Disclaimer: I do not own either or both Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Mass Effect. They are owned by Yoshiki Tanaka and Bioware respectively.
The Lion Unleashed
Chapter 3
Following the Eden Prime Incident, both the Imperial Government and the Oberkommando des Kaiserreiches (OKK) moved quickly to bring the situation under control.
The OKK is the government body possessing overall authority over the Imperial Armed Forces. There are three civilians on the body: first is the Emperor, in his role as commander-in-chief of the Imperial Armed Forces, then the Imperial Chancellor representing the Imperial Government, and finally the Minister of War, charged with actually managing the military's administrative affairs. All other members of the OKK are active military officers.
Among those, only two currently hold the rank of Imperial Fleet Admiral. The first is the Chief of Staff, tasked with managing military operations and strategic planning at the highest level, and the other is the Space Fleet Commander, as overall commander of the Imperial Fleet.
Also members of the OKK are the Commander of the Imperial Ground Forces, the Chief Superintendent of the Imperial Military Police, the Head of Logistics, the Head of Military Intelligence, and the Capital Defense Commander. All these individuals save for the Head of Military Intelligence and the Chief Superintendent of the Imperial Military Police currently hold the rank of High Admiral. The two exceptions both currently hold the rank of Admiral.
As was proper protocol, the admirals and high-ranking government officials arrived first, taking their seats to await the arrival of the Emperor. The only exception was High Admiral Jager Matzen, the Capital Defense Commander, who had taken his fleet and assumed a defensive position within the Fezzan Corridor. While the number of Imperial Fleets stationed on Fezzan meant that the Imperial Capital was effectively-impregnable, as Capital Defense Commander Matzen considered it wise to mobilize the vanguard with his fleet in the wake of the recent incident.
Upon Alex's arrival, the gathered officers and civil servants rose and bowed, waiting until he had taken his seat before doing likewise. "I have read the reports about the incident." The Emperor began without preamble. "And I am certain there are those present who wish to resign from their posts as a means to take responsibility for the incident."
The Emperor paused, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table and his chin on his clasped hands. "However I wish to make it clear that I do not wish for such thoughts to cross the minds of any present." He said firmly. "Instead of wasting time with formalities and symbolic gestures, it is better to take responsibility by taking action to resolve the current crisis."
Nods met the Emperor's statement, and Alex sat back, allowing the OKK to present the situation as it had developed over the previous night and this morning. The Minister of War spoke first. He mentioned the deployment of the Matzen Fleet, and the other Imperial Fleets stationed at both the capital and elsewhere in Imperial territory being placed on alert, ready to respond to any calls for help from Imperial Starzones and the widely-scattered Patrol Squadrons and other dispersed fleet elements across the galaxy. The same went for the numerous Imperial Expeditionary Fleets in the Hinterland, as the empire called the Terminus Systems, though in their case they were prepared to defend the various Imperial outposts, dominions, allies and protectorates across the Hinterland.
"That is a very tall order." Alex remarked. "Short of full mobilization, won't our standing forces be stretched rather thin to accomplish such tasks?"
"Yes Your Majesty." War Minister and retired High Admiral Harold Lutzen said with a nod. "However based on our current data, it is unlikely in the extreme that we will find ourselves facing full-scale war on multiple fronts anytime soon. This is merely a precaution, a show of force as it were, to demonstrate that our empire is by no means vulnerable despite the recent attack on our sovereignty."
"But a rather expensive one, is it not?"
"While it is true that placing fleets both on the field and stationed here at the Imperial Capital on alert is a substantial cost," Lutzen said. "We have not actually deployed any additional forces onto the field yet, with the sole exception of the Matzen Fleet. In light of the apparent vulnerability of the empire as demonstrated by the recent incident, such a show of force is needed to allow us breathing room to assess and control the situation as it develops, but in this manner we have not incurred excessive cost to do so."
Alex nodded slowly. "I see your point, minister." He said. "Certainly, we cannot afford to lose the initiative. But while decisive action is needed, it must also have direction behind it. Frivolous and meaningless action would be a complete waste of time and resources."
This was met with general agreement among the men present. "Continue, minister." The Emperor indicated, and the man gave a bow before continuing.
The minister now moved onto the Imperial Admiralty's measures to tighten security in particular with regard to entry and exit, as well as free movement of hostile forces within Imperial territory. "However," the war minister said with an apologetic tone. "There will always be gaps in our ability to monitor and police free space. Space itself is the problem. It is simply put too big, and while large groups of ships can be detected rather easily, small groups or individual vessels have more than ample opportunity to avoid or escape detection."
"That much is a given." The Emperor said. "And your proposed solution?"
"Currently we're discussing with other relevant ministries such as Transportation and Communication among others, for increased cooperation between the military and local security forces." The minister answered. Though individual starzones were not allowed to field military forces of their own, they were allowed to field small, paramilitary forces of their own under strict limitations in order to deter piracy, smuggling, and other criminal activities within their areas of responsibility.
"The admiralty has also begun work on improving our responses in the event of small-scale, high-speed intrusions such as the recent incident." The minister continued. "In hindsight, our response plans and other contingencies were devised around the assumption that any intrusions would be large-scale in nature. This flaw in our reasoning has been identified, and is currently being corrected as we speak."
Alex nodded. "I suppose Rome wasn't built in a day." He conceded. "Nevertheless, finish without undue delay."
"Yes Your Majesty."
The Emperor nodded, and the war minister continued his report. Having detailed the current disposition of the Imperial Fleet and by extension the military situation in the wake of the recent incident, followed by the military's efforts to prevent such an incident from recurring, he proceeded to another aspect of the incident.
"In its investigations of the leak of Project Shadowblade," the minister said. "The Imperial Military Police has discovered that the leaks did not come from inside the facility. It seems that both civilian and military personnel on the outside, who knew of the project and compromised by such means as bribery and blackmail, leaked it via organized crime elements to third-party organizations of questionable legality. The IMP is still tracing the domestic element, while Imperial Intelligence has taken over the foreign element."
"Organized crime?" the Emperor echoed with a growl. Organized crime had always been a problem, but with the expansion of Imperial influence across the Hinterland and the former Batarian Hegemony towards the end and in the aftermath of the Empire-Hegemony War, the vermin had exploded in number and influence. This had prompted a rapid expansion of the Imperial Military Police, which had launched a massive crackdown against organized crime, but while good progress had been made, it seemed that more work was needed.
"So discontent with simply trading poison, flesh, and contraband, they've begun trading what little honor they have left?" the Emperor said with a malicious light in his eyes. "It would be so laughable if they weren't dragging the rest of Humanity down with them as well."
Alex laughed briefly, before snapping his head up with a glare, the resemblance to his father more than a bit startling to the gathering. None of them might have met Reinhard the Invincible in life, but they had seen the pictures and portraits. "Admiral Thompson," Alex commanded. "I want the ones responsible. Alive: their lives are not so forfeit that they are useless as examples."
Admiral Michael Thompson, Chief Superintendent of the Imperial Military Police, rose and bowed from the waist. "I hear and obey, Your Majesty." He said. Alex nodded and turned back to the War Minister.
"Proceed."
"Yes Your Majesty."
Lutzen then proceeded to the dispositions of the civilian populace. Though under the Lohengramm Dynasty the Imperial Military Police no longer served to suppress political dissidence as had been the case under the Goldenbaum Dynasty, the Imperial Military Police still served as the enforcers of law and order on a national level, and as part of their duty kept an eye on developments in society to preempt disruptive or worse, subversive action.
"In short," Lutzen concluded. "The general consensus among the citizens is supportive of the secrecy surrounding and the reasoning behind the Shadowblade Project, and negative sentiments are more focused on the alien terrorists behind the incident. More worrying however, is the fact that a number of right-wing societies such as Pan-Galactica are working to rally the citizens behind the Human Supremacist cause using the incident as an example of 'alien perfidy'."
The Emperor gave an undiplomatic groan, though he wasn't the only one. Everyone else looked pained, and the Imperial Chancellor even palmed his face. "Just what we needed," Alex growled. "Those idiots stirring things up. Unfortunately, fanatics are difficult to reason with, barring certain circumstances. I'll have to take care of this myself, with a broadcast calling for calm and rationality over needless reactionism."
The rest of the OKK nodded their agreement, and the War Minister concluded his report with a summary before giving a bow and taking a seat. Alex sat silent for a few moments, and then turned to Thomas Glass, General-Secretary of Zentrum and Chancellor of the Galactic Empire.
"What's the political situation first, Glass?" the Emperor asked.
The Imperial Chancellor looked uncomfortable, though Alex couldn't blame him. The Glass Government was a coalition one, between the plurality Zentrum party and the minority Social Democratic and Nationalist parties. Unfortunately, the SDP and the NP had never really seen eye to eye, and while Zentrum's plurality allowed the coalition to work, it seemed that the shockwaves of the recent incident might have destabilized the coalition.
"The Nationalists are calling for extreme measures, Your Majesty." Glass replied with a sigh. "It is likely that they will soon call for a Vote of No Confidence against the current government within the Galactic Parliament. While I doubt that even if the entirety of the Nationalist, Democratic, and Communist parties vote against the government they can overturn Zentrum and the SDP both, public confidence in the government will be shaken. If so, I will have to request Your Majesty to dissolve parliament, and call a general election."
Alex nodded slowly. "Certainly," he said. "An unstable government is not something to have in a time of crisis. However, if that is the case, I would ask that you remain in your post until we have a definite strategy in place. Even if the government changes, at the very least we'll have something to work with."
"I understand Your Majesty."
"Speaking of which," the Emperor continued. "What were those extreme measures that you mentioned?"
"A punitive expedition against the Geth, for starters."
The OKK stared at the Imperial Chancellor in shock. "That's insane." Fleet Admiral Viscount Eugen von Rabesberg, the Space Fleet Commander, said after a few moments. "Geth Space is all the way on the other side of the galaxy. Even for our empire the logistics for such a campaign would be too much to support, and for too little gain."
"Which leads in part to their next demand," Glass said. "To support such an endeavor, and to preempt subversive or terrorist action from the less stable factions within the Hinterland, they want us to actively work to bring the entire Hinterland into the Imperial sphere of influence."
"Elaborate." The Emperor said laconically.
"The Nationalists acknowledge that the Council, their associates, and their constituent governments are too prudent to take direct action against us." The Chancellor said. "There could be a connection yes, perhaps to a radical faction acting without sanction, but they believe that regardless of whether such a connection exists, action was taken by a rogue group from within the Hinterland, either using it as a base of operations or with the backing of less stable factions within."
"In short," Viscounts Rabesberg said. "To keep terrorists and subversives from continuing to operate from the Hinterland, with or without the support of rogue states within the region, we should bring the entire region to heel?"
"That is correct."
"That's infeasible." The fleet admiral said at once. "The Hinterland is too big, stretching as it does across the galaxy. Even taking the extension of our influence into the region over the past decades into account, our policy involves cultivating the good will of our satellites and protectorates, and is a mutually-supporting relationship and less a coercive one."
There were nods at that. Humans had quickly begun scattering across the Hinterland following the First Contact War, and with a surprisingly-nostalgic composition: fleeing republicans, extremists, criminals and rogues. And they quickly learned that the Hinterland was a harsh and difficult place, and only similar characters could prosper there. Human pirates, slavers, criminals and such prospered quickly in such an environment, and with some adapting on their part so did the extremists. The breakaway republican colonies did not.
Lacking manpower and a solid industrial base, they found themselves helpless against the menaces of the region, and in most cases were quickly subverted and either reduced to dictatorships ruled by Human or alien warlords or absorbed into existing factions. Some managed to hold out, but for the people of such holdouts it had been a hellish time, always looking up at the skies for the first sign of a raid or a full-scale invasion, knowing there was little one could do about it.
Imperial influence within the region had also begun to spread around the same time, as the newly-formed Imperial Intelligence sought to expand its capabilities and gain experience in its mandated, strictly non-domestic role. It was Imperial Intelligence which first made contact with the surviving republican colonies at the height of the Empire-Hegemony War, and towards the end of that war had convinced the republicans to request for Dominion status.
In a similar fashion to the former Dominion of Fezzan, in exchange for recognition of the Emperor as their head-of-state, the empire guaranteed the new dominions self-government, as well as protection. That was the key difference: unlike the Dominion of Fezzan, there was no tacit neutrality with the new dominions. They were Imperial subject states, and thus extensions of the empire. The Imperial Fleet was granted basing rights, and the empire took advantage of these basing rights to deploy Expeditionary Fleets into the region. To soften the bittersweet compromise of the colonists' republican ideals, the empire provided economic development aid.
It succeeded. Now protected from the constant, low-level warfare that raged across the Hinterland, the new dominions prospered, all the while giving the empire further room to expand its influence within the region. Diplomatic overtures were made to more stable, alien regimes, and in exchange for mutually-favorable trading arrangements gained visiting rights for the Imperial Fleet, and in a few years the less powerful of such regimes were proclaimed Imperial protectorates. Outposts were also constructed in the region, either in the form of space stations or bases on uninhabited, 'dead' worlds, linking together the areas of Imperial influence in a spider web like fashion, consolidating the empire's existing sphere of influence as it slowly expanded.
In short, Imperial policy in the hinterland was a very much velvet-gloved, iron-fisted affair.
"We will not compromise on our standing policy within the Hinterland." The Emperor said firmly. "To do so would damage the credibility of the empire, and cost us much in the long-term. Certainly, I have no doubt that the cynical Hinterland warlords see us as no different to the Council or themselves, however the empire's perceived fairness gives us an edge when conducting affairs within the Hinterland, be it with lesser powers or powerful regional warlords."
The Emperor's words were met with agreeing nods, and Alex then nodded to the Imperial Chancellor. Glass bowed and continued. "Moving onto other political matters," he said. "As might be expected, Citadel Space is in an uproar over the revelations of Project Shadowblade. Thus far we've refrained from making official statements on the matter, apart from admitting to its compromised existence."
"Would that not be taken as an admission of guilt, Your Excellency?" Admiral Thompson asked.
"What guilt?" Glass asked. "We have broken no Imperial laws or interstellar treaties. We merely admitted Shadowblade's existence."
The admiral nodded, and the Imperial Chancellor continued. "The Asari are especially agitated, as are the Hanar." He said. "Most of the Council's associates have voiced their support for a motion by the Asari to impose economic sanctions against us."
That sent a ripple of amusement across the OKK. "And what good will that achieve?" Alex asked. "We are domestically self-sufficient, and retention of the Reichsmark means that while freezing of Imperial assets in Citadel Space will hurt, it will do no real damage to our economy, at least not in the long-term. It will only serve to turn economic expansion away from Citadel Space, and to elsewhere, such as our protégés in the Batarian Confederation, and of course, the Hinterland."
"Apparently Salarian, Volus, and Turian opposition to the motion is based on such a self-defeating aspect of the motion." Glass said, again sending a ripple of amusement through the OKK.
Alex nodded. "Perceptive of them." He said. "It's not surprising though. Those three races are the most pragmatic and perhaps realistic of the Citadel races."
"What of the Hinterland?" Viscount Rabesberg asked. "What is the effect of the incident?"
"As might be expected, they care little that we broke the Council's mandate that any research into Prothean technology be done under their supervision." Glass replied. "They're more interested in the apparent vulnerability of Imperial territory, though it seems the Admiralty has that in hand. And Imperial Intelligence has already begun deploying countermeasures, such as increased surveillance, and if necessary, surgical action against flashpoints and reactionaries within the Hinterland."
"Though," he said with a pause. "It seems the Quarians are more than a little worried that we might blame them by association of their creation of the Geth."
"Understandable," the Emperor said with a nod. "But unfounded: they have suffered dearly from their rogue creations, and do not have any connection much less control over them in the centuries since."
Alex looked at the Imperial Chancellor. "Take action to reassure our Quarian friends." He said. "I would not have our excellent relationship with the Quarian people soured by any ill-founded association with the recent incident."
The New Galactic Empire is the only nation with real diplomatic ties with the Quarian Migrant Fleet. This is the result of action taken by the empire in the immediate aftermath of the Empire-Hegemony War, in particular over the repatriation of former slaves emancipated from the former Batarian Hegemony. Several tens of thousands of Quarians were among those, and as was the case with slaves of other races, had been repatriated at state expense back to their people, in what many considered as the largest humanitarian undertaking in galactic history.
For the Quarians, long since considered outcasts and pariahs by the rest of the galaxy, it was a touching gesture, and they warmly accepted the empire's further overtures for peaceful dialogue and relations. An Imperial consular ship was attached to the Migrant Fleet, and a Quarian Embassy established in the New Imperial City on Imperial Capital Fezzan. From there future arrangements bloomed, starting with the lifting of work and immigration restrictions on Quarians on pilgrimage within Imperial territory, a privilege that caused much resentment from other races which continued to remain under said restrictions, a resentment that ironically only served to increase sympathy for the Quarians among Imperial citizens.
While it was generally accepted that the Quarians held responsibility for creating the Geth and so destroyed themselves, Imperial citizens in general saw the Council's actions following the Geth War as draconian in the extreme. The Quarians had been driven from their homes, bled white from a war, and the Council's response was not only to deny them help but also to exile them to slow extinction in the Hinterland. It was thus with pride that Imperial citizens supported the hand of friendship extended by the empire to the Quarian people.
That there were too few Quarians to seriously threaten the Imperial job market was a conveniently-forgotten fact.
"Countess Reventlow has already spoken with the Quarian Ambassador on the matter, Your Excellency." Glass said. "Furthermore, she has directed our consul attached to the Migrant Fleet to speak likewise with the Admiralty Board."
The Emperor nodded, and the Imperial Chancellor continued with his report. He gave the details of Imperial Intelligence's contingencies in motion, and of the targets of assassination and sabotage missions within the Hinterland. And then the topic moved onto Imperial Intelligence's findings about the perpetrators behind the incident.
"His name is Saren Arterius." Glass said, the OKK's attention focused on the hologram of a cyborg Turian. "He's a veteran of the First Contact War, and lost an arm in said war. Our victory in said war also fostered a hatred for Humanity and the empire in the man."
"The name sounds familiar." Fleet Admiral Hans von Konigsberg, the Chief of Staff remarked.
"Is he related to General Arterius?" Admiral Thompson asked.
"He's the general's younger brother." Glass answered, pausing as murmurs broke out across the OKK. After a few moments the Emperor raised a hand for silence, and then nodded at Glass to continue. "They became estranged after the war, as a result of General Arterius' respect for us. He was reassigned to the Blackwatch, a Turian Black-Ops Group, but went MIA during a mission within the Hinterland in New Imperial Calendar 27. Imperial Intelligence is still investigating, but thus far it seems he's had no contact with the hierarchy in the years since."
"Instead he threw his lot in with the Geth?" Viscount Rabesberg asked. "Humph…from the sound of things, he doesn't care what the Geth will do afterwards so long as he gets revenge against us. No offense to the good general, but this Saren is a rabid dog. He needs be put down."
The Emperor nodded. "I am in full agreement." He said. "However, we cannot take reactionary action ourselves. I will not authorize a full-scale military deployment to scour the Hinterland from one end of the galaxy to another simply to put down a rabid dog. To do so would be frivolous in the extreme. With that said, decisive action must be taken."
"In that case further investigation should be conducted by Imperial Intelligence and the Imperial Military Police, to root out his agents and pick up his trail." Lutzen said. "At the same time, we should prepare a high-speed response force, one that can go into action the moment his trail is found. Investigation in the meantime will continue, until we can ascertain Saren and perhaps, the Geth's plans as well."
"With that said," Viscount Rabesberg said. "We shouldn't fully stand down our forces from full alert yet. We should do it in stages, and not fully, in case the situation rapidly re-escalates and a stronger response is needed."
"Perhaps we should also request cooperation with the Turians in this matter." Konigsberg mused. "This Saren is one of their loose ends after all, and taking the Turian psyche into account, they'll probably want to deal with him themselves if they can. Of course, given his crimes against the empire, that might not be possible, but involving them would work well as an olive branch."
"That certainly seems the best we can do given the restraint the situation calls for." The Emperor said after giving the OKK several moments to favorably discuss the proposals. "Very well, we'll adopt the given proposals."
There were nods at that, and the Emperor continued. "Before we adjourn this meeting," he said. "We should also determine the response we give the Council and their protests over Project Shadowblade. However, I would think that as a sovereign state, our empire is free to secure its own interests first and foremost."
"I am in agreement." The War Minister said. "We have no legal obligation to obey the Council's mandates over Prothean technology. Indeed, the only legal obligation we owe to them outside of normal diplomatic protocol is that of the Citadel Conventions. And those deal only with the use of weapons of mass destruction on the battlefield."
"I am in agreement as well." Admiral Thompson said with a nod. "We answer to His Majesty the Emperor, and our responsibility is to the empire and its one hundred billion citizens, and not to foreign powers."
Further agreement was made by all members of the OKK, though the Imperial Chancellor put in a word of caution. "Legally we are in the right," he said. "But while I do not disagree with our planned response to the Council, this will damage our relations with them for a time."
Alex just smiled at that. "In that case," he said. "Perhaps we should – indirectly of course – point out how the 'Prothean experts' usually come from the three Council races. It's natural of course, they have admittedly the best expertise on the matter, but the general public can be made to forget that, and how it's only the three Council races that seem to really profit off Prothean research."
There was a murmur of amused agreement at that, and after sweeping the OKK with his eyes Alex nodded. "Well then," he said. "This meeting is adjourned."
A/N
This chapter was a real pain to write, and is rather word-heavy. I apologize for that, though I hope it fleshes out the background considerably.
Next chapter, we'll see Julian, and maybe Felix and Garrus. And to lighten things up, let's open the betting pool (in a manner of speaking) on who Julian ended up marrying in the end.
I'm not an economist, so any thoughts on how the galactic economy will be affected by the empire keeping its own monetary unit are welcome.