All characters and Mass Effect rights go to Bioware as I do not own any of them. Enjoy :)
Chapter 1: The Sprint Toward Destiny
Commander John Shepard went at full sprint. All hope rode on his shoulders. He had to reach the beam or the galaxy would face certain annihilation at the hands of the reapers. Liara and Garrus followed further behind.
"Keep moving!" Shepard shouted as he dodged Harbinger's laser.
Alliance marines disintegrated from the massive reaper's laser. Shepard tripped and fell to the ground. He watched as humans, turians, and krogan met gruesome fates. The screams were too much for him. A feeling of hopelessness washed over the spectre. As he slowly rose to his feet Harbinger's laser narrowly missed and brought him back into focus. He ran again.
"Get to the beam dammit!" Anderson yelled.
Communications were going crazy. Screams of the dying, pleas for support, evac and God's help were deafening. Shepard saw Liara and Garrus still behind him. The two he trusted most. His best friend and his true love. He had to end this war. He had to secure a future for them, for everyone. Shepard heard small arms fire erupting from all around. He felt his shields drop a few times as he ran. As he sprinted he judged the distance to the beam was 100 feet.
He put fresh air into his lungs and pushed himself harder. Eighty feet. He ran past a marine, in a crawling retreat. Both his legs, gone. Fifty feet. A krogan ran into five husks and killed them with his bare hands, only to be swarmed by banshees who's shrieks were like nails on a chalkboard. Twenty feet.
"Come on John!" He told himself.
That's when he saw it. A tank flipping through the air straight at him. He threw himself to the side. He watched as it hurtled toward Garrus and Liara. Garrus dived out of the tanks way and felt the heat of the sudden explosion it created.
"LIARA!" Shepard screamed as he saw the asari propelled through the air.
Garrus and Shepard ran to her. Shepard turned her face up. She was covered in dirt and blood flowed from a gash on her forehead.
"Liara? Liara? Wake up. Please, wake up," Shepard pleaded, his hands cradling her face.
"Shepard…" Garrus said.
"No! Liara!" Shepard shouted.
He picked her up and took cover behind a destroyed vehicle. Death was all around them. The allies Shepard had cumulated still charged the beam. Shepard sat and looked at the asari women he loved.
"You can't be dead. You can't be," he whispered.
Garrus took out his sniper rifle and started picking off reaper forces gathering beyond the beam.
"Shepard, we can't stay here," the turian said, "We need to end this."
Shepard felt tears trickling down his face. He quickly brushed them away.
"LIARA!" He yelled.
Her eyes fluttered. A groan escaped her lips. Shepard's heart leapt. She looked up at him.
"Shepard?"
He nodded, smiling.
"I- What happened?" she asked.
"We're getting you out of here," he said.
"What? No! I can still-" her sentenced cut off as she screamed in pain and grabbed her leg.
"Joker!" Shepard yelled over the comm.
"Shepard, we're takin' it to the reapers up here. What's happening?" Joker said.
"I need immediate evac," Shepard said.
"What? We're losing ships up here. I can't break off from the attack commander. What's going on?"
"It's Liara…" The spectre said.
"Is she okay?"
"No, Jeff," Shepard said, using the pilot's name for the first time in a long while, "Please I need you to get her out of here."
"On my way," Joker said knowing how important she was to his friend.
"Shepard, I can still help," Liara said.
"No, I need you to get out of here. You're hurt."
The Normandy flew over them and hovered above ground near them.
"Garrus," Shepard said, "Get her out of here!"
Garrus lifted her to her feet and she leaned on him. She limped toward the Normandy using Garrus as support. Shepard picked off enemy resistance giving them cover. They made to the opening hatch of the Normandy before Liara tried to get back to Shepard. Garrus wrapped his arms around her holding her back.
"No Liara!" He said.
"Shepard!" She yelled.
He turned to her and took her outstretched hand.
"Liara you need to go."
"Please Shepard. Don't send me away. Don't go." Tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Liara I need you to live. You need to survive. Don't ask me to go with you." He was trying not to lose himself.
"Shepard… I can't lose you again," she said.
"Liara, please…"
"I love you, Shepard. I love you. I'm yours," she said.
Shepard was shocked. She loved him? He loved her but it was never voiced. He kissed her hand gently.
"I love you, Liara. I'll come back to you. I promise."
"I'll hold you to that!" she said as Garrus dragged her away into the safety of the ship.
Shepard watched them go. He know felt like he had something to come back to. That the galaxy was worth saving if Liara was in it. He turned toward the beam and Harbinger.
"SHEPARD!" Harbinger's voice bellowed through his mind.
"Here I come you son of a bitch."