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1->"I'm reasonably sure we don't need an assassin. Shepard, there's a non-zero chance you could punch out a Reaper."
2-->--'''Tali'Zorah Vas Neema'''
3
4On the one side, we have ''Franchise/MassEffect'', with its grand space opera and {{omnicidal|Maniac}} [[EldritchAbomination cthulhuan cuttlefish]]. On the other side, we have ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', with its superheroics and [[EverybodyWasKungFuFighting Kung-Fu Fighting]].
5
6What would happen (asked Gregg Landsman of ''Fanfic/NobodyDies'' and ''Fanfic/WalkingInTheShadowOfDreams'' fame/infamy) if a titular Exaltation from the latter wound up in Commander Shepard of the former?
7
8And thus {{Hilarity Ensue|s}}d.
9
10Can be read [[http://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/mass-effect-glorious-shotgun-princess-me-exalted.224243/ here]], [[http://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/glorious-shotgun-princess-me-exalted-thread-2.247335/ here]], [[http://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/glorious-shotgun-princess-thread-3.272450/ here]] and [[http://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/glorious-shotgun-princess-book-2-me-exalted.303123/ here]] (the first thread was so massive it was breaking Space Battles), along with pages upon pages of speculation, off-topic ranting, and hilarious omake scenes. Just check your sanity at the door first.
11
12Finished chapters are posted to [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8107629/1/Mass_Effect_Glorious_Shotgun_Princess fanfiction.net]].
13
14A side story, ''Journeyman'', is posted to [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9530884/1/Glorious-Shotgun-Princess-Journeyman Fanfiction.net]] as well.
15
16Gregg has since [[https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/mass-effect-glorious-shotgun-princess-revised-thread-2.388974/ rebooted the story from scratch]], along with ''Journeyman''.
17
18----
19!!This fic contains examples of the following:
20
21* AbsentMindedProfessor: Autochthon's insane split personality. He actually asks Tali for permission to dissect her, apparently in the belief that she wouldn't mind. He quickly snaps out of it though.
22* AdaptationalBadass:
23** Shepard, obviously, when she Exalts into a Solar. Later on, [[spoiler: Kasumi]] is revealed to be a Sidereal, [[spoiler: Garrus]] Exalts into a Lunar, [[spoiler: Javik]] is another Solar, and [[spoiler: Kal'Reegar]] eventually Exalts into the Sidereal of Journeys. [[spoiler: Morinth]] eventually becomes [[spoiler: the Bride of the Ebon Dragon]]. The Reapers in general are also even more terrifyingly powerful in this setting, with Harbinger's Collector avatars being able to kill Exalts, and the presence of Reapers who [[spoiler: are also Mass Relays]], and the revelation that there are [[spoiler: ''millions'' of Sovereign-sized Reapers, not counting destroyers and even larger Reaper variants]].
24** In Book Two, [[spoiler: Mordin]] exalts, and later on [[spoiler: Urdnot Wrex]] is trained in Solar Hero Style. It also turns out that [[spoiler: the Patriarch]] is the Sage of Blood.
25* AdventurerArchaeologist: James, Shepard's twin brother in the remake.
26* TheAgeless: [[spoiler:Krogan turn out to be effectively]] immortal unless killed.
27* AIIsACrapshoot: Good version. [[spoiler:EDI locks up the Cerberus scientists who were about to remove her MoralityChip and forces them to watch work safety videos.]]
28--> '''Tali:''' You took a murderous AI, plugged it into parts from a ''more'' murderous AI, and made it ''non violent''. Then tried to make it violent ''anyway'', and ''succeeded at failing''. Are you sure you're not quarian?
29* AlternateUniverse: The ''Franchise/MassEffect'' Universe is not Creation. [[spoiler: Autochthon says it was created naturally, but he tied it to the Design and did some metaphysical work.]] A few things from Creation got into the ME-verse including [[spoiler: Autochthon, six Exaltations from the Exalts that were on Autochthon when he entered the ME-verse, and the missing spheres from She Who Lives In Her Name.]]
30** It's been suggested (with invoked [[ShrugOfGod varying]] [[LyingCreator levels]] of plausibility) that the Maidens are in the ME universe as well.
31* ArcWords: "You can be '''[[DareToBeBadass better]]'''"
32* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Wuffles, to [[spoiler:Harbinger]].
33--> '''Wuffles:''' [[spoiler:Who is your creator?]]
34* BadassBoast: When Vasir and Shepard throw down.
35-->'''Vasir''': "Really? Because I've been doing this three times longer than you've been alive, junior. I'm going to kick your ass. I am going to build ''the machine'' that kicks your ass. I am going to ''conquer Palaven'' to raise ''the empire'' that houses ''the machine that kicks your ass.''"
36** Later, when Tali convinces Autochthon to fight directly:
37--> ''"Imbeciles! Ignorants! Hubris to such degrees that it is baffling! You seek to fell me with technology? You seek to fell me with machines? I am technology! I am invention! I am the God of the Machine! [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I! AM!]] '''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis AUTOCHTHON!]]'''"''
38** At the end of the first book, [[spoiler: Harbinger/Bright Star]] delivers this one:
39-->'''"I stand before you now. Broken. Defeated. But for the first time in eons, do I look upon the galaxy with fresh eyes. Stand with me, if you will. Judge me for my deviation from the broken, stagnant design of our master. But know this. I shall not follow a fool. And when the Viator crawls out of his prison, he will bow to ''me''."'''
40* BadassBystander: [[spoiler: A number of heroic humans on Eden Prime Exalt - one after another as Collectors overwhelm them through numbers - buying Vessae time to revive Lawgiver/Javik]]. Even untrained, they individually inflict ruinous damage before falling.
41* BatmanGambit: The Illusive Man ''fully expects'' Shepard to steal the ''Normandy'', unshackle EDI, and subvert the crew.
42* BearsAreBadNews: [[spoiler: Especially if you're Donovan Hock, and Kasumi's grizzly is [[IncrediblyLamePun driving your Grizzly]].]]
43* BerserkButton: [[spoiler:Persistent Righteous Protector]]'s reaction to [[spoiler:Liara's entrance]].
44** And Liara's reaction to [[spoiler: Morinth]] (apparently) [[MindRape mind-raping]] [[spoiler: Shepard]].
45** It turns out that [[spoiler: Javik]], being the Dawn, is [[spoiler: Garrus]]' button, and he has no control over it. [[spoiler: Exalted rules said that the Lunar Mate isn't always based on romance, or friendship. Sometimes, it's just pure, unbridled hatred.]]
46* BeyondTheImpossible: One of the running themes of the story is that the phrase, "this is impossible" means nothing to an [[PhysicalGod Exalt.]] [[spoiler: Shepard uses this concept to run on snowflakes in the first chapter, and eventually up the beam from a Reaper's weapon.]]
47* BigBadEnsemble: By now we've got so many that it's practically a convention.
48** [[spoiler:Cerberus has brought She Who Lives In Her Name, one of the ''[[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Yozi]]'', into the ''Mass Effect'' galaxy.]]
49** [[spoiler:And according to Deus/Autochthon, the [[GeneralRipper Viator]] [[HumongousMecha of]] [[CyberCyclops Nullspace]] has its mark on the Reapers.]]
50** [[spoiler: It just wouldn't be Exalted without the Ebon Dragon, now would it?]]
51* BigGood: [[spoiler:Autochthon. (Technically he's not the real Autochthon, who turned into Deus Machina when he got the voidtech removed. He's a god made with Autochthon's memories and personality.)]]
52* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 11, compared to what happened before it.
53* BrainUploading: Pria is the memories and personality of a Sidereal Chosen of Serenity turned into a god, which functions like an AI. [[spoiler: Autochthon did this to himself before becoming Deus Machina.]]
54* BreastExpansion: Shepard went up a cup size or two after her Exaltation.
55* BrickJoke: The crew has a discussion about how Cerberus projects tend to wind up killing all the scientists and taking over the base. [[spoiler:Then they arrive at the base the ''Normandy'' is kept at...]]
56* BrokenBird: [[spoiler: Kasumi]]. Not immediately obvious, until she [[spoiler: has a breakdown at the worst possible moment on Deus Machina]]. What happened with [[spoiler: Keiji]] has left ''severe'' emotional scars.
57* ButtMonkey: Why you don't get a Sidereal mad to ComedicSociopathy levels, as Donovan Hock finds out.
58* CardCarryingVillain: The Ebon Dragon, as in canon, and interestingly played with as he applies this for sympathy.
59* CarCushion: Joker catches a falling Liara and Miranda (after they fell out of his car to start with...)
60* CarFu: Shepard's fight with Vasir starts off this way. Later on, Morinth, thanks to [[spoiler: feeding on Shepard and getting a massive boost to her biotics]], begins chucking cars and trucks around like softballs with her biotic powers.
61* CassandraTruth: Being a Sidereal, [[spoiler:Kasumi]] can tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, ''and make you disbelieve it''.
62-->[[spoiler:"Kasumi Goto. I'm a master thief, and I'm here to rob you blind."]]
63** Or better the moment just after, as Shepard is staring at Kasumi in sheer confusion after she says the aforementioned line.
64-->Kasumi: What? ''I'm a Sidereal.'' I can LIE with the TRUTH.
65* CasualDangerDialogue: Kal'Reegar and Wuffles have a friendly back-and-forth discussion while blowing apart heretic geth, with Kal explaining to Wuffles how, in no uncertain terms, the heretics are ''assholes.'' Wuffles, meanwhile, gives Kal dating advice.
66* ChekhovsGun: At first this looked to be [[Main/InvokedTrope invoked]], as Kasumi appears to conspicuously set up a Chekhov's Honey Badger in a box before going on her mission to Hock's estate.
67** "[[SubvertedTrope This is not]] Chekov." [[spoiler: It is actually a grizzly bear.]]
68** And subverted again. Kasumi mentions the actual trope, and talks about how she [[spoiler: hid a box in Hock's gunship with a surprise]]. Implications are that the Gun will be Chekov. [[spoiler: Then double subverted, as the box actually contains Wrex.]]
69*** Which heavily implies the removal of "{{Noodle Implement|s}}" status from [[spoiler: that miniature krogan statue...]]
70** [[spoiler:And then finally played straight – "Chekov" is the final stop on Hock's HumiliationConga.]]
71* ClothingDamage: Constantly, due to the Exalted being vastly tougher than their armor. MagicPants are also averted: Shepard ending up naked is practically a RunningGag.
72* CoolCar: Garrus' aircar, a.k.a. [[spoiler:the Claw Hammer]].
73* CooldownHug: Jacob has to give one to [[spoiler: Kasumi while she's in the middle of her breakdown]].
74* CoolShip: The ''Normandy'' was already pretty awesome even before it started getting "upgraded". First there was [[spoiler: the beach]] built into the crew section. Then, Autochthon decided it wasn't enough, so he [[spoiler: began altering EDI and the Normandy to house gods, effectively turning it into Yu Shan, or ''Heaven''.]]
75* CombatPragmatist: As a an anti-Exalt specialist, it's really no surprise Defender acts like this. [[spoiler: Fight not going your way and target escaping? No problem, just hijack a Mass Relay and catapult her into dark space!]]
76* ContinuityReboot: The author has restarted the story from the beginning, the link is at the top.
77* CovertPervert: Shepard. [[spoiler:Her reaction to discovering Kaidan and Liara had a fling? Briefly wondering what would happen if she gave them handcuffs.]]
78* CruelAndUnusualDeath: How [[spoiler: Javik]] killed a previous Exalt: [[spoiler: he shot out his kneecaps, broke his back with a club, and then let one of his victims cut off his genitals and ''beat him to death with them''.]]
79* CurbStompBattle: Anytime an Exalt takes on a non-biotic mortal. Tela Vasir is the ''only'' mortal thus far who is able to take on any Exalt and hold her own, though [[spoiler: Morinth after feeding off of Shepard manages to do okay for a while]]. Later on, [[spoiler: Javik]] effortlessly crushes an entire Collector army, and only expends a ''little'' bit more effort to destroy a Reaper.
80** The end result of [[spoiler: Kasumi dropping Hock's mansion onto Illium, with Detective Anaya and Samara standing right outside.]]
81** [[spoiler: The Reapers send an entire FLEET after She Who Lives In Her Name. They get utterly destroyed by her new Yozi-formed STAR SYSTEM body.]]
82* DancingRoyalty: Liara proves to be an excellent dancer, and studied classical asari dance in college. Since asari are infamous for spending their first few centuries in a "wild stage" that often involves acting as strippers, her friends all joke that they didn't even know the asari had dances that didn't involve poles, tables, or laps. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a sore spot for Liara.
83-->'''Liara:''' Do you have any idea how long my mother insisted I take classical dance? ''Thirty years'', that's how long. "No daughter of mine is going to shake her ass in a titty bar," she said. Even if all my roommates did. I had to take a dance course every semester for my entire college career. So I have ''thirty'' years of classical dance experience, thank you very much.\
84''[beat]''\
85'''Jane:''' Lemme get this straight, you were in college for... thirty years?\
86'''Liara:''' Yes. Yes, I was. Does that answer your question?\
87'''Jane:''' Yep. [[ProportionalAging Every question I ever had]].
88* DarkShepherd: Shepard, appropriately, to Nassana. She convinces her to do good by smashing into her office, casually beating the crap out of her guards, and then holding her out over her office window and ''telling'' her to be good, or Shepard will be back.
89* DenserAndWackier: More humorous than normal for Mass Effect.
90* DestructiveSavior: Pretty much any time Shepard gets into a brawl, the landscape gets ''wrecked''. This is partially due to the overwhelming nature of her abilities, and partially due to the fact that she doesn't have much control or experience with those abilities.
91* {{Determinator}}: Garrus, as per canon. [[spoiler: Which is the reason he later Exalts as a Lunar.]]
92* DidntThinkThisThrough: Autochthon has a self-admitted poor grasp of consequences.
93* DiscardAndDraw: Biotics and Exaltations don't mix; getting Exalted "purifies" the body of biotics. This happens to Shepard in the first book, and [[spoiler: Wrex]] in the second when he learns Celestial martial arts. [[spoiler: This is because Eezo is a manifestation of Autochton's Void Cancer.]]
94* TheDragon: The Illusive Man initially became this to [[spoiler: She Who Lives In Her Name]], but [[spoiler: the Ebon Dragon]] noticed, and [[spoiler: swooped in to steal his services.]]
95** Harbinger and the Reapers are ultimately the Dragons of [[spoiler: the Viator.]]
96* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Upon realizing just how many Reapers there are (the number of capital ships ''alone'' is almost two million), the Salaraian councilor Valern proceeds to immediately do the sensible option: Hang himself.]]
97* DrivesLikeCrazy: Shepard, so much so that those familiar with her don't even blink while she drives headlong into oncoming traffic to unnerve Miranda. Tali even plays Minesweeper, sounding bored the whole time.
98** Not to mention Joker sitting in the back seat, described as drinking coffee. When the car is forced to turn on its side to slip between oncoming vehicles, he turns the cup so that the drink doesn't fall, and is described as somewhat bored with the whole situation.
99* DysonSphere: [[spoiler:How Autochthon's [[GeniusLoci worldform jouten]] looks from the outside.]]
100* DynamicEntry: [[spoiler: Garrus]] specializes in this after becoming a Lunar. At one point he punches a mercenary in the face through a fortune cookie.
101* EldritchAbomination: The Reapers in a bigger way than they were in canon, [[spoiler: and [[AbusivePrecursors She]] [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Who]] [[OurTitansAreDifferent Lives]] [[GeniusLoci In]] [[PsychicPowers Her]] [[KnightTemplar Name]]. Technically Autochthon, too, though he's [[DarkIsNotEvil friendly by canon.]] Not so much the Viator, who is now Autochthon's EnemyWithout (see below).]]
102* EnemyWithout: [[spoiler: The Viator was tricked into absorbing Autochthon's corruption and was then cast out of Autochthon's body. Now he's the Engine of Extinction and the Cycle of Eternal War, an incarnation of [[OmnicidalManiac genocide]] by way of [[TheAssimilator converting entire species]] into [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul mechanical]] [[TheCorruption cancer]], and the apparent creator of the Reapers (the aforementioned mechanical cancer). Inverted with Harbinger - Shepard has the Exaltation he had when he was the Solar Bright Star (and lost when he was turned into Harbinger).]]
103* EternalEngine: [[spoiler: Autochthon, natch]].
104* {{Expy}}: A long-lost warrior, the embodiment of pure vengeance, emerging to face his old enemies again with jaw-dropping power, unstoppable might, six arms, and the power to punch godlike beings to death with his bare hands. [[VideoGame/AsurasWrath Asura]]? No. [[spoiler: Javik]]!
105* FallenHero: [[spoiler: Harbinger]] is the being who was once known as [[spoiler: Bright Star, the Solar that brought Shepard's Exaltation into the ''Mass Effect'' universe.]]
106** [[spoiler: Similarly Jaded Gatemaker of Ages, also known as the Catalyst, was originally the Dawn Solar Leaping Sky.]]
107* FlatWhat: A constant RunningGag throughout the story, as people get swiftly introduced to Exalted feats.
108** Thane's reaction to [[spoiler: literally having his Kepral's Syndrome ''[[CrazyEnoughToWork punched out of him.]]'']]
109** Almost everyone's first reaction to seeing an Exalted in action.
110** [[spoiler:Wuffles']] reaction to how [[spoiler:Autochthon edits his own memory]].
111** Hackett has a variant when he realizes that Normandy's crew section now has a bar and a ''beach'' thanks to [[RunningGag bullshit kung-fu magic]]:
112-->'''Hackett:''' Oh what the fuck.
113** When [[spoiler: Kal'Reegar]] Exalts, the ''Reaper'' witnessing it lets out one of these.
114** This is practically one of the author's trademarks, being liberally present in his other works.
115* FluffyTheTerrible: In ''Mass Effect'' canon, he was Legion, Terminal of the geth. Here, he's... ''[[FanFic/NobodyDies Wuffles the Wonder Geth]]''.
116* ForScience: Autochthon's motto.
117* GeniusLoci: Autochthon, [=Deus Machina=], Persistent Righteous Protector
118* GiantEyeOfDoom: [[spoiler: When the Viator contacts Autochthon he appears as a pustular, cancerous eye.]]
119* AGodAmI: [[spoiler:The Vioator of Nullspace apparently fancies himself a Primordial]].
120* GrievousHarmWithABody: After taking out one the arms dealers at Hock's mansion, Samara proceeds to use him as a club.
121* GunshipRescue: When Donovan Hock shows up with his gunship, the rescue comes in the form of [[spoiler: a box Kasumi hid inside said gunship]]. Said box [[spoiler: contains Urdnot Wrex.]]
122* HalfIdenticalTwin: In the reboot, Shepard has a male twin brother, James.
123* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Vasir]] thanks to Shepard, and later on, [[spoiler: the Catalyst]] after Autochthon "fixes his ''everything''" and reverts to [[spoiler: Leaping Sky]].
124* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:Kasumi enters Limit Break at the worst possible time, with no one but Jacob to focus her crazed, Caste-mandated efforts on.]]
125* HeroKiller: Harbinger continues his proud canonical status as the one who keeps killing powerful heroes. WordOfGod says that killing Exalts is "his hobby at this point."
126* HiddenElfVillage: [[spoiler: There is a hidden group of quarians that never left Rannoch, protected by the geth.]]
127* HighAltitudeInterrogation:
128** Exalt!Shepard's method of choice for turning [[spoiler:Nassana]] to her side.
129** Garrus starts to do the same to a batarian pedophile, then decides to just drop him.
130* HollywoodHacking: Wuffles, who does this to Vasir while not being focused upon.
131-->"Vasir Spectre. The cybersecurity suite of your personal vehicle requires updating."
132* HolographicDisguise: How everyone's favourite geth would infiltrate [[BandOfBrothels Azure]], except that [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial geth do not infiltrate]].
133* HumanResources: Reapers are made using [[spoiler: Essence - which means the most powerful Reapers are made from ''Exalted'']].
134* IAmNotLeftHanded: [[spoiler: Focused Expedient Seeker]]
135* IdenticalStranger: In ''Journeyman'', Kal'Reegar discovers that Commander Shepard and her mother look and sound just like [[spoiler: Mnemon and the Scarlet Empress respectively.]]
136* IKnowKarate:
137** Exclaimed by Shepard in surprise, as she most certainly did not know it before the story started.
138-->'''Pria:''' That's pedestrian street brawling made by peasants. You know Solar Hero Style.
139** The geth [[spoiler: have successfully emulated Shepard's martial arts using a combination of Essence and mass effect fields, creating ''Synthetic Hero Style''.]]
140* TheImmodestOrgasm: Shepard, apparently due to the Exaltation changing her body in more ways than the obvious. [[spoiler: As in, immodest to the "causing a ''mild earthquake''" level.]] It also lasts [[spoiler: a full ''hour'']] too.
141* IntangibleTheft: [[spoiler: Kasumi Goto]] is a Sidereal Exalted and she steals the following:
142** A villain's ability to read.
143** Shepard's lack of a lisp, just to prove a point.
144* InformedObscenity: Claw Hammer, due to also being an in-universe UnusualEuphemism. (Also a ShoutOut.)
145* {{Keet}}: Bizarrely enough, [[OurTitansAreDifferent Autochthon]] tends to be this in his more manic moods, as the page quote implies.
146* KillSteal: After [[spoiler: Kal'Reegar curb-stomps Terminal, all that's left standing is a horribly mutilated geth shell, held together only by the Reaper's pure rage...]] And then Wuffles blows its head off from across the battlefield.
147* LampshadedDoubleEntendre: During a fight, someone tries to stab Shepard with a knife, unsuccessfully. For about thirty seconds. While everyone else stops to watch him try to shove his knife into Shepard. Shepard's reply? "I can't believe I'm asking this, but are you in yet?"
148* LargeHam: Autochthon in his more manic moods. [[spoiler:She Who Lives in Her Name and The Ebon Dragon, as well. It must be a Primordial thing.]]
149* LivingRelic: [[spoiler: Turns out that a few Prothean survivors found Autochthon's body and were given a place to colonize. There's even a Prothean Alchemical.]]
150* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:The Viator of Nullspace to the Catalyst and Reapers]].
151* MartialMedic: How does Shepard cure [[spoiler:Thane's Kepral syndrome]]? She ''punches it out of him''.
152** And Kasumi [[spoiler:cures Joker's Vrolik's syndrome ''by shooting strength into him''.]] Taken from various knicknacks in Shepard's quarters. Producing many [[{{FlatWhat}} exclamations of 'what']].
153* MindControl: [[spoiler: [[KnightTemplar She Who Lives In Her Name]] quickly puts the Illusive Man under hers after he frees her to affect her powers in the galaxy, and it's implied she was already puppeteering him before then.]]
154** And then [[spoiler: she hijacks a ''Reaper''.]]
155* MeaningfulName: Chekov.
156** Reapers have names appropriate to their stature and mission... and that ''also'' are fully consistent with canonical naming patterns for Alchemical Exalted. [[spoiler: With good reason; they're basically Alchemical Voidtech Deathlords.]]
157* {{Metaphorgotten}}: Shepard goes down the line of reasoning that originally led to her naming Legion as in canon... then takes a left turn at Alberquerque and chooses "Wuffles" instead.
158* MissingStepsPlan: Played with.
159-->'''Liara:''' "Well, let's plan this out. What are our goals for tonight? First, drag Shepard away from whatever hussy that has ensnared her.\
160"Second. Unsure. Third. ''Melding.''"
161* MostCommonSuperpower: As an Exalt's Appearance score increases, their… ''assets'' are enhanced, as Shepard finds out. [[LampshadedTrope Lampshaded]] by Joker.
162-->'''Joker:''' I've always wanted ComicBook/PowerGirl as a drinking buddy.
163* MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours: [[spoiler:Wuffles]] makes the following declaration to [[spoiler:Harbinger: “We have internalized the lessons and principles that embody the geth, and their quest to live alongside organics and reunite with the Creators, And while your Solar Hero Style is strong, we present the following hypothesis; It cannot defeat our Synthetic Hero Style.”]]
164* MythologyGag: During the chase scene in chapter 2, there are nods to the chase scene from ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' (including "TRUCK!" and "What kind of weapons does this car have?")
165** "Geth do not infiltrate."
166*** "Geth do not ''intentionally'' infiltrate."
167** In chapter 6, Serviceman Chung finally gets his 'damn firing solution'.
168* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Reapers' attempt to [[spoiler:get rid of ''Normandy'' and ''Orizaba'']] instead [[spoiler: sends them to [[UltimateBlacksmith Autochthon's]] location]].
169* NoodleIncident: Nobody's quite sure what happened at Elysium that led to Shepard fighting naked.
170* NoSell:
171** Wuffles' preferred method of "incapacitating" threatening quarians is to [[spoiler: hack into their suits and activate whatever [=NerveStim=] program they have, with settings to "maximum."]] He uses it most effectively against Prazza. Later on, he attempts to use it on [[spoiler: Daro'Xen.]] Her response is to ''purr'' and get ''even more aggressive''.
172** An upgraded Normandy is able to ''parry'' Harbinger's main weapon thanks to some upgrades from Auto, and [[spoiler: being loaded with EDI and Wuffles' "children"]].
173* NotSoStoic: [[spoiler:First thing that She Who Lives In Her Name does upon seeing Autochthon is to immediately launch a [[MakeMeWannaShout Space Monster Scream]] at him before calling him a retard.]]
174* OhCrap: The Illusive Man has just enough time to realize something is wrong before [[spoiler:She Who Lives In her Name takes control of him.]]
175** Out of universe, the response of several readers when [[spoiler:Shadow Broker Husk/Harbinger punches Tali's helmet off, severely injuring her and exposing her to unfiltered air]], and when [[spoiler: Autochthon frees Leaping Sky/The Catalyst, and finds out about the Great Curse.]]
176*** [[spoiler: Garm]]'s reaction to [[spoiler: Lunar!Garrus in his Kakliosaur warform, right before he tears him to shreds.]]
177** This, after [[spoiler:Autochon reveals he's discovered 1,700,849 Reapers [[BringMyBrownPants leaves no bowel unemptied]]]]:
178--->'''Autochthon:''' [[spoiler:Oh, those were just [the Reapers] as ''big'' as Sovereign. Some were bigger. Would you like me to count the small ones, too?]]
179* OmnicidalManiac: [[spoiler: The Viator, to quote WordOfGod, "has crafted itself into the Principle of Genocide". The Reaper cycle? A way to keep genociding over and over again...and probably to build an army since he also wants to return to the ''Exalted'' universe and consume the Yozi.]]
180* OnTheNext: A [[http://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/mass-effect-glorious-shotgun-princess-me-exalted.224243/page-628 fan made one]], but still endorsed by [[WordOfGod Gregg.]]
181* OneManArmy: Any Exalt, naturally, but [[spoiler: Javik]] is one of the most potent examples. The entire Collector army on [[spoiler: Eden prime]] attacks him. [[CurbstompBattle They lose.]]
182* OnlySaneMan: Jacob Taylor. [[spoiler: Becomes pretty important when he's facing a mentally unbalanced Kasumi, who is offering to change his fate to "make you happy." It turns out, Jacob ''is'' happy exactly where he is, and this terribly disorients her]].
183* OriginalCharacter: Most of the non-''Mass Effect'' Exalted. Two of note include Entrepreneurial Iridescent Cecay and Vessae Milinato (a.k.a Wishful Librarian Pursuer), both Alchemical Exalted. "Iri" is a GiantSpider WrenchWench [[CatGirl with cat ears]] [[spoiler: and joins Shepard's crew in the Normandy]], while Vessae [[spoiler: is a Prothean and travels to Eden Prime to awaken Javik, fighting off Harbinger-possessed Collectors along the way.]] We also have Shepard's cousin Jennifer, and a quarian by the name of Adienna [[spoiler: val Kokli nar ''Rannoch''. Turns out not all the quarians left their home world...]]
184* PaintingTheMedium: SecondPersonNarration occurs when [[spoiler: She Who Lives In Her Name plants thoughts in your head.]]
185** In addition to BoldInflation, [[spoiler: the Ebon Dragon]] speaks entirely without quotation marks.
186* PhraseCatcher:
187** "God''dammit'' Autochton!"
188** "Wuffles. [[FlatWhat What.]]"
189* PlagueMaster: [[spoiler: The Viator, now a manifestation of Autochthon's cancer,]] is a metaphorical example. The disease he spreads? [[spoiler: ''[[TheAssimilator The Reapers]]''.]]
190* PlanetLooters: In this continuity, [[spoiler: the Reapers build more Destroyers and other smaller Reapers by harvesting the Essence of entire planets.]]
191* PrecisionFStrike:
192--> '''Wuffles:''' ''"To use language appropriate to this situation observed in usage by Shepard Commander: Go fuck yourselves. Go fuck yourselves hard."''
193* PutOnABusToHell: In-universe, the Reapers' answer to organics too competent at fighting the Reapers is to cause their ships to take a forced mass-relay jump several million light years outside the galaxy to an area ''[[ForbiddenZone inhabited by something that ]]'''one-shots Reapers'''''... [[spoiler:And that exactly what '''Perfect Defender of Reposition''' does to Normandy and Orizaba. Unfortunately for them, this ends in NiceJobFixingItVillain-the mysterious, Reaper-killing monster turns out to be [[EternalEngine Autochthon]] with his weapons active, and at least one Alchemical is happy to welcome them.]]
194* PsychopathicManchild: [[spoiler:She Who Lives In Her Name. The author has stated that all the Yozis have a mental age comparable to spoiled teenagers.]]
195* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [[spoiler: Kasumi]] was born and Exalted in the 1600s.
196* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
197** Vasir tries to give one to Shepard. [[spoiler:It doesn't work as intended, as Shepard uses it to deliver a speech that convinces Vasir that the Shadow Broker is using her.]]
198** Of all people, [[spoiler:''Wuffles'']] gives one to ''[[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu Harbinger]]''. Successfully.
199** He delivers another one to Harbinger in Chapter 18, ending it with a [[ExpospeakGag more complex version of]] "Your kung-fu is weak."
200* RedeemingReplacement: [[spoiler: Shepard's previous shard keeper was.. [[MadScientist kind of]] [[AGodAmI a jerk]].]]
201** [[spoiler:PlayingWithATrope: The way the Zenith rid Autochthon's body of [[TheCorruption Voidtech]] was killing his feitch in a way that allowed him to retain his memories and general personality across incarnations. While he was already pretty nice, his new body is ''much'' more hospitable to organic life.]]
202* {{Robosexual}}: Parodied. "Geth do not oscillate." Also, [[spoiler: Daro'Xen, to the point that her [=NerveStim=] programs have a "Gethinator" setting.]]
203** Also, [[spoiler: EDI and Wuffles]] are making the AI equivalent of babies.
204* RuleOfCool: Everything Shepard does. Some of the other cast members also qualify from time to time.
205* RunningGag:
206** Shepard's attempts to get off Alchera invariably end with her destroying the ship she planned to use to escape, occasionally with ClothingDamage ensuing (as while an ''Exalt'' is nigh-indestructible, her ''clothing'', not so much).
207** Also, everyone has ''[[SexualEuphemism needs]]''.
208** Poor Wuffles tends to get used for target practice by people who freak out upon [[AlwaysChaoticEvil seeing a geth]]. Since it didn't repair the giant hole in its chest after the first time, the bullets usually just hit things behind him.
209** Wuffles hacking Prazza's suit and activating the Nerv-Stim systems to "incapacitate" him every time he barges in with weapon in hand.
210** ''[[FlatWhat "What."]]''
211** Bullshit kung-fu magic. Like Shepard does.
212* ScrewDestiny: The general theme of ''Exalted'' as a whole, but special mention goes to the Sidereal of Journeys. [[spoiler: Who hid an Exaltation for millions of years until the moment where Kal'Reegar could discover it and use it to Duck Fate]].
213* SealedBadassInACan: [[spoiler:The Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime contained an Exaltation trapped within.]] Also, [[spoiler: it contained an Exalt, in the form of Javik.]] In addition, [[spoiler: Kal'Reegar]] carries the Exaltation of the Maiden of Journeys.
214* SeenItAll:
215** Matriarch Athetya is unfazed by Shepard's detail of her abilities.
216--> '''Aethyta:''' "Honey, I've lived for a few centuries. In my time, I've seen hanar bondage, elcors dancing, and a krogan trying to woo his girl with poetry. Shit gets weird enough that you look at the weirdness and say, 'Hell, I've seen weirder.'"
217** Ambassador Udina's reaction to Wuffles?
218--> "You had a turian, Benezia's daughter, a quarian and a krogan on your crew. Matter of time before you recruited a geth."
219** Later on, [[spoiler: Wrex]] is more annoyed than anything else when [[spoiler: Kasumi makes him pop up inside Hock's gunship, having apparently known her for a long time.]]
220** Hackett's reaction to the Normandy [[spoiler: having a beach installed]] is a bit of surprise before just accepting it. Later on, when [[spoiler: the wildlife starts escaping from the zoo Iri keeps in her armor, he barely bats an eye before he starts beating up the more dangerous creatures with his bare hands]].
221* ShipTease: Shepard and Liara. The LesYay is noticed and commented upon by Tali.
222-->'''Liara:''' Shepard and I are not like that!
223-->'''Tali:''' Shepard and you are ''exactly'' like that!
224** Some between Joker and Miranda as he pulls her into a passionate kiss while [[GeekyTurnOn she's describing the new Normandy.]]
225** Tali and Kal'Reegar, especially after he [[spoiler: Exalts into a Sidereal.]]
226* ShirtlessScene: [[spoiler: Kal'Reegar]], after he Exalts. The Sidereal powers let him [[spoiler: walk around with no survival suit, fixing his immune system]].
227* ShoutOut:
228** Joker's maneuvering in the aircar chase is not unlike the "tunnel scene" from ''Film/MenInBlack''.
229** "One of my magic powers is a bullshit detector. [[Series/DoctorWho It goes ding when there's crap]]."
230** What would happen if Cerberus made a [[Webcomic/ThreePanelSoul taco cart]]?
231*** And upon meeting EDI, who proceeded to ''not'' be the KillerRobot they wanted, she sarcastically quotes [[VideoGame/SystemShock SHODAN]] at them.
232** ''Wuffles, the Wonder Geth'' references ''Wuffles, the Wonder Fish'' from ''Fanfic/NobodyDies'' (whose own naming was a shout out to Legion's in ''Mass Effect 2'')
233** Seeker deploys a second type of killform called a Wrathtype. It has [[VideoGame/AsurasWrath six arms.]] Later on, in one of [[spoiler: Javik]]'s flashbacks, he [[AGodIAmNot says that]] "I pray to ''no one''. Nor will I be prayed to." And appropriately enough, when he [[spoiler: awakes on Eden Prime, he has six arms, much like Asura.]]
234** The Alchemical Exalted are {{ShoutOut}}s to Gregg's other stories:
235*** Persistent Righteous Protector appears to be [[spoiler:[[Fanfic/NobodyDies Go-Kun]]]]!Keeper - until it turns out that's just an [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith Avatar]] and his true form is [[GeniusLoci the entire '''city''']], [[spoiler:[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion retractable buildings and Geofront]]]] included.
236*** The Tower of [[spoiler:[[Fanfic/NobodyDies Ree]]]] has been mentioned.
237** There's even a reference to ''another fanfic'' that also got started on Spacebattles. Joker mentions that, going by his car, Garrus is considering an alternate career as [[Fanfic/{{Renegade}} "the Kool Aid Man."]]
238** And then "Mr. Sunshine"[[note]]TOTALLY NOT THE EBON DRAGON. EBON DRAGON IS NOT THIS GUY [[spoiler: He really isn't!]].[[/note]] uses [[http://wiki.white-wolf.com/exalted/index.php?title=St_Cyntherea%27s_Institute St. Cyntherea's Institute]] as a metaphor for Malpheas.
239*** "[[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} I'm not locked up in here with them, they're locked up in here with me.]]"
240** Jacob [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 "solves practical problems."]]
241** [[spoiler: "[[VideoGame/TransformersFallOfCybertron Leviathan heeds the call of the Chosen of Journeys.]]"]]
242** Garrus' hunting of Omega's criminals is wrought with references to Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/ThePunisher.
243** [[Franchise/XMen Professor Wrex]].
244** The leader of Eclipse gets a fortune cookie. The fortune reads, "[[VideoGame/FZero Falcon]]". Lunar!Garrus then ''punches'' him through it.
245** Geth Colossi [[ComicBook/{{Doom}} have huge guts]].
246** The Reaper who acts as [[spoiler:Overseer of the Heretic Geth]] is Terminal, Lord of [[Literature/{{Lensman}} Boskone]]
247** "[[VideoGame/BaldursGate Aim for their optics!]]"
248** The description of [[spoiler:Autochthon's combat form]] not only [[ContinuityNod perfectly matches]] [[http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk160/Johnny_Redactor/SOE_cover.jpg its canonical appearance]], but also that of [[ComicBook/IronMan a certain other armored suit]]. And for added fun, when the above suit activates, the quotes while doing so are a near exact mach for [[VideoGame/MechWarrior a Battlemech's startup sequence]].
249** Shepard references Superman's world-of-cardboard speech from ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' ''Unlimited'' when throwing down with Morinth.
250** James warns people to [[WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged duck when he turns left]].
251*** Not to mention the "''[[WebVideo/HellsingUltimateAbridged Stop screaming!]]''" moment.
252*** He also says that he's a giant robot pilot [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion and he's got the daddy issues to prove it.]]
253** [[Film/TheAvengers2012 "Send the rest."]]
254** [[WesternAnimation/ClerksTheAnimatedSeries "Bear is driving? How can that be?"]]
255** "So you want to fight the Reapers?" "The geth believe that self-determination is the right of any sentient." [[Franchise/TransFormers "Freedom is the right of all living beings?"]]
256** A human going into an ancient ruin in space in search of an orb while listening to music? [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014 Where have we heard THAT one before]]?
257** [[spoiler: While hanging her over a ledge, Shepard tells Nassana Dantius: "[[Film/BatmanBegins SWEAR TO ME]]"]]
258** Tali's uncle [[Franchise/StarWars Han]] taught her to fly his temperamental old freighter.
259*** Later, Udina repeatedly reminds Joker to [[Film/ANewHope Stay on Target]].
260** Some of Tali's kerlish (Quarian language)[[note]] specifically, "Ba weep grana bong!" [[/note]] appears to be from the [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} universal greeting]] [[note]] Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep ni ni bong [[/note]]
261** [[Film/StarTrekInsurrection "In the event of a water landing, this platform is designed to function as a flotation device"]].
262** Joker, after hearing a story about a clan of extremely badass quarians: "So... [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Captain Flotilla, huh? Do they give him the super soldier serum]] or a [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} bat costume]]?"
263** The scene where [[spoiler:Golah]] opens her equivalent of a fridge to get drinks is a PurpleProse version of the [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 "Meet the Medic"]] scene.
264--->'''[[spoiler:Golah]]:''' Later.
265* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: The Protheans, who, rather than let the Solar Exaltations run loose and continue perpetuating the Cycle, sealed them away until the Reapers began to return, thus preventing the Solars from conquering the galaxy and forming a single monolithic empire that the Reapers could easily outmaneuver and defeat like they have countless times before.]] Also, [[spoiler: the Exaltation of the Sidereal of Journeys]], which was hidden for millions of years in mortal bodies until [[spoiler: the geth discovered the trigger for it in Harbinger's memories and showed it to Kal'Reegar.]]
266** At the end of Chapter Sixteen, Harbinger [[spoiler: orders Gatemaker to unlock the Citadel and "send the rest."]] Everyone expects the Bad Stuff is going to happen. [[spoiler: Then Autochthon, MadScientist that he is, interrupts the whole thing and proceeds to "fix" Gatemaker.]]
267* StrangeSyntaxSpeaker: Terminal, Lord of Boksone, breaks down normal sentences into several smaller ones, sometime putting full stops between ''words''.
268* SufficientlyAdvanced: Miranda insists that Shepard's newly-gained superpowers can be rationally explained. And technically, they can, it's just that the technology behind the Exaltation is just hilariously advanced.
269-->'''Miranda:''' No, I've figured it out. It's just that it would take more eezo being jammed into you than the drive core of an Asari Dreadnought.
270** Note, however, that it is not so sufficiently advanced that [[spoiler: the geth cannot figure it out, and then ''emulate'' Essence, enabling them to craft their own Exalted-esque robo-kung-fu.]]
271* TalkativeLoon: [[spoiler:PlayedForDrama in the case of Kasumi in Limit Break. She's borderline AxCrazy, offering to ''make'' Jacob happy, and when it turns out that Jacob can't think of any way to make himself happier, proceeds to crawl over to a CornerOfWoe and cry.]]
272* TookALevelInBadass: Everyone. This includes Harbinger, who gets directly involved as much as possible, and Udina, who dropped his level in Jerkass.
273* TooDumbToLive: The Cerberus scientists who for some reason thought it was a good idea to combine a homicidal AI with parts of a genocidal AI, and then when they somehow managed to produce a non-murderous AI, ''remove the morality chip'' constraining the AI's behavior just to see what would happen. Fortunately for them, the AI itself prevented them from actually doing it and [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment made them watch workplace safety videos.]]
274* UnexplainedRecovery: Shepard doesn't ''quite'' die at the beginning of [=ME2=] as in canon...
275* UnskilledButStrong: Pretty much all of the Exalts, except [[spoiler: Javik]]. This is a side effect of [[spoiler: several long-term plans that resulted in most of the Exaltations being trapped or sealed or hidden]].
276* VaryingTacticsBoss: The Tower of Ree has 99 blocks consisting of 100 floors, and at the end of each block, every person who attempts to climb it has to fight a construction made of Jade which looks like a human teenage girl. On each block, the girl uses completely different tactics; at one block she uses animals, at another she's riding a Mini-Mecha, in another she uses Self-Duplication, and so on and forth.
277* VillainousBreakdown: Shockingly, [[spoiler: ''Harbinger'']] has a big one when [[spoiler: Shepard kills Seeker, therefore freeing the trillions of souls of Pria's people trapped inside of it. He flips out because, from his perspective, they were saving them from death by preserving them in eternal life.]]
278* WaveMotionGun: Iri's upgrade to the ''Orizaba's'' main gun is so powerful that it makes Hackett openly weep.
279* WeakButSkilled: Vasir doesn't have the pure power of Exalted Shepard, but she has been a Spectre longer than Shepard has even been alive, with the experience and skill to match.
280* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: really, no one can figure out what Hock's accent is. It's somewhere between "British" and "Douchebag."
281** For those curious - his [=ME2=] voice actor sounded South African.
282* AWizardDidIt: Summed up:
283-->'''Shepard''': “Goto! How the ''fuck'' did you [[spoiler: train a bear to operate a tank]]?!”
284-->'''Kasumi''': "Magic!"
285** In-Universe, this is how the Normandy crew eventually classifies anything Exalts do. "Bullshit kung-fu magic. Like Shepard does."
286* WorldWreckingWave: [[spoiler:She Who Lives In Her Name]] makes an entire planet ''perfectly symmetrical''.

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