Back again, updates few and far between. I'm now no longer single though so I feel like I have an excuse. Anyway! Please enjoy me providing some more indications of what life is like for humanity. At least those who aren't just a part of the bulk. This is of course from the perspectives of a less than savoury group to most of Alliance command.
Benning Colony, Habitat 41AN, Room 87
Benning was one of the largest outer planet colonies. It was a sprawling industrial colony, with a capital city of 8 million that was a hub for industrial production, particularly in heavy industry. The asteroid belt and moons in the system where rich in iron, carbon-enriched isotopes of coal, as well as heavy metals like titanium, tungsten and uranium, all vital for the various industries of Benning to produce everything from armaments to Tanks and Armoured Vehicles. The factories where enormous mega-complexes all owned by an Alliance administration working under the Ministry for Labour and Ministry of Military Procurement. The planet had also been the centre point of the Insurrection.
Nowadays most Ship-building had been removed from the system over concerns of the Insurrectionists ever managing to stage a rebellion again, and for good reason. The planet was still awash with anti-humanist individuals from all walks of life who despised the open egalitarianism of the Humanist Systems Alliance. The planet consistently was a thorn in the side of Alliance security services, and numerous terrorist incidents made it a dangerous place. As such, the Quarians had barely visited much less settled, though a delegation was arriving soon to discuss opening a Quarian laser focal factory in one of the larger cities.
Tucked away in the utilitarian confines of a nondescript apartment block towering from one of the larger rings, a diverse assembly of individuals plotted. Their uniting principle? An unconditional hatred of the Humanist system. The range of this motley crew included the average spurred on into fervour, and the more educated classes. The surroundings pulsed with neon light and unrest as they stared at cryptic maps and data slates, each face bearing the mark of discontent and each flag on their shoulder indicating a nation that had long-since ceased to exist. All annexed or integrated by the Alliance. This particular cell was led by Emilio, the Brazilian insurrectionist had been a key military officer on the Benning garrison during the Insurrection, and he had lead a failed armoured charge to relieve the city.
His wiry frame hunched over the table, he brought up a digital map, "The situation… has changed. Whilst no friends of ours, these new arrivals bring news of a galaxy far beyond what the Humanist scum imagined".
His voice was a gravelly whisper as he pointed towards Shanxi, the largest Quarian-Human world presently, as well as a region of former human spaced marked as 'Quarian Free Republic'. "We have to send a clear message, that associating themselves with the undemocratic dictators on Arcturus will not be tolerated".
His words where met with silent nods, yet also visible trepidation. One figure, with a star spangled banner on her shoulder ripped and torn nodded, her stoic demeanour belying her fiery spirit. She leaned forward, the harsh light catching the hardened glint of her eyes, "We need to tread carefully… the Humanists have destroyed five other cells this week apparently… and these Quarians are very crafty. If God had intended a great trial, then this is clearly what he meant".
"They are not allies are they? Da?" replied Mikhail, his Russian accent cutting across his words harshly. His ice blue eyes and cigarette exuding a steely resolve and his posture rigid and unyielding. "They've thrown their lot in with the Humanists. They've made their choice and we should make it clear that association is considered alliance". Mary turned suddenly, fixing a glare on him, as though warning him to stay focused. The two had barely got along, and even now a tense agreement of sorts existed between them.
As the room filled with a pregnant silence, the shadows shifted to reveal Jan. The red and white flag on his shoulder in halves with the crowned white eagle was stalwart and his face etched with scars. Each one bore the story of a lifetime of resistance against the Alliance. "Direct confrontation cannot be the answer until we can make contact with the outsiders. Supposedly my source in the Administration indicates that they might be willing to support an organization that fights for true freedom. But we need to be cautious, as an outright rebellion or attack would bring the full might of the Alliance crashing down upon us".
Subtlety was a skill honed out of necessity, and it hung in the air like a hook. They'd learned to walk unseen, strike without warning, and then disappear before repercussions could find them. Living in the shadow of the blue arch and stars they'd adapted to hidden defiance. "Perhaps a strike next week? The first transports setting up a small Quarian settlement here on Benning are arriving, and I'd like to make it clear they are not welcome here. Even better if we can hit the arrivals next month"
Mikhail nodded, "Da… We make them question their stability and safety here, we weaken the foundations of trust between them and the Alliance".
Jan placed a hand under his chin, "If we hit them where it hurts, it's going to be difficult to leave no trace. We need to be ghosts. Striking and vanishing in the same bre-". A chilling metallic clang echoed through the room. Everyone froze, a collective breath held as Emilio silently gestured towards the hidden entrance. Their clandestine meeting, once insulated from the outside world… felt vulnerable. Suddenly transformed into what could easily be a potential trap. The muffled sound of a pair of light footsteps outside becoming a soundtrack to a potential danger.
"Betrayal?" whispered Mikhail, his eyes harshening one each individual in the room. Mary shook her head, her brows furrowed in thought and looking like she was about to open her mouth, but was interrupted by Jan who held a hand up. His old, but keen ears straining to catch a distinct sound as to who… or what might be outside.
The hidden entrance to their hideout was abruptly blown open, a cloud of debris showering the room in brackets of dust. And then… an eerie silence followed by an authoritative storm of boots and a heavyset voice cut through the dust filled air. "By the Authority of the Humanist Systems Alliance! You are under arrest for treason, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and supporting the White-Sun Coalition!".
Pheiros, the Dancing Sunfish Café
Oddly enough, the concept of drinking non-alcoholic beverages and consuming light snacks, had not been a particularly Turian tradition until very recently. Palevan wasn't exactly known for its tourism-filled restaurants like Thessia, and it's experience with cultural centrepieces mainly extended to bars and good high quality food. The Café was a purely Asari introduction to the galaxy, but as the closed-off Turian Hierarchy had begun to allow foreign business to set up shop, an often under-estimated introduction had been the concept of the Café. Where non-alcoholic, calming or caffeine filled beverages where sold for easy and informal meetups between friends.
The Asari had actively made Turian society and culture friendlier as they had introduced the concept, and generally the Turian colonies had embraced these businesses wholeheartedly. Pheiros itself was about the most corrupt place in the Hierarchy to the galactic east of Palevan. It was well accepted that as one moved closer to terminus and citadel space, Turian worlds became steadily less militaristic and more amendable to Citadel politics and money, as such, the corruption was also rampant. Pheiros was the exception that proved the rule, as it provided a vital point of repair for colony ships, pirates, privateers and other vessels. Mostly they were turned away, but if one knew the right words and styles, they could slip in, get repairs, and slip back out.
Titus Valein was not a good Turian, he wasn't corrupt at all, but he much preferred that the big-three races maintain their position as the custodians of the galactic order, ensuring peace and stability reigned. And that occasionally meant silencing or otherwise disrupting some of the more bombastic and callous voices calling for change. Occasionally, that meant dipping his claws into the muddied waters of immoral acts. A figure took a seat from across him, and his eyes raised from his omnnitool to reach the vibrant and beautiful face of Spectre Tela Vasir. She was a ruthless, cunning and very skilled protector of the galactic order, and various rumours regarding her involvement with unsavoury individuals where often stamped out by how often she made the headlines protecting galactic society.
In this instance, she looked remarkably formal compared to her usual combat armour and defensive weapons. In just a standard jacket and jumpsuit as she ordered some Thessian tea. "Good day Vasir… How's the work life".
"Problematic, defending galactic society is hardly an easy job". Confident that neither of them where under duress, he pressed several buttons on his omnnitool, wiring a small payment to the Asari running the café, who gave a curt nod, before 'accidentally' spilling a full cup of boiling hot tea over a set of control buttons, by coincidence shorting out the one security camera, which almost immediately died.
"There has been movement".
Immediately her eyes narrowed dangerously. She leaned in, "Where… has there been movement?"
"In an area where one hoped there would not be movement!", he retorted, sticking to low metaphors.
"The Citadel Council. Generally hopes that there won't be movement on any area! Do expand upon this".
"A certain individual of a rather noteworthy societal cast seems to have taken it upon themselves to play an active role, rather more active than is customary, in the dissection and subsequent extermination of our legislative endeavours. In the dutiful execution of his duties, said individual appears to have taken quite the fascination with this process of bureaucratic disassembly. Why one might even venture to say that he is developing a knack for it – a flair, if you will. Furthermore, Spectre, it appears this admirably diligent Turian has developed an unprecedented interest in our administrative procedures, as he has taken it upon himself to shine a spotlight on the unlit corners of our governance, a sudden and rather vigorous crusade against the spectre… no pun intended… of what he perceives as so-called 'Corruption'".
He took a long sip of his beverage, savouring the taste before his barely perceptible droning on continued. "Certainly such a fervour for cleanliness and transparency is, in principle, commendable. However one might consider that his energy could be more usefully directed elsewhere, and his persistent questioning might be seen as an unwelcome disruption of our established and efficient systems of governance. I do hope you understand Spectre, that we in our capacity as upstanding members of Turian society, always strive to maintain the highest possible standards of integrity propriety, yet one might wonder if this particular Admiral's enthusiastic diligence is perhaps… not to put too fine a point on it… overzealous".
"I will deal with the problem". Her tea arrived, a steaming cup as she pulled out a credit chit to pay. He finished his own nodding, "I trust you will be discreet Spectre".
She rolled her eyes, Turians had such little faith in anything they weren't personally leading. "I always am". The target was a Turian, almost handsome, with a rugged revolutionary look, smart uniform, and in the foreground of a large military hangar. The captain's badges on his uniform shone in the camera light, and several of his compatriots were also marked with thick red circles. Bringing up her omnnitool, she contacted an old friend. "Elanos! It's Vasir… I have a… proposition for you. If you're interested".
"And in other news. This just in from the heart of French West Africa, as the Republic of Cameroon has finally finished it's long and brutal civil war. We've received unsubstantiated, but likely credible reports that the Humanist Party has emerged victorious against the French backed Republic of Cameroon which was formerly in power.
This marks a significant shift in the regional power dynamic as anti-colonial and anti-imperial rhetoric has intensified in recent years, especially with Belgian crackdowns in the Congo and the assassination of Humanist party leader Patrick Lumumba. The humanists are known for their emphasis on human dignity, equality and democratic governance, but several powers including the US and UK have claimed these to be facades over dangerous forces that threaten the stability of the global order and carry out faux dictatorships replacing vibrant republics.
The war, a harsh journey for the people of Cameroon ended when an armistice was signed in Upper Volta between Minister Sankara and the two opposing heads of government for the Humanists and Republicans. Protests have broken out across French, British and Spanish equatorial Africa, and Europe has expressed concerns that these 'humanists' are merely 'Marxist anarchists who wish to use decolonization as an excuse to carry out a brutal dictatorial takeover of the continent'."
Conclusion of the Cameroonian Civil War, 1956, BBC Radio Broadcast
Codex Entry: The Rise of the Pan-African Liberation Front
As the Humanists began to spread across the gulf of West Africa, an economic and military battle raged on in the outside world. The Cold War had arrived, and with it, the old order of Britain and France was being pushed out by the Hammer and Sickle, and the Star Spangled Banner. Both powers preached anti-imperialism (Handily ignoring their own blatant acts of imperialism in the process), and as the rise of Socialism coincided with a rise in the power of the lower classes, so-to did the rise in anti-colonialism. Vietnam, had already been fighting a bloody independence war, as had Malaya. And the brutal British intervention in Iran only convinced the Humanists that they needed more drastic action.
The Cameroonian Civil War, and following coup in Central Africa was followed by swift unification, even as other powers to the south marched into disputed regions to attempt to strangle the Humanist baby in it's crib before it could become established. The Humanists unification tied together many different cultures to a common purpose. Liberation. Other movements in Guinea saw their own decolonization, as did the establishment of the Yoruboland border state, a French backed puppet regime hell-bent on preventing Humanist expansion.
Yoruboland formed the West African Alliance, as a defensive anti-humanist bloc, which sat opposed to the two Humanist states in West Africa. But was hit back, when soon after the West African Union State, the Republic of Guinea, the Free State of the Ivory Coast, and the Federation of Kanem declared the Pan-African Liberation Front, which began centralizing military forces on the border and assisting humanist parties in other countries. One such example was Ghana, where the fight between Humanist and French puppet parties eventually triggered the Ghana Civil War, that would precede the First West African War.