Shepard
Chapter 1
Earths defiance was never fully recognised during the war; People, Colonies and soldiers all ignored the raw beauty of the planet and focused on the deaths and losses which flowed from it. But it was being acknowledged now. As the citadel hovered over the infamous city of London a single female figure pushed herself from the cold metal platform; Her hands leaving streaks of crimson blood as she did.
She was Shepard. Savoir of the Citadel, The first human spectre, The war hero. The survivor. The only human in the whole of the galaxy whose name instilled fear in their enemies, A woman who had a tendency to cheat death and tempt fate. The blonde haired commander struggled to stand, One of her spare hands locked across her side as the crimson blood; her life force… flowed through her fingers. Sighing Shepard lifted her deep blue eyes upwards, Allowing the pure white light which seeped from the beam of the crucible to the citadel to splash across her face.
The war hero's face was painted with pain, Two large cuts spread across her dried lips like the parched surface of Tuchunka, Her lips parted ever so slightly alike the worlds cracked hot clay surface longing for water. Blood slipped down her chin as the woman used her tongue to lick it up and away, Flinching at the raw taste it carried. Her forehead was also covered in a thin layer of sweat and blood, Her blonde hair matted over the area where the wound had been inflicted.
Stepping forwards on shaky feet the commander found her moth dropping ever so slightly as the sight which she was met by. Her deep blue eyes glimmered as the light from earth's upper atmosphere reflected onto her watery iris's. The planet had never looked so strong and mighty. As the reapers circled the space around her, fleets which ranged from the Geth to the alliance worked in harmony as they took them down one at a time. The planet meanwhile loomed threateningly over the citadel as the burning red of fire highlighted the main cities of the world which were under attack. Constant flashes from the people who fought making it look as if the Earth was twinkling with some kind of sick beauty.
"Or you can control us"
Shepard eyes blinked twice as she realised she had drifted off into yet another reverie, The young image of a boy stood before her brimming with the innocence a youngling like himself was expected to carry. Allowing her shoulders to sag ever so slightly the soldier glanced over towards the left, Where an eerie blue glow highlighted her second option to stopping the reapers.
"So the illusive man was right…" Shepard coughed meekly as she eyed the contraption,
"Yes but he would never have been able to control it" The catalyst snapped back ever so slightly, His eyes glancing up towards the Shepard of humanity once again.
"But neither will i-"
"You Shepard are an exception- You have a strong enough will power to withstand the harbingers influences… Just like you are now" The young boy smiled as he began to slowly walk towards the blue area of the citadel, A metallic bridge extending outwards to either side as if he already knew the woman's answer from behind him.
"What do you mean-"
"You have withstood indoctrination for almost 4 years now… Is that not enough proof" The catalyst sighed as it turned back to the blonde, Who's blood slowly seeped through her fingers, "You can control the reapers… But everything that makes you will die…"
The blonde nodded once as she raised her head higher than before, Her eyes fluttering closed ever so slightly as he thoughts slipped back to the two dead bodies she had left behind to make it here. As she thought of her old crew mates. Her friends. Her…. Garrus.
"And if I'm in that bar… and you're not… I'll always be looking down… you will never be alone"
How true those words were.
"You don't look scared" The catalyst questioned with curiosity, "Why is that?"
"Because I already knew I wasn't going to see the end result from this mission" Shepard revealed truthfully as she gripped the arc pistol in her hand, given to her by Tali. Allowing her eyes to fly open once again the commander took a strong step forwards, Her eyes locked on the left as she walked past the young boy before her.
"This is a hard choice for you Shepard…"
"No- It isn't-" The woman looked up towards Earth once again, "I thought I could destroy all synthetic life but… They feel just as us"
"I don't understand… Synthetics are simply designed to obey-"
"No" Shepard interrupted as it became her turn to run this conversation, "No- Synthetics have the potential for so much more…"
"Choosing to destroy would delete your AI… EDI" The catalyst smirked ever so slightly as its image brushed off its clothes as if it was dirty. Shepard growled softly within her throat, Just like she had seen and heard Garrus do so many times before.
"That would be murder"
"You confuse me Shepard" The catalyst muttered as it stepped backwards,
The blonde snapped her eyes away she marched up the small ramp and towards the controls for the reapers, Images of the illusive man flashing before her eyes as she did so. He was a sick man, One which had been trouble from the start of it all. Someone who was under the influence of the reapers. Prehaps they were influcing her too. Glancing back to the Catalyst the little blue image had dissipaited into nothing, Leaving her alone with only the emptiness of space as company.
"Oh Garrus… I could really do with…- ARGH!" The blonde clutched her side as her knee's buckled from her weight, sending the woman's small yet strong body crashing to the metal platform once again. The woman's head smacked against the floor as dark spots pranced across her vision, her strong hold on life slowly slipping away as her willpower lingered a little too long in the past.
Removing her blood caked hand Shepard extended it outwards towards the control section before her, Her eyes shimmering as her eyelids fluttered closed.
"No… not yet… too…soon" Removing her blood caked hand Shepard extended it outwards towards the control section before her, Her eyes shimmering as her eyelids fluttered closed. The last thing she saw was the battle for Earth raging over her in the dark oblivion of space.
"Shepard" Garrus's mandibles twitched into what the woman recognised as a smile, Stumbling forwards the commander wrapped her arms tightly around the taurians neck as she held him close. Surprising both of them at her sudden lax of control on her emotions,
"Garrus… This is it isn't it?" The blonde whispered into the alien's neck as she refrained from opening her eyes. The ex c-sec officer found himself in his commanding officers room for the last moment of peace before the war the next day. Before the moment of truth. Before the crucible fired. Slowly the taurian allowed his long arms to wrap protectively around the human, His talons wrapping together as he embraced her for the first time in a while.
"Its what?-"
"What are our chances Garrus" The blonde murmured as she sighed in resentment cutting him off from his own thoughts. This wasn't Shepard. This wasn't her. "God I hate them bloody reapers"
"No- Shepard" The taurian declared as he pulled the woman away; much to his own resentment, Her eyes opening to reveal an abundance of hope reflecting across her iris's. "This isn't it… Were going to drag the reapers to hell and watch them burn….and…" The taurian stuttered slightly as he brought one of his talon up to scratch away at his mandible, "then you and me are going on a date"
Garrus felt relieved as a large grin began to tug at the end of the woman's lips he stood before, His own worried falling away as they stood in front of each other, too close for a normal friendship. Her eyes glistened with humor as she stepped back and leant heavily onto one of her hips. "Date Vakarian? Im beginning to think you're going soft on me"
"Not when its to go and see the largest supernova in the whole of the galaxy… don't worry- there's violence…"
"The violent death of a star eh? That sounds perfect" Shepard smiled as she sat back onto her bed, Her eyes locking with the Taurians unusually blue ones. The alien man lowered himself down so he was eye-level with his commander, A small feeling of accomplishment growing within his chest as he realised he had pushed back her doubts.
"Its called Sirius" Garrus felt his mandible's twitch as he pressed his forehead against Shepard's, "I knew that sort of thing would appeal to you"
The Commander opened her eyes once again, Surprising herself when a tear strolled down the side of her cheek. Pulling herself to her feet the woman marched the final two steps forwards, Her short bob of a hairstyle blowing the stray strands from her face as the eerie blue bolt of power hummed to life before her. Beckoning her hands to join it and control the reapers. Smirking and taking one last glance at Earth Shepard pushed her hands forwards, griping the energy as a pain sharper than she had ever felt embraced her body.
Gritting her teeth the blonde eyes fluttered shut once again as images flashed before her eyes of her friends. Joker, EDI, Miranda, Tali… Garrus…. They were just a few to name. For a second the woman could have sword she even saw Thane, Legion and Jack nodding in the horizon with her family standing beside them, The bright dying star Sirius burning brightly behind them as they watched. But within a blink of an eye they were gone, And instead there was darkness. The strong pain still coursing through her veins like liquid fire; Playing as a constant reminder to why she was there.
"Shepard"
It was the Harbringer. Although, Unlike all the other times she had heard his cruel cold voice it carried the recognisable feeling of fear. Smirking in the darkness, the commander coughed into her hand as the sensation of numbness began to claim her mind and body; Her heart aching as it tried in vain to carry on beating. The reapers presence grew stronger against her mind as their hissing and screeches filled her earths causing her eyes to flinch. They were fighting her, But like the Catalyst had said she was stronger.
"Shepard what are you doing…"
Slowly the darkness around her began to dissipate as her eyes flickered open once again, The blue beam had claimed her by now; Turning her hands a crisp black and blue like the Husks she had fought constantly for the past three years. She was dying, It wasn't like the first time though- After the first reaper attack she had been flung into the oblivion to die alone and from a lack of air. She knew it was happening and there was nothing she could do. But now, She had a reason for her death, And as the Spectre of Humanity she had a duty to protect the galaxy and her species. Feeling the reapers control begin to fade away the commander found it within her voice to whisper one last time.
"I… Im….." Shepard paused as she pushed her eyes tightly closed, The image of Sirius spurning to mind as she forced the reapers to obey to her will and crash into the star, "Assuming control"