Mass Effect: Starlight Darkness

kadell

Active member
Synopsis: Thirteen Years after the war against the Reapers, Lisa Arch Dimenia, commander of the SSV-Dynasty, joins a new inter-planetary Force known as the STAR Alliance who are tasked with defending the Galaxy from crimes that may threaten it's safety. However, something dark may be on the rise.
------------------------------------------------------------

Shepard

“There are no winners in war. There are only benefits and tragedies.” ~Admiral Shepard

“Urdnot…Wreav.” The Volus called in heavy breaths. He wore Black and Dark Red attire. He was standing in front of Wreav and his 8-man crew on the planet of Garvug.

A few years after the Reaper War ended, the Krogan race has had an influx of births despite Admiral Shepard faking the Genophage Cure. Under Wreav’s rule, the Krogans decided that it was time to exact their revenge on the Turians and Salarians for what they’ve done with the Genophage. Unlike years ago, however, they’ve teams up with the Vorcha and Varren to help take over. After two full years of War, a majority of the Krogan Species decided that revenge was unnecessary. However, Wreav and his strongest supporters still saw an opportunity. Today, they plan to purchase some of the strongest weapons and assets necessary to win the war.

“We’re cutting this meeting short. Do you have the guns?” Wreav asked.

“We...have the guns…indeed.” The Volus responded. “We also have more than 200 Vorcha…Batarians…and even Yagh mercenaries ready for your disposal.”

“That doesn’t sound cheap. I haven’t had an army that strong since last year. This time, they won’t be able to survive. We’re going directly to Palaven.” Wreav stated as he began to chuckle. The Volus pulls out his datapad to add up the assets.

“I’m sure…you know the exact amount from last time. However…we needed to increase…the cost…by double.” The Volus confirmed.

“DOUBLE?!!” Wreav shouted in anger. “Is this some kind of joke, Tamon?!!”

“This is no joke. The cost of these weapons and mercenaries…is high. Not only that…but our risk of being caught…is just as high. Plus…you know you need this deal.” Tamon responded.

“Then we have nothing else to discuss.” Wreav stated.

“The Commander doesn’t believe in second chances. Are you completely sure?” Tamon asked. Wreav and his soldiers pull out their assault rifles and Shotguns as they prepared to assassinate the Volus. Tamon kneels on the ground.

“That’s right Volus. Bow to your new Master. Plead for your life as I claw out your heart!” Wreav shouted. Suddenly, bullets rain from all directions taking out all of Wreav’s men. As each Krogan falls dead, Wreav attempts to fire through the open air. Suddenly, his gun is shot out of his hands by a Sniper hanging on a stealth shuttle.

“Target is solo.” The Sniper stated.

“Roger, K2. I’m coming down now. Everyone else, keep an eye out for any foes…and friendlies.” A female voice commanded. Wreav begins to walk towards his shotgun, but he is prevented from doing so as the gun is taken away by a biotic pull. He trains his eye on the gun as it comes near a female soldier falling from the sky. She had a darker-skin tone, slim build, around 5’10, 26 years old, dressed in Black and Red Serrice Council armor, and her hair was tied in a shoulder length ponytail.

“How long has it been Wreav? Two Years?” the woman asked.

“I should’ve known the false Shepard would arrive.” Wreav mocked.

“All Shepards aren’t related.” The woman stated.

“You’re not as skilled as the real deal, Lisa.” Wreav stated.

“Speaking of deals, it seems that it has been tripled due to your mockery. However, I’m feeling generous since today is my Birthday. I’ll add 100 more soldiers to your purchase on the house.” Lisa responded.

“Just because I’m weaponless, that doesn’t mean that I can’t at least take you down.” Wreav stated.

“I’ll accept your challenge.” Lisa responded as she dropped Wreav’s Shotgun to the Ground. “Headbutt Charge Challenge. First one to break the other’s neck wins. If I win, your credits are mine. If you win, everything I own belongs to you.”

“Heh, If you wanna die that easily, then so be it!” Wreav shouted. He gave a battle cry and charged towards Lisa. A blue biotic aura began to form around Lisa, and it eventually turned red. She leans back as time begins to slow down for a while. Quickly, Lisa performs a powerful biotic charge to Wreav’s Skull. The impact was far too strong for Wreav and it caused his head to be completely cracked open. The shockwave of the attack also caused Wreav to soar backwards into a frozen split in the planet’s crust. Wreav falls to his death, never to be heard again.

“You were right Wreav.” Lisa begins to wipe the Krogan’s blood off of her face as she walks away from the battlefield along with Tamon. “That WAS way too easy.”

“This is K2. Lisa and Co. are ready for Pickup. I repeat, Dynasty ground squad is ready to go.” K2 announces. Lisa and Tamon Join up with K2 as he takes their shuttle to their main cruiser: The SSV-Dynasty.

The cruiser took some inspiration from the SSV-Normandy and the Reaper ships, but it was mainly an Asari Cruiser in design. The colors of the Ship are Black and Red, similar to their armor. The Cruise can hold up to 200 workers, though it only has around 50 much to Lisa’s choice. Most people who fill in for those missing personnel are usually mercenaries or temporary aid. She also decided to modify the Keepers so that they could be the pilots of the ship rather than hiring traditional pilots. It also hosts eight shuttles, four Starships, and ten Combat Mech Suits.

“So…that went well.” The Volus commented.

“The Commander had to do what was necessary. Besides, this is a big score for us.” K2 stated.

“Not as big as it would’ve been if we got him to agree to our terms. His attack on Palaven would’ve given us a new job where we could’ve been hired to keep them safe. We could’ve even gotten more if we turned him in alive.” Lisa responded.

“Don’t think too much on it. At least we’ll be ranking up to the number one spot again above the SSV-Alumina.” K2 added.

“Don’t remind me.”

*Later that Night*

“We saw the video, but it was cut into pieces, just like your past videos.” Councilor Irissa stated.

“You didn’t even record the conversation between the two of you. He could’ve been spilling important information about himself.” Councilor Esheel added.

“Why didn’t you bring him back alive?” Councilor Quentius asked.

“That is all irrelevant. He didn’t even say anything important. He was just blabbering about planning to attack Palaven, but he only had eight supporters left.” Lisa explained. “So, how much did we gain from this?” She asked. Irrisa looked at Esheel who shook her head horizontally. She then looked at Quentius who just rubbed his forehead with his fingers.

“We can’t do more than half—on your Merit points and your crews bonus payment.” Irrisa confirmed.

“Are you serious?!!” Lisa shouted in frustration. “I just ended an entire war for Christ’s sake.”

“That was no war, commander. Wreav only attacked minor Salarians and Turians throughout the entire campaign.” Esheel clarified.

“Besides commander, we still don’t know 100% for sure if the Krogans really were planning something big.” Quentius added.

“As much as I’d like to take your word for it commander, there is nothing I can do.” Irrisa stated.

“Cheer up, commander. You’re 26. You still have a few decades…” Quentius thinks about what he just said. “Ah, you’ve just made 27 today.” He said.

“Councilor Irissa decided that we should reserve the Purgatory Bar for you and your team to celebrate your victory as well as your Birthday.” Esheel added.

“I’m still pissed at you guys for not giving me the pay I deserve.” Lisa responds. She looks towards councilor Irissa who seemed a bit disappointed in her attitude. “I guess this makes me feel somewhat better.”

“Then we shall seek to it that you enjoy yourself. Come to the Citadel tomorrow at 7:00 PM. I’m sure you’re exhausted for tonight. Get some rest commander.” Irissa said as she and the other councilors ended their call.

Lisa rubbed her forehead as she had a hard time figuring out what she was going to do about her payment. Rather than dwell on it all night, she decides to head to her cabin to take a shower. While in the shower, she thinks about everything that has occurred on her birthday. She remembers the many smiles of her crew members as each of them wished her a happy birthday throughout the day. She also remembers the short amount of time she spent Sight-Seeing with her best friend, Emeryl (Em-eer-Ril) Dimenia.

Emeryl is an Asari Commando that befriended Lisa for many years. She is 6’2 and still living in her Matron stage. She has a daughter near the same age as Lisa named Cerine (Seer-ri-nay). Emeryl first met Lisa during their first year of combat training. During the Reaper War, they were fortunate enough to reside on a planet that only had three Reapers on it. K2, who was a novice during that time, led a team that looked after the two girls while fending off the reaper forces. It seemed like yesterday that they had earned their certificate to become members of the STAR Alliance (Special Team of Allied Races). As Lisa finished her shower, she set her alarm and went to bed.

*The next morning*


Lisa rises from her bed and completes her daily exercises. She brushed her teeth and tied her hair back. As she finished getting dressed, she is greeted by the ship’s yeomen, Muriel Summers.

“Hello there, commander.” Muriel said. She was a mid-thirties woman from Australia who was 5’7. She had long curly Light-Brown hair and silver eyes. She was naturally beautiful in the eyes of the crew. She recently joined the Dynasty crew. She secretly dates one of the crew members, though Lisa is the only one outside of their relationship to know the truth.

“Summers.” Lisa said.

“Everyone is waiting for you in the private meeting room. Samuel Adams, Orlando Graine, Emeryl Dimenia, Paul Lance, and Tamon are all accounted for.” She said.

“Great. Prepare for the most depressing meeting ever.” Lisa drug out.

“Did the council shut us down?” Muriel asked.

“They don’t have that kind of power. STAR Alliance consists of purely licensed mercs. However, it seems we won’t be having the funds or support to keep the full crew together for much longer.” Lisa explained thoroughly.

*In the Meeting Room*

“Glad to see you’re all awake.” Lisa began. Sitting at the round table clockwise were Lisa Shepard, Samuel Adams (K2), Paul Lance (Edge), Tamon, Orlando Graine (Lane), and Emeryl Dimenia (Emy).

Samuel Adams is a 52 year old infiltrator class soldier who was born in Mindoir. He is 6’5 and resembles Slade Wilson in some aspects. He had a son and daughter who were living there when the Slavers attacked. He served the alliance for decades. During the time of the Mindoir incident, he was away on a mission. It was the most devastating moment of his life, but it was not the only one. He was the only survivor of the thresher maw attack on Akuze. He has a streak of being lucky seeing how he also survived the Reaper attack on Lusia as well. To this day, he still does not know the fate of his children.

Orlando Graine is a sentinel class ex-N7 who fought in Torfan alongside of Lisa’s brother, Mason Shepard. He is 6’3 and of Asian descent. Only a few years after Torfan, he quit the military to settle down with his family in an unknown galaxy outside of the Milky Way. He returned to the Milky Way 12 years later only to realize that everything changed drastically. He only joined STAR in commemoration of Lisa’s brother Mason.

Paul Lance is an early-20s soldier class member of the SSV-Dynasty and the current boyfriend of Cerine Dimenia, though that info is kept under wraps from Emeryl. He is 5’8 and born on Earth, just like Lisa and her brother. He recently joined the SSV-Dynasty and has become a dedicated member. He disagrees with Lisa’s methods, but refuses to report her activity due to blackmail over his relationship with Cerine. Eventually, he started to cope with everything that was going on.

“So what’s the big fuss?” Orlando asked.

“I’m assuming this has to do with your meeting with the council yesterday.” Emeryl stated.

“Yes and no.” Lisa answered. “The council says we’re definitely getting the first place rank. However, we will only be getting half on both the merit points and the check.”

“My cousin’s doing as always.” Emeryl stated. “She could’ve been generous; we stopped a war after all.”

“Neither she, nor the other councilors, deemed that as a war. And trust me Emy; I think we can both agree that she was more than generous this time.” Lisa responded.

“You do know this isn’t the first time the council has harmed our business right?” K2 announced.

“However…we’re much safer…under the council’s radar.” Tamon assured.

“Yeah, for however long that’ll be.” Paul stated.

“Don’t get so freaked out Paul. The council would never truly investigate our activity. As long as we’re part of the STAR Alliance, nothing we do is considered Illegal unless it is harming the entirety Citadel Space.” Emeryl explained.

“Didn’t you learn that in training?” Orlando asked.

“STAR is supposed to “Protect” Citadel Space through any means necessary.” Paul clarified.

“Paul is absolutely correct. That is the biggest reason we do what we do. You all may have joined for a different reason, but the goal of the SSV-Dynasty crew is to ensure that we build the best defenses ever constructed. To do that, however, will cost us a few arms and legs.” Lisa explained.

“I have a few contacts where my family resides. Maybe I can get them to find us a new source of income there.” Orlando stated.

“I can probably talk with some of the Ardat-Yakshi who reside in Lesuss. They sneak out of the monastery all the time without anyone knowing. I’m sure they can pull some tricks on some rich men.” Emeryl suggested.

“I’ll add those suggestions to the database.” Tamon responded. “So far, we are at 240,000,000 Credits. I don’t know how long that’ll last if we don’t sell these guns and mercs as quick as we can.”

“That’s only 12% of our goal.” Lisa stated. She was getting frustrated.

“We shouldn’t focus too hard on this right now. Don’t you have a birthday party to attend tonight?” Emeryl asked.

“You’re right. We’ll adjourn for the day.” Lisa states. Everyone begins to leave the area. Lisa and Emeryl are the only ones left in the room.

“I’m about to talk with Cerine on the hologram in my room. Wanna come with?” Emeryl asked. Lisa nodded her head as they went to the room.
 
*Later that Evening*

The Dynasty enters the vicinity of a mass relay. As they prepare for FTL Travel, they set a course for the Citadel. The ship quickly travels pass the Citadel’s multiple patrol ships. No matter how many times people travel to the Citadel, it is always a fresh experience. The SSV parks at the special Docking Area for the STAR Alliance ships. One by one, the members of the SSV-Dynasty exit the ship to head to the Purgatory bar. Once Lisa exits the Dynasty, she looks out to the rest of the Citadel along with Orlando and Emeryl. She thinks about how much it has changed since the Reaper War. She was surprised that the purgatory was still intact.

“Enjoying the view, Shepard?!!” a male voice shouted. It was and eloquent and high class dialect. He had short blond hair and harbored a Blue and White Captain’s outfit, similar to something that the deceased Admiral Hackett would wear. He was also young, yet a bit older than Lisa. She was displeased to see him.

“You!” She shouted. Emeryl grabbed onto her Omni-knife and Orlando kept his hand on his pistol. The man had two others with him—a ginger woman with a short bob cut and a blue Drell.

“Don’t get so worked up gal. We’re just here to celebrate your birthday, as well as your future defeat.” The man responded.

“I thought I told Irissa not to invite your crew.” Emeryl stated.

“Maybe she brought them here for us to take them down permanently.” Orlando added.

“You’re not that great of a quick draw, Orlando.” The Drell stated.

“Just because you’re the son of an assassin doesn’t mean you’re just as skilled, Kolyat Krios.” Lisa stated.

“Would you like to test that, false Shepard?” Kolyat asked.

“Now now, guys and gals. There is no need for us to spray each other to death…yet. It’s Lisa’s day today. Besides, we’re just here to say Happy Belated Birthday.” The man said.

“I’m guessing you brought Si here to mock that statement.” Orlando said sarcastically as he looked at the ginger woman. She made a threating hand sign at Orlando. Si is mute, so she does not have the ability to speak.

“That’s a bit far, don’t you think Orlando?” Emeryl stated sarcastically.

“Lisa!” Muriel called. Everyone looked towards her. “Are you coming?” Lisa looked at the man and then placed her focus back on Muriel.

“I was just finishing the conversation!” she replied. She and her allies walked pass the man and his crew. “The council won’t save you for long, Lamesworth.” She told him. He simply smiled. Lisa, Emeryl, Orlando, and Muriel entered the elevator and ordered it to head to the Purgatory. Lisa looked irritated.

“If I may ask, why is it that you always seem to get agitated when Jamesworth is around?” Muriel asked.

“If only you knew the things he’s done to us. He’s so fixated on becoming the top commander in the Merit system to the point where he has committed criminal acts to reach it.” Lisa stated. Emeryl darted her eyes at Lisa. Although she disliked Jamesworth, she was not a fan of Hypocrisy. “Let me rephrase that; he has caused innocent people to lose their jobs and their lives.” She clarified.

“I find that hard to believe without hard evidence. Didn’t you use to call the SSV-Alumina the right hand of the Council?” Muriel asked.

“I’d like to give them a right hand and a left one.” Orlando commented.

“They have the council on their side, so it’s not easy to actually blame them for anything. One day, I will take him down; legally or otherwise.” Lisa stated. Muriel looked to the ground.

The elevator stopped and opened up. They walked through the entrance of the club. Once they entered the open area, they saw many different STAR soldiers attending the party, from the SSV-Dynasty to the Folau Flotilla and even the SSV-Alumina. When they all saw Lisa, they cheered her name. She was indeed happy.

“Lisa Shepard!” A male called out. “Why don’t perform a speech for everyone?!!” Lisa was slightly annoyed by the man as she knew it was a member of Jamesworth’s Alumina crew. Jamesworth was the only person in the STAR Alliance who knew that Lisa wasn’t a great public speaker.

“That fool.” Lisa whispered. However, everyone applauded her and requested that she gives a speech. She was reluctant at first, but she decided to do it anyway. She was given a glass of red wine and escorted to the top of the Purgatory. All eyes were on her. She looked around and smiled. Everyone smiled back.

"I would first like to thank you all for coming here tonight and supporting me all the way. Ever since Admiral Shepard, the hero of the Citadel, selected me as a member of the STAR Alliance, I've been faced with difficult tasks and difficult consequences. I've traveled to multiple planets throughout my life. I joined the Alliance at the age of 16 and became a member of the STAR Alliance at the age of 19. I was able to exceed the testing score and became a Captain immediately. Ever since I boarded the Dynasty, I've recruited pretty much everyone you see here today." Lisa sipped her red wine as did everyone else.

"The color red is a symbol with many meanings. For some it means power, for others it means fear. For the SSV-Dynasty, it means Unity. That is the reason why the recruitment of a diversity of races is important. At this point, the team looks closer to Eclipse. As you look around, you will see that we are primarily made up of Humans and Asari Commandos. We really need to add more races to the team." Lisa takes another sip.

"We were tasked with patrolling the Milky Way Galaxy and preventing anything and anyone from causing the extermination of all life. Here me when I say, we will no longer allow anyone to enact a race war for as long as we stand. And should anyone decide to take the life of a member of my crew; I vow to enact my revenge upon them in honor of the SSV-Dynasty!"

Lisa uses her red biotic power to shatter her wine glass. Everyone applauded Lisa as they chanted the name of the SSV-Dynasty. Lisa smiled as she looked at Emeryl. She knew that her journey had only just begun.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Chapter 1

Preview of Ch 2: Travel…


“Whose ship is that?!!” Lisa shouted.

“They don’t have any symbols on them! My guess is that they’re pirates!” Muriel shouted back. The Dynasty was continuously being struck by a barrage of torpedoes from the frigate. Suddenly, a loud explosion is heard inside the cruiser.

“That came from the top.” Paul stated. Lisa and Muriel looked at the radar and saw that a larger Freighter was hovering above them.

“They seemed to have punched a hole in one area of the ship and dropped their people inside.” Muriel concluded.

“How did we end up in this situation?” Lisa asked herself.

“Do you think it’s the SSV-Alumina doing this?” Muriel asked. Paul looked confused. Lisa looked at Muriel in disappointment.

“He’d announce his attack first. This was completely unannounced.” Lisa responded.
 
Travel

“And should anyone decide to take the life of a member of my crew; I vow to enact my revenge upon them in honor of the SSV-Dynasty.” ~Lisa Shepard, Commander of the SSV-Dynasty

It’s been a month since Lisa’s 27th birthday. The SSV-Dynasty has been holding out with its slowly diminishing funds. They haven’t found a single mission since the end of the Krogan Attacks. Even her weapon sales have been slow. The Mercs she hired for Wreav’s army were released as Lisa could no longer afford them.

“Come on Tamon! You know that’s cheating!” Emeryl shouted.

“It’s simply…a strategy. You can’t cheat when playing Chess.” Tamon responded. Emeryl was in denial.

They were in Lisa’s room along with Muriel, who was spectating. Lisa was staring at a video of her Brother Mason on her Omni-Tool. It was a video from 15 years ago when Mason first taught her how to use her biotic powers. It was right before he fought in the Battle of the Citadel. His ship was destroyed by Sovereign, along with the Destiny Ascension, whose name became the inspiration for the Dynasty.

“Lisa, it’s your turn.” Emeryl stated. However, Lisa doesn’t move. Muriel and Tamon look at each other and return their attention to Lisa.

“I’m not up to it right now.” Lisa responded.

“This can’t be good…for your mental health. You’ve been worried…about funds…all month.” Tamon stated.

“Tamon’s right, Commander. You haven’t even had much sleep for the past few days.” Muriel added.

“Sleep isn’t a necessity for me right now.” Lisa responded.

“Neither are our funds.” Emeryl responded back.

“That is, unless you don’t want your job.” Lisa stated. Emeryl looked at Tamon and Muriel. She then turned her attention to Lisa.

“I didn’t tell you? I’m retiring next week.” Emeryl stated. Lisa was shocked. She had a look of disbelief on her face.

“Since when has this been on the table?” Lisa asked.

“I have a daughter, Lisa. Being in the military for so long, I haven’t really been in her life as much.” Emeryl stated.

“You’re still withholding her from the Military?” Lisa asked.

“Of course I am. I don’t want Cerine getting into something as dangerous as the military, even under your protection.” Emeryl stated.

“Really, Emy? You do know there are non-combat roles that she can participate in on other colonies.”

“She could just do what Liara use to do and explore the planets and colonies.”

“Liara became part of the Military.” Lisa responded.

“Touché. She’s still not going to the military.” Emeryl stated. She turned the chess board off and proceeded to leave the room.

“Are you…really that angry?” Tamon asked.

“Of course not. I’m going to take a nap, as we all should.” Emeryl responded. She darted her eyes at Lisa as she took the elevator out. Tamon followed behind her and they both left.

“Muriel, why did you join the military?” Lisa asked.

“I don’t really have a reason. Once I graduated from college on Earth, I was looking for a Job that matched my degree. This was the only one that hired me.” Muriel answered.

“If you had to, would you be able to find another job?” Lisa asked.

“I’ve been given other offers ever since I joined the military. Even though the Alumina offered a higher pay, I saw that your team had more exploration. I couldn’t pass your offer.” She responded. Lisa was disgusted by the name of her rival ship.

“Don’t tell the rest of the crew, but we’re shutting down in a few days.” Lisa stated. Muriel was shocked.

“Are we that low on funds?” Muriel asked.

“Even with Cerine leaving the team, we won’t have much of a budget when it comes to hosting an entire crew.” Lisa stated. “It seems that it may be time to liquidate the Dynasty.” She lied back in her bed and closed her eyes.

“I’m sorry to hear that commander.” Muriel stated. She turned around and began to leave.

“If you get any distress calls, just let me know. I’m gonna take a nap. Just like Tamon said, I haven’t slept in days.” Lisa stated. Muriel smiled and nodded her head as she left.

*2 Hours later*

Lisa is sleeping peacefully. She begins rocking left and right continuously; as does the ship. Red lights began to flash all over. Explosions are heard from the outside of the ship. Lisa begins to wake up as she hears a loud roaring noise from the outside. She rushes out of her room as she grabs her M77-Paladin and heads for the elevator.

“Who took my Omni-Tool?” Lisa asked herself. She then thought about what occurred earlier that day. “Emeryl…” The elevator stopped. Once it opened, she ran to the command deck. She looked out of window and saw a frigate firing upon the ship.

“Whose ship is that?!!” Lisa shouted.

“They don’t have any symbols on them! My guess is that they’re pirates!” Muriel shouted back. The Dynasty was continuously being struck by a barrage of torpedoes from the frigate. Suddenly, a loud explosion is heard inside the cruiser.

“That came from the top.” Paul stated. Lisa and Muriel looked at the radar and saw that a larger Freighter was hovering above them.

“They seemed to have punched a hole in one area of the ship and dropped their people inside.” Muriel concluded.

“How did we end up in this situation?” Lisa asked herself.

“Do you think it’s the SSV-Alumina doing this?” Muriel asked. Paul looked confused. Lisa looked at Muriel in disappointment.

“He’d announce his attack first. This was completely unannounced.” Lisa responded. Paul ran out of the room with his N7 Hurricane and went to join his teammates. Emeryl arrived to the deck with her Acolyte Pistol and Omni-Knife. She handed Lisa her Omni-Tool.

“Sorry about that, Lisa. K2 sent me to inform you that the pirates have found a way onto the ship and that some of them may be near the deck.” Emeryl informed. Lisa checked her weapon and looked around the area. A red biotic aura surrounded her. Emeryl summoned her biotic barrier and also readied herself. Muriel stayed near them to ensure her safety. Lisa closes her eyes and meditates. She points her gun at a nearby door that led outside of the ship.

“There.” Lisa fired her weapon through the door and heard a grunting sound. Emeryl was impressed, but she was then grabbed by one of the Batarian pirates who snuck up behind her. He thought he had the upper hand on her, but she used her Omni-Knife to stab him in the eye. She then aimed under his jaw and fired her weapon.

As his body dropped, three other Batarians entered the room with AT-12 Raider Shotguns. They began to fire upon the deck, but Lisa activated a normal biotic shield over all of the crew. She is supported by two of the other Asari crew members to ensure the bullets don’t penetrate the shield. Emeryl fires one bullet between the eyes of one of the Batarians. The other two decide to attempt to invade the biotic shield. As they touched it, Lisa turned the shield red. The red enhancement causes the shield to become harmful to which it slices off any parts of the two Batarians that were already passing the shield.

“Nice!” One of the Asari shouted. Everyone looked at her with a slight giggle. She cleared her throat. “I meant, thank you for the help commander.”

“No problem soldier, but we’re not done yet. Prepare the Thanix Cannons. Try not to miss the shot. We’re gonna make sure this happens in one take.” Lisa commanded. “Muriel, order the Keepers to elevate and rotate this ship so that the cannons from both sides are pointing at both ships.”

“Roger that Commander!” Everyone stated as they returned to their seats. They all did as they were told. Lisa and Emeryl continued to monitor the deck to ensure no more surprises. Once the Ship perfectly aligned in the position Lisa wanted it, she gave the command.

“FIRE!” Lisa shouted. The ship’s multiple Thannix Cannons began to fire. The beams completely rip apart the frigate. It was pretty much completely incinerated. The freighter began to also get ripped apart. However, due to the size of the freighter and the power of its shielding, it was not completely destroyed. It was, however, heavily damaged. It began to fly away.

“It’s leaving commander! The Ship is finally leaving!” Muriel shouted with joy. Everyone was relieved except for Lisa.

Once the pirate freighter was out of sight, Lisa falls to the ground. She was exhausted by the attack they just received. Her Omni-tool began to glow as she had multiple calls came thru to her. She answered them one by one; starting with K2.

“Status report K2.” She requested.

“We’re ok here on the main deck…except the science officer.” He responded. She then added others on.

“What is the status of each of you?” She asked.

“One of the engineers was in the line of fire. He was located in the area where they blew a hole on top of the ship.” Orlando stated.

“The medical officer is also down. She was stabbed by one of them.” Another soldier added.

“Did they take anything?” Lisa asked.

“I don’t think they came to steal any of our stuff. They just destroyed our drop pods and some of our hovercrafts.” K2 responded.

“Tell Edge and Ringo to meet me on the deck. There Omni-tools seem to have been broken.” Lisa requested.

“Commander…” One of the officers went silent. Lisa had a saddened look on her face, as did Muriel and Emeryl.

“Both of them?” she asked.

“Yes ma’am.” The soldier responded. Lisa buried her head in her arms as she reflected on the deaths of her crewmates. The most devastating of them all was the death of Paul Lance. She regretted the times that she blackmailed him into her deeds. She looked up and saw Muriel having a hard time coping with what happen.

“Dang those Batarians. Paul Lance was a great soldier and a great friend.” Emeryl commented. Lisa looked onto her. She wanted to tell her the truth about his relationship with her daughter, but she decided that the time wasn’t right.

“Should we contact STAR Command about this incident?” K2 asked. Lisa looked around the Dynasty and saw the destruction that was caused by the pirates. She also began seeing hallucinations of her dead comrades. The only thing she could hear was a loud beeping sound in her ear.

“Commander?” Lisa snapped back to reality as she heard Orlando’s voice. She became infuriated with what the pirates had done. She knew she made a personal pact with herself and the entire SSV-Dynasty crew. And should anyone decide to take the life of a member of my crew; I vow to enact my revenge upon them in honor of the SSV-Dynasty.

“Prepare remaining shuttles. Anyone who can fire a weapon, I suggest that you suit up. Load your weapons to the max. Grab explosives, smoke bombs, and anything else we might need. We’re gonna blow that freighter out of the sky.” Lisa responded.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Orlando shouted. Everyone on the intercom agreed. They all prepared for the battle to come.
 
“Commander, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Muriel stated.

“You’re right; it’s not a good idea. It’s my idea.” Lisa responded in anger.

“That’s not what I meant.” Muriel responded. “We just lost four of our people. Others are wounded. We’re not invincible.”

“We’re soldiers. We’ve already been signed up to die.” Lisa stated.

“She’s right, Lisa. We don’t need to get revenge right now. We have all the time in the world to go after them. You need to rest.” Emeryl stated.

“What if the next time we see them is in Lusia?” Lisa asked. Emeryl looked to the ground. “You’ve seen what slavers did before on the other planets we’ve patrolled.”

“Those were slavers, not pirates.” Emeryl stated.

“These aren’t pirates. They came to destroy us. We’ve been hunting slavers for years. Don’t you think they’d know who we are by now?” Lisa asked rhetorically. “Just because they killed our actual crew members rather than hired mercenaries, that doesn’t mean they are stronger than us.”

“We’re gonna lose someone, Lisa. I don’t want to have another life on my hands. Not anymore. This is the main reason I’m leaving the alliance. Do you know what my daughter told me this morning? She said she wanted to join the military. Do you know what it feels like to hear that my own daughter wants to join something as dangerous as this?” Emeryl ranted. Lisa thought about what Emeryl stated. She understood what she wanted.

“I need this, Emy. I don’t want guys like this in space. We wait, and they’ll just take more lives than if we were to attack them now.” Lisa responded. Emeryl looked at her Omni-knife. She returned her attention back to Lisa.

“I’ll help you this one time. Just don’t die.” Emeryl responded. She arose from the ground and ran to the elevator to head towards the armory. Lisa followed behind her.

Muriel set a course for the freighter. As they travel through the space, Lisa walks towards where the destroyed drop pods were. She prepares her invisible face mask and weapon along with everyone else. Emeryl finally meets up with her.

“Don’t tell me…” She began.

“I’m definitely gonna use the biotic-drop on that ship.” Lisa stated.

“How are you gonna pull that off on a freighter?” Emeryl asked.

“The ship is already damaged. The shields are destroyed. What’s the worst that could happen?” Orlando asked.

“She could go splat. She could also penetrate the floor and end up going out John Shepard style.” K2 answered.

“That’s why I’m gonna balance the strike.” Lisa responded.

“So what’s the plan?” K2 asked.

“We go in, take them down, and leave.” Lisa commanded. “Leave no survivors.” She said coldly. No one questioned her decision. Everyone was angered about what happened. They knew exactly what they needed to do.

As they arrived near the ship, all of the soldiers boarded the hovercrafts. Lisa stood inside of the damaged drop pod. She meditated as her red biotic aura surrounded her body. Once the ship was directly over the freighter, Lisa activated the drop pod switch which dropped her beneath the ship. She came upon the ship like a meteor using her biotics and tore a large hole through the top of it. She landed directly on the deck of the ship. On that floor, she spotted four Batarians. One of them had Tech Armor and a heavy pistol. The others had regular shielding and M-15 Vindicators. They point their weapons at Lisa, but the captain stops them.

“Wait! Don’t shoot. It’s only Lisa Shepard.” The captain stated.

“Are you begging to kiss my backside now?” Lisa asked.

“We know why you’re here. Look, we don’t want any trouble. You remember me right? Ban Torak. I didn’t know that was your ship.” The captain stated.

“If you were hired by me before you should already know what my ship’s name is.” Lisa stated.

“Of course, it is the Dynasty. We didn’t intend to attack you; we were told that a different ship was supposed to pass through your exact location. We thought you were the SSV-Alumi—“

Lisa raised her Paladin and fired upon Ban Torak. The bullet goes directly through one his eyes and he falls to the ground. As she fires at the second Batarian, the other two start to raise their weapons towards Lisa. They released a full clip in her direction as she jumped for cover.

*Elsewhere on the Ship*


Emeryl begins looking around the ship to find more Batarian pirates. She stops in a vacant room as she hears a voice crying out for help. She noticed it as a Batarian voice. As she walked into the room with her gun drawn, she spotted the Batarian hidden away inside of a locked cage. Emeryl approached him cautiously.

“Who the heck are you?” The Batarian asked.

“That’s not a way to greet your adversary, Batarian. I just cleaned your friends out.” Emeryl responded coldly.

“So you’re here to rescue me from these bafoons?” the Batarian asked.

“Rescue?” Emeryl asked. “How long have you been inside of that cage?” she asked.

“I don’t know; a few days? Maybe even a few months? They took me captive from another ship and held onto me ever since. I was a doctor, and their boss was sick at one point. After I nursed him back to full recovery, against my will of course, he thanked me and never released me from this cage.” The Batarian explained.

“What’s your name?” Emeryl asked.

“It’s Mare’In.” he greeted. “If it’s appropriated, I’d like to ask for your name.” He requested.

“Call me Emeryl.” She replied. “As much as I’d like to talk to you all day, I really need to evacuate this ship soon.” Mare’In looked at Emeryl’s armor.

“Wait, you’re part of the STAR Alliance?” he asked.

“Yep, the SSV-Dynasty.”

“I’m sure you all could use a new medic. Allow me to join your team.”

“It’s not up to me. My boss it upstairs dealing with the Captain of this ship.” Emeryl stated as she fired upon the lock that kept the Batarian in the cage. “Now let’s get out here. We’ll talk more on the ship.” Emeryl stated. The Batarian nodded.

They both ran through the hallway and up the stairs. They spot the two Batarians who were attacking Lisa. Emeryl pulled out her Omni-Knife and proceeded to sneak up behind the pirates. She easily kills off one of them by slitting his throat. As the other notices her, he quickly points his rifle at her head. However, he gets obliterated by a biotic warp from Orlando. He along with the rest of the soldiers had made it to that deck. Lisa spotted the large hole on the side of the Ship and noticed that the ship was going downwards towards nothingness. She knew it would eventually be destroyed.

“Let’s Go!” Lisa shouted. While the Ship was slowly going down, multiple hovercrafts arrived to pick up the soldiers. The last soldiers there were Lisa, Emeryl, Orlando, and Mare’In. Lisa looks at the Batarian with suspicion. However, he just brushed her look off. Emeryl gave Lisa an opposing stare.

“Loosen up, Lisa. You can’t hate the world.” Emeryl stated. Lisa thought about what she said and nodded towards the Batarian. Orlando gave him a salute. The last shuttle arrives at the scene the pick them up.

“Our ride’s here.” Orlando stated. He allows Mare’In to board it first. He then follows behind him. Lisa walks up towards the hovercraft as Emeryl follows.

“Isn’t there a saying you humans have; ladies first?” Emeryl asked. Lisa turned looked towards Emeryl with a smirk on her face. Her smirk disappeared altogether as she heard the sound of a heavy pistol being fired in the room. Emeryl looked down at her waist and saw a fountain of blood leaking from it. The bullet came from behind, not the front. Behind Emeryl was a dying Ban Torak who was holding an M-6 Carnifex.

“Even…in the end…I win…”

Ban Torak drew his last breath with a smile on his face. Emeryl’s eyes went dull. She fell to the ground knees first. Lisa ran to her and held her in her arms. Orlando came behind her, as did Mare’In.

“Emeryl! Emeryl!” Lisa called. However, Emeryl didn’t respond. “Stay with me soldier, you’re gonna be fine! Everything is gonna be alright!” Lisa shouted as she attempted to apply Omni-Gel.

“Let me take a look at her! I’m a doctor!” Mare’In stated as he examined her gunshot wound. He then checked her pulse and tried to see if she was bleeding.

“You can save her?” Lisa asked. Mare’In arose from the ground and looked at Lisa in silence. “Everyone has been very silent today doctor! Can you save her or not?!!” Lisa asked bluntly. Mare’In closed his eyes. Orlando returned to the ship in anger.

“He struck an artery using an armor piercing round. She died before he did.” Mare’In responded.

Lisa’s mind went blank. Everything was silent. All she could hear was Emeryl’s voice. She remembers how both Emeryl and Muriel warned her that something like this would happen. She realizes that maybe she shouldn’t have taken the revenge route. She knew the risks; she just didn’t expect it to impact her best friend.

Lisa takes something out of Emeryl’s pocket and laid her body on the floor. She stood up and walked directly to the hovercraft at a fast pace. Mare’In followed behind her. Once both of them boarded the hovercraft, it left the ship.

“Muriel, this is Lisa. Program the Keepers to destroy this ship and take us out of here.” Lisa commanded dryly.

“Where should we go?” Muriel asked. Lisa looked back at the freighter as it got obliterated by the Dynasty’s Cannons. She then pulled out Emeryl’s special Omni-Knife and examined it.

“Anywhere by here.” Lisa stated. “I’ve had enough of this cluster.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------

End of Chapter 2

Preview of Ch 3: Alliance


“Commander, we’ve got a distress call to an unknown co-ordinance.” Muriel stated. Lisa stared at the coordinates. She did lose her focus from it. She began to have memory flashes of everything that happened during her tragic incident 2 months ago. “COMMANDER!” Muriel shouted. Lisa snapped back to reality.

“Sorry about that, Muriel. Were you saying something?” Lisa asked.

“We have a distress signal. They say it’s a Slave Trade ship. They say it also stores dangerous criminals. It almost sounds like the Purgatory Jacob told me about.” Muriel stated.

“I heard about how they treated people there. I also heard it pays well.” Lisa stated.

“I remember you said this was a tragic thing for you. We still have the Council’s Widow’s Watch fund to keep us going. We don’t have to take this job. We can allow someone else to take care of it.” Muriel said. Lisa reflected on Muriel’s words.
 
Alliance
“I don’t want to have another life on my hands. Not anymore.” ~Emeryl Dimenia

It’s been four months since the attack by the Batarian Freighters. The SSV-Dynasty took a major toll that day. Lisa lost five crew members, including Paul Lance and her best friend, Emeryl Dimenia. During those four months, the Dynasty crew had been on a hiatus leave due to the tragedy. Lisa sold the Dynasty Cruiser and its assets, but kept the trademark name. She decided to invest the money into two Frigates that were similar in size to the Normandy. She named them the SSV-Dynasty and the SSV-Upsurge.

Lisa hasn’t gone on a mission since the attack. She hasn’t even spoken to Emeryl’s daughter, Cerine since that day. She refused to tell her about the fate of her mother, but today she decided to visit the Asari colony of Lusia. Once the Dynasty landed on the planet, Lisa prepared to leave the ship. She took a deep breath as she knew she wasn’t completely calm about the situation.

“We can wait another month if you want, Lisa.” Muriel said.

“No, I need to do this. More waiting will only make it worse.” Lisa responded. She exits the ship and walks to the entrance of the Colony’s gates. She was wearing her N7-Hoodie and black sweats.

“Lisa!” a voice shouted. It was a young and sweet voice. She looked pass the gate and saw the Asari, Cerine Dimenia. She looked like a younger version of her mother, and just as pale-light blue. She was currently wearing an Off-Duty Spacer outfit that her mother wore when she was younger. She seemed ecstatic to see that Lisa was alright. She met Lisa outside of the gate.

“Cici! How has it been?!!” Lisa asked. Cerine became quiet as her smile faded away. Lisa regretted what she said.

“I’m just joking.” Cerine stated. She laughed at Lisa’s expression. Lisa became relieved and smiled.

“I’m truly sorry for not…” Lisa didn’t know what to say. Cerine uses her Omni-Tool to call out her 3 Security Mechs. They were holding huge bags packed with Cerine’s stuff. “That’s not going to happen!” Lisa shouted.

“Don’t reject this, Lisa. You know I’ve been planning this since you’ve joined the STAR Alliance.” Cerine explained.

“Do you not remember what happened four months ago? This isn’t the job for you.” Lisa stated.

“That was because you made horrible design choices with the original SSV-Dynasty. You spent so much on a cruiser that was always half-empty, you never used the Giant Mechs, and you overspent your resources on everything other than your ship and body armor.” Cerine stated. Lisa was surprised by her technical expertise.

“So she told you…” Lisa began.

“Of course she did. She’s my mother. I completely disagree with what you two did; especially with the way you handled Paul. However, taking down the Slavers is the best route to go.” Cerine said. “You know you need me. Otherwise you’ll be repeating the past.”

“Cici, I…” Lisa thought about what she said. She wanted to respect Emeryl’s wishes, but Emeryl is dead. The choices Lisa decides to make won’t affect Emeryl at all, but they would surely affect herself and Cerine. “I’ll be waiting for you on the ship.” Lisa responded. Cerine jumped for joy.

“Thank you! I knew you wouldn’t turn me down, Lili.” Cerine stated.

“You’re not going into combat zones. You’ll take over as the Science Officer and you’re only allowed to work in the lab. And for your sake and the sake of the crew, please don’t blow anything up.” Lisa detailed.

“That’s fine by me, Commander.” Cerine said. Lisa will not get use to that. The two began to board the along with the mechs. As they walked through the decks, Cerine greeted each of the crew members. She eventually came across Muriel.

“You must be the yeomen of the ship, Muriel Summers?” Cerine asked.

“How did you know?”

“My mother gave a perfect description of your beauty, and your charming attitude.” Cerine flirted. Muriel turned red as she was slightly embarrassed.

“Oh please, Ms. Dimenia, you’re too kind.” Muriel responded as she was waving across her own face.

“Would you mind showing her the ship’s Science Room with I make a call to the Upsurge?” Lisa requested.

“Yes Ma’am.” Muriel accepted. “Follow me Ms. Dimenia.” As the two walked from the command deck, Lisa headed for the ship’s debriefing room. She called in the current Captain of the SSV-Upsurge, Samuel Adams, aka K2.

“Ma’am!” K2 saluted through his hologram.

“Samuel, it’s been a while. How have things been with you and the others?” Lisa asked.

“We miss you greatly, commander. I thought you would never come back. Orlando and Tamon have been causing me all kinds of heart attacks throughout the months.” K2 joked.

“Trust me; I’ll be catching up with you guys sometime soon. I just need a bit more time to breathe.” Lisa stated.

“I understand what you mean. Orlando and I had times where we stayed away from duty for years. Take as much time as you need. I’ll see you later Commander.” K2 said as he cut off the communications.

Lisa was relieved to know that everyone was still currently alive. The Upsurge consisted of all of the SSV-Dynasty’s previous members while the new Dynasty frigate consists of new members (and Muriel of course). So far, there are ten members on the Ship, including Lisa, Muriel, and Cerine.

As the ship left for space, Lisa decided to take the time to rest as the ship headed for Tuchanka. Lisa had been in hiding there ever since she sold her Cruiser. The Remnants of the Weyrloc Clan had been keeping her safe from the Urdnot Clan ever since she killed Urdnot Wreav.

*3 Hours Later*


Lisa visits the Command Deck to check on how much longer. She saw that they were almost there as they have arrived to the Serpent Nebula. Suddenly, the ship begins receiving a distress call on the Galaxy Map. Muriel rushed into the room to see exactly what was happening. She also received an email.

“Commander, we’ve got a distress call from a nearby co-ordinance in the area.” Muriel stated. Lisa stared at the coordinates. She did lose her focus from it. She began to have memory flashes of everything that happened during her tragic incident 2 months ago. “COMMANDER!” Muriel shouted. Lisa snapped back to reality.

“Sorry about that, Muriel. Were you saying something?” Lisa asked.

“We have a distress signal. They say it’s a Slave Trade ship. They say it also stores dangerous criminals. It almost sounds like the Purgatory Jacob told me about.” Muriel stated.

“I heard about how they treated people there. I also heard it pays well.” Lisa stated.

“I remember you said this was a tragic thing for you. We still have the Council’s Widow’s Watch fund to keep us going. We don’t have to take this job. We can allow someone else to take care of it.” Muriel said. Lisa reflected on Muriel’s words. The SSV-Dynasty would be outnumbered and outgunned. Besides, she was the only combat trained soldier on the ship. She began to get memory flashes of Emeryl’s death. The Memory triggers an alarm in Lisa, and it’s not a good one.

“Head to those coordinates now. You know I can’t pass a Slave Ship; not now, and definitely not in infinite light years from now.” Lisa responded.

She walked to the armory, ignoring a concerned Muriel. As Lisa suits up, she realizes that her Armor was different. It was no longer plated. Once Lisa zips the suit up, it begins to shrink to fit her size. Tech Armor begins to surround her and she starts to feel an increased boost to her biotic powers.

“How do you like it?” a voice asked. It was Cerine, looking just like a blue human scientist. Lisa begins to look at the Armor and inspect it.

“It fits like a glove and gives a lot more elbow room. This couldn’t have been created overnight.” Lisa responded.

“I’ve been working on all kinds of stuff since you and Mom began your STAR training. She didn’t know it, but I was always planning to work for the military, just not in the same way she did.” Cerine explained.

“Any other surprises I should know about this?” Lisa asked. Cerine began to chuckle.

“It has a retractable helmet which activates on its own when it is needed. As you can see, it comes with Tech Armor without the need to use your Omni-Tool and it gives you a large biotic boost. Your barrier power is a lot stronger now than it would be with a regular piece of armor that usually gives a 30% boost.” Cerine further explained.

“Perfect.” Lisa stated. She looked at Cerine, whom was excited. “Wish me luck.” She said as she ran to the drop pod area. Lisa activates her Omni-Tool but she realizes that it’s gone. However, a communicator is active on her suit. She uses it to contact Muriel.

“Summers, I need you to fly us over the station.” Lisa said. “I’m going in hot.”

“That’s not a good idea Lisa. It turns out we’re not alone. Look at the video feed I just sent you.” Muriel replied. Lisa activates the video player on her tech visor. She looks at real-time footage of the large Dreadnaught being taken down by 4 different Turian Frigates. Two of them seemed to be guarding the area in case they call for back up while the other two focus on the Dreadnaught.

“Dangit! We can’t go in like this. We might get caught up in the crossfire.” Lisa exclaimed. She thought of another way to enter the ship. “I’m going into the ship’s cannon.” Lisa stated. The SSV-Dynasty has a special made cannon equipped in it which makes it possible to shoot someone into space like a cannon ball. Lisa previously installed it as a way to exile criminals in space; however she found a better use for it.

“Do you know how dangerous that is?” Muriel asked.

“My new armor will help me survive it using my barrier. Don’t worry.”

“Let her try it. The armor should be able to withstand it.” Cerine said. Muriel was skeptical but she decided to do it. Lisa ran to the cannon. She entered into it and began to activate her barrier.

“Firing in three, two, one…” Muriel commands the soldiers to fire the cannon. Lisa is thrown out of the ship like a cannon ball. Her helmet is instantly activated. Her blue biotic aura looks like a huge diamond in the sky. She begins to pass over the guarding Turian frigates and descends directly towards the Dreadnaught. She begins to remember the incident from five months ago and grows angrier by the second.

“I’ll avenge you, Emeryl.” Lisa’s biotic aura turns red as she collides with the dreadnaught. She crashes directly through the ceiling and lands someone in the middle of the Ship. Luckily, she made it to the same area where the slaves and criminals stood. Multiple Human slavers came into the room and prepared to shoot Lisa and all of the others who were locked in the room.

“Kill them all.” One of the slavers said. Lisa began to hallucinate as she saw all of the human soldiers as Batarians, specifically as Ban Torak. She begins to harness her powerful red biotics in the palm of her hands as she looks directly towards the leader.

“Wait, that’s Lisa Shepard of the SSV-Dynasty!” One of the male criminals confirmed. The Slavers began to realize that they were pretty much dead. Lisa prepared to attack the slavers, but her armor sends an electric shock to her arm, causing her to cancel her attack.

“What just happened?” Lisa asked herself. The Slavers became confident again as they aimed their guns at everyone. Lisa quickly pulls out her Paladin and shoots one of the Slavers. The other Slavers begin to drop as well. They were taking fire from the back as the Turian mercenaries began taking them out one by one. After the last Slaver drops, the Turians began to escort the hostages off of the ship. The criminals stayed with Lisa.

“You’re not gonna let them take us to another prison are you?” One of the criminals asks.

“Be honest, what crimes did you all commit?” Lisa asked. The criminals became a bit quiet for a while, but they eventually decided to speak out.

“Most of us participated in theft from tech to freighters. Others have killed someone or even a few people.” One of the criminals said.

“Are you willing to repay your debts? Through hard labor?” Lisa asked.

“That’s not their choice, Commander.” Lisa looked towards the entrance of the room as she saw one of the Turian Mercenaries was a grayish-green. “These are criminals and their crimes should be accounted for.”

“I’m a commander of the STAR Alliance’s SSV-Dynasty Crew as well as the SSV-Upsurge.” Lisa stated. “As a member of STAR, I have the right to make the final decision in whether a person goes to jail or not.”

“I’m a Spectre and the commander of the four STAR Alliance ships you see outside.” The Turian stated.

“Wait, what? You command four ships yet I’m still on the top of the list?” Lisa asked.

“You’ve been out of commission for quite some time, Shepard. I recently Joined the STAR Alliance Four Months ago after your “incident.” My condolences to you and your crew.” The Turian stated. “Apparently, you are now in Fifth Place and I’m currently in third.” He added.

“Please don’t tell me who’s in first place.” Lisa requested.

“I know you to have your gripes, and I now see why.” The Turian said. “I know what it’s like to get the job done by any means necessary. However, it comes…with a price.” The Turian looked to the ground in regret.

“Who are you anyway?” Lisa asked.

“Ah, right. I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Lantar Sidonis.”

“Sidonis? I never heard of you.” Lisa stated. “How long have you been in the military?”

“Since four months ago.” He answered.

“Then how did you join the STAR Alliance as a Captain without Military experience?” Lisa asked.

“I was a mercenary who “worked” with Admiral Shepard once before.” Sidonis replied.

“I won’t question the kind of “Work” you’ve done, but I will question the decision to not allow me to take these criminals. I have a place for them at Tuchanka where they can pay off their depts.”

“We’re not going to Tuchanka!” One of the criminals stated.

“Are you really going to take me on instead?” Lisa threatened.

“Of course not. We aren’t stupid. Tuchanka is worse than regular prison. Those Krogans won’t treat us fairly.”

“Clan Weyrloc needs people like you on their side. They’re friends of mine.” Lisa said.

“Weyrloc? They aren’t civil. I was taking the Slaves to clan Urdnot while the criminals would go to the Citadel for trial.” Sidonis stated.

“They didn’t commit crimes in Citadel Space, they were only brought here.” Lisa stated. “Besides, I’m heading to Tuchanka as well.”

“Then why don’t we go together and then decide what to do?” Sidonis asked.

“Fine by me, Lantar Sidonis.” Lisa stated. They both escorted everyone off of the now isolated dreadnaught.
 
Lisa boards the SSV-Dynasty and walks to the Command Deck. Muriel looks at her in relief.

“Continue to set a course for Tuchanka. Make sure we follow behind those Turian ships.” Lisa commands.

“Are you doing okay?”

“I’ve never been better. The Armor just…had a defect when I powered my biotic aura.”

“Go talk with Cerine. I’ll call you when we arrive at Tuchanka.” Muriel Stated. Lisa nodded and walked to the elevator to head to the Science Lab. Once she walked inside, she saw that Cerine was already waiting on her.

“I got feedback from my VI that said you passed you limits.” Cerine stated.

“That never happened before. Can you fix it?” Lisa asked.

“I can fix it, but I won’t.” Cerine said. “I set a limit on how powerful your Red Biotic power can become. You do know that the dark energy that’s enveloping the galaxy grows stronger each time you use your red biotic power right?”

“My Red Biotic Power is a result of the dark energy.” Lisa responded.

“It doesn’t mean you have to continuously use it. That’s why I’ve been studying that strange Reaper dust ever since you’ve went to the Military. It’s unlike any element zero I know of.” Cerine detailed.

“We could turn it into a business product.” Lisa joked.

“No thanks, Red Sand is bad enough. I can only image what this would do to a person if it goes untreated.” Cerine said. She began to think about the day that She, Lisa, and Emeryl arrived at Lusia after the Reapers were destroyed.

*13 Years Ago…*

Fourteen Year old Lisa and Cerine traverse the partially destroyed colony of Lusia. They seemed devastated by the state of their Colony. Though it wasn’t the home she was born in, it was the closest thing to home for Lisa ever since her brother’s death. They walked around the colony away from Emeryl’s supervision. They come across a dead Reaper Dreadnought that seemed to be blown to bits.

“That’s the thing that destroyed our home. Remember this forever and always. Even though we’ve won the war, we still pretty much lost everything else.” Lisa stated angrily. Cerine was saddened by the entire ordeal, but she attempted to comfort Lisa.

“We haven’t lost everything. You and I are still here. So is my mother.” Cerine stated.

“For how long?” Lisa responded. Cerine was saddened by her statement. She walked towards the dead Reaper and attempted to touch it. Suddenly, red electric sparks began to surround the Reaper.

“STAY AWAY FROM THAT THING!” Lisa warned. She rushed towards Cerine and tossed her to the ground. The Reaper’s tentacle blows a red dust cloud in Lisa’s face. Lisa unintentionally inhales the red dust. As it reached her lungs, she began to struggle for air. She fell to the ground and began to seizure from it.

“LISA, NO!” Cerine panicked. She attempted to do everything in her power to keep Lisa alive. She activates her Omni-Tool and calls for her mother. She informs her of what happened and continued to stay in contact. “Lisa, don’t die on me. Please, don’t die.”

*Present*

“You almost died. If we didn’t get a doctor for you as quick as we did, you wouldn’t be here right now. Maybe my mother…” Cerine thought about what she was about to say. She looked towards a remorseful Lisa and decided to change the subject. “I’m truly happy that you’re still here.” She stated. Lisa nodded. She suddenly got a call from an unidentified number.

“Who is this calling my Private Comm Channel?” Lisa asked rudely.

“My…apologies…commander.” It was Tamon.

“No worries. I didn’t expect you to call.” Lisa stated.

“I have great news for you. I’ve scored…the jack of all trades…as you humans would say.” He said.

“How much are we talking about?” Lisa asked.

“Millions…maybe half…maybe double.”

“Who or what agreed to finance that much?” Lisa realizes that Cerine is still in the room with her. “Hey, I’ll talk to you later tonight. I’m heading to Tuchanka to drop off a few slavers and criminals.”

“Tuchanka? You might…want to reconsider. They have a contract for our con—“ Lisa cuts the call as she prepares to leave the ship.

“It seems that we’ve made it.” Lisa states. Cerine looks onto her in suspicion.

“Don’t get into too much trouble, Lili.”

“I won’t. I can’t afford to.” Lisa exits the Lab and prepares to head towards the Command Deck. She presses the button to call an elevator. She was excited about the new deal they would gain. As the elevator doors opened, she faced one of her worst fears.

“The infamous false Shepard. What a surprise this is? Heh Heh Heh.” Lisa had an angered and disturbed look on her face as she was held at gunpoint by two Krogans from clan Urdnot. Standing in between them was the new, official leader of the clan: Urdnot Grunt.

“What are you doing on my ship? The war is over.”

“Just because you say the war is over doesn’t mean your opponent agrees. Did you not remember how Wreav fought until the end?” Grunt asked.

“How did you know about that?” Lisa questioned.

“You can’t hide anything from me. I was part of Admiral Shepard’s crew years ago. He always keeps the old Normandy crew up to date on everything.” Grunt confirmed.

“I wouldn’t care if you were Admiral Shepard himself, state your business or…”

“Or what? You don’t have any soldiers on this ship. And unlike Wreav, I’m not trying to start a war.” Lisa was starting to lose patience. “I’m here to tell you to stay off of my planet. You have no business being here.”

“I’m above the law, Grunt. If I suspect something that could possibly threaten the galaxy, I have full authority to put this entire planet on Lockdown.” Lisa responded.

“That’s why I’m here to give you a gift.” Grunt signals his guards to let her go inside the elevator.

As they wait in the elevator, Lisa contemplates on whether or not to use her Paladin pistol. She ultimately decides not as it could be the worst mistake of her career. They finally arrive to the Command Deck. The Door opens and Lisa is greeted by a Krogan and a Salarian. The Krogan was yellowish with Dark Red Scales. He was wearing a black and red Mercenary outfit. The Salarian was Blueish-Green and wore tradition Salarian Engineering clothing.

“Commander, meet your new teammates: Rahl, a bodyguard, and Capris, an engineer.” Grunt introduced. Both of them saluted the commander. She was surprised, yet honored. She was also suspicious of the Krogan’s generous behavior.

“This isn’t something that’s gonna be free is it?” Lisa asked rhetorically. Grunt laughed as he activated his Omni-Tool.

“The only thing that’s free in life is death.” Grunt states. He begins to show an image of a Krogan drug lord who is worth over 220 Million Credits. Lisa was surprise by the amount of pay that was on his life. Her eyes glared heavily on the price.

“You’re the contractor aren’t you?: Lisa asked.

“His name is Spade. Find him and bring him back ALIVE. If you do this, my gifts and the reward money are yours.” Grunt bargained. Lisa would never refuse an offer like that.

“There’s no reason to discuss this any further. You know I’m accepting this contract.” Lisa responded with a huge grin on her face. Grunt grinned in return.
-----------------------------------------------------------
End of Chapter 3

Preview of Ch 4: Red…


“Do we really need to wear these stupid masks?” Rahl asks.

“I’ve never seen what Red Sand would do to a Krogan, but I’ve seen the harm it’s done to Humans, Batarians, Vorcha, and Volus’. Even some Asari have had a hard time surviving the effects.” Cerine responded. “Besides, the mask it looks great on you.”

“Don’t make me vomit.” Rahl comments dryly as he puts his mask on. Lisa chuckles at his ‘tough guy’ personality.

“I bet you won’t really be that harsh once we get to know you more. It never fails.” Lisa states. The Krogan ignores her. Orlando activates the mask and takes a deep breath.

“K2 has his team set. They should be assaulting the first trading route as we speak.” Orlando debriefs. Lisa and Rahl activate their masks as well.

“Make it quick, accurate, and quiet as possible. We need to secure those crates. Is everyone ready?” Lisa asked. Both Orlando and Rahl ed their weapons and nodded towards Lisa. “Then let’s get to it.”
 
Top