A great debate raged. The Turians, as humanity now knew their opponent to be called, were members of a much larger group, the Citadel Council. They were not the Protheans, nor their Destroyers, but younger races like themselves. From the data mined from the hacked and frozen Turian ships, they knew the rough size of the other galactic races and their fleets. Humanity was strong, perhaps now even the strongest, but they would not prevail against the full force of a united galaxy.
The majority of humanity argued for peace. There had been no casualties, the crews of humanity's lost ships had been safely retrieved and restored. The only losses in this 'war' were from the first Turian patrol fleet.
A vocal minority shouted for war. They were ready, had been preparing for millennia. The Destroyers might still lurk. A single united galaxy, with the power of humanity at its helm, would be a force to be reckoned with.
A war would only weaken all involved, argued the peace faction, and humanity was not strong enough to take on the entire galaxy.
Then they would get stronger, cried the war faction. War pushed technologies forwards, heightened industry. Humanity could win this!
And if the Destroyers lurk still, came a whisper, if this is the exact kind of moment they wait for?
At the highest levels of humanity's governments, there was silence. The lower layers, however, teemed with arguments and counter-arguments as all sides were considered, probable outcomes predicted, and potential casualties calculated. Group after group came to conclusions, and passed it up to the next tier to argue over.
Eventually, the Voice of humanity spoke but one word.
Peace.
The Voice had spoken. The collective masses of humanity had agreed, and now it fell to the diplomatic and military groups to carry it out.
On a quantum substrate mass located under three miles of alloy plate and rock, in a sim layered with more security then half the combined Sol defence fleet, the Solar Council met.
In deference to tradition, the sim was of a dark, smoke-wreathed room. On leather chairs seated around a circular, dark wooden table, sat those who were not the leaders of humanity. Humanity spoke with its own Voice, and these were the men and women who made its will reality.
"What do we do with the Turians?" asked one of the figures. Their forms were faceless, but each was dressed accordingly. This one was female, and wore a simple white lab-coat. "I personally would like to study several of them, and their ships."
"If we are to attempt peace, vivisecting their people will not help us." said another form, this one male and wearing a tuxedo.
"I did not mean vivisection. We retrieved several of their dead from the battle at Arcturus. We also have their fleet at our mercy. It has been almost an hour now, and they have yet to unlock even the smallest sub-system. Their cyber-warfare abilities are eclipsed by our own." replied Lab-coat.
"Peace may be difficult enough without any additional obstructions, which includes awkward questions about autopsy scars on their dead." said Tuxedo.
"Perhaps some were simply atomised by detonations, or not retrieved at all? They're rather military minded, so they won't fully buy it, but they can't outright disprove it either." said another, a female in a military uniform.
"I would only need a few. It won't be exactly accurate, but I can work with limited samples, if they are as diverse as possible. What about their ships? Their technology is fascinating. They simply shouldn't fly, for example. And how do their shields work?" said Lab-coat.
"Before we decide whether you get to break their ships open, how about we get back to determining what happens next?" said another figure, a male in casual clothing.
"Ah, sorry. The implications of their technology are... intoxicating." said Lab-coat.
"Well, what are our goals here?" said Casual.
"We want to send a clear message of strength." said Military.
"We want to be seen as merciful, not war-mongers. Good neighbours even." said Tuxedo.
"We want to get information. Their fleet is the best source was have right now." said Lab-coat.
"We want to be free." said the last figure, whose voice was neutral, and whose simple white robes obscured their gender.
The others turned their faceless heads towards the robed figure.
"Free? How so?" asked Casual.
"The only method we have for interstellar travel are the Gates, or 'Relays' as the Council races call them. The only Relay that links to the wider galaxy is the one at Arcturus. If it is destroyed, we are trapped here again. Even with all the information we now have, even with the Singularity Drives, it could take centuries, if ever, to be free of Sol again. We need to get out there, establish a foot-hold." said Robe.
"But we need to do it peacefully." said Tuxedo.
"But with strength." said Military.
"And we need more data." said Lab-coat.
"Then I think I have an idea," said Casual. "We send the Turain fleet back. Remote-pilot them right back to... Palaven I think their homeworld is called. We send a message of strength, and of mercy simultaneously. We keep their dead until they ask for them back, and any that are in... unsuitable form will be 'lost'."
"And freedom? How do we ensure that the wider galaxy is not lost to us?" asked Robe.
"And I'd like more data than just a few scraps." said Lab-coat.
"We send the Ghosts," announced Military. "We wipe any data the Turian ships have, load as many Ghosts as will fit, then send them back to Palaven. Once there, the Ghosts jump into the 'extranet'. We also send a large detachment of the Sol defence fleet to Arcturus. Hell, let's begin colonising. Its about time we got some more room. And you can keep the captured, intact ships that came through before the main fleet."
"So, several dozen bodies to study, but only a few intensively. 7 ships of various shape and size, and wreckage from another two dozen. And a team of Ghosts mining for everything they can, direct from the source. I would be satisfied with that." said Lab-coat.
"A foothold at Arcturus, a Ghost detachment loose among the galaxy...yes, I am satisfied with that too." said Robe.
"Same here." said Tuxedo.
"All done then. We move the crews from the first captured ships onto their biggest ones, keep those ships and the dead crew members for study, and send everyone else back home with some invisible guests."