Mass Effect

ME3: Epilogue Ashley

Five years later Shepard and Ashley walked through the Afterlife bar on Omega, the music was loud and Shepard could see in Ashley's face that she didn't like the music, "I don't know why the council could just us what our mission is," Ashley said, "I mean why do we have to come to this place and talk to that Asari."
"Aria isn't too bad," Shepard said, "you just have to know how not to get on her bad side."
"Still why do we have to report to her," Ashley insisted.
"Aria hold power over the Asari councillor," Shepard said, "during the Reaper invasion she asked the Asari councillor to take care of the fact that she never officially registered coming to the Citadel. The councillor did it like as if she was Aria's slave."
"So you mean that the Asari councillor is corrupt?" Ashley said shocked.
"Maybe," Shepard said, "but it does show how much pull Aria has even on the Citadel."
They approached the area that Aria was in, just before they turned the  corner a Salarian came flying through the air and was then carried away by on of the Turian's that were Aria's guards. Shepard and Ashley approached Aria but she held up her hand and said, "Shepard, you kept me waiting. You can approach but keep your lackey away."
"Hey I'm not just Shepard's…" Ashley began but was cut off when Shepard put up his hand.
"Ashley its fine," Shepard said, "don't forget the first rule of Omega."
"Don't fuck with Aria T'loak," Aria said.
Ashley stepped back and watched as Shepard sat down beside Aria, "So what makes you ask for Spectre help?" Shepard asked.
"There's a new group on Omega calling them selves the Black Suns," Aria said, "they are killing my Blood pack and I want them put down or convinced to work for me."
"I'm surprised," Shepard said, "I thought everyone on Omega knew who you don't mess with."
"These guys think they can do anything just because they are using Reaper tech," Aria said, "They even tried to kill me, here in Afterlife, fools."
"Reaper tech!" Shepard said surprised, "What kind of Reaper tech?" Shepard asked.
"Hell if I should know," Aria said, "they had some strong guns. Hell if you want to earn some extra cash, bring me those weapons and I'll pay you handsomely for them."
"Right, where are they?" Shepard asked.
"In the Blood Packs base," Aria said, "Well what are you waiting for? You have your assignment, go and put the Black Suns, down."

Shepard and Ashley snuck through the base, the bases perimeter was deserted and they easily got to the center of the base along the way they picked up one of the weapons that was in the base, it was an black assault rifle with that was compatible with thermal clips and fired in short bursts a black and red laser on the side of the gun it had the name "Providence". Shepard equipped it but Ashley kept using the Mattock M-96 assault rifle.
After a few minutes they got to the center without coming across any of the Black Suns gang members. In the center was about twenty gang members all of which had the Providence weapon equipped and wore pitch black armour.
"So after we get more gang members we attack Afterlife, kill Aria and then take her resources," the leader of the gang said.
"Do we have to kill her?" one of the other members asked, "I mean can't we just keep her and use her."
"No," the leader said, "she is too powerful to be left alive."
Shepard brought out his Black Widow sniper and took aim, he had the leaders head in his sites then her felt the tip of a gun hit the back of his head then back off, "Get up," a Krogan voice said.
"Don't try anything funny," a strangely familiar Turian voice said.
Shepard brought his sites down and stood up, Ashley was already standing and had her hands up. The Krogan took the sniper from Shepard's hand and they were escorted down to the Black Suns leader.
"Who do we have here?" the leader said and turned around, "Oh my, Commander Shepard and this must be his wife, Ashley Williams Shepard. I guess Aria called you to take us out like the lap dogs that you are."
"Who are you and why do this?" Shepard asked analysing the situation, it didn't look good but he had a feeling that all was not as it seemed.
"I'm Nebula," the leader said, "and Aria took everything from me."
"What do you mean?" Shepard asked.
"Before Aria took over," Nebula said, "I ruled Omega, then she just comes in and kicks me out? I don't think so, I spent years making this gang and I'm going to get my revenge. I finally have the power to do that, with these, I had some friends of mine whip them up. Reaper tech it is extremely powerful."
"I see you also see the value in them," Nebula continued, "Archangel take Shepard's and Williams weapons away."
"Archangel," Shepard said snidely.
"Yea, got a problem with that?" Archangel said.
"I thought you fought against Omega's gangs," Shepard said, "what happened?"
"Nothing happened," Archangel said, "just wanted to bring a bit of fear back into the gangs of Omega."
"I see," Shepard said as Archangel removed Shepard's Phalanx pistol and brought it up close to his hand. Suddenly Shepard moved and grabbed the pistol and aimed it at the Krogan as the gun went off several times. Shepard took the gun and reloaded it and shot it a few times at some of the perimeter guards. Ashley had already armed herself with her Mattock and was firing at the guards on the upper levels. Archangel used his sniper to take down the last guards as Nebula got behind cover and began firing at Shepard, Ashley and Archangel.
They quickly took cover and fired back, "So Archangel returned to Omega," Shepard said, "I thought you retired and went to live on Rannoch with Tali, Garrus?"
"I did," Garrus said, "but then I heard about the Black Suns and I just had to see what they were up to."
"So Tali is okay with this?" Shepard asked.
"Actually no," Garrus said, "I just hope she doesn't keep her promise to me."
"What promise was that?" Shepard asked.
"That if I did this," Garrus said as he chuckled, "and she found out I would have to worry about her Shotgun."
Shepard laughed and said, "Yep, that's Tali for you."
"Hey guys," Ashley said, "I know you two want to catch up but could it wait until after this battle is over?" She then stood up and to a few shots with her Mattock but then got blasted several times with a black and red laser. She fell down on her back and laid motionless.
"Ashley," Shepard said, "Okay I've had enough of this," Shepard broke cover and shot his own providence at the Nebula. Each shot struck her in the body. She activated a biotic barrier then ran away.
Shepard quickly ran back to Ashley and applied Medi gel to her wounds, "Ashley don't worry you are going to make it," Shepard said.

Shepard was waiting outside the medical bay of the Normandy, his injuries weren't that bad but the injuries that Ashley suffered were far more severe, 'Damn,' Shepard thought, 'I should have been able to protect her,' the door opened and Chakwas walked out, "Is Ashley…" Shepard began but was cut off when Chakwas put up her hand.
"She's fine, Commander," Chakwas said, "Ashley was knocked unconscious, nothing serious."
"I'm glad," Shepard said, "why did it take so long to diagnose her then?"
"Well while doing her blood work to check for infection I noticed something strange about her blood," Chakwas explained, "I had to double check to make sure nothing went wrong with the first test."
"So what did you find?" Shepard asked.
"Shepard, Ashley is pregnant," Chakwas said giggling lightly.
"What!" Shepard said in surprise, "She never gave any signs of being pregnant."
"Well if I did you would never let me go on any missions," Ashley said as she approached them, "Don't worry Shepard I know my limits and I won't bring any harm to our child."
"Congratulations, Commander," Joker said over the comm. system.
"Joker, were you spying on us?" Shepard asked angrily.
"He was," Edi said over the Comm. system, "he was so distracted that he almost crashed into a Sun." after a moment of silence, "That was a joke, Shepard," Edi finished.
"Well I should get onto my part of the report to the council," Ashley said as she quickly took off.