ME3
Explosions ripped the earth in front of them apart with every step, and the very air they sucked down as they raced toward the pulsing beam of light was saturated with the stench of charred flesh. And still they pushed forward. Their comrades were being disintegrated before their eyes two, three, four at a time, and each of them knew they could meet a similar fate at any second. And still they pushed forward. Their planet was being annihilated around them in the same manner facing the homeworlds of every other advanced species in the galaxy. However, Earth was where the war would be won or lost, setting the stage for the single most important struggle in galactic history. And so they pushed forward, meeting their nigh certain demise with incorruptible resolve, to secure a future for themselves and every other sentient being in existence.
Shepard raced on, the pounding of his heart almost drowning out that of the Reapers' deadly lasers. Despite the furious pace of the events taking place around him, time seemed to slow down, as if he was being given pause to take his life into account before he lost it. Shepard took in everything, noticing each fine detail, his senses heightened due to the adrenaline rushing through his system. He witnessed his team, the fearless men and women surrounding him that had followed him unquestioningly, leading the charge at the end of the world, and he was immensely proud of each of them.
Suddenly a laser pierced the ground ten feet in front of him, and James disappeared into a cloud of vapor. "No!" Screamed a voice to his left, and Shepard glanced over to see Liara's face contorted in agony, but she didn't stop. They realized what was at stake here, and whatever happened, they had to reach that beam. At that moment, Shepard realized that regardless of the insurmountable odds, in the face of Armageddon, there was nowhere else he could allow himself to be but here on Earth fighting with his team. That was his last thought before something cannoned into his side, and a laser ten times the diameter of the others struck the ground and ripped his world apart at the seams.
"Shepard? Shepard, come in. Anyone, come in…" A voice pleaded over the comm piece in Shepard's ear, but he could hardly breathe, let alone respond. "Did we get any of them through? Did anyone make it to the beam?"
"Negative, Admiral…they're gone. All of them."
"Damn. Sound a full retreat. The Hammer strike has failed."
No, thought Shepard. I'm still here. If he could just give them a sign. He ran his eyes down his body, and was met with a gruesome sight. At least half of his armor was burned away, and he was covered in blood. Gaining his bearings but still unable to move more than his head, Shepard surveyed the scene. To his left, he saw what had hit him before the laser strike: Liara lay on the ground, likewise bleeding, but alive. He understood now: Liara had used her biotics to create a barrier at the last second. She'd likely saved their lives. To his right lay Tali, his lover. A rush of adrenaline coursed through him as he could not tell if she was alive or dead through her suit, and she was not moving.
Though his world was collapsing, Shepard still knew what must be done. Even if Tali hadn't survived, he had. He must complete the mission. Get up, he told himself. If I'm going out, I'm going to take all of them with me. I've come too far to stop now. Get up. Through an act of extreme will, Shepard staggered to his feet and drew his sidearm.
"Shepard…" He looked back; Liara was attempting to rise, but it was clear that she needed medical attention before she could go anywhere under her own power.
"Liara, stay down. I'll call for an evac team. You've done your part, leave the rest up to me." She nodded, and lay still once more. After calling for an evac shuttle over his comm, Shepard began his painfully slow advance on the beam, unable to move faster without risking collapse, perhaps for good.
"You're just going to leave me?" That wasn't Liara. Shepard turned, and saw Tali rising to her feet. Remarkably, her environment suit hadn't been breached; Liara and Shepard had apparently taken the brunt of the laser strike. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Shepard." She started to walk toward him, then stopped dead and reached for her weapon, realizing too late that she had lost it. "Behind you!" Shepard turned as fast as he could and came face-to-face with a Marauder. He shot it several times in the head as it prepared to kill him, and it toppled to the smoldering earth with a dull thud. Tali reached his side, and embraced him. "I thought I'd lost you."
"Glad to see you too, but we still have a mission to accomplish, Tali." She let him go, and together they resumed their march toward the beam. Nothing remained to stop their progress, and the pair stepped up to the pulsating light. Shepard took Tali's hand, giving it a squeeze, looked into the glowing orbs of her eyes behind her visor, and whispered two words. "Keelah se'lai." They stepped into the beam.