After tinkering around a bit in Endless Legend and Endless Space 2. I thought about the Mezari skins, and felt well the story and description of the faction is actually really interesting in the Endless Legend game. And they are introduced in Endless Space 2 as the "Scientist Searcher" subfaction of the United Empire. 


I feel to give this "faction" skin only status in Endless Legend is kind of well selling this idea and backstory short. 

Why not fully flesh out this faction for real? 


The Mezari also need a bit more advanced technology, in comparison to the Vaulters; because they are more recent arrivals. Remember the Vaulters have been stuck underground due to well ship crash? [Or if you want a Homeworld Deserts of Kharak vibe hyperspaced into the planet!] Not to be too gamebreaking, why not give the Mezari air gun tech for their units? Makes sense as a spaceship peacekeeping weapon, why not as a downteching approach to defending their faction. Giving them more of a ranged defense/offense with melee as secondary.


So the Mezari are stranded on Auriga due to some sort of whispered happening in orbit over the planet. Did Auriga attack them, did one of the United Empire Corporations Betray them, or did some other force attack them in orbit and destroy or damage their ship forcing them to land on Auriga? Or did the Mezari leaders with unknown aims and goals strand their fellow co-operating Mezari to force the hand of discovery? 


That being said, remember the Endless Space 2 Mezari quest choice notes, that the Mezari are in search of somesort of greater power.  So probably a special United Empire-Mezari side quest would be to rediscover Auriga. [Just like the Vaulters.] And you learn the fate of the stranded Mezari. I suppose the Mezari are the United Empires version of the Pilgrims, but with corporate scientific aims instead of religious scientific aims that Pilgrims espouse.  The Mezari are facinated, no probably completely consumed, with all things Endless. 


The idea is the convert the Mezari-Vaulter skin, into a Mezari-faction complete. 


Then in Endless Space 2, add some unique functionalities to the United Empire. 

Just like discovering unique and very powerful guardians and even evolving them as the Unfallen. The United Empire would get a unique adjustment to its core populations. The Hissho would be converted into a minor or major faction in the game completely independent of the United Empire. In their place Sheradyn population would be available granting bonus defense and manpower for the planets on which they are based. 


So if you chose the opening quest, Sheradyn you would get unique versions of United Empire Ships with Sheradyn perks and weapon/tactic loadouts. And that [Sheradyn] populations chance to spawn is boosted. If you chose Lena [United Empire] she grants industrial boosts and unique boosts to ships that allow them to boost production if in orbit or garrisoned at controlled systems. United Empire population type also is boosted. If you chose the Mezari you get a free Mezari pop, and boosts to Mezari pop spawn. Mezari pop increases science production per pop, but has some negative FIDS effects. [I mean you can have completely focused on one thing people trying to do everything else, right?] Also the Mezari grant unique boosts to scout ships and colony ships allowing for discovery of new star clusters and new anomalies. 


So if I go Sheradyn, I am becoming extremely militaristic and this boosts my manpower and military might if you are going military conquest route. 

If go United Empire with Lena, I am becoming more industrial and economy oriented which then allows me to build up my empire.

If go Mezari I am specializing in science and discovery, which can allow me to get footholds and advantages in technology faster; but with some downsides. This especially will allow faster colonization efforts and great deed fulfillment. 


That said, I think this might be pie in the sky, but could the Mezari be added in Endless Space?  As a free DLC just to add backstory.


Then basically, the only things needed are unique loadup screens and victory screens for Endless Legend. Although I think their quest would be to find out what happened to them, and then to either assist the Vaulters though alliance and trade to build their ship. And possibly get a few seats on board. Or somehow record all their discoveries and what happened on Auriga in a special Beacon Library so that in Endless Space 2 as United Empire-Mezari you discover that something happend on that planet. So either you find the Vaulters and they transfer the surviving Mezari to you, or you find Auriga and the Beacon Library; and then search for the Mezari with the Vaulters. And this would then drive a subquest to discover Endless Relics across the galaxy, or getting revenge on the unnamed enemy. [Possibly Vaulters if you could construe their having Mezari onboard as "kidnapping or harboring dissidents and rebels." ]


This would bring the Mezari full circle from a "skin"-subfaction to more of a faction-subfaction in Endless Legend/Space 2 continium.