Good question.

Only moments ago, the colonist Powell - like the rat he was - had sold me out to none other than THE Commander. Which only further confirmed my suspicions of where I was. Although Shepard didn't exactly look like how I remembered him. Or I guess in this case, her.

Moments Earlier...

"Commander...its Nihlus," Alenko reported as their company rolled up to the space port.

She had already seen the Turian's corpse past the lieutenant as they approached. Its body was strewn across the floor, a single bullet hole laying in between its eyes.

Apparently Spectres aren't as good as they say...

"A Turian? You know him?" said the heavily armored marine walking up the stairs on her right.

"He's a Spectre. He was with us on the Norm-" Alenko tried to finish before he was suddenly cut off.

"Something's moving! Over behind those crates!" the gunnery chief shouted.

And Shepard had seen it too. But she lowered her weapon as a colonist popped up.

"Wait! Don't-Don't shoot! I'm one of you! I'm human!"

And at that Same Moment...

After jumping up, his eyes quickly glanced back down toward me.

"You come out too!" I heard a woman yell.

Yah Bastahd! I REALLY needed that moment here...

I tried my best to look at him menacingly for having given me up, but he seemed to be quite underwhelmed by my glare. With a sigh, I decided to raise my hands above my head as I slowly stood up too, trying to pin the voice that addressed me.

I recognize Williams and Alenko's voices but-

I cut myself off as I saw the group of soldiers in front of me. Alenko and Williams seemed relatively the same as they did in the game. I could recognize them immediately, although ME's graphics didn't do them much justice now that I actually saw them in person.

Black haired male Caucasian, looking at me with that blank face that contained just a hint of disapproval?

I recognized Carth right away, who happened to be wearing the same attire as me, with a good amount of weapons and helmet hanging off his back. And to his far left...

Black hair in a bun female Caucasian, complete with hawkish nose, pouty frown, and with that tone when referring to Nihlus...

That was certainly good ol' xenophobic Williams, wearing her signature phoenix armor, helmet and weapons roughly mirroring his.

The woman in between them though is not someone I was particularly familiar with. She was completely clad in ebony armor like Kaidan and I. But a red stripe traveled down her right arm, and with an N7 designation located on her chest, one could tell right away- this woman was a certified killing machine. The woman also had crimson red hair that was cut short, and bangs swept to the right. I thought she couldn't be much taller than I was, like 5'09-5'11 maybe. If that was even my current height. To be honest though, without the armor and the massive heat she was packing, I probably wouldn't be able to tell this was one of the most dangerous soldiers in the galaxy.

Except for her eyes. Although I loathe to use the term 'emerald', that's exactly the word I'd use to describe those bright green, piercing irises staring at me. I'd also use the term terrifying to describe them. Because they were incredibly sharp, unbelievably so, and I found her gaze cutting into me like razors, demanding the immediate surrender of whomever they found, both eyes burning with an intensity that was so overwhelming that-

I cut myself off as I realized everyone was now staring at me as well.

Scary.

Whether my wandering thought was referring to her actual gaze, or to the realization of how I had just been describing it, I couldn't say.

"Who are you two..."

And Back to the Present.

Good question.

"...and what are you doing sneaking around back there?" she 'asked'.

I racked my brains for what I was going to say before my partner opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry," the bum stammered, "I was hiding. From those...creatures...my name's Powell. I saw what happened to that turian. The other one shot him."

"What? You're saying Nihlus was murdered by a turian?" the commander immediately asked incredulous. Alenko went particularly slack jawed after hearing that tidbit of information.

"The other one got here first. He was waiting when your friend showed up."

She glanced at me. "Is this true?"

"Uh, Yeah," I retorted, accidentally coming across like a jackass. She didn't look too pleased with that. So I then tried to make myself sound as sincere as possible. "The turian was silver, and had a cybernetic arm. Bright blue robotic eyes," I added, turning my attention to Powell. "Ni-The turian had called him Saren."

Powell looked at me confused. "How do you know what the turian looked like?" he asked.

...why? Why would you say that? What the fuck man?!

I furrowed my brow at him.

"I saw him through the crates." I replied.

Nice save...wait. Why DID he just ask that? He had to have seen Saren to know he was a turian too.

Powell immediately answered my questions by disputing my claim. "When you jumped back here, I'm pretty sure you knocked yourself out cold. You were laying down there with your eyes shut for a long time. I didn't see you get up until after that turian got shot-"

Powell. What the FUCK-

I turned my attention back to Shepard's crew. "I was just closing my eyes to wrap my head around our situation."

"If your eyes were closed, how do you know what the turian looked like?" Shepard asked, as I alarmingly noticed that her hand was subtly moving to the pistol holstered at her side.

"Uh, I saw him before I...hid back here...I assumed that the turian Powell saw was the same one." Shepard didn't seem convinced. "And I was definitely still conscious when the two had their conversation. Fact."

This is NOT going well. Come on, come on, you don't need their full attention. Turn the conversation away from you. Use some of that classic misdirection of yours-

I quickly added, "I'm still trying to get over the fact that the Geth are the ones attacking us. They haven't been seen past the veil in centuries." I turned back to Powell as I noticed him gazing at me absently. "Those creatures," I clarified.

"I could understand why you both hid, the Geth aren't something anyone's seen in a while," Alenko stated.

"Yeah, I like the way you hid behind those crates during the fight. Really helped us out. Thanks a lot," Shepard added as she stared at me with damning eyes.

I noticed Ashley staring at me too, although she seemed like she was going to murder me. Even more so than Shepard.

"If you were under my command, I would have you disavowed and shot for desertion," she suddenly spit, looking at me with disgust. "How could you hide there and abandon your squad to those things!?"

I could have sworn I saw a tear forming in the corner of her eye. After what she had been through today though, I didn't exactly blame her for her reaction.

Wait. My squad? I AM wearing the uniform of a marine...apparently. Oh shit. I could actually even be one to my knowledge...oh...they're still looking...

...REPLY dumb ass!

I spit out the first thing I thought of. "Whoa wait...I'm not actually alliance. I found this armor on a soldier who had his...head taken clean off. I thought I could maybe make a difference-"

"Obviously not," Ashley snipped back, the fury she had at me though visibly subsiding.

Powell looked around nervously. Shepard turned her attention back to him as he spoke again.

"Look...I think the turians knew each other. Your friend seemed to relax. He let his guard down...and he killed him. Shot him right in the back. I'm lucky he and those Gath didn't see me behind these crates."

"Where'd Saren and his Geth go after he killed Nihlus?" Shepard asked immediately afterwards.

"He jumped on the cargo train and headed over to the other platform. Probably going after the beacon." He paused. "I knew that the beacon was trouble. Everything's gone to hell since we found it. First the damn mother ship showed up. Then the attack. They killed everyone! Everyone! If I hadn't been behind the crates I'd be dead too-"

I had already started to tune them out, thinking of how I would get myself out of this mess. I really needed to think of my next move, because I certainly wasn't going to be left behind on Prime with this fool. As of right now, I was to their knowledge some colonist who had played soldier and hid at the first sign of trouble. Not a good way to convince them to take me off the planet with them-

Well...do I even want to go with them? Onto the Normandy? Could I even deal with what they were going to go through? Would they even let me? I'm not a soldier, I don't have any fucking military training. And with the shit these guys are going to run into, I don't exactly fancy being thrown headfirst into all those shenanigans-

"- while the Geth butcher everyone else!" Shepard sounded like she was letting him have it.

Well, better him than me.

"I don't even have a gun! What was I supposed to do? Run out there and die? I couldn't save them. Nobody could. It was... horrible." When he paused, I half thought he was going to curl back up into fetal position. Then he pointed at me. "He had a gun though! And he still dove behind here too! I thought he had gotten us both killed!"

Powell. WHAT. THE. FUCK. But...okay. Fine. Its gon' be like that huh?

Although if he was telling the truth, he was right. Apparently before I woke up my body had had a mind of its own. Was there a chance what I said was true? Was I just a cowardly colonist? Or could I really be a marine who abandoned his squad mates?

Oh my god...who the hell am I?

The thought sent chills down my spine. At least I knew I didn't just pop into existence. Or did I?

This is stupid.

I looked up to find the Normandy crew still waiting for an answer. But out of the corner of my eye, I now noticed a predator lodged in between the two stacked crates that I had first been laying behind. The gun Powell had mentioned. I bent down to pick it up and upon standing back up, I found myself with three guns pointed at my face.

"No, no. No. No need for that-" I stuttered as I slowly brought my gun to my side. As it contracted into a little square on my hip, I had to fight my giddiness in light of the current situation. "I just wanted to say that I did try. I overheated my gun shooting at one of those bastards. I barely drained its shields. I didn't think our guns could kill them!"

I was pretty proud of how convincing I sounded. But Shepard just turned away.

"Come on, we have to get to that beacon."

Oh poop.

My eyes widened as they all turned to leave.

I am not going to be left hanging next to this guy covered in piss. Fuck this! Assuming direct control...of this situation.

As I chuckled out loud at my dank reference, the gang then turned back to me. I realized I didn't quite appear as sane as I'd like. I mean, I probably wasn't at this point. If I ever was to begin with. Powell had also started to leave before I called out his name next.

Woah now. Not so fast. Hell, payback's a bitch you back-stabbing bum. You think you can get away with making ME look bad?

Although to be honest, he didn't have to try very hard.

"Commander wait," I decided to say, making sure to look her dead on in the eyes. "I think Powell has something that might interest you." That caused him to wheel back around with a confused look.

"How do you know my rank?" she asked raising an eyebrow, fingering her pistol.

Oh fuck. I really need to think of what I should actually know at this point.

"Uh, I wasn't entirely truthful with you Shepard. I recognized you as soon as I saw the N7 designation. I'm...a private investigator...who was looking for...equipment that...would happen to occasionally go missing at this spaceport." My on the fly storytelling was impressing even myself. "You should ask our friend here what kind of equipment he was exactly smuggling."

After sizing me up, Shepard turned to stare daggers at Powell as he immediately tried to slink away.

"What? No! I mean... what does it matter now? So I'm a smuggler. Who cares? My supervisor's dead. The entire crew's dead. It doesn't matter now, does it?" Powell sang like a canary.

"Anything hidden nearby that we could use against the geth?" Alenko interjected.

"A shipment of grenades came through last week. Nobody notices if a few small pieces go missing from the military orders-"

"You greedy son of a bitch! We're out here trying to protect your sorry ass and all you can think about is how you can rip us off?!"

There was a lot more passion in that line then I remembered. I looked back to Powell who had begun to shrink under the women's scrutiny.

"I never thought you'd actually need those grenades! Who'd want to attack Eden Prime? We're just a bunch of farmers! How was I supposed to know!"

Really caving under the pressure huh Powell?

I'd almost feel bad for Ham Solo here if he hadn't just tried to sell me out multiple times during the conversation.

"Really...you sure you took just the grenades?" I prompted next, raising an eyebrow accusingly.

"Too many people died here for you to start jerking me around!" Shepard yelled which caused both of us to shrink back into our shadows.

"Okay! Alright. There was something else. Could be worth a fortune. Experimental technology. Top of the line. Take it. I don't need it. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. Really. I'm sorry."

He handed them a data pad and pointed to a crate nearby. Shepard gathered the information on her omni-tool and faced the tram station.

"We need to find that beacon before it's too late."

"Take the cargo train. That's where the other Turian went. I... I can't stay here. I need to get away from all this." And with that Powell took off for the hill, not looking back.

Then Kaidan turned and thanked me, so far coming across as the only person in the group that was sympathetic to my situation.

"Alenko, we need to get a move on!" we heard Shepard shout as she picked up the hidden tech aforementioned and began to carry on to the train.

"Wait!"

She slowly turned to look at me, and with just that one look, I could tell she was already raring to rip me a new one.

"You've wasted enough of our time as it is, I don't have time for this."

"Look, I'm sorry we got across on the wrong foot. In your position, I know I'd react the same if I came across a marine who deserted his post." She continued to stare at me seemingly annoyed. "I just want to make it up to you. I have a pistol, and I have armor. Let me come with you. I can help, the more the merrier right?"

She eyed me as I slowly climbed over the crates over to them, leaving my sanctuary of safety for the first and unfortunately last time.

If only I could bring you all with me-

After vaulting the crates, I immediately saw Nihlus' corpse for the first time lying behind her.

A dead Turian was still a Turian, and I had to say, he looked as alien as you could imagine. The dark pigmentation of his scaly skin largely contrasted with the white tattoos that were plastered all over his face. His noggin consisted of several distinct plates that I could discern facial features from: eyebrows, fringe, what I thought could be his nose. And as I looked more closely, I also found that his mandibles were slacked, eyes milky white, and a gaping hole laying in-between his eyes. A large puddle of azure blood lying gathering around the circumference of his head.

I fought back the bile gathering in my throat at the grotesque sight. I had never seen a dead body save for at a funeral. Let alone an alien one. My eyes moved back to Shepard who had just begun to open her lips.

"Come on," she said with a blank face. "We don't have time to waste. We have a lot of ground to cover."

And I couldn't believe my luck. Even though I still had a ways to go, it was a lot easier to convince her than I had thought. I mean really REALLY easier than I had thought. While I didn't want to be left behind, stuck in Saren's aftermath, I did find myself now wondering why she had agreed to take me so quickly. I was totally expecting to really have to plead my case here.

But despite this paranoia, a smile crept across my face.

Well I'm not going to complain. I'm in the group. Shepard's group. Now I just have to figure out how I'll get a ride with them in the Normandy-

"Take point. Hopefully you can at least be a distraction."

My grin quickly turned into a frown.

This Shepard was definitely not as paragon as I hoped.

Following the path ahead, we marched toward the "cargo train" in front of us, although it honestly just looked like a mobile platform from this angle. Actually, it was just a mobile platform. As I made that observation however, I stopped in my tracks as another creeping realization crossed my mind.

I don't think I ever played through Mass Effect with a Femshep.

...was that sexist?

As Shepard reached the corner of the space port, Ashley spoke up.

"Hey, we never got your name."

Oh shit. I never gave them my name...oh shit...What IS my name?

I groaned as I realized I hadn't put any thought into it. I'd just have to use my own. But as I begun to say it, something happened.

I forgot.

Normally, that would have freaked me out beyond reason but at this point, I was too panicked to care.

"MY name? My name..."

I made a mental note to figure out my background, real or not, later. For now, I just had to scramble for a name. A fake one. And of course, a silly grin plastered my face as I thought of the perfect one not a second later. Ashley looked at me like I was a mad man in response, noticeably tightening the grip on her rifle.

I really need to work on a poker face.

"Marauder. Marauder Shield."

Wait, was it Shield or Shields?

Ashley raised an eyebrow after hearing it.

Doesn't matter. Although it's probably not the most normal name for a human. But then again, with a trillion people in the galaxy, someone was bound to have it...

"Before it's too late to introduce ourselves, I'm Lieutenant Alenko. And that's Gunnery Chief Williams. And I suppose you're already familiar with-"

"Come on Shield. I said you have point," the red-head said, interrupting Alenko.

With a frown, I reluctantly trudged on past him and Shepard, and around the last corner of the space port.

...what the fuck.

Author's Notes:

Hey! Finally figured out how to make a line break. For future reference, I'll include any non-sequiturs here. You can expect them every now and then at the end of each chapter from here on out. Also wanted to add that since I didn't have room in the summary beforehand that Mass Effect is owned by Bioware and EA, and that I claim no ownership of the characters and properties being depicted, save one. Don't sue me bro.

And once we get off this god forsaken rock, hopefully we can get the ball really rolling!

Also, feel free to PM me or write a review! I don't write often, so any pointers would be welcomed! Until next time gang!