Mass Effect: Aftermath
Summary: Set four years after the Reaper War the Alliance rebuilt the mass relays so the rest of the alien fleets can return home. Shepard volunteers her ship to test the first Mass Relay prototype but is sent to an unexplored planet.
Story begins at the start of Act 2, male Hawke warrior. Bethany and Carver are both alive and stay with Hawke past Act 2.
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Its been four years since The Reaper War, Four years the Victory fleet has been trapped in the Sol system with no means of returning to their respected homes. All the Species have been able to survive by living either on earth, ships, Luna colony or the few surviving space stations in Sol, The Turians, and Quarians have been able to survive with the help of the Geth who using the Quarian Live ships, greenhouses on Luna colony and a few of earths farm lands to grow dextro food.
Every scientist, engineer, and Geth program available have been work on a way to rebuild the Relays with the remains of already destroyed Relays and Reaper parts.
And after four years they finally build a prototype to test.
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Shepard moved in to the crowded cargo bay of the Normandy looking at the large group of Marines that were joining her to test the Relay, Hackett insisted on taking more crew members, and fire power in case something goes wrong and they become stranded somewhere. Shepard saw Samantha Traynor walking toward her.
"Admiral I have the roster of the new crew members and inventory report you asked for." Traynor said holding a data pad out which Shepard took. Shepard was promoted to Admiral for her part in uniting the galaxy in The Reaper War she was one of the Three Remaining Admirals in the Alliance the other two being Hackett, and Mihalovic.
"The remnants of 79th Infantry platoon, Five N-Sevens not including Vega. The Supplies one Kodiak, a M-080 APC." The M-080 was the Alliances upgraded version of the M-35 Mako. The M-080 was able to carry ten people not including the driver and gunner.
"Six auto turrets, two savaged and retrofitted Cerberus Atlas's." The Atlas's now had Alliance colors and instead have a single rocket launcher, and a clawed arm, it now had both a Gatling gun, and grenade launcher added to them.
"And enough food to last a good five years if we ration it right." Shepard read out loud she then look up at Traynor.
"Thanks Traynor let Joker know we're almost ready to go."
"Yes ma'am" Traynor saluted and walked off.
"Admiral Shepard, Admiral Hackett is requesting your presents in the comm room for the briefing." EDI spoke threw the ship intercom.
"I'm on my way there, James your in charge down here." Shepard said to James who was in his usual spot in the bay, he turned to Shepard and saluted.
"Understood Lola." He said, Shepard then made her way to the comm room.
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Shepard entered the comm room to see Hackett's hologram when she stopped in front of him, he spoke
"Admiral Shepard."
"Admiral Hackett, is the prototype Relay ready?" Shepard asked.
Even thou Shepard, and Hackett along with Mihalovic were the same rank, Hackett was the head of the Alliance Military and had command of the Fourth and the Fifth fleets, Shepard was given command of the First and Third while Mihalovic had the Sixth and kept the Sixty third scout flotilla.
"Yes the Relay is active and prepared for the test run." Hackett paused for a moment before he spoke again.
"Admiral... Shepard are you sure you want to do this, I can understand if you want to back out now you already done enough for the Alliance." Hackett said softly as he looked at her scarred face, her eyes replaced fully by cybernetic her pupils now were bright green and the eye balls were white but if look at closely small metallic lines could be see, he then looked at the scars on the right side of her face, one scar running from the brow of her eye down to her lower jaw, another starting from the bridge of her nose going right, toward her cheek over lapping her other scar and stopping a few inches from her ear. He then moved his eyes to her prosthetic arm.
The prosthetic arm was made by the Geth as a gift, it was fully functional, and flexible, the arm when you first see it look like black bone but was made of metal meant for Geth trooper units. To Shepard it was as if she never lost it. Shepard got her scars, lost her eyes, and left arm when she survived the Citadel explosion and crashed to earth.
"And remember this is a one way trip once your across you can't come back until we are able to sent a build team through to make another Relay and connect it to Sol."
"Yes I know Sir and I understand, but I still want to do this, besides the Normandy is the only ship that wasn't damaged in the battle four years ago." Shepard said, Even if Shepard had the First and Third Fleets to back her up she couldn't take them with her both because of the damaged ships had during the war and it was to dangerous to sent them through an untested Relay.
Hackett look at her for what felt like hours before he nodded and spoke.
"Very well Admiral get the Normandy in position for the test run... and Shepard, good luck."
"Yes sir." Shepard said as she saluted. The hologram of Hackett disappeared and Shepard made her way up to the cockpit as she entered she saw Liara, and Ashley standing on both sides of Joker they both turned and nodded at her, both of them had their own scars, Ashley a scar on her lip running down to her neck, Liara had a three inch scar across her right cheek. Garrus, Tali, and Javik were all killed in the final push to reach the Citadel. Garrus was killed by a brute that charged Shepard, he push her aside and took the full blow of the brute which killed him instantly. Tali and Javik were both killed by Harbinger when they charged the beam.
"Joker everything ready?" Shepard asked, stopping in between Liara and Ashley.
"Yes ma'am preparing for the jump." Joker spoke as his hands danced across the controls. The Normandy moved toward the Relay.
"All systems good hitting the Relay in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" Shepard closed her eyes as the Normandy was grabbed by the Relay and shot the ship across the galaxy, after a few moments Shepard opened her eyes and let a breath of relief as she saw the blue tunnel she normally saw when using a Mass Relay.
"Report Joker." Shepard spoke still looking at the blue tunnel out of the cockpits windows. Joker was look at all the Normandy's system on his screens.
"Everything checks out, the only problem we're going to have is where are we going to end up." Joker said.
"We are dropping out of FTL in three seconds." EDI spoke from her copilot seat. The Normandy dropped out of FTL and the group watch as the blue tunnel turned in to a large mountain.
"Shit. Brass for impact" Joker yelled as he tried to pull the Normandy up and away from it, but it was to late, everyone grabbed on to something as one of ships wings hit the side of the mountain breaking it off taking two engines along with it this caused the ship to turn to its side making it skidded on the side of the mountain cutting in to the hull starting at the engineering then ending at Crew deck, the ships radio tower was broken off from a large boulder that was hanging out of the mountain.
"Breach in the Crew deck, and engineering Mass Effect fields activated and breaches sealed." EDI said.
The Ship then start to slow it speed which cause it to slide downward until it came to a stop at the base of the mountain.
Shepard quickly stood up followed by everyone else as the ship stopped.
"Everyone alright?" She asked look at everyone.
"Ah I think I broke my ribs again." Joker growled as he sat up straight. Ashley, and Liara check themselves.
"I'm good." Ashley answered.
"Me as well." Liara answered after Ashley spoke.
"EDI report."
"Major damage to the Crew deck, only minor damage to engineering hull, the ship core is undamaged, we lose the entire right wing along with engines three and four, and we have lost the radio tower" EDI answered.
"Williams get down to the Crew deck and check to see if everyone's alright."
"Yes ma'am." Ashley said before running off.
"Any idea what system and planet we're on?" Liara asked look out the cockpit windows seeing trees and a ocean in the distance.
"Scanning... unknown, must be one of the unexplored systems." EDI said.
"What can you tell me about this planet?" Shepard asked.
"Scanning... the air is breathable to all the crew, and I am detecting life forms all over the planet." EDI answered.
"Shepard, it's Williams all the crew is fine other then a few bruises and cuts, lucky no one was near the breach." Williams voice spoke threw the intercom.
"Understood get all combat personal suited up and to the cargo bay Williams." Shepard ordered, she then turned and motioned Liara to follow her. "Lets go, Joker, EDI see what you can repair."
"Yes ma'am." Joker said as Shepard and Liara walked away.
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Shepard, Liara, and Ashley exited the elevator Shepard was wearing a full set Hahne-Kedar armor, Liara wore the armor she normally had, and Ashley was in blue Ariake Armor, they moved in to the Cargo bay to see men and women standing side by side.
Shepard moved toward them as she got close they all saluted. Shepard look at the Platoon there was only sixty of them left out of three hundred. They were R, M, and B class Marines, and most of them being between the four and seven ranks of their class. R class Marines were riflemen, M were Medics, and B were Biotics.
Fifteen of them were biotics who were easy to spot because of the Ascension logos on the chest of their armor that identifying them as such. There was ten who were combat medic who had a small red cross on the forehead of their helmets and the large medical backpacks.
"At ease." Shepard spoke everyone lower there hand and held their hands behind their backs.
"Marines looks like we're stranded on this planet until we get communicates back with Admiral Hackett, for now empty the cargo bay and make camp around the Normandy, get to it." Everyone saluted and started the long process of removing everything from the cargo bay. Shepard turned to Liara, and Ashley. "Do what you can to help." They both nodded and walked away.
After a few hours the tents were the first to be set up, the food and water, ammo, auto turrets, both the Atlas's, the Kodiak, and the M-080 were in the process of being removed from the Normandy. Shepard was standing over a holo table studying a holo-map of the area around the Normandy. Behind her a small portable long range radio tower and a secondary QEC was in the process of being set up in her tent, The one in the Normandy can't be used because of the lost of the ships radio tower from the crash.
"EDI what the report on the Normandy?" Shepard asked through her com-link.
"The ship can be repair but will not be space worthy without the missing wing, even if we find it we don't have the proper equipment to reattach it to the Normandy." EDI answered, Shepard sighted.
"God damn it." Shepard whispered. "Alright when all personal are off the ship shut down everything you don't need, let Joker know he's not needed on the bridge."
"Very well Shepard." EDI answered, when the link was cut Shepard look to James.
"James get all the N-Sevens over here." Shepard order then looking back at the holo table, James nodded and walked off returning a few minutes later followed by five people, Shepard look up to see three men, and two women all wearing different N-Seven armor.
One woman was wearing the new T-five V battle armor with a shoulder mounted mini rocket launcher meant for Soldiers, the three men wore Vanguard, Sentinel, and Engineer class armor, while the other woman wore light recon class armor along with a Infiltrator sword strapped to her back for CQC engagements.
Vanguard class N-Sevens had swords as well, Shepard herself was a Vanguard and did have a sword and was trained to use it but she didn't use it much because she was more comfortable with her assault rifles and pistols.
All the N-Sevens stood side by side at attention.
"Since all of you are the N-Sevens of my crew I am making you all fire team leaders, take your pick of a least five combat personal from the 79th the only restriction is one of the members of your team need to be a combat medic understood" They all nodded.
"Now James you serviced with me before, the rest of your names, ranks, and your N7 Class." The first to speak was a blonde hair woman who wore the T-five V battle armor, she took a step forward.
"Admiral Shepard, Commander Jenifer Jackson, Destroyer class, it's an honor to served under you ma'am." She said holding out her hand to Shepard who gave it a firm shake. Jackson then stepped back in line. The next was one of the men with a heavily scarred face, he saluted and spoke.
"Admiral, Lieutenant Mike Wilson, Slayer class, it's an honor ma'am." He said then stepping back Shepard listened to the rest of the N-Sevens whose names were, LC Tyler Zann a Paladin, LT Kelly O'Connor a Shadow, and LT Josh Harrison a Demolisher.
"Alright good to meet all of you, I sure you'll be an asset to the crew, now Wilson, Zann, O'Connor, and Harrison your in charge of the patrols, rules of arrangement is return fire only, understood." They all nodded.
"Good speak to Specialist Traynor she will give you both the roots I want you to take on your patrols and dossiers on all the 79th Marines read threw it and pick who you want on your teams then load up and go on your roots." They all nodded again and walked off.
"Jackson I need your team to look for both fresh water and good land to grow food we may have a lot of both now but we don't know how long we will be stuck here."
"I understand ma'am I'm on it." Jackson said before walking off.
"James your in charge of security of the camp, you get whats left of the 79th." James smiled.
"You got it Lola, I won't let you down." James winked making Shepard smirk a little. Shepard looked to see Liara walking towards her.
"Shepard, the back up QEC is set up and we have Admiral Hackett." Shepard nodded and followed her in to her tent to see Hackett hologram figure.
"Shepard report what happened?"
"Admiral we crash landed on a unknown planet, don't send the build team through."
"We can't even if we wanted to Shepard." Shepard tilted her head in confusion.
"The Relay overloaded and shut down when your ship want through we don't know how, the scientists are working on it now. What's the report on your side?"
"Like I said we crash landed on a unknown planet, we've sustained no causalities, and the Normandy lost its right wing we're grounded until you repair the relay and sent a team through to help us." Shepard answered.
"We don't know how long it will take I'll contact you when I have more information, for now just try and survive, keep me updated on how things are going over there."
"Yes sir, I'll check in every seventy-two hours." Shepard said.
"Understood, Hackett out." The link was cut and Shepard walked out of her tent and looking out towards the camp. "This is going to be interesting." She thought to herself.
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About Garrus, Tali, and Javik being dead, I don't do that just because, I'm just basing it off what really happened in my game. Garrus was kill by a brute that charged my Shepard. (Then I brought him back to life with the magic that is med-gel.) And there is a deleted scene from the game (It on YouTube if you want to see it.) showing who ever is with you in the final charge is killed by Harbinger.
Here's a link if you want to see the deleted scene.
( watch?v=r3PQT4c_r7Q )