John Shepard was just an ordinary sixteen-year-old boy living on a nice peaceful farm on Mindoir, he was helping his father with ploughing the fields, but he was more preoccupied at looking up at the sky.

"John, concentrate on what you doing, son," said his father.

"Sorry dad," said John. "Just dreaming.

His father laughed. "Dreaming of join the Alliance like your aunt and swooping in to save the day with a squad of brave and loyal troops?"

"Yeah, I want to serve like Aunt Hannah."

His father shook his head. "Working on the farms is just as important, who you think puts food in their bellies."

"Now dear, don't squash the boy's dream," said his mother ship appeared out of the house with a tray of drinks.

"I just don't wanted him to go gallivanting of my sister," said his father as he took a drink.

"And you know that she's risking her life to keep us safe," his mother pointed out as she handed John his drink.

"Yes, but joining the Alliance is what got our father killed by those blasted Turians," his father grumbled.

"Dad you know that was just a misunderstanding," said John as he drank.

"Misunderstanding?" His father roared spilled his drink all over the ground. "They began a war!"

"Dear," his mother warned.

"I'm just saying that it is safer to be on a nice comfortable farm than gallivanting off with those Alliance types," said his father.

"How about we just agree to disagree," said his mother tiredly. "Besides, you won't be to get these fields ploughed if you keep arguing."

"All right, all right," his father grumbled. He then looked at his son. "Come on John, we can eat at each other's necks once the ploughing is done."

"Okay dad," John signed.

It was late in the afternoon when they finished ploughing and they were now enjoying dinner. As he eat his mind was still back onto the Alliance and once he was finished eating he took his place to the kitchen.

As he began to wash them he heard his parents talking in the dining room.

"You know he's going to join the Alliance once he turns eighteen," said his mother.

"I know, the boy stubborn," his father.

"He gets it from you."

"I know, I just don't want him to get himself killed."

"I care for him deeply too, dear," said his mother. "But you have to let him walk his own path, even if it's one you don't like."

"I suppose," his father sighed. "Still its two years from now you never know he might grow out of it."

"Always the optimist," his mother laughed.

John wished that he could convince his father to allow him to join the Alliance, the last thing he wanted was to make him angry. He also loved Mindoir, it was nice and peaceful, and it's well his family and friends lived.

It wasn't only he who wish to join the Alliance, most of his friends wanted to join. In fact when they were kids they often attended to be Alliance soldiers holding toy guns, even despite their parents' disapproval.

He was suddenly brought out of his thoughts when he heard alarms going on and his parents rushed into the kitchen.

"What's going on," said John.

"The proximity alert," said his father fearfully.

"But who would invade Mindoir?" his mother stared. "We're is a small colony."

"I got a message from my sister saying that batarian ships were seen near our system," his father.

John's eyes widened, he knew all about batarian. They were a four-eyed bipeds species that were native to the world of Khar'shan. They also didn't like humans very much ever since they began colonising the Skyllian Verge.

His father pulled another close. "I have to get out then help the men, you and John stay here and stay safe."

"I should be the one telling you to stay safe," said his mother.

"I'll be fine," his father promised, though John had a good feeling that he was lying. "You remember where I keep the pistol?"

His mother nodded.

His father then pulled her into a hug and kiss her and then hugged John.

"You stay strong for your mother now," he said.

John nodded, knowing this was probably the last time he had seen his father. "Dad, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, son," said his father looking at his son. "Whatever you do I'll be very proud of you, but you have to stay strong for me, okay?"

John nodded.

"Good boy," he smiled.

He then made his way outside the house and there was the last time he saw his father.

They could hear fighting outside, people screaming and running and he could distinctly see armoured figures holding guns shooting anything that moved. John saw some dragging people way onto their ships. He knew instantly that they were batarians and they clearly had love for humans.

"John, get away from the window," said his mother.

His mother was now holding a pistol in her hand and had barricaded the doors and blocked all the windows.

He was making his way over to his mother when I was a huge explosion that blew apart part of the wall. John was not off his feet and landed flat on the ground.

Everything was dizzy, but he could hear gunfire. He looked up and saw his mother shooting the pistol at several batarians that were making their way through the hole in the wall. She managed to kill two of them, but the third fired a shot from his pistol and shot her arm.

His mum tried desperately to pick up the pistol, but then the batarian fired a shot through her head.

"Search this place for more survivors," he said looking to two more batarians that had just entered.

"What about the Alliance?" one of them asked.

"The human can only just sit and watch as we burn the colony to the ground," said the batarian leader.

John then noticed a rake next to him and reached for it.

"I saw something move over there," said a batrarian pointing at his position.

"Check it out," the leader.

The batrarian made his way over towards John as he tried desperately to get his hand around the rake. The batrarian's head was just peeking over the rubble when he came face-to-face with a rake.

John impaled the spikes on to his head and he automatically went limp and dropped his gun at John's feet.

"Someone there!" the leader roared.

Then he and the second batrarian fired at John's position, but he crouched down low and the bullets flew over his head. Once the two of them stopped firing he peeks over the rubble and picked up the pistol and shot one of the batrarian's in the head.

The leader just stared at him. "What the—"

His four eyes widened as he looked down to his chest and saw blood pouring out of the hole in his armour. He then looked back at John, whose pistol was smoking.

He then toppled over with one final breath.

John quickly pulled himself up and leaned over towards the hole in the wall and saw his home in flames.

Anderson looked over the wreckage. Mindoir had been a peaceful world. A quiet world. A safe world. He could smell charcoal and burned flesh as his unit walked through the burned out remains of what had been homes.

Most of the batarians were already gone, along with those they'd taken as slaves. Their scans had picked up several ships, pirates looting from the dead.

They were moving towards what had been a hospital when they encountered their first hostiles. Batarians and Vorcha fired on them before fleeing. He looked to his men that were standing behind him.

"Search for survivors," he said.

"Do you really think there will be some, sir?" said the lieutenant.

"I really hope so, son," said Anderson. "I really hope so."

They began looking through the rubble of what remained of the houses and what they saw made Anderson sick. There were dead bodies all over the place, women, children they had even killed the farm animals that they had imported.

"Sir, I found a survivor!" shouted lieutenant.

Anderson quickly ran over to the lieutenant's position and they approached a farmhouse. Inside were five dead batarian bodies, two in the hole in the wall, one who had all rake impaled in his face in the last two in the living quarters. He then noticed a dead woman with two entry wounds one in the arm and the other in the head.

He lieutenant look a sixteen-year-old boy, who just sat in the corner, who was looking at the woman's body. She was no doubt the boy's mother.

"He was holding this, sir," said lieutenant as he handed a pistol to Anderson.

Anderson look to the pistol and saw that it was batarian make.

"Has he said anything?" Anderson asked.

"No," said lieutenant. "But there is a ton of school stuff in the next room with the name John Shepard."

"Take into the ship and have Dr. Chakwas take a look at him."

"Yes, sir," said lieutenant saluting.

He then watched as the lieutenant took the boy away from his home in can help but feel sorry for the boy, he just lost everything his friends, family and his home.

"Has he spoken yet?" Anderson looked at the boy sitting on the examination table.

Dr. Chakwas was the ship's medic and she was the best there was. She didn't just know human physiology, but she also studied alien physiology and was recommended by several Captains in the Alliance.

"No." Dr. Chakwas looked down at the datapad.

"How badly is he hurt?"

"Nothing serious, just a few bruises," said Dr. Chakwas. "However, I cannot say anything how this would affect his mind."

"I've looked at the name John Shepard and apparently he has aunt in the alliance, we've already contacted her and she should be here in the day also," said Anderson.

"In the meantime you better talk to the boy," said Dr. Chakwas.

Anderson nodded and made his way over to the boy, he had short black hair and pale blue eyes.

"How you doing son?" he said sitting down next to him.

The boy just shrugged.

"Look, I'm not even going to pretend that I know how you feel right now, but you have to remain strong," said Anderson.

"That's what my father said, before he went outside," said the boy.

Anderson closes eyes. "Then I suggest that you do what he said. We've only contacted your aunt and she'll be here by tomorrow."

"So you're with the Alliance?" said John looking up.

"I am as is everyone on my ship," said Anderson.

He then found himself talking about the Alliance to the young boy, who seem to open up to him more with every question. Dr. Chakwas then came over, holding a small syringe. "I would like to give you something. It will help you sleep."

The boy stared at the needle before looking back up at Anderson. "Will I have bad dreams?"

He wanted to tell him no, but knew that answer was unlikely. "You'll dream of a warm place. And when you wake up, you'll be in it."

For a long moment, he was silent. Then he nodded. "Okay."

Dr. Chakwas gently pushed the needle into his arm and Anderson stayed there until he fell asleep.