Mass Effect Legendary Edition launched last May and the hearts of fans everywhere jumped for joy at the fact that they had the chance to once again jump into Commander Shepard’s shoes and take on the dreaded Reapers. BioWare’s epic space opera series made waves when its first instalment released and all three games have remained some of the most influential and enjoyable to this day. The original trilogy has always been a personal favourite of mine, with its unique blend of science fiction charm, emotional depth, and compelling storytelling. And that’s only scratching the surface. As with their other main IP, Dragon Age, BioWare have cut no corners when it comes to the lore. Throughout the various Codex entries that can be discovered, there must be several hundred thousand words explaining the world of Mass Effect.
BioWare also did something unexpected, though, when they released a teaser trailer in December 2020 for a new, untitled Mass Effect game after an announcement the previous month. Having been put to bed back in 2012, fans hadn’t been expecting a sequel to the original trilogy, and yet there was Liara T’Soni as clear as day in the new teaser, letting players across the globe know that some of Shepard’s old comrades would likely be making a reappearance. It was a wildly unexpected reveal, but a welcome one for people like me who turn to the Mass Effect series for comfort. BioWare have not always been the most reliable in recent times, largely due to the EA’s input on their games, and there have been concerning reports about Dragon Age 4’s development for some time. Still, there is a spark of hope there that this untitled sequel will live up to the hype and our return to the Milky Way will be a satisfying and emotional one. We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best when it eventually releases.
Now, then. One thing you have to know about me is that I used to write fanfiction(And, by ‘used to’, I of course mean did it a lot and still do it fairly infrequently. It’s a habit I plan to kick). In doing so, I developed a habit of inventing new storylines and characters in my head for existing IPs I enjoyed. A habit that, strangely, has never left me. Chalk it down to an overactive imagination. Mass Effect is no different, and this was only exacerbated by my time spent playing Legendary Edition. I’d bet everything I own that BioWare’s next game in this universe is going to be wildly different than what I’ve come up with, but I’ve also spent far too long thinking about what my perfect Mass Effect sequel would look like. Allow me to paint a picture as best I can.
Continuity
Strictly speaking, the hypothetical game I’m about to describe would probably be classified as more of a spinoff a la Andromeda than a traditional sequel, but jumping straight into a Mass Effect 4 and taking control of Commander Shepard again from the outset would probably go down about as well as a leper in a brothel. This also raises the question of what decisions would carry over from the original trilogy. BioWare will more than likely implement an online decision-tracking system like the Dragon Age Keep for their untitled sequel so that Commander Shepard’s choices have a visible effect on the Milky Way. A few of these decisions, however, will have to be ironed out before the game releases and the same would be true of my hypothetical sequel, which I’m going to refer to as Terminus from now on(the reason why will become clear later). Let’s take a look at some of the more notable events from the original trilogy.
-The Council
At the end of Mass Effect, Shepard can decide to divert some troops and save the Destiny Ascension from destruction, saving the current Council in the process. Alternatively, they can focus all firepower on Sovereign to make sure the Reaper is destroyed and allow the Council to perish. The decision does not have major consequences during the other two games, but it does determine how cooperative they are with Shepard when they are working for Cerberus and a Council grateful for being saved will reinstate the Commander’s Spectre status. Little more than dialogue and passing references would be affected by this decision in Terminus.
-The Collector Base
At the end of Mass Effect 2, players are presented with a choice; destroy the Collector base or do a nuclear purge to wipe out all life aboard, leaving the base intact for Cerberus to study. The Paragon choice-and the most ethical-is to destroy everything and erase the horrible atrocities committed on the base by the Collectors. Doing the purge is still a possible choice, though, and Cerberus salvage almost everything by the time the third game rolls around. Again, this would have little impact on Terminus outside of dialogue.
-The Shadow Broker
Many players might have bypassed the DLC during their initial playthroughs of Mass Effect 2, but Legendary Edition includes all previously released downloadable content and Lair of the Shadow Broker is one of the best. After assisting Liara when she becomes a target of the infamous black market information dealer known as the Shadow Broker, Shepard helps her confront him before putting an end to him once and for all. On an impulse after seeing the Broker’s agents check in to see what is happening, Liara poses as the Broker and takes over his entire operation. Even if players never play the DLC, Liara will inform Shepard that she hunted the Shadow Broker down herself and took over regardless, so this is canon even without Shepard’s direct intervention.
-The Genophage
One of Mass Effect 3’s first major decisions will be whether or not to cure the Genophage and secure Krogan assistance for the war effort. Shepard has the choice of honouring the deal with the Urdnot clan leader and dispensing a cure at the cost of Salarian support-despite the fact that the Salarians come crawling back later on when they realise the war is bigger than their political allegiances-or doing as the Salarian Dalatrass wishes and sabotaging the entire mission, dooming the Krogan species forever. Any future instalment in the Mass Effect series will need to address this, and it will mean the difference between any Krogan characters considering Shepard either a hero or the greatest war criminal of their history.
-The Geth/Quarian War
The third game in the series finally allows a resolution to the conflict between the Quarians and their synthetic creations that have been at war with them for centuries, the Geth. Another decision presents itself when everything comes to a head with the Geth as Legion insists he must upgrade his people with Reaper code in order to make them truly artificially intelligent. He sees it as the next step in their evolution, if you like, and a necessary growth in order for them to be free. Shepard can allow this to go ahead, but without enough Paragon or Renegade points to convince the Quarians to stand down during their assault, the Geth end up wiping them out and Tali commits suicide after witnessing the extinction of her race. Conversely, Shepard can deny Legion’s wishes, which results in their former Geth companion turning hostile and needing to be put down. The Quarians then proceed to eradicate the Geth completely. Only with enough Paragon or Renegade points can Shepard achieve peace between both sides of the war, resulting in a prosperous future for all. It’s a major point in history for the Milky Way, and it will need to be addressed.
-The Ending
The ending. Oh, the ending. 2012 was rife with disappointed and upset fans when Mass Effect 3 capped off the series with one of the most controversial conclusions in video game history. I’ve since made my peace with it. After all, there’s no point letting a lacklustre ending colour the entire experience when said experience is so impressive on its own. In terms of the series’ future, though, BioWare are going to have to bite the bullet and choose one of three endings as canon. It’s worth noting that there is a fourth ending where Shepard refuses to make a choice and the galaxy is doomed to be wiped out by the Reapers, but it’s safe to say that no future game set in the Milky Way would realistically use that as a basis. There is one of the three main endings that would suit both BioWare’s untitled sequel and Terminus; Destroy. Let me explain my decision.
The Control Ending makes no sense from a moral and ethical standpoint. Throughout the entire game, the Illusive Man insists that he can control the Reapers and use them to work towards a better future for humanity, but the game is less than subtle in its depiction of this mindset as misguided and ill-advised. Every time the Illusive Man brings it up, he is painted as a madman and is later revealed to have been implanted with Reaper technology that is slowly indoctrinating him. Any sane person would assume the game was trying to tell us that controlling the Reapers was not a viable option. Except…it totally is? For some reason? This topic could be a whole article by itself, but it’s safe to say that allowing Shepard to control the Reapers goes against everything the game tries to tell us up to that point. For that reason, Control is out.
Next, we have Synthesis. Look, I’m not going to lie. Synthesis is objectively probably the ‘best’ ending where everybody is happy and the least death and destruction occurs. Organics and Synthetics are forever merged in some new biomechanical universe that promises to be harmonious for the rest of time. Still, something just feels off about it. It’s not quite as satisfying as it could be, like everything you’ve been fighting for during the entire trilogy no longer matters because everything is just different now. The people, the creatures, everything. Are the crew of the Normandy even themselves anymore, or are they just some new perfect beings that can easily forget about the tragedy of the previous few years and move on with the Reapers as part of society and not the terrible cosmic beasts that have murdered millions? It’s hard to reconcile the Synthesis Ending with the journey leading up to it. No, only a clear cut Destroy Ending feels like a real choice, where the Reapers are wiped out for good and the survivors of the war are left to pick up the pieces.
The Crucible, an ancient Prothean weapon designed to put a stop to the Reapers, does not distinguish friend from foe when it comes to synthetic life. The Geth, the AIs and VIs across the galaxy, and even EDI will all have their lives cut short by this ending. But what is war without sacrifice? That’s not to say the Destroy Ending is perfect. Actually, this little detail is almost like a final ‘fuck you’ from BioWare for not liking either of the other endings, the fine print on a contract you deigned to read before signing. But it’s the most satisfying and sensible conclusion, and it feels the most right. Plus, with enough war assets, rebuilding everything that was destroyed is a speedy process, and it is hinted that Shepard survives. I don’t want to undermine or disregard the choices of players who preferred other endings or the different variations of the same endings that can be achieved depending on the amount of war assets one has, but this almost perfect ending where the Commander possibly survives is the background behind Terminus. If you’re still with me, let’s get into the details.
A New Protagonist
Enter the Captain. I like to think BioWare will one day allow us to play as other races, but I also understand the temptation to continue restricting players to a Human protagonist. Humans are always going to be more relatable, and situations involving alien races where conflict or drama ensues will have more of an impact when viewed through the eyes of someone as equally out of place as the player. For that reason, let’s assume this new protagonist is a Human. The Captain is a nobody, someone who would have been trained last minute to fight the Reaper forces as part of a militia on Earth(the war assets menu of Mass Effect 3 actually mentions how civilians are being trained and used to form militias and offer support to the galaxy’s militaries, so this isn’t even a stretch). The best protagonists are always underdogs who come from nothing, relatable and sympathetic for the player controlling them. Shepard was a great main character and an iconic hero, but they were a member of the N7 Program and an accomplished soldier in the Alliance Navy to boot. The Captain, on the other hand, is a regular joe who goes on to make a name for themselves over the course of the story.
In or around five years after the events of the third game and the end of the war with the Reapers, the Captain is making an attempt to stay as far away from the rest of the Milky Way as possible so they can have some semblance of peace. One thing I think BioWare did really well with Shepard in the third game was showing how the situation was affecting them. At the game’s beginning, the Commander sees the Reapers kill a small child who is trying to flee the scene and make his way off world. At different points during the rest of the game, Shepard experiences nightmares where they are following the same child through a forest in an attempt to keep him safe, only for him to perish by the end. This is the closest depiction of trauma we’ve seen in a BioWare game, and Shepard’s experience trying to come to grips with the death of that child closely mirrors both survivor’s guilt and PTSD. Having been a civilian thrust into battle with the many horrific abominations used by the Reapers as ground forces during the war, the Captain suffers similarly and continues to recall the awful things they saw five years ago throughout the game. Nevertheless, their desire to remain undisturbed is doomed to remain little more than an aspiration as they find themselves embroiled in something much bigger than themselves.
Council Calling
While enjoying some semblance of peace, the Captain is sought out by a representative of the Council bearing an intriguing job offer. I haven’t quite ironed out the details of exactly why the Captain specifically has been chosen for this, so if this particular detail seems sudden and half-baked, that’s because it is. After being reluctantly dragged off to the Citadel to meet with the Milky Way’s main government, our new protagonist is asked to head up the Council Recolonisation Project, an initiative to find homes for what is likely millions of refugees across the galaxy without places to stay. Five years of passing in and out of the Citadel’s immigration has exhausted the station’s capacity to provide for them, and a more permanent solution is needed. I realise this might sound familiar. Mass Effect: Andromeda did essentially the same thing with the Andromeda Initiative, as Ryder was forced to find viable homes for the various races that left the Milky Way.
I’m probably in the minority in saying I quite liked Andromeda(please lower your pitchforks). By approaching it as a spinoff rather than a direct sequel, which it was never marketed as anyway, I found it really enjoyable. Flawed and not quite in keeping with the same spirit as its predecessors, sure, but that was always going to be the case. However, its open worlds had some real potential. Andromeda’s planets were all unique and interesting in their own ways, but they were also rather barren and devoid of life. With a bit more care and time, small and unimpressive colonies could become towns and cities for different races to populate. It would be like watching the open world come to life before your eyes. But I digress. After agreeing to spearhead the Council Recolonisation Project(CRP), the Captain is then provided with a ship so they can go about their duties and oversee the project in person. This ship, the Avalon, naturally needs a crew to support it. Let’s take a look at the new crewmembers and squad mates.
Assemble!
Let’s face it, the Human characters in Mass Effect are boring as hell, for the most part. Nobody jumps into Mass Effect 2 excited to take Jacob and Miranda on the next mission. The alien races are always a first choice, so the Captain’s team is going to be primarily non-Human. Besides, the Council had always been comprised of three alien races until the end of the first game saw Humans added to those ranks at long last, so most of their finest operatives will no doubt be Turians, Asari, and Salarians.
-Minevra Oraka
An indirect relation of General Septimus Oraka, Minevra is an operative working under the leadership of the Turian Councillor. She is one of two starting squad mates for the Captain to avail of before others can be recruited. With Turian society having an overarching emphasis on military pride and service, Minevra wants nothing more than to please and treats her job with the utmost seriousness. Her position working for the Councillor might not be considered quite as prestigious or impressive as a military ranking by her family and society back on Palaven, but this does nothing to discourage her. If anything, she works harder to prove that what she is doing makes a difference in the aftermath of the war with the Reapers. She does not immediately warm to the Captain, who she knows has no prior military or government service, and she finds it preposterous that they have been put in charge of her and her colleagues. However, her attitude towards them softens as the game goes on and she sees how much of an effect the pressures of spearheading the CRP is having on them.
-Ushi Vallon
Ushi is a Spectre who has been assigned to the Avalon to assist the Captain, like Minevra. As with all Salarians, Ushi doesn’t have much of an emotional range when compared to the other races, but he can sympathise with the Captain for what they saw on Earth five years ago, having been on the frontlines himself. He served with Jondum Bau during the Reaper war and has invaluable combat experience that makes him a useful ally in the field. Furthermore, his Spectre status and close ties to the Citadel grant him access to additional resources that the Captain can make use of during the CRP. He is the second starting squad mate.
-Weyrloc Barrox
While the Krogan initially do not have a place in the CRP, Barrox has been bending the ear of the Council for some time regarding rehoming both Krogan warriors injured five years ago and refugees who have left Tuchanka. They eventually relent after he crosses paths with the Captain while the latter is colonising a habitable planet and manages to worm his way aboard the Avalon(though the Captain can refuse to take him with them and dismiss him altogether). A member of the disgraced Clan Weyrloc, he seeks to rebuild and restore them to their former glory so that the Krogan can have some kind of a peaceful future that does not involve bloodshed. Whether Barrox hopes to see his race reproduce or he simply wishes for them to live out their final days in prosperity depends on whether or not the Genophage was cured in Mass Effect 3, and his opinion of Commander Shepard is similarly circumstantial. Barrox is an older Krogan, pushing seven-hundred by the time the Captain meets him, and he is vocal about his disapproval of Clan Weyrloc’s collusion with the Salarian doctor, Maelon, in a bid to take over. The CRP offers him a chance to atone for his clan’s past mistakes, and he hopes to prove to the other clans how serious he is about providing for his race. The priorities of the Captain and the Council do not matter so much to him as using the Council’s resources to achieve his own ends does, which naturally puts him at odds with the other crewmembers on more than one occasion.
-Maelon
The Salarian doctor’s survival is dependant on Shepard’s decisions during Mass Effect 2. Mordin Solus’s loyalty mission can be ignored completely, but seeing to it introduces his former protégé, Maelon, who seeks to cure the Genophage by performing unethical experiments on the Krogan of Clan Weyrloc. If Shepard intervenes and saves Maelon’s life, he goes on to regret his actions and decides to open a clinic like his former mentor to help people for real. Before the events of Terminus, Maelon catches the attention of the Council when he dedicates himself to helping the refugees on the Citadel. Before long, plans for the CRP are in motion and Maelon is offered a place aboard the Avalon to provide medical care for its crew. If Shepard killed Maelon in Mass Effect 2, any old doctor would do the trick, but the Salarian’s presence is certainly a lot more interesting, especially with Barrox aboard.
-Zane Maddock
A former pilot for the Alliance Navy during the war with the Reapers, Zane finds himself working for the Council as they rebuild. He ends up posted to the Avalon when the Captain takes charge of the CRP. Friendly but quiet, Zane usually does not offer his opinion on the situation unfolding one way or another and is happy enough to sit back and follow orders. He does, however, voice his concern about traversing the Terminus Systems in a Council ship, as he is all too familiar with pirates and slavers. That fear begins to subside as more people join the crew and he becomes confident that anybody consciously choosing to mess with the Captain might as well bring a coffin to put their body in afterwards.
Terminus
The beginning of the game comprises of the crew of the Avalon carrying out some very Andromeda-esque missions in order to prepare various uninhabited planets for colonisation. The Project is not confined to Council Space, either, with the Terminus Systems having cooperated during the fight against the Reapers. Despite the lawless nature of Terminus space, it seems plausible that they would open their borders in the name of rebuilding. The Captain receives contact from the Council after several colonies have been established to inform them that one of them has gone silent without warning. The Council suspects pirates or slavers, owing to the aforementioned lawlessness of the Terminus Systems, and the Captain is sent to investigate regardless. Upon arriving, the entire site has been laid to waste, but there are survivors. And some strangers, too. Soldiers wearing full Terminus armour appear and attempt to dispatch the crew of the Avalon while they make their escape. A firefight follows and the colony is saved, but the surviving attackers flee and what they wanted remains unknown.
The crew must make their way back to the Citadel to discuss their options, as the CRP is undoubtedly at risk of more disruption from these strangers. The Council have little information to offer, save for the fact that there have been whisperings of unrest outside of Council Space, and various terrorist groups have cropped up in the hopes of challenging the major government bodies of the Milky Way. One of them is more noteworthy than the others, an organisation by the name of Terminus. With little more than a warning, the Captain is sent on their way to continue the Project. However, upon returning to the Avalon, a message is waiting for them requesting that they meet the mystery sender on Omega if they want to know more about what Terminus are up to. Suspicious but eager for more information, the Captain meets with the crew to discuss their options before ultimately heading for Omega and seeking out the mystery person. Shiala reveals herself, the Asari encountered on Feros by Commander Shepard years before. Though she begins explaining that she knows what Terminus are up to, her explanation is cut short by the arrival of the terrorist organisation’s troops and yet another firefight ensues. Luckily, it is kept in control by the sudden appearance of Omega’s security, accompanied by Aria T’Loak herself. The self-proclaimed ‘Pirate Queen’ has been harbouring Shiala, who is on the run from Terminus forces, but the exact why of it remains unclear.
The Captain retires to Aria’s private quarters with the two Asari to find out what is going on. Shiala explains that she was involved in a situation at Zhu’s Hope years ago when a shady corporation named ExoGeni were studying a creature called the Thorian. Using the colonists as test subjects, the effects of the Thorian’s abilities were observed. To what end is unknown. After Commander Shepard killed the creature, ExoGeni recovered its remains and left the planet. Shiala explains that, in the aftermath of the Reapers, ExoGeni fell in with Terminus and the two have been cooperating ever since. The terrorist group seek to push back the Council and take full control of the Terminus Systems, which includes wiping out any Council-sanctioned colonies established there and disrupting outreach programs. They also promised to keep ExoGeni’s scientists safe and allow them to continue their unethical research. In return, ExoGeni promised a formidable bioweapon for Terminus to use against their enemies. Once their research bore fruit, there would be a new Thorian, and its spores and genetic material could be released on Council worlds to sew chaos and anarchy amongst their ranks.
-Shiala
Due to her involvement with what happened at Zhu’s Hope and her knowledge of ExoGeni’s collusion with Terminus, Shiala has been on the run for some time and was forced to hide out on Omega for fear of being discovered. It didn’t take long for the station’s resident crime boss to take notice, however. After being brought before Aria, Shiala explained that she had made an enemy of Terminus and held sensitive information about them that they wanted her hunted down for. Aria was surprisingly understanding, having had a few run-ins with Terminus herself, and she agreed to harbour Shiala so long as she continued investigating Terminus and acted as an informant for Omega’s leader. When the Captain arrives, she sees an opportunity to approach the Council with what she knows and requests that they take her with them aboard the Avalon as an adviser. It is worth noting that Shiala can be killed in the first Mass Effect if Shepard is so inclined. In that case, it would likely just be another colonist of Zhu’s Hope or an ExoGeni runaway that would take her place. Due to Shiala’s experience being cloned by the Thorian and her mental link with the creature’s hive mind, however, she would make for a much more intriguing addition to the Avalon’s crew.
-Aria T’Loak
Aria’s personality and general ruthlessness are determined by how Shepard dealt with the Omega DLC for Mass Effect 3, as she can both soften up or become even more merciless than before. In Terminus, she has been hassled by members of the titular organisation attempting to pressure her into supporting them as they make a play to rally the various crime lords and leaders of the Terminus Systems. Aria does not want war with the Council, even if a hardened Aria may not appreciate them founding colonies outside of Council Space. After taking in Shiala, she encounters the Captain and winds up forcing her way aboard the Avalon. She has her own stake in the destruction of Terminus and is willing to cooperate with the Captain if they are serious about taking on the organisation. While her moral corruption and blatant disregard for the chain of command make her a difficult squad mate to control, she is a powerful biotic in combat and she will remain loyal to the Captain as long as they do all they can to take down the troublesome Terminus.
On A (Lengthy) Sidenote…
In the original trilogy, the Thorian and ExoGeni are one of the most intriguing mysteries we come across. The creature’s origins are never thoroughly explained, just like the true extent of its abilities(which include mind control and cloning individuals to supply troops for it to use as it sees fit, to name just two). It is expressly mentioned, too, that the corporation succeed in recovering the remains of the Thorian and, while dead, they take off for locations unknown to presumably continue their research. By returning to this mysterious plot thread and using it as the basis for the story of Terminus, this hypothetical sequel solves one of the biggest problems facing any future instalment; living up to the original trilogy. I believe this is what contributed to Andromeda’s failure. Off the back of the galaxy-wide threat of the Reapers and the sheer scope of how incredibly dangerous and mysterious these otherworldly machine monsters were, there was naturally pressure to match that. Andromeda introduced the Kett, a species of hostile aliens that invade different galaxies and ‘exalt’ the local races, which translates to turning them into Kett. The true reasoning behind this coupled with what the highest-ranking members of this Kett empire actually want might never be explained, unless the next Mass Effect somehow crosses over with Andromeda(which isn’t that outlandish, considering theories are abounding about it possibly taking place centuries into the future-matching up with Andromeda’s timeline). But some argue Andromeda just went too big and bold in an attempt to almost outdo the enormity of the Reapers and their mission to eradicate all life in the Milky Way every fifty thousand years. With Terminus, using the threat of the Thorian keeps the story grounded in already-established lore while also offering another threat of galactic proportions that might just escape being overshadowed or considered lacklustre when compared to the Reapers. After all, the true extent of the Thorian’s abilities has never been explored, so just imagine what might happen if ExoGeni were to begin breeding more of them. Multiple individuals of these monsters, spread throughout the galaxy, all connected by some cosmic hive mind.
Wartime
Having assembled a decent crew and with Shiala possessing valuable information about Terminus, the Captain heads to the Citadel with their new Asari adviser to tell the Council what they know. As it happens, the Council have been receiving concerning reports of Terminus attacks in Council Space and they fear a large-scale conflict is on the horizon. What’s more, several notable crime lords and powerful leaders from the Terminus Systems have decided to support the terrorist organisation, which could spell an all-out war. The CRP is now a secondary objective. The Council’s forces are spread thin after the Reapers and the galaxy’s militaries have not finished rebuilding. It is up to the crew of the Avalon to put a stop to this. As the Captain goes to take their leave, they hear the Council begin to discuss an alien prisoner currently being kept on the Citadel. The choice to investigate or simply walk away presents itself, but we all know which is more interesting.
-Dorback
The planet of Parnack is off-limits by order of the Council, due to the fact that its native species massacred their greeting party years prior. The Yahg are an aggressive species who consider themselves physically and mentally superior to others. Unknown to everyone outside a small few, the Council kept eyes on the Yahg in the years after their delegation was wiped out in order to monitor their movements and development. Dorback managed to sneak his way aboard a shuttle making its way off world and laid in wait until it returned to the Citadel, where he was discovered by C-Sec and held in custody. Much to their surprise, he was not hostile and even showed signs of advanced intelligence. As the Council began the meeting to decide his fate, the Captain intervened and, after a back and forth, they convinced the Milky Way’s leaders to turn Dorback over to the crew of the Avalon. The consequences of misbehaviour or interference in Council business would be on the Captain’s shoulders. Dorback’s aggression and superiority complex would show themselves on several occasions, but so would his loyalty to the Captain after several skirmishes with Terminus. He proves to be a valuable and powerful ally.
What Now?
It might surprise you to know that I actually don’t have every single detail of Terminus’s story ironed out. I imagine an investigation into the organisation’s operations and a journey around the galaxy(mainly the Terminus Systems) to prevent them from doing any further harm, as well as a mission to destroy ExoGeni’s labs where they are attempting to resurrect the Thorian, but I don’t have a full-on step by step to work with. I’m not a game developer, sue me. I do, however, have a few specific details in my head about the Terminus organisation and how the story comes to an end.
-The Viceroy
The name is a work in progress, but suffice it to say the Viceroy is the leader of Terminus forces on the ground. She first appears just after the opportunity to recruit Dorback, when the crew of the Avalon head to a supposed Terminus base on the outskirts of the Terminus Systems. After making their way through the base and setting it to self-destruct, the Viceroy reveals herself with the intention of stopping the Captain. What she wasn’t expecting was to recognise them. Throughout Terminus, the Captain experiences distressing dreams and flashbacks about their time as a member of the militia on Earth. They fought alongside many different people, most of whom perished fighting Reaper forces. The Viceroy did not. It almost strikes me as a dark mirror of Ryder and their sibling during Andromeda’s story. Where Andromeda sees a brother and sister work together to keep people safe, Terminus has two former comrades in arms put at odds with one another. The Viceroy hesitates when confronted with the Captain, but she believes in the cause she is fighting for. After spending five years in lawless space, she believes the Council failed the Terminus Systems, and now they want to colonise Terminus planets and rehome refugees when residents of these non-Council systems have been struggling to survive without help for decades, maybe even centuries. She plans to bring war to Council Space, and she can’t let the Captain get in her way. A boss fight ensues. As the base collapses, the Viceroy is forced to flee and the crew of the Avalon just about escape by the skin of their teeth. This would not be the first encounter with her, nor would it be the last.
The Grand Finale
After things really ramp up and the story approaches its conclusion, the crew of the Avalon discover that ExoGeni have created several Thorian creatures from the original’s genetic material and Terminus plan to deploy them on every Council homeworld. A drastic move, even for them. The Viceroy and ExoGeni’s leaders are tracked to a remote space station in the Attican Traverse. This is where several smaller vessels carrying the new Thorians will be deployed from. After making their way through the station’s security and Thorian Creepers(enthralled, ghoul-like humanoids mind controlled by the Thorian), the Captain confronts their old comrade and realises her mind has been corrupted by exposure to the new Thorians’ spores, as have the minds of the ExoGeni scientists that underestimated the power of several of these creatures working in unison. The Viceroy serves as the final boss, supported by the weaker-minded scientists that blindly march themselves into battle to protect her. After defeating her, she is injured but alive, and her mind is her own for a brief moment. Acknowledging the danger of what she has been doing with ExoGeni, she accepts her fate and it is up to the Captain to either execute her or take her into custody, where she might possibly receive treatment for her mental connection with the Thorian hive mind. The likelihood of successful treatment and rehabilitation, however, is small.
The specimens aboard the station’s smaller spacecrafts are all destroyed, but a series of computer entries make it clear that ExoGeni have more labs in other locations, which means these new Thorians have not all been wiped out. Shiala-who experiences uncomfortable moments of connection with the hive mind throughout Terminus-confirms this upon returning to the Avalon, as she can still ‘feel’ the presence of living Thorians in the Milky Way. For now, though, the threat has been quelled, and Terminus have been dealt a serious blow. After returning to the Citadel, Ushi recommends the Captain for Spectre status, which they can accept or decline, but they remain posted to the Avalon to deal with any further threats from Terminus and ExoGeni. The future is uncertain, for now. In a post-credits scene, the Council make contact with someone they think will be able to help them when the inevitable war comes; Commander Shepard.
Final Notes
It’s far from perfect, I’ll be the first to admit, but I’ve come to really like this idea I’ve clumsily put together. A sequel to the original trilogy is never going to get away with being a traditional continuation of the story or far-removed spinoff. Terminus is a near perfect middle ground, and it’s a game I’d be damn happy with if it was real. And I’m not just saying that because I came up with it. There are some other things that would be included, as well, just to add to the experience.
· Loyalty Missions: Like Mass Effect 2, Terminus allows the player to complete loyalty missions for each squad mate to ensure their survival during the final assault on the space station. There is also a point in the story where players are afforded the time to do this as they must wait for the Council to contact them about their next move. Andromeda brought back loyalty missions, but they were not nearly as memorable or impactful as before.
· More Squad Mates: The squad mates I have listed would not be all of them. A plethora of different companions to choose from like Mass Effect 2 would suit Terminus, but I haven’t fleshed out any ideas for specific individuals outside of the ones listed already. Aria likely has several shady underground types she could put the Captain in touch with that wouldn’t mind taking the fight to Terminus, allowing the Captain to seek out new recruits for the mission.
· Tools: Andromeda introduced different melee weapons so players were not stuck with exclusively using the omni blade. Why not go one step further? In Terminus, the omni blade is classified as a tool that can be swapped out for others as they are discovered. Imagine being able to equip omni shields, dual wield handguns, and even use Geth hoverboards like Saren. The possibilities are endless, especially if different terrains and locations on colony planets can only be accessed with certain tools.
· Scenes Inspired By The Citadel DLC: Some might find Citadel jarring due to its overly comedic and light-hearted tone compared to the vanilla game, but there are some genuinely lovely moments included with it that pack a hell of an emotional punch. As with Andromeda’s movie night, the crew of the Avalon get together on occasion to wind down and enjoy one another’s company. A trip to the Silversun Strip wouldn’t go amiss, either.
Look To The Stars
There was more that I wanted to say in this article, but it’s already much, much longer than it has any business being. I’m very curious to see where the next Mass Effect takes us and how it plans to live up to its predecessors. Whether the theories turn out to be true or not about a possible crossover with Andromeda remains to be seen, although the idea is not as unappealing as it used to be. As I mentioned before, Mass Effect is my comfort game series, the one that I turn to no matter what mood I’m in because I know it’s going to be a good time every time. There likely won’t be any news until N7 Day of this year. With any luck, we might get a full trailer and a possible release window. For now, Terminus is what sates my appetite for more Mass Effect. Like I said, it’s not a perfect concept, and I might have jumped the shark by essentially setting up a new trilogy with the surprise appearance of Shepard, but it has its own charm in a fanfictiony sort of way. So, I leave you, now, with my perfect Mass Effect sequel and the hope for a brighter future for this series when the inevitable next instalment rolls around. I can’t wait to see what adventure awaits us next.
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