1 - 20 of 481 Works in Sole Survivor (Mass Effect)
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Igniting Destiny by SpaceVixen
Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect - All Media Types
09 Oct 2025
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Summary
Over ten years have passed since the Reaper War, and life is very different for Faith Shepard-Alenko and her husband, Kaidan.
A trip to the Phoenix System throws their perfect life into upheaval, and Kaidan is sent on a journey he is ill-prepared for.
Set ten years after the events of
SPOILERS FROM THESE STORIES WITHIN!
Series
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Vendetta by SomethingProfound
Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect - All Media Types
08 Oct 2025
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Summary
Total war demands victory at any cost.
After the destruction of the Bahak System, Emilia Shepard returns home just in time for the Reaper invasion. The galaxy finds itself in a race against time: win the war before there's no one left to fight.
ME3, canon-divergent with a focus on milscifi and off-screen moments, multiple POVs, paragade Shepard.
Series
- Part 9 of A Sea of Stars
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Summary
When an N7 reconnaissance mission goes wrong, its operators captured by a notorious batarian warlord, the Alliance calls in Commander Shepard.
It'll be in and out. Kill all the slavers, retrieve the N-team, leave. Easy.
What could possibly go wrong?
AKA: The last N7 mission Shepard gets to do before she's reassigned as Staff Commander of the SSV Normandy SR-1, goes to Eden Prime, and finds out the galaxy is a lot more fucked-up than she'd even imagined. Featuring batarians, more batarians, a fellow N7, and yet another batarian but this one's...different.
Prequel to Mass Effect 1.
Series
- Part 1 of Phasma Ex Machina
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Summary
Commander Shepard has a secret, one that haunts her day in and day out. She has fought these battles countless times. She has knowledge she shouldn't have. She will fight for the best outcome to come to pass, but can she save herself? She knows what she has to do to break the loop, it's the only option left. Will she be strong enough to do so? Who gave her the right to play god?
A ME2 into ME3 time loop story
Updates Tuesdays and Fridays
Series
- Part 1 of Fated for Control
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What the Wreckage Wants by sewerpigeon
Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect - All Media Types
07 Oct 2025
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Summary
The Reaper War is over. Commander Wren Shepard did it: the Alliance won, and she survived—again, albeit at the cost of thousands of others taking her place in death. Though alive, Wren has received irreparable injuries and has a long battle for her own recovery as the remaining members of the galaxy work together to rebuild after the war. But Wren has no way to know if her crew made it out alive, if the one thing she'd been fighting for was even saved. Her hope that they're out there is the only thing she has left to hold on to.
Having crash-landed on an uncharted planet in their escape from the Crucible's blast, her crew has no way to know if Shepard made it out either. They know the odds aren't good, but Kaidan knows she's beaten the odds enough times before. He has to believe she's there to come back to, even if the rest of the crew is ready to grieve her a second time, because he's not sure what else is going to keep him on the path to make it home.
Part 2 of This War is Our Dawning takes place immediately after the ending of ME3; Part 1 is not required but might enrich your experience :^)
Series
- Part 2 of This War is Our Dawning
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Summary
I will show you fear in a handful of dust...
Something lurks at the edges of the galaxy, hiding in dark space, itching to take away Shepard’s one greatest accomplishment: survival. Thrown into a whirlwind of new frontiers, ancient creatures, and—worst of all—politics, Shepard finds herself in the unfortunate position of reluctant leader. There’s an old evil out there, and Shepard is the only one who can stop it.
But at least in the company of Ashley Williams, she’s not alone.
A Mass Effect 1 rewrite through the lens of Commander [REDACTED] Shepard, Butcher of Torfan, Survivor of Akuze, and—little-known fact—former netrunner for the Tenth Street Reds. Transhuman!Shepard AU, Renegon Shep, slow burn f!Shepley.
Series
- Part 2 of Phasma Ex Machina
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Palaven Rising by girafficparka
Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect - All Media Types
04 Oct 2025
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Summary
She's the Alliance's most famous soldier - forced into early retirement to be the 'token human' in enemy territory in a desperate bid to maintain intergalactic peace.
He's a loud-mouthed sharp-shooter who can't quite find his place among his people - and after meeting her, he's not sure he wants to.
Shakarian AU because...why not?
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Summary
Fresh off the shocking loss of her whole unit on Akuze, Alliance Marine Lieutenant Jane Shepard stays with her turian best friend on the Citadel, electing for a galactic treatment program instead of one on Earth. Garrus Vakarian, newly employed as a C-Sec patrol officer, is willing to do just about anything to give her a safe space to heal.
He just wasn’t expecting her to fit so comfortably into his life.
Ongoing AU in which Shepard and Garrus meet long before the events of ME1.
Series
- Part 2 of The Road Less Traveled
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An Unwritten Galaxy by AsterHowl
Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect - All Media Types
03 Oct 2025
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Summary
Liara never becomes an information broker. Tali never returns to the Flotilla. Garrus never leaves C-Sec. Wrex never returns to Tuchanka. Joker never leaves the Alliance. Ashley never recovers from survivor's guilt.
Jack never escapes Cerberus. Miranda never escapes her father. Jacob never leaves the Corsairs. Mordin never works on the modified genophage. Samara never settles down. Thane never abandons his son. Zaeed never stands up to Vido Santiago. Kasumi never crosses Donovan Hock. Grunt never receives the mental imprint. Legion is never assigned to find Shepard.
The galaxy is a cold, cruel place. Much more than Commander Shepard ever knew.
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The Bells I Hear by Bobthemagiccow
Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect - All Media Types
03 Oct 2025
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Summary
The Reapers have been destroyed. Why does the victory taste like ashes? The Normandy wrecks on an uncharted planet, and a grieving crew without its commander must pull together to find a way home. At Sol, the shattered remains of the victorious allied forces struggle to survive, coexist, and reconnect to the rest of the galaxy. The greatest threat to peace comes not from without, but within. A heavy story of grief, perseverance, leadership, love, and hope in the face of devastation.
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The Spy Who Loved Me by miladydewinter
Fandoms: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
27 Sep 2025
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Summary
When famed loose cannon Commander Mercy Shepard is appointed as humanity's first Spectre, Comm-Specialist Samantha Traynor is assigned to keep her in check. Officially, she's there to tackle the influx of fanmail and handle Shepard's public image. Unoffically, she's reporting every little thing the Commander does back to Ambassador Udina for damage control. It's supposed to just be a harmless promotion and a decent pay increase, but then they find themselves falling...
Or, what if Samantha Traynor was introduced as an LI in the first game?
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The Beginning of the End by bi0_h4zarD
Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect - All Media Types
26 Sep 2025
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Summary
Basically this is just the story of the Mass effect trilogy told with some canon divergence, but not tons. Follow Commander Callisto Shepard through this story of tragedy, love, and all thats in between.
This is book 1, which tells the story of Mass Effect 1.
Welcome to The Beginning of the End.
Everything belongs to bioware!
Series
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 9,766
- Chapters:
- 1/?
- Hits:
- 20
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Zero Parallax by Sky1anders
Fandoms: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms, Destiny (Video Games)
25 Sep 2025
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Summary
The Covenant War, Citadel Galactic Museum of War
In 2169, the Citadel Council turned its attention to the galaxy’s Frontiers—and found a world on fire. Harvest, a small human colony, was gone. Its cities were ash. Its people were dead. The attackers called themselves the Covenant. Their message was simple: humanity was a sin to be purged.At first, the Council regarded the war as distant, a frontier dispute of little consequence. Yet reports of new species, shattered colonies, and desperate resistance could not be ignored. The Frontiers were not just human. They were home to Maians, Nulls and others—diverse peoples who now fought and died together.
It is said the Council acted. Turian warships deployed. Asari commandos landed. Salarian operatives struck Covenant supply lines. Even the Elcor and Volus are remembered as standing beside Earth’s defenders.
The war did not end there. But something greater began—a united stand across species, governments, and ideals. From fire and ruin, the Citadel embraced the future.
The galaxy, we are told, changed forever.
Series
- Part 1 of Zero Parallax
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Fall Again For Us by sewerpigeon
Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect - All Media Types
23 Sep 2025
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Summary
They had something once. Something real. But a lot changes about your life when you come back from death, and a lot changes about love when you’re not sure just who it is that’s standing in front of you. Wren Shepard and Kaidan Alenko went through hell together facing Saren and Sovereign, but then they turned around and put each other through hell on Horizon. But now that the Reaper threat has made its way to Earth, they’re back in each other’s orbit, and they realize some things don’t change at all. His heart still stutters when she walks into the room. Her eyes never stray from him for long. Will this war allow them to remember who they really are, to remember what they are together, or will one of them end up being lost before either of them is found?
Part One of This War is Our Dawning takes place during the events of Mass Effect 3 with occasional references to ME1 and ME2.
Series
- Part 1 of This War is Our Dawning
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Summary
Shepard thought following in their family's footsteps would have been simple, but after Akuze they realize how wrong they were. Now faced with an even bigger threat, Shepard's going to need a team. Things are lonely in space, time is short, distractions abound, can they save the universe when the universe refuses to see the truth?
Series
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 594
- Chapters:
- 2/?
- Hits:
- 3
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Summary
Shepard had had a tough life. She found some good friends and has made some annoying enemies. Her life is complicated but enjoyable. Routine mission after mission, working up the N ranks. Her most recent mission to Akuze seems routine, and she even met a cute turian before she shipped out. Looking forward to meeting up with him after her mission, Shepard heads out, not knowing how this one mission will shape her future with the Alliance. Her best friend, Toombs, seems excited to work with her again. “At least the planet has a cool name. Akuze. Definitely sounds like something I could get tattooed on me once we get back. Maybe come up with a cool story about how I won a fight there."
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Commander/Cadaver/Constellation by ssv_normandy (liminally_challenged)
Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect - All Media Types
20 Sep 2025
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Summary
Grace Shepard has been promoted to Commander of the SSV Normandy, serving under Captain David Anderson. While on the ship’s Shakedown mission, she and her squad (comprised of Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko and Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams) uncover a plot by a turian Spectre, Saren, to destroy free will and enslave the entirety of organic life to a race of Artificial Intelligence known as the Reapers. In light of this discovery, Shepard must build a crew and race against time to stop Saren from achieving his goal. Standing in her way are armies of geth, an AI collective working for Saren. Can Shepard and her crew stop the machine overlords? Or will she die on the precipice of humanity’s fall?
(More to be added as I get to ME2 and 3 plot) -
Concealment by SkyAboveEarthBelow
Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect - All Media Types
19 Sep 2025
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Summary
Nobody knows who Commander Shepherd is. Not even her crew who she keeps at an arms length, not even her squad who see her daily. Only herself
Dr Liara T'Soni is used to uncovering mysteries and tries to understand what or how the Protheans chose her to warn the galaxy of their extinction.
Series
- Part 1 of Hidden in the relay
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 697
- Chapters:
- 1/?
- Hits:
- 8
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Summary
Part 2 of the Across the Stars Series:
Two years ago Commander Leila Shepard died. Now she must grapple with the shock of not only remembering her death, but suddenly being thrust into yet another urgent mission to save the galaxy.
Garrus Vakarian, having spent the years coming to terms with the loss of his best friend, now faces a renewed wave of grief as she unexpectedly reenters his life. Seeing her again throws his already crumbling life into disarray as feelings he had attempted to tamp down are brought to the surface.
Despite their individual struggles, Garrus and Shepard are forced to rely on each other to survive. And if they’re going up against insurmountable odds, they might as well face them side by side.
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Story extends through the events of Mass Effect 2 and six months beyond. Heavily focused on all the little moments in between missions. Mostly canon compliant (until it’s not), but with extra feelings. This story will NOT always follow the canon order of events.
Series
- Part 3 of Across the Stars
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Summary
Before Saren, before the Reapers, there was Akuze.
After suffering through a disastrous first contact with extraterrestrial species, Humanity is finally beginning to settle in amongst the greater galactic community.
One year on from an attack on the crown jewel of Human occupied space, morale has never been higher. But deep within the unexplored outer edge of Alliance space, a pioneer team of settlers have gone dark.
Military officials have secretly authorised their most decorated war hero and N7 operative to investigate the colony and report their findings. They can't do it alone.
They'll need the finest group of Marines ready and able to get the job done, no matter the cost.
But the price paid will affect their lives forever.