A/N: This fic...is dedicated to my friend Eric. Who died in Afghanistan two years ago. This is in honor of his memory, and the memory of all those who lost their lives overseas. I miss you man, may you rest in peace.

I don't own Mass Effect

Corporal Eric Lachance awoke from sleep, dark green eyes still a little cloudy from the lite nap. His convoy had been travelling through the Northern part of Kabul for the last two hours and he thought it would have been the perfect time to catch up on some sleep. Running a hand through the short blonde mohawk on his head, he put his helmet back on and adjusted it.

"Rise and shine buttercup." said Sergeant Miller from the front passanger seat. "Yeah man, your snoring could wake the dead." said Private Ramerez from his spot on the 50 cal. above them. The other two occupants that were sitting next to Eric, Private First Class Jane Valentine and Private Jason Fox were checking their weapons.

Eric looked out the window at the cold night desert outside. He had joined the Marines when he was 18, Eric wanted to fight for his country and it was something he wanted to do since he was a kid. His mom was against it at first, but trusted that her son could keep himself safe. His little brother James was excited for him and was proud of his big brother.

After basic, Eric was sent to Iraq first for 2 years before being reassigned to a new squad here in Afghanistan. The Corporal liked being a Marine, it was his life, and he'd fight for the safety of the innocent for as long as he could.

"How long till we reach the location Sarge?" asked Ramerez. "About another hour Private. Keep your pants on." "For all our sakes." added Valentine making everyone chuckle. Eric's squad was like a second family to him. They were like brothers and sisters, save for the Sergeant who was like that uncle you wanted to fight every once in a while, but in a good way.

Eric checked his weapons. His loadout consisted to an M4A2 assault rifle with an attatched grenade launcher, an M9 pistol, five flashbang grenades, five fragmentation grenades, a few MREs, night vision goggles, and a small medical kit along with several magazines for his weapons. Their mission was to be part of a small convoy of three hummers that was to recon around the Afghan capital for possable activity. So far they hadn't found anything.

'Nightwatch 2, we have a visual on something due West of our position.' said the driver of the hummer ahead of them. "Copy that Nightwatch 1. Ramerez, do you have a visual?" asked Miller. Ramerez looked around with his night vision goggles. "I don't see...there! RPG!"

The hummer ahead of them exploded in a large fireball, "GET OUT! DEFENSIVE POSITIONS!" shouted Miller as the 50 cal. guns from the remaining hummers opened up. Eric lept out and immediately shot a man that was running at their hummer with an AK-47 in his hands. He took cover behind the hummer and fired at several more human shaped outlines he saw out in the desert.

There was more gunfire and a grunt was heard next to him. Eric looked down and saw Jason slumped against the side of the vehicle with a hole in his neck, "Shit! Fox is down! They're coming from the East too!" he shouted to the others. Valentine tried to check his vitals, "Hes gone!" she called out taking up her weapon again.

Another RPG was seen flying in their direction and the hummer behind them went up in an explosion. "Mayday! Mayday! This is Nightwatch, we just lost two of our hummers and we're taking heavy fire two clicks outside of Kabul we need back up now!" Miller shouted into the radio. 'Renforcements are on their way Sergeant, ETA 20 minutes. Just hang on.' came the reply.

"We'll be dead by then! Can't command hurry up fas-" Ramerez was silenced when a bullet went through his head sending his body toppling off of the hummer. "Ramerez!" shouted Miller running to the downed soldier. "Someone get on that 50!" Eric jumped up onto the back of the hummer and headed for the heavy weapon.

"ERIC!" shouted Valentine. The Corporal looked up just as a third RPG struck the hummer. The following explosion threw him several feet and crashing onto the cold sand.

His ears were ringing, and he noticed that he was missing his helmet and goggles, and blood was dripping down his forehead. Thankfully he saw his rifle laying next to him. Grabbing it he staggered to his feet and looked back to where he was before.

With the help of the fires from the destroyed vehicles, he saw Valentine and the Sergeant doing what they could with the help of a few remaining soldiers in that survived the explosions. Eric was about to run to them when he got a massive headache. He dropped to his knees clutching his head, did the explosion do this?

"No. It was I." Eric looked up and saw time had slown down to a crawl, bullets seemed to freeze in midair as they flew past. Out of the darkness, a woman came toward him. She had blue skin with tentacle like hair and markings on her face. She wore a body hugging suit that reeked sex appeal and danger at the same time.

The strange woman kneeled infront of him, "Your purpose is not to die here. You are needed elsewhere Corporal Lachance." she spoke ominously. Eric was confused. Who was this woman? What did she mean needed elsewhere?

She smiled sadly as she slipped some strange orange glowing device onto his right arm, "Alas, I will not survive transporting you. But this will tell you everything you'll need to know." She kissed his forehead, as a mother would a child, "May the goddess protect you." There was a bright flash, and Corporal Eric Lachance saw darkness.

X

Eric groaned, he felt worse than he did after a hard day at basic. He opened his eyes slowly...before flipping over and looking around quickly. He wasn't in Afghanistan anymore, he was sitting in some strange alley surrounded by futuristic looking buildings. "Where the hell?" he asked the air. He looked to his left and saw his rifle, picking it up, he crept to the end of the alley and peeked out.

The Marine was so shocked he almost dropped his weapon. There were people walking everywhere, but they weren't human! There were humans but they were surrounded by aliens of various kinds. He saw some like the woman he had seen, ones that looked like large reptiles, and some that looked like a cross between reptiles, humans, and birds.

Thats when he was hit with realization as hard as a rubber bullet. Asari...Krogans...Turians...they were just like the alien races in the two games he played with his little brother when he was on leave before he came to Afghanistan. He slinked back into the alley and sat down against a wall, rifle in his lap. "How the hell was I transported to the Mass Effect universe?" he wondered.

Then it hit him, that Asari! She said something about transporting him some where. But she also said something about not surviving it. He looked down at his arm and the glowing device she had given him came alive. An omni-tool, and there were several messages and a video addressed to him. "Alright, time to figure out what the hells going on." he said before he started to go through the messages.

A/N: A short chapter, but its a good start. Review if you want.