Ash, Liara, Tali and Miranda found their way into the main command canter of the station. The room was circular with a console in the middle. Pipes and wires extended from under a platform and around the walls and into the celling. At the other end of the room was a window that overlooked the battle in space, with a dead body in front of it. The four moved up to it and got a good look.
"The Illusive man," Miranda muttered as she got a good look at his face.
"Couldn't happen to a nicer man," Liara muttered as she looked around. "I'm not going to say it,"
"Say what?" Tali asked also looking around.
"It's too quiet," Ash said doing the same as the other two. "That's what she means,"
Tali just sighed at that. "You humans and your 'jinxes',"
Miranda just said nothing as she cocked her SMG. "Something here," she muttered.
Liara just looked to Ash with a smug look, but the Empress just rolled her eyes. A figure in black armour then landed on the main console looking at all four of them. A sword in his hand and glowing red eyes.
"Kai," Miranda muttered. "I see that TIM still hasn't put you down,"
Kai said nothing as he vanished from sight. "Damn it cloak," Ash cursed as the four tightened their formation keeping their eyes open.
Cloaking technology was something that could be detected if one paid attention to their surroundings. Ripples in the air, movement of dust, a coppery taste in the air. These things were hard to get rid of, if at all. Even the geth couldn't manage to figure how to fix these problems. As they looked around, Miranda stumbled back into Liara before being able to fire off a few shots that just hit air.
Liara then reacted as something grabbed her throat and began to choke her. In reaction Ashley swept her foot at the assumed position of the assailant. She managed to hit something as Liara was get out. A loud thud sounded and the cloak vanished showing Lang on the floor. Before he could do anything Liara and Tali opened fried killing him out right. With a sigh, the others looked to each other with a smile. But that didn't last long as Ashley was suddenly thrown across the room.
She was then kicked in the side sending her sprawling again. The others were also sent sprawling across the floor in pain. The sounds of cloaks disengaging met their ears as they looked up. Multiple Kai Langs stood around the room, all armed with swords in pistols. There were five in all, this was going to be a hard fight.
"You will serve," they all said in unison. "Or you will die,"
"Well, that's not creepy at all," Liara said as she threw up a flashbang.
It detonated in the air blinding everyone. But the time the air cleared, Ash, Liara, Tali and Miranda took cover and the Kai's disappeared into nothingness. All of them kept their eyes open until Ashley found herself being flung though the air again. This time into the neighbouring room. She manged to roll before jumping up and aimed her pistol. At the entrance she came from. Her eyes locked on anything that moved. Backing up slowly she moved her pistol around the new room she was in, trying to be careful with what came out of the woodwork. This new cloaking tech was harder if not impossible to detect.
These clones as well were very problematic. She was aware of Kai Lang was arrested for murder and that he was N7, but so was John and she had trained herself up with the other fighters on the Normandy. Samara, Jack, Liara, Miranda and Wrex, she cracked her next and got herself ready for a fight. Her breathing slowed as she relaxed, calmness flowed across her body as she slowly backed up. Now wasn't the time to panic, but focus. Something behind her fell onto the floor.
She didn't think, just reacted as she turned and fired a few rounds in the direction of the sound. A loud crack echoed in the room and the cloak of a Kai vanished. The clone then advanced on her brandishing his sword as the other one de-cloaked and grabbed her with his arm around her neck. He slowly choked her as the other prepared to gut her. Letting pistol fall and rammed both her foot and elbow into Kai's side and foot. But like a monster he did not move other then yell out in pain.
The other Kai then moved in and attempted to stab her, but Ash moved out of the way and kicked him in the head. That caused him to stumble allowing her to twist out of the other Kai's grasp before slamming her robotic arm into his face. To her surprise, it didn't send him down. Instead he turned allowing her to see part of his face almost turned in on itself. This thing wasn't a clone, it was a machine.
It then tried to swipe at her with its sword, but she dived for her pistol. As she emerged from the roll, she fired at the damaged one. Three of the rounds hit while the other's bounced off. but the ones that did hit did little damage. Locking the pistol onto her mag lock, she then drew her knife before charging in. Her fist once again met the machines face followed by bisecting the robot. While she didn't manage to cut it in half, the machine was still too damaged to operate and fell down leaking fluid.
Once down she looked around for the other machine which had recloaked. Her breathing slowed again as she raised her pistol and knife. Calmness filled her again as she edged toward the door, eyes locking onto the slightest movement.
A sudden flash of cold and heat then erupted from her side. She looked down to see part of a sword sticking out of her. Blood dripped from the wound as she looked back as the Kai machine decloaked. It pulled it's weapon out of her and jumped back as she fell to her knees.
"You will be terminated and serve the Reapers," it said.
"Fuck," she muttered holding her wound. "This is nothing!" her teeth gritted as she stood and turned on the machine.
"You will submit," it said before it charged.
As it moved in, Ash activated her omni-blade and cut the machine's arm off making it stumble.
"Error, error," it said before she moved in and cut it's head off and then stabbed in the core.
The machine shut down and died. She sighed in response and fell to her knees.
"This is going to hurt," she muttered as she pressed the blade against her wound crying out in pain as she did so.
OOOOO Same time as Ashley's fight.
Miranda could only watch as Ash was flung into another room while she was picked up but an invisible force by the throat. Something tightened around her neck cutting off her air. Her arm began to glow blue as she raised it. She then fired a low yield biotic blast sending a Kai machine a hole in its neck letting her go while it sent her into the command console. A she landed she looked over to Liara who was looking around with her pistol up.
Tali was going the same with her shotgun. "Bostet, damned Reaper tech," she muttered.
"Keep an eye out," Liara said. "They could be anywhere," as she spoke her arms began to glow.
"Keep together," Miranda warned as she and the others moved back to back. "They're trying to pick us off one by one,"
"Is that why they send two after Ashley?" Liara asked.
"Maybe, maybe they see her as a bigger threat," Miranda shook her head. "I don't know, but there's something about her that they fear,"
"Maybe the same thing as John?" Tali offered.
"Possibly," Miranda agreed before throwing a biotic blast at the floor causing a Kai machine to decloak and stumble.
It didn't get a chance to recover as Tali unloaded two rounds into the machine while Liara threw a biotic blast taking the top half of the machine. One more and the three looked around, their eyes locking on anything that moved. They tried to move as little as possible, they couldn't afford any mistakes at this stage. The clatter of a grenade met their ears and they dived out of the way.
A Kai machine decloaked in front of Liara and kicked her in the face sending her sliding across the floor before disappearing again. Her helmet was cracked, but not enough to cause a breach. In response she fired a few rounds towards the machine, but the rounds harmlessly hit the wall. She jumped to her feet and applied some onmi-gel to the glass causing the crack to vanish.
Tali cocked her shotgun as she looked around, wishing that she made some kind of cloak detection gear. These Kai's were getting annoying, she began to focus her hearing, listening to anything that might seem abnormal. She then felt something brush past her, she turned and fired. The rounds glanced off the Kai machine forcing the cloak to vanish. That's when all three of them fired their weapons destroying the machine.
Before they could congratulate themselves, the sound of Ash screaming met their ears and they ran into the next room.
OOOOO
Miranda, Liara and Tali ran into the room as Ash repeated the same process on her back. "FUUUUCCCCCCKKKKK," she cried as Liara looked at her wounds.
"Blade, went straight through," she said as she applied medigel. "We need to get you back to Shoko,"
"Let's plant the charges," Ash said ignoring what Liara said. "We need to destroy this place," she got up and grabbed her final charge before Miranda grabbed her hand.
"No," she nearly yelled. "Ash you need to stop, now. You going to kill yourself otherwise,"
Ash just pulled her arm away from Miranda paying no attention to what she said. "Plant the charges," was all she said as she pulled out her last charge.
"Is she ok?" Tali asked but all she got was silence for a moment.
"No," Miranda finally said. "She's never gotten over John's death or been able to take revenge for it,"
"That hate is eating her up," Liara concluded. "She's not going to stop until she get's what she wants,"
"We have to stop her," Tali muttered.
"Yeah," Miranda muttered as she charged her biotics. "Now," she walked toward the main control room, but before she and the other two could take one step inside, the door shot up and locked.
Liara's eyes widened. "No wait STOP!" she yelled but the room they were in was ejected into space. "Ashley!"
"That idiot!" Miranda called as all three of them began to shed tears.
Ashley let a few tears dropped as she armed the charge onto the main console. "I'm coming, John," she muttered as she worked.
"Yes, you will," a voice said.
Ash stopped what she was doing before turning around and emptied her magazine into Harbinger who stood behind her. But the shield he had was stronger than anything she had seen before. But it allowed her to get a good look at him. For the most part, he looked something akin to human. Similar to the asari or qurrians, but his skin was very dark to the point of almost black.
But that could just be the augments he had. He had four fingers and a wedged shape head. Similar to the Protheans, but smaller and several tentacle like appendages hanging from his the back head.
"Pathetic," he chuckled as Ash dropped her weapon and brought her arm up.
His expression was hard to read as her hand opened up into a barrel.
"Eat this," she said and fired something resembling a biotic blast sending Harbinger flying backwards. "Weapons left," she muttered as she pulled a handle on her robotic arm ejecting a spend thermal clip.
Harbinger just laughed as he stood. "Nice trick," he said.
"Had it made especially for you," she replied before firing another shot. "And I only have a few shots for it left," another thermal clip got ejected as she advanced on him.
He just laughed as he fired something from his own arm. The shot hit her square in the chest and flew her back. She hit the glass which cracked, grunting as she stood, she fired at the glass until it breached. The vacuum broke the window and sucked all of the air, and anything not nailed down. Ash planned for this and activated her mag boots. While everything around her got flung into space, she stayed in place. But that didn't last for long as Harbinger used this opportunity to grab Ashley and pull her out into space with him.
The momentum of him being pulled out with vacuum, he managed to pull Ashley out with him despite her mag boots. They flew out into space but Ash managed to grab onto one of the orb fighters and push herself back towards the station. She landed on the station in a heap cracking her helmet. Cursing as she got up, she watched as Harbinger used in built jets to get back to the station. As soon as he landed a shield erupted around the two.
Her helmet indicated a valid atmosphere, she looked towards him. "Any reason you are letting me breath?"
"It will be more satisfying to see the look on your face when I ring the life out of you," he said coldly as he pulled out a blade.
Ash stood and pulled off her helmet while keeping her focus on Harbinger. Drawing her knife, she then charged at Harbinger, who didn't move. As she got close, then he moved. He back handed her making her fall to the floor before he kicked her hard in the gut sending her flying a few feet.
Ashley grunted as she got up on all fours and coughed up some blood. She looked up with her one good eye spying Harbinger approaching with a blade in hand. As she stood, she gritted her teeth as pain surged though her body, but this was nothing to her. She spat out some more blood as her focus locked on Harbinger.
"Your race, has caused me enough trouble for the last time," he declared. "This time, I won't even use your race. Just exterminate you all!"
"You'd have to go through me first," Ashley said as a ship exploded nearby. "As long as I still stand, you won't harm another soul!"
Their eyes locked, then they charged at each other. This time she slid under him before kicking him in the ass making him stagger. He turned fast trying to cut her with his sword, but all he managed to cut was her hair. But she moved with the sword swing and dived into a roll before she jumped up and managed to punch in the face. That was followed by a kick to his own gut.
But that did little due to the augments he had. He grabbed onto her leg and pushed her away. Ash fell before rolling onto her back and fired a biotic blast at him. She ejected the thermal clip, but didn't have another to replace it. The shot did manage to blow his arm off, blue blood dripped from his wound, but it just pissed him off as he charged at her. She managed to move out of the way as he drove his sword into the station where she used to lay.
After a quick recovery she them managed to kick him in the head forcing him to let go of his sword. She then managed to pin him down and drove her knife into his face. He cried out in pain and thrashed around trying to push her off. But his weakening strength prevented him from doing so as she pushed her knife deeper and deeper into him. As she did this, she activated the backup atmosphere shield around her head.
Soon enough, Harbinger stopped twitching and died. The atmosphere shield collapsed and Ash fell back watching as one by one, the Reaper units shut down. She smiled as she fell asleep.
Her eyes opened as the smell and sounds of a beach met her. She sat up and saw her children, playing with Liara, Miranda, Tali, Jun and John. A smile formed on her face as she watched them play around. Soon the ball landed near her, getting up she picked it up and handed it to John. The two leaned in and kissed.
"Ash it's time to wake up," he said.
"What?" she asked confused.
"Wake up," Liara said.
Miranda and the others soon followed. "Wake up Ashley," they said on after the other.
"ASHLEY!" Miranda yelled. "God fucking damnit wake up!"
Ash woke up suddenly spitting out a goblet of blood that landed on the wall of the medbay. "Fuck," she muttered as she lay back down looking up at Liara, Tali and Miranda. "W…where am I?" she asked.
"On the Normandy," Liara said.
"And Harbinger?"
"Dead, along with his station and the rest of the Reapers," Miranda answered coldly.
"We're on our way back home," Tali finished. "Hopefully we can have some peace,"
Ash was silent as she looked at Miranda who looked down at her with an unimpressed look. "Let's get this part over with," she said as she sat up. "Go on,"
There was no hesitation as Miranda slapped her across the face hard. "I think you know what I'm going to say,"
"Yeah," Ash muttered. "I know, I just…" tears began to fall. "I want him back so much,"
Miranda then pulled the marine into a hug to which the other three also followed. "I know," Miranda said. "We all want him back," she said with her own tears falling down. "At least now he can rest in peace," Ash smiled that that.
OOOOO several years later.
Ash sigh as she walked along with one of her advisors. "The economy is looing good for the rest of the year, but I fear a few drops," he said.
"We'll deal with a few drops," Ashley said. "Send Miranda the papers, she deals with the economic side of things,"
"I will," her advisor said before he walked away while Ash just stopped and looked out at Empire city.
23 years, it had been 23 years since the destruction of the Reapers. Not one had returned despite her fears.
After the destruction of the Reapers, the Galactic Union was created ending the Warlord Era. Now was a time of rebuilding as the different nations began to negotiate and end off the odd pirate raid. Those 23 years had given a good amount of peace for all involved. There were a few skirmishes but nothing bordering on outright war.
The only thing that came close was Mordin's Genophage cure, which caused major problems for everyone. But it was agreed that if the Korgan would follow a set of population rules preventing another Korgan rebellion. Those few weeks gave Ashley some grey hairs. But that was over, and Mordin was now dead. He died shortly after the incident and a lab was made in his honour.
Another friend gone, but she moved on like she always did. At 53 years old she still had some life left in her. A surge of pain shot up her spine and felt like crushing her head. She grabbed her head in annoyance of the pain before pressing her back against the window. But it died as soon as it had come.
"Fucking Reapers," she muttered.
According to Shoko, due to the exposure she had to the Reaper indoctrination, her nervous system became damaged. It couldn't be repaired. While Liara and Tali had the same amount of exposure, it affected her the most due to simply being human. The nanites couldn't help in this regard either, if they started to mess around with her nervous system, it could turn out to be worse.
She knew her time was coming, but she didn't mind. There was a lot she had been though, but the one thing she felt that would last would be her children. Not just the one's she gave birth to, no, all six of Johns children made her feel accomplished. Looking out of the window again, she watched as all six of her children walk up to the Imperial palace. Leon, Sarah, Nefi, Benezia, Talia and Jin. She smiled as she went down to meet them.
Leon smiled as he and his siblings walked into the palace. "Oh, hi mom," he said as he saw Ashley walk down the stairs.
"Hello you little terrors," she said with a smile. "I would ask you how your day was, but judging by your clothing," she muttered as she looked at their mucky clothing. "Sina Jack?"
"Sina Jack," Benezia nodded.
Ash smiled but before she could talk, her body felt so heavy that she fell to the four shocking and panicking her children. Soon she felt light as she closed her eyes for the final time.
Ashley awoke in a white room with John standing nearby. "Come on Ashely, it's time to rest," he said.
Ash smiled as she stood and walked over to John walking with him into the endless white room.
Well that's all she wrote folks, thanks for reading my work.