Author's Note: This story is meant to be a rewrite of the controversial Mass Effect ending. I had difficulty in choosing the best place to beginthe story as the most important changes come from Shepard's meeting with the 'starchild' but in the end I decided to just go with the conduit run as it really marks the start of the ending.
Important: I tried to not add too many specific details to the Shepard in this story. I wanted it to be possible for readers to imagine their own Shepard they had made through their own playthroughs. That said, there will be moments when specific characteristics of Shepard will come through about his background and past actions, but I tried to make it moments which could be re-imagined by readers to make it fit their own character. In the second chapter and in the as yet unwritten final chapter of this story, there will be references that will not be understood unless the reader is familiar with my past story "Clarity." These are the only times this happens and I hope everyone finds some entertainment with both stories.
The light from the Reaper's Conduit was blinding to Shepard as he sprinted towards it. Even with the tinted faceplate of his helmet, its brilliance was so great he felt as though he could close his eyes and the light would still manage to sear through his eyelids. He forced his mind to clear itself of those extraneous thoughts as he continued to run. Such thoughts could only distract and cause him to falter. And in this situation, to falter would be fatal, death inevitable. So, he continued to run with a single-minded purpose of reaching the conduit while men and women died all around him.
His breathing seemed thunderous to his ears, much louder than it should have been. It acted as a counterpoint to the seemingly silent nightmare happening around him. He was aware of others running with him, sometimes at his side and sometimes behind or before him, but he did not hear their steps even as they crossed his path. He was aware of voices coming through his audio transmitter but he could not hear their words even as they screamed in pain and terror. He was aware of the ribbon of molten fire that was carving its way across the ground but he could not hear as it continued to devour everything it touched whether it was earth, metal, or flesh. And most of all, he was aware of the massive Reaper that looked upon them with neither pity nor mercy as it continued to exterminate them in silence.
Even now, the Reaper that Shepard had come to know as 'Harbinger' unleashed another stream of crimson light upon the forces pushing towards the Conduit. It sliced through the ground, adding another massive furrow as though the scorched land they ran upon was the field of some hellish farmer. The beam swept across an armored transport, the doomed vehicle cut cleanly in two before fires blossomed within and it was consumed by an explosion. Still the beam continued, sweeping from one side of the field to the other, burning everything it touched out of existence before finally fading. This reprieve lasted only moments before the Reaper fired again, killing whole platoons at a time.
Suddenly, Shepard's foot caught in a concealed hole and he began to stumble. He was going too fast to catch his balance and he tumbled to the ground. He managed to turn his wild fall into a controlled roll and saved himself from a crippling injury that would have been fatal. Just as he began to right himself to continue his charge, there was another blinding flash of light. This one was much closer to him than the previous blasts, breaking apart the ground where he would have been had his fall not halted his progress. The blast ripped up the ground and sent pieces of debris flying everywhere. One such piece smashed into his helmet with terrible force, cracking his face plate and momentarily stunning him. With his mind in a daze from the blow, he could only watch numbly as the beam continued on its path into another squad that had almost made it to the Conduit. There was nothing anyone could do and the beam was quickly upon them. It flashed over them for only a moment before moving on but it was enough. Nothing remained of them, not even ash to mark where they had died.
Shepard knew that could have been his own squad and allowed himself a small feeling of relief that they were not here on this mad dash into hell. It had been obvious that this would be a suicide trip for many and he had allowed his desire to keep his team safe rule his decision. With orders to hold position at the Thanix missile site and protect the route for Hammer forces to come through, he had managed to keep them in some relative safety. They had been aware of his intentions and protested of course, especially when they learned he intended to go without them, but they followed their orders in the end. That they were willing to follow his commands in spite of their personal feelings filled Shepard with pride for having such capable people under his command. They would be the kind of people the galactic community would need in the aftermath of this war. These thoughts assured him he had made the right decision and helped to bolster his own courage for what he now had to do.
Struggling with his shaking legs, Shepard forced himself to a stand and set off again, his steps wavering at first but growing more sure and determined with each step. He was now the only one near the Conduit and could feel the eyes off all who were left watching him. Through the cracks in his faceplate, the Conduit had assumed a somewhat distorted image but its position remained clear to him. Lurking within the background, Harbinger's presence also remained certain to him. The monstrous titan was now in the brief cooldown phase of its firing cycle and its glowing eyes seemed to scan the killing field for its next target.
Shepard continued to run for the Conduit, willing his aching body to its utmost limits for speed. He was so close now, the Conduit almost seeming to fill his vision and the light at its center beckoning him closer. Without warning, an involuntary shudder went through him as he became aware of a staggering feeling of cold animosity directed towards him. Sparing a look in the direction of the feeling's source, his heart suddenly lurched in his chest. It seemed that Harbinger had found its next target and every one of its eyes seemed to be focused directly on Shepard. He was so close to his goal but it may as well have been on the other side of the galaxy.
With a flash of light, Harbinger prepared to fire at him. For Shepard, it seemed to be an almost contemptuous act by the Reaper. It was a certainty that it would strike him. There was no hope for him to evade it, no way to defend against it. There would be no pain. One moment he would exist and in the next he would disappear. Maybe … it won't be such a bad way to go, Shepard thought and then, Harbinger fired towards him.
And the attack went wide, striking the ground behind him with a roar. Shepard's steps faltered from both the pressure of the explosion and surprise. That attack should have hit him. It had been a certainty. Why then was he still alive? It was not possible for Harbinger to have deliberately missed him. Something must have disturbed its aim but what? Not even EDI could hack into a Reaper. The only thing that could have done it was … the Conduit! They had already seen how it could interfere with advanced targeting when in close proximity and he was now so close to it that he could feel the energy billowing off of it in waves.
Whatever the reason for it, it seemed that even Harbinger had been unprepared for a miss. This gave Shepard a few more precious seconds to close on his goal and he struggled to make the most of it. That single miss had been nothing but luck, a failure on the Reaper's part to account for the distortions caused by the Conduit. It would not happen again. Shepard knew for a certainty that the Reaper was now correcting itself and the next shot would finish him.
The sound of his steps changed and he became aware that he was now on a walkway leading right into the heart of the Conduit. He needed just a few more steps and he would make it. A furious, mechanical roar reverberated across the city and Shepard whipped his head towards Harbinger. The Reaper was once again focused entirely on him and the red light shining from its mouth told Shepard that he was out of time.
Gathering the last of his strength in his legs, Shepard leaped with his arms outstretched toward the pillar of light in front of him. Time seemed to pass impossibly slow, each second seeming to stretch for an eternity. He felt rather than saw Harbinger beginning to fire. And then he was suddenly bathed in light, his body being compressed from all sides. Just as the pressure became so great he believed he would burst, it suddenly reversed and he could feel himself being stretched and pulled to wherever the Conduit led.