Born in secret just days before Commander Shepard's final mission, Nathan Shepard awakens inside a Cerberus tank. He's eighteen years old and fully grown. His memories are manufactured, his destiny uncertain. Miranda Lawson, his mother, tells him the truth: his father is dead. The Reaper War is over. Or so they thought. But peace doesn't last long. When the Reapers return, rebuilt, evolved, and demanding Shepard's soul, Nathan must become the symbol humanity needs. Struggling to forge his own identity beneath the shadow of his legendary father, he's thrust into war, politics, and a fight to define who he truly is. As ancient machines rise again, one question echoes across the stars: Can the son become a hero? Author's Note: Some of my fondest memories are from high school, sipping Mt. Dew and staying up all night to play Mass Effect. I've been a die hard fan since the beginning. Mass Effect: Bloodline is a work in progress that may turn into a novel one day. It's my attempt to tell a fun story arc that takes place immediately following the end of Mass Effect 3, within the Milky Way Galaxy.