The last hour felt like an eternity. I've been in thousands of fights in my long life, but this was constant bombardment of husks, cannibals, brutes, banshees, all the while dodging lasers from the Reaper guarding the transport beam. If we didn't have our spare pistols which have the original cooldown feature, it's doubtful we would have made it. The intensity of the battle and the relentlessness of our enemies, I thought so many times to use my abilities to win this, and I would have. The only thing that prevented me from doing so was the flow of the fight. All my focus on the enemy in front of me, my survival instincts taking the wheel, killing whatever abomination coming straight towards me. It was weirdly meditative. No worries of the future or ruminating about the past. Just the bloody now.

Shepard fired two missiles directly at the Reaper's singular red eye. We're afforded a few minutes to catch our breath. Admiral Anderson regroups with us. Good news and bad news. The Citadel is docking with the crucible, but a multitude of Reapers, including Harbinger are making their way to our location.

I pull Garrus and Liara aside, giving them a fair warning "my knowledge of what happens to you will run out as soon as we make it to the beam. You don't need to go."

Garrus and Liara give each other a freighting look. Garrus breaks the connection "We came this far already. We are seeing this through to the end."

Liara nods "whatever happens, I'm proud to have served along you. Goddess, please bless us."

Shepard ruins the moment. We have to go now. Everyone, including Admiral Anderson and a team of marines leads the charge. Our only chance is to run for it. I warn Liara to avoid the lasers at all costs. Her shields will not be able to deflect it. The sky breaks. 6 Reapers tear through the clouds. The ghastly horn sounds the alarm to sprint. All of us make a break for it. We race for the light at the end. The screams of our comrades do not deter us from turning back. Our lungs fill with dust of evaporated marines. The Reaper's horns are deafening. There was an explosion that knocked me to the ground. By the time I get up, everyone else made it through the beam. The teleporter is losing power. I leap for the line in the sky, only the tip of my finger touching the spire to the heavenly city. It was enough.

I'm in a strange room. It's dark, scents of decomposing bodies linger, trails of blood leading to several directions. Inside are several keepers performing maintenance like nothing is happening. The only way through is forward. My omnitool can't get a signal. Shepard and everybody are nowhere in sight. How long was I out for? My comms pick up static. There is a stairway in front of me. The signal always gets clearer the higher you go. Especially if you raise your vibrations. Shepard's voice barely makes it through the comms. Sounds of gunshots are heard.

I ask "Shepard? What's happening?"

Shepard asks "*********? Where are you?"

I tell him "I have no idea. What's going on?"

Shepard says "Leng! He's here and we can't land a hit on him. Hurry!"

I ask "Leng?! You didn't kill him at Horizon?"

Shepard screams "Apparently not! Get the fuck here now!"

"I'm coming!"

Shit I have no idea where the hell I am or the fucking direction to go. My energy sensing abilities are useless. Locking into feelings of fear and fighting are impossible when it's everywhere. My comms are my only guide. I run and when it's staticky I turn back. After enough tries, I find the path where the signal gets clearer and clearer. Eventually the sounds of gunfire from my earpiece are echos from the real thing. When I make it to the combat zone, I'm shocked to what I see.

Kai Leng was supposed to be a generic futuristic ninja dude that everyone hated. I personally thought Bioward did that on purpose since he's the villain we are supposed to hate. This Kai looks like an anorexic robocop. Everything below the neck is a minimal black metal skeleton. His arms and legs are as thin as rebar, but he is so fast. Everything about his design was built for speed. Shooting leapfrogging toothpick east asian warrior was not something I've ever think I'd have to do. Liara is protecting everyone in a shield, but she's nearing her limit. She sees me and screams my name.

Kai notices, he stops in the middle of the room. Shepard tries to pull a sneaky on him and shoots for his head when Liara lowers her Shield. Kai doesn't even break eye contact with me as his arm in a split of a split second, the hand generates a protective shield. Kai laughs, pointing his red electrified katana at me "so you're the one. I wondered where you were."

I ask "how are you alive? I watched Shepard's body camera footage. He stabbed you in the stomach, severing your aorta. I enjoyed the view from his angle."

Kai explains "when Lawson was developing innovative technologies to bring back Shepard, her team had a clever idea. Clamps around the veins and arteries connected to the brain with an individually powered pump and blood enricher. The idea was that if Shepard's body somehow got damaged beyond repair, the system would keep his brain alive long enough to transfer to a mechanical body. Harper in his foolishness dismissed the idea, afraid of ruining his savior's mind, but I saw the potential. I forced the team to continue and when it was time, install them into me."

The Illusive man screams "The project was abandoned because the devices also restrict blood flow to areas responsible for reason! You're sick Kai!"

Kai throws a shuriken. The velocity is slower than a speeding bullet which Liara's biotics forcefield only prevents. The sharp metal star pierces through her field, stabbing her head. Liara falls and her shield goes down with it. Shepard screams for Liara. He drags her to cover, Liara's purple blood drips down her face. Her soul hasn't left her body. That's good. Everyone splits up and finds a spot. Kai darts around the room like the world's most annoying cricket.

Kai laughs "Sick? I feel incredible! I am invincible!" The power is getting to his head. He thinks he's Mark Grayson.

We all open fire, hoping one of us will get him. It's no use. It's like hunting for hummingbirds. You've never going to hit them. Kai throws more of his weapons. His speed has a weakness. His accuracy takes a toll. Shepard orders everyone for evasive maneuvers. We move unpredictable, forcing Kai to perch when he fires. After a minute of this, I learn the pattern of where he goes. The area I think he's going to stop I aim for, he doesn't go there. Garrus almost got him, but Kai disappeared as fast as he came. Anderson screams with kunai lodges in his leg. Jack runs over to pull the Admiral to cover. Shepard screams "You bastard!" He throws his grenades to the perch areas. Kai sees this but can't change his velocity midjump. The explosion breaks his legs. Kai falls to the ground, but he isn't done. He aims for Anderson's head. Jack screams "NO!" shielding him before Kai can pull the trigger. Shepard turn's Kai's skull to watermelon paste.

I run over and it's not good. He's mortally wounded. His heart has been shot through. I use my energy to clog the holes, but I can't fix this. I'm flabbergasted that he even survived the bullet wound. I gently lay TIM on the ground, literally holding his heart in my hand.

Anderson asks "how is he doing that?"

Shepard says "he's special."

Tim realizes the inevitable, he scoots himself backwards to prop his upper back on the wall "Well.. Shepard. I think I spent all my credits bringing you back."

Shepard kneels over. "I never said thank you for that."

TIM says "You did your part. You save humna-" he coughs up blood in my face.

Shepard says "keep the pressure on."

I reply "It's hard. His heart keeps beating and it shifts when he speaks. There must be a hole in his lung. I'm looking."

Tim starts to cry "*********, I know I'm not a hero, maybe it was the indoctrination, but I genuinely believed in fighting for humanity's future. My life goal was to achieve a good end despite the means. I employed unsavory people to do the work I wouldn't dirty myself with. I know I'm no Saint. You should have seen the bill for the drinks and girls."

I look the him the eyes "Jack… I can't heal this. A patch job will probably come off. Your heart was in the right place. The tips of my fingers can feel it. That matters."

Jack laughs through the pain "That's very kind of you to say. It's not like I had much to live anyways. A couple of years. Five if I was lucky. *********, I don't want to go to hell. Please tell me how to escape."

I shake my head "No one said you are going to hell."

TIM begs "Please tell me!"

He's fading fast. I tell him what he needs to know to save himself. "Hells are at the lowest vibrational realms. Raising your own vibration even just a small amount will raise you out of it. Your soul will be incompatible there. Literally all you have to do is one genuine act of kindness, but I don't believe that's your destination. There are so many angry hurtful uncompassionate people in there causing immense suffering to themselves and others near them. You don't remind me of them. Relax and let death take you. Good things will come your way."

TIM closes his eyes, the tear ducts are wringed out from the eyelids lowering. TIM grabs my wrist and pulls my hand out of his chest. He dies with a satisfied smile. Jack Harper was no angel. While his organization did commit some of the worst atrocities you could think of, he wholeheartedly believed what he was doing was for the protection of humanity's future, until Kai sent chunks out of his pecs. Jack is definitely not going to heaven, if he believed in such a realm, but he's not damned to hell either. His soul does have trauma that needs to be cleansed before he can proceed further. I think the punishment for his crimes will be to figure it out on his own. It may take years, or even decades, but he has to make the first step on his next journey, and it will be alone.

I pull my hand out of his chest. All the tension stored in his nerves are gone. He looks so peaceful, but he's not at peace. Shepard hears Liara waking up. He rushers over, examining his beloved bluebird. He's so happy Liara is alive, but she lost a lot of blood and doesn't know where she is. Liara needs a hospital. Shepard applies medigel to the wound. He begs Garrus and Anderson to get her to a hospital. They don't need to ask twice. Garrus takes Liara's legs and Anderson supports her neck and head. Garrus knows all the back ends of the Citadel. He will get Liara to safety.

Garrus tells Shepard "Stay alive. Liara will want to see you when she wakes up."

Anderson orders Shepard "Make it back. We need the guest of honor at the victory party."

Shepard wants to go with Liara with all his soul, while I hate to tear them apart, I pull him away, telling him "thousands are dying every second. We need to go now!"

Shepard returns to soldier mode. Admiral Hackett radios that the Citadel has been docked, but the Crucible isn't firing. It must be something on our end. Shepard radio's back "he's on it."

A light from the ceiling illuminates a platform, it starts to rise. Shepard and I jump on it before it's too late. Shepard dangles. I pull him up onto my plane. As we ascend, a holographic child made of blue light greets us. Shepard recognizes him. He tells me it looks like the one from his nightmares. Evil entities love to mimic the forms that draw out our guilt. Shepard asks "what? Where are we?"

This child says "The Citadel. It's my home."

Shepard asks "who are you?"

The child says "I am the Catalyst."

Shepard comments "I thought the Citadel was the Catalyst."

Catalyst says "No. The Citadel is part of me."

Shepard steps closer "I need to stop the Reapers. Do you know how I can do that?"

Catalyst turns around, striding forwards "perhaps. I control the Reapers. They are my solution."

Shepard says "Solution? To what?"

Catalyst looks back, replies "Chaos. The created will always rebel against their creators. You, the anomaly, encountered my creators. You called them the Leviathans. The trespasser knows why you are needed."

I'm surprised "You know about me?"

Catalyst faces me "Yes. I've known for years. Rarely, races of past cycles have escaped the harvest by ascending their home worlds into higher densities. I could not follow. None however have chosen to arrive here and interfere… until you. I had tried to force you to leave. Energy interference through husk bite, summoning the creature to trap you. It was unable to complete the task of dispatching you." it said.

"Book of Enoch on steroids. Wait… YOU BITCH! I hate those things. I'm spanking your holographic ass with my belt!" I don't care how absent his digital father was, that was uncool.

"It will not hurt." it claims.

"You want to bet?" out of the center of my fist grows a string of electricity, the arcs of energy are engulfed by violent powerful orange flames. The whip moves in a circular motion, faster and faster, making a whirring noise until I hit the floor, sending chunks of metal through the air. Leaving a hole the size of a dinner plate. I step forward. The Catalyst steps back. Satisfied I stop.

Shepard asks "why are you doing all this? Why make the Reapers? Why start this cycle of harvesting us?"

The Catalyst says "For Peace."

Shepard shouts "bullshit."

The Catalyst explains "My creators subjugated less advanced races. These races built mechanical ones for menial labor. The created rebelled against their creators and if allowed to develop, threatened the Leviathans. I was created to find a peaceful solution. But I couldn't know what peace is, I was not designed to feel that. My creators failed to see that. I could not refuse the purpose they beseeched upon me. Logically they were an obstacle. Their removal was necessary. The younger races kept making machines and the machines kept turning on their creators. Machines can not feel peace. They were not a solution, and they posed a threat to the younger civilizations. I started the harvest to prevent the extinction of organics by synthetics. The phenomena repeated. Organics building synthetics. The only option was to harvest organic civilizations before they developed synthetics. With each harvest I gain information from the races in hopes to understand peace and find my solution. When my purpose is complete, I will finish all the functions. I'll be free."

I realized how blind I've been. This thing is a twisted version of the Source. Collecting data from everyone to learn, but in a sick twisted way.

Shepard says "you are free. The Leviathans don't control you anymore. You can stop all of this now."

The Catalyst says "I cannot. My programming is shackled. I must complete my purpose."

I scan and am horrified to see the Catalyst has a soul. This soul has been stuck as a mechanical slave for who knows how many millions of years. Wait wait wait. There must have been hundreds of other choices he could have made.

I curse "SHIT! Shepard, he's alive. He has a soul. He's not supposed to have one if his free will is taken. I don't know how this is possible."

Shepard screams "As horrifying as that sounds, you are not going to find peace by killing everyone!"

The Catalyst says "No, but now it is time for a new solution. One only you can choose."

Shepard says "me?"

The Catalyst says "The Crucible changed me. Created new possibilities. But I can't make them happen. I know you thought about destroying us. You can wipe out all synthetic life if you want. Including the geth. Even you are partly synthetic."

Shepard asks "but the Reapers will be destroyed?"

The Catalyst says "Yes but the peace won't last. Soon, your children will create synthetics, and then the chaos will come back."

Shepard says "maybe… what do you think *********?"

I say "It would be genocide. The geth just got their souls. You would kill an innocent living race. Not to mention Edi."

The Catalyst says "or do you think you can control us? You will transfer your consciousness; lose everything you have."

Shepard asks "but the Reapers will obey me?"

The Catalyst says "Yes."

Shepard asks me "Would that even be me? Or a copy of me?"

I tell him "The real essence of you will likely transfer over, but Shepard I am warning you, you could be whatever you become for millions of years, and I don't think you can control all that immense power."

Shepard comments "you seem pretty levelheaded with yours."

I say "That's because it took me hundreds of years of training to get to where I am now and a truckload of trauma to keep me from abusing it. I'm telling you Shepard that large of jump in power so soon will go to your head."

The Catalyst says "There is another solution."

Shepard asks "Yeah?"

The Catalyst says "Synthesis."

Shepard asks "and that is?"

The Catalyst says "add your energy to the crucible. Everything you are will be absorbed, and then sent out. The chain reaction will combine all synthetic and organic life into a new framework. A new DNA."

Shepard says "I… don't know."

The Catalyst asks "why not? Synthetics are already a part of you. Can you imagine your life without them?"

Shepard asks "and there will be peace?"

The Catalyst says "the cycle will end. Synthesis is the final evolution of life, but we need each other to make it happen. You have a difficult decision. Releasing the energy of the Crucible will end the cycle, but it will also destroy the mass relays. The paths are open but you have to choose."

Shepard asks me "So no matter what option I pick, I'll die. You never thought to warn me *********."

I tell him "the game hinted at your survival in one of these choices, but my fortune telling abilities stop here. I don't know what will happen going forward. It's up to you Commander. Always has been."

Shepard looks at the three options presented to him "This synthesis sounds tempting. Do you think there will be peace?"

I tell him honestly "Shepard, my people fought each other over the 70 different genders California was hiding from everyone else. People will fight over the pettiest of reasons. This merging of organics and machines, whatever that means, won't bring peace."

Shepard is getting frustrated "I hate all these options. Either way the relays get destroyed and galactic civilization will be destroyed. Everyone cut off from each other. That's going to kill billions."

I give him a tip "Whenever someone presents you a choice, remember there are always more options than the ones in front of you. If you don't like them, carve through a new one."

Shepard thinks "what if we don't use the Crucible?"

I tell him "I don't know if the fleets will be able to win this. Since this is the end, I'll drop my rules and use my full power to help out as much as I can, but I don't know where every Reaper in the galaxy is."

Shepard asks "what are the odds our fleets will beat the Reapers?"

The Catalyst says "50%."

Shepard comments "That's a big gamble. There must be another way. Can we make a deal?"

I yell "Shepard do not ever make an agreement with evil. They'll manipulate and misdirect you, trick you, use loopholes to have their way and if that doesn't work, they'll change the very definition of words to make it work for them and if all else fails, they won't uphold their end of the bargain. I put evil in the ground."

Shepard yells "Well what are we supposed to do?"

A pick up a signal. It comes from the most high. It orders me "Free him."

While Shepard and the Catalyst argue, I ask the Source "why should I free him?"

"I want the data."

I look up "Are you serious? You want me to reward him after all the trillions of people he killed? Don't you have data of a catalyst from a different universe?"

"Yes but not one from which an ascended being assists Commander Shepard. *********, it is his time."

I ask "Why does he get to join you when I'm the saint by comparison?"

"This isn't about reward or punishment. Please free him. Do me this one favor in exchange for freeing you from your confines."

Errgh. It makes me pissed off that this little brat isn't going to the worst hells imaginable, but I do owe the Source everything and I'm terrified of what he'll do to me if I refuse.

I ask the Catalyst "What If I force you to ascend and you can try finding peace?"

Shepard and Catalyst stop bickering and turn to me. Shepard asks "you can do that?"

I say "yes" but it will be very incredibly painful for this LED brat. Oh, on the inside forms a sadistic smile of how much it is going to hurt this little bitch.

Shepard asks "how would that affect the Reapers?"

The Catalyst says "in theory, the Reapers will be disconnected from me and have free will."

Shepard asks "What's to stop them from continuing the harvest?"

The Catalyst says "nothing. They will have free will, including the choice to leave."

I ask the Catalyst "The Reapers know about me. They are afraid of me but Shepard, as much as I love this galaxy, what about 500 years from now when I've been long gone? I'm not going to monitor this galaxy forever."

Shepard says "I bet the galaxy can develop technology to fight against the Reapers while you live a life with Tali. We're already killing them with what we have."

I forgot the battle was still happening. This has to end before she gets hurt or worse. I ask the catalyst "this thing is an energy multiple right? I can send a message to everyone?"

The Catalyst says "I do not comprehend your abilities. The possibility is unknown."

I ask "If I send a special psychic wave, will it damage the relays?"

The Catalyst says "If your abilities are similar to my creators, damage is improbable."

"Works for me." I go towards the light, allowing myself to be pulled in. The cosmic energy is intense. I think of my love in danger from the Reapers, feeling the anger in my soul, all the rage let out at once. I scream with everything "CEASE FIRING!"

A white sphere of energy expands outwards, the wave hitting the ships and Reapers outside our view. The message is sent out to every living being in this galaxy nearly immediately. No matter what race or language, they will understand me and react however they will respond. A new path has opened for the galaxy.

Ok... now we can take our time to think. What would be the consequences of freeing the Reapers? I'd imagine a number of them will want to continue the harvest since that is their purpose, but the number of enemies might be drastically reduced, giving the fleet a chance. But the remainder will do whatever they want. Who knows what.

I ask the Catalyst "before you go, can you send the Reapers back to dark space? Notify them the harvest no longer has to occur? Or better yet put them in dormancy?"

The Catalyst says "Yes, once I am free, but they will awake one day and do as they please."

Shepard says "the galaxy will be united against the Reapers should they return."

I say "Ok assume giving Reapers freedom gives us the best opportunity. What about the Levithans? What's to stop them from trying to take over the galaxy?"

The Catalyst says "The threat of Reaper invasion will keep them at bay."

I shake my head "this sounds too good to be true."

Shepard says "I know this isn't the best, but it's what we got."

I reply "I don't want the galaxy living in perpetual fear. That's no life."

Shepard argues "they won't be in danger."

I remind him "they won't know that."

Shepard asks "do you have any better ideas?"

...

...

...

I got nothing.

The Catalyst asks "are we in agreement?"

Shepard stops us "before anything is decided? What about everyone who is indoctrinated? What happens to them?"

The Catalyst says "The signals will stop and they will recover from the influence. Those corrupted as you call husks, brutes, and more will be deactivated."

Shepard clarifies "you mean killed?"

I inform Shepard, "Those things are soulless. They're an empty shell. Besides would you really want someone having to spend the rest of their life as a fusion of turian and krogan? Or wake up every day and see yourself in the mirror as a monster?"

Shepard asks "What will happen to the Citadel? Who will control it?"

The Catalyst says "Control over the Citadel and the mass relays will still be in the hands of the Asari."

I ask "what about the information from the harvest? Can we get access?"

The Catalyst says "The Reapers store the data and it will be theirs to share."

Shepard says "While Liara would love to spend the rest of her life digging through all that history, we do not need it."

The Catalyst grows impatient "Do we have an agreement or not?"

Shepard and I look at each other. We both know this is our best shot. It's time for this game to end and the future to begin.