Mass Dragon Effect Codex

by raw666

After humanity's encounter with dilithium crystals and later the darkspawn, technology drastically change for the Mass Effect Universe. From human space exploration to an alliance that rivals the Council. The shift of power will determine if the Reapers will be defeated, or the cycle will repeat itself. The times of heroes are upon the galaxy, and nothing will remain the same.

1. Codex: Human Space Timeline

Codex: Human Space Timeline

A special note about these codexs for the Mass Dragon Effect story was written for two reasons. Firstly, they only exist in this story, so they cannot be found in the two wikis listed below, with a few exceptions found in the timeline. The second reason is that the original had little detail or will be completely different from the wikis below, such as kinetic barriers and thermal clips. I also include all the various races, main Codex, and the enemies the heroes will face more for my benefit to keep track of them. This is not required for Mass Dragon Effect, but for your enjoyment and to see how I built the world's lore. Therefore, I hope you enjoy it.

Codexs websites: wiki/Mass_Effect_Wiki and wiki/Dragon_Age_Wiki

Beta Reader: Albert

Last Update: 12/11/2021

1961 CE

April 12th: Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1 becomes the first human to travel into space. Humanity becomes a spacefaring race.

1969 CE

July 20th: Apollo 11 lands on Luna. Neil Armstrong becomes the first human to walk on Luna and the first human to walk on an astronomical object other than Earth/Terra.

1971 CE

April 19th: Salyut 1 is the first space station put into orbit, allowing humans to live outside of Earth

1998 CE

The International Space Station is put into Earth's orbit, being the first international spacecraft to be made by humans in a unified effort.

2036 CE

March 12th: Jessamine O'Neal is the first human to step on Mars.

2069 CE

July 20th: Armstrong Outpost at Shackleton Crater is considered formally as the first human settlement on Luna, on the 100th anniversary of the first lunar landing.

2070 CE

Billionaire Victor Manswell, frustrated with the pace of official human space exploration, begins funding his own private spaceflight expedition.

2075 CE

The Manswell Expedition successfully launches from Earth en route to the Alpha Centauri System, with 300 colonists aboard in cryogenic stasis. Unfortunately, communications with the vessel are lost soon after launch.

2076 CE

On Earth/Terra, dimensional rifts appeared around the European continent, especially around Vatican Rome. This sparked a resurgence of religion as well as scientific curiosity as many began to flock to study or pray at the phenomenon. It also sparked fear among the various governments around the world as they increased funding for their space and military programs.

The events also push the European nations to solidify into one government known as the Neo-European Union. Once the government was formed, they sent their soldiers to secure the rifts found around the content.

2077 CE: Humanity Discovers Dilithium Crystals

Scientists used filters around the dimensional rifts to collect dust for research, along with several small-automated probes to collect 100-10000 kg of earth samples. As a result, the geologists and radiologists determined the minerals were not from Earth.

During their collections, scientists also discovered crystals that could absorb any different form of energy to produce pure, clean energy with a transfer rate of 80-90% efficiency as opposed to the 40-70% efficiency most generators produce. In addition, the newly dubbed dilithium crystals grew by the amount of energy collected over a period of time. As a result, several world powers began more intense research on dilithium crystals for continued use. They also enacted safety procedures as exposure to any rock larger than 10 micrograms could kill a person.

Several radical religious groups and a few institutions, such as the Catholic Church, tried to outlaw the collecting of dilithium crystals, which they called lyrium 'mystic rocks.' Most governments and companies ignore them. Radicals attempted to attack several labs and companies researching the crystal but were captured and imprisoned. At the same time, scientists moved their research into space.

2080 CE

On a deep-space station, a scientist named Sarha Hornbeck found a way to exponentially increase dilithium crystals' growth. She had determined that bombarding the crystals with large amounts of gamma radiation while allowing solar winds to pass through the crystal would increase the growth rate. From a large shard to the size o bushel basket within days, provided she kept the crystals from discharging their energy. Twenty space stations and several spots on the light side of the moon are laid out to grow dilithium crystals.

2082 CE

On Earth, many children began to show signs of developing powers that resembled magic from fairy tales and other abilities that seemed to defy the laws of physics. These children, called mages, soon found themselves either treated like shamans or experienced a new "witch-hunt" designed to eliminate them. In response, several different governments stepped in to locate and protect these magical children, more out of protecting future military assets rather than out of a moral imperative.

It was later determined through a scientific study that 20% of all children born had developed the gene due to their parent's prolonged exposure to dilithium crystals. By the time scientists discovered the cause of the gene, that now included roughly 60% of the Earth's population and every colonist leaving Earth. The mage gene was identified and studied to track down future mage children.

2083 CE: Humanity Discovers the Fade

The European Space Agency's Lowell City in Eos Chasma becomes the first permanent human settlement on Mars.

The first Dilithium Fusion Reactors were made using crushed dilithium crystals that siphoned off energy in their purest form. The reactors were first put onto spaceships transporting colonists to the Martian colonies and were able to produce artificial gravity in parts of the ship.

Around Earth, dimensional creatures called demons begin to appear around mages or sites with dilithium crystals. These creatures also tried to possess weak-willed mages and/or drain the energy from the crystals to increase their power. Energy fields were used to capture demons or keep these creatures from appearing. The demons captured revealed they came from a world where a group consciousness of the galaxy existed. It was where people dream, dream up new ideas or retrieve old ones. Creating a decline in several religions and marking the discovery of the dream world called the Fade.

Many wealthy governments began paying researchers to help make mages immune from demonic influence.

2085 CE

The United States of America, Canada, and Mexico came together to form the United North America States for the three governments' mutual protection and economic union. One that many saw as necessary as dimensional rifts continued to appear around Europe. A terrorist organization known as Freedoms First was against such a union and tried to break it apart through terror. They had little support due to fear of the dimensional rifts, and most were caught within a few years. They lost all support when they tried to destroy the Statue of Liberty and failed to get close.

2088 CE

Geneticist/Cyberneticist Leo Cameral was able to design cybernetic implants that helped mages become immune to demons but with some drastic side effects. Mages given the implants had their elemental and spiritual powers enhanced, making them perfect frontline troops. However, it also meant they could not use their creation and entropy powers in return. So Dr. Cameral began developing an implant that would do the reverse while several mages were given the current implants, creating the first psychic knights.

2090 CE

Two years later, Dr. Leo Cameral released a new implant for mages that would enhance their creation and entropy powers. The implant also attracted demons and prevented possession by the demons. Mages could gain the demon's powers for brief intervals. However, taking on the demon's powers left the mages with the emotional cost of taking on the personality opposite of the demon's 'sin' These mages were called magicians, and they fit a support role and could act as a final stand in any battle by going berserk with their demon's power. Demons seem to prefer this arrangement as they find out what it means to be mortal without fear of dying after becoming abominations when they possess humans.

2097 CE

The Eldfell-Ashland Energy Corporation demonstrates helium-3 fuel extraction from the atmosphere of Saturn. The fuel would be used to fuel ships' torches/thruster engines, while dilithium crystals would be used to power the ship's systems.

2103 CE

Construction of Gagarin Station (Jump Zero) begins beyond the orbit of Pluto. It would be used as a testbed for new technologies, including new weapons like particle plasma cannons, plasma torpedoes, and plasma lasers. Scientists and engineers also began the construction of the first antimatter reactor on the station.

2104 CE

As time passed and fear of the dimensional rifts began to wane, several governments began to feel public pressure to pull personnel away from the rifts. These groups were ignored initially, but the governments soon capitulated to the 'groups' demands as the public began to lose its fear of the dimensional rifts.

2107 CE

The first antimatter reactor was developed, providing energy several times greater than that available from currently used dilithium crystals. However, these reactors could go critical and severely damage a planet's atmosphere, along with the high price tag for the reactor. So humanity decided they would only be put on large spaceships (heavy cruisers and up) or on large, deep space stations.

2114 CE

Studies determine that brief exposure to antimatter reactors increased the chance a child could become a mage by 5%. And increased the chance of sterility in adults by 30% due to prolonged exposure. Geneticists are hired to correct the problem while the personnel is routinely tested every three months. If they are in danger of becoming sterile, they are moved to a different ship.

2117 CE

Trace amounts of element zero are discovered on Mars.

2118 CE: Humanity Discovers Mass Effect Physics

Humanity discovers a small cache of advanced Prothean technology hidden deep beneath Mars's surface in the south polar region of Promethei Planum. Building on the remnants of this long-extinct race, humans quickly explore the science of mass effect fields. This led to the development of faster than light travel and a detailed exploration of the Sol system. They also develop kinetic barrier/shields, modern kinetic weapons, disruptor torpedoes, and ship-wide artificial gravity and inertia dampers.

Combining faster than light (FTL) drive with dilithium or antimatter reactor energy outputs, ships can travel up to 30 light-years within one day (faster than any known drive). However, it also means the drive cores need to discharge at higher rates due to the amount of energy coursing through them. Humanity begins the construction of several heavy cruiser classes for deep space exploration and defense.

2119 CE

Following information translated from a data cache on Mars, humans discover that Charon, Pluto's moon, is a mass relay encased in ice. Once activated, Jon Grissom leads the first team of explorers through the relay, which instantly transports them to another relay in Arcturus, 36 light-years away. The explorers discover that the mass relays are part of a vast network, making travel across the galaxy possible.

The Human Systems Alliance Charter is signed by eighteen of Earth's largest and most powerful nations. The Alliance soon becomes the military and exploration force for humanity.

2120 CE

The Human System Alliance begins the first surveys for colonization prospects outside the Sol System. These surveys discover M-class planets that would be named Demeter, Eden Prime, and Terra Nova.

2121 CE

Humanity begins constructing a massive military fleet and a space station at Arcturus, the nexus of several key mass relays to defend its expanding territory. Even though they have yet to encounter another intelligent spacefaring race.

An accident at Singapore International Spaceport exposes hundreds of humans to dust-form element zero. As a result, roughly 30% of the children born in Singapore suffered from cancerous growth after element zero exposure.

2122 CE

The Delta Pavonis Foundation, a major consortium based on Earth, begins the settlement of humanity's first extra-solar colony world, Demeter. Within the year, additional colonies were founded on Eden Prime and Terra Nova. They also began building basses on barren planets for the purposed of growing dilithium crystals.

2124 CE

There is a second publicized accident involving the exposure of humans to element zero on the planet Demeter.

2125 CE

The Human Systems Alliance occupies completed portions of Arcturus Station, intended to become the Alliance's headquarters.

Using knowledge of element zero and particle energy, the Earth governments found a way to depolarize the dimensional rifts. An effort was made to close more of the rifts, but the rifts around Italy could not be closed. Panic manifested the populace, thinking it was the sign of an alien invasion that someone or something kept the portal open rather than a natural phenomenon. A large number of civilians began to leave for its new space colonies, especially those in Europe and those bordering the European countries.

2126 CE

Arcturus Station is formally inaugurated.

A small number of children exposed to element zero exhibit minor telekinetic abilities not tied to mages' manipulation of the energy around a person, but rather the manipulation of mass effect dark energy. Using notes from Dr. Leo Cameral's research allowed scientists to create implants that gave biotics the ability to control and manipulate dark energy. It was discovered that like dilithium crystals, exposure to elemental zero caused post-fetal development mutations in children and the creation of people called biotics. An international effort similar to the one developed for mages begins to track exposures to element zero. It also has a constant rate of 10% of children exposed to element zero show biotic ability while the rate is either 5% or 10% from dilithium exposures for mage ability.

An independent study revealed that it is currently impossible to mix mage and biotic abilities. The brain would run 'hot' if a child had both the mage gene (brain cells) and active biotic brainwave. Therefore, the body would naturally repress the gene or higher brain wave activity to save the child. The few children with an active mage gene and a biotic brainwave mutation would die when their brains developed. Often before they were six years of age and the blood-brain barrier closed.

2127 CE

Pluto's orbit becomes circularized because of mass relay operations.

The medical miracle medi-gel was developed by the Sirta Foundation. It has become one of the greatest medical breakthroughs in human history and possibly even galactic history.

2132 CE

The construction of Arcturus Station is completed.

Because of the avid concerns over gene therapy and possible genetic modification misuse, the Human Systems Alliance Courts passes the Sudham-Wolcott Genetic Heritage Act. It imposes sharp restrictions on controversial uses of genetic engineering while providing government subsidies for beneficial applications.

2133 CE: First Contact

While scouting out a potential mining system, a standard Human System Alliance patrol fleet picked up mass effect signatures of over fifty thousand ships. The ships scouted out the area and found a large fleet of unknown alien designs. Realizing they were another species, humans made the first contact with the Quarian Conclave using a ligneous program developed for the Prothean archives. The quarians explained they were an exile from a galactic government known as the Citadel Council for making the geth and being driven from their homeworld by their own AIs. Deeply moved by their plight, the Alliance gave them some of their extra ships and supplies. Along with non-classified technology like dilithium reactors and medi-gel that the quarians could use. The quarians returned the favor by giving up technology like their new Cyclonic Barrier Technology (CBT) for frigates and fighters, non-military tech, and improved drive core design for increased lifespan. They also provided common information on galactic politics and advanced biotic/tech techniques the Alliance put to good use.

The quarians would leave Alliance space after a year, but not before the Alliance let them know they were welcome anytime they needed help. Many quarians would head to Alliance space during their pilgrimage to work for a gift to take back as part of their pilgrimage.

2134 CE

The various governments got together to discuss whether they should make contact with the Citadel Council. They decided not to contact as they thought they were not ready on a social, economic, or military level and were cognoscente of the Quarian Conclave's problems.

While the various governments decided against contact with the Citadel Council. They did decide that the Human System Alliance would have the right to create a Parliamentary Government to represent humanity when first contact was made. Within a year, a Prime Minister and several other officials were elected into office to represent the Interplanetary Government.

Faced with the fact that humanity could be confronted with hostile aliens, various military forces donated large portions of their forces to the Alliance for the inevitable contact with hostile forces.

2135 CE

The Hannar Keedar developed recon and rocket drones and FENRIS, LOKI, and YMIR mechs to act as substitute security for human colonies and private companies. While they were no substitute for trained military or police personnel, they were great for heavy support. As well as guarding places that the Alliance or police forces could not patrol due to the extremely hazardous conditions or lack of numbers.

With the possibility of finding a hostile species, several industries for the Human System Alliance's military technology used research from the quarians to make various new equipment and vehicles. These included an early design of the Everest class Dreadnought, the A-61 Gunship, M-35 Mako, M-44 Hammerhead, F-61 Trident Fighter, and UT-47 Kodiak Drop Shuttle.

2139 CE

The Human Systems Alliance purchased Gagarin Station at a fraction of its construction cost before converting the facility into a biotic and mage research/training facility. The Alliance also uses it as a research facility to study particle plasma and mass effect technology.

A fierce debate on whether humanity should contact the Citadel government takes place, but in the end, it was narrowly defeated, as a fierce debate would continue on the topic.

2140 CE: The Begin and End of the Human Turian War

February 6th: At Relay 314, a Human System Alliance fleet of two cruisers and six frigates activated the relay for faster travel to an established colony. While they were activating the relay, they encountered a heavy Turian Hierarchy patrol force. The turians noticed the humans and moved to attack them for activating a dormant relay of unknown origin (to them), an act forbidden by galactic law after the Rachni Wars. They did not even try to contact the humans' patrol fleet before they opened fire, destroying a cruiser and a frigate with their first barrage. The humans returned fire with PCPs and kinetic weapons, destroying, or damaging several turian ships, including the command ship, sending the turians into disarray. The surviving Alliance cruiser and three frigates retreated before the turians could reorganize. The turians did not pursue the humans, but they did contact the Hierarchy's High Command about a possibly hostile alien race that needed to be subjected under their banner.

February 7th: The surviving Alliance ships reached the colony Shanxi and warned the Alliance that the turians were coming. The fleets began to scramble as they waited for the Turian Hierarchy to arrive. A Heavy Cruiser, SSV Discovery, was sent to contact the Council in the hope of ending hostilities before the war began. However, the ship's mission failed, as the turians intercepted and disabled the ship. Captain Yamato Inuzuka destroyed his own ship to prevent the turians from gathering information about their race and technology.

February 16th: The Turian Hierarchy 7th Fleet under General Desolas Arterius attacked the Human System Alliance colony Shanxi. The turians destroyed the small fleet and defense satellites over the planet with few turian casualties before they moved to occupy the planet. On the planet, the turians met heavy ground resistance from human fighters, gunships, tanks, mechs, techs, biotics, mages, and soldiers under General Alexander Williams. The turians were caught by surprise, but they still pushed the humans back under the juggernaut of the Turian's army.

February 18th: The Turians were about to drop asteroids to quell human resistance when the 2nd Fleet under Admiral Kastanie Drescher dropped in to face the Turians. At close quarters combat using kinetic weapons, PPCs, and plasma lasers. On the planet, General Williams used planetary space cannons hidden in the mountains and hills. The Turians lost the majority of their ships in the crossfire, including General Arterius's command ship. Only a small number of frigates would escape 'The Slaughter of Shanxi,' as the turians would call it.

February 21st: The surviving turian ships had returned to Turian Space, and the Turian Hierarchy prepared for full-scale war against the Human System Alliance. However, the other two members of the Citadel Council, the Asari Republic and the Salarian Union, found out about their attack. They put pressure on their fellow Council member to stop their march to war as they tried to start negotiations with this unknown species. Under the future Asari Councilor, Matriarch Tevos, Envoys were sent to Alliance territory to negotiate a cease-fire. They were surprised to find that humanity knew about the Council's existence and decided not to make contact due to personal reasons. Talks soon began between the Human System Alliance and the Citadel Council.

April 4th: After months of negotiations, the two came into agreement. The Human System Alliance would receive an embassy, the ability to build 2 dreadnoughts for every 5 dreadnoughts the Turians build, and the promise of military and political aid for any issue they would come across. In return, the Alliance would set up cheap trading rights of their non-classified technology, defend trade routes near their borders, and sell a fixed amount of dilithium crystals to the Council. A peace treaty was officially signed between the Human System Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy. A peace treaty would hold despite the resentment both species had for each other.

An anonymous extranet manifesto was published following the end of the Human Turian War. The manifesto calls for an army, a 'Cerberus,' to be established to defend humanity against inevitable alien attacks. Derided as 'survivalist rhetoric written by an Illusive Man.' The manifesto is quickly forgotten by the media.

2142 CE

Tensions between the Human System Alliance and the Citadel Council began to rise as various Citadel governments wanted the humans to sell their more advanced technology but were not able or willing to trade technology just as advanced to the humans. Disagreements escalated as the humans demanded equal or more advanced technology while the Council only wanted to trade in the form of money or resources used for the short-term trade benefits rather than an equal trade.

The Alliance had caught various Citadel companies trying to hack into their servers and sued them for their attempts. Even though the Council claimed ignorance, the humans suspected the Council had a hand in it. However, they did not have enough information to call it a violation of their treaty. And the Alliance themselves could not breach the treaty without facing severe repercussions from a government that did not want to release them and was more powerful than they were. That fact did not stop the Alliance from developing plans to separate from the Council if tensions got worse.

April 12th: The Terra Firma party is formed under the promise to keep Earth's needs first and to have the Human System Alliance stand alone and away from the Citadel Council. Many of its members are known to be racist.

2143 CE

A series of starship drive failures are orchestrated over populated areas on human colony worlds, causing widespread exposures to element zero. Resulting in the second generation of humans being born with biotic potential.

Medi-gel hits the galactic market for multiple races. Hospitals and a large number of military organizations began to buy the miracle gel in bulk. Simultaneously, an activist group against genetics tried to outlaw medi-gel, as it was technically illegal. However, the Council ruled in the Alliance's favor because medi-gel was far too useful for everyone to outlaw it.

2145 CE

Terrorists tried to steal antimatter from the Alliance cruiser SSV Geneva. The sole figure arrested named his sponsor 'Cerberus.' This is the first known incident of sabotage connected to the Cerberus organization, but it was not the first suspected incident.

After years of the military being shipped off Earth, only a small battalion was stationed around the dimensional rifts. That would prove to be a mistake as a scientist claimed that the rifts were getting bigger.

2147 CE: The Beginning of the Mutant/Darkspawn War

September 1st: People begin to get sick around Earth as an airborne virus spreads through the population. Exanimation reveals that the disease mutates the X-chromosome of its victim, and it was a cross-species disease. General order quarantine takes effect as the governments of Earth try to combat the disease.

By the end of the year, one out of ten, roughly 800 million people, would be infected or dead from the airborne disease as it targets each species equivalent of the X-chromosome. As the X-Chrome Mutation Disease (X-disease for short) begins to spread, the rifts slowly form into portals. Many people are moved to pray at the portals for hope, getting in the way of the small military that normally guards these portals.

October 3rd: The Portals at the Vatican eventually become large enough that an army could walk in and out. Pope Clement XVI considered it a sign from God and had all the Cardinals and Bishops pray with him in front of the Vatican portal. Other governments considered it a danger but spent so much time arguing about what to do that by the time they reached a tentative decision, it was too late.

October 10th: During a large prayer meeting of church officials, creatures called mutants (later known as darkspawn) jumped out of the portal and attacked with weapons resembling Earth's medieval era. Despite lacking a technological advantage, sheer numbers alone allowed the mutants to succeed in killing everyone around the portals. That included the entire Church's ruling hierarchy and the army guarding the portals. They also took the army's weapons, providing the horde with kinetic weapons to replace their swords. The Mutant/Darkspawn War had officially begun.

Only the Swiss Guard and a few citizens of Rome had survived by sealing themselves in the Church's vault within Rome itself. They would later form a resistance force that attacked the mutants behind enemy lines.

Alliance command splits the mutants into four categories: goblins, grunts, ogres, and shirks.

After three weeks of constant fighting, two-thirds of Europe was under the mutant's control while the other countries worldwide were under constant attack. The mutants were also involved in the kidnapping of several implanted mages and biotics. Along with several healthy women to be used for what would later be termed a "terrible fate and purpose."

October 31th: Several hospitals go silent across the world. Teams were sent to investigate and discover something unsettling in the process. One out of thirty women infected mutates into terrible creatures called broodmothers that give birth to mutants and others that they consume. DNA testing revealed that the grunts and goblins representatives of the horde are created through mutated human DNA. The source of the other types of mutants remains unknown for the time being.

The Alliance began orbital bombardment to contain the plague, only with some success due to the mutants living underground and taking control of planetary defense and shield generators. Any woman near these battle zones or serving the military on Earth is given suicide pills to take if infected or captured.

Two weeks later, a few of the captured implanted mages and biotics appear. They were made into the vanguards and field unit leaders of the horde, along with bringing enough firepower that would turn the tide of battle for the horde. It is also noted that the horde developed un-implanted biotics along with un-implanted mages. Mages and biotics are given suicide pills as well.

Realizing they could not contain the plague, the Alliance pleaded to the Council for aid. The Council would not even tell them it was purely a human matter until two months after the request for aid. The Alliance planned to leave the Council to look for aid outside their domain.

Several isolated space stations are taken or built by the Human System Alliance to be used as a sterile environment to work on a cure or an inoculation for the X-disease. They also conducted in-depth research on the mutation. As a result, they made several discoveries that allowed the Earth's governments to hold the line.

By the end of the year, a little more than one-eighth of the Earth's population was dead or infected. Only a few cities were left in Europe, including London, Vatican Rome, Rome, Paris, Moscow, and Berlin.

2148 CE

January 21st: Frustrated by the lack of aid, the Human System Alliance stated the Council violated the treaty they had signed and called a breach of the treaty. The Alliance stopped all trade agreements, cut all ties, and ended the treaties they had signed with the Council except for a few. Like the Treaty of Farixen, Sharing Prothean Technology, and the Armrest Agreement. The Council could do little about it since it was the law and was technically not a rogue state with the treaties maintained. They would regret not helping as the Alliance decision. They nearly put the Council's economy into a recession as they grew to depend on cheap trade going through Alliance space and new resources only the Alliance could provide.

Angry at the Alliance cutting all ties, the Council made it clear that anyone aiding the Human System Alliance would face severe repercussions. The Hanar Illuminated Primacy was the only government that ignored the Council. They secretly sent ships, drell assassins, and supplies to aid the Alliance fight to contain the X-Chromes Mutation Disease.

Once the Alliance left the Citadel, the Alliance sought out the Quarian Conclave for aid, and the two came to an agreement. The quarians sent a large number of ships to help the Alliance contain the disease and lent their best tech experts for mechs, defense satellites, weapons, and such to help Earth. In exchange, the Alliance would terraform a planet where the quarians could live and act as a safe haven for their species. A planet they would be called New Rannoch

The mutants began making footholds in African and Asia. As a result, some animal species in Europe, Asia, and Africa are brought to extinction as desperate humans, and hungry mutants hunt them down for food. However, the humans hold the line for a few months, thanks to modified mechs provided by the Quarians.

Examining blood enzymes from a broodmother proved useless in finding a cure. However, it did prove useful as they discovered how the broodmother's increased fertility rates between species. It was useless information for humans, but it would lead the way to negotiate with the krogan race because of the salarian genetically modified disease known as the genophage. This partial cure, known as genofertilization, would increase the fertility rates from one out of a thousand to one out of fifty in the krogans. Delegates secretly head to Tuchanka to negotiate with the various clans for aid.

The Alliance reached an agreement with Clan Urdnot and its allies under Urdnot Wrex. For a large number of warriors, they would distribute the cure among their allied clans, along with the necessary supplies they needed. Each warrior also would be properly equipped, receive medical examination/treatment and food, and be paid one hundred credits per week. The compensation would be increased to two hundred and fifty credits for each warrior that serves on Earth. Money that the krogans used to pay the Alliance and various trusted companies for food and medical supplies for their general public while hiring engineers and scientists to help rebuild Tuchanka. The Alliance would slowly ship krogans to several planets the Alliance occupied to make it seem that the Alliance hired a large number of mercenaries for Earth. Rather than an organized krogan military.

Pirates that had tried to take advantage of the Alliance's weakened state were pushed back by heavy resistance and pushed away from their territory. One particular fleet disappeared near the Perseus Veil.

2149 CE

The mutants began a heavy push on Earth. Most of Europe, Africa, and Russia were taken along with parts of Asia. Many feared Earth would fall before an inoculation could be discovered when a new source of aid came from an unexpected source, the Geth Collective.

Concerned that quarians would invade their space thanks to the technology the Alliance gave them for their aid, the Geth appeared under a white flag to discuss terms for peace. In exchange for the same technology the Alliance offered the Quarians and a peace treaty between all parties, they would send Geth units to immediately aid the Alliance and give back to the Quarians half of their former colonies and the quarian's homeworld, Rannoch.

After a month of debate, the Human System Alliance and the Quarian Conclave agreed to the Geth Collective's terms. The Geth sent a large number of troops to push the mutants out of Africa and Asia while they were contained in Europe. The Quarians also sent a large number of ships to settle on their homeworld. At the same time, the more paranoid or stubborn stayed on New Rannoch. A sorrowful peace began to settle for the quarians when they learned the entire history of the Morning War while the geth helped the quarians resettle Rannoch.

November 5th: The Human System Alliance had finally discovered an inoculation that would prevent the X-disease from infecting its host. Therefore, plans were made to retake Earth from the mutants. Many chemical plants and labs began mass production of the vaccine.

While the Alliance and allied forces planned to invade Earth, spaceports were open for the first time in years. They began to ferry people to stations to inoculate and quarantine them for a week before being shipped to the colonies. As a result, the populations in several of the colonies begin to double or triple within weeks.

2150 CE

January 1st: E-Day happens as allied forces of humans, drell, geth, and krogans invade Earth under the command of General Alexander Williams, General Lee Yui, and Admiral Hamachi Aardvark. The most famous troops known as the 'First Battalion' under a human mage named Major Alice McCoy, a geth infiltrator named Legion I, and the head warlord/biotic krogan named Urdnot Wrex.

Within weeks, the allied forces pushed the mutants deep into the central European and Italian Alps, taking the few major cities back and a large amount of now barren territory.

The mutants were able to hold the line with three new types, war dogs (quarians), snappers (krogans), and chameleons (drell). Combined with surprise attacks in the allied-controlled territories from mutants' tunnels across Europe meant allied forces suffered heavy casualties.

Allied forces had discovered the underground tunnels. They began to send troops deep underground, fighting and burning the mutants down while pushing back the survivors.

May 8th: One of the sterilized space stations goes silent. Fearing a containment failure, a squad under Alice McCoy is sent to retake the station. Instead, they found that most of the scientists were still alive and comfortable thanks to a sentient mutant that called himself the Architect. The Architect revealed that his species are called darkspawn, thralls to corrupted creatures called the Archdemon, and he seeks a means to break them from the creature's 'song.' He believed the Alliance's genetic technology could help, so he brokered a deal. In exchange for vital data the Alliance needed for their war against the darkspawn, he would be given safe passage back to Earth, along with some of their technology. The allied races reluctantly agreed.

The data given to the allied races was valuable and allowed them to push the darkspawn in Italy into a few isolated pockets of heavy resistance.

As the war continues, a larger number of quarians begin to feel sympathetic to the geth, especially as the full history of the Morning War became well known. However, a small, loud group refused to accept peace and instead talked about destroying the geth while the geth were spread out across Alliance's space. Tired of being ignored, the small group called Tasi planned to take over the fleet to attack the geth with a member of the Admiral Board. However, Tasi had tried to recruit Rael'Zorah, who took the information to warn the fleet.

July 18th: The quarians tried to arrest the conspirators, but Tasi took over one of the Live Ships and held the civilian population hostage until their demands were met. The termination of their alliance with the geth and any allied race that supported them. The quarians contacted their allies for help. They responded by sending the First Battalion to help retake the quarians' Live Ship.

July 20th: The First Battalion was sent to raid the Live Ship with the aid of Rael'Zorah. Within hours, they took out Tasi with minimal civilian and allied casualties. Combined with the geth sending aid to the quarians, hostilities between the two races ended, and the peace would hold. Rael'Zorah was invited into the First Battalion as a Commander in charge of the support ships due to his shown leadership qualities. He accepted with honors.

On Tuchanka, Wrex began to gather greater support for the alliance and even began to talk of a permanent alliance with the support of a famous female shaman, Urdnot Branka. Several clans were supportive of the alliance that helped rebuild Tuchanka, but some did not agree. Wrex's brother Wreav opposed the alliance and thought they should take the genofertilization for themselves before waging war on the galaxy. However, Wrex was too popular to oppose, but that did not stop Wreav from trying to assassinate Wrex.

August 12th: Wreav and several of his supporters tried to assassinate Wrex as he returned home. It failed thanks to several of Wrex's bodyguards and a human named Lt. Carol West, a powerful mage and friend of Wrex. The battle was bloody, and only Wrex and two of his bodyguards survived, while Carol took Wreav down before she died.

Enraged by his friend's death, Wrex tracked and killed the other conspirators in his own clan. With most of the opposition dead, Wrex honored his friend by being the first alien to be buried on Tuchanka. His actions rallied the support of most of the clans to create the Krogan Clan Alliance. Urdnot Wrex was appointed as head of this new government. A position he hated, as he was unable to rejoin the war and help the humans retake Earth. The humans welcomed as the krogans bolstered their numbers on Earth as a unified force.

2151 CE: End of the Darkspawn War

[Top Secret]: During the war, the Geth Collective reported they received threats for their support of allied forces by something they call the 'Old Machine.' The 'Old Machine' is an old creature that claimed to be very powerful and can offer the geth technology to reach the next stage of evolution. Provided they severed ties with the organics. Whether its claims are true or not remains a mystery at this time as the allied races prepare to help the geth.

[Top Secret] January 29th: The Forth Fleet, supported by quarian and geth ships, moved to protect a valuable shipment of materials and cybernetics needed to help the geth evolve into individuals when they were attacked by several pirate ships, rogue hacked geth, and the 'old machine' that called itself Sovereign. The battle was intense and bloody but ended with a damaged Sovereign on the retreat while its "allies" were killed. However, the casualties were high with the destruction of 1 dreadnought, 2 carriers, 3 heavy cruisers, 7 cruisers, 8 heavy frigates, and 26 frigates, plus a large number of fighters. Deactivated material from Sovereign's wreckage was collected once it was determined safe. The wreckage would later give rise to new technological advances.

The events were classified and officially reported as a struggle of radicals against synthetics to prevent a panic. They did inform the Council of the truth though they did not believe the ship was alive. However, it did not stop them from going to the battle site to take samples and copy sensor logs to copy the technology.

Concerned with the continuing war between the allied races and the darkspawn, the Council sent several operatives to Earth in secret. Unfortunately, the Council lost contact with all their operatives within days and did not tell the Alliance about their missing operatives.

Within weeks, the Alliance began seeing several new types of darkspawn: avians (turians), bashers (elcor), stingers (hanar), and vrogs (salarians) as the darkspawn seem to grow exponentially.

Concerned about the increase in enemy numbers, Legion-I moved behind enemy lines with several drell, geth, human, and a few quarian infiltrators to find the source. They discovered the survivors of the Council infiltration team: an asari, two salarians, and five turians. The rest were killed or turned into broodmothers. It also revealed that when an asari is turned into a broodmother, they make darkspawn of the asari 'father species' and give birth to other broodmothers. The survivors of the team are taken away while the cave is firebombed. It is unsure how many new asari based broodmothers now exist.

After the survivors were taken back to Council Space, the Council finally agreed to send aid to the Human System Alliance. However, they were turned down, claiming they had done enough damage as of now.

March 8th: General Alexander Williams is killed by Darkspawn assassins during the release of new darkspawn units.

May 5th: During a battle for one of their forward command bases near Italy, Major Alice McCoy saw a hole in the lines and took a chance. She led the First Battalion to the hole, punched through their lines, destabilized the darkspawn, and forced them to retreat. At the same time, the First Battalion went to Rome and the Vatican. Within three weeks, most of Italy was secured thanks to the First Battalion and the Vatican Swiss Guard as the darkspawn retreated south.

With the Vatican secured, the Alliance began setting up a post to keep the Darkspawn from poring through the portal, using gun nests and mines to keep them back while the First Battalion started hunting down the few remnants of the Darkspawn on Earth. The Darkspawn remained quiet for a few months.

August 2nd: The Darkspawn had used the months to gather ships in an attempt to break through the blockade with several decommissioned frigates, over thirty freighters, and hundreds of fighters and gunships. It breaks out into a fierce space battle as the darkspawn takes over a few planetary space cannons to fire on the blockade fleet. They would have broken through if the First Battalion did not retake the planetary cannons and attacked darkspawn forces from behind. The entire darkspawn fleet was destroyed, along with the last remaining darkspawn on Earth.

The entire First Battalion was declared heroes, and Alice McCoy was promoted to Colonel for her heroic actions. Her entire family attended, including her daughter, Hannah Shepard.

The Human System Alliance's Parliament began discussions on how to collapse the portal, as Earth had a population of 3.8 billion at the time, and they could not be evacuated. Without any indications of how to close the portals while darkspawn kept pouring through, they instead initiated a plan called Operation Home Wreck. The plan included the firebombing of the portals' entrance for several weeks before sending the First Battalion to invade the darkspawn in their home lair.

October 3rd: Late in the evening, the First Battalion moved into the portal with a nuclear warhead. Their objective was to set off the warhead and kill as many darkspawn as possible. As soon as they entered, they discovered large tunnels still filled with darkspawn that had survived the firebombing. The mission escalated into a heavy firefight. The team pushed to put the nuclear device deep into the tunnels far away from the portal and prevent the nuclear blast from reaching the Earth's surface. Battalion casualties were enormous. After six hours of hand-to-hand combat, they lost a fourth of their men fighting to secure at most 5 km (3.18 miles) of tunnels from the Rift.

October 4th: While exploring the tunnels looking for a place to leave the bomb, the group discovered a large group of children, all females. The majority were humans or humans with the dominant dwarf gene, but twenty-nine of them were entirely different species. One claimed they were elves, while the other was an entirely new species with horns called qunari. Realizing it was now a rescue operation, Colonel Alice McCoy ordered a fourth of her men to escort the seventy children away. While the rest placed the bomb in the tunnels. After they had set the bomb, the group was about to leave. When the Archdemon appeared with an army of darkspawn, the fighting was extremely bloody. Each time the creature was killed, a darkspawn would transform into an Archdemon. Finally, they used M-920 Cain Cannons to obliterate the remaining darkspawn and buy them time to plan the next wave. Knowing that their position had been compromised, Alice took a third of her remaining men to protect the bomb while the rest fled to safety. Her men who had volunteered followed orders as her group held the line. A last-minute transmission before the warhead was detonated revealed that they had been overwhelmed as Alice made a last stand against the Archdemon. The explosion ended the Darkspawn War and resulted in an over 60% casualty rate for the First Battalion.

The last portal was closed within two weeks of relative peace, and the war was officially over. The First Battalion under Captain Caleb Wolfangle and Legion-I was given unit citations and the highest medals of honor for their explanatory service. The two accept the reward for the unit with a young krogan named Terex, Commander Rael'Zorah, and a rising star in special forces, Lieutenant David Anderson. It marked the beginning of the unification of the four races and as they began to talk about a more permanent alliance.

Most of the children saved by the First Battalion were put up for adoption to various families on Earth or in the colonies while trying to keep blood-related children together. A few would remain in foster care until they were of age, but none of them were qunari or elf.

The Hanar Illuminated Primacy continued their alliance with the humans but opted out of unification talks to remain within the Council. However, they did get exclusive trade rights with the geth, humans, krogans, and quarians.

2152 CE: Birth of the Union of Federations

February 3rd: The Geth Conclave, the Human System Alliance, the Krogan Clan Alliance, and the Quarian Conclave formed a collective alliance known as the Union of Federations. The Federation would be the first joint military and social government outside the Citadel.

The first order of the Federation was to enter into a trade agreement with the Citadel Council, but while stating that they would remain outside the Council. The Council reluctantly agreed, and all four races now share a diplomatic embassy in the Citadel. Most of the basic treaties were signed except those that placed limits on Ais' rights, genetic technology, and exploration policies. Several Federation ships were sent out to explore new clusters to help support their members' rising population.

2154 CE

April 11th: Jane and John Shepard are born on the USS Einstein. Jane showed signs of being a mage, while John showed signs of being a biotic.

The First Battalion was reassigned as the Federation Special Forces group, similar to the Council's SPECTRE. Most of the SPECTREs began working with the First Battalion, while a few protested working with them. The most noticeable was a turian named Saren Arterius, son of General Arterius, who had died in the Human Turian War.

Due to increased strain and trouble among its four members, the Union of Federations began to centralize its military, government, and economy into one unified government.

The Federation started funding the Homeworld Restoration Bill, a proposal to restore the human, krogan, and quarian homeworlds to their natural state. Work began by using cloning technology and new environmental technology to fully restore the damage done to these three worlds.

2155 CE

The Federation now centralized Navy introduces and builds new classes of ships that were either redesigned old ships or entirely new designs.

New Thanix Cannons and less expensive Solaris Armor are offered to the public after a Federation attack frigate saved an asari matriarch and her corvette from pirates. The other races outside the Hanar Illuminated Primacy work to copy the technology while the Council reveals theirs. Only the turians and salarians made perfect copies while the asari had made superior models. Intelligence suggests that the Council races were able to copy the technology due to the salarian's spy programs, their own samples of Sovereign, and asari superior knowledge of mass effect technology.

The Federation began constructing Arcturus Station II, using the original Arcturus Station as a base for the station's final design. It would operate as the home base for the Senate Council of the Union of Federations. At the same time, the Human System Alliance government was moved to Luna.

2158 CE

The Union of Federations was officially recognized as an independent government by the Citadel Council and considered to be allies. However, despite their independence, many still considered the Federation an associate member of the Council. As they were often treated like that by the Council. Still, the newly established trade routes and the aid the Federation received from the Council kept the Federation from protesting too much.

The quarian homeworld Rannoch was considered fully restored.

2160 CE

The Arterius Station II was completed and christened by a newly elected President, Jessie Lamar.

The Cerberus organization, a black opt/human terrorist group, began hiring non-human members that are part of the Federation. However, the group was still composed of mostly humans.

The Federation began offering trade protection treaties with several planets, including a promise to protect trade routes between the Federation and Citadel against pirates and slavers. Making them very popular as the pirate and slaver population began to decrease over the years to come. They are also in a position to act as a third party to help negotiations with the various Terminus System warlords and the Citadel Council since a large number of their trade routes ran through Federation space.

2161 CE

In an offer of peace between the Federation of Worlds and the Citadel Council, geth, hanar, humans, quarians, salarians, and turians co-design a new stealth class spaceship dubbed the Specter class frigate. The STG and a few SPECTREs use the stealth ship combined technology: geth cloaking generators, quarian engines, human dilithium crystal reactor, hanar interfaces, the Federation's new Tantalus Drive Core, salarian stealth drive, turian ship design, and Council and Federation weaponry.

The Federation saw greater potential for the Specter class and made a Spirit class heavy frigate that could launch surprise attacks on large ships. Six prototypes are made for the Spirit class: USS Normandy, Waterloo, Little Bighorn, Iwo Jima, Canrum, and Morning. They would be assigned to the First Battalion along with twelve more vessels by the end of the decade.

Federation forces revealed that the krogans had been partially cured by the application of the genofertilization. The Council at first was alarmed, but seeing the krogans have not made any action against the Council decided to let it slide. However, a few STG members noted that the number of krogan births was higher than the humans had predicted and decided to investigate the krogan's population boom.

2163 CE

An unknown team secretly begins AI research at a base on Sidon under Dr. Shu Qian. Lt. Kahlee Sanders is assigned as a tech analyst.

The first Federation AI named Eliza was born in secret on a Gagarin Station. Under Commander Anderson's recommendation, she was given full rights by geth suggestion and integrated into the USS Normandy. The Citadel Council was made aware of the AI's birth five years later as a VI upgraded to AI by 'accident.' In addition, while Eliza was considered the first, she would not be the last AIs created 'accidentally' and flat out intentionally by the Federation.

2164 CE

The human homeworld Earth/Terra is considered restored with the return of species that have not been seen in over five hundred years. Also, advanced technology repaired much of the damage done to it over the years.

2165 CE

As the Federation continued to expand, founding more colonies and establishing strong trade alliances, the Council acknowledged their contributions and offered them colony rights to Attican Traverse and the Skyllian Verge. It was hoped their presence would restore order in the area. Instead, their presence created tensions between the Union of Federations and the Batarian Hegemony. They competed for territory in the Skyllian Verge.

After a Federation research station at Sidon was attacked, Commander David Anderson searched for those responsible alongside Kahlee Sanders. The. They discovered an Alliance scientist, Dr. Shu Qian, was conducting AI research to unlock the secrets behind a mysterious artifact discovered near the Perseus Veil. Eventually, Anderson's squad was assigned to work with Saren Arterius to track down and capture Dr. Qian and his batarian supporter, Edan Had'dah. However, Saren killed both Dr. Qian and Had'dah and tried to blame Anderson for a refinery explosion that killed several workers and the two men. He was unsuccessful as the First Battalion vouched for Anderson and noted how he helped save most of the civilians when Saren caused the refinery to explode. Anderson requested observations on Saren's activities, and he would be assigned to monitor the SPECTREs. He was granted his request. As a result, the relationship between the First Battalion and the SPECTREs was strained for a time as the First Battalion, and Federation blacklisted Saren.

2167 CE

Salarian STG finally found enough evidence that the krogans were becoming immune to the genophage. In response, an angry Dalatrass ordered a young but talented geneticist Mordin Solus to create a more advanced genophage along with work on neutralizing the effects of genofertilization.

2168 CE

Frustrated by their lack of keeping up with the Union of Federations, Batarians began funding pirates and slavers to attack them, particularly human or krogan colonies. Federation CID hackers catch on to the plot. They begin siphoning money from the exchanges while putting the colonies on high alert. Several pirate and slaver-organized attacks were repulsed by the Federation forces, and some found their accounts empty. However, it does not deter the pirates as the batarians keep paying them through several channels, along with small-scale success. Mainly on small or independent colonies on the fringes of Federation space.

Realizing that their overall pirate strategy was not working, several Batarian military officials started asking the Hegemony to increase their military funds. So, they could build up the military strength to deal with a crippling blow directly to the Federation. However, the government and the military had not realized they were heading into an economic recession as they continued to fund the pirates. While getting little return from the generally unsuccessful raids.

The Jon Grissom Academy was commissioned in Elysium. It became home to the Alliance's new biotic and mage training program called the Ascension Project.

2169 CE

Due to the thousands of years of neglect, the krogan homeworld Tuchanka was considered restored to the best possible extent, and funding ended for the Homeworld Restoration Bill. While discouraged, many krogan were content. A good portion of the planet became a jungle again, which should help restore the atmosphere over time, again thanks to the work of the Homeworld Restoration Bill.

Mordin's team would successfully create and launch a new version of the genophage to keep birth rates low. He also started work on a counter to the genofertilization but argued against its deployment. It potentially would cause war, and the whole Federation was backing the less aggressive krogan government. The other Dalatrasses agreed, and the weapon remained untouched after Mordin finished it six years later. Federation forces are none the wiser.

2170 CE

Batarian slavers attacked the human colony of Mindoir. The combined ground forces of humans, geth, and krogans fought valiantly, but in the end, more than half the colonists and marines were taken or killed, along with many valuable resources. For years to come, it would be a morale booster to the pirate/slaver groups. Jane and John Shepard's father, Lieutenant Commander Connor Shepard, died in the attack, affecting them for the rest of their lives.

Another human colony, Yandoa, suffered catastrophic atmospheric dust-form element zero exposure when an Eldfell-Ashland Energy ship exploded in orbit. As a result, many children suffer birth defects, while four hundred and thirty-five biotic children are born.

2171 CE

In protest at the Citadel Council's refusal to limit Federation expansion in the Skyllian Verge, the Batarians closed their embassy and withdrew support to the Citadel. Effectively become a rogue state.

The Batarian Hegemony approves Operation Smash and Grab. They began to build up a large military force even as the batarians suffered from a recession.

2172 CE

April 11th: John and Jane Shepard enlist in the Federation military.

2173 CE

A fly-by over the world of Armeni discovers odd surface protrusions. Upon closer inspection, they are identified as elaborate crypts made by the zeioph, an extinct spacefaring race. Various universities seek to perform excavation, but Council laws that hold burial sites as sacrosanct prevent this. An ongoing debate over the issue ensues.

Terra Firma is involved in a Nashan Stellar Dynamics kickbacks scandal, forcing Inez Simmons, the current party leader, to resign and the party to dissolve. In its place, the First Prime Party is formed. A new political group consists of mostly humans and krogans who want the Federation to end all alliances with the Citadel Council. Charles Saracino became the new party leader after his opponent Claude Menneau disappeared. Intelligence suspected that Cerberus might have been responsible for Claude's disappearance.

2174 CE

Batarian funded pirates launched a surprise attack, later known as the Skyllian Blitz, on the multi-race colony of Elysium. The assault is repulsed by the Federation Navy, and ground forces are rallied by Lieutenant Jane Shepard. While in the background, Lieutenant John Shepard planned the battle strategy that saved many lives and dealt crippling blows to the pirates. Both received commendations, and they were promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and were accepted into the N branch (Special Forces).

2175 CE

On a survey mission in 2175 to Aeia, an important colonization prospect for the Federation, the USS Hugo Gernsback disappears, presumed destroyed.

A political dissident on Earth provides Michael Moser Lang received funds to purchase weapons. One year later, Lang assassinates the United North American States president Enrique Aguilar and Chinese People's Federation Premier Ying Xiong. Cerberus is believed to be responsible for the resulting political shuffle, but there is no evidence to prove it despite its still-open investigation.

2176 CE: The Batarian and Federation Conflict

Batarian launches a secret fleet of three dreadnoughts and several support vessels across Federation space to attack the corporate world Noveria. The attack was a plan to make the Federation look bad while stealing technology developed on the planet for the Council and Federation's military. They did not realize the First Battalion and CRF were observing them.

June 5th: A larger patrol fleet confronted the Batarian fleet ten light-years within Federation Territory before the mass relay to Noveria. They were told to turn back, but the warnings were ignored, and the patrol fleet was fired upon. The fleet evaded the Batarians with few casualties as the First Battalion struck from their hidden location with twelve of their eighteen Specter Class ships. Two dreadnoughts were immediately destroyed in the surprise attack. The third was destroyed within ten minutes by the swarming Spirit class ships. The other Batarian ships were fired upon by the patrol fleet and suffered heavy casualties. After the last dreadnaught was destroyed, the surviving batarians retreated to Batarian Space, ending the brief conflict between the Union of Federations and the Batarian Hegemony.

The Citadel Council made the Batarians Hegemony pay severe repercussions to the Citadel, Federation, and Noveria after their plans were revealed thanks to intercepted communication recovered by the Federation. As a result, the Batarians retreat even deeper into their territory to face economic depression and possible civil war. Despite these hardships, military commanders, outraged by the turn of events, used their own paychecks to fund pirate attacks in Council and Federation space for two more years.

Due to heavy pirate attacks across the galaxy, the First Battalion, CRF, CID, SPECTRE, and STGs worked together to track down and eliminate any Batarian backed pirate/slaver rings.

The Anhur Rebellions waged over the practice of slavery on the human and batarian colony world of Anhur and spread throughout the Amun system. Abolitionist supporters hire the Eclipse mercenary group to fight the batarian pro-slavery Na'hesit faction.

Jane and John Shepard finish training up to N6.

2177 CE

During a recon mission on Akuze to find a missing colonial pioneer team, a unit of fifty soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Commander Jane Shepard investigated a distress call. The beacon led them to a thresher maw nest and was attacked by said thresher maw. Shepard was able to kill the thresher maw on foot but lost thirty-six of her men, with five others reported as MIA.

Jane is pushed into the N7 program and promoted to the rank of Commander.

2178 CE

In retaliation for pirate attacks, the Federation launches a major offensive against the moon of Torfan. The Federation destroys the criminal bases, mostly populated by batarians, while the Citadel Council attacks several smaller bases. Major Kyle led the assault with his special forces, but he lost his nerve in the battle after half of his men died in the initial landing due to bad Intel. Lieutenant Commander John Shepard took command and led the Alliance to victory with acceptable casualties due to his tactical mind. Shepard took no prisoners, and the threat against Federation and Council colonies from batarian extremists was curtailed.

John is pushed into the N7 program and promoted directly to the rank of Captain.

The Federation tracked several pirate FTL exit vectors over a period of six months using covert monitoring devices planted on Theshaca's moons, leading the Federation and Council Navy to eight major pirate anchorages. Since the 'Theshaca Raids,' no ships from the Terminus Systems have entered the Hong system.

The Anhur Rebellions end with the abolitionist forces in power, and the reconstruction of Anhur commences. They receive much-needed aid from the Union of Federations before becoming a full member.

2179 CE

Captain John Shepard and Commander Jane Shepard are invited into the First Battalion under the Command of Rear Admiral David Anderson and the first Spirit Class ship, the SR-1 USS Normandy. Their missions mostly focus on eliminating pirate, slaver, and mercenary forces in the Attican Traverse and Federation's outer territory.

2180 CE

On Luna, an Enhance Defense Intelligence system goes haywire due to sabotage, possibly by Cerberus, and evolves into an AI due to the introduction of unknowingly to the Federation, Reaper tech. Geth units were brought in to deactivate her, but she disappeared in transit to a secure location. However, a shadow copy named Cortona was saved by the Geth. She was put on the USS Normandy under Eliza's watchful eye as she taught her the ropes.

2182 CE

Admiral Kahoku of the Federation begins investigating Cerberus's activities.

The AI Data is invited into the Federation Senate to represent the new synthetics outside the Geth. A debate ensues on whether they will get more seats in the Senate as AI numbers slowly begin to rise.

2183 CE

Present Date

Author Note

Here is the timeline, and I hope you enjoy it. On a side note, as of November of the year that must not be remembered, the entire Codex went under a massive rewrite. That includes new codex entries, moving them around, or making entire changes for the eventual Mass Dragon Effect rewrite.

Author Note Timeline

1) The instruments are available for a Radiologist to detect the presence of radioactive elements across the world and their source. After the first two atomic bombs were used in WWII, we could find trace levels of radioactive cesium all over the world in anything that was not sealed before 1945. In other words, if soils do not have a small quantity of isotopes produced during a nuclear explosion, then the mineral cannot be from Earth. Or from a planet with nuclear weapons.

2) I am not a fool to believe people would protect the mages and biotics out of the goodness of their hearts. It is more probable to protect future military assets that can move and destroy things with their minds.

3) Humanity will rapidly advance their technology because of the fear that the whole world will be destroyed. Therefore, humans would push to develop a space program as quickly as possible to get more people off Earth in fear of the dimensional rifts in Europe.

4) I decided to have the quarians be the ones to make the first contact and to shape humanities' development. So I am setting humans up to make a militaristic United Federation of Planets.

5) Yep, I had a turian, and the human war death toll is higher than Cannon's low numbers. In Cannon, First Contact War was a month-long, with 678 humans killed, and the number of turian killed was slightly higher. A cruiser has 800 personnel, a frigate's personnel numbers possibly 60 to 120 humans, while the turians have a reported 300 on their frigates. Several ships were destroyed; the turians occupied a colony and dropped asteroids wherever the military tried to fight. The Alliance fleet drove them out by blasting a large number of them out of orbit. Casualties should have been twenty times the amount reported, at least for this kind of war, even if most of the destroyed ships were frigates.

6) From what I got from a Canon, the Citadel rarely did anything until it was too late to affect the outcome. Moreover, a disease only on one planet and affecting a new race does not make them see the danger, despite being a cross-species disease.

7) Earth has a smaller population as more people try to leave for space earlier due to the fear of what the dimensional rifts actually were. It also means populations in all the colonies are around 10 times larger than in Canon, with some exceptions being a 100 times or more.

8) In this Mass Effect Universe, I am trying to put several species together in a Federation-like creation to establish an alliance between the four outcast races: geth, humans, krogans, and quarians against the darkspawn.

9) I always felt the krogans' bitterness was not so much at losing, as that loss proved to them that they were weak and needed to improve. No, it was the fact the Council had to use a bio-weapon to beat them, which made them feel cheated. Not to mention that after they were uplifted, the krogans were sent to the frontlines alone, making the Council seem weak in the krogan eyes. However, the Federation members fought alongside them, proving to the krogans they were equals.

10) Sovereign was introduced early as I felt it would use all its power to stop the alliance. However, due to the lack of data, they will not fully understand Sovereign until much later. In addition, the Thanix cannon is not as powerful as they did not analyze from Sovereign's main gun, but the small guns along its hull. A more powerful version will be introduced after Sovereign is destroyed.

11) The timeline pretty much follows that in the Mass Effect Universe, but a few noticeable differences, like the Batarians being angry at the Federation for stealing their money.

12) It is assumed that Mordin was 38 years old in 2185.

Spoiler: The Reapers' purpose will be a lot different from Canon. It is still a solution to chaos. Just not the organic vs. synthetic argument. If you want more detail, read the codex spoiler.