Mass Effect: Reaper Dreams

Double Time

"Sometimes, the only soul that can mend a broken heart is the one that broke it. For they are the ones holding all the pieces."

Patti Roberts

March 12th, 2188

Captain Ashley Williams

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"I didn't expect this from you, of all people," said Ashley.

Liara sighed. "Ash, you are thinking with your heart instead of your head. Cerberus is playing a game. The clone is probably working for them, trying to distract us from the real danger."

Ashley shook her head. "You're wrong, I feel it. The Rachni Queen sensed that Shepard is still alive."

"Which makes me extra suspicious of the clone," said Liara. "Remember, Cerberus experimented on the Rachni. They were responsible for bringing them back. Given all that they know, it would be easy for them to give the Rachni false signals to ensure we take the bait," said Liara.

"You're telling me to trust Ramirez, who's admitted to being Cerberus, and not the clone who is nothing more than a victim," said Ashley.

"Ramirez is my agent, my responsibility," said Liara.

"Which you should have told me from the beginning," said Ashley. "I didn't know you were still playing Shadow Broker on the side. I thought you were working with Tali to restore communications and to help the Quarians get home."

"That was one of the things we were doing," said Liara. "The rest, well, I'll explain all that the next time you come home."

"Home..." said Ashley. "I'm not sure where home is."

Liara's holographic image flickered. "Ash, I have to go, there's a problem here I need to address. I'll get in touch with the Alliance medical team and inform them that you're bringing in Jack. I'll make sure they are provided with extra incentive to save her."

Ashley nodded. "Thank you."

Liara's image vanished, leaving Ashley alone in front of the QEC com. She felt abandoned. If Liara didn't believe her, then what chance did she have with the Council and the Alliance? If only Joker were here, or Garrus and Tali, even Wrex. The Krogan would think it was crazy, but he'd still try. It was Shepard, after all, which made Liara's skepticism that much harder to take. On some level she felt a sense of betrayal. It hurt.

Her thoughts drifted back to Horizon, what she said to Shepard. She'd failed her Commander, and months later on the Citadel she nearly compounded that mistake a hundredfold. She went back to that moment—the confusion, Udina in her ear, her finger on the trigger, Shepard across from her, and then... she felt it. She let go, went with her gut, and trusted in the woman she could always trust.

The clone in the cell below was not that woman, but a part of Shepard was in there. Was it enough? Ashley sensed that her decisions now were as critical to the galaxy as her choice that day on the Citadel. She could feel it reverberating through the Salamis, her ship, her crew. Everything was at stake. The events of that day rocketed through her brain. Udina, the coup attempt, Kai Leng, and how it all came together. Ashley remembered a crucial detail.

She stepped away from the com and located the VI bypass input. Using her Captain's access key, she initiated a series of CEOA's, all written and encrypted by a Spectre named Jondum Bau. Since the Salamis had incorporated several Salarian security protocols into its design, Ashley had taken just such a precaution. She was confident that no one on board her ship, be it Cerberus, alien, VI, AI, or otherwise, could override what she had just done.