AN: This is a Star Wars & Mass Effect crossover, I wanted to try my hand at a what if the Eternal Empire from the Old Republic was in Mass Effect. I have previously started this story under a different pen name but have since closed that account. Thus I have decided to reupload it here.

Enjoy!

The Eternal Cycle is a non profit fan created story for the purpose of entertainment. No monetary, social or economic gain is made from the reading/creation of this story and is covered under Lucas Arts Game Content Usage Rules. The Eternal Cycle was created under Lucas Arts "Game Content Usage Rules" using assets from Star Wars Franchise. It is not endorsed by Lucas Arts and does not reflect the views or opinions of Lucas Arts or anyone officially involved in producing or managing Star Wars Franchise. As such, it does not contribute to the official narrative of the fictional universe, if applicable.

The Mass Effect series is the sole property of Electronic Arts and BioWare. No infringement is intended. No monetary, economic, social, or political gain is acquired from this fan work.

I apologize to my readers who have been eagerly awaiting this story to be updated, I last updated this story a month ago, but I have felt that was rushed and not enough in the way of my vision for the story to play out, so I have made some revisions and I will have a monthly update schedule. Here is the polished chapter, I also apologize for the time slip on the last update on two, this has replaced it and takes place before the first contact officially. Enjoy :)

Chapter Two: Uncertainty

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The sound of an alarm clock buzzing slowly stirred newly commissioned Second Lieutenant Michael Shepard to life.

Without bothering to open his eyes, he reached over and turned off the alarm. He took a deep breath and then felt his stomach turn. Like a runner taking off at the sound of the starter's pistol, Shepard ran for the bathroom. In the dark, he nearly tripped over one of his friends, still passed out on the floor of his room. A second later, with his head spinning and his guts churning, he dropped to his knees in front of the toilet and threw up everything from his stomach.

Gagging and gasping for air, Shepard cursed his stupidity. He and three of his friends, recently graduated from the Imperial Marine Ground Warfare Battle School, had gone on an all-night bender, drinking anything and everything they could get their hands on. When all he had left in his stomach was bile, Shepard let out a moan and sat down on the cold floor of the bathroom. For a minute, he waited to see if he was going to be sick again; when he was not, Shepard reached over, grabbed hold of the sink and pulled himself

up.

He flipped on the light above the sink and felt his pupils shrink as the light burnt his bloodshot eyes. Taking a minute to wash the sleep from his face, Shepard looked at the young man staring back at him in the mirror. At twenty-two, he was just about to begin his career as an infantry officer in the Imperial Marine Corps. Shepard had short black hair, deep-green eyes, and a square jaw with a scar running down the right side. For him, it was a constant reminder of the tragic accident that had taken his sister's life when he was only ten. His body was fit and toned. At just under two meters in height, Shepard was of average height for the Corps.

The son of a fleet admiral, Shepard had been expected to follow the family tradition of serving as an officer in the fleet. However, he had never liked the idea of being cooped up inside a ship for months at a time. He preferred getting his feet dirty and breathing real, not recycled, oxygen.

He quickly brushed his teeth and then, feeling somewhat more human, he walked back into his room and then, First Strike flicked on all the lights. "On your feet, you lazy bastards!" Shepard hollered at his still-sleeping friends. "It's five in the morning, and we've got a lot to do today."

"Jesus, Mike, turn off the light and let me sleep," protested Harry Williams, Shepard's closest friend all through the academy.

"Get up, get up!" yelled Shepard, nudging his friend with his foot.

"I'd tell you to fuck off, but you'd just ignore me, wouldn't you," said Williams as he sat up and ran a hand over his smooth-shaven head. Williams was also the son of an officer in the fleet. In fact, almost the entire graduating class from the academy had a connection to the military in one way or another.

Wake the other two sleepy heads while I throw on some clothes and rustle us up with some coffee." With that, Shepard picked up some clean-looking sweatpants from the floor and pulled them on. He made sure he had his credit chip with him and then walked out of his room down to the vending machine at the end of the hallway. He returned a couple of minutes later with four piping hot cups of coffee in his hands. "Thanks," said Williams, taking a coffee.

Kicking an empty bottle of Scotch across the floor with his foot, Shepard took a deep breath and vowed to himself that he would never drink again-at least, until

tonight.

Slowly, his friends came to life. They looked as if they had been drinking for a month straight.

"What time is the graduation ceremony?" asked Tony

Hirato, still lying on the floor trying to focus his bloodshot eyes on his watch.

"At ten," replied Shepard.

"Then why the hell do we need to get up so early?"

"Because we need to hit the gym for a couple of hours and sweat all this booze out of our systems," answered Shepard. "I'll be damned if I'm going to the parade smelling like a brewery.

Gregory Shipov sat on the floor looking as if he were about to be sick.

"The toilet is in there," said Shepard, pointing to the bathroom. "I've already christened it this morning.

"Wonderful," muttered Shipov as he struggled to stand. A split second later, his face turned green. He ran to the bathroom.

"Here's to being young and stupid," offered Shepard as he held up his coffee cup, toasting his friends.

"To be stupid," answered Williams, holding up his own cup.

Five hours later, Shepard and his friends, now dressed in their Marine Corps dress blues, stood on parade. The graduating class of nearly one thousand new Marine officers stood at ease and listened while the commanding officer of the Marine Ground Warfare Battle School congratulated them on completing the grueling three-month course in the deserts of Zaikunda. All Marine officers regardless of their future specialty had to attend the training. Infantry officers rubbed shoulders with pilots, logistical officers, and even padres. As their instructors kept pointing out, the job may be in outer space, but the battles were still won on the ground, and that was why the Battle School was the final part of their combined arms training.

Proudly, Shepard ran his hand over his new gold bar on his jacket collar. He had worked hard to earn his commission, finishing in the top ten of his class at the Imperial academy as well as the Battle School. He already had his eye on an assignment with an infantry regiment in the elite First Division. Every commandant of the Corps in the last century had served in the First Division, but only the best and brightest were chosen to be part of the finest fighting formation in the fleet. He was sure that after the parade wrapped up and the duty assignments were given out that his name would be found beside one of the three infantry regiments that were part of the First Division.

After yet another long and boring speech that Shepard tried his best to ignore, the graduating class was called to attention. The commandant of the Imperial Marine Corps stepped up behind the podium and eyed the sea of officers before him.

"Good morning, Marines," said General Steinmetz, his voice deep and gravely.

"Good morning, sir!" loudly replied a thousand voices.

"Normally, at this time, I would welcome you all into the Corps and wish you well with your chosen careers.

"However, events have transpired along the Unknown Regions , which has changed everything."

A loud murmur ran through the crowd of

spectators watching the parade.

Steinmetz continued, "Three days ago at precisely 0745 hours, installations and ships all along the Unknown Regions were attacked. The exact scope of the losses suffered

has yet to be determined. However, initial indications are that we suffered minimal losses during this unprovoked and cowardly attack by unknown aliens. The Imperial Council met in the Imperial center this morning and authorized the mobilization of the fleet to safeguard the Empire's distant colonies.

Marines, we are once again at war with an unknown enemy."

Some people in the crowd began to cry, afraid

for their loved ones already serving along the Unknown Regions .

The Marines on the parade stood silent, expectantly waiting to hear what was going to happen next.

Steinmetz took a sip of water and then spoke.

"Marines, effective immediately, all post-course leave is canceled. You will all be shipping out today. I will grant you one hour to say goodbye to your friends and family who came to see you here today. After that, you are to assemble in the main hangar where you will find your duty assignments already posted, may the Emperor guide us."

With that, the ceremony ended. Anxious family

members flooded onto the parade grounds, hoping to see their loved ones before they departed.

Shepard stood there, not sure how he should

feel. On the one hand, he knew that this was what he had enlisted for; on the other, he struggled to believe that after a century of relative peace, they were at war.

He turned on his heels and tried to see his mother through the swirling crowd. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Tarina Pheto looking down at her feet. With a smile on his lips, Shepard worked his way through the crowd. "Hey there, why the long face?"

Tarina turned and looked up at Shepard. "My

parents couldn't afford to make it here today. I was hoping to

spend a few weeks with them before attending advanced flight

training. Looks like I won't get that chance now." Tarina Ramirez was from Tatooine. A slender young woman with pale skin and a neat bun, she and Shepard had had an on- again-off-again relationship for the past three years. At the moment, they were apart.

"Well, my mother is here somewhere; why don't you come with me and spend some time with her?" Tarina's expression instantly soured. "Michael, she's the reason that we are not together." Shepard hated to admit it, but she was

right. "I know my mother can be a bit old-fashioned at times."

Tarina shook her head. "Michael, you need to

open your eyes. She's not as old-fashioned as you keep saying;

She's a racist. If I were Imperial, things would be different, but I'm not. And you know it."

Shepard reached over and took her right hand

in his. "Tarina, you know I don't care about your origin planet."

"I know you don't, but I will never be part

of your life if your mother has anything to say about it and until

you stand up to her, we can never be together." Tarina fought back the mix of feelings raging in her heart. She let go of Shepard's hand and melted into the crowd.

"Michael . . . Michael!" called out a woman's

voice. Shepard turned to see his mother, escorted

by a Marine colonel "making her way toward him. "Was that Miss Ramirez?" asked Shepard's mother. "Yes," replied Shepard bitterly. "I thought you two weren't together anymore."

"We're not."

"Well, it's for the best with all that's

happening along the unknown regions ."

Shepard ground his teeth. He wanted to lash

out at his mother and tell her to go to hell, but his strict Imperial upbringing and the colonel standing a few meters away prevented him from showing his true feelings.

"Have you heard from Father?" Shepard asked,

steering the conversation away from Tarina.

"Yes, I have great news. He's been promoted

to vice-admiral and has been given command of the newly formed 35th Fleet.

If anyone can give these unknown aliens a good swift kick in the behind, it's your father."

Shepard forced a smile. "Mother, I doubt

I'll get a chance to speak to him before I ship out, so could you

Please pass on my congratulations."

"You can pass them on yourself. I bet you'll

be serving under his command before too long."

"Shepard cringed at the thought. The First

Division was assigned to the First Fleet and he wanted to serve there and nowhere else. "Well, I'll find out soon enough."

For the next thirty minutes, Shepard made

small talk with his mother while several admirals and generals, all of whom knew Shepard's father, feted her. If there was one thing he had to give his mother credit for, it was her ability to

schmooze with party guests. He soon grew bored, gave his mother a hug, and joined the stream of young officers making their way toward the main hangar.

Harry, and Williams ran over and enthusiastically

slapped Shepard on the back. Together they walked in silence.

Shepard could feel the tension building in his chest. Four years of school all came down to this event. Where you went after BattleSchool determined your future.

Inside the hangar, the air was electric. On

the far wall were several screens broken down alphabetically.

Shepardand Williams ran toward the monitor with their names on it. Together they elbowed their way to the front and searched for their duty assignments.

Williams let out a loud whoop. "Second Regiment, First Division." "Shepard found his name; it was listed beside

the Third Regiment, Nineteenth Division. Feeling as if he had just been punched in the gut, he stepped back and dug out his data pad . With a growing sense of panic, he looked up the Nineteenth Division and where its regiments were stationed. His eyes widened when he saw that the division was responsible for a sector of the unknown regions . It has to be a clerical error, thought Shepard. He had come near the top of all of his classes. Only the best officers

went to the First Division and not to some unheard of unit in an

out of the corner of the galaxy.

Shepard's instructor at the Battle School

walked past. "Sir!" Shepard called out trying to get the major's

attention. "Yes, Mister Shepard," said Major Jowett, a

short, balding man with a crooked nose on his weathered face.

Shepardcame sharply to attention and saluted Jowett. "Sir, I think there's been a mistake with my duty assignment."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Sir, I'm posted to the Nineteenth, not the First Division," explained Shepard. "It's a good division with a fine reputation.

It's on the front line, so you'll be in action long before many of your friends."

Shepard didn't give a damn about the

division's reputation or where it was located. He blurted out,

"Sir, I'd expected to go to the First." Jowett looked into Shepard's eyes. "Son, we go where his holy imperial majesty wants us to go. We don't always get what we want. Get used to it. Remember, we all serve at the will of the Immortal Emperor." With that Jowett turned around and walked away, leaving

Shepard wondered what he could do.

Williams walked out of the sea of

well-wishers and placed his hand on Shepard's shoulder. "Hey, Mike, I just saw your duty station. There has to be a mistake. I came behind you in every class. You should be the one going to the First Div, not me." Shepard shook his head. "It's no mistake. I'm being sent to some second-rate division in the middle of nowhere." "Say, why don't you talk with your mom. I bet she can straighten this mess out."

For a brief moment he thought about going to

see his mother and ask her to chat with his father's friends to get him reassigned. However, that would mean he would be indebted to his mother and that was something he wasn't about to do, not after the way she had treated Tarina. Cursing his unbelievably bad luck under his breath, Shepard congratulated Williams and wished him luck. Reluctantly, he downloaded a copy of his orders and saw that he was due to leave in three hours. With a tension headache

building in the back of his neck, Shepard turned on his heels and went to pack. Why he wasn't assigned to the First Division dug at him. With each step he took, he grew angrier. By the time he reached his room he was in a foul mood."