"...We're talking twenty one-quadrillion FLOPS of processing power for each individual bot, networking algorithms which allow for advanced swarm tactics, utilizing real-time derivation and a constant analysis that can be fed to other combat droids. Remote telemetry integration for transparent access to every possible datastream and an electronic warfare suite with all kinds of defenses in place that keep the bot from being hacked.

Because 3-D warfare was so last generation, now we're talking 4-Dimensional warfare. Imagine a team of these droids analyzing, sharing data between each other and preparing for the kill before the targets even realize they're being targeted. Or just aimbotting the shit out of everything in their way during a breach and clear.

And then there is the advanced optic sensors that can detect acute eye movement when combined with the atmospheric sensors programmed for pheromone interpretation means no one will be able to tell a lie and get away with it. Then we have the duel servomotor and harmonic speed reducer drive unit actuators for generating kinetic energy equal to fighter jet engines and achieve speeds of up to 34 kilometers; finally dielectric haptics with integrated EAP micro actuators for unsurpassed motor precision.

So just if you want to leave an entire building with no one left alive you can or if you want someone alive for interrogation without turning them into a bloody pulp or crushing their skull you can do that too.

And as if that wasn't enough. each Gen-2 features the latest in energy cell technology, with a power pack that is capable of generating 20kW, twenty times more power then a peak human being. This of course provides each droid with a wide range of uses, from powering those custom-made rifles that require an alternate power source, to stunning a person upon contact with the droid. All of these internal components are of course protected by an hardened metal matrix composite chassis designed to provide unparalleled protection against radiation and physical impacts.

Mr. Harper we're not looking at one of those Cayman-Newton combat droids that might win 3 out of 10 fights against an exo-marine. We're talking warfare perfected.

This...this right here is the future..."

-Chief Scientist, Shartlo Hossle (Sanctum Gen-2 Warfare Testing Facility)

Timeline

2158

-Before entering Alliance space, the SSV Jon Grissom's Warmind completes its ninety thousandth simulation over the future state of affairs between the Systems Alliance and the Citadel Council. Using the collected data, the warmind comes to a conclusion, that within the next twenty years, the Citadel and Alliance governments will go to war, resulting in an assured victory in the Citadel's favor 89,999.35 times out of 90,000 and with a subsequent forced occupation and integration into the Citadel Council. The top staff of Alliance Command is quickly debriefed on the information as well as the results of the talks on the Citadel.

-The Committee of minds repeat their own simulations and achieve the same results in a matter of days; Humanity was guaranteed to go to War with the Citadel in the next twenty years unless they applied for Citadel membership and placed themselves under their laws.

-The Director of Alliance Affairs himself meets with the Councillors of the Citadel Council. The relationship between the Council and the Alliance, following his stay at the Citadel, are neutral and forced at best. Reviewed and looked over by numerous civilian and Warminds, new laws are enacted. Meant to garner a positive appearance for the Alliance and or postpone the possibility of war, the following are agreed upon and/or implemented:

Treaty of Farixen: Humanity may only possess as many dreadnoughts as the Turians. Any more would be a violation of Galactic law and subjected to an appropriate military response. (Unknown to the Citadel Council humanity as of 2158 only had four dreadnoughts in its arsenal. It would take thirty years for the Alliance to catch up to the level of the turians and thats without including the strain on humanity's economy)

Conduct of Warfare: The Systems Alliance must follow all Citadel Conventions over warfare, such as the ban over Orbital Bombardment, to the usage of species specific weapons, an attack on an Citadel Race will be met with a military response, etc.

Travel/Work Visas: An initial wave of 200,000 Council applicants may live and work in human space, as 200,000 Alliance Applicants may live and work in Council space. Due to Humanity's reluctance and fear of aliens, no aliens may enter the Sol System without System's Alliance authorization and out of the initial wave of applicants only 200 hundred applicants will be chosen to visit (This troubles the Citadel as it throws into question what Humanity has to hide in their home-system) In response, the Citadel Council tell the Systems Alliance the same.

Spectres: Since humanity remains as an individual political entity free from Council observation, Humanity will not be eligible for their own Spectres. Unfortunately for the Spectres, their status does not gain them extra privileges or merits in Systems Alliance space, and they too will be subjected to whatever territorial laws they are in. Nevertheless, Spectres will be seen as representatives of the Council, and any laws they break will be seen as a direct action from the Council.

Relay locations/Human space: Humanity may not colonize worlds in Council Space and vice versa. All relay locations must be shared.

-Shanxi is rebuilt in record time.

2159

-The recently wed Hannah Shepard gives birth to a pair of twins, John and Jane, named after Michael's father and Hannah's deceased best friend. Health complications later arise post-birth with Hannah Shepard in the form of a tumor.

-The colony of Elysium is founded in the Vetus System.

-The Alliance begins funding of weapons and military technologies that were originally considered "too expensive" or "unnecessary". The following are some of the goals the Alliance hopes of achieving within the next twenty years:

Fortification of Sol System: Despite their best attempts, the Alliance knew that the Sol System was no where near secure enough to combat pirating ships hold off against a relenting and aggressive alien invasion. In response, the Alliance will attempt to militarize every colony, every planet in the Sol System. Anti-air cannons, deep-ground bunkers and Satellite Defense Grids are becoming more common place.

Completion of A.R.K project: Small technologically advanced shelters containing hundreds of occupants are to be built across the galaxy on planets not yet explored by humanity or the Citadel Race.

Kinetic Barriers: Due to the fact that every species minus Humanity has this advantage, the Alliance is currently funding projects aimed at reverse engineering the turian's shielding technology and closing the gap between the Council's soldiers and the Alliance's Exo marines.

Next-Gen Robotic Warfare: Predicted warfare simulations made by Warminds show that in an average battle, human losses will exceed that of which the Alliance can afford. Regardless of how many troops humanity throws into a fight, the Council will be able to throw more, hence the necessity for machines of war.

Relay Removal: The main form of long-distance transportation comes in the form of Mass Relays. While human spaceships do use them, humanity does not necessarily need them, unlike Council races. Unfortunately, the only way of removing them as of today is by destroying them, which would be very consequential for whatever system the relay may reside in.

And finally, Allied Relations: The Systems Alliance knows that without any friends to help them, humanity is bound to lose no matter how much of a fight they put up. By the end of the year, diplomatic envoys are sent to the Quarian Migrant fleet, Krogan homeworld, and the Hanar and Elcor embassies on the Citadel.

2160

-After many setbacks and unforeseen events that slowed construction, Arcturus Station is finally complete. It is officially the center of the Systems Alliance, as a sign of diplomacy, Alliance Command welcomes the Citadel Council to visit it. They do not attend, instead opting to send Council Ambassadors.

-The religious group known as "The Order" reaches a record number of three hundred million members, making it one of the quickest growing religions of modern times. Many reporters attempt to find the religion's founder and fail.

-Jack Harper purchases Cord-Hislop Aerospace*.

-Funding for Terraforming projects on Venus are cancelled, the funding heads towards creating space-stations and mining out asteroids. Many scientists are upset at watching their life work disappear.

2161

-Shadowfall Protocol* becomes active. Sentinel STALKERS are sent throughout human space. All STALKERS have been given free reign to do what it takes to complete their shared mission. Captain David Anderson has been placed under house arrest*.

-Humanity's 5th dreadnought, the SSV Henry William*, enters service. Built from the orbital shipyard's of Saturn, the Henry Williams is recognized as the flagship of the 5th fleet. Being so, the ship is immediately stationed at Arcturus along with its fleet.

-Jack Harper purchases Terra Nova Commonwealth Bank

-Co-CEO, Jacob Hargreave, of Atlas Corporation purchases Yulktobonian Biomechanics, a limb exclusive augmentation company.

2162

-ExoGeni Corporation, one of two interstellar companies specializing in planetary exploration and colonization, sends probes to map Mercury's surface and subsequently loses contact while mapping a "Bermuda-Triangle" like area.

-Sentinel STALKERS have been granted emergency powers* from the Director of Alliance Affairs. All charges against David Anderson have been dropped.

-The Director of Alliance Affairs and Citadel Councillors butt heads over controversial issues including human augmentation, usage of military specific artificial intelligence, lack of providing knowledge over advanced military technologies, and reluctance of having aliens visit the Sol System. Tensions increase.

-Current status over relations with other alien races:

Talks with the Quarian Migrant Fleet have failed. Due to Humanity's usage of A.I's and trust in Warminds, the Quarians have forbidden any on their pilgrimage from entering human space.

Diplomacy with the Krogan has completely broken down after the Systems Alliance envoy were immediately fired upon entering Tuchanka's atmosphere, and with the realization that the krogan have no form of centralized government.

The Volus' own status as a client race of the Turian Hierarchy have made them reluctant to speak with the Systems Alliance, much less do business with them.

Relations with the Hanar are accepting but not necessarily better military wise for the Systems Alliance. Hanar missionaries are very common now around human regions.

Ties with the Elcor are non-existent, as they simply do not care enough to do anything with the humans, especially after denying membership into the Council.

There is only one remaining race that the Systems Alliance has not attempted to contact yet: the Batarians.

2163

-Prometheus Exploratory purchases over fifty square kilometers of land on what are seemingly empty plains in Eden Prime. Their explanation behind the purpose is stated to be "...to determine whether sufficient deposits of bio-gas were present to make large-scale diggings viable." Investigating reporters notice there is very little activity going on around the purchased area.

-Jack Harper gets in contact with an high-ranking batarian. Sentinels keep watch.

-Sentinels foil an anti-matter reactor sabotage attempt by an unidentified group of salarian forces.

-For unknown reasons, pirate attacks become more and more common on the outskirts of human space. investigators determine technology to be the target in most cases.

-Coalescence Corporation and Atlas Corporation, in what appears to be a long planned takeover, takes over ninety-five percent of the mechanical augmentation market.

-The Order reaches seven-hundred million members. Journalists who have infiltrated the church for the past few years have failed to get anywhere close to discovering the founder of the Order.

Shadowfall Protocol

Ever since the discovery of the Ghosts capabilities, Sentinel Command decided that the best way of keeping the Ghosts from causing harm or panic was to keep them monitored by Sentinels at all time. This would also allow them to study them and develop counter-measures if and when they needed them.

Unfortunately since their discovery, the Ghosts had been disappearing one by one, to locations unknown.

Following the disappearance of three Ghosts, Sentinel Command had trackers placed on the suits the Ghosts use. However, they would do little to prevent the events of 2161, in which after a series of unusual actions, the remaining twelve Ghosts suddenly disappeared. The trackers never showed them moving, no motion sensors were tripped, not even the Sentinels had noticed they had disappeared until many hours after their supposed absence.

In response, Shadowfall Protocol was enacted, Sentinels with prototype anti-Ghost countermeasures were assigned to, if possible, bring the Ghosts home. If not, remove them entirely, as they would be a liability, and in the position to attack Sentinel assets. shortly after, the Legendary Captain David Anderson was arrested as a suspect, due his relationship with the Ghosts.

SSV Henry Williams

The fifth dreadnought in Humanity's arsenal. It was named after Henry Williams, the Commander of the garrison on Shanxi during the Shanxi conflict. Unfortunately he was killed during a last stand, staying behind to protect an evacuation zone from the turians. He would leave a son and wife behind.

Sentinel's Emergency powers

Granted specifically by the Head of the Alliance himself, and only in times of great Sentinel's emergency powers allow them to arrest and detain citizens without a warrant and hold them without trial or if necessary eliminate any citizens who pose a serious threat to the safety and security of the Systems Alliance. The powers also allow them to seize property, supplies, weapons, and transportation systems without reason. And finally, take command of military assets so long as they do not conflict with the Alliance oaths.

Cord-Hislop Aerospace

Known for their top-of-the-line spaceship engine components, Cord-Hislop aerospace is currently one of the largest contracted companies by the Alliance. Following its purchase by the Billionaire Jack Harper, company stock prices sky-rocketed, making its stock some of the most valuable in the economy.

Sneak peek:

...He kept the scanner in his right hand pointed forward, quietly pushing a branch out of his way, and careful with his footsteps as to not make any noise as to alert his target.

Around him, three Sentinel STALKERS closed in the distance, armed with little more then PDWs and a couple of stasis grenades. The scanner in his hand beeped twice as the Ghost's signature was picked up. How the hell it could pick up a Ghost was still beyond him, the boys in the labs said something about "Quantum tunneling" and "wave particle duality", whatever the fuck that meant. The scanner beeped thrice, he knew what that meant. Reaching down to his pouch, Operative Ray took out a stasis grenade and clicked once before tossing it over the bush in front of him. Everything froze in front of him, so with another deep breath, he exo-boosted forward.

Only to be stunned at the incredible sight of what was in front of him.

His entire team was tied up to one another in a small clearing only a few feet across, and now frozen in stasis from the grenade he threw. Reaching for his weapon, Ray was surprised to find it no longer locked to the back of his exosuit. Instinctively he turned as he felt something behind him, so with a turn so quick, he was sure he was going to get whip lashed. Ray jumped in fear at what was behind him.

Gone was the black body-shaped armor he had usually seen in all the Ghosts. What stood in front of him wasn't a Ghost anymore. It was anything but. Right in front of him, stood a tall imposing figure in armor so strange and alien but oddly beautiful.

And now gone was the blue glow...replaced by a wicked, green radiance...

As always try to review, Comments? Criticisms? Praises?