The Citadel
Present day
"Everyone back to the elevator." Lieutenant Commander Williams huffs to the Human, Turian and Asari Councilors. "We have-...wait. Shepard?"
Both groups look at the other and each other in confusion.
"Shepard's blocking our escape!" Councilor Udina shouts accusingly. "She's still with Cerberus."
"Udina, let me handle this. Shepard. Guns...down. I'll only ask once."
"You know me better than this, Ash." Shepard replies desperately.
"Wait…" The Assassin says after a tense moment. "Ashley?" She retracts her blades and takes a step forward, removing her hood. A long, jet-black braid falls down past her shoulders.
"Abby?" Williams nearly shouts in disbelief, slightly lowering her gun.
"You've been fooled, all of you." Shepard declares. "Udina is behind this attack. Councilor Valern confirmed it."
"You have no proof." Udina says tauntingly. "You never do."
"There are Cerberus soldiers in the elevator behind us!" The Commander lowers her rifle and points to the door. "If you open that door, they'll kill us all."
Councilor Tevos expresses uncertainty.
"We've mistrusted Shepard before." She says. "It did not help us."
Udina walks away in frustration.
"We don't have time to debate. I'm overriding the lock."
Shepard and company raise their weapons again, training them on Udina. Ashley steps in front of them, but at the last moment…
"I'm going to regret this."
The Marine turns around, aiming her weapon at the man she's supposed to be protecting.
"No." Abby replies. "You won't."
Ashley shoots a smirk over her shoulder before taking a step towards the Human Councilor, pistol ready.
"Councilor. Step away from the console." She orders.
Udina shakes his head at her.
"To Hell with this." He starts typing a command, and the door behind Garrus starts to unlock. The Turian flashes everyone an expression of concern. Tevos walks up to Udina, trying to get him away from the console. The man gives her a heavy shove, drawing a pistol and aiming it at the helpless Asari on the ground.
"Gun!" Ashley cries.
Before anyone can act, the unhooded Assassin extends a blade and pivots it with her fingers, removing it from its track. She throws it at the Human Councilor and it strikes him like a bolt of lightning square in the chest. He staggers backwards and falls to the ground lifelessly. Everyone else meanwhile has turned their gaze to the Assassin, her throwing hand still extended. She sheepishly returns her hand to her side.
"Nice throw, Katana." James quips.
"Tactful, as always." Garrus mutters under his breath.
Councilor Sparatus helps Tevos to her feet. Abby approaches Udina first to retrieve her blade.
"Get the Council back and cover that door." Shepard orders, following Abby. Her team, along with Ashley, form a semicircle around the remaining Councilors.
"Now Udina, I didn't expect." The Assassin pipes up, planting her foot on the man's shoulder and leaning down to retrieve the blade in his chest. With a sharp tug she pulls it free, shaking off some excess blood before returning it to the cuff of her sleeve. "And I know about nearly all of Cerberus' sympathisers." Flexing the blade a few times, she doesn't notice Shepard off to the side curiously studying her.
"The door!" Sparatus suddenly calls out. The Commander and Assassin turn to see the door being cut open from the other side with an Omni-tool. Everyone readies their weapons, only to be caught off guard by C-Sec's own Commander Bailey.
"Bailey?" Shepard asks with a confused tone.
The uniformed man stows his weapon and brushes himself off.
"Got here as fast as we could, Shepard." He says, taking a look around. "Looks like you er...took care of things."
"Commander." Councilor Tevos speaks up after a moment. "You said Cerberus was targeting us. Where did their soldiers go." Sparatus plasters on his signature look of suspicion.
"Cerberus was right here," Bailey explains. "but they beat feet into the Keeper tunnels when the found out we were comin'. Sorry, Councilor. I'll say it plain: Shepard just saved the lot of you."
The Councilor's faces change to expressions of gratitude.
"Then you have saved my life twice now, Commander." Sparatus says. "I owe you a personal debt, and one on behalf of Palaven."
"You don't owe me anything, Councilor." Shepard replied with her usual modesty.
"Do you have any idea why The Illusive Man would do this?" He asks.
"No." Shepard says. The Turian dips his head with disappointment. "But I plan to find out."
Later that afternoon
Docking Bay D24
"What is my sister doing on your ship?" Ashley demands as her conversation with Shepard begins to come to a close. "With all those knives, and...whatever she was wearing?"
Shepard holds her hands up and shrugs. "I didn't realize who she was until the standoff earlier. This morning Hackett told me to meet her here. He sent a brief dossier with no more than ten words on… Huh." She muses. "That's why Sirona sounded familiar. And her first name. You mentioned her during our chats on the SR1." Ash nods at the memory.
"I barely recognise her now…" The Marine looks over Shepard's shoulder. "Speak of the devil."
"Ash!" The Assassin shouts from down the hall, jogging towards the two women.
"Abby!" Ashley catches her younger, slimmer and shorter sister in her arms. The two hold each other for a long moment, and Shepard privately muses that she couldn't imagine the shock and confusion her friend must be feeling.
Ashley is the first to pull away, looking her sister up and down.
"Thanks for not making me use these." Abby says, holding up her sheathed blades. "It isn't pretty."
"What is with those?" Ashley's avalanche of questions finally breaks free. "What's with this hooded jacket get-up? Where have you been?!"
The Assassin holds up a hand to silence her emotional sister.
"It's a really long story, and I'd rather explain on the ship with everybody present." Thinking about what she just said, Abby whips around to face Shepard.
"If you'll allow it of course, Commander. It's your ship, and I'd hate to intrude…"
The Spectre waves off the concern.
"Nonsense. I'm not going to make my best friend leave her sister behind."
The comment makes the typically thick-skinned Marine blush slightly.
"Besides, the way you saved Vega's sorry ass from that Phantom earlier? There's no question, Abby. Welcome aboard."
"I have to hear about that." Ash says with a grin.
Meanwhile...
*INTERCEPTING CERBERUS SECURE COMMUNICATION*
"Yes?"
"Things didn't go as planned. The Council is still in control and Udina's dead."
"Udina was expendable."
"There's more: The Brotherhood still lives."
"So Arcturus wasn't the end of them after all?"
"There's at least one left. She may have been behind Amherst's death on Benning."
"She will be dealt with, as will the others."
"Now what?"
"Come back to me. There are other plans in motion."
"Understood."
"I'm surprised you let Shepard get the better of you."
"It won't happen again."
"Hmm... We'll see."
*CALL DISCONNECTED*
