Mass Riddick Effect

Chapter 1: Close Encounters

Shepard


Commander Charlotte Jane Shepard stood in the cockpit frowning. Her skin crawled. As if microscopic bugs were exploring some new frontier, and that frontier just happened to be her body. Pure prickles of discomfort echoing across her figure. Such undeniable pleas for help supported her recent conclusion. She simply did not trust the mission.

So what are you doing here, Char? Her inner monologue crept forth from the darker corners of her mind, threatening to pull her into an unprecedented coma of worries and rabbit-trails. Unending questions met with despondent answers.

"I hate that guy," Joker proclaimed suddenly, breaking the silence and ripping her free from her thoughts. It had been just over thirty seconds since the spectre had departed the bridge. "Woo-hoo!" Joker continued, waving his arms in the air, "I can zip up my spacesuit after using the bathroom. Yeah well, I just jumped through a mass relay at light speed and hit a marker the size of a pinpoint! So, let me ask you guys," he spun around in the chair to face them, then gestured by throwing his arms out wide, "Who's badass now? Huh?"

Co-pilot and Staff Lieutenant, Kaidan Alenko, gave her a wary look before placing his inquisitive gaze on Joker. "Oh come on, Joker. Its not that bad. You hardly have to see him and besides, Nihlus is a Spectre. That kind of status demands a lot of respect, considering his training and what he's probably been through. It might even warrant respect from you," he said, then paused to watch Joker roll his eyes. "And that's saying something." Such made Joker stick his tongue out, which sent Kaidan's focus back to the ship's scanners. He must have concluded that convincing Joker otherwise was a lost cause.

Shepard agreed with Kaidan about the spectre's reputation, but she knew better than to say so in front of Joker. She had always appreciated the staff lieutenant and found him at least admirable, but also exceedingly average. Like many Alliance soldiers, he had muscles and discipline, which was at the very least, a good start for a military career. He also had that rare just-right length hair, but physically lacked anything else remarkable. At least to her knowledge. His smiles could be contagious though, despite how rare they seemed. Nonetheless, a likable guy and respectable officer. A very different breed of Alliance personnel compared to the wise-cracking Joker. At least Kaidan appealed to logic. Joker was just plain stubborn.

The helmsman scoffed. The sound drew her away from zoning out at the cockpit's flashing monitors any longer. Joker met her stare with those baby-blue eyes and an amused expression.

"Yeah, well know what I think, Commander?" He paused to smirk, then continued, "I think he can kiss my ass. Without me flying this baby, none of us would be getting anywhere fast."

"Why is everything so highly inappropriate with you? We're in the Alliance and Nihlus is essentially a superior. Well, not quite, but still... that's no way to talk about a someone of a higher ranking," Kaidan scolded with half effort. He wasn't even looking at the pilot. Per usual, he kept his focus leveled on the task at hand.

The pilot just shook his head and folded his arms, as if he were a pouting child. "Can't help it. I hate stuck-up Citadel people."

Shepard opened her mouth to speak, but the ship's intercom beat her to the punch by blaring first.

"Joker, this is Captain Anderson, tell Commander Shepard to report to the Debriefing room, immediately. Nihlus and I will be waiting."

As soon as Anderson's voice quieted, Joker performed a little dance with his arms. "Joker do this, Joker do that, oh hey Commander, the Captain wants to see you," he exclaimed, swiveling the chair back to the ship's controls.

Moments later, Anderson's voice returned through the intercom, "I heard that, Mr. Moreau."

Joker groaned at that, while Kaidan shook his head in disapproval, then added, "Nice one. That'll win you a medal."

"Yeah, way to go, Joker," she said, a hint of amusement to her tone. "I guess I'll head down there. You just uh, keep the ship afloat. Okay?"

She cannot resist the urge to smile when the irritated pilot flails a hand in frustration. It may as well have been a white flag. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kaidan grinning to himself. Her own smile maintaining, she spun on her heel and started striding down the bridge corridor, passing numerous Normandy crewmen at their stations. While on assignment, she ordered that chatter be kept to a minimum along the bridge. That way the officers kept their attention on the comms and nothing else. Despite requesting this, she still found the night and day difference odd, for upon reaching the crowded CIC, exuberant chatter filled her ears. Noise. She disliked noise. Despite the clamor, she overheard the senior navigator raising his voice with someone over an omni-tool chat. Such meant something was afoot. Something everyone would be on about if Pressly knew. It acted like a plague that would infect and distract the whole ship when he was the one spreading rumors. To fulfill her duty to the ship, she regrettably knew that she had to intervene to some extent.

The grey-beard Alliance officer did not notice as she slinked up to the galaxy map beside him.

"Something wrong, Pressly?" she asked, keeping her voice calm. No need to alarm the man. She still did. Somehow.

The officer flinched, then addressed her curious stare with surprise, his eyes the size of saucers. Like he was caught red-handed, his hand still in the cookie jar. Exactly where it wasn't supposed to be when answering to his CO.

Oh, come on, I'm not that scary, she thought to herself, I'm more kitten than superior. Just let me hide somewhere and take a nap already. Maybe she could convince Anderson of that sometime. Perhaps if she worded it right?

"Um, no Commander," Pressly stammered, "Chief Engineer Adams and I were just having a conversation."

Shepard's brows raised, "Is that why I caught the spectre's name being mentioned?"

She didn't, but assumed that would get him to express his thoughts. Everything seemed to revolve around the 'mysterious' alien onboard.

The navigator swallowed, rubbing the back of his balding head with one hand, and pressing the datapad to his chest with his other. "Well Ma'am, we just sort of find it odd that we're flying so carefully just for a shakedown. Isn't a spectre a bit much just for a shakedown of a colony? Let alone someplace like Eden Prime? We think something bigger is going on here, Commander." Pressley tugged at the collar of his uniform, "Adams thinks he's here inspecting Anderson, but I feel like there's something more. Spectres are hard hitters and the Council only dispatches them when they need things done. This mission could be that critical."

Shepard nodded, her eyes acknowledging two other crew members debating something in hushed voices a few yards away, closer to the galaxy map. She quirked her lip to one side. Probably the same topic, she guessed. Great.

"Well whatever this is or isn't, I trust Anderson." She bobbed her head to assure him of that. "Do you?"

"Absolutely, Ma'am. I trust the Captain with my life."

"Good, then carry on, Sir. I'll get us some answers."

The navigator dipped his head in farewell, then put his back to her and lifted the data pad closer to his face. As she walked away, she could hear him informing the chief engineer of their brief conversation.

Gossip in space. It never leaves.

The thought stood true when Corporal Jenkins made a remark worth stopping for.

"I'm so excited to finally see some real action!" She came to a halt just as Doctor Chakwas began to nag him, in a motherly way, using that immaculate British accent of hers.

"I wouldn't speak so lightly of such matters, Corporal. Every time you see action you end up in my medical bay receiving treatment." The doctor closed her eyes and sighed. "It's hardly fun for either of us, so please try to show some extra care this time around."

The soldier ignored Chakwas, his willing gaze finding his CO. "Any word on Eden Prime?" The corporal blurted out, his tone far too enthused for Shepard's liking. That higher pitch reminded her of those days fighting puberty. What a war that had been.

"Nothing yet, but Chakwas is right," she answered, indicating the doctor with a tilt of her head. "Please try not to get yourself hurt this time around, whatever we end up doing down there." Jenkins truly had an ability for always finding a way. On their last exercise, the corporal had twisted his ankle while breaching a room.

The corporal laughed. "Yes Ma'am, I'll do my best!" He saluted, then grins ear to ear.

Far too eager, Shepard decided. But a great shot once he gets all that puppy-dog energy out. The corporal landed at the bottom on her list of worries, though. Her lack of intel bothered her more. She knew that her, Kaidan and Jenkins would form a ground team with Nihlus of sorts, but the rest remained unclear.

"Aren't you originally from Eden Prime?" she wondered out loud.

"Yes, Ma'am. It's nice and peaceful, but a bit too peaceful for my liking. So naturally, I enlisted with the Systems Alliance," he replied cheerfully, his brow abruptly furrowing afterwards. "Which is what I don't get. Any idea at all, as to why we're landing on Eden Prime? I mean surprise visiting Mom and Pop sounds great and all but..."

Chakwas pursed her lips, as if displeased with the soldier. Whether displeased with the man's inability to keep questions to himself, or displeased with his listening skills, Shepard could not tell. Regardless, she felt for the poor woman. Soldiers made for terrible listeners when it came to anything medical. Shepard could relate with personal experience. Personal experience from the soldiers' perspective. When it came to physical therapy she often found herself on the naughty patient list. She couldn't help it. Reading in bed always sounded better than rehab exercises.

"Really not sure yet, but I'm about to get briefed by Anderson."

"Gotcha," he sighed, as if disappointed by the lack of an instant answer. "Well I won't keep you then," he chimed, with a wave of goodbye.

"Thanks," she said, then turned to face Chakwas, "Try to keep him out of trouble, would you?"

"I'll do what I can," she relented, before allowing a whimsical smile.

Such a patient and good soul she was.

With that Shepard hurried away, hoping to escape any more unwanted questions. She could sense their stares upon her as she retreated around the hallway's bend, towards the debriefing room. Once out of sight she let loose a gasp, her head and eyes aching from the ship's bright lighting. The migraine invasion would be imminent. She just hoped it could hold off until after the mission. Whatever their true mission was.

She pressed the green terminal, causing the door to the debriefing room to whoosh open and reveal the shape of something demonic in the gloom. No, not demonic. A turian. She could make out the sharp outlines thanks to the holographic monitor at the room's far side. The turian would be their 'mysterious' alien onboard, Spectre Nihlus Kriyik. After meeting one of the raptor-like species for the first time at a young age, turians had tormented her childhood dreams with their terrible talons and pointy teeth. In perfect clarity, she could recall reciting her fears of the "dinosaur people" to her father. He told her not to worry, "they don't bite." Oh, how wrong you were dad, she thought to herself now, they can bite. Just like everything else in space.

She descended the slanted ramp into the circular room and surveyed her surroundings further, only to discover that she shared the room with another. The Normandy's newest Lieutenant Commander.

Riddick.

Encased in shadow, he leaned against the railing along the room's edge, between a pair of chairs. His casual black clothing helped melt him into the wall. His coarse arms were folded tight against his chest, glistening in the holographic monitor's faint light. That same light reflected off those wraparound goggles he wore to hide his electric eyes; giving him the appearance of something inhuman, with shiny circular eyes. The large man kept his head bald and face clean-shaven to complete his lethal look. More monster than man, she had always thought. It seemed more appropriate considering the man survived Torfan and likely got away with murder while doing it.

Of the two in the room, she wasn't sure which stalker she preferred. At least Nihlus had only been onboard for a week and didn't skulk about.

She dismissed her pessimism and realized the captain was nowhere to be found. Only then did a cold shiver snake down her spine.

"Ah, I was hoping you would beat Anderson here," the turian admitted, whirling away from the hologram to greet her. The fact that the holographic montior was enabled told Shepard that Anderson meant business. Wherever he was.

Due to her height, she had to look up to fully drink in the spectre's features up close. Everything from the dark turian's unique white facial markings, piercing green eyes, and sleek red-black armor were imposing. The specimen she examined far exceeded the requisites of what a spectre should be and look like. This assessment also came without the bias of acknowledging how dangerous turians normally seemed. With those predatory highlights and all. Spectres were in a league of their own, and this specimen before her clearly fit the bill.

"Where's Anderson?" She had no reason not to be direct. She wanted to know why the Normandy had its current heading. if anyone knew aside from the captain, it would be the spectre.

Instead of answering, the turian began to slowly pace around her. Like a varren would for a wounded animal. With this spectre glued to her and Riddick watching like a hawk, she certainly felt the part of helpless prey. Maybe she should just tip over now and save herself the trouble later?

"On his way, no doubt. I suspect the Captain can travel through his own ship untroubled." The turian paused, making a clicking noise with his mandibles, as if having a new thought. "Tell me Shepard, what do you know about Eden Prime?"

The question threw her off guard. So did the turian's voice. Deep, sinuous, and a bit raspy.

"Eden Prime? It's an undeveloped human colony; farming and agriculture, mostly. People like it because its like Earth. I've heard some call it Little Earth. Why do you ask?"

The turian emitted a low rumble, a growl maybe, before speaking, "Because it's of an interest to the Council. For too long humans have gone out of check, some say," he completed his route around her, stopping to stare up at the blank holographic screen again, with his back to her. "The Turian Hierarchy might try doing something about that soon. I think they should, at least."

"You know," Riddick said from the shadows, his voice deep and deadly, "It's pretty fucking unwise to make threats on a ship that isn't yours." Riddick pushed himself off the bulkhead and into better lighting. In moments, he's face-to-face with the turian and just nearly as tall. Well, still the better part of a foot shorter, but he met the turian's stare with enough steel to make up the difference.

"By no means, Lieutenant Commander," Nihlus hissed, "I'm here to evaluate your XO," he confessed, whipping his head to the side just as Captain Anderson entered the room.

Evaluate me? She almost gagged. The brief and lovely acid reflux came with a circus of distressing thoughts. Said thoughts began ricocheting in her head, like several boomerangs bouncing off walls. The greatest of those sporadic thoughts kept pounding until it drowned out the rest.

"F-For what purpose?" she forced the actual words out, thankful Riddick had stepped in to get her some answers. Thankful to Riddick for once. Usually she just wanted him out of the way and not playing commando.

"Shepard," the captain broke into the conversation wasting no time, "The purpose is that Nihlus and I have put your name forward as a candidate to become the next human spectre." Her eyes widened at the captain. She couldn't possibly be prepared for something so prestigious, nor did she fancy such an idea remotely. To become a spectre . . . No, not just any spectre, the first human spectre? There's no way she was the right choice. Not some Alliance-raised spacer who ended up on the wrong career path. "And yes, the Council sent Nihlus here to inspect and evaluate you," Anderson concluded, with a nod. He looked to Riddick grim-faced, as if he wished he did not have to, "I've submitted you as well, Riddick. But don't let it go to your head."

Riddick took a heavy step away from Nihlus. Keeping his focus on the turian, he cocked a crooked smile. "Ah gee," he said, dripping sarcasm. He then adjusted his goggled gaze to look at Anderson, "Thanks, Captain."

"Sir, with all due respect, I really wish you would have approached me about this first," she said, pulling straight from the vat of thoughts playing tennis inside her skull. Maybe the crazy boomerangs had stopped, but just about everything else remained. A freaking circus.

"My apologies, Shepard. I can explain later, but right now, we've got bigger fish to fry." Anderson moved to the front of the room, beneath the holographic display, and then turned to address the trio. "We all have an incredibly important mission ahead of us."

"And just what mission is that?" she inquired, as Anderson tapped a button on the console behind him. The lack of intel itched at her. Bored into her very essence. She needed to know things. Only then could she analyze and act accordingly. Its how she functioned.

"It involves an ancient alien species known as the Protheans. I'm sure you've heard of them before," Nihlus supplied, crossing his sinewy arms.

"They're extinct," Riddick stated, shifting his weight. "They didn't make the cut."

"He's right," she joined in, "The Protheans have been extinct for 50,000 years. So what could this assignment have to do with them?" Anderson and Nihlus met her gaze with stern, tight-lipped expressions. "And no. For the record, I did not think this was just a shakedown. So please address my question without any further slights to me or my character. I'm done with the charades."

"There's some of that virtue I've heard so much about. Oh, and by the way, you did do a really good job of keeping your suspicions to yourself," Nihlus added, turning to Anderson. "She had the whole crew convinced everything was fine."

No, I kept telling them I'd get answers.

"Would you rather have them on edge?" Riddick suggested, getting Anderson to frown. The captain always seemed concerned when Riddick butted in.

"Fair point," the spectre agreed, nodding to himself, while Anderson locked his brown eyes on her.

"Forgive me for keeping you in the dark, Shepard. This mission is actually of the utmost importance to the Council. It could lead to opportunities for human growth on the Citadel. You see, we've been assigned the task of retrieving an uncovered Prothean artifact."

"And this job needs muscle power like the Normandy to perform it?" She presented an expression of disbelief. Surely there's better uses for us. The Normandy came designed for covert operations, combat, and high-level scouting. That's what the Turian Hierarchy and System Alliance had poured so much money into it for. Yet, here they were being under utilized.

"Because Commander, this artifact is valuable. Anyone could be trying to get their greedy hands on it," Nihlus injected, sounding bored.

That frustrated her. A capable leader that acted on information rather than instinct is how she made a name for herself. Being some deployable toy that people could jerk around as needed, was the opposite. That's grunt work. Had they provided the details regarding this assignment up front, things would be different. She would have seen to that.

Suddenly, the room's intercom buzzed, Joker's voice yelling. "Captain, incoming transmission from Eden Prime! You have to see this!"

The captain placed a hand to the communications link in his ear. "Patch it through, Joker," he ordered, the transmission appearing moments later via the hologram overlooking them. Static covered the screen at first, but it quickly cleared to expose an obvious battlefield. The group squinted in anticipation as mingled gunfire, screams, and shouts reverberated around the room. An Alliance soldier appeared on the screen blasting away with a pistol, only to go down seconds later in a spray of blood. Moments after, part of a trench exploded, causing the camera to shake until someone grabbed hold of it. An Alliance officer rushed in front of the screen and crouches, hands hovering over his head.

"Normandy come in—Ah, fuck!" A nearby explosion summoned the curse free from his lips. Only when seemingly safe did he attempt continuing, though the audio kept cutting out, "This is Sergeant—We're under—tack!" The officer froze suddenly, then slowly inclined his head up to the sky, a look of shock overtaking his expression. "Oh my god, what is that?" He hoisted the recorder into his chest, twirling it around to show what he's gawking at. Anderson and Nihlus have an identical response as they witnessed the descent of what seems to be a giant metal hand from the clouds. Red lightning dances around the thing as the camera's focus begins to deteriorate. Then a blinding red beam ensued, summoning hundreds of screams and the untimely end of the transmission. The screen fuzzed to black.

"Freeze at 38 seconds," Captain Anderson said in a hushed voice, after a brief silence. The hand-like octopus machine reappeared on the screen, the misty clouds hiding most of its bulk.

"What is that?" Nihlus demanded.

"That's beauty, right there," Riddick said, drawing an incredulous stare from the turian.

Anderson shook his head, eyes latched to the screen. "I don't know what it is, but one thing is for sure." Anderson's face grew grave as his brown eyes found Shepard once more. "Things just got a lot more complicated. I want all of you to suit up immediately, we're deploying a small strike force ASAP. Shepard, get Jenkins and Alenko as discussed. We need to get down there fast. Now go! That's an order!"


The cargo bay doors swooshed open, pouring fierce winds and light into the Normandy. All the eye can see are gray-white clouds blanketing the atmosphere. Every so often red spikes of lightning streak forth, threatening to smite the Normandy into the cloudy sea if not for the talented and over talkative helmsman keeping them at the perfect height. Roughly 15,000 meters. One could say what they wanted about Joker, but the man knew how to commandeer just about anything. Not every XO could boast such about their helmsman. That placed her among a fortunate few.

"Alright, Shepard! This is serious business! Let's get down there and find that prothean beacon at all costs!" Captain Anderson had to yell over the swirling, howling wind disrupting the ship's interior. Before him, she, Riddick, Kaidan, and Jenkins stood armed to the teeth. Each of them wearing slick black armor, and most wearing visors attached to half-helms. Only her and Riddick's gear bore the N7 insignia, though. The mark of the elite.

"What about survivors, Captain?" Kaidan yelled back, his hands moving to perform a quick inspection of his handgun. Nearby Nihlus is doing the same with a shotgun, the turian spectre looking far too comfortable. Then again, so did Riddick. Did Torfan make Riddick this way, or was he born like that? She couldn't help but ponder the thought, especially when seeing her stoic comrade alongside someone as cold as Nihlus. Both maintained that cool, meticulous focus. Like assassins preparing to make a hit. It sent a snail of concern creeping its way across her mind's meadow. Standing there, she realized that more than any assignment ever before, she really disliked this one.

Anderson's voice saved her from thinking of further malcontent.

"Civilians are a second goal, Alenko! Yes, we need to help them out if they cross our path, but the beacon is the priority! Is that understood?"

Never had she heard Anderson devalue civilians. Even greater cause for concern, Char. Best to do this one by the book. Quick and clean.

Kaidan and Jenkins saluted the captain, while Nihlus took a few steps forward.

"Are you dropping with us?" Jenkins shouted to the turian.

Nihlus spared them a glance. Well, less than glance. He was too good for them.

"I work better alone! I'll scout ahead." With that, the Spectre jogged forward and leapt from the ship. He's lost to the clouds in seconds and all she can immediately think, is good riddance.

"Nice guy," Riddick remarked, getting Jenkins to wrinkle his brow. Shepard shook her head, kid's miserable at catching sarcasm.

"Shepard!" The captain turns his head to the side, possibly to lessen the affects of the buffeting winds. "Good luck down there! Be careful!"

She nodded her understanding, the only thing she could think to do. Luck never amounted to much in these scenarios, but the saying spoke for itself, she supposed. May luck be on your side and all that. And yet, even lucky soldiers caught bullets. That reality was not easily escaped.

Taking precious steps to the ship's lip and roaring gales, Riddick and Kaidan flanked her. "Are we ready?" she asked of her squad.

"Born ready, Ma'am!" Jenkins cried out from behind her.

She looked to Kaidan who assured her with a nod, then to Riddick, who never wore a helmet on oxygen-friendly planets because he lacked common sense. Thick-headed krogan wanna be. He did one of those half-smiles of his, then gestured to the clouds and simply said, "Ladies first."

She doesn't dignify that with a response. Instead, she jumped. Sheer waves of wind pounded against her as she fell, her insides lurching because her body was now at the mercy of gravity. The men chased after her through the air, the corporal screaming his excitement as the cloudy sea swallowed them whole. Moist, damp, and humid, she emerged first only three thousand meters from the ground, per her omni-tool. She deployed her parachute shortly after, cutting the velocity of her journey to Eden Prime drastically. Now she swayed left to right, sinking closer and closer to the greenish-gray land beneath. Above, the parachutes of her squad mates open with a snapping sound. Only Jenkins fell past her before activating his.

That eager beaver kid is going to get himself seriously hurt one of these days, is all she could surmise on the way down, watching Jenkins' parachute the whole way. Least I can do is make sure it's not on my watch.

All of them made it to the ground without issue. Despite this, she still found herself annoyed, as Riddick went scouting ahead without instructions from her. Less than a minute after touching the ground and she already faced dissidence. Must be a new record.

"Well that was fun, what's next?" Jenkins exclaimed, working to kick free of his parachute. He was taking the longest of the group to disengage himself from the contraption.

She left him without answering, and paced forward with Kaidan at her heel to scan their surroundings. To Jenkins this was home, but to them this was just another mission, on some other planet. With more action than usual, she reminded herself, her eyes taking note of the towers looming in the distance. Some are tall enough to poke through part of the misty cloud line, but none are tall enough to penetrate the cloudy sea higher up. The rest of the terrestrial world resembled Earth. Rolling green hills, a variety of tree-life, and plenty of rock poking its way out from underground. The scenery might be enjoyable if not for the falling ash and smell of decay.

"Wow, home kind of looks to be in rough shape." Jenkins reached the duo on the grassy hill, his vision tracing theirs down into the small valley and stream. Due to steep cliffs, the only possible route from their position looks to be along the rippling stream, which is where Riddick already trekked. "This is one of the outer colonies for sure."

"What tells you that?" Kaidan asked.

"We're most established deeper in. Bigger buildings and stuff. More people." Jenkins narrowed his eyes at the clouds. "Out here its more country and farms. More like where I'm from."

"I see." Kaidan paused to let his eyes feast on their surroundings, but mostly seemed to be studying Riddick. "Looks like the Lieutenant Commander decided which way we're going," he said moments later, pointing down below at Riddick. While she and Riddick shared the same rank, her status as the Normandy's XO meant Riddick earned the Lieutenant Commander title. That's how most the crew referred to him anyway. He was crouched where the stream bent with a rock outcropping.

"Let's join him," she said, then set off, shuffling down the hill with her squad mates following right behind her.

Kaidan audibly starting sniffing, "This place smells like..."

"Ash and death," Riddick finished, right when they reached the slope's bottom and came up on him. Shepard found herself surprised he waited for once. "Don't like the smell of ash and death, Lieutenant?" Riddick asked the question without looking back at any of them. His gaze stayed glued to a line of trees just ahead.

Ash and death was right. Their surroundings smelled somewhat like campfire, but with a sinister twist. The usually strong smoky smell was overpowered by the pungent stench of overcooked flesh.

"No, Sir. I do not enjoy such things." Kaidan's displeasure was crystal clear. It made her wonder if Riddick poked at the lesser-ranking Lieutenant for personal entertainment. Or if he did so out of spite.

"If I'd known this was gonna happen, I never would have left home," Jenkins spoke up, looking serious as his eyes watched the hilltops. The assault rifle seemed wrong in his hands. Almost like he couldn't get a good grip. It kept bouncing slightly whenever he took aim, rather than stabilizing. Were his hands that shaky? Or was the kid that nervous?

"I think you would've wished you had left." That was said in Riddick's notorious deadpan. The Normandy crew knew it well. She called it his murder voice.

Nonetheless, said murder voice ended any chatter, allowing her to mobilize the group with hand signs. She got them slogging through the water upstream for a few minutes before they rounded the wide bend and found themselves stepping onto dry grass. Feeling much closer to the action, she drew the handgun from the holster on her thigh and inspected her team. Kaidan had copied her, his face beneath the visor impassive with thought. Jenkins on the other hand, stayed twitchy and excited, ready to shoot at any movement. And then there was Riddick. Somehow still comfortable. As if he had been here before. Though he did finally have his shotgun out and at the ready.

At least we think somewhat alike, she supposed.

Gunfire sounded up ahead. It triggered her instincts, her body snapping down into a crouch. Before them, a large hill ascended into what looked to be a forest. The shots may have come from up there? Someone making a last stand? Or maybe they were further on?

"Alenko," she said, "Run a scan. Tell us if you see anything."

"Aye, aye, Commander." The staff lieutenant did as instructed, then nodded. "Good call. We got some marks up ahead. Maybe thirty meters? Looks like their closing."

"Roger that. Everyone follow my lead."

From her position at the head of the shore party's loose column, she raised a fist and crept forward. She made it behind a slab of rock where she paused to listen further. Only when thirty strained seconds passed without a sound did she motion Jenkins forward. The corporal obeyed exactly as boot camp had trained. No hesitation to a superior's command. Eager, alert, and prepped to fire, he heeded the call. Diligently, he scurried past her position only to freeze in place, as an eerie whistling noise announced the arrival of three bluish-gray machines. Drones. They appeared at the top of the hill buzzing, then racing forward like wasps, they swooped in at Jenkins, blasting away with lightning-fast machine guns.

No! Her lungs seized and burned with sudden panic.

She watched in horror for less than a second before Riddick rammed into the hapless Alliance soldier. The impact knocked the corporal off his feet and straight into a nearby rock cluster.

After that, adrenaline ignited within her veins. A rush of heat and fire. She shook off her initial panic and exhaled. A calm ocean breeze settled over her instead. That was close, Char. Too close. Done chastising herself and with the young man out of harm's way, she stood up and joined the fight with pistol fire.

The nearest drone went down first, combined shots from her and Kaidan blowing it to pieces. The other two put up more of a fight, weaving back and forth, their rapid fire peppered the two Alliance officers back into shelter. Resorting to blind fire from behind the rock, she managed to steal their attention long enough for Kaidan to emerge and flare up his omni-tool. Just as he ducked back into cover, one drone began frizzing out. It explodes shortly after, knocking its fellow synthetic off course. Riddick seized the opportunity to jog out in a rather cavalier fashion, and finish the drone with a single, well-placed shotgun blast.

The skirmish over, the squad's attention returned to Jenkins who came to life rubbing his head amongst the rocks. "Ow, what just happened," he whined, his face scrunching in pain as he persisted at rubbing the back of his helmet. Kaidan rushed over to help the corporal to his feet. Meanwhile, she thanked Riddick by launching daggers at him with her eyes.

"That's cute," Riddick said, acknowledging her glare from his position part-way up the hill. "You didn't just expect me to just let the kid die, did you?"

"Don't be an ass," she retorted.

He shrugged. "Unless that's what you were trying to do," he bobbed his head in the direction behind him, "Sending the bait uphill like that?" She doesn't find the words quick enough to discourage him. "No shit. I knew I liked you Commander," he drawled, then grinned.

"Oh, shut up. You didn't have to knock him unconscious. There were other means of saving his life." She gestured at the other lieutenant, "Kaidan has biotics, for example." Riddick's broad poker face remained invincible. No way to know what he thought or was thinking about what she said. Ever.

"But no Riddick, let's just try and kill the kid by throwing him into some rocks. Genius idea!" She chuffed, "No helmet and he might be dead or seriously injured right now. You know that?"

"I did what had to be done," was his response, somewhat absently, his concentration now on the rise where the drones' ambush had come from.

Stubborn krogan wanna-be.

"Alenko, stay with Jenkins until he's ready to move," she directed out loud, "When he is, you can follow us. We won't go far." Kaidan looked ready to protest but her gaze cut the cord on that idea. She stomped over to stand next to Riddick. "You and I are scouting ahead. Got it? You and I."

"Higher ground. I like it." He started up the steep incline of tangled roots, vibrant green grass, and pale-gray rock without hesitation, gripping his shotgun in one hand. Such a hard-ass. "Can't wait for the view." Of course you can't, she replied mentally, then rolled her eyes.

She waited long enough to sear holes into his back the best she could with her pretend-laser vision. After harvesting as much satisfaction from possible doing that, she looked back at the remainder of her team. A pang of guilt resonated. Kaidan stuck to Jenkins' hip for support as the younger soldier stumbled to collect his weapon. She thought the kid's expression to be best described as petrified confusion beneath the helmet's half-visor.

"Jenkins, you alright?" she asked, her tone softening.

The corporal nodded in solemn silence for once. She could get used to that from him, but the shame weighed far more. She gave the order. She put him in the line of fire, despite Kaidan's scan. Resisting the urge to frown at those thoughts, she soldiered through and kept her face ambiguous. "Alright then. I'll see you both up top."

She left the duo gimping along, and raced up the hill after the man she could not stand. Despite her squat legs, her breakneck pace enabled her to catch up, about a third of the way along the steep climb. She matched her awkward gait with his effortless one, and glowered at him. That lasted fifteen seconds.

"Got something to say?" He asked, without looking at her. He kept his frame, vision, and entire existence forward. Never looking back for anything or anyone.

After digesting the prompt, she nodded to herself. "Yes, Lieutenant Commander. I do have some thoughts actually." She braced herself. Act tough, Char. That's the only way to get through to boneheads like him. "Truthfully, I'm getting sick of your attitude. But I think it's how you treat others more than anything... you don't care for anyone else and you disrespect authority." She paused to let the thesis solidify in his ignorant brain. "Look, with me it's one thing, but when you mock the Captain in front of others … it is a step too far." Authority Char, rambling thought provider and presenter of opinions had emerged. Speaking her mind normally took a lot. Once she got going though, one would have better luck stopping a krogan in its blood rage. Never had she tried reprimanding Riddick, but today seemed as good a day as any. Given the surprise assignment, might as well keep up with the unexpected. "Been thinking, if I get too sick of it, you stepping out of line that is, it probably wouldn't be too hard to court-martial you and have you grounded again."

Riddick stayed expressionless. "Is that so?"

They were halfway up the hill now, the smell of decay growing stronger and her heart beating faster. Instincts told her they were nearing a battlefield of some kind. She felt it in her gut.

"Yes. I don't know what sort of ..." she huffed, as an outgrown root almost sent her plummeting to the ground face first. He'd really take you seriously if you tripped and rolled down hill, Char. "... As I was saying, I don't know what sort of stuff you got into on Torfan, but on the Normandy, we listen to orders and respect one another. Especially our superior officers. We act as a team." She dug into him with her eyes, "In other words, for those of us with two months onboard the Normandy and the listening skills of a child, we don't go gallivanting about whenever it pleases us." She could not keep her gaze on him as long as she wanted. She had to stay attentive on where she was stepping, as the roots and loose patches of grass continued trying to take advantage of her clumsiness. "Have I made my thoughts clear, Lieutenant Commander?"

Riddick crested the hill first, then stopped at the top and said, "You were one of those kids that always listened to mommy and daddy, weren't cha?" He kept his back to her while he waited for her to stumble up the last few steps.

Once she joined him, her eyes scanned the grove of thick, twisted trees ahead. The trunks were a blotchy dark-gray in color and in places, looked to be growing out of the large rocks that called the small forest home. Lots of cover. Good, was the conclusion she drew. With the corporal injured they may need quick cover. This small forest would provide that in a pinch.

Content with their surroundings, she moved forward with her sidearm at the ready, and addressed her companion. "I think that's completely off topic, Lieutenant Commander. You trying to call me out or what's the matter? Am I hitting a soft spot?"

"Not at all. I'm just curious."

Something about hearing his voice and not looking at him really got underneath her skin sometimes. Probably all the skulking he did aboard the Normandy. Always where you least expected him. She really had to fight the urge to glance over her shoulder.

"Oh yeah? Tell me, what did I say back there that made you curious about by childhood?"

He chuckled, just long enough to make her blood run cold. Still, she refused to turn around. It'd be a show of weakness.

"Curious, might be the wrong word for it. I was getting at how scared of me you are," he said, his boots cracking twigs like bones behind her. It seemed as if her were reading her mind somehow. Sifting through her thoughts. "You believe everything you're told and read in the reports don't cha?" It felt as if he were breathing on her. "You think I'm a … killer."

It smacked her as a tidal wave of nausea. She could not resist any longer and pivoted on her heel to confront him. To her shock, he stood at least three yards away from her, facing a different direction. He had even returned the shotgun to its clasp on his back.

She sighed and started to turn away, "The idea that I'm scared of you is preposterous. You're nothing more than a arrogant krogan-wanna… " she whipped back at the sound of his sudden and rapid approach, but was not quick enough to defend against it. She ate her words. His vise-like grip latched onto the wrist of her right hand, keeping the firearm pointed at the ground as he shoved her against a tree. There he pinned her with a massive forearm against her neck, his thigh jammed between her legs to prevent her from lashing out.

Trapped like an animal, her right arm trembled as she tried to lift her gun, while simultaneously she fought to claw herself free with her other hand. She could try throwing a punch, but then she might lose her ability to breathe entirely. Not to mention the lack of force she could muster like this. It'd equate to throwing a pebble at an elcor, most likely.

Riddick leaned in close. Her squirming did little against his freakish muscle. "Then a what? For all you know, Commander, I could've done them like this." He pressed in with his forearm, crushing her throat further. She clawed for freedom harder in response. "Or this." With brute strength, he overpowered her until the barrel of her own pistol tapped her helmet. It took mere seconds. "Maybe I even found the sweet spot," he lifted his thigh against her, making her recoil, "just left of the spine, fourth lumber down."

Every part of her wanted to scream. He had her. He was basically violating her. She had let her guard down and he made her pay for it. Just like he must have done with his former squad on Torfan. It only took two months for him to get her alone at last.

She staved off the suffocating panic. She hadn't made it this far by being weak.

"You always show girls a good time like this? Or men too?"

Riddick gave a toothy smile. Perfect white teeth for the perfect killer.

"There's that spark," he cooed, shaking his head slightly, "The mother fucking Hero of Elysium. That I can admire." Slowly, he inched his face closer to hers, until he's within a centimeter of her visor, so close that she can smell his minty breath. "What I gotta know though, is what it's like on the other side."

Keep it together, Char. Don't show fear. And wait, what?

"Other side of what?" She spoke faster than she intended, as her shaking body threatened to betray her. She wanted to sob in frustration, but there was no escaping one's own mistakes, per her father. You had to own them.

To her amazement, Riddick softened the grip on her gun-hand and eased off some on her neck. "Death." He tilted his head, "Come on, that crater on the side of your face ain't going nowhere. You took a round on Elysium, didn't wake up for ten days after that." He straightened up his posture, "So don't tell me you didn't sink into something nice and quiet like."

"You're sick in the head," she whispered, the realization dawning on her. He didn't intend to kill her. At least not here. He's either suicidal or just … messing around? Suddenly angry, she ripped her gun-hand free of his grip entirely and shoved the weapon into his chest. "Now let go of me!"

"Ah, there's your spine." Suddenly, he jerked his head upward and took a step back with his hands raised in surrender, "As you command, but I would get down if I were you."

"Get down? I should put you down for the shit you just pulled!"

Riddick just smiled at her, then retreated rapidly away from her, just as a drone zoomed up beside her left shoulder. With a scream of surprise and gush of emotions, she gripped her side arm with both hands and blasted away at the robot. The poor thing never got the chance to move again, and fell to the ground smoldering. Her pistol spent and overheated, she stared at it gasping, then recognized the whistling noise coming from the trees. There's more.

"Riddick, what's the situation? Any more drones?" Kaidan shouted over the comms, as he appeared over the ridge with Jenkins in tow.

She whipped towards them in bewilderment. They had no idea what just happened. What he just did to me.

The staff lieutenant's question is answered when another drone flew into sight. This time to her right, but further away than the first, thankfully.

"Quick, get down!" she barked, before listening to her own command. She did so at just the right time, as a series of plasmic rounds pelted where her head had been against the tree trunk moments before. She had no idea where Riddick went, but both Kaidan and Jenkins got settled behind a short wall-like rock. Reazling this, she made her desperate gamble to run for a better position.

As she had thought, the maneuver proved incredibly risky. Immediately, the heat of the drones' machine-gun fire seared against her shields, causing her omni-tool to blare warnings. She braced herself for that fiery sting she knew so well, only for her squad to open fire on cue. The Normandy shore party unleashed a barrage back at their enemies, several shots dismantling the nearest small target in seconds. Just as Riddick emerged from a nearby tree and started to shuffle forward, three new drones replaced the one they had destroyed. Riddick back pedaled into safety, while Kaidan and Jenkins took turns shooting. She joined them behind their excellent cover and found her heart to be misplaced, partially into her esophagus. Way too fucking close, Char. Get it together.

"You okay, Commander?" Jenkins asked, meeting her gaze with wide-eyes.

She could only muster a nod. Too much had happened in the past five minutes for her to do anything else.

"Two down," Kaidan called, diving back down to the ground on the opposite side of Jenkins.

The corporal then stood up and dispatched the last drone with a burst from his rifle. "Woohoo! That's all of them, then?! Right?"

Still catching her breath, she peeked over their cover just in time to see Riddick tap one of the drones with his boot, then give the thumbs up. That prick. Now she really should have him court-martialed. She didn't need some asshole messing her up every other mission. She needed an LT Commander she could trust, like Kaidan. Not this jackass. And who knows, maybe he did mean to kill her back there? What if the drones' arrival had actually saved her life? Would he have killed Kaidan and the kid too, then?

She shook her head. She didn't want to know. She would figure out how to deal with him after the mission. That's just how it would have to be.

With the drones down and her worries pushed below the surface temporarily, she reorganized the group and kept her mouth shut on Riddick. She'd save any collateral she had as ammunition for later. Right now she needed men capable of action. Riddick, in spite of his lunacy and regular disobedience, fit the bill. The mission was proving far too dangerous to short herself a man. Even if she really wanted to. Riddick probably knew this too, which led him to revealing the true state of his mind. A soldier who should have stayed in the psych ward and never been cleared for a return to duty. She'd tell Anderson as much in her report.

This time when she got them moving again, she had the shore party progress carefully in a strict formation. Riddick had point; she took second, to keep eyes on him; put Jenkins third to protect his inexperience, and left Kaidan to guard the rear. At some point she'd have to inform Kaidan of the instability amongst them. The LT would help her keep the mission intact. She could depend on Kaidan.

After a short hike through the grove, they found a wide, battle-torn valley of sorts on the grove's opposite side. Dirt, corpses, and more rock being its main features. The descent down about twenty yards of sloped, rugged terrain.

"What do you think happened here?" Jenkins wondered out loud, nearly tripping over his own feet. Least she wasn't the only clumsy one.

"No idea, but there's only one way to find out," she answered, her eyes narrowing at the sight of an armored person sprinting in their direction below. Presumably female by her body shape, it's more clear that she's Alliance military based on her Avenger assault rifle and white armor.

"Commander, look!" Kaidan exclaimed, pointing at the trio of robots chasing her. These synthetics were far different than mere drones. They were humanoid and sinuous, and seemingly had flashlight-esque faces. Not to mention assault rifles and numbers. Beyond the chase scene, two more of the strange one-eyed robots yanked a screaming man over a silver cylinder. Moments later, the cylinder extended drastically into a spike, fatally impaling the man through the chest in a spray of crimson. "What the . . ." Kaidan's voice trailed off in shock as the survivor below seeks shelter against a wall of sandstone.

This mission is way more than we bargained for, Shepard acknowledged, a sense of dread racing down her spine.

"Let's get down there," she shouted, slamming the door shut on her grim realization. They had to act fast to save the surviving soldier. "I'll give us some cover from up here!"

Nodding to her, Kaidan began slide-running down into the valley with Jenkins and Riddick following. Seeing Riddick in front of her brought a gracious amount of peace her way, as she plopped into the grass on her stomach and reached over her shoulder to release the magnetic hold on her favored weapon of choice. The ever-familiar Volkov sniper rifle unfolded in her grasp to form the killing instrument she knew and trained for it to be. A means of dispatching unfriendlies from a distance. She really preferred it that way when given the choice. Especially with her last close encounter so fresh in her mind.

Below, the five flashlight-headed machines closed in on the Alliance soldier. They walked in an almost synchronized strut, their relentless gunfire preventing the soldier from moving. The Normandy squad reached the sandy surface of the valley, then fanned out in different directions, Alenko making for the soldier while Jenkins and Riddick went left and right. The synthetics reacted by refocusing their fire at the new targets, thermal rounds ripping through the sand after their heels. This gave her the perfect opportunity.

Inhaling, she peered through the scope and lined up a flashlight in the red crosshairs, then tapped the trigger. The round hit home. Accompanied by a spout of white liquid from where its head should be, the robot collapses.

The remaining four continue to blindly fire from the open, seemingly unaware or uncaring of their change in numbers. Below, she spotted Kaidan lighting up his omni-tool, the Alliance solider beside him watching in curiosity.

"What the hell are you doing!?" She heard the survivor shout.

"You'll see!" Alenko yelled back, then stood while the enemies aimed everywhere but him. Kaidan's overload is successful, as one of the synthetics received a lethal shock, sending it into an uncontrollable spasm.

Nice work, LT. She smiled to herself, lined up, and shot the machine down into the sand.

"What did I tell you?" Kaidan yelled again, "Helps when you got someone like her watching your back!"

She can feel the female soldier looking up at her, but stays focused on the fight at hand. She placed another round in an enemy's shoulder, and as it flailed to recover, Riddick blew it in half with his shotgun.

The remaining synthetics shifted their attention to the rocks hiding Riddick. Acknowledging the opening, Kaidan raised a hand, lifting one of the robots into the air with ease. The other paused its sporadic gunfire to look up, allowing her to disable it for good with a shot to the head. The last machine hovered in midair for precious moments before Kaidan slammed it down into the sand. As it attempted to get up, Jenkins, Riddick, and the Alliance soldier unloaded their weapons into it. What remains of the foe is a mess of bent metal and smoldering, gooey-white chunks.

Kaidan stood up and put a hand to the side of his helmet. His voice came through the communications link embedded in her helmet, "All clear for now, Commander. Come on down."

"On my way," she answered, folding the sniper rifle and replacing it upon her back. Careful not to trip, she picked her way down into the valley, then joined their small assembly examining one of the metallic corpses. Naturally, Riddick had his hand in the white-plasma-like substance, then drew it to his nose for sniffing.

The soldier decked in white armor, Sirta Foundation's Phoenix brand if she recalled, approached her, then stopped to salute. "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212nd. You in charge here, Ma'am?"

"Yes, I am. Can you tell us what's happened here, Williams?" She did a sweep of the battlefield with her eyes and made note that there weren't any human corpses. Aside from the poor man on the spike. "Where's the rest of your squad?"

"We were patrolling the perimeter when the attack hit. They cut off our communications somehow and ambushed us. My squad and I split up, we tried to double back but then . . ." the light in her eyes faded, as her head drooped slightly. "I think I'm the only one left." Kaidan patted her on the shoulder pad in a show of sympathy before moving on to inspect other metal corpses with Jenkins. Riddick kept his examinations to himself.

"I'm very sorry about your squad, Chief. I'm Commander Shepard of the Normandy, and for what it's worth, I'm certain they died heroes' deaths." Her eyes wandered beyond the soldier. The valley they stood in looked more recently made then she first realized. Almost like a chasm created by mining equipment. Though the size of the laser would have to be half the width of a dreadnought to birth this kind of destruction. She dismissed her wandering thoughts for the woman in front of her, "Are you okay, Williams? Hurt at all or anything like that?"

"No, I'm fine, Commander." The chief hopped a bit as if to appear unfazed and primed for action. "Just a little pissed off is all."

She nodded back at her, meeting those fierce hazel eyes. "Fit for duty?"

"Absolutely, Ma'am."

"Good. What else happened? Know anything else about the attack?"

"Well, we tried to hold out as long as we could near the dig site, but the geth overwhelmed us," the chief confided, getting Kaidan to spin around. "Aside from that, not much else to tell. They hit us hard, and they hit us fast, Ma'am." She bowed her head to stare at her feet, as if searching for something. "They just knew how to beat us..."

"The geth haven't been seen outside the Vale in nearly 200 years," Kaidan said, gaining a look from both Shepard and the gunnery chief. "So why attack now? And humans no less. Shouldn't they be after the quarians or something?"

Williams perked up. "They must have come for the beacon! Maybe that can explain it." She turned to Shepard, "The dig site is close, about two klicks out," she gushed, indicating the sandy trench ahead, woven between the rocks. "Some research team dug it up about a week ago," she shook her head, "And almost right after that, we had a day of disrupted communications. Almost like the beacon was sending out a signal or something."

"How long did those disruptions last?" Shepard wondered out loud.

"Less than a day," Williams said with a shrug.

"So hardly long enough for anyone to worry."

Riddick had finished his absurd methods and sauntered over, the shotgun resting on one shoulder. "All sounds fubar to me, Chief. Sure it wasn't some sort of setup?"

Williams studied Riddick, then looked back at her. "Um, I don't think so, Sir." She switched her gaze back to Riddick, as if in awe. "Are you…?"

"Lieutenant Commander Richard B. Riddick," he finished, then stoic as ever, turned away from them to stride in the opposite direction.

Shepard nearly threw up in her mouth at the way he introduced himself. Such a proud, bald meathead he was. Though clearly the gunnery chief had heard of Riddick's previous exploits. At least in some capacity.

"Williams, can you take us there? To the dig site?" she asked.

The gunnery chief shook herself out of her stupor and nodded. "Sorry about that, it's just … uh, not everyday you meet two Alliance legends in one go. And yes Ma'am, regarding the dig site. Like I said, it's close by."

"Good. Alenko, can you get the Chief on our frequency for comms?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he answered, jogging over to Williams. He raised his fore-arm and brought the omni-tool's orange haptic interface to life. Their technology these days frightened her. Living computers on their arms. Hackers probably had access to their DNA itself these days.

She watched the pair exchange info until Kaidan gave the thumbs up.

"Great, now let's..." she's interrupted by her communications link, an exasperated voice filling her ears.

"Shepard, it's Nihlus, I think I've got something! Something big near the transit station. Come quick."

She slapped a hand to the side of her helmet, "Copy that. All right everyone, you heard him. Let's get a move on!" She spun to Williams, "Is the dig site on the way to the transit station?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"Good. All right team, let's move! Double time!" She gave the command with confidence, but feared what lied ahead. Riddick, of all people, had said it right. Fubar.