Part XII: Calm Before the Storm

May, 2083 - Marshal Lebedjev makes a speech to the public in Novaya Nadezhda, condemning the Treaty of Exodus' terms on psionic development.
'We are not talking about WMDs or naval tonnage. We are talking about human potential. Shall we restrict human intelligence? Should we handicap the strong?' - Marshal Lebedjev.

September, 2084 - The nations of the Alliance establish a diplomatic mission the Advent capital world of Minerva. The Russians are outraged.

April, 2086 - The asari Matriarch Benezia becomes the first alien official to visit Earth. During her time on the planet, she visits Washington, London, Berlin, Mumbai and Beijing, and meets with the leaders of the Alliance nations and the Royal Family.

June, 2087 - The Treaty of Farixen is signed. This treaty dictates the number of dreadnaughts allowed for any Council member. For every five turian dreadnaughts, the asari and salarian fleets are allowed three, and all other races just one.

12th July, 2087 - The SSV Vesuvius is decommissioned, bringing the Alliance to its allowed seven dreadnaughts.

13th July, 2087 - Alliance command at Arcturus Station receive a surprise offer to buy the Vesuvius. This offer comes from the Quarian Migrant Fleet, a nomadic race that has previously had little interaction with the Alliance. The Alliance Parliament agrees to consider this proposal.

22nd July, 2087 - The Vesuvius changes hands from the Alliance to the Migrant Fleet in an exchange over Shanxi.

23rd July, 2087 - The Alliance ambassador is summoned before the Council and severely dressed down for doing business with, in the words of the turian ambassador, 'vagrants, scavengers and thieves.' Many human observers, mostly unaware of Council-Quarian relations, are shocked at the councillers blatant specism, and a public that is still largely turian-phobic gains sympathy for the Migrant Fleet.

July, 2087 - In the wake of the Vesuvius affair, the Alliance establishes a diplomatic mission to the Migrant Fleet in the form of a refurbished and disarmed light cruiser.
'Strangest embassy I've ever served in.' - unidentified Alliance diplomatic.

October, 2089 - Children vanish across Alliance space. An investigation into the matter ends abruptly with the assassinations of high-ranking law enforcement officials and the disappearance of critical evidence.

April, 2090 - Dr. Catherine Halsey is hired by the AONI to work on AI development.

May, 2091 - The Alliance and the Advent sign a defensive pact, despite protest from the Council and the Russians.

February, 2093 - The frigate SSV Actium disappears on the edge of Alliance space. The ship's destruction is blamed on pirates.

March, 2094 - A flotilla defending the Alliance colony of Harvest is withdrawn due to cost-cutting measures, leaving the garrison (the 5th (Commonwealth) Infantry Division) without orbital support.

17th September, 2094 - Without any warning, Harvest comes under attack by an as yet unknown alien fleet. Without fleet support, the outcome is never in question - 5th Infantry is utterly destroyed in a battle that lasts just seventeen minutes. The aliens proceed to glass the planet and exterminate the population. The Covenant have arrived - the largest war in council space seen in a thousand years has begun...