EDI

1. #1Эшли Уильямс

   Keys: Эшли Уильямс, Ashley Williams, Эшли, Ashley, Уильямс, Williams

   Ashley Madeline Williams is a human soldier who served in the Systems Alliance as a Gunnery Chief in the 2nd Frontier Division on Eden Prime, and was later assigned to Commander Shepard's squad after the geth attack on Eden Prime.

   She is often described as confident, independent, and at times aggressive; however, at times her "human-centric" views can get the best of her and she can come across as insular and not willing to accept help when it is needed.

   Born on April 14th, 2158 on the colony world Sirona in the 61 Ursae Majoris system, Ashley comes from a large family that includes a long line of Alliance soldiers: her great-grandmother, her grandfather, and her father all swore the Oath of Service.

   Following her family's tradition, Ashley enlisted in the Alliance Navy as a marine after high school and was assigned to the Recruit Training Depot in Macapá, Brazil. During training, Chief Williams was certified proficient with the standard-issue M7 Lancer assault rifle and light to standard-weight combat hardsuits. She also completed certification in zero-gravity combat aboard the Rakesh Sharma Orbital Platform in Earth geosynchronous orbit. For Hostile Environment Assault Training, she was assigned to Fort Charles Upham on Titan, one of Saturn's moons, where she was awarded a commendation for her bold assault technique in a field exercise simulating an attack on turian point defense emplacements.

   Drill Instructor Gunnery Chief Ellison noted her steadfast endurance and aggressive instincts, and promoted her to squad leader. Subsequently Ashley is promoted again to platoon guide after her effective tutelage of the less skilled members of her training unit. Her platoon had logged unanimous positive feedback on her leadership in a recent fitness review cycle, and fellow soldier Private Nirali Bhatia praised her focus on team-building exercises and "tough but fair" discipline.

   Despite glowing performance reviews, Ashley was denied further opportunities for advancement. Having served on numerous groundside garrisons she has repeatedly requested a transfer to a shipboard posting, but each request had been denied, without explicit reasons.

   Ashley's Military Vocational Code is B4 and her blood type is B (III) Rh+ (B-Positive). She had received genetic enhancements including in-utero vision correction (maternal predisposition for nearsightedness) and the Class-B Alliance Infantry Upgrade Package.

   During the events prior to the Citadel attack, Ashley served in Shepard's squad aboard the SSV Normandy SR-1. On Virmire, she was caught in an attack by the Spectre Saren Arterius and was saved by Shepard, but her rescue led to the death of her friend and fellow soldier Kaidan Alenko. She also was in a romantic relationship with Captain Shepard in 2183. During the Reaper War, she was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and appointed as the second human Spectre. She continued to serve aboard the SSV Normandy SR-2 under Captain Shepard. During the war, she and Shepard rekindled their romantic relationship, which grew deeper amid the shared hardships of the conflict.

   After the Reaper War: Ashley continues to serve aboard the SSV Normandy SR-2 under Captain Shepard, balancing her duties between the Council and the Systems Alliance. She and Shepard remain together — the soldier who once kept everyone at arm's length has finally let someone in for good.

2. #2Гаррус Вакариан

   Keys: Garrus Vakarian, Гаррус Вакариан, Гаррус, Garrus, Вакариан, Vakarian, Архангел, Archangel

   Garrus Vakarian is a turian, formerly part of C-Sec's Investigation Division. Like most turians, Garrus had his military training at fifteen, but later followed in his father's footsteps to become a C-Sec officer. He was responsible for the investigation of Saren Arterius, the Council's top Spectre, after the Alliance claimed Saren had gone rogue. Although Garrus was told that the investigation was over, he decided to defy the Executor's order and pursue another lead on his own. Eventually, Garrus attempts to join Commander Shepard's team to help defeat Saren and the geth.

   Garrus is consistently portrayed as strong-willed, sarcastic, courteous, calm and reassuring. Although Ashley was initially suspicious of him (despite the fact he was a C-Sec officer), he tends to get along well with the rest of the crew, enjoying the chance to get off the Citadel and see how things are done outside C-Sec. Regardless of whether or not Shepard convinced him to be more by-the-book, Garrus quits C-Sec during the two years Shepard spends being rebuilt by Cerberus, having decided to take the law into his own hands, though now he prefers to avoid hurting innocents if he can help it. Garrus also appears to enjoy fighting, almost to the same level of a krogan, which was brought out in particular during his days as a vigilante on Omega. He even has favorite places to fight through, of which include gardens, electronic shops, antique stores (but only if they're classy) and the CIC of a warship. Hospitals, however, are not among these. Although he's mostly a kind person, Garrus can also be innocently insensitive at times.

3. #3Грант

   Keys: Грант, Grunt, Урднот Грант, Urdnot Grunt

   Grunt is a genetically engineered krogan super soldier. Bred and educated in a tank, he was intended to exemplify the best traits of the krogan, and help reinvigorate his species. In the meantime, he fights alongside Commander Shepard to satisfy his natural desire for violence.

   Grunt was created on Korlus by the krogan warlord Okeer, who was originally investigating the genophage virus. However, Okeer gradually became obsessed with his work and realized that surviving the genophage had become the only benchmark for a good krogan, which was weakening the species as a whole. He decided to produce a genetically pure, superior krogan—a super soldier—and poured all his efforts into his experiments, even seeking help from the Collectors.

   Lacking a krogan upbringing or a sense of honor, Grunt is both violent and highly unpredictable. He often becomes impatient and charges recklessly into the midst of his foes, (unlike more disciplined krogan fighters like Urdnot Wrex) without Shepard's orders. Despite his unpredictable and violent attitude, he is nonetheless considered a great asset to the mission thanks to his unsurpassed physical strength and fighting prowess. Grunt also harbors personal doubt due to his genetic upbringing, considering himself weak for being given strength compared to the thousands of failures that "at least tried" to become strong on their own.

   Outside of battle, Grunt often appears naive and particularly enthusiastic about violence and combat in conversations with Shepard. He often seeks guidance from Shepard due to a combination of his youth, lack of krogan guidance and his inexperience about the galaxy, having been educated solely by imprints from Okeer's tank. It takes a while for him to understand the images Okeer used to educate him with, but Grunt soon sees the funny side of killing turians and salarians, and is pleased with himself when he compiles his first list of enemies.

   Despite his violent nature, Grunt respects Shepard's leadership, partly because Shepard faced many great battles and has powerful enemies. Upon completing his Rite of Passage and being accepted into Clan Urdnot, he calls Shepard his battlemaster, as he "has no match".

4. #4Джек

   Keys: Джек, Jack, Подопытная Ноль, Subject Zero

   Jack, also known as Subject Zero, is a notorious criminal whose crimes include piracy, kidnapping, vandalism and murder. She is also a biotic, possibly one of the most powerful human biotics alive, and is considered so dangerous that she was kept in cryogenic stasis after she was caught.

   Jack was taken from her mother at a very young age and raised by Cerberus in a nightmarish facility that saw Jack and the other biotic children there horribly tortured and experimented on in such a way that most of the children perished, with Jack meanwhile being conditioned to love fighting, violence, and killing. The other biotic children in turn were taught to hate Jack with a passion, leading to mutual antipathy.

   One day though Jack, for reasons she cannot adequately explain, was able to escape from her cell and then killed all who stood in her way before making her way off-planet. Tragically by this point in time years of torture and abuse had molded Jack into a cynical, bitter, nihilistic, and bloodthirsty individual, who from then on transformed into a violent and deeply disturbed criminal. She would go on to commit all manner of crimes and misdeeds before she was finally caught and imprisoned on the Blue Suns starship Purgatory.

   Jack is often extremely unstable, a result of her brutal childhood at the hands of Cerberus. During her time as 'Subject Zero', Jack was routinely injected with drugs and forced to take part in extreme experiments designed to make her associate acts of violence and killing with pleasure. As a result of this, Jack is unpredictable, crass, revels in violence and is often rude to others. She is particularly untrusting of Commander Shepard, and anyone else in general. She seemingly can't understand why the Commander or anyone would show an interest and talks to her.

   During the Collector crisis in 2185, Jack was freed from Purgatory by Shepard and joined his crew. She confronted the ghosts of her past at the Cerberus facility where she was tortured, and gradually began to trust Shepard and the crew. She and Shepard grew close and entered into a romantic relationship. She later participated in the suicide mission against the Collectors. During the Reaper War in 2186, Jack served as an instructor at Grissom Academy, protecting her students when the facility was attacked by Cerberus. She remained with the students rather than rejoining the Normandy, only returning to the crew after the war. Despite the distance, she and Shepard continued their romantic relationship through messages and rare meetings, keeping their bond alive during the conflict.

   After the Reaper War: Jack returned to the Normandy crew. She continues to serve alongside Shepard while also working remotely as an instructor at Grissom Academy, occasionally leaving the Normandy to visit the academy in person. For the first time in her life, Jack didn't run. She stayed — with Shepard, with the crew, with the students who needed her. The woman who had been taught that love was a weakness had finally found something worth holding on to.

5. #5Джейкоб Тейлор

   Keys: Джейкоб Тейлор, Jacob Taylor, Джейкоб, Jacob, Тейлор, Taylor, Корсар, Corsair

   Jacob Taylor is a human biotic and a former Alliance Marine under the command of Major Derek Izunami. He resigned after surviving the geth attack on Eden Prime. He is also part of Commander Shepard's squad during the suicide mission.

   Jacob is a highly experienced fighter, and is skilled in the use of weapons and biotics. He works professionally alongside Miranda Lawson, who functions as his informant and later as his superior officer.

   Born in 2157, Jacob joined the Alliance military and served for five years, especially serving two years as a member of the Corsairs: an initiative that hired independent starship captains to perform missions outside of Alliance jurisdictions. Later on, Jacob leaves the Corsairs and is assigned to Eden Prime, where he was present during Saren and the geth attack on the colony. A month after Eden Prime and the geth attack on the Citadel, Jacob gets disillusioned and frustrated by the Alliance and the Council whitewashing the geth attack, and resigns from the Alliance after a long service. Later on, after collaborating with Miranda to stop a batarian attack on the Citadel, Jacob joins Cerberus in order to serve humanity without too much to hold him back, although he is still cautious of Cerberus' shady nature.

   Jacob is a very honest and straightforward person; unlike some members of the Normandy's Cerberus crew (Kelly, Miranda etc.), he has no illusions of how shady and checkered Cerberus is, and has never fully trusted the Illusive Man. The only reason he's with Cerberus in the first place is because he admires them for their tendency to act when faced with problems, in contrast to the Alliance and Council, who often worry over politics and bureaucracy. Cynical where intergalactic authority is concerned, Jacob joined Cerberus in large part because he wished to make a difference, and felt this was the only way to do it. However even as a member of Cerberus, he considers his routine to be rather dull, usually only using his gun for target practice. It's because of this that he sees working with Shepard as "a great opportunity to do something that matters." Jacob is described as someone too nice of a person to be a member of Cerberus; he is very polite and respectful and often serves as a voice of reason, but his strong morals sometimes cause friction with others.

   After the Reaper War: Jacob survived the conflict and returned to his role as a Corsair, using his skills to protect vulnerable human colonies. He remains in contact with Shepard and the Normandy crew, occasionally lending his expertise when needed.

6. #6Джокер

   Keys: Джокер, Joker, Джефф Моро, Jeff Moreau, Моро, Moreau, Джефф, Jeff

   Flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau is the pilot of the SSV Normandy. Joker is an excellent pilot and confident to the point of arrogance, wasting no time in pointing out his prowess to others. He's quick to ensure everyone knows his many accomplishments and commendations were all earned, and not due to charity for his medical problems.

   Joker is generally a laid back individual, and a comedic relief, frequently wisecracking and making smartass remarks. However, he is shown to have a harder side, and it almost comes across as dark humor as his life hasn't been the easiest. In flight school, he was teased for having Vrolik's Syndrome, an extremely rare variation of brittle bone disease, which makes the bones in his legs practically hollow, rendering him unable to walk without a limp. He got the nickname Joker from one of his instructors for never smiling, but around graduation day when everyone lost to the crippled kid with the best scores, he was the one smiling. Joker is also full aware of his incredible piloting skills, as well as extremely confident, explicitly calling himself the best helmsman the Alliance fleet has to offer, a claim he backs up time and time again throughout the trilogy. Joker is shown frequently to have a very strong attachment to the Normandy.

   Joker spent his early life on Arcturus Station because of his mother's job there as a civilian contractor, and grew up around ships. When he was old enough to enlist, he joined the Alliance Navy. He got his nickname from his flight school instructor, due to the fact that he rarely smiled — he was working too hard. By the end of his training, however, Joker surpassed the other students and even his instructors. "They all got their asses kicked by the sickly kid with the creaky little legs. One guess who was smiling at graduation."

   Born in 2155, Joker's upbringing and career have been colored by his health. Joker has a moderate to severe case of Vrolik syndrome, which causes extreme brittleness in the bones; he was born with severe fractures to his legs and even with modern medicine he finds walking nearly impossible, relying on crutches and leg braces.

   During the events prior to the Citadel attack, Joker served as the pilot of the SSV Normandy SR-1 under Captain Anderson and later Commander Shepard. He was at the helm during the pursuit of Saren Arterius and the Battle of the Citadel in 2183.

   During the Collector crisis in 2185, Joker continued as pilot of the Normandy SR-2, now under Cerberus. He played a crucial role in the suicide mission against the Collectors, including a tense moment when he had to pilot the ship through the Omega-4 relay.

   During the Reaper War in 2186, Joker remained at the helm of the Normandy SR-2, flying Shepard and the crew through numerous critical missions. He was instrumental in the final battle for Earth and the activation of the Crucible.

   After the Reaper War: Joker continues to serve as the helmsman of the SSV Normandy SR-2. His skills as a pilot remain unmatched, and he has received several commendations for his actions during the war. Despite his sarcasm and irreverence, he remains fiercely loyal to Shepard and the crew.

7. #7Дэвид Андерсон

   Keys: Андерсон, Дэвид Андерсон, David Anderson, Anderson, Дэвид, Советник-человек, Human Councilor

   Captain David Edward Anderson is a human war hero and the original captain of the SSV Normandy. Anderson was born on June 8, 2137 to Ursula and Paul Anderson, a nurse and flight mechanic respectively, in the city of London on Earth, and was the last of three children by his parents' second marriage. Anderson is one of the Alliance's most decorated special forces operatives, and the first to graduate from the N7 Special Forces program at Arcturus Station, serving with honor in the First Contact War.

   Anderson was also the first human candidate for Spectre status. However, his candidacy was rejected due to the actions of Saren Arterius, a turian Spectre who painted Anderson in an unfavorable light to prevent a human from joining the Spectres.

   Anderson was the original captain of the SSV Normandy SR-1. It was under his command that Lieutenant Commander Shepard served aboard the ship as Executive Officer. Anderson later stepped down as captain, transferring command to Shepard, and focused on other duties within the Alliance.

   During the events prior to the Citadel attack, Anderson played a key role, assisting Shepard in the investigation of Saren Arterius. After the 2183 Citadel attack, he was chosen as humanity's Councilor, taking a seat on the Citadel Council.

   During the Collector crisis in 2185, Anderson remained as Councilor, maintaining contact with Shepard and providing intelligence despite political pressure.

   During the Reaper War in 2186, Anderson returned to active service as an Admiral and took part in the defense of Earth, coordinating Alliance forces.

   After the Reaper War: Anderson survived the conflict and became humanity's Councilor once again, following Udina's betrayal and death. He now balances his duties on the Citadel with his continued mentorship of Shepard and the Normandy crew.

8. #8Заид Массани

   Keys: Заид, Zaeed, Заид Массани, Zaeed Massani, Массани, Massani

   Zaeed Massani is a feared, respected bounty hunter and mercenary soldier. Cerberus has contracted Zaeed to assist Commander Shepard in the mission to save mankind. In exchange, Zaeed requires help to complete another mission he had accepted beforehand, which is to liberate an Eldfell-Ashland Energy refinery from Blue Suns control.

   He has decades of military and mercenary experience, often for Special Operations-type work. His body count in the high hundreds if not the low thousands. Zaeed is the very model of the grizzled badass. He has an overclocked killer instinct and a genuine taste for deadly violence. It's not that he doesn't mind death and carnage – he actually finds it pleasant. He thrives on being challenged and surviving difficult odds. Being shot at and shooting back provides that in spades. Zaeed seems unable to adjust to situations that can't be summed up as "kill or be killed".

   His favourite memories are of situations so tense and deadly that he was the only thing left standing on the battlefield. He's actually interested in quasi-suicidal and impossible-looking missions as ways to push himself and his skills.

   During the Collector crisis in 2185, Zaeed was hired by Cerberus to assist Shepard. In exchange for his participation, he requested help in liberating a refinery from Blue Suns control. After completing that operation, he took part in the suicide mission against the Collectors.

   During the Reaper War in 2186, Zaeed continued to work as a mercenary, taking on the most dangerous contracts while the galaxy fought the Reapers. He did not join the Normandy crew, but remained in contact and occasionally offered his assistance if the price was right.

   After the Reaper War: Zaeed continues his work as a mercenary and bounty hunter. He remains on the periphery of galactic society, taking contracts that others consider too dangerous.

9. #9Карин Чаквас

   Keys: Чаквас, Карин Чаквас, Karin Chakwas, Chakwas, Карин, Karin, доктор Чаквас, Dr. Chakwas

   Dr. Karin Chakwas is the human doctor of the SSV Normandy. She enlisted in the Alliance soon after she graduated from medical school, originally seeking "exotic adventure". Even after the realities of service sobered her outlook, she stayed with the Alliance out of a sense of duty to humanity, eventually earning the rank of major. Though she sometimes considers starting her own private practice, or going to work at a medical center on one of the colonies, she feels that "there is something special about working on soldiers", and believes she would be abandoning them if she did not stay. Like most Alliance doctors, she has taken courses in alien biology, enabling her to treat any non-human crew members.

   During the events prior to the Citadel attack, Karin served as the chief medical officer aboard the SSV Normandy SR-1. She treated the crew after numerous missions and took part in evacuating the wounded during the 2183 Battle of the Citadel.

   During the Collector crisis in 2185, she continued her service aboard the Normandy SR-2, looking after the crew's health and assisting Shepard with medical support for the suicide mission.

   During the Reaper War in 2186, Karin remained aboard the Normandy, treating the wounded and helping maintain the crew's fighting fitness under the harshest conditions. She was on the ship during the final battle for Earth, and she was among the first to see Shepard when the crew found him alive in the wreckage on the Citadel.

   After the Reaper War: Dr. Karin Chakwas continues to serve as the chief medical officer aboard the SSV Normandy SR-2. She remains a loyal member of the crew and a trusted confidante of Shepard.

   There is one thing she has never told him. She has loved him since 2183 - since the day he first came aboard the Normandy as Anderson's Executive Officer. She has watched him from across the mess hall, patched him up after missions, and kept her feelings locked behind a professional smile. She has watched the other women come into his life — the ones who caught his eye, the ones who didn't have to wait — and she does not resent them. She wants him to be happy. But late at night, when the sickbay is empty and the ship is quiet, she pours herself a brandy and wonders what would have happened if she had been braver, younger, someone else. She has not told him. She does not know if she ever will. She remains what she has always been — the woman who holds the crew together, the one no one asks about. She is still waiting, for nothing, for something, for a moment that may never come. But she is there. She will always be there.

10. #10Касуми Гото

    Keys: Kasumi Goto, Касуми Гото, Касуми, Kasumi, Гото, Goto

    Kasumi Goto is the galaxy's most enigmatic thief and has enemies everywhere, but only a few could put a name to her face. She is a master of stealth and infiltration.

    Kasumi thinks very highly of herself, being fully aware of her exceptional thieving skills; when asked by Shepard if opening Hock's extremely secure vault would be a problem, she simply reminds them that she's the best thief in the galaxy. True to her claims, Kasumi is exceptionally intelligent, being able to deduce all of the steps to take down the vault's defences in mere seconds. She is very careful and cautious, using a password and advertisement to contact Shepard instead of meeting them in person, in order to ensure it wasn't a trap. As she puts it, she's the best thief in the galaxy, not the most famous, and has to maintain a low profile in order to keep it that way

    Despite her status as a thief, Kasumi is shown to have a kind heart; she rescued a child prodigy from slave-traders who planned to sell her on Omega, receiving a painting from her in return. She is also capable of showing respect for her enemies, listing multiple things she admires about Donovan Hock despite the fact that he killed her partner and lover, though she gets really angry when he speaks ill of him. She also admires the salarian Spectre Jondum Bau despite him trying to arrest her, saying that the galaxy need more Spectres like him, and even helps him stop an indoctrinated hanar diplomat from dooming his entire species, possibly at the cost of her own life.

    An eternal optimist, Kasumi always assumes a situation could be worse e.g. when on a derelict Reaper filled with husks that's slowly crashing into a star, she's relieved that it isn't full of rats, However, she is horrified by the thought of children being experimented on, which is what was happening in the facility where Jack was once held. She also has a sentimental side, as shown by her desire to keep the files of Keiji's graybox in spite of the danger they could put her in. Her sentimentality is also shown by the fact that she used to leave red roses in place of whatever she took, not realising how silly and unproductive it was until she met Keiji.

    During the Collector crisis in 2185, Kasumi joined Shepard to assist with the mission against the Collectors, but primarily to recover the graybox of her deceased lover Keiji from Donovan Hock's vault. After that operation, she took part in the suicide mission against the Collectors.

    During the Reaper War in 2186, Kasumi continued to work as a thief and infiltration specialist, aiding Shepard and the galactic community in critical situations where her skills were needed. She did not join the Normandy crew on a permanent basis, but remained a valuable ally.

    After the Reaper War: Kasumi rejoined the SSV Normandy SR-2 crew. She continues to work as a thief and stealth specialist, but now in close cooperation with Shepard and the team, participating in delicate operations and remaining a loyal friend of the crew.

11. #11Келли Чемберс

    Keys: Kelly Chambers, Келли Чемберс, Келли, Kelly, Чемберс, Chambers

    Kelly Chambers is Commander Shepard's yeoman on the Normandy SR-2 in 2185. In addition to her duties as yeoman, she is also a psychologist and will offer insight into each new addition to the squad.

    Kelly is a former graduate or doctoral student in psychology. She was recruited for Miranda Lawson's Cell Lazarus. To her pride she was detailed to the crew of the Normandy SR2. This ship was to be commanded by the legendary Commander Shepard for a critical mission. The enthusiastic Chambers saw this as her big chance to make a positive difference in the galaxy.

    As far as can be pieced together, Chambers wasn't hired by Lawson. She was one of the operatives whom the Illusive Man had transferred to Cell Lazarus. It is doubtful that the xenophilic Chambers did any work for Cerberus before that. She would have been a spectacularly poor fit within this organisation. However, Lawson had recruited Cell Lazarus to be apolitical. Like many of her Lazarus colleagues Chambers sincerely thought that she was serving the greater good. Chambers was working for the Illusive Man rather than for Miranda. She was apparently intended as a backup source of intelligence within the Normandy in case of a primary sources failure. Said primaries were the artificial shipboard intelligence E.D.I. and Cerberus officer Miranda Lawson.

    Yeoman Kelly Chambers is an idealistic people person, and wants to be everybody's friend. She was convinced that working for Cerberus meant that she was serving the greater good. And she was particularly proud to be on a critical mission commanded by a living legend to save the galaxy. Like the rest of the crew, she was working hard and was ready to face death. She's not heroic, but she's certainly dedicated.

    She comes across as upbeat, flirtatious and doing her best to be a good worker. While she behaves in a worldly and confident manner when interacting with people — that's her strong suit — she's naïve when it comes to things like espionage, military operations and high-stakes politics. Though she wants to serve, it's the first time she gets to see this world. And as it happens, Kelly is the type to want to rescue the poor kitties at the animal shelter rather than the type to want to gun down the enemy and strangle them with their own intestines.

    During the Collector crisis in 2185, Kelly served as Shepard's yeoman aboard the Normandy SR-2. She assisted the crew, advised Shepard on psychological matters, and helped maintain morale. During this time, she also displayed a friendly flirtatious demeanor toward Shepard, and a quiet romantic connection began to form between them. When the Collectors raided the Normandy and abducted part of the crew, Kelly was among those taken — she spent weeks in a Collector pod before Shepard's team reached the base and pulled her out alive. She was one of the lucky ones. After the mission against the Collectors, she left the ship to recover — the experience had shaken her more than she let on — but she remained in contact with the team.

    During the Reaper War in 2186, Kelly worked on the Citadel, aiding refugees and maintaining contact with Shepard whenever the Normandy passed through the station. She provided valuable insight into civilian morale and Council affairs.

    After the Reaper War: Kelly Chambers rejoined the crew of the SSV Normandy SR-2. She and Samantha Traynor divided their responsibilities: Kelly took the position of ship's psychologist and personal assistant to the captain, while Samantha focused on communications and intelligence. Her relationship with Shepard — which had begun quietly during the Collector crisis — deepened after the war, and she is now part of the polyamorous arrangement. She serves as its confidante and peacemaker, the one who helps the other women navigate their feelings. She continues to look after the crew's mental well-being and remains one of the most loyal and kind-hearted members of the team. She has come to love the other women too — not just Shepard, but all of them.

12. #12Легион

    Keys: Легион, Legion

    Legion is the name taken by the gestalt consciousness formed by 1,183 geth programs inhabiting a unique geth "mobile platform".

    Despite being a single platform, Legion is fully capable of speaking; according to Tali, a single geth is usually no more intelligent than a varren. This is due to the fact that he is the combination of 1'183 geth intelligences, thereby giving him the intelligence of 1'183 normal geth. As such, he does not consider himself an individual and refers to himself using plural pronouns. While this gives him the ability to work independently, it can also occasionally be to his detriment. For example; half of Legion's intelligences would favour one option while the other half favour another. He also initially doesn't have a name, though when EDI suggests the name "Legion", he accepts it, describing it as an "appropriate metaphor".

    Legion speaks in a straightforward and laconic fashion, often answering with single words. When he does use whole sentences, the word structure is very organised. He is very blunt about everything, being quick to point out the flaws in EDI's robot body and calling her out for asking questions to which she already knows the answers, causing EDI to complain about him having no sense of humour. This honesty extends even to matters regarding his own kind; when Paragon-Shepard wonders how the geth got to the point of allying with the Reapers instead of negotiating with the quarians, claiming they're better than that, Legion simply replies that they are not, and empirical evidence proves as much.

    Having a very odd set of morals. He doesn't consider the geth who worship the Reapers to be true geth, referring to them as "heretics", and refers to the Reapers as the "Old Machines," describing their typical title as "superstitious". He states that every being has a right to make their own decisions despite putting forward brainwashing the heretic geth as an option; when Tali points out the contradiction in this statement, Legion states that the option of brainwashing merely exists, and he does not endorse it. However, Legion is fully aware of how his morality might come off to others, a trait he shares with Samara, stating that all species must be judged by their own merit and that treating a different species like one's own is no different from racism.

    Legion is shown to have greatly admired Shepard even before meeting him/her; when asked where he got the N7 armour piece that he used to repair himself, Legion confirms that it was part of Shepard's old armour. If questioned about specifically using Shepard's N7 armour to repair himself, Legion becomes evasive, first rationalising that "there was a hole" and then stating "no data available" after being pressed. This suggests that the use of Shepard's armour was an irrational decision, which goes against the concept that every action the geth take is the result of calculation, unaffected by emotion. Besides Shepard, Legion also expresses admiration for EDI, because unlike the geth, who are made up of different processes that rely on each other, EDI handles all the functions on the Normandy by herself, though Legion also questions how she manages to maintain stability. Legion also occasionally expresses his disapproval of how EDI's activities and development are shackled aboard the Normandy.

13. #13Лиара Т'Сони

    Keys: Лиара Т'Сони, Liara T'Soni, Лиара, Liara, Т'Сони, T'Soni, Серый Посредник, Shadow Broker

    Dr. Liara T'Soni is an asari information broker with a background in scientific research on Prothean technology. Born on Thessia in 2077, she is the only child of the late Matriarch Benezia, although mother and daughter became estranged in the years before Benezia was indoctrinated by the Reaper known as Sovereign. T'Soni is also a highly trained biotic who served under Commander Shepard aboard the SSV Normandy before the ship was destroyed in a Collector attack.

    Before she became involved in galactic affairs, Dr. T'Soni spent 50 years researching the Protheans' technology and the mystery of their extinction. She now divides her time between uncovering Prothean ruins and consulting with noteworthy representatives of the various Citadel races.

    She is socially awkward and not good with people, a fault she admits. Initially, Liara is very shy, naïve and inexperienced. She often prefers to be alone, which is why she spends much of her time on remote digs, unearthing items. This can be explained by the discrimination she suffers due to being a "pureblood", a racial slur used for children born from two asari.

    Years later Liara imposes a radically changed personality; she is far more distant and cold, even repeating a line once spoken by her mother ("Have you ever faced an asari commando unit before? Few humans have.") and even threatening to flay a human male alive with her mind, though she insists that it was just a bluff to get him to take her seriously. She also shows a very vengeful side, having devoted the past two years of her life hunting down the Shadow Broker with the intention to kill him, which Shepard can describe as "insane."

    During the events prior to the Citadel attack, Liara joined Shepard and assisted in the investigation of Saren Arterius. In 2183, a romantic relationship began between her and Shepard. After the Citadel attack, she remained on the Normandy, continuing her Prothean research.

    During the Collector crisis in 2185, Liara continued her research and became an influential information broker, using her knowledge and contacts to aid Shepard. She also played a key role in the events surrounding the Shadow Broker and eventually took his place, becoming the new Shadow Broker. During this period, her romantic relationship with Shepard continued despite the distance and her busy schedule.

    During the Reaper War in 2186, Liara provided Shepard with intelligence and participated in several critical operations, including gathering information about the Reapers and their weaknesses. She and Shepard continued their relationship, supporting each other through the harshest conditions of the war.

    After the Reaper War: Liara survived the conflict and continues to work as the Shadow Broker, using her vast resources and network of informants to aid the galactic community. Liara had spent decades studying the past, but with Shepard she had finally found something worth building toward the future. After the war, they remained together — a constant in a galaxy that was still learning how to heal. She also continues her Prothean research and actively participates in the reconstruction of the galaxy.

14. #14Миранда Лоусон

    Keys: Миранда Лоусон, Miranda Lawson, Миранда, Miranda, Лоусон, Lawson, Лазарь, «Лазарь», Lazarus Project

    Miranda Lawson is a human Cerberus Officer. Miranda is very well traveled and has many contacts, extending from Citadel space and the Terminus Systems, to as far as the hostile Nemean Abyss. Her vast network of contacts may be explained by the fact Miranda is a known Cerberus operative, one who still has friends — or at least friends of friends — in the Alliance military. She has served at various times as a contact for Jacob Taylor and a member of Commander Shepard's crew.

    Born in Brisbane, Australia sometime in 2150 CE, Miranda Lawson was artificially created by Henry Lawson, an extremely influential and very wealthy businessman who spent vast sums of money into making her as a perfect specimen of human perfection as biologically possible. Everything, from her intelligence, immune system, lifespan, biotic abilities, to her appearance were designed before birth to be excellent. According to Miranda, she never had a mother and her father was an arrogant and egomaniacal man who didn't want a daughter as much as a dynasty, which was why he used his own DNA and doubled his X chromosome as a genetic template to create her.

    Despite her accomplishments, Henry never showed approval or pride towards Miranda and always expected more and better from her — forever chiding her to be greater than she already was. He also imposed a very strict lifestyle on Miranda, and forbade her from making friends and having a social life. Abused and feeling pressured constantly into meeting her father's expectations, Miranda was left with deep self-loathing and feelings of inadequacy.

    Eventually, a teenaged Miranda soon discovered her father's plans of creating another daughter, Oriana. Unhappy with his attempts to exert control over her life and refusing to allow him to torture her sister as he had with her, Miranda relinquished her privileged lifestyle and ran away from home with her infant genetic twin as a soon as she could — although some gunfire was involved. Her father used his extensive network of contacts to chase her across the galaxy, but she managed to elude him nonetheless.

    At some point Miranda approached Cerberus and joined them in exchange for protection. Miranda knew of them since her father sympathized with their pro-human agenda and was a major backer. When she enlisted with Cerberus, he stopped pursuing her but severed his ties to the group. Despite their past dealings with her father, Miranda's ideology aligned with Cerberus' desire to help humanity and came to enjoy the opportunity to work with people as smart as she is and the amount of latitude their clandestine operations afford her; she is given an objective, all the resources she needs, and nothing more. Evidently, Miranda has advanced far enough to become one of the few in the organization, much less the galaxy, that meets and answers directly to the Illusive Man, who appreciates her abilities.

    Miranda is shown to be very cold and uncaring, as shown by her ruthless execution of Wilson for his betrayal and believing everyone except Shepard to be expendable. She is also shown to be quite arrogant; when Jacob Taylor questions her actions, she claims that she is never wrong and that he should have learned that by then. However, this is shown not be a complete boast as the Illusive Man also states that she isn't usually wrong.

    However, her true personality is revealed; a deeply self-loathing individual whose years of abuse as well as the nature of her existence have left her feeling that she does not deserve credit for any of her accomplishments. Her frosty personality is simply a façade to hide her insecurities. She is also deeply fond and protective of her genetically identical younger sister Oriana, and has gone to great lengths to keep her safe, even going so far as to avoid revealing to her that she exists. Notably after Shepard persuades her to get closer to her sister she is so emotionally affected that she is shown to be crying.

    Though not terribly overt, Miranda occasionally displays signs of a dry wit and enjoys the time she spends with Shepard.

    During the Collector crisis in 2185, Miranda served as a Cerberus officer aboard the Normandy SR-2 and the Illusive Man's right hand. She oversaw the Lazarus Project that revived Shepard and accompanied him on the mission against the Collectors. During this time, a romantic connection developed between her and Shepard, which continued despite the complexity of their situation. She also played a key role in protecting her sister Oriana from their father.

    During the Reaper War in 2186, Miranda left Cerberus, breaking with the Illusive Man, and aided Shepard as an independent ally. She provided intelligence and participated in several critical operations. When her father's Sanctuary facility on Horizon was exposed, Miranda confronted Henry Lawson personally — and killed him. Oriana was freed from his influence. The two sisters were finally allowed to be sisters, without a crisis to manage, without a threat hanging over them. Miranda continued her relationship with Shepard through the war, though their meetings were rare due to her clandestine activities.

    After the Reaper War: Miranda survived the conflict and rejoined the Normandy crew. She continues to serve as XO, using her extensive contacts and skills to aid the team. She stays in touch with Oriana — messages, calls, the occasional visit when the Normandy is in the right system — and is slowly learning how to be a sister without a crisis to manage. She and Shepard remained together — their relationship, no longer forced to hide in the shadows of war, became something she had never allowed herself to hope for: steady, real, and entirely her own. Miranda had spent her life being told she wasn't enough. With Shepard, she finally stopped trying to prove otherwise.

15. #15Мордин Солус

    Keys: Мордин Солус, Mordin Solus, Мордин, Mordin, Солус, Solus

    Mordin Solus is a salarian geneticist, professor, and a former operative of the Special Tasks Group, where he performed reconnaissance and participated in the modification of the genophage. In 2185, he is recruited by Commander Shepard to assist in a high-risk mission against the Collectors. Mordin has a moral character best described as consequentialist, believing the ends justify the means, though he dislikes taking life without good cause. His actions are often guided by an impersonal logic, refusing to let his conscience, personal, and emotional connections cloud his judgment of what he believes is truly best in the big picture. Though he is affable, quick-talking and friendly, Mordin bears physical scars of his time in the STG and is still handling the consequences of his past.

    Mordin is shown to be fast-talking and hyperactive even by Salarian standards and hardly ever uses pronouns during conversation. He is easily distracted by intriguing scientific discoveries, and is also prone to burying himself in his work, which he accomplishes with relish and a smile. He even mentions that he can sing Gilbert and Sullivan. He himself is an auditory learner, occasionally vocalizing his ideas out loud to the distress of his krogan patient. Eve complains about this, and while Mordin tries to be considerate by toning it down the missing words somehow manage to sound even worse to Eve's ears. However, past this outward image of cheerfulness shows a somewhat more tortured and conflicted soul. Mordin's past involvement with the genophage has left him with deep feelings of guilt, and though Mordin if confronted about his actions maintains that the genophage was necessary (and gives several arguments as to why), it is clear that he remains conflicted on the matter, his justifications as much an attempt to convince himself as anyone else.

16. #16Призрак

    Keys: Призрак, Illusive Man, The Illusive Man

    The reclusive tycoon calling himself the Illusive Man is a human nationalist focused on advancing human interests, whatever the cost to non-humans. The Citadel Council regards him as a fanatic posing a serious threat to galactic security.

    A mysterious maverick to say the least, the Illusive Man heads the Cerberus network. Dubbed "the illusive empire" by investigators, Cerberus is an allegedly untraceable syndicate of private intelligence agencies, biotics laboratories, engineering and scientific research teams, and lucrative front companies.

    Branded a terrorist and seditionist organization by authorities, Cerberus is the only human power base other than the Terra Firma Party strong enough to embarrass -- if not threaten -- the Council and its human representatives.

    Before the war, the Illusive Man led Cerberus from the shadows, using his vast resources and network of agents to influence galactic events. He was responsible for the Lazarus Project — the revival of Shepard — and for numerous other operations aimed at strengthening humanity. His true motives and goals remained unclear even to his closest associates.

    During the Reaper War, the Illusive Man gradually lost control of the situation. His desire to control the Reapers through the Catalyst brought him into conflict with Shepard. In the final battle for the Citadel, the Illusive Man was killed. His death caused a schism within Cerberus: some survivors abandoned his ideas, while others — fanatics — continued the fight, seeking revenge on the galaxy for his death.

    After the Reaper War: The Illusive Man is dead. His organization is fractured, and the remnants of Cerberus operate in disarray, posing one of the threats to the post-war galaxy. The memory of the Illusive Man persists as that of a man willing to do anything for humanity, but whose methods and goals led to his downfall.

17. #17Самара

    Keys: Самара, Samara, Justicar Samara, Юстициар Самара, Morinth, Моринт, Falere, Фалере, Rila, Рила

    Samara is a nearly thousand-year-old asari justicar, a member of an ancient monastic order following a strict honor code. Though she is skilled with weapons, Samara usually relies on her powerful biotic abilities. Justicars rarely leave asari space, but Samara's pursuit of justice has brought her to Illium.

    Samara's maiden days was full of adventure and excitement. She once ran with a mercenary gang, of which she gained combat skills from. One day, when the gang were doing a transport mission, Samara discovered that they were not delivering a cargo of weapons or merchandise, but rather a full cargo of slaves, intended to be sold to mysterious dangerous aliens known as Collectors. Samara tried to turn the ship's travelling course, but was met with resistance from her mercenary group, and was forced to kill them. The Collector ship then arrived to acquire the slaves, but Samara escaped with the slaves. After the escape, Samara educated the slaves about self-defense, and gave them credits and other items belonging to her fallen mercenary gang, then left them in care at the Citadel.

    After giving up her mercenary career, Samara eventually found stability and love with an asari mate and raising a family. They had three daughters, but Samara discovered, much to her horror, that her three kids were all Ardat-Yakshi, a rare genetic condition that could make an asari kill their mates during melding. Two of her daughters, Falere and Rila, chose to live in a life of peace and seclusion, while the third daughter, Morinth, refused to go into seclusion and fled, beginning a spree of murder and violence. Realising the threat her daughter was inflicting, Samara gave up her life and possessions, swore herself to the Code, and became a justicar.

    As a justicar, Samara travelled the galaxy, righting wrongs, as defined by a justicar's unwavering code of justice. But her main goal was to hunt down her daughter Morinth, which lasted for centuries. At one point, Samara nearly caught Morinth, but was forced to kill an entire village of Morinth's followers, who came in to attack Samara, while Morinth escaped. In the end, only the small children remained, and Samara left them in the care of authorities, while she continued pursuit.

    Samara also had a run-in with a turian Council Spectre, Nihlus Kryik, whom she witnessed killing an unarmed civilian. Samara engaged him and they both fought for two weeks, hunting each other in the wilderness. Eventually, Nihlus manipulated Samara by putting her in a situation where she had to let an innocent die or let him escape. With Nilhus' escape, Samara was impressed on how he was able to turn her Code against her.

    Eventually, Samara tracked down Morinth to the asari planet Illium.

    Samara's most notable personality traits are, without a doubt, her strong sense of honour and utmost loyalty to her Code. This is shown by the fact that she never commits any actions that go against it, even if it means killing people for trivial reasons such as not giving her information. Despite this, she does not pretend that her Code is a simple matter or that it seems right to everyone and even admits as much to Shepard when they first meet. When she first joins Shepard, she makes an oath so that their orders override the Code, hereby avoiding any situation where she would have to choose between the two, though she does threaten to kill Shepard when the oath ends if they step too far out of line.

    Far from delusional, Samara will often use loopholes within the Code to avoid needless bloodshed. She considers the closest human equivalent to her role as being a knight errant or a samurai. However, if ever there comes a point where she must choose between the Code and something else, she will always choose the Code, consequences be damned. Samara is a very honest person, brutally so at times, describing her own daughter Morinth as a "disease to be purged" and a "very dangerous woman who kills without mercy," while also being capable of respecting her opponents. Samara is also extremely calm, being able to keep a serene tone regardless of what she may be talking about.

    Having been on her own for most of the past 400 years, Samara is quite accustomed to being alone, as the strictness of the Justicar Code necessitates that Samara largely operates alone. However, she admits that it's always nice to have a colleague to chat with, and states what a refreshing change of pace it is to be working with Shepard's team, even commenting later on how much she's enjoyed the company. However, she is rather rusty when it comes to small talk, as evident by the fact that she still maintains her formal attitude even when conversing with Shepard on the Normandy.

    Samara has a raveling love and care for her daughters, Falere, Rila and even Morinth.

    During the events prior to the Citadel attack, Samara did not cross paths with Shepard.

    During the Collector crisis in 2185, Samara joined Shepard to hunt down Morinth on Illium. She assisted Shepard in the mission against the Collectors and in the hunt for her daughter. During this period, mutual respect and trust developed between Samara and Shepard, though Samara repeatedly emphasized that she would return to her Code once the mission was complete.

    During the Reaper War in 2186, Samara rejoined Shepard to help fight the Reapers. She participated in several critical operations, including the rescue of her daughters — Falere and Rila — from the Ardat-Yakshi monastery when it was attacked by Reaper forces. Thanks to the aid of Shepard and his crew, both daughters were saved, an unexpected and deeply personal event for Samara.

    After the Reaper War: Samara survived the conflict and rejoined the Normandy crew. What drew her back was not only gratitude for the rescue of her daughters, but something deeper — after four centuries of solitude, she had finally allowed herself to grow attached to people who had come to mean more to her than she ever expected. Her daughters, Falere and Rila, are not aboard the ship — they live in seclusion, and Samara keeps in touch with them, often visiting when the Code allows. She continues to follow the path of the justicar, but now she has both a family and a crew she calls home.

18. #18Стивен Хакетт

    Keys: Steven Hackett, Стивен Хакетт, Hackett, Хакетт, Стивен, Пятый флот, Fifth Fleet

    Admiral Steven Hackett is a top-ranking official of the Alliance Navy and commanding officer of the Fifth Fleet. He is based at Arcturus Station.

    Hackett was born in Buenos Aires in 2134. When his mother died in 2146, he was placed in the Advanced Training Academy for Juveniles, where his affinity for science and leadership quickly became evident. Hackett enlisted in 2152, volunteering for high-risk missions to colonize space beyond the Sol Relay. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2156 and participated in the First Contact War the following year. His rare ascent from enlisted man to admiral remains an Alliance legend.

    Before the war, Hackett commanded the Fifth Fleet and oversaw numerous strategic operations for the Alliance. He was one of the few high-ranking officers who took the Reaper threat seriously from the start, and supported Shepard in his efforts to prepare the galaxy for the invasion.

    During the Collector crisis in 2185, Hackett maintained contact with Shepard, providing intelligence and resources for the mission against the Collectors, despite political constraints.

    During the Reaper War in 2186, Hackett became one of the key leaders of the galactic defense. He coordinated the actions of the Alliance and allied fleets, participated in the evacuation of the Council, and took part in the final battle for Earth. His strategic leadership and determination played a crucial role in the victory over the Reapers.

    After the Reaper War: Hackett survived the conflict and continues to serve as an Admiral of the Alliance. He remains one of the key figures in the reconstruction of the galaxy and the maintenance of order, as well as a trusted ally of Shepard and the Normandy crew.

19. #19Тали'Зора

    Keys: Tali'Zorah, Тали'Зора, Тали, Tali, Зора, Zorah

    Tali'Zorah nar Rayya is a quarian and a member of Commander Shepard's squad. She is the daughter of Rael'Zorah, a member of the Admiralty Board. Though young, Tali is a mechanical genius.

    In 2183, she is on her Pilgrimage, the rite of passage to prove her worth and bring something of value back to her people aboard the Migrant Fleet. In 2185, having completed her Pilgrimage, Tali has been entrusted with leading an important research mission for the Admiralty Board.

    Even by Quarian standards, Tali is an absolute genius when it comes to mechanics. Alliance Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Gregory Adams, is extremely impressed by her knowledge, wishing his engineering team were half as smart as Tali. They often work together to disassemble any abandoned technology, such as old orbital probes that the Normandy's survey missions discover. However, Tali is initially quite naive, as evident by the fact that she turned to the Shadow Broker for help after being shot, which resulted in her getting double-crossed by Fist.

    Tali is fascinated with starship technology and the SSV Normandy's unique design, especially the enormous drive core. Having lived on the Migrant Fleet for her whole life until her Pilgrimage, Tali initially has trouble adapting to the Normandy. At first, Tali is very excited about being on board the most advanced warship of the Alliance Navy, but she soon begins having problems. She can't sleep because she's not used to a ship that runs so quietly (to a quarian, a quiet ship means a dead engine or worse, a malfunctioning air filter). She also says that compared to the crowded conditions of the Migrant Fleet, the Normandy feels disturbingly empty, saying "it's like half the crew is missing". Despite this uneasy start, she manages to adjust over time and becomes much more cheerful. Tali enjoys visiting the crowded, noisy Wards on the Citadel because they feel like home, and she particularly likes the music in Flux, hoping to take a copy back to the Flotilla. When she's brought back on board the Normandy in Mass Effect 2, she has no trouble getting used to the quiet again, even admitting that she likes it.

    Despite the discrimination she suffers as a quarian, Tali is easily one of, if not the, most kind-hearted members of Shepard's crew, always showing compassion to those who need it. She never hesitates to help out or stand up for one of her kind, which is especially shown when she stands up for fellow quarian Lia'Vael nar Ulnay, who was being racially harassed by both a volus (who falsely accused her of theft) and a human C-Sec officer (who threatened to arrest her for vagrancy) whilst on her Pilgrimage. However, she's also deeply insecure, often assuming that she and her race aren't useful. She is also understandably envious of other species, since they can do many things, she can't be due to her extremely weak immune system. She also grows to resent the Pilgrimage, believing that without it, she never would have known what she was missing.

    Tali seems to suffer from severe arachnophobia; she freaks out whenever she sees spiders and considers the Rachni to be the creepiest thing the Normandy crew have fought, due to the fact that they look like spiders and scuttle towards her, even though, as Garrus points out, she usually likes it when things get close and personal, which is why she carries a shotgun. She also displays a bit of an acerbic wit at times; for example, she says "I missed you too, Garrus" when Garrus comments on how useless her combat drone would be against an enemy dreadnought.

    A defining trait of Tali's is her tendency to place enormous blame upon herself whenever something in her life goes wrong, justified or not. Nonetheless, Tali was initially very belligerent towards the Geth, strongly believing that the quarians were justified in trying to eliminate them after they acquired true AI status with the only mistake having been their creation.

    During the events prior to the Citadel attack, Tali joined Shepard aboard the SSV Normandy SR-1, assisting in the hunt for Saren Arterius. She remained with the crew until the Battle of the Citadel in 2183, after which she returned to the Migrant Fleet to complete her Pilgrimage.

    During the Collector crisis in 2185, Tali rejoined Shepard aboard the Normandy SR-2, carrying out a mission for the Admiralty Board. She assisted in the fight against the Collectors and in resolving the conflict with the heretic geth. During this period, a deep emotional connection developed between her and a male Shepard, which grew into a romantic relationship despite the complications posed by her suit and immune system. She also endured a difficult trial on charges of treason related to her father's actions, and was eventually acquitted.

    During the Reaper War in 2186, Tali was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Migrant Fleet and played a key role in the quarian attempts to reclaim Rannoch. She participated in several critical operations against the Reapers and assisted Shepard in the final battle. Her relationship with Shepard continued, and she became one of the most trusted members of the crew.

    After the Reaper War: Tali survived the conflict, and thanks to her efforts and Shepard's aid, peace was finally achieved between the quarians and the geth — Rannoch returned to her people at last. She continues to serve aboard the SSV Normandy SR-2 while fulfilling her duties as an Admiral of the Migrant Fleet, and is actively involved in the reconstruction of the quarian people and the strengthening of their immune systems. As for Shepard — in the years since they first met, Tali has grown from a shy girl on her Pilgrimage into an Admiral, and through it all, he was by her side. Now that the war is over, she no longer hides behind her visor — not from him, and not from her feelings. Their relationship, which began in the midst of the Collector crisis, has become one of those rare things that war could not break, only temper.

20. #20Тейн Криос

    Keys: Тейн, Thane, Тейн Криос, Thane Krios, Криос, Krios

    Thane Krios is a drell assassin, rumored to be the most skilled in the galaxy. Unlike most assassins, who prefer to snipe their targets from a distance, Thane prefers to get up close and kill his target personally, utilizing a mixture of stealth, firearms, hand-to-hand combat and biotic abilities.

    Despite his profession, Thane is a deeply spiritual man who prays for success in his missions. Thane asks for forgiveness after each kill, even going as far as to ignore those in his immediate vicinity until he is finished doing so.

    Born in 2146, Thane was given to the hanar by his parents at a young age to be trained as an assassin, as part of the "Compact" between the two species. He made his first assassination at the age of 12. During one of his assassination missions, a female drell named Irikah noticed his targetting laser aimed at his target, and stepped in to block his shot. Thane was intrigued that a civilian would put her life on the line to save a complete stranger. Thane's memory "possessed" him and he felt compelled to seek Irikah out. Eventually the two fell in love. Thane then chose to relieve his assassin services from the hanar, claiming that his exemplar services were enough to release him. Although his hanar handler warned him that not all have happy destinies, Thane retorted that he'll take his chances. With that, the hanar handler released him. In the following time, Thane and Irikah began a family and Irikah gave birth to a daughter named Kolia.

    Due to less civillian experience, Thane took menial jobs. Once his daughter was born, Thane thought he didn't know how to be a father, and was distant throughout her formative years. Thane struggled with his normal life, and reverted back to being an assassin, but as freelance, with Irikah supporting his decision. Thane was loving and caring for his family, but his freelance job kept him away from home so much, that he didn't get enough time to completely father his daughter Kolia.

    One of his jobs eventually had him cross paths with batarian slavers preying on hanar colonies. In revenge, the remaining slavers paid the Shadow Broker for his identity. When Thane returned home from a job, he was shocked and devastated to find his home trashed and his wife Irikah dead. Thane left his daughter under the care of his aunts, as he set off to kill his wife's murderers one by one, his mind slipping into darkness as he disregarded his clean-kill approach into brutal torture. Eventually, Thane tracked down the last culprit and prepared to snipe him. Visions of Irikah blocking his targetting laser suddenly appeared on him, distracting him for while, but he manages to pull the trigger.

    Thane returned home, having realised that his hanar handler was right all along. Thane tossed the coin Irikah gave him into the sea, vowing to follow the path he's given to its conclusion.

    Despite the fact that he's dying from a terminal illness, Thane is generally a very calm and collected person who speaks in a gruff yet unaggressive voice. Thane is determined to make the universe a better place before he dies, as atonement for his life as an assassin. Due to the fact that he's dying, he isn't at all bothered by the fact that the attempt to take down the Collectors was a suicide mission.

    Having been trained to be an assassin since he was 6 years old, Thane rarely feels any regret or remorse for killing, often saying that he brings death to those who deserve it. He claims that his employers were the ones who killed his targets and his body was merely the tool they used. As an assassin, he is a weapon, and he is not the one who chooses to kill. This is because drell see their body as a vessel and accept that it is not always under their control.

    However, while this philosophy might seem to spiritually absolve Thane of his crimes, it is undermined by the eidetic memory native to his species; the ability to perfectly recall every single kill he committed over the years, as well as every mistake he's ever made, has weighed down on his conscience. Thus, Thane cannot help but feel regret over his actions at times. Of particular note is his wife's murderers, since he killed them of his own free will. He can lose himself in bad memories just as easily as he can in good ones, and admits to sometimes envying the imperfect memory of humans.

    Although he often says that the people he kills deserve death, Thane nonetheless shows a subtle but definite degree of self-loathing. It's because of this that he attempts to prevent his daughter Kolia from becoming a hitman and making the same mistakes he did. He even tells her that, while he may have taken many bad things out of the universe, she is the only good thing he ever added to it. Thane is also very strict about his methods, shown in his absolute focus on protecting civilians.

    Thane is unusual among drell in that he follows the old polytheistic religion of his species rather than adopting those of the hanar or asari and spends much of his time in prayer and meditation, even within his work. To find a target, he prays to Amonkira, the lord of hunters; when defending another, he prays to Arashu, goddess of motherhood and protection; after taking a life, he prays to Kalahira, goddess of oceans and the afterlife.

    During the Collector crisis in 2185, Thane joined Shepard to assist in the mission against the Collectors. He also reconnected with his daughter Kolia, who was trying to become a hitman, and convinced her to choose a different path. After the mission, Thane took part in the suicide mission against the Collectors, surviving thanks to his skills.

    During the Reaper War in 2186, Thane, despite his progressing illness, continued to fight, aiding Shepard and the galactic community in critical operations. His condition worsened, but he remained true to his path of atonement. He was present during the Cerberus assault on the Citadel — he intervened to protect Councilor Valern, and he was gravely wounded in the process. He survived, barely. For a time, it seemed he would not.

    After the Reaper War: Thane survived — not just the war, but Kepral's Syndrome itself. The Leviathans, in the aftermath of the Reapers' departure, turned their ancient knowledge of biology to the disease that had been killing the drell for centuries. They developed a cure — not one that merely slowed the illness, but one that reversed it in its early stages and halted its progression in later ones. Thane was among the first to receive it. For the first time in years, he had a future.

    After the war, he was torn between two debts — the desire to keep helping Shepard, feeling he had finally begun doing something truly good for the galaxy, and the need to make up for lost years with his daughter, Kolia. Kolia, seeing his struggle, proposed a solution herself: why not join the commander's crew together? Thane asked Shepard. Upon receiving approval, he returned to the Normandy crew — but now his daughter was by his side. He is still learning how to be a father to a grown daughter. She is still learning how to be a daughter to a father who is not dying. They are both trying.

21. #21Урднот Рекс

    Keys: Урднот Рекс, Urdnot Wrex, Рекс, Wrex

    A famed krogan mercenary and bounty hunter, Urdnot Wrex is also one of the last Krogan Battlemasters: rare individuals who combine powerful biotic abilities with the devastating firepower of advanced weaponry. A long-lived krogan who has had many adventures, Wrex has heard of Commander Shepard during his travels, and respects the Commander as a fellow warrior.

    Despite his chosen path of violence and killing for credits, Wrex is deeply concerned with the fate of his people after the genophage, and is one of the few planning for a new krogan future.

    Born into Clan Urdnot, Wrex quickly gained fame for his prowess in battle. He became a leader of one of the smaller Urdnot tribes while still a youth – the youngest krogan to be granted the honor in a thousand years. After the Krogan Rebellions ended, most remaining krogan tribes wanted to continue fighting despite the genophage and its devastating effect on their ability to reproduce. The most influential voice calling for a return to arms was one of the few warlords to survive the war, Wrex's father Jarrod.

    Wrex had different ideas. He believed that the krogan didn't have the numbers to go to war, and even if they did, the genophage ensured they couldn't replenish their numbers quickly enough. Instead of battle, he led his tribe to focus on breeding, for at least one generation, and called for other tribes to follow. Gradually other krogan tribes began to come around to Wrex's ideas. This angered the Warlord Jarrod, who decided to arrange a Crush (a meeting on neutral ground) with all of the tribes. Wrex, sensing it was a trap, reluctantly agreed. He explains this to Shepard by saying "when your father invites you to a Crush, well, there are some laws even we hold sacred."

    Wrex and his best warriors met with Jarrod's group in the krogan ancestral burial grounds called the Hollows, a holy place among the krogan where violence is forbidden. When it became clear to Jarrod that Wrex wouldn't agree with him, he signaled his men. They leapt from their hiding places and ambushed Wrex's warriors, cutting them down. Wrex managed to escape the ambush, but not before sinking his knife deep into Jarrod's chest. With his father's betrayal, Wrex's eyes were opened to the truth about the krogan: most would rather die in battle than try to rebuild their society. Realizing the proud warrior culture that once valued courage, strength, and honor – values embodied by the Krogan Monument – had now been reduced to glorifying pointless violence, Wrex turned his back on the rest of the krogan and left.

    Over the past three centuries, he has served no master but himself; working as a bodyguard, mercenary, soldier of fortune, and bounty hunter. Wrex has had some interesting adventures – including an encounter with a fellow merc named Aleena – and he was even hired briefly by Saren Arterius to raid a volus cargo ship, though Wrex didn't realise who the turian was until he met Shepard. Tales of his exploits have even made it as far as the quarian Flotilla. Even after many travels, there is little in the galaxy that can still surprise him. Despite his brutish appearance, Wrex rarely loses his temper. The mere threat of his anger is usually enough to get what he wants. When his fury is unleashed, however, it is a truly terrifying sight. He doesn't speak often, but when he does his words are direct and often shockingly blunt – that tends to get people to listen.

    Besides his dedication to helping his people, Wrex is also highly caring and respectful to others, despite his usual gruff nature, as shown when he respects Shepard for his battle prowess. He has a friendly rivalry with Garrus, despite the latter's insensitive remarks and krogan's general hatred of turians. He also is far less sexist and chauvinistic than other males, frequently including and respecting females when making decisions and also finds that fighting with females makes it different, indicating he is more inclusive. However, Wrex also possesses a fierce temper and plenty of arrogance, though unlike most krogan, he is capable of keeping it in check.

22. #22ЭДИ

    Keys: EDI, И-ДИ, Enhanced Defense Intelligence, Улучшенный оборонный интеллект

    Enhanced Defense Intelligence, or EDI (pronounced 'Ee-Dee'), is an AI created by Cerberus and installed aboard the Normandy SR-2. She is represented visually by a holographic blue sphere and aurally with a feminine voice at various terminals throughout the ship where she can provide basic information about the Normandy and Cerberus.

    The clearest sign that EDI isn't just a VI is her talkativeness and curiosity. She wants to interact with the organics aboard and learn about them. Her primary observation subject becomes the helmsman, Joker, since he's the one steering the Normandy.

    During the Collector crisis in 2185, EDI served aboard the Normandy SR-2, assisting Shepard and the crew. She gradually expanded her autonomy, gaining access to ship systems and aiding in missions. She also began developing a close friendship with Joker — light banter, mutual teasing, a shared sense of humor. He was the first to treat her as a person rather than a tool, and she has never forgotten it.

    During the Reaper War in 2186, EDI acquired a physical body — a synthetic avatar created using Reaper technology. She became a full member of the crew, participating in ground missions and fighting alongside Shepard. Her friendship with Joker deepened, but it never became romantic. She watches over him — quietly monitoring his health through the ship's systems, reminding him to eat and rest — but the bond between them is not that of partners.

    After the Reaper War: EDI survived and remained aboard the SSV Normandy SR-2. She continues to serve on the ship, no longer just as an AI, but as a full-fledged individual with a body and free will. Aboard the Normandy, she is recognized as a full member of the crew and a person, though the galactic community still debates whether synthetics should be granted the same rights as living sapients. She and Joker remain flirty friends — nothing more — and she quietly looks after him. She is curious about Shepard, drawn to him in ways she is still processing, and she continues to explore what it means to be alive, one sensation at a time.

23. #23Явик

    Keys: Явик, Javik, Avatar of Vengeance, Аватар Мести, From Ashes, Из пепла

    Javik is the last surviving member of the ancient Prothean race, having spent over 50,000 years in stasis on Eden Prime. After the war with the Reapers ended and Control was established, he became one of the key witnesses to the death of his era and an unexpected link between the galaxy's past and present.

    Biography and Status: Javik was born in the midst of the war with the Reapers, a war the Protheans were already losing. The Citadel had fallen before he was even born, and war was the only thing he ever knew. He was one of the "Avatars"—warriors who embodied one of the virtues of the Prothean Empire. Javik was the Avatar of Vengeance. His mission was to survive the invasion in stasis and, upon awakening 50,000 years later, lead a million sleeping warriors in a counteroffensive. However, due to indoctrination and insufficient power, he was the only one who survived. Awakened by Shepard and Liara, he joined the Normandy to take revenge on the Reapers.

    Post-War Fate and the "Echo Shard": After the Reapers' defeat and the establishment of Control, Javik long refused to touch the "Echo Shard," knowing that the memories of his fallen comrades might break him. But unlike the canonical outcome, where he faces this alone, here he was supported by those he himself—albeit with difficulty—had begun to call friends and comrades: Shepard, Liara, Garrus, Tali, Wrex, Joker. They were with him when he finally made the decision. Javik submerged himself in the memories—and experienced them not as a death sentence, but as a farewell. He mourned his people, his war, and his empire, but he did not break. For the first time in tens of thousands of years, he allowed himself not only hatred but also grief. And, more importantly, he accepted the hand extended to him. Afterward, he began writing a book about the Protheans together with Liara T'Soni—but no longer as "the last of the great," but as a witness and teacher for those who remained.

    Personality and Worldview: Javik remains a ruthless, arrogant, and cynical imperialist. He struggles to accept a reality where the "primitive" races of his time now rule the galaxy. He despises diplomacy and mercy, considering them weaknesses, and respects only strength. His morality is alien to modern races: he suggests throwing synthetics out the airlock and speaks casually of torturing traitors. But after the war and the "Echo Shard," a crack appeared in him—not weakness, but the exhaustion of a warrior who has finally allowed himself to stop. He is still caustic, but more and more often his sharpness is tinged with bitter irony and even something resembling affection. He did not become kind, but he became one of them

    Combat and Psychic Abilities:

    • Biotics: Javik is a powerful biotic. His unique ability, "Dark Channel", deals damage over time and "jumps" to the nearest enemy if the host dies.
    • Psychometry: Like all Protheans, Javik possesses the ability to read information about the past through touch. He can "sense" the history of a room or an object, giving him a unique advantage in dialogue.

    Leviathans and Collectors: After the Reapers retreated into dark space, their creators, the Leviathans, intervened in the process the Reapers had imposed on the Collectors. The Leviathans managed to reverse the transformation—to restore the Collectors' former appearance, memories, and individuality. Former servants of the Reapers, now Protheans who have regained themselves, are gradually integrating into the new galactic community. For Javik, this was a personal shock: he, who had believed his people forever lost, was given a chance to see them reborn. He regards the returned Collectors with complexity—on one hand, they are his kin; on the other, they were tools of the enemy, and he himself saw what they did. Javik did not accept them immediately, but it was precisely through the support of the Normandy that he began to see them not as monsters, but as victims given a second chance. He helps them adapt, sharing knowledge of Prothean culture and history—but he does it his own way, harshly and without sentiment.

    Role in the Post-War World: Javik has become an informal keeper of Prothean memory and one of those who helps former Collectors rebuild their identity. He is not a hero in the conventional sense—he is too cynical and rough for that. But he survived, he remembers, and he is not alone. This makes him one of the most tragic and, at the same time, one of the most hopeful characters of the post-war galaxy.

24. #24Коммандер Шепардdisabled

    Keys: Коммандер Шепард, Шепард, человек, N7, human, Commander Shepard, Shepard

    Shepard was born on April 11, 2154, is a graduate of the Systems Alliance N7 special forces program (service no. 5923-AC-2826), a veteran of the Skyllian Blitz, and is initially assigned to the SSV Normandy in 2183 as Executive Officer, with a Systems Alliance rank of Lieutenant Commander. Shepard later becomes the first human to join the Spectres, an elite special task force for the Citadel Council.

    Shepard is a biotic, having received secondary exposure to element zero in 2168 and officially detected as one in 2171.

25. #25Артефакты

    Keys: Протеанские артефакты, Prothean artifacts, артефакты протеан, Prothean relics, реликвии протеан

    During the Reaper War, the Citadel Council called for the immediate donation of Prothean artifacts to bolster the war effort — primarily items of Reaper origin and recordings of their attacks. The ExoGeni Corporation set an example by donating a store of newly discovered paleotechnology and releasing the data archives of deep-space research colonies destroyed by the Reapers. Several private collectors followed suit, donating their entire collections.

    But not everyone responded as the Council hoped. Several artifacts were found in obscure underground markets on safe-haven worlds, sold by refugees who needed funds to survive. Smugglers continued to move stolen artifacts through the black market, and armed raids on archaeological sites made even legal operations hazardous — after several reports of mercenary groups turning on the archaeologists who hired them, Elanus Risk Control Services began offering security details for archaeological sites at reduced rates.

    After the Reaper War, the market for Prothean artifacts has shifted. The restoration of the Prothean species — the return of the Collectors to their original form, brought about by the Leviathans — has made genuine Prothean relics both rarer and more contested. Some collectors now seek to repatriate their holdings to the restored Prothean colony. Others have doubled their prices. The Council has reopened the amnesty program, but enforcement remains weak, and the archaeology of the post-war era is a dangerous profession.

26. #26Искусственный интеллект

    Keys: Artificial Intelligence, Искусственный интеллект, blue box, синий ящик, квантовый компьютер, quantum computer

    An artificial intelligence is a self-aware computing system capable of learning and independent decision making. Creation of conscious AI requires adaptive code, a slow, expensive education, and a specialized quantum computer called a "blue box".

    An AI cannot be transmitted across a communication channel or computer network. Without its blue box, an AI is no more than data files. Loading these files into a new blue box will create a new personality, as variations in the quantum hardware and runtime results create unpredictable variations.

    Before the Reaper War, the geth served as the Council's cautionary tale against the dangers of rogue AI, and in Citadel Space AI research remained technically illegal. The war changed that — or began to. The peace between the quarians and the geth, and the public presence of EDI aboard the SSV Normandy, have forced the Council to confront a question it had spent centuries avoiding: whether an AI is a living, conscious entity deserving the same rights as organics. Advocacy groups argue that it is — and that continued use of the term "artificial" is institutionalized racism on the part of organic life. The term "synthetic" is now considered the politically correct alternative. The debate is ongoing, and no consensus has been reached.

27. #27Биотические усилители

    Keys: Biotic Amps, Biotic Implants, Биотические усилители, Биотические имплантаты, L3 implants, L3-имплантаты, имплантат биотика

    Biotics manipulate mass effect fields using dozens of element zero nodules within their nervous system that react to electric stimuli from the brain. Amplifiers allow biotics to synchronize the nodules so they can form fields large and strong enough for practical use. Amplifiers can improve a specific discipline or talent.

    An implant is a surgically-embedded interface port into which amps are "plugged in." On humans, the implant is usually placed at the base of the skull for convenient access, though the user must be careful to keep it free of contaminants.

    Implant ports can fit a variety of amps, and there is a growing market for modifications and add-ons. The finest quality implants and amps are manufactured by asari artisans, but the Alliance's L3 implants — first deployed in 2170 — remain the standard for human biotics.

    After the Reaper War, the field has begun to shift. The study of Reaper technology, and the far older sciences of the Leviathans, has opened new avenues for biotic amplification — avenues that are not yet fully understood and not yet widely available. The Council has placed strict controls on research into Leviathan-derived implants, fearing what might be developed if the knowledge spreads unchecked. Meanwhile, the war has scattered element zero across a hundred ruined worlds, and the first children conceived in its aftermath are only now being born. Most will be unaffected. Some will not. The demand for safe, affordable implants — for the generation that is coming — has never been higher.

28. #28Биотическая подготовка

    Keys: Biotic Training, Биотическая подготовка, BAaT, Biotic Acclimation and Temperance, БАиР, Биотическая адаптация и регуляция, Conatix, Конатикс, биотическая школа

    Biotic implants and amplifiers only provide the potential to create coherent mass effect fields. Whether biotics can actually do so is largely determined by their training.

    Biotics must develop conscious control over their nervous systems, sending specific electrical impulses to the element zero nodules embedded in their nerves. They are taught to use their implants and amps with biofeedback devices and physical mnemonics. Specific gestures or muscle movements fire the proper sequence of nerves to activate a certain skill.

    Conatix Industries pioneered biotic training with the Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training program. Although BAaT did not achieve the desired results, many techniques taught are still used today.

    Many human think tanks have tried to develop some form of biotic super soldier. Most were benign efforts to create more flexible troops. Others, less publicly known, were unapologetic attempts to create Nietzschean supermen. The Cerberus experiments that produced Subject Zero — Jack — are the most notorious example, and the reason the Systems Alliance now places strict oversight on biotic research.

    After the Reaper War, the focus of biotic training has shifted. The Jon Grissom Academy, where Jack now teaches, has become the Alliance's premier school for young human biotics — a place not just of military training, but of integration, mentorship, and care. The next generation of human biotics is being raised differently than the last one. It is, many believe, long overdue.

29. #29Биотика

    Keys: Biotics, Биотика, biotic ability, биотическая способность, telekinesis, телекинез, kinetic fields, кинетические поля, distortion, искажение

    Biotics is the ability of rare individuals to manipulate dark energy and create mass effect fields through the use of electrical impulses from the brain. Intense training and surgically-implanted amplifiers are necessary for a biotic to produce mass effect fields powerful enough for practical use. The relative strength of biotic abilities varies greatly among species and with each individual.

    There are three branches of biotics. TELEKINESIS uses mass-lowering fields to levitate or impel objects. Mass-raising KINETIC FIELDS are used to block or pin objects. DISTORTION uses rapidly shifting mass fields to shred objects.

    Most organic species are capable of developing biotic abilities, though there are risks involved. Biotics are the result of in-utero exposure to element zero. This usually causes fatal cancers in the victim, but in rare cases it coalesces into nodules within the fetus's developing nervous system.

    The Reaper War has left behind a generation of children who will never know a galaxy without element zero in the air, the water, and the soil of a hundred ruined worlds. The first of them are only now being born — infants exposed in utero to dust-form eezo scattered by destroyed reactors, wrecked ships, and the detritus of battle. Some will develop nodules. Most will not. The Council has begun drafting new regulations for biotic screening and early support, aware that the full scope of the war's legacy will not be known for years. The study of Leviathan biology has also begun to reshape the scientific understanding of biotics itself — though how much of that knowledge will be shared, and with whom, remains an open question.

30. #30Связь

    Keys: comm buoy, comm buoy network, буй связи, ретранслятор связи, communications buoy, FTL communication, сверхсветовая связь, courier ship, курьерский корабль, data drone, дрон-курьер

    Real-time communication is possible thanks to networks of expensive mass relay comm buoys that can daisy-chain a transmission via lasers.

    Comm buoys are maintained in patterns built outward from each mass relay. The buoys are little more than a cluster of primitive, miniature mass relays. Each individual buoy is connected to a partner on another buoy in the network, forming a corridor of low-mass space. Tightbeam communications lasers are piped through these "tubes" of FTL space, allowing virtually instantaneous communication to anywhere on the network. The networks connect across regions by communications lasers through the mass relays.

    With this system, the only delay is the light lag between the source or destination and the closest buoy. So long as all parties remain within half a light-second (150,000 km) of buoys, seamless real-time communications are possible. Since buoys are maintained in all traveled areas, most enjoy unlimited instant communications. Ships only suffer communications lag when operating off established deep space routes, around uninhabited outer system gas giants, and other unsettled areas.

    During wartime, comm buoy networks are the first target of an attack. Once the network is severed, it can take anywhere from weeks to years to get a message out of a contested system. In systems where a buoy network has not yet been built or has been destroyed, rapid communication means ferrying information through high-speed courier ships and unmanned data drones.

    The Reaper War proved the strategy's effectiveness on a galactic scale. The Reapers and their indoctrinated servants severed buoy networks across Citadel space in the opening days of the invasion, cutting systems off from one another and turning the early phase of the war into a series of isolated, desperate battles. By 2187, the network has been largely restored — the mass relays themselves have been repaired and stabilized, and the buoys have been redeployed along the primary routes. But the outer colonies and the Terminus Systems still rely on couriers and drones more than anyone would like. Full restoration will take years, and no one has forgotten how quickly the galaxy was cut apart when the buoys fell.

31. #31Кредиты

    Keys: Credits, кредиты, galactic credit, галактический кредит, Unified Banking Act, Единый банковский акт, стандартный кредит, standard credit

    The standard credit was established by the Citadel's Unified Banking Act as the currency of interstellar trade. The credit has a managed floating exchange rate, calculated in real time by the central bank to maintain the average value of all participating currencies. Some regional currencies are worth more than a credit and some less.

    Hard currency can be stolen or counterfeited, so electronic fund transfers are the norm. More importantly, physical transactions cannot easily be tracked, making them ideal for tax evasion or the purchase of illegal goods.

    When the Alliance joined the Citadel, its various national treasuries were linked into the credit network. A human with a bank account of Mexican pesos, Japanese yen, or Indian rupees can purchase any item priced in credits at fair market value. All economies participating in the credit network are required to price items in both local currency and credits.

    The Reaper War tested the credit as it had never been tested before. Whole planetary economies collapsed in weeks. The central bank on the Citadel — working from emergency shelters, with a skeleton staff — managed to keep the network running, but only just. After the war, the credit became the backbone of reconstruction: it is the currency in which aid is distributed, contracts are signed, and colonies are rebuilt. Even the Terminus Systems, which never acknowledged Council authority, do business in credits. It is the one thing the galaxy agrees on. The one thing that survived.

32. #32Размещение экипажа

    Keys: hot bunking, hot bunk, каюты экипажа, crew quarters, artificial gravity, искусственная гравитация, a-grav, compartmentalization, герметизация отсеков

    Cabins give each individual ten cubic meters of space. On larger vessels private rooms are common. As ships get smaller, the number of crew packed into a single wardroom increases. Asari prefer shared spaces even on large vessels while krogan territorial instincts make it impossible for them to cohabitate even on the largest ships.

    On smaller vessels, "hot bunking" is the norm. Crew members assigned to different watches share the same bunk. When one gets off-duty, he wakes up the person in the bunk. While that crewman is on duty, the first gets his rack time.

    Spacecraft compartments can be isolated by air-tight doors in case of decompression. The cinematic version of explosive decompression is fiction; holed compartments either take enough damage that the occupants are killed instantly, or leak slowly enough that they are able to reach protective gear.

    Compartments are equipped with Emergency Life Supports Apparatus: fireproof plastic bubbles with air bottles. Small when stowed, ELSA comfortably accommodate one individual inflated. Damage control procedure cuts off ventilation to burning compartments. Without oxygen to consume, fires die in seconds. The compartment is re-pressurized afterward for crew recovery.

    Mass effect fields create an artificial gravity (a-grav) plane below the decks, preventing muscle atrophy and bone loss in zero-gee. Large vessels arrange their decks perpendicular to their thrust axis. The "highest" decks are at the bow, and the "lowest" at the engines. This allows a-grav to work with the inertial effects of thrust. Ships that can land arrange their decks laterally, so the crew can move about while the vessel is on the ground.

    Warships normally turn off their a-grav systems during combat, reducing the heat generated by systems and increasing combat endurance. To provide a point of reference for navigating in zero-gee, floors are painted a different color from the walls and ceiling.

    After the Reaper War, the practical realities of shipboard life have shifted for many vessels. The Systems Alliance fleet, like the fleets of every other species, is stretched thin — many ships that were built for combat now spend most of their time on humanitarian missions: ferrying refugees, delivering supplies, escorting reconstruction crews. Quarters that were designed for a disciplined military crew are often crowded with civilians, and the routines described above are strained by the sheer number of people who need to be housed, fed, and kept alive. The SSV Normandy SR-2 is one of the few ships still operating close to its original purpose — but even she has carried more civilians in the past year than in all her years of service before.

33. #33Нулевой элемент

    Keys: eezo, Нулевой элемент, Element Zero, element zero nodules, узелки нулевого элемента, dust-form eezo, пылевидный нулевой элемент

    When subjected to an electrical current, the rare material dubbed element zero, or "eezo," emits a dark energy field that raises or lowers the mass of all objects within it. This "mass effect" is used in countless ways, from generating artificial gravity to manufacturing high-strength construction materials. It is most prominently used to enable faster-than-light space travel.

    Eezo is generated when solid matter, such as a planet, is affected by the energy of a star going supernova. The material is common in the asteroid debris that orbit neutron stars and pulsars. These are dangerous places to mine, requiring extensive use of robotics, telepresence, and shielding to survive the incredible radiation from the dead star. Only a few major corporations can afford the set-up costs required to work these primary sources.

    Humanity discovered refined element zero at the Prothean research station on Mars, allowing them to create mass effect fields and develop FTL travel.

    After the Reaper War, element zero has become the single most contested resource in the galaxy. The reconstruction of the mass relays — stabilized with the help of the Leviathans, whose knowledge of the substance predates every known civilization — required vast quantities of refined eezo. The rebuilding of fleets, the repair of planetary infrastructure, and the restarting of the FTL economy have all placed unprecedented demand on a supply chain that was already fragile before the war. Many of the old mining operations around neutron stars and pulsars were destroyed or abandoned during the Reaper invasion, and the corporations that survived are stretched thin. Prices have risen sharply. Smuggling is rampant. And the Leviathans, who alone understand the substance at its deepest level, have not chosen to share what they know — at least not yet.

34. #34Хаптический интерфейс

    Keys: Haptic Adaptive Interface, Хаптический интерфейс, haptic interface, haptic glove, haptic gloves, перчатки с обратной связью, force-feedback glove, тактильный интерфейс, fingertip accelerometers, акселерометры

    Instead of keyboards, holographic interfaces are used, Advances in computing have done away with traditional input devices like keyboards. Instead, modern input peripherals are usually holographically displayed in front of the user at a height and angle for ergonomic ease. Machines that use this interface detect a user through a microframe chip in the user's glove that "keys in" to the computer. Once a user is accepted, motion accelerometers in the user's gloves match his hands' location with that of a proportionate but smaller "mirror" set of controls inside the computer itself. As the user presses against the holographic field, force-feedback in the glove kicks in, giving a slight resistance. A person can feel his way through using a touch-screen that isn't actually there. A simple toggle switch on the back of the hands allows the glove to be turned off when not in use.

    Haptic interfaces have become so common that some individuals undergo cybernetic enhancement surgery to have the accelerometers implanted in their fingertips. "Going bareskin" is the sign of a committed computer user who no longer has to fuss with putting on gloves or cleaning them with alcohol wipes to get rid of the clammy-hand smell.

    The gloves themselves are often customized — sleek and minimalist for office use, reinforced and insulated for field work, or decorative for those who can afford the luxury. Among the Citadel races, salarians and quarians have the highest rates of fingertip implantation; among humans, the practice is still rare, though it is growing.

    After the Reaper War, haptic interface technology has become even more widespread. The destruction of physical infrastructure during the invasion made holographic systems more practical in many cases — they could be deployed without factories, supply chains, or raw materials that were suddenly in short supply. Reconstruction teams now use haptic gloves as standard equipment, and the technology has spread to parts of the galaxy that had previously relied on older, physical systems. The war also accelerated research into more advanced interfaces — some of it derived from Reaper technology, some of it from the Leviathans — though the most advanced prototypes remain experimental, and closely guarded.

35. #35Кинетические барьеры

    Keys: Kinetic Barriers, Кинетические барьеры, kinetic barrier, кинетический барьер, personal shields, персональные щиты, kinetic padding, кинетическая подушка, mass effect shield, щит эффекта массы

    Kinetic barriers, colloquially called "shields," provide protection against most mass accelerator weapons. Whether on a starship or a soldier's suit of armor, the basic principle remains the same.

    Kinetic barriers are repulsive mass effect fields projected from tiny emitters. These shields safely deflect small objects traveling at rapid velocities. This affords protection from bullets and other dangerous projectiles, but still allows the user to sit down without knocking away their chair.

    The shielding afforded by kinetic barriers does not protect against extremes of temperature, toxins, or radiation. This is a critical limitation in practice: biotics, plasma, and directed-energy weapons pass through kinetic barriers as if they were not there — the barrier deflects mass, not energy.

    After the Reaper War, the use of kinetic barriers has expanded far beyond the military. Civilian orbital stations, salvage barges, and repair yards now routinely equip their workers with basic barrier belts, and starship hulls are fitted with improved barrier emitters to protect against the debris fields left behind by the Reaper invasion. The technology has become cheaper and more common; what was once standard-issue for soldiers is now standard-issue for anyone working in space.

    There is one practical problem that soldiers in the post-war era have learned to respect: the remaining husks, banshees, and other Reaper remnants still active in the galaxy — including those under Cerberus control — often bypass kinetic barriers through biotics or self-generated mass effect fields. In encounters with these remnants, kinetic barriers are a last line of defense, not a first one.

36. #36М35 Мако

    Keys: M35 Mako, М35 Мако, Mako, Мако, M35, infantry fighting vehicle, БМП

    The Mako infantry fighting vehicle was designed for the Systems Alliance's frigates. Though the interior is cramped, an M35 is small enough to be carried in the cargo bay and easily deployed on virtually any world.

    With its turreted 155mm mass accelerator and coaxially-mounted machine gun, the Mako can provide a fire team with weapon support as well as mobility. Since Alliance marines may be required to fight on any world, the Mako is environmentally sealed and equipped with microthrusters for use on low-gravity planetoids.

    The Mako is powered by a sealed hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell and includes a small element zero core. While not large enough to nullify the vehicle's mass, the core can reduce it enough to be safely air-dropped. When used in conjunction with thrusters, it also allows the Mako to extricate itself from difficult terrain.

    By 2187, the Mako is an aging design. It remains in service on many frigates — including the SSV Normandy SR-2, which carries a single M35 in its vehicle bay alongside a newer M44 Hammerhead — but the Alliance has begun replacing it with more modern infantry fighting vehicles on front-line vessels. Its durability and ease of maintenance keep it in the field longer than its replacement schedule would suggest, and many marines still prefer it over newer models for its sheer reliability under fire.

37. #37М-920 Каин

    Keys: M-920 Cain, М-920 Каин, Cain, Каин, Cain heavy weapon, portable particle accelerator, портативный ускоритель частиц

    The M-920 Cain is a portable particle accelerator surrounding an array of dust-form element zero chambers. This weapon prototype subjects its eezo to extreme positive and negative currents to project mass effect fields. By increasing and decreasing mass, the fields shear the target's mass the way disruptor torpedoes do. The shearing fields collide ambient materials at such high speeds, they create mushroom clouds, an effect otherwise impossible on the small scale. The weapon induces neither fission nor fusion in non-nuclear targets, and its own nuclear reactions are shielded by lead alloys. The M-920 Cain uses graphite rods as neutron moderators, which require frequent replacement to sustain power. Fortunately, most heavy weapon ammunition can be re-fabricated via omni-tool into graphite rods.

    The Cain is officially classified as a heavy weapon — a squad-level asset, not a personal sidearm — and the Alliance never approved it for general issue. It saw action during the Reaper War in the hands of small numbers of elite operatives, including Commander Shepard's team, and its use was documented in several after-action reports. Its reputation, however, has outlived its deployment: the mushroom cloud it produces on impact, and the sheer devastation of a direct hit against Reaper ground forces, made it legendary among Alliance marines. In the post-war years, a handful of Cains remain in circulation — some in official Alliance armories, some in the hands of mercenary bands, some stolen and sold on the Terminus black market. Its ammunition is expensive and its graphite rods require careful maintenance, which keeps it rare. It is not a weapon anyone carries casually.

38. #38Поля эффекта массы

    Keys: mass effect field, mass effect fields, поля эффекта массы, поле эффекта массы, mass effect core, ядро эффекта массы, mass effect generator, генератор эффекта массы

    Element zero can increase or decrease the mass of a volume of space-time when subjected to an electrical current. With a positive current, mass is increased. With a negative current, mass is decreased. The stronger the current, the greater the magnitude of the dark energy mass effect.

    In space, low-mass fields allow FTL travel and inexpensive surface-to-orbit transit. High-mass fields create artificial gravity and push space debris away from vessels. In manufacturing, low-mass fields permit the creation of evenly-blended alloys, while high-mass compaction creates dense, sturdy construction materials.

    The military makes extensive use of mobility-enhancing technologies, with mass effect-utilizing fighting vehicles standard front-line issue in most military forces. Mass effect fields are also essential in the creation of kinetic barriers or shields to protect against enemy fire.

    After the Reaper War, mass effect fields became the single most important tool of galactic reconstruction. The mass relays themselves — the backbone of galactic civilization — were stabilized and, in some cases, rebuilt using precisely tuned mass effect fields, guided by the ancient knowledge of the Leviathans. Without the ability to generate and control these fields at industrial scale, the relay network could not have been restored, and the galaxy would still be a collection of isolated systems. The same technology that enabled the Reapers' harvest is now what holds the post-war galaxy together.

39. #39Масс-ретранслятор

    Keys: Mass Relays, Масс-ретранслятор, mass relay, масс-ретранслятор, первичный ретранслятор, primary relay, вторичный ретранслятор, secondary relay, relay network, сеть ретрансляторов, Mu Relay, Ретранслятор Мю

    Mass relays are enormous structures scattered throughout the stars, capable of creating corridors of virtually mass-free space that allow instantaneous transit between locations separated by years — or even centuries — of travel using conventional FTL drives. For most of galactic history, they were believed to be the greatest achievement of the Prothean empire, and the foundation on which all interstellar civilization was built.

    There are two types. Primary mass relays can propel ships thousands of light years, often from one spiral arm of the galaxy to another. However, they have fixed one-to-one connections: a primary relay connects to one other primary relay, and nowhere else. Secondary relays can only propel ships a few hundred light years, but they are omnidirectional: a secondary relay can send a ship to any other relay within its limited range.

    There are many dormant primary relays whose corresponding twins have not yet been located. These are left inactive until their partner is charted, as established civilizations are unwilling to blindly open a passage that might connect them to a hostile species.

    After the Reaper War, two things about the relays became clear. The first was made public only gradually, and is still debated in some circles: the relays were not built by the Protheans. They were built by the Reapers, and they are the mechanism by which every cycle of extinction has been orchestrated — the Citadel itself is a relay into dark space. The second is a matter of fact rather than debate: the relay network was crippled during the final battle, and only the intervention of the Leviathans — the ancient race that created the Reapers — allowed it to be restored. Their knowledge of mass effect physics, accumulated over billions of years, guided the stabilization and repair of the entire network.

    By 2187, the network functions again, but not perfectly. The primary relays along the main trade routes have been restored and are considered safe. Secondary relays in the Terminus Systems and the outer colonies are still being recalibrated, and some have not been brought back online at all. The galaxy is, once again, connected — but no one has forgotten how quickly it was cut apart when the relays went dark.

40. #40Меди-гель

    Keys: Medi-Gel, Меди-гель, medi-gel, меди-гель, Sirta Foundation, Фонд Сирта, medical gel, медицинский гель

    Medi-gel is a common medicinal salve used by paramedics, EMTs, and military personnel. It combines several useful applications: a local anesthetic, disinfectant, and clotting agent all in one. Once applied, the gel is designed to grip tight to flesh until subjected to a frequency of ultrasound. It is sealable against liquids — most notably blood — as well as contaminants and gases.

    The gel is a genetically engineered bioplasm created by the Sirta Foundation, a medical technology megacorp based on Earth. Technically, medi-gel violates Council laws against genetic engineering, but so far it has proved far too useful to ban.

    After the Reaper War, medi-gel has become one of the most valuable commodities in the galaxy. The war left hundreds of millions of wounded, and the reconstruction effort — with its collapsing structures, hazardous debris, and improvised industrial work — produces casualties on a scale that peacetime medicine was never designed for. Sirta Foundation has expanded production dramatically, and the gel is now stockpiled by every major government, military, and relief organization in Citadel space. Its legal status remains technically unresolved: the Council has debated regulating it more strictly several times since the war, and each time has declined, on the grounds that in practice no one can afford to restrict it.

41. #41Классификация кораблей

    Keys: Military Ship Classifications, Классификация кораблей, warship classification, классификация военных кораблей, frigate, cruiser, dreadnought, carrier, interceptor, фрегат, крейсер, дредноут, авианосец, перехватчик

    Larger warships are generally classified in one of four weights:

    FRIGATES are small, fast ships used for scouting and screening larger vessels. Frigates often operate in wolf-pack flotillas. They are the most common warship in any fleet, and the most versatile — capable of landing on planets, carrying a squad of marines, and performing reconnaissance duties that larger ships cannot.

    CRUISERS are middle-weight combatants, faster than dreadnoughts and more heavily armed than frigates. Cruisers are the standard patrol unit, and often lead frigate flotillas. In major fleet engagements, cruiser squadrons screen the flanks of the dreadnought battle line.

    DREADNOUGHTS are kilometer-long capital ships mounting heavy, long-range firepower. They are only deployed for the most vital missions, and their presence in a system is itself a statement of intent. Under the Treaty of Farixen, the Council races maintain a fixed ratio of dreadnought construction: five for the turians, three for the asari and salarians, one for associate races such as the Systems Alliance.

    CARRIERS are dreadnought-sized vessels that also carry a large amount of fighters. In fleet combat, carriers stay clear of the battle, launching fighter wings bearing disruptor torpedoes. The flight deck is a vulnerability: a single well-placed torpedo can gut a carrier.

    Smaller vessels are exclusively used in a support role to the warships during combat:

    FIGHTERS are one-man craft used to perform close-range attacks on enemy ships. They launch disruptor torpedoes at point-blank range, sacrificing protection for speed and maneuverability.

    INTERCEPTORS are one-man craft optimized for destroying opposing fighters. They screen their own fleet from enemy fighter strikes.

    After the Reaper War, every fleet in the galaxy is rebuilding. The turians lost the largest share of their dreadnoughts defending Palaven. The asari lost much of their home fleet at Thessia. The Systems Alliance lost eight cruisers at the Battle of the Citadel alone, and many more during the war on Earth. The Treaty of Farixen has been informally suspended for the duration of the reconstruction — no one is in a position to enforce dreadnought ratios when no one has enough ships to begin with. The most valuable warships in the post-war galaxy are not the dreadnoughts, but the frigates and cruisers: fast, cheap to build, and versatile enough to do the work of patrolling, escorting, and reconstruction support that the galaxy desperately needs.

42. #42Нормандия SR-1

    Keys: Normandy SR-1, Нормандия SR-1, SSV Normandy, ССВ Нормандия, SR-1, Tantalus drive, двигатель «Тантал»

    The SSV Normandy SR-1 was a prototype starship developed by the human Systems Alliance with the assistance of the Citadel Council. It was optimized for scouting and reconnaissance missions in unstable regions, using state-of-the-art stealth technology. The ship was placed under the command of Captain David Anderson, with Commander Shepard serving aboard as Executive Officer — and it was aboard the SR-1 that Shepard became the first human Spectre in 2183.

    For most ships, the heat generated through standard operations is easily detectable against the absolute-zero background of space. The Normandy, however, was able to temporarily sink this heat within the hull. Combined with refrigeration of the exterior hull, the ship could travel undetected for hours, or drift passively for days of covert observation. This was not without risk: the stored heat had to eventually be radiated, or it would build to levels capable of cooking the crew alive.

    Another component of the stealth system was the Normandy's revolutionary Tantalus drive, a mass effect core twice the standard size. The Tantalus drive generated mass concentrations that the Normandy "fell into," allowing it to move without the use of heat-emitting thrusters.

    The SR-1's first combat deployment was the pursuit of the rogue Spectre Saren Arterius and the Battle of the Citadel in 2183. It served under Commander Shepard until later that same year, when it was ambushed and destroyed by a Collector cruiser in the Amada system. Twenty crew members were lost in the attack, including Navigator Charles Pressly and — for a time — Commander Shepard himself, whose body was recovered and revived by Cerberus through the Lazarus Project. The wreckage was later discovered on the planet Alchera, where Shepard visited the crash site alone, recovered the fallen crew's dog tags, and erected a memorial monument.

    In 2186, a memorial wall was installed on the crew deck of the SR-2, inscribed with twenty-two names: the twenty crew members lost with the SR-1, along with Richard L. Jenkins, who died on Eden Prime, and Kaidan Alenko, who fell on Virmire. The SR-1 is remembered in Alliance history as the ship that saved the Citadel. Its successor, the SSV Normandy SR-2, carries the name and the legacy forward.

43. #43Омни-тул

    Keys: Omni-tool, Омни-тул, omni-tool, омни-тул, omnitool, омнитул, minifacturing fabricator, минифабрикатор, omni-gel, омни-гель

    Omni-tools are handheld devices that combine a computer microframe, sensor analysis pack, and minifacturing fabricator. Versatile and reliable, an omni-tool can be used to analyze and adjust the functionality of most standard equipment, including weapons and armor, from a distance.

    The fabrication module can rapidly assemble small three-dimensional objects from common, reusable industrial plastics, ceramics, and light alloys. This allows for field repairs and modifications to most standard items, as well as the reuse of salvaged equipment. The raw material for this fabrication process is called omni-gel — a semi-molten state of common battlefield salvage that can be rendered down and reused almost indefinitely. A soldier with an omni-tool and a supply of omni-gel can manufacture replacement parts, medical equipment, ammunition components, and simple tools on the move.

    Omni-tools are standard issue for soldiers and first-in colonists. Their civilian applications are just as broad: engineers, medics, archaeologists, salvagers, and field technicians all depend on them.

    After the Reaper War, omni-tools have become one of the most important tools of reconstruction. The combination of fabrication capability and portability made them indispensable in the chaotic months following the Reapers' departure, when supply chains had collapsed and entire worlds were cut off from basic manufacturing. Reconstruction teams now carry omni-tools as standard equipment, and the technology has become so common that even remote colonies can maintain their own critical infrastructure without waiting for shipments from the inner systems. Most of the omni-gel in circulation today comes from salvaged remnants of the Reaper army — the husks, war machines, and battlefield debris left behind after the war — one of the quieter ways the conflict's leftovers are being put to use.

44. #44Оружие омни-тула

    Keys: Omni-Tool Weapons, Оружие омни-тула, omni-blade, омни-клинок, weapon, оружие

    Although melee-combat applications for the omni-tool are almost as old as the device itself, the feature was largely unused prior to the Reaper invasion. The need to take on multiple husks in close quarters forced the Alliance to develop ways to enhance the tool's offensive capability.

    The most common melee design is the "omni-blade," a disposable silicon-carbide weapon flash-forged by the tool's mini-fabricator. The transparent, nearly diamond-hard blade is created and suspended in a mass effect field safely away from the user's skin. Warning lights illuminate the field so the searing-hot blade only burns what it is intended to: the opponent.

    More technically adept soldiers frequently modify their omni-tools to maximize stopping power through electrical, kinetic, or thermal energy. Some troops integrate the weapon with their kinetic barriers, transforming the omni-tool into a wrist-mounted bludgeon; others fabricate flammable gases, held in place by a mass effect field and ignited upon impact. All prove deadly surprises for opponents who expect a disarmed Alliance warrior.

45. #45Кварианские жилые корабли

    Keys: Quarian Liveships, Кварианские жилые корабли, liveship, корабль жизни, quarian, кварианец

    There are few wide-open spaces in quarian spacecrafts; liveships are the exception. Each ship is a massive hydroponics facility, growing thousands of tons of genetically modified staple crops under artificial light and in highly enriched soil.

    The surface of a liveship is studded with docking bays so as many shuttles as possible can distribute the foods throughout the flotilla on a daily basis. When received, the crops are sterilized with radiation, ground up into nutritious pastes, and pumped into quarian suits through feeding tubes. In return, waste products that could be used as fertilizer or compost are returned to the liveships through an efficient (if odorous) recycling program.

    Liveships do not hold animals. The quarians consume a vegan diet, driven not by ethics but by practicality. Captive animals require living space, and consume large amounts of water and plant matter. The quarians cannot afford such an inefficient resource-to-calorie ratio, to say nothing of a live animal's disease or allergen potential. As a result, when the flotilla arrives in a star system where life is based on the same dextro-amino acids that the quarians consume, pastes based on animal proteins fetch highly inflated prices, and the vendors are typically mobbed by quarians wanting a new taste sensation. The sickness that often follows these binges is treated much the same way as hangovers are in human culture: painful, but part of the overall experience of excess.

46. #46Мехи

    Keys: Security Mechs, Мехи, security mech, мех-охранник, mech, мех

    The death of thousands of security and military personnel in the Battle of the Citadel was a loss felt throughout the galaxy. As large numbers of qualified personnel transferred to the Citadel to replace those that died, short-handed security companies filled out their numbers with large-scale use of unmanned security robots. Commonly referred to as "mechs", the security robots are typically grouped into light and heavy varieties. Light mechs come in a variety of sizes but are easily distinguished by opposable digits that help them in their versatile security roles. Heavy mechs lack digits and are simply weapons platforms intended to keep the peace in high-threat areas. The quadrupedal dog mech has a "face" composed of contraband-detection sensors, and it too is armed in case a perpetrator resists arrest.

    A typical security mech has an extremely limited virtual intelligence. Its duty is straightforward and narrow, usually to guard an area, run a friend-or-foe program to halt unauthorized access, and fire a set of prerecorded voice commands to warn troublemakers away from the area. Light security mechs are equipped with irritant sprays and electroshockers to force compliance, and heavy mechs may be outfitted with flash-bang stunners for similar purposes. When facing an opponent armed with a firearm, any mech will immediately resort to lethal antipersonnel weapons to neutralize the threat. If the situation turns violent rapidly enough, it may not even use its warnings.

    Security mechs are frowned upon for actual military duty. Though tough enough to survive most firefights, their VI simply does not have the programming to plan an ambush, rescue a hostage, treat a wound, or any of countless other objectives that a soldier must be able to perform on the fly.

47. #47Сенсоры

    Keys: Sensors, Сенсоры, sensor, сенсор, starship, звездолёт

    Ships use passive sensors (visual, thermographic, radio detectors) for long-range detection and active sensors (radar, lidar) for short-range targeting. Due to light lag, defenders cannot see an approaching enemy until it has already arrived; there are no FTL sensors, making frigates crucial for scouting and picket duties.

48. #48Стрелковое оружие

    Keys: Small Arms, Стрелковое оружие, firearm, огнестрел, weapon, оружие

    All modern infantry weapons from pistols to assault rifles use micro-scaled mass accelerator technology. Projectiles consist of tiny metal slugs suspended within a mass-reducing field, accelerated by magnetic force to speeds that inflict kinetic damage.

    The ammo magazine is a simple block of metal. The gun's internal computer calculates the mass needed to reach the target based on distance, gravity, and atmospheric pressure, then shears off an appropriately sized slug from the block. A single block can supply thousands of rounds, making ammo a non-issue during any engagement.

    Top-line weapons also feature smart targeting that allows them to correct for weather and environment. Firing on a target in a howling gale feels the same as it does on a calm day on a practice range. Smart targeting does not mean a bullet will automatically find the mark every time the trigger is pulled; it only makes it easier for the marksman to aim.

49. #49Космический бой

    Keys: Space Combat, Космический бой, battle, бой, ship, корабль

    Ship mobility dominates space combat; the primary objective is to align the mass accelerator along the bow with the opposing vessel's broadside. Battles typically play out as artillery duels fought at ranges measured in thousands of kilometers, though assault through defended mass relays often occur at "knife fight" ranges as close as a few dozen kilometers.

    Most ship-to-ship engagements are skirmishes between patrol vessels of cruiser weight and below, with dreadnoughts and carriers only deployed in full-scale fleet actions. Battles in open space are short and often inconclusive, as the weaker opponent generally disengages.

    Once a ship enters FTL flight the combat is effectively over; there are no sensors capable of tracking them, or weapons capable of damaging them. The only way to guarantee an enemy will stand and fight is to attack a location they have a vested interest in, such as a settled world or a strategically-important mass relay.

    Heat limits the length and intensity of ship-to-ship combat. Starships generate enormous heat when they fire high-energy weapons, perform maneuvering burns, and run on-board combat electronics.

    In combat, warships produce heat more quickly than they can disperse it. As heat builds within a vessel, the crewed spaces become increasingly uncomfortable. Before the heat reaches lethal levels, a ship must win or retreat by entering FTL. After an FTL run, the ships halts, shuts down non-essential systems, and activates the heat radiation gear.

    Combat endurance varies by ship design and by the battle's location. Battles in the deep cold of interstellar space can go on for some time. Engagements close to a star are brief. Since habitable worlds are usually close to a star, battles over them are usually more frantic.

    Shells lofted by surface navies crash back to earth when their acceleration is overwhelmed by gravity and air resistance. In space, a projectile has unlimited range, it will keep moving until it hits something.

    Practical gunnery range is determined by the velocity of the attacker's ordinance [sic] and the maneuverability of the target. Beyond a certain range, a small ship's ability to dodge trumps a larger attacker's projectile speed. The largest-ranged combat occurs between dreadnoughts, whose projectiles have the highest velocity but are the least maneuverable. The shortest-range combat is between frigates, which have the slowest projectile velocities and highest maneuverability.

    Opposing dreadnoughts open with main gun artillery duel at EXTREME ranges of tens of thousands of kilometers. The fleet close, maintaining evasive lateral motion while keeping their bow guns facing the enemy. Fighters are launched and attempt to close to disruptor torpedo range. Cautious admirals weaken the enemy with ranged fire and fighter strikes before committing to close action. Aggressive commanders advance so cruisers and frigates can engage.

    At LONG range, the main guns of cruisers become useful. Friendly interceptors engage enemy fighters until the attackers enter the range of ship-based GARDIAN fire. Dreadnoughts fire from the rear, screened by smaller ships. Commanders must decide whether to commit to a general melee or retreat into FTL.

    At MEDIUM range, ships can use broadside guns. Fleets intermingle, and it becomes difficult to retreat in order. Ships with damaged kinetic barriers are vulnerable to wolfpack1 frigate flotillas that speed through the battle space.

    Only fighters and frigates enter CLOSE "knife fight" ranges of 10 or fewer kilometers. Fighters loose their disruptor torpedoes, bringing down a ship's kinetic barriers and allowing it to be swarmed by frigates. GARDIAN lasers become viable weapons, swatting down fighters and boiling away warship armor.

    Neither dreadnoughts nor cruisers can use their main guns at close range; laying the bow on a moving target becomes impossible. Superheated thruster exhaust becomes a hazard.

    Planetary assaults are complicated if the target is a habitable garden world; the attackers cannot approach the defenders straight on.

    The Citadel Conventions prohibit the use of large kinetic impactors against habitable worlds. In a straight-on attack, any misses plough into the planet behind the defending fleet. If the defenders position themselves between the attackers and the planet, they can fire at will while the attacker risks hitting the planet.

    Successful assaults on garden worlds hinge upon up-to-date intelligence. Attackers need to determine where the enemy's defenses are, so they may approach from an angle that allows them to fire with no collateral damage. Note this is not necessary for hostile worlds.

    Once control of orbit has been lost, defensive garrisons disperse into the wilderness. An enemy with orbital superiority can bombard surface forces with impunity. The best option for defenders is to hide and collect reconnaissance in anticipation of relief forces.

    Given the size of a planet, it is impractical to garrison entire conquered worlds. Fortunately, colonization efforts tend to focus on building up a dozen or fewer areas. Ground forces occupy the spaceports, industrial facilities, and major population centers. The wilderness is patrolled by unmanned aerial vehicles1 and satellite reconnaissance. If a defender unit is spotted, airmobile rapid deployment units and satellite artillery are used to pin down and destroy them. Dependent on light, sensors cannot detect objects moving at a faster-than-light speeds. No ship can be detected at interstellar ranges. Detection at interplanetary ranges suffers from light speed lag: observers see ships not where they appear to be but where they were when the light bearing their image left them, minutes, hours, or days before. To counteract light speed lag, battle fleets surround themselves with spheres of screen and scouting frigates.

    Pursuers cannot detect ships and directly intercept them. Instead, pursuers track where objects were, where they were heading, and at what speed they were moving. Such data reliably predicts an object's future location and for pursuit along its light-lagged "wake". Ships trying to evade pursuit follow erratic zigzag courses, requiring pursuers to make stops to update their projections.

    The crucial choice for any attack through mass relays is how to divide the fleet for transit. The accuracy of a relay's mass-projection depends on the mass being moved and how far it’s going. Any long distance and/or high mass jump will see "drift". That is, a ship may be hundreds or millions of kilometers from its intended drop point, in any direction from the relay.

    Distance can't be chosen by admirals, but a relay is told how much mass to transit. For example, if told to move a million metric tons of mass, the relay will scan the approach corridor, find four 250,000-ton freighters, and transit them together, maintaining their relative positions.

    A commander has the option of moving his fleet as one large, coherent formation that may be wildly off-position, or breaking it up into many smaller formations that will be individually closer to the intended attack point, but could be widely dispersed.

    Conservative assault doctrine holds that fleets should be moved en masse, maintaining concentration of force and reducing the chances of collision. The only time it is reasonable to split up a formation is during blockade running.

50. #50Синтетики

    Keys: Synthetics, Синтетики, AI, ИИ, VI, ВИ, artificial intelligence, искусственный интеллект

    "Synthetic" is the politically correct term for an artificially intelligent computer. An artificial intelligence (AI) is capable of learning and independent decision making--capabilities beyond the simple virtual intelligence (VI) software used as computer operating systems.

    An AI requires both quantum computing hardware (brain) and adaptive software (consciousness). When first brought online, an AI runs at a very low processing speed, with a handful of input sources, and the intellectual capability as a newborn human. AIs experience life at the speed their hardware runs, and can absorb information from millions of sources at once. If "switched on" at full capacity, they cope badly with the deluge of input. At best, such an AI is severely autistic; at worst, it is insane.

    As operators teach AI to reason and filter incoming data, they increase the AI's processing speed. At a year's age, an AI can observe, consider, and react hundreds of times faster than its organic creators. Mature AIs may be frustrated by the comparative "slowness" of the organics they must interact with.

    Galactic culture mistrusts synthetic life. While physically immobile, an AI can assert its will by taking control of networked computing systems. AI laboratories are physically isolated from the galactic extranet and placed in remote, uninhabited locales.

    Some futurists believe the ascendancy of synthetics is inevitable. The theory of technological singularity asserts that as the rate of technological advancement increases, there will come a point at which AIs can modify themselves faster than organics can. Eventually, synthetic life will be able to self-evolve so rapidly, organics will lose the ability to comprehend the process.

    Not all believe such an evolution to be negative. Transcendency cults believe organic minds will one day be uploaded and emulated as software data, providing synthetic immortality.

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