"Commander." Liara says with a smile as they watch the rest of the crew board the Normandy from the base.
"Doctor." Shepard replies, smiling at the Asari next to her. Liara looks down and grabs the Commander's hand in hers, receiving a welcoming squeeze.
"Are you ready for this?" Liara asks quietly, looking up to watch the Normandy take off back into the sky.
"To be honest, I'm not sure." There was a brief pause then she asked, "Are you?"
Liara sighed heavily, "We're in this together, Shepard. That's all that matters." She glanced over at the Commander who had a cold look on her face as she stared out at the ruins of London. Shepard felt the gaze and looked at the young Asari, her expression softening. Without thinking Shepard leaned over, cupping Liara's face with her hand, pulling her in for a quick passionate kiss.
"Just in case." Was all Shepard said when she pulled away.
"I love you, Jane." Liara said, reaching up and running her thumb along Shepard's cheek bone.
"I love you too, Liara." She grabbed the hand on her cheek, squeezed, and let it drop. "Now, let's go kick some Reaper ass." Liara smiled faintly and nodded.
Shepard led her back into the building where they met up with Garrus and the leaders of Hammer.
"Are we ready, Commander?" Coats asked as Garrus joined Shepard's side.
"Yeah. Let's get moving. We'll see you guys on the other side." Shepard said with a stern nod as she continued to walk through the building with her squad in tow.
Once they came to the back of the building they climbed down until they met up with a Mako that they were to help escort to the beam.
Waves of Reapers forces poured in the moment the Mako began to move through the ruins. But with the help of the Mako's canon the waves were easily taken out.
"Commander, take out the snipers in the building. We'll keep pushing ahead." A female voice said over the comms.
Shepard, Garrus, and Liara stormed the building and took out everything in their path.
"That was fairly easy." Liara said when they whipped out the top floor.
"Yeah, a little too easy." Garrus suspected, walking to the blown out window. "Look!" He yelled, pointing off into the distance where the Mako crossed through a deserted avenue. But it was quickly ambushed by a Harvester.
"Dammit!" Shepard growled as they climbed down but it was too late, the Mako was already in flames as the Harvester flew away. "Let's keep moving. We can't be..."
Just then the comms were bombarded with voices, yelling and screaming mostly.
"Taking heavy fire...Destroyer...launching missles..." A man yelled and just then Shepard saw the missiles fire off from a nearby position.
"Come on!" She yelled and they took off to where they were being launched.
/
Upon arrival the whole squad was taken out by Reaper forces. Leaving the missiles vulnerable.
"Garrus, get those missiles ready for launch! We'll cover you." Shepard ordered and began firing at nearby cannibals.
"As long as these don't land on my face, I'll see what I can do." Garrus confirmed as he began working on the computers.
A few moments later the missiles were launched but completely missed.
"Commander, it seems the beam is blocking the missiles from firing at the Destroyer. If you can get it away from the beam I can launch a precision strike." EDI's voice appeared in the comms.
"Go ahead. We'll see what we can do. All forces, fire at will." Shepard ordered and soldiers from all over began firing.
Minutes later the Destroyer was away from the beam and fairly close to Shepard's squad. EDI then fired the missiles and they landed perfectly on the Reapers firing chamber.
"Destroyer destroyed." EDI confirmed.
"Good job, everyone. Now let's get..." She began to order but was cut off by a vicious scream. "Banshee!" Shepard yelled and everyone took cover.
But it was too late. The Banshee was upon them quickly and heading straight for Liara. Shepard ran to her bondmate but it was too late. Liara was impaled by the Banshee's claws in front of her eyes.
Liara began to cough up blood as it filled her lungs, her hands instinctively grabbing at her abdomen where the claw was sticking through "Jane..." Liara sighed with her last breath, reaching her blood soaked hand up to her Commander, her bondmate. Her dead gaze falling to the ground.
The Banshee's bloodcurdling scream rang through the area ass Reaper tech was instantly implanted into Liara through the Reaper's twisted Asari slave. Shepard was frozen in place, her rifling dropping to the ground. Her whole world crashing down around her, suddenly nothing mattered. All that mattered was Liara, her bondmate and entire future, was just killed in front of her eyes.
Once the Banshee retracted it's twisted claw Garrus quickly shot down it's armor and fired a concussive shot, killing it on impact. Everything fell silent, Garrus wasn't even sure what he should do.
"Liara!" Shepard yelled, running to her lovers side. "No..." She whispered, running her hands along the gapping hole in the young Asari. "NOOOOO!" She screamed, holding Liara in her arms. "We were...all those little blue children...Liara...nooo..." She whispered, trying to keep her emotions in control.
"Shepard..." Garrus said, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "...we have to keep moving."
"I can't just leave her here to turn." Shepard wasn't sure what to do. Then Liara's eyes flew open but her eyes were filled with darkness, no longer the sparkling blue that Jane found herself often getting lost in.. "Liara?!" Shepard asked until she noticed the Reaper tech starting to go into affect. "Dammit..."
"You know what we have to do." Garrus said sadly.
"I know Garrus...I know..." Shepard whispered as she stood, Liara began to sit up on her own. She unholstered her pistol, holding it up to her lovers forehead. Liara's deep obsidian eyes stare into the Commander, her lips curling into a snarl, and her skin already losing draining of the vibrant blue that Shepard loved so much.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered as she pulled the trigger. The shot echoed off the empty building for miles. Purple blood splattered the ground as Liara's limp body fell to the ground. In rage and sadness Shepard threw her pistol across the battle field. Garrus just stood nearby. Her rage and anger over took her and she began stomping on her rifle, no longer able to control her emotions.
"Shepard." Garrus said, grabbing her. "Shepard!" He restrained her.
"Let me go, Garrus!" She yelled and when he didn't do so she just fell limp in his arms. "Dammit..."
"Keep it together, Shepard." He said, letting her go.
"I know, but they took Liara! Out of anyone, they took her!" She said, picking up a dead soldier's rifle.
"I know, but we have to keep moving. We'll do something special for her once this is all over." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Stay strong, I'm right here with you." She straightened herself.
"Let's keep going. Hammer should be at the beam by now." She said as she led Garrus to the beam. But the only thing on her mind was Liara and that she had been ripped away from her so soon.
/
"Come on, Garrus!" Shepard yelled as they began to storm the beam with everyone.
"Right behind you!" He yelled back, keeping up with her. Then Harbinger's beam struck a Mako nearby, flipping it towards them. Shepard jumped out of the way but it nearly landed on her friend.
"No! Garrus!" She screamed, reaching her hand out to him but he was so far. He hand out reached to her.
"Keep going." He said, though only he could hear it. Then Harbinger's roar droned through the thick air. He looked up and was then bathed in his beam, instantly killing him.
"NOOOO!" Shepard screamed! She got up, trying to run to where he was but Harbinger's beam was next to her in an instantly.