LP's Note: Once again, Xab didn't have a note for this chapter. Then again, there's not much needed in that regard. For the most part, Bioware did not 'develop' out Omega. It was basically a pirate station that somehow had outsized influence with neither clarity of why it was there or who built it or what the hell was going on in the DLC. I added to Omega somewhat, in the concept of the Black Fleet and Aria basically controlling the Terminus, but that was as far as I developed it because - at least originally - not much in the story would be happening there.
This means there is no real 'canon' to defy in this regard, which you should try to keep in mind as you read. Unlike the Citadel file, you may not run into some of the characters listed below until the ME3 piece. That doesn't mean they aren't important, but that Omega is focused on Omega, not the rest of the galaxy.
THE TERMINUS SYSTEMS – MAJOR POWERS
SECTION 1: OMEGA
SUBSECTION 3: AFTERLIFE, FIGURES OF NOTE, OMEGA STATION, AND ULCISCI
AFTERLIFE
CONSTRUCTION AND APPROPRIATION: The establishment that would become "Afterlife" had humble origins. Urban legend is that Afterlife has, in some form or another, always been a central hub of Omega - and a club. One of these is true - Afterlife has effectively been a central location of Omega since its construction.
However, it was not always a club.
It was the original headquarters of the Omegan Protectorate, established by the Gorgon as the principle base of operations for the group. They operated out of Afterlife – which had yet to receive that name – for a period of time, before it was expanded to also function as a club. This function, however, was closed to only those who were part of the Protectorate, or who had business therein.
It was Aria who convinced the Gorgon to consider opening it up to Omega proper, emphasizing the opportunities to collect information, control of what could be a central cultural landmark, and manage a very lucrative establishment. The Gorgon pursued this to a limited degree – but it was only after Aria took over and began the Omegan March, that Afterlife as the galaxy knows it was born.
Afterlife's has undergone several expansions and refinements over the centuries, and evolved from a fairly normal and humble club to one of the most famous, high-profile, and open clubs in the galaxy. One where everyone who even has a passing interest in such scenes must visit at least once in their lives.
It offers something that not even Noveria does – there is no illusion of law or legality here. One can find anyone in Afterlife. Any vice they can think of, is provided; every desire and perversion, attainable. There is no judgment on what one seeks – the only question is the price. Afterlife is a place unlike any in the galaxy – one which Aria has and continues to exploit for her own ends, and that of the Omegan Empire.
DESIGN AND THEME: While it may come as a surprise to some, the primary theme that Afterlife is now known for did not come into being for quite some time after it was established. At the founding, the references were primarily limited to some names for drinks, and to some extent the décor. As the centuries have progressed, so too have the thematics of "Afterlife" been expanded.
Today, the theme of Afterlife is very clear – the purported experiences of life after death, brought to our material plane. There is a notable amount of legitimate research that goes into the presentation, as Aria and the people managing Afterlife have drawn from the various religious afterlifes, both heavens and hells, of all species, from humans, to the asari, and even the drell.
More "spiritual" religions such as human Hinduism or the salarian Wheel, which have a more complex theology with minimal or no deities are also used at various points - which leads into how the presentation of Afterlife is continually rotating. Afterlife is a large establishment, but even it does not have the space to have special displays of afterlife-inspired rooms for everything - so the compromise to this is that they are done on a rotating basis of one month.
Each level of Afterlife has a different rotation, and while most of the time, they are on a schedule, it creates opportunities for Afterlife to have special 'months' where they sometimes have all-human or all-drell religions, or keep to a heaven/hell theme for all of them. The point being that it keeps the experience fresh and gives people a reason to go back.
They are always refining and looking for more obscure religions and mythologies to appropriate. It is likely that if information on the prothean religion emerged, they would incorporate it somehow. If they found a way to incorporate the Greek mythologies of the humans, they would manage with a long-dead precursor species.
No one should expect a museum-like experience of course – at the end of the day, all of this is for show and brand. With that said, Afterlife does include little placards or accessible information on some of their inspirations that, while terse and oversimplified, does give some actual, and mostly accurate, information.
A final, humorous note is that priests and other credentialed religious figures are automatically entitled to a significant discount. We don't know the reason for Aria doing this outside of she finds it funny.
It's utilized more often than you'd think – though we admittedly haven't run the numbers on the estimated fraud. Nonetheless, that it is regularly claimed at all is something worth noting.
SECURITY: Afterlife has managed to project an illusion that what security exists is primarily for show, and differs little from the sophisticated private security of similar clubs. To have the overbearing, visible presence of security in suits or armor would diminish the open and free atmosphere Afterlife works hard to cultivate.
It isn't necessarily the best place for business if you feel like you're always being watched. As a result, Afterlife works to reduce this feeling as much as possible.
Visible security units are primarily restricted to the exterior, or a seemingly singular, lightly-armored, bored guard per floor. Nothing enough to ruin the atmosphere - but enough that people know it's not a free-for-all inside. Of course, those who are able to think more critically might realize that the idea that Aria would restrict herself to such minimal security is suspicious – and that is because it is.
The few times that fights have broken out, armored soldiers have seemed to materialize in seconds to break up the fight, and eject the offenders, before melting into the background once again as if they never appeared. There are no fewer than six response teams ready and able to intervene should there be an altercation, and are given license to resolve the situation as they deem necessary.
Even this, though, is not as disruptive to the atmosphere as might be anticipated – most expect that such squads exist, and are ready to intervene. However, beyond this, few understand just how extensive the security within Afterlife is.
As Afterlife is one of the most critical and lucrative institutions under Aria, she does not risk it in the hands of amateurs. Even the most inconspicuous bartender is a trained operative, with weapons nearby if necessary, and trained in martial arts if they are not, all while they continually feed information to Afterlife Control. While not all of Afterlife employees are Omegan Intelligence or related branches, all of them receive OIS training.
Discretion and secrecy are not promised to those who visit, and anyone remotely familiar with such institutions should assume that you are being monitored and reported on throughout the visit. Most attendees are harmless or interesting - but occasionally they drop some information that justifies the mass surveillance of Omega – and Afterlife specifically.
Waiters, bartenders, strippers, DJs, cooks, every single Afterlife employee should be treated with the same caution as if you would treat an active intelligence asset. Never assume that you have privacy, as every so-called private booth to conduct business, let alone the suites, are fully bugged and usually rigged with full video capture. All of which can subsequently be used by Aria for control or blackmail.
Knowledge is power, and as lucrative as Afterlife is for Aria, its primary value comes in the form of intelligence collection – and other intelligence agencies have found surprising difficulty in penetrating it because of this setup.
Afterlife is Aria's turf - and she will not cede it to anyone willingly.
THE UPPER LEVELS: The Upper Levels of Afterlife are primarily accessible to the public – in that three levels beyond the first floor are different club levels, with their own attractions, bars, and other themes. Any levels above that are reserved suites, some for private encounters, and other rooms for VIP guests.
Rumors have spread that Aria's own residence is in one of the upper levels, and that much of her Inner Circle also resides in Afterlife proper. This perception comes from the fact that the upper floors are designed to have an open center, which allows Aria to look down on Afterlife, from a protected area.
In reality, she does not live in the Upper Floors herself.
She views it as an unnecessary security risk, as the upper floors are more difficult to secure. The same is not true for some of her associates, who have their own rooms among the upper floors. These suites are among the best that can be found, ones which can easily be lived out of, with only the finest furnishings and materials.
If one can afford a suite in Afterlife, they will get their money's worth – though terms and conditions apply.
THE LOWER LEVELS: The majority of people, and surprisingly several intelligence agencies, do not actually know how large and extensive the lower levels of Afterlife are. Most believe that there is a basement or additional floor underneath, but they are unaware that the vast majority of "serious" business is conducted there – a place where Aria can easily control everything.
The immediate floor under Afterlife is widely known as the VIP Level – where higher-paying members or specially-invited guests have their own private lounges, rooms, and parties. This floor also has its own unique theme, though it rotates out every two months, instead of one month.
It's priced at a rate which is surprisingly affordable in comparison to the median Omegan income (which is actively adjusted for inflation). It is expensive enough to ensure it will never be crowded, but cheap enough that it won't bankrupt the average citizen – provided this is their one big splurge for the year. It's far fairer than some of the VIP prices on Noverian equivalents.
Of course, this floor is just as surveilled as all of the others – even more so, because this is often where business between various parties is conducted that ostensibly does not involve Aria - though it is captured all the same. However, below this are the rooms where special business is conducted directly with Aria.
Unlike the rest of Afterlife, the trappings and themes of the club are gone, and instead is a strictly work environment – and one that is heavily protected. Soldiers maintain a heavy presence, Omegan Intelligence has insight into every corner, and special teams are prepared to act if called upon.
This is Aria's fortress, and she will give no illusions about who is in charge.
The levels that are further below contain one that contains Afterlife Control, which manages all of the surveillance and asset coordination conducted, as well as contains the effective headquarters of Omega, where Aria and her close associates and Inner Circle manage their day to day operations. It is this level which actually extends out further than most other floors, due to the work conducted.
The final level contains the living spaces, where Aria and ranking Omegan officials have their actual rooms, completely locked down, properly furnished, and many even have high-definition projectors on "windows" allowing them to look out over a glowing Omegan skyline. All fabricated, but many use them since living so far underground is slightly disconcerting, no matter how much safer it is.
If the upper levels are intended to be defensible from any who would try and assault Aria, the lower levels are intended to be a fortress. No one is going to be able to surprise Aria – and if they try, they will pay a very heavy price for the opportunity.
CONGRESSIONAL FIGURES OF NOTE
OVERVIEW: The Omegan Congress is the most important institution when it comes to gauging the overall power and effectiveness of Aria's influence. To this end, we have identified several of the most important and influential actors within the Congress – many of whom serve as indicators for the strength of Aria's influence and their loyalty to her.
DEVIA JASILN: This is an odd woman, for multiple reasons.
The first, is that while she can be considered the leader of a "mercenary" outfit, the Order of the Cross and Crescent is far better described as a dedicated protection detail, one whose primary mission is the defense of the Aurra Commune. It is a small planet that has only a few cities, which were established by humans fleeing religious persecution.
Yes, that was a thing.
The commune is made up primarily of Orthodox Christians and Sunni Muslims, followers of two religions which have experienced significant decline in human society. While it would be worth an investigation on how closely these religions adhere to their historical counterparts, the relevant portion of this is that both religions challenge the dominance of the Neo-Catholic Church, and are branded heresies.
Naturally, this resulted in said heretics fleeing to the Terminus, and establishing a colony which has become self-sustaining over several decades, a success primarily because of several large private donors, and the relatively small population to maintain.
The Order was born out of a need to be able to protect the commune, which was at risk of slavers and pirates. They possessed enough people and experience to deter the small bands, and weren't important or wealthy enough to attract the attention of larger ones.
It was under Devia that the Order started branching out into wider protection work, primarily to gain an extra source of credits and resources. Devia is a second generation colonist, and raised Orthodox Christian, and is considered among the most dedicated of the Commune. It has been her who is responsible for expanding, refining, and improving the capabilities of the Order.
Their contact with Omega was an accident, as none of the Commune were aware that they were technically under the rule of Aria. Upon contact, Devia was the one who managed the negotiations directly with Aria, and came to an agreement.
The Order would have representation in the Omegan Congress, and be the designated protectors of the Commune - in exchange for a regular, and reasonable tribute. On paper, this was a very reasonable arrangement. In practice, there were difficulties.
One such problem was that the Commune – and many in the Order itself – did not want to associate itself with Omega, for religious and pragmatic reasons. The Order certainly does not mesh with Omega at all, nearly everything that takes place on the station is considered sinful by their standards. They do not drink, do drugs, engage in the available sexual recreation, and would be far more comfortable shooting the average Afterlife patron than working with them, let alone taking a job from them.
The compromise Devia established was only maintaining a small presence on Omega, the purpose of which is exclusively acquiring jobs and equipment, and maintaining their connection to Aria. No one is particularly satisfied, but Devia's argument was based on pragmatism – and everyone knows they don't really have a choice when it comes to Aria.
It is probably not surprising that the Order is notoriously picky with their jobs, but receive enough offers that they often have enough to be busy, and have developed a solid reputation as a result.
Ironically, one of the customers they do the most work for is Aria herself. They are considered one of Aria's more reliable allies in the Congress – at least when it comes to discretion. Aria considers them reliable enough to employ them for Omegan Intelligence, and specifically Division Blue operations.
The Order is quite supportive of efforts to assist and uplift the clanless, so they have little opposition to assisting in such operations, something that Aria exploits to gain their trust, opposed to offering less savory operations. Relations have reached a steady equilibrium as a result of this arrangement, and Devia and Aria also appear to get along surprisingly well, with the former seeming to realize that an Omega with Aria at the helm is better – and safer – than one without her.
With that said, Devia is not Aria's friend, and the needs of the Commune come before Aria's ambitions. Should Aria find herself in an unstable situation, it is unknown if the Order would back Aria. It is likely it would primarily depend on the threat faced – many in the Order would be fine seeing Omega burn, but if that flame spreads to their people?
They may be forced to make yet another unenviable decision.
HEERGA VAUSIN: There are many, many slaving rings in the Terminus and beyond that are run by batarians, and it is not a secret that the Batarian Empire runs the most sophisticated networks. As a result, even most slavers dislike batarians – though only because they cut into their business.
Heerga Vausin, in comparison, stands out as being the only non-imperial Batarian who is capable of matching imperial-backed slaving rings in size, networks, quality, and sophistication. Indeed, if one were to just see an image of him, they would believe him to be a high-caste batarian elite. He dresses, moves, speaks, and acts identical to high-caste batarians.
However, he has no connection to the Empire, and is openly proud about that fact. In fact, he very clearly dislikes such slaving rings, as he considers the batarians running them slaves of a different kind, who would be nothing without the resources of the Empire.
For comparison, he built his enterprise up from nothing, and as a result controls a full ten percent of all slaving operations in the Terminus.
Through cutting several deals with drug production organizations and mercenary groups, he was able to create a multi-faceted organization capable of possessing capital and resources to place a stranglehold on strategic markets. Omega is the most important market, but there are several other hotspots and planets that are slave-trading hubs.
Vausin's business model is less the direct acquisition of slaves through raids, and the purchase of them from smaller slaver gangs and raiders – though only ones that meet certain criteria. He has successfully cultivated a reputation as being able to provide the highest-quality slaves at prices far more reasonable than the Imperial slavers.
If there is a slave on Omega? It likely came from Vausin's stock. There are many slavers who are a part of the Congress, but all of them know that Vausin is the undisputed head of the slave trade, who does business not just with the Terminus, but also conducts clandestine deals with various Citadel bodies, usually intelligence agencies, but sometimes the occasional politician.
He possesses one of the largest mansions on Omega, where he often stays, which is under the protection of a small army. He is also constantly accompanied by at least one female slave, the species of which he changes depending on who he meets. It appears to give him some kind of pleasure to play psychological games like this – though to a point.
The one exception to this habit is Aria. When he meets her, he does so alone. It is known that Aria despises him, and he doesn't care for her either. Nonetheless, he has managed to integrate himself among much of the Congress through 'gifts' and discounted slaves. If he wanted to make waves in the Congress? That he could do easily.
Fortunately for the status quo, he appears to have no desire to stop his lucrative business. He won't interfere or involve himself in any power struggles, unless given a reason to do so. Though ultimately, Aria and her rivals know, that if given the choice? He is unlikely to remain neutral, and would certainly see an Omega without Aria at its head as more beneficial for him than one that is.
NAKMOR DRACK: Krogan freelancers are not what one could call especially common, but common enough that few give them a second look. Many such freelancers are content with doing simple protection work, some serve as bounty hunters, some as criminal accessories - but rarely do any of them gain a reputation beyond mere reliability. Almost none of them are exceptional.
Except, perhaps, Nakmor Drack.
There are very few krogan who can claim to have fought in every major conflict within the past two millennia. There are even fewer who can say they have gone beyond the Perseus Veil, walked on Hanar worlds and lived to tell the tale, visited Rakhana for several months, and survived on Khar'Shan and escaped with their sanity intact.
To call Nakmor Drack a mere freelancer would be doing a disservice to one of the most accomplished krogan alive. His contracts are in the tens of millions, and he's been hired – in secret of course – by nearly every existing government, major corporation, criminal enterprise, and academic institution to perform highly secretive operations and tasks.
Bounty hunter, archeologist, assassin, explorer, there has been almost nothing that Drack has not done at least once. He tells many stories, some of which seem outlandish, but are so specific and detailed that it is nearly impossible to verify them.
He once claimed that he found himself under attack by Collectors, and not only did he survive, he claims to have killed them all. This story was not tied to any of his paid contracts – because Drack undertakes his own personal expeditions often, and will sometimes drop off the grid for months at a time to take his "vacations."
These vacations often take him either to dangerous or unexplored worlds, or to places which are believed to contain advanced technologies or the ruins of civilizations. Anything useful he appropriates or sells, the rest he leaves alone. This has resulted in Drack boasting an arsenal advanced enough that no one really knows what he is capable of except perhaps the SPECTRES or Celestial Council, and thus far it isn't enough for any government to try and seize for themselves.
There are almost certainly more numerous stories Drack could tell – but he is a professional, and has rarely reveals specifics of the jobs he undertakes. His own motivations and agenda are notoriously secret, and he has very few friends - though counts Urdnot Wrex, Patriarch, and Okeer among them.
To Omega, he is a living legend who is almost always swarmed with attention and offers when he visits the station. His relationship to Aria is sustained, and he's performed several jobs for her, and we do know that Aria considers him one of the more reliable Congressional actors, though not quite to the level of a reliable ally.
Drack does not involve himself in Omegan politics, but if his track record is any indication, he is unlikely to do anything to jeopardize his relationships – unless there is an ulterior motive we are not aware of. With this in mind, while Aria can likely rest easy knowing that Drack won't turn on her – by that same token, she should not expect him to come to her aid if she asks.
To him, she is a business partner, and no matter if Omega stands or falls, he will always have work available.
VRUSACK, THE GREY TALON: The name of Vrusack is not known to most people; it is very likely that only those very familiar with Turian fringe and terrorist organizations would have heard the name before, almost certainly in conjunction with Facinus.
Facinus, which is primarily understood to be the largest turian separatist organization in existence, has what can be considered at best a checkered reputation. While they are considered terrorists by most, the reality is more complicated, and Facinus leadership does make some token efforts to frame the movement as a resistance, instead of an insurgency.
However, Facinus does not shy away from direct terrorism, and one of the groups they outsource to is Vrusack's Fifty-Second Legion of Palavan. A legion which saw action during the Krogan Rebellions and was known for being particularly vicious to the point where they were formally disbanded, and the soldiers separated into different legions, or moved into the Deathwatch. The turians do not talk about them, and as far as they are concerned, it is history.
History Vrusack makes no secret of emulating.
He is easily one of the most dangerous warlords in the Terminus. He controls several worlds, and while his actual band is relatively small, they are among the elite of the warlord forces. As the name implies, they are known for their ruthlessness and brutality, and whenever someone needs a captive interrogated, an insurrection put down, or other violent activity, they call Vrusack.
Most of the work they do is for Facinus - specifically going after Facinus-affiliated organizations seen as insufficiently loyal, or against perceived enemies. The Hierarchy has been a target as well many times, and it would take too long to list the devastation Vrusack has inflicted upon them, while ruling his own little fiefdom with an effectively indentured population.
He has, of course, done work for Aria as well, and enjoys his status as one of the most senior and respected members of the Congress - though only comes to Omega for critical meetings or other official business. A representative of the Fifty-Second Legion is always present, and he notably has few issues with Aria.
As far as he is concerned, she holds up her end, and he'll not give her trouble. He prefers regional stability over political chaos, and with his political position secure, he has no ambitions to expand beyond his current station.
He is a bellwether for how Aria is perceived among the other black operations wet work organization – if Vrusack starts turning against Aria, for whatever reason, then she stands to lose a large chunk of her mercenary infantry. It need not be said that such would be devastating for her forces, but also morale among her allies.
BLACK ROSE: It should not be a surprise that one of the most wanted fugitives in Citadel Space is closely tied to the Omegan Congress - and Aria herself. The asari assassin dubbed the Black Rose is an interesting figure as it relates to the Congress, as it represents well the flexibility of the Congress to allow singular entities – provided they are impactful enough to warrant one.
The Black Rose certainly fits that criteria.
For the uninitiated, the Black Rose is an asari whose past is unknown to most of the galaxy. The intelligence the Network possesses sheds more light on her, though it is less complete than we would like, as the Thirty have gone – as they always do – to extraordinary lengths to cover up anything that reveals their failures.
We know the Black Rose was once involved with the Nightwind – she is not an ardat, but she is believed to have been one of the handlers for the Nightwind, and likely utilized them on several operations. Before that, she was an experienced Commando. The Thirty made a mistake in elevating her to that position, as we know that the Black Rose was vehemently against the usage of the ardat-yakshi in any context.
This is not out of any moralistic or humanitarian concerns – she is of the opinion that ardats should be euthanized outright. Why the Thirty elevated her to the Nightwind appears to have been a miscommunication, and also potentially political, as the T'Soni House believed it would be prestigious to hold such a position.
And so Hanara T'Soni was elevated into one of the worst possible positions for her, which backfired exactly as you would expect.
She abandoned the Republics soon after elevation - though not before executing all the Nightwind she was responsible for, along with several who were not, as well as stealing a significant amount of information relating to the entire program. The first thing she did was turn over all of the information to the STG, and the Turians, and the Broker Network.
While we possessed the majority of this knowledge, her intel filled in additional gaps. An amusing fact is that she has made an explicit point to send this information to every government that emerges – which includes the Hanar, Batarians, and Humans. She also has shared it with Terminus parties she likes – Aria included.
The Thirty have, of course, attempted to kill her, but unsuccessfully. These days, they appear content with letting her operate in Terminus space with the unspoken condition that she does not operate in Citadel or Asari space.
The Black Rose is a contract assassin, but a rather picky one. She does not have any issue working for warlords, but will refuse to even speak with substance dealers or club owners. She has a visceral hatred of "degeneracy," which includes drug usage, prostitution, slavery, and the general tolerance of such vices.
Because of these views, her relationship to Aria herself is…unconventional. She appears to cut Aria some slack, considering her outsized role - but it is known that she doesn't care much for the Pirate Queen. If there is a faction the Black Rose has aligned herself with, it is the Terminus Clan, who she often does free work for, and is one of Sashan Q'Irsa's allies.
Outside of contract work, she undertakes her own missions, most of which involve the targeting of ardats in the Terminus, or other figures that have drawn her ire. Notably, she has refrained from actively targeting any official representatives of the Republics, though this is likely out of pragmatism than any desire to spare them.
A final – and important – note about the Black Rose is that she is almost certainly an intelligence asset of the STG. While she is also an AIS asset to a lesser degree, she has a long history with the STG, who have employed her against dissident salarian movements, specifically the Black Rim Free Sexuality Movement, in return for intelligence on ardats, proprietary salarian technology, or when neither suffice, hard assets.
The Black Rose rarely accepts payment in credits, only keeping a minimal amount on hand, as she considers raw resources, hard assets, and intelligence significantly more valuable and stable than currency.
We believe she's aligned with the STG not just for personal reasons, but also as a means of preventing them from conducting mass-scale operations against the Terminus Clan, and the salarian minority population there. This relationship should be watched closely, as she has no love for Aria, and if the STG were to make a move in any potential instability, the Black Rose is likely the agent they will work through.
SASHAN Q'IRSA SMITH: To call Sashan Q'Irsa Smith the prominent opposition to Aria would not be entirely accurate – but what would be accurate is to say that he is rapidly emerging as the face of the Congress that is solidifying itself against Aria – not necessarily of his own desire.
Sashan has one of the more unique histories among the Congress, namely that he was an orphan who was raised by an asari family in the Terminus Clan. As one might expect, a human orphan being raised by asari produces some interesting results.
Personal interactions with him are decidedly bizarre. He would fit unnaturally well within Asari society if pressed to do so, right down to some of the more feminine clothing he wears. He is exceptionally polite, controlled, fluent in asaric, and even occasionally mimics Siari gestures they do, though not with the same frequency.
Even his name is asarified. The asari who adopted him did not have a name for him, so they took a regular asari name, and adjusted it to be more masculine, and formally gave him their clan name. In his operations beyond the Clan, he has adopted "Smith" as a human surname, though he only uses it for work, and personally considers himself as one of the Q'Irsa Clan.
He operates the Junarch asp Asaric, roughly translating to 'Men of the Clan', a mercenary company which was originally formed to act as another defensive force for the Clan, drawn from their small human diaspora. It has since grown to being a lethal and elite unit on its own, which operates well beyond the Clan. It also functions as a secondary source of revenue, the majority of which is transferred back to the Terminus Clan, who in return make sure they are well-supplied, staffed, and supported.
Sashan himself is an adequate leader, and competent soldier. His soldiers are similarly well-trained, and his own combat capability is not to be underestimated - though that is admittedly not what makes him of interest here.
His operations have also elevated the organization to being the unofficial representation of the Terminus Clan in the Omegan Congress, where Sashan's talent for politics emerged – or at minimum, a talent of getting along with people. Sashan dislikes Aria immensely, though for reasons atypical of most warlords. He is firmly against the free-for-all approach that Aria has taken, with letting any activity, any vice, and anything go so long as they pay tribute to her.
He is suspicious of her ultimate intentions for the Terminus Clan, and has been a primary instrument of forging agreements and alliances between the Clan and other actors – most recently the United Terminus Federation. Relations between him and Omega are tense – which extrapolates to the Terminus Clan itself - and other, more opportunistic, enemies of Aria have taken note.
Sashan is now in a position where Aria has cause to expel him and his company from the Congress, though the case to do so is poor. He pays his tribute, and objectively follows what little rule there is. But he is one of the few warlords who openly do not support Aria, and do not pretend otherwise.
At the same time, he despises most of the Congress even more than Aria, and has not taken well to being looked to as a figurehead for an anti-Aria movement. He has little desire to fill that role, but there are absolutely conversations taking place on how to address this inconvenient fact among such conspirators. What is for sure is that Sashan will not be the last to begin taking a firmer stance against the wishes of Aria.
This is an affair to watch closely – not least of which is because Sashan effectively functions as the voice of the Terminus Clan, and if they firmly turn against Aria, the fallout will be unavoidable.
WARCAPTAIN YMOOSK: The first thing that must be understood is that the title of "Warcaptain" is one which is, if not an inside joke, an example of krogan humbleness. Ymoosk is not a simple Warcaptain. In fact he does not have a formal title or position, for he does not need one.
If anyone has been in the presence of Ymoosk they would know why.
Ymoosk is the oldest krogan that we are aware of. He is the only krogan alive who we know is over two millennia old. It is difficult to emphasize just how different a krogan who is so old compares to what most are used to. Ymoosk dwarfs other krogan in sheer size. Remember that a feature of krogan biology is that they never stop growing and are functionally immortal.
Ymoosk is a walking, living tank that is nearly impossible for any single person to kill. Even heavy-duty mechanized units like JOTUNs he would laugh off, much less conventional military forces. He cannot be assassinated, poisoned, or taken down in a way fast enough to stop his counterattack.
Not even Widows would be sufficient even if direct to the head. Nothing short of naval weaponry, precursor technology, and airstrikes is enough – and that is just to wound him. There is a myth that krogan grow slower, and more decrepit as they age. Ymoosk demonstrates the fallacy of this assumption.
It is fortunate for the rest of the galaxy that krogan usually die well before reaching such an age.
All of this leads to the important question – who is "Warcaptain" Ymoosk?
Not who he presents himself as.
His real name is Warmaster Eron Ymoosk Vulark, Fist of the Emperor, Bane of the Queens, Tuchanka's Thunder, and Heir to the Empire of All Krogan.
Or to put it simply, he is the brother of the now-deceased Krogan Emperor. The very same Emperor who led the krogan against the Citadel.
Ymoosk was the greatest krogan warrior of the Rachni Wars. He was personally responsible for the slaughter of six Rachni queens, and countless other regular rachni. There are no official records documenting how many he killed because every time they thought they were finished, they found he had killed even more. What we know for sure is that it was in the thousands, and he was on the front lines to the very end of the war.
He was similarly a force during the Krogan Rebellions itself, and was considered the most dangerous krogan alive – not even the Emperor had that honor. He killed matriarchs, SPECTREs, and even a Praetor over the course of the Rebellions, and even his defeats extracted heavy losses from Citadel forces.
He was one of the closest advisors to the Emperor and encouraged the offensive to continue, though he, like the rest of the krogan, did not learn of the plans for the Genophage until it was far too late. He fought to the end of the war, and only when news broke that the Emperor was slain, and the effects of the Genophage were starting to assert themselves, did Ymoosk disappear.
The Citadel knew that he was alive, and had forces on standby in case he returned – but he never did. A decade or so later, and a 'Warcaptain Ymoosk' emerged in the Terminus system, commanding a band of krogan forces, and established a strong presence in the region; the start of the Ymoosk Protectorate.
"Ymoosk" is not an uncommon name among krogan, especially of that era, as many sons were being named in honor of the Emperor and his family. While Ymoosk took his middle name as his primary one, he has notably never made much of an effort to abandon his full name – he just doesn't advertise it.
The Protectorate has largely been defined by its action – or rather, lack thereof. Today it comprises the largest consolidation of territory in the Terminus under a single power outside of the greater Omegan Empire. It is a legitimate military, political, and economic force that, while not Omega in its importance, has the potential to become one day.
Ymoosk has been careful in his dealings with the other powers of the Terminus. When Aria began the Marches, he did not initially join, only openly backing her when she earned his respect. It is important to stress that Ymoosk views Aria as an equal – he does not view her as superior nor as dangerous.
He maintains the Protectorate as part of the Congress because he wishes to, not because he has to. When the Second Krogan Rebellions broke out, and it became clear that a Ganar was behind it, he surprised everyone by immediately backing Aria – and it was only when he got word that Aria was in quiet discussions with the Ganar clan did he withdraw his open support – though allowed his forces to continue assisting.
Aria allowed this without consequence, though only to not make the most powerful warlord in the Terminus an enemy - And also because she expected he would intervene if it appeared she was going to lose.
There is something very important to know about Ymoosk – he has not forgotten the past, and he has a standing blood feud against the Ganar clan. He has stated that the only Ganar who will be permitted in his presence is a dead one.
His personal trophy case contains the crests of several Ganar from the wars, and has gone on hunts against any Ganar foolish enough to move in the Terminus and linger. He loathes Okeer in particular, which should be unsurprising given that the Ganar clan betrayed the Emperor, and had a hand in developing the Genophage.
The idea that he would remain neutral if it appeared that Wrang – even a disgraced Ganar – would win? No. Furthermore is the fact that Ymoosk holds a contempt for krogan mercenaries and groups like the Blood Pack, reducing them to mindless cannon fodder used for the exploitation of other races. Nonetheless, his withdrawal of support was to send a message to her – as well as Okeer, that his support has expectations and costs.
The Protectorate itself is a strange place for krogan. It contains many more than just krogan, but what little culture the krogan retain is kept alive there in some form outside of Tuchanka. Ymoosk's closest advisor is a loremaster, and he maintains a large plot of land that serves as a graveyard for stillborn krogan children.
Any krogan is permitted to bring their child to be buried with some dignity, and female krogan are allowed open passage through his territory, with any who attack or offend them subject to immediate execution.
There is a question of why one of the few krogan who could unite the clans is only acting as a Terminus warlord, and we believe it is because Ymoosk simply has no desire to take up that mantle. Perhaps it is because he believes his failure precludes him, or because he despises what the krogan have become.
He has a rapport with Patriarch, and maintains contacts with a few other krogan of note, but has shown little desire to do any more. His identity, while obscured in most of the galaxy, is likely known among certain krogan. One day, he may step forward and claim the mantle of leadership once more, but for now, it seems unlikely.
It is not known how strong his support for Aria is. While the status quo has benefited him, he has no need and holds no loyalty to her specifically. Yet his decisions would impact many, many others – including if he stands by once again if Aria is threatened.
And if he turns against her, it will almost certainly signal her end.
OMEGAN ASSOCIATES OF NOTE
OVERVIEW: As has been documented previously, Aria and her allies have a very wide variety of contacts and associates beyond the Congress and Aria's Inner Circle. This section is intended to cover the individuals who are notable to include in this report, but are not associated with the Congress, and may or may not be directly employed by Aria directly.
ANTO KORRAGAN: Batarians working directly for Aria T'Loak often fall into one of two categories – the first is the Bray Clan; batarians who have submitted themselves to Aria's authority since the March on the Batarians – and the rest of the batarians who have worked under her. To be clear – there is a stark line between batarians who are in the Congress, under warlords, part of mercenary outfits - and those who work for Aria directly.
Aria, as a general rule, does not like batarians, and for understandable reasons. Outside of the Brays, with whom she has a unique relationship with, other batarians often struggle to thrive directly working for her, and have to face additional layers of prejudice and scrutiny, as she believes such is necessary to ensure any batarian can be considered reliable.
Anto Korragan is no exception to this treatment – and has quite an interesting tale. Most of the non-Bray batarians are low caste or mid caste – Korragan is one of the few, if only, high-caste batarians in the employ of Aria. If one knows anything about batarians, the idea of a high-caste leaving their quite advantaged lives on Khar'Shan, or prestigious positions, is rare.
The expectation is that Korragan only departed after some internal politics, or a disgrace of some kind. This did not happen. In fact, what we have learned was that Korragan was the official Chastiser of Khar'Shan itself. This placed him as one of the most influential batarians alive, and unlike most Chastisers, he took his role seriously, was a fervent follower of the Dark Gods, and by all accounts was a rare example of batarian competence.
Then one day, he prepared himself for a pilgrimage to an unknown planet that was purportedly sacred to the Dark Gods, an unnamed water world – and never returned to Khar'Shan after that. For all intents and purposes, he simply abandoned his post, his wealth, his status, and everything he had earned.
He sent a formal letter to the Emperor – one we managed to intercept - which was written in a language that was not batarian, or in fact, any known language on record. Our linguists did determine that the writing and usage implied a familiarity with the language, if not fluency, and did not immediately indicate signs associated with mental instability.
Korragan's behavior and speech following this similarly indicate no instability, and after sending the letter, he flew directly to Omega and joined the Omegan Legions. He did not announce himself or make demands based on his stature – he joined at the lowest rank, and fulfilled his duties as required.
His arrival did not go unnoticed, of course. Anyone was going to notice a high-caste batarian showing up out of nowhere, but Aria did not learn who he really was until much later, after Omegan Intelligence compiled a report on him. By this point, Korragan had been promoted several ranks, due to his administrative expertise and adherence to regulation, protocol, and accountability.
Aria and several others questioned his circumstances and intentions, and rather than pretend, Korragan appeared to give them the most truthful account he could of why he was here. He said that he had gone on a spiritual pilgrimage at the call of the Dark Gods – and he had experienced a personal encounter with the High Ascended – supposedly the highest of the Dark Gods, or so Korragan claimed.
He says he was ordered to forsake all of his material possessions, and subordinate himself to the master of the Station of the Heretic – which is Omega Station. This, he interpreted, as Aria. With additional context on Ulcisci, we are not sure this was what was actually meant, but that was how Korragan claimed. That, he concluded, was what he has done. He is here at the direct command of the greatest Dark God, and that is higher than any other entity – even that of the Emperor himself.
Naturally, Aria was not completely sure how much of this to believe, and made an educated, if unfortunate choice to have Korragan undergo a link with an Omegan Intelligence agent – the resulting transfer of which nearly killed the asari in question, but she was able to recover and confirm that, whatever Korragan had seen, he was not lying.
This was acceptable for Aria, and Korragan was returned to his position, and has subsequently climbed the ranks to become subordinate to Marshal Gromyko Bray himself within the Omegan Legions, and subsequently is the first non-Bray batarian to hold a senior position in Aria's organization.
Despite his background, Korragan has proven to be surprisingly adaptable for a batarian. Whatever prejudices he had have either been removed or suppressed to the point of invisibility. He has conformed himself exactly to Aria's standards, and while he is a demanding and strict leader, he is not an unfair one, and Aria has remarked that he's one of the few non-Bray batarians she doesn't mind.
Reviews by several Broker departments have raised questions on what, exactly, Korragan actually saw. Whatever entities the Dark Gods are – who are purportedly the ones upon whom all of batarian society is based – the idea that one of them would be above the others – something unprecedented in batarian mythology, let alone tell another to submit themselves to an alien, is inherently suspicious.
There is a possibility, no matter how slight, that something was impersonating the Dark Gods – and whatever it is, it was skilled or powerful to convince a very devout believer. He should be observed closely. There may be other interests at work with this one.
ZARRICK FILS, LOGISTICS ADMINISTRATOR: On the surface, a drell being involved on Omega, and in logistics no less, is not something which would cause concern or appear out of place. Zarrick Fils has all of the quantities one would expect from a drell professional – perfect memory, exceptional technical knowledge, and administrative perfection.
While most drell are employed as assassins or in military roles, Aria is wise enough to see their worth in administrative and logistical matters. To this end, Fils is likely Aria's more efficient logistics subordinate in Import/Export Management, who keeps track of, and facilitates logistical matters for the entire Station, and beyond.
On this own, this would not truly be worth mentioning. That is, if Fils was an ordinary drell – and he is not.
This exceptionalism comes not from who Fils is, as he is not outwardly special. He is an adult bluescale drell, a minority outside of Rakhana. Rare, but not especially uncommon. He is highly educated, and speaks multiple languages fluently, and while his style of dress harkens back to earlier periods of the Rakhanan upper classes, though few outside of drell experts would recognize that.
What makes Fils notable is who he represents. Before this, some crucial context must be given to the unaware.
The common belief concerning Rakhana is that it is a wasteland where drell unfortunate enough to still be living on it are doomed. Actual investigation into Rakhana has revealed a situation that is more complex and fluid than originally expected – the planet is a wasteland, but some assumptions must be dispelled before continuing.
Several major and minor powers have emerged and asserted themselves, many with the intention of unifying the world – some of them with alien support. The drell on Rakhana remain a fractured people, with divisions and violence based on race and religion still dominant, and their unique system of mercenary actors making it difficult for aliens to properly discern the dynamics at play.
One of these powers is the Imperial State of Rakhana, led by among several remaining survivors of the those the drell call the Six Hundred, the genetic supermen who ruled Rakhana before their collapse.
Contrary to rumors and stories – not all of the Six Hundred were killed during this period. Almost all of them were - but a small number survived the war, and in the aftermath, one clawed out his own state, and intended to eventually reclaim Rakhana - and subjugate all of the drell under them once again. The Imperial State is led by one called Ilindian, who is the proclaimed Emperor of Rakhana, and one of the Six Hundred.
While the Six Hundred are known as the ones who orchestrated, and carried out the genocide of the blackscale race, Ilindian breaks from his contemporaries in his views of other genetically inferior races, and understands that a modern drell state cannot be built without them. The Imperial State is understood to be one of the most stable institutions on Rakhana, as well as one of the most advanced.
Ilindian in particular has made a point to quietly cultivate relationships with almost every foreign power in a bid to be recognized as the only legitimate state on Rakhana – with the exception of the hanar, who he deeply distrusts, and the asari, who he dislikes for reasons we are not certain of.
The drell as a whole is something where our intelligence has notable gaps – which I have recommended be rectified. Ilindian from all accounts is one of the most persuasive and sophisticated speakers alive, and while the relationships are quiet, even Aria is employing the aforementioned Fils, who is one of the Emperor's trusted subordinates – which subsequently provides her a direct line to the Imperial State from Omega.
We believe that Fils was specifically placed in logistics to facilitate shipments of materials and equipment to Rakhana covertly – something done with Aria's approval. We are unsure what Aria is getting out of this arrangement – but perhaps a notable ally, of a racial caste that almost singlehandedly subjugated a world, might be worth whatever minor material cost she paid.
LOCHEVNAR AVRENSIS: This is a name that will likely be familiar to those who are involved in recruitment efforts – as Lochevnar Avernsis was one such individual who was approached for service within the network – and refused. This was an amicably-made offer, and subsequent refusal, though it is notable for several reasons.
The first is that it was a rare failure on Profile and Psychological Assessments, as they are almost completely certain of their assessments, and they judged that Avernsis would not only be open to work with the Broker Network, but had the potential to become a central asset. While they left open the possibility for refusal, they were confident in their assessment, which is necessary for approaching any high-profile individual for employment.
Second was that refusal – even from those assessed to have negative impressions of the Network – is rare because behind every offer is the reasonable concern that the next offer will not be so amicable. Even the most talented know this, and against the weight and influence of the network, some become assets because they view it as safer. Avernsis appeared to have refused to consider this, he actively does not believe that any such leverage or coercion exists.
Third is that this was an exceptionally generous offer – and technical individuals are often lured in by the opportunity to utilize highly advanced technologies and systems which are cutting edge or illegal, without fear of capture or prosecution. These temptations appeared to mean nothing to Avernsis, who openly expressed his doubt that the Broker had more advanced or better tools than what he could work for – or create.
This particular statement drove a second, highly illuminating, reassessment of Avernsis.
Here is what we now know.
Avernsis is a human male, one just under fifty years of age, who is currently without a spouse or significant other – and was already assessed to be asexual as he has demonstrated no interest in forming romantic relationships with any colleagues, and seduction operations conducted against him by the AIS, Discerning, and even Aria have ended in repeated failures.
His past is heavily obscured – and we've found no fewer than six almost fully-complete, sourced, and plausible origins for him, from a former AIS AI specialist, to an STG asset that went rogue. This is highly atypical, and what can most certainly be discerned from all of them is that Avernsis likely was connected to an intelligence agency, he specializes in artificial intelligence, is a savant with technology, and has broken from whatever past he had.
What makes him worth specific mention is because he currently commands a suite of AIs – which he refers to as a choir. Initially we believed this was a misattribution, and that he more likely commanded several sophisticated VIs, or maybe a single primitive AI with several subroutines. However, more research had led to a concerning implication that these AIs are very real – and under his command.
This, apparently, is something that Aria knows, and for reasons we have not discerned, seems wholly unconcerned by this fact, something which appears to be a severe underreaction for the kind of damage a man like Avernsis could do – at least on the surface.
The capabilities of this "choir" of AIs that Avernsis has at his disposal are unknown – but we suspect that most, if not all of them, were not actually created by him, but are the remnants of projects or abandoned projects which he has successfully brought to a workable state. It must be stressed that maintaining these AIs is no small feat - but he is not building them from scratch.
It is almost certain that he's used these AIs to obfuscate and manipulate his past, and likely erase as much connection to how he acquired these AIs as possible. The exact number is unknown, but we put it between four to six. Their personalities or focuses are similarly unknown – which is another curious feature.
Ostensibly, Avernsis' role is using his Choir to assist in the defense of Omega Station – yet numerous cyberattacks have been conducted, and there strangely has been minimal indication of individuality in the defenses. The initial theory behind this was that Avernsis was utilizing the AIs for his own projects, and only minimally investing in his actual job. Our current understanding is significantly more enlightening.
Avernsis' actual goals and motivations are similarly obfuscated and unknown – but they have previously been driven by self-interest, that was, until he came to Aria. It is unclear why he would choose Aria of all people to tie himself to – he did not need money, he had skills to market or defend himself, and he did not want to attract attention.
So, why Aria?
This is where the theories split – the first theory is that Avernsis does not have control of his AIs anymore, and is being effectively held hostage to work for Aria after he used them against her – and failed. We have low confidence in this theory because Avernsis does clearly have some authority, and his relationship with Aria is cordial at worst, and there's not an indication why Aria would keep him alive, if she does not need to.
We can't discount it fully, but there is significantly more weight being given to the theory that whatever Avernsis is working on is not Station security, but Aria's own operations concerning artificial intelligence – it is almost certain that Avernsis has been working to improve his Choir, and if upgrades and research are his primary focus, it would explain their lack of involvement in station security.
What we have not ascertained is if this project is in conjunction with Ulcisci, or if it is separate, perhaps a contingency Aria is maintaining. Regardless of the connection, what we can reasonably determine is that Avernsis is involved in one of Aria's most important projects, and if she faces a true threat, we will soon find out just how effective Avernsis' Choir truly is.
GOLO'MEKK VAR OMEGA: The infamous quarian renegade, technician, or terrorist, depending on what one knows of him, has been a resident of Omega for quite some time now. Not important enough to gain a place in the Congress, and no apparent desire to do so either, but neither is he an unimportant character on the station.
This is not going to be a summary of who Golo'Mekk is, as this presumes some familiarity with him, but where he falls into the structure and hierarchy of Omega itself. What is notable is that there is a clear trajectory of Golo rising upwards on the station – and making himself more indispensable.
Initially upon arriving at the station, he appeared on Aria's radar, though was not considered a figure of note as he began working contracts and pursuing his own goals. He gained a much more notorious reputation in the years that followed – both for his brutality, excesses, and raw talent.
He participated in several operations with the Omegan Legion, and impressed several people close to Aria who wanted to potentially bring him further into the organization, as he was one of the few independent technical experts who was not associated with any major outfit or organization. This was not accepted at first by Aria, who considered him a liability and untrustworthy.
It would be a mistake to say that this has significantly changed – but Aria and Omega have shifted significantly towards stronger integration, and Golo enjoys a pseudo contract-status between himself and Aria, where he is technically not part of any of the bodies, but works for them all the same.
Currently he has been tasked with assisting in the upgrade of the Omega Station defenses – which one might note is a rather risky proposition considering that Aria views him as untrustworthy. However, given what we know about Omega Station, it is very likely that there is little choice.
Golo, for better or worse, is one of the best cyber experts around, and if there is anyone who can both optimize the existing systems, and ensure that they can be slaved to something Aria directly controls, it would be him. Of course, one risk is Golo turning against Aria and selling her out – though historically Golo only does this to those who have actively wronged him – which Aria has not. Yet.
The secondary risk is that Golo accidentally stumbles upon the secrets of Omega, and in particular, Ulcisci. We cannot imagine that this risk has escaped Aria, which begs the question not on if Golo is supposed to learn of it, but if she is expecting him to learn it. Her people are watching Golo very closely, and we can only conclude there is a very high-stakes gamble being taken.
One whose outcome could have significant ramifications, and if Golo makes the wrong choices, it can be expected things will become ugly very quickly.
NEVA CUSTOS, SPECTRE: If there is one thing that Neva Custos demonstrates, it is that Aria has her own blind spots, limits, and is wholly ill-positioned to be able to successfully resist the Council should they decide to act against her.
What Aria should have done when she learned that a woman who had been able to rise through the ranks, gain access to sensitive information, and earned her trust, was a SPECTRE the entire time should have been grounds for immediate termination. If not termination, at minimum she should have been expelled from Omega.
Instead, Aria, who is unaware of certain details of the SPECTREs, and who is aware of the SPECTREs who have defected and work for the Broker Network, likely thought she could turn this to her advantage. In her eyes, she is being extremely careful and cautious. Custos revealing the truth intrinsically made Aria suspicious – but open to regaining trust through monitoring and demonstrations of loyalty.
Aria believes that if there are certain lines she can make Custos cross, it will prove her commitment and loyalty to her and Omega. Her fundamental misunderstanding is that there are no lines that a SPECTRE will not cross, and Aria has fatally misunderstood the mission of Neva Custos.
She believes that Custos was here to infiltrate Omega, and later assassinate her. Custos did not reveal this in so many words, but did everything she could to make sure Aria reached a number of specific conclusions – all of which position her as someone who is more useful alive, than dead. Aria appears to have been successfully convinced of this, because she believes that Custos is an ordinary SPECTRE, if such a thing exists.
Neva Custos is not an ordinary SPECTRE.
Even if she were not one of the best clandestine and psychological experts in the galaxy, she is one of the Guns of the Citadel, the small corps of elite SPECTREs that are tasked with infiltrating entities the Citadel considers a potential threat as lethal insurance – and if such entities ever act against them, the guns will discharge, and terminate the threats.
Please refer to the Report on the Citadel for additional information – the point here is that there is a gun leveled at her head, and Aria does not see it.
It does not matter what Aria does to make her "prove" her loyalty, or what lines she crosses – such assumptions betray a fundamental misunderstanding of the mission of the SPECTREs. There are no lines they will not cross, or actions they will not take should it service their mission, and the Guns in particular actively expect to cross such lines.
If Aria believes that Custos is not reporting on everything she learns, or will not move against Aria when given the order, she is disappointingly shortsighted. Custos hates Aria with a passion, and is actively looking forward to the day she receives the order to terminate the Pirate Queen. There is nothing Aria can do to sway, or dissuade her from this outcome.
The concern surrounding Custos is if she continues to gain Aria's trust again, and learns the truth of Omega Station and Ulcisci. We cannot predict what the reaction of the Citadel will be to this – but it is entirely possible that will be what convinces the Citadel to begin collapsing Aria's empire.
For they cannot allow such a person access to such power.
SIANA SIDERIS, SILENT SERVICE DIRECTOR: For any who are charged with the protection of Aria herself, they must be uniquely qualified, dedicated, and loyal. Aria would allow no one to manage the Silent Service who lacks any of these qualities – and Siana Sideris meets them without question.
Unlike many of the close associates of Aria, Siana is not a clanless, but comes from a minor Thessian clan, and was a friend from her matron period. While they were friends, they were not close until Aria came to her, asking for help to flee. Siana was instrumental in her ability to escape – though unlike some of those who helped, Siana did not get off easy.
She was arrested by the asari, imprisoned, and subsequently interrogated. Despite the measures utilized, she refused to willingly give up what little she knew about Aria's plans and intentions – the Thirty were forced to bring in one of the Discerning to extract what they could – and were subsequently disappointed with how little they learned.
She was confined to prison for twenty-five years, and the Sideris clan was punished as a result; legally through measures limiting their ability to hold certain offices, conduct certain activities, and socially by making them politically and culturally untouchable. Any hopes that Clan Sideris had of merging or associating with a larger house, much less one of the Thirty, was dashed.
It is unknown how Siana would have taken this had she served her sentence – and while still recovering from the mind-rip performed – had she not been broken out of prison by Aria authorizing an operation that freed her. She had not forgotten about Siana, and when she learned where she was, the operation was launched, and Siana was successfully exfiltrated to Omega, where she spent several decades recovering from her ordeal.
After the Marches concluded, and Siana was in a better mental state – she began working more directly for Aria. The interrogation had destroyed her ability to wield biotics, and damaged her nervous system to the point that significant cybernetics would have been necessary if she wanted to even partially recover. Other bodily functions were damaged, including her eyesight and hearing – though both of those have received cybernetic replacements.
However, her mind was the one thing to fully recover – and that was all Aria needed. As one of those Aria knew could be trusted unconditionally, she was given more responsibilities relating to her personal security – especially as she was cognizant of methods the Thirty and other asari groups would use to take advantage. Siana has since spent several decades educating herself from former AIS, STG, and corporate espionage experts and agents to gain a thorough understanding of the threats that Aria could face.
When she judged that her education was complete, she accepted Aria's offer to become the Silent Service Director, and for over two centuries has served as Aria's primary protector, managing the myriad of threat factors, agent reviews and assignments, and determination of routes that must be locked down to ensure Aria is protected from every angle.
With such an important position, and previous history with Aria, we originally expected her to be in Aria's Inner Circle – and she would have been, had she not explicitly refused. She is adamant that she only knows what she needs to, and fears that if she is privy to sensitive information, there would be nothing she could do to resist its extraction if she falls into the hands of the Thirty or another hostile party.
Her previous experiences solidified her belief that the best way she can protect Aria, is to limit herself to knowing the essential details. Aria has respected this request, though nonetheless treats her as a close friend, though not a confidant at her request. She will occasionally ask for her perspective or advice, though only in matters of security and threats. Aria likely hopes that Siana will change her mind eventually, and subsequently elevate her to the Inner Circle.
While she is rarely seen in public, she is one of the more imposing figures in Aria's entourage, who often accompanies her – and sometimes Luna Eala - in meetings, as a figure in the background. She is often unthreatening in stature, wearing flowing dresses, and her hands resting on a cane to hide the tremors as a result of nerve damage.
She will almost never move because aforementioned damage resulted in her being unable to walk properly, though she refused to use hover-chairs. Her face has multiple cybernetic enhancements, particularly around her crest, to restore her hearing, and her eyes which possess red irises – and she makes a point to almost never blink, instead carefully appraising each individual entering Aria's presence.
Intimidating she may look, she is not a threat, and in combat would be easily able to be dispatched. Her strength is her mind – but nothing more.
NYREEN KANDROS: This was a name that I was surprised to learn the Broker Network had a sustained interest in – though after reviewing her profile, it is far clearer. I was unaware that Nyreen Kandros was not only a former Cabal member – but considered one of the most dangerous ones left alive.
This naturally raised several questions – the obvious one being why she has been allowed to roam free.
There are some potential answers to this, but those will be elaborated on later, as it is highly important to set a picture of who Nyreen Kandros is. As rumors go, she is most commonly known as Aria's former lover, which has overshadowed literally everything else that is more relevant about her.
Turian biotics are a rare thing, and all of them end up in the Cabals. Nyreen was no exception to this, and as she was training, she was quickly recognized as one of the most powerful Cabal that had ever been produced by the program. For a brief time, she was also in the same unit as a certain Tetrimus, though was given her own unit prior to his unit being deployed in the First Contact War – sparing her from the extermination of that unit.
Supposedly, this abandonment of Tetrimus and the other soldiers of his unit drove Nyreen to abandon the Hierarchy entirely, and she was joined by nearly a dozen other Cabal – members of her unit, and they were…just allowed to leave, with their names and honor intact.
For those even passingly familiar with the Hierarchy, there are a number of significant holes in this story that should be apparent. The Hierarchy has, never once, allowed members of its most unorthodox and dangerous initiatives to just leave. I cannot stress enough that this does not happen. No one just walks away from the Hierarchy – let alone the Cabals.
There are rumors that Nyreen was dangerous to the point where the Hierarchy determined that it was safer to let her depart freely, than risk engagement. Whoever started this rumor has a child's understanding of the turians. Nyreen is certainly one of the most dangerous turians alive for certain. She is also not invincible, and in the worst case, they would have deployed a SPECTRE against her – presuming they didn't utilize a more plausible unit like the Deathwatch.
If the official story is not true – and no one believes it is, then what is the truth? Thankfully, we have some information shedding light on what actually happened.
Prior to her "departure," Nyreen was summoned before several of the Palavanus. What was discussed, we do not know, though can ascertain some accurate guesses from her following actions. Whatever the details, it was almost certainly the Palavanus who both permitted her and her people to leave, and likely gave her orders.
To be clear, we believe that Nyreen Kandros is acting as the direct agent of the Palavanus, though for what ends we remain uncertain. This has remained in effect.
There are some additional details to be aware of regarding Nyreen herself. For a turian, she is highly independent and is resistant to authority, compared to her contemporaries. She is possessed of a strong sense of morality and honor – the latter is typical, the former less so. She has certain lines she will protest crossing, and her morality is such that she extends the attitude of 'protect and sacrifice for the Hierarchy' to aliens, and other groups she has been a part of.
Or to put it more plainly – she cares about people beyond her own friends, comrades, and species. Her mindset is focused beyond just the Hierarchy, and she was almost certain to clash with superiors eventually.
Furthermore, she has a tendency to seek out, and believe in the best natures of people – by her own definition of course. Nonetheless, this has the effect of making her lack the inherent judgment many turians have to outcasts, dissidents, and criminals – which is going to be relevant shortly.
With this established, there may be a clearer picture of why the Palavanus were interested in removing her from an environment she would become stifled in – they wanted for her to retain some use to the Hierarchy, as the alternative was likely problematic. From what we understand of the arrangement, Nyreen was given blanket autonomy to act as she saw fit – with several expectations.
In particular, she was given targets.
Officially independent, Nyreen and her people formed a small mercenary company that began doing jobs – and in between such jobs, they conducted other low-profile jobs against Turian dissidents, Facinus terrorists, and other groups which were deemed subversive or undermined the Hierarchy. They were not the Deathwatch, but a new experiment the Palavanus appeared to be exploring, as a means of funneling their dissident or non-conforming soldiers into a role where they could be retained, at the cost of stringent hierarchy.
It is unknown how often specific targets were given, or if more generalized orders were distributed – but throughout it, Nyreen and her people operated on their own terms, taking various jobs, and embarking on initiatives of their own. It was inevitable that they would come into contact with Omega, and subsequently, Aria T'Loak.
Normally, Aria would not take an interest in a relatively new mercenary outfit, but the fact that they were all former Cabal, piqued her curiosity enough for her to meet Nyreen directly. That initial meeting lasted significantly longer than anyone anticipated, and while it isn't known what was discussed, Nyreen's outfit began working very closely with Aria on certain sensitive assignments shortly after.
This relationship – both business and personal – continued for the following months, and Nyreen slowly became more and more integrated in Aria's organization. It is not clear when the relationship evolved into something romantic, but both Aria and Nyreen had grown very close during this period.
There is certainly some speculation on why Aria found Nyreen interesting and attractive enough to pursue, but it is likely that Nyreen is one of the few individuals who will repeatedly and directly challenge Aria if there is a disagreement, with little diplomacy – and because Nyreen was someone who did not inherently judge her.
As this is a question that has come up during the compilation of this document – it should be stressed that it is highly unlikely that Nyreen's relationship with Aria was something ordered by the Palavanus, or should be viewed artificial or any way.
In fact it is very likely that Aria was aware that she was working with the blessing of the Palavanus, especially since they had linked – and it is subsequently likely that the Palavanus were not interested in her romantic escapades, else Aria would have likely broken it off.
Ultimately, it was this attitude and unwillingness to be subordinate to Aria that led to their eventual breakup and fallout. Nyreen is no longer part of the Hierarchy, but she could not and did not overlook that Aria manages the largest criminal enterprise in the galaxy, and clashed heavily on the direction Omega was to take.
It is our understanding that she was an advocate for effectively enacting the Nightfall Contingency, and attempting to reform the Terminus into something resembling Aria's original vision of an independent Omega. It would fit within her more idealistic mindset, and she subsequently believed Aria had the capability to execute it, or in fact, the willingness to execute it.
Aria, clearly, refused to do this, and that was the end. There are conflicting reports on if it was Nyreen or Aria who broke it off, but after one final conversation, Nyreen stormed out, gathered her people, and broke all ties with Omega. Aria has not made an attempt to restore them, even though Nyreen is technically operating outside her authorization.
Neither woman, it appears, wanted it to end this way, but the wounds from it are deep enough that no reconciliation has been made. Nyreen has returned to directly managing her outfit, and returning to the mixture of jobs and special assignments from the Palavanus. She has not stepped foot on Omega since that incident, and it is unlikely she will do so in the foreseeable future.
While we cannot firmly assess the impact the breakup had on Nyreen personally, it does appear to have had an impact on Aria, and almost certainly led Aria to codifying the Nightfall Contingency, and, if not taking the steps Nyreen wanted, engineering a situation where she could do so.
If she will, is another question. A final note is since this incident, Aria has not taken another lover, and there are no signs that this is likely to change in the near future.
MATRIARCH TRELLANI: In retrospect, this was not a name that we should have been surprised to come across. There are clear parallels to the stories of Aria and Trellani, though the latter was significantly more embedded in the Temple, and for a longer period of time. Another difference was that Trellani was a full Matriarch, while Aria was only a maiden.
So when the Stellar Priestess departs the Temple and begins spreading rumors about the true nature of the asari? Everyone took notice.
STG, AIS, and most intelligence agencies have puzzled over why the reaction the Thirty had to Trellani was seemingly so much harsher than it was towards Aria, considering that most who are informed believe that they were in possession of similar information. There are several reasons for this.
The first is that the knowledge Aria possessed – while devastating – was almost certainly nowhere near as detailed and complete as what Trellani had access to. Second is that Aria was, ultimately, the daughter of the most important and powerful Asari alive. One who did not want her daughter dead, or any other familial collateral.
Finally, Aria repeatedly made threats about releasing the information. Trellani actually shared hints and crumbs of what she knew. That moved Trellani from a potential threat to an active one, as well as put every single intelligence body on notice that Trellani had critical and actionable information.
The hunt for Trellani is worth a review in its entirety, suffice to say that the relevant part is that one of the first places she fled to was Omega – at the express request of Aria T'Loak. While Aria is not a name that comes up in this saga, she was absolutely aware of what was going on, and made it very clear that Omega could be a refuge for her.
This decision nearly caused a war on Omega. The Thirty wanted Trellani dead, and as soon as possible. The fact that she fled to Omega raised the possibility among the houses about taking out both Trellani and Aria at the same time. They knew it would be a ludicrous risk, and likely be something they'd do alone, but the asari were, to put it bluntly, not thinking clearly.
Reportedly, Aria was fully prepared to defend against an attack by the Thirty, and we know that the entirety of the Nightwind and multiple elite commando teams were put on full alert. We've been unable to confirm the exact times – but the asari were within hours of authorizing a decapitation strike on Omega that was called off for two reasons.
The first was that the Council held an emergency meeting, where they made it clear in no uncertain terms that the Thirty were on their own if they decided to go through with it, and that there would be unspecified consequences for the Republics even if they succeeded. The second was that Trellani departed Omega, fleeing elsewhere, and removing the incentive for the Thirty to strike.
This departure appears to have been something Trellani did on her own, and not something Aria forced. As mentioned earlier, Aria was fully prepared to have Omega serve as a refuge. Despite this departure, we know for certain that both women had extensive talks. We should assume that everything that Trellani knows, Aria also knows now.
Second is that Trellani has made occasional visits to the station, all of which have been on supposed "personal business." It is unknown what either of them talk about, and Trellani never stays for more than a few hours, and both meet at a secured, but isolated location deep within Omega Station.
Aria is almost certainly aware of Trellani's connection to Cerberus, but that seems to have little impact on their relationship, and we believe their discussions do not revolve around Cerberus at all. It is unknown if Jack Harper is aware of these meetings, and even the Thirty at most only believe that she has had one other meeting.
We do not know if Aria has shared certain information as to the nature of Omega Station, or Ulcisci. We believe this is unlikely, as Trellani would have likely shared such information with Harper, and Cerberus would have altered its operations as a result. Nor has Aria shown a tendency to share such information outside of her Inner Circle.
We do not know what Trellani is to her. It is not close enough to be a friend, but perhaps she views her as an ally – albeit a distant one.
YARULAN V'KHAR'DAKKA, EMBODIMENT OF MERCY, HE WHO WALKED THE LAUGHING WORLD, BEARER OF THE SPIRAL TORMENT, BLESSED OF THE RISEN LIGHT, AND SLAVE TO THE YELLOW KING: Batarian titles are a very special thing.
However only the ignorant look at their titles and are amused. Very often their myriad of titles is both indicative of what they do (in cryptic ways), and how important they are. The longer and more enigmatic their titles, the more important they are to the Emperor. I specify Emperor, because the Emperor is the only one who matters among the batarians.
Officially there is very little known about Yarulan V'khar'dakka. He is an Imperial-caste batarian, who resides on Omega in one of the "better" areas. He lives highly atypically to similar-caste Batarians, as his residence is fairly modest, and he rarely emerges from his home, only leaving to conduct rare meetings with Omegan representatives or sometimes freelance exploration crews.
He is unnerving, even by batarian standards. He is not bombastic or sneering like most are. He is composed. Never moves more than he needs to. Never raises his voice. His voice itself is raspy and weak, and sometimes reported as difficult to hear. He wears the robes of one of the Augur's followers, which are plain and unremarkable.
Were it not for his golden skin and white hair, no one would believe this man is of any importance.
There is a very important physical feature of Yarulan – he is blind. Every single eye has been removed. Indications are that all of them were removed ritually per batarian customs, and weren't lost in battle or accident. That is critical in understanding that this individual is very important to the Batarians, especially the Priesthood, which puts a great emphasis on removed eyes.
Specifically, the more eyes that are sacrificed to the Dark Gods, the closer you become to them.
Not even the Emperor or Augur have all of their eyes removed. So what does it say about this Batarian that goes out of his way to remain low-profile that he has all of his removed? Religion is not a specialty of mine - and my own beliefs notwithstanding, there are a myriad of experts and self-proclaimed atheists who will concede that everything relating to the Batarian Dark Gods is wrong. There is something there, and regardless of if it has a rational explanation or not, it cannot be dismissed as just superstition.
This begs the question of why this man is here of all places.
Officially, or rather unofficially, he is the backchannel between Omega and the Batarian Empire. However, previous unofficial representatives were more reflective of imperial batarians; usually lower-ranking followers of the Augur, or a high-caste Batarian military official. No one of this importance has been sent, and there is not a clear reason why this has changed.
It is possible that the Emperor has become interested in Omega Station itself, for reasons that will be elaborated on, but we do not have good insight into the Emperor's mind and goals. Yarulan is an individual to be aware of, and the implications are not to be understated. Batarians on the station have a primal fear of him, and always show deference if they come before him – which even includes the Bray batarians.
Sometimes he will summon specific batarians, either from various mercenary organizations, or sometimes even from random travelers. He notably has not called upon any batarians in Aria's employ to our knowledge – though I have no doubt that if he did, they would answer. Batarians seem incapable of refusing him.
One obvious question that might arise is, if Yarulan is blind, and has no cybernetics, how he is able to function. We don't know the answer. Not only is he easily capable of performing routine functions, individuals who have interacted with him report that he is unnaturally skilled at picking up misdirection, lies, and obfuscations. He has a talent for pulling out the truth from conversation that should not be possible for someone who is blind.
At the risk of expanding this section further, there needs to be a short analysis on the titles he possesses, because for anyone who knows anything about the Batarians, they are alarming.
The first is the "Embodiment of Mercy." It should be obvious what the issue is. Batarians infamously do not adhere to the concept of mercy. They deride and mock it through their internal philosophy and actions. Oftentimes, batarian "mercy" is often worse than death. This could have two meanings – one is that this is directed towards Aria herself from the Emperor, as implying that she lives because he allows it. Alternatively, it could refer to Yarulan himself receiving mercy. From the Emperor? From something else? That we can only speculate on.
"He Who Walked the Laughing World" and "Bearer of the Spiral Torment" are the most enigmatic of the titles, and unfortunately we cannot glean much from them. The Batarian religion has no references to spirals, nor do their stories and myths give any indication of what this could mean. It may be metaphorical, as he bears a specific burden that no one else can. What we can ascertain for certain is that these are not meaningless titles. They are important. We just do not know why.
"Blessed of the Risen Light" is a very strange one, as it immediately strikes as contradictory, almost heretical, to the religion of the Dark Gods. Clearly, this can't mean the obvious, and there is the potential for a mistranslation, even though our own batarian analysts agreed it should be accurate. However, there is a potential lead for this.
We expanded the search beyond Batarian religion, and we found a connection to a place called "Carcosa" which incidentally happens to be a world that the Batarians directly control. We have no insight into it, as they guard it as strongly as they do the Lake of Black, Black Palace, and other places of importance.
We cannot speak to if this connection is genuine, but there is clearly something more to Carcosa than we thought, and should consider operations to unravel this mystery – one which connects to the last title, and potentially the most revealing.
"Slave to the Yellow King" is worrying. No Batarian would ever willingly consider himself a slave. Submission is weakness and worthy of scorn and death. The fact that this man bears it as one of his titles? Both bizarre and concerning. Though its final meaning could depend on what this Yellow King is.
Unlike the previous titles, we did find something in batarian stories.
The Yellow King features in a single myth, which describes a creature that appears to a batarian, and tests them in various ways. It is made explicitly clear this thing is not batarian nor is it identified as one of the Dark Gods. A sickly aura follows it, one which is colored yellow. Eventually, when the batarian completes the test, he is taken away, and is referred to as the "Yellow King" once, and never again.
Easy to dismiss as a myth, were it not so distinctly different from all batarian mythology. It is perhaps the one myth that does not tie back to the Dark Gods in some way, and perhaps may not be such a myth after all. If the title is an indication – this Yellow King is real, and is important to the Emperor.
One could consider these titles intentional disinformation, but I do not believe so. Not with what we have learned. Yarulan is potentially a key to the hidden depths of the Batarian Empire, and we should treat him with extreme caution until we know why he is actually here - and who he truly represents.
THE INNER CIRCLE
OVERVIEW: One can learn much about a leader based on who they surround themselves with, and Aria is no exception. Aria's Inner Circle is composed of the people who she considers the most effective, reliable, and trustworthy – with emphasis on the latter. Many of this group are individuals who have worked with her for centuries, and the rest are reflections of the current state of Omegan operations.
Despite the tenuous developments concerning the future of the Omegan Empire, this is likely Aria's strongest Inner Circle since the Second Krogan Rebellions. No one reaches this level of Aria if they are not exceptional in some way, and the institutions Aria created are mature enough that such individuals can rise from perhaps unexpected places.
Each person in her Inner Circle is worth reviewing, for it will be them she listens to the most – and their consensus is rarely unanimous.
GRIZZ, CHIEF ASSESSMENT OFFICER: Before anyone can approach Aria, let alone work for her, they must undergo a battery of observations, assessments, and other invasive measures conducted by the Internal Assessment Service. Behind the illusion lies a complex machine that determines who is reliable, who is trustworthy, and who needs to be kept at arms-length. And any such machine requires a manager.
The man known as Grizz is that manager.
The turian's plates are a pale gray, almost appearing as white under bright lighting. His eyes are beady and black; impossible to read, and unsettling to look at. He rarely speaks, and is above-average height for a turian, standing nearly half a head taller than most turians. He rarely appears in public, and when he does, he is never armed.
There is a reason for this.
Grizz is not his real name. That is something everyone, including Aria knows, but we are confident that she does not know his real history – and truthfully, we do not either. We can, however, confirm that Grizz was formerly of the turian Cabal – and unlike Nyreen, is not operating under the de-facto sanction of the Palavanus.
We believe that the Hierarchy does not know that this particular Cabalist is alive. It is almost certain that Grizz was an operative, who is now presumed dead, and he has made no effort to challenge that assumption. We are uncertain as to the state of his biotics, but we are very confident that he still possesses the augments, due to his comfort with eschewing weapons in interpersonal interactions.
We do not have an exact date when he arrived on Omega and joined Aria, but we do know he first became noticed when he passed along a warning to Aria that a mercenary company was planning to skim products off several shipments. This was a fairly trusted company as well, and the subsequent investigation revealed that they'd been doing it for several years.
Grizz was soon moved to a position more suited to his talents of discernment and assessment as both a reward and promotion for his diligence. This is something that he is exceptional at, and Aria (or Luna in certain circumstances) will usually include him in high-profile meetings and negotiations to get his assessment. He is a man of very few words, but each of those words count.
Something that Aria asked once was for him to take several intelligence measuring tests, specifically turian, asari, and human. In each of them he scored within the 96th percentile. This almost certainly places Grizz as one of the smartest people in her inner circle, as well as the general population.
What is particularly notable is that Grizz does not appear to possess any additional ambitions beyond performing his duties. We do not fully know why he is so loyal to Aria, but we believe that it might be due to the fact that she trusts him, and does not ask probing questions about his past.
He very likely does not want the spotlight – and in his role, he has the ability to make sure that he can be far away from anyone who might know who he is. It is for this reason we suspect that he and Nyreen never met once – and Grizz did not advise Aria in their initial, and subsequent meetings – though Aria very likely sought his opinion at least several times.
We believe this aversion to Nyreen was because he likely knew some of the circumstances. If he was part of the Cabal, he would know that you cannot just leave, and if there were "rogue" Cabal? They were operating on the authority of someone else, and there is only one group who could have that authority. That is something Grizz appears not to want to tamper with.
Until something changes, he will remain as the filter between Aria and the galaxy – and almost certainly will be instrumental in deciding if she succeeds or fails, for he ultimately determines who she can trust – and who she cannot. There is significant power in such a role – and fortunately for Aria, he is someone she can trust.
PREITOR GAVORN, AFTERLIFE CONTROL COMMANDER: Afterlife is critical to Aria's operations, and anyone taking the role of being responsible for managing the security – and surveillance – of it must be someone who is both competent and trustworthy. Preitor Gavorn is, compared to some of the inner circle, almost plain in his resume and capabilities.
Unlike many of Aria's Inner Circle, he's an Omegan native – born and raised on the station. It was in abject poverty of course - but he is one of the very few on Omega who was raised by a complete family, who subsequently were not in the employ of Aria. In fact, his parents were both adamant that they would never work for crime lords of any kind – Aria most of all.
Both of them worked in electronics and maintenance, and performed services for many of the shops and systems on the station, though despite their personal pledges, were often in the employ of various power brokers on Omega, even if never permanently. Gavorn is often pegged as a natural security manager, but he is very skilled at electronics and engineering owing to his upbringing where even children have to pull their weight on any Omegan family.
Unlike his parents, however, Gavorn did not have the aversion to working for unsavory figures, crime lords or not, especially on Omega, where he did not see anyone as clean. His estimation placed people in terms of overall harm – and he did not view Aria as damaging as several other groups, and identified her as perhaps the only force on the station preventing anarchy.
As any good turian would, he gravitated to that which offered the most stability.
His first job was in the Omegan Legions, where he picked up his military skills, and he was very quickly identified as having talent with engineering. Soon he was working in, and soon leading several military engineering projects. Most of them were successful enough, but Gavorn was interested in a particular project; one which needed an engineering eye.
That being the Afterlife modernization.
Previously, Afterlife Control was little more than an extension of Omegan Intelligence, but with limited surveillance integration on the technical side. The modern Afterlife infrastructure is a relatively recent development, one spearheaded by Gavorn, who oversaw and contributed to the expansion and integration of technology into the Afterlife foundation.
It was also during this period where he worked closely with Aria herself, and she found him a personally interesting figure, as he is not exactly the most supportive of her subordinates. Despite this, she appreciated his rationale that he viewed her as critical to the stability of Omega, and subsequently, the Terminus.
Aria in particular views him as trustworthy, not because he necessarily likes her, but because he views her as superior to an alternative and is up front about that. Gavorn is incorruptible in the sense that he could be turned against Aria – he genuinely sees no one else who could replace her, and makes no secret of it.
As he has gained more of her confidence, his personal view on Aria herself has shifted to a more positive light, especially considering her origins. We do not know how much Aria has shared, but Gavorn has almost certainly learned much or more from others in her circle, particularly Patriarch, and at the time, Nyreen who he was good friends with.
He is fairly neutral in his views on Citadel powers – he ascribes to them a rationalist mindset, and is not concerned about them overmuch due to his belief that they have come to a similar conclusion he has - in that Aria is a stabilizing force that would backfire if she was removed. He is far more concerned about plotting by the Congress or other Terminus powers who would take advantage of a sudden power vacuum.
Gavorn is one of the more unflappable and reliable of Aria's Inner Circle – and he is someone Aria will go to when she needs as close to an unbiased perspective as possible. He possesses no inherent fear of her, and will give no more deference than is necessary - and sometimes, that is what Aria believes she needs.
LUNA EALA, HAND OF ARIA: Some titles, such as the one given to Luna Eala, are rather misleading. They present a role that is either insufficiently descriptive, or instead inaccurate to reality. While Luna bears her family name, it would be a mistake to call her one of the Thirty – primarily because she didn't grow up within House Eala - but instead among the clanless of Thessia.
We do not know the exact circumstances that led to one of the Thirty ending up in such a predicament, but based on circumstantial evidence and historical precedent, it is almost certain that she is the child of an affair between an Eala and a clanless, or the product of a scandal of a similar scale.
Now, while the Greater Houses and House of Storms would have no hesitation with ordering the abortion or termination of children of such a relationship (as Aria's story demonstrates), this is usually not as strict with the Guardian Houses. It is out of the question that known children of such relationships (and one can imagine there are a notable number who were never discovered) are allowed to remain in the Thirty – however that doesn't mean they are inherently sentenced to death.
Usually in such situations, the child is left with the clanless parent, and simply never acknowledged again. Sometimes the family will covertly check in, usually to ensure that said offspring remains ignorant of their heritage. The slight flaw in this approach is that in most cases, such children are very aware of their heritage.
Not the explicit families they are from, but that they are of the Thirty. At or after a certain age, it becomes impossible to ignore. Genetically, the Thirty are larger, stronger, and different than the clanless on a genetic level. They get sick more rarely, are more difficult to injure, are stronger biotics, and possess an inherent poise and presence that can't be replicated.
For such children, they grow up knowing they are different from their clanless peers, but usually do not make the connection until they reach a certain age. Sometimes on their own, sometimes the parent tells them. This secret can't be hidden forever, and it unsurprisingly leads to many children holding resentment for the Thirty for abandoning them.
Now, one might wonder if other Thirty also know this, and the answer is that they do - but so long as they can't tie one such asari to a scandal, they instead settle for treating them just as poorly as the clanless, if not worse because the products of such unions are culturally viewed as degenerative to the species. If clanless asari are on the lower scale of cultural acceptance, Thirty-born clanless are at the very bottom.
Such asari know better than to seek out their past, because once that is known, they become targets, and as a result rarely attempt to ever integrate into asari society which is dominated by the Thirty, for because even if they do so without intention of learning their identity, there is no shortage of clans who would for the purposes of political sabotage and blackmail.
Instead of pursuing careers in politics, academia, or the military where the Thirty dominate, most of them remain in their towns, villages, or leave the Republics for better fortunes elsewhere.
For Luna Eala, this was an unsatisfying arrangement. She grew up on Thessia, but was dissatisfied with her options, and the dominance of the Thirty. Wanting to make a greater impact, but realizing it couldn't happen on Thessia, she left for Ilium, where she figured she would be more accepted and happier there.
However, she quickly found that her options were ultimately just as limited, but instead of accepting her permanent status as someone lesser, she sought out, and became associated with several militant clanless cells – and it was here she gained her first martial skills. Naturally, this soon led to her meeting a fleeing Aria T'Loak.
Now, there is something important to note about Luna and Aria – both of them look strikingly similar to each other. It is a very interesting coincidence that both women noticed very quickly after meeting, especially since they were roughly the same age as well. It is likely that gave the other a better impression of each other, and it did not take long for her to agree to help Aria.
After this, as part of the arrangement to help, one of the things she did to throw off the pursuit was simply moving around Ilium.
She was stopped and detained several times on suspicion of being Aria, but each time was released since she obviously wasn't their target. These distractions helped Aria evade the Thirty, and buy the time needed for their eventual escape. When Aria finally escaped to Omega, Luna was alongside her.
While most of Aria's time was dedicated to working for the Gorgon, Luna spent this time training herself in more weapon handling and biotics – as she possessed a strong amount of biotic potential. As one of the only biotics with actual training, Aria acted as her instructor, and both women became closer during this, and Luna solidified herself as one of Aria's few confidants.
It was shortly after the Gorgon was defeated, Aria assumed control, and the Marches began where Luna began practicing what would become her primary role – being Aria T'Loak. It has been noted, sometimes jokingly, that Aria has the ability to be in more than one place at once. There is some truth to that, from a certain point of view.
Aria has a double, and that double is Luna Eala.
With the right makeup, clothing, and attitude, it is eerie how easily Luna can emulate Aria down to many of her mannerisms. Side-by-side visual comparisons are near-identical, and only someone who is very familiar with Aria would be able to tell the difference. For posterity, Aria is several centimeters taller than Luna, and audibly there are distinct tonal and pattern differences. Aria is also a far stronger biotic and warrior, but that difference is largely irrelevant in this instance.
Despite the existence of these differences, they are much more difficult to determine on the fly, especially with visual reinforcement. Even if 'Aria' sounds off to you, is your first thought going to be that she'd been replaced with a body double? Likely not, and Aria is very careful with how she utilizes Luna in Omega's management.
Generally, Luna is utilized for low-and-mid-level negotiations or resolving disputes of moderate severity. In some instances where there is a known danger, or to draw out potential assassins in counterintelligence operations, she will also be utilized.
As a result of this arrangement, Luna is perhaps one of the most knowledgeable of Aria's Inner Circle about the workings of her empire. By necessity, Luna requires to know almost as much as Aria does in terms of assessments, projects, and operations, and has proven adept in not only absorbing them, but employing the knowledge skillfully to assist Aria, while providing her own perspective if asked.
She is an exceptional actor, possesses an equally excellent memory, and has become a skilled biotic and warrior in her own right thanks to Aria's tutelage. She does not publicly accompany Aria due to the possibility of people catching onto their similarities - but she is one of Aria's closest advisors and friends, and is exceptionally loyal.
Concerning Luna's house name, Aria was responsible for helping Luna learn her true heritage through a few Omegan Intelligence operations. Luna adopted the Eala name as a result, not necessarily because she wanted to be associated with the house name – but because she knew it would cause problems for them. She holds nothing but disdain and scorn for all of the Thirty – especially her birth clan.
Aria once inquired if she ever intended to find her birth mother, and her response was effective 'I have no mother in Eala, only a coward.' Her view on the Thirty is one shared with many of the asari in the employ of Aria – That the Thirty are something that is best torn down, and its members punished.
Regardless of her parentage, she has and continues to identify with the clanless, and refuses to adorn herself with any clan markings outside when she needs to emulate Aria. She is not someone to ignore when considering Aria's next moves. It takes an actor to know other actors, and she has worked closely with Omegan Intelligence in counterintelligence and interrogation capacities.
She is much more than Aria's body double, or advisor. She is her voice in more ways than one – and Aria likely considers her a contingency should the worst happen - as there are few that know as much as she – or who are even capable of managing what has been built.
ENHERST DE YASOS, ADMIRAL OF THE BLACK FLEET: If anyone has followed events in the Terminus over the past couple decades, they will recognize the name of Enherst de Yasos, who made a name for himself as one of the first successful human pirates in the Terminus. This was primarily earned by striking against turian, salarian, krogan, and batarian fleets and forces, and acting as an unofficial protector to human colonists.
At the time, he styled himself as something of a Robin Hood-esque figure to the humans, referring to a story about a thief who steals from the rich to give to the poor. The slight problem with this analogy was that Enherst never gave his loot to anyone but his crew, and certainly didn't do it for any noble reasons.
He was in it for the fame and wealth – and was a strangely affable man who was rather reasonable - to a certain extent. He was perfectly willing to conduct ransoms, negotiate surrenders, and extort instead of kill. For a man with one of the most cutthroat bands of soldiers in the Terminus, he did not employ them as harshly as he could have – though that wouldn't last long.
See, while Enherst was not the most violent of men, his status as the only viable human pirate led to his crew being composed of some of the most brutal men in the Terminus. In particular, humans who were violently prejudiced against aliens. His band was almost certainly infiltrated by AIS, and later Cerberus, operatives to carry out a human supremacist agenda with Enherst as the vehicle.
Still, for a long period of time, Enherst was able to keep them in line through their pirating successes, significant compensation, and repelling raids against human colonies. His first encounter with Aria's forces was unique in that he – in a moment of lucidity – realized that actually fighting the navy of the most powerful faction in the Terminus would perhaps not work.
While he did not surrender to the Black Fleet – he did manage to escape them through a series of complex maneuvers that Aria's own forces were caught off-guard by, all without harming a single of Aria's ships. After this was reported back to Aria – who had heard of the human pirate previously – she sent an ambassador to form an arrangement with him.
To her surprise, he agreed to sit down if she negotiated in person. She agreed, and both of them had a long discussion about what he actually wanted. Aria has described him as disarmingly friendly, and while we ascertain that Enherst does possess this quality, there is certainly an element of acting at play. This matches what we know of the man, as he originally came from a wealthy family in the Systems Alliance; one who also went to the naval academy.
In the end, Enherst agreed to work as part of the Black Fleet as a mercenary, focused on keeping certain regions of the Terminus 'secure' – which happens to be mostly human-dominated colonies. He was very pleased with the arrangement, and expected a profitable and exciting future.
His crew was less enthusiastic.
While Enherst himself had no prejudice towards aliens, he was rather blind to the inclinations of his crew, and the news that they were going to be effectively a military arm of an alien power – and a criminal one at that - did not sit right. It was fortunate he had a few loyalists, as they informed him of an imminent plot to overthrow him.
He was displeased at the news.
One might have expected him to flee directly to Aria after this, or even backstab Aria to maintain his crew – however, the fact that his men had betrayed him like this was so offensive to him, that instead he quickly and quietly arranged for his loyalists to be moved to his personal flagship, before sending an ultimatum to the remaining parts of his fleet that the traitors vacate or he would destroy them.
Enherst had one advantage the others did not – he actually knew how to command a fleet, and the only other ones who also knew were loyal to him. The traitors refused, and Enherst near-singlehandedly managed to defeat a force five times his size with one frigate. Granted, it was his own fleet, one he knew intimately, yet the skill of the man is undeniable.
With his single ship, he departed for Omega, and upon arrival, regretfully informed Aria of the reduction in his forces that would make him unable to hold up his arrangement. Aria was reportedly surprised that he'd not betrayed her, and on top of that, returned to inform her of the changes. That impressed her enough that she offered him a place in the Black Fleet all the same, along with his men. He agreed to this.
In the years since, he has steadily moved further up the ranks of the Black Fleet. He's been responsible for greatly increasing the capabilities of the navy, sharing his own knowledge of what he learned from the Alliance, as well as his own experience. He's one of the most popular military leaders of Omega, and while he holds the rank of Admiral now, he continues his streak of informality, and can be regularly found drinking with soldiers and crew in Afterlife.
He's certainly not as young as he once was, and his once-brown hair has turned silver, though he remains in decent shape. He's also taken to smoking from a pipe, for reasons he has not explained to anyone, but he seems to take great amusement in it for some reason. I presume it is an inside Human joke, as research implies that that particular narcotic instrument is archaic.
Aria considers him extremely reliable, and while she is slightly irritated at times with his persona, he is smart enough to know when to be serious or laid-back, and what level of professionalism is expected. He was the first human that she's elevated to her inner circle, and we can take it as a sign that there will almost certainly be more in the future.
GROMYKO BRAY, MARSHAL OF THE LEGIONS: Batarians are a ubiquitous sight on Omega, and it strikes people as unsurprising that there would be many batarians in the employ of Aria. However, there is a conflation between batarians who are associated with Omega – typically through the Congress – and the batarians who are directly in the employ of Aria.
There is a gulf between these two groups that's large enough that even casual observers will notice if they pay attention.
During the March on the Batarians, Aria extracted a very, very heavy toll from the slavers and Imperial-backed forces in each engagement. Usually this involved the executions of any batarians encountered, as they almost never surrendered. Thus, every battle was one to the death. There was only one instance where this was not the case.
One group of batarians, upon witnessing the Omegan forces lay waste to their allies, and already having been aware of what was going on, pre-empted the inevitable by surrendering directly to Aria herself. It should once more be emphasized that this was one of the most humiliating things that a batarian could do, and surrendering to a woman no less, was enough for most batarians to see death as preferable.
At the same time, Akka Bray and his band weren't the most normal of batarians. They were still violent, crude, misogynistic, and prejudiced against aliens – however they were also pragmatic, and their loyalty to the Empire was not absolute. Be it out of pragmatism, fear, or something else, Akka Bray stood down – and had to put down almost a third of his men who revolted in protest.
That, more than anything, was what gave Aria reason to listen to him. It was one thing to surrender - and another to put down a revolt so you could surrender. Aria has recalled that while Akka did a poor job of hiding his revulsion in dealing with a female in such a humiliating position – that he made an attempt at all to do so was highly atypical.
She accepted the surrender – and demanded that he, and his men, be subordinated directly under her. They would be given some degree of autonomy, as well as their lives, in exchange for their complete and eternal loyalty. With very little choice, Akka agreed, and subordinated what would become the Bray Clan to Aria T'Loak, which to date has been the only batarian clan that has willingly done this.
It is impossible to speak about any of their descendants without documenting the effect the centuries have had on the Bray Clan. Initially, they were not significantly different in culture and attitude than most batarians – they just happened to be working for Aria, kept on a leash, and under close watch.
As time has passed, there have been slow, but very noticeable changes in the development of the Bray Clan. They have, as a people, become notably more tolerant, more refined, and less violent than any non-Omegan batarian. It is perhaps their close association with aliens and women that has played a role in this, but the modern Bray batarian is remarkably tolerant by batarian standards to the point where they should be classified as a distinct sub-culture among the species.
This is not to say they are without issues – they are still batarians, and there are some things which are inherent to them. They are still a rough species, and almost likely always will be – but Brays are more in control of themselves, are considerably less maliciously cruel, and possess genuine respect for aliens who meet their standards – and sometimes those who don't.
Remarkably, Bray females are in the upper percentile for batarian females across the board when it comes to intelligence, health, and mortality rates. In fact Bray males are almost fiercely protective of their females beyond seeing them as just sexual properly, and a bizarre honor culture of sorts has emerged where they are very violent against any who hurt or threaten their wives or daughters.
Several of our psychologists have a theory that this was something that they learned from krogan of all people, and the treatment of their women. This is not an authoritative assessment – but is somewhat plausible considering that Patriarch and many krogan in Aria's employ hold universal views that elevate krogan females as near-sacred. This attitude regarding women, notably does extend to the few, but very relevant, aliens they have sometimes taken as mates.
On that topic, it would be strange to define such relationships as normal, or healthy, but if we take an objective lens to this – a strong argument can be made for such relationships Bray batarians are in. This is an assessment that would be baffling for any historian, psychologist, or frankly anyone who has a basic understanding of the batarians to agree with – but evidence should nonetheless trump common assertions.
Concerning Bray females, the only comparable situations for batarian females are in highly controlled experiments with scientists raising female batarian orphans (in reality there is a high likelihood that many of them were bought in bulk from slavers), the results of which were heralded as a major scientific breakthrough – when there is clear evidence that the Bray clan was already achieving similar results at least a half-century before such "groundbreaking" experiments.
At the same time, it is not overly surprising that the galaxy is largely ignorant of this sub-culture. The Bray Clan keep to themselves, and their integration with Aria's structure is so complete that few see reason to look below the surface. Yet you can find Bray batarians at every level of Aria's organizations, all the way to her Inner Circle.
This is where we get to Gromyko Bray, although Aria refers to him as Bray, just as she has referred to every nominal head of the clan. Gromyko is a near-perfect encapsulation of the stark irregularity of the Bray clan. Even by non-batarian standards, he is remarkably restrained, does not waste unnecessary words, and is deferential to those outside his field of expertise.
And his expertise is war.
Gromyko is arguably one of the smartest batarians alive, and of those, likely the smartest working for Aria. He has single-handedly developed meticulous battle plans, contingencies, and scenarios for defending not just Omega Station, but critical points of interest throughout the Terminus. He's bloodied himself in numerous engagements, achieving victory after victory as he rose through the ranks.
He is intimately familiar with the exact capabilities of Aria's forces, and how best to use them. He is notably educated as well, and while he obviously cannot attend such engagements, he watches pirated and hacked classes and conferences run by the Hierarchy, STG, Systems Alliance, and numerous paramilitaries. His grasp of modern technologies, tactics, and leadership is shockingly comprehensive (he and Enherst are unsurprisingly good friends), and he keeps all of this in the back of his mind as he advises Aria.
His skills extend beyond the strategic. He is highly skilled with most firearms, and is particularly specialized in melee combat. He has led squads into battle personally, as well as suffered numerous injuries in the process. He demands respect from his subordinates, but gives it in return. He has been one of the harsher Marshals of the Omegan Legions, but that is because he has become more convinced that a conflict is inevitable – be it with the Citadel, or with the Terminus itself.
Gromyko earned his way into Aria's confidence, and possesses an unreserved respect for her. He is the first Batarian to be admitted into her Inner Circle, which is an honor he is personally proud to have achieved.
There are a few more things to note about him – the first is that he is mated with an asari, and thus is in one of the few genuine relationships between a batarian and an alien. Asari are admittedly the most common, but for them to be actual equal partners is extremely rare.
Never previously had the existence of 'batarian courtship' been a phrase to seriously consider – though we are now forced to admit that it does happen, and from what we can tell, Gromyko and his wife are quite happy together.
Second, is that he is highly uncomfortable around non-Bray batarians, to the point where he will avoid them. Within his clan he is fine – but any batarians outside them appear to almost unnerve him. Listening to both Gromyko interact with another non-Bray batarian is a fascinating experience, as they could not be more different in attitude, aggressiveness, and tone.
Gromyko, like most Bray batarians, seems to be more comfortable with aliens than with his own species. This ties into a larger question surrounding the Bray clan – namely how this could have happened at all. Our own analysts were split in their assessments – with one group arguing that this was the natural result of centuries of development in highly irregular circumstances.
The second group insists that the changes are too complete and comprehensive to be wholly normal. Millions of years of evolution being reversed in a few centuries? Demonstrating almost wholly new behaviors in such a violent environment as Omega, even with being surrounded by aliens? They have argued that time and environment alone isn't a sufficient answer.
At the same time, they haven't put forward a comprehensive alternative.
It is academically accepted that there is more to the batarians as a species than appears on the surface. There are elements and aspects to them which we are only now becoming appraised of, and there has been clear tampering with them for a long period of time.
Previously we believed that such meddlers were long dead, but between the Yarulan on Omega, the growing evidence for the Dark Gods, and everything surrounding the Emperor, there is reason to wonder if the reason the Bray clan has been able to develop in this way so rapidly is that they are no longer being influenced by whatever is affecting the batarians.
Which, if such a theory is accurate, implies that the modern batarians are not the result of evolution, but have and are being actively corrupted - and the Bray Clan represents what happens if this corruption is stopped. It would reveal that almost every batarian is an aberration from what they should be.
I do not need to elaborate on the implications and controversies that it invites. This is merely a theory, but one we should investigate one day. For now, the future evolution of not just Gromyko, but the Bray Clan itself should be carefully observed.
TRIALLA T'BISH, DIVISION BLUE CHIEF: Within asari society, the clanless are often represented and understood as a part of the background, rather than a group with its own agency, interests, and ambitions. There are times where this changes – and rarely is it good for the clanless in question.
This is where Trialla T'Bish's story begins - in the background. Clanless are able to be found in some of the upper echelons of the Thirty, but always as servants or in menial roles that the houses would not want to make their own clan participate in. This is something that the Thirty frame as a great honor, and indeed to serve the Thirty is perhaps one of the highest places a clanless can ever reach.
Many clanless do view it as such, for even if their interests are not represented anywhere else, their own position is secure – and their life is far less disposable than any other clanless. It is an intended corruption of the individual clanless, and a clever effort to destroy their solidarity with each other, and make the emulation of their betters the outcome.
Trialla was one clanless who did not forget her origins when she was plucked from her role as a mere clanless teacher in a relatively small Thessian city. She was exceptionally talented, and achieved results for her students that the T'Soni family wanted for their own daughters. Trialla had very little choice in the offer House T'Soni made to her – she was going to teach their daughters, and it would be an honor to do so.
So that is what she did.
Trialla was indeed one of the best teachers on Thessia, and while it is not certain how House T'Soni learned of her, there were reasons why they would pursue her. Plucking teachers to serve as private tutors was fairly common, and Trialla had an impressive educational background for a clanless, specializing in mathematics and psychology, which she took to early childhood schooling.
However, even as she performed her role – one where she was paid significantly less than such a position was worth – she resented the position. Many T'Soni children were educated by her, and quite well at that, and she was often brought along on excursions, trips, and galas the T'Soni's attended, giving her opportunities to mingle with the high society of the Thirty that few had access to.
It was a mistake on their part, as the longer she remained in their employ, the more she began to despise the Thirty, especially witnessing they viewed the lesser clans - let alone the clanless. But they did not pay attention to her, for she was simply part of the background. Invisible, and simply expected to obey.
But she listened, and she remembered.
It was, in fact, how she learned of the initial hunt for Aria, for the Houses talked, and gossip was always something she paid attention to. Upon hearing of the details of why she was being hunted, it solidified her hatred of the Thirty – but it was the following reprisals against the clanless which drove her to action.
In her position, she had the rare opportunity to forge connections and go places that most could not. Under the guise of field trips and "educational opportunities," she traveled across the Republics with the overt objective of educating T'Soni children – and the covert objective of finding and linking various clanless communities.
Given her position as one of the clanless in the Thirty, even one who was little more than decoration, she had to earn the trust of many of them – which she did through a combination of action, leaks, and confirmed links to many communities. She did not initially pursue clanless militancy – but whenever it was encountered, she did not oppose it, and ensured that they had certain connections to survive if something happened, or at least knew what to do or avoid to prevent raids by the Thirty.
Within the Houses, she began a much more difficult initiative of making contact with the clanless who had been similarly pressed into service, which was more perilous due to the clanless sometimes being less willing to act against their patrons, or even agree with her views of the Thirty at all.
Fortunately, she had grown very talented through her numerous social experiences at Thirty events in reading people – and the clanless had significantly less practice in hiding their emotions and feelings than the Thirty. She quickly determined who was reliable, and who was not.
It is important to note that this was a long process that was accomplished over centuries – meaning that Trialla had effectively created a massive network of clanless communities and those in the employ of every house, all of whom shared similar sympathies with her on the Thirty. At this stage, she was uncertain what she wanted to do with this – which was something soon resolved with the emergence of Aria.
All of them had heard of the infamous Pirate Queen of Omega at this point, though none of them had put together the identity of who Aria was – that was until Trialla was informed that Aria was beginning to make inroads with the clanless through Omegan Intelligence, and from there it didn't take long for both women to arrange a covert meeting.
She was initially suspicious of Aria, both as a criminal, and someone who was clearly of the Thirty. The fact that Aria agreed to meet on her terms, and that her support to the clanless appeared to be genuine, were all points in her favor. However, when she realized that Aria and Aleena were the same person, it was a revelation that solidified her support.
Aria had not anticipated this turn of events, and upon realizing the vast network that Trialla had built would enable major things, wasted little time in convincing her to join, and integrating her network with Omega. With Omega now backing her network, things previously unheard of could happen.
Underground militias could be trained and armed. Omegan agents had means to infiltrate the Houses. Insight and gossip directly from the Thirty could now be acquired. Equipment and intelligence could be spread throughout the clanless, giving them advantages and opportunities that had been denied.
Working together with Kit L'Manda, the birth of Division Blue took place, with Trialla at its head. As far as House T'Soni knows, she remains a useful teacher for their children – all the while she secretly manages a subversive network of dissident clanless whose various hesitations, factions, and militarism must be administered and managed carefully.
She is rarely able to visit Omega, but keeps in close contact with Omegan Intelligence through agents and operatives, as she coordinates operations across the Republic, ensures that shipments and intelligence is being passed along to clanless communities, and continues to expand her networks.
Across the clanless communities, the whispers of insurgency spread, and militant sentiments are growing, even as the Thirty become more distant and aloof; their eyes fixated on the realm of galactic politics and internal House squabbling. Under their noses, the clanless are beginning to mobilize and assert themselves.
There is no colony or city with clanless that does not have a direct line to Division Blue, and there is no House that does not have at least several sympathizers and Omegan agents inside it. The work that both Trialla and Kit have accomplished is exceptional, for the two women – and Trialla especially – hold a dagger near the heart of the Thirty.
They are merely waiting for the day for the order to strike – and it is unlikely that the Thirty are positioned to adequately respond – not without significant bloodshed.
KIT L'MANDA, OMEGAN INTELLIGENCE CHIEF: There are those who could be called extreme within Aria's organization and Inner Circle - but few, if any of them, come near to the degree of radicalism that Kit L'Manda approaches. The shadowy Chief of the Omegan Intelligence Service is an enigmatic and terrifying figure for very good reason.
Those who have had the dubious pleasure of meeting her have described her as an intense and intimidating woman; exuded primarily through her utterly cold and ruthless demeanor. This is a woman who regularly employs the usage of torture against enemies of Omega, conducts "dry run" operations of the OIS on Terminus dissidents, has authorized multiple terror attacks against the Thirty, and has been known to send the corpses of captured foreign operatives to their families, usually flayed or in certain decorative arrangements.
No one, absolutely no one, wants to make her an enemy. She is possessed of a consuming, unshakable, hatred, one which she has employed to rationalize every action she takes, in service of her ultimate ambition – which is the destruction, and subsequent execution of the Thirty.
This was not a unique desire, but the degree of hatred Kit possesses did not emerge from nowhere. Kit did not have anything resembling a normal childhood, and even the dismissive and discriminatory treatment the clanless normally experience throughout their lives would have been better than what she went through.
She is and has always been a small woman, even among the clanless. She is frail, weak, and often described as petite; physical factors which opened her up to abuse and bullying during her childhood, where she faced this routinely. As unfortunately expected in asari society, such bullies almost always came from the Thirty.
The verbal and physical abuse ultimately escalated as one of said abusers raped her. When she tried to fight back, she was held down by several of the rapist's accomplices, who cut off one of her scalp-crests completely. The attack nearly killed her, and while she gave testimony in the hospital, there were enough strings pulled due to the connections possessed that ensured that those responsible escaped prosecution.
The best that she was able to do was move, and she left Thessia to Ilium, in an attempt to move past what happened. She was never able to do this, and soon found herself seeking out one of the few underground clanless cells, and she found she had a talent for managing. It was when a certain Aleena, fleeing the pursuit of the Thirty, arrived, where Kit first got her real opportunity to enact change.
While she was initially suspicious of Aleena, due to her being one of the Thirty, she found her situation sympathetic, her story plausible, and did not waste time in joining her. As far as she saw it – Aleena was perhaps one of the only ones who could cause a material strike against the Thirty. She was one of Aria's group who trained, learned, and ultimately assisted Aria as she fled Ilium to Omega Station.
Once on Omega Station, Kit took an interest in the very small and poorly developed intelligence network the Gorgon possessed. As Aria built up her own reputation with the Protectorate, Kit began refining her own intelligence management skills. She had a stomach of steel, an iron will, and she quickly gained a reputation among the Gorgon's men for being particularly ruthless and efficient against the perceived enemies of the Protectorate.
She singlehandedly turned the Protectorate's military intelligence unit, which was little more than a few people who managed the various connections the Gorgon had built up, into a foundation that would be utilized for the Omegan Intelligence Service.
It was not a simple or flawless process, and Kit made mistakes during this period – but these were learning experiences that she took to heart, and the lessons later applied to the Intelligence Service.
Both the AIS and STG have attempted to measure her actual intelligence, which has proven to be a difficult endeavor, given her secrecy, but the fact that she was in the top percentage of students during her classes based on what records that could be acquired, and her quickness in picking up intelligence – with almost no real training – implies that she is a natural savant that Aria likely realized early on.
She and Aria were, and continue to be, close friends, much of which was forged during the Marches. Kit was continually advising her on courses of action from tactical and psychological perspectives during this period, to some notable successes. She was intensely focused on ensuring that Aria was an unassailable figure in the Terminus, and that would only come about through the careful management and application of power.
Kit considers herself a student of certain power theories, particular ones which state that it is not competence, talent, or wealth that inherently determines the success or failure of individuals, states, or ideologies - but the application of power, be greater or lesser. A state with significant power, yet fails to use it, is inferior to a lesser entity that wields whatever power is at their disposal.
Aria is a follower of this particular theory as well, and is one of the few who can appropriately manage such a web of dynamics – but it was Kit who effectively created the Omegan Illusion, and set the current power dynamics in motion. When it comes to the Congress, and the relationships within, Aria will regularly consult with Kit on the appropriate steps to take from this perspective.
Yet it must also be stressed that while Kit can be classified as stable, she is absolutely damaged by what occurred in her childhood. As Omegan Intelligence has grown, Kit has not been idle in using this power to exact personal vengeance, and spread terror against her true enemy – the Thirty. The most striking example of this, of course, is when she, several centuries later, hunted down her rapist and accomplices.
The accomplices who held her down as she was mutilated received gruesome fates of their own, the kindest of which were clandestine attacks that resulted in lethal poisonings, while one was abducted, dissected, and turned into an edible arrangement which she sent to the House they were from, complete with an apple in the mouth.
Her actual rapist was subjected to nearly three months of torture, through a variety of methods that I won't care to describe here, suffice to say that they were many, very painful, and Kit took one of her crest tentacles – the same one that was taken from her – had it preserved, and it now hangs from her waist as the singular trophy she has kept of that event.
She is not especially merciful to other asari who wind up in her custody. Asari captives of the Thirty are treated the worst, and almost always end up dead. She trains Omegan intelligence operatives in the art of interrogation, combat, and assassination methods, on captured non-clanless asari, as well as Terminus dissidents under the terminology of "unaffiliated actors."
She is a strong adherent of the philosophy of terror, and has stood up departments dedicated to chemical weapons development, nanowarfare, and has pioneered projects refining suicide attacks, controlled crop failures, and targeted biological contamination. She has made no secret that she plans to turn Thessia into a poisoned world, or one uninhabitable for the Thirty.
It needs to be repeated that this is all for the Thirty. She does not exactly view other aliens in a positive light – especially the leadership which she views as enabling and collaborating with the Thirty – but she does not hold the same intrinsic hatred for them that she does with the Thirty.
As mentioned earlier, she is among the most extreme in Aria's employ, which Aria appears willing to overlook due to her exceptional competence as Omegan Intelligence Chief. To her credit, Aria is not in favor of Kit's more extreme positions, but the fact that she remains one of Aria's closest advisors is a point of notable concern.
As far as we are aware, Aria is the only asari originally of the Thirty that Kit holds any sort of respect for. Even Thirty-descendent asari who are under Aria she regards with at best coldness, and at worst, suspicion. This includes to some degree Luna, though she mitigates this by only interacting with her when necessary.
She knows such personal assessments are inaccurate, and unfair, but she cannot forget, and she cannot let her guard down. She only shows any sort of friendliness and deference to other clanless asari, and aliens to a lesser extent.
She is also actively hostile to ever having an asari bondmate, and has not linked with any lovers she's had while working for Aria. Right now her partner is a human male, though in the past she has taken turians, salarians, and even krogan. Her previous experience has destroyed any possibility that she could become intimate with another asari, a decision that is admittedly understandable.
While there is sometimes a belief that people become less extreme as time goes on, time has only seemed to reinforce Kit's views, beliefs, and goals. As the Omegan Empire becomes more unstable, and the web of alliances begins to buckle under its own weight, it is very unlikely that Kit will just allow it all to fade away.
Her mission is not complete, and so long as she has Aria's ear, she has a good chance of at least seeing an attempt made against her ultimate enemy.
PATRIARCH: For anyone who enters Afterlife at certain hours, and spends a short amount of time inside, they are likely to run across a particularly boisterous and friendly krogan. One who is usually regaling a small crowd with stories of his war exploits, and time as the leader of Omega Station. Those unfamiliar will view him as a krogan with a strange imagination, but tells good stories - and those who know realize he is the Gorgon himself.
Or he once was. Now he is the Patriarch.
His history as the Gorgon has already been covered in previous sections, so it will not be repeated here - but his role as the Patriarch will be elaborated on in significantly more detail, because it is a curious situation that surprisingly few seem to have caught onto. Patriarch is viewed, almost universally, through one of two lenses.
The first is that he is little more than a defeated individual, living out the rest of his days in a bar as a living trophy of Aria's exploits, authority, and conquest. The second is that he is still a defeated man – but one who retains his own ambitions, and may seek to restore his position on Omega one day.
Both of these are wrong.
To address the first view - the idea that Patriarch is some kind of living trophy for Aria is amusing. She does not keep figures as powerful as Patriarch alive - she kills them. She also tends to take the view of 'trophy' literally. If she wanted a trophy, we'd see Patriarch's crest hung above a bar somewhere in Afterlife.
Such a view requires a misunderstanding of Aria, and the approaches she favors when it comes to defeated opponents. Note that she gave him the title of Patriarch – the mirror of matriarch, the latter of which is a highly prestigious title – and role - among asari. The mainstream – and incorrect – reasoning behind this decision is that Aria gave him the title as a mockery of sorts, and reinforces the perception that he's a living trophy.
That is not the case.
It is far more likely that Aria called him that as a sign of respect, and recognition of his assistance than anything more malicious or humiliating. 'Patriarch' as a word did not appear in Asaric outside of linguist theories at the time. It's almost entirely thanks to Aria that it became part of the language, and I cannot imagine that she would go to the trouble of effectively creating a word for some elaborate punishment.
With the more egregious illusions dispelled, I will focus on what his actual role is.
As might have been surmised – Patriarch is not just an old krogan that spends his time in Afterlife. He appears at the club at various times in the day (or night), but the rest of the time he serves as one of Aria's oldest and most trusted advisors. A surprisingly large number of people seem to ignore – or forget - that Patriarch has been on the front lines of almost every major conflict in the Terminus, from the Marches, to the Second Krogan Rebellions.
He is not an idle actor, or retired in any way that matters, and any time he is in Afterlife, he is almost always putting on a performance. He is doing his part to support the Omegan Illusion, and if people think he's a living trophy – a rumor I'm certain was started by Omegan Intelligence - then he's fine with it, and shares a good laugh with Aria afterwards.
His secondary role in Afterlife is to be listening for rumors, and identifying the threat of those who want to depose Aria – which ties into the second view of him, as someone wanting to reclaim his station (in a literal sense). This sometimes results in him being approached by conspirators who want to 'help' him overthrow Aria.
Anyone foolish enough to do this usually is rounded up, interrogated, and executed.
To be fair, anyone who seriously has ambitions for Omega knows not to go talk to Patriarch about it – most either believe he is thoroughly compromised, or that he is genuinely loyal, neither of which are particularly useful for any with such ambitions. Only the young, stupid, or particularly daring imagine a scenario where Patriarch is part of their conspiracy.
Beyond playing his role (which he does in conjunction with Omegan Intelligence), Patriarch also operates as a primary point of contact between Omega, and the krogan as a people. Patriarch's networks of krogan contacts are extensive, and despite some mild protestations, he is very invested in the future of the krogan, and regularly visits or sends shipments of supplies to Tuchanka.
This is an evolution from his time as the Gorgon, where he was far more apathetic about the future of the krogan as a people. Today he is a known figure in major krogan circles, and is one of the more respected figures on Tuchanka when he arrives – though almost always discreetly.
He, more than most of her advisors, takes a very long view of the future, of not just Omega, but the Terminus as a whole. Like Aria, he sees a critical point approaching the Omegan Empire, and believes that the current situation is not sustainable. He and Aria have had numerous discussions about the future, especially considering topics such as the future of the Congress and Ulcisci.
The revelation of the Reapers has almost certainly altered his views, and Patriarch is likely to begin advising Aria of taking more and more aggressive, or drastic measures. He will almost certainly see the existing order in danger of collapse, and seek to mitigate the fallout.
Aria appears primed to give his words more attention the more time passes, and given how long Patriarch has been a close advisor – as part of her Inner Circle from almost the beginning – she will take his advice seriously.
There is a question as to who in Aria's inner circle she considers the most valuable, or who she trusts the most, and while we do not think that Patriarch maintains the level of trust she holds with some asari in her inner circle – she almost certainly considers him one of her most important assets – and a rare, genuine friend.
The story of Patriarch is far from done, and no matter what the future holds, we should expect to see the one who was once the Gorgon by Aria's side, as she faces down her next enemy – no matter who it ultimately is.
ULCISCI
At this point in the report, I would expect most readers to have discerned some details about what Ulcisci is, or rather - could be. It has been only relatively recently that even Aria has begun to understand what Ulcisci is, and now that she has, she has taken significant steps to make sure that no one else does.
To summarize plainly – Ulcisci is an artificial intelligence embedded in Omega Station. Its purpose is believed to be the management of Omega Station, however it has been only recently that it has been believed to have come fully online - and there is still uncertainty if this is the case at all.
Aria has appeared to know about Ulcisci for a long time – at least since the March on the Twin Rings, where Omega Station demonstrated markedly different capabilities for a short time – however this was not done again. The working theory surrounding the testimonies of this battle is that Aria only partially repaired the intelligence, the AI helped defend the station, and afterwards returned to an offline state until it could be repaired again.
That she did not immediately work to repair this capability heavily implies that Aria does not consider Ulcisci an ally in the strictest sense of the word – something instead more akin to a tool, approached with an "enemy of my enemy" mindset. Given she likely knows what the AI is capable of, and what it has access to in Omega Station, she is understandably wary of anything with that much influence and power, especially that which she does not control.
And it should be made clear – Aria does not control Ulcisci.
Ulcisci itself is an entity that we similarly know only some details. It clearly is content with working with, or at least tolerating Aria and her forces, but for now it does not appear inherently hostile to her – though there is little indicating that it is helpful either. It would not be unreasonable to assume that Ulcisci has its own agenda, be it one it developed on its own, or directives from its programmers.
The next obvious question is what kind of AI Ulcisci is, or who its creators were.
Those who are familiar with even the passing existence of Ulcisci have identified it as a prothean artificial intelligence. Multiple experts Aria has brought in to review sanitized data, as well as those on her staff, have asserted that Ulcisci is prothean in origin, which strongly supports the idea that Omega Station is a prothean installation, or was at minimum appropriated by them.
We were able to acquire data to review ourselves, and found something that was significantly more noteworthy.
Ulcisci is not prothean.
It is a zha'til artificial intelligence.
I would first like to stress that the assertion made by Aria's experts is not a mistake made by amateurs or people who have access to bad data – were it not for the Broker Network's very extensive understanding of zha'til systems, programming, and architecture, we would almost certainly have come to the same conclusions.
Everything about Ulcisci presents as prothean. In how it is designed, in how it speaks, in how it interacts. It intentionally is masquerading as a prothean entity, and either it made the choice deliberately, or was programmed specifically to appear as such. To do so demands an intimate level of understanding of prothean systems down to the programming level, which indicates the zha'til in question possessed a wealth of knowledge on the protheans. Were it not for a few programming indicators, as well as how it appears to be integrated into Omega Station (as something done in totality – prothean systems were more compartmentalized) reveals what it truly is.
It begs a multitude of questions. First, we do not believe that Aria, or any of her Inner Circle, know this. As far as they are concerned, Ulcisci is a prothean entity, and have treated it as such. None of the experts or specialists she possesses have the capability or experience to distinguish between individual prothean systems, let alone zha'til who are posing as protheans.
The most baffling question is why Ulcisci is bothering with the subterfuge at all – even if it revealed itself as a zha'til, it is unlikely that Aria would know or care as her knowledge on them is minimal.
It is also unclear why it is working with Aria at all – zha'til usually do not work with, or interact with aliens like this; not unless they are cultivated at a young age, and Aria almost certainly found it in a mature state. Furthermore, if it was cultivated, it would almost certainly be working with her without reservation, whereas it likely has its own agenda.
We are confident that Ulcisci is a zha'til entity, but its behavior is significantly out of line with expectations, which could be the result of sustained damage, or uneven development. We do not know the goals, endgame, or current capabilities of Ulcisci – but as time has progressed, Aria has made a choice to rely more on it.
This choice will have consequences. If a zha'til assumes full control of Omega Station – generously assuming it has not already done so – then the threat it could pose to the galaxy, especially given the discoveries surrounding Omega Station, cannot be understated.
OMEGA STATION
USAGE AND PURPOSE: Of all of the questions and mysteries surrounding Omega Station – one that has surprisingly never gathered much controversy or attention is what its actual purpose was. There is an uncritical acceptance that it is an element zero mining station - though many since Aria's takeover would classify it as a major port, or a base of operations.
Most contemporary assessments classify Omega Station as all three of these things, with its original purpose being mining, with the other elements having naturally developed as Aria's operations matured. This is a simple, convenient explanation that has never been challenged – not the least of which was because of the fact that no one outside of Aria's people has any true idea of the interior.
For the benefit of the mainstream – Aria has effectively used Omega Station exactly as how one would expect given such assumptions. Her ability to domestically mine and refine element zero is a critical source of her power, she has used Omega as her base of operations, and turned the station into the largest port in the Terminus.
However, the fact is that the likelihood that Omega is, or has ever been, solely a mining station is called into question through several pieces of information, all of which were difficult to acquire, or heavily suppressed.
The first is the schematics the Council acquired showcased extremely strange similarities to Citadel Station in certain architectural elements and systems. Reviews of the schematics compared to what we know about Omega Station from Aria's own research leave no doubt this factoid – the creators of Citadel Station were almost certainly also responsible for Omega Station.
The second is that Aria, contrary to initial assessments, has been conducting her own research and investigation exactly into what Omega Station is. The reason this was initially dismissed was because she'd shown no indication of any success, internally or externally, nor displayed any additional or augmented capabilities throughout Omega Station.
The truth is that Aria has managed to uncover technology embedded in the core of Omega Station that is significantly more advanced than anything currently in operation, with the exception of the Citadel. Or more simply put, she isn't utilizing much of what she's found because she does not know how.
There have been multiple documents and assessments conducted by Aria's officials which outright admit that they do not understand how much of the working equipment they have functions, and document continued frustrations with trying to repair advanced xenotechnology deep within Omega Station.
This is one reason Aria is invested in the market of precursor technology – but she is hamstrung by her unwillingness to bring in actual experts who could potentially conduct repairs or assessments on this technology. This is for good reason, because such individuals are almost always attached to government or trans-species academic organs, and thus compromised.
Nonetheless, this has significantly hampered the research and repairs she has pursued, though slow progress has continued to be made, primarily when it comes to element zero mining and refinement. What Aris uses Omega Station for is only a fraction of the potential we believe the station possesses – which leads to the critical question: What is the purpose of Omega Station?
To answer that, we have to address a larger question.
ARCHITECTURE AND CREATORS: There are two prevailing theories on the creation of Omega Station. The first, and previously the most accepted, is that Omega Station was a prothean facility they used to mine element zero. The common pieces of evidence are what is known or speculated, particularly the similarities between the Citadel and Omega, the fact that it is known that no one else built it, and that it relies on advanced technology to function.
The second theory was that the protheans did not build it, and was only pushed by a few experts who claimed that there were certain critical differences between working prothean technology and how Omega Station functioned. However, no one knew who would have built it, if not the protheans.
Since the Battle of the Citadel, and knowledge of the Reapers, more academic support is coalescing around the theory that the Reapers created Citadel Station – which subsequently implies that Omega Station was also their creation.
The most common argument for its purpose then, is as a glorified fuel depot, which could manufacture a significant amount of element zero in a short amount of time (there is significant consensus that Omega Station is operating at minimal efficiency), which would be utilized in a period of war.
This leads into the theory that Omega was not built out of an asteroid or moon - but that those elements were placed around the actual depot to hide or obscure its capabilities. Adherents to this theory believe that there are likely other 'Omegas' elsewhere, deployed at critical points in the galaxy. To date, nothing even resembling Omega Station has been discovered.
With the knowledge we have gained on Citadel Station, it is the assessment of the Broker Network that this second theory is the most accurate – with a caveat that we remain unconvinced that the Reapers created Citadel Station, and subsequently Omega Station. This may ultimately be the case, but we do not consider that as confirmed.
Aria has conducted a harsh battery of tests throughout Omega Station to test its durability, which further supports this determination. Her people assessed that the core structure of Omega Station was indestructible. None of them provided an explanation for this, but every single one affirmed that the basic station, stripped of all superfluous exteriors, could not be damaged.
We acquired and compared her data with that acquired from the Citadel operation – and can validate the fact that the same process that was used to create the Citadel was utilized to create Omega Station. That is the least-important part of what we've learned, however, because far more relevant is the fact that the station is almost certainly not designed for mining.
It took physical verification through clandestine operations, a significant number of sources, costs, and no shortage of manhours pouring over the schematics to make this determination - but we've learned that Omega Station is incredibly modular. If someone wanted to design a station which could be taken apart, and put together in a different way, they could not come up with something better.
There is a core to Omega Station, but everything around it, particularly the vertical nature of the station, is an arbitrary architectural design choice. This implies that there are multiple stations like this, and they can be configured for different needs. This one has the ability to add or expand to include a significant number of 'anchors' along its frame, upon which can be attached anything from weapons to engines, to storage containers – and the circular nature of it gives it almost complete protection from any approaching fleet.
A final important note about the station itself is the core – which is understood to be the mining operations. Our analysts ran the numbers, about how much element zero is contained within Omega Station based on other mining operations. There is no other way to say this, except that Omega Station should have run out of element zero nearly three centuries ago.
There is no such thing as an infinite source of resources, and yet Omega appears to be an infinite source of element zero. While we were unfortunately not able to acquire Aria's own documentation concerning this phenomenon, we are not the first to come to this conclusion.
The Council has debated classifying Omega Station as an anomalous object for this reason alone, and the STG – and we believe the Celestial Council - have already done so. The AIS and Hierarchies instead believe that Aria is falsifying Omega's numbers, and running some kind of convoluted fraud scheme throughout the Terminus. The Thirty are the least-informed on this subject, and they do not appear to care overmuch.
From what we have learned, we also believe it would be accurate to classify Omega Station – or at least the core – as an anomalous object. As for the question of what this configuration of the station is supposed to be? We believe we have an answer.
It is a battle station.
MALLEABILITY, EXPANSION, AND DEFENSES: First there should be a review on what Aria has discovered recently, and began to implement: Omega Station is unnaturally malleable from an architectural standpoint. Omega Station has been easier to develop on than anyone expects – it is very simple to connect things such as water, electricity, and other utilities to buildings or establishments.
Infrastructure is subsequently to develop or expand on Omega, and also possesses the inherent capability to change large parts of its schematics should the owner understand how to utilize the station. Until very recently, Aria did not possess this capability. Omega Station was, and always would remain static.
This has changed since the recent awakening of Ulcisci, who we've assessed is working at least to some degree with Aria on this matter. Due to Ulcisci's extensive knowledge, and presumed control over the station, it is very likely they were able to share details with Aria about how to operate it, or otherwise convey its true capabilities.
In short, Aria very likely now has the ability to modify the architecture of Omega at a base level. This is unlikely to result in visible changes to the exterior – but she is almost certainly using it to enhance the interconnectedness of the station, improve logistics lines, and covering all of these changes under the guise of "construction" or "development." Nevermind the station is supposed to be indestructible – such operations are still happening.
The limitless pool of element zero that the station somehow generates is also able to power the station indefinitely. No matter how much Aria exports, it seems there will always be more, and it begs the question of how the station is producing this, or where it is coming from. No matter the explanation, we can assume Omega will remain online indefinitely.
It is also likely that with Ulcisci's support, Aria will be able to repair some of the technology in the station that previously had remained out of reach. We do not know what these capabilities could entail, but they would almost certainly increase the offensive threat of the station dramatically.
The current configuration of the station is arranged in such a way that it is very simple for weapons systems to be installed in very limited time. The station is remarkably compatible with most modern systems, likely assisted by Ulcisci. The inherent advanced defenses to the station are well-hidden, but devastating, as exemplified during Aria's brief usage of them during the Marche on the Twin Rings, where Ulcisci was almost certainly awakened for the first time.
It is unknown, with Ulcisci likely active, if these capabilities will be utilized more openly, or if Aria will refrain from accessing this capability due to concerns of triggering a Council response. Aria is now aware of this capability - though has resisted connecting most of her installed defenses directly to the station network.
We did not understand the justification for this previously – though now we believe it is almost certainly an attempt to limit the influence Ulcisci has over the defenses. Due to the presumed capabilities of Ulcisci, it is unlikely that these measures would be enough to prevent a takeover, should one be pursued by the AI.
It is difficult to assess the capabilities of a fully armed, and operational Omega Station, and fortunately, it is unlikely to be one we have to be concerned about. Aria has not shown an interest in pursuing full militarization, nor does she have the resources, technology, or expertise available to reach that level.
However, the fact that Aria is likely in possession of one of the most powerful weapons in the galaxy is not something that should be ignored. Her activities must be watched closely, and if certain thresholds are met, then it will not just be the Broker Network who has an interest in preventing it from being employed by her.
It is very unlikely that we are the only ones who have come to this conclusion. Aria is in possession of something extremely dangerous – and extremely valuable. She knows this, and for now, she appears to have determined that it is best she pretends that she isn't.
CONCLUSION
All empires eventually come to an end. There are no exceptions to this rule. The end can be delayed or accelerated based on the choices made, but it cannot be prevented forever. If there is a conclusion to take away from this report, it is this.
The end of the Omegan Empire is approaching.
We know it. The Citadel knows it. Aria knows it. Her enemies also know it. Whatever illusions she might have had have long-since faded – yet right now she appears in a kind of paralysis, and undecided or uncertain what she must do. She cannot bring herself to let go yet, and it remains to be seen if this will change; if she will be the driver of events as she has done before – or if this time her fate will be decided by others who take the initiative.
What Aria has managed to build is an extraordinary feat; one which any successor will be certain to emulate. It is unlikely that they will be successful, but Aria has, for better or worse, created a blueprint that everyone will try and follow.
Few can say they have had an impact on the galaxy as much as Aria T'Loak, and while she will doubtless be a polarizing figure in history, few will say that she failed – or was irrelevant. This report should provide the necessary insight to the Network so when the final fracturing of the Omegan Empire arrives, we are prepared to respond and exploit as appropriate.
It is worthless to make predictions at this stage as to how this will take place. Perhaps Aria will be deposed, perhaps she will be outmaneuvered, or perhaps she will adapt, as she has before. Nevertheless, the status quo is coming to an end, and with the awakening of Ulcisci, the creation of Aria's contingencies, and the revelation of the Reapers, this period will almost certainly come sooner than later.
We must be prepared, no matter the outcome – and be certain to not count Aria out, no matter the odds stacked against her. As should hopefully be clear, if we approach her with such a mindset, it is likely we will join the defeated ranks of those who have made such unfortunate mistakes before.
Let us not be among that number.
