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Authors note- Finally got around to revising this first chapter, a few extra lines/some taken out and hopefully a lot less mistakes. If there are still some mistake no reason for me to not come back again right? Anyway for any new readers hope you enjoy this first chapter and the rest of the story. Peace.

Tali Didn't have much in life, living in a fleet of ships on the verge of breaking down at any given moment ensured that there wouldn't be much in the way of personal belongings. That was fine however as the cramped conditions caused Quarian families to be close so one could forget about the hardships of life, well in most cases. Tali's mother died due to infection when Tali was only eleven years old and her father was distant ever since so Tali was robbed of the felling of comfort that families could have provided. This didn't bother Tali however, she knew life wasn't about what one wanted so she kept growing and kept improving,managing to pass the Quarian marine training that her father provided her and proving to be quite adept at handling technology. She knew she was ready for her pilgrimage, ready to prove that a hard life wasn't enough to stop her from succeeding. With this mindset she left the fleet in search of... will she wasn't sure exactly what yet but she knew she would prove herself and show that she was more than capable of being a useful member of Quarian society

However dead Quarians weren't much use to the fleet and Tali was starting to get more and more frustrated with the thought as Fist's hired thugs were closing in. In theory she could take out the Turian but that would leave her wide open for the two Salarians who at the moment were keeping her suppressed with their pistols and various tech attacks. Tali dared to peek slightly over here cover to assess the situation only to see the Turian right in-front of her, staring her down with the the muzzle of his rifle. There was no time to move, no time to do anything but close her eyes and wait for her world to fade into nothingness. So she did just this with thoughts of what here life could have been, what she could have had in life, and what she could have done for her people filling her mind. One thought stood out more than all of the others however, a selfish thought that made Tali feel ashamed.

What would it have been like to love, to be loved?

Suddenly a thunderous boom erupted and the Turian slumped over,dead with a large hole in his forehead. She heard the panicked cries of the two Salarians before they too were also silenced by the thunderous boom that Tali deduced must have came from a sniper rifle.

But who fired that rifle, who just saved my life? Suddenly a voice called out from behind her, a deep but friendly voice.

'Are you alright miss...'the voice called out.

The whole situation of nearly dying had been surprising for Tali, but this voice...It surprised her far more. She couldn't explain it but she felt like she'd be contempt with life if she could spend the rest of her days listening to it. It surprised her just how much she enjoyed every little detail of that mysterious voice, deep and comforting. It made her feel safe.

Apparently the ancestors decided that Tali hadn't been surprised enough and decided to give the new mystery voice a rather alluring source. Standing there in front of her was a human male and while Tali never really thought of herself as attracted to aliens, or really anyone with her busy lifestyle, she would have to be blind or stupid to ignore this human's charm. He was tall and even with his armor she could tell he was well built and no matter the species muscles were considered attractive. Of course his body wasn't the only thing and Tali was very happy to see that this human had decided against a helmet for he was extremely handsome, a well defined jawline accentuated by a closely shaved stubble and nice buzz cut gave him a appearance that just screamed 'manly'. However she had little time to marvel his face as she was absolutely captivated by those deep blue eyes, she felt she could just swim in those eyes an-

'Uhhhh... miss?' The human interrupted, most likely confused by her lack of response and prolonged staring.

Suddenly Tali realized she was just standing there gazing at the human and for the first time in her life was happy she was stuck in a suit as it did a marvelous job at hiding the deep blush she was currently sporting.

'ZORAH!' Tali couldn't help but think that maybe it wouldn't have been so bad to have been killed if she was going to make a fool of herself by practically screaming her name and quickly worked to correct her tone 'I mean...m-my name is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya.'

'Well its a pleasure to meet you miss Rayya, I'm commander Shepard of the alliance navy' He seemed to ponder something for a bit before speaking again 'Rayya is your last name correct? I'm sorry but I'm...not really familiar with Quarian culture' He asked with genuine curiosity as he rubbed the back of his head, apparently a little ashamed and embarrassed that he wasn't well versed in alien cultures.

Great so not only was extremely easy on the eyes with a voice to match but he also cared about making sure to respect Tali's culture. Tali wasn't sure she could keep herself from making a absolute fool of herself as her face's temperature was rising to levels that were surely lethal...maybe she did have a tear in her suit or something.

'Uhm n-no not exactly.' Tali smiled to herself as she went on to clarify her name to Shepard. 'The nar Rayya part is my ship name, while Zorah is my clan name which would make it my last name in human culture.' She gasped slightly as she caught that she was about to start ranting on about her culture, something that she was sure wouldn't have been the most thrilling thing to talk about. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bore you with talk about Quarian cul-'

'Nonsense I find alien cultures quite fascinating and I'd love to hear all about yours.' Shepard interrupted with a smile that soon faded. 'However it will have to wait as I am currently in the middle of a investigation of Saren Arterius I was told you may have some evidence that could help.'

Tali was practically glowing under her suit thinking about what Shepard had just said. He said he wanted to hear about her culture and more importantly said it would 'Have to wait' did that mean he wanted to spend more time with her? Oh he also said something about Saren and evidence but she could worry about that another time she had daydreams to get back to, like cuddling into his chiseled body while they talked the day away without a care in the world or maybe even-

'Miss Zorah?'

'O-oh yes right evidence about Saren.' She quickly pulled up her omnitool and played the vocal recording of Saren.

'Excellent this is just what we need, that bastard is going down.' Said another voice that came from behind Shepard.

Tali was amazed that she had completely failed to notice the two behind Shepard especially as one was Krogan but more importantly was the source of the new voice...a female human, one standing far to close to Shepard for Tali's liking.

She seems like a...a slut intent on ruining relationships or stealing what doesn't belong to her...yeah a horrible person. Tali decided right then and there that she hated whoever this woman was.

Before Tali could put her venomous thoughts in vocal form however Shepard spoke up. 'Yeah I agree, this is just what we need' He turned to face Tali again, making eye contact (or at least he assumed he was). 'Miss Zorah if you don't mind we need to show this evidence to the human ambassador'

Shooting one last hidden glare towards the woman behind Shepard before turning to face him 'I understand, just lead the way and I'll present the evidence to your ambassador as well.'

Shepard had intended to simply have her transfer the file but then again they did just meet so maybe she didn't trust him enough to give him extremely incriminating, potentially valuable evidence.

'Yes of course please follow me Miss Zorah'

'Please just call me Tali, Miss Zorah sounds a bit...formal.' Tali lied, not really minding when other people called her 'Miss Zorah', but she wanted more from Shepard, to hear just how her name rolled off of his tongue.

First name bases for strangers? Shepard felt he really did need to learn more about Quarian culture 'Sorry this way...Tali' he said with a smile.

Yeah...that's alot better. Tali thought to herself as she let Shepard lead the way.

'With pleasure' Tali was all to aware that she could have just simply transferred the file over to his omnitool but that would potentially mean going their separate ways which simply was not a option. Tali smiled to herself while gazing at Shepard as they walked. She Didn't have much in life, but she would have him no matter what happened. After all it was alright to be just a little selfish...right?

Tali's mind was near its snapping point, and she was sure she was about to enter shock. She had just presented the evidence to ambassador udinga or whatever his name was (she was to busy daydreaming to catch it) and now that they had what they needed Shepard was about to be on his merry way out of her life. She needed to think of something because one quick walk to the ambassador's office was not enough time together. She wanted, no needed, more time with him but what could she do? Suddenly an idea hit her.

'Geth!' she exclaimed without really thinking.

'Beg your pardon Tali?' Shepard said with a face of confusion that was mirrored on everyone else in the room.

Tali didn't care about how embarrassing this situation would have been under normal circumstances because this was not normal circumstances, her life with Shepard was on the line...of course that wouldn't help her stuttering.

'eh w-well like I said this recording came from a geth platform I deactivated and I'm sure Saren has plenty more s-so I should come along to help, I'm a expert on them after all, so I'm sure I could be a huge help, plus I have plenty of experience with ships, you know from being a quarian and all, then again I've never been on a human ship...but I'm sure it wont matter! I mean it cant be that different so I can still do repairs and maintena-'

Suddenly she was cut off by a chuckling Shepard. 'Okay Tali I get it, point made, and I'd be happy to have your help.' He shot her a smile and continued 'Besides I remember that you promised me a lesson on Quarian culture and I intend on making you see that promise through.'

Tali was awestruck by just how perfect Shepard could be. 'Y-yes right, Thank you and don't worry, by the time I'm done with you you'll know Quarian culture better than most Quarians.' She said with a small chuckle.

While Tali made friendly banter on the outside her inner thoughts were...more than friendly. He said he intends on making me see my promise through...I wonder what he'd do if I promised some more things.

Again the mask proved to be life saving as it currently hid her drooling and concealed her predatory eyes that were currently locked on Shepard. He had no idea that he was already marked for conquest.

Shepard smiled and continued. 'Looking forward to it, but first we need to bring this to the council they cant ignore it.'

The other human, ambassador udiniewienie, butted in. 'Yes go and present this to the council, Anderson come with me we have a lot of work to do, ship,supplies,crew,and anything else the commander will need.'

'I get it Udina, lots of political nonsense.' Anderson said before turning to Shepard. 'And I'm sure we'll be calling you Spectre Shepard soon.' He said with a smile and a nod.

'Commander works just fine.' Shepard returned with his own smile and nod. 'Wouldn't want you giving me the special treatment, might make Chief Williams jealous.'

'Thought we've been over this Shepard, It's Ashley or Ash for short, that whole rank and last name thing is way to uptight for my taste.' Ashely said with a rather suggestive look towards Shepard.

Tali didn't know much about this woman other than that she absolutely hated everything about the bosh'tet. Looking at her Shepard,Talking to her Shepard, and just being any where near her Shepard made her blood boil. Tali gritted her teeth and let her mind focus on how much she hated this woman...no this pile of filth.

'I wish she wasn't here,why cant she just disappear? I hope she gets caught in a huge explosion or something and just...vanishes.' she mumbled darkly to herself.

'You say something Tali?' Shepard said with his grin that seemed everlasting.

'uhhh j-just thought that we should start heading to the council, I mean I-I don't want to seem pushy or bossy or anything I just thought that we really shouldn't waste time with the whole rouge Spectre thing going on, but you're the commander so its up to you it was just a sugges-'

'You're just too cute'Shepard interrupted with another chuckle then noticed the glare that Tali was pointing his way. 'R-right I think that's an excellent idea lets start heading that way.' He finished with some more chuckling of the nervous variety.

Shepard had no way of knowing that Tali wasn't glaring at him with anger but rather she was staring at him with pure determination. That 'You're too cute' had sealed the deal. He was going to be her's and she wouldn't take no for a answer.

The Normandy was definitely cutting edge as Tali had heard many people describe it. The stealth drive made possible by the Tantalus drive core that was almost the size of half the ship,the slick hull, and the general layout of the ship(minus that infernal elevator) showed that the Turians and Humans knew how to make a good ship. However none of them were as smart as the human known as Anderson because he had made the newest, most important upgrade, making Shepard the captain.

Tali did her job of repairs and maintenance as promised and was genuinely interested in all the guidance chief engineer Adams gave her but she was far more interested in her free time which she was currently using to compare Shepard to the ship.

Well they've both got a smooth exterior, Shepard's definitely got the Normandy beat when it comes to layout...I wonder what his main cannon is like. Tali thought with hot breaths, oddly excited by her own form of innuendos.

Tali continued her less then innocent thoughts as Shepard made his way behind her, walking completely normal but to Tali he may as well have been a ghost because she didn't have the faintest idea that he was behind her.

'How's my newest engineer doing?' He asked with his trademark friendly grin.

'Well she's certainly not doing what she wants to do right now' Tali said without registering that she was currently in a conversation.

'That so? And what would she like to be doing at this moment?' He politely asked, missing the hunger behind her voice, taking it as a genuine request for a break.

'Well that's obvious,Shep-COMMANDER SHEPARD!' Tali had just realized she was talking to someone and more importantly who she was talking to, the very person she was just about to admit to wanting to...

Shepard chuckled. 'The one and only.' He didn't seem to realize what Tali was about to say as he continued. 'Now that we have introductions all sorted out I was wondering how you were doing.'

'F-fine.' Tali lied. 'Just going over some maintenance reports.' She lied again. 'Can't just sit around daydreaming after all r-right?' Tali was on a role with her lying today.

'Well if you didn't want to daydream in your free time,which I will remind you you do have.' Shepard said with a smile that grew as he continued. 'I was hoping I could get that lesson you promised me.'

'Y-yes of course I would be more than happy to spend some time with you...TEACHING you I mean!' Tali's temperature could surely rival the drive core's at this moment. 'What did you want to know?'

'Well earlier you mentioned 'nar Rayya' to be your ship name so I wanted to know the meaning behind that.'

'Ah yes you see Quarians have a ship name to let other Quarians know where they come from' Tali's mood dropped a bit 'It would be similar to letting one know what planet you come from.'

'I know about the Geth and if you don't want to talk about it I understand.' Shepard put a hand on her shoulder, something that made Tali scream internally. 'I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable...I should go.'

Tali laughed slightly. 'Oh no you don't. You're not going anywhere, I'm not done with you.' She looked him in the eyes before continuing 'You didn't think you could skip out a lesson by talking about the Geth did you?' Tali did get depressed whenever thoughts of the morning war came up but her desire to be with Shepard overruled any feelings concerning the Geth, by far.

Shepard eyes slightly widened before going back to their normal relaxed state. 'Wouldn't dream of it.' He winked at her. 'Wouldn't want an angry Quarian teacher hunting me down now would I?'

A wink like that was surely illegal for it made Tali feel amazing,all thoughts about Geth and lost home-worlds vanished as they were replaced with more carnal thoughts, involving the commander of course.

This Quarian is already hunting you, you just don't know it yet. Tali thought while grinning. Time to change that.

'No,no you wouldn't.' She chuckled, both at Shepard'h humor and how clueless he was about the situation.'Now anyway our ship names change after we complete our pilgrimage. We become adults and pick a new ship to make our home, taking that as our new ship name. Instead of nar rayya it would change to vas nomrandy for example.' That was the first hint.

'Wait I still don't fully understand the concept of the pilgrimage.' Shepard said with a slight look of confusion. 'I mean I would appreciate knowing what that's all about if it plays a important part in the naming of Quarians.'

'Last I checked I was the teacher here so I plan out the lessons.' Tali said with a small laugh. 'I appreciate the enthusiasm but please one lesson at a time' Of course Tali understood wanting to know about the pilgrimage but she couldn't be derailed, she still had some more hints to drop.

'Of course, we can always go over it next time.' Shepard looked at her with a smile. 'And yes as your commanding officer I demand that there will be a next time.' He lightly teased.

Tali didn't have to be ordered for a next time, she'd hunt the man down for a next time regardless of orders or not, but that wont stop her from some teasing.

'Oh I suppose I don't have a choice in the matter.' Time for hint two. 'As your subordinate I'm completely at your mercy.' She said with her best attempt at a seductive tone.

'Yep under the rule of the ruthless tyrant Shepard.' Shepard chuckled some more. 'I demand tribute in the form of lessons and repair work.' Shepard laughed along with his own joke, oddly pleased with himself.

'uhh yes of course.' There's no way that just happened, there's no way he missed that.'Well anyway ship names aren't the only names subject to change.' Here comes hint three, and it was about as subtle as a dreadnought. 'Our clan names also change when Quarians find a bondmate,the equivalent of marriage in human terms, for example if we we're to get b-bonded my clan name would change from Zorah to Shepard.'

Shepard smiled. 'I understand, it's interesting to see that cultures that developed light years away have some similarities.' He seemed to ponder something a bit before asking. 'You're first name is also similar right? Given by parents and with you for life...unless you legally change it of course I mean.'

Tali was lost. There was just no way, she refused to believe it. There's no way a man could be so dense.'R-right and in Quarian society we don't have a way to change first names, they're with us for life like you said.' Tali was still having a mental breakdown inside. How can a man hear someone say they'd be alright with bonding with them and not think anything?

'Well I appreciated the lesson and I look forward to next time but I should go.' he began walking away but suddenly stopped and turned around ' Oh and Tali? It's John.' He smiled then continued on his merry way.

Tali's heart skipped a beat. John...he told me his first name... and I didn't even have to ask! There was no significance in Quarian culture behind telling one your first name but that didn't stop Tali from seeing it that way. 'John...I could say it over and over again and never be satisfied it's just so...perfect. Tali was breathing hard and her eyes had slightly glazed over. 'John John John John John John' she muttered to herself as she wickedly smiled. Maybe he is a little dense but he'll understand soon enough, I'll make sure of it.

Meanwhile Shepard was in the elevator heading towards the galaxy map to plot out a route to Ferros, the first stop on his quest to find Saren. Of course right now his thoughts were not currently on Saren, rather he was thinking about a certain Quarian engineer and what she had just said. There's...there's just no way. His mind had stopped working for a bit when Tali had mentioned bondmates and the changing of the clan name. It was just a example, there's no way she meant it like that, need to stop thinking about it. He was sure Tali had simply made a slight error in judgement when she said something so suggestive. There's just no way she could be interested in me right? I mean we just met! He had gotten to the galaxy map by this point. 'There's just no way.' He mumbled to himself.

He truly had no idea.

This article describes characters who appear in the Mass Effectfictional universe.

• 3Squad members
• 4Others

Setting[edit]

The Mass Effect games take place in the 22nd century. In 2148, mankind discovers an alien artifact on Mars that shows that humanity had been the study of an intergalactic species since the Cro-Magnon period. Research of the artifact, in addition to providing new technologies for humanity, led to the discovery that Pluto's moon Charon was really a 'mass relay', an alien construct that is capable of transporting any ships faster than light to a nearby mass relay on the galactic scale. The mass relays work by creating a 'mass effect', the production of dark energy from a reaction with Element Zero to slingshot spacecraft to the next relay; Element Zero is found to also react with biological entities to give them 'biotics', limited powers that evoke the mass effect on a much smaller scale.^[1][2]

On Earth, the Systems Alliance was formed to safeguard's humanity as it expanded to new colonies through the mass relay.^[1] Roughly ten years later, humanity made its first contact with one of the other alien races, the Turians, which erupted into the First Contact War. Though casualties were small on both sides, the war was interrupted by the Citadel Council, members of three alien races that oversaw maintaining peace in the galaxy. Humanity was then welcomed into the collective group of aliens, and learn that the artifacts, mass relays, and the giant station that serves as the seat of power in the galaxy, the Citadel, are all remnants of the Protheans, believed to be a progenitor race to all alien species in the Milky Way but have since disappeared.^[1]

The Citadel Council welcomes humanity into the Citadel, providing them with a Systems Alliance embassy and allow human members to join C-Sec, the Citadel Security forces, despite other alien races having waited for such a privilege for some time. As the newest race to join the Citadel, humanity tends to be looked down upon by other races, but the Citadel Council soon invites a human to become part of the Council and another to join the Spectres, elite enforcers that use both espionage and forced to complete their assignments. On Earth, there is concern about how humanity is treated by these other species, and pro-human groups, seeking to pull humanity out of the Council at any cost, begin to appear.^[1]

The main alien species that make up the Council include the turians, a proud militaristic species; the asari, a race that favors compromise, diplomacy and pacifism over military power but will resort to combat when needed; and the salarians, an amphibious race who are skilled technologists and inventors. Other species include the krogan, a reptilian warrior race, and the quarians, a nomadic race that were forced to evacuate their homeworld when their development of advanced artificial intelligence created the android-like geth species which turned against their creators.^[1] Due to this, the rest of the species in Citadel-controlled space limit their reliance on artificial intelligence, using 'virtual intelligence' (VIs) that lack self-awareness.^[1]

During the time of the Mass Effect games, the Citadel species come to learn that the Protheans were mostly wiped out over 50,000 years prior by the Reapers, sentient starships that normally occupy the void between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy, but appear every 50,000 years with the sole purpose to wipe out any organic species and evidence of their existence that have risen to dominance. The Mass Effect series starts as the first appearances of the Reapers in this cycle have occurred, whom have enlisted the geth to aid in their mission.^[1] Later, remains of the Prothean race appear as the Collectors, their philosophy warped by the war with the Reapers in the past, and who are now collecting humans and other species to create their own Reaper.^[2]

Commander Shepard[edit]

Commander Shepard is the main protagonist of the first three Mass Effect games. The character's first name, gender, background, and appearance are determined by the player on starting a new game, with both Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 allowing the player to import saves from previous games to carry over that version of Shepard. Depending on the choice of gender, Shepard is voiced by either Mark Meer or Jennifer Hale.^[3]

Narratively, Shepard is named the first human Spectre by the Citadel Council, and given command of the SSV Normandy and its crew to complete their mission. On their first assignment, Shepard is affected by a Prothean artifact that grants them insight on the Reapers, making them the key entity to help protect the species of the Milky Way from being wiped out by the Reapers.

Squad members[edit]

Ashley Williams[edit]

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams is a human Alliance Marine, voiced by Kimberly Brooks.^[3] She becomes part of Shepard's squad during the first observed Reaper attack in the first game. In a late-game choice in the first Mass Effect, the player must choose whether to save Ashley or Kaidan; this choice leads to the other character's death. If Ashley is saved, she will return as a member of Shepard's squad for Mass Effect 3.

Kaidan Alenko[edit]

Kaidan Alenko is a human Alliance Navy officer, voiced by Raphael Sbarge.^[3] Kaidan serves aboard the Normandy from the start of the first game and is part of Shepard's first squad. As with Ashley, Kaidan may die depending on the player's choice. If Kaidan survives, he returns in both Mass Effect 2 and 3, after promotions within the Navy, and serves as part of Shepard's squad.

Garrus Vakarian[edit]

Garrus Vakarian is a male turian, voiced by Brandon Keener,^[3] who serves as a squadmate in all three of the games. Garrus is initially a C-Sec officer who joins up with Shepard to escape from all the 'red tape' in his job but becomes a vigilante under the alias Archangel on Omega in Mass Effect 2 before his squad is killed. In Mass Effect 3 he leads a 'Reapers task force' for the Turians. The character is also the star of the third issue of Mass Effect: Homeworlds.

Garrus's blue-and-black armour colour scheme was kept consistent throughout the series, as was his visor, although grey was added in the third game to reflect his new rank. While the developers were initially worried Garrus and the other alien characters would not prove emotionally compelling, fan feedback surprised them and so he was added as a romance option in 2 and 3.

Garrus has received a generally positive reception, praised by IGN, UGO.com and GamesRadar.

Liara T'Soni[edit]

Liara T'Soni is an asari, voiced by Ali Hillis, that joins Shepard's squad in the first game and appears in 2 and 3. She is one of the experts on Prothean history and technology.^[2][3] Liara is member of a monogender-pansexual species, the asari.

Liara also appears in the animated film Mass Effect: Paragon Lost, voiced by Jamie Marchi.^[4]

Tali'Zorah nar Rayya[edit]

Tali'Zorah nar Rayya is a female quarian, voiced by Ash Sroka (also known as 'Liz Sroka'). She is a squadmate in each of the three games, and a mechanical genius. Daughter of Admiral Rael'Zorah, there is much pressure for Tali to excel. In the first game, she is on her Pilgrimage, before handing Shepard incriminating evidence about Saren and joining their crew. In the second game, now Tali'Zorah Vas Neema, she is placed on trial for bringing active geth parts, and the player can influence whether she is declared innocent or guilty.

Tali's design remained similar between the first and second games. She has received a positive reception, placing on several 'top character' lists. Much discussion was held about what her face could look like; however, once the face was revealed, it garnered criticism, specifically for being a redone stock photo.

Urdnot Wrex[edit]

A famous bounty hunter and mercenary, Wrex is among the last of the krogan Battle Masters. They are rare individuals who can combine biotic abilities with advanced weaponry and tactics. Wrex quickly gained fame for his battle powers and became a leader of one of the smaller Urdnot tribes at a very young age. To date, Wrex is the youngest krogan to be granted the honor in 1,000 years. Following the krogan genophage, Wrex turned his back on his people when his father, a krogan warlord who wanted to resume the war, betrayed and attempted to kill him after a feigned attempt at reconciliation. Wrex escaped, though not before taking his father's life in retaliation. During the past three centuries, Wrex has worked as a bodyguard, mercenary, soldier and a bounty hunter.^[5]

Urdnot Wrex is voiced by Steven Barr.

Miranda Lawson[edit]

Miranda Lawson is an officer of the pro-human group Cerberus, first appearing in Mass Effect Galaxy and then serving as a squadmate in Mass Effect 2. In addition to these, the character also makes an appearance in the Mass Effect: Redemption comic series and in Mass Effect 3 (provided the player does not import a save where she dies). She is revealed to have been genetically designed by her father to be perfect and ran away from home to join Cerberus.

Early concept art for Miranda focused on balancing her sex appeal with a uniform suitable for her position as a Cerberus officer.^[6] Originally conceived as blonde, after her uniform was designed, it was decided that black hair would fit better with her 'femme fatale' look.^[7]Casey Hudson has said her uniform was made tight due to her being designed to be 'perfect' and 'beautiful'.^[8] Miranda Lawson is voiced by and modeled after actress Yvonne Strahovski.^[9] In Mass Effect 2, camera angles and shots such as a close-up of her butt were employed to focus on 'her curves and sexuality', identified as key parts of her character, her being someone genetically engineered to be 'perfect' and a femme fatale.^[8][10] David Kates composed Miranda's musical theme, intending to 'demonstrate her strength, but also her vulnerable side, and a sadness that is deep inside her'.^[11]

1UP.com's Ryan Winterhalter called Miranda one of three areas where Mass Effect 2 was sexist, finding not fault with her concept as a genetically-perfect woman, but mainly with the camera's focus on her behind.^[12] BioWare marketing director David Silverman defended the shots, believing they helped define the character, and also commenting on similar shots for male squadmate Jacob Taylor.^[10] BioWare revealed that Miranda's loyalty mission, which had a more 'a touchy-feely' plot, was completed more than Grunt's on PC, but in the case of Xbox 360 players, it was the opposite.^[13]UGO.com listed the character as the 'ninth-hottest fictional woman of 2012', calling her a 'sultry brunette'.^[14] Strahovski was nominated for 'Best Performance by a Human Female' in the Spike Video Game Awards.^[15] Upon hearing news for a potential Mass Effect film, Dan Ryckert of Game Informer looked at the different characters and felt Strahovski should reprise the role, calling her the 'obvious choice'.^[16]

Mordin Solus[edit]

Mordin Solus is a salarian, voiced by Michael Beattie in Mass Effect 2, and voiced by William Salyers in Mass Effect 3. A brilliant scientist, yet also a competent soldier due to his membership in the salarian Special Tasks Group earlier in his life, Mordin Solus possesses a hyperactive and eccentric personality, a rapid and stilted manner of speaking, and (as with all salarians) a flawless autobiographical and eidetic memory. He was a key member in the science team that researched the remodification of the Krogan Genophage (a terraformingviral-weapon designed to sterilize the Krogan species), an action that he feels guilty about but considers the best possible solution to a once growing problem. Mordin believes in acting in the best interests of the galaxy; his scientific work is governed by strong moral standards and unquestionable respect for all forms of life.

The character returns in Mass Effect 3, providing he survived the suicide mission in the previous game. After defeating the Collectors, Mordin returned to STG as a special consultant, whilst also working as an inside source for Clan Urdnot. If Maelon's research data was saved, he uses it to aid in the treatment of the surviving female krogan codenamed Eve, the only survivor of his student's experiments. He is encountered on the salarian homeworld, Sur'Kesh, when Shepard is sent there to aid in the evacuation of the female.

Mordin is listed on the Normandy SR-2's memorial wall on the Crew Deck, if he did not survive the events of Mass Effect 2 and 3.

He has received a positive reception, with Jose Otero of 1UP.com writing an article on him being 'awesome', receiving nominations for three 'Best New Character' awards, and appearing in numerous 'top character' lists.

Legion[edit]

Legion is the name given to the synthetic intelligence Geth Platform 2A93, a geth terminal eleven times more powerful than standard mobile platforms, designed to operate outside of Geth space and interact diplomatically with organic lifeforms. It is a gestalt consciousness. Legion belongs to the true Geth Consensus, the Servants of the People. The name is given by EDI based on the 'Gospel of Mark 5:9 – Exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac'. Legion investigates the worlds Shepard visited. Eventually, it found the Normandy SR-1's wreckage on the planet Alchera, and learned of Shepard's death. It is a skilled security hacker and marksman who generally prefers long-range combat. In contrast to its fellow Geth, Legion is capable of independent thought and demonstrates emotional attachment. It is fascinated with Shepard.

Legion is voiced by D. C. Douglas.

Mass Effect 1 Quarian Armor Mod

Legion was well received. Steven Hopper of IGN listed the character as the fifth-best Mass Effect teammate, looking forward to seeing how he would develop in the then-upcoming Mass Effect 3 and calling his recruitment 'an awesome twist'.^[17]GamesRadar's Jordan Baughman cited Legion as an example of BioWare's 'Kickass Robot' character archetype, following on from Knights of the Old Republic's HK-47 and Dragon Age's Shale.^[18] GamesRadar also called him one of the best new characters of 2010, praising his 'clinical and decidedly mechanical delivery' and intriguing dialogue.^[19] Casey Lynch, again from IGN, believed Legion to have one of gaming's best 'first encounters' with a character, thanking his musical theme and its 'rousing crescendo'.^[20] In a list of top AI characters of the 2000s decade, Game Informer's Matt Miller included Legion as an honorable mention.^[21]

Others[edit]

The Illusive Man[edit]

The Illusive Man leads the series' pro-human group, Cerberus.^[22] He wears an open suit that connotes both futuristic style and the 'casual swagger of a charming billionaire'.^[7] His eye implants make him appear slightly inhuman. He is normally seen in an empty office with no indication of his living arrangements.^[23] He is voiced by, and modeled after, Martin Sheen.^[24]

The character first appeared in 2008's novel Ascension, and made his video game debut in Mass Effect 2 as a supporting character. In the game, he arranges to revive Commander Shepard from death, provides Shepard with a ship and crew, and sends Shepard on several missions against the human-abducting Collectors. The Illusive Man later appears in Mass Effect 3 as one of the main antagonists, where he works against Shepard's attempts to destroy the Reapers, wishing to control them instead. He appears in several other Mass Effect comics series and novels.^{[citation needed]}Mass Effect: Evolution tells his origin story.^[25]

His critical reception was positive.^[26][27] Martin Sheen received praise for his voice acting.^{[28][29][30][31]} However, some criticized Mass Effect 2's story for forcing the player to work with the Illusive Man and Cerberus despite their antagonistic role in the first game.^[32][33]

Joker Moreau[edit]

Jeff 'Joker' Moreau is the human pilot of the Normandy, and is voiced by Seth Green.^[3] Joker is handicapped and has limited mobility due to suffering from osteogenesis imperfecta, but makes up for being a skilled pilot, as well as a sarcastic foil to Shepard.

He can develop a romantic relationship with EDI in Mass Effect 3 if given some help from Shepard.

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdefgPolo, Susano (March 21, 2017). 'The lore of Mass Effect: A complete guide'. Polygon. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
2. ^ ^abcHamilton, Kirk (March 21, 2017). 'A Beginner's Guide to the World Of Mass Effect'. Kotaku. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
3. ^ ^abcdefCox, Kate (March 15, 2012). 'The Faces Behind the Voices of Mass Effect 3'. Kotaku. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
4. ^'Voice Of Liara T'Soni – Mass Effect Behind The Voice Actors'. Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 23, 2017. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources
5. ^'Galactic Codex – Krogan Series Part 3: Wrex, Krogan Battle Master'. BioWare.
6. ^Hudson, Casey; Watts, Derek (2012-02-02). The Art of the Mass Effect Universe. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN978-1-59582-768-5.
7. ^ ^abMass Effect 2 Digital Art Book.
8. ^ ^abJohn, Tracey. 'The Thoughts Behind Miranda's Behind in Mass Effect 2'. Kotaku. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
9. ^'The Cast of Mass Effect 2'. IGN. 2009-12-10. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
10. ^ ^abOrry, James (2011-07-19). 'Mass Effect's Miranda is defined by her sexuality'. VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
11. ^'Composer Interview: Wall of Sound'. OverClocked ReMix. 2010-05-04. Archived from the original on 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
12. ^Winterhalter, Ryan (2012-02-29). 'The Sexism of Mass Effect 2'. 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
13. ^Purchese, Robert (2010-09-07). 'ME2 360 owners prefer Grunt to Miranda'. Eurogamer. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
14. ^Jensen, K. Thor (2012-02-01). 'The 99 Hottest Fictional Women Of 2012'. UGO.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-21. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
15. ^Leahy, Brian (2010-09-17). 'Spike Video Game Awards Nominee List Released'. Shacknews. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
16. ^Ryckert, Dan (2010-05-25). 'Casting Call: Mass Effect'. Game Informer. Archived from the original on 2013-04-28. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
17. ^Hopper, Steven (2012-01-05). '10 Best Mass Effect Teammates'. IGN. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
18. ^Baughman, Jordan (2011-05-03). 'Recycled characters you see in every BioWare game'. GamesRadar. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
19. ^'The best new characters of 2010'. GamesRadar. 2011-12-30. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
20. ^Altano, Brian (2013-04-02). 'The Best First Encounters in Video Games'. IGN. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
21. ^Miller, Matt (2010-11-24). 'Top Ten A.I. Characters of the Decade'. Game Informer. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
22. ^BioWare. Mass Effect 2. Codex – Cerberus: The Illusive Man: The reclusive tycoon calling himself the Illusive Man is a human nationalist focused on advancing human interests, whatever the cost to non-humans. The Citadel Council regards him as a fanatic posing a serious threat to galactic security.
23. ^Hudson, Casey; Watts, Derek. The Art of the Mass Effect Universedate=February 2, 2012. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN978-1-59582-768-5.
24. ^Ryckert, Dan (January 31, 2012). 'BioWare Announces Voice Cast For Mass Effect 3'. Game Informer. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
25. ^George, Richard (15 July 2010). 'SDCC 10: Mass Effect: The Origin of the Illusive Man'.
26. ^'Best Character (PC)'. IGN. Archived from the original on June 5, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
27. ^Vore, Bryan (December 3, 2010). 'Readers' Top 30 Characters Results Revealed'. Game Informer. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
28. ^Leahy, Brian (November 17, 2010). 'Spike Video Game Awards Nominee List Released'. Shacknews. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
29. ^'Spike TV Announces the '2010 'Video Game Awards''. IGN. November 17, 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
30. ^Houghton, David (March 26, 2010). 'When celebrity voice-acting goes very right'. GamesRadar. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
31. ^Brudvig, Erik (February 8, 2010). 'Mass Effect 2 Review'. IGN. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
32. ^Francis, Tom (February 16, 2011). '15 things we want to see in Mass Effect 3'. PC Gamer. Archived from the original on April 27, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
33. ^Vargus, Nic (March 2, 2012). 'Mass Effect 3 – 21 must-know facts about the Mass Effect universe'. GamesRadar. Archived from the original on April 27, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013.