Commander Shepard was, before his call, a space marine or more notably a space captain. He was a soldier training to become the first Human Spectre.
The Call to Adventure
However, that all changed on Eden Prime. Shepard was sent by the Council to Eden Prime to extract a Prothean beacon (Protheans were sentient beings that were mysteriously wiped out 50,000 years earlier). This was also going to be a determinate on whether Shepard would be worthy as a Spectre (essentially, a peacekeeper who is above the law and answers to the Council), and the first Human Spectre at that. What Shepard found instead was a group of synthetic beings known as the Geth attacking the colony, all being controlled by a rogue Spectre named Saren Arterius. By touching the Prothean Beacon, Shepard discovers that all is not as it seems...
Shepard attempts to convince the Council of Saren's treason, but without any hard evidence, most of them dismiss his claim. However, after finding a recording of Saren mentioning his treason, Shepard is granted Spectre status and is granted Commander of the SS Normandy and is given control of its crew members, notably Ashley Williams, Kaidan Alenko, Garrus Vakarian, Dr. Liara T'Soni, Tali'Zora nar Rayya and Urdnot Wrex in Mass Effect 1; Miranda Lawson, Jacob Taylor, Garrus Vakarian, Mordin Solus, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, Samara, Thane Krios, Jack, Grunt, Legion, Zaeed Masoni and Kasumi Goto in Mass Effect 2; and James Vega, EDI, Ashley Williams/Kaidan Alenko, Dr. Liara T'Soni, Garrus Vakarian, Javik and Tali'Zora vas Normandy in Mass Effect 3.
The Crossing of the First Threshold
The Council assigns Shepard to various planets to look for clues as to why Saren went rogue, planets that Shepard had previously not been to before in Mass Effect 1. In Mass Effect 2, Shepard is assigned by the Illusive Man to recruit squadmates and infiltrate the Collector Base so as to find a way to stop the Reapers. In Mass Effect 3, Shepard is assigned to recruit as many war assets as possible, and to piece together the Crucible, the only weapon capable enough of stopping the Reapers.
The Belly of the Whale
The Council orders Shepard to stand down and let them handle things, believing that because he's a soldier, he'll listen without question. Shepard instead willingly disobeys their commands, transforming himself from a regular soldier to a true leader.
The Road of Trials
In Mass Effect 1, Shepard travels to various planets, fighting off enemies and anything else in his way. However, on the planet Virmire, Shepard is forced to choose between saving Kaidan Alenko or Ashley Williams, as a nuke is about to detonate on the planet and he only has enough time to save one of them. He must also confront Urdnot Wrex and, depending on his choice, either kill him or force him to step down. In Mass Effect 2, Shepard must find ways to recruit his squad mates and gain their loyalty, all the while trying to find a way to successfully complete what many call a suicide mission: infiltrate and detonate the Collector Base. In Mass Effect 3, Shepard must keep finding ways to complete the Crucible, all the while trying to stop Cerberus and Kai-Leng from screwing his plans. He must also find ways of recruiting people and things deemed as "war assets" while also trying to save as many lives as possible due to the Reaper invasion.
The Meeting with the Goddess
Throughout the Mass Effect series, Shepard can choose to pursue a relationship with his squad mates, notably Ashley Williams or Dr. Liara T'Soni in Mass Effect 1; Miranda Lawson, Jack, Liara or Tali'Zorah vas Normandy in Mass Effect 2; and Ashley Williams, Liara, Miranda, Jack, Tali, Steve Cortez or Kaidan Alenko in Mass Effect 3.
The Ultimate Boon
In Mass Effect 1, Shepard is able to defeat Saren and the creature controlling him, Sovereign, thus postponing the Reaper invasion by roughly two years. It is there that he discovers that, in due time, an army of synthetic beings (Reapers) will converge onto the galaxy, designed to wipe out all intelligent life. He also discovers that this is a continual cycle, operating at every 50,000 years with Sovereign, up to this point, being the scout determining when the invasion should start. In Mass Effect 2, Shepard is able to destroy the Collector Base, thus weakening the Reaper forces, and is able to postpone the Reaper invasion by another six months, attracting the ire of the oldest Reaper, Harbinger. In Mass Effect 3, Shepard is able to detonate the Crucible where he chooses one of three actions: he can control the Reapers forever, he can synthesize all synthetic and organic beings together, or he can destroy all Reapers. Shepard will die if he chooses Control or Synthesis and, depending on how prepared the galaxy was for a Reaper invasion, if he chooses Destroy.
The Crossing of the Return Threshold
In Mass Effect 1, after discovering the plans of a Reaper invasion, Shepard returns from his journey, trying to convince the galaxy that there is a greater force at work here, and that a race of synthetic beings will converge on the galaxy designed to wipe out all intelligent life.
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