LP's Note: Xab didn't have a note for this chapter - or if he did I didn't see one. Omega in canon always struck me as stupidly improbable, a collection of disorganized criminal gangs that can't even manage to coordinate themselves enough to kill one turian running a huge space station from a strip club was...

Well, like most of the things in canon Mass Effect, I grasp why it was done - there's not a lot of people who will be looking carefully at Omega aside from the strippers. But building it out as a setting has really illustrated how paper-thin a lot of said setting was. And thus, ergo, like most of the PV, we have to fix it.

I think Xabiar has done so in a plausible fashion.

THE TERMINUS SYSTEMS – MAJOR POWERS

SECTION 1: OMEGA

SUBSECTION 2: THE OMEGAN CONGRESS, INTERNAL ORGANIZATION, AND THE FIVE CONTINGENCIES

THE OMEGAN CONGRESS

OVERVIEW: The Omegan Congress, despite being one of the most important institutions on Omega, and a critical part of Aria's power base, is always an element which is curiously absent when both the Terminus – as well as Aria herself – are appraised.

This is not necessarily without cause.

There is little for Aria to gain by emphasizing the influence or importance of the Congress. It serves her, and the Omegan Illusion, if the Congress is always in her shadow, and the focus remains solely on her. She is the undisputed power, and it serves her that if the Congress has any actual impact, it is effectively that as a puppet.

Thus, the common perception of the Omegan Congress among the vast majority of people is extremely inaccurate. It is dominated by people who think that the Congress is a glorified propaganda institution Aria initially established to propagate the illusion of "democracy," or something which ultimately has no power – either in relation to Aria, or on Omega itself.

It may be useful to first define what the Omegan Congress is not.

First, the Omegan Congress is not a democratic institution. Or rather, a government institution at all. There is no legislation introduced. There are no laws passed. There is not even the semblance of governance practiced in the Congress. People are not elected or appointed to the Congress, nor does it technically have any authority over Aria or even Omega Station.

Second, the Omegan Congress is not powerless. That said, the power the Congress has is geared towards extracting promises or rewards from Aria – not in actually directing her own internal policy. The Congress facilitates mass consensus within its members, and this consensus goes directly to Aria for her to address.

Third, the Omegan Congress is not traditionally hierarchal. It employs a strange structure, where your mere participation in it is enough for you to have a say. There are certain designations one might use depending on the size, seniority, and so on – but those are primarily for intra-congressional relations, not because they necessarily have any more worth.

Fourth, every member of the Omegan Congress is ultimately subordinate to Aria. If you have entered into an agreement with Aria, you have access to the Congress. You are a member and are afforded all of the rights and privileges that comes with it. There are associates who have insight into the Congress – but these permissions are rarely handed out, and will be elaborated upon shortly.

The Omegan Congress can best be thought of a neutral ground between warlords, mercenaries, slavers, drugs dealers, and so on; it is a collective bargaining coalition, and a place to do business. There are legitimately no better places for networking in the world of mercenary, smuggling, and criminal work than the Omegan Congress due to the sheer amount of mercenaries, pirates, slavers, and so on who are present.

If you want to be in the big club, you are part of the Congress. It offers a place to find partners for smaller groups or freelancers, a neutral ground to discuss disputes between larger gangs and organizations, and offer after offer from some of the most infamous and wealthy clients in the Terminus and beyond.

Do not think of the Congress in the government sense – think of it as a specialized business hub. Perhaps the only business hub on Omega that matters. If Ilium is the hub of the wealthy and elite, then Omega is the hub of the criminal, warlord, and mercenary. The one requirement? As stated earlier all of them are subordinate to Aria and have agreements with her.

Subsequently, the Congress is also the mechanism from which one or more parties can request meetings with Aria and her subordinates, be it to renegotiate contracts, acquire details about jobs they're supposed to do, or other important matters. If multiple parties have a grievance against Aria, the Congress allows for them to present as one group – which Aria can then directly handle.

As you can imagine, this has the potential for handing significant power to the Congress and the mercenaries who dominate it – but the reason this has not yet happened is because Aria has made significant efforts to keep everyone in the Congress happy, or at least content. She has made it clear that if you're coming to her with a complaint – you better make sure it is worth her time.

Trying to take advantage of her often ends poorly, and she's successfully navigated the careful line between retaliation and concession depending on the reasonableness of the demands. So far, she retains that essential fear that keeps the more opportunistic from seeing exactly what they can get away with.

But this state of affairs cannot last forever, and Aria knows it. Fortunately for her, the Congress seems content for business to continue as usual – for now.

FOUNDING AND MISSION: As with most elements of the modern Omega, the Omegan Congress has its founding in the era of the Marches, when Aria seized control of Omega Station, and soon after established the Congress in conjunction with the Omegan Address. It remains a matter of debate on if the modern incarnation of the Congress, much like the Omegan Empire itself, reflects its original intention.

It is impossible to determine this without outright asking Aria herself, so we can only go off of the historical and circumstantial evidence that would have led to its founding. From what can be determined, it is very likely that Aria intended the Congress to be a method for her to formalize control over a vast and diverse collection of followers and subordinates without inherently invalidating all previous agreements.

This implies that at some point, Aria was potentially considering fully abolishing and absorbing all the existing groups into a singular unit which would be similar to the Omegan Legions in being fully under her command. It is unknown how long she might have held this plan, if she had it at all, and regardless she almost certainly discarded it as certain realities made themselves known.

Instead, she smartly pivoted to moving away from it being a formal means of asserting her power – though it arguably remains that – and a means of properly organizing her collection of mercenary and hired personnel, as well as giving them the opportunity to develop in ways that she has a direct hand in.

Aria went about this evolution in the Congress smartly – she never once gave the impression that she was going to take control, or otherwise exerted pressure on the Congress. She instead held to the original stated promise of the Congress being a place where all of her forces would be represented, and allowed them to develop the Congress in their own way – with her subtly influencing it.

If there can be a "mission" that the Congress has, it very much depends on who it applies to. For all parties to the Congress, the mission is to do work for Aria, and the Congress is the formal means you go about doing it. It would be difficult to divorce the mission of the Congress from the missions already assigned to them.

For Aria, the mission of the Congress is to serve as a repository of all the forces at her disposal, which can be contained, observed, and managed while lessening the concern of parties going behind her back. Even if they are unhappy – she would much prefer it be addressed in the open then whispered behind the scenes.

The gamble she takes is risky – but thus far it appears to be paying off, even as the Congress begins to demand more and more.

INTERNAL STRUCTURE: Templates. Wonderful things.

How to put this?

The Omegan Congress does not really have a structure. They don't really have protocols, norms, or anything that can be compared to other similar organizations, because there really aren't a lot of similar organizations, if any at all. The Congress is a member-driven group, which can interface with Aria when they please.

The closest thing to a formal session they have is a yearly address where Aria speaks before the entire Congress, which is not much more than a formality. The rest of the time, the Congress is dominated by the various members conducting business with clients and each other, as well as enjoying themselves.

They've had shooting ranges, bars, and fighting rings installed. Good ones too, the Congress is comparable to a very expensive VIP lounge for mercenaries to hang out, and when they feel like it, do business as well. It may be more worthwhile to briefly go over the various groups and interests that comprise the Congress, as each uses the institution in different ways.

The first, and largest group, are mercenaries. Soldiers, pilots, and pirates for hire. Some are benign, some are brutal, the character of each depends, the point being that if you pay them, they'll utilize violence for the ends you desire. The mercenaries are most concerned with timely payment, modern equipment, respect, and prestige – all of which they can earn under Aria, and through the Congress.

The second are the multitude of drug cartels, which of course bring their many illicit substances into the Congress to sometimes share, and sometimes sell. You want red sand in bulk? One of the Congressional members will almost certainly be able to get you that. As well as any other drug you can imagine – legal or otherwise. It's not uncommon for completely normal pharmaceuticals to be smuggled and shipped across Terminus and Citadel space since they are sometimes cheaper than official vendors.

This group is mostly concerned with being able to move their product unmolested, which Aria easily accommodates. There are no checks on purity and safety either – buyer beware, though most are smart enough to not intentionally taint their product – even if they make it more addictive than it needs to be.

The third group are freelancers, bounty hunters, and other solo operators. These are typically elite operatives, who are prominent enough to negotiate directly with Aria for a contract. They mostly care about steady work, reliable pay, and advertisement. This group is the most likely to only stay formally in the Congress for a short time before moving on – and later coming back.

The fourth group are slavers, who traffic in every species and for every purpose you can imagine. All they care about is being able to operate and sell without restriction, and have worked to insulate themselves with the rest of the Congress by selling discounted slaves, some for labor, more for sex. Ironically, the existence of the Congress has made it more difficult for Aria to do anything substantial about the slavers, as drastic measures would result in an uproar from the rest of the Congress. Thus, her hands are tied, if she wanted to do something at all.

The fifth group, and among the smallest, are warlords who typically hold parts of worlds or sometimes even sectors of space. They are largely centered around personalities, and they generally want to continue to rule their fiefdoms unmolested and occasionally with some extra support. While such personalities often lead to conflicts, Aria is very skilled at playing them off of each other – instead of allowing them to unite to influence her.

And of course, this is further complicated by there are differing sizes of each group. Smaller groups are generally more cooperative and more concerned with having stable work than fulfilling their ambitions. Medium groups are considered by Aria and Omega as "ideal" as they aren't large enough to threaten, and not small enough to be of limited use.

Larger groups are entire organizations on their own, and most of them have notable ambitions. They are far more likely to drive a harder bargain to work for Aria, are less easy to intimidate, and are more expensive. All the same, they make up a substantial part of the Congress, even if their interests are not necessarily aligned, even with each other.

There is a final group to the Congress – Associates. These are organizations which are not formally under Aria, but are influential enough on the mercenary or criminal scene to have insight into the Congress. They are heavily restricted in what they can do – namely no business can be conducted, they cannot take part in any ongoing disputes or negotiations, and they don't have access to any recreational areas.

This mostly applies to organizations like the Blue Suns, Eclipse, and so on. Major groups that are power players in their own right. Being granted Associate status to the Congress is an olive branch from Aria, one which most accept. That is what it most likely is intended to be – a means of keeping the peace.

If any of the major mercenary organizations, or indeed, any Associates begin leaving, we should pay very close attention – as it effectively means that the truce has ended – and someone believes Aria is vulnerable.

RELATIONSHIP TO ARIA: This is a more complicated question than it may first assume. If one thing should be made clear – the Congress is not a monolith, and each group has their own priorities, and within those groups each has further priorities, leanings, and needs. Disputes between groups and Aria are very rarely the same, both in content and importance.

With this aid, as a general rule, the majority of the Congress has a positive view of Aria – and that is because she has provided what they want. When they want raises, she gives them some – if half of what they asked for. If they want more important operations to increase their prestige, she'll throw them one (if never do it again).

Aria, in conjunction with her vast civil apparatus which helps manage the relations she has between all of the various parties, is highly skilled at managing each of these groups. She knows when to stand her ground and not be taken advantage of, and when there is more to be gained by acquiescing.

She knows when it is better to refuse a demand because she would gain nothing, and when she is pushed to the point where there could be consequences. Something should be stressed – Aria never gives in to a demand if she can live without it. This attitude is why she has been able to cede remarkably little influence or authority that the Congress could theoretically impose on her.

Aria is also remarkably skilled at focusing and playing personalities and groups off of each other. She knows when to invoke rivalries and competition, and when to avoid such provocations. Doing so, for this number of individuals, requires the tact and capability of a master politician – and ironically, one must be a master politician if they are to successfully use the Congress to their ends.

Almost anyone else would effectively be a puppet of one group or another after several centuries, unless they had experience managing such groups. Aria in contrast – which she has certainly given plenty of concessions over the years to maintain their loyalty – remains the undisputed sovereign of Omega, and subsequently the Terminus.

It is questionable if anyone other than an asari would have been able to pull this off successfully. Asari think in centuries, not decades, and the continual cycles of mercenary leadership mean that in a sense, Aria has the opportunity to set the clock back decades every leadership change. Progress continues all the same, but this method has bought her much-needed time – even if it means very little can be practically changed.

Perhaps a pertinent question to ask is if the Congress is loyal to Aria – and again, the answer depends. For the majority, no. This is a job for them, and while Aria is easily one of the best employers, if they wanted to find another, better client, they would do so without a lot of hesitation. Aria mitigates this by undercutting, marginalizing, or eliminating the competition, and giving them a reason to not look elsewhere.

But these men are not loyal. And that is ultimately the biggest weakness for Aria, and why she cannot show weakness. She has too many enemies to risk it, and if the Congress senses weakness, they may depart on their own – or begin making greater demands for their continued loyalty.

INTERNAL ORGANIZATION – ADMINISTRATION

IMPORT/EXPORT MANAGEMENT: There is a great deal that Omega requires – and provides to the rest of the Terminus and beyond. As far as it relates to Omega Station and Aria herself, all of it is conducted through Import/Export Management. It is not the most elaborate organization within Omega – but it is one of the most important.

Omega is not, as you can imagine, a very habitable place. Food, water, oxygen, which is to say nothing of specialized products, technologies, or military equipment is difficult to come by naturally on Omega. It is not a station that is designed for anything that is not mining and certain kinds of mechanical production.

While Aria has been working to allow Omega to domestically produce certain technological components and basic necessities – anything agricultural and hyperspecialized pieces of equipment have been impossible to sustain without quickly becoming more costly than what is gained.

So because of that, I/E Management is one of the most critical parts of Aria's operation. To be clear – Aria has built stockpiles of critical resources that would allow her and her organization to survive for nearly one month without imports – but that is only for her organization. The rest of Omega would not be so lucky.

If this division is crippled, shut down, or confined, it is not a matter of if Omega would collapse into anarchy – but when.

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT SERVICE: Aria's power relies on the Congressional parties – the mercenaries, the drug dealers, the slavers, and the freelancers. At any one time if one of these groups or individuals decides to go off the script expected, it could lead to a ripple effect that could bring down the Omegan Illusion.

The Internal Assessment Service exists to predict and prevent that.

Every single party that is part of the Congress – be they full or associate members – is recorded, observed, and assessed by this department. We do not know their exact metrics, but each of them when put together determine to what extent Aria can rely upon them. They assess size, wealth, operations, leadership, ideology, ambition, and payment preferences.

For leaders and figures of note in particular, they develop rudimentary psychological profiles, as well as their goals, ambitions, and rivalries. All of these will be utilized by Aria to manipulate their social circumstances and more effectively guide them along the path she wants.

This information is enough for them to effectively assess groups, and then pass on ones that pose security concerns to other parties – Aria in particular – for her to manage and mitigate. The IAS is not an action service – they do not address any potential risks or concerns, they pass them along to the parties who do.

Given the sheer number of groups and individuals associated with the Congress and Aria directly, simply managing these assessments is a full-time job, made even more complicated by the fact that there is a requirement that all small organizations and single individuals require yearly reassessments, medium groups require bi-yearly reassessments, and large organizations are reassessed every three months.

The larger and more powerful a group, the more often they will be assessed. This is done regardless of their current leanings, as they possess the most capability to damage Aria, and she cannot allow herself to be blindsided. Emergency assessments can be conducted if there are signs of imminent deterioration, but these have historically been rare.

The existence of the IAS is not a complete secret, as all of the larger mercenary groups appear to understand that they are occasionally observed for loyalty – though if they were aware as to the extent and metrics used, they might not be so accepting of it.

MERCENARY LOGISTICS: This is a division whose name is misleading for two reasons.

The first is that it is not just mercenaries who are included – it is every single party that has an agreement or connection to Aria. The second is that they do not actually provide any logistical support or information to said groups. In fact, the Congress is unaware that this particular division actually exists.

Logistics, in this context, refers to administrative management of the Congress. There are hundreds of parties involved, and Aria needs to be personally involved in maintaining at least cordial relationships with all of them. Each of them need to be placated, paid, and given what they expect to retain their support.

Mercenary Logistics is effectively the division responsible for organizing Aria's schedule. The number of groups in question means that Aria or high-ranking officials are meeting with various groups and individuals on a daily basis. Those receiving the meetings don't have this perception, to them it's monthly, quarterly, or yearly check-ins. For Aria and her inner circle, its every day.

Further complicating something as supposedly simple as scheduling are the numerous other events, crises, and matters that come up, and Mercenary Logistics is responsible for either promptly rescheduling, finding substitutes, or otherwise making sure the party in question is placated – especially if they're a larger group.

This division also manages payments to the various mercenary, criminal, or warlord parties. This is a comparatively simpler matter, as most take credits, and if they are taking drugs, materials, or other hard rewards, it is simply a matter of acquisition and distribution. If mercenaries, warlords, or organizations have specific requests of Aria, and she grants them, Mercenary Logistics will be responsible for acquiring and providing them.

It is a constant, critical task that few are aware of, and fewer appreciative. Yet make no mistake, this is absolutely essential for Aria to maintain her control over her empire. Without the personal connection, and the impression that she is invested in each group or individual under her, this would have almost certainly fallen apart long ago.

AFTERLIFE CONTROL: With Afterlife being the centerpiece of Aria's control, and the most important location on Omega, it should not be surprising that there is a dedicated department to directly manage it behind the scenes. The emphasis on control is very deliberate – it is better that you do not think of Afterlife as a nightclub, but a command center.

Afterlife Control technically manages all facets of Afterlife, from the bartenders to the janitors to the dancers. Or rather, they oversee the subgroups that actually conduct these functions. However they are the entity who are the eternal watchers over Afterlife. This should not be new information, but if you step foot in Afterlife, you should expect that everything you are doing is being watched.

A fuller description of what Afterlife is and what it contains will come in the next subsection, but it is important to understand this context to know what the purpose of Afterlife Control is. It is the surveillance apparatus of Afterlife, and its primary security function. They observe, and order interventions. They listen, and write reports.

There is nothing that happens in Afterlife that Aria does not know about, and all of it is captured, processed, and packaged by Afterlife Control. If there are people of importance or danger, they have eyes on them from the moment they step inside, and they are extremely adept at removing troublemakers and threats without causing issues.

It is best if you consider Afterlife similarly to the many suites, nightclubs, and bars on Noveria – enjoy your time there if you decide to go, but be under no illusions as to your privacy. There is always someone watching.

And if you reveal something secret that can be exploited, you can be sure it is going right up to Aria.

OMEGAN CIVIL COMMAND: If you are expecting a radical divergence from what would typically be understood as traditional leadership groups or councils, I am afraid I will need to disappoint. Among the exotic and strange that comprises Omega, Omegan Civil Command is relatively uncontroversial in its purpose and execution.

It comprises the heads, and sometimes the subheads, of every civilian institution, including ones that have not been listed here. Its purpose is to make overarching decisions that will directly impact Omega Station and their control and influence within the Congress – and of course to keep Aria appraised of critical developments.

This is not Aria's inner council per-se, though there are many members who are on both – but it is the second-most important leadership division on Omega. There is almost never significant controversy within the group, partially because Aria makes a point to address complaints and provide requested resources – and also because she dislikes infighting.

As a result, internal disputes are kept to a minimum.

INTERNAL ORGANIZATION – OMEGAN SERVICES

PORT SERVICES: The ports are perhaps the most important lifeline between Omega and the rest of the galaxy. There are relatively few places that Aria makes a point to have control over – but the ports are one such exception, and it is for the simple reason that leaving the fate of the ports up to chance – especially with the potential for violence – is a very bad idea.

Port Services is intended to be both an accountability and non-invasive oversight group for the Ports. Officially, ports are able to be ceded or controlled by various groups, of which those internal politics are determined by all the parties in question – Port Services only has one true mission – making sure the ports stay open.

Business needs to continue no matter what, and if there is one group which is unduly restricting imports or landings, especially the major commercial ports – then Port Services will take action. Not by themselves, as they are again primarily an accountability department – but they will inform Civil Command who will then dispatch some of Aria's forces to reclaim the port in question.

Likewise sabotage or trapping ports is one of the most serious incidents that can happen on Omega – at least in terms of action from Aria. No one ever intentionally sabotages ports, and anyone found doing so, either to cause damage to rivals or other reasons, is usually liquidated in a very public fashion.

Port Services also maintains full control over the number of ports that Aria has exclusive control over, and have been empowered by Aria to, if necessary, assume temporary control over other ports as needed – though Aria almost never utilizes this, as she is largely content for the mercenaries and Congressional parties to exercise their own control, and most understand that it is far more profitable (and safer) to keep the ports open and the goods coming in.

The construction of additional ports is also ultimately approved by Port Control as well. They need to approve the construction, and conduct periodic inspections during the construction period. They do not have 'regulations' per-se, but Port Control retains a number of engineers on staff and while Omegan ports are not up to Citadel standards – they have a distinct interest in making sure that ports aren't going to fall apart the first time a commercial freighter lands on one.

OMEGAN INFRASTRUCTURE CORPS: From the standpoint of what can generously be called Omega's "governance," the Omegan Infrastructure Corps is one of the more unique public organizations that is in operation. Its mission is not especially unique compared to every other civil government that exists – but Omega it is something quite fascinating.

As should be clear now, Omega does not really have a traditional government, and is effectively held together by inertia, duct tape, fear, and personality. Omega's infamous "One Rule" stands as the only true guideline, law, or regulation, with almost everything else being up to context, insinuation, and common sense.

Omega does not have regulations. They do not have building codes or architectural standards. Deaths from preventable measures such as building collapses, exposed wires, chemical poisoning, are all incredibly high if you compared it even to an irradiated and dying world like Earth. When the human Archologies are held to a higher standard than Omega, that is how you know you have hit the absolute bottom.

The freedom offered on Omega is truly limitless, and we have an insight into how a truly anarchistic and decentralized government could be run. Price gouging and mini-dictatorships by landlords are among the best scenarios you have for living on Omega. You are much more likely to find yourself in indentured servitude, living in a bug-infested shack, and having to cower in your tiny apartment each night as your street degenerates into a gunfight. And if the gang that is offering "protection" loses? Well, the new owners are sometimes not very considerate to the previous tenants.

The situation I just described is not an uncommon one. Usually – there is a middle ground to be found. Landlords, gangs, and other such organizations are usually smart enough to know that you need your tenants to have some means of providing for yourselves – and going on power trips is not profitable in the long run.

Omega often has consequences for those who think in the short-term.

So, here is where the Omegan Infrastructure Corps comes in. You may rightfully be thinking, "What infrastructure?" and this specifically refers to the utility systems that flow throughout Omega. Water, sewage, electricity, and the extranet are the primary focuses. You see, as Omega does not have a real civilian government, there is no traditional taxing center, nor any actual infrastructure for tracking and charging individuals for utility usage.

As a result, all of the listed utilities are free to be utilized by anyone on Omega. All of that underlying infrastructure is directly protected and maintained by Aria, and specifically, the Infrastructure Corps. These are teams of engineers and mechanics who, usually under armed escort, make regular patrols throughout Omega to conduct repairs to the electricity grids, water treatment plants, and signal towers.

I want to stress – none of these are officially protected.

As with effectively most of Omega Station, they are able to be controlled and claimed by anyone who gets there first. Yes, technically water, electricity, and extranet are free to those who live on it – but there is nothing stopping private groups from charging for the usage of electricity from one specific power grid they control.

This has resulted in most of the infrastructure endpoints coming under official private control, which results in a number of different equilibriums. Some don't have any charge for tenants and users, others take it to extremes, it doesn't matter to Aria. She doesn't care about that. And as you would expect, these targets come under attack in the gang violence on Omega.

When that happens, usually the Infrastructure Corps will show up afterwards to repair it. They have effectively free reign to go wherever they want, and all of the relevant parties know when the Infrastructure Corps show up, to let them do their job. Aria wants the underlying infrastructure of Omega Station to be maintained – and anyone who gets in the way of this is dealt with severely.

A final mission of note that they oversee is the construction of new infrastructure endpoints. We are not sure if this is Aria attempting to build additional redundancy, or employing them strategically to give additional options to extremely bad actors, but it has the result of further breaking apart large monopolies over large swaths of Omega – wars are fought over infrastructure, but after a certain point, all sides learn to be content with their gains.

THE PROTECTION DETAILS: Omega is not a safe place, and there are numerous people who refuse to go there due to the higher-than-comfortable chance that they will find themselves forced into an alley by a half-dead salarian holding a Carnifax who wants your entire bank account or your life.

Aria has her own reasons for not wanting to leave Omega, and in all cases prefers people come to her. So to rectify this legitimate concern, she established the Protection Details. This is an ultimately straightforward group, with a straightforward mission. Notably visitors to Omega will be assigned a Protection Detail, which varies depending on the size of the party, but are usually very small.

Despite the name, the Protection Details are not actually intended to provide protection. While they are very visible and identifiable – due to the green bands on their right arms, if it comes to a fight, they are not necessarily the best of the best. They are there to provide deterrence. They are there to signal to the station – "This person is under the protection of Aria – do not intervene."

It works.

The Protection Details also provide a useful service in that they know the most efficient ways to reach destinations all over the station, and on Omega, getting from Point A to Point B as soon as possible is optimal. Their presence prevents even the most drug-addled mind from trying to do something stupid.

Certain individuals have refused the Protection Details, saying they had their own security. Sometimes this is enough of a deterrent, but many times they fundamentally misunderstand why Aria offers these. There is no law on Omega – except for Aria. You could be a Dalatrass and that is not going to stop some hyped-up human on Red Sand caring one iota. Authority, title, and prestige do not matter on Omega. They certainly won't deter the mad, the desperate, and the committed – and there are droves of those on Omega.

So unless you are very confident, very foolish, or very dangerous, if Aria ever offers you a Protection Detail – I would advise that you kindly accept the offer.

INTERNAL ORGANIZATION – RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

ELEMENT ZERO MINING CONTROL: There is one product which matters at the end of the day on Omega – Element Zero. Unlike most of the station, which Aria has been content to cede with minimal exceptions to the various parties, there is only one monopoly on Omega which controls any and all eezo mining and production – her own.

Element Zero is by far the most important product made on Omega, and their most critical revenue stream that is domestically produced. Element Zero Mining Control is the hub through which this is managed. They oversee the mining and harvesting of the raw element zero, which is then processed and distributed under different divisions of Omegan Resource Management.

Mining Control manages the miners directly – it is not an easy or simple job. It has its dangers, there are risks of getting sick, and while Aria puts some effort into making sure her workers can mine another day, it is not what would be called up to standard anywhere else. However there are no shortage of desperate people on Omega who will suffer through the hard days and long-term cancer risks so they can feed themselves or their families.

The miners who work for Aria have it better than a lot of people – even if their conditions are hardly great. But they have a small room, they have electricity, water, and extranet provided by Aria without having to worry about price gouging. They have a steady job that pays enough for them to eat, and they don't often have to fear death by a stray bullet in the night.

Such are the perks of working for Aria – and on Omega, they are the difference between life and death. While worker turnover is relatively high, she will never have to worry about running low on workers – they will always come to her, and the mines will always need more hands.

REFINING AND PROCESSING: When the raw element zero is mined and harvested, it is not immediately used. Now, Omega does sell raw, unrefined element zero in bulk because as it turns out, there is a market for that, usually by groups and organizations in the Terminus who have their own refining equipment – but this is of a limited stock, because is sells for far, far less than refined element zero.

Refining and Processing is the division responsible for making sure this process is carried out smoothly, safely, and securely. The raw eezo goes in, is processed, and then is packaged in various quantities which will later be sold. As far as safety goes, when it comes to this process, this is the safest part of element zero production.

To be moved to Refining and Processing is considered an unofficial promotion, or you have a friend who wants to get you out of the mines. While there are still plenty of safety violations to be pointed out, there is far less of a risk of injury or death than directly in the mines. There is little more to say about this, other than it is a critical step in Aria's element zero production.

DISTRIBUTION CONTROL: At the end of this entire process is, perhaps, the most important part – distribution. Distribution Control has the simple task of taking the refined (or raw) element zero and transporting it for delivery to their various customers – and there are many, many customers who want refined element zero.

Enough that if Omega wished, they could pick and choose who to give it too. They have a near-complete stranglehold on the element zero market through a good portion of the Terminus. This has given Aria significant influence over much of the region. The element zero that does not go to clients is stockpiled for their own use, or distributed to mercenaries and other parties of the Congress as either regular payments or bonuses.

One might think that there is a high chance that some opportunists would see this as an opportunity to get their hands on some refined element zero and raid the many transports carrying it. Now, while it cannot be said that every shipment arrives at its destination unmolested, there is a second, unofficial rule on Omega.

Do not interfere with element zero operations.

Aria has few lines, but she knows how critical it is that her monopoly on eezo be maintained, and if anyone so much as breathes in a threatening way towards Distribution Control – or any other production element – their lives are not measured in days, but hours. Aria is merciless when dealing with those who are foolish enough to try and raid her forces for eezo.

Usually it is only small, and decidedly unintelligent gangs or freelancers who try this, and every single established group or party on Omega that has half a brain knows better – because if one of their people is involved, Aria will have no problem liquidating the entire group. Mercenaries on Omega quickly get it drilled through their heads to not only avoid the eezo transports, but actively leave the area just so there is no association possible.

In addition to delivering the products, Distribution Control also keeps detailed inventories of how much eezo is expanded on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis, where it is going to, who is using the most, and the other metrics you would expect them to keep track of. They also manage the large stockpiles Omega possesses – all distributed all over the station, as well as multiple places beyond it.

Aria has been stockpiling element zero for a long, long time. Perhaps since she first took control of the mines. What is certain is that if she ever loses control of the mines for a brief period of time – she will almost certainly have enough for her forces to sustain her for quite a long time yet.

INTERNAL ORGANIZATION – FOREIGN POLICY AND DIPLOMACY

THE OMEGAN AMBASSADOR CORPS: In striking white and green uniforms, species of all types, and notably conversational voices, the Omegan Ambassador Corps are one of the most recognizable groups on Omega, and who are known to give those who do not know Aria a rather striking first impression.

Usually a good one.

Aria is a very busy woman, and she simply cannot manage the myriad of relationships between Omega, herself, and the Congress by herself. While she is known for being directly involved, this is on a very limited schedule and at very limited times – and so most often if one is interacting with the power of Omega, they are interacting with the Omegan Ambassadors.

Their role is to, as the name implies, represent the interests of Aria and Omega to whoever they are speaking with. They are granted rather wide permissions and authorization to conduct business – Aria has strict criteria for who can be an ambassador, including experience, loyalty, and competence. Senior ones are required to have mind-links performed by Omegan intelligence.

When groups, warlords, factions, or organizations in the Terminus wish to conduct business, very often there will be a delegation of Ambassadors sent initially, which will then determine if Aria interacts personally, or if it can be handled internally. The point is to reduce the work Aria does so she can focus on what matters – and in a majority of cases, the Ambassadors can perform the job sufficiently for all parties involved.

They are known for being polite, but many emulate the attitudes of their patron – Aria tells them to speak with her authority, and they do. They are notably difficult to intimidate, bribe, or otherwise treat poorly. If anyone thinks they can think lesser of Ambassadors because Aria herself is not there, things will go quite badly for them.

As a result their reputation has gained a healthy respect among the Terminus. If the Ambassadors are sent, that is generally a good – or bad – sign that Aria is interested, and if your cards are played right, you might emerge from it for the better. In the event that Aria herself does conduct interactions herself, there will still usually be a small team of Ambassadors who accompany her, especially if they are knowledgeable on the matter at hand.

TRIBUTE COLLECTION: Tribute is something that is something that serves as a symbol of power and authority rather than something actually needed – but there needs to be an administrative division needed to track, manage, and ultimately collect on it. Tribute Collection serves that purpose.

It is through Tribute Collection that negotiations between Omega and various parties in the Terminus are initially conducted. Omega makes a point to ensure that the expected tribute made is fair and something that can be provided with minimal disruption. Very rarely will Omega make specific demands unless the planet or group in question is in control of rare resources or products.

Omega also tends to prefer tribute in the form of hard goods and resources, be they weapons, resources, supplies, or even food and water. Credits are taken, but it is not generally what Aria prefers. Ideally, tribute is something that is taken from what is produced or offered, and credits are not as symbolically potent.

Regardless, what matters in the end is that the tribute is provided – and Tribute Collection makes sure that it is. In the cases where tribute is either refused or unavailable, they work in close consultation with Omega to decide what happens next. Late tributes will often have an extra tax – this is in the form of credits – and ones which are refused can generally expect a visit from Aria's forces.

However, in most instances, there are no problems. It is simply a part of life in the Terminus, and it is far better to be on Aria's side than against her. This does admittedly become more difficult to enforce the further away one goes from Omega – as well as the group in question. The recently established United Terminus Federation made a very clear statement that they would not be paying any tribute to Aria, and if she wished to press the issue, they would meet them in force.

So far, Aria has decided it is worth taking the hit on her reputation instead of a protracted conflict – and as more time passes, it may only be a matter of time until more refusals on a large scale happen. The UTF has the forces to make such threats – but many planets and organizations do not.

MANDATE REVIEW AND DISTRIBUTION: The Omegan Mandate is one of, if not the most important things one can possess if they seek to travel the Terminus Systems. Possessing one gives you nearly free access to travel unmolested, as well as deterring pirates and other opportunists unless they wish to risk the retaliation of Aria.

It is very, very valuable, and it is something that Aria has a distinct interest in making sure is in as few hands as possible. Contrary to popular belief, the Omegan Mandate is not given out to every single member of the Congress, or everyone who pays tribute to Aria. What happens is that Mandates are distributed to parties based on size, mission frequency, and travel necessity.

Mandates will usually be held by captains, warlords, administrators, officers, or other ranking officials. So long as at least one person possesses a mandate, anyone under their command or traveling with them will fall under the same permissions and protections. Those who are given the Mandate are expected to not abuse it – in the sense of raiding or attacking tributaries or engaging in trivial violence.

This still happens of course, but it is kept to a minimum, and the Omegan Mandate is a reason why the Terminus is far more calm than it has been in the past. When a good portion of it is actively incentivized not to attack or undermine the other, then there is less instability as a result.

To this end, Mandate Review and Distribution is the primary organ for managing this. They are responsible for distributing, reviewing, and if necessary, revoking Mandates. There is a certain criteria that has to be met for each holder, and this department checks it, and if approved, will request a number of ranking officials to distribute the Mandate to.

Omegan Mandates are difficult to fake, although there are plenty of underground groups that purport to being able to do it – and these can make quite a lot of credits. However the Mandates are all able to connect to a central system for verification, and are impossible to fake if an Omegan official asks for Mandate verification.

However, not everyone has access to this system, and because of it, they are sometimes able to use faked Mandates for those who don't know better. Because of this, when there are questions about Mandates, unsure parties tend to loop Omega into the picture – specifically Mandate Review and Distribution – which usually resolves the concern.

One way or another.

One final thing that this department keeps track of – if more quietly – is the distribution of the Blue Kiss – the term that refers to Aria's personal mark of favor. Technically, it has no official standing, but serves to inform Omegan services that whoever holds it is someone who Aria trusts or has otherwise proven their loyalty.

This can only be handed out by Aria herself, and those who possess it do not flaunt it. It doesn't inherently get them inherently special treatment or benefits – but it does give them the favor of Aria, and when the Empress of the Terminus believes you are reliable, it is not difficult to see how one might find it useful.

TERMINUS OUTREACH: As the self-declared ruler, protector, and steward of the Terminus Systems, it is perhaps not surprising that Aria has created an internal organization that is responsible for maintaining strong ties with various Terminus powers. The mission and responsibilities of this organization are broad, but an important way Aria maintains her power.

Terminus Outreach manages what amounts to embassies on minor planets and major powers in the Terminus – the Terminus Clan being the more prominent example, and the various warlords, the lesser. They provide a direct diplomatic line to Omega, and allow business to be directly discussed without a need for additional intermediaries.

The second mission of Terminus Outreach is building ties and goodwill – Aria much prefers the Terminus be willingly aligned, even though fear remains a significant asset. As a result, Terminus Outreach will sometimes manage more direct assistance programs. If a planet has suffered a bad storm or natural disaster, they will provide some materials, food, and resources. If they are being raided, they will arrange for protection for a time.

Sometimes this is done for free, sometimes there is an unspoken expectation that this is a favor that will be repaid. The point of this is to show that, when needed, Aria will come to help. There is more investment in each subject than simply wishing to exploit them – or so is the image Aria wants to convey.

To a certain extent it works in maintaining the status quo – but Aria would be the first to say that if the threat of retaliation was not present, it is difficult to say how many would voluntarily remain under her de-facto authority. However, Terminus Outreach does nothing to hurt her reputation – and at the end of the day, will keep the status quo in place a little while more.

THE DEESCALATION CORPS: While it may not be the first thing to come to mind – Aria tends to want to avoid conflict and strife as much as possible. This is not out of some principle or moral leaning, but because Aria, like all ruling governments, benefits from the continuation of the status quo and anything which threatens this is something that must be dealt with.

The Deescalation Corps are one of the most secretive and unknown divisions in Omega – which only ranking military, civilian, and Omegan Intelligence officials know about as it heavily relates to the security of the Terminus and Omega Station. Only trusted and senior officials are chosen for the Corps, particularly ones that are skilled in diplomacy and negotiation.

Their roles have a number of functions.

The first is that they maintain what are internally called the 'Red Lines' which are direct lines of contact to various entities that Omega has decided pose enough of a direct risk or threat that if there is conflict there needs to be an immediate means of high-level contact. We have identified Red Lines for the Terminus Clan, United Terminus Federation, the Circle of the Fallen, the Asari Republics, Batarian Empire, and Citadel Station (although this is primarily managed by Omegan Intelligence's Division Silver). There are a few warlords included, but they are not important in comparison to these.

The second is that, in the event of an emergency or developing situation, they can deconflict as effectively as possible and buy time for Aria and her people to come up with a more comprehensive response. They also report what their impressions are of the other side, which informs how Aria pursues her deconfliction strategy.

This has proven to work fairly well, and we know that the Deescalation Corps have been responsible for helping defuse tensions between Aria and several of the aforementioned groups. War was never at risk in any of these situations, but it could have led down a path that was dangerous and escalatory – and it was prevented.

They also serve a role outside of managing the Red Lines, they also are involved in smaller disputes, usually with mercenaries or criminal organizations under Aria's nominal control. If normal diplomacy is simply not cutting it, they step in and use their skills and experience to either bring them back under Aria, or make the split as amicable as possible (if terminating them is not worth it).

Recently the Corps has been expanded, and there are several implications one can take away from that – perhaps the most pressing being that slowly but surely, the Terminus is destabilizing, and the cracks in the Omegan Empire are beginning to be seen.

INTERNAL ORGANIZATION – MILITARY FORCES | GROUND

CENTRAL MERCENARY MANAGEMENT: A statistic that should be known for anyone who analyzes the military forces that Aria has, ostensibly, under her control, is that nearly two-thirds of them are mercenaries or otherwise affiliated through the Omegan Congress. The number of soldiers that are directly employed by her are significantly outnumbered by mercenaries.

There are certain implications of that stat, but one is that it is a necessity that there is a department which exists to facilitate planning and coordination between these various forces, and the Omegan forces. That is the purpose of Central Mercenary Management. While there are other non-mercenary groups that are affiliated with this, the overwhelming majority are mercenary groups and so the department was called such.

The purpose of Central Mercenary Management is to provide assignments, facilitate communication and coordination, and ensure an acceptable degree of interoperability between what are effectively two separate branches of the forces Aria controls. This is not a simple task considering the sheer number of different groups, and this department is very large as a result.

They are also responsible for making sure that the mercenaries are properly supplied, that they remain militarily effective, and that they are fulfilling their assigned objectives. If any of these are not met, they are responsible for remediating them as quickly as possible, and have authority to expedite resolutions as necessary.

They conduct the yearly readiness assessments for each mercenary unit as well, which are effectively small-scale war games which are sometimes, and sometimes not, done in conjunction with the Omegan Legions or other military units directly under Aria's control. Those who do not pass are usually given another opportunity – or they are demoted or removed from the Congress.

This sounds more difficult or contentious than it is. Considering many of the mercenary units are performing tasks throughout the year, the yearly tests are not exactly difficult if they've been doing their job. If they can't pass relatively simple wargames, then the general consensus even among the Congress is that they are too incompetent to be a part of it, and it raises little issue in the few cases it happens.

Finally, CMM works to facilitate monthly exercises between portions of the mercenaries, and the Omegan forces, which is largely to ensure that, in the event of large-scale operations or wars, they will be able to work and coordinate together without major issues. Considering some of the personalities at the heads of these mercenary groups, it is much better to work out the kinks now, than when there are more serious stakes.

THE OMEGAN LEGIONS: One does not think of Omega as having a "professional" army at its disposal. You rarely see such on Omega, and the reputation Aria has cultivated as the leader of groups of criminals and mercenaries often leads many to drastically underestimate what Aria actually has at her disposal.

Aria has more than mercenaries, if she were nothing more than a glorified client of a hundred different groups, she would have little leverage to actually achieve much. No, Aria possesses a large and relatively sophisticated military at her disposal – if one that she keeps under the radar and rarely invokes on Omega Station itself.

These are the Omegan Legions, born from when she initially took over Omega Station, and drawn from the citizens of Omega and across the Terminus. These are not mercenaries, pirates, or freelancers. They have very little functional difference to any of the other Citadel militaries, if ironically often being more diverse.

Omega is home to every single species in the galaxy, and all of this is reflected in the Omegan Legions. Asari, turian, human, even vorcha and volus are known to be members. There is even a single hanar involved, though we will get to this particular individual a bit later. What is relevant is that the Legions are drawn from everyone.

The standards are also unlike any conventional military. The Legions do not care for things such as criminal background, drug use, class, or connections. Anything that would disqualify you from regular militaries is ignored for the Legions – and on Omega, this is simply a necessary policy. There will only be problems if you let your habits affect your assignments. In a sense, Aria has adopted a turian approach to military service, though in only limited respects.

The Legions have many of the same jobs and specialties as many militaries. Infantry, marksmen, battlefield engineers, biotics, and so on, so this will not be covered deeply. They have a very simplified ranking system that is composed of soldiers, officers, battalion captains, and Legion Commanders.

Promotion is handled through the assessment of a number of factors, such as competence, length of service, leadership capabilities, loyalty, and any outstanding accomplishments. It is significantly more informal and messy than most would be comfortable with, and promotions can happen very quickly, or take years – although the latter is often because of doing the absolute bare minimum. Even if there are few standards to joining the Legions, Aria has expectations for those who lead them.

In terms of discipline and competence, the most objective assessment that can be given to the Legions is that they are distinctly unorthodox. They are a standing military, but not a very conventional one. Their discipline is below most standards, as well as their capabilities. Most of these people are drawn from criminals, desperate civilians, and people with very little to lose. These are not the best of the best.

These are people who join the Legions as a way to escape the hell that is Omega. They want to be able to protect themselves, their families, they want to be paid regularly and not have to worry about being shanked in an alley. But it is hard, which is why more do not join. The black and red armor of the Legions is not handed out, it is earned.

The boot camps that are run by the Legions push their people to the limit of their mental and physical bounds. They are put in actual situations where they fight against disorganized mercenaries that are simple for experienced veterans, but pose a mortal challenge for those untrained. You have to demonstrate that you can endure, you can survive, and you can kill. No Omegan Legionary has no kills to their name.

But if they succeed, they will get what they likely seek.

For many, joining the Legions has saved their lives, and as a result, many are very loyal to Aria personally, which she makes a point to cultivate by regularly conducting visits of the Legions and speaking to soldiers. She is not necessarily described as warm or friendly, but she gives many in the Legions something that has often been denied to them – respect.

Sometimes that is worth more than just money or payment.

With that all said – the Omegan Legions are not an overly dangerous forces compared to conventional militaries. With their extreme diversity in species, wildly varying degrees of experience, and no formal officer schools or war academies, battlefield doctrine is something that is treated more as a suggestion than something to be adhered to.

This does have the effect of making the Legions unpredictable on the battlefield. They may wildly change established plans depending on the situation on the ground. They are very adaptable, but do not have much rigid discipline to stick to a perceived ineffective or failing plan. This has its advantages as well as downsides.

On Omega, with the unpredictable stints of violence and randomness of combat, this serves them very well. You have to be adaptable if you want to operate successfully on Omega. On a traditional battlefield for a longer period of time? This is more likely just going to get you killed. For now, the Legions have been able to function effectively on Omega and against disorganized or mercenary forces.

Most of the Omegan Legions are stationed on Omega Station itself, with some Legions deployed throughout the Terminus. There is a permanent Legion deployed to the Terminus Clan, and smaller ones split up elsewhere defending critical bases or stations. While they only comprise roughly one third of Aria's total ground forces, they are large enough to achieve the one baseline Aria has steadfastly maintained.

That there must always be enough soldiers she controls to secure the entirety of Omega Station. It is essential to her contingencies – even if she intends to do everything possible to avoid reaching such a point.

OMEGAN AUTOMATED LEGIONS: If most people were asked, they would not even know that Aria even has any automated or mechanical units under her command. While this isn't a deliberate suppression of information, Aria has made a point to not advertise the actual military capabilities she possesses.

The Automated Legions is a somewhat generous term, as it's a very small division in comparison to the standard Legions, and significantly more specialized. However, there is something which is distinctly off about the Automated Legions. That will be looked at closer in the moment, but the conventional forces are not surprising for any familiar with existing automated units.

Drones are common, both mechanical and flash-made through omni-tools, usually for aerial usage. Aria has also invested in non-traditional mechanized units, which can best be described as mini-armor tanks that typically utilize treads or hover capabilities, with heavier weapons mounted on them.

She does not utilize the commonplace, and cheaper, LOKI drones, but more expensive but effective street-level armor. Due to Omega's limited space, she cannot deploy conventional armor units, and has compromised by purchasing the described units. As a result, she has fewer of them, but in a combat scenario they will almost certainly be effective.

However, beyond these expected units, there has been a new unit which has recently been appearing among the Automated Legions. Internally, there have been documents referring to it as a 'high-impact battlefield command/control' module, but visually it is distinct from anything that has been produced in or beyond the Terminus.

It is of a medium-sized build, relatively sleek, and possesses no visible weapons, and moves by legs arranged in a quad formation. There is speculation that this is an offensive cyberwarfare module, or it has another capability we do not know. What we do know is that this has only been produced recently, completely in-house, and it was very expensive to make.

Comparisons have stumped analysts, who have never seen a model like it before. There are a few theories as to where Aria could have gotten the schematics, as we are confident that this was not something that her engineers came up with on her own. More likely, it was provided by another means, and the exotic nature showcased leads to some troubling implications.

We will get to those later in this report, as they tie into the nature of Omega Station itself.

OMEGAN CYBER SQUAD: A small division in Aria's military forces, it is negligent if there is not a dedicated cyber or infowar unit for any modern military, and to her credit, Aria has taken measures to rectify what has historically been the weakest link of her military. The Omegan Cyber Squad is comprised of computer scientists, infowar specialists, and penetration experts.

There are not a lot of them.

As a result, their mission is primarily defensive in nature. They are responsible for protecting Aria's forces from the worst of the cyber attacks against them, rather than performing attacks themselves. They don't have enough specialists to sustain both missions, and so Aria made the executive decision to specialize.

These are among the best paid of the Omegan forces, and they continually run campaigns to recruit more people to the division – although finding qualified individuals on Omega is a difficult matter, and for any large-scale operations, Aria often has the Cyber Squad in coordination with various mercenary infowar specialists to supplement their numbers.

However, the Cyber Squad also has gone around and conducted training for the Legions and other military units to instill some basic cyber practices and methods of what to do in the event of a cyber attack. It is unknown how useful they would ultimately be, but considering their limited numbers, anything that can buy time for them to respond is an investment worth taking.

A majority of the Cyber Squad is cybernetically augmented, mostly to make up for their limited numbers, which has successfully augmented their capabilities – and subsequently made the costs of the division rise. This is not something Aria is concerned about, but it is noted in this report because the Cyber Squad has been sporting newer exterior augmentations recently.

They appear limited to Cyber officers, but they are distinct from their subordinates, and also of models we have not seen before. We do not know how significantly this has improved their capabilities, but we should watch this development closely, as Aria may be working to upgrade this division across the board.

OMEGA STATION BATTLE CONTROL: Omega is often best known as a mining station, one that was built by the protheans. That there are battle systems installed onto it is also not surprising, as most individuals correctly assume that Aria has an interest in making sure that her base of operations can be defended.

However, from what we know now, this is not completely accurate. The more we learned about Omega Station, the more that the premise of it being a mining station becomes thin. This will be covered in the following subsection on Omega Station, but what is relevant is that Omega has a significantly more integrated and extensive defensive suite than anyone – even the Citadel – believes.

Omega Station Battle Control is the team which is responsible for, in the event of an attack against Omega Station, managing the numerous defensive systems and weapons to eliminate the enemy fleets. Aria has been steadily expanding the existing systems over the decades, and Omega boasts an extensive suite of weapons and defensive systems that will make any attack costly – and this is not counting the other capabilities we believe Omega Station possesses.

This division is one of the larger ones in Aria's military, and requires personnel to be stationed on every level of Omega, as well as continually maintain, repair, or install all of the systems in place. If there are any modifications to the offensive or defensive capabilities of the station, they must be coordinated through Battle Control.

Something notable that Aria has done as she has expanded Omega's capabilities is a concerted attempt to decentralize the system. This effectively puts portions of the station on different networks and power grids. The justification behind this was to prevent a decapitation strike, and allow a majority of the station to continue fighting even if a section has been knocked out.

While there is an element of truth to this, the construction of the expanded systems shows a clear attempt to avoid using as much direct connection and power as possible for each section – very little of it actually connects to the central mainframe or power cores – which arguably limit its potential lethality.

Aria would not do this without a very good reason, and due to the nature of Omega Station, she has probably done this to limit how much control could be exerted over the defenses at any one period. This kind of work requires extremely specialized knowledge, and what is notable is that the people who Aria has historically employed to oversee these efforts all have deep knowledge of computers, network, or artificial intelligence.

This is also why Golo is on Omega. He is helping oversee the next suite of defenses being installed. It may be worth pursuing exactly why, out of all the people in the galaxy, she believes this can only be done by Golo. There may be some relevant answers to be found.

OMEGAN HIGH COMMAND: As all militaries need a centralized command organ, Omegan High Command is not especially groundbreaking, and will not be elaborated on much beyond the necessary because its purpose and function is far from unique.

Omegan High Command simply comprises the ranking officials from the Omegan military, with the exception of the various mercenaries under their command (though they are usually accounted for in other ways), and sometimes mid-ranking officers are involved in High Command decision-making.

Aria retains final command over each member, and can promote or remove as she sees fit. This is almost never done, and Aria has only intervened when there were significant extenuating circumstances. As a general rule, the people on Omegan High Command are competent for their role – but significant failures are not looked upon kindly.

INTERNAL ORGANIZATION – MILITARY FORCES | NAVAL

MERCENARY FLEET CONTROL: Just as Central Mercenary Management is responsible for the coordination and utilization of the various Congressional parties in the event that Aria calls upon them, the Mercenary Fleet Control performs as essentially identical naval function.

They are responsible for not only making sure there is sustained coordination between the Black Fleet, Admiralty, and the myriad of mercenary groups and organizations, but also maintaining an operational inventory and an unorthodox order of battle that catalogues exactly what they theoretically have under their command.

Omega makes decisions based on this, in particular their focus on ship acquisition for the Black Fleet, as well as how to incorporate them into larger battle plans. Mercenary fleets are also ranked depending on size as well as reliability. Ones that are more reliable will be given more autonomy and placed into more sensitive missions than ones which are less reliable, even if they may be more mission-fitting.

In the end, trust and reliability come before the right equipment or size, though this is not communicated to the mercenaries. Nonetheless, Mercenary Fleet Control is responsible for this, as well as coordinating exercises, war games, and helping to keep the peace between all of the groups.

Intra-fleet politics is impossible to avoid, and they have the unenviable task of carefully managing assignments and positions, and framing each one as an important role even if the intent is to marginalize them in a battle plan to limit potential unreliability. This has seen few issues of late, though mostly because Aria has not had reason to mobilize the Mercenary Fleets.

Should this change, it is almost certain there would be clashes as the mercenaries vie for influence and impact – there are plans to mitigate that, but there does exist a question of how effective those will be – especially if Aria does not make efforts to placate them.

THE BLACK FLEET: This name is… ironic, given what we know now. Aria originally chose the name from the Terminus legend of the Black Fleet, appropriating it for her own purposes. Over the centuries its originally foundation in legend has been forgotten, and when people think of the Black Fleet, they think of the fleet that Aria has under her direct control instead of the ships that had no markings, no name, and came from the unknown regions of the Terminus to prey on ships for unknown purposes.

But I digress. It has little bearing on what the Black Fleet is.

Despite the melodramatic name, the Black Fleet is little more than Aria's dedicated naval forces. It is relatively small by the standards of modern fleets, especially for the power projection that Aria possesses. This is because people conflate all naval power that Aria can call upon under the Black Fleet, including the mercenaries, even though this is not accurate.

The majority of the Black Fleet is not actually stationed at Omega, but several locations that are one jump away from it. The Black Fleet also directly maintains control over certain critical mass relays in the Terminus – not enough to stave off a fleet, but enough to prevent mass-movements of ships that are not properly authorized.

It primarily contains small and medium-class ships, from all Citadel races. There is no uniformity to the Black Fleet; asari, turian, salarian, and human designs are all present. Some are from official vendors, others come from Terminus vendors. Almost none of them are built by Omega directly, instead acquired either through credits or seizure.

The Black Fleet has their own roaming patrols that are intended to encounter pirates and unsanctioned organizations for the purposes of seizure and assimilation into the Black Fleet. Despite the sheer diversity of the fleet, each ship is invested in to its maximum potential. Every ship of the Black Fleet is at or near peak condition – no matter its make, model, or age.

It is certainly nothing to be scoffed at, and is relatively trained due to their patrols. However it is worth noting that they only make up approximately thirty-six percent of Aria's total naval power – which is a number that Aria keeps very suppressed. Granted, the majority of the mercenary fleets are small and medium ships as well, and not necessarily in as excellent condition – but the disparity is notable, especially if she cannot count on all of them.

THE OMEGAN ADMIRALTY: In contrast to the more traditional Omegan High Command, the Omegan Admiralty is a more unorthodox and non-traditional equivalent. In practice, this means that the Omegan Admiralty is not solely restricted to the Black Fleet, and in fact is a far more political entity in the context of Omega.

The Admiralty is official supposed to have complete control of the Black Fleet, develop naval battle plans, and conduct deployments and missions. They will also assume control of the mercenary fleets should the need arise. In practice, while all of these things are done, their unofficial mission is maintaining direct and personal relationships with many of their mercenary equivalents.

Leadership is important in these situations, and none of the Admiralty want to be in a position where, if the mercenary fleets need to be utilized, they face mutinies or have mercenaries who refuse to subordinate themselves to another's command. As a result each admiral also acts as a liaison with a portion of the mercenary fleets they assume command over.

They develop personal and professional rapports with them, in conjunction with a few other Omegan services, from Internal Assessment to Omegan Intelligence, for the ultimate purposes of ensuring reliability should they be called upon. This initiative was actually not started by Aria, but instead by the current Senior Admiral, though was swiftly adopted as standard practice.

Given the disparity in numbers between the Black Fleet and the rest of the naval power, there is very little choice as Aria and the rest of her circle saw it. It is very manipulative, underhanded, and exploitative – but it is a very effective policy that has given Aria assurance that, should the worst come to pass, the majority of the mercenaries will subjugate themselves to Admiralty command.

The number of admirals is also dependent on this. Admirals are added as the mercenary fleets grow, and oversight over various groups and organizations is delegated to them. If mercenary fleets leave or are merged, this sometimes results in a drop in the number of admirals. This has had an impact on the overall professionalism and competence of the admiralty – while many of them are decent, most are chosen not for their navel skills, but because they can manage the mercenaries.

Time will tell if this was ultimately the wisest decision.

THE OMEGAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE

MISSION OF THE OIS: The Omegan Intelligence Service is one of the most important – if obfuscated – organizations under Aria's control, and central to her ability to manage it. Most Citadel governments have correctly identified that Aria has an intelligence apparatus under her control, but are under the mistaken impression that she primarily employs it against extra-Terminus parties or governments.

This is not the case. The vast majority of the OIS is focused on internal information gathering and quietly maintaining Aria's control over Omega, the Congress, and throughout the Terminus. A relatively small portion of the OIS is focused on external operations, specifically those directed at Citadel entities.

The reason for this is, simply, Aria can't truly compete with the established intelligence agencies, and she knows it. By that same token, the missions even the foreign missions of the OIS manage are not what could be considered traditional operational goals, and those that could be considered that are extremely limited in scope.

Contrary to a popular belief, Aria has no desire to further antagonize the Council more than exists, and giving them reason to further take action against her is far from ideal. She is not secretly employing a network of informants and operatives on the Citadel, she's not covertly supporting criminal groups on Citadel Station, she's certainly not in any position of actual power.

This is not to say that Aria does not have some connections and influence – but it is not on the level claimed by the misinformed – who more than likely want to use Aria as a convenient excuse to achieve political ends. Her reach, especially on the Citadel, has been further reduced as Citadel Intelligence has heavily clamped down on the station of late.

However, that is a useful analogue for the OIS. The OIS shares many more traits with CINT than they do most other agencies. Just as CINT focuses on Citadel Station and restricts many of their operations there, so to does the OIS primarily focus on Omega. The analogy is not perfect – by nature of Aria's reach, they operate on some level throughout the Terminus, but the similarities between the core missions are worth highlighting.

THE SILENT SERVICE: Despite having a firm grip on Omega and her larger empire, Aria has many, many enemies and many of those enemies want her dead. Some are organized, some are lone, but Aria like many figures in power, is subject to the same litany of threats that one in a public position should expect.

While publicly, Aria tends to eschew things like bodyguards and visible protection, believing that weakens her in the eyes of the public (and her enemies), this is a deliberate illusion. To this end she established the Silent Service, which is the closest thing to a personal protection detail she has.

As the name implies, the Silent Service is unknown to the wider public, as well as the Congress. It's not a completely closed secret, as most rational individuals believe that Aria has some kind of personal detail, but they don't know in what form it takes place. With that said – the most common guess is the most accurate one – they are in disguise.

What most get wrong is the scale of the Silent Service at any given time. Unlike such traditional service details, they aren't some force that accompanies Aria wherever she goes by pretending to just be going her same direction – there are multiple details that pre-position themselves either at the place she is going, or along critical junctures and routes.

These people have already blended in long before Aria arrives, and stay after she does. They are only responsible for the sphere they have been assigned. They only fully go on alert when Aria is there – the rest of the time they do what they wish. There is a small corps of snipers which also are a part of this group, though they usually are responsible for being positioned along the routes.

Aria is someone who can very easily take care of herself – the Silent Service is not as much a protection detail so much as a support one in case things go wrong. Each member of the Silent Service is also required to submit to a mind-link to prove their loyalty, usually by Aria herself.

In the rare cases where Aria is accompanied by a detail, this is less because of the need for protection, and more when she wishes to make a statement. They tend to be recognized as Aria's Protection Detail, and are identifiable by their armor being black and green – not red – which is the same as the color used for her ambassadors.

What is unique about this one is that each member tends to maintain their previous role – and all of them are drawn from the various mercenaries employed. It's not clear how these people are determined – the small and secretive group that runs the Silent Service knows that, but it can be seen just as much as Aria subtly undermining the mercenaries as it is in making sure she always has support wherever she goes.

THE CONGRESSIONAL EMBEDS: While it is the mercenaries, warlords, criminals, smugglers, and slavers who have the official power and drive the actions of the Omegan Congress, it is the Central Congressional Control which helps ensure that the entire organization works smoothly. Be it setting up for gatherings, delivering food, or assisting in providing various materials, there is always support on the dime of Aria if it is so chosen.

Officially to the OIS, these are the Congressional Embeds. If you are operating in a place owned by Aria, and have an entire team which is ready to help you however possible, and you don't think that each one is a trained spy, well then it can be argued that you deserve whatever happens next.

The Congressional Embeds are seeded throughout the actual Congress, and always a constant part of the background, just in case they are called upon. Initially, most mercenaries and such groups consider the Embeds exactly as that – spies. However, the more time passes, the more their guard is let down.

After all, does it really matter if you ask them to bring some food, or tell them to schedule a hearing or meeting, or tell them to print out some documents? Its not like anything important is actually being shared. The Congressional Embeds are benign by design – and it is a very, very effective tactic.

The Embeds are very good at their jobs. Exceptionally so in fact. Each one has an impressive breadth of knowledge on multiple subjects, as well as being capable of fulfilling nearly any request that is demanded. They are among the highest standard that can be reached in customer service, ones which would even rival Noveria.

And like Noveria, there is a reason for that.

Though unlike Noveria, where there may be multiple undercover teams or companies looking to gain from such scenarios, there is only one who gains from the activities of the Congressional Embed – and that is Aria T'Loak.

The longer one is at the Congress, the more they become reliant on the Embeds, and since Aria never seems to act on anything that happens there, there is a prevailing sense that even if Aria is watching, she's not gaining anything important. The truth is that Aria may simply be waiting.

And based on some samples of what has been let slip in the Congress, she is almost certainly saving it for the right time.

THE OMEGAN WATCH: It is said, rumored if we want to be accurate, that there is nothing that happens on Omega that Aria doesn't know about – or is at least not soon made aware of. Aria's response and reach on what happens on Omega Station is something that most have accepted as fact, with a curious lack of curiosity for how this seems to be the case.

We can confirm that this phenomenon is accurate, which initially surprised us considering the lack of public communications infrastructure, or what we believed to be an inferior intelligence operation. We initially reduced the likelihood of it being an intelligence operation because it required a scale which Aria seemed unlikely to possess with the degree of accuracy she demonstrated.

Instead we focused on the likelihood of mass technological surveillance derived from core Omega Station infrastructure, but as the investigation has progressed, this became more and more implausible as such infrastructure would have been detected and removed, nor would the Omegan Congress likely tolerate it.

With this in mind, we returned to the possibility of this being an intelligence operation, and after a notable amount of investigation, we have determined how Aria is doing this. It is less a traditional operation that involves spies, moles, and embeds across Omega – our initial presupposition that this would require too many resources has been accurate.

However, Aria and the OIS have accounted for this, and have instead created what amounts to a station-wide informant network. Through a mixture of direct contacts, shell groups and numbers, and community embeds, the Omegan Watch has multiple handlers and systems which take in tips from across the station by civilians and pass them to Omegan Watch leadership, who in turn passes them along to relevant groups on Omega – Aria among them.

This has been a mission that Aria has apparently had in mind almost since the Marches ended. She did not have this level of insight originally – the Omegan Watch started small, by working with certain identified civilians, and from them branching out and slowly expanding their civilian network across the station to ultimately include thousands of regular and reliable contacts.

Some of them know they are providing the information to Aria, others think it's for mercenaries, others just don't know or care. Some pass it along a secure hotline. Others leave dead drops. Others have direct meetings with handlers. The Omegan Watch tailors their actions to what their contacts are receptive too.

What should be noted is that this is solely a civilian contact operation – no mercenaries or other Congressional associates are included in the Omegan Watch. Each one is paid with a reward of their choosing – fair prices, especially for Omega. Most choose credits, others drugs, others food. Word spreads quietly, and the contact network grows.

The tips themselves are, very often, not exactly special. Sometimes it's as simple as notifying when a particular mercenary group has walked past, or that two groups are getting into a firefight, or overhearing a tidbit from a conversation. However, anyone who has worked in intelligence knows that single tips serve an invaluable purpose in building a bigger picture.

Of course, there exists the potential for fraud and deception, though people who knowingly abuse this system within the Omegan Watch at best tend to find their homes ransacked and accounts emptied one day. The others receive visits from the Messengers.

This has taken centuries for Aria to build up – but it is self-sustaining now. Aria's uncanny knowledge of the Station simply cannot be diminished with a few well-placed assassination. Not only would the numbers be diminished – they almost certainly have backup contacts they will activate if such a scenario were to happen.

THE OMEGAN REACH: Assassination is something that Aria employs more rarely than might be expected – but it is something the OIS is prepared to execute if given the directive. It is believed to be one of the smallest divisions within the OIS, and the reason for it as that it does not actually contain any actual assassins.

When Aria handles a problem, she has built up a reputation for doing it both personally and publicly. She is not perceived as a puppetmaster or spook (even though she very much is), and has put effort into making sure that not just the public, but the Omegan Congress also believes this – and especially her enemies.

The Omegan Reach – Omega's assassination program – is one of the more sophisticated and decentralized assassination programs that exists. There are no fewer than three layers of connection between Aria and the individual who ultimately performs the assassination. The Omegan Reach operates through fictional personas, shell companies, and other deceptions to hire completely independent assassins to take out targets.

Sometimes they will pose as rival companies, gangs, mercenaries, or frame it from a personal or economic angle. Assassins rarely care so long as they are paid, and that is what the Omegan Reach does. They don't pay too much more than the average, but they always pay, and are always on time.

And are rarely ever seen again.

This is one of the methods they avoid arousing suspicion from the assassins themselves, and while some have wondered who they are really working for, the majority shrug and move on, mostly due to the second mitigation factor in place – the Omegan Reach is only used on very specific targets.

People of importance are not targeted. It would be too easy to link to Aria, and Aria prefers to handle enemies directly. However the Omegan Reach serves as a very effective augment to multiple other OIS departments – namely the Four Divisions. Assassinations are usually against very specific individuals, almost always fairly low-ranking.

It is less what these people have done to Aria, and more if they interfere with her ability to influence it. Individuals who influence mercenaries or their superiors against Aria, or who are holding a position that Aria wants to be in more pliable hands are vulnerable to being targeted. Sometimes there is an OIS plant in position to be promoted, sometimes there is not. The operations depends, and of course some are not successful.

The ultimate point is – the Omegan Reach is not a division that is simply used against people Aria dislikes or who pose a direct threat. It is a tool, a scalpel which cuts out tumors that could negatively impact her influence over various groups – as well as the Congress. And good luck tying any unfortunate accident to Aria.

The violence of Omega provides all the cover they need.

THE MESSENGERS: If the Omegan Watch is Aria's scalpel, the Messengers are her hammer that she employs to remind everyone that she is the sole and undisputed power of Omega – one that will tolerate no treason, dissent, or sabotage.

The Messengers are one of the most identifiable units on Omega, and every single time they appear, someone is going to die. Aria employs pressure and violence strategically – and only when she has either decided that such a direction is tenable, and that all other efforts have failed. The strategy behind the Messengers is just as important as their actual purpose.

Brutality is a careful line to walk. Given the size and breadth of the Congress, Aria cannot rely too much on terror lest she engender greater resentment towards working with her, but she similarly cannot tolerate outright treason and sedition against her. Aria doesn't send the Messengers after all of her enemies – but utilizes them when they will have the most impact.

As the name implies, their purpose is to send a clear message. Usually the intent will mean different things to different groups. The Messengers can also be sent against individuals or sometimes entire mercenary groups have been liquidated. Typically Aria uses them to terminate the current leadership, allowing a normally more pliable replacement to take control, but sometimes she will order an entire group liquidated.

The Messengers themselves are often recognized by their black armor with a red sash and Aria's own House symbol. Aria does not hide that she is behind this. There are no other markings. Every single part of the Messengers are covered up. No matter the species or gender, there are no other identifying features shown.

For that is not important. This is Aria's judgement; it is her speaking through the language of violence.

The way the Messengers are comprised is also unique. Every single member of the Omegan Legions and other divisions of the military has the potential to be identified as compatible for carrying out Messenger operations and subsequently called to take part. Each Messenger team is put together as needed.

None of the members of that team initially know each other. The entire process is anonymized. They are given symbols or numbers as reference names. No one knows their identities, or shares them, to prevent any kind of retaliation. No one asks, and no one tells. Usually only those who have served for several years and shown competence are selected to be placed in the Messenger pool – it is not composed of just anybody.

The Messengers are not a stealth operation either. When they come, they are not quiet or silent. They are only as violent as necessary, and have orders to focus only on their targets. Their equipment is the absolute best quality, and are given whatever tools they believe they will need, and their armor is among the heaviest employed by Omega. You cannot take these soldiers down easily.

When they kill their targets, they will also leave a memory disk pinned to their bodies, which contains the reason for their termination. It can also be seen in how the bodies are left. There are certainly times where the Messengers leave the body dead on the ground, but they are known to hang targets by their neck to symbolize an attempt to deceive, defraud, or otherwise take advantage of Aria.

The other method is the adoption of an asari punishment where the victim has their eyes gouged out and hung from their ankles. This is used against those who have been accused of treason against Aria, and if the rumors are right, done when the targets are alive.

One will often find themselves uncomfortable by the efficiency and brutality of the Messengers – but all on Omega know that when they see them, it would be best to go the other way as quickly as possible.

Because when the Messengers are out, it means that someone is going to die.

THE FOUR DIVISIONS – OVERVIEW: Thus far, the entirety of Omegan Intelligence has been confined to Omega Station, as that is the core of Aria's power base, and where her influence needs to be maintained. With that established, the OIS does have multiple missions that focus on operations beyond Omega.

In truth, a couple of these divisions may also be mostly Omega Station-confined, but considering their reach does go beyond Omega Station, as well as their mission, they are included under the OIS foreign intelligence mission. Omega simply does not have the resources to maintain groups capable of successfully monitoring, penetrating, and countering every single faction in the Terminus, let alone in Citadel Space.

Thus, they focus on what is absolutely necessary, and where they are best positioned to succeed. While all four divisions are technically at the same level of importance, Omegan Intelligence considers some missions more important or critical than others, and the following will be ranked based on internal knowledge.

DIVISION RED: Division Red is simply put, the OIS Mission that observes, infiltrates, and actively influences the numerous mercenary, warlord, slaver, drug lords, bounty hunter cliques, and numerous other groups that are part of the Omegan Congress. This should not come as a surprise that Aria actively has the OIS actively working within them, considering that it is an essential part of how she maintains control.

The primary mission of Division Red is information gathering. If operatives are able to rise through the ranks, or even reach leadership positions, that is a bonus, but first and foremost their mission is to gather as much information, gossip, and actionable intel that tells Aria not only what the group is doing, but their current perception is toward her.

If the overall attitude is growing negative, operatives from Division Red will find out why that is, and from what they provide, Aria can quickly move to mitigate the attitude from worsening or spreading. If they discover evidence of treason or other activity that is unacceptable, Aria can also take action.

It has the effect of expanding Aria's omnipresence, and considering most of what Aria does to placate – and not threaten – the multiple parties of the Congress, few are actually concerned that it means they have spies. Some of them do, and have tried to root out infiltrators, but Division Red is skilled at infiltration, and none of these groups have competent counter-intelligence programs.

The most they have ever been able to do is force Division Red to pull out their operative and fake their death. Another operative was recruited into their organization several weeks later. The obvious question is if Aria has Division Red in every party in Congress, and the answer is she does not.

Division Red is primarily reserved for medium-sized organizations and larger. The OIS lacks the numbers for keeping watch on every group, and smaller ones are difficult to penetrate as they are often more close-knit. Division Red also doesn't treat all as equal – organizations she is more suspect of will have more operatives inserted, while generally reliable ones have the minimum.

Effectively, Division Red is perhaps Aria's greatest tool in successfully managing the Congress – and gives her reach into every major group – sometimes up to the very top.

DIVISION SILVER: Ah, here we go.

There is a certain conspiracy that Aria T'Loak has one of the largest criminal rings on the Citadel, and depending on how deep you go, controls the entire illicit black market, has the consort as an informant, and has blackmail on Councilor Tevos as well as has a secret Citadel pass that allows her to enter and leave as she wishes.

The amount of fearmongering about a crime lord who is nowhere near the Citadel nor has any legitimate interest in any of those thing is far too prevalent in certain circles in the Citadel for my liking, which has in turn inspired a group of very vocal people who have now insisted that the entire Council is corrupt and they are secretly working with Aria.

It cannot be overstated how successful the Citadel Council (and likely CINT) have been in turning Aria into the ultimate bogeyman upon whom they can blame effectively whatever they wish. This is pushed cynically by those who know better, opportunistically by those who see a chance for clout and influence, and earnestly by those that don't know better.

With that out of the way, what is Division Silver – the OIS division responsible for Citadel operations?

It is far, far smaller in size and scope than the public perception, and is the smallest of the four divisions. The OIS maintains this mission because Aria believes that the Citadel remains enough of a threat to warrant it – in practice, this means several things.

The first is that, contrary to popular belief, Division Silver is not primarily operating on Citadel Station, but Citadel space as a whole. Given the iron grip CINT and the Broker Network have on Citadel Station, the idea that Aria has some kind of extensive group there is a childish fantasy that no one educated on Aria legitimately believes.

Omega does have contacts on Citadel Station – but active operatives are a different story. There is strong evidence that Aria has ties to several criminal groups in operation, but these are tenuous, and most of the Division Silver that is on the Citadel is responsible for serving as the backchannel directly to CINT, as well as the Citadel Council.

Officially, there is no contact between the Citadel and Aria T'Loak. Unofficially, after the conclusion of the Second Krogan Rebellions, a backchannel was established for deconfliction and emergency contacts. Division Silver maintains this backchannel which appears to have been honored by CINT. Not that it gets much use, which both sides are likely fine with.

The rest of Division Silver operates in the rest of Citadel space (with the exception of Asari and Salarian territories – the latter because the OIS simply cannot compete with the STG). Their purposes are primarily to make contact with the various underground and criminal groups, and if feasible, do business with them. They are not large operations by any means, but they do provide another line of income for Omega as well as paths into various Citadel territories.

They have seen the most success on Earth and within the Systems Alliance, although they have had difficulties with successfully penetrating Turian worlds. Ultimately, while Division Silver is small, and its mission limited, it does give Aria the insight she believes she needs on the Citadel – though she and the OIS know that if the worst situation arises, there will be little she can do to prevent it.

DIVISION BLUE: While the notion that Aria has significant reach and influence within the Citadel is ridiculous and groundless – this same conspiracy applied to the Asari Republics is very, very true, and we were deeply concerned at the sheer scale and scope of Division Blue, and the implications it has for the Republics.

Aria is utterly and completely hated by the Thirty, as well as many of the middle-class clans and families of Thessia. One cannot go far in asari society if you do not have the correct views on Aria, as well as know what can, and cannot be talked about. So many such asari have a strong social incentive to either remain ignorant, or overcorrect themselves in having the 'correct' opinion.

The censorship the Thirty have imposed on Aria's past, as well as all of her actions, have had a chilling effect on any productive discussion, which extends to Asari military and civil institutions. No one diverges from the line given by the Thirty, and as a result the Thirty believe that everything is in lockstep and they can focus on greater concerns.

This has not helped that, as the years have passed, Aria has become a less and less relevant figure in Thirty circles, and most of the Thirty believe that she will either die on her own, or her empire will collapse under its own weight and the situation will resolve itself. House T'Armal has similarly grown more confident in their ability to manage a situation where Aria utilizes the blackmail she has collected on the Thirty – though still considers it important that it be suppressed by as many means as possible.

The point being, that the Thirty no longer have Aria at the top of their priorities. She is a sworn enemy, one they will happily butcher if given the chance – but she is no longer an existential threat. They have moved to focusing on subverting and manipulating the Humans, and since the appearance of the Reapers, that particular issue.

This has all been written to illustrate that, in their quest to manipulate and dominate the outside galaxy, the Thirty have little to no idea what is happening within the borders of the Republics – to include Thessia, Ilium, and the colonies. Nor do they seem to be aware of a mass shift among the lesser clans as well as the clanless, who make up a large chunk of each world. Aria's ties to the clanless are very well known, and the Thirty – believing that the matter of Aria is settled – have not thought to check and really see how she is viewed among the non-elite.

Division Blue is the OIS operation within the Asari Republics. It exists to cultivate ties between Aria and the clanless across multiple worlds, including Thessia itself. To a lesser extent, this exists with some parts of the lesser and minor houses and clans, but it primarily rests with the clanless. The clanless relationship with Aria is one that can best be described as complicated, many clanless are not fully comfortable with Aria, but they will be more than willing to look the other way when asked.

Their marginalization within Asari society, and their poor treatment by the upper classes and the Thirty has not engendered goodwill. The situation that led to Aria fleeing in the first place repeats itself as the centuries pass; the clanless are and have always been disposable to the Thirty. With every abuse and marginalization, they are pushed further into Aria's arms.

The mission of Division Blue is very different compared to the other ones. It is only partially an intelligence-gathering operation. It is primarily a cell creation and recruitment mission. Aria maintains a rotating mission where clanless are taken off-world to Omega where they will join the Omegan Legions for several years, receiving training, discipline, and weapons and equipment, and then return to their world.

With this knowledge they will form quiet cells where other like-minded clanless are trained, with Omega supplying weapons and equipment as needed. OIS also have a limited intel training program where they teach sources and contact counter-intelligence practices – as well as share inside information on how the asari operate.

Of course, the intensity of this depends on the world itself. The establishment of such places on Thessia is extremely limited due to the increased scrutiny – and thus clanless contacts are largely limited to outreach and contact establishment. Across the colonies? That is a much different story.

Aria's influence on the clanless of the colonies is something that no one wants to talk about, if they are aware of it at all. The clanless who are involved keep quiet still, but as they grow more sophisticated and trained, it seems only a matter of time before at least the clanless in the colonies decide to force the issue.

Ilium is also a world where Aria has significant influence, and Division Blue not only maintains close contacts with the much more hardened clanless community of the world, one that employs death squads that operate in the Ilium undercity, but many of the criminal organizations that operate on the world. It is a hub for Division Blue, one which they use as a staging area for the rest of the colonies.

You may be interested to know that there is some circumstantial evidence that the emerging Sisters of Vengeance are tied to Division Blue. We do not know if they are part of the Division proper, or are merely being supported by them, but Division Blue is at least aware of them and considers them an asset.

Something to investigate, should the need arise.

The ultimate question to ask throughout all of this is why. Why, exactly, is Aria supporting the clanless to this degree across Asari space? Is it a contingency? Could she call all of the clanless to rise up, or flock to her banner if she gives the call? Unlikely, many of the clanless, while they are growing more ideologically aligned to her, still do not fully trust her, or her intentions. Some might follow her, but many more would not.

Or is it because she actually is invested in their unique plight in asari society? Or rather, is it personal? This we cannot say, but there is some evidence that this is the case. Aria makes a deliberate point to treat clanless as equals, over half of her inner circle is clanless asari she's known for decades, and in some case centuries, and she of course has very personal reasons for feeling this way.

It is not out of the question that she is doing this because she, for whatever reason, believes it is the right or just thing to do. The fact that it has the potential to destabilize the entire Republics is just a bonus. Perhaps she feels that she is so constrained in doing anything else on Omega, that this is her last place to leave a legacy.

But we shall see, but make no mistake – Division Blue has created the ingredients of a protracted insurgency within asari space – one which the Thirty are simply not prepared to deal with, and if they continue on their course, there will be blood.

DIVISION BLACK: The OIS mission of Division Black is considered the most sensitive one of the entire OIS – and illustrates the mistrust and paranoia of Aria more than anything else. In effect, its mission is the observation of all Omegan forces that are directly under Aria's command.

Ostensibly, these Omegan forces are supposed to be the ones that Aria can rely on and trust without reservation. But she knows that this cannot be taken on faith, and so the creation of Division Black was authorized. Their scope is very limited, but critical – observe and report on the loyalty of Omegan forces and personnel.

Division Black operatives are seeded throughout all of the aforementioned divisions, groups, departments, and teams. Every rank or department has at least one Division Black operative within it, who will be continually monitoring to ensure that there is no dissent or treasonous activity taking place.

This initially caused some internal debate even within the OIS who were reluctant to spy on their own people. Aria told the OIS Director at the time that if they completely audited the force and did not find a single informant or traitor, then she would not go ahead with the division. They found a dozen informants.

After quietly terminating them, Division Black was created.

The OIS handles internal treason differently than they do other kinds of treason. It is almost never made public, and reasons are given for an individual's disappearance, usually duty rotation, accidental death in an alley (not uncommon), suicide or overdose (if they have substance-related problems).

Aria does not want her personnel to know that their colleagues may be spies. It is one thing to know that Aria has people listening, it is another to think that your friend may be reporting everything you are saying to someone else. It is a fine line that Aria walks, and Division Black has been such a successful insider threat and counter-intelligence program (Division Black lists both descriptions as missions) that they've been able to catch AIS and STG spies, as well as numerous informants.

All Division Black personnel are only recruited from the vest best of the OIS, and each one has to undergo regular scheduled and unscheduled mind-links, some conducted by Aria, most conducted by ranking OIS leadership. It is a very delicate mission Division Black conducts – and are the ultimate reason that Aria rests assured in the knowledge that her people are, truly, reliable.

THE FIVE CONTINGENCIES – OVERVIEW

Contingencies are something that any faction, government, or other organization knows is important to create and account for, and this is especially prudent when one is surrounded by enemies on all sides, and is paranoid on top of that. It is less of a surprise that Aria and Omega maintain contingencies, and more that they are extensive and deal with matters of a scale that you only see from the established species governments.

Aria has far more than five contingencies, but the reason that I am specifically highlighting these five is because of their scale, importance, and the allusion to certain pieces of information that the rest of the galaxy is currently ignorant of. Some of these contingencies are for obvious reasons, others are not.

And the reasons for focusing on these are not necessarily because the situation is unique – but how Aria intends to respond to it is. One thing can be certain based on what we have learned – if Aria ever goes down, she is going to do her best to take as many people as possible with her.

CONTINGENCY: BLACK WAVE

The Black Wave Contingency is one which anyone who is even tangentially aware of Aria and her past should expect exists. In short, it deals with a situation in which the Asari Republics or the Thirty have directly struck at Aria to such a degree that it prompts an equivalent retaliation or escalation.

Internally, Aria's red lines when it comes to the Thirty are direct assassination attempts against her, sponsored raids or conspiracies against her or Omega, and violence against her or her people through proxies, be they economic or political. In short, if the Thirty decide to try and solve the Aria problem, she will respond in kind.

Black Wave is unique among the contingencies in that there are two distinct set of instructions of what to execute depending on if Aria is successfully killed by the Thirty, or if she survives and enacts the contingency herself. This is the only contingency where this is organized as such. We will cover the situation where she survives first.

The first phase of execution is the immediate severing of all official and emergency communications with the Asari Republics, and her Ambassadors are instructed to begin softening other parties to expect there to be significant turmoil in the Asari Republics in the coming days.

The intent of this is, from what we can ascertain, preventing an immediate retaliation from the rest of Citadel Space and framing this as an internal Asari matter. Aria's response is not going to be like most expect. It is not going to be some grand showdown between Aria and the Thirty. There is not going to be grand speeches and drama.

If this contingency is executed correctly no one will be able to explicitly link it back to Aria. Everyone will know, but in politics, it is less what is known and what can be proven – and Aria knows enough politics to know that there are people who will be more than happy to benefit from strife in the Republics.

Which will be her refrain.

Don't interfere. Just sit by and watch. Then take advantage.

The second phase is using Division Blue to more aggressively arm and supply clanless and lower-clan cells to conduct either terror attacks, or to seize control of actual administrations. Aria ideally wants there to be at least a half-dozen worlds that fall to a violent or peaceful revolution. A dozen in an ideal situation, and anything more than that would be an overwhelming victory.

Ilium she has plans to grind to a halt by a combination of seizing important financial hubs, assassination of critical figures, and the mass-arming of the Ilium lower and indentured classes, as well as the established criminal underworld which she will directly incentivize to act on her behalf, intended to paralyze the economic hub of the asari.

The third phase is when Aria releases the blackmail she has on the Thirty, and this will be done not through simply posting it to the Extranet and waiting for it to be picked up. Instead she will have it sent to multiple media outlets through established contacts of every species, including asari media. She is expecting the Thirty and the Church of Athame to deny whatever is released vehemently, but it is mostly a pretext for the fourth and final phase.

The release of this information will shake the asari to the core – even the Thirty believe it, and they are expecting mass unrest. The fourth phase will be Aria activating the cells she's been arming, and using Division Blue and other elements of Omegan Intelligence to facilitate revolutions, riots, and protests across the Republics.

During this period she will unofficially be sharing information with STG and AIS sources, to additionally coordinate with any influence operations they are also conducting, as they have reason to support the downfall of the Thirty. Also at this time, she will quietly be sending advisors to the clanless revolutionaries, and any colonies that have successfully fallen will be prompted to reach out to the Terminus Clan for recognition and support – which the Terminus Clan will almost certainly provide.

Aria is anticipating that the Thirty will respond violently and harshly to all of this, but ideally will be stretched too thin to effectively respond to everything, and since this is an internal matter, they will be hesitant to ask for assistance from the rest of the Council. Aria's ideal scenario is that the Asari Republics degenerates into a protracted civil war with herself and the Terminus (and potentially other opportunistic Citadel members) covertly supplying the insurgents.

She does not necessarily intend for them to succeed, and the Thirty to be deposed – because she knows that no matter the outcome, the Thirty's fall from grace will be total and complete. By the end there will be hundreds of thousands dead, trust shattered, and the careful image the Thirty have built up shattered in the eyes of the galaxy.

This is, of course, the ideal scenario for Aria. If everything goes right. This contingency is known to her inner circle, as well as the OIS, particularly Division Blue leadership. The details are known to only a very few. No one is surprised this contingency exists, but the details of how it will be executed are not known to the Thirty.

And in the event that Aria is dead? The expectation is that much of this contingency stays the same. This is not the case. For this scenario, there is only a single line written.

"The immediate execution of Contingency: Ulcisci."

We will cover this shortly, suffice to say that it is a nuclear option, and based on what we know about Ulcisci, it is perhaps the worst revenge on the Thirty Aria could inflict.

CONTINGENCY: WIDOW

The fabled, some say inevitable, war between the Citadel Council and Aria's Omegan Empire is a very serious concern within Omega, if one considered unlikely. However, as Aria's power fades and her grip loosens, the possibility of the Council growing bold enough to reclaim control of the Terminus Systems becomes more plausible.

Since the rebellion of Terena Terminus, that loss has been one the Council – and the asari in particular – have wanted to correct. It is well-known that there are elements within the Council and the SPECTREs that have advocated for a more imperial Citadel Council, which is to say nothing of the colonization opportunities that would materialize.

Aria is aware that the idea of the Citadel actually mobilizing to invade the Terminus is a very unlikely scenario as it currently stands – but it is one she is preparing for all the same. She is not expecting they would invade out of the blue, but during a moment of perceived weakness, and almost certainly in a midst of another crisis she is dealing with.

The Widow Contingency begins differently than other contingencies in that it outlines a stark situation that assumes the best-case scenario where the Citadel mobilizes for an invasion – which is that the entire Citadel is mobilizing their forces, and the Batarian Empire is also preparing an unknown intervention.

It estimates that at least a quarter of tributaries have officially broken from Aria, and at least a third of the Congress has fled or deserted, leaving them in a very poor position on the onset. This is before any actual fighting has been done.

The initial responses detailed are a whirlwind of rallying throughout the Terminus. Every single existing tie she would strengthen, all of the Congress she would rally behind her, and begin mass recruitment campaigns, as well as the formalization of a Terminus Army, and she would officially rebrand herself not under the banner of Omega, but of the Terminus Systems.

In conjunction with this would be propaganda campaigns that echo this point – this is not a war about Omega or Aria – it is about the fate of the Terminus Systems, and our independence. The intent is to get factions and groups on the fence to align with her for their own interest – as a Council victory would mean the end of the freedom many have enjoyed – relatively speaking.

Behind the scenes Aria would be communicating with all major parties to dissuade them from going to war – in particular she is planning to do whatever is necessary to prevent the batarians from joining the conflict, and potentially even aligning them to her side, though the document acknowledges this as nearly impossible.

She will also be carefully using her forces, primarily positioning them to hold and defend critical points, especially leading to Omega, rather than go on the offensive. This will not mean offensives are not conducted, but they will mostly be raids on Citadel colonies, taking a page from the Second Krogan Rebellions – though with less violent results.

Delay – that is the overall strategy outlined in the contingency. The intent is to make war so costly to the Citadel, in resources, money, and lives, that they give up. It is not certain that this is a viable strategy, but the document outright states that Omega is incapable of standing against the Citadel by every conceivable metric.

Division Silver will be employed to conduct terror attacks and infrastructure strikes in Citadel space, and facilitate special strike teams to carry this out. The document is realistic as to the actual damage this can cause – ultimately very little at all, but there will be gains in the psychological warfare game.

Throughout this entire time the messaging to Citadel space will be "We don't want this war but we will make you pay for every meter taken." Instilling in the population something potentially more sympathetic, especially if the war drags on longer than Citadel estimates.

However, the Widow Contingency does not envision a war where this is ultimately successful, and sees Omega be breached, in which case it spends a very large number of pages describing how to have the entire station descend into guerilla warfare and fight level to level. At this period all of the forces under Aria's command would formally disband to form decentralized cells which would launch independent attacks against any Citadel occupying forces.

There are estimates that an obscene amount of casualties could be extracted from Citadel Forces, and the means by which this is planned are brutal. Entire levels being vented after armies lured down, sabotage of docks and ports of food and oxygen, rigging the element zero equipment to poison the entire station, Widow details not simply how Aria would coordinate the defense of Omega Station, but how she would dismantle it before submitting to defeat.

It should be notable that there are several outcomes that are speculated within the Widow Contingency, which is not the case for other contingencies.

The first is that the Terminus is successfully able to hold against the Citadel and there are no or little border changes. It is assumed that Aria once again emerges as the sole and undisputed ruler of the Terminus, and arguably one of the most powerful people in the galaxy as she has now humiliated the Citadel. It implies a massive geogalactic shift that we cannot begin to assess the ramifications of. The contingency puts this as "the most unlikely" scenario.

The second is a partial defeat, where the Citadel successfully manages to seize large swathes of the Terminus and effectively establish control over them, but is unable to successfully take Omega Station or kill Aria. Facing mounting casualties and war weariness, the Citadel calls a truce where the war is ended, with the gains they made. Aria would survive, but her power and authority is greatly reduced, and estimations are that she would be facing internal rebellion within months. This is described as "a very plausible" scenario.

The third is the complete defeat of Omega, and the effective conquest of the Terminus Systems by the Citadel Council and potentially the Batarian Empire. Omega Station is taken or destroyed, and Aria is either captured or dead. Nothing is said about how many casualties were extracted or the length of the war because it is presumed to not matter. This is described as "the most likely" scenario.

It is one of the grimmer contingencies for Aria – but one it is notable she is self-aware enough to acknowledge.

CONTINGENCY: SUPERNOVA

It is not exactly clear how Aria learned that the Reapers exist, nor the exact extent of their intentions and capabilities – but we can be certain that Aria knows at least all that the Council knows – and potentially even more. This could have been the result of backchannels, some evidence points to Cerberus providing information, and there is another means, but that is a discussion for that.

The point that is relevant is that Aria knows the Reapers exist, and has developed a contingency in the event they move against her – as they most certainly are going to do so. Aria is particularly concerned that their path could take them through the Terminus to get to Citadel space, and has a strong incentive to prepare.

This particular contingency is lacking details other ones are not, and that be chalked up to Aria simply not having a proper estimation of what a Reaper fleet would consist of, how many there would be, or if there would be other, previously unknown vessels in the picture. The contingency outright states that they almost certainly lack the firepower or resources to slow, let alone stop a Reaper advance, using the benchmark of the Battle of the Citadel as a simulation for what could be faced.

For the sake of sharing an interesting piece of information, the Reaper fleet that is utilized in this estimated "invasion" is approximately a dozen Sovereign-class Reapers. This number was chosen because it was estimated that the entire Terminus fleets – including more than just Aria's fleets – were organized together, they might be able to stop a Reaper advance.

Considering that there are likely to be more than a dozen Sovereign-class vessels in operation in a Reaper invasion, this showcases just how much Aria considers the entire region incapable of effectively fighting the Reaper force. They didn't even bother to include an assessment of ground forces – though mostly because none were displayed outside of Geth.

The entire strategy surrounding the Supernova Contingency is to delay, delay, delay, and flee.

There are several components to this – the first will be the immediate contact of the Citadel and the negotiation of a long-term détente, as Aria appears unwilling to not cooperate with the Council considering the scope of the threat. This is because they will be needed for the second component of this, which is the mass evacuations of the Terminus to Citadel space.

In the event of a successful negotiation with the Citadel, colonies and planets in places in the Terminus that are at risk of invasion will be evacuated to Citadel space, or closer to the Citadel-Terminus line. Aria would use her influence, fleets, and authority to carry it out – forcibly if necessary.

There are plans to do this with or without the Citadel, which is a notable priority for Aria. Although considering a Reaper invasion is effectively the end of the status quo, she perhaps feels she has little to lose by taking what are unthinkable and drastic measures. When evacuations are completed, the third component comes into play – and from which this contingency derives its name.

Aria has identified the most important mass relays that link to the Terminus, and from them, to Citadel space. Each of these relays will be prepared to be destroyed, through mass asteroid collisions, or through planted explosives. As Aria is privately uncertain if mass relays even can be destroyed, the intent is to destroy their operability – particularly the rings.

This will, according to the estimations outlined in the contingency, result in forcing the Reapers to spend years traveling at FTL if they want to go through the Terminus, buying precious time, or force them to find another way. The document speculates that they will find another way, as it is likely they maintain significant knowledge of the relay network.

The contingency also describes what measures would be taken should a Reaper invasion be realized, which would be, should negotiations be successful, interaction with the Citadel to defend against the threat. There are not many details surrounding this part of the envisioned conflict, and much of that can be attributed to the fact that no one really knows what the situation will be like, nor how the relationship between Aria and the Citadel at that point really will be.

This contingency also has a preliminary phase – one which can only be authorized by Aria, and only known to a very few in her inner circle. One which is vague, and intended only to be known to those who already are in the know. It describes the 'Activation' of the central system of Omega Station.

We now know that this refers to Ulcisci, and there exists a very, very strong chance that Aria has already taken this step.

If she has, then it introduces certain complications. This will be described further below, and in Subsection 3.

CONTINGENCY: ULCISCI

I apologize for the fact that this section will not have the complete context it deserves, as that is delegated to Subsection 3, which relates to the nature of Omega Station itself. For now I will simply provide the context that is needed to understand the importance, meaning, and gravity of this contingency existing.

There is something contained in Omega. Speculation will be saved for the appropriate section, but there is proof that there is an entity that resides in the station, and has almost certainly been there for a very, very long time. This entity is currently limited. Aria is aware of it, and has almost certainly directly interacted with it.

This entity is referred to by Aria and her inner circle as "Ulcisci." We believe this to be a name, not a title or other designation. We do not know if it is intended to mean anything, but there is a similar-sounding prothean phrase that roughly translates to "tainted/dead thing" (we do not know which word is more accurate).

We are uncertain of if this is supposed to have that meaning, especially as prothean translations are approximations, and the only ones who could accurately perform translations are those who have successful interfaced with prothean beacons – and the only one who had this capability is the now-deceased Sara Shepard. As a result, we cannot say this is an accurate translation, if it means anything at all.

Here is the critical point of the Ulcisci Contingency – Aria does not want anything to do with it. She has stated to her inner circle that it is dangerous, aware, and will bring about a catastrophe she could not stop. Yet she is notably unwilling to do anything to permanently remove it. We do not know if she lacks the means, or the will to do so.

Nonetheless, the contingency is straightforward – it authorizes the release of Ulcisci, and the immediate subordination of all Omegan forces to it. This is clearly a contingency that Aria would only think of activating if she was facing her own annihilation. There is no circumstance where she would willingly subordinate herself and her forces to anything.

The fact that this is an expectation here is troubling. There are very, very few entities which could elicit such a reaction from her, and Ulcisci being one of them raises many, many questions that need to be addressed. We have some answers as to what it is, but that is not for this section.

All that needs to be known about this one, is if Aria sees fit to authorize it, it will almost certainly have ramifications beyond Omega – and quite possibly beyond the Terminus Systems themselves.

CONTINGENCY: NIGHTFALL

Of every contingency that Aria has either written or had a part in overseeing, the secrecy surrounding the Nightfall Contingency is borderline unreasonable. We were initially unaware that such a contingency was in play, and the reason for that is because Aria has only shared it with a very few, very select group of people she absolutely trusts.

It was not easy to learn this.

It cost us a significantly placed asset within Omega, a considerable amount of resources and contacts, and deep insight into Aria's operations. We fortunately did not execute the operation to acquire this knowledge prior to acquiring other pieces of intelligence. If we had, we would likely retain gaps in the final product.

The asset managed to exfiltrate the document, though was captured by Aria and committed suicide before capture. The asset successfully ran the program which showed a failed document exfiltration, and we believe that Aria thinks that the Nightfall Contingency is secured, and does not know who was behind it.

As costly as this was, it was worth it.

We have confirmation that Aria has a complete and detailed plan for the complete and controlled dissolution of the Omegan Empire.

This was something that we believed existed, at least in the mind of Aria, and likely in discussions with her inner circle. What we were uncertain of is if it was properly codified in any official form, as that would indicate that Aria not only has considered the possibility where it would be necessary or desirable – but that she has taken a concrete step towards its eventual execution.

It has been noted multiple times now that Aria has been slowly losing her authority, and that the status quo for her will continue to be unsustainable. This is an acknowledgement of that fact, and of Aria's own growing dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. What is quite notable is that while Aria has held this possibility in her mind for at least the past half century, the document itself is new.

Metadata indicates that the original date of authoring was nine years ago, which coincidentally lines up with the fallout and disappearance of Nyreen Kandros, who will be discussed in the following subsection, but whose relevance was that she was Aria's former lover and left over major disagreements over the direction of Omega. That this was written after that incident is unlikely to be a coincidence, though it remains unknown how committed Aria is to actually carrying it out, nor is it likely that Kandros is aware of its existence.

The context outlined, here are the details of what the Nightfall Contingency entails.

It first assumes that there is an internal crisis which is facing Omega and Aria; this crisis is not outright specified, but several scenarios are put forward, the most plausible being a power grab by the Congress or other major players within it. The core of this trigger is that Aria's control over the Terminus is in imminent danger of collapse.

This also presumes other scenarios, such as the formal breaking of the agreement between Aria and the Circle of the Fallen or the Terminus Clan, which is anticipated to trigger an immediate chain reaction against her. It also presumes that all reasonable measures to mitigate or contain the crisis have been tried and failed, or are not applicable.

It also presumes that the crisis will have an immediate compounding effect that, if not properly dealt with, will spiral out of control. In effect, everything has failed, and this is the nuclear option. It is Aria going out on her own terms, and her terms alone. It is ultimately a last gasp on holding her power – and the document acknowledges that even if she succeeds, she will not enjoy the sheer breadth of influence and power she has now.

The first thing outlined is the moving of all navel assets to critical locations, and at points of entry for Omega. Others will be positioned in certain places for ambushes. All Omegan forces under Aria's command will also be deployed in strategic positions throughout Omega Station, and are placed on full alert and readiness.

Normally these kinds of moves would be detected, but Aria does not anticipate that anyone other than a sophisticated intelligence agency would be able to properly predict what is planned to happen. The final step to this is identifying all of the mercenaries, freelancers, smugglers, and affiliates to the Congress who are considered sufficiently loyal. Those are marked for preservation and integration.

Everyone else is marked for termination. Notably it explicitly states that slaving organizations are to be terminated, implying that even 'loyal' ones will not be spared the effects of this contingency.

When all forces are in position, Aria will call an emergency session of the Omegan Congress, which will compel all respective leaders to attend. Aria is expecting the majority to attend (with the exception of most warlords whose power bases are not on Omega Station), as she will imply it will be a formal concession to the Congressional influences. Instead, she will officially dissolve the Congress, and have stationed soldiers terminate all non-preserved entities, and present an ultimatum to those who have been deemed sufficiently loyal – integrate or die.

While this is taking place, military operations will be launched against all targeted groups and organizations. Aria is anticipating that the element of surprise will allow the majority of operations to be completed quickly, and the ports will be seized and kept closed until Omega Station is secured level by level.

The Black Fleet will both prevent any reinforcements from coming to Omega Station, as well as ambush mercenary fleets that are marked for termination. Surrenders and defections are to be handled on a case-by-case basis, with rank-and-file mercenaries captured if they surrender, officers, slavers, and other leaders are to be killed without exception. There are also groups that are considered minimally loyal which Aria has marked for termination to the last man.

It is an operation that, even if it goes according to plan, will plunge Omega into a period of deep violence as the Congress is only one part of the operation to reclaim Omega. The concession of the streets, property, and land across Omega is immediately revoked, and returned to Omegan control – specifically Aria's control.

Privately owning any part of Omega – at least temporarily – will be abolished, and Aria intends to make a few examples of non-compliant owners or landlords. Aria does not intend to be merciful when she, in effect, takes back Omega Station in this scenario. There will be violence not seen on Omega since the First March or the Second Krogan Rebellions.

Internally, this operation is referred to as the Second Omegan March. To drive home the fact that in this scenario, and perhaps even now, Aria sees this as a reconquest of something she has given up.

There are no specific predictions of the estimated fallout, outside of Aria losing significant influence over most of the Terminus, and making enemies of many of the Congressional parties that were not on Omega. It is estimated that the conflict will extend into a protracted Terminus conflict after Omega Station is secured – and what happens afterward is not specified.

The Nightfall Contingency is named thus because it casts the entire Terminus into darkness and uncertainty – and it will be up to Aria to lead the Terminus into a dawn, or if she fails, fall into the abyss of failure and irrelevancy.

As a turian, I have to admire the melodrama, and while none of this is written down, it is clear in how it is written that Aria – and anyone who contributed to this – intends for this to be another start for her. Perhaps the Omegan Empire as she wished it to be, not what it became. A cleansing of fire for a forest to bloom.

However, if one is wondering if Aria would trigger this contingency without an external force, it is unlikely. Aria cannot afford to let go, to take the risk that this poses – and I do not wish to understate the sheer risk involved. At best, if Operation Nightfall succeeds, she will be left with control of Omega Station, one plunged into chaos, with citizens perhaps in revolt, and most of her military power gone.

It is very possible that her operation and purge will fail. Perhaps they will see through her bluff. Perhaps they will outnumber her soldiers. Perhaps luck will lead to her death by a stray projectile. It is impossible to truly predict. And this is in the best-case scenario. It does not matter what Aria personally wants, it matters what she stands to lose.

A fading status-quo is safer than a risky action for the better.

So it is unlikely that Aria will ever authorize this contingency on her own. But if she truly feels like she is on the verge of losing everything, if she believes that she has failed, that her back is against the wall, and that she has no choice? Then it is certain what will happen.

The Omegan Empire will end, and we can only watch what comes after.