"The claims that I am the last of my line, I view them as false! For my people will live on! We will not walk on the planets or sail the stars, but we shall be present in anything you do. You children whom we have taught, you are our legacy. When I am gone, I shall forever be present as long as you sail the stars, and you walk the planets. Do not fret, for Elysium waits for me, and indeed when your time comes I will greet you with open arms, and we shall live forever in peace." - The Meditations of Givos
Imperial Vessel: Londiniums Tears
Naevia Orustus glanced out in the vastness of space. It had been a long time since she had simply just enjoyed the view of the endless sea of stars. She was happy to be chosen for this position, of conducting first contact relations with this Citadel Council, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. The agression represented by a member species of this council was the first time the Empire had encountered barbarians since before the time of the VIII.
Two weeks beforehand, the colony world of Demeter was attacked by a fleet of ships from a species known as, 'Batarians'. No civilians were killed, as the Imperial patrol fleet was able to hold them off, and eventually chase them into their own space, occupying two systems before the Citadel Council established contact.
This seemed odd to Naevia, even though the Batarians acted in hostility first the mere mention of any hostile forces in Imperial space would have led to the mobilization of the entire military, but even as two habitable planets belonging to another species were occupied and put under martial law, the Citadel Council seemed rather apathetic toward their Batarian subjects. She wondered if this same amount of Apathy was extended to other species under the yoke of the council, or if it simply applied to the Batarians.
Getting up she moved toward the mirror on the other side of the room, inspecting her red gown and its golden outlines, she had to admit she was pleased with the work of the seamstresses on Terra Nova.
"How is your Brother?" The course voice of Gaius Albanius asked from the doorway of Naevia's quarters. A man later on in his years, Gaius had been like a surrogate father to the Orustus children after their own had died of a terminal illness when they were young.
Smiling Naevia turned toward him as she fixed her dark black hair, "He contacted me before he and the rest of the occupying force arrived on one of the Batarian worlds, I am sure he is fine."
Gaius nodded, his wrinkled face smiling, "It is good that he gets the experiance, when your father and I were his age, we were slaughtering pirates all over the Imperial systems."
Rolling her eyes Naevia scoffed, "Sure, you are aware that piracy has not been in practice large scale since before the time of Givos?"
"That's just what the Imperial council wants you to think!" He said a he came up behind her inspecting his gold armor. "Are you nervous?" He asked seriously.
Sighing Naevia looked into his eyes, "Yes, i'd be lying if I said I wasn't."
"We will be arriving on the Asari world of Thessia within the hour." the voice of the captain blared through the speakers of the ship.
Gaius smirked putting his armored hand on her bare shoulder, "You'll do fine."
Temple of Athame, Thessia
Councilor Aadita Reya looked up at the statue of her peoples Goddess, it had been centuries since she had entered the temple, but she was always awestruck at the overwhelming feeling of peace she felt whenever she did. The Athame doctrine had been losing favor for well over a thousand years, most Asari had abandoned it for Siari after leaving their homeworld.
Reya was not sure what she believed anymore, the pantheistic Siari and their believe in all being one obviously had appeals, and better reflected Asari society as it was now, but completely abandoning the Goddess that had seen her people form civilization and evantually expand across the stars just left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Regardless this seemed like the perfect place to meet the religiously oriented Humans. After they were invited to the Citadel they refused to enter it upon their arrival, claiming their 'sacred texts' forbid boarding the Citadel unless they were to destroy it. Tensions ran high in the Citadel after this proclomation, the already on edge Batarians petitioned for all out war, but the humans seemed content, for now at least, to allow the Citadel races to inhabit the space station.
Reya had suggested Thessia for obvious reasons, maybe this new species and hers could strike up better trade deals, and alliances. The Turians, and the Salarians were getting a little too close for the Asari governments taste, and although the Turians didn't not have a seat at the council within a few decades that was sure to change.
As she was contimplating this a priestess of Athame approached, "Is there anything else you need councilor?" the young maiden asked.
Smiling Reya shook her head, "No, but you might want to be on stand by to explain some of the religious relics to our guests...it has been awhile since I entered the temple."
"Of course." The priestess said as she almost glided toward the outskirts of the temple, and waited on the new species. It seemed odd to Reya for such a young Asari to devote her life to a dying faith.
"It always amazes me whenever I enter this temple!" Councilor Edern exclaimed as he was helped in by the Turian Primarch Kasius. Edern was always a peculiar being to Reya, unlike most other Salarian councilors she had worked with over the centuries, he was abrasive, and crude. Often making off handed comments just to see her reaction.
"You do realize this is a temple?" Reya asked not impressed with his loud tone.
He coughed for a few moments before replying, "Oh but the expressions you give me are well worth the disrespect."
Reya could detect that his condition had been worsening. At forty one he was a very old Salarian, but he refused to abdicate, and let someone else take his place on the council.
"Just take it easy my friend, we don't want you to hack up a lung before this new species arrives." Kasius joked. He was almost the exact opposite of Edern, always respectful, and professional. They seemed to balance each other out and each one had come into power about the same time.
This is what made Reya nervous, the relationship that these two had cultivated, had brought relations with their two species exceptionally close. A relationship that close could challenge Asari supremecy.
Kasius looked at Reya, and slightly bowed his head, "It is a beautiful temple Reya, a monument your people should be proud of."
"Thank you Primarch." Reya was not sure how she felt about the Turians gaining a seat at the council. Of course the Salarians supported it, but the majority of Matriarchs also did. They had proven themselves in the Rebellions, but to disrupt an order that had worked for almost an entire Asari lifetime just seemed reckless to her.
"It would seem our guests have arrived." The Priestess of Athame exclaimed as an unfimiliar shuttle made its way toward the temple.
Annexed Anhur, Second week of occupation
Marius Orustus made his way over the rubble that littered the streets of the Captial city of Anhur, which the Centurions had dubbed New Thebes. The locals had been enraged when the legion had changed the name of the planet and capital after the first week of occupation.
With the majority of the military either dead or captured, the Batarian civilian population had risen to the occation, and had been launching guerilla raids on Centurion outposts, and check points. Marius had lost count of how many civilians he had slain with his pulse rifle, but he was sure it was in the dozens.
As he rounded a corner a Batarian brandishing a pistol fired at him, lifting his plasma shield Marius waited until the civilian had run out of bullets, deactivated his shield and fired his rifle multiple times into the aliens chest.
Walking over to the dead being Marius kneeled, gripped the medallion on his neck, and inspected the image, it depicted a spear on one side, and the image of Mars on the other. "Hear me Mars, hear me Mars! I am Marius Orustus, and this slain being is my gift to you!"
Looking down at the dead being Marius closed its four eyes, "I envy you my friend, you died a warrior, and you now walk in the fields of Elysium."
Continuing down the rode, Marius finally made it to the checkpoint a few blocks down from his own.
"Centurion, why do you walk alone?" A legionaire asked, as Marius made his way into their camp. Inspecting the situation, Marius saw that casualties were high, as he saw a dozen men lined on the ground with coins on their eyes.
Shaking his head Marius explained, "There are three centurions at our checkpoint, I understand the one assigned to you has not returned?"
The soldier nodded fear overcoming his face, "That is correct sir, she has been missing for the past day."
Taking off his silver helmet, and inspecting the burned mohawk Marius asked, "What are our orders from command?"
"Get her back..."
Senate Chambers, Roma, Terra
The senate erupted in arguing as three of the four councilors entered the chambers. Some senators applauding, others booing, and others still too busy fighting eachother with their fists to do either. It had been this way for the past week as the council decide to cease its advance against the Batarians, and negotiate with the Citadel Council.
"ORDER! ORDER!" yelled the Martial Councilor Rufus Scipio. Young for a councilor he had proven himself ready for the position when he successfully beaten a rebellious faction of colonists in Demeter.
"Yes, exactly, where is the order when our own council deals with heretics who fall into Messosum traps!" yelled one senator as his side of the chamber laughed.
"We do not know for a fact that the Citadel is a trap set by the Messosum, we must use a clear head! This is a first contact situation!" yelled another from across the aisle as his half of the chamber applauded.
"Regardless we were attacked, should we not press on! This is a show of weakness by the highest order! Mars will curse us for this!" Another senator yelled.
"I said ORDER!" Scipio yelled. The whole chamber falling silent as his voice reverberated across the chambers.
Coughing the Councilor representing scientific research spoke, Lucius Diao spoke, "Thank you Scipio, I understand some of you are angry, but you must understand that to go into an all out war with this galactic power would be costly, it is no doubt they are more powerful than us at this time, we must expand first, and become stronger. They also contacted us brokering for peace, it is easy to see these are the actions of a reckless member species rather than the actions of the Citadel themselves."
The third councilor of the business sector added, "Their economy is also four times the size of ours, I highly doubt the Bellators and Mars want us to waste our resources fighting a losing battle against them. We must use our heads, or we will never succeed in fulfilling our destiny."
"Filling in for the Oracle I see, and where is he I might ask." The Senator who first spoke asked in a snarky tone.
"You know as well as we all do, Flavius that he is with the ambassador en route to Thessia to speak to these people." Scipio said, annoyed at the presence of the ever critical Flavius.
"So while we debate the issues he drinks wine, and breaks bread with hostile barbarians!" Flavius said as he recieved an applause from his side of the chamber.
Councilor Diao responded, "If you will not consider reason, than you will be silent."
At this Flavius smirked, "TERRA FIRMA! TERRA FIRMA! TERRA FIRMA!" within minutes his side of the chamber erupted in this chant.
"We are done here!" Scipio said as he eyed the smirking Flavius, who waved the council, and their fellow senators off.
Don't kill me for how long this took guys! A lot of stuff has been going on! On the plus side it really gave me an idea for how I want this story to go! It took forever, but it is happening! So...Hooray? Until we get to main mass effect I am going to have a series of short stories. Basically I want to cover first contact politics, the morning war or the Terminus crusade(Not going to do both, seems kinda redundant to me right now, but it might change.) I want to do a little story about a Primus Vorcha at the beginnings of his new species, maybe do something with a Drell after the evacuation of their homeworld(This would be a HEAVILY religiously themed story as the Hanar, Humans, and Drell are extremely religious in this story.) After May updates will be more regular, as I graduate!(Awesome!). Any of you people who recently came from the original and loved it...sorry? Hope you like this one even better.
The Defenestrated Typewriter: We got story now man, I just really needed to get the information out of my head, was driving me NUTS!
Lanilen: In do time...In do time
SalemTheSpeakerOfTruth: Yeah, that is what I was going for, we need more mysticism!
Commander Ray: While I was in the hospital, this was the review that inspired me to reflect on this story, thanks!
Also, all you guys with positive feedback, thanks a ton! And again, throw tech ideas in the reviews or shoot me a PM!