Mass Effect
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Mass Effect
Humanity needs a hero. And Shepard's the best we've got.
Lt. Commander Gideon Shepard had been recently reassigned. The SSV Normandy SR-1 was the most advanced vessel in the fleet of the Systems Alliance, built as a joint project between humanity and the Turian Heirarchy. Her commanding officer was David Anderson - an acquaintance of Shepard's and one of the few Alliance brass who seemed to be able to look past the Commander's reputation. He'd managed to get Shepard this assignment as the Executive Officer of the Normandy, effectively the second-in-command to Captain Anderson.
The helmsman, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, reported over the comm: "The Charon Relay is in range. Initiating trasmission sequence." Mass relays, artifacts constructed by the extinct Prothean race, were the only way to travel around the galaxy in any meaningful amount of time. The physics behind it were difficult to explain fully, but essentially two or more mass relays could effectively transport ships between them at thousands of times the speed of light. Distances that would take decades even at FTL were easily traversed through this system. "We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination."
Shepard approached the bridge, situated towards the front of the arrowhead-shaped vessel. Through the open doorway he could see a shadowy figure looming over the pilot. Nihlus Kryik, a Turian and a Spectre. Spectres (SPECial Tactics and REconnaissance) were agents of the Citadel Council, effectively granted authority over all but the three Councilors. They were only selected from the three species with a Council seat - asari, salarians and turians - and were generally understood within the Alliance military as being a slightly-less-evil secret police. That wasn't the only reason Nihlus had to deal with the crew's mistrust, however.
He was a turian. The turians held the distinction of being the primary military force in Citadel space, charged with the security of all client species and systems. They were also the first alien race humans encountered, and failed to make a good impression. Human policy pre-First Contact had called for the activation of any and all mass relays that were encountered. Citadel laws forbade that. Humanity, obviously, ignored the laws because they had no idea what the Citadel was or that it even existed. The turians happened upon human workers activating Relay 314 - and fired upon the ships. One escaped to FTL to warn the Systems Alliance, as the turians occupied the nearby colony world of Shanxi. The First Contact War was brief and ended with the liberation of Shanxi and the opening of diplomatic relations by the Salarian Union and the Asari Republics - but the turians outright refused to accept any blame for the war. Because of this, humans and turians rarely got along.
"The relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector...all stations secure for transit." Joker sent over the comm. "The board is green. Approach run has begun." He shut off the comm as Shepard stepped into the bridge, showing the mass relay they were approaching before it abruptly vanished in a blur of blue light. They were en route. Their mission was to test the Normandy's stealth systems near the human colony of Eden Prime. Which didn't explain why a Spectre was aboard, and a turian at that. Now Joker was reading off items on the controls, presumably to Shepard. "Thrusters...check. Navigation...check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift..." The pilot allowed himself a cocky half-smile, "just under 1500 k."
The turian to Shepard's right nodded once, curtly. "1500 is good. Your captain will be pleased." Without greeting Shepard he turned and stalked out of the bridge. Joker glanced over his shoulder at Shepard, then to his co-pilot, Lt. Kaidan Alenko. "I hate that guy."
Kaidan glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Nihlus gave you a complement...so you hate him?"
Joker's tone indicated that what he was saying should be blatantly obvious. "You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom, that's 'good.' I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. That's 'incredible,' at least!" He returned his gaze to the controls. "Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him onboard. Call me paranoid."
"You're paranoid. The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."
"Yeah, that is the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story." Joker fired back smarmily.
Re: Mass Effect
"Well then you can start believing it" Shepard says
Helsing- The Marksman
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Re: Mass Effect
"Love you too, Commander. Hey, speaking of which, what's your take on this?" Joker ignored Kaidan's facepalm at the utter lack of respect for his superiors.
Re: Mass Effect
"I won't lie and say I'm not a little suspicious. But orders are orders so I'm not going to question it, yet"
Helsing- The Marksman
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Re: Mass Effect
Joker nodded approvingly before his comm keyed into the conversation. Captain Anderson was the caller. "Joker. Status report."
"Just cleared the mass relay, Captain. Stealth systems engaged, everything looks solid."
"Good. Find a comm buoy and get us hooked into the network. I want a status report back to Arcturus Station before we hit Eden Prime."
"Aye aye, sir. Better brace yourself, I think Nihlus is headed your way."
Anderson wasn't amused. "He's already here, Lieutenant." Joker didn't look embarrassed in the slightest. "Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing."
"Just cleared the mass relay, Captain. Stealth systems engaged, everything looks solid."
"Good. Find a comm buoy and get us hooked into the network. I want a status report back to Arcturus Station before we hit Eden Prime."
"Aye aye, sir. Better brace yourself, I think Nihlus is headed your way."
Anderson wasn't amused. "He's already here, Lieutenant." Joker didn't look embarrassed in the slightest. "Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing."
Re: Mass Effect
"I should go" Shepard says leaving the bridge and heading for the com room
Helsing- The Marksman
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Re: Mass Effect
Upon arrival, Nihlus was there. "Commander Shepard. I was hoping you'd get here first. It will give us a chance to talk."
Re: Mass Effect
"What do you need?"
Helsing- The Marksman
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Re: Mass Effect
"I'm interested in this world we're going to - Eden Prime. I've heard it's quite beautiful." The turian took to pacing as he spoke.
Re: Mass Effect
"From what I've heard its a beautiful place. I personally don't care how it looks so long as we get done what we were ordered to do" Shepard says
Helsing- The Marksman
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Re: Mass Effect
Nihlus shifted conversational gears. "Your people are still new to the galaxy Commander. It can be a very dangerous place. Do you believe the Alliance is truly ready for this?"
Re: Mass Effect
"If they aren't then its a good thing I am"
Helsing- The Marksman
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Re: Mass Effect
Behind Shepard, the door slid open. "I think it's about time we told the commander what's really going on," Captain Anderson said as he strode in.
Nihlus immediately stopped pacing and faced Shepard. "This mission is far more than a simple test run."
Nihlus immediately stopped pacing and faced Shepard. "This mission is far more than a simple test run."
Re: Mass Effect
Shepard stood at attention and salutes the captain before regaining his stance "What is this about then?"
Helsing- The Marksman
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Re: Mass Effect
"We're making a covert pick-up on Eden Prime. That's why we needed the stealth systems operational." Anderson said.
Re: Mass Effect
"What are we picking up?"
Helsing- The Marksman
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Re: Mass Effect
"A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of beacon during an excavation. It was Prothean." That was a huge deal. The Protheans were an incredibly advanced race that existed some fifty thousand years ago. Their technology had not been matched by any that came after - yet their remnants, the mass relays and the Citadel, formed the groundwork for galactic society. Prothean ruins on Mars had given humans access to FTL drives and mass effect fields. If something else had been found...who knew what it might hold?
Re: Mass Effect
"Do we have any idea what it does?"
Helsing- The Marksman
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Re: Mass Effect
"No, we don't. And we need to find out. But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We're going to take the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study."
Nihlus chose that moment to re-enter the conversation. "Obviously, this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander. This discovery could affect every species in Council space."
Nihlus chose that moment to re-enter the conversation. "Obviously, this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander. This discovery could affect every species in Council space."
Re: Mass Effect
Shepard nods. Prothean tech was far more powerful then anything anyone could match. Shepard remembered the power of the mass relays witch were more or less used for transportation uses only, who knows how powerful a Prothean military weapon would be
Helsing- The Marksman
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Re: Mass Effect
The turian Spectre waited a moment before speaking again. "The beacon's not the only reason I'm here, Shepard."
"Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander. He's here to evaluate you." Anderson explained.
"Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander. He's here to evaluate you." Anderson explained.
Re: Mass Effect
Shepard eyed the Spectre "I figured my reputation at the Skyllian Blitz spoke for itself"
Helsing- The Marksman
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Join date : 2013-10-13
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Re: Mass Effect
Nihlus was unfazed. "I've read the reports. Your performance on Elysium was remarkable - which is why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres. All that remains is for the Council to have a first-hand report on your capabilities in the field."
"Obviously this is an important part of our relations with the Citadel Council, Commander. Humanity wants to show that they have the capabilities to be a part of shaping the Council's policy. A human Spectre is a signal of how far the Alliance has come."
"Obviously this is an important part of our relations with the Citadel Council, Commander. Humanity wants to show that they have the capabilities to be a part of shaping the Council's policy. A human Spectre is a signal of how far the Alliance has come."
Re: Mass Effect
"Then I hope to exceed your expectations"
Helsing- The Marksman
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Join date : 2013-10-13
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Re: Mass Effect
"Earth needs this, Shepard. We're counting on you."
Nihlus stepped forward. "Eden Prime will be the first of several missions we'll be undertaking together. You'll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship. I'll accompany you to observe."
Anderson checked his omni-tool. "We should be getting close to Eden Pr-"
"Captain! We've got a problem." Joker's voice cut into the conversation"
"What's wrong, Joker?"
"Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this!" Joker sounded half-excited, half-scared.
"Bring it up onscreen." Since they were in the comms room, all three of them turned to the back wall, which housed a holographic projector screen that would contain the transmission.
Nihlus stepped forward. "Eden Prime will be the first of several missions we'll be undertaking together. You'll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship. I'll accompany you to observe."
Anderson checked his omni-tool. "We should be getting close to Eden Pr-"
"Captain! We've got a problem." Joker's voice cut into the conversation"
"What's wrong, Joker?"
"Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this!" Joker sounded half-excited, half-scared.
"Bring it up onscreen." Since they were in the comms room, all three of them turned to the back wall, which housed a holographic projector screen that would contain the transmission.
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