MASS EFFECT DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS ARE MINE, AND THAT'S ABOUT IT. I HAPPEN TO HAVE ALL KINDS OF BLACKMAIL ON THEM, SO DON'T EVEN BOTHER TRYING TO STEAL THEM.

Hey, everyone! The Incredible Muffin here, with an all-new Mass Effect story! I love this franchise, despite many of its flaws, and I'm so excited to start a new story! Basically, consider this my version of a sequel, taking place after Mass Effect 3. We'll see old friends, alongside new faces, and a whole new story to explore! I hope you enjoy!

Mass Effect: Legacy

Prologue

2187 CE

Liara T'Soni stared out into space. She should have been overjoyed to see ships from all known species transporting goods and personnel to the Citadel, a sign of how the galaxy was working together to rebuild. Instead, she barely registered anything other than the twinkling stars.

Unfocused though she was, years of experience had honed her reflexes, and she nearly brought her biotics to bear when she heard her door open. She relaxed when she saw her old friends—Garrus Vakarian, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, and Kaidan Alenko—walk into her quarters.

Still, she was a little annoyed. "You didn't knock."

Garrus smiled; not for the first time, Liara wondered how it felt for his mandibles to move the way they did with so much scarring. "Actually, we did. A few times. You didn't answer, so Tali hacked the door."

"EDI said you wanted to be alone, but I bypassed her security protocols," the Quarian admitted. "I don't think she tried too hard to stop me."

Kaidan crossed his arms. "We thought you might want to talk. We—I mean, the four of us—haven't had a chance to just talk since before the memorial service."

Liara, daughter of two powerful Matriarchs and current Shadow Broker, couldn't totally hide her flinch. "It… was a lovely service."

"I liked Admiral Hackett's speech the most," Tali said. "At least he wanted everyone to work together, politics be damned."

Liara sighed. After the Reaper War, it had been hoped that the constant politicking would fall to the wayside, at least until everything had been rebuilt. Instead, lines were already being drawn in the sand; some governments were claiming that Shepard had only succeeded because of their respective race's support, while others were calling them out on their blatant idiocy. There were so many issues to deal with, and some people just wanted to go back to the worst parts of the past.

That was all secondary to Liara, at least for the moment. She was in too much pain to care about everything else.

Garrus seemed to read it on her face. "How are you doing, Liara? And don't bullshit us, we feel the same."

From anyone else, Liara might have been furious that someone compared their pain to hers. From these three, she understood; they loved Shepard just as much as she had. Everyone who had served with Shepard had loved him, but for them, it was different.

Liara had been in love with Shepard, had been since the day he'd rescued her, though it had taken her some time to realize it. He had returned those feelings, to the point that they had even been planning to start a family.

Speaking of which…

"I'm pregnant," she abruptly announced.

Garrus' jaw dropped, and Kaidan stumbled, despite not actually walking. Tali froze, then darted over to hug her.

"He would be so happy," Tali whispered.

"What do you need?" Kaidan asked, his composure already recovered. "Whatever you want, we'll be there for you. All of us will."

Liara laughed weakly. "Somehow, I don't see Wrex babysitting; he'll probably tell my daughter all kinds of inappropriate stories."

Garrus shrugged. "Yeah, but who else would you have teach her to use a shotgun?"

"Me," Tali deadpanned.

Kaidan laughed, and then put a hand on Liara's shoulder. "We'll be here for you, Liara."

"Don't be here for me," Liara said, and put a hand over her stomach. "Be here for her."

"We will," Garrus promised. "And we'll do everything we can to make sure the galaxy she grows up in is better for her than it was for us."

…

Admiral Hackett used every bit of self-control to remain composed as he sat down. He had just received an updated count of the dead from the Reaper War; the human race alone had lost almost ten billion lives, and that was the most conservative estimate. Colonies that had stood for decades were completely erased, families were forever scarred, and the whole galaxy was forced to watch as their destroyers floated serenely through space.

That was what was being brought into question now, actually.

"The Reapers have been doing an… impressive job of repairing the Mass Relays," a Salarian reported; he had been to several of these meetings, but Hackett couldn't muster the energy to remember his name. "At this rate, we will have pre-war transport capabilities within the next two years."

"That's excellent news," Councilor Tevos said tiredly. "Has there been any change in the Reapers' current behavior?"

"None," a Turian general said. "They don't seem to react, even when we aim our guns at them."

"Be sure to emphasize that no one is to actually open fire," Tevos said.

"Of course; no one wants to risk the Reapers finishing what they started."

"That's good," Hackett commented. "Our hospitals are still over-capacity."

"As are ours," Councilor Sparatus agreed. "It will be months before things calm down on the medical front. We have everyone who can apply a bandage working the triage centers."

"We could loan you some old security bots," Hackett offered. "They're no good for surgery, but they can apply pressure to a wound, and they're strong enough to work with a carapace."

Sparatus blinked, and then smiled as widely as his mandibles allowed. "That would be greatly appreciated, Admiral. Where did you even find those robots?"

"Inside an old warehouse. Somehow, both the resistance and the Reapers missed it. We're using some now, but we can give you a few hundred; they're more useful to you than us, anyway."

"Speaking of being useful," Overlord Wrex rumbled, "the Quarians sent a convoy to Tuchanka, loaded with stuff my people can use to start rebuilding our cities. The Geth also sent a bunch of their platforms to help out; they want to help our engineers hit the ground running."

Tevos' face was suspiciously neutral. "That is… surprisingly generous, considering all that is happening."

Wrex shrugged. "Doesn't hurt that one of their admirals is a friend of mine. She talked the others into helping us, since the Geth have been rebuilding all the Quarian cities for three hundred years."

"Is there anything else we should know about Tuchanka?" Sparatus asked.

Wrex sneered, but there was little force behind it. "Well, the Geth removed that bomb your people left on my planet. I have a great vid of it being shot into the sun."

Sparatus had the good grace to look sheepish—at least, Hackett thought that's what it was.

"Since the Geth are being so helpful," Wrex went on, "I've got a few thousand volunteers who are free to help on Earth. We've got experience clearing away rubble."

"That's greatly appreciated," Hackett said.

Wrex shrugged. "It's what Shepard would have wanted."

Tevos coughed to get everyone's attention. "Yes, about Commander Shepard. Is there any chance my government could read his after-action reports?"

Lines had been slowly forming, but Tevos had just brought up the one thing that could unite everyone else against her.

"Which ones?" Hackett asked, unable to hide his scowl. "The ones concerning the Prothean beacon your people have been hiding for thousands of years, in direct violation of the laws your government established?"

Tevos wilted under the glares. "Yes, that. I can assure you—"

"Save it, Tevos," Sparatus snapped. "We'll revisit this topic when we're not still recovering from the war, but we will revisit it."

Tevos failed to completely hide her wince; only a few years ago, her people had all but directed the course of galactic politics, but the discovery of one self-righteous human had blasted apart millennia of carefully cultivated public opinion. It would take a great deal of time and effort for the Asari to reclaim their rightful place at the top of the pyramid.

"I would like to revisit a different point," Councilor Valern said. "The Quarians and the Geth have been mentioned several times during this meeting, but they have no actual representation at present. Have they even been invited?"

Hackett sighed. "I asked Admiral Raan about that, and she said that they simply don't have time right now. They're rebuilding on Rannoch, or helping us; they literally don't have anyone else to spare. I've been in communication with them, and they've turned over executive decisions to me during these meetings. They'll review anything I say regarding Quarian and Geth matters, and can overturn anything they don't like."

Wrex nodded in approval, but the other representatives—the more politically-savvy ones, at any rate—didn't miss that that meant the Systems Alliance basically had three votes. More likely four, since the Krogan had been siding with the humans on more and more matters over the last few weeks.

For the Asari, Turians, and Salarians, it looked like a new power bloc was forming, and they didn't like it. Unfortunately, the state of the galaxy meant that they couldn't do anything about it.

"Very well," Tevos said, and activated her omni-tool. "Let us move on to the next order of business. We're getting reports of smugglers moving through the Terminus Systems…"

…

2188 CE

Liara smirked as she watched the credits roll into her account. Sure, most of it would soon be transferred to various companies operating across the galaxy, but they were safe investments. In a few years, she would get all those credits back a dozen times over. And if those credit transfers 'happened' to contain a few viruses that allowed her to dig up every dirty secret those companies had…

Well, it was practically required of the Shadow Broker.

A tiny cry made her shoot to her feet. She was at her daughter's crib before she was consciously aware of her actions. Despite being conceived mere hours before the greatest battle in fifty thousand years, there had been no complications during the pregnancy. Then again, Liara had access to some of the best doctors in the entire galaxy.

Maybe it was bias of her, but Alanna was perfect. She had the same skin as her mother, and even the same purple freckles under her eyes. Those eyes, however, were a deep green; because of Asari reproduction, it had to be a fluke, but Alanna's eyes were the same as her father's.

"What's wrong, dear?" Liara held out her hand, and her daughter eagerly tugged at her finger. It was a gesture Liara had already learned to interpret. "Oh, you just want up?"

With a smile, Liara extended a weak biotic field around the baby, and lifted her into the air. Alanna squealed as her mother pushed her through the air, before landing in her arms. Despite only being a few months old, Alanna had already discovered a love of flying. If it continued, it wouldn't surprise Liara if her daughter tried using her own biotics to imitate flight. More than a few Asari children tried it during their early lessons.

"Do you want to watch your mother destroy a corrupt official's life?" she asked, as if Alanna could actually understand a single word. "He's a very bad man, and I warned him to stop, but he didn't listen. This is what happens when you don't listen to mommy."

With her giggling daughter in her lap, Liara tapped a few keys on her computer. A moment later, she watched as the Systems Alliance was alerted to a long list of cuts a colonial governor had taken from construction funds. Liara had allowed it because blackmailing him with that knowledge had given one of her operatives access to the ground floor of several lucrative projects. Over the last month, that governor's greed had outstripped his self-preservation, and he was no longer useful. By the time the Alliance came to arrest the man, that operative would cover all trace of the Shadow Broker's involvement.

"A word to the wise," Liara said softly, "never try to play a game against someone you know nothing about."

Liara briefly wondered what Shepard would have thought about her actions. John had never been a fan of her being the Shadow Broker, even if he appreciated all she brought to the table. He had always been the type to confront a dilemma with direct honesty; it was how he'd helped the Krogan, and brokered peace between the Quarians and the Geth.

Remembering the father of her child made Liara wince. To an Asari, a year was no time at all, and Shepard's death was still fresh in her heart. Only a few weeks ago, she had been present at the first anniversary of his memorial; it had been the first time in six months she'd seen any of the Normandy crew, and all of them looked as tired as she felt. It had been a year of nonstop work, recovering from the Reaper War, and the most optimistic estimates had recovery going on for at least another decade. Because of her pregnancy, and now role as a mother, Liara had done most of her work from behind a desk, building up resources and distributing them as needed, while simultaneously creating a web of contacts and favors that put the previous Shadow Broker's network to shame.

An alert from one of her contacts caught her attention; the contents of the report made her frown, and made Alanna tilt her head in confusion.

"It's nothing," Liara assured her. "For now, anyway. I just hope it can be handled before it becomes your generation's problem."

Liara set the report aside for later consideration, and turned back to a message from Miranda. She was considering using her talents in the political ring, and was asking Liara for any support to help get her foot in the door. Liara didn't mind helping her out; it would take some time, but there were far worse things than a true friend who also owed her a favor.

…

2190 CE

"With these signatures, we renew the Systems Alliance," the Quarian dignitary read aloud. "No longer will humans stand alone, but in equal partnership with the Quarians, Krogan, and Geth. Today marks a day of union, of security, and of future prosperity. For the sake of all those who lost their lives to make this day a reality, we swear that nothing will tear the Alliance apart!"

Tevos watched impassively as the crowd on the news cheered. She had hoped that the Systems Alliance would rejoin the rebuilt Citadel Council after their brief withdrawal two years earlier, but that had changed. The Alliance had closest ties to the Quarians, Krogan and Geth—in no small part to the actions of Commander Shepard. After the Reaper War, those four races had pooled their resources more effectively and more willingly than any other reconstruction effort. It had formed strong bonds between them, and it had rapidly snowballed into a four-member government to rival the Council in power.

If there was one thing Tevos couldn't stand, it was a rival.

Within three hours of the formalization of the new Systems Alliance, Tevos had called for a meeting of the Matriarchs on Thessia. Twenty of the wisest and most influential Asari in the galaxy joined her in a dimly-lit room; all of them wore the finest outfits and jewelry available, as if the Reaper War hadn't affected them in the slightest.

"Honored Matriarchs," Tevos began, "I'm sure you all saw the announcement this morning."

"The new Alliance," Matriarch Itrella said calmly.

Tevos nodded; Itrella was an old ally, one who often raised a dissenting voice, just to provide Tevos with a chance to counter any opposition. "Indeed. For the first time in centuries, the Council has a true political rival, one that feels it does not need the guiding hand of the Council… or of the Asari."

"To be fair, we haven't exactly been in a position to give anyone guidance," Itrella pointed out. "Reconstruction is far from complete."

"Which is why we must start considering the future," Tevos said. "If the Alliance proves effective, how long before other races affiliated with the Council begin questioning us? How long before they withdraw from our influence, and seek membership with the humans? The Council is barely holding together as it is; we would not last if even the Hanar sever ties."

"Then what would you suggest we do?"

"First, we make it seem that we are taking the advice of more… vitriolic members of our number, whose names I will not speak." Matriarch Aethyta came to mind. "We have obviously learned from the mistakes of the Reaper War, and will maintain a larger military presence. This will also ease the pressure on the Turians, which will earn us political clout with them."

Another Matriarch raised her voice. "People will wonder who, exactly, we will be preparing to fight."

"We need not say anything aloud," Tevos said. "After all, three stains in history have all gathered under the humans' banner."

Most of the Matriarchs nodded; they had often used fear of the Krogan and the Geth, and the prejudice against the Quarians, to steer the ship of state towards their own ends.

"Let the humans have their Alliance," Tevos said. "It will bring about their own destruction."

…

2199 CE

Hackett leaned back in his chair and stared at the glass of whiskey in his hand. The glass shook slightly, when it had would have remained steady just a few months ago. His age, and the stress of being the Systems Alliance leader for almost ten years were catching up to him. He knew, deep down, that he didn't have much longer to live.

With his own mortality no longer in question, Hackett had a clarity that he hadn't before. He foresaw great change on the horizon, and not all of it good. Lines that had been drawn immediately after the Reaper War were now all but set in stone. Humanity had its allies, but it also had its rivals, and they were growing stronger by the day.

He downed his whiskey, and then called an old friend, as a plan came to mind; he was fortunate that said friend was planning to visit his estate that day anyway.

James Vega was aging well, Hackett noted wryly. He was still fit enough to go into the field, despite his recent promotion to general, and overall leader of Alliance Special Forces.

"Admiral." James saluted sharply. "How've you been?"

Hackett smiled. "No need to salute anymore, General, I'm retired."

James shrugged. "Then I do it because I want to, sir. I'm guessing you didn't ask me to come early because you missed me?"

"No, just…" Hackett coughed, then waved James away when he came to help. "I'm just being an old man that's worried about what he's leaving behind." Hackett poured another shot of whiskey, and slid it over to James. "I have a… a suggestion, if you don't mind."

James sat down and drank the whiskey, briefly humming in approval of its quality. "I'm always open to good advice, sir."

"Stay in contact with the different Normandy crews," Hackett said. "Most of 'em are in positions of power now, or are connected to those that are. I think the Alliance is growing strong enough to handle anything short of another Reaper War, but I'd like to have something… under the radar. Stockpiles of supplies, intel, contacts, that sort of thing. I'm sure Liara would be happy to help lay the groundwork."

James nodded. "You want something that can act outside of the red tape."

Hackett shrugged. "More like something that can speed the process along. I'd rather not have a situation where a lone operative needs to set up a network on their own. We can get so much more done if that network is already up and running."

James tapped his chin in thought. "I think I can make something like that work."

"I just don't want any future enemies to know where all our official logistics go to," Hackett said. "Fortune willing, I'd rather it not be necessary at all."

"Better to have it and not need it, right?" James tapped at his omni-tool for a few minutes. "I'll have a rough sketch done before the end of the week. Knowing Liara, she'll have the whole thing good to go in a year."

"Excellent." Hackett leaned in his chair. "Speaking of Liara, how's Alanna?"

James grinned. "She's a little demonio, that one. Not even fifteen, and she's trying to bully Grunt into teaching her how to fight."

Hackett laughed. "The daughter of Liara T'Soni and Commander Shepard, getting lessons on how to fight from a Krogan super-soldier? She'll be an unstoppable force."

"You should have seen her at the last reunion," James said. "She's got Tali wrapped around her finger, and Wrex said that if Liara even thinks the kid's in trouble, he'll get a whole Urdnot battalion ready to go in less than an hour."

"That's assuming whoever so much as looks at Alanna funny doesn't get flayed alive by her mother, first," Hackett said, and realized that he wasn't joking.

James sobered. "She asked about Shepard for the first time. First time to us, anyway; I don't know if she asked Liara before."

Hackett winced. "What happened?"

"Actually, we all took it well; first time in the last five years no one cried." James sighed. "She's really little, for an Asari, so we just said that he was a hero. That kind of thing. We all promised to tell her more when she was older." James grimaced. "She said she wanted to be a hero, just like him. I think that's what got Grunt to agree to teach her; if she thinks she has to live up to Shepard, she might do something stupid."

"And if she does, she'll have a better chance of surviving if she's not coddled." Hackett poured two more glasses. "Liara and Alanna both have their Alliance citizenships, right?"

"Yeah, plus a few aliases, just in case." James glanced at the time. "Crap, I've got a briefing in twenty."

Hackett waved him off. "Don't let me keep you, General."

James grinned, downed the last glass of whiskey, and saluted. "See you around, sir."

After James left, Hackett held up his glass once more, and stared at the ice floating in the drink.

"Why do I get the feeling that, no matter what we do, our children will still have to shoulder the burdens of our mistakes?"

Okay, so this is happening. I just really wanted to write a next-generation story for Mass Effect. There will be more details of the new Alliance and Council as times goes on, but this was more to plant the seeds of the plot. Part of it, anyway.

I always thought that if Shepard had a kid, that kid would grow up with some of the best teachers in the galaxy. Krogan super-soldiers, tech experts, master marksmen, and biotic powerhouses, to name a few. So, yeah, say hello to Alanna T'Soni-Shepard, everyone!

If you want more science fiction to read, why don't you go check out my book, Alpha Sanction, by Josh Gottlieb? It's got action, mystery, and a cast of borderline-psychopaths! You can find it on my website (link in my profile), or on Amazon, as both eBook and physical copy.

If you want to support me in other ways, I have a P-atreon account (link in my profile). Donations mean I have less to worry about, which means I have more time to write! Highest-tier patrons get a free PDF of my book! If enough of you donate, I can quit one of my three jobs, and have even more time to do the thing I love most!

Speaking of which, I'd like to thank the following Patrons:

Serious Muffins: Nimrod009, Anders Lyngbye, Matthias Matanovic, John Collins, Red Bard, Aaron Meek, killroy225, Lokthar, Hakuryuken

Incredible Muffins: RaptorusMaximus, michaelb958, Crazyman844, Ben Stueckle

Ultra Muffins: RangersRoll, Adam Costello

Next Chapter: The more things change, the more they stay the same…

I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite Muffin on the Citadel.