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1. The Weight of Survival by Plumppig

   Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect - All Media Types  

   • Mature
   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
   • F/M
   • Work in Progress

   03 Oct 2025

   Tags

   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
   • Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
   • Hannah Shepard
   • Jane Shepard
   • Commander Shepard
   • Garrus Vakarian
   • Solana Vakarian
   • Castis Vakarian
   • Jeff "Joker" Moreau
   • Liara T'Soni
   • Kaidan Alenko
   • Steven Hackett
   • Miranda Lawson
   • Urdnot Wrex
   • Grunt (Mass Effect)
   • Normandy Crew (Mass Effect)
   • Leviathan (Mass Effect)
   • Thane Krios
   • Tali'Zorah nar Rayya
   • Reaper(s) (Mass Effect)
   • James Vega
   • Steve Cortez
   • Post-Mass Effect 3
   • Established Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
   • Past Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard
   • Leviathan - Freeform
   • Renegade Shepard (Mass Effect)
   • Paragon Shepard (Mass Effect)
   • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
   • Character Study
   • Implied/Referenced Character Death
   • Post-War
   • Rebuilding
   • Parenthood
   • Turians (Mass Effect)
   • Drama & Romance
   • Romance

   Summary

   The Weight of Survival begins in the aftermath of the Reaper War, when the Normandy crash-lands following the detonation of the Crucible. Commander Jane Shepard, gravely wounded and presumed dead, disappears in the chaos. What follows is a sweeping, character-driven narrative of grief, survival, and the fragile hope of rebuilding, not only for Shepard, but for her crew, her family, and the galaxy itself.

   At its heart, the story explores Shepard’s struggle to reclaim her identity after immense sacrifice, while grappling with her pregnancy—made possible through Leviathan-altered biology and the crushing symbolic weight placed on her by allies and leaders alike.

   Language:

   English

   Words:

   73,675

   Chapters:

   17/?

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   Comments:

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