Shepard looks over the flat ground that stands between her and the beam that can get her to the citadel to end the cycles that has hurt the galaxy for time long forgotten. Shepard is so deep in thought that she doesn't even notice that her love has wrapped her arms around Shepard's waist. Then Liara spoke making Shepard jump "what are you thinking about love?"
Shepard though very carefully about what she was going to say back to the love of her life "I was thinking of how we got to this point. The lives given to slow the reapers, the pasts forgotten to slow the reapers, just so that us can stich some kind of force against an unstoppable one."
"You can't keep thinking like this. Without us, without you, the galaxy would already be destroyed"
Shepard was about to say of how if the council had listened to her over 3 years ago we would have been able to have more life in the galaxy. But then was a loud booming sound coming from the sky then the tell sign that it was a reaper coming to protect the beam. First giant legs the size of building's came into view then the main body towered over the land almost reaching the clouds. The ground shock as the legs touched the ground the mass effect field emitted by the reaper couldn't stop the massive weight of the eon's old machine shaking the ground. Shepard did think that it could land so lightly that even a seismograph right next to it could mistake it for someone jumping in the next room, but this massive rumbling of the reaper was to an effect of terror.
But there was something different about this reaper. It had 4 sickly golden eyes in the main body of the reaper.
It was harbinger the very first reaper to have existed. When it was made it was made with the very essence of the master race in its time.
This master race created an artificial intelligence to create a galaxy wide peace between organics and synthetics. This AI ended up betraying its very creators and harbinger was created.
Harbinger looked over the entire battle field as if looking of something or someone. Then the golden eyes dimed ever so slightly as if it found what it was looking for. "SHEPARD"it called out booming out in to the battlefield. Then a massive deep shrill from harbinger pieced the heads of everyone causing everyone to cover their ears and bend over in pain. After that it started to fire using short burst from its twin main guns to cover the field but it kept its gaze on Shepard.
Shepard turns to Liara who was still recovering from the noise from harbinger and screamed "time to go to work" then pulled her assault rifle from her back hitting a switch to change it from compact to fire ready the jumped down from the ledge and full on sprinted towards the beam.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she swerved and dodged the incoming fire from the "king of the reapers" still running like hell towards beam. She looked over her shoulder for a split second to see Liara and garrus behind her.Goodshe thought got archangel on my six and the love of my life to my side. You reaper bastards have no chance. Then carried on surging towards the beam a very close shot hit the mako next to Shepard making it flip into the air. Then she heard a sound the crushed her heart. A pain filled scream. She turned on the spot to see what had caused the scream. It was behind the mako. To the side she could see garrus trying to stand but the mako was where liara was meant to be. She ran the fasts she could run towards the mako dread filling her heart. Behind the mako that was on its side she saw liara.
With her tear filled eyes see saw Shepard running towards her with the most terror filled face she ever saw. Shepard almost collapsed when she saw that liara was still alive. But when see look over her body she couldn't she leg from the knee down. The mako had pinned liara to the ground by landing on her leg.
"I'm so so sorry liara" Shepard said with her terror filled voice shaking all over.
"It's ok love it's not your fault I should have seen it coming." Liara said reaching for Shepard.
"No I " they were interrupted with reaper fire close to them " I should have left you with the others" she reached for her Omni-tool speaking into it "Steve I need you here now"
"On my way what I'm I expecting" Steve climbing into his seat powering up the shuttle.
Garrus then injected medi-gel into liara to help with the pain of the mako on her leg.
"Liara's been injured I need to get her out of here" Shepard said trembling. Then she turned towards garrus.
"Oh no commander I'm not going not now we have almost have this" garrus already a step ahead Shepard.
"no garrus I'm not going to lose anyone else today of all days and I need you to look after her whilst I finish this"
"No I'm sorry you can get me court martial me after this. Like you said there is no Shepard with our without vakarian and …" garrus said shaking his head
Shepard reached forward grasping garrus's forearm interrupting him "please do this for me" looking him dead in the eye as another volley from harbinger hit next to them.
"60 seconds out" Steve said trough the comm-link you could hear the shuttle getting tossed about by fire.
"Ok Shepard but if you die you buying the rounds at that bar" garrus said but without amusement that was all ways present in any other situation.
"Can you help me with this?" Shepard said gesturing towards the mako pinning her beloved to the ground.
Garrus moved to one side as Shepard leaned towards liara and said "I hate to cause you any pain but this… this is going to hurt a lot"
Liara could only respond with a nod
Shepard then moved to her side and began to push even with the muscle enhancements from Cerberus she could only just push the tank over, good thing that garrus was there.
As the tank began to move liara screamed in pain and passed out from it.
As if by cue Steve landed by them opened the door and jumped out to help liara on board but Shepard carried her on board strapped her in and look at Steve and said "take her to the Normandy chakwas is the only person I trust to look after her" "I will commander" he nodded then climbed back into the pilot seat "thanks Steve"
Then garrus looked at her and just nodded and stepped into the shuttle giving Shepard a concerned look as the door closed and the shuttle took off.
Shepard composed herself, wiping the tears from her face then turned and began running towards the beam again counting down the meters from it
200
150
100
80
50
30
Then a flash of red engulfed her pain searing all along her body. Her suit screaming at her about temperature exceeding operational limits then there was nothing. No sound, no feeling, no movement, and then darkness started to fill her mind, her eyes getting heavier and heavier.
Then she remembered something.
A promise
"Will you promise me something?"
Yes of course"
"Will you come back alive?"
"Yes of course I will I won't leave you alone no matter what happens"
"No matter what happens?"
"I promise that I will come back for you"
She opened her eyes feeling the entire body engulfed in pain. She reached for a button on her armour. As she pressed it feeling her entire body being filled with a mixture of medi-gel, pain killers, and stims.
As the feeling in her body coming back her, the pain fading from her body. She tried to stand it was pain full even thought her body being filled with painkillers. She then remembers how far away she was from the beam 30 meters. She starts to walk but it became a shuffle still counting down the meters.
25
20
15
10
5
She feels her body hitting the floor. A rotting smell fills her nose. A red light in her vision lights a small corridor. She can feel unconscious creeps up on her. She tries to fight it of but she loses the battle.
