Chapter 1

"Captain Havoc, the Board is on standby and I can't delay them any longer". Said the pilot James "Fuse" Odryna as the Justifier was slowed to keep the transmission to Earth stable in space. Havoc ran water over his face to wash away his doubt of the decision he would have to make to the Board and their Admirals. He looked at himself in the mirror and massaged his temples touching his short brown hair as he sighed looking at his reflection through is brown eyes that had tinges of blue mixed in.

He had experienced another difficult nightmare so real it felt like a memory was stirring from it. Giant ships towering over Earth, buildings falling as civilians ran screaming, many crushed by debris or impaled on dragon spikes as husks pursued them no other thoughts in their mutated minds except to kill. Havoc had almost lost his home to the Reapers when they invaded Earth and the rest of the galaxy was bolting down their doors to hide from the storm that was supposed to be a myth and a fable. The whole Galaxy denied Shepard's warnings of their arrival as delusional thoughts and they were almost wiped out as a result.

It had been five years since the Reaper war ended with the Reapers destruction at Earth, the mass relays were deactivated and because of that many of the solar systems in the galaxy had gone quiet lost to nature and time.

No one had cheered when Shepard went missing billions mourned the loss of a man they had doubted and now five years later the galaxy was struggling with the alliances forged from the Reaper war, many outbreaks of riots were shut down due to the rioters xenophobia and distrust towards their allies that could not act at once when people died.

So many took on Shepard as their hero and example to live and many trained in N7 as Havoc did though the young captain was younger than any of the other recruits he had earned top grades in training, diplomacy and weapon specialization before anyone else something that had never been seen before, he had also became an expert in tech and engineering but was trained as a soldier. As captain of the Justifier Havoc had a small crew of talented experts that were affectionately called by their trainers as "miracles as in "it's a miracle they couldn't help us fight in that war".

Havoc knew what the Board meeting would be about. After the war the races of the galaxy converged to create a council of senators bigger than the citadels own council and the Board was created to house the admirals of the fleets, each admiral was a representative of each races military and naval forces and were tasked with stabilizing the council races and ensuring contact with the rest of the galaxy.

Havoc strapped the armour on his right arm and leg tightening the armour that only he ever used. The rest of the crew had wondered why he always wore armour on the limbs of his right side but Fuse claimed that during the war he was injured when a facility was attacked and the explosion of flames had damaged him so much in those areas that he had to wear armour to protect the damaged limbs though people still did not believe him.

If the Board was calling Havoc knew that it meant that the crew would have to go their separate ways to different planets. He did not like the idea of losing the small family his crew had become. But he had no power to overrule the orders of the admirals.

Havoc entered the communications room near the back of the ship he took a deep breath and sighed, "It was fun when it lasted" he thought before he gave Fuse the command to open transmission to the Board. The holo projector activated and at once the Board appeared in front of him each faced him with calm smiles.

"Captain Havoc". Said the human representative Admiral Hackett the man that stood his ground against the Reapers with Shepard.

"Admiral". Havoc answered back.

"Captain, we understand that the Justifier is in need of a new crew and a new captain". The admiral of the Turians said.

"Who told you that?" Havoc replied angry that his men could be cast aside so easily.

"Mind your temper captain". The Salarian Admiral snapped and he looked at Hackett as though he was arguing mentally with him.

"Sorry sir". Havoc replied emphasizing on the word sir.

The Quarian Admiral Raan took one look at the two admirals in their mini staring contest and shook her head. "Gentlemen please we have something to tell Havoc and you two should behave too".

"Thank you Admiral Raan". Havoc said with a smile. "Auntie" A small voice echoed in his head that he had never heard before. "Where had it come from"? He thought.

Hackett cleared his throat. "Captain Havoc, the Board wish to relieve you of your command of the Justifier and place your crew on more important missions that concern the council races."

Havoc knew it "politics" he muttered as it were laced with poison "it always got in the way".

"However". Raan said. "We wish to welcome you a new mission that we believe you will take to your heart".

"Remember five years ago when the Reapers were destroyed". The Turian Admiral said. "The mass relays were deactivated at the end of the war and almost every race was trapped between systems".

"With the crippling loss of the relays, the Board was created to find a way of restoring the relays and finding the lost systems". The Krogen admiral continued with a look that made you think he was reading it off a card.

"To this end". The Asari admiral said. "We have decided to involve you in a mission that requires the combined strength of all of us".

"To find the lost systems". The Geth admiral ended.

Havoc looked at them in surprise. This mission was impossible the relays were deactivated and without them no one could get to the lost systems without being trapped in the vacuum of space.

He was about to reply when the transmission was cut. "Dammit sorry sir, that asteroid was heading our way". Fuse spoke over the speakers.

Havoc looked at the speaker with a small sigh. "Fuse, find a way of maintaining our transmission with the board and contact me when we are back online". He said.

"Of course captain" was the reply.

Havoc left the room and returned to the captain's quarters to contemplate what was happening. He sat at his desk and drummed his fingers on the desk as he pondered. The lost systems, what was there that the board wanted? Did they send him to survey the planets or return with some they left behind?

Havoc took the locket that was hidden under his shirt and opened it to stare at the picture of the happy family he always saw in his mind but was never witnessed alive.

Would this mission give him the chance to honour his family, to find his place in the galaxy that Commander Shepard and his lover Tali'zorah vas Normandy had been?

It's there somewhere a duty I must take to heart.

To the Lost Systems.