Sorry for the delay, I've had a nasty case of the flu. Hope you like it!
Maybe the more you review the better I will get :)
EARTH ORBIT: UNKNOWN FRIGATE
Tally slowly rounded the corner, glad for at least the seventh time in less than fifteen minutes that she had really listened during combat tanning. Pain threatened to overtake her, her leg was killing her, the bones grinded against each other as she walked, still not sure how she was able to manage she made herself push through the pain. Glad she had finally got the bleeding to stop in her hands, she used them to signal Steve to come behind her. Nodding at the younger man she pointed to the door they suspected the rest of their crew was trapped behind. The ship had been a tough fight to this point, but by her calculations a small frigate such as this one shouldn't have the capacity to hold many more people.
Making sure the rest of the team who couldn't fight was safe behind a hallway Steve and Tally busted through the door. The fighting was intense, finally when the last Batarian fell to their hands the duo for the first time looked at their squad mates. All dead.
All the emotions made Tally appear older than her newly minted eighteen years. Her brow furrowed as she and Steve locked eyes. I failed them.
Steve knew that look in his friend's eyes; he had seen it in his dad before when he talked about the Reaper war. Shaking his head he finally drew the nerve from deep down to speak. "Tally…Tally we have to go!"
Tally was lost in memories of Rena on the lake, fishing, and hunting with Garrus. Hugs from her mother, dinners and dancing with her family all the good she had ever felt was now gone from her mind. Pausing she realized it would never be like that again. God why can't I be anywhere but here, why didn't I listen when momma told me not to join, I wasn't good enough to save them.
When Steve realized his words were not getting through he raised his voice using her last name. "Shepard! We have to move!"
They were taught when the last name was used you weren't what you were before, you were an Alliance solider, and by god you had a job to do. Snapping out of her trance, Tally turned to face Steve. "I know Vega, I know." Holding tight to her assault rifle they made their way out to the now silent hall.
Steve looked around confused searching for the team mates they had left behind "Where the hell are they?"
An answer out of the darkness arose, gunshots and screams echoed through the halls of the ship. They had missed some of the attackers, and now the rest of the squad was in trouble because of it. Once again Tally pushed hard, beyond what she ever felt capable of doing. "We have to go after them!"
Nodding in agreeance the duo headed towards the screams, stopped by a blast that tore the end of the ship apart. They jettisoned in the air, jolting a good twenty feet.
EARTH ORBIT: ABOARD THE NORMANDY
"Joker what the fuck was that?" Shepard stood in full armor, both staring out the window from the cockpit as the frigate in front of them blew in half. "Damn it I said do not engage!"
"Admiral, Jeff and I did not engage that was a blast from the internal systems of the frigate." EDI's voice rang through coldly and without feeling. If it had been anyone else Shepard would have forgotten her command and decked her; thankfully for both of them, she did know EDI and knew that she couldn't help how she sounded. "More specifically I believe it was a bomb."
"A bomb, why would they bomb their own ship?" Shepard was at a loss. She had seen many horrible things but her gut said something just didn't add up.
"Shepard, it appears a shuttle is coming into orbit around the ship, it looks like they are trying to escape." The years of dealing with his disease were finally creeping on Joker; his once boyish looks had given way to the years of torment his body faced. He had been jealous on more than one occasion of Shepard and how young she still looked. DamnCerberus why couldn't they have upgraded me? Oh yeah, you didn't die saving your own sorry ass! Shaking his head out of the memories he stared in disbelief at the fire tearing through the frigate. He wouldn't let Shepard's daughter suffer the same fate as Shepard had suffered so many years ago because he did something wrong again. Quickly maneuvering his hands over the controls his gaze turned steadfast "Don't worry Shepard, I got this!"
EARTH ORBIT: UNKNOWN FRIGATE
Tally pulled the trigger again sending a haze of bullets to the Batarian that had been chasing her and Steve towards what she assumed should be the bridge. He almost seemed to be ushering them in a certain direction. Shrugging off that thought she mindlessly pulled the trigger. Thankful for the force-field that was holding deep space from the inside of the ship. Finally making their way into to bridge they barged through the door.
Steve pushed some commands making sure the door was secure. "I got it!"
Tally was immediately running her hands over the controls trying her best to figure out how to send a distress call to the Alliance, when a hard voice broke through the commotion of the room.
"I'm afraid the comm channels have been jammed, you won't be able to get a signal out anytime soon."
Tally quickly turned around pointing her rifle at the Illusive Man who was holding Steve from behind with a pistol pointed at her friends back.
"Now, now put that down."
Knowing everything her mom ever taught her went against what she was about to do, she quickly put her gun down; she wasn't going to let another friend die today. "Who the hell are you?"
"You have as much spunk as your mother."
That comment took Tally by surprise. "If you know my mother you know she'll be looking for me. You will never get away with this!"
"My dear girl I never intended to 'get away' with this. I merely wanted to meet you. You see I have a very grand proposition for you. I have a shuttle waiting for us."
Tally glanced at Steve who looked as confused as she did. "I'm not going anywhere with you! You killed my whole team, why? What could you possibly want with me?"
He answered coyly "You've heard of Cerberus I suspect?"
"In history books, that terrorist group was destroyed at the end of the Reaper war, everyone knows that." Tally was truly confused.
The Illusive Man smirked. "Well, you know history is written by the winners…Or so they think. Cerberus took a break so to speak. We've been rebuilding for years. You have a large part in that dear."
Tally considered herself smart, but she had no idea what was running through this madman's mind. "Me? You've got to be crazy if you think I believe anything Cerberus says, or that I will have anything to do with it!"
"Your mother once said the same thing to me. However, we still worked together to fight the collectors."
Tally froze. She looked over the man who stood before her, 'if' he was who he was hinting to be, he wouldn't be this age, he would be an old man not someone in their fifties. "You're lying."
"Am I? So quick to judge, perhaps I misjudged you." Pausing he took a deep breath before continuing "See the question you need to be asking is really who has been lying to you, not just now but your whole life…Tally…." He used her full name to confuse the girl as he gently pulled a syringe out of his coat and stepped closer pulling Steve along with him.
A jolt to the remaining part of the ship made the Illusive Man loose his balance, Tally lunged forward grabbing the gun out of his hand, doing so she felt a prick in her left arm, she ignored the stinging running through her veins. Steve was knocked to the ground leaving Tally a clear shot.
"Kill this platform if you must, my memories and body are alive and well in a safe location. I will come for you again..." A blast echoed through the cabin as the robot's head fell on the floor.
Tally stared dumbfounded, she had been expecting the man to have been lying, but she had not expected a synthetic. Synthetics had been whipped out after the Reaper war, and as far as she knew only EDI was the only one in existence. Clearly she was wrong. Reaching over she helped Steve to his feet.
Static broke through the silence "Unnamed vessel this is the Alliance vessel Normandy, stand down, and prepare to be boarded."
Tally couldn't help but let a grin cross her face as she looked at Steve who held the same expression on his face. Before she could speak, she looked down at her arm that was now turning a purple tint from the needle stick; the severity of pain running through her body overtook her and all she felt was pain as she fell hard to the floor.