James Vega
James Vega is a male video game character who features in Mass Effect.
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Biography
James Vega was a male human born on Earth as a citizen of the Systems Alliance in the 22nd century.
He came to join the Systems Alliance Marines at Camp Pendleton in 2176 following the encouragement of his uncle, Emilio Vega. Upon returning home, his father Joshua Sanders sends him to pick up a package in San Diego. After obtaining the package from a shady dealer, the police move in and pursue James across the city. James escapes by slipping into a restaurant and blending in with the staff. After bringing the package of drugs to his father, James' dreams of a military career are almost dashed when Josh threatens to tell the military what he did that night so that James will be forced to stay with him and serve as his errand boy. Later, Emilio finds James on the beach outside his home and reveals he knew what happened, and that Josh would not dare talk to the military because he would implicate himself in the drug deal. Emilio told James that only he could choose how to live his life. James goes on to be accepted by the Alliance and becomes a Marine. Early in his career, Vega was stationed on the remote colony of Fehl Prime with Delta Squad that were an Alliance special forces unit where they protected the colonists from Blood Pack mercenaries. When the Collectors attack, determined to capture the population, Vega and his squad were tasked with protecting the civilians.
Some time after the aftermath on Fehl Prime, Vega takes up residence in Omega playing cards in bars. During a game, a broadcast regarding Commander Sheppard's actions and the galaxy's reactions airs on a nearby vidscreen. As a reporter relates how Batarians officials have called for Shepard's head, Vega calmly tears the screen off the wall, telling the bartender to pay for the damages with his winnings. The group of batarians he has been playing cards with take umbrage at the act, accusing Vega of being a "Shepard Lover". The Marine proceeds to defend himself against the attacking batarians with the damaged screen and a knife before escaping. Midway through his escape, he encounters Admiral Anderson. The Admiral comments on the difficulty he endured while trying to find Vega, and orders the Lieutenant to clean up and follow him. Anderson tells Vega to "get over" the incident on Fehl, and reveals that he has a job for Vega. Vega promptly refuses, claiming he doesn't wish to do so and defiantly demands why Anderson simply doesn't toss him into the brig and be done with it. Anderson explains that Vega's job is close, as he has recruited the Marine to guard the brig and its sole prisoner: Commander Shepard.
James Vega was tasked to escort Shepard to an Alliance defense committee hearing, but the hearing is interrupted when the Reapers attack Earth. Vega and Ashley/Kaidan (depending on who survived Virmire) retrieve the Normandy and pick Shepard up from Earth; Anderson convinces Shepard to leave Earth until Shepard can gather allies from the other races. Vega, however, is displeased with this decision and does not wish to leave Earth; unfortunately for him, Shepard overrules him since with their current resources they cannot realistically drive the Reapers away from the Earth at the time. Vega is still displeased but lets the matter drop in favor of professionalism. The first time Shepard visits James Vega in the Shuttle Bay after returning to the Normandy from the Citadel, Vega and Shepard will eventually get into a sparring match, during which Vega reveals that his old CO, Captain Toni, a "hard-assed son of a bitch" but a "good leader" in Vega's words, was killed along with most of Vega's squad while the squad was protecting a civilian colony from a Collector attack. The leadership vacuum left by Captain Toni falling in battle was left to Vega himself, and Vega had to make a choice between saving the colony or saving the intel the squad had recovered that could be used to destroy the Collectors. Vega chose to save the intel, but found out far too late that his choice was rendered completely unnecessary since Shepard managed to destroy the Collector threat without the intel Vega saved, which meant that Vega allowed the colony to die for nothing. In the present during the sparring match, Shepard expresses worry that Vega is blaming himself unnecessarily for what happened to the colony, and Shepard believes, based on Vega's reckless stunt with the shuttle back on Mars, that because of his guilt Vega has ceased to care whether he lives or dies. Shepard advises Vega that he needs to get past that past incident and stay focused. After Shepard invites Vega to captain's cabin using the intercom, Vega will explain that he has been approached with an offer from the Systems Alliance to undergo N7 training. However, Vega is unsure whether or not to accept the offer since N7 training is a lot of work, and Vega humbly wonders why he was even approached, given his past failure, hence the private conversation. Shepard can either encourage Vega to go for it without hesitation or tell him that such a decision should not be taken lightly.
During a mission on Mars, after Shepard and Ashley/Kaidan reunite with Liara, Shepard sends Vega outside the Mars facility so that Vega can cut Cerberus off if they succeed in escaping with the Prothean data. This turns out to be a wise move; Dr. Eva Coré, revealed to be a Cerberus mole, does indeed manage to get outside the facility with at least part of the Prothean data, but when she attempts to leave by shuttle, Vega crashes his own shuttle into hers, preventing her escape. Eva, further revealed to be a synthetic in the crash, is disabled by Shepard in time, and the Commander orders the squad to take the machine back with them. Vega complies, slinging the robot over his shoulder and dumping it in the medbay outside the AI Core. Later on the Citadel, upon noticing how quiet and peaceful the Citadel is, only because the races living here are isolated from the Reaper threat and almost don't believe it's real, Vega finally admits that leaving Earth was the correct decision for Shepard to make. The other races need, in Vega's opinion, a wake-up call, and staying on Earth would not have accomplished such a thing. Vega normally loiters in the Shuttle Bay by a weapons bench, occasionally bantering with his good friend Steve Cortez over topics of interest. The first time Shepard visits Vega in the Shuttle Bay, James is doing some pull-ups using the overhead bars in his turf. Depending on how far along Shepard is on the track to saving the galaxy, Vega's reactions run the whole gamut. Immediately after Shepard debriefs the Council about the Crucible, getting the usual noncommittal and unhelpful responses and being informed they have to rescue a turian primarch from Palaven, James reveals he's never been to the turian homeworld. If he was doing pull-ups by the time Garrus is welcomed aboard, he says he'll take Shepard's word about the turian for it as he can't tell turians apart. If EDI's got herself a shiny robot body, Vega asks instead if Shepard was "shitting" him, and his Commander replies "I shit you not." If Shepard is male, James poses the question if he's just there to inform him about EDI. If Shepard delays talking to him for much farther, James wonders instead what the Commander is doing below decks with the "grunts", voicing aloud he was starting to think Shepard doesn't like him. If Shepard really delayed in talking to him, the first thing Vega asks the Commander is if they "took a wrong turn at the elevator", by now firmly thinking Shepard didn't know or cared to know where to find him. Whatever the circumstances of their first meet, they eventually get into a sparring match, where James gives a brief summary of his activities before joining the Normandy. If Shepard really refrained from talking to him James promises to go easy, "just in case."
Overview
Personality and attributes
A tough fighter, and talented soldier with a deep loyalty to Commander Shepard who was always reliable on any mission.
Vega was a little politically naive which could make him a bit short-sighed. Though an experienced soldier, he was unfamiliar with the seedy underbelly and political workings of the galaxy.
Powers and abilities
Vega was born an ordinary human being with no special inherent abilities or powers.
As a Systems Alliance citizen, he came to join the military and became a Marine reaching the rank of Lieutenant. His skill led him to be assigned to Alliance Spec Ops Team Delta. Afterwards, he came to join the ranks of the N7 Special Forces.
Notes
- James Vega was created by BioWare where he was voiced by actor Freddie Prinze, Jr. and featured in the setting of Mass Effect universe.
In other media
Films
- In Mass Effect: Paragon Lost, James Vega appeared in the setting of the 2012 anime film where he was voiced by actor Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Comics
Appearances
- Mass Effect 3:
- Mass Effect: Paragon Lost:
External Links
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