Mass Effect - A Hero Rises Ch. 50

"You're being quite honest here, Shepard."

"I am, but I'm sure you've heard rumours and stories about me." He nodded. "Some of them would be true. Some would be exaggerated. No doubt a whole lot of bullshit too."

"You regret it, Shepard?"

I knew exactly what he meant. "No, James, and that's the honest truth. Not sure if you believe in the Reaper threat or not, but I wouldn't have done something like that without cause."

I met his eyes. He remained silent and motionless before he nodded. "Not sure about Reapers, but there are plenty of enemies out there who want to fuck with us."

"True, and that's why sitting here is frustrating. I know why I'm here, but I'm wasted here."

"Plenty of those in blue think the same, Shepard. Those who think you're nuts are outnumbered significantly by those who think you're nothing but a damn hero."

"Well, that's always nice to hear. Still stuck in here though."

We sat in silence, watching the news on the vidscreen, when his omni-tool chimed. He headed outside to take the call as I headed into the kitchen to make us a coffee. I was in the middle of preparing when he wandered back in. "News for you, Commander. Defence Committee want to see you."

That brought any coffee making to a halt. "Defence Committee?" I asked, my tone no doubt highlighting my confusion. "That doesn't sound like a courtroom."

Vega shrugged. "No idea but it sounded urgent."

"Okay, let me grab my jacket."

Heading out of my apartment, we entered the headquarters of the Alliance, representing the Americas. I noticed straight away the urgency at which people were walking around. I glanced at Vega, who kept his face blank. I knew something was up but wasn't going to ask why until necessary.

No doubt my arrival was reported as I was quickly greeted by Anderson. He saluted Vega, didn't salute me, but did offer his hand. "Good of you to come, Shepard."

"Didn't think it was an optional invitation, sir. But it gets me out of the apartment."

Gesturing with his head, he turned and I fell in line. "We'll walk and talk, Shepard."

"Okay, I'll bite straight away, sir. What's going on?" I didn't let him answer. "They're here, aren't they?"

That brought him to a halt and he turned towards me. "We don't know that, Shepard."

"Everyone is running around like a blue arse fly, sir. So unless someone like the batarians think they can attack, and the fact that even someone like you looks rather concerned, it would suggest something big is going on." I paused for a moment. "We're not prepared for this. Not really. Has Hackett been increasing the fleets, at least?"

He gestured for us to keep moving. "He's done what he could get away with. Turians have done the same thing, but it's a drop in the ocean to what we likely need." He paused a moment, no doubt to gather his thoughts. "If it is them, Shepard, and I'm still working on it being if, you're the only one who has spoken to one. Hell, you've spoken to two. And you've managed to kill one of them."

"So why am I being pulled in front of the committee? Give me a gun and a ship. Let me at them now."

He gave me a look. "It's not that easy, Shepard. You need to speak to them. Tell them what you know."

"They haven't listened before. Only now we're they're knocking at the door they're finally willing to listen. Typical."

He moved the topic onto how I was, admitting I was pleased that Kelly was living with me, and I appreciated the fact that he and Hackett got me out of a cell. He knew I was bored but said I at least still looked in peak physical condition, which was true. The only thing I lacked was minutes on the battlefield.

Stopped by a sergeant, who spoke to Anderson, I found myself approached by someone I didn't expect to see. She looked different since we had last seen each other, which had been on Horizon. Before handing myself in, we had communicated from time to time, but she'd kept her distance because of Cerberus. When she met my eyes, there was recognition and a slight smile, but also hesitancy, which I immediately understood. Who knows what she thought of me now?

"Hello, Shepard," she said.

"How are you, Ash?"

"I'm well. I've just been in to speak to the committee." I raised my eyebrows. "I'm on my way back to the Normandy now."

"What did they want?"

She smirked, a smirk I remembered. "What do you think? If they want to speak to me, it no doubt will involve you somehow."

I took a step closer. "Ash, what I did..."

"You did it for the right reason, Shepard. You might be hard on people at times, but you're not cruel. Or evil. And more importantly, I've always believed in the threat. And if people like Hackett and Anderson have your back, that's good enough for me."

"Thank you."

"Come on, Shepard. Committee is waiting. Lieutenant Vega, your presence isn't required. Head to the Normandy with the LC here."

I glanced at Ashley. "Lieutenant-Commander?"

She rarely looked embarrassed but this time... She was. "Yeah..."

"Fuckin' deserved, Ash. Should have happened long ago."

"Thank you, Shepard."

"Come on, Shepard."

"Yes, sir. Good to see you, Ash. And no doubt I'll see you later, Vega."

"Sure thing, Commander."

Ashley and Anderson both gave him a glance. All he did was salute with a smirk of his own before he turned and headed off. Following Anderson, he gave me a couple of last minute orders. I was ready to tell him I wasn't technically under his command, but I understood this was serious, not the time for joking. That didn't mean I wasn't annoyed, beyond frustrated with everything. It was obvious time had been wasting. I should have been involved in the preparations. Dragging me out of confinement now to simply tell them what they already knew? Waste of time.

The meeting with the Defence Committee started as I expected. Heads still buried in the sand. I wondered aloud why they bothered calling me in when the truth was clear to see. The Reapers were coming and were coming in fast. When Luna Base when silent, I knew it was already too late. There was a fleet in orbit around Earth. Thousands were about to die before the war barely began. And no doubt they had my number. I'm not sure Reapers take things personally, but I'd stopped their arrival three years ago. And I'm sure my conversation with Harbinger pissed them off.

As soon as I'd been summoned, I knew an attack was imminent, but even I didn't expect the very room we were in to be blown up. I was shielded from the blast by the fact I wasn't near the windows, but I was still blown back against the wall. As the smoke cleared, I was helped to my feet by Anderson, his face already bloodied and dirty. We checked for survivors, finding a few still breathing, but a couple were critically injured. Anderson radioed for medics, but from what I heard through the comm, everything was already falling apart.

"We need to get to the Normandy," he stated.

I searched the ruined room and found a pistol. I'd have preferred a shotgun or assault rifle, but beggars can't be choosers. The way we'd entered was blocked by fallen masonry, so we headed to the windows. I couldn't help sigh at what we could see. The Reapers had arrived, and they had done so in force.

We learned quickly that the giant Reapers towering over us were not the only things we had to deal with. As we scrambled our way along the edge of the building, Anderson mentioned we needed to head to the spaceport, attempting to contact the Normandy at the same time. It didn't take long to run into the enemy. Anderson hadn't seen husks before, but I had, no doubt the Reapers already having hit colony worlds and changed humans.

Any time we had a moment to catch our breath, reload our weapons, I could only look around and already see the destruction. A real cacophony of noise. The Reapers. The returned fire, which barely seemed to dent them. The screaming. The explosions. Ahead, we saw a cruiser firing at a nearby Reaper. The Reaper returned fire and blew it apart. The ripple of that explosion caused where we were standing to collapse.

New monsters descended from the heavens, ugly creatures that must have been a fusion of species the Reapers had taken. They were not particularly intelligent. I'd managed to locate an assault rifle, refraining from using my biotics for now, preferring only to use that in conjunction with a shotgun. We remained in cover where possible, spending most of my time keeping Anderson safe as he stayed in touch with the Normandy.

We made it to the LZ but the Normandy was still a couple of minutes away at least, avoiding Reaper fire. Reapers monsters descended upon Anderson and I, clips quickly running short as they flooded towards us. I used biotics when I could, a warp and a lift here, a throw there, still avoiding the temptation to charge. I'd be dead in seconds, considering I wasn't wearing armour.

When I heard the inevitable click of an empty clip, Anderson and I shared a glance. "Yeah, this was a great fucking decision, sir," I muttered, remembering the days of unlimited ammo.

I was ready to just throw my weapon down and charge for as long as I could. Dying in the opening moments of the war would suck but I wasn't going to lie down and just accept dying. I'd fight until my last breath.

Then the Normandy arrived, firing at the monsters closing in, practically wiping them all out. For whatever reason, the ship was ignored as it came into dock, the hangar bay door lowering, Vega and Ashley appearing to cover us. I leapt first and turned, waving for Anderson to jump up.

He told us he was staying on Earth to lead the resistance. I thought he was nuts, but it was his decision. He spoke a good game, I could only hope he would deliver it. He then did me a solid by throwing me my tags. I looked at them for a moment. "Go to the Citadel, Shepard. Get the Council to help us."

"You think they actually will?"

"If they don't, then Earth is lost. And humanity will go with it. They have to help. I'll lead the remaining forces here. You do whatever you can out there."

I didn't like it but I offered him a salute, walking past Vega and Ashley, ordering Joker to take the Normandy away from Earth, towards the nearest mass relay. Feeling the ship start to take off, I was immediately inundated with questions from Ashley while Vega let it be known he wasn't happy at all. I whirled on him quickly, said I was now in charge, and if he wanted to stay in Sol, I'd leave him on Mars and he could find his own way through the Reaper hordes. That shut him up.

The first thing I needed to do was grab some armour. Remembering what Anderson told me, it was no surprise to find a locker with my name on it, opening it to see the armour I'd worn against the Collectors waiting for me. As I clipped it all in place, Vega continued to mutter while Ashley was already ready for a fight.

"Can you handle me being back in charge, Ash?" I wondered.

"You would have been the CO eventually again, Shepard. Anderson might have been in charge overall, but the day to day operations would have been left to you."

"Excellent. Joker, any word from anyone in the Alliance?"

He told me Hackett was trying to get in charge. Good thing he did as I was ready to get the hell out of Sol. Hackett didn't have much news to tell me but did have orders. I was to head to Mars and the Prothean archives. When I asked why, he told me that Liara was currently on Mars. That left me scratching my head, as the last time we'd spoken, she was happily working on the ship she'd taken from the old Shadow Broker.

"Doctor T'Soni has been researching anything we could use against the Reapers," Hackett stated, "And from her last report, she was on the verge of finding that could do just that. Get to Mars and the archives, Shepard. Grab the doctor and that data. We need any advantage we can find."

"Aye, sir. I'll have the Normandy head there immediately." I waited for the link to cut, Joker stating the Normandy was already on the way to Mars. Figuring it was going to be a short trip, I didn't bother heading upstairs. "Is Kelly on board?" I asked.

"She's probably up in the CIC," Ashley replied.

"EDI, you there?"

"Yes, Shepard."

"Open the comm to the CIC, please." I paused and then added, "Kelly, you hear me?"

"Thank god..." There was a pause as no doubt a sob was choked back. "I'd come down and see you, Shepard, but I'm really busy up with Samantha, working through a plethora of data already."

I glanced at Ash. "Samantha?" I mouthed.

"You'll find out later," she whispered back.

"Okay. Kelly, we're heading to Mars. Soon as we're done there, I'll come up and see you. But I need my mind on the game right now, and you are far too good a distraction." Vega coughed to cover the chuckle. "Just keep track of any reports and news coming in. It was already a shit show back on Earth, and if the Reapers are here, they'll already be elsewhere in the galaxy."

"We're keeping any eye out for anything you would deem important, Shepard. Just stay safe for now."

"I'll do my best."

Hearing the link click off, I wandered over to the weapons bench, placing down the pistol and assault rifle I'd brought with me, grabbing a shotgun instead. "Ash, remember what fighting alongside me used to be like? I'm different now. I'm sure you've heard, maybe even seen that I'm a biotic?"

"I'm aware, Shepard."

Since she was, I explained the tactics of approach when we landed on Mars. I knew nothing about Vega, but considering his armour and the weapon he hauled around, the man was a walking tank. Ashley was a pure combat soldier, but had apparently dabbled in the technical side. Not enough to become a full blown Sentinel, but she had been training how to use her omni-tool to her advantage. I couldn't help grin as she was rather excited at her progress. She noticed me smile and looked away, definitely embarrassed.

"Good to be back, Shepard?"

"Good to be back in blue... Eventually..."

"Are you still angry about Horizon?"

"I was never angry, Ash. I was disappointed, but also understanding why. And it's in the past. Everything now changes. The only thing that matters is defeating the Reapers." I met her eyes and she nodded.

"Shepard, we are ten minutes out from the facility. Finding an LZ nearby. No replies to our hails."

"Reapers have probably stopped there on the way to Earth, Joker. Find us a spot close by and we'll make our way in."

"Aye, Commander. Best spot is perhaps half a click back. EDI believes the entire facility is currently locked down, likely due to the Reaper presence."

"Not a problem."

Grabbing the shotgun, I also grabbed a new assault rifle and pistol, just in case, waiting at the hangar bay ramp, Vega to one side, Ashley to the other. Feeling the Normandy enter the thin atmosphere and begin its descent to the Martian surface. Once the ship settled, we clipped on our helmets, checked we had oxygen, waiting until the ramp had descended completely, the red planet greeting our eyes.

With a last shared glance, we stepped off the ship and into a complete shitstorm.