Spoilers: obviously content from the games including the Ending.

For the most part this will follow ME lore, just adding and adapting.


Death, Destruction

Death
Destruction

The images where still a blur flashing in front of his eyes. But now he could make out faces, people he once knew.

"We can control them!"

He knew it was a lie the guy was telling himself. Something forced his hand, a single gunshot fired, ripping through the Admiral, no not just an Admiral one of his friends. A man he respected deeply, who fought along his side to stop this madness. The other guy was talking but he didn't listen anymore he was fighting against the words.

Something he must have said drove the other guy to shoot himself through the head. He couldn't make out the exact words but the guy was gone. He sat next to his friend watching the battle ensuing in space. Soon everything would be over.

But it wasn't over yet he was forced to make a choice. Whatever choice he would make the entity in front of him made it clear he wouldn't survive. He hated the entity, nothing would have made him more happy than to just destroy the entity right there and now. But the whole galaxy was counting on him, he wouldn't fail them even if it meant he wouldn't see their victory.

One last time he looked towards the darkness of space, seeing the united fleets fighting the monsters that wanted their destruction. He wouldn't let them down, as fast as his broken body allowed he moved along the path. Taking out his gun he emptied his thermal clip on the big tank like object that stood between him and salvation.

The tank exploded a giant flash of bright light engulfed his body, the blast knocked him back. A light spread out over the darkness of space. Before the platform he was on gave way and he fell in the depths. He saw the lights of a single reaper flicker and die away, he knew the others would survive.

He was dieing he felt his own body surrender to the massive damage the explosion had caused. If this would have been an heroic ending there would have been a party. Music would have followed his every pace and people would be cheering at him. People would have gotten drunk and everybody would have been happy, drinking to their victory. But it wasn't such a Heroic ending, he was alone in utter silence only his own breathing to be heard, his heartbeat the only thing he had to know time passed as he lay there between rubble and his own blood.

He grabbed the ring, looking at the names, remembering the last night he spent together with his friends and loved ones.. The last real happy day in his life, he knew he was dieing and he had only one regret. Clenching the ring in his hand he thought about Kaidan. How he had wanted to tell him how he really felt, how he wanted him to be safe, even if he himself couldn't be there anymore.

The world grew slower around him his breathing gave way, his hart beat stopped. With his last breath he thought about Kaidan.

Then he awoke.


Kaidan hurried over towards John the moment he moved. "John? Everything alright?"

John slowly opened his eyes, smiling as he saw Kaidan kneeling beside him. "Yes and I'm glad to see we got to you in time."

"Yeah, but now we are trapped in here. There is a substantial force awaiting our first move." Kaidan's hand rested on John's shoulder.

John sat upright, giving Kaidan a swift kiss. "Don't worry, I'll find a way to get us out off here."

"That's enough you two love birds." Garrus was staring through the scope of his sniper rifle at a nearby window.

"Said the giant bird." John lifted himself to his feet stretching his muscles before he moved towards the windows.

"Giant bird with a big ass gun. Anyway I have about four dozen hostiles between us and the communication tower, who knows how many more there are we can't see from here. EDI is presumably trapped there and used as an amplifier for their control signal." Garrus handed the rifle to John.

"I see, so we need to get to her and find a way of the base."

"Yeah James is still a bit drowsy, Miranda is helping Charles download all the relevant information ad our distress signal should have gone of 15 minutes ago. So if the Normandy isn't here within the next 5... Well let's just say we're screwed."

John thought about their situation for a moment. "Okay Kaidan, you Miranda and Charles go back the way we came in. Wait for a signal before leaving the tunnels, Charles set of the explosives once you reach the exit. Garrus find a nice sniper spot and give me cover. James you will follow me towards the communications center."

"John I won't let you do this alone." Kaidan walked up to John, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I won't be alone, Garrus will cover me. Besides I need you to contact the council, get them the information we learned. Tell them the alliance is being used and get Miranda out of here she can remove the implants." Jon averted his eyes, he knew how it sounded. But the odds where against them, even an understaffed alliance base was still a lot to take on in a straight fight.

"This sounds insane, even for you Shepard." Miranda crossed her arms staring at him.

John nodded slightly. "It is insane, but I see no other way, I need you to help those people."

kaidan took John by the shoulders forcing him to look straight at him. "Wait you're saying goodbye?"

John swallowed looking in Kaidan's eyes. "I'm never saying goodbye, we both know they want me alive. If they get me it's up to you Kaidan." John slipped his ring from his dog tags, looking at it for a moment remembering how it always got back to him. "Take it, if they capture me... I don't want them to throw it away."

Kaidan's eyes filled with tears, he knew it was their only chance of stopping this madness but he didn't want to say goodbye again, not now.

John kissed Kaidan only letting him go to whisper against his lips. "I will always love you, remember that for both of us."

"I know, just make sure you don't forget this time. " Kaidan let go and walked with the others down the hall towards the maintenance tunnels.

"Charles contact the Normandy as soon as you can."

"Acknowledged and John good luck." The three of them descended in the tunnels. John took a moment to stare down until he couldn't see Kaidan anymore.

"So Loco, didn't want to say anything before but you really think this is a suicide mission?" James shouldered his shotgun.

"I'm sure if we surrender nicely they'll take us in. If you would rather have that James." John walked towards the main hall.

"Hell no, rather go down taking them with me."

"Good, so remember most of them are under their control, disarm and stun. If everything else fails go for the legs, Garrus take out their shields as much as possible. Wait for my signal before we move out." John ducked next to the door.

"I'm going to set up in one of the offices." Garrus searched through the rooms in the hallway until he found a nice small one that he could easily lock up from the inside.

John grabbed a pair of flash bang grenades and waited for the right moment he knew would come any minute.


"Victus to Normandy Any updates?" Councilor Victus

"Our shuttle pilot reported that the main building is surrounded. Hostiles have set up barricades leading towards the communication towers. The thanix cannons are manned, expect heavy resistance." Liara relayed the last information Steve had for them.

"The ninth platoon we be on site any minute now. We request you coördinate combat efforts with General Vicarious"

"Thank you Councilor, I will not forget your assistance in this."

"Don't mention it, I still owe the Normandy's crew a great deal for ending the reaper wars. We all do." The councilor cut the line.

Liara looked over the battle map brought up in the CIC, the last images Steve was able to pick up where displayed. A bunch of red dots where popping up on the maps she had from the brokers data base.

"So going by this information we can assume our people are in the main building?" She already knew the answer but awaited confirmation from Traynor who was looking over the data next to her.

"Yes, it seems they fortified the space between the main building and the communications tower the most. Since the communications are also disrupted in that area. We can assume they want to keep them out of there." Traynor drew a wide circle over the map.

"Okay sent the maps to the ninth platoon. Tell them to leave the building alone and concentrate on the thanix cannons and sniper stands for now. If they see a chance they should try to sent in their ground troops from behind the communication tower." Liara marked the tower positions on the map before they were sent of to the Turian General.


John was going through the path Kaidan would have to take, any moment now they would reach the point where Charles would activate the explosive charges. As if on que the first tower collapsed as a loud and sudden explosion penetrated the stillness surrounding him.

"Now!" John Yelled throwing his flash bang grenades across the field. Storming out to meet the hostile forces outside. There where more than he could have anticipated. "James follow me closely we have to clear ourselves a path." John's biotics where working at their peak, The second he could manage it he threw those that came to close back, throwing a singularity up in front of their path and trying to generally just keep the hostile forces of their back. Behind him he heard James struggle a few times with some of the soldiers who had come too close to them. Sometimes he would see some of the soldiers stagger as a well-aimed sniper shot ripped through their shields and armor.

They where halfway across the empty space, when a Turret's repeated fire ripped through his shields. Running for cover John could feel the bullets tearing through his left leg. On is next step his leg gave way, stumbling towards the ground directly before a bunch of crates who would have been his rescue. He knew the turret would only need a few seconds before it started shooting at them again.

James ran past him grabbing the back of his armor and dragging him past in to safety. "You okay Loco?"

"Can't move, the medi-gel is doing wonders against the pain though." John dragged himself up until his back rested against one of the crates.

"Now what? We're sitting ducks here."

"You'll have to go alone James. I'll draw their attention, get EDI out of there or if there's no other way destroy the tower around her." John checked his weapons through.

"Shit Loco, You'll never survive this. I can't just leave you here."

"That's an order James. Besides this is what the N7 program trains us for. Making the though calls, so others don't have to. Now go, I have your back." John bent around the corner towards the turret that had shot him, immediately the thing fired in a fast repetition towards him. James used the distraction to push forward.

A second explosion further away, drew the attention of his attackers for a moment. Giving him some time to place a singularity neatly in a sniper stand further down the way. Garrus had taken the chance and shot more than a few confused soldiers with little stunning arrows.

John's leg wasn't hurting anymore, to be honest he couldn't really feel it at all. He hadn't told the truth to James, the medi-gel delivery system had been destroyed. The reason it didn't hurt was the same reason he was feeling tired now, the blood loss was just too much. Summoning his last reserves he threw a particular nasty soldier back against the wall of the communication tower. The way was now clear for James, the world became silent around him.

The peaceful quiet was only disturbed from the third and last explosion. Across the airstrip he could swear he saw Kaidan emerge from the ground. John smiled as the world turned dark around him once again.


Kaidan had pushed them to move faster through he tunnels, finally Charles had gotten an uplink to the Normandy. Kaidan's heart only beated faster in his chest when he heard the Turian fleets where on their way to aid them. If they could get out of here fast enough maybe they could help John.

When they emerged from the tunnels on a far away strip on the other side of the air field Kaidan saw the horrible battlefield. He wanted to run across and get to John but a large metalic hand-held him back. "He made me promise to take you out of here Major."

Kaidan spun around on his heels, beating with both fists against the unrelenting metal frame of the Geth. "How dare you speak as if he's already death."

While the both of them stood there neither waiting to speak out what neither wanted to hear. Miranda suddenly pointed towards the sky. "The Turian fleet, they're here."

Kaidan stopped struggling to get free, maybe it wasn't too late after all. "Steve? The Turians are approaching, we need to get the other out of they're in the middle of the combat zone."
The Turians made short process with the cannons, clearing a pathway from one side of the base towards the other. A single Alliance shuttle followed their path.

"Prepare for pickup Major." The shuttle broke out of formation as the Turians flew over them hovering near the ground a few paces away.

Kaidan ran as his feet could carry him, jumping in the shuttle. "Turn us around, we must get the others."

"Already ahead of you Major, someone man the turret. This will be a rough flight."

The shuttle took off rejoining the Turian fighters who came around for another airstrike. "Ground forces you are clear to go." A Turian voice sounded over the communications. The Turian ships cleared a landing zone near the main building, Where a handful of Turians jumped out of their ships, guns in hand spreading out.

Steve pulled up next to the main building. Kaidan jumped back out of the shuttle running towards the comm tower. Between the dust and smoke he could see two figures coming his way one was dragging along another. Kaidan's feet almost gave out as hurried towards them.

But it wasn't John, it was James dragging EDI along his side. "James? Where's John?"

"Duck!" James yelled.

The comm tower exploded, the blast knocking everyone off their feet. The smoke and dust making it nearly impossible to see anything anymore.

"John was about 40 paces on ten." Garrus' sounded out of breath. "He hasn't moved in a while."

Kaidan kept low moving over in the general direction Garrus had told him to start looking, the smoke was burning in his eyes and lungs. The fighting around him died down, until he could barely hear any gunshots anymore. Once he reached the general where Garrus had last seen John, Kaidan searched for any sign of John. It didn't really help that he could barely see the ground before his own feet. Falling to his knees he dug between a large pile of rubble and toppled over crates.

Until he finally found a leg, clearing the debris he finally found John. "John! wake up." Kaidan yelled desperately. Removing his gloves he pressed his fingers against John's neck, he felt a weak heartbeat. Barely noticeable and slow but he was still alive. "Hang in there John, I'll get you out of here."

"Steve, Garrus any one I need medical assistance, immediately John is... he's... damn he lost a lot of blood." kaidan's voice broke away as he noticed the puddle of blood he was kneeling in. His own hands were covered, Kaidan checked over John's body until he saw the leg-plates of Johns armor riddled with holes. Immediately he pried of the armor pieces, dumping a whole tube of medi-gel on the wounds. Pressing his hands on the largest ones, trying to stop the blood-flow somehow.

"Kaidan?" James voice came from somewhere behind him.

"Here, John he.. There's so much blood." Kaidan was desperate for some good news for a change.

A young Turian dropped to his knees beside him, opening up a small medical kit. "Damn I never saw so much red blood." The Turians hands moved fast, tying a tourniquet above the wounds and giving him an infusion. Before moving him towards a foldable stretcher. "Both of you carry him back to the main building."

Kaidan did as asked of him, mostly because this was the only thing he could do for the moment. James picked up one side of the stretcher making a fast pace towards the main building.

Miranda cam running out of the main building to meet them, shoving a cart with medical equipment. But it wasn't until Kaidan heard the familiar sound of the Normandy landing that he felt reassured. With both Dr. Chackwas and Miranda he was confident that they could patch John back up.