abstract
| - When the Reapers invaded in 2186 CE, indoctrinated batarian scientists sabotaged their government's defenses and broadcast misleading messages, allowing the Reapers to easily conquer batarian systems and crush their once-formidable navy. Those that managed to get away found themselves refugees on alien territory, with some even taking refuge in the Citadel itself. As the highest-ranking officer still alive, Captain Ka'hairal Balak assumed military leadership and directed the remnants of the batarian fleet against the Reapers by hacking Council transmissions to learn Reaper locations. After a hostile reunion, Balak grudgingly lends Systems Alliance commander John Shepard his fleet's support in retaking the galaxy from the Reapers. Surviving soldiers of the former Batarian Hegemony are one of several groups involved in the war effort against the Reaper invasion. According to one Alliance news report, however, their participation in the fight, though appreciated, has not yet earned them the full trust and respect of Alliance soldiers. When the Citadel Council reorganized into the Interstellar Republic, in a surprise move, the batarians were approached and offered membership. Balak initially refused, but was overruled by Governor Grothan Pazness of Camala and a cadre of batarian refugees began negotiations.
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