Docking Bay 22, The Citadel, Alliance Space

Bridge of the Normandy SR3

It was finally quiet aboard the Citadel, a fact that Helmsman Jeff Moreau, better known as Joker, appreciated quite a bit. In the nine months since the Reaper Invasion, the Alliance had been hard at work restoring the Citadel to its former glory.

This arduous process included recording the names and identities of the countless bodies that were left behind by the Reapers, repairing damaged sections, sealing off sections that were too damaged for further use, and many other tasks.

Not to mention the still-ongoing task of restoring the Alliance Fleet, and dealing with the fallout of the Invasion. On top of that was the curing of the genophage, the rebuilding of the Quarian homeworld, every task seemed to grow more in scale by the moment.

Now that the work crews on the Citadel were resting and it was finally quiet, Joker found he could focus better on the Normandy SR3 and what it needed. After he and several crew members crashed the Normandy SR2 on a jungle planet, they did not expect to be met by a squad of Alliance Marines, who were stationed there to protect a small wildlife research facility.

After a three-week stay, Alliance vessels rescued the stranded crewmembers and the remains of the Normandy SR2. Once they returned to the Citadel, the ship that led the counterattack on Earth was restored to active status, and given a much-needed overhaul.

The Normandy SR3 was an improvement on the SR2 in every way, from its shields and hull armor, to weapons capacity and storage. Other additions included a sub-hangar and well deck, an improved armory, and a boost engine on the stern. This engine allowed the Normandy to escape in a brief blast of thrust and loose or evade whatever was attacking it.

Finally, the ship received two point-defense heavy turrets on the midpoint of the hull to dissuade any attackers from flanking it during space combat. This a disadvantage the Collectors had seized on before the Invasion during their attack on the Normandy SR1, and it wouldn't happen again.

It was a miracle to get everything arranged, installed, and working in such short order, but Joker and EDI were pleasantly surprised at the speed in which everything came together. Now, as Joker did some minor engine testing for long-distance flight, he heard footsteps behind him, and a familiar figure entered Joker’s peripheral vision.

“Commander Shepard!” Joker said with a relieved tone, giving a small salute. “I heard they reaffirmed your Spectre status while you were in rehabilitation. Congratulations, sir.”

“Thank you, Joker.” said Commander Jonathan Shepard, looking over the readouts displayed in front of him by EDI. “It’s good to be back in the saddle after all this time.”

“I imagine Dr. Chakwas did her best work on you.” Joker chuckled. “Did she?”

“She certainly did, and if I see another gene therapy pod within the next month, it’ll be too soon.” Shepard laughed. “How’s the Normandy?”

“Everything is green across the board and functioning.” Joker responded. “EDI?”

“Confirmed. All systems are primed, and ready for imminent self-destruction.” EDI responded, quickly adding “That was a joke. It is a relief to see you again, Commander.”

“Likewise, EDI.” Shepard nodded. “Now that it comes to mind, Joker, aren’t we supposed to have a few new assignments arriving?”

“Yessir, indeed we are.” Joker replied. “First is Corporal Rachel de Mura, an Alliance Infiltrator and ranger. Specializes in first recon, tracking, and navigation. Awarded three commendations so far for marksmanship, as she was the best shot in her unit. Garrus might want to put that to the test, if you ask me.”

“Second is…Urdnot Harko.” Joker said, surprised at the note added to the Krogan Battlemaster’s profile. “A member of the Urdnot clan, he volunteered to join the Alliance after the Invasion of Tuchanka . It is noted here that he is surprisingly well-tempered for a Krogan, and a first cousin of our old crewmate Wrex.”

“Next is Terry Davidson, weapons expert and developer for the Alliance. His father did high-tier R/D for Elanus Risk Control. He’s currently signed on to assist James Vega. A prodigy in his field, it’s noted he needs to develop some better people skills.”

“Finally, there’s our new Navigator, Layla Montoya. She’s a standout in her class for her unorthodox yet highly effective methods of traversing space. I reckon she’ll fit right in.” Joker reported.

“Good. Have them report to the dorms at dawn tomorrow.” Shepard said, then, a pair of messages appeared on his wristpad, first from Javik, then, one from Admiral Hackett. After reading both, he flinched, causing Joker to turn in surprise.

“Joker, send the alert for all crew to report in immediately, and get our new assignments here now.” Shepard said as he turned to leave. “There’s been a change of plans.”

“How so?” Joker asked. “What’s going on, Commander?”

“Javik just reported to me and Admiral Hackett that a Prothean Beacon has been activated on a planet on the edge of Alliance Space. After I confer with them both, we’re going to investigate.” Shepard replied. “Send the alert out, ASAP!”

“Already done!” Joker replied, gliding his hands over the displayed controls. Soon, the alert was sent, and Shepard departed from his ship for Admiral Hackett’s office.

====

Shepard did have to admit, calling Admiral Hackett’s command post an “office” was rather kind. Ever since the blast from the Crucible wrecked a good amount of the available space inside the Citadel, a temporary structure had been erected to house Alliance leadership, and in this case, Admiral Hackett. After all, he was now the de-facto leader for the Alliance Navy after Anderson’s death.

After a quick shuttle ride, Shepard approached the building, and saw Javik approach him, carrying a datapad.

“Shepard.” Javik said, offering the datapad. “Everything you’ll need is on here. I was able to pinpoint the exact planet, just not the precise location or what may have interfaced with it.”

“That’ll be fine for now, Javik.” Shepard nodded as Admiral Hackett opened the door for them. “Let’s see what the plan is first, and we’ll go from there.”

As they sat down, Hackett gave a sigh and gestured to a data redout on his desk.

“Well, Commander…” he said, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. “We’ve certainly stepped in it this time. When the Council learned of our newest development, they had a simultaneous heart attack.”

“I would assume so, sir.” Shepard replied. “The last time we found an active Prothean Beacon in Alliance space, it led us to Eden Prime, Saren, and Sovereign.”

“A relevant observation.” Hackett nodded. “One we will keep in mind. But for now, the Council has authorized an exploratory mission to this planet, under First Contact protocols. Seeing as we can’t spare much of the fleet, Commander, I want the Normandy front and center for this.”

“My ship and crew are both ready, sir.” Shepard replied.

“Good. Your orders are simple, and are as follows. First, you’ll take a Mass Relay inside Turian Space to this planet, and Councilor Laiel has already given us permission to utilize it. Second, find the Beacon, and identify who or what activated it, and proceed from there.”

“Remember, this is most likely going to be a first contact situation, so handle things accordingly. Keep your weapons down, safeties on, and keep all interactions diplomatic if possible. Do not retaliate if attacked unless there is a direct threat to your ship, crew, or team. If things go south, resolve it as best you can, retreat, and report back. We don’t want another First Contact War or Rachni War on our hands, especially at this time.”

“Am I Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” Shepard replied. “We’ll deploy as soon as my team reassembles.”

“Glad to hear it. Before you go, you might be interested to hear that Miss Miranda Lawson sends her regards.” Hackett said. “As she’s currently occupied with reestablishing Cerberus under Alliance supervision, she won’t be able to assist you. She did say she wishes that she could, however.”

“We’ll make it work, sir.” Shepard nodded.

“Alright then, you’re dismissed.”

Shepard saluted, and as he and Javik departed, the last Prothean came forward.

“We must be prepared for all possible outcomes, Shepard.” He cautioned. “I can’t be certain as to what caused the Beacon’s activation. I have a few ideas as to how to remedy that, but I’ll need time.”

“We’ll have time once we get back to Normandy.” Shepard responded as they entered a shuttle. “So for now, let’s get ready to deploy. The sooner, the better.”

“Understood.”

====

As Shepard and Javik returned to Normandy’s docking bay, walked up the boarding ramp and entered onto the ship, they were greeted by a flurry of activity. Crewmates were hastily sorting out crates of supplies and ordinance, vehicle techs were refueling the Kodiaks and Mako APCs…it was a frenzy to say the least.

“Commander!”

Shepard turned to see a human crewmate approach and offered him a datapad, a manifest displayed on its screen.

“All supplies for the mission are confirmed aboard, we’re just wrapping up sorting through them.” The crewman said. “Your away team is also reassembled, and currently in the briefing room alongside the new assignments.”

“Then I’d best not keep them waiting.” Shepard nodded, and the crewman headed off. “Javik, head up to the bridge and see what you can do, I’ll meet you up there shortly.”

“Understood.” Javik nodded, as he turned to leave. Before he did, however, he glanced at Shepard and spoke quietly, just so that only the Commander could hear him.

“It’s good to have you back, Commander. Your leadership is as keen as ever. I hope it remains so in the times to come.”

Shepard merely nodded, and Javik entered the elevator as Shepard headed for the briefing room.

====

As Shepard stepped into the briefing room, he was quickly greeted by Garrus Vakarian, Liara T’Soni, Tali’Zorah, Jacob Taylor, Kaidan Alenko, and James Vega. Standing off to the side were the two new members, Rachel de Mura and Urdnot Harko.

Rachel wore a high-grade set of infiltrator armor, equipped with an Omni-Tool. She was about Shepard’s height, with brown hair that was kept curled over her left shoulder, with a loose braid to keep it back during combat. Alongside her green eyes, and fair appearance, Shepard reckoned she would’ve been the star of any gala or formal event based on her appearance alone.

Urdnot Harko was similar to Wrex in terms of size, with light skin and a dark-colored horn. He was equipped with Krogan Battlemaster's armor, and a brand-new shotgun lay at his back, along with a heavy pistol. He did sport a noticeable scar under his left eye.

"Alright, everyone, take your seats and we'll get started." Shepard said, and his away team did so. "First, I'd like to welcome our two newest members, Corporal De Mura and Battlemaster Harko aboard the Normandy SR3. I'd also like to say thank you for your support duing my rehabilitation."

"With that out of the way, I'll get straight to it. Several hours ago, a Prothean Beacon was activated on a planet on the very edge of Alliance Space. The exact cause of what brought it online is still unknown, so we are operating under first contact protocols."

Shepard waited for the murmurs from his team to quiet down before continuing.

"As per Admiral Hackett's orders from the Council, our mission is to deploy to this planet, investigate the Beacon, and if necessary, begin negotiations with whatever race or people that inhabit this planet. We’re going by the book here, and we can afford zero mistakes.”

“Any questions?”

“What exactly activated the Beacon?” Liara T’Soni asked. “Do we know?”

“No, Liara, we do not.” Javik said as he entered the room. “Greetings, everyone. Commander, I’ve, as you humans say, dug up some more information.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Javik activated a holo-display, and a projection of the planet appeared for all to see clearly.

“First, the planet upon which the Beacon stands is completely habitable in terms of atmosphere. It is composed of oxygen, nitrogen, and various other elements, much like Earth’s own atmosphere. Your helmet rebreathers will not be necessary.”

“Second, it’s environment is also habitable. Various biomes from deserts to jungles dot the two main continents, with a small southern continent here. I would find it likely that there is a variety of races here that inhabit each biome, instead of one race across the entire planet.”

“Finally, and this is what I found curious, there seems to be some kind of planet-scale energy field on this world. One not based on or created by Mass Effect.”

That made everyone present raise their eyebrows in shock. Nothing like this had ever been observed in the history of the Alliance.

“Are you certain?” Garrus asked. “What kind of energy is it?”

“I cannot be sure.” Javik replied. “It seems to me that the entire planet is inundated with this energy, much like a veil. I would predict that its presence is known to the locals, or used in some way. That’s also without mentioning this planet is partially geocentric.”

“Impossible.” Tali’Zorah balked. “All planets are heliocentric. The geocentric theory was disproved by multiple Citadel races in ancient times. Why would you make such a claim?”

“I said it because it is true.” Javik replied. “The universe holds many mysteries. And I have evidence to support it. When I was observing the planet through the beacon, I observed that the sun and moon are also subject to the aforementioned energy field. Before my very eyes, as this planet moved, its sun and moon moved with it. I called it partially geocentric because the sun and moon also rotate on their own as well.”

“Here is a reconstruction of what I speak.”

Multiple people in the room gasped as a hologram appeared, proving Javik’s words to be true. There was silence, before Liara spoke.

“This is unprecedented.” She murmured. “This planet seems to defy all known laws of science and nature. How could it even exist?”

“Good question.” Rachel added, a hand to her chin in thought. “Commander, I think its safe to say we’re stepping into the unknown in more ways than we currently know.”

“I agree, Corporal.” Shepard nodded. “For now, keep this to ourselves. We’ll need more proof if we have to present this to the Council. For now, man your stations. We need to be on our way.”

As his team headed out, Shepard headed for the bridge. After speaking briefly with Navigator Montoya, a woman with dark hair and pale skin, he approached the helm of the Normandy.

“Joker, EDI, we clear?” He asked.

“We are all set!” Joker replied. “Citadel control has given us clearance to depart, and Admiral Hackett has given us the all-clear. Waiting on your word, Commander.”

“Take us out.” Shepard nodded. As the Normandy SR3 approached the Citadel’s Mass Relay, it blasted off into FTL speeds towards its mysterious destination.

Author's Note

UPDATE!

Yeah, this was a long one. But I’m proud of how it ended up. Expect chapters like this in length more often.

Next time - The Normandy SR3 arrives at Planet Equis, and begins its descent towards the Beacon and Canterlot, interrupting the Diplomatic summit, and beginning First Contact….