Chapter 120

Over the course of the next few days, Axel drafted up the new Government for the Batarians. First, the Batarian Hegemony would be renamed into the Batarian Dominion and would be led by an Ascendency appointed Archon with the help of the new Batarian High council.

The Batarian High council will be made up of members from each of the Batarian castes, chosen for their integrity and dedication to the future of their species. Those who had previously profited from the enslavement of their own people would be excluded from this process; only those who had shown a willingness to work towards a better Batarian society would be considered.

With careful consideration, Axel selected a few individuals to take on these critical roles and announced the new government structure. The selection was met with a mixed response; there was optimism, but also fear and distrust. Yet Axel knew that change was seldom met with universal approval. He believed in his approach, and had faith that over time, the Batarians would see its benefits.

Meanwhile, he initiated comprehensive reforms in the education system; schools were established across all colonies with a curriculum designed to promote equality, critical thinking and awareness about the horrors of slavery. A new police force was also set up with strict guidelines against any form of mistreatment or corruption.

His next order of business was dealing with the economy. The sudden abolition of slavery left a void that needed to be addressed quickly. The former slave-compounds were converted into factories and farms where workers were now paid for their labor.

The Batarians who were used to living off the profits of slavery found it difficult to adjust to this new system. However, Axel was prepared for this, and swiftly implemented a series of policies aimed at easing the transition, from subsidies to vocational training programs. Unemployment benefits were introduced, and efforts were made to encourage entrepreneurship within the Batarian population.

In addition, Axel ordered the construction of Vacuum energy generators on each of the Batarian worlds to provide them with a near infinite supply of energy for their homeworld and colony worlds to ensure energy generation. He believed that building a self-sustaining economy was the key to the long-term stability of the Batarian Dominion.

The impact of these economic reforms was immediate after a year of being under Ascendency rule. The standard of living began to increase significantly as wages were earned and opportunities flourished. Over time, even the most obstinate of former slavers had to concede that their new lives under the Ascendency's rule were better than they could have ever envisioned.

However, this was not without its detriments. Not all Batarians welcomed the changes with open arms. While many Batarians embraced the new society that was beginning to take shape, for others the drastic changes led to feelings of displacement and resentment.

A small but fervent group began to rally against the new Batarian Hegemony's reinvention of their society, viewing it as a forceful intrusion upon their traditions and way of life. They viewed themselves as patriots, fighting for the preservation of their culture and heritage against an alien conqueror.

Archon kagrom dob'notor had declared the group to be rebels against the government and ordered them to be captured and thrown in prison. Because of this the group had fled Batarian space and established themselves within the other regions of the Terminus Systems.

A massive bounty was put on the group's head to capture and bring them alive, which prompted many bounty hunters, mercenaries, and other groups to try and take advantage of this situation. The group quickly found themselves being hunted wherever they go.

Their leader, Rogzakthar, a former Batarian military commander, was cunning and resourceful. Using every trick in his book, he managed to keep one step ahead of the Batarian forces and the many others looking to claim the bounty on his head.

His followers, inspired by his tenacity, pledged their unwavering loyalty. Although small in number, they were highly trained, vicious in combat and above all else, intensely loyal. They fought with a ferocity fueled by desperation, knowing that their very existence was at stake.

The newly reformed Batarian military, which was still small compared to its former self, was trained by Ascendency trainers and equipped with new technology.

Axel didn't give them the same technology that his forces had, instead he gave them the designs for improved kinetic weapons which would give them the advantage over the other races in the Galaxy.

The reformed military's foremost task was to hunt down Rogzakthar and his followers. The Ascendency had provided them with state-of-the-art tracking systems, vehicles, and ships to aid in their mission. However, every piece of technology that they received was not on the same level as the Ascendency's. It was higher than that of even the Asari's but of lower level than that of the Ascendency's.

This decision was so that the Batarian can take the technology given to them by the Ascendency and try to reverse engineer it and create their own. On the Batarian homeworld, the new Batarian Research Ministry was busy studying the technology that was given to them by the Ascendency.

This way the Batarian's can continue to develop on their own without the continued help of the Ascendency. They would learn from these new advanced technologies and become more technologically advanced than the rest of the species within the Galaxy.

———

Meanwhile within the Ascendency, Axel has just learned of the galactic date that most races use. The current year is 2160, three years after the First contact war between the Systems Alliance and the Turian Hierarch.

The relationship between the Ascendency and the Alliance had progressed smoothly as the Alliance was allowed to establish their own embassy on Nova and their civilians were allowed to travel to Ascendency worlds.

Eventually Axel planned to open his worlds to the rest of the galaxy and let businesses flourish. He knew that trade and commerce would be vital in establishing lasting relationships amongst the various species in the galaxy.

Meanwhile, the Empire's relationship with the Turians hadn't evolved as smoothly as that with the Alliance. The Turians, being a proud military race, were wary of the Ascendency, its power and influence. They acted cordially on a diplomatic level, but Axel could sense their underlying apprehension.

On Nova, the population had increased to about 150 million thanks to the completion of the dimensional gate. Civilians from the Ascendency's home galaxy was informed about the discovery of a new galaxy and were allowed to travel between the two galaxies and settle on new planets.

The same thing happened across the other Ascendency colonies as population size had increased and new residents were being transported from their home galaxy. People were excited to explore and settle a new Galaxy and interact with the other species of the Galaxy.

At the same time, Axel had discovered the location of the Quarian fleet. The Quarians were a species who created the geth, a species of rudimentary artificial intelligences, to serve as an efficient source of manual labor. However, when the geth gradually became sentient, the quarians became terrified of possible consequences and tried to destroy their creations.

As a result, there was a war between the quarians and the geth which ended with the geth winning and the quarians being forced into exile. Since then, the quarians wandered the galaxy in a flotilla of salvaged ships, secondhand vessels, and recycled technology.

Axel planned to meet with them and maybe offer them an alternative solution rather than having to live like nomads.