[Redd]

Also titled; in which Hawke rambles like she's relevant in this universe for 50 posts
Mass effect spoilerss, im on a crossover fix pls help

"It's funny, this feeling.

The others described it as a feeling of dread. Consuming anxiety. Something creeping somewhere beyond the edges of your vision. A rat, gnawing at your stomach. I think that was it, I'm still not good with these otherworlder expressions. You know what I mean, bad things, things that won't leave you alone.

When the world's about to end, these are all things you're expected to feel. These are things my rescuers said they felt, when they pulled me out of that cargo hold. These are things they felt when they saw that abomination, made of flesh and metal, the product of thousands of dead and processed humans.

The sight of that should have made me feel the same. The concept of such monsters isn't unheard of where I came from. Abominations, demons, mage-made constructs like flesh golems, I've seen them before, fought them, protected my friends from them. Lost loved ones to them.

Or, okay, a different approach; the Collectors. I've seen zombies before. These are no different. No less dangerous. Husks of a dead civilization, warped and twisted. Puppeteered by those who sought the destruction of the galaxy.

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Okay that was weird to say out loud. Galaxy. The whole galaxy is the target of these demons. Not a city, not a country... hell, not even a specific race or a planet - though I think people in this world swap the two around, I can't think of an origin planet that has two species that evolved independently of each other like Thedas has - but the entire goddamn galaxy.

I could barely even imagine a world beyond the edges of the Korcari Wilds or the seas... but to try and get it through my stupid primitive brain that there's hundreds of similar domes in the sky, natural or otherwise, all with substantial populations. It's pretty damn difficult.

And to imagine that something out there is very capable of wiping us all out on a whim?

I don't feel it. The dread, that is.

I think I'm actually relieved? Is that... wrong?

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Don't get me wrong, I understand the situation. The world is ending. But maybe it's because I've been through a situation like this before, that I'm not so bothered. But even 'demons coming through a portal to turn Thedas, one continent, into a hellscape' sorta pales next to 'big ass robots are hellbent on eradicating all space-faring sentient life in this galaxy'.

But somehow, I think that just makes it easier to process. It's... inevitable. It's not something I can fight.

If you think about it, maybe death's just catching up to me. If the demon's invaded Thedas, like Trevalyan predicted, I'd be dead. If the Inquistion prevailed, I'd likely be tried for treason, my involvement with the destruction of Kirkwall's chantry and accidentally turning my at the time partner into a matyr and found guilty. Penalty? Death.

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Also here, for once, it's not my fault and it doesn't come down to me to fix this. I'm a spectator in this. My actions don't dictate the fate of others. I got thrown into this world and within a day I learn that it's fated to end soon. That's... closure almost.

Back home, it was always going to be one drama after the next. That just happens when you're a prominent figure. It's the same faces who ask for help. The same faces who are disappointed when you can't or you fail.

The same faces who leave, once they got what they wanted.

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Here, no one gives me a second glance. I spent time with the people who are this universe's versions of... well, if I said me, that might be a bit egotistic, so I'll say they're this universe's version of the Inquisitor. The saviors. Or the ones who might fail.

They didn't give me a second glance.

Sure, I spent some time with them. Spectated their missions, saw the vanguard of the enemy fleet. They helped me acclimatize to this world, set me up with equipment, a job, sent me on my way. But I was just a civilian to them, caught in the crossfire.

They put me on Omega and then left. Omega. Underbelly of the Terminus. Ruled by some Asari tyrant. At least, you knew the score with this place. Omega didn't care about you. It was a dangerous place, run by gang violence. Every second person was either a madman, mercenary or drug dealer. Maybe an exaggeration but it's a good mindset to adopt, for the sake of survival.

It's not just paranoia, this time. I'm an extremely paranoid person, known for my neurotic behaviour but trust me when I say, this isn't one of them. Omega is the shit hole of the galaxy.

Suits me just fine.

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It's not awful though.

Well, it is but it's nothing beyond what I've ever dealt with back on Thedas. You think Denerim's all cheerful with roses and butterflies? The streets and back-alleys were full of cutthroats and xenophobic thugs, and that was just the law enforcers. Kirkwall was the same, Darktown is a literal mine, and if the gangs, desperate, drug addicts or blood mages didn't get you, the chockdamp would. People would go missing every single day, to disease, to gang violence, slavers...

Yeah, it's no different.

Different species, different skin, different drugs, but the criminal element is all the same. Only difference is, I'm alone this time.

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But that's just part of that job Shephard set me up with. [redacted]. - Ugh, crap, Andraste. Delete that part. - It's undercover. Watch and observe.. They know we're going to be the only one's after the Omega 4 Relay now and Omega's a refueling point. It was simple on paper... holograph, don't know these people don't really use paper.

But get a job in a populated place, listen. Getting a job was remarkably easy. Everyone needs muscle and humans tend to flock together. So, a human run bar, easy job. All I had to do was knock out a Turian stirring up trouble and the job was mine. We don't get a whole lot of business, simply because we're not Afterlife, but it's easy enough to keep an eye on things here.

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Speaking of that, she's been watching me, I think. Her thugs anyway. Someone is, most definitely and it's definitely not Cerberus. I'm going to have to start working out an alternate route home. It's pretty consistent. They start following me after my shift ends, and I've started a habit of activating my stealth cloak upon going around a corner a few streets down. Usually throws them off.

I'm worried about them getting bold.

It's a Krogan and a Batarian, if that wasn't cause for enough alarm. Medium armour. They're armed, but who isn't? I think, if I've read correctly on the extranet, both species don't really exactly... like humans.

I guess it just depends on what they want. I'd wager, it's due to the fact that by technicality, I don't exist. I'm not on any system and all I have is a generic military grade omni-tool. I'd see me as a threat.

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Maker I... oh fu-"

"'Ey, Stabby, break's over, back to work."

"Y-yeah, one sec Kev, let me fuckin' finish- Andraste stop recording." Korinne jerked up from her perch, a tall fence in the 'recreational' area of the bar. That was, where people usually smoked, but Red Sand was also something she was sure passed through the establishment.

"Acknowledged, saving journal log #23 to secure storage." A silky, feminine voice trickled out from her omni-tool and the flashing microphone option faded. Without even a command, the interface shifted and readjusted itself back to default, awaiting next instruction.

"Stabby?" A human, worn and tired, leaned through the grimy glass door.

"Yeah?" Korinne replied impatiently, jumping down and brushing her 'uniform' - a dusty brown jacket - down and twisting her face into a scowl as she tried to peer past him and back into the main room. This meant trouble. Well, it usually meant trouble.

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"Look, I normally don't bother you during your breaks but-" he started stammering, moving out of the way to let her through. She pushed past him, flicking her eyes back and forth accustomed to the dull red-orange light that permeated everything in this area.

Dance floor? Clear. Booths, some suspect characters, nothing immediate. The bar? Ah. A turian was all but leaning on the shiny black surface, hands grabbing at the collar of one of the bartenders.
"...what do you mean you don't have it? Do you know who I am?" he growled, mandibles parting to show needle-like teeth.

"Alright kids. It is well and truly past your bedtime, time to go." Korinne barked, grabbing the offending Turian by the collar and jerking him, throwing him to the floor. She was met with wild flailing and suddenly the enraged patron was reaching for her neck. With a scowl, she balled her hand into a fist and made an upward thrusting motion, her omni-tool forming a blade between them, it's razor sharp tip barely a centimetre away from the Turian's face. "You wanna know why they call me Stabby here, buddy?"

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The Turian flinched at the sudden movement, then followed up with a sneer. "Oh, c'mon I barely touched him. Or you." He amended, backing up and letting her go. "Plus I know old Kev' here, we go waaaaay back, right Kev?"

It was times like this, Korinne wished she were taller, maybe with a bit more muscle on her. Scratch that, a better wish; she wished she was a Krogan, or even just a Turian honestly. She'd take the second option.

She sighed, squaring up and barely flicking a glance over at her boss. While it was likely the Turian was either blackmailing or otherwise extorting her boss, it wasn't her business to deal with that. It was her job to kick degenerates back onto the street. Just the size of aliens was always a fucking problem, especially with her below average height.

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"Don't care." She bluntly replied, darting forward and raising a fist. The turian was too busing leering at her boss to notice the initial punch and it caught him squarely in the face. She grimaced as it hit a bony ridge, noting the carapace was harder than she expected.

He staggered back clutching his nose, with a stream of curses that her translator wasn't picking up. Though she probably had a small idea. She wasn't wasting any time though, moving towards the door and grabbing him by the ridge around his neck and hauling him out the door. With a grunt, she heaved the offending thug out the door and threw him out the door. He stumbled, catching himself before he fell onto the ground and turned back to sneer. "Really Kevin? This is how you treat a dear friend? You humans are worthless, my kind should have wiped you out in the First Conta-"

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"Yeah yeah, your grandad could beat up my grandad, I'm not even arguing that one." Korinne cut in, omni-blade flickering back to life. Well, it was true. She came from a place with swords and magic, barely even a contest between guns and space-magic. "Come back in here though and I will cut that ugly head straight off."

And then the door was slammed in his face.

"Ayyy, Boss. Trash was taken out." She called across the now-silent bar. She placed a hand on her boss's back and started steering him towards the office. After a minute or two, she could start hearing conversations getting started back up. "You've really got to pay him back, I can't keep threatening to kill him, eventually, he's going to get bored of it, and then I'm going to have to make up an entirely new routine and I don't think you pay me enough for that."

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"I know, I know." Kevin sighed and scratched at the back of his head, worry written all over his face. He tilted his head to look back out at the bar, before carefully nudging the door shut behind them. He barely registered her joke this time, he must have been stressed.

"Andraste, cross off the stabby routine, I think it's wearing out it's charm." Korinne sighed, raising her wrist to talk to her omni-tool. The interface lit up, casting an orange glow across the dimly lit room, as the V.I. worked, pulling up a memo and striking out one of her notes.

Feeling eyes, Korinne sheepishly glanced up, looking into the concerned face of her employer. "You still use that VI?" he asked incredulously, glancing between her and her omni-tool. "Still? Listen, I know we don't pay you much-"

[Redd]

"-Boss, you barely pay me at all."

"... Well yes but... you... agreed to it for some reason. But if you need proper intergation courses, I'm sure we can get something on the extranet. It's not hard to find-" he rambled, moving over to this holo-display on his desk and started pulling up an extranet browser to run a search.

"What? Boss no, I'm good. I'm from a tech-less colony sure, but she serves a purpose beyond that. Andraste runs a lot of things faster than I can do by hand." Korinne grimaced, moving over and waving way the windows on his holo-display, much to his apparent irritation. As much as it sounded like such a fabricated story, many folks here bought the 'I'm a human raised in a human colony with a hard no space flight rule' story way too easily. "And I took this job because I'm such a nice person and you were letting idiots like that Palentine walk all over you."