Empress Shepard had been looking through the important news about the Galaxy's development since the Eye's emergence, and it wasn't good. At least Cerberus/human operatives were good in gathering information fast and delivering it to EDI faster, an important and now (unbound AI) citizen of Humanity, designated one of Shepard's closest assistants. So she read about the Krogan uprisings and massacres, of the plague spreading on the Batarian territories and the Salarian... weirdness. Separately, all these events could be dismissed as isolated incidents, but together they formed a pattern, one that not even Shepard in her changed form could grasp the meaning of, at least not yet. The picture was far from clear, but one thing was certain: the Galaxy was somehow, by someone, under attack. She'd have blamed the Reapers if one of their hadn't come to their doorstep, warning them of something like this. Still, she believed either they knew what would happen and decided to keep it to themselves for their own reason, or mostly likely didn't, though you never knew with the Reapers. Something in the back of her head connected the dots though: lust, rage, decay, deceit. Again, most of the events could have been explained away as the randomness of the universe. Only one thing really stuck out: the situation on the Salarian's world. Biotics, anomalies, evolved Krogan (red fungus? Really?), (intelligent) disease... and even the Salarian situation could be explained. Up to a certain point. The others were mostly mindless actions, but whatever possessed and controlled the Salarians was like nothing the Galaxy had ever seen or even imagined. Things that defied logic, physics and biotics. Flying creatures with no apparent means, throwing lighting, fire, ice and anything in between from their bare hands. Mutation sprouting around them, until they either turned into gibbering monsters or... Shepard didn't want to think of the alternative. It didn't help that in the wake of the destruction the traitors had left, particles identical to those spewed out by the Eye could be detected. There was the real fear that this was the prelude to the birth to another Eye of Terror centered on the Salarian territories, so the Salarians had taken extreme measures against all those that used those abilities without supervision and decontamination of the scene. Already, human operatives had given her notes about secret research facilities employed by the Salarians outside Council Space to safely research these powers and abilities. Many would be upset by this, but Shepard partly understood: know thy enemy.

And there was one more thing tying everything together: the so-called Prophets, Seers and other religious nutcases popping up around the Galaxy, telling of the arrival of the Gods. Gibbering Salarians muttering about the Changer of Ways, or sometimes, Lord of Deceit and Architect of Fate. Krogans about Khorne, the God of Blood and Rage. Batarians about the Lord of Decay, Papa Nurgle. And from the until recently hidden Salarian archives, there were theories that said the Asari basically "called" this Eye of Terror into existence by their psychic might mingled in overstimulating the pleasure/pain centers of their bodies and mind, and lust. Lust, decay, rage, deceit. Yes, a pattern was forming. Something was behind this. Something, some horror, some intelligence that steered their Galaxy to ruin. Ruinous powers had a ring to it in her mind. A vile, awful ring, but a ring none-the-less. Why anyone would want to do this was beyond her, unless to conquer the Galaxy... somehow. But they hadn't even shown their faces, how-

She backtracked to recent news from the Eye of Terror. Those who went in didn't return or returned... changed. Them and their ships. Gibbering madmen most of them, only a few having some sort of natural immunity and surviving. Defense mechanism? She wondered. If they couldn't enter the damned thing, if it was a time-space anomaly... a portal... would things eventually get out of it?

That was a sobering and frightful thought, and there was not much that they could do about it, not without Geth and Reaper help - God help her, when had they became allies against a greater threat? She was tempted to think Greater Evil, but in a Galaxy of individuals and free choice, she didn't much believe in the concept of evil, only threat, and at worse, wrong - and the Reapers were fighting their own people, while the Geth and Collecters cordoned Council space in case the wrong side of Old Machines was victorious. Still, knowledge was power, and at least she knew now more than at the beginning of the crisis. How she'd use this information would show itself in time, she hoped.

Though growing tired, she turned to the problems that she could adress. That she had to adress or find a way to address. Foremost was the status of the Asari. Humanity actually had few and far between problems since the Collectors had left them alone, and the Terra Party had actually done some good by retiring as many ships as their contract with the Citadel Council allowed to their own space, and fortifying their colonies. In another stroke of luck (or calculated by someone? Did the Illusive Man know more about this? Unlikely, Shepard had received all the theories from across the Galaxy and the human think tanks about what was going on, and nobody could predict the fall of Thessia... well, they did, actually, but not to a fissure in space-time), the Destiny Ascendant and a few other Dreadnaughts, as well as other smaller Asari vessels had been sent to the human worlds ostensibly to "protect" them, in fact to keep tabs on the human military under the new regime, some time before the fall of Thessia, and were now more or less under Council control... but practically still stationed around human worlds, which had quickly become refugee worlds for the Asari. This lead to an unspoken understanding: you keep our people alive and we'll blow any threat against both our peoples out of the sky. Very convenient for humanity indeed.

But it was actually worse for the Asari. Them and their damn democracy and free-speaking, Shepard rubbed her forehead in annoyance. Those that escaped the last months of terror from Thessia and the surrounding territories told tales in gory details to each other and their mates. Eventually, obviously, it leaked into the galactic news, and now most Asari were looked at with distrust and fear, that would soon turn to hate and rage if left unchecked. Shepard disliked their hypocrisy enormously: the Asari had been all but kind "rulers" of the Galaxy, giving from their plentitude and asking only acceptance in return. True, that acceptance would lead the individual to power, prosperity and respect over the Galactic stage, and would quench their biological imperative to multiply, but they did it in the best way any race could ask. They were even kind enough to let other races to make decisions alongside them, and had brought the Salarians and Turians, trusting them. Maybe too much. And when the Turians attacked humanity, who risked their lives to negotiate peace? Who payed debts they didn't have except through misguided trust? The Asari. And now, after they had lost their homes most likely to some unknowable abominations, how did the races repay them? By spitting on them and readying their pitchforks and torches to linch them.

No, Shepard did not like this at all. She felt she, and humanity, had an obligation to this race. Something had to be done. If it were not for this irrational fear of them, they could rebuild along humans and other races without her intervention, but now?... More drastic measures had to be taken.

Just then, her mind moved to one particular document she had read a few days earlier. What she had then considered to encompass useless, disgusting and even horrofying, now could be a solution to many of their problems, and even to some of the Galaxy's problems in general. The sickening birth of a species-centered Imperium of Man, along with that infuriating document, could prove a very useful tool in the right hands, handled just the right way. Yes, it could make things worse, and at the time, she had ignored it as one more Cerberus human supremacist acts. But now...

She asked EDI to pull it up for her. EDI obliged, happy in her own semi-conscious way that the Terra Firma party had surprisingly declared AIs as citizens with their own rights. Shepard had briefly wondered if this was more to appease her, to piss off the AI hating Galaxy or to make it fear the Imperium even more, maybe even give the aliens an excuse to start a war TIM had been itching for. Or maybe they had been the first nation to declare the AI citizens to be on the good side of the geth if they were ever forced to truly rely on them. In the end, she dismissed this for now, concentrating on her "duties" and what she could do from the position she had been catapulted into.

Shepard carefully read this proposed act again, this time with a clinical eye and not with the disdain plainly plastered on her features days before.

Generic information: Proposal classification of meta-humans in regards to recent effects made on humanity by anomaly colloquially known as the "Eye of Terror":

* Mutants: general classification to all human-based lifeforms that have undergone unstable mutations upon their most holy forms as decreed by God, the morality of humanity and the Imperium. Mutations range from almost unseable deformation of skin, bone structure, to obvious redundant and extra organs, such as eyes, ears, noses and other extremities or even organs in places that shouldn't be on the human body.

** Notes: also suggest attempt at isolating and replicating some of these mutations in order to create better families of abhumans (see below).

* Abhumans: Members of humanity that have stable, replicated, replicable and predictable mutations in such a number of members as to be distinguish from "random" mutants.

** Notes: Those presenting abhuman traits should be put in positions in which their predictable mutations can be useful to mankind.

** Special note: Abhuman titles should NOT be given to any alien species that bears similarities to humans. Abhumans are a branch of humans that evolve in different niches that can't and shouldn't merely be called "mutants", as random mutations are... well, too random. I can not emphasize how wrong it would be for the future of humanity and its holy purity if this were taken out of context and applied to other lifeforms that happen to share similarities to us, but who have evolved on entirely different planets and ecosystems, with mentalities completely alien to us.

* Psychers: There is a small, but growing number of humans that seem to have evolved mentally in ways completely different to any known psychic race, such as the Asari.

Other notes: We are uncertain how to classify biotics, though we are considering adding them as the honorary, first family of abhumans ever discovered. They fit this criteria, as it can be considered the first observed stable mutation to the human form, at least in recent times. Further merging of abilities: biotics with psychic abilities and random mutations, or biotics that can be classified in another branch of abhumans, have not been found so far, however such a find, with the proper guidance, could prove invaluable tools and weapons for humanity's future in the face of an uncaring and often hostile universe.

Read the entire body of the document for details.

Shepard stopped reading, the same knot stuck in her throat as it had when she had first read it. At first, she hadn't known what to do with it, as it had been forwarded to her and marked as high priority from the Imperium's "archivists". At the time, she didn't know how to bury it deep enough so nobody would ever see it in a thousand years, or even think of using it, and how to dismantle the science division that had come up to it fast enough. She saw the underlining tone of "superiority" of the "normal" human race in comparison to what they dubbed "meta-humans", and stank as eugenics to boot. She remembered how unfairly biotics had been treated by humanity at their appearance, she remembered Jack and other poor experiments of Cerberus, and saw this document as legalizing the repeat of that situation.

However, now she had a decision to make. She could either bury this document and find another way to help the Asari, or... use it for the benefit of both her race and its former helpers. All she needed to do was remove one small, insignificant, underlined "special note" and she could throw this document to the public. A mischievous grin appeared on her face, as she thought of the reaction of The Illusive Man, as well as the racist that made this document at her future declaration. A part of her also knew that such classifications would happen sooner or later, and considering Cerberus was technically ruling all of humanity, an agent who would put those ideas in an even less favorable manner than this document would appear, and then another, and another... No, she could barely bury this even if she tried. She had to act, and so she would.

EDI's voice brought her out of her thoughts, announcing the return of Sovereign. She rushed to the Palace's balcony, observing it and other Reaper dreadnaughts lowering in orbit closer and closer to her. They looked battered, but not beaten, in need of repairs yet already in repairs. They were five of them, though she didn't bother to think if they had a name. Sovereign apparently gave the others the signal to remain in position, while he edged closer. There was a burst of something between static and shriek coming from EDI's hologram, after which she lowered her head, and after she raised it back, red orbs could be seen in place of her eyes.

"Commander Shepard, we bring news." It replied through her, for certainly EDI was no longer in that virtual body, at least for now.

"Unit designated Harbringer has taken the leadership of the corrupted Reapers and attempted to destroy all samples, information and history regarding previous harvested species. We have managed to retain copies of them, and have taken as much of the Reaper consciousness/personalities as possible before crippling them and returning to your home world." It seemed to pause, as of uncertain on how to add the next thing it was about to say. "I have calculated that you are the only one able to stop the cycle, as programmed into us to find by our creators. In optimal circumstances, you would have been tested and would have a choice to make, however, as the Great Corruption spreads, I find myself forced to make that decision for you. As of this moment, the uncorrupted mechanical creations designated by this cyclr's races as "Reapers" are under your direct orders. We will protect your body and mind from decay and attacks from the corrupted to the best of our abilities. We request tools and workers to repair our host to be at best efficiency against any and all confrontations against the corrupted and your enemies."

If she had thought being appointed Empress was jaw-breaking, this one took the cake. She couldn't help to feel both the awe and fear of the Reapers practically kneeling to her as humanity had done a few days before.

"Um... yeah, ok. Permission granted. And keep in touch with EDI, improve her programming if you can or if you have to, she's a citizen of Earth now and the liason between me and the data in the outside world."

"Very well. If that is all then, connection terminated." It said and EDI seemed to regain her posture, although her virtual face and posture, if she were to be human, would have denoting her as paling and trembling. Shepard wasn't sure if she was projecting on EDI human emotions, but she couldn't blame her if being possessed by a million-years old machine had left her a bit shaken.

Composing herself, Shepard addressed the AI. "EDI, relay Sovereign's request to orbit. Speaking of which, tell our Reaper... friends to stay in orbit until further notice and not to enter atmosphere until we request it from them. And I know what our forces will think, that they need to have enough dreadnaughts to counter these things, tell them not to bother and to help in the Krogan war and the isolation of Batarian space and the Eye's influences from our borders. About now, that's more important for everyone's sake." She took a breath. "And hold all my calls. I have a declaration to prepare."

With that, she returned to her desk and started writing, with EDI's help, what would be the most important declaration since the discovery of the existence of the Reapers.

Author's Notes:

Sorry for short chapter, but it's been two weeks and I wanted to give you guys something to chew on. I wanted to incorporate the speech in this chapter as well, but I'll see what else can I get you next time. Maybe TIM's actions and definitely reactions. I'm grateful for such good reactions and will continue this fic to the best of my ability. Hope you continue to enjoy it.

Hey, if I had to wipe out most of the Asari, it doesn't mean I wanted to bash them. And they might as well be useful to the fledgling Imperium. To be fair, assigning Council races to Gods was very easy to me, it's almost like they were tailor-made for corruption from Chaos. I had to keep the Turians more level-headed, because from this point on Chaos can only grow, the races can only wither, and the whole (or even half) of Turian might arrayed against the Galaxy would be something I wouldn't know how to throw a save into. Don't worry, Humans, Turians and other races are also affected here and there, but not as bad as in the wh40k universe. That's why, incidentally, demons haven't started spewing out of the Eye of Terror yet, they still don't have much power in the Universe. But as always, they're expanding.

And if you think I left off the Turians off the hook, you're mistaken. Think of them as Iron Warriors: yes, they're good and proud of their abilities in war, but it doesn't mean their whole life revolved around it. Now they're still suffering from the backlash with the Relay 134 incident and they're the only true force inclined to face the Krogan menace and anything else that spills from the Eye of Terror, while humanity seals itself in and lives relatively comfortable and safe lives.

Next time: Empress' speech.