Ashley Williams

'"Why is it whenever someone says 'with all due respect', they really mean 'kiss my ass'?" '

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams is a human soldier and a member of Commander Shepard's squad. Ash is a career marine with a tough attitude who is rescued from the geth on Eden Prime. She is a possible romantic partner for a male Shepard.

Ashley Williams is voiced by Kimberly Brooks.

Personnel File

 * Name: Ashley Madeline Williams
 * Rank: Gunnery Chief
 * Military Vocational Code: B4
 * Current Posting: 2nd Frontier Division, Eden Prime
 * Date of Birth: April 14, 2158 (age 25 as of 2183)
 * Place of Birth: Vercingetorix Outpost, Planet Sirona, 61 Ursae Majoris System
 * Blood Type: B-positive

Genetic Enhancements:
 * In-utero vision correction (maternal predisposition for nearsightedness)
 * Class-B Alliance Infantry Upgrade Package

Dossier
Following family tradition, Chief Williams enlisted in the Alliance Marines directly out of high school and was assigned to the Recruit Training Depot in Macapá, Brazil.

During training, she certified proficient with the standard-issue M7 Lancer assault rifle and light and standard weight combat hardsuits. She completed certification in zero-gravity combat aboard the Rakesh Sharma Orbital Platform in Earth geosynchronous orbit. For Hostile Environment Assault Training, she was assigned to Fort Charles Upham on Saturn's moon, Titan. She was awarded a commendation for her bold assault technique in a field exercise simulating an attack on turian point defense emplacements.

Drill Instructor Gunnery Chief Ellison noted her steadfast endurance and aggressive instincts, and promoted her to the role of squad leader. After observing her effective tutelage of the less skilled members of her training unit, he promoted her to platoon guide. She maintains a friendly correspondence with DI Ellison.

Chief Williams has served in a number of ground force garrisons on Alliance colony worlds and industrial outposts. She repeatedly requested transfer to a shipboard posting, but each request has been denied without comment by her superiors.

Every year since enlistment, she has used her mandatory week of leave to visit her family on Amaterasu. In 2181, she made an exceptional request for a week-long leave of absence from her posting at the Czarnobóg Fleet Depot, citing family issues.

Personal Observations
Chief Williams' platoon has logged unanimous positive feedback on her leadership in the recent fitness review cycle. Private Nirali Bhatia praised her focus on team-building exercises and "tough but fair" discipline.

Williams is a reliable and dedicated noncommissioned officer, but her service in rear-area garrisons has prevented her from gaining actual combat experience. Her aggressive instincts and tendency to speak bluntly are suitable for a field unit, but might lead to complications if her duties require her to interact with civilians. Additionally, her political opinions may be problematic, given the focus on improving relations with the Citadel.

Email records
"From: Ashley Williams (ashley.m.williams@edenprime.mil.sa) Sent: June 17, 2183 22:03 UT To: Sarah Williams (randori-girl@ward37.amaterasu.civ.pub) Subject: Re: Hey sis James left today. He's been reassigned to one of the new Rapid Response Bases out in the Kepler Verge. Lucky bastard. It's like the ancient west out there – pirates and slavers coming out of the Terminus Systems all the time. He gets to play the cavalry, riding out in frigates any time someone's house gets burned down. I made some speech about how he was a valuable asset to the squad and he better make us look good out there, blah blah. I suck at speeches. I was cribbing from something I read back in history class. I don't think anyone noticed. I'm going to miss him. Don't tell anyone. So you think James is cute, eh? Yeah, well, when you said I should 'go for him' – not gonna happen, kiddo. See, we have rules about 'fraternization'. You don't do The Deed with your fellow troops, especially if they're under you in rank. There's all sorts of problems that can happen when two people in the same unit get together. Let's say your unit is in a tight spot. Some bug-eyed aliens are going to overrun the galaxy. They eat babies, smell bad, and don't have elbows. Nasty. You're told to guard the rear. To let everyone else escape, someone is ordered 'hold this spot until we're gone.' Someone has to be left behind. You think it's going to be someone you're sleeping with? I've served with these guys for eight months now. Yeah, some of them make me feel tingly (and yeah, James was kinda scruffy-cute). I hope I never have to decide who lives and who dies. But if I have to, my decision can't be muddled up by magic-sparkly-hearts-and-stars feelings. Anyways, I'm gonna knock off here. I've got dog watch in a few hours. Want to get a shower and a meal before then. Talk to you tomorrow. - Ash This message originated from an Alliance military network. It has been censored at transmission source for security purposes. Any reply may be read by military authorities."

Mass Effect
Ashley Williams is encountered on Eden Prime during the course of Commander Shepard's mission to retrieve a Prothean Beacon. Ashley's unit, the 212, was wiped out by an army of geth also intent on retrieving the beacon. As sole survivor of her unit, and also having demonstrated her combat abilities on Eden Prime, Captain Anderson has her transferred to the Normandy. Ash is uncomfortable about filling a dead man's shoes after the loss of Corporal Jenkins, and blames herself for not being more alert during the geth attack, but she soon becomes part of the crew. She and Kaidan, as the two human squad members, tend to get on well and if they are backing Shepard up there is sometimes extra dialogue between them after assignments on the Citadel.

Ashley is from a large family - she is the oldest of four sisters (in order of birth, Ashley, Abby, Lynn, and Sarah) - and was born into a long line of Alliance soldiers. Her father was an enlisted man on frequent detachments, taking any post that gave time in space. Ash had to help raise her sisters, and the four of them were close because they changed postings every few years, leaving their friends behind.

But despite his hard work and dedication, Ashley's father never rose above serviceman third class, a fact Ash is deeply bitter about. She finally confesses to Shepard that her grandfather was General Williams, who surrendered the garrison at Shanxi. Because of that, the Williams name is mud in the Alliance military and despite Ash's exemplary technical scores, she has never been assigned to the fleet. Her superiors' prejudice against her family background means Ashley has mostly been stuck in groundside garrison posts, which is probably why she ended up on a quiet farming colony like Eden Prime. Ashley claims a Williams has to be better than the best to make up for Shanxi, making her dedicated to her job but also prickly, blunt and quick-tempered.

While off duty, Ashley spends her time in the Normandy's lower decks cleaning rifles. Shepard can chat to her about recent missions to get feedback, or the latest shipboard rumor - Ashley has an ear to the ground and always hears scuttlebutt before anyone else. Ash enjoys talking about her family and is interested in Shepard's background. She is amazed that she and Shepard went to the same training facility and they can reminisce about getting yelled at by Gunnery Chief Ellison.

Ashley also has strong religious beliefs, but she is hesitant about discussing them with Shepard because people sometimes get weirded out. Ash's faith is enhanced by her work in space - "how can you look out at this galaxy and not believe in a higher power?" - and she's confident that her father, who passed away, is with God now. She still knows his favorite poem, Tennyson's Ulysses, off by heart. Shepard jokes that Ash is the last person the commander would expect to hear quoting classical literature, but Ashley indignantly claims "just because I can drill you between the eyes from a hundred meters, doesn't mean I can't like sensitive stuff! -But don't spread it around." Though she is tough and aggressive, Ashley does have some compassion: when meeting Samesh Bhatia she is very respectful and sympathetic, taking the time to say how much his wife Nirali loved him.

Ash is proud to be aboard the Normandy and thanks Shepard for the opportunity, but she has some problems adjusting. Due to her groundside assignments, family history and lack of experience in working with other races, she tends to be distrustful of aliens. Ashley doesn't trust the Citadel Council and believes humanity can't rely on them staying allies. She questions the wisdom of allowing Wrex and Garrus Vakarian to wander freely around, and dismisses the Prothean Cipher as "some asari mumbo jumbo", thinking the commander has suffered needlessly to get it. But Ashley concedes that Shepard is in command and the presence of aliens on the ship is not up to her. "You say jump, I say how high. You say kiss a turian, I ask which cheek."

That being said, Ashley isn't xenophobic. Though she doesn't hesitate to shoot Wrex if she truly believes he presents a threat to Shepard on Virmire, she happily volunteers to go with Captain Kirrahe's team and works well with the salarians, respecting their tenacity and skill. Also, despite her belief that humans need to rely on themselves, she dismisses Terra Firma as a group of xenophobic "jackals" who have replaced the originally noble aims of the party with anti-alien paranoia.

During the operation at Virmire, Shepard can choose to save Ashley's life at the cost of losing Kaidan. During the debrief, Ashley actually gets angry at Shepard's decision, saying Kaidan was a superior officer and she should have been the one left behind. Shepard can demand to know just how far Ash is willing to go in order to clear her grandfather's name. Ashley does have qualms about facing the Reapers, claiming she's infantry and will have no place in the upcoming battles (an assault rifle won't last long against Sovereign's defenses) but Shepard assures her that she's needed. Eventually Ash comes around, content to work with the Normandy's multi-species crew to stop Saren.

If Shepard is male, he and Ashley can begin building a rapport after Eden Prime that gradually builds into a romantic interest. Though Ashley is receptive, she's also not shy about needling Shepard for his attraction to a soldier under his command. When she, Kaidan and Shepard are taking in the view on the Wards, if Shepard claims that according to the old vids, humans have everything aliens could want - "beautiful women, this emotion called love" - Ashley teases "if you want me in a tinfoil miniskirt and thigh-high boots, you'll have to buy me dinner first... sir." Ashley claims she isn't one for words, but her interest in poetry helps her to say what she feels.

When the Normandy is locked down by the Council, Ash comes to Shepard's side to persuade him not to give in, and they almost share a kiss before being interrupted by Joker. En route to Ilos, Ashley comes to Shepard's quarters, saying that, after a long career of being sidelined by the Alliance, Shepard helps her to feel "good enough", and they can spend the night together. However, Ash is still willing to tease Shepard: she claims to have something important to tell him, but if he wants to hear it, he'll have to survive Ilos and come back to her first.

Mass Effect 2
Provided she did not die on Virmire at some point in the story Ashley is on a colony that is attacked by the Collectors. During the attack Ashley is attacked by a swarm of bugs, that the Collectors have sent out ahead of themselves, that paralyze the colonists so that the Collectors can collect their bodies, place them in stasis pods and bring them aboard their massive ship. Whether Ashley herself is paralyzed and taken aboard the ship is unknown. As a returning love interest from Mass Effect, she is not a recruitable party member. 

Trivia

 * Ashley is one of the 'poster' characters for Mass Effect and usually appears on the promotional art along with Garrus. The two of them are also seen accompanying Shepard in most of the demo footage, including the mission on Caleston where Ash can be seen arguing with Garrus. When he says they can't risk the mission to save a group of human miners trapped by the geth attack, Ashley claims that if they were turian miners he'd want to get them out.


 * Ashley also shares the same name as Bruce Campbell's character Ashley "Ash" Williams in the Evil Dead and Army of Darkness movies. If Ashley is in the team on Virmire, her conversation response includes a reference to shooting things with her "boomstick."


 * Ashley was originally to recite Robert Heinlein's "Cool Green Hills of Earth." The rights for Heinlein's work are rather complex, and when time ran out to acquire permission, it was replaced with Tennyson's "Ulysses," which is in the public domain. The second and third stanzas were used when she discussed her father, and the fourth and final on the way to Ilos.


 * Ashley's middle name, Madeline, is another reference to Tennyson from her poetry-loving father.


 * The "James" referred to in Ashley's email is secretly a BioWare technical designer, who transferred to the Austin studio the day the piece was written.


 * Gunny Ellison and his predilection for using elaborate words are a veiled reference to author Harlan Ellison.