A/N: Hello again, Readers! Just want to make a quick note to all the people who have, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story of mine. It means a good deal to me that even a few you you like it enough to come back for more. And it's a good thing you have come back for more because you get even more ADVENTURE!

November 11, 2177

Interplanetary Combatives Academy

Earth

Sol System

He sipped tentatively at the coffee in his hand. The cold, bitter liquid slid down his throat and sat uneasily in his stomach. He coughed at the acidic taste and pressed his lips into a thin line.

For such an important Alliance base they have some pretty shitty coffee.

The irritated thought repeated in his mind as he stepped out of the elevator onto the busy floor. He walked briskly through the rush of people, warily returning formal salutes that were thrown his way by enlisted soldiers eager to please.

He made his way past the busy consoles and chattering men and women towards one of the small secluded conference rooms on the side. As the door open he felt his sour mood darken even further. A young Specialist sat in a desk chair, his feet propped up and resting on a powered off console. He cringed internally as he recognized the careless kid.

"Hey, LT." Specialist Ives said, raising his own coffee cup.

"Specialist," Shepard replied shortly, taking a seat in one of the other seats and facing the large screen on the wall. On half of the console it shows an overhead view of a forest. Clusters of dots were scattered in the forest, each with a corresponding alpha numeric. He scanned the codes until he found one that sparked a memory.

JS99144

The other half of the screen was a series of cameras that were hidden in the trees. The switched periodically to catch a better view of the point of interest. Weary soldiers trekked through the underbrush in loose formation. At the head of the formation, a familiar grimace stared directly into one of the cameras.

"Here to check on the sis?" Ives asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

Second Lieutenant Jennifer Shepard gestured her soldiers forward, taking point as they closed in on another cluster of dots. This cluster of dots, unlike the one he associated with the candidates in training, was a pulsing a vibrant red. Mark leaned forward, peering questioningly at the odd formation his sister had formed her soldiers in.

"It's about time she got into N-school," The specialist continued unwittingly.

"What is she doing?"

"What?" The Specialist turned his attention back to the screen. The green dots had begun assaulting the red dots. They ran in the middle of the red dots, splitting the enemy forces but putting themselves out in the open.

They watched in silence as the enemy dots disappeared one by one with only a few of the green dots flickering out as well. He turned his attention to the camera as his sister began gathering intel and tending to her mock wounded.

"Wow, that was risky," The young specialist stood and stretched, the show now over.

"Well, that's Jennifer Shepard." The young Lieutenant rubbed his cheek, feeling the coarse stubble and with it the urge to shave.

"Some would say that's why it took her so long to commission," Ives said offhandedly, typing into the console that his feet had been propped on only a few moments earlier. "But, if she makes it through this you can say there are two N7's in your family. That's quite an achievement."

The newly graduated N7 nodded, feeling his relief as the small squad made their way back to their patrol base. He could tell by her shuffling gait that his twin sister was in desperate need of rest. But nevertheless, she trudged on, her determination to prove herself more powerful than her exhaustion.

Mark felt his heart swell with pride at his sister, and then felt it immediately sink as he realized the frustrating specialist was speaking to him again.

"So, Shepard." The specialist began, clearing his throat nervously.

"Sir," Shepard corrected.

"Right, Sir. So about your sister," He trailed off, glancing at the screen. "I talked to her a few times during her orientation. Nice girl." Mark grit his teeth, knowing where this was going.

"No," Mark said candidly.

"N-no?" The Specialist stuttered, his eyes wide and confused.

"I guarantee you my sister would rather mud wrestle with a Krogan before she went on a date with you," Mark couldn't help but let out a chuckle. While it sounded like an exaggeration, he wouldn't put it past her..

"Oh, Well I didn't mean- I was just..." Ives slumped forward, seeming to deflate.

Shepard couldn't help but be amused by the situation. More times than he could count sprightly young men had come to him for advice on how to talk to his 'aloof' and 'mysterious' sister. He didn't have the heart to tell them that she was neither, she just plain didn't like them. He'd later relay their requests to Jennifer just to watch the look of disgust on her face.

Mark checked his omni-tool for the time.

0610, time for work, Marine.

He thought with an inward sigh. He stood and placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Don't take it too personally."

Ives nododed, his overgrown hair bobbing slightly. "Sir, Yes Sir!" He saluted smartly. Mark nodded at him, responding with a quick salute back.

He cast the screen one final look, then strode out of the room to his duties. One more week, then I've got leave on Elysium. The thought was enough to bring a smile to his lips, if only for a moment.

Jennifer Shepard was pissed. Royally pissed. She had been woken up after only a few minutes of the first sleep she'd had in two days. The candidate who had been chosen to lead the first mission of the day had skipped out. He wasn't cut out for the Academy, which normally wouldn't bother Shepard at all. They only had a certain number of spots open for N2 anyway.

If I didn't have to take his fucking place.

She stifled a yawn as the V.I. in front of her briefed her on the mission. She looked over to her men as the V.I. droned on and on. They tended to their weapons with sluggish movements, periodically rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.

They were all exhausted, their armor was smudged and decorated with a criss cross of scratches. Twenty days in the brutally hot forests of the Amazon and they were all reaching their limit. She took a long swig from her canteen and a large bite from a protein bar she was able to scrounge up from a particularly generous marine.

"-Lieutenant Shepard." She looked up as she heard her name at the tail end of a sentence. The V.I. sat infront of her patiently, unaware of her inattentiveness.

"Repeat that?" She asked tentatively, afraid this was going to give her a bad mark.

"I simply inquired if you had any other questions about the task at hand, Second-Lieutenant Shepard."

"Oh, right. Uh, negative."

Shepard scratched the back of her head as she pulled up a map of the area on her omni-tool. The smooth glove of her light armor offered little traction as she sought to soothe her matted scalp.

The map before her showed the dense Amazon forest, their current patrol base was highlighted with a blue circle and the enemies last known location was highlighted with a larger more daunting red circle.

She studied the map, running multiple scenarios through her mind. She already knew her mission. conduct an area recon on the enemy base. They were searching for a high value target, if it was present they were to take it out discreetly as to not give away their position in the thick brush. She scoffed lightly.

This is basic training stuff.

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard the discrete pitter-patter of liquid hitting the soft mulch that covered the amazon floor. She whirled around, trying to pinpoint the unusual sound. She peered cautiously around a parked Mako that marked the edge of the patrol base, her hand on the hilt of her predator pistol. Out in the open a soldier stood, pissing carelessly into the dirt.

Shepard scowled at his lack of caution. He did not have a battle buddy and he was out of the protective bounds of the base. She wouldn't care if it wasn't for the fact that if the bastard got shot during her command she would be the one catching flack. When the candidate zipped up and turned around she recognized him immediately from orientation.

"First-Lieutenant Leng," she said neutrally. He dipped his head cordially as he walked past her, but offered no other response. He seemed to have no reaction that the woman had caught him pissing in a bush. Shepard continued despite being shrugged off.

"I'm leading the next mission." She began, watching as the man walked away as she spoke directly to him. "You're in charge of the patrol base."

He stopped then, turning around and narrowing his eyes at her. She threw up her hands defensively.

"Hey, I don't make the rules. Take it up with the Admiral if you've got a problem." He sneered at her, shaking his head in a condescending manner.

"I just don't understand why they would ever put me under you," Shepard felt her jaw twitch involuntarily. His cockiness wasn't settling well with her. She strode up to him, standing toe to toe with him and looked up into his eyes.

"Regardless of why, I'm still in charge. Show some respect." Leng stared down at her, his demeanor never changing.

"Aye, aye." He muttered sarcastically, giving her a lazy salute. He about faced abruptly and walked back towards the middle of the base, leaving the irritated LT to fume on her own.

"Dick," she muttered under her breath as she followed Leng, preparing to brief her chosen squad on the upcoming mission.

Jennifer swatted at a mosquito irritatedly as sweat dripped uncomfortably down her face. She was laying on the soft dirt of the forest, peering into the enemy base with her scope. She zoomed in, taking in the scene before her.

The "enemy" casually walked back in forth in their base aimlessly. She zoomed in on each individually, trying to find anything noteworthy among the identical V.I.'s.

To her left and right flanks other cloaked soldiers were mirroring her actions. Jennifer noted in her head how smoothly this operation was going. Although she had settled into her nook first, she hadn't heard a single sound from the marines under her command. She had definitely picked the right team for the job. If this was a real mission with sentient enemies downrange, it would easily be just as successful.

As she silently praised her marines, a voice buzzed in her earpiece.

{Lieutenant Shepard?}

"What is it, Sharpe?" She muttered testily. Keeping her eyes on the enemy incase they managed to pick up her discrete whispers.

{We've got incoming from the rear-} Shepard automatically tightened her grip on her sniper rifle, preparing to roll over and lay down any hostiles on her six.

{-But they're friendlies.}

The Alliance Officer froze. Why would another squad be heading up this way? She had specifically instructed them in her briefing that their only duty would be to hold their base, not run off and fuck up while she was their commanding officer.

She could hear a rustling through the underbrush, and with her she could feel her blood boiling. She sat up as a rush of Alliance soldiers ran past her and straight into the base she had been subtly scouting. She watched in awe as they haphazardly ran into the fray, barely even bothering to seek cover.

She blinked a few times, staring slack jawed at the scene before her.

They're taking the base by force. This recon just turned into a raid.

"Shit." She muttered under her breathe before propelling herself off her perch and into the chaos below. She wove between the sprawling amazonian trees, hugging her light-rifle tightly. The fake weapon was almost as cumbersome as a the real deal, but it lacked the definitive umph when the trigger was pulled.

She crashed down next to one of her marines, ducking her head to dodge the incoming fire. When she asked the marine what the hell they were doing here, he cast her a puzzled look.

"Leng said he had orders from you to go in hot," He said simply, like it was something she should have already known.

Hot anger rose up in their throat as the other candidates words sunk in.

That fucker is trying to sabotage my mission!

The Lieutenant used her anger to propel an overload to the nearest V.I.'s from her omni-tool and promptly put a light round into its transparent head. It was still flickering out as she was throwing light rounds at a cluster of enemies taking cover behind a few conveniently placed chest high walls.

The marines made quick work of their enemy as they outnumbered them three to one. After the fighting was over they moved quickly, tending to the casualties and checking the crates for food or anything else useful. Shepard made no move to help them, but instead approached a rather smug looking Kai Leng.

"What the fuck was that all about, Leng?" She hissed under her breath, not wanting the other marines and especially those watching on the cameras to know how he'd undermined her authority. His smug smile never left his face as Jennifer stared him down. Her body language was enough to tell she was fuming.

"What are you talking about?" His smile grew wider after the innocent question left his sneering lips.

"You fucked up my entire mission, Leng!" Her voice was growing louder now. A few of the soldier's surrounding them had turned to watch the exchange.

Jennifer looked around self consciously as Leng spoke up again.

"Isn't this what you wanted me to do Shepard?" He crossed his arms and leaned back, perfectly content. "There must have been some… miscommunication."

His deliberate word choice made the former colonist falter. There was only one thing that was more detrimental to a candidate's success than bad orders. Miscommunication was heralded as the deadliest sin among the academy. Even if orders were solid, not being able to communicate them properly could get subordinates killed.

She realized then that he had her by the balls. She was responsible for the entire platoon and its actions. If she tried to explain to Admiral Hale, Leng would throw her under the skycar with his miscommunication claim.

Jennifer grit her teeth as she scowled at the young man, her hatred evident in her furrowed brow and cold eyes. She spun around quickly and addressed the other marines who were waiting on orders and watching them curiously. As she limped back to their patrol base, her mind traced through all the instructions in her mission. She couldn't think of anyway to justify Leng's actions (or rather her actions) as sound.

She mulled over this as she approached the V.I. that was acting as her Commanding Officer. She prepared herself for the reprimanding she was going to get, and the inevitable expulsion from the Academy.

Fucking Kai Leng.

She fumed as the V.I. began to recount what her mission had been. She tuned it out again, too busy picturing all the ways she'd kill Leng before she got out of this dump.

"-mission was a success." The words brought her out of her pleasant daydreams. She stared wide eyed at the VI.

"It.. was?" She uttered in disbelief.

"The special target was identified and eliminated. You were successful, Second-Lieutenant Shepard."

She stared at the humanoid shaped V.I., stunned. It continued none the wiser.

"Admiral Hale would like to speak with you before you are dismissed." The V.I. shimmered out and replaced by the grimacing form of the middle aged Admiral. He was young for an Admiral, but he still had the trademark stick up his ass.

He regarded the LT levelly, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked her up and down.

"Second Lieutenant Shepard, I assume?" His gravelly drawl would have been soothing, if not for the prominent anxiety that Jennifer felt for being called in front of the Admiral. In all the missions that had gone on for the past few days, this was the first time anyone had been asked to speak with the Admiral directly. She stood at a rigid parade rest, before speaking up.

"That's me, Sir." She replied cautiously, trying not to falter under his harsh gaze. She nearly breathed a sigh of relief as she was freed under his scrutiny. His eyes averted to a data pad as he continued to address her.

"Good work out there, Candidate. Though I have some concerns about your approach."

"Sir?"

His gaze returned to hers, his serious eyes somehow even more daunting.

"The lives of your marines are not expendable. Try to remember that and don't let your ruthlessness get your entire unit killed in the future. Hale out."

The image winked out promptly leaving her to stand for a few moments on her weary legs, blinking rapidly. She stifled a particularly large yawn, then was shooed out of the clearing by a particularly eager candidate waiting on his mission. As Jennifer shuffled away from the V.I. and towards her bedroll, the last thing on her mind was the Admiral's warning. They would only enter her mind again two years later, and she'd wish she had heeded the advice.

September 2, 2186

Vancouver

Earth

Sol System

It was an odd feeling knowing you could die at any moment. Though Jennifer Shepard had spent most of her entire life as a frontlines Marine, she still wasn't quite used to the concept. One false move, one overeager rush to cover or even one warily peek around a corner, and it could just all be over. All she worked for, all she fought for would just vanish and be replaced by a bullet lodged into her skull.

As someone who has had many brushes with death - And one that's maybe more than a brush.. - it was assumed she was fearless. All people saw was the way that she'd throw herself into a battle boldly.. almost recklessly. They assumed she always knew what to do, as her instincts kicked in and she came out of a mission with nary a scratch. She was a Shepard after all. But, as the Normandy lowered itself close to the ground, opening up the ramp to its shuttle bay, she realized that all these things were false. She was scared. Scared shitless. The Reapers en mass were more powerful than anything she'd ever seen. They cut through the entirety of Earth's defenses before humanity even knew what was happening. Thousands had died within the twenty minutes it had taken her to get to the Normandy before her very eyes. And with all of that, there was one part about this entire invasion that scared her the most.

I have no idea what to do.

The Officer threw herself deftly across the small gap between where the Normandy gently hovered and the raised platform made by a building that had been kicked over carelessly into the bay by a preoccupied Reaper. She landed oddly, hissing in pain as she put pressure on her previously rolled ankle. In a moment Ashley was at her side, steadying her.

"Welcome back, Commander." She said warmly, somehow casting her a small smile despite everything before lifting her rifle towards the battleground below. Jennifer nodded, then turned her attention back to Anderson. He stood on the platform, regarding Jennifer with an odd expression. She stared back at him, confusion narrowing her expressions.

"Come on!" She said, unable to keep her annoyance out of her voice.

It's not like we've got all day, Anderson.

"I'm not going." He said with finality, raising his voice over the sounds of a landing Alliance shuttle. When her questioning look turned angry, he continued. "You saw those men back there. There are a million more like them, and they need a leader." he gestured towards where they came from. Where a soldier with a crushed leg had screamed in agony as his comrades tried to hush him. They would have been ripped apart by cannibals if Shepard and Anderson hadn't intervened. Right now the resistance was scrambling for air as if they had just been pushed roughly into a pool with weights on their legs. The only way they would hold out against Reaper forces is if they were organized.

But, even more valuable than an experienced Admiral.. is an experienced Admiral and the best goddamn ship in the Galaxy.

"We're in this fight together, Anderson!"

He shook his head firmly. "It's a fight we can't win. Not without help."

"Anderson..."

"Shepard, listen to me. We need every species, all their ships to even have a chance at defeating the Reapers. I need you to talk to the Council. Convince them to help us."

"They haven't been too keen on listening to me in the past." Jennifer spat harshly. "If they had been, maybe we'd all be more prepared." Anderson continued on, ignoring her second comment.

"Then make them listen. Now go, that's an order!" She felt a tug at her lips as she looked down at the formidable man below her.

"I don't take orders from you, remember?" He dug into his pockets in response, pulling out a small medal object and tossing it to the other officer. Before she caught it, she saw a glimpse of a silver N7 and smiled widely.

"Consider yourself reinstated, Commander."

She stared down at her tags, running her finger lightly across the red and silver indentions. She stowed them in her pockets before turning grimly back to Anderson.

"I'll come back for you, and I'll bring every fleet I can!" She called down, as the Normandy began ascending into the smoky sky. Anderson was already moving, wasting no time and sprinting away towards smoldering ruins below, most likely to rendezvous with the incoming shuttles. Jennifer caught one final glance of him as he disappeared behind the closing metal ramp.

Good luck.

An uneasy silence settled in the depths of the Normandy's hull as it left the Earth's turbulent atmosphere. Jennifer glanced around her suspiciously, meeting the eyes of confused crew. When she saw the questioning eyes of a shuttle pilot, she realized why they were looking at her oddly. A pair of pale arms wrapped themselves around her neck tightly. She glanced over her shoulder at the boy, but instead of his face she only saw his wispy auburn hair. His head was buried firmly into her shoulder even after the danger had passed.

She eased him off her back, prying his pale arms from around her neck. When he was on his own two feet, he seemed to regain his senses. His head whipped around rapidly, trying to take in all the details of his unfamiliar surroundings. His face was covered in ash, and coupled with the charred edges of his clothing it was clear he'd survived an explosion. When his lip began to quiver pathetically, Jennifer threw Ashley a desperate glance. Ashley rolled her eyes in response to her incompetence before dropping to one knee next to the sniveling kid.

"Hey, kid. What's your name?" Her husky voice was somehow soft as she addressed the trembling boy.

"R-Ryker." He pulled on his hoodie nervously, but seemed to relax somewhat under Ashley's gaze.

"Hey there, Ryker." she smiled at him, but he didn't seem to be able to return the gesture. "You're safe now, Okay? We're on our way to the Citadel. Have you ever been there?"

He shook his head but didn't speak.

"Well, it's a big space station where you'll be safe." She attempted to put her hands on his shoulder, but he flinched away. Ashley began to apologize, but the wooshing of the elevator door drew her attention. When Jennifer glanced over, she saw Mark Shepard clad in a standard issue Alliance hardsuit, a helmet in one hand and Avenger assault rifle in the other. Behind him a flustered James Vega trailed at his heels, spouting questions with every step.

"Where are we going? What the hell is going on? We can't just leave Earth!" The Captain ignored him until the Lieutenant grabbed at his shoulder. "Hey!"

"We're leaving, Lieutenant."

"Bullshit. Anderson wouldn't order us to leave!"

Actually...

Jennifer glanced over at Ashley who was calmly watching the two men argue. She didn't seem very keen on jumping to Shepard's defense. Instead she crossed her arms, her eyebrow slightly raised.

"Not an order from Anderson. I got these orders straight from Admiral Hackett." From Jennifer's perspective, it looked like her brother thought these words would end the conversation. Orders were orders, but however Vega wasn't satisfied.

"But, how can we just leave?" Captain Shepard turned on his heels then as he let out an exasperated growl.

"Hackett was right, we don't have a choice. Without help this war is already over." Vega grit his teeth visibly, taking a step forward dangerously and lowering his tone.

"Forget it. Drop me off someplace because I'm not leaving."

Mark balled his fist as he stood toe to toe with the other man. Vega's eyebrow twitched involuntarily under the Officer's gaze, but to his credit he didn't falter.

"Don't you think I'd rather stay and fight?" His voice was almost sad. "We're going. If you want a ride back to Efarth we can do it when we actually have the time." Without another word he stepped past Vega and towards the two women that had watched the entire ordeal. He seemed somewhat distracted as he approached them.

"Williams and Shepard, I need you two to get suited up to go groundsid-" He stopped in his tracks as his eyes fell on the young boy standing out of place in a warship. His eyes went from back and forth from Jennifer and Ashley, a million questions racing across his face. Jennifer gestured to him, the meaning clear.

We'll talk about it later.

He didn't seem very satisfied with that answer. But, when he opened his mouth for further questions Ashley interrupted.

"Why do we need armor for the Citadel?" Her voice was tinged with subtle worry. Jennifer nodded and raised her eyebrows at her brother, silently asking the same question.

"There's been a change of plans. We're dropping in on Mars. ETA seven minutes."

Wind buffeted the shuttle roughly as it made it approach towards the LZ of the Mars archives. Mark Shepard held onto the handrail as the inertia dampeners were overcome by an exceptionally large shove. Vega apologized under his breathe for the turbulence.

"How long until that storm hits?" The Captain peered out the window at the foreboding clouds in the distance. Every few seconds a flash of lightning would spread through the entire billowing mass.

"Thirty minutes, tops." Vega said soberly, eyeing it nervously. The tension between the two of them had eased somewhat, but Vega still bristled noticeably when his newly appointed CO spoke to him.

Mark blew out his nose aggrevatedly as he watched the storm approach. He glanced over his shoulder at his chosen squad. His executive officer sat hunched over tapping furiously onto her omni-tool before a fresh omni-blade unseathed itself. She studied it for a few moments, her brow furrowing at the strange new addition to her arsenal. She tested the tip with her gloved finger, and seemed satisfied when it sheared her light armor and part of the skin beneath it. While she stared the blood on her finger intently, Mark's eyes drifted towards her cheeks. Long horizontal scars decorated much of her cheeks, letting out an eerie orange glow in the low light of the shuttle.

Her scars had always unsettled him, marring a face that had once been his sister.

She's still my sister...

He reassured himself on this point frequently but he wasn't sure how much he really believed it. The woman he had met on Horizon had claimed to be his sister, but she was an angry shadow of the woman he had served with on the Normandy SR-1. She lashed out angrily at him when we expressed his doubts, and had even ended up scuffling in the dirt with Ashley. While he'd never say that Jennifer was ever good at playing nice, this new Jennifer didn't even seem to know the concept of nice. She had assured him time and time again that Cerberus did nothing to rewire her brain, but there wasn't anything else he could attribute the change in her behavior to.

Well except for once thing... Or person rather.

He'd gone back and forth on the decision to tell Jennifer of Dr. T'soni's presence on Mars. Though his sister had never made public about her relationship, Mark had a hunch. After the times he'd seen her discreetly leaving the Asari's quarters beyond the medbay, his suspicions may have been more than just a hunch. She never mentioned it to him so he never brought it up in casual conversation. Considering he was fostering his own blooming relationship that didn't exactly line up with Alliance regs, he was more than happy to avoid confrontation.

The thought of Ashley made his eyes flicker to her momentarily. She held her head back against the seat behind her, eyes closed and her mouth moving in a silent prayer. He watched her for a few moments, feeling a bit intrusive as he looked on such a private display of faith.

It's amazing how even after starring down the cannon of a Reaper, she still doesn't lose her faith.

When he brought his eyes back to his sister he jumped involuntarily. Her hard eyes were staring directly at him. She cocked her head questioningly but Mark was transfixed by something else. At such a close proximity he could spot three dancing orange lights in each of her irises. They would glow bright, then dim again in an intermittent pattern. Something about the orange glow in her Shepard blue eyes made her gaze even more unnerving.

He tore his gaze away as the shuttle landed roughly on the rocky surface of Mars. He quickly slid on his helmet, then propelled himself out of the sliding doors. He crouched on the ground, scanning the horizon with his sights as the rest of his squad exited the vehicle on either side of him.

"Have we gotten any response from the scientist in the Archives yet, EDI?" Captain Shepard put a hand to the side of his helmet as he spoke into his comm.

{The base appears to be online, but I have still not received a response. It's possible the inhabitants were evacuated.}

Jennifer scoffed next to Mark lightly.

Another good reason to not mention that Liara T'soni was here.

"Any signs of Reaper activity?" The other Shepard spoke this time, impatiently tapping her foot.

{Negative}

"Then what are we waiting for?" And with that, Jennifer Shepard set off at a steady trot towards with complex below, leaving the rest of them to catch up. They were uphill from the Archives and could see the entirety of the facility from their position. The sun shone brightly off the unmarred metal surface, making Mark's visor tint slightly in response. There was absolutely no sign of any external attack. No sign of explosion, firefight, or struggle of any kind. He tuned out the bickering of Vega and Williams as they descended towards the archives. Right before he turned around and told them to can it and focus, Jennifer Shepard did the job for him.

She held up her palm, halting the squad behind her. She dropped to her knees behind a cover of rocks, then propped her sniper rifle over it. She peered through the scope, frowning as she surveyed below her.

"Five armored soldiers, possibly hostiles. Two civilians." She reported calmly. The rest of the squad crawled into cover on either side of her and glanced over the rocks. Mark immediately noted that the soldiers below were not in standard issue Alliance uniform but were in clunky white and black suits. The civilians slumped forward on their knees, their hands on their heads in clear surrender.

"Are they..."

"Cerberus." Ashley growled in confirmation as she looked into her own scope. Mark watched as one of the armored grunts approached a trembling civilian. He promptly took out his pistol from his holster, and pressed the butt of the weapon against the scientist's defenseless forehead. Even from this distance the arching spray of blood was clearly visible, the droplets shimmering in the sun. The man fell to the ground in a heap, causing the civilian next to him to begin screaming.

"They're executing them," James said in open mouthed disbelief.

"Shit," The Commander muttered as Mark hunched down under cover again.

"Alright, they don't see us yet." He began, meeting the attentive eyes of Ashley and James. "Here's what we're going to do. Williams, I need you to-" the cracking retort of a sniper rifle stopped him mid sentence. He whipped around, returning his gaze back to the alleged Cerberus troops. an Assault Trooper clutched at a gaping hole in his neck while his comrades scrambled for cover. A few seconds later he fell with an audible clunk to the ground, sharing the fate of the innocents he'd just executed.

"Well, they know we're here now." Vega said almost giddily before hoisting himself over the cover of rocks and into the carnage below. Mark took a few moments of solace, before turning to his sister. She met his eyes defiantly before he climbed over the rocks, trailing after the rest of his soldiers. He took in as much information as he could in his quick dash to cover. Along with the first downed grunt, another one lay a few meters away in a pool of dark blood. The remaining three were huddled behind their land vehicles, periodically laying down suppressive fire towards the Alliance Marines.

When he crashed into cover next to James, Mark wasted no time and began feeling around his waist. After a moment of fumbling, his fingers wrapped themselves around a large round bulb. He stood up momentarily, winding his arm back before chucking it towards the Cerberus vehicle. He didn't watch its trajectory, instead he hunched back down into cover while yelling a commanding 'frag out!'

Scuffling and muffled screaming could be heard for a few moments until a piercing explosion drowned it out. Mark glanced over cover just in time to see two forms being thrown violently in the air like ragdolls. He watched them grimly until they fell to the ground then switched his attention back to the remaining soldier.

The grunt huddled over, clutching his shoulder while taking pot shots with his uninjured arm. His desperation showed itself when he dropped his thermal clip then scrambled out of cover to retrieve it. Shots were fired in his direction, but he dodged them with surprising finesse before positioning himself into cover again.

Mark glanced around the narrow draw, looking for a safe way to advance on the wounded and cornered soldier. Large jutting rocks on either side of him would cut off any flank attempts, and there was no more cover between him and the last standing Cerberus Assault Trooper. He could make a reckless mad dash towards them, but he wasn't sure if he could afford to take any dings to his shields.

I could lob another grenade towards him, but I've only - wait.. What?

A strangled gurgle caught his attention. Jennifer Shepard stood over the Cerberus trooper, omni-blade lodged into the gap in his armor located conveniently next to his jugular. She extracted it, pulling her arm back and letting the dead man fall as Mark padded over to her. She stared down at the dead man, seemingly satisfied with her achievement. She didn't look up at her Commanding Officer until he was nearly in her face.

"Listen, I don't know what's going on with you but I need you to follow orders. I can't have my soldiers charging recklessly into battle, this isn't a game." He said sternly, looking down at his slightly shorter twin. She looked up at him, her eyes burning but somehow they gave him chills. She didn't respond, instead she opted to holster her rifle and glance impatiently towards the large door to the archives.

"How did you get up close to them like that anyway? That was badass!" James said as he caught up with the siblings, Ashley cautiously trotting along behind him. Commander Shepard snickered and smiled almost sheepishly.

"Tactical cloak. Cerberus bastard never saw me coming." She nearly spat the last words out looking down at the corpse of the man that had just bloodied her blade. Ashley followed her gaze, staring down at the dingy black and white uniform in disgust.

"It doesn't look like they came here in force." James pointed out.

"Yeah, just a few vehicles." The Spectre agreed, his voice thoughtful.

"Kind of suggests they had help, from the inside." Ashley threw Jennifer a significant look, but the other woman didn't notice. She walked towards the complex, looking for a console to operate the sliding metal door. Before long, Jennifer was hacking her way into the Archives, bypassing all measures of the security lockdown. After a few minutes, she motioned them into the spacious cargo elevator. When the door crashed shut behind them, an audible hiss filled the room. Mark looked up and watched as the room was filled with breathable air. He took off his helmet, breathing in the slightly stale air of the facility.

"I need a straight answer, Shepard." Mark glanced over his shoulder as Ashley closed in on his sister. Jennifer had been starring off almost mindlessly at the wall, her fist clenching and relaxing rhythmically. He watched curiously as the Commander narrowed her eyes in question at the junior officer.

"Cerberus may be pro-human, but they're no friend of the Alliance. Do you know what they're doing here?" Though Ashley's words harbored no bitter accusations, Jennifer scoffed lightly before turning her full attention back towards that wall. She didn't even bother to justify William's question with an answer.

"What makes you think she knows what their up to?" Mark inquired. Ashley's eyes met his, but quickly dropped as she avoided the contact.

"She worked for them, and so did you." She added pointedly. "How am I supposed to believe you've both cut all ties?"

"Let me be clear, I didn't work for them. They worked for me. And now that I wiped the Galaxy of the Collector plague, I don't need their xenophobic bullshit anymore." Jennifer finally spoke up, not taking her eyes off the featureless metal wall.

"Commander Shepard and Captain Shepard have been under nearly constant surveillance since coming back to Earth. No way they've communicated with Cerberus since." Vega added helpfully. Ashley shook her head, still unable to meet Mark's eyes.

"Sorry, Shepard. I just-"

"You want to hate Cerberus, fine. Join the club." Commander Shepard took a few steps towards Ashley, her words traced with venom. Mark watched as Ashley visibly winced. "But, I am done explaining myself to you, Lieutenant Commander."

The rest of the ride up was punctuated with palpable silence. With Jennifer looking into her wall and Ashley looking into the floor, Mark and Vega found themselves also looking awkwardly into the various areas of grated metal in the elevator shaft. The roof above them parted as the elevator reached its destination.

They stepped off the platform carefully, finding themselves in a spacious storage garage. Land rovers and fuel tanks were scattered in an unorganized manner, making the large room feel almost claustrophobic. Before Mark could orientate himself properly, a loud clanging above his head caused the squad to go running for cover. Mark peered around the storage crate, staring up at the metal vent that was the source of the echoing bangs. It sounded as if there was a struggle going on above them consisting of multiple people. His thoughts were confirmed when the sounds of bullets ricocheting off of metal met his ears.

"They must have some big rats," Jennifer growled, taking out her pistol and pointing it at the ceiling.

"Wait!" Mark grabbed at the gun, pointing the barrel to the floor. "You don't know who's up there." He scolded.

"From what I've seen today, whoever is crawling around in the vents is probably bad news." But to her credit, she didn't return her iron sights skyward. Before the Captain could respond, a louder than before clang caught his attention. The end of the vent had been kicked off violently and he looked over just in time to see the lithe from of an Asari falling to the ground. She landed on her feet, taking a few steps before whipping around. Her whole body glowed and pulsing blue that complimented her complexion perfectl as she cast her biotics at her pursuers. The Cerberus troopers had been easing themselves out of the vent - lacking the dexterity that the Asari in light armor had shown- before they were easily swept up by a biotic singularity. They hovered helplessly in the air, letting out almost childish screams as their weapons (and dignities) crashed to the floor.

The Asari was cold and deliberate, taking out her side arm and catching each soldier in the head with a dose of hot lead. As the singularity died and the Cerberus soldiers limp forms fell to the floor, it was clear that her shots had hit their mark. The garage descended into eerie quiet as the alien admired her handiwork. Suddenly she spun her head around, as if something behind her had startled her.

Holy shit. It's Liara.

Her eyes fell on Mark, recognition lighting up her face. She made no move to greet him, instead her blue eyes moved passed him and onto something over his shoulder.

"Shepard," She whispered almost inaudibly. Mark glanced over his shoulder and saw Jennifer standing straight up, her brow furrowed in confusion... and anger. Vega came up beside her, his weapon draw and locked onto the Asari Scientist.

"Stand down, Lieutenant." She lightly tipped the barrel of his weapon down before taking a few steps forward. "She's with us."

Jennifer approached the Asari, but stopped a respectable distance away. They stared at each other for nearly a minute before Jennifer cleared her throat, her gaze dropping to the floor.

"Thank the Goddess you're alive," The phrase held weight, but the Asari's tone made it seem reserved, casual even. Jennifer nodded her acknowledgement, but didn't return the sentiment. "I am sorry... about Earth."

"Yeah, it was.. Difficult to leave" Ashley said, walking up to Jennifer's side. Liara offered her condolences to the humans, bowing her head for a moment and closing her eyes. She mourned for a Planet she'd barely visited and a species that she still struggled to understand. After the moment of silence she addressed the Senior Officer in the squad.

"Why did you come here, Captain?" She inquired, cocking her head in the same manner he'd seen Jennifer do countless times.

"Hackett ordered us to come. He said you'd know what was going on." Liara smiled almost coyly, as if finding pleasure in the information she held. Not because of its contents, but because she owned it and could do whatever she pleased with it. She seemed to revel at their helplessness and take pride in the idea that she was the only one that could lead them to the answer. Mark felt uneasy at her unusual response, but then again he'd always felt that his sister's lover had always been a bit odd. But, eventually her smiled died down as she sobered. Her almost child-like demeanor dissolved into a calm layer of pure professionalism.

"I do."

A/N: Be sure to post a review if you see something you liked or something you didn't like. Thanks!