"Please Shepard!" Liara sobbed.

Explosions rang all around them, as Harbinger unleashed hell upon the very earth. Huge chunks of ground swayed and groaned, sliding away from each other and swallowing soldiers everywhere. Jane squinted and wiped blood from her eyebrow out of her eye. Liara made no attempt to hide her tears now, gripping her leg as she stared at Shepard.

"I can keep going! Let me go with you!"

Jane gazed into her eyes. God how she loved this woman. Sighing heavily, and with a burning sensation in her throat, she placed her hand to her ear.

"Normandy come in," she called into the transmittor.

"NO!" cried Liara, knowing what this meant.

"Joker here," came the garbled reply, as static roared in her ear.

"I need a med evac, stat. Sending coordinates," she said as she looked around.

There. There was a clearing not far.

"EDI how are you," called Jane as she heaved Liara onto her back.

"This platform has taken d-damages but I can r-r-repair necessary functions," came EDI's halting reply, as the mech glitched.

"Good, cover us!"

The AI loaded another thermal clip into her pistol and stood, firing. Taking this cue, Shepard began to run. The dust was suffocating and the noises were deafening but her goal was in her sights and damned if she wasn't going to get there. She took a glance behind, and was reassured to see EDI moving behind them, still firing off shots.

"Joker here. ETA 26 seconds."

A husk popped up in front of Shepard and screamed in its horrible voice. Desperation pounded through her as she watched it lock onto her and start shambling forward. She began backpedaling fiercely until something snapped within her. No. She had been running since Earth, and she was done. Letting out a primal cry and gripping Liara tighter with both hands, she ran towards it, viciously head-butting it.

"Shepard!" cried Liara, as the husk fell and Jane staggered.

Regaining herself, she placed a boot firmly through the husks face and was treated to a satisfying crunch that made her blood heat. In spite of herself she almost smiled. For so long this war had been political bullshit and deceit. For once they were in a straightforward fight for their lives and it was right in her element. Taking a breath, Jane looked up to see the Normandy flying into view. It groaned as it made a rough but fast landing. The bay doors swung down and two marines began firing support, letting EDI catch up. Jane hauled herself and Liara up the steep incline, heedless of the burning in her legs. Liara yelped as Shepard tried to gently set her down, obviously failing.

"Take her!" She yelled to the nearest marine who nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist, taking her arm over his shoulder.

As she stood on shaking legs, Liara looked up at Jane, utter heartbreak in her eyes.

"You. are. not. leaving. me." She choked out, tears cleaning away dirt as they ran down her face.

"Liara don't you dare argue with me," Shepard said darkly, stepping closer. "You mean everything to me. I won't let you...You and I both know what is going to happen. I can't let you die. I won't lose you. "

The marine holding Liara looked surprised to see this side of Jane, but it just gave him that much more respect for her.

"Shepard, I..." Liara searched for words, any words to show Jane the depths of her love, for what might be the last time.

"I am yours," she whispered into her ear, giving her a small kiss on her cheek.

Jane said nothing, but grabbed Liara's face in both of her hands and kissed her as hard and as desperately as she ever had, trying to put everything into it, and she didn't care who saw. Liara sobbed as she broke away. EDI stepped up.

"EDI go with Liara," said Shepard wearily, beginning to climb down the deck.

"Commander, this platform is not my seat of intelligence. I could accompany you. Even if this mech is destroyed there are many others I could use," said EDI, glancing at Liara.

"Please, yes. If I can't go with you, at least let EDI go. I don't want you to be alone if..." Liara couldn't finish but she didn't need to.

Shepard saw how much she wanted it. How much they both did. EDI was right anyway, the platform was disposable. She nodded and Liara breathed a small sigh of relief, though the tears never stopped. Suddenly a blast sounded near the ship. Too near.

"GO!" shouted Shepard, waving the marine off.

He nodded and began retreating up the deck with Liara. EDI and Shepard jumped clear of the Normandy just as it lifted off. As she lost view of Liara, something new took over Jane. She was light. Free. She had nothing to lose now. And everything to gain. They started to run towards the beam, slowly at first, then faster and faster until it was a dead sprint, EDI's legs making whirring noises to keep up with Shepard's insane pace. Rubble flew all around them. People were screaming, falling. Blood mixed with dirt, yet she never stopped. Her eyes were locked firmly on the beam, hatred blazing. She would send these monsters to hell if she had to drag them down with her. That was her last thought. The last thing going through her mind before a red light engulfed her and she knew nothing.