A Brief History of the N.E.U.

Within the Salvation Universe, the New Earth Union, or the N.E.U. is first true form of government seen on Earth since before the Seven Hours War.

The NEU was formed on November 12 2007, just three short months after the end of the Earth Rebellion. The successful August 12th assault on the Combine Stronghold in City 19 (Volgograd, Russia) and the concurrent triumph in the Battle of Fortress-44 in Lorient, France assured victory for the human/vortigaunt rebels and wiped out the last remaining Combine forces left on Earth.

But with the Combine defeated, and the Earth quite literally in ruins, the human and vortigaunt survivors of the long and arduous war found themselves with the unenviable task of rebuilding the shattered earth. The remnants of humanity looked primarily to the heroes of the rebellion for leadership. But so many had already fallen in battle including Eli Vance, Gordon Freeman, John Freeman, Barney Calhoun, and Odessa Cubbage to name just a few.

In the early morning hours of November 11th 2007, the surviving members of the City 17 freedom fighters - a group that had widely come to be known across the world as "The One and Six" - convened with the resistance leaders from City 23 (The City 23 Partisans); the most notable of these being Henry Freeman - freedom fighter, son of the recently KIA war-hero John Freeman, and nephew of the legendary One Free Man, Gordon Freeman.

After nearly 36 hours of deliberation, the New Earth Accord was unanimously signed on November 12th, 2007, officially giving birth to the "New Earth Union." Initially, the governing power of the NEU came in the form of a chancellery panel known as "The Council of Five". Its original members were Alyx Vance (affectionately nicknamed Mother of New Earth by the masses), Uriah Guallam Bauk Go'rel (known to most humans simply as Uriah the vort), Henry Freeman, Dr. Judith Mossman, and, Vitali Popov (A Ukrainian born resistance fighter who spent 15 months undercover as a Combine Soldier, relaying valuable intel to the resistance that would prove pivotal in the war).

The Council of Five's first official act and executive order was the absolute and total destruction of any and all teleportation technology. The tiniest tear in the dimensional fabric between worlds was once enough to give the Combine an opening which they were able to force wider and wider, and pour through in greater and greater numbers. The order was a hard blow for the surviving vortigaunts on Earth, as with it, also went any possibility of ever returning home to their beloved Xen. Vortigaunts and humans alike, however, understood that the possibility of such a cataclysmic event, such as the Resonance Cascade, repeating itself was a risk far too great to take. And so they coped.

The months and years that followed the defeat of the Combine saw an explosive surge in the human population, utterly and completely dwarfing the post World War II baby boom, by comparison. The vortigaunt population on Earth, however, would not be afforded the same promising auspice. Shortly following the Combine's eradication from Earth, it was discovered that the now deactivated Combine Suppression Fields, devices which impeded the formation of certain protein chains necessary for embryonic development in humans and vortigaunts, had a permanent and irreversible effect on vortigaunt physiology, making reproduction for their species impossible.

Still, humans and vortigaunts alike are resilient. And so time marched on. Eventually, the sterile vortigaunt population on Earth dwindled, until in 2079, a vortigaunt by the name of Kruu Jan So'nehaa - the last living vortigaunt uttered his final words on his death bed - "Ahhhr, gaharra alla lillimah." Roughly translated, this means "we have been delivered from slavery" 

The loss of "the last vortigaunt" didn't keep the world from turning however. Humanity continued to rebuild, and cities and nations continued to grow. It wasn't long before disputes began to arise over borders, and which lands rightly belonged to which nations. One of the most notable examples of this type of turmoil came in the year 2096. The United States had re-flourished, but it was far from the former super-power it once was. With Canadian and Mexican Governments both disagreeing over established pre-war boundaries, a civil war across the entire North American Continent broke out. It wasn't until a direct intervention from the NEU and lengthy negotiations, that the bloody conflict came to an end, resulting in the formation in what is today known as the United North American States, or the UNAS.

Over time, as humanity continued to grow and evolve, the NEU's authority diminished, changing from a parliamentary power to more of an international mediator which sought to maintain peace, similar to the role of the United Nations of the 20th century. But growing pains were soon to come.

By the mid 22nd century, a toll had been taken, and crisis loomed over humanity once more. The Combine's brief subjugation of earth left the planet's natural resources extensively depleted. This, coupled with the ever swelling human population, placed a stranglehold on the planet's ability to endure and sustain life. In the year 2149, seventy years after the death of the last vortigaunt on earth, human space explores - intrepid and undaunted by the past - discovered that Pluto's moon, Charon, was actually a massive, ancient piece of alien technology which would make light-speed travel across the stars possible. Even though the NEU's anti-teleportation technology laws were still on the books, these laws had long since been considered antiquated statutes that no longer applied to the modern zeitgeist. Enticed by the possibility of expansion and the discovery of new worlds rich in natural resources vital to mankind's survival, the device (which would later come to be called a Mass Relay) was activated, officially heralding what has come to be known as "The Mass Effect Era"

During the latter part of the same year, a historic charter was signed by the 18 largest nations on Earth, officially dissolving what remained of the NEU, and in turn giving birth to the modern day System's Alliance. Humankind experienced yet another renaissance. Like settlers discovering new frontiers; human colonist spread across the stars, finding new worlds rich and abounding with natural treasures, whilst the shining blue earth gleamed brighter than ever back home, in the Sol System.

Today, the New Earth Union is looked upon as the archetype of modern human civilization - the first shimmering beacon of a civilized society after a time when humanity came to the brink of extinction. And so, in spite of how far we may go, we must never forget how far we've come. Libertate Per Unitatem. Liberty Through Unity.

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I wanna give a brief thanks to lethe-gray for the use of the vortigaunt phrase in this entry. She has created such an elaborate and detailed guide to the vortigese language (which can be found [here]) and with her permission I will continue to use