A/N- Well, thank you for continuing to read. Hopefully this chapter will pique your curiosity, and convince you to put up with my weird schedule enough to review!

And thanks to those who already have! You have no idea how much positive reinforcement helps.

Lieutenant Olivia Shepard was many things. She was a soldier. And, as many of her CO's had said when her liberal interpretation of protocol had annoyed some higher ups, a damn good one, too.

She was a biotic. The best military L3 implants the Alliance had to offer. She didn't have the strength or focus of an asari, but she could still kick ass when needed. N7 training had only made her stronger. Alliance brass considered her one of the best human biotics of her day.

She was a hero. The entire colony of Elysium could testify on that. During the Skyllian Blitz, batarian raiders had attacked the planet. Unfortunately for Olivia, these guys weren't from Oakland back on Earth. On top of that, she had been on a damn vacation with her mother. Captain Hannah Shepard had joined the fleets in the sky while Olivia led the grunts on the surface. When the batarians hijacked the colony defense towers and began firing upon Alliance ships, she and a small band of marines broke in, captured it, and protected it and the colonists from further attacks. In less than a few years, she had gone from a typical grunt, to poster girl for the Alliance military.

But in her heart, she was just an adventurer. When her dad died, her mother took on the responsibility of raising the energetic young girl from toddler to teenager, in addition to her military duties. Olivia grew up on ships. She loved flying through space, and seeing new planets. She loved her mother, who always found time to read to her or play with her and teach her despite her busy schedule. She became a marine to help people and see the galaxy. And she loved every minute of it.

But out of all those things, Shepard was not a doctor.

"Sonuvvabitch!"

Private Jeremy Hicks swore violently as Olivia applied medigel to his leg. The skin had been burnt away, leaving twisted bone marrow exposed to the air. The other leg wasn't much better off- Olivia had done her best to create a splint for the fractured femur, but military field medicine didn't exactly give a step by step method for fixing body parts smashed by falling buildings.

'Fuckin'…shit…shit, shit!" Tears covered his dirty face.

"Hang in there, Hicks," she panted. The young man was past the breaking point and writhing in agony. Medigel was good, but it wasn't a painkiller. As her omni-tool supplied the bandage, her other arm was trying to keep his foot from nailing her in the face. "Just hang in there," panicked, short breath punctuated her every word. "I'm gonna get you out of this, big guy, just hang in there…"

Hours ago, the 63rd Scout Flotilla had intercepted a distress call from an Alliance colony, Akuze. They claimed to be under attack by an unknown force. They were the only force in the system-the closest fleet, the 9th, was over twelve hours away even at FTL. Despite their better judgment, the commanders refused to let a whole colony be wiped out or let this unknown assailant go unanswered. Flash forward three hours and the entire damn flotilla had gone to hell.

Preemptive scans had shown as massive object-almost three times the size of a turian dreadnought- on the surface of Akuze. Shepard led a ground team to get the civilians to safety, while the small band of frigates would draw the enemy's fire.

The…thing…whatever it was, was so much more than simple scans could show. Half the shuttles were obliterated by the thing before they could touch ground. Its massive cannon wielded firepower to put the Destiny Ascension to shame. The flotilla, despite their best efforts, was also overwhelmed. Nothing could have outrun the red beam of death. They were crushed like flies. Olivia was dumbstruck at the devastation the thing could render. The whole colony was FUBAR- she and her crew found less than thirty survivors in the labyrinth of fallen buildings and flaming debris.

In the midst of all the confusion, they were spotted by the enemy. A single blast of red molten death exploded around them. The lucky ones died instantly. Shepard managed to get out of its way, but Hicks wasn't as lucky. Both of his legs had been caught under a fallen durasteel wall. Shepard heard his cries, and was able to drag him out and into a standing apartment.

Hicks lay against the wall of the apartment. His left leg was held stiff by the makeshift brace that was the only thing keeping his bones from falling to pieces. His right leg was a bloody mess of flesh and medigel. On his right shoulder, the armour had been smashed in, crushing the delicate bone and muscle beneath. Shepard couldn't remove it without taking the rest of the arm with it, so it stayed on. Hick's breath came in ragged gasps. His once handsome face was clouded with blood and filth and tears. Shepard stayed by his side. She suffered only a few minor hits, but a large gash on her forehead resonated with a pulse pounding headache. Sweat dripped from her bangs, and her ponytail was a mess of filth and auburn hair. She did what she could for her partner's wounds, and tried to keep him calm. He's a good kid, she thought. He doesn't deserve this.

"Shepard…" Hicks coughed.

"Yeah, bud? I'm here,"

"I…I ain't gonna…," he breathed in.

"Bullshit, Hicks. You're gonna be alright." She spoke quickly, and as soft as she could. The best thing for him right now was to stay calm.

He shook his head. "Bullshit…on you, LT…and you…know it. I'm down and out…ma'am." He coughed again. Blood dripped onto his chestplate. Shepard grabbed onto his good shoulder, and looked him in the eye.

"You hang in there, Hicks. That's a damn order,"

Hicks chuckled up more blood. His face had aged a lifetime in the last hour. "Can't pull… rank on a…dead man," spasms of coughing racked his body.

Shepard held him tight, her own mask of confidence fading. "Hicks! Come on, trooper, stay with me! You're gonna make it!" Her voice was hollow. Fear gripped her like iron. Dirty red clumps of hair hung over her eyes.

"I'm gonna die, lieutenant." His words hung in the air. Shepard swallowed, her saliva like sandpaper on her throat. Hicks let out a big sigh, and she backed off.

They sat there like that for a minute. The only sound was of Hick's ragged, uneven breaths and the occasional cough of blood. Shepard stared down at the floor. A single tear dropped down her cheek. He didn't deserve this. No one did. He was just a kid. Just a damn kid.

"Just…fuck!" she punched the floor.

Hicks spoke up after she settled. "My granddad had an…old saying. Always liked the way it sounded."

Shepard looked up, and her stare met grim, tired eyes. "What did he say?" she asked, softly.

"He said 'May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead.'"

The words filled the silence that followed. It reverberated through Shepard's head like an echo. She said nothing. The saying had a sense of finality about it.

A long breath from Hicks brought here out of her reverie. His head had fallen to his shoulders. His chest stopped to rise. She started, but stopped herself. There was no use.

Her head swam. The air was so thick in this room. The stench of blood and sweat swarmed her nostrils. Air had to force its way into her lungs. And a low, rhythmic hum kept beating at her ears. She felt like sleeping for an eternity. The last few hours had taken their toll.

Olivia was no stranger to death. People died by the hundreds on Elysium. Torn apart or taken and murdered by batarians. Civilians just snuffed out. Children-children!-put to death for someone else's sins. She had fought then. She killed, willingly. She had blasted holes in their godforsaken bodies with bullets. She had thrown them out her way like rag dolls. She remembered every killshot, every broken body like it was just yesterday. It was ironic; she was a soldier, but she hated killing. Shepard always had to tell herself it was for the better. That for the loss of one, many would live. She was protecting people. It was the only way she could protect people.

Her stomach never agreed with her brain. Her brain didn't even believe that bullshit.

Her father had died when she was very little. Her mother stayed strong. Hannah Shpeard was always strong. Shepard decided that she had to be strong, too. For her mom. For herself.

She couldn't remember her dad's face anymore.

And now, Hicks was gone, too. She didn't know him that well. Just that he was a newbie, but a good, loyal kid. Shepard swallowed the bile that rose to her throat. He was just a damn kid. And that damn humming noise wasn't helping anything.

It wasn't a noise, per say. It seemed to be coming from everywhere and anywhere. It pressed against her skull. Her temple pulsed as she leaned back on the wall with a dull thunk. The noise persisted. It grew louder. It started throbbing. It seemed to be coming out of her head, like a long forgotten memory. The noise buzzed in sync with the beat of her heart, accenting every thump with an echoing hum.

Shepard groaned and pulled herself up onto her feet.. Her hand found it's way to the back of her neck. The slight twinge on her fingertips reminded her of her implant buried under her skin there. She took a deep breath. Get a hold of yourself, Liv.

She still had her rifle. As she glanced over at Hicks' limp form, and anger rose up inher chest. Her jaw chenched, Shepard reached down, pulled the rest of his thermal clips off of his person, and tucked them into her own belt. A quick check on her rifle made sure everything was all right. Before leaving she gave Hicks one last look. His head was down. His face was calm. He looked almost peaceful. Almost.

Shepard pushed the stray, sweaty hair out of her face and behind her ear, and left the broken ruins of the apartment behind her.

Akuze's sun was setting on the horizon, bathing the colony in pale orange light. Shepard weaved her way in and out of the ruined structures, heading north. There was a defense tower on that side of the colony. The cannons had been taken out in the initial strike by the giant ship. They lay in flames at it's base. But the cannons were not the reason for Shepards journey. Colony defense towers weren't just homes for the GARDIAN laser systems. They also happened to be communications centers. Shepard knew that if she could reactivate the distress signal, an Alliance fleet would be there within hours. An Alliance fleet meant that that thing would be taken out, and that all this death wouldn't be for nothing.

As she came to the end of the apartment complex, she flattened her back to the wall and held her rifle ready. The thing was still there. It stood just to the left of her destination. It seemed to be inactive, however. To Shepard, it looked like it was sleeping, or hibernating. Waiting.

As she rounded the corner, she brought the rifle up to her eye. She stuck to the side of the complex, making herself as small as possible. The less chance she had to be spotted, the better. She scanned the narrow path that led into the entrance to the towers. She took careful, deliberate steps. Low humming resonated through her brain.

A shadow flashed to her left. Shepard spun, aiming her gun at a pile of debris. She shook her head, trying to shake the feeling. Hummmm.

There it was again. Something moved behind her. Sweat poured down the back of her neck. Goddamnit, she thought, trying to clear her head. I'm seeing ghosts. She kept in a crouch moving quickly and precisely through the rubble.

Hummmm.

Rocks fell off the edge of a house. Shepard jumped backward with a course of adrenaline. She looked up again. Nothing there. She stayed tense this time. Something, or someone, was still there. She didn't know who it could have been. A colonist would have recognized her as a soldier.

Hummmmm.

What if it wasn't a colonist? A ship that massive had to be piloted. So far, there had been no sign of the inhabitants. Had they come out now, to witness the destruction they caused firsthand?

Well, fuck.

Her grip on her gun tightened. She kept a mental handhold on her biotics, ready to lash put any aggressor. Two steps back, turn, back against the wall. Don't give them the element of surprise. Stay alert.

Shepard scowled to herself. She'd been to hell and back today. She had witnessed the cold murder of a hundred too many good men and women. If these sons of bitches wanted to finish her, then she would take them all down with her.

Shepard pressed her body up against the prefabs, and crouched low. The massive black ship loomed over the entire colony. The closer she got, the bigger her headache. It felt like her amp was gonna fry from the migraine. The comm station was located just underneath its body, unfortunately. She pressed on.

Hummmmm

Devastated prefabs lined her path. It occurred to her that these building were people's homes. People with families, and jobs and lives and loves; they were just people living their lives the best they could. Akuze was a beautiful place. She could have seen herself living here if she wasn't Lieutenant Shepard. These colonists had spent every day in an undiscovered country, a final frontier.

And now, within hours, every last life on the colony had been snuffed out. Just blown apart, like a weak candle by the wind, and crushed like a twig under a boot.

Hummmm.

Her thoughts were cut short by a deep growl. She spun on the spot, finger braced on the trigger of her rifle. The figure before her stole her breath.

It wasn't human. It looked like a human, but it was, different, demonic. Its skin was a twisted, black metal. Blue blood illuminated its veins, and its eyes were like bright cerulean jewels that held no beauty or shimmer, only death and rage. A scream rose in her throat, but the thing attacked before he had a chance to open her mouth.

She fired off three shots that rang throughout the rubble, but only one was able to make contact with the husks torso. It staggered, but kept charging. Shepard fired off a fourth volley, but the thing was faster than it looked. It climbed up the wall she had pressed herself against and used it's momentum to launch its whole body at her, with no concern for it's own safety. It collided with a dull thunk against her armor, dragging her down to the ground. Letting out another feral growl, it clawed at her face with inhuman fury. Adrenaline took over her body, now. In her struggle, she felt her boot make contact with something. She shoved with all her might, flinging the creature off of her. It collapsed a few feet away, giving the lieutenant time to scrabble to her feet, panting heavily. Her headache was growing more intense every second. She was certain that if she tried to use her biotics, she would faint from overexertion. Her rifle law on the ground a few feet away, knocked out of her hand from the initial impact. As the thing rose with unnatural endurance, she lunged for it-

And was tackled from the side, thrown into a nearby pit by the force of the contact. The husk tumbled down with her, screeching and clawing all the way. She growled as it scarthed her face, deepening the already bloody gash. She landed a strong hit on its ribcage, but the punch did little to faze it. Rubble slid down with them, kicking up multitudes of dust and debris. The two combatants fell one over the other down the side of the small ravine. Shepard landed first, her leg smashing into a sharp piece of debris and sending shockwaves up her spine. She gasped as maroon flooded her leg. The husk landed to her right, separated when they hit the bottom. Shepard struggled to her knees, adrenaline blocking out the majority of the pain, and blood clouding bits of her vision. Her lungs were on fire, and wave after wave of nausea emanated from her head. The husk rose again, letting out another growl before charging for a third time. This time, Olivia was ready. She steadied herself, bracing for the eventual impact. As it took it's last step toward her, she leaned forward with her shoulder, catching the creature off it's feet and hurling it over her and back onto the rocky ground. Moving with pained efficiency, she pinned it down as it squirmed and screeched for release. Anger bubbled up in her, now. All the death, and the destruction, Hicks.

Goddamn, Hicks.

With renewed vigor, she reached for a rock. It was heavy. Sharp. Good for killing. The humming intensified, fueling her anger.

The husk bucked again. She struck downward with righteous fury, smashing the stone on the husks left temple with a sickening crunch Blue blood gushed out, but she didn't stop. She struck again. And again. Fire flooded her muscles. Pleasure rose from rage. Pain was her friend. Her weapon. She struck again. And again. The husk was long dead, but she didn't care. Hot tears poured down her face, mixed with blue and red blood. She didn't know whose blood was whose, anymore. Just that it was blood. And more was coming from the demon beneath her. She struck again. Mechanical bone fell beneath every stroke. She showed no mercy.

Eventually, her arm grew tired. Every pound began to feel like she was lifting the weight of the world and bringing it down to rain vengeance. The husks body was a broken, ruined mass of indistinguishable mush. Shepard gave one last heave, bringing the rock down with a mighty roar and knocking the husks skull clean off its shoulders. It fell, lifeless, to the ground.

And with it, Shepard collapsed on her back. Every bone in her body ached. She could barely feel her leg. Her head kept buzzing. She was sure her amp was now just a lump of metal in the base of her neck.

She was so tired. Her breaths came every so often, with alarmingly little frequency. Her vision was growing cloudy. The humming in her head was ever present.

The humming…it wasn't painful, not anymore, though Shepard wasn't sure she could distinguish between pain and any other feeling, now. It was constant. Rhythmic. Whispers came with the humming, now. Like a chorus to the tune of death. It was pulsing, intense…alive. It was enticing. Was she dying?

She didn't feel like she was dying. She had suffered grievous wounds at Elysium. She had fainted, then. She felt like dying then. And these wounds were worse, far worse.

Then why wasn't she dead? Instead of life leaving her, she felt quite the opposite. The whispers coursed through her now. Lending strength instead of stealing it. She gasped for breath. The first real breath, it felt like, in an eternity. Fresh air forced its way into her lungs. The humming changed pitch, now. Shepard groaned as an unnatural surge helped her sit up. The drive to get up was almost overwhelming. Her muscles obeyed commands that didn't come from her, but that she didn't fight anyway. The struggled to her feet, and fought back the nausea. She couldn't feel her leg anymore. But the humming insisted on movement. She complied. With great effort, she took a single step. She teetered on her foot for a second, but regained her balance. She took a deep breath. Nothing mattered anymore except movement. The humming gave her strength, the whispers gave her drive. Step after step, she limped forward. There was no pain, and for that Shepard was grateful. All that remained was the overwhelming desire to go. She didn't know where, and she didn't care. She had to fulfill the urge. It was like an itch, pointing her in the right direction.

And so, Shepard made her way, slowly but steadily, step by step, toward the machine.

Hummmm.

Shepard stumbled over the final pile of debris from the shattered prefabs. Ragged breath exhaled from her lungs. Despite the assistance from the humming, the journey across the colony was exhausting. Her leg was still bleeding, but the humming blocked out the pain. It grew stronger the closer she got to the machine. It wasn't comforting, but invigorating. There was no ounce of comfort left on the planet.

Before her was the bane of her existence. The great machine stood, godlike before her. The humming was gone, now. Shepard itched. Sound was better than just eerie silence. All that was left was the overwhelming presence that originated from the machine. It was like a god. A huge, evil, death loving god.

Shepard shifted slightly. This was it? This was the end of the journey? She came to destroy this thing, to avenge the death of hundreds of innocent lives. Almost divine fury had driven her then, and now…nothing. No desire, no motivation. Nothing. She scowled. Goddamnit. This really was the worst day of her life.

Feeling was starting to come back into her leg, filling her side with dull pain. Her head throbbed. The humming was back, this time with no voice of encouragement. Only one thing remained, then.

"I have come."

Her own voice surprised her. Not the strength and clarity of it after everything she had experienced, but the fact that she spoke at all. There was no one around to hear her.

Was there?

Suddenly, the humming grew louder. Now the very air seemed to vibrate with the feeling.

The machine stirred. A tremendous growl emerged from the recesses of it's bulk, resonating through Shepard's very core. She fell to her knees in awe, ignoring the crunch of bone from her leg.

The machine seemed to activate. Plates began to shift, the structure began to rise. The ground shook with the very force of the awakening of a god.

Metallic armor was peeled away. Deep within the machines being, a single, lidless, pure red eye emerged. It glowed with ancient malevolence, as it stared her down.

Shepard stared back, not out of defiance, but of fear, and awe. The humming in her head was all that she could think. The machine kept staring.

After what seemed like hours, a single thought pierced Shepards consciousness. At long last, she spoke.

"Who are you?"

"Negative."

"What?"

"I have no name, no serial number. I am not a product of your society or any other organic. I am both one and many. I and we are one in the same. There is no need to distinguish between individual units."

The organic seemed to understand to at least some extent, which was more than the Reaper expected. Just coming into contact with the ship harmed the minds of most sapients, but this one was different. Strong. The heavy indoctrination had been working for hours, yet the fine motor control of this one was still intact. Interesting.

"You seem surprised…" the Reaper continued, continuing to communicate with its new, not entirely unwilling servant. "You appear unable to comprehend…"

"No, I comprehend. I just find it…surprising that one as mighty as yourself would be without designation."

Flattery…did the organic really believe it would do her any good? Well, it wouldn't do her any harm at least, but still, her façade was obvious. Perhaps it was just the work of the indoctrination. The Reaper had probed its mind, and seen that the proud organics dreams had become equal with the one who could render galactic wide devastation. Or would, if the Citadel would react to his commands. Yet this wasn't a bad thing. Let the organic know the goals, if not the outcomes…or rather, not this specific outcome at least.

"How…how long have you been in the galaxy?"

"Negative."

"What?"

"Time…for most species, it is measured by the rotation of a planet around its star. This is imperfect. Time itself is immeasurable. The futile attempts to do so serve no purpose or meaning to me."

The organic understood, even if she didn't comprehend. As her mind buckled under the vanguard's presence, it wondered if it should rectify this. Come down to her level, allow her to understand to the extent that was required. It decided that this would be so…and what better to start than with one of its original queries?

"Perhaps your original inquiry is of relevance. In order to steamline communication, perhaps I shall provide a designation."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

The Reaper paused. The protheans had given him a name. It was not too long ago, only the last cycle, and the vanguard remembered it with silent pride, if a machine could feel such a thing.

"I am the vanguard of destruction. I am Sovereign."

A/N -And there you have it. I'm officially AU.

If you're wondering why I chose Femshep instead of Sheploo, it's because Femshep has just so much more capacity for actual character. To me, it's like she actually has personality. Sheploo is just...a little dull. And An evil Paragade Femshep is just so awesome.

Besides, in a fight to the death between Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, Hale wins. Easily.