Another chapter for you to read. I wanted to quickly apologise for all the word mess ups in the previous chapters. It is being fixed just so you know. In the meantime, I have really tried to check over this chapter... So I hope you like it!
Now where were we?
(I own nothing)
Chapter 7: Command
Ashley was having a hard day
There was nobody on the Normandy to talk to, they had all gone to the Silversun Strip or were tying up loose ends before the investigation really started. And Kaidan had a fever.
And because Shepard was at that stupid parade, there was nobody else to help her.
'Shhhh' she hummed to Kaidan bouncing him back and forth the hallway outside of their room, placating him enough to put him in his high chair.
What had once been Shepard's office on board the Normandy had now become a fully-fledged baby nursery, complete with a diaper changing table. Since they had left on such short notice, Ashley had no problems placing all the brand new baby equipment on a requisitions order for expenses. Serves the Admiral's right, for giving Shepard the go-ahead to take his child on a SPECTRE mission.
She knew that Kaidan was going to adjust badly to being on a ship. The Normandy was no place for a young baby. But Shepard being Shepard, probably hadn't even considered the possibility that having a newborn on a military grade stealth warship could be slightly inconvenient for the people on board.
That and he probably thought he would go gallivanting across the galaxy, in his noble quest, while Ashley could stay on board minding Kaidan, waiting with a meal and handkerchief when he arrived back.
Not on your bloody life.
Just as she was thinking her dark thoughts, a dollop of applesauce hit her smack bang in the face.
Blinking, and wiping it away with her sleeve, she shot a steady glare at the now grinning Kaidan, whose spoon was conveniently on the floor.
She couldn't help but smile at his cheeky expression.
Like father, like son.
She supposed that was part of the reason she loved him so much.
She sighed steadily, as she cleaned the spoon and began feeding Kaidan the mushy mix. It was strange, how little she actually knew Shepard. It wasn't that she minded about his past, after all, he couldn't change it anymore than Kaidan could fix his own fever. What made her angry, and more than a little hurt, was the fact that he didn't tell her.
The fact that he had a brother was obviously a very emotional subject for him, but you would expect there to be a certain level of trust, of sharing, between them. Enough for him to let her in.
Knowing him, he probably didn't tell her because he thought it would hurt her, or drive her away. That was probably a reminder of what had happened on Horizon. When she had turned him away. But becoming a wife and a mother had changed her. She wasn't the same person she was back then.
Good grief, the fact that she was even on this ship now was a sign of that.
If it had been the old Ashley, she would have taken her stuff and hopped on the next transport, waiting for Shepard to follow behind her.
But Kaidan needed his dad, and she needed her husband.
Even if he was a complete lunatic.
She had almost finished feeding Kaidan when the elevator dinged outside the room and someone banged on the door causing Kaidan to start crying again.
Annoyed, Ashley picked up Kaidan and scanned the door to open. Outside, was a breathless James and a jumpy Liara.
'Ashley. It's Shepard' Liara said.
Ashley immediately became concerned, and shifted Kaidan onto her other hip.
'What about Shepard?'
'It looks like Cerberus has attacked the conference where they were holding the speeches' James finished.
Ashley gazed at them steadily for a few seconds.
'Intel?' she questioned.
Liara shook her head.
'None so far. We don't even know who their target is, there are a lot of influential people in that room. We can't get any scans, they haven't sent out any demands and the infiltration teams C-Sec has sent in were decimated.'
'Then how do we even know its Cerberus?'
'Security managed to shoot some of them down. They have the insignia and match the armour.'
Ashley considered what they had told her. Before, when she had found out about the explosion she had been scared of her mind. But that was because she couldn't do anything.
That wasn't going to be the case this time.
'Right' she said her face set and determined. She marched into the elevator, flanked by Liara and James.
'Were was it being held?' she asked pressing the button for the cargo hold.
James and Liara gave each other a look.
'The Eressia Hotel' Liara answered as the elevator stopped and Ashley marched out towards the armoury.
'Here' she said turning around placing Kaidan in James' unprepared arms, before turning and rummaging through a container. She stopped and pulled out bits of her old Phoenix Armour.
She grimaced at the pink and white colour, but then shrugged.
Beggars can't be choosers.
'Errr... Ashley? What do you think you're doing?' James asked, holding Kaidan awkwardly in his arms.
She turned to him, her hair already place in a rushed bun.
'What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going in. We left on such short notice, the only armour I had in Vancouver was my old set from my Gunnery Chief days. But it was better than nothing. Why do you think I brought so much crap with me? I couldn't let Shepard see it, he would have a heart attack at the thought of me going back out into the field.'
'I think I'm going to have a heart attack' James muttered.
She shot him a steady look.
'What James? Did you think I was just going to sit up here, while all 'active' soldiers ran around firing guns? I'm here because my husband, whether he thinks so or not, needs me.'
James hesitated before continuing.
'No offence L.C, but you haven't been in the field since the baby was born-'
'Don't even try to pull that crap Lieutenant. I may not be a hot shot N7, and a new mum, but that doesn't mean that I don't know how to handle myself. I'm an Alliance soldier, it's in my blood. And I am a SPECTRE, so don't even think about trying to stop me.'
She grabbed a set of guns and strapped them onto her armour.
James turned to her with an angry expression.
'And who is supposed to look after Kaidan while you're gone huh? What if something happens to you?'
She kissed Kaidan on the head, before walking back into the elevator.
'Nothing will happen to me. As for who will look after Kaidan... I'm sure they must have covered childcare during N7 training. Oh, and by the way... he needs to be changed'
The elevator door closed before he could reply.
He turned to Liara, a pleading expression on his face. She shook her head quickly, a wry grin playing at the corner of her mouth.
'Your cute James, but not that cute. I think I'll go and help with the background research into the attack' she finished, walking off and pressing the elevator button to return.
When it did, she stepped inside.
'I wouldn't worry about Ashley James, she can handle herself.'
The doors closed, and James peered down at Kaidan who was grinning up at him evilly.
'You're not going to make this easy on me are you?'
Kaidan just giggled.
Ashley arrived to chaos. The whole hotel was surrounded by C-Sec. Blaring sirens and flashing lights. She made her way to what appeared to be the command centre, where a stressed Commander Bailey, a turian man Ashley recognised as General Amicus, two humans Ashley didn't know and a salarian man all in combat armour surrounded around what looked like a holographic projection of the hotel.
She walked towards them, interrupting what looked like a planned strike ops on the hotel.
'... and then we send in Teams Relan and Mikav through the balustrades here and here.'
Commander Bailey stopped, noticing Ashley's presence.
The two humans saluted at the sight of her and moved forward to introduce themselves.
'Major Andrew Winston ma'am, and this is First Leutenant Anna Churchill' he indicated the woman to his right.
'We're the newest SPECTRE's' she finished with a light Irish accent.
She pondered them for a moment.
'Winston and Churchill huh?'
The both grinned identically.
The salarian man moved himself forward and bowed his head towards Ashley.
'Eigor Bau, at your service Lieutenant Commander Shepard'
She nodded in greeting and turned with a grim face towards the general and the commander.
'What exactly is the situation gentleman?'
Both men gave each other a look, before Bailey began to explain.
'As it stands, three attempted strikes to take back the hotel have failed. We know its Cerberus, but their appeared to be another smaller body working with them with unknown insignias. We haven't been able to discern how many people have been killed or hurt, but one of my infiltrators managed to set a, so far, undetected camera in the corridor leading into the main conference room.'
'So we have someone on the inside?' she questioned but Bailey grimly shook his head.
'They've been throwing the bodies of the officers out of the fifth floor windows. His body was one of them.'
Ashley gazed at the hologram.
'Do we know any reason why they've attacked? Or who they are targeting?'
Major Winston stepped forward.
'The SPECTRE's were assigned to researching into Cerberus by Councillor Michaels, we think that the target is Commander Shepard himself given their apparent interest in seeing him dead. But we don't know for sure. They got in through the security team, they had several moles placed inside and were able to overcome them and take the hotel.'
She nodded again. This operation must of been planned out for weeks, if that was the case, Cerberus must have been very patient with their moles, waiting for exactly the right time to strike. Either that, or Shepard being here at all was a mere coincidence.
But from what Shepard had told the ground team, Cerberus appeared to have insiders in the New Alliance's intelligence networks. It wouldn't be hard to assume that they had agents inside C-Sec, and possibly the SPECTRE's as well.
'So what were you planning to do?' she questioned.
The general spoke for the time, his low voice humming in rising harmonics.
'We have been going over the blueprints of the building and we think that we have found two weak points that we can exploit.'
He zoomed in on two points on the building, highlighted red.
'Here and here, thermo-image scans have picked up little movement, and patrols from the insurgents are spaced far enough apart that the two teams can get in fast without detection, and hopefully find and unlock the jammers that have been put up to block communications. Then maybe a strike team can get in, and hopefully, recover what is left of the people inside.'
Ashley concentrated on the balconies where the two strikes were planned.
They were close, too close, to the main conference room for the patrols to be that infrequent. Either Cerberus had killed everyone, they had moved them to a different area or it was a trap.
And since it was unlikely that they would still be in the building if everyone was dead, and the thermo-scans clearly indicated a mass grouping of people within the hall that left only...
'Scrap it' she said determinedly focusing her attention back on the General.
'It's what they expect.'
The General's mandibles flared and Bailey looked uncomfortable, but Bau was nodding sagely.
'Yes. I myself would find it a highly irregular and unprofessional move for Cerberus to undertake. Amateurs, they are not.'
He waved his arm over the highlighted areas.
'The patrols are too close to the hostage area, to be that sporadic. I think it is a trap, to draw our attention away from something else.'
'We don't have time to discuss this! Getting the hostages out should be the main priority here!' the General exclaimed.
'I completely agree General, which is why I would advise you away from this course of action' Ashley finished calmly.
The General shot Ashley a look, and appeared ready to argue, but instead took a deep breath and calmed himself.
'Very well, what is your alternative suggestion?'
Ashley studied the map for a few more minutes. The hotel was strategically, a brilliant place to hold against an invading force. It had five floors, but no roof access. The person who had designed it had placed a cylinder like cone in place of a roof, with only on small two man entrance balcony and a single door into the building.
The only other options were as the General said, the balconies and ledges running along all four walls of at every level. But they were all heavily guarded, or conveniently unguarded, and any orbital assault would probably destabilise the whole building.
But the map seemed to have a glitch. On the ground level, there existed a shadow dip in the plans, that couldn't possibly be supported by the building.
'What's that?' she questioned pointing at the flaw in the design.
Churchill leaned in squinting at the glitch.
'These plans must have been updated at some point, but the architect overlooked the grid here.'
She leaned in scanning over the area with her omni-tool. A series of loud beeps followed, before an almost identical set of blueprints appeared next to the current hologram.
Churchill continued, reading off her omni-tool.
'It seems during the Battle of the Citadel in 2183, the hotel was partially destroyed by the debris. The hotel was redesigned afterwards, which would explain the new plans.'
She zoomed in on the glitch area.
'On the older plans, it seems the hotel didn't run off the main grid, but instead had a series of portable underground, thermo-generators, that ran off the heat of the main hub in the area.'
'Underground generators?' Ashley questioned leaning in to look at the old map.
'Do you think that the old room might still be there?'
Bailey leaned in as well.
'I remember after the Battle there was a lot of trouble about people refusing to properly clear debris from areas like this. I was in charge of the inspection in this district. I remember that each holding complied with the regulations. Easiest job I had during the cleanup.'
He finished with another glance at the old plans.
'Here, you see? The old basement connects to an emergency duct. We could get a team through there, and then up into the building.'
The General spoke up, his mandibles raised thoughtfully.
'Yes... It would have to be a small team though, as to not draw their attention.'
'We volunteer.'
Ashley was surprised at the voice behind her. She turned around to see Tali, Jacob, Miranda, Grunt, Kasumi, Zaeed, Jack and Samara standing behind them.
She grinned. Typical of Shepard's team to eavesdrop.
She turned back to the contemplative General and the Commander.
'So do I' she stated firmly.
Both men looked over the team.
'I did say small Shepard. Pick three. The rest can help with the strike team or intel. I believe the old plan should still work. Get in there, and unblock their jammers. Until then, we can't help you when you're inside.' The General finished with a nod towards them while Ashley overcame her shock of being referred to as "Shepard".
'After you get your team together, I'll get someone to take you to the duct tunnels. Just a heads up, you won't be able to fit that big boy in there.' He said with a pointed glance towards Grunt, who was examining a shotgun he grabbed off one of the frightened C-Sec officers.
Ashley nodded. Eigor moved forward.
'Good luck in there. I hope Commander Shepard is still unharmed and that you succeed.'
Ashley smiled her thanks at the three SPECTRE's, as they turned back to the General and the Commander, continuing to talk.
She turned to the team, and eyed them up.
While she may not know all of them well in the field, Shepard had often engaged her in conversation about the fights and operations he had done with each of them.
'Kasumi, Jack and Zaeed.'
While she knew Jack and Zaeed were far less subtle than Tali or Miranda, she needed a biotic and heavy hitters. Plus, she hoped Kasumi's infiltration skills would more than make up for it.
She turned to the rest of the team, all of whom seemed ready to object.
Before they could argue she raised her hand, demanding silence.
'I know I'm not Shepard, and most of you have never even worked with me before, but I know what I'm doing. And if the rest of you are half as good as Shepard tells me, then I need you to work with intel and the strike team. I won't direct you were to go there, I think that much should be obvious' she finished sarcastically gesturing towards Grunt, who was eyeing up another officers pistol.
A nervous laugh ran through the group, and the infiltration team moved forward to stand with her. And just like that she felt a warm feeling go through her, as if she was going home to a family BBQ.
Admittedly one with more thermo clips.
She turned back to Bailey, interrupting him.
'Ready to go Commnder.'
He waved one of his men forward from her post.
'Sergeant, take a patrol car with these four to gridlock Alpha-Beta 233-1452. Drop them off there fast and quiet. I don't want this mission to get more complicated than it already is.'
The woman nodded and Bailey turned back to the infiltration team.
'I'm sending you all maps of the ducts and underground areas' he said firing up his omni-tool.
'Good hunting down there.' He finished.
The officer waved them forward, and they wormed their way back through the crowd. They stopped and waited while she fetched the car.
Ashley turned her head to look over the three and their weaponry.
'I see Grunt wasn't the only one to steal some guns.'
They all just smiled at her, Jack speaking up.
'What? You gonna sit us in the naughty corner boss lady?'
Ashley quickly grabbed the pistol Jack was holding loosely in her hand.
Jack jumped back, her biotics flaring in caution, but Ashley paid her no mind examining the weapon. With a satisfied hum she slung her own pistol back at Jack, before strapping Jack's to her side.
'Nah. Just wanted to see if you had a better gun then my piece of crap.' She finished before climbing into the arrived patrol car.
Jack let out a laugh.
'Shepard did good when he picked you up lady.'
As the car took off, Ashley allowed her chest to tighten for the first time that night.
What if Shepard...
She shook her head.
Shepard wouldn't be dead. After all, he still had a lot of grovelling to do.
And damned if she wasn't going to enjoy watching him do it.
They had him tied to a chair.
Because the snipers missed, Garrus and he had been able to kill five assault troopers just with glass and their hands. But eventually, they had been tackled to the ground.
Garrus was dragged to one corner of the room, with all the remaining people who were still alive. The councillors were all there, Councillor Michael's faces punched puffy, and holding a wounded shoulder.
The assault troopers didn't take Shepard to the same corner, but instead dragged him out through the corridor and into another room. Bound, blindfoolded and gagged, the only sound he heard was Garrus' distant yelling.
'Where did you take him!'
SMACK!
'Shut up! Shut the fuck up!'
SMACK! SMACK!
Shepard strained his ears, and was reward with a low groan he recognized as Garrus'.
'Fucking metal heads...'
Since then, Shepard could here only the sound of people moving around him. Dragging things, lifting and electrical sparking.
When he didn't hear anything for a while, he started to strain on his restraints, but they wouldn't budge.
'Still tryin' to find away to crawl your fucking ass outta the shit Jarryd.'
His head grew still. He knew that voice.
'What? Did you reckon I'd be dead by now? No longer able to come back and haunt you? No such luck eh?'
A hand roughly removed his blindfold, and Shepard got his first look around the room he was in. It was small, and black backdrops ran across the walls. Stage lights and a camera were unlit, but pointing at him.
'Like our little production set do you?'
Shepard turned to the source of the voice, and his eyes locked with the large hulking man behind the camera grinning at him.
Erik.
'That's right. It's me, your old boss Erik.'
He moved around the lights and leaned into face Shepard. His bad breath hitting him like a wave.
'But I work for Cerberus now.'
Shepard kept his eyes glued to the serrated knife Erik had at his belt. If he could just...
'And this my friend' Erik said patting the camera.
'Is your redemption'
Shepard gazed at the camera confused.
Erik chuckled.
'Oh no! Not yet! You see we have jammers up, so no signal can get in or out of this building. That's to stop the idiots at C-Sec successfully mounting an assault. But you see, we need to take those jammers down in order to broadcast. So we set up a little trap, to... distract them while we hold the breaking news live!' He finished with a chortle.
'Well? Would do ya think? Oh, forgot'
He leaned down again and pulled of the gag.
Shepard worked his jaw for a moment, before answering.
'If you plan to broadcast my death, then why did you try to kill me?'
'What?' Erik laughed 'Those snipers? Tranq darts my friend. It would have been a lot easier, and five men wouldn't be dead'
Erik leaned in with a scowl.
'But you'll be making up for that.'
Shepard watched as the man pulled out his knife, and began playing with it.
'I'm a N7 Erik. Nothing you do will make me say anything to further your cause.'
For the first time Erik looked shocked, and then realised a walrus like howl of laughter.
'No, no Shepard. You got it all wrong. This isn't about torture or coercion, this is about the truth.'
'Whose truth!' Shepard yelled 'Your truth!'
Erik let out a dangerous growl, before a sly grin came across his face.
'We killed him you know'
Shepard's face paled involuntarily. Garrus...
'Yeah, after you ditched Cerberus the Illusive Man sent teams to find him, with the help of the Reds.'
Shepard shot him a blank stare.
What the hell was he talking about?
'Oh yeah. You forgot about him didn't you? Didn't think your little addict brother was going to attract much attention eh? But the Illusive Man found him.'
No... It can't be.
Erik laughed again at Shepard's distressed face.
'Oh yeah we got him. I was there when his screams shook the halls. They pumped him full of everything from thresher acid, to undiluted krogan piss.'
A single tear escape Shepard's eye. Erik jumped on it like a vulture.
'And you know what?' he whispered.
'His last words were about how much he hated you.'
Shepard shook his head.
'You're lying.' He spat out.
Erik hit him, his head slamming back into the chair.
'Oh yeah? Well then how is it that I know what really happened at the factory that night?'
Shepard gazed up at him, a look of terror crossing his face.
'Yeah, that's right. I know it was you who called the police. Isaac told me everything'
Shepard let his tears loose. They rolled down his face.
Erik snarled.
'Thats right! How does it feel, knowing that soon everyone will know that the great Commander Shepard, is a murderer. You killed those people as surely as if you had shot them Jarryd!'
Erik paused in his tirade, leaning in close to whisper in Shepard's ear.
'You're responsible for Isaac's death, just like you're responsible for Daniel's.'
Shepard's eyes snapped to his, a child all over again.
Erik nodded plainly.
'You, my friend, killed both your brothers.'
The door was shaking. Thump thump thump! Their mother's body was still lying there, and this was the first time anyone had touched the door since she had fallen.
'Jay! Izzy! Are you in there?'
The boys didn't answer. Jay kept whispering to his brother.
'I'll protect you, I'll protect you.'
Suddenly the door crashed open.
Daniel looked into the room, his gaze panicked. He looked over the dead body of their mother and moved his gaze to the two boys. He flung himself forward, falling to his knees and encircled both boys in his arms. They clung to him weakly, both starting to cry.
Daniel gently touched Isaac's closed cut, and kissed Jarryd's forehead, before lifting Isaac up and taking Jarryd by the hand out of the room.
'You're going to stay with me now okay?' he said directing Jarryd down the stairs.
'I'm going to make sure, nothing bad ever happens again.'
Shepard's head slumped forward exhauste while Erik laughed at the sight.
It was his fault.
All his fault.
And it always was his fault.
Oh my lord! I don't think even I expected that! Hit those buttons people! Tell me what you think!