Garrus Vakarian lay surrounded by wreckage and rubble. The smell of burning armour and scorched flesh filled his nostrils, it was hard to breathe. That last blast from the Reaper had taken out most of their squad. Lt. James Vega's body was a couple of feet away, well, what was left of it.

He couldn't hear much, it was like listening to everything through water, the muted cackle of assault rifles peppered the air and everything looked a little blurry. The bright beam of green light still shone and he could just about make out a lone human figure, stumbling towards it.

Shepard.

Another shape moved behind her. Turian? No, not anymore; the Reaper Marauder was clearly in bad shape but it still had its weapon and was aiming towards Shepard. Garrus looked around for his rifle, to his right he saw what was probably the twisted remains of its barrel.

That's when he noticed his arm. His right arm had been burnt off, just above the elbow, obliterated by that last beam fired by the Reaper. He dragged himself forward, clumsily forcing Vega's pistol from its holster on his thigh, with his remaining hand, he took a shaky aim and fired at the Marauder.

Shepard was so close to the light, if he could just hold it off for a few more seconds. A couple of bullets to the chest got its attention and it turned from Shepard and fired at him. He felt a brief, searing burn in his chest and shoulder but kept hammering the trigger until the Reaper footsoldier sparked and fell.

Blue blood was trickling, steadily from his wounds as he collapsed forward, the last thing he saw before his vision faded out was Shepard, reaching the beam and disappearing into the light. He'd done his duty, he'd watched Shepard's back until the very end; whatever was left was her task and her's alone, he sighed and rolled onto his back. He couldn't see anything, he could feel a chilling cold but no more pain, and if he was going to die, here, on Earth then he wanted to be looking up at Shepard.

Blood slowly pooled around him, his breath faltered and his heart shuddered to a stop as a bright green pulse of light and energy filled the night sky above the strange planet. Relieved of duty, Garrus Vakarian's spirit left that bloodied battlefield and followed his commander into the light.