The news from last night upset me. I wanted to do something to feel better, and I already had this moststly written. No promises the next chapter will come out sooner, but I hope you enjoy this.

Eden Prime…

This mission was supposed to be a simple one. Come to Eden Prime, secure the Beacon, and help improve humanity's standing within the galaxy. If things had gone extra well, Jane Shepard would have gotten a chance to become the first human Spectre. A special operative answering the Citadel Council exclusively, and able to act in ways that would help humanity.

Instead, the Geth were attacking everywhere.

Shepard and her cohorts were instantly besieged. They even lost Jenkins. Now all she had was Kaiden (a good biotic with a subdued personality), her guns, and a lot of questions without answers. Hopefully, the soldier they just rescued could provide a few.

"Ashley, was it?"

"Yes ma'am. What do I call you?"

"Commander Shepard. SSV Normandy. And as of right now, you're under my command. Understood?"

"Sound better than waiting for more Geth to ambush me. Where are we headed commander?"

"The beacon. Our mission is to secure it for the alliance."

"Understood. The beacon should still be just up that hill. If we hurry, we should be able to reach it."

"Understood. Lead the way, Ashley."

Their run to the Beacon allowed Shepard to ask some necessary questions. Ashely explained that she and her Unit had tried to circle back to the Beacon after the first time they were attacked. She was the only survivor.

Shepard had to make sure this trio succeeded where they failed.

"Shepard. Up ahead."

Walking ahead, Shepard ordered Kaiden and Ashley to watch her back. If Geth attacked from behind, they'd be met with gunfire. The same would happen if they tried to attack from ahead.

Which is exactly what occured. As Shepard and her two companions reached the location, three Geth units immediately set their sights on them. Luckily, basic trained alliance soldiers were taught to get to cover and avoid fire. Better soldiers, like Shepard, knew how to return it.

"Let's get the bastards."

With Ashley's enthusiasm, the trio could take down the Geth surrounding their quarry. Only to realize a new problem.

"The beacon isn't here. The Geth must have already moved it," Kaiden said. Shepard turned to Ashley.

"Any idea where they may have taken it?"

It took Wiliams a moment. But she was able to come up with a response.

"There is a spaceport nearby. If the goal is to get the beacon off-world, there's no better place for them to take it."

"Then we'll have to stop them before they load it," Shepard determined as she cocked her assault rifle. There was an army of Geth between her team and the beacon. She would have to cut through all of them to get it.

"Let's go."

The trio began to run toward the nearby spaceport. And as they did, none of them noticed the red light that was falling from the sky.

Jaime felt like he was about to hurl. So much was happening so fast that he couldn't keep up with any of it. Blurs were zipping past his visions so quickly that he couldn't make heads or tails of it. The voice in his head said that they were leaving Earth and going to a different planet.

That was not helping him keep his head straight.

But things were now… not slowing down. Everything was still just as quick. But it was easier to keep up now. The round shapes of the planets he missed were easier to make out, and he could tell their distinct geographies and colors now. He could also see the stars and spacial bodies much better than he could at the start of his…

What was this? A kidnapping? An abduction? Whatever it was, Jaime had no say in where he was headed.

But he was about to land there now.

"Approaching destination."

The same emotionless voice spoke in Jaime's head again. And this time, it's statement made it so Jaime could slightly prepare for what was coming.

The planet that the suit was dragging Jaime to looked a lot like Earth. It was a massive blue sphere with white clouds visible. But the lack of large continents made it clear to Jaime that he wasn't anywhere near home.

"Entering atmosphere."

"Oh no."

If leaving a planet's atmosphere was an uncomfortable experience, then reentering an unfamiliar one was just as bad. Maybe even worse. The moment Jaime broke through its barriers, he felt the sting of fire covering his body. None of it touched his skin, but the heat that could melt steel left a painful itch under the armor.

The g-force and friction he was fighting against as he broke into the strange world made it so he could hardly keep his eyes open. His lack of control over his flight made him flail and turn like a broken satellite piece falling to the surface.

"Why is this happening to me?!"

"Approaching planetary surface. Attempting safe landing."

Unfortunately, there was nothing the suit could attempt that would work Jaime's inability to control his own body in the air. All he could do was fall through the sky like a ragdoll. And scream all the way.

"Oh God! Oh Shit! I'm Gonna Die! I'm Not Gonna Make It!"

"Host overreacting."

"What The Hell Do You Mean Over-?!"

Inevitably, Jaime hit the ground. And despite the suit's desires, he crashed down hard. As soon as Jaime made contact with the ground, a crater was formed.

But unlike other beings, Jaime didn't die from the experience. In fact, he was still conscious after the dust settled. Something that unsettled him as he lifted his head.

"How the hell am I still alive?"

"Host protection is priority. The armors durability was set to moderate level."

"Moderate?!" Jaime questioned in disbelief. "Reentry is moderate level?"

"Affirmative. Higher Levels Would Allow Host To-"

"Stop. No. I don't want to know," Jaime cut off the voice. "Just tell me what's going on. Why am I not on Earth right now?"

"Hosts homeworld held insufficient data. Larger cache detected nearby."

The weird electronic enhancements to Jaime's vision changed. Instead of simply making it appear as if he was looking at the world through VR, it was marking spots on the ground. And as Jaime stood up, he realized that the markers were making a path for him to follow.

One that he currently had no intention of following.

"No. Give me one good reason why I should do what you're saying. All you've done is take me from my home and drag me across the galaxy. I should be at home with my family. I don't even know what this planet is!"

"The data cache-"

"I don't care!" Jaime yelled, his frustrations with the suit talking in his mind spilling over. "I want answers. What the hell are you?! And what- What is happening to me right now? I'm not moving until I get something."

For the next few moments, there was only silence. Jaime stayed inside the crater he had made, while the voice inside his head didn't make a single sound. He was serious when he said he wouldn't move, being willing to stay there all day if needed.

But thankfully, he didn't have to.

"The Answers You Seek Are Inaccessible. Data Cache Is Necessary Before Full History Can Be Explained."

Jaime groaned.

"So if I want to get any answers from you, I need to get the data you want?"

"Affirmative."

"There's no other way?"

"Affirmative."

As far as Jaime could tell, the voice was telling him the truth. So far everything it had said had been accurate. If infuriating. So there was a good chance it wasn't misleading him.

But even if it was, there wasn't much he could do about it. He was stuck on a planet away from home he couldn't even name. And without the data cache, there was a chance the suit would just leave him to rot in the crater until he died.

So his only choice was to get up and start following the laid-out path.

"You better not be making me look dumb."

"That would serve no purpose."

Scoffing, Jaime took his first steps outside the crater and followed the visor's path. Along the way, he did stop for a few short moments to look at the world he was in. He had to admit, it was aesthetically pleasing. The grass and trees helped create a pleasant atmosphere to walk through.

An atmosphere that was abruptly destroyed when he began to see the fires. A lot of the trees and parts of the ground were on fire, and there was a scattering of bullet holes. His uncle Rudy had taken him to gun shows as a kid, so Jaime knew what kind of holes they made. But that didn't explain why the environment was so shot up.

"Any idea what happened here?"

"Negative. Continue the path."

Shaking his head at the voice's lack of accommodation, Jaime kept walking. Eventually, he reached a place that looked like a spaceport. And that was when he realized that he didn't want to be here.

There were dead soldiers scattered all across the ground. All of them were humans in Alliance-looking uniforms, and all of them had bullet wounds that seemed like they cut right through them.

"Oh god…."

Jaime grabbed his knees, feeling like he was about to throw up. Even being slingshot from his Texas home to here didn't cause such a violent reaction as seeing dead bodies.

"Time is of the essence Jaime Reyes. We must continue."

"Just shut up for a moment will you?"

Taking in and releasing a series of dead breaths, Jaime took some time to get himself down. He managed to keep his lunch in his stomach and stepped onto the spaceport.

Things didn't get any better once he started walking on metal, because now there was a Turian laid out on the floor. Trying to be as respectful as possible, Jaime turned the body around. But all that did was confirm another death.

"Jesus…"

This… this was not something Jaime was ready to deal with. He had gotten home so happy to see his family and to catch up with them. But now he was lightyears away from the Reyes house surrounded by nothing but dead bodies.

Or so he thought.

"Lifeform Detected."

The visor over Jaime's eyes directed him to a nearby pile of crates. Using what Jaime assumed to be infrared (seriously, how many gadgets did this suit have?), he was able to see the outline of a person hiding in a fetal position behind the crates.

"I think it's just a guy. Not a threat."

"Analyzing. Confirming. Non-Hostile. Continue to Data Cache."

Turning away from the crates, Jaime began walking back on the path set out for him. He didn't even bother to look at the man that saw him leave.

"Commander. Look over here."

Following Kaiden's voice, Shepard found the dead bodies scattered on the ground. Unlike the rest who had been pierced and turned into zombie-like creatures, these soldiers were simply left to rot.

"The best thing we can do now is avenge them. Come on."

Thankfully, they weren't too far from the spaceport. They had to clear off a few Geth scouts, the environment, and a surprisingly deep crater, but they arrived at the port.

Unfortunately, their arrival only exposed them to more bad news.

"Nihlus."

He was lying on his back, his closed eyes and limp limbs making obvious something that should have been impossible. It not only complicated the mission further, but it also raised a lot of questions.

"Commander, over there!"

"Don't shoot! Please!"

Pulling out their guns on instinct, the three soldiers were met by a scared dockworker. One that quickly put up his hands.

"Please don't kill me! I'm human, like you."

He certainly seemed to be.

On Shepard's command, the other two put down their guns. It made it easier for the worker to relax. Once his breathing was steady, Shepard began to question him.

"Who are you? And what happened here?"

"My name is Powell. And it was the Geth. I saw those machines come down off their mothership and start blasting everyone. I'm only alive because they didn't see me."

It seemed plausible. But Shepard saw one wrinkle.

"Why didn't any of the other workers hide with you? Or the soldiers?"

"They didn't have a chance. Damm machines started firing before anyone could react," Powell explained. "And… I was already hiding back here before the attack. I needed a break to make it through the shift. I was hiding from my boss. Back when I still had one."

"Hold on, you're telling us you survived because you're lazy?" Ashley questioned. It made Powell tense up again.

"Hey, it saved his life. No shame it that," Kaiden consoled, helping the man relax again.

Shepard, not focused on that, continued her questions.

"Did you see what happened to our Turian friend here?"

"Yeah. The other Turian shot him in the back."

That blunt response raised the trio's concerns and made a lot of new questions.

"Other turian?"

"Yeah. He… I think he showed up with the Geth. I think they knew each other. He-your guy-called the other turian Saren. Then your guy turned his back to him and… well…"

He didn't need to say anything else to make the story clear. But that only explained what happened to Nihlus. It didn't explain why.

"You guys being here means I'm safe, right? I don't want to deal with any more of these machines. Especially not like the red one."

Shepard raised a brow at the comment.

"Red one?"

"Yeah, I don't know if it was a new type of Geth, but it looked like a big red walking bug. I heard a boom early, so I think it might have crashed outside the port. It walked over here and started talking to itself. I think it also wants the beacon."

That was troubling news. Shepard and her crew had only just gotten used to shooting geth. If a new model was running around, then the mission just got harder.

But they didn't have a choice. Especially not when they heard the explosion on the other side of the port.

"We need to go get that beacon. Powell, get yourself somewhere safe. You two, come on. We got enemies to shoot."

Minutes Earlier…

Jaime did not feel comfortable at all in this situation. Being on an alien planet in what was probably an alien suit surrounded by a lot of dead bodies was not good for his nerves.

But if the voice in his head was being honest, then all he had to do was get to the data cache on the other side of the spaceport. It was going to be easier now that he had activated the lift and was on his way. So long as nothing got in his way, he should be fine.

"Just walk up, let the suit do its thing, get answers, and go home to finish your tacos. Nothing too drastic, I just have to reach it."

As soon as Jaime felt hope, the universe became intent on taking it all away.

He stepped off the transport and began walking the same path the visor laid out for him. He took a few steps out and began walking down the stairs. He hoped that he could simply walk to the data cache.

For a moment, it seemed like he might be able to. Getting off the transport led him to a walkway that, according to the info the visor was giving him, led him to the northmost part of the spaceport. And behind a wall of steel was where he would find the data cache. He just had to get to it.

But then he heard a sound that resembled a cricket mixed with a synthesizer. It was quickly followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.

Within moments, Jaime had his path to the data cache blocked by big gray robots. They all had humanoid shapes, but their faces were bright flashlights all pointed at him. Same as the guns they all held.

Jaime had never seen one in person, but he knew what these machines were. Every history lesson in the galaxy had a textbook assigned to them.

"Geth."

"Enemies Unknown. Threat Level: Minimal. Initializing Countermeasures."

"Minimal? Didn't you say the same thing about the dockworker?"

The voice didn't respond. And Jaime soon became too distracted to ask anything else.

The heat, the same kind of heat that Jaime had felt when the bug had crawled into his flesh and covered him in metal was back. But this time, he only felt it in his arms. And when he looked down at them, he could see why.

The same microscopic machines from before were back, but this time they were forming a shape around his arm. They took a cylindrical form around his hands, with a scope and a light source.

Within a moment, Jaime's hands were replaced with some of the most dangerous blaster weapons he had ever seen up close.

"Why are my hands guns?"

"Targeting Enemies."

Jaime had his arms jerked up against his will. And through his visor, he could see marks added to the geth robots in his sight. Geth who had seen him started to fire.

Even though Jaime's first instinct was to close his eyes and flinch at the gunfire, he quickly realized that he didn't have to. The suit was deflecting the bullets, keeping him from taking damage.

Something that was not true for the geth that had been targeted.

"Firing."

Jaime felt the explosion inside the canons right before they fired. And once the beams of light shot out, the geth were the ones feeling the heat.

Two of the units were destroyed instantly. The blasts blew up their bodies as soon as contact was made, leaving only burning limp legs. But there were still more coming. According to the visor, there were seventeen geth left in the spaceport. Seventeen standing between him and the data cache.

"I guess I'm blasting now."

Indeed, that was the solution Jaime decided on. Whenever any of them got too close, Jaime responded by firing concentrated plasma at their metal bodies. The closest ones were vaporized, while those with some distance were torn apart with their circuitry leaking out.

He was able to take out seven in less than a minute.

Eventually, the synthetics began to wise up and use their environment. A plethora of crates and containers were scattered across the entire spaceport, and they started using them for cover.

"Is that a problem?"

"Negative. Synthetic structures tracked. Cover structures insufficient."

The suit knew where each geth was hiding. And none of the objects they hid behind were strong enough to withstand the blasters on Jaime's arms.

"Let's finish this."

There were six geth hiding, and Jaime needed them gone so he could get some answers. He aimed his arms up and, just like before, started firing on the machines. He shot six blasts, the suit helping him aim so he wouldn't miss a single one. Burning wood and scrap metal littered the port grounds along with fuming circuits.

When he was done, a geth head rolled aimlessly until it stopped at Jaime's feet.

"You know, these guys aren't as scary as the textbooks make them sound."

"Two hostiles remaining."

"Right, you said fifteen. Where are-?"

Jaime turned around just in time to see what they looked like. They were not normal geth units. They stood a full head taller than the ones Jaime had destroyed and were large enough to look down on him. Their armor was also clearly more durable.

Jaime learned that the hard when one of the units smashed its fist into the side of his head.

The blow sent Jaime flying back. His head was too rattled to stop himself from fumbling on the ground like a discarded bottle. When he finally stopped rolling, he wasn't able to get back up quickly enough.

"Ugh…"

The pain in his temple was too much for Jaime. He had never been in a fight, let alone gotten hit like this.

"Host compromised. Suggested tactic: capitulate control."

Jaime, whose head was still spinning and whose legs felt wobbly, didn't put too much thought into the suggestion. He just wanted the loud stomping noises to stop.

"Ok. That's fine. Do that."

Jaime suddenly got up and stood straight in a way no person with a concussion could. And before he could even register the fact that he was standing, he felt a familiar heat course through his arms again.

But when Jaime turned his eyes to look at his right side, he didn't see the same blasters he had before—those long-range weapons, along with his arms, were now replaced by blades. Blood-red blades that looked like they were sharp enough to sharpen steel.

The actions that came next proved that they could also cut through it.

His body acting without his control, Jaime dodged and weaved every shot the geth fired at him. And when he was close enough, the blades cut through their metal bodies like a knife through butter. His arms didn't even feel any friction fighting back against them. He tore off limbs, divided torsos, and decapitated the geth with the skill and precision of a chef cutting sushi.

When he was done, all that was left were a bunch of scattered and sparking geth body parts all over the floor.

"Is that all of them?"

"Affirmative."

The blades were retracted. And after Jaime moved his limbs to check, he realized he was in control of his body again.

"So now what?"

"The data cache is near. Follow the highlighted path."

Jaime's HUD showed him where to walk, so Jaime followed the path to the edge of the spaceport. And that was when he saw the thing that his parasite wanted.

"What is that thing?"

In a way, it looked like an emerald spire pointing straight to the sky. It had a faint green glow to it as well.

To Jaime, it looked… almost familiar.

"Data cache located. Commending extraction."

The pointy protrusions on Jaime's shoulder began to extend, as did the four around his waist. When all six of the insect leg-looking protrusions were near enough to the spire, they stabbed into it.

And that was when Jaime wished he hadn't listened to the voice in his head.

"AH!"

It was as instant as it was painful. His head felt like it had been split open like a fruit, and so many things were being poured in at once. His body shook and convulsed as he tried to make sense of it all. Visions, screams, and images he couldn't comprehend were all forced into his mind.

He saw what looked like the end of the world. Endless corpses. Horrifying screeches. And towers of metal that glowed an enraged red.

"...what is that?"

"What about the beacon?"

Two unfamiliar voices were among the last things Jaime heard before his mind reached a limit. The last words came from the voice in his mind.

"Data gathered. Processing."

Jaime suddenly felt cold. And then things went black.

The mission was a bust in ways Jane didn't think she could explain. Nihulus was dead, which probably tanked any chance she had at becoming a Spectre and making Anderson happy. The beacon was also a bust, and that was for reasons she couldn't even begin to explain.

Honestly, how do you explain to your superior officer that the reason the beacon full of priceless knowledge exploded is because a stranger in red armor jammed some strange tentacle-looking things into it and drained it? That same stranger was sprawled out on the floor, the armor gone and leaving him wearing nothing.

Shepard had no idea how she would even begin to explain the mess. But she knew had to do it now before any more geth showed up.

"You two pick him up. I'll cover you in case there are any stragglers."

Alenko and Willains followed her orders, picking up the stranger by both ends and carrying him towards the pick-up point.

She just hoped Anderson would feel forgiving today.

I should be honest and say that for a while, I lost both my time and my desire to write. I'm working on getting both back.

Something I want to have fun with is the fact that Jaime, compared to the rest of the cast, is a lot more relaxed despite his circumstances. Unlike the other characters, he doesn't have a lot of history bogging him down. He's just a polite, nice kid who got dragged into something far beyond himself. And that dynamic will be fun to explore.

In the meantime, go ahead and leave reviews, tell me what you think, and I will see you all next time.

Bye!