Part 1, Chapter 9, Soldier:

"Joker! Increase speed to flank, snap to kill-box one-two-zero. EDI! Target the main gun on that rupture in the Reaper's side, the one up by the base of that tentacle."

"Speed to flank, maneuvering to kill-box one-two-zero, aye aye skipper!"

"Target set Shepard."

Captain Shepard could feel the Normandy's mass effect core thrumming deep within the ship. The sheer volume of violence taking place on the main tactical display, normally the galaxy map, was daunting. I'll never disparage an AI again, Shepard thought to herself. She'd never be able to do this without her (it?).

Shepard's green eyes flicked left and right. She identified SSV Orizaba by her ident-tag, mother. A plan gelled in her mind. "EDI, contact fire-control on Orizaba, I want a max velocity rail-gun round on that rupture just before we complete our payload run."

"Fire-mission laid in and confirmed," EDI responded a fraction of a second later.

SSV Orizaba ponderously pitched about her center of mass to lay her main gun on the Reaper. Forsaking the god's-eye-view of the entire battle for a close-up, Shepard zoomed the tactical display to watch her target. The Reaper, contrasting sharply with the full moon behind it, filled an increasing portion of her field of view as they approached. "Orizaba firing now," chimed EDI. As if on cue, 20 kilograms of iron erupted from Orizaba's main gun at over 4,000 kilometers per second. Way to go mom! Normandy's Thanix Cannon roared to life. Easily audible vibrations worked their way from the weapon bay to the CIC.

Things happened very rapidly. Orizaba's rail-gun round impacted on the Reaper's kinetic barrier, flashed with the 'light of a thousand suns', and punched through. The majority of its kinetic energy spent, the ferrous slug itself did little damage upon the Reaper. It did, however, open a hole in its kinetic barrier wide enough for Normandy to unload its upgraded main weapon into the Reaper's interior.

The results were spectacular. The Reaper literally unzipped along its long axis, secondary explosions seemingly ruptured the Reaper's mass effect core. Shepard grinned to herself. She reached for the communications control to snap a quick congratulation to her mother when the unthinkable happened. One of the Reaper's tentacles broke loose and tumbled towards SSV Orizaba. Impossibly slow SSV Orizaba attempted to dodge, but she never had a chance.

Mother!

Victoria Shepard snapped awake aboard the shuttle from Vancouver. Her heart pounded, her lungs clawed for air, tears poured down her face. Mother! Shepard sobbed. I killed mother! A cool pair of hands gently caressed her face. "Shepard," Liara cooed quietly, "It's ok, we're ok. It's over."

Shepard looked up at her fiancé. She lost control. Shepard grabbed Liara by the shoulders and buried her face in her breasts. She sobbed uncontrollably.

The cabin crew averted their eyes.