"Skipper…."

Gasping, Shepard spun around, the familiar nickname dissipating amongst the green tinged hallways and catwalks surrounding her. Desperately she blinked at the unfamiliar landscape, heart racing. "Ashley?" She coughed, her throat raw and aching. With shaking hands she reached for her gun only to shiver as her fingers clasped empty air.

"Here…"

Shifting into a jog Shepard chased the phantom voice. Endless hallways and catwalks of wavering green shifted in and out of her awareness as she surged forward, ignoring the inky black shapes crowding around the edge of her vision. Fighting panic she shuddered as voices started to murmur all around her, accusing, angry and building in volume. "Chief? Can you hear me?"

Suddenly the hallway opened to a small room, lit only by a single countdown display. "No… no please." Gasping roughly, Shepard charged forward. Only one thing mattered now. Around her the inky shapes converged, pulling and dragging her roughly backwards, their voices deafening as they yanked and tugged on her armor with clawed hands. "No!"

Shepard checked the screen again, the countdown ticking steadily towards zero. She had to get to the communications array in time. All those lives, blissfully unaware of the doom she was bringing crashing upon them. Thousands…. Her heart rattled beneath her chest plate, clammy hands curling and uncurling as she activated her biotics, striking wildly around her.

She wouldn't make it in time, she never did. All those lives… her fault! With a yell of rage she threw her barrier down in a Nova, tasting the ozone in the air as the inky creatures quailed in pain. Heaving in a desperate gasp, Shepard sprinted to a quivering halt before the console, fingers scrambling for the button that would warn the Batarians… give them time to evacuate, to take shelter, anything!

"Alert! All colonists living in the Bahak system, this is-"

Abruptly the lights flashed, plunging the small room into complete darkness. A chill swept down her spine at the deafening silence. She straightened slowly, fingers clenching uselessly at her side. In the gloom a small orange light flickered into view. Shepard spun, biotics flaring in the dark only to stagger back in surprise. She stared aghast at the woman leaning quietly against the terminal, dark hair falling forward to obscure her face. Shepard swallowed hard, eyeing the charred ceramic melted against the ghostly figure's skin.

"Ashley…" she whispered, face twisting in pain. Briefly she closed her eyes, willing the apparition away. Across from her, Ashley swayed listlessly, hands shifting across the Omni's interface regarding Shepard curiously. "My God, Ashley."

The woman twitched violently in response. With a creak Ashley slowly inched around the console, the grind and scrape of her armor matching each wobbly step. A grin stretched her lips as she approached Shepard. "You can't save them all, Skipper.". She tilted her head up, her eyes dark holes stark against her pale face. "You can't really save any of them." Ashley reached forward with one melted glove, lips pulled back in a grimace. "Why try?"

All around her the oily shadows returned, quaking and angry, faces splitting through the swirling darkness. They reached forward with clammy hands, grasping her legs and chest greedily. Shepard gasped and wrenched herself backward, biotics bright in the dark room as she pushed and shoved desperately trying to free herself. "I'm sorry, Ash." She cried, tears she had never let fall building at the corner of her eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

Ashley grasped her arm, pulling her closer. Shepard gagged in response, unable to meet her eyes. "Why do you get brought back when none of us do?" Ashley demanded, jerking her closer, hands tight and shaking. "Why do you get a second chance?!"

"I'm sorry, I don't know!" Desperately she wrestled with her former crewmates hands. This is a dream. she thought firmly. Clenching her eyes shut she focused on her body. This is a dream and I just need to wake up!

"Tell me, Commander, were you afraid when you died?" Behind Ashley the walls of the room crumbled away, yawning into the inkinesss of space. Terror gripped Shepard in animalistc fury, all thoughts about dreams evaporating. With a cry she shoved and clawed in desperation, her stomach heaving as her heart raced. Never again! Never!

Ashley stood with a chuckle, dragging Shepard backwards through the crowd of bodies to the hole. "When you knew you were about to die, were you afraid?"

She could feel it as Ashley dragged her closer to the vacuum. The desperate gasp for oxygen, the crushing chill, the weightless deafening silence. No!

"Did it hurt when you began to suffocate?" Ashley asked her, stopping next to the perfect stillness of the stars. "You know, some part of me thought you would come for me back on Virmire?" She paused, head bending to meet Shepards as she panted in fear. With a faint smirk she shrugged. "Guess not." Twisting, Ashley shoved Shepard forward.

The breath rushed from her lungs in a terrified scream as the stars swam forward to embrace her. "No! Ashley!" Shepard reached forward blindly, struggling for any surface to grab ahold of. Her hands clawed desperately at her own helmet as she spun away.

Alistair jerked upright in his bedroll as a wail echoed through the flimsy walls of his tent, dawn's first tendrils painting the canvas a bloody red. He flung the covers off, blindly reaching for his sword in the disorder of his cluttered tent. Were they under attack?! Pieces of armor and clothing lay strewn over every available surface, burying his weapon. Cursing he dove for the pile. "Makers breath!" Successfully freeing his weapon he rushed outside. Across from him Leliana stumbled upright, her bow clutched firmly in her hands, spewing Orleasian curses as she stalked to the left towards Shepard's tent. With two quick strides he joined the bard at the entrance. "Be ready." He whispered, heart thumping wildly in his chest as the piercing cry stuttered. Had something broken past their defenses? Was she possessed? With a quick prayer he rushed ahead shouldering aside the flap, Leliana trailing seconds behind.

"Andraste preserve us."

Inside Shepard thrashed on her bed roll, skin pale and glistening with sweat, her entire body wreathed in a halo of blue. "An abomination!" Leliana gasped, fingers scrambling against her quiver in panic. Loading her bow she raised the deadly weapon, aiming for Shepard's heart.

"No!" Alistair shouted, seizing the red head's arms with his own. "Don't hurt her, Leliana! She's not possessed!" With a push he knocked the bard's bow from her hands, grabbing her around the waist before she crashed to the ground. "Maker's breath woman!"

Spinning he let go of her, grasping Shepard's face gently between his palms instead, ignoring the tingle of blue rippling across his body. Not possessed, she still wasn't pulling on the Fade, no twisting limbs or burnt skin. "Shepard?! Shepard, wake up! It's just a bad dream!" He shook her firmly, keenly aware of the others gathering just outside the tent's entrance. Should he Silence her? Would that help? "Shepard?" She continued to thrash and scream beneath him, face twisted in agony. Alistair tamped down on his own rising panic, think think think! Abruptly he was shoved aside, Aiden stepping forward, a bucket of water clasped in his hands. With a casual flick of his wrist he tossed the freezing contents across her chest and face, quickly stepping back as she jack-knifed into a sitting position. Deftly he shifted the bucket into Alistair's limp hands. That was certainly one way to pull someone from the Fade.

"What the fuck?!" She shouted, enraged hands reaching up to push sodden tendrils of hair from her face. Alistair gulped as she turned murderous green eyes upon him, staring angrily at the bucket clasped in his hands.

Following her gaze he stared in dawning horror at the damning evidence clasped in his hands. "Maker Shepard I didn't, I swear! I mean, I tried to wake you, yes… but not with the bucket." Uselessly he tossed the condemning object away.

"Are we under attack?" Sten's voice inquired from outside the tent.

"No, Sten." Leliana replied, eyes dancing in amusement at Alistair's stuttering. "Just a new companion, I think." With a nod the bard quietly plucked up her bow, quickly exiting the tent. Alistair paused, put out by Leliana's casual attitude. Maker, he thought, what are we coming to that a wakeup like this doesn't bother anyone anymore?

Behind him Aiden shifted, arms crossing casually across his chest. "If you're quite done with the screaming," he intoned, "we leave for Lake Calenhad within the hour. Pack quickly if you wish to travel with us." Glaring at the two of them, he too took his leave.

Beneath him Shepard seethed from her position amongst the soaked bedding, tugging uselessly on the wet sheets tangled about her legs. "Next time," she gritted, "Try giving me a good hard swat." Angrily she flung the covers away, standing up to tower over Alistair's sitting form. Reaching forward she poked him in the chest. "Now what am I going to wear? All my under armor is soaked!" With shaking hands she pushed aside the whisps of hair blocking her face. "Well?" At Alistair's continued silence she drew herself up to her full height, grasping the wet clothing in one hand. Alistair gulped, suddenly keenly aware that she was wearing the oddest assortment of black undergarments he'd ever seen. Was something that tight even comfortable? "My eyes are up here." She suddenly growled.

He jerked his eyes up, blushing from the tips of his ears down his chest as a wave of embarrassment washed over him. "Sorry! Maker…" He lunged to his feet, awkwardly maneuvering past her. "Excuse me." Desperately he rushed from the stifling confines of the too small tent, greedily drinking in freezing air to calm his burning face.

"Ah, treating us to a show this morning, my friend?" Zevran called, grinning at Alistair's bare chest. "Though with all the screaming going on so early, I must say, I might have underestimated you."

Leliana let out a chuckle at his burning face. "Leave him be Zevran. Our new guest gave us quite the fright this morning." Turning to Alistair she smiled slightly. "It is good to see that you are unharmed after yesterday. When we saw you run off into the forest, we weren't sure what to think."

Alistair's shoulder hunched as a new voice rang out, "Perhaps that t'were we lucky enough, the darkspawn would eat him." Morrigan flicked him a dismissive smirk, as she walked past the campfire towards where Aiden stood with Bohdan.

Alistair glared at her scantily clad back, anger helping him momentarily forget his embarrassment. "Morrigan." He hissed, twisting the name to sound like an insult.

"Yes?" She returned calmly, yellow eyes tracking to the entrance of the tent behind him where muffled curses floated through the canvas. "We have a new guest travelling with us? And such a poor welcome as well, if she had to put up with you."

Leliana lips tipped down in a frown. "She has come to join us, yes? I should undoubtedly apologize to her, she was so rudely awakened this morning."

"Yes, though she did also mention something about…underthings." Alistair muttered, ears reddening at the reminder of the commander's furious face.

"A new lady you say?" Zevran leaned back against the log he was sitting on, idly twirling a dagger in his hands. "How intriguing."

"Get dressed Alistair." Aiden ordered as he strolled closer to the group interrupting the assassins' musings. "We need to leave as soon as possible."

"What is the rush, my dear warden?" inquired Zevran, eyes trained on the jostling tent. "Surely we can take a moment to welcome the newest member of our little group."

"Only if malifecar are your fancy."

Zevran straightened slightly, an amused smirk playing his lips. "Well, I do like to live dangerously."

Alistair bit his lip nervously. "I told you Aiden, I haven't seen her use any magic!"

"And flying can be achieved by just anyone?" With a snort Aiden turned, back stiffening. "It doesn't matter, our timeline has just moved up. According to the Dalish scouts there are reports of trouble at the Circle. We need to leave quickly if we hope for them to be of any use to us." He abruptly pinned his friend with cold blue eyes. "Forget the woman for now."

"What about her shuttle?"

"If it exists?"

Blowing out an annoyed breath Alistair nodded. "It was along the Imperial Highway. We should pass it if we cut north through the wilds."

"If we pass that way then we'll stop, but I don't make any promises. The Blight comes first."

"As you wish." Alistair gritted, striding off to get changed.

Behind him he heard Morrigan's snort of derision. "What is this shuttle you speak of?"

Alistair ducked into his tent, listening as Aiden briefly outlined to the others what Shepard had told them last night, making sure to emphasize how ridiculous he found her story.

In the following silence he emerged, armored and ready, to see Morrigan leaning forward eagerly. "If she really is so powerful as to implant such a vivid suggestion she would make a welcome ally. And if she is telling the truth? Well, who can say what we could learn from such a person? I say we leave the Circle mages to their fate. Why rush? This shuttle could prove far more valuable."

Aiden paused, hand coming to rest against his chin in thought.

Indignant Alistair strode forward. "Wait, you'll listen to Morrigan and not me?"

Aiden let out a huff in return. "It's not about listening to either of you. The sooner we get going, the better."

"Oh dear." Leliana muttered. Standing she pushed into her tent, retrieving a towel and bundle of undergarments, strolling quickly over to Shepard. "We cannot waste time then, can we?"