 During the events of the original Mass Effect, a geth army attempted to open a portal for a highly advanced machine race of synthetic-organic starships known as the Reapers. It is believed that the Reapers eradicate all organic civilization every 50,000 years. The galactic community has since lived in fear of another possible invasion. Meanwhile, a pro-human organization called Cerberus believes that humans deserve a greater role in the galactic community and supports the principle that any methods of advancing humanity's ascension are entirely justified, including illegal or dangerous experimentation, terrorist activities, sabotage, and assassination. As such, the Citadel Council has declared Cerberus to be a terrorist organization and will prosecute Cerberus agents accordingly.
