Next chapter will be a bit more interesting than this one but I hope it fills you in on some of the technology the AE has to play with and some of the characters.

But I'm hoping to add more races to the AE and so I want to send a plea to all the Spore players reading. If you have a race you'll let me borrow (I'll give you full credit for them, of course) to help me fill out the AE and its many races. But even if you don't play Spore and have an idea for a race and you're prepared to let me write them into this story, let me know. If you have any pictures or information on your races leave a web address in a review or a PM.

UPDATED: Again, special thanks to the mentioned reviewers from the last chapter for the privilege of letting me write about their creatures.

Sarah

1989 – 2011

Don't Fear the Reaper

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mass Effect / Spore ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manifest Destiny

Chapter One: Plans in Motion

It had taken them months to construct the Stealth and Espionage Vessel, but that had been expected by the Empire technicians. After all, it had taken the Citadel engineers a ridiculous amount of time to understand just how to manipulate the poske muscle fibres which would sculpt the crafts structure and provide protection and power to the electronics. Then they had to learn how the fibres had to be hardened and strengthened to create the ship's armoured hull, but once the Citadel engineers had understood the intricacies of the manipulation process, the project had gone from strength to strength... until they had to learn how the bio-engineered ship could recycle heat into the electric nerve pulses that would supply the Capia's computers and machine with energy. It was like the Citadel races just couldn't think of anything outside that which their sainted forebearers, the Protheans, had produced thousands of years ago. The construction of this experimental ship, the first of its kind, was more like a biology lesson than a technological marvel for the Citadel engineers who had been chosen to observe and participate in the construction of the starship. Toera Quair, the large Common ulie male who was Engineer Alpha and in charge of making sure the Citadel engineers learned all the new technology couldn't help but feel that the Citadel were moochers in that sense. They had relied on the lesson of technology of a dead race and hadn't bothered to even attempt to find their own way, their own path. The turians, the asari, the salarian, elcor, quarians, hanar and every other race in the rest of the galaxy had used mass effect fields and drives since reaching for the stars. The ulies and the races of the Second Arm had been forced to find their own way, their own modes of travel and so had become the stronger because of it. But they could guide the young Citadel races, stop them from making the same mistakes they had made in their Empire's past, like the sacrilege wrought by the Planet Buster and Rqneu.

A young quarian woman came up to him clutching a data pad and handed it to him, the schematics to the ship's systems were before him and showing green on all levels. "We're ready for the system tests, Chief."

"Thank you, Euea'Mertwa, tell the others to withdraw from the Capia and then start the tests. One at a time, I want to take this slowly." The ulie said, handing the data pad back to the quarian. She nodded curtly and returned to her station. Announcing across the comm systems that the tests were to begin in ten minutes and that all engineering teams still stationed on the Capia withdraw from the experimental craft. The ship was named after a great battle from Apher's history, where the sacred Golden Nation fought the cruel Crimson Nation for the great city of Capia, freeing its enslaved Blue Nation citizens and marking the turning point in that dreadful war, the darkest eras the ulies possessed in their long history as a race, the Thousand Generations War. No other race had raged a war on their fellow brethren for as long as the ulies had fought and killed each other in those darkest of times when the All Maker's eyes had been turned away from them. Even today, there were those who believed the Great Creator had not forgiven them for the loss of life, the Silent colonies were spreading across the Empire and a couple had already been founded beyond the Shattered Relic. The All Maker forgive any of the Citadel or Terminus races that stumbled upon their stations and planets. The galaxy would never see them again.

Toera had to forcibly shake himself out of his nightmarish thoughts of those huge, terrifying beings of the Silent breed and instead watched as the turian team came from under the Capia's left thrusters and gathered their equipment. As the other engineers and teams left the craft for the safety of the testing facilities buildings, the lead of the turian engineers came to see Toera and to watch the tests. "How are those thrusters looking, Mister Jureads?" Toera asked kindly, watching the time on his personal mobile computer. The Apherian's version of the Omni-tool.

"Operational on all counts that my team did, so you shouldn't have any problems there." the turian explained. "It is amazing. The level of sophistication with this machine... I can scarcely get my head around it."

"The tests will take longer than they would normally." Toera said, and began to operate a terminal next to his seat. "These tests would normally be conducted with an AI installed directly into the craft's systems, but given the Citadel's reluctance to work with them we have forgone installing one onto the Capia."

"I am sorry to say this Toera, but I agree with the Council on that decision." Jureads said apologetically "Though I must admit that working with the cybri and EDI has somewhat made me doubt my decision."

"Imperial opinion and your Council both agreed that, as a project, it would be best to observe Council protocol on the construction of the SEV Capia which would path the way for advanced VI technology, then smart VI and then, given the Citadel races opinions at the time, to eventually go to smart AI on the craft. This is the way of things for now, but it will change and you will see that synthetic races are not like your dreaded geth." the ulie explained. The terminal at which Toera was sat at beep and chirped and then a blue light appeared above it. The hologram of a female Arid ulie, straight backed, with graceful limbs and fur, wearing the uniform of a tech specialist shone brightly. "EDI? Excellent, have you checked that all personnel are out of the Capia yet?"

"No, Engineer Alpha Chief Quair. There is still a team withdrawing to the far side of the test range, once they are safely inside the protected buildings I will begin." The AI said. A brief moment past before EDI spoke again "All registered personnel have logged out of the Capia. Beginning Biometric scanners... all decks clear. We are ready to begin start up procedures as soon as you give the order and code to begin, Alpha."

"Begin testing. Code: Crimson's Downfall, Golden Rise. Capia."

"Code input correct, starting up systems and computers." EDI said as data streams and codes began to run the length of her virtual coats and the large Stealth and Espionage Vessel outside the protective glass began to show signs of life.

Biofuel was injected into the craft's reservoir 'stomach' and powered the first stages of the start up tests. The digestion of the fuel created the first huge amounts of electricity the ship had to work with and fed the poske muscle-fibres of the inner hull, creating the plasma 'blood' for the Capia's weapons and armour, as well as being the solution to hide the Capia in space from scanners. The digestion also began creating heat, sending it to the recycling plants in the ships 'livers' to create more electricity. The heart of the Capia, its engine, began to beat and another form of plasma started working its way around the Capia's inner muscles and organs, facilitating the biofuel and muscle fibers as a nerve agent. This plasma found its way to the computers and machines, providing a link between the Capia's vast amounts of electricity and the systems that needed it. The Capia's inside began to glow with the light from the computers and the updating mainframe, then the main lighting which illuminated the decks of the ship activated, flooding the craft with light.

In the safety of the testing buildings, the engineers and specialists kept their eyes to their screens, looking for any sign of problems or dangerous levels of plasma or heat. For three hours the ship and its VI intelligence worked with EDI to slowly test each of the Capia's systems, the Citadel engineers watching as the Empire races went about the controls and fine-tuning.

At last, the codes and numbers flashing across EDI's avatar calmed and she turned to Quair with a smile. "All systems green, all testing clear. Bio-metals and poske-muscles strong and within reasonable stress levels. Plasma and electric impulses operating at ninety-seven percent, VI will be able to adjust heat and force to improve efficiency. The SEV Capia, will be able to operate at full capacity in thirty-three standard hours."

Toera Quair opened communications to all teams and departments. "We have succeeded! The SEV Capia is ready to be released onto the galaxy." A cheer ran through the crowd and shortly afterwards the celebratory drinks and pies followed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Manifest Destiny ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Although the Apherian Empire had refused to join the Citadel Conventions and its treaties some years ago, the Council had insisted on the Empire, and its many affiliated races, having an embassy on the great space station. Instead of the Presidium Ring, where most other species decided to build their offices, the Apherians had instead opted to build their embassy in one of the poorer ward arms and make a difference for the citizens there. Zakera Ward had once been the worst ward arm to be considered a place to inhabit by any race living on the station, only the less well-to-do members of society thrived in Zakera and those who had fallen on rough times. Since the Apherian Embassy had been built, Zakera Ward had been transformed by the ulies and their Empire's ideals. The Embassy had funded new schools and several large hospitals, training teacher, doctors, nurses and all other manner of staff that were needed by the new facilities and Apherian charities and anonymous benefactors had filled them with proper equipment and computers. The Zakera Ward of the present day was unrecognisable from the Zakera Ward of just twenty years ago.

The Apherian Embassy building was typical of the ulies, round and flowing, the design was made to look like water and was decorated with the the Apherian's sacred golden yellow colour. The building was large enough for each of the Apherian Empire species to have an ambassador stationed there and a large force of Grey Wardens, Red Streams, and Empire Guardians protected the building and also helped C-Sec when needed. The ulie ambassador was Derra Udar, a middle aged Common male who had been working with the Citadel Council as the Apherian Alliance's recommended ambassador since it's inception. His office was also his home and his meeting room, a huge window overlooked the Zakera Ward and the nearby port, it offered a remarkable view of the Presidium Ring and the true expanse of the Citadel station. It helped put things in prospective. The greying male was dressed smartly for his meeting with the military and he watched the coming and going to the public through the window as he drank some water and waited. Behind him he heard the door open and he turned to see two male ulies walk through and salute him. One was a older than he was and was almost completely grey, just a few dark brown tufts remained of his original colour, he wore the dress coats of an Admiral and the marks of an Omnipotent. This was Omnipotent Admiral Stere Hakell.

The male beside him was younger, but starting to grey in his thick, black mane, he wore the dress coats of a Commodore and the marks of the Great. Great Commodore Davin Ackersan was still a male who knew the battlefield intimately. They both were, and Udar wondered briefly before they greeted each other properly, that it was a shame for ulies to know such things as violence, the ulies should be above such things but justice still called for them and the Apherian warriors. The two military males and the ambassador walked to each other and placed their paws together in greeting.

"Thank you for meeting with me at such short notice, brothers," Udar said, leading them to the table to sit down "but a number of things have turned up recently that could prove most fortuitous for us." The ambassador presented the two soldiers with data pads and activated them to reveal the completed SEV Capia.

"This is the ship I've been assigned to captain?" Ackersan asked, reading over the vessel's impressive data.

"Correct, Davin, I know you've had little to do with stealth ships," Hakell said "but a vast majority of the Warriors Council chose your name for the shakedown run and its first covert mission."

"Covert mission?" Davin asked. The admiral and the ambassador turned to their own data pads and transferred a file over to the commodore's pad. Giving him a chance to read the file on his own it, was Udar who eventually broke the silence.

"The attix colony on Eden Prime has discovered a Prothean relic while expanding one of their settlements. We are working with the Council on this and have decided to share whatever information the relic contains." The ambassador said. "Preliminary reports from our researchers on the planet say it's some sort of communication beacon and its why this must be done as quietly as possible. The Citadel Council believe that there may be Terminus species prepared to start a conflict over this artefact."

"That is why we will be using the Capia in this mission. Commodore, I do not need to stress that this knowledge is strictly need-to-know. Not even any of the crew must know until absolutely necessary." Hakell said looking the younger soldier straight in his dark amber eyes.

"Understood, Alpha."

"Speaking of the Council..." Udar said slowly "They want to attempt Spectre recruitment again." Ackersan's ears perked at the news while Hakell's simply flicked irritably.

"Oh, and attempt to try and humiliate themselves further?" the older warrior said bitterly.

Udar carried on, knowing that the Admiral was just voicing his irritation at the news. "The ambassadors and the High Council on Apher have decided to forgive previous events, but this time they have allowed us to choose from the individuals Council Spectres have recommended."

"Who has been recommended?" Ackersan asked. Udar typed something onto his data pad and the pads of the two warriors showed several files on several ulie warriors. "Eutys? As a Spectre? Who recommended that idiot?"

"A salarian I believe." Udar said

"Eutys is serving a prison sentence on a Silent colony for his role in the Torfan Explosions. That damned tohel is out of the question. He's out of existence, indefinitely." Udar deleted Eutys' file from the data pad and then they turned their attention the next file.

"Ah, Obeadu I know of this young male. Quite a service record, but he works better in large groups. Spectres work alone or in much smaller teams, it would be almost cruel to tear the promising male from his regiment." Hakell explained. Beside him Ackersan nodded his head. He'd worked with Obeadu a couple of times dealing with pirates preying on traders between the Apherian and Citadel colonies.

"Well then, what about Shenpar?" said Udar, the two warriors looked at the ambassador with surprise before turning back to the data pad. The file of Zanthi Shenpar was opened before them "Apher born, a rover mother, no data on Jotei though, and for most of her life followed in her mother's footsteps."

"She led the Red Streams for a few years and turned them into an outfit that the Empire saw fit to hire for many of its own security details. We've hired several large squads to protect the embassy here." Ackersan added.

"She proved herself during the Skylian Raid, held off enemy forces until reinforcements could arrive. The Elysia colony wouldn't be standing without her, and it certainly wouldn't be the colony it is today. The planet pretty much belongs to the Red Streams. She's even seen as kin to a young kylos warrior." Hakell commented.

"Well, its true, not even the kylos can question her talents..." Udar said carefully "But should we take her from her career with the Alliance? We need the best with us."

"If the Council wants a hero, Ambassador, Shenpar is the best one we have." Ackersan said. Truth be told, he had been watching Shenpar's progress through the military since her heroics at Elysia, and apparently, so had the Citadel Council.

"Very well, Commodore. If you think she'll make the cut, I'll go with your decision. She'll act as your XO on the Capia. A Council Spectre will be coming with the crew to Eden Prime." Hakell said. Udar looked to the two males and hearing no objection he nodded his head and gathered up the data pads.

"Very well, I'll make the call." Udar left and the two warriors followed him out.

"Davin, I'll leave you to chose your crew for the Capia but make sure they're the best you can get. You have two weeks, any places you haven't been able to fill in that time will be allocated."

"I understand, Omnipotent." Davin said "I know of several good males and females that I'm sure will pounce on the opportunity to be a part of this."

"Then I can expect the crew to be formed in..."

"Five days."

"In five days, Commodore." Hakell smiled and nodded to his fellow warrior. Ackersan saluted the Admiral and turned to leave the embassy, he had things to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Manifest Destiny ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was four days when Hakell received the files of the Capia crew from Ackersan, and he couldn't help but think that the Commodore was a very resourceful warrior. Several names were known to him:

Jen Mora

Position: Chief Helmsman

Race: Ulie Tropic

Gender: Male

Jen is a true blooded Tropic ulie. His mother is a civilian contractor with the Apherian Military and due to a history of Vrekis Syndrome (see attached file: Vrekis Syndrome), which causes extreme bone brittleness, on his father's side, she decided to seek help in screening her unborn pup for the condition. Jen was diagnosed with Vrekis Syndrome and when the Apherian doctors realised he had already broken his left arm while in the womb told his mother about an experimental procedure to help strengthen the bones, but like all experiments, her son was pretty much a test subject (see attached file: Prototype Poske Bone Weave Operation).

Deciding to go with the treatment, doctors weaved strengthened poske fibres through his bones in his arms, legs, pelvis, spine, skull and some of his ribs. But, as the surgeons continued down his body, they discovered several bones in Jen's prehensile tail were shattered and couldn't be repaired. With the extent of the damage, surgeons decided to remove his tail as there was no chance for the appendage to recover. As Jen continued to develop, his bones successfully took to the poske weave and so avoided much unnecessary suffering after his birth.

Despite this though, Jen's upbringing and career have been coloured by his health. Jen was born and spent his early life on Arctur Station because of his mother's job and grew up around ships. When he was old enough to enlist, he joined the Apherian military as a pilot. He got the nickname of 'Joker' from his flight school instructor, due to the fact that he rarely smiled – he worked hard for his merit (see attached file: Flight Student Jen Mora Merits). By the end of his training, however, Jen surpassed the other students and many of his instructors.

Nader Pressit

Position: Chief Navigator

Race: Ulie Common

Gender: Male

Pressit joined the Apherian military shortly after he finished his education, desiring to follow in his grandather's footsteps. Before the Capia, he was stationed on the SSV Agarcoup, a frigate which was one of the first reinforcements to arrive at Elysia after the Skyllian Raid.

Carili Chakan

Position: Chief Medical Officer (CMO)

Race: Ulie Common

Gender: Female

Carili Chakan enlisted in the Alliance a couple of years after it was formed having worked in several hospitals and clinics after graduating medical school (see attached file: Doctor Carili Chakan Merits). The young doctor had hoped for adventure within the military and travelling the galaxy, though she quickly realised that military life was not as romantic as she had imagined it to be. However, she stayed with the military and the Alliance in order to do her duty and serve the Empire, raising seven pups throughout her life.

Like most Apherian doctors, she has taken many courses in alien biology, enabling her to treat the non-Ulie crew members, like Tohels and Racions.

Renger Adi

Position: Chief Engineer

Race: Ulie Common

Gender: Male

Engineer Adi has served on every class of Imperial starship. Prior to redeployment on the Capia, Adi served on the SSV Tikqo. He also had a hand in helping to construct the SEV Capia's biometal skeleton, it's engines and drive core and helped install its computers (see attached file: SEV Capia).

Zanthi Shenpar

Position: Commander

Race: Ulie Mongrel

Gender: Female

Born and raised in the wilds of Apher to a rover female, Zanthi is a born survivor and her skills were honed by her daily struggles. Witnessing her mother's death when she six caused her to recluse for several years and disappear from authority figures that keep an eye on the rover numbers on Apher. She resurfaced in the sacred city of Quel at the age of nine, where she found and repaired Poske (see attached file: Poske, Cybri Bodyguard).

For the next six years she and Poske continued to travel and eventually Zanthi was forced to hunt for food at the Apher birthing grounds where the Pale Guard caught her and made her become the adoptive 'parent' of three orphaned pups. This was in the year of 89,204 ARU during the height of the worldwide wild food shortage. When the season was over Zanthi allowed the three pups to follow her when she left the birthing grounds.

By the time she was eighteen Zanthi's troop had grown and settled down on the edge of a settlement and enlisted them into one of the AAP's Military Education Programme and all members gained high marks and possibilities for work within the Alliance or Empire (see attached file: Red Stream Troop Exam Results).

Four years after completing the AAP Programme, the Red Streams used their training to become a security group, as the town they had settled in had problems with rouge predators entering homes and businesses, Zanthi was a part of the Red Stream Security detail for a while but when she turned twenty five she left the security side of her troop's career and joined the Alliance Military with Poske immediately setting herself as an exemplary warrior.

A year later Great Captain Zanthi Shenpar led civilian and planetary militia against Batarian funded pirates and slavers in the Skylian Raid of 89,215 ACF after which she was granted the rank of Commander.

Zanthi still has strong ties with the Red Streams who have since become a well-known mercenary group which the Empire and Alliance have hired for security details (see attached file: Red Streams Mercenary Group). She is one of their most important donors and may be able to give insight into the Red Stream's command structure, despite telling authorities she has nothing to do with the command of the Red Streams any longer.

Given Zanthi's importance to the Red Streams and her being highly regarded by Alliance and Imperial warriors it is unwise to attempt to force her into revealing any information.

Kaden Amenka

Position: Grey Warden

Race: Ulie Common / Tundra

Gender: Male

Grey Warden auxiliary volunteer for the SEV Capia. He will lead two other Grey Warden (see attached file: Grey Wardens) warriors to support marine teams on planets. A gifted biotic wired with an amp of his own make. However, he has been known to occasionally suffer from severe migranes.

Since the Grey Wardens are not official recognized as a part of the Apherian military, his files are kept by the Grey Wardens' organization.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mass Effect / Spore ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For any of you wondering, I did take the Grey Wardens from Dragon Age, its also developed by BioWare, so why not?