Shepard lay back on her bunk, her hands linked behind her head, staring at the ceiling. A knock on the door had her sigh, then call out, "Yeah?"
"Miri?" the timid voice of her sister called out.
Shepard swung her legs over and sat up, "Come in."
Ashley opened the door and stood there hesitantly.
"Gods, Ash, I'm not going to bite. Close the door behind you."
Ash closed the door, chewing her lip hesitantly. She turned to face Shepard.
"Well?" Miri lifted a dark brow, "What do you want?"
"Why…did you hit Jacob?"
"Heard about that, huh?" Shepard leaned back, her hands linking on her belly.
"Everyone has heard about it. He is saying that you screwed up part of your assessment and blamed him."
Shepard's gaze went icy, "Why don't you run after him like a good little puppy then, and stroke his ego?"
Ashley flinched and looked away from the anthracite eyes, "I didn't mean it like that, Miri."
Shepard sighed and rubbed her brow, "Look, Ash, I know you like the guy. I don't give a damn. I think he's a moron."
"What happened out there, Miri?" Ashley sat next to Shepard.
Shepard stared down at her hands, turian blood dried beneath her nails.
"General Vakarian is in the med bay and people are saying that you got him out of a hot zone,"
"People say a lot of things,"
Ashley growled with frustration, "Why won't you talk to me?"
"Because it's none of your damn business. What happened between Taylor and I, stays between Taylor and I."
"What happens if you get kicked out?" Ashley's voice was troubled.
Shepard scrubbed her hands over her face in annoyance, her first indication of the turmoil beneath the surface.
"Miri!" Ash growled, "Come on, did Jacob screw up the intel or not?"
"Just leave, Ash. Don't get mixed up in this," Shepard stood up and opened the door to her room.
Ashley stood, and moved to stand opposite her sister. She stared her long in the face, and Shepard returned the expression, stone faced.
"Fine," Ashley's jaw tightened.
"Ash, come on, our next iteration is starting," Vega jogged out of the dorms toward her.
"What? We just got back?" Ash stared up at the moonlit night.
"Guess they don't want us to get lazy," he grinned crookedly, even through dark circles scored beneath his eyes, "Hey. What's wrong? Did things not go well with Shep…your sister?"
Ash jogged beside him toward the gym, "Not so great, no. I think Jacob did something."
"I'm sure the instructors have it on record," Vega told her with confidence.
"She's been confined to quarters. She wont talk to me," Ashley's eyes were fierce, "She's so …proud! And Jacob is so charming that he could explain away everything."
"So, we need to talk to General Vakarian," Vega murmured as they lined up for the Death Trail.
"Since none of you quit today, you will continue. Death Trail. Time to complete, 30 seconds faster. If you don't, you will run it again," their instructor shouted the instructions, "You can use biotics. Tech. Anything to help you get through."
"Yes, sir!" the simultaneous shout rent the air, even as tired limbs started limbering up.
"And go…" a timer was set, the huge numbers counting down on a screen above their heads, visible from anywhere on the course.
"That's…a good…idea," Ashley huffed as she ran beside Vega.
"There is your incentive, princess," Vega grunted as he charged up the slope beside her, "The faster we finish, the faster we can help Shepard."
Ashley turned her head briefly to smile at Vega, "Thanks."
Ashley dropped to her knees as she crossed the finish line, tilting up to the misting rain that fell over them, a few seconds under time. Vega was lying on his back, arm across his eyes, gasping for breath. Knight was on his hands and knees throwing up. Wainwright limped across with a second to spare, joined closely by Reagan. Cho was no where to be seen.
"Where is Xu-shen?" Vega murmured exhaustedly.
Ashley stared out at the course. Xu-shen came stumbling toward the line. His exhausted face was grey.
"Xu-shen!" she cried, "You can do it, come on!"
He came stumbling toward the line and collapsed over it. Vega stared up at the timer. If they hadn't had the time cut, Xu-shen would have made it.
The instructor loomed out of the murk, "Mr Cho, you will run it again."
Xu-shen turned bleak eyes up at the man, "No, sir. I can't."
"Xu!" Sarah cried.
"Shut it," the instructor snapped, "What did you say, Mr Cho?"
"I can't run again. I quit," Xu-shen stood, trembling.
The instructor walked forward and held out his hand, "By making it this far, Mr Cho, you have proven yourself a worthier soldier, but thus no further. Farewell your comrades in arms, soldier, you leave the Villa tonight." Xu-shen shook it and the instructor stepped back.
The squad stood, and Xu-shen stood shamefaced. Sarah went to him first. She kissed his cheek, but he could not lift his eyes.
"I tried…" he began.
"Have pride," she said softly, her hands cupping his face, "It is no insult to pass out of N1 training."
Vega laid a hand on his shoulder, "Yeah man. You did good. Real good."
Ashley kissed him on the temple. Julian and Hale shook his hand.
"Thank you, all of you. I might have quit that first day if it weren't for you all," Xu-shen sighed.
"We all would have if it weren't for each other," Vega gripped the back of Xu-shen's neck, and rested his brow on Xu-Shen's. The smaller man closed his eyes and sighed.
"Thanks, Vega," Xu-shen slapped his hand on his chest, "I wish you well, brothers and sisters. Do me proud."
Ashley rested her hand on Vega's bicep as Xu-shen stumbled toward the barracks.
"Alright then, the rest of you get back to barracks and get some sack time! The next iteration is at 0600," the instructor strode off in the rain, leaving them to limp back to the barracks.
"Is it too late to see the General?" Ash whispered to Vega.
"Are you sure you want to, Ash?" Vega murmured back, "We only have six hours sleep before we have the next iteration."
"Would you not forsake sleep for your sister?" Ash looked up at him.
Vega wrapped an arm around her shoulder and tugged her close in a brief hip-to-hip embrace before releasing her, "Alright, come on. Let's see if we can sneak in."
She smiled at him.
The medbay was quiet. The only person on duty was a nurse who monitored her workstation with indifference. James Vega strolled into the room, holding onto his wrist.
"Hey there," his smile was full of charm, "I seem to have bunged up my wrist, can you help me out?"
The nurse sighed with annoyance and glanced up. When she caught sight of the soldier, she smiled, "I think I could do that."
"You are a total peach," Vega winked at the woman, before coming around the desk to sit at the chair she indicated. When she went to fetch a medkit, Vega touched a hand to his ear and spoke a brief word.
"Clear."
Ashley stepped into the General's room and closed the door swiftly, peering out into the corridor until the last moment. When she turned around, she was startled to realise that a bright blue gaze rested steadily upon her form.
"Uhhh, General," she clenched her hands tightly, "I am sorry. I know you are wounded."
"You are Shepard's sister, yes?" Garrus eased himself slowly to sitting and gestured to the seat beside the bed.
"Yes," Ashley hesitantly lowered herself into the chair.
"How is she?"
"She knocked out Jacob Taylor and was confined to quarters," Ashley told him grimly.
He rose a brow plate, "Huh."
"What happened out there, General?"
Garrus folded his hands together, "Before I say, what does Mr Taylor claim?"
"That my sister screwed up. That she revealed her position to the mercenaries and she got you hurt."
Garrus snorted, "Lying little turd."
Ash looked startled, "Sir?"
"I revealed my own position," Garrus shook his head, "The light hit my rifle wrongly and they saw it. When a patrol came to investigate, they found my position. I nearly got myself killed and your sister could have walked out and left me, but instead she came in, risking her life and got me out. And Mr Taylor insisted that they were just a compound of simple local thugs."
"Who were they?" Ashley's eyes were wide.
"Blue Suns,"
"What the hell?" Ashley shook her head, "But…no. Blue Suns here? Why?"
"I don't know," Garrus shrugged, and winced, "Your sister did nothing wrong. Taylor's information was lazy and inaccurate, and now he seeks to cover himself."
Ashley leaned back in her chair and breathed a sigh of relief, "I am so glad to hear you say that."
"But surely, the instructors would have a record of our communications?"
"And who was in charge of those communications?" Ashley replied sharply.
"Good point," Garrus drawled in reply, then leaned forward, "I will speak with the instructors and ensure they understand. Thank you for coming to see me, Ms Williams."
"Thank you, sir," Ashley stood, nodded her head and slipped out of the room.
Garrus leaned back on his bed, and stared out at the night sky thoughtfully.