Shepard Stories - Chapter 11: The Beam
Main Characters: Shepard and Liara
London was covered in rubble and dead bodies lay everywhere as the battle trampled its way through it. The current mission was to get to the beam at the center of the city in order to be teleported to the Citadel, but the hard part was getting passed Harbinger. Harbinger was a massive A.I reaper the size of a dreadnaught ship that was guarding the beam. This reaper was the mastermind of the A.I colony, and it could use its power to indoctrinate organic species to do what it wanted. He wanted Shepard at all costs and wouldn't allow him or anyone else to make it to the Citadel to power up the weapon that would kill all the reapers. It fired a beam from it's body that tore through the streets and killed anyone that it came in contact with.
Several squadrons of soldiers were all fighting their way toward the beam. Shepard's small team was one of those squads. Shepard was running in front of his team as they tried to keep up with him.
Liara tried to pick up her pace to catch up to Shepard (Shepard! Slow down. We're not as fast as you)
(I need to make it to the beam Liara. Just follow me in)
She reached her hand out for him (Don't leave us behind)
Suddenly there was an explosion, and it launched a Mako into the air. Shepard's head jerked over toward the mako and watched as it tumbled through the air. As it came closer to him, he dodged quickly out of the way and the vehicle slammed down behind him.
Liara's eyes flashed at the sight (Jon!)
He let out a breath (I'm fine)
Another explosion launched another Mako into the air. Shepard turned and watched it fly towards Liara. His eyes widened as he reached his hand out toward her (Liara!)
She looked up when she saw him and heard him then yell "Watch out!" The Mako came crashing down onto another and exploded on impact. The force of the explosion blasted all three crew members outward in different directions. Shepard immediately ran toward Liara as he frantically yelled "Liara?!"
She moaned in pain, then said, "Over here."
He looked her over and saw several cuts all over her face, crest and exposed body. Indigo blood was trickling out from her wounds. He gently touched her face, "Are you ok?"
Liara shook her head then reached toward her damaged leg. "No, I think my leg might be broken."
He gently pat her shoulder as he looked around. "Hang tight babe. Let me find the others." He stood as he continued to look around then called out "Garrus! Kirre!"
Kirre waved her hand at him as she replied, "We're here." He looked over to see them both limping and Garrus with a bad gash in his side. Shepard tapped at his comm unit to ring Joker. "Joker, I need an evac now!"
Mumbled static came through the line, but Shepard could only make out "... on... the.. way."
Shepard rushed back over to Liara and bent down to pick her up. "I've got you." She wrapped her arms around him as he ran for the Normandy. Once the Normandy touched down, he hurried up the load bay ramp, and set her down carefully then said, "Here take her."
Ashley grabbed Liara, but Liara pulled away from her with tears in her eyes as she said "Noooo! No no no."
Shepard looked at her as he waved his hand "Liara, you have to get out of here!"
Tears streamed down her face. "Shepard you're not leaving me behind!"
He pointed to her leg, "Liara, your leg is broken, you can't come with me." Shepard gently ran his hand down her cheek and looked in her eyes. "No matter what happens, you mean everything to me... you always will."
She leaned into his hand. "Shepard I..."
He pulled away and walked backward down the ramp. She reached for him, "I am yours..."
He smiled at her then yelled, "Go!" She watched as he ran back toward the beam as the bay doors were closing.
Ashley softly placed a hand on Liara's arm "Come on, let's get you to the med bay." Liara just nodded in acknowledgment.
As Ashley helped her to the med bay, Liara screamed out in severe agony. Karin quickly hurried over to her "Liara, What's wrong?"
Ashley winced at Liara, screaming "I'm not sure Doctor just that her leg is broken."
Liara's body was shaking as she clutched her hands to her chest, then said, "Not my pain ... It's Shepard. I can feel him, and it feels like my body is literally on fire." Her eyes widened as she gasped. "No... he got hit by Harbinger's laser beam."
Karin looked at Ashely then said, "Ashley, help me get her on the table." Dr. Chakwas quickly did a scan of her body. "Yes, fractured leg, multiple contusions, and cuts. Liara lets get your leg fixed first."
She winced in pain as she grabbed her shoulder. "Goddess Karin, he's in so much pain and growing weaker." Her eyes flashed suddenly as she sensed Harbinger "Noo…"
-/
She grabbed her stomach in agony. Goddess Jon, why would you do that to yourself? Karin, he just shot himself in the stomach. Her mind reached out for him (Jon?!)
Leaning against something, he barely opened his eyes, and with blurred vision he pulled his hand away from his side to try and look at the damage. All he could barely see was blood oozing out then he felt Liara in the back of his mind.
(Jon?... Answer me... please...)
(mmm?)
(Stay with me, my love)
(mmm… I… I…..can't….I'm soo tired…)
(Yes, you can... I need you to fight this...please... come back to me)
He could hear Hackett over the com: Nothing is happening; it must be something on your end….
Shepard flopped on the ground and started crawling, "I... don't... know…" He closed his eyes as he slipped into the darkness.
(Jon? No... ) was all her head before she faded away.
When he woke up, he was at the top of the Citadel. A young child, like an apparition from his nightmares, walked over to him and said, "Why are you here?"
Shepard pinched his brows as he looked around, "Where…where am I?"
The Catalyst looked at him "We are on the Citadel."
Liara was extremely faint in the back of his mind (Don't listen to him. Listen to me…. you're not on the Citadel!)
He shook his head (I am…I made it. I was in the control center. I saw Anderson and The Illusive Man)
(No Shepard…. Listen to me… You were hit by Harbinger's laser beam. You didn't make it to the portal, Anderson did. Don't listen to him! He's trying to indoctrinate you!)
(No, no, I did. I was there. He made me shoot Anderson, and The Illusive man killed himself)
Liara faded out. (No…Jon..)
Shepard blinked his eyes and quickly shook his head; he looked at the glowing child "Who are you?"
He could hear Liara again extremely faint in the back of his mind. Barely above a whisper. (Jon...Come back to me...)
"I am the Catalyst. The Reapers are mine. I control them. They are the solution."
Shepard furrowed his brows "Solution? To what?"
"To restore order." replied the catalyst. The child turned, and pointed to three machines "Control, Synthesis or destroy are the options."
Shepard squeezed his eyes tight then shook his head. He heard Liara again faintly in the back of his mind (There… you are….stay… with…me….)
Shepard looked back at the child "Options for what? For the weapon to work?"
The catalyst smiled, "Yesss. You'll need to make a choice."
Liara began pleading with Shepard (There are no choices, Jon!….Do not accept him!)
The child pointed to the control device "If you choose Control you will take this ramp and grab the electric handles, and you will give yourself to them. Once you do, you can control the Reapers."
(Nooo...) Liara cried
He turned and looked toward the control device "And my other choices?"
The catalyst pointed to the synthesis device and said, "Your other choice is Synthesis. You will combine yourself with the beam, and you will give yourself to them. Once you do, you will combine organics and synthesis together."
(Nooo…) Liara cried
Shepard looked at the two devices, then said, "And my other choice?"
The child pointed to the last device "Your last choice is destruction. You walk over there, and you will destroy that column. By destroying it, it will cause a mass explosion. That explosion will kill all the reapers."
(Noooo….) Liara cried
Shepard pinched his brow as he looked at all three choices "Whatever choice I choose will stop the Reapers?"
The catalyst nodded, "Yessss, but you must choose one."
(Jon!… Listen to me, love… there are no choices….. he's trying to get you to just kill yourself. Whatever you chose is your death! Choose nothing!…. and come back to me….please)
He shook his head. "And what if I choose nothing?"
The child curled his lip slightly. "Then the harvest will continue, and this will have all been in vain. Choose!"
(It's not for nothing!… It's not….. Anderson is going to fire it up any minute now… Don't listen to him!)
-/
Liara tapped at her Omni tool quickly, but it wasn't functioning properly. "Damn it!" She quickly turned to Ashley. "I need to get ahold of Red on the Fire Breather. Now!"
Ashley nodded as she quickly tapped at her omni tool "Red… come in!" Liara said frantically.
"This is Red! What's happening?"
"Red, Shepard is very badly injured. Harbinger is creeping into his mind and trying to take hold. I'm trying to get him to fight him, but I'm losing. Harbinger is trying to tell him he has these choices to make in order to save the galaxy from the reapers. Whatever choice he makes will lead to his death!"
Red let out a breath, "Where is he?"
She shook her head, "I don't know exactly, but he's somewhere down near the beam."
His eyes flashed. "Liara the weapon is powering up! I won't have time..."
She pleaded, "Please... Red... if not for me then for your brother."
He nodded, "I'm on my way." He called Miranda on the coms. "Miri come in…"
Miranda answered quickly, "Yes?"
"I'm going down to save my brother. He's badly injured."
She shook her head, "Alex, the weapon is powering up!"
He sighed, "I know. I love you."
She gripped the table she was leaning on "Damn it, Alex. Let me do it. I have more medical expertise than you. I'm already on my way down. Stay with Liara. I love you!"
He shook his head, "Damn it, Miri. No way! I'll meet you down there."
-/
The Catalyst peered at Shepard, "You must choose!"
Shepard ran his hand over his mouth then answered to the faint voice in the back of his mind (If this is all a ruse, how do I know you aren't part of it? Ask me something, that you know only I would know the answer to.)
(Ok, ummm….what memorable event happened, the day after we first made love?) replied Liara
He smiled and looked directly at the catalyst, then said "I choose to do nothing!"
He heard Harbinger growl as he pulled his mind away from it. Shepard opened his eyes to see himself in a pile of rubble. (Liara...?) He could hear her more clearly now.
(Jon! Thank the Goddess! Are you ok?)
(Noo... I. I'm not…mmmphmm. What.. what's happening?}
(The weapon is powering up and about to fire. We're about to head through the relay to the rendezvous point. Hold on, your brother is already on his way down to get you)
(mmm tell him No...I don't….have….much time left..mmm) His head slowly bobbed around as his eye lids blinked slowly.
(Jon, you promised me... blue babies… please…please.. come back to me…)
Through a very weak link, he told her (I know... I did.. I'm…I'm sorry… I..I.. love ...you.) Through the loss of blood and the red sonic blast hitting him, it knocked him out cold.