Negotiations at the end of the world

"So what you're saying is I can either wipe out a friendly synthetic species at the same time I destroy the reapers, becoming the one doing the Indoctrinating or force everyone onto the same evolutionary path?"

"They will diverge eventually, but yes."

"And all these options cause the destruction of the mass relays?"

"That can be the only outcome of using the crucible yes," replied the entity.

"All horrible choices," Jane Daria Shepard said. "Especially if I make them right now."

"Nether the less you must make the choice."

"And leave the quarians and turians stranded without any food? The krogan without a way to get home to their new families? And even the Asari with a trip that would take them generations?"

"You must make a choice."

"Then I chose none of these three," Jane Daria Shepard stated.

"But these are what the crucible has unlocked in order to end the cycle."

"Then think of me as a second crucible presenting more solutions, more options," Shepard explained as she sat on the ground and put down her pistol. "Negotiation is what I offer, a solution I believe you...catalyst, may not have considered."

"Impossible."

"That is because you're operating under the false assumption that synthetic and organic life cannot coexist."

"But the option for coexistence is open, chose synthesis."

"I won't force that on beings who want to remain one hundred percent of either," Jane Daria sighed. "I have no right to make that choice for anyone."

"But you are the one who stands here."

"Like you," Shepard grunted. "That's part of the problem, the decision to perpetuate the cycle shouldn't have been in a single being's hands."

"The cycle would continue to a true total galactic extinction event without reaper intervention," the catalyst said. "I'm sure your prothean has told you of his own people's encounter with synthetic life?"

"Yes," Shepard admitted. "But the geth had already broken that. They did it at the end of their morning war, They did it by welcoming the Quarians home to Rannoch."

"Only due to your intervention."

"And your intervention forced the geth into conflict they didn't want there by forcing our cycle into you limited vision," Shepard bit back. "I wonder how many species, organics and synthetic, you have forced into war like you did the rachni."

"That was necessary."

"I suppose that's what was said when the first reaper was constructed," Shepard sighed. "I don't buy your explanation by the way."

"The reaper created at the height of a civilisation will not go extinct, will not fade and will not be destroyed by its own creations."

"And you destroy that civilisation, it's people in the process," Shepard said. "Everything it was is lost. What gave you the right to decide the creation of synthetic live was the height of civilisation anyway?"

"Chose!"

"First let my forces withdraw to the their home planets and colonies," Shepard said.

"Acceptable," The catalyst said.

"Second I want Harbinger tried for war crimes."

"Impossible."

"Listen," Jane Daria Shepard said. "Harbinger raped my people, I believe I will find countless witnesses to verify he did the same to theirs. I won't destroy the reapers, they could teach us much about galactic history that has been lost and could be valuable members of galactic society. But Harbinger must be held accountable for his crimes no matter what different moral standard the reapers use."

"In the end peace was made," the grandfather said to his grandchild. "The crucible features to enslave or destroy the reapers were switched off. The synthesis feature was adapted for use for individual conversion."

"And the Joker and the AI were the first to use it," the child interjected.

"Yes and they founded our planet."

"But grandfather what happened to the Shepard?"

"That has been lost," the grandfather said. "It all happened so long ago my sweet."

"Well the Glyph said she was born in space," the child reasoned. "Perhaps she and the Sky Goddess she loved, the one who liked to dug up planets looking for prothean stuff, are still out there."

"Having their eternal rest near some uncharted star?"

"Don't be silly, they're just hiding," the child said. "One day I'll go to the stars. I'll find other glyphs and restore the corrupted data."

"Then we'll know the whole truth?"

"You bet grandpa," the child replied. "Just like Shepard and her friends when they found that beacon."