Sacrifice. It's whats commanded of a soldier. It's a code Commander Joshua Shepard has lived by ever since he was a boy growing up in the Alliance. As he stood there seeing destruction of entire civilizations including his, he did not know what to do. What choice to pick that would decide the fate of the galaxy forever. He begun to think to himself.
Why? what gives me the right to decide the future of an entire Galaxy. To choose the fate of all is a thing no one should poses yet here I stand...Three choice's.
He had to choose!
Synthesis unite the galaxy as one. A single DNA organic and synthetic combined.
But how can one man play God? He thought with disbelief. To force evolution upon every species.
It was an easy answer he couldn't and not to mention the Reapers would still have their presence in the Galaxy.
People who are traumatized at the sight of one Shepard being among them could never have peace knowing there still alive. That every time you would wake you would see a machine that had taken away ever thing you had ever cared about. No Shepard did not want that and all those who have lost would not either. so Shepard turned away.
Control the Illusive Mans choice he died believing he could control them until the end.
When his humanity came through with Shepard's words to fight the Reapers and with what little ounce of humanity he had left in him he took his own life as a free man. But Shepard would stand by his decision of no one should have that power. And that no one could control the reapers. For all those who died, Thane, Mordin, Legion, and Anderson a man who was one of the men that made Shepard who he is today had died so there would be peace and a galaxy free of the Reapers. Their sacrifice would not be in vain. As he thought of them he was bombarded by guilt of killing the man he considered to have been like a second father to him. Who defended and believed him when no one else would have. Had died because of him.
No this is an insult to the memory of the fallen. Thinking to himself, with an anger that boiled his blood or what was left since the charge to the beam.
Finally destroy wipe them out. we destroy them or they destroy us. simple. thought Shepard.
But was it? The catalyst had told Shepard that if he chose to destroy the Reapers all synthetic life would die with them. That even he was partly synthetic due to his implants made when Cerberus brought him back from the dead. Implying that Shepard may not survive. This was not about him. But more about the preservation of the Galaxy.
Shepard believed what his friends told him that he was still Shepard the man that they all trusted with their lives. That would go to hell and back with him, who was not a machine but their friend and commander with that Shepard started to think of the others.
The Geth had reached a new dawn in their life with the peace between the Quarians how could he destroy them. He had given them a hope for the future how could he take it away. EDI one of Shepard's own squad mates who has helped him and the crew travel safely across the most dangerous parts of the Galaxy, who had just discovered her humanity and had started a relationship with Joker to which both seemed perfect for each other would destroyed by him.
How could Shepard take their lives it was the single most important decision that he had to make in his life. One that would be remembered throughout time. His conscience battling with its self he thought. How?
But it all came down to one word... sacrifice. Throughout the war the constant words of *you can't save them all* echoed in Shepard's mind. From when he was awake to when he was asleep and plagued by nightmares of his dead comrades and of his past. The endless echo of the Reaper horn would break him to his core. He would awake covered in sweat gasping for air. But he remembered his childhood when time's were dire. As boy Shepard was a colonist who at a very young age discovered what sacrifice would involve. His father taught him one very important lesson that he would always remember till the day he died. He taught him that. "Fear is natural it's what separates men from machines and that we shouldn't be afraid for it gives us strength in time's of need." Remembering those words every time he thought he wasn't going to make it back.
Through chasing Saren to Illos to then bringing the fight to the collectors on a mission that had been deemed suicidal. Then finally to charging the beam running straight to the citadel only to be guarded by a Reaper The Reaper Harbinger.
However through all the voices of those that had fallen and those that gave him strength Shepard heard only one voice. the voice of a beautiful blue Asari.
"This is it isn't it?" Was all he heard.
Shepard immediately flashed back to the first moment he met Liara. Suspended in the air like and angel sent down from heaven Shepard was lost for words when he first laid his eyes upon her. He had met Asari before but she was different. Shepard knew she was beautiful beyond beautiful. Though they had just met he vowed in his head to protect her. She seemed scared and Shepard wanted to take that away. Remembering that day brought a smile to his face.
At that moment all he wanted to do was give her peace, to make sure she had a future and one that he would gladly die for. Even if that meant him not being there with Liara he would gladly sacrifice himself for her. Liara made Shepard promise one night to always come back to her. He was determined to keep that promise. He would fight to his last breath for that future and no Reaper would keep him from that.
Suddenly he flashed back to hours before the charge when Liara gave him a gift that meant so much to him. She showed him all her memories the pair had together. The tremendous feeling of love that she gave him was unbelievable. He knew right there and then that he would not stop till he ended this war!
"Thank you for everything."
That was enough for him to know what choice he had to make. The sincerity in her voice motivated him in ways he could not imagine.
Moving his feet up the platform every motion and every step causing him more and more pain from his gun shot wounds to the burns he sustained from being hit with harbingers beam. Ever muscle screaming to just give up, lay down and die. Shepard was determined and focused ready to end it.
After what seemed like a lifetime he was standing in front what looked like a power core. Suddenly it fell silent all the destruction around him seemed to vanish as Shepard raised his pistol.
As soon as his arm was level he pulled the trigger that would end the war. Each shot that was fired his body became stronger and his focused enhanced. Memories of his friends of Anderson and above all else Liara came flooding through, after several shots the core exploded the floor beneath Shepard collapsed and debris fell upon him.
Darkness seemed to take him and Shepard last thoughts before he would lose consciousness was of Liara and their future that he believed he may never see. Though he took peace in knowing that she would have a safe future free of the reapers. Shepard couldn't help the fear and anger of never seeing her again. His grandfathers words that always gave him courage in dark times mixed with the thoughts of knowing the galaxy was finally safe Shepard said in his head.
Liara we did it.
Note: Thank you for reading, this is a re-write of my old story with Liara as Shepard's LI. Please give it a chance and if you like it please review more chapters on the way.