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Chapter 3

Visions
Normandy, Beacon, Citadel, Spectre

Shepard leaned her head back into the plastic waiting seat of the terminal she was sitting at, waiting for a private shuttle to take her to the Normandy. It was all so strange, why would they need a full crew on a state of the art spaceship for a shakedown run. Shepard knew something was up, but the year she was on classified missions, she knew not to question things.

What a long year it was. Shepard kept herself busy, not wanting to think about what happened on Akuze and Elysium. Not caring for what the reporters had said about her, not caring what others thought of her. It was all about the missions. Classified missions was not something she loved going on, for it always wound up her killing a bunch of people.

"Mama, thad a sholder!" Shepard lifted her head up quickly and found a little girl pointing her finger at her from across. They had arrived ten minutes after Shepard had sat down; the little was rather calm for a child having to wait. "Sholder hast funsy eyes." Shepard missed this, this innocence. Shepard smiled slightly at the little girl. The little girls' curly brown locks swayed as she moved her head between Shepard and her mother.

Brown eyes stared at Shepard with curiosity, probably wondering why her eyes were different colors. The mother turned around from rummaging in her bag to see what her daughter was pointing at, she gasped slightly and told her daughter to hush while pushing her pointing hand down to her lap.

"I'm so sorry." The mother rushed out, hoping that the solder across from them was not angry.

"Its fine, Ma'am." Shepard responded quickly. Shepard sighed, she had defiantly been the field too long if she was addressing a citizen as she was a commanding officer. The mother had turned back to rummage in her back leaving the daughter to slide down from the black plastic chair and make her way towards Shepard with a slight skip in her step.

"Alisha." The little pointed to herself and pointed at Shepard.

"Shepard." Shepard shook the little hand. "Pleasure to meet you Alissa. You waiting for someone?" It was nice to have a normal conversation for once.

"Dady's coming home. I waiting for him here wid mama." The little girls seemed to be the age of five. "I onceth saws a big lithard in hear." The girl kept ramballing about this lithard...maybe lizard. Shepard wasn't sure what she meant. "Why yous goth twos eyes?"

"The color you mean?" The child nodded. "The red one got...ah... hurt. The blue one is all sad about having the other one being hurt." Shepard knew that blond and blue eyed people were so rare now a days, like red heads back when.

"It got a booboo?" Kids were so cute. "Dada got a booboo too. He has to come home and get bether. You going home to get bether?"

"No. I'm heading on a big top secret ship and doing my job." The girl's eye lit up at the word secret. She leaned in and whispered secret. Shepard nodded.

"I have a secret too! One of those bags has a puppy in it?" She screeched out.

"It's not a puppy Alissa. It's a grown dog, a military dog." Her mother said. "Sorry for all the questions."

'Commander Flowne-Shepard. Please report to the closest service station.' An AI voice sounded over speakers throughout the building. Well the fun lasted for a few moments.

"It was nice meeting you Alissa." Shepard stood up slowly; stretched and made sure she had all her guns attached to her. "Ma'am."

'Commander Flowne-Shepard, Please report to the closest service station.' The AI voice sounded again.

"I'm coming. Hold you virtual horses." Shepard hissed through her teeth.

"WOW! Daddy hasth many gunth asth you do!" Shepard just smiled at the little girl. The mother of the child had stood up not too long ago and ran over to her husband. In which they both preceded to each other faces off. Shepard just coughed slightly. She recognized the man, she couldn't put a name to him but she sure remember saving his ass on the last mission.

"C-C-Commander Flowne-Shepard." The man saluted. Shepard saluted right back in a rigid format. This poor man had spent three weeks in enemy hands and then two hours in Shepard oh so caring hands

"At ease. How are your wounds doing?"

"They are fine Ma'am. Thanks to you. Oh! This is my wife Jessica; it seems you have met Alissa."

"She likes to ask questions."

"That she does. Jessica, this is the marine I was talking about. You should see the Commander in action; it's a sight to behold. It took all but three minutes for her to bring down a room full of the enemy. What are you doing here Ma'am?" Shepard hated being called Ma'am, it made her feel old.

"Classified mission."

"Another one! You are truly amazing. You just got off saving me!"

"Yours wasn't to terrible, I had managed to fit one it between these two." Both solder and wife stared at Shepard hopping she was joking. Shepard smiled slightly at the couple. "I'm N7 trained, what do you expect." Shepard new that N7 training wasn't really training.

Sure it had its training, but most of it was recovering from surgery. Surgery that made her stronger, faster, smarter and more of soldier than anything else. It wasn't public knowledge about the surgery that not only changed the soldier physically but also mentally. What the surgeons didn't know was that her left eye would shutdown if she used her enchased skills for long periods of time, so Shepard was used to battling with one eye.

'Commander Flowne-Shepard. Please report to the closest service station.' The AI voice sounded again.

"If you would excuse me." Shepard sighed and made her way over to the service desk.

"Can I help you Ma'am?"

"Commander Flowne-Shepard."

"Oh! Your shuttle arrived a few minutes ago; please make your way to door six. Down the hall on the right. Please take any belongings with you."

When Shepard made her way back to her seat she found her small duffle bag and a new large black bag. The larger one was sturdy, like a trunk but otherwise seemed harmless. It had the texture of a normal suitcase, but the size of it was not. It stood at Shepard's waist. The length of it could easily house a large animal. Shepard shrugged thinking that a soldier dropped it off for her for the mission. Shepard thanked the gods that this new bag rolled because whatever was in this, it was heavy and it shifted oddly once in a while.

The shuttle was small, not that Shepard was anticipating anything fancy, it was standard military size shuttle. The man driving it looked at the large rolling case and shook his head muttering about how this place didn't pay him enough to lug large bags.

Shepard stared out looking at one of the many cities on earth. She would miss it...maybe. Shepard had always found space rather peaceful, the large black vacuum with its white dots kept her racing mind calm. But Shepard new better, knowing that Space was just as deadly as Earth. The shuttle hissed as it landed on the docking bay. Stepping out Shepard sighed, this mission was going to be a long one, Shepard could feel it. A muttered 'your bags will be brought on board.' Came from the shuttle driver.

"Welcome Shepard." Captain Anders dark frame came from Shepard left side. Shepard startled not seeing him; it was one of those times when her left eye gave out. "You alright?"

"Yes sir. Got distracted by the ship." Shepard lied quickly.

"Come, I'll give you a tour. Lets head inside; you can read about the ships exterior details later." Both Captain and Commander made their way to the entrance hatch. "Its good to be working with you again Shepard."

"I can't complain actually. Missions I took between this one and the last was a bust." Shepard sighed out. "Captain Morgan of the seventeenth fleet says hello and to make sure I get things done without killing anymore people with giant spitting-acid-pointy-teethed worms." Anderson chuckled and commented how it was so Morgan to say that. "But in all seriousness what is the mission about?"

"Just a shakedown, nothing more."

"Nothing more my...Anderson..."

"Don't Anderson me Shepard. Come meet the crew." Anderson took a sharp left into a cramped space were the helmsman sat typing away on his monitors, the bridge. "Commander Shepard our Helmsman, Jeff Moreau." Jeff swiveled his chair around and saluted to both commander and captain.

"Just call me Joker, everyone does. So you're our commander, it nice to actually see you Shepard. Those videos that they do about you sure depict your lovely side." Shepard wasn't sure if Jeff... Joker was joking about the videos. He sounded more sarcastic than actually joking.

"Let's move on, he's always going to be like that so don't worry." Back tracking Shepard found even more people sitting, each with their own monitors, all were busy, busy enough not to salute their commanding officers. Shepard didn't mind, for it would mean she didn't have to salute back. Anders stopped a man heading toward the bridge.

Short black hair, dark eyes. He seemed far friendly than most other soldiers that Shepard had meet over her time of service. "Commander this is Staff Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko. Biotic, he's part of the ground team." Biotics seemed to always be friendlier than other soldier, something to do about their training or what not. "Lieutenant Alenko, this is Commander Shepard." Anders gestured between the two ground teammates.

"It's an honor working with you Ma'am." Kaiden stated while he saluted. Brining her hand down from her salute Shepard wasn't sure what to make of the staff Lieutenant; he seemed all sugar and butterflies now. Poor soldier would die rather fast if he kept that up.

"Holy Shit!" Shepard looked to the right and further back into the ship. A young soldier came running over to the small group. "Your Commander Flowne-Shepard!" This young man, known as private Jenkins was also part of the ground team. He was all excited Shepard was sure if he was a dog he would have already peed from all the excitement.

"Flowne..." Kaiden started to question.

"Two last names Lieutenant. I prefer Shepard. Is that Chowake?"

"Yes, playing doctor again." Both Captain and Commander laughed at their private joke, not even bothering to fill the other two in."

"Uh... Captain. Board is green, we launch in ten." Joker's voice floated from behind them. Anders nodded.

-Eden Prime-

Shepard kneeled next to Private Jenkins unmoving body, he was still worm but defiantly not breathing, his eyes had the whiteness to them already and his lips were going blue as the blood leaked out of him into and on to the ground.

"Ripped right through his Shields. Didn't even have a chance." Kaiden said slowly. The sound of distant gunfire and thunder drowning out his voice slightly.

"We'll get him into the ground after the mission." Shepard sighed out and moved away from the cooling body of another man dead on her conscious. Shepard pushed her gun a little tighter to her waist; it was a strange comforting mechanism that she had gotten used to doing. Knowing that a lethal weapon was at Shepard side gave her that comfort to sleep at night when a battle field was a yard or so away from her.

Shepard ducked behind a tree, three blue dots showed up on her visor, three drones. It's been months since Shepard finally learned how to read the color dots that come up on her helmet. A light yellow dot showed way on top with two three dark blue dots with it. A human and three synthetics... It was best she got rid of these drones and move on.

The drones were no problem, it took all but three hits, moving up the small hill Shepard found that she was right about a human but it appeared that it was two synthetic and some human thing with wires all over it. Ducking behind another tree Shepard aimed through her scope and shot the head of one Geth. It twitched slightly and then fell, its partner watched for a spit second, analyzing, before drawing its gun.

The husk not caring about its safety followed the path of the bullet towards Shepard intent to actually kill her. With no gun Shepard wasn't sure how it could actually do any damage but she didn't take any chances and fired at its head too. It stumbled backwards before actually falling. Kaiden in the mean time had taken down the other Geth.

William from 212 or some number that Shepard couldn't really care about, related to Shepard what had happened thus far. Shepard just wanted to get off this place. She instructed for Williams to show her the dig site, Nilus the Turian Spectre stated on going on ahead. Shepard had a feeling she would be seeing him in trouble.

The dig site was empty, except for the Geth, the beacon that had been dug up, was moved. In annoyance Shepard threw her over heated sniper on the ground and stomped on it. It sure didn't look professional but eased her anger at this mission. Nothing was going right.

"Commander?" Kaiden asked as he watch her stomp her sniper rifle into a thin piece of metal. He didn't know N7's could do that... "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Peachy, just fucking peachy." Shepard pulled another gun out of its holster. "Moving out." The hill was a bitch to get over but in the end gave Shepard the perfect view of the new battle field. It seemed to be the port, which the beacon was moved to.

"It should have been transported to the other port for pickup." The clicking of Geth drowned out most of the Williams sentence. Shepard cursed herself for stomping on her sniper.

"Alenko, you better have a sniper rifle on you."

"No Ma'am. Biotic." Was his reminder.

"Here Commander, use mine…. Not to good with it anyway." Williams quickly snatched the rifle out from behind her and threw it Shepard. Shepard caught it with ease and loaded her first shot. The scope had that helpful plus in the center of it, it was obvious now that William really wasn't good at it. A true sniper didn't need the full plus but just the empty in the middle scope.

Taking aim at the light bulb of one of the Geth, Shepard squeezed the trigger and a loud bang was heard. The sniper lurched back into her shoulder before Shepard reloaded. It took all five minutes to get rid of twenty or so Geth. Shepard scoped out he area, making sure she hadn't missed any Geth.

Just then Shepard saw, Nilus the Spectre, was laying in a pool of blue liquid. He wasn't moving, Shepard hoped he was just unconscious. She had a long rant and questions to ask.

On the way down, Shepard cracked a simple code on a housing unit for workers. The People were rather glad to see them, they even answered all of Sheppard's questions. In the end Shepard had to confiscate a pistol. It was very well made and defiantly should be used my civilians. "Commander…It's Nilus." Alenko stated as they made their way towards him. Shepard rolled her eyes at the statement and took off her helmet. It was getting stuffy in it and all the dots were making left eye twitch and burn. "He's dead."

"Dead?" Shepard questioned.

"Yeah. Lost quite a lot of blood, by the looks of it, shot in the head." Shepard looked down at the pool of blue liquid that she was standing in. This was Turian blood, blue…how pretty in a morbid way. A movement at Shepards left caught her attention, quickly drawing her gun she aimed it toward the crates.

"Come out Now." A man in a workers uniform slowly stood up with his hands up.

"D-d-d-don't shoot! I'm Human!" He stuttered out.

"You idiot, don't go sneaking around a bunch of soldiers."

"I know what happened to your friend there." With that Shepard received to story of what happened. So there was another Turian here by the name of Saren, another Spectre, who was working with the Geth.

Getting to the beacon was no small feat. Between hordes of Geth to plow through, Shepard had to disarm four explosives, which was no fun with Geth shooting at her. Shepard cursed at the last explosive. Her hands were slick with sweat under the gloves, Her left eye gave out by the second explosive leaving Shepard to stager about and her shooting way off.

"Commander!" Alenko's panicked voice sounded on her left. The Geth apparently were eliminated.

"What?" Shepard hissed.

"Time!" Shepard new about the timer already, was not able to see it do to it being way to far left.

"I can't see it right now Alenko!" Shepard yelled when she finally cut the defusing wire. "Never rush me Alenko, you'll wind up with either a bullet in your head or blown up." Shepard huffed out as she sat back and closed her eyes. It normally helped reset her left eye. A mumbled sorry commander was heard from Alenko.

"Commander, you alright?" Williams asked. "Your left eye is all red." The helmet the Shepard now wore had a tinted visor so people couldn't see her mismatched eyes. Of course taking her helmet off didn't hide that fact.

"That's normal Williams." Shepard opened her eyes and looked both at Williams and Alenko. They were crouched before her, both looking worried that their commander was going to pass out on them. Both looked closer as they finally saw Shepards left blood red eye and sapphire blue right eye. "Lost it on Akuze, New eye doesn't match the original. Gives out on me once in a while, hinders me a bit, but I'm used to that." Shepard stood slowly. "Come on. Time to find this beacon. It better be worth all this trouble." The beacon was glowing green and giving off this strange humming noise. The humming wasn't scary at all, it was practically soothing.

"Shore party to Normandy, Beacon ready for pickup." Shepard stated into the communicator.

"It wasn't doing that when it was dug up."

"Something must have activated it." Alenko said as he slowly walked around it. Shepard turned towards Williams, asking if she new anything else about the bloody thing. Williams shrugged at the statement and blocked Shepard's view of the glowing beacon.

"It was strange, the birds all but disappeared when we dug it up. Prothean stuff. Dangerous no matter what they say about it. Look at what we had to do just to get here." Unknown to both women Alenko stepped a bit closer to the beacon, suddenly the beacon flared even more and started to suck in Alenko towards it.

Shepards left eye gave a startling shot of pain making Shepard lean towards her right. Right then and there Shepard saw Alenko struggling to get out of the beacons grip. Pushing Willaims out of the way Shepard launched herself up and caught Alenko before throwing him out of the way, only to be sucked in by the beacon.

"Commander!" Alenko yelled before Williams stopped him going forward.

"Don't, it's too dangerous." The both watch as Shepards body lurched up and hovered a few feet of the ground, it looked like she was seizing. Shepard stared into space but found images of stuff rushing to her. It was some strange people, then some mechanical things and flesh being entwined into the mechanical thing. Nothing was clear, it was just a bunch of images of strange stuff being bombarding Shepards mind before Shepard found her body lurching backwards and blacking out.

Shepard startled out of the darkness to find herself in the medical bay of the Normandy. Chakwas was nowhere to be seen, Shepard new she never left the medical bay when there was a patient in it. Shepard felt something on her left shoulder all of a sudden, startled Shepard flipped out bed and reached for a gun to find herself in regular cloths.

"I'm sorry. Your left eye still out on you?" Chakwas gave a smile not all offended by Shepards' reaction. Shepard nodded slowly and sighed. A small discussion on Shepards condition was brought forth, the beacon apparently was destroyed.

"I saw visions…" Shepard started to say before Anders came walking in. He asked for both Chakwas and Alenko to leave. Then gestured to Shepard to continue. "They seemed to be either a warning or of war…I'm not sure witch. And Nilus."

"He's dead, I know. What are we going to tell the council?"

"That the beacon was destroyed, Geth and Saren attacked us, and that I'm having visions…that would go over well." Shepard sighed, she had a feeling that this was not going to be the last of Saren and his Geth that she was going to hear.

"One more thing Shepard. Once of our luggage's seemed to be holding a military K-9. It was registered under your name… The bag…Not the Dog." The large duffle bag that Shepard presumed was hers…at the port…

"Sorry about that sir. Baggage mix up."

"Well… its made home in your quarters until we are able to identify it. Dog food will be picked up on the Citadel. Do take care." Anders smiled slightly then walked out of the medic bay. Shepard sighed…if geth and Saren wasn't bad enough.,.. She now had a K-9 in her sleeping quarters to take care of.

-Citadel-

Shepard stared at the Citidel Council. They were a crazy, unfriendly pieces of shit. Not only did they insult her intelligents but they wanted proof that Saren was really behind the attack. Shepard would show them, that humans were not to be messed with…or insulted.

So off to Chora's Den to find the Turian names Garrus, who didn't take a particular licking to Saren. Shepard knew Garrus was leading an investigation about Saren, she was sure he have some info.

At the entrance of the Chora's Den, loud bass music muffled the sound of gun shots between Shepards crew and some hired goons of Saren. Shepard sighed, this Turian had no honor…and very deep pockets.

Chora's Den was a sleezy, alcoholic and Asari dancers place. Alenko whistled when Shepard stepped over a dead Turian and through the door, to find an Asari dancer swinging her ass around.

"You don't get out much do you Alenko?" William asked.

"This is so typical." Shepard commented.

"Typical Ma'am?"

"Putting women on show as if we are objects to look at. Williams, make sure I don't shoot anybody." With that Shepard proceeded to the only human man in Chora's Den. Harkin, was to be his name…This man better be him. Before even getting to him Shepard was stopped by two Krogans, talking about someone getting something…or another. Shepard didn't really pay attention but presumed it was the typical my cocks bigger than yours thing every male seemed to do. A slight push to get out of the way from one of them and Shepard moved on.

"Harkin?"

"Who wants to know….Well, that military uniform doesn't hid much…Care to join me sweet thing?" Shepard wasn't sure what was worse…the smell of liquor all over this man or that fact he called her sweet thing.

"Garrus…where can I find him?"

"You looking for that son of a bitch…"

"Yes. I find his company a much more pleasant that yours."

"Look girl, I won't tell you who or what you can fuck…but really Him…you better off with me."

"Have you seen him or not?" Shepard asked as she picked Harkin my his shirt and pulled him up to her face. It wasn't really smart on her part. This man smelled even worse up close and she was ready to puke.

"He was going to see about some Docter." Shepard knew which one. "Something about a female…" Harkins words were lost to Shepard as she made her way to the exit of the club. The docter's office wasn't that hard to find, but the gun blasé within it made the journey all that more worth it. Sadly that the visit was worth more questions than answers about Saren… and a man named Fist apparently knows a Quarian that had valuable information about Saren. The problem… Sarens men are more likely to get the information; the meeting spot was unknown. But apparently Fist knew.

"Fist…" Garrus says slowly. "There is a Krogan, Wrex, who would more than love to take out Fist." Garrus was still massive to Shepard. Blue armor covered everything but his head, which reminded of Shepard more a dinosaur than anything else.

"Wonderful, more gun power." Shepard was ready to kill someone again. Running around and getting clues. This is why she was a soldier and not a detective… to much walking back and forth. Wrex took one good look at Shepard after she told him she was going after fist and stated, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." With that Shepard welcomed him to the team.

Fist was a piece of cake to care of. The Quarian, Tali, defiantly had evidence on Saren going rouge. She apparently was taking her pilgrimage here and was able to find some Geth that had recorded Sarens voice saying that Eden Prime was a major victory of some sort. Shepard smiled slightly at Tali, who was eager to help, that she joined the team. Tali was more than happy to share her finding to the Council. Tali was small, the environment soot she wore, didn't hide any of her curves, but gave a rather synthesized voice.

The council looked at one another slowly as the recording of Saren's voice played form Tali's omni tool, they seemed to look a shocked. There was a second voice on the recording which was identified by the Asari Council woman as a matriarch Benezia. Shepard zoned most of this out and responded to things she bothered hearing.

"We will not start a galactic war." One of the council people stated. The other two agreed. There was more arguing over having to stop Saren, when things got quite. Shepard looked around trying figure out what was going on.

"Shepard if you would step forward." Shepard did as she was told. An entire speech was made about being a Spectre. How she had to uphold the honor and the rules and what-not. Standing there and listening a small flash of whatever the beacon imprinted into Shepard's mind. It was strange, a large planet with a bright yellowish glow behind it.

The sound of clapping brought Shepard out of the sight of the large planet. People were standing and clapping; Shepard gave the littlest smile and entered the usual soldier pose. The K-9, named Blackhawk after the Utility helicopter, jumped about in excitement. Anders kept him with him until Shepard was done with her investigation. Blackhawk took a great interest in Shepard and refused to leave even when a K-9 handler came to get him. So in the end Blackhawk stayed. Shepard sighed, something told her that this was going to be one long mission.

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