A/N: So this story is ALMOST an exact copy of my other fic "Static" (now "Static (T'Soni)") but Vakarian. My first play through I was Liara's bondmate. On my second a I became a hopeless Shakarian shipper. This is what happened. I figure, since ME is player choice, it will be your choice of which to read.

Chapter 1: The Prayer

"You must decide." The Catalyst finished his explanation of the options which stood before her, not very subtly pointing her towards synthesis. It sounded perfect. The ideal solution. Peace. Understanding. Unity. Salvation.

But then again, Commander Shepard realized, the Catalyst thought that the Reapers were a good solution too. As she looked away from the child and towards the shining beam of pure energy before her, Shepard's mind cleared. She considered the choice again. Synthesize with the Reapers or destroy them? The choice to control them was out of the question. Anything the Illusive Man wanted was right out. Was it really as simple as the Catalyst said? A choice between peace and war?

No. It could not be. What the Catalyst said was too good to be true. Synthesis would not stop war any more than the Reapers could. Living things, organic or otherwise, did not need technological differences to wage wars. Look at the Krogan, or the Heretical Geth. The Eden that the catalyst promised was far too good to be true. All it would do is sacrifice diversity. Sacrifice humanity, and all the other races with them. It went against free will. It was playing God. And moreover it was what the creator of the Reapers wanted her to do. After all she had been through, that fact alone might have been enough. The fact that synthesis meant that Shepherd would die did not even consider into the marine's decision.

The one upside she could see was that, according to the Catalyst, synthesis was the only way to save the other synthetics. After all she had done to save the Geth, could she really destroy them just like that? Just for being synthetics? Joker would never forgive her for EDI's death. She would never forgive herself.

Perhaps there was a way. The Catalyst was not omniscient, and moreover it was not organic. If anyone could find another way to save them, it was Commander Shepard.

As Shepard drug herself up the ramp on the right she spoke desperately into her communicator. Her omnitool was broken and her helmet left behind. But Admiral Hackett had gotten a message through on her armor's radio so she had to try.

"EDI?" She called weakly, "EDI do you read me?"

Static. There was a slight fluxuation in it which might have been a voice saying "Commander?", but it only made Shepard wonder if she were hallucinating already. She had lost so much blood.

"EDI I…I don't know if you can hear me but…" – Please, God, let her get this message in time - "I need you to shut down." She exhaled the command heavily. "I need you to shut down right now. Save a hard copy of your programming somewhere and just shut down. Now."

More static. Shepard's brow knotted as she forced one foot in front of the other. She was so close now. And it terrified her.

"I know…" Shepard sighed heavily, more to herself than to the invisible being she hoped could hear her. "I know. I am asking a lot. And I'm sorry. But in a minute-" She looked at the device before her, assessing the war behind her, and decided, "I can give you one minute." She said. "In one minute every functioning AI in the galaxy is going to be destroyed. I'm sorry I don't have time to explain. This is the only way. I don't know if shutting down will save you but we have to try. I'm sorry EDI. But you have to trust me. Trust Joker. Tell him. Once this is over he can wake you back up. You know he will. Just trust him for one minute. Please."

The static continued. Tears filled Shepard's eyes as she realized that no one was listening. It was too late. She could not save them. Defeat washed over her like a physical wave as she reached her goal. Her blood stained fingers touched the glass. The final barrier to destroying the Reapers forever. Static. Shepard fell to her knees.

"Send a message to the Geth and tell them the same." She said hopelessly, as if her tears could pay for the genocide she was about to commit. "They have to…They have to shut down. I know I'm asking a lot but every unit that shuts down RIGHT NOW, I promise we will wake them up. Tell Tali. Even if she has to wake them up one by one, shutting down right now is their only hope of not joining the Reapers. They just have to trust the organics, just for a few seconds. Please." She sobbed, "Please get this message."

Shepard took a deep breath. She looked back to the glass before her, glowing red in the white light. Her orders rang in her ears. Destroy the Reapers at all costs. Billions upon billions of years and countless lives had been building to this moment. To the destruction of the greatest threat the galaxy had ever known.

Could it really be this simple?

She knew that she was going to die. It did not matter. Shepard felt dead already. She had made her peace. She only had one regret. "And…" She did not know why she was still talking when no one could hear. But if these were her last minutes she could not give up hope. "If you can hear this, tell… Tell Garrus I'm sorry. And I'll…I'll be waiting at that bar." She sighed. "I can give you one minute."

The static returned. Shepard did not even try to interpret into words anymore. Tears streamed down her broken face but did nothing to wash it clean of blood. This was the only way. She prayed that it would work.

What she had told Ashley years ago was true. There is never an atheist in a foxhole. And she has been in a lot of foxholes. Shepard did not consider herself a religious person. She did not have time for it. But she knew someone had to be up there. Someone or something so much bigger than even the Reapers and the Catalyst could imagine. Because there had to be hope. She did not pray often, but ever since she woke up knowing that they would face the Reapers on Earth she had found herself muttering prayers whenever she thought her crew couldn't hear. She had to stay confident for them, but she knew the truth. It would take a miracle, and honest to God miracle, for this to work. Now she prayed as if this was the only thing she had ever asked for. If the universe or whatever God ruled it could just give her this one request, one last request before she sacrificed herself in flames, it would all be worth it.

It was the longest minute of Commander Shepard's two lives. She could still hear the Reapers' destruction of earth. Her friends were down there. If she did not do this soon more and more people, good honest people, would die horrible deaths. But just in case she had to give the synthetics time.

Another burst of static came across her radio.

"EDI?" Shepard's broken voice cracked.

Nothing. She hoped that the final message had been EDI's temporary goodbye.

"I'm sorry." The Commander whispered as she forced herself to her feet. It was time. Raising her pistol she took her first shot. And another. Another. Each crack in the glass was a crack in the Reaper's last defense.

She could faintly hear the Catalyst behind her asking if she was sure about what she was about to do. She kept shooting, taking a step closer to her death. This was for Anderson. And for Mordin. And for Thane. And for Legion. This was for her father and mother and for the children she would never have.

The glass shattered and as one last round shot out of her gun Shepard's last thought was of them. Of the Normandy. With a deafening blast everything went white and then everything went black.