there's ship of theseus shepard but there's also cassandra shepard, cursed to never be believed despite the true prophecies she shares. she's cursed with the prothean beacon and foresees the destruction of the galaxy, images burned into the backs of her eyelids and is told she has baseless claims. will you help me? she asks the council, and the council says they need more evidence. will you help me? she asks the council and their hands are tied. she stops saren but there are whispers maybe she could have done more, and she bites her tongue because she believes that too, but the council could have done more. the reapers are coming, and they say, sure, say, they aren't real, don't you know that? will you help me? she asks and they send her to the far reaches of the galaxy, a spectre sent on errands. she and the normandy do not come back. but then she does, commander and ship rebuilt anew, not meant to exist but here all the same. will you help me? she asks the council, and they tell her she does not exist, what proof does she have of these claims? the colonies of one species cannot be the concerns of all. she bites her tongue and her mouth swims with blood. the reapers are coming, and they say, no they aren't, say, you need to stop saying that. the spectre floats through space with a crew who never quite looks her in the eye, but they follow regardless. the dead leading the dying. they do not expect to come back from this. will you help me? she asks, and they say, we are here. the collectors are a real threat, barely leaving ghosts behind, and they greet her because she is familiar, isn't she. she isn't supposed to be here either. the reapers are coming she warns, and they say, you have said this for years, why should we trust you? will you help me? she asks and the alliance says there isn't much they can do but she must answer for her actions. will you help me? she asks and let her sit in solitude, think of what she has done, what she has claimed. images burned into the backs of her eyelids and the reapers are here. will you help us? the galaxy asks, and she says what else would i do?
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