Chapter 17: Old Friend, an Older Enemy
The Asari Republic has stepped down as a council race. Asari representatives disagree with the restructuring of the council. Chancellor Blare Feldmen could not be reached for comment.
"Anyone else notice the vid say Chancellor?" Jack yawned kicking her feet up on the table.
"Yes and it is now two minutes until midnight." Shepard grunted.
In the hour of finding out about Feldmen gaining control of the council Shepard called a meeting of her advisers. "Admiral what is the situation on the batarian issue?" She asked turning to a holo of a quarian admiral.
"We've secured Khar'Shan, but fighting is still rampant on their outer colonies." The admiral explained. "But the krogen have quelled any of the serious fighting."
"Ok give me the bad news." Shepard asked.
"The quarian and geth ships in the area are pulling out of batarian space." The admiral sighed.
"What!" Shepard exclaimed, gaping wildly at the quarian.
"We cannot take any more losses and honestly Commander war with the Citadel is now inevitable and we cannot be involved!" he shouted.
"Shepard angrily slammed her fist into the table. "Admiral just give me two months!" she pleaded.
"I'm sorry Shepard." The admiral exhaled, cutting connection.
"Fuck!" She screamed. "Any other bombs to be thrown?" she grunted.
Jack sighed heavily and moved her feet from the table. "The mercs want more money and more volunteers are jumping ship every day." Jack said. "And a lot of the aliens are getting a little antsy."
"Why!" Shepard scoffed. "They probably think I plan on taking over the Citadel or whatever bullshit they say on the vids."
Jack chuckled. "You said it not me."
Shepard turned to a holo of Grunt. "So how are the Krogen doing in the outer systems?"
Grunt growled at the question. "Our numbers are stretched too thin near the border to the traverse and there's a situation on Tuchanka that needs to be dealt with."
"Great and now you'll be too preoccupied with that and will have to pull troops out of the systems." Shepard grunted. "Dismissed Grunt." Shepard ordered.
The holo of the krogen faded. "Kolyatt give me something."
"We're still pulling bodies out of the wreckage in the lower districts."The drell reported. "But the vorcha are becoming a growing problem."
"Oh my god!" Shepard shouted. "Liara didn't we pay those vermin?"
"The war in batarian space and invading Aite have put us on a pretty tight budget." Liara answered. "We still have yet to pay the mercenaries, so the vorcha were low on that list..."
"You're saying we're broke?" Shepard interrupted.
"We have enough to pay the mercenaries a weeks pay." Liara mumbled.
"Fantastic, fanfuckingtastic!" Shepard yelled. "Kolyatt I'll be docking in a few minuets, I'll deal with the vorcha in when I get there."
Kolyatt nodded and his holo disappeared. Shepard growled angrily. "Shoot me now!" She yelled slumping into her chair and burying her head in her hands.
Liara walked over to the distraught commander. "Hazel I'm sure every thing will work out." She said, trying to comfort her.
"I need a miracle this time Liara." Shepard groaned.
"I'm gonna find some thing to do." Jack uncomfortably said, walking out of the briefing room.
"The ships sinking blue bird and I'm going down with it." Shepard sighed.
"Don't talk like that!" Liara shouted. "You can't give up now, we've done to much to just throw it away!"
"Why not Liara?" Shepard whispered. "Why can't I just give up?"
Liara smiled. "Because you are the first human spectre, the savior of the galaxy and the terror of the Terminus systems."
"Because I am the goddamn Hazel Shepard right?" Shepard laughed.
Liara moved the hair covering Hazel's face and smiled. "That's right." she whispered , sharing a kiss with the human.
Commander you need to get to the bridge! The intercom barked. You need to see this! The voice shouted frantically.
Shepard ran to the bridge. Everyone in the CIC was moving around in a panic and when she got to the helm she saw why. Much to her surprise and anger, Systems Alliance war ships surrounded Omega.
"I could really use that miracle about now." Shepard grunted. "Have they opened communications yet?" Shepard asked the scared pilot.
"Yea...yes...yes ma'am!" he answered fearfully.
"Well open the comm already!" Shepard barked.
After what seemed like hours of watch the pilot nervously tap buttons, they finally get a response. "This is Admiral Ashley Williams of the Systems Alliance and I demand that you surrender peacefully!"
Shepard flinched with surprise. The council sending a fleet was one thing, but sending a friend of hers was something she wasn't ready for. "Why are you here Ash?" Shepard asked.
"You invaded and Alliance colony and murdered the council!" She shouted
Shepard laughed. "Invaded a colony sure, but I didn't kill the council."
"I wish I could believe you." Ashley replied. "But you betrayed me as well!"
"Ash I'd never..."
"Never what!" She shouted. "You attacked an Alliance colony, killed Alliance soldiers and now you're moving into the Traverse!"
"I used to believe in what you stood for!" Ashley snapped. "But I can't trust you anymore and I have to stop you."
"Look the council wants you...dead or alive." Ashley uneasily said.
"You mean Feldmen sent you." Shepard scoffed. "I bet he gave you this lengthy speech about how bad I am and that I have to be stopped." Shepard scoffed.
"Ash there's some thing coming and I need to stop it before it's to late!" Shepard shouted. "You wont understand but..."
"Then make me understand!" Ashley yelled."You've made the batarians pay a dozen times over and you've taken over the Terminus!"
"Ash there are worse things in this galaxy!" Shepard snapped.
"Ash I'm sorry Alliance soldiers died on Aite but this is bigger than them, me and even you!" Shepard yelled.
"Hazel please just surrender!" Ashley pleaded.
"You know I won't do that." Shepard coldly replied. "Chief you've got a mission to finish, so stop talking to me and finish it!" Shepard shouted.
"Aye,aye!" Ashley responded. "All Alliance ships move in and take Shepard out!"
"We've got her ships out numbered!" Ashley yelled.
"That maybe but this is Shepard!" The dreadnought's pilot said.
Ashley glared at the pilot. But he was right, Shepard would have prepared for an attack like this and anything could happen. "Admiral!" She ships navigator yelled. "I've got some intense readings coming from the Omega 4 relay!"
"Impossible!" Ashley snapped. "That relay hasn't been active since..."
"Admiral Shepard's flag ship is closing in and it's using the others as cover!" An operator yelled.
"Damn it!" Ashley yelled. She knew what Shepard was doing. A dreadnought's guardian lasers are useless at close range and is using hit and run strikes on the ship. Any intercepting ship might get a hit, but another one of Shepard's would take out that intercepting ship and Ashley would never fire the main gun at point blank range, out of fear of hitting any number of her ships.
And to make matters worse they are fighting in the asteroid field of Omega making most maneuvering too dangerous to attempt. "Shields at eighty percent and falling!" Another operator shouted. "We need to get out of this asteroid field!"
"Admiral there's been another major spike at the Omega 4 relay!" The navigator shouted. "Somethings coming through!"
"Commander somethings through the Omega 4 relay!" Shepard's pilot yelled.
Shepard slumped against the wall and slid onto the floor. "It's started."She whispered.
"Oh my god!" The pilot yelled. He looked out of his window, he saw some thing he'd only seen in the vids. It was a ship of enormous power, it plowed through ships like nothing and was closing in on Omega.
"Shepard that's a..."
"Yes a Reaper." Shepard calmly interrupted. "An advanced star ship that will kill us all."
The pilot looked at Shepard in shock. "I thought you killed those things!" he yelled.
Shepard smiled at the pilot. "Well we can all dismiss that claim." She laughed.
The pilot looked at his monitor in terror. "Oh god...more are coming through!"
Shepard ignored the pilot and occupied herself on typing on her omni tool. "What the hell are you doing!" the pilot screamed.
"Pressing the 'I win' button a little early." She answered calmly. Shepard pulled out her pistol and shot the pilot dead. Shepard got up from the floor and pushed the dead pilot out of the seat. Shepard activated a channel with the rest of her ships. "All ships retreat!" she ordered. "Omega is lost!"
Shepard looked outside at the ships scrambling for escape from the fiery death the Reapers will bring them. As Shepard typed the last few combinations of numbers on her omni tool that would insure her escape, she looked down at her monitor. Ashley was trying to open a communications channel, she ignored it and retreated with her ships.
Tears fell down her eyes as her omni tool faded and she took one last look at her doomed friend's ship. "I'm sorry Ash...I'm so sorry." She cried, tears falling uncontrollably down her face.
"Good bye"
End.
AN/ Please review.