A/N: *WARNING* Spoilers for Mass Effect 3 ahead, don't read if you haven't played!
I'm aware the ending isn't favoured by anyone really, but this was the option I chose when I played and it was my preferred 'alternate ending' of the three main choices. I'm planning on working further on the storyline lacking in the ending and if I make any mistakes please point them out.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, if I did the characters would be doing more dirty things with each other ;)
SYNTHESIS
Shepard
I felt like shit. I couldn't breathe through my nose; too much blood had clogged, leaving me to draw in sharp painful breaths through my mouth as shallow as I could make them. My left arm hung limp by my side, the other trying to hold tight to the only gun I had left- my pistol, I would have liked something a bit more powerful at this crucial moment but I had a feeling I wouldn't have the strength to hold onto it. Bent almost double I began a slow walk to the other end of the crucible, I had a big choice to make and with three paths open before me I couldn't help but feel no matter my decision it wasn't going to be a good deal. Control the reapers, destroy the reapers or combine synthetic and organic life. I really wasn't in my right mind to make a decision that effected the entire universe but I was the only one who could do anything about the reaper invasion, I'd come this far, I wasn't about to let Earth get destroyed that easily.
Joker
My hands ran quickly across the buttons on the cockpits command centre, the Mass Relays were turning to rubble, green flame following their destruction, following us. I didn't know how long I could evade as it continued to follow after us, I could see the green mixing with the orange interface in front of me and nothing I could do would likely stop it from engulfing the entire ship, I was running out of time and my fingers couldn't move fast enough. I felt time slow down, could see that my chances of out-manoeuvring were slim, and then I felt the pull, the Normandy dragged back into the eye of the storm. Nothing really changed, space is space, it's all similar- a couple of stars, some planets- that's the galaxy, so of course I wasn't sure at first anything had changed, but looking at the system in front of me I could tell we'd touched down to an unknown pocket in the relays. "We're not in Kansas anymore." I muttered soullessly, then I felt the ship buck as the tail exploded and was faced with a difficult position most pilots face at least once in their day- I'd experienced this a few time's… let's just say only one of those was my fault. 'ENGINE FAILURE' flashed on the screen and the next thing I knew the Normandy had lost all power, plunged into darkness the only thing I could see was green all around me. I pulled up on the manual controls as best I could manage (with brittle bones applying force wasn't a strong point of mine) but I'd lost this ship once and I wasn't going to lose her a second time. The crash was deafening as we nosedived into land, and I was thrown forward in my seat, pain rendering me stunned.
"Jeff?" I heard the call but I couldn't respond, winded as I lay face down on the control panel, fighting to push away from it, I looked out at a bright light; slowly the image came into focus- trees, nature. No destruction, no buildings, no reapers- it looked like my home planet but I knew it wasn't. I hadn't seen such familiar beauty since I'd been with family on Tiptree and I tried not to consider the fact that I may never see them again- anyone again. "Jeff, are you alright?" EDI's voice reached my ears and I turned the chair around slowly, away from the sight of the outside world- whatever that world may be. "No EDI, but thanks for asking…" I managed to mumble, pulling myself out the seat and through the cockpit, pushing oxygen masks out the way as the dangled uselessly from the ceiling. I caught sight of polished metal as EDI quickly took me in an embrace, leading me away from the nose of the ship and down the bridge. I allowed her to help, grimacing mildly, I was happy to see she was okay, but I wasn't sure if Iwas, broken bones were a familiar feeling and I considered that maybe I'd splintered something in my arm, but that wasn't the only thing putting my mind into a spin- who else (if anyone) had made it through the crash?
Sound erupted as bodies groaned and fought their way out of debris, some of the doors containing supplies had popped open leaving the main hull in disarray. "I'm detecting signs of life Jeff." I managed a small smile, not wishing to alarm her, I was glad to see some people survived but I was worried for those who hadn't. "Thanks for the heads up EDI," I watched as few managed to right themselves. Not everyone survived; I could see the ships crash had caused several casualties, bodies lying in blood puddles unresponsive. I tried to focus on the survivors; James Vega was the first I saw, shaking his head quickly in an uncoordinated fashion before attempting to help Tali from out beneath a section of conference room table that had managed to migrate through smashed glass and wide open doors. "You okay?" He uttered to her, leading her out of the mess that was once the combat information centre.
"My suits a little torn, I might not be too well in a few hours, still considering all odds I'm okay for the moment," I looked on as she dropped to her knees and sat back, she looked quite weak, just like I felt.
"We'll look for medical supplies shortly, I think we're all a little roughed up," I managed to murmur, EDI let go of me then and I found I could stand okay on my own, despite the slight shake the ran continuously through my legs.
Leaning myself gently against a piece of wall I considered the situation, EDI worked with James as they began helping other's from the rubble, we'd been thrown onto an uncharted planet with no navigational equipment at our disposal with the Normandy sadly out of commission, surviving the next few hours let alone weeks might prove a challenge. It was a pretty grim situation and I hadn't even calculated the other possibilities, watching as friends and comrades were rescued from the wreckage in front of me. When they had finished their brief sweep of the area I was comforted to see that I had managed to keep at least a few of our crew alive: EDI of course, James looking stunned, Tali clutching at the hole in her armour, Garrus blue blood leaking from his mouth, Liara pulling herself out with the clever use of biotics, Dr Chakwas surveying the wounded, Samantha Traynor fighting to hold back a whimper and Bethany Westmoreland- one of the guards at the war room door- looking devastated. This was still a blow, everyone else aboard the Normandy appeared to have died and I didn't want to consider who, of those, were dead due to my shoddy landing.
"Where are we?" Bethany asked first.
I'd only briefly seen outside and whether due to stupidity or perhaps lack of oxygen I opened the hanger door without even thinking. The light shined in, throwing relief on the scene of destruction behind me, but there was one positive, the planet's air was breathable. I covered my eyes with my arm over my head, trying to see beyond the sun shine, seeing the same leafy growth and trees that I'd caught sight of in the cockpit. The forest appeared alive, pulsing with some glowing energy that rippled through the plants like light blue waves. I didn't dwell on the unknown, stepping off the Normandy I turned to help EDI down, pointing beyond the green we stood close together amongst the trees, between two ridges, able to see out at the overlapping moons high above us. The crunch of leaves behind me suggested we weren't alone, everyone else joining us to take in where we had ended up landing, no one able to speak as they took in their surroundings.
"Is this an inappropriate moment for a joke?" EDI asked out loud, nuzzling into my chest.
I scratched at my beard, unsure how to respond. "Uhhh… Yeeeeah, I'd save it for later."
A/N: Thanks for reading, please review if you liked it! There's space hamster cookies in it if you do.