While individual governments remained unsure on what action should be taken, the Alliance took control and attacked the turians. Only one of the human ships made it back to Shanxi colony, which was subsequently discovered by the turians and invaded. Activating a dormant mass relay without knowing where it led had been declared illegal by the Council, though the humans did not know this.

A scout fleet consisting of three frigates and two cargo vessels, trying to activate a mass relay, encountered a turian patrol fleet. Eight years later, humanity made first contact with another alien species and everything changed. But despite this success, the Systems Alliance was not considered a serious political body, as it was considered to lack the authority of individual nations. Maintaining this expansion policy, the Alliance activated all the mass relays it could find to seek out new resources and possible colonies. Following the discovery of the Charon Relay The Alliance began a rapid campaign of expansion, establishing numerous colonies and constructing a large fleet, even though it had yet to encounter another species. The Systems Alliance was drafted following the discovery of Prothean Ruins on Mars and the subsequent development of Mass effect technology.

The Alliance is governed by a parliament based at Arcturus Station, which also serves as the Alliance's capital. While the Alliance is relatively new to the galactic community, it has already made a name for itself, gaining humans an embassy on the Presidium. Backed by Earth's most powerful nations, the Alliance has become humanity's military, exploratory, and economic spearhead. The Systems Alliance is the representative body of Earth and all human colonies in Citadel space.

Mass effect batarian ships