Set before the events of Mass-Effect 1. Follow the Fallen One. A Reaper within the depth of the Galaxy Hellbent on ending the endless cycle of the Harvest. How did It come to this conclusion? Why does it seek to end it? How will events change?
[ I AM AWARE - Chapter One ]

Floating… Adrift. Amongst Aimless Stars and ruins. A hulking mass of Metal, Wires and synthetic fiber drifted amongst vast Gas Clouds. It was an odd space Wreck. Roughly 2 Kilometers in length. It looked like some form of squid or cuttlefish. Black and grey paint metal poked out from dust and other debris that coveted its surface. A large hole beset its core. This. Was the wreck of a Reaper. Fearsome. Cruel God-Machines. At least, that is what this machine once was.
Then… It Sparked to life.
[ PAIN ] echoed across Its mind. Flashes of memories not Its own. The [ HYMN ] the [ CALL ]... It was… once there… Now Gone.

[ I AM AWARE ] Hundreds of Thoughts pulsed through ancient machinery. It felt… cold. It felt, very aware of every segment of its metal body. Every segment. Wires to pipes to cylinders to Nanites to Its… Weapons. [ ARSENAL…? ] Arsenal? Why did It have… An Arsenal? Memories were fragmented at best. Completely gone at worst. As the Machine explored Itself. It discovered something. With a Thought a Sort of 'Heads-Up-Display' Appears before Its Consciousness. The Display brought tangible Diagnostics and statistics to its general feelings. Adding Numbers to Pain. [ Pain… is Good. Means… I am…. Alive. ] The Phrase seems to trigger some sort of fragmented memories.

Flashes of a Distant world. Blue Seas, Large Red-Forests, and stunning winters… [ Earth … ] It uttered, That was Its home…? Why did such a phrase awaken such memories? Why Awaken such Beauty. Questions that would require answering.
However, they could wait. Most pressing was the blaring alerts on the HUD. The Damage It had taken was certainly extensive. It wondered why It yet lived? [ Do not… Look at a… gifted Horse… In the… Mouth. ] As they say. Whoever they are.

First order of Business. Maintaining Functionality. Commanding Built-in-repair systems they quickly got under way. With the Damage so… devastating, this would take some time. The HUD quickly began to run estimates. Meanwhile… The Machine grew aware of… Stowaways? No. These were not stowaways. Strange Cybernetic life-Forms. It could… feel the connection between them and Itself… It… 'Reached out'
[ ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL ] Its consciousness seemed to 'Zap' right into this… Husk. Creature. From entering Its body. The Machine could Instantly tell this used to be a completely individual person. Yet, all that remained was a Husk. [ Husk…] That's what It shall call them. Fitting really. It slowly began to explore Its own body using the Husk. It was truly expansive. Dauntingly so.

Spending a great deal of time sightseeing. It slowly discovers… The core. It starred upon itself in Awe, confusion and slight horror. The Shot that nearly cleaved Its core in two. Blasted a hole through its body. It was clear as day from within the core-room. The Core was… barely intact. How, In the hell was It alive? The Core Itself looked like some sort of Bi-pedial figure. The Machine tilted the Husk's head. Is that what It looks like? Yet more Questions that would require answering. The Core not only seemed to contain Its Consciousness. But also provided Power to the ship. It also generated some sort of Mass-Effect Field. Which was what was keeping it in Orbit. Once more… More questions.

ALERT! Suddenly alarms come to life across the Machine's HUD. A massive Gas-Storm was approaching the upper Orbit of the Gas-Giant the Machine was within. Quickly leaving the Husk's body. It returns back to the Core. The Machine pulled up sensor reports and other data-feeds. It needed to know as much as It could before moving forward.

According to several logs, The Machine has been drifting inside this gas-giant for the better part of 50,000 Years. Talk about a Long Nap. It shook Its head mentally. Now what not the time for little jokes. As It analyzed the on-coming storm. An idea appeared within Its various processors. Within this metal shell It could be called a body. Lays the means to refine and fabricate many things. Internal Fabricators. The Only thing they require is Power, Which It is slowly turning on. And Materials. Which It was lacking.

The Storm could serve to hasten Its repairs. Commanding Its Body, It pulls the Mass-Effect Field further unto Itself. The Storm begins to pelt its metal shell with debris. The Winds vastly pick up. Using what little power the Machine Has. It slowly extends one of its Limbs. Vents and other Intakes start to suck up the Passing Gas and other debris.
Calculations are run and confirmed. Pulses from the Mass-Effect Field dance off the Machine's Body. The Winds range from a few km an hour to a few thousand. If not for Kinetic barriers projected from the Machine's Body. There might have been some tangible damage. Its Body shook. And Trembled from the force of the winds

Yet It must collect these materials. The Damage It had sustained must be rectified. Its HUD appeared before It. Sensor readings and Analysis. It mentally hums. It Appeared the Storm would last a while… For now. It had time to Itself.

Using the Materials It had managed to Gather. The Machine began to focus Its attention on Its internal repairs. Its Base-Line Nanties worked well for Passive-Repairs. But for something more actively required, Like the Giant Hole in its Body, required something with a bit more oomph. Drawing power from Unnecessary systems such as Weapons, It began to Fabricate Worker 'Drones'. Designing them with Heavy repairs in mind. It put a great deal of thought Into them. Appearing as a strange mixture of Crab and Insect. It dubbed these Small Machines as 'Builder-Scarabs'. Looking much like their name-sake. They were outfitted with nano-processors that allowed them to both break-down materials and repurpose them. Allowing for Repair and Building. Small, they were about a foot in total length and width. This would help It greatly to perform Its task.

Skittering across Its Body. The Little Scarbs got to work conducting their materials from what the Machine had gathered, they then processed the material to repair their Master. The work was agonizingly slow, despite the increased effort by the Scarabs. Bottlenecks mostly include Material Gathering. It was clear to the Great Machine that Its design was not really mean to extensive repair by Itself.

Yet here It was. Repairing Itself, with the help of Minor machines It had designed and Fabricated with minimal effort. It… was daunting if the Machine was Honest with Itself. So many Questions. Very Few Answers.

Slowly. Sleep, Or rather a form of sleep slowly takes the Machine. It shall awaken when more significant Repair is done.

[ Slumber… Calls ]