The League Effect

Chapter 1: Summoners, Eden Prime Awaits

"Well, what about Gumiho? She's an Earthborn, spent most her life in Ionia."

"She's spent at least a decade righting wrongs and helping people, and she even played a pivotal role in the Skyllian Blitz."

"But's she's also a very real example of actual magic. Is that really the kind of person we can trust with our best interests, and to the Council?"

"That's the only kind of person we can trust."

"…I'll make the call."

Commander Ahri's ears flicked in excitement as she walked down the ship towards the bridge. There was a bounce in her steps, but then there was always a bounce in her step. This could be big. Sure, it was just a simple test run, meant to make sure all systems worked perfectly. But this could be a big step in the right direction. Humanity could finally make some progress in the galactic community. Running through her checklist of systems, for once she didn't notice the young male members of the crew watching her.

She certainly cut an exotic figure, especially in her unique armour. The bottom layer was a pitch black skin-tight bodysuit, making it looked like she had dipped into a pool of oil. Several people wondered how she managed to move in it. Over that covering her limbs and important areas were small amounts of armour plating. The gloves and boots were modified to resemble fox paws (an inside joke for her) and her chest plate and waist covering were curved to show off the curves of her breasts and her ass. Over that, she had a short red robe that alone would've been nearly indecent, starting just over her breasts and stopping just above her legs, and with long flared sleeves. But easily the most noticeable features about her were her fox ears and a long, fluffy white tail flitting here and there. It was a remnant of her past as... well, not a real human. Sure that her armour and weapons were in top condition, she passed the Spectre Nihlus, giving him a wink as she passed. It didn't mean anything, but she still did it by habit.

"I hate that guy." The pilot Joker muttered, glaring at the windscreen at the front and shaking his head.

"Nihlus gave you a compliment. So you hate him?" Ezreal asked in bewilderment, brushing his scraggy blond hair out of his face.

"You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That's good. I just managed to drive us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead, so that's incredible. Besides, I don't trust Spectres. Call me paranoid."

"You're paranoid. And with a side order of crazy. This ship is a project between the Demacia Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy. The Council has a right to send someone over to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Pfft. You don't seriously believe that, do you? They must be here for something else."

"If it's actually to sleep with me, I'm all for it." Ahri replied as she stood behind them. Joker and Ezreal jolted as she snuck up on them. Even in armoured boots she was still quieter than normal people. "But in all seriousness, lighten up. This could really patch things up between us. We're not Noxus after all."

"I never said we were Commander." Joker was distracted by the terminal flashing. He tapped at it even while still adjusting the Normandy's flight path.

"Joker. Status Report." It was Captain Anderson, a notable officer of Demacia. He was hard, but fair to everyone on his crew.

"Just cleared the mass relay sir. Stealth systems are active, and we just vented excess M energy. But apart from that everything looks solid." Joker replied, all business.

"Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want those reports sent back to the Summoner Council before we reach Eden Prime."

"Roger that Captain. Heads up; Nihlus is heading your way, and he didn't look happy."

"He's already here Joker." Everyone could hear the chill in Anderson's voice. "Tell Commander Gumiho to report to me for a debriefing." And then the line went dead.

"Well, that didn't sound good." Ezreal noted obviously. Ahri's ears were now pointing backward, showing her nervousness. Unless the captain wanted to donate some life energy to her (and Joker asking her for a quickie was far more likely than that ever happening) she was going to probably be in some deep trouble.

"Joker, if he starts shouting at me for something you did, I'm going to come back here and smother you with my tail." She warned him, her steps now heavier as she stomped back down the ship.

"Don't look at me. It's not my fault he's always getting pissed." Joker tried to explain.

"And yet he only seems to get angry when talking to you." Ahri heard Ezreal retort. She gave an automatic nod to the members of the crew who saluted her, but her mind was busy thinking about what was happening with the Captain. It couldn't be a problem with the alliance with the Council. The Demacia Alliance has always been strong and noble. Sure, it had some problems, but so did everyone. The only reason they hadn't been best buddies forever was thanks to the Relay 314 Incident. Maybe Nihlus figured out about the existence of magic. That would be… bad. As far as their intelligence has suggested, Earth is the only world with natural occurring magic. And a good thing too, seeing how easily they managed to ruin Runeterra.

"…Was walking like he was on a mission." She heard Navigator Pressly speaking into the comms. An older man resembling the mage she first met, he was always acting a bit worried.

"He's a Spectre. They're always on a mission." The voice of Engineer Adams came out of the other end. "Relax Charles. There's nothing to worry about."

"Yeah. How often have we said that?" Pressly muttered as the line was ended. Realising that Ahri was watching him, he turned and saluted her. "Commander. Good to see we made a safe run. I'm assuming you're on your way to see the Captain?"

"Unfortunately, I'm getting the feeling this isn't a social call. My fur's so on end I'm nearly about to split tails." She reached for her tail and smoothed it down. Going to see a commanding officer with a bushy tail never looks good. Pressly watched her with a close eye. She had gotten used to that. It wasn't that he was racist or anything (at least, not to her), it was more that a member of his family had been one of her… magic donors. "Couldn't help overhearing your talk with Adams. You guys didn't say anything important, did you?"

"No ma'am. But… Permission to speak freely? She took a quick look around, before nodding. "I think Nihlus has already figured it out. Spectres aren't stupid, and Nihlus is one of the best from what I've heard. And we're putting out more energy from the Tantalus Drive than a Turian Core twice its size. I'm no engineer, but I'm pretty sure the only ways to get that kind of output are dangerous, illegal, or beyond our normal means."

"Calm down, Pressly. Let Adams and the others come up with the usual technobabble bullshit they always sell. The other races won't argue with us unless they want to admit they have no idea what we're talking about. And given that we're the newest race on the block, it'll look pretty embarrassing to them." Her smile turned into a frown. "But I think you may have a point. I've been catching Nihlus watching me ever since he got on board, and I don't think it's just because of my appearance."

"Well, if he starts digging, he could always suffer an 'unfortunate accident' while with us. It's a shame and all, but it's not like we could've anticipated it."

Ahri smirked. "I'm guessing you don't like him."

"Never really liked Turians in general. My grandfather took part in the First Contact War. That kind of thing stays with you. But despite my feelings, the final call belongs to Captain Anderson. I trust in his judgement."

"As we should." Ahri agreed, walking off. But she was waylaid again, this time against her will by Private Jenkins. He and Doctor Chakwas were standing near the door to the briefing room, discussing Nihlus too. It was all anyone could really talk about.

"Hey Commander. We won't be staying on Eden Prime too long right? I'm itching for some real action." Jenkins asked her, giving her a salute. Ahri gave him a sultry smile in response.

"What's the matter Jenkins? Am I not enough action for your liking?" She laughed as he blushed deeply, stuttering in embarrassment. That was her way of getting to know people, a remnant of her past. Sometimes it was a simple kiss, other times it was… more. Jenkins was in the latter category.

"No… I mean, No ma'am. It's plenty enough. But I want to get in some proper action, guns blazing and taking down about a hundred minions or something. No offence, but sleeping with an XO isn't how I want to be remembered."

"I sincerely hope you're kidding Corporal. That kind of action you want forces me to patch up good men and women." Chakwas reprimanded him. "And you Ahri. I thought I told you to keep a lid on your libido. We haven't even checked if you're carrying any STDs."

"Believe me 'mom', if I had anything you'd know by now. And it's just Jenkins. No one else."

"Uh, is that good?" Jenkins asked them.

"It means she's reining herself in a bit. I suppose that's all I can hope for, for now."

"Oh. Good." Jenkins decided to change the subject. "So, do you think that if – and I mean if – there's combat, Nihlus will be involved?"

"Probably. I can't really see a Spectre sitting things out in a firefight. But that doesn't mean you need to worry your head off Jenkins. He's just a strong fighter. No need to start worrying."

"Easy for you to say Commander. You're a Champion. Everyone's heard of your defence of the Skyllian Blitz. Everyone knows what you can do. This could be my big moment. I could end up being noticed by a Summoner."

"Careful Private. Being noticed by a Summoner isn't all it's cracked up to be. Remember, Champions used to fight each other in the past. And you have to stay alive to ever run for a Champion."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to screw this up."

"Good boy. Now, was there anything else?"

"I think that's all Jenkins wanted to ask you, Commander." Chakwas replied. "I'd better go and make sure the medical supplies as still fine." Jenkins gave Ahri another salute as he and Chakwas walked off. Taking a deep breath, Ahri reached the door to the briefing room, ready to see what Anderson wanted to talk to her about. She was rather surprised to see that he wasn't there. Instead, only Nihlus was waiting for her. Her fur rose on end, and she instinctly rose up on her haunches. If Nihlus was threatened by her, he didn't show it. In fact, with his mandibles it was hard to tell what his emotions were.

"Commander. I was hoping we could use this time to talk." He said, his voice echoing slightly as customary for his species. Ahri didn't let his guard down yet.

"The captain said he would meet me here." She said, frowning. Nihlus merely tilted his head.

"Captain Anderson is just filling out some paperwork right now. I haven't done anything untoward to him, if that's what you're worried about." He walked around her, taking in every detail about her. And her ears and tail in particular. "And I'm rather interested in some details I've heard about you. For starters, many of us find it interesting how you seem to have fused animal parts to yourself. Is this some sort of Earth custom, or a secret project to create a soldier?"

Ahri was certain that by the end of the day, her carefully constructed cover story was about to crumble around her fuzzy ears.

"Slight gene splicing with fox DNA. Just enough as a viable alternative to implants and enhancements. Nothing big, nothing dangerous. And definitely nothing illegal." She replied.

"Yes. But why a fox? Why not something bigger, meaner. Nastier. A soldier spliced with Rhino DNA like you've been would make a good battering ram."

"If you're trying something dangerous would you start with a lethal creature? This is a test run, just something to parade around. At least a fox can't suddenly maul you to death."

Nihlus nodded, as if what she said made sense. "What about your name? I've done a bit of research into Earth mythology. In Korea, a Gumiho is a fox that has lived for a thousand years and thus gained the ability to transform into a beautiful human lady. They then seduce young boys and eat either their heart or their liver, depending on which myth you're hearing. Their most distinct feature is their nine tails, which the reports of the Skyllian Blitz reported you having."

She rolled her eyes. "I took the name because that's what the scientist head wanted me to look like, and people keep mistaking me for a Kitsune. And I assure you, I don't actually have nine tails. Can you see any extra tails on me?" She twisted her waist, allowing him a full view of her tail. But she could tell that Nihlus still wasn't convinced. This called for drastic measures. She let her magic flow through her, her normally golden eyes flaring purple. "You wouldn't accuse that a beautiful lady like me of lying, would you?"

"I…I… No. No, of course not. What were we talking…?" Nihlus shook his head, the last few moments blurry now. She smiled as she released her magic. Hopefully, he'll forget all about her unfortunate secrets. It wasn't just her own life on the line; Earth would most likely face heavy penalties for keeping something as big and dangerous as Magic a secret. Nihlus seemed to be in the middle of trying to figure out what they were talking about when Captain Anderson finally entered the room. Anderson looked at the stunned Spectre and the blushing Commander and rolled his eyes.

"Well, now that we're all here, I guess it's time to tell you what were actually here for." He said. "This mission isn't just a simple shakedown run."

"I… Yes." Nihlus seemed to be returning to normal. "Yes, that's right. We're making a covert pick up run as well. That's why Captain Anderson had the Stealth Drive System activated."

"Interesting. I take it it's something valuable?" Ahri asked innocently, while staring at Anderson. She hoped to get her unspoken question over. Is it a Rune War Remnant?

"In a manner of speaking. During a dig, a research team found an unusual artefact on the planet. They have recently successfully identified it as Prothean." Ahri nearly sighed in relief. "This is some big news Gumiho. It was thanks to Prothean Technology that our people managed to spread throughout the galaxy."

"And it also caused the Original Runeterra to get torn apart as everyone moved away from each other." Her eyes widened as she realised where they were right now. "And Noxus territory is almost a step away from here."

"Exactly Commander. We can keep things secret, but it won't be long before word gets out to them about this. And you can bet that Noxus will break every rule they can get away with to claim it. With that kind of technology at their fingers…" None of them needed to say aloud what would happen. At the very least the Alliance would be threatened again.

"Obviously this goes beyond mere human interest. This discovery, and Noxus' potential claim over it, could affect every species in Council space. Your people and their Champions may be good, but so are theirs."

"You won't hear me complaining. If Noxus does invade I'd like more guns pointing at them than at us." Ahri said. "I'll be glad to work with you."

"Yes. You'll have to. The beacon's not the only reason I'm here. As I'm sure you've heard, Humanity has been interested in getting one of their own in as a Spectre."

"A Spectre?" She thought back to all Jenkins had told her about the Spectres while they were cuddling. And the rumours that Champions were perfect for the job. "You're here to review me?"

"Yes. I've read your military files. You did well during the Skyllian Blitz. As far as I can see, on paper you are well suited for the job. But what's on paper and what's in real life usually are two different things. I'll be working alongside you, watching your actions and evaluating your skill. If you really are as good as I think you are, I'll speak to the Council personally about getting you applied."

"Oh. Wow. Thanks Nihlus. That means so much." She hoped her smile wouldn't give away her complete panic over this. Right there was the double-edged sword Humanity lived on. They wanted to keep their magic secret, both to avoid another Rune War, and because they'd get fined out of their asses if the Council found out about it. But they also wanted to be on the Council, to stop having to play to their tune. As long as they had to follow and obey, the Alliance couldn't make sure that true justice was happening.

"For this mission, it'll be a solo run. You'll be in charge of a ground team. Get the beacon on board ASAP. Nihlus will watch you and take note of what happens. We'll be arriving at Eden…"

"Captain." Joker interrupted over the comms. "We just got a message from Eden Prime. It looks like there's trouble." The three of them turned to face the briefing screen, which now showed a massive firefight. Minions were rushing, attacking some distant target. And worryingly, getting destroyed fairly quickly. The person with the camera was nearly knocked down by a woman wearing a grey scaled armour and a spiked helmet. She stood over him and shouldered a giant, three pronged sniper rifle. The resulting blast pushed her backwards with every shot.

"We are under attack. We are taking heavy casualties. The minions aren't enough." The cameraman was saying. "They just came out of nowhere. We need evac. Repeat we need…" Whatever else he was going to say was ended with his head exploding. A loud drone echoed, with the humans staring in horror, before the whole screen just cut out. The room was silent, save for static.

"…So, did anyone else see that big as ship near the end?" Ahri asked. The way the others looked at her told her that they had. "Just checking."

"Take us in, Joker. We need to get that beacon before whoever these guys are do." Anderson ordered.

"A small strike team would be able to get in and find the beacon without getting too much attention. But we'll have to be quick and careful. I'll start getting ready." Ahri nodded, moving to go and grab her team.

"One moment Gumiho. I need to talk to you about something important." Ahri stopped, waiting for Nihlus to leave before facing Anderson again. He wasn't looking too happy, and she didn't think it was just because of what they just saw. "I noticed how dazed Nihlus was when I came in. Did you charm him Commander?"

There was no point denying it. "Yes sir. He was asking about my 'modifications'. I stopped him before he started figuring it out."

"I was afraid of that. Listen. I know that recovering this beacon is our top priority. But so is keeping magic a secret from the Council. We cannot let Nihlus learn about it, no matter what."

"Are… you ordering me to do what I think you're ordering me to do?" She recalled her conversation with Pressly before. It all seemed so unlikely back then. Bu here she was, getting ordered to go through with it.

"I'm not 'ordering' you to do anything except recover the beacon. But if you think that Nihlus is digging a bit too deep, then an accident may have to be arranged. But as I said, I'll leave that final decision to you. Dismissed, Commander."

"Yes sir." She saluted, but there was a bitter taste in her mouth. She knew this wasn't right. The only crime Nihlus was committing was doing his job. But ensuring another Rune War didn't happen was even more important. And there was the possibility that the Council would be interested in her 'creation'.

Her fur shivered as her old instincts kicked in.

Eden Prime looked unmarred from space, peaceful and idyllic. The surface was almost an exact replica of Earth's, back before Piltover started spreading everywhere. They tried their best to not encroach on nature, but you can hide the difference only so much. But Eden Prime was only a recent colonisation, and the signs of human development were almost unnoticeable. What was clear and noticeable was the scarring around the largest settlement. But as the Normandy got closer and closer, there were other, more recent signs of damage. Fires burned through forests, while several buildings had been reduced to rubble. The land was scarred, as if someone had been digging haphazardly. But there were still no signs of who was behind all this.

"It's got to be Noxus. They're literally right next to us. Sure, they won't admit it, but they're hardly going to call their men off now." Jenkins was saying, checking his heavy weapons. Born without access to magic, he countered that by carrying as many guns as he could. It was a brutal and effective strategy.

"Who cares who did it? We'll just tear our way through them like we always do." Ezreal replied, equipping the last piece of his armour. He was dressed a black suit with grey greaves and gauntlets. A leather vest covered most of his chest, leaving his head bare save for a targeting visor. His left hand was covered by his magical glove, hidden under a layer of technology. "By the time we're done, there'll be nothing but scrap and smoking craters. Hey, whoever kills the most gets to share a bunk with the commander tonight."

"I'm up for it. I just hope you two are as good in bed as you'll be on the battlefield." Ahri replied, smiling sultrily at the boys. She stopped smiling and stood to attention when Anderson came into the cargo bay.

"Alright team. Your mission objective is to recover the Beacon down there. I'd love it if you could find out who's behind this attack or any survivors, but the beacon's your top priority. Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir." They all chanted, saluting him. Nihlus walked past, armed with as many guns as Jenkins, as the bay doors opened wide. Without a word, he dropped down from the bay before the ship moved again.

"Nihlus will be your forward scout. Listen to what he has to say. Commander, remember your secondary objective."

"Understood Captain." Ahri placed her helmet onto her head, the crafted ears fitting snugly on her real ones. It was built to slightly resemble a fox's muzzle, the nose hanging from her forehead. If she needed to head onto a planet's surface, the muzzle could drop down to seal over her face. The ship slowed again, and the doors opened wide as well. Without waiting for the order, Ezreal jumped off the ship, firing his glove to slow his descent. Jenkins hooked a line to the lip of the door, rappelling down as fast as he could. And Ahri simply hopped off, her magic allowing her to levitate to the ground. Jenkins and Ezreal both covered all the angles, ensuring nothing was waiting for them. As they gave the all clear, Ahri pulled her pistol from her hip. She usually focused more on her magic than guns, but she wanted to make sure she had an alternative until they knew what they were dealing with.

"You know, I've always wanted to explore this place and see if there were any ruins before we crashed here." Ezreal said as they stalked across the field, keeping an eye on everything. "Who knows what wonders might be under our feet?"

"Not much really. Until today, the gasbags floating around were the most interesting thing down there." Jenkins replied. Right, this was his home planet. Of course he would know more about it than the two of them. She jumped slightly as her comms squealed to life in her ears. Seriously, the tech boys said they fixed that.

"This place got hit hard Commander. There are a lot of bodies lying around. Haven't encountered any hostiles yet, but keep your guard up."

Ahri rolled her eyes. "Understood. I'm not a rookie Nihlus. I won't go strolling into a fight like an idiot." She cut the comms, now that she was standing by a corner made from rubble. This would be a good place for an ambush. She sniffed at the air, but all she could smell was smoke and dust. Still, her fur was sticking out. "Jenkins. Move forward. If you see anything, start blasting." He nodded, sprinting towards the nearest wall of cover. Since nothing popped out and tried to kill him, he moved quickly to the next wall, while Ahri bounded over to his old position. Ezreal ran to the other side of the area, his glove trained on Jenkins in case he was ambushed. No sooner had they moved that several sleek flying drones came round the other side, firing plasma at Jenkin's position. Ezreal blasted two of them out of the sky, causing several of the survivors to fire on him and thus giving Jenkins a chance to shoot back. Ahri picked off a few he couldn't reach with her pistol, the fast moving shred of metal blasting through the thin armour of the drones. Ezreal's next blast went wide, hitting the cliff above her instead of the last drones. With her instincts screaming, she rolled away to avoid the minion remains falling on her. They were being ambushed. Jenkins yelled as three of them dogpiled him, trying to tear through his shields. Ahri fired off an Orb of Destruction, the blue ball of magic blasting through the line of minions before her before turning back and knocking a minion off Jenkins. With his arm free, he was able to use his shotgun and deal with a couple more. Ezreal fired a blast of energy, a minion literally exploding from the shot. He was shooting faster and faster with every shot, and his shoulder plating was getting bigger as well.

"Hold on Jenkins!" She shouted, running for him. The minions' basic technomagic AI didn't have time to do anything before she started cleaving their heads in with her kicks.

"Commander… move!" Jenkins shouted hoarsely at her, pointing his rifle straight up. She dodged to the side, rolling to see a melee minion with a spear drop down towards Jenkins. His shots nearly sliced it in two, but the spear still drove through his chest. She rushed to his side, but he was already dead.

Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit. He was a good kid. He joined the navy to make a difference. He didn't deserve to die here, not like this.

"These minions… They look like they're a standard Alliance model." Ezreal told her, kicking a minion remain over. "Looks like someone stuck a box to their heads. Must've reprogrammed them or something. Bastards."

"Don't worry Ezreal. When we find whoever did this, we'll shove one of these boxes right through their damn skull." She closed Jenkin's eyelids, making it look almost like he was sleeping. "But for now, we have to finish the mission. We can't let all this be for nothing."

"Understood. Lead the way." They moved again, this time slower than before. Ahri's instincts were screaming for her to bolt, to find a hiding spot and wait things out. But Humans don't run at the first sign of trouble. That was one way she had always been seen by her family as different. She would not run. She could not run.

"Gumiho to Nihlus. Be advised that the enemy has found a way to override the minions' VI systems. If you see any, they're likely working for the enemy."

"I already found a few. I don't recognise the hardware. After this mission, I'll need all the Alliance's notes on your minions."

"…Understood." Ahri sighed as she cut the line. Great. Another thing she couldn't let Nihlus have. This day was getting better and better.

They found several more drones backed up by minions on the trail. Luckily, the few minion towers they spotted were little more than ruins. That could mean that the enemy needed to reprogram the minions one by one. Or they were too stupid to realise the potential in the towers. But their minds were still partly on Jenkins, as their overpowered assaults on the drones testified. They vowed to cleanse the planet of all the bastards who worked with this group, even if they had to do it with their fists. As they moved through a grove of trees, Ahri held her hand up in the stop position as she heard the sound of gunfire. Have they found survivors, pockets of resistance maybe? She peeked round the tree to see a woman in grey scaled armour and with an enclosed helmet (where had she seen that before?) crouching behind some rocks. She stood up and pointed her large rifle at the drones before her, the tip opening into three claw prongs and glowing magenta. A large blast thundered into the drones, not so much punching through them as tearing them apart. The claws closed after each shot, most likely to protect the delicate insides from return fire. She frowned, looking through the scope at something further away. Nodding to Ezreal, they moved closer, hoping to see what the woman had spotted. She blanched as they finally got close enough to see.

Two slender machines were looking up at a civilian, now stabbed through and lifted by a giant metal spike. He was still bleeding out, gasping for breath. Her nose was assaulted by the stench of waste and blood, and she could hear his last breath dying.

"Metal bastards." The woman hissed, blowing their heads off with her rifle. Sadly, there must've been more nearby, as they heard a screeching metallic roar and a dozen robots and minions came round the corner. But luckily for them, most of the minions were melee types. Ahri smirked as she raced ahead, firing her pistol in one hand and magic blasts from the other. Ezreal drew a golden line on the ground in front of her, and when she passed through it she felt the magic invigorate her. Her spells were hitting faster than before, shattering armour and shields before she even got close. Dodging to the side as a gunner type shot wildly at her, she unleashed a series of Fox Fire, blasting a hole through the minions even as she fired an Orb down the side. It thundered through a wave of minions without stopping, until it moved past a wall of cover and returned. A shower of metallic parts showed that she managed to hit her mark. The silence after the fight was almost deafening.

"Thanks for that. Glad to see that the Alliance sent some bloody reinforcements." The woman said to them in a British accent, her eye cover moving up. She had magenta markings tattooed around her eyes, reminding Ahri slightly of the racoons that lived not far from her den when she was younger. And she could now get a better look at her armour, considering it was rather different to normal styles. The top of her chest was bared, revealing a healthy dose of cleavage. Her arms were unadorned apart from a tattoo on her left arm and gauntlets on her hands, and she wore fishnet around her waist. "Caitlyn Williams, Sheriff of Eden Prime. Or at least I was before these wankers started attacking. You two are probably the only people around who can still recognise my authority."

"Commander Ahri Gumiho and Lieutenant Ezreal Hallam of the Alliance Navy." Ahri replied. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"I thought you lot would have a better idea. After all, you responded to our distress call. Unless… Oh. You were the lot coming to pick up that damn beacon, correct?"

"Well, yes. That was our original mission before we found out a war was happening down here."

"Damn. Well, all I know is that they know what they're doing. Managed to reprogram some of the minions under our command. The rest are probably scrap by now. As for who these buggers are… I'm not certain, but I think they might be Geth."

"Impossible. The Geth haven't left the Perseus Veil since before we arrived. I seriously doubt we're unlucky enough to get their attention." Ezreal responded, his armour now baring plating over his legs and chest. His glove was now twice as thick as his arm.

"Maybe Noxus went and pissed off another species. It wouldn't be the first time they've done it."

"Maybe, maybe, maybe. We could stand around wondering why they're attacking, but that won't help us bust a few flashlights now will it?" Ahri interrupted. "Sheriff, we'd appreciate it if you joined us in kicking their collective metal asses off our world."

"Yes ma'am. If you're still looking to collect the beacon it's not far from here. They were just getting ready to move it when we came under fire." Nodding in thanks, Ahri led the team along the path, making sure to take a wide berth around the impaled man. Not far away they could see a strange stone construct, surrounded by equipment. Maybe this was where the beacon was before. They found no enemies between them and the dig site. They must've all come running when Caitlyn killed those two Geth before. "Damn. They must've already moved it."

"Who? Us, or the Geth?" Ezreal asked her."

"Well I don't bloody know. There's a research camp just above us. If there are any survivors, they might know more about the beacon."

"I'm not sure I'm fond of that 'if'. What do we do if there are no survivors?"

"Then we keep looking, and hope we run into something Lieutenant." Ahri responded, starting to get annoyed at him for asking stupid questions. Her comm chirped.

"Change of plans, Gumiho. There's a small spaceport ahead surrounded by Geth. I'm going to clear it out and see what I can find. I'll meet you there."

"Understood." She replied, leading the team up a rock ramp cut into the dig site. There were a few flames dotting the camp before them, but it didn't look as serious as everything else. And besides, there were worse things to worry about.

"Oh man. That's just nasty." Ezreal grimaced. There were more of the Geth spikes lying around, with more people impaled on them. The Geth had done… something to them. They weren't so much people as shrivelled carcasses covered in circuitry and piping. It made Ahri feel sick just looking at them. And then the spikes started lowering, and the bodies started moving. "Oh god. They're still alive."

"If you could call that 'alive'." Caitlyn replied, blowing a hole through one man's chest and shooting off another's head.

"Treat them like undead and melee minions. Cut them down before they get close." Ahri ordered, blasting away as she moved back. Unlike the sturdier minions, these cybernetic dead were incredibly fragile, obviously designed more to overwhelm the enemy through sheer numbers. It didn't take long for the three champions to put the lot of them down. But it did make Ahri worry about finding any survivors. That looked like a lot of dead charging at them.

"Commander." Caitlyn called her from over by a prefab unit. "Got a locked door here. Could be survivors trying to hide from the Geth."

"Well, it's better than nothing." Ezreal replied, already placing his glove by the control panel. It acted like an Omnitool, hacking through the security embarrassingly easy. Ahri headed in first, an orb of magic in her hand lighting the room up. Inside were two humans, a male and a female. And they were both wearing scientist robes.

"Humans. Oh, thank the Maker." The woman gasped, shaking from relief. The man next to her was a different story.

"Quick. Close the door, before they find us again." He said, shaking as well. but something about him seemed off. His movements were jerky and uncoordinated. He looked slightly downwards as if he couldn't bear to look her in the eyes.

"I highly doubt that. Anything close enough to be a problem would've attacked us by now." Caitlyn replied, holstering her rifle. The barrel and the prongs collapsed down as the stock folded onto itself. By the time she had stuck it to her back, it was at least half its original length. "Glad to see you survived Doctor Warren.

"Oh, Sheriff. I'm glad to see you too. Your men were very brave. They made sure we were secure in here and fought to the bitter end. You would've been proud of them."

"Yeah, I am." Caitlyn said, her lips looking tight and taunt. "Could you tell us what happened to the Beacon? We need to know if we got to it first."

"We did. They finished moving it to the spaceport this morning. Manuel and I were just packing up the camp when the attack started. As I already mentioned, the officers defended us long enough to lock ourselves into this building. They gave their lives to save us."

"No one is saved. The age of Runeterra has finally ended. Soon, there will be only corpses and ruins." Manuel said, shaking more and more.

"Ok. What the hell's wrong with him?" Ahri asked Warren.

"You'll have to forgive him. Manuel accidently touched a Void relic when he was younger. It gifted him with incredible intelligence, but he's been plagued with madness ever since."

"Madness? It is madness to see the end, to understand our inevitable demise? No, I am not insane. I am the only…" Ahri leaned in close and kissed him, letting some of her magic flow through him and borrow some of his energy. He sat down heavily onto a seat, grinning dumbly in pleasure.

"Alright, let's head to the spaceport. It's probably the same one Nihlus said he'd meet us at. I just hope that he left some stragglers for us to kill." She barely said the words before she heard a single loud gunshot.

"What was that?" Ezreal asked. Ahri cursed. Knowing their luck, it was probably bad. She raced out of the prefab and ran round the corner, stopping in a hurry as she saw the massive ship in the distance. "Holy crap that thing's huge." And it was. It looked as though it had landed several miles away, and yet they could see it clearly from where they were. It was long and tapered, resembling some kind of sea creature. Red lightning arced from it as it lifted off from the ground, shaking everyone as the rumbling reached them.

"Hate to spoil your sightseeing, but we've got Geth running for us." Caitlyn told them, already lining up a shot.

"Right. Ezreal, use your jetpack to find higher ground. Sheriff, hang back and pick off their heavier units. I'll go and run decoy." The two champions nodded at her, moving to their new positions. Ezreal fired a few blasts as he flew, ducking behind cover on top of a prefab unit as the Geth fired back. Their sustained fire allowed Caitlyn to find and blow their heads off, while Ahri sliced through the undead husks with ease. Especially with all the flammable explosive material around them. She fired off her shotgun until it overheated, and slammed the butt into a husk's skull without stopping. It was only after they were all dead that she returned and pulled the weapon out of the muck.

"Hey Commander." Ezreal called out, banging on the roof he was standing on. "I think we've got more survivors here."

"Great. Get that door unlocked for them." She called back, cleaning off her weapon until it folded up again. "Caitlyn, see if you can spot Nihlus. He's a Turian in black armour." She nodded, keeping an eagle eye on things.

The three settlers inside were showering Ezreal with thanks when they arrived. They were also explaining about how the ship made a loud droning sound as it landed, scrambling the minions and communications for a short while. That must be how the Geth overpowered everyone.

"Do you three know anything about the beacon?" She asked.

"Not really. We're just farmers. All we knew was that the found something important. Didn't really matter to us. Until now."

"Well, in that case you should probably stay hidden. Alliance ships should be arriving shortly to pick up any survivors."

"Hey, Cole." One of the other two farmers spoke up. "We're just a bunch of farmers. These guys are soldiers. Maybe we should just give them the stuff." Cole glared at him, but Ahri's interest was piqued.

"Is there something I should know about? Something important that could be a big help?"

"Ah… Look, some guys at the spaceport were running a small smuggling ring. Nothing major, not really that big a deal. In exchange for some money for a retirement fund we let them use our shed for storage."

"Smuggling is a crime." Caitlyn said frostily. "Especially when you're doing under my watch. I want details, now." Cole wilted under her glare.

"I don't know much. Didn't ask many questions. The only guy I knew was involved was some guy named Powell. As for what was in there, it was just a few pistols. I figured they could be handy for fighting off any more of those things. Not everyone has magic, you know."

"Really? That's all? No secret weapons, no amazing devices? Because between you and me, I'm not sure the Sheriff believes you."

"Well… Oh, right. There's also this sensor mod. Had it in my pocket and completely forgot about it officer. Sorry about that."

"Thank you. You'd better find cover before she blows her top." Cole and the other nodded, heading back into the shed and locking the door behind them. Ahri threw the mod to Caitlyn, who slotted it into the side of her gun with angry motions. Ahri was pretty sure it wasn't the crime itself that pissed her off, but the fact she never noticed it. Caitlyn looked towards the spaceport before frowning at something. She checked it out on her scope. "I found your Turian friend. And I don't think he's going to be much help." Ahri ran on over, stopping once she reached Nihlus. Just like Caitlyn said, he wasn't going to be helping anybody anymore. There was a large hole in the side of his head. Ahri cursed. Dammit, if this was because he was digging too deeply into magic she was going to court martial whoever did this. Her fur stood on end as they all heard some boxes thumping together. Before anyone could stop her, she had jumped over them and landed on top of whoever was on the other side, its head in between her hands. She stopped long enough to see that it was just a Yordle, quivering under her grip.

"Wait, wait. Please don't kill me. I'm too cuddly to die." The Yordle whimpered, his fur standing on end. He was covered in light brown fur, with a red patch on the top of his head and a receding 'beard' around his chin. Attached to his back was a harness with several mechanical arms, most likely for loading and unloading.

"What were you doing behind there? What happened here?" Ahri growled. Literally growled. Everything that happened today was just pissing her off.

"I…I was hiding. I got scared. I can't fight those things like you can. I'm just a workman." Ahri felt Ezreal's hand on her shoulder, and she got off the Yordle. "My name's Powell. While I was hiding a Turian started walking around, just watching the destruction. Not this guy, but another one. This guy called him Saren, and treated him like a friend. And while he was looking away, Saren killed him. Shot him right in the back of the head."

"Where did he go after that?" They were going to make him pay. Her pack mentality despised him. The pack trusts each other. To betray that trust… it was the worst thing you could ever do. You'd be an outcast for life, never accepted by another.

"He… He hopped on board the cargo train. Headed towards the next platform. Probably went after the beacon. That's what everyone's going after, isn't it? It should've stayed buried if you ask me. No one cared about us here. Even Noxus left us alone. But as soon as it came out into the open, bam. Everyone ends up dead. If I wasn't already behind the crates I'd be dead too."

"Hold on. You were already behind the crates? Before the attack happened?" Ezreal asked him, his glove glowing with energy. Powell noticed that.

"I had nothing to do with this, honest. I was just taking a nap. A nap, I swear." They looked at him in confusion. He sighed. "Sometimes, I can't handle the long shifts they give us. So I sneak off and have a cat nap from time to time. No offence." He said this to Ahri, mistaking her species.

"You survived because you shirked your job?" Caitlyn asked him angrily.

"I'm mostly here to keep the minions working properly. I just do some loading work to help pay the bills. Besides, I'm not as strong as you humans."

"Right then. I'm placing you under arrest for dereliction of duty and smuggling. Come quietly and I might not have to shoot you." Caitlyn pointed her rifle at Powell to emphasise her statement.

"Sm…Smuggling? Why would… What would… How do you… Look, it was to pay my bills. I couldn't keep up this kind of work. I needed some other way to make up the difference. Any time things came through for the Sheriff's office I would…" He stopped, realising what he was about to admit.

"You'd skim a few things off the top to sell elsewhere. Things I bet the Sheriff here didn't notice were missing." Ahri placed one hand on Caitlyn's rifle, firmly pointing it to the ground. "Tell you what. You hand over what you've got, and we'll forget this ever happened. Right?" She looked her straight in the eye. Caitlyn spat venomously, but nodded.

"Sure, sure. Got a couple of grenades here. And I was going to sell this mod I found. But you can have it. It's not like the Sheriff was in a situation she needed it for." He was almost jumping up and down like a kid as he unloaded his stolen goods onto them. "Now, if there's nothing else, I need to get out of here. I need to find a new line of work." And he ran off, waddling like mad to get away from them. Ahri noticed Caitlyn glaring at him from the corner of her eye.

"Where would you even put him Sheriff? I'm pretty sure your cells are scrap metal right now. And we've got bigger problems than him."

"Yeah. It sounds like this Saren guy is part of this whole mess. Should've figured a Turian would be involved. Never liked the smug ones." Ezreal said. "I'll take point, just in case he left us a few surprises." Ezreal ran around the corner, before running back again with a hoard of minions after him. "Surprise!" he shouted in a panicked voice, firing a line of energy behind him as he ran. The minions that ran into it sparked as the magic assaulted their systems, tearing them apart from within. Ahri and Caitlyn tore through the rest from long range, while Ezreal jetpacked over them "Ok." He said after the last one fell. "Let's try that again." This time, they managed to get to the train without being blocked by a wall of minions. But they were still under fire from Geth. Including a larger one firing rockets at them.

"Time for my Ace in the Hole" Caitlyn told them, standing still and letting her shields weather the blows. Ahri and Ezreal took out some of the Geth, but made sure to keep the rocket's attention. After a second or two of waiting, Caitlyn fired a round faster than they could see. One moment, the rocket one was about to attack again; the next, most of its head and chest were missing. Ahri nodded appreciatively, before heading towards the front car. There were only a few Geth left, making clean up a breeze thanks to Caitlyn's long range. With all of them destroyed, they decoupled the lead car and raced to the beacon.

If they were lucky, they could get it and Saren at the same time.

"I swear, if that beacon isn't on the platform any more, I am seriously going to be pissed off." Ezreal was saying, his armour altered again. Now his whole body was covered in plating, and his cannon looked even more complex with spinning hover parts.

"Well, I can see a few Geth standing around. So they can't have taken the beacon just yet. Can't really see what they're doing though. Probably something bad for us, no doubt."

"I think they're setting bombs." Ahri replied, pointing at a large metal cylinder sitting next to the train track. Before the car had even finished slowing down, Ahri was jumping off and heading towards it. She tapped away at the panel while the others kept the minions attempting to surround them at bay. With her bomb disposal training coming back to her, it only took several heart pounding moments to disable it. "Ezreal, jet your way to the upper levels and see if there are any bombs up there. Caitlyn, cover him."

"Yes Commander." Panels opened up on his jetpack, allowing him to boost fast enough to punch a Geth's head off as he ran to find the other bombs. Ahri levitated after him, giving him some covering fire as he powered up his teleporter. When he moved, he reappeared on the other side of the walkway, a magic blast shredding a Geth trooper nearby. She saw Caitlyn throw a small disc at Ezreal's location, where he was disarming another bomb. A Geth trooper who appeared out of nowhere stumbled into the disc's radius, the disc sprouting metal teeth and clamping down on its leg. Ezreal finished disarming in time to punch a hole through the trooper and running for another. But his path was blocked by a wave of minions. Seriously, how many of these did the Geth reprogram?

"Everyone get clear. I have an idea." Ezreal tapped away at something on his glove cannon, the end glowing brighter and brighter. When at last it was fully charged, he pointed it at the minions and unleashed a wave of energy. The wave sliced through them line a hot knife through butter, clearing a path for the three of them. Ahri moved to disarm the next one as the others covered her again. As she finished typing away at the panel, she moved out of cover in time to see a grey Geth trooper rushing them. Caitlyn gave it a scornful look before firing a net from her cannon, slowing it to a crawl and burning through its plating as it tried to detangle itself. And left itself wide open to their barrage.

There wasn't much left of it when they were finished.

"Clear." Caitlyn shouted, having finished looking over the place for more possible bombs.

"Clear." Ezreal called out as he disarmed the last bomb. Ahri sighed as her nerves stopped jolting her heart. Good. They weren't going to die. Magic was useful, but it couldn't stop her from getting exploded. What few enemies there were left – pretty much just the husks – were trivial at this point. And there, right before them, was the beacon they came to find.

It was a tall tower-like item, dwarfing the three of them with ease. A green light glowed from the top of it, bathing the immediate area with its light.

"This is unbelievable." Ezreal said in an awed tone. "This, this is actual working Prothean Tech. Can you imagine the things we could learn from this?"

"That's bloody odd. It wasn't doing anything except look ominous when I last saw it." Caitlyn stared at it for a bit before walking away. She didn't want to be near anything she didn't understand. That had caused so many problems in the past. But Ezreal lacked this kind of common sense. Instead, he was getting closer, babbling about what could be inside the beacon. But he must've gotten too close, or something activated, because the front of the beacon glowed even brighter. It sent out a pulse of energy, nearly knocking him over, before pulling him towards it. Ahri, seeing her lieutenant in trouble, rushed to his side and felt something pushing into her skull. She threw him aside just in time, as the probe or whatever it was burst into her skull. She felt herself being lifted as horrific images started crowding around in her head. Her head felt like it was being torn in two.

And then everything went black.

Things are going to be… problematic. That was what was on Syndra's mind as she floated down the halls of the ship she was on. Her purple robes barely fluttered as she passed, the twin prongs of her headpiece nearly reached the top the doorframes, ensuring she needed to dip down to fit through them. It didn't take her long to reach the inner sanctum, where Saren was meditating before a magical portrait of the Void.

"We managed to identify the ship that landed on Eden Prime. It was the Normandy, captained by the famed Captain Anderson. His Champions managed to save the colony from us." She said, knowing he was listening.

"But what of the Beacon?" Saren asked her. "Did they reach it?"

"Our information believes that one of the crew managed to access the Beacon before it was overloaded. An Alliance soldier by the name of Ahri Gumiho." The shadows around the room grew deeper and darker, and she felt a quiet flood the room. Saren shook for several seconds before the effects ended.

"A pity. But she cannot stop our plans. Have her eliminated as soon as possible. I must commune with the Void." She nodded, recognising her dismissal. She floated away, checking her Omnitool for a list of possible agents to send. They would have to be good, to go up against a Champion.

Luckily, there was no shortage of just such people.

Hey there. I know I've got a lot of stories planned out right now, and not enough time to deal with them all. But this idea just came into my head and I had to get it jotted down. I probably won't be able to work on this for a while, so this is just a teaser for you guys.

So yeah, most of the important characters have been replaced with League of Legends Champions. Not all of them, but you'd be surprised who has been altered. I thought of this as a good exercise, to try and merge the two stories into a singular whole. I hope I do well. And I'm planning on doing all three games too. I don't think I can fit in all the champions, but I'm going to do my best.

At the bottom of each chapter, I'm going to put down Codex notes as if this is really a part of Mass Effect. I know that some information will seem a bit lacking, but that's because this is the Citadel Council codex. So it's not going to have several sensitive pieces of information, like magic, in it.

Oh, and just to let you guys know, I don't actually play League of Legends. I've got a best friend who plays it though, and he's helping me out with some of the finer details. If I get someone's personality wrong or something like that, then I apologise.

Characters:

Commander Ahri Gumiho

Born on Earth in the Nation of Ionia, Ahri Gumiho's past before joining the Alliance Navy is heavily undocumented. What has been revealed is that at the age of 18, Ahri allowed herself to be experimented on by Piltover scientists in an attempt to create a half-human hybrid. Using fox DNA, the experiment can be considered a success. Now sporting animal ears and a long bushy tail as signs of the work done on her, Ahri is now faster and swifter than before, able to move at incredible speed in short bursts and use a biotic charge multiple times in rapid succession while attacking. The modifications also caused her biotics to act differently, with her now able to fire small bursts of damaging biotics at opponents along with a heavy biotic that actually changes directions to strike an enemy. Another noted ability is the power to summon several small biotic 'fireballs' that hover around her until she strikes out at an enemy. Whether through some special biotic ability or sheer 'animal magnetism', Ahri is also able to coerce enemy units – whether biological or mechanical – to follow her orders. Her most common usage of it in battle is to have an enemy walk slowly towards her, leaving them open to heavy attack. Because of her strange abilities, many biotic specialists are concerned that the Demacian Alliance have found a way to create a new biotic cross-class.

Lieutenant Ezreal Hallam

Ezreal Hallam is well familiar with the Alliance Navy, as his father Colt Hallam is an engineer in service to the Alliance. When he turned of age, he declined to join, preferring instead to investigate old ruins left from Runeterra's past and on the alien worlds the Alliance has discovered. Source believe that while on an expedition on the Planet Azir, now home to the remnant of Shurima, he found a strange technological artefact more advanced than most weapons today. Modified into a glove, the artefact can transform into a large cannon that increases its rate of fire after every kill for a few seconds. Over time, it can also improve his armour and weapon strength, allowing him to become a one man army.

Sheriff Caitlyn Williams

Caitlyn's family history is an interesting one. Until the year 2143, almost every member of the Williams family had been an officer of the law, with several members now a part of Citadel Security. But her grandfather chose instead to join the Alliance Navy, his tactical brilliance allowing him to rise to the position of General. He was stationed on Shanxi when it came under fire from a small Turian fleet. After attempting a diplomatic communication with the fleet, General Williams ordered an attack on the ships above. Despite downing several crafts, the Turian bombardment forced him to call an evacuation of the population. After that, he personally led his men on covert strikes against the Turians, ensuring that their retaliatory bombardments only affected depopulated areas. He held out until the fleet discovered the hiding spot of the civilians, promptly taking them hostage. Left with no choice, Williams surrendered. When the Citadel Council stepped in and ended the war, Williams returned to Earth and attempted to surrender for giving in to terrorist demands. Instead, he was promoted to Admiral for his actions, for placing the safety of his citizens over his pride.

Caitlyn decided against joining the navy, even though she would have found great work as an Infiltrator. Instead, she moved to Eden Prime to act as their local sheriff, planning on making sure that the peaceful planet stayed that way.

Planets:

Runeterra

The original homeworld of Humans, Dragons, Marai, Minotaurs, Trolls, Ursine, and Yordles, Runeterra was a strange, anachronism mix of medieval, modern and futuristic styles. It was not uncommon in the past to find an officer attacking a plasma turret with a stone club. They had access to biotics somehow, most likely a gift from a more advanced race. However, the nations of Runeterra were fond of sorting out their problems with war, causing large-scale damage to the land. While all records of that time are lost or kept secret, long ago the Runeterrans managed to create weapons so powerful they nearly destroyed the world. Fearful of it happening again, the wisest members of their nations gathered to create The League of Legends, a mediating arena contest made to avoid all-out war. When two nations were in argument over a matter, the Summoners of the League would call for champions of those nations to face each other in a non-lethal battle, with the winning side deemed the rightful. This style of combat allowed Runeterra to survive for centuries, until they discovered the cache of technology on the planet Mars.

Earth

An uninhabited life-sustaining world in the same solar system as Runeterra, it was quickly claimed by Demacia after The Shattering. After landing, they promptly offered refuge for Ionia, Piltover, and Bandle City granting them a quarter of the planet each. The four of them then became the Demacian Alliance, and a powerful force in the galactic community. Piltover's technological knowledge and expertise helped the Alliance spread across the entire planet, and craft more ships to explore the galaxy. After finding out about the Citadel Council, Demacia followed their creed of Justice, and attempted to mend the rift to become a part of the Council and the galactic community.

Nox

The new homeworld of the Noxus Empire and Zaun, Nox has always been the opposite of the Demacian Alliance. While Demacia believes in equality to all, Noxus believes in survival of the fittest. While there have always been debates over the unity and order of Noxus compared to Demacia, no one will deny that it made them terrible neighbours. The Noxus Empire was the first Runeterra Nation to encounter the Citadel, caught opening Mass Relays against Council law. When the Turian Fleet attempted to order a cease-and-desist, the scout vessel opened fire on them. This led to the First Contact War that affected the Demacian Alliance.

Needless to say, it hasn't improved relationships between the two.

Eden Prime

Eden Prime was once a completely unknown planet on the far reaches of the galaxy. Most wouldn't have known it was there if it wasn't for the Runeterran Nations.

Zaun decided to prove their superiority by taking part of Piltover's territory with them when they left. Enraged by this theft, Piltover managed to send a small fleet after Zaun to reclaim their land. Though Zaun tried to fight them off with drones and minion vessels, Piltover's continued assault destroyed the links holding onto the land. The landmass fell from above, crashing into the planet below. Zaun was forced to flee, and Piltover began their first colonisation.

The Demacian Alliance:

Summoners

Powerful Biotics, Summoners are the politicians of the Alliance. Just like in the past, Summoners are able to call on the best of the Alliance's champions to fight and settle disputes. The Alliance remains tight-lipped about what one must go through to become a Summoner, but all those encountered are possibly as powerful as Asari Matriarchs, with the strength of the Summoner Council still unrecorded.

Champions

The best and brightest of Runeterra, Champions are well known for being considered a one man army on par with Krogan Battlemasters and Asari Commandos. Those unlucky enough to ever face a Champion have reported them wielding a mixture of highly dangerous weapons or unusual biotics. In order to become a Champion, one must show enough skill in combat to gain the interest and support of a Summoner. Once officially recognised, a Champion can work for any Summoner that calls on them. Therefore, it is not uncommon for Champions to support issues against their Sponsor's wishes.

Minions

Originally created by low-level Summoners, minions are now crafted in factory known as towers and have weak VIs installed into them. While the VI are incapable of strategic thinking, they will follow orders given to them to the letter. Few outside of the Runeterrans know how the minions are truly created, or how many can be made in a single factory. But the Demacian Alliance promises that minions are incapable of becoming smarter.

Events:

The Rune Wars

An event from Runeterra's past, much about this event has been lost to time and destruction. What is known was that long ago, every nation had access to powerful weapons of mass destruction of an unknown nature, and used them without restraint. The weapons managed to dramatically alter the land, creating toxic ruins and massive craters in their wake. Fearing that such weapons would result in their destruction, a Council of their wisest elders commissioned the League of Legends. It is unknown how Summoners of the League called on Champions, though it is theorised that they simply called them by comms, rather than by the supposed 'magical' summoning.

The Shattering

With the discovery of Mass Effect technology, the wars the League of Legends attempted to stop were slowly rising again. The different nations combined age-old effective techniques with the new science discovered in the archive. It was all too likely that another Rune War would commence. Unable to reach an agreement, the separate nations used their creations to literally shatter Runeterra into pieces, with each nation dragging their land to other worlds. Strangely enough, there are no records of any of them encountering any other known species before the fateful Relay 314 Incident, leaving many to assume that they managed to find worlds capable of sustaining life; or more likely they simply removed the previous inhabitants of their worlds.

The First Contact War

A near catastrophic crash of misunderstandings, the First Contact War started on the colony of Shanxi, where they came under fire by a Turian Fleet searching for Noxus. Believing they had found them, the fleet opened fire upon the Alliance fleet hovering over Shanxi, leading to mass destruction and death despite General Williams attempt at diplomacy. Left with no choice, the Alliance soldiers stationed there began a brutal counterattack, causing half the Turian Fleet to be destroyed before they could land on the planet surface. And despite – or perhaps because – of the Turian's brutal techniques used in stamping out any resistance, the Runeterrans living on the planet kept fighting until they were forced to surrender. The Alliance Navy arrived shortly afterwards, working to drive the Turians off the planet and free their citizens. The Turians moved to send in reinforcements, but by then the Citadel Council had become aware of the conflict. They moved in and ceased all hostilities, explaining the events that led up to the fighting. Reparations were made, rules were written, and the Demacian Alliance became an official member of Citadel Space.

Species:

Yordles

Small in stature and size, Yordles are believed to be some form of uplifted animal. According to Yordle history, they lost their tails and their fangs in exchange for greater brain power, allowing them to develop weapons and biotics capable of overpowering the predators that hunted them. Today, they are considered among the greatest minds of the Demacian Alliance, having helped craft most of their advanced technology. Back on Runeterra, they were the species most likely to have futuristic technology to make up for their physical short comings.

Gumiho

An exceedingly rare species, Ahri Gumiho is possibly the only one in existence. According to Ionia Lore, Gumiho (or Kumiho as the original translation went) were foxes who lived to a grand age of 1,000 years, gaining access to powerful magic and the ability to shapeshift into a beautiful human female. Using their gifts and their beauty, Gumiho stalked the land, seducing young men so that they could devour their heart or their liver, depending on the tale. Whether in human form or fox form, they were recognised by their nine pure white tails. Several people familiar with the legend wonder whether Commander Gumiho also secretly has nine tails.