This prompt is for CecilTheSeahawk (formerly WackyJack93). I've actually wanted to do this for a while, and at one point, was going to have it occur in a limited sense in IV: Holocaust (check outline, Asari monastery plot, for details). Suffice to say, never got to do it then, so I'm doing it now. This is similar in premise to Media Firestorm, but I'm hoping to put a twist on it. Should be interesting. Hope its what you were looking for CecilTheSeahawk. This one is going to be a little different in style to the other prompts, and I think you'll see why.
Also, for other readers, I recommend checking out Seahawk's first fanfiction, 'Summers of Mindoir', if you haven't already.
July 23, 2186.
"This...is the Alliance News Network, journalist Emily Wong reporting.
The destruction of the elcor spirit: Dekuuna falls after six weeks of relentless and brutal Reaper bombardment. UGC and ECD officials do not yet have an accurate estimate of the death toll, but the Citadel's Bureau of Statistics calculates the approximate death toll to be nearly 81% of total deployed forces, making it the most devastating military defeat for the Elcor Courts since the Sangel Standoff in 1899.
In a surprising olive branch, the krogan military has opened up refugee facilities in Tuchanka's previously abandoned Que'k Wastelands in an attempt to lighten the pressure placed on the Citadel's already overtaxed and overpopulated refugee population, which has increased tenfold since the Reaper's increased campaigns on Kahje, Irune and Dekuuna. The elcor Minister of Defense Xenlon, recently promoted to Head Judge after the formation of the elcor government-in-exile shortly after the first attack on Dekuuna, has made a desperate plea to the Council for military aid, but it appears that the Salarian Union and Asari Republics' recent descents into isolationism has yielded little sympathy from their governments. As such, Fleet Admiral Steven Hackett of UGC Supreme Command does not expect the asari and salarians to commit to a unified front anytime soon. He also does not believe that the elcor, much like the batarians, are going to remain 'combat effective' for much longer if they don't conserve their remaining resources.
In other news, victory from afar as the quarians and the geth announce a surprising new military alliance. After the quarians' sudden disappearance from the galactic map gave birth to numerous conspiracy theories ranging from Reaper colloboration to intergalactic exoduses, much of the galaxy had given up in expecting the Migrant Fleet to join the rapidly expanding war: some even believed the quarians themselves had succumbed to the Reapers' initial onslaught, and that the Flotilla was now but a footnote in the history books. But now, over a month since the war started on June the second, the quarians have reemerged, suddenly allied with the geth. And, to nobody's surprise, there is one man to thank for this bewildering and shocking new revelation: Commander Shepard.
It has only been a day since the announcement of this new alliance, but its newfound repercussions are already sending waves rippling through the galactic political sphere. Even now, Cerberus positions near the Perseus Veil have found themselves subject to numerous, victorious raids by joint quarian-geth strike teams. Numerous colonies under threat from Reaper attack, which the Alliance and Hierarchy had deemed irretrievable due to their forces being stretched too thin, are now being evacuated thousands at a time, with hundreds of Migrant Fleet vessels, as the colonial minister of Freedom's Progress put it, 'came out of nowhere and suddenly started shuttling civilians out.' It appears that Commander Shepard has, again, achieved something of a small miracle.
This is not the first time during the war that the until-recently-disgraced Commander Shepard has managed to pull a rabbit out of his hat. The first time was when he somehow managed to secure an alliance between the xenophobic and demilitarized krogan clans and the Turian Hierarchy. While the details of how this alliance came to occur seem to have been kept quiet from the public, the fact that the Union's response was to withdraw economic and military support for the Council and adopt an isolationist policy, coupled with the krogan's sudden eagerness to assist the Hierarchy, has done nothing to quell rumors of a possible genophage cure. Regardless of how it occurred, Shepard managed it. And then, not even three days later, helped to stop a takeover of the Citadel orchestrated by the pro-human Cerberus paramilitary group, which subsequently led to Hackett's 'official' declaration of hostilities against the 'Illusive Man and all those who would try to undermine our effort to destroy the Reapers.'
This counts as the third time Shepard has achieved something miraculous, and with it, support for the UGC is growing. The announcement of the Rannochian Coalition, as the quarian and geth leadership are calling it, has come at no better time. With the fall of Dekuuna and failed evacuations of Kahje, morale was at an all time low: this new alliance has breathed new life into a galaxy on the brink of falling apart.
But, as seems to be the running theme, Commander Shepard, now being targeted for the title of 'Consul of the UGC', is not content with one surprise. No, this next surprise is not military, not economic, not political, and certainly not cultural. While small, this next surprise took the galactic media by storm.
Ladies and gentlemen, Commander Shepard has proposed. To a quarian.
This announcement was made mere days ago, just last weekend. But already, the extranet has exploded with a mixture of emotions. Some, especially many quarians, believe this to be the start of a new beginning for the quarian people, with some saying it symbolizes their gradual return to being respected members of society, while others, more conspiratorially, believe it is part of a plan by Shepard to establish stronger political relations between the Systems Alliance and the Migrant Fleet, in an effort to speedup the evacuation of Alliance colonies and a possible reclamation of Earth and the Sol system. Others still have chosen to sweep the politics aside, and look upon the matter more romantically: apparently, in the eyes of many, love conquers all. Even centuries of hatred between organics and their synthetic creations. Could Shepard's love for this quarian have motivated him to end the age old conflict?
However, not all have looked upon the coupling quite so optimistically. Remember Shanxi representative Charles Saracino, who recently won a court case (Saracino v. The Council) to determine his innocence in the scandal involving Terra Firma's apparent association with the Cerberus organization, has called the relationship a 'sin against mankind', which will 'only fuel his already skewed misanthrophic views and turn him further away from his own species.' Others have adopted his views, some even calling for a review of Shepard's conduct and ability to lead. Some believe him to be biased, and that his sudden detour to the conflict on Rannoch was unnecessary and selfish.
Whatever the case, it is undeniable that the announcement of this marriage is deconstructing our views of Commander Shepard as we know it. This man's rise-and-fall from fame is something of a mystery in and of itself. From Hero of the Citadel, to ranting maniac. From Alliance poster child, to Cerberus colloborator. From humanity's champion, to destroying a batarian star system and murdering tens of thousands. From disgraced criminal facing extradition, to leader of the galactic war effort. One cannot be blamed for being confused as to whether Shepard is a hero or a villain...or perhaps even both.
More news on this marriage announcement and the Rannochian Coalition has it develops.
And now for sport. Over to you, Malcolm-"
July 27, 2186.
"-and now we transfer over to Emily Wong at the studio where she will be conducting an interview with Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Shellen, commander of the recently established Rannochian Second Fleet. Over to you, Emily."
"Thank you, Malcolm," Emily replied with a big smile as she shifted in her chair away from the camman drone hovering over her shoulder, quickly turning to face the object of her soon-to-be-started round of questioning: a well presented and postured quarian male admiral wearing a pinkish veil and with his head held high, back straightened. It gave off the air of someone with pride, "Thank you for joining us, Admiral Koris. We understand your time is very precious, and we're glad you were able to spend some time of it with us to answer some questions."
"Not at all. The pleasure is all mine," Koris replied succintly. He seemed like somebody who was well versed in answering questions.
Nodding, she looked down at her datapad, ignoring her teleprompter as she simply gave a simple one-glance look at the questions she was expected to ask. Emily was always one for improvization, so she wasted no time in getting down to it, "Admiral Koris, it'd be safe to say this is a great time for the quarian people, is it not? After all, your people have gone from, if I may say it, political pariahs and a nomadic rump state...to having your homeworld back, an alliance with the creations your people tried to destroy, and have joined the war effort with a bang. How does that make you feel?"
"That's quite alright, Miss Wong. I'm aware of my people's reputation in thw galaxy, as are all quarians, and we know too well the mistakes we've made in the past," he stated simply, as if he was clarifying points of fact rather than creating a defensive argument, "But all that changed just under a week ago. I could say it took my people getting over their prejudices and finally seeing the truth of the matter, but ultimately, that would be disingenious. No, the credit must go to Commander Shepard. Without him, none of this would have been possible. I misjudged the man, it would seem."
"Oh?" Emily retorted questionarily, "You didn't initially think highly of the commander?"
"Keelah, no," he elaborated somewhat glumly, "I initially believed he was naive and a brute. The first time I met him was during a trial...the details of which I can't disclose...and my initial opinion of him was less than stellar. But after talking to the man, and subsequently followed by his intervention in the war between my people and the geth...I've learned I was wrong. Not something I admit to often, I'll grant you. Those of the Koris clan have a history of being stubborn and prideful, and I'm no exception. But Shepard is no brute, and he's certainly not naive. No, he made my people realize just how naive we were. By the Ancestors, anyone who can not only defeat Admiral Gerrel in an argument, but make him ally with a geth, is somebody to be watched very closely. You can certainly tell him that."
"So your people did go to war with the geth?"
There was an explosive sigh, "Unfortunately, yes. I'm not proud of it, and I'll make it clear for the record that I did not endorse, nor support, any invasion, and nor did the late Civilian Fleet. I'm just glad Shepard intervened when he did...or I might not be sitting here having this pleasant conversation."
"Can you tell us how Shepard achieved this?"
"I'm...afraid I can't go into details. The Battle for Rannoch, as I'm told, has largely been classified by the UGC for security reasons. They want to prevent knowledge of intelligence gathered from the battle to fall into Reaper hands, you understand. The war cannot afford security leaks."
"We at ANN, and I'm sure our viewers as well, understand the need for security integrity. After all, I don't think anybody's going to complain about classified information so long as it brings us one step closer to victory over the Reapers," Emily rectified, quickly moving onto the more pressing questions from the public. She felt her grin widening as she asked her next question, "Admiral Koris, there are some questions pertaining to a recent announcement that the Alliance public are just itching to know about. I'm sure you know what we refer to. What are your thoughts on this?"
That seemed to have caught Koris' attention, hands folded on his lap as he chuckled, "Ah yes, I do believe I know what you mean. Personally, I don't the commander and Admiral Zorah well enough to offer an opinion on what I think of them as people, but I can say this: they are two of the most remarkable people I've ever met. I mentioned before that my initial thoughts of Shepard were very low: the same could be said for our latest admiral. Miss Zorah used to be quite virulently anti-geth. She shared the opinion of most quarians that we should have reclaimed our homeworld eventually through force. As such, I despised what she stood for. However, ever since she returned to the Migrant Fleet eight months ago, she's been a completely different woman. In fact, she stood beside me as the only other admiral to vote against going to war with the geth. A vote we lost, of course."
Emily quirked an eyebrow up at that, "And what, do you think, caused this change in opinion?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Koris asked, chuckling once more, "Shepard swayed her, I have no doubt. Ever since he revealed that he had a geth on his crew, Legion he called it, it had clicked in my mind as to why Admiral Zorah had changed her opinion on the geth. However, I also think it had, in large part, a lot to do with the relationship between herself and the commander. Working with them both was quite extraordinary. I've never seen two people so committed to ending a war peacefully. It was...a little inspiring, I must say."
"Admiral Koris, what do you think about this announcement of marriage by Commander Shepard last Thursday? Did you expect it?"
"To some level, I think I did. Quarian culture is very specific about how our relationships work. Once a mate imprints on the other, and vice versa, their bonding is all but inevitable. Yes, Commander Shepard is certainly not a quarian, at least not biologically or physiologically, but by observing those two in a room together, you wouldn't be able to argue the difference. So while I was still a bit shocked by the announcement, deep down, I don't think I was. It just seemed...natural."
"So you approve?"
"Of course!" the admiral excitedly declared, "As pretentious as it may sound, Miss Wong, I am believer in the human adage 'love conquers all', one I've taken a liking to. In the culture of my ancestors and my people, such an emotion trumps all others and is held to a near sacrosanct level of importance. Domestic violence is rare, and my people don't even have a word for 'divorce' in our language. It simply does not happen. If Admiral Zorah wishes to bond with the Commander, she means it...and no doubt, given the knowledge the commander has of my people, he no doubt understands the implications as well. He does not seem like a man who rushes into something blind. So, of course I approve. This shows that, nobody what species you are or your appearance, love truly can conquer it all. It doesn't always happen, but when it does...cherish it. After all, this is the very thing the Reapers are hoping to strip from us."
"That was...quite the speech, admiral. Thank you," Emily stated, wiping one eye to hide the fact a tear had almost fallen from it. Wong knew Commander Shepard already, and with her more romanticist side of her beginning to flourish, she could feel butterflies in her stomach just hearing about this. She was happy for the commander, but couldn't show that on livestream. After all, millions of people were watching at this moment. It wouldn't for Emily Wong, respected news journalist and reporter, to start crying in the middle of an interview, "I have no doubt that the quarian people will view this bonding as a step up politically."
Koris nodded, although the gesture seemed almost sad, "Yes, but unfortunately, there will be those who will only see this for the political value it holds, I'm afraid. You see, my people are deeply social...quite possibly the most social species in the galaxy. Five quarians in a room could debate the use of a shower for days and still not reach an agreement. And given the inherent nature of politics, you can no doubt see that it is a recipe for disaster. As such, the Provisional Conclave on Rannoch has been in much debate over this announcement, with some wishing to use it to make gains into a deal with the Systems Alliance after this war is over."
"Your people have only just entered the war effort and they're already planning for what comes next? Isn't that a bit premature?"
"As I said, my people are talkers. We always look forward to what happens next, just as much as we delve into the past. We rarely acknowledge the present as relevant. That method of thinking has kept the Fleet alive for three centuries, and as the human expression goes, 'if it isn't broke, don't fix it.' As such, my people are going to take time to...drop this mindset. I have no doubt the Conclave are already sending out ambassadors to discuss Council membership and an embassy. It would not surprise me if they used this bonding as political leverage. Although, to be fair, I somehow doubt the Alliance isn't at least considering it as well."
"You can never know with those in power, it seems," Emily returned, agreeing with Koris, "So, politics aside, you don't see any problem with this marriage? Many from both the Migrant Fleet and the Alliance have called out the bonding as a sham. A political maneveur to save face. A red herring used to distract from the fact we are losing the war. A lie to paint the quarians in a positive lie, and that Shepard is actually consorting with an asari named Liara T'Soni, with Admiral Zorah chosen as a quarian poster child to promote pro-human relations between the Fleet and the Alliance, as well as to make the quarians look more powerful than they actually are. Personally, I do not share any of these opinions, but what would you have to say to these people?"
Koris cleared his throat, thinking for a moment before replying, "Ultimately, I don't think it matters what your or I think. This is none of our business, and we can take it as we like, but when it comes down to it, this bonding is the private business of Commander Shepard and Admiral Zorah. I can't comment as to the nature of this bonding. I seriously doubt the validity of such claims as 'its a distraction' or 'he's trying to win points with the quarians', but I personally cannot refute or endorse them. What I can tell you is that I believe them to be extraordinary people, who have found happiness in each other, and that's a beautiful thing. Whether we like it or not is irrelevant. Whether we think its our business to prod and pry into the personal business of the galaxy's champion or a quarian admiral is irrelevant. What's relevant is that our opinion doesn't matter. When Shepard says he's going to do something, he'll do it, regardless of our approval. I know this because I've been witness to it...even been on the receiving end of it. If people want to offer their opinions, go right ahead. That's free speech. Just know that your voice is going to fall on deaf ears."
Well said. Emily internally complimented, smiling massively, "Unfortunately, that's all we have time for. Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Admiral Koris. Its much appreciated."
"Oh, it is no problem, Miss Wong. I was honored to receive your invite to talk. Thank you."
"Stay tuned tomorrow for when former opposition leader of the Remember Shanxi party, Sir Ismael Bolton, comes in to offer his own opinion on this development. Back to you, Malcolm."
July 28, 2186.
"And we're back, with more information regarding the marriage of Commander Shepard and Admiral Tali'Zorah. The bonding ceremony is scheduled for 1300 on the 30th of July, 2186, and will take place on Rannoch, with the approval of the Rannochian provisional government. The wedding will be a closed media event, per the request of the quarian government, the geth and Commander Shepard, each for different reasons. Even so, it is projected that many important officials will be present for the event, among them Admiral Steven Hackett, all four of the Citadel councilors (in a surprising move), Overlord Urdnot Wrex, and many more. News of the event will be released to the public after the wedding is over, and we promise to give you the best scoops the moment they become available.
Speaking of the upcoming wedding: yesterday, we had guest speaker Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Shellen speak to us about his opinion on the new development. Today, from the opposite side of the spectrum, we have Sir Ismael Bolton, the former leader of the opposition for the Remember Shanxi party, which has risen to prominence ever since the fall of its larger and more well known cousin party, Terra Firma, which was involved in a political scandal revolving around secret Cerberus funding, its involvement in what historians are calling the 'Citadel siege' and more explicit, and more embarassing, details regarding its numerous members' involvement in several slave rings involving asari, turians and batarians on Omega and Illium. Charles Saracino, the current leader of Remember Shanxi since his exonoration in Saracino v The Council, declined our invitation to speak on the show tonight, explaining that he 'had other issues to attend to'. As such, the invitation was extended to his predecessor, and to our luck, Mr. Bolton accepted it. Miss Wong with all the details. Over to you, Emily."
Nodding with a smile, she turned around to face Bolton, keeping her warm smile plastered on her face in a well disguised veneer of appeasement. Bolton was not a well liked man in the pro-alien community, mostly because of his obvious pro-human agenda. The Remember Shanxi party, unlike its larger cousin Terra Firma, was not focused on anti-alien relations in general, but focused specifically on human relations with the turians, its namesake being enough to detail its reasons. Bolton was a relatively handsome man with blonde hair and smooth complexion, despite his forty years of age, nearing fifty. However, his political opinions left much desired, and Wong wasn't looking forward to hearing his opinion on Shepard's choice of bride.
Regardless, she had to remain unbiased. Journalist code of ethics, after all. While many may not put much stock in the good will of journalists and their supposed 'ethical standards', Wong held firm to that belief, and considered herself one of the few 'pure reporters' in the industry, "Thank you for joining us, Sir Bolton. As we understand it, the Remember Shanxi party has been quite busy as of late, especially since the dissolution of Terra Firma. No doubt this has significantly poked holes in Shanxi's policies and ideals."
Bolton pursed his lips, shaking his head as he gave what looked like a pouty expression, "Hardly the case, Miss Wong. In fact, our party is stronger than its ever been. Not everybody in the Terra Firma party has been convicted or indicted, after all, and many have remained faithful to the cause. My party has gained strength since then, and as we gain more members, we're gaining more clout. I predict a return to the status quo in the next month. Without Terra Firma, it falls to us to be the voice of reason in the Systems Alliance now, especially with Commander Shepard's actions having a profound effect on our way of life."
Emily nodded, maintaining her artificial, chipper demeanour as she looked at her datapad for the first question, "Mr. Bolton, is it true that you once called Commander Shepard, and I quote, a 'paragon of humanity and a model Alliance soldier'?"
Bolton nodded eagerly, "Yes, I did. I believe I made that comment just after the Battle of Elysium, when the Skyllian Blitz began. While Mr. Saracino coined the term 'Lion of Elysium', I believe I was a bit more modest with my praise of the man. Do not get me wrong, Miss Wong, I strongly respect Shepard. He's done more for humanity than any of us in this studio can claim to have done, and his numerous accreditations, commendations and achievements are something to be lauded. The man is simply a credit to the uniform, and as someone who once served in the military myself, I can understand the pressures of command. I believe he has weathered it quite well."
"I sense a 'but' somewhere..."
"Very astute, Miss Wong. While I respect him, I've also noted quite a few flaws with him. He was in his prime when fighting the batarians on Elysium, but since then, he has become nothing but a lap dog for foreign, alien powers to use and exploit. And he freely allows it. The Saren incident, and the war that precipitated it, was nothing short of a Council problem dumped at our doorstep. It was a calamity, and if nothing else, it demonstrated a clear issue with Council policy, its Spectre initiative and the Alliance command chain. We're supposed to believe that not only was Saren Arterius' defection an isolated incident, something which reports on Illium eight months ago insinuate are false, but that somehow, after all that happened, the Council's identification of Sovereign as geth technology was a mistake. Give me a break. Are we to believe its a coincidence that just after Commander Shepard's disappearance a month later, the Council did a complete 360 on its belief in the Reapers, and moved to have Sovereign labelled as a geth dreadnought? Do they take us for fools? And now that the Reapers are here, they suddenly admit they made a 'mistake'? I'd say the far more likely answer is that they've been lying to us for years. And when Shepard died, they couldn't wait to sweep the threat under the rug. Underneath its squeaky clean veneer, the Council is an aging apparatus whose peacetime aspirations are quickly waring down its well built disguise to show the rotting core beneath it all. They're an ineffectual government. If you ask me, humanity's aspiration to join the Council was, and is, misguided. As traitorous as Donnel Udina's actions were during the coup, I cannot find fault in his reasoning. How can we suggest we support an establishment that is founded on satisfying a delusional ideal that the galaxy can and always will be centered around peace? Allowing Cerberus to even attack the Citadel, the place that is supposed to be the center of our government, just goes to show how weak and frail they really are. What has the Council done since then? Humanity is battered and defeated, the asari and salarians have run off back to their homeworlds in the hope the crocodile will eat them last, and the turians are left to fend for themselves, to the point where they had to run to the krogan for help. This 'unity' they purport to represent is just a carefully chosen term used to describe the fragile peace they maintain. Once the right power applies enough pressure, that power being the Reapers in our case, they shatter. So much for 'unity' if the turians and humanity call for help and the asari and salarians answer by running away to hide behind their skirts. Moral cowardice."
More than a little surprised by the rant Bolton's answer had quickly turned into, Emily was preparing to bring the topic back on track, but Bolton, apparently, been working up to that the entire time, and quickly continued, speaking over Emily, "I say this because I wish to point out that Shepard's loyalty is spat upon. The man has, time and time again, put his faith in an organization that regularly chastizes him when he actually does what they employed him to do. I thought the Spectre's mandate was to preserve galactic peace, whatever the cost? Wasn't that the point of giving him translegal, extra-judicial authority to act as they saw fit? Yet, when Shepard does just that, they criticize and ridicule him for doing so. Yes, he joined Cerberus, an organization we are currently at war with, to take down the Collectors. But have we considered that he did this in the name of preserving this peace? What happened as a result of his alliance with Cerberus? Collector abductions didn't just cease, they were wiped out as a result. He achieved in less than a year what took the Alliance two years to prepare to do. I find it curious the Alliance just sat back and did absolutely nothing while Commander Shepard, the apparently 'dead' terrorist, was out saving lives and getting things done. And, of course, the always useful Council let us to pick up the pieces. They chastize him for doing exactly what they employed him to do, yet needed evidence when one of their other Spectres deliberately violated his oath to do just this. Shepard has constantly allied with alien races who have done nothing but spit at him in return for his loyalty. Which is why, quite frankly, it baffles me he would choose to marry one of them."
Glad they were finally back at the hurt of the issue, Emily cleared her throat and continued, "Yes, Mr. Bolton, but as you well know, the quarians are not members of the Council...they haven't been since the Morning War...well, the first one. Just like humanity, they've been treated as second class citizens as well."
The man smoothed a hand over his head, and nodded, "A good point, Miss Wong. I do feel a certain level of sympathy for the quarians and their plight, but ultimately, they are a symptom of the same sickness that plagues the Council. The quarians destroyed themselves by creating the geth in the first place and trying to destroy them. In the end, they ultimately deserved what they got. To say its disappointing that Commander Shepard was wasting his time gallivanting around with the quarians in some obtuse attempt to play white knight with his lovesick, naive quarian engineer would be a significant understatement. While Beirut was nuked just two weeks ago and millions killed, Commander Shepard was on Rannoch, fighting the geth. While human colonies fell, one by one, he was wasting time trying to create peace between two races were fighting each other while, on Earth, ironclad ships were still a maritime novelty."
"I do find it noteworthy Mr. Bolton that, as a result of his actions on Rannoch, human colonies, which the Alliance had abandoned due to overstretched lines, were evacuated by Migrant Fleet vessels."
"And for that, I am thankful," Mr. Bolton replied somewhat hesitantly, "But that doesn't distract from my opinion that the Commander is wasting his time. This wedding is clearly a transparent political machination being used to enforce the false reality of stronger human-quarian ties. The quarians are helping us because it helps their image. If they can look like the galaxy's last minute saviors, then it will only help them to gain power post-war. When this war is over, who do you really think are going to be left standing? At the rate the turians are going, maintaining their military supremacy is going to be nigh impossible. The batarians are decimated, and I think we can successfully say we've seen the last of the Hegemony's slave empire. The Reapers will encroach on the asari and salarians soon, and without the turians to protect them, they'll be weakened. And the Alliance doesn't even have a homeworld at the moment: most of our core worlds have fallen! With the Terminus barely touched, the quarians and the geth enjoying a cozy new agreement, and the krogan cured of the genophage, I think its safe to say the future of the galaxy will be in their hands."
"The cure of the genophage is just speculation, there's no official-"
"Oh please, I wasn't born yesterday," he waved off, dismissing her claim, "The Council is getting worse and worse at trying to hide information from the public, especially with the deterioration of the comm buoy network. Without their STG to clamp down on unwanted information, 'secrets' are becoming harder to hold. Everybody and their mother can make a reasonable, educated guess that the genophage has been cured. Let's not insult anybody's intelligence by pretending its anything else. Back to my point: the quarians will inevitably be in a bargaining position by world's end. We will be at their mercy. They have a massive geth military-industrial base at their beck and call, and a fresh new world and economy to expand and explore. They will invariably lead the New Council when the time comes...and how better to kickstart this new galactic government then to cozy up with its neighbours in the Alliance? The batarians are history, so that just leaves us. The fact they've snagged humanity's champion under their belt just makes it another notch to their running tally."
Emily nodded, "Surely though, Mr. Bolton, there's room to consider that they may just be two people in love? Admiral Koris seems to have articulated the fact that he has observed them personally, and from what he said, it can be implied their relationship isn't one strained by political necessity, but by mutual want."
Mr. Bolton chuckled slightly, "When you grow to be my age, Miss Wong, you learn that the world isn't how you perceived it. You become jaded. Perhaps I'm just cynical. Perhaps I'm actually right. Whatever the case, I think this wedding is a mistake. If Commander Shepard wants to pass down his mantle, he needs someone who he can have children with, and a quarian is not it. He will never have a child of his own flesh and blood. And, put quite simply, I just don't think its a marriage that will last. The only way I can see this ending is with both sides seperating once they realize the only chemistry they have holding them together is fear and paranoia."
"That's assuming that's all they have holding them together."
"A career marine who doubles as a thrice time war hero, a skilled diplomat and a skilled special forces operative marrying a relatively obscure quarian admiral whose only claim to fame is that she fought in his squad? War makes strange bedfollows, Miss Wong. Theirs is a relationship of comfort and conveinence, and I'd challenge anybody to prove me wrong."
"Well, there you have it folks," Emily declared, "Straight from Sir Ismael Bolton. Thank you for accepting our invitation, Sir Bolton. It was a pleasure."
Mr. Bolton nodded, "Pleasure was mine, Miss Wong."
"Back to you, Malcolm."
July 29, 2186.
"Hey Tali, come and have a look at this shit!"
"John, the wedding is tomorrow. I'm supposed to talk with Kasumi about-"
"-we're on the news," he returned from his position on the couch, looking over his omni-tool, "Well, you're on the news."
There was a squeak of feet slipping on slippery steel, followed by the door opening. The pitter patter of feet could be heard, along with the drip drip drip of falling water. Looking up, he was amused to see a recently showered Tali, clad in nothing but a towel hastily wrapped around her waist, her long black hair tied in a ponytail (a style Ashley had shown her), rounded the corner, holding onto the edge of a support strut to steady her balance. Her...assets...bounced for a few seconds due to her hasty departure from the bathroom, while water continued to cascade down her grey skin.
He turned his head away, trying to afford her some privacy, "Tali, you're naked. Perhaps you should-"
"Oh, don't be such a bosh'tet. You've seen me naked already," she ordered, grabbing his arm, the one with the omni-tool on it, as he tried to turn around. He was subsequently pulled toward her briefly, and he simply remained still as he tried to avert his eyes from her body, her breasts a tad too close to his face. The quarian's eyes widened as she read the article in question.
"I...that asari...what? That asari isk'len'kal!"
"I assume that's something bad?"
She nodded with a pouting frown he found adorable, "Very. If I had said that to a quarian female, she would have challenged me to personal combat. Its considered one of the highest insults in my culture."
"Really?"
"Well...no. Not anymore, anyway. We did away with that custom before we built the first rocket. Its still considered a vulgar term, though. We only use it to express a high level of disgust."
"I guess she sorta deserves it," he admitted.
Tali just snorted, "You think? John, did you read her article on me? Her supposed 'research' on me revolved around my activities during my pilgrimage, the battle in the alleyway where we met, and a few other instances on the Citadel during our campaign against the Collectors. If you read even further, she even tries to claim that I was having an affair! Can you believe that!? This asari...whore...had the audacity to suggest that I was secretly a...a..."
"Something about Lia'Vael, correct?"
"Yes. She tried to claim I was...well..."
"Romantically involved with her?"
The quarian shuddered, "Yes."
"Anything else?"
She sighed, shaking her head as she pushed his arm away, offended by whatever the else the 'reputable' asari journalist had to say, "No, this ulze kay misrah bosh'tet pelt'ees couldn't articulate a proper argument if she tried. A lot of it is conjecture and baseless insinuation. Its a witch hunt, John. She's trying to defame me, and she's got nothing relevant to do it with."
He growled, turning off his omni-tool as he grabbed one of her soaked hands, kneeding the top of it with his thumb in a way that caused Tali to hum contentedly. Glad for the reaction, he continued, "Meh, I'm just surprised Bolton managed to keep quiet about it. Hell, I found his reaction to be quite tame compared to what I was expecting. I sorta thought they'd go with the usual bullshit 'aliens suck and quarians are all suit-rats' rhetoric most of their ilk stick to like glue. Funny that the most xenophobic, hateful reaction I've heard so far was from an asari. They're supposed to be the enlightened species of the galaxy. Above petty racism."
Tali just laughed, grabbing her towel, untying it and proceeding to dry herself infront of him while she talked, "No offense to Liara and Samara, but the most racism I've ever received was from volus and asari. Perhaps they need to be brought down a notch."
He wiggled his eyebrows at her, grinning, "Marrying the most desirable man in the galaxy at the moment ought to do it."
She giggled, slapping away one of his exploring hands as she made to return to the bathroom, "Modest to the last."
"Ask the asari. I'm just stating facts."
"Yes, I'm sure Liara drools everytime you enter the mess hall."
"Like you did everytime I entered engineering?"
"Like everytime you enter engineering."
"Self-admitted droolist?"
"What can I say? I liked what I saw, so I decided to marry it."
"Speaking like a true princess."
There was silence as the bathroom door closed, followed a loud yell as it dawned on her what he said.
"I AM NOT ROYALTY!"
"Sure thing, Your Highness," he joked, reopening his omni-tool as he chuckled to himself. He read over the article one more time, before closing it, making sure to check his chronometer one more time before he went to see Garrus. With the turian as his best man, he needed to be as prepared as possible. The big day was tomorrow.
Despite the absolute shit storm this wedding was causing in the galactic extranet, Shepard found he didn't really care. He doubted Tali did either. All he knew was that, from the moment he made his feelings to Tali clear, all the way to the moment they enjoyed the Rannochian sunset together without her mask after defeating the Reaper Oblivion, he wanted to be with her forever. He knew how quarian bonding rituals worked, and he knew they were permanent. Quarians had no concept of divorce. And he didn't care. He loved her like he hadn't loved anyone before.
She was his soulmate. And whether the galaxy approved of it or not, he was going to marry her. And when the war was over, he was going to live with her.
Besides...the only person in the galaxy whose opinion mattered to him more than anything else was hers. And if she wanted it, he wanted it.
The rest could get stuffed.
Hope you liked what I wrote, Seahawk. I think I captured the essence of what you wanted with enough of a unique flair to pull it off. Tell me what you think. I hope you like it. And yes, the style definitely took inspiration from Media Firestorm, although without the protagonist being racist or against the relationship. It also made sense to have Emily Wong as the reporter investigating it, given she seems to be the yang to Khalisah's yin in terms of reporting.
Up next is Chapter 3 of Equilibrium, for those interested.
Keelah Se'lai, troopers!
