Mass Effect
Characters
Commander Shepard: Main Character/Can be Male or Female
Ashley Williams: Companion/Male & Female Romance Partner
Kaiden Alenko: Companion/Female Romance Partner
Garrus Vakarian: Companion/Female Romance Partner
Liara T'Soni: Companion/Male & Female Romance Partner
Tali'Zorah nar Rayya: Companion
Urdnot Wrex: Companion
Richard L. Jenkins: Temporary Companion
David Anderson: Ally
Jeff "Joker" Moreau: Ally
Donnel Udina: Ally
Saren Arterius: Adversary
Matriarch Benezia: Adversary
The Thorian: Adversary
Sovereign: Adversary
Plot
In 2183, the experimental SSV Normandy is sent to the human colony of Eden Prime to recover an unearthed Prothean beacon. To assist, the Citadel Council, the galaxy's primary governing body, sent Nihlus, a turian Spectre. In addition, Nihlus is also observing veteran soldier Commander Shepard, who is a candidate for becoming a member of Spectre corps, a force of peacekeepers who are above the law and answer directly to the Council.
Nihlus, Shepard, and biotic Kaidan Alenko land and meet Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, who reveals that the colony is under attack by the robotic race known as the geth. The geth are led by a rogue turian Spectre named Saren Arterius, who kills Nihlus and activates the Prothean beacon. After the battle ends, Shepard locates the beacon and receives a vision showing scenes of war and death.
The Normandy and its crew are summoned by Ambassador Donnel Udina to the Citadel. Unfortunately, Shepard is unable to convince the Citadel Council of Saren's treason without solid evidence. Citadel Security officer Garrus Vakarian and krogan mercenary Urdnot Wrex lead Shepard to a quarian mechanic named Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, who possesses a recording of a conversation between Saren and an asari Matriarch named Benezia. In the recording, the two discuss their victory while also mentioning an artifact called the "Conduit" and the return of a force known as the Reapers. Confronted with this evidence, the Council revokes Saren's Spectre status and makes Shepard the first human Spectre. Shepard is ordered to hunt down Saren with the assistance of Kaidan, Ashley, Garrus, Wrex, Tali, and pilot Jeff "Joker" Moreau.
Captain Anderson relinquishes command of the Normandy to Shepard, who uses it to follow several leads provided by Anderson and Udina. On Therum, Shepard rescues the archaeologist Dr. Liara T'soni, Matriarch Benezia's daughter. Liara joins Shepard's squad because of her biotic abilities and expertise in the Protheans. On the colony of Feros, Shepard fights off Saren's forces and the Thorian, a sentient plant-like creature allied with Saren that can control individuals. From these agents, Shepard learns that Saren's flagship, Sovereign, also possesses unique mind-control capabilities. On Noveria, Shepard tracks down Matriarch Benezia while fighting off both the geth and the rachni, an insectoid race once thought to be extinct. Benezia is eventually defeated, revealing that she and Saren are being controlled by Sovereign. Shepard is also confronted with a rachni queen, who has been revived by Saren in the hopes of creating an army, and must decide whether to release or kill her.
After completing these missions, the Council informs Shepard that a salarian infiltration unit has uncovered Saren's main base on Virmire. Upon arrival, Shepard learns that Saren has discovered a cure for the krogan disease known as the genophage. Using it, he plans to breed an army of unstoppable krogan warriors. When Wrex finds out about the cure, he betrays the team and Shepard must either kill Wrex, have Ashley kill him, or convince him to stand down. After this conflict, Shepard assists the salarians in destroying the base by planting a nuclear improvised explosive device in it. Shepard leads the infiltration team, while salarian Captain Kirrahe leads a diversionary attack with the assistance of either Ashley or Kaidan.
Inside the base, Shepard is confronted by Sovereign, who reveals itself to be an actual Reaper. Sovereign explains that the Reapers remain outside the Milky Way Galaxy, waiting for organic life to develop, discover the Citadel, and Mass Relays. Upon reaching their peak, all sentient organic lifeforms are harvested by the Reapers. Saren attacks and claims that his allegiance to Sovereign will save organic life forms by demonstrating their "usefulness" to the Reapers. After Saren retreats, Shepard soon receives news that both Ashley and Kaidan have become pinned down. Shepard has only enough time to save one of them; the other is killed in the nuclear detonation.
With the information Shepard's squad has gained, Liara is able to pinpoint the Conduit's location on a Prothean world known as Ilos. Shepard follows Saren into the planet and encounters a Prothean computer intelligence named Vigil, which explains the Reapers' methodology. Vigil explains that the Citadel Station is actually a huge mass relay that the Reapers use to invade the galaxy. During the last extinction cycle, a few Protheans survived on Ilos via cryogenic suspension and then re-entered the Citadel via the Conduit, a reverse-engineered miniature mass relay disguised aboard the station as a statue. The scientists managed to sabotage the process that would summon the Reapers. Saren plans to undo this sabotage, and needs the Conduit to get him inside the Citadel.
Shepard pursues Saren through the Conduit, arriving at the Citadel as it is under attack by Sovereign and a massive geth force. Shepard fights through and confronts Saren, who has received cybernetic augmentations. Shepard can fight Saren or convince him to rebel. If convinced, Saren commits suicide, thanking Shepard for his freedom.
The Citadel Fleet has custody of the Council but is losing the battle. Meanwhile, Joker informs Shepard of a human Systems Alliance fleet massing to counterattack. Shepard can order the Alliance fleet to save the Council and risk heavy casualties, go directly after Sovereign while risking the death of the Council, or even abandon the Council. Regardless, Saren's corpse is reanimated by Sovereign, who then attacks Shepard while simultaneously fighting off the Alliance in ship form. Eventually, humanity prevails, and Saren's corpse is destroyed while Sovereign is dispatched by the Normandy.
The precise ending of the game depends on several factors, including the fate of the Council and whether Shepard has taken a Paragon or Renegade path. If Shepard chose to save the Council, the Council will thank humanity and add a human member to their ranks; the other two choices will result in the death of the Council, letting humanity take over. Regardless of outcome, Shepard is then asked to nominate either Anderson or Udina to this new leadership position. Shepard does so, but then turns away from the proceedings, vowing to end the Reaper threat.
Mass Effect 2
Characters
Commander Shepard: Main Character/Can be Male or Female
Garrus Vakarian: Returning Companion/Female Romance Partner
Grunt: Companion
Jack: Companion/Male or Female Romance Partner
Jacob Taylor: Companion/Female Romance Partner
Kasumi Goto: Companion
Morinth: Optional Companion
Samara: Companion
Tali'Zorah vas Neema: Returning Companion/Male or Female Romance Partner
Thane Krios: Companion/Female Romance Partner
Legion: Companion
Miranda Lawson: Companion/Male or Female Romance Partner
Zaeed Massani: Companion
Dr. Amanda Kenson: Temporary Companion
Liara T'Soni: Temporary Returning Companion
Wilson: Temporary Companion
EDI: Ally
The Illusive Man: Ally
Jeff "Joker" Moreau: Returning Ally
Dr. Chakwas: Ally
Kelly Chambers: Ally/Male or Female Romance Partner
The Collector General: Adversary
The Shadow Broker: Adversary
Harbinger: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect 2 is set within the Milky Way galaxy during the 22nd century, where interstellar travel is possible through the use of mass transit devices called Mass Relays. Central to the story is Commander Shepard, an elite human soldier who is the Commanding Officer of the SSV Normandy, a starship piloted by flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau. While patrolling for a hostile race of networked artificial intelligences called geth a few weeks after the events of the original Mass Effect, the Normandy is attacked by an unknown starship, and many crew members die. During the evacuation, Shepard tosses Joker into the Normandy's final escape pod before being blasted into space. After a suit breach, Shepard dies of asphyxiation and his/her body is pulled into the orbit of a nearby planet. Shepard's body is retrieved and ultimately revived by Cerberus, a pro-human organization headed by the Illusive Man.
The Illusive Man informs Shepard that entire populations of human colonies are disappearing all over the galaxy, and believes the Reapers, a highly advanced machine race of synthetic-organic starships encountered in the original game, are responsible. Now working for Cerberus, Shepard is sent to investigate a recently-attacked colony, where he/she finds clues about the validity that the Reapers are working by proxy through an insect-like species called the Collectors. The Illusive Man explains that Shepard must recruit a team in order to stop the Collectors, who reside beyond the Omega-4 Relay, from which no ship has ever returned. Shepard is also given command of a new starship, the Normandy SR-2, piloted again by Joker and equipped with an onboard AI named EDI. Shepard recruits four new squadmates before receiving intel from the Illusive Man that another human colony is under attack. Shepard successfully stops the attack, but a large portion of the colony's population was captured.
Shepard continues to recruit squadmates, adding three more, until the Illusive Man contacts Shepard about a Collector ship supposedly disabled. As Shepard and his/her squad board the ship, they surprisingly encounter no Collector resistance and learn that the Collectors were originally the Protheans—an extinct alien race that is credited with creating the Mass Relays—turned into slaves of the Reapers. With EDI's help, Shepard finds out how to bypass the Omega-4 Relay before being ambushed by the Collectors. Although Shepard and the Normandy manage to escape the Collector ship, relations between Shepard and the Illusive Man are strained, due to the latter's knowledge of the Collector trap. After optionally earning the loyalty of his/her squadmates, Shepard visits a derelict Reaper and acquires an IFF transponder necessary for safe travel through the Omega-4 Relay, and later acquires an unconscious geth. If activated, the geth voluntarily joins the squad. The Normandy later integrates the IFF into her systems while Shepard and the squad leave the ship in a shuttle. During their absence, the Normandy is attacked and boarded by the Collectors; only Joker avoids capture. After Shepard's squad returns to the Normandy, the team use the Omega-4 Relay to get to the Collector base.
In the Collectors base, the team rescue any surviving members of the Normandy, and fight their way to the central chamber. Squadmates survive or perish along the way depending on their loyalty, upgrades to the Normandy, and selections of specific members to perform certain tasks. In the central chamber, Shepard discovers that the Collectors have been constructing a new Reaper made from the abducted humans, although EDI is unsure of its true purpose. Shepard destroys the machine powering the human Reaper and prepares to destroy the Collector base. However, before doing so, the Illusive Man contacts Shepard and gives the order to sterilize the base with a radiation pulse so that its information can be used against the Reapers. After choosing to destroy or sterilize the base, Shepard destroys the awakened human-reaper larva and, if enough squadmates survived, escapes the base before the bomb detonates. If none did, Shepard will be unable to escape the Collector Base and will die. Back on the Normandy, Shepard speaks with the Illusive Man, who either praises or condemns Shepard's decision. As Shepard meets in the Normandy's cargo bay with the survivors of the mission, Joker gives the Commander schematics of a Reaper. Humanity now has the full attention of the Reapers, who awaken in dark space, and descend upon the galaxy, beginning the events of Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect 3
Characters
Commander Shepard: Main Character/Can Be Male or Female
Ashley Williams: Returning Companion/If survived Mass Effect/Male or Female Romance Partner
EDI: Returning Ally/Companion
Garrus Vakarian: Returning Companion/If survived Mass Effect 2/Female Romance Partner
James Vega: Companion/Female Romance Companion
Javik: Companion
Kaiden Alenko: Returning Companion/If survived Mass Effect/Female Romance Partner
Liara T'Soni: Returning Companion/Male or Female Romance Partner
Tali'Zorah vas Normandy: Returning Companion/Male or Female Romance Partner
David Anderson: Returning Ally/Temporary Companion
Aria T'Loak: Temporary Companion
Nyreen Kandros: Temporary Companion
Greg Adams: Ally
Diana Allers: Ally/Male or Female Romance Partner
Steve Cortez: Ally
Dr. Karin Chakwas: Returning Ally
Admiral Hackett: Ally
Dr. Chloe Michel: Ally
Jeff "Joker" Moreau: Returning Ally
Samantha Traynor: Ally/Female Romance Partner
The Illusive Man: Adversary
Kai Leng: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect 3 begins on Earth with Commander Shepard having been detained following the events in Arrival. Out of the blue, the Reapers attack and the planet is overwhelmed. Shepard escapes a burning Vancouver on the Normandy with the help of Admiral Anderson and the Kaiden/Ashley and leaves to gather help from other species while Anderson coordinates human resistance on Earth. Before leaving the Sol System, Shepard is ordered to Mars by Admiral Hackett who claims that researchers have uncovered something that may give humanity a chance against the Reapers. There, Shepard battles Cerberus forces and encounters former squad-mate Liara T'Soni, who has discovered plans for a Prothean superweapon that may be capable of defeating the Reapers. Before leaving the facility, Shepard speaks with a now-hostile Illusive Man, who claims he wants to use the Prothean weapon to take control of the Reapers.
Next, Shepard heads for the Citadel. Once there, Shepard pleads for help from the Council, but they are reluctant to oblige due to their own preoccupations. Shepard realizes that the only way to gain other species' assistance will be to help them with their problems and garner favors, while at the same time gathering war assets to be used against the Reapers in battle. Eventually, Hackett begins construction on the Prothean weapon and dubs it "The Crucible".
After rescuing the turian leader from the turian homeworld, Shepard's convenes a war summit, consisting of human, turian, salarian and krogan. The summit goes badly at first, with Wrex/Wreav (depending on if Wrex's survived Virmire) witholding all support until a cure for the genophage can be created. With the help of former squadmate Mordin Solus (if he survived the Suicide Mission), Shepard can either cure it or trick Wrex/Wreav into believing they cured it, though usually at the cost of Mordin's life. After dealing with the krogan, Shepard learns that Cerberus has assaulted the Citadel, where he deduces Councilor Udina is behind the attack, and kills him, saving the rest of the council. Afterward, the crew learns that the quarians have declared war on the geth, and are losing that war, pushed back to their ancestral homeworld of Rannoch. Shepard boards a geth dreadnought with former squadmate Tali'Zorah broadcasting a short-range Reaper code to the geth where he destroys it and finds Legion (or the simply named Geth VI also dependent on the Suicide Mission), who tells Shepard that the geth, losing the war with the quarians, turned to the Reapers in desperation and were greatly enhanced, though at the cost of the hivemind's independent thought; while Legion/Geth VI remain independent due to the number of active programs. With Shepard and Legion/Geth VI's help, the geth are pushed back to a Reaper base controlling the geth and free them by destroying the base, defeating a Reaper. With the Reaper control gone but the superior upgrades still viable, Shepard must chose to allow the geth to upgrade, destroying the quarian fleet and genociding the quarian race and causing Tali to commit suicide, or shut down the entire geth fleet, which destroys the geth; Shepard can also broker a peace. Finally, they attempt to defend the asari home world Thessia from the Reapers while simultaneously gathering information on "The Catalyst", an essential tool for the Crucible's effectiveness. At a Thessian temple, Shepard encounters a Prothean VI called Vendetta. As it is about to reveal information regarding the Catalyst, Cerberus assassin Kai Leng intervenes and steals it. Shepard then attacks their headquarters, killing Leng but failing to capture the Illusive Man. Vendetta, Shepard learns that the Citadel is the Catalyst and that the Illusive Man has been indoctrinated. Because of his indoctrination, the Illusive Man has told the Reapers of the Citadel's true identity and they have moved it to a defensive position in Earth's orbit.
Under Hackett's leadership, the galaxy's forces attack the Reapers on Earth in an attempt to retake the Citadel and use it as the Catalyst for the Crucible. Shepard helps an assault on London, the focal connection point from the planet to the Citadel. Reunited with Anderson, Shepard eventually begins the final push to the Citadel but is attacked by Harbinger. While charging toward the conduit that sends humans to the Citadel, Shepard's squadmates are injured and evacuated. Shepard continues the charge but is wounded. He barely makes it and meets up with Anderson and together they encounter an indoctrinated Illusive Man. They stop him, but Anderson is mortally wounded in the process. Shepard is then transported to the pinnacle of the Citadel where a childlike AI appears. The AI declares itself as the Catalyst and the Reapers' creator. It reveals that the Reaper cycle is an attempt to prevent organic life from wiping itself out by creating synthetic life; creators, the Catalyst argues, are always doomed to be destroyed by the created. The Catalyst characterizes the harvest as an ascendance, wherein advanced organic races are preserved in Reaper form and space is left for more primitive species to rise, evolve, and advance.
The Catalyst says that it has lost faith in the Reapers' ability to achieve their purpose and gives Shepard three options of defeating them: control the Reapers, destroy the Reapers and all synthetic life, or synthesize all organic and synthetic life together. Each choice results in Shepard's apparent death and the destruction of the entire mass relay network. London suffers varying degrees of damage and the Normandy crash lands on an alien planet. If the player's Effective Military Strength is high enough and Shepard chooses to destroy the Reapers, the game ends with a cutscene of Shepard taking a deep breath in a pile of rubble, hinting at survival. In a post-credits cutscene, an old man known as the "Stargazer" tells Shepard's story to a young boy, implying that Shepard's legend lives on.
Extended Cut
The Extended Cut reveals that the mass relays are only heavily damaged by the Crucible's firing instead of being destroyed as per the original ending, but most aspects of the plot remain the same. Additional scenes and dialogue have been added to clarify events and resolve perceived plot holes.
The three original ending choices have been modified to include a varying narration provided by Hackett (Destroy), Shepard (Control), or EDI (Synthesis) along with slides showing the impact the player's choices have had upon the galaxy, as well as the fate of surviving characters. If the player has a sufficiently high EMS score, the surviving crew of the Normandy is shown holding a memorial service for Shepard before repairing the damage from the crash and launching into space.
The Extended Cut also provides a fourth ending, triggered by either refusing the Catalyst's choices, or attempting to kill it when the player resumes control of Shepard. Consequently, the Crucible is not fired and the war ends with the systematic destruction of all space-faring civilizations, and the continuation of the Reaper cycle. The scene then shifts to an unknown garden world in the future where one of Liara's beacons has been discovered. Dialogue in the post-credits scene reveals that the knowledge gained from the beacon ultimately led to the next cycle's victory over the Reapers.
Mass Effect: Galaxy
Characters
Jacob Taylor: Main Character
Miranda Lawson: Ally
Derek Izunami: Ally
Nax: Ally
Batha: Ally
Jath'Amon: Adversary
Clint "Black Eye" Darragh: Adversary
Illo Nazario: Adversary
Plot
The story starts off with Jacob Taylor on vacation aboard a cruise ship. It is suddenly boarded by pirates and Jacob, utilizing his experience as a former Alliance soldier, fights the pirates off. The pirates turn out to be batarians. He is sent to the Citadel where he talks to his former commanding officer, Major Derek Izunami who assigns him to investigate the agenda of the batarians in the Terminus Systems and beyond.
There is a big commotion at the Citadel because a batarian ambassador, Jath'Amon is visiting the Council soon to negotiate peace. Many people are worried by this, as terrorists are threatening to ruin the peace talks. Jacob has to meet a woman named Miranda Lawson in the Nemean Abyss to get his information but he is forced to deal with human pirates who have taken over Cartagena Station. The boss of these pirates is called "Black Eye" Clint Darragh and you can choose to let him surrender or you can kill him. Miranda is impressed and tells you what she knows. There are three leads.
One is a turian arms smuggler named Illo Nazario who is hiding on Tortuga. He's been working with the batarians for several years and may know something. The second lead is information regarding the planet Bekke, where the batarians are building an army. This information is considered suspicious, as batarians form small terrorist cells as their preferred method of attack. The third lead is reports of human doctors and scientists being kidnapped by the batarians and being taken to the Ahn'Kedar Orbital Platform. It is implied they are being forced to work on a biological weapon. You can tackle these three missions in any order.
On Bekke, Jacob must discover what this army is protecting. Miranda's scans reveal some kind of hazardous material which gets more potent the further Jacob progresses through the base. It is eventually revealed to be a large cache of Element Zero, which enhances Jacob's Biotic abilities but could kill him unless he leaves quickly. He is extracted and the eezo is stored safely.
On the Ahn'Kedar Orbital Platform, Jacob discovers it has been taken over by batarians who are forcing the kidnapped scientist to work on something. He runs into Nax, a krogan who is searching for a missing asari scientist called Batha. The two decide to team up; Nax rescues Batha while Jacob saves the others. Nax distracts the batarians, allowing Jacob to sneak into the lab and confront the leader. The scientists claim that the batarians are dying of a blood plague and that they are working on a cure for them, but Jacob knows that this is a ruse. The batarians have engineered the disease themselves and are planning on unleashing it on the Citadel council, with the cure Batha has made as their defense. Miranda allows Batha to complete the cure on the ship but they must hurry to Tortuga to find Illo.
Upon arrival, Jacob meets an informant of Miranda's; a salarian named Ish. Ish tells Jacob that Illo hasn't made any deals in a while and may be up to something. He gives Jacob the passcode to Illo's base and warns him of the thugs he has as bodyguards. Jacob infiltrates the base and confronts Illo. Meeting him reveals that he is dying of a biological weapon the batarians have tested on him and he won't tell Jacob anything until he gets the cure which Batha has made. They take him to the ship and cure him and he tells Jacob everything he knows. He reveals that the batarians have no qualms about unleashing the virus in the council meeting because not only do they have the vaccine, but the Ambassador Jath'Amon is the terrorist leader and he plans on infecting the council members himself.
Jacob and Miranda rush to the Citadel where they foil the plan and save the council as well as hundreds of lives. Jath'Amon swears vengeance against Jacob and the human race and is escorted out by C-Sec. Jacob goes on another vacation and is surprised when Miranda joins him, a bottle of champagne in hand and a smirk on her face.
Mass Effect: Infiltrator
Characters
Randall Ezno: Main Character
Director: Adversary
Plot
Players take on the role of Randall Ezno, a Cerberus operative who begins to learn that the organization is not as benevolent as it appears to be.
After returning from a mission on an ice planet, Randall returns to the Barn, a Cerberus base of operations on a nearby moon. On his way to visit his advisor, Inali Renata, something goes wrong and turian soldiers begin attacking the facility. During the attack, Randall tries to contact Inali, but she's cut off by someone. Randall hurries to Inali's location to ensure she is safe. After fighting past the turian invaders, Randall is shocked to find Inali strapped to a table, being experimented on by mechanical arms. The Director comes on the intercom trying to justify his horrible experiments. Randall vows revenge and goes in search of the director, now having to fight past the facilities Cerberus defenses.
While trying to escape, Randall is contacted by a mysterious voice via his earpiece. The voice claims to be a volus working with the Alliance. He tells Randall that if he can escape the facility and contact the Alliance, both he and Inali can be saved. Randall slowly makes his way toward the communications tower, fighting Cerberus troops, escaped test subjects, mechs, and X1, a massive, mutant krogan. Finally, he reaches the comm tower, signals the Alliance and heads to a nearby desert planet on a shuttle to await pickup.
After Randall arrives, Inali shows up, augmented beyond recognition, and starts to shoot Randall. After lowering her barrier and armor bars, the Director takes complete control of Inali for the remainder of the fight. In the end Randall either spares or kills Inali depending on the player's previous morality choices. He then vows to kill the director for what he has done and leaves the planet.
Mass Effect: Revelation
Characters
David Anderson: Main Character
Jill Dah: Ally
Kahlee Sanders: Ally
Jella: Ally
Jon Grissom: Ally
Saren Arterius: Adversary
Edan Had'dah: Adversary
Skarr: Adversary
Dr. Shu Qian: Adversary
Plot
The book serves to fill in much of the background details of the game, such as locations and the internal politics of the Council's races, as well as characters. A considerable amount of the plot revolves around the galaxy's views on Artificial intelligence, as this appears to be a major plot point in the game.
The book tells of a young Alliance lieutenant David Anderson and his efforts to find a survivor of an attack on a top-secret Alliance base, lieutenant Kahlee Sanders. As the book progresses it is revealed the base was attacked purposely by the Blue Suns mercenary group, who were hired by the leading scientist on the base. A turian spectre, Saren is assigned to help Anderson and find clues as to where the missing scientist is. Eventually they find the scientist, but Saren escapes with the information the scientist was researching to an ancient alien ship which he plans to use for his own evil deeds as portrayed as the main plot in the game Mass Effect.
Mass Effect: Ascension
Characters
Kahlee Sanders: Main Character
Gillian Grayson: Ally
Hendel Mitra: Ally
Dr. Jiro Toshiwa: Ally
Lemm'Shal nar Tesleya: Ally
Ysin'Mal vas Idenna: Ally
Paul Grayson: Adversary
Pel: Adversary
The Illusive Man: Adversary
Golo: Adversary
Plot
The novel takes place shortly after the attack of the Reaper Sovereign and his allies Saren and the Geth. The Illusive Man, the leader of the rogue, xenophobic organization called Cerberus, watches on as he plots Cerberus' next move. One of his long-serving subordinates, Paul Grayson, is a troubled drug addict who was assigned with raising an infant girl with huge biotic potential, Gillian. The autistic girl is now a member of the Ascension Project, initiative aimed at developing biotic abilities in humans. Grayson, despite having much affection for his adopted daughter, is now reduced to a link man between Cerberus and their man inside Ascension Project, Dr. Jiro. Their mission is to administer Cerberus' biotic-enhancing drugs to Gillian and evaluate their efficacy.
Meanwhile, another Cerberus operative Pel is on a mission in distant system Omega, nominal capital of the rogue Terminus Systems, to acquire the current position and access codes to the Quarian Migrant Fleet and contacts a banished Quarian named Golo. As it turns out, Golo can't provide necessary data but assures Pel he knows how to obtain it. He lures a Quarian scout team into an ambush, and Pel manages to take a prisoner. However, during the ambush, the Quarian is infected with a virus and becomes delirious, making it impossible to interrogate him.
Back at Ascension Project, Gillian, who had been administered a new drug by Jiro, has a biotic outburst after being mocked by another student. She is kept in hospital for observation, which makes it difficult for Jiro to apply another dose of the new drug, as instructed by Cerberus. In a desperate move he takes her for a walk to station's Atrium where he injects the medication, which unexpectedly induces a seizure. Meanwhile, Kahlee Sanders of Ascension Project staff and security chief Hendel Mitra, who is also a biotic, have put the pieces together and deduced Jiro was more than he let them know. After running intuitively to the Atrium, Hendel is overpowered by Jiro's stunner, who in turn is subdued by Kahlee.
Grayson is informed by Ascension Project staff that his daughter has survived an assassination attempt from a Cerberus agent. Grayson is ordered to withdraw Gillian from the Ascension Project before Jiro reveals the entire plot. When Kahlee suggests she and Hendel will accompany him, he agrees expecting that Pel, his former partner, will easily get rid of them. However, Pel takes everybody prisoner, including Grayson, explaining that he decided to abandon Cerberus in favor of the promise of wealth. The Collectors, a mysterious alien race that lives outside of known space, have put up a bounty for human biotics and Pel plans to sell Gillian and Hendel to them.
Lemm, a Quarian on his pilgrimage, finds out that a scout ship has disappeared and intends to find it and use the information to end his Pilgrimage. At first he suspects the infamous Golo, but the banished Quarian diverts Lemm's attention to Pel. He provides Lemm with blueprints of Pel's hideout and teaches him basic assault rules, but at the same time he informs Pel when the attack is due to take place. Lemm takes Pel by surprise by attacking a day early, rescuing Hendel, Gillian and Kahlee. Kahlee is very surprised as the Quarian recognizes her. After escaping Pel's warehouse, stealing Grayson's shuttle, and setting course to the Migrant Fleet, Lemm explains to Kahlee that she is regarded as an AI expert due to her collaboration with Dr. Shu Qian - who found Sovereign and led Saren to it - and he would like her to be his pilgrimage gift.
Grayson, who was left behind, manages to escape and kill Pel on the warehouse roof amid his mob's firefight with runaway party. He later finds the captured Quarian who had gone mad and now only mumbles the access codes to the Migrant Fleet. Grayson informs The Illusive Man of Pel's betrayal and he deduces that Kahlee and the others are heading for the Migrant Fleet. The Illusive Man wants to leave Grayson out of mission to reclaim Gillian due to his emotional involvement, but Grayson threatens not to give away the access codes unless he is included.
After reaching the Migrant Fleet, Kahlee gives her opinion on Sovereign's attack on the Citadel and its influence on the Geth. It seems insignificant to her but it's apparently an important factor in deciding whether the Quarians will launch risky exploratory missions. The Admiralty hypothesizes that they may be able to use Reapers to influence the Geth and reclaim their homeworld. Meanwhile, Gillian spends much time with Hendel, Kahlee, and Lemm and in increasingly familiar surroundings of Grayson's shuttle she becomes more open and happy.
Grayson, with two squads of Cerberus commandos and Golo, attacks the Quarian ship. Cerberus soldiers have the upper hand in the firefight but they retreat after Gillian, told by Kahlee to hide on ship's upper levels, runs back to the shuttle looking for some comfort. Grayson, ordered by Golo to stay in the shuttle because of his emotional involvement, is welcomed by Gillian - who always reacted allergically to touch - with a hug. Grayson informs her they are leaving but after she refuses saying she won't leave without her friends, he is forced to use a stunner and puts her to bed. Kahlee, who hadn't found Gillian in upper levels, guesses she went to the shuttle. She confronts Grayson but is knocked down by the returning Golo. Kahlee, continually kicked by Golo, describes how much better Gillian has been feeling after escaping Cerberus' care. Grayson has a change of heart after recalling Gillian hugging him and calling Kahlee, Hendel and Lemm her friends. He talks Golo into starting the engines and kills him.
The attack on the Quarian ship turns out a decisive factor in sending a mission to find habitable worlds or Sovereign-like ships to drive the Geth from the Quarian homeworld. As he is being transported to Alliance territory, Grayson manages to overpower Kahlee and Lemm and escapes. Believing that Grayson won't trouble them anymore, Kahlee and Lemm decide not to pursue him. Kahlee returns to the Ascension Project, while Gillian, Hendel and Lemm board a Quarian exploration ship. Grayson contacts The Illusive Man, concedes he will sooner or later be caught and killed by Cerberus but he trades his silence about Cerberus' other projects for Kahlee's safety. The Illusive Man reluctantly agrees and is left seething at his defeat.
Mass Effect: Retribution
Characters
David Anderson: Main Character
Kahlee Sanders: Ally
Paul Grayson: Ally
Orinia: Ally
Liselle: Ally
Aria T'Loak: Ally
Sanak: Ally
The Illusive Man: Adversary
Kai Leng: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect: Retribution follows soon after the events of Mass Effect 2 . The Illusive Man, leader of the pro-human paramilitary organization Cerberus, is attempting to learn more about the Reapers, an advanced race of sentient machines that periodically purges the galaxy of all technologically advanced organic civilizations. Having obtained Reaper technology, the Illusive Man decides to implant a human with it to learn more about the Reapers. Paul Grayson, a major character in Mass Effect: Ascension and former Cerberus operative, is kidnapped to become the Illusive Man's test subject. Also, as said on the back cover of the book under the synopsis, David Anderson (one of the protagonists of Mass Effect Revelation and a supporting character in the first Mass Effect game) is again a main character, along with Kahlee Sanders from the 1st and 2nd books.
Mass Effect: Deception
Characters
David Anderson: Main Character
Kahlee Sanders: Ally
Gillian Grayson: Ally
Nick Donahue: Ally
Hendel Mitra: Ally
Aria T'Loak: Ally
The Illusive Man: Adversary
Kai Leng: Adversary
Jana: Adversary
Hal McCann: Adversary
Plot
Cerberus assassin Kai Leng journeys to the ancient city of Thondu on the batarian homeworld of Khar'shan to retrieve an item in an auction of rare goods and artifacts. The item in question is the design for a DNA-specific bio-weapon tailored to target the Illusive Man, the leader of Cerberus, and which could potentially affect thousands of people distantly related to him. Leng snatches the design and makes his escape.
On the Citadel, David Anderson, Kahlee Sanders, and Nick Donahue prepare to speak to the Citadel Council about Paul Grayson's attack on the Grissom Academy. At the Citadel Tower, Anderson and Sanders inform the Council of the Reapers' involvement, but the Councilors are unconvinced and prefer to argue that Grayson was acting on behalf of Cerberus, even after they are shown Grayson's Reaper-mutated corpse. Anderson and Sanders are told to continue their investigation. After the presentation, they find that Nick has disappeared. They go to The Cube, a gym for biotics, to see if he had gone there early, but no luck. A volus attendant at The Cube directs them to Ocosta Lem and Arrius Sallus, a salarian and a turian that Nick had been seen with on earlier visits. Lem and Sallus's address turns out to be fake, and Anderson and Sanders come to conclusion that Nick is missing.
Kai Leng meets with the Illusive Man on an abandoned mining world in the Crescent Nebula. The Illusive Man orders Leng to steal Paul Grayson's body and begin observing Anderson and Sanders; their recent activities on the Citadel have drawn unwelcome attention to Cerberus.
Elsewhere in the galaxy, the batarian slave ship Glory of Khar'shan attacks the quarian ship Idenna, carrying Gillian Grayson and Hendel Mitra, who are part of the ship's security team. When the batarians disable the Idenna's drives and board it, Gillian and Mitra help defend the ship. With Gillian's help, the quarians gain the upper hand and charge onto the Glory of Khar'shan. One of the ship's freed slaves is Hal McCann, a former Cerberus operative who worked on the space station where Paul Grayson had been experimented on with Reaper technology. McCann keeps this fact to himself, but does tell Gillian that her father had been killed and persuades her that information on who killed her father could be found on the Citadel. Deciding to track down her father's killer, Gillian commandeers the Glory of Khar'shan and brings Mitra and McCann with her.
Anderson and Sanders find a message from Nick at their apartment. Nick explains that he left to join a group known as the Biotic Underground that advocates biotic supremacy over all of the galaxy's races. Anderson uses contacts in C-Sec to dig up info on where Nick had gone. Videos show Nick leaving with Ocosta Lem and Arrius Sallus, members of the Biotic Underground.
Mass Effect: Incursion
Characters
Aria T'Loak: Main Character
Plot
Mass Effect: Incursion opens one week before the Collectors destroy the SSV Normandy, as seen in the beginning of Mass Effect 2. Aria T'Loak and two batarian bodyguards are investigating a disturbance on Omega. One of the bodyguards says that the problem is related to the Blue Suns or slavers and that they can handle it alone. Aria, sensing something worse, insists on coming herself.
The three interrupt a meeting between Blue Suns mercenaries and a group of Collectors accompanied by a Praetorian. After seeing that the Blue Suns are selling several humans to the Collectors, Aria orders her bodyguards to make sure no one leaves the area alive and joins the fight herself. At the end of the battle, all of the Collectors and humans are dead while Aria loses only one of her men. Some Blue Suns also survive, but Aria orders them to be interrogated and executed. Later at Afterlife, Aria is given a datapad with all of the information her agents could find about the Blue Suns' deal with the Collectors. The data consists of human population totals for Horizon, Omega, Freedom's Progress, the Citadel, Eden Prime, Terra Nova, and Earth. Aria notes that the Collectors wanted more than just a few slaves and that humanity has made a dangerous enemy.
Mass Effect: Redemption
Characters
Liara T'Soni: Main Character
Feron: Ally
Miranda Lawson: Ally
The Illusive Man: Ally
Aria T'Loak: Ally
The Collector General: Adversary
The Shadow Broker: Adversary
Tazzik: Adversary
Plot
The events of Mass Effect: Redemption tie-in to downloadable content that was produced for Mass Effect 2 titled "Lair of the Shadow Broker". According to Mac Walters, the comic mini-series will be "expanding on characters that we didn't really explore in [the first] Mass Effect and also looking at opportunities to expand on them even further in the DLC."
The narrative in Redemption begins with Commander Shepard mysteriously disappearing in the Terminus Systems, out of contact with the SSV Normandy and its crew. Both the Shadow Broker (working for the Collectors) and Liara T'Soni (helping Cerberus) are to find and retrieve the dead body of Commander Shepard. Just as Tazzik, an agent of the Shadow Broker wants to turn over the corpse to the Collectors, Liara manages to capture it, with the help of the drell Feron, who is captured in the process, and turn it over to Cerberus, hoping that they may be able to revive Shepard.
Commander Shepard: Main Character/Can be Male or Female
Ashley Williams: Companion/Male & Female Romance Partner
Kaiden Alenko: Companion/Female Romance Partner
Garrus Vakarian: Companion/Female Romance Partner
Liara T'Soni: Companion/Male & Female Romance Partner
Tali'Zorah nar Rayya: Companion
Urdnot Wrex: Companion
Richard L. Jenkins: Temporary Companion
David Anderson: Ally
Jeff "Joker" Moreau: Ally
Donnel Udina: Ally
Saren Arterius: Adversary
Matriarch Benezia: Adversary
The Thorian: Adversary
Sovereign: Adversary
Plot
In 2183, the experimental SSV Normandy is sent to the human colony of Eden Prime to recover an unearthed Prothean beacon. To assist, the Citadel Council, the galaxy's primary governing body, sent Nihlus, a turian Spectre. In addition, Nihlus is also observing veteran soldier Commander Shepard, who is a candidate for becoming a member of Spectre corps, a force of peacekeepers who are above the law and answer directly to the Council.
Nihlus, Shepard, and biotic Kaidan Alenko land and meet Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, who reveals that the colony is under attack by the robotic race known as the geth. The geth are led by a rogue turian Spectre named Saren Arterius, who kills Nihlus and activates the Prothean beacon. After the battle ends, Shepard locates the beacon and receives a vision showing scenes of war and death.
The Normandy and its crew are summoned by Ambassador Donnel Udina to the Citadel. Unfortunately, Shepard is unable to convince the Citadel Council of Saren's treason without solid evidence. Citadel Security officer Garrus Vakarian and krogan mercenary Urdnot Wrex lead Shepard to a quarian mechanic named Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, who possesses a recording of a conversation between Saren and an asari Matriarch named Benezia. In the recording, the two discuss their victory while also mentioning an artifact called the "Conduit" and the return of a force known as the Reapers. Confronted with this evidence, the Council revokes Saren's Spectre status and makes Shepard the first human Spectre. Shepard is ordered to hunt down Saren with the assistance of Kaidan, Ashley, Garrus, Wrex, Tali, and pilot Jeff "Joker" Moreau.
Captain Anderson relinquishes command of the Normandy to Shepard, who uses it to follow several leads provided by Anderson and Udina. On Therum, Shepard rescues the archaeologist Dr. Liara T'soni, Matriarch Benezia's daughter. Liara joins Shepard's squad because of her biotic abilities and expertise in the Protheans. On the colony of Feros, Shepard fights off Saren's forces and the Thorian, a sentient plant-like creature allied with Saren that can control individuals. From these agents, Shepard learns that Saren's flagship, Sovereign, also possesses unique mind-control capabilities. On Noveria, Shepard tracks down Matriarch Benezia while fighting off both the geth and the rachni, an insectoid race once thought to be extinct. Benezia is eventually defeated, revealing that she and Saren are being controlled by Sovereign. Shepard is also confronted with a rachni queen, who has been revived by Saren in the hopes of creating an army, and must decide whether to release or kill her.
After completing these missions, the Council informs Shepard that a salarian infiltration unit has uncovered Saren's main base on Virmire. Upon arrival, Shepard learns that Saren has discovered a cure for the krogan disease known as the genophage. Using it, he plans to breed an army of unstoppable krogan warriors. When Wrex finds out about the cure, he betrays the team and Shepard must either kill Wrex, have Ashley kill him, or convince him to stand down. After this conflict, Shepard assists the salarians in destroying the base by planting a nuclear improvised explosive device in it. Shepard leads the infiltration team, while salarian Captain Kirrahe leads a diversionary attack with the assistance of either Ashley or Kaidan.
Inside the base, Shepard is confronted by Sovereign, who reveals itself to be an actual Reaper. Sovereign explains that the Reapers remain outside the Milky Way Galaxy, waiting for organic life to develop, discover the Citadel, and Mass Relays. Upon reaching their peak, all sentient organic lifeforms are harvested by the Reapers. Saren attacks and claims that his allegiance to Sovereign will save organic life forms by demonstrating their "usefulness" to the Reapers. After Saren retreats, Shepard soon receives news that both Ashley and Kaidan have become pinned down. Shepard has only enough time to save one of them; the other is killed in the nuclear detonation.
With the information Shepard's squad has gained, Liara is able to pinpoint the Conduit's location on a Prothean world known as Ilos. Shepard follows Saren into the planet and encounters a Prothean computer intelligence named Vigil, which explains the Reapers' methodology. Vigil explains that the Citadel Station is actually a huge mass relay that the Reapers use to invade the galaxy. During the last extinction cycle, a few Protheans survived on Ilos via cryogenic suspension and then re-entered the Citadel via the Conduit, a reverse-engineered miniature mass relay disguised aboard the station as a statue. The scientists managed to sabotage the process that would summon the Reapers. Saren plans to undo this sabotage, and needs the Conduit to get him inside the Citadel.
Shepard pursues Saren through the Conduit, arriving at the Citadel as it is under attack by Sovereign and a massive geth force. Shepard fights through and confronts Saren, who has received cybernetic augmentations. Shepard can fight Saren or convince him to rebel. If convinced, Saren commits suicide, thanking Shepard for his freedom.
The Citadel Fleet has custody of the Council but is losing the battle. Meanwhile, Joker informs Shepard of a human Systems Alliance fleet massing to counterattack. Shepard can order the Alliance fleet to save the Council and risk heavy casualties, go directly after Sovereign while risking the death of the Council, or even abandon the Council. Regardless, Saren's corpse is reanimated by Sovereign, who then attacks Shepard while simultaneously fighting off the Alliance in ship form. Eventually, humanity prevails, and Saren's corpse is destroyed while Sovereign is dispatched by the Normandy.
The precise ending of the game depends on several factors, including the fate of the Council and whether Shepard has taken a Paragon or Renegade path. If Shepard chose to save the Council, the Council will thank humanity and add a human member to their ranks; the other two choices will result in the death of the Council, letting humanity take over. Regardless of outcome, Shepard is then asked to nominate either Anderson or Udina to this new leadership position. Shepard does so, but then turns away from the proceedings, vowing to end the Reaper threat.
Mass Effect 2
Characters
Commander Shepard: Main Character/Can be Male or Female
Garrus Vakarian: Returning Companion/Female Romance Partner
Grunt: Companion
Jack: Companion/Male or Female Romance Partner
Jacob Taylor: Companion/Female Romance Partner
Kasumi Goto: Companion
Morinth: Optional Companion
Samara: Companion
Tali'Zorah vas Neema: Returning Companion/Male or Female Romance Partner
Thane Krios: Companion/Female Romance Partner
Legion: Companion
Miranda Lawson: Companion/Male or Female Romance Partner
Zaeed Massani: Companion
Dr. Amanda Kenson: Temporary Companion
Liara T'Soni: Temporary Returning Companion
Wilson: Temporary Companion
EDI: Ally
The Illusive Man: Ally
Jeff "Joker" Moreau: Returning Ally
Dr. Chakwas: Ally
Kelly Chambers: Ally/Male or Female Romance Partner
The Collector General: Adversary
The Shadow Broker: Adversary
Harbinger: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect 2 is set within the Milky Way galaxy during the 22nd century, where interstellar travel is possible through the use of mass transit devices called Mass Relays. Central to the story is Commander Shepard, an elite human soldier who is the Commanding Officer of the SSV Normandy, a starship piloted by flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau. While patrolling for a hostile race of networked artificial intelligences called geth a few weeks after the events of the original Mass Effect, the Normandy is attacked by an unknown starship, and many crew members die. During the evacuation, Shepard tosses Joker into the Normandy's final escape pod before being blasted into space. After a suit breach, Shepard dies of asphyxiation and his/her body is pulled into the orbit of a nearby planet. Shepard's body is retrieved and ultimately revived by Cerberus, a pro-human organization headed by the Illusive Man.
The Illusive Man informs Shepard that entire populations of human colonies are disappearing all over the galaxy, and believes the Reapers, a highly advanced machine race of synthetic-organic starships encountered in the original game, are responsible. Now working for Cerberus, Shepard is sent to investigate a recently-attacked colony, where he/she finds clues about the validity that the Reapers are working by proxy through an insect-like species called the Collectors. The Illusive Man explains that Shepard must recruit a team in order to stop the Collectors, who reside beyond the Omega-4 Relay, from which no ship has ever returned. Shepard is also given command of a new starship, the Normandy SR-2, piloted again by Joker and equipped with an onboard AI named EDI. Shepard recruits four new squadmates before receiving intel from the Illusive Man that another human colony is under attack. Shepard successfully stops the attack, but a large portion of the colony's population was captured.
Shepard continues to recruit squadmates, adding three more, until the Illusive Man contacts Shepard about a Collector ship supposedly disabled. As Shepard and his/her squad board the ship, they surprisingly encounter no Collector resistance and learn that the Collectors were originally the Protheans—an extinct alien race that is credited with creating the Mass Relays—turned into slaves of the Reapers. With EDI's help, Shepard finds out how to bypass the Omega-4 Relay before being ambushed by the Collectors. Although Shepard and the Normandy manage to escape the Collector ship, relations between Shepard and the Illusive Man are strained, due to the latter's knowledge of the Collector trap. After optionally earning the loyalty of his/her squadmates, Shepard visits a derelict Reaper and acquires an IFF transponder necessary for safe travel through the Omega-4 Relay, and later acquires an unconscious geth. If activated, the geth voluntarily joins the squad. The Normandy later integrates the IFF into her systems while Shepard and the squad leave the ship in a shuttle. During their absence, the Normandy is attacked and boarded by the Collectors; only Joker avoids capture. After Shepard's squad returns to the Normandy, the team use the Omega-4 Relay to get to the Collector base.
In the Collectors base, the team rescue any surviving members of the Normandy, and fight their way to the central chamber. Squadmates survive or perish along the way depending on their loyalty, upgrades to the Normandy, and selections of specific members to perform certain tasks. In the central chamber, Shepard discovers that the Collectors have been constructing a new Reaper made from the abducted humans, although EDI is unsure of its true purpose. Shepard destroys the machine powering the human Reaper and prepares to destroy the Collector base. However, before doing so, the Illusive Man contacts Shepard and gives the order to sterilize the base with a radiation pulse so that its information can be used against the Reapers. After choosing to destroy or sterilize the base, Shepard destroys the awakened human-reaper larva and, if enough squadmates survived, escapes the base before the bomb detonates. If none did, Shepard will be unable to escape the Collector Base and will die. Back on the Normandy, Shepard speaks with the Illusive Man, who either praises or condemns Shepard's decision. As Shepard meets in the Normandy's cargo bay with the survivors of the mission, Joker gives the Commander schematics of a Reaper. Humanity now has the full attention of the Reapers, who awaken in dark space, and descend upon the galaxy, beginning the events of Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect 3
Characters
Commander Shepard: Main Character/Can Be Male or Female
Ashley Williams: Returning Companion/If survived Mass Effect/Male or Female Romance Partner
EDI: Returning Ally/Companion
Garrus Vakarian: Returning Companion/If survived Mass Effect 2/Female Romance Partner
James Vega: Companion/Female Romance Companion
Javik: Companion
Kaiden Alenko: Returning Companion/If survived Mass Effect/Female Romance Partner
Liara T'Soni: Returning Companion/Male or Female Romance Partner
Tali'Zorah vas Normandy: Returning Companion/Male or Female Romance Partner
David Anderson: Returning Ally/Temporary Companion
Aria T'Loak: Temporary Companion
Nyreen Kandros: Temporary Companion
Greg Adams: Ally
Diana Allers: Ally/Male or Female Romance Partner
Steve Cortez: Ally
Dr. Karin Chakwas: Returning Ally
Admiral Hackett: Ally
Dr. Chloe Michel: Ally
Jeff "Joker" Moreau: Returning Ally
Samantha Traynor: Ally/Female Romance Partner
The Illusive Man: Adversary
Kai Leng: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect 3 begins on Earth with Commander Shepard having been detained following the events in Arrival. Out of the blue, the Reapers attack and the planet is overwhelmed. Shepard escapes a burning Vancouver on the Normandy with the help of Admiral Anderson and the Kaiden/Ashley and leaves to gather help from other species while Anderson coordinates human resistance on Earth. Before leaving the Sol System, Shepard is ordered to Mars by Admiral Hackett who claims that researchers have uncovered something that may give humanity a chance against the Reapers. There, Shepard battles Cerberus forces and encounters former squad-mate Liara T'Soni, who has discovered plans for a Prothean superweapon that may be capable of defeating the Reapers. Before leaving the facility, Shepard speaks with a now-hostile Illusive Man, who claims he wants to use the Prothean weapon to take control of the Reapers.
Next, Shepard heads for the Citadel. Once there, Shepard pleads for help from the Council, but they are reluctant to oblige due to their own preoccupations. Shepard realizes that the only way to gain other species' assistance will be to help them with their problems and garner favors, while at the same time gathering war assets to be used against the Reapers in battle. Eventually, Hackett begins construction on the Prothean weapon and dubs it "The Crucible".
After rescuing the turian leader from the turian homeworld, Shepard's convenes a war summit, consisting of human, turian, salarian and krogan. The summit goes badly at first, with Wrex/Wreav (depending on if Wrex's survived Virmire) witholding all support until a cure for the genophage can be created. With the help of former squadmate Mordin Solus (if he survived the Suicide Mission), Shepard can either cure it or trick Wrex/Wreav into believing they cured it, though usually at the cost of Mordin's life. After dealing with the krogan, Shepard learns that Cerberus has assaulted the Citadel, where he deduces Councilor Udina is behind the attack, and kills him, saving the rest of the council. Afterward, the crew learns that the quarians have declared war on the geth, and are losing that war, pushed back to their ancestral homeworld of Rannoch. Shepard boards a geth dreadnought with former squadmate Tali'Zorah broadcasting a short-range Reaper code to the geth where he destroys it and finds Legion (or the simply named Geth VI also dependent on the Suicide Mission), who tells Shepard that the geth, losing the war with the quarians, turned to the Reapers in desperation and were greatly enhanced, though at the cost of the hivemind's independent thought; while Legion/Geth VI remain independent due to the number of active programs. With Shepard and Legion/Geth VI's help, the geth are pushed back to a Reaper base controlling the geth and free them by destroying the base, defeating a Reaper. With the Reaper control gone but the superior upgrades still viable, Shepard must chose to allow the geth to upgrade, destroying the quarian fleet and genociding the quarian race and causing Tali to commit suicide, or shut down the entire geth fleet, which destroys the geth; Shepard can also broker a peace. Finally, they attempt to defend the asari home world Thessia from the Reapers while simultaneously gathering information on "The Catalyst", an essential tool for the Crucible's effectiveness. At a Thessian temple, Shepard encounters a Prothean VI called Vendetta. As it is about to reveal information regarding the Catalyst, Cerberus assassin Kai Leng intervenes and steals it. Shepard then attacks their headquarters, killing Leng but failing to capture the Illusive Man. Vendetta, Shepard learns that the Citadel is the Catalyst and that the Illusive Man has been indoctrinated. Because of his indoctrination, the Illusive Man has told the Reapers of the Citadel's true identity and they have moved it to a defensive position in Earth's orbit.
Under Hackett's leadership, the galaxy's forces attack the Reapers on Earth in an attempt to retake the Citadel and use it as the Catalyst for the Crucible. Shepard helps an assault on London, the focal connection point from the planet to the Citadel. Reunited with Anderson, Shepard eventually begins the final push to the Citadel but is attacked by Harbinger. While charging toward the conduit that sends humans to the Citadel, Shepard's squadmates are injured and evacuated. Shepard continues the charge but is wounded. He barely makes it and meets up with Anderson and together they encounter an indoctrinated Illusive Man. They stop him, but Anderson is mortally wounded in the process. Shepard is then transported to the pinnacle of the Citadel where a childlike AI appears. The AI declares itself as the Catalyst and the Reapers' creator. It reveals that the Reaper cycle is an attempt to prevent organic life from wiping itself out by creating synthetic life; creators, the Catalyst argues, are always doomed to be destroyed by the created. The Catalyst characterizes the harvest as an ascendance, wherein advanced organic races are preserved in Reaper form and space is left for more primitive species to rise, evolve, and advance.
The Catalyst says that it has lost faith in the Reapers' ability to achieve their purpose and gives Shepard three options of defeating them: control the Reapers, destroy the Reapers and all synthetic life, or synthesize all organic and synthetic life together. Each choice results in Shepard's apparent death and the destruction of the entire mass relay network. London suffers varying degrees of damage and the Normandy crash lands on an alien planet. If the player's Effective Military Strength is high enough and Shepard chooses to destroy the Reapers, the game ends with a cutscene of Shepard taking a deep breath in a pile of rubble, hinting at survival. In a post-credits cutscene, an old man known as the "Stargazer" tells Shepard's story to a young boy, implying that Shepard's legend lives on.
Extended Cut
The Extended Cut reveals that the mass relays are only heavily damaged by the Crucible's firing instead of being destroyed as per the original ending, but most aspects of the plot remain the same. Additional scenes and dialogue have been added to clarify events and resolve perceived plot holes.
The three original ending choices have been modified to include a varying narration provided by Hackett (Destroy), Shepard (Control), or EDI (Synthesis) along with slides showing the impact the player's choices have had upon the galaxy, as well as the fate of surviving characters. If the player has a sufficiently high EMS score, the surviving crew of the Normandy is shown holding a memorial service for Shepard before repairing the damage from the crash and launching into space.
The Extended Cut also provides a fourth ending, triggered by either refusing the Catalyst's choices, or attempting to kill it when the player resumes control of Shepard. Consequently, the Crucible is not fired and the war ends with the systematic destruction of all space-faring civilizations, and the continuation of the Reaper cycle. The scene then shifts to an unknown garden world in the future where one of Liara's beacons has been discovered. Dialogue in the post-credits scene reveals that the knowledge gained from the beacon ultimately led to the next cycle's victory over the Reapers.
Mass Effect: Galaxy
Characters
Jacob Taylor: Main Character
Miranda Lawson: Ally
Derek Izunami: Ally
Nax: Ally
Batha: Ally
Jath'Amon: Adversary
Clint "Black Eye" Darragh: Adversary
Illo Nazario: Adversary
Plot
The story starts off with Jacob Taylor on vacation aboard a cruise ship. It is suddenly boarded by pirates and Jacob, utilizing his experience as a former Alliance soldier, fights the pirates off. The pirates turn out to be batarians. He is sent to the Citadel where he talks to his former commanding officer, Major Derek Izunami who assigns him to investigate the agenda of the batarians in the Terminus Systems and beyond.
There is a big commotion at the Citadel because a batarian ambassador, Jath'Amon is visiting the Council soon to negotiate peace. Many people are worried by this, as terrorists are threatening to ruin the peace talks. Jacob has to meet a woman named Miranda Lawson in the Nemean Abyss to get his information but he is forced to deal with human pirates who have taken over Cartagena Station. The boss of these pirates is called "Black Eye" Clint Darragh and you can choose to let him surrender or you can kill him. Miranda is impressed and tells you what she knows. There are three leads.
One is a turian arms smuggler named Illo Nazario who is hiding on Tortuga. He's been working with the batarians for several years and may know something. The second lead is information regarding the planet Bekke, where the batarians are building an army. This information is considered suspicious, as batarians form small terrorist cells as their preferred method of attack. The third lead is reports of human doctors and scientists being kidnapped by the batarians and being taken to the Ahn'Kedar Orbital Platform. It is implied they are being forced to work on a biological weapon. You can tackle these three missions in any order.
On Bekke, Jacob must discover what this army is protecting. Miranda's scans reveal some kind of hazardous material which gets more potent the further Jacob progresses through the base. It is eventually revealed to be a large cache of Element Zero, which enhances Jacob's Biotic abilities but could kill him unless he leaves quickly. He is extracted and the eezo is stored safely.
On the Ahn'Kedar Orbital Platform, Jacob discovers it has been taken over by batarians who are forcing the kidnapped scientist to work on something. He runs into Nax, a krogan who is searching for a missing asari scientist called Batha. The two decide to team up; Nax rescues Batha while Jacob saves the others. Nax distracts the batarians, allowing Jacob to sneak into the lab and confront the leader. The scientists claim that the batarians are dying of a blood plague and that they are working on a cure for them, but Jacob knows that this is a ruse. The batarians have engineered the disease themselves and are planning on unleashing it on the Citadel council, with the cure Batha has made as their defense. Miranda allows Batha to complete the cure on the ship but they must hurry to Tortuga to find Illo.
Upon arrival, Jacob meets an informant of Miranda's; a salarian named Ish. Ish tells Jacob that Illo hasn't made any deals in a while and may be up to something. He gives Jacob the passcode to Illo's base and warns him of the thugs he has as bodyguards. Jacob infiltrates the base and confronts Illo. Meeting him reveals that he is dying of a biological weapon the batarians have tested on him and he won't tell Jacob anything until he gets the cure which Batha has made. They take him to the ship and cure him and he tells Jacob everything he knows. He reveals that the batarians have no qualms about unleashing the virus in the council meeting because not only do they have the vaccine, but the Ambassador Jath'Amon is the terrorist leader and he plans on infecting the council members himself.
Jacob and Miranda rush to the Citadel where they foil the plan and save the council as well as hundreds of lives. Jath'Amon swears vengeance against Jacob and the human race and is escorted out by C-Sec. Jacob goes on another vacation and is surprised when Miranda joins him, a bottle of champagne in hand and a smirk on her face.
Mass Effect: Infiltrator
Characters
Randall Ezno: Main Character
Director: Adversary
Plot
Players take on the role of Randall Ezno, a Cerberus operative who begins to learn that the organization is not as benevolent as it appears to be.
After returning from a mission on an ice planet, Randall returns to the Barn, a Cerberus base of operations on a nearby moon. On his way to visit his advisor, Inali Renata, something goes wrong and turian soldiers begin attacking the facility. During the attack, Randall tries to contact Inali, but she's cut off by someone. Randall hurries to Inali's location to ensure she is safe. After fighting past the turian invaders, Randall is shocked to find Inali strapped to a table, being experimented on by mechanical arms. The Director comes on the intercom trying to justify his horrible experiments. Randall vows revenge and goes in search of the director, now having to fight past the facilities Cerberus defenses.
While trying to escape, Randall is contacted by a mysterious voice via his earpiece. The voice claims to be a volus working with the Alliance. He tells Randall that if he can escape the facility and contact the Alliance, both he and Inali can be saved. Randall slowly makes his way toward the communications tower, fighting Cerberus troops, escaped test subjects, mechs, and X1, a massive, mutant krogan. Finally, he reaches the comm tower, signals the Alliance and heads to a nearby desert planet on a shuttle to await pickup.
After Randall arrives, Inali shows up, augmented beyond recognition, and starts to shoot Randall. After lowering her barrier and armor bars, the Director takes complete control of Inali for the remainder of the fight. In the end Randall either spares or kills Inali depending on the player's previous morality choices. He then vows to kill the director for what he has done and leaves the planet.
Mass Effect: Revelation
Characters
David Anderson: Main Character
Jill Dah: Ally
Kahlee Sanders: Ally
Jella: Ally
Jon Grissom: Ally
Saren Arterius: Adversary
Edan Had'dah: Adversary
Skarr: Adversary
Dr. Shu Qian: Adversary
Plot
The book serves to fill in much of the background details of the game, such as locations and the internal politics of the Council's races, as well as characters. A considerable amount of the plot revolves around the galaxy's views on Artificial intelligence, as this appears to be a major plot point in the game.
The book tells of a young Alliance lieutenant David Anderson and his efforts to find a survivor of an attack on a top-secret Alliance base, lieutenant Kahlee Sanders. As the book progresses it is revealed the base was attacked purposely by the Blue Suns mercenary group, who were hired by the leading scientist on the base. A turian spectre, Saren is assigned to help Anderson and find clues as to where the missing scientist is. Eventually they find the scientist, but Saren escapes with the information the scientist was researching to an ancient alien ship which he plans to use for his own evil deeds as portrayed as the main plot in the game Mass Effect.
Mass Effect: Ascension
Characters
Kahlee Sanders: Main Character
Gillian Grayson: Ally
Hendel Mitra: Ally
Dr. Jiro Toshiwa: Ally
Lemm'Shal nar Tesleya: Ally
Ysin'Mal vas Idenna: Ally
Paul Grayson: Adversary
Pel: Adversary
The Illusive Man: Adversary
Golo: Adversary
Plot
The novel takes place shortly after the attack of the Reaper Sovereign and his allies Saren and the Geth. The Illusive Man, the leader of the rogue, xenophobic organization called Cerberus, watches on as he plots Cerberus' next move. One of his long-serving subordinates, Paul Grayson, is a troubled drug addict who was assigned with raising an infant girl with huge biotic potential, Gillian. The autistic girl is now a member of the Ascension Project, initiative aimed at developing biotic abilities in humans. Grayson, despite having much affection for his adopted daughter, is now reduced to a link man between Cerberus and their man inside Ascension Project, Dr. Jiro. Their mission is to administer Cerberus' biotic-enhancing drugs to Gillian and evaluate their efficacy.
Meanwhile, another Cerberus operative Pel is on a mission in distant system Omega, nominal capital of the rogue Terminus Systems, to acquire the current position and access codes to the Quarian Migrant Fleet and contacts a banished Quarian named Golo. As it turns out, Golo can't provide necessary data but assures Pel he knows how to obtain it. He lures a Quarian scout team into an ambush, and Pel manages to take a prisoner. However, during the ambush, the Quarian is infected with a virus and becomes delirious, making it impossible to interrogate him.
Back at Ascension Project, Gillian, who had been administered a new drug by Jiro, has a biotic outburst after being mocked by another student. She is kept in hospital for observation, which makes it difficult for Jiro to apply another dose of the new drug, as instructed by Cerberus. In a desperate move he takes her for a walk to station's Atrium where he injects the medication, which unexpectedly induces a seizure. Meanwhile, Kahlee Sanders of Ascension Project staff and security chief Hendel Mitra, who is also a biotic, have put the pieces together and deduced Jiro was more than he let them know. After running intuitively to the Atrium, Hendel is overpowered by Jiro's stunner, who in turn is subdued by Kahlee.
Grayson is informed by Ascension Project staff that his daughter has survived an assassination attempt from a Cerberus agent. Grayson is ordered to withdraw Gillian from the Ascension Project before Jiro reveals the entire plot. When Kahlee suggests she and Hendel will accompany him, he agrees expecting that Pel, his former partner, will easily get rid of them. However, Pel takes everybody prisoner, including Grayson, explaining that he decided to abandon Cerberus in favor of the promise of wealth. The Collectors, a mysterious alien race that lives outside of known space, have put up a bounty for human biotics and Pel plans to sell Gillian and Hendel to them.
Lemm, a Quarian on his pilgrimage, finds out that a scout ship has disappeared and intends to find it and use the information to end his Pilgrimage. At first he suspects the infamous Golo, but the banished Quarian diverts Lemm's attention to Pel. He provides Lemm with blueprints of Pel's hideout and teaches him basic assault rules, but at the same time he informs Pel when the attack is due to take place. Lemm takes Pel by surprise by attacking a day early, rescuing Hendel, Gillian and Kahlee. Kahlee is very surprised as the Quarian recognizes her. After escaping Pel's warehouse, stealing Grayson's shuttle, and setting course to the Migrant Fleet, Lemm explains to Kahlee that she is regarded as an AI expert due to her collaboration with Dr. Shu Qian - who found Sovereign and led Saren to it - and he would like her to be his pilgrimage gift.
Grayson, who was left behind, manages to escape and kill Pel on the warehouse roof amid his mob's firefight with runaway party. He later finds the captured Quarian who had gone mad and now only mumbles the access codes to the Migrant Fleet. Grayson informs The Illusive Man of Pel's betrayal and he deduces that Kahlee and the others are heading for the Migrant Fleet. The Illusive Man wants to leave Grayson out of mission to reclaim Gillian due to his emotional involvement, but Grayson threatens not to give away the access codes unless he is included.
After reaching the Migrant Fleet, Kahlee gives her opinion on Sovereign's attack on the Citadel and its influence on the Geth. It seems insignificant to her but it's apparently an important factor in deciding whether the Quarians will launch risky exploratory missions. The Admiralty hypothesizes that they may be able to use Reapers to influence the Geth and reclaim their homeworld. Meanwhile, Gillian spends much time with Hendel, Kahlee, and Lemm and in increasingly familiar surroundings of Grayson's shuttle she becomes more open and happy.
Grayson, with two squads of Cerberus commandos and Golo, attacks the Quarian ship. Cerberus soldiers have the upper hand in the firefight but they retreat after Gillian, told by Kahlee to hide on ship's upper levels, runs back to the shuttle looking for some comfort. Grayson, ordered by Golo to stay in the shuttle because of his emotional involvement, is welcomed by Gillian - who always reacted allergically to touch - with a hug. Grayson informs her they are leaving but after she refuses saying she won't leave without her friends, he is forced to use a stunner and puts her to bed. Kahlee, who hadn't found Gillian in upper levels, guesses she went to the shuttle. She confronts Grayson but is knocked down by the returning Golo. Kahlee, continually kicked by Golo, describes how much better Gillian has been feeling after escaping Cerberus' care. Grayson has a change of heart after recalling Gillian hugging him and calling Kahlee, Hendel and Lemm her friends. He talks Golo into starting the engines and kills him.
The attack on the Quarian ship turns out a decisive factor in sending a mission to find habitable worlds or Sovereign-like ships to drive the Geth from the Quarian homeworld. As he is being transported to Alliance territory, Grayson manages to overpower Kahlee and Lemm and escapes. Believing that Grayson won't trouble them anymore, Kahlee and Lemm decide not to pursue him. Kahlee returns to the Ascension Project, while Gillian, Hendel and Lemm board a Quarian exploration ship. Grayson contacts The Illusive Man, concedes he will sooner or later be caught and killed by Cerberus but he trades his silence about Cerberus' other projects for Kahlee's safety. The Illusive Man reluctantly agrees and is left seething at his defeat.
Mass Effect: Retribution
Characters
David Anderson: Main Character
Kahlee Sanders: Ally
Paul Grayson: Ally
Orinia: Ally
Liselle: Ally
Aria T'Loak: Ally
Sanak: Ally
The Illusive Man: Adversary
Kai Leng: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect: Retribution follows soon after the events of Mass Effect 2 . The Illusive Man, leader of the pro-human paramilitary organization Cerberus, is attempting to learn more about the Reapers, an advanced race of sentient machines that periodically purges the galaxy of all technologically advanced organic civilizations. Having obtained Reaper technology, the Illusive Man decides to implant a human with it to learn more about the Reapers. Paul Grayson, a major character in Mass Effect: Ascension and former Cerberus operative, is kidnapped to become the Illusive Man's test subject. Also, as said on the back cover of the book under the synopsis, David Anderson (one of the protagonists of Mass Effect Revelation and a supporting character in the first Mass Effect game) is again a main character, along with Kahlee Sanders from the 1st and 2nd books.
Mass Effect: Deception
Characters
David Anderson: Main Character
Kahlee Sanders: Ally
Gillian Grayson: Ally
Nick Donahue: Ally
Hendel Mitra: Ally
Aria T'Loak: Ally
The Illusive Man: Adversary
Kai Leng: Adversary
Jana: Adversary
Hal McCann: Adversary
Plot
Cerberus assassin Kai Leng journeys to the ancient city of Thondu on the batarian homeworld of Khar'shan to retrieve an item in an auction of rare goods and artifacts. The item in question is the design for a DNA-specific bio-weapon tailored to target the Illusive Man, the leader of Cerberus, and which could potentially affect thousands of people distantly related to him. Leng snatches the design and makes his escape.
On the Citadel, David Anderson, Kahlee Sanders, and Nick Donahue prepare to speak to the Citadel Council about Paul Grayson's attack on the Grissom Academy. At the Citadel Tower, Anderson and Sanders inform the Council of the Reapers' involvement, but the Councilors are unconvinced and prefer to argue that Grayson was acting on behalf of Cerberus, even after they are shown Grayson's Reaper-mutated corpse. Anderson and Sanders are told to continue their investigation. After the presentation, they find that Nick has disappeared. They go to The Cube, a gym for biotics, to see if he had gone there early, but no luck. A volus attendant at The Cube directs them to Ocosta Lem and Arrius Sallus, a salarian and a turian that Nick had been seen with on earlier visits. Lem and Sallus's address turns out to be fake, and Anderson and Sanders come to conclusion that Nick is missing.
Kai Leng meets with the Illusive Man on an abandoned mining world in the Crescent Nebula. The Illusive Man orders Leng to steal Paul Grayson's body and begin observing Anderson and Sanders; their recent activities on the Citadel have drawn unwelcome attention to Cerberus.
Elsewhere in the galaxy, the batarian slave ship Glory of Khar'shan attacks the quarian ship Idenna, carrying Gillian Grayson and Hendel Mitra, who are part of the ship's security team. When the batarians disable the Idenna's drives and board it, Gillian and Mitra help defend the ship. With Gillian's help, the quarians gain the upper hand and charge onto the Glory of Khar'shan. One of the ship's freed slaves is Hal McCann, a former Cerberus operative who worked on the space station where Paul Grayson had been experimented on with Reaper technology. McCann keeps this fact to himself, but does tell Gillian that her father had been killed and persuades her that information on who killed her father could be found on the Citadel. Deciding to track down her father's killer, Gillian commandeers the Glory of Khar'shan and brings Mitra and McCann with her.
Anderson and Sanders find a message from Nick at their apartment. Nick explains that he left to join a group known as the Biotic Underground that advocates biotic supremacy over all of the galaxy's races. Anderson uses contacts in C-Sec to dig up info on where Nick had gone. Videos show Nick leaving with Ocosta Lem and Arrius Sallus, members of the Biotic Underground.
Mass Effect: Incursion
Characters
Aria T'Loak: Main Character
Plot
Mass Effect: Incursion opens one week before the Collectors destroy the SSV Normandy, as seen in the beginning of Mass Effect 2. Aria T'Loak and two batarian bodyguards are investigating a disturbance on Omega. One of the bodyguards says that the problem is related to the Blue Suns or slavers and that they can handle it alone. Aria, sensing something worse, insists on coming herself.
The three interrupt a meeting between Blue Suns mercenaries and a group of Collectors accompanied by a Praetorian. After seeing that the Blue Suns are selling several humans to the Collectors, Aria orders her bodyguards to make sure no one leaves the area alive and joins the fight herself. At the end of the battle, all of the Collectors and humans are dead while Aria loses only one of her men. Some Blue Suns also survive, but Aria orders them to be interrogated and executed. Later at Afterlife, Aria is given a datapad with all of the information her agents could find about the Blue Suns' deal with the Collectors. The data consists of human population totals for Horizon, Omega, Freedom's Progress, the Citadel, Eden Prime, Terra Nova, and Earth. Aria notes that the Collectors wanted more than just a few slaves and that humanity has made a dangerous enemy.
Mass Effect: Redemption
Characters
Liara T'Soni: Main Character
Feron: Ally
Miranda Lawson: Ally
The Illusive Man: Ally
Aria T'Loak: Ally
The Collector General: Adversary
The Shadow Broker: Adversary
Tazzik: Adversary
Plot
The events of Mass Effect: Redemption tie-in to downloadable content that was produced for Mass Effect 2 titled "Lair of the Shadow Broker". According to Mac Walters, the comic mini-series will be "expanding on characters that we didn't really explore in [the first] Mass Effect and also looking at opportunities to expand on them even further in the DLC."
The narrative in Redemption begins with Commander Shepard mysteriously disappearing in the Terminus Systems, out of contact with the SSV Normandy and its crew. Both the Shadow Broker (working for the Collectors) and Liara T'Soni (helping Cerberus) are to find and retrieve the dead body of Commander Shepard. Just as Tazzik, an agent of the Shadow Broker wants to turn over the corpse to the Collectors, Liara manages to capture it, with the help of the drell Feron, who is captured in the process, and turn it over to Cerberus, hoping that they may be able to revive Shepard.
Issue #1: They've taken the galaxy's greatest hero. Only she can stop them.
Two turian brothers and a batarian, heading towards Omega, are discussing their asari passenger, and comment it's been a month since the destruction of the Normandy and the disappearance of Commander Shepard. When their passenger, revealed to be Liara, asks if they're close to the station, they refuse to let her leave and suggestively demand additional "...docking fees". Disgusted, she refuses and uses her biotics to incapacitate them. Liara then docks the ship herself, telling the landing staff that her visit is both business and personal, and that she has "someone to meet".
Later, in the Afterlife Club on Omega, Liara is speaking with an elcor patron about Shepard's whereabouts, only to be told they have not seen "...anyone like that here--nor have I been looking". The two are commenting on a news broadcast that reports the Citadel is still under reconstruction when they are interrupted by a mysterious hooded figure, who is revealed to be a drell. Liara recognizes him as her contact, and asks for information on Shepard. The drell agrees to inform her, but only once they are outside.
The drell, named Feron, tells Liara that Shepard's body had been recovered in a stasis pod, and is "neither dead nor alive". Liara refuses to believe Feron until she sees Shepard for herself. Before they leave, Blue Suns Mercenaries attack them, and the krogan leader of the group tells them that the Shadow Broker wants to know why Liara is looking for a dead person. An unknown sniper then kills all of the mercenaries while Liara and Feron escape.
While escaping, they run into Miranda and two Cerberus operatives, who tells them they have the same goal (looking for Shepard) and want to work with Liara. Feron tells Liara about Cerberus's human-centric agenda and only care that Shepard is human, but Liara insists that as long as they share the common goal of saving Shepard, it should be all right.
Miranda brings Liara to the Illusive Man, who tells Liara that the Collectors want the corpse, and have hired the Shadow Broker to give it to them. The Illusive Man wants Liara to find out why the Collectors want Shepard's body, and to get it before they do. Liara wonders why he chose her, and the Illusive Man tells her that "nothing beats someone with a personal motive driving them". Liara does not trust Cerberus or the Illusive Man, but tells him that Shepard can count on her.
The last page shows the Collector General conversing with the Shadow Broker, upset at the Shadow Broker's delay in shipment of Shepard's body. The Shadow Broker reminds the Collector that he is the only one who can get Shepard's body, and that he always gets results. The Collector's eyes then go gray. Based on Mass Effect 2, this would imply that the Shadow Broker was directly speaking with Harbinger.
Later, in the Afterlife Club on Omega, Liara is speaking with an elcor patron about Shepard's whereabouts, only to be told they have not seen "...anyone like that here--nor have I been looking". The two are commenting on a news broadcast that reports the Citadel is still under reconstruction when they are interrupted by a mysterious hooded figure, who is revealed to be a drell. Liara recognizes him as her contact, and asks for information on Shepard. The drell agrees to inform her, but only once they are outside.
The drell, named Feron, tells Liara that Shepard's body had been recovered in a stasis pod, and is "neither dead nor alive". Liara refuses to believe Feron until she sees Shepard for herself. Before they leave, Blue Suns Mercenaries attack them, and the krogan leader of the group tells them that the Shadow Broker wants to know why Liara is looking for a dead person. An unknown sniper then kills all of the mercenaries while Liara and Feron escape.
While escaping, they run into Miranda and two Cerberus operatives, who tells them they have the same goal (looking for Shepard) and want to work with Liara. Feron tells Liara about Cerberus's human-centric agenda and only care that Shepard is human, but Liara insists that as long as they share the common goal of saving Shepard, it should be all right.
Miranda brings Liara to the Illusive Man, who tells Liara that the Collectors want the corpse, and have hired the Shadow Broker to give it to them. The Illusive Man wants Liara to find out why the Collectors want Shepard's body, and to get it before they do. Liara wonders why he chose her, and the Illusive Man tells her that "nothing beats someone with a personal motive driving them". Liara does not trust Cerberus or the Illusive Man, but tells him that Shepard can count on her.
The last page shows the Collector General conversing with the Shadow Broker, upset at the Shadow Broker's delay in shipment of Shepard's body. The Shadow Broker reminds the Collector that he is the only one who can get Shepard's body, and that he always gets results. The Collector's eyes then go gray. Based on Mass Effect 2, this would imply that the Shadow Broker was directly speaking with Harbinger.
Issue #2: The Shadow Broker has one enforcer. The only one he needs.
This issue begins with Miranda interrupting Liara's flashback of the destruction of the Normandy, and tells Liara that a mercenary group called the Blue Suns had been the ones who attacked her and Feron earlier. Miranda assumes that the body must still be on Omega since Cerberus would have found out if someone had left with it. The agent then suggests that Liara needs Feron's help to find Shepard and leaves the pair in an unknown area on Omega. Liara immediately hits Feron with a biotic attack saying that she knows he has been working for the Shadow Broker and accuses him of selling her out to the Blue Suns. Feron replies that he has worked for the Shadow Broker in the past, taking odd jobs from him, and admits to having been told to lead any friends of Shepard astray (of course no one had told him about the merc group).
The drell suggests finding the dead body on her own, but Liara protests stating that since she had paid him, and that even though they were doing a job for Cerberus, helping her also gives him a chance to redeem himself (and redeem herself as well for being so helpless to save Shepard in the first place).
The pair then return to the Afterlife club to meet the illustrious Queen of Omega: Aria T'Loak, since no one knows the station better than she. After Liara pelts a rude batarian and volus, Feron blackmails one of Aria's guards to let them see her. Aria is at first reluctant to give the two any information until Liara tells her that the Collectors are the ones interested in finding Shepard; since the Queen did not know this piece of information she tells them that the deal is going down in the lower levels of Omega, in an old mining plant.
Liara and Feron arrive at their destination only to find a large group of Blue Suns Mercenaries along with an unfamiliar ship docking near them. Feron starts to shake up once a salarian named Tazzik exits the mysterious ship to talk with one of the mercs. Taz is apparently the Shadow Broker's one and only hit man who is called in rarely when the Shadow Broker really wants something or someone taken care of (he is the man to go to for results and usually he gets them, as stated by Feron). The salarian and a krogan merc stand in front of what appears to be a case holding Shepard's corpse.
Liara flares up her biotics upon realizing that Shepard is so close by, but the drell states that it is too risky. Mistaking his attitude for cowardice she tells him that she will not run now that she has come so close to finding the Commander. Liara is afraid that Feron will switch sides and vows not to let him out of her sight in case he is given a better offer. Feron brushes her off and suggests that they use one of the old defense guns to gun down Taz's ship so that they may not escape; Liara agrees.
Unfortunately Feron misses his target, hitting some cargo behind the ship instead. The mercs shoot in their direction while Liara moves forward to take out a few men, heading towards Tazzik himself. Taz then fired a grenade at Liara but Feron pushes her out of the way at the last moment. Liara angrily shoves the drell off of her only to watch helplessly as Taz's ship leaves Omega, presumably with Shepard's body inside.
The drell suggests finding the dead body on her own, but Liara protests stating that since she had paid him, and that even though they were doing a job for Cerberus, helping her also gives him a chance to redeem himself (and redeem herself as well for being so helpless to save Shepard in the first place).
The pair then return to the Afterlife club to meet the illustrious Queen of Omega: Aria T'Loak, since no one knows the station better than she. After Liara pelts a rude batarian and volus, Feron blackmails one of Aria's guards to let them see her. Aria is at first reluctant to give the two any information until Liara tells her that the Collectors are the ones interested in finding Shepard; since the Queen did not know this piece of information she tells them that the deal is going down in the lower levels of Omega, in an old mining plant.
Liara and Feron arrive at their destination only to find a large group of Blue Suns Mercenaries along with an unfamiliar ship docking near them. Feron starts to shake up once a salarian named Tazzik exits the mysterious ship to talk with one of the mercs. Taz is apparently the Shadow Broker's one and only hit man who is called in rarely when the Shadow Broker really wants something or someone taken care of (he is the man to go to for results and usually he gets them, as stated by Feron). The salarian and a krogan merc stand in front of what appears to be a case holding Shepard's corpse.
Liara flares up her biotics upon realizing that Shepard is so close by, but the drell states that it is too risky. Mistaking his attitude for cowardice she tells him that she will not run now that she has come so close to finding the Commander. Liara is afraid that Feron will switch sides and vows not to let him out of her sight in case he is given a better offer. Feron brushes her off and suggests that they use one of the old defense guns to gun down Taz's ship so that they may not escape; Liara agrees.
Unfortunately Feron misses his target, hitting some cargo behind the ship instead. The mercs shoot in their direction while Liara moves forward to take out a few men, heading towards Tazzik himself. Taz then fired a grenade at Liara but Feron pushes her out of the way at the last moment. Liara angrily shoves the drell off of her only to watch helplessly as Taz's ship leaves Omega, presumably with Shepard's body inside.
Issue#3: He trades in secrets... and keeps his own.
Liara angrily approaches Feron with biotics ready, accusing him of still working for the Shadow Broker and purposely allowing Tazzik to escape with Shepard. The drell states that in the eyes of the Shadow Broker, he never stopped working for him so they could use that to their advantage to find the corpse. Feron does not want the body to go to the Collectors and offers to use his ship to tail Tazzik; Liara agrees. The scene shifts to Miranda, on her own ship, witnessing Tazzik leave with Shepard. The Illusive Man cautions patience, deeming it equally important that they discover the reason why the Collectors want the body as much as retrieving it, informing her he has other assets, unknown to her, involved.
Feron, who has taken Liara on his notably small ship (which Liara presses as having no second chair and teasing him about not being paid enough), pilots towards the Mass Relay that Tazzik took stating that there is only one planet in that sector which the Shadow Broker uses for transport: that world being Alingon. After going through the relay, the pair is attacked by three sentry ships sent by the Shadow Broker. Feron knows his way around this system and leads the three ships to their demise by navigating through some mined-out asteroids in the system.
Liara and Feron land on the planet as the asari contemplates why she cannot get a communications signal at all. Apparently the Shadow Broker is the only one with the technology to bypass the electromagnetic shroud emitted naturally by the planet, but his facility is the only one that can do this so all agents have to report in person. If any agents wish to make a call themselves then there is another layer of protection, so that nothing can be traced (hence why the two were attacked since their arrival was not warranted).
Two turian guards stand outside the building as Feron approaches with Liara as his 'captive.' The drell, who apparently knows the turians very well, manages to charm them with his words to let him inside despite not having been on the Shadow Broker's list. Feron mentions that this facility is only used for 'special business' and manages to find a volus leading a Collector to the body. Liara wishes to immediately attack the Collector, but the drell holds her back saying that he used to think the Shadow Broker was a neutral man but by siding with the Collectors he distrusts him and wishes to know why they would want Shepard's body. The pair enter a room where Feron states is the 'source' of information in the building; suddenly they run into a shrouded image of the Shadow Broker himself.
Liara desperately tries to reason with the man about why he would help the Collectors (which could inadvertently help the Reapers), the broker merely states that it was a good business deal and the offer too good to pass up. Feron tells Liara to stall him as he hacks the systems for all information on the Collectors and Shepard. Liara agrees and tries to warn the man (with flared biotics) that the risk of giving Shepard's body could be immense if used to help the Reapers (of course the Shadow Broker replies, in that, what use could they have with a corpse). The asari gets close to the Shadow Broker only to find that it is another proxy, a sophisticated machine, that he is communicating through.
Once Feron says he has the information needed, Liara destroys the entire room. Luckily not all hope is lost, as Feron found out that they've just arrived with Shepard's body at the North Portal. Liara excitedly wishes to go right then and there; Feron agrees but stops her, saying that it was about time he said whom he was really working for.
Feron, who has taken Liara on his notably small ship (which Liara presses as having no second chair and teasing him about not being paid enough), pilots towards the Mass Relay that Tazzik took stating that there is only one planet in that sector which the Shadow Broker uses for transport: that world being Alingon. After going through the relay, the pair is attacked by three sentry ships sent by the Shadow Broker. Feron knows his way around this system and leads the three ships to their demise by navigating through some mined-out asteroids in the system.
Liara and Feron land on the planet as the asari contemplates why she cannot get a communications signal at all. Apparently the Shadow Broker is the only one with the technology to bypass the electromagnetic shroud emitted naturally by the planet, but his facility is the only one that can do this so all agents have to report in person. If any agents wish to make a call themselves then there is another layer of protection, so that nothing can be traced (hence why the two were attacked since their arrival was not warranted).
Two turian guards stand outside the building as Feron approaches with Liara as his 'captive.' The drell, who apparently knows the turians very well, manages to charm them with his words to let him inside despite not having been on the Shadow Broker's list. Feron mentions that this facility is only used for 'special business' and manages to find a volus leading a Collector to the body. Liara wishes to immediately attack the Collector, but the drell holds her back saying that he used to think the Shadow Broker was a neutral man but by siding with the Collectors he distrusts him and wishes to know why they would want Shepard's body. The pair enter a room where Feron states is the 'source' of information in the building; suddenly they run into a shrouded image of the Shadow Broker himself.
Liara desperately tries to reason with the man about why he would help the Collectors (which could inadvertently help the Reapers), the broker merely states that it was a good business deal and the offer too good to pass up. Feron tells Liara to stall him as he hacks the systems for all information on the Collectors and Shepard. Liara agrees and tries to warn the man (with flared biotics) that the risk of giving Shepard's body could be immense if used to help the Reapers (of course the Shadow Broker replies, in that, what use could they have with a corpse). The asari gets close to the Shadow Broker only to find that it is another proxy, a sophisticated machine, that he is communicating through.
Once Feron says he has the information needed, Liara destroys the entire room. Luckily not all hope is lost, as Feron found out that they've just arrived with Shepard's body at the North Portal. Liara excitedly wishes to go right then and there; Feron agrees but stops her, saying that it was about time he said whom he was really working for.
Issue#4: To find a hero... another must be lost.
The Shadow Broker's hired men become suspicious when the broker's command channel gives off nothing but static. Armed and ready, the mercs run into Liara who manages to defeat all of them herself. Feron remarks playfully about her actions while she accuses him of being a triple agent. The drell explains that he was working for Cerberus but, in the beginning, he had been doing small jobs for the Shadow Broker as he needed the money (and the broker pays his people well). When Cerberus learned of his involvement with the Shadow Broker they attempted to recruit him a few times in order to betray his boss. Feron appears insulted when mentioning that Miranda believed the drell to be someone who works for the highest bidder. This is simply not true as Feron states he never once screwed over a client nor did he care what his or her ulterior motives were until he became aware of the Collectors' involvement.
The idea of the Shadow Broker doing business with those creatures along with the fact that they wanted Shepard's body disgusted him and Feron knew he had to put a stop to it. Managing to get around Miranda, Feron and the Illusive Man came up with a plan to grab the body, but the broker worried about where his loyalties lied. Due to this paranoia Feron was cut off from the broker's business and he needed to find a way back in; Liara was his ticket inside. The drell volunteered to distract Liara for the broker while the deal was going down. Originally his plan was to lead her away to find the commander himself but the Illusive Man thought they would work better as a team. Feron wasn't supposed to tell Liara about his involvement with Cerberus as not even Miranda knew of this alliance. Admitting to purposely letting Tazzik get away so they could go to Alingon, Feron just wanted to confirm the Shadow Broker's deal was with the Collectors and he wanted a chance to download whatever he could about the broker's dealings.
Feron hands Liara the data he collected from the base, stating that his days as an information trader were probably over and that she should get the information to Cerberus no matter what happens. Liara shows compassion towards him, despite admitting she was wary of his loyalties as well, but since he's helped get her this far she persuades him to see this all the way through.
The scene shifts to a Harbinger possessed Collector speaking with a volus and Tazzik. Tazzik assures the client that despite how mangled the body is, it was still Shepard inside. Feron and Liara arrive at the scene but the drell immediately comes up with a plan and tells her to stay put as he walks towards the group unarmed. Feron strides towards them with confidence (even referring to Tazzik in a familiar fashion) commenting that the Shadow Broker was not completely happy with the deal and that instead of getting half the money now he wants all of it. The Collector states that there is nothing wrong with the plan but Feron continues the charade until Tazzik realizes he cannot contact the broker and orders the corpse to be put back in his ship. Momentarily, the scene shifts to Harbinger himself speaking with the Shadow Broker who assures him that Feron is lying, frustrated that he cannot contact Tazzik with the truth. Harbinger says to the broker "You pretend to be everywhere at once--I already am."
The Collector on Alingon reveals that Feron is lying and immediately Liara attacks the group. Feron tries to keep Tazzik away from her as she attempts to kill the Collector. Liara manages to get away from the creature but Feron cannot escape Tazzik's grasp. The drell tells her to leave with Shepard's body, that was put back on the ship earlier, and grudgingly she does so.
Liara joins Miranda on a Cerberus facility as the human attempts to congratulate her efforts saying that Shepard had made some good friends. Miranda tells the asari that they may not be able to restore the corpse after all as the body was in far worse condition than expected. Due to this, Liara finds the idea of resurrecting the commander wrong and believes Shepard should be left alone, before appearing to reconsider her words as she can't let the Commander go, but Miranda assures her that their actions are not something the Collectors would have done (mostly because no one knew why the aliens wanted the body). Despite Liara's reservations about the Lazarus Project, she leaves Shepard's body with Cerberus anyway in order to allow them to restore the corpse, as she can't let Shepard go. The Cerberus agent hopes that the information Liara brought back could suggest why Shepard's body was in demand. Liara inquires about Feron's well-being while Miranda states that she may go find him if she wants, Feron knew the risks going into the mission. Miranda proceeds to tell her to do something that she wants to do and Liara agrees. Now Liara has to help another friend and simultaneously made a new enemy.
The idea of the Shadow Broker doing business with those creatures along with the fact that they wanted Shepard's body disgusted him and Feron knew he had to put a stop to it. Managing to get around Miranda, Feron and the Illusive Man came up with a plan to grab the body, but the broker worried about where his loyalties lied. Due to this paranoia Feron was cut off from the broker's business and he needed to find a way back in; Liara was his ticket inside. The drell volunteered to distract Liara for the broker while the deal was going down. Originally his plan was to lead her away to find the commander himself but the Illusive Man thought they would work better as a team. Feron wasn't supposed to tell Liara about his involvement with Cerberus as not even Miranda knew of this alliance. Admitting to purposely letting Tazzik get away so they could go to Alingon, Feron just wanted to confirm the Shadow Broker's deal was with the Collectors and he wanted a chance to download whatever he could about the broker's dealings.
Feron hands Liara the data he collected from the base, stating that his days as an information trader were probably over and that she should get the information to Cerberus no matter what happens. Liara shows compassion towards him, despite admitting she was wary of his loyalties as well, but since he's helped get her this far she persuades him to see this all the way through.
The scene shifts to a Harbinger possessed Collector speaking with a volus and Tazzik. Tazzik assures the client that despite how mangled the body is, it was still Shepard inside. Feron and Liara arrive at the scene but the drell immediately comes up with a plan and tells her to stay put as he walks towards the group unarmed. Feron strides towards them with confidence (even referring to Tazzik in a familiar fashion) commenting that the Shadow Broker was not completely happy with the deal and that instead of getting half the money now he wants all of it. The Collector states that there is nothing wrong with the plan but Feron continues the charade until Tazzik realizes he cannot contact the broker and orders the corpse to be put back in his ship. Momentarily, the scene shifts to Harbinger himself speaking with the Shadow Broker who assures him that Feron is lying, frustrated that he cannot contact Tazzik with the truth. Harbinger says to the broker "You pretend to be everywhere at once--I already am."
The Collector on Alingon reveals that Feron is lying and immediately Liara attacks the group. Feron tries to keep Tazzik away from her as she attempts to kill the Collector. Liara manages to get away from the creature but Feron cannot escape Tazzik's grasp. The drell tells her to leave with Shepard's body, that was put back on the ship earlier, and grudgingly she does so.
Liara joins Miranda on a Cerberus facility as the human attempts to congratulate her efforts saying that Shepard had made some good friends. Miranda tells the asari that they may not be able to restore the corpse after all as the body was in far worse condition than expected. Due to this, Liara finds the idea of resurrecting the commander wrong and believes Shepard should be left alone, before appearing to reconsider her words as she can't let the Commander go, but Miranda assures her that their actions are not something the Collectors would have done (mostly because no one knew why the aliens wanted the body). Despite Liara's reservations about the Lazarus Project, she leaves Shepard's body with Cerberus anyway in order to allow them to restore the corpse, as she can't let Shepard go. The Cerberus agent hopes that the information Liara brought back could suggest why Shepard's body was in demand. Liara inquires about Feron's well-being while Miranda states that she may go find him if she wants, Feron knew the risks going into the mission. Miranda proceeds to tell her to do something that she wants to do and Liara agrees. Now Liara has to help another friend and simultaneously made a new enemy.
Mass Effect: Inquisition
Characters
Captain Bailey: Main Character
Executor Pallin: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect: Inquisition opens on the Citadel in 2186, some time after the events of Mass Effect 2, with Captain Bailey talking to his child, saying that he hopes to return to Earth for the Salmon run. After saying goodbye he receives a message from Councilor Donnel Udina, who asks him to come by his office as soon as possible.
Bailey meets Udina in his office on the Presidium and Udina jumps right to the point. He claims that C-Sec has been compromised by factions who are aiding and abetting enemies of the Council and that Executor Pallin himself is involved. Believing that he can trust Bailey, Udina asks him to investigate Pallin, and tells him that the Executor has been seen coming and going from an office in Bailey's district. Udina asks Bailey to find out what is in that office and to report directly back to Udina when he's done. Despite his misgivings, Bailey takes the information Udina has and leaves. On his way out Udina suggests he take his sidearm.
Upon arriving at the office Bailey finds two dead C-Sec agents, one of which is holding a datapad with a picture of Executor Pallin displayed. Bailey muses that they must have been looking for the same thing as him before Pallin emerges from the shadows, asking Bailey what he's looking for. Bailey tells him about Udina's accusations, but Pallin, gun drawn, just demands the datapad. Bailey hands it over while Pallin warns that Udina cannot be trusted. Bailey notes that Udina said the same thing about him, but it was Pallin's picture he found in the hands of a dead C-Sec agent. Pallin angrily calls the accusations lies, but Bailey says to tell it to the Officers who pick him up. Pallin, enraged, opens fire on Bailey, hitting the shoulder of his armor. Bailey returns fire, hitting Pallin in the chest. Wounded, Pallin claims he did nothing wrong, and that Udina and Bailey won't get away for what they've done. Bailey tells Pallin that it's not up to them but Pallin tells him that he's wrong and dives into him, knocking him to the ground but Bailey manages to fire off a shot, killing the Executor.
Bailey retrieves the datapad and wonders why Pallin didn't kill him when he had the chance, and why his actions were so uncharacteristically sloppy. He returns to Udina's office and tells Udina that something doesn't feel right, that Pallin was as shocked as him about the accusations. Udina says that he was only shocked because he was caught, but Bailey claims that his experience has taught him how to read people and that he'd bet his arm Pallin was innocent. Udina dismisses his concerns as a matter for the investigators and suggests that Bailey get some rest. Bailey says that he'd hoped to visit Earth with his impending time off, but Udina says he may not be able to, with his new responsibilities, and promotes him to Commander. Udina leaves, saying that the Council expects a full report of his findings, while Bailey stands, looking out over the Presidium, sorry that he won't be able to return to Earth and see his child.
Mass Effect: Evolution
Characters
Jack Harper: Main Character
Ben Hislop: Ally
Eva Coré: Ally
General Williams: Ally
Desolas Arterius: Adversary
Abrudas: Adversary
Saren Arterius: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect: Evolution is a four-issue comic mini-series that delves into the origins of the Illusive Man and the human-survivalist organization Cerberus. The story opens during the First Contact War between humans and turians.
The series is published by Dark Horse Comics, is written by BioWare lead writer Mac Walters, scripted by John Jackson Miller, and drawn by Omar Francia, with contributions from cover designer Massimo Carnevale. An alternate cover for each issue was done by Joe Quinones. The series was first announced on July 15, 2010, and the first issue was released on January 19, 2011. On September 21, 2011, Dark Horse released a trade paperback that collects all four issues along with Mass Effect: Incursion and Mass Effect: Inquisition.
Captain Bailey: Main Character
Executor Pallin: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect: Inquisition opens on the Citadel in 2186, some time after the events of Mass Effect 2, with Captain Bailey talking to his child, saying that he hopes to return to Earth for the Salmon run. After saying goodbye he receives a message from Councilor Donnel Udina, who asks him to come by his office as soon as possible.
Bailey meets Udina in his office on the Presidium and Udina jumps right to the point. He claims that C-Sec has been compromised by factions who are aiding and abetting enemies of the Council and that Executor Pallin himself is involved. Believing that he can trust Bailey, Udina asks him to investigate Pallin, and tells him that the Executor has been seen coming and going from an office in Bailey's district. Udina asks Bailey to find out what is in that office and to report directly back to Udina when he's done. Despite his misgivings, Bailey takes the information Udina has and leaves. On his way out Udina suggests he take his sidearm.
Upon arriving at the office Bailey finds two dead C-Sec agents, one of which is holding a datapad with a picture of Executor Pallin displayed. Bailey muses that they must have been looking for the same thing as him before Pallin emerges from the shadows, asking Bailey what he's looking for. Bailey tells him about Udina's accusations, but Pallin, gun drawn, just demands the datapad. Bailey hands it over while Pallin warns that Udina cannot be trusted. Bailey notes that Udina said the same thing about him, but it was Pallin's picture he found in the hands of a dead C-Sec agent. Pallin angrily calls the accusations lies, but Bailey says to tell it to the Officers who pick him up. Pallin, enraged, opens fire on Bailey, hitting the shoulder of his armor. Bailey returns fire, hitting Pallin in the chest. Wounded, Pallin claims he did nothing wrong, and that Udina and Bailey won't get away for what they've done. Bailey tells Pallin that it's not up to them but Pallin tells him that he's wrong and dives into him, knocking him to the ground but Bailey manages to fire off a shot, killing the Executor.
Bailey retrieves the datapad and wonders why Pallin didn't kill him when he had the chance, and why his actions were so uncharacteristically sloppy. He returns to Udina's office and tells Udina that something doesn't feel right, that Pallin was as shocked as him about the accusations. Udina says that he was only shocked because he was caught, but Bailey claims that his experience has taught him how to read people and that he'd bet his arm Pallin was innocent. Udina dismisses his concerns as a matter for the investigators and suggests that Bailey get some rest. Bailey says that he'd hoped to visit Earth with his impending time off, but Udina says he may not be able to, with his new responsibilities, and promotes him to Commander. Udina leaves, saying that the Council expects a full report of his findings, while Bailey stands, looking out over the Presidium, sorry that he won't be able to return to Earth and see his child.
Mass Effect: Evolution
Characters
Jack Harper: Main Character
Ben Hislop: Ally
Eva Coré: Ally
General Williams: Ally
Desolas Arterius: Adversary
Abrudas: Adversary
Saren Arterius: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect: Evolution is a four-issue comic mini-series that delves into the origins of the Illusive Man and the human-survivalist organization Cerberus. The story opens during the First Contact War between humans and turians.
The series is published by Dark Horse Comics, is written by BioWare lead writer Mac Walters, scripted by John Jackson Miller, and drawn by Omar Francia, with contributions from cover designer Massimo Carnevale. An alternate cover for each issue was done by Joe Quinones. The series was first announced on July 15, 2010, and the first issue was released on January 19, 2011. On September 21, 2011, Dark Horse released a trade paperback that collects all four issues along with Mass Effect: Incursion and Mass Effect: Inquisition.
Issue#1: The end of the universe...begins with one man.
After humans took to space using the mass relays, they settled a few colonies, but they never assumed they needed anyone's permission to use the relays. On the colony of Shanxi, humans are paying the cost of their assumptions with a full-scale invasion by the turians. The Alliance military is in full retreat and the turians turn their attention to eliminating all traces of the trespassers. However, they don't realize that not all human soldiers wear uniforms. A trio of human mercenaries, Jack Harper, Ben Hislop, and Eva Coré, are tracking a patrol of seven turians. They then proceed to ambush them. After a few close calls, Ben is found wrestling with a turian. Jack then hits the turian over the head and they take him prisoner. Ben charges at the turian only to be pulled off by Jack telling him to stand down because of the intel he might have and that if he is killed, they will lose it. Ben apologizes for his actions, which had come from seeing his brother and the settlements wiped out. Jack responds by saying that is why he joined the cause and if he just wanted to kill turians then he should join the military.
As they finish speaking, Jack notices an M35 Mako pull up, and notes how they always have perfect timing. One of the soldiers climbs out and asks which one is Jack and that "the man" wants to see him back at headquarters now. The prisoner is told to ride in the back. The captured turian remarks that if humans are resorting to mercenaries, then things really have gone bad. Jack tells him that they are specialists, but that is none of his business. Jack then pulls out a device and asks if it is a communicator. The turian replies that that is none of his business but says they probably can't fathom it anyway. Jack counters by saying that they might surprise him.
Later at General Williams' headquarters, Williams tells Jack that the Alliance is withdrawing to Arcturus Station because no one has the will to fight the turians anymore. Jack counters with that his group, and Williams, still have the will to fight and will fight. Williams then says that Jack is the only one who can figure out what the turians are doing. Jack says that they are going into places that were never settled, or have been abandoned for a while. The turians are conducing search patterns, looking for something, but Alliance Command says that there is nothing they have found, but since the turians are still looking, then there must be something. Jack says that they can finish the job in twenty hours, and Eva requests the APC out front.
While riding to the front, Jack and the others interrogate the turian they captured, who reveals his name is Desolas, and says that if he is released he may be merciful if they return him to his people. Jack points out that he knows he is a general, and that the device they took earlier is homing in on his camp, which Desolas counters saying that turians underrated human intelligence. Desolas says that his lieutenant is waiting with superior numbers and tells them to escape while they can. Desolas points out that humans, as the new arrivals, want everything, but lets them in on a secret, that others were in the galaxy first, that humans aren't welcome, and that the turians won't give humanity one kilometer of the planet. Jack says it is time to divide and conquer.
At the turian camp, which is in the shadow of a crashed turian ship, one of the officers tells Lieutenant Abrudas that the researchers have found the relic and moved it into a network of caverns five kilometers west. The Lieutenant is angry, as they could have saved the turians time searching, and reaches for her communicator to contact Desolas, however, he contacts them first. In a static filled transmission Desolas says that he escaped from the humans and tells them to meet him one kilometer east. Abrudas tells them that they have found the cargo, but Desolas tells them that he can't move, so Abrudas takes a squad to rescue the general while the rest move towards the objective.
After a bit of time, Abrudas reaches the objective, and while complaining about the researchers and the time they have wasted, the squad gets ambushed by Jack, his friends, and their APC, much to the surprise of the turians. Inside the APC Desolas tells Jack that his was “a childish ploy”, but Jack comments it was pretty good, “for a human”. Jack and the rest of his people tie up the turians. At the same time Jack and Desolas discuss what happened, and how there has been a lot of force for a simple recovery operation, and that Desolas doesn’t come across as a garden-variety general. Desolas warns Jack to "be careful what you look for human. You may find it."
At the caverns Jack and the rest ambush the remaining turians, and after threatening them with the capture of their General and their Lieutenant, and the big gun on top of their APC, Desolas tells his men to stand down. He says that their time will come, and until then, "let the human satisfy his curiosity." Apparently, he is curious what Jack will find as well. As Jack and Ben head into the caves, Eva asks what to do if they cause trouble. Jack says to run a few over, but to stay on the radio. As they progress into the caves, Ben says that Eva is worried about them, but Jack says that is more about him. As they continue the discussion, about Ben and Eva, Jack sees something up ahead.
Inside is a large object into the center of the room, with glowing chains extending out from it. Jack points out that it was clearly dragged here, but Ben starts points out that they would have had to been monsters to move it. Before Ben can finish his statement, they get ambushed by creatures wearing robes and they knock Ben to the ground. As one of the creatures lifts Ben into the air, Jack opens fire and Ben is thrown to the ground. Ben comments about intel first, but the Jack points out "not this time" and keeps shooting, becoming frustrated as the creatures won't die.
Eventually the creatures fall, but both humans are stunned at the amount of bullets it took to take them down. Jack then moves forward and pulls back one of the hoods, and it shows a turian, who's had parts of his face replaced with cybernetic implants. Jack tries to radio General Williams, or Eva but there is too much interference. Ben starts walking toward the object saying that it might be the cause and that there may be a way to turn it off. Jack tells Ben to wait, but he gets too close and the device sends out an energy bolt that hits Ben. Jack rushes up to save his friend, but it is too late. As Jack also gets hit by the energy from Ben's body, they both fall back to the floor, as a voice calls out. Eva rushes into the room, her cloths ragged and out of breath, and says that the turians came up from behind when they all saw the lights coming from the cave. As Jack asks what happened, a voice says that is what he would like to know. Eva turns around to see a large turian standing over them, with other armed turians in the background, saying that they will come with them, and tells the others to bring Ben's body for dissection. He ends by saying "You've studied us -- now it's our turn to study you."
As they finish speaking, Jack notices an M35 Mako pull up, and notes how they always have perfect timing. One of the soldiers climbs out and asks which one is Jack and that "the man" wants to see him back at headquarters now. The prisoner is told to ride in the back. The captured turian remarks that if humans are resorting to mercenaries, then things really have gone bad. Jack tells him that they are specialists, but that is none of his business. Jack then pulls out a device and asks if it is a communicator. The turian replies that that is none of his business but says they probably can't fathom it anyway. Jack counters by saying that they might surprise him.
Later at General Williams' headquarters, Williams tells Jack that the Alliance is withdrawing to Arcturus Station because no one has the will to fight the turians anymore. Jack counters with that his group, and Williams, still have the will to fight and will fight. Williams then says that Jack is the only one who can figure out what the turians are doing. Jack says that they are going into places that were never settled, or have been abandoned for a while. The turians are conducing search patterns, looking for something, but Alliance Command says that there is nothing they have found, but since the turians are still looking, then there must be something. Jack says that they can finish the job in twenty hours, and Eva requests the APC out front.
While riding to the front, Jack and the others interrogate the turian they captured, who reveals his name is Desolas, and says that if he is released he may be merciful if they return him to his people. Jack points out that he knows he is a general, and that the device they took earlier is homing in on his camp, which Desolas counters saying that turians underrated human intelligence. Desolas says that his lieutenant is waiting with superior numbers and tells them to escape while they can. Desolas points out that humans, as the new arrivals, want everything, but lets them in on a secret, that others were in the galaxy first, that humans aren't welcome, and that the turians won't give humanity one kilometer of the planet. Jack says it is time to divide and conquer.
At the turian camp, which is in the shadow of a crashed turian ship, one of the officers tells Lieutenant Abrudas that the researchers have found the relic and moved it into a network of caverns five kilometers west. The Lieutenant is angry, as they could have saved the turians time searching, and reaches for her communicator to contact Desolas, however, he contacts them first. In a static filled transmission Desolas says that he escaped from the humans and tells them to meet him one kilometer east. Abrudas tells them that they have found the cargo, but Desolas tells them that he can't move, so Abrudas takes a squad to rescue the general while the rest move towards the objective.
After a bit of time, Abrudas reaches the objective, and while complaining about the researchers and the time they have wasted, the squad gets ambushed by Jack, his friends, and their APC, much to the surprise of the turians. Inside the APC Desolas tells Jack that his was “a childish ploy”, but Jack comments it was pretty good, “for a human”. Jack and the rest of his people tie up the turians. At the same time Jack and Desolas discuss what happened, and how there has been a lot of force for a simple recovery operation, and that Desolas doesn’t come across as a garden-variety general. Desolas warns Jack to "be careful what you look for human. You may find it."
At the caverns Jack and the rest ambush the remaining turians, and after threatening them with the capture of their General and their Lieutenant, and the big gun on top of their APC, Desolas tells his men to stand down. He says that their time will come, and until then, "let the human satisfy his curiosity." Apparently, he is curious what Jack will find as well. As Jack and Ben head into the caves, Eva asks what to do if they cause trouble. Jack says to run a few over, but to stay on the radio. As they progress into the caves, Ben says that Eva is worried about them, but Jack says that is more about him. As they continue the discussion, about Ben and Eva, Jack sees something up ahead.
Inside is a large object into the center of the room, with glowing chains extending out from it. Jack points out that it was clearly dragged here, but Ben starts points out that they would have had to been monsters to move it. Before Ben can finish his statement, they get ambushed by creatures wearing robes and they knock Ben to the ground. As one of the creatures lifts Ben into the air, Jack opens fire and Ben is thrown to the ground. Ben comments about intel first, but the Jack points out "not this time" and keeps shooting, becoming frustrated as the creatures won't die.
Eventually the creatures fall, but both humans are stunned at the amount of bullets it took to take them down. Jack then moves forward and pulls back one of the hoods, and it shows a turian, who's had parts of his face replaced with cybernetic implants. Jack tries to radio General Williams, or Eva but there is too much interference. Ben starts walking toward the object saying that it might be the cause and that there may be a way to turn it off. Jack tells Ben to wait, but he gets too close and the device sends out an energy bolt that hits Ben. Jack rushes up to save his friend, but it is too late. As Jack also gets hit by the energy from Ben's body, they both fall back to the floor, as a voice calls out. Eva rushes into the room, her cloths ragged and out of breath, and says that the turians came up from behind when they all saw the lights coming from the cave. As Jack asks what happened, a voice says that is what he would like to know. Eva turns around to see a large turian standing over them, with other armed turians in the background, saying that they will come with them, and tells the others to bring Ben's body for dissection. He ends by saying "You've studied us -- now it's our turn to study you."
Issue #2: Is humanity's fiercest defender... even human anymore?
Jack Harper awakens from a strange dream aboard a turian starship. Jack is startled that he is aboard a turian ship, then he discovers he is restrained. The turians in the room tell him to calm down as the restrains are there for not only his protection, but for theirs as well. Jack then hears Eva and sees her and a turian enter. The turian orders Harper released from his restraints and Eva tells Harper that both of them are prisoners and that he has been in a coma for weeks. Jack asks about Ben, and Eva says that he is dead via electrocution from the device. Eva also says that it nearly killed him as well. Jack then asks where Ben is, but Eva says that Desolas split them up and she has no idea where he is. The turian in the room says that whatever seemed to have happened to Ben has left him unaffected and that Harper is in perfect health as far as they can tell.
Eva then turns on the turian and asks his name. The turian introduces himself as Saren, that Desolas is his brother, and that Jack and Eva have him to thank for not leaving them to die. Eva counters saying that they are being taken to a prison camp on Palaven and they should be thankful. Saren however counters that by saying that Eva is a handful, almost killing three guards while waiting, and that she is mistaken..."about a lot of things". Jack and Eva then see that they are approaching Arcturus Station and Jack asks how long he's been out. Saren informs him that it was long enough because the war is over, and they are being taken home.
Aboard Arcturus Station, General Williams is greeting Desolas, or General Arterius, when he arrives in the hangar bay. Desolas says that he is sorry that he didn't introduce himself properly on Shanxi, but he was fleeing at the time and he assumed that he was busy. Williams reminds him that the Alliance retook the planet then turns his attention to the size of his escort. Desolas reminds him that he doesn’t know everything about the turians and if the Citadel Council hadn't intervened, then they wouldn't find out. Williams says that the cease-fire wasn't his idea and that if Desolas wants to fight it out, he is happy to oblige, and if that isn't the case, then he asks for his people. Desolas mentions that he is amused that Williams would trade so many turians for just two operatives, and mercenaries at that. Eva then comes charging at Desolas, Jack tries to tell her to not do it, but she tackles him to the ground before being pulled off by Saren. Eva yells at Desolas for not helping Ben, but Desolas ignores it and tells Saren to be careful with her because, while humans may bark like varren, they are fragile. Saren mentions that he had to do something because his new bodyguards weren't of much use. Desolas mentions that they have their uses but you have to know how to talk to them. Desolas then turns to one of them and begins speaking in a language that Jack appears to understand. Desolas notices this and turns, inquisitive, but then redirects his attention to General Williams. He reminds Williams that Eva's attack is a violation of the treaty protocol and that he should take the prisoners back until a higher authority can rule on the matter. Williams counters by saying that he's had them long enough and to get off the station.
Later in a medical bay Williams is talking with Jack and mentions that he doesn't know why Desolas suddenly wanted to check over Jack again. Williams also mentions that Jack has the vitals of a first year cadet and that whatever the device did, it seems that it was harmless. Jack counters by saying that Ben wouldn't agree with that statement. Williams apologizes and says that Ben was a good kid, which he continues by saying that he left a lot of good kids down there. He mentions that now the Alliance wants them to play nice with the turians, even though they were on the verge of winning, just to curry favor with "this Citadel bunch". Jack asks if it is more aliens, and Williams continues by saying that money is doing the talking and that it is the way of the future. "Cohabitation with native species to father Mutual interests" is how the Alliance puts it. Williams then mentions that he is resigning but then tells Jack that he shouldn't. Jack says that he can't, not after what he saw, and he mentions that the artifact is connected to those things he saw. Jack then says that he heard Desolas' bodyguards tell him they were called to the device. Williams notes that, since Jack understood what they were saying, maybe he can find out more and gives them leave to take his personal shuttle, if Jack can pry Eva's arms off the fuselage.
In the hanger, Eva asks why the General is giving them his shuttle. Jack says that it is his to give and says that he thought it would cheer Eva up. As the two start climbing the boarding ramp, Eva is mentioning that he hasn't flown something half as nice when Jack collapses on the ramp. Eva rushes to his side and says that she know it was too soon to go anywhere. Jack counters that they, and he, can't wait any longer. He mentions that he has been having visions and headaches since he woke up. Eva asks about what and Jack says it was about darkness, the future, and that it is all tied to that artifact. He mentions that is why he is going, to figure out what is going on. Eva, however, asks where they can go, as they don't know where it was taken. She says that they could have taken to Palaven, but they can't go there now. Jack then counters by telling her that they have to go to Illium.
After several relay jumps, Eva mentions that it doesn’t make sense and she must have been out of her mind to go this close to the Terminus Systems. There haven't been enough humans that have seen Illium to start a band. Jack reminds Eva that she thought he was dying, that he feels much better, and that if Eva wants a shot at Desolas, then this is her chance. Jack says the artifact is on Illium, and that he can't see Desolas going anywhere without it.
Upon landing in Nos Astra, Eva takes in the sights, and based on what she sees, asks how humans will ever catch up. Jack calms her by telling her to not worry about it, and that humans will have it all soon. He reminds Eva about Clarke's Third Law. Advanced technology only looks like magic and if they remember that, then they have nothing to fear. Eva then asks what Jack is afraid of and why are they on Illium, and he replies that he is afraid that some of it may be magic.
Sometime later Jack is speaking to several asari in their native language while Eva looks on. When Jack returns, Eva asks how he can speak to them in the asari language. Jack says that how else was he going to communicate with them, which Eva counters by saying that he should be using a language that he actually knows. Jack is puzzled for a second, and acknowledges Eva by saying that it just came to him, he doesn’t know why, or what to do about this. Jack then points out a car and says they are for public use and that he's been itching to try a foreign model. Eva says that he should do flying this time, to which Jack agrees.
While flying Jack starts looking over the local Extranet for information about the Shanxi relic. Eva asks why they wouldn’t take something like that directly to Palaven to which Jack replies that for the same reasons they kept it aboard a ship for so long. It is unknown technology and he suspects they don't know more about it than they do. Jack goes on to say that they all know it's dangerous and that Eva saw what it did to Ben. Eva then tries to talk to Jack, but he ignores her and keeps searching and says that it may be a weapon, which is why they didn't want it too close to Palaven and were taking it to Shanxi for study. Eva tries to cut in again, but Jack continues by saying maybe that is why they didn't want humans going there. Then he finds the information he was looking for and he asks Eva what she would bet to say that the turians are looking for them.
When they reach their destination, Eva mentions her feelings about the area, in that it is unsafe. Jack says that most of the city is under surveillance, so Desolas probably wanted to keep clear of it. Jack says that was probably so they could grab him, but he bets that he can trap one, and then find out what is going on. However, before Jack can finish his sentence, Saren ambushes them with Desolas' bodyguards. Jack pulls Eva out of the line of fire, then exchanges a bit of fire before taking cover. He is not surprised to see them, and that Desolas said they would show up. Saren mentions that Jack was affected by the Arca Monolith to a greater degree than he let on, and that they have more tests to run.
Saren orders the guards to seize Jack, but he and Eva run through corridors being pursued by one of the guards. They exchange fire with it, while it returns fire by throwing items at them. Eva asks Jack what they are, but as he tries to tell her something, the guard grabs him by the neck. Eva comes around and prepares to bash the butt of her pistol over the guard's head, when Jacks tells her not to. The guard's hood falls revealing Ben, with a few enhancements.
Eva then turns on the turian and asks his name. The turian introduces himself as Saren, that Desolas is his brother, and that Jack and Eva have him to thank for not leaving them to die. Eva counters saying that they are being taken to a prison camp on Palaven and they should be thankful. Saren however counters that by saying that Eva is a handful, almost killing three guards while waiting, and that she is mistaken..."about a lot of things". Jack and Eva then see that they are approaching Arcturus Station and Jack asks how long he's been out. Saren informs him that it was long enough because the war is over, and they are being taken home.
Aboard Arcturus Station, General Williams is greeting Desolas, or General Arterius, when he arrives in the hangar bay. Desolas says that he is sorry that he didn't introduce himself properly on Shanxi, but he was fleeing at the time and he assumed that he was busy. Williams reminds him that the Alliance retook the planet then turns his attention to the size of his escort. Desolas reminds him that he doesn’t know everything about the turians and if the Citadel Council hadn't intervened, then they wouldn't find out. Williams says that the cease-fire wasn't his idea and that if Desolas wants to fight it out, he is happy to oblige, and if that isn't the case, then he asks for his people. Desolas mentions that he is amused that Williams would trade so many turians for just two operatives, and mercenaries at that. Eva then comes charging at Desolas, Jack tries to tell her to not do it, but she tackles him to the ground before being pulled off by Saren. Eva yells at Desolas for not helping Ben, but Desolas ignores it and tells Saren to be careful with her because, while humans may bark like varren, they are fragile. Saren mentions that he had to do something because his new bodyguards weren't of much use. Desolas mentions that they have their uses but you have to know how to talk to them. Desolas then turns to one of them and begins speaking in a language that Jack appears to understand. Desolas notices this and turns, inquisitive, but then redirects his attention to General Williams. He reminds Williams that Eva's attack is a violation of the treaty protocol and that he should take the prisoners back until a higher authority can rule on the matter. Williams counters by saying that he's had them long enough and to get off the station.
Later in a medical bay Williams is talking with Jack and mentions that he doesn't know why Desolas suddenly wanted to check over Jack again. Williams also mentions that Jack has the vitals of a first year cadet and that whatever the device did, it seems that it was harmless. Jack counters by saying that Ben wouldn't agree with that statement. Williams apologizes and says that Ben was a good kid, which he continues by saying that he left a lot of good kids down there. He mentions that now the Alliance wants them to play nice with the turians, even though they were on the verge of winning, just to curry favor with "this Citadel bunch". Jack asks if it is more aliens, and Williams continues by saying that money is doing the talking and that it is the way of the future. "Cohabitation with native species to father Mutual interests" is how the Alliance puts it. Williams then mentions that he is resigning but then tells Jack that he shouldn't. Jack says that he can't, not after what he saw, and he mentions that the artifact is connected to those things he saw. Jack then says that he heard Desolas' bodyguards tell him they were called to the device. Williams notes that, since Jack understood what they were saying, maybe he can find out more and gives them leave to take his personal shuttle, if Jack can pry Eva's arms off the fuselage.
In the hanger, Eva asks why the General is giving them his shuttle. Jack says that it is his to give and says that he thought it would cheer Eva up. As the two start climbing the boarding ramp, Eva is mentioning that he hasn't flown something half as nice when Jack collapses on the ramp. Eva rushes to his side and says that she know it was too soon to go anywhere. Jack counters that they, and he, can't wait any longer. He mentions that he has been having visions and headaches since he woke up. Eva asks about what and Jack says it was about darkness, the future, and that it is all tied to that artifact. He mentions that is why he is going, to figure out what is going on. Eva, however, asks where they can go, as they don't know where it was taken. She says that they could have taken to Palaven, but they can't go there now. Jack then counters by telling her that they have to go to Illium.
After several relay jumps, Eva mentions that it doesn’t make sense and she must have been out of her mind to go this close to the Terminus Systems. There haven't been enough humans that have seen Illium to start a band. Jack reminds Eva that she thought he was dying, that he feels much better, and that if Eva wants a shot at Desolas, then this is her chance. Jack says the artifact is on Illium, and that he can't see Desolas going anywhere without it.
Upon landing in Nos Astra, Eva takes in the sights, and based on what she sees, asks how humans will ever catch up. Jack calms her by telling her to not worry about it, and that humans will have it all soon. He reminds Eva about Clarke's Third Law. Advanced technology only looks like magic and if they remember that, then they have nothing to fear. Eva then asks what Jack is afraid of and why are they on Illium, and he replies that he is afraid that some of it may be magic.
Sometime later Jack is speaking to several asari in their native language while Eva looks on. When Jack returns, Eva asks how he can speak to them in the asari language. Jack says that how else was he going to communicate with them, which Eva counters by saying that he should be using a language that he actually knows. Jack is puzzled for a second, and acknowledges Eva by saying that it just came to him, he doesn’t know why, or what to do about this. Jack then points out a car and says they are for public use and that he's been itching to try a foreign model. Eva says that he should do flying this time, to which Jack agrees.
While flying Jack starts looking over the local Extranet for information about the Shanxi relic. Eva asks why they wouldn’t take something like that directly to Palaven to which Jack replies that for the same reasons they kept it aboard a ship for so long. It is unknown technology and he suspects they don't know more about it than they do. Jack goes on to say that they all know it's dangerous and that Eva saw what it did to Ben. Eva then tries to talk to Jack, but he ignores her and keeps searching and says that it may be a weapon, which is why they didn't want it too close to Palaven and were taking it to Shanxi for study. Eva tries to cut in again, but Jack continues by saying maybe that is why they didn't want humans going there. Then he finds the information he was looking for and he asks Eva what she would bet to say that the turians are looking for them.
When they reach their destination, Eva mentions her feelings about the area, in that it is unsafe. Jack says that most of the city is under surveillance, so Desolas probably wanted to keep clear of it. Jack says that was probably so they could grab him, but he bets that he can trap one, and then find out what is going on. However, before Jack can finish his sentence, Saren ambushes them with Desolas' bodyguards. Jack pulls Eva out of the line of fire, then exchanges a bit of fire before taking cover. He is not surprised to see them, and that Desolas said they would show up. Saren mentions that Jack was affected by the Arca Monolith to a greater degree than he let on, and that they have more tests to run.
Saren orders the guards to seize Jack, but he and Eva run through corridors being pursued by one of the guards. They exchange fire with it, while it returns fire by throwing items at them. Eva asks Jack what they are, but as he tries to tell her something, the guard grabs him by the neck. Eva comes around and prepares to bash the butt of her pistol over the guard's head, when Jacks tells her not to. The guard's hood falls revealing Ben, with a few enhancements.
Issue#3: Springing the trap... by getting caught!
Jack Harper is recalling his first meeting with Ben Hislop. Jack describes Ben as brash, young, enthusiastic, and an expert with munitions. Someone who was perfect for his pro-humanity movement. Ben quickly became Jack's right hand, and was also important to Eva in ways that Jack never asked about. Yet, above all, he remembers the man, not the monster he became.
Back in the present day, Ben still has Harper by the throat and Eva is still pleading with Ben to release him. Her pleas are then repeated by Saren, who has caught up to the group, and even with him being restrained, Jack yells at Eva to run, which she does. Eva manages to jump into a ladder and still tries to get through to Ben by asking if he remembers her. Ben responds in a cryptic language, and Eva draws her gun, promising to Ben that she will blast the people that did this to him. However, before she can finish her sentence, Ben rips the ladder down, bringing Eva with it. After Ben tears through the wreckage, he finds Eva, and in a moment of clarity recognizes her and says her name. Saren, however, intervenes by telling Ben to bring Eva to the transport, "NOW!" The clarity subsides and Ben drags Eva unconscious body to the transport.
Aboard Saren's transport, Jack is once again strapped into an interrogation chair. Jack assumes that he will be studied and if the turians were to let him go, he'll show them what a human is really made of. Desolas counters by saying they know all they need to know about human biology from studying the human corpses on Shanxi, but that's not what they are interested in. Desolas continues by saying that it is Jack himself they are interested in now. Harper then says that if that's true, then he asks them to release Eva. Desolas refuses and explains that they need Eva as a baseline to understand what is different about Jack. Desolas then points at Ben and says he is different, and that Harper was affected by the artifact, like Ben, but Jack is very unlike Ben, so he is curious why. Eva, now awake, tells Desolas that it was because of something he did and that he's the one who turned Ben into a monster. Saren says that he has done nothing, and then asks Ben to speak for himself, while he still can.
Ben begins to speak and tells Jack that it wasn't the turians, but the artifact that changed him. After he touched it, the turians left him for dead, but when they subsequently attempted to move the artifact, he awoke. Eva asks whether it was a resurrection, and Saren says that she's not that far off. He says the same thing happened to their researches. They refused to abandon the artifact, and Ben, as he is now one of them, like the others, he now serves him. Desolas then tells Jack and Eva they, along with Ben, are about to be the first humans to set foot on Palaven, the turian homeworld.
Just a few weeks prior to that, the Alliance would have given anything to get agents onto the radiation-scarred world. Nevertheless, the turians managed to survive and thrive on the planet. As the ship lands, and while a general returning from a stalemate wouldn't normally expect a hero's welcome, Desolas knows that during peacetime, image is everything. As he exits the craft, he tells the people of Palaven that he has returned. Desolas is apparently the first general to address the people since the Council brokered the peace agreement, and that is no surprise as no turian wants to admit there is an enemy that cannot be defeated. Desolas then says that he will not admit to that, but assures that the turians who died in the war did not die in vain. He proceeds to present his servants, disguised as Valluvian Priests from turian legend. Desolas goes on to say that for centuries, no turian has been worthy enough to wear the cloak and cowl of the order, and no one has been allowed into Temple Palaven.
As the group walks down the stairs from where their ship landed, he says that the turians present have come back from the field of battle with honor and that their faith and their fighting spirit, has transformed them. On Shanxi, Desolas says that he was chosen by them to help them in their mission, or Holy Quest, to return to Palaven, to reopen the temple, and to share the wisdom of the ages with the turian people. Desolas then says that like his brothers, the "priests", while they lead them to war, now promote peace. He finishes by saying that he will join them in the temple where in the past, they will find a great future for the turian people. While the people cheer, Jack, hidden by the guards, "priests", and Desolas, comments about how Desolas knows how to put on a show and how he dresses his mutants for maximum effect. Eva, alongside Jack, says that Desolas is definitely bucking for something, as he didn't parade them in front of the crowd in chains. Jack counters by saying the Council wouldn't approve, and neither would the turian leaders. Jack continues by saying that he wouldn't be surprised if Desolas became a turian leader himself. Finally, Harper concludes by saying that he is a military man that found religion, at the time he finds a device that creates super soldiers, and that it might work, if everyone plays along with the ruse.
Later at the Temple, Saren and Desolas are discussing problems. Desolas is annoyed that Saren has come by and asks what he wants this time. Saren tells him that their "evolved" turian have refused to move the artifact into the temple, even after being ordered in the language that Desolas uses when talking to them. Saren continues by saying that they were willing to wear the cloaks, but they won't go the last kilometer needed. Desolas then says that he explained it to them, and that they have a good home for the artifact. Desolas then turns to one of the "evolved" turians, and tells them that while they don’t like the crowd, it wouldn't be a problem. He then says that the sun is about set, and they will move the artifact after dark, once the colonnade is clear. Saren then turns to Desolas, as the "evolved" turian walks away, and says he doesn’t like it. They don't serve them and they only care about the artifact. Desolas counters by saying that is the reason that he is going through all the trouble he is. He wants them to see him as protector, one who is giving the artifact a place of respect, while he figures out how to make it control them.
Later that evening as the artifact is being moved, Eva and Jack are being escorted behind it. Eva comments about how it's taking forever, just like when the loaded into the ship on Shanxi. Eva then tells Jack that he was lucky he was in a coma at the time. Jack then says that he doesn't mind as he's been waiting for a chance to see Palaven for a while now, and that he's impressed. He also comments that Desolas was impressive as well, considering he was able to clear a whole area, he must have some pull somewhere. Eva counters by saying that he's pulling something and that she doesn’t trust Desolas. She then turns her attention to the artifact and questions if it is even in there. Jack says that it's in there as he can feel it in his mind. Then a voice from behind says the same thing, giving them both a start. Ben is standing behind them and he can tell that Jack is in communication with it as well. Jack asks Ben whether he can tell them more about the artifact, as Ben actually touched the artifact, to which Ben responds by simply saying that it just is. He then continues by saying that it commands them to follow and protect it, and to prepare. Jack says that he hears it as well, but prepare for what. Before Ben can respond, Eva cuts in by telling Ben that he's in there and that if he fights it, they can find a way out, and get him back to normal. Ben admits that there is no more normal anymore, to which Harper agrees. Desolas, who has been listening in on the conversation, orders one of the turians, to bring Harper to him.
Temple Palaven stands a relic to the turians superstitious past when titans strolled across their world, reaching for the stars. The temple was sealed when the turians discovered other species among the stars and how with the true titans on the planet, the "evolved" turians, the Temple will now play host to the Arca Monolith, where it can be revered by its worshipers and other interested parties. While the Monolith is being raised, Jack is standing in the wings with Desolas looking over his shoulder. He starts to talk about Clarke's Third Law, when Desolas quotes it word for word from behind him. He continues by saying that it is just words from an earth scientist who was also a mythmaker, as they all are. Desolas then says that he now has an evolution accelerator. According to Desolas, for too long there has been parity between races on the Citadel. When a new race can enter as equals, he feels it's time to change the equation by bringing myths to life. Harper tells Desolas that he doesn’t know what he's dealing with, but Desolas counters by saying that Jack does and that is why he is here to begin with. Desolas finishes by saying that the temple was once a place where turians talked to their deities, and it soon will be again.
In a backroom lab, Desolas explains the setup to Harper. He has placed the Monolith in a place of honor, the Temple's rotunda. But at the same time, he's incorporated a number of scaning devices in the rotunda of the temple to help them better understand the device. Jack points out a flaw in that it is just a surface scan and ask why they don't bring it into the lab. Desolas answers by saying that he would like to, but the "evolved" turians won't allow invasive procedures and that past attempts to pry the artifact from them have only resulted in more transformations. He continues by saying that the cover is fine for the masses, but it does him little good as the "evolved" turians can tell him nothing about the artifact, but Harper can. He says that he realized on Arcturus Station that the relic has changed Harper, and that he took it to Illium to see if he would follow. Harper seems to have a psychic bond with the device that transcends distance and in what he overheard of his and Eva's conversation, confirms it.
Desolas is curious why Jack came into contact with the device and yet managed to keep his identity and his mind as Desolas needs his turians to do the same. Desolas says that he must speak to it and find out how because while he understands science, you need to answer magic in its own language. Jack points out again that he doesn’t know what he's dealing with and there is more to the Monolith than just an evolutionary jump-start, and that it's dangerous. Desolas is undeterred, however, as that is exactly what he expected from a racial partisan who is standing in his way and that maybe Eva will be more reasonable. Jack says that Eva knows nothing and that she's tough, committed, and won't crack, neither will he. Jack then pleads with Desolas that as a man of science, not magic, because of the lack of results he should end the experiment.
Several days later, a turian guard checks in on Jack in a holding cell, with a view port, and writings all over the wall. He expresses frustration at Desolas to think that he would learn anything new from Harper as all he does is sit on the rocks and stare. He continues by saying the people who built the temple are more lively, despite being dead for centuries now. Harper then puts his hand to his chin, and says “[t]hat’s it”. As he stands up repeating it, Desolas enters with two armed guards and tells him that his scientists told him what Harper wouldn’t. He then orders the guards to escort Harper to the lab so he can share his results.
As they are walking, Desolas explains that while they can’t find the mechanism that binds the “priests” to the Monolith, they know enough to say they are bound to it. He remarks that the bond is strong, transcendental, and because of it, the “priests” will do anything and everything to protect it; and if he brings others to it, they will do anything and everything for him. Jack then cuts in, telling Desolas there is something that he needs to know. Jack has just figured out the truth about the Monolith himself. However, Desolas dismisses it by saying that the time for the truth is in the past, and tells Jack to behold the future. He tells Jack to imagine a legion of perfect turians. They are physically perfect, never need to rest, and they will never yield. He finishes by saying that the time for equality among races is now in the past and that destiny is at hand. And it begins tonight ...
Back in the present day, Ben still has Harper by the throat and Eva is still pleading with Ben to release him. Her pleas are then repeated by Saren, who has caught up to the group, and even with him being restrained, Jack yells at Eva to run, which she does. Eva manages to jump into a ladder and still tries to get through to Ben by asking if he remembers her. Ben responds in a cryptic language, and Eva draws her gun, promising to Ben that she will blast the people that did this to him. However, before she can finish her sentence, Ben rips the ladder down, bringing Eva with it. After Ben tears through the wreckage, he finds Eva, and in a moment of clarity recognizes her and says her name. Saren, however, intervenes by telling Ben to bring Eva to the transport, "NOW!" The clarity subsides and Ben drags Eva unconscious body to the transport.
Aboard Saren's transport, Jack is once again strapped into an interrogation chair. Jack assumes that he will be studied and if the turians were to let him go, he'll show them what a human is really made of. Desolas counters by saying they know all they need to know about human biology from studying the human corpses on Shanxi, but that's not what they are interested in. Desolas continues by saying that it is Jack himself they are interested in now. Harper then says that if that's true, then he asks them to release Eva. Desolas refuses and explains that they need Eva as a baseline to understand what is different about Jack. Desolas then points at Ben and says he is different, and that Harper was affected by the artifact, like Ben, but Jack is very unlike Ben, so he is curious why. Eva, now awake, tells Desolas that it was because of something he did and that he's the one who turned Ben into a monster. Saren says that he has done nothing, and then asks Ben to speak for himself, while he still can.
Ben begins to speak and tells Jack that it wasn't the turians, but the artifact that changed him. After he touched it, the turians left him for dead, but when they subsequently attempted to move the artifact, he awoke. Eva asks whether it was a resurrection, and Saren says that she's not that far off. He says the same thing happened to their researches. They refused to abandon the artifact, and Ben, as he is now one of them, like the others, he now serves him. Desolas then tells Jack and Eva they, along with Ben, are about to be the first humans to set foot on Palaven, the turian homeworld.
Just a few weeks prior to that, the Alliance would have given anything to get agents onto the radiation-scarred world. Nevertheless, the turians managed to survive and thrive on the planet. As the ship lands, and while a general returning from a stalemate wouldn't normally expect a hero's welcome, Desolas knows that during peacetime, image is everything. As he exits the craft, he tells the people of Palaven that he has returned. Desolas is apparently the first general to address the people since the Council brokered the peace agreement, and that is no surprise as no turian wants to admit there is an enemy that cannot be defeated. Desolas then says that he will not admit to that, but assures that the turians who died in the war did not die in vain. He proceeds to present his servants, disguised as Valluvian Priests from turian legend. Desolas goes on to say that for centuries, no turian has been worthy enough to wear the cloak and cowl of the order, and no one has been allowed into Temple Palaven.
As the group walks down the stairs from where their ship landed, he says that the turians present have come back from the field of battle with honor and that their faith and their fighting spirit, has transformed them. On Shanxi, Desolas says that he was chosen by them to help them in their mission, or Holy Quest, to return to Palaven, to reopen the temple, and to share the wisdom of the ages with the turian people. Desolas then says that like his brothers, the "priests", while they lead them to war, now promote peace. He finishes by saying that he will join them in the temple where in the past, they will find a great future for the turian people. While the people cheer, Jack, hidden by the guards, "priests", and Desolas, comments about how Desolas knows how to put on a show and how he dresses his mutants for maximum effect. Eva, alongside Jack, says that Desolas is definitely bucking for something, as he didn't parade them in front of the crowd in chains. Jack counters by saying the Council wouldn't approve, and neither would the turian leaders. Jack continues by saying that he wouldn't be surprised if Desolas became a turian leader himself. Finally, Harper concludes by saying that he is a military man that found religion, at the time he finds a device that creates super soldiers, and that it might work, if everyone plays along with the ruse.
Later at the Temple, Saren and Desolas are discussing problems. Desolas is annoyed that Saren has come by and asks what he wants this time. Saren tells him that their "evolved" turian have refused to move the artifact into the temple, even after being ordered in the language that Desolas uses when talking to them. Saren continues by saying that they were willing to wear the cloaks, but they won't go the last kilometer needed. Desolas then says that he explained it to them, and that they have a good home for the artifact. Desolas then turns to one of the "evolved" turians, and tells them that while they don’t like the crowd, it wouldn't be a problem. He then says that the sun is about set, and they will move the artifact after dark, once the colonnade is clear. Saren then turns to Desolas, as the "evolved" turian walks away, and says he doesn’t like it. They don't serve them and they only care about the artifact. Desolas counters by saying that is the reason that he is going through all the trouble he is. He wants them to see him as protector, one who is giving the artifact a place of respect, while he figures out how to make it control them.
Later that evening as the artifact is being moved, Eva and Jack are being escorted behind it. Eva comments about how it's taking forever, just like when the loaded into the ship on Shanxi. Eva then tells Jack that he was lucky he was in a coma at the time. Jack then says that he doesn't mind as he's been waiting for a chance to see Palaven for a while now, and that he's impressed. He also comments that Desolas was impressive as well, considering he was able to clear a whole area, he must have some pull somewhere. Eva counters by saying that he's pulling something and that she doesn’t trust Desolas. She then turns her attention to the artifact and questions if it is even in there. Jack says that it's in there as he can feel it in his mind. Then a voice from behind says the same thing, giving them both a start. Ben is standing behind them and he can tell that Jack is in communication with it as well. Jack asks Ben whether he can tell them more about the artifact, as Ben actually touched the artifact, to which Ben responds by simply saying that it just is. He then continues by saying that it commands them to follow and protect it, and to prepare. Jack says that he hears it as well, but prepare for what. Before Ben can respond, Eva cuts in by telling Ben that he's in there and that if he fights it, they can find a way out, and get him back to normal. Ben admits that there is no more normal anymore, to which Harper agrees. Desolas, who has been listening in on the conversation, orders one of the turians, to bring Harper to him.
Temple Palaven stands a relic to the turians superstitious past when titans strolled across their world, reaching for the stars. The temple was sealed when the turians discovered other species among the stars and how with the true titans on the planet, the "evolved" turians, the Temple will now play host to the Arca Monolith, where it can be revered by its worshipers and other interested parties. While the Monolith is being raised, Jack is standing in the wings with Desolas looking over his shoulder. He starts to talk about Clarke's Third Law, when Desolas quotes it word for word from behind him. He continues by saying that it is just words from an earth scientist who was also a mythmaker, as they all are. Desolas then says that he now has an evolution accelerator. According to Desolas, for too long there has been parity between races on the Citadel. When a new race can enter as equals, he feels it's time to change the equation by bringing myths to life. Harper tells Desolas that he doesn’t know what he's dealing with, but Desolas counters by saying that Jack does and that is why he is here to begin with. Desolas finishes by saying that the temple was once a place where turians talked to their deities, and it soon will be again.
In a backroom lab, Desolas explains the setup to Harper. He has placed the Monolith in a place of honor, the Temple's rotunda. But at the same time, he's incorporated a number of scaning devices in the rotunda of the temple to help them better understand the device. Jack points out a flaw in that it is just a surface scan and ask why they don't bring it into the lab. Desolas answers by saying that he would like to, but the "evolved" turians won't allow invasive procedures and that past attempts to pry the artifact from them have only resulted in more transformations. He continues by saying that the cover is fine for the masses, but it does him little good as the "evolved" turians can tell him nothing about the artifact, but Harper can. He says that he realized on Arcturus Station that the relic has changed Harper, and that he took it to Illium to see if he would follow. Harper seems to have a psychic bond with the device that transcends distance and in what he overheard of his and Eva's conversation, confirms it.
Desolas is curious why Jack came into contact with the device and yet managed to keep his identity and his mind as Desolas needs his turians to do the same. Desolas says that he must speak to it and find out how because while he understands science, you need to answer magic in its own language. Jack points out again that he doesn’t know what he's dealing with and there is more to the Monolith than just an evolutionary jump-start, and that it's dangerous. Desolas is undeterred, however, as that is exactly what he expected from a racial partisan who is standing in his way and that maybe Eva will be more reasonable. Jack says that Eva knows nothing and that she's tough, committed, and won't crack, neither will he. Jack then pleads with Desolas that as a man of science, not magic, because of the lack of results he should end the experiment.
Several days later, a turian guard checks in on Jack in a holding cell, with a view port, and writings all over the wall. He expresses frustration at Desolas to think that he would learn anything new from Harper as all he does is sit on the rocks and stare. He continues by saying the people who built the temple are more lively, despite being dead for centuries now. Harper then puts his hand to his chin, and says “[t]hat’s it”. As he stands up repeating it, Desolas enters with two armed guards and tells him that his scientists told him what Harper wouldn’t. He then orders the guards to escort Harper to the lab so he can share his results.
As they are walking, Desolas explains that while they can’t find the mechanism that binds the “priests” to the Monolith, they know enough to say they are bound to it. He remarks that the bond is strong, transcendental, and because of it, the “priests” will do anything and everything to protect it; and if he brings others to it, they will do anything and everything for him. Jack then cuts in, telling Desolas there is something that he needs to know. Jack has just figured out the truth about the Monolith himself. However, Desolas dismisses it by saying that the time for the truth is in the past, and tells Jack to behold the future. He tells Jack to imagine a legion of perfect turians. They are physically perfect, never need to rest, and they will never yield. He finishes by saying that the time for equality among races is now in the past and that destiny is at hand. And it begins tonight ...
Issue#4: Who will mourn…the death of mankind?
On Palaven, turians are lined up outside Temple Palaven holding torches, waiting to enter. Meanwhile, Jack Harper pleads with Saren to listen to him. Harper says that Desolas doesn’t know what he has, but he does. He tells Saren not to let the other turians into the temple, but Saren remarks that Jack has seen what Desolas wanted him to see and says to put him with the other one, rather than back into the observation room. As Jack is led out, he tries one last time to convince Saren to not go through with what Desolas has planned, but Saren refuses to listen. Saren just stares as Jack is being led away; for him, being the brother of a famous general may be the path to career success, but he has never followed in the footsteps of others. Saren earned his coveted spot on Desolas’ staff by himself. His colleagues continually stated that there wasn’t a situation that he’s encountered that he couldn’t handle. Little did Saren realize that he would find one, working for his brother.
In the room with the Monolith, which has the “priests” and several turians unconscious on the ground, Lagrion, a young turian tells his mother that he doesn’t like the “priests” and they just don’t look right, to which his mother replies by telling him to stay strong and reminds him that if he goes through with it, then no more turians will die in war. She continues by saying that Desolas promised something, but before she can finish, the “priests” drag Lagrion off, throwing him into the Monolith. The mother first asks what they are doing, then after her son hits it, she asks to see him, before she notices something about the “priests” and, after lifting one of their hoods, she discovers Desolas’ secret. She then ends up being thrown into the Monolith herself while Saren shields his eyes from the blast of light.
In another part of the Temple, Saren runs into Desolas who tells him he is just in time to help him inspect the troops. Saren, however, says that it is premature and the “meta-turians” are simple-minded and don’t obey orders. Saren tells Desolas that he thought that Desolas said that Jack was the key to controlling them. Desolas maintains that Harper had said nothing for days and that when he finally spoke up, he said nonsense. Desolas continues by saying that he is done with his games and that his scientists did find something, a behavioral link between the Monolith and the “meta-turians”. He tells Saren that they aren’t simple-minded, but rather single-minded driving to protect the Monolith, but also to create more of their own kind. They allowed Desolas to bring the Monolith to Palaven, and he returned the favor by giving them a source of new recruits. Desolas comments that he will carry the Monolith into battle as his personal talisman. With their numbers and their berserker drive to protect it, he will topple every challenger, starting with the civilian rulers on Palaven, and then continuing into the galaxy, one by one. Desolas concludes by saying that many insect species have warriors and drones, but now they will have both.
Saren tells Desolas that he is worried about where his “bugs” have been burrowing and that he came to tell him something. Saren says that some have been rooting around in the lower levels of the temple clearing the rubble from the collapsed levels. Desolas just responds with a “[s]o?” He tries to calm Saren by reminding him that the “meta-turians” worship the Monolith and just want to improve its resting place. He says that if Saren wants to chase a mirage, he is free to do so as Desolas has more important issues to attend. Unsatisfied with his brother's input, Saren says “right”, then turns and walks out.
In one of the lower levels, two guards are leading Jack to a cell, who is still pleading with them to take him back to Desolas before it is too late. The guards, however, say that Desolas has had enough of him, and so have they. Just then Eva drops from the top of the cell, connecting with both feet on the head of one of the turians. She then knocks the gun out of the hand of the other, and then knocks him out, while Jack lands a punch on the first one, knocking him out. As they grab the guard’s guns, Eva tells Jack that it was nice of him to show up as she’s been waiting to do that for days. She then asks where Ben is and Jack says that he doubts he is in the room with the Monolith, but he did see some “priests” down the hall.
As they make their way down the hall, the two come up on the “priests” excavating some rubble. Eva says that there are no real turians holding their leashes, and asks why they would be working unsupervised. A voice behind them says that is a good question. Saren is standing there pointing his gun at both of them, and asks a question of his own, before taking them out for a walk. Jack tells Saren that Desolas wouldn’t listen to him and that Saren has been played. Desolas wanted to bring the Monolith to Palaven; that is, to this temple specifically. Jack says that he read it all from the writings everywhere in the temple. In response, Saren comments that no one has been able to read them, and that nobody knows why their ancestors even built the place. Jack, however, insists that he can read them, and understand the “meta-turians”. He says that he knows what really happened here, and so do they.
As they finish their discussion, the rubble was cleared, and inside is another Monolith. Saren is taken aback by the discovery. Jack then proceeds to tell the story. Ancient turians discovered the second Monolith ages ago and like now, it created super-strong turians and their “Valluvian Priests” of legend. However, they weren’t holy, so they built the temple to protect the rest of the species and after Desolas’ researchers found the smaller, second Monolith and they were transformed, they sensed that this one was already here. Jack continues by saying that they will soon be transforming the turian race at double the rate they are now. Desolas is taking it slow to prevent public backlash, but soon there will be too many “priests” to care. He will then move the Monolith to city squares around the planet and then forcibly transform the entire turian race.
Saren cuts Jack off before he can finish and tells him to shut up and let him think. He asks why would anyone do something like this, and what is the point of advancing a species by sacrificing intelligence. Jack says that he doesn’t know, but then Ben shows up and says that he thinks the Monolith wants it that way. The Monolith knows about humanity now, because of him. And now that they have found a second one, it wants them to act. Jack comforts Ben by saying that it isn’t his fault, and it is the fault of whoever created the devices. Jack says he hasn’t worked out the angle, the why. Eva, however, turns to Saren and tells him that he better do something fast, otherwise they will have a planet of drooling behemoths, and it won’t stop there.
Saren tells Eva “enough” and to stop nattering. He says that he is an Arterius, but he is also sworn to defend his people. Saren then grabs his communicator and contacts Palaven Command, telling them he is declaring an unsecured bioweapon emergency.
Meanwhile in the upstairs part of the temple, Desolas is inspecting his troops, and notices they have gotten agitated. He asks a guard what is going on, and the guard says that he doesn’t know; they were placid, then they suddenly broke ranks. Desolas says that the way they are walking leads outside, and tells them they don’t have any purpose there. As he tries to order them back into their ranks, one of them knocks Desolas down, just then Saren walks in with some armed troops and tells no one to move. Desolas still gets tossed around some more and that does it for Saren and he orders the troops to open fire and not to let anyone get outside. Meanwhile, Jack is leading Ben and Eva out. Since Eva is carrying Ben, Jack has both guns, and is firing as fast as he can and asks them to help as Saren needs all the help he can get. Then he notices that they are leaving and Eva says that this is their fight not theirs. Jack rushes over to help, but can’t help but notice that Ben is just dead weight.
Eva says the Monolith wants to get him to join the others, but she keeps telling him to fight back. She continues by saying there is hope if they can get him to a human hospital, then they might be able to help him. Jack says that he doesn’t think that Ben can be helped. Not anymore. He explains that he has thought more about why someone would do this, but Eva cuts him off telling Jack to not think for once, and feel. She isn’t giving up and if they get him away from the “meta-turians”, then it might make a difference. But Jack says that there is no place far enough away, and that he could feel them from Arcturus Station. Eva remarks that there is one thing they haven’t tried yet. Before Jack can ask what that is, she grabs one of Jack’s guns, points it at the Monolith, and shoots.
Ben quickly tells her not to, but before Eva hears him, she pulls the trigger, and he lunges at her, despite Jack telling him not to, and knocks Eva into a wall, leaving a lot of blood around her head. Ben falls to the ground asking what he just did, and Desolas enters telling him exactly what he was supposed to, protect the Monolith, and that he may be the only person here who does what he is told. Desolas then turns to Saren, who also enters the room, and shows his amazement toward this technology. Eva’s shots didn’t even scratch the Monolith and it probably would have taken an orbital bombardment to do that. Saren tells Desolas that they have to get out of there as the temple isn’t secure and that he’s called outside help. Before he can finish, Desolas tells him that it’s nonsense as they are pacifying the “meta-turians” and tells Saren to recall the outside forces. He continues by saying that he can still be successful; he just needs to adjust the experiment.
Jack, who is now behind Desolas, tells him that it won’t, and won’t ever work. Ben is in a corner, cradling Eva’s unconscious body, saying that he can’t fight it. Desolas pulls a gun on Jack, reminding him that he has had enough of him and that he should have done what he is about to a long time ago. Ben then says it is inevitable, and charges at Desolas, knocking him into the Monolith along with himself.
Sometime later, Jack picks up Eva and tells her that he is sorry. The Monolith, despite everything it gave him, made him inadvertently lose sight of what really matters. Shortly thereafter, Eva regains consciousness and asks if it’s Ben, but Jack says that it’s him. Eva tells Jack to leave her, as she is done at this point, and go back for Ben. Jack tells Eva that Ben saved them all as he did what the Monolith wanted, give it another victim, and insure that Desolas won’t be making any more victims. He says that the Monolith wasn’t an evolutionary device, but rather a devolutionary device, a booby trap. Its creators planted the device to tell them when it detected an advanced species, and transform its members into those "things" so they could be controlled. As Jack walks out, he notices Saren waking up and tells him to warn his people and that he can’t be around to watch the result as he would like to, but he has to take care of his own.
Later, as Desolas is back on his feet, Saren tries to communicate with him. Desolas asks where he is, and he says right behind him, although it is merely a communications device. He tells Desolas that he is calling from a safe distance and that he is sorry that he can’t be there, but Desolas will understand in a minute. Desolas says that he doesn’t understand much of anything as he feels his mind going. Saren tells him that this is how it works. Saren says that he doesn’t know why he wasn’t affected, but guesses it had something to do with indirect contact. Saren continues that no matter the reason, he had to ask while Desolas was still inside with the “meta-turians” and the Monoliths to protect the turian people, as he would have wanted. Confused, Desolas asks Saren what he is talking about. Saren answers by saying again that he is sorry but he has a duty to Palaven, like him, but some secrets were meant to stay buried, until the turians were ready to understand them. Saren tells Desolas that he will mourn him, and avenge him. Just then the temple explodes in a fireball with crowds of cheering turians in the foreground.
At Arcturus Station, a speaker is saying that it is with a heavy heart that he reports the deaths of Ben Hislop and Eva Coré. The speaker continues by saying they have given their lives defending humanity to the last minute and they not only helped discover, but confirm what the speaker believe, that there is something out there to protect humanity from. Meanwhile, another person is sitting in a chair making a recording. He says that Desolas was right, that the stars were warm and welcoming, full of places to explore, knowledge, and riches to be had. However, humans won’t always be welcome, and those that evolved before them won’t always be willing to share what they know. That is just the way of things in the universe. Jack notes that a dark time is coming, and humanity will be tested and while they may not know who is doing the testing or why, but they must meet the challenge as humanity has done every single time in the past. Humanity must succeed because doing anything else would be inhuman. Jack says that he will watch the dark places, and bring them into the light. Jack says there is no magic, only technology and tools they can and must master. Not just to survive, but to better humanity. They can and will take their rightful place in the stars. This is his manifesto, and he hopes that you will join his cause. Jack ends the recording and takes his place as the Illusive Man, the leader of Cerberus.
In the room with the Monolith, which has the “priests” and several turians unconscious on the ground, Lagrion, a young turian tells his mother that he doesn’t like the “priests” and they just don’t look right, to which his mother replies by telling him to stay strong and reminds him that if he goes through with it, then no more turians will die in war. She continues by saying that Desolas promised something, but before she can finish, the “priests” drag Lagrion off, throwing him into the Monolith. The mother first asks what they are doing, then after her son hits it, she asks to see him, before she notices something about the “priests” and, after lifting one of their hoods, she discovers Desolas’ secret. She then ends up being thrown into the Monolith herself while Saren shields his eyes from the blast of light.
In another part of the Temple, Saren runs into Desolas who tells him he is just in time to help him inspect the troops. Saren, however, says that it is premature and the “meta-turians” are simple-minded and don’t obey orders. Saren tells Desolas that he thought that Desolas said that Jack was the key to controlling them. Desolas maintains that Harper had said nothing for days and that when he finally spoke up, he said nonsense. Desolas continues by saying that he is done with his games and that his scientists did find something, a behavioral link between the Monolith and the “meta-turians”. He tells Saren that they aren’t simple-minded, but rather single-minded driving to protect the Monolith, but also to create more of their own kind. They allowed Desolas to bring the Monolith to Palaven, and he returned the favor by giving them a source of new recruits. Desolas comments that he will carry the Monolith into battle as his personal talisman. With their numbers and their berserker drive to protect it, he will topple every challenger, starting with the civilian rulers on Palaven, and then continuing into the galaxy, one by one. Desolas concludes by saying that many insect species have warriors and drones, but now they will have both.
Saren tells Desolas that he is worried about where his “bugs” have been burrowing and that he came to tell him something. Saren says that some have been rooting around in the lower levels of the temple clearing the rubble from the collapsed levels. Desolas just responds with a “[s]o?” He tries to calm Saren by reminding him that the “meta-turians” worship the Monolith and just want to improve its resting place. He says that if Saren wants to chase a mirage, he is free to do so as Desolas has more important issues to attend. Unsatisfied with his brother's input, Saren says “right”, then turns and walks out.
In one of the lower levels, two guards are leading Jack to a cell, who is still pleading with them to take him back to Desolas before it is too late. The guards, however, say that Desolas has had enough of him, and so have they. Just then Eva drops from the top of the cell, connecting with both feet on the head of one of the turians. She then knocks the gun out of the hand of the other, and then knocks him out, while Jack lands a punch on the first one, knocking him out. As they grab the guard’s guns, Eva tells Jack that it was nice of him to show up as she’s been waiting to do that for days. She then asks where Ben is and Jack says that he doubts he is in the room with the Monolith, but he did see some “priests” down the hall.
As they make their way down the hall, the two come up on the “priests” excavating some rubble. Eva says that there are no real turians holding their leashes, and asks why they would be working unsupervised. A voice behind them says that is a good question. Saren is standing there pointing his gun at both of them, and asks a question of his own, before taking them out for a walk. Jack tells Saren that Desolas wouldn’t listen to him and that Saren has been played. Desolas wanted to bring the Monolith to Palaven; that is, to this temple specifically. Jack says that he read it all from the writings everywhere in the temple. In response, Saren comments that no one has been able to read them, and that nobody knows why their ancestors even built the place. Jack, however, insists that he can read them, and understand the “meta-turians”. He says that he knows what really happened here, and so do they.
As they finish their discussion, the rubble was cleared, and inside is another Monolith. Saren is taken aback by the discovery. Jack then proceeds to tell the story. Ancient turians discovered the second Monolith ages ago and like now, it created super-strong turians and their “Valluvian Priests” of legend. However, they weren’t holy, so they built the temple to protect the rest of the species and after Desolas’ researchers found the smaller, second Monolith and they were transformed, they sensed that this one was already here. Jack continues by saying that they will soon be transforming the turian race at double the rate they are now. Desolas is taking it slow to prevent public backlash, but soon there will be too many “priests” to care. He will then move the Monolith to city squares around the planet and then forcibly transform the entire turian race.
Saren cuts Jack off before he can finish and tells him to shut up and let him think. He asks why would anyone do something like this, and what is the point of advancing a species by sacrificing intelligence. Jack says that he doesn’t know, but then Ben shows up and says that he thinks the Monolith wants it that way. The Monolith knows about humanity now, because of him. And now that they have found a second one, it wants them to act. Jack comforts Ben by saying that it isn’t his fault, and it is the fault of whoever created the devices. Jack says he hasn’t worked out the angle, the why. Eva, however, turns to Saren and tells him that he better do something fast, otherwise they will have a planet of drooling behemoths, and it won’t stop there.
Saren tells Eva “enough” and to stop nattering. He says that he is an Arterius, but he is also sworn to defend his people. Saren then grabs his communicator and contacts Palaven Command, telling them he is declaring an unsecured bioweapon emergency.
Meanwhile in the upstairs part of the temple, Desolas is inspecting his troops, and notices they have gotten agitated. He asks a guard what is going on, and the guard says that he doesn’t know; they were placid, then they suddenly broke ranks. Desolas says that the way they are walking leads outside, and tells them they don’t have any purpose there. As he tries to order them back into their ranks, one of them knocks Desolas down, just then Saren walks in with some armed troops and tells no one to move. Desolas still gets tossed around some more and that does it for Saren and he orders the troops to open fire and not to let anyone get outside. Meanwhile, Jack is leading Ben and Eva out. Since Eva is carrying Ben, Jack has both guns, and is firing as fast as he can and asks them to help as Saren needs all the help he can get. Then he notices that they are leaving and Eva says that this is their fight not theirs. Jack rushes over to help, but can’t help but notice that Ben is just dead weight.
Eva says the Monolith wants to get him to join the others, but she keeps telling him to fight back. She continues by saying there is hope if they can get him to a human hospital, then they might be able to help him. Jack says that he doesn’t think that Ben can be helped. Not anymore. He explains that he has thought more about why someone would do this, but Eva cuts him off telling Jack to not think for once, and feel. She isn’t giving up and if they get him away from the “meta-turians”, then it might make a difference. But Jack says that there is no place far enough away, and that he could feel them from Arcturus Station. Eva remarks that there is one thing they haven’t tried yet. Before Jack can ask what that is, she grabs one of Jack’s guns, points it at the Monolith, and shoots.
Ben quickly tells her not to, but before Eva hears him, she pulls the trigger, and he lunges at her, despite Jack telling him not to, and knocks Eva into a wall, leaving a lot of blood around her head. Ben falls to the ground asking what he just did, and Desolas enters telling him exactly what he was supposed to, protect the Monolith, and that he may be the only person here who does what he is told. Desolas then turns to Saren, who also enters the room, and shows his amazement toward this technology. Eva’s shots didn’t even scratch the Monolith and it probably would have taken an orbital bombardment to do that. Saren tells Desolas that they have to get out of there as the temple isn’t secure and that he’s called outside help. Before he can finish, Desolas tells him that it’s nonsense as they are pacifying the “meta-turians” and tells Saren to recall the outside forces. He continues by saying that he can still be successful; he just needs to adjust the experiment.
Jack, who is now behind Desolas, tells him that it won’t, and won’t ever work. Ben is in a corner, cradling Eva’s unconscious body, saying that he can’t fight it. Desolas pulls a gun on Jack, reminding him that he has had enough of him and that he should have done what he is about to a long time ago. Ben then says it is inevitable, and charges at Desolas, knocking him into the Monolith along with himself.
Sometime later, Jack picks up Eva and tells her that he is sorry. The Monolith, despite everything it gave him, made him inadvertently lose sight of what really matters. Shortly thereafter, Eva regains consciousness and asks if it’s Ben, but Jack says that it’s him. Eva tells Jack to leave her, as she is done at this point, and go back for Ben. Jack tells Eva that Ben saved them all as he did what the Monolith wanted, give it another victim, and insure that Desolas won’t be making any more victims. He says that the Monolith wasn’t an evolutionary device, but rather a devolutionary device, a booby trap. Its creators planted the device to tell them when it detected an advanced species, and transform its members into those "things" so they could be controlled. As Jack walks out, he notices Saren waking up and tells him to warn his people and that he can’t be around to watch the result as he would like to, but he has to take care of his own.
Later, as Desolas is back on his feet, Saren tries to communicate with him. Desolas asks where he is, and he says right behind him, although it is merely a communications device. He tells Desolas that he is calling from a safe distance and that he is sorry that he can’t be there, but Desolas will understand in a minute. Desolas says that he doesn’t understand much of anything as he feels his mind going. Saren tells him that this is how it works. Saren says that he doesn’t know why he wasn’t affected, but guesses it had something to do with indirect contact. Saren continues that no matter the reason, he had to ask while Desolas was still inside with the “meta-turians” and the Monoliths to protect the turian people, as he would have wanted. Confused, Desolas asks Saren what he is talking about. Saren answers by saying again that he is sorry but he has a duty to Palaven, like him, but some secrets were meant to stay buried, until the turians were ready to understand them. Saren tells Desolas that he will mourn him, and avenge him. Just then the temple explodes in a fireball with crowds of cheering turians in the foreground.
At Arcturus Station, a speaker is saying that it is with a heavy heart that he reports the deaths of Ben Hislop and Eva Coré. The speaker continues by saying they have given their lives defending humanity to the last minute and they not only helped discover, but confirm what the speaker believe, that there is something out there to protect humanity from. Meanwhile, another person is sitting in a chair making a recording. He says that Desolas was right, that the stars were warm and welcoming, full of places to explore, knowledge, and riches to be had. However, humans won’t always be welcome, and those that evolved before them won’t always be willing to share what they know. That is just the way of things in the universe. Jack notes that a dark time is coming, and humanity will be tested and while they may not know who is doing the testing or why, but they must meet the challenge as humanity has done every single time in the past. Humanity must succeed because doing anything else would be inhuman. Jack says that he will watch the dark places, and bring them into the light. Jack says there is no magic, only technology and tools they can and must master. Not just to survive, but to better humanity. They can and will take their rightful place in the stars. This is his manifesto, and he hopes that you will join his cause. Jack ends the recording and takes his place as the Illusive Man, the leader of Cerberus.
Mass Effect: Conviction
Characters
James Vega: Main Character
David Anderson: Ally
Plot
Days after the events of Arrival, the galaxy is in turmoil over Commander Shepard's actions. While the Citadel Council denounces the Commander and Councilor Udina deflects blame from the Systems Alliance, the Batarian Hegemony calls for retribution for the apparent terrorist acts.
On Omega, Alliance soldier James Vega plays cards in a bar as he watches a newscast about the uproar. Without warning, he rips the screen from the wall, offering to pay the krogan bartender for the damages. The batarians Vega was playing cards with become confrontational and accuse him of being a "Shepard Lover". Vega tries to calm them down, but they charge him. He bashes one batarian over the head with the screen, then rushes the leader of another group, both of them crashing through a window. The rest of the batarians surround Vega and attack.
The fight is interrupted by the arrival of Admiral Anderson and a contingent of soldiers. Anderson informs Vega that he is being brought in for more training. As they board an aircar, Anderson tells Vega that he must get past "the incident on Fehl" and "be the soldier we expect of you". Vega argues, demanding that Anderson throw him in the brig as they approach the Normandy SR-2. Anderson then explains that Vega will actually be guarding the brig, and one special prisoner: Commander Shepard.
Mass Effect: Invasion
Characters
Aria T'Loak: Main Character
Anto Korragan: Ally
The Illusive Man: Adversary
Raymond Ashe: Adversary
Oleg Petrovsky: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect: Invasion is a four-issue comic mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics that follows Aria T'Loak, the Pirate Queen of Omega as her station comes under attack from a new threat unleashed by the human-survivalist organization Cerberus.
The series will be written by BioWare lead writer Mac Walters, scripted by John Jackson Miller, and drawn by Omar Francia, with contributions from cover designer Massimo Carnevale.
James Vega: Main Character
David Anderson: Ally
Plot
Days after the events of Arrival, the galaxy is in turmoil over Commander Shepard's actions. While the Citadel Council denounces the Commander and Councilor Udina deflects blame from the Systems Alliance, the Batarian Hegemony calls for retribution for the apparent terrorist acts.
On Omega, Alliance soldier James Vega plays cards in a bar as he watches a newscast about the uproar. Without warning, he rips the screen from the wall, offering to pay the krogan bartender for the damages. The batarians Vega was playing cards with become confrontational and accuse him of being a "Shepard Lover". Vega tries to calm them down, but they charge him. He bashes one batarian over the head with the screen, then rushes the leader of another group, both of them crashing through a window. The rest of the batarians surround Vega and attack.
The fight is interrupted by the arrival of Admiral Anderson and a contingent of soldiers. Anderson informs Vega that he is being brought in for more training. As they board an aircar, Anderson tells Vega that he must get past "the incident on Fehl" and "be the soldier we expect of you". Vega argues, demanding that Anderson throw him in the brig as they approach the Normandy SR-2. Anderson then explains that Vega will actually be guarding the brig, and one special prisoner: Commander Shepard.
Mass Effect: Invasion
Characters
Aria T'Loak: Main Character
Anto Korragan: Ally
The Illusive Man: Adversary
Raymond Ashe: Adversary
Oleg Petrovsky: Adversary
Plot
Mass Effect: Invasion is a four-issue comic mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics that follows Aria T'Loak, the Pirate Queen of Omega as her station comes under attack from a new threat unleashed by the human-survivalist organization Cerberus.
The series will be written by BioWare lead writer Mac Walters, scripted by John Jackson Miller, and drawn by Omar Francia, with contributions from cover designer Massimo Carnevale.
Issue#1: She'll go to any length... To protect what's hers.
Following the conclusion of Mass Effect 2, the human-survivalist organization Cerberus began establishing a series of bases beyond the Omega 4 Relay to carry out experiments on the Collectors' technology. Although relations between Cerberus and Aria T'Loak, the Pirate Queen of Omega, were damaged during the events of Mass Effect: Retribution, Aria has continued to permit Cerberus the use of Omega as a supply hub for their operations. Mass Effect: Invasion opens as a group of thugs prepare to raid a Cerberus transport ship that recently landed on the station. Without warning, strange creatures emerge from the ship and attack everyone in sight. The creatures make their way to the Afterlife Club, where Aria's assistant Anto and several mercenaries attempt to fend them off. Just as the creatures overwhelm the mercs and one moves in to kill Anto, Aria arrives. With her help, the mercs drive away the creatures. Aria orders her men to take out the remaining creatures one at a time.
Ships bearing Cerberus identification tags enter the area through another mass relay. At first, fearing more creatures, Aria tells Anto to activate Omega's defenses, but realizes that the new ship is attacking the transports. The ship makes contact with Omega Control and is identified as the Elbrus, commanded by General Oleg Petrovsky on behalf of Cerberus. As the Elbrus continues sweeping up the Cerberus transports, Aria questions how the ship arrived so quickly, confiding in Anto that something felt wrong. Just as she returns to Afterlife to call the Illusive Man, Anto exclaims that the Illusive Man was already calling her.
The Illusive Man shows Aria security footage of the creatures, called Adjutants, escaping captivity within a Cerberus base and escaping on personnel shuttles. He explains that all of Cerberus' research bases have gone silent, which is why he sent the Elbrus to help Aria out. Aria accuses him of tampering with Reaper technology, but he defends the action as necessary to understand the Reapers and reveals that more Adjutants will be on their way once they learn to control Cerberus' better-armed ships. Aria's fight is the Illusive Man's fight, too.
Later, Aria encounters Petrovsky and a Colonel Ashe killing a badly-wounded turian and collecting something from the body. Aria is alarmed, but then notices a salarian corpse transforming into an Adjutant. Aria and Petrovsky take it out; newly-transformed Adjutants are weaker, needing more time to rewrite the genetic code of their bodies. Ashe begins ordering Aria's mercs to finish the cleanup, to "Follow Cerberus' lead - and live!" Aria hits Ashe with a biotic attack, enraged that a Cerberus agent would dare give orders to her men. Ashe retorts that he's only doing his job and humanity's job: saving the galaxy from the aliens. Petrovksy intervenes and says that with more ships on the way to Omega, the Elbrus will do what it can to stave them off, but help from Aria would be appreciated until Cerberus reinforcements arrive.
Aria musters several ships to back up the Elbrus, where she and Petrovsky oversee their makeshift fleet. Petrovsky expresses regret that Colonel Ashe was unavailable to assist him, Aria having locked Ashe up for the duration of the crisis for disrespecting her authority. Aria asks Petrovsky if he plans to make a last stand, like he did against a turian assault while he was a corporal. The general reassures her, explaining that he is a student of military history and that the strategies they will use now will be used because their formulators lived. As more ships arrive through a mass relay, Petrovksy vows to lift the siege of Omega.
Back on the space station, a krogan and two turians guard Colonel Ashe and mock him for defying Aria. Ashe tells them that he's right where he needs to be, and without warning attacks the guards and kills them all. Ashe picks up an assault rifle and communication headset and contacts the Illusive Man, revealing that he's ready to start the real battle for Omega.
Ships bearing Cerberus identification tags enter the area through another mass relay. At first, fearing more creatures, Aria tells Anto to activate Omega's defenses, but realizes that the new ship is attacking the transports. The ship makes contact with Omega Control and is identified as the Elbrus, commanded by General Oleg Petrovsky on behalf of Cerberus. As the Elbrus continues sweeping up the Cerberus transports, Aria questions how the ship arrived so quickly, confiding in Anto that something felt wrong. Just as she returns to Afterlife to call the Illusive Man, Anto exclaims that the Illusive Man was already calling her.
The Illusive Man shows Aria security footage of the creatures, called Adjutants, escaping captivity within a Cerberus base and escaping on personnel shuttles. He explains that all of Cerberus' research bases have gone silent, which is why he sent the Elbrus to help Aria out. Aria accuses him of tampering with Reaper technology, but he defends the action as necessary to understand the Reapers and reveals that more Adjutants will be on their way once they learn to control Cerberus' better-armed ships. Aria's fight is the Illusive Man's fight, too.
Later, Aria encounters Petrovsky and a Colonel Ashe killing a badly-wounded turian and collecting something from the body. Aria is alarmed, but then notices a salarian corpse transforming into an Adjutant. Aria and Petrovsky take it out; newly-transformed Adjutants are weaker, needing more time to rewrite the genetic code of their bodies. Ashe begins ordering Aria's mercs to finish the cleanup, to "Follow Cerberus' lead - and live!" Aria hits Ashe with a biotic attack, enraged that a Cerberus agent would dare give orders to her men. Ashe retorts that he's only doing his job and humanity's job: saving the galaxy from the aliens. Petrovksy intervenes and says that with more ships on the way to Omega, the Elbrus will do what it can to stave them off, but help from Aria would be appreciated until Cerberus reinforcements arrive.
Aria musters several ships to back up the Elbrus, where she and Petrovsky oversee their makeshift fleet. Petrovsky expresses regret that Colonel Ashe was unavailable to assist him, Aria having locked Ashe up for the duration of the crisis for disrespecting her authority. Aria asks Petrovsky if he plans to make a last stand, like he did against a turian assault while he was a corporal. The general reassures her, explaining that he is a student of military history and that the strategies they will use now will be used because their formulators lived. As more ships arrive through a mass relay, Petrovksy vows to lift the siege of Omega.
Back on the space station, a krogan and two turians guard Colonel Ashe and mock him for defying Aria. Ashe tells them that he's right where he needs to be, and without warning attacks the guards and kills them all. Ashe picks up an assault rifle and communication headset and contacts the Illusive Man, revealing that he's ready to start the real battle for Omega.
Issue#2: Nobody &!#%$ with Aria!
Aria and General Petrovsky aboard the Elbrus lead Omega's defense forces against the Adjutant ships. At first the battle goes smoothly because the Adjutant ships do not return fire. The Adjutants have yet to master the controls and use the weapons. This doesn't last for long, as one ship manages to fire on Elbrus. Many more quickly follow suit and Elbrus takes considerable damage. Aria points out that losing their ships is an acceptable loss when weighed against the millions of lives aboard Omega. She suggests closing the Omega 4 Relay to prevent any more Adjutants from entering the system. Petrovsky points out the holes in her plan: relays are impenetrable and cannot be disabled, and laying mines around the relay to destroy ships that arrive through it would take far too long. Above all, the Illusive Man would forbid such an action, as Cerberus still has a vested interest in its Reaper research. Aria begins to argue, but the Elbrus takes another hit. Petrovsky realizes that the only place they can retreat to now is the relay, where they can escape to the center of the galaxy and possibly stop the source of the problem. The Adjutants won't follow them because they are intent only on advancing on Omega to transform its population into more Adjutants.
In Omega Control, Anto Korragan learns that Aria's ship has left the system. Knowing that Aria would never abandon Omega, he assumes that she is either dead or an Adjutant, and begins forming plans to take over as Omega's leader. In the shadows, the escaped Colonel Ashe listens in.
The Elbrus arrives at Avernus Station, a Cerberus research base almost overrun by the Adjutants. A handful of surviving Cerberus personnel flee to the station's exterior, hoping the area's intense radiation would deter the attackers, but to no avail. The Elbrus' guns take out the Adjutants just in time, and the ship docks with the station's north spoke, the only wing that hasn't been compromised.
Aria, Petrovsky, and the Cerberus personnel investigate the base and discover a survivor, Gabone, an assistant administrator. Gabone explained that when the scientists had begun studying a live Adjutant specimen, it "whispered" to them. Petrovsky suspects this was a method of indoctrination and prepares to execute Gabone in case he had already been affected, but a group of Adjutants break down the doors into the room. While Aria and the Cerberus operatives are distracted, Gabone transforms into an Adjutant and lunges toward Aria. Petrovsky intervenes and kills it, saying he should never leave his business unfinished. Aria then uses her biotics to obliterate the other Adjutants, but the effort causes her to pass out. Petrovsky orders his men to contact the Illusive Man to inform him that Avernus Station is now secure, but the Illusive Man sends a message to him first.
Back on Omega, Cerberus reinforcements finally arrive and set upon the Adjutant ships. Anto, flanked by guards, heads to Omega Control to find out why he, Omega's soon-to-be new leader, was not informed that Cerberus had arrived. Colonel Ashe appears, shooting Anto's guards and running past him. Anto runs to Omega Control, wondering how Ashe escaped and what he was up to, but when Anto reaches the room he stops, shocked. Everyone in Omega Control is dead.
Aria awakens on the Elbrus, still docked with Avernus Station. Biotic dampeners have been fitted around her hands. Petrovsky explains to her that the strategic situation has changed; Aria will be a "guest" on the Elbrus until further notice. He plays a recording that the Illusive Man had sent earlier. In it, Colonel Ashe speaks to the people of Omega, saying that with the Adjutant crisis over, Cerberus has decided that control of the station is vital to protecting the galaxy from the Reapers. He reveals that to institute an orderly transition of power, he has disabled Omega Control and the station's defenses, and Cerberus has eliminated all of Omega's remaining defenders. Ashe commands everyone to submit to Cerberus immediately or suffer the consequences. Omega belongs to Cerberus now.
In Omega Control, Anto Korragan learns that Aria's ship has left the system. Knowing that Aria would never abandon Omega, he assumes that she is either dead or an Adjutant, and begins forming plans to take over as Omega's leader. In the shadows, the escaped Colonel Ashe listens in.
The Elbrus arrives at Avernus Station, a Cerberus research base almost overrun by the Adjutants. A handful of surviving Cerberus personnel flee to the station's exterior, hoping the area's intense radiation would deter the attackers, but to no avail. The Elbrus' guns take out the Adjutants just in time, and the ship docks with the station's north spoke, the only wing that hasn't been compromised.
Aria, Petrovsky, and the Cerberus personnel investigate the base and discover a survivor, Gabone, an assistant administrator. Gabone explained that when the scientists had begun studying a live Adjutant specimen, it "whispered" to them. Petrovsky suspects this was a method of indoctrination and prepares to execute Gabone in case he had already been affected, but a group of Adjutants break down the doors into the room. While Aria and the Cerberus operatives are distracted, Gabone transforms into an Adjutant and lunges toward Aria. Petrovsky intervenes and kills it, saying he should never leave his business unfinished. Aria then uses her biotics to obliterate the other Adjutants, but the effort causes her to pass out. Petrovsky orders his men to contact the Illusive Man to inform him that Avernus Station is now secure, but the Illusive Man sends a message to him first.
Back on Omega, Cerberus reinforcements finally arrive and set upon the Adjutant ships. Anto, flanked by guards, heads to Omega Control to find out why he, Omega's soon-to-be new leader, was not informed that Cerberus had arrived. Colonel Ashe appears, shooting Anto's guards and running past him. Anto runs to Omega Control, wondering how Ashe escaped and what he was up to, but when Anto reaches the room he stops, shocked. Everyone in Omega Control is dead.
Aria awakens on the Elbrus, still docked with Avernus Station. Biotic dampeners have been fitted around her hands. Petrovsky explains to her that the strategic situation has changed; Aria will be a "guest" on the Elbrus until further notice. He plays a recording that the Illusive Man had sent earlier. In it, Colonel Ashe speaks to the people of Omega, saying that with the Adjutant crisis over, Cerberus has decided that control of the station is vital to protecting the galaxy from the Reapers. He reveals that to institute an orderly transition of power, he has disabled Omega Control and the station's defenses, and Cerberus has eliminated all of Omega's remaining defenders. Ashe commands everyone to submit to Cerberus immediately or suffer the consequences. Omega belongs to Cerberus now.
Issue#3: Omega under siege!
Colonel Ashe leads a squad of Cerberus operatives through Omega to secure landing bays for troop transports. They encounter Blue Suns, Eclipse, and Blood Pack mercenaries battling it out in the streets. Ashe questions a nearby batarian who explains that without Aria to maintain the peace, all of Omega's factions are vying for control of the station. When asked if anyone heard Ashe's announcement, the batarian says that everyone thinks Cerberus is there to clean up the Reaper mess since no one understands why Cerberus would want Omega. Ashe's squad moves on to the landing bays. Ashe notes that the Illusive Man had anticipated only a narrow window for Cerberus to act before Omega's inhabitants organized a resistance, and this gang conflict has given them a little more time. Furthermore, Aria is the only person who could lead such a resistance, and Ashe is confident she won't be coming back.
On the Elbrus, still stationed near Avernus Station, Aria groggily awakens in a restraining device. General Petrovsky, who had been reading a copy of the book "War and Peace", greets her and apologizes for the restraints, saying that they were necessary because Aria kept trying to escape and the design is intended to disorient her. Petrovsky tells her that she has been out long enough for the Adjutants to be mopped up both at Avernus Station and Omega. He explains that center of the galaxy is one of its safest places, and controlling it and protecting humanity necessitates controlling Omega. Aria realizes the Adjutants getting loose wasn't a mistake, that their rampage across Avernus Station and Omega was part of the Illusive Man's plan all along. Their discussion is interrupted and the general is called to the ship's bridge to receive a message from the Illusive Man. Before he goes, Petrovsky orders a mental inhibitor be used on Aria to prevent her from using any biotic powers that don't require her hands.
The Illusive Man informs General Petrovsky that capturing Omega was a contingency plan activated after Aria was distracted by the sudden Adjutant threat. Since the source of the Adjutants has been reclaimed, Petrovsky is needed back on Omega to head Cerberus' operation. Petrovsky expresses regrets at the loss of so many loyal Cerberus members and says there has not yet been word about how the Adjutants escaped. When the Illusive Man asserts that the general has doubts about what happened, Petrovsky denies it. He pointedly remarks, however, that he found Aria's suggestion that the disaster was a sham to allow Cerberus to conquer Omega ridiculous, since the Illusive Man would "never endanger so many of our people just for the sake of a diversion..." The Illusive Man responds, "Time and Patience, Oleg", echoing part of a passage of "War and Peace" that the general had been reading to Aria earlier. He tells Petrovsky to transfer Aria to a research station before reaching the mass relay and ends the transmission.
Petrovsky is then called into a corridor by a Cerberus operative. He finds a freed Aria holding the disarmed operative and standing in front of several other incapacitated operatives lying on the floor. She hits the general with a biotic attack and sends him reeling. While Aria flings two crewmen into the air, he grabs a pistol and takes aim, but she counters with kicks to his torso and head. As she grips him by the neck, she says "That's the end of my patience, Petrovsky - and your time."
Gang fighting continues on Omega. Anto complains to a turian that all he wanted to do was get the gangs to listen to him like they did to Aria, but the cease-fire he called for was ignored. The turian points out that Anto isn't Aria. The batarian reluctantly admits that they do need Aria after all. Colonel Ashe appears with more Cerberus troops who open fire on the battling gangs. Anto and the mercenaries retreat to Afterlife, and Ashe orders a team sent after them. An operative informs Ashe that the Elbrus has returned and General Petrovsky wishes to speak with him. Taking a handset, Ashe tells Petrovsky that he is already securing their first sector in Omega and there was no need for the general to come. Petrovsky reminds Ashe that he is command of Cerberus' forces there and confirms that he will arrive shortly to "storm the fortress - just like Anticlus at Troy."
After he cuts the transmission, Aria praises the general for being so willing to follow others' directions. Petrovsky retorts that he is only cooperating because Aria threatened to space the Elbrus' troop compartment and he doesn't want any more people to die needlessly. Aria points out that he isn't concerned about the deaths of her people on Omega. They argue further as the Elbrus docks with Omega and Aria leads Petrovsky at gunpoint through the boarding ramp. As Aria prepares to kill Petrovsky, the doors open to reveal Colonel Ashe and several Cerberus soldiers waiting. Petrovsky knocks Aria out of the way of incoming fire, giving her the chance to escape. The general scolds Ashe for nearly killing him too and asks if Ashe even understood the reference to Anticlus in his message, which meant that the Elbrus had been compromised and he couldn't talk. Ashe dismisses the accusation. The message was the reason why Ashe had a team ready, he couldn't forget Petrovsky's constant historical speeches and recognized his code. Petrovsky orders Ashe to deploy all Cerberus forces on Omega to hunt down Aria T'Loak and secure the station once and for all.
Anto watches the exchange on a monitor and turns to face a room full of mercenaries. He tells them that Cerberus will take over Omega if they don't stop fighting amongst themselves. A krogan responds that Anto can't run a revolution; the only person the mercenaries would willingly follow is Aria, and Cerberus knows that. At that, Aria makes her presence known and announces a "little job" she wants everyone in on. She says that if Cerberus wants Omega, "they'll have to take it over our dead bodies!"
On the Elbrus, still stationed near Avernus Station, Aria groggily awakens in a restraining device. General Petrovsky, who had been reading a copy of the book "War and Peace", greets her and apologizes for the restraints, saying that they were necessary because Aria kept trying to escape and the design is intended to disorient her. Petrovsky tells her that she has been out long enough for the Adjutants to be mopped up both at Avernus Station and Omega. He explains that center of the galaxy is one of its safest places, and controlling it and protecting humanity necessitates controlling Omega. Aria realizes the Adjutants getting loose wasn't a mistake, that their rampage across Avernus Station and Omega was part of the Illusive Man's plan all along. Their discussion is interrupted and the general is called to the ship's bridge to receive a message from the Illusive Man. Before he goes, Petrovsky orders a mental inhibitor be used on Aria to prevent her from using any biotic powers that don't require her hands.
The Illusive Man informs General Petrovsky that capturing Omega was a contingency plan activated after Aria was distracted by the sudden Adjutant threat. Since the source of the Adjutants has been reclaimed, Petrovsky is needed back on Omega to head Cerberus' operation. Petrovsky expresses regrets at the loss of so many loyal Cerberus members and says there has not yet been word about how the Adjutants escaped. When the Illusive Man asserts that the general has doubts about what happened, Petrovsky denies it. He pointedly remarks, however, that he found Aria's suggestion that the disaster was a sham to allow Cerberus to conquer Omega ridiculous, since the Illusive Man would "never endanger so many of our people just for the sake of a diversion..." The Illusive Man responds, "Time and Patience, Oleg", echoing part of a passage of "War and Peace" that the general had been reading to Aria earlier. He tells Petrovsky to transfer Aria to a research station before reaching the mass relay and ends the transmission.
Petrovsky is then called into a corridor by a Cerberus operative. He finds a freed Aria holding the disarmed operative and standing in front of several other incapacitated operatives lying on the floor. She hits the general with a biotic attack and sends him reeling. While Aria flings two crewmen into the air, he grabs a pistol and takes aim, but she counters with kicks to his torso and head. As she grips him by the neck, she says "That's the end of my patience, Petrovsky - and your time."
Gang fighting continues on Omega. Anto complains to a turian that all he wanted to do was get the gangs to listen to him like they did to Aria, but the cease-fire he called for was ignored. The turian points out that Anto isn't Aria. The batarian reluctantly admits that they do need Aria after all. Colonel Ashe appears with more Cerberus troops who open fire on the battling gangs. Anto and the mercenaries retreat to Afterlife, and Ashe orders a team sent after them. An operative informs Ashe that the Elbrus has returned and General Petrovsky wishes to speak with him. Taking a handset, Ashe tells Petrovsky that he is already securing their first sector in Omega and there was no need for the general to come. Petrovsky reminds Ashe that he is command of Cerberus' forces there and confirms that he will arrive shortly to "storm the fortress - just like Anticlus at Troy."
After he cuts the transmission, Aria praises the general for being so willing to follow others' directions. Petrovsky retorts that he is only cooperating because Aria threatened to space the Elbrus' troop compartment and he doesn't want any more people to die needlessly. Aria points out that he isn't concerned about the deaths of her people on Omega. They argue further as the Elbrus docks with Omega and Aria leads Petrovsky at gunpoint through the boarding ramp. As Aria prepares to kill Petrovsky, the doors open to reveal Colonel Ashe and several Cerberus soldiers waiting. Petrovsky knocks Aria out of the way of incoming fire, giving her the chance to escape. The general scolds Ashe for nearly killing him too and asks if Ashe even understood the reference to Anticlus in his message, which meant that the Elbrus had been compromised and he couldn't talk. Ashe dismisses the accusation. The message was the reason why Ashe had a team ready, he couldn't forget Petrovsky's constant historical speeches and recognized his code. Petrovsky orders Ashe to deploy all Cerberus forces on Omega to hunt down Aria T'Loak and secure the station once and for all.
Anto watches the exchange on a monitor and turns to face a room full of mercenaries. He tells them that Cerberus will take over Omega if they don't stop fighting amongst themselves. A krogan responds that Anto can't run a revolution; the only person the mercenaries would willingly follow is Aria, and Cerberus knows that. At that, Aria makes her presence known and announces a "little job" she wants everyone in on. She says that if Cerberus wants Omega, "they'll have to take it over our dead bodies!"
Issue#4: At death's door!
While attacking a Blue Suns hideout on Omega, General Petrovsky's Cerberus soldiers face stiff resistance from an unpredictable enemy. As Blood Pack varren and Eclipse YMIR Mechs stymie the Cerberus troops, they realize the entire hideout has been mined. The mines explode and the squad is lost. Colonel Ashe calls in another team to sweep the area for traps, but is reprimanded by Petrovsky, who asserts that a true soldier would send in medics to aid the wounded first. Ashe retorts that Petrovsky is at fault for the worsening situation because he brought Aria back to Omega. The station's gangs have united under her and Cerberus has been denied an easy victory. As Ashe suggests that the Illusive Man should replace the General, Blue Suns troops emerge from the ventilation tunnels and attack. Ashe and Petrovsky cut them down. Petrovsky surmises that Aria is headquartered somewhere in the station's endless slums, allowing her forces to strike anywhere. She could hold out against the Cerberus invasion indefinitely, but the General knows that as long as the battle rages, no one profits from Omega. To flush her out of hiding, Petrovsky proposes giving her what she wants: victory.
Deep in Omega's slums, Aria and her mercenary allies notice Cerberus forces pulling back. She pounces on one unlucky trooper and interrogates him. It turns out Cerberus isn't retreating: the Adjutants are loose in Cerberus's bases again and all operatives on Omega have been recalled by General Petrovsky to contain them. Petrovsky has declared Omega an open city under Aria's rule once again. Later, Anto confirms that most Cerberus ships have left aside from a few civilians and support ships. Aria suspects a trap and decides to beat Petrovsky at his own game by capturing him and using him as a bargaining chip to force negotiations with the Illusive Man.
Aria's group spies on Petrovsky, Ashe, and several humans, all adorned with armor from Omega's gangs as per the General's "false-flag" scheme. A group of aliens in heavy robes approach the humans claiming that the plague has broken out again in the Gozu District. Without warning they discard their robes and use concealed weapons to open fire on the Cerberus operatives. In the commotion, Aria makes a run for the Afterlife Club, her main stronghold. Believing Petrovsky's plan to have failed, Ashe notifies a standby team to activate option "Omega-Two". The General balks at the idea of using explosives in an area populated with civilians, but Ashe pulls a gun on him and reveals that explosives aren't part of the plan at all. In the battle-damaged Afterlife Club, Aria orders Anto to contact the Illusive Man. When he doesn't respond, she ascends to her booth and finds an Adjutant killing Anto.
Outside, Ashe explains to Petrovsky that they placed an Adjutant in stasis during the earlier mop-up operation. While Petrovsky focused on his false-flag plan, Ashe's own men moved the stasis pod into Afterlife and Ashe remotely freed the Adjutant. Petrovsky is livid that Ashe would put the entire station in danger with such a dangerous plan, but Ashe considers the potential casualties to be acceptable losses. They begin to fight, but the Adjutant is suddenly hurled through Afterlife's front doors and knocks the two men down. An enraged Aria emerges, roaring at them to leave her station. Ashe raises his gun to shoot her, but the Adjutant strikes him first. Aria spears it with a biotic blast. A transforming Ashe asks Petrovsky what he will do. The General responds that he will do what he is sworn to do: protect his troops. He shoots Ashe point-blank in the head. As Aria advances toward him, Petrovsky warns her that his ruse wasn't the only reason he evacuated Cerberus forces from Omega. A Cerberus fleet waits outside the station with enough firepower to destroy it level by level. If Cerberus can't have Omega, Petrovsky won't allow anyone else to use it against Cerberus. He promises to evacuate Omega's civilians before the barrage, but will only spare Omega if Aria surrenders it. Aria concedes and leaves.
Sometime later, General Petrovsky contacts the Illusive Man to inform him that Omega has been secured for Cerberus. He reports that Aria T'Loak is likely dead, possibly one of the Adjutant corpses found in Afterlife, and Colonel Raymond Ashe is missing and presumed dead as well. When Petrovsky expresses his hope that Cerberus's victory over Omega will ultimately result in the loss of fewer of his soldiers' lives, the Illusive Man pauses briefly before smiling and answering, "Of course". A lieutenant informs Petrovsky that there is no sign of Aria on the station and claims she must have run away like a coward. Petrovsky disagrees, pointing out that he had threatened the one thing Aria had cared about, her station, and she had given it up because she knew that Petrovsky would destroy it. The General didn't approve of some of the methods used to win, but with Aria gone, so is "the threat to the station". As he gazes out a window, he predicts that one day, Aria would return. Meanwhile, Aria looks on Omega one more time from a small transport before turning away and flying off.
Deep in Omega's slums, Aria and her mercenary allies notice Cerberus forces pulling back. She pounces on one unlucky trooper and interrogates him. It turns out Cerberus isn't retreating: the Adjutants are loose in Cerberus's bases again and all operatives on Omega have been recalled by General Petrovsky to contain them. Petrovsky has declared Omega an open city under Aria's rule once again. Later, Anto confirms that most Cerberus ships have left aside from a few civilians and support ships. Aria suspects a trap and decides to beat Petrovsky at his own game by capturing him and using him as a bargaining chip to force negotiations with the Illusive Man.
Aria's group spies on Petrovsky, Ashe, and several humans, all adorned with armor from Omega's gangs as per the General's "false-flag" scheme. A group of aliens in heavy robes approach the humans claiming that the plague has broken out again in the Gozu District. Without warning they discard their robes and use concealed weapons to open fire on the Cerberus operatives. In the commotion, Aria makes a run for the Afterlife Club, her main stronghold. Believing Petrovsky's plan to have failed, Ashe notifies a standby team to activate option "Omega-Two". The General balks at the idea of using explosives in an area populated with civilians, but Ashe pulls a gun on him and reveals that explosives aren't part of the plan at all. In the battle-damaged Afterlife Club, Aria orders Anto to contact the Illusive Man. When he doesn't respond, she ascends to her booth and finds an Adjutant killing Anto.
Outside, Ashe explains to Petrovsky that they placed an Adjutant in stasis during the earlier mop-up operation. While Petrovsky focused on his false-flag plan, Ashe's own men moved the stasis pod into Afterlife and Ashe remotely freed the Adjutant. Petrovsky is livid that Ashe would put the entire station in danger with such a dangerous plan, but Ashe considers the potential casualties to be acceptable losses. They begin to fight, but the Adjutant is suddenly hurled through Afterlife's front doors and knocks the two men down. An enraged Aria emerges, roaring at them to leave her station. Ashe raises his gun to shoot her, but the Adjutant strikes him first. Aria spears it with a biotic blast. A transforming Ashe asks Petrovsky what he will do. The General responds that he will do what he is sworn to do: protect his troops. He shoots Ashe point-blank in the head. As Aria advances toward him, Petrovsky warns her that his ruse wasn't the only reason he evacuated Cerberus forces from Omega. A Cerberus fleet waits outside the station with enough firepower to destroy it level by level. If Cerberus can't have Omega, Petrovsky won't allow anyone else to use it against Cerberus. He promises to evacuate Omega's civilians before the barrage, but will only spare Omega if Aria surrenders it. Aria concedes and leaves.
Sometime later, General Petrovsky contacts the Illusive Man to inform him that Omega has been secured for Cerberus. He reports that Aria T'Loak is likely dead, possibly one of the Adjutant corpses found in Afterlife, and Colonel Raymond Ashe is missing and presumed dead as well. When Petrovsky expresses his hope that Cerberus's victory over Omega will ultimately result in the loss of fewer of his soldiers' lives, the Illusive Man pauses briefly before smiling and answering, "Of course". A lieutenant informs Petrovsky that there is no sign of Aria on the station and claims she must have run away like a coward. Petrovsky disagrees, pointing out that he had threatened the one thing Aria had cared about, her station, and she had given it up because she knew that Petrovsky would destroy it. The General didn't approve of some of the methods used to win, but with Aria gone, so is "the threat to the station". As he gazes out a window, he predicts that one day, Aria would return. Meanwhile, Aria looks on Omega one more time from a small transport before turning away and flying off.