Arcturus Station

Arcturus Station is a human space station located in the Euler system, Arcturus Stream. It is the capital of the Systems Alliance, home to both its parliament and the headquarters of the Alliance Navy, built before contact with the Citadel. It is where David Anderson is first introduced into the story, Mass Effect: Revelation, after graduating from the N7 program at the Academy there.

Structure

Arcturus Station is a 5-kilometer diameter Stanford Torus-type space station, at the trailing Lagrange point (L₅) of the gas giant Themis. Construction on Arcturus Station began in 2151 and concluded in 2162, utilising many metal-rich asteroids that remain nearby, housing transient populations. Arcturus Station was inaugurated in 2156, and has served as the military and political headquarters of the Systems Alliance since the First Contact War. Arcturus Station currently has a permanent population of 45,000, and is where Joker grew up before joining the Academy.

Function

As the headquarters of the Alliance military, Arcturus Station is the command center of the fleet, and is conveniently located at the nexus of several mass relays. Furthermore, it guards the mass relay leading to Earth. Arcturus's centralized location makes it an ideal choke point for defense as well as a jumping-off point for further exploration. It also serves as a shipyard, as the dreadnought SSV Aconcagua was constructed there.

Admiral Hackett commands the Fifth Fleet from Arcturus, and provides several missions to Commander Shepard throughout the course of the game.

Mass Effect: Evolution

After the conclusion of the First Contact War, General Desolas Arterius arrives to exchange prisoners with General Williams, with his brother Saren. After exchanging words with Williams, he releases Jack Harper and Eva Coré, and is promptly tackled by the latter. Saren pulls Eva off, and Desolas mentions to Saren to be careful with her. He turns to his bodyguards and beings speaking in an unknown language. Harper overhears and appears to understand, which catches Desolas' attention. Desolas then turns his attention back to Williams mentions to him that under the circumstances, he says that it is only right to take the prisoners back. Williams says that he has had them long enough and tells the turians to get off the station. Desolas tries to get one last scan of Harper before leaving but is denied.

After the turians leave, Williams and Harper talk in a medical bay about what happened. Williams mentions that a lot of people got left behind and that the Alliance now wants to play nice, even though they were on the edge of victory. Williams continues by telling Harper that he is resigning but tells him that he shouldn't. Jack says that after what he saw he can't resign. Williams then gives Jack and Eva his personal shuttle to find out more. While Eva and Jack are boarding the shuttle Jack collapses on the boarding ramp and after Eva helps him up, Jack admits to the vision he had before he woke on the turian ship. He and Eva then depart for Illium.

Mass Effect 3

Arcturus Station is destroyed by the Reapers following their return to the galaxy and conquest of Earth. It is unknown if the Alliance Parliament was evacuated prior to the station's destruction, and what the casualty total is.

Trivia

• The fleet stationed at Arcturus was intended to be the First Fleet. Admiral Hackett and the Fifth Fleet were to be stationed out of the Citadel - this is why Rear Admiral Mikhailovich shows up there to annoy Shepard. Due to lack of coordination between the writers, this point was muddled in the final game.