30 Days of Writing - 01 - beginning
The transition is almost seamless.
One moment there's the fire of a reaper dreadnought, the shock-wave of an explosion coming towards her and the next it's gone and she's somewhere else.
"Commander what're you doing here!" Ashley practically screamed at her as she was pulled to her feet and dragged quickly towards the ship, the rest of the team finishing off the advancing geth.
"We have the time" Shepard said, more to herself than to any of them. She had planned, she had calculated - she would get it right this time.
They all hit the cargo bay doors, Shepard yelling to their near frantic pilot to go.
There's no time to register what happens as the nuke detonates and engulfs the base, taking the SR-1 with it.
Most times it's accidental. A strategy gone wrong, a risk miscalculated, an unexpected variable she just can't get around (at least the first time). Occasionally she pulls the trigger, or walks into a battle she know she won't win.
The bodies of her friends are long cold before before she even tries to find the strength to move. Removing her hand from where it was interlaced with his three fingered one, she looks down at him, at the others that had joined her and promises to see them again soon.
Only then does she remove her pistol from its holster.
Those times, it's on purpose.
No matter what, Shepard finds herself in the same walk through the CIC, everything perfect - just as she remembered it.
She takes her place beside Nihlus, listening to Joker ready the ship for their approach to the relay and swears that this time, this time she'll get it right.
That's where she finds herself.
Every single time.
Back at the beginning.