A/N: SURPRISE!

Thought I'd get this in here before the new Mass Effect comes out.

So, I'm alive! Health woes aside I'm healthy enough to walk around now and get back to work, so that's good, right?

And then a fan asked me to update this little gem, so I sat down, cracked my knuckles and got to work. Amazing what you can do in a few hours =D

I've got a nice little update schedule now, so I'm working to roll out my mass effect stuff before Andromeda! ALL ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN! Btw, do you guys think I should buy it?

Reviews are up now and...well...most of them aren't good. A bit scared, to be honest, because negative stuff about the franchise KILLS my inspiration for writing Mass Effect crossovers to begin with.

I'm kinda leery now that I've heard about the odd animations, voice acting, and Bioware's refusal to patch them on day one, if at all. Don't believe me? Go look at IGN on Youtube. Don't get me wrong I'm a die-hard Mass-Effect fan, its just that all I've heard has me feeling a bit leery. I mean, the ending of the third game had everyone in such an uproar, I'm almost afraid to see what'll happen once the game hits the stores and folks start reviewing it.

(EDIT)

Oh dear. Reviews have dropped and...well...I'm really concerned now.

Should I get it, guys?

Thoughts?

Concerns?

Here's hoping it'll be good!

Now, with that being said, off we go to the next chapter of Death to the Stars.

I sincerely hope you guys and girls like it!

Hope ya'll like the little interlude!

=D

"Okay, so here's what you do. First, ya give 'em one of these.

"What even IS that?"

"Hush. Next, you...

~?

Scorn in the Stars (Interlude)

Nazara was not amused.

Known as Sovereign to the lesser races of the galaxy, lord and master of all who dared approach its majesty, the vanguard of the Reaper forces nevertheless found itself beginning to wonder if its plans had gone awry. It was absurd to think such things of course; because the organics couldn't possibly derail its plans. Yet somehow, someway, they had. It did not understand how this cycle had proved itself more capable than the rest, for it did not feel as the organics did and therefore failed to understand. Emotions held no sway over Nazara's boundless majesty. There was only the complete and certainty that came with trusting. Only the cycle. The cycle must be preserved, for the good of all. If not, then the galaxy would surely fall to ruin.

For the good of all, the harvest must be preserved.

Nay, the cycle must be preserved.

Else there would be chaos.

Yet now this cycle had struck an awful blow against Nazara and its many minds couldn't fathom how. Adrift, amiss, lost in its own thoughts within the darkness of space, it could only balk. It had experienced resistance before in the past of course; foolish flailing by the organics as they desperately sought to try and escape their salvation through destruction. Resistance was to be expected. But this, this, was new. Not only had it been obstructed in its every effort thus far, but for the first time since its creation, it was actively being mocked.

What tripe was this?!

For several solar days now-what the organics would refer to as weeks-it had attempted to contact the turian known as Saren, only to find its pawn unresponsive. That was an oddity in and of itself; Saren usually proved quite prompt when summoned yet he'd repeatedly failed to reply despite Sovereign's repeated attempts at contact. Even the few Geth swayed to its side were silent. Without one such as Saren to direct them they were adrift and purposeless, they were beginning to reconsider, to wonder if they had been right to ally themselves with him.

None of it made any sense!

Faced with the very real possibility that a certain someone was actively working to sabotage its efforts, the Reaper began to experience the distant stirrings known as emotion once more. The human was an old enemy, one who had appeared and disappeared through time more than it cared to count. Its tact-or rather a lack thereof-had undone years of careful planning in an instant. The geth were ready and willing, but without one to lead them they were lost, adrift. So was Benezia. Perahps the matriach could yet be used, but with each day, the task seemed more difficult.

This...irked Sovereign, more than it dared to even venture.

Today, it felt something disturbingly close to anger.

All towards one individual.

Naruto.

As in the past, all attempts to eradicate him had proved futile and now like Saren, it found its network of indoctrinated agents had fallen silent. Worse, his words were gaining traction in the galaxy. Slowly, but with growing speed. He was gaining allies. Making the cycle aware. And without the Conduit, it had no way of opening the relays, all because of this blasted organic...

"Aw, I missed you too!"

Reapers do not possess a mouth with which to shriek, but the sound Sovereign emitted was certainly unbefitting of its majesty. A sharp, startled bleat burst from it all at once, rending the very air asunder. Thankfully none but dead and dying stars were present to hear. Rounding on the source of its distress, the almighty synthetic fixed its many sensors on the noise, intent to snuff it out. Instead its tentacles passed through open space to no avail. It took the Reaper less than a nanosecond to process that no, this small box of electronics hovering before it was not the target of its ire.

Merely a deep space drone projecting the likeness of its master.

"Don't look so glum!" the blond's likeness beamed out at him, framed in azure relief. "We haven't seen each other in what, decades now? You could at least smile. Its a miracle this probe even found ya!"

The joke was in poor taste, and only served to rile the Reaper further.

"You." the name burst from Nazara's being with all the force of a flat denunciation. "You are becoming an annoyance."

"Am I?" the blond's hologram beamed cheekily. "Never would have guessed. Guess I'm a credit to my race."

The jab actually stung, more than it possibly cared to admit.

Sovereign made a noise vaguely resembling a growl.

If only this one had been harvested like the rest...!

"Why are you here?"

"Other than avenging my people?"

"..."

"Just throwing down a gauntlet." Whiskered cheeks dimpled in a slow, sly smile. "I made a new friend today. Ever heard the name Shepard? Veteran of Akuze? Nihlus's new student? You've probably heard of her. Might wind up being the first human Specter. Anywho, she recovered a fascinating beacon on Eden Prime the other day. Very informative. Thanks to a tip, the commander even got it off-planet and evacuated JUST before a band of geth hit. Funny timing, eh? You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would ya?"

Sovereign went still.

...I will destroy you, Naruto." When next it spoke, its voice was colder than the void itself, deep and terrible. "When I have finished with you, you will be less than dust on the solar wind. No songs will be sung of you. No one will remember your name. You will be nothing. No one."

"Keep telling yourself that, princess."

With a wink, his likeness vanished, leaving the probe to collapse into a thousand fragments, leaving the Reaper with its words.

Nazarra was silent for a long time.

No one heard it howl with rage.

A/N: And there we go. Just what the hell did "this" Naruto do to make himself so infamous in the Mass Effect universe? I suppose that IS rather obvious isn't it but this is what I was asked to write, and it just seemed more natural to go with a flawed, albeit experienced Naruto rather than a greenhorn freshly arriving in the future, ya know? Having him take up a position as Tevos's bodyguard is going to prove much more than it seems down the road, as you'll soon see...he's going to have quite a sway with things...and as for his relationship with the Asari councilor, well that certainly couldn't hurt now could it? I can just imagine Naruto and Zaeed as best buddies in this fic lol expect quite a few changes!

So...in the immortal words of Atlas and myelf...

...Would you Kindly Review this Story? And of course, enjoy the preview! Major MADNESS coming up! Don't believe me? SEE FOR YOURSELVES!

(Preview)

Naruto tilted his head, idly regarding the smoldering ruins with quiet scorn.

"Huh. Somehow I thought the explosion would be bigger."

Tevos balked.

"You just blew up half of the bloody temple!"

"To be fair, I didn't think the beacon would react like...that." sighing, he nudged a bit of broke rubble aside, regarding the shattered statue of Athane with a keen eye. "Really shouldn't have kept it hidden that long, ya know. Better this way."

"Goddess, why do I put up with you?" groaning, she pinched the brow of her nose.

"Other than the fact that I'm going to be the father of your child?"

"...say that again and I'll flay you with your own spine."

"Aw, you really do looooooooove me!"

"Stop rolling your tongue!"

R&R~!