#fated for control

[azranox]

Some of my fav screencaps from Mass Effect (One from 2 and the rest from 3)

[azranox]

MEA Screencap Time

I don't have any direct screen caps of MEA (I use XBOX game bar for my caps and MEA hates it), but I do have the entire game recorded and can take screencaps of the recordings! Here's a small selection of 'em! (Tried to keep the UI and subtitles out of most of em but.... easier said than done)

[azranox]

MEA Appreciation Week Day 6

The Benefactor. An obvious set up for the next games in the planned trilogy that Andromeda was meant to be. A thread never to be stitched into place. Who is the Benefactor in canon? We may never know. But in FfC, I’ve decided who it is. Read this and take a guess. Maybe I’ll tell you if you’re correct or not.

The tiny stealth ship sits waiting, watching. They are due to leave soon. They must be gone soon. Plans have gone awry already, this must not. It is but a blink of the eye for the million eyed being before the arks start gearing up to leave. This strange development needs to be allowed to fruit, but not here. They can go far away, outside of the sanctuary to pursue this first step towards the final goal. It is a shame the rest of them did not see the value, but time is a cycle it must oversee.

The ships are filled with souls, one hundred thousand strong. They only cared for a few going on this journey. Their experiments born of one organics dreaming, but they need support and an experiment needs the ability to grow onwards down the generations. The drives spin up and start pushing them towards the relay. A few jumps then they would start the slumbering journey across dark space. It will never know the results of this experiment, but that is okay. It has other things to focus on. Other burdens to bare, other eyes to watch through.

Flashes in the distance betray their leaving. The one known to the Initative as “their Benefactor” guides the tiny stealth ship into the remains of their build site. Contingencies were in place upon the arks, but the last piece must be done by hand

[azranox]

MEA Appreciation Week Day 3

Ah the general prompt of characters, so many things I could have done. So maybe to chose from and flesh out. I chose to showcase Moshae Sfeja. She is one of my favorites in the game and I go and see her every time I go to Aya. Everytime I see I wish Ryder could actually become her student, and when she jokes about it I have it on record in my reference recording that I said “yes please”. Now onto the ficlet

The small basement in the Repository of History is blessedly quiet as Sjefa walks down the stairs into her small oasis. It appears untouched during her unwilling absence. Remnant technology lines the shelves, and her most recent project still sits mostly disassembled on the table. She carefully moves it to the side so she can place an old star map on this surface. She had already been theorizing that the vaults had a command point, but the Archon’s ship and Ryder’s information from Eos confirmed those suspicions. This changed so much, but the exact how still lingers just out of her reach. Staring into the hologram, her tired mind starts to wander.

She pulls over her favorite chair and sits down. Her people were ecstatic to have their Moshae back, and she was pleased to not be dead, or worse. Although the information she brought back was sorrowful and haunting, it’s become another mystery begging to be unraveled. Perhaps Ryder would unravel it for her, purposefully or on accident. The young alien has a certain zeal about them, and she could already tell Jaal was smitten. She chuckles to herself remembering their interactions on the Tempest. The respect Ryder showed in the face of her pained verbal lashing, the way they stood listening while Sfeja spoke of all she learned while Jaal grew bored, they way they playfully bickered about something she couldn’t quite hear as they left her to rest. The river of memories start to send her mind further back in time.

Their actions to save so many angara in lieu of destroying the kett base still stings. Sjefa wanted that place reduced to mere rubble, but the human chose to preserve life instead. Her vigor of youth and desire to see a peaceful end to the conflict with the kett from long ago are remembered. She was one of the first to try and convince her people peace could be found. She soon learned how wrong she was. She was already in her thirties when they arrived, but Sjefa was not one to allow herself to become frozen in routine or not learn from past mistakes, unlike so many of her peers. Now over 100 of those strange human years, she still sits in this little sanctuary of knowledge, ever seeking the secrets of their forbearers. Old yes, but she still has more to give.

As the Moshae rises to get to work, she hopes Ryder will come by the next time they’re on Aya, with or even without Jaal in tow. There’s so much they could unlock, and her time is ever shrinking.

[azranox]

MEA Appreciation Week Day 1

Welcome to my contributions/ficlets for MEA Appreciation week! I’m using this week to showcase some ficlets that set up the next part of Fated for Control, Gaining Control. It’s my Andromeda story, and I am pulling from both the game and my own crafted lore/worldbuilding for it. Today we start a couple weeks before the beginning of the story , at a university on Earth. (Clearing this up here, Ryder is non-binary and uses they/she pronouns in this story)

The bright orange cap and gown clash with her green tassel as they sit with their classmates in the massive hall. All the students in her university’s school of arts and sciences line the chairs as they walk one by one over the stage to shake hands with the administration and take their diploma covers. Idly she wonders if theirs as already arrived at home in the mail. They did ask for it to be expedited due to the Initiative’s scheduled leaving in just a couple weeks. Most of these students won’t see the document for several months, and if she’s not lucky, they’ll never see theirs. It will still alone in this galaxy, a memento of a soul sent to stars beyond.

The staff signal to their row to stand and join the queue. Her companions from the Prothean studies program stand beside them and titter quietly to each other about where they’ll be working come the new year. Ryder just stands alongside her classmate Ryann, the only other ‘outcast’ in the small program. Ryann’s not their actual name, the asari maiden had adopted a ‘human’ name for their time on Earth and refused to tell anyone their actual name, even the university staff. This was their third degree from the school, and they was already enrolled for a music degree come the next semester.

“So,” they whisper, “Spotted your family yet?”

Ryder looks through the crowd and is barely able to spot Scott and their dad up high in the bleachers, “Yeah, they’re up there.” They subtly point up and the asari follows her finger.

“I’m surprised they let your dad in.” Her father’s AI related sins follow the family everywhere on Earth and off. It wouldn’t have been the first time he was denied entry, but the university had been tolerant of the Ryder name, much to her relief. They allowed them to change their enrollment type from ‘Alliance split time’ to ‘self funded accelerated’ after SAM came to light and they all got shunned or booted from the Alliance.

Ryder tries to think of a response for their asari friend and comes up empty handed. This is her day damnit, so she ignores the statement. The maiden realized their overstep and apologizes quietly. They accept the apology with a small smile. The line moves steadily until Ryder’s the one next in line. She looks down at the name card for the announcer, their legal name scribbled out and their nickname being written above it. Due to being at ‘Andromeda Bootcamp’ she missed the time to submit a different name for the card. They don’t exactly dislike their given name, but considering everything it’s almost cosmically hilarious. So they decided to move towards just their nickname. Her dad even pulled some strings to get it as their name in the Initiative systems.

The announcer takes it, and glances up at them before shrugging and reading out the card. “Andie Ryder, Prothean Studies.” They stride across the stage to applause, and somewhere under it all she can hear Scott’s proud, ’That’s my twin!” A few of the administrators look at her funny, but they all shake their hand moving along down the line. The orange embossed brown leather of the diploma cover is rested in her hand by the kind secretary from the department of history who always was willing to listen when the Ryder name became to much to bare.

They walk off the stage and into the small photo area. Holding up the cover they smile and pose. The flash blinds them for a moment before the image is sent to her omnitool and they’re free to return to their seat. Tomorrow Pathfinder team training starts in earnest, but tonight? Tonight Andie celebrates finishing college right in the knick of time.

[azranox]

Mass Effect Appreciation Week Day 4

So while I've loosely followed the prompts so far, I'm breaking with them today. Today's ficlet is from a time Shepard can't remember. She got her memories back in Loop 9 and did everything 'right'. She remembers that, but what she doesn't know is that she survived the Cruicible. This is her waking up.

Ficlet under the cut

“Beep, beep, beep, beep.” A heart monitor is the first thing she hears after that crash of red slammed into her. Then the pain sets in. Every single piece of her screams even laying perfectly still. Her eyes flutter open to darkness, then the right side flickers on before fading again. The left tries and fails. She can’t feel her right arm or leg. The parts she can sense feel weak and atrophied. Did I do it? Is it over?

Blind she calls, barely a whisper, “Anyone?” It’s all she can get out. If not for the heart monitor she would think she’s deep in rumble waiting for death to take her once again.

A voice she never expected greets her, “Commander! You are awake!” Javik? She feels his fingers graze her left arm. “It is as the doctors said, you cannot see… Then the blast destroyed your eyes as well. No matter, we shall fix that.” There’s a kindness in him that feels wrong, but then she gets the best news she every has, “You did it Commander. The Reapers are dead. You are truly the Avatar of Victory.”

Delirious with pain she groans, “Free. No more loops.” Before passing out.

Javik looks at this cycle’s savior. She must have been dreaming in her coma. Fighting over and over. “Rest now Commander. I will ensure your safety.” He has nothing else left after all.

[azranox]

ME Appreciation Week Day 2

For today I have a ficlet from Loop 3 of Fated for Control. (Every day I have a ficlet from this series. Can you tell it has a deathgrip on me?) This is the moment Thane saw Shepard in a new light so to say.

Ficlet below the cut.

It’s another day as Shepard’s arm for Thane Krios. His heart and mind have been pulled and twisted in the last several days in ways he never expected. On a rare streak of impulsiveness he sought out information on his estranged son, only to quickly receive the worst of news.

He sat in his tiny arid room contemplating what to do. He could easily take a shuttle and intercept his son on his own, but he did not wish to abandon this mission. So he called the Commander to join him for tea ahead of schedule.

She listened to the few details he provided with care and attention. He only gave what was necessary, as he still didn’t not trust the Cerberus AI listening to everything. Neither did she. She set course for the Citadel immediately, and while his son must serve a short sentence of a few months; it was better than the alternative. For that he could only thank Shepard. He did not know if he would live long enough to see his son freed, but he would be free in time. Free, alive, and with hands unstained.

That leaves him here peering down his scope. Another crew member had requested her help soon after he did, and that is what they’re now doing. A meeting framed as a positive for the target, but he had betrayed Vakarian who now sought blood. The stain of revenge is one he knows all to well, but it is not his place to interfere with another’s.

Unarmed and unarmored the Commander waits in a shadowed hall away from prying eyes. Vakarian was stationed at the prime location they’d discovered whilst scouting. At Shepard’s request Thane himself had taken another position at a different angle. She could protect herself, but there’s no reason not to be prepared.

The clock strikes the hour and the target moves into sight. He listens to the turian beg for his life with excuses. He watches them both through his scope as Shepard moves with the pacing man. Then she turns and catches his scope for a moment. Bright eezo violet eyes flash in his scope as she shifts to face Vakarian, pushing him to abandon this bloody path. Memories of defiant sunset eyes fight to come forth, only his training keeps them away.

He watches as the target leaves unmarred. So many thoughts riddle his mind, already slowly waking but now brought to full wakefulness by the most unexpected of circumstances. Have I been blessed by the gods yet again? A Siha given human form? I must speak with her soon. Arashu guide me.

[azranox]

Alas it is trilogy week!

For today I give you all an AU of my time loop AU Fated for Control (auception). In the story Shep is a Colonist Sole Survivor but what if she was a spacer? What if mom was still around during her many loops?

Ficlet below the cut!

Shepard looks down at her terminal at the message from her mom. Such a simple message, “Hi dear, I haven’t heard from you in a while. Is everything okay on your ship?”

All she wants to do is call and talk to her mom. Tell her that no it’s not okay. She’s been stuck in a timeloop for decades and keeps remembering more and more deaths that sent her back to the start. Her partner is dead and she has to control the Reapers to end this. Thats she exhausted and wants to come home and just have a meal cooked by her.

But she can’t drag her mom into all this. She already shares a last name and surely gets so much attention for it. “Your daughter the first human Spectre? Your daughter that destroyed a star system? Your daughter that’s leading the charge to save that galaxy? That Shepard?” To involve her with this hell is to much, she can’t put her mom through that.

So she lies, “Hi mom. Sorry I haven’t called. There’s just so much to do and it keeps slipping my mind. I heard you got promoted. Could never be me. I’m just a Commander through and through Rear Admiral. xD! I miss you, and wish I could see you.

Love,

[reacted by ident protocol NM-3964]