Author's Note:
Hi, all. First off, I'd like to mention that this is my first fanfic. Reviews, both positive and negative, are appreciated. I've always been a fan of Mass Effect, and decided to write this purely for entertainment. I already have ideas for a continuation, with my own plot twists in the story. I'll continue if enough people show interest.
Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, any of its characters, races, locations, insignia, etc. They are the property of Bioware.
Anyway, enjoy.
~Kraretyer
He ran.
He ran through fire and smoke, through the red haze that threatened to suffocate him. Alarm klaxons blared their wailing song as the ship shuddered under the assault.
Another explosion rocked the ship and sent him flying forwards. His armor screeched as he returned to the deck, skidding along the floor before he recovered and continued running.
He faltered as he ran into the CIC. The entire ceiling, and much of the opposite wall, had been ripped away and now showed a breathtaking view of the stars, and the planet nearby. The man moved as fast as he could, careful to have one foot connected to the deck whenever another was not, lest he lose traction and float away. Past the galaxy map, past the broken stations, past twisted metal, past the bodies floating silently in the zero gravity.
He reached the pilot's helm and passed through the transparent barrier between the compartment and empty space.
"Joker!" He shouted at the seated figure gesturing desperately on a holographic interface.
The armored man lurched forward as another explosion rocked the ship, steadying himself on the back of the pilot's seat.
"Come on, Joker. We have to get out of here," He said.
"No! I won't abandon the Normandy!" Joker replied, "I can still save her!"
"The Normandy is gone, Joker, Just like we'll be if we don't get the hell out of here!" The man said firmly.
"No! I can…oh no. It's coming around for another attack!"
Suddenly an intense beam of light struck into the space behind the two of them. The armored man looked back to see it cut through the deck plates like it was nothing. He ran back to the cockpit and grabbed Joker's arm. He winced in pain and told him to watch the arm as the man half-carried him towards the nearby escape pod.
He deposited Joker in the pod just as the beam struck the ship again, knocking him backwards, away from the pod. It now occupied the space between the two of them. He grabbed onto the wall panel with the release mechanism as he floated past and smashed his fist onto the button.
"Shepard!" Joker cried as the pod doors closed, sealing both their fates.
Shepard lost his grip on the panel and floated through the vacuum before another explosion flung him into a bulkhead. He rebounded and began floating into empty space.
He was unable to control his movement as he watched the mysterious ship carve the Normandy apart, explosions raking her hull under the merciless alien onslaught. Shepard thought he almost heard a groan as the ship surrendered and finally blew apart.
He watched the debris shoot around him and suddenly clutched the place where his helmet joined his suit, seeing and feeling the air in his suit bleed out into the void. He frantically reached back and tried to stem the flow of gases, his body thrashing in the empty space as he fought to live. As he felt the last of his oxygen leave him, one thought occupied his mind.
Sorrow.
Sorrow that he had never told her how he felt.
And now it was too late.
As the darkness engulfed him, he uttered one thing into the void.
"I'm sorry"
If you're wondering, I do plan to add the romance in future chapters, along with many different plot twists.