Editing Tejo Aponte

In May of 2553, the United Nations Space Command's 717th Xeno-Materials Exploitation Battalion and a Spartan attachment requested permission to land on Gao to search for an unknown object in the Montero Cave System which the UNSC refused to reveal the identify of. At the time, Aponte was the president of the Gao Republic, an anti-centralization government on the planet of the same name. At first, he denied the UNSC's request, but after a series of talks they were allowed to conduct their search. When people began to turn up dead in the caverns the UNSC was exploring, murder was suspected and the news media pushed for a harsh response from President Aponte. Though he suddenly found himself under an enormous amount of pressure to blame the UNSC and end its occupation of the [[Montero Vitality Center]], he opted for a more measured response and instead simply ordered the [[Gao Ministry of Protection]] to launch an investigation concerning the deaths. At this time he also personally assured Commander [[Murtag Nelson]], a [[UNSC Navy]] officer, that he was not looking to blame the UNSC or planning for anything to go to trial.

On July 5, 2553, after the Keepers of the One Freedom began an attack on Wendosa, President Aponte called an emergency meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers. After arriving twenty minutes late, Aponte took his place at the head of the table and announced his intent to aid the UNSC in ending the conflict. Arlo Casille opposed his plan and suggested that the forces attacking Wendosa were actually trying to liberate Gao from the UNSC. Casille initiated a vote to have the Cabinet order the Gao militia to support the UNSC's attackers, with the support of several ministers including Minister Trella Rangel and Minister Saul Quarres. With only Minister of War Gasper Baez's support, Aponte reluctantly agreed to compromise by having Gao remain neutral in the conflict, to which Casille agreed as he knew it would be difficult to continue to press for military action. The next day, Casille made a cabinet proclamation demanding Aponte's resignation with Casille intending to take his place. With Casille gaining the majority votes from the Cabinet of Ministers in his proclamation, Aponte was forced to resign and Casille became the President of the Gao Republic.