"Oh you Sons of Prometheus, has this world hardened your hearts so? Truly I say to you, love one another, be kind, gentle, and patient with all those who disagree with you.
You were but slaves to the carnal pleasures of life before we, the Bellators, gifted you with the Mantle, with a purpose beyond your own selfish desires.
Why then, oh children, do you rebel against mercy? You were chosen by us to enlighten your brethren, do not simply destroy them."
-The Mercies of Vasha
Temple of Jadaron, Rome
Zapavy could not believe what he was witnessing, in his whole life he never expected to walk through such a well preserved Enkindler artifact. The walls were decorated in frescos depicting the great Enkindler Emperors, and the ceilings showed depicted the Enkindlers creation by the Imperial God Mars. To Zapavy it was all a little overwhelming, he and three other Hanar priests were allowed to visit the Temple of Jadaron in the Imperial capital itself, the council hadn't even been invited into Imperial space yet.
While few Hanar would ever admit it publicly this was a great moment of pride for their people. Although such thoughts were considered taboo it was unavoidable, the 'Jellies' as they were often referred to were invited to galactic powers homeworld before even the Asari!
While walking the halls Zapavy noticed many humans with long fur protruding from their face and robes of varying shades, and colors either prostrating or talking with Imperial citizens of the Gods, and the 'Bellators'. Zapavy had to admit, he liked these people, while the council races seemed more occupied with political maneuvering, the Humans seemed to have a devotion to their Gods, that rivalled even the Hanar.
Looking to his left two suits of armor cought his attention. One was obviously not human, and was deseigned with gold, and many jewels having obviously been applied on after the armor had been made, as if the armor was originally rather bland. The other was a deep shade of purple with artistic etchings of the Gods covering it. Seeing a button next to the exhibit Zapavy pressed it with one of his long tendrils.
A thundering voice came from the speakers, "The Armor of Jadaron, and his companion Sartorius is one of the most prized posessions of the Temple. The damage Jadaron's armor had taken before being repaired by the Romans was due to the war with the Messosum."
At realizing that the armor belonged to an Enkindler Zapavy, and the other two Hanar bowed deeply before it.
"It is always good to have the faithful visit our Temple." a deep calming voice said from behind them.
Turning around Zapavy saw a richly decorated, broad human. Purples, and reds seemed to almost jump from him, and wrap themselves around you in a hug with just a look from him, and his bearded smile was contagious. "This one is merily appreciating the wonders of the Enkindlers." Zapavy said as he slightly bowed to the obviously senior official.
"I am Octavianus Mamilius Iavolenus the Pontifex Maximus of the faith of the VIII, but most just simply refer to me as Oracle. i do not believe we have had the pleasure of meeting." He said also bowing toward the Hanar.
Zapavy glowed a little brighter at having his bow returned, very few of the citadel races ever did so, "This one is referred to as Zapavy, head priest of our faith, it is wonderful to see someone who also holds true to the Enkindlers teachings."
The older human motioned for the Hanar to follow him through the Temple, and as they did so they were shocked to see a mural that depicted what looked like primitive Hanar with the 'Bellators'. "We have much to discuss." He said.
Presidium, Citadel
Outside of her window Reya could see hundreds of Batarians rioting throughout the presidium, and probably thousands across the wards. Even the Batarian C-sec officers were participating in it, which only made controlling the situation harder.
The Batarian Embassy had been closed less than a week, and the riots still continued, the Batarians were indeed withdrawing from Citadel Space, but not quickly or quietly, they wanted to make a statement. It would've been almost comical if it were not so serious, they even had to call in the Turian Military to calm the situation, and forcibly expel the Batarian populations.
The only thing that made her calm was the fact that she would be in the Human capital of Rome in a few days to tour the ancient city, and to discuss more diplomatic matters. The fact that the Hanar religious leaders had been invited before the Council did make her uneasy, what was the Empire up to? They obviously could not take on the combined might of the Council species, even with the Batarians gone, so why did they continue to insult the Citadel?
The Humans were an Enigma to Reya, and she supposed that once she visited their capital she would learn better their customs, and ways. But until then, she would continue to sip her Terran wine, and watch the chaos from her window.
Horizons Edge, Former-Imperial Navy Vessel
Scipio ran, he ran so far and so fast, he was able to escape Imperial space before anyone even noticed his villa was empty, all his possessions being packed into his ship. It had almost been two months since the order for his execution was approved by a majority of the senate, ultimately stopping any chance for the council to veto the motion. He had left in such a hurry that he had even left his wife in Rome, with no idea as to where he was headed.
He supposed he should have expected the action. After Rapiendo had been declared, thousands of Batarians had died, leading to a political crisis with the Citadel council, but he did not care about what the alien governments thoughts on his actions were, he cared that he was so foolish as to not order a retreat from the city. He was responsible for more Imperial deaths now than he had been on the colony of Demeter. He was truly cursed in the eyes of the Gods.
Flavius had turned the senate against him, worse yet he had turned what little of the Empire that could stand him against him. The only people who remained loyal were surprisingly two hundred legion veterans of Demeter.
While he was appreciative of their support his mind would wonder as to why they had decided to join him in exile, and the only conclusion he could come up with was acceptance. Acceptance for their actions...for their slaughter of Imperial citizens. They saw their sin as one so unforgivable that they felt they could no longer live within Imperial society. They were all destined to spend an eternity in Tartarus, and they were prepared to defend another Son of Dis from an Imperial crucifix.
He so did despise the name that the majority of his men had dubbed themselves. Dis, an older name for Pluto implied they held a personal devotion to the God. To Scipio this was an extremely taboo subject, he could not bring himself to worship said God. No one he had ever known developed a personal worship to Pluto until his men had started an almost cult like devotion to the God of the Underworld.
It seemed innocent enough when they started to make offerings to Pluto, but when they started to build makeshift shrines in the halls of his ship, he had become worried. Would he also become so desperate as to worship such a taboo figure in the faith? He wasn't sure, but it did seem as though the other Gods had abandoned him. Why not devote himself to Dis?
He and his men had sailed the stars of the Terminus these long months, it was the only safe place for the rogue sect. The Citadel would most certainly turn them in, the rapiendo order was given by Scipio, he would be treated as a war criminal if he was captured by any ship answering to the Citadel and the Imperials would have their heads, no one was to ever escape the justice of the Empire, not even for a moment. The fact that Scipio still lived now was an insult to the Gods, and the Empire.
No their destination was a station they had only heard rumors of, Omega. Many terminus merchants, and pirates they had defeated in battle mentioned the station as a refuge for all outcasts, free from the laws of any nation. As tribute to the Chieftan of the station Scipio, and his men had enslaved many pirates, and mercenaries that they had encountered, he would offer them as tribute in order to gurantee his men sanctuary.
Scipio had to smile at that, he would be free to start over, his men would be free to start over. They could actually live their lives, and perhaps find peace, away from the Empire that longed to slaughter them.
They would go to Omega, they would find solace, they would survive.
The Spirit of Meriole Hospital, Terra Nova
Domitia stared into the tank that held the man who had saved her life. How she had misjudged him, he could have simply left her for dead, but he instead chose to carry her through the streets of New Thebes, armorless, and unarmed, he managed to make it to an outpost for her to seek the medical attention she needed.
He was not a mindless brute, there was something more to him that she could see now, he was a man of honor, a man who was devoted to the Gods, and to the Empire wholeheartedly.
She had to admit, he reminded her of the heroes of legend, slaying their enemies for the greater good, and always succeeding in their quest by the end.
Was that how she thought of him now? As a legend, a modern myth, a hero, she did not know this answer. All she knew was that she owed this man her life, and she would forever be in his debt.
After the pictures of him saving her circulated the Empire she had been in countless interviews, and press conferences. Everyone wanted to know what had happened on Anhur, and the gossip columns were saturated with speculative romantic intanglements in the heat of battle. It made for good reading, but the notion that anything happened between them always made Domitia laugh.
Some in her position would have relished in the spectacle and the extravagance that her new status as a hero of Anhur held. In truth all Domitia wanted was to return to her family farm on Demeter and live out the rest of her days in relative peace, and hopefully the Empire would forget about the things that had happened on Anhur.
She doubted this would ever happen though. She knew Anhur would remain a symbol, a symbol of many things, to the Empire it would symbolize the military abilities necessary to eventually defeat the messosum, to the Citadel, it would send a message to its member species that they were nothing but a strategy used by the more powerful Council races. To the Council races it would symbolize the failure to induct the Empire into the ever open arms of the Citadel, and finally to the Batarian Hegemony, it would serve as a rallying cry, and justification of their hatred for the Empire, as well as the Council that had abandoned them.
It would take another month or two for Marius to fully heal, and Domitia would be by his side when he finally awoke, she owed him that much at least.
Omega
Sanith Far'red could not believe his eyes, as he saw almost two hundred fully armed humans marched through the cramped halls, and corridors of Omega. They seemed to search the station for days.
Sanith had been nervous about this, were they looking for Batarians who had fled Anhur? Were they trying to silence those who spoke ill of their Empire? Sanith had said nothing, there had been nothing to say.
His brother was dead, tortured by one of the Imperial brutes. His eyes being ripped out while he was still alive! His brothers soul would never find Sumset, and he would never find peace. It would be stuck in this plain of existance, not even knowing it was dead, just going through life, a wondering spirit.
The thought almost brought tears to Sanith's four eyes, but he could not let the Humans see, he was too proud.
Turning around, not being able to bring himself to look toward the humans anymore, he ran right into a Krogan's chest. The giant beast didn't so much as even look at him, "Korbal Jerack has decreed that the humans are allowed to stay."
And with that the lumbering beast went on to inform more people around him of the development.
Sanith couldn't believe it, why would Jerack allow the Humans to stay on Omega? What would he have to gain by having an army of fanatical warriors wander about the station. The young Krogan warlord had seized power only fifty years after the rebellions, and in that time thousands of Krogan had flocked to the station almost entirely deposing of the previous populace.
The majority of the Citadel species had abandoned the station for fear that the Krogan population would seek vengeance. Only the Asari population had opted to stay, having had no part in the production or distribution of the genophage.
The Batarians while always having a foothold on the station had only recently become so numerous. After the fall of Beshbalik, or Anhur as the Humans had renamed it, those Batarians that had fled the colony were not welcomed back into Batarian space.
The Hegemony looked upon them as cowards who had freely given Beshbalik to the Empire. They had not seen the horrors that the Humans could inflict on a world, they had not been there to see their loved ones tortured in the middle of the street, to see the children slaughtered. Never the less, they were exiled, forced to emigrate to the Terminus, where the majority found their way to Omega, hoping that they would escape the Hegemony, as well as the Empire.
The Humans had found them though, somehow, someway they had managed to make their way onto Omega. He would not stand for this, he would not allow his new home to fall as Beshbalik had. Jerack be damned, he would not stand for this.
Senate Chambers, Rome, Terra
To Gauis, it felt odd to once again be seated with his fellow councilors, it wasn't that he didn't want to serve the Empire, it was simply that he was taking the place of a soldier he had once honored for his bravery, and service to the Empire.
Now it seemed those days were far gone, Scipio was a fugitive, and was rumored to have sworn allegiance to the Omega station in order to give he, and his men a new home.
Gaius could not blame him, the ever plotting senate had signed into the law, the orders for his execution. A councilor, being executed, what was becoming of the Empire? Pax Imperium had truly ended, and in its place Pugnantes Imperium would reign.
Flavius was addressing the Senate, and Gaius had only been half listening when he heard something that shocked him to his core, "I move that Marius Orustus, after his recovery, be premoted to Praetorian!"
Gaius applauded this, finally Flavius was talking sense, and it seemed he might actually move past his near obsession with Scipio.
Clearing his throat Flavius continued, "In addition his first order, is to find the traitor Scipio, and bring to him Imperial justice!"
The Senate cheered, and his fellow councilors stomped their feet in approval. Gaius on the other hand sat still, shocked by this development. Marius could not kill Scipio, the two had trained together, fought together, grown together! The idea of one killing the other seemed taboo to Gaius for he saw them as nothing less than brothers.
Omega, Afterlife
Scipio took a seat at Afterlife, the bar which served as the de facto Capital of the Omega station, and looked to the Krogan Chieftan in front of him. He was a younger Krogan, but he was undoubtedly experienced in the art of war.
Going to his knees Scipio left whatever pride he had fall away as he looked at the Krogan. "Your lordship, if it please you I offer two hundred slaves as tribute, and payment for me and my men to secure sanctuary on your station."
The Krogan seemed to mull over the offer for a few moments before smiling, "And?"
Scipio sighed, remembering what he had been told to say by the Asari slave that had met with him beforehand, "I swear mine and my mens undying loyalty to you and your station my lordship."
The Krogan gave a deep throaty laugh, "And which one of your numerous Gods do you swear this by Human?"
Scipio was surprised at this question, he had not expected to pledge loyalty one a God toward this Krogan, to do so almost seemed blasphemous,"Why do you ask this?"
With a backhanded slap that sent Scipio to the ground, his ears ringing, and mouth bleeding the Krogan lifted him up, "Answer Human!" It yelled.
Scipio spit his blood in the Krogans face, "Dis!"
With that the Krogan laughed.
AN: Hello everybody, sorry it took a bit, but the new chapter is up, this short story is actually really fun to write, as the religious, and cultural practices of a lot of species are not mentioned in Mass Effect so it really gives the oppurtunity to flesh that out.
Still if you have Tech ideas I would love to hear them, insight is always welcome!
As always beautiful readers, hope you enjoy, and favorite, follow, review do whatever makes you happy!