Chapter 14: Farewell to a Friend.
"Shepard we've passed the relay and will touch down on Aite in five minutes!"
"Good." Shepard replied. "Ground teams will secure Prometheus, Atlas and Vulcan stations!" Shepard ordered.
"My team will take Hermes!"
"What about civilians?"
"Who are you?" Shepard questioned.
"Jenkins…pilot Leroy Jenkins…Ma'am!"
"Kid these "civilians" work on a project that is responsible for hundreds of deaths on Omega!" Shepard yelled. "No one lives!"
"Ye…yes Ma'am!"
Ten years ago Shepard allowed a project to control the geth continue, even though almost everyone who worked on the project died. She never thought the project would be used on her.
"You think the cheer leader is here?" Jack asked in mock excitement.
"If she is then she's mine!" Shepard growled.
"Damn Shep fine you can have her!" Jack whined.
"Shepard we've got trouble!" Garrus shouted.
"The alliance garrison in orbit above Aite is telling us to turn around!"
Shepard walked to the comm. "All ships move in and destroy the Alliance garrison!" Shepard ordered.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Garrus questioned.
Shepard ignored him. "I don't want a single ship still in orbit!"
Garrus ran to Shepard and grabbed her arm off the monitor. "Shepard those are Alliance ships!"
"I don't care Garrus!" Shepard screamed snatching her arm away from the turian. "People died on Omega and I'll be damned if I let anyone get in my way!
"That includes you as well." Shepard grunted. "Now are we going to have a problem?"
Garrus turned around and didn't answer. "Good, now go with Jack to destroy the V.I." Shepard ordered.
The Shuttle made its way to the landing zone of Hermes station. With Shepard was Liara and Grunt. "We haven't taken fire." Grunt said.
"State the obvious much." Shepard sighed.
"Garrus here!"
"What's happening?" Shepard asked.
"The teams are taking fire but we're pushing through!" Garrus answered.
"Alright keep me updated, Shepard out!"
"It is strange that we haven't taken fire." Liara whispered.
"She's here." Shepard said.
"Hard to believe that woman has gotten to you." Grunt growled. "She always seemed…useless."
"You shouldn't underestimate an opponent regardless of who they are. Shepard snapped. "As leader of your clan Grunt you should know this!"
"I know but Lawson never seemed like a threat to be concerned with like the Illusive man." Grunt replied.
"I think Grunt might have a point." Liara added. "She hasn't made a move against you until recently."
"Something's…wrong."
"We'll know soon enough!" Shepard snorted. "We're here!"
"Watch your flank!" Jack yelled, bioticaly slamming a group of Cerberus commandos through a wall.
Garrus whipped around and took out the last few guards. "Thanks Jack." He exhaled.
"What the hell are you thinking running in like that?" Jack yelled.
"I was...I don't know." Garrus sighed.
"If it's about Shepard then you need to let it go and focus before some thing puts a hole in that scaly head of yours!" Jack barked.
"You don't think she's acting strange lately?" Garrus asked.
"No." Jack snapped. "Why?" she asked looking at the turian suspiciously.
"The council gets assassinated, this clone, leaving Kolyat in charge while she's away and this attack..."
"Get to the point!" Jack interrupted.
"Do you think Shepard set all this up to happen...I'm mean it's not impossible that she might be hiding some thing." Garrus said uneasily.
Jacked laughed. "Now you sound like Kolyat and his damn conspiracies!"
"Look if Shepard wanted us dead or had plans on taking over the galaxy we'd be the first to know." Jack retorted.
"I know but still." Garrus growled.
"Still nothing!" Jack yelled. "Shep's your friend and the closest thing I have to family, so you'd better not try anything or I'll tear off those mandibles and shove'em where a sun don't shine!"
"I...I'm sorry Jack." Garrus said remorsefully.
"Damn right you are!" She spat. "Come on we've got a base to clear out."
Shepard and her team wander through Hermes station. They haven't seen a single Cerberus operative since they arrived. "I don't like this." Shepard whispers.
"I would have thought we'd have a fight!" Grunt growled.
"This is the main base and we've found nothing." Liara added.
"That's because there's nothing to find!"
Shepard's team turned around and opened fire. The person behind them ducked and tossed a high explosive grenade at the groups feet, sending them falling to the floor. As the assailant began to draw her weapon Liara caught her in a stasis field while Shepard and Grunt stood back up.
"That was close." Liara exhaled.
"Keep her down." Shepard ordered. "I want some answers."
Shepard walked closer to the attacker and sure enough it was another clone. "Who are you?
Shepard questioned.
"I'm you or just the parts of you that make you a good killer." The clone replied.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Shepard yelled.
"We are made to be exactly like you in both skill and emotion." The clone answered. "Obviously we aren't perfect."
"Why does Miranda have clones of me?" Shepard questioned.
"Don't you think it would be nice to have an army with you're skill, determination and resolve?"
The clone chuckled. "No...oh well Miranda does and personally clones are a little cliche ."
Shepard shot the clone in the shoulder. "The next one is in your head!" She barked. "Is Miranda here?"
"Project overlord was moved so...no she's not!" The clone grunted in pain.
"What are you saying?" Liara questioned.
"Planet Aite is an Alliance colony and Miranda knowing that you'd come here set you up." The clone said coldly. "And now you've made and enemy of you're strongest allies."
"Tell me where she is!" Shepard barked, pushing her gun against her clones forehead.
The clone gave her a devilish smirk. Her omni tool flared and it suddenly seemed like the entire planet was being rocked by explosions.
"What the hell was that?" Grunt shouted.
"That's the sound of you're mercs getting blown to hell...or at least the ones in any of the other bases." The clone chuckled.
Shepard fired a shot right in the clones head and emptied the thermal clip as she hit the floor. Shepard flared her omni tool and spoke through her communicator. "This is Shepard is any one still alive?"
"This is ground team B at Vulcan station!"
"Give me a status report!" Shepard ordered.
"The explosion tore us up and we need pick up!"
"It's on it's way and are you getting a signal of any other teams?" Shepard asked.
"No ma'am I'm not reading anything from the other groups!"
Shepard noticed someone trying to open a new channel. She saw that it was from the team she sent to Atlas station and she immediately opened the channel. "Oh my god Garrus are you alright?" She exclaimed.
"It's Jack and Shep..."
Shepard knew what was coming next and fell to her knees as she heard it.
"Garrus is dead...I'm sorry."
End.