A/N: Hello y'all, welcome to my newest, and most ambitious, story. This has been in plans for almost a year and finally, it has been released. Many of you may have read Battle of Ludilmis, a prequel of this story. You don't have to read it in order to understand this, but it's up to you if you still want to.

DarkDanny has been helping, and complaining, so I can release this fic. Hope y'all check his new story, also an AU, called Uplifted, really badass. Anyway, hope you like this and make sure to leave a comment after you are done reading.

On a side note, Shepard is indeed in this story (he is the heir to the throne of Rome.)

Chapter 1

Tali'Zorah Vas Terra was incredibly upset. Why was she being forced to marry that... that… buffoon? Sure, she was a woman that did her best to help her species, but this was just excessive. It wasn't her fault that hackers and idiots had gotten to the documents from the Morning War and released them like free candy.

"You know you have to tend to our problems Tali'Zorah." Admiral Rael'Zorah reprimanded her with steel creeping into his voice ever so slightly. "This moronic rift between our governments must cease to exist."

The quarian young woman growled. "But why me? Why should I marry Aulus?"

"Because you are the top choice, we are known my child, throughout space, and this will strengthen relations between our races."

Admiral Rael'Zorah was heavily known throughout Triarchy Space. A fierce man, he led a scout fleet against several pirate ships and gained a crushing victory. Despite being a good military leader, Rael specialized as a scientist, being one of Cerberus' most powerful members. He has had a great friendship with the Roman emperor, Julius Calpurnius I, since the age of eight. And that was the problem.

"Our government ties will be honored through you my dear, and I know what you are thinking but keep in mind that you are doing this for all of your people, and humanity too, as a whole."

Tali just sighed and sat down on the couch. She knew a lot of humans, even developed good friendships with some of them; they were very friendly towards quarians. However, Aulus was something else…

"Aulus is an arrogant and selfish idiot who just brags about his status to all around him." She shook her head, remembering his bullying at the academy. "And his friends, especially Kal, are no different."

Her father sighed. "They are good people Tali, no matter how they behave, raised in the highest standards of their society. Remember what is expected of you."

She shook her head. "I just want to live life and do something to… make you proud."

Rael smiled. "I know." He walked towards the living room and brought a picture. "When you were born, I was the happiest man alive." He shook his head. "No one could take away my smile, you were so beautiful, even the Roman Emperor himself declared that you would be the most beautiful quarian woman alive."

The man laughed out loud. "It is no wonder his eyes were set on you to become his son's wife."

She smiled at her father's words. Indeed, she did have a good relationship with the Roman emperor. He was a very polite man, and he was very close to several quarians. He was just like his ancestor Flavius Sergius I, a man who grew to like quarians and make friendship among them. Sergius ended up living in Rannoch after all. However, Aulus was too different; he was like the incarnation of an evil spirit.

"So the marriage is off?" She asked, hopeful, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes. Tali knew her efforts were in vain but tried to put some humor in the exchange.

The elder quarian chuckled. "Keelah, you are just like your mother." He sat down next to her. "I know this is very tough on you, but the marriage will happen in a year." He looked into her eyes, trying to be straight up with his only child. "Remember Tali, many people are looking on us for leadership and prosperity, and we must give that to them."

She sighed, loudly. Thinking it over and over until she found out there was nothing she could do, she said, "Fine… just, tell mother that I don't want her going all butterflies with the decorations."

Rael laughed. "Point taken, my child."

"Aulus, you slippery bastard, where have you been?" Colonel Kal'Sixtus Vas Terra greeted his best friend.

The human smiled at the quarian and nodded at the bartender, "You know what to give me pal."

"You got it." The other human behind the table replied with a nod.

Sitting in one of the stools and shaking his head, he looked at his best friend since children studies. "You know man, forced marriages suck."

Kal laughed out loud while taking hold of his drink. "Well, you are doing it for the cause my man."

"Shut the hell up." The human groaned. "I am marrying that nerd bitch who refused to give us the answers for the algorithms final."

"TALI'ZORAH!" His eyes were wide. "Aulus … are you serious?"

Aulus nodded somberly. "The very same, can't believe my father would put me up with this damn calamity."

"Come on, can't be that bad." His best friend retorted, an amused smile on his face. "At least you are not like Firat, dating the most awful bitches in the galaxy."

"That is because he is an idiot." Aulus actually smiled at the memories of their friend Firat. The drell was a great man, but he was as hopeless as a turian without a gun regarding women.

Kal chuckled. "Most likely, yeah." The quarian raised human then looked at his friend. "It seems not too long ago we got wasted in our last class of senior year huh?"

"Indeed." Aulus smiled warmly at the memory. "The drell teacher was furious but… heh it was just awesome, how forty people managed to get drunk in an hour is beyond me." He looked at his friend, his eyes full of amusement. "Still, worth every lick of alcohol."

The two engaged in banter until Aulus felt the alcohol making him even more talkative than usual. They began to discuss the events that put the son of the emperor in this mess.

"It is nobody's fault that three centuries ago scientists were murdered to cover up this stupid shit." Aulus growled. "The idiots that ordered it are all dead by now."

"Well, you could have some dwemer walking out there."

"I know they can live over five centuries but come on! This is old!"

Relations between the Roman Empire and the Quarian Republic had reached a low point in recent months due to uncovered leaks that the geth tried to negotiate for peace during the war. Quarian senators in the Triarchy refused to come up with an answer, while the Roman senators dodged the subject. The dwemer did not even bother to give a look at the reporters, them being one of the three races that desired the complete destruction of the geth at all costs.

Some people were up in arms against the governments for keeping that information secret and allowing for countless lives to be lost in the war. Politicians saw this as an excuse to fight back against the recent purges and changes in the main Triarchy Army. The date of the reunion with the geth "diplomat" was in 1910. The war raged until 1936. Countless millions were lost, yet, they achieved victory. Hard fought at that.

In order to stabilize the situation and not risk further political turmoil, Admiral Rael'Zorah and Emperor Julius Calpurnius I decided that marriage and union between their races would be the best solution. The old bastards were best friends and comrades in arms, so it was only a matter of time.

Aulus shook his head and was about to speak when his eyes caught a beautiful specimen of the quarian race in the dancing floor. Nice face, excellent body and good hips…. just wow… she looked young too.

"Hey Kal." He called to his friend, his eyes still on the prey. "Who is that beauty over there?"

The quarian best friend narrowed his eyes at the nameless female dancing. "Shit man, I have no idea, never seen her before." He shook his head and shrugged.

For a few minutes, they were silent as Aulus admired her while Kal just looked at other wonderful specimens. Some of the dwemer women dancing there were incredibly attractive. Aulus knew his friend had a thing for dwemer females.

"Bet you a thousand denarii you can't get her to bed today." Kal finally spoke.

"Only one way to find out then." Aulus smirked as he left his stool, his friend in tow behind him. "Kal, get a girl to dance, I'll get that sweet pumpkin."

Nodding, Kal went up to a dwemer girl and got her to dance in about three seconds. Aulus smirked at his best friend and made his way towards the quarian. "Hey."

The quarian lady turned to look at him, sizing him up and down. "Hello."

Both started dancing to the music. "You know, never seen you here before." Aulus began. "Makes me wonder if you are a foreigner."

"Yes, indeed I am."

The accent came up, and Aulus picked on it. "Rannoch huh? Nice." He began to brag. "Been there before, nice planet, but the best part is the hunting of ildohes, very good sport indeed."

Rolling her eyes, the quarian replied, "Yeah, I heard of that being a good tourism spot for humans."

"What is a good looking lady like you doing here anyway? Problems with the man at home?"

"No, just trying to avoid idiots like you on the way, guess it didn't work."

Aulus smirked. He liked this woman, it was no secret he had this 'weird fetish,' as Kal had said before, on fierce women. "Ah... sorry to hear that honey, but here, I am the best you can get." Eyeing her up, he added. "It's not that you are trying to avoid men with that outfit anyway."

"Then I am disappointed."

He laughed. "Oh? Why the defensiveness darling? We are just having fun."

The woman rolled her eyes once again. "I know you humans, but I never expected someone so arrogant."

"Ohhhh." Kal bellowed amusingly, dancing closely with a dwemer woman. "Careful Aulus, she is fiery."

The quarian lady's eyes widened slightly. "Aulus? As in the emperor's son?" No wonder, she had recognized his face from somewhere, but couldn't remember from where exactly.

"The very same." He smirked arrogantly. "Aren't you proud of being with me here?"

"No." She smiled mischievously. "Just disappointed you turned out to be quite the idiot, feel bad for the Roman State."

Aulus laughed once again, hard this time. "Damn girl, what can I do to change your opinion on me?"

"Dancing better would be a start."

Taking her hips and looking into her eyes, he replied, "That I can do."

Both danced wildly at the electronic music that plagued the club. The owner, an old dwemer war veteran from the Morning War, constantly ranted about how crappy the music got by the year. Still, this was good. Quarian electronic music groups were quite common and very well regarded by the Roman and dwemer public. Right now, Rannoch's Finest played, and they were in the top charts, even on Terra and Tzarzus.

Aulus inched closer to the quarian by the minute, and she did not stop him at all. Taking advantage, he began to make moves in order to kiss her, but the woman was smart, and dodged them while chuckling at the sound of the music flowing around them like electricity.

Hard to get women were like magnets for Aulus. If his society status and fame did not help him get one, he would do anything in order to feel like the best damn guy in the fucking galaxy that he wanted to be. One of his ex – girlfriends had called him an 'arrogant brute,' which amused him since he wasn't yet acted like it to drive them away, then get another one, better than the last.

After a while, both Aulus and the quarian woman went to the stools, ordered a few drinks and chatted for a while.

"Did you hear?" Aulus snickered while eyeing up a batarian in the dance floor. "There is a massive revolution in the Batarian Hegemony."

The quarian nodded. "Yes, quite dramatic for such an oppressive government."

"Hah." The human nodded while laughing. "Slavery finally bit them back in their asses it seems."

"Didn't you have slavery in your past human?"

"What? Now quarians are saints and didn't have slavery in their past too lady?"

She scowled at him. "Yes we did, but only for a short time."

"Then don't go bragging about it, all races have their dark little secrets, quarians are no exception, trust me on that."

For a while, silence befell on them. Aulus continued drinking while his friend Kal danced with the dwemer girl, said woman squealing at the ex-jock from school.

"You never told me your name." The Roman said with a serious face, but his eyes had curiosity and amusement.

"Daro." She replied. "All you need to know Aulus."

He nodded, though his eyes were filled with amusement. "Works for me, babe."

Again, awkward silence fell. Aulus shook his head at the woman. 'Didn't know quarian women could be so damn complicated… but a bet is a bet, Kal will so owe me some after this, if only there….'

"Would you like to go to my room?" Daro's sudden question lingered in the air, and Aulus smirked. It worked after all. His charm had won once again.

"Of course… my lady."

Kal laughed at this and leaned down, whispering on the woman he had in his arms. She nodded, with a slight blush on her cheeks. The quarian laughed and bit softly one of her long ears, making Aulus chuckle.

Emperor Logrodax growled. "I am not going to support those four eyed beasts."

The dwemer were known to have a cold relationship with the Batarian Hegemony, now suffering a bloody civil war. This conflict had been in the making for decades. Influence from the Triarchy finally caught up to them, and armies started seizing control of colonies, engulfing half of the Terminus Systems into full scale war.

"We won't." Emperor Julius said. "But we have to give them something in order to not lose their trade partnership; it's been helping us a lot."

The quarian in the room nodded at the human. "I second what Julius said, we must give them some kind of message through the press in order to not lose their trade." He sighed. "If we lose the revenues we've been getting from selling them weapons and food supplies, we will be in quite an economic recession."

"Do what you want." Logrodax shook his head, sitting and looking at the fireplace, built by his ancestors centuries earlier. "But I am not sending anything to help them, and that is final."

"Why?" Julius argued. "If we send help to the rebels, we could get a fully progressive ally, something that the damn asari and the stupid salarians couldn't do with them, for centuries!"

Logrodax chuckled. "You can kiss their arse as much as you want, but my people won't move a single finger."

"I could tell Mirnia to change your mind…." Rael teased.

The human laughed. "I would like to see that."

Once again, Logrodax growled at them. "Leave her out of this."

"Come on." Julius laughed. "You kiss the turians' asses at every turn, and you say we do the same with the batarians, so here is the deal." The Roman got up and started pacing the room. "We could send military advisors and info to the resistance, that would help stabilize the frontlines for a while."

"What about desertion?" Rael raised an eyebrow. "The Batarian Armed Forces have been suffering from it ever since the conflict started, that will help the resistance in the long run, so not only would they stabilize the frontlines but also win the war."

The dwemer nodded. "They would only need technological superiority and money." He chuckled. "Which those stupid and ignorant slavers don't have, and I am not willing to provide."

"Last time I checked, they are fighting for that to end, Logrodax." Julius replied with a satisfied smirk.

"And we must do something with Dolos Agrippa." Rael scowled, changing the subject dramatically. "That little bosh'tet is up to something."

Julius shrugged. "We can't kill or silence him, all we can do is ignore the man."

The other man in the room shook his head. "That man is trying to put our power on the ropes, thanks to him and countless progressive idiots, we've been losing ground in politics for the past few decades." Logrodax looked at Rael. "Dolos can go eat dirt for all I care, I just want to solve this crap with the batarians, once and for all."

"We can't intervene directly." The roman quickly replied. "That will bring a lot of fire from the Citadel races and the Turian Alliance, and then the batarians." He grabbed his chin. "No… this will be solved by the batarians themselves, with a little invisible hand patting their back."

Rael nodded. "Let us give it some time, then we intervene. The senate won't do anything, they are afraid of angering our people and the batarian mob."

"I agree." Logrodax sighed. "Whatever it takes, my people will help those idiots achieve some kind of decency after centuries of idiocy."

Aulus smirked as he departed Daro's apartment. He was impressed with the quarian, even tempted to call her back once his meetings with the military finished.

He was trained and mentored by several individuals throughout his life. First, his mother, basic education and language, he learned khelish, tzurish and latin. After that, his father took over and beat to him manners and customs of the royal court.

Fresh out of adolescent education, Aulus was trained by Urdnot Wrex in combat and biotics. The Roman Emperor's heir was already trained in it, though Wrex beat to him the best for a vanguard, a class Aulus fit into with ease.

Throughout his education, he became best friends with a group of people; Kal'Sixtus, Domak Kagrenac and Firat Morfios, aka 'The Frog.' Those three became his brothers in arms and overall best friends, especially Kal. They were known for their pranks and overall superiority to all students during their academy years.

Kal… raised by Roman parents, both high ranking members of the Legion, Aulus saw him as a very able soldier, knew of his no nonsense attitude and supreme loyalty to his family, friends and the army. A best friend for Aulus, Kal was simply a tough fucker. The Roman shook his head as he opened the door to his apartment. They became instant friends after Aulus protected Kal from bullies in their very early years of education.

Now… Domak, the dwemer. Aulus grinned. He was a direct descendant of the original high emperors of the Kleidonic Empire, also a famed architect and close friend of both Kal and Aulus. Famous for dating quarian and human women, all celebrities and his greatest creation, Fort Nova Gaul Blackreach, being the most advanced military structure in the galaxy. A powerful friend worth keeping.

He remembered that particular class when the yahg extinction was discussed and that nerd bitch was humiliated…

Flashback

Aulus and his gang were in class, ready to hear about the aftermath of the Galactic War. Kal was bragging about his dwemer girlfriend while Domak and Firat were snickering at some cute human girl, who was blushing at their gazes on her.

"Now, let us see why there was a lot of controversy after the Galactic War people, pay attention, take some notes on your data pads and…. well, enjoy."

Video began playing, showing a room with several high ranking generals. It really looked like they were discussing something important. Aulus rolled his eyes. The narrator then began.

"After the war with the Citadel, the Triarchy took a serious stance on potential threats. The geth were deemed exterminated and the Citadel species too weak to fight again. The quarians, by looking on asari secret archives, discovered that contact with an aggressive species had taken place. Consummate predators, the yahg possessed unrivaled perceptiveness and mental adaptability. Identified as the yahg, this race was deemed extremely dangerous even by the turians.

Several meetings took place among the top military officers of the Triarchy, all fearing of a future potential threat from this species. The Romans stressed that a demilitarized zone be put on the Parnack System. Top dwemer politicians supported the Roman stance on the issue, while the quarians thought of ignoring the yahg as the best solution.

A fleet, led by Admiral Thurdamz Eleki, was sent to Parnack in order to start demilitarized efforts on June 2089. This fleet was full of seasoned officers, all veterans of the Galactic War that shook the galaxy a few decades earlier.

However, Thurdamz, defying the Triarchy decision on the issue, ordered a full scale bombardment on the planet. Experimental weapons developed by the main species of the Triarchy were used in the first hours. Within twenty four hours, over fifty percent of the native population of the planet was wiped out. The senate, alarmed, sent Arcanii agents to arrest Admiral Thurdamz under charges of disobeying executive orders and crimes against sentient species.

Despite the arrest of Thurdamz three days after the bombardment began, the yahg were completely obliterated. Nuclear weapons, stockpiled by the dwemer and Romans for centuries, were unleashed on the planet hours before the Arcanii arrived on the scene. By June 23, the yahg were extinct and a full fleet of the Triarchy grounded.

Numerous arrests were made and a full uproar from the liberal parties in several colonies began in protest for the destruction of a whole race. The Dwemer State of Affairs refused to comment on the issue, with Lord Kagrenac saying that actions would be taken against this "calamity."

The Roman Senate in Terra condemned the attack and urged Triarchy senators to fix the situation. Urdnot Wrex supported Admiral Thurdamz' decision and refused to send his Krogan Shock Troopers after fears of the fleet revolting became quite common.

Drell Union officials, alongside quarian and Roman senators, condemned the attack and urged authorities for a proper punishment on Admiral Thurdamz.

Finally, the fleet was taken to Edus Primus and replaced by the Second Prime Scout Fleet, led by Admiral Elmia'Durez Vas Rannoch. She refused to comment on the issue but stressed that her fleet would guard the system from marauders and treasure hunters.

Admiral Thurdamz was trialed and sentenced to life in prison by a military tribunal composed of two humans, two quarians, two dwemer and a drell and krogan each. Three years after this, he vanished and was presumed dead. The Dwemer Empire apologized in a statement shortly after the sentence of Thurdamz and agreed to a revision on all its officers."

Just as the video ended, Aulus laughed while the class snickered. "Hey sir, at least we got rid of potential krogan wannabes."

The whole class erupted into laughter as the dwemer teacher shook his head sadly. "Calpurnius, you have ten points deducted from your next test."

"Find the two fucks I give." The Roman muttered as his quarian best friend chuckled. Firat and Domak were laughing at their friend's antics.

Suddenly, a single student rose from her seat and stared at Aulus. The human's eyebrows shot up, interested now in this girl. "And I suppose daddy's boy is in favor of killing innocent races?"

Immediately, the room descended into a painful silence. The son of the emperor's eyes widened momentarily at the sudden outburst from the seemingly quiet nerd girl. His three friends just stared at the woman.

Aulus smirked. "What about you nerd? Instead of camping in the library, you should have a vacation to Tuchanka, it's all on the house, of course." He winked, mocking her even more.

"That or send her books so she can read about how the yahg were dangerous, but of course, she will probably go engineering on it, and provide a thesis." Kal added in, snarling at the girl. Firat and Domak snickered while the class began to descend into giggles and chuckles.

The quarian girl, also known as Tali'Zorah Vas Terra, had her face completely red. Aulus didn't know if it was out of rage or embarrassment, but it amused him to no end. "You are nothing but ignorant barbarians!" She cried out, much to the surprise of the whole class.

"Stick with books nerd, it fits your ignorance of the world around you." Aulus stared at her, with a malicious smile on his rather handsome face.

Growling, she took her bag and furiously left the class, smashing the door behind her, classmates staring or chuckling after her retreating form.

Some classmates outright laughed then while the teacher just stared at Aulus, not sure what to do with his second brightest student and heir to the Roman throne….

End of Flashback

Aulus shook his head as he entered his private apartment, far away from the busy city life of Nova Londinium. He so much hated Tali'Zorah Vas Terra, yet he always felt like shit when his pranks and bullying finished their job… making her sad.

"I need to relax some more." He also felt like calling his friend Saren and tell him to provide those amazing turian massage ladies that drove his body crazy from time to time.

Dates of Importance in the Imperial Triarchy Codex Part I

1730 – Roman archeologists and miners discover Prothean artifacts on Mars.

1745 – The dwemer make contact with humanity by accidently bumping with human miner ship "Zeus" and soon after establish an embassy on Earth.

1750 – Edus Primus is colonized and claimed by humanity; Feros and New Tarentum soon follow.

1752 – Roman diplomats agree a deal with the dwemer on economic matters.

1753 – The dwemer and humanity sign an economic agreement. Their respective economies grow considerably soon after.

1754 – Humanity makes contact with the quarians through exploration of the Honorius Verge.

1755 – The quarians grow interested in the new species at the galactic scene. Negotiations begin between the quarians, dwemer and humans.

1760 – The quarians establish embassies on Earth and Tzarkus respectively. Technological exchanges begin.

1761 – The quarians sign an economic agreement with the Roman and Dwemer Empires.

1765 – The quarians help both humanity and the dwemer establish diplomatic relations with the Council by acting as intermediaries.

1772 – Humanity establishes an embassy on Rannoch. The dwemer begin construction of an embassy there a few days later. Quarian diplomats agree a deal to sell technology to the Roman Empire, though specifics of the deal are not revealed.

1775 – Humanity and the dwemer stage war games in the Atticus Cluster. Roman general Sixtus Honorius announces several "changes" in the Roman Military.

1779 – Several pirate attacks from pirates and slavers upon dwemer, quarian and human ships enrage Emperor Yurcos Zertaik I. In retaliation, the dwemer destroy an entire fleet of pirates from the Terminus. Zertais then declares "Blue Alert," with patrols and movements of the military increasing dramatically across all dwemer - controlled systems.

1781 – Roman legions destroy key pirate bases and slaver nests in several Roman claimed systems. Arcanii are sent to "stabilize" the situation.

1782 – Dwemer and Roman diplomats engage in negotiations with the Batarian Hegemony.

1783 – Peace accords are signed between the Batarian Hegemony and the Dwemer Empire.

1789 – Dwemer archeologists announce a "marvelous" discovery in their planet related to the Protheans. Roman archeologists are invited to the site.

1803 – The Quarians begin massive research on AIs.

A/N: Each chapter, I will include one part of the timeline so readers are more informed of how the universe is. This is just a pilot of the main story. Depending on the response, I will continue writing. Hope you have enjoyed this so far.