A/N: Hey everybody. Happy N7 Day! In honor of this special day, I present to you this one-shot that follows a previously untold story during the events of ME3. We will now witness Ashley officially being sworn in as a Spectre. So sit back, relax and enjoy Mass Effect: Spectre.
Disclaimer: The universe and many of the characters in this story are the creation and property of Bioware and EA games.
Special thanks to GSJennsen for allowing me to use her picture for the cover image. The original piece can be found on her deviantart account. Just search for the piece titled "Ashley". While you're there, check out her other Mass Effect pieces ranging from pictures to fanfictions.
If anybody else found themselves in the position that Lieutenant-Commander Ashley Williams was in, they would likely be filled with excitement. However Ashley was not pacing in the restroom of her hotel room due to excitement. Instead she was pacing because she was a nervous wreck. She stopped pacing to stare at her reflection in the mirror in an attempt to lift her spirits. It didn't work.
The reason for Ashley's nerves was because she was due to appear in front of the Citadel Council, the governing body that served as the highest authority in Citadel space, and be formally inducted as an agent of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. The Spectres were an elite group and their numbers were few. There may not have been a lot of Spectres but that didn't matter as the agents represented the best of the best when it came to protecting the galaxy. Adding to the pressure of Ashley's situation was the fact that she was going to become only the second human to be welcomed into the Spectres. With so many other humans who might have been eligible candidates, it was just hard for her to believe that she was the one that was asked to join.
"Dammit Williams," she thought to herself, "you've got to pull it together. You're about to stand in front of the Council and become an agent of the galaxy's top peacekeeping force…that is….unless they've changed their mind because of what happened."
That was the other reason Ashley wasn't really excited about the pending ceremony. Try as she might, she just couldn't shake off the thought that maybe she didn't deserve to be a Spectre. She wanted to believe that she was a capable soldier who was good enough to join their ranks. After all, she spent the majority of her career trying to break her family's curse that made it difficult for her to move up the ranks. It took some work but she was now a Lieutenant-Commander and her pending induction into the Spectres was going to be the icing on the cake. However it was the circumstances of how she was invited into the Spectres that made her question if she deserved the title.
While Ashley was at Huerta Memorial Hospital recuperating from a critical injury she received during on operation on Mars, she was approached by Donnel Udina, humanity's representative on the Council. It was he who offered to give her Spectre status. He said his reason for choosing her was because "the galaxy has a need of exceptional soldiers like you." Though initially unsure about the offer due to the responsibilities and pressures that came with being a Spectre, Ashley accepted it. Unfortunately it was just a few hours ago that Udina was killed when it was revealed that he helped the pro-human terrorist group Cerberus launch a coup that planned to remove the Council from power. Ashley was the one who pulled the trigger.
In the short time since the coup was stopped, Ashley had been doing a lot of thinking about what it all meant. Did Udina really believe she was qualified to be a Spectre or was he just using her as a means to an end to help with the coup? In fact the more she thought about it, the more Ashley realized that she almost did just that. If she hadn't received the intel that Udina was a traitor when she did, she would have led the Council right into a trap. No doubt the Council had been thinking about this stuff too. Now with the man who originally nominated her dead and revealed to be a traitor, would the Council even be willing to still follow through on on the induction ceremony? Ashley just didn't know.
Ashley pulled up her omni-tool to check the time, "well the ceremony will be starting soon if it's going to start at all. I better head over there."
After splashing some water on her face, Ashley walked out of the restroom and left her hotel room to meet the cab that was going to take her to the Citadel Tower.
Though it may not have been as badly damaged as it had been following the geth attack a few years ago, Ashley still felt as though she was looking at a war zone when she got out of the cab. The Citadel had managed to rebuild following the geth attack so she was confident they would be able to recover from the coup. After enduring through the long elevator ride to the top of the tower, and of course the annoying elevator music that played over the intercom, Ashley reached the floor where the council chambers were located. When she stepped off the elevator, she was greeted by a turian officer from C-SEC (Citadel Security).
"Lieutenant-Commander Williams?" he asked.
"That's me," Ashley replied.
Ashley's response made the officer give the turian equivalent of a smile, "we've been expecting you. I'm here to take you to the Council."
"Lead the way officer."
Ashley didn't really need an escort as she had been in the council chambers enough times to know where everything was but she decided not to make the officer's job difficult and follow him. Before Ashley and the officer got very far, she spotted a familiar face among the crowd that was gathering for the ceremony. When she got a better look at the person's face, her mood improved dramatically. It was Sarah, her baby sister. She silently laughed as she thought about how much Sarah hated being called that but as the youngest of the Williams sisters, it was a title she was stuck with. Sarah had arrived on the Citadel after fleeing the Reaper invasion on Earth with their sisters and mother. While the rest of the family was staying on another planet, Sarah had come to the Citadel after Ashley suggested they could wait for news on the status of her husband Thomas who was away on duty with the Alliance. Sadly the news they received wasn't good. Thomas had been killed in action. Sarah was not into the military lifestyle like Ashley was so it was hard to believe that she was now a widow of fallen soldier. For the most part, Sarah had been coping with it as well as she could but only time would tell if she would be able to fully recover.
It was because of the recent events that Ashley was pleasantly surprised to see Sarah. When she told Sarah about the ceremony, Sarah didn't sound like she was going to be attending. Now that she saw her, Ashley realized she never should have doubted her sister would come. All four of the Williams sisters shared a strong bond and would always be there for each other no matter what. Sarah waved to Ashley and gave a small smile even though Ashley could still see the pain she was feeling in her eyes. Right then her big sister instincts kicked in. She needed to talk with Sarah before she did anything else.
"Officer," she said, "can I talk to my sister first?"
The officer looked at Sarah then nodded, "of course. I'll radio ahead to let the Council know we'll be there shortly."
"Thank you."
Ashley left the officer and walked over to Sarah. Sarah was a bit surprised to see Ashley walking over to her but snapped out of it in time to give Ashley a hug.
"How are you sis?" Ashley asked when the hug broke.
"Well," Sarah replied as she hung her head, "I'd be lying if I said I was good."
"You didn't have to come you know, I would have understood."
Sarah looked up at Ashley with an "are you serious?" look, "come on Ash. Things may not be going well for me right now but I'm not going to let that keep me from seeing my big sister become a Spectre. This is so incredible. How does it feel?"
Ashley was about to tell Sarah of her doubts that the Spectre status may not be for sure but decided she didn't want to break Sarah's happy mood, "it still hasn't sunk in yet. I mean, I'm only the second human to be offered Spectre status. There are no words to describe how honored I am."
"You've earned it sis. All that work you put in to move up the ranks and break the Williams curse is about to pay off. I know Dad is looking down on you from heaven and is very proud of you."
A tear started to appear in Ashley's eye, "thanks sis, that really means a lot to me."
"Hey," Sarah said as she took a quick look around, "speaking of human Spectres. I haven't seen you-know-who around. Isn't he coming?"
Sarah was referring to Commander Mark Shepard, the first human Spectre, Ashley's former commanding officer….and at one point, her boyfriend. Hearing Sarah's reference made Ashley cringe. She didn't even think about Shepard when she was thinking about her worries in the hotel room. If anything, that should have been her biggest worry. Now that she was thinking about it, what started as one tear of happiness was now on the verge of becoming a waterfall of sadness. Sarah quickly picked up on it and pulled Ashley aside to a place where they wouldn't draw unwanted attention.
"What's going on sis?" she asked. "last time we talked I thought you said that you and Shepard were working things out."
The history of Ashley and Shepard's relationship was a complicated one. When they first got together, their relationship was going great. Things came to a screeching halt when Shepard was killed in a surprise attack. Ashley spent the following two years grieving and trying to move on with her life. Then Shepard suddenly reappeared alive and well. Ashley should have been happy to see him but between the fact that it appeared that Shepard faked his death and the fact he was seen working with Cerberus, she instead felt betrayed. Because of this, Ashley was hostile to Shepard during their reunion and refused to rejoin his crew. Some time after that reunion, Ashley learned from then Councilor David Anderson that Shepard was not a traitor and that the Council was unofficially approving of the mission he was on with Cerberus. Realizing she made a terrible mistake, Ashley sent an email to Shepard apologizing for what she said. To her relief, Shepard forgave her and the two planned on trying to rekindle their relationship when Shepard's mission was over. Unfortunately they never got a chance as Shepard ended up being arrested for destroying an entire star system resulting in the deaths of over three hundred thousand batarians. When Shepard didn't fight the charges, Ashley began to wonder if maybe Cerberus really had changed Shepard. This led to them not seeing each other again until they were forced to work together to find important data on Mars. During that mission, Shepard insisted that he was still the same person Ashley fell in love with and that he wanted her to be with him. Those moments and all the times Shepard visited Ashley while she was in the hospital helped to slowly remove the lingering doubts she still had. She even said to Shepard that if she had anything to say about it, she wanted to come back to the Normandy after she became a Spectre. That was the last thing Ashley had told Sarah regarding how she and Shepard were doing.
Thus Ashley found herself now having to tell Sarah about what happened during the coup attempt. She started at the point where she had brought the councilors to the escape shuttle only to find that Cerberus had destroyed it. The group was about to go back to the elevator they rode up to the shuttle deck when they ran into Shepard and his squad. Initially relieved to see Shepard, Ashley found herself thrown for a loop when Shepard and his squad pointed their weapons at Udina. Udina added to the confusion by shouting that Shepard was with Cerberus and was blocking their escape. The only thing Ashley knew for certain was that she had to protect the Council. With Shepard and his squad appearing to be a threat to one of the councilors, Ashley reluctantly pointed her weapon at Shepard. Things would have ended badly except Shepard surprised Ashley again by ordering his squad to lower their weapons and calmly explained to her that Udina was a traitor and that he was leading the other councilors into a trap. Udina denied the accusation leaving Ashley having to decide who to believe. Then Tevos, the asari councilor, mentioned how the Council had mistrusted Shepard in the past and how it didn't help them. The comment made Ashley realize she had done the same thing to Shepard twice before and how she had been proven wrong both times. There was no way she could let herself do that again. Her mind made up, she tried to arrest Udina. Udina responded by pulling a gun on Tevos forcing Ashley to kill him. While they managed to save the remaining councilors, there was one thing that Ashley couldn't shake off about that moment.
"Sarah," she said as she wrapped up her story, "I held a gun at Shepard. Even after everything he's done to show that he's still the man I love, I came this close to killing him. He's already forgiven me twice for doubting him. How can I expect him to forgive me again after that?"
Sarah didn't say anything right away. Ashley couldn't blame her. While her family was always eager to give her relationship advice, wanted or not, this situation was not a problem typical among most relationships. Suddenly, Sarah smiled again as a thought came to her.
"Do you think Shepard would have shot you?" she asked.
The question took Ashley off guard, "uh…well…he was trying to save the Council so I'm sure he would have had to if I didn't back down."
"But he didn't. If Shepard was solely focused on saving the Council, he would never have ordered his squad to lower their weapons. By doing that, he was putting his mission in jeopardy. I think that he believed you would see the truth and make the right decision. Besides, he can't blame you for what happened. You were just doing your job, just like he was."
"I don't know Sarah."
"Ash, Shepard could have given up on you back when you first doubted him on that colony. If there's one thing I learned during my time with Thomas, it's how true love can help you overcome anything. You and Shepard are perfect for each other. He'll be here, you'll see."
As much as Ashley wanted to believe Sarah, she still wasn't sure. Despite that, she smiled and thanked Sarah for her support. After promising to catch up after the ceremony and discuss Thomas' memorial service, Ashley rejoined the C-SEC officer and followed him to the council chambers. Looking around the room, it was hard for Ashley to believe that the room was a disaster area following the geth attack. She wasn't there herself but she remembered hearing from the squadmates who were there about how it was a miracle Shepard managed to avoid being crushed by debris. Now the place looked like it had never been attacked. Yet another example of how the Council tried to keep things the same and forget there were dangerous things out there in the galaxy. Ashley didn't like it because no one should forget that a lot of good people lost their lives protecting the Citadel.
Ashley's thoughts were interrupted when she realized the quiet murmuring among the spectators ceased. The Council was about to enter the chamber. Though she was not someone who usually cared about appearances, Ashley took a moment to fix her hair and her outfit. When the Council entered, she came to attention out of habit. The Council may not have been military but Ashley was still willing to show them the same respect she would an Alliance admiral. The first to enter was Tevos who took her spot in the center of the stage. Next was the salarian representative, Councilor Valern, who took his spot on Tevos' left. Finally the turian representative, Councilor Sparatus, took his spot on Tevos' right.
"This meeting of the Council will now come to order," Tevos said beginning the ceremony, "Lieutenant-Commander Williams you may stand at ease."
Ashley nodded and relaxed.
Tevos continued, "Lieutenant-Commander Williams, we are gathered here because you have been nominated to join the office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. To be nominated for the position is a great accomplishment for you and humanity as a whole as not many humans have received the same opportunity in the past. Of the few that did, only one went on to become a Spectre."
As Tevos spoke, Ashley was beginning to feel that this was not going to be as bad as she feared. The feeling didn't last long though after Sparatus started speaking.
"Unfortunately," he said, "we've had to put your nomination into question as it came from Councilor Udina who was revealed to be a traitor during the Cerberus attack. If it wasn't for the fact that you saved Councilor Tevos' life, we would have started to wonder if you and Udina were working together."
"Sadly," Tevos continued, "we can't ignore the fact that Udina may have nominated you because he had plans for you that would have been part of his and Cerberus' attempt to overthrow the Council."
Strike one, Ashley thought. She wanted to bow her head in shame but she did her best to keep her head up and not let the councilors see how their words were affecting her.
Valern was the next to speak, "With the person who nominated you dead and because neither of us knows you well enough to make a fair judgement, the decision to reject your nomination came up several times during our discussion."
Strike two. One more strike and Ashley could kiss Spectre status goodbye. It was going to take a miracle for her to still have chance of earning it. A miracle that Ashley was having a hard time seeing where it could come from. She was ready to just call "strike three" and walk away.
"However," said Sparatus, "as we said earlier, you did save Councilor Tevos' life and it's because of that we decided to give you every chance possible to become a Spectre before we rejected your nomination."
"As you may know," said Tevos, "councilors are not the only ones who can nominate someone for the Spectres. We are merely the ones who have the final say on if they get accepted. Spectres themselves can also put forward candidates for us to consider. With that in mind, we decided to look for a Spectre who would be willing to nominate you."
"We didn't have to look too hard as you got nominated by the first Spectre we reached out to," said Valern, "would the Spectre please come forward."
Several thoughts went through Ashley's head during the councilors' last few statements. She was sure that this was going to be over but now it was sounding like the miracle she couldn't find was starting to appear. While she knew that Spectres could nominate candidates, she didn't know a lot of Spectres so she wondered who the Spectre that nominated her could be. The sound of footsteps behind her caused her to turn around. Her heart melted when she saw who was approaching.
Walking up to join her was Shepard and he smiled when they made eye contact. After what happened during the coup, Ashley didn't expect Shepard to smile at her the next time they saw each other. Even better, it wasn't a polite smile he was putting on because there were people watching. He was genuinely happy to see her. She could have looked at that smile all day but had to return her attention to the councilors when Sparatus spoke again.
"Commander Shepard, do you stand by your nomination of Lieutenant-Commander Williams as a candidate for the Spectres?"
Shepard nodded, "I do Councilors. Regardless of why Udina nominated Williams, he couldn't have picked a better candidate. I have seen Williams in action and I can personally attest that she has the skills and qualifications that make her worthy of joining the ranks of myself and my fellow Spectres."
Hearing the stuff Shepard was saying about her made Ashley smile. Even after all the times she doubted him and pushed him away, he still had her back. She had heard him say positive things about her in the past but this time he was saying them to other people. How could she ever have doubted this man and his loyalties? She held her breath as the councilors shared looks with one another like they always did before making a decision. All three of them nodded before they each pushed some buttons on their terminals.
"Lieutenant-Commander Williams, step forward."
When Councilor Tevos called for her to step forward, Ashley found herself briefly hit with what could only be called stage fright. Was this really about to happen? She looked over to Shepard expecting him to not be there and finding out this was all a dream. Fortunately Shepard was still there. As a way to show his support, he smiled and nodded at her just like Anderson did for Shepard when he became a Spectre. She nodded back and took a step forward. Before Tevos spoke again to begin the ceremony, Ashley quickly scanned around the room and noticed the spectators looking at her with anticipation and excitement.
"It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel."
"Spectres are not trained," said Valern, "but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file."
"Spectres are an ideal," said Tevos "a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will."
"Spectres bear a great burden," said Sparatus, "they are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."
The councilors then looked over to Shepard who stepped in front of Ashley while pulling out a small box. He opened the box and pulled out a medal. Ashley instantly recognized that the medal was shaped like the Spectre logo. After Shepard put the box back in his pocket, he stepped forward and proceeded to pin the medal on Ashley's chest.
"Lieutenant-Commander Williams," he said, "with this medal, I hereby welcome you to the office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. Congratulations, Spectre."
Shepard then came to attention and saluted. Ashley saluted back. When the salutes were dropped, the crowd erupted with cheers and applause. Tevos waited until the applause died down before concluding the ceremony.
"On behalf of the Council, I congratulate you Lieutenant-Commander on becoming the second human Spectre. This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species."
"Thank you Councilors," Ashley replied as she bowed. "I'm honored."
"With the crisis we are currently facing, the Council is allowing you to go where you feel you can best serve and protect the galaxy. Wherever you choose to go, you have the complete support of the Council. Good luck Spectre Williams. This meeting of the Council is adjourned."
It still hadn't quite set in as Ashley stood outside the Citadel tower. Even with all the people she ran into on the way out congratulating her, it still didn't feel real. She was now a Spectre. Nothing felt different in that moment but she now had power and responsibility that she didn't know what to do with. She didn't even know what to do in regards to what Tevos had said at the end of the ceremony. Her original desire to rejoin the Normandy was still there but she wasn't able to catch Shepard before he left the tower. Knowing Shepard, he probably had some people on the Citadel who needed his help. He never could turn down someone in need of assistance. Seeing Shepard at the ceremony had given her a bit more confidence that Sarah was right about him still caring for her. If that was the case, she felt Shepard would gladly let her join his crew if she asked. Yet, as a soldier, Ashley felt she needed to be prepared for the worst.
(DING)
Ashley's omni-tool lit up to reveal that she had a call coming in. When she answered it, she was greeted by the holographic face of Admiral Steven Hackett, the commanding officer of the entire Alliance Navy. Out of habit, she saluted.
"At ease Commander," Hackett said after saluting back, "I understand congratulations are in order…Spectre."
"Thank you sir," Ashley replied, "that means a lot coming from you."
"You're welcome. I also heard that the Council is letting you choose where you want to serve. If you're interested, I might have a position for you on my team. With your skills, you would be perfect for overseeing specialized quick-response teams for covert infantry operations."
It took every ounce of willpower for Ashley to contain her shock at what Hackett said. He was offering her a position that most soldiers would kill for the chance to have. It was a position that she had worked hard her entire career to have a chance at getting someday. She would actually be in charge of not just one but several teams of soldiers. This was a great offer and she would have to be crazy to turn it down….right? As tempting as the offer was, Ashley hesitated to say yes.
Hackett picked up on the hesitation and continued, "unless there's something else you'd rather do?"
"Sorry sir," Ashley said when she was snapped out of her thoughts, "I really appreciate the offer but…I would like to see if I can go back to the Normandy."
Ashley expected Hackett to be disappointed with her response but was surprised to see him smile instead, "I understand. I'm sure that you will be a welcomed addition to the crew and that you will do great things with them."
"But…sir I said I have to see IF I can go back. There's a chance that I won't be able to and can still accept your offer."
The look on Hackett's face told Ashley he wasn't convinced, "Williams, you and I both know that Shepard is not going to turn you down. Good luck on the Normandy. Hackett out."
Hackett's face was gone before Ashley could ask what he meant. Did he know about her and Shepard? She and Shepard had tried hard to keep their relationship a secret because of the Alliance regulations against fraternization so how could Hackett know? A beep on her omni-tool interrupted her thoughts to tell her she had a new email. The message was from Shepard. She quickly opened it and started reading.
Hey Ash,
Sorry I had to take off so quickly after the ceremony. The life of a Spectre is never dull as you will learn soon enough. On that note, welcome to the club. I meant everything I said. You've earned this and I know you will be a great Spectre.
I do have some things to do here on the Citadel before I have to head back to the Normandy and get my next assignment. Before I do though, there are some things we need to talk about and I don't want to leave until we do. The Normandy is docked in Docking Bay D24. I'll let you know when I'm on my way so you can meet me there before I head out.
Hope to see you there,
Shepard
Whatever doubts Ashley had before she opened the message were now gone. Shepard was reaching out to her yet again and this time she was not going to turn him down. Not waiting for Shepard to message her again, she hailed a cab to take her to the docking bays. It was still too early to say if things between her and Shepard were going to finally return to what they were before but Ashley was now committed one hundred percent to working on getting there.
A/N: Thank you all for checking out this short but sweet story featuring my favorite couple in Mass Effect. For more Shepley moments, feel free to check out my other Mass Effect stories on my profile. Happy N7 Day. theaterman007 out.