As Shepard turns away from the strange being known as the Catalyst, she thinks upon her options, all her worst fears about this war seemingly being out done in an instant. EDI, the Geth she worked so hard to save, countless other lives, both of synthetics and those that rely upon them, having to be sacrificed to destroy a threat against the entire galaxy. Thoughts drift to the Batarians who died trying to slow the Reaper's advance, lost to the explosion of the Alpha Relay's destruction. Knowing this is the price that has to be paid, she begins her march to the conduit, blasting it with her M-6 Carnifex, firing over and over. Losing count of the shots as she thinks of Admiral Anderson, Thane, and finally Garrus, which brings a smile to her face in her last moments. Idly day dreams of the children they could have raised, adopted orphans most likely. Humans, Turians, maybe even a Krogan or two. She always heard in time before her death, her life would flash before her eyes, and it did, but of the life she may have had rather than one she did. A vision of Garrus as a father comes to mind just as the flames and heat overtake her.
Then something happened. Something truly unexpected happened, something Commander Shepard, the first human Spectre never thought would ever happen again.
She took a breath and opened her eyes.
[Little teaser, working on more but it may be slow coming]