AN: This chapter contains the timeline I promised to post. This should clarify precisely what the Star Trek universe's relationship with the Mass Effect universe is. Some of these events listed will be part of the sequel's story. Incidentally, when an event is not specifically listed or contradicted, assume it is the same. While you may not agree with the events listed, they are as listed and serve as a basis for the story I've written and the remainder of that story to come.
Epilogue.
Anderson had certainly seen the Citadel looking better, that much he should say without a shadow of a doubt. He snorted in grim amusement, drawing a curious look from one of the officers under his command. He waved it off.
There wasn't really a lot you could think of when you saw the scale of devastation that Anderson was seeing, and humour - graveyard humour but humour all the same - was the only thing he could think up. The presidium was a burnt wreck, that much he knew from reports, and up here at the top of the Citadel tower was no better. There were bodies - human, Asari, turian, Salarian and Borg - all over the place, some of them shot to hell and back with C-Sec rifles or burnt by Borg disruptors. The worst were the partially assimilated bodies: those who could have been saved.
After Sovereign's destruction, the three remaining Borg cubes had retreated, apparently sensing that their opportunity to succeed had passed and reasoning that suffering additional casualties was unnecessary. Admiral Hackett had refused to send ships after them, reasoning that they had lost too many to make a reasonable attempt to chase them. That much was certainly true; of the two hundred and forty six starships Starfleet had dispatched to aid the Citadel, less than ninety had survived, the rest being destroyed in combat with the Borg ships. That wasn't the half of it - more than thirty turian ships - an entire Citadel defence fleet - had been detroyed, with only the Destiny Ascension and a handful of others surviving. Nonetheless - they had won, the Borg driven off or destroyed and Sovereign - if one could count the monster ship a separate threat - dealt with.
He was now on the Citadel - along with three members of Starfleet's biotic corps and a half dozen other medical and tech officers - because this was the last known location of Captain Shepard of the Normandy before the destruction of Sovereign. Sovereign's debris had struck the tower, and there was now a significant worry that the Captain had been lost, killed by the debris at the very cusp of a victory he had made possible. It would have been a blow to morale - and a kick in the teeth to Anderson personally - if that were the case.
"Any sign of his team?" he asked a nearby medic, who was scanning the debris. She was an Asari Starfleet officer, one of few in the fleet.
"Seems like there are a handful of faint life signs around," the medic replied, frowning. "One is definitely a Krogan."
"Where?" Anderson asked. In reply, the medic led a couple of her colleagues down a ladder that led into a small garden area under the Council platform. The area was blocked from view by rubble and debris.
"Down here!" the medic called. Anderson quickly jogged over to see what the yelling was about,
To his relief, there were survivors. One of them was an Asari in a Hazard suit with green trim and no rank markings, denoting a scientist. Most likely Liara T'Soni. The others were a Krogan - Urdnot Wrex, Anderson remembered from Shepard's reports - and the quarian Lieutenant Zorah of the Normandy, each wearing the respective outfits of their species, albeit in Starfleet colours. Wrex had a badly mangled arm, T'Soni was bleedg from multiple cuts and Lieutenant Zorah's suit was badly torn up, but other than that they seemed fine.
"Glad to see everyone's alright," he said to them, slowly. "I don't suppose you know where Shepard is?"
The quarian Lieutenant looked up at him, and though Anderson couldn't see her face, something about the slump in her shoulders told him to expect the worse.
"Dammit," he said softly. If this was true - if Shepard was dead - them Starfleet had just lost a good officer, and Anderson had lost a friend: it was almost too much, especially after losing over a hundred and fifty ships and most of their crews.
The medical team came down the ladder and began seeing to the team's various injuries. Anderson sighed, and sat near a pile of rubble, contemplating everything Starfleet had lost these past few days.
Suddenly, there was a slight shift in the rubble next to him. He turned to look at it, bemused - and caught sight of a bit of exposed grey and black uniform. Quickly he began clearing rubble off of the figure, revealing - to his relief and worry - the prone, feebly stirring figure of Captain Shepard.
His Hazard suit was torn and battered, and he was bleeding from multiple lacerations, but he was definitely alive. His eyes were opening blearily, looking around, and after a moment, they fixed on Anderson.
"Commodore," he said, quietly. He clearly didn't have the strength to speak much. "I guess we won?"
"Yes," Anderson smiled, relieved to see the Captain alive. "We won."
"Go us," Shepard said with a wry smile, and then he fainted.
The next few days were a blur. The Council talked about adding a monument to fallen Starfleet officers on the presidium. The fleet itself spent the next few days getting fixed up, repairing and salvaging what they could of the destroyed vessels, before dispersing back to assigned duties. This had been a terrible loss of life for Starfleet, but they would get through it and come out stronger like they always did.
Shepard was sitting in his ready room on Normandy, looking out of the observation port at the Citadel. The ship had taken a beating during the battle and was among dozens of others getting repaired in space with the help of Citadel tech crews.
There was a lot to rebuild, but Shepard was more concerned with the Reapers. Although Sovereign had been defeated, Shepard wasn't entirely convinced that there was no other way for the Reapers to return from Dark Space.
His computer beeped, grabbing his attention, and he turned to answer it. To his surprise, it was Commodore - now Admiral - Anderson.
"Shepard," he said with a smile. "It's good to see you. How are the repairs coming along?"
"Well, sir," Shepard replied, sitting down. "Normandy should be back up to full spec in the space of a week."
"Glad to hear it," Anderson said. He paused, clearly having something unpleasant to say. "I spoke to command. They're looking into the possibility of upgrading the fleet again, in the wake of Sovereign's attack, but I'm not sure they'll go for it. They're not fully dismissing the possibility of a full scale invasion, but they're not making noises or moves to do enough about it. Just my opinion, of course."
Shepard sighed. "I knew it would be too much to hope."
"Even if they don't act on the Reapers, they're definitely alright with working against the Borg," Anderson added, clearing trying to brighten the mood. Shepard appreciated it. "They're authorising increased patrol missions to keep our borders and colonies out there safe."
"Good to know," Shepard smiled. "I take it that's my marching orders?"
"Normandy has a patrol run scheduled, yes," Anderson replied. "I'll have details sent to you."
Shepard sighed, and looked back out of the observation port.
"They'll come you know," he said softly. "You know they will."
"I know," Anderson replied, trying to sound encouraging. "But when they do, we'll be ready for them."
"Yah," Shepard said. "I'd better get on with seeing to those repairs."
"I'll leave you to it then," Anderson said, nodding. "Good luck, Captain."
The Admiral's face was replaced by the UFP symbol, and Shepard sighed. Anderson meant well, but all his call had done was cement Shepard's worries that they would never be ready for the Reapers. The Captain frowned in determination. That just meant he'd have to be ready when they came.
His door chimed.
"Enter," he called.
Tali entered, her suit fully repaired. She held a PADD in her hands, and clearly she wanted to discuss some ship's business to do with the repairs
"Captain," she said formally. She paused, apparently noticing all was not well. "Are you alright?"
Shepard motioned for her to sit down, and she did so.
"I just got a call from Anderson," he began. "We'll be going out on patrols to keep an eye out for further Borg activity after this."
"Isn't that good?" she asked, confused at his apparent sadness. "We'll be able to stop them getting to anyone else."
"Maybe," Shepard said, not looking at her. "But not at the expense of preparing for the Reapers."
Tali nodded slowly, understanding his concern now.
"Captan," she said, then she hesitated. "Shepard... we'll prepare. We know they're coming now. And when they come, we'll face them together."
"Yeah." Shepard smiled at her, more to reassure her than because he felt like smiling. Admittedly though, he liked the idea of defacing off against the Reapers with her - with all of his friends and crewmates - by his side. It did reassure him somewhat.
But even as they talked ship's business, he thought about the Reapers. No matter how well they prepared, Shepard knew they were in for dark days ahead.
This wasn't over yet.
Timeline of events.
2336: First discovery of Prothean ruins on Mars by Federation scientists during new archeological digs. Discovery of Mass Relays.
2341: Initial work on combination Warp/Relay drives begins, based on modified Prothean notes.
2342: USS Enterprise-C fitted with relay drives and sent on test flight through a relay in a system near Earth. They emerge near the citadel, where they begin first contact procedures. Despite some tensions, these proceedings go well, and the Enterprise crew and her Captain, Rachel Garrett, are later honoured by the Citadel authorities.
2343: Jack Harper, a Lieutenant Commander, begins speaking out against the purely peaceful footing Starfleet maintains, instead advocating a war footing in several articles and essays. While he is not listened to by Starfleet at large, Section 31 sees the potential in the officer and recruits him, where he quickly rises in rank.
2344: USS Enterprise-C lost at Narendra III defending Klingon colonists. The Citadel Council honours their bravery with a statue of the Enterprise-C on the presidium.
2346: When human biotics begin being discovered, the Federation commissions a study on biotic potential.
2348: The Federation receives an embassy on the Citadel, albeit as an ally and not a subordinate state.
2355: Kal'Reegar becomes the first quarian to join Starfleet.
2357: The Starfleet biotic corps is established: biotic Starfleet officers, trained by specialists brought in from Citadel space, are given a special departmental colour (purple) and sent to situations and assignments where their abilities will be of use, such as on aid relief missions and critical combat missions. This, however, precludes the possibility of them becoming Captains or of them having postings lasting longer than the next emergency, unless they are part of a commando squad: this effectively ostracises them from much of the fleet, leading to many biotics ignoring their potential to remain in "regular" Starfleet. Criticism of this practice is almost immediate, but due to it's extreme usefulness in the field it continues.
Kal'Reegar is assigned to USS Excalibur, where he spends the next two years serving with distinction.
2359: Kal'Reegar leaves Starfleet, returning to the migrant fleet.
2365: First contact with the Borg. Shepard joins Starfleet around this time.
2367: First Borg invasion, assimilation of Jean-Luc Picard. Battle of Wolf 359. Death of Lieutenant Commander Ronald Taylor on USS Melbourne. Lieutenant Zaeed Massani injured in action on USS Endeavour.
Jack Harper, now an Admiral, renews calls for increased militarisation. These calls are again largely ignored by Starfleet at large, but some Admirals take notice. Harper, now a senior member of Section 31, begins planning for a massive military buildup despite this, planning to use Section 31 resources to good effect.
Starfleet begins designing and construction of USS Defiant, an experimental warship design, largely on the strength of Admiral Harper's recommendations. The designs are, unknown to the Utopia Planetia officers, appropriated by Section 31.
2369: Bajoran wormhole discovered after Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor.
2370: The Dominion are discovered on the far side of the wormhole. The USS Odyssey is destroyed in combat with Jem Hadar, prompting Starfleet to begin aggressively exploring research into improving ship defensive capabilities. Among these capabilities are the advanced phaser compression rifles later used on USS Voyager, the phaser assault rifles later deployed on USS Enterprise-E, the TR-116 rifle, as well as modified shield and weapon technologies deployed over the next five years.
2371: USS Defiant deployed at Deep Space Nine.
USS Voyager lost in Delta Quadrant while on mission - as the ship is sent, it's mass relay drive is damaged beyond their ability to repair, complicating it's attempts to return. They begin using conventional warp drive to travel home.
2372: Starfleet continues building forces, both as a countermeasure to the threat of the Dominion and the worries of a second major Borg attack.
2373: USS Enterprise-E thwarts a Borg attack on Sector 001. Starfleet's efforts in building a stronger fleet and superior weapons pay off in terms of their fleet's survival, and research along these lines is intensified. The then Ensign Shepard is stationed on the Enterprise during this time, and these events later shape his service on USS Normandy.
Tali'Zorah nar Rayya joins Starfleet.
The Federation continues buildup efforts for war.
2374: USS Voyager encounters the Borg for the first time, acquiring their crewman Seven of Nine in the process. In response to the increased Borg threat the ship faces, her tactical officer, Tuvok, begins designing various countermeasures, including the Hazard suit and - with Seven of Nine's help - the Infinity Modulator, or IMod.
War with the Dominion narrowly averted, partially thanks to the intervention of the Citadel Council, who promise to support the Federation in any such conflict. Faced with these numbers, the Dominion holds off on their war plans for now, although Starfleet analysts believe they will invade once they feel they are strong enough to take on both governments and their allies.
USS Normandy begins construction.
2375: USS Voyager returns to Federation space after eventually acquiring resources to repair their Mass Effect drive. The ship's anti-Borg countermeasures, such as Hazard suits and IMods, are adopted by Starfleet on the whole in preparation for combat and in recognition of the increasingly dangerous universe the Federation inhabits.
Events of Star Trek: The Mass Effect occur.
And so we reach the final curtain, finally. It's been fun, and I hope if you've read this far that you've enjoyed this ride with me. The sequel is already in progress and should be posted soon, although I intend to write up a fair few chapters before I begin posting it - I now have a somewhat undeserved reputation for rapidly updating that needs to be kept, after all, so I can't just post the first chapter and hope my inspiration streak continues. It might not, after all.
Special thanks must go to the following reviewers.
Just a Crazy-Man: thank you for continued enthusiasm in every review, right up to the very end.
korrd: thank you for thoughtful reviews that express a great deal of engagement with both the story and the source material. This has helped greatly in my efforts with this story, making me think about things that had not occurred to me, and I appreciate it greatly.
The "Guest" reviewer(s) who kept leaving very long and thoughtful unsigned reviews: Again, your reviews helped me to iron out flaws that I would not have realised were present, and I thank you for this.
Sora with an S: thank you for complementing both the speed of my updates and their content.
Aoirann, Vahn, Z-King, Chris1701ab, aDarkOne: thank you all for your enthusiasm and engagement.
Anyone I missed: thank you all for taking the time to read and review my story.
Anyone who favourited: thank you all for taking the time to read and favourite my story: I take it as a good sign.
Thank you so much for coming with me this far. It is truly appreciated, and I hope you all enjoyed it.
