"Commander, can you read me?"

It was hard to understand what Shepard was saying with all the static, but this is what he heard:

"Barely. Storm's causing interference."

"Tell me about it!" James replied

"I've lost contact with the Normandy. What's your position?"

It was getting even harder to understand the Commander.

"I didn't read that, James. Repeat?"

James repeated what he said, but now there was nothing but a fuzzy signal.

"Dammit! As soon as the storm passes, I'll try again."

He began to think a little more.

"Maybe if I circle the Archives, I'll get a better signal... once the storm passes, of course."

It seemed like ages before the winds finally settled. James started up the Kodiak, and began making his way to the Archives.

But not before he noticed a Cerberus Kodiak coming in the same direction. Vega flew low and out of sight to see what it was doing. He looked down at the Archives to see four figures running on top of the building, one James couldn't recognize. He could hear panic in Shepard's voice as the figure was running.

"James, you read me?"

"Yeah, Shepard, I read you. What's you status?"

"Cerberus has the data!"

"Cerberus, how?"

But the Commander must have not understood him.

"Radio the Normandy. Get them down here, now!"

James made a quick link to the Normandy.

"Lieutenant Vega to Normandy, come in Normandy."

What a relief it was to hear Joker's voice.

"This is Normandy, Lieutenant. What's your position?"

"I'm circling the Archives to get a better signal with Shepard, though the communications can go to hell, over."

"I hear that. We'll make our way to you! There's Reapers heading this way!"

'Fuck.'

"Alright, I'll try picking up the Commander. Meet you on top of the Archives. Vega out."

"Got it, Normandy out."

The Cerberus Kodiak began making a descend to where what looked like a woman was waiting.

'Wait, she doesn't have a helmet on! How the hell is she breathing?'

The woman jumped into the Kodiak, and it slowly flew away. Shepard was talking, but adrenaline kicked in, all James knew is he had to stop that Kodiak.

He accelerated at full speed towards the other Kodiak.

"I got this one!"

The two vehicles collided at an enormous force. James about flew out of his seat, and suddenly, he was skirting across the top of the building.

'Oh fuck...'

But the Kodiak stopped. He quickly opened the door and jumped out.

"Normandy's en route. They'll be here soon."

"We need that data." He could hear Dr. T'soni respond

The sounds of a massive force was heard, and then ricocheting bullets. James knew this couldn't be good.

Shepard and Vega rounded their own Kodiak to find Major Alenko dangling from the hands of some kind of... robot. No... it was the woman!

"Kaiden!" Shepard cried

She turned to the... thing.

"Let him go!"

The thing made a movement that indicated that it was talking with someone.

"Orders?" it asked

A few seconds later, the thing swung the Major around toward the other vehicle, and began pounding his helmet against it.

'Oh fuck, oh fuck!'

Shepard angerly raised her gun towards the robot, and the thing dropped the Major like a data pad. It ran at Shepard with great speed, but the Commander had already fired enough shots that it came tumbling to the ground. SHe kept her gun on the woman for a few moments before she made a dash towards Alenko.

"Grab that thing. Bring it with us." Shepard ordered Vega

He obeyed.

"Shepard! We've got Reaper signatures in orbit!"

Shepard tried waking the Major, but he was still lifeless. The Commander grabbed Alenko with great strength and tossed him over her shoulders.

'Wow, is she strong!'

Dr. T'soni, Shepard and Vega all ran onto the Normandy as they watched Reapers touch down on it's surface.