Author's notes: So this is a little one shot story that suddenly grabbed me a took me for a ride. I basically was trying to think about how I would do a Mass Effect/Dragon Age crossover without having the Shepard or the Warden physically meet. Then I remembered the Dragon Armor that is both in Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 3. So this is a story of how Shepard got her armor. This story is set after the Citadel DLC, which is a super awesome game and highly recommend it, and I make a number of references to what happened during that game.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: Bioware owns the characters, I just love playing with them.
The Armor of the Dragon
There was an eerie hush that fell over the darkened corridors of the Citadel Archives as Shepard made her way down through the bowels of the structure. She had been to the Archives once before and the memory of having to fight her way through a bunch of military reject mercenaries to reach her evil clone, all of which she still had trouble believing actually happened, was putting her a bit on edge. Even with all the renovations the Council had put in after she and her team had practically destroyed the place, the lighting was still abominable. Every slight noise or flash of a screen was making her reach for her gun.
"Glyph?" Shepard called out to the echoing darkness.
"Yes, Commander," the glowing spherical VI dropped down in front of her, voice irritatingly cheerful. "How may I be of assistance?"
Shepard sighed. There really was no point in getting frustrated with the thing. She couldn't fault it for having annoying programming. "You said you found something down here I needed to see. So, I'm here. What is it?"
"Yes, Commander Shepard," the VI darted back and forth excitedly. "Dr. T'Soni analyzed the information I was able to gather while I was searching for the other Commander Shepard…" Shepard resisted the urge to punch the thing. Her clone was certainly not Commander Shepard. "…and she found something interesting about your ancestry."
"So this is some sort of history lesson?" Shepard asked, stunned. "Look, I appreciate everything you and Liara have done for me, but I have a bit of a galaxy wide crisis on my hands. If this information can somehow help me defeat the Reapers, I am all ears; otherwise it will have to wait."
"Oh, it most certainly will, Commander," Glyph bobbed dutifully. That got her attention.
"Alright," Shepard caved, "Liara has never steered me wrong before, I guess she wouldn't start now. Lead the way," she waved her hand, indicating the vast and winding network of corridors.
"Of course, Commander, right this way," Glyph bobbed and then darted off into the darkness.
It was not easy keeping up with the affable Glyph as it flitted through the passages, but she somehow managed. Once in a while, she caught a glimpse of an archivist shuffling along on some task or other. Otherwise, she remained alone, nothing but her thoughts and her echoing footsteps to keep her company. It was odd how this was where her whole future had almost been taken from her and now it was to be the place where she would rediscover a piece of her past. The past had always been a black hole for her. Growing up on the streets on Earth, never really knowing her parents, to recapture even the smallest bit of her family history meant more to her then she would ever be willing to admit.
Finally, the little holographic ball of light stopped short in front of one of the video rooms. Strange visual representations flickered across space. They appeared to be examples of earth's prehistory, though they were certainly not anything she had learned in her history books.
Avina's VI voice sounded over the speakers as Shepard entered the blue lit room, "Commander Shepard, Specter status recognized. Censored Earth history is now available for you viewing pleasure, Commander."
"Earth has history that the Council censored?" Shepard asked skeptically.
"In 2161 CE, the humans' System Alliance, with the help of the Citadel Council, gathered up all written documentation and prehistoric relics that related to what the archaeological record refers to as 'The Blights.' It was their belief that these 'Blights' had a more sinister connection to the ancient Protheans and were thus deemed a potential threat to current galactic harmony. However, with what is now currently known about the Reapers, it's believed that these Blights were a result of Reaper technology. "
"How much of human history has been censored and what portion of history are we talking about?"
"Approximately 6,000 years ago spanning a period of almost 1,000 years," Avina explained as images of grotesque beings depicted in various artistic styles scrolled across the room. "This cultural horizon covers a large portion of the areas known as Europe, Northern Africa, and parts of Russia."
"Alright, so what is a 'Blight', exactly?" Shepard was starting to feel slightly overwhelmed by all of this. She almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. A form of Reaper had been on Earth only 6,000 years ago? How was it stopped?
"Based on current research a Blight was a reoccurring event where, every two hundred years or so, grotesque and 'tainted' beings referred to as 'darkspawn' would infest the lands like a type of plague. These creatures apparently slaughtered whole populations and left the lands fouled by their presence. There are even a few references of these creatures taking humans to be converted into more darkspawn."
Shepard shivered as Avina continued, explaining such queer notions as Grey Wardens (special individuals that would somehow carry the 'taint' without being converted) and Archdemons (great dragons that were the source of the Blights). The more she learned, the more these Blights sounded like a product of the Reapers. However, she still could not shake how impossible it all seemed. She stared dumb founded as the VI cycled through several representations of the Blights. Much to her surprise, she recognized the depictions of "Ogres." She has seen a grotesque sculpture of such a beast in Donvan Hawks' private collection. It was almost an exact representation of the ones she saw before her. So it wasn't just some fluke. All of this; the Blights, dragons, elves, mages, dwarves; it all really happened.
"Okay," Shepard nervously ran a hand through her hair. It felt like her whole notion of reality had just turned itself on its head. She took another steadying breath, "Okay, so how did these people, these Grey Wardens end the Blights?"
"That is why we are here," Glyph said as it dipped down into the center of the room. On some command, Glyph sped through the images until they landed on a picture of a female warrior in sleek armor slaying a great dragon.
"This," Glyph explained, "is a depiction Elissa Cousland. She was a Grey Warden and eventually became Queen of the ancient kingdom of Fereldan. With her help, and the help of her allies, she defeated the last Archdemon and ended the Blights forever. You also happen to be her direct descendant."
"I'm related to royalty? Uh huh," Shepard rocked back on her hip and stared skeptically at the image. "What makes you so sure?"
"DNA samples taken from her tomb, as well as those taken from her offspring, confirms it." Glyph closed in on Shepard until it was only a foot from her, "It also means you carry a bit of this 'taint' they speak of. Dr. T'soni believes it is the 'taint' that was able to let you survive the Prothean beacon in the first place."
"Are you saying I am part Reaper?!" Shepard asked, horrified.
"Yes and no, Commander," Glyph moved out of the room and began to float down the corridor. Shepard was left standing there, staring dumbfounded as it stopped and bobbed expectantly at the end of the hallway. There had to be more to this, she reasoned, as she followed after the bouncing VI. The key to defeating the Reapers certainly wasn't that she may carry a small piece of them. At least it had never seemed to help before.
She called after Glyph as it floated above her, "What do you mean I am and am not a Reaper?"
"I did not say you are a Reaper, Commander. The tests Dr. T'Soni ran on both yours and Queen Elissa's blood were inconclusive. Either these darkspawn are a type of Reaper she could not analyze or they are something very similar to a Reaper without actually being one. Either way, your lineage made you unique enough to help you survive while others would parish." Its last word echoed as they entered the giant chamber known as the vault. Last time she was here she, Wrex and Kaidan had been sealed away in one of the millions of pods that filled the space. It also happened to be around that same time that she had decided she wouldn't say "I should go" for a while.
"Where are you taking me now, Glyph?"
"There is a relic here, worn by Warden Elissa during the final days of the blight. This Dragon Armor is said to contain special properties. It is quite possible that it will be invaluable to you, but we must first find it and analyze it."
Shepard followed Glyph in silence for a while after that. She had a lot to think about. By the time they reached the pod Glyph had been looking for, Shepard found she had one last question she needed to ask.
"Glyph?"
"Yes, Commander Shepard?" the VI asked as it hacked the pod's security and its cylindrical mass effect shield fell. Old sanitized air assaulted Shepard's nostrils, but underneath the stale smells she caught the distinct sent of blood.
"I know you said that slaying the Archdemon ended the Blights, but that can't be it. If slaying the Archdemon was all it took, there would never have been more than one Blight. So, what did Elissa do differently?"
"We do not know, Commander," Glyph shifted quizzically at her. "Some believe she had preformed some ritual before the battle that locked away the Blight when she struck the final blow. Some think it was not till the battle at Vigil's Keep over a year later that the Blights truly ended. But accounts of what happened at the Keep are even more conflicting. I am sorry, Commander, but that is all we know."
Shepard sighed, "I guess 6,000 years is a long time to lose that kind of information. Alright, show me this mystical armor."
Lying spread out in a special temperature controlled case was probably the ugliest armor Shepard had ever seen. It was an unbelievably large and clunky mess of metal. The helmet looked like some kind of bucket while its midsection looked like the front of a cast iron stove had been ripped off and slapped on as a breast plate. The only beautiful aspect about the armor was a blood red dragon that dipped down over the left sholder and caressed the breastplate. Over all, it looked nothing like the armor she saw Elissa Cousland depicted as wearing in the final battle.
"Are you sure this is it?" Shepard asked skeptically.
"All findings point to this being the exact armor Elissa wore when slaying the Archdemon. All early depictions and accounts of the battle describe this armor perfectly. Furthermore, the armor was carbon dated to within the date range of the battle and trace elements of your ancestor's blood have been found on the armor. I am 97.635% certain that this is the right armor. Is there a problem, Commander?"
"You don't actually expect me to fight Reapers in that clunky thing?"
"Of course not, Commander, Dr. T'soni plans to upgrade it."
Shepard glanced warily at the armor. It didn't look special. In fact, it looked like an old antique that was about ready to fall apart. However, she couldn't deny that she felt a certain draw towards the armor, like it was calling to her blood.
"Alright, let's grab it and send it to Liara. It might not be completely useless."
Three weeks later, Shepard found herself practically running to the hanger bay aboard the Normandy. Her new dragon armor had finally arrived. It had turned out that the armor was made from a previously undiscovered metal that was ten times more resistant to damage then her other armor. The strange metal also seemed to resonate with her biotic powers, increasing her biotic damage while simultaneously energizing her so she could use her abilities more often. And then there was the new design.
"Shepard," Liara smiled warmly at the commander as she entered the bay area. "I see you got my message."
"Is it here? Can I try it on? Where is it?" Shepard asked excitedly, her eyes darting around the room.
Liara laughed at her old friend's exuberance while she reached behind her and lifted a large metal case with her biotics. It was wonderful to see the commander excited about something again. The war was starting to wear on her and it showed. In fact, this was the first time Liara had seen the woman smile in weeks.
Quickly, Shepard grabbed the heavy case and headed to the lockers as fast as she could run. From across the bay, Cortez gave Vega a questioning look. Vega merely shrugged, his large muscles rippling beneath his shirt. Neither of them knew what had their commander in a tizzy.
When Shepard stepped out from behind the lockers, everyone in the bay dropped their jaws. The commander looked amazing. Her armor was both sleek and functional with the classic breast plate design and the narrow red visor. The armor glistened in an almost silvery white, casting the blood red dragon on her left shoulder into stark relief. In that armor, she looked like she could slay a dragon, let alone a Reaper.
Vega whistled as he watched the Commander stretch and test out the various joints of her new suit, "Damn, Lola! And I thought you looked hot in the old N7 uniform."
"So what's with the knight and shining armor motif, Commander?"Cortez asked. Shepard turned to look at him. In that armor, she looked lethal. "Not that it looks hooky or anything," he quickly amended, waving his arms defensively.
The Commander took of her helmet and ran a hand through her hair. She smiled softly as she looked down at her helmet, "You could call it a family tradition."