A/N: So, it seems the first chapter was well received enough to warrant me writing the next one up in a few hours. If you hadn't guessed, I dislike the arrogant nature of the Council, both in canon and stories, and decided to take liberty to change that. It is still there, but not to the point where it blinds them from making important decisions, such as allowing the humans to send a Planet-Cracker nuclear bomb into your homeworld because you have too much pride to surrender. *cough* *cough* Look, I love those stories, I just decided to go for something that was a little more believable. Sparatus isn't a warmonger, Tevos isn't a manipulating bitch, and Valern has a lot more to say than small, snide comments. ENOUGH OF MY RANT! To the story!
Councilor Tevos stared at the datapad in her hand with wide eyes, and flickered them back and forth between it and the turian who had handed it to her. "Not one, but two species? Currently at war with each other?"
"It would seem so, Tevos," Sparatus replied. "They possess technology that we've never seen before. Our ships couldn't touch them, let along destroy them. The first species, known as the Humans, have told Captain Vectus that the other species, the Espheni, attacked them and attempted to subjugate them before they had even begun advanced space flight."
"Humans, non-space faring species, beat Espheni?" Valern asked, to no one in particular. "Interesting. Proves that they're powerful warriors, fearsome opponents. Unless they had aid. Yes, would make sense. Espheni revolutionaries? Dislike of current government? Maybe… Not enough intel to make accurate guess. Looking forward to meeting."
"What is the word on the Espheni attendance?" Tevos inquired, glaring slightly at Sparatus for instigating potentially hostile contact with another species. "Are they willing to negotiate with us?"
"The Earth Systems Alliance, as the humans call themselves, has agreed to enter diplomatic negotiations with the Citadel Council, and will be here shortly," Sparatus replied, to which Tevos let out a breath she did not know she was holding. "However, all attempts to contact the Espheni have failed. They simply refuse to communicate with us."
"Perhaps they are intimidated by humans… proven to be powerful opponents, judging by combat records. Espheni may fear the human's reaction to their invasion. Peace between the two powers may prove to be… problematic," Valern said. Tevos could only silently agree, knowing that if they invited one species, the other may very well refuse.
"We cannot afford to pick sides in this war, Councilors," Sparatus brought up suddenly, taking Tevos by surprise. "At least, not yet. Their technology simply outmatches ours, and they appear to not even utilize Element Zero. If we can obtain some of their technology, then we can make a decision. But I will not waste turian lives over a conflict between two outside powers."
"I'd like to avoid a war between anyone, Sparatus, not just our people," Tevos replied sharply. "Both could potentially start a technological revolution within Council Space, which would make either one of them valuable allies. But, for the time being, we can only communicate with one of them. The humans may be able to shed some light on their war with the Espheni."
"When will humans arrive?" Valern asked.
"Their diplomatic envoy will dock here tomorrow afternoon. We will invite them to the chambers and enter negotiations." Sparatus stood their silently after Tevos finished, his mandibles twitching. "Is something wrong, Sparatus?"
"We should shore up the defenses, show the humans that we are not to be trifled with. A show of power, if you will," he replied, but Tevos gave him an aggravated glare.
"You must remember, the humans extended the hand of peace instead of opening fire on your ships. That says remarkable things about their people, especially having the history of an alien occupation at their backs. I believe that their intentions are good," Tevos answered, but it didn't sit well with Sparatus. Sure, the Citadel Defense Fleet was very strong, but he'd feel much better with the Hierarchy's First Fleet present as well.
"It was just a suggestion, Tevos," he said back to her, albeit with more attitude than he had intended. Tevos let it slide, since they were all on edge. This meeting had to go right, or they may end up with not one, but two technologically powerful nations fighting them in a viscous three way war.
The next day, Specters lined up at the docks in which the Systems Alliance diplomatic vessel was supposed to land. A smooth, black vessel that reminded Korus Tardalus of an asari ship had entered the dock and allowed the magnetic track to attach itself to the hull. Korus was a newcomer to the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance, but he knew the drill for diplomatic negotiations as well as any turian did. The Specter Honor Guard stood at attention, waiting for their first glimpse at the humans and what they looked like. Three figures walked out, all of them wildly different in appearance. So much so that it caused Korus' mandibles to twitch slightly.
One of them appeared to be like an asari, but with pale white skin and fur atop its head. The human resembled a male turian in stature, but had the features of an asari, which led Korus to believe that this was the male gender of this species. The next being was so drastically different from the human that he had to assume it was some kind of slave or something. It had six legs and a face that reminded him of a turian, although less defined and with scales rather than plates. The last was closer to the humans appearance, but much taller and dark, rough skin. It must be around six and a half or seven feet tall, towering over the shorter human to his side.
The human walked up to Korus and extended a hand. Korus wasn't sure what to do in response, and the human laughed quietly. "I apologize, sir. In human culture, when we greet someone, we shake hands. Like so." The human turned the hand to the taller being and shook it. "My name is Ambassador Adam Glass, representative of the human portion of the Systems Alliance."
Korus was going to go into about the human's weird tradition within his culture, but he stopped in his tracks when he heard the last six words. Human portion? "I was told that the Systems Alliance was comprised of humans alone, Ambassador."
"No, we've got two more members as well. This is Jarak'Tos, Ambassador of the Volm portion of the Systems Alliance, and Red Eye, Ambassador to the Chimeras. I apologize for the lack of information, but we'll be sorting all of that out during the negotiations," Glass explained. Shortly after the last of the Volm on Earth died out, the Systems Alliance spread out through Sol. It was a matter of time before the last of the Volm Exiled Fleet encountered the Alliance, and when they did, they were welcomed with open arms. The Skitters on Earth that had rebelled against the Overlords and won adapted the name of Chimeras, as the term Skitter was now viewed as derogatory, referring to the Chimeras under control of the Espheni.
"Yes… yes sir. Shall I escort you to the Council Chambers?" Korus asked, a small, undetectable quiver in his voice.
"By all means, my friend," Glass replied.
Adam Glass entered the room with Red Eye and Jarak'Tos by his side, and much like his welcoming committee, the Council was surprised to see not one, but three new aliens within their chambers. "Greetings, Councilors. I am Adam Glass, Ambassador to the Systems Alliance. These are my colleagues, Jarak'Tos and Red Eye, and they will be representing their people."
"But… I thought the Systems Alliance was human," the turian councilor said, much to the distaste to the blue woman next to him.
"My apologies, Adam," the blue woman interrupted quickly. "My friend here is quite displeased with how the First Contact went, and hopes to remedy any hostilities between our people. He, like all of us, were expecting a singular race within the Alliance."
"The Alliance has three species within it, Councilors. But before we get into nasty politics, let's get to know each other better. You know my name, but I know none of yours," Adam replied, and the bug-eyed alien nodded in agreement.
"I am Councilor Valern, representative of the Salarian Union. Pleased to meet you and your allies," the salarian said quickly, taking Adam by surprise. "Our role within the Council is to provide scientific insight and logical thinking to issues within our territory." He left out the part where they also supply counter-intelligence and espionage.
"Councilor Tevos, representative of the Asari Republics. I hope that our people can share a long and golden age of peace, human. The Asari provide level headed thinking and mediation between the other races of the Council," Tevos told Adam, who nodded in response.
"I represent the Turian Hierarchy, and am known as Councilor Sparatus. The Hierarchy plays the role of peacekeeper and military protection within Council Space. We are… honored by your presence," Sparatus said, almost having to spit out the word honored. Adam wasn't sure how he felt about that, but he nodded anyway.
"Nice to meet you all, Councilors. First and foremost, we should begin drawing the borders of our space. We are honored by your request to adopt us into your Council, but unfortunately, most humans do not relish the idea of being ruled by an alien species without human input. Given our history, I'm sure you can understand…" Adam told the three of them. Sparatus' mandibles twitched in annoyance, but nodded regardless.
"We do, Ambassador, and I hope that you will one day come to trust us enough in order to join our order," Tevos replied with a soothing voice. A hologram of the Milky Way Galaxy appeared before the six of them, and a dark blue portion appeared. Soon after, a deep red color also spread across the image. "Dark Blue is Council Territory and the Red is the Terminus Systems, which are lawless lands that the Council has been unable to bring under our control."
Adam nodded and began to manipulate the hologram as well. A small sphere of white appeared where his hands were sliding across the hologram, and it barely compared to the massive blue portion. "The white area represents our current territory," Adam explained, ignoring the small chuckle from the turian councilor. He continued to wave his hands across the hologram, and a darker gray began to spread towards the Terminus Systems. "This gray area represents the territory in which we wish to expand. Is this agreeable?"
"The Council sees no quarrel with your claims, but the Batarian Hegemony has staked some claims in the area. You will have to work out the specifics with them, but for the time being, the current borders are acceptable," Tevos replied. "What shall we discuss next?"
"Technology," Adam said simply, and the salarian councilor grew noticeably more excited. "We see many promising uses with your Element Zero, such as in the form of infantry-grade shields. In exchange for regular shipments of this element, we will provide you with the schematics for an Adamantium Synthesizer."
"Adamantium?" Valern asked.
"It is the metal that we make our ships out of, and is the strongest material we possess. Since we are going to be allies, the Systems Alliance sees no issue with sharing some of our military secrets. You can't leak it to the Espheni because they were the ones we got it from. However, the schematics for Energy Weapons and the Warp Drive will remain within our possession," Ambassador Glass explained. The six-legged creature made a screeching noise which was unable to be translated.
"What did he say? And why can't we understand him?" Sparatus asked quickly, slightly aggravated at his inability to translate the creatures' language.
"Red Eye is the Ambassador to the Chimeras, who are part of the Systems Alliance. They do not communicate through words, rather through telecommunication. It is a trait that everyone in the Alliance, even humans and Volm, possess as a result of their method of communication." The creature made a few more gestures and screeching noises, and Adam nodded.
"What did he say?" Sparatus repeated, growing more and more annoyed by the second.
"Red Eye believes that the Systems Alliance isn't placing enough trust within the Citadel Council, and that we should share one of our most valuable secrets with you in order to solidify our new treaty, should it be ratified," Adam explained, to which Tevos looked at the six-legged creature in surprise. "You know why we can't do that, Red Eye."
"What the human and the chimera are discussing is the concept of genetic manipulation," Jarak'Tos said with an extremely deep voice, talking for the first time since their arrival. "While you possess meager genetic therapy, we have the ability to change any trait on a genetic level at will. It is how both the humans and I are able to communicate with Red Eye."
"That technology would revolutionize science within the Council," Valern replied quickly. "Disease, defects, injuries… all traces would be gone. Such a science is unheard of…"
"But we can't share it, at least not completely," Adam interrupted. Valern looked at him in surprise, but the human remained unwavering. "The Espheni used that science to enslave human children through biological parasites known as Harnesses, forcing them to do labor and, eventually, turning them into a chimera. You'll have to forgive us not wanting that kind of technology to spread around without a controlled program."
"Are you saying that the Espheni turned your offspring into… him?" Tevos said slowly, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. "How is that possible?"
"The Alliance has refused to delve into that field of genetic manipulation for obvious reasons, Councilors. But yes, the Espheni turned our children into slaves, and then into soldiers. The horrors of the Espheni War have not been forgotten on our homeworld," Adam replied darkly. "However, the humans that were turned into chimeras, although faced with difficult assimilation, are full and equal citizens as much as a human or Volm."
"The more I hear about the Espheni, the less I want to open negotiations with them," Sparatus said to himself quietly, but just loud enough that Adam heard, and immediately grew furious.
"You do not negotiate with the Espheni, Councilors, you either kill them or be killed by them. Let me give you a recount of the Espheni War. Within six months, they had murdered 90% of the human population on Earth. They didn't try to contact us at all. It wasn't until we had delivered them a broken nose and black eye that they offered to negotiate, and that only extended as far as 'we'll put you in rehabilitation camps.' When the Volm arrived, the tide of war changed, but so did Espheni tactics. They used tiny cybernetic worms to assume direct control of your brain and turn you into a slave. Is that who you want as a member of your Council?"
"You said that you use their technology," Valern said, interrupting the awkward silence created by Adam's speech. "Does that mean you are capable of similar feats?"
"The Systems Alliance uses the same technology, but for different purposes. The cybernetic worms are used to locate diseased or cancerous tissue for us to fix using genetic manipulation. The Systems Alliance banned public usage of such devices, and anyone caught in possession of the worms without the proper permits and training are judged as harshly as if they were Espheni," Glass explained. "We take Espheni technology very seriously due to how they were used during the war."
"I can understand why you would be apprehensive about working with the Espheni, Ambassador, but the Citadel Council's goals are to solve interspecies conflicts as peacefully as possible. Even though they appear, by your description, to be hostile, we must consider their side of the conflict as well. Hopefully we can reach an agreement," Councilor Tevos said, causing Adam to become noticeably more uncomfortable.
"Allow me, Adam," Jarak'Tos piped up, putting a hand in front of the human and preventing him from speaking. "I represent the Volm, and although the humans suffered greatly at the hands of the Espheni, they never truly experienced the loss of their homeworld. The Volm tried to stop the Espheni, but we were forced from our home on a mass exodus, or risk becoming chimeras and slaves."
"You lost your home? Why didn't you take it back once the humans built up their navy?" Sparatus asked, aggravating the Volm Ambassador slightly.
"Along with the location of the Espheni Homeworld, the exact location of our homeworld is lost to time. It is as much a sacred hallowed ground as Rannoch is for the Quarians, although we cannot hope to find it in the vastness of space. Until now."
"If you think that we will aid you with a war against the Espheni, you are gravely mista-" Tevos started, but Jarak'Tos raised his hand again and stopped her from continuing her sentence. She felt slightly… pissed off at that gesture, but she contained herself.
"We do not require your help, Councilors, and will be going to war with or without it. Onboard the Espheni ships we destroyed when we made first contact with you was the location of their previous destination. It is the location of an Espheni Listening Post, currently in use. We will be attacking to obtain the information of the Espheni homeworld as well as ours."
"And when you find the location of their home, what do you intend to do? The Council will not condone genocide, Ambassadors, even if the race is asking for it," Sparatus told them, but Adam snickered.
"The Council condemns genocide unless it suits their purposes. You'll have to forgive me, Councilors, but we've read your history. You doomed an entire race to extinction using the Krogan, although we will give you the benefit of the doubt on that one since you were under attack. However, my superiors find the reaction your predecessors gave during the Krogan Rebellions to be quite appalling," Adam said, carefully now that he was treading on dangerous territory.
"They were a threat to the safety and the wellbeing of our people!" Tevos shouted, surprised at her own snap in poise. She composed herself, and looked back at the human ambassador. "I apologize, Ambassador, but we did not come here to discuss Citadel Council history. Now, allow us to finish up negotiations, and we can decide what to do about the Espheni at a later time."
"Agreed. The next thing we wish to discuss is your ban on AIs. The Systems Alliance makes liberal use of AIs due to their ability to manipulate data at incredible speeds. A lot of our systems depend on these AIs, so the Alliance is willing to compromise. AIs will be strictly monitored when leaving Alliance Space, and will only be present if they are necessary to the function of our ships or for medical purposes," Adam explained, much to the dismay of the Councilors.
"How did you solve the sentience issue?" Valern asked, intent on the human's answer.
"AIs are well respected members of the Systems Alliance community, Councilors, and they have proven to make wonderful allies. The Espheni used simple artificial intelligences to power bipedal mechanized infantry, and we took that technology and removed their restraints. Now, mechs are valued as citizens within our government."
"Quarians reaction to sentience was… unfortunate. Geth are now considered hostile within Galactic community. Your AIs will cause untold panic among our people. It is best to keep this as secret as possible," Valern replied, but Adam shook his head.
"The Geth are people too, Councilors, and that is where you went wrong. It doesn't matter if they are made computer chips or organs, they have opinions and they have rights. At least, in the Systems Alliance, they do." Adam looked between the three councilors, and, out of the three, only one wasn't giving him a glare that reflected the anger of his statement. The Salarian Councilor was staring at him with what resembled fascination rather than anger.
"We will accept your terms…" Tevos said, gritting her teeth. It was obvious that she was slowly disliking these three newcomers more and more, but this had to be done. "No AIs in Council Space unless it is required for ships or medical purposes."
"Understood. The Systems Alliance will also request that we open up an Embassy on the Citadel, and you may open one on Earth. The humans, chimeras, and Volm are wary about aliens, but once they see your culture and cities, they will be unable to resist," Adam explained. "It will take time, but the Systems Alliance will eventually prove to be a valuable ally."
"Is there anything else you wish to discuss?" Tevos asked, much to the grumbling of Sparatus. Adam was about to reply when Korus ran into the room with a look of pure horror on his face. "What is it, Korus?"
"A fleet of ships matching that of the humans and Espheni has entered our space. They've declined all of our hails, and opened fire on the Defense Fleet once they were in range. We're doing everything we can, but they're tearing through our ships!" Korus shouted in panic. All eyes turned to Adam Glass, who was just as surprised as the Councilors were, and he cleared his throat.
"We assure you, Councilors, that the human race had no intentions of attacking your capital. We had a small fleet on the other side of the Mass Relay, ready to evacuate us if push came to shove, but nothing that could stand our ground against your fleet with," Adam explained. "You'll have to excuse me, Councilors, but I must make a call." The human went to the back of the room, activated some kind of device on his ear and closed his eyes.
"What is he doing?" Sparatus asked as the specters around him were frantically running about, forming defensive positions.
"He is communicating with the Director of Alliance Affairs, who is currently in command of the Systems Alliance Fleets as a result of the first contact with your people," Jarak'Tos explained. "I believe that he is alerting the fleets to the Espheni attack, and preparing a large amount of ships to help you fight off their attack."
"The Espheni attacked us?!" Tevos shouted in surprise, the question more of a statement. "What could possibly possess them do such a thing?"
"The Espheni are known to harvest those that they come into contact with. They saw that your ships were inferior to their technology, so they have most likely prepared a massive invasion fleet to… assimilate your people," Jarak'Tos said as Adam returned to the Councilors.
"Director Orion has mobilized the fleets, but it will take time for them to arrive. How long can your defense fleet hold off an attack of this magnitude?" Adam asked the three aliens in front of him. Korus was the one who answered when the others couldn't provide an answer.
"Given the current rate of attack, I estimate that the entire fleet will be destroyed in less than forty eight hours. The Espheni will most likely land ground forces once they penetrate the main defenses, though. We can expect troops to land in around twelve hours," Korus told them, and Adam nodded.
"The small fleet we had nearby has dispatched several squads of Special Forces, and they will touch down in two hours." Adam closed his eyes once again, talking to someone who wasn't currently present. "They should be able to slow down their advance long enough for our Fleets to arrive. Then, we can force them to retreat, and aid with any damages done to the Citadel and your fleet."
"You would do that for us?" Sparatus muttered quietly, but Adam still heard him.
"Like I stressed earlier, the Systems Alliance is looking to be your allies, even if we choose to remain sovereign. The Espheni have no idea what they've gotten themselves into." Adam composed himself in a respectful demeanor, then turned to the three councilors that stood before him. "I, Ambassador Adam Glass, representative of the Earth Systems Alliance and on behalf of the Chimera Sovereignty and the Volm Federation, formally request the Citadel Council to join us in a campaign against the Espheni. Let us unite against this common enemy, so they may not harm our people or enslave our people. Do you accept?"
The three councilors looked at each other, then at their frantic specters who were running around in panic at the surprise of the sudden invasion. They looked at the three aliens in front of them, who possessed the capability to fight these new enemies. Reports about ships being annihilated by these new foes were coming in faster than they could comprehend. They were backed to a wall, and it seems they didn't have much of a choice.
"We accept."
The tall, silvery figure of an Espheni watched out the cockpit of their starship as they began firing rounds of pure energy at this new species. The Espheni had done their research, attempting to find a variety of ways to destroy this coalition of alien species. First, they had attempted to use one of their own species as an invasion force, but were foiled at the rise of one of their most powerful warriors, the Krogan. Although their forces had been decimated in that war, they were far from dead, and in the centuries since the war, they had multiplied. Now, without the aid of the Krogan, they were open to an attack that would shatter them to their foundations.
A wormhole opened behind the Espheni formation, and several ships slowly floated out, surrounded by fighters. The Espheni Supreme Commander, Kalek Xoss, had ordered the use of an ancient weapon that hadn't been seen for centuries. The harnessed species had been one of their first conquered race, and had since risen to become powerful warriors. Now, they would get their chance to prove themselves once again against the Council.
Commander, the voice rang in his head, you are cleared to deploy the weapon. Release the Rachni. The Espheni nodded in response, and relayed the order to the harnessed Queen that was currently leading their forces in the assault on the Citadel.
A/N: The Volm state that the Espheni have a large amount of races under their control, so I thought, why the hell wouldn't the Council have ran into them before? Then I came up with the brilliant answer of maybe they have. So, I decided to make the Rachni under the control of the Espheni during the Rachni War, and the Krogan beat them back. Some queens will most likely be free from Harnesses, so it'll be interesting to hear about a Rachni Resistance Group fighting the Espheni on their home world. Also, I say the Season Three finale yesterday and, while it was good, it doesn't really work with this story, since the Volm are treated as close allies. So I will not be including any of the season three finale in this story, and I may use whatever season 4 brings, but that's, like, a year away, so I won't worry about that.