Sorry about the terrible Delay everyone. Got back into writing last month then very sadly had a close family friend pass away, what with the madness of organising funerals (I say organising i was in charge of the flowers. flowers are important!) i didn't have a chance to type.

And gears of war 3.

tsk.

But I'm back now! Huzzah! Oh yes. Anyway. *Ahem* important stuff.

1. I do not own Mass effect. I do however own a rather wonderful Scott Pilgrim poster. And slippers. Love the slippers. They're pink and fluffy. The Echoes team and Mia are my own.

2. Thanks to Rec0n412, the ever brilliant Janizary, Sailena, the ever faithful CaliforniaTD and dear ItsADrizzit. Review responses at the bottom.

3. Thanks for everyone for the favs and alerts!

"Ugh, I'm freezing my ass off out here."

Anya rolled her eyes at Finn's crackling voice, although she was privately very glad to be in the warmth of the Valiant's cockpit.

"It's not that bad, Finn."

"Why don't you come out here then Adams? It's a fucking party down here."

Anya snorted and a small smile flashed over her straight features. She glanced at one of the various holographic maps that dotted the walls of her small sanctuary, displaying maps of the sector four Sarian military facility. Her emerald eyes flickered over the various demographical, geographical and technological reports that the ship's V.I had automatically compiled and were drawn to bulky sphere that seemed to glow brighter than the rest of the map.

"Finn, I think I've located a functioning refuelling station. Do you see it? It's just to the left of your present location."

A crackled and garbled response.

"Repeat that, Stewards. Didn't catch that."

"I said I see it!" The disembodied voice replied briskly. "Look's pretty promising at any rate. I'll make the connections."

"Copy that," Anya replied and turned away from the communications console, refocusing her attention now on Rhyder's and Zadia's life signs which were displayed as two bright red dots deep in the facility.

Anya tapped a few on screen icons and the Codex for Sarian flashed up in front of her, text scrolling lazily upward.

"The whole complex extends miles underground," she said out loud, peering at the text and fully aware that the two could here her.

"The refuelling silos must have been gigantic."

A brash and confident voice responded. Captain Rhyder.

"I heard the Turian fleet was even bigger in those days, No treaty of Farixen to keep them in check."

Anya made to reply when another shrill burst of static nearly deafened her. The dozen extranet screens dotted around her gave involuntary spasms of shrill white noise.

"What the hell?" Anya muttered. She swivelled in her pilot's chair and attempted to reconnect communications.

"This Is Anya, come in Rhyder."

Static silence.

And then the explosions started.

"Geth!"

Mia froze to the spot, disbelieving. It was a nightmare…. It had to be a nightmare. The Geth were the monster of her childhood, the metal claw reaching out from under her bed; the white glare of a lens from a dark corner of the room….

And the now that childhood nightmare was glaring at her with icy white light, it felt like they were staring into her soul.

Burning her.

Blinding her.

She felt weak at the knees, her heart hammering in her chest as if it was trying to escape, and she shuddered as the closest Geth trooper gave a metallic screech that caused her teeth to rattle in her skull.

She couldn't move, and closed her eyes tight as she waited for the end to come. Just as it had come for so many other Quarians.

But just as the lead Geth's assault rifle blazed into life, a hail of automatic gunfire ripped though its shields and slammed into its light bulb head and torso.

"Suppressive fire!" Rhyder roared. "Tungsten class! Cover the whole corridor! Don't give them a chance!"

Mia turned to see Zadia, one knee on floor in what she guessed to be a classic Alliance military defensive posture, her Vindicator rifle shouting into life. Rhyder stood next to her, a machine pistol in each hand, filling the small access corridor with red holt slugs of metal that blazed and exploded into the synthetics.

The first Geth fell, and the next, and the next. but Mia realized that the three of them were outnumbered, outgunned and had no cover. If the Geth kept advancing like they did, they would be overwhelmed in moments. Mia managed to shove Rhyder and Zadia up the rickety metal staircase

"Run!"

"We can take them!" Zadia protested, her fiery hair flying in all directions.

Mia cast a quick glance back down the stairs only to see eyestalks illuminating the dusty corridor in a piecing white glare.

On the stairs above them, Rhyder was already taking aim with his heavy pistol; he squeezed off several more shots, the pistol recoiling heavily from what was obviously customised ammo, but was unable to break the Geth shields as they coolly turned their attention from the two women and returned fire from below with a volley of assault rounds.

Zadia cried out and frantically ducked as fire gunfire ricochet off the walls, several missed the pair by just a few inches. Suddenly she felt a strong arm pull her to the side; Rhyder had jumped down and was now pulling her up the stairs.

"Nothing ever goes right, does it?"

Mia had managed to clamber ahead, and was waving down at them madly. She was screaming at them so loudly, her mask's sound filter was crackling with the strain as she demanded they get a "Bosh'tet" move on, only stopping to take pot shots at the Geth, who were now marching up the stairs, firing up at them.

"Hurry up!" yelled Rhyder, practically pushing the group up the old stairs from behind, Mia stumbled in her rush on one of the metal steps, almost falling, but Rhyder just managed to catch her, lifting her and propelling her up the last steps with remarkable strength. She had no idea Humans were so strong.

Zadia, now in the lead, kicked open the door and they piled out into the dusty corridor which led to the desert surface in a even dustier heap. Rhyder scrambled to his feet and slammed the door shut, spinning the lock. Then he aimed his pistol and reduced it to molten slag.

"That won't stop them…" panted Mia. "Nothing can stop them."

"First time for everything." Replied Rhyder briskly.

"Geth!" Zadia breathed, leaning on the stone wall of the corridor, clutching her rifle in one hand and a pistol in the other.

"Fucking Geth!" She repeated, as if the other two had not heard her.

"I noticed them to," Mia replied tartly, earning a glare from the redhead.

"But here? Why here!"

"Stop talking and RUN!" shouted Rhyder, now leading the way along the corridor at a charge. He was shouting in his earpiece to Anya and Finn to get the Valiant ready for take off ASAP.

"Anya says we've got Geth ships moving in on our location. You're going to have to move it captain!"

"Roger that, Finn. On our way!"

The sound of screeching metal.

Zadia saw Mia turn back in horror as the Geth blasted their way out of the stairwell building. The First trooper emerged, its glowing eye roving around until it fixed on them. Mia screamed as the synthetic's wide assault rifle fire caused an explosion in a nearby prone fuel tank, causing a almighty blue fireball of light ad heat to erupt into the air. She fired her pistol wildly; and the slugs smashed though the Geth shields and crunched into the troopers head, it gave a shrill whine as it fell to the floor. The other Geth ignored the fallen as they chased their targets; crying in their machine language like savage Varen.

Rhyder, Zadia and Mia charged though the base infrastructure, dodging buildings, collapsed cables and occasionally bullets. On several close occasions, Zadia's shields had broken with an almighty crack and she only managed to dodge at the last second.

Mia, who was leading the way, skidded to a halt at one junction.

"My ship is this way. I have to go!"

She made to run when Rhyder grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back.

"Are you god-damn insane?"

Mia pulled away. "No! You don't understand! That shuttle's all I have left!"

"Is it worth dying for?"

"Yes!" she screamed at him. She didn't expect a human to understand.

She ignored Rhyder's cries of protest and made to run, but in the end, the decision was made for her, a horde of Geth troops marched into view at the end of the corridor, blocking off Mia's shuttle.

Rhyder opened fire with his machine pistol. Gunfire filled the alley like cracking thunder.

The Geth blasted at them, but the shoots went wide and suddenly they were all running again, tripping over each other in their haste to escape.

They reached the edge of the spaceport landing bays, and right in front of them, was The Valiant. Zadia had never been so glad to the see the great hulking mound of a spaceship,

"That's… your ship?" asked Mia incredulously.

"Yep," Grinned Rhyder. "You don't like it?"

"I just assumed Alliance ships were more… you know. shiny."

"Who said we're Alliance?" Pointed out Rhyder. Then he grinned madly at her.

"Maybe we're pirates?"

Finn was unhooking a series of heavy cables from the Valiant's underside. They were connected to a number of ancient Turian machines placed around the perimeter of the docking bay.

"She's not full, but we're good to go! Anya is ready to roll" he called over. Then he raised a eyebrow at the Quarian.

"Who the hell is-"

"Get her Started!" yelled Rhyder, pausing to fire a few more shots at the advancing Geth. Finn took the hint and started madly tearing out the last few fuel cables from the belly of the ship.

Dozens of Geth were marching into view from the edge of the spaceport, the white glares of their heads all turned to face the crew.

Anya and Finn were already in the ship and the engines were whining into life, a small shudder as the small Element Zero core roared into life.

"This is Anya. All Echoes members return to the Valiant for Code Gamma Defence strategy."

"What's Code gamma defence strategy?" Mia panted, as she loosed several more slugs into the advancing A.I platforms.

"Basically, Mia…" Rhyder said, then he grabbed her round the waist, pulling her up the ramp.

"Means leg it."

Zadia sprinted to the foot of the ramp and turned to give Rhyder and Mia covering fire as they scrabbled onboard. The smell of thermal clip discharges filled the air.

And then, suddenly, painfully slowly, the Valiant began to lift off, the landing ramp still extended. Geth Gunfire screamed all around them, lighting the ship with dull flashes and sparks.

Zadia turned to see Rhyder helping Mia as the ship swayed. He was grinning madly, over coat flapping and whooping. She was holding on for dear life. Zadia gave him a thumbs up as she darted into the ships loading the bay.

"Anya!" yelled Rhyder. "Get us the hell out of here! ASAP!"

"Aye Aye, Captain!" Replied Anya from the cockpit.

Suddenly, something exploded behind Zadia, probably one of the refuelling pumps outside the docking bay, caught in the gunfire. The fireball ripped though the air, cutting straight though the Valiant's mass effect fields causing the ship to stagger in mid air from the unexpected and unanticipated force. Debris filled the still open landing bay, just before the airlock door finally slammed shut with a satisfying clang. The shockwave had blown Zadia backwards and sent Rhyder and Mia sprawling.

"Zadia….?"

Rhyder saw immediately that she was hurt. A lump of fused metal, a piece of shrapnel from one of the destroyed fuel tanks had ripped though her armour and was imbedded in her stomach. Rhyder ran to her, she was leaning against the wall opposite the airlock door, her face pale; staring up at him. The wound was deep and serious, bloody spreading over the floor, dark arterial blood covered her battle armour.

"Hurts." She managed to croak.

"It's alright," Rhyder whispered to her. "Just a flesh wound."

"Bullshit…" She said. A weak smile passing over her lips, before being replaced with a grimace of pain.

Rhyder squeezed her hand. "You'll be fine. Finn, you're up!"

Finn stepped forward, pale and shaken by the blast. "It's too risky to move her to the Medi compartment. I'll have to operate here."

"Hurray." she said tartly.

"Yeah." Said Rhyder. "It was a close thing Zadia. We're gonna be OK. Everything will be fine. I promise. We're getting out of here."

The Valiant had swung away from the Spaceport and Anya was climbing out of the planet's atmosphere as quickly as she dared with the damage she had sustained.

"I'll get the medical interface VI fired up." Said Finn, poking around with his Omni-tool.

Mia stepped forward and stooped by his side.

"I have some medical knowledge if it helps."

"You've done enough." Finn growled back, and she jumped backwards as if she had been electrocuted by his glare. Rhyder was too absorbed with keeping the woman conscious to notice.

"This is not… dignified." Whispered Zadia as Finn left. She was pale and clearly in agony, but was forcing a smile.

"Try not to talk…." Advised Mia quietly.

"Give me a break, Mia. I'm begging for my life here," Tears filled her eyes as she sank slightly lower to the ground.

"And for the love of god, don't let that Blue sun V.I do the operation, it's a psychopath. I'd rather be left with the Geth."

Rhyder smiled. "I think your gonna be OK."

Suddenly there was a loud screech of metal from behind them. The interior airlock hissed and groaned as it swung open to reveal the jagged shape of a single Geth Shock Trooper.

"No!" yelled Mia and Finn simultaneously, both diving for their weapons. The Geth's single white eye blazed at them as it screeched in it's machine language.

"TCHCHCHCHC!"

Rhyder tried to pull Zadia away, but too late.

Far too late.

A hail of assault fire slammed Zadia straight in the chest, pushing her against the wall, the gunfire merging with Zadia's scream of agony created an unbearable, torturous din.

Eventually, after what seemed like an age; Zadia's corpse slumped to the floor.

Rhyder opened fire on the trooper with a roar of utter rage; the first several slugs were absorbed by the Geth's shields; whilst several more lucky shots slammed into the Troopers head and right arm. Somehow, impossibly the Trooper was still standing and functional; and brought its Assault rifle up with its left arm to bring down its assailant.

Its ruined eye hadn't registered Mia, who was charging at it on the synthetics right; she emptied her thermal clip into the trooper from point blank range, the tungsten rounds ripping though its armour like paper and destroying the vulnerable technology deep in the Geth's chest. It gave a shrill wine as it fell to the ground dead.

At that moment, Anya came running from the cockpit and stared at disbelief at Zadia's body.

"Oh god…" she muttered.

She ran to her side, falling to her knees.

"How…?" She whispered. She looked to Rhyder desperately for any explanation.

"I think one of the Geth managed to get in the airlock…" Mia whispered. She didn't have to say anymore.

Captain Rhyder stared at the Ruined Geth corpse. He couldn't look at Zadia.

It was happening again. It was all happening again.

And it was his fault.

"I'm so sorry." Said Mia. "I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault." Was Rhyder's reply. It sounded as hollow as she was feeling.

They should have been celebrating. Hugging. Clapping. Thrilled and excited by the fact they had escaped an army of unstoppable AI machines. But instead, all they felt was a tight knot in their chests and a burning sense of failure.

"I should have reacted faster." Muttered Mia. "She didn't deserve that… no-one deserves…. That."

Finn looked up from Zadia's body, hate now flickering across his grief stricken face.

"I don't give a damn who you are, or what the fuck you were doing on that planet, but everything went wrong the moment the Captain and Zadia found you!"

"Easy Finn," Whispered Anya who was still kneeling by her friends corpse, her emerald eyes blank. Her voice showed no emotion but it was comforting. She placed a hand of Finn's shoulder.

"It's not her fault and you know it. Help me move the body. Please."

A few hours later, Once The Valiant was in deep space and travelling at top speed towards the nearest Mass Relay, Captain Rhyder had gone to his cabin without a word to any of his crew. After moving Zadia, Finn took over the helm whilst Anya went to inspect the damaged airlock.

She found Mia there, sitting cross legged on the floor, scanning the remains of the Geth trooper with her Omni-Tool.

"Element zero core has been destroyed, Hyperlink offline and no motive power." She muttered quietly to herself.

"Have you ever seen the Geth before, Mia?" asked Anya, looking down at the alien. She shook her head slowly.

"But you understand them."

"I don't think anyone really understands them. I know I don't."

Anya remained silent for a moment, allowing Mia to continue her inspection of the corpse.

"I'm sorry," she said eventually. "I mean, about Finn. He was just angry that's all."

Mia looked up at Anya, her features hidden behind her tinted mask.

"I don't blame him. Creating the Geth didn't exactly boost our species reputation."

"But still. Zadia wouldn't have blamed you."

Anya moved to Mia's side and watched as her three fingered hands moved slowly over the Geth's body.

"What I don't understand, is how it could take such punishment from both you and the Captain. Rhyder was shooting at it at near point blank range. It could have blown a Krogan's head off at the sort of range."

"Geth are smart." explained Mia after a shallow chuckle. "It learns. It adapts. By the time Zadia had destroyed one Geth, it was already analysing the damage and transmitting emergency shield countermeasure protocols so its allies would be more resistant to that form of attack."

Anya smiled weakly. "I'll have to inform the others. Its my duty as information officer."

"I thought you were the pilot?" Mia asked, raising the Geth's limp arm and letting it fall again.

"I'm primarily the pilot. I also provide our ground team with objective and terrain information, as well as maintaining this vessel with the help of Finn."

"it's…. just the four of you? That's the entire crew?"

"Three," Anya replied coldly. "And we get by. The Valiant is mostly self automated."

Mia turned her attention to Anya fully, lowering her Omni-tool.

"Who are you people...?"

Anya seemed to consider for a moment. She was choosing her words carefully.

"We're... mercenaries. Tasked with removing unsavoury types from interfering with Human Alliance operations."

"So you're…Assassins?"

Anya picked up the distaste in the Quarian's voice.

"No," she replied quickly. "We simply take the missions the Alliance wouldn't want to risk its own people on."

"Because your're expendable?"

Anya gave a simple nod. "Not only that however, we do our best to capture valuable technology."

"Rhyder said you weren't Alliance." Said Mia, obviously trying to change the subject. "So, you just fly around the galaxy, killing threats to galactic security? It seems so… romantic."

Anya smile faded. "It isn't."

Mia cocked her head slightly to one side.

"You've chosen a very difficult life."

"So have the Quarians."

"That wasn't a choice."

Anya looked away. Suddenly she looked so sad and tired.

"This… is the only option open to me. James – I mean, the captain saved my life."

"How?" asked Mia. "What happened?"

"It doesn't matter now. It's in the past."

The cockpit door hissed open and Finn came in. He nodded at Anya and ignored Mia.

"Captain says we're heading for Eden Prime." Then he marched stiffly to the door and tore it open, disappearing into the upper level of the ship without a backward glance.

"That human colony in the Utopia system? Why?" asked Mia.

"It's Zadia's Home world." Explained Anya bleakly. "She's going home."

"Drink?"

Rhyder was sitting in the darkness of his office, chair facing away from Finn to observe the vast observation window that made the back of his office. The only light came from that same window, as the distinct shimmering blue light of FTL was gently sparkling throughout the office. Finn noticed that Zadia's Assault rifle was now taking pride of place on a wall mount.

"That'd be good." Rhyder replied quietly.

Finn sat a small pot of coffee down on the table beside the captain.

"I've plotted course for the Utopia system captain. We'll be there in about five hours."

Rhyder game a nod.

They stayed in silence for a moment, each man preoccupied with his own thoughts.

"Captain?" Finn asked eventually.

"Hmm?"

"Is it wise? To have an alien on board? I mean, if she finds out who we really are…"

"She's a Quarian." Replied Rhyder. "It's not like she can report to the council is it? And besides, we can drop her off on Eden Prime."

"You going to wipe her memory?"

"Naturally."

Finn gave a reluctant nod.

"How have you been holding up?" said Rhyder. His deep brown eyes watching the other man carefully.

Finn gave a sigh. "Never get used to seeing your friends die. We've been through hell these past few months,"

Rhyder lent back in his chair, his expression unreadable in the darkness.

"I guess. Your're gonna have to get used to it."

"Why's that?"

"More wars are coming." Said Rhyder simply.

Finn left him alone.

Captain James Rhyder opened a drawer by his desk and took out a small jet black cube and watched it. It was a puzzle that had been in his possession for half a decade. The display hadn't changed. Small red lights blinked across the surface, it had been blinking for the past three weeks.

James Rhyder didn't know what the display meant, but he knew it wasn't in anyway good.

More wars were coming.

-Well that only took three months to get published. Hahaha! Sorry for the delay everyone and thank you for reading. Reviews are my reward so any would be wonderful. OHHH! That reminds me!

Rec0n412 - Fair point about the misspelling. I haven't got a Beta and these things slip past. Thank you for the kind words however! I hope I do the idea justice!

Janizary - The core is almost the same, but I've added a lot of new improved (well I think so!) dialogue and plot points (mostly because the first time I was making it up and the characters weren't really characters yet. Its easy now. Rhyder is funny and charming, Mia is young and inexperienced but harder than Tali would ever be, Anya is the professional one who wouldnt drink at the office party and Finn is a bit of a head strong Muppet. As far as major changes go, I do have the original kicking around if you'd ever like to compare. I do the same with ocarina of time on my 3DS ho ho.

ItsADrizzit - GO PLAY MASS EFFECT. GO ON. Back? Enjoy it? Haha. Thanks for reading anyway, you're support is fantastic. I realise me going AWOL has had us become a bit distant, writing wise. I hope we can work together again soon.

Cali - Love a directors cut. Thank you for everything. I don't say it enough. xx