It was hot on the garden world. Too warm for armour, yet Ashley wore it anyway, sweating under her pink protection as the others continued to argue.
"We should have waited in the escape pod. Its releases an SOS."
"Oh yeah, and who's around to read the fucking signal? Aliens. I'm not waiting for one of those spikey bastards to pick me up."
"I'm telling ya' we need to get back to the escape pod."
"No we need to look for the others."
"What others? The others are dead!"
She turned back to the group with a low whine. James and Jack were close enough to butt heads, snapping at each other while Dr. Chakwas looked on wearily, happy for the rest if not for the company.
Ashley had always known Shepard's job was hard, but she hadn't realised how difficult they made it for her. The crew was slowly falling apart without someone to lead them, and she didn't feel up to being the replacement. Shepard always knew what to say, she had a gift for finding the exact words needed to defuse a fight or earn someone's trust. Whilst Ashley tended to have foot in mouth disease, yet she spoke up anyway, just because she didn't really have a choice.
"Enough! Fighting each other isn't going to help. We've just got to find some water and figure out what to do from there. One step at a time. Got it?"
They nodded, though Jack was rolling her eyes.
"Whatever, Princess."
She ignored her and walked on. They had been trekking through the jungle for the best part of the morning. Her legs ached, and her feet throbbed from blisters. To make matters worse, Ashley soon found herself covered in bites. Typical. The one thing this planet had in common with Earth, and it was blood sucking bugs.
"Maybe Joker managed to escape." James broke the silence a few hours later, one arm around the doctor as he half carried her up the hill. "He didn't abandon ship. He could have landed somewhere, he might find us."
"Pfft. That crazy bastards long gone. Half the engine was on fire when we left. No way he made it." Jack said, successfully killing any hope the others had held. Though she didn't notice, scratching at her tattoos as the bugs continued their feast. Ashley had joined the army because it was her family's calling. Jack had joined because it was either serve with Shepard or go back to prison. They had nothing in common, and didn't get along. Yet faith had unfairly stuck them with each other.
At least she had James. She was thankful for that.
The escape pod had landed on the nearest hospitable planet two days ago, but they hadn't felt lucky about it. They'd spent the first day watching the sky, waiting – willing – for another escape pod to come into view like a shooting star. But there had been none. They were alone.
Ashley assumed that the alliance would send out a search party when they didn't return. They could safely rely on Anderson's loyalty to Shepard for that. However it would take them a few days to realize something was up, another two to gather a crew and send off a ship. Then three more to reach the end of the Sol system and get through the relay. Then they'd actually have to start searching. So they just had to survive on the planet for two weeks, maybe three if they were unlucky.
Easy, if they found water. If not, well, she didn't like to think about it.
Climbing the hill was slow, tedious work; and the sun was beginning its decent when they finally made it to the top. Chakwas and Jack immediately sat down, taking heavy breaths and leaning against the trees. Even James looked worn out, and his shirt clung to his sweaty chest as he stood next to Ashley; inspecting the view with a sneer.
"Maybe James is right, we probably should head back to the escape pod." She said after a moment's silence.
"Thank you!"
"Are you shitting me?" Jack scoffed and jumped to her feet, hands definitely beginning to glow a faint blue. "I didn't walk up this fucking hill just to go back down again!" She flung her arms in the air, regarding them with bitter resentment. "Besides, there's no more water in the pod. And there's no way doc can get back down."
"S-Speak for yourself," Chakwas managed to mutter. But it was true. The doctor didn't look well. Her skin was covered in a cold sweat, usually precise hands now shook, and her eyes were shallow, lined with dark, baggy skin.
"Jack, the whole point of making it to the top was to look for water. Well, we're here. And I can't see any. Can you?" Ashley indicated to the view behind her. It was a sea of green. The jungle stretched on for miles, for all they knew it covered the entire planet. "Whats the point in wasting energy if there's nothing we can do? Let's just wait at the pod for help. The alliance will rescue us."
In three weeks.
"We won't last that long!" Jack tended to shout what everyone else was too afraid to even mutter aloud, and the uneasy silence was the only answer she received.
Ashley felt like hitting her. "Well what do you suggest? We just run around lost until we all drop down dead? There's nothing we can do, Jack."
"Fuck you, Barbie! I never took you for a quitter."
"Quitter?! Say that again, you freak!"
"Guys!" James came in between them, pushing them away from each other before it ended in blows. "Calm down. Silencio. We can find water." He slapped a bug against his neck, "theres wildlife. They must be drinking something."
"Yeah, our blood you dipshit." Jack said.
"Maybe we can get water from the trees?" Ashley suggested thinly, doubting herself. What sort of leader was she if James had to be the voice of reason?
"Do you hear that?" Chakwas said, voice barely a whisper.
"How are we meant to get it out of the fucking trees?"
"Maybe you could use your biotics to knock one down, and then James could –"
"Ha! Are you kidding me? I can't even keep the mosquitoes off me. No water, no rest, no food equals no biotics, Princess."
"I told you to stop calling me that."
They began to fight again, and this time James let them as he watched with his arms crossed, too tired to intervene a second time. Chakwas raised her arm in a poor attempt to grab their attention, but it was little use when she couldn't even stand.
"I'm serious. I can hear – stop. Stop it." The doctor didn't raise her voice, but she wasn't pleading, and her tone screamed command. All three heads swiveled in her direction on the floor, though Jack didn't let go of Ashley's hair. "You're soldiers. Act like it. What would Shepard make of you all right now? She'd be furious." Ashley felt her face heat up with shame as they were scolded like children, though Jack merely turned away. "Now listen. I can hear something."
She frowned. "Are you sure, doc? I can't hear – " Ashley paused. No, now that she concentrated, she could definitely hear something. It almost sounded like an engine, but that was impossible. Unless the aliens had found them after all. "We've got to hide. Move it! Go, go, go!"
They jumped to action quickly, James scooped the doctor up and they began to run back down the hill without another protest. But Ashley's weary legs were struggling to keep her up any longer, let alone sprint, and she tripped more often than not. Eventually, Jack grabbed her by the arm, and they began to help each other through the undergrowth whilst James struggled with the doctor a little ahead.
But the noise only grew louder, and now it wasn't just a little hum in the back of her head, but a great roar that hurt her ears and made her blood chill. Wheels were crashing through the jungle, trampling anything in their way. They were catching up.
"Keep going! I'll hold them off." She skidded to a stop and drew her assault rifle. Ashley guessed that the others would have followed without question had she been a real leader, but as it was they stopped, looking back at her as if she was mad. Jack opened her mouth, no doubt to call her an idiot, but she cut her off and pushed her away. "MOVE!"
Chakwas face was streaked with tears, and James nodded before reluctantly turning and continuing to run. Jack stayed a moment longer, teeth gritted.
"Ah shit, princess. You better catch up! Fuck me, just catch up!" And with that she left, chasing after James and Chakwas.
Ashley watched until they disappeared under the bank, then turned back up the hill. She wanted to cry, but she was Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, and she never cried. Instead she stood proud and tall, aiming with the fierce determination the whole family possessed.
It faintly occurred to her that bullets would be useless against whatever metal tank the aliens were hiding in. But if she could delay them for even a few moments, just for the others to get away, then it was worth it.
She pictured her sisters, back on Earth with their husbands. Probably angry she hadn't called them in days with her latest gossip.
Nearby birds fled from their nests, alien calls angry to have been disturbed.
She thought about her father, and her Grandfather. They'd be proud. No doubt boring anyone who would listen about her bravery.
Pebbles rolled down the hill, first the flash of metal, then the tank appeared on top of the bank.
Shepard too. She would have forced her to keep running and guarded them herself, the way she had on the Normandy. The only difference was, Shepard would have caught them up, looking bruised and battered and smug all at once. Shepard would have gotten them out of this. She would have led.
The machine was nearly upon her now, and looked as if it was slowing down. Big mistake. Ashley popped her heat sink, aimed, and managed a small, bittersweet, smirk.
"This is for Shepard you sons of bitches."
Night had fallen and the air had turned cold, yet Chakwas's skin was hot to the touch. James didn't know what to do. They'd made it back to the escape pod hours ago, and neither the aliens nor Ashley had caught up. Jack was pacing outside, swearing under her breath and angrier than usual.
James held no false hope, he knew she was dead. Best not to think about it, this wasn't the first time he'd lost his entire squad. He had to concentrate on the ones who were breathing.
"Doc, ya' gotta help me out here." He hunted through the pod's medical supplies, but they were few and little compared to what the Normandy had. "What do you need? Theres some bandages, a funny looking pot of something, err, some needles, a – "
"A shot." She said, voice a wheezy whisper.
"Right. Got ya' covered." He picked up one of the needles and held it in her line of vision. "A shot of what, doc? Morphine? I think theres some –"
"No." She smiled faintly, "an allergy shot. All those mosquito things. I must – I must be allergic to the bites."
"Right, right. Allergy shot. I don't – there's not."
"It's on the Normandy. Best to just rest. It was always so hard to get you all to just rest." Her eyes were growing heavy, but her smile remained. He wasn't sure if she was delirious, dying, or both.
"The noise is back!" Jack shouted from outside, bashing against the pod. Chakwas wasn't going anywhere though, and James felt despair creep up on him as she shut her eyes and left him to lead.
"Doc, stay with me. We've got to move again. C'mon," he flung the medical supplies over his shoulder and picked her up. She was a dead weight in his arms.
"It's nearly here!"
"I hear you, Jack. Now shut up and help!" Thanks to the way they had landed, the door to the pod faced the sky, and climbing out was a struggle. Jack had to climb up and help pull Chakwas out whilst he pushed. By the time they reached the ground they could see the machines headlights, two glowing orbs signalling their doom.
"We're too late." Jack whispered, drained of her rage and left looking hopeless. James growled and looked around. There was nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run. They stood side by side, ready to fight, ready to die.
The mako took out two trees before it crashed into the clearing and skidded to a stop with a squeal. James couldn't quite believe it, and clutched onto Chakwas tightly as the door whooshed open and two smiling faces greeted them from within.
"Finally! You know how long I've been looking for you guys?" Joker was in the driver's seat looking smug, Ashley leapt down to help carry the doctor.
"You bastards!" Jack said, not sure whether she should be angry or overjoyed. James knew which he felt.
"Oh senior, I could kiss you!"
"Save it. The Normandys about two hours away. Gabby and Kennith are working on the engine while I've been looking for your sorry asses."
They climbed in, happy to see each other and talking all at once. Ashley explained how she had nearly run out of bullets until she'd finally realised it was the mako. Then she'd thought she was hallucinating and shot anyway, much to Joker's disapproval. James realized then that he hadn't been handling Ashley's death well at all, and he embraced her without warning before the door was even closed, squeezing tightly and burying his head into the crook of her neck.
"Oof! Nice to see you too, Vega. Wait. Are you crying?"
"No. Just something in my eye is all. Damn bugs." He let go and took his seat next to the doctor. Like always with the mako, it was a bumpy ride. But – he thought with just a little bit of amusement – not as jerky as when Shepard was behind the wheel.
"So whats the plan? Fix the ship and head back to Earth?" He asked Joker.
"Sounds good. But first, we've got to rescue the commander."
James, Ashley, and Jack shared a glance. None of them relished the idea of seeing the aliens again. It would be dangerous, a suicide mission. But this was Shepard they were talking about. She was the reason they'd escaped in the first place. The commander that had done it for them without a seconds hesitation, and so it was with a gentle nod from all three that their decision was made.
They would rescue Shepard.
(Don't worry. Everyone's favorite Shakarian are back in the next chapter, promise. =] )