The Alliance Marine crouched down behind a low wall, and pulled at the heat sink of his rifle. Before him, hundreds of Husks are charging, and his comrades-in-arms are doing their best to keep them back. The fighting was hell, but it was something that was familiar to him. After being a member of Commander Shepard's crew on the Normandy, and after getting the whole galaxy to fight the Reapers, he's become used to all the crazy.
"Damn, it's hell out here." The Marine, James Vega, muttered to himself as he raised his rifle to his shoulder again and provided cover fire as the husks came at them again. A few miles ahead of him, the pillar of light known as the Conduit shone bright. And he grit his teeth as he thought of Commander Shepard and some of the crew with him.
Another wave of husks came down again, and James aimed and fired. But as he did, there were streaks of white that flashed in front of him, and yells of anger came to his ears. He lowered his rifle to watch.
Several hundred humans charged, wearing black suits over white hooded cloaks. Some of them had assault rifles and pistols, while others seemed to have charged using their OmniTools and what looked like daggers. They attacked whatever Reapers were ahead of him, and he was shocked when three of the humans seemed to have jumped in mid-air and landed on a Brute, with one of them using a sword to cut off its head. It fell to the ground with a crash.
"Who the hell are these people?!" A woman's voice, Ashley Williams, sounded from his earpiece. It seemed like the cloaked humans has appeared on her side of the war as well.
"I don't know, but if they're helping us then I'm more than happy to work with them!" James said as he charged as well, providing cover fire for the humans in white. Another human had started running to the husks beside him. He looked beside him, watching the human, only to find out she was female. She smirked at him, before running ahead of him and jumping, landing on a husk, driving her dagger into its neck, and cutting it off. She jumped again, did a backflip in mid-air and landed beside him. She drew out a pistol and drew out a dagger from under a gauntlet on her wrist.
"Who the hell are you guys!?" James said as he stopped running, and he and the woman covered each other back to back. He shot husks using his rifle, while she covered him with her pistol, and stabbed any husk in close range.
"You do not need to know who we are." The woman said as they fought, "All you need to know is that we are here to help. Where is Commander Shepard?"
James blinked, "You know about him?!"
"My Master said that he is the one leading the charge." The woman said, "Is he at the Conduit?"
"Yes." James said as he shot another Husk, "Some of the Normandy's crew is there with him."
The woman nodded, "Then we just have to keep these Reapers off them." And she charged again, with James running behind her.
More Reapers came, in the form of Brutes and Marauders, as the woman and James charged, their allies fighting behind them. A Brute swung at the woman, but she evaded the attack and slid under it, before jumping up its back. She drew what looked like a sword, and hacked the Brute's neck, cutting off its head. Another brute raised its arm up to hit her, and James shot it in the head. The woman jumped down when the two creatures collided, and she smiled at James.
The woman's smile made him grin in return, and he realized that even though he couldn't see her eyes, her smile was beautiful. A genuine smile… it has been a long time since he had seen a smile like that. The war has made everyone so serious and alert that smiling seemed to be last thing they wanted to do.
James was too busy looking at her that he didn't notice the Marauder on his left aiming a gun at him, and the woman's smile faded. "NO!" She screamed and she jumped to push James out of the way as the Reaper pulled the trigger. The woman yelled in surprise, as they hit the ground. James shot the Marauder dead before turning the woman over, just as another hooded human bent down over her.
"Shiro!" The man said, and he looked down at her stomach, to see a gaping hole, "Oh God…"
"Master…" The woman said, "Keep… fighting. I… don't mind me. I have done… my purpose. Go!"
The man nodded, and he took her hand and grasped it, "Nothing is true, everything is permitted. Find peace in the arms of God… Shiro." He stood up and looked at James, "Take her away from here. She… needs to die in peace."
But James shook his head, "I'll take her away, but I won't let her die." He looked behind him to see that the Normandy hovering a few feet ahead of them. He put his hand on his ear, "Joker! Think you can do an evac?"
"I just did." The Normandy's pilot, Joker Moreau said, "I just picked up Tali and Garrus. She's been injured. And… Shepard has been left behind."
A tinge of regret and pain settled in James' gut as he slathered some Medi-Gel on the woman's wound. "I got an injured human, and you're the closest ship I can find to get her out."
"Bring her in." Joker replied, "Hackett's ordered a fall back. That god-damned Destroyer by the Crucible is killing left and right."
"Roger that." And James bent down over the human, and put his arm around her as he lifted her up. The woman, Shiro, yelled in pain. "I wish I could be gentle, senorita, but I can't. I'm getting you to the Normandy. We have a MedBay…"
"Leave… me." Shiro said, "I will… die here…"
"Not gonna happen." James said as he ran back, the Normandy hovering near them, its cargo doors open. He shouted over the sounds of gunfire, "Get back to your ships! A fall back has been ordered! Get your asses out of here!"
Several soldiers and Shiro's hooded allies started falling back, and James entered the Normandy, where he could see Dr. Chakwas running to and fro, checking the injured that the Normandy has picked up. He saw a cot near one of the crates and laid Shiro down. He stood aside as Dr. Chakwas went to him.
The woman looked at Shiro and grew pale, but she put bandages on the wound on her abdomen. She scanned her using her OmniTool, and Shiro closed her eyes. When the doctor was done, she swallowed and mentioned to James.
"James… I am sorry." Dr. Chakwas said, looking regretfully at Shiro, "There is… nothing more I can do for this girl. She has lost too much blood, and her injury is… fatal. The least I can do now is to make her comfortable. She doesn't look like Alliance, probably a freelancer."
"She had a group with her." James said as the doctor injected something into her arm, and the pained expression on her face smoothened. "But once I gave them the fall back, they disappeared into their ships. Some of her comrades are dead as well."
"She must be very brave, to have led the charge." She said, "I have given her something for the pain, but it won't be long. Stay with her while you can."
James nodded and stood beside Shiro, who was breathing shallowly. He pulled back her hood, and her black hair spilled down the crate, and her bright green, almond eyes rose to his face. Her pale pink lips smiled at him.
"You're… too beautiful to die, senorita." James said, and he touched her cheek.
She shook her head, "I… wanted this. I wanted… to fight. For everyone. For… him…"
"For him?" James asked, and the woman nodded.
"I had… a drell lover. His name… was Thane Krios…"
James blinked, "The drell that saved the Salarian Councilor. I heard about it from Garrus. He died, didn't he?"
She nodded, "I was there… with him… in his last breath. Shepard couldn't see me but… I was… with him 'til the… end." She smiled peacefully, "And now… I shall follow…"
James lowered his head, "Then… you should."
Shiro smiled up at him, and pulled something out from under her sleeve. It was a data chip, covered with a thick, plastic case, covered in her blood. She pressed it against James' palm, and he looked down at it. "What is this?"
"Thane… died because of… Kepral's Syndrome." Shiro said, "I found this… a cure… after I did my research. It is… too late to save Thane… but I hope it will… save others…"
James looked up at her, disbelief in his eyes. The woman before him was on the brink of death, but all she could think about was saving him, and saving the drells with Kepral's Syndrome. She instantly enamored him with her selflessness , and he swallowed. "I… wish you could've survived this… I wish I could've known you better."
Shiro smiled, "Are you… falling in love with me?"
At this James became quiet, before he said, "A little… I guess. You just saved my life. You're going to save others with this cure. You fight so gracefully and yet so ruthless. You… remained faithful to a lover who is already gone." He shook his head, "I would've like to known more about a woman like you."
She smiled again, "Loved by two men in a lifetime. That is… more than I could've hoped for." She raised her hand and touched his cheek, "What is… your name?"
"James Vega." He said, and she nodded, "My real name is… Tenshi Seishiro. Only my Master and Thane knew my real name… I'd like for you to know it… and to never forget it. To remember the woman you learned to love, even in the brink of death… even for just a little while."
"Tenshi…" James whispered, and her breathing began to slow. James took her hand and held it, grasping it tight.
A peacefully beautiful smile illuminated her features as she looked up the ceiling. "I hear… the sea. He is… waiting for me."" She said, her voice barely a whisper, "Goodbye… James… Vega."
James nodded and bent down, laying a soft kiss on her lips. He felt the last of her breath on his cheek, and he couldn't help but let a small tear fall down from his eye. The tear fell on the corner of her eye, and rolled down her black hair as he straightened. Her grip on his hand fell slack, and he took both of her hands and laid them on her chest.
Dr. Chakwas came back to him, and with a look, asked if she had gone. He nodded, and the old woman sighed. "Poor girl…"
"Dr. Chakwas, you were with Commander Shepard when they hit the Collectors right?" James asked and the doctor nodded, "Did you know about Thane Krios?"
"The drell who was with us? Yes, I do." She said, "He had Kepral's Syndrome, and yet he fought against the Collectors. I was the one who attended to him during the time of the Normandy. I offered to help him by performing a lung transplant, but he refused. I heard he died on the Citadel a few days ago. He protected the Salarian councilor but he did not survive because of Kepral's."
James nodded, and gave her the chip that Shiro… or rather, Tenshi… had just given him. "This woman was Thane's lover, and she was with him when he died. She had found a cure for Kepral's. She said it was too late to use it to save Thane, but she hopes it'll be enough to save other drell with the same disease."
Dr. Chakwas blinked, and took the chip, "Then… she is… a hero." She nodded, "I shall read this and see if I can forward it to the Council for reproduction. Did you know what her name is?"
"Her name is Tenshi Seishiro." James said, and the doctor nodded again, "Then I'll be sure to use her name for when the cure will be used. It shall be her legacy. Or rather, their legacy… hers and Thane's." She looked down at the girl and covered her body with a sheet. "Farewell, dear girl. Once this war is over, I'll be sure that the world will know of your breakthrough."
James watched as the doctor walked away, before turning back to Tenshi. She had died with a small smile on her lips, and he felt that even though he knew her for a short time, she was in the best place she could ever be in, and he hoped that she is with Thane, wherever she is.
He touched her cold face again, stroking her silk-soft cheek, before covering her head with the sheet.
"Que en paz descanse, senorita…"