Rights, I got none. Disney, EA, and Bioware (Broadsword now too I suppose); they got them all.

A quick thank you to everyone putting up with my erratic updates and for getting this fic to 1500 favorites and 2K likes. This has blown up more than i could have possibly imagined.

"These are the terms of surrender, the main points are as follows," Goyle begins, "One, reparations are to be made for the destruction wrought upon Shanxi, the Alliance fleets, and for all Sith civilians killed in the conflict. Two, the Hierarchy shall issue a public statement acknowledging themselves as the aggressors of the war, their crimes against the Alliance, and their defeat at our hands. Three, any prisoners taken be returned to Alliance custody."

"That includes the sailors you have been interrogating here at The Citadel," Atrior adds.

Tevos nods, "Of course, we apologize in advance for any grievances they may have had while in our care."

Goyle nods, "Fourth, ceasing of all hostilities against the Sith Alliance and all her citizens. Fifth, all conquests, including Palaven, be officially recognized as Sith Alliance territory. Sixth, should one Admiral Septemus be alive at this time, he is to be brought into Alliance custody for his crimes against the Sith."

The councilors look at one another, Sparatus still grinding his mandibles. He grimaces at his companions and nods towards the Sith representatives. Tevos nods back at him and turns to the Sith, but Darth Atrior speaks before she can.

"It will be possible to renegotiate the status of the conquered turian worlds, this is simply recognizing in an official capacity that they belong to us for the time being."

"In exchange," Goyle begins again, "We shall return all our own prisoners of war to The Citadel Council and discontinue any of our own hostilities upon the remains of turian space."

"In regard to the reparations," Belis chimes in, "Would it be possible to defer determining the exact amount paid to be negotiated at a later date?"

"That may be beneficial, as we are still counting up the death toll and equipment lost in our final battles," the minister replies.

"Is that all?" Atrior asks.

"Palaven," Sparatus asserts, "We want Palaven back immediately."

"It is a home world for one of our core races," Tevos adds, "We must insist that it is returned to the Hierarchy. We don't believe you'd lose much of anything considering you've not had any time to establish a major presence on the planet."

Atrior pretends to ponder for a moment, "Very well. Palaven, but just Palaven for the terms of the treaty."

"That is acceptable," Tevos says as Sparatus looks as if a weight is lifted off his shoulders.

Goyle nods as she types into her data-pad, "We will have the terms amended then. For all intents and purposes, we have an agreement."

The air in the chamber lightens significantly in that moment. The Sith internally celebrate their official victory in the war and their advancement onto the galactic stage. Sparatus ready to put this nightmare of a situation behind him and move on to reconstruction efforts. Tevos at the restoration of apparent stability in the galaxy, and Belis at the prospect of acquiring new technology.

"With that important business settled, perhaps we can move on to other productive discussions such as border security, trade, and diplomatic interactions for the future of our civilizations," Belis says.

"Yes, very important indeed," Atrior begins, "I assume; however, that this is also where you will ask us to begin some form of assimilation into your federation."

"That is correct, Lord Atrior," Tevos says, "Ordinarily this integration would take a substantial amount of time, though considering both your familiarity with the codex and the advancements you've made on your own prior to our first contact, we've come to a consensus that it may be more appropriate to grant you membership immediately."

Belis nods, "This will require a submission of your technology, an account of your race's history and astro-geography, and the compliance with Citadel regulations."

"What's more, you will be expected to follow Citadel Law, and comply with its proper punishments," Sparatus asserts, earning a side glance from Tevos.

"That does mean; however, you will have free access to the full benefits of the Citadel, including the galactic trade market, unrestricted general travel throughout the entirety of Citadel space, and opportunities for stable expansion. It is our hope that together we can all work towards advancement and progress for all sentient life."

The chamber goes quiet as the Sith seem to deliberate the offer. The minister's and Goyle's eyes drift towards the Dark Lord as he holds his peace. Noting this, the council does the same.

"If we were to officially become a part of the Citadel, there are a few conditions that would have to be fulfilled," Atrior says.

Sparatus tenses but says nothing as Tevos replies, "And what would those be?"

"The first and foremost would be that The Sith Alliance be given a seat on The Citadel Council," Goyle says, "With a position equal to the turians in dreadnaught allotment."

"Out of the question!" Sparatus snaps, "Your race is not ready to take on the responsibilities and such an appointment would be unprecedented!"

"While my companion's words are far coarser than I would like, I have to agree with him," Tevos says.

"And that is where I would have to disagree with the two of you, Councilors," Atrior replies, "Though you've noted our advancements without your direct oversight, I believe that you are understating them a bit. I do not believe it can be disputed that we are the most technologically advanced race in the galaxy. That alone should be our required contribution to the good of the wider galaxy."

He looks to Belis, "We would bring many new avenues of study."

To Tevos, "Much need revitalization to medical and humanitarian work."

To Sparatus, "And advanced military capabilities to The Citadel."

The Minister of Intelligence nods, "Don't think that we don't understand that this whole war was at least in part motivated by the turians' desire for our technology. The Primarch himself made a desperate final stand before his capture with a crude imitation of our blaster technology. And let us not forget that the STG were attempting to make illegal grabs at our technology just hours ago. We know our value."

"And even then, I feel like we're offering the discount of a pureblood's lifetime," Goyle scoffs.

Atrior's smirk falls, "And that is not even touching upon the spiritual knowledge that we bring to this federation. As for the other requirements, I believe we have more than proven that we can come to the defense of The Citadel in times of need. In fact, we would be more than happy to shoulder our fair share of the burden of defending the people of the galaxy. My Order would even find it quite enjoyable to be able to eradicate the miscreants of the galaxy, as I am sure you intended for my people to do as an associate race. Especially considering you were planning on offering up the Attican Traverse to us for expansion."

Tevos keeps a pleasant face, "Yes, that is correct. We had thought this may be a potential avenue for you to earn a council seat at some point down the line."

The smirk on the Dark Lord's face tells her that she's fallen right into a trap.

"And at what point would that be, precisely? From what I have studied about the history of The Citadel, this is entirely within the precedents. Every one of your races received their seats upon joining The Citadel; the asari and salarians when they formed the council, and the turians upon joining. It seems to me that unless one takes a seat immediately, there is no hope of ever being given one even after centuries of association. Would the turians even have a seat by now if they did not rescue you from the krogan?"

The council remains silent at that as the look in Atrior's eye dares them to contract his words. They all glance towards one another but none takes the bait.

"I would also note," Goyle picks up the negotiations, "That we would be willing to relinquish more of our conquered planets back to the turians as a sign of good will should we be instated as a Council member."

Atrior steps ahead of his contemporaries and pulls all attention to himself, "You want our technology, we understand. You, however, must understand that this exchange isn't free, there is always a price to be paid."

Goyle nods, "Do you understand everything we have to give up becoming even a council race? Our freedoms would be the most limited they've ever been since reascension to the stars."

The minister nods, "Much like the proposal for a ceasefire, becoming an associate race benefits you entirely and us only marginally, with much more stripped away from us."

Tevos tries bringing the negotiations back under her control, "But what of the vast resources that would open up to you by joining us? Certainly, that would be worth the sacrifices?"

"In the short term, perhaps," Atrior responds, "However, we are already more advanced technologically, all we really need is time to expand. Considering that we do not rely exclusively on relays for galactic travel, we would be able to accumulate more resources with or without you. The only thing that you'd always outpace us in is manpower, assuming of course that nothing terrible befalls your civilizations."

Though stated more as fact than threat, the sentiment does put some worry into the councilors. They all type way at their omni-tools, the Sith saying nothing in regard to it. Atrior turns his senses upon their minds but dismisses his power once he learns everything.

"I do have some concerns with the allotment of dreadnaughts you're asking for," Belis says, "Considering that yours use radiation rather than kinetic force, I'm afraid that to have that many would tip the balance of power to an unacceptable degree."

"Perhaps after some time… Specifically when you have built the allotted three dreadnaughts per the turian's five," Tevos corrects herself, "We can see about advancing you, since you would be taking up a larger share of defense responsibilities. Once we have that more defined, then I don't see an issue, provided that you also comply with Citadel codes on the use of nuclear weapons."

"I don't see the point in waiting if our goal is to move up the bracket once we fill out this one," the minister counters.

"Like Belis has said, it is about a balance of power," Sparatus reasserts, "If you were given the same as The Hierarchy, it would overtly tip it all in your favor. This isn't about keeping you under our thumb, despite everything you've done, it's about keeping everyone in check."

"Because it has worked so well keeping the turians from doing something rash," the minister sneers.

"Why you…"

"Enough!" both Goyle and Tevos growl at their companions.

The brief silence gives Atrior a chance to intercede, "Perhaps a compromise of sorts. The treaty could be amended to fit us into an intermediary category. Perhaps a 4:5 ratio with the turians. Our dreadnaughts are so few at the moment so it will take us time to reach the allotted number. Simultaneously, if you were to assimilate our technology into your own, you would have access to our Silencer Megalasers and eventually integrate them, therefore keeping the balance of power while allowing us to move up to the necessary level of military strength to suit our role in galactic society. Like you said, we can always come back later to move up in the ratio at a later date.

Tevos strokes her chin, "That would be a fair compromise that benefits all involved, I see no reason why such an amendment to the Treaty of Farixen would be an issue."

"It may be necessary to amend much more than that as we integrate as well," Atrior says, "So much of your legal policy regarding manufacturing, warfare, and trade is founded upon mass effect being the soul foundation of your technology. With us becoming a part of the galactic community, even if we did not join your coalition, our technology wouldn't fit under some of your current mandates. Our Silencers couldn't even be considered dreadnaughts under your current mandate as they have no mass drivers and therefore wouldn't even be considered frigates. I believe we all can understand how ridiculous that sounds."

Belis nods, "It would be ridiculous. I agree, some changes to our mandates would be necessary if we are to use this new technology to its fullest capacity."

"Another reason that it would be more beneficial for us to take a council seat immediately," the minister adds, "We are fully aware of what our technology can do and can work better to integrate it if we are to lead from the top."

Tevos agrees, "Very well, we can see about modifying the treaty to accommodate this proposal, if you are willing to follow them."

Atrior grins as he gives the biggest lie of his life, "It's a deal."

As integration into Citadel society begins another emergency meeting is called between the members of Sith High command. Most sit in person around their conference table aboard Arcturus Station while Atrior, Goyle, and the Minister of Intelligence appear via hologram. The announcement of joining and the revelation of technological assimilation leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of some.

"So, we're just going to submit our technology to them and lose our greatest advantage?" Minister Graham grumbles.

"Yes, this is part of the reason we got such favorable terms in joining. However, they will be hard pressed to use it, I assure you," Darth Tempestus replies.

"These aliens' entire economy is built upon Element Zero," Goyle says, "They use it for their weapons, shielding, construction, and most importantly of all, their space travel. Their ships require so much of the stuff in their cores that they are the biggest demand for the resource several times over. Since hyperdrive and mass effect are incompatible as forms of FTL travel, they will have to choose one or the other."

Darth Chemos nods, "And they can't make the switch en masse without destroying their entire economy. Even if they did, only we have the necessary know how to build hyperdrives and the right resources for it right now, we would supplant the asari as the singular economic superpower of the Citadel. Meaning that we would be running the show anyway."

"I'm surprised they would go along with it considering they can't use both I tandem…" Ferrus trails off as realization fills his eyes, "They have no idea, do they?"

Atrior nods at this as Minister Shen speaks up, "Plus the size of the required reactors for even a fully powered cruiser means that they'll be sacrificing mobility if they decided to implement deflector shields and turbolasers. They'd have to start new fleets from scratch if they wanted to rival us, and it would take over a decade to mine the necessary resources without the use of Sunrazers. Thus, we will maintain our technological edge long enough to them over. On a related note, our weapons are in hot demand in the wake of our victory over the Hierarchy."

"That's an understatement," the Minister of Intelligence replied, "For Ragnos' sake, this extranet of theirs is overflowing with inquiries for our blaster weapons. I guarantee we will be running the weapons market within the decade. Plus, since we control the refined gas supply, everyone who wants blasters that can actually kill won't point them at us if they want ammo, at least for the near future."

"I'm more interested in mining Element Zero and the profits we could make from that. We don't use it, and we could easily trade for several times the amount of heavy metal we need for our ships. If we act now, we can mine a surplus before the other races get our radiation shielding. Plus, we can always undercut the market as political leverage if we need to," Guilliman says.

"That leads me to our next topic, what's our end goal here?" Julius asks, "Obviously we need this deal, or we face yet another Great War on the horizon, but where are we going from here?"

"Short term," Graham says, "We need to cement ourselves as a major influence in galactic affairs. Once we are in a position where we can seize total control over the Citadel, we will begin preparations for our next phase."

"The return of the Reapers," Vafrem growls.

"We're certain they'll return?" the Minister of Intelligence asks.

"My vision was clear," Vafrem says, "They will return, and soon. Whether that means within the next few years or the next few decades, is a matter of perspective, but they will return in this Dark Council's lifetime, and we must be ready for them or we will face the same fate of the Old Empire."

"And thus, why we cannot afford a drawn-out conflict with the Council," Minister Graham says, "Even a cold war would hold up our resources when we need to be focused on preparing. Add to that the fact that it would be easier to take over Citadel space by conquest from the inside, and the choice to join becomes the only option in the pursuit of revenge against those abominable mega machines."

"Though I agree, I still do not like it," Tempestus growls.

"Worry not, my old friend," Vafrem assures him, "The Citadel still has enemies to crush, enemies that will be far more eager to test us considering we are moving into their section of space. You can help Ferrus exterminate the contemptible filth of the Terminus. My pyramid shall take on the brunt of the conquest through our diplomatic abilities."

"And we have our friends in the Pyramid of Assassins to handle conflicts in the shadows, with the aid of Sith Intelligence, naturally," Ferrus says, gesturing to the Minister of Intelligence.

"I take it we are all in agreement then?" Graham asks.

The Dark Lords, ministers, and representatives nod to each other. Tempestus stands, "The Pyramid of Sorcerers supports this action."

Vafrem mimics his actions, "The Pyramid of Arts supports this action."

Chemos stands next, "The Pyramid of Alchemy will support this action."

Atrior's hologram bows while Ferrus raises his hand, "The Pyramid of Warriors supports the action."

Julius rises, "The Sith Alliance Parliament supports this action."

The ministers all rise, "The Ministry supports this action," Graham says, "And so, in accordance with the unanimous vote of Sith High Command, The Sith Alliance shall join the Citadel."

"On that note," Guilliman begins, "There are some concerns some of us have with The Citadel's codes, specifically, with the Treaty of Farixen."

"Worry not," Goyle says, "Most of that treaty is rendered obsolete with the introduction of energy weapons."

"And even so," the Minister of Intelligence continues, "Dreadnaughts are not necessarily our greatest strength. They are our most powerful ship, yes, but the Citadel races have shown us what depending on one class of ship will do to their naval doctrine. We have analyzed our victories and while our Silencers were the most effective, they are also expensive to replace, should the worst happen, and they require an escort to be utilized to their fullest effect. They are a hammer but perhaps we need a duelists blade, a strategy tailored to exploit our opponents' weaknesses."

"Strike-craft dominance you mean," Vafrem says.

"Precisely," Graham nods, "We've analyzed all our combat data from the war and our research branch is putting that data to use designing a new carrier class Star Destroyer that should be able to deploy both strike-craft in space, and vehicles in atmosphere."

"That's all well and good, but how will strike-craft help us against a Reaper?" Tempestus inquires.

"I understand your concerns, Milord, however there are some findings I wish to present, along with a proposal from the Ministry to put to vote," Guilliman says.

Tempestus gives him a curious glance, "And what would that be?"

Guilliman taps on his data pad and Torix appears on the holo-projector, "As we surveyed the plant of Torix, we came across something absolutely fascinating that our bombardment dug up from the planet's crust, traces of Isotope-5."

Chemos nearly leaps up from her seat, "Isotope-5?! Who else knows about this?! This information cannot leave the Alliance!"

The Minister of Intelligence raises his hand, "I immediately marked this information as top secret and everyone who could have possibly known has been brought in as a contingency."

Consul Julius speaks up, "I don't mean to interrupt the discussion, but what is Isotope-5?"

Guilliman nods, "It's not surprising you're unfamiliar with it, considering that even in the Old Galaxy, it was exceedingly rare. It is a substance that when utilized properly becomes a very potent energy source. The Old Empire only knew of one planet in their galaxy that had it in abundance."

"And we just so happened upon a world rich in it as our first conquest?" Julius raises a brow, "I assume this means we will not be parting with the planet."

"The Force continues to prove that it is with us," Vafrem says.

"I never said it was rich, according to the survey it is actually very limited, likely only enough to put into one major project. Which brings me to our proposal," Guilliman says as he glanced over to Graham.

Graham pulls out his data-pad and passes it to the nearest Dark Lord, Chemos, "Before now, taxing energy consumption was the main issue that prevented this particular effort from getting off the ground. However, now that we have found a proper solution, we believe that this may be our answer to the Reapers. We call it, Project Arcann."

Darth Chemos reads the data-pad and hands it off with a nod, "A good enough use of resources, I suppose."

Darth Vafrem takes it and gives it a read, "Ambitious to say the least."

Darth Tempestus takes it, "Oh Yes. I absolutely love it. I want one the moment we can finish production."

Ferrus takes it next and nods, "I approve. Consider my concerns alleviated, provided we can actually build one in time."

He holds it up to Atrior's projection, who nods after a few moments. The data-pad gets passed to Julius and his eyes widen, "All these resources for one ship? We'd need a dedicated Sun Razor to build it."

"That is a part of our proposal," Guilliman explains, "While not illegal, it will most certainly draw the eye of The Council. Our plan is to build a Sunrazer in a system far outside the relay network and construct it there. It will be slow, as we will need to make certain that our records are airtight, and that no lucky agent of The Council can catch wind of it. However, once it gets going, we could likely produce one every few years. Once we have even one built, it won't matter what The Citadel thinks."

"We'll put it a vote then," Tempestus says.

They all vote in favor and move on, "Next order of business, our future in diplomacy with the Quarian Migrant fleet."

"I'm tempted to say give them priority over The Citadel. They've proven their worth and they are much more malleable to our plans," Goyle replies.

The Minister of Intelligence nods, "They'll be good allies to have when we make our bid for control over The Citadel, considering they hold no loyalty to any of the other races."

"Considering Citadel laws have no bearing on their labor, and thus no regulatory oversight, we may want to consider contracting them out to mine the Isotope-5 from Torix," Guilliman suggests.

"That will save us manpower we can put into other things," Ferrus says.

"We will also need to continue to build our forces up in preparation for the Reaper's coming, so saving all the manpower we can will be a benefit," Guilliman says, "I have a proposal that we incentivize having children for the sake of expanding our population, perhaps raise the salary and benefits from active military service for parents of large families."

"Agreed, however, we did lose many Lords in the fighting, especially in the battle of Palaven," Ferrus says, "I suggest we start on rectifying that as well considering how valuable one Lord is over scores of soldiers."

"One short erm solution would be to grant ascension of all the veteran apprentices who fought through the war," Tempestus says, "That should help fix the drop in available apprenticeships for now. Though in the long term, as much as it pains me to say it, we may just have to resort to inducting aliens into our ranks to further swell our numbers. Though that presents its own set of problems."

"Seem Ferrus is ahead of the curve on that one," Vafrem hums, "How is your pet project doing?"

"She's resentful but otherwise progressing," he replies, "When I return to Korriban, I shall break her faith in her civilization."

"Perhaps we use a more friendly approach with the others we try to recruit," Vafrem adds, "However, I fear we are moving into purely Order business. If there is nothing else we shall vote and ajourn for the time being."

All vote in favor of securing quarian loyalty, and they adjourn the meeting to return to their duties.

As the negotiations for the finer details of the peace treaty and assimilation of the Sith come to a close, the news is broadcast all throughout Citadel space and beyond. A public signing of The Treaty of Palaven is shown all throughout the galaxy.

"And with that, the Turian Hierarchy has indeed surrendered to the Sith Alliance. After the sacking of their home world of Palaven, the Citadel's military arm has, for the first time in history, has bowed their-"

"Ahhh!" Saren shouts as he blasts the screen apart with a shockwave, "Cowards! All of them, Cowards! The Sith are Savages! They are murderers and we are the protectors of the galaxy!"

He blasts the destroyed screen until it is all but dust in his hospital recovery room. Saren then lets loose more incoherent screams as he starts blasting apart everything he can see with his biotics. The continued effort drains him, and he loses the strength to stand. He attempts to catch himself with his nonexistent left arm and falls flat on his face.

"I'll kill them!" Saren growls as he pounds his fist against the ground, "I swear brother, I will kill their entire race and bring peace and order back to the galaxy. I swear it!"

"-go now to our crew at the Presidium as The Citadel Council gives their remarks about this development…"

It takes all his will not to grind his mandibles together in front of the podium. With all the eyes of The Citadel watching and millions more via broadcast, he cannot afford a mistake. He curses his luck, the spirits, and the Sith for putting him in such a humiliating position, but he would do his duty, as all turians do.

"Three months ago, as a patrol was monitoring relay 314, the relay was activated from the other end by the Sith species. Despite the policy and procedures instituted by the Citadel for first contact scenarios, the patrol went behind the Council's back, with authorization from Palaven High Command to police this new species and subjugate them as a client race for the Hierarchy, believing it to be in their best interest to grow under our wing. When the Sith resisted, we escalated the conflict by attempting to invade their colony of Shanxi, believing it to be their home world.

"During the invasion, turian forces destroyed a civilian transport attempting to flee, killing everyone aboard, the Sith justly declared war on us after that. In retaliation, their fleet arrived and exterminated our forces on and above the planet. After retreating to the Gaulium system, the Sith armada destroyed half of Torix in retribution for their murdered citizens. Thenceforth, the First Contact War, as it shall be known by all races, began and the Council was none the wiser.

"This needless conflict that began as a mistake by the Hierarchy, was escalated further and further by the subsequent actions of the Hierarchy to cover our blunders. The conflict has officially ended here at the Citadel with the Hierarchy's surrender to the Sith Alliance under the terms of The Treaty of Palaven. It is truly a shameful series of events that lead to our devastating defeat at Palaven, one that I hope that the Sith and the galaxy can one day forgive us for. My condolences go out to the families of all those who lost their lives because of my people's mistakes."

As Sparatus leaves the podium, the press erupts with questions and Tevos takes her place at the forefront and calms them, "Before we continue, The Citadel Council has made a decision regarding the current state of the galaxy. In light of The Sith Alliance's introduction into the galactic community and their generous contributions in technology and pledge of military dedication to the defense of The Citadel and all those under its banner, the Sith have been granted a position on the Citadel Council, with a modified position of within the Treaty of Farixen with four dreadnaughts to the Salarian Union and the Asari Republics' three and the Turian Hierarchy's five."

While there are still some applause at the news, there is also a wave of gasps and even jeers at Tevos as she raises her hand to silence the crowd, "I understand that long time associates of The Citadel would feel disregarded at this action, however, with the losses that The Hierarchy has sustained and the time it will take to rebuild, it is prudent that we work with The Sith Alliance to fortify our boarders and keep all our people safe. Their ships are far stronger than ours. While The Hierarchy has lost thousands of vessels, the Sith have lost only hundreds. That technology is now brought to each of us.

"With their seat, we have put them into a better position to distribute their knowledge and aid the galaxy in a greater capacity. Even with this new edition, The Council will continue to serve all races of The Citadel as we have for centuries. Let us not let this event divide us any further, instead I encourage everyone to see what the council can see, opportunity and advancement. As such, before we begin with any further questions, I have invited the Sith Parliament Consul, Anita Goyle, to share a few words with us."

The audience claps and Tevos steps aside as Goyle takes the podium, shaking the asari councilor's hand and putting on her best speech face to address the masses of aliens.

"My fellow sentients of the Citadel, it gives me great pleasure to accept this offer to join your galactic community. Though we were not under any delusion that we were alone in this universe, we did not anticipate such a sprawling collection of individuals were awaiting us to join them. As many of you have no doubt been able to tell, our technology is far different than any you've ever encountered. We have managed to traverse the stars without the primary aid of mass effect, and that has allowed us the opportunity to grow along a different path. Our shields are stronger, our weapons hit harder, and our FTL is leagues faster. There is much for us to give and to gain in the Citadel. In my religion we say that peace is a false ideal and that passion is the driving power behind the universe, and I know that it is the passion that resides in us all that will allow each and every one of us to reach our highest potential. Thank you, and may The Force be with us."

When the time comes to appoint an official councilor to the Citadel, High Command chooses Consul Goyle to take up the mantle. Half for convenience, and half for her prior acquaintance with the other members. As she is officially sworn in and the Sith take their place alongside the other leaders of the galaxy, the first of the Sith terms of the treaty come into effect soon after, with the return of turian POWs. Several Sith transports arrive at the Citadel with some select Star Destroyers including Darth Vafrem's ship: The Eye of Resplendent Opulence, and The Judgement of Marr. Suttles arrive to the Citadel docs by the dozens, and many turians in the station await the arrival of their lost loved ones.

The residents of the Citadel gasp as the doors to the lower levels open up and lines of turian prisoners are marched out in chains. Droids pull the line forward as troopers march besides the lines with blasters at the ready. The captured soldiers are pulled through the streets of The Citadel for all to see headed by the famous/infamous General Williams, a Star of Korriban now pinned to his uniform, and Darth Vafrem. After the lengthy parade, complete with weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, the convoy arrives at the Presidium where Williams salutes the trio of Sith representatives alongside the Councilors.

"Ma'am, Sir, Milord, I have the prisoners accounted for, if any are not here then they have departed from the plane of the living," Williams reports.

"Thank you, General," Goyle says.

"Release them at once," Sparatus growls, "That was our agreement.

Williams sneers at the councilor, but Goyle intervenes, "Of course, of course. General, you may release the prisoners of war."

He relays the orders to the troopers and the restraints of each line of soldiers drop one by one. The former prisoners make hasty getaways and rush to the lines where doctors, officers and desperate family members wait to meet them. As the reunions, checkups and debriefings go on, General Williams departs back to the docks, wanting as little to do with the aliens as possible, and Tevos makes an observation.

"Curious, I thought that there would be more. Lord Atrior…"

She looks over to where the Dark Lord had been standing but finds no trace of the assassin. Darth Vafrem speaks up on this, "You must forgive him, he is not one to stick around where he is unneeded, and now that I am here to replace him, he's gone off to his other duties. I am Darth Vafrem, Head of the Pyramid of Arts. I met with your ambassador over holo-call. A pleasure to meet you all."

Tevos bows her head, "It is our pleasure as well. I am Councilor Tevos, this is Councilor Belis and Councilor Sparatus."

He bows his head towards them and turns to Goyle, "Anita, always lovely to see you again. To answer your question about the low number of prisoners, however, I'm afraid the deliberate targeting of our fleeing citizens in the Battle of Shanxi created a very strong no-prisoner sentiment amongst our troops. Coupled with the fact that our basic ground forces were the last to receive translation programs in their implants and equipment, there weren't a great number of survivors until they began surrendering en masse. My condolences."

Sparatus begrudgingly bows his head, "Thank you, Lord Vafrem. Mine as well to the innocent lost at your colony. A tragedy that shall not be forgotten."

"I truly do appreciate that," Vafrem says, "It tells me much about your character to hear such from you."

Sparatus bows his head, "Pardon me, but there is much that still needs my attention regarding the reconstruction of our worlds."

"Do not be afraid to call upon my people's services," Vafrem says, "Though we were enemies, we need not continue as such."

Sparatus ponders some excuse for a moment, "That is very generous. Unfortunately, however, that decision would fall to the Primarch. I will have to convene with him about such actions."

Vafrem smirks, "Understandable. May The Force be with you."

Sparatus nods and walks away from the group as Belis leans closer to Tevos, "I think he's finally learned to keep his temper in check."

"Somewhat at least," she replies as she steps closer to Vafrem, "Lord Vafrem?"

"Yes, my dear, how may I aid you at this time?" he puts on an infectious smile.

There are many within The Citadel's diplomatic departments that are hosting a gala this evening cycle in celebration of the official end of the war and the Sith joining the council. Being such a high ranking official, it would be an honor to have you join us there as well."

"I would be absolutely delighted to attend such an event," Vafrem says, "Though forgive me that I am not quite dressed for the occasion at the moment. I will have to retrieve something more elegant from my ship before I arrive tonight."

"I fear I have far too much to do in setting up my organization, but I will be sending someone in my stead," Goyle says.

"Splendid," Tevos smiles, "Here is the address and your pass to the event. I imagine all eyes will be on what the leading Sith figure will be wearing, one of the most anticipated things in asari high society is keeping up with the newest fashion trends from the newer races."

"Well, it seems our two races have yet another thing in common," Vafrem replies, I will see you then, madam."

She bows slightly and departs as Goyle and Vafrem make their way back to the docks.

You're really going to this, Milord?" she asks.

"But of course, it would be rude to decline an invitation, even one made with intentions so obviously mired in subterfuge. Besides, any excuse to get off this station for a while without sacrificing face is fine by me. Trying to use my powers here makes me feel off, I have no idea how Atior made it so long without complaint," Vefrem responds, "Now if you'll excuse me, I must prepare, there is still work to be done."

"Oh, is that what you call it?" Goyle rolls her eyes with a smirk, "I assumed you were just trying to be the first to create a Sith/asari hybrid."

Vafrem ignores her comment as he muses aloud what he should wear. In the end he arrives at the large balcony overlooking the upper wards later that evening in a crimson robe with a black vestment and golden accents. Such a loud and obvious ensemble of an outfit sends the desired message that the Sith stand out. Other officials of the Alliance brought in to aid Goyle in her new duties stand scattered about the area but none are so enthused about participation with the aliens. Vafrem dives right in, seeking out Tevos, turning every unprepared head as he passes in the haughtiest stride he can walk. He finds her between a few discreet guards mingling near her person.

"Madam Councilor, how wonderful to see you again, and thank you for the invitation."

"Lord Vafrem," she looks him up and down, approval lighting up in her eyes, "I cannot say I could imagine what sort of clothing you would opt to wear tonight, but this exceeds any of my wildest expectations. I can see many a party goer here trying to recreate something for future events."

"Thank you, it is good to know that an artist's work is appreciated," Vafrem replies.

"Don't tell me you are the one behind this marvel," Tevos' eyes widen.

"But of course, I seek mastery in all aspects of creativity, including synthweaving naturally," he gloats.

"Consider me a bit jealous then," she replies, "I never thought to apply much time to such pursuits in my lifetime, but your level of mastery has caused me to question my previous assumptions."

"Sith culture is very important to me, I am happy to see it spread throughout the wider galaxy, even if just among those who can afford it."

They both have a good chuckle at that, "Well, I won't try to monopolize your time here. I'm certain there are scores of others who would love to meet you."

"And I look forward to meeting them. Until next time, Madam Councilor."

He bows and then strides through the crowds of the Citadel's most prominent figures. Dodging overt attempts of bugging from various 'service staff' members, he regales himself to the upper echelon of the Citadel. In a matter of minutes, he identifies the curious up-and-comers he can use and the more rooted elements that stand in his way.

He woos the asari with the tales of the Old Empire, though sensing they regard it as mythology, as well as passages of old literature from both the archives and human history. The salarians are kept at interest with his limited knowledge of alchemy and their own feeble attempts at planting listening devices on his person. Even the very limited turians that entertain his presence are attentive to his recounting of the labor rebellion years prior and the response of the Order of Sith Lords.

The party progresses well into the night cycle of The Citadel with Vafrem still going on as if festivities have only begun. It is now, as most of the guests have departed, that SPECTRE Ales V'tilyt approaches him. She moves across the balcony dressed in a striking red dress that shows off her well-maintained body and adorned in fine golden jewelry. She makes certain that she stays just out of the Dark Lord's sight until he finishes his time with a group of departing guests.

"Pardon me, Sir," she grabs his attention, "You would not happen to be Darth Vafrem, would you?"

He smiles back at her with an almost sincere expression, "That I am, my dear. I must say what an honor it is to be recognized, Miss…"

"Iessiala, Rilelphea Iessiala, Milord, I work as an aid to Councilor Tevos," she bows in reply, "And the honor is surely mine to meet one of the most accomplished Sith in the galaxy."

"You're far to kind, Miss Iessiala," he inclines his head at her for a moment, "Though I fear you have me at a disadvantage, I'm afraid that I cannot recall any deed of mine that would warrant any asari from referring to me as exceptionally accomplished."

"I admit that while I am not familiar with your work directly, I have observed enough about your culture to know that your title carries with it a notation of immense power and accomplishment."

Vafrem chuckles to himself, "While true, if you were expecting raw strength, the likes of my colleagues Darth Tempestus and Darth Ferrus. I'm afraid that you will not find such feats from me. I am far more concerned with the subtleties of The Force and how one may use it to enrich the lives of those under our banner, or rather The Citadel's banner as it were now. I am the head of the Pyramid of Arts in The Order of the Sith Lords. My organization works to preserve our heritage, maintain the majesty of our current culture, and use The Force to push us into the future."

"Wow, that seems like quite a daunting task, though I imagine that you have many subordinates to carry out the more intricate tasks."

"You would be correct, but there are a great number of duties that I prefer to take upon myself. Learning new ways of expression is a great passion of mine, it's what keeps me going throughout life's lulls. There is a certain satisfaction to be gain laboring with one's own hands in something. Like crafting a masterpiece that will outlast you and knowing it was by your own hand it was brought to be. Though I suppose that keeping culture is different for asari, considering your longevity and ability to express the ideas of your mind so perfectly with others, even those not of your race. It is a most marvelous gift your people have, second only to The Force, naturally."

He leads him towards a far wall, away from most of the few remaining guests, "If you are so interested in experiencing a meld, it is custom for my people to exchange language with new cultures we meet. I would be honored to share my knowledge of Thessian with you. I would also admit to being just a bit eager to learn Sith Basic as well."

Vafrem senses danger involved but pushes the warning aside, "Are you certain you want to know what transpires within the wicked mind of a Dark Lord of the Sith?"

"Why?" she teases right back, "Is the great and powerful Dark Lord afraid that a lowly asari will steal his deepest secrets?"

He smirks, "I would be hard pressed to refer to one of the legendary Council SPECTREs as but a lowly asari."

Her grin falters for a fraction of a second but she catches herself, "I see that the tales of a Sith Lord's sensory prowess are not exaggerated. It appears that I'm found out then."

Vafrem laughs, "I'm afraid there was nothing to find. I knew the moment you approached me with a concealed weapon, that impressive musculature, and eyes of a woman who has spent years, likely many decades in your case, in combat. I'd still be willing to meld with you if you'd like. I wasn't lying when I said that learning new forms of expression is a passion of mine."

"How very straightforward of you," she replies.

"I'm a classical Sith, I wear my desires and emotions on my sleeves," he says tugging at the hem of his sleeves.

She doesn't bother with a fake laugh and just smiles at him, "You are quite different from what most imagine your kind to be."

"I do hope that different does not mean bad in this case," he replies.

"Certainly not," she says lifting her hand up, "May I? Melding requires physical contact."

He leans his head forward, "Not at all."

She touches him as her eyes go black, "Embrace Eternity."

The first thing the SPECTRE finds is a mental wall, the strongest she's ever encountered. Forged from years of mental discipline in a hostile training environment, there's not a single chink for her to exploit. Then he opens up to exchange linguistic knowledge. The moment Vafrem does, however, she feels so much more. Him, her, everyone around them, the Citadel, the very stars themselves; she senses it all. It is as if her soul itself is thrust into everything in the universe as she experiences the full breadth of The Force.

However, as her mind flows out into The Force, The Force, in turn, floods into her mind. With no ability to control it, The Force dominates her mind and pulls all her memories and knowledge through the connecting medium, Vafrem. Stupefied at the foreign memories entering his mind, he acts passively as her knowledge becomes his. After The Force takes in all that her mind has to offer, the connection cuts and the SPECTRE falls to the floor, dead and with a look of pure ecstasy on her face.

He sifts through his new memories. While possessing mental abilities well above most Sith Lords, the centuries of information from Ales' brain struggle to find proper places among the Dark Lord's reorienting mind. He catches only snippets of her life at first, the memories coming in flashes. However, as his mind reorients, some memories find themselves being put into place besides his own. Even the limited information he can decipher is more than he could hope to gather in a single night from this party. Covered up operations, Citadel secrets, blackmail, and a long history of combat are all right there at his beck and call, along with many new learned languages to boot.

However, as he turns his senses upon the few guests, his worst fear comes to pass. All the genuine good will he's fostered over the course of the evening wiped out from a single unforeseen wrench in the plan instigated by an asari agent. Sure most of them are already gone, but people talk and soon everyone within most higher circles will know. So consumed with this development that he only now notices Tevos approach with armed guards pointing weapons at him.

"What's going on here?!"

He remains silent for a moment as he holds his hand over the SPECTRE, "She's dead, extreme hemorrhaging within the brain."

"What did you do?!" one turian officer demands as he raises his sidearm.

The turian then finds an ignited lightsaber at his throat as Vafrem's patience grinds down to nothing in the heat of the ordeal, "I've done naught but assume that your little SPECTRE spy could do something as simple as a meld, considering it's such an integral part of her culture. I opened my mind to exchange languages with her and then her entire memory flooded into mine without any action from me."

Vafrem senses all the anger in Tevos turn to fear in an instant. He attempts to turn his powers against her further, but his mind still reels with the influx of new memories. Gaining control of himself, he extinguishes his lightsaber and bows his head to Tevos, swallowing his pride, "Forgive me, this seems to be a very horrific accident. I had no idea that my powers in The Force would react so terribly with a meld, and from her memories, neither did you considering you performed some on our ungifted soldiers. I will personally make restitutions-"

"No need!" Tevos interrupts with only the slightest hint of terror in her voice, "As you said, this was an accident, you could not have known your powers would kill her so I see no reason to charge you for what has happened here. And don't worry, I can keep this incident quite if you would like."

Vafrem kicks himself internally, there goes at least one line of political ammunition, "You have my gratitude, Councilor. Though I sense that my presence here is far less welcome because of this misstep. I shall at the very least take her body to be properly tended to."

"Worry not, we have a medical team on standby for events such as this, though it is typically for diplomats who have taken a bit too much to drink over something so lethal. I called them the moment that Ales had collapsed."

Vefrem reaches out his senses and detects a group of Salarians moving across the balcony towards them. They arrive in a second and place her body on a stretcher, covering her up with a sheet. Vafrem fights to keep his emotions in check as Tevos claims the political victory over him and costs him a lot of diplomatic power over her. New plans begin forming over the ruins of the old ones, but those are filed away for another day.

"This place must be dulling my senses," he groans as he follows behind the medical team transporting the diseased SPECTRE out of the party, "Tempestus is going to be so insufferable when he finds out about this."

Reviews:

FallenMetalGod: THose two races are definitly the one's who will be on the Sith's radar, the krogan mostly for the reasons you've said, thoug with the quarians, keeping them under their thumbs is very preferable at this point.

Asharzal: To be fair, 2000 years of status que takes a will do that to the dominant power.

TsknRaider: I was thinking that the wave of fear would be enough to hide most of it, since no one in the room was in their right mind and the Sith could scape goat it, if not outright deny it by saying that the technique only works on the feeble minded. However, in hindsight I did use Force Persuade a little too much.

DublinChaos: The meeting is private so no one but the guards, Sith, and Councilors know what is going on.

helkil: The council may suspect, but will not put it together due to having to admit to being weak minded.

kite15663: Not direct control, just persuading to move the negotiations along the desired paths. They will more or less brainwash every Force Sensitive they can get their hands on, and failing that, keep them within arm's reach.

BrotherCaptainShepard: I'm using it more in the 'gaze in an unpleasant way,' but I see your point.

anubis1650: Regarding the asari, Tevos does have some resistance to it, as Atrior couldn't get the full thought into her mind. As for salarians, I figured they would actually accept it more readily since they are processing so fast, they don't halt for error. Like how a fast metabolism is more vulnerable to disease.

Lord Malum: Minoram is at this point not a part of the larger story, though that may change if I need her back. As for Hermina, she will make some appearances throughout the story, she's an apprentice to a Dark Lord afterall.

CheeseusChrist15: I will do my best.

ReaperCB919: yes, and a great many other words that would describe someone who has been in power too long and remained unchallenged.

hellion117: pretty much, or just loopholed so hard they don't even really matter.

Princess Moon Dew: There are many bridges that will be sold to the Citadel races.

spartainzerg: It was my thought that they could explain away some of it through the wave of terror that Atrior released, but I admit I went too far.

NaWolfe: WHile they may have tendencies towards certain behaviors to one side of The Force or the other, I don't beleive it makes enough of a difference when only one side is doing the teaching. Also, The Force is definitely trying to correct the imbalance in the Milk Way. Considering The Force is the energy of life, and the Reapers can process most species just fine, I don't think it would be a problem.

MonsieurL.A: I agree, I took it too far. You actually present great idea that works well into the future of the story with a Sith Enclave at The Citadel.

FerunaLutelou: Well Episode I is ending and Episode II will be many years later, so your wish is coming.

CAV: They'll put the mind tricking together eventually but by that time they'll lose face if they admit it and the Dark Lords will have very limited interaction with the council from this poit forward anyway. He's find, just flash-banged by The Force.

ShadowCub: I saw it more as gloating over an enemy, but I see your point, though I'm not sure what teleportation you are talking about.

Cerberusx: Obviously they'll aim for the most power.

MichaelBishopone: Technically all the current Sith are the descendants of all the Sith that came through to the Milky Way.

candel06: That was My thinking as well.

Lazyfox1991: despite their losses, they still have the largest fleet in The Citadel, in terms of numbers. Most of the other races aren't going to try something, and the asari and salarians definitly aren't going to do anyhting to cost them their 3/4 majority.

SIDoragon: Sorry to disappoint you with the lack of screwing over the turians, but the batarians will not be getting off as well as they did in canon if that is any consolation.

MichaelBishopone: the thing is that Shepard is in his late twenties by the time the story ends, and the Dark Lords will be in their sixties to eighties with many decades of experience and study in the Dark Side, so he won't exactly be able to challenge them even if he wanted.

Cathienes: I suppose I took the quarian statement at face value and never really questioned it considering the entire human fifth fleet was shooting at Sovereign for an extended amount of time and did nothing to it until it's barriers were shorted by Shepard. I see your point there then. They can definitly fiddle around with it, it would likely make their turbolasers much longer ranged. Also part of the reason they didn't tinker with it up to now was more a lack of having it and not the lack of desire.

Phantasys: At this point, every asari mother/father would be worried for their daughters sleeping with Sith.

I know I said that this should be the last chapter, but the later half was not only getting too long, but it was so different from the rest of the chapter that I decided to make it it's own thing, hence the next chapter, Aftermath. Which I am releasing simultaneously with this one. The War is finally over, and no one is as excited for peace as the Sith, honest. Saren gets one last scene before the episode ends and he is not happy with this turn of events. Vafrem screws up at the gala big time, though it isn't his fault necessarily. Despite his farseeing abelites, he is still very much faultable especially when it comes to his vanity. His idea for a Force Sensitive asari/Sith hybrid is seemingly doomed to fail. Aftermath will give closure to all the major players of this chapter and set some of the ground work for the changes to the story from canon. I you like this fic and want to see Episode II turn out better, leave a review to tell me what you thought worked and what you thought failed.

Have a great day and I'll see y'all next time!