Disclaimer: I do not own "mass effect" or any concepts of the mass effect univers. Those are the sole property of EA and Bioware.

Background:

In 2047 humanity discovered the archives on Mars. The political and economic repercussions of this discovery were far more extensive than anybody had ever theorized. Discovering that an extraterrestrial species not only existed but had watched them and monitored them send shockwaves through human society. Extensive research of the archives yielded the superior technology and knowledge which made it evident that humanity was ridiculously inferior to these extraterrestrial beings. Fearing the possibility of an imminent attack from a hostile species vastly superior in technology than humanity, the UN held an emergency summit the likes of which had never been seen. The petty differences and conflict between the varying nations and ethnic groups completely forgotten in the light of the threat from outer space. The aliens posed a threat not only against a single nation, or a single people but to all of man.

Through the next ten years humanity developed. Powerful unions were made. Enormous armies were raised, ships were built by the hundreds, tanks, bombers, fighters and weapons rolled of the assembly lines at an impossible rate. Soon the world was divided between groups of enormously powerful assemblies of nations. The three most powerful were The American League, The Euro-Asian gathering and The African union. The scientific economic and technological developments in this era, with the help of the data stored in the data caches on Mars, catapulted humanity forward hundreds of years' worth of technological advancement. But the unions were continuously at odds with each other. Hostilities between the groups threatened to emerge and equipped with the new weapons of mass destruction, a war loomed just around the corner. A war that threatened to exterminate mankind much faster than the alien menace could ever do. Faced with this reality the unions formed a radical plan. At a gathering of the most powerful and influential members of these factions, they came up with what was latter called the "Caesar" initiative. All nations under the unions would form an Economic, military and political Assembly. Each of the participating Nations would in effect become a state in a new human empire. Humanity would gather under a powerful leader. One empire, One senate One people, One Emperor.

And so on the 9th of April 2058 The Chairman of the Euro-Asian Gathering, Arthur Calaghan (later Tiberius the 1st) was elected to become the first Emperor of the Empire of man. His first act was the implementation of the "Midnight" protocol. Humanity would remain in its home system. Build up their defenses, their armies, their fleets and their infrastructure. Earth would be improved, terraformed, to support as many humans as possible. Satellites and probes that left human space would be equipped with a kill switch. If they encountered alien life they would automatically destroy themselves completely, and thereby prevent anyone from discovering the location of the Sol system. Based on the data found in the prothean archives scientist theorized that they could replicate the weapons technology used by the aliens and reverse engineer it. They would make humanities weapons more powerful and more destructive than anything they would encounter. And so humanity, for the first time ever, became a united people under one ruler.

Together humanity progressed and evolved. The deserts of Sahara, The Gobi and the icy wastelands of northern Canada and Siberia were transformed into lush green lands. Covered in fields of wheat, barley and meadows of grass to feed the herds of animals needed to sustain the exploding population. Capital cities became mega cities with populations in the tens of millions. The jungles in China, South America and Africa were resurrected and the oceans cleaned of the pollutants from decades of neglect. Together humanity fixed century's worth of damage to their home world. Extensive terraforming was even commenced on the moon, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to live in huge bio domes that could support life. Through the next decades, the nations of Earth were at peace, and humanity prospered.

On the 26th of October, 2069, The First Emperor died when his heart gave out. Humanity was in mourning. After a week-long funeral His successor Temos Tiberius, his oldest son, ascended the throne. Under his rule Earths new capitol "Empire city" situated on an enormous artificial island in the Atlantic Ocean was build. The huge city would not only house the Imperial palace, but also the many different agencies, ministries and the newly created senate. The prosperity that humanity had known under Emperor Temos farther continued under his own rule. The process of strip-mining the Sol-system to acquire the resources needed to fuel humanities factories and cities left gargantuan scars on the face of the neighboring planets, but provided the much needed resources required for humanities further development.

. Then on August 17th 2099, after nearly thirty years of benevolent rule, Emperor Temos Tiberius, the 2nd emperor of mankind, passed away in his sleep. He was succeeded on August 24th 2099 by his only son, Markus Tiberius. Markus Tiberius quickly became known for his militaristic focus. Under his rule humanities weapons became more destructive, its fleets became more powerful and its armies, more deadly. He wanted his rule to mark the beginning of humanities ascendance. Plans were drawn up and probes were sent out to find planets that could be colonized. His proposition for venturing outside the Sol-system was met with fierce resistance in the senate, and was ultimately denied. And so the quiet arms-race continued. And humanity stayed in their home system. Building up its armies and defenses. And wondering what was out amongst thedarkness of the stars.

April 3rd 2158. Empire city. 01:05. Terran standard time.

Victor Huntman was not a man easily disturbed. Throughout his long career in Terran politics he had learned to take bad news, political ambushes and sudden meetings in his stride and just go with it. He had been lavished with praise and respected by his peers for his ability to form plans, contingencies and schemes in mere seconds. He processed new information and put it to use quickly and efficiently. That was the reason he had had a meteoric climb through the senate, and the reason why he now held the prestigious office of "Minister of resources".

As a minister and a member of the inner council he had more power than almost any other individual in the Sol system. But even a man as important as Victor felt a slight chill run down his spine when he was called to an emergency meeting of the inner council. He had received the message from a Praetorian guard clad from top to toe in their dark polished and golden amour. The guard had then escorted him to his shuttle where he was squeezed in between two more praetorians. When the guards where sure that he was sat in the most comfortable position possible the shuttle doors closed and the machine took off towards the council chambers. The message had been short and to the point. He looked at his datapad and reread it for the hundredth time. It simply stated:

"Victor. The council is being called for an emergency meeting. The senate has been notified to assemble. Hurry"

It was signed in the delicate cursive handwriting of Aamina Jakar, the minister of human resources and a close friend of his. He looked up from the datapad to see the hard eyes of his escorts staring out the armored windows of the shuttle as they soared over Empire City, Earths capitol and its largest city. His eyes flicked form one guard to the other trying to figure out which one was in command. Over the shoulder of the guard sitting in front of him he saw the rear of another armored shuttle Looking over his shoulder through the rear window he spotted a third shuttle, completing their convoy.

He saw that the shuttle bore the symbol of the Praetorian guard. An eagle, its wings spread, with its claws gripping a sword each. It was unsettling. He never needed a military escort before, and he certainly had never needed one that flew in a textbook VIP protection pattern. It was also unsettling since the Praetorian guard was the Emperors personal bodyguard and only served with the Legions as special forces or with the protection of the Emperor and his closest relatives. Protecting a Minister, however important and powerful, was a far cry from their normal duties. Settling his eyes on the guard in the front right seat he said loud and clearly to get his attention.

"This isn't exactly normal procedure, could you tell me what this is all about?"

The guard looked him in the eyes and simply said.

"I know no more about this matter than you do sir. I'm just following orders and making sure you make it safely to the council chambers".

Well, that settled that then he thought and leaned back into the seat. He fished out his datapad from his pocket and started sorting through the reports he had been getting from the people under his command. Just because he was called to an emergency meeting didn't mean that he didn't have work to do. Plus it calmed his, by now, considerably ragged and thin nerves. He was on edge and it felt strangely calming to read through the myriad of reports from mines and survey groups all over the system. Reading through the familiar reports and schedules he completely lost track until he heard the shuttles engines quiet down as it descended to land at the shuttle pad on the roof of the council chambers.

He stepped out of the shuttle quickly when it landed, relishing the opportunity to stretch out his shoulder which had been squeezed between the armored hulks that served as his bodyguards. Walking with a brisk pace flanked on each side by the guards, he quickly strode to the front gates of the building. The gates were flanked on each side by five legionnaires. Clad in their blood red armor and with their large "Gladius" assault rifles held across their chests they made an impressive, if not terrifying, sight to behold. They went unchallenged through the front gates, the glass doors sliding soundlessly aside to admit the minister and his escort. Walking quickly through the foyer he reached the elevator that would lead him to the chambers of the inner council. The guards left him before he entered, so he was alone as he rose through the myriad of floors. He tapped his foot against the floor impatiently. The elevator ride took impossibly long and when he finally reached the top floor, the seat of the inner council, he almost leapt out of the elevator. He walked down the long hall that led to the meeting chambers, flanked on both sides by pictures of the previous occupants of the different offices of the council. He stopped at the doors to take a minute to flatten his suit that he had hastily put on when the soldiers had collected him and took a moment to come his greying hair before he open the doors.

Entering the warm, well lit hall he quickly surveyed the room. The hall was spacious, easily able to accommodate well over a hundred people without getting uncomfortably constricted. For security reasosn the room was not equipped with windows, in the middle of the chamber there were a large round table with a large opulent throne placed in the far end away from and facing the door. Nine high backed chairs surrounding the rest of the table. About half a meter in front of each chair was a small black metal sign where the different council members name and their office was written in large golden letters. To further fortify the person's importance there was behind each chair, hung from the wall, a banner with the color and the sigil of the respective office He was not at all surprised to see that he was one of the last to arrive.

Seven of the ten chairs were occupied. He took his seat and saw that apart from himself and Aamina Jakar, whom he gave a friendly smile to when he entered, the only other chairs that were vacant was the chair of the Prime Minister Liam Cunningham, and the throne. Victor looked around the room trying to gauge his fellow council members expressions. The Grand marshal, Andreijew Petrowski looked as if he was about to dose of, his eyes closed and his beard hanging from the spread between his fingers as he rested his head on his arm, propped up on the elbow on the dark polished oak table. Across from Victor sat Dao Uong, the Grand admiral, who was having a subdued discussion with the man on his right, Norman Connors, the consul and first man of the Senate. Shauna Raulman, The minister of research looked, if possible, even more bored by the whole thing than the sleeping Petrowski. She was typing furiously on her datapad, no doubt trying to make up for lost work. She had always protested against the monthly meeting of the council since she saw the whole thing as a criminal waste of time.

The last two people present were Kathrina Le'Chaun, minister and leader of the imperial intelligence services, and Dulo Muba, minister of finances. Since no one seemed to have anything to say Victor stood up. "Does anyone know the reason for this meeting?" he enquired loudly. All eyes focused on him. Even the slumbering Petrowski opened his eyes to stare at Victor. Dao Uong rose leaned forward in his chair, his gruff voice still filled with sleep.

"I was under the impression that someone" he looked pointedly around the table "had initiated emergency procedures. I don't very much like to be dragged from my bed at this ungodly hour and I like it even less when no one seems to be aware of the reason". There was a short pause after he had spoken before Shauna Raulman spoke up.

"In case you hadn't noticed Mr. Uong both Cunningham and His majesty is still not in attendance". She held a short break before continuing "And no I haven't the slightest idea of why we have been summoned". She concluded. Uong scowled at her but did not say anything. Silence filled the room. Soon each of the councilors were engrossed in either idle conversation, work, or in Grand marshal Petrowski's case, sleep. Several minutes passed and Victor's previous anxiety had faded away when the chamber doors burst open. A flustered and angry looking Liam Cunnigham stormed into the room, he went to his seat and with an aggressive motion he wiped away the sweat that had gathered on his ageing brow. He looked up at the gathered assembly his steely eyes taking a moment to stare into the eyes of each of the assembled councilors.

"Exactly one hour and thirty-eight minutes ago, Emperor Markus Tiberius, the third emperor of mankind, passed away".

He said it without a quiver in his voice. He simply stated the fact. The chamber went deathly silent. Victor felt like he had been hit by a jackhammer. Dead? He thought. He was shocked, like so many others of his generation, Emperor Markus had been a solid rock. The very real face of the Empire. Having led mankind almost sixty years meant that most of the population had either spent most of their life under his rule or, more likely, all of their life. Victor glanced at the large vacant throne at the end of the table. How many times had he sat there? He had spent many hours of his life debating with the emperor in this very room, or leading polite conversations with him at one of his many social gatherings, and while they had never seen eye to eye he had certainly held a deep respect for the man as a person, and a patriotic love for him as a monarch.

Haven given the chamber a moment to collect themselves The Prime Minister continued.

"The doctors say it was a heart attack caused by severe stress and pressure. We all knew that he had fought fiercely with the senate over his plan for colonization of systems outside our home. And he wasn't as young as he once was, his death is not a major surprise".

Victor bristled at his cold tone. While the Emperor had certainly not been a young man, he hadn't been that old either. At the age of ninety-one the emperor had been a middle-aged man. Although his appearance made him look like a man much older it didn't change the fact. Technological progress and enormous rise in living quality and healthcare had pushed the average human's lifespan to well pass a hundred and thirty. While they all new that the emperor had suffered under deteriorating health in the last few months few of them had foreseen his imminent demise. As the emperor of mankind and the single richest, most influential and powerful individual in Terran space, he had access to the very best healthcare and facilities humanity had to offer. He looked around and saw similar expressions of disbelief on his fellow councilors. Cunningham cleared his throat and the quiet murmur that had sprung up died down immediately.

"I know this comes as a shock to all of us but we have a serious and very immediate matter to attend to. While it is a tragic and sad event that or beloved monarch has passed from this world, it wasn't wholly unexpected. The reason that I initiated emergency protocol is this".

As he said this he used a small panel to turn on the holo projector imbedded in the middle of the table. immediately the projected images of two men and a boy started floating atop the table. The men had a remarkable resemblance to their father, the now late Emperor, whilst the boy looked nothing like him. The two men both looked stern and hardened while the boy looked a bit confused and shy. It was only a picture but Victor found it remarkable how uncomfortable and awkward the young boy looked compared to the two men.

"As you are all well aware Titus Tiberius, Markus' oldest son, passed away last year in a shuttle accident".

As he said this the image of one of the men disappeared.

"And Nero Tiberius was fatally shot in a hunting accident on Luna more than three years ago".

The image of the second man disappeared.

"Which only leaves us one direct descendent from the Imperial bloodline. Young Augustus".

The image of the young boy grew larger so that everyone could get a closer look. Victor was stunned when he realized just how young the boy actually was. He couldn't be much more than thirteen or fourteen years old.

"You can't be serious!" the Deep voice of Norman Connors interrupted. The portly consul rose to his feet "This boy is the only descendent!"

It wasn't a question as much as a statement. He stared at the Prime minister, disbelief written all over his face. As the consul of the senate, and the leader of the conservatists party, Connors was perhaps the most powerful individual in the room. Except for the prime minister.

"We can't have this… this… BOY leading the empire!" he spat gesturing towards the slowly rotating holo of the confused boy.

Cunningham sat back in his chair and raised his hands in a placating manner.

"I concur Mr. Connors, we cannot allow a mere boy to rule the empire. Now if we were to wait a few years and led him mature…" He was immediately interrupted by the sound of Petrowski's enormous fist hammering into the wooden table.

"That is the son of the emperor, the Crown prince you're talking about". His voice was filled with menace and his eyes were staring daggers into first Cunningham and then Conners, who visibly shirked away from the Marshals unforgiving gaze. "He is the rightful heir to the throne. He is a direct descended of the first emperor!" he looked to the large paintings of the three emperors that hung behind the Throne and hammered a closed fist to his left chest. The military salute to a man of higher rank. Making a clear statement of his loyalties.

Victor, not wanting to let the council meeting turn into a shouting match and sensing a ploy from the prime minister, cleared his throat "I agree with Petrowski. That is the emperor's son and by law he is the rightful heir to the throne. We cannot allow almost a century of peaceful and prosperous rule to be disrupted because the prince is too young". He looked around at the gathered councilors and continued "All right, he may be a little too young, but with the help of the senate and with or counseling he will grow into a fine monarch like his predecessors". He hoped that it would calm things down. Petrowski sent an approving nod in his direction and out of the corner of his eyes he saw both Aamina Jakar and Kathrina Le'chaun nod their heads in agreement. Good, he had the support of at least three others so the odds were evening out. Seeing that he was losing the argument Connors changed tactics.

"Bah it doesn't matter what anyone of us thinks. All matters regarding the royal family have to go through the senate". He smiled triumphantly. Looking down at the scowling Petrowski who were grinding his teeth in anger. As the Consul, and the foreman of the largest party, Connors wielded considerable political sway in the senate chambers and none of them were able to do much to influence him.

The discussion nonetheless drew out long into the night. The tempers flared between the two parties. Both Shauna Raulman and Dao Uong remained conspicuously neutral throughout the whole debate. The initial shock of the death of the long ruling emperor was quickly forgotten by the council members as they fiercely debated the succession. Although Connors was correct that it was the senate, and not the council, who would have the final say in whether the young Augustus Tiberius would ascend to the throne or if he would have to wait some years. The sun was already coming up over the horizon when Cunningham rose and spread his arms for silence. When he had everyone's attention he stated in a somber and somewhat strained tone.

"I can see we won't be making any progress here. The senate will convene in a few hours to discuss this matter further. I suggest you all go home and await their decision". He turned around and briskly left the hall, signaling that he considered that to be the end of the matter as far as he was concerned. Smiling triumphantly and sending a particularly wide grin towards Victor and Petrowski, Connors immediately followed. The other councilors slowly left the chamber one by one. Victor stretched from the hours of sitting and left for the elevator. He entered a vacant one and the doors were just about to close when a meaty hand shoot in and blocked them. The doors opened to admit the bulky form of Grand Marshal Petrowski. When the doors closed and the elevator began its decent towards the lower floors he cleared his throat and looked out the glass of the elevator as it slid down the side of the building. Looking out across the architectural marvel that was Empire City, bathed in the orange glow of the rising sun the white marble and glass buildings shone with a brilliance of a polished diamond, reminding both of them what humanity had accomplished during just one century of Imperial rule.

The capitol of Earth housed more than a hundred million people. The large round senate building was easily visible from anywhere in the city. Its walls made of white marble and its high columns supporting a round gold plated roof. It was a work of art, but even that paled in comparison to the brilliance and grandeur that was the palace. Situated atop the only hill in the area, the palace was removed from the city, both by the geographical curves of terrarformed nature, but also by the high white wall surrounding the palace and its gardens. It was a true testament to the power, wealth and stability that humanity had achieved through the last century. With its green gardens, golden roofs, red banners and enormous statues visible from anywhere in the city, it was perhaps the greatest feat of cultural architecture humanity had ever built. Victor would probably have found the view stunning if it wasn't for the fact that he was quite intimidated by the large man besides him. Standing at more than 6.4 feet and with a body honed and shaped through decades in the army Pertowski towered over the much smaller Minister. After what felt like an eternity, Petrowski chose to break the silence.

"I appreciate your support in there". He said at some length completely tacking Victor Aback. "That snake Cunningham... he is up to something" he stated. A sneer forming whilst he said it.

Victor new what he was hinting at. Even though the Emperor had passed away only a few hours before Victor, and the rest of the council, had quickly moved on. They didn't advance so fast up the political career ladder if they weren't quick to process these kinds of things. Still, the prime minister had been a little too calm, and the interruption by Connors had sounded a little too rehearsed.

"If the emperor is unable to rule, then the prime minister will act in his stead" Victor stated. "And we both know Connors has been in Cunningham's pocket for a long time".

There was a long minute of silence. The rush of air from their decent the only sound.

"I think I'll call in a few favors amongst the senators". Petrowski said, scratching his beard. "Augustus may be young, but he is a Tiberius. He is made to rule".

Victor nodded. "He may only be a boy. But he is a powerful symbol. The emperors has kept us from attacking each other and secured peace between us. If Cunningham takes the throne as a steward even only for a few years, the repercussions may be severe".

The elevator reached the bottom floor and they both stepped out. Petrowski turned to Victor.

"Look we both know that this isn't some petty squabble about the boy's fitness to rule". Petrowski said matter of factly. "Cunningham and Connors have used most of their careers blocking Markus' attempts to lift the Midnight protocol. If the boy's right to rule is acknowledged he may be able to finally lift it". He looked expectantly at Victor waiting for him to say something. Victor was well aware that the, now deceased, emperor had been trying to lift the "midnight protocol". The law that forced humans to stay within the bounds of the Sol-system. He had met fierce resistance throughout his rule. From both the council, and the senate. However after many years of shoring up their defenses and expanding their military capability, there had been a slow but noticeable shift in power. The radicals, the largest party in the senate, had lost more and more candidates to the young and radical progresionists party. Even the council had been more favorable to the idea with only a few die-hards like Connors and Cunningham opposing.

"indeed. If the prince is favorable to the idea". He smirked at the thought of the young prince actually being able to lift the ancient law. That would undo Connors, who had built his whole political career on opposing the abolition of the law. "I may follow your example and call in a few favors". With that they parted ways. As Victor was about to leave he decided that he would indeed be calling in those favors. As a minister of resources his word carried with it a great deal of influence and simply by supporting a candidate or a proposition could make the difference. So he was indeed owed quit a lot from many people. He hadn't spent his political career idly. But when he saw on his chronometer that the senate meeting was about to begin, he still had his doubts whether it would be enough. Although he had power and influence, and that his support was key to many a senators continued employment, it didn't mean that all of them would vote in favor of the young emperor. 'I'll just have to wait and see' he thought as he was escorted into his vehicle. Nervously awaiting the senate's decision.

As the luxurious hovercar belonging to Liam Cunningham flew effortlessly across the skies of Empire City, The prime minister watched with dismay as the consul emptied yet another glass of his Luna Grand Maison 2154. Distilled from grapes grown in one of Luna's Bio domes the wine was an expensive and exceptionally rare vintage. Costing more than most houses on Earth and with only about twenty bottles produced a year the Consuls utter disregard for the wines rarity was clear as he refilled his glass. That fat sack is useful, however distasteful he might be, he thought as he rubbed his temple. He had gotten the most dreadful headache from the council meeting, only reinforced by the insufferable company of the consul. "And you are quite sure you can make the senate postpone the coronation of the prince?" he asked again.

"I don't have to remind you what that would mean for the future of humanity. We aren't ready to take to the stars".

He looked at the consul, giving him his most friendly and winning smile. The consul made a dismissive motion with his fat, sweaty hand.

"Of course I can my friend" he laughed "I have the senate in my pocket. They will do as I tell them to. Having or beloved prince's coronation postponed indefinitely will be as simple as… well as drinking wine!"

He held out the now empty glass, looking at the empty bottle. The prime minister smiled, taking the hint, and replaced the now empty bottle with another just like it

"well in that case let us celebrate or imminent victory"

He smiled and filled a glass for himself 'I hope you choke on it' he thought while clinging his glass with that of the Consul.

"To many years of continued prosperity and wealth for the humanity, and for us"

The consul cheered, as the hovercar came in to land near the senate. The consul emptied his glass an exited the car. Cunningham shifted in his seat to shout to the man.

"with election coming soon it would be a shame for such an iconic proposition to be down voted. It wouldn't look well for the consul to be against popular opinion".

As the hovercar took off again, Cunningham felt quite satisfied with the look of discomfort on the fat consul's face. 'If he can no longer be relied upon to control the senate I will have to look for another person whose election campaign I can support' he chuckled to himself. He took another swig of the delicious wine as he thought about how easy it was playing the game of politics.

April 3rd 2158. Empire city. 09:21. Terran standard time. At the senate chambers.

"… And therefore my honorable, fellow senators, I think that it is clear to all, that the prince is simply too young and inexperienced to rule. The tragic and untimely demise of his farther, rest his soul, has truly devastated the young boy as it has devastated his grieving subjects. It would be cruel to place upon him the mantel of Emperor after such a tragic loss".

The consul, now having spoken at some length, resumed his seat at the small podium facing the gathered senators. He received some calls of support and applause from the right side of the chamber, where his fellow party members were sat but otherwise the five hundred assembled senators remained quit. The chamber was completely circular in form, but the seats of the senators only took up half the entire room. Arranged in a crescent moon shaped amphitheater, with several levels, allowed all the senators to look at whoever spoke. The shape of the room also allowed the speaker to face all the senators more or less at the same time, without anyone, except those occupying the chairs on the raised dais behind him, looking at his back.

A few meters away from the center floor, there was a small podium upon which was a chair reserved for the consul, and a throne used by the emperor whenever he was attending the senate meetings. Along the wall, between the twisting columns, were red banners, hung from the roof and with sparkling rims and golden tassels on the bottom. On the banners were a golden eagle, its head looking sideways and its wings spread, its claws gripping two green laurels, crossing. Between the laurels, in golden letters were inscribed S.P.Q.T. Senatus Populusque Terranum: The senate and the people of Earth. Having heard the consul, the Speaker rose on his shaky legs. The man was truly ancient, almost a century and a half years old he had the honorable position of controlling the floor, choosing who had the word and controlling the unruly senators.

"The consul has put the motion on the floor… Who will second it?" his old voice croaked. Immediately some senator in the back, one of Connors cronies sprung up at seconded it. Leo Nemak was, with his twenty years, the youngest senator present, more than thirty years younger than the second youngest. But he was well on his way to becoming one of the most influential members of the progresionists party. Sat at the front seats, signifying that he was considered to be one of the foremost members amongst his group, he had a clear view of the Consul as he resumed his seat. He could read every miniscule twitch and move of the Consul and new when he was lying. Leo was exceptionally gifted in that matter and, using this gift, had risen through the ranks of his party. In just two years he had gone from an obscure and, to the other senators, very young boy from Luna, to one of the ruling forces in the senate. His 'Reduced arms production proposition' had miraculously been approved and he had since expanded his influence. So it was fair to say that Leo Nemak, was a force to be reckoned with. A force that the Consul, had not counted on. When the floor was available he rose to his fleet and spoke

"Honorable Speaker! I request the floor!" there was a moment of shuffling as all the senators turned to look at the young man. "The floor recognizes the senator of the second parish of Luna, Leo Nemak. You have the floor!" the speaker banged the long wooden quarterstaff in his right hand against the floor. Leo cleared his throat and spoke loudly so that his voice would carry to all the senators in the large room.

"Fellow senators, honorable members of this exalted assembly I believe that the most respectable Consul makes a fair point" murmurs arose from the ranks of the men and women assembled but he quickly continued "however I also believe that he fails to see the repercussions that his proposition would cause". He had their attention now. He could see the angered scowl that the consul kept hidden under the neutral expression he had honed through years of political struggles like this. He continued walking down the steps towards the podium as he spoke "The emperor is more than just a figurehead, a person. The emperor and the Imperial family reflects the very essence that humanity has stood for this last century" he was now on the podium. Fully visible to all the gathered senators "He is the embodiment of the Empire. Unity, singularity and strength. While the consul and others would say that he is too young, I say that he is perfect". He took a moment to see if the senators were still paying attention. Seeing that most were indeed listening intensely he continued, making gestures and swinging his arms theatrically as he walked along the edge of the Amphitheatre "The fact that we are even discussing if the Prince, A Tiberius no less! Is fit to rule, It's preposterous! He is a direct descendant of the first emperor Arthur Tiberius. He is related by blood to the men who built this empire! The men who uplifted us from the bloodthirsty barbarians we were. Clawing at each others throats, on the brink of annihilation by or own hands!" Several senators rose to their feet and cheered him on, as his voice grew louder and more confident. Taking his speech to the next level he saw his opportunity to make a risky attack on the consul and his party members. Leo saw his opportunity to use the divided senate for his gain. He turned around and theatrically pointed an accusing finger at the Consul, and then the seats occupied by his fellow conservatists.

"For too long the honorable consul and his respectable party members has held us back. By rejected the abolition of the 'midnight protocal', they have held us back for decades and now they seek to block or true emperors right to his throne". He turned back towards the senators sitting on the benches. He could see uncertainty on some of their faces. Hoping that he could persuade them he directed his next words towards them "I know that the emperor is young. But with youth comes vigor. He could usher in a new age. An age where humanity takes its rightful place amongst the stars. For us to deny the prince his throne simply because we are afraid is treasonous" he closed his fist in a gripping motion over his heart and looked pleadingly at the assembly. "we must not let the fear of cowards and old mean hold back our progression. If humanity does not have an emperor then our unity is broken. And we will quickly descend into bloody madness".

His voice grew more and more quit towards the end, but picked up again when he violently declared "Therefore I vote against the motion to postpone the coronation". Leo returned to his seat and slumped into his chair, almost unable to contain his smile. Many of the senators rose to their feet and shouted either encouragement or decrying his attack. Several of the gathered started shacking fists and yelling at each other and the Speaker had to call for silence several times before the assembly calmed down sufficiently for him to be heard. When everyone had finally resumed their seats and silence had returned his hoarse voice spoke up.

"The honorable senator Leo Nemak has spoken against the motion". He turned towards Connors and looked expectantly at him "Does the exalted consul offer a rebuttal?". The shocked Connors quickly regained his senses and rose to his feet.

"I will hardly offer this attack on my person and those of my honorable fellow senators any notice". He looked disapprovingly at Leo before continuing "However I would like to remind the gathered assembly that we are not here to talk about the abolition of the ancient edict, an edict that has stood for decades, but about the very real, and very immediate concern of our beloved emperor's heir and only son, and his fitness to rule". He sat back into his seat. Clearly believing that his influence would keep most of the senators in line, and support his proposition.

Waiting a moment to make sure that the consul, usually a man who would speak for hours if need be, had nothing more to say, the Speaker turned towards the assembly.

"If anyone has anything further to add to the discussion make yourself known!"

Since none arose to take the floor he banged the quarterstaff on the floor and announced

"The motion to postpone the coronation of crown prince Augustus Tiberius has been put to the floor by the Exalted Consul Norman Connors, Seconded by the honorable senator Kurt von Zürich. The honorable senator Leo Nemak has spoken against the motion. Those in favor, raise your hands!"

Several senators raised their hands. Amongst them was the consul and the vast majority of his party members. But also a few of the senators on the other benches supported them.

"Those opposed to the motion, raise your hands!"

Leo raised his hand. He looked around and was concerned when he was unable to see a difference. He turned expectantly towards the Speaker and awaited his judgment.

"With two hundred and forty four votes for, and two hundred and fifty seven against… The motion to postpone the coronation of the Crown prince is dropped".

Cheers and thunderous applause together with boo's and angry cries of denial sounded through the chambers as the senators either congratulated each other our decried the decision. Leo's back was pounded and his hand shaken numb by congratulating senators. He couldn't help but smile and nod while they complimented him and congratulated him on his victory. God I love this, he smiled while his multi-tool sent a pre-recorded message to Minister Victor Huntman. He will be very happy when he sees this.. He looked over at the consul, slumped in his chair, a look of utter defeat on his face.

Somewhere on the borders of the Terminus systems.

Arminius Vespasian's mandibles twitched in annoyance as he received the report from his communications officer. As captain of the Turian cruiser 'Vigilance' it was his job to monitor the Quarian fleets' movements and activities. He was far from pleased by what he heard. "How is it possible for a fleet of second-hand rust-buckets crewed by scavenging suit rats to evade some of the galaxy's best monitoring equipment available?" He rubbed his brow to try and ease the pressure building up. Despite their obvious superiority the Turian cruiser had lost sight of the Quarian fleet several times in the last few months. It could take days, sometimes weeks before they were able to locate the Quarians again. And Arminius Vespasian didn't like the idea of those thieving scum roaming unsupervised across the galaxy. The officer who was the unfortunate victim of his ire shirked away a little under his steely gaze.

"I'm sorry Captain, one minute they were there. The next they simply vanish".

Arminius dismissed the officer and turned around to gaze out the windows of his Cruiser. The Migrant Fleet had moved closer and closer to the uncharted regions of the galaxy. This unsettled Arminius a great deal. He would follow them if ordered to, but his jurisdiction officially ended were Citadel space did. Maybe they are looking for a new world to settle? He scoffed at the thought. Like those scum deserved a world to call their home. After having released the Geth on the galaxy, no punishment was too harsh for them. He saw the confinement to their failing fleet as suitable punishment for their action. And he would make damn sure that they didn't ever pollute another planet with their presence. His eyes scouted across the vast emptiness of space as he searched for the fleet of beggars and thieves. Not on my watch. Not while I'm breathing.

A/N

Hope you enjoyed it :) This is my first attempt at a fanfic. Or actually it is my first attempt at writing any literature at all. Constructive criticism is encouraged and appreciated. If there's any confusion regarding anything lore in this fic, please PM me and I will try and include it in my next chapter. Any suggestions are also greatly appreciated. The pace will pick up over time but for now it is going to be a bit slow.