Mass Effect Betrayal Act 1- Shepards Revenge

Chapter 22

Two Months After Liara's visit

Shepard rides her newly acquired motorcycle, which she managed to get from the Alliance on the condition that they implant a tracker on it. The past few months had been some of the hardest she had ever experienced. The only bright spot was when her crew was able to meet up with her, thanks to Liara's 'insistence' that they be allowed to visit. Shepard had a great time with her crew, even though it was only for one night, and everyone expressed their deepest apologies and regret. However, it was tough for Shepard to see Garrus again, knowing that the future they had talked about was nothing more than a dream.

Shepard arrived at a deserted cliff side with a lone tree, which she had discovered a few days earlier. She had been returning to this desolate spot ever since. After parking her motorcycle and grabbing her backpack, she headed towards the tree and sat down. She couldn't help but think about what could have been. Seeing Garrus again for the first time in months had been a very welcome surprise, but it also made her feel a sense of sadness and loss.

Their reunion did not last for long. They talked about what Garrus had been doing and how he was seeing his family again. His sister was on a business trip for a few weeks. Shepard could tell that he was hurting just like her. He wanted to be with her, but their respective governments simply wouldn't allow it. Despite everything, that night had been the most fun and blissful they had experienced in a long time.

As Shepard sat thinking about the past, she realized that she didn't know what to do with herself. For as long as she could remember, she had been in back-to-back action. Doing nothing day in and day out was new to her. However, she wouldn't mind it if it wasn't for the fact that she was stuck in this hell hole without Garrus. She simply didn't know what to do with herself under these circumstances. The restrictions imposed by the Alliance on what she could and couldn't do were driving her stir crazy due to the lack of excitement.

Shepard unzipped her backpack and took out a Predator pistol. Liara had managed to smuggle it in, knowing that it would be nearly impossible to keep a consistent supply of thermal clips. The pistol had been modified to use a heat sink instead. Shepard grabbed some old beer bottles and placed them on a small boulder. She fired at a bottle a few times but missed. Not being on the range or in the field had taken its toll on her skills. She let the pistol cool down and then fired again. This time she hit the bottles, albeit barely. After some more target practice, she let the pistol cool down some more before placing it back in her backpack. She got back on her bike and rode towards her apartment.

A few weeks went by with nothing exciting happening or anything fun to do. Shepard finally decided to meet her neighbors, much to the dismay of the Alliance. However, in the end, they allowed it to a certain extent. One of her neighbors was a young woman named Katherine Hudson, who was 28 years old, slim, athletic, and had long blonde hair. Katherine and Shepard hit it off pretty quickly, and Shepard was glad to have met her. It was one of the only things that was keeping her sane at the moment. Today, she was out and about with her new friend, who was one that the Alliance somewhat approved of. As they made their way back to the apartment before her curfew, Katherine wondered why Shepard had to be back so soon as it wasn't even 11 pm yet. Shepard had managed to get an extension on her curfew, but not for long. When they arrived, Shepard invited Katherine into her apartment.

As Katherine walked into Shepard's apartment, she couldn't help but notice the spartan appearance of the place. Shepard walked over to her small bar and reached for a bottle of whiskey. Katherine then placed a small device on the table, catching Shepard off guard.

"Commander Shepard," Katherine began, surprising Shepard. "Let me reintroduce myself. Katherine Hudson, security officer of the organization known as Phoenix. We don't have much time."