Joker got Shepard, Garrus and Edi as close as he could to the Normandy, but getting too close would send out an alarm to shoot the shuttle car down. Edi shut down on the way there. The clone had locked her out of the Normandy. Edi started to feel anger build-up towards the clone. As they jumped out of the shuttle, the mercs saw them coming. Shouting out to warn everyone that Shepard was still alive. The Normandy was close by, but the mercs were flooding in. Garrus climbed up the higher levels, sniping some of the mercs that were close to the ship doors. Edi couldn't use her abilities as much since without the ship she is weaker. She followed close behind Shepard, them both shooted a path to the ship.
As they got closer to the ship, they could hear the engines warming up. "How are they setting off so quickly, we have a 30-minute checklist each time" Shepard shouted. The Normandy engines were making them feel deaf.
"A Spectre can choose not to do the checklist. Most of it is not needed" Garrus shouted from above them. Shepard made a groaning noise if only she knew before. They could have saved so much time.
The mercs started to slow down, coming out of the ship. It seemed the clone wanted to own the Normandy. Edi could only get minimal feedback from the ship. It wasn't enough to help them. Shepard pulled a group of mercs hiding by some panels. Garrus used his concussive shot to kill them. The bodies exploded, bits of human flesh dropped to the floor. Shepard didn't let it phase her, she has been flooded head to toe by a Thresher maw.
They got to the bottom of the stairs leading to the entrance of the ship. The mercs had stopped coming. Shepard walked in front, Edi and Garrus watching around her. At the entrance, Traynor was banging on the door and shouting. She turned around looking at Shepard then back at the ship, confusion across her face. "You kicked me off the ship!" Traynor shouts at them. "You kicked me with a dishonourable discharge. You barely gave me time to grab my toothbrush" Traynor shouts as she snatches her toothbrush in the air to show Shepard.
Garrus and Edi let Shepard deal with Traynor, whilst they tried to hack the doors. "Traynor it's me. I'm the real Shepard" Traynor leaned her head to the side, looking Shepard up and down. She then looked back at the doors of the ship. Garrus was working on the door, whilst Edi worked on her omni-tool.
"But... If you're here, then who kicked me off the ship?" She asked, still looking between Shepard and the ship doors. She was just working with the retrofit team to help get the necessary upgrades for the Normandy until the mercs came aboard and either pushed everyone off or killed them if they tried to stop them. The clone went up to Traynor personally and started shouting in her face. Blaming her for faults that Traynor didn't even know of. The clone then kicked her off and slammed the door in her face.
"Shepard has a clone, that is trying to kill us all and take the Normandy. It's not hard to believe if you think about it" Garrus shouted from behind them. Traynor turned towards Shepard and nodded. It wasn't that far fetched for a clone to come after Shepard, saying she already has half the galaxy after her. Garrus stepped back from the door to see if the hack would work, but the door turned red, denying them entry. "Dammit, this isn't going to work. We need to find another way in"
"Traynor do you know another way on to the ship?" Traynor looked around and remembered the emergency hatch underneath their feet.
"I only know this way in. I was only on the ship for the retrofit, it is an emergency exit" She pulled back the hatch for it. The doors were thick metal, bullets wouldn't be able to penetrate it. The equipment that was needed was either on the ship or what C-sec would use in case of an emergency, an old fashioned locked door, no holograms this time that could be hacked.
Edi looked it over. Even she couldn't get it open, even if she was still connected to the ship. "We can't use firepower to open this. We need Biotics or something that could make a small mass effect field" Everyone looked at Shepard.
Shepard knew she was an experienced Biotic, but even she would struggle to try to get this open. She wished they had Gemma with them. She could get it open easily. "I don't think I can get a controlled mass effect field like that" Garrus knelt down to see what he could do.
Traynor thought for a moment, realising that her toothbrush will do the trick, she slowly raises it in the air and turned it on. Shepard and Edi looked up a small mass effect field around the brush.
Shepard, Edi and Garrus crawled through the lower parts of the Normandy, she had never been down there before. But being able to see above the floorboards, they knew where they needed to go. Garrus struggled, complaining of his back as they crawled through. Shepard could only imagine and giggle at the idea of the Wrex trying to climb through the tunnels. "You know if you told me a toothbrush was going to save the Normandy today. I wouldn't have believed you"
"Well, that is the second toothbrush specialist Traynor has lost. It cost her 6000 credits" Edi pointed out. Shepard could see they were close to the exit, which led to the CIC.
"Yeah, remind me I need to buy her a new one" Shepard said in hush tones. They got to the exit, the hatch pulled outwards. She waited for the right time. The mercs had brought in a lot of large containers that were scattered throughout the CIC. Shepard was pissed, the ship was a mess. Wires pulled out and hologram screens that should be on are all turned off.
One merc stood behind the hatch. Shepard knew this was there moment. She kicked the hatch in with her feet, making the merc fall onto his face, he scrambled to his feet. But garrus shot him in the back and then threw and flash grenade. It would temporarily blind the mercs giving himself, Shepard and Edi time to get into cover.
The mercs that were close by the flash grenade fell to the ground, crying out in pain and holding their eyes shut with their hands. Shepard killed them, making her job that bit easier. Edi tried to get back into the mainframe of the Normandy, but it still didn't work. "Your clone is starting to make me really angry, Shepard" Edi shouted.
"yeah, well join the group, Edi" Shepard replied. They killed the remaining mercs. The doors leading to the war room were locked. Shepard was about to get into the lift until she saw a stand with her stuff on it. All her collectables, ships and even her pet hamster. "Return this animal to other grounds, as a warship isn't the place for pets" Shepard ripped the note off and scrunched it up. "Oh, no she didn't. Guys, she trying to get rid of my hamster!" Shepard shouted. Garrus and Edi didn't reply, they just stood by the lift waiting for her. "I get it, you are both too shocked to answer. Don't worry little guy, I will get you back after this. And remember. Go for the eyes!" Shepard placed her finger on the cage, her little hamster going up and placing its paw on the other side of the glass. "Right let's go, no one messes with my hamster!"
They got into the lift. It was a lot slower than usual. It was obvious shutting down Edi has made systems become minimal. "Edi, does it feel weird, not being connected to the ship?" Garrus asked.
Edi leaned against the wall. "Yes. I am missing a part of myself. It is like losing a limb, you don't feel the same afterwards" Edi got back up and reloaded her pistol. "And this clone has made me feel anger, I didn't know I could feel"
"I understand. The ship isn't the same without you. It feels cold and depressing. Don't worry we will get you back to normal in no time" Garrus said in a chipper voice. The lift doors opened. Shepard walked out slowly, there was no one around. Garrus and Edi stayed on her six, them both covering any chance someone could shoot them from hiding.
"You know, Shepard. I tried my best to kill you, but apparently you really can't die. It would seem you are immortal" Shepard snapped her gun to the location of where the voice was coming from. The clone walked out slowly, wearing the same armour as Shepard. This was becoming very creepy for her now.
"Well, a friend once told me, 'when you are too stubborn you can cheat death'" Shepard walked closer, signalling Garrus and Edi into the nearby cover. The clone walked out confidently, Brooks close behind her.
"Well, I guess we will test that, as today will be your last" The clone started to walk in circles, swaying her hips, being insulting. Her mercs started to appear around them.
"You know, it doesn't have to be like this!" Shepard shouted. Trying to get through to the clones. She didn't want to fight, but after this, the clone would be arrested for trying to kill a Spectre and steal the most important ship to the Alliance.
"No! This is the end. Goodbye, Shepard" The clone pulled her gun up to Shepard's head. Shepard reacted quicker and used her Biotics to throw the clone across the shuttle bay. "Kill her!" She shouted at her mercs.
The mercs started to move in. Shepard used a Nova to kill the nearest mercs. They didn't have any shields or armour, making their job easier. Garrus tried to shoot Brooks, but the 20ft tall containers turned the shuttle bay into a maze. Edi disappeared through the containers hunting down the last of the mercs. Shepard went after the clone. They kept coming out of hiding throwing their Biotics at each other and shooting. "Garrus, get Brooks. She keeps giving the clone medigel!" Garrus understood his order and found Brooks hiding behind a crate. Brooks started to run, shooting at Garrus. He had no choice, but to get into cover.
"What is taking so long! Get us out of here and to FTL!" The clone shouted. Shepard didn't know what the pilot said. But she saw a small red shuttle car in front of the Normandy. It was swaying in front of the nose of the ship, trying to stop it from getting to FTL. "I don't care. Shoot the fuckers down, NOW!" The clone was already starting to become impatient.
"Commander, it's Joker. Myself and Cortez are trying to stay in front of the Normandy to stop an FTL jump" Shepard could hear the ships Thanix cannons shoot in the shuttle cars direction, narrowly missing them. Joker was arguing with Cortez about who should fly.
"Good work, both of you. We will be as quick as we can. Just hang in there" Shepard found the clone, pacing and talking to herself. The clone sent a shockwave Shepard's way. She defending herself with using one herself to make it burst.
"Fuck sake!" The clone growled. She turned her attention to her last mercs. "Open the bay doors and shoot that fucking car our of the sky, before you fall from this ship" The scary voice of the clone made the mercs jumpy. They opened the cargo bay doors. instantly one of them slipped and got sucked out, hitting the skyscraper building below. They tried to shoot the shuttle car, but the bullets bounced back with the high winds.
Shepard and the clone kept fighting each other, going on for around 10 minutes. Shepard was becoming too tired and lost her patience. She ran out of cover, chucking her pistol on the floor. A ball of her Biotics around her hand, ready to hit the clone. But, she met Shepard head-on. Them boh fighting with Biotics in each hand. Shepard started to push the clone towards the bay doors.
The clone pushed back, but Shepard had the upper hand: Experience. She's had years to horn down on her Biotics, making her that bit more powerful. Shepard used her left leg to get herself balance and used her right to kick the clone. The clone stumbled to her knees, the bay sloped down, causing the clone to slip down. She grabbed hold of Shepard's ankle, taking her with her. They both rolled multiple times until coming to the edge of the cargo bay, both hanging on for dear life. "SHEPARD" Garrus flings his body out for her to grab on. Edi was holding on to his legs.
They pulled Shepard to safety. The clone saw Brooks, giving her a pleading look, but Brooks smirked and walked off. She tried to get to the lift to escape but the doors had been locked. Shepard looked down at the clone, she could either save her and kill her. "Do you still want this battle?" Shepard asked in a snarky tone.
The clone scuffed, trying to keep her grip on the platform. "What do you have that makes you so much better than me? I was meant to be the perfected version of you. You should be dead!" The clone shouted.
Shepard got to her feet, walking close to her feet were in line with the clones' arms. "Well, I guess there is still one thing to say. 'Get off my ship'" Shepard stomped her boot into the clones face. The clone fell, shaking her arms out for someone to grab her, but the only thing that caught her was a building.
Once the clone was dead, Garrus found Traynor and put her in cuffs. Joker and Cortez parked their shuttle car in the cargo bay, even though it was overheated. Edi had her hologram back over her eyes, telling everyone she had control of the ship again. "Who is left?"
"Just the crappy pilot who his being dealt with Edi's little probes. And her" Joker said, pointing at Brooks. She had her head lowered. Shepard walked over to her.
"So, what should we do with you?" Shepard asked, pulling her chin up to meet her eyes. Brooks smirked. She pulled her chin out of Shepard's grasp.
"Oh don't worry. I already know what is going to happen to me. But I will miss our good times together, Commander. You will see me again" Shepard walked away, looking an at the mess of the cargo bay.
"No, you will not. After your stunt, you'll be lucky to see daylight again. I'm done playing your little games. You will be held for an Alliance court. They can figure out what to do with, even though I would like to throw you to the dogs"
Brooks laughs mockingly. "I will be happy to comply with the authorities" Shepard turned as they looked each other dead in the eyes. Brooks snapped her arms out, which were tied up in cuffs. She starts to run, even though she doesn't have many places to go. Garrus shoots her in the back, killing her.
"I swear, that bullet was meant to be a warning shot" He said. Shepard smirked at him. Joker walked closer to Brooks body.
"Ugh... maintenance in the cargo bay" Cortez had stayed behind to deal with the mess and Brooks body. As they made their way back to the CIC, the ship was coming back into the dock. C-sec was everywhere. Vega had got a bigger shuttle to bring everyone else to the docks, the rest of the crew was waiting as Shepard, Garrus, Edi and Joker walked out.
"So much for a relaxing shore leave" Garrus said. The crew cheered as Shepard walked towards them. Shepard turned towards Garrus, smiling, she placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Come on. I think we have earned this shore leave"
Back at the apartment. Shepard arrived back with Garrus, Thane and Joker. Most of the crew went their separate ways to do what they wanted. "Well now that is dealt with, you know what is next?" Joker asked, practically jumping on his heels.
"A nap?" Shepard was joking, but also she wasn't. She wanted to have a long nap right now, even if it's for a couple of days.
"No. we need to plan a party" Joker announced. Thane scuffed at the idea, parties weren't his thing. But he knew Shepard and Gemma would force him to go. Shepard shuck her head at the idea. "Come on, Shepard. We need to make this the best shore leave ever. Glyph can get you the necessary stuff needed. We already have a bar stocked up"
"Alright. But I'm planning at meeting some of the crew first" Joker cheered and started to invite people. "No. I'm doing the invites!"
"Ugh... well Vega is coming" his omni-tool beeped. "Oh. he invited Cortez" He saw Shepard getting pissed off and on that note he left. Thane bowed his left.
Garrus smirked at her, pulling her in by her hips. "We are finally alone" He nibbled Shepard's neck.
"Yeah, I can finally have my nap" Garrus pulled his face away and looked at her sad and annoyed. She gave him a smirky grin. "I'm joking" She game him a wink and rushed upstairs with him.