Salvation: A Half-Life/Mass Effect Universe Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: This fan-fiction takes place after the events of both Half-Life 1 and 2 and its episodes, and jumps to the events after Mass Effect 1 and 2. If you have not played or beaten these games this fiction may not make much sense to you. Characters property of their respective companies, Half-Life created by Valve and Mass Effect created by Bioware.

Chapter 6: 179 Years Later...

Showers of sparks rained down from large, lose wires, hanging from the ceiling of the empty, silvery walled room, as he walked in. There was a collapsed steel girder blocking the entrance. Carefully he moved it aside, propping it up against the nearby wall, as he walked into the ravaged communications room. He wore a set of battle scarred, dark gray, full body armor. The length of his right arm was marked with a bold, red stripe, surrounded by two narrower white stripes, running down from his shoulder, to the back of his hand. And his armor was stamped with an embossed red and white insignia on his right chest, that read "N7". The platform before him lit up as he walked onto it, summoning a flicker of static and light which manifested itself into the visage of a person before his eyes.

"Shepard..." The holographic figure began, with a look of utter discontent on his face. "You're making it a habit of costing me more than time and money..." He said, as he lightly dusted the excess ashes off of his cigarette into a nearby ashtray.

This man, with a head full of feathered, dark, salt and pepper hair, wearing a black, contemporary, expensive looking suit, carried himself with a cavalier arrogance. His eyes were steely blue, and emitted a strange, almost demonic glow, as part of some sort of modern ocular implant or prosthetic.

"Too many lives were lost at that base..." The armored Commander John Shepard replied, waving his hand in a disregarding manner. "I'm not sorry it's gone."

"The first of many lives!" Rebutted the strange, illusive hologram before the Commander. "The technology from that base could have secured human dominance in the galaxy, against the Reapers and beyond..."

"Human dominance...? Or just Cerberus?!" Shepard demanded, taking a commanding step forth.

Slowly the steely eyed figure stood up from his chair, and walked towards Shepard's hologram, on his end of the communication link.

"Strength for Cerberus is strength for every human..." He affirmed, with an abundance of self assurance. "Cerberus IS humanity! I should have known you'd choke on the hard decisions... Too idealistic from the start!" He asserted angrily, as he waved Shepard off, clearly aggravated with his previous actions.

"I'm not looking for your approval..." The Commander replied, with complete indifference over the hologram's irritation. "Harbinger is coming, and he won't be alone. Humanity needs a leader who's looking out for them. From now on, I'm doing things my way... Whether you agree or not."

"Don't turn your back on me Shepard!" The antagonized hologram warned furiously, with a deep hostility in his voice and in his demonic blue eyes.  "I made you! I brought you back from the dead!"

Shepard turned his eyes to the ceiling. "Joker. Lose this channel." He ordered, completely ignoring the ramblings of the illusive hologram. He slowly walked off of the illuminated communication platform, with a sly, complacent grin on his face, as the hologram behind him slowly dissipated into a blur of static, before vanishing completely.

***

In the cold of space, the silhouette of a single, sleek starship glided across a cascading backdrop of vibrant colored nebulae. It had seen its crew through the most vicious battle of their lives, and traversed a graveyard of starships to get them there. But it had faithfully brought them back... The vessel's gleaming, silver fuselage seemed to twinkle with the starlight, despite the extensive damage it had sustained. The hull was battered, and bruised with massive dents, scorch marks, and breaches. But despite this, the bold, striking letters etched on the side seemed unscathed. And proudly they read: NORMANDY.

The SR-2 Normandy. She was as wounded on the inside, as she was on the outside. But she flew true, and strong. And within her damaged corridors, the intrepid Commander John Shepard walked forth, surveying his crew with pride.

He was now donned in a grey, black, and white serviceman's uniform, marked with an orange, diamond shaped insignia on each shoulder - the emblem of the organization known as Cerberus. Not having had a moments peace since he and his crew had journeyed to the unreachable, and done the impossible, it felt good to finally be out of his burdensome armor. Everyone on board, whether they were human or otherwise, was busy with some task or another, hastily trying to bring the damaged, state-of-the-art starship back to full working capacity.

As he walked down the wrecked halls and corridor of the once gleaming interior, crew member that spotted him stopped and showed their respect with a salute. He reciprocated with a slight nod, as if to say "carry on."

As he continued his inspections, he spotted his fellow combatant squad members, tending to their weapons, as well as performing any job necessary to get the damaged ship back in full working condition. It was a squad comprised of the best the galaxy had to offer, alien and human alike - all championing the same cause.

Once they'd notice him, in a tremendous show of respect and admiration, they'd simultaneously stop and acknowledge him with a nod, which among warriors is about as reverent as one can get.

"Commander." He heard someone call out, as a nearby, gaunt, bearded figure, wearing a cap with the lettering "SR2" embroidered on it, stood up and limped over to him, handing him a data pad.

On it, was a comprehensive structural readout of a large, insect-like race of alien monstrosity.

"What's this?" Shepard questioned, not entirely sure what to make out of the information presented to him on the data pad.

"Structural schematics of your average Reaper." The slender helmsman replied. "It's data that EDI managed to extract from the Collector base while you guys were in there."

Shepard looked up from the data pad, and peered out into the nocturne of space - a black veil blanketed with stars. There was no window there, where he looked. Instead, a massive hull breach, temporarily contained with a shimmering biotic energy shield. As he stared out, a slight chill ran down his spine. He knew that their success in destroying the Collector's base would be a slight setback at best for the true threat of the galaxy. They were out there... Somewhere.

"Commander...?" The helmsman questioned worriedly, snapping Shepard out of his deep state of thought.

"Sorry Joker." Shepard replied, with a sigh, as he turned back to face him. "Just thinking about what's ahead..."

"Yeah I hear ya..." Joker replied.

"Anyway..." The Commander began again, looking back down at the data pad in his hands. "Anything useful from these readouts? Anything we can use?"

"Well..." Joker replied dolefully, as he scratched the back of his head. "Not really... Nothing we didn't already know. They really don't have much in the way of weak spots. Only real way to take 'em down is to..."

"...Kill 'em with bug bites." Shepard interjected, finishing Joker's sentence. "Just completely unload on 'em, and whittle away at their shields..."

"Right..." Joker continued. "But, the readings also show that the Reapers seem to emit a strange energy signature, one not seen before."

"Hmm..." Shepard uttered pensively, as he contemplated the information given to him. "There must be some way we can use this. But it can wait..." He affirmed, disregarding the data pad for now. "Right now the crew deserves a little time off. Set a course for the Citadel."  He said to his helmsman, with a smile, before he turned his attention to a nearby terminal.

"Aye Sir!" Joker responded happily, as he rushed out of the room, limping along as quickly as his legs could take him to the nearby elevator.

"EDI..." Shepard called out, causing a holographic blue sphere to emerge from the terminal.

"Yes, Commander." EDI's spherical visage responded, in a soft, feminine voice.

"Put me through over the loudspeaker. I have something to say to the crew."

"Putting you through now, Commander." EDI responded, as her form faded back into the terminal she originated from.

"This is Commander Shepard." He began, as his voice echoed throughout the entirety of the ship. Everyone on board, who had busied themselves, stopped dead in their tracks and devoted their full attention to their Commander's voice.

"First of all, I want to say how proud I am of each and every one of you... Not only did we survive going through the Omega-4 Relay, which is something that no one before us had done. But we also showed the Collectors what this crew is really made of, and brought our people home. Now, it's not over... Not by a long shot... We can't forget the lives that have been lost getting here. And we can't forget that the Reapers are still out there. But now they know what they're up against!"

His words resounded throughout the ship with acumen and resolve, as they stirred up deep sensations of pride and awe within every living being on board - human or alien, organic or synthetic.  

"This crew stands in their way, and they know it! Each of you got on this ship for different reasons, but we're all fighting for the same cause. You've all seen what the Reapers are capable of... I can't  fathom how many lives they've claimed throughout the ages... How many races they've wiped out... And it doesn't matter... What matters is this; it ends with us...! We stand together against the Reapers. And if they want the galaxy, they're going to have to go through US to get it."

His words sent chills down the spines of his crew, inspiring them with feelings of invincibility, and readying them for whatever treacherous roads lie ahead.

"But..." He continued, his tone of voice a fair bit lighter now. "For now, the Reapers are going to have to wait. Your new assignment is as follows; Joker has set a course for the Citadel. Once we arrive, you are all hereby ordered to enjoy a 48 hour liberty pass."

As his crew heard it, they erupted into a rabble of hoots, hollers, and applause. He chuckled to himself as he heard their excited reaction resounding across the ship.

"Joker, what's our ETA to the Citadel?"

"ETA two hours, twenty minutes Commander." Joker's voice responded through the terminal.

"Alright, carry on as you were until then." He ordered. The intercom cut off, as Shepard turned his attention back to the data pad, studying it intently, as he walked into the nearby elevator - the silver metallic doors sliding shut behind him.

---

"Citadel Control, this is the SR-2 Normandy, requesting permission to dock." Joker formally asked, via the Ship's comm radio, as he navigated the Normandy ever closer to the massive, five armed cylindrical structure; roughly equal in size and mass to a large moon, or small planet.

"Standby Normandy." Came the response from the radio, as Joker awaited clearance. "Permission granted. You may begin your approach. Proceed to dock 483. Welcome back, Normandy."

Joker nodded and replied. "Roger Citadel control. Normandy on approach."

He smoothly navigated the ship into the inner portion of the Citadel - passing entire city-like structures, as he made his way towards the docking platform, located at the base of the colossal space station.

The Normandy slowly pulled into docking station 483, and six large, circular, grounding clamps closed onto either side of the ship, locking it firmly in place.  A small jetway bridge slowly extended from the docking terminal and connected with the ship's primary airlock, granting access to the Citadel, for its passengers.

Shepard slowly walked through the jetway, as waves of his crew members, human and alien alike, ran through it in a rush, cheering and howling the whole way. Many of which would stop and pat him on the back, as they passed, but too eager to delve into excess and whatever other pleasures the Citadel was known for, to do little else.

His attention remained completely focused on the data pad in his hands, as he made his way to the end of the jetway. Suddenly, everything went black, as he felt two, three-fingered hands, cover his eyes from behind.

"Guess who?" The soft, sultry, accented voice brought a smile to his partially covered face.

He turned his head, removing her fingers from his eyes, as he gently put his arm around her, embracing her at his side.

"Hey you!" He began with a grin, as he looked at the small, voluptuous woman on his arm - donned in a full body suit, that contoured perfectly to every curve of her hourglass figure. "Where have you been hiding?" He questioned playfully, as they continued to walk together towards the long line formed at the Citadel Security customs checkpoint.

"I was making some minor repairs to the drive core." She responded, from behind a shining violet helmet, as she toyed with Shepard's fingers, hanging over her shoulder. "The damage looked a lot worse than it really is. Shouldn't take me more than half a day's work to get it back up to par."

As they got into line, he could hear the rest of his crew members talking amongst themselves about their individual plans for the next 48 hours.

"Might find me a hot little asari number..." He heard from one of his male crew members in the crowd - a turian, with a mildly scarred face. He was talking to two of the other male crew members, as he nodded his head with extreme confidence.


"So me and Yeoman Kelly are going to head to The Dark Star Lounge, to have a few drinks." The voluptuous quarian on his arm spoke up again. "Well... obviously I won't be having any drinks..." She said as she tapped the front of her helmet's faceplate. "But it's been so long since I've been dancing..." She claimed longingly, as she began swaying side to side besides Shepard.

"I didn't know you danced, Tali." Shepard responded, with a cheerfully surprised grin.

"We quarians are known for two things; our technical know-how and our superior dance moves." Tali replied, smiling under her helmet. "Why don't you come with us...? I've seen your moves on the battlefield. I'd love to see how you handle a dance floor." She said with a laugh, as she squeezed Shepard tightly at the hip. "I'm sure that's where most of the crew is headed to, anyway."

A look of slight disappointment came over his face as he responded. "You two go ahead. I have to stop by and see Councilor Anderson first. I'll catch up with you later."

"Oh..." Tali replied in a voice that reflected a similar disappointment. "Well I'll come with you." She offered.

"No, you two go ahead – have a good time. I won't be long." Shepard assured. "I just have some important information I gotta give him." He said, as he raised the data pad in his hand back up, for Tali to see.

"Don't take too long Commander!" He heard a woman's voice exclaim, as a red haired, green eyed woman of average height, seemingly appeared from out of nowhere, and stopped next to Tali, putting a friendly arm around her shoulders. "I might just steal her away from you." She said with a sly smile as she and Tali laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind, Kelly." Shepard said with a grin, as they continued to wait in line.

His Spectre status could have easily allowed him access, without having to go through the hassles of C-Sec protocol. But given the company he was in, he didn't mind the wait.

---

"Commander!" Councilor David Anderson exclaimed, as Commander Shepard walked through the door of the Human Embassy, overlooking the Citadel Presidium, surprised to see him. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

His voice was somewhat gritty, and despite the expensive, modern-day business suit he wore, he had the haggard look of an old soldier, and the firm build of a seasoned warrior.

He quickly stood up from the desk he had been working at, and walked over to shake Shepard's hand.

"Just wanted to say hello to an old friend, sir." Shepard replied, as the two shared a firm, friendly handshake. "How's Council life treating you?" He asked.

A look of disdain and frustration came over the Councilor's face, as he turned and looked out over the Presidium.

"Things are simple when you're a soldier, Shepard..." Anderson began with a sigh. "You have orders, and you follow them... But now... Things are just too damn complicated." He said, shaking his head, as he looked out at the civilians walking about the Presidium.

"Problems, sir?" Shepard asked, clearly concerned over Anderson's frustration.

"No..." Anderson reassured. "Just the usual bureaucratic red tape. The rest of the Council is more concerned with keeping up appearances, than admitting that anything is wrong. The Reapers... The Geth... And now these attacks on human colonies. The Council is content with just sweeping it all under the rug and pretending it never happened..."

"Yeah..." The Commander dolefully agreed. "The Council has never really shown to be all that receptive to the problems of the galaxy... I guess that's why they have the Spectres. But, on another note, I don't think you'll have to worry about the Collectors attacking human colonies anymore."

"Yes..." Anderson replied, as he turned to looked at Shepard with a sly smile. "I heard reports over the Extranet, of a ship being sighted coming OUT of the Omega-4 relay. A ship fitting the description of the Normandy. You wouldn't know anything about that? Would you Commander?" Anderson asked, as Shepard smiled subtly, saying nothing. "Something tells me the galaxy owes you a great debt of gratitude, yet again Commander." Anderson placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder in a sign of respect and thanks.

"Just doing my part for the galaxy, sir. And I didn't do it alone. I've got some of the best working with me. But that reminds me, I came to bring you this." Shepard presented Anderson with the data pad in his grip. "It's the structural readout of a common Reaper. I figure maybe the Alliance can make some use of it."

"Interesting..." Anderson replied, as he took the data pad in hand, studying it. "But won't you need it?" Questioned the Councilor.

"I've got the whole readout downloaded to my omni-tool. It's also stored on the Normandy. I won't miss it." Shepard assured. "By the way... I noticed there weren't a lot of ships in Citadel orbit. Did something happen?"

"Oh..." Anderson began with a bit of a scoff. "The Alliance fleet has been keeping a close eye on their more lucrative settlements on the far edge of the Attican Traverse, what with the attacks and all. And the Destiny Ascension, along with most of the Citadel Fleet is still on its twenty colony victory cruise." He informed, rolling his eyes.

"Victory cruise?" Shepard asked, confounded. "I heard they were finishing up their victory cruise two weeks ago."

"They've been finishing that cruise for six months... I fathom it'll be another six before they actually finish." Anderson said with a grimace, as Shepard shook his head, knowing full well the vulnerable state the absence of the fleets left the Citadel.

There was a silence between them for a moment, before it was suddenly broken by the sound of the Embassy doors opening once again. A tall, dark skinned man, with salt and pepper hair, wearing a cream white suit, walked in.

"Councilor Anderson." He stopped and bowed courteously before he continued. "The salarian dignitary from Sur'Kesh, you agreed to have audience with, is ready to see you." He informed Anderson, showing the utmost respect.

"Thank you, Ambassador." Anderson acknowledged. "You may see her in momentarily."

"As you wish, Councilor." The human ambassador nodded, and turned heading out of the room.

Shepard stood in awe for a moment after what he just witnessed. "Was that... Ambassador Udina???" Shepard questioned in shock, over the uncharacteristically well tempered Ambassador, who was usually cantankerous, and never without something to gripe about.  

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Anderson replied, with a chuckle. "He went on vacation to that new resort that just opened up on Virmire. Was gone for two weeks, came back a changed man. I think the vacation did him a world of good – helped him unwind."

"Virmire?!" asked Shepard, clearly upset. "After Saren set up a krogan breeding facility there, for the Reapers... They open a resort?!"

"That was over two years ago, Shepard. A lot's changed since then." Anderson claimed, as he attempted to lay Shepard's concerns to rest. "Any remaining influence of Saren or the Reapers has been washed away with the tide."

Shepard stood there silently for a moment, recalling the tragic events of that day. The infiltration of the krogan breeding facility, the first encounter with Sovereign, the herald of the Reapers, the loss of his friend, Chief Ashley Williams...  And now knowing that this battlefield... This place of war, had become a place of leisure... He didn't like it one bit.

"Well..." Anderson spoke up again, breaking Shepard's train of thought, as he placed the data pad given to him carefully on his desk. "I'm afraid I have this matter to attend to. But thank you for coming, Commander."

Anderson stepped towards Shepard, extending his hand once more, as Shepard reciprocated.

"It was good seeing you again." The Councilor said with a smile. "It's always a pleasure."

"The pleasure's mine, sir." Shepard responded with a nod, as the two shook hands.