-ARC1- LEGACY CONTINUES from Mass Effect New Worlds

by BEN2311

The crucible was ignited, the Reaper threat finally eliminated. But what about Shepard? Where is he, and more importantly, is he still alive? And did the Normandy crew survive the crash landing? This first of three ARC's is an introduction to my story, Mass Effect New Worlds.

The story "Mass Effect New Worlds" begins after the destruction of the Reapers. It is composed of a total of 3 ARC's.
This is the 1. ARC, called "Mass Effect Legacy Continues" and serves as an introduction.

I hope you have fun reading!
If you find any mistakes, let me know (The original script was written in German and translated into English with different translators).

---

Prologue

In the year 2186, the Reapers, a hyper-advanced life form, attacked the known galaxy. These beings, a compound of organic and synthetic matter, knew no mercy and destroyed all life forms they considered "ready for harvest".

Only through an incredible effort did the united races of the galaxy, led by Commander Shepard, succeeded in destroying these beings. But the price was high. Trillions have died and countless worlds lie in ruins.

But the galaxy is slowly recovering from this brutal conflict and moving forward into a new age. The mass portals and the Citadel will be repaired, new worlds are being colonized, and limitless possibilities lie in the future.

---

Chapter 1 Survivors

Unknown planet, Normandy SR-2, 12 hours after ignition of the Crucible.

When Shepard fired the crucible, Admiral Hackett ordered all fleets to withdraw through the mass portal. Joker was able to get the Normandy out of the system just in time, but the ship was inevitably hit by the released energy wave and crashed pretty hard on an alien planet. Most of the crew members have since been busy with makeshift repairs to the systems damaged in the crash.

Garrus is in the Main Battle Room, attempting to reroute the generators for the Thanix cannon to divert power to other ship systems. While attempting to escape, the Normandy collided with an Oculus, which knocked the Cannon off. "Joker, do we know where we are by now?" asks Garrus over the ship's radio. The Communication is repeatedly interrupted by a cracking sounds. Sparks trickle to the floor from damaged cables in the ceiling, and some crackle ominously.

"No ...not yet. EDI is working on it, but the memory core was also damaged. How about you?" replies Joker in a wheezy voice. He had broken several ribs and other bones in the impact.

"At least the Normandy remained intact during the escape," Garrus replies.

"Tali here. The engines are operational again. However, I can't repair the long-range sensors and the barrier, but we would be ready to launch again."

"We should discuss how to proceed. We have no contact with the outside world and we've been on this planet for six hours now. We should gather in the CIC and discuss how to proceed." Liara adds to the conversation.

"Yes, that would be the best course of action. Has anyone seen Ashley?" asks Garrus. Everyone on the ship has seen how depressed Ashley was after Shepard was left on the Citadel.

"Ashley is in Shepard's cabin. She's disabled the radio, though, and I can't reach her." replied EDI.

"I'm going to go check on her. I need some time, the elevator is still not working. Liara Out."

Liara makes her way to Shepard's private cabin. She had been trying to contact other ships via the conference room, but she did not succeeded. All channels are silent. Whether this is due to a possibly defective radio antenna or if they are the last survivors, Liara does not really want to ask herself. As she walks through the ship, she notices the damage. The operations center has also hit hard. The large projector is torn off the ceiling and has smashed the projection table. From the shuttle bay, she has heard from Cortez that only one working Kodiak shuttle is available. The other one was torn from its moorings anchorage and crashed through the port cargo bay wall. Diana Allers could not save herself in time and was crushed to death. Private Miller and Engineer Donnelly had found her body there. 9 other crew members also lost their lives during the Escape attempt. A piece of debris had smashed the window of the starboard observation room, whereupon all people in the room were sucked into space. Since the crash, the room has been sealed to prevent the loss of atmosphere in the event of another space flight.

All in all, they were still lucky, Cerberus really knows how to build ships, she thinks to herself. Liara has to climb through the elevator shaft. The cabin itself was torn off and has been lying at the bottom of the shaft ever since, smashed into many pieces. The doors open as Liara stands in front of Shepard's cabin. As she enters, she can see Ashley lying on Shepard's bed. She has runny eyes and holds in one hand Shepard's old N7 helmet, which she is lovingly stroking with the other.

"Ashley," Liara asks gently, "we all want to meet at the CIC."

"Have you heard anything?" Ashley didn't have to point it out, Liara knew Ashley was asking about Shepard.

"No, we can't contact the outside world. But Joker and EDI are on it." Liara looks around. This cabin was also badly damaged.

"I shouldn't have left, I left Him alone...again." begins Ashley in a noticeably weeping voice.

"Again I let him down, again he had to go down this road alone. He had to walk this path alone".

"Ashley, it was his order. And as a loyal soldier, you obeyed that order. Shepard needed to know you were safe."

"NO, you don't understand! I didn't help him destroy the collectors back then. We faced each other on the Citadel and almost shot each other. I can't take it anymore, this conflict between the Alliance and him. What did it got me? For the second time I lost the man I loved. I have had enough of the Alliance. My sense of honor prevented me. I could have been with him, if need be, we would have died together!"

"Ashley, you don't know what's going on with Shepard..." Liara's breath caught in her throat, even though she wished it, she has a feeling that Shepard didn't make it this time.

"Let's go to the others and discuss what to do next. Everyone meet at the CIC."

Ashley gently puts Shepard's helmet away, straightens up and walks with Liara to the Operations Center. Meanwhile, the others have gathered there as well.

"We need to decide how to proceed. Hackett sent out a radio message, but we couldn't get a complete lock on it through that energy surge." Joker informs the group over the radio. In his condition, it has been more comfortable for him to stay in the pilot's chair.

"What's the radio message?" technician Adams wants to know.

EDI plays the message, Hackett's voice is heard but only very small fragments. "... don't... stay... on... Earth... until... Reaper..." it breaks off here, EDI indicates.

"Are the mass portals still working?" asks Liara, looking at EDI.

"Hold on, I'm going to ping them... ping in progress, waiting for response,"

"Ashley" Garrus says to her encouragingly, "you know Him".

"Yes and that worries me" she replies.

"Test complete and I have been able to determine our position by now. We are on an uncharted world in an unknown solar system" EDI informs all and is interrupted by James Vega: "That's great!"

"But I know roughly where we are. In a solar system near the Arcturus system. The Arcturus portal is still working, the Sol portal is damaged, but should also still work.

"What does damaged mean?" wants to know Joker.

"I can't reach some portals. It seems that portals that are connected to several others are more damaged or destroyed than those like Sol or Arcturus, which have only a few connections. We could leave this system." EDI shares.

"And where are we going to go? We don't know anything! We could jump right into a battlefield. With all due respect, we should stay here and wait." Adams shares.

"You're not in command here!" retorts Garrus. "To be honest, who's actually in command if Shepard is not present?" he continues.

"The rules are clear, the next highest ranking Alliance member takes command." explains EDI.

"So me! I'm chief engineer and I say we stay here." Adams grows noticeably angrier.

"That's not correct. The ranking person on board is Lt. Cmdr. Williams. She is now in command." explains Joker.

Ashley looks at the group and then takes the floor. "What systems are still operational?"

"Thrusters, short-range sensors and the cloaking system. The barrier and Long-range sensors are destroyed. And life support isn't doing much longer either. But then Garrus working on the Thanix generators should give us enough time to target a planet with infrastructure." Joker is visibly concerned about the Normandy at this. He doesn't want to lose another ship.

"We should go to Earth and look for Shepard. I am...we owe that to him. Who's with me?" Ashley wants to know.

The crew votes, with only technician Adams opposing a return.

"Well, take us home, Joker!" says Ashley, "Everybody step away!".

"Aye aye ma'am!" replies Joker.

The crew disbands and heads to their stations. Ashley is the last one standing in the CIC, looking at the elevated console from which Shepard has always set the course. "No, I'm not going to take that seat. It's yours, Skipper." Ashley says in a low voice and is the last to leave the CIC, heading for Shepard's private cabin.

---

Chapter 2 The Search for Shepard

Over the next few hours, the Normandy took off and flew to the Arcturus system. There they searched with the short range sensors for other ships. However, they could not detect any. Reaper troops could not be detected by the Normandy in the Arcturus system either. This is not unusual, since all Reapers from the Alliance sector had clustered to Earth, but it is also a good sign. 12 hours after the ignition no Reaper has returned to Arcturus from Sol. According to the latest reports, there were only a few hundred people left here in the system. It is likely that the Reapers harvested everyone before leaving.

The Normandy starts the approach to the mass portal. There is damage to the portal rings, but the portal itself is still intact.

-5 hours later-

"Ashley, we'll be arriving at the Sol system in a few minutes" Joker informs over the radio.

"I'm coming to the bridge." Ashley walks through the CIC. Many of the built-in workstations are destroyed. Therefore, most crew members had been engaged in repair work or tried to get some sleep in the intact crew quarters. Once in the cockpit, Ashley looks around. Joker sit's in his seat, EDI is acting as the co-pilot. Garrus is also there, checking the weapons systems. He turns to Ashley and begins "we only have a few missiles left. If we run into any problems..."

"But the cloaking system is still working. We shouldn't be detected." interjects Joker.

"Let's hope so" says Ashley

The Normandy automatically decelerates to sub-light speed as it arrives in the Sol system. "Damn it!" exclaims Joker, yanking the Normandy up.

"Watch out Jeff!"

"I know what I'm doing!"

The Normandy jumped directly into a debris field. Due to the missing long-range sensors, Joker can only rely on the short-range sensors. At full sublight speed, Joker is thus flying almost blind. Throughout the ship, impacts from debris on the outer hull can be heard. Sometimes Joker has to fly through destroyed ships, Reaper debris or ammunition remnants. The Silaris armor was a good upgrade, everyone on the bridge is thinking.

"We should have survived the worst of it, but man, look at this!" Joker announces with astonishment. Everyone in the cockpit looks out through the windows.

"That's a lot of ships and Reapers," Ashley says, pointing to one ship. "There, that's an Alliance ship!"

"Cruiser-class, the Miami," EDI indicates. "Life support is down. I can't detect any life signs."

"Must have been ships that couldn't escape fast enough. A shame. What's on the short-range sensors?" asks Garrus.

"So far, nothing but static noise. However, due to the tremendous amount of debris we can only listen as far as Mars, though. In a few minutes, we'll have passed Jupiter and should see Earth on the screen," Joker mentions while steering the Normandy with one hand.

The evasive maneuvers were not beneficial to his health, which is why EDI has already radioed Dr. Chakwas to give Joker a painkiller.

"So many who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Let's hope we're worth it." Ashley says dejectedly.

"EDI, do you know what happened to the Reapers?" wants Garrus to know. He looks at a Sovereign-class Reaper, which is slowly disintegrating into pieces.

"It's hard to say. It seems like that this energy wave completely destroyed the Reapers and most of the electronics. Even the mass effect fields on the Reapers are down." replies EDI, wiping through countless data feeds.

"Does that make them fall apart EDI?" asks Garrus. By now he has detached himself from the window and is checking the ship's armor on a screen in the rear of the cockpit. They can't take much more. And if there's still a Reaper active, it's going to be one hell of a short rescue mission.

"Yeah, that's likely. Some Reapers are massive. The theory that mass effect fields at least support the Reapers in their structure is very recent, but should be confirmed by this. However, only damaged reapers are affected by this decay. Those that are completely intact will probably remain so even without their mass effect field."

The Normandy is passing Jupiter when the short-range sensors go off.

"Bingo, we have life signs!" blurts out Joker. "Earth is still inhabited... oh man. This looks really bad."

"What's Joker?" Ashley becomes noticeably more agitated and is able to keep it together, not to lose her composure.

"The Citadel has massive structural damage, one Citadel arm is even completely broken off. We can't find any life forms on that one anymore. Probably the mass effect fields have dissolved here and the atmosphere has escaped." While Joker tells this, he waves his free arm through the data feeds. Dr Chakwas just enters the bridge and gives Joker a shot of mild painkiller.

"EDI, can you find Shepard?" asks Garrus, peering through the cockpit into the Space ahead, hoping to spot the Citadel.

"Negative, there are too many life forms on the rest of the Citadel to locate anyone in particular. I can't find Shepard. Initial scans show massive damage. The Citadel tower has collapsed, the embassies are also heavily damaged, as well as the docking bays. It's horrible."

"Do we know where Shepard was on the Citadel when the crucible ignited?" asks Ashley, meanwhile, looking intently into the distance herself. Her heart is pounding faster and faster, her mind tells her Shepard is still alive, but her gut tells her Shepard could not have survived this.

"No, contact broke off when he went through the beam. Do we have anything that we can detect, like a special object?" EDI asks, meanwhile continuing to scan the outside world.

Thousands of destroyed Reapers are floating in orbit around the Citadel. None of them is active anymore, but however, there are also several destroyed ships and remains of aliens and humans floating in space. She scans on all channels, but can find no life forms except those of the Citadel and Earth itself. Everything around them has been obliterated.

"There's the Citadel...Christ almighty, it looks bad." Ashley blurts out.

The Citadel is really badly damaged. As Joker described it, one arm of the Citadel has been completely severed from the station and is floating in space several thousand kilometers away from it. The other arms have all suffered damage. Whole sections have been blown off and the Citadel ring is also no longer complete.

"Everything is now held together only by the functioning mass effect fields." EDI informs the crew.

Some fragments of the Citadel arms burn up as they plunge into Earth's atmosphere. Others drift away from the station into space.

"Where are we going to look for Him? This is crazy. EDI, can you make radio contact with the Citadel?" asks Garrus. By now, he is noticeably agitated as well. His mandibles keep moving and he can't stay in one place for long.

"Negative. I'm not getting anything concrete from the Citadel. There is too much background noise from the energy wave. It looks the same on Earth. It may took hours before it gets better." Perplexity slowly settles in the cockpit. How are they going to find Shepard? The Citadel is huge, even without the missing or completely damaged parts. And Shepard can't be located.

"EDI, can you scan for areas on the Citadel that still have a static Charging?" asks Liara over the radio. "Maybe Shepard was not far from the Launch Site and can be found there."

"Yes, scan ... scan ... scan complete. I have located two possible points. The remains of the Citadel tower, there are a total of three life signs here. The other point is a docking bay near the Athena district. Here are two life forms can be found. And I could make out the total number of life forms on the Citadel, there are 459,128. The rest were destroyed by the Reapers or died as a result of the crucible ignition. The Keepers were also destroyed."

"That must have been a massacre at The Citadel." Ashley admits. Inwardly, she prays for her skipper. "We should discuss what to do next." She activates the radio channel and addresses the ground crew; "We'll meet in CIC in 5 minutes. Ashley out."

EDI turns to Ashley and advises haste. The numbers of life forms in some areas are dropping by the second. She turns and walks with Garrus to the CIC. On the way there, Garrus grabs her by the arm, leans toward her and says, "We should take weapons. It's a rescue mission, but only for Shepard. The survivors could be indoctrinated. If necessary we'll have to defend ourselves."

"Yes, I've seen many times how people can behave in panic. We must protect ourselves." Ashley replies.

The crew meets in the CIC. Ashley looks at everyone and opens the floor. "We've done initial scans. The Citadel is massively damaged. Whether it will last much longer is questionable. On the way here from the portal, we flew through what felt like a single debris field. Whatever it was, it took out the Reapers... But so did all the other ships. Scans indicate that we are the only starship in the Sol system whose crew is still alive."

"Are there no survivors on the other ships?" asks Tali. She is thinking primarily of the Quarian ships. These tend to be slower and may not be able to escape in time.

"Scans show no other life signs on the other ships. Not even on Mars or the moon. From the looks of it, there was ground zero here in the system." Ashley looks at Tali and thinks she can see a tear through her darkened visor.

"Anyway, EDI has pinpointed two possible areas. These are the ones we should look at. Once the remains of the Citadel tower, once a docking bay. Since we only have one shuttle and may have to defend ourselves, a squad of 3 man will fly out. Liara, can you accompany me?. If something should happen, you could help with your biotics. The others, please prepare everything for a possible arrival." Ashley keeps checking the data that EDI permanently plays on Ash's universal tool.

"I should come with you. He saved my life back at the collector base. Now I can finally return the favor," Garrus says, stepping forward.

"Then we should be on our way. Because of the distance, we will arrive first at the docking bay. Quickly get in, look for Shepard and get out. The rest of you stay here." Everyone salutes as Ashley, Liara and Garrus make their way to the shuttle.

-10 minutes later-

The Kodiak shuttle is on approach to the docking bay. However, it becomes apparent why there are such high energy signatures here, as Joker recieves following Message: "Shuttle to Normandy. We are on... landing approach. A ... cruiser ... crashed and has, ... broken E-Zero core. We scanning ... above. Garrus over" Radio contact is still limited due to background noise. And the farther the shuttle gets from the Normandy, the worse the reception gets. Scans indicate that the two survivors are salarians. However, they should have suffered so much radiation by now, that a rescue is is no longer useful. It is likely that the cruiser was shot down in the last moments of the battle and then crashed on the Citadel.

"Let's move on to the next point," said Ashley. Meanwhile, Garrus and Liara look out through the shuttle windows and are shocked at the the destruction.

"Okay. We should be arriving shortly." Cortez gives to understand.

The mood in the shuttle becomes clearly more melancholic. A few weeks ago, they had held one last celebration in Anderson's apartment. Now the Citadel is hardly recognizable. The brilliant lights of the various districts have given way to a mixture of smoke and fumes. Devastation can be seen everywhere. Garrus wonders if the Citadel can ever be inhabited again. As the shuttle approaches the Citadel tower, Liara notices a flickering. All areas of the Citadel, which still have an energy supply, flicker at the same rate. However, the flickering is very weak and very brief. She wonders what this means. Meanwhile, a message comes from the cockpit.

"Have arrived at Citadel tower. Can identify three life signs. All humans! If Shepard is alive, it's here!"

"I'm going to pinpoint the location of the three and have them send it on your Universal Tool."

"Thank you. So let's get ready. We don't have much time from the looks of this place. We best to split up. Garrus, you check out the person to the east, Liara takes the person in the north. I'll check on the person to the south."

As the shuttle begins its approach, the flickering of the lights becomes much stronger. This alone looks ominous, were it not for the fact that the landing zone and the surrounding areas are would not be littered with debris and flames.

The thick smoke does not allow to see 50 meters far to see. "EDI, we've got a flicker of lights here. What's going on?!" shouts Ashley into the radio. The response received causes even more problems.

"Ashley, EDI is ... busy with ...Data analysis ... you need to ... get out. The Citadel's generators ... automatic. Restart. This may result in ... EMP. Renewed failure ... loss of mass effect fields." Joker states.

"ASH!, we only have two signals left! One has just gone out. The other two are also getting weaker. Better hurry!" shouts Cortez to the group.

"Okay!. Liara, you go with Garrus. You have a path from the landing zone of about 900 meters. I'll go south. Sorry, we can't get any closer, everything is blocked. You heard Cortez, go, go!".

As soon as the shuttle touches down, the three jump out of the cabin. Even in their suits, the heat of the fires can be felt. Ash and dust are blowing everywhere through the atmosphere. It's going to be a long, hard road. Liara and Garrus start moving immediately to get to their destination. Liara determines the route, Garrus follows. Everywhere deceased lie between the debris. Garrus has already spotted a brute and 2 Husks. They seem to be dead too, but they don't want to experience any bad surprises. The way drags enormously. Liara has to clear debris out of the way with the help of her biotics or put out fires so that they can move forward. Seeing this devastation, Garrus can only imagine the horror and fear of those here as they lived out the last moments of their lives. No one he wishes such a death. As they proceed, Liara stops short. When Garrus sees the reason, he takes her aside and blocks her further sight. Liara could see a small asari girl lying under the debris, crushed by a large chunk. Damn, she was just 20 maybe 30 years old at the most he thinks to himself. After a moment Liara could shake off the sight and set the way.

"Garrus, all these people here, the survivors. What are we going to do with them?"

"I'm afraid we can't do anything. And you heard Joker. We don't have much time. Soon everyone on the Citadel could die, including us. We'd better hurry."

"Yeah, you're right. There are still so many."

Garrus and Liara continue on their way. They have already covered half of the distance. And from the looks of it, there is not so much debris and other obstacles on the rest of the way. So they should be able to move forward quickly. The flickering hasn't happened for a few minutes now. Liara thinks that this is due to the large capacitors, which now have to recharge. But it could start again at any moment.

-Ping Ping-

The two universal tools are striking out. The target is only a few meters away. However, the visibility is too poor to see the person directly. And the Universal tool from Liara indicates that the vital signs are deteriorating. "Garrus, come on. We don't have time." Both run the last few meters to the vantage point and begin searching.

"Probably buried under this rubble." snorts Garrus and clears away large rocks.

"I can't get a signal from the Normandy anymore." Just as Liara says this, the Citadel vibrates.

"Oh, no. Another power surge. Garrus hurry up."

Garrus digs through the rubble until he spots an arm among the debris.

"Here!" he yells, and begins to push the rocks aside. Liara assists him with her Biotics. At that moment, Liara's universal tool emits a warning sound.

"Shit, we're too late!" Liara calls sadly.

Garrus still doesn't stop and continues to clear the debris. When the body is finally uncovered, however, they realize it's not Shepard. "Crap, we could have saved her," Garrus shouts.

Among the rubble lies a middle-aged woman. The injuries she had sustained were too severe.

"Ashley, this is Garrus. Target deceased. It's not Shepard. I repeat, it is not Shepard." Hopefully she understands the radio message Garrus thinks to himself.

"We should help Ashley." Liara says.

They both make their way to Ashley. But first they have to go back to the shuttle and from there to her position. At the moment she is 1.9 kilometers away. Ashley has had more luck with the route so far. She was able to clear most of the of the debris with a little acrobatics. Let's hope it stays that way, she a radio message comes in:

"Ashley, this is Garrus. Target deceased... not Shep... . I repeat... not Shepard." She lets out a deep sigh. Now it's on her. The universal tool indicates that the point of view is still 50 meters away. Since the visibility is a little better in this area, she starts to run. Her mind tells her, here is the right place. As she runs, she notices the vibration of the Citadel. Not again she thinks to herself. "It's not far now, I hope there's enough time, Skipper" Ashley gasps under the under the strain. The smell of burning plastic is everywhere. Dust and ash have settled on the ground and wrap everything in a gray cloth.

-Ping Ping-

Another 30 meters. Ashley is on the lookout when all the lights on the Citadel go out. She notices a tingling sensation on her skin, even through her suit. Joker was right, there is a second EMP. She goes through all the possibilities. If the Mass Effect fields fail, then everyone dies. She can order Cortez to join her, but then Garrus and Liara die. She pauses for a moment and then decides.

"Cortez, it's Ashley..."

---

"Damn it Liara, everything is dark." Garrus almost stumbles when he hits a boulder.

"We've got to get down here. Now. It's not safe here anymore." replies Liara.

"We need to find the shuttle. Hopefully it wasn't hit by an EMP. Otherwise, it's over for us."

Liara and Garrus continue to move toward the shuttle. This new energy surge has rendered the Universal tools almost useless. And due to the rotation of the Citadel their Citadel arm is directly in front of the sun. The last bit of light is only reflected by the other arms. They can only guess how far away the shuttle is. And they don't know where Ashley is.

"There Garrus, look!" Liara exclaims in amazement. "We're saved."

In the distance, among the smoke and fumes, Ashley can spot the Kodiak shuttle. At least Garrus, Liara and Cortez are safe. She did the right thing. If it is Shepard at least she is with him in this last moment. If it's not him, she's tried everything. A feeling of fatigue comes over her. If it's not him, she's sure. Shepard is no more and soon she would be with him. She looks at her Universal tool, the location is 5 meters away. The vital signs are still present, faint, but present. She starts digging among debris. With all Force, she clears away rocks and debris. Then she discovers something among the debris, an arm. Her breath catches, her heart beats faster. She clears the debris aside, her body emits more and more adrenaline. But then she has a sad certainty. It's not Shepard. She can't recognize the person, the face is strongly banished. At that moment, she slumps. Tears spring to her eyes. It gets darker around her, a reaction to the lack of adrenaline. She sits down next to a pile of debris and looks up at the sky. The stars have a calming effect on her.

"I'm sorry skipper. I tried, but I wasn't good enough." She looks at her universal tool; it indicates that Ashley is 2 meters away from the location "This thing is broken anyway," she snorts, turning it off. She takes off the helmet and throws it against a pile of rubble to her left. Rocks come loose and slide further to the ground. She looks to her right, over the end of the Citadel arm up toward the moon. So many shining stars. She feels as if Shepard is looking down on her. Then a shiver runs down her spine, she feels like she's being watched. Ashley activates her Universal tool again. Still a life form 2 meters away. She looks to the left and squints her eyes because smoke is getting into her eyes. All of a sudden, her adrenaline level rises again. She hears something, ... she hears breathing noises.

She pushes the debris aside, looks at the exposed person. At this moment she almost loses consciousness. An N7 logo is emblazoned on the damaged armor. She activates the flashlight and shines it on the person. The adrenaline shoots faster and faster, she feels like the world and everything around stops.

She has found Shepard and he is alive! "Skipper!" Ashley screams, bursting into tears. She examines his body, Shepard is unconscious or in a coma. But she can't find any life-threatening injuries. With all her strength she pulls him out of the debris and places his head in her lap. With her right hand she strokes his bloodied head. With her left hand, she scans his body, but the Universal tool is still not really functional, though. "Skipper, I love you! And we're going to get through this together." She stifles Tears and looks up at the moon again.

"Normandy, can you hear me? I've found Shepard. Send help now!"

The minutes tick by. Ashley can't connect with the Normandy. Probably her universal tool is defective. She looks down at Shepard. She gave him some Medigel after the radio call. However, there is no sign of improvement in his condition. She can feel the air changing. The mass effect fields seem to be slowly dissipating. The two of them don't have too much time left, Ashley has to admit to herself. She looks at the moon again. Maybe the Normandy is approaching and Ash can spot it. That would really be a last-second rescue.

"Strange, the stars are getting brighter." she exclaims in amazement. She follows a star as it changes position in the firmament. And then another, and a third. There are more and more. "It's probably because of the escaping oxygen. So that's how it ends up." The stars push between the Citadel arms and approach their position. "Wait, that can't be." She grabs her Avenger and looks through the scope. A Kodiak! And another one! From one moment to the next, the entire horizon is filled with Shuttles. She activates the flashlight and stretches her arm in the air. Clearly she can see how a shuttle changes course and rushes towards them at an incredible speed. At the last moment, it brakes and begins its descent. As it does so, the Alliance soldiers jump out.

"Here!" yells Ashley, waving her flashlight. The Marines spot them and come running up. "LC Williams?" asks a young female recruit. As she does, she looks at Ashley and then at Shepard. "We've got both of them! Both alive!" Ashley looks past the young recruit and can see Admiral Hackett jump out of the shuttle and come running.

"Damn good job! But now let's get them out of here!" replies Hackett to her saluting.

Shepard is carefully loaded into the shuttle and given medical attention. Ashley is close at his side. When everyone is on board, the shuttle takes off. "Pilot, get us to Soulon now!" shouts Hackett into the cockpit. An Aye Aye Admiral is heard in response. "Admiral Hackett, the Soulon?" she asks the group. "What about the others?" "A Salarian ship, the best doctors and scientists. They can save Shepard. Everyone else is being evacuated as well. The Citadel won't be habitable much longer." Hackett replies.

-30 minutes later-

Shepard lay on an operating table being treated by Salarians. Ashley and Admiral Hackett are both standing outside the treatment room.

"How did you find us Admiral?"

"EDI put the position through. The entire fleet arrived some time after you did, we were unable to radio you until you were in range. By then you and your crew were were already on their way."

"Can they save Shepard?" Ashley glances at the locked door at this.

"I know how important Shepard is to you. The Salarians will do their best. Without you Shepard wouldn't have made it." they both look at each other. Then Hackett elaborates.

"Get some rest, the operation will take a few more hours. This is an order, otherwise you won't do it anyway." Hackett salutes and steps away. Ashley responds with an Aye, Aye and sits down on the nearest available bench.

An unsustainable mood spreads on the Normandy. They have just been informed by Hackett that Shepard and Ashley are alive and that they are also on the Soulon. He also informs the crew that all survivors have been recovered from the Citadel and that most of them will survive the ordeal. The Citadel has meanwhile lost the complete atmosphere. All lights are out and now it floats like a cold skeleton in the earth orbit. The whole fleet has started to move and is heading for Earth. The Soulon will land in New York, where there are still some very good Hospitals intact. The Normandy has been cleared to land there as well.

---

Chapter 3 New Problems

Earth, Memorial High Hospital, 3 weeks after the Crucible was ignited.

Meanwhile, 3 weeks have passed since Shepard was found. He is stationed at the Memorial High Hospital and continues to receive treatment. The Salarians had many cybernetic implants from Shepard repaired. Due to the damage of some of these old implants, toxins had accumulated in his body. Without help, his kidneys would have failed and he would have died. Earth's orbit, like that of other planets, is still filled with countless debris. But on the planets themselves and on the space stations, which survived the war most of the technology is working again. Most of the mass portals were also makeshift repairs. There are only a few systems left that are not accessible at all. In order not to overload the somewhat functioning mass portals, only very few ships are allowed to travel during the day. This severely restricts interstellar traffic.

The crew of the Normandy has since disbanded. Now that they know Shepard is safe, many have gone home to help their people on destroyed planets. Ashley, however, stayed by Shepard's side. And his friends often check in with her to see how he is doing. She had been living in the same room as him. She just wants to be with him.

The door opens and an asari chief physician enters. She is followed by two younger doctors. They step to Shepard's bed and look at the documents. With a worried expression she looks at Ashley and begins, "We have a problem. An implant, we call it the Motivator implant, is still defective. Without a new one, Shepard can't survive in the long run."

Ashley looks at them and replies in a concerned voice "What is this implant for? Can you put another one in?"

"Because of Shepard's death, Cerberus had to insert an implant to revitalize the dead neurons. Without this implant, paralysis will result...eventually end in the death of the patient. Unfortunately, we do not have an implant in stock nowhere on earth. And without blueprints, we can't repair the old one," replied the chief doctor.

"Ashley," EDI cuts in over the radio. The Normandy is still at the airfield near the hospital, undergoing makeshift repairs. "I have no record of the blueprints. But I would know someone who could help us.

"Who?" replies Ashley, "I need his name."

"Her. It's Miranda Lawson. She had been running the Lazarus project. My records indicate that she was also on Earth during the last Reaper attack. If anyone can help us, it's her."

"Do you know where Miss Lawson is?" retorts Ashley. At that, she glances at Shepard.

"Intelligence records show she was last in Buenos Aires".

Ashley turns to the doctors and asks how much time he has left. "You shouldn't wait too wait too long, but it's not critical yet."

"Keep an eye on him. I'm going to get help." Ashley gives Shepard a kiss on the forehead and leaves the hospital.

She heads to the Normandy and changes her suit in the armory. She then contacts Hackett over the long-range radio. Hackett is in Vancouver and is beginning to form a new Alliance leadership.

"Steven, this is Ashley. Come in." Hackett had been checking on Shepard and Ashley frequently for the past three weeks. While there the two have also had some more private conversations. "Ashley, what's up?" retorts Hackett.

"We have a problem. There's an implant that can't be replaced. Without it Shepard will die. I'm asking to be allowed to fly to Buenos Aires. I'd take the Kodiak shuttle. I need to find a person, Miranda Lawson."

"Our intelligence knows she was there last time. But she's good at hiding. I'm assigning two Secret Service agents. I want them to help you. They can be there in an hour. Cortez should be flying the shuttle. Good luck Ashley."

"Thank you Hackett. I'll find Ms. Lawson."

Ashley makes her way to Cortez. He was immediately ready to help her. Outside the Normandy they wait for the two agents. Upon arrival, they boarded the shuttle and flew directly off. Hackett had sent good agents, experts in hacking and filtering information. With that, they should be able to find Miranda. And Ashley still has the Spectre status. With that, she should be able to get even in compartmentalized areas. During the flight to Buenos Aires, Ashley and the two agents get to know each other better. Officer Mara Gil is an expert at hacking. Two years ago, she had even managed to break into the Spectre's central archives. Officer Daniel Hook is a quirky young man. But he has an incredible flair for numbers and can can dig through large amounts of data.

"What do you know about Miranda Lawson?" asks Ashley. As she does so, she looks back at the data on her universal tool one more time. She already knew Miranda. Back on Horizon Ashley and Miranda first met. She was a former member of Cerberus. This should be reason enough not to trust her. But Shepard trusted her, so she also supported Miranda back then. She tries to remember. As far as she can get it together, Miranda tried to get her sister out of the clutches of her common father. A strange family she thinks to herself. But if this Miranda is as good as Shepard said, she can certainly help him.

"Miss Lawson was not part of the Alliance. Therefore, her stay in Buenos Aires was not on record. Our intelligence intercepted messages regarding the of a Cerberus group in Buenos Aires," Mara Gil replied. "So she shouldn't be too friendly to Cerberus anymore" adds Daniel Hook.

"No. We should meet Captain McCoy after we land. He is the Commanding Officer in Buenos Aires. Possibly he can inform us of her whereabouts. Or he at least has some information for us. So, if it's all right with you, LC Williams. Hook can go through Cerberus data files in the meantime. Maybe he'll find something."

"We're still two hours from arrival. Should I contact this McCoy yet?" asks Cortez from the cockpit. He's a little tense. Buenos Aires is in the throes of something of a civil war. There seems to have been a large Cerberus cell in this city, which was uncovered just before the end of the Reaper conflict. Since the storming of the Cronos station, many Cerberus followers wonder what will happen next. The cell in Buenos Aires is attempting to gain the upper hand in the city through tactical strikes. This has been thwarted, but individual extremists continue to fight. Ashley indicates to Cortez that he should contact McCoy. In addition, he is to inform the Captain that it is an urgent matter.

-2 hours later-

"I'm initiating the landing approach. McCoy is waiting for us at the landing zone. He informs us that he has information," Cortez reports from the cockpit. "All clear. We're getting ready to go. Gil and Hook, get ready. And take your weapons with you."

"Yes, ma'am," they both reply in unison.

The shuttle touches down and the port hatch opens. The three jump out of the shuttle and run directly to McCoy, who is standing at the end of the landing platform, waving his arm. As they sprint, Ashley lets a glance sweep over the rooftops of the city. Many buildings have been destroyed. There also seems to have been a fire here and there. She can see a column of smoke further down the shore. Shots can also be heard from there. That's probably where the fighting is taking place.

"Are you Captain McCoy? We're looking for Captain McCoy." Mara Gil calls out to the captain. "Our pilot has been in contact with you."

Captain McCoy salutes and invites the three to his command post a few hundred meters further. Along the way, they can still hear sporadic gunfire and explosions. Captain McCoy tells the Squad that the situation here is very tense, but under control. Ashley wants to know how many Cerberus soldiers are still here. Captain McCoy stated, that the exact number is unknown. The command still expects about 250 soldiers. "We have the superior numbers and the better locations. We will launch an attack on their position in a few hours. And that's the problem."

"How is this a problem Captain? It's right to take out these Cerberus bastards." Ashley replies. She thinks back to the actions of Cerberus.

"We're not in contact with this Miranda Lawson anymore. She was with us and gave us the the plans for the base. After that, she disappeared. We assume that she has infiltrated the base. If this is the case, you don't have much time. There are 3 small maintenance shafts. Through these you can enter the base undetected. You'll probably find Miss Lawson there. But you'll have to get out before we launch the attack. We don't want to take prisoners, Cerberus as an idea must disappear forever."

"Thank you very much for the info. We will get ready and then get going." Ashley gathers her squad and heads to the base.

On the way, Daniel studies the blueprints. The base is an old warehouse. Underground, there are many different rooms and endless corridors. If Mara doesn't manage to hack into the radio, it's going to be a very long search mission. He analyzes the traffic. Mainly he is looking for domains that send information to the outside world. Possibly Miss Lawson can be found there. But at the moment, he does not receive any data yet. In between the three have to take cover every now and then. From the smoke-clouds, Cerberus soldiers fire sporadically at the outer positions of the Alliance soldiers. On the way to the base, Ashley worries, she knows that the two agents are not fit for front-line duty. They have received only basic training and have not served at the gun for some time. All combat action must come from her. And She has to be good, or the two agents won't make it. The three of them sneak the last few blocks to the base between destroyed houses and wrecked cars. Ashley wants to prevent them from being discovered, so they sneak from corner to corner. "Fifteen meters to the maintenance shaft," Daniel whispers over the helmet transmitter.

The maintenance shaft is behind a wall of a house, relatively hidden in a backyard. Ashley is the first to secure the area and make sure no one is in the yard. She then calls the two agents over. Mara starts hacking the maintenance hatch. She is really talented, the whole action takes no more than 20 seconds. Before they climb down the shaft, Ashley asks Daniel once again to scan for possible alarms. After Daniel confirms that no alarm has been triggered, Ashley goes ahead. The shaft is about 80 meters high. As she descends, she repeatedly looks at the ground to quickly identify any potential hazards.

"Ma'am, do you think this Miss Lawson can help Shepard? Is she going to help us?" asks Mara as they descends.

"I don't know her well enough to give you an answer. Our VI has sent us records that Miss Lawson is familiar with implants. I hope she will be able to help us." Ash intentionally reduced EDI to a VI on purpose. That she is a full-fledged AI is still unknown to most of the Alliance. And she can't trust the two secret agents far enough to tell them the truth. The rest of the descent proceeds without further incident. Once at the bottom, Ashley first checks the corridor. There are no soldiers to be seen. To the left is the first room. She waits until the other two have arrived downstairs and then enters this room, which turns out to be a storeroom.

"So, what can you find out already?" directs Ashley to the two agents.

"I can hack into the central database from here. But this will take about 2 minutes. After that, Daniel can analyze the data."

"All right. You do that, I'll guard the entrance." Since this storeroom has only one entrance Ashley moves away from the two and positions herself at the entrance. From here she can see down the entire corridor to the end. There is only one other room and this one also seems to be deserted. There is no light shining through it.

"Miss Williams, I found two interesting things" Daniel begins and interrupts the silence.

"Shoot, what do you have?" while Ashley continues to watch the corridor.

"Two days ago, an alarm went off inside the base. An hour before that alert there was an unusually high traffic of data leaving this facility. The destination is still unknown." Daniel continues to filter the data and finds something else interesting. "As it stands, there are currently three prisoners in this base. All are being held in in different locations." We don't have too much time, but we should be able to check them all."

Ashley signals the group to move out. The first prisoner is relatively close to their position. She has the route transferred to her universal tool, and then they move off. At the end of the corridor, they need to turn right. Ashley moves her way slowly forward, always with the gun ready. Some of the lights in the corridor have been knocked out by the bombardment. Fortunately, so far they have not encountered Cerberus troops. The first room is located in 5 meters on the left side. The Squad gather in front of the door, Mara can hack the camera installed in the room, there is a prisoner and a guard in the room. It is a woman, but she is not looking at the camera. Ashley takes the opportunity as the guard moves away from the door and opens it quietly. *Plop Plop* goes the assault rifle and the guard goes down. As the three walk past Him, Ashley shoots the guard between the eyes again for good measure, *Plop*.

"Can you hear me?" Mara asks the detainee, but recoils when prisoner lifts her head. "Oh, God," Mara moans. When Ashley overhears this, she calls Mara aside and shoots the prisoner just as she is about to start screaming. "She looked like a husk. But yet somehow human." Mara is visibly confused. "How?"

"Cerberus did something to its own people. We had seen one of those on Mars back in the day. Maybe these things are starting to turn on Cerberus." said Ashley to the young Agents.

"Okay, change of plans. If we run into these things, take them out directly. That way we minimize the number of prisoners. We should move on to the next room." Ashley gives the order to move out.

Outside in the corridor, it continues to be quiet. They can't see any troops yet. Mara locks the door and uploads an fake video. Now, if someone were to check the footage camera, he will see a prisoner sitting on a chair and a guard standing by. The universal tool shows the route to the next prisoner, but the room is one level below them.

"We have to take the elevator. What if we are discovered there?" Daniel wants to know.

"I'm afraid there's no other way without taking an unnecessary detour." Ashley replies.

The three continue creeping down the corridor. In the distance, Ashley can already see the elevator. This one suddenly emits an acoustic signal.
"Damn it. Everybody take cover!" hisses Ashley.

They hide behind a row of crates. Ashley can see through a gap to the elevator. Out of it come three soldiers and they come to them. Ashley goes through her options. She can jump out of cover and try to take out all three. But this would surely set off an alarm. Or she can wait for the three to walk past them. But then the two agents have no cover. She tightens her grip on the assault rifle and prepares to jump out of cover. Just as she is about to make a leap to the side, the three soldiers turn into an adjoining room and close the door. "Lucky again. We've got to keep moving." Ashley informs the two, clearly relieved.

They make their way to the elevator and ride down one floor. During the ride Daniel checks the data feeds. So far, they have not been detected. In his opinion, this can stay that way. The elevator emits a signal. They have reached the lower floor. The doors open and Ashley checks the surroundings for enemies. Since there are none to be seen the group moves to the next prisoner. The room is relatively close to the elevator and the corridor can be easily overlooked. Once outside the door, Mara hacks the camera. She plays the video signal to Ashley and Daniel's universal tool. In the room two guards and a prisoner can be seen. Ashley can't recognize this person. From the looks of it, however, she is being questioned. Mara is able to increase the volume of the camera.

"You really thought you could get in here without us noticing?" says a Guard to the prisoner.
"That was very stupid of you Miss Lawson. You will remain here until the Illusive Man has made contact with us again." is heard from the second Guard is heard.

"Okay, that's our signal. You guys stay here, I'm going to storm the room." Ashley opens the door. Unfortunately, the door makes a mechanical scraping sound as it does so. A guard turns around and sees Ashley rushing in. He tries to warn the other guard but Ashley is faster and sends a salvo through his torso and face. He goes down gurgling and choking on his blood. The other guard draws his pistol and is about to pull the trigger when Ashley also fires a salvo into his upper body. He slumps against the wall and slides to the floor. With his last strength he tries to lift the pistol, but Ashley fires another round directly into his face. She notices her adrenaline rising and turns around to the entrance. Mara and Daniel look through the doorway. It is clear to both of them that they are not used to something like this, but they enter hesitantly.

"Mara, check whether there is a station-wide alarm. Daniel, grab a weapon and watch the corridor." Mara gives the green light, and Daniel, with some disgust, takes the gun from the first guard. Ashley turns to the prisoner. "Miss Lawson?" she asks hesitantly.

The prisoner looks Ashley in the face and replies, "Yes, it's me. Thank you for rescuing Rescuing Ms. Williams. But why are you here?"

"I" , Ashley falters at first but then continues "Shepard needs your help." It's a good thing Miranda remembers Ashley, she thinks to herself.

"He's alive? That's wonderful news. Then untie me and we can get out of here." Ashley removes the restraints from Miranda. She then checks if Miranda suffered any worse injuries. But Miranda assures her that the guards wouldn't have dared.

As a group, they go back to the elevator. Miranda goes ahead to be able to form a barrier in case of an attack. Ashley is the last to go and covers the squad from behind. Fortunately, the elevator is still working. Mara tells the group that they still have about 30 minutes left. Ashley tells Miranda that the Alliance is going to launch an all-out attack on this station, there will be nothing left. They have to be out by then. Once up one floor, Ashley checks to see if the corridor is clean. So far there is no one to be seen, so the group continues on. Halfway up, slight vibrations are felt.

"The Alliance must have started the attack," Daniel admits with surprise. Sporadically, heavy projectiles and bombs must be hitting. From time to time plaster trickles from the ceiling or the lighting starts to flicker. A deafening ringing echoes through the facility. "This is an alarm. We are under attack!" it sounds over the loudspeakers.

"Mara! Are we still undetected?"

"Wait, yes, so far we have not been discovered, Miss Williams."

The group continues along to the maintenance shaft. Miranda peers around the corner and then signals the group to wait. "What's going on?" asks Ashley, glancing down the down the back hallway.

"A squad, 6 soldiers and a technician are standing at the maintenance shaft. We have to find find another way or fight." Miranda gives the group to understand, meanwhile the Shaking is getting noticeably stronger.

"We probably don't have time to find another way. Can we both together take on the squad?" Ashley addresses Miranda. She assesses her chances and then turns back to Ashley.

"Do you have any grenades with you? I could try to throw them at the group with my biotics. I could then use a barrier to contain the blast. But you have to be ready with the assault rifle to knock everything down again for safety. And then we need to get out of here fast."

Ashley gives the signal to strike. She hands two grenades to Miranda. She pulls out the pins and tosses the grenades to the group. Ashley gets down on her knees and takes her assault rifle in her hand. The grenades hit right between the Squad, startling them. Miranda musters her strength and creates a barrier in which the squad is trapped. A muffled explosion can be heared. The insides of the barrier is filled with smoke. Miranda dissolves the barrier and Ashley begins firing into the crowd. She empties the first magazine very quickly, then fires a second one. The smoke clears, the soldiers lie on the ground, none of them move anymore.

Miranda steps forward and is the first to climb the shaft. Mara and Daniel follow her. As Ashley is the last to climb the ladder. Again and again she looks at the ground. So far, no other soldiers have appeared. But it sounds like Cerberus has other problems. At the top of the shaft, Miranda slowly opens the hatch. Outside it is already darkening, shooting and shouting can be heard everywhere. The Alliance really wants to destroy Cerberus, she thinks to herself. She checks her surroundings, but there are no enemies in the backyard. She climbs out and gives the others cover while they follow. Ashley is the last to leave the shaft and has Mara lock it up again.

"Captain McCoy, can you hear me? We're back on the surface and we have Miss Lawson with us. What's your situation?"

After a short wait, the answer comes over the radio. "Hello Miss Williams. That's good news. Watch out, there is heavy fighting in your area. I can instruct a Mako to pick them up, though."

"Thank you very much. We will wait here."

The group remained hidden in the backyard, waiting for the Mako. During this waiting time, Ashley and Miranda had kept checking on the situation. But apparently the Cerberus troops are preoccupied with their own survival. After 30 minutes, which Daniel seemed like an infinity, the Mako arrived. Everyone boarded the vehicle and drove back to the landing site. During this time, Ashley had watched Miranda again and again, but she couldn't or did not want to trust her yet. Something that did not escape Miranda's notice. The Mako reached the landing pad and everyone got off. McCoy waited for them and asked the Group back into his Command center. Here Mara and Daniel handed over the data they had obtained. In addition Miranda could clear up that she had tried to transfer the data to the outside. This was apparently prevented by Cerberus, which is why Daniel could not find a target of the data transfer.

Ashley and Miranda entered the shuttle, after they had been said goodbye to Mara Gil and Daniel Hook. Due to the presence of Cerberus, the Central Intelligence had decided that both should stay in Buenos Aires for the time after the destroy of Cerberus's Hide-out.

"Thank you very much for your help. I couldn't have done it without you guys." Ashley addressed to both of them.

"It's been an honor, Miss Williams. Hopefully you can help Commander Shepard. Take care of yourself!" retorts Daniel.

The shuttle hatches close and Cortez starts the thrusters. Ashley and Miranda have chosen a seat opposite each other in the shuttle and look at each other. "Thank you very much for the rescue Miss Williams. But how can I help Shepard?"

"Cerberus put an implant in Shepard that no longer works. Without this implant, he will die." Miranda can hear Ashley's reluctance.

Certainly something she already knew about. Back when she was putting together the dossiers for Shepard's crew to go up against the collectors, Ashley was also a candidate as well. But Miranda knew of her loyalty to the alliance and that she could not be persuaded. "Certainly. But what implant is causing problems. I have some records, maybe they can help." At this, Miranda chooses a tone that is meant to signal to Ashley that Miranda is not a threat. This strikes Ashley, whereupon she changes her attitude.

"I'm sorry. It's just, you were with Cerberus, an organization that did very bad things. And yet, I need your help. It's not easy for me."

"I can understand that. But I'm not with Cerberus anymore. Thanks to Shepard, he opened my eyes. Without him, I don't know if I'd be alive. What implant is causing problems?"

"The doctors say it's a motivator implant or something. Something that's connected to the nerves."

"Let me check the data... Yes, I still have records of it. With this we should be able to save Shepard."

Ashley lets out a relieved sigh in response. The shuttle is going straight to New York and should arrive in 2 hours. The rest of the time was pretty quiet. Now Ashley takes the floor after all. "You were involved in bringing Shepard back to life at the time, is that right?" Ashley looks Miranda into the eyes thereby.

"Yes, the Lazarus project. Cerberus believed in the Reaper threat. And we knew that only Shepard could save us all." At this, Miranda returns Ashley's gaze.

"Thank you for bringing him back to us, to me." Miranda just looks at her, but doesn't answer.

"You've been on a lot of missions with Him. Did he, well I mean..." Ashley falters a bit.

Taking this as a possibility, Miranda answers directly. "Spoken of you? Yes. He had mentioned you many times. Back then, at the first meeting between him and the Illusive Man, you were the first person Shepard asked about. After Horizon, he was in a really bad shape." Ashley winces. She can still remember that. At the time, she had rejected Shepard. She was glad he was alive, but deeply offended that he was working for Cerberus and had betrayed all his friends and ideals. Miranda continues, "We all realized how sad he was. It was my job to make sure Shepard was okay. Only if he could concentrate on the mission, it would have been a success."

"Did you, so you two...was there... " Ashley doesn't really know if she should should ask.

"Slept with each other? No, we didn't. I have to admit, the temptation was there. But only from my side. Shepard was loyal to you, even after you turned your back on him after Horizon." Ashley notices her heart twitch. She had hurt him so badly. That was never her intention, but yet she had. She looks at Miranda, Shepard was right, Miranda was created to be perfect. And if she were in Shepard's place, she doesn't know if she would have been so loyal.

"Here," Miranda says, passing Ashley a file. Ashley opens it and sees herself on a picture.

"That's me. Where did you get it?"

"This picture was hanging in Shepard's cabin. He looked at it countless times. Also before the attack on the collector base. I can't read his mind, but his last thoughts before the jump were definitely with you, Ashley."

Miranda looks out the window and lets her gaze roam over the Atlantic. "He's the best humanity has to offer. You must never forget that." She can see, how Ashley is taking these words serious. By now, the shuttle has already reached North American soil. Ashley still has to think of Miranda's words. She is incredibly lucky. She tunred her back so many times on Shepard. He could have had his fun with Miranda, or even built something solid with her. Then she would have lost Shepard again, only this time it would have been different. This time he would be alive, but would no longer be part of her life anymore. She can remember the Cerberus coup at the Citadel. After everything was cleared up she had sought out the conversation with Shepard. Now that she can recapitulate it, she realizes how he had felt. After she was allowed to come back to the Normandy, Shepard was absent for the first time, at least to her. He avoided her, didn't take her on missions, or ask her opinion during debriefings. By now, she was having second thoughts. What about now that the war is over? Would Shepard still stay by her side? She hadn't made it easy for him. And now that he's survived and is the savior of the galaxy, there are plenty of women who desire him. And what about Miranda? What if Shepard decides he would be happier with her? Miranda has been watching Ashley for a while and can empathize with her.

"Ashley, can I ask you something? You were guarding the bomb back on Virmire, weren't you?"

"How?" Ashley is brought out of her thoughts by this. "Yes, I did."

"And Shepard saved you, even though the bomb would have gone off anyway. So he chose you, even though that part of the mission would have gone off successfully anyway. Back on Horizon, Shepard had asked you to join him, just with the hope that you would. But you turned him down. On the Citadel, he had ordered his group to lower their weapons, even though you kept aiming at him."

"What's your point?" Ashley doesn't understand what Miranda is getting at, and it scares her a little.

"I can see that you're worried. Do you think Shepard would have taken so much on himself if he didn't care about you anymore?" Miranda gets up and sits next to Ashley. She puts an arm around her.

"You may not have always been fair to him, though he deserved it. But he's alive and so are you. Make an effort, you have a whole lifetime to make this all up to him."

"You're probably right" Ashley has to admit in a contrite voice.

"Landing in five minutes," Cortez announces over the radio.

The shuttle lands at one of the hospital's landing pads. Ashley and Miranda get off and are met directly by a couple of doctors. Cortez takes off and brings the Shuttle back to the Normandy. With the help of Miranda, the doctors managed to repair Shepard's motivator implant. Afterwards, Shepard was taken back to his room. Ashley was able to already contact Hackett and inform him as well. Miranda had checked on Shepard one more time and then said goodbye to Ashley. She asked Ash once again to think about what she had said. Lastly, she told her that she would visit Shepard sometime when he was feeling better. And she would be very happy to see Ashley again.

---

Chapter 4 Hero Worship

Earth, New York, 14.09.2186

Shepard's condition is improving day by day. Doctors have already told Ashley that it will probably only take a few more days for him to wake up. Meanwhile, information has spread that Shepard is being treated at Memorial High Hospital. As a result, the Alliance has been forced to increase security.

Outside the window, an endless sea of candles is set up, each one left by a grateful person. The hospital replaced Shepards bed with a larger bed so Ashley can sleep with Shepard in the same bed. She looks forward to every new day and can't wait until he finally wakes up. Since Shepard's motivator implant was replaced, 2 weeks have passed. Ashley often goes to the hospital gym to distract herself. Visitors also stop by now and then as a thankful distraction. The other day Garrus came to visit. His family survived the attack on Palaven. They were at the bedside and talked about old adventures and always included Shepard.

One of the best moments for Ashley was when her sister Sara came over three days ago. They talked for hours and took a long walk around the the hospital. Right now, Ashley is in bed with Shepard watching the news. The top stories are still about the Reaper attack. Every day new numbers of deadly cases are read out. Countless worlds have been wiped out. But there is also good news. The mass portals can be repaired faster than expected. And the Citadel should be relocated to the Widow Star System by the end of this year and then repaired. The Spectres have already held a meeting, but Ashley wanted to stay with Shepard. And through her contact with Hackett, she was also able to avoid many Alliance meetings. The window of the room is open and a small breeze blows in from outside. Slowly it is getting cold, winter is approaching. Ashley closes her eyes and is about to take a nap when a device connected to Shepard starts beeping. She leans forward to be able to see something on the monitor.

"Hhhggg," Shepard brings out with a loud gasp, followed by a coughing.

Ashley nearly falls out of bed in shock and alerts the doctors, who immediately rush into the room. Before anyone can say anything, Shepard tears open his eyes and straightens up. "Whoa, take it easy," a young doctor says, intercepting Shepard.

"Is it over?" Shepard rubs his eyes, through the weeks of darkness his Pupils have to get used to the light.

"Yeah, it's over. Skipper!" says Ashley in a joyful voice, falling into Shepard's arms. He hugs her, too, and brings out a joyful "Ash."

A chief medical examiner scans Shepard and can find nothing abnormal. "It's good to have you back, Commander. Take it easy." With these words the doctors take leave the room to give them both some rest.

"Where are we? Is it really over?" Shepard glances around the hospital room, quite dazed from waking up so quickly.

"We're in New York, in a hospital. You were in really bad shape when we found you. That was five weeks ago."

"How? Where was I? I can't remember anything. You were there and Liara. Then there was ...that beam, and then it all went dark."

"You went through the beam after you let us fly out. You won't do that again! Somehow you did it. The Crucible fired. Hackett ordered the retreat but we came back later and looked for you at the Citadel. You lay among rubble and corpses, but I found you." Ashley just can't hold back her tears.

"The others, how are they doing? Did everyone make it?" Shepard slumps back and drops into his pillow. He has a severe headache and incredible sore muscles.

"You saved us. The losses were enormous but YOU did it. The Reapers are destroyed." Ashley looks outside and sees a shuttle fly by the hospital. "Many didn't make it in the last few hours. The Citadel and the Mass portals have been heavily damaged. And many space stations and colonies in this System are inevitably destroyed. But it is over. YOU ended it."

Over, Shepard thinks to himself, also having to stifle a tear. Despite all difficulties, they all made it somehow. Ashley rests her head on Shepard's chest and listens to his heart beat.

The next days were not very eventful. Shepard had to go through a few more routine examinations. They spent every free minute together. They had lunch in the hospital, went for a walk or just relaxed.

---

*Shepard, Garrus and Liara rush up the elevator. They don't have much time and have to act quickly. Garrus hacks into the terminal and the doors open. At the top they can see the council presidents with Udina and Ashley. A few Cerberus soldiers are also there. Shepard, Garrus and Ashley run to the group, but are stopped by Ashley.

"Ashley, get out of the way! We have to save the Council!" roars Shepard at her.

"No Shepard. You've opened my eyes. Cerberus isn't that bad. You are the Enemy. You let Kaidan die and you're just way too soft. I can't love a loser like you and I never have."

"What?" replies Shepard, visibly struck.

"I was just using you. Because of you, I was able to improve my reputation. I hate you." Ashley says and pulls the trigger.*

---

Shepard wakes up and is drenched in sweat. He looks right and left, but can't see Ashley. Then he hears her as she is in the bathroom. -I hate you- shoots through his head again. He jumps up, puts something on and runs out of the room. In the process he opened the door so hard that Ashley notices. Shepard runs down the hallway and down. No matter where, the main thing is to get away from her. Only when he can't run anymore and his muscles fail, he sits down on a park bench near the hospital. The night is quiet and there is no one else to be seen outside. He's been sitting there for an hour by now until Ashley comes to him.

"Shepard, what's wrong?" He doesn't answer and ignores Ashley.

"Shepard?" she says again, grabbing his shoulder. Shepard yanks his arm away so fast that Ashley is startled. As she does so, she can see that he has tears in his eyes.

"Shepard. What's wrong?"

He tells her about the nightmare. She sits down next to him and listens. Then Shepard turns to her.

"Ashley. What do you want from me? Really, then? Am I just a pastime for you?"

"Shep.. Why would you think that?"

"Ashley. You've never trusted me since Cerberus brought me back. Even when it went into hot waters, you were still suspicious of me. Back when I attacked the collectors, I had crew members who trusted me blindly. They knew that they might die, yet they trusted me. You, however, never believed me when I told you I was off Cerberus. Even after the the coup, you still didn't really trust me."

"Shepard, I..." Ashley's breath catches.

"And you never asked about my family. After all these years, you just never cared about interested in what my parents' occupations were, what our lives were like on Mindoir. It was hard for me to hear about your family and how everyone was doing, but never once to feel that you cared about me." Ashley looks down at the floor. She can't answer him.

"I don't know if it's the right thing to do by now. How is it supposed to work? It's always been about you and your family. And when it's been about me, you've always questioned my loyalty. I've been fair to you, but this just doesn't feel right. I deserve trust and affection too."

"Shepard...I...am...sorry..." brings Ashley out in tears. She can't take it. Miranda was right. I'm just not good enough for you, Ashley thinks to herself. She can't take it anymore and jumps up from the park bench. Shepard looks after her and can see her walking through the dark park, crying.

The next morning, Shepard wakes up back in the hospital bed. Ashley is not there. She has also taken her things during the night. He's taking his time. He is alive and the Reapers are destroyed. Now he can just focus on himself for once. A couple of doctors come in and do a routine checkup. Two more weeks and Shepard can leave the hospital, the doctors say.

As the days pass, Shepard has told the doctors that he doesn't want any visitors.

Ashley sits with her sister in the apartment and contacts Liara. "Hello Ashley. What's up?"

"Hi Liara. I just have one question. Have you and Shepard ever talked about his Shepard's past? What he did before the Alliance?"

"Yes, of course. He told me a lot of things. I know what his parents had done, who his friends were." Ashley thanked her and ends the call. She calls Garrus, Joker and even Miranda on the phone. All of them could tell her the same thing. She starts to cry, how could she have been so bad as a friend? Was she that blind? Sarah comes in and sees Ashley sitting on the couch crying. The two are talking about Ashley and Shepard.

The next day, Shepard jogs a few laps in the park. He is doing better every day only sometimes he still has health problems. As he makes his last lap through the park, he sees Ashley standing at the entrance of it. He jogs the last lap and then walks up to her. "Hi Williams." Ashley is dismayed that Shepard calls her Williams. He only does that, when something has happened.

"Hi Shepard. Can we talk again?"

They both walk back to the same park bench where they were the other night. They talk for a long time. Again and again, Ashley has to burst into tears as they do so. Not because Shepard reproaches her, but because she realizes each time how she has always hurt him.

"...That's how I see it. It's hard for me. And someone who doesn't trust me, whether it be on missions or in my personal life, I don't want them in my life."

"I can understand that. ...Shepard, why haven't you ever told me about your family, your Your life? Garrus, Liara and even Miranda knew it."

"Because they all asked. On my own I didn't tell, but they had asked. They had been interested. You had never asked."

Ashley looks at the floor. All the years, missions and private moments she lets through her mind. He's right, never had she asked him. Back on the Normandy she told him about her family. How happy she is, now it hits her. Shepard has lost his family and friends. Everything she was so happy about, she just told him, not thinking that Shepard had this all stolen from him.

"Maybe we just need some time to get to know each other. Now that there are no Missions get in the way." He glances at her as he does so. Ashley is shocked. She had always said this to Shepard. And now that it's all over and they could live a quiet life, it's his turn to tell her.

On Tuesday, he is allowed to leave the hospital. Ashley used the time during Shepard's treatments to inform his friends. Many want to come and be present on the day of his release. Hackett says the council wants to organize a big celebration and invite Shepard's crew as guests of honor. The night before his release, Shepard stands at the window and looks outside. He sees the huge sea of candles, which grows larger by the day. I'm just a simple Soldier, Shepard thinks to himself. He looks around his room, it is dark and no one is there. How he would love to talk to Anderson right now. Ashley, Joker and EDI have visited in a few times. Ashley has not slept by him in the hospital since that night.

As he leaves the hospital, Shepard says goodbye to his doctors. Partly he still had to give autographs. The life of a hero he thinks to himself. A shuttle is ready and flies Shepard to the nearby hangar. Here celebrations in honor of Shepard, the savior of the galaxy, and the joint victory over the Reapers. The windows of the shuttle are darkened, so Shepard can't see anything. They land in the hangar and are welcomed by a couple of officers saluting them. Shepard is dressed in a fine uniform to maintain some professionalism.

"Commander Shepard if you would please follow me?" says an officer.

The two turn and walk to the hangar door. When the doors opens the sight is breathtaking. Countless fighter squadrons thunder across the landing pad. About 200 meters from the hangar door is a podium. On this podium are a total of 14 seats, the middle one is elevated and still empty. In front of the podium, countless rows of benches are set up. Hundreds of people, including Primarch Victus, Captain Bailey, Samara and Jacob Taylor to name a few sit there. Seated on the dais itself are Garrus, Liara, Ashley, Tali, James, Joker & EDI, Admiral Hackett & Kahlee Sanders, Javik, an empty seat with the insignia of Kaidan, Steve Cortez and an empty seat for David Anderson. Huge video screens are set up behind the lectern. Behind these screens are gigantic masses of humans, turians, asari and all other council species. Flanking the podium is the Aralakh Company on one and a Cluster of Spectre Troops on the other.

"This is your moment." the officer says, giving a little shove to Shepard, who noticeably hesitates.

As soon as he takes a step onto the rolled-out red carpet, the screens activate and every step he takes is transmitted to the galaxy. In the sky several spaceships are circling, even the Quarians can be seen with some ships. He walks past the masses, the guests stand up and salute or clap as he passing by. Arriving at the pedestal, the Aralakh Company, led by Grunt fires several salutes. The crowd is somewhat startled at this. Obviously this had not been planned Shepard thinks to himself. On top of the podium he greets each individual. Last is Hackett's turn, who first salutes and then shakes Shepard's hand. He gives him a sign that Shepard should sit down on his chair. He himself turns around and goes to the lectern: "Today is an important day in which we want to celebrate the victory. This victory does not belong to one fleet or species. This victory is the monumental result of a united galaxy of countless species. We have been able to put aside our differences long enough to defeat something as powerful as the Reapers. That alone is a victory. But the fact that we are standing here and survived this challenge makes me incredibly proud. Ahead of us lies an indescribably wonderful time."

The ceremony drags on a bit. Many representatives of all species hold speeches and award Shepard with medals. He receives the Star of Palaven, the highest award of the Turians. The Salarians award him with the Order of the Quietest. The other Races also express their gratitude and honor him. At the end of the ceremony Shepard is the most highly decorated person in the galaxy. Finally Urdnot Wrex comes on stage and hugs Shepard, who is visibly struggling with the pain. This amuses most in attendance and leads to general laughter. Two krogan enter the stage, a cub and Urdnot Bakara. Bakara holds a scepter in her hand, which she hands to Shepard.

"Shepard, you have done something that no one else has been able to do. You believed in the krogan. This we will honor forever, and anyone who needs the krogan's help will get it. "said Urdnot Bakara at the handover. "Shepard. By your deeds, you are a champion of the krogan. Please accept this Sacred Object. And we would be pleased to welcome you as honorary members of Clan Urdnot." Wrex addresses Shepard. He accepts the scepter and thanks Wrex and the other krogan.

"Shepard. Now it's your turn" Admiral Hackett says to him.

"Do I have to?" asks Shepard quietly, to which Hackett just nods with a smile and waves him to the lectern.

"I thank all for the awards. But I am only a simple human being. And this victory was not made possible by me, but by all still living and also by those who unfortunately did not make it."

He looks back at the two empty seats. He then speaks again to those present and all the listeners throughout the galaxy.
"We have achieved a victory that everyone hoped for, but never thought was real. We have created a future for ourselves that has more possibilities than the one I could have imagined. My wish for each and every one of you is that you will live a long long life in peace and freedom. Shepard out."

---

Chapter 5 A Promise & Home Visit

Shepard spent the last days after the victory celebration in New York. The Alliance had kindly rented him an apartment, where he now lives for the time being. Nothing really big, but it will do. Ashley and Shepard became a bit closer again after the victory celebration. Still, they had one last, clarifying conversation a month ago.

"Ashley, do you trust me by now? If not, we really should go our separate ways."

"Shepard. I've had a lot to think about lately. I think, no I know, that I don't deserve you. You've reached out so many times.
And over and over again I've slapped you away. I was blinded. You were this bright star that took an interest in me. The excellent hero who had his eye on a Gunnery Chief. I wasn't fair to you and hurt you so many times. It was a mistake not to trust you. And it saddens me that everyone else was able to do that and I was the only member of your crew who wasn't able to. It hurts so incredibly. Also because I know I love you."

"But do you love me because of who I am or because I'm this shining hero like you say?"

"No. I love you for who you are. It's that person and not the hero figure that I love."

"Then let's start over."

They both kiss and want to try. They need each other and they both know it.
Over the next few weeks, they have some really nice moments together, and Ashley is clearly making an effort to be the woman for Shepard that he deserves. And Shepard returns this with affection. Both are finally happy in a long time.

---

Hackett had talked to both of them as recently as last week. A new SR-3 is being built. Shepard was promoted to the rank of captain and offered to command it. The old Normandy SR-2 is also undergoing extensive repairs and will then be put back into service. A commander is also needed for this, the Alliance would like to offer this position to Ashley who has been promoted to a Commander. But this would inevitably tear them apart. Hackett had given them a week to think about it. One issue, however, is that Shepard and Ashley are still in violation of the fraternization rule. Hackett himself would try anything, but the new Alliance leadership is stricter on that interpretation. It is nothing firm, but Hackett has indicated that the two can no longer serve on an Alliance ship together.

Shepard is sitting in the living room, looking outside.
Suddenly, he gets a call from a number he doesn't recognize.
He answers it. "It's Shepard..."

Ashley is sitting in the bedroom, also worrying about her and Shepard's future. What if they are both separated. They would inevitably grow live apart. But she's also a Williams and has to uphold the family tradition. But for what she wonders? What if one of them leaves the alliance and goes along as a civilian on the Normandy? Hackett has told them that there is a lot to do in the near future and a reunion would not be possible for months between Ashley and Shepard. She remembers Miranda's words that she had said to Ashley in the shuttle.

"You may not have always been fair to him, though he deserved it. But he's alive and so do you. Make an effort, you have a lifetime to make this all up to Him."

She makes a decision and goes to Shepard in the living room. There she can still hear him thanking someone and shut the call.

"Hey. Who was that?" Ashley's discomfort is clear.

"Ashley, before I tell you who that was, I need to know what you decided."

"You know Skipper, it's not easy. We can't stay on the same ship together. And if one of us leaves the military, there's also a chance we won't see each other for a long time. But there are still so many people we need to help. And honestly, I can't do anything else but be a soldier. But I just want to be with you."

"And if I tell you that there's a possibility that both will work out after all. Just not with the Alliance?" Ashley's eyes widen. She's excited to see what Shepard has in hold, and honestly, she wants only to stay with him.

"HOW! Don't be so secretive."

"That was the Salarian Council President just now. The Spectres are to be made completely ready for use. They've made me an offer."

"What kind of offer?"

"Assuming we accept. The Citadel repairs will take about another year. Until then, we would be exempt. I get a new ship and a new rank as Rear Spectre. You get to be part of my crew. The law of fraternization does not apply to Spectres. Since you would be the second Spectre on the ship, you would be Second Captain. The Council would give us missions that are very delicate or sensitive."

"Skipper," Ashley says joyfully, falling into his arms. "That would solve all the problems."

After Shepard says yes to the Salarian Council president, they both call on Hackett and the Alliance high command. Together, they submit their resignations. Hackett had known he would get this response and wished them both well. The Official Dismissal was held a month later in Vancouver. Hackett served as a representative of the Alliance Navy. The new alliance command was also in attendance. Shepard and Ashley received several more awards. Afterwards both were honorably discharged from thir service. It became a bit cooler when a new alliance commander spoke a thoughtless sentence toward Shepard.

"You are a capable man. If at any time it should occur to you that the alliance does take precedence over your need, you are welcome to contact us. Then perhaps we would take them again. As a recruit, of course. You have proven that you don't play by the rules."

Ashley and Hackett opened their eyes in disbelief. With everything Shepard had been through, everyone knew how important Ashley was to him. Such a statement would have brought certain death to criminals and traitors. Shepard looked at the commander and replied, "I saved the galaxy for everyone. In hindsight, maybe I should have made an exception. You think you know me because you read my file. Don't be stupid enough to insult me, you will regret it. I am a Spectre and if I find something that makes YOU vulnerable, I will come to you and remember this."

After this messy confrontation, the alliance rethinks its approach and doesn't want to scare away any more recruits. Therefore, it is officially announced that the council has slightly pushed forward the recruitment of Shepard and Ashley. The two, they say, are a symbol that stands for peace and hope throughout the galaxy. The Citadel Council agreed with this interpretation.

---

Earth, New-York, 23.11.2186

The two found a new place to stay relatively quickly after being laid off. Shepard and Ashley have gained many grateful people. Shepard sits on the couch and watch at the latest news. In the meantime there are 3 ships, 2 newly planned Space Stations and a hospital to be named after him. "Quite crazy. I hope it wears off someday and I can get back to a normal life." He turns to look outside at the patio, where Ashley is on the phone with Sarah.

He looks at his watch. "Oh crap, I've got to hurry. We're running late." He turns off the TV and jumps up from the couch. On his way to the bathroom, he calls out to Ashley to get ready, too.

They both walk down 5th Avenue. It's amazing how quickly most of the damage has been repaired, Shepard thinks. It's been less than 5 months since the attack and many corners look normal again.

"Where are we going to go? I'm really hungry"

"It's a surprise. Wait a little while longer. You won't starve right away."

The two turn a corner and stand in front of a smaller restaurant.

"Here?" asks Ashley, noticeably wondering.

The restaurant isn't really that big but possibly it's nicely decorated inside, at least she hopes so.

"Trust me, you'll like it." Shepard holds the door open for Ashley and invites her inside. Inside, they are greeted by a young man.

"Good evening to you. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, on Shepard. For two."

The man checks the list and then invites the two into a separé.

"Now tell me, what's for dinner here? I don't feel like cooking later."

"Do you remember the restaurant that I blew up on the Citadel?"

"Yes. I still resent you for that."

"The owner has a little sister and she runs that restaurant. Her sushi is supposed to be also very good." He can see how pleased Ashley is.

After the meal, Shepard takes them both for a walk through a small park near the restaurant. This one is dimly lit, but the light from the full moon is enough to find the way. Several other couples are also here, watching the starry firmament. Both are holding hands and leisurely making their rounds. "I'm glad you're back with me. I was afraid to lose you, again and this time maybe forever. You must never let me go"

"I'll stay with you. Forever, I promise you that. I love you, Ash."

"I love you too. And I can promise you, I trust you. There will never again be any doubts from my person." she replies as kisses him.

Both stop on a bridge over a small river and go to the railing. Shepard activates a signal with his universal tool unnoticed. On a hill directly in sight, a few lights ignite and a large red heart hologram. Ash looks at this and doesn't notice Shepard getting down on his knees next to her. He takes her hand.

"Ashley. Will you be my wife?" She bursts into tears and only manages to sob out, "Yes! I will." He slips the ring on her finger. It is a small silver ring with a pink stone. The metal is made from a wreckage piece of the Normandy, which Shepard had taken with him when he placed the monument. Both remain standing at the railing for a long time and then walk together back to the apartment.

The next morning, Shepard wakes up. Ashley is not there, but he can hear her from the living room. She is on the phone with Sarah, telling her the happy news. "Oh my god. He proposed to me!... Of course I said yes! I can't believe it, I'm going to marry Shepard!"

---

Mindoir, New-Hamburg, 06.03.2187

As the shuttle exits hyperspace, all passengers can feel slight vibrations. The mass portals have been repaired to a large extent, but they still need to be tuned. For the moment, the ships are still slowing down very abruptly. The shuttle approaches Mindoir and is met by a cruiser. From orbit, some of the devastated land is still visible. But Mindoir was lucky, Earth or Palaven were much more devastated.

The cleanup within the largest cities is already largely complete, rural areas will need a few more months to be completely restored. Passengers are asked to take their seats, as the shuttle approaches the landing zone.

After landing, passengers stand up and take their luggage out of the stowage compartments. After that, everyone streams outside and quickly make their way through the pouring rain to the gate. At the arrival terminal there is a young lady holding a sign with the inscription -SHEPARD- in her hand. Shepard looks around and observes the people. Ashley notices the young lady first. She taps Shepard on the shoulder and signals him to come along. The last few days in New York were very stressfull for both. After more and more people found out where the two live, they decided to spend some time on a colony to have some peace and quiet. The choices were Eden Prime, Amaterasu and Mindoir. Eden Prime is still under construction and not really inviting. The Reapers had not raged here as much as Cerberus. And on Amaterasu it is rainy season, so outdoor activities are cancelled for the time being. Mindoir on the other hand, was not so badly destroyed by the Reapers, so the reconstruction progressed relatively quickly. The young lady brought the two with a Skycar to their apartment. It is a very large apartment located directly at the sea. Shepard lived not far from this quiet place, before the colony was attacked by slave traders.

"This is a nice place to stay," Ashley says as the two enter the apartment and she puts her Suitcase in the hallway.

"Yes, here we have our peace and quiet and time to ourselves."

Ashley walks to the balcony and opens the large door. From the balcony they can walk right down to the beach. And the next house is only 500 yards away.

"It's really nice here. Have you been swimming here a lot?"

"Not here but further up on the city beach we often went swimming. The water here is very clear and you can see a lot of coral." Shepard goes inside and takes a closer look at the the house. The bedroom is comfortably furnished and the kitchen is lavishly equipped.

"Shall we go for a swim? I bought a new bikini back on Earth and still have to try it on."

"Sure, why not. Let's go for a round."

In the evening, Ashley lies on a beach lounger reading a book of poetry. Shepard comes outside with dinner and both watch the sky during their meal.

"Soon it will be time and we'll be up there again," Shepard mentions.

"Yes. I can't wait. We're on our way again, together." she replies to him.

The days on Mindoir were very nice for both of them. Shepard showed her all the important places even his house, where he grew up back then. It is now a museum and is sponsored by many different institutions. Much to Shepard's displeasure the Dry Land Party also donates a portion. Here Ashley also sees for the first time pictures of Shepard's parents and what Shepard looked like before the attack. He looks a lot like his father she thinks.

"Oh God, your hairstyle was bad!" says Ashley in amazement as she looks at pictures.

"Hey, we all wore it like that back then!"

They walk to a town square after the museum visit and sit down at a fountain. Ashley still has to think about the museum visit.

"I'm sorry honey, I never asked you what your parents actually did. I'd like to change that, though, if that's okay with you."

"Ashley. We were going to start over together. And I'm glad you asked. What do you want to know?"

"What did your parents do? What was your life like?"

"My dad ran a group of technicians out here by the outskirts of the city. Back then, the colony was smaller and so could be supplied with enough food. The machinery needed was maintained by my father. And my mother was a teacher at the local school, but I was fortunately never in her class. We had a simple life, but it was peaceful."

"Did you have many friends here? Did they get out?"

"Many before the attack. But no one made it. There had been over 9000 people living here, after the attack, just a few hundred managed to escape. I saw a Batarian shot down my friends Jennifer and Mitch. But I couldn't do anything." He falters a bit. Ashley can imagine it was bad. But for what is comming next, she wasn't prepared.

"My girlfriend at the time, her name was Sue, and I had been hiding in a barn, but we were discovered, too. We had to flee and run across a field. In the distance we saw Alliance troops landing. That's where we were headed. But we did not made it. A slave trader shot after us. He missed me, but he hit Sue. She fell...to the ground. I couldn't do anything...there was blood everywhere." Ashley sees Shepard's eyes slowly moisten. She takes his hand and squeezes it tightly.

"She died in my arms. The Alliance was just a few seconds too late. If they had gotten there sooner, we all would have survived. I couldn't take Sue with me. A Soldier pulled me into the shuttle and we flew off the planet. Sue was only 14 years old. She had her whole life ahead of her."

Ashley has to think for a long time. Shepard has been through a lot of bad moments. And all of his crew knew that, except her. But she's glad to finally know.

"I'm sorry for everything you've had to go through. I understand why you didn't tell me by yourself. To me, you're still my hero."

"You know, there's something good about it, too. If it wasn't for that incident, I probably would have stayed. And I hardly think you would have ever ended up here as a soldier."

That evening, they're back at their cottage. Shepard is lying on the couch and looks out through the window to the sea. Ashley is watching him. Probably it was not so easy for him today. All the old memories come flooding back. But he has finally told her. It's finally felt right between them for months. And Ashley will do anything to keep it that way. That's what she vows to herself. Shepard turns to Ashley and can see how in love she looks at him. He looks back and gives her a kiss. Ashley returns the kiss and climbs on top of him. She grabs his face while he grips her butt. They are tightly embraced, Shepard takes off his pants and opens Ashley's blouse. Finally they are happy, Ashley thinks. They are a couple and will be forever. She has tears of joy and enjoys the moment when Shepard penetrates her. She scratches her fingers along his back as he tenderly bites into one of her nipples.

On the day of departure, Shepard is already waiting outside the house. Ashley comes outside with their things and together they load everything into the cab. Both get in and Ashley tells the pilot to fly to the address given. The cab takes off. after a while, Shepard is surprised that the cab takes a different direction. He turns to Ashley and says the cab is flying in the wrong direction. She replies that they both have to go somewhere else first. After a while Shepard realizes where the cab is going. Ash can see how excited Shepard gets. The cab lands at an abandoned farm. They both get out and look around.

"Ashley..."

"It's okay," she says as she goes to the trunk and pulls out a bunch of flowers.

"I think you have some unfinished business."

They both walk across the farm. He shows Ashley the spot where they were hiding. Both walk further into the field. Shepard is getting noticeably nervous. He always looks around. Then he stops abruptly, looks down and drops to his knees.

"Here, this is where it was."

Both of them stop at the spot for a long time. There is now a small tree growing at this place. Shepard places the flowers under the tree and looks up at the sky. Then he turns to Ashley.

"Thank you."

---

Earth, London Cathedral, 23.11.2187

Shepard sits in his hotel room preparing for his wedding. Garrus, as his groom, can clearly see his excitement. "Shepard, take it easy. You'll be fine. There have been worse situations we've been in." He stands up and helps Shepard knots his tie.

"Oh man. Today's the day." Shepard keeps glancing at the clock. Ninety minutes to go.

"You okay, Shepard?" Garrus notices that Shepard is clearly excited. And somehow not quite with it, either.

"You know. Honestly, I never would have thought to do this. Back at the Citadel, I thought this was it. I'm not going to survive this."

"And yet you did Shepard. Enjoy the day. And I'll see you at the bar later."

At the same time, Ashley is in another hotel getting ready for the wedding with Sarah. "Ashley this is going to be your day." says Sarah to her. She is also very excited and can't sit still. "Sarah, did I bring my vows? Or did I forget it at home? We have to go get that."

"Big sister, stay calm. Everything is here."

The wedding is to be held in a small circle. Nevertheless, hundreds of spectaters have gathered in front of the church. The local police have trouble keeping the crowds under control. First, Shepard and Garrus' skycar lands in front of the cathedral. The crowd cheers and takes dozens of photos. Shepard is dressed in a plain black suit, Garrus in a dark blue tuxedo. Both wave to those waiting, but hurry as quickly as possible to get into the cathedral. Inside, the closest friends and family members of Shepard and Ashley are waiting. All in all, there are still about 50 people present. The crew of the Normandy SR-1 and the two crews of the SR-2 are also invited as guests of honor. The Alliance and the Citadel Council are also present with a delegation, and Admiral Hackett serves as a representative of all humanity and offers the congratulations for Shepard and Ashley at the end of the ceremony.

Garrus and Shepard stand at the altar, the cathedral is very quiet. Suddenly, from outside, they hear the crowd erupt in cheers.

"Ashley will have just landed." said Garrus calmly to Shepard.

Joker & EDI are also in attendance. Since this is the first wedding EDI has attended, she tries to take in as many impressions as she can. She also reads Shepard's mental data and is clearly enjoying herself. He seems to be suffering from stress, but a different form than he had on Elysium or the collector base.

"Jeff. Is it normal for people to be excited at a wedding?" she quietly addresses Joker.

"Yes, perfectly normal. It's a special day, too."

"When are we getting married?" Although EDI tries to be quiet, Samantha can hear the discussion, as can Admiral Hackett. Both roll their eyes and have to stifle a laugh after Joker rather awkwardly tries to change the subject.

The music starts as Ashley enters the cathedral. Shepard turns to the entrance and sees his future wife striding towards him. He has never felt her as beautiful as he does now. Both exchange their vows. The priest marries them with God's blessing and they kiss.

In the evening, after the obligatory wedding dance of the two, Shepard and Garrus meet outside on the balcony of the hotel.

"Garrus. Can I ask you something? It's still classified, but I wanted to know your answer."

"Sure, what's it about?"

"Ashley and I are serving on a new ship soon. Not an Alliance ship but a Citadel Council ship. A new frigate that belongs directly to the Spectres and reports to me."

"Well, that sounds good to me. And what do you want to know?"

"I want to KNOW if you might want to join us. The missions are very important."

"Shepard. Actually, I was going to look for a quiet place, but I'm sure your ship has another gun that needs to be calibrated. I'm in!" Both are visibly pleased. Ashley joins them and inquires about both of them. Shepard tells her that Garrus will also be part of the crew.

"Just like the old days, Ashley."

"Oh yeah Garrus. Just like the old days." Ashley says with a grin and gives Shepard a kiss.

"Honey, you need to come inside. My mom still wants to dance with you."

Ashley grabs Shepard by the arm and pulls him away from the railing. Garrus can still see Shepard's face as he does so. Although he doesn't yet know all of the facial expressions, Garrus is sure he sees a mixture of fear and discomfort. He laughs softly and takes another sip of the Turian whiskey. He turns back to the stars and watches the twinkling of some of them. "So we're off again soon."

The new family is spending their honeymoon on Elysium. They only have a few weeks before they have to return to active duty. But Shepard and Ashley want those weeks just for them.

End ARC 1