Javikbio

Javik the Great

 

Role:

Javik's story in Mass Effect 3 is interesting, because he is more isolated as an individual from the rest of the galaxy, and at the same time his understanding of the Reapers makes him an invaluable first-hand source towards waging war on the old machines. Having fought the Reapers hundreds of times, his knowledge of their strategies and habits help the War Summit meetings – support which also helps Shepard during his final trial. Javik can also motivate the Citadel's asari councilor to let Shepard into the “Forum of Matriarchs” mission on Thessia – especially if Samara/Morinth is dead. He can also help Shepard in recruiting the asari consort Sha'ira to join them at the Forum as an advocate. Javik will also be able to activate the “Hidden Wards” mission on the Citadel, reactivate Vigil, and reveal the contents of Shepard's Prothean relic (from Mass Effect 2).

 

Personal History:

A Prothean emperor, Javik was born a hundred years after the Reaper's arrival through the Citadel, more than 50,000 years ago. Trained to be cunning and relentless, Javik was the most brilliant strategist of his time, and managed to delay the Reapers hundreds of times, buying his people valuable centuries to formulate plans of defense. But these were always plans of defense, and the Reapers eventually crushed the Prothean empire.

As the Prothean populations dwindled into the thousands, Javik began to realize that his people had failed in reclaiming the empire. Retreating to the southern poles of Eden Prime, he set up a bunker where he could house the remainder of his people (a few thousand Protheans) in stasis pods. The southern icy pole of Eden Prime would mask the already cool life-signs of the Protheans in cryo-stasis, making it difficult for the Reapers to find them. Javik's plan proved effective, and the Protheans were successfully hidden. Unfortunately the Emperor could not account for certain geological variables present on Eden Prime. At some point, an earth-quake cracked the ice surrounding Javik's cryo-stasis bunker, and the pods began to heat up rapidly – and the A.I overlooking the facility was damaged. Within one year, 3/4ths of the pods were destroyed, and the Protheans inside died in their sleep. The remainder of the pods were damaged, and the bunker's faulty A.I. automatically began to prioritize energy conservation by shutting down pods so that Javik's own could maintain his hibernated homeostasis. During the months leading up to the events of Mass Effect 3, human miners discovered the Prothean bunker's energy signature while mining the ice at Eden Prime's south pole. Excited by this discovery, the scientific community of the planet instantly began to dig up the bunker, until they were able to crack it open. Inside, they discovered a plethora of stasis pods, containing the bones of Protheans. As the scientists continued to excavate, they realized that the deeper into the ice they went, the more well preserved the corpses were – and the stronger the energy signature of what could only be a slowly failing generator. After scanning the remaining iced out bunker, the scientific community was shocked to find that, at the center of the bunker, a massive energy source is being maintained. Exuberant over this knowledge, the human scientists excitement got the better of themselves, and the news that they found Prothean technology to rival those found on Mars, before the Charon Relay was reactivated caused a political fiasco between the Citadel, Earth, and Constant (Eden Prime's capital). A rush of raiders, pirates, and mercenaries, all contracted by various governments and organizations descended onto the site, and scuffled with Alliance troops. Scientists were killed or driven off, and the bunker was barely secured by Alliance ships. By the time Shepard reaches the stasis bunker, fighting has died down slightly. According to N7 operative Lee Riley, who is in charge of security of the site, excavation has stopped until the mercenaries can be driven off.

 

Recruitment:

 

After the first war summit on the Citadel, Shepard is approached by an Alliance admiral in charge of maintaining troops over Eden Prime's dig site.

 

If Shepard is  spacer, the admiral will be the commander's mother, Hannah Shepard (Shepard gets special dialogue with her, naturally). This will be the first time Hannah Shepard will be seen her face to face.

 

The admiral informs Shepard that they need him to secure the Prothean technology in the hopes that it can provide new information on the Reapers. Shepard will agree. The admiral explains that Shepard's Cipher might give them new insight as to what kind of technology is buried there, and says that the reason the Alliance hasn't moved more troops the the bunker is because they don't want to draw further site attention to Reapers. Eden Prime has not yet been assaulted by the old machines, and the Normandy could drop into the planet's atmosphere, assist the troops stationed there from mercenary attacks, and get to the bunker.

The bunker, a large, flat roofed, hexagonal stone structure,  is located in a giant pit on an icy tundra. Because it is at the south pole of Eden Prime, the surrounding countryside is dark, as little sunlight reaches this part of the planet. Shepard lands his shuttle inside a make-shift wall, erected by the Alliance as a protection against the pirates and mercenaries  located somewhere outside the wall in the surrounding darkness. When Shepard lands, the mercenaries begin their assault on the base. The first wave to attack are Blood Pack troops and batarian pirates. They attempt to break through the bases defenses, and Shepard can either circle them in the kodiak (firing down upon them), stay on the ground and help the troops, or man a wall-turret to scare them off. After the first two waves, things become extremely hectic. Mercenaries try to fly gunships over the walls, and pirates attempt to ram Mako's through the walls. The Alliance is almost overwhelmed, when the pirates and mercenaries begin to attack each other (as well as the Alliance). Shepard and company, at the order of the Alliance N7 operative running the outpost (for all intents and purposes, I'll call her “Captain Riley”), race into the bunker as all hell breaks loose around them.

Once inside the bunker, team speculates on what kind of technology they'll find.

Deeper inside the bunker, the company finds that the walls are made of hundreds of Prothean stasis pods, identical to those found on the planet Ilos. Shepard can look inside the pods, but they will either be empty (the scientists having moved the bodies off world), or have fragments of bones, dusts, and clothing in them. Eventually the company enters a large circular room with pods lining the walls all the way to the ceiling. There is a massive crack which has shorn the room, running across the floor, and up one of the walls. Liara (if present) believes that the crack was created by an earth-quake, and that the hole it left seeped solar heat into the room. In the center of the room is a large black Prothean pyramid which is glowing with energy. Shepard catches sight of an ancient control terminal and, reading the ancient language through the Cipher in his brain, activates it. The pyramid begins to glow and emit a low beeping noise, like the sonar of a ship. Shepard and company fight off a wave of mercenaries who enter the cryo sanctuary after them, and then turn to the black pyramid which has stopped beeping. Pieces of the pyramid slide away to reveal a Prothean (Javik) curled into a ball, like an infant in the womb. The Prothean regains consciousness, and stumbles over to the wall of cryo-pods, apparently unaware of Shepard. Clawing his way to the tubes, the Prothean pries them open to search for survivors. He looks up at the surrounding walls to see that all of the pods are empty of life. Shepard and company approach him, and the Prothean, shocked at the presence of aliens, blasts them with a biotic field, then staggers out of the room. As Shepard recovers, he hears gun shots and screaming in the chambers he used to enter the base, and the company races after the Prothean. Shepard finds dead mercenaries, apparently killed by the Prothean. Mercenaries have apparently figured out what kind of alien they're dealing with, and are pursuing the Prothean with orders to “capture if possible”. The Prothean fights his way (alone) out of the bunker, and finds himself surrounded by battling pirates and Alliance troops. A mercenary gunship tries to shoot him, but the ancient alien smashes its windshield with a blast from his particle rifle, making the craft crash on top of the bunker, bathing the surrounding area in orange firelight. Shepard (and Liara) order the Alliance to stand down, and their troops flee for cover, as the mercenaries try to seize the Prothean. The Prothean's fighting skills are too much for them however, and the mercenaries and pirates soon flee from the bunker. Shepard and company approach the Prothean, and when the alien asks (himself) “what year is it?”, Shepard replies by telling him he's been asleep for 50,000 years. The Prothean, sensing the Cipher in the commander's brain, seizes Shepard (squad mates and Alliance soldiers train their weapons on them) and “reads” Shepard's language and memories, so he can understand the language and technology of “this cycle”. The Prothean is initially angry that Shepard didn't do more to convince the governments of this time period to relay the message found within the Prothean beacons. He is also disturbed by the sight of aliens he considers “primitive” to be the dominate races. Coming to terms with the fact that he has “overslept”, the Prothean realizes the nightmares he sought to escape have started again. Emperor “Javik” joins Shepard on board the Normandy to venture to the Citadel, where he plans on reprimanding the council, and formulating a proper plan of action against the Reapers. Javik is under the impression that his Prothean heritage and royalty give him supreme authority.

News of “The Last Prothean” reaches the council. Upon re-entering the station after recruiting Javik, reporters, photographers, and pedestrians crowd the halls to get a glimpse of the ancient Prothean emperor. Commander Bailey escorts Javik to the War Summit. The council sets up a press barrier before the entrance to the Presidium, as a public morale booster. Javik, arrogant and cold, does not understand the concept of “press interviews”, and is hastily rushed to the war committee before he can insult his viewers. Once there, Javik will berate the species present, critiquing their primitive technology, their childish “quantum entanglement” communicators, and their galactic in-fighting. If Shepard was a Spectre in ME2, Javik will  support Shepard at this point, telling the Citadel council that they were “fools to not investigate the claims of a human granted special resources and authority of a 'Spectre'”. The council will try to override Javik's rant by asking him how to deactivate his “Prothean war machines” (the Reapers). The emperor, enraged at the council's ignorance of Reaper origins and motives -- and a master at commanding authority figures -- rudely cuts them off by questioning their personal intelligence. Shepard can explain that the Reapers are millions of years old – something the council refuses to accept-- believing instead that they are likely only a hundred thousand years old-- much to Javik's, and Shepard's, (and Anderson's) indignation. The war summit takes a break, with the councilors hastily retreating to their chambers to confide in each other. When the summit is put back in session, the council suggests Javik to go with Shepard and the Normandy as a consultant, as his first hand knowledge of the Reapers will be a great asset (though these are likely just excuses to keep Javik and his opinions as far away as possible). From this point in the story, the Prothean will then appear outside of the war summit's chambers. Shepard is given two choices here:

Shepard can welcome him aboard the Normandy.

Shepard can leave him on the Citadel. Javik will stay behind, and try to further talk sense into the councilors for the duration of the game.

Throughout the game, Javik will continue speak at the war summits as a chief consultant. He will motivate the races to stand together through speeches, warnings, and even insults. He will also oversee the reprogramming of the Prothean A.Is from his room onboard the Normandy.

 

Missions:

Javik is available for all missions after his recruitment. He will be a wealth of interaction and information on all missions involving the Prothean A.Is, and will singlehandedly discover an secret passageway on the Citadel, which opens up  “The Hidden Wards”, mission.

The only mission that I will draw special attention to with Javik are “Ilos Ruins” and “The Hidden Wards”, as they gravely effect his personality and character arch.

In the mission “Ilos Ruins”, Javik and company search Ilos for Vigil, the aged Prothean A.I construct from the original Mass Effect. Javik believes that, if Vigil can be reactivated, he may be able to store a copy of the A.I on his Prothean cube (a small black cube object that is the emperor's equivalent to an omni-tool). Javik hopes that he might be able to reprogram Vigil's functions for the Crucible. Before Shepard and company make contact with the A.I, a scene between Shepard, Liara, and Javik will occur. The Prothean is more at home in the ruins of Ilos than any other place he has experienced in this cycle. Javik sees the hidden city as a beautifully haunting memory of greatness – even though he never knew of location Ilos's in his cycle.

Liara will ask why none of the statues resemble actual Protheans, and Javik will explain that these are the statues of the Inusannon, the race that preceded the Protheans 100,000 years ago – though the stone figures were only speculative representations of the long dead species (similar to how humans have statues of angels or gargoyles on Earth, the Prothean created majestic statues of Insuannon throughout their worlds). During the Prothean empire, scientists only found bones of the Inusannon. Liara can ask Javik other questions, but the Prothean will quickly lose interest, and walk away from her, lost in memory.

Later, this fixation with Ilos plays a part in Javik's epilogue, as he may return to the planet either to kill himself, or to teach Liara T'Soni a comprehensive history of his people.

The mission “The Hidden Wards” is the last of four missions involving Prothean A.I-gathering for the Crucible. After discovering the entrance to the wards and scouting further into the mazes of old, hidden rooms, Javik  will become excited when he senses active Prothean technology. Against Shepard's orders the emperor will race ahead to a chamber where the cryogenic tubes of the Prothean scientists from Ilos are housed. Overjoyed, he opens the cryo chambers, only to discover that the Protheans inside are already dead, having died several centuries ago from prolonged exposure to cryo-sleep. Devastated, Javik becomes even more bitter and isolated than before. Later, Liara/Kelly can be motivated (by Shepard) to speak with the Prothean, in an attempt to make him feel better. In Liara's case, it may lead to her becoming romantically interested in him.

 

Personality Traits:

Though he was an brilliant tactician, and fair ruler (by Prothean standards) during his time as emperor, Javik is undeniably arrogant, bitter, and cold. He initially views most races in the current cycle as being little more than animals who can talk – except for the asari, whom he sees as a wise race which wasted its potential. Javik strongly believes that the asari people should have dominated all other alien races, and ruled with imperialist force.

 

Throughout the story of Mass Effect 3, characters that first interact with each other (Shepard included) often shake hands. In Javik's time, making physical contact during a greeting was insulting, as the Prothean Cipher implanted in most of his kind meant that anyone could, upon first touch, exchange knowledge. Protheans felt that physical contact should only be done between family members, friends, and people that were trusted within a given social circle. The Prothean emperor is therefore surprised to learn that the concept of shaking hands is not taboo in the modern cycle, and he uses – perhaps even abuses – the expectancy to shake hands as often as possible as a way to gauge the character of any individual. The more renown Javik becomes throughout the story, the more new NPCs will wise up to Javik's intensions when the Prothean extends his hand in greeting, and refuse the physical exchange of pleasantries (politely).

 

Javik dislikes most of the Normandy crew initially, but as the story progresses, he will respect-- and even like some characters.

Javik respects Garrus, and approves of Garrus's role as Archangel.

Javik likes Talon. The Prothean sees the batarians as a ruthless but strong people who should have done more to secure their place in the galaxy. While Javik disapproves of Talon's profession as a pirate and slaver (two things that were not tolerated in his empire) he approves of her cunning and tactics.

Javik will eventually feel sorry for Kal/Tali, for he is able to relate to the quarian people's lost home-world of Rannoch. He initially disapproves of the quarians' methods of relying so heavily on machines – when they could have relied more heavily on their cybernetics.

Javik will despise EDI as little more than a walking tin can. Eventually he can grow to respect her technical prowess, but will never be convinced that she is a “living” entity.

Javik will fear and despise Legion (the only squad member with which the Prothean shows poorly concealed fear). Legion believes this is because Javik has never experienced something so “alien” to organic concepts of life – even more alien than EDI. Javik never relays his actual concerns with the geth to Shepard.

Javik eventually sees James, Kaidan, and Ashley as respectable warriors, though the Prothean starts out seeing them as being human warriors with a naïve sense of morality and justice.

Javik actually enjoys the company of Thane. The two have much in common, and while Javik is certainly far more arrogant than the assassin, the two still enjoy conversing over philosophy and religion. Javik sees the drell exodus from the planet of Rakhana as being a tragedy. In his time, before the Reapers came, the Prothean claims that several of the empire's grandest worlds succumbed to overpopulation, and over pollution – things that were eventually fixed when his [Javik's] great grandfather imposed a “mandatory population cap” for many nations.

Javik senses that Grunt is genetically perfect, and imbued with the instincts of krogan battle masters stretching back thousands of years. He approves of Grunt's strong genes, and looks forward to seeing if the young warrior will live up to Okeer's ideals.

Javik distrusts Kasumi, believing that she is nothing more than a thief. He believes  that she spends too much time fixated on the death of her lover, Keiji. If Shepard tells Kasumi this, she will seek out a relationship with Jacob in the epilogue.

Javik respects, and even likes Wrex. He is impressed with the krogan's ability to rule over a planet of strong willed people.

Javik thinks Wreav is a weak krogan ruler, slow to adapt and not fit to lead the krogan to greater goals.

Javik thinks Zaeed is powerful but careless. The two do not trust each other, and upon first meeting in the Normandy's halls Zaeed pulls his gun on the Prothean (in the shock of never having met the Prothean before). Shepard intervenes and prevents the conflict from escalating. Never-the-less the two veterans keep a wary eye on each other.

Javik sees Samara as the epitome of “asari-wasted-potential”. He is fascinated by her combat instincts and power, but highly unimpressed with the fact that her intelligence and education are stemmed against a justicar code. Samara is equally unimpressed with him.

Javik doesn't trust Morinth. He feels that she is attempting to hiding more than just her “blatantly obvious” Ardat-Yakshi mutation from him. The Prothean suspects that Morinth has done things so horrific and perverted that she is secretly ashamed.

Javik dislikes Joker. According to the Prothean, Jeff should not be in charge of piloting such an important ship and valuable crew because of his brittle bone disease. Joker constantly insults the Prothean, who does not understand the pilot's jokes.

Javik neither understands nor likes Jack. The foul mouthed biotic is like no human the Prothean has ever met, and he senses that the pain and suffering she faced in the past – but doesn't understand why Jack insists on being a social outcast, rather than a figure of social perseverance.

Javik “approves” of Miranda. Her genetic modifications are something that the Protheans initially intended for all humanity in their early inhabitation of Mars.

Javik likes Jacob. He sees him as a competent warrior – strong willed and never boasting despite his talents. He believes that Jacob's habit of keeping personal problems to himself is a valuable trait.

Javik likes Mordin/Wiks. He finds the salarian's combination quick wits and combat experience to be a potent mix.

Javik likes Randall Ezno. He sees the ex-Cerberus agent's willingness to implant himself as similar to Protheans who once genetically implanted their entire species with Ciphers, to attain civilization-spanning knowledge. He believes that the future of all organic life will revolve around such cybernetic implants-- to make computers and many machines relatively obsolete.

Javik's interactions with Liara is complicated, and depends largely on Shepard approving/disapproving of Liara's advice on whether she should seek a romantic relationship with the Prothean that she half idolizes, half detests (assuming of course Shepard is not in a relationship with Liara at the time). In the beginning however, Javik finds Liara and her breathlessly endless questions to be annoying. As it turns out, Liara's questions of Prothean culture remind him of a world that is forever beyond his reach. Liara's relationship with Javik can arguably have the biggest result in his character arch throughout the story.

Javik does not understand the need for Kelly Chambers. In his time, the physical exchange of data meant that individuals could know each other instantly upon contact. The idea of talking out his inner fears and concerns is a primitive and uninteresting task that the Prothean believes is beneath him.

Javik approves of Steven Cortez and his knowledge of guns.

Javik approves of Samantha Traynor. Her cunning and skill in chess rival his own (in his time there was a game similar to chess – so he quickly adapted to the modern cycle's equivalent). He believes she would make a good soldier, if she was a braver human.

On an interesting note, Javik is considered highly attractive to many asari. Mordin/Wiks theorizes that the same effect of attraction that asari have on humans, salarians, and turians, the Protheans had on the asari during their initial studies of Thessia. This would explain why the asari worshipped the ancient aliens as gods, rather than fearing them as demons. Often when Javik is alone on the Citadel, asari will come up and flirt with him (to no effect). Javik does not understand the concept of “flirting”. The Protheans ignorance of cultural mating habits is made most clear after the mission “Retake Omega”. After Shepard helps Aria retake Omega – assuming that Shepard left her in power – Aria (and Aleena, if present) will delight in sexually harassing Javik. The Prothean is confused by their innuendo (euphemisms he can't relate to), and annoyed when Aria/Aleena suggests that he “come somewhere quieter” with her. His confusion only makes Aria and Aleena more amused.

*Note: I did not add the bit about Aria/Aleena's attraction to the Prothean lightly. Initially I remembered old Conan the Barbarian comics – how the barbarian kings would often be depicted sitting semi bored on their thrones, and ogling at their female guests or slaves (often scantly clad) during some party. I saw Aria as the equivalent of a (female) barbarian king -- bored and slouching on her “throne” in Afterlife -- and Javik as the cold but innocent stand-in for a buxom female warrior that the king – or in this case queen -- is eyeing.

 

Prothean History:

The Protheans, contrary to popular belief, were not a benevolent and peaceful species. They were hardened imperialists, and only near the end of their civilization did they begin to uplift other primitive aliens to join their empire. According to Javik, the first space faring Prothean empire took pride in wiping out the few near-space faring aliens active as a means to sate a “public thirst for violence”-- not unlike the krogan. Later, the empire  formed several solar systems of separate republics – though these were financially maintained by a few ancient Prothean dynasties.  

Towards the end of their reign, the Protheans were deep into a two thousand year (and counting) age of peace and economic stability. They began to observe and genetically alter aliens to see which species would best serve their empire. In the end, the Protheans focused on the asari for their uniform appearance, genetics, and abilities – all things that were appreciated by the ancient aliens. But before they could become deeply engraved in asari culture the Reapers returned to the galaxy for their 50,000 year harvest of organic life. The Prothean's hastily left the planet of Thessia to protect the primitive asari who were little more than tribal peoples that used basic forms of language for communication, and hunted with stones and spears. Thousands of years later the asari would remember the Protheans as goddesses, and adapted ancient religions around worshipping these beings.