other races to be our allies. That we need to rely on ourselves, because ultimately, they'll always look out for themselves first. I mean, look at what happened after Mindoir. They claim that we're all part of a galactic community and we should help each other, but the minute we need help, they don't do anything at all. How can we rely on them to help us when we need it if they don't help us when we need it?" She asked. "I believed that they'll always look out for their own races first, because other races aren't their own people."

"But Bau sacrificing his mission to help me out when I was injured…why did he do that? Especially after I…well after I fucked things up. It's just…its confusing sir," she said.

Naruto leaned back slightly. "Well…I can understand why it's confusing. You apparently have some strongly held beliefs that now have been contradicted by actual experience, haven't you?" He asked her.

As Ashley nodded, Naruto thought for a moment. "I think the problem you have Ashley is you're trying to think of individuals acting under a generalization you've created for their entire race. But you can't really do that. A government will act, most of the time, in the fashion you've described. They're going to do what they believe to be best for the people that are under their charge. Doesn't mean the choices they make are the correct ones, mind you, but that's how they're going to operate. However…you cannot take that generalization down to the individual level. Every person, whether they're human, salarian, asari, turian, or vulzan, is going to be unique Ashley. Each individual will operate according to their own will and conscience. You can't judge an individual by their species; you have to judge them by who they are. Look at the very example in front of you. Bau, a salarian Spectre, helped you out when you needed it despite it causing him to fail in capturing Sasuke, while Sasuke and his fellow Cerberus operatives were willing to kill you, despite the fact that you're human."

Ashley shifted a bit uncomfortably. "I…I see you're point, it's just…difficult sir. I…this is hard to admit but…I just have felt…uncomfortable around aliens so much…because of what happened with my grandfather, and my father, and me. I wanted to blame them for what happened, so…I guess…I guess I just thought of ways to dislike or hate them, to make it easier to blame them for what happened," she said quietly.

Naruto leaned forward, gently touching her shoulder. "I understand Ashley. To be honest, I have my own version of your problems. The man who became my adoptive father, Malcolm Shepard? He was killed on Mindoir, by batarians. There's not a day that goes by that I don't want to curse every batarian, and paint them all in the same color. To be honest…I'm not sure how I'd react if I came across just a normal batarian civilian or something," Naruto said. "But I'd like to think that I might at least be able to be neutral to them…maybe. Wow I so dug myself into a hole here, didn't I?" He asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Ashley giggled a little bit. "It's okay sir, I understand where you're going with this," she said, before sighing. "I guess it's a little something I'll need to try and work on. It would be bad if I'm going around giving humanity a bad name or something with my actions. Especially since…well apparently I gave that Uchiha bastard the idea that I'd be a good candidate for Cerberus," she said, growling softly.

Naruto gave a soft chuckle. "Guess we all didn't really understand each other that well. He managed to pull the wool over my eyes," he said, before slowly getting up. "I know it'll be difficult, but give what I said some thought. And I know it's tough, but don't let others get to you regarding your grandfather. For what it's worth…I think your grandfather's actions should be applauded."

She stared at him, eyes wide. "W-what?" She asked, startled, as Naruto nodded quietly.

"Your grandfather did everything he could to try and resist the turians, but in the end, I think the choice he made was the right one. Your grandfather did what he could to save the lives of the soldiers and civilians under his command. To be honest, I think saving lives is worth far more than the Alliance's reputation, and that your grandfather is a true hero, for making a hard choice like that," Naruto said, before smiling. "Now you rest up and recover from your little scratch there, corporal. I expect you back on your feet and ready to serve in no time at all. Understood marine?" He all but ordered.

Ashley blinked at him, before giving a small grin and saluting, wincing slightly. "Sir yes sir," she said.

Naruto saluted her back, then with a smile and a nod, turned and let. Ashley dropped her salute, watching his retreating back, before slowly lowering herself, face down, and back into her bed. As she did so, she couldn't help but start to think over everything he just said, and as she did, she smiled a bit.

"Maybe this posting wasn't so bad after all," she murmured to herself, as she quietly lay there, thinking to herself.

---

And finally done. Wow, this chapter is almost 16,000 words long. No wonder it took me a while to do it.

I'll admit, I'm worried about this chapter, and how it'll be received. Ashley Williams is not exactly a well liked character in the series, but I'm hoping that what I've done here will help to make her at least tolerable in the future. I guess we'll see.

Sorry about the wait on this chapter, but its length and some distractions (job searching, manga's, Christmas) kept me from being able to really work on it. So I hope you all enjoy.

Thanks go out again to my awesome beta's a7xfanatic1195 and Kyuubi123. Thanks again guys.

Till next time, my readers! Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, or whatever it is you say at this time of year.

1. Canon wise, Ashley's father never rose above the rank of Serviceman Third Class, the lowest rank in the Systems Alliance Navy. Since I'm doing the actual ranks belonging to our Navy and Marine corps, this would be the rank he'd be in within our Navy.

2. Yes, I know Sasuke doesn't have this kind of hair, but given the fact he's a Sergeant in the Marine corps, it's kind of given that at least currently his hair would be like this.

3. For those of you who are military, ex-military, or familiar with the military, I know you'd be going 'that's not how that works. They'd take any warning she said seriously'. I know that, but what I'm getting at here is that is Ashley's mindset. After dealing with crap because of her grandfather, she'd be under the assumption that anything she says is automatically suspect, and not likely to be taken seriously. Hence why she dismisses talking to the proper authorities about what she had heard.