Prologue: This mission just got a lot more complicated
The three high ranking men sat around the table in Udina's office. Udina had his elbows resting on the desk, his head in his hands as he massaged his temples, "Well," He said splaying his hands and looking up, "What about this Shepard?" He flung the dossier across the table to the two other men there, both soldiers. "He's earthborn… But there's no record of any parents or family at all."
Anderson, a decorated special forces operative and now a captain at 46, picked up the dossier and handed it to his counterpart, the grizzled, yet well put together 49 year old, Admiral Steven Hackett. Anderson had already done the research on Shepard. "Doesn't have one." He said as Hackett took the dossier, "He was raised on the streets, learned how to look out for himself." He sat back and folded his arms.
Hackett flicked through the dossier, stopping on one of the last pages and reading carefully before he closed the file. "He got most of his unit killed on Torfan." He spoke grimly, looking at both men.
"He gets the job done, Hackett." Anderson countered, sitting forward, "No matter the cost."
Udina, who had only skimmed the file, went back to massaging his temples, "Is that really the kind of person we can put forward? The kind of person we want protecting the whole galaxy..?"
"That's the only kind of person who can protect the galaxy, Ambassador." Anderson answered.
"Alright," Udina sighed, "I'll make the call." He stood, rubbing his face in the process, "Thank you, Admiral, Captain."
Both the other men stood, nodded to Udina and left. Hackett leaned over to Anderson and muttered "I hope you know what you're doing, Captain."
"Trust me." Anderson answered simply.
In the year 2148, explorers on Mars discovered the remains of an ancient spacefaring civilisation. In the decades that followed these mysterious artefacts revealed startling new technologies, enabling travel to the furthest stars. The basis for this incredible technology was a force that controlled the very fabric of space and time.
They called it the greatest discovery in human history.
The civilisations of the galaxy call it… Mass Effect.
The SSV Normandy flew through the Sol system, heading towards the Arcturus Prime relay. A single marine strode through the main level, heading towards the bridge. His shaved head was down, his forehead creased and his dark eyes blazed with determined concentration. All the other specialists and enlisted aboard quickly moved themselves out of his way.
The pilots voice came over the comms, "Arcturus Prime relay is in range. Initiating transmission sequence."
As the marine passed the navigator, they gave each other silent nods of respect.
"We are connected, Calculating transit mass and destination." The pilot's voice came again.
The marine raised his head and pushed his shoulders back, standing tall as he approached the bridge.
"The relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector."
The marine was just about at the door, able to see out the front view port.
"All stations secure for transit." Said the pilot as he brought the freighter's outer wings in and tucked them under the main ones for the relay jump.
The marine arrived on the bridge and stood there. His eyes focused forward that determination still written across his face. On the bridge was the Turian Spectre who had joined the crew for this mission, his name was Nihlus and the marine received an uneasy feeling from him.
"The board is green. Approach run has begun." The pilot said, his fingers flying around the holo screen in front of him with a nimble dexterity.
The Normandy flew towards the massive super structure that was the mass relay. It's glowing Eezo core and spinning rings creating a dominating sight.
"Hitting the relay in 3… 2… 1…" The pilot counted down as the ship prepared to jump.
The relay reacted, catapulting the Normandy through space towards the Exodus Cluster and their mission.
"Thrusters, check. Navigation, check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. And our drift, just under fifteen hundred K." The pilot said as his fingers moved quickly and he made sure all was as it should be, a hint of self satisfaction in his voice.
"1500 is good. Your Captain Anderson will be pleased." Nihlus said, completely dead pan as he turned and left, presumably heading to the comms/debriefing room.
The pilot looked over his shoulder, waiting until Nihlus was out of ear shot. "Well shit, Nihlus. Thanks for that." He rolled his eyes and looked back forward, "I hate that guy."
"Nihlus gave you a compliment, Joker. So you hate him?" The third man on the bridge spoke up. Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko was a 32 year old marine, with biotic skills.
"Are you kidding me Alenko?" Joker said, his voice getting indignant, "Remembering to zip up your jumpsuit after using the bathroom? That's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit the target the size of a pin head. That is Incredible! Bloody Spectre. They're all trouble anyway, and I don't like him aboard the ship. Call me paranoid."
"You're paranoid." Alenko said, a smile crossing his face, "The Council helped fund this project anyway. They really have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."
"Suuuure." Said Joker, "That's the official story. Only an idiot believes what the officials say." He retorted.
"That's enough, the both of you." Said the marine who had stepped forward, "You're both soldiers now start acting like it instead of gossiping like old ladies."
"Sorry, Commander." Kaidan said, instantly contrite.
"Yeah, sorry Shepard." Chimed in Joker.
Captain Anderson's voice came of the comms in the bridge, "Joker, status report."
"We just cleared the mass relay, Captain. Stealth systems are engaged. Everything is looking solid."
"Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to the Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime." Answered Anderson.
"Aye, aye, Cap'n." Responded Joker, readying the ship to do so, "By the way, you better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way."
"He's already here, Lieutenant." Came the reply.
Joker simply facepalmed and leaned back against his chair.
"Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing." Anderson finished and clicked off.
"You get that Commander?" Asked Joker, knowing full well that Shepard had heard the entire conversation.
"Yeah, I heard Joker. Thanks. You pissed the captain off and now my ass feels it."
"Oh come on. You can't blame me for that. The captain's always in a bad mood." Joker said, leaning back.
"Only when he's talking to you, Joker." Chimed in Kaiden with a slight laugh.
As Shepard headed back to the comm room to meet Captain Anderson, he overheard Navigator Pressly in an argument with Engineer Adams, down on the engine deck, over his desk comm.
"I'm telling you, Adams. He marched right by me like he was on a mission or something." Said Pressly, sounding irate.
"Nihlus is a spectre, Pressly. They're always on a mission." Came Adams somewhat bored reply.
"Yeah, but this time we're getting dragged along with him!" Pressy complained, slightly louder than before.
"Relax Pressley," Adams sighed, "You're gonna give yourself an ulcer."
As Shepard stepped up, Pressly quickly disconnected and turned to salute him. "Congratulations Commander. Seems we had a smooth run. You heading to see the captain?" He asked, remaining at attention.
"I heard you arguing with Adams. Sounds like you don't trust our turian guest." Shepard said, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm… Sorry Commander. I was just having a discussion with him. I didn't mean to cause trouble." He said, shifting slightly, "But you have to admit it. Something is up with this mission. Everyone feels it. The whole crew."
"What? You think brass is holding out on us?" Shepard asked, crossing his arms.
"All I'm saying is if all we're doing is testing the new stealth system, why is Captain Anderson in charge? Not to mention the turian spectre casually walking around. Spectre's are elite operatives. Top covert agents. Why on earth would the council send Nihlus with us on a shakedown run? It just doesn't add up Commander."
"Look, Pressly. Info in the Alliance is on a need to know basis. You know that. Just follow the orders you've been given like the rest of us."
Pressly saluted, and nodded. "Understood, Commander."
Shepard kept moving down the deck, past the galaxy map terminals. Just as he was about to reach the comm room, he saw the young corporal Jenkins complaining to the ship's doctor, Kari Chakwas about the mission as well.
"I grew up on Eden Prime, Doc. And let me tell you, it's not the kind of place a spectre just visits. There's gotta be something Nihlus isn't telling us." He said.
"That's crazy," She brushed off, "The captain's the one in charge on this ship, and there's no way he'd take orders from a Spectre."
"It ain't his choice, Doc. Spectre's don't answer to anyone. They do whatever the hell they want and kill anyone who get's in their way."
Chakwas laughed and patted Jenkins shoulder, "You watch too many spy vids Jenkins. You really do."
Jenkins saw Shepard approaching and saluted, eager to draw him into the conversation, "What do you think Commander?" He asked excitedly, "We won't be staying on Eden Prime too long will we? I'm really itching for some real action."
"I sincerely hope you're joking, Corporal. 'Real action' as you call it usually ends with me patching up crew members like you in the infirmary." Retorted Chakwas, folding her arms and leaning back on her heels.
Shepard shook his head, "He's right, Doc. Marines are meant to fight. It's their job. And it's your job to patch us up when we're done."
"I know full well how it works, Commander." Chakwas said, looking Shepard dead in the eye. I've seen my fair share of combat, but it is just foolish to go looking for trouble." She turned to Jenkins, "You could both take a page from the captain's book. He's not afraid of combat by any means, but he also knows the meaning and value of restraint."
Jenkins shrugged, "Sorry, Doc. It's just… I've never been on a mission like this before. Not one with an actual Spectre on board." He said, his voice getting excited again.
"Jenkins, just do your job, follow my orders and there won't be any problems. Same as any other mission you've been on." Shepard said, trying to calm the young man.
"That's easy for you to say, Commander. You already proved yourself on Torfan."
Shepard's face grew dark at the memory.
"Everybody knows what you can do. This is my big chance! I need to show the brass what I can do!"
Shepard took a step forward and looked straight at the corporal, his battle weary eyes boring into the young man's excited ones. "This mission is not about personal glory, Corporal! We all have a job to do, so don't go doing anything stupid to mess it up. In short, don't play the hero!"
"Don't you worry, Sir. I'm not gonna screw this up. I promise." Said Jenkins, stepping back slightly.
"Well, the captain's waiting for me." Shepard said as he stepped back to his original position.
"Talk to you later, Commander." Said Chakwas calmly.
"Sir." Was all Jenkins could get out with a salute.
When Shepard entered the comm room, he did not see Captain Anderson waiting for him, but the turian spectre, Nihlus.
"Ah, Commander Shepard." Nihlus said once he'd turned around, "I was hoping you'd get here first. Give a chance to talk." There was little to no emotion in Nihlus' voice.
"Talk?" Asked Shepard, apprehensive, "What about? I thought I was meeting Anderson."
"You will." Answered Nihlus, "Now I'm interested about this world we are headed to, Eden Prime? I've heard it is quite beautiful." He posed.
"Yeah, and?" Shepard responded, "I'm a marine, Nihlus. Not some tourist on a vacation."
The turian nodded, "It's more than just a tourist destination, tough. Isn't it Shepard?" He said, pacing. "Eden Prime is a symbol of your people. A perfect little world on the edges of your territory. Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them when needed." He stopped and looked at Shepard. "But how safe is it, really?"
"Is that a threat? Are you trying to scare me or something here, Spectre?" Asked Shepard, still not using Nihlus' name.
"Your people are still newcomers to the galaxy, Shepard. And the galaxy can be a very dangerous place. Are you sure the Alliance is truly ready for this?" He said, crossing his arms.
At that moment Captain Anderson entered and moved quickly to the two men. "I think it's time we filled the commander in on what's really going on here."
Nihlus nodded and dropped his arms, "Commander, this mission is far more than a simple shakedown run."
"Well no shit, Sherlock." Retorted Shepard, "I already figured that one out."
Anderson spoke up before Nihlus could respond, "We're making a covert pick up on Eden Prime. That's why we needed the stealth systems operational."
"I don't like being kept in the dark, Captain." Shepard said, crossing his arms "You should have told me."
"Not my choice, Shepard, this one comes down from the top. Info was on a strictly need-to-know basis." He said, trying to calm the commander before moving on. "A research team on Eden Prime uncovered some kind of beacon during an excavation. That beacon is Prothean."
"Wait, wait, wait. Didn't the Protheans vanish some 50, 000 years ago?" Shepard asked, interrupting him.
"They did, but there legacy still remains." Nihlus answered his question, "Mass relays, the Citadel, even our ship drives. It's all based on Prothean technology."
"This is big, Shepard." The Captain picked up where he had left off, "Last time humanity made a discovery like this, we leapt forward 200 years. Unfortunately, Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. So we're making the covert pick up and taking the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study."
"Obviously this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander. A discovery like this can affect every single species in Council space." Nihlus added.
"So explain to me why we didn't keep the beacon for ourselves?" Shepard asked.
"That one is simple." Nihlus answered, "Humans do not have the best reputation in Council space. Some species see as selfish. Too unpredictable. Too independent. Even dangerous."
"Sharing that beacon will improve relations with the Council." Anderson said simply, "Not to mention we need their help, their scientific expertise. They know more about the Protheans than we do."
"But, the beacon's not the only reason I'm here, Shepard." Walking past Shepard till his back was to him.
Shepard simply gave Anderson a questioning look.
"Nihlus want's to see you in action. He's here to evaluate you, Commander." Anderson said.
"Over my dead body!" Shepard exclaimed, "Since when do we answer to the Spectres?"
"Oh come on, Commander. You're smart enough to know how things work." Retorted Anderson, "The Alliance has been pushing for something like this for a long time. We want a larger role in interstellar policies. We want more say with the Citadel Council." He said, pacing a little. "The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If we can get them to accept a human into their ranks, well it'll show how far we've come."
"I was impressed by your actions on Torfan, Commander." Nihlus said, turning around, "It was… grim business… but you got the job done. Hence I put your name forward as a Spectre candidate."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You put my name forward? Why would a turian want a human in the Spectre ranks?"
Nihlus sighed, he was used to encountering this attitude. "Not all turians resent humanity, Commander. Some of us see the potential of your species. We can see what you have to offer the rest of the galaxy… in particular the Spectres. We are an elite group, it's highly rare we actually find someone with the skills needed to join us. I don't care that you're a human, Shepard. I care that you can get the job done."
"I don't like being left out of decisions about my future." Shepard said, the implications of the statement hung unsaid.
"This isn't about you, Shepard." Anderson said, once again trying to calm Shepard, "Humanity needs this. We're all counting on you to make it happen."
"As such, I need to see my skills for myself, Commander. Therefore, Eden Prime will be the first of many missions together."
"You'll be in charge of the ground team, Shepard." Said Anderson, now turning to the mission briefing, "Your job is to secure that beacon and get it onto the Normandy ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you and observe."
Shepard nodded. "Alright. Just give the word, and we'll go, Captain."
"Good. We should be getting close to Eden-"
Suddenly Joker cut in on the comm, his voice urgent, "Captain! We've got a problem."
Everyone looked up, tensing immediately.
"What is it? What's wrong Joker?" Asked Anderson.
"We got a transmission from Eden Prime, sir. And you really better see this!"
"Bring it up on our screen." Anderson ordered as all three sets of eyes turned to the screen.
The visual that came up was shaky, but clearly of some sort of fire fight. Bullets flying both ways. As an explosion went off just off camera, a woman in armour came running towards whoever had the camera. "Get down." She ordered, pushing the cameraman down and raising her weapon, firing off a burst from her assault rifle. The camera panned right to show fighting marines getting engulfed in explosions, smoke and debris obscuring nearly everything from view.
Shepard furrowed his brow, looking to Anderson, who simply watched taking it all in, before turning back to the screen.
It now showed a male marine firing constantly from his assault rifle only to be picked off in front of the camera. Suddenly a loud voice became clear as an officer seized the camera and pointed it at himself, "We're under attack. Taking heavy casualties. I repeat: heavy casualties. We can't…" The speaker groaned in pain as what sounded like an explosion went off, obscuring his voice. It soon became audible again. "-eed evac. They came out of nowhere. We need-"He was cut off, jerking and twitching as bullets entered his body from behind and he fell back. As the cameraman regained control of the camera, a terrible, gut wrenching sound was heard. The camera looked from face to face of the marines, each one mouth agape in stunned silence. All looking towards the same place. The camera vision spun quickly to show a terrible shape, made of purple-black metal, five tentacle like appendages stretching out, descending from the sky. Some unusual form of red lightning crackling around it. Marines started running in retreat, as did the camera man for the image suddenly cut to static.
Joker's voice sat over the static, almost pensive in quality, "Everything cuts out after that. No comm traffic at all. Just goes dead. There's nothing."
"Reverse and hold at 38.5" Anderson ordered.
The screen reversed and paused on the image of the horrible shape. For a few seconds the three men just looked at it in silence, Anderson being the one to break the silence: "Status report." He snapped.
Joker responded quickly, "Seventeen minutes out, Captain, and there's on other Alliance ships in the area."
"Take us in Joker. Fast and quiet." Said Anderson, still staring at the shape on the screen, "This mission just got a lot more complicated.
Nihlus had already begun thinking revised tactics, "A small strike team can move quickly without drawing attention. It's our best chance of securing the beacon."
Shepard's eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the image.
"Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold." Anderson spoke to Nihlus. Tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up, Commander. You're going in."
Shepard took one more look at the image before leaving.