Normandy- Deck 3
Cameron was walking down the corridor of the Normandy leading to the mess hall, when he stopped suddenly. It is quiet here, too quiet. They were doing nothing other than being an obedient guard dog for the rest of the fleet and Omega. But there was nothing to guard the bases from. Right now they seemed to blend in with the universal background as Omega had done for centuries. Other than the war of course Omega was treated as a galactic curiosity and not something to draw any serious attention.
"Oh, Cameron."
He leapt out of his skin swiveling around on the new voice, Ashley Williams stood before him in all her glory.
"Ash, uh…Commander Williams."
She smirked, "you can call me Ash." She said moving past him to sit down, "I don't think I'm quite as freaked out by you as most people are."
"Oh?" Cameron asked folding his arms over his hoodied chest.
Ashley paused and smiled, "Well finding out there are fleets of AI dreadnaughts which are based on squid that have roamed the Galaxy for over a billion years, certainly makes anything seem possible."
He smiled, "true enough."
When it looked like she wasn't going to say anything he moved on over to the counter and began making himself a sandwich. Finishing he turned back to her and began to nibble on it gingerly, trying and failing not to get any crumbs on the floor.
He glanced up at Ashley who was smiling at him. He gulped.
He frowned, his mind thinking, "I don't know I just feel all out of place. Miranda is not my Miranda anymore…" off of her look "long story…hell you and I were even intimate at one point." She raised an eyebrow. "James believes I'm a threat to his and Shepard's relationship, and honestly I am not sure I blame him, or at least that is the feeling I get. I never knew Cynthia or Paul, Garrus doesn't know me and hasn't made a concerted effort to do so. Hell the only one of you I really feel I know is Abigail, and yourself."
"I'm flattered." Ashley muttered.
"Well yea, just saying I feel like a fish out of water, like I am not getting to know anyone, no time to talk despite having all the time in the world."
"Well Cameron, you'll make it…but how are you fitting in?"
He chuckled, "I will admit it is good to get out in the field again. Though Abby…scares the hell out of me."
He saw Ashley furrow her brow, "Why?"
"She just…isn't me." He waved his hands. "I mean you are you, James is himself, just married to…me. But Abigail, of all the differences between this universe and mine, well she is the greatest. I always strive to do the right thing, yes the military thing, but law and order, galactic unity, saving as many lives as I can without sacrificing them there is always another way. But Abby? Despite her kind demeanor and how she treats her crew, you guys, there is a spike of ice in her heart. She is cold, determined, calculating, and often puts the need of the mission over the lives she is in charge of. Doing the expedient thing to get the task done as easily as possible, rather than the right thing. And…"
"And?" Ashley's eyes narrowed.
Cameron whirled around facing the back wall, "I have a feeling she is a woman on the edge. I have no idea why or how…hell," he sighed, "I don't even know her that well to make this judgment…but she just seems like she is going towards a very dark place."
"We'll keep an eye on her," Ashley's voice announced behind him softly.
He nodded stiffly, "yeah."
Just before he started walking towards his cabin, the alert above him sounded and the intercom chimed in.
"Commander Shepard, Commander Williams, there is a message coming in. You might want to see this."
Cameron toggled an eyebrow at Ashley as they both headed for the War Room.
Seconds later saw them inside the War Room facing the table with a revolving hologram over the central panel. A hologram with blasts of static and white noise blocking out many of the words it was trying to say.
"Traynor, can you clear this up?" Ashley asked.
"I'm trying Commander." Traynor replied typing away madly.
The screen cleared for a second revealing a Quarian face, but it quickly descended into darkness once again.
Ashley sighed stalking over to the Communications Specialist who was working even harder than before, "Is the problem on our end or on theirs?"
Traynor frowned and her typing slowed, but did not stop. "It could be both, a combination of distance, and incompatible technologies. But, there is something on their end that is partially jamming the signal."
"Jamming?" Cameron asked. "So this is not just a friendly chat?"
Traynor moved to glare at him, "Why do you think I invited you."
"Fair enough…" Cameron grumbled.
Traynor grunted, "Come on you…ah got it! Well at least partially."
The Quarian face partially appeared on the screen again, but this time it showed lines of statistic cutting the Quarian up in bits and rolling her over. But it was clearly a she, and her eyes were clearly narrowed trying to cut through the obvious interference on her side of the com link.
But more importantly was her voice. "Normandy, come in Normandy, this is Admiral Shaala Ran vas Rannoch of the Quarian Council, we require assistance, we are under attack by Alliance forces."
"Admiral Raan," Ashley announced stepping into the view finding, "this is Commander Ashley Williams of the SSV Normandy, we acknowledge your message, but if the Alliance is attacking you, then how do you know we are legitimate?"
"Long range intelligence," a burst of static cut her off, "es intercepted your reports and your battle over Horizon. We need assistance, we need evacuation."
"Don't you have a stealth ship of your own who can evacuate you away from the region?" Cameron blurted uncrossing his arms and leaning on the table.
"It was destroyed in the first wave of the battle. We need the Normandy's stealth drive; we need evacuation until Rannoch is secure. The Geth and our outer forces are moving in to cut the Alliance off, but there are rumors of a Special Forces squad out there with orders to kill us."
"We need to discuss it among the senior staff, if we decide in your favor send in your coordinates for retrieval." Ashley replied.
"Please hurry!"
The screen cut off leaving Ashley and Cameron standing there, glaring at each other.
"Thoughts?" Ashley pried.
Cameron shrugged, "it would beat staying around here and we could use the Normandy's stealth drive to sneak in, pick up the former Admiralty Board, and get out before anyone even notices."
Ashley nodded, "Well, my question is, why are they attacking Rannoch and the Quarians now? The military's still have to not have that many forces, we really have not rebuilt them since the war, nowhere near the strength they were at anyways. Though I suppose we are getting close. But why Rannoch? Why now?"
Cameron shrugged, "I don't know, but it likely has to do with us. Because of us they weren't able to take the Alliance and Council Space with a silent coup. We opposed them at Horizon, we have the voice of the resistance, I would bet they are moving up their plans. Trying to get the Quarian Government out of the picture before they can organize a true defense rather than waiting for them to strike with overwhelming force. I suspect this is a probing action."
Ashley smirked, "And you say you aren't military."
"I'm just using common sense." Cameron smiled.
"OK, what about Omega?" Ashley asked.
"They'll be fine; we'll be there and back in less than a day. Besides as long as they are concentrating on the Quarians they likely won't have the forces to come after Omega, not yet anyways."
"Fair enough." Ashley shrugged, "just if Omega gets blown up while we are away it's your ass." She teased.
He chuckled, "Yeah, sure, throw the new comer under the bus, I can take it."
"Well you wouldn't be Commander Shepard without being able to face the adoring legions of political daring due." Ashley replied innocently.
Cameron nodded, "And don't you forget it."
The two of them tayed silent for a second as they ran out of things to say. Things to comment on.
"You know what sucks, going up against the Alliance, especially the indoctrinated Alliance like this. Knowing that your bullets will be killing people who may not even know they are there."
"Yeah, simpler killing Husks in a way, they are husks…beyond saving. But with these people they are people. They look like people, feel like people, shoot like people. And if all of the reports are accurate they still have thoughts feelings and dreams of their own." Cameron agreed.
"Just they have been corrupted, and the longer they stay corrupted, the more likely they are to go beyond the pale."
"Which is why maybe we are doing them a favor." Cameron shrugged.
Ashley shot him a withering look.
Cameron smiled, "Have to consider the philosophical implications. Despite me being a Paragon of virtue I do at least think about a more…renegade…way of doing things. And shooting someone may be putting them out of their misery."
"Or it may not." Ashley rebuked.
"Maybe so." Cameron shrugged, "but this is all philosophical. Right now we will likely be in a situation where we will not be able to use the same tactics we did on the asteroid base. Fully shielded soldiers, military trained, expecting trouble."
"Yeah, never thought we'd see the day…an Earth civil war influenced by a bunch of space squid."
"We'll beat them yet Ash." Cameron said softly.
"I know we will."
What should have been a natural stopping point for the conversation stretched out as the two compatriots, recently discovered, stood in front of each other, probably thinking the same thought. But they were afraid to voice it.
"So, who should lead the ground team?" Ashley asked.
"You're the boss and you're asking me?" Shepard responded with a sly smirk.
"Well, sure, why not?"
"And, I think I should lead the ground team. You are the commanding officer of the Normandy, and the Normandy is going into an active combat situation, you should be with her."
Ashley smiled wryly, "it's always so easy for Shepard isn't…and well I guess you too…leaving off going save the Galaxy…because the Normandy was never really in front line combat ops. But now that I'm in command, I have to stay and play nursemaid."
"Someone has to do the nasty job." Cameron snorted in response.
"Oh yeah," Ashley cooed, "Just wish it didn't have to be me. Just you two get to have all the fun, in both universes apparently, and you don't have to act all responsible, oh sure leave Joker in command of the ship, he will do a real bang up job."
"Hey!" Cameron defended, "Sometimes I let Miranda run things, and occasionally Thane, or maybe Jacob."
Ashley rolled her eyes, "Yes because that makes it all better….well with Jacob I mean."
He chuckled.
She laughed slightly, "Well, I suppose I need to go give Joker the orders."
"Yes ma'am, I'll let the rest of the crew know."
"Thank you Cam." Ashley muttered before leaving.
He watched her leave and smirked before moving to attend to his duties.