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The world was going to hell around them. The Reapers were tearing through their defenses, killing their troops in droves and the chatter over the comm was barely heard over the sounds of the explosions crashing around her. She had lost count of how many she had killed, one thousand, two.... it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was making sure that Shepherd got to that beam and took out the bastards before they took out what little remained of the human race.
"What's happening out there? Did anyone make it to the beam?
"No. Our team was decimated"
Ashley let out a growl as she punched a husk, shooting another before pushing forward. No, Shepherd had to have made it. She wouldn't have failed, not at this. There was too much to lose and they were so close. Shepherd couldn't be dead. Hell, even being dead hadn't stopped her the last time. And if anyone could stop the reapers it was the Commander. But the chatter continued, orders being commanded over the line, cut off by explosions and screams of the dying. Ashley grit her teeth and pushed toward the beam. If her Commander couldn't do it, if for some reason she had fallen, then the Major would just have to take her place wouldn't she? Ashley looked up just in time to see the Normandy fly off, shooting toward the sky and out of sight. Well, at least the team was okay. That was something wasn't it?
"I'm in en-route to the beam. ETA ten minutes-"
"Negative, Major. I want you to fall back. Admiral Hackett's voice cut through the chaos raining around her, and despite the unconscious urge to obey the command, Ashley pushed on. Sometimes it was better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for Permission. Shepherd had taught her that.
"Do you copy, Major? That is a direct order.
She didn't care. She continued to push, to plow through everything in her way. To ignore the pain from the wounds that drained her strength, to place one foot before the other and-
And one of the reaper's beams made contact with the Earth only ten feet in front of her, the heat searing her skin and seeming to blast through her armor. It blinded her, sent her flying backward and colliding with something that jarred every bone in her body.
And then she was falling, unable to stop as the world quickly faded to darkness.
"What's happening out there? Did anyone make it to the beam?
"No. Our team was decimated"
Ashley let out a growl as she punched a husk, shooting another before pushing forward. No, Shepherd had to have made it. She wouldn't have failed, not at this. There was too much to lose and they were so close. Shepherd couldn't be dead. Hell, even being dead hadn't stopped her the last time. And if anyone could stop the reapers it was the Commander. But the chatter continued, orders being commanded over the line, cut off by explosions and screams of the dying. Ashley grit her teeth and pushed toward the beam. If her Commander couldn't do it, if for some reason she had fallen, then the Major would just have to take her place wouldn't she? Ashley looked up just in time to see the Normandy fly off, shooting toward the sky and out of sight. Well, at least the team was okay. That was something wasn't it?
"I'm in en-route to the beam. ETA ten minutes-"
"Negative, Major. I want you to fall back. Admiral Hackett's voice cut through the chaos raining around her, and despite the unconscious urge to obey the command, Ashley pushed on. Sometimes it was better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for Permission. Shepherd had taught her that.
"Do you copy, Major? That is a direct order.
She didn't care. She continued to push, to plow through everything in her way. To ignore the pain from the wounds that drained her strength, to place one foot before the other and-
And one of the reaper's beams made contact with the Earth only ten feet in front of her, the heat searing her skin and seeming to blast through her armor. It blinded her, sent her flying backward and colliding with something that jarred every bone in her body.
And then she was falling, unable to stop as the world quickly faded to darkness.
