Sol System, Mars Capitol City, Main Alliance Research Facility
Shepard is moving along the roads of the dome city and makes her way to her target. The Alliance is on high alert since she destroyed the base in the Voyager cluster. Her team is waiting by the targeted building.
"DAN any change?" Asks Shepard as she eyes the building and then her team.
"No, Shepard. The Alliance has not made any changes. However, the Director just contacted the Enterprise. Apparently, Hackett knows you lead the team that destroyed the bases in the Voyager cluster. I am reviewing the data he used to determine this. Though, it seems the base has not received the incriminating information for how long this will last I do not know." States DAN and Shepard freezes in her tracks.
"He knows?" Shepard whispers and adjusts her cap and keeps walking towards the building. Shepard and her team are in civilian clothing posing as contract workers. Shepard's disguise is simple; a human baseball cap and sunglasses that contain microelectronics providing her a HUD, only visible to her. As Shepard moves closer Jack and Aubree start to walk with Shepard up to a checkpoint. The N7 Guards overlook the checkpoint. So far nobody has recognized her or the team.
Shepard and her team move up to the checkpoint and up to the guard who is checking ID's. As they wait Shepard readies her fake ID, and at her turn she shows her card to the guard who in turn grabs it and scans it, One beep goes off and the light turns green and the guard hands her back the ID. Shepard along with her team continue to move along the hallways in the direction of the target.
"Enterprise, Shepard, we're in heading to the target now." Shepard updates the Enterprise.
"Enterprise copies all, good luck." Katherine states as she closes the Channel. Shepard moves down the hallway a few meters to await an elevator heading down. Shepard moves along and finds an empty elevator for her team pressed the button to the lowest level. The elevator goes down a few floors and stops a few levels short of their target floor. The doors opens and Shepard freezes as she sees Ashley Williams and James Vega enter the elevator. To Shepard's surprise they ignore her as they too head to the lowest floor.
For Shepard this is a heart pounding moment, anything can give her away. She remains in the back keeping out of sight, which is the best she can do in the small elevator. As the elevator stops on the last floor the doors open. She sees activity by the Alliance and she walks out the elevator with her old crew walking in the other direction; to her relief.
As Shepard walks along the corridors the Alliance are moving equipment with the N7's as guards. They make their way down the corridors and can see the remains of a dead god stashed in one of the rooms off to the walkways. Shepard moves to the nearest window sees that is a Harbinger,
"My god." Is all Shepard can utter. In the corner of her eye she notices a shadow move. She turns her head to find Ashley and James standing in the corridor, Ashley with her pistol and James rifle aimed at her and her team as more N7s circled them.
"So it is true I prayed Hackett was wrong." Ashley states as she moves closer to Shepard. "I take it this is not like your time with Cerberus. You joined them willingly this time."
"You know it Ash. Why are you so surprised I'm doing this?" Shepard asks a stunned Ashley. i
"Why? You were loyal to the Alliance once. I thought that might have been enough, despite what happened."
"James, what do you think of this? Same as Williams I think." Shepard states as James stares at her.
"Yes, you are right as always, just not this time. What is this supposed to accomplish. You killed hundreds of our comrades." James raises his voice and tries to avoid using her name.
"Granted that was actually fun, now fighting N7's was a challenge, but I killed them without hesitation. I made sure they died with some sort of honor, but then again they fight for the Alliance." Declares Shepard as Ashley and James look appalled by her statement made from their old commanding officer. "Did I hit a sensitive spot?" Shepard asks as the N7's and Ash and James raise their rifles at Shepard and her team.
"Now you know how I feel. I can't even look at the Alliance without me becoming nauseated. I remember a time where I could not wait to get back into an Alliance uniform. Now I just want to burn them." Shepard says as she waits for them to shoot her. "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to shoot me?" Shepard screams at the group of N7, standing firm along with Specter and N7 commander she once called friends.
"No, we are not going to shoot you; we have orders to bring you in to Hackett. He will decide your fate." Ashley clarifies as the N7 move in on the team. They are a few feet from the group when the lights go out. As the lights go out Shepard grabs her combat knife from the inside of her jacket. She sinks the knife into the chest of one the N7's that is trying to detain her.
Ash and James are left in the dark when the lights go out as both had left their helmets in the makeshift office. When Ashley first heard that Shepard had gone rouge she swore Hackett was talking about another Shepard, but when he showed the vid and then the results of the retinal ID she just could not believe she would do this. She understood why she might be doing this, just not the fact that she is. Even now with her fighting in front of her and this time not alongside her the whole concept is incredible. When she and James entered the elevator and saw Shepard, she knew Hackett was telling the truth. Of all the people to turn against them Shepard would have been the last.
Ashely moved to Shepard with her pistol drawn and James with his rifle their eyes having a hard time adjusting to the darkness of the floor as their is still some light sources that keep get in their eyes and they have to adjust once more to the dark. When she thought she was close to Shepard she suddenly felt a pain in her right shoulder and then in right thigh as Shepard's combat blade entered the flesh.
After Shepard dislodged her combat blade she had enough time to doge the butt of James rifle. As she doges the butt she loges her blade into his knee as he falls to the floor she rises and kicks him in the face as he falls back onto the floor with Ashely on her knees grunting in pain as the lights turn on the fire team of N7 lay dead while the specter and Shepard's apprentice lay on the ground wounded.
"You know I will not kill you or James. But it dose not mean I will let you stand in my way. Tell Hackett that I will see the Alliance burn. The Alliance will pay for what they have done to me." Shepard stated to Ashely as she grab the Valkyrie rifle James carried as her team picked up weapons from the dead N7's. Aubree a Valkyrie like Shepard, Jack a Hurricane SMG.
"Move out, I will see you again Ash." Shepard said as she moved along the corridor. As Shepard moved only a few meters Ashley's voice came over the inter come.
"Intruder on C deck, in civilian clothing caring Alliance weapons capture at any cost." Ashely stated in pain as Shepard ran to the elevator as they were about to arrive at the elevator three N7 destroyers appeared.
Take them out quick!" Ordered Shepard with a a quick burst from James rifle she aimed for one of the N7 as did Aubree. After a few more burst from cover Shepard brought down one of the destroyers as did Aubree. The last destroyer is hiding behind one of column supports. Shepard motions for her team to lay down covering fire as she brings up her omi-tool and in a few seconds she brings up her assault drone. As it appears right next to the destroyer he jumps out of cover he is hit with a electric charge as he jumps out of the way Aubree lets out two quick bursts from her rifle into the destroyers head. As the destroyer falls to the ground Shepard and her team starts to again to move for the elevator. After a few more firefights Shepard made it to the elevator and calls for it. As they wait she orders her team to go for the stairway.
Once the elevator arrives Shepard quickly displaces two N7 demolishers. As she peers in she looks for the control panel and sets it for the ground floor and places a small bag on the ground. After she set this she exits the elevator and makes her way to the stair way where her team is waiting. As she enters the stair wall she motions for her team to start moving up.
Ashley is on the ground floor after two medics found her and James wounded. She still can't believe what just happened.
"Elevator coming up!" Shouted one the techs as the N7 fire team surrounds the elevator. As they wait Ash is wondering why Shepard would us this as it is not logical, then again she never truly used logic. Only time she used this was in the field and to escape a situation gone south. As Ash rises to her feet she is wondering what is Shepard up to.
After a few moments the elevator arrives the N7's ready their rifles and SMG and side arms. Ashley moves over to James and motions for him to follow both limping as they made their way to the stairway next to the elevator. As the elevator arrived and Ash opened the door to the stairway the elevator doors opened to find it empty all expect two dead engineers and a small bag.
"Take cover!" Screamed one of the officers as the bag went off.
Ashley and James were going up the stair way as they felt the explosion and they continued up after Shepard.
Shepard had made a lot of progress going up the stairs to the roof. Just a few moments ago she felt the explosion. She hoped that her old crew members were not a part of that mess. They reached the top of the stair wall Jack and Aubree placed themselves on either side of the wall as Shepard placed a small breaching charge on the door.
Shepard looked at her team and with a nod she blew the charge as the door opened Jack and Aubree charged in to find the roof with a few Alliance snipers. With a few quick trigger pulls the snipers were on the ground dead. As Shepard moved on in she found Aubree picking up a Black Widow off one of the snipers along with his spare clips.
"Enterprise need pick up now! We're compromised!" Shepard screamed into her mike as a shuttle was heard on the radio background.
"Solid copy commander ETA 7 mikes."
Shepard then turned to face a few Alliance shuttles heading their way. As they got closer she heard a crack of a widow and one of the shuttles was going down then another crack then another and two more shuttles heading for the ground. Shepard looked over to Aubree as she loaded another clip into the widow and started to fire aiming for the pilot, with every crack of the rifle a shuttle went down even with them now doing evasive monuvers.
As Aubree kept firing till there was only two shuttles left. As Aubree zoomed in the Phoenix shuttle could be heard.
"Commander, ETA 2 mikes!" Stated the shuttle pilot as another Widow crack was heard as another Alliance shuttle went down.
"Be advise this is a hot LZ" Shepard updated the pilot as another crack was heard as the last shuttle went down.
"Good work Aubree." Stated Shepard as the Phoenix shuttle landed near the edge of the building. As Shepard moved with her team. As the doors opened to the shuttle two Phoenix troopers stood by as the team moved over to the shuttle. As Shepard arrived at the shuttle a round hit the shuttle. Shepard turned around to see Ashley and James firing their guns Ash her pistol and James his new rifle. The two Phoenix troopers fired their rifles at Shepard's former crew as they took cover behind the door to the roof. As Shepard entered the shuttle and started to fly away Shepard turned to Ashley and she was limping running to her while firing her pistol. Shepard just smiled as she saluted her as the doors closed.