The years passed while the federation is consolidating it's might secretly.

However the citadel doesn't seem to appreciate it's secretiveness and secludedness. They seem to want the federation to open out to the 'greater' galactic community regardless the intention of the federation.

Several offers has been made both publicly and secretly but all were naturally turned dawn as the federation has little interest in playing house with them.

This of course displeased much of the citadel races as they have been very much open to the new comers, but to treat their hospitality with such distrust, fear... and perhaps even hatred.

They even welcomed the hated quarians into their fold! They were the ones responsible for creating the Geth! A race of genocidal machines.

That's... that's is simply not how a civilised society should conduct itself! Especially given with how advanced they are, just imagine how much wealth of knowledge they're hoarding.

If they just hands out their knowledge then the galactic community will enter a new age of advancement and prosperity.

Such advancement in technology should be shared with the rest of the galaxy, for the betterment of the galaxy as a whole rather then just benefiting the few.

Bla bla bla

"It's sickening how these aliens are laying claim to human advancement and ingenuity made by the blood and sacrifices of countless individuals through out it's history" commented the Sky Marshal as he looks at the frontline news article collected by one of their informant in the citadel.

The Sky Marshal leans back on his chair's backrest as he sighs

"The relationship between the citadel and the federation is as bad as always."

At this tiy an officer just came in through the door to deliver a report.

The Sky Marshal picks up the report and reads through it, visibly satisfied what is contained with in it.

The report is about the progress made on their new vassal race the quarians.

A few years prior the the federation offered the quarians to become their vassal race. They naturally refused at first as nobody would be willing to be come a slave.

However after the incident, all of a sudden the federation's offer seem very enticing.

This of course didn't came without resistance as the majority of the Quarians preferred to retake back their homeworld under Geth control.

That however is a distant dream looking ever so further as time passes. While their ships aged and population dwindled, the Geth on the other hand continues to grow.

As times go by it's becoming apparent the divide between the Quarians. It eventually became a big problem that threatens to split the migrant fleet in half.

A civil war is anything but desired at this point, so a voting eventually is held with all the ship captain's to decide the fate of the migrant fleet... no the future of the Quarian race as a whole.

The results eventually came and it was tight battle that resulted in a narrow victory for those I favour of joining the federation.

And so when the report came that the migrant fleet finally accepted the deal and is now proceeding to move all their assets to Shanxi.

The report also stated that they are now under going a major operation to terraform the planet suitable for their physiology.

Anyway he'll let the station commander of Shanxi to organise and handle any problems that pops up.

Right now he has more pressing matters that occupy his mind, such as the first line of the new 'frigates' is about to be launched.

The 'Crusiers' on the other hand seems to have hit a snag on the way and got delayed, fortunately the problem would be solved soon enough.

Now the problem is that dispite the what he previously thought as astronomical budget increases, has been actually just a drop in a bucket of what he really needs.

He soon found it very much lacking as the the maintenance cost, research and development , logistical and the various new bases and ships that are being built, also upgrading old and out dated systems.

Due to the long respite from war (real war not putting dawn rebellious farmers with pitchforks) the federation has long since forgotten what running a real professional army is like.

Now they're slowly relearning again.

Fortunately old historical records of the past when they had large (well... relatively speaking. large in terms of budget percentage as the current federation is much much much much larger than it's past) army is preserved and can be used as a base.

The Sky Marshal looks at historical records of the military expenditures during war time.

What he found astonished him.

Certain nations during the period known as WW2 has dedicated more then 40% of their GDP into the military, and in a particular nation called the United States has putted 79% of their GDP to the military in 1944.

Of course the Sky Marshal doesn't plan on putting 79% of the federal GDP into the military but it's sure nice to know that when push comes to shove, they can go that far.

Contingency plans of various doomsday scenarios that would require such a large amount of resources to be dedicated to the military are currently being drawn.

If that happens the transition to doomsday mode would be quick and swift with little confusion.

Anyway the Sky Marshal isn't going that far yet as the current military spending only amounts to less then 0.5% of the humongous federal GDP.

He wants to bring that up to 1-5%, naturally such a large increase would require some way to compensate like divert found from other areas or raise taxs.

"Hmm a spending reform is in order" he thought as he compared the percentage entitlement programs takes in the federal budget.

He is frankly hesitant taking away right from Citizens as they worked hard with their sweat and blood to earn it.

But even so their ancestors did more of much less, they looked like whiny brats if you compared the two of them.

'What!? The government has stopped the free cough medicine program what about poor Billy? without the government where will he get his cough medicine now? You inhuman monster!'

Of course he could always silence the these whiny individuals as this is a totalitarian society after all.

Unfortunately he might silence one or two of them, but he can't stop the people from talking behind his backs.

He'll be the first Sky Marshal in a long time to reduce right of citizens. His political adversaries might even take this to attack him.

He thinks for a bit before he sighs "even so what must done must be done"

As he has a duty to make hard and tough decisions for the future of mankind.

Not long after he signed a spending bill that drastically reduced the these entitlement programs and added huge military spending increase.

A few weeks later

Unfortunately not long after the Sky Marhal resigns as due to 'health' concerns.

When his successor Sky Marshal Dienes took office however he didn't reversed Sky Marshal Hathaway spending bill as to not 'tarnish' his legacy.

While they may have their differences in opinion in which direction humanity's future lay but they both nonetheless respected each other as they both have the best interest of mankind in heart.

Ironically unknown to outsiders it's Dienes who's more militant then Hathaway.

Hathaway pursued more of a diplomatic approach. He's willing to negotiation and to a certain small extent even 'trade' with the citadel, he even reached out and to the quarians and asked them to be a vassal race.

Make no mistake though it's not because he feels sorry or compassion to the alien race, it's just that he sees it as a more cost effective way to do things.

Despite saying that even he saw the need expand the military, that says a lot to Dienes. So when Dienes took office promised Hathaway to not undo the work he had done... well most of it anyways.

Besides as militant man Hathaway did him a great favour in increasing military budget before he left office.

Anyway with a new Sky Marshal things will change.