Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“What can you tell me about Shepard? I understand that she is of great renown in Alliance space, but little else. ”

“She was born on Earth. Records show little about her pre-military career; however, it is implied that her upbringing was rough at best. Apparently she went on to enlist in the Alliance military once she came of age. What put her on the map came a year later, when the Skyllian Blitz occurred four years ago. Reports indicate that she had been on shore leave on Elysium after the Axis Shock, at which point she’s indicated to have rallied the population as well as commandeered a variable fighter and held off the invasion near single-handedly, with an impressive record in both leadership and combat in the years following, especially given her young age.”

“Small wonder she was nominated by the Alliance for candidacy. Now, as for the candidate for Project Draconis?”

“Of course. Lieutenant Tyris Kryik. Born in the Attican Traverse, Hastus, specifically. Colony was raided at a young age, with both his parents killed in the process, before being adopted and moving off-world. Joined the military at age seventeen with permission from his guardian. Aside from showing promising skill and adaptability, physiological analysis indicates that he has the highest compatibility rate for Project Draconis. Transfer orders to Quadrivium are ready, just waiting for your approval.”

“General… We both know I have a personal connection to him that could influence my decision. In my opinion, If he is the best candidate for the project, then my input on the decision shouldn’t be a requirement.”

“Off the record, Nihlus - you make a logical point, but at the same time, leaving you out of this decision simply wouldn’t feel right. If you don’t think he should be dragged into this, just say the word.”

“...All fledgelings have to leave the nest someday. Transfer orders approved.”

Near the end of the One Year War, the Systems Alliance colony ship Megaroad-01 would find itself crossing paths with a patrol squadron of what would soon become the second alien species that it had encountered, just a mere three years after meeting the Zentradei.

It was then that humanity would meet the Citadel races, in the process realizing that the galaxy was much, much larger than they originally once thought. 

The year is currently 0070 of the Galactic Century. Nearly three decades have passed since that day, with the galaxy now very different than what was originally predicted.

Shepard reviewed her orders as she made her way to the hangar. She’d been called to Quadrivium IV for some reason, but the higher-ups, as per usual, were frustratingly reticent with details - save for the line that said “Further briefing upon arrival.” Not a good sign. Last time this happened, she’d had to deal with a trifecta of Neo Zeon remnants, artificial humans who had apparently been pulling the Alliance’s strings for centuries, and Blue Cosmos. She counted herself lucky that she didn’t have to deal with whatever was going on with the people of Aura. Meh. No use worrying about it now.

A variable fighter was waiting in the hangar, fold booster already mounted and ready. It was painted all black, save for a single red stripe that ran down the center from nose to tail. She rested a hand on the nose. “Looks like they’ve got another difficult one lined up for us, eh, girl?”

She hopped into the cockpit.“Whatever it is, we’ll pull through like we always do, won’t we?” Time to go. Her craft was raised to the launch platform.

“Jane Shepard, heading out!” The thermonuclear reaction engines came to life with a thunderous roar, and soon, she was up and away.

----

Tyris’s mind was full of questions. He’d been called to meet the major after the daily mission planning brief - something he definitely knew wasn’t normal. Sure, he might have been a better pilot than most, but that wasn’t any reason for the major to have requested his presence. Suppressing the thoughts, he opened the door. “You called for me, Major?”

“Yes, Lieutenant Kryik. Transfer orders have come down from above, requesting you by name. Orders are to arrive at Quadrivium 7, upon which you will be further briefed.” 

“...Sir, permission to ask a question?”

“Granted. Go ahead, Lieutenant.”

“Thank you, sir. Normally, transfer orders wouldn’t necessitate calling the subject in question personally. The fact that I’m here seems to imply that there’s something unusual about my new post. Forgive me for asking, but Is there something that you’re not telling me?

A ghost of a smile graced the major’s face. “Ever the observant one. Unfortunately, Lieutenant, I wasn’t provided with much information on what your new posting is either. That, however, does tell me that whatever your new posting is, it’s on either a classified operation or on an unannounced experimental project of some kind. Either way, Lieutenant, your new posting is certainly one that will come with a significant amount of responsibility.” The implication didn’t need to be said.

“I won’t let you down, sir.”

“While that’s a matter for whoever your new commanding officer is, I’m sure you won’t. Transport to the colony is ready, just waiting on you.”

“Yes sir.”

“Oh, and Lieutenant?” The major held up a hand as Tyris turned to leave. “Good luck.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The ripples sent throughout the galaxy from the opening of Laplace’s Box in the midst of the Second Bloody Valentine War still resonate throughout every corner of Citadel Space, with Celestial Being’s sudden disappearance from the world stage only further driving confusion.

The Vajra have nearly retreated entirely from the rest of the galaxy, their final destination unknown. At the same time, tensions with the Windermere kingdom are high, with one single spark threatening to ignite yet another war for the Alliance, with the Citadel liable to be caught in the crossfire.

The galaxy is at a turning point, where the actions of just one person could set in motion a series of events that could change it forever.

Our story begins on the space colony Quadrivium 7 in orbit around the idyllic garden-world of Eden Prime, where two such people, one a fresh-faced pilot, the other a decorated war hero, will soon meet.

Chapter Text

N-Spec: To compare an N-Spec unit to its parent is to compare diamonds to coal - they may be of the same things, but the end result could not be more different. N-Spec units are re-engineered from the ground-up for use by those who clear N5 level training at minimum, often featuring better weapons, armor, power plants, and overall tend to outclass their parent unit in almost every conceivable way. This comes with the drawback that N-Spec machines are much more costly to produce and prohibitively difficult to control for anyone that isn’t an ICT program graduate.

YF-29N[S] Durandal N-Spec Shepard Custom - The personal unit of Commander Shepard. It was originally a standard YF-29 stationed on Elysium without a pilot until the Skyllian Blitz, at which point Shepard commandeered the machine while mounting a defense effort. It was overhauled into its current form at her request following her graduation from the ICT program.