Hello, So a little background on this. I have been writing and refining this for over a year. I finished my first playthrough of Mass Effect shortly before I started writing this so that means I am a relatively new fan. This is going to be based on my first playthrough and what happened. If there are any questions about that feel free to leave a comment and I will answer as soon as possible. But here are some basics of what happened in my playthrough. Stop reading the Author's Note here and skip ahead to the story, if you want to avoid spoilers.
I had all of the DLCs available to me. Paragon run all the way through. Romanced Kaidan in the first game. Saved Wrex on Vermire. Ashley was left behind. Second game Kaidan broke my heart on Horizon, so I turned to Garrus. I fell in love with Garrus as a character. He is my awkward bean. Only Zaeed died at the Collector Base. Pretty much the only Renegade dialogue options I choose through the whole game were directed at Kaidan throughout the third game. I wished I could tell him how I felt but Shepard was being too nice in my opinion. For this reason, I did not allow Kaidan back onto the Normandy when he asked. I cured the Genophage, Mordin sang as he died. (I literally cried as he died.) I saved both the Quarians and the Geth on Rannoch. (I cried again, but harder this time, when Legion died.) Tali survived. The fight with Kai Leng on Thessia was a bitch to complete. Took me three tries. The Citadel DLC was a lot of fun. I had the energetic party. I talked to everyone on my way to finish the game (except Zaeed. He died.) The conversation with Garrus made me choke up hardcore. And I took Garrus and Tali on the final push for the Beam. I think that's all that's important. Any questions? Leave them in the comments.
Prologue
I stood burning, dying with my grieving friends and comrades. Joker had held then placed Anderson's name plate. He had stood as straight as his body would allow and saluted, a tear rolling down his cheek. I believe because he was also saluting EDI, his now dead AI girlfriend.
I knew it was my turn. I didn't want to do this. It was painful enough knowing she was gone. I died with her when I saw the explosion as the Normandy was fleeing. Her name plate rested gently in my hands, cold and unmoving. I want to pass this to someone who won't break down. She deserves better. But I know they won't take it from me. They were the ones to unanimously agree that I be the one to do it.
So I did. I placed the nameplate on the wall in the middle of all of our dead, under Anderson's. A painful, raw and bleeding hole in my chest opened as the last shred of me that still believed maybe… just maybe… died with her. She didn't deserve to die. She was the hero. This was final.
I stepped back, blindly hoping distance from that slab of rock would ease my suffering. As I did, everyone saluted. I did not. All I wanted to do was scream. Some cried. I refused, instead I fell to my knees.
Soon, people were dispersing. Going back to their jobs on the Normandy. Only a few remained and I did not have the energy to look up and see who.
"Garrus…" Tali said. She was concerned. We all were because we were stranded until the ship was back up and running.
I held a hand up to her. "Save it." My voice sounded dark and rough. I stood. "I just want to be left alone." And with that, I walked away. On my way past the kitchen I found the hardest liquor I could drink and poured myself a couple shots worth into a glass then started heading for the lounge, a room which held fewer painful memories.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Tali being held back by Traynor as Joker tried to reason with her. His eye caught on the bottle I was holding and he looked concerned. I think I saw him shake his head, pleading with his eyes for me to not do this.
Once I entered the lounge, I slid the door closed manually as far as I could. It was dark. I sat on one of the couches and took the, admittedly, large shot. It was definitely more than I was used to. I let the buzz of the alcohol consume my mind and drifted into a fitful slumber on the couch.
Well that's it. I do have about a third to a half of the story completed so far. Still revising and writing more but I feel confident in these first few chapters. Most of the chapters will be longer than this. I hope you all like this. I have had a lot of fun writing this over the past year or so.