The Circe Project

by Tacitus Shadowrunner

The Threat of the Reapers have been defeated, they now roam the galaxy. Repairing the damage, rebuilding empires. Now that the threat is gone a new and Fragile peace is established. However while in the midst of this new Era, a threat arises in the shadows, seeking to take control of everything. Rated T for violence. ON HIATUS.

1. Prolouge: A Pinch Of Luck

The Circe Project: a Mass Effect Fan-fiction

Running through the hallways the professor panted hard, case in hand. Cursing himself again and again for not keeping in shape the last few years. The professor kept pushing himself harder, maybe he could get away. The loud footsteps of the boot behind him though didn't suggest so. The professor rounded a bend and ran all the way out of the hallways into the open. Bumping into various strangers earned him angry and pissed off glares. If it was any other moment he would have apologized, said excuse me or pardon me. Now wasn't one of those moments, his life was on the line. As he crossed the walkways, he was well aware of the men on his tail they were getting closer and closer. Their rhythmic boots combined with their stature and attire screamed military. Or at least something so very close to it he could not tell the difference. In fact it surprised him they haven't fired their guns yet at this point—he was just thankful that they haven't.

"Professor are you there? Come in professor!"

The running professor adjusted his earpiece, a noteworthy attempt while running full sprint and bumping into civilians every now and then. "Simmons! Where are you?"

"At the end of the walkway! The red skycar!"

"I see it! I see!" the professor yelled. Seeing the sky car allowed him to tap into the little reserve of adrenaline left in his system. He ran faster.

The ground around him lit up in sparks, the guns were out. His luck was running thin, he'd been on research trips to the far reaches of the galaxy, he'd survived the war that people said was going to be the end of civilization. The can always rely on that small bit of luck left. There was always that small pinch of luck left that he could use.

The vehicle lowered itself, so now it was almost level with the walkways, the professor gripped his case harder and jumped. Landing in the seat next to Simmons, he shook the man's shoulder yelling, "Go Go GO GO GO!" while rounds pinged off of the surface of the vehicle.

Simmons picked up the M-12 Locust submachine gun and returned fire with one hand. And with the other he was interacting with the console. The vehicle spun and was furthering away from the walkway. Simmons threw the depleted gun to the Professor. "Reload!"

"Do you think they'll follow us?"

"You think? We have to get to the Presidium and—" the window on the professor's side shattered exposing him to the howling wind. "Simmons! We're hit we're—"

He glanced to the side to see Simmons headless corpse, the vehicle was without a pilot and it descended sharply, the professor gripped his case tightly and braced realizing his luck had run out.

The professor opened his eyes, the smell of burning plastic and the sight of Simmons bloodied corpse made him vomit his lunch. A fully black shuttle landed, shifting the dust and dirt. From he could gather, the professor had landed in another, lower level, of the Wards. The crowds had dispersed from fear, though he could see them in the distance. Panicking and running. The shuttle landed, and an figure exited. With brown hair, and icy blue eyes. Fully clad in black armor. He held an suppressed M-11 in his hands. The man's eyes locked onto the professor's case.

"Think about what you're doing! Damn it if you do this you'll ruin the peace we've spent tens of years and thousands of lives working on."

"No, Professor Van Hoek. I am going to do what all these fools," he waved around the place and pointed in the direction the Presidium would be, "have forgotten. I am going to reestablish man's right and place, in the universe. That is above all of these… organisms."

"And you risk, splitting the galaxy apart again. You will destroy everything that Shepard has done, all the species, the peace, the war, the Reapers!"

"So be it, professor, so be it!" he pointed the gun and pulled the trigger, the professor's body jolted back at the force of the shot. The man clad in black, stared in to the "sky", seeing the four other wards of the citadel, and two reaper ships making repairs to the surface. "You will be mine, you all will be mine."