Author's note: I do greatly apologize to everyone who's been reading my story. It took me quite a while to update this chapter. It was mainly due to school and work, but I also had trouble writing this chapter since it's been a while since I've played the game and I couldn't recall how this mission went. So I was able to research it and get it out there. The next few updates should come a lot quicker. Hope you all enjoy.

Chapter Thirteen

Ashlyn was determined to be all business as she entered the briefing room. She wore a long sleeve, tight fitting shirt that hid the wound on her shoulder and her hair was bound in a bun on the back of her head. She thought she looked very professional. She just had to work at being in the same room as Shepard and Garrus without freaking out. There were bigger problems at hand anyway.

Everyone was already in the room as she entered. Liara nodded slightly in her direction and Shepard smiled sweetly, even though beneath that she could see the battle-ready Shepard. Garrus on the other hand, flashed her his icy blues, then moved them back onto the holographic table, which bore a 3-D Thessia, they were all standing around.

Ashlyn listened intently as Shepard began explaining the mission. Seemed simple enough, head to the Temple of Athame, retrieve the artifact. Then Shepard stated how the planet was 'swarming with Reaper forces' and how the mission has become extremely dicey. That's when the nerves started firing off. She glanced at Liara. She looked worried, this was her home planet after all, but she didn't look afraid. She also snuck a fleeting glance in Garrus's direction. He just looked pissed off. She then turned to Shepard, whose eyes were on her.

"Are you okay with this, Ashlyn?" He asked, a bit of concern in his tone.

Ashlyn nodded, wondering if she really was okay. She kept telling herself everything would be fine. She fought off a band of mercenaries so it wouldn't be much different… right?

"Alright," he continued, "let's suit up and head to the Kodiak."

Ashlyn followed them to the hangar where her armor and weapons awaited her. She suddenly realized that she hadn't even tried her new armor on. Luckily, the crew had unpacked it and placed it with everyone else's armor. It looked amazing and still had that new suit smell. She took a moment to admire its pristine condition as it would soon be marred like the others. The black paint job glimmered in the lights of the hangar and the blue trim accented it nicely. She ran her fingers over the smooth finish and along the hard angles, but her appreciation for the suit was short-lived, they had a battle to fight.

When she finished admiring it, she took it piece by piece and put it on. The inside was soft and comfortable. It hugged her body tight, but it made her feel safe. She figured she better use this opportunity to make sure she could move well while confined within it. So she stretched her arms out and up, moved her neck side to side and reached down and touched her toes. When she went to twist her waist, she spotted Garrus and Shepard behind her. Garrus was at the weapons table with his rifle, Shepard was in the midst of putting his leg armor on. Both of them were staring at her, but quickly went back to what they were doing when she saw them. Ashlyn blushed and grabbed her helmet. She passed behind Garrus as she moved to the weapons cabinet and pulled out her two pistols. She holstered them at her hips as the others finished up their preparations. Cortez had appeared from behind the Kodiak. He must've been preparing it for their descent onto Thessia.

"Are you ready, Commander?" He asked.

With a nod, Shepard replied, "Let's go."

Ashlyn followed behind the others and entered the Kodiak. She sat next to Liara, who gave her a reassuring, yet fleeting smile and looked back at the screen where footage from her planet was being displayed. She must've sensed Ashlyn's unease. Ashlyn was happy to admit to herself that for once, her mind wasn't on either Shepard or Garrus. She was now freaking out about being on her first ever war mission. Shepard advised them all to don their helmets and then proceeded to discuss the temple with Liara. Ashlyn obeyed. The helmet came to life when it connected with the rest of the suit. A HUD display lit up over her eyes. A tracking symbol moved with the line of her vision. She looked at Liara. A small message came up in the lower corner.

Liara T'soni. Member of the Normandy, biotic, asari, scientist, 107 years of age, child of Benezia, a.k.a. the Shadow Broker…

Ashlyn turned away wondering if it was their suits being connected or something else that caused the rush of information on her HUD. Was this something everyone saw? Her eyes almost instinctively moved to Garrus.

Garrus Vakarian. Member of the Normandy, previously a C-Sec investigator, sharpshooter, weapons expert, turian, 29 years of age, first child of the Vakarians, a.k.a. Archangel…

Ashlyn blinked beneath her helmet as she turned away. There were some things she didn't even know about him. He'd worked for C-Sec, the police force of the Citadel. He also had family and she briefly wondered if she would ever meet them. She wondered what information would pop up for her. She looked down at herself and the tracker connected.

… … … No information detected…

She wasn't surprised. Why would it find anything? At that point, she couldn't help herself and her eyes moved to Shepard.

John Shepard. Commander of the Normandy, Spectre, graduate of the Systems Alliance N7 special forces, multiple skills, human, 32 years of age, child of Hannah and James Shepard, date of death: July 5th, 2184…

Ashlyn's breath hitched. What did it mean by date of death? That had to be wrong. Shepard couldn't be dead, he was right in front of her. Ashlyn couldn't linger on strange tidbit that her HUD provided since the door to the Kodiak slid open. Alright, stop scanning my friends, she thought and her HUD obeyed. Shepard gestured for his squad to follow him. Ashlyn followed Liara down. Garrus picked up the rear. She dropped down a good couple feet onto the ground and out of the corner of her eye watched the Kodiak fly off. She gulped down the lump that had appeared in her throat as she scanned her surroundings. Destruction was everywhere. Buildings were now ruins, homes were leveled and screams echoed in the air. In the distance, she saw giant things firing energy beams at anything that moved. Reapers! Ashlyn thought and felt a knot in the pit of her stomach.

She noticed Shepard talking with an asari commando. She saw a change in him when he was on a mission. His stance was stiff, his head was high and his gun had become an extension of his hand. He really looked like a warrior, whereas Garrus always had that look.

Suddenly, a cry rang out, "We're under attack! Protect the barrier! Someone get on the turret!" Shepard immediately sprang into action and mounted the turret gun. Ashlyn unsheathed her pistols as she said to herself, Keep an eye out for bad guys. Her HUD sprang to life again, but it stayed away from her squad as the tracking symbol moved over her surroundings, ready to spot an enemy. She got behind some cover next to Liara. Garrus stayed a little farther back to get a good vantage point.

"Here they come!" An asari shouted.

Shepard began firing. The loud booms that came from the turret rattled her bones. She heard screams of terror in the distance and the yelling of the ones fighting back. She wanted to lift her pistols and take a shot, but she couldn't move. Liara was busy fighting using her biotic skills. She was sure Garrus was getting loads of headshots, but for some reason Ashlyn was feeling too overwhelmed. She didn't know what she was expecting. The mercenary battle was easy, good guys against bad guys, but this… this was utter destruction. She felt like it was useless. What was the point of fighting if you know you can't win? Her heart pounded in her chest and her breaths were short gasps of air. The shouting around her began to sound muffled and her vision blurred. She felt as if she was going to pass out. She couldn't. She couldn't give in to fear. Shepard brought her on this mission to help and so far she'd been a coward. She shook her head slowly, trying to shake away the feeling of hopelessness and gripped her pistols tightly. She had to fight. Even if it was futile, life isn't worth living unless you fight for it. She looked up, ready to take her first shot, but was surprised when she saw Shepard looking down at her.

"Ashlyn, you okay?" He asked with urgency.

The first battle was over. Now she really did feel useless. "I'm okay," she replied sheepishly, "sorry, just had a little bit of stage fright."

"If you can't continue, let me know now."

"I'm okay," she assured him again, "I got myself out of it. I'll be fine, I promise."

Shepard nodded, though she knew he now doubted his decision to bring her.

"Let's move out!" Shepard called to his squad and they began their trek towards the temple.

Ashlyn followed behind Liara and Shepard. Garrus was behind, but kept his distance as usual. The road they moved along was in pieces. Debris was all around them and it broke Ashlyn's heart to see the asari's home in such a devastated state. She couldn't imagine the pain Liara was feeling. The trees were skeletal remains, the homes and buildings were fragments of metal and stone on the ground, it was so very tragic. Ashlyn was beginning to understand what drove Shepard. Seeing people like this would definitely drive a person to save the universe.

Suddenly, as they began to cross over a nearly collapsed bridge, Shepard's voice rang over the comm, "Another wave!"

Shepard and Liara ducked behind a large piece of rubble. Ashlyn hid behind, then pressed her back to a large stone that could've been a piece of a building or the earth, she wasn't sure. All that mattered was it was big enough to hide her tiny frame. She spotted Garrus in the distance crouched behind a fallen wall. He was ready to aim, but he took a moment to glance at her and give her a reassuring nod. She heard the shots from the others' guns. She took a deep breath and stepped out from the shadow of the stone. Her HUD immediately targeted the closest enemy and flashed red.

Husk. Moderate threat. It said regarding the zombie-like creature that hurtled towards them.

She fired her pistols and struck the creature in the head. She hit another and then another and another. Each shot was graceful and direct. The more she fired, the easier it seemed to become. She could do this. She could help the asari reclaim their home.

Her HUD flashed again when a larger creature appeared in the distance. Marauder. Substantial threat. This thing was tall and resembled a turian, but Ashlyn couldn't let that affect her. They were the enemy and they were destroying Liara's home. The marauder came charging and he had shields. He dodged behind a wall and let the husks take the team's attention while he fired. Ashlyn emerged and fired in his direction, but he was quick to retaliate. He fired before she could go for cover again. The shot hit her right pistol out of her hand and it flew off behind her.

A burst of rage erupted in her suddenly. That asshole shot my gun! My brand new gun! She said to herself in anger and had the overpowering urge for vengeance. A shot flew by her, barely missing her head as she dived to the ground. She rolled gracefully and ducked behind a rock across the way from Shepard and Liara, who were too busy fighting to notice her motives. They had cleared most of the husks and Garrus couldn't get a clear shot at the marauder, but Ashlyn was determined to give that jerk some payback. When she had a clear chance, she jumped up, vaulted over the rock and charged towards the marauder. He fired at her, but she used her speed and dodged. Using the surrounding debris for cover, she moved closer and closer and made impact. She jumped up and slammed her fist into the marauder's face before he had time to realize she was there. The thing was stunned for a moment, but raised his gun. Unfortunately for him, Ashlyn was much faster and blew a hole in his skull with her remaining pistol.

She turned back to the squad who were all standing speechless as the rest of the enemies were already vanquished. Finally, Shepard broke the awkward silence. "Damn, Ashlyn, great job, but don't get too reckless."

"You certainly owned the battlefield." Liara complimented.

Ashlyn let Shepard and Liara take the lead once more as she expressed her gratitude for their comments. Garrus stopped her before she fell back into formation.

"Nice job," he purred on a private comm signal, "you'll be needing this though."

He handed her the other pistol.

"Thanks," she murmured, ignoring how sexy he sounded, and continued following Shepard and Liara.

Garrus grinned slyly beneath his helmet. He enjoyed watching Ashlyn fight and he couldn't help but to admit to himself that he was a little turned on.

The rest of the way to the temple was littered with battles. Reaper forces just kept coming, but Ashlyn fought hard along with her squad. She wasn't used to killing, and though she had a little nerve problem when she first started, it felt good to be a part of a team fighting for a cause. Even with the awkwardness of Garrus and Shepard, Ashlyn was beginning to feel like she belonged and that she had a purpose.

When they arrived at the temple, Ashlyn experienced her worst battle yet. Huge flying creatures called Harvesters fired giant balls of energy at them. Her HUD identified them as an extreme threat. "Stay within cover unless you're sure you have a clean shot!" Shepard commanded to his team. And getting a clean shot was hard. Ashlyn was able to snag a few husks in between the Harvesters' rain of firepower. Luckily for them, an asari gun ship made it in time to distract the Harvesters. It allowed them to finish off the other enemies. Unfortunately, the gun ship was shot down, but the Harvesters disbursed after that. None of them had time to mourn or even thank the gun ship, but that's what war involved; unsung heroes. Their mission moved forward and they made it into the temple. The building was empty and Ashlyn tried to admire the magnificent structure, which was marred by war on the outside, but was pristine on the inside. Shepard gestured for them to follow him in as they all took their helmets off. The ceiling was high and directly in front of them was a large statue of a regal-looking asari woman. There were row of pews in front of the statue and around the sides there were pedestals. It looked as if there were artifacts laid upon them.

As they approached the statue, they noticed two asari bodies on the floor before it. Ashlyn gasped.

"Looks like we found the scientists." Shepard stated as Ashlyn briefly recalled Shepard mentioning to the asari commando before about their contacts within the temple.

"Their throats were slit." Garrus murmured in a haunted tone.

Liara bent down and inspected them closer. "This was not the Reapers' doing."

Ashlyn's jaw clenched. Who else would be that cruel to be murdering asari with all the death and destruction exploding around them? She had to put the thought aside and focus on the mission. Shepard approached the statue and closed his eyes. Ashlyn watched him curiously. He seemed to have some sort of connection to the thing.

"There's a Prothean beacon here." He stated abruptly as he turned around.

He and Liara then began debating on why the asari was hiding a Prothean beacon. Ashlyn stayed quiet. Having no knowledge of Protheans, artifacts or the asari made her have no input to contribute. Her eyes moved over to Garrus, who was mostly quiet through the conversation. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, but Ashlyn quickly looked away. Suddenly, the statue seemed to crack as a green light peeked through.

Shepard gathered his thoughts for a moment. "Some of these artifacts might be the key to activating the beacon. Spread out and check each one."

Ashlyn obeyed the order and went to one side of the temple. She checked a mural, which illuminated a beam of light to the statue. Shepard found two other links and Liara found the last. When the beams merged, the statue broke open, revealing the tall, spire-like beacon.

For some reason, throughout their searching, Ashlyn found herself becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Something was not right. She stayed off to the side in the shadows of the columns as Shepard and the other two activated what seemed to be a Prothean computerized intelligence. Ashlyn felt her palms begin to sweat beneath her gloves and her breathing became heavier. She felt the sudden urge to run and escape this place and she found herself heading towards the exit, but something stopped her. A bright light burst into the temple and she spotted a figure ambling up the center walkway. She froze. Her body began to tremble. She knew him. He was lean, wore a fitted suit and mask and moved like a jungle cat on the prowl. She knew it was impossible, but she knew him. Ashlyn was even more bewildered when the masked man brought out a hologram of an older man she recognized. Shepard and the hologram began to argue. The voice of the hologram brought Ashlyn to her knees. It was as if the hologram's voice was the hammer that cracked open the locked memories. Memories came flooding back as the pieces of her fragmented mind fused together. She remembered the experiments… the endless experiments. She remembered the man in the mask, Kai Leng and the hologram, identified only as The Illusive Man. She'd only met them once, but once was enough. Then she remembered her father. Her father had a large hand in why she was the way she was. She wasn't sure how yet though. He was also the one that put her in that box.

She felt the tears streaming down as gunshots rang out around her, but she couldn't find the strength to get up. Even when the gunship outside started firing, she only felt the urge to escape. With the help of a pillar, she got to her feet. She couldn't even see the battle occurring in the middle of the temple. She thought she might've heard Shepard call her name over the comm, but she had to get out of there. She couldn't breathe and the pain in her head was unbearable. She was near the exit, but she stopped herself at the threshold.

I can't leave them, she said to herself, I can't give up. I have to fight.

She turned to see Kai Leng using his biotics to throw Liara across the room into Garrus, knocking the wind out of them both. Then he turned it on Shepard, throwing him hard against a column. He used the opportunity he had to snag the Prothean intelligence out of the beacon. As he strode out as if he had no qualms about his actions, he commanded his gunship to fire. Two missiles shot out and into the temple, setting off an explosion that caused the building to shudder. The floors and walls began to crumble and she heard Shepard cry out, but she couldn't let Kai Leng go. She moved out of the shadow of the column and his eyes were upon her immediately. She wasn't sure what she was thinking, she didn't even have her guns out and Kai Leng was at the threshold. He could've easily escaped, but he didn't. Instead, he stared at her with an unreadable expression behind the mask.

"Rose," he said in an interested, but cool voice as Ashlyn shivered at the sound of that name, "I never expected to find you here and with Shepard no less."

The temple was crashing down and all Ashlyn could do was stand, frozen, staring into the familiar man before her.

"The Illusive Man had given up on finding you." He said with such a calm demeanor. "He'll be pleased to know you're alive." He held his hand out to her. "So come, let's go make a visit."

Ashlyn stepped back. "No," she whispered. "I won't be used as his puppet like you."

Kai Leng let a disturbing smile creep across his lips. "If this is the way you want it, I'll be happy to oblige." His body lowered, his sword unsheathed from his back and he moved into his fighting stance.

Ashlyn moved her hands to her pistols, but she was too hesitant. Kai Leng was on her in a flash. His sword danced like death around her, nearly slicing her in two each time she dodged. She backed away, now forgetting she even had pistols. Her back landed against a column and Kai Leng took a jab at her. Ashlyn ducked and the sword lodged into the stone behind her. She took this opportunity and kicked Kai Leng square in the chest. His sword slipped from his grasp and stayed embedded within the stone as he stumbled back a step. Now it was all fists. Ashlyn kept on the defensive, unable to pinpoint a good opening for an attack. Ashlyn's fists were balled, ready to strike, but an odd heat began emanating from her right palm. She was able to get a swing in, clocking Kai Leng in the jaw, but he struck back twofold. She was on the ground and Kai Leng was hovering over her, ready for a knockout blow. Her hand now felt like fire. Her heart was pounding as if it was trying to break out of her chest. Instinctively, she lifted her right hand. Her palm faced Kai Leng and suddenly the fire in her hand erupted.

To be continued...