Ashley Shepard, Forgotten Hero

Chapter 6

/Ashley\

I walk into Councilor Anderson's office, he found out I'm here I guess.

"Lieutenant Alenko, why are you Dawn?"

"Well you see we told a small lie when you met me, but I can't tell you why."

"Why not?"

"At least not where there are cameras or where people can hear us, so how's life."

"The room is locked, no one can hear us and the cameras are off, talk."

I sigh, I guess there's no getting out of this.

"Ok I am from 2081, and you know your first contact war. Well the war that happened before that war was pretty much Asari and humans v. everyone else." He stares at me. I remember the code that they told me to say.

"Ili memoras la tkaŝitaj estinteco," I whisper. Then I type it into his console, he stares at me. "You're Ashley Dawn Shepard, savior of the human race from extinction," he whispered.

"Ya and Shepard, the other one, is alive and she is a bitch. She wanted me to die after I got stuck in a building, and....." I stop speaking.

"She's coming to meet me, do you want to-"

"No! She wanted me to die Councilor, D-I-E!"

"I get it, but you are now Commander Ashley Dawn." I stare at him.

"What, you were a commander before."

"Thank you, I have to go. Bye." I quickly head to my apartment.

"That escalated quickly," I say while laughing. I see the Normandy dock and I see Shepard walk out with Miranda and that doctor. I hear a beep and I see a video chat request from someone, Joker if looks like.

"Hey Joker, been a week. Have you missed me?" I joke.

"Shepard is always on edge, getting on my nerves to but I can't complain. I'm getting to fly, how's your life going?"

"Well I'm a commander now, Anderson thought it would be good. He wants to keep me here though, plus I have no where else to go. I'm not coming back yet Joker, two commanders on one ship."

"You're right an hold on. What Garrus? He wants to talk to you, patching you through. See ya squirt," he tells me.

I flip off his hat, "Joker I can see the Normandy from my apartment, and I have a sniper rifle. I can and will flip your hat off.

"Haha miss smarty pants, here's Garrus."

I laugh as Joker disappears and I see Garrus, "Hey Ashley, so you're a commander now?"

"Joker had me speaking through to the whole ship I'm guessing?"

"How'd you know?"

"Be right back, I have to do something." I grab my scope and and I see Joker with his hat laughing, I focus on the hat and it floats up. I laugh as I see him try to get it.

I walk back to the screen and I say," Don't mess with me Joker, I always win."

"Oh Shepard is heading back, I don't want her hearing." I quickly wave goodbye to him and end it.

Everyday I make video calls with Joker or Garrus, sometimes Kelly but not as often. One day I see the Normandy dock and Shepard doesn't come out.

I get a message form Joker to get on the Normandy now. I grab my gear and run to the Normandy, "What's wrong? Where's Shepard?"

"We went to get Jack that convict but their escort betrayed them and got them locked up. Jacob and Garrus need you to lead them, we need Shepard Ashley." I sigh.

"Ok, get us there now and tell Jacob and Garrus to meet me in the briefing room."

"Yes mam, and Ashley. Don't get caught too, I couldn't loose both of you."

"I won't Joker, just be ready to get the hell out of there."

I run to the briefing room and I see the two men there, funny how a fifteen year old girl is going to go on a rescue mission. Oh wait, I did this stuff at eleven.

"We have to be fast and quite, we have to get Jack, Shepard, Miranda and Mordin. I'll handle the biotic, Garrus you take out the guards shield and any defenses they have and Jacob, you make sure they don't get to close." They salut me and go to get ready.

I put on my armor and as we get to the landing pad I prep myself for everything, I will not fail. I notice that there are lots of guards.

"Hello and who might you be?"

"I am Commander Dawn of the Normandy, I'm here to pick up Jack and Commanded Shepard and her crew," I state.

"Ok, right this way. Somotar will show you the way, follow her please." I follow the women always making sure to stay behind her. "Step right in here."

"No, you are."I push her into it and we make a run for the controls. We make it in the confusion and lock the main door. "Let's get them out of here, ready for a fight?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Let's go." I hit the all release button and all hell breaks loose.

/On the ship\

"Why did you come back?! You could've died!" I glare at the commander.

"I'm sorry but I was under the impression that you wanted me dead, and I came back because the world needs you Shepard. If you don't want me here I will gladly go back to the Citadel and wait for when you need me again."

I am bloody tired and I don't want to argue with anyone but Shepard obviously doesn't realize that.

"No Ashley, it's just that you're still rusty and I can't-"

"Jeopardize the bloody mission, I know that by now. You tell me every time you see me Shepard, but listen to me and listen to me good. I had to fight in a war at age eleven, I became a Spectre at twelve because all the others were either rouge or dead. I lost my dad at age eleven and my mom was murdered in front of me. I was frozen for ONE HUNDRED YEARS and I lost my friends , my ship and my boyfriend. I can take care of myself, you don't need to not take me on misisons!!!"

She is just staring at me, I just keep yelling.

"The collectors, you know them. They took my sisters boyfriend, froze and stuck him in those pods. For all I know he could be dead or a slave, those aliens are evil and I want my revenge too. Make up your mind Shepard, because if you don't hurry I'll make up my own mind!" I storm out of the room.

I push past everyone and lock my door, I take deep breaths because I really don't want to puncture a whole in the hull. "Ashley open up, please."

"We're going on a mission against the Collectors, I thought you would want to come."

"Coming, it's pay back time." I growl as I suit up once again. I place my necklace between my fingers," I'm going to make you guys proud, and if your alive I will find you guys."

I follow Shepard down and Mordin does something to my armor, to protect from those goddamn bugs. I hope those bastards are ready, because they're going back to the hell they came from.