Ashley Shepard, Forgotten Hero

Chapter 10

When I wake up my mother's poem echoes in my mind, I need to tell Shepard this poem. The women in this poem is so like her, except for the end.

"Hello? Is anyone is here?"

"Im human, and non hostile!" I call back.

"Come out," she sounds like a Quarian.

I step out and I see three male Quarians and two female.

"My commander abandoned me when she was here to retrieve someone, that's how I ended up here."

"Name?"

"Commander Ashley Dawn," I say, I won't give away that Shepard left me.

"Of what ship?" I fake a confused look.

"I can't remember or who they were, I only know that they abandoned me for just being a powerful biotic," I say faking being confused.

"Oh, well pack up your gear and follow us." As I walk back to the safe house I walk wobbly and after I grab my bag and walk back to them I feel dizzy. I can barely breath, maybe there was a airborne poison made by the mushrooms that were in that cave.

"She isn't breathing, help her!" Someone yells. Soon I can start to breath again, I feel myself lifted up.

"Her life signs are stable Admiral Shala'Raan, but we should keep her vitals watched."

My world is turning white and a conversation with my mother echoes in my head.

"Mom is dad happy now? Did he die happy?" I ask her. It was after dad was killed in front of me and mom by a turian.

"Yes cariño, he died happy. Death is peaceful Ashley, he wasn't in pain. He saw a white light then all his worries left him, only his happy memories stayed. Cariño he is happy and ok, no pain or worries. Just happiness."

But instead of a white light I see blackness.

"She's waking up, are you ok girl?"

I slowly sit up and I see at least three Quarians standing around me.

"How long was I out? My name is Ashley by the way."

"A week, you were exposed to a rare air born poison made by a luctus plant. You barely survived Commander Dawn, that is you title correct?"

"Yes, Commander Dawn of the....." I can't remember, I only remember going to the cave and talking to an AI and some man.

"I can't remember anything before I went to that cave." Well I remember meeting Commander Shepard, stoping Saren and everything before that but I can't remember anything after I was knocked unconscious when Commander Shepard ran into the Citadel Tower.

"Memory loss is common with even a couple of hours of exposer to the luctus' air born poison, over a few months the memories should return."

I nod my head, "Where am I?"

"You are on a civilian ship, and since you have no where to go you may serve on my ship." I stare at her. I'm not used to Quarians being hospitable.

"Thank you, I'm honored that you will let me serve on your ship."

We shake hands and I feel a small smile form on my face, I haven't been this happy in awhile.

A week after I was rescued from the cave I am being assigned a ship.

"Ashley'Dawn would you like to change your name? But only while you serve on a Quarian ship." I ponder the offer.

"Yes, I would like it to be Tala'Dawn," I tell Admiral Raan.

"Ok Tala'Dawn vas Tonbay, and welcome to the Tonbay." I hug her and thank her. "Admiral Raan thank you, and I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," she tells me before walking off towards the Tonbay. I wave goodbye to Lana, who is a friend I made who is leaving for her Pilgrimage. Then I follow Admiral Shala'Raan, I find my cabin. I'm surprised that it's separate from the other crews ships. I take my armor/suit off and fall asleep.

A couple days later I am sent to Illium to just relax as she told me, try to have fun. I am in my Quarian suit, I will take it off later. I bump into someone and I quickly apologize, "Who are you?"

"Tala'Dawn vas Tonbay, and you must be the Commander Shepard," I say.

"Well please stay out of my way, I have stuff to do." My hand hits the wall activating my omni-tool, I see pictures of cave drawings. Some memory comes back and I remember that I sent these to Liara, who is the new Shadow Broker.

I decide to follow Shepard, I'm bored.

Her two colleagues are talking outside Liara's office, I listen.

"Tali how can we work with her, she made me abandon her. I can barely stand it, I betrayed Power," the women with lots of tattoos tell the other Quarian.

"Explain the nickname for her again please."

"Well she's powerful, I think Ashley was, is, more powerful than me."

A memory tears through my mind after I only hear those couple of sentences.

(Memory)

I take the elevator down and I find Jack in a dark corner, "Hey Power, I thought you weren't supposed to wake up for two weeks."

"Power?"

"What, the name Ashley doesn't suit you. You're powerful so I thought Power would be better, so Power what brings you down here.

I smile, her built up walls might be hard to get past but if you do then she actually is a completely different person.

"Well I thought you would like to be the first to know that I just slapped a drunk Shepard, sobering her and not getting punished." She stares at me.

"Are you serious?" I nod my head and she laughs, i start to laugh and soon I can barely breath.

"I hear we're going to a planet where the sun can kill you, sounds fun."

We both start laughing again, the second we hear footsteps I fade into the shadows and so does Jack. I see the Cerberus cheerleader walk right in between us, I glare at her. I hate her, she is rude and only thinks of herself.

She walks away and I stand up, "I have to go Jack, see ya."

My body falls forward and my world fades into a comforting blackness.