A/N: Sorry for the delay, had some work to do on another story, and well what I had planned didn't work out. So had to re-write this three times. Hope you enjoy. If there are any inconsistencies, I apologize for that too. My beta reader is getting burned out on Mass Effect.

He watched Javik leave in silence. He noted the platform slowly descending from a walkway above him. He released the podium and dropped to the floor. The glove and gauntlet of his left hand were missing. He tugged at the remaining glove. It wouldn't give. He pulled harder only to feel his skin pull away from his flesh, then stopped. Guess that would explain why the medi-gel isn't being dispensed, welded shut. He stopped and looked over at the caricature of the illusive man.

"Matriarch Benezia was able to fight her indoctrination, but then again she was smart enough not to implant reaper tech in her brain."

The figure merely stared at him.

"I guess humanity isn't superior after all."

The platform landed. The commander crawled onto the platform after a moment it began to ascend towards the tower. He rolled onto his back and turned his attention to the battle above. The war raged on. The silence of the citadel was a stark contrast to the scene above him. He watched helplessly as a Batarian dreadnought exploded in a blaze of blue light. It was obviously a core rupture. He could only clench his fists at the loss of life. The species had been hated by much of humanity, but despite their penchant for slavery he felt for them. They were the only reason he was able to escape Mindoir. The platform came to a stop and he shook the thoughts from his head. He closed his eyes. I just need a moment. I just need to rest for a moment. Just remember each moment is another life lost. He opened his eyes and a hologram was staring down at him.

"Commander Shepard, I am the catalyst."

"I am here to stop the cycle."

"Yes, we will get to that. You are the first to make it this far. I will let you decide the fate of this galaxy you have fought so hard to protect from our solution."

The commander climbed to his feet, swaying ever so slightly.

"What do you mean solution? What are you talking about?"

"The Reapers as you call them were created in response to years of war between synthetic and organic life. They were built by organic life as a weapon. A single entity controlled this weapon, I am that entity. I was once an organic being, like all creatures of flesh and bone I withered with age. In order to maintain the balance of power my being was absorbed into an artificial intelligence. I continued to enforce the peace between the two for a century. When organics began creating new synthetics capable of threatening the peace corrective action had to be taken. I could not allow them to create new synthetic beings and I did not wish to render all life nonfunctional. The cycle's purpose is to maintain life until organics were ready to ascend to perfection."

"Ascend to perfection?"

"I have intervened in the creation of all species of the galaxy, cultivating organic life to a point where it could accept synergy. The perfect life form is both synthetic and organic. The crucible was created for this purpose. I allow the construction of the device and the inevitable use by the ideal of each cycle. I take the embodiment of perfection for a particular cycle and use their essence in an attempt to create synergy. All previous attempts resulted in insanity; we believe organic life couldn't accept synergy. Synthetic life replaced organic materials viewing them as inefficient. You are both synthetic enough to touch our minds, yet organic. You are the epitome of what I have been trying to accomplish. I will use you to recreate the life forms of this galaxy. You have accepted synergy; I believe you are the key to the completion of synthesis. "

"You allowed me to get this far, but you just said I was the first to make it here?"

"No, I was speaking of other cycles. You are the first to make it this far on your own. The Protheans disrupted the events of this cycle. They left beacons regarding our existence, altered the keepers, and redesigned the crucible. It was thought it could be corrected, but we could not have foreseen your existence. Your defeat of Sovereign and the collectors created chaos. You earned every victory in this cycle."

"What makes you think I'll help you with the synthesis of an organic and synthetic life form?"

"You wish to stop the cycle. It is the only way to bring it to an end."

The hologram started to walk away.

"Bullshit. I can destroy you."

The hologram stopped and turned to stare at him.

"Then you will not submit to synthesis?"

"Never."

"Very well, then we accept your induction into reaper form. We will integrate your being into a human reaper as we originally intended. You will become immortal."

The hologram turned and started walking again. The commander limped after him.

"No."

The hologram stopped and turned back to face the commander.

"You have no other options. The crucible is our construct and you require our help in determining how to activate it. Regardless of your cooperation we will destroy all life in this cycle and begin again with your current model. The next cycle will be more receptive to our solution."

"I will defeat you."

"Our data indicates there is no way for you to defeat us."

"While the crucible was designed by you this cycle is different. We are allied with the Geth."

"The allegiance is temporary. It will cease eventually. It is irrelevant to your choices"

"How do I activate synthesis?"

The hologram pointed to the beam at the end of the walkway.

"Enter the beam and it will activate."

The commander stared at the beam fluorescent green light then his eyes wandered to the left. A platform with handles, apparently electrified stood waiting.

"What's that over there?"

"Should you choose immortality, just grab hold of the handles and you will be uploaded for integration."

The commander shifted his eyes to a third walkway leading to a cylinder filled with a viscous red liquid.

"What's that?"

The hologram looked at it and shook its head.

"It is the trigger mechanism. Once you make a choice it will initiate the directives provided. It has no other purpose."

The commander limped towards the trigger mechanism.

"Do you feel anything after wiping out your own species, or even the others?"

"I am no longer organic, I do not feel. My data indicates you do not feel either, which is why you are a good candidate for synthesis."

The commander stopped and turned on the hologram, his voice filled with malice and dark promise.

"I was born into a world of madness and violence. I grew up in a colony full of people that stood by and did nothing as my father abused me, my sister, and my mother. I felt nothing when I sabotaged the equipment that allowed the slavers to take those people to hell. I may not have felt anything when I let people die because they stood by and did nothing to stop the victimization of innocents. I will admit there were many years that I felt nothing. But I felt guilt when I shot my own sister to save her from that hell. I felt rage when I killed Benezia. Rage that someone that actually loved and cherished their child could be turned into something like my father. I feel a sense of protection for the lives in this galaxy. I feel love for the first time since my sister died. I am here because I still feel something."

He turned limped towards the trigger once more.

"You don't know who I am. I've never made excuses for the lives I've taken. I have never marginalized them, or even accepted they were all necessary. I should have found another way a better way. I did it all to protect those I deemed innocent. That's the difference between you and me. I take full responsibility for each life destroyed at my hands. You stand here and justify eons of death and destruction. I am nothing like you. I thought I was a machine or a monster, but I'm not. I'm not the man I thought I was, but the man she deserves."

He lifted his pistol, and shot out the glass, the viscous fluid started to seep onto the floor. The catalyst's hologram stood behind him.

"What are you doing?"

"You think I'm stupid. You said it yourself the Protheans altered the crucible. Javik is Prothean, and there is nothing he wants more than your destruction. So there has to be an option built in by them. I know how to trigger the crucible because the Geth worked on it. The Geth share all information and Legion was hooked up to your minds. He would have known the crucible was your construct, even if the Protheans failed to include a destruct option the Geth would incorporate it. He knew two things about me. The first is that I like explosions. The second is that I have an affinity for firearms."

He fired again.

"What are you doing?" The alarm could be heard in the catalysts voice.

"I'm giving you my decision."

"Activation of the destruct option would result in the termination of all synthetic life. The crucible will initiate an energy pulse. The pulse will terminate the Geth, the AI on your ship, and you. We do not believe you would wish to self terminate. It is illogical to choose death over immortality."

"My friends will find a way to reactivate them. I'm not a machine, I don't deal in logic."

"You will die!"

"There's an old human saying. Ain't no rest for the wicked, until we close our eyes for good. I've been tired for a long time."

Shepard fired into the cylinder emptying his thermal clip. The cylinder exploded wrapping him in its blossoming heat. He felt his body burning as the force of the explosion pushed him backwards. He slid across the walkway and tried to open his eyes only to realize they were open. He was blind. He could smell his own flesh burning; the battle to remain conscious was lost. Suddenly he awoke to the feel of himself falling as the walkway collapsed beneath him. A sharp pain ripped though his body as he landed. I'm sorry Liara. Commander Shepard stopped fighting and gave in to the darkness.