AU: Here is where it really begins. Hope you like it.
Border of galaxy space March 14, 2818
Monitoring the scans was a boring job, sitting there in a chair watching the readings with nothing else to do. Tobias Droves was just a guy doing his work, if doing his work involves snoring loudly in his post.
"Seriously!? Sleeping on the job again?"
Came the annoyed question of Valeria Jones, the captain of the station. Tobias Almost fell from the chair, startled by the sudden shout. Looking around he notice that his other colleges are all with their attention directed to the screen on their terminals
"C'mon ma'am, there is nothing there, the most interesting thing to look out there is the Andromeda galaxy, and it is thousands of lightyears away. And besides, is my break now."
"your break ended 10 minutes ago. So, compose yourself, we are the first line to ensure the safety of the galaxy from any Reaper remnants!"
"The Reaper where destroyed over 600 years ago, if something was out there, it would have attacked already and even if the Reapers are still lurking, I doubt they would have the number to take us down."
And like it was just waiting for the perfect moment, the screen of the terminal started flashing red, the words "Unknown Signal Detected" appeared on the screen.
"Report!" came the demand from Valeria.
"Unknow signal detect by satellite AST-7274, is an audio file ma'am." His face turned in to a confused frown. "It is encrypted, but this kind of encryption is not used in more than 600 years"
"Can you play it?"
"On speakers…now!"
An apparent human voice could be listened in what appear to be a pre-recorded message.
"This is nexus control, requesting assistance from anyone that are able to hear this…[Static]… some sort of energy cloud scrambled our systems…[Static]… no sign of the arks. [Static]… are a bust, no…[static] could take place, food supplies are low, requesting…[Static]
The whole room stood in silence, no one spelled a word. The silence was broken by the captain.
"Where this message come from?" She asked one of the technicians.
"It looks like the transmission came from the direction of the Andromeda galaxy."
"Comms, set me a link to the Council, tell then it's an emergency!" Valeria ordered.
Council Private Chamber March 14, 2818
"This is all I have to report now, ma'am." Valeria's holographic form said, ending the report on the strange message they intercepted.
"Thank you for your report, captain." Replied the Krogan councilor, Urdnot Mordin, a slightly big female, the talent for politics was as common on female Krogan, as fighting was for the males. "The council will discuss this matter. You are dismissed" The captain saluted and ended the transmission.
"Well," came the lightly synthesized voice of the Geth councilor "this puts us in a though spot."
"We could ignore the S.O.S knowing that we let thousands of people die, or we could send help, but those who go wouldn't be able to come back." Agreed the Quarian councilor.
"I think we should debate more about this, let's take a break and clear our minds and continue this afterwards." The Asari councilor suggested.
With nods of agreement, the councilors leaved the chamber one by one until only the Human and Geth councilors remained in the room, both watching the city below in the wards of the Citadel. Until the Human councilor, Eliza Mei broke the silence.
"We need to help those people, it's our duty to do so!"
"I agree." Came the reply of the Geth councilor "But I fear what the people we send may encounter there if they go. I must remind you that the Reaper invasion was underway when the Keelah si'yah departed, I fear that a Reaper found a way to Andromeda. But let us leave this discussion for later."
The Human councilor agreed, even without the words spoken by the councilor leaving her head. They both leaved the room.
SSV Normandy, Somewhere in the Terminus System on route to Citadel Space March 16, 2818
The Normandy Itself was one of a kind, very similar to its predecessor in design but sporting 550 meter of length, small state of the art ion projectors as its main weapon, with cloaking capabilities, all just out of the prototype phase. The ship was captained by Jonathan Shepard. He was now standing in the observational deck, watching the effects of the Hyperspace though the window.
To really explain who Shepard is: He is a Spartan. The Spartan Program was invented by Hannah Shepard, Daughter of Tali and John, to be the next step in the human special forces. Only N7s could apply for the program, but the success rate was of roughly 5%. If succeeded, the person would receive the augmentation and training that came with the tittle.
John was a tall man (because of the Spartan Augmentations), Caucasian, 215 centimiters tall, black short hair and dark eyes. Now he was out of his armor, a small scar in his left cheek and a bandaged arm as reminders of his last engagement with the Pirate Remnants of the Terminus. The scar on his cheek was from when an Asari attacked him with a knife and the arm was when a Vorcha tried to burn him alive with a flamethrower, he used his arm as a shield and part of the under armor ended up melting in his skin, having to be surgically removed in the ship, hence the bandaged arm. The ship was now halfway to the Citadel, he was summoned by the Council, though they did not specify why he was needed in person.
"You look distracted today." came a voice from behind him. John turned around to the person, a Quarian woman, she was a head shorter then he was, with a purple-greyish skin, her hair, a dark-black-blue color, was tied in a very sturdy bun (typical from military), she had the typical Quarian markings in her neck and forehead, her eyes where a light blue and, like all Quarians, emanate a soft glow. She was wearing what resembled the old enviro-suits (*See "Quarian Culture and Society" in the Codex) with the hood down. Her name was Rayla'Zorah vas Normandy nar Rannoch. She was the XO of the ship and part of the ground team.
"I'm just thinking. It's not like the Council to just call us like this, I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong." He turned back to the window.
She walked to his side, resting her head in his shoulder, taking his left hand with her right.
"It's probably one of those 'High Classified Assignments' they like so much." she said mocking, but with a reassuring, tone.
"No rest for the wicked." He said in a playful tone, getting a snort out of her "Let's go, Rayla, I think we are almost at the Citadel" He turned around and started walking to the door, with her by his side. Outside, on the crew deck, some of the crew where resting, some where preparing for their shift. The ship was manned by various species, as this was a joint species crew. Turians and Humans could be seen chatting, a Quarian was speaking about processors and videogames with his Geth friend. Some people saluted Shepard and Rayla as they move to the elevator.
Reaching the CIC floor, they exit the elevator and walk in the direction of the cockpit. Seating on the pilot chair was Julio, a Synthetic-Human (or just Synth, for short), he was one of the AIs that decided to have a more human form, he was 5'9, bald with his face resembling a 30 years old man with blue glowing eyes, wearing a standard Alliance uniform, with a black cap.
Noticing the two people behind him, he let go of the commands and turns the chair backwards.
"Captain! What do Your Highness needs?" He said in a Joking manner, taking a chuckle out of Rayla.
"Julio, that was never funny."
"Yes, it is."
"Okay, a little bit funny, in the first 6 times" he said, annoyed. This was a normal talk to then, these two met in the academy way back then, they are friends ever since. "But that aside, how much until we get in the Citadel?"
"Just a couple more minutes. When we arrive, I going to the hit the bar."
There was silence for a couple of seconds, until Rayla spoke.
"I Don't know Jonny, sometimes you do behave like royalty, Your Majesty." The was enough for Julio to burst in laughing, soon accompanied by Rayla. All this with Shepard eyeing then with an incredulous look.
"Go to hell you two." He said, only boosting the laughs. He soon gave up and laughed with the two. The Citadel coming into view mere seconds afterwards.