Mass Effect
Back In Time
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Disclaimer... Who owns Mass Effect?! Not me...
Author's Note; I apologize for the longer wait. I have no guarantee that this week's update, or next week's will be the usual two-chapter updates. Thank you so much for your patience.
P.S. Okay... In this chapter, I have taken some 'creative liberties' with Ashley's background story. Also; Liara stating that she saw Shepard 'and his sisters,' was on purpose. He has one sister. Just had to clear the air. ;P
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Back In Time
Chapter Thirty-Four
What had assaulted him had been image after image of the Protheans.
It was showing when they had become divided, when the Reapers took some of the Protheans to experiment on, to turn into Collectors by implanting various tech into their brains.
That… was when the world began to fall apart… The Prothean world. And his own.
"Commander? With my vast amount of experience on the Protheans, I can mind-meld like the other Asari did, and put together the pieces she gave to you…"
He nodded. "Yeah…?"
Liara took a cautious step towards him.
"Do you want to do this? Are you physically able?"
No… he didn't want to do it. He didn't want to risk-
"You have to, Liara." Who was speaking? "There's no one else that can do this."
The young Asari seemed to have immediate confidence.
She stepped towards him, blue eyes locking onto him.
"Shepard. Please relax."
His muscles only tensed.
"Embrace Eternity."
Liara's eyes opened, the blue gone, replace by swirling darkness.
.~*~.
There were the Protheans… some sort of… technology. And the planets… they aligned and the Reapers came, heading straight towards…
Earth.
Then-
"John- go! I can handle this!"
He stepped back.
"Sky… We both know what's going to happen. We need to get out of here."
The woman turned, red hair swinging out of her face.
She gave a bright smile, but it couldn't match the brightness of her eyes.
"Sky-"
The woman stood, walked over to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders.
"You were the best brother I could ever have."
She stepped back, green eyes full of sorrow.
"I love you."
The woman stepped back, her unwrinkled, unblemished face showing her youth.
Her steps took her back, across the room, to the device she had been at.
"John… You have to go. Time is short."
.~*~.
He watched the explosion from his seat in the Mako.
It wasn't pretty.
A hand tapped on his shoulder.
"Hey- Shepard."
He ignored the soldier.
"I'm sorry. She was a good Marine. And a good woman. It was an honor to have her at our side."
Then there was silence.
The tears streamed down his face.
He tried to ignore them.
.~*~.
"Alright- you ten are Alpha. You ten are Echo. You are Delta. I want your designated leaders in the briefing room. No exceptions. After I speak with all of you, go back to your squads, and inform them."
Five men walked forward, each uncertain step showing their fear.
They were civilians- What did he expect from them?
Once all five were with him, he reached out his hand, shaking all of theirs.
"I am Lieutenant Shepard," he stated, looking each man in the eyes. "There are Batarians here, invading. They want to take our people. We will not let them!"
.~*~.
"John-"
"Melanie… Hush, hush, you're okay…"
"What about Mom and Dad?"
His fingers ran through her hair, pulling the girl closer to him.
"They'll be fine… I promise."
"They… they aren't going to let the Batarians get us… Are they?"
He shook his head.
"No. We will be fine."
She turned her face to him, her blue eyes showing the fear he felt- the fear he hid.
"Do you promise?"
He nodded, arms tightening their hold on her.
"I promise."
.~*~.
"John… Melanie… Sky…"
Hannah Shepard sat with them on the bed.
She was crying.
"Where's Dad?" he asked.
His mother's hands rose to her eyes, her palms pressing down on them for a moment.
She slowly lifted them, before looking at the three kids.
"Daddy isn't coming home."
.~*~.
Before he could think, four arms were clamped around him.
"Not bad," Hannah called, bringing his attention to the woman. "You managed to get the top of your class. Not bad."
He smiled brightly; his uniform felt as if he was born to wear it.
The two young women stepped back.
Both were beaming.
"You even managed to get that far raised in a house full of girls!" Sky stated, waggling her finger in his face.
Melanie playfully punched him in the arm. "Not that we made it easy on him."
Hannah walked up to him, first putting her hands on his shoulders before pulling him into a hug. "John," she paused. "I am so proud of you."
His arms wrapped around her shoulders.
He had to ask.
"Mom? Do you think Dad's proud of me?"
Hannah pulled back.
"I know he is."
.~*~.
Tali slipped out of his reach on the platform, right through his fingers.
"John!" she cried, feet pushing against the platform, attempting to get her closer to him.
He reached for her outstretched hand.
Closer… Just a little closer…
His heart was pounding in his chest.
He couldn't lose her.
His fingers brushed across hers, he leaned forward- and she was gone.
He wanted to close his eyes so that he didn't have to see her light purple mask fall into the darkness.
Instead, he lunged forward, plunging into the darkness in a mix of panic and desperation.
His hand clasped into her wrist, and he held on.
Commander Shepard had come way too far to let Tali die.
He pulled her up with all of his strength.
She managed to get back on the platform.
His arms wrapped around her.
"Tali…"
Her arms snaked their way up his back.
"Shepard!" Jacob cried out.
One pushed away from the edge, pulling Tali with him across the smooth surface.
He turned, looking up at Jacob, refusing to let go of the Quarian.
"We're going to crash!" the man yelled.
"Brace yourselves!" he shouted over the platform's drilling whir.
He watched as they came closer, and closer to the wall.
Then there was nothing.
.~*~.
Shepard gasped, jumping off of the bed.
"Commander, you need to relax," Chakwas called.
"I can't."
He stood up, smoothing out his uniform.
"Why not?"
Shepard looked around, eyes wide, full of fear.
"Commander?" Chakwas stood up from her desk, making her way to him. "What's wrong?"
His hands rose, palms landing on his eyes.
"What happened?"
Her head tilted to the side.
"After Doctor T'Soni mind-melded with you, you fell over. So we brought you here…"
"Where is she?"
When he had spoken, his voice was rough, full of the emotions Chakwas could tell that he usually suppressed.
"She's in the Mess… Why?"
The Commander didn't even answer as he strode out of the room.
.~*~.
"Hello, Shepard," Liara greeted as the Commander strode out of the Medical Bay, looking at her much like a hunter would look at its prey.
His hands slammed onto the table, across from where she sat.
"What did you do to me?!"
"Excuse me?" she asked, keeping her voice light, even though he was clearly infuriated.
"Why did you go that deep into my mind?" he asked, voice breaking.
Liara felt sadness wash over her.
"I didn't mean to… That was my first mind-meld with another species."
"You went too far, Liara. You saw some things that… I've never let anyone know about."
She looked up at him to find that he wasn't even looking at her; he was looking down at the table, leaning on his shaking arms.
"I- I'm sorry…"
"Do you, uh," he paused, looking up at her, seeming to calm, if only slightly. "Know what you saw?"
Liara paused, looking at her folded hands. "I saw the Protheans from the Cipher."
"What else?"
"I saw an explosion… your mother… your sisters…" She looked up from her hands. "I am so sorry for your loss of her."
He shook his head, pushing off of the table. "What else did you see?"
"I saw your actions on Elysium."
His eyebrow rose. "You know of Elysium?"
"Yes," she stated, eyes darting back down to her hands. "I looked up your military records…"
"And…?"
"The work you did down there… I can't help but appreciate it. A marine like you, saving all of those lives… It's admirable. It's, um, special… I like you, Commander. Everything that makes up who you are…"
He stepped back from the table.
"But- I-" she stuttered; she knew she had overstepped her boundaries. "I understand if you have-"
"That wasn't what I meant, Liara…"
She felt her face heat up in her embarrassment. "Oh… Oh… I am sorry, I did not- this always happens when I talk to humans; I say things I'm not supposed to say…"
He shrugged, forcing a sheepish smile onto his face, walking back to the table, putting his hands back on it.
"That's alright…"
She looked at him. "This is awkward."
He nodded.
"So…" Liara continued. "What I saw in the last image makes me think that you have strong feelings for Tali'Zorah…"
The Quarian in question walked around the corner, hands laced together.
Shepard didn't see her; his gaze fell back to the table.
"Yes…" he groaned. "I'm sorry that you had to see that, Liara… But I just- In my dream… Tali means so much to me, and I can't really explain to you why…"
Tali's steps halted, her helmet tilted slightly to the side.
Liara did her best not to look at the Quarian; doing her best not to alert the Commander to her presence.
Shepard looked up at Liara, his eyes full of sadness, and pain.
"I am sorry that I saw that… I-"
"Don't worry about it," he stated. "Just- uh… keep it to yourself. I don't want anyone to know."
Tali took a step back, mask tilting to the ground.
"I should probably go," he stated, pushing off of the table.
The Quarian stepped back, out of Liara's view.
"I need to talk with Garrus," he continued, moving away, turning around the corner, walking into Tali
"Oh, um," Tali spoke. "Hello, Commander."
"Hey, Tali- I- sorry I ran into you. I wasn't watching where I was going."
"That's okay," she responded, staying in the same spot until the elevator descended.
Afterwards, Liara listened to her soft-spoken words.
"Keelah… I'd never have guessed that he'd…"
The Quarian took a moment before stepping back around the elevator shaft and into the view of Liara.
"Hello, Miss Nar Rayya."
"Hey, Liara," Tali called as she made her way over to the Dextro fridge.
The Asari hesitated. "Did you hear my conversation with the Commander?"
The Quarian shrugged as she made her way back to the table.
"Only some of it," was what she said.
"Which part did you hear?"
She sat down at the table, typing on her omni-tool, her glowing eyes flickering up as she did so.
There was a small hiss, and Tali powered off her omni-tool.
"I heard the part where he talked about me."
Liara brought her hands up to her face, keeping them folded at her chin. "And what do you think?"
"What can I think?" Tali asked in response as she opened the cup that she had brought back with her.
"I don't know," Liara stated, watching as the Quarian put a straw in the cup.
Tali put the straw into the bottom of her helmet, taking a sip of the drink.
"Well," Tali began, after she placed the cup on the table. "I find it an interesting concept to think about… The Captain of a ship…"
"I can understand that," Liara muttered, suddenly upset.
The Commander didn't like T'Soni the way she liked him… And he liked Tali, but no one was sure if those feelings were reciprocated.
.~*~.
Garrus watched as the Commander left the room, closing the elevator doors.
ShockWave walked over to him, eye-ridges pinched together, arms folded across his chest.
"I guess this is it," Garrus stated.
"Yes. It is."
"It was… interesting working with you."
The other Turian nodded. "And with you."
Tar walked over, narrowed eyes fixed on Garrus.
"We are heading to the Citadel, correct?"
"Indeed," Garrus answered, finding his eyes drawn to the scar that ran down the right side of Tar's face.
The Turian's mandibles pulled back in a smile as he noticed it.
"Do you want me to tell you the story where I got this one?"
Garrus shrugged. "Sure."
The Cavras' eyes sparkled. "Alright, son. I got this beauty in the Relay 314 Incident. I was there, in the battle of Shanxi."
Across the room, at her workbench, Ashley straightened.
She had been… off ever since they picked her up from her planet.
Kaidan, whom was standing next to the soldier, tilted his head to the side in confusion.
"Excuse me, you Turian bastard," she shouted across the room, before storming her way to him.
She grabbed the Turian by shoulder, spinning him to face her.
"Have you ever heard of General Williams?"
The Cavras pulled his mandibles back, nodding. "He fought honorably. Didn't betray the spirit of his squad."
"He was my grandfather," Ashley stated, glaring, giving him all of her hate.
Tar's eyes narrowed. "Then I am sorry for your loss."
"You don't understand that what you did-"
Tar slowly pulled his shoulder away from her.
"We all lost someone, something, in that war. I lost my family."
"And I lost my rights. Because of you, I can't get promoted. Because of you, my family is hated by the Alliance."
"For what it's worth," Tar called, eyes softening. "I liked your grandfather. He saved his people when it counted."
"Who killed him?" she demanded, eyes still as cold as ice.
"The Cavras before me." His eyes narrowed once more. "Don't worry, the General's men took revenge, rushed us, and took his life. One of the worst situations to be pushed into power…"
"You bastards had it coming… I should kill you all for what you've done."
Tar didn't waver. "Be careful what you say, Williams." There was a moment of silence as the two glared at one another. Then Tar stepped back, looking at his talons. "Do you even know how old most of the Turians in our Cabal are?"
At Ashley's silence, he looked at ShockWave.
"Well, son…? How old are you?"
ShockWave shrugged. "Twenty-six."
"See?" Tar asked, looking back at Ashley. "These youngsters were born at the end of the war. Don't take revenge on the people who don't deserve it."
Ashley jammed her finger into the Cavras' chest-plate. "You were in the Contact War… You were old enough to make your own decisions. You deserve it."
"Yes. I probably do."
"Exactly."
Ashley raised her fist, and threw a punch at the Turian.