Chapter 12: Newcomer Intrigue

Serpent Nebula, Citadel

Mission to rally Council

March 7, 2186

1537 Hours

Arbiter P.O.V

That was interesting to say the least. The Arbiter had certainly not been expecting that to happen, but now his problems were solved in one go. He now had the proper currency to get some basic weapons from the stores. Perhaps now, the Forerunners were watching over him, or maybe it was luck, or maybe it was none of these. He was not one to thoroughly examine, only taking what was given to him. If it did nothing to affect him or those of his comrades, then he was better off not questioning it.

The Arbiter glanced at the credit chit in his hand. He had done a quick check with his Omni-tool to see how much he had. He found several thousand already on it. He did not know if that was good or bad, but it was something to begin with. He would have to remain on guard to get more. It was strange, being involved in something so ordinary. The Arbiter really had no use for currency of any kind in most of his lifetime. It was a certainty something new for him, having to decide what uses he had for currency. It was very strange indeed.

As he wandered, he came by a strange-looking transparent female Human. She was some sort of intelligence, but whether she was a virtual intelligence or an artificial intelligence was not clear. His curiosity piqued, he walked over and thought of the most obvious question that came to mind.

"Thank you for using Avine," she said in a really pleasant voice, "I do not detect the species nor the name of the individual standing."

Thel ignored this and asked his question. Far too many complications than he cared to deal with.

"What is this place," he asked.

"This is the central ward, where weapons, armor, and other items of importance to the Alliance."

This was most definitely an virtual intelligence. The voice was a dead giveaway, but the way she spoke and the way she did not further question his species was the other indication. Perhaps and artificial intelligence would be wasted here. Now that he thought of it, he had not seen any artificial intelligences anywhere, the only ones being that Human-looking Cerberus robot and EDI onboard the Normandy SR2. What was the reason for this? For a civilization this advanced, they had to have the ability to create such constructs, and yet they seemed to be none around. Maybe this question was better asked from someone who knew more about this subject, so Thel decided to move on.

"What else is sold here," he questioned further.

"Other items of non-military uses are sold, including but not limited to ingredients for food, software, video games, and other various consumer items," she answered fully. "Other items of non-military use are sold in the lower levels, all certified and legal."

Some of these things Thel did not really know too well, as he had never been really exposed to civilian life, be it the Sangheili, Human, or any other species, but the terms themselves were familiar to him. He had heard the Humans on the battlefield use it on more than one occasion. That got some more questions triggered in his head, things that set him off guard.

Now he was no longer interested in asking about the Citadel, so he decided to bring this "conversation" to a halt.

"Is there anything else worth noting," he continued.

"Several bars and clubs are within the vicinity," Avina spoke, "but all species are warned to follow regulations and safety rules as a precaution for their own safety."

At this point, there was nothing that this VI could speak of that was interesting or important, so Thel left it, not bothering to look back.

As he passed by certain vendors, he took note of the items that were being sold. He was in the area where military personnel might buy armor. From the looks of it, weapons of all sorts were being sold. While watching what each vendor sold, he was also careful to note the faces and expressions of each person at the stores. He did his best to read them, but the only ones he could read were Humans and Asari. None of the other species were as easy, so he stuck to some body movements and other subtle things in order to get an idea.

It seemed that everyone on the Citadel dressed rather formally, or at least wore very similar designs of formal attire, which Thel did not really have too much of a problem with. All Sangheili dressed similarly to one another in order to maintain a state of humility and consideration for everyone else. No one really cared to be a braggart on Sanghelios, and it was due to their warriors tradition as well as their honor. Here, though, that was probably not the case, as some of theses species were clearly not fit to be warriors. Well, he should not expect much from these aliens in the first place, but he did. High expectations were the thing that he always searched for.

Maybe Commander Shepard would have an opinion about what to purchase. The notion of asking for help irritated him at first, but he soon came to a more pragmatic conclusion. He knew next to nothing about weapons here, and the second best way next to actually testing weapons in battle was to ask someone who knew their way around weapons. Maybe it did not bother him so much to ask for help as it was to ask Shepard specifically. Why ask her? Why not ask one of her other teammates? They could probably help out just as much as she could. Thel would be more likely to ask her because she played a more important role than that of those who worked with her, not that they were incompetent. That was the only reason to ask her at all, of course.

Thel sighed. This was going to be a serious blow to his pride, and he disliked when his pride was seriously challenged like this, but what if his pride got him killed? He would be of no use to anyone dead. Perhaps he could let this one be ignored just once. Once he knew what he needed and had enough experience, he would not ask Shepard to help. Besides, weapons only could do so much for a warrior. Weapons are only effective with the right individual, one with skill and training.

That still did not stop him from entering into certain stores just to see what they sold. Whoever was manning the desks and counters looked to him, sort of fearful, but still trying to remain composed and friendly. Should he try to talk to them?

He hesitated at the doorway to one store, but his slight movement triggered something audible to activate.

"I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store."

Unexpected was the only thing that came to mind for the Sangheili, but not terribly surprising. Shepard was the kind of person that was good to the very core, and sought to help others in any way possible. Having her voice at the entrance to a store could easily garner some attention from potential purchasers. Shepard would do something of this nature. It was as clear to the Arbiter as daylight that despite her career and her skills, at her very center, she had the interests of the well-being of others. She wanted to do things for others and not for herself. It was a respectable and honorable thing to do. Few people had the ability to muster that level of compassion and understanding, and Shepard seemed to do it easily, or maybe she just did it by instinct.

But she is still naive, Thel thought. and she will be until she expereiences. She may speak with understanding. but not full understanding.

Thel decided that maybe bypassing this store was the best thing to do. If Shepard was a well-known figure as the Arbiter believed her to be, it would take long for someone in the stores, particularly the ones she endorsed, to figure out that he had some connection to her.

Shepard P.O.V.

Shepard had taken the time to visit around, seeing if anything had changed ever since her last visit to the Citadel. So far, nothing had changed. A few of the stores that had personal endorsements from her were still standing and playing that message. It may have been a problem that she had endorsed multiple stores, but she wanted to help them out as much as possible.

She was surprised that many of the Normandy SR2's original crew were now Alliance or had broken away from Cerberus. She had turned herself and the ship in as a sign of good faith. Shepard had never expected the crew to have a sudden change of heart. but maybe they had a reason to. The Illusive Man was not once what he use to be. He had to be stopped. Maybe the former Cerberus crew knew of this, and maybe not.

The commander had visited Doctor Chakwas. It was good catching up with the doctor. She had always been there for them all when they needed it.

Apart from that, she had taken to the stores. She needed some new gear. The standard Alliance gear was good, but she needed better equipment to fight the Reapers, the best possible. She could just use her position as a Council Spectre to pull in some favors or get discounts at the various stores around the Citadel. Now would be just about the best time, and plus, she was saving the galaxy.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she passed by a group talking. Normally, the conversation wouldn't be anything that she didn't know about, but this time, it was something she didn't know about.

"You hear what happened in the bar," the Salarian said, "heard a Krogan got spooked by some alien we've never seen."

That made Shepard pause. She stopped and stood where she was, listening in. She wondered if they were talking about someone she knew about.

"Heard it," a Turian replied, "also saw a video. That thing was gigantic. stood taller than a Krogan. Never seen a species like it either."

Shepard instantly knew. She had never seen any race taller than a Krogan, except for the Sangheili, as she recalled, and there was only one she knew about. Against her better instinct, she decided to ask about the conversation.

"Excuse me," she interjected, "did you say alien larger than a Krogan?"

"Yeah," the Turian said, "you heard?"

"Might have," she responded, "did he have silver armor?"

"One in the same," the Turian confirmed.

Before she knew it, she was rushing away. She needed to find the Arbiter. The last thing she had expected him to do was get in a fight with a Krogan. He seemed far too reserved and disciplined for that, which meant that Krogan had to have done something really bad to set him off. That was probably the reason. She was so caught up in a sort of worry and preoccupation that she didn't notice the Arbiter, nor did he notice her. Their collision was rather annoying for both.

Shepard looked irritated, only to find the Arbiter with...an expression she couldn't quite read, but his movement suggested irritation.

"Shepard," he said.

"Arbiter," she replied, "did you get into a fight with a Krogan?"

"Yes," he stated bluntly, "but I had good reason to do so."

"We don't go around picking fights," she explained, "we've got more important things to do."

"I did not begin the fight. I merely diffused the situation in order to defend someone else. Would you not do the same?"

She sighed.

"Yes," she agreed, "but please be more careful when going around the Citadel. C-Sec isn't known for being understanding. They might think you're trying to make a fight intentionally."

"Do we have more important things to attend to than this petty argument," the Arbiter said annoyingly.

"Yes," Shepard answered, "we're going to see the Citadel Council."

"Are they to be trusted," the Arbiter warned, "this Citadel, it seems all too surreal, too peaceful, too far away from the battles. They do not understand the threat because they are not witnessing it with their own eyes."

"They're politicians," Shepard explained, "do you really expect them to be understanding of what soldiers do?"

"I expect them to be realistic," the Sangheili said, "and they are not if they continue to only maintain their own borders."

"Which is why we're here," Shepard continued, "we're here to convince them to unite. The Reapers are going to hit everyone. Sooner or later, they're going to have to realize that we'll be more effective united than split."

"Then I pray that they realize it in time," the Arbiter grumbled, "because I do not have faith in them."

"Do you have faith in me," Shepard asked abruptly.

He didn't answer, and he didn't seem to be in a hurry to do so because he was considering. Shepard watched and waited. Even when in thought, his eyes didn't leave hers, and for some reason, Shepard didn't really need an answer. His eyes gave away that he did, on some level, have faith in her abilities, and for that, she was grateful enough.

"Let us be done with this," the Arbiter said quietly.

General P.O.V

Their walk to the Council chambers was quiet, but not awkward in any way. She passed by Bailey again, who gave her a quick acknowledgement and then resumed. As they walked into the chambers, the Arbiter took note of everything in the chamber. The fact that not too many people were here and that the chamber was uselessly large irritated him. It seemed like a waste, but he was not here to judge this. He was here to see how this Citadel Council would react, what they would do in response to Shepard's reports.

Shepard, on the other hand, had things to say, a lot of things to say. There was going to be a lot of talk. With the Council, there always was a lot to talk about. So many angles, so many loopholes, so many regulations. If there was one thing that she hated a lot was playing politician. Why could they not just get to the point? It would certainly make her job easier.

Or on second thought, her career or her life had never been easy to begin with. The commander cursed mentally. Just her luck, right?

On the far side of the room, all the Councilors were assembled and Liara stood on the platform, going over the schematics for the Prothean device. Shepard had reviewed them herself, and so far, it looked very promising, and it might as well be the last hope the galaxy was riding on. If this didn't work…

"Earth is not our concern, Udina," the Turian Councilor, "we've got our own problems to deal with."

The Arbiter growled audibly, and he did not bother to hide it. Everyone turned their heads towards the two coming towards. Shepard stood by Liara, while the Arbiter towered over them both, looking incredibly aggravated. The councilors seemed just as aggravated if not more than he was. The silence was filled with tension. Shepard knew that technically speaking, this was a sort of breach. these talks weren't meant to be heard by many people, and the Arbiter, to them, was an unknown. The stares lingered for a time before turning into words.

"Commander," Udina crossed his arms, "I would ask that your...companion leave."

"I will not," the Arbiter said, "and no one, Human, Asari, Turian, or Salarian, is going to force me. You can force me to leave when I am dead."

The tension rose to the point where Shepard could swear that it practically choking that atmosphere. If the councilors were angry before, it paled in comparison to this moment. Everyone seemed just about ready to run their mouths, so Shepard did the only thing she could.

"You summoned me," she interrupted.

The councilors refocused their attention to the spectre, their expressions pointing some blame at her, and Shepard simply accepted it, but it was too late to be apologizing or going back. There were here now.

"Yes," Udina finally replied, "as I was saying, the Reapers hit Earth. We're facing the majority of the Reaper's forces."

"That doesn't make you any more special," Valern argued, "the Reapers are hitting our own worlds as well."

"We stand no chance unless we unite," Shepard interjected, "We need your help, now more than ever."

"We cannot simply simply leave our homeworlds completely defenseless to the Reapers helping Earth," councilor Tevos said calmly, "The Reapers are attacking us all."

"We have to unite," Udina said, this time forcefully.

"Would our combined fleets, if we commit to it, be enough fight the Reapers," Spartacus questioned Shepard.

"The fleets will keep the Reapers at bay, but the fleets are not the only thing we have," Shepard said, "We have something else that can defeat the Reapers,"

Motioning to Liara, the Asari began to pull up her Omni-tool, revealing the blueprints to the device, extracted from that AI body.

"Councilors, we believe that we've found a device that can effectively destroy the Reaper threat."

"And what is it exactly," Spartacus asked.

"A weapon," Liara tapped a few controls, "one that the Protheans were creating and trying to use."

"The Protheans were driven to extinction by the Reapers," Tevos added, "what makes you think this device can defeat the Reapers."

"The device works," Liara affirmed, "but the Protheans never completed construction of the device."

"Do you truly believe that this will work," Spartacus questioned again.

A slight movement caused Shepard to look behind her. From his mandibles and his eyes, the Arbiter was not liking this conversation one bit. If anything, he was just about ready let loose, and that was what Shepard was worried about. The alien was many things, and being blunt to the point of no restraint was one of those qualities. She needed to diffuse the situation before things got out of hand.

"Liara believes it will work, and I've reviewed the device," Shepard spoke, "and we can build it, if we receive your help."

She paused to let this sink in before continuing.

"If we can't unite, then all of our hope is lost. As much as Udina and I aren't always on the same accord, he's right now. If we don't stop the Reapers, no one else will or can, and all life will die."

Shepard watched and waited. There was the physical proof that the council was forced to acknowledge, the Prothean device, all of it personally vouched from her, the Human Spectre that they appointed. It should have been enough. It should have convinced their minds. It should have caused them to unite, and it should have done so in an instant, but this was not the reality that set in. Shepard could see the councilors silently communicating with each other, and the silence was a dead giveaway that this still wasn't enough. What now?

Before anyone could say another word, the Arbiter beat them to the punch.

"You could throw all of the most irrefutable evidence and the opinions of the most respected individuals in the galaxy to theses insufferable fools, and you would yield absolutely no results."

Shepard cursed under her breath. This wasn't what she wanted to happen, but she doubted that she could stop the Arbiter now. If he was going to say something, he wouldn't let anyone get in his way.

"And who are you exactly," councilor Tevos asked, her voice calm, but betraying her hint of being slandered.

"Arbiter of the Sangheili" he deadpanned, "leader of my people."

"We've never seen your species before," Valern joined in, "and you have no idea what we're up against."

"I see enough," the Arbiter reverberated, "The Reapers are a threat to this galaxy, and yet you hide in fear from them rather than facing it head on. This is precisely what the Reapers are manipulating you into doing. By dividing yourselves, you leave ourselves open to attack, and the Reapers clearly have the superior technology. Refusing to unite will only result in systematic extinction of all species. Only numbers and unity will give a chance of victory and survival. Do you truly believe that you can protect your own borders single-handedly, or are you using the excuse of self-defense as a means to conceal the fear of a threat unlike any ever faced before? Do you hide in fear that everything that you have will be brought to ruins by this war? Is there a personal stake in this? What good are any ambitions without a galaxy?"

For the first time in a long time in two years, Shepard could see the council was in a state of silence. Udina seemed more surprised than shocked. Clearly, he wasn't really aware of the situation on Earth, at least nothing pertaining to Shepard's reinstatement or the Arbiter joining the team. Spartacus seemed a bit more critical, but there was a hint of admiration. Tevos remained neutral, but she was anything but mentally. Valern looked to be a bit more than angered. Shepard turned to look at the Arbiter, whose eyes were narrowed and burning with quite the intensity. There was definitely no stopping him now, nor did Shepard desire to stop him. He had done some of her job for her.

The Arbiter still had more to say.

"The galaxy will never be the same again, but would you prefer there be no galaxy at all to return to. What happens to one link in the chain can have profound consequences to the to other links. A single weak link can break the chain of the civilizations of the galaxy. You must unite or there is no hope of survival. Now is the time to call in question if you are truly loyal to your race, and if you are, then you know that to ensure that there is a future for them, then you will have to unite."

Okay, so not exactly very reassuring, but there was some room to interpret hope. He was effectively giving them a choice, but would this be enough to change their minds?

The long silence was broken finally when Tevos, albeit reluctantly and with obvious resignation, decided to speak

"Shepard, we fully understand your teammate's reason and logic," Tevos began.

"Now hold on-" Valern interrupted.

"However," Tevos soundly ignored her fellow councilor, "we must ensure that our borders are safe before we can lend aid to the Human fleets. I'm sorry, commander, but this is all we can do."

No one spoke, not even the Arbiter, but he was done speaking. He had said what he needed to say, and whether it was visible or not, all of councilors had taken his words into heavy consideration. Although they had not given any means of help, they had at least given a better window of opportunity, but it would not be enough, at least not yet.

The Arbiter was also frustrated because while claiming that they needed to defend their borders, there was another underlying message in that reason. The Arbiter could understand the loyalty of any race to their homeworld and their race, but this was much different. If the council were struggling to defend their own borders, then clearly they were subtly calling for help, and only after others did the duty that should have fell to them would they help. Did the Citadel Council hold themselves in such high arrogance? Humbling them not only felt satisfying, but now it was justified in the Arbiter's mind.

"I see," the commander said. She was not happy with this turnout either. No one in the room was satisfied, not even slightly. No one had reason to be.

Apologies for the late chapter. I won't bother with the excuses or reason. You don't want to listen to me complain. Anyway. REVIEW! Tell me what went well and what could have been better. Any ideas for the story can be voiced in a PM. I strongly recommend that no one write their story ideas on their review. My preference, but not mandatory.

In other news, I'm considering a new Xover idea, like Assassin's Creed/Halo. For more information about that, check out my profile.

Hope you all enjoyed reading. I promise that the next chapter will be a bit more lengthy as this was a short chapter by my standards. Thanks for reading, and remember, people can only influence you, but they don't decide who you are.

Peace!