2176 CE
Planet - Elysium
Human Colony
(Note - Since there is no description of the Colony of Elysium, I will say that it was a Forest Colony with a Civilization and a Beach Front - The Shepard Siblings were on Shore Leave at the Beach when the raiders attacked)
- Point of View: Alakay (Age:22) -
After a few weeks of space voyage and a few dozen light-years in the endless that I was born among, being on solid ground was always nice. The Ship I was serving on, along with my sister - Akela - docked on the planet of Elysium to stock up on some materials - Clothes, Fresh Food & Water, Materials for our armors and guns, etc. Our ship captain states that we would be here for about 1 week to get used to the feel of solid ground under our feet.
I was standing on the grey concrete ground that separated the tech civilization from the sandy ground of the beachfront I was gazing upon the waves crashing against one another and the ground at the edge of the beach. The people were mingling among each other and it made me smile to see this - Mom and Dad always told us that the happiness of the citizens of the galaxy showed us that we were getting our job done. I folded my arms and leaned against a tree before I felt a familiar tingle in the back of my brain; I turned to see my sister walking toward me with 2 sodas in her hands.
Akela was more than my sister - she was my best friend and rival at the same time. She was a few inches shorter than me but her flawless brown skin and wavey midnight hair matched mine. She loved her hair short and free in the wind, she would brush it back but a few strands would fall on her face. She had Dad's Sapphire Blue Eyes. Besides our gender, the only real way you would tell us apart was our fight styles - I'm a Soldier, while I did inherit Mom's Biotics, they are rather weak so I don't use them. Akela, on the other hand, is a Vanguard - the only problem is that her biotics get out of control to the point the Alliance conditioned her to wear a shock bracelet that was set to electrocute her whenever she went over the limit. I hated it - Akela was an Alliance Soldier, not a junkyard varren that they could control.
"Hey, Al. What's on your mind?" Akela asked as she handed me the coke in her right hand, I raised it in a silent 'thank you' before I opened it and took a sip of the cool drink.
"It's not every day we get shore leave. I don't know why but something doesn't seem right." I explained before taking another sip. Akela leaned against my tree before letting out a chuckle.
"Maybe because you don't like sand, Crab Ass." I glared at my twin at that nickname. When we were younger, our parents took us to Earth for a beach day when they both saved up enough vacation time. I was building a sandcastle and a hermit crab came out of nowhere and pinched my butt. She never let me live it down. I scoffed at her question and looked into the beach, it was peaceful before...
*BOOM!!!*
An Eruption of Sand on the far side of the beach caused the colonists to scream and scurry off in the opposite direction. Allision and I ran from our spot with our eyes focused on the dust cloud - suddenly, an army of Batarian Pirates and Humans Raiders comes from the sand cloud and points at the retreating humans.
"Destroy the Colony! Spare No One!" One of the Batarians called out as the others charged at the colonist. Allison and I ran into the fray, withdrawing our hand pistols from their holsters.
"Captain! We have a problem! Raiders are attacking the colony! We need arms!" I heard Akela shout into her intercom. I saw a Batarian gun down a man with an assault rifle; with my eyes narrowed and my teeth locked, I raised my gun and fired 2 rounds into his head. His brains exploded and his body dropped to the ground, I grabbed his firearm before I let use a barrage of bullets against a line of pirates; bodying at least 4. I looked at seeing Akela using her Biotics to create a Shockwave to bowl through the Batarians before she was tackled by a grey-white Varren as it sunk its teeth into her right forearm.
"Akela!" I called out to her before I fired 3 rounds into the Varren's Head. Akela pushed the varren's body off of her, I saw the bleeding scars as she pulled herself up. The Batarians charged at us as Allison crossed her arms together - her body glowing brightly with biotic energy as she throws her arms out at the pirates, causing them to fall like dominos and drop their guns.
I turned to see the colonists behind us, cowering in fear; I knew they were afraid but...
"People of Elysium, I know that you are afraid but we require your help." I pointed at the dazed pirates. "These criminals want to destroy what you love, I know that there are those among you who would not let this stand. Please...lend us your strength." I pleaded with the colonists. I saw some men run from the group and gathered some weapons from dead pirates and armed themselves before following my lead with Akela and I charged at the pirates with guns blazing. The pirates managed to take down about 15 Colonists before we overpowered them and they called for a full retreat and ran away with their wounded, leaving their dead behind. Akela fell to the ground with her wounds - she suffered too much damage from varren bite and biotic drain, getting hit in the face with the back of a gun in an attempt to stun her, and she was shot in the side.
My wounds were lesser but still painful - I was shot in the shoulder and clawed in the arm by a varren. One of the Batarians managed to try to aim for my face but the bullet missed and grazed my eyebrow and down my eye. When the Alliance came, they sent us back to our ship while our med staff looked over the colonists.
I sat on one of the med beds, looking at my bandaged sister who glared at the ground - she was angry that she was not able to save everyone and they always got to her, she was just like our father in that regard. I looked at her biotics lightly dancing around her hands as she gripped the edge of her bed.
"Akela - " I called out.
"We weren't good enough, Alakay. We didn't save everyone; we were not good enough...I wasn't good enough." Akela growled out as she glared at the ground below her. I shook my head at that notion.
"Akela, we're not God. We couldn't save everyone; plus, the ones who died thought of their colony and families before themselves - that makes them Heroes in the eyes of the people and the eyes of the Alliance." I reminded her. She just closed her eyes and grunted; she knew I was right but she didn't like it. I opened my mouth to speak again but the 'hiss' of the door opening caught our attention - The Ship's Doctor walked in.
The Doctor's name was Doctor Chakwas - she's been in the Alliance service for many years, and she also happens to be our Godmother. Mom and Dad told us that Doctor Chakwas was the one who brought Allison and me into the world and she grew attached to us - Dad offered her the position of our Godmother and she accepted.
"Hey, Godmother Chakwas," I called out with a smile; that smile was soon removed when she smacked me upside the head with her clipboard. "Ow!" I yelled holding my throbbing head. "What was that for?!" I yelled as I looked at her.
"What were you thinking, Alakay?! Akela?! Charging into a raid of pirates alone?! Why didn't you call for backup?! Why did you risk your lives like that?!" She yelled at us; I could see the tears in her eyes, the fear of losing us. I looked down before Akela spoke.
"I did call for assistance but we couldn't let those people get hurt, Godmother. We just couldn't..." Akela gripped the fabric of her pants legs tightly in her fists with her head hanging low, I could hear the sobs coming from her, I could feel the sorrow through our bond. I didn't care about the pain, I pushed myself off the med-bed on shaking legs and limped over to my sister before gathering her in my arms; allowing her to rest her head on my chest and let out all of the grief she was holding in while shedding a few silent tears myself. I felt our godmother join our hug with tears of her own - she was scared to lose us...but we had to save them. It's the Family Motto:
'If you have to power to destroy or save, just remember - Destruction is easier but Salvation is more rewarding.'
The next day - The Alliance awarded Akela and me the Star of Terra. The people of Elysium congratulated us. Our parents were there in support but our eyes were turned to the heavens - asking for forgiveness from the ones we failed to save and the true heroes of Elysium.
YOU ARE READING
A-J-S: THE LEGACY OF THE SHEPARD SIBLINGS
Science Fiction"Well...What about the Shepard Twins? They are both Spacers, lived aboard starships most of their lives." "Military runs in the family. Both of their parents were in the Navy." "They proved themselves during the Blitz. Held off enemy forces on the g...
