#skyllian blitz

[acciokaidanalenko]

Fictober 2023: Day 2, Flufftober 2023: Day 1

Prompt: Fictober Day 2: "Don't worry, I got you." + Flufftober Day 1: "I've got you." Fandom: Mass Effect Relationship: Commander Lieutenant Natasha Shepard/Original Male Character, Lieutenant Shepard & David Anderson Rating: Teen & Up Warnings: Blood & Injury Summary: Lieutenant Natasha Shepard is holding the line on Elysium when help finally arrives.

AO3 link: here. Preview below the cut.

The only thing standing between the attackers and the civilians was Natasha and her biotic barrier. Too many people had fallen already. She couldn't allow any others to join him... them.

Her eyelids were getting heavier, making it harder to keep the fatigue at bay.

"Not yet," she told herself through gritted teeth, forcing her eyes open.

Somewhere in the distance, gunfire peppered through the air. More screams followed. Natasha sighed heavily as she struggled to stay conscious, unsure of how long she'd already endured this attack. Had it been minutes? Hours? Days?

Her vision blurred, and she breathed slowly as she focused all her energy on her barrier.

The Batarians at the edge of her barrier began to fall as armored soldiers came over the horizon. Leading the charge was a soldier bearing a distinctive red and white stripe on his armor.

N7.

They were safe. Reinforcements had finally arrived.

[dan-lee99]

Elanos Haliat overlooking Elysium by Josh Hano

[commander-krios]

Dust in the Wind - 12 - The Blitz

art by   thepixelagora

Summary: Jeff Moreau has always fought twice as hard to gain the same amount of respect as his fellow officers. He didn’t expect to have that in common with a biotic with a famous last name. -or- The time that Joker befriended the future first Human Spectre.

Rating: Mature

Characters: Jeff “Joker” Moreau, Aurora Shepard, David Anderson, Hannah Shepard, Kaidan Alenko, Daniel Shepard, Charles Pressly, Major Kyle

Notes: Pre-Canon, Friendship, Future Shoker, Canon Typical Violence, Explicit Language

~~

Chapter 12: "The Blitz"

Jeff glanced up as the shuttle ascended, leaving him standing in one of the most brightly lit parts of Illyria’s downtown district. An automated trolley carried his shore leave bags from the landing pad to where he was now waiting for his ride further into the city. He watched the crowds without seeing a single person, mind wandering. He’d never been to Elysium before this. Never wanted to, if he was honest with himself. But weird things happened when you had friends. You actually do things.

With a sigh, he opened his omnitool and typed a quick message to his dad ( Flight was shit but we didn’t crash so I’ll call it a win. Heh. I’ll let you know when I’m back on Arcturus, Dad. ), before scrolling the extranet for something to distract him.

He was fifteen minutes into some weird elcor reading of Romeo and Juliet when she finally appeared.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Judy “Vic” Sabovic gave him a feral grin. “What? You’re not happy to see me?”

He searched for the burns that’d covered her face after what they’d labeled ‘the incident’ during their stay in the hospital. The marks were nearly healed, white puckered skin the only evidence they’d been there at all. “This night isn’t going to end with me back in the hospital, is it?”

Vic’s grin widened. “You’ll have all your limbs attached. Promise.”

“That’s not filling me with hope.”

Read on AO3 | The Beginning | The Playlist

[spookyvalentine]

OCs as onion headlines

I was tagged by @aceghosts ! I cracked up reading your choices 😂 I’m gonna be snagging @stormikins @angstyastro @acrylicsalts-inspo @zet-sway @jadevakarian @bluerose5 @greenteabtch @mxssrelay and @aevallare!

Mercy Shepard

Stellan Shepard

Truce Shepard

[melanie-ohara]

See How Deep the Bullet Lies - Chapter 2

Whumpuary2024, Day 26 - Prompt: "I'm Fine"

Shepard says she's fine. Liara believes she could be, eventually

AO3 Here

Shepard sat on the couch and watched the clouds of stars drift by out of the observation window. Thessia was far behind now, not even visible as a black dot against the sun without a scope. Joker had dropped them out of FTL for a silent-running approach to the system's relay so they could slink away with their tail between their legs. Shepard wondered why the Reapers didn't have better active scanners - even with their heat sinks active, there must be a way for a race as advanced as the machines to locate them against the background of space. Maybe they just didn't think the Normandy was worth it. 

Behind her the door opened, and Shepard couldn't help but tense. 

"I thought I locked that," she said. 

"You did." It was Liara. "EDI told me where you were."

"I was hoping to be left alone," Shepard said, trying not to sound annoyed and failing. 

"You have a cabin for that," she replied. 

Shepard could have locked herself in her room, it was true. Liara knew the door code, but it would have been easy enough to change it for a few hours. But she needed to be down there, on the crew deck, where she could still hear people going about their duties around her. A reminder that life went on.

"Okay," Shepard said, blowing out a breath and getting to her feet so she could face Liara. "What's up?"

Her eyes were still red from crying and she hadn't fixed her running eyeliner yet, but she shook her head. "Not me, Shepard," Liara said. "I'm worried about you."

"Liara, you just lost your planet ."

She shrugged. "You first."

Shepard looked away. If Liara felt guilty for collapsing into her bed and sobbing for her lost world when Earth was occupied too, she'd never forgive herself. It didn't matter that it felt like every Reaper on her planet was standing on her chest, she still couldn't resent Liara for her own grief. 

"EDI said your metabolics - "

"More stress than the Skyllian Blitz," Shepard interrupted, "I know. Joker…" she stopped. She regretted their argument almost as much as she regretted not putting a bullet in that smug assassin's head, but he'd shut her out of the cockpit for now. It was technically against every rule in the book, but she let it slide because she deserved it. "He mentioned it. And if EDI has concerns about my health," she said, raising her voice and glaring around the room for the invisible sensors the AI used, "she can talk to me herself."

Now that she had a body, it was a little strange to hear her voice through the speakers. "I believed it would be more productive if an organic member of the crew attempted the conversation," she said. Shepard was getting better at reading the subtle emotions in her clipped tone, but she refused to recognise the care in it now. "Especially one with whom you share an emotionally significant bond."

Liara blushed, and Shepard jabbed a finger at what she hoped was a camera. "EDI, I'm fine." She moved her finger. "Liara, I am fine . Please will you both just leave me alone for an hour?"

Liara shook her head sadly. "Shepard, you're not fine," she said. "You haven't been for a long time."

Shepard rolled her eyes and took a few steps towards her. "Yes, I really am," she said, and reached out to grip Liara gently by the shoulders. "It's just a little stress, that's all."

"The last time you were even nearly this stressed you got shot in the head," Liara pointed out, reaching a hand up to cup her face. Shepard felt her tracing the path of the scar carved into her skin. "And we haven't even talked about this scar," she whispered.

Shepard broke away as fast as she could without scaring Liara and stomped over the window. She could see Liara in the reflection, her skin freckled with stars. "What about it?" she said, coldly. 

Liara quickly wiped her eyes with the pad of her thumb, thinking Shepard couldn't see. "When you came to Illium, it was gone. And then you came to see me on your way back to Earth, and it was back. I checked it against old images, Shepard, I know it's not the same scar."

Shepard shrugged. "I had it put back." 

Liara came up behind her, but didn't reach out yet. "If it was done surgically, it would match exactly."

"Thane - " Shepard started, and then stopped when a lump rose into her throat. She coughed to clear it and shuffled her weight, and then froze when the back of Liara's hand brushed against her own.

"You had him recreate the scar, I know," Liara said softly. "A person who's fine wouldn't have someone cut their face open, Shepard. Even if by someone they love."

Shepard opened her mouth - not exactly to protest, but to justify herself: the two years they spent apart had changed Liara until she was almost unrecognisable, Shepard had been scared and hurting and desperate for a kind of affection Liara had closed herself off from, and - 

"Don't," Liara told her, her fingers clinging to the edge of Shepard's palm. "Don't diminish what he meant to you. You loved Thane, and if things had been different, I might have loved him with you," she said. "You know that." 

Shepard sighed. "I know." It would be easier if she hadn't. His death wouldn't hurt so much, and her recreated scars would mean a little bit less. "I'm fine. At least, enough to fight this war."

"Is that all that matters?" Liara asked. She was looking at her through the reflection in the observation window, her eyes wide and wet and so blue Shepard thought they looked like twin supernovas in the distance. 

She looked into those supernova eyes until she had to blink. "What else is there?"

Liara curled her arm around Shepard's and pressed against her side. Shepard stood fast against the weight of her, feeling that unless she remained a bulwark she might just fall apart. 

"There's us," Liara offered after a moment. 

Shepard tilted her head. "There's no us if we don't fight."

"I'm not saying we roll over for the Reapers," Liara said. "Just that there's more to life than this war."

"I know," Shepard said. "There is. But - "

"Hush," Liara breathed. "Just be with me, for a moment."

Shepard waited for the tingle at the edges of her consciousness, but Liara didn't try to initiate a meld. It was for the best, she thought, what was in her mind at the moment wasn't something she wanted the woman she loved to see. She wondered if something similar was happening in Liara's head too. The things Shepard had thought about as the Normandy rabbitted to Earth weren't worth ever contemplating again, and she couldn't imagine Liara's thoughts were as peaceful as she was trying to be. 

They were trapped in an unending nightmare, and Shepard had been fighting non-stop for six years. But the view out of the window was endless calm, and Liara was beautiful and loved her. The moment they were sharing was an island, and Shepard wanted to take refuge from the stormy sea there. She wasn't fine, but she could be okay for now. 

With a sigh, she laid her head against Liara's crest and relaxed into her body. 

[mass-effect-anonymous]

CONFESSION:

As of Mass Effect 1, it's canonical only been 26 years since first contact. Between the Skyllian Blitz and the First Contact War, I'd be more surprised if there wasn't the culture shock that Ashley felt in ME1. (That being said, *some* voice lines, like the aliens from animals one, is completely not okay) And for this reason she has more substance than Kaidan and has an actual character arch between 1, 2, and 3.

[citadelofmythoughts]

So you talking Mass Effect reminded me of a conversation my friend and I had a couple of years ago. See we’ve made it a tradition of playing through the trilogy every five years since it’s in both of our top five fav series. He prefers Renegade Maleshep and I prefer Paragon Femshep which is basically the only thing we differ on.

So, reviving the old debate for a bit we wondered who gave the better portrayal as Commander Shepard , we never really cared before but we were curious now. Ultimately though we came to the conclusion that both Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer give excellent portrayals, but they really portray different aspects of Shepard well.

Mark Meer’s portrayal is Commander Shepard, the legendary soldier. The strong fighter and figure who single handedly held back the Skyllian Blitz, who blasted through a geth army to reach and defeat Saren, and who led a squad to the center of the universe to destroy the Collector base. His voice acting greatly improved over the years, but he never managed to completely lose the flat-tone, but that just helps to portray him as the “I’ll get the job done” bad-ass soldier.

Jennifer Hale’s portrayal on the other hand is Commander Shepard, the person/charismatic leader. She’s the Shepard who made a family out of her crew and successfully united the galaxy against a common enemy. The one who inspires you to follow her to hell because you 100% believe that she has your back and trusts you completely to have hers. She also gives a stronger portrayal of Shepard’s lows and reminds you that Shepard is a person under all of the legend.

Overall, they both give stellar performances, just one covers a certain base better than the other which could be why the debate sparked in the first place all those years ago.

So what are your thoughts on this?

For reference, I have played Renegade Femshep btw and my friend has played Paragon Maleshep which is how we figured out our preferences so we have experience on both sides of the moral compass.

I'm not sure I'll be able to give an unbiased perspective because I just...can't play renegade. To me Mass Effect and the fight against the Reapers is uniting as many as I can and forming strong bonds.

I think in my average playthrough I pick renegade options like..twice?

Also, while I've *tried* to play Maleshep...I just can't and I have to agree about Meer's performance. I feel like Jen Hale's voice acting is leagues better. Especially when it comes to humor and comedic timing.

Now all that out of the way, I definitely feel like paragon Femshep is the definitive way to play the ME trilogy. Being paragon allows you to experience more conversations, save more people and it makes the potential end of everything a lot more, well, fun.

You can face just about anything with friends by your side. Without them, the universe is a cold and lonely place.

That final walk through the Normandy where you talk to all of your friends is just so warm. I can't imagine treating them like anything other than your dearest, closest family.

[hisuianhellion]

🪐

Mass Effect - Death mention

It had been a few years since arriving here, ten in fact. No documentation. No familial or legal history to reference. A good few psych examinations to make sure she had even a shred of sanity in her skull when screaming about how aliens weren't supposed to be real, where the fuck was she, how the fuck did she even get here. All in front of a Lieutenant of a human space navy that somehow took sympathy on her.

She had told him rather plainly that she wasn't really the military type. But he didn't want her to just end up jobless and worthless on the Citadel. She'd either end up deported or shoved into one of the wards, landing a dead-end job within cultures she knew nothing about. But she seemed to have an aptitude for learning about other races more keenly than those who simply grew up with them, and that had Lieutenant Anderson's attention.

It wasn't forced, but she did still feel strong-armed into service. This or destitution. And it let her get plenty of training in, both on a physical side and a cultural side. Learning how Earth was in the late 22nd century. Learning about the myriad Council and Embassy races. And learning that the colonial mindset of human expansion and brute-forced progress hadn't faltered, but... hey. At least now they had competition in the Council races that held the galaxy in their political grip. What they said went, you just had to abide that.

Quietly sitting in her cabin, she found herself reminiscing. That first gunfight she had gotten herself into, clearing that Red Sand grift without a single casualty on her side. She ended up visiting the family of who died to make sure it wasn't missed. Not on her own side... but hey. Stupid kids making stupid decisions. And it taught her to make sure she talked before shooting, despite what training said.

A year later, a stint in a joint military exercise with the Systems Alliance and the local colonist militia on Elysium turned into what was thus known as the "Skyllian Blitz". It was the bloodiest battle she had ever seen at that point. She was just a Warrant Officer at the time, but Anderson had kept tabs on her. A couple of calls here, a recommendation for enrollment in the ICT program there, and she was an N4 by then. But that fight. That goddamn fight.

Commander, dead. Killed in the first barrage. Captain above him, currently not even there yet, but the SSV Agincourt was apparently en route. The ships above fell almost immediately after the Alliance Navy had appeared, yeah, but the ground troops found little rapport when the slavers and pirates opted to shift from collection to slaughter when they realized there wasn't going to be a way out that wasn't prison.

Anderson had chosen well those few years back, because without Rose stepping up immediately to make sure that the colonists had firearms, cover, and knew where to puncture the attacking Batarians and their hired goons? Well. Those Vorcha would've had a very easy time committing whatever atrocities they were ordered to deal.

Casualties were brought from hundreds, even thousands projected... to nineteen where she was. Nineteen dead, sixty injured but stable. Hundreds... down to just below twenty. And an entire invading army's ground invasion cleared out.

The very following week, she had been awarded the Star of Terra. A month later, she was fast-tracked through the ITC, graduating that in 2182 with the distinction of being a Commander with the N7 code. Six months later, she oversaw the Normandy's shakedown run with Captain Anderson himself, a man with so many medals he could melt them down into a life-sized statue of himself, so said Navigator Pressly. Anderson was her friend. Her confidant. The man who had made sure to put the training to the talent he saw.

And she had just replaced him. Backroom politics, stealing not just his old mission to make people see what Saren was truly like... but the very ship he was slated to command. She wasn't even a Captain at this point. She was the rank just below that, and yet... being a Spectre got her special privileges, it seemed.

She had recruited humans and aliens alike to help her track down a rogue Spectre, murderer of his own friend, slaughterer of so many on Eden Prime. Garrus, Tali, Ashley, Kaiden, Wrex... even Liara. The daughter of Saren's own second in command. Therum was a melting pot she barely got that woman out of alive, and Feros was a lesson in horror she was still reeling from. It was costing her sleep, even...

Now she was here. In the captain's cabin herself of the SSV Normandy. She stared at the Star of Terra, haphazardly tossed onto the desk beside the bed. She rubbed at her eyes gently, standing up and beginning to walk outwards. A wave to Kaiden, who had opted to pass some time during their stop at the Citadel docks by chatting with Doctor Chakwas. Good guy. Very down to earth fellow. She ended up stepping forward towards the stairwell that led to the bridge, but nearly ended up slamming her nose right into a set of armor.

Red. Bulky. Holding a scowl behind it as a hulk of a man stared down at her with reptilian eyes. She looked up for a moment with a faint "eh, sorry", and went to shift past the Krogan.

Wrex reached out, grabbing her arm. And she stopped, her eyes clouding gently before she flicked them in his direction wordlessly. "... Wrex."

"Waite." His grip held her for a moment before letting go. "Don't you humans need that thing called 'sleep'?"

"Hasn't been coming easy. And don't act like Krogans don't need it, either." She turned a bit more fully to look down at him, crossing her arms. "Or does a guy like you run purely off spite?"

The larger of the two actually gave a faint huff, something of a laugh. The last month had gotten him to loosen up, and considering the armor he had just gotten back after a good long while... well. He wasn't all smiles. But he trusted Rose. He knew Rose had not just skills, but a brain between her ears. "Piss and vinegar, I heard a human say back on Omega once. But that isn't your kind of fuel." Her own smirk, forming at his words, faded soon after, and she shook her head.

"... Nah. Been hard to find the time. We've gotta head to Noveria soon, it's the last loose end I can think of."

"And you can handle that when you actually rest. I'm not following a half dead human to an early grave, I'm following a Spectre that knows how to take care of herself." Rose's frown began to deepen for a few seconds, only for her to sigh through her nose. Fuck. Even the resident loner, barely capable of saying anything more than her last name unless she tugs it out of him, is laying into her?

"On one condition." Wrex crossed his arms as well in response, meeting her gaze at the same height despite being a few steps below her, and he knit his brow. "You come out there with me. We go to Zalera Ward. And you have a goddamn drink with me. Mm?"

The look on his face crossed from annoyance at being denied at first, straight to shock at the offer, then immediately confused amusement. And the only thing that changed on his face was the slits of his eyes widening and narrowing in turn with a crease of his jaws loosening slightly.

"I put a gun to your head, so you pull a knife to my gut, eh? Damn idiot." And for the first time, a smirk tugged at his lips, and with a hand on her chest, he shoved her a few steps upwards. "Fine. I still owe you for the armor. But you're paying."

"Cheapskate."

"Put up or shut up, Waite."

[heroofshield]

Whumpcember Day 14- Cornered (Mass Effect Shenko)

takes place pre-Mass Effect 1

@whumpcember

Stepping into the cold night, Rose Shepard was glad for the break from...everything. The fire alarm couldn't have come at a better time, if she had to get through another conversation of some Admiral asking about Elysium, she might scream.

"I know that this gala is for all recipients, but it seems like I'm the focus." she thought while running a hand across the back of her next, glad her hair was in a regulation bun instead of some fancy updo.

Stepping to the edge of the crowd, she took in a deep breath of fresh air and turn to just observe everyone mingling about while the fire department went through the building.

"Earth First!"

"Terra Firma!"

The shouts from the driveway, figures emerging from between the red trucks and bright lights, and Rose felt the energy instantly change from relaxed to concern. Instinctively her hand went to her side, only to remember that she was in formal wear and didn't even have a small knife strapped to her leg.

She assumed that it was the same for most everyone here, it was a gala not the day to day at Alliance headquarters; why would any of the top brass be armed for a reception and dinner?

Rose decided to keep quiet and if an opportunity presented its self, use her biotics to hopefully take out a few of them.

"Everyone in the middle of the green." shouted the leader, gesturing with his pistol. "And if you're a biotic, don't even think about it-we have our own."

On what was clearly a cue, a few of the domestic terrorists started glowing blue and threw few stasis fields at some of the uniformed Alliance guards that had been there as standard security.

Hoping that none of the Terra Firma members would recognize her, Rose tried to use the crowd as cover; blending in with the rest of the group as they were being marched to the middle of lawn. But then someone tripped, falling, and one of the masked terrorists raised their leg to give them a kick-so naturally Rose had to do something.

"Stop!" she shouted, using her own stasis field to freeze the terrorist and then used the dark energy to throw them against the trunk of a tree.

Before she could do anything else though, she froze-being enveloped in another stasis field.

"I should have known that Shepard, Hero of the Skyllian Blitz, would be here." A voice, the one that belong to the leader, said as he walked nearer. "I do remember saying that any biotic that wasn't with us shouldn't try anything. It's great that I get to make an example out of Lieutenant Shepard though, I can already see the headlines."

Rose watched, her mind screaming at her limbs to do something, anything, as the leader aimed his pistol at her and prepared to fire and thought, "At least I did something."

Then out of nowhere the leader went down with a howl of pain, his weapon flying out of his hand as he hit the ground. After that, things happened fast. Concentrated gunfire taking out the biotics, destroying any fields that had been active, Rose feeling that she could move again and she jumped into action; going for the nearest terrorist and swinging her fists to take them out while making sure to collect their weapons before going on to the next.

Landing another punch, she heard "Duck!" and responded almost immediately-crouching a second before the sound of something swinging through the air where her head had been not long ago. Lashing out a heeled foot, it connected with something solid and a grunt of pain. Straightening up, she saw that one of the Terra Firma members had brought a bat and had been about to use it against her.

Seeing Alliance white and blue armor, she nodded to her savior, "Thanks."

The younger man nodded in return, "Nothing special ma'am."

Rose watched as he left to deal with the remaining Terra Firma members and took stock of herself; her dress was ripped at the side, the heel that she'd slammed into the bad guys leg was broken, and if the stinging was any indication she had a number of scrapes and bruises.

"But I'm still alive." she told herself as more armored Alliance began to arrive and some kind of order was starting to shape up.

"Shepard, are you alright?" Anderson asked, striding up to his protegee.

"A few bruises and my shoe is broken, but I'm still standing." Rose replied.

"Stay close, I'll need to get your statement eventually. This is a mess." Anderson sighed while running a hand across his forehead to forestall the headache he knew was coming.

"One thing though, there was a corporal who saved my ass during the takedown. Over there, the one in the blue and white heavy armor." Shepard pointed towards the driveway where the younger man was slapping biotic cuffs on one of the terrorists. "What's his name?"

"Kaidan Alenko. Easily one of the most powerful biotics I know. Not counting you of course."

Rose was aware of Anderson walking away, her eyes still tracking Kaidan. She wanted to thank him for having her back but would have to wait until the right time, right now he was helping gathering up the Terra Firma members and she still had to give her statement about what happened. "Hopefully I'll run into him again."

[vesperfloyd]

Got around to finally write Isaac Shepard's bio (don't have mods yet but hopefully will soon get some in game shots) but here he is! Hope Joel Kinnaman doesn't get too annoyed at me borrowing his face but he looks exactly how I pictured Isaac. Also submitting this for @theshepcollective ❤️

Isaac Shepard

Background: Spacer / War Hero

Isaac Shepard was born in 2153 on the SSV New Delhi cruiser, where both his parents were assigned as executive officers. 

Great great grandson of the astronaut Alan Shepard, his whole family has been involved in the military and space exploration since. Isaac spends his childhood following his parents from space station to spaceship, loving the idea of exploring the great unknown still out there and making a real difference. 

His parents unfortunately pass away in 2167 in a tragic accident: a rogue celestial object hits their transport shuttle and the whole crew perishes. 

His maternal grandparents, Arthur and Sylvia, take him in on the colony of Cyrene, but young Isaac is struggling, and feels trapped on the small colony. 

He starts running with some bad crowds and using drugs to cope with his grief, until he is arrested for possession and minor theft when he is 16. He spends a year in juvie and decides to get himself straight once out: he attends his missing exams and manages to enlist with the Alliance at 19. He proves himself quickly on various posts, showing a unique combination of street smarts, strategy and physical skills (aside from biotics with which he struggles with)  and even succeeds in getting an Engineering degree.

He quickly ascends the ranks and eventually gets to the level of Lieutenant. In 2176, the Skyllian Blitz happens, a major assault led by pirates, slavers and batarian warlords on the colony of Elysium. Here, along with his squad, he manages to rally the colonists against the batarian attack, and when enemy forces manage to break through the colony's defences, Shepard manages to single-handedly hold them off and seal the breach, leading to the Alliance forces winning the battle. 

He gets awarded the Star of Terra and after leading a few successful operations against slavers in the Terminus systems, in 2183 he gets assigned as Commander for the SSV Normandy under Captain Anderson.

Alignment: Paragade (do no harm take no shit)

Class: Soldier (but with Kaidan's help eventually manages to be more proficient with biotics)

Lovers: Reyes Vidal in 2183, then Kaidan Alenko, some other flings along the way

Best Friends: Joker, Garrus, Miranda

[acciokaidanalenko]

Taking on the Universe: Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen: Searching for Proof

Summary: Commander Shepard and her squad take the investigation into their own hands.

CW/TW: None

Preview of chapter below the cut. AO3 link: here.

Natasha led the others into the small office that belonged to the Shadow Broker's agent, Barla Von. The Volus in question was seated at the desk in the back of the room, two armed mechs flanking him protectively. The decor was limited to a few small potted plants in the corners of the room, and no other furniture. The only thing to be found in abundance in this barren room were the surveillance cameras positioned in such a way around its perimeter that every square inch would be covered.

"Ah, hello, Earth Clan. What an honor it is to have the Hero of the Blitz herself visiting my humble business," the Volus said as Natasha was the first to approach. Alenko, Williams, and Garrus followed closely behind, moving slowly and uncertainly as the Shadow Broker's agent offered his greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Commander Shepard?"

"How do you know my name?" she asked apprehensively, stopping a short distance in front of the desk. She stood where chairs would normally be positioned in an office such as this, though they were absent in this case.

"Come now, Commander, surely you're aware of how famous you are. Not only among your fellow Humans." He paused briefly, and Natasha imagined the sly smile that must've been on his face as he spoke. "Your exploits on Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz are known throughout the galaxy. Your bravery has been lauded over the years." Another interval of silence as the Volus watched her intently. "Though, one does wonder... What number of those people who hail you a hero, would change their opinion if they knew what you sacrificed that day?"

A pointed silence lingered as the Volus finished speaking, the final hiss of his breathing punctuating the air as Natasha glared at him, her fists clenching in response to his veiled threat. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks as she struggled to contain her anger, focusing on her need to quell the sudden wave of biotic energy threatening to spill out from her carefully contained aura.

Natasha took a deep breath to calm herself, noting the way Alenko subtly stepped closer to her. She quickly reminded herself of the objective of this meeting, her goal to acquire the information necessary to take Saren down. She couldn't allow herself to consider how this stranger knew about the cost of her victory when the Alliance had worked so hard to keep it hidden from the public.

"Sounds as if you're well-informed, Barla Von," she countered sharply, ignoring his baited words and pushing through the emotional turmoil now raging within her mind.

"Ah, so now we come to the reason for your visit today. Is information what you seek from me, Shepard?"

"We need any information you have about the recent attack on Eden Prime, or the one responsible," she replied with a swift nod of her head. The Volus stared at her for a long moment, allowing the loud hiss of his breathing to fill the silence as he watched the group squirm with impatience.

"The recent attack on Eden Prime was a tragedy, most certainly. How odd for the Geth to find themselves on a Human colony, so far from the Perseus Veil. I wonder what led to such an alliance? One of the Council's best agents leading the Geth, in pursuit of Ancient Prothean technology? Very curious behavior, indeed."

"Enough with the mind games and riddles! Just tell us what you know about Paradise and Saren so we can take his ass down," Williams interjected, her tone sharp as her patience had reached its limit. The Volus chuckled darkly and shifted his gaze to the chief for the first time since the group had entered his office.

"My, my, my. The Hero of the Blitz keeps such interesting company," Barla Von mused as he steepled his hands together and continued to stare at Williams over them. His tone had turned mischievous. He seemed to be enjoying this game of his own invention, toying with the soldiers as he dangled their secrets in front of them.

[that-wildwolf]

What's it like being with the most amazing woman in the universe?

Garrus had never in his life even dreamed he would get to be the person who can answer that question.

And yet here he is, with her by his side for some inexplicable reason he still doesn't understand. It's really a wonder. He's not an immortal Spectre revered by the galaxy for his winning the war against the Reapers. He's not the symbol of victory who'd rallied the entire galaxy to fight. When compared to her, he's painfully insignificant. Hell, he can't even compare. She's everything — and it's not just something he thinks because he loves her. It's a fact of life. She's worth everything, she deserves everything.

And yet she chose him. Of everyone out there, she chose to be with him. And, in a way, doesn't that make perfect sense? He's stood by her through everything she's been through and they've grown closer than Garrus had ever been with anyone. Never before had he felt so connected to another person. They are best friends, they are lovers, they are soulmates.

Because as incredible as it is to be with her, he's had time to accept it as true. She loves him. She wants to be with him. It will likely never cease to amaze him, but he no longer disbelieves it.

So what's it like being with the most wonderful woman in the universe?

It's a blessing. He wakes up every day to see her beside him and every day it still feels unbelievable. This is Shepard, his mentor, his CO, his role model, the hero of the Skyllian Blitz and the Citadel, the saviour of the galaxy, and his best friend, who's lying in bed with him. He's under no illusion about her status. He knows that there are thousands of others who would give anything for one night with her. And yet every single one of those nights is spent with him. She wants nobody else, only him. How can he even begin to explain how amazing that feels?

He always wakes up first. He always watches her sleep, always enamoured by her when she's at her most vulnerable. She's perfect. And he thinks that he's the luckiest damn turian in the galaxy, that he gets to see her like this almost every morning.

She wakes up and greets him with one of those amazingly soft human kisses that make him completely melt inside.

"I love you."

It's not always the first thing he says to her in the morning, but it's always one of the first. He can't even begin to put his feelings into words, but that's a start.

So what's it like being with the most incredible woman in the universe?

It's getting to see her in the tiniest, most mundane moments, completely comfortable around him as if he's a permanent fixture in her life. He supposes that's exactly what he is. It's a nice thought.

She moves around him, toothbrush in her mouth, as he buffs his plates in the morning, each of them doing their morning ablutions separately but existing in the same space, by each other's side.

He makes the coffee while she walks around the kitchen, making breakfast, humming something to herself or holding a half-awake conversation with him.

She sits between his legs when he reads the news, scrolling through something on her own datapad or omnitool. They're forever circling around each other, even if they're doing different things.

So what's it like being with the most important woman in the universe?

It's a thousand casual touches betraying the love they have for each other, a plethora of tiny brushes of their arms as they pass or taps on the shoulder, or just brushing her hair off her face.

It's a million of seemingly insignificant little looks cast to each other both at home and in the company of other people. They can understand each other without words if they need to. And if they don't need to, the silent glances still betray an amount of affection that words can't always express.

It's a hundred of soft, hushed I love yous whispered to her every day, every night, whenever he can get it in. He knows that she knows it, but it doesn't stop him from reminding her every time he gets an occasion to. He loves her. He always will. It's a reminder, it's a declaration, it's a promise. He will always be there for her. She will always have his heart, his body and his soul. All he has belongs to her. No words can ever wrap themselves around that feeling, so he settles for I love you. It's not enough, but it will have to do.

"I love you."

So what's it like being with the most perfect woman in the universe?

Well. More than anything, it's getting to hear her say it back to him.

[skinnypig2]

obviously the whole mass effect will continue trailer gives me chills every time, but that “Arcturus station, unknown vessel approaching” dialogue with the music in the background is just perfect. I want to see the first contact war in a game or a book or a show… i want to see humanity discovering mass effect tech & jon grissom going through the charon relay. I want to see humanity adjusting to the greater galaxy and their conflicts along the way. I wanna see the skyllian blitz. There’s so much mass effect yet to be experienced. as much as I enjoyed andromeda, i would much prefer a Shepard-less story focused on the interesting stuff we’ve already heard about but not really delved deep into.

[anyathebloodshell]

I'm replaying Mass Effect thanks to the legendary edition that I bought some weeks ago and another Horizon AU as come to me, so here's my Mass Effect AU for Horizon characters, especially the GAIA Gang.

Aloy; Born on The Citadel along with her twin sister Beta and she was a C-Sec Agent before joining the N7 Program and she abandoned her position as C-Sec Agent and later join the Alliance. Aloy is a Sentinel Class and has L3 Implants.

Erend: Erend is a colonist born on Elysium and had an attitude for military since a young age and he is as well a very talented biotic. He has been loyal to the Alliance as far as he can remember and he's absolutely not racist for the other species. Erend is a Vanguard Class and has L5n Implants.

Varl: Varl is born on the Citadel and he was Aloy and Beta's childhood friend and he is an absolute pacifist. His work at the C-Sec didn't satisfy him easily and he was chosen for the N7 Program and then he became a soldier for the Alliance. Varl is a Soldier class.

Zo; Zo is a colonist born on Eden Prime but she was exposed to eezo at a young age and she trained and studied hard to join the Alliance one day and she was chosen for the N7 Program, she was on Eden Prime when Saren had attacked her home. Zo is an Adept Class and has L5x Implants.

Kotallo; His family has served the Alliance for long and he's grown in between spaceships and he has assisted to the Skyllian Blitz and unfortunately lost an arm in there. He felt dishonored for the lost of his arm but began to accept himself and built himself a prosthetic arm and continued to serve the Alliance. Kotallo is an Infiltrator Class.

Alva; Alva is a colonist born on Berkenstein, her family are gun smugglers and they created a fortune in short time, Alva had the best education so she one day would join the Alliance and live on the Citadel, and perhaps continue to study on the other cultures. Alva is a Sentinel Class and has L2 Implants, which causes some headaches to her.

Beta; Born on The Citadel along with her twin sister Aloy, and she's the youngest of the two. Beta has been choosen to be and Engineer for the Alliance and assist some navigators on the ships and, occasionally, use her combat skills. Beta was happy when Aloy has finished the N7 Program and joined the Alliance. Beta is an Engineer Class.

Well, that's my little AU! I hope you like It ❤️

[theflamesbeyond]

sending u a bunch … 3, 12, 19, 22, 33, 38 👀

Thank you, Jay!!! I really appreciate it. :')

3. Armax Arsenal Arena: Do they participate? How do they like it?

I think Mara, being an athletic and competitive person, would've liked watching and participating in the Armax Arsenal Arena before she joined the Alliance. It would've felt like a game to her then. By Mass Effect 3 though, I think it'd feel too real for her to enjoy it, because of how many times she and her friends were injured and nearly died fighting geth, collectors, etc. So I don't think she'd want to watch or participate.

12. What does Udina think of them?

Since Udina and Anderson dislike each other, I think in Mass Effect 1 Udina disliked Mara because of how close she is to Anderson, and how much she and Anderson have in common. I think in Mass Effect 3 though, Udina can tell that Mara has come into her own, and recognizes that whatever disagreements they had in the past are less important than working together to stop the reapers.

19. What are they like, when in a bad mood? How obvious is it?

When Mara is in a bad mood, she hides her emotions behind a mask of professionalism, and withdraws from everything except her work. After the Skyllian Blitz — during which she lost her entire team, suffered a debilitating concussion, and was made into a "war hero" against her will by the Alliance to save face — she spent several years in this state, and most people assumed that it was her base personality. So, it isn't obvious to most people.

22. What was the post-Lazarus reunion between Shepard and Joker like?

Mara was elated to see Joker again. It was a tremendous relief to know that he'd successfully escaped the Normany SR-1, and to see a familiar face. I think there was a small part of her that was confused by and disappointed in him for agreeing to work for Cerberus, but after a long discussion with him about why he did it, she understood his reasoning.

33. What does the Council think of their first human spectre?

I don't think the Council was impressed by Mara as much as they wanted to placate the Alliance, which was pushing hard for Mara to be made a spectre. Additionally, I think that they considered her mission to retrieve the beacon on Eden Prime a colossal failure, and were disturbed by her insistence that the reapers were real and Saren was working with them. The only reason they proceeded to make her a spectre was, again, because they cared more about placating the Alliance. For those reasons, the Council dislikes her and criticizes her every action for the duration of Mass Effect 1. They don't reconsider their opinion of her until Sovereign and Saren attack the Citadel and she helps stop them. However, after Cerberus revives her and she starts working with them, they quickly (and understandably) revert to disliking and distrusting her again. They maintain that opinion of her until she helps stop the coup in Mass Effect 3.

38. Lucky, or unlucky?

I think she's very unlucky in some ways, and very lucky in others. She was very unlucky to lose both of her parents early in life, to be sent to an abusive foster home, and to have no one to turn to for help except the 10th Street Reds and later the Alliance. But she was very lucky to survive the Skyllian Blitz and the events of Mass Effect 1, and even luckier to be successfully revived after she died. Not to mention going on to survive the events of Mass Effect 2 and 3. I think if you asked her, she'd say she feels lucky to be alive at the end of it all, despite the mental and physical trauma she endured and has to live with.

Link to ask meme.

[autocon23]

Doing a bit of writing for my Mass Effect fanfic and after spending a lot of time looking over the timeline, I realized something..... an argument could be made that Kai Leng and Shepard went through N7 training at the same time. Maybe not in the same class/group or even exact time when they went, but it could be close. Of course, if you look at the timeline, Bioware doesn't really put when Shepard becomes an N7. Since it's kinda referenced that Shepard (regardless of what you select in the character creation) was on Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz, then I believe that it was after that. There's plenty of time between that and the start of ME1 to have to be anywhere, but I think Shepard received their recommendation because of the Blitz.