Prestacious' Challenges

After a misunderstanding between a new soldier, an Admiral, and his daughter, our soldier's assignment is guarding a largely automated listening post on Ontarom.  Not much to do here.  Not even decent scenery.  Just sand.

Alert: Geth vessel detected in orbit.  Multiple objects detected on atmospheric entry vectors.

"What are the flashlight heads doing here?" the soldier says, while opening the weapon locker and removing a Lancer.  "Why are there only smoke grenades in here?  And why do they say 'Best if used by 2176'?!"

Location: Ontarom (Dagger)

Enemy: Geth

Parameters: Human Soldier with Lancer.  No frag grenades.

The Alliance routinely sends personnel on "outreach" missions to colonies in order to lend technical expertise and drum up good will.  They are also a source of intelligence.  Cerberus has been mounting a serious PR campaign in the colonies, and riots have not been uncommon.

While our Engineer puts the finishing touches on on an irrigation VI, a local farmboy trots out with a case and enthusiastically opens it.  "Hey look what I bought from a Turian! It's a grenade launcher!"

"Geez, watch where you point that thing, kid!  What possible use do you have for a Falcon, anyway?"

"You know those pyjaks are always getting into the soybeans.  That Turian said this will make 'em think twice!"

Just then came the distinctive report of mass accelerator weapon fire from the town.  Our Engineer's omnitool lit up with an message:

Cerberus sympathizers have fired upon local law enforcement.  Assist local forces in neutralizing these criminals.

"Jimmy, I'm going to need to borrow your Falcon."

Location: Benning (Ghost)

Enemy: Cerberus

Parameters: Human Engineer with Falcon and Hornet.  50 Tech Kills required.

There are still things the Alliance can learn about training biotics.  To that end, some personnel are sent to Thessia to be trained by Commandos.  When they return to Arcturus, they become instructors in the Alliance's martial biotic training school.

Our Adept is one such individual and is still there when the Reapers arrive.  The Asari will need all the help they can get.

"Why do you insist on carrying two weapons, human?  You are the weapon."

"I like to keep this one for close encounters."

Location: Thessia (aka Goddess)

Enemy: Reapers

Parameters: Human Adept with Phalanx and Scimitar.  20 Headshots required. Disruptor or Incendiary ammo not permitted.

According to Alliance records, the Collectors were destroyed in 2185.  This was based on intelligence from various sources, including Shepard's debriefing and data taken from the SR2.  However, the Alliance has lost contact with a facility on Sanctum that it had recently liberated from Cerberus.  The distress signal, which was cut short, seemed to imply the facility was attacked by Collectors.  A team was sent to investigate.  Our Sentinel pulled up the communications log from a damaged console while the others checked the perimeter.

"Glacier to Variable. We are...[DATA CORRUPTED] ...Request extraction."

[DATA CORRUPTED]

"...we aren't gonna last seventeen hours!  Those things are gonna come back in here, just like they did before!"

"Stow it Hudson!"

"Whatever was here is gone now.  Just these weird bug things on the windows."

"Don't touch those, man!"

"Relax.  I bet they squish like any other bug."

"Oh ****! You pissed them off!"

"Ahh! Get them off me!"

Vital readouts for the rest of the team then showed only flat lines.

Location: Sanctum (Glacier Hazard)

Enemy: Collectors

Parameters: Human Sentinel with Hurricane.  25 Tech Kills Required.

After Shepard secured Krogan support for the war, the Alliance began shipments of materiel and arms to Tuchanka.  Our Vanguard was tasked with delivering one such shipment to a Krogan clansman posted to a ground to space cannon facility.

As the supplies were being transferred, the facility's sensors lit up like a well-calibrated Turian holiday tree.

"Wraaah! Looks like the Reapers are trying to crash our party.  I hope you know how to fight, Princess."

"Don't worry about me, I'm a biotic.  And I have my standard issue Avenger."

"That puny thing! Ha ha ha!  Here, try a real man's weapon," the Krogan said as he handed our Vanguard a Claymore.

Location: Tuchanka (Giant Hazard)

Enemy: Reapers

Parameters: Human Vanguard with Claymore.  75 Shotgun Kills and 20 Headshots Required.

Cerberus has evolved from an Alliance Black-Ops group, to a pro-humanity cabal, a terrorist group, and a liability the Alliance does not need during the conflict with the Reapers.  The brass want something to be done about it.

Intelligence suggests that members of Cerberus leadership are meeting on Noveria.  Our Infiltrator has been tasked with eliminating them.

"This is the insertion point.  Spy sats show a blizzard in the area, and visibility is extremely limited."

"They'll never know what hit 'em."

Location: Noveria (White Hazard)

Enemy: Cerberus

Parameters: Human Infiltrator with Avenger and Suppressor.  75 Pistol Kills and 20 Headshots Required.

Twelve hours ago, stealth drones detected a Collector Cruiser in the Euler system.  The Alliance has received a distress call from the civilian militia on Benning indicating the Collectors are attempting to grab as many remaining colonists as they can.  The nearest naval asset, SSV El Alamein, was directed to assist, although they only had a single N7 asset aboard.  Task Force 37 is currently “steaming” towards Euler, although they are several days out.

As the rain pings on the roof of the ramshackle prefab turned make-shift command post, the colonials are startled when a figure appears at the door.

“Somebody call for an exterminator?”

Location: Benning (Ghost Hazard)

Enemy: Collectors

Parameters: Human Infiltrator with Crusader. Four Personal Gold Medals Required.

“As if connecting the reactor control terminals to the extranet wasn’t enough, you were running Galaxy of Fantasy on it!  I can’t imagine how many Turian regulations you are breaking.  I’ve got it nearly back to spec though.”

“Fuel reactor control is boring.  Besides, the Hierarchy is about to recognize that I’m the next Vakarian and post me to the frontlines.”

“Is that why you carry a Viper inside a fuel depot?”

“What about you, human?  Compensating for something with that M99?”

“I was caught in a field without a weapon once.  Not the field, it was literally a soybean field.  Decided I was going to keep the biggest piece of iron with me I could.”

The Turian shook his head and started “I heard this joke…”

Our engineer cut him off “That’s strange.  There seem to be some unusual runtimes in memory…”

Over the hum of the machinery came an unmistakable stuttering sound.

“Geth! They’ve brea…” the Turian shouted, before taking a rocket to the face.

Location: Cyone (Reactor)

Enemy: Geth

Parameters: Human Engineer with Saber OR Viper.  50 Tech Kills and 20 Headshots Required.

“The Geth are our allies, and yet we are in the Terminus Systems with a team out looking for a Geth Hub to destroy.  But you’re 3 Laws Safe now, right Smiley?”

“Reference: Earth fiction.  Asimov, Isaac.  Formalized in Runaround. This is an imperfect analogy.  However, the Geth are allied with organics against the Reapers and their proxies.  Hostile platforms contain Reaper code and are not true Geth.”

“Talk about malware…” said our Sentinel.  “Now I have a question about Geth dreams and sheep.”

“That topic would be irrelevant.  Alert: perimeter motion sensors activated.”

“Those pieces of junk are overly sensitive.  Probably those damn crab things.”

“This one will investigate.”

Location: Arvuna (Hyda)

Enemy: Geth

Parameters: Human Sentinel with Locust. 50 Biotic Kills and 20 Headshots Required.

After surviving trial by fire on Thessia, our Adept  awaits the MSV Ascension on Sur’Kesh, for transport to the Alliance fleet.  The relative peace offered time for reflection.

“…and I am proficient in creating Shockwaves.”

“Shockwaves?  Don’t make me laugh!  Shockwaves are only appropriate for brutish Krogan fat-heads!  Now you will show me what you know.  If you can land a single blow, I will bow and call you Master.  Begin!”

No matter the attack, the Asari flowed around it gracefully, visibly amused.  Finally the Master performed a single biotic kick, sending our Adept flying 10 meters.

“Hahaha.  Your shockwaves are amateur at best. And your so called biotic fu is really quite pathetic.  But I asked you to demonstrate what you know, and you did.  Not a single thing!  Your training begins tomorrow.  I will forge you into a weapon, and stone will fear your fist!”

The tranquil air was pierced by a klaxon.  “Cerberus units have entered the base!”  Our Adept’s fist began to glow.

Location: Sur’Kesh (Jade)

Enemy: Cerberus

Parameters: Human Adept with Wraith or Falcon.  25 Melee Kills and 50 biotic kills required.

Our Vanguard was transferred to Menae with a group of Krogan during a lull in fighting on Tuchanka.  But not before a skirmish with Cerberus resulted in a souvenir.  Some of the Turians were impressed, the Krogan, not so much.

“Lot easier than toting that Claymore around.”

“Ha Ha Ha! What a puny shotgun for a puny human!”

“Yeah laugh it up.  This thing is wicked with some good ammo.”

“Spirits, Collectors are attacking the air field!”

“Hrmph! It was only a matter of time before they sent a worthy enemy against us!  Krogan and Turians will defeat them.  Human, you and your toy shotgun can guard this hill in the rear.”

Location: Menae (Condor)

Enemy: Collectors

Parameters: Human Vanguard with Talon.  25 Tech Kills and 25 Biotic Kills Required.

For singlehandedly stopping a Geth raid on a listening post, our Soldier received a promotion to Operations Chief.  Unfortunately that was short lived, as some comments about an Asari matriarch resulted in a minor diplomatic incident.

“At least I’m not stuck at the ass end of the galaxy anymore,” our Soldier thought, while combing through the wreckage of the downed shuttle.  “And I always wanted to see London.  Dirtier than I imagined though.”

The pilot and the rest of the squad didn’t make it.  All of their weapons are non-functional.  Except for Tex’s Typhoon.

Rescue shuttle inbound.  Just need to survive for a few minutes...

Location: London

Enemy: Reapers

Parameters: Human Soldier with Typhoon.  10 Waves Survived Required.