The Song

Shepard felt like a great conductor, and war was his symphony. The Reapers, their servants, were instruments in his glorious song. Now, the music began to crescendo. He would claim his people, drive them towards their glorious future whether they wanted them or not. Sovereign was being reborn, Lord of all that he saw before him.

Still, there was a certain part of Shepard's being that had thus far resisted any attempts to erase it. It was fading, but he saw a face. A woman perhaps? She had a noble, gentle beauty. Her eyes glowed softly, but had a reassuring kindness in them. He had no name for her. Who was she? Why did he feel this…attachment to her?

He continued his grand performance. Ships exploded, enemies feel before him. Carnage all around, he was feeding a great flame that was purging everything before him.

Then…suddenly a great discord came to his song. An opposing music was being played, it was jarring, and a great horde of voices interrupted the otherwise clear link he had to his fellows…

The sound was seeping into his very head, tearing at parts of his being…

Anderson was sweating. He was directing so many different angles of attack, so many different strategies on the fly to slow the advance of the enemies before him. The Alliance ships were being annihilated, the Council and Terminus forces themselves slowly grinding down into nothing. Another hit upon the Ascension! He fell hard onto the floor. A dead Asari crew member stared vacantly ahead, seemingly look directly into his eyes. Raising himself up he felt warm blood coming from his head. He looked at the console before him, his vision blurring. A great mass of unknown ship signatures was approaching. More Reapers? If so, death would come even more quickly than he thought. Suddenly, blaring from all of the ships communication systems and across the entire fleet came an unsteady, but clear voice.

"Our song is added to yours. The redemption of my children, the salvation of your races. We have come"

The Rachni were here. A great swarm of them. Faces lightened aboard the Ascension and the other ships in the fleet. The Rachni broke upon the Reapers with a fury. They seemed to crash right into the black ships, burrowing into their skins attempting to kill the Reaper core. Many more diverted from the main "hive" and were now flying towards the planet's surface, towards the oncoming Reaper army. The Reaper fleet advance halted, their attention drawn by these new arrivals…