Thought of the day: Through the destruction of our enemies we earn our salvation.

Shepard's P.O.V

Shepard Examined the makeshift fortifications they'd made, simple barricades at first glance but upon closer inspection it was put together rather well, reinforced well enough to keep shrapnel from grenades from penetrating it, positioned just right to ensure maximum coverage of those taking cover there. There were also some rudimentary foxholes stocked with enough thermal clips for at least three to five people, Medi-gel Storage for each allowing quick access to medical help for those injured. There were even very basic Barbed wire layered at the entrance to the bottlenecks that had been set up. Hell there was even what would pass for a command bunker at the back, the only thing this setup was properly missing was proper trenches, Shepard stood slack jawed all the while Markus stood nearby, as stoic as ever.

"Is, something wrong Commander?"

Shepard slowly shook her head, If Markus had more time and more bodies to help him, he'd have been able to turn this colony into a literal fortress. "Nothing, It's just, wow, When I said basic defences this isn't exactly what I'd pictured"

"I must apologize if these defences aren't good enough, but I did the best I could with the time, manpower and resources given" Markus spoke looking almost ashamed.

Shepard knelt down as she looked into one of the nearby foxholes "No-No-No there's nothing wrong with it. I just didn't think it'd be as well put together"

"This? Well put together? Any self respecting Imperial Guard regiment would willing be flogged for this level of fortification" Shepard placed her hand on Markus's shoulder.

"This will be plenty enough for our needs, you did well"

Markus portrayed no reaction from the praise. "Any idea when our enemies will be paying us a visit?"

"We've got Joker running scans for any large scale movement, he'll notify us when they get close"

"I'll keep the men ready for action" Markus gave a quick salute and went towards a small gathering of the settlement security force and went about organizing them.

"Where the hell did you find that monster Shepard?" Dawson stood nearby going over his rifle.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you"

Dawson smirked. "I've gotta say, I've never seen this lot work as fast as they did with him leading them" Shepard took a seat nearby Dawson, taking out her pistol and beginning her own maintenance.

"I'm just as surprised as you, a couple of my new crew have been springing surprise after surprise on me, having said that I didn't really know what to expect when we brought them on"

"That Markus fellow, carries himself like a soldier he former Alliance? or a mercenary?"

"Neither"

"Bullshit, no way he isn't a soldier, not with the way he set all of this up so quickly"

"I never said he wasn't a soldier, just that he's not a Mercenary or former Alliance"

"Cerberus agent? Like those other two?" Dawson motioned over to Miranda and Jacob, both still displayed their Cerberus insigna's

"Thought I told them to get rid of those… but no he's not Cerberus either" Dawson finished up his maintenance, he holstered his weapon and looked at Shepard with skepticism.

"So what? He's part of some Colonial Militia?"

"Something like that" Shepard Shrugged.

"Must be some kinda hellhole of a planet, huh?"

"Apparently"

"Got it then, suppose I'll see you when the fighting starts" Dawson stood dusting himself off

"Yup"

Shepard simply worked on her weapons as Dawson walked away, it'd been a hectic few hours, first they arrive on the planet and manage to convince the settlement to start an evac, then they get the unwanted attentions of a band of mercenaries. Now they not only had to fend off the mercenaries but they also had to do it all with the looming threat of the Collectors hanging over their head, then to top it all off she couldn't keep the mixed feeling she had for Garrus out of her mind. She'd like to think things had been simpler two years ago, before she'd died on the old Normandy. But in truth they hadn't been, the only difference back then were her feelings for Garrus had just started to appear. After the debacle on Virmire things just weren't the same between her and Kaidan and to some degree she'd found solace with Garrus and Tali, Liara to some extent also. Her mind drifted off to thoughts of Tali and Liara, the short meeting at Freedom's Progress hadn't been long enough to really catch up on everything that had happened in the past two years. Then there was Liara, the two had become as close as sisters in a sense during their time together, she felt like trying to get in touch with Liara again would just be… strange in some sense.

Shepard snapped back to reality as she finished her maintenance, she looked down at the now reassembled pistol, Pulling the slide back and letting it click back into place. She'd known this motions since she was little. She holstered her pistol, taking a moment to examine her surroundings. The colonists were afraid she could feel it, an almost palpable dread hung in the air, Shepard stood her resolve unshaken this would be a turning point in this war against the Collectors and by extension the Reapers, all she had to do was somehow manage to lead this ragtag bunch through it all.

Nines P.O.V

"Cyka! Don't tell me you morons are losing your nerve now!" Maxim Slammed his fist against the wall. After declaring his intent to take the settlement by force a handful of the smaller mercenary teams that signed up for this venture started to get cold feet.

One of the major players in the op stood opposite the table, an Asari named Shei, both her fists tightly clenched as she butted heads with Maxim. "Look Maxim, me and my crew signed up to capture three VIP's not murder a bunch of colonists!"

"You're mercenaries, Blayt! What's the problem, you're going to let a bunch of backwater bumbkins get in the way of one of the biggest paychecks to come our way!" Maxim punctuated his shouting by pointing at Shei.

Shei moved over to the other side of the table getting face to face with Maxim. "We're not Pirates! And we're not the Blood Pack! We don't just murder any poor idiot unfortuate enough to stumble into our AO"

Both of them stood tall trying to stare down the other, causing other members of the respective groups to start getting in each others faces, Nines rolled her eyes. This was why she avoided working in groups. The Terminal nearby lit up and their contractor appeared, face hidden by shadows.

"If you're all finished, perhaps we could get back to the task at hand?" Everyone stopped and turned towards the terminal.

Shei took the chance to speak up. "Well, Well if it isn't our mysterious contacter! Finally decided to take an interest in what your ground team is doing?"

"I've been watching your progress ever since you landed, and have been providing regular supply drops, on top of the down payment that was made, If that isn't being interested in this operation. Then I think you don't understand the meaning of the word" The face on the terminal didn't move and inch while speaking, even the voice was likely running through a changer.

Maxim stepped forward taking the time to say his piece. "I apologize for her crass behavior, Sir. Shei has a habit of causing a ruckus like this, All the same, why the sudden call"

"I noted your movements and deduced that you were beginning an assault on the colony, Why?"

"It was as you said sir, Shepard was unwilling to hand them over without a fight" Silence, as the face on the terminal seemed to shift for a second.

The room had grown tense, while the contractor hadn't stated any particular rules regarding the colony. Some of the mercenary leaders had begun to wonder out loud. "I see… Very well, I trust your judgement is sound, and that this is the only possible way to complete the mission"

"THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Shei sent two nearby chairs flying with her biotics.

Still the figure on the terminal hadn't moved. "Miss Sato, if you're unwilling to complete the job, you know where the door is, but keep in mind that we can withdraw any funds we provided as down payment"

"Ha! Good luck with that punk, Pack it up people we're leaving" Shei gave a signal and her company started to leave, followed by another dozen or so groups. While She wasn't all that well known yet, she still commanded a great deal of respect, and fear.

Maxim waited for them to leave and the terminal to shut off before he slumped into his chair, he quickly ordered his troops to get ready for the assault. Nines waited until the room was clear before approaching him. "Smooth, Boss"

"Oh, It's you" Maxim practically spat the word out as soon as he realized who had approached him.

"Yes, Me. Now if you're done sulking, we should go over our plan of attack" Nines picked up one of the chairs and set it down opposite Maxim.

Maxim shifted in his chair, leaning back a little more. "What's to go over? We march in, kill the colonists and take Shepards Crewmen by force!"

"It's no wonder half our forces just walked out if That is the plan" Nines could feel Maxim's Glare piercing though her helmet.

"Take off that stupid fucking Death Mask and say that again, Freelancer! Be grateful that you're even here!" Maxim stood up again, leaning forward to try and intimidate her.

Nines simply laid back in her chair and kicked her feet up. "Finished puffing out your chest? Because I've got some concerns over this attack"

"Don't tell me you're feet are getting cold, Gonna walk out like that Asari bitch?" Maxim slumped back down into his chair.

"No, but I think we should approach this with a little more tact, underestimating Shepard is a fast track to death… Or humiliation, whichever you prefer"

Maxim looked up a look of utter disbelief on his face "Well, slap me stupid and call me Lauire, is the mighty Nines, freelance mercanry extrodiare afraid of some bitchy ex-alliance pansy?"

"Yes, because I'd be a fucking idiot if I wasn't afraid of her, we both know her track record for this kind of thing, the blazing trail she left behind the last time the Alliance set her loose?" Maxim gave a dismissive hand wave.

"We've got superior numbers and better equipped and trained troops, this fight will end when the first colonist drops"

Nines let out an audible sigh as she stood and walked towards the door. "Fine have it your way, but I'll be doing things my way, don't bother contacting me, because I won't answer"

"Well fuck you too, uppity Bitch!" Nines flipped Maxim off as she exited the room and began moving to the edge of the compound. Everyone was in a hurry, shuttles were taking off with the people abandoning the mission, with others loading up into the various transports they had ready for the assault. Nines had almost made it to the exit, when she was stopped by the sound of someone calling her name.

"Yo! Nines, wait up" Nines turned to see Shei Sato walking up to her. The two had worked together in the past, before Shei formed her own mercenary group.

Nines waited for her to get a little closer before she started to move again. "Whatever it is, make it quick Sato, I've got work to do"

"Oh! So you're actually going to follow that idiot Maxim?" Shei slowed her jog to a walk as she got closer.

Nines stopped completely, turning to face Shei, "No I'll do this my way, No need for civilian casualties when I can just get what I need and get out before anyone notices"

"You always had a way of making this sort of thing sound so easy Nines"

"Makes it easy when you're confident in your own abilities"

Shei scoffed. "And here I was, thinking Matriarchs had the biggest Egos in the galaxy"

"Look Shei, was there something important you wanted to talk about?" Nines crossed her arms and started to tap her foot impatiently.

Shei's face turned from mildly annoyed to concrened. "Nines, is something wrong? I've never seen you this worked up about a job before"

Nines stopped tapping her foot and moved her gaze to the sky. "Shei… I was at the Skyllian Blitz"

"Wait, What!" Shei took a step back visibly surprised.

Nines returned her gaze to Shei, "I saw her in action. She was like a force of nature, bullets seemed to pass right through her like she was a ghost, she shrugged off grenade shrapnel like it was confetti, if there was a Goddess of War, Shepard may have well been her."

"If that's the case, shouldn't that give you more reason to leave" Shei Reached up to place her hand on Nine's shoulder.

Nines Swatted her hand away. "You don't get it, I have to do this. My entire career as a mercenary was because of her, because of what she did that day, because she-" Nines choked up for a moment.

"You can still walk away from this Nines, You don't have to do this" Shei once again tried to console her. Nines simply looked up causing Shei to flinch, they exchanged no more words as Nines turned and disappeared into the treeline.

Shepard's P.O.V

Shepard hoisted her self up onto the Mako, she scanned the horizon. Joker had recently contacted them about the mercenaries movements, half of them were mobilizing while half of them were leaving the planet, a Divided enemy fell easily. Shepard looked towards the sky as clouds began to form, grey and foreboding, the distant cry of thunder began to echo. Her mind flashed and for a second she was back on Elysim, standing shoulder to shoulder with the ragtag defence force they'd assembled then, A handful of marines on leave and a bunch of Civilians fighting against an overwhelming force.

"Shepard?" Shepard snapped back to reality as Kaidan called out to her.

She shfited on the spot, a bit surprised that Kaidan had approached her after their little fight. "Alenko? What's up"

"Just wanted to let you know everything is ready, and all the colonists are in position. Hey are you okay?" Alenko's concern seemed genuine.

Shepard hopped down from the Mako. "Fine, Just remembering something"

"The Blitz?" Alenko turned his gaze to the treeline as he spoke.

"Yeah, This, This reminds me of it. In a way, Figures a storm is rolling in right before the fight too" Almost as if on cue a little drizzle began to fall. Shepard looked up to the clouds again, her eyes seemed glossy. Like she wasn't there.

Alenko reached out placing his hand on her shoulder. "Come on Commander, we need you here with us. No time to be getting caught up in the past."

Shepard turned her gaze to Alenko, her eyes still seemed glossy "Yeah, Yeah I guess you're right" Shepard straightened up and took a few steps forward, before turning her head to Alenko.

"Commander?" Alenko's whole body seemed to tighten up as she looked at him.

Shepard looked at him for a few seconds as focus returned to her eyes. "No more looking back on the past, when the future's so close" She turned again clicked her heels together and marched towards the battlelines.

Alenko let out a sigh. "Yeah. Guess that settles that" He turned his gaze towards Shepard as she marched away, leaving him behind, He didn't know why but that single sentence felt like a knife to his heart. As if that single string of words had killed something between them, something that was already dying. Alenko reached up and wiped something from his eyes, probably just the rain… probably.