Mass Effect 3 Re-Imagined Chapter Two: Story Time With Tim

Hello again, faithful followers of this blog! I’m Timothy Scott Purvis and this is the next installment of my fan story Mass Effect 3 Re-Imagined written for my wife Christmas 2013. Mostly because of how disappointed we both were with those final fifteen minutes of the game. Of course, it was difficult to rewrite without changing the entire story. Which might be why the developers went with the asinine ending they went with. Even so, I think I came up with something amusing and special. So I’m sharing it here.

No, I didn’t edit it any. Mostly because it IS a fan story and I have other things to do. So, you’ll just have to be content with the unedited insanity that is my rewrite of the game. There are grammatical errors. There are inconsistencies with plot. There are moments that will make you go, ‘What?’ But, in my defense, it’s no worse than what Bioware gave us back in 2012. So take that Triple A developers!

Anyhow, here is chapter two of ME3RI and I’m posting the full chapter because it really isn’t that long so no need to break it up. Some of the later chapters, however, tend to get a little lengthy. Anyhow, let’s get to it already! Well, after a brief bit of shameless self-promotion, of course.

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SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION STARTS!

I would appreciate if you have Kindle or even if you want some paperback goodies if you’d head on over to my page and maybe show me some love there. I mean, if you’ve been reading a while and see something you like, wouldn’t you like to have it in your personal library? I have some cool short stories available for cheap. Also Tales From A Strange Mind that collects my short stories (there’s also a Kindle edition but, for some reason, Amazon wouldn’t let me link them together) , Tales From A Strange Mind II which collects my old novellas, Red Star Sheriff (Which also has a Kindle edition but Amazon, am I right?) my first novel ever released, though, yes, it does have some grammatical errors and drags on for way too long, sigh. But I still love it and I will be writing a follow up sometime within the next few years. I have a collection of my poems called MisAligned: The Heart Waxes Poetic which collects my old poems but not some of my newer ones included those flash fictions! I’ll probably do that in the future as well. And if you love the perfectly inane, why not check out my Star Cloud scripts presented in book form? Star Cloud The Original Scripts. Another one where Amazon was being difficult with me in connecting the Kindle and PB versions. Still, the paperback they let me sale for cheap and it’s well worth a look if I say so myself. Or, if you don’t want to click on individual links (all of which will take you to my author’s page anyway), just click on my author’s page directly by tapping my name: Timothy S Purvis See for yourself what all I’ve published since I began this venture in 2016.

I mean, if you like my work, of course. No pressure. Just trying to find my way in this world without working menial tasks and suffering physical and mental issues as a result. If only I could merely stay home and write. That would be my most epic fantasy brought to life. Well, if you don’t want to do that, you could also donate to my cause down below after all is said and done. It would help. You know, if you liked what you saw and all. Up to you. I don’t have a lot of reviews on my materials because of low sales. I mean, very, very low sales. In the single digits. Right now, I have to rely on Pubby for reviews and those people only read your synopsis and recap it for a five star review. I want honest opinions. Not mean ones, but honest. So, if you ever find yourself buying some of my work, I’d certainly appreciate some feedback. Again, up to you.

Also, I’m selling my work for cheap over at Smashwords.com! Check out that page here: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/TSPurvis

End Shameless Self Promotion!

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All right! chapter two of Mass Effect 3 Re-Imagined!

2

ALLIANCE HQ

VANCOUVER CANADA

EARTH

LOCAL CLUSTER

Several weeks have passed since the incident on Thersander and no real information has come Genevieve’s way. It annoys her but being an Alliance soldier means keeping your cool and she’s one of the best at doing just that. Currently, she finds herself waiting in the lounging area just outside of the council meeting chamber. They’ve been dragging their feet, she figures, but are now finally willing to bring her up on whatever charges they feel free to lob at her.

     Only thing they really have is the damn relay, Genevieve sighs and leans back into the comfy couch in the waiting room watching the waves of people jostle back and forth through the hallways nearby. Wonder if I should’ve just let it be? Just gotten out of there and seen what would happen. Maybe the Reapers wouldn’t have come. Oh, who the fuck am I kidding. Of course, they would’ve come. Surprised they’re not here already.

     An official looking man rushes up to her and she knows she should stand, but decides not to and see what he does about it.

     “Commander Shepard,” the man salutes sharply and stands at attention. His hand drops back to his side and he’s all business. “They’re ready for you in the council chambers.”

     “Straight to business, eh, soldier? No names?”

     “My apologies, ma’am. Lieutenant Mitch Vickers. Stationed on Eden Prime when you blew the collectors back to hell…I uh mean when you were engaged in the collector conflict, ma’am.”

     Genevieve laughs and stands up to pat him on the shoulder, “You’re too tense, lieutenant. Why don’t you take me in?”

     “Ma’am,” Vickers salutes again and leads the way in proper military cadence.

     “You’re awfully official, Vickers. You don’t have to worry about impressing me. Hell, pretty soon I may no longer be in the Alliance.”

     They enter a pair of dual doors and proceed down a long hallway where the council chambers proper awaits her. Genevieve is in no hurry to arrive. Vickers keeps his eyes straight and sticks to the script. He’s a thin man though well built, with short cropped hair like one would expect in the marines. His dress blues are pristinely ironed and shoes scuff free.

     Here’s a man concerned with appearances. All I need is another hardass right now.

     “All due respect, ma’am, I’ve got a family back home that expects me to remain dutiful in all circumstances. Can’t let them down now can I?” He gives a slightly rueful look her way and is back looking ahead.

     Genevieve smiles slightly, “Good attitude to have. So, Eden Prime. Cushy job for new recruits. You been with the Alliance long?”

     “A few years now, ma’am. Hoping to make officer someday. Be a helluva bonus. If we have a few years that is.”

     “What do you mean?”

     “You’re not the only one with eyes on target, ma’am.”

     They arrive at the council chambers entryway.

     “That have anything to do with Eden Prime? I mean, you’re my official escort and all…”

     “No comment, ma’am,” Vickers says and salutes his eyes focused on the wall past Genevieve.

     “You can just call me commander. Or Genevieve since I’m sure to be out of a job soon.”

     “No comment on that either, ma’am.”

     Genevieve salutes him back and Vickers grabs the door to open it for her. She walks through with him following behind. Two guards salute as Vickers walks to the side and takes his place near a wall. He watches Genevieve closely as she walks to the center of the chambers and sighs to himself inwardly.

     Genevieve is almost to the center when her old friend David Anderson hurries up to her from the side of the chambers.

     “Anderson! What are you doing here?”

     Anderson smiles at her as he approaches and pats her shoulder, “Trying to keep your ass out of prison.”

     “You’re our councilor,” Genevieve says in exasperation, “What the hell is going on!?”

     Anderson raises his hand and shakes his head, “Don’t worry about it, Shepard. This is bullshit and we’re going to deal with it. The council isn’t your concern right now. We’ll get into that later.”

     Genevieve exhales sharply and visibly tries to relax, “Alright, I trust your judgement, councilor.”

     “Actually, it’s Admiral now. That’s a, uh, subject we’ll get into later as well. Right now, one crisis at a time.”

     “Why do I get the feeling I’ve walked right into the middle of a shitstorm?”

     Anderson chuckles and closes his eyes slightly as they come to attention before the council. Admiral Lykins enters the chamber from the main foyer and makes his way towards the council forum as the committee chairman strikes her gavel.

     “This session will now come to order. Admiral Lykins.”

     Lykins takes his position near his seat and remains standing as he delivers his position, “This hearing today is to decide the fate of commander Genevieve Shepard of this Alliance. Commander Shepard did willfully disobey orders by refusing to return the Normandy to Alliance command and instead throwing in her lot with Cerberus, a terrorist organization and an avowed enemy of this institution and other galactic governing bodies.”

     Genevieve looks to Anderson and mouths a ‘what the fuck’ as he lightly raises his hand to calm her down. Lykins makes no indication that he noticed and continues his diatribe.

     “The commander’s activities in the Attican Traverse are unbecoming of an Alliance soldier. She did willfully align herself not only with Cerberus but also with the geth in the laudable attempt to protect human colonies in the traverse, yet still failed to accomplish her own established mission.”

     On the back wall, Vickers purses his lips and stands even more erect and at full attention. Lykins waves his hand out towards Genevieve where she stands at attention listening in irritation.

     “She made it more difficult for human colonies by further aligning herself with criminal elements upon Omega, joining forces with terrorists, warlords, and murderers.”

     This man is remarkably well informed though I wouldn’t say I joined forces with anyone. I had to stop the collectors! What is this asshole’s problem!? Genevieve casts a semi-glare towards Lykins though she keeps it as professional as possible.

     “Most egregiously, commander Shepard ordered the destruction of the mass relay in the Bahak star system resulting in the deaths of over a quarter of a million Batarians which has put us in the position that we find ourselves in this day! Councilors, it is our expectation that commander Genevieve Shepard be relieved of command, expelled from the Alliance, and imprisoned for crimes against humanity and abroad.”

     The committee chairmen displays no emotion other than to nod to Admiral Lykin as he takes his seat. The chairmen looks over the docket before her and motions towards Admiral Anderson.

     “Admiral Anderson, your defense?”

     Anderson steps forward and comes to attention, “Councilors, Admiral Lykin’s characterizations of commander Shepard are the egregious act here. Shepard died in the attack on the SR-1 Normandy two and a half years ago. Her mission, given by the Citadel Council and agreed to by Alliance Command, was to determine threats posed by further geth infiltrations. Finding none, she was relocating to another flight corridor when—“

     “I don’t see how this is relevant to the current issues,” Lykins stands in protest.

     “Admiral, you’ve said your piece. Let the defense have theirs,” the committee chairman says motioning for Lykins to retake his seat at the prosecution desk nearby.

     Anderson continues where he left off, “The commander was set upon by a collector ship and the Normandy was destroyed, losing twenty Alliance personnel in the process. On orders from the Illusive Man, the commander’s body was retrieved and rebuilt. Her ‘alliance’, as it were, with the terrorist organization Cerberus was never a true alliance and only existed so long as was necessary to address the issue of colony abductions near the Terminus systems. It was necessary for the commander to coordinate efforts with local elements to track down collector movements and to establish a pattern of their attacks.”

     Vickers nods slightly to himself where he stands in the back of the auditorium listening intently to every word uttered.

     “She had the backing of the Citadel Council, as well,” Anderson continues maintaining his focus on the councilors before him. “It may have been periphery support, but she regained Spectre status and was therefore obligated to complete the mission by any means necessary. We all know what it means to be a council Spectre and how hard this Alliance has fought to get one of our own in their ranks. Well, she accomplished that and more. She tracked down the collector base and laid it to waste. And when the so-called Illusive Man wanted the base for himself, she denied him his prize and blew it to kingdom come. Were it not for her actions, we wouldn’t have any colonies left to claim our own.”

     The chambers go silent for several moments before Anderson picks back up with a shake of his head and a wave of his hand, pleading for empathy, “And as far as the Aratoht mass relay is concerned, had she not taken that action, none of us would be standing her this day. The Reapers are a greater threat than we are prepared for and we need to change that. Soon.”

     A chuckle of laughter wafts across the auditorium and all eyes turn towards Admiral Lykins who is trying to cover his mouth while staring at Anderson the entire time. He turns away with tears in his eyes as his chest heaves in amusement. Anderson scowls at him and turns back towards the council. They seem mostly unimpressed as they take notes and talk among themselves.

     Genevieve glances back at the far wall and sees Vickers nodding at her in approval. She nods back and turns to stare at the floor. The committee is taking a long time to come to a consensus.

     How the hell is this going to play out? The Reapers are on the way, I’m grounded, may even be out of a job. The species are each oblivious to the threats and the Alliance won’t be of any help. Maybe I can charter a private ship, raise a private army? Make a run on the Reapers when they show up? Fuck, how are we going to do this without every soul ready to fight? A commotion among the councilors causes Genevieve to look up and come out of her train of thought.

     “No, this is the agreement, right? Okay,” the committee chairman says to one man who turns away in irritation. The chairman looks to Genevieve and inhales quickly and lets her breath out slowly, “Okay. We’ve reached consensus. All parties come to attention.”

     The committee chairman glares at Lykins who reluctantly arises. Genevieve and Anderson never sat at their own desk feeling it might set a bad example for the proceedings. This action wasn’t lost on the council where several members shake their heads in disapproval at Lykins though he seems oblivious to the gesture.

     “Commander,” the chairman begins, “We recognize the service you have given to this Alliance. Without a doubt, you are truly the best the Alliance has brought forth. So it is with great regret that we must strip you of command.”

     A murmur of discontent rolls through the chambers. Even Vickers gives up his façade to give a visible scowl. Anderson shakes his head and purses his lips yet he holds his tongue.

     “However,” the chairmen continues, “In recognition of your long and prestigious service, we will be dismissing all other charges brought forth in this court martial. Certainly, a Spectre must be unhindered in their investigations and far be it for this Alliance to interfere in that endeavor. The Terminus systems are beyond our jurisdiction and only gratitude can we offer for all that you’ve done for our colonies located therein. But then we come to your actions in Aratoht. You had to realize, even with the best of intentions, that destroying a mass relay that ends in the deaths of hundreds of thousands would have dire ramifications.”

     “And that’s why you must imprison her now! To appease the batarian horde ramming down our—“

     The chairman bangs her gavel trying to drown out Lykins who slams his palm on the desk before him.

     “Batarians!?” Genevieve asks startled.

     “That will be enough, Admiral. We can still strip you of rank even if you are not on trial,” Lykins sits back down begrudgingly as the chairman looks to Genevieve, “Unfortunately, Ms. Shepard, the batarians have put two and two together and have realized you’re the one responsible for the relay’s destruction. Granted, all their evidence is circumstantial: hearsay and so-called ‘witnesses’, but we cannot deny that we are the focus of their anger. Batarian raids into Alliance space are becoming daily occurrences, though we don’t anticipate them being capable of pushing towards Earth. It’s a nuisance, nothing more. But it has been decided nonetheless not to antagonize them and hope the batarians will give up their raids and withdraw back into their own space. So, not only are you being stripped of command, you’re also under house arrest.”

     “There has to be another way! If the batarians are no threat, then we needn’t hide Shepard away!” Anderson pleads stepping forward.

     “Admiral, we have to get this under control or we’re going to have a real problem on our hands. We’re just fortunate we got to Shepard first. The batarians had already discovered that she was on Thersander. It was a race against time. We took hard but fair measures to ensure her safety.”

     “What about the Reapers?” Anderson asks looking as if he fears the answer.

     “Yeah, we found ruins on Thersander that could’ve been beneficial in our fight against them…” Genevieve volunteers, “But Admiral Lykins had them destroyed. I tried to tell him that it wasn’t geth, but an ancient technology…”

     The chairman shakes her head sadly, “I sympathize with you, Shepard. It’s true that circumstantial evidence supports your theory. But nothing concrete exists and we can only assume that the Reapers are a myth propagated by Saren, who convinced you of their existence,” Genevieve opens her mouth to reply but is waved down by the chairman. “We’ve spoken with the Citadel Council on the matter and we agree with their assertions. As for the ruins on Thersander, Admiral Lykins has already been admonished for his destruction of them, regardless of his good intentions. It was a real lost for understanding past civilizations.”

     Lykins leans forward with a look of disdain but says nothing as the council stands and the chairman raises her voice to speak, “This court martial has reached its final resolution. Shepard will be remanded to the authority of Lieutenant Mitch Vickers, working at the behest of Alliance command and all due protocols. Shepard, you will follow him to your new quarters. All movement is restricted and subject to review. You will need prior authorization to travel anywhere other than Alliance HQ proper. You may consider the bulk of Vancouver a part of that reach, but be aware that you must still seek permission from the lieutenant so he can clear it with command before even leaving the immediate compound.”

     “How long is this punishment?” Anderson inquires.

     “At current time, indefinitely. We will reconvene in six months to determine how much longer Shepard’s punishment will last.”

     The chairman bangs her gavel and the council departs the chambers. Anderson sighs audibly and frowns as Vickers approaches from the wall looking perplexed and sad. Admiral Lykins leaves without further comment to any of them.

     “What an ass,” Vickers says upon arrival watching the admiral leave. He suddenly looks alarm and snaps to attention, “Apologies, Admiral. That was out of line.”

     Anderson laughs lightly, “Relax, lieutenant, I happen to agree. But let’s just keep that between us.”

     “Yes,sir,” Vickers salutes and stands at ease as Anderson turns to Genevieve.

     “It’s a raw deal, Shepard, but things could have been worse.”

     “Yeah, I’m beginning to get that impression.”

     “Lykins didn’t have a leg to stand on,” Anderson says as they begin to walk towards the entryway. “He’s so obsessed with beating you down he didn’t even consider the Spectre angle. But, the relay. I knew that was going to be tough.”

     “What exactly does Lykins have against me, Anderson?”

     “Not entirely sure. I’m pretty sure he’s a xenophobe and I know he’s a member of Terra Firma. Hates Cerberus though. Probably despised your alliances with so many different species.”

     Genevieve shakes her head, “But he said we should appease the batarians. That doesn’t sound like someone who’s a member of Terra Firma. He sounded afraid.”

     “No doubt he is. But I think his issue is more about protecting human space from alien interference. Probably doesn’t want to get into a war unnecessarily. I think he’s a good guy underneath it all, but he’s definitely a jerk.”

     They all smile and continue out of the council chambers.

#

Pollax Lykins enters his personal quarters and paces his room in agitation. He grumbles for several minutes and makes motions in the air with his fingers as if he’s trying to solve some mythical equation.

     “Fucking bitch gets off with it. I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands. Always falls down to it. Always comes down to me doing what needs to be done to protect humanity. Always. Always. Always!”

     He pauses for a moment and looks at his communications board. He smiles slightly and goes to sit down at the device. After a moments’ hesitation, he triggers the board and dials in a link. A few moments pass and the image of a man smoking a cigarette floats into the air before him. Lykins wipes the grin away from his face and glances downward.

     “Admiral Lykins. Surprising to receive a call from you so soon. I take it there’s been a…development?”

     A puff of smoke leaves the man’s lips as he says these last words. Lykins takes a moment to compose himself, tries to stop staring at the floor long enough, and looks up at the smoking man.

     “Sherpard’s been placed under house arrest. She’s been stripped of her command and therefore is out of the game. I tried to get her imprisoned, however, the Alliance brass wasn’t really interested in my arguments.”

     The man inhales on the cigarette and waits a long moment before letting the smoke out again, “Well, she’s out of the way. So that’s a plus. We can move on then to the next stage in our plan. I need the Normandy. Think you can pull it off?”

     Lykins stays quiet for a long moment, “Yeah. Yeah I think I can.”

     “Good. I look forward to your delivering the goods. Don’t disappoint me.”

     The man cuts the link on his end and Lykins sits there staring into thin air. After a moment he turns and leans forward to put his head between his knees.

     Speaking to the Illusive Man always puts me out of breath. That bastard, as he thinks this he inhales and leans back into his chair and stares up at his ceiling where a mural of the galaxy has been painted. He stares for a long moment before pulling out a pen-like device and switching it on to point at the mural. A laser comes out and highlights the Terran solar system and leaves a permanent circle in red around it. Lykins switches it off, smiles to himself, and braces his arms behind his head as he lounges back in his chair in pleasure.

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So brings to an end another week of Story Time With Tim! Hope you’re enjoying the work so far and hope you’ll be back for more next week. Until then, read to you soon.

~Timothy S Purvis