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[color=13B1E8][sub][h2][u]W h a t     R e m a i n s[/u][/h2][/sub][/color]
[sub][color=Silver][i]Even after a great war, peace remains unsustainable...[/i][/color][/sub][/centre]
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[color=Silver]	It's been [b]four years[/b] since the legendary [i]Commander John Shepard[/i], human Spectre and Officer of the Alliance Navy, dealt the final blow to the Reaper invasion. By using the Crucible, all synthetic life was destroyed in order to put an end to the cataclysmic cycle that had ravaged the galaxy for what felt like an eternal process. Such a move sent a shockwave across the galaxy and put the order of galactic politics, society and conflict at a complete standstill. The Reapers were gone, as were the Geth, and everything seemed to go silent for a while. The Mass Effect relays were damaged in the process of final victory, and the last three years were dedicated to repairing and reactivating all surviving nodes of intersystem travel. Come the end of the third year, the natural order of the galaxy's original state returned in theory, yet nothing was ever to be the same again.

	If one thing is for sure, then it goes without saying that the Reaper Invasion left a traumatising mark on all sentient life. Homeworlds had been brutalised. Planets had been wiped clean. Entire colonies had disappeared without a trace. The loss of life was all but ghastly. Human, Turian, Salarian and Asari militaries were devastated by the fighting, whilst non-council species differed in devastation. There was no real [i]natural order[/i] of life anymore. Some species, such as the Batarians, were whittled down to as little as fifty-thousand survivors. Large swathes of galactic space had been reduced to echoes and silence. There was no great relief the moment Shepard pulled the trigger on the extinction cycle. Many had no real clue of what to do next. Bureaucratic stagnation returned to folly in the wake of billions killed. Repair and recovery coordination was admirable at best, and lopsided, disjointed and failing at others.

	The Citadel and its Council fell into an identity crisis. Some ambassadors made large for enacting normalcy to a galaxy that could barely resemble it. Others called for great reformation, some even devolved into demands for reparations in a sea of debt-struck citizens. There was never quite the happy ending as once heralded by the countless news networks throughout the war, but at the very least, life lived on without having been harvested once more. Despite this, countless threats still plagued Citadel Space, from within and from the reaches of the Terminus System, or throughout the desolate wastelands left ravaged by the invasion. Civil conflict, those who see others unfit for leadership, sits as a close prospect in many systems. That universal unification of all life fritters whilst some fall to insecurity in the face of annihilation. It seems that the sudden revoke of the apocalypse set in motion a grand disturbance throughout. But at the very least, there remains hope among those that wish to persist with the aftermath seen by their saviours. It is simply a test to see whether said ideals come to fruition, or if they die in the ever-changing galaxy.[/color]

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[color=13B1E8][sub][h2][u]C a u g h t   I n   A    L a n d s l i d e[/u][/h2][/sub][/color]
[sub][color=Silver][i]...for the guns stop firing only when they need to reload.[/i][/color][/sub][/centre]
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[color=Silver][b]	Mass Effect: Intervention[/b] is to follow crewmembers of the [url=https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2021/03/17/bbc3a69d-f82e-4d64-a9fa-860bc1f43db1/me-tempest-statue-photo-env-bg-footer-1143039.jpg]SSV-Intervention[/url], an Alliance vessel leased to the Citadel that was constructed from 'Andromeda Initiative' ship designers back in 2184. The Intervention is captained by one Te'yany Janniius, an Asari put in command of one of many new ships in the name of the Citadel's centralised military endeavours, beyond that of system-by-system policing by the Turian Empire and Systems Alliance. A new doctrine, inspired by the actions of the SSV-Normandy, has set out a number of autonomous companies who's intent is to provide flexible and effective military force between the cracks that formed in the damaged fleets' coverage. Though a licensed design in Alliance hands, the ships authority lies on the Citadel, and thus a range of races and species are found on board the ship. The Intervention is a relatively new vessel, having ran only several exercises and a few missions since its construction. Finally, it is to be bathed in baptism. The crew has been fully assembled. And with it comes its first task.

	After the conclusion to the Reaper Invasion, it was easy to forget another major foe that still lurked in and out of Citadel space. Cerberus, the fanatic human organisation, remains, though much of its physical strength has been reduced to atoms. The death of the Illusive Man drew what many hoped would be the fatal strike to the group, however it served more to break the limbs of the beast than to sever its head. Cerberus remains out there. Their goals are once more uncertain, though the Citadel Council are more than eager to shut down any instances of its existence. Any cells and outposts that are discovered are immediately met with detainment or elimination. Ships like the Intervention specialise in removing these threats. Most recently, Cerberus activity was picked up on Virmire, in the Sentry Oemga, far into the remnant lands of lost battles. The assignment has been left to the Intervention to investigate the reports, and to either detain, disrupt or destroy any presence found.[/color]

[centre][hr][color=13B1E8][sub][h2][u]W e l c o m e ![/u][/h2][/sub][/color]
[sub][color=Silver][i]...for the guns stop firing only when they need to reload.[/i][/color][/sub]
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[color=Silver]	Hello and welcome, interest checkers and newcomers, to [b]Mass Effect: Intervention[/b], the thread set aboard the aforementioned SSV-Intervention, a reconnaissance and security frigate commissioned for Citadel matters. We're here to bring together a wide variety of characters all in the same boat, from different walks of life, in a post-Reaper Invasion galaxy. A lot has happened to the galaxy, and though the Mass Relays are only just starting to reach a condition viable for usage, there's a lot to reconnect and recover in the wake of a destructive war. We will all fall under the initial command of the vessel and create an interactive breathing space for these characters to develop, add to the story and to forge their own path in a time left over by the legends that preceded them.

	I think you get the gist of the story setup. For the tl;dr: Citadel want to root out pockets of Cerberus, and the SSV-Intervention, a relatively fresh ship in a tested design, is being sent to Virmire to investigate a reported presence. The main focus of this RP is surrounding the characters and how they interact/bounce off of one another. The plot should be the vessel for them to develop and engage in varying levels of relationships with one another, be it the professional camaraderie, the friendships, rivalries, disdains and even romances that stem from a ship's community-like crewspace. Of course, this means that over the long course of the setting, we'll be visiting different planets, locations and stations to help flesh out a series of connected stories. Depending on how the RP goes, we'll either focus far more on the ship's micro stories or its macro stories. Either way, combat, working lives and tragedies are sure to strike along the way. The galaxy is still very much a dangerous place, and the hole left if the galactic balance of power post-invasion has put many in precarious spots in life.

	So, it should go without saying that first I should introduce to you the SSV-Intervention. As mentioned before, this vessel was a System's Alliance design [i]obtained[/i] from the Andromeda Project before they set out. Since its acquirement, the Alliance had begun development on their own version until the Reaper Invasion cut plans short. Out of the ashes of the war came time for innovation once more. The ship's design schematic - the Hood-Class Frigate - was then brought into fruition as a cost-effective, yet highly resilient, vessel that brought to power a new doctrine of galactic peacekeeping. Shepard's spearheading of this doctrine through his use of the SSV-Normandy SR2 was then brought to the Citadel Council at first notice, to which they purchased licenses for existing ships and brought them into their own ranks. And though the ship hasn't seen much wide adoption outside of Alliance in their attempt to rebuild strength, the Citadel Security Fleet has employed around 90 of these, many still bearing Alliance designation. One of these, freshly out of trials, comes the Intervention.[/color]

[centre][hider=The SSV-Intervention][hr][img]https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/954093872535992557/238BE5E5DAECDC8FB4A61647C0B4D6B36681B705/?imw=637&imh=358&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=true[/img]
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[color=Silver]	For the few familiar with the [i]Andromeda Initiative[/i], the Hood-Class Frigate design strikes heavy resemblance to that of the human ship 'The Tempest' deployed in much secrecy to the unknown galaxy. What massively detaches it from its privatised origins is its heavily robust and militaristic upgrades made at the cost of the state of the art luxury seen on its far-gone parent design, as well as an overall upscaling of the design from 95 metres in length to 160. The ship is armed with a series of standardised systems found commonly on most frigates of the era: a GUARDIAN Point Defence Laser system, Kinetic Barriers, and a spinal-fitted mass accelerator cannon embedded within the ships' body. Additionally, what was originally to be a main battery weapon that sits on the ship's underside is a Lambda Cannon, a supposedly cheap alternative to the famed Thanix Cannon. However, due to underperformances, the weapon is best suited for peppering larger targets' weak spots for delivery of the ships' mass accelerator cannon. There are bays for Javelin Disruptor Missiles as well, as favoured by many small frigate crews.[/color]

[hider=Top Floor: Captain's / XO's Cabins][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ec/56/ac/ec56ac41ccdb33c7c689ccc752c1a9c6.png[/img][hr]

[color=Silver]The worst downgrade in luxury compared to the Tempest is the Brass' quarters. These cabins are, however, the most comfortable living spaces aboard the vessel. Additionally, the Executive Officer has their own slightly smaller version of the same cabin, only missing some of the space for decoration such as the model stands that separate workspace from bedroom. Many of the crew might envy the privilege, but the Captain has once said the bed isn't as entirely comfortable as it looks.[/color]
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[hider=Second Floor: C&C / War Room]
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[color=Silver]To a lesser extent, the Command and Coordination Centre (or C&C) is modelled after many small frigates alike. A main podium for the ship's mission planning and disclosed mission planning takes place in this main centre, with systems feedbacking directly to the pilot for immediate communication. Thus, this acts as the primary war room for most known operations the Intervention is expected to go on. This then links directly to the pilot and navigator's cockpit. Other systems such as the main docking bay doors and small security posts can be found around this area.[/color]
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[hider=Second Floor: Operations' Room / Research Station]
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[color=Silver]Note that the War Room's main function was for mainline operations. However, for matters and operations that are undisclosed to the main crew, as well as a space for the Captain's affairs to be shared with higher ups / specific crew, the Operations' Room sits near to the rear of the second floor, separated off by a security checkpoint and a spare room that's been converted into a small research lab. A great deal of mystery was said to have been discussed behind those closed doors, usually closed off from the standard crewmate. Those who are brought inside tend to not openly discuss the matters the Captain had brought to them either, giving it a sort of wives' tale level light-hearted conspiracy.[/color]
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[hider=Third Floor: Crew's Quarters]
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[color=Silver]One part, however, that can be seen at times as an upgrade are the quarters for the regular crewman. Beds are able to be divided by cubicle like walls, adding a small sense of security and privacy those that may wish it. Though not every crewman sleeps with their walls shut, still favouring the communal sense of a barracks, the options still stands for most beds, though it does drastically reduce living space to store personal goods. The additional benefit, at least, is that on-ship protection for non-combatants allows them to hide themselves within these quarters fairly easily, though it does little to protect from ship breaches. Among the quarters are two communal eating food preparation areas, a larger-scale kitchen and communal relaxation spot, blending into an off-side observation deck and relaxation point, though by far the built in bar counter is a lot less desirable than that of the once heralded Normandy. Most importantly, the main doctor's office is located on this floor, where treatments are made to the injured and sick if need be, as well as generalised care to those struggling with on-mission stress.[/color]
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[hider=Fourth Floor: Engineering / Main Systems Maintenance]
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[color=Silver]The Engineering Deck is sectioned by many dividing, strongly reinforced rooms that protect key systems for the vessel to run. Though backups for critical systems are found on the command floor as well in case of emergency, the backbone of maintenance is found here. There are some spots for crew relaxation to minimise the flow of jumping between floors to catch a break, but they are small and less comfortable than the crew quarters' counterpart. Things such as basic VI systems, tertiary data banks, the mass effect drive core and all manners of engineering namesakes are found throughout here, as well as most of the crew specialised in its wellbeing. A decent number of engineers are combat trained too, though many act as reserve security over ground-team deployments due to their preference to stay aboard.[/color]
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[hider=Fifth Floor: Shuttle Bay / Quartermaster's Office]
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[color=Silver]The Shuttle Bay makes up the vast majority of the fifth floor deck. Though two shuttles can be fitted to the ship for extended operational use, one is favoured for the most part. This section is partnered up with the Quartermaster's Office, a sectioned off and secured room that acts as the main armoury storage for the ship. That being said, there are secondary, smaller weapon compartments on each and every deck, for boarding emergencies of course. Most of the weaponry is standard issue, though as the doctrine has opened up space for a somewhat wider net of non-specialised weaponry, the Quartermaster doubles up as a space for part shopping. Final note, the Shuttle Bay also acts as the main cargo bay.[/color]
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[color=Silver]	But what of the characters of this vessel? Well, to begin with, there'll be a pool of races to choose from, with the non-Citadel Security Fleet races being allowed as secondary characters down the line if they were to be introduced aboard. For the most part, the crew will differ from all sorts of backgrounds. Some of you might choose to have characters already know one another, either minimally or extensively, prior to the maiden mission of the SSV-Intervention, whilst I assume most will be there as new faces to the ranks.

	There is one somewhat important prerequisite to the character you make: they must at least be a serviceman for their home systems' organisations (i.e. Alliance Military, Turian Fleet etc.) or a recruit of the Citadel Security Fleet. Now this doesn't just mean the brunt and brutes of soldiers, this could be down to the more logistical and civilian-like positions found throughout, such as doctors, scientists and researchers if you want your characters to fill those niches. I was asked this during the making of the OOC thread. If you don't have a desire for the "militaristic" background, then the Citadel Fleet fills that gap more, acting more initially as a civilian-like job. Of course, they'd end up being recruited officially for service aboard the Intervention, whether through requested transfer or necessity, and with the Galaxy still bandaging its heavy wounds I can suspect there might be a good array of backgrounds that precede their introductions.

	Another topic to quickly touch on is the characters' jobs. Not every character has to be a combatant first and foremost. I've talked the interested and we have such ideas as the ship's main doctor, think Chakwas for the Normandy, or a pilot. I'm fine with these, eventually people will have the space to make landfall in their own ways, should a major story event come about, and I'll try to best include everyone where I can, but just keep in mind of what might influence your character in their specified roles. Also, alongside these roles comes the topic of "class". I wouldn't say there's any super strict class structure for combat-based explorers and peacekeepers, such as the general soldier, engineer, adept and onwards, but it is worth looking at the six "classes" to better narrow down any combat skills, of which you'll choose from three, just to make sure we don't overextend what our characters can do from the beginning. There may be opportunities to better equip and hone a characters' skillset, but I don't generally want to gameify the abilities too much as this is a narrative RP foremost.

	Last side note for the character sheet: I'm posting the most basic skeleton for it. Some people like format their sheets differently, and I'm all cool for that. So long as you include all the necessary information here, you're green to go ahead, and if you want to put in any additional information, then go for it.[/color]

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[color=Silver][i]An image of the character could go here. Though advised you get a faceclaim, ones without are required to write heavier detail in their appearance section as a result.[/i][/color][hr]

[color=Gold][b]Name[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]Should be simple enough[/color]

[color=Gold][b]Race[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]So, the Intervention selection so far would be: [b]Human, Turian, Salarian, Asari, Quarian, Batarian, Krogan & Drell.[/b][/color]

[color=Gold][b]Age[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]Pretty explanatory, but mark it down as in human years, just to avoid confusion.[/color]

[color=Gold][b]Sexuality[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]What's Mass Effect without a little potential romance on the table?[/color]

[color=Gold][b]Gender[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]Again, self-explanatory. Especially for the Asari.[/color]

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[color=Gold][b]Appearance[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]Description of how they look physically, as well as their potential combat gear, on-duty attire (though I assume for most humanoid races this would simply be the standard Intervention uniform, and what they are likely to wear off-duty. Physicality is the main focus, though.[/color]

[color=Gold][b]Height[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]Easy enough.[/color]

[color=Gold][b]Personality[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]What kind of individual are they, both on duty and off duty?[/color]

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[color=Gold][b]Role / Specialty[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]What is their role aboard the SSV-Intervention? A good note to make is that ground-team peacekeepers usually have a smaller, secondary role aboard the ship. Some are self-explanatory and only need the one summary, such as Combat Engineer, as that'd fill two very obvious spots onboard and offside.[/color]

[color=Gold][b]Equipment[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]What sort of things do they most generally use? Mainly weaponry, or small devices required for their role to function? Obviously the omnitool is present with everyone, so don't feel the need to mention it here.[/color]

[color=Gold][b]Powers/Skills[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]A small, three tiered list of abilities generally found within the Mass Effect franchise. Things such as concussive shots, biotic abilities, specialised grenades, drones, hacking implants etc etc. Do ask if you have any suggestions or questions regarding this.[/color]

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[color=Gold][b]Biography[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]More or less self-explanatory. What happened in their lives? What brought them to where they are now? How did the Reaper Invasion four years ago impact their lives? And what eventually led them to the Intervention, such as whether it was a leasing from their home race or through recruitment into the Citadel Security Fleet?[/color]

[color=Gold][b]Affiliations[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]Who are they families, major friends or life-impacting individuals with prior to their posting aboard the SSV-Intervention?[/color]

[color=Gold][b]Relationships[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]Optional, but a fun way to document how they see other characters they regularly interact with.[/color]

[color=Gold][b]Character Theme[/b][/color]
[color=Silver]Not necessary, but just a bit of fun innit.[/color]

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[color=Silver]	Again, bare minimum format, so feel free to decorate or reformat the sheet to your heart's desires, because who doesn't love a bit of flash and flair to their introductory character sheet?

	Overall, I do dearly hope you enjoy the RP we've got here. Those who've shown interest already, I'm super excited to see what you bring to the table, and if anyone new is interested in joining simply drop your interest in the OOC here and I'll be excited to see what you come up with. If there are any problems with submitted character sheets I'll query about them as best as I can to make a compromise if it's something that I feel may harm the experience (which honestly is a rarity). Thank you all for reading this, and to send it off, I'll leave a small list of major events detailed by Shepard's exploits to summarise the galactic events that are still in influence today.[/color]

[hider=The Exploits of John Shepard][centre][img]http://me3galaxyatwar.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/shepard-smirk.jpg[/img][hr][/centre]
>Shepard was an earthborn, first gaining for being the sole-survivor of a Thresher Maw attack on Akuze.
>He saved the colony on Feros and spared Shiala, ending the Thorian infection.
>The Rachni Queen was not spared on Noveria.
>During Sovereign's attack on the Citadel, Shepard saved the council at the cost of the human fleet's strength.
>Shepard exposed Saren after his defeat, however it was quickly covered up a week later.
>Councillor Udina remained as the human representative post-Battle of Citadel.
>Shepard regretfully destroyed Maelon's data.
>Shepard reluctantly chose to destroy the Mass Effect relay out of necessity, delaying the Reaper's arrival.
>The Collector base was destroyed.
>Shepard survived and became the headliner for the war against the Reapers.
>He cured the Genophage, allowing the Krogan to repopulate. Salarian support was mostly sacrificed as a result, as he was unable to save the Salarian Councillor alongside Thane during the attempted Cerberus Coup on the Citadel.
>He personally shot Udina during the coup.
>Shepard made contact with a sentient race deep in the Oceans of 2181 Despoina. No information about this is public and remains confidential to the highest authorities.
>During the Battle of Rannoch, Shepard was unable to properly broker peace between the Geth and Quarians. This resulted in the morn of a final battle, but was quickly suppressed and the Creator-Geth War ended in a Quarian victory and reclamation of their home planet.
>Though Shepard defeated Oleg's Cerberus forces on Omega, the City was never fully taken back as Aria T'Loak had initially hoped for. Cerberus cells lingered. Since the end of the Reaper War, Cerberus forces are still reported to have heavy presence within the city, risking another civil war.
>Shepard managed to amass just enough forces to siege down Earth and to break through the Reaper defences, though the cost of life was as high as anticipated.
>Shepard, deeming the threat of the Reapers too large to ignore, chose to destroy synthetic life with the Crucible. Thus, Shepard, the Normandy and her crew went missing in its final hours. Resistant pockets of the Geth and other VI systems galaxy wide were mostly destroyed in the process. The Mass Effect relays were heavily damaged, however were on set to be repaired in the coming years.
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