"A lot of crazy things happened to us over the 22nd century and we'll into the 23rd. The first use of Orbital Weapons in open warfare, World War 3 somehow not ending up in a nuclear slugfest, a massive civil war between us Humans, the Hohenzollern family retaking their throne, and yet somehow that's not the craziest curveball the God damned universe could have thrown at us. Somehow it wasn't content with us shooting each other. For whatever insane reason that I can't figure out even if my life was at stake, the universe decided to throw an aggressive nation-state of slavers at us, then drag us into not just one, but three entire Galactic scale wars within 60 years. By God, just thinking about it makes me dizzy."

An excerpt from President Steven Hackett's autobiography : Wrong Men; Right Time (published 2267 by Harper Multimedia Co.)

-000-

Camp Taril, Tykis Frontline Sector, Thargora Thoraga, August 20 2192.

Kuril's eyelids slowly opened as he woke. His entire body felt numb and heavy, a sign that showed he had been under anesthetics for a prolonged amount of time. His eyes slowly scanned large room for something or someone he could notify of his waking up. Far in the left corner of his eye, he spotted a Turian wearing a long blue coat. Kuril used what little strength he had to lift his right hand and call out to the blue coated Turian.

The sound that Kuril made was barely discernible as a word, but it had done what it was meant to do. The blue coated Turian looked over to Kuril and called her assistant over. The injured lieutenant dropped his right hand now and it plopped onto the bed. He didn't feel anything though, everything was still numb.

"Welcome back to the land of the living lieutenant." The Turian doctor said. "How do you feel?"

Kuril groaned out noises that vaguely sounded like 'I feel like shit.'

The doctor laughed slightly at that.

"That's the anesthetics still in effect. It should wear off within the next few hours." She continued. "You've taken quite the beating a few days ago. You're lucky to be alive."

Kuril lightly nodded.

"We've had to remove at the very least 49 different bits of shrapnel from your body, but right now there's no telling how much we've missed."

The assistant brought a medical board towards the bed. He then posted several x-ray and sonar shots on the board. Kuril assumed that was him.

"Most of the metal shrapnel we've pulled out of you didn't really do too much damage. Many of them didn't even pierce your plates." The doctor pointed to dozens of shiny metal bits on the pictures. "These were generally inconsequential, but there were several pieces that were of concern. These metal pieces had caused major damage to your body. Had it not been for your armor, we'd be picking you up in pieces."

The assistant brought up a box filled with large metal shards, lightly covered in blue fluids. Kuril assumed the blue fluids were his. Well, who else could it be?

"I understand that some soldiers like to keep things that nearly killed them as memorabilia? If you wish to keep these, you may. If you don't, we'll dispose of them as usual." The doctor said.

The assistant placed the box of shards on the bedside table and then went to retrieve some other items.

"One complication did happen when we we're removing the shrapnel pieces however." The doctor added.

Oh boy.

"One of them had struck you hard enough that it had lodged and somehow hooked itself into your endoskeleton, specifically, your cranium."

The assistant now returned with a mirror and held it in front of Kuril. Now able to see his own face, he could clearly see a sizeable bit of metal sticking out of his head. The metal bit had cracked his forehead plate and bits of blue blood was visible where it stuck out. A shitload of anesthetics must have been being pumped right into him because he couldn't feel anything on him, not even the metal projectile the size of his finger halfway through his face.

"We weren't able to pull that one out with the equipment we have at the moment. We'll have to get you to a better equipped facility to get that thing removed."

Kuril nodded slightly. He was sure he should be freaking out about the fact that he was still alive with a potentially deadly object in his forehead, but he didn't have the energy right now. Besides, he's pretty sure he could freak out later.

"There is… one more thing we've left out." The doctor then added.

The gift keeps on giving it seems.

"I said that had it not been for your armor, we'd be picking you up in pieces. It's true for a certain extent.

The doctor took a deep breath and thought out her words.

"There isn't really any easy way to say this, but… one of the shrapnel pieces had struck you hard enough above your left elbow that it had shattered all the bones there. I'm afraid that we've had to amputate most of your left arm."

She kept quiet to let it sink in for a few seconds. After some quite some time, Kuril started turning his head slowly to the left to inspect the doctor's claims. When he finally could see where his left arm should have been, all he could see was a stump where his elbow was. On that stump, his plates and been broken and cut off, leaving it shortened and dulled.

Kuril entered a state of panic when it fully dawned onto him the implications of loosing his arm. Things turned into a blur as he felt his body simply move. His movements started becoming erratic and wild. The doctor had ordered her assistant to try and restrain the lieutenant but before he could, Kuril started slashing and cut the doctor in the jaw, leaving her with a wound which started bleeding. The assistant now started administering the anesthetics into Kuril's bloodstream again, causing Kuril to slow and calm down.

With the anesthetics starting to kick in, Kuril started feeling lighter, as if a strange calm had blanketed him. Darkness started creeping in from the back of his kind and removing all sensation from his body. The only thing he could feel now was a lingering phantom pain.

-000-

New Canaan Near-Orbital Housing Station, Above Eden Prime, August 21, 2192.

Quentius sat quietly as the Human ambassador, Goyle, finished off her meeting. This was the 16th meeting they're having since the Eden Prime debacle. Today he was hoping to start the formalization process of first contact. The door to the ambassador's temporary office opened and Goyle exited the room. What Quentius didn't expect was for a Batarian to follow her out of the room. Standing up, Quentius decided to investigate as he greeted them. Clearly the Alliance had more going on they were letting on.

"Ambassador Goyle, good morning." The Turian captain greeted.

"Ah, Captain Trevanian, I didn't realize you'd be here early." Goyle said as she shook the Turian's hand. "I don't believe the two of you have met. Captain, this is Mr Dori'han Jarth. He's here as our contact in the Free Batarian Movement."

"Dori'han Jarth? Owner of Jarth Excavations?" Quentius asked.

"That would be Jarth the Elder. I am the younger." The Batarian corrected.

"I see. Ambassador, I didn't realize that the Alliance finds it morally fitting to partner itself with the slaver elites of the Hegemony?" Quentius remarked.

"And what the Hierarchy does is no different? You use your prisoners of war, and all the occupied citizens you hold as slaves in your munitions factories." Jarth retorted.

"A necessity, as opposed to a culture. All we press into hard labor are criminal scum, those who wouldn't be too far off from your ilk." Quentius returned.

The two aliens stared each other down, four eyes staring at two. They've had stood off for what felt like minutes when Goyle interrupted the two.

"Gentlemen, another time perhaps." The Ambassador said.

The two aliens, a head taller than the Ambassador they were meeting turned to look at her. Jarth, having more eyes to spare, noticed that the Alliance Marines currently on guard had tensed up and we're gripping their rifles. No doubt that they were expecting the two to come to blows. The Batarian business heir cleared his throat.

"I suppose we should continue this talk later." The four eyed alien said.

"Yes, I suppose we should." Quentius said.

The Batarian excused himself and left, making his way back to his room. Goyle brought the Turian captain into her office and they both sat down. The Ambassador poured herself a glass of wine and was about to pour one for the Turian too, but stopped herself when she remembered that Turians couldn't consume Human foods.

"I understand that you may be upset about us associating with the owners of Batarian megacorporations, but war isn't exactly our species' favorite pastime." She said.

"I understand trying to end the war as quickly as possible, but is it worth sacrificing your principles? Jarth Excavations are every bit responsible for the atrocities happening in the Hegemony. I'm not sure if public opinion is going to be popular on this." Quentius commented.

"Jarth and his fellow business oligarchs are willing to fund the Free Batarian Movement, a task that the Alliance is currently incapable of doing. In exchange for backing the Insurgents, we've agreed to not dismantle their companies." Goyle drank from her glass. "In all honesty, arming the Insurgents wasn't our top priority up until June, up until Eden Prime. With you giving us a bigger picture, our priorities changed from wiping them out, to making sure we have allies by the time we get our galactic footing straight."

"And are we going to be one of those allies?" the captain asked.

"Depends if this Citadel Council will be a threat to us. Even if President Harper wants good relations with the both of you, we know we're going to have to choose one side over the other at one point." The ambassador explained.

"Then why help us with the Batarians at all?" Quentius asked. "If you make the right moves, I'm sure the council wouldn't mind replacing the Batarians with your people."

"The President has made it clear to me that no alliances are to be drawn up until we officially announce our presence in the wider galaxy. Even then, any alliance of sort between us or any other race will not be popular in public opinion. First contact with the Batarians has caused xenophobic sentiments to grow exponentially. It didn't help that we've been cultivating it through the Propaganda Ministry either." Continued Goyle. "Speaking of which, the Alliance Parliament has agreed to formalization of first contact. They've agreed to host a meet-up with your Ambassador Nyx, whenever he is available in the next few weeks."

"Ah yes, formalization. I was about to get to that. The Head Primarch is willing to meet up personally, actually. He's hoping that a personal appearance by himself would be a sign of trust between our two states." Quentius informed the ambassador as he pulled out some files for her to read. "These are some of our requirements if you wish to host the Hierarch."

Goyle took out her reading glasses and went over the details. After a couple minutes skimming through the admittedly rough translation from Lativish to English, she put it down.

"Just from eyeballing it alone, the requests are reasonable. Tell your Primarch we can have the necessary preparations ready in 3 to 4 weeks." She said as she stood up. The captain followed suit and shook her hand. The ambassador showed him out and they both exited the room.

-000-

Galactic News Updates:

Citadel Central Broadcasting: Today's Frontline update unfortunately brings no better news; the war has stagnated yet again as Turian and joint Council forces have fought to a virtual standstill. Allied forces have struggled to beat back Hierarchy troops, but have settled for a stalemate at the moment.

Hierarchy Official News: Progress in the 2nd phase of the Tor offensive is going well according to plan as Hierarchy forces bleed the Council dry out of its will to fight. High Primarch Fedorian has recently announced that the tides of conflict will soon be turning to the Hierarchy's favor, though details are still classified. More info on this will arrive this weekend so stay tuned for more.

Colonial News Center: A possible armistice with the alien menace, and a strange ally arriving at the nick of time. Keep watching here on CNC Prime Time for more details. Anonymous details from Eden Prime has shed some light about the mysterious VIP that has been residing in the New Canaan Near Orbital Housing Station. Said individual is an Alien political agitator currently under employment of the ACI. The alien in question, a human sympathizer who is a member of their elite ruling class, is reportedly cooperating with the Alliance to install a pro-human government in charge of their own race. Our contact wasn't able to divulge anymore information on the subject, but was able to shed light on the reports of unidentified spaceships spotted over Eden Prime a during the Alien attack. The contact reports that the unidentified ships were indeed Aliens as many had believed. The Aliens were of a different race than the ones attacking and claimed that they too were at war with the offending Aliens. Leaked footage from the battle will tell us more about these new mysterious players…

-000-

A/N:

Finally finished with this one. I'll say, I wasn't expecting so much support from you guys, I even have my own bouts of self doubt every now and then, so these positive feedback does help me keep pushing. I do however would ask for some more critical feedback. English being my second language leaves plenty room for improvement grammar wise. Please, don't be afraid to tell me where I've made grammatical mistakes, it'll only benefit us both to improve my writing.

Also, I'll admit I was running low when it comes to ideas when I started this chapter. Those who've played or watched the source material will know where I lifted Kuril's waking up scene from. It's not my best piece of writing, but I'm not gonna take it back anytime soon.

It's almost the end of the month and since it's likely I won't be updating until next month, I feel like sharing the story's statistics with y'all, just to show how it's performing right now. As of 09:07 PM April 23 2018, Mass Effect: The Great War is at 41,954 views. For April alone, viewers from the US make up 2.1k views at 504 visitors, followed by the UK at 535 views at 118 visitors, and then Canada, Germany, and Australia. Seems like a disproportionately high amount of my viewers are American, I'm not sure why there are so many Americans reading my story compared to other countries, but hey, I ain't complaining.

So, thanks for reading guys, review or message me what I think, and enjoy the rest of your day.