Anatomy of the Court of Ilium

By Major Dahant

Background of Planet

Asari Republics haven't had same attitude toward Terminus Systems as Salarian Union or Turian Hierarchy, historically. First settlers of region were Lystheni separatists. Salarian Union said "okay, so long, good luck." Excess valve seemed like healthy thing. People who disliked Salarian Union went away and didn't come back. Tolerance of Terminus emigration simple, cheap, humane way of ensuring Union's stability. Turian Hierarchy joined Citadel Council one thousand years later. Adopted same attitude to Terminus emigration as Salarian Union. By that time Terminus cartels already notable, but still seemed like manageable menace.

Terminus emigration also endorsed by peripheral powers of Council Space proper. Blacklisted Volus monopolists invested in production of illegal narcotics. Dispossessed Krogan warlords established mercenary companies capable of giving galaxy's formal militaries pause. But was Batarian Hegemony that really took excess valve concept to, er, excess. Terminus Systems flooded with yangban rivals of Hegemony nomenklatura and with desperate poor. Over centuries Batarian freedmen mafias evolved into cartel-kin. As ruthless as former masters, but smarter and more aggressive. Culture of lawlessness flourished.

Truly native peoples of Terminus Systems: Vorcha and formerly Quarians. Vorcha of no help imposing order, obviously. For brief window it appeared Rannoch Constitutional Monarchy might inspire some progress in region; but all gone with Geth rising. From there Terminus Systems only ever devolved. By time of Covenant War, Salarian Union and Turian Hierarchy felt that quarantining Terminus chaos was imperative.

Asari Republics felt somewhat differently. Never saw emigration as something permanent. Asari, particularly 'young' ones, left for Terminus Systems, yes. But most came back. Sometimes came back only hundreds of years later, but still, came back. Asari electorate unwilling to brook notion that Terminus Systems should ever be totally severed from wider galactic community. Established colony of Ilium.

Ilium a planet of Terminus Asari. Bridge between Terminus Systems and Council Space proper, center of galaxy's grey market. Surrounded on all sides by danger, but not dangerous itself. Appreciated by Terminus powers. Semi-respected by the Citadel Council. Very wealthy.

Covenant Empire found and opened Haivattan Gate, invaded Terminus Systems, charged straight to edge of Asari Republics and Salarian Union. Conquered more people than San'Shyuum Hierarchs knew what to do with. Not orderly people, either. Hierarchs decided to invent title "Terminus Exarch," grant title to a San'Shyuum tolerable to all three Hierarchs. Terminus Exarch made responsible for integrating conquered worlds into the Covenant.

Terminus Exarch cast about for suitable world to establish new court. Found Ilium. Planet's prestige gave Exarchate regime veneer of legitimacy, residents of Ilium opportunistic enough to work with Covenant, overelaborate architecture appealed to San'Shyuum aesthetic sensibility.

Some good news: STG long-embedded on Ilium. Made work of infiltrating Exarchate much easier.

Character of Terminus Exarch

Note: high-ranking San'Shyuum adopt titles as names. Obnoxious custom. Makes writing more difficult.

Terminus Exarch is seventy years old. Born "Ertad Mirik," on High Charity. Good grades in school. When reached adulthood, joined Ministry of Concert, government body tasked with administering lower castes. Assigned to fulfill religious duties on Palamok, homeworld of Yanme'e. Not prestigious posting, but apparently enjoyed work. Made friends with Queen Tahrasp.

Around age of thirty Mirik returned to High Charity, started climbing Ministry's ranks. Earned reputation as foremost San'Shyuum advocate of Yanme'e. Wanted to get rid of laws restricting Yanme'e queens' freedom of movement (policy of Covenant was to make liberal use of Yanme'e drones, but keep queens isolated to select planets, on theory that drones basically free labor but queens far too smart for own good). Never made real headway on this, but did other respectable work on behalf of Covenant lower castes. Also married young woman Hiri Avish. San'Shyuum women all take given name Presvytera upon marriage along with spouse's surname, so now Presvytera Mirik.

By age of forty-five Ertad Mirik named Minister of Concert. Shortly afterwards, news reached High Charity of antecedent mass effect relay discovered by Kig-Yar surveyors. Confused reports from Kig-Yar said two-thirds of galaxy now open to Covenant, one dozen new intelligent species discovered. Initial reaction of High Charity was disbelief. No established mechanisms for sifting truth from Kig-Yar dissimulation, so Concert created some. Found Kig-Yar privateers he judged reliable, sent them into Terminus Systems, encouraged them to embark on mercenary careers there. Kig-Yar privateers-cum-Terminus mercenaries sent intelligence reports back to High Charity.

Prophets of Diligence, Intrepidity, Sagacity decided to launch war of conquest. All enthusiastic (Diligence's paranoid "Reaper Relays" fantasy not yet developed). Hierarchs appreciated Concert's service in gathering information through Kig-Yar, plus found Concert's non-partisan standing useful. Invasion launched five years after discovery of Haivattan Gate, to great initial success. Hierarchs named Concert Terminus Exarch.

Terminus Exarch established Court of Ilium, bringing with him Presvytera Mirik and, from Palamok, old friend Queen Tahrasp. First policy was to award numerous Deeds of Settlement to Yanme'e queens. Exarch saw this as way to rectify what he felt was old injustice done to Yanme'e, but policy did not endear him to Terminus populations he was supposed to be winning over. Terminus populations saw Yanme'e as Rachni, hated Yanme'e even more than Sangheili or Jiralhanae.

Terminus Exarch not good at job. Interesting, because was by all accounts pretty good at jobs held while working for Ministry of Concert. Different tasks. Terminus Exarch not so bad at administering lower castes already incorporated into Covenant, but Exarch still clueless as to how he should pacify conquered races not as yet assimilated.

Told Lystheni and Terminus Salarians they were same thing. Told Terminus Turians they should stop "dividing" selves with colony marks, tattoo faces with Forerunner glyphs instead. Merits of Covenant caste system aside, judgements pointlessly aggravating. Even most defensible instance of imperialistic insensitivity- emancipation drives for Terminus Batarian nobi- implemented in very poorly thought out, planet-by-planet way. Is not planet-by-planet issue, Batarian yangban not quite stupid enough to be tricked into thinking it is; so while Exarch won over only minority of nobi, embittered virtually all yangban.

Terminus Exarch and Presvytera Mirik are still only San'Shyuum known to permanently reside in Terminus Systems (well, won't be permanent when we're through with them). Have now lived on Ilium for over a decade, and strain of distance from own community is taking mental toll. Terminus Exarch of course knows that home of High Charity is now roiled by Relay Dissension, but on Ilium and thus isolated from High Charity political currents, has no special insight into why. Exarch is conscious that war with Citadel Council has begun to go wrong way for Covenant, conscious that his own initiatives usually fail, conscious that while before war was fairly popular with Covenant lower castes he is now one of most hated figures in galaxy.

Should try to take some solace in company of Ilium Asari, but, out of loyalty to Presvytera Mirik or some other scruple, to STG's knowledge does not.

Notable Courtiers

Presvytera Mirik

San'Shyuum always led by males, but otherwise gender norms not well understood, so hard to say whether Exarch's relationship with his Presvytera is culturally typical. Couple has no children. One or both may have run afoul of San'Shyuum eugenic policies and been placed on "Roll of Celibates." Impossible to know. San'Shyuum traditionally careless with state secrets except as regards this subject. Issue surrounded with impenetrable layers of formal privacy protections and informal taboos of silence. Has never occurred to San'Shyuum this one part of their government we couldn't care less about.

Presvytera Mirik has decent relationship with native leadership, even native masses, of Ilium. Seems to have genuine interest in, affection for Asari culture. More than her husband, made Court of Ilium into part of Ilium society. Among Covenant figures in Terminus Exarchate, Presvytera Mirik has closest thing to real popularity among wide public. Unsuspected by her, many of Mirik's Ilium associates are STG assets, so we should see her influence as fine. Presvytera Mirik's grasp of actual policy terribly slim. Great advocate of educating (or, it is Covenant, indoctrinating) Vorcha. Asari friends must know this is useless, but don't ever tell her.

Fleet Master Jalprukai

Highest-ranking Sangheili officer on Ilium. Task is not to set overall strategy of Covenant war effort- that is for Fleet Masters on High Charity. Jalprukai's mandate is to supply Covenant war machine with resources and industrial output of Terminus Systems. This means Sangheili-led forces on Rimward, Central and Coreward Fronts; and also Jiralhanae-led gendarmerie. Sangheili-led forces actually draw most of their supply from resources and industrial output of classical Covenant, beyond Haivattan Gate, so Jiralhanae gendarmes argue Jalprukai should give them higher priority. Jalprukai disagrees. He is competent enough logistician, but consciously chooses to withhold resources gendarmerie really does need.

Jalprukai always argues with Great Chieftain Argurus, leader of Jiralhanae gendarmerie. Jiralhanae and Sangheili have parallel ranking systems, Jalprukai and Argurus both believe they outrank the other. Jalprukai regularly belittles Argurus for gendarmerie's failure to put down the Martollan Warpath, saying it is preposterous that Argurus demands so many resources for what should be easily accomplished police action (Jalprukai has never seen Krogan in combat, and Covenant still somehow does not know we are arming Martollans covertly). It is Terminus Exarch's job to litigate these disputes, Exarch usually favors Jalprukai.

Great Chieftain Argurus

Leader of Jiralhanae gendarmerie. Jiralhanae given only token representation in creation of High Charity strategic policy, so Argurus is effectively most prominent of all Jiralhanae race. Hides deep resentment of how Covenant has waged its war, does not even bother to hide deep resentment of Sangheili. Believes (probably wrongly) that if Jiralhanae had been allowed to fight on Rimward, Central, and Coreward Fronts, Covenant would have taken Citadel long ago. Believes (probably rightly) that, if properly supplied by Fleet Master Jalprukai, gendarmerie could have put Martollan Warpath down in cradle. These beliefs very common among Jiralhanae leadership and very promising for us. We must inflame Jiralhanae-Sangheili tensions wherever possible. Will not belabor this point, is already well-understood.

Great Chieftain Argurus finds life on Ilium stifling and frustrating, but does have warm feelings for Asari mistress. Attempt to recruit mistress as STG asset failed. Mistress ripped STG agent to pieces with warp attack and presented head to Argurus as gift. Relationship evidently based on mutual affection rather than transaction.

Gulsar Jiq

Volus mining magnate. Terminus Exarch didn't take well to Volus as a group. San'Shyuum don't understand economics, have backwards views on "usury." Many Terminus Volus clans dispossessed and ruined. Jiq Clan an exception. Weren't in banking, were in mining. More respectable to Covenant. Gulsar Jiq cut deal to supply Covenant war machine with needed minerals, in exchange for use of Rhulolekgolo and Sbaolekgolo excavation platforms along with payment. Did very well for himself and Jiq Clan. Volus-Lekgolo mining colonies now becoming more crucial to Covenant as Krogan, Unggoy, some other mining worlds revolt and join Martolla Compact.

Gulsar Jiq respected by Terminus Exarch. Under Covenant has made himself into one of wealthiest individuals in galaxy. Secretly dislikes Covenant anyway. Tells Exarch it was right to dispossess Volus lenders but doesn't believe it. Gulsar not himself an STG asset, but Jiq cousins are. Gulsar suspects this, tells cousins everything he knows anyway. Through analysis of Jiq resource transportation STG can predict course of any Covenant offensive. Penetration of Jiq Clan may be most important wartime achievement of STG, even if less theatrical than blowing up Arbiter number five with bomb hidden in dropship.

Matriarch Sarvirta

Most prominent of Ilium's native collaborationists. Helped colonize the planet six hundred years ago. Storied career as an agent of Shadow Broker network. As Shadow Broker network fractured in course of Covenant invasion, Sarvirta traveled to High Charity and suggested reconstituting parts of network as Covenant intelligence service. At imperial level, Sarvirta out-lobbied by Batarian cartel-kin and failed. But formed association with Terminus Exarch (still Minister of Concert at time), so trip not wasted. Probably played role in convincing Exarch to establish his court on Ilium.

Sarvirta serves dual role. She is effective leader of Ilium's Asari population and minority populations, and deals with all planetary concerns. Also serves as source of information for Terminus Exarch that is not beholden to other Covenant powers. Terminus Exarch cannot entirely trust Anuranite Lustration, as new institution is tool of Prophet of Sagacity, and thus, partisan force (Batarian cartel-kin also just generally untrustworthy). Sarvirta's network not well-penetrated by STG. Long experience in Shadow Broker network not gone to waste. But Sarvirta's successor network is not big threat either. Unsanctioned by High Charity, without dark income from governments and corporations of Council Space that once made Shadow Broker network so formidable, resources are quite limited.

Yor Dazyun

Representative of Anuranite Lustration on Ilium, scion of same Dazyun dynasty which heads infamous collaborator government of Omega Station. Nepotism serious problem in Anuranite Lustration, Yor Dazyun case in point. Fumbling efforts at counterintelligence on Ilium countered with most basic STG procedures. Some smarter higher-ups in Lustration, but all on High Charity along with Prophet of Sagacity. Dazyun only really responsible for balancing needs of Terminus Exarch with demands of Prophet of Sagacity. But always, always gives precedence to demands of Sagacity, so Terminus Exarch prefers intelligence drawn from Matriarch Sarvirta, which Dazyun resents, so he is always accusing Sarvirta's network of being penetrated by STG, even though we have been far more successful at penetrating Lustration.

Exarch has lately tasked Anuranite Lustration with emancipating Terminus Batarian nobi, on reasoning it is job that should be done by Batarians. Dazyun's reaction typical of his institution- not hostile, but not enthusiastic. Cartel-kin ultimately derive from nobi; but neurotic about this, typically even deny it. Mystified beliefs regarding own origins. Want to see themselves as of noble background, only reduced to vice by decadence of nomenklatura and yangban. If in Anuranite Lustration, want to believe that making Batarian race into a Covenant caste somehow advances cause of Batarian nationalism. Lustration would be considerably more formidable if cartel-kin (or really Batarians of all social classes) did not have such need to believe own lies.

Queen Tahrasp

Terminus Exarch's old Yanme'e friend. Most San'Shyuum apparently find their relationship as odd as we do. No, should not be snide or dismissive here. Queen Tahrasp brilliant mind, only really brilliant mind in Court of Ilium. Probably not coincidence that she does not live in glittering capital of Nos Astra with rest of court, but instead lives deep underground in dark Ilium caverns, surrounded only by Yanme'e drones.

Tahrasp is regularly consulted by Jiq for advice on mining, Jalprukai for advice on logistics, and Argurus for advice on planning attacks; and advice they receive is always sound. Most good, original ideas that Court of Ilium has come from Tahrasp. Terminus Exarch is fully aware of this, does not mind, even takes especial pride in advocacy for Queen Tahrasp and her kind. Should note that Tahrasp's depth and breadth of knowledge does not mean Exarch's policy of sponsoring Yanme'e colonization in occupied Terminus Systems, inspired by Tahrasp, is not mistaken from any point of view apart from Yanme'e sectionalism. Yanme'e queens usually much, much less xenophilic than Tahrasp, and Tahrasp may be faking.

Summation

So long as information we learn from Jiq Clan assets continues to prove reliable, Court of Ilium more liability for Covenant than asset. Terminus Exarch and Presvytera Mirik's initiatives ineffective or of harmless humanitarian value. Fleet Master Jalprukai and Great Chieftain Argurus individually formidable enemies, but together make less than sum of parts. Gulsar Jiq probably wants us to win war. Matriarch Sarvirta and Yor Dazyun simply not as good at their jobs as us.

Queen Tahrasp alone is target. Should assassinate if possible, but hard to do with two-ton genius that lives in fortified underground cavern and rarely socializes.

High Charity, not Ilium, is real problem. Have much less to say about it, but only because Covenant capital lies inaccessible beyond Haivattan Gate. Even now, only lightly penetrated by STG.