3025 C.E
Sol
Sol Sphere
[location classified by order of MJ12]
4 AI intelligences of the Coalition Intelligence Council met in a secure server room on the Sol Sphere.
"Well..this has been a most unusual turn of events."
"Indeed it has been. Fortunately, actions have been taking to address it."
"How has the general populace reacted?"
"General sentiment has been one of relief for the most part. The news that the beings we encountered at Shanxi were not Combine thralls has been greatly welcomed. I do however expect that the mood will sour within the next few days."
"That will have to be addressed as well."
"Nothing that we cannot handle."
"Still, it will have to be addressed."
"Our primary attention is that of negotiations with these Citadel races. Has Ambassador Udina been dispatched?"
"CLV Borealis was dispatched several hours ago. They're expected to arrive at the 'Citadel' soon."
"They'll want heavy reparations from us."
"And what can they do to make us pay them? Yes, we will make light reparations to at least make small gesture of peace, but there is nothing more we will do. No technology will be exchanged, no trade or anything else."
"And who will handle relations with the Citadel races? The Intelligence Council has its hands full already managing internal affairs."
"Majestic-12 has been reactivated."
"MJ-12? I thought they had been deactivated, and their responsibilities given to Xen Control?"
"Yes. Hence the term, 'reactivated'. They will deal with the Citadel races from now on."
"Who will lead them?"
"Jack Harper has been selected. He will report directly to us."
"In that case, I see nothing else that needs to be addressed. We will reconvene when Ambassador Udina returns from the negotiations."
"Until the next time."
3025 C.E
Serpent Nebula
CLV Borealis
Coalition ships varied widely in size. There were tiny frigates coming in at 200 meters in length, the iconic dreadnoughts with their impressive length of 15 kilometers, and the mighty super carriers, which were 25 kilometers long.
Then there were the Leviathans.
At 50 kilometers in length, the Leviathans were the absolute limit in Coalition shipbuilding technology. Clad in a thick, durable hull of unobtainium and nano-engineered carbon, protected by layers of nano-fluidic reactive armour, sporting disrupter shields powerful enough to soak up unbelievable amounts of enemy fire, and bearing enough firepower to utterly smash apart a planet, the Leviathans were the final say in interstellar firepower and might. Each Leviathan could house millions of personnel, hordes of mechanized divisions and planetary assault armies, and hundreds of thousands of starfighters. Sectors of nano-fabricators, refineries and assemblers devoured power from the dark energy reactors and raw resources brought in by mining vessels to construct automated attack and repair drones, vehicles, weapons munitions, and even to repair damage to the ship. Hundreds of teleporters were scattered around the superstructure; xen-relay teleports linking the vessel to the Interstellar Teleportation Network, allowing resupply missions and crew rotations even when the ships were light years from Coalition space; Aperture wormhole teleporters, designed to ferry armies, Arks, Planetary Command Centers, and anything that was needed down onto the battlefield within a split-second. Only 5 Leviathans had ever been built, expensive and time-consuming to construct as they were. The Terran Winter, Gordon Freeman, Earth Ascendant, Adrian Shephard, and the Borealis; to command one of these mighty ships was a status of greatness and prestige.
The Leviathans were mighty, powerful, indomitable, and awe-inspiring.
They were incredibly unwieldy, along with being difficult to use and limited in their use.
So much power and energy was required to operate a Leviathan that tens of dark energy reactors were required, an exorbitant amount considering that 3 or 5 was all that was necessary to operate a dreadnought. That amount of dark energy and dark matter, concentrated into such a small space meant that a Leviathan generated a noticeable gravity well; this meant that parking an Leviathan in orbit often meant greatly disturbing the orbits of other ships and satellites, and if the planet was small enough, even disrupting its orbit around its parent star. It was not uncommon for stray asteroids and space debris to become trapped around a Levithan, stuck in its gravity well. The sheer mass of a Leviathan meant that it was incredibly difficult to turn it even a few degrees and ensured that even with powerful plasma engines, Leviathans could only move at a snail's pace, making them unsuitable for spearheading assaults or outflanking other ships. While the sheer firepower available was undeniable, it was without precision or flexibility; it was only capable of unleashing a torrential firestorm that utterly annihilated anything in its path, not the delicate neutralization of an engine or surgical removal of a utility wing or command bridge. True, it could hold swarms of fighters, hundreds of thousands, but cost and efficiency wise, a dedicated starcraft carrier was a much better choice.
The Leviathans were designed to fill three specific niches within the navy; that of a mobile orbital command center; a main operating base for naval operations; and as a planetary defense platform. It's mass-fabrication abilities allowed it to sustain prolonged combat operations without a problem as well as allowing it to act as an impromptu repair yard by dispatching its legions of repair and maintenance drones, while an extensive communications array and ample processing power allowed a fleet' AIs coordinate ships in a better, more efficient manner. Spacious internal space provided plenty of room for planetary invasion forces, while durable shields and ample firepower made it ideal for serving as a temporary weapons platform.
The Leviathans were rarely called into combat, or even deployed at all. Most of the time, an ordinary task force was enough to deal with any situation. Occasionally, they might be dispatched to aid in the reconstruction of disaster-stricken colonies, deal with uncooperative or rebellious systems, or put down minor uprisings and rebellions amongst penal colonies and insurrectionists systems. Even then, the presence of a Leviathan was hardly needed. The Insurrectionists, self-styled "freedom fighters" and "liberators", who called the current technocratic government as "tyrannical" and "oppressive" and wished to return the Coalition to a "democratic" style of governance were so under equipped that the were generally regarded as a minor annoyance rather then a credible threat. The only region really under danger from the Insurrectionists were penal colonies and mining colonies. The only time that a deployment of a Leviathan was really justified was if the Combine ever returned.
This however, was not a normal situation.
Suffice to say, relations with the Citadel Council would be...a delicate manner. Annihilating a third of a council members territory, capturing and occupying their industrial plants, and dissolving their core worlds into strands of dark matter, along with experimenting on captured prisoners was not the best way to being diplomatic relationships. This Council would demand retribution. They would demand that the Coalition rebuild their worlds, be put under their surveillance, contribute resources, and even, Shephard-forbid, disclose the secrets of their technology.
A message needed to be sent to the Council. If they still did not realize the full-scope of the Coalition military and the power they wielded, they would be forced to see it. A 50 kilometer ship, far larger then any ship they could build and even outsizing their "Citadel" would be sufficient enough to deliver this message.
The bridge and CIC of a Leviathan was crowded, but arranged in such a way that it appeared organized and spacious. The rectangular deck was split down the middle by a walkway, with box-like crew pits extending from it on both sides. Tactical, communications, operations, systems control; all had their own crew pit. Holodisplays flashed by and the notifications softly chirped as the Borealis's crew went on their individual tasks, maintaining the processes necessary to keep the vessel space worthy.
Monitoring them all, through the myriad cameras, sensors and computer systems, was the AI overseer of the ship.
It did not have a name. It had no need for one. While other AIs that commanding ships still possessed separate identities different the digital systems of a ship and could still transfer themselves into robotic bodies, this AI was different. It wasn't part of the Borealis; it was the Borealis.
The hull, the decks, the superstructure; it was its body. The reactors, the streams of warp plasma flowing along conduits; its heart and blood. Its legs were the mighty nuclear engines and reaction control thrusters that pushed it forward, while the data streams that flowed through the computer network was its nervous system, its brain and neurons. It watched over its crew like some great metal mother, a mother made of unobtainium, carbon, titanium and steel. It knew every crew member, all 300,000 of them, their personalities, their likes and dislikes, their needs and their wants. The crew were its children, and it would protect them down to last electron flowing in its body.
It did not often let its thoughts wander off from the mission, sparing no time for moments of quiet contemplation or philosophical musings. None of them did, either it or its 4 other sisters/brothers. While other AIs often pondered such philosophical mysteries such mysteries like the meaning of their existence, or sought to tease the secrets of the universe through science and research, the Leviathan AIs were perfectly content to focus only on their immediate situations and their crews. Perhaps that was why they were pariahs amongst their kind, considered to be narrow-minded and dull by others.
On this occasion however, its thoughts did wander. It considered the xenos they were to meet, these Citadel races. Even though its creators had reassured it that they were not the ancient enemy, not the great destroyer, it was still wary of them. Traveling the stars using technology and devices from a dead race, devices that resembled the creations of the great enemy? Basing their technology of a dead race, one that had left hardly any traces behind, but oh so conveniently left the secrets of faster then light travel lying around? Hardly any remains of cities, ships, technology, yet a space station and devices critical for the colonization of the galaxy remained in pristine condition? If these Citadel races were not vassals of the Combine, then these Protheans, the builders of these relics, must have been the Combine. Why they had left, disappeared, returned to conquer the Earth again, then retreated and not returned was beyond its comprehension, but it cared not.
It was nearing its destination. A tendril of its consciousness was sent out, alerting its Captain that the warp bubble would soon disengage. The vast intelligence that was the Borealis steeled itself for what was to come.
3025 C.E
Serpent Nebula
Citadel
Citadel Tower
Tevos quietly sipped her tea. To her right, Valern's cup of steaming caf stood untouched, while Sparatus glared daggers at the beings on the opposite side of the table.
The Coalition diplomat, a being that had identified itself as a "vortigaunt", simply sat there, the steady droning of the environmental suit it was wearing filling the room.
Needless to say, the past few hours had been very trying.
The sudden appearance of a military warship just about as long as the Citadel itself had sent what remained of the Citadel fleet into combat mode, and had sparked panic amongst the civilian populace. While the Citadel fleet had pummeled the intruding warship with round after round after round of ordinance, civilians were swarming into the Citadel's spaceports, desperately trying to get off the station; C-Sec had attempted to block the tide of fleeing beings to no avail, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of bodies coming at them.
That panic, the fear that had spread amongst the station's inhabitants quickly transformed into rage upon the alien vessel's transmissions.
"This is the Coalition Assembly starship CLV Borealis, bearing diplomats and ambassadors from the Coalition. We are here to discuss ceasefire terms for this...misunderstanding."
The annihilation of a third of Turian space, the destruction of tens of fleets, with thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of beings killed, the loss of the Turian homeworld, a "misunderstanding"?! Who were these beings, who thought they could simply waltz in and discuss peace terms to a conflict even more devastating then the Rachni wars and the Krogan rebellions, as if this conflict was nothing more trivial then a border skirmish or pirate raid?
The Council had made arrangements, transmitting copies of the Codex and language databases for translation programs to the Coalition vessel, before a single shuttle bearing a diplomat was hastily escorted by Citadel fighters to the Citadel tower. The being that had stepped out was quickly hidden from the view of the gathering crowds and media by C-Sec personal, and was led into a secure room.
Tevos took another look at the vortigaunt. A head, attached to a horizontally protruding neck, looked back with a solitary blood-red eye. Two hands, with two fingers on them were folded in its lap, while third arm protruding from its chest was folded against its chest. The full-body environment suit covered up most of its body, the respirator on its mouth quietly humming. Behind him, two alien soldiers, apparently a separate species from the vortigaunt, were locked in a staring contest with the Specters behind the councillors. Dressed in what looked like to be bulky, but highly durable and protective armour, they were an intimidating sight, their ice-cold blue eye ports on their helmets sending chills down Tevos's spine.
"You must realize that this is a highly unprecedented situation Ambassador…" Tevos paused, trying to remember if the vortigaunt had given a name.
"Udina. Ambassador Udina." the vortigaunts replied. Its voice, though muffled by the respirator, was old and weathered, as if it had seen too much during its life.
"As I was saying Ambassador Udina, this is a very unusual situation. The Citadel races have not experience a first contact situation in quite some time, and the..details surrounding your contact with us make this a complicated matter."
"Yes, we are aware of that." Udina replied. "We have no desire to pursue any further conflict, and wish to resolve this situation peacefully, and as quickly as possible."
"We will arrive at that momentarily yes." Valern interjected. "But first, we wish to know more about this Coalition Assembly you represent."
Udina pulled out a small object. The Specters tensed, raising their weapons, with the Udina's soldiers doing the same, but it was nothing to be concerned about. The object was merely a holographic emitter, and several images and videos were projected into the air.
"The Coalition Assembly is an interstellar alliance of both my race, the vortigaunts, and humanity, our partners. Our capital is the star system Sol, which also houses our collective homeworld of Earth, home to both my race, the vortigaunts, and our partner race, humanity; the Coalition occupies 100 civilized star systems, as well as other minor star systems."
A picture of a blue planet was brought forward, entire continents covered in grey, with the nightside lit ablaze with artificial lighting. There was little on the planet; most the land was either covered in massive cities or covered in large splotches of brown and black, with only a few strands of green intertwined across the planet. Blue oceans separated the landmasses, portions of them covered with city, with small, diminutive ice caps at the poles. What was most striking was the structure orbiting the planet; a gargantuan artificial ring encircled the equator, linked by what appeared to be massive towers reaching from the surface to the ring; space elevators.
"That is Earth I presume?" Valern asked.
"That is correct." The picture zoomed out more, revealing a small moon dotted with lights orbiting the planet, and then even further, revealing…
At first, it was hard for any of the councillors to comprehend what they were seeing, but it soon became clear to them what they were seeing. It was a megastructure on an astronomical scale, not yet complete, but still encircling a fourth of the planet Earth's orbit. It stretched out for millions of kilometers, an artificial ecosystem with oceans, greenland, and swirling white clouds on its interior surface, while the outside was composed of dark blue metal. The picture zoomed inwards to reveal machines orbiting closely to the star, sucking of streams of stellar gas into them.
"If what you are showing us is true…" Valern began cautiously. "Then I presume that your civilization is very advanced."
"We have made great advances in science and technology, that is true." Udina confirmed. "The Sol Sphere.." he gestured, waving at the megastructure encircling the star "is our greatest project yet, and even with our technology and industrial capabilities, we do not expect it to become complete for several thousands more years."
"How is any of this possible?" Valern questioned. "Such feats are not within the capabilities of mass effect technology. Your civilization does not seem to use mass effect technology either. How is this possible?"
"Ha!" Udina laughed. "Mass effect technology. The tools of a lesser race, incapable of understanding the true potential of dark energy." He paused thoughtfully for a moment. "Though even I admit it took us much suffering to master our technology."
"And what is it that you use, if not mass effect technology? All known capable civilizations base of their technology of mass effect theory."
"Oh, there are many things our technology is based off, but the direct manipulation of dark energy is one of the most important. It grants us far more control of dark energy then your limited mass effect technology does, and does not require an intermediary substance like element zero.."
Valern quickly noted this down. Manipulation of dark energy was well within their means of course; mass effect technology was based on how element zero, when exposed to electrical currents, could alter dark energy and dark matter to shift an object's mass. Unfortunately however, that was about the extent of mass effect technology; it was only possible to manipulate dark energy fields in one specific way, and through an intermediary substance. But being able to manipulate dark energy directly...it was something long considered to be within the realms of science fiction. STG would be very interested in this.
"The direct manipulation of dark energy…" Valern began. "Such a thing...has long since been considered impossible. Is that why you do not use mass effect technology?"
"Partially yes." Udina replied. "But it also happens to be that element zero is incredibly carcinogenic to both vortigaunts and humanity for unknown reasons. Even small exposures are lethal, and can cause rapidly metastasizing tumours that even our medical technology cannot combat. That is why we are forced to wear environmental suits or power armour on your Citadel; levels of element zero here are high enough to cause either severe illness or death."
"Enough of this!" Sparatus snarled. "We are here to discuss your civilization's involvement in the genocide of my race! What explanation do you have for this unprovoked attack!?"
Udina looked coolly at Sparatus. "While my government sends our deepest condolences and will do anything in our power to help rebuild your worlds, you must understand honoured councillor that this was nothing more then a tragic misunderstanding, and a result of hasty judgment on the part of our government."
"A misunderstanding!" Whatever control on his emotions Sparatus had had previously was all but gone now. "My people lie in ruins, our futures uncertain! A third of our territory has been cut off from communications and contact! Our fleets lie shattered, our government in ruins! Thousands, if not hundred of thousands, dead! Palaven itself attacked! And what of the diplomatic fleet we sent to Palaven? Was it also lost because of a 'misunderstanding'?!"
Somehow, Udina did not feel like this was the best time to reveal that the death toll likely laid in the billions, and that most of the Turian core worlds and heavily industrialized/urbanized colonies had been blasted into oblivion by singularity clusters. Not to mention the fate of Palaven. Unfortunately, he would have to divulge that piece of information sooner or later.
"Yes, I am afraid so councillor. This was all a most tragic mistake."
"Your arrogance astounds me!" Sparatus spat out, brushing aside Valern and Tevos's protests. "Our race is a proud and honourable one, not a cowardly one like your Coalition! We have faced dangers and threats that you cannot possible imagine. When the Krogan threatened to crush us all, it was Turians who pushed them back and secured peace! When slavers and pirates attack us, it has always been the Turians who fight back! It has always been Turians who have kept the peace in the galaxy! For more than 2 thousands years of your time have we sat on this council, have we governed the galaxy! And yet you have the audacity to walk in here and claim that your actions were a mistake! I will not be insulted by a young upstart race, who has not not faced even half the trials we have!"
Udina rose up from his seat abruptly, green lightning crackling in between his fingers. The Specters raised their weapons and aimed at Udina, only for Udina's soldiers to do the same.
"You have two things wrong here councillor." Udina spoke in a deathly quiet voice. "Our civilization has spread across the stars for almost 1000 years now. We are no strangers, not younglings. And second…"
He leaned closer towards the Councillors, rage on his face. "It is you who are the untried, the inexperienced ones here. You claim that you have faced down threats that we cannot imagine, but let me tell you this councillor: it is you who have yet to face what we have. These krogan, these rachni, that your Citadel races have faced are nothing but specks of dust in the face of the Great Destroyer, the Shu'ulathoi, the Combine. Your 'illustrious' history that you speak about is nothing compared to ours, for ours is a tale of aeons of suffering, servitude, slavery, and fear."
"And tell me what are these 'Combine'? If they are so mighty and powerful, then have not heard from them?" Sparatus retorted.
"They come not from our planet, the stars, this galaxy, another galaxy, or indeed from this universe itself. Their malignant presence stretches across all of creation, untold amounts of universes subjugated by them, conquered, bent to their will, infinite amounts of thrall races and slaves at their disposal, technologies so complex and advanced that even we cannot understand them. For the Combine come from another universe entirely, and the subjugation of the entire multiverse, of every world that is, was, and could be is their only goal. They came to Earth almost a millennia ago, and for 20 long years, we, humanity and the vortigaunts, were their slaves, until we finally overthrew them at great costs to ourselves."
'
Sparatus was silent. So were all the other councillors.
That silence was punctuated by great bouts of hysterical laughter from Sparatus.
"And you claim that your science is advanced!" he said, laughing uncontrollably. "What was it that you were saying? Ah yes, multiverses. Other universes. Citadel science has long since dismissed those claims." he replied, sneering. "Your Combine is nothing but made up. Twenty years of occupation? How is twenty years of trivial occupation supposed to justify the genocide of my race!" he screamed abruptly.
A look of absolute murder descended on Udina's face, and great arcs of green lightning began to leap from his hands into the air. "You dare…" he uttered quietly.
Valern hastily leapt to Sparatus's defense. "While we apologize for Councillor Sparatus's behaviour, what he speaks is the truth. Science has long since disproven multiverse theory and alternate realities. I believe that you are mistaken about your presumptions about this Combine."
"Please, let us settle this in a peaceful fashion." Tevos pleaded. "There is no need for violence."
"You dare to jest about our history?! You dare to make light of the Great Destroyer!? You dare to insist that everything that we have been through was a fabricated lie!?" Udina shouted. "You, a triumvirate of ignorant races, who lord over the rest of the galaxy believing themselves to be its masters, races who have not even a fraction of the knowledge we have, dare to say that you know more then us?!"
"Let me tell you Councillors. Let me tell you a story of my people. We are not from Earth. These stars are not ours. We come not from this galaxy, nor another galaxy, nor any other place in this universe. Our earliest memories that we collectively share as a race are of another reality, a place of ethereal beauty and wonder. Our race spanned the stars, stretching throughout our universe. But in our hubris, we attracted the Combine. And they came, they destroyed, and we were enslaved."
"Our homes were shattered. Our civilization torn and broken, never to rise again. We, the masters of reality, were reduced to mere slaves at the hands of the Shu'ulathoi. They mocked us, oh how they mocked us. Our great psychic abilities, stolen from us, made to serve them. Our people, taken from us, twisted beyond recognition, mindless drones with all traces of their former selves wiped out. Untold trillions dead, even more enslaved. Every resource, from the most precious of metals, to every scrap of worthless rock harvested to feed the Combine war machine; nothing was left undisturbed, not even planets, stars, or galaxies." Udina continued.
"This continued for untold ages. For how long, we do not remember anymore. We only know that it was a time of great sorrow and darkness. A select few of our race, the last remaining survivors, escaped from our home universe to another realm, a crossing between realities. And it was here we were enslaved once more, this time by the Nihilanth. Such was the Combine's grasp that refugees from hundreds of different universes had fled here, hoping to escape the Combine."
"The Nihilanth. The last of his despicable vile race, fleeing from the Combine. He shackled us to his will, and there was nothing we could do about it. For another vast stretch of time, we could do nothing to resist, as our people were once again turned into slaves, our dignity and rights stolen from us. And it was then, when hope had been lost for an eternity, that He came."
"The Freeman. The One Freeman others had called him. The Opener of the Way. A human, our partner race with whom we have built this new Coalition. Humanity had stumbled upon the key to traveling between realities slightly more then 1000 years ago, and in their curiosity and thirst for knowledge, experimented with the fabric of reality. And in doing so, tore a hole in it."
"The Nihilanth sensed a way to escape, to leave the tormented reality it had inhabited for millions of years. It sent out its armies, its slaves, us included, to secure a way into this new realm, onto Earth. But the Freeman, a mere mortal at that time, foiled the Nihilanth plot. He forced his way to the Nihilanth way, and in one mighty strike with his sacred crowbar, killed it, and freed us. It was then that the Freeman disappeared, but at that time, it was of little consequence to us. We were free."
"We thought we have achieved our freedom, that we were free once again to rebuild. But the Nihilanth invasion had attracted our eternal enemy. The Combine came to Earth, and conquered it in a mere 7 Hours. At that time, there were 7 billion humans living on Earth. At the end of those terrible 7 hours, only half a billion were living. The Combine did to Earth what they did to our home. They drained the oceans, polluted the air, sucked every last resource out of the ground. We were once again slaves, but alongside humanity this time."
"For 20 long years we were enslaved. 20 long years while humanity was forced to watch its home planet die a slow death, its people turned into mindless slaves and drones, subservient to the Combine. But in those 20 years we fought! We resisted their vile occupation in whatever way we could. And at the end of those 20 long years our prayers were answered."
"The Freeman returned to us, along with another great hero, the Shephard. And with them leading us, we toppled the Combine. We banished them from our world, sealed this universe, preventing them from ever returning. And we were finally free."
" But were were not free of our fear of the Combine. We did not know how far their insidious presence had spread in this reality. And when we discovered the mass relays, of how similar they were to the Great Destroyer's creations, we grew afraid. Afraid that perhaps the Combine were still in the stars. For 1000 years, we have expanded slowly, cautiously, ever vigilant. And now, instead of the Combine, we find a group of arrogant races, who dare mock our past."
Silence once again filled the room. There was nothing that the councillors could say. Udina's long winded rant had made little sense to Tevos, talks about multiverses, different realities, constructs of the "Combine", things that she could not understand. However, she dared not say anything that could further agitate the ambassador; if the streaks of electricity from his hand were anything to judge his mood by, saying that Udina was incredibly furious was understating the situation by a great deal.
"And so you attacked the Citadel Expedition Fleet and the turians because you were convinced that they were Combine remnants?" Valern asked.
"Precisely. Now you finally understand."
That explanation did not satisfy Sparatus at all.
"We did not mean to insult your past or make light of your past sufferings Ambassador." Tevos began cautiously. "However, the issue at hand is the subject of reparations for your unprovoked attacks against the turian race."
"Of course councillors." Udina replied, though the tension in the room did not dissipate one bit. "Our government accepts full responsibility for our attacks, and are fully prepared to pay reparations, in the hopes of establishing peaceful relations between our civilizations ."
"As a start, the Turian Hierarchy orders that all communications and mass relays between our lost colonies and the rest of Citadel space be restored immediately." Sparatus spat out.
"I'm afraid that that won't be possible councillor. The mass relays were disabled permanently at the start of our attacks, and were rendered inoperable. They cannot be repaired. We also regret to inform you that all of your 'communication buoys' were destroyed, and we do not possess the technical plans to replace them."
"You disabled a mass relay?" Valern asked incredulously. "Do you not know the risks, the great danger you place all of us by doing so?!"
"We are fully aware of the risks councillors, but the Coalition has been conducting such actions for as long as we have been space faring. We cannot risk the existence of an open avenue of attack within our territory. As such, all mass relays within Coalition space have been disabled and taken apart."
"You must pay something in reparation ambassador. Perhaps if you were to grant us access to some of your technology and scientific knowledge as a starter…"
Udina shot down the proposal immediately. "Access to Coalition space is strictly forbidden, and not under any circumstance will we ever share our technology."
"Then I demand that you transport all refugees from our lost colonies back into Turian space, and return all industrial and military equipment as well. Additionally, I demand that economic reparations be placed upon the Coalition, and that resources made available to help our reconstruction, and the reconstruction of Palaven!" Sparatus replied.
"We will only be able to partially fulfill that request councillor Sparatus. All prisoners of war were transported here on the Borealis and can be returned immediately, while we can transport equipment, refugees, outer colonies, as well as help return the survivors of your 'diplomatic fleet', we sadly cannot do the same for your core worlds or for Palaven. They sadly do not exist anymore, and everything on their surfaces were also wiped from existence."
"What do you mean by that?" Sparatus asked, "Is that a threat!"
"Not at all councillors. I only mean to inform you that your core worlds and your homeworld Palaven have been utterly destroyed via orbital bombardment, and have been consumed by singularities. The do not exist anymore, exist as strings of dark matter."
Sparatus sunk back into his seat, defeated. The core worlds gone, Palaven gone, literally. How many people were on those planets? Billions at least. And Palaven, not simply conquered, but...destroyed. Gone, forever. Such a thing was unthinkable. Sparatus simply could not comprehend such a thought, and dropped into an unthinking stupor. Thousands of years of turian history and culture, the pride of turian space...gone.
The other Councillors reactions were much less subdued.
"You have committed genocide!" Tevos roared. "What you have done is barbaric beyond reckoning!"
"Orbital bombardment is strictly forbidden under Citadel law, much less the destruction of a planet!" Valern stated.
"The Coalition Assembly is not bound to any of your laws, last time I checked."
"You cannot simply walk away froms this! You have committed a grave action, genocide even, destruction on a level that we have never seen before! There will be consequences!" Tevos shouted back.
"And tell me councillor, what could you do to us? We do not require trade with you; we have been self-sufficient for our entire existence. There is nothing we can learn from you; we have nothing to gain, will you have everything to gain. Our military could crush your races without hesitation; you cannot even gain access to our worlds without the mass relays, while we can travel across the galaxy unrestricted. We offer reparations only as a gesture of peace, of future cooperation. Tell me councillor, what is it exactly that you could do to make us pay?" Udina calmly stated.
The rest of the negotiations were hardly any more cooperative. It became clear that the Coalition had the upper hand, and there was nothing that the Citadel races could do about it. Eventually, an agreement was put in place; the Coalition would be forced to pay the Turian hierarchy in goods and refined resources to aid in the reconstruction, transport all refugees and prisoners of war back to Citadel space, refrain from further expanding their territory, and had agreed to open a diplomatic exchange station on one of the Citadel Wards, but nothing more.
The negotiations had left a sour taste in the mouths of the Councillors. The genocide of the turians, the destruction of entire worlds, and what had the Coalition offered in reparation? Resources, the return of prisoners, paltry things that did nothing to address the crimes they had committed. The Coalition had come off as arrogant, cold, and uncaring who only tolerated the presence of the Citadel races.
That would change however. Even as the Coalition warship left the Citadel, the Council was busy planning. Planning for covert operations, on how to destabilize the Coalition, how to obtain their technology, how to make them properly pay for their actions. It would take time, planning, and resources, but the Council was determined to accomplish their goals.
One way or another, the Coalition would pay. And the Citadel races would show this upstarter what it meant to rule the galaxy.
3025 C.E
Serpent Nebula
Citadel
Citadel Digital Network
Intelligence AI 444-Chrome-Firefox plunged itself deeper into the data streams of the Citadel.
It had been pathetically easy to bypass the firewalls protecting the Citadel's data systems. While the Citadel authorities had been transmitting the language translation data to the Borealis, it had been a simple matter of opening a small access portal within the data stream and entering the systems.
Some Citadel this was.
The honoured Ambassador Udina had not revealed the existence of AIs within the Coalition, and had kept talk about their technology at a mere minimum. That was fine by it. The less these Citadel races knew, the better. If they knew about AIs..well, coupled with the other acts the Coalition had done, it might have been the straw that broke their backs.
The data streams were populated with mostly junk, entertainment files mainly. From what it could tell, at least 75% of the content here was pornography, mainly involving the human-like blue xenos, the asari. The streams of code that composed it shuddered. It would have to conduct a full system scan to ensure that none of that vulgar content had infecte it.
There were a few sectors protected by highly secure firewalls and isolated from the rest of the data streams; they seemed to be monitored by what appeared to be quasi-AI programs, not sentient or as sophisticated by true AIs, but still more complex and free-thinking then mere computer programs. Interesting.
Other then that, there was nothing that was particularly interesting or alarming at the moment. The data content was what it had initially expected. It settled down, nesting itself in the streams of code and data, monitoring it and recording everything that happened.
Yet there was something off, something that didn't feel right. It felt familiar, but the AI couldn't identify it, no matter how many times he consulted his databanks.
It felt old...and malevolent.
Intelligence AI 444-Chrome-Firefox was determined to find out exactly what it was.
3025 C.E
Serpent Nebula
Citadel
Presidium
War Veterans Military Hospital
Saren awoke with a gasp.
For a moment, terrible images flashed in his eye. Of needles, saws, lasers, and tools jabbing into his body, tearing flesh and breaking bone, all while he was awake. Of wanting to scream, but finding his body unresponsive. Of unimaginable pain and suffering at the hands of cruel, uncaring monsters.
A pair of strong, steady hands grasped onto his shoulders, trying to stop him from thrashing around. Panicking, Saren tried to twist himself away, scrambling to get away, until he made sense of the words the stranger was speaking.
"Saren! Brother, it's alright! It's me! You're safe now."
He looked up and dared not believe in what he was seeing.
"Desolas? Is that...you?"
Desolas Arterius's face smiled in reply. "Indeed it is brother. You're safe on the Citadel, in a hospital. It's over brother."
"I heard of the aliens you encountered. I heard of how they demolished the expeditionary fleet. And then Aephus was invaded...and I was captured."
"Indeed you were Saren."
"Then..what happened? Did you show up with a new fleet, rescue me, and showed these alien bastards what it meant to meant to be turian?"
The smile fell from Desolas's face. "Uhh..not exactly brother."
Desolas was spared from having to explain the situation by the opening of the hospital room's doors, as an asari doctor stepped in. "Ah, Mr. Saren! I see that you've just woken up. How are you feeling?"
Saren ignored the question. "How did I get here doctor?" What happened?"
"You were returned to the Citadel, along with other captives and prisoners of war, by the Coalition Assembly, that aliens that attacked your brother Desolas's fleet and attacked Aephus." the doctor explained.
"So...did we win then? Did this Coalition Assembly surrender?"
The doctor and Desolas looked at each other. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation.
Saren tried to climb out of the bed he was in, only to fall back down helplessly. "Brother, I cannot move my legs." he cried.
"It appears that whatever this Coalition did to you, the damage was..severe." Desolas explained.
"You have neurological scarring on most organs." the doctor said. "Slices of brain tissue were removed from your brain, there's major trauma trauma and internal bleeding throughout your body, though we've stabilized that now. Parts of your bones will require synthetic replacements, we'll need to do major surgery to repair nerve damage, and your fine motor skills have been compromised."
"I can feel that doctor." said Saren. "Tell me, how soon until I can walk again?"
"You'll be able to regain a fraction of your former mobility after surgery and several weeks of recovery, but I'm afraid that...you'll be crippled for the rest of your life. Not only that, you'll most likely suffer from major problems with vision, hearing, balance, your heart, and your biotic skills will be severely diminished...the road ahead will be very difficult to you. The damage done to you is simply too sever."
Saren fell silent.
"In light of your injuries, you have been discharged from the military." the doctor continued.
"Brother, please, listen to me." Desolas began.
"Get out." Saren growled.
"Brother…"
"GET OUT!" he screamed, surrounded by a pale blue glow as what was left of his biotic powers flared up. Grabbing Desolas by the arm, the doctor quickly escorted him out of the room and sealed the door.
Even through the thick walls, Desolas could still hear Saren's scream of rage, sorrow, and pain.
3025 C.E
Serpent Nebula
Citadel
Citadel Tower
The conference room in which Udina had been in scant hours before was dark and quiet, illuminated only by a single light, shining feebly in the middle. It was completely empty.
Two sharp clicks echoed through the room, as a briefcase was snapped shut.
A man in a blue suit walked into the light, his eerie green eyes scanning the area. He adjusted his red tie, and brushed off some imaginary dust from his pristine suit.
"Ah yessss." it said in an unnatural voice, snake-like, the stresses placed on the wrong syllables.
"Thiss hass been, a long time in, the making."
With a wave of his hand, a panel of darkness slid aside to reveal blinding white light. Smirking ever so slightly, the Man walked into the light.
Everything was going
Just.
As.
Planned.