Multiverse One Shot Collection - Reader Insert

Mass Effect - Allies Are Scarce

Commander Jane Shepard. The Alliance Military's single most capable, threatening, and dangerous operative. The entire galaxy knows her name. For most, her name brings hope. A beacon for others to follow, to aspire to. For others, it was a name to fear. Someone to avoid. Someone you didn't want to come knocking.

If Commander Shepard was looking for you, you either had what she needed or you pissed off someone she knows. No militia, private army or fully fledged space station would stop her from getting what she needed.

So when the crucible failed, nobody knew what to think.

Not even Shepard.

The Reapers didn't come back just to kill everyone and wipe the slate clean, they did it to toy with them. To show off how strong they really were. They gave the galaxy time to recover and recuperate.

And yet, no one made a real effort to recover. Not even Shepard. She locked herself away in her office, trying desperately to find some kind of clue to lead them to something they could use, anything that would give them an advantage over the reapers but there was absolutely nothing. The crucible was their last chance.

And they blew it.

The races of the galaxy have, for the first time since they managed space flight, brokered complete and total peace. No conflict whatsoever as people spent time with their loved ones and used the last of their valuable time to enjoy what they have.

Many left the Normandy to be with their families, but those like Miranda, Jack, Grunt and Javik stayed.

The ship was quiet now. Walking through the barren halls of the Normandy, Shepard felt a sense of emptiness that she had never experienced before. She had always been the one in charge, always the one who had to make the tough decisions and lead their crew to victory. But now, there was no victory to be had, no hope of stopping the Reapers from destroying everything that they had ever known.

Shepard didn't know what to do with herself. She had spent so much time in the heat of battle, always on the move, always with a clear objective in mind. But now, with nowhere to go and nothing to do, she felt like a fish out of water.

She tried to keep herself busy, working on reports and keeping up with the ship's maintenance, but it all felt pointless. She had been so used to the rush of adrenaline and the thrill of battle, that the calm of a peaceful ship felt unfamiliar and unnerving.

Even talking with the team felt empty and unrewarding. Everyone, everything, was just too depressing. How much joy can someone find in the knowledge that they will die soon? How many could live knowing they're the reason for it?

Shepard tried distracting herself with old leads, delving in with the hope to find something in an ancient civilisation that could give them even the slightest chance of winning against the Reapers. Hell, at this point, she'd bring everyone from this galaxy to a new one if she could.

She poured over countless reports and simulations, but despite her best efforts, she kept coming up empty-handed. The Reapers had proven themselves to be unstoppable, and there was no way to defeat them without the power of the Crucible.

As the days went by, Shepard's desperation grew. She knew that they couldn't just sit back and wait for the Reapers to return and finish what they started. She had to find a way to take the fight to them, even if it meant taking on the impossible.

So she started following loose leads, chasing down every rumor and tip that came her way, turning over every stone she could. Some turned out to be nothing but dead ends, but others led her to new possibilities. She couldn't afford to be picky, she needed anything and everything that might help them in their fight against the reapers.