E.H.

This is my first attempt at Mass Effect fan fiction. I just finished all three games within the last month and a half. I fell IN LOVE with it all! This particular story is going to be based around Shepard's joining with the Reapers. It isn't going to be fluffy and sunshiny. I'm playing with the idea of Jane and John Shepard as siblings instead of just one or the other. And of course…LOTS of VAKARIAN to be involved. Can't write a story without my favorite character playing a major role!

Without further ado…I give you…

Rated M
Veil of Sorrow:
New Beginnings

"Repairs are finished, Jeff." EDI's voice sounded from somewhere behind the cockpit. Jeff "Joker" Moreau turned slightly to signal the fact that he'd heard her. Firing up the engines, he sighed and glanced at the screen to his left that showed him a visual of the outside of the Normandy SR-2. The big, lush greenery around them was odd to him. Sure, he'd seen big ass trees before. But these were unsettling simply because he honestly had no idea where the hell they were. In fact, he still wouldn't know until they got into orbit.

"More like if we get into orbit." Joker mumbled to himself unaware of the fact that EDI had come within earshot of him.

"Do you doubt the crew's abilities to repair the damages done through the Normandy?"

Joker looked up and tried to smile for her benefit. "Naw…it's nothing like that."

"I am afraid I do not understand your…emotion." EDI tilted her head to the side. She must have picked that up from one of the crew.

"Don't worry about it. We'll be fine. After all, the best damn pilot in the entire Alliance navy is sittin' right here." He grinned, trying to shove aside the ever growing doubt in the back of his mind. There was something he could feel in his gut that he simply couldn't face.

"I see. I believe we are all prepared to take off."

"Got it." Joker stated turning back to the console. He hit the intercom. "Strap in, ladies and gents. 'Bout time we left this dump in the dust."

With that said, he initiated the startup sequence. Taking a deep breath, he began take off procedure.

…..

Earth – Post Reaper Attack – Emergency Consulate Building

"So far, we've no word from either Admiral Anderson or Commander Shepard. The consensus is…to rule them as KIA."Admiral Hackett stood before the three Councilors and the human representative being considered for the role of human Councilor.

"Any word on the reapers?" Councilor Sparatus spoke up, looking down upon the Admiral.

"I'm not sure you'll believe it…" Hackett sighed, bone-weary and tired. So very tired. He wasn't made for diplomacy.

Councilor Tevos looked at him with an expression that could easily be interpreted as confusion. She glanced to Councilor Valern on her left and then to Councilor Sparatus on her right before back to Hackett. "Exactly how do you believe that, Admiral Hackett?"

Hackett shifted with a glance to each councilor and then to the human representative to be, "it appears they have completely withdrawn from Earth and all other planets. They are no longer attacking."

"That much is clear, Admiral. What we want to know is where do they stand now?" Sparatus interrupted the human admiral.

Hackett didn't like the turian. No wonder Shepard hadn't had much love lost for the alien counselor. "That's the part that I don't think you'll believe. They are rebuilding the mass relays as well as the citadel as we speak."

Silence fell over the entire chamber room. The human representative to be shifted and looked at Hackett. She cleared her throat and rose her reddish-brown eyebrows.

"They are…rebuilding the relays?"

"That is what our troops have said. They've been keeping an eye on them. Whatever Commander Shepard did up there, councilors…they don't seem to be volatile toward any of us any longer." Hackett concluded and waited for the metaphorical shit to the hit the fan.

Sparatus was the first to speak again. "That is preposterous. Why would they seek to destroy us only to then try and rebuild such useful items to us?"

The human woman sighed and turned to the council. "It does seem rather far-fetched and hard to believe. But after serving beside Admiral Hackett for more than twenty years, I have little to no doubt that what he says is the truth. If they were going to attack us again, couldn't they have done so by now?"

"Don't let your humanity blind you and lose your chance to be upon this council, Admiral Shepard." Sparatus spoke the greying red-haired woman.

Hazel eyes narrowed at the turian councilor. "And I would ask you to do the same, Councilor Sparatus." Before the turian could speak again, she stepped forward. "My humanity should be not a topic here. My candidacy should be based upon my abilities and leadership skills."

Tevos held her hand up to Sparatus before he could jump at the chance to rise to the older Shepard's speech. "We understand that is the case, Admiral Shepard. Perhaps…there is something you can do to…help support your candidacy for councilor. We are all aware of your loss in all of this, admiral. Perhaps you aid us in finding out exactly what the reapers are up to at this point and also help retrieve the lost ships and companies that are currently MIA."

Admiral Shepard nodded, not even flinching at the mention of her child. "Thank you. I would be more than willing to take up the initiative to send out a search. From what I have come across, the Normandy SR-2 crew is among the MIA ships. Recently, a message came out to us. It was hazy at best, but it seemed to be originating from the aforementioned ship. I would like to recommend a particular soldier for the job of trying to locate the Normandy. After all, I believe it would be pertinent and very useful to have the fastest Alliance ship back in our ranks for this search mission."

Valern spoke up finally. "And just who would you be recommending?"

"Recently promoted Commander Jane Shepard."

"Your own daughter?" Sparatus scoffed. "Of course you'd want to recommend your own child!"

Admiral Shepard turned to the turian councilor. "Given the circumstances, I believe humanity has the most to lose on this mission at current. I understand your people are far from home with hardly enough supplies to attempt the travel back to Palaven. However, please know that I do not nominate Commander Shepard lightly."

Tevos nodded. "Very well. We expect the Commander to be ready for her mission within a week's time."

"I will do better." Admiral Shepard spoke up, causing the councilors to exchange glances. "She'll be ready for her mission tomorrow morning."

Valern nodded. "Acceptable. Should this mission fail, you do understand your candidacy will be at risk?"

"I'm aware and willing to accept the consequences."

"Good. You'll need to be ready for that." Sparatus turned and walked away. Valern made a motion of agreement before following the turian councilor out.

Tevos looked to Admiral Shepard. "Our condolences go out to you for the loss of your son, Commander John Shepard. He was a hero."

Admiral Shepard bowed and straightened. "Thank you, councilor."

The asari councilor turned to follow her counterparts out. It wasn't until the door was firmly shut behind the three alien representatives that both admirals allowed themselves to relax a bit. Hackett looked to Shepard.

"Are you sure you want to send Jane out there after…?" He trailed off, not wanting to address the elephant in the room.

"She is the best option for the job." Shepard turned to smile sadly and tiredly at her longtime friend. "Thank you, Steven."

"Don't thank me, Hannah. Not yet. Not until I find definite proof of John's…status."

Hannah's weak smile faltered for a moment before she nodded. "Then I'll hold off until you can tell me that. For now, I have another child to send off into space with uncertainty."

Hackett watched as Hannah Shepard, now Admiral and potential human council representative, walked away from the council chamber room with yet another anvil of burden weighed upon her shoulders. With another sigh, he turned and made his way out of the room as well.

…..

"…uh…is it supposed to do that?" Worry laced the voice of the cadet to the side. A hiss proceeded the comment before steam exploded from the point where a certain person's hand was located. A foul curse echoed around the area as the red-haired woman yanked her hand and back.

"Son of a—"

"I would hope you wouldn't be referring to me in that sentence…"

Both women looked up to the approaching woman. The cadet saluted the woman quickly while the red-haired woman chuckled and glanced at the pipe.

"Now why would I ever refer to you like that, ma'am?"

Hannah Shepard chuckled before waving at the cadet. "You can stand down. I'd like a word with the commander here, if you don't mind?"

The cadet nodded and rushed off leaving the admiral and the commander standing before each other.

"What can I do for you, admiral?"

"Oh please, Jane. Stop with the formalities for the moment. I'm not here as your commanding officer but as your mother."

"Ah, so this isn't an official call?" Jane smirked before turning back to the pipe and vindictively whacking it with the now cooled down wrench.

"No…not at this second at least." Hannah sighed and moved to sit on the bench behind Jane. "You have a mission to set out for tomorrow."

"I thought you said it wasn't an official call?" Jane replied, crossing her arms and cocking her hip. Her right brow lifted in inquiry.

"It isn't." Hannah waved her hand at Jane before she looked out over the cargo bay of the small ship. "I just…need some time. With you before you…leave."

Jane grimaced at the pain on her mother's face. A pain she knew all too intimately herself. She set the wrench aside and moved to sit beside her mother. "He's just missing, mom. We don't have any definite proof yet whether he's…"

"No. But sometimes…a mother doesn't need proof. I didn't visit him before he left, you know? I should have. I should have called him more too." Hannah looked at her hands on her lap. "I should have told him how proud of him I was more often."

"He knew." Jane tried to smile but it didn't reach her eyes. "John knew. If anyone should be guilty for not calling it should be me."

Hannah stayed quiet before she suddenly took a deep breath and stood. "Enough emotional crap for now. We have some items that need to be gone over. Parameters for the mission. Details. Objectives…"

Jane smirked. "This the 'official' visit now?"

"Yes, unfortunately. Send one of the actual mechanics down here to fix that up. We have some things to go over."

"Yes ma'am." Jane stood and followed her mother up to the main deck of the ship.

…..

"How are we holding up, EDI?" Joker didn't take his eyes off the console. He didn't dare look away for a moment.

"Fuel reserves are down thirty-percent. Engine is steadily holding under Tali's supervision, main battery is running without falter under Garrus' supervision, and the rest is inconsequential at this point in time." EDI replied smoothly from the co-pilot's seat. "Jeff…?"

"What is it?"

"My sensors have just detected an anomaly ahead."

"Like what kind?"

"Reaper." EDI, if possible, sounded nervous. "It is approaching us quickly."

"Shit!" Joker snarled and threw up his visual map to confirm EDI's statement. "Evasive maneuvers on my mark!"

A beep came up on the console. Joker looked at it and stared blankly for a moment. "You have got to be shitting me…"

"I'm sorry, I do not follow." EDI frowned back at him.

"It's…trying to contact us."

EDI stared at him and the console before she spoke again. "Do you wish for us to ignore it?"

Joker sat, dumbstruck for what he thought was too long before he shrugged. "What the hell? Why not talk to the reaper? It's not like it ever tried to kill us!"

EDI looked back to before her. "I am not certain if you are being sarcastic."

"Neither am I…" Joker stated before pushing the button to accept the message. The moment he did, the Normandy shuttered, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look around. Joker's eyes widened before a metallic, male voice came over the intercom.

"We…are not here to harm. But help. We are part of the one whom become us. We are familiar with this ship. The one named Shepard is among our one. It guides us."

Joker could not have been more dumbstruck than he was at that moment. He didn't even remember to watch the visual screen. He missed the fact that the reaper had moved up to them and was in the process of wrapping around the Normandy. The hull suddenly shook, but not violently. As though someone had just tried to dock them. Unsure of what to do or say, Joker turned to EDI.

"We will take you…home."

So, I hope that wasn't entirely pyjak dung. I am doing my best! There will definitely be more of our favorite characters in the upcoming chapters. This is just the introduction. I promise, I try to write chapters much longer than this. There will be short ones, but for the most part…I try to make my chapters meaty.

Can't wait to hear what anyone thinks of this. All reviews are welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Sincerely,

Erika Hearken