In the Shadows

by B1rdB0i

A recon Marine transfers into Shadow Company, the Marine Detachment on the Normandy SR-2. They think they're headed for war with the batarians, given Commander Shepard's actions which blew up the Bahak relay. However, war has come for them. This is their story. (Retelling of ME3, influenced by Generation Kill)

1. Chapter 0 - Background

Background

I was replaying Mass Effect 3 with some mods. In EGM, you had the option of adding a platoon of Marines to the Normandy. That got me thinking: We see Shepard's perspective of the war, but what about the regular grunts on the Normandy?

Since the Systems Alliance Marine Corps is based on the United States Marine Corps, I did a bit of research by reading up on their traditions, history, and culture. Movies like Jarhead, Forrest Gump (I know they are not Marines, bear with me), and Full Metal Jacket were watched. I also read up on some Marine Corps literature, such as the autobiographies of Chesty Puller, Jim Mattis, and other Marine Corps veterans. One of the key books I read was Generation Kill by Evan Wright, which I recommend for anyone interested in the grunts' perspective of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. There will be references to the book and HBO series of the same name.

Of course, I had to change certain details, such as fireteam sizes, gear, language, and other aspects to suit either the Mass Effect universe or the unique structure of Shadow Company (I realised that shoving 150 Marines into the crew quarters of the Normandy is impossible). If there are any US Marines who notice that I've made an error that is worth correcting, please let me know and I'll try and edit the story accordingly. There will be instances in this story where the attitudes and language used by the Detachment will ruffle some feathers. After all, the Marines have their own attitude and culture to different situations. I will add a trigger warning at the start of each chapter if they are present. If that helps.

The story takes place from the perspective of the Normandy's Marine Detachment, Shadow Company, during the Reaper War. There will be slight alterations in the Reaper War campaigns so that they will fit in some missions that Shepard goes on. Scenes from ME3 will be slightly changed in the style of Andy McNab's Battlefield 3: The Russian so as to espouse character's motivations and actions. Characters from the Normandy's squad list will feature in some parts of the story. I hope I did them justice.

Running parallel to the story will be the story of a Systems Alliance Intelligence Services Analyst operating from the shadows. The inspiration for that story was from the TV series Homeland. I thought it would provide some context for the missions in ME3. If this part of the story starts to interfere with the Marines, then I'll end it earlier than I planned.

Personally, I served in the Singapore Army as a recce trooper, so I have some perspective on military protocols/procedures. This will feature a bit in the story as I based one of the OCs around my own experience. Certain OCs are inspired by real people, but they are not meant to reflect their parallel counterparts. Any of the actions they do, whether morally good or bad, are written by me and me alone. I made a list of the characters here. More will be added as the story progresses.

Dramatis Persona

Commander Erica Shepard (Earthborn / War Hero / Paragon)
Lieutenant James Vega
Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams

Shadow Company Marines

Staff-Sergeant William 'Boats' Goggins
Corporal Lucy Joy
Lance Corporal Tyler 'Scots' Doyle
Lance Corporal Jacob 'Speedy' Gonzales
Private Bethany Westmoreland
Private Harry Lee

Systems Alliance Intelligence Services

The Director
Analyst **CLASSIFIED**