This is my first stint into the realm of Fan Fics, and I'm well not versed in Mass Effect history, do please tell me if I get anything wrong, and don't be a afraid to criticise my work. This isn't great, for I am only mortal.
Expect this to be updated on maybe a weekly basis
Disclaimer: I do not claim to own the Mass Effect IP, or any other Mass effect IP's, and is owned by Bioware and EA Games.
Mass Effect: Relay 314 Incident
Major Alan Frakes laid in his bunk, boredly watching the hyperspace effect from his window. Pondering why of all things the crew quarters had a window. He brushed it off, continuing to stare out into space. After a few minutes of peace and quiet, it was abruptly broken by the sounds of very rude crewmen finishing their shifts.
Frakes threw his pillow at them as they entered the room. "Shut up!" He yelled, "Trying to get some shut-eye here, and so must you. Do you want to be the one who tells the Colonel why you're late?"
There wasn't many replies from the men, simple grumbles. Frakes sighed. Why did I take this mission. Why? he thought to himself. Frakes had accepted the role of training some Militias battalions on the newly crowned Systems Alliance colony Shanix.
Being Forty-seven years of age, he was near retirement. Chances Shanix would hopefully be his last deployment before he retired. So he hoped. It almost seemed like it was almost impossible for him to retire, to many colonies not taking a liking to the Systems Alliances way of things. Frakes saw them as self absorbed assholes, you don't bite the hand that feeds you. Has a habit of being a bad idea.
He rolled over to stare back out into Hyperspace, though now there wasn't any more Hyperspace, There was just space. He could just see a small bulb of light in the distance, it was likely Shanix.
He felt the ever memorable sounds of the engines are they warmed up, they vibrated the entire ship, A lack of artificial gravity has a habit of doing that.
He didn't know the time, but they were here, and Colonel Stal would kill him, if he wasn't ready, and in dress uniform. The Colonel was also an self absorbed asshole, thankfully he didn't come from the Colonies, but from Luna. But, the Colonel also a tight bastard for quality. His troops needed to be in tip top condition, or they weren't troops of his. As one might of expected, Stal ended up never receiving a promotion in ten-years, or getting the good deployments.
Frakes quickly got himself ready, making sure to look in tip top shape. After finishing he looked at his clock. 01:27 AM - Tuesday, May 19th, 2147. They were four days early, but then the SSVLanka, was a troop barge, who had a habit of not doing as it told. It should of taken the Lanka, two week in total from Mars to Shanxi, but she also had about 20 stops in between. The ship had only made seven drops ...
Leaving his somewhat pristine quarters, into the sad excuse of a ship the Lankawas. The Captain of the Vessel, Lt. Commander Ben 'Jank' Aldic, was not the best Captain the Systems Alliance could be proud of. The Admirals simply didn't care about a troop brage operating in the Colonies, but then again. who would?
The crew was busy, somehowa fire has started about twenty meters down the hall. Frakes wasn't surprised by this, but at the same time he couldn't wait to leave this death trap of a ship. He made his way to the troop bay, making sure to avoid the crew as they rushed down the hallways.
He arrived at the troop bay, where somewhat surprisingly, Major Frakes was late. The entire Division was here. Well barring a few stragglers.
"Majors Frakes. How nice of you to join us" The Stal said, giving Alan a glare that would make any rook do things "to the toilet, best not said.
"My apologies sir, didn't get the summons." Frakes replied. Falling in line with the fellow officers of the 245th Colonies Division, which after attrition had taken effect, was little more than a Brigade.
"Yes, yes. Whatever." The Colonel said, he readjusted to stance, facing his troops. "As I was saying. Our mission on Shanxi, is to train the Fifty-thousand strong militia force of Shanxi, that right now, don't even know how to fire a weapon. I wish I could say this was easy, but frankly, training missions sucks. The Mission will last six months, in that time we are to do our best to make that force somewhat better than they already are. Major, you will now brief the men on the specifics." The Colonel finished. This was clearly Frakes punishment for being late.
2 Months later
Shanix, Ruben Continent, Training ground Seven.
The Area was frozen, literally frozen, a very fitting temperature for the planet's North Pole. Only about seven hours agos, a prefab base has been setup for an OPFOR exercise. Whoever's idea it was to make it in the North pole was very greatly mistaken.
Frakes transport a T-41 VTOL Troop Carrier, landed a few meters away from the site. Frakes Platoon was to play defender, while the Militias attacked. Stepping down from the loading ramp. Frakes could clearly see the mission would have to be scrubbed. Stepping back into the transport he went straight for the cockpit.
"Get Control on the Horn, tell them were scrubbing the mission, and where RTB." The major said. Returning to the troop bay, he saw Thirty or so anxious troops of the 245CD. They were looking forward to the mission, it was the closest thing they ever got to combat on Shanxi. He was about to break it to them when the pilot came thru.
"Sir. Control wants to speak with you urgent, Code Orange."
Alan immediately shot his look to the pilot. If the pilot was telling the truth, then the 245CD, was going being set to high alert. But for what? The Major made his way into the cockpit, and clicked on the Comm.
"Major Alan Frakes here."
"Major, this is Colonel Marks of C&C, your division just went into high-alert. situations FUBAR here … Space-boys are going ape. Your to RTB ASAP."
"Understood. We were already making our way back to base, I'll make sure my troops are combat ready by the time we get to base."
"That's what I want to hear major." Frakes flicked off the comm channel.
The pilot stared at him, must of been a rook. "You heard the man RTB ASAP!" Frakes yelled out.
The pilot followed suit, and warmed the engine back up. After a few seconds they were hot enough to negate the cold. Frakes took a seat in the troop bay, as the T-41 took off.
15 Minutes Later
Alpha Base - Temp HQ to 245CD
Frakes again walked down the landing ramp, only this time it was no exercise. He was greeted by Colonel Marks. Probably one of the first Officers planetside. Marks was a middle aged man, but didn't let his age get to him, and looked good for his age.
"Major." Marks said tipping his head instead of saluting. "Welcome back to Alpha, were the food is always cold, and the men are freezing." Joked Marks.
"Where's Colonel Stal?" Frakes asked. Following with a salute.
"Stal was relieved of command, for assaulting one of his junior officers. One more thing, due to being in Condition orange, General Williams of the 12th Colonies Army will be here in Fourteen days, until then you answer to me." Marks explained, likely having taken command of the 245CD after Stal's misbehaviour.
Frakes walked with Marks, into the command center of the base, 2 kilometres below ground level. Whoever made this base must of been paranoid, no one in the Systems Alliance has weapons that can go that far.
The bases command centre wasn't very busy in total there must of been 20,000 soldiers and Navy men on Shanxi, and Alpha base wasn't all that important, a simple backup bunker for the Governor and his Staff. Which has now been repurposed for the 245th headquarters.
"So Colonel, what happened?" Frakes asked.
"The SSV Explora, lead ship of her class. Traveled through the dormant relay in this system, after about three days of ever so fun scans & surveys. An Unknown flotilla entered the system, after a discussion that lasted all of four minute. The Unknown ship fired at the Explora,damaging her Mass Effect Core, among other systems. She was able to get back the Shanxi system. But, about a hour ago the Explora's Core went critical, killing all forty-five souls onboard. We managed to get her blackbox, and transmit the info to the planets servers. Hence how we know this data."
"So … aliens?" Frakes asked in a mocking tone.
"No Colonials, aliens don't exist son." Marks wasn't very convincing.
Frakes took a few seconds to take in the information. The Colonel didn't want to admit, but it had to be Aliens, the Colonials take hostages, not corpses. They trap the vessels, so they can't escape. More importantly they never contacted their victims.
And then it hit him like a tonne of bricks.